Texas Country Artist William Beckmann is this week’s guest. If you’re not familiar with his music, you’re about to be. It’s not going to be too long before he’s well-known all over the country. He and I dive into the evolution of Texas Country Music and how different artists have shaped the genre over the years. We talk about the unique appeal of Texas Country Music, and highlight the abundance of talented songwriters and the diverse fanbase that spans the vast geography of the state.
This episode is sponsored by:
Habana Cuba (Be sure to use code “Gary20” to save 20% off your order!)
In this episode, you’ll be able to:
- Songwriting advice and challenges
- Writing a hundred songs
- Storytelling in songwriting
- Longing for childhood dreams
- Learning Spanish and Performing
- Coping with life on the road
- Playing a concert in Mexico
Quotations
“I had at least ten people that were there singing the songs in the front row, which was really cool because I didn’t think I had a single fan in San Jose, California, but I was definitely wrong.”
“Well, that’s kind of the point, you know; the point is after you write a hundred bad songs, you’re bound to write one good one”
“And he [Radney] was telling me that I was essentially saying the same thing twice, just in a different way, and to avoid doing that because you’re sort of wasting a line; you can make better use of that line and have something more valuable to say.”
“Of course, you can’t hide your lyin’ eyes and your smiles of thin disguise.”
“So it’s sometimes tough to sing that song just given that Keith and I were friends, but you know what, it’s a beautiful song, and I’m very honored to get to play that song every night, you know.”
“I hope you all get to go home with a little piece of Del Rio Texas to take home with you.”
“I don’t get to see a lot of people really anymore, and so just doing the little things you would think, you know, night after night and playing for hundreds of people, sometimes thousands of people, you’re like, man, this is a crazy feeling. I was like, you want to know a real crazy feeling? Go drink a beer with your buddy who you haven’t seen in, you know, ten years or whatever and who’s got two kids and the whole family a whole life that you have sort of been separated from. That’s a crazy feeling.”
Bio:
Hailing from the small border town of Del Rio, TX, William Beckmann was raised on classic country as well as the mariachi and Norteño sounds of northern Mexico. He delivers a fresh blend of vintage country, Americana and Latin music with a timeless baritone and an old soul maturity that belies his youth. His new album Faded Memories released in 2022, featuring the slow-burn single “Bourbon Whiskey” as well as a mesmerizing cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” and the haunting “In The Dark.” The album has garnered praise from critics including American Songwriter, Billboard, CMT and more, and his current track “Damn This Heart Of Mine” is Beckmann’s fourth consecutive single to hit the Top 20 at Texas Regional Radio Chart. Beckmann has amassed an incredible fanbase, independently garnering more 670,000 followers on TikTok and over 2 million streams of Faded Memories. He has spent the last year touring with artists including Parker McCollum, Koe Wetzel, Randy Rogers Band and Wade Bowen and sold out three shows at legendary Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, TX in 2022.