Interview with Owen Temple & Adam Carroll, Austin, TX, 2012

© April 2012 / Bruno Michel

Two first-class Texas Songwriters


For the past 15 years, Owen Temple (OT) and Adam Carroll (AC) have been fixed and valuable assets of the songwirter scene in Texas. During those years, they've detected many areas of common interest. Both are writing songs that cover a vast variety of topics, sometimes serious, sometimes humorous but always straight about  the real life of everyday people. Their fans love the chemistry between these guys and so they are perfoming together around once or twice a month. Producer of their 1997 (Temple) and 1999 (Carroll) debut albums was the legendary Lloyd Maines, the father of ex Dixie-Chick Natalie Maines. At one of their gigs at the Cactus Cafe at Texas University Of Austin, I had a chance to talk to these great songwriters.

BM: Owen, you had your debut in 1997 with General Store, and for you, Adam it was two years later with South Of Town. What was - beside Lloyd Maines - the key factor for your success?

AC: Lloyd Maines again. He was there for us, even after production. He helped building our network of people and thanks to him, doors have opened for me, that I would probably not even have found without him. Being from the Dallas area, I didn't have a lot of knowledge about the scene in Austin.

BM: Owen, you're constantly nodding your head. So you agree with Adam's opinion?

OT: Absolutely. Lloyd sent our CDs to many people in the industry and the fact that he was listed as the producer made many radio guys check out our songs and play them on their station. Even these days we can always rely on Lloyd if we need advice or support.

BM: You played with many great artists of Texas Music. Do you still have a dream partner with whom you'd like to do a project?

AC: We were lucky indeed. For myself, I'd rather concentrate on songwriting. I don't think that I'm yet on a level as a singer which would allow me to ask for singing partners.
OT: I've done some work with Jamie Wilson of the band The Trishas and I loved it. A female voice always helps to bring some addition to a song. And we had a lot of fun. As you see, we really don't have a lot of wishes for dream partners. We just like it the way it is now.

BM: What's the difference between Owen Temple and Adam Carroll talking to me now and you guys on stage?

OT: Maybe we're a little more extroverted on stage, a little crazier than we are in our daily life.
AC: We talk constantly about things we've seen or people we've met. Life is a great supply of stories and we also talk about these things on stage. The difference is that we use songs up there to tell these stories.

BM: You both have experienced the Nashville scene. What's the main difference compared to the Texas Music scene?

AC: There's good songwriters in Nashville and bad songwriters in Texas - and vice versa. I think you have a little more freedom in Texas as to how you can present a song. It's not quite as predefined as to what goes and what doesn't. And in Texas you're certainly more likely to make a living from our kind of music.
OT: Good point Adam. You can add a Wah-Wah pedal to a steel guitar part without people going 'What?'. And Texas Radio may play songs that stations in Nashville probably would not play due to lyrics or other restricting elements.

BM: You're both successful songwriters. What advice would you give to a talented newcomer?

AC: Oh man, difficult question. I'd suggest to keep an open ear and an open heart for everything that comes across. Out of that you can create honest and decent songs. Meet as many people as you can and let them inspire you. But whatever you do, stay true to yourself.
OT: Write as many songs as you can and take each opportunity to perform. This will shape you over time and help to create your own identity. A song is always a conversation between you and your audience. Take the people with you on your voyage.

BM: What would you like people to say about you in fifty years from now - or better in seventy years, as you're still relatively young today?

AC: I hope in seventy years they've forgotten all the stuff I did (laughter). Seriously, I would like people to remember me as someone who loved the music and the audience. Let's take Levon Helm who passed away a few days ago. He had a way to connect with people. Even though no everybody knew him personally - me included - the reactions to his passing came from all over the world. Not that I'd ever reach his status. But that's kind of how I'd like to be remembered.
OT: When I'm writing songs, I hope that they develop into a kind of archive, where people could search in the future and imagine how the world looked back then.

BM: Why is it in your opinion that older legends such as Merle Haggard or George Jones turn to Indie-Labels in order to get their music out to the fans. Why are the big labels letting go of those formerly very successful artists.

AC: I guess these stars just like the relaxed athmosphere at Indie Labels. They can continue to make their music the way they want to without too many restrictions.
OT: I agree. Merle doesn't need a 35-year old producer to tell him how to make his music. He'd probably just say  'Get out of my way' and will be looking for a place where he can work the way he wants to.

BM: What would be the three things you would take on a lonely island?

AC: We and many other musicians have a mutual friend in South Dallas, who has an huge record collection. This guy really helps promoting music to everyone he meets. So I'd take his collection with me...
OT: ...and his house and, of course, himself (laughter). Then I'd need a guitar and a capo and that would be it.

BM: What would be the title of your autobiography?

OT: The Modern Explorer .
AC: An Unfinished Lunch (laughter). I guess people would just buy it out of curiousity what that tile means.

BM: If you were to interview Owen Temple and Adam Carroll, which question would you ask them that I did not ask?

AC: Where do you find the energy to continue writing? It's difficult at times to focus and be creative but once a song is finished it's rewarding, too.
OT: How do you archive all your ideas? I have kind of a filing system with an inbox, a storage for stuff I can't use right now and a "work in progress".

BM: Thank you for your time and all the best.