 Courtesy: Missing Piece Group
West Texas singer-songwriter Red Shahan will release the follow-up to his critically lauded 2015 album Men & Coyotes on March 30th when he takes listeners to Culberson County. Throughout the project's twelve tracks, Shahan sketches vivid images, capturing the often not so glamorous side of situations and characters, who despite their circumstances, exhibit perseverance and inner strength. Ahead of the album's release, Shahan kindly took the time to discuss in depth various aspects of the album, including songwriting, working with Elijah Ford, "Idle Hands," and more.
Men & Coyotes was such a well-received album. Did you approach anything differently when going to write and record for Culberson County? Yes and no. I feel like our desolate and diverse sound keeps us motivated for new material, and it being this early in the game, it’s too quick to go all Swedish death metal (laughing). Overall though, I felt a lot more confident this time around. During my first recording experience, I didn’t speak up or express my ideas a lot because I was taken in by how all the guys communicated, worked, and approached everything – and I wanted to soak that up. With this one, I worked with the same people, in the same studio we used for Men & Coyotes, so I felt like I knew my place and was able to put everything I learned previously to good use. Once again, you re-teamed with Elijah Ford who produced. What did he bring to this record? Elijah first and foremost brings great character and poise to our ever-growing table of teammates. Furthermore, his talents and ideas bring light to an ever-evolving sound that could only be attributed to Elijah, Mathew Smith, Parker Morrow, and Grant Jackson Wilborn. Sounds like you’re surrounded by people you admire, respect, and work well with. That table of teammates also includes Thirty Tigers, who you joined forces with to distribute the record. We sat on this record for about a year, which was something I initially fought against because in general, I’m extremely impatient, but also because all you want to do when you finish a record is get it out there and have people hear it. But now, looking back, I’m really glad I listened to what others were telling me and took my time to get it out. I have had such great support at the grassroots level, but honestly, you can only go so far with that, and at this stage in my career, and while I’m still young, I think it’s important for me to go as far as I possibly can, which is why I joined for with Thirty Tigers and Missing Piece Group. They’ve both gone above and beyond in doing such great things for us. 
Culberson County features twelve tracks. Were all of them written since Men & Coyotes, ones you had in your pocket, or a combination? Some of these tunes have been around for quite a while, some even before Men & Coyotes, but the majority were written after the previous record. About 90 percent of the time I write solo, but I had the pleasure of adding “Someone Someday” to the record, which I wrote with Aaron Raitierre and Brent Cobb. Since co-writing is something that you don’t find yourself doing often, how did you find the experience? I never really knew what to think of co-writing because I’ve always been pretty stubborn with my own writing. But, I went to Nashville purposely to see what I could do, if anything, with co-writing and got set up with those guys. When I sat with Brent and Aaron, we didn’t start out talking about music, we started talking about our upbringing and got to know one another as friends. Then, we got into the tune, “Someone Someday,” which I already had cookin’. They helped me form ideas and visually portray things…and twenty minutes later we had a song. The vibe was rollin’ and it was cool to see a song come to fruition that quickly. It sounds like something you would entertain again. We’re really liked minded as people, how we portray our music, and with what we want out of our careers, so I would absolutely write more with those guys. Many of the songs on Culberson Country, to me, have a gritty reality present, but you don’t come away depressed. There’s really an overall feeling of, not hope, but resilience, strength, and perseverance in these characters, and also, a relatability. Where do you draw from when writing? I like to keep my writing somewhat vague so that it can pertain to a broader spectrum than just Texas. Much of my writing stems from the small-town, and the bigger city, life I’m familiar with. I try and paint a picture that many people, whether in Texas or outside, are familiar with in some way or fashion because no matter where you are, the demographics may be different, but the experiences will be the same. To be honest I wouldn’t even know how to label “the way” I write now other than it being spur of the moment and off the cuff, which is difficult to explain. I’ll never sit down and intentionally write a song that’s directed at a certain market or something, it’s not part of who I am…..unless, say, Jack Daniels offered a million dollars to write a jingle. Just being honest. (laughing) I completely get that. Throughout those songs, but especially in ones such as “Roses,” “Try,” “Idle Hands,” there seems to be a maturity and self-awareness that’s quite present. In retrospect, I tried to approach this record with a more mature tone in my writing and with my work in the studio. I don’t think when you’re eighteen you can grasp the transitions in life from adolescence to your first experiences in college, to even your first job. You may graduate with a business degree then bartend, then fall into an endeavor where you ask yourself “What do I do now that I’ve done all I can do?” It's the people at this stage of “what’s next?” that I think the record pertains to. “Idle Hands,” specifically, is about the lady I’m with now [with whom Shahan has a three-month-old daughter] and how she got me out of a perpetual down spiral. I tend to hate a lot of things (laughing) and was experiencing what I would say were not my brightest moments, but at the end of the day, they were necessary moments that led to everything that is now and what characterizes me as a person. She showed me a life where you can still be resilient and stubborn, but you can also have a positive stature and be more than what the naysayers say you are. I have so much appreciation for her for pulling me through such a difficult time. She sounds like a very strong and supportive woman who helped you find your strength and persevere much like the characters in your songs. Switching to Culberson County, what was it about that song that caused you to title the album after it? After listening through the album several times, it was a no-brainer. There’s a desolate resilience in places like Culberson County that isn’t touched by a whole lot of anything. You can go out there to those beautiful, untouched places and you can actually feel lonely and put yourself in any place you want. That song discretely describes most of us as a whole, if you truly listen. While that song captures the feel of the album, the way an album begins and ends sets a tone as well. That said, why did you bookend with “Waterbill” and “Try?” With "Waterbill," we wanted to set the tone with a feel-good tune that also grabs you by the rock bone and rattles your cage a bit. “Try” was my favorite to record because I think it was literally one or two takes and mostly live. The song itself ties into the resilient tone of the album with the hope that it finds people who are on their way back up from wherever their lowest might be. It was specifically set in that position because when the song ends, we hope that the ringing silence only draws you closer to starting the record over. Texas has been very good to you, but with this record will you begin to go outside the state to tour? We’ll go wherever they’ll respectfully have us and we will certainly tour outside of Texas in the near future. I’ve grown up around the rodeo, and they’ve help spread my music like wildfire for which I’m very appreciative, but I think it’s important to get out to other markets, like New York City, as well. I’ve always been good at seeing how far I can push my limits (laughing), so why not. Finally, is there any artist, in or outside of Texas, who you think is one to keep our eyes and ears open for? If you haven’t already heard, prepare your earholes for my very dear friend, Charlie Shafter who also has a record coming out in the near future. Website Spotify
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