The Texas Country Music movement is synonymous with names like Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Robert Earl Keen. By the mid 1990’s these previously mentioned forefathers of the movement started to inspire some young up and comers in the scene who quickly solidified themselves as artists who were the “real deal” and here to stay. Undoubtedly, Jack Ingram fits that mold.
In this interview Jack tells us how, at an early age, he knew he had a greater connection to music in his being than most of his friends. He recounts the when going to parties with his friends during his teen years, he’d want to stay in the car, getting high and listening to good music, while his friends were wanting to get inside as quick as possible to hang with the girls. Jack told them if they were patient enough and the music was good, the girls would come find them.
Jack talks in-depth about his latest record released on April 26th, 2019 entitled “Ridin’ High…Again” playing off of Jerry Jeff Walker’s 1975 album, “Ridin’ High”. The project was recorded over a “loose” two-day session and features a good deal of “behind the scenes” type of conversation and ambient sounds within the studio with the mics hot. After listening to the album in its entirety I consider this a record to be “experienced” rather than a collection of single songs packaged together to be “listened to.” In my humble opinion, this recording effort and style is simply genius as it is a totally refreshing take on great music, when compared to much of the over-polished record projects being released every day in this country.
The record pays homage to some of Jack’s music heroes through the recording of Willie Nelson’s, “I Gotta Get Drunk”, Kristofferson’s “Jesus was a Capricorn”, Guy Clark’s “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train”, and my personal favorite cover song on the project, Rusty Weir’s “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance”. It also features some great originals and co-writes with the likes of Jon Randall, Miranda Lambert, and Todd Snider. Lambert had some huge radio success with song “Tin Man” written by her, Ingram and Randall. It was a real treat to hear Jack recount how this epic song was written over a weekend writing retreat in Southwest Texas by the three friends.
Being a huge fan of Todd Snider and knowing he and Jack were close friends, it was also a real pleasure to listen to Jack tell how the two become best friends early in their respective careers and how they remain very close to this day.
Ingram and Snider co-wrote the first song on this latest record entitled, “Alright, Alright, Alright” which is a nod to another one of Jack’s close friends, movie star and University of Texas’ Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey.
We also get Jack to tell us about the “Mack, Jack and McConaughey” annual 2-day fund-raising event recently held in Austin, TX. The joint effort was started in 2013, by Ingram, McConaughey, and Mack Brown and to date, the event has raised over $14 Million for various charitable children’s organizations. The event features many things including golf, a fashion show, and of course a concert, which this past year’s event featuring Ingram and others, including The Troubadour Podcast alum, Wade Bowen.
One of the bigger take-aways from this interview with Jack Ingram for me was when he said that one of the most important key ingredients to any great song lies with it having ‘honesty’. Truth.
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