-[Man VO] This program is brought to you in part by Santa Cruz Guitar Company and Santa Cruz Parabolic Tension Strings.

-[Host VO] Also brought to you by Paige Capos and by Peluso Microphone Lab.

Additional support provided by these sponsors.

Hello, and welcome to the Life Of A Musician.

Tonight's episode is recorded live from The Woods on Cabell Street in Danville, Virginia.

Let's step inside and listen.

-Hello and welcome to the Life Of A Musician.

I'm your host, Brandon Lee Adams.

And we are coming to you live from The Woods on Cabell Street right here in Danville, Virginia.

And I am really lucky to be sitting next to my good friend, Mister Matt Crowder.

-What's going on, Matt?

-How you doing?

Good to be here.

-It's good to have you here, brother.

-You and the beard and everything, man.

-Oh yeah, full on.

-That is a magnificent thing -right there, sir.

-The thing about it is, if you don't cut it, it just keeps growing.

-Exactly.

But see, yours is nice and neat.

It's not all wooly and out there.

-[Matt] That's because I dry shave, I think that's probably what it is.

-That's the trick.

Dry shaving.

-Well-- -[Matt] Like a man, you know.

-[chuckles] It could be it.

This is good stuff, man.

Leave it alone.

Anyways, one of the things that I try to do here with the show is I try to find artists who just catch the ear, you know.

And I remember the first time I heard you play.

You were up on a stage at an open mic, and you were playing electric guitar, and you were doing this lead, this set in and you were playing exactly what the music asked for.

You were playing with like taste and tone and timing.

And I said, there's a guy who cares more about the song than he cares about standing out.

And anytime I find a musician like that, I want to know more about them, you know.

So I started kind of paying attention and listening to you and kind of stalking you, just a little bit in a good way.

And I found out, man, what a great singer.

And little bit longer, like, man, what a great writer.

-Oh, thank you, thank you -You know, this original stuff that you've got going, it just, I was like, "Okay, we've got to have Matt on the show."

-Well, I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

-Yeah, man.

One thing I wanted to get into was just your original songs.

You know, you've got some great original tunes.

And I wanted to start it off with one of these upbeat tunes that you got, one of these, you know, just to me, it reminds me of, it's kind of in that-- that outlaw kind of vein, or that, you know, Will and Willie, you know, Christopherson kind of vein.

It's just got that rolling feel.

So would you care to play that for us?

And then we'll come back -maybe talk about a little bit.

-[Matt] Sure, sure.

♪ ♪ ♪ Here we go.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Don't call me outlaw just 'cause I'm wrong ♪ ♪ If that strikes a nerve well it ain't my fault ♪ ♪ 'Cause I ain't dropping names in every song I sing ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I'm just raw ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I still think them good old boys are great ♪ ♪ Though I'm not here to put them down to shame ♪ ♪ Seem like now a days the ones who try to claim♪ ♪ Are the very reason I refuse the name ♪ ♪ So don't call me outlaw just 'cause I'm wrong ♪ ♪ And if that strikes a nerve well it ain't my fault ♪ ♪ 'Cause I ain't dropping names in every song I sing ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I'm just raw ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ My only charge is failure to maintain ♪ ♪ And I ain't never robbed a train ♪ ♪ I ain't stole a thing I ain't no Jesse James ♪ ♪ And whiskey ain't the only thing I drink ♪ ♪ So don't call me outlaw just 'cause I'm wrong ♪ ♪ And if that strikes a nerve well it ain't my fault ♪ ♪ 'Cause I ain't dropping names in every song I sing ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I'm just raw ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I may be digging my own grave ♪ ♪ You might even think that I'm insane ♪ ♪ Just the way I think I ain't throwing shade ♪ ♪ I'm just tired of having to explain ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I just write songs ♪ ♪ And if they strike a nerve well it ain't my fault ♪ ♪ 'Cause I ain't dropping names in every song I sing ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I'm just raw ♪ ♪ 'Cause I ain't dropping names in every song I sing ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I'm just raw ♪ ♪ I ain't no outlaw I'm just raw ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ -I had to do it, man.

I couldn't resist it.

-I love it.

-Man, tell me about that, you know, kind of, I like the story behind that, you know.

So I'm not outlaw, I'm just raw.

You know, where does that come from?

Kind of, what are you saying when you're going into that?

-So I gotta say first and foremost, I'm a huge fan, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, all those guys.

I mean, even, you know, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark.

-[Brandon] Yeah.

-All the greats.

But the problem with, when a music like that becomes popular, outlaw movement becomes popular, then it--the people who come along after that, if they're not true to it, it turns into a parody of itself.

-Right.

-So like, from my standpoint, the reason why I say in the song, "Don't call me outlaw", and I don't want to be associated with that if that's what outlaw is now.

-It's just name dropping.

-[Brandon] Right.

-So, like, every-- I wouldn't say every outlaw artist, I mean, it's just like the ones who are trying to, like, cling on to that name, you know, to make themselves fit in that category, I guess, I don't know.

It's just one of those things where I'm just tired of hearing songs that drop Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings names, you know, that-- it's great, they're great.

I love them to death.

Red Headed Stranger changed my life.

-[Brandon] Right.

-But I think we can do better -than name dropping in a song.

-Yeah.

Well, you're trying to live it is what you're saying.

You're trying to come from a place where, "Hey, you know, this is what I do.

"This is who I am.

This is not me trying to fit in -for the sake of fitting in."

-You know, and it's not a thing of like, where I don't feel-- I feel like the best way to honor those guys is to write songs that are good and they're clever, which is something they were well known for.

And so for me, it was just like, that's-- that's where the impetus of that song came from, is just trying to stand out from the typical outlaw, modern outlaw crowd.

So, yeah, you're just trying to, you know, "Hey, look, you know, they were themselves, and I'm ready to be myself," -Right.

Right.

-And say, "I get that."

And that, you know, I've always felt like I'm just gonna make the music and you tell me what I am, and I'm just gonna keep doing what I do.

-Right.

And I mean, even in the song, you know, I say I might be digging my own grave -by saying this.

-[Brandon] Right.

-You know, because I do get associated with that outlaw sound, I think it's only because that I don't typically write in a pop way.

-[Brandon] Right.

-I tend to be more true to like true the way I feel, and try to write real songs, you know.

-Yeah.

You're just being yourself, man.

I mean, and that's what it's about, you know, there's, you know, there's all kinds of ways to make a living, you know.

And the toughest way to make a living is by being yourself.

You know, the toughest way to make a living in this kind of thing.

Like in the entertainment thing is like, this is actually me.

This is actually who I am.

-Yeah, Matt Crowder is actually my real name.

-That's actually your real name.

-What's tough--and it, you know, takes-- it takes a lot of things, you know.

It takes, I think, one of the hardest things I ever heard or the best things I ever heard at the same time was, "I don't know where you fit.

You're going to have to create your own crowd."

And, well, that's really disappointing, because, you know, I want to be whoever, you know.

I want to fit wherever.

But at the same time trying to find a way to be yourself and finding people who can relate to that, you know, that's kind of art, right?

You know.

-[Matt] Very difficult.

-Yeah, absolutely, man.

But I think you're doing it.

You're out there, you know, hanging out and busting your butt.

I know I see you all over the place, like you can always see, like signs out there, you know, open mic, Matt Crowder.

Over here, playing Matt Crowder.

Over here, playing Matt Crowder, You're literally busting your butt.

And that's another one of the things, I think it's one of the misnomers about musicians, if you've--you know, in my mind, if you find a musician who's not doing anything, but they're--well, you know, I'm gonna make it someday, but they're not actually trying to do something.

That just tells me that you're probably lazy, you know, and you're kind of out there, just kind of take me through, like a typical week -with Matt Crowder.

-I'll zoom out a little bit.

I do about 20 shows a month on average.

In the summertime, it might be 25.

I'll double up if I can.

I think there's one day in May of this year, we're doing a three show day.

-[Brandon] Wow.

-So...

I'm fortunate enough to where this is all I do -for a living.

-[Brandon] Right.

-And in order to do that, you got to hustle.

-[Brandon] Yeah, man.

-Because-- -What's some of the hustle like, you know, you're following leads -and looking for gigs and-- -Oh, yeah.

You know, I was talking about this with my fiance the other day.

I said, "What did you do today?"

You know, she works a normal job.

-[Brandon] Right.

-And she came up, "What did you do today?"

I was like, "I've been emailing, I've been writing.

I've been, you know, making contacts.

I book this gig, I booked this gig, you know."

And so it's a constant.

There's--there-- I explained to her, and she knows.

Like, she's totally cool.

She's very supportive.

But days off aren't days off.

-No, there's no such thing as day off.

I mean, there is, if you take it, -but there really isn't.

-[Matt] Right.

-Yeah.

-And I mean, like, I, you know, it's one of those things too, where I feel like, if I don't get something accomplished during the day, I've kind of wasted the day as well.

-Exactly.

So now, let's kind of take it through this step.

So you found the gig, you know where the gig is, you know how much it's paying, you know the-- how you're going to get to it, okay, you know the time and all that.

But now you've got to do-- you've got to promote it.

So like, what are the some of the things that you do, like, "Hey man, this is how I push that I'm going to be here"?

-Every month, at the beginning of the month, I release a schedule of where I'm going to be for that month.

And then every week, I put out a weekly flyer, and then I do individual flyers for all the venues I'm going to be performing.

-Right.

And so, that on top of that.

And then you got to write something, and then you got to set your set list up, and then then make it to the show.

So you're looking at a 60 hour week, 50 hour week, something like that?

-At the very least, if you include driving time and travel, setting up, tearing down, just preparation alone is as they say, half the battle.

-Yeah, exactly.

You know, be properly prepared, you know.

But see, but that's the whole, that's the art part of it.

That's the, you know, the old saying, "You have to suffer for your art."

That's the work and it's at the same time, it's kind of a gamble.

-[Matt] Yeah.

Because those bills don't stop coming.

-No, no, the bills don't stop coming, and the worry doesn't stop coming, you know.

-[Matt] Yeah.

-But you still keep pushing it, you know, because, you know, a lot of artists like, "Look I have to."

-Yeah, I can't imagine doing anything else.

I mean, I really can't.

I think, if I ask myself, could I do something else?

Probably.

But I don't think that I can, if that makes sense, -[Brandon] Yeah.

-I mean, I think I'm smart enough to figure out some other way to make money, or, you know, express myself.

But there's nothing like performing in front of people, writing a song and then seeing them sing it back to you.

You know, there's nothing like that.

It's the ultimate, the ultimate rush.

-Yeah, it really is.

And you're constantly giving from whatever it is inside of you, like the artists here, like they're, "Hey, I'm pouring out what's inside of me."

And you're constantly doing that with your writing, with your performing, you know.

So, how does a-- how do you kind of recoup?

What's your way of, you know, shutting it down and hanging out so that you can go back to the well, you know?

-Ooh, that's a good question.

-It's been a while.

-Yeah.

Usually Mondays or Tuesdays are my weekend, -if that makes sense.

-[Brandon] Right.

-I'm usually working through the weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, if not, Thursday, Wednesday as well.

And then Monday and Tuesday are kind of like my recharge days.

And I just do normal things, go to the grocery store, -play with the dogs.

-[Brandon] Yeah.

-Throw something on the grill, you know, whatever it may be.

-[Brandon] I need to come over to your house.

-[chuckles] I'm pretty good cook.

-I've gotten a lot of practice.

-Yeah.

Well, see, now you just put that out for more to see here, man.

That might not have been good.

We might have to cut that part of this interview.

Well, you know, well, I want to get into some other stuff with you.

But I wanted to kind of get into that because you've written a song, you know, about your old truck.

And, man, as soon as I heard-- you know, I was listening to what you sent me.

And as soon as I heard the first few bars of that and those first few lines, it's like I almost instantly connected with that, you know, I was going through, I said, "Man, I've been there.

I know what that's like."

And good Lord, you know, but it's such a beautiful tune.

And you're kind of you're finding the beauty in the simple things that you have, you know, and the peace in that.

And it was, man, I just, I want you to play it, and then we'll talk a little bit about it.

♪ ♪ ♪ I hadn't recorded this yet, but it's a-- the working title is Old Truck That Runs.

-That's about-- -That's the important part.

-That's what we call a blessing.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Truck's as old as me ♪ ♪ But it gets me A to B ♪ ♪ Running on a prayer and a dime ♪ ♪ While my dreams turn into dust ♪ ♪ The floor pans full of rust ♪ ♪ It's a wonder how the hell it still drives ♪ ♪ But I got you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs to get me by ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The bills pile up each day ♪ ♪ Between the debts I can't repay ♪ ♪ There's a long list of things I can't buy ♪ ♪ I may just end up taking ♪ ♪ All this money I ain't made ♪ ♪ And put it on the line and let it ride ♪ ♪ 'Cause I got you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs to get me by ♪ ♪ The kind of thing you don't take for granted ♪ ♪ Love won't grow until that seed is planted ♪ ♪ It's the simple things in life ♪ ♪ When it comes to harvest time ♪ ♪ The wind may not go just how we planned ♪ ♪ I still got you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs to get me by ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It don't sound like a lot ♪ ♪ Compared to all that we ain't got ♪ ♪ I wouldn't trade it for another life ♪ ♪ 'Cause when my day is through ♪ ♪ I know that I'd want to ♪ ♪ Do it all again just one more time ♪ ♪ With you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs to get me by ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The kind of thing you don't take for granted ♪ ♪ Love won't grow until that seed is planted ♪ ♪ It's the simple things in life ♪ ♪ When it comes to harvest time ♪ ♪ The wind may not go just how we planned ♪ ♪ I still got you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs to get me by ♪ ♪ I still got you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs ♪ ♪ To get me by ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ -It almost got me crying, man.

-Oh, almost.

-Almost got me crying too.

-I think the folks on the camera were moved by that one too.

It's a good one -Man, I admit, it--I admittedly try to get that out right.

I admit that even when I was writing that song, I got emotional, especially with that last verse.

-Well, play it again, man.

-The last verse?

-Play that last verse again, and let me just sit back and enjoy it.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It don't sound like a lot ♪ ♪ Compared to all that we ain't got ♪ ♪ I wouldn't trade it for another life ♪ ♪ 'Cause when my day is through ♪ ♪ I know that I'd want to ♪ ♪ Do it all again just one more time ♪ ♪ With you, the dog ♪ ♪ The trailer we call home ♪ ♪ And an old truck that runs to get me by ♪ -Whew, that's--you're putting some real on it, man.

-Yeah, it's very real.

-Yeah, I feel you.

-I was sitting at the kitchen table, a table that was gifted to us by the good folks down at the Open Mic.

-Yeah.

-They got some new furniture, and they were nice enough to give us a table because we didn't have a table to eat at.

-Yeah.

-And sit at that kitchen table and I wrote that song, and I got to that verse.

And I realized, you know, it was just-- it just kind of poured out of me.

-[Brandon] Yeah, man.

-I wrote that song at the end of November of '24 and I just got engaged -in October of '24.

-Wow.

-So it really meant a lot to me.

And it was, you know, even though that we don't have a whole lot, we have each other, and I think that was the real driving force behind that song.

-Yeah, I get that.

I'm a man who's blessed that way.

So, yeah, I completely relate to that.

-It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor.

If you don't appreciate what you got, it doesn't matter, you know.

-Exactly, you know.

We gotta find a way to fill that thing.

And folks like us, you know, we find it.

You know, we find it in the music.

And that's what moves us, and pushes us to keep going.

You know, so every little thing you get means, means everything, you know.

-Absolutely.

-But I know we want to-- we want to move into another tune.

I've had--I've just-- this has been great, man.

I'll tell you what, you have got carte blanche, like, do you want to just play something and we'll just tack something else later.

But do you want to play something that wasn't scripted?

You got anything?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ If I was a preacher ♪ ♪ I would preach the word ♪ ♪ I would speak the gospel ♪ ♪ To the ones who haven't heard ♪ ♪ And I'd tell the congregation ♪ ♪ Of glory to behold ♪ ♪ And I would pray for them an everlasting soul ♪ ♪ But I'm a sinner ♪ ♪ Lord, I ain't no good ♪ ♪ Out here on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ Or somewhere in the woods smoking ♪ ♪ Left handed cigarettes ♪ ♪ Playing hide and seek with you ♪ ♪ I'd do all the hidin' ♪ ♪ But you'd find me when I do ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ If was a preacher ♪ ♪ I'd apologize to God ♪ ♪ And he would understand ♪ ♪ Because a dog is just a dog ♪ ♪ And a Dog is what I am ♪ ♪ Tearing up the house again ♪ ♪ I may be made to serve a man ♪ ♪ But the Lord is my best friend ♪ ♪ Because I'm a sinner ♪ ♪ Lord, I ain't no good ♪ ♪ Out here on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ Or somewhere in the woods smoking ♪ ♪ Left handed cigarettes ♪ ♪ Playing hide and seek with you ♪ ♪ I do all the hidin' ♪ ♪ But you'd find me when I do ♪ ♪ I know it's hard to understand ♪ ♪ The simple plans devised by Mice and Men ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ -[Male VO] Thank you for being a part of our show.

We look forward to seeing you on the next episode of The Life Of A Musician.

♪ ♪ ♪ [Matt continues to sing] ♪ Preachers and poets ♪ ♪ Have a lot in common though ♪ ♪ Searching for the answers ♪ ♪ To the questions they don't know ♪ ♪ They're both the same ♪ -[Announcer] This program is brought to you in part by Santa Cruz Guitar Company and Santa Cruz Parabolic Tension Strings.

-[Host VO] Also brought to you by Paige Capos and by Peluso Microphone Lab.

Additional support provided by these sponsors.