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The Co-Write

"The Co-write" is hosted by Bobby Duncan and Donovan Dodd. It is a music centered podcast, but not restricted to only music topics. The pair will cover many different areas of interest, as well as welcome guests to join them for special episodes.
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Now displaying: 2020
Oct 2, 2020

To begin any career at the age of 12 is no small feat.  To choose music as that career from such an early age makes it even more daunting.  Matt Hillyer did just that.  Diving headfirst into a career than now spans three over three decades, Matt has proven how the early recognition of what he was supposed to do with his life, coupled a relentless determination to see the years of work rewarded, delivers the longevity so many musicians seek.  

We had a great hang with the frontman of the venerable Dallas band 1100 Springs.  One that was a long time coming.  On this episode of The Co-Write we hit on Matt’s early beginnings running around Texas with acts twice his age, how a style that blends multiple influences can have a positive impact growing a fanbase, the importance of stage presence, what it means to be a writer, and Matt shares a few great stories from a career that any singer/songwriter should be envious of.  

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

An Early Start in Music - 5:18

Matt’s Perspective on the Texas Music Scene - 15:40

The Benefits of Playing to Multiple Styles of Audiences - 21:09

The Development of Stage Presence - 24:17 

What Do You Get out of Writing - 33:14

How a Writer Benefits from Saturation - 37:52

Rapid Fire - 58:50 

Sep 4, 2020

We have an all new episode of The Co-Write this week featuring Josh Crutchmer.  Josh is the author of the new book, “Red Dirt:  Roots Music Born in Oklahoma, Raised in Texas, and At Home Anywhere.”  

Donovan and I were lucky enough o receive an advanced copy of the book and we both really enjoyed it.  It goes into great detail about the beginning of Oklahoma’s Red Dirt music scene and includes interviews with numerous artists who began, cultivated, and expanded that scene over the decades. 

You can find out more about the book at www.reddirtbook.com, and it will be released to all major book retailers on September 19, 2020.   There are various artist editions for sale on the website, and we think it makes a great addition to your library.  

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

Aug 3, 2020

Today we welcome Mike McClure to The Co-Write! McClure is on every short list of the best songwriters around. He has well over 10 records to his credit as an artist and scores of others at the helm as producer for groups like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours, Whiskey Myers among many others.  

Any history book written about the Red Dirt and Texas Music scene would undoubtedly have a chapter dedicated to McClure and his influence on those who have followed him. McClure is set to release his next project in the next few months (exact release date TBD) and he seems genuinely excited about what he has put together. “It's about finding that truth and love really are worth fighting for. And what can save us,” McClure says of his upcoming record “Looking Up.”

Enjoy the episode and go visit Mike’s Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lookingup/looking-up-the-new-solo-record-by-mike-mcclure

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy

Jul 30, 2020

It’s a special Co-Write/New Slang mashup this week!  We were fortunate enough to sit down last with with Thomas Mooney, the host of the popular podcast New Slang.  We handle the hosting duties here on part one, and once your finished scoot over to New Slang for part two. 

 

We start off with a general interview with Tom, but at the end of the episode we begin a fantasy draft where each of us picks our best six artists lineup for a dream festival.   We put some parameters on the draft, but the most important one was we each started out with our favorite artists.  

 

We hope you enjoy this, and we look forward to bringing you more mashup episodes in the future! 

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

 

Tom’s experience with Covid-19 - Off the Top 

 

The Beginnings of New Slang - 14:35 

 

What does Tom look for in new acts - 21:45

 

How does Tom envision New Slang’s future - 34:30

 

Tom ranks his sports affiliations and sports talk- 45:00

 

Rapid Fire: 1:01:00

 

First half of dream festival draft - 1:16:00

Jul 17, 2020

Courtney Patton has been wowing fans of independent, Americana music across the country for nearly a decade.  Her deeply insightful and personal songwriting coupled with her undeniable vocal gift has settled Courtney in the top tier of Texas singer/songwriters.  In addition to all of her musical talents, Courtney is one of the smartest, funniest, and most genuine artists in our scene, and it’s always a joy to spend time in her presence.  We have been big fans of Courtney for many years here on The Co-Write, and we were finally able to find time to sit down with our great friend and talk about all things CP.  

 

Sequestered Songwriters - (Off the Top) 

 

A Brief Career at Nike Golf - (16:30) 

 

Starting Out in Music - (23:30) 

 

Taking a Leap as a Single Mom - (41:00) 

 

Equality in Texas Music - (49:20) 

 

Patton/Eady Songwriter Workshops - (1:06:00) 

 

Rapid Fire - (1:12:30) 

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

 

www.courtneypatton.com 

 

Video of this podcast is available exclusively to patrons of The Co-Write on our Patreon Page.  Join today for just $5! 

Jul 3, 2020

Brady Black has electrified fans of Texas music for over two decades.  His exciting stage presence is most memorable as a part of the famed Randy Rogers Band, but Brady has a history in the scene that predates that venerable 5 man wrecking crew.  Brady was kind enough to join us for an episode of The Co-Write a few months back, and as always it was a great hang!  

 

Quarantine Talk - Off the top 

 

The Staying Power of The Randy Rogers Band - 10:00

 

How Important is Work Ethic? - 21:45

 

The Highway 6 Band and Brady’s Origins - 34:00

 

How Reckless Kelly Changed Brady’s Future - 38:30

 

Brady’s Musical Upbringing - 49:00

 

Brady The Session Player - 52:00

 

Rapid Fire - 1:06

Jun 19, 2020

Jason Eady has solidified himself as one of Texas’ brightest songwriters over his 15 year career making music across the region.  Starting with 2005’s, “From Underneath the Old”, to 2018’s, “I Travel On”, and each record in between, Jason’s songs reach a depth that few other songwriters will ever know.  Throughout his career Jason has pushed boundaries lyrically and sonically on his journey, and continues his pursuit of great songs even after permanently etching his name among the great Texas singer/songwriters. 

 

Since being quarantined Jason and his wife Courtney have put together one of the most popular streaming shows in our independent music genre with their Sequestered Songwriter’s guitar pull on Monday nights. 

 

On this penultimate quarantine episode - 

 

Sequestered Songwriter’s - Off the Top 

 

An Old Friendship - 18:25 

 

Jason’s Ranger of Sound on His Albums - 21:00 

 

What are Jason’s Most Memorable Songs - 32:00 

 

Future Plans - 42:00 

 

Rewriting the Formula - 49:40 

 

Jason’s Writing Process - 1:18:00 

 

Rapid Fire - 1:36:00 

May 29, 2020

Arguably the most recognizable voice to ever appear on The Co-Write, Eric Nadel has been the warm welcome to baseball season we all wait through the dreary Texas winters to hear.  After forty plus years in the radio booth for your Texas Rangers, Eric has imbedded himself and his calls into the memory of every Texas Rangers fan.  As a Ford C. Frick award winner, Eric has been recognized throughout the baseball world as one of the best in his craft.  

 

Aside from his distinguished baseball career, and his recognized bibliography, Eric has been an avid fan and promoter of the local D/FW music scene.  From his support of Daphne Willis, to his massively successful birthday shows that support the Dallas charity Focus on Teens, Eric has used his position as one of the great broadcasters in America to place artists in front of large crowds on a regular basis.  

 

On this episode … 

 

Eric’s introduction to local music from a bit of a famous source (Off the top) 

 

Eric talks about his experience as a talent buyer at some great Dallas venues (8:33)

 

Who were Eric’s earliest music god’s (14:34)

 

Will baseball come back in 2020, and if so, what does it mean for broadcasters? (19:55)

 

Dallas Diamonds, and Women’s Professional Basketball League, talk (30:00)

 

The patented Co-Write rapid fire (44:42) 

 

We want to let you know that we have just released our first Patreon only podcast over at our Co-Write Patreon site.  Donovan and I run down and play our 15 favorite songs of all time.  These lists are always hard, and you’re sure to leave off a song here and there, but it was great fun, and I think you’ll get a lot out of it.  $5 is all it takes to be a Patron.  You get early access to podcasts as well as the video recordings from our Zoom calls.  You will have the chance to submit questions to your favorite artists and get to the bottom of those things you answers to.  Check it, and join us on Patreon, if you’re able.  

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

May 22, 2020

On this week's virtual Co-Write hang we have Kyle Nix, fiddle player extraordinaire of the Turnpike Troubadours. Kyle joins us to talk about his debut record "Lightning on the Mountain and Other Short Stories" which is set for release on June 26th. The 17 song compilation features 16 songs written by Nix himself along with an instrumental tune. Nix brought his friends along to help with this project including Wes Sharon in the production chair, while R.C. Edwards, Hank Early, Gabe Pearson & Ryan Engleman handle the lion's share of the instrumentation.

At the top of the episode Kyle touches on the intricacies of putting out a record during the quarantine.

8:00 - What kinds of books does Kyle read? hint...there are a lot

18:00 - Kyle's early history playing with Scott Evans and, of course, there is are Mike McClure stories

24:30 - the guys talk about the production of the record, players, singing harmonies to his own vocals and his songwriting process

30:00 - writing/pitching songs to an already successful group & a Bobby/Donovan/Walt Wilkins songwriting story

43:30 - the backstory of fiddling giant Byron Berline including his use of some historical instruments on Kyle's record

53:00 - the Co-Write's trademarked version of rapid fire which always takes 20 minutes

Check out kylenixmusic.com to pre-order the record!
@knixfiddlestix on Twitter
@knix.1983 on Instagram

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy!

May 15, 2020

As a co-host of the very successful Dunham and Miller radio program, cohosted with Craig Miller and Gordon Keith, George Dunham has commanded the airwaves on Sports Radio 97.7 FM and 1310 AM the ticket for over 20 years. The show, which matches sports musings with their classic wit on segments such as the 8:40 bit, has become a staple to local, national, and even world wide audiences. (The Ticket is the most streamed radio station in the world.) 

A past guest on The Co-Write (Episode 26), George rejoins Bobby and Donovan to talk about how our current quarantine status has affected the world of radio broadcasting. George is an accomplished songwriter as well with his band The Bird Dogs, and he hosts a hugely successful charity concert annual in Dallas called Jub Jam, and the group hits on the changes that hav needed to take place with those ventures during our uncertain times.

And, as always, there’s a bit of sports talk.

This episode was definitely a grab bag of sorts. As George says, we were just passing the ball around. It was a great hang with an old friend in strange times. We are always glad to spend time with our friends, and hope you get something out of the conversations. 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

Become a subscriber to The Co-Write’s new Patreon page, www.patreon.com/thecowrite, and gain early access to audio podcasts, as well as exclusive access to the video recordings of our quarantined podcasts! We will also take fan questions to ask guests and we might invite a Patron to sit in on a podcast recording! $5 a month is all it takes. 

On this episode -

Radio life during a pandemic - (Off the top) 

Dallas Cowboys, excuse me, Dallas Sooners draft talk - (7:42)

Edit* - The Cowboys signed former Sooner Gerald McCoy, not Jermaine Gresham as Bobby falsely reported in the podcast

How the Musers are uniquely qualified to navigate quarantine radio - (11:00)

George revisits the new Biggest Show Coming to Town - (14:30) 

Bobby and George revisit what it's like always being the “And Friends” on festivals - (35:16)

What are you listening to - (51:00)

George’s streaming game - (55:00) 

Mountain Lion talk - (1:07:00)

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May 8, 2020

The Cody Jinks story is one we are all happy to be a part of. He is the definition of “doing it his way.” After several years of fronting a metal band in his hometown of Fort Worth, Cody reverted back to his roots of classic country music. Though he has a gruff exterior with a giant beard and covered in tattoos, he’s a pretty unassuming and easy to get along with ol’ boy at his core. The best way to describe Jinks’ music, live show and approach to his career is “genuine.” The songs are heartfelt and personal when they aren’t rollicking and jamming – and his live show is spirited and fun. Cody has been zigzagging across the United States building a passionate fanbase for many years while consistently putting out music. Since 2008 he has totalled 9 studio records including the last 4 which have all reached the top 40 on the Billboard chart. The grassroots movement which has built up over the last few years is still growing, and it’s easy to cheer for a guy who has done it his way.

How Cody and band and crew bugged out of New York when the shutdown began (5:45)

Cody and Bobby's friendship, and Cody's start in country music (9:30)

Cody's unconventional path to success in music. (18:00) 

Cody's impressive work ethic, and what drives that. (32:20)

Navigation life at home now that the road has ben taken away. (53:00)

Cody talks about Scott Copeland. (1:02:00)

We talk Cody songs. (1:15:00)

Rapid Fire (1:20:00)

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

May 1, 2020

This week we caught up with our old pal, Wade Bowen.  A force on the Texas Music Scene for nearly two decades, Wade has proven his ability to stand above the crowd again with his new streaming show, Wade's World.   We discuss Wade's World right off the top.   We talk about how social distancing has allowed us to appreciate the efforts of sound techs and engineers that much more (12:30).  Wade discusses being at home for another extended period of time, and what that's been like (14:58).  We talk about how long can a small business like band wait before the panic sets in, and Wade gets real about that at (21:53).  We try to lighten the load with a little sports talk (38:30).  Someone finally indulges Bobby with some Bruce Springsteen snd Springsteen on Broadway talk (43:20).  A bit of major label game talk around (56:00).  Rapid fire and a Zoom bomb of sorts at (1:10).  

This was great fun, and we hope you enjoy it during your social distancing period.  

Download, Subscribe & Enoy! 

Apr 24, 2020

It's Part 2 with Adam Odor!  

 

Part 2 is a pretty extensive history lesson where Texas music is concerned.  We talk about how Adam got involved in the early stages of the scene, and some of the artists he's worked with (Off the Top).  Adam gives us a rundown on how he got involved in being the production manager for The Music Fest in Steamboat Springs, CO, as well as sharing a couple of hilarious stories from his involvement with them (32:30).  Lastly, we hit Adam with the patented Co-Write rapid fire which is anything but (39:45). 

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

 

NEW PATREON! 

Apr 20, 2020

This week from quarantine land we have a double whammy!  We sat down with the great Adam Odor for a conversation that felt so good, it lasted two whole episodes.  

 

Adam Odor has a rich history on the production side of many of your favorite Texas music albums.  He has helmed some of the most important projects in modern Texas music, and the lists of artists he has worked with is most impressive.  

 

On Part 1 of our interview we talk about Adam's quarantine story (3:21).  We take a look at Adam's extensive credits list and how he got started on his musical journey (10:00). Adam discuss the differences between being an engineer/mixer/producer (16:47). We discuss the changes to production during the pandemic and what it looks like moving forward at (40:29). We get the low down on the making of the Mike and the Moonpies hit record, "Cheap Silver" at (55:50).

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

The Co-Write now has a Patreon account, and will be offering exclusive content for only $5 a month.  One 
tier.  That's it.  Check it out at www.pateron.com/thecowrite 

Apr 11, 2020

As we continue or respective quarantines across this great land, The Co-Write was happy to be joined by our great friend, Drew Kennedy.   This episode covers you basic Covid-19 talk and an update on each others quarantine status. (Off the top)  Diamond records all time. (8:15)  As a streaming concert veteran, Drew gives his take on the future of streaming live music. (14:50). The music world lost a major influence with the death of John Prine.  The guys talk about their favorite Prine songs, and try to size up the impact he had on the music world. (43:24)

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

Apr 3, 2020

Greetings all you quarantiners and happy whatever number day this is for you.  

The Co-Write has settled in to our respective quarantine locations, and we are primed to bring you the best of seclusion entertainment.  

Our first Google Hangout guest is non other than our best buddy, John Baumann.  

This week the trio discuss ...

The Panhandlers first streaming concert - (5:30)

John's first impressions of streaming - (12:00)

The history of The Panhandlers (14:00) 

The future is here, and it is streaming - (25:00) 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

Mar 17, 2020

Well folks, here we are. As we enter into this unknown period of self distancing and quarantining, The Co-Write plans to bring you as much content as we can. 

Currently, we are trekking our way from Jersey back to Texas where the Duncans plan to isolate themselves among loved ones.  Follow along during our journey across this great country.  Stay say.  Stay smart.  Let's get through this together. 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy! 

Mar 11, 2020

Here comes Part 2 of our insightful interview with the great Kelly Dearmore.  

(2:45) A weekend update

 

(7:30)  Texas comes to NYC 

 

(10:30)  Donovan is blown away by the Eagles live in Dallas

 

(22:50)  Kelly Dearmore Part 2 

 

Download, Subscribe & Enjoy!

Feb 26, 2020

Oh happy day, The Co-Write is back!  This week we bring you part 1 of our sit down with music writing legend (used loosely), Kelly Dearmore.  

 

Kelly has been a staple on the the north Texas writing cultural scene, and his pieces have been published by the likes of the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Observer, and many many more. 

 

(6:00) - Topo Chico Cowboys 

 

(12:15) - Voices that Do Something for You

 

(20:45) - Taylor Swift Documentary

 

(25:00) - Heading Back Home

 

(28:40) - Kelly Dearmore Interview

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