Good Men With Great Songs—A Drunken Poet’s Dream

by | Apr 12, 2008

Texas Music Magazine has a terrific interview with Hayes Carll.

Q. You made a name as an independent artist. How does it feel to be signed now?

A. I just see it as I’m me. Lost Highway’s been great and I’m really excited about the potential they give me, but at the end of the day it’s not about labels or publicists. You’ve gotta have the songs. If you don’t have the songs it’ll dry up at some point. Obviously, I work hard at my career and try to stay afloat, but I’ve always focused on that. At the end of the day, I’m a songwriter. Delivering on that allows all the other stuff … it just starts and ends with the songs.

I love that answer.

Hayes is solid.

hayescarll.jpg

I also like that he calls Adam Carroll, Walt Wilkins and Sam Baker, “true poets.” I’d never heard of these fine gents, but with Hayes recommendation, it took but seconds to click over to iTunes and buy Adam Carroll’s “Far Away Blues.” Wilkins and Baker, you’re next!

Hayes adds at the end of the interview, “In my perfect world, Todd Snider would be a platinum artist, Ray Wylie Hubbard would be winning Grammys and Adam Carroll would be selling out Gruene Hall. But that’s just my taste.”

And my taste, and many others’.

[MP3 Offering] “Drunken Poet’s Dream” by Hayes Carll (live at Waterloo Records, 4/8/08). Ray Wylie Hubbard co-wrote this song.