{"id":15299,"date":"2016-05-02T12:15:39","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T19:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=15299"},"modified":"2016-05-02T15:03:58","modified_gmt":"2016-05-02T22:03:58","slug":"billy-crockett","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2016\/05\/billy-crockett\/","title":{"rendered":"Video Feature &#038; Interview: BILLY CROCKETT"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Artist:<strong> BILLY CROCKETT<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2>Song: \u201c21 Times\u201d<\/h2>\n<h3>Website: BillyCrockett.com<\/h3>\n<p><b>Web-Exclusive Interview with\u00a0<i>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/i>\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/b><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ax6ankaMB4I\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15307\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Billy-Crockett-2.jpeg\" alt=\"Billy Crockett-2\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Billy-Crockett-2.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Billy-Crockett-2-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>How did the idea of \u201c21 Times\u201d come to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Awareness of our finiteness dawns on us eventually. I had read Paul Bowles\u2019 novel, <em>The Sheltering Sky<\/em>, in which two travelers begin to understand that opportunities for experience, and for reconciliation, are numbered. \u00a0And, yet, \u201cit all seems limitless.\u201d \u00a0I wrote this song with Milton Brasher-Cunningham.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-15300\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot1.jpg\" alt=\"album-spot1\" width=\"379\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot1.jpg 379w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot1-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 379px) 100vw, 379px\" \/>What is your creative process for writing songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pen, guitar, then voice. When it\u2019s guitar, voice, then pen, I\u2019m usually in for a long ride.\u00a0The big challenge is finding something worth saying. \u00a0If I attend to that first, the songs are more often keepers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Accountability. I have so many ways to deflect the call to write songs. These days, a bit of peer pressure is the ticket.\u00a0I\u2019m more productive when I find another writer, or several, and we each promise to bring fresh work every week. It\u2019s a value added deal, \u2019cause great friendships can happen at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top 5 Musicians or Songwriters<\/strong><strong>\u00a0who inspired you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jimmy Webb,\u00a0Mac McAnally,\u00a0Joni Mitchell,\u00a0Shawn Colvin, Neil Finn, Jesse Winchester, Ana\u00efs Mitchell\u2014well, that\u2019s seven!<br \/>\n<strong>One instrument or equipment that you can\u2019t live without\u2014that helps you write, record or perform?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1957\u00a0(my birth year)\u00a0Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-15301\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot2-300x269.jpg\" alt=\"album-spot2\" width=\"300\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot2-300x269.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/album-spot2.jpg 379w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Why is your Gibson J-50 so essential to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s honest. That\u2019s just vital in writing and recording.\u00a0Maybe it\u2019s the mileage\u2014it has obviously been around the moon. Or maybe it\u2019s the old mahogany. I found it in a vintage instrument store in Austin, and immediately featured it on a record I produced for the great Cliff Eberhardt, <em>500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions<\/em> (Red House Records). It seems every time I pick it up, it has another story to tell. Maybe it\u2019s that I\u2019ve put on a few miles myself, and it listens to my stories. At any rate, the conversation feels honest. Occasionally, when playing in Texas, I\u2019ll use it on a gig. Mostly it stays home, and out of the case. Makes me glad to look at it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>For someone who is only now discovering Billy Crockett, what one album should they listen to\u2014to start them on their Billy Crockett journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m always thrilled to have listeners. Let\u2019s say\u00a0<em>Wishing Sky,\u00a0<\/em>from 2009. It\u2019s the first project of a new era for me. It feels like\u00a0breathing.\u00a0The songs are, as I see them, the confessions of a guy wrestling with his freedom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your Top 5 favorite albums?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This list is constantly changing for me. Today\u2019s list:<\/p>\n<p><em>Nilsson Schmilsson <\/em>(1971) \u2013 <em>Harry Nilsson<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Dreaming Wide Awake<\/em> (2005) \u2013 Lizz Wright<\/p>\n<p><em>Court and Spark<\/em> (1974) \u2013 Joni Mitchell<\/p>\n<p><em>Ten Easy Pieces<\/em> (1996) \u2013 Jimmy Webb<\/p>\n<p><em>Steady On<\/em> (1989) \u2013 Shawn Colvin<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15302\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/1-Nilsson-Schmilsson.jpg\" alt=\"1-Nilsson-Schmilsson\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/1-Nilsson-Schmilsson.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/1-Nilsson-Schmilsson-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15303\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/2-Lizz-Wright.jpg\" alt=\"2-Lizz-Wright\" width=\"212\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/2-Lizz-Wright.jpg 212w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/2-Lizz-Wright-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15304\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/3-jon-mitchell.jpg\" alt=\"3-jon-mitchell\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/3-jon-mitchell.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/3-jon-mitchell-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15305\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/4-jimmy-web.jpg\" alt=\"4-jimmy-web\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/4-jimmy-web.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/4-jimmy-web-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15306\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/5-Shawn-Colvin.jpg\" alt=\"5-Shawn-Colvin\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/5-Shawn-Colvin.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/5-Shawn-Colvin-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Are you working on a new album?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, I just finished four days of tracking 13 new songs here at Blue Rock Studio with a handful of renowned musicians\u2014Roscoe Beck, Eric Darken and Daran DeShazo. The album is scheduled for release October 1, 2016. \u00a0I\u2019m glad to say I\u2019ll be out touring regionally this fall and next spring.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Merlin David<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15308\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Billy-Crockett-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Billy Crockett-1\" width=\"427\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Billy-Crockett-1.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Billy-Crockett-1-200x300.jpeg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY Artist: BILLY CROCKETT Song: \u201c21 Times\u201d Website: BillyCrockett.com Web-Exclusive Interview with\u00a0M Music &amp; Musicians\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of \u201c21 Times\u201d come to you? Awareness of our finiteness dawns on us eventually. I had read Paul Bowles\u2019 novel, The Sheltering Sky, in which two travelers begin to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1058,7725],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15299"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15299"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15313,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15299\/revisions\/15313"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}