Reckless Kelly : Cody Braun : ACountry exclusive interview
February 8, 2005
by Jarrod Vrazel
Wicked Twisted Road, the new album from Reckless Kelly, hits the stores today (February 8, 2005). ACountry spoke with fiddle/mandolin extraordinaire Cody Braun this morning to discuss the new album and upcoming tour.
ACountry : How has the response been for the new songs at your live shows?
Cody: It’s been really good. It’s tough when you first start playing the songs – people aren’t familiar with them yet, so it takes them a while to get the words and get into the tunes. Itís always better after the fans get the record and have it a week or two. Then you really see a lot more response to the songs. But, itís been pretty good so far.
ACountry : I checked out the video thatís included on the CD. It looks like you had a great time recording it.
Cody: Yeah, we had a great time. It was fun. Weíve been making lots of little movies lately.
ACountry : Whoís idea was it to include the board game on the CD?
Cody: I think Willy and I came up with that. We were sitting around trying to think up ideas of how to get people to go out to the store and buy the record. With the internet and everything these days, itís kind of hard to get people to go out and do that. We thought it would be fun to have something in there that they wouldnít be able to get on the internet. We made it a collectorís item-type thing. It was a fun idea, and it came out really good.
ACountry: It definitely caught my attention when I opened it up and saw the little red die and read about the game pieces.
Cody: We sat down and played a game the other day and it works. Weíre gonna make it a drinking game and post the rules on our website.
ACountry : They also included the rules on the CD. Iím sure youíll have a lot of fans playing the CD while they play the game. Itís very unique.
Cody: Itís a lot of fun.
ACountry : How is preparing for the tour been different then recording?
Cody: Well, we recorded the record in June, so itís been quite a while since we did that. Weíve just in the last few weeks been rehearsing in the studio, practicing, and getting the songs worked up. We didnít work up a whole lot of them before recently. We knew the record wouldnít be coming out until February, so we decided to hold off and wait, so the songs would be fresh to us and the fans.
ACountry : What will be the first single off Wicked Twisted Road?
Cody: I believe itís, ìBabyís Got A Whole Lot More.î
ACountry : Is there a story behind including the reprise of the title track at the end of the CD?
Cody: It just kind of ties the room together. The ìWicked Twisted Roadî song starts the record off and itís about getting out and going on the road. The reprise is kinda like ìitís not so bad and weíre gonna keep on trucking.î
ACountry : Thatís exactly the impression I had when I first heard it.
Cody: On the reprise, we added the rest of the band, and put some drums and other instruments in there.
ACountry: When I first heard the opening notes of the reprise, and realized what it was, the first thing that came to mind was Robert Earl Keenís ìThe Road Goes on Forever.î Itís definitely a nice book end for the album.
Cody: Thanks. We had a hard time talking the record company into letting us arrange the songs that way. Normally you donít start a record out with two slow songs. But, we stuck to it and kinda insisted on it.
ACountry : You seem to have some Eagles and 38 Special influences. Who are some of the bands who may have influenced the direction this album took?
Cody: For this record, Iíd say a lot of our older influences. There are several songs on this record that we wrote about the same time we were doing Millican, our first record. So there are some older songs that Willy wrote back then, when we were listening to a lot of Steve Earle and Billy Joe Shaver and more on the alternative country edge. With the way the band has progressed, weíve gotten a little more ìrock n rollyî as the years have gone by. Itís all kinda old tunes with a new-improved band.
ACountry : The sound seems to be really fresh and very well put together. Congratulations on a fine product.
Cody: Thanks, Jarrod, I appreciate it.
ACountry : What can the fans expect from the live shows? More of what theyíve seen before, or are there any surprises in store?
Cody: Weíre trying to get the live show hammered out with the new songs and get some lighting and other things to help add to the show. Weíve never really put on too many frills as far as the show goes. Weíve always gone out there, turned the amps on, and go. Itís gonna be more of the same at that, but weíre trying to make it more of a show as much as we can. Itís gonna be flat out rocking and rolling Reckless Kelly shows.
ACountry : This afternoon youíll be over at Waterloo Records in Austin to kick things off.
Cody: Yes, it will be fun. Weíre doing an in-store with the great folks over there. Weíve been doing that for a long time. Itís always fun to get free beer.
ACountry : Free beer and good music is hard to beat.
Cody: Free beer and free music!
ACountry : Iíll be seeing you next week in Houston, and Iím looking forward to hearing the new songs live. I hope the tour and the summer goes great for you. Best wishes on another great project.
Cody: Thanks a lot, Jarrod.
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