Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including Mike & The Moonpies, whose latest album, Steak Night at the Prairie Rose, has earned them accolades from outlets such as Rolling Stone and The Bluegrass Situation further cementing their status as one of the most dynamic and promising bands in Texas and beyond. Ahead of the BBR, frontman Mike Harmeier kindly took some time to speak about the Reunion, the new album, touring, and more.

Currently, the Moonpies are out in Texas and Oklahoma supporting your February release, Steak Night at the Prairie Rose, and in August you’ll be making a stop in Challis for your first BBR.
We’re excited to head up there. We've heard people talking about it for a long time and we were so jealous because we’ve always wanted to do it (laughing), but it just never worked out, so we’re stoked that it actually came together this year.
 
That's great it finally came together. Being that you’re constantly on the road, will you be able to take any time to enjoy the festival and Idaho?
We’re flying in from London after our first-ever tour in France, then we're playing Montana on Thursday with Turnpike and heading to Challis where we plan to take in the whole thing. We’re friends with everyone who is going to be there, so it'll be really nice to see them play and hang out with them for a few days. Spending time together is what I love about things like this….it’s like a vacation. 

It’s such a great time for artists and fans alike.
The release of Mockingbird in 2015 saw you guys gaining a lot of momentum nationally and that's something that's continued to build with this record. What do you think it is about these albums that is connecting with people?
A lot of the songs I write are about what I know - my family and my past – and I think that catches a lot of people’s ears. There’s a nostalgic element, too. We tend to lean on 80’s and 90’s country, which not a lot of other people are doing and I think people appreciate that. I’ve had people tell me our music sounds like what they listened to in their dad’s truck when they were kids, which I think is neat.

Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists, including singer-songwriter Courtney Patton who recently released her stunning new album, What It's Like To Fly Alone. In the first of our series highlighting the artists at this year's Reunion, Courtney very kindly took some time to speak in depth about her new album, the BBR, and the role closest to her heart, being a present, loving mom to her children.

Congrats on the album! The reception has been an amazing one.
It’s the best reception I’ve ever gotten from both critics and fans and it’s been wonderful. It seems like people are latching onto this record more than my other ones, and I don’t know why because I feel like I put just as much work into it as the others, but I’m incredibly glad. The hard work is finally paying off which makes my heart happy.

It’s much deserved.
What It’s Like To Fly Alone was self-produced. Was this the first time you took the production reins?
Yes, this is the first time I did that. When I made Triggering A Flood, which Jamie Lin Wilson and John Ross Silva produced, I was still working a full-time day job, so a lot of decisions were made without me simply because I just couldn’t be there. The last one [So This Is Life], Drew Kennedy produced and while he did hire the musicians and pick the studio, I was much more involved. And this time, I did everything myself, which was both terrifying and very rewarding. I didn’t give anything up and in the end, I got the record I 100% wanted. I made every decision from the songs, to who mixed and mastered it, to the graphics, so when it came out and people were enjoying it, it made me feel even more proud because I knew I did all by myself.

What an incredible accomplishment and so very rewarding to see such a labor of love be loved by so many. Was there anything else you approached differently?
Something I did that was a pretty big deal for me was co-write [six of the twelve tracks are co-writes]. I work very well by myself, but going into this record, I knew that letting go in that regard and doing more co-writing was something I wanted to work on. I called in help from writers I trusted and we either finished ideas one of us had or put ideas together and the songs came. Learning to be a co-writer was a fun part of the process for me.

Another thing I did for the first time was put liner notes in, which as a fan of music is a really big thing for me. I’ve always enjoyed not only being able to listen to records, but to hold them, read the words and see who wrote the songs and played on it. I also made vinyl, which I have never done before. As fans, Jason and I love vinyl, so putting out vinyl was another way for me to give back to the fans. And finally, I just tried to be more present and in contact with my fan base on social media. I made friends with so many people who are such good advocates for the music. They really are Patton’s Army and it feels good to know that people have my back and love and support me. It’s a comforting feeling to know that I’m not going unappreciated.

Absolutely, that must do the heart good. While this album has many personal songs on it, it also seems you wrote pure story songs on this one, like “Round Mountain” and “Devil’s Hand.”
Again, that’s me challenging myself as a writer. I never thought I would be good at writing that way, I thought my niche was telling personal stories about what I was going through. People responded to that, but with this record, I wanted to pull myself back a bit and tell an honest story, fictional or not, that people could relate to. “Round Mountain” is entirely fictional. “Open Flame” is fictional, but not so far removed from something I had gone through in my life that I could not tell it truthfully.

The ones that I wrote myself, “Shove,” the title track, and “Fourteen Years”, which is about my sister, are the most personal, and real, songs to me. Those three kind of wrote themselves, and honestly, I don’t know if they’d be the same if I asked anyone else to write them with me. 

A favorite time of the year is rapidly approaching - The Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. The daily line-up for the festival has been announced and tickets are now on sale. The BBR is an amazing three-day event with top-notch musical performances from esteemed artists in the Americana, Red Dirt, and Texas music scene, all in an unparalleled setting. If you're assessing the Summer Festival offerings, the BBR in Challis, Idaho is a trip worth taking.





​Thursday, August 9th
Jeff Crosby and the Refugees
American Aquarium
Ned LeDoux
Cody Canada and The Departed
Micky and the Motorcars

Friday, August 10th
Jason Eady and Courtney Patton
Rosie Flores and the BBR All-Stars
Asleep At The Wheel
Corb Lund
Turnpike Troubadours

Saturday, August 11th
The Braun Family
Bruce Robison and the BBR All-Stars
Suzy Boguss
Mike and the Moonpies
Reckless Kelly

In the coming weeks, I'm thrilled to once again bring you Artist Spotlight features where you can catch up with, or get to know, some of the artists who are at this year's BBR.

For now, head on over to their website for all the info.