 2026: LONE STARDUST: Masterworks of Texas Songwriters Northern Latitudes Records About | Lyrics/Notes | Reviews | Interviews | Order | Stream
Songs from Texas I've loved!
Rusty's Notes: A while back, my Houston-Los Angeles pal and frequent musical collaborator, Steven Beasley, came up for a visit. Steve was looking to learn how to use Apple Logic, a music recording computer program. I volunteered to tutor. As a first practice song, I suggested we try recording "Roll On Santa Fe," a song featured by one our favorite 1970s Houston bands, Denim. The next practice song was a cover of our friend Vince Bell's "All Through My Days." And so an idea was born. As I continued writing and recording my original songs, I began toying with the idea of recording an album of songs written by Texas songwriters. With two such songs already in the bag, it was fun to think what could go on such an album. Beyond "Texas songwriter," I had not gone very far with further description. At first, I imagined the album would continue on songs, like "Santa Fe" and "My Days," from the magical Houston music scene circa 1970-1984 (totally coincidently the years I lived there). But then I thought I would want to get some West Texas writers in there who were so influential to me, like Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly. So eligiblity was opened to any song written by someone who was primarily associated with Texas. Finally, the criteria was stretched to the break-point with the inclusion of one of the most beautiful songs ever written about Texas, even if it's from an Oklahoman (see song notes below on my creative justification).
Of course, there are thousands of great songs by Texas songwriters. Texas is a veritable storytelling and songwriting civilization. I thought grabbing a dozen or so would be like plucking lowhung plums, but it turned out to be more challenging. Just as I had widened the criteria for "Texas" songwriters and realized there was an avalanche of potential song possibilities about to land on me, I knew I would need to get very selective. I needed to further ponder what kind of album this should be. I figured what I did not want was a predictable, hits-only, collection from the usual suspects of "best Texas songwriters," or a bunch that a whole lotta other artists have covered. I wanted an eclectic batch, some well-known songs, along with some surprises. Moreover, I needed the songs to hit close to home, meaningful to me, tunes I could sing with conviction and experience, maybe even find a few with a universal theme or some thoughts of wisdom. I like songs that tell a good story, have an original melody and lend themselves to soundscape interpretation. All of them needed to fit my style, vocal-wise. My tendency was toward songs with which I had a previous personal relationship, songs I have known and enjoyed for a long time, but I also wanted to be open to discovering other jewels along the way that I had never heard before or hadn't properly appreciated. Four of those would arise. This project is certainly not a smorgasbord of the flavors of Texas songs. The vast bulk of outstanding Texan-penned songs just aren't the best for me as an artist. I can't, with a straight face, do songs about drinkin', huntin' and fishin', trucks or girls in Daisy Dukes, nor am I probably the best vehicle for honky-tonk romps, most blues, funk or jazz, not to mention songs in Spanish... all genres in which Texas songwriters have long shined. Even with these increasingly restrictive requirements, the list grew... and grew. Suddenly I had dozens of songs that could work. I admit not doing an exhaustive search, nor digging very far back in time. Texas music is a motherlode. I'm sure there are gems galor I missed. I'll probably be kicking myself over some of them. It was a difficult choice to pare the candidates down to the finalists. The one that I was most disappointed to leave off was Roger Miller's "King of the Road." That was the first song I learned on guitar, still a favorite of mine, and certainly one of the best Texas songwriters and songs ever. It would have been cool to complete that circle, but it just didn't happen, for this album anyway. I decided to adhere to the strategy of my other albums, and just cram as many songs as would fit on a CD. That turned out to be nineteen. And here they are. Stylistically, there is not much of a common thread, other than they were all written by damn good songwriters who, one way or another, are associated with Texas. I'm happy, and honored, to get the chance to work with each one of these songs. Art is largely subjective, but from my perspective, they are all masterworks of songwriting. I'm hoping listeners will dig this collection of some well-known favorites and others that, more than likely, they have never heard. Special shout out to the key facilitators of this project: Steven Beasley, Jed Demlow, Austin Moorehead, Rohit Bhusan and MVP Jason Roller. Thanks, of course, to these songwriters for their amazing gifts, and also to all of my collaborators who made these songs theirs and helped make this dream of mine come true.
BUY THE CD HERE - $11.95 (plus shipping) - signed by Rusty
APPLE MUSIC BANDCAMP DEEZER I HEART RADIO PANDORA SHAZAM SPOTIFY TIDAL YOUTUBE MUSIC
Yes! The collection of songs Rusty put together is truly a unique deep dive of some of the best tunes ever written by some of Texas' best songwriters. This amazing compilation will take you on a journey. From the cactus filled West Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, enjoy the ride!
This track ("All through My Days") radiates a sense of confidence and an irresistible charm, complemented by intricate layers of mesmerizing melodies. Every element perfectly embodies your persona, seamlessly blending together to create a powerful and unique sound.
This is every bit as heartfelt and emotive as we've come to expect from the Rusty Reid sound.
Excellent musical production, excellent mixing and mastering, and great vocal work. Congratulations on a job well done; your song ("All Through My Days") will be added to our playlist and also featured in our Instagram Stories.
Hello Again Rusty. I like this. I don't know the original but never mind, this is a nice version. I host a show called "Into the Groover" and will play this on Monday 18th May at 6pm UK time. The show will also be available on Mixcloud a day or so later. I will also add it to the playlist for "Grooves from the Groover" which is broadcast every Tuesday at 4pm as well as the Submissions which is broadcast daily on Deal Radio. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed the timbre of the song ("All Through My Days"). The song has a nice energy. The guitar work sounds great and the vocals have a nice character. I can certainly tell this is a quality tune ("All Through My Days"). The vocals are on point and the production is well executed and easily accessible. There is mainstream radio potential for this one. -- Unheard Indie This one hits like a fresh, vibrant track, with your creative momentum shining through every new song on my dashboard. Keep the songs coming on here and keep up the great work! -- Free 99 Radio A good track to have on my radio station, it will be on rotation for 6/8 weeks. -- Good Music Radio Beautiful composition! The singer is amazing and the instrumental is lovely. I really like the chorus. Congratulations, I have decided to approve your track for broadcast on my show. -- Glacier FM (UK) We've been listening to All Through My Days and just wanted to say how much we enjoyed it. The track has such a great sound to it, and everything feels really well crafted. It's one of those songs that keeps pulling you back in for another listen. We'd love to share your music on our socials so more people can hear what you're making. We plan our posts ahead of time, so we'll message you again closer to when your feature is due to go up. If the song is not released yet, that's totally okay, we're happy to wait until it's out. Please keep sending us your music. Your sound feels really genuine and it definitely stands out. -- The Hubb (UK) Thank you for sharing your song with us. "All Through My Days" is a quality song ;you're doing your thing as usual making making cool folksy music that is strong lyrically. I like the singer's passion, of course. It's catchy. -- ADAD Audio. Bands We Like! Rusty Reid's single "All Through My Days" revisits the original work of Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton. This rendition serves as a beautiful variation, moving away from the more rhythmic and cheeky nature of the original. Reid infuses the song with elements reminiscent of The Beatles and John Denver. This ability to infuse his own stylistic touch into a classic demonstrates Reid's artistic talent. The song flows smoothly, retaining the essence of the original while adopting a slower tempo. This shift gives the piece an almost balladic feel. Reid's interpretation is, as usual, solid and showcases his deep understanding of music-the extended guitar solo features long, sustained notes that create an inviting atmosphere. Reid's mastery of classic rock and Americana shines through, as he successfully evokes the right emotions in his music. In crafting this rendition, Reid has made strategic choices that enhance the song's emotional breadth. The arrangement maintains a sense of familiarity while offering a fresh take. His vocal delivery is both heartfelt and warm, drawing listeners in from the first note. Reid's unique take gives the audience a chance to appreciate the lyrics in a new light. "All Through My Days" - Sound and Atmosphere: Each chord strikes with clarity, supporting the song's narrative. The slowed-down tempo works well, allowing the listener to savor each line. This allows the gravity of the song to resonate more profoundly. The emotional depth present in the lyrics is amplified by Reid's interpretation. Listeners familiar with the original will find comfort in the tribute while discovering new nuances. This balance showcases Reid's respect for the source material. He honors the essence of the song while putting his own spin on it. The blend of classic influences enriches the piece, transporting listeners momentarily. "All Through My Days" - Performance and Production: The skilled production and arrangement set a pleasing auditory landscape. The overall structure of the song feels methodical. Reid's influences are subtle yet significant, creating a musical environment that is refreshing. The balance he strikes between honoring the original and expressing his individuality is commendable. Each listen uncovers new elements that may have gone unnoticed before. Rusty Reid undoubtedly understands the principles of storytelling through music. Rusty Reid not only pays homage to the past but also paves the way for future artists to appreciate it. "All Through My Days" stands as a fine example of how reinterpretation can breathe new life into a familiar classic. His artistry elevates the original, inviting us to take a fresh listen while reflecting on the emotional weight of the song. -- Edgar Allan Poets (US) Rusty Reid channels timeless romance and Texan storytelling on poetic ode to human connection, "All Through My Days." Our obsession with Rusty Reid seems to grow with every listen. Last year, we featured the rising artist for channelling notions of playful rebellion and bold confidence in Attitude Change, so when we heard that Rusty was back with "All Through My Days," we couldn't wait to immerse ourselves in his universe once again. "All Through My Days" opens with a dimensional guitar soundscape and the lyrics, "You were ruled by the southern sky, made you trade your world for another style, the way you slipped through the streets of my city, you were a melody." We immediately connect with the feel-good energy of the track and the timeless nature of its ode to love and human connection. In essence, "All Through My Days" is about being completely taken by someone who changes the way Rusty sees life and love. The woman in the song feels mysterious, free-spirited, but emotionally hard to hold onto. That said, being around her makes everything feel easier for Rusty, and more meaningful than he expected. There's a cinematic allure that manifests and we could imagine this in a big Hollywood romantic film like The People We Meet On Vacation, Materialists, or My Oxford Year. There's a mix of romance, obsession and vulnerability running through the track and we love Rusty's emotive presence, authenticity and passion that he delivers the lyrics with. He knows the relationship might not last forever, but he's still telling her to follow love whilst it's real, because even temporary love can feel life-changing. We learn that "All Through My Days" is the first single from Rusty Reid's fifth album, Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters). It was originally written by Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton during their time in Houston, Texas. The album marks a striking departure for Rusty, an American indie folk-country-rock singer-songwriter known for albums filled with his own original material, as this release is instead a carefully curated collection of nineteen covers, each penned by a songwriter with a connection to Texas. The record celebrates legendary names such as Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, and Kacey Musgraves, alongside lesser-known writers Rusty brings into the spotlight. Rusty passionately says, "I'm back with something totally different. I've only released two cover tunes before, yet here comes a whole album full of them. But there's a twist. All of these songs were written by Texas songwriters, the state of my birth and development into a halfway decent singer-songwriter (some say)." Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added "All Through My Days" to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the entirety of Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters) -- KIMU (US)
Love the new track Rusty! Classic! We will post this on the blog with bio or links! Thanks again for the new music and keep them coming!
Hey Rusty! Great new single and video! We will be adding this to the blog in our fresh weekly playlist! Looking forward to more new tunes from you!
After A Close Listen To This Deeply Humane And Emotionally Resonant Single, Here Are My Thoughts. "All Through My Days," by Rusty Reid is a bouncy, slightly unconventional urban love song that balances warmth with emotional surprise. From a personal standpoint, the most striking element is Reid's vocal delivery, which feels raw, conversational, and deeply intimate, sitting naturally between folk storytelling and pop-rock crooning while carrying a weathered sincerity that makes every line feel lived rather than performed. His phrasing shifts effortlessly from near-whispered vulnerability to fuller melodic openness, giving emotional weight to lyrics like "All through my days, all over my nights. I never dreamed it could be so simple," while the central idea that "there's no good place for your heart to hide" captures the inevitability of surrender in love. Thematically, the song explores the sudden collapse of emotional barriers when unexpected romance arrives, transforming complexity into clarity and resistance into quiet acceptance. Instrumentally, it is rooted in a classic folk-rock structure driven by clean acoustic guitar strumming, a warm anchoring bassline, and restrained percussion that maintains a steady mid-tempo flow, while chime-like and occasionally brash electric guitar textures introduce a subtle edge that keeps the arrangement unpredictable. As the track progresses into the third verse and tag, the dynamics gently expand, creating a natural emotional lift that mirrors the lyrical deepening, all within a production style that remains organic, uncluttered, and intentionally live-sounding. Overall, "All Through My Days" feels like a tender yet restless meditation on love's disarming simplicity, where emotional surrender becomes not a loss of control but a quiet form of revelation. Rusty Reid Breathes New Life Into Texas Songwriting Tradition With "All Through My Days." Rusty Reid steps into bold new territory with "All Through My Days," the lead single from his ambitious covers collection Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters). Known for sprawling original albums packed with folk, country, and rock textures, Reid now turns his attention toward celebrating the songwriting legacy of Texas. The result is not a nostalgic retread, but a refreshing reinterpretation of overlooked and iconic material alike. Written by Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton, "All Through My Days" immediately sets the tone for a project rooted in admiration yet driven by artistic individuality. What makes the single stand out is its unusual balance of warmth and eccentricity. Built around bright, chiming guitars and a loose, upbeat rhythm, the track feels both vintage and strangely modern at the same time. Reid embraces the song's offbeat lyrical charm, delivering an urban love story that avoids cliché at every turn. One of the song's most memorable moments arrives in the heartfelt refrain, "All through my days, all over my nights. I never dreamed it could be so simple," Delivered through Reid's warm, weathered voice, the lyric feels less like a polished hook and more like an honest realization unfolding in real time, adding even greater intimacy to the song's offbeat romantic charm. There is an easy chemistry between the instrumentation and vocal phrasing that gives the recording its emotional pull. The arrangement steadily grows more dynamic as the song unfolds, particularly in the final verse and tag where the layered guitars and fuller production create a satisfying emotional lift. Reid wisely avoids overcomplicating the track, allowing the melody and atmosphere to breathe naturally. Even with a large ensemble of musicians spread across the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Mumbai, the performance never loses its intimacy. Instead, it sounds like a group of seasoned players fully invested in honoring the spirit of the song while adding fresh personality to it. As an introduction to Lone Stardust, "All Through My Days" works beautifully because it captures the album's larger mission: celebrating Texas songwriting without simply recreating the past. Rusty Reid proves that cover songs can still surprise listeners when approached with imagination, sincerity, and genuine affection for the material. If this first release is any indication, Lone Stardust could become one of the more intriguing tribute projects to emerge from the indie Americana scene in recent years. -- Caleb, NuvaPulse (UK) You know that feeling when a grizzled road dog sits down, lights a cigarette, and tells you a story that's been rattling around in his bones for decades? That's Rusty Reid on "All Through My Days." And damn if it doesn't hit just right. Here's the deal: Rusty's a seasoned American indie folk-country-rock singer-songwriter out of Seattle, Washington. Dude just dropped his fifth album called Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters) - and it's a monster. Nineteen tracks, basically a double album, but here's the twist: every single song is a cover written by a songwriter with Texas roots. We're talking Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, Kacey Musgraves, the boys from ZZ Top - heavy hitters all day. But Rusty ain't just phoning in karaoke versions. About half the tracks stick close to the original, and the other half? He flips 'em on their head. "All Through My Days" is the first single and video off the album. The original was written by Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton back in the day in Houston. Rusty takes that tune and drags it through his own dusty, heartfelt filter. The result is a slower, almost balladic take that drips with warmth. Now let's talk about the guitar solo. Oh man. Extended, sustained notes that just hang in the air like smoke in a dive bar. It's not flashy shredding - it's the kind of lead that makes you close your eyes and nod your head real slow. Rusty's vocal delivery is heartfelt, warm, and honest. No auto-tuned garbage here. Just a dude who's lived some life and knows exactly how to sell a line. And he's not alone. Rusty rolls with a crack group of players scattered from the Pacific Northwest to L.A. to Nashville to Mumbai. That's right - Mumbai. These session pros lock in tight and give the track a smooth, Americana rock shine without over-polishing the grit. His distinctive voice is the glue that holds it all together. The video's out too, so go watch it. But first, crank "All Through My Days." Let that slowed-down tempo sink into your chest. Rusty Reid ain't just paying homage to Texas songwriters - he's proving he belongs in the conversation. Fire stuff. -- BuzzyBand (US) Dust, Memory, and Heartland Grace. Warmth pours out of Rusty Reid's "All Through My Days" with the kind of sincerity that can't be manufactured. The track feels lived-in from the very first note, carrying the dusty soul of Americana while wrapping it in a deeply personal emotional weight. Rather than chasing flashy production or modern trends, Rusty Reid leans into honesty, and that choice gives the song its lasting impact. What makes the single so compelling is the balance between tenderness and resilience. The arrangement unfolds gently, allowing every instrument room to breathe, yet there's a quiet strength underneath it all. Acoustic textures blend beautifully with subtle country-rock touches, creating a sound that feels timeless without slipping into nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. The musicianship is polished but never overworked, keeping the spotlight firmly on the emotional atmosphere. Rusty Reid's voice is the true anchor here. There's a rugged vulnerability in the performance that makes every phrase feel believable, as though the song is being remembered rather than simply performed. That emotional authenticity gives "All Through My Days" a rare intimacy. It invites listeners to sit with their own memories, regrets, and moments of gratitude without ever becoming overly sentimental. As the introduction to a larger project celebrating Texas-rooted songwriting, the single succeeds brilliantly. It captures a sense of place, history, and human connection while still feeling deeply universal. "All Through My Days" is reflective, comforting, and quietly powerful - the kind of song that lingers long after the music fades. -- Patricia and Kristine, Hella Fuzz (US) Put a fun spin on your week with indie rock featuring Rusty Reid, Once Great Estate and Citizen Smith. Listen to their music and follow them for more!: Rusty Reid brings country rock from a lot of places straight to one place. This is who you call 'songwriter royalty': someone who lives and breathes through their music. "All Through My Days" is a track from his album "Lone Stardust", a triple album stacked with beautiful country tunes. Composed by Connie Mims and Vince Bell, this song represents time through an elegant symphony. This entire collection has Srusti (sp) Reid admiring the work of some of the greatest songwriters of Texas. He does real justice to the song by reviving its rich melodies and breathing a lively, stirring vocal essence to it. The background in the verse section is minimal, leading to Rusty's voice shining in the spotlight. This twists the crown of time through the days: -- Audiokaradi Press (India) Rusty Reid steps away from originals on his fifth release, Lone Stardust, a sprawling tribute to Texas songwriters. The lead single, All Through My Days, revives a Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton composition with bright guitars, restless energy, and an unconventional urban romance atmosphere. Rusty balances respect for the source material with his own character, letting the arrangement gradually intensify. The project's mix of famous and overlooked writers highlights both his musical curiosity and deep Texas roots. -- Tunesaround (US) Texas Light and Midnight Memory: Rusty Reid Reimagines "All Through My Days." A man walks into a room full of old Texas ghosts carrying a twelve string guitar and a weathered voice. By the end of the night, none of those ghosts sound quite the same anymore. That is the strange charm behind Rusty Reid's "All Through My Days," a cover that refuses to behave like a traditional tribute. Instead of polishing the song into something overly reverent, Reid gives it movement, grit, and a pulse that feels startlingly current. Originally penned by Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton during Houston's fertile songwriting years, "All Through My Days" already carried an unconventional spirit. Reid recognizes that immediately and leans into its peculiar beauty rather than smoothing out the edges. The result is a recording that sounds both carefree and emotionally loaded at once. Bright guitars shimmer across the mix with an almost reckless energy while the rhythm section keeps the song rolling forward like late night city lights passing across a windshield. What separates this performance from the endless sea of cover recordings is Reid's instinct for atmosphere. He understands that great songs are not preserved by imitation. They survive through reinterpretation. His vocal delivery carries warmth and hard earned perspective without slipping into nostalgia for its own sake. There is an ease to the performance that makes the emotional weight land naturally. Nothing feels forced. Nothing reaches too hard for drama. As the arrangement gradually expands during the later verses, the song opens wider emotionally without abandoning its loose charm. Layers of guitar begin colliding in beautiful ways, creating a sound that feels rough cut and cinematic all at once. Reid and his musicians never overplay the moment. They let the song breathe, trusting its unusual phrasing and lyrical character to guide the experience. The single also serves as a fascinating doorway into "Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters)," Reid's sprawling album dedicated entirely to writers connected to Texas. If this track is any indication, the project is less about nostalgia and more about rediscovery. Reid approaches these songs like living conversations rather than historical artifacts. "All Through My Days" ultimately feels like the kind of recording that sneaks up on listeners. At first it charms with its bounce and jangling energy. Then somewhere before the final refrain, it quietly reveals its heart. Follow Rusty Reid on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and Bandcamp for new releases, live appearances, behind the scenes updates, and more from the world of "Lone Stardust." -- Miles Coleman, Pulse Hutch (US)
Your music blends folk, country, rock, and philosophical commentary so naturally. How would you personally define the "Rusty Reid sound?" Hi, and thanks for the interview. Well, I would say that my music is mainly guitar-based, usually features an original melody and some interesting chord changes, compelling themes and evocative lyrics, straightforward message (you don't have to guess at what I'm trying to say). In my mind, I have a few somewhat different "sounds," based mostly on the instrumentation. There's the electric guitar Rusty, which is probably the majority of my work, and the new album, Lone Stardust, including the first single, "All Through My Days." Then there's the acoustic guitar Rusty; you'll hear that sound on "The Change," "Pancho and Lefty" and "You've Got a Lover," primarily. Then there's a more eclectic sound, guitars less featured or maybe absent altogether. On the new album, "I Can See Clearly Now," "Heart of Hearts," "Alchemist" and "Oh, What a World" are along those lines. My voice, which is somewhat unique (I'm told; seems normal to me) is the connective tissue between these different instrumentation approaches. Head to Heart feels deeply introspective and socially aware at the same time. What inspired the emotional direction of that record? Yeah, that album is my "opus," so to speak. I poured all my "wisdom" into it. I refer to it as "A Revolutionary Manifesto in Song." It's a "concept album" -- or, really, double-album -- that explains, song by song, my philosophy and worldview. The first half of the album addresses the good, the true, the beautiful (and even answers the age-old question of the Meaning of Life), then the second half delves into each of the maladies which continue to plague our human family and prevent us from brotherly love. The very last song brings us back to hope and goodness. The overriding emotion is love... for the ALL. Love is the highest state of life, and love for the ALL is the highest state of love: loving literally everything, all living things, the world, the Universe. The album addresses what we have to embrace, and what we have to give up, to create that state within and amongst ourselves, and thus to reach our true potential as a species. So, of course, it's going to piss just about everyone off, because it's pretty clear we don't want that. You've spoken about maintaining the idealism of the 1960s. Do you think modern music still has the power to inspire cultural change? Ah, you've hit on a sore spot. If ever there was an experiment to test whether popular music can inspire cultural change, it was in the latter half of the 1960s, where almost every song was about love, peace, kindness, the goodness of people, the goodness of nature, fairness, sharing, equality, inclusion. There were strong messages against war, against bigotry, against sexism, against rote conformity, against rigged capitalism. I soaked it all in like a sponge, and never let it go. When I listen to those old songs, I'm delighted that I'm still onboard with their message. For awhile there, we thought we had turned a corner and made some nice advances in moral progress, and surely we did to some extent. But it turns out those of us were so idealistic and hopeful were actually a distinct minority. That generation turned out to be as rotten and crass and greedy and selfish as any other, perhaps more so. And when you think how in culture, it's not just popular music and a bunch of hippies with guitars spreading this essential message, it's in virtually every movie, every television program where the hero is defending truth and justice and goodness, while the villain always is taken down. Add in all the books dissecting these issues. And still, millions upon millions of people believe and behave (and vote) as if these ideas are too "woke" and they are going to gather into a mob and stamp them out. They can't discern good from evil, hero from villain. It's very depressing, really. What it all comes down to is selfishness. Today, we have major political parties that cheer on selfishness, and are determined to roll back any and all of that moral progress so as to benefit a tiny few. That's what conservatism does. Your songwriting often feels cinematic and literary. Which writers, musicians, or thinkers have influenced you most? Ha. Apparently you didn't listen to "The Unreasonables," my purely carnal rock and roll album. But yeah, thanks, I'd like to believe that sometimes I achieve cinematic and literary. I do take on grand themes, so that lends impetus to striving for some profundity and musical passages that might support. I read insatiably, so there's no particular writer who really stands out. For the past few decades I've tried to synthesize a worldview that makes sense of things, is scientifically grounded and yet has a high spiritual ceiling (I don't think you can get any higher than love for the ALL, actually). The Beatles continue to be my guides in my musical journey. Few of their songs sound alike, all of their melodies were original, they played with all kinds of sounds, and increasingly they contemplated deeper thoughts. Recently I'm exploring the writings of two largely forgotten 19th Century American liberals: Moncure Conway and Robert Ingersoll. It's interesting to note what has and hasn't changed in over a hundred years. You can find my essasys on such subjects at Medium.com. In an era dominated by short-form content and streaming culture, how do you approach making albums that feel cohesive and meaningful? I don't really pay much attention to current trends in the music business, I just do my own thing. Back in the hey day of vinyl, I loved double albums. It was like a huge bonus; you could get lost for a while in your favorite artist, rather than having just 30 minutes of music. i do believe that the internet and social media have lowered attention spans... so in music now we're in the era of the single, preferably short single. I take the opposite approach. My plan is to put out the max a CD can hold, about 78 minutes, which in the case of Lone Stardust was 19 songs. I actually think pretty much any collection of songs can be "cohesive" for the listener if they like the artist. Where can we hear more of your music, and why should we? My five albums are streaming everywhere. Look me up on YouTube for my official videos. Homebase for everything is my website: RustyReid.com. If you just want love songs, I've got those. If you want fun songs, I've got those. If you want to check out philosophy or politics or spirituality with a beat to it, I've got those too. As you mentioned, it's a mishmash of pop, folk, country and rock. If you're looking for "pure" something or another, I'm not your guy.
Rusty Reid: "Wouldn't it be fun to record a whole album of just Texas songwriters' songs?"
"I'm trying to write and record meaningful songs. Back in the old days, I was trying to write catchy songs. There's a difference. Just because it's catchy doesn't mean it says anything important." Over the past few years, we have written about American troubadour Rusty Reid quite extensively, constantly highlighting his overachieving rock'n'roll flair and traditional songwriting ethos. Scavenging the depths of Americana and Country music, the Seattle-based creative has struck sonic gold, both in terms of traditional melodism and nostalgic, immersive lyrical punch. Recently, Reid has returned with his latest effort, 'All Through My Days', a wholesome single taken from the overarching album 'Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters)'. The ethos that propels such a record is rather unique. Reid ventures in search of some of Texas' most notable songwriters, selecting a long and diverse lineup of artists (both famous and relatively unknown) and recording alternative versions of their songs. The result is a record that's rooted in tradition, yet one that's not afraid to scramble the sonic picture when necessary. Some of the notable names include Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Johnny Nash, Jimmy Webb, J.D. Souther, Jon Dee Graham, Jimmy LaFave, Townes Van Zandt, Shake Russell, Kacey Musgraves and the boys from ZZ Top. Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Rusty Reid to learn more about his overall artistry and future goa... Interview below! Hey Rusty! The last time we chatted about your music on Mesmerized, we fell in love with 'Piece of the Action', a track we celebrated as a "raw, euphoric anthem" with classic rock energy. You've been very productive in the past few years. I'd love to know more about what motivates you to keep going? Would you define artistic expression as a necessity? Hey again, Gab. Glad you liked "Piece of the Action" and the last album, actually recorded a long time ago but only released in 2025. That was my old Houston band, "The Unreasonables," and we were just monkeying around without much of a clue. But it was fun. This new album, Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters) is a completely different bag... all cover songs, all written by someone with a connection to Texas. I've since learned that this is a very rare approach: a single artist honoring a group of different songwriters who share a geographic link. It's a project that started off as a bit of a lark, and then emerged as an interesting sidetrack for me. Although, I didn't write these songs, I try to bring a creative approach to their new configuration. I still find it a fun challenge. I'm not sure if artistic expression is absolutely "necessary." There are other things in the world. But I do think true artists are motivated to create. That's what they do. Most of the artists that pass through our publication are in their 20s and 30s. I appreciate seeing wiser and older musicians still boasting a strong creative fire, constantly releasing new material and embarking on new projects. What's your experience of making music today versus in your younger days? A lot of difference, mostly for the better. My gosh, the tools we have today are almost like magic. To not have to fiddle with tape recorders, or expensive studios, or record labels, or even flaky bandmates is incredibly liberating. You can turn your bedroom into a top-notch recording studio, take your time making your songs, enlist musicians from around the world to join in, and then release your music to the world, all with minimal cash. Of course, the downside to this ultra democratic potential is that two million people are releasing their songs... the same day as yours. So there's a lot of noise. Not that a lot, maybe most, isn't pretty damn good. The biggest difference for me, however, is that I kinda know what I'm doing now. I'm trying to write and record meaningful songs. In the days of old I was trying to write catchy songs. There's a difference. Just because it's catchy doesn't mean it says anything important. I do think I've gained some wisdom over time, and now is the opportunity to share it through my recordings. Before we jump into your latest album, let's dive even deeper into the person hiding behind Rusty Reid. Is there anyone or anything that motivated you to pursue music? Is there a record or an artist central to your musical development? Well, I'm the first to admit I've had a privileged life. Our family wasn't rich or anything; we had to pinch pennies, actually. So my first electric guitar was the cheapest in the Sears catalog. Oh, how I wish they had bought me one of those used 1959 burst Les Pauls. It would be worth half a million these days. My mom pushed me to try new things. So she is my primary "motivator." But, to her dismay, I was a quitter. I quit piano lessons. I quit dance lessons. I quit summer acting lessons. I quit Boy Scouts. I quit baseball. I quit football. I quit religion. I quit college (I did go back and finish, eventually). I quit marriage... twice. The one thing I didn't quit was trying to write songs on guitar. I was horrible at first. But for some, unknown, reason, just kept at it. All the while, I was listening to pop music, and something inside of me calculated I could write songs like Buddy Holly or the Everly Brothers or Roger Miller or Roy Orbison or the Beatles or John Fogerty. Not sure I ever did, but at long last I began writing songs that I liked. 'Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriter)' is your latest album, a body of work that takes a different direction than any of your previous releases. It is, in fact, an homage to some of Texas' most prominent troubadours, as well as some of its underground stars. First of all, what's your connection with Texas? Is there a particular reason behind such a strong thematic choice? Right. I've only released two covers songs previously. This is a whole double-album filled with them. I was born and raised in West Texas, nearby to the homes of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison and many other successful Texas songwriters. Growing up I was aware that such creatures exist... it was possible to come from the scrub boonies and make it big in music. After high school, I moved to Houston and inherited a whole different range of musical influences. It was only in Houston where I met with fellow songwriters, and began more seriously evaluating the nuances of the craft. A few of the songs on this new album, including the first two, come direct from that early period of musical awakening. Though I left Texas decades ago, I still see the world through Texas eyes, hear with Texas ears, feel with Texas heart. Texas is a world its own, for better and worse. Recording those first two songs as a learning project, the idea dawned on me: wouldn't it be fun to record a whole album of just Texas songwriters' songs? And so it came to pass. I'd love to know what criteria you used to curate the covers for the album. Do the songs you pick hold a special value to you? Do you have any particular favourite among them? That was an interesting process. I thought it would be super easy to snatch an album's worth of such songs. But as I began the search in earnest, an avalanche of potentials fell upon me. That's when I knew this project was demanding to be a double-album. Which was fine; all my albums are essentially double-albums. Even with a larger project in view now, I knew I had to get very picky. So old faves and new discoveries had to jump some high bars. They had to be melodic; they had to have lyrical gravitas; they had to be unique creations in themselves; a potent message was a plus; and they had to fit my voice and style. This last criteria automatically excludes a host of genres at which Texas songwriters have long excelled: blues, soul, funk, jazz, classical, honkytonk, Western Swing, metal, glam rock, punk, hip hop, you name it... not to mention Tejano or TexMex music. What's left is the not small patch of folky-country-rock. So this album is certainly not a comprehensive survey of Texas music or songwriters. All of the fifty or so songs seriously considered hold special value to me; these nineteen were just the ones that cleared the most bars for this particular project. A favorite? As they say, it's like picking between your children. After listening to them a jillion times through the recording and mixing phases, I do find myself coming back to "Alchemist" and still finding it fresh. I'm considering it as an upcoming single. Whether All Through My Days is or isn't your favourite, it certainly takes the cake as the first single to emerge from 'Lone Stardust'. The piece has been written by Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton, who are part of the relatively unknown talents you have selected for the album. Because the song itself is quite obscure, I wonder if you have a particular connection to them? Perhaps there's some shared history there? Yes, Both Vince and Connie were part of that Houston scene. Vince was good friends with a good friend of mine, Steven Beasley, who also gets a song on this album, "Cool Wind." Vince and Steve and a couple of other guys formed a sort of Houston supergroup for a short while, and it was that phase that brought me more familiar with Vince's songwriting. Some of us regarded Vince as the closest songwriter in Houston to Bob Dylan. I know, high praise, though, as always, with Dylan comparisons, unfair to both writers. Vince is definitely just Vince. We've had other interactions through the years. During the Covid shutdown, I did a video covering his song "Sun and Moon and Stars." It's on my YouTube channel. if I hadn't done that, "Sun and Moon and Stars" would have likely been on this album. It's probably my favorite song of his, but "All Through My Days" is nipping at its heels. So it was fab to do it, too. From a musical standpoint, I sense that you have retracted from the fierce rock'n'roll allure of some of your previous offerings, instead embracing a more introspective and laidback character. Have you enjoyed such a deep dive into Country and Americana? Well, I suppose we do tend to mellow as we get older. There are a few rockers on this new album, "Balinese" by ZZ Top, for one. But you are right, not a sustained vibe like the Unreasonables. But, actually, that project was a bit of an anomaly even for its time. If you check out my album Bayou Line, those songs were written before and during the Unreasonables heyday, and they trend toward more sensitive singer-songwriter and country-rock fare. In high school, the kids called me "Glen" as in Glen Campbell... go figure. I played one song of his, and now I'm Glen Campbell. These labels are kinda janky. To me, this album seems very "Americana," seeing as it's written by some of the best in the business at describing American life. Yet to many of the gatekeepers of that genre, my style is far too "pop," if you can believe that. Lastly, what should the listeners take away from the album? Is there a particular message you'd like to share with them? Hopefully they'll find it an enjoyable ride. It covers a lot of ground. About half these songs they'll probably recognize, and half they may well be hearing for the first time. I don't think Texas songwriters get quite the notice they deserve. So it could be an eye-opening experience. There's a lot of wisdom in these songs, as well. I think the shared message is just to feel honestly and deeply. The little things, the big things, the ups and downs and all-arounds are not just stuff that happen; they are life itself. The sooner you realize, "Oh, What a World!" the better off you'll be.
Hello everyone it's your host Daniel from Dulaxi, and today I have with me the exceptional artist, Rusty Reid from Seattle, United States. And Rusty Reid is here to discuss his recent cover single "All Through My Days" which was released on April 21st, 2026. So, welcome, Rusty Reid! But before we begin our interview, to our audience; here is what you need to know about this artist. Rusty Reid is an American indie folk-pop-country-rock singer-songwriter originally from Texas and now based in Seattle, United States, whose career continues to reflect a deep connection to his roots and an evolving approach to musical storytelling through genre-blending expression. He has released his fifth album, a large-scale double-album project that marks a significant departure from his usual focus on original material, instead presenting a curated collection of cover songs exclusively written by Texas songwriters in tribute to the state where his artistic identity was shaped. Titled "Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters)", the album functions as a homage-driven concept work featuring nineteen tracks that span both well-known and lesser-known compositions, including songs associated with influential figures such as Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Johnny Nash, Jimmy Webb, J.D. Souther, Jon Dee Graham, Jimmy LaFave, Townes Van Zandt, Shake Russell, Kacey Musgraves, and ZZ Top, alongside more obscure writers brought into renewed focus. The project alternates between faithful renditions and reimagined interpretations, brought to life by a wide network of musicians spanning the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Mumbai, with Reid's distinctive voice acting as the unifying element across its diverse sonic landscape. The first single from the album, "All Through My Days," written by Vince Bell and Connie Mims Pinkerton from Houston, was released on April 21st, 2026 and introduces the project with a bouncy, upbeat urban love song characterized by unique lyrical phrasing, chimey yet brash guitar textures, and a dynamic structure that builds steadily toward a heightened third verse and concluding tag, ultimately setting the tone for the album's broader exploration of Texas songwriting heritage through reinterpretation and stylistic reinvention. Having this brief Introduction about Rusty Reid, I'm sure new and current fans must be excited about our Interview today. You've built a reputation as an indie folk-country-rock singer-songwriter with original material across multiple albums. What inspired you to take such a bold turn into an entire double-album of cover songs for "Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters)"? Hi Daniel, and thanks for the interview. Yeah, such a project was not on my radar until a friend of mine, Steven Beasley, came up to my place so I could teach him what I knew about computer recording. We did two test projects, both songs written by Houston songwriter friends of ours. Those two songs came out pretty well, so an idea was planted. Why not an album full of Texas songwriter songs? I asked Steve if I could use one of his songs on this newly conceived album, and he said yes, so now I had a running start of three songs. Sure enough, the first two songs on Lone Stardust are those test projects: "Roll on Santa Fe," written by Bill Browder, and "All Through My Days" written by Vince Bell (and Connie Mims Pinkerton, I found out later). Steve Beasley's song "Cool Wind" is the fourth song on the track list, Jon Stone's "Heart of Hearts" is fifth, then ZZ Top, then "Galveston." So the first third of the album is all Houston-area oriented. That wasn't pre-planned; just ended up that way. But I like it. Being born in Texas and now based in the Pacific Northwest, how have both places shaped your identity as an artist and storyteller over the years? It's kinda weird, but maybe not. I left Texas decades ago, but it seems I still see through Texas eyes, and hear through Texas ears, and feel with a Texas heart. Not long ago I was in Glacier National Park, and thought to myself, "We don't have anything like this in Texas." What? Who is "we?" Why am I still thinking like that? Most likely it's that the cultural and mental programming we received as impressionable children and teens and young adults are the substrate of our consciousness, that later concepts and experiences and questions tap into even if they have to go through newer layers of the soil of the self. I didn't realize it until fairly recently, but Texas songwriters tend to write plainly, to say what they mean. "Poetic" abstraction and foggy symbolism are far less common. That's largely true in the Northwest, as well, though the ethos up here leans more toward questioning society and tradition, even identity, while the Texans love to celebrate them, even when they, themselves, get battered. Maybe I'm now an amalgamation of the two. Your music often blends folk, country, rock, and indie influences so naturally. How would you describe the heart and soul of Rusty Reid as an artist at this stage of your career? Winding down, that's for sure. But I still have some spunk left. Another album or two, maybe. Themes keep appearing to me that I'd like to explore through song. Important truths that few seem to be singing about. A philosophy, a worldview, to offer. In these stupid, evil poiltical times, I want to keep punching back. Above and beyond that, there's a spiritual dimension that I must serve: that of love for self, for others, for animals, for the entire biosphere, the world, the Universe. "Lone Stardust" feels like both a tribute and a personal musical journey. What central message or emotional thread were you hoping listeners would take away from the album? I'm not sure there's any central message, other than: It's life, embrace it, feel it. Emotionally it's all over the map: highs and lows, ups and downs. All of them are emotional in their own way; as a group they pretty much explore the whole gamut from utter joy to deep gloom and, finally, with the last song: mystical bliss. The album honors Texas songwriters from legends like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison to lesser-known writers you've pulled from relative anonymity. Why was it important for you to shine a light on both the iconic and the overlooked voices from Texas? Well, the project started off with songs by Bill Browder, Vince Bell and Steven Beasley, three Texas songwriters that few have heard of, but I would rank right up there with the very best. So from the start I had a direction: this album was definitely not going to be a "hits only" collection nor a redux of the ususal suspects of "best Texas songwriters." The song mattered more than the songwriter. My impulse was to gather up at least some of the songs that have been dear to my heart, and own musical journey, which would inherently likely have been big hits. So Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, fellow West Texans, were sure to make the list. Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" may well be one of the greatest pop songs ever; I loved it the moment I heard it, so that was a shoe-in. I've always thought the guys in ZZ Top (they all got songwriting credits) were underrated as songwriters. Blues-rock doesn't get any better, if you ask me. For them, I chose "Balinese," not one of their hits. but their song that means the most to me because of its subject matter (though I did tinker with the lyrics, adding an update). Jimmy LaFave's "The Beauty of You" is one of the greatest love songs to Mother Earth. "The Change" by Jon Dee Graham hits the nail on the head about the melanchoy of aging and regret. I had a chance to send my version to him a few months before he died, and he responded: "This is beautiful. I am honored." So I'm thankful for that. Another song I loved on first listen is "Neon Moon" by Ronnie Dunn, and weirdly painful on that occasion he was describing the very situation happening! Shake Russell is another from that Houston scene. His "You've Got A Lover" was a local hit, setting an impossible bar for the rest of us. Tito Larriva, originally from El Paso, I discovered out in L.A. in the 1980s with his band the Cruzados, and was just gobsmacked by his songwriting, singing and style. He was an early addition to the album. Some Texas songwriters are not widely recognized as such. Think Steve Miller, Stephen Stills, Don Henley. I didn't know J.D. Souther was from Texas; when I found out, I added him to the mix. I was open to discovering songwriters I had never heard before or hadn't given enough attention. This approach snagged Zack Kibodeaux and Keith Gattis. One guy I was determined not to include was Townes Van Zandt. It just seemed too easy, too obvious, too predictable, maybe a reflex against his labeling (by some) the "greatest Texas songwriter," as if there could possibly be such a thing considering the vast breadth of Texas music. But in the end, after listening to a bunch of bad renditions of "Pancho and Lefty," I surrendered, and decided to just do it myself. So there you go, Townes. I'm still not willing to concede "the greatest," but it's damn near the perfect "Texas song." "All Through My Days" is described as a bouncy and upbeat urban love song with unusual lyrical imagery. Which lines from the song connected with you the most personally when you first heard it? The first single off the album, "All Through My Days" by Vince Bell and Connie Mims, has been on my mental playlist since the 70s. It's just such a well-crafted song. Cool rhythm, original melody and very intriguing lyrics. "You were ruled by the Southen sky, made you trade your world for another style, the way you slipped through the streets of my city, you were a melody." Say what? Who writes that? Barely remembered now, is that Vince had a girlfriend nam... Melody. How romantic is that? In our Houston scene, everybody loved this song. If you didn't, something was wrong with you. The title "Lone Stardust" itself is incredibly evocative and cinematic. What does that title symbolize for you emotionally and artistically? Yeah, I love that title. I'd like to brag about how smart I was to so cleverly come up with it, but for months, this album was going to be called "Texas Heart." Really? You have an album called "Head to Heart." Now another album titled "heart" something? I finally realized that was stupid. Still, it needed to reference Texas somehow. Well, Texas is nicknamed the "Lone Star State." So I began playing around with Lone Star. Lone Star this. Lone Star that. Finally, Star...dust. Like magic, sparkle dust. That's what songwriters do with great songs. they sprinkle stardust on them. So Lone Stardust it became. You mentioned that some songs stay faithful to the original arrangements while others take completely new directions. How did you decide which songs deserved reinvention and which ones needed preservation? I just went with my gut feelings. I just wanted to honor the song. If the arrangement was practically perfect to begin with, who am I, really, to go drastically rearranging things? Sometimes that approach can seem so gimmicky, a curiosity you listen to only once, and may even wonder if that was one too many. So songs like "I Can See Clearly Now," "Cool Wind," "Balinese," "Galveston," "Faithless Love," "Only the Lonely," "The Beauty of You," "Neon Moon," "Alchemist," "Back to the House that Love Built," and "Day of the Dead" are pretty loyal to the earlier versions, though they all have my (and bandmates') stamp on things. The rest are original takes, generally because I felt the well-known versions didn't quite live up to their potential, or my version should just be different in order for me to deliver it honestly. In the case of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways," I always thought his version was too lush with strings, and lost some of its heart and soul as a result. Listening to other covers of it, I noticed that most either followed Buddy's stringy arrangement or Mickey Gilley's piano-based version (which I actually like better). But I decided to go with a completely stripped down, basically guitar and voice version that really accented the beautiful melody and sweet emotion and devotion of the lyrics. Speaking of other covers, if you want an excruciating experience try to make it through some of the versions of Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty." Ai-yi-yi. For my version, i wanted to capture the authentic flavor of a Townes' bar room rendition, with a little more guitar sophistication, and a bit of harmony. Shake Russell's "You've Got a Lover" is another that demanded a remodel. I actually think Shake has let this song down. He seems to insist on recording it as a duet, which I don't think serves the song. In my view, everyone plays it too fast, especially Ricky Skagg's runaway romp. It's a sad tale; why the uptempo? So I slowed it down, returned it to its acoustic roots, and in my humble and totally unbiased opinion is the best version of this great song. "All Through My Days" features chimey and brash guitars with dynamics that build strongly in the third verse and tag. What was the creative vision behind crafting that particular sonic atmosphere? This was one of those first test songs. Steve Beasley actually brought the backing track with him for us to start with: bass, drums, acoustic guitar and a nifty kind of arbitrary chunking guitar (mostly in the left channel) that gave it a bit of a jazzy feel. Then we added vocals, me singing the verses and him singing the choruses, both of us on harmonies. This was all before the album was conceived. Once the album came into view, I went back to sing the choruses myself. It was nice just like that. But I felt that it was still a little bare-bones. It needed a signature guitar lick or something. So that's when the chimey guitar parts were added. They give the song a more cinematic flair, I think. That's my Gretsch Nashville going there. It does what it wants; I just hang on for the ride, and on this one it was soaring. With musicians contributing from places like the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, Nashville, and even Mumbai, what was the collaborative process like in bringing such a diverse musical project together? Ah, the beauty of digital recording. I wish we had this when I was in my twenties. Strangely enough, no one actually in Texas is on this record. With my hub just outside of Seattle, I've got a network of players spread here, there and everywhere that I can call upon. Tip of the cap to multi-instrumentalist Jason Roller for organizing the Nashville bands. And yeah, this is the second time I've worked with Rohit Bhusan in Mumbai, India, who knocks it out of the park on "Alchemist." I'm actually a huge fan of world music, so I love bringing such talent into my projects. Since this is your fifth album, how do you think your songwriting instincts and musical confidence have evolved compared to your earlier releases? I imagine that most artists have encountered the phenomenon of people liking their earlier stuff better. I'm that way, too, with some of my favorite artists. But I do think I've objectively become a much better writer, especially lyrically, and definitely a better singer and guitar player, through the years. My mind is far clearer now. I was just in a fog in the earlier days. I knew I had something important to say, I just didn't know what it was. Now I know. So the themes are more interesting and I have them better figured out. At the same time, my chordal progressions have gotten more sophisticated. I used to write songs quickly. That's usually a mistake, I learned. Take your time with them, every lyric, every melody, every chord progression can be refined and improved. Covering songs written by other artists can still reveal a lot about the performer. What did this project teach you about yourself creatively and emotionally? There's a unique challenge involved when you cover a song, whether you are loyal to the original arrangement or strike out into different territory. Of course, the first question is: Why? Why bother? Why do we need another version? Why are you the person to do it? The answer must be because you bring something new and different to it. OK. so now you have to prove it. It takes a bit of audacious confidence to dare cover somebody else's creation. And/or maybe just a bit of cluelessness. Because most covers are fairly well-known, there's extra pressure to rise to at least the ballpark of the original. That's a dubious proposition for starters. With a large collection like this, you are continually cycling through the emotions of doubt and a bit of fear about perhaps not being creative enough or skillful or talented enough to really pull it off. Any one of these could be the trap that exposes you as an imposter. Was there a particular song on the album that challenged you the most either vocally, emotionally, or musically? Yep. Jon Dee's "The Change" really put the screws to me. "Technically," it's probably my worst singing on record. Barely in tune. "Pitchy," as they say. But that's what it had to be. It's the rawest of emotion. It's the voice of a depressed, old man, who can't sleep, wistfully looking backwards, through a mirror. I tried to sing it pretty and in tune. That was a failure, because it was dishonest. Who's going to believe this? There are some harmonies for relief, but the raggedness is the thing. Jon Dee still does it better, but I think this is one of the standouts on the album. It's the freakin' starkest, that's for sure. You joked about becoming a "halfway decent singer-songwriter." How do humor and humility help keep you grounded throughout your artistic journey? See, there's the Texan coming out again. "Halfway decent" is high praise in Texas, so the statement wasn't as humble as you might think. But we are often self-effacing and don't like taking things too seriously. True, that latter habit can become a problem in their voting. But yeah, I think humor and humility are two of the keys to happiness. I've achieved hardly anything in life, yet I consider it a wild success. Why? Because I've followed my bliss, I've done things my way; I was never an employee. for long. l've lived, I've loved, I've traveled, I've learned, I've experienced, I've felt, I've thought very deeply. I've soared to emotional and spiritual heights. I've pursued my craft, or art if you want to call it that, and I'm satisfied with many of the results. I think I'm my own worst critic; I call myself out for crap, but I'm pretty pleased with how some of it turned out. I don't expect anyone else to agree. Looking back on your career so far, what moment or realization made you feel that music was truly your lifelong calling? Not exactly. In my song "The Meaning of Life," I claim that the meaning of life is the Pursuit of Happiness. Not happiness, itself. but the pursuit, the quest. This is true of all living things.which must be the case for the true "meaning of life," right? So this is why I can deem my life a wild success. I've pretty much stayed on the pursuit of happiness my entire life. When I fell off, I got back to it fairly quickly. Most creatures do, as it turns out. It's not nearly as hard as humans make it out to be. We are the only species that finds happiness difficult. As my song says, "Happiness is so elusive, but only if we're hard to please." My, particular, happiness involved music. but that was only part of my pursuit and the happiness that was achieved. My "lifelong" calling, which I think should be for all humans, was identifying what is true, important, good and beautiful in the world, celebrating it. and passing along the info. Music is just one of the communication channels I use for that higher purpose. How have listeners responded so far to the idea of an entire album dedicated to Texas songwriters, especially one that mixes familiar classics with hidden gems? It's early yet, but so far, so good. Nice reviews are coming in, and quite a few playlists have already picked up the first single. "All Through My Days" is not one of the familiar classics, so I'm cheered that people have been receptive to something new to their ears. I had intended to only release singles from the album that would be new to ears. Why not allow these "hits that never were" to have their chance? I'm getting some pushback on that, with some insisting that I'd do better by releasing well-known material. I'm mulling it over. When fans listen to "All Through My Days," what emotions or memories do you hope stay with them long after the song ends? It's a feel-good song, and very hopeful. Life holds its nice surprises. "I never knew it could so simple. I never knew it could be this way." isn't that all of us. just before we step into something wonderful? With "Lone Stardust" now making its way into the world, what future plans do you have for touring, collaborations, or upcoming musical projects? No touring plans as of now. Maybe some one-off appearances here and there. Next album is already taking shape. Back to originals. Another double-album, perhaps my most personal yet. Hopefully out in 2027. You mentioned the possibility of someone doing a full track-by-track review of the album. If listeners take that deep dive into "Lone Stardust," what do you hope they ultimately discover about Rusty Reid and the musical legacy of Texas songwriting? Well, even as a double-album, this is the tiniest slice of Texas music and songwriting, concentrating only on a specific style of folk-country-rock. But even then, this collection speaks to the depth, range and quality of Texas songwriting. I hope that the inclusion of songs that they've never heard before suggests the larger truth that there are far more great songs that barely, or never, get heard than there are that become big hits. It's sad to think that the most profound, the most beautiful song ever written is completely lost to time and culture. But here, using my limited voice as the portal, I've tried to curate a collection that showcases a diverse batch of songwriters and their magnificent creations, true "masterworks" of the craft. I hope I've managed to become a vehicle for these songs to sing again, and perhaps prompt the listener to think, "That is a damn good song."
Roll on Santa Fe
Taking the train up to Santa Fe
Watching all that barbed wire rolling on by
Backstory: Back in the early 1970s, one of the coolest bands in Houston was Denim. They were young guys, a few years older than me, unapologetically country-rock with CSN-Poco-like harmonies, a world-class guitar player named Bill Browder and a sassy drummer-singer, David Moerbe. I just loved them. This band was sure to make it big, we all figured. Imagine my surprise when, as a broke college student, I took a job not far from the UH campus at a tiny tele-marketing business supposedly affiliated with some charity, and there among the dozen or so phoners arranged in a circle around the small, dour, windowless room were both Browder and Moerbe calling random people and offering for sale... American flags. We would get a commission on each flag sold. There was a big whiteboard in the room which kept track of the sales competition among the phoners, and there were Browder and Moerbe near the top, multi-talented as they were. I quickly became the worst in the room, and lasted but a couple of weeks before moving on to a different gig, driving a truck around selling frozen steaks, a job that went about as well and for about as long. Sometime later, Denim released its first record, "Roll On Santa Fe," which became something of a local hit. I still have the 45 RPM single I purchased in those heady days when anything was possible. I never imagined that I would record it, myself, until that day when I suggested that Steve Beasley and I use it as a test to learn a computer recording program. Denim was a favorite of Steve's, as well, and so a project was launched that eventually morphed into this album. Bill Browder is still writing and playing, a well-known figure in the Austin scene these days.
All Through My Days
You were ruled by the Southern sky
Rusty - vocals, electric guitars Backstory: Emerging from Houston, Vince Bell has been one of the foremost singer-songwriters of the Texas folk scene since the early 1970s. Though, unjustly, he has never had a big hit of his own, other artists like Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett have scored with his songs. I had seen Vince play many times and was very impressed with his Dylanesque songwriting, but first really met him not at a folkie venue but when he, Steven Beasley, Jack Saunders and Jerry Chambers formed a sort of Houston supergroup called Revolver. After I moved to L.A., one of my running-buddies for a year or so was Sarah Wrightson, who had also come from Houston and had been a part of its original music scene. She then moved to the Bay Area, and somehow ended up in a relationship with Vince. I went up to see them one time and Vince sold me his Bernie Rico acoustic dreadnought (it's the one with the big "R" on the headstock). Then once, they both came down through L.A. when I was living in Manhattan Beach and Vince recorded a batch of songs in my home studio. Steve and Vince remained friends, and during that fateful week when Steve and I were doing "test" songs to teach him how to do computer recording, following our completion of Denim's "Roll On Santa Fe," he suggested we record "All Through My Days," which Vince co-wrote back in the 70s with another notable figure from that Houston scene, Connie Mims. So here are those two songs, back-to-back, which represent the very origin of this project. Both Vince and Connie are still actively writing, playing and singing. I also have a guitar and vocal version of Vince's song "Sun and Moon and Stars" on my website and video channel.
I Can See Clearly Now
I Can See Clearly Now, the rain is gone
Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar Backstory: I have loved "I Can See Clearly Now" from the moment I first heard its lilting opening back in 1972. It's a genre in itself; there has been nothing like it before or since. The lyrics thread the fine line between sappy and inspirational; a song of boundless hope and optimism that emerges from darkness, bad feelings, rain and pain. The melody is one of a kind -- with an astounding, 20-second, single breath, eight-note hold to end the bridge. The instrumentation dodges from simple reggae rhythm to soon be joined by blaring trumpets, swooping right along as the emotional intensity rises. If someone were to claim this is the best American pop song ever written, I wouldn't be one to strenuously object. For my version, I wanted to stay pretty true to the original arrangement, just through my voice and guitars. Jed Demlow achieved the rest. Thank you to the late Johnny Nash, of Houston, for bringing this absolute jewel into the world.
Cool Wind
You're a Cool Wind, refresh my soul
Rusty - vocals Backstory: Steven Beasley was born in Sheffield, Alabama and grew up in Nashville, but it was in Houston where he came of age as a musician and singer-songwriter. I met Steve in 1976 in Houston. I had recently left the band Southern Cross, and was setting off on my "solo artist" adventure. I needed players, and found this fantastic guitar sideman playing small clubs. Steve would do multiple recordings with me in Houston. He became an honorary Unreasonable, and we even briefly played together in a short-lived lounge combo called Detour. At the same time, Steve was developing as a songwriter. The first original song I heard of Steve's was "I'm Losin' Susan," which I thought was great. That song would later appear on his first album. I moved to L.A. in 1984, and Steve relocated, as well, soon thereafter. In California, we continued our collaborations. We toyed with the idea of a duo, the Lost Texxans, but it never was commercially launched. Even as my song output dwindled during those California years, Steve ramped up pumping out the catchy tunes. Steven Beasley has a wonderful catalogue of songs. He got the rep in Houston as mainly a sideman. He is still a fantastic player, just listen to this track where Steve plays everything. But I think Steve, as a songwriter, eventually eclipsed all of the frontmen he once backed up. For this album, I was thinking I would just use Steve's "Dog on a Chain," which I had recorded a few years previous. But, eventually, I felt compelled to go with "Cool Wind," very Texasy, and beautiful in its simplicity. After forty plus years, Rusty and Steve, still trading songs.
Heart of Hearts
There are things that no one senses
In your world, you're always dreaming
Part of you is hiding
All the hopes that are forbidden
You can keep your secrets
All the hopes that are forbidden
Part of you is hiding in your Heart of Hearts
Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitars, synth strings Backstory: Following my sojourns to Nashville and Los Angeles, I met Jon Stone in 1973 back in our hometown of Midland, brought together by our girlfriends who were both ballet dancers. We began writing together almost immediately. I went back to college after that summer, and encouraged Jon to move to Houston where we briefly formed a band, Southern Cross, and recorded a dozen or so songs. In 1976, we went our separate ways, then in 1984, I moved back to Los Angeles. But we irregularly kept in touch. Jon was writing some artsy stuff in the late 1970s, and through the 80's and 90's. He collaborated with some of Houston's best studios, musicians and other songwriters in Houston. Those folks who worked with him know how good his songs are. Alas, he is yet another among the legions who never achieved the level of success that the material warranted. Again it was hard to choose a single song for this album. I leaned toward one of his earlier songs that we had played together, but ultimately decided "Heart of Hearts" was more emblematic of Jon's more evolved style. Nashville's Austin Moorehead evocatively helped flesh out the backing track. Jon is still alive and kicking, and stubbornly resistant to his friends urging him to get his material out there streaming.
Balinese
Deep in the South of Texas How, how, how.
Rusty - vocals Backstory: For over fifty years, that "little old band from Texas," ZZ Top, has been a font of blues-rock gems. The band has sold over 50 million records. People kinda like them, ya think? All three members were generally credited as songwriters on their tunes, and all three are Texans: Billy Gibbons, Houston born and bred, Dusty Hill, born and raised in Dallas and Frank Beard, a native of Frankston in East Texas. Maybe because the songs are so simple and fun, they don't get enough credit for the craft of creating those songs, which turns out not to be so simple (or someone else would have already written them). Though never an official hit, "Balinese" was always one of my favorite ZZ songs. Like their monster hit, "La Grange," it was another of their songs about quirky, real places in Texas. In my mind, it is a certifiable masterpiece of blues-rock. But then I went and messed with it. You see, the song was released in 1975 when the Balinese Room in Galveston still existed. The story of this joint gets more poignant 33 years later when the Balinese was taken out by Hurricane Ike in 2008. I began to wonder, "Shouldn't that be in this song these days?" There was another fascinating factoid that the band left out of the original lyrics: it was not actually "on a crowded island," it was out on a pier - over the water - off that island. In mulling my version of the song, I dared tamper with the masterpiece to add in these two important aspects of the Balinese Room's story. To fit these parts in, something had to give and go. The pier got added to the first verse, and Ruby was still "dressed in red," but the "rag wrapped around her head" was deleted in favor of the hurricane's wrath. I think this adds to the legend of the now gone but never forgotten Balinese. That's Jason Roller on guitar. A lot more from him coming.
Galveston
Galveston, oh Galveston
Rusty - vocals, synth strings Backstory: OK, no, Jimmy Webb is not officially a Texan, wasn't born here, never lived here; he may have played music in Texas, as a child, accompanying on piano and organ his traveling Baptist minister father who regularly ventured into West Texas. He was born in Elk City, Oklahoma about 35 miles from the Texas border, and then moved to within 20 miles where he grew up in Laverne. What he is, officially, is merely one of the most celebrated American songwriters of the last six decades. One of those cherished songs is, arguably, the most beautiful song ever written about a Texas city. The song is "Galveston," originally sung by another near-Texan, Glen Campbell, who grew up in Delight, Arkansas, also about 35 miles from the Texas border. I was a huge Glen Campbell fan in the late 1960s. I played and sang "Gentle on My Mind" at a high school assembly and suddenly everyone was calling me "Glen!" I was beyond flattered. When I first heard "Galveston" on the radio, I was gobsmacked. It was the third of a trio of "city songs" that Webb and Campbell turned into mega-hits, including "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." By virtue of my potentate status for this particular album, I decree Jimmy Webb an honorary Texan, at the very least. And for those who might still balk, I would point you toward the 1845 map of the Republic of Texas, which easily included the soil of Oklahoma that birthed the great Jimmy Webb.
Faithless Love
Faithless Love like a river flows
Rusty - vocals, Backstory: John David Souther was born in Michigan but grew up in Amarillo. It was there he became a musician and songwriter and released his own music with the help of Norman Petty, Buddy Holly's former record producer. From Texas he migrated to California and became forever associated with the magical 1970s SoCal singer-songwriter and country-rock scene, working closely on and off with the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Chris Hillman and Richie Furay. His biggest solo hit was "You're Only Lonely" which channels fellow West Texan Roy Orbison. I was very enamored by that group of musicians and songwriters, and aspired to write songs as good as theirs. I was actually there, briefly, in L.A., when they were just breaking big in 1972. Somehow I managed to not even find the scene, which is probably a good thing because my material was not yet up to any kind of snuff. "Faithless Love" is emblematic of some of the best of those songs: you love it the first moment you hear it. Judging by the number of covers, including Linda Ronstadt and Glen Campbell, it is well beloved. So was J.D. and his beautiful songs and beautiful voice. Alas, Texas singer-songwriter J.D. Souther passed away in 2024 at the age of 78.
True Love Ways
Just you know why
Throughout the days
Rusty - vocals
Backstory: I grew up in Midland, just 100 miles down a straight-as-an-arrow Texas highway through tumbleweeds and cotton fields from Lubbock, the hometown of many renowned singer-songwriters, that group surely headed up by Buddy Holly. Buddy's songs were, of course, very popular in West Texas, and I was exposed to them by the time I was five or six years old, a very impressionable age. I think, more than anything, I absorbed his music by osmosis... it just went from the radio airwaves straight into my subconscious. The same with the Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley about the same time. I didn't know why, I just knew I liked them - and these influences were bound to come out when I later turned to trying my hand at writing songs. For this project I knew I wanted to do "True Love Ways," which I consider his best melody... and one of the last songs he recorded, so it represents the apex of his songwriting. I listened to a bunch of versions of the song, and found that most cover versions follow pretty closely along with either Buddy's kind of schmaltzy orchestral arrangement or Mickey Gilley's piano version. I wanted something quite different from these, more stripped down, more guitar oriented and starkly intimate. I charged multi-instrumentalist Jason Roller with the assignment and, boy, did he come through brilliantly. I asked Jason for a few different takes on the instrumental section. He sent three for me to choose from. Just for grins I played them altogether and... OMG!... they lined up perfectly. Such, sometimes, is the magic of music... and life.
The Change
Do you see The Change in me?
Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitar, percussion Backstory: Jon Dee Graham was born in the Texas panhandle, and then grew up along the Texas/Mexico border, but he is best identified with Austin. I first met Jon Dee Graham in Houston in the early 1980s when he was with a new wave band called The Lift. I was knocked out by the band and its lead singer-songwriter guitarist. Shortly thereafter, I recorded one of Jon Dee's songs, "Still Life." I don't know, but I may have been the first to ever cover a Jon Dee Graham song. I wasn't surprised to find him later finding success with the Skunks and True Believers, and then as a solo singer-songwriter. When mulling over this collection, I figured I might include "Still Life." But when I heard "The Change," I realized that was really the JDG song for me. Not only does it ring true, personally, but thematically it's eerily similar to a few of my "change" songs on my Head to Heart album. In working up my version of these songs, I would scan the internet to see who else had covered each song. I'm not sure, but it looks like I may be the only one who has covered this song. I sent an early mix to Jon Dee and he replied, "This is beautiful. I am honored." No, It's my honor. After wrestling with death through what must have seemed like eleven lives, one of Austin's most beloved musical poets gently passed away in late March, 2026.
Only the Lonely
Only the lonely
Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar Backstory: As a young child listening to my mom's records and the radio, I gravitated toward distinctive vocalists. That would never change. Among the earliest voices to penetrate deep into my awareness and appreciation was that of Roy Orbison. "Nobody can sing like Roy," my mom would say of our home area, West Texas, hero and early Sun Records rockabilly star. With his coke-bottle dark glasses and statue-like stage performance, his lips barely moving, it was hardly charisma that won over his legions of fans, it was that wondrous voice. But from the beginning, Roy was also a songwriter - a great songwriter, though he rarely gets credit as such. "Only the Lonely" was written, with Texas buddy Joe Melson, during a lull in his career in my hometown of Midland, Texas. The two songwriters offered "Only the Lonely" to Elvis Presley, and then the Everly Brothers; both acts turned the song down. Imagine that. So Roy recorded it himself, in March of 1960 in RCA Studio B, the same studio I would get the opportunity to record at 12 years later. Roy claimed to have not been very confident in his voice during his early career. "Somewhere between 'Ooby Dooby' and 'Only the Lonely' it turned into a good voice," he said. Uh, yeah, just a little... staking his claim as one of the best-ever Texas songwriters, as well. As with "I Can See Clearly Now," I turned to Nashville pro Jed Demlow to basically recreate Roy's version of "Only the Lonely," and allow me to just add my vocal and guitar bits.
The Beauty of You
As I was walking through the forest
Rusty - vocals Backstory: Although he grew up in Oklahoma and carried that Oklahoma red dirt spirit with him, Jimmy was born in Willis Point, Texas, and, for much of his professional career, was based in Austin. Jimmy LaFave is one of my favorite Texas singer-songwriters. I love his songs; I love his voice. Alas, I never met him or saw him play in person. Selecting a LaFave song was a challenge, so many possibilities. I was leaning toward the pointedly political "This Land." But then listened again to "The Beauty of You," and just knew there's my Jimmy song. It's a deeply spiritual song, aimed directly at precisely what should command our awe and allegiance. What a lovely tribute to Mother Earth. She doesn't get near enough songs devoted to her.
Neon Moon
When the sun goes down on my side of town
Rusty - vocals Backstory: Certainly my list of best Texas songwriters is not going to be without Ronnie Dunn. But I have a kind of weird, bittersweet, history with this, particular, hit song for Brooks and Dunn. In 1994, my marriage was flailing. One night we were at a Manhattan Beach honky tonk, ostensibly, dancing. My wife, who was much younger than me, loved to dance, and was very good, but I've never been much of a dancer. So I said, "Go ahead, dance with that guy." Suddenly she was sweeping around the floor with this tall, young fellow in expensive boots and a black cowboy hat. They were in perfect sync, he was holding her tight and she was leaning in, they looked made for each other. A wave of melancholy came over me, and a sick feeling in my gut. This love is over; I'm all wrong for her; she deserves someone like that. But this awful feeling didn't preclude me from realizing, damn, that's a well crafted song! It was "Neon Moon." Listening to the great melody and the sad lyrics, it wasn't lost on me that at that moment I was alone, sitting at a table for two, watching my broken dreams literally dancing in and out of the beams of a neon Blue Moon beer sign. Everytime I hear it, I'm tranported right back to that bar, getting my heart danced on. But, it's still a fine song, and now I'm stealing it away from those dancers and making it mine.
Alchemist
Break down the tables all again
Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar Backstory: In my hunt for cool songs I found a band of young folks from the Lake Jackson area, Blue Water Highway, and was just knocked out. I like all their songs. The most prolific songwriter is Zack Kibodeaux. He wrote "Alchemist," which hit me immediately. Not only is it beautiful, I am a sucker for a song that introduces me to a new word. "Eucatastrophe!?" It was a eucatastrophe that the avalanche of great songs that fell upon me had me stumbling out of the chaos with this song and then finding Rohit in Mumbai to help flesh it out. I'm an old alchemist, like all songwriters (and many other creators), trying to make gold out of our own plans and combinations. So far, I have not come close to fashioning gold. Quite the contrary. Probably like most alchemists through the centuries, I only succeeded in spending a lot of time and fortune chasing the improbable, if not impossible. Only we alchemists understand that there is little choice in the matter... it's just what we do... and the glints of thrill and happiness we gain in the process are gold enough. So I keep wandering into my little home studio... mixing the wrong, the right, the shadows in the night. Keep an eye on Zack. He's on to greatness my crystal ball prophesizes.
Pancho & Lefty
Livin' on the road my friend
Pancho was a bandit boy
All the federales say
Lefty, he can't sing the blues
All the federales say
Poets tell how Pancho fell
All the federales say
A few gray federales say Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitars, eletric guitar, lap steel Backstory: "Pancho & Lefty" was the last song added to the album. I wasn't going to do this song. Everybody and their monkey has covered this song... mostly poorly in my humble opinion. Sample them for yourself and see if you don't agree. There is a tantalyzing live version with Townes and Freddy Fender; I wish Freddy had done the song himself. Lord knows I don't have anything to add to the Townes Van Zandt legend. But in the end, I couldn't leave it off. It's just too good, perhaps the virtually perfect "Texas songwriter" song. Nanci Griffith, among others, championed Townes as the "best Texas songwriter." I'm not willing to go that far; the concept is just too complex, probably, for there to be such a thing. Perhaps the "best Texas songwriter" is/was someone someone who was never recognized. But Townes struck an artistic vein of gold in channeling this from the still lingering ghosts of the Old West. I suppose as long as people keep singing it, old Townes will be virtually synonomous with the very notion of Texas songwriter. For my version, I decided to stay true to his solo guitar-playing singer-songwriter usual mode of performance, sometimes with somebody accompaning on a second guitar and adding harmony. So I kept it simple and just did it that way, but my way. It's my small contribution to the brilliant poet's telling of the tale.
You've Got a Lover
The clubs are all closin', there's no place to go
Rusty - vocals, acoustic guitars Backstory: Shake Russell remains the quintessential Houston troubador. Back in the 1970s and early 80s, I saw him play live often enough, but I don't think we ever actually met, even though my friend Steven Beasley and Shake were friends. "You've Got a Lover" was written and released early in Shake's long and prolific career. It became a local hit, a rarity in those days of increasingly corporate radio playlists, and that success gave the rest of us singer-songwriters hope we might do the same, but few ever matched this feat. When contemplating this album, "You've Got a Lover" was one of the first songs I thought to include. It's been covered many times, but I always thought everyone maybe played it a bit too fast, certainly the most popular version, Ricky Skaggs' gallop. It is, after all, a sad song. For my version, I wanted something different, slower, rougher, rawer, stark, spare, more emotional with a hint of dissonance. I asked Steve Beasley to come up with bass and percussion and piano backing. He complained about the tempo, "This is putting me to sleep." I let him speed it up just a tad. "It's still too slow," he grumbled, but I stood firm at that point. After fiddling with some acoustic guitar parts that would complement, I ended up with close to what I had envisioned.
Back to the House that Love Built
I know its raining baby
Forget about the past
Backstory: Though written with others, this Tito Larriva song (featured in the movie "Desperado") is emblematic of the El Paso-Juarez area singer-songwriter's style. I saw Tito with his band the Cruzados at Club 88 in Los Angeles in 1987. I was just knocked out. That was the sound I wanted: rocking, twangy, sassy, stripped down, cool songs. Only later did I learn he is from Texas. When contemplating this album, Tito was one of the first songwriters I thought about. After the Cruzados, Tito started up his current band Tito and Tarantula, and he is still one of my favorite artists. While the style here is only peripherally Tex-Mex or Chicano, allow this song of Tito's, along with the next song on the album, to stand in for my deep appreciation for Texas-based Latino music.
Day of the Dead
It's a hundred and ten here in Lajitas
Rusty - vocals, electric guitar Backstory: There's a Texas singer-songwriter I really like, Wade Bowen. I was browsing through his excellent catalog to maybe find something. Bingo! "Day of the Dead." Wow! Whoops! Darn it. Wade didn't write it. Who did? Keith Gattis? Never heard of him. Please, please, please, let him be from Texas. Whoo-hoo!... Georgetown boy... not D.C. Georgetown or Brooklyn Georgetown... Georgetown, Texas. I have been to Lajitas when it's hot as hell, staring across the river at Mexico. I had a wedding in San Antone with a bride in white... who left me with just my shoes. This was just the kind of song I had hoped for, one that just sailed in from out of the blue, musical manna from heaven, a stealth tune that no one else but Keith and Wade, and now me, know about. Imagine my surprise when my sister said, "Oh yeah, I know that song. We line dance to it." I asked Jason to honor Wade's arrangement but allow room for our own flourishes, and, as always, he knocked it out of the park.
Oh, What A World
Northern lights in our skies
Rusty - vocals Backstory: Of course, I wanted to get at least one female-penned song on this record. There have been so many excellent women songwriters associated with Texas. I was all set to give a go on Nanci Griffith's "I Wish it Would Rain," then stumbled upon Kacey Musgraves' "Oh, What a World." Kacey is from Golden and Minneola, Texas. This song hit me in the heart from the first line, "Oh, what a world... don't wanna leave." I've been thinking like that for some time now. As I am getting up there in age, I don't fear death - there is nothing to fear; death rescues us from dying - but I love this world of nature so much, I don't wanna leave. So much magic all around. If you are properly tuned in, it seems too good to be true... but here we are... me... and then there is you.
FOLLOW RUSTY ON:
|
© Copyright Rio Paso Music Productions