Texas Troubadours

The Texas Troubadours website has some great features up on a bunch of the established and emerging Oklahoma Red-Dirt bands.

Unfortunately, the interview they do with The Great Divide leads me to believe that band isn't going to be together much longer (page three of the interview here, but read the whole thing). That's too bad, because those guys are excellent.

I did like a couple of their answers answers to the question, "What is your reaction to fans who say that they�ve [major label artists Pat Green and Cross Canadian Ragweed] sold out?

Any fan that says Pat Green or Cross Canadian Ragweed has sold out by signing a record deal is just an idiot. You sign major deals so your music can hopefully get out there and reach as many people as possible. You sign the deal so you can have a machine behind what you are doing...so you are not making all the calls.....putting up all the flyers...etc.....now ...if you sign a deal and change who you are ...then by all means you are a "sell out"......but neither of those acts did that. They stayed true to who they were and got a deal. So to the people who want to rant that that is selling out....they need to get a life. Get a pet fish...talk to it.... do something....pleeease. [Mike McClure]

I don't think that's fair to the musicians. I can speak on this because I know all the guys in Ragweed, and I know Pat personally. They're not sellin' out. Truth of the matter is you're out there makin' your music, and you want to get it out to as many people as you can, the most effective way you can. Why are you makin' the music if not for people to hear?
I feel like the more people that are exposed to it, that's a possibility of affecting a change. If people like Pat, and Ragweed gain more exposure and viability in the marketplace, then maybe things will start to change, and not be so dominated by pop country. [Scott Lester]

How refreshing to see something besides catty (jealous?) comments about Pat Green.

Incidentally, The Great Divide's Mike McClure is going to be part of the Mucky Duck's Tuesday songwriters night, along with Hayes Carll and Walt Wilkins. That's probably worth seeing.

(01-13-03 Update) Alex is up way too early, and has some thoughts on the possible (imminent?) breakup of The Great Divide.

[Posted at 17:51 CST on 01/12/03] [Link]