Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Adam Alonzo
Fresh off the heels of his Summer in America Tour, Dreamer Boy is reflecting on his third studio album, Lonestar, and the influences behind it. The singer-songwriter talked to NYOTA about his evolution as an artist, what can come out of the other side of discomfort, and creating his rodeo clown persona.
As a kid growing up in Texas, was it very apparent to you that people were proud of how music plays a large part in the state’s culture and history?
I think so, especially the divey places, and Mexican restaurants with live music. There’s a lot of history in Texas music and just like most things, Texans are very proud of it. Bobby Fuller Four is probably my favorite Texas music, or my boys Hovvdy.
The open road inspires many artists who work in different mediums. What do you think it is about long drives that can cause these bursts of creativity?
I love the space it creates, the movement is like looking at a campfire, it’s just passive enough and just inspiring enough. Driving through new places lets me imagine what it would be like to build a life there. This last tour I went on brought up so many personal questions, and the road is the perfect place to process.
You can hear your evolution as an artist when you compare Lonestar to Love, Nostalgia, and All The Ways We Are Together. Were you purposefully experimenting with each album, or did you see it as a natural part of the process for each body of work to have a unique sound?
I definitely think it’s natural, in the moment I don’t see it as experimenting, but when you give it context to the other music, you can see the progression. I love keeping it fresh for myself and marrying whatever the new songs require to the sonic palette or recording process. Each emotion and chapter is going to require a new set of colors.
Who were some of the artists you were listening to while working on Lonestar that influenced the songs you created during that period?
I was listening to a lot of Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen, and Tusk by Fleetwood Mac. Stayed pretty heavily in rotation. As well as the band Suicide.
Do you see Lonestar as an example of your resilience and a reminder of how to turn challenging life moments into art?
I think that change is something that is so uncomfortable when you are going through it but maybe Lonestar shows what it’s like to barrel through that discomfort and end up on the other side. Change leads to so much fulfillment and a shade of happiness you could have never have predicted. I’m a big fan of jumping out on a limb. See how it feels.
When did you start to get a clear idea of how the visual aspects of Lonestar should be, from your album cover to the rodeo clown persona to the music videos for songs like “Heartbreaker” and “Untied?”
It was really just synonymous with the music at a certain point. I had had some rodeo stuff saved, and while making the album I wanted to create a character alongside, and the rodeo clown just showed itself. I started experimenting with the makeup and found what felt right as the language for Lonestar. Definitely drawing on the Texas landscapes and motifs from the rodeo and my experiences with heartbreak and feeling like the “Fool” in some sense.
The rodeo clown persona and what he represents is evident in “Suckerpunch.” Can you talk a bit about the songwriting process for it and why it felt right to mention the rodeo clown?
That was the song that really felt like birthed the personality of the album, the recording and writing process was really just me and my band stomping around and shouting and the ‘Look the other way’ chorus just came out of a jam session. I love that that song mentions the rodeo clown up front, because the beaten down and punched out feeling is really what that song is. And what the character is.
You collaborated with numerous artists on the album, such as Goldie Boutilier and Miya Folick. When working on an intensely personal record, is it helpful for collaborators to be able to help you take a step back and keep an objective view of what you’re creating?
It’s amazing to talk with other songwriters about how to express the emotions of what’s going on in real time. Sometimes it’s helpful to get it out in front of you instead of inside. Miya helped me write about the move from Nashville to LA, and it just started with a conversation. That’s what’s special about a collaborator you trust.
As you continue to tour with your band, are there certain songs that have been particularly exciting to perform live?
I love performing “Suckerpunch,” it comes after a pretty high energy part of the set that we open with and then it settles into suckerpunch heartbreak and melancholy and it just feels so right for the moment. Been amazing to sing that one with fans too, people love yelling it.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
Stay open to collaboration, ask questions, keep the people who believe in you close.
This story first ran in issue 36: The Art Is Life Issue. Read more from the issue here.
