At just 19 years old, Jackson Malone is turning his bluegrass roots into a powerful grunge-inspired sound—and building a touring career from the ground up.

On this episode of *Texas to Tennessee*, Soule Gravy and Jon sit down with Jackson to talk about his journey from learning banjo and mandolin at 13 to creating alternative rock influenced by Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Silverchair, and Soundgarden. Jackson shares how supportive parents, experienced bandmates, and a willingness to learn the business helped him move from writing songs on his phone to signing a record deal and touring across the country.

The conversation covers Jackson’s emotional approach to songwriting, why his best songs often come from difficult feelings, and how a song written in just 15 minutes became one of his band’s biggest moments. He also explains why he prefers recording with the musicians he performs with, how the band handles opening for audiences that may not expect heavy 1990s-inspired rock, and why artists should focus on staying true to themselves instead of forcing their music into a genre box.

Jackson also discusses his upcoming music, life on the road, the artists who inspire him, and the importance of building a genuine connection with fans—one show, handshake, and piece of merch at a time.

If you enjoy Texas music, alternative rock, independent artists, and honest conversations about building a career in music, this episode is for you.

A hayfield festival in the middle of nowhere, a hobby horse rodeo, and one of the most stacked independent-country lineups of the year—North Springs is proving that the best music scenes are built, not bought.

Dustin Kennedy and Cowboy Chuck join Soule Gravy and Talbo to discuss the community, chaos, and curation behind North Springs Music Festival. Dustin explains how the event grew from a local songwriter series into a destination festival attracting fans from 27 states and multiple countries.

The conversation covers the festival’s evolution from intimate acoustic performances to full-band showcases, its commitment to affordable tickets and local support, and the importance of creating a welcoming environment where fans, artists, venue owners, and sponsors all feel connected.

The episode also highlights this year’s lineup, including Chris Knight, Silverada, Taylor Honeycutt, Jason Eady, Adam Hood, Cole Chaney, West Shipp, Bill Taylor, Parker Barrow, The Filthy Heathens, and many more.

Cowboy Chuck explains the origins of the Hobby Horse Rodeo, a colorful obstacle-course competition featuring costumes, music fans, and even festival artists. He also shares the story behind Robot Monkey, his underground speakeasy-style music room outside St. Louis, where touring acts and emerging artists perform in an intimate, donation-based setting.

Throughout the episode, the guests emphasize that North Springs is about more than headliners. It is about friendships, campfire jams, discovering new artists, supporting independent venues, and creating a music community that feels more like family than an event.

If you enjoy independent country, Americana, festival culture, and behind-the-scenes stories from the people building the scene, this episode offers a funny, honest, and heartfelt look at why North Springs continues to grow.

Cole Stevens has the voice, the songs, and the hustle, but the real story is how he’s building a full-time music career from East Texas without waiting for permission. In this conversation, he breaks down the live-performance mindset, the songwriting reps that turned self-doubt into confidence, and the business instincts that are helping him turn momentum into a sustainable career.Cole shares how choir, church music, and late-night jam sessions in Nacogdoches shaped his path from college gigs to opening bigger rooms, why he treats playing as the “fun part” and everything else as the job, and what changed once he started writing 100 songs to get to the good ones. He also opens up about the nerves that hit at the LJT Songwriter Showcase, the value of writing with strangers in Nashville, Austin, and Fort Worth, and why sometimes the best studio decision is being willing to throw out the original plan.

You’ll discover:

• How Cole went from Baylor dorm-room experiments to releasing his first full album
• Why performance is still his strongest slice of the pie
• The songwriting process he keeps coming back to, whether it starts with a riff, a hook, or one line
• What he learned from recording in Nacogdoches, and why he’s already changing the plan for the next project
• How social media, networking, and showing up in the right places can matter as much as raw talent

Cole also gets real about the non-music side of the grind—merch, budgeting, travel, and the constant work of staying visible when you’re based far from the major music hubs. If you’ve ever wondered how independent artists actually build traction, this episode makes the answer feel a lot more tangible.Perfect for fans of Texas country, red dirt, and behind-the-scenes music conversations with artists who are still hungry and still building. If you like hearing how the career really happens—not just the polished version—this one’s for you.

This Texas to Tennessee episode features Isaac Sloan, frontman of Isaac Sloan and the Sound Brigade, a six-piece DFW band blending psychedelic soul, Americana, blues, and rock. The conversation focuses on how he got into music, why live performance feels like home, and how the band came together organically through a Facebook post and local Denton connections.A big theme is the grind of being an independent artist: booking shows, promoting gigs, building a fanbase, and balancing creativity with the business side. Isaac shares how his background in college baseball shaped his work ethic and how he still thinks about music in sports terms. The hosts also dig into his songwriting process, his recent move toward more collaboration, and the broad range of influences behind his sound, from the Beatles and Hendrix to Marcus King, Tedeschi Trucks, and classic country.The episode also includes the show’s usual playful segments: Denton trivia, rapid-fire questions, and a few offbeat favorites like favorite chord, ideal green room, first concert, and desert-island album. Overall, it’s a fun, music-nerdy, conversational episode about building an identity as an artist, trusting the process, and turning eclectic influences into a unique live show.

Jason Eady just made the kind of record artists spend a lifetime chasing - one built around a sound, a place, and a handful of right-time-right-people moments. If you care about the Tulsa sound, the craft behind albums that feel alive, or the real stories behind independent music, this conversation is for you.Eady sits down with Talbo and Soule Gravy to unpack Tulsa Turnaround, his 11th album, and the almost two-year path from the first title track to the finished record. He talks about writing for the album instead of just collecting songs, trusting John Fullbright to produce, and recording at Ripley Farms with local Tulsa players in one open room - no booth, no isolation, just a live performance captured on tape.You'll hear how Ray Wylie Hubbard helped shape the title track, why Adam Hood had to finish a verse over the phone in the middle of a session, and how Cody Jinks, Courtney Patton, and Jamie Lynn Wilson each found a home on the project. Eady also breaks down what makes the Tulsa sound so deceptively simple, why this album leans into both Tulsa and Mississippi Delta influences, and what changed in his approach after 11 records.The conversation also gets into the spirit behind Way Down in Mississippi, the Clarksdale gathering that started as a one-off and turned into a real-deal festival built around music, food, campfires, and community. Eady shares why the Delta Blues Museum matters, how the event stays intimate and artist-driven, and why the lineup keeps pulling in friends, surprises, and late-night Haggard songs.And there is more - from the long-running Southern Brothers project with Adam Hood to Eady's growing obsession with photography, plus the freedom that comes from having a fan base that shows up for the next chapter, not just the last one. He also opens up about loving the road, loving the album format, and still feeling as excited as he did when he started.

Perfect for fans of Jason Eady, Adam Hood, Ray Wylie Hubbard, John Fullbright, Tulsa roots music, the Delta blues, and anyone who loves independent artists making records with heart, grit, and real chemistry.

Aiden Logsdon joins the Texas to Tennessee podcast to talk through his path from Canyon, Texas to Lubbock, the slow grind of building a music career, and why live performance is the center of everything he does. He also shares what he looks for in bandmates, how songwriting developed for him, and what it takes to win over a room as an opener.We discuss Aiden’s background, the local scenes that shaped him, and the work ethic behind touring, merchandising, and showmanship. Along the way, the episode covers band chemistry, co-writing, and the realities of booking, plus a few rapid-fire personal favorites.

Aiden's homepage.Aiden Logsdon

Key topics

• Aiden’s backstory in Canyon and Lubbock
• Why the live show is home
• The Blue Light and the Lubbock scene
• What he wants in a band
• Songwriting as a rewarding creative challenge
• Inspiration often shows up at inconvenient times
• Songs that connected with listeners
• Touring, booking, and building momentum
• How to win as an opener
• The band name matters

• Check out Aiden Logsdon live if he’s playing near you
• Show up early for opening acts
• Buy merch after the show
• Pre-buy tickets when you can
• Follow the bands you like and support the local scene

Timestamps00:00 - Tomorrow’s guest, Texas heat, and opening the show
02:40 - Introducing Aiden Logsdon and his background
02:54 - Growing up in Canyon and moving to Lubbock for music
06:08 - Canyon, Texas landmarks and Panhandle pride
11:10 - The musical pie question: why live performance feels like home
12:06 - Competing early and getting comfortable on stage
14:15 - Playing Lubbock bars and the breakout Blue Light headline
16:46 - How he chooses bandmates: skill first, then attitude
18:20 - Work ethic, merch help, and the importance of showing up
21:58 - Why songwriting became more meaningful over time
23:28 - Early feedback from friends, family, and studio people
24:14 - Co-writing, collaboration, and building songs together
25:40 - Writing through real life and unexpected inspiration
27:20 - Hearing co-written songs come to life with other artists
29:18 - Early cover songs and the influence of Oklahoma/red dirt music
30:37 - Slow grind moments and why he never built a backup plan
31:57 - A song about his granddad and hearing it connect
34:42 - The Lot More Drinking Tour and building a campaign around it
35:35 - Why he leans on a booking partner now
36:15 - Playing with full energy whether headlining or opening
37:34 - What fans can expect from an Aiden Logsdon show
38:29 - Advice for new artists on stage presence and merch table etiquette
39:39 - Watching Braxton Keith as a model for live show professionalism
40:30 - Respecting the headliner and staying out of the way
41:34 - Why opening slots are a chance to win new fans
42:30 - The electric feeling of winning over a room
43:19 - Why the band deserves a name too
44:44 - Short-term goals and steady growth
45:47 - Knowing when to bring in help for booking
49:01 - Rapid fire: merch, podcast guest, favorite chord, and Spotify
52:33 - Dinner with Billy the Kid, green room preferences, and first concert
54:54 - Bucket-list venues, tribute bands, and sponsor dream
56:58 - Little Debbie favorite and closing thoughts

Christian Walker shares his journey from singing privately in his room as a teen to building a music career in Houston. He talks about how his mom discovered his voice, how The Voice gave him an early confidence boost, and how performing live helped him shake the nerves. Before returning to music full-time, he spent years focused on flipping houses and running a construction company, which now informs how he approaches his music career with a more strategic, business-minded perspective.

Braxton Hamblen joins the Texas to Tennessee Podcast to talk about growing up in small-town Colorado, finding his voice as a performer, and the way rodeo and music overlap in his life. He also shares the story behind his upcoming single, Cactus Flower, plus how he connected with producer Ben Walagoski and fiddler Wes Barlow.We discuss Braxton’s writing process, stage comfort, early musical influences, and why he still gets nervous before bigger shows even though performance feels like home.Key topicsBraxton shares how Alt, Colorado shaped him, from growing up around rodeo to sneaking into music scenes as a kid.He explains that he started music young, but really doubled down during COVID by locking himself in his room and relearning guitar and songwriting.In the episode, he says performance is his favorite part of music, even though he is naturally introverted offstage.He talks about writing in bursts, sometimes turning out 15 songs in a week after getting blocked for months.Braxton describes his writing process as something that has to happen with a guitar in hand and in a quiet space, not on the fly.He and the hosts dig into the similarities between rodeo life and music life, especially the travel, the drift, and the responsibility of taking care of a team.He opens up about self-worth struggles early in his career and how comparing himself to other artists made him question his progress.Braxton previews Cactus Flower, an acoustic duet with fiddle and backing vocals that started as a personal song about a girl he met in Estes Park.He explains how sneaking backstage at Greeley Stampede led to meeting Wes Barlow and eventually connecting with producer Ben Walagoski.He gives a rundown of upcoming shows across Wyoming, Colorado, and beyond, plus mentions his family hat shop, Hamblin Hats.

This episode is a fun, laid-back conversation with Texas country artist Josh Kennedy, where he shares his journey from choir kid to full-time performer, his love for songwriting, and what it’s like balancing music, family, and life on the road.

Dalton sits down with Soule Gravy and Talbo to unpack the grind behind the music, the moment he realized people were actually listening, and why performance is the reward that makes all the work worth it. If you’re an artist, creator, or anyone trying to turn raw talent into something people care about, this one hits home fast.