Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors will headline the 2024 State Fair of Texas on Tuesday, October 15. (Photo by Ashtin Paige)
Six months after headlining “Texas’ Most Historic Music Venue,” the Longhorn Ballroom, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors will return to Dallas on Tuesday, October 15 to headline another fabled Lone Star State institution: the State Fair of Texas.
Much has happened for Holcomb in the year since Buddy’s Ian Saint sat down with him at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, opening for Darius Rucker, last October (https://buddymagazine.com/feature/drew-holcomb-recalls-20-years-of-texas-gigs-touring-with-darius-rucker-americanas-evolution-through-find-your-people-1/ ) Strangers No More single “Find Your People,” which had already topped the Americana Radio Singles Chart in the summer of 2023, experienced an unexpected resurgence among teenage TikTokers during prom and graduation season — even attaining placement on Billboard’s TikTok Top 50 chart — and the band surpassed 500 million global streams.
In September, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors released Strangers No More, Volume Two. The album is not the product of a sequel, but an extension; all songs on both Strangers No More volumes were recorded during one two-week recording session in Asheville, North Carolina. Volume Two includes guest appearances by Country Music Hall of Famer (and the Eagles’ touring member) Vince Gill, and Drew’s wife Ellie Holcomb — with whom he released an EP (Brick by Brick) on Valentine’s Day, andembarked on a co-headlining tour.
Drew Holcomb spoke again with BUDDY’s Ian Saint by phone, ahead of The Neighbors’ 2024 State Fair of Texas performance on Tuesday, October 15. A transcript of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below.
IAN SAINT: Congratulations on the release of Strangers No More, Volume Two. My understanding is that you recorded both albums’ songs at the same time, one song at a time, not really intending for two albums — is that right?
DREW HOLCOMB: Thank you. Yeah, we didn’t know what we were doing. We just had a big pile of songs, decided to record ’em and see what happens. And by the time we were done, we definitely felt confident we had two albums’ worth of material.
IAN SAINT: So, what were the criteria for songs being on Vol. One versus Vol. Two? Does each batch gel with different, certain themes or sounds for winding up on one album versus the other?
DREW HOLCOMB: No [hard criteria]; it was a bit of an experiment, and [we also considered] timing. We were really proud of all the songs, and didn’t want anything to get buried if we put out a double album, so we decided to release two different records.
For the first record, songs like “Find Your People” and “Dance With Everybody,” we had already been playing live — so we knew we wanted to start with those. Some of the songs on the second record were written a little bit later; and, thematically, felt a little bit more universal in scope, [whereas] the first record felt a little more personal. But we didn’t want to have all the upbeat songs on one record, and all the quiet ballads on the other; we wanted to mix ’em all together, so that was a puzzle-piecing at times.
IAN SAINT: It’s interesting that they were recorded simultaneously and released separately, because so much happened for you in-between album releases — including “Find Your People” going viral on TikTok, even reportedly reaching #2 on their popular chart. What was that experience like?
DREW HOLCOMB: It was a great example of how you can make all the greatest marketing plans and strategies; but at the end of the day, when songs connect with an audience, you don’t really have a lot of control over that.
What happened, basically, was the song had already gone to #1 on Americana [Radio Singles Chart]. We were in the last throes of finishing the tour, and it was around prom and graduation season. Somehow, the song connected with a bunch of 16-18 year-olds, who were making these videos using the song about finding your people — where they’re going to college, and then also making these prom videos. So it just blew up, and there were like 70,000 people on TikTok making videos over the course of a couple weeks.
And we didn’t plan that [timing]; we didn’t plant that song in that way. I mean, I’m 42 years old; so I didn’t have any idea that would connect with that audience. So you just do your best work, and sometimes really cool, lucky things happen, and the songs get heard by a whole other demographic of people — and all of a sudden, we started seeing it. At some of our shows over the summer, whenever we play that song, there’s suddenly these young people in the crowd that are very excited to be there.
IAN SAINT: Yeah. When I interviewed Terri Clark ( https://woub.org/2021/08/30/country-legend-terri-clark-to-perform-sept-4-at-the-millersport-sweet-corn-festival/ ), she said that songs she’s written have evolved in meaning to her after seeing how they resonated with people in ways far beyond what she’d imagined when she wrote them. Do you have any feelings like that, when it comes to “Find Your People” and the phenomenon that took over TikTok with so many young people?
DREW HOLCOMB: Usually, I am surprised by that sort of thing. For instance, “American Beauty” [from 2015’s Medicine]is a song I wrote about the one that got away — that youthful lost love thing, that we all know. But then it was put in a commercial about your daughter growing up and moving away. I’d never thought of the song like that; so that it’s an example of a song that got used in popular culture in some way that was not as I wrote it, but it took on a whole new meaning because of that.
But with “Find Your People,” I definitely always imagined that song would connect with anybody who either has found their people or who wants to — it’s a gratitude song for people who feel like they have found their people, and it’s an aspirational song for people who are looking for that. So it makes sense to me, that a bunch of kids who are about to leave their homes and go to college want to make a video about going off to their own independent lives, to find themselves and find friends that that song would connect in that way. So yes, the song was received exactly how I wanted it to be — as a hopeful, “Hey, let’s do it. Let’s go start this new life.” So [that TikTok trend] wasn’t as much that it changed the meaning of the song for me, but it was more of a validation.
IAN SAINT: The songs on Strangers No More, Vol. 2 were recorded at the same time as Vol. 1. Given the experiences you’ve had in between their releases, do any of the songs on Vol. 2 resonate a bit differently upon release versus when you recorded them? For example, [Vol. 2’s] “Soul’s a Camera” is interesting to reassess, given how many teenagers were using their cameras to express their souls with “Find Your People” since you recorded those songs.
DREW HOLCOMB: Yeah, yeah. It definitely feels like some of these songs on Vol. 2 are brother-sister with songs on Vol. 1. For instance, [2’s] “The Sound of Moving Water” is of a similar theme to [1’s] “Fly.” It’s a song about making peace with the passing of time, and getting older. So it’s definitely been a cool thing to see that song connect with people in a similar way [as “Fly” had].
[2’s closing track]“Way Back When” is sort of connected to [1’s] “Troubles,” because “Troubles” is talking about being a father of young kids; and “Way Back When” is me talking about someday, when I’m looking back while they’re my age, and the expectations of how that will feel sort of nostalgic and strange and sad. One of my [Vol. 2] favorites is “Easy Together,” which is this sort of sonic throwback to the Memphis roots — which is connected to [1’s] “All the Money in the World,” in terms of musical approach. Then you talked about “Soul’s a Camera,” a [Vol. 1] song like “On a Roll” has an anthemic connection to that.
So I definitely think there’s a lot of connective tissue — thematic and sonic — between the two albums. I think that happens when you have the same songwriter, with the same band and the same voice, even if you’re bouncing around genre-wise.
IAN SAINT: I’m glad you brought up “The Sound of Moving Water,” because that is a great favorite of mine for so many reasons. One thing that struck me is the build-up of layers; the opening is just you and an acoustic guitar, and because that song is so reflective, I anticipated it would just remain you and the acoustic guitar — but then I was taken aback by the addition of pedal steel, and… do you have a Mellotron playing on it, as well?
DREW HOLCOMB: Let’s see. (pause) There may be a Mellotron on that, too; I’m not sure, I can’t remember. (laugh) That’s the weird thing about recording a song, and then releasing it two years later. It’s like, “oh yeah, wait, what did we put on that song?”
IAN SAINT: (laugh) Well, I was captivated because I heard the pedal steel; and then I’m like, “wait a minute, I think I hear a Mellotron?” But then I heard an organ, and the way that they all blend together was so beautiful.
So that got me speculating. “The Sound of Moving Water” would’ve been spine-tingling with just you and the acoustic guitar throughout, as it was in the beginning — but then there are all these layers, and yet, it’s never too much. But as a musician in the studio, how do you discern whether to keep a song’s arrangement simpler, or whether to add more? I think a lot of us creatives, in the studio, can get lost in our heads about being satisfied with where to draw the line of doing too much or further exploring enhancements. Is that a struggle you ever get?
DREW HOLCOMB: Yeah. To be honest, “The Sound of Moving Water” was the first song of both records that we recorded — and it turned out to be the hardest.
We started with it, because we thought it would be really easy and simple; and then we went in there, and nothing we tried felt right — so we had to put it on the shelf, until the end of the sessions, and it almost didn’t make the record because we just couldn’t get confident and comfortable in the recording. So we actually went back and recorded a bunch of the acoustic guitars, and stripped away a lot of the [layers] that we had put on it. Sometimes you think, “oh, well, the problem is it just needs this or it needs that”; you keep adding things, and nothing we added felt like it was actually contributing to the song. So we ended up stripping it back to what you hear now.
Then on a song like “Soul’s a Camera” — which we thought was going to be a really difficult song to record — we went in there, tracked it live as a five-piece on the floor, and I think we did it five or six times. With that, “I think we’re done. I don’t think there’s really much to add,” except we let [Neighbors bandmate Nathan] Dugger play around with his solo longer.
So, yeah, the studio can be very surprising sometimes; because a song that you think might be really difficult to record ends up being easy, and then the opposite is true — where a song you think, “oh, we’re just going to go in there and knock it out in a couple hours” ends up being the one that you come back through for months trying to get right.
IAN SAINT: It’s so fascinating that you had this experience with “The Sound of Moving Water,” because as I’m listening to it, I’m like, “oh my gosh, I don’t know if I’d ever be able to finish this because I couldn’t make up my mind on the final arrangement.”
DREW HOLCOMB: That’s one thing good about having deadlines and budgets. You eventually just have to go, “well, we’ve got to finish this thing.” (laugh)
IAN SAINT: Strangers No More, Vol. 2’s opening track is “Green Light,” which I understand is about yours and the band’s wives putting up with your touring careers. Vince Gill is featured on it; and, of course, his wife [Amy Grant] has a wonderful music career of her own, as your wife [Ellie Holcomb] does. Can you talk about how that collaboration with Vince came together?
DREW HOLCOMB: I’ve known Vince for probably 15 years, mainly in just sort of a social setting. We’ve done a few musical things together; we’ve played the Grand Ole Opry on the same night a few times. Then when I did some shows at [Nashville’s] Ryman Auditorium for my 40th birthday, he came and played a couple songs; but we’d never been in the studio together. I really wanted to mark not only the music, but also our friendship, by having him play something that I could have permanently.
Vince is such a legend, and he’s also incredibly humble. And so when I wrote this song with Lori McKenna — who’s a really great songwriter — and started recording it, I pretty quickly realized this is the one for Vince. While we’re not really a country band, we have country leanings in some ways; and it was fun to lean into that, by having Vince play and sing. So I called him and said, “Hey, I’ve got this song, I wrote it with Lori McKenna; would you be willing to maybe play guitar and sing on it?” And he said, “Yeah, absolutely. Let’s try to find a date.” Well, it turns out he’s pretty busy with the Eagles and his own stuff, and it took us a while to make it happen; but we finally got it done, and the final product speaks for itself.
Vince is an incredible singer and tasteful guitar player, and the song is connecting really well — it just went Top 10 on the Americana radio chart last week, and people are streaming it like crazy. So I think that, so far, that’s front-runner for the fan favorite of the record; and it’s a really fun live song, as well.
IAN SAINT: It’s funny, you mentioned Vince’s humility despite his status. I recently saw him play [Nashville’s free outdoor park concert series] Musicians Corner, and the cicadas were so loud in the background; but I think he’s playing The Sphere [in Las Vegas] with the Eagles right now. (laugh) So the way he can toggle like that so effortlessly is pretty amazing.
DREW HOLCOMB: Yep, that’s right. (laugh)
IAN SAINT: You’re headlining the State Fair Of Texas, six months after you headlined the Longhorn Ballroom — the show that spurred our previous interview. After we spoke, Longhorn Ballroom was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It’s filled with a bounty of incredible exhibits from its history, including an exhibit featuring Buddy Magazine. How was playing the super historic and storied Longhorn Ballroom of Dallas?
DREW HOLCOMB: It was really cool. They have clearly done a great job of restoring the place as a great modern music venue, without losing the historical character. I think it’s a place we’ll probably go back to. Dallas obviously has a lot of great history, and Texas music has a lot of great history. It was a great show, and we love it.
There’s so many great rooms in Dallas that we’ve played over the years: the Kessler, the Majestic Theater, the House of Blues. We’ve never played the State Fair, though, so we’re very excited about that.
IAN SAINT: You’d told me your very first Texas show was at the beloved Allgood Cafe in Deep Ellum. You also mentioned playing Opening Bell Coffee, and they still have your August 31, 2006 show flyer hanging up; they described you as a “National Touring Act,” and had a $3 suggested donation.
You plug the wide variety of sized places in Dallas you’ve played on a map — AllGood, Opening Bell, Majestic, House of Blues, Longhorn Ballroom, the State Fair — and they’re all within just a 3 mile radius. So when you play our monstrous State Fair, do you ever take stock of how far you’ve come, from the “$3 suggested donation” show at Opening Bell Coffee down the road?
(Opening Bell Coffee 2006 show flyer courtesy of OBC owner, Pascale Hall.)
DREW HOLCOMB: I mean, it makes me tired just hearing you say all that. (laugh) There’s a handful of places — Dallas being one of them — where we definitely feel like we’ve played more often than other places. Places like Atlanta, Dallas, Birmingham, Chicago, New York, and Austin, there are very few venues in those towns that we haven’t played. On the one hand, it makes me very grateful for what we built, and what we’ve been able to accomplish; and the fact that people listen to our music, and let it into their lives, means a lot. On the other hand, it makes me want to go take a nap. (laugh)
IAN SAINT: On that note, my last question is definitely the most intensely emotional and personal… Will you try the mustard beer at the State Fair?
DREW HOLCOMB: (pause) Well, I didn’t know about mustard beer until right now — so I guess I need to learn a little bit more about it before I say “yes.” But I can’t wait to see this Fair scene you’re telling me about. Sounds fun.
IAN SAINT: Yes, there’s also fried Oreos and fried lemonade; then there are the rides, Big Tex, and the animals — there’s a Birthing Barn!
DREW HOLCOMB: Oh my gosh, that’s amazing.
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors headline the State Fair of Texas’ Main Stage at 8:30 PM on Tuesday, October 15. Attendance to State Fair music performances is free with fair admission.
