Welcome back to our appointment with Independent Interviews.
Today I’m really happy to be able to have a chat with one of the most talented songwriters on the independent scene: the great Tony Logue!.
Hi Tony and thanks for taking the time out for this interview for my Trex Roads blog. Tell us about yourself: where you were born, when you understood that music would be your life and if yours was a family already immersed in music or you are the first in your family to take this path.
Hey man! Thanks for having me. I’m from west Kentucky. A city called Benton.
I was born there and still live there today.
I’ve always been into music. Ever since I can remember.
I didn’t start playing until I was about 17 or so.
I started writing songs shortly there after.
My family was really into music as I was growing up: my grandad played guitar, my mom and dad were both into music so there was always records around.
I’m the first in my family to really make a go of it.
What were your biggest influences? Who inspired you the most? An artist you wanted to become.
Man, so many.
Steve Earle was a big one and Chris Knight.
I’m a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. Those are a few of my tops.
The life of a musician is full of satisfactions, but it is hard. Always on tour. How do you reconcile private and family life with the life of an artist always up and down the States?
It’s challenging to say the least. My wife comes out with me a good bit.
Everyone in my band has a family so we do our best to get home as soon as the work is done. If it’s the last show on the run we’ll just head out that night so we can get back to our families.
All my guys have super supportive families. Me included.
We wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise.
Are there any venues you played in that have remained in your heart? And where do you dream of performing in the future?
Man, we’ve been in some good ones: The Laurel Cove Music Festival has been one of my favorite settings so far.
Just an amazing place.
Charles Wesley Godwin closed that show and we all got up to sing Country Roads with him.
It was magic.
So many I look forward to. I’ve got a bucket list. I’ll keep you posted on the progress…
Your latest album “The Crumbs” (2023) was one of the best albums of last year, full of true and emotional stories. Where do you get inspiration for your songs?
A lot of working class subject matter on that record.
Most of that I’ve lived in some form or another, or observed anyway.
The Phoenix is an idea I had for a good bit. Just something I observed somewhere and I knew I had to write it. It took me a while to get it right.
We almost put it on the Jericho record but it just wasn’t right at the time.
I finally got it nailed down.
Jesse was another song that was cut from the Jericho list.
I knew I’d eventually have a spot for it.
I’m writing everyday usually.
Just to exercise the muscle a bit and keep the pencil sharp.
What is your writing method? Do you play with your band, 184, also in the studio? Do you bring ideas and play them together, arranging them or do you bring the song already ready to the studio?
I try to write all the time.
When we’re making a record it kinda puts a damper on it but other than that, I stay at it.
My guys play on my records. I’ve had other folks jump in and join us the last couple records.
Folks like Tammy Rogers, Miles Miller and Will Kimbrough, but it’s my band for the most part.
We’ll take the songs that I have written and work up the arrangements together before we go into the studio.
Just to get the bones of them, anyway.
There’s a couple songs that will be on this next record that we wrote together from the ground up.
In two years you have released two exceptional records, can we expect new music soon?
Yeah, that’s the plan. We’ll go in soon.
I’ve got a good batch of songs for this one. Some stuff I’m pretty proud of.
I feel good about it.
Independent music is more thriving and important than ever in the United States, do you have any favorite artists in this world or maybe someone you would like to collaborate with?
There’s so many I love at the moment.
Certainly no shortage of good music out there.
Not many bigger influences on my music than Chris Knight. I’d love to write some songs with him.
What is your favorite song and your favorite song ever?
That’s a tall order. Not sure I have one favorite.
I’ve got several that are some of my tops: Springsteen’s Thunder Road and Chris Knights Enough Rope are a couple.
Have you ever thought about a European tour? Where would you like to play? What do you think about the fact that your music, thanks to streaming, has crossed the ocean?
Yeah, I’d love to get over. I sell a lot of music over there.
Streaming has certainly helped get the word out and I’m grateful for that.
It’s fascinating to me that we have an audience in all these different places in the world.
We’ll see where the road leads us. Hopefully soon.
Thank you Tony for your availability and I wish you great luck with your career, hoping one day to be able to see one of your shows live.
Thanks for having me and for the continued support. Appreciate you man!
web site: https://tonyloguemusic.com/
Trex
