The Green Room

What do Townes Van Zandt, Johann Sebastian Bach and Jimi Hendrix have in common? For Texas singer-songwriter Anthony Garcia, they're the three musical forces behind a sound he calls “cinematic Americana.” It's an unlikely combination of Texas storytelling, classical composition and rock-and-roll creativity, but Anthony has found a way to make it entirely his own.

Recorded at HoneyFest at Bella Vista Music Club in Wimberley, Texas, this episode of The Green Room takes listeners into the musical world of a remarkably versatile artist with an extraordinary vocal range, a love of classical music and some strong opinions about the future of songwriting.

Anthony grew up in Lubbock, Texas, where long stretches of free time, a neighborhood piano and the wide-open West Texas landscape helped shape his musical imagination. He taught himself to play by ear, discovered guitar as a teenager and developed a fascination with classical music while listening to heavy metal. His journey eventually took him to music school, although he arrived with one rather surprising gap in his musical education.

Anthony considers Johann Sebastian Bach one of the greatest figures in Western music, admiring both the extraordinary intellectual structure of his compositions and their emotional power. Host Lisa Rainbolt, a fellow Bach enthusiast and piano player, explores how a composer from 300 years ago continues to influence Anthony's distinctly modern sound.

But making beautiful music is only part of being a working musician. Anthony also gets candid about the frustrations of booking gigs, unanswered emails and the challenge of getting noticed when you can't get booked without being seen.

In this episode, Lisa and Anthony talk about Townes + Bach + Hendrix and how three wildly different musical influences come together in Anthony's signature cinematic Americana sound. They talk about what it’s like growing up in Lubbock and how childhood boredom, neighborhood friends and a little keyboard helped launch his musical journey. Anthony shares how he was already an accomplished player before learning a skill most music students take for granted.

They dig into the realities of the music business and why getting someone to answer a booking email can be harder than performing onstage, and his advice for musicians trying to break through. They also touch on artificial intelligence and creativity and why Anthony embraces AI for some business tasks but draws a firm line when it comes to writing lyrics and composing music. He believes that the struggles, emotions and experiences behind a song are just as important as the finished product. As he puts it, “I think human authenticity will win.”

It's a conversation about creativity, perseverance, musical curiosity and what it means to make something that is truly your own.

About Anthony Garcia

Anthony Garcia is a Texas singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist originally from Lubbock. His music blends Americana, classical composition, blues and rock into a distinctive style he calls cinematic Americana.

A versatile performer, Anthony plays both solo shows and concerts with his band, drawing from a catalog of original music that reflects his wide-ranging influences.

Listen to Anthony Garcia

Website: https://www.anthonygarciamusic.com/

Spotify: Search for Anthony Garcia and his personally curated Cinematic Americana playlist.

About The Green Room

The Green Room takes you backstage for candid conversations with musicians, songwriters and the people who make live music happen. Hosted by Lisa Rainbolt, the podcast explores the stories behind the songs, the personalities behind the performances and the moments audiences don't always get to see.

Follow The Green Room: https://www.facebook.com/GreenRoomBackstage

Recorded at HoneyFest, Bella Vista Music Club, Wimberley, Texas — October 2026.

Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: BTQHDR0H5NRCELWS

Susan Gibson, the Texas singer-songwriter behind the Dixie Chicks' smash hit “Wide Open Spaces,” has a great story to tell. Recorded at HoneyFest at Bella Vista Music Club in Wimberley, TX, this episode of The Green Room takes listeners behind the music with a songwriter who is funny, refreshingly candid, and wonderfully down-to-earth.

Susan shares how a young woman leaving home to study forestry in Montana ended up writing a song that would become an anthem for generations. She recalls the everyday moments that inspired its lyrics, including a father's parting reminder to check the oil and a mother's innocent question that suddenly felt very different to a daughter who had tasted independence.

Susan says that if she were writing “Wide Open Spaces” today, she'd do it differently. She explains how she broke a basic songwriting convention, why the song's success was partly a matter of extraordinary timing, and how the Dixie Chicks made it their own.

But there's much more to Susan than her most famous song. In this episode, Lisa and Susan talk about:

• The real story behind “Wide Open Spaces” and how a young songwriter's personal experiences became a country music classic, and the unlikely chain of events that brought the song to the Dixie Chicks.
• Susan reflects on the choices she's made, the lessons she's learned, and why some mistakes are harder to laugh about than others.
• Artificial intelligence and songwriting and whether a computer ever capture the human imperfections that make music meaningful? Susan shares her thoughts and a surprising experience with AI.
• Why female artists still struggle for equal representation on festival stages and what Susan has experienced during her career.
• Life on the road and Pipsqueak, Susan's 65-pound traveling companion, and what it's like touring with dogs, including the time she traveled with five of them.
• Advice to her younger self. When asked what she'd tell Susan at nineteen, her answer is simple: “It's okay to change your mind.”
• A legacy beyond the music. Susan talks about helping veterans, children in foster care, and others find their voices through songwriting, and why that work may ultimately mean more to her than any hit song.

It's a conversation about music, independence, second chances, and the beauty of being human, imperfections and all.

About Susan Gibson

Susan Gibson is a Texas-based singer-songwriter best known for writing “Wide Open Spaces,” the Grammy-associated country hit made famous by the Dixie Chicks. A longtime resident of Wimberley, Texas, Susan continues to write, record, perform, and lead songwriting workshops. She especially enjoys intimate house concerts, where music becomes a conversation between the artist and the audience.

Find Susan Gibson: Website: www.susangibson.com

Visit Susan's website for music, upcoming performances, and more information about her work.

About The Green Room Podcast

The Green Room takes you backstage for candid conversations with musicians, songwriters, and the people who make live music happen. Hosted by Lisa Rainbolt, the podcast explores the stories behind the songs, the personalities behind the performances, and the moments audiences don't always get to see.

Follow The Green Room: Facebook

Recorded at HoneyFest, Bella Vista Music Club, Wimberley, Texas — October 2026.

Jana Rodriguez, founder of Balcones Architects, is the architect behind the incredible new Bella Vista recording studio, now under construction in Wimberley, Texas. It’s still got about a year to go, but already the structure looks very promising. 

The studio is in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, overlooking a breathtaking canyon. It's going to be a world-class recording facility designed not just to capture great music, but to inspire it.

This building is a remarkable blend of art, science, technology and the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country. And there's so much more to the design than meets the eye. Every detail is meant to help spark creativity.

Jana describes the studio as a dream project. She's taken on something she's never done before, while also turning somebody else's big dream into something real.

We talk about the challenges, the surprises, the remarkable collaboration behind the project, and the musicians she'd love to see walk through those doors someday. Whether you love music, architecture, the Texas Hill Country, or simply a great story about people following their dreams, you're going to enjoy meeting Jana.

What does it take to turn a lifelong love of music into a place where musicians and music lovers can come together and make a little magic? In this episode of The Green Room, Lisa Rainbolt heads to HoneyFest in Wimberley, Texas, to sit down with Paul Cones, the visionary behind Bella Vista, an extraordinary new recording studio and music club taking shape in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

Paul has big dreams, and he's not afraid to roll up his sleeves to make them happen. He takes Lisa on a behind-the-scenes tour of the studio, shares his passion for Texas progressive country music, and talks about his vision for a place where artists can create, collaborate, and connect with audiences in an intimate setting.

The 7,000+-square-foot building features a soaring 35-foot live room with two levels of 12-foot windows overlooking a spectacular Hill Country canyon. The control room has a floor-to-ceiling window designed to make engineers and musicians feel like they're sharing the same space. There's an isolation booth, an ultra-quiet ventilation system, and audio and video connections throughout the building. There are hand-hewn beams salvaged from an 1800s Ohio barn, a cozy green room with a Murphy bed, a coffee bar, and an upstairs "Gonzo Lounge" featuring Paul's guitar collection. A video wall is also in the works.

Paul discusses acquiring the guitar Craig Hillis played on Jerry Jeff Walker's legendary ¡Viva Terlingua! album. He's even built a replica of the Luckenbach Post Office on the property and recreated the album's famous photograph with Craig at the original Luckenbach location.

Michael Martin Murphey is high on Paul’s recording wish list, and he extends an official invitation during the conversation. Jerry Jeff Walker is another musical hero whose spirit and legacy loom large over the project.

Paul discusses The Bella Vista Music Club, a nonprofit designed to bring people together for intimate live performances. Organized as a 501(c)(7) membership club, it will offer several membership options, including Social, Gonzo (VIP), Troubadour (for musicians), and short-term visiting memberships. At the time of this recording in October 2026, memberships aren't open yet and pricing hasn't been announced, but you can get on the waiting list.

The recording studio itself is still about a year from completion, and there's plenty of work ahead. Paul and Marian Cones are pouring their hearts into creating something special.

This is more than a story about building a recording studio. It's about a man who loves music, treasures its history, and wants to create a place where the next generation of musical memories can be made.

Learn more and join the membership waiting list: BellaVistaMusicClub.org

HoneyFest

Recorded at HoneyFest, Wimberley, Texas — October 2026.