Country Fried Rock 1516: Great Peacock Recording, Touring, and Creating
Summary
This week's episode from 2015 features an in-depth conversation with the Nashville-based band Great Peacock, comprised of Andrew Nelson and Blount Floyd. We delve into their creative journey, particularly focusing on their recently released debut full-length album, which showcases their evolution as musicians. Throughout the discussion, we explore the intricacies of building a cohesive musical team, the transformative nature of songwriting over time, and the unique recording experiences within Nashville's vibrant music scene. The dialogue is enriched by the band's reflections on their live performances and the diverse influences that shape their sound. Join us as we uncover the essence of Great Peacock's artistry and the dynamic world of contemporary music.
What We Wrote in 2015
Great Peacock blew me away during a live taping of their song, “Take Me To The Mountain,” nearly 18 months ago. I’ve been anxiously awaiting their debut full-length album, Making Ghosts, ever since. Recently released on This Is American Music, Great Peacock continues with the roots-based anthems and sing-along choruses, more Southern Indie than Americana.
Show Notes
- In this episode, host Sloane Spencer chats with Andrew Nelson and Blount Floyd of Great Peacock, a Nashville-based band blending folk, country, and rock into a sound that’s all their own.
- The focus is on their debut album Making Ghosts, and the journey that led them there, everything from the ups and downs of recording to how their sound has evolved over time.
- Nelson and Floyd talk honestly about the challenges of making a record in today’s music scene. While modern recording tech offers a lot of options, they admit it sometimes slows things down more than it helps.
- They look back fondly on the days when recording was simpler and more immediate, and share a desire to get back to that kind of creative flow in the future.
- Live shows are a big part of where they see themselves heading. They hint at leaning more into an electric sound, which could mark a new phase in their music.
- Songwriting within Great Peacock is a true collaboration. They take a careful, selective approach—making sure each song really connects and adds something meaningful to their overall sound.
- Throughout the conversation, it’s clear that the band is focused on staying true to who they are, even as they grow and adapt. Their commitment to authenticity comes through in everything they do, both in the studio and on stage.
Links
- Great Peacock
- Great Peacock on Bandcamp
- You may also enjoy our conversation with Year of October
- After you buy music or see a show, please toss a few dollars in our Tip Jar
- Sloane Spencer now hosts a Gen X sleep podcast, Sleep with Rock Stars
Takeaways
- We got into how Great Peacock’s music has grown over the years and what it’s been like building their career in the Nashville music scene.
- A big part of the conversation focused on collaboration, especially with producer Dan Fernandez, and how that relationship helped shape their sound.
- The band opened up about some of the real challenges that come with recording and releasing music today, including the pros and cons of modern technology.
- They shared what it’s like to play live and how their dynamics as a band have shifted over time as they’ve evolved musically.
- Staying true to who they are as artists came up quite a bit. It’s something they’re clearly committed to, even as the industry keeps changing around them.
- We also talked about life on the road and how touring, while tough at times, brings a lot of joy through the connections they make with audiences in different places.
Mentioned in this Episode
- Great Peacock
- CMT
- CMT Edge
- Dan Fernandez
- Wes Floyd and the Daisy Cutters
- Drivin n Cryin
- St. Paul and the Broken Bones
- Apache Relay
Recommended If You Like
Country Fried Rock, Great Peacock band, Nashville music scene, Southern rock music, debut album release, music industry insights, live performance evolution, recording studios in Nashville, songwriting collaboration, folk and rock fusion, Americana music, indie music podcast, band interviews, music production process, touring experiences, album art design, music festival performances, audience engagement, music streaming platforms, Southern musicians.
Transcript
Speaker A
Welcome to Country Fried Rock. I'm your host, Sloane Spencer.
This week I'm finally talking with Great Peacock, a Nashville based band of guys from Alabama that I've been following for a couple of years. Andrew Nelson and Blunt Floyd are the core of Great Peacock in their debut full length album was just released in May 2015.
On this is American Music we talk about building a team, how songs change over time, and stealth recording studios in Nashville, a whole lot more with the guys from Great Peacock today on Country Fried Rock. My guests today conferenced in on the fancy phone are Andrew Nelson and Blunt Floyd, better known together as Great Peacock. Welcome.
Speaker B
Oh, thrilled to be here.
Speaker A
My pleasure.
We kind of run in some of the same circles, so I've known about you all for a very long time, but the first time I ever actually saw you was recording at the CMT studios for CMT Edge.
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker A
So lots has happened for y'. All. In the meantime, help us set the stage for what's going on with your debut record.
Speaker B
Well, it finally came out last week. We're thrilled about that. We waited forever for it to come out. It just takes a long time to get stuff ready.
You'd think technology would help out with that, but it doesn't. It kind of slows us down a bit.
I miss the old days or when I heard of the old days of making records and like putting them out quick, you know, doesn't happen anymore.
Speaker A
I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I know that you all have had this ready to roll for quite a while. So what has been changing for you all in terms of live performance in that G? I mean, it's been like more than a year since the record's been done.
Speaker B
The band has changed and evolved quite a bit for a while. We kind of always went through periods where we have like a four piece. Our bass player and our drummer are always with us.
And for a while we were had interchanging sort of melody instruments. Like sometimes we do a show with a fiddle player, sometimes we do a show with a pedal steel player.
And then we recently had somebody with us for a really long time playing electric and that person is no longer with us.
So we're actually kind of entertaining the idea of just being a four piece and being a little less folky and playing a little more electric guitar ourselves. But who knows, after this interview that might not happen. Yeah.
Speaker C
And we've had the guy who produced the record, Dan Fernandez, who actually played with us for a long time before that, has been out with Us for the last couple of runs, and it's been great to just kind of get back to kind of where it all began. And, you know, he's a great person to show off what the record is because he played pretty much all the guitar on it, so that's been fun.
He's gonna be with us this weekend also, and the next weekend after that.
Speaker A
That's cool. Well, how'd y' all initially connect with Dan Fernandez?
Speaker B
Dan lives with one of our best friends in Nashville. And I would go over to hang out with my friend, and I would hear this guy just, like, incessantly playing.
Speaker C
Lead guitar, practicing, practicing.
speaker B
And I was like, do you get tired of that, man? He was like, no, you just eventually drowning out. I was like, well, I guess the good thing is, at least he's really good at.
It's just, you know, 10 hours a day of lead guitar.
Speaker C
And way back when, when we had just started it, the band, because it was just something fun for us to pass the time as far as not getting out of music.
It was our first show, and that guy who lived with him was gonna play bass that show, and he was like, hey, do you mind if Dan comes to play mandolin? And we were like, sure. He hasn't practiced with us, but let's do it. And he nailed it.
And pretty much the only person that plays with us from that first show.
Speaker A
That's crazy. Where did it end up that Dan end working in the producer role?
Speaker B
He had just gotten into that role himself through just passing time. And it's kind of where his heart is, which is why he doesn't play with us all the time. And it just happened. It was really organic. It wasn't forced.
He was just kind of like, well, let's start working together. And I don't remember a single point where we were like, you know, had serious conversations about it.
We just turned around one day, and we were making a record. And then the serious conversations came much later.
Speaker C
Originally recorded Tennessee, actually a studio in Birmingham. When we were recording it, it was just like, all of a sudden, it's like, hey, we're not just producing this as the collective.
He really stepped up and took a spot where we were. We were like, wow, you know, you're kind of producing this track also. That's kind of where it came from.
We were like, well, we could do this whole record with you. And it makes sense because Nashville and we don't have to travel because you throw a rock and there's a studio in Nashville.
Speaker B
You always talk about like, these destination studios. And you're like, man, we had the money. We'd go to this place or we'd go to that place.
And then it's like, you think about it, you're like, well, honestly, why would we ever leave Nashville? Record a record.
Speaker A
Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock. We've had an incredible year with more people finding us on the radio and our podcast than we ever imagined. Thank you all so much.
Careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
Speaker B
Hey, this is Andrew Nelson and Bluff Lloyd. We're great Peacock. And we're on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A
Where did y' all end up recording it, or was it all over the place?
Speaker B
It was actually in a sort of.
Speaker C
Nondescript backyard studio, exactly like you said. It was, like, probably used to be a three or four car garage back in one day. And then they just built it out, and it's just in a neighborhood.
And you walk in the backyard and you open the door.
Speaker B
And Dan's so well connected. He's such a people person that, like, you can't go out to grab a drink without him running into 20 people he knows.
As a result, I mean, it's like we weren't in a professional studio, but we had all the professional gear we wanted or needed. Dan made sure we had it.
Speaker A
I saw you once, then I didn't see you all for, like, a year playing live. And it was definitely folkier, twangier.
And then when I started to hear the later music, I was like, whoa, we got some, like, entire, like, fill the stadium kind of stuff going on here.
Speaker B
We love music. We love pop music. We love country music. We love rock music. We love it all.
I think the reason our music sounds like it does is just because as far as it being southern or leaning more towards folk or something like that, it's just because that's just who we are. But, I mean, we listen to everything and we absorb and soak up everything. So that was just natural. That wasn't planned.
We weren't like, let's be more commercial or popular. It's just we like having songs that people can sing along to, and we like having songs that hit people.
And sometimes hitting people requires more instruments. Sometimes it requires a guitar and a voice, and that's it. It just depends on the.
Speaker C
So everybody evolves.
And that's just kind of what has happened as far as from the EP to now, because there was really technically only one electric guitar part on that first ep, and they're quite A larger song. It just kind of naturally happened that way.
Speaker A
They're kind of anthems. I mean, like, you can hear it one time and, like, have your verse in chorus to sing along.
Speaker B
We're just really picky. I mean, we write together. Not as much as we used to. We need. We've been saying we need to write together more.
But Blunt and I, if we don't like where the song's going, we throw it out quick. I have a saying. I always say, you can't polish a turd. So, I mean, if it's not immediately something that feels really special, we just move on.
We've gotten overwhelming compliments from people that have heard the record, either friends or strangers and fans, and they felt like we didn't have any filler songs on the album. Covered a lot of musical territory, was easy to listen to because the songs were great. And that's not me bragging.
That's just we're so picky about what we'll put out as a song.
Speaker C
It's a great thing about always writing with the same person or another person is you wind up almost being a good editor.
More than, like, even, you know, working together songwriting wise is usually when you sit down to write a song as a regular solo person, no matter what, you're gonna sit down and you finish the song. But kind of the way that me and Andrew work will come with ideas to the table. And, like, that was not good. That one's good.
Speaker B
Wow.
Speaker C
That's it. Let's write that song today.
Speaker B
Blunt has a joke. He likes to always tell me that. He says, that would be a great one on your solo album one day.
Speaker A
Blunt, where are you from originally?
Speaker C
I'm from a small town in South Alabama called Dothan.
Speaker B
Oh, yeah.
Speaker C
Like an hour north of Panama City and kind of close to Montgomery. About two hours from there and two hours from Auburn.
Speaker A
How did you end up getting to Nashville?
Speaker C
Well, it was a little bit of a trek. I went to Auburn for a little bit and decided to go to another college because, well, at that point, really nothing interested me, job wise.
And I transferred to a school in Orlando to go to recording, you know, for recording. And I did that and moved to Nashville because that was where you're supposed to go after you finish Three Best Cities to go to.
My brother had already lived in Nashville, so I was like, well, it's obvious I'm gonna go to Nashville and conquer all the major recording studios in town. And wound up meeting Andrew along the way. And then, you know, one of those weird Things where you're like, oh, this dude's my best friend now.
You know, the first night that you meet, you know, we've been on a musical journey ever since.
Speaker A
Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock. Those of y' all who listen on our podcasts, it's a quick hit of just the conversation.
If you want the full radio program with all the songs that we talk about, ask for it on your local radio station, joining 20 other stations across the country. Get the goods@countryfriderock.org hey, guys, if y'.
Speaker C
All want to know more about Great Peacock and what's going on with us and where to see us, go see us at ww.grape peacock.com were you ever.
Speaker A
In bands with your brother?
Speaker C
Yes, we were, actually. Andrew was in that band also. It's called West Floyd and the Daisy Cutters. Yeah, we did a record and a half release DP with him way back in the day.
It was really good for especially me because we were young and we learned a lot. What not to do.
Speaker A
Those are good lessons.
Speaker C
Love my brother. Shout out to him, you know, just had his first kid, Gus.
Speaker A
I made his wife cry by telling him to listen to Daniel's song from Loggins and Messina.
Speaker C
Yeah, I heard about that. I heard about that.
Speaker A
And I only did it because it came on after I had my son, and I was, like, driving down the highway, like, bawling my eyes out, like, oh, my God.
Speaker B
I never knew how good this was.
Speaker C
But, yeah, it was great. You know, we learned so much from playing with Wes.
He is a wonderful songwriter in his own right and actually both helped kind of us on our journey to how we write songs today.
Speaker A
Andrew, where are you from?
Speaker B
I grew up outside of Birmingham in a small town called Helena. That was until I was about 14, 15. Then I moved to another town outside of big city in Atlanta, a town called Alpharetta.
And then I went to University of...
Transcript
Welcome to Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Sloane Spencer.
Speaker A:This week I'm finally talking with Great Peacock, a Nashville based band of guys from Alabama that I've been following for a couple of years.
Speaker A: lbum was just released in May: Speaker A:On this is American Music we talk about building a team, how songs change over time, and stealth recording studios in Nashville, a whole lot more with the guys from Great Peacock today on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:My guests today conferenced in on the fancy phone are Andrew Nelson and Blunt Floyd, better known together as Great Peacock.
Speaker A:Welcome.
Speaker B:Oh, thrilled to be here.
Speaker A:My pleasure.
Speaker A:We kind of run in some of the same circles, so I've known about you all for a very long time, but the first time I ever actually saw you was recording at the CMT studios for CMT Edge.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So lots has happened for y'.
Speaker A:All.
Speaker A:In the meantime, help us set the stage for what's going on with your debut record.
Speaker B:Well, it finally came out last week.
Speaker B:We're thrilled about that.
Speaker B:We waited forever for it to come out.
Speaker B:It just takes a long time to get stuff ready.
Speaker B:You'd think technology would help out with that, but it doesn't.
Speaker B:It kind of slows us down a bit.
Speaker B:I miss the old days or when I heard of the old days of making records and like putting them out quick, you know, doesn't happen anymore.
Speaker A:I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I know that you all have had this ready to roll for quite a while.
Speaker A:So what has been changing for you all in terms of live performance in that G?
Speaker A:I mean, it's been like more than a year since the record's been done.
Speaker B:The band has changed and evolved quite a bit for a while.
Speaker B:We kind of always went through periods where we have like a four piece.
Speaker B:Our bass player and our drummer are always with us.
Speaker B:And for a while we were had interchanging sort of melody instruments.
Speaker B:Like sometimes we do a show with a fiddle player, sometimes we do a show with a pedal steel player.
Speaker B:And then we recently had somebody with us for a really long time playing electric and that person is no longer with us.
Speaker B:So we're actually kind of entertaining the idea of just being a four piece and being a little less folky and playing a little more electric guitar ourselves.
Speaker B:But who knows, after this interview that might not happen.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And we've had the guy who produced the record, Dan Fernandez, who actually played with us for a long time before that, has been out with Us for the last couple of runs, and it's been great to just kind of get back to kind of where it all began.
Speaker C:And, you know, he's a great person to show off what the record is because he played pretty much all the guitar on it, so that's been fun.
Speaker C:He's gonna be with us this weekend also, and the next weekend after that.
Speaker A:That's cool.
Speaker A:Well, how'd y' all initially connect with Dan Fernandez?
Speaker B:Dan lives with one of our best friends in Nashville.
Speaker B:And I would go over to hang out with my friend, and I would hear this guy just, like, incessantly playing.
Speaker C:Lead guitar, practicing, practicing.
Speaker B:And I was like, do you get tired of that, man?
Speaker B:He was like, no, you just eventually drowning out.
Speaker B:I was like, well, I guess the good thing is, at least he's really good at.
Speaker B:It's just, you know, 10 hours a day of lead guitar.
Speaker C:And way back when, when we had just started it, the band, because it was just something fun for us to pass the time as far as not getting out of music.
Speaker C:It was our first show, and that guy who lived with him was gonna play bass that show, and he was like, hey, do you mind if Dan comes to play mandolin?
Speaker C:And we were like, sure.
Speaker C:He hasn't practiced with us, but let's do it.
Speaker C:And he nailed it.
Speaker C:And pretty much the only person that plays with us from that first show.
Speaker A:That's crazy.
Speaker A:Where did it end up that Dan end working in the producer role?
Speaker B:He had just gotten into that role himself through just passing time.
Speaker B:And it's kind of where his heart is, which is why he doesn't play with us all the time.
Speaker B:And it just happened.
Speaker B:It was really organic.
Speaker B:It wasn't forced.
Speaker B:He was just kind of like, well, let's start working together.
Speaker B:And I don't remember a single point where we were like, you know, had serious conversations about it.
Speaker B:We just turned around one day, and we were making a record.
Speaker B:And then the serious conversations came much later.
Speaker C:Originally recorded Tennessee, actually a studio in Birmingham.
Speaker C:When we were recording it, it was just like, all of a sudden, it's like, hey, we're not just producing this as the collective.
Speaker C:He really stepped up and took a spot where we were.
Speaker C:We were like, wow, you know, you're kind of producing this track also.
Speaker C:That's kind of where it came from.
Speaker C:We were like, well, we could do this whole record with you.
Speaker C:And it makes sense because Nashville and we don't have to travel because you throw a rock and there's a studio in Nashville.
Speaker B:You always talk about like, these destination studios.
Speaker B:And you're like, man, we had the money.
Speaker B:We'd go to this place or we'd go to that place.
Speaker B:And then it's like, you think about it, you're like, well, honestly, why would we ever leave Nashville?
Speaker B:Record a record.
Speaker A:Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:We've had an incredible year with more people finding us on the radio and our podcast than we ever imagined.
Speaker A:Thank you all so much.
Speaker A:Careful what you wish for.
Speaker A:You just might get it.
Speaker B:Hey, this is Andrew Nelson and Bluff Lloyd.
Speaker B:We're great Peacock.
Speaker B:And we're on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:Where did y' all end up recording it, or was it all over the place?
Speaker B:It was actually in a sort of.
Speaker C:Nondescript backyard studio, exactly like you said.
Speaker C:It was, like, probably used to be a three or four car garage back in one day.
Speaker C:And then they just built it out, and it's just in a neighborhood.
Speaker C:And you walk in the backyard and you open the door.
Speaker B:And Dan's so well connected.
Speaker B:He's such a people person that, like, you can't go out to grab a drink without him running into 20 people he knows.
Speaker B:As a result, I mean, it's like we weren't in a professional studio, but we had all the professional gear we wanted or needed.
Speaker B:Dan made sure we had it.
Speaker A:I saw you once, then I didn't see you all for, like, a year playing live.
Speaker A:And it was definitely folkier, twangier.
Speaker A:And then when I started to hear the later music, I was like, whoa, we got some, like, entire, like, fill the stadium kind of stuff going on here.
Speaker B:We love music.
Speaker B:We love pop music.
Speaker B:We love country music.
Speaker B:We love rock music.
Speaker B:We love it all.
Speaker B:I think the reason our music sounds like it does is just because as far as it being southern or leaning more towards folk or something like that, it's just because that's just who we are.
Speaker B:But, I mean, we listen to everything and we absorb and soak up everything.
Speaker B:So that was just natural.
Speaker B:That wasn't planned.
Speaker B:We weren't like, let's be more commercial or popular.
Speaker B:It's just we like having songs that people can sing along to, and we like having songs that hit people.
Speaker B:And sometimes hitting people requires more instruments.
Speaker B:Sometimes it requires a guitar and a voice, and that's it.
Speaker B:It just depends on the.
Speaker C:So everybody evolves.
Speaker C:And that's just kind of what has happened as far as from the EP to now, because there was really technically only one electric guitar part on that first ep, and they're quite A larger song.
Speaker C:It just kind of naturally happened that way.
Speaker A:They're kind of anthems.
Speaker A:I mean, like, you can hear it one time and, like, have your verse in chorus to sing along.
Speaker B:We're just really picky.
Speaker B:I mean, we write together.
Speaker B:Not as much as we used to.
Speaker B:We need.
Speaker B:We've been saying we need to write together more.
Speaker B:But Blunt and I, if we don't like where the song's going, we throw it out quick.
Speaker B:I have a saying.
Speaker B:I always say, you can't polish a turd.
Speaker B:So, I mean, if it's not immediately something that feels really special, we just move on.
Speaker B:We've gotten overwhelming compliments from people that have heard the record, either friends or strangers and fans, and they felt like we didn't have any filler songs on the album.
Speaker B:Covered a lot of musical territory, was easy to listen to because the songs were great.
Speaker B:And that's not me bragging.
Speaker B:That's just we're so picky about what we'll put out as a song.
Speaker C:It's a great thing about always writing with the same person or another person is you wind up almost being a good editor.
Speaker C:More than, like, even, you know, working together songwriting wise is usually when you sit down to write a song as a regular solo person, no matter what, you're gonna sit down and you finish the song.
Speaker C:But kind of the way that me and Andrew work will come with ideas to the table.
Speaker C:And, like, that was not good.
Speaker C:That one's good.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker C:That's it.
Speaker C:Let's write that song today.
Speaker B:Blunt has a joke.
Speaker B:He likes to always tell me that.
Speaker B:He says, that would be a great one on your solo album one day.
Speaker A:Blunt, where are you from originally?
Speaker C:I'm from a small town in South Alabama called Dothan.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:Like an hour north of Panama City and kind of close to Montgomery.
Speaker C:About two hours from there and two hours from Auburn.
Speaker A:How did you end up getting to Nashville?
Speaker C:Well, it was a little bit of a trek.
Speaker C:I went to Auburn for a little bit and decided to go to another college because, well, at that point, really nothing interested me, job wise.
Speaker C:And I transferred to a school in Orlando to go to recording, you know, for recording.
Speaker C:And I did that and moved to Nashville because that was where you're supposed to go after you finish Three Best Cities to go to.
Speaker C:My brother had already lived in Nashville, so I was like, well, it's obvious I'm gonna go to Nashville and conquer all the major recording studios in town.
Speaker C:And wound up meeting Andrew along the way.
Speaker C:And then, you know, one of those weird Things where you're like, oh, this dude's my best friend now.
Speaker C:You know, the first night that you meet, you know, we've been on a musical journey ever since.
Speaker A:Hey, y', all, this is Sloan Spencer, the host of Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:Those of y' all who listen on our podcasts, it's a quick hit of just the conversation.
Speaker A:If you want the full radio program with all the songs that we talk about, ask for it on your local radio station, joining 20 other stations across the country.
Speaker A:Get the goods@countryfriderock.org hey, guys, if y'.
Speaker C:All want to know more about Great Peacock and what's going on with us and where to see us, go see us at ww.grape peacock.com were you ever.
Speaker A:In bands with your brother?
Speaker C:Yes, we were, actually.
Speaker C:Andrew was in that band also.
Speaker C:It's called West Floyd and the Daisy Cutters.
Speaker C:Yeah, we did a record and a half release DP with him way back in the day.
Speaker C:It was really good for especially me because we were young and we learned a lot.
Speaker C:What not to do.
Speaker A:Those are good lessons.
Speaker C:Love my brother.
Speaker C:Shout out to him, you know, just had his first kid, Gus.
Speaker A:I made his wife cry by telling him to listen to Daniel's song from Loggins and Messina.
Speaker C:Yeah, I heard about that.
Speaker C:I heard about that.
Speaker A:And I only did it because it came on after I had my son, and I was, like, driving down the highway, like, bawling my eyes out, like, oh, my God.
Speaker B:I never knew how good this was.
Speaker C:But, yeah, it was great.
Speaker C:You know, we learned so much from playing with Wes.
Speaker C:He is a wonderful songwriter in his own right and actually both helped kind of us on our journey to how we write songs today.
Speaker A:Andrew, where are you from?
Speaker B:I grew up outside of Birmingham in a small town called Helena.
Speaker B:That was until I was about 14, 15.
Speaker B:Then I moved to another town outside of big city in Atlanta, a town called Alpharetta.
Speaker B:And then I went to University of Georgia for a little while.
Speaker B:I did graduate, and then I moved to Nashville kind of.
Speaker B:I mean, I don't know.
Speaker B:Nothing feels like home.
Speaker B:It's kind of one of the things that makes being in a band so easy is I'm not usually pining for a place to be.
Speaker B:The only thing I really ever miss about home is having my bed to sleep in.
Speaker B:But that bed could be anywhere.
Speaker B:I'd be fine.
Speaker A:So were you playing music at all when you were in Athens?
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:I don't know how good I was.
Speaker B:I was playing quite a bit.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I kind of always Knew I was going to play music.
Speaker B:I went to school for business and got that to make my mom happy.
Speaker B:But I don't.
Speaker B:I mean, I always knew I was gonna play music.
Speaker B:And I had a friend that lived in Nashville.
Speaker B:I went to visit him, and I was like, this is cool.
Speaker B:And I just.
Speaker B:He was like, I have this oversized closet.
Speaker B:You want to move in?
Speaker B:And I was like, all right.
Speaker B:And I just.
Speaker B:I went home, told my mom, packed up my car, and left.
Speaker B:I think I brought my guitars and clothes, and that was it.
Speaker B:So I don't like to own a lot of stuff.
Speaker B:I say, you know, and if I haven't looked at something in six months, unless it has some, like, grand emotional value, if I haven't picked you up in six months, you're going in the trash or being recycled.
Speaker C:That room was great.
Speaker B:That room was, you know, I don't know.
Speaker B:It was all right.
Speaker C:Wish we had a picture of it.
Speaker B:It was terrible.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:And I never brought a girl there, ever.
Speaker C:Well, you didn't have a door, really?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Y' all have worked together in different capacities in a lot of different ways over the years.
Speaker A:What has been changing for you all with your touring?
Speaker C:The amount.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:The sheer quantity.
Speaker B:When you start off in this business, if you're smart, you don't over tour, but you also don't sit on your butt at home, and you find ways to make money and play in front of the right amount of people and all that stuff.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And that usually involves a lot of weekend touring because we've made the jump to being so serious about this.
Speaker B:We're out all the time.
Speaker B:You know, it's tough at times, but it's also.
Speaker B:I mean, the thing is, like, it doesn't go your way so many times, but at the end of every night, you're always like, I played music on stage, you know, like, I had the lights on me.
Speaker B:And, you know, the sound system was good.
Speaker B:Sometimes the room's full, and sometimes there's five people in the room, but you're like, it's the best part of it all.
Speaker B:Making records is fun.
Speaker B:I love listening to records.
Speaker B:I love making them.
Speaker B:I like being in the studio to a degree, but nothing will ever take the place of being up there on the stage.
Speaker B:Especially usually there's about three or four moments in a set where you just feel something and it feels right.
Speaker B:And you look over.
Speaker B:I look over at Blun, or I look over at somebody else in the band, and they look at you and they're feeling the Exact same thing you're feeling.
Speaker B:And it's just such an emotional high.
Speaker B:And you're like, this is the only way I can get this.
Speaker A:What are you all noticing about the crowds that are coming to see you?
Speaker A:Both ones who maybe have seen you before, but also newer locales for y'.
Speaker B:All.
Speaker B:Usually I can't see them.
Speaker B:The lights are too bright.
Speaker B:I like them all.
Speaker B:I like them all.
Speaker B:And I like all the people that have come seen us play.
Speaker B:You know, there's not like a demographic or something that works for us or place.
Speaker B:We constantly have plenty of people that tell us that, dude, you are my parents favorite band and my kids favorite band.
Speaker B:And I'm like, all right, well, okay.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:How about a T shirt or a onesie?
Speaker A:How's that working for you?
Speaker B:Oh, man, we definitely have some merch that does not sell.
Speaker B:Like, just bombed, you know, we got these, like, T shirts for girls.
Speaker B:You know, like the nice American Apparel, like, kind of female fit.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Because we kept getting people telling us that they wanted it, and we bought them, and we have so many.
Speaker B:We need to get rid of them.
Speaker A:You are preaching my pain because I have the same experience with country fried rock shirts.
Speaker A:Please get women's shirts.
Speaker A:Please get women's shirts.
Speaker A:You know what doesn't sell?
Speaker A:The women's shirts.
Speaker B:Okay, so it's not just us.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And I'm female, so I'm like, come on, y'.
Speaker C:All.
Speaker A:Oh, no.
Speaker A:Total waste of money.
Speaker A:Well, at least at my level.
Speaker A:I don't know about y', all, but.
Speaker B:I don't think we've made back our investment on that.
Speaker C:Not just yet.
Speaker C:But, you know, as far as locales, you know, we've been hitting the east coast a lot more since the beginning of this year, which has been fun getting out of the south, because, I mean, for the first two years of the band, we were pretty much on a circuit as far as playing three places in Alabama and two places in Georgia.
Speaker C:You know, it's been fun.
Speaker C:We played DC A few times, about to play DC Again, and it's getting a decent people coming back.
Speaker C:And you're like, wow, this is what we used to do.
Speaker C:And it was fun.
Speaker C:We've been playing New York a lot.
Speaker B:Playing new places is actually a lot of fun.
Speaker B:We're going out to California and out west and every place in between in the next few months.
Speaker B:And I've never been to California, so I'm ecstatic.
Speaker B:You know what, to go back to your earlier question, there is one place that always feels like home.
Speaker B:Callahan's in Mobile is always home.
Speaker B:And Jason, the guy that runs the place, gets the best bands, big people in there, and it's a small place.
Speaker B:I remember the first time we played there.
Speaker B:I was like, wait, this is where we're playing?
Speaker C:And this is what all my friends were talking about.
Speaker B:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker B:It's the best.
Speaker B:If anybody's listening and you happen to be near Mobile, go on their website and see who they have.
Speaker B:If you ever see anybody you like that you want to see play, go to Callahan's, go to the show.
Speaker B:It's totally.
Speaker B:It's just.
Speaker B:It's one of the best places.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Sloan Spencer.
Speaker A:You can keep in touch with us on Facebook.
Speaker A:But I really like Twitter, where we are at country fried rock, ending with R O K. And if you want to see pictures of my shoes, my dog, and my lunch, stop by Instagram.
Speaker A:But whatever way you like to hang out, stop by and say, hey, hey.
Speaker C:We're great.
Speaker B:Peacock.
Speaker B:Our new album is Making Ghosts, and you can pick that up at any retail store or on itunes or on Amazon or stream us on any of your streaming platforms.
Speaker A:Y' all got some festivals in store as well, I think.
Speaker B:I haven't looked at our confirmed dates list in a while.
Speaker A:Well, I know you're playing well crafted at Shaker Village in Kentucky.
Speaker C:Yeah, we are.
Speaker C:Happy birthday, Andrea.
Speaker B:Yeah, on my birthday.
Speaker B:We played it last year on my birthday.
Speaker B:This year on my birthday, too.
Speaker B:They have, like, weird alcohol laws and stuff there.
Speaker A:Yes, they do.
Speaker A:I used to live there.
Speaker B:And so, like, we got there, and, like, there's no alcohol, and this is my birthday.
Speaker B:I mean, come on.
Speaker B:So when we got the offer from the festival to play this year, I told our booking agent.
Speaker B:I was like, I will only play that again on my birthday if there is a handle of whiskey and, you know, everything.
Speaker B:I was like, I'm not trying to sound like a prima donna.
Speaker B:This is just my birthday.
Speaker C:But it was so cool.
Speaker C:Last year, we stayed in, like, one of the traditional Shaker.
Speaker C:They converted it to a hotel, but it was like one of the original buildings that all the Shaker people lived in.
Speaker B:I think ours was like a congregation house.
Speaker B:It was like a.
Speaker B:It wasn't a church.
Speaker B:It was like a public meeting house.
Speaker C:Because they all live in the same, you know, communal living.
Speaker C:And it was one of the places.
Speaker B:That, well, men would live one area, women would live the other.
Speaker B:It was definitely haunted.
Speaker B:It was pretty haunted.
Speaker B:One guy in our band was trying to be really funny about it.
Speaker B:And was, like, walking to the front door and talking to the spirits.
Speaker B:And then somebody else was inside and heard him do that.
Speaker B:And, like, he was talking to the spirits and he was like, you know, if you're there, reveal yourself.
Speaker B:And somebody else in the band, like, open the door all of a sudden.
Speaker B:And oh, man, he ran off.
Speaker C:The architecture and the grounds are just beautiful at that place.
Speaker B:And Doc Feldman, who puts it on as one stand up guy.
Speaker A:I love Doc.
Speaker A:And a great musician himself.
Speaker C:And a great musician.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Our label put out a record by him that is one of my favorite things they've ever put out.
Speaker A:Have y' all had some shows with some band friends that have worked out to be really fun for y'?
Speaker B:All?
Speaker B:You know, again, I know this sounds like a lame answer.
Speaker B:They're all fun.
Speaker B:It's always fun.
Speaker B:I can't tell you any of the crazy stories.
Speaker C:I mean, lately, since we've been playing so many different places, we've kind of ventured outside of that group that we are always used to play with.
Speaker C:You know, starting this band.
Speaker C:We would play different areas of the country with good friends that were in the band that you grew to be friends with.
Speaker C:El Cantador.
Speaker C:We used to play so many shows with them.
Speaker B:We played with a lot of friends.
Speaker B:I mean, that's kind of how.
Speaker B:When you're at a certain level, that's who you're going to be playing with.
Speaker B:It's exciting to play with new people, too.
Speaker B:That we've definitely played with some people that are a lot bigger than us, and that was a real treat.
Speaker B:That's a big kick.
Speaker C:We got to play with Apache Relay.
Speaker B:Those guys were really nice.
Speaker B:We just met them.
Speaker C:We just had a ball with those guys.
Speaker B:Our buddies in St. Paul in the Broken Bones.
Speaker B:Man, we love playing with them.
Speaker A:Holy cow.
Speaker A:Just announced today that they're doing those two shows with the Stones.
Speaker C:The Stones.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:I was, like, so proud of those guys.
Speaker C:So awesome.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:The guys are all such great guys.
Speaker B:Rowan came to see us play in Birmingham a week ago.
Speaker A:Well, that was nice.
Speaker B:It was so nice.
Speaker B:Love those guys.
Speaker C:I mean, we just always play our shows the way that we want to play our shows.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that's a weird thing when you're opening for somebody.
Speaker B:Like our song Desert Lock off the album, we have this sort of thing where we traditionally always have the crowd singing along with us at the end, and we have this sort of, like, big ending.
Speaker B:And you feel.
Speaker B:I don't know, sometimes you feel weird for doing that as an Opener.
Speaker B:But then you're also like, well, you know what?
Speaker B:They hired us to get up here and do our job.
Speaker B:That's right, do our job.
Speaker A:Tell me a little bit about the album art.
Speaker A:It's beautiful and it's spare and it's perfect.
Speaker B:That's a guy named Alexander Lazari.
Speaker B:He lives in Opelika or Auburn, I can't remember.
Speaker C:I think he lives in Birmingham now.
Speaker C:He lives in Birmingham, but when we met him, it was at a overall company show and he made a flyer, actually for the show.
Speaker C:We looked at it and we're like, God, that looks so cool.
Speaker C:It was one of those weird things where, like, you didn't ask anybody to do anything and you show up and there's beautiful.
Speaker C:Just, you know, screen press flyer, like, man, this is so cool.
Speaker C:And me and Nandra were just like, I think that needs to be our album cover.
Speaker B:Well, I felt like it fit the tone of the album.
Speaker B:It was very, you know, the feather makes a statement, but it's also very understated at the same time.
Speaker B:You know, funny thing is, like, a lot of people in our camp and on our team kind of.
Speaker B:I wouldn't say mad at me, but they didn't like the fact that I didn't want the album to say great peacock on it.
Speaker B:Cause to me, it looked like a piece of art and I wanted it to maintain that piece of art sort of thing.
Speaker B:So hopefully they'll get over it.
Speaker A:Y' all have done a good job of bringing the peacock theme through with both the visual and the whole vibe.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:People love our stage club.
Speaker B:Lunt gets an offer for his, like, poncho all the time.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker B:Bet it's never high enough.
Speaker B:People are always like, let me buy that.
Speaker B:And we're like, $10,000.
Speaker B:Oh, sorry.
Speaker B:I think the weirdest thing he got recently was after a show, a guy wanted to take a picture with him in the poncho, but the guy wanted to be in the poncho with him.
Speaker A:That's funny.
Speaker A:Well, y' all really do.
Speaker A:You've got a lot of great dates in store across the Southeast, all the way up the coast, and then across the country, out to Colorado, et cetera.
Speaker A:Gonna be pretty action packed through summer.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:We plan on not seeing home for a while.
Speaker B:None of us are married, but blunt, so he's a poor guy that has the wife at home.
Speaker B:I feel bad for her.
Speaker B:She's been very patient loving through the whole thing.
Speaker A:Don't y' all have some kind of fancy vinyl with this we do have vinyl.
Speaker B:It's blue.
Speaker B:It ended up having to be three sides.
Speaker B:So it's a double album without being a full double album because it was too long to put on just one piece of vinyl.
Speaker B:Three sides and it's blue.
Speaker B:And I can't tell you if it's 180 gram or not.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker A:Is there anything special about the packaging with that?
Speaker B:There's got a nice gatefold.
Speaker B:You see pretty pictures of me and Blunt when you open it up.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I mean, it's gateful.
Speaker B:It's cool.
Speaker A:You know, Andrew Nelson, Blunt Floyd, great peacock.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for being with us on Country Fried Rock.
Speaker B:It was our pleasure.
Speaker C:Thank you so much, Sloan.
Speaker A:Safe travels.
Speaker A:Looking forward to catching y' all real soon.
Speaker B:All right, thank you.
Speaker A: untryFriendRock.org Copyright: Speaker A:All rights reserved.
Speaker A: Our: Speaker A:Got a great band you want to hear on Country Fried Rock?
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Speaker C:He been helping us some Country Fried.
Speaker A:Is there anything else about the band or what y' all have coming up that I have left out?
Speaker A:No, no, no, no.
Speaker A:You want to be rich, not famous.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Oh, that is so true.
Speaker A:I love fake Bill Murray quotes.
Speaker C:And there's one opposite of what I am right now, right?
Speaker A:There's a great quote attributed to Bill Murray that he probably didn't say, but it doesn't matter.
Speaker A:That is, if you want to be rich and famous, try being rich first.
Speaker A:Famous is overrated.
Speaker A:So whether he said it or not, it sounds like him.
