- I am from Manitowoc County, Valders specifically, you know, a little small town, and just always, always listen to music anytime I put earphones on.

(strings harmonizing) ♪ There is one thing I thought ♪ ♪ You oughta know ♪ Singing started, 'cause I went to a little church school, and then it was choir every day, and we're singing.

That was eight years of that.

And I love singing.

Singing's the best part.

I don't know, I just yelled before I ever really sang, and just get emotions out, ♪ It's been a damn hard living ♪ ♪ But I got myself home ♪ My cousin got a guitar, and then we just started playing when we were like 12, and then, you know, it just evolved, evolved.

And when I was about 19, 20, started writing songs.

Then I found Todd Snyder and John Prine, and that's when I got really into storytelling, and you know, you just hone it over the years, and you know, it's a craft thing.

♪ Whoa, pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me ♪ Wisconsin Bar Band, I mean that's what I grew up playing around and seeing everything in the Appleton area.

It's all, you know, it was blues-based rock, the guys that were playing it.

And that's what I always love, like Neil Young things and Credence Clearwater, and you get to hear those songs.

The thing I like about songwriting, you can put a chorus on there, and now you have hope.

(fiddle crooning) ♪ Down and cry ♪ (fiddle music concludes) That I've done all this.

It sucks, but there is something out there worth living for, worth getting outside of your comfort element.

And it's an energy, and it's like coming down here, there was...

It was so connected with the blues in Milwaukee and the Chicago scene, that when you go to a blues show on a Sunday afternoon, you know, it's a party.

People are dancing and doing it.

All right, hello, I'm Derek Pritzl.

This is "Junkyard Roads."

(guitar strums gently) Bringing people in, that's my favorite thing, is playing for people and seeing it go out into the crowd and come back to you, and the interaction.

I'm singing and trying to get an emotion out or project something.

And whatever experience you have that connects to that, that's great, as long as you, you know, if we connect, we're buddies, it's good.

♪ I drank up all my whiskey ♪ ♪ Now on I'm on to gin.

♪ ♪ I haven't got but three hours sleep ♪ ♪ Well, since I don't know when ♪