Ep. 6: Aaron Watson – Country Music Artist

Tarek: Did you just start another song on this podcast that was just yesterday?

Aaron: That was just yesterday.

Tarek: Do you need it? Do you need to scribble that thing down?

Aaron: Hey, I'll just get that down right here. You know, I'll make you co-writer We'll put you in there Because I'm drinking your coffee.

Tarek: I think I'm the producer on this one.

Aaron: I'll write down just yesterday and then I'll write this We'll come back on the podcast.

Tarek: Welcome to Y'all Street. Today I speak with country music star and Texas native Aaron Watson Aaron was the first independent artist to have an album debut at number one on the billboard country music charts Aaron you want a cup of coffee?

Aaron: Absolutely.

Tarek: I Yeah, I got you a special coffee cup. You know it you you remind me a Johnny Cash Johnny Cash song I've been everywhere man. Yeah, I'm everywhere man Well, this is the the Texas coffee cup that is all the destinations around town man Brownsville and Corpus Christi And thank you, bro. You're on your tour.

Aaron: So, you know, I've been to all these places So, yeah, it was a perfect coffee. I have been yeah, cheers, bro. There we go. Let's do it little cowboy coffee. Cheers. Oh Mmm Stout I like it.

Tarek: It's cowboy coffee.

Aaron: Absolutely.

Tarek: Put some hair in your chest.

Aaron: That's right.

Tarek: That's right You know what? I've been wondering about you.

Aaron: Yes, sir.

Tarek: Your hats! Every time I talk to you you got a different hat. Yeah, how many hats do you have?

Aaron: Well, I just you know Are you collecting it like what I well, I designed a lot of my my hat designs for our show And so, you know at some point I was like why am I wearing other hats? I ought to be supporting my own brand Yeah, and so I have to confess. I knew we were doing the podcast It didn't cross my mind that I should put on a hat that I wasn't working Where and when I was working I was wearing this yesterday working at the ranch and I'm wearing a t-shirt because we got a show Tonight I'm but I yeah, I'm I'm I'm underdressed as Texas dirt on a hat. Yeah. Yeah, it's got a little something I make it original little something. Yeah, it's off. I'm authentic for sure.

Tarek: Well, let's start with your tour Yeah, you're on the by the world around tour.

Aaron: Yeah by the world around when that's art We started that on that up Probably first of the year, but we had a song called by the world around You know you and I earlier we're talking about songs and where I get ideas for songs and songwriting is it's my favorite thing I love I love a lot of things but songwriting is is my passion. It's my hobby It's my job It's something I have to do. I can't explain it except for it wakes me up at night

Tarek: Well, I was gonna ask you about that So do you just write at any time of the day whenever the idea comes to you or do you set you have like?Certain times a day from eight to ten. I'm gonna sit. I'm gonna start writing. How does that process work?

Aaron: I try not to be too structured because then it starts becoming redundant. I try to be spontaneous I get ideas. I never know I something might hit me in a dream and I have had ideas and I wake up and I'll Write it down or put it in my phone, but like the by the world around we were playing at a place and Wyoming and two guys were in the corner and they're drawing at each other and I can tell they're fixing to fight and I'm thinking to Myself. Oh man, this is gonna be this is gonna be a good fight right here, you know So I'm kind of paying attention and watching it They were off in the corner. So I didn't break it up. I was gonna let them do their own thing but suddenly Someone bought the whole place around and these guys are now getting along And it doesn't take much. Yeah with all the issues in the world today and Politics there was a lot of that drama going on because that was that was with all the election stuff coming up and people are you know butting heads I thought to myself it's too bad. I can't buy the world around and then as soon as I said that Like in the middle of a fiddle solo I got out my phone and was like by the world around and saved the idea and then You know, then I like to wake up early in the mornings. I love sunrises, drink coffee work on songs before the before the kids are up. I Get I'm very very productive in the mornings.

Tarek: Does it always start with like an expression or a phrase or do you sometimes think about the tune first? I'm always curious like what comes first.

Aaron: I get asked that question a lot. I Is is the title the hook or the concept what the songs about? And sometimes so often I don't know why but I feel like the melody is Just married to this concept or hook and a lot of times it just happens at the same time There are times that I work backwards and I have a random verse that has a good melody Or I have a you know, I whistle some type of melody and I'm like, I want to write a song to that I do that as well, but that's more of a challenge for me. I mean songwriting is crazy because sometimes literally I will I will get an idea for a song and It's almost like a gift from God Where it just writes itself and there's times I've written a song and I'm been like surely I didn't write that You know, it's it's just songs are I don't know songs to me. I'm songs are one of the few things that You can create from nothing everything else takes something you take takes a tree You know to get this wood it But songs are the one thing that I think kind of you know, God gave us like a song it doesn't I Can write it it just comes from nothing and it's just I don't know and there's a lot of stuff about songs and You know in the Bible, so and there's just something special soulful about it

Tarek: Do you ever have dry periods where you can't come up with anything?

Aaron: Um, I Try to avoid that You know, I played baseball growing up baseball in college and my theory is like hey, you know One thing's for certain if you don't get up to the plate and swing the bat You're never gonna get a hit. So I kind of have that mentality where I get up there and I just keep swinging I enjoy the challenge. So when I'm having a when I'm not real productive I kind of like that challenge and I'm like, come on. We got to get back after this. So I enjoy that But also there's just like I do kind of have some moments of like Peace like after I finish a project I think I just kind of Take a sigh of relief and I'll just take a little take a little breather and I you know And I won't write for a little while and then one day It'll smack me right in the face again. I'm like, well, I guess we're writing full-time again, you know.

Tarek: Do you ever write a song and you think it's And it's okay and you know, you then you have another song and you think it's amazing For the songs that are just kind of like okay, is it something that you just continue to work on? Do you just set them to the side? Do you do you think every song is great? Like what? Yeah, how do you how do you go through that filtration?

Aaron: That's a great question. That's a great question. I think There's a lot of songs that like when I write them I'm so excited about them and I think there's something special You know, it's kind of like every mother thinks their child is just the most special you know, it's that kind of that kind of thing where and Then after a while ago, okay, that songs not It's not all I thought it was gonna be but I will tell you this Like one of our most successful songs There's only been I think three songs in the last like 60 years on Mainstream country radio that have charted top ten from an independent artist and one of our I had one of those three songs I mean, it's the odds of having a top ten as an independent artist on a country billboard you have a better chance of winning the lottery ten times over than having

Tarek: I'm definitely gonna get into this later because you had the the album was number one Yeah, yeah billboard country charts and it was independent. It was not attached to a label So we're we got to talk about that.

Aaron: Absolutely come back to that But that one of the songs out of style I wrote that song I thought that's just a fun upbeat song for the album I had no idea it would be a single or that it people would like it. And so Oh Different songs resonate for different reasons But I do feel as a songwriter like these this new batch of songs that I'm writing They're better. I I'm just a better writer now But I'm also more patient. I think when I was younger, I'd write it and I'd be like, it's pretty good It's done next now. I'm going back in and I'm rewriting and I'm rewriting and I'm thinking about it and I'm reading it and I'm Critiquing my melodies and just is it too busy? Is it you know, what's the right key? What's the right tempo? You know, and that's one of the things right now Two of my kids love music and love to write and I'm trying to like Show them those things now Things that took me forever to learn, you know, and so that's that's fun to pass that on

Tarek: I know a lot of writers who write books and they they love to write they're fantastic at what they do But they can't edit their own work Yeah And so they they'll go to an editor and you know There's this back and forth and they fall in love with a word or a paragraph. Yeah Um The self-editing process as you just described has taken you some time to learn and develop Yeah, what what are some of the things that you're specifically looking for in the songs that you're writing now That you're you're saying, you know, Aaron, let me let's be careful on this here or let's add this

Aaron: you know, I Break out the red pen on myself where like Is that a necessary word now sometimes words are necessary because there's a cadence and you've got a you you've got to have that That word needs to be in there so that Every syllable is on that downbeat, you know You've got to have it because without that syllable there's a gap and it loses that rhythm and that groove That kind of rhapsody thing But more than anything, you know, is is it catchy? You know, do I get bored like that like there's there's a couple songs where I'm like, you know, I had a verse and then a musical turnaround And I did a verse and I got in the chorus and then sometimes I'm like I'm bored I'm already bored Let's go back in we might need to take that verse out And it's just those kind of things like how do you feel about it? Like what and The beauty of a song is You one of the mysteries of a song is You you don't have very long to tell an entire story So you have to say a whole lot Paint a paint a really big picture in a very short amount of time, especially with today's people's with their I mean people they're They can't get their attention span So short today. I mean I've seen a difference from when I've started From where it is now. I mean, it's like man you better make that song under three minutes because you'll lose people So there there's that but also, you know, sometimes there's just a song where I'm like, no, this is gonna be a five-minute song. I Don't care.

Tarek: Well, that's I was gonna ask you about that this is probably a very amateur question again, not a guy that knows a whole lot about music, but Are there typical structures to a song that you try to follow?

Aaron: You know, I Think that if you probably went and broke down my My writing there's probably some style I've tried to get away from that and one of the ways I get away from that is by writing it backwards Like I said, I don't I'm not really good at but it's a challenge where I put the music down and then I have to write to The music which is so backwards for me that I find myself Coming up with something completely different, which I really like that that intrigues me But I don't know it just depends on the tempo it depends on What I'm trying to say And sometimes you sometimes you you write the song a certain way you go record it You come back you listen to it and you're like, it's not right and in today's world There's so many opportunities with editing that you can literally just start chopping up the song Yeah, taking parts out where once upon a time when you were recording to tape That was not an option. So there's a lot of beauty in technology today

Tarek: Do you run some of your early stuff by your wife and kids?

Aaron: Um Yeah a little bit, you know as you're as you're kind of in the wrong going yeah, and I think too they just They get it whether they want it or not because I'm in there, you know in the office singing songs, but every now and then you know, like My wife You know or my daughter or one of my sons will go. Hey, what song is that? Dad I like that song, you know, and I'm like, okay, you know, and that's I enjoy that it's fulfilling Yeah, it's fulfilling and I think that that over the years they've really started to appreciate seeing me hammer a song out and refine it and See where it comes from to When it's finished is it's cool. It's it's it It's it's something that it's hard to explain but it's a funny thing Like I remember we played this huge festival in Outside of Madrid Spain and One of my songs. I remember I started playing it and everyone was singing along and I thought to myself that's funny This song that I wrote on the back porch in West Texas These people that don't even really speak English somehow just Blows my mind, but that's that's the music is universal, you know music's universal.

Tarek: What has been the reaction to Europeans or Latin Americans or people that are not as exposed to country music man Europeans You know going over there to Spain They are music lovers and I don't think they get the opportunity to hear live bands like we do here so they're very Captivated by that and I think they're very captivated by the Texas culture I mean, I think they know I'm from West Texas.

Aaron: I think they think that I Saddle up my horse and ride it and You know to the grocery store and that I have to milk the cow at the grocery store I think they they see the Western way of life and but also too it's Texas, you know, I mean It is, you know, it's like I always tell people I'm like, well, we are the the seventh largest economy in the world. You know.

Tarek: Texas is some brand Y'all Street right here Y'all Street.

Aaron: It's brilliant The moment I the moment you told me about y'all Street I was like I'm going to need one of those metal signs for my for the house.

Tarek: Yesterday we were with a colleague of ours from Italy, and we took her out shooting guns, and of course, the whole way we're in the pickup truck, and I'm putting on the country music, and I was like, have you heard these songs? She's like no, I haven't heard a lot of a lot of country music But I get it and she said we're driving by the blue bonnets and it's As far as the eye can see see land and cows and she's like this is the perfect music for this scene Yeah, and that's what you know, I keep coming back to every time I listen to country music because I always envision myself driving in the car Yeah, absolutely.

Aaron: Yeah, you know Italians they love country music Some of my biggest shows in Europe have been in Italy. I Italy is one of my favorite places. Mm-hmm and it's It's neat to see, you know, I think we're very In America, we're in our own little box You know, we're in a box. We're protected by Oceans and we have our own little thing here, you know I think in Europe They're very exposed to lots of different cultures. So it's it's difficult for me to hear Another band Singing in a different language that I don't understand it's hard for me to get into that But that doesn't seem to bother them. It's more about the the beat and the fiddle and they're just the vibe they're Very passionate people. So I don't know I've been to Europe 11 times We've had 11 tours over there and it never gets old. I can't wait to go back

Tarek: Yeah, a lot of I lived in South America and a lot of the Argentines I was around said they learned English from American music music.

Aaron: Isn't that awesome?

Tarek: Yeah, it's great.

Aaron: I mean, it's just awesome I mean, it's like for instance. I was reading something about the Beatles and One of the first songs they ever recorded Was a song that buddy Holly country music wrote Yeah, and you're like a boy from West Texas, you know that you know a lot so much of buddy Holly stuff had that country music influence rockabilly and I mean I'm like and who would have thought that that was going to actually some some kid some teenager from West Texas was gonna actually influence what is without a doubt one of the Biggest rock and roll bands of all time the Beatles and I just that's what's so cool about music.

Tarek: I mean It really is a universal language universal language. Yep, so You and I met gosh like over 20 years ago. We were young well, by the way you as well Cheers to you as well Not too bad for some average dudes. Yeah, some 20 year old bucks. Yeah, I'm trying to figure it out in the world. Oh, yes Gosh you were when we met you I think you were promoting honky-tonk kid. Yeah, and I saw you play at a bar. I was with my my good buddy Dave Coletti and We had just launched Lionheart apparel and I remember turning down Mike man. This guy reminds me of George straight You had it even back then. Yeah, I am. I'm really interested in the origin story so yeah, you know, how did you get into music and When did the songwriting star and I think on honky-tonk kid? Didn't you play with Willie Nelson?

Aaron: Yeah, we had some with Willie.

Tarek: How did how did you get Willie on that on a record?

Aaron: So my music goes back to probably A combination of two things. I think you know my mom Would always encourage me to sing at church and Then my dad was always listening to music, I mean music's always on and Dad has a great, you know vinyl record collection and dad's musical tastes are Everywhere from you know swing Sinatra stuff to country music to rock and roll We had it all. So I think those two things were were Obviously probably the foundation of What made me fall in love with music but also my dad is a disabled veteran and He's lucky to be alive, right? I mean he they still don't know how he made it out of Vietnam with the injuries that he sustained So dad came back and started a he was a custodian and so I was a custodian right there alongside of my dad and We always listen to music. So it the church we cleaned dad had a there was a dolly and a metal trash can that dad had one of those bungee straps I Had wrapped around that trash can and it held it on that dolly and then On that dolly my dad would have all these cleaning supplies kind of Somehow he had them all strapped onto this dolly. But the funniest thing is he had a little little AM FM radio and he had it wired to the dolly handle So everywhere the dolly went the music went and as me and dad would be cleaning Dad would say, okay, you know, you know this song right here, you know This song came out like for instance, Amarillo by morning came on And my dad would say, you know, you know George Strait is the singer but George didn't write this song George Strait Recorded this but the first person to record it was Terry Stafford Terry wrote it and put it out in nineteen seventy one. So my dad is like a It's like a you know a rock and roll country music encyclopedia. So dad was like, you know, Terry Stafford Put that song out in 1971 and dad knew all about it dad was like, you know, it wasn't it didn't sound real country didn't have the fiddle but you know ten plus years later George put it out and Dad could tell me all those things. He knew like I can't remember the story behind Amarillo by morning but I think It was a commercial What's the Western is it Western Union Western Union commercial that said, you know We can get funds to him a real about morning. We can get it to there We can get your whatever you need to Amarillo by morning That's crazy. And that's where That's where the song idea so that's you ask questions. Like where do I get song ideas stuff like that?

Tarek: Wow.

Aaron: I mean I came up with this idea You know, I don't sing a lot of drinking songs, but I wrote a great drinking song but And we recorded it but the whole thing this so the title sounds so controversial. It's called drinking and driving. So, of course, that's something that I'm 110 percent against and everyone who's followed me knows this so when I come out with this song called drinking and driving People are gonna be like, oh Which I kind of like the shock factor there. But the whole the deal is it's this guy that You know keeps going out When he should be staying home with his girl, but the whole deal is I've been drinking and driving you crazy So country but the whole thing is he's not driving but he's drinking her crazy driving You crazy and so you come up with these little hooks that you're just like, oh, dude, I want to write that song I love it. Yeah, it's just one of those deals were I wrote a song for my boys, you know, they're they're they're just Great young man, but one of them went to a party and I told him you're gonna run into this kind of thing, you know, and just some of the struggles of those you know bad influences Peer pressure, you know, and so I wrote him a song and the whole deal I was talking to him I was like, you don't you don't think I don't know everything that you're going through and They were both looking me. I was like I Was just like you. I Was just like you and I started thinking about that and I thought you know what? I'm gonna write him a song and I wrote it It's just it's called just like you and it's just all the things and the mistakes I and I were in that in that Song I write a bunch of the mistakes that I've personally made Because they need to know like they need to know like no one's perfect. You know, I think that's Especially in today's social media world world. Everybody puts their best foot forward, you know And I think it's really important to air dirty laundry sure to make people who are out there struggling Understand like okay. I'm not alone in my struggles, you know, so yeah, if anybody thinks that I'm something special just Message my wife Yeah, she'll let you know the truth so You're young you you have this influence from your dad.

Tarek: Yeah, you pick up a guitar you start playing How did how did the early stages go? I mean Well, yeah around what around what age was this?

Aaron: Well, say probably around 20 around 20.

Tarek: So you this would have been like 1998 1997 and then within seven years you're singing on a record with Willie Nelson. That's a big jump.

Aaron: It happened fast It happened real fast I didn't start playing the guitar. I'm telling you by the time I learned to play the guitar. I was Within a year. I'm singing in front of people and I'm like struggling, but I was hungry I think the thing that got me is that I was doing a lot of work at school on the school grounds You know making minimum wage then going and waiting tables at a Place called Perini Ranch steakhouse, which is which is crazy because now I own a ranch that shares a fence line with the steakhouse Where I used to work in college, which is kind of full circle, which is fun but I was working hard just to make ends meet and then I had a Guy asked me if I would how much I would charge to play an acoustic event for the American Dental Association And I I think I ended up getting paid a thousand bucks. I was supposed to play for an hour.

Tarek: It's real money

Aaron: It's real money and that's real money in 1990 something right so They pay me a thousand dollars to play for I'm supposed to play for an hour and a half well, they end up I played for 20 something minutes and They had run over with their auction and You know the guy came back up he's like you're doing great he goes just a couple more songs He goes and we're gonna wrap this thing up. It's getting kind of late. So I was like, yes, sir. So I Was like I remember I left. I was like I just made a thousand bucks in 30 minutes I Have to work Every day of the week all month to make that and So it made me understand like there's a product here There's an opportunity and and that's the thing I try to instill in my kids is like what is your product gonna be? What is what service can you provide that has value and and there's a lot of opportunities out there and for me? I For me I've told people maybe there are There are some things I could provide where I could have actually made more money But there's nothing that I would have looked more. Mm-hmm, And that's the balance of like you gotta you gotta do what you love.

Tarek: Have you always been an entertainer storyteller? Were you the little kid that was, jumping on stage?

Aaron: I don't know I wasn't I wouldn't have jumped on a stage in front of people, but I think probably every day In my in an environment that I was comfortable. I was probably a little showboat, you know for the family friends But dude getting on stage. It's still weirds me out every now and then

Tarek: Do you get nervous still?

Aaron: I don't really get nervous But sometimes I walk out there and there's all these people and I'm like what the heck, you know I mean, I'll tell you there's there's moments where I get nervous like when we play the Houston rodeo several years back and there's a thousand people and I'll go. Okay, I do not belong up here. I don't think highly of myself. I just don't I don't think that anything that I'm doing is really that impressive and I don't it's not a lack of confidence. I just am not impressed by myself. I Think maybe it's because you know, I my dad is my hero and my dad, you know his The the value on what he's worth and uh, you know is his Is it from a dollar standpoint it's probably not much but But he's but what he sacrificed what he sacrificed and who he is. Yeah, there's no number There's like there's boys that would have would give everything just to have a dad that Thats priceless and so, you know for me, I look at the way my dad has provided for us How way he's loved my mom and You know, I think for me as a For what I'm doing and what I stand for there is a defining moment where Something my dad did made such a huge impact on me that it changed me We were cleaning the church it was a Wednesday and I know it's a way. I know it was a Wednesday because all my buddies were going swimming at the Amarillo Town Club The Amarillo Town Club is literally right across the street from the church. We were cleaning So all my buddies are going swimming there. It's summer on a Wednesday I Was like dad, they're all going swimming. Can I go swimming? Can I go swimming? He's like, I'm sorry. I need your help There was some type of event at the church and church that night Church was that night so we had a lot of cleaning to do and I was like I need your help Or I'm not gonna have the church ready for Wednesday night services And then I was being a stinker about it and I remember we pulled up in our station wagon and parked and I can hear The kids screaming and splashing And I'm like, this is not fair, you know, and I'm just you know, I think I was 11 12 and I'm complaining about it and Being a stinker about it. And I remember I'm in one of the bathroom stalls in the men's bathroom and Dad Was on the one to the left and I've got I remember I have on these big yellow gloves and I'm scrubbing this nasty toilet and I was like I hate this It's not fair And I'm just tripping and dad's not saying much and I'll never forget out of nowhere. My dad is on his knees And he comes around the stall and he goes hey And I turned around and he looked me right in the eye and it's hard for me to say all this without getting emotional Because it's that moment that I remember I realized how wonderful he was, but he goes, hey Do you think? That when I was your age, I Said I want to grow up someday and be a custodian and clean toilets He goes, do you think that that was one of my dreams? He goes I had the same dreams as you I wanted to be a major league baseball player He goes, but you know, I Got drafted and I got injured serving my country And he said there was a time there that I thought I would never get to have a family He goes, but God blessed me With your mama and he blessed me with you and your sister He goes he also he blessed me with this job Because of this job, I'm able to take care of y'all and he said so you can bet When we walk out of this bathroom, these will be the cleanest toilets in town

Song Clip: Growing up. I never cared too much for Superman. I Guess he never could measure up next to my old man There's no s on his chest. He's just an old-weather flag God knows my heroes don't wear case They wear dark tags and they stand tall Light up on the wall of freedom Yeah, those dog tags and the crosses They're always right there when you need them You can bet they're good so hit the ground running Every time it hits the fan God knows my heroes don't wear caps

Tarek: What a life lesson

Aaron: And and that's kind of my mentality to what I do now, you know for me, it's not about Record deals. It's not about Awards, it's just about you know taking care of my family Trying to be the best that I can be And try to be a you know, I'm by no means I'm not a role model At all But I do think that I can provide You can learn from my mistakes, you know That's one of the things that I try to share like, you know, I tell my boys. I'm like, uh you know Like I share some of my like Jack The one child that I have that doesn't like music. He loves music. He's not into it He's more of a entrepreneur and I share with him You know, I like well, let me tell you something I did a while back Flipping stocks day trade and whatever you guys like man. I really I was raking it in the first couple of times but yeah the house will get you.

Tarek: Well, I I think that so often we fall victim to this idea of Focusing on the things that we don't have things that other people have things that I'm missing things that I want and We spend so little time thinking about how Appreciative we should be of the things that we do have. Yeah, and so your story with your dad just reminds me of that just even the the blessing of having a family a close-knit family and a mom and a dad and siblings who love each other and Again, those those type of things are priceless and and you know, yeah It just makes me think, you know every single day how important it is to be grateful for what we've been given being able to walk being able to walk

Aaron: being able to Just walk outside and feel the sunshine on your face, I mean so many things we take for granted I think about this My daughter is a few months away from being able to drive And we were talking and she said do you remember the first time That you got to drive by yourself and I was like, absolutely She goes you really do I go absolutely like it was yesterday. I Was like, you know, it's like it was 30 years ago and I got my license and I wanted to go over to a friend's house and I asked permission and my dad said you bet What time you coming home? And I told him and I was like I told him I remember telling mom and dad so I can really go You know, like you can really go and I mean I remember I got into that 1981 Monte Carlo I Had a Led Zeppelin greatest hits Cassette that I popped in right Windows were down. I drove down Hatton Street turned left and then got on to the access road Got up on the canyon freeway and I put the pedal to the metal and I was like you're a free man I was a free man. Now. What's wild about that? That was yesterday That was yesterday. That was just yesterday That was 30 years ago. I Can I can feel the wind in my hair still I it was yesterday And I can close my eyes and that is as clear as a memory that I have of yesterday actually Now fast forward that 30 years went by like that You fast forward 30 years from now and It starts putting things into perspective Where it's like 30 years from now, I hope I'm able to still walk and get around Yeah, take walks. Enjoy the Sun sets the sunrise and so it makes you realize I'm at it. I'm at an age now where I feel like I With my music and my business I tell people I'm very dangerous now like what we're fixing to achieve with my music I'm dangerous

Tarek: That was just yesterday. Did you just start another song on this podcast? That was just yesterday. Do you need it? Do you need to scribble that thing down?

Aaron: Right here. Look I just get that down right here You know, I'll make you co-writer. We'll put you in there because I'm drinking your coffee I think I'm the producer on this one user. I'll write down just yesterday and then I'll write this We'll come back on the podcast But that's the thing life is full of songs it's it's just full of songs and And now what I love what I'm doing When I tell people now like what's the difference between you right now as an artist versus 20 years ago I tell them I'm dangerous and they're like, what do you mean? You're dangerous? I said because a The house is paid off and I don't have to worry about Making that payment every month and I can be aggressive also I have a greater appreciation for how lucky I am Mmm to be where I'm at right now, and it's just like Living every day Like it's your last it's a celebration now and it's not a bration.

Tarek: It's not the struggle. It's not the coming up. It's like we're going to appreciate.

Aaron: I heard a great line one time "Youth is wasted on the young".

Tarek: Mm-hmm

Aaron: And it's true, and I share that line a lot with a lot of young artists. I'm like youth is wasted on the young You actually think that you are 10 foot tall and bulletproof and you're not You know, I tell a bunch of these kids right now is like dude You're 30 and you almost look as old as me. Mm-hmm So you better slow it down a little bit Cuz you're gonna look like you know P Paul here in a couple years.

Tarek: So let's get back to honky tonk kids. So you get this record and I guess walk me through that process and I want to hear a little bit about the journey to the next records and how you Had this independent number one album because that's a business decision on this podcast. We talk a lot about business Yeah, and you're making a decision and I could go this way or I could go that way and I'm gonna choose this path Well starting even before honky tonk kid.

Aaron: We had a song we had an album called shut up and dance We had a couple of producers major record labels Discover that album. I went to this seminar about The music industry. I talked to some people rub some rubbed elbows with a few big wigs and they Liked what I was doing. They flew me out to Nashville and right off the bat I Was they rubbed me wrong they Wanted to change everything about me. They didn't want me to tour They wanted me to move to Nashville and start writing and I was like, well, why can't I write? Play shows still and come here. Why can't I do both?

Tarek: Well, that's not really how we do it.

Aaron: So right off the bat I had opportunities.

Tarek: Young young So, how did you work through that?How did you decide?

Aaron: Well, first of all, there's There's this guy named Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings and there's the whole Texas outlaw movement And that's all my dad ever talked about Fort Worth, Texas 1965 Johnny Bush is on the drums and Willie I mean Willie literally did not achieve the success of Being Willie Nelson until he was in his mid 40s So for me, I knew I Wasn't desperate. I Didn't need the approval of Nashville or the support of a label because I knew that I had Texas and when people say Are you a Texas artist? I'm like 110 percent Without a doubt and So we were able to start working Building a fan base playing shows slinging merch The shut up and dance album had some success and I knew I needed to come up with another album I Came up with this album comes concept called the honky tonk kid wrote this song with a friend of mine Chris Burgnes We recorded it. I wrote this song about Willie and The song was about Willie and The song was almost finished and then Johnny Cash died and I was actually in Nashville when they had his funeral and I Remember there was just a there was a buzz about Johnny Cash is passing in his funeral. So the last verse Was inspired by Johnny Cash's death I never dreamed that Willie would sing the song with me So that was Kali, I mean I tell people what's better than that like I so young How did you get introduced to him? Ray Benson from the sleep at the will help me produce the album and Ray was shooting pull with Willie at his house and he said listen to this song and Willie said play that one again and Ray said that he said play it again and Ray says that Willie said something like I really liked that song and I think Ray said something like well if you like it so much Why don't you sing on it?

Tarek: I mean, that's high praise because Willie sees himself first as a songwriter before even a singer.

Aaron: It was an honor

Song Clip: He's wrinkled and grey, but he still got the fire and he sings on the stage like a bird on the wire He'll pack them in Just like he always did everybody loves the honky tonk kid He got his first guitar Well, he was 15 Thirstin for an audience All hungry and green strumming that six string Just like lefty did Everybody loves, the honky tonk kid

Aaron: So dad being a huge Willie Nelson fan Literally I drove to Austin Willie recorded the vocals with Ray They burn it on they you know, they burned it on a CD for me I listened to it literally non-stop for four hours Back home to Abilene I was living. I'd moved from Amarillo to Abilene, I'm married at this point. Um and then literally I hopped in my truck the next day and I drove all the way to Amarillo to share it with my dad What was that moment like? Oh, it's the coolest thing ever. I said sit down And I remember I had this cruddy little cheap CD player that I that was still in my room from high school And we sat down and I pushed play And my dad it did it blew his mind.

Tarek: He said what did he say?

Aaron: He said I can't believe it Willie singing with my boy It was wow. And oh dude, I haven't really actually thought about that It gets me all choked up because I get that now that i'm a father, right? Like actually my dad Was more excited than I was and it's kind of like at Jake's game two days ago Man when he got up to the plate And the bases are loaded I promise you I wanted him to succeed more than he did.

Tarek: And that's the perspective you were talking about, Youth wasted on the young absolutely and that perspective that comes with age to look back and really understand and fully comprehend The significance of the moment.

Aaron: Yeah, and then so we had success with The honky tonk kid I met with a guy at capital records I wasn't against the nashville thing. I just wanted a good I just wanted to do some good business a good partnership I wanted them to believe in me and not see me as a moment or a quick buck There was some maturity in understanding that at such a young age too because a lot of people they just go and jump Hey, this is my opportunity.

Tarek: Nashville wants me great. Show me the money

Aaron: Yeah, I was a stubborn little son of a gun Also, songwriting was everything to me and the idea of them making me sing someone else's songs it it just it Made me sick to even think about it because Of where I came from also there were these great artists like robert o'keene. He's not a great singer And he's my favorite singer He's robert o'keene who can write a song better than robert o'keene? And then there's guys like Willie Nelson, who's also one of my favorites. Not a great singer if Willie's sitting next to you in church and you hear how you're gonna be like this guy can't sing, and I'm like, actually, He's the songbird of our generation. You know, whatever, but I was so proud of being a songwriter and so proud of being a Texas country singer-songwriter.

Tarek: That's its own genre. Oh, yeah, it's its own club. It's own community

Aaron: The greatest thing about this texas country music scene is it gave me the opportunity regardless of Nashville and it gave me that confidence because I was playing at these dance halls and honky tonks and we're selling tickets And i'm actually making a living so I wasn't desperate and We had the opportunity to meet with the president of capital records and I don't know what I was expecting from him. I I didn't know Maybe I was going to walk out of his office with you know suitcases full of Thousand-dollar bills.

Tarek: What was going on in your head before walking into the meeting? So this was in Nashville. So you flew to nashville

Aaron: Yeah, flew to nashville and you're like, this is the day i'm gonna go meet with the president of capital records I actually thought he would think that I was Talented and something that he would want to Invest in I believe that 110 percent Hey, we talked business He Was very nice He said sing me some songs I sang him some songs And he said I don't see you as an artist that is going to have any success outside of the state of texas Wow, and I said, okay He said I could see you as a guy who could write songs for the stars But I don't see you As a star And I said, well you haven't even seen my show That's a bold Statement and he said yeah, he goes but I do this for I just don't he goes i'm sorry I just don't see you and I was like He's like, would you have any interest? in Moving here and writing songs or this or that and I said nope i'd rather just stay in Texas and I don't exactly remember how this statement came along but I did inform him that I think at the time I had read something that like 60-something percent of all country music album sales were coming out of Texas.

Tarek: Is that right?

Aaron: Oh, yeah, and He said something, he's like, well, if you're fine with just wanting to be, you know, the king of Texas, then go be the king of Texas, and I said Man. That's a That's an amazing title the King of Texas

Tarek: You said you said earlier that um Life is a song, you know life is full of songs and There's another one.I'd rather just stay in Texas.

Aaron: I'd rather just stay in texas

Song Clip: He said son don't get offended by what i'm about to say I can see you have a passion for the songs you write and play But you like what we all call commercial appeal But you just don't have what it takes to make it here in Nashville Ouch Well, my heart felt like a train wreck but I wore a smile on my face I said thank you for your time, sir, and I put this old guitar back in its case Now a little conversation was like a revelation redirecting my dreams Because god knows i'd never sell my soul to rock and roll or rap or wear those tight fit and skinny jeans And you know i'd rather sing my own song than be a puppet on a string I wear what I want to wear I'm gonna sing what I want to sing Heaven knows all I need is my faith my fans my friends and my family Besides i'd rather be an old fence post in Texas than the king of Tennessee

Aaron: Saddled up my dreams on a horse named Texas Hit those honky tonking trails like willie and the boys. I've been roping cowboy songs on a horse named texas tied a few good ones down and made a lot of neon noise and That's the thing is I've that's the deal like i've been riding this horse named texas And it's like you dance with the ones at brunga the brunga and There's not a lot of that type of loyalty in today's world actually from sports You know, it's like So many of these country artists the moment they have an opportunity to go pop instead of going You know, I don't know that would be kind of Turning my back not just on my fans but on who I am For the dollar So i'm just like I don't know

Tarek: So you decided at that point, look i'm going back to texas I'm going to do it my own way That's a that's a very Texan attitude.

Aaron: It's a very It's a very texan attitude and and and I was able to have that confidence because of these texas music fans Yeah Because I wasn't hungry um, so You know, this is what's crazy is that's the honky tonk kid record, right? Well, then all of a sudden there's angels and outlaw. No, there's after the honky tonk kid record There's san angelo. There's angels and outlaws. There's the road. There's live at the texas hall of fame Uh, there's real good time. There's the barbed wire halo gospel record. There's um live in waco there's All these different there's a couple more records I can't even remember i've had a few All that time passes just me doing my thing And then That real good time record It somehow accidentally charted top 10 nationwide somehow somehow and I guess it's just I don't know how that thing charted top 10. We didn't put any money behind it. I think it was just this guy playing 150 shows a year And hanging out for an hour after every show selling merch and taking pictures Just it just happened And I remember thinking if we accidentally just charted an album top 10 Nationwide what could we do if we actually tried and had some strategy and that's where the uh concept of the album the underdog came from.

Tarek: Wow, and this is so just to kind of bookmark the time, this is around 2009, 2010 ?

Aaron: Yeah probably 2000 and well, you know Probably around 2012 or 13 is when that idea of the underdog Okay Came to be and then I took my sweet time making that album and building You know the strategy for The the number one goal, which was Could we actually have the number one album? Independently in mainstream Country music it had never been done. There had never been an independent album chart number one on country billboard Never.

Tarek: As part of the strategy. I mean i'm trying to put myself back in 2013-2014 you have social media. So that does exist. There's obviously youtube It's not like what it is today. Yeah, you know 11 years later with the influencers and you build whole companies around social media. So I know that some of our listeners are going to be really interested in like how do how do you put together a Go-to-market strategy for an album.

Aaron: Yeah, you know back then Apple itunes was such a it was such a big deal that you know Instagram wasn't what it is. Now. There wasn't tick-tock Facebook Was a big player You could have some things go viral On uh on facebook. We had a couple of viral facebook moments videos that I made that went crazy like Really? Changed the game kind of moments. Um but back then if you put out an album or a single And you had enough support from your core That you could get that thing in the top 10 when people would open up their phone they would see these These songs that were the most popular songs and that just kind of kept the wheels spinning you know I had a uh so so it's it's it's it's crazy, but we come out with our album the underdog and um We find out that this album it went number one It was a cool feeling and I I didn't feel like it was something that I achieved It was weird. I didn't feel like it was me I felt like it was every single person who had bought tickets For the last 15 years of my career. I mean i'd already been doing it 15 years.

Tarek: Yeah

Aaron: Um, it was just a a win for the team, and um now independent music is celebrated But I was my name was a bad word My name

Tarek: So did you go back to the president of the capital records and say How do you like them apples?

Aaron: You know, I never did But what's funny? We had some controversy with some a couple with a with a with a huge dj who basically was He was kind of running down the brand and for me music is how I put Diesel on the bus and diapers on the babies. So you're not going to run down the family business And so I got cross with a couple people fired some shots back There was and I don't like I do not like drama Or controversy, but if you back me in a corner once I decide I might actually enjoy, you know Exchanging some blows and I started having fun with it The president of Sony came out It was the week of crs, which is a big deal in ashville president of sony came out And he said that if you do not get played on mainstream Country music that you don't exist That was literally his words Well I get interviewed by I guess The Tennessean or something and also What's the big publication, the paper in London, uh, the the guard the Guardian. They interview me and the first thing they ask is so you're an independent artist Who just made history? by putting out the first Album independent album in the history of country music to go number one on billboard And they were like congratulations and I was like, thank you and they said so The president of sony just said that if you're not played on mainstream radio that you don't exist and you are not played on mainstream radio. What would what's your response to him? And I said, well I'd walk up to him and say hi, my name is Aaron Watson. I'm an independent artist who has the number one album in all country music this week So I guess I kind of exist Well that thing went viral and a lot of independent artists started doing this like we exist move it and so the the president of sony literally gets fired within a week or two of this this happening and I have people going how does it feel? That you got this got fired I was like I didn't get anybody fired But there were just all these things that happened and you know, I tell people That's an outlaw movement being an outlaw isn't So many of these young kids they go they they they put on the costume you know they wear the retro clothes and their cussing and drinking and That's not outlaw. That's just a reckless drunk. Being an outlaw is For me it was what will he did where You know what? They wouldn't give him the opportunity. No one believed in him. So he came back home And he Did his own thing

Tarek: All forms of media are trending in that direction Yeah, all of the big news stations and the major networks are all being Taken over essentially by independent media. I love it Yeah, it's it's opening up a lot of doors and creating a lot of channels for people who otherwise would not have opportunities Well, it's given it's given the art back to the people And I love that because I think that's an honest That's an honest thing.

Aaron: I think it's something that You know, i'm not a very corporate kind of guy And i've been around a lot of things You know, I feel like a lot of times the the the bigger the company There's less heart less soul People become detached from you know getting to actually know Their employees and care for them and understand. Oh this this guy works for me I can't I we can't let him go His wife just had a baby. You know, it's it's the heart and the soul and I think that's what makes for a strong brand a strong company So I love the fact that where it's going. I mean, it's fun and that's part of the reason why now Where i'm like, oh man You know, I can't control whether I mean i've never been played on xm radio um I wish that they would play me. I have goals for this next record to get played on XM Radio, you know, I Heart Radio has never played me even with our Top 10 songs and number one albums. I have goals of that.

Tarek: How do you how do you intend to approach them?

Aaron: um

Tarek: Just make it so that they can't avoid you

Aaron: Yeah I want to first of all I want to bring them To One of the best products of the year And You know, I want to be approachable I want to be able to say hey, you know, I know i'm not This artist or this artist, but here's my phone number You know, i'd be forever thankful for the opportunity And I would be um But at the same time if they don't give me that opportunity See I mean they're just all they're gonna do is is they're gonna they're they're gonna throw some more gas on the fire I mean i'm telling you just recently within the last year uh, I met with A very big player in the Nashville publishing world whom i've known for 20 something years and I have his number in my phone and I consider him a friend But I was telling him about this project and how excited I am for horse named texas and I was saying, you know You have a couple of artists on your roster A couple of songwriters I would love to write with I said I really think that they could help me take this thing to the next level And he said well erin he said I don't really think that you're You know, I don't think that your career is at a place where These guys would actually be interested in working with you..

Tarek: Once again.

Aaron: And I went Oh, okay, and at first I was like What the heck and I walked out with a couple of the guys that helped manage me, and we walked out, and I said What the heck was that all about? And we kind of laughed it off. But I will tell you that what he said has Woke me up in the middle of the night It wakes me up in the morning keeps me up late And I will thank him In the next year or two When we knock the roof off the place i'm gonna thank him and say hey Thanks for your your honesty Um because that's the thing You It's it's You have to enjoy The struggle that's that's That's what makes winning. So sweet if you just won all the time I mean if every time you walked up to the plate if you hit a home run I mean that'd be great, right? But that's not realistic you have to understand that you're gonna strike out You're gonna have you know a great hitter. I mean if you go three for ten You're a hall of fame hitter, but that means you've failed 70 percent of the time.

Tarek: I think it's what a lot of young people don't understand is Or or haven't had the opportunity to experience probably a better way to say it is There are all these successful people around you. They they build companies or they're you know famous musicians or actors. Yeah And every single day is a struggle Yeah, and there are highs and there are lows and you're making mistakes and it's not all sunshine and rainbows It's presented that way and especially like with social media and instagram and facebook. You're only seeing one side of the person. I can't remember where I heard this, but someone was saying, you know, if aliens came down and broke into your house and they only saw your photo album, they would think Wow. These people are constantly happy because every single picture is smiles and celebrations Yeah, but they're not seeing what's in the middle of all of those pictures yeah, and and that's really where the growth comes and the There's beauty and struggle. There's a lot of beauty in the struggle.

Aaron: There really is and it's one of those things that You know i've used You know this i've talked to my son about this. I said, you know I like sports cars You know now that i'm to the point where I can afford the sports cars that I wanted I don't really want them but I had a buddy and when he turned 16 his dad bought him A brand spanking new corvette and it just all blew our minds and we loved riding around on that thing but i've told my sons. Do you think a 16-year-old whose daddy buys him a new Corvette is going to appreciate that Corvette as much as a 50-something-year-old man who has waited his whole life to have that car, who has saved up his money? Never you know that that it's the struggle, it's the patience, it's being persistent. It's the grind and so for me Like i'm really enjoying the grind these days.

Tarek: You have number one albums. As far as being an outlaw, too I mean, I I think knowing you and your your story you made some very intentional decisions about Spending time with your family just as your career is is getting to a point where it's skyrocketing You're playing these major stadiums. Yeah, you're also making this decision that look My children are only going to be this age. Yeah once and i'm gonna make some sacrifices Along the way here, even if it means that this is going to throttle back my career.

Aaron: Yeah, it did it throttled it back Um, I think more I try to think that I didn't lose opportunity I just kind of put my career in a little bit of a hibernation mode Probably in 2017 and 18 things started taking off It started getting insane and that's where I kind of had to push a little bit of the pause button I started saying no, no, no, no, no because I had a I mean goodness. I had a 10 year old an eight year old and a six year old and when I left It broke their hearts And it broke my heart and so While I am still dad and I have to work and I still toured I did not push the the mainstream thing And also too I also realized oh i've had a number one record. I've had a top 10 single Okay Whatever. It's not You know, you know what i'm saying?

Tarek: The end all be all is not the material success. It has the world It's the relationships that you have with your children that are long lasting.

Aaron: Absolutely. I mean money does not buy happiness It doesn't and if you let that control you It can ruin you actually. I mean it's kind of like, you know So for me now now they're now they're all in high school and i'm like every every parent of a high schooler knows like I can come home and be like I'm home you know, it's like That's home you know, it's like they They're little they're they're grown up. They're they're young grown. They're They're grown at this point, you know, it's like and so they have their own little lives and you know now I'm chasing them around You know, you know like hey, let's go do this. Let's go do that It's still very important, but I have a little more freedom now that you know They're grown up. Its crazy.

Tarek: Going back to the story you told about the Uh your your contact and doubting whether or not you're at a particular level. It's kind of interesting because there are so many Young up-and-coming artists that look to you for advice, for coaching, for wisdom. How do you do this, or how do you do that? And um you know what who are some of the the people that you've helped, you know, sort of along the way and What what advice have you given to them?

Aaron: Gosh, you know I've had so many even very popular artists today. You know, send me sweet messages saying, you know back in the day when I was struggling I always knew that I could always do what i'm doing for a living because of the career that you had built It was an inspiration um I tell a lot of these kids this um if you were get to get out of college and You graduate first year class and you decide to go work for a bank Do you think that they're gonna immediately make you president of the bank? No, you're gonna put in 10, 20 years Before you work your way to the top.

Tarek: Mm-hmm.

Aaron: And that's how the real world works I mean I look at you and your story and I think back to you and I visiting And you bring in me some t-shirts and you had this vision for lion heart apparel and It starts somewhere. Yeah, and you have to start somewhere and you have to You have to learn you have to learn the ropes. You got to put in the time.

Tarek: And you got to fail repeatedly

Aaron: Absolutely, because that's what prepares you That's what prepares you for your big moment So I tell a lot of these kids i'm like hey You know if you're wanting this to happen right now, you know, best of luck to you because there are some kids I know You know, there's a kid that was opening a couple shows for me this time last year and he is selling Everything out now.

Tarek: Who's that?

Aaron: Ty Meyers.

Tarek: Ty Meyers.

Aaron: So Ty is killing it played a couple shows with me um Sweet kid sweet family his dad's an artist. Uh, so, you know you know I've been rooting for him since day one and obviously saw how talented he was and he's I mean he's talented and he's viral Viral sensation. I mean he's so good and um And for opera for kids like ty Congrats. Well done, son. What I would tell ty is Don't get content Don't get the big head because you could be here today and Yesterday's news tomorrow. So treat your fans like solid gold, and it's like they say that the people you pass on the way up or the people you pass on the way down, and it's not about being the king of the mountain for me. I love the idea of A long career, you're gonna have ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, and I mean, you know, try to do this, where as long as you're, you're arcing your way up.

Tarek: It's like the stock market, right?

Aaron: Absolutely Let's as long as there's something, you know, we we just as an artist you want there to be some inflation

Tarek: Yeah, just avoid the crashes

Aaron: just avoid those crashes you know, so, you know I try to share My experience is things that i've been through over the years things that I can pass down and also tell them I don't know everything, you know But if you love it Go plug that guitar in and make somebody happy. That's the biggest gift is You can put a smile on somebody's face. I mean I've had i've had emails telling me that a song that I wrote literally saved their lives I had a guy who told me that one of my gospel songs came on and he was literally contemplating Driving into oh gosh. Yeah, wrecking his car, taking his life, and I, yeah, of course, I responded, I'm like, that wasn't me. You know, that's God. Yeah, that's a God thing and I'm just thankful that God used my tune. You know, um, i've i've had I had a guy we played in shine frontier days Uh, he was a veteran I do this thing for veterans at every show where I make them raise their hands and I thank them I thank them for their sacrifice um, and also let them know that They are valued and they're important to us because the suicide rate amongst our veterans is high And I need to I want to remind them that we love them and we appreciate them and uh He the the email he wrote me he that was going to be his last date with his wife That was their last date And he said really he said he needed he just and once again, i'm like that's a God thing.

Tarek: My favorite song that you've ever written is July in Cheyenne. Yeah, I love that song. I just love listening to it probably 10 times a week. It's a little cowboy gospel song, and you wrote that for Lane Frost's mother. You talk about just the the the impact or the feeling of making people happy or touching people in a particular way Or speaking to somebody through song that song definitely speaks to me.

Aaron: Well, that's a song that was never supposed to be heard by anyone but Lane's mom. Um, my wife and I lost a little girl. She had Trisomy 18, and she passed away shortly after she was born. Sorry to hear that. Yeah, and it that was years ago Um, it's gosh, she would be 13 now uh it was You know, it was one of those things like it broke my heart And at the same time it's one of the most beautiful moments of my life the the moments I got to hold her I got to sing to her It was one of those things like I cherish those those those little memories I have with that little baby girl Um, but I struggled a little bit after we lost her I wasn't questioning my faith. I just was heart broke. I just was I was down and and Lane Frost's mother She shares her testimony. She and her husband Mr Clyde. Elsie and Clyde are just amazing and they share their testimony and they use They use their heartache to Share their love for jesus and how he has worked through them and so she said a lot of things that I needed to hear And it really helped me out a lot. So I wrote her that song as a gift for her testimony and I sang it at the San Antonio Cowboy church, San Antonio rodeo cowboy church uh Shortly after I wrote it and people were in tears and People were like you've got to put that on a record and I did and I mean it's a it's a It's a gold certified song and it was never a single just people love it

Tarek: Pat insert the song here give everybody a clip

Aaron: absolutely

Song Clip: In the rain in the mud in july and shy They had to carry away that brave young man A little part of every heart of every rodeo fan Is Looking back it doesn't seem so long ago He was bigger than life god rest his soul Why he died that day is hard to understand Right there in the rain in the mud in july and shy So Take your hat to the cowboy every once in a while And take time to remember that cowboy smile I live a part of every heart of every rodeo fan Died there in the rain in the mud in july and shy

Tarek: As we finish up I want to talk about a Horse Named Texas So Here we are Kids are getting close to being out of the house You have 20 years of experience writing Performing you are still really young. I mean You are ready to go and and you have this idea for horse named texas. Yeah Walk me through the genesis of that what What is inspiring you what's what's driving a lot of the writing? Uh, what are you trying to say at this point in your life?

Aaron: Well, there's been some ups and downs, uh since 2020 i've had Multiple surgeries on my vocal cords. Oh gosh, which has Made me push the pause button A few times which has made me realize just how fragile life is, but it's also giving me more time to write And I just thought you know what? I want to put out this ultimate product 40 songs I write them all it's called horse named texas and I just want to spoil my fans With the best that I got And it's kind of the new face I'm going to look back at my career and go, you know I want horse named texas to be my My redheaded stranger willy nelson face. I want to Hit right around the same age right around the same age, you know, so, uh, you know And then I will grow ponytails and bandanas and you know you know Anyways, but I think willy nelson's definitely an inspiration to us all Because of his not only just the length of his career, but he's very relatable You know, I see some of these artists and they're so talented. I'm just like, oh my gosh I could never sing like that or play like that But you see willy and you realize That not only is he very talented but it's he's a he's a He's a long distance runner Yeah, willy would be singing even if willy nelson wasn't one of the most famous recognizable humans on the face of god's green earth Today like he is I do believe had he never made it famous He would still be playing at some little honky talk in some little town in texas because Who he is is what he is and in music is what he has to do

Tarek: Yeah, the word's authentic and and I think that's a good word to describe your career and a big reason why so many fans Are so loyal to you because you haven't sold out.

Aaron: Yeah, I love music. I love it. I love writing a song and and um You know other thing too is i'm i'm i'm starting to understand social media. I'm starting to have fun.

Tarek: You're hilarious on social Anybody that is not following erin. Watson on social media needs to immediately.

Aaron: Yeah, i'm an idiot You know, I really am I have fun with it. Uh, we're starting up all these things like, you know tailgate talks where I just i'm at the ranch and I just I push record it dad's with social media. That's scary for the teenagers.

Tarek: Oh, it's i'm sure it's totally embarrassing for your kids.

Aaron: my daughter will I'll be videoing something and she'll say don't just don't And i'm like girl, do you want me to I was like listen girl Do you want me to keep taking you to your favorite record shop?You want me to keep taking you to favorite little bookstore? You want to keep getting those I asai bowls? I mean those I say bowls are 15 bucks a pop. I'm like by the time I take her to get new records a new book asai bowls whatever fruit fruit coffee drink she gets and then go to ulta for makeup I've got to leave town to go make more money because i'm broke, you know, so But i'm blessed. I have the best fans in the world. They're not really fans. They're just Their friends. I think they take it personal.

Tarek: They're neighbors.

Aaron: They're neighbors. They want to see me succeed. They support me and my family,

Tarek: Definitely. And so this love letter to your fans in Horse Named Texas, you got some, you got some hits in there. you got you got some things that you're cooking up and you're super excited about now the album is It's gonna be a large album, isn't it?

Aaron: Yeah, 40 songs 40 songs 40 songs. We got some cool duets coming Um, we're gonna redo a few songs make them a little little something different just a lot of surprises I just want it to be something that the fans love and uh, yeah, I just i'm It's it's wild to say that I feel like i'm just getting started and I love what i'm doing more now than I ever have So I don't I can't explain it, but yeah

Tarek: Can't put you on the spot and let's go ask you for a little acapella horse named texas.

Aaron: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah Actually, you know what's crazy. Let me show you something. Let me see if I can let's see something Okay, you said you were gonna put me on the spot and sing a little acapella, but here's a crazy thing my my producer sent me a um Kind of a rough mix Of horse named texas. So i'll play a snippet of oh, You'll be the you guys is the first one This is the worldwide premiere premiere and see so I wrote it all by myself so um So you don't have to worry about me suing myself, you know what i'm saying i'm not going to sue me Uh for playing my song before it comes out. So here here's a little song. Here's here's a little bit of it Saddle up my dreams On a horse named texas hit those honky tonky trails like those outlaw boys i've been roofing cowboy songs On a horse named texas tied a few good ones down and made a lot of neon From those shy of thought today's to that grand old opera stage I wrote right smack down the middle of the street on musical. I've never traded in my boots and jeans I'm still playing that dance on down the green Never sold out but every now and then I sold out a couple of shows still playing that country Still got a long ways to go On a horse named texas.

Tarek: Oh, I love it.

Aaron: You'll like this verse right here Came up short been bucked off This line right here this line right here Just talking about From those shy of thought today's to that grand old opera stage I wrote right smack down the middle of the street on musical. I've never traded in my boots and jeans I'm still playing that dance on back of the green Never sold out but every now and then I sold out a couple of shows still playing that country Still got a long ways to go On a horse named texas Now i'm fixing to come into the bridge Which the bridge needs to be special. This is this is everything right here. Okay From those shy and frontier days to that grand old opera stage I wrote right smack down the middle of the street on musical. I've never traded in my boots and jeans Still playing that dance on back of the green Never sold out but every now and then I sold out a couple of shows from those new york city lights But you know, that's the whole thing is you know If I if I choke or wind up broke god knows i'd do it all again Because if I if I write one song That saves a life wouldn't that be worth it in the end?

Tarek: You just answered the whole question of what is the album about? It is your journey, it's what you're looking to express. Yeah, to your fans, and you just summarize the entire podcast and one song.

Aaron: Well, thanks brother. You know, it's We talk about the things that keep me going It's the fans It's I've never won grammys or song of the years, but when I have a kid Uh message me and say hey, I wanted to let you know um I've been trying to get into medical school for the last four years and i've been turned down by everyone And I was ready to give up But I heard your song the underdog And I decided not to give up And you won't believe this but I finally got accepted in medical school That's better than a grammy That's better than song of the year because that is something People forget about song of the years people forget about grammys But when you can have a song that really helps somebody out That's going to change the direction of their life When you have a song that gets to be a part of somebody's a funeral for a grandpa or grandma dad a mom A loved one when you have a song that gets to be a part of somebody's wedding Those those are like what's better than that? that's Like people it's long lasting it's long lasting grammys awards I'll tell you this i've won a bunch of awards In texas i've won a couple little bmi awards There is no I have no trophies In my house Because that's not that's not what I measure my success by actually. I do have one trophy My granddad had a hole-in-one in 1983 and i've got They gave him a trophy and the actual ball still there. I've got that trophy up Um, and I have a plaque That was given to me by our little league My boy's little league foundation, you know for All stars But those are the kind of things, you know, you want You want your walls to be full of pictures of friends and family not awards that the the pictures of the memories? with with family That's that's the that's the award.

Tarek: So when does the album come out?

Aaron: I'm hoping About a year from now or less i'm ready to get the dang thing out build up some anticipation All right, i'm ready to get the thing out.

Tarek: Well, i'm getting a new horse next week. I'm gonna name them texas Let's do it.

Aaron: Let's do it.

Tarek: Aaron Watson true Texan.

Aaron: Dude, cheers buddy.

Tarek: Cheers, man. Great to see you Thanks for having me brother.