Interview with Tracy Lawrence

© February 2008 / Bruno Michel

When his debut album Sticks And Stones hit the markets in 1991, Tracy Lawrence was only 23 years old. A friendly guy, born in Texas and raised in Arkansas – back in those days just “another hat act”. But his debut boosted four top-10 hits and got him on the covers of the music magazines. Today at 40, he can look back at many awards and countless top-hits.

BM: Tracy, after your debut album in 1991 you stayed the first ten years with Atlantic Records. You knew how they worked and they knew what you wanted. What was the biggest change by moving to a new label?
TL: When Atlantic closed it’s doors and was merged into Warner Brothers, I actually got a call on a Thursday from the former head of the label, Rick Blackburn. I was scheduled to go to the studio and start recording my next album the following week. He gave me the option to move on to Warner and fulfil the remainder of my contract. So I opted to go. Some people did make the move, too, others didn’t. It was quite difficult, because at the same time Warner integrated their other labels, such as Giant or Reprise. So virtually in about a month they went from a small roster to having about forty artists. I never really felt like I had any priority. There wasn’t much communication going and I didn’t have any success at all. The following move to Dreamworks was one of the best I ever made and I hated to see that label closing its doors.

BM: You wrote many songs together with Larry Boone and Paul Nelson jr. Was it a special kind of chemistry that created this trio or just an accident?
TL: Absolutely. We started writing very early on in my career and have continued to write over the years. We had a lot of hit records and it’s still a very good chemistry.

BM: You had big hits but you also have songs that people just love without them having reached the top of the charts. Would you rather write a song that lasts 100 years or one that sells 100 million copies?
TL: (laughs) I would rather write one that sells 100 million copies, who wouldn’t. After I wrote that, I could probably write a bunch of those that last a long time.

BM: You’re one of those “Big Texans” who made it in Nashville. Then there are other stars from Texas who would never go there. What difference do you see in today’s “Nashville” country versus the straight and honest “Texas” country?
TL: You know, there’s a lot of great stuff coming out of Austin, but it’s a little raw. In Nashville we are making very high quality records, from orchestration to arrangements and with excellent studio musicians. I am not saying that Texas music is lacking that, some of it is just not on the same level. So it’s hard for most of them to make it outside of Texas, where they are lacking a fan base.

BM: Is that the reason that we see Texans going to Nashville, such as Pat Green and others?
TL: I know that is why Pat went. And I think it hurt his fan base in Texas a little, too, because they felt like he betrayed the sound. But you need to balance between maintaining your artistic integrity and making as much of a living as possible. We all love the small crowds, but when you got an opportunity to make platinum albums and good money then you should move to the area where that is possible. Especially when you have kids. I dreamed of living in Nashville since I was a child. It was the only place for me, like my Mecca. And once I got there it was everything I ever wanted it to be.

BM: You said that you started your own label ( ed: Rocky Comfort, 2006) because you were tired of being bounced around. Isn’t this also an obligation to do what big labels don’t do: Promote good artists that otherwise wouldn’t get a major label contract?
TL: For me there is a lot of positives, such as doing this European tour. I pushed at other labels that we could do this but I always ran into tremendous roadblocks. They said we would sacrifice our fanbase in the US. Or I was never allowed to use my roadband to play on my albums. The next project will have the bulk of my roadband playing with me. I now have the freedom to do all the things I was restricted from earlier. I am professional enough that I don’t think the quality of my albums will suffer. It will be more us what you hear on the next album. As to supporting other artists, we will have one or two at a time but I don’t have the funds to support a bunch of them at the same time. I don’t want to put artists on the shelf like other labels do, just to prevent that someone else is signing a new talent. I want to do the very best I can to get their careers rolling.

BM: You once said that you learned what it takes to keep the crowd on the dancefloor during 4 or 5 sets when you played in Honkytonks as a teenager. Today, shows like Nashville Star generate overnight successes. Is that what you recommend to Newcomers if they want to make it today: Learn your job first?
TL: I do. And I think these shows are affecting the quality of artists that come out of Nashville. There’s a lot more than just having a good voice. You need the whole package including stage presence, charisma, knowing how to find or write songs, etc. It’s hard for me to believe that most of these young talents that win the shows have that package – and likely, most of them fail after the start. It takes a lot to sustain in that business.
BM: But isn’t it exactly the business that pushes these young guys into that sort of “career”? We got these events in almost every country in the meantime.
TL: These people are dreaming their dream and they do all it takes to get there. I would have probably done the same thing because there’s such a small space for all these artists to make it. For each of us who made it there are thousands dreaming that dream but would never get the opportunity to have a professional career.

BM: If people look back on your life in 50 years from now, what do you wish they’d say about you?
TL: I hope that they always say that I was very passionate about my music and that I kept that from start to finish. The love I always had was the one for music and I built my life on it. So I hope they’d remember that.

BM: Let’s assume you find the lamp of Aladdin, what would the three wishes be you had for the Genie?
TL: (thinks) I would wish that my children live long, healthy and happy lives. Second, I’d wish that my wife and I would live long, healthy, happy lives (laughs). I don’t really wish for anything financial. Third, I hope that I would continue to be passionate about what I do.

BM: Some years ago, you said that in earlier days you went out on stage to work the band and the fans into a frenzy, but that recently you rather let the crowds dictate the way it goes. So what can we expect at tonight’s show?
TL: You know I’m gonna play a lot of the hits that we had. I asked some questions before we came over as to what the crowd would expect from us. And I was instructed by the people I asked that it was pretty much a dancing crowd. So there’ll be a lot of two-steps and waltzes, not too many ballads in a row so people don’t fall asleep. We’re just gonna deliver a good, flowing show.

BM: If you were to interview Tracy Lawrence, what question would you ask him that I did not ask?
TL: Wow! (thinks). Probably: Where would I see my career in ten years after all the changes and things that I’ve been through. I see myself running a very successful record label while still continuing to tour. Producing hit albums and writing hit songs, that’s where I see myself in ten years from now.

BM: Thank you very much for the interview and good luck for the future.
TL: Absolutely, thank you, Bruno.