 Photo credit: Natalie Rhea 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.   One of those, “Shove,” which to me is a declaration of resolve, is the song you chose to open the album.
“Shove” was a nice upbeat way to start the album. It has a bit of heaviness, but it’s also very optimistic in saying things might get bad, but it’s not the end because you can choose a path to take – which is really the whole theme of the record. I wrote it when I was basically voiceless for two to three months. I had vocal nodules, that I’m still having issues with, and it was a constant struggle because my vocal chords were sore and tired and had calluses on them and I was feeling like there was the real chance that I wouldn’t sing again. I was at my wit's end feeling like I was falling apart wondering what was happening to me and I turned to a higher power and said, ‘I need a shove, a little bit of help to get me the rest of the way because I can't do this without help.’ It was a very personal low spot for me but at the same time I had hope. And what I wanted to show with this whole record was that no matter how dark it gets there’s always hope at the end. Truer words. The closer, “Fourteen Years” is such a personal, emotional song. Have you played it live much? I’ve played it a lot. It used to be one I couldn’t get through though, especially if I was on the road for a long time. There was one particular moment when we were out on our first Hard Candy Christmas Tour [with Brennen Leigh, Sunny Sweeney, and Jamie Lin Wilson]. It was Christmas time and it was snowing and we were so far from home. I was missing my kids so incredibly bad and was homesick more than I’ve ever been, and when I began to sing the line about my son, I broke down bawling on stage and the girls had to finish it after only hearing it twice before. It wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful and broken; and ever since that time I have been able to get through it. When I play that song, I often see people get up and leave and then after the show, they apologize and tell me why, and it’s because they lost someone too. Whether it’s a grandparent who has aged and passed or a sudden loss, I’ve yet to find someone who hasn’t been able to relate to that song in some way. I’m grateful people are comfortable enough to share their stories with me and it’s peaceful for me to know that I’m not alone in my journey with grief. You know, grief is something that doesn’t go away, you just figure out how to do it, how to live with that hole that’s now inside you without the person. It’ll be sixteen years this September that the accident happened and when I wrote that song, it hit me like it just happened. I drove right by the road where she lived and cried all the way home. By the time I got there, I had eight or nine voice memos of me singing lines into the phone, practically the whole song, so I think she helped me with that one. Undoubtedly. As emotional it is for you, it’s a gift to share that with people and have it impact them so much as well. There are so many emotional moments on the album, but “Words to My Favorite Memory” currently moves me the most. Is there a story behind that song? I wrote that one with Larry Hooper. He had this idea for a song, but didn’t have it fully fleshed out except for a chorus, verse, and phrase “the words to blank were playing when mine fell apart.” So I started thumbing through our vinyl thinking what country song could be playing that’s a love song but also one where you find out really bad news about losing someone while listening to that song, which also happens to be your favorite. I instantly I picked Merle Haggard's “My Favorite Memory” because it’s a beautiful song about real love. “Words To My Favorite Memory” is about the reminders that break your heart every time you hear that song which is too painful to listen to. It doesn’t say any specific as to whether the person passed or they broke up, but whatever it was their relationship ended because of a phone call that was received. We left it up to the listener to ultimately take what they want from the song. It's a beautiful one. Switching gears, you’re currently touring in Texas to promote the album, but you will be heading out to Challis, Idaho in August for the BBR. This isn’t your first trip out to Challis, so what makes the festival special to you such that you wanted to return? I got asked a couple years ago to be a part of it and it was just magic. It’s three full days of family and friendship in a beautiful, relaxing setting. The Brauns pick great music so there’s good stuff going on all day long and you’re not missing any of it because there’s not more than one band playing at a time, so everyone gets to enjoy every single second of it. Over the years, the Brauns have become like brothers to me and I am so happy they asked me back again this year. Out of all the performers, is there anyone you haven’t seen or are looking forward to seeing again? I think I’ve seen them all, but I’m super excited that Suzy Boguss is going to be there. I’ve respected her as a musician my entire life and over the years, I've gotten to know her and her husband and I'm happy to call them friends. I am super excited to see her and her incredible band perform and spend a weekend in the mountains with her. As the BBR has grown over the past few years, the audience has remained a respectful one where they seem to really enjoy listening to what's going on up on stage. Absolutely. In comparison to most main stage audiences, the crowd is a respectful one who wants to listen to music and be a part of the experience, which I love. I think the whole low-key, peaceful family atmosphere promotes that for the crowd. There definitely is a family feel that’s part of the BBR not just because the Braun family hosts it, but also because so many families come every year, become friends, and get to catch up with one another over the three days. Do you plan to bring your children? We are planning to stay all three days because I love it so much and want to be a part of every single moment as both a fan and a friend. I haven’t brought the kids and this time my mom requested them, so we’re going to let them spend some time with her. They’re at an age where they’re almost teenagers so they think what I do is cool, but they’re more impressed with my friends. They’re over it unless they get to hang out on someone’s bus (laughing). Balancing motherhood with a career that requires you to travel, seems like it would be a tricky balance, but you seem to have a strong handle on it. Thank you. It’s something I work really hard at. Last year, I worked every single weekend and while I could still be a part of things, I had to rush to work. This year, I promised myself I would take off every other weekend off to be a mom and that makes my heart very happy and me be a better mom. I work harder when I am working and am more present when I am at home, and it’s going really well. My kids are both in competitive sports, so I’m able to take them to games and be there for at least half of them which is a big deal for me and them too because I know they want to look out and see that both of their parents are present and supporting them. You know, I’m honored and tickled to death that I made four Billboard charts without having any help putting the record out. It’s a big thing for me personally and I think the tendency would be to hit the ground running and not stop - and I know that’s what I should be doing, but my heart can’t take it right now. I really want to be a present mom because kids really do grow so fast and I know I can’t get these days back. And if they ever looked back and thought that I picked work over them more than what I needed to, I would be crushed. I was lucky to have a Dad who worked hard for us but never missed a game; he’s my role model as to how to work hard, yet still put kids first. So that’s my goal for this year and if the success in music comes with it, then that’s great. My kids are the most important people in my life so I don’t care if I’m doing it wrong, I have to do what’s right by my heart. To keep up to date with Courtney Patton visit Website/Facebook/Twitter/Insta/Purchase 2018 Braun Brothers Reunion Challis, Idaho August 9-11th Purchase: 3 Day Pass $124.30 Purchase: 2 Day Pass Friday and Saturday ONLY The BBR is held rain or shine Tickets purchased online will be picked up at will call at the venue. Tickets are Non-refundable. Kids age 5 and under are free Kids age 6-12 are $15 a day and can ONLY be purchased at the front gate even if its sold out. Kids age 13 and up pay full adult price
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