10 Questions with Space Cushion

By Sean Claes

Space Cushion has been at the high-octane rock and punk game as a group for just over 5 years. Band members Scotty “MC” Carlin, Bill Corley and Bret Byron are all veterans of the Austin music scene in their own right and knew each other from previous bands (Bag, OddJob, Monkeywench) so it was natural for them to come together.

They’ve released a three-song EP and are looking at finishing out the year with the release of a full-length album to release in early 2018.

INsite caught wind of the band playing an awesome show coming up at Texas Mist on Saturday 7/29 with Wild Tinderbox, Darkness:Ending, Chasing After Alice and Dharma Kings, so we decided to take a chance to see if Space Cushion was interested in answering a few questions… ten, in fact.

Photo: Photography By Maurice (RIP)

10 Questions with Scotty MC from Space Cushion

Sean Claes: How did Space Cushion form?

Scotty “MC” Carlin: Between going back to school, finishing school, moving to Houston and then back to Austin again, I’d been out of the scene for a few years. I reconnected with a number of musician friends and made some new ones and really missed performing.

In late 2011, I decided I wanted back in but on my own terms. I’d always been a sideman as a bassist but I decided to go the “Sting” route and be the bassist and lead vocalist. My friend and supreme bad-ass Barry Welch jumped on board to play drums and we recorded a rough demo at his home studio with me on guitar, bass, and vocal while he did drums and backing vocals.

After a few months, I hooked up with an old guitar player friend who recently moved back to Austin that I had played with before. I told him about Space Cushion and he jumped right in. That man was Bill Corley.

Claes: So, after 5 years playing as a band, what has been your best gig?

Carlin: Best? Hard to say. I’d have to say my favorites have been our annual December Birthday Bash shows. We have a ton of bands, lots of surprises and special guests - it’s always one hell of a party!

Claes: The name is pretty great. I was trying to figure out how you came up with it and google told me a space cushion was “certain amount of distance you keep between you and the car in front of you that allows you to easily maneuver in any condition.” How’d you arrive at the name?

Carlin: In another life I’d be an astronaut/race car driver/rock star. So yes, the definition  above definitely plays into the name and also the idea of traveling through space plays a part.

It also happens to have matching initials with my name (HA!) I came up with it one day while trying to come up with a band name for my Guitar Hero band and it’s always stuck with me.

I liken our sound to that of a high-octane sports car so it fits the theme of the band well, too.

Claes: High-octane sports car is one way to describe your music, if I was pressed, I’d say if the Sex Pistols and KISS hung out backstage, got debaucherous and made a musical baby, I’d imagine it would sound like Space Cushion.

Carlin: First of all, that is extremely flattering because those are two of my favorite all-time bands! I’m influenced by almost everything I listen to but I definitely gravitate toward heavier sounds.

As a kid, I worshipped KISS which led me to other rock bands like AC/DC, Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, and Van Halen to name a few. In my teen years I began skateboarding and in that scene I was exposed to a lot of punk rock such as the Sex Pistols, Ramones, Dead Kennedys, and 7 Seconds. I loved the energy and attitude of the music and I was getting tired of the cock-rock mentality of many of the bands that were crowding MTV and radio.

And then of course, there is the influence of my parents who listened to a lot of 60s and 70s material such as The Beatles, Roy Orbison, Bob Seger, and Billy Joel. I love loud and aggressive music but also am just as happy listening to melodic pop with killer harmonies.

Claes: Who writes Space Cushions songs?

Carlin: I write all the original material but I definitely encourage other ideas to help shape my songs. I always say written by Scotty, produced by Barry Welch and Space Cushion. I’m always open to cool ideas on guitar from Bill since I’m not much of a guitar player and I also have spaces in some of the songs where I tell Bill, “just fill that part with whatever you can come up with” because I know it will be brilliant! I also give Bret a lot of leeway with his drum parts.

I have basic ideas about the beat and the feel I want but he is such a solid and knowledgeable drummer that I let him fill the spaces and do what he does best. My songs have gone to places I never thought possible and I could not have done it without these guys!

Claes: Are you working on new material?

Carlin: I have several songs and ideas in “the vault” and have been working them out on my own. I’ve shown a couple of them to the guys and when we have some time, we’ll work on them together and flesh them out. We hope to have at least three to four more originals ready to go by the end of the year for the album and I think we can reach that goal pretty easily. I’m hoping to have at least one new one ready for our December Birthday Bash!

Claes: You’re stage show is about a 50/50 blend of originals and covers. I’ve seen covers from Bon Jovi to Ramones to Judas Priest. Pretty eclectic. How do you choose them?

Carlin: Some of them were covers I’ve been wanting to do for years but never had the opportunity. A couple of them are songs that Bill did with another band that he brought in and he sings them which is great because it gives me a quick vocal break.

A couple of them were happy accidents. For example, “Wanted Dead or Alive” came about when we were at practice one night. We were in between songs and Bill just started playing the opening riff for fun. I started singing along with it and we were like “This is actually sounding good!” We got a couple of members of Stonekracker to play it with us and it’s gone over great!

As I said, I love all kinds of music and I like keeping things fresh in our set as much as possible. I prefer to do songs that I like and that I think an audience will respond to as well. I like to keep things somewhat unpredictable so you get a little something different with each show.

The three members of Space Cushion are veterans of the Austin music scene. Tell me about some of the other projects y’all have been a part.

Carlin: I played with both Bill and Bret in the late 90s with a band called Oddjob. Previous to that I played in a couple of short-lived projects and recorded some solo material.

After Oddjob, I played with Bag (with the previously mentioned Barry Welch) for about three years and then with a group called Bag100 with Ryan and Christine from 100 Days. We started out as an acoustic group but then decided to plug in a get loud. Christine had already scored a drummer and that’s how I got to know the mighty Ben Mills.

Bill was in a group called Moonstone and also a band called Monkeywench in the mid to late 90s. He joined Oddjob in 1998 and Bret was replaced with another drummer. After relocating to Boston he joined a group called Breathing the Void for a number of years.

After Oddjob, Bret played with Veronika and Relative Circle before departing to Atlanta and then living in Washington DC for making his way back to Austin a few years ago.

We reconnected and after Barry left Space Cushion, we had a drummer named Sean who was with us about a year before he left for San Antonio. Bret filled in for us on a few songs and a couple of shows and became a permanent member soon after that.

Claes: You’ve got a big show coming up at Texas Mist on Saturday 7/29 with Wild Tinderbox, Darkness:Ending, Chasing After Alice and Dharma Kings. How’d that line up form and what are you looking forward to?

Carlin: I was looking for a summer show and began talking to Jim Daeng Ostrander  from Texas Mist. I asked him if wanted me to recruit some bands to fill out the bill and he suggested a couple of his favorites: Chasing After Alice and Darkness; Ending.

I’ve known Brandon Gibbs for a long time and I knew Darkness; Ending pretty well; we’ve even played shows together before. Wild TInderbox I’d seen once before and I was really impressed by them and I thought our bands would work well together on a bill.

I was looking for a headliner and Jim told me his #1 band right now was Chasing After Alice who are pretty incredible. I’d seen and gotten to know them through Stonekracker and Ear Splitting Media. I put the word out and they agreed.

Now, Dharma Kings was another happy accident. I had the line-up all set and a few weeks later I started the promotion. I posted the show on the Texas Mist Facebook page and David Komie made a comment that the show needed one more band. I said if you want to take the late late spot, it’s yours and they signed up.

We are looking forward to a night of amazing rock and roll. Every band on this bill kick serious ass and we are going to throw down. Rumor has it there may be a place to cool down if it gets too hot so bring your swim trunks.

Claes: Legend has it that you have a pair of leather pants that was bought in 2001 while you were in BAG. What is the story behind them and are we going to see them Saturday?  

Carlin: Ah, the famous leather pants...we had a music publisher that was interested in sponsoring us and trying to get us out there so she helped us out with a PA system, a photo shoot and a clothing budget of $100 each so we’d look better for our photos and for stage wear. I had a number of great shirts but was lacking in the trouser department. I’d always wanted some leather jeans for motorcycle riding and I thought they’d be great rock star pants as well.

They’ve now become part of my “Sasha Fierce” legend. And yes, you will see them Saturday! I don’t care if it’s 10 degrees or 100 degrees, there will be leather!

Check out Space Cushion online at facebook.com/spacecushion. You can also download or stream their music for free at  reverbnation.com/spacecushion and sign up for alerts of when they’re playing near at BandsInTown.com/spacecushion.

Also, Space Cushion was on the CobraCast Podcast earlier this month. Here's a link to their interview: link

And.. of course, we'll see you 7/29 at Texas Mist. As Carlin himself said: "We love and appreciate all the support we’ve gotten but I also want people to remember that there is no better support in the world than coming out to a live show so get out there."

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. This is week 29 in his "52 Weeks of Austin Musician Interview" series. See the others here: 52 Week Project

10 Questions With Bobby Bookout

By Sean Claes

Bobby Bookout’s unconventional entry into the Austin music scene (he served in the military, used his GI Bill to get a degree in music and released his debut self-titled album, to much acclaim, in 2010) has been a road few have taken, but few have the smooth soul-infused voice and gift for the written word that he possesses.

It’s been seven years since we’ve heard from this Jason Mraz-meets-Rob Thomasesque musician on a record. The release date of his second album, titled B (after his initials as well as the second letter of the alphabet) is close, but it hasn’t been set in stone just yet.

We thought it was time to check in and see how Bookout is fairing and encourage him to take that final step to let the world hear his songs again.

Sean Claes: In 2011, “Broken Promises,” a song off your debut album, won the R&B Category of the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards. Judges included Ozzy Osbourne, Seal and Tom Waits. How did it feel to know such mega-stars listened to your track AND THEN chose it as the top song?

Bobby Bookout: I was honored and blown away to know that this panel of judges even gave my music a listen and was shocked when they nominated it as a top song.

The win I received was the popular vote. Once you were nominated into that top five list, you were given a chance to compete for the popular vote. Supposedly, more than 14,000 people voted. My people killed it won it for me!

Claes: Following you over the years, it seems music is a major passion of yours, but the recording process seems to be a bit elusive. It took about 3 years to record & release your debut album and now you’ve been working on the follow-up for the last seven. How do you keep that fire lit?

Bookout:  Man, this is a rabbit hole of a question that’ll have me getting philosophical on you so I’ll try to spare you the long long answer. This is going to sound super cheesy, but in response to your metaphor, keeping the fire lit isn’t the problem at all… It’s keeping the fire contained so it doesn’t burn everything else down that gets tricky.

It’s a constant balancing act. I was single when I wrote and recorded my first record. My biggest struggle then was constantly being broke. But aside from going to work (shout out to Texas Roadhouse in South Austin!) my time was mine. I’d go to work and then go home and write or head to the studio.

When Kathryn and I got married and started making babies, everything changed. I was still financially broke, but time suddenly became the thing I had the least of. My desire to make music was as strong as ever but my efforts to juggle that and life were frustrating and exhausting.

I tried to consider… (emphasis on “tried”… I couldn’t ever get all the way to “consider”) just quitting music altogether, but having that thought even for a second immediately made me nauseous. It’s not connected to a switch. Being passionate about a thing, regardless of what that thing is, isn’t something you can just turn off.

It’s been pushed to the back burner a lot, but 7 years later, I’ve finally -sort of- got my feet under me and have figured out how to make it work.

Claes: Something I completely understand… when life becomes more important that a project (I’ve been trying to finish 52 Austin Musician interviews since 2012). What has been going on in your life since the last release?

Bookout: Well, I proposed to Kathryn in front of all of our friends and family at my CD release party for the debut at Dirty Dog on June 13th, 2010. We got married a year later.

We got pregnant with Braden, my oldest son, on February 15th, 2012. He was born 9 months later (to the day…) With my night schedule being what it was, I knew I’d never see him once he started going to school with my wife (she was a preschool teacher at the time), so I started keeping my eye open for a day gig.

In March of 2014, during SXSW, I had the pleasure of waiting on one of the coolest couples I’ve ever met, Healey and Rachel Cypher. Healey worked for Ebay and was actually speaking at SXSW. We hit it off and they at least pretended to be interested in my life story (which they got). We’d exchanged cards and that night I decided I’d follow up and see if Ebay might be looking for someone with a military/food service background and an associate’s degree in music (you never know… right?)

Two weeks later, I got a call from Sarah Romer, who would ultimately become my boss (and friend) at PayPal… I was working days and finally making decent money. We got pregnant with #2 in November. We decided we needed a bigger house for two dogs, two kids, and my gear so we signed a contract to build a new home out in Manor (NE Austin) where it was still affordable. Then, in February of 2015, almost my entire team and I were laid off.

Meanwhile, my sister-in-law, Jessica McCoy (Kennemer, at the time), was working on the marketing team for an extremely fast growing Austin based start-up called AffiniPay under a beast of a CEO named, Amy Porter. I met with Amy. She decided to take a chance on me and graciously offered me a sales position.

Brody, my second son, was born on August 10th, 2015. We moved into our new house a month later.

For years we’d talked about going into business for ourselves in some capacity. We started kicking around the idea of opening up our own preschool in Manor where there seemed to be a pretty high demand.

After a year’s worth of some pretty intense stress and a TON of work, we finally opened up The Busy Bee Preschool (www.busybeemanor.com) this last Spring.

And I’m finally, just now, cutting vocals on this record!

Claes: So, back to the music. What caught my ear when I heard you the first time was that smooth timeless equal parts rock and R&B voice that seemed to flow directly from your soul. How did you develop your voice?

Bookout: I grew up singing in the church. We were always in the choir. My Grandpa was a Methodist pastor and over the course of my childhood, was at a handful of churches throughout the Southwest Texas Methodist Conference. Those old hymns were a big part of my musical development and I feel really fortunate to have been exposed to them as much as I was growing up.

Beyond that, my influence came from a pretty awesome variety of genres. There’s a lot of soul in country music. George Strait and Merle Haggard were kings. Then at a very impressionable age for me, Garth Brooks blew up. I knew every song on his first seven records. My biggest childhood influence of all though, was Elvis Presley. My dad introduced me to him at a really early age and I was hooked. He did it all and he did it all really well.

I also vividly remember the first time I got to see Boys II Men perform live on TV. I was completely blown away and contemporary R&B became a thing for me right there in that moment. I was also constantly surrounded by Latin music, specifically Tejano and Norteno.

My sophomore year in high school, we moved to Midland and I really started paying attention to hip-hop. My friend, Savoy Smith, helped me pick out my first two rap cds - Mystikal’s “Unpredictable” and Bone Thugs & Harmony’s “East 1999.”

Their music couldn’t be more different, but Mystikal and Garth Brooks could both really tell a story in a song.

Claes: You’d mentioned that the debut album was centered around heartache and loss, and since the release you’ve gotten married and started a family. How has that influenced your songwriting?

Bookout: It actually made it a little harder. It’s so easy to bleed words when you’re hurt and alone. It’s hard to bleed when you have a toddler sitting in your lap with a huge smile on his face listening to his daddy make music. I had to evolve a little bit.

Claes: Tell me about some of the tracks on the upcoming album.

Bookout: The first song I wrote for this new record was a song called, “You.” It’s the first song I ever wrote about Kathryn. I managed to write what was ultimately a happy song but still sounded sad and dark because it focused on the black hole I’d been in before finding her.

Most of the songs on my new record are celebratory in one way or another though. Some of them are heavier and some are light and fun, but overall, they’re a lot more positive.

Claes:Musically, you’ve played out a few times in the last few years, One-2-One Bar, the 4th of July festival in Carrizo Springs, Moontower Saloon, Rattle Inn. Where can we see you next?

Bookout: I had to stop booking this year. I LOVE playing live but the live show itself is the easiest and smallest part of the gig. There’s a lot that goes into that show and at this stage in the game, I have to wear every hat. Booking, hiring, promoting, rehearsing, performing.

It’s all absolutely worth it, but not when it comes down to doing that or staying home and finally finishing this record you’ve been working on for the last 7 years.

The next show will be the CD release party sometime this fall and it will likely be down south at Moontower if they’ll still have me.

Claes: Where are you recording B?

Bookout: I split the recording of both of my records up between two studios… Studio 1916 down in Kyle, and The Amusement Park Studio in Lubbock. Both are killer studios owned and operated by great friends of mine.

Blake Atwell owns Studio 1916 and plays guitar for me quite a bit. Paul Miller is the engineer at the studio. He actually helped me rearrange and also played on a cover we’re putting on the record, The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”.

Scott Faris is a mega talented producer and guitar player and owns The Amusement Park. He was one of my instructors when I attended South Plains College and later became a good friend. He’s been on board with me from day one.

Claes:Who are some of the musicians you’re working with on the new album?

Bookout: Chris Moore is my permanent drummer so he played drums on the entire record. Chris Maresh played most of the bass on the record but Matt Slagle came in and played some too. Derek Morris and Amy Faris played keys. Kevin Flatt laid down some amazing horn parts. Jose Galeano, from Grupo Fantasma, killed the percussion on a few songs. Blake Atwell, Cale Richardson, and Keenan LeVick, three of the best guitar players you’ve ever heard, played guitar on almost everything.

Carter Arrington (guitar) and Dane Farnsworth (keys) are two guys I'd LOVE to make more music with. They both came in and played on a song called, “Time”. Scott Faris who’s co-producing and mixing the record will have probably ended up playing guitar on something also. Paul Miller played classical guitar, keys, and vibes on “Just Like Heaven”.

Kasi Painter, Ange Kogutz, and Anna Hillburn came in and put down all of the female background vocals for me. I hope I didn’t leave anyone out. I mean, it’s been 7 years of this so there’s a strong possibility.

Claes: What are your thoughts of how the Austin music scene has changed over the last decade?

Bookout: I was fortunate to come into the live scene under the wing of MC Overlord, (Donnell Robinson), which meant being introduced to some really good people from the get go.

I found my spots in Austin pretty quick and didn’t venture far. Ben (who now owns and runs Come And Take It Live) and crew, always took care of me at Dirty Dog. I love Gregg and Destinee at One-2-One. Earlier on, I always enjoyed playing at Lucky Lounge and Beso Cantina. Saxon was great. Momos was was of the first bars I ever played at downtown. Moontower Saloon is one of my favorite newer places to play.

From my limited perspective, it’s a little sad and unfortunate that the people and venues that actually care about the music, at least as much as… if not more than the bar sales, seem to struggle the most.

Austin’s changed a lot since I got here in 2007 but I know there are folks that would say Austin already wasn’t Austin anymore when I got here. The world’s an ever-changing place. Austin’s not any different.

There’s still so much talent here and new acts popping up everyday. In that regard, I’d say the music scene’s doing just fine. And I still love this place.

from bobbybookout.com

For those who are interested in checking out some of Bookout’s new material, he will be releasing a second music video for “Broken Promises” in the very near future. Also, as he approaches finalizing B he will be releasing a couple live videos filmed at Studio 1916. Check out http://www.bobbybookout.com for updates.

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. This is week 28 in his "52 Weeks of Austin Musician Interview" series. See the others here: 52 Week Project

10 Questions with Terrany Johnson - Tee Double

By Sean Claes

For those who have been in the Austin music scene for more than a minute, the name Tee Double is one you’ve heard. Native Austinite Terrany “Tee Double” Johnson is a 25-year veteran of the scene, and he’s done it as an independent artist. He is literally a chapter in the book (2016s Seduced By Sound) on Austin music.

He is an artist, producer, entrepreneur and August 1, 2017 will mark the release of his 30^th album, Bless The Child.

Perhaps a big part of the reason he’s been a relevant mainstay on the Austin scene and in Hip-Hop in general is his willingness and desire to give back. It is not surprising that in 2010, just one month after INsite dubbed him the “CulturalAmbassador of Hip-Hop” the City of Austin announced “Tee Double Day” on September 30.

He is very involved in the business of helping other artists hone their craft. He is a member of the Texas Chapter of the Grammys, has spoken at numerous conferences as a leader in the Hip Hop movement, founded the non-profit Urban Artist Alliance, sits on the advisory board for several non-profits. Oh, AND he spends about 10 hours a day in the studio recording, writing, and as he states it…expanding his catalog.

INsite’s Sean Claes had a moment to catch up with the legend.

Photo Credit: teedouble.com

Sean Claes: You’re moving in on 25 years in the hip-hop business in Austin, Texas. How have you sustained yourself and kept your passion lit?

Terrany Johnson: Yeah,that is a hell of a long time and I have been very blessed to sustain. One of the things I learned early on was to diversify what I was trying to do and where I wanted to be in the future from licensing,consulting and teaching other artist about the music business.

Claes: You’ve paved your own path in your music by being self-employed, self-publishing and self-promoting. What opportunities do you feel you’ve afforded yourself by going this path?

Johnson: Well, one of the main things is more time to be with family as my time is based on how and when I choose to work. But anyone who knows me know I work ALL the time. It’s also giving me ownership of my craft and where it is used and sold which artist don't have these days.

Claes: In August 2010 INsite featured you on the cover with the title “Cultural Ambassador of Austin Hip Hop” a title, you’ve certainly earned. How do you feel the culture of Hip Hop in Austin has endured and what is the status in 2017?

Johnson: The culture of Hip Hop in Austin is an ongoing thing from booking our events to getting our artist fairly compensated by venues. As a long term artist it is my responsibility to keep the scene on track with solidifying the foundation the culture stands upon so future artist have a great start and aren't starting backwards.

Claes: In the height of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, you spearheaded a compilation of local/area artists called Black Mics Matter. You mentioned it was not a release for profit, but a release for “dialog and spiritual return.” What was the impetus behind the release and what was the effect you saw?

Johnson: I wanted the project to be about more than “It sold a million copies” but more an actual voice from the artist in the community who are being affected by the things some only see in the news.

It showed other black artists they have a voice and when put in a form that everyone listens too, because who doesn't like Hip Hop in some form, then you can have a powerful dialog as the attention that project received showed. It’s still resonating in the community as I hoped it would and a new breed of artist are taking that model and moving forward with new ideas.

Claes: Although it doesn’t seem to be front page news these days, how do you feel the voices of Black Lives Matter are being sustained today?

Johnson: The voices never left but the news cycle changes every half hour so there are still strong movements going on in the communities that won't be on the front page. Austin’s Austin Justice Coalition with Chas Moore and others are truly making a stance and being on the front line for justice and a educated voice for the victimized.

Claes: You’re very involved in the community. Tell me a little about your involvement with The Grammy’s, Black Fret and the Urban Artist Alliance.

Johnson: I was on the Board of The Governors for The Grammys and the education committee on how to assist in bringing music education back into schools for children who if they had the tools might be able to find their new path as I did when I was around 8 years old.

Black Fret is a non profit dedicated to assisting musician in growing their careers by giving grants and a strong team of advisors which I am one to guide them how to use the grants in the best manner for their career long term and not just for the moment.

Urban ArtistAlliance is truly at my heart as it was created to fill a void form other organizations not catering to the artistic development of the black music community in Austin. So instead of whining or begging for another group to it for us I created it myself and used my knowledge and community support to make it grow and my relationships to get the attention I wouldn't normally get if I hadn't made these relationships over the years. We do educational events, consult artist about publishing and ownership that is rarely spoken about.

Claes: Who are some of the local artists who are doing it well? Who out there should people sit up and take notice?  

Johnson: Easily there is MOBLY who is touring strongly and creating amazing music. Magna Carda has been consistent on their output and brand building and both are Black Fret grant recipients.

Claes: How do you feel Austin sits right now with the support and progress of local Hip-Hop?

Johnson: Austin is and has always been slow to recognize it’s gold mine in Hip Hop. Hip Hop artists work so hard here but don't always feel like the love is returned even if we are called the “Live Music Capital of the World,” so shouldn't that mean ALL music?

Hip Hop is such an economic driving machine globally it should be embraced more by the city and have its voice amplified not just when something goes wrong at a club but when something goes right which honestly is most of the time.

Claes: When I was a kid, it was all about NWA, Public Enemy, Tupac and Ice-T. There seemed to be a voice of young men coming up to point out injustice, stand up for something and throw their struggles in the face of an America who had ignored them, their culture and their neighborhood. Who carries that torch today?  

Johnson: I agree,as before Hip Hop was compressed it only four labels and there very small non Hip Hop based departments there was a message being released about love yourself, build a positive future and still have fun but it wasn't booty booty booty every minute Ha!!

Kendrick Lamar of course is at the forefront because his artistry is on a very high and consistent level with points being made in his music and his visuals he release for his projects. Even the gangsta rappers have a place i the mix as they are coming from a place of struggle and pain which all need to hear but most don't have the how they turned it around page of the story and I think that is because labels and new A&Rs don't think that will sell so they tell artist not to focus on that but let's cookie cut the other stuff and force feed the listener.

Claes: What is next for Tee Double? Playing anywhere soon?

Johnson: Working on my 30th album Bless The Child and doing plenty of licensing work for movies, commercials, video games and voice over work.

Back to what I said earlier about diversifying so I can stay busy and generate revenue without always having to be on a stage and play for tip jars as most booking agents aren't trying to pay an artist what they are worth just what they will give you.Often it’s beer and a tip jar.

Claes: Anything else you’d like to add?

Johnson: Yeah, for the artist, keep focused and moving forward and never let anyone stop you from your dreams or goals only YOU can do that.

Find new circles of resources to expand your brand whatever it may be and then share those ideas with newer artists so we don't have a generational gap of success but a continued lineage of winners.

Love the art, community and what you started out in this music business to be and stay the course.

Be The Impossible.

Find out more about Tee Double at www.teedouble.com and www.urbanartistalliance.com

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Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. This is week 27 in his "52 Weeks of Austin Musician Interview" series. See the others here: 52 Week Project