Tag Archives: Honky Tonk

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S12 Ep 9 ~ Christopher Seymore

In this episode we get to chat with Christopher about his life, loves and music. He talks about building a community of like minded artists and how being a founding member of the Houston Honky Tonk Society is helping to bring this dream into reality.

Christopher talks about collaborating with artists such South Texas Tweek on songs such as ‘I Can Get off on You’ they first met at the Continental Club in Houston, and even tour managed Tweek while he was supporting Nick Shoulders. Christopher’s new release ‘Cheated On‘ the original song idea was Tweek’s when Christopher was over at his house for Thanksgiving and Tweek had the a killer line and then Christopher worked on the chorus and melody and after 6 or 7 months they had the final song.

It’s fascinating how Christopher, as a songwriter, delves into the depths of human emotions to create compelling lyrics. His ability to tap into the essence of the human condition and express it through the power of music is truly remarkable. Through his songwriting, Christopher has the unique talent to capture the myriad of emotions that define our existence, from profound joy to deep sorrow, and everything in between. This remarkable skill enables him to connect with others on a deeply emotional level, resonating with the experiences and feelings of his audience. The art of songwriting is a profound and beautiful way for Christopher to channel and share the complexities of the human experience, touching the hearts and souls of those who listen to his music.

Old school Honkytonk and Hillbilly music is how Christopher describes his music. Over the course of twenty years Christopher has collected tattoos all over his body. His first was from Famous Gabe from Pensacola Florida at a place called Through The Moon .

Christopher Seymore

Grew up singing in Church with his family and especially on his mothers side they are a musical family. His parents and his Aunts sang to him Old Country songs and hymns in Church. He always enjoyed singing and making up stories and wasn’t completely serious about a life of music until his late teens and early twenties. In Texas and the Two-Step culture is a whole another experience to connect with the audience. A true spiritual experience, as an artist he is developing himself and the challenge is to truly show himself. It’s all about trying to make a genuine connection between artist and the audience.

Dean Dillon, George Strait and Wayne Kemp are all musical heroes to Christopher and is part of his Country education. The development of a local music scene is directly connected to the availability of mid sized venues and the loss of these venues is felt to every independent artist. Stadium venues will always survive as they can bring in the top tier artists.

Nowhere else does anybody play a shuffle except a Texas drummer, there’s something in the air and water that makes Texas music awesome and is an alternative to what passes for county music these days . David Miner, Nicky Diamonds, Sam Turner and the Cactus Cats, South Texas Tweek, Patrick B Ray, Nick Garza’s Get Along and Chasen Wayne are all making music there own way in Texas and it’s totally different from that polished Nashville sound. Tim Bolo, Hannah Juanita, Summer Dean, Brennen Leigh and Sterling Drake are exceptions to the this more commercialised music.

Christopher Seymore

Christopher is working on a new album and has enough material for two albums. He will be back in the studio recording albums, one album is more outlaw and darker and another album has a seventies dancehall honkytonk feel.

So listen into this fascinating podcast with Christopher Seymore and CloudwatcherUno by clicking the link below or streaming on Apple Music, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S10 Ep 4 ~ Natalie Prauser

Natalie Prauser is a coffee aficionado, songstress and all round fabulous artist. We laugh, gasp and sit back in wonder on how this Kansas native is bringing her honky tonk music to life. Natalie’s album “Til The Sun Comes Up” is a veritable modern classic with all credit to her partner Marty Bush for mixing, producing and mastering the album. Let’s not forget also designing the look of the masterpiece as well.

“Til The Sun Comes Up” by Natalie Prauser

Natalie and Marty first met during Pre Covid times while Natalie was sleeping at a bar that Marty frequented. Plying him copious amounts of whiskey Natalie was determined to connect with Marty and that’s exactly what happened. The result is a relationship that has grown personally and professionally as musicians. There’s a to and fro of ideas and it’s a resource that Natalie draws upon Marty’s musical experience to decide which songs are EPIC and which are so so.

Natalie’s approach to songs varies but there was a time when she wrote “Cocaine” all on her phone while being a bouncer at Westport Saloon in Kansas City. Just imagine a 100 pound Natalie as a bouncer. Natalie’s mom recollects that as a child she was always writing songs and then at 13 she started playing at bars. For Natalie this was one of many paths that she could take, having dropped out of school, when Natalie was 16 she drove everywhere and slept in her car and be on the road as much as her finances would allow.

Natalie Prauser and Marty Bush

Natalie was living the vagabond existence and felt you don’t have to be Charley Crockett to live the life of a musician. Natalie’s musical heroes have been Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine and Blaze Foley.

For the future Natalie will be on tour with Marty and will be enjoying the writing process and produce another Cabin Session album. There will be another video to showcase her music and will continue to be touring across the States for the next year.

Click below to join in with the conversation with CloudwatcherUno and Natalie Prauser. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S6 Ep 3 ~ Jeremy Pinnell

Jeremy Pinnell is a honky tonk musician of the highest order. Having released ‘OH/KY‘ in 2015 and then ‘Ties of Blood and Affection‘ in 2017, Jeremy brings out his third album ‘Goodbye LA‘ on October 1st 2021 from Sofaburn Records.

Killer tracks from that first album are ‘Sleep Song‘ and ‘Rodeo‘ from ‘OH/KY‘ which were already around for 15 years. Alternative County/Folk music was where Jeremy started but Country Music is where he is headed. While in Dayton, Kentucky Sofaburn Records and Jeremy came together to make sweet sweet music. Jeremy lived a wild kind of life back in the day and managed to record these experiences for this album. Jeremy is a connoisseur of hooks, he tries to add those big or small into everything he writes.

Photo: Cowtownchad

Between his first and second album Jeremy met a girl, had a son, got a steady job and got married and all this gratitude and contentment in his life is reflected in ‘Ties of Blood and Affection‘.

‘Ballad of 1982’ by Jeremy Pinnell

Zackary ‘EZ’ Nelson absolutely nailed it with the artwork for ‘Goodbye LA‘. Jeremy and the band worked hard for the last two years during the pandemic and can’t wait to show all his hard work so that people can hear the album. It’s an album that can make some fans uncomfortable as it progresses Jeremy’s sound in new directions.

The new album was recorded right under the wire in 2020. The time during the pandemic was used to getting the album mastered up to perfection. Jonathan Tyler as a producer was the right decision for Jeremy as he would make the whole experience of recording the songs and the album super exciting.

Big Ol Good‘ by Jeremy Pinnell

One of the most extraordinary songs on the new album is ‘Rosalie‘. It’s a story of a bar girl and a bar guy having a whole lotta fun. The album reflects the life of a troubadour whose living his life one song at a time.

Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee are many of the states that Jeremy and the band have been paying at post pandemic. Going foward Jeremy and the boys will be travelling across the states to showcase one helluva album.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Jeremy Pinnell. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Behind The Song with Dan Whitaker

Dan Whitakers new album ‘One More Story Told‘ is out on Friday 13th August 2021 and is a collection of new old songs as in all songs rediscovered or reimagined for a new audience. One such song is ‘Please Tell My Baby‘ a song that was written almost 20 years ago. Then Dan was in a band called ‘Great Plain Gypsies‘ and was the principal songwriter and singer for the band at the time. It’s a song about two lovers who part ways without the ease and convenience of today’s modern technology. For one reason or another the lovers can’t be together and this song explores what happens when two souls can’t be together.

Behind The Song‘ is available on Friday 13th August 2021 to watch on @youtube and to listen on @applepodcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Dan Whitaker. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Artist Showcase with Victoria Bailey


“Jesus, Red Wine and Patsy Cline, Victoria Bailey’s new album is getting 5 star reviews absolutely everywhere. There’s just not a bad song on it.” Bob Harris, Radio 2 – The Country Show with Bob Harris.

Victoria Bailey’s album ‘Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline’ combines the three things that she feels most defines her right now in the middle of a pandemic. Her love for her faith, a good glass of wine and classic country music from her heroes Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton. The album was produced by Jeremy Long (released in 2020 via Rock Ridge Music). It’s a timeless classic honky tonk album that announces Victoria as the newest generation of artists to carry on the legacy of those legends.

Victoria Bailey Photo: Stefanie Vinsel Johnson

In this podcast CloudwatcherUno sits down with With Victoria Bailey and we talk about putting out new music, releasing a full album in the pandemic and concentrating on live performances. Two new songs will be released in the coming months, one is an original ‘Queen of the Rodeo’ (there’s also a video that was filmed for the song as well as meetingfilming the real life Rodeo Queen of California Morgan Laughlin) and another is a Randy Newman cover ‘Rider in The Rain‘.

‘Spent My Dime On White Wine’ by Victoria Bailey

LA is not known for country music but it was the birthplace of the Bakersfield Sound that included such artists as Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakum, Buck Owens and Victoria Bailey has captured that sound in her music and her album. Although Victoria Bailey didn’t grow up with country music, her father’s influence came with rock ‘n’ roll and her mother played folk records but fell in love with country music when she visited Nashville for the first time.

Victoria Bailey: Photo: Stefanie Vinsel Johnson

We talk about inspiration for the ‘Ramblin’ Man‘, ‘Skid Row‘, why outlaws are so charming, why Springsteen is really the boss and whether teenage Victoria Bailey thinks adult Victoria Bailey is really cool or not? Why her voice is her first instrument followed closely by her guitar, looking at touring in England and playing live music.

‘Honky Tonk Woman’ performed by Victoria Bailey
Victoria Bailey on the podcast. Photo: CloudwatcherUno

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Victoria Bailey. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S3 Ep7 ~ Dan Whitaker

Dan Whitaker – Chicago Showman

Dan Whitaker is a name you may not have heard of but needs to be on your music radar. His body of work ranges from solo albums like ‘Moving On With You’ and his honky tonk band ‘The Shinebenders’. Dan began his musical journey by listening to Johnny Cash, Grateful Dead and Punk Rock. His first band was more a rock band but slowly he started listening to classic country artists by drowning his sorrows by listening to Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson.

Dan Whitaker a song writing maestro.

Dan started with the saxophone at a young age but then later on learned piano, then bass and then picked up the guitar aged 16 with further tutelage under jazz musicians later in life. Big influences on his music has been Blues and Appalachian music and distilled into his jazz infused country music.

The remastered ‘Moving On With You’ album released in 2020 was and is his most personal album, living in a bad section of Chicago he wrote all the songs due to a combination of isolation and marking another stage in his life by getting married. Dan expressed himself in his songs and then recorded the album in his living room live way back in 1999. ‘Star Crossed Lovers’ and ‘Without Your Love’ are stand out tracks in the album. On the podcast we get to hear ‘August Gray’ a true country and western classic to my ears and ‘Can’t Take It With You’ an absolute gem of a song.

Dan Whitaker – Going boldly where no musician has gone before.

There’s a richness to Dan’s voice that speaks of his experience, the important things in your life, the melodies and threads of the universe speaking to him and coming out as lyrics that speak on a deeper level.

‘August Gray’ from the remastered album ‘Moving On With You’ by Dan Whitaker

When inspiration strikes Dan tries to use that and write down this seed of a song before it floats away. His dreams act as a way to inspire the melodies and chords in his songs. For the past 15 years he’s been paying with The Shinebenders’ and then when the pandemic he was by himself with the benefit of the band so he started doing livestreams with his older more folk and rock songs.

Dan Whitaker from the podcast. Photo: CloudwatcherUno

This time alone has allowed Dan to focus on producing more music by himself. His next album will be a solo album which is full of songs that were left dormant but now will see the light of day. Dan plays 6 different instruments on the album and with support from some of The Shinebenders’. The music world will be a better place for Dan Whitaker an ambassador for honest, heart-breaking and inspiring music.

Click below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Dan Whitaker. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S2 Ep9 ~ Roscoe Parker Band

Roscoe Parker Band is playing the long game in the world of country and western music.

Roscoe Parker Band needs to be on your music radar. You definitely need to listen to ‘You Might Get Lost, You Might Get Hurt’ it’s a fantastic album full of hidden gems and lyrics that make you want to get up and dance. It’s taken six years to get here but it’s been worth the wait. You’ll think your listening to a mid western country artist except he comes from Malmo, Sweden. Yes, Sweden. The music scene from these countries is breaking through onto the country and western scene.

Roscoe Parker Band will bring the magic to your playlist.

Growing up in southern Sweden, Rickard’s idol was Bruce Springsteen. Who didn’t want to be Springsteen eh? In this podcast we get to hear three songs from the latest album ‘You Might Get Lost, You Might Get Hurt’ and they are ‘Jackson Town’ ‘Let It Burn’ and ‘Still Drinkin’ My Beer from a Can’. The last song Rickard had help from Daniel Hollow but essentially its a biographical song about how deep down you can’t forget your roots.

‘Jackson Town’ by Roscoe Parker Band

We discuss factory made music versus independent artists and the struggle to keep your music authentic and not just a product for the masses. Roscoe Parker Band shows how much fun you can have with the country and western genre. His music combines the best of honky tonk with a clean 21st century sound. Inspiration comes at any time for these songs, from being outside running and walking, cooking in the kitchen even being in the bathroom!

The new album from Roscoe Parker Band. Go get this album! Your ears will thank you.

For the future there are already three or four songs already prepared for the second album. I for one can’t wait to hear these on this future album.

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Roscoe Parker Band. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict and many other platforms.

CloudwatcherUno Podcast S1 Ep9 ~ Chase Crawford

Chase Crawford

Chase Crawford is the real deal. 100 percent Country and Western, born in Nashville, raised in Alabama, Texas and all the parts in between. As the son of a travelling Pentecostal Preacher who lead tent revivals across the country Chase absorbed all the musical influences from Southern Gospel, Honky Tonk, Rhythm and Blues and Appalachian mountain music which you can hear right now in the EP “The Neon Lights Go on Forever” The album was finished in 2019 but released in 2020.

Chase Crawford

In this podcast we talk about the history of country music from pioneers like Deford Bailey to modern artists such as Mickey Guyton. And how modern country and western music could not exist without such artists and how instruments such as the banjo hailed from West Africa play such a key component of bluegrass music. When hillbilly music became mainstream it was then marketed as that or as a race record. Eventually many of these black artists became overshadowed or forgotten but their influence can be seen in the music that we listen to every day.

Chase Crawford

We get to hear two acoustic versions of songs from the new EP ‘Be Your Johnny Cash’ and ‘The Problem With Angels’ These two songs showcase the breadth and scope of Chase’s talents. ‘Be Your Johnny Cash’ is a love letter to his wife and he sang this to his bride on their wedding day, it features exceptional word play and is crafted like a carpenter may craft an item of furniture from a block of wood with love care and attention. ‘The Problem With Angels’ is a ballad of love and loss in a relationship and the struggle to keep love alive between two souls.

The new EP “The Neon Lights Go On Forever”

The whole EP comes fully formed with not one note, lyric, guitar riff, banjo twang out of place. It took minutes of inspiration, hours of hard work and years of dedication to produce a stunning album such as “The Neon Lights Go On Forever” So go show some support to an artist who truly deserves your love and attention.

Chase Crawford from the podcast Photograph © CloudwatcherUno 2020

Click down below to hear the podcast from CloudwatcherUno featuring Chase Crawford. Also available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many other platforms.