livefromthepathLive From The Path: You’re listening to Live From The Path broadcasting on livefromthepath.org and and we’re broadcasting live from the Building 429 show and the Rhett Walker Band and we have Rhett Walker with us. How you doing, buddy?
Rhett Walker: Hey, hey.
Live From The Path: Let me ask you a question. We were kind of talking a little bit before but in general, how’s the tour going?
Rhett Walker: It really is fantastic. This is our 4th tour. And these are some good dudes. That goes a long way with me outside of the music, is how these people act when the fans aren’t around. They care about what they do. They’re hard workers. It has been fun that we have this little corn hole set. The best part of the day is spent doing something very well needed and that’s playing corn hole.
Live From The Path: You’re darn right. Now, I’m not really sure what that corn hole is but I’m excited about it.
Rhett: Well here we go. Corn hole is not big enough to be held into a fanny pack. They’re kind of tall boards. You know what it is; it’s probably called something different out here. They’re boards and they got a hole in it and we throw bean bags.
Live From The Path: Yeah, we call it “The Bags”.
Rhett: You call it “The Bags”?
Live From The Path: We call it Bags. You know why because there are bags involve. There’s nothing to do with corn hole.
Rhett: I’m from the South and obviously we like to make things more complicated instead. Well, there’s corn in the bags and you’re taking that corn to the hole.
Live From The Path: Okay. I’m going to let that go. So actually you’re talking about common stuff that goes on outside when you guys aren’t playing music and I’m always really interested because we talk to a lot of bands and I love to hear the stories of bands that are in the music industry because there is a lifestyle choice that’s attached to it. The things that end up happening and their off the stage antics sometimes end up blowing way out of proportions what they’re providing for entertainment. I always like to ask what helps you guys kind of keep focused on the road, you know, what you’re out here for?
Rhett: I tell you it sounds super cliché but in any industry if you’re a plumber, you study plumbing. You want to get best at it. We love having fun playing rock or music but our job is to tell people about Jesus. You’ve got to have a personal relationship and you’ve got to stay in the Word. Anyhow, me and my band, we’re tough on each other in a way like, “This is what we are here to do so we’re going to stay in the Word and this what we’re going to do. You don’t do that, we’re going to slap you in the face.”
Live From The Path: Yeah, that’s the kind of accountability you need. “Give me a fanny pack and a corn hole bag and I’ll tell you what, you better straighten up.”
Rhett: Exactly.
Live From The Path: Do you have an .mp3 or an iPod or something?
Rhett: I do.
Live From The Path: What is the most embarrassing thing you got on there?
Rhett: l tell you, you can’t just come out swingin’ with this kind of stuff or next thing you know you will have to wear a fanny pack. I listen to mostly country music and so Eric Church that kind of stuff. There’s a song on my iPod called “Incomplete”. It’s a piano song but I think it’s amazing and it’s by the Backstreet Boys.
Live From The Path: Heck yeah it is. Yeah, that’s a keeper, that’s exactly the stuff I wanted to know. Here’s the thing. I’m glad you didn’t ask me that question because I’ve got some questions about stuff that’s not for everybody to know. Who do you listen to right now? Who are you going to?
Rhett: There’s a band called Black Berry Smoke and Eric Church has a new record called Chief. It’s fantastic. As an artist and a guy who writes music, that Chief record, every single word, like even the be’s, the and’s, and the but’s, every single word is put in there for a reason. It challenges me because a lot of times in the secular Industry and the Christian South it feels like we just throw some good words together and put out a song. This challenges me. I want to take that much time in my craft. If God calls us to this, He calls us for perfection. That record just gets to me and you feel every song. You live each moment. We don’t have that in the church.
Live From The Path: I was actually listening to some of your stuff here last week and was thinking, ‘You can take a song and put Jesus in it or you can write a song about Jesus.’ I feel like you guys nail that and I’d like to say that I appreciate that. I think that it comes through on all the back end work that you do. I think it just shines through. I think that’s pretty awesome.
Rhett: We don’t care to really have the Jesus is my boyfriend stuff. Is he talking about Jesus or is he talking about his girlfriend? I just don’t care to do that. Some people do and that’s fine. My deal is I lived a life of hell for a long time and I want people that are going through that to realize what there is. We just try to tell people about Jesus and are just trying to be real dudes and we know we still don’t have it altogether. But it’s about this walk and figuring it out and trusting in Jesus.
Live From The Path: There’s something about an honest Jesus that just plays a lot better. So if they want to check out your music or check out your website, where to head?
Rhett: Rhettwalkerband.com. It’s r-h-e-t-t walker band–if you type in Rhett Walker Band you’ll find it on facebook.com/Rhettwalkerband, Twitter. There are other social media outlets, just put Rhett Walker band, crackerbarrel.com. I don’t even know if that works but it’s worth tryin’. Google it.
Live From The Path: Is there anyone else in the band that like, “As a promotion we’ll join the name” or it’s just kind of, that’s it, it’s just going to be the Rhett Walker Band only?
Rhett: That’s it. It’s the Rhett Walker Band and you got Kenny Davis who plays drums and Joe Kane on guitar and Kevin Whitsett on bass. I told them that if they really believe in this, that they should be Kenny Walker, Joe Walker and Kevin Walker. You got to either put your heart into it or not.
Live From The Path: Yeah, a fanny pack and you’re there.
Rhett: Just get you one big fanny pack and corn hole and come on out. Put Walker as your last name.
Live From The Path: Awesome, Rhett Walker it was great talking to you. I appreciate you stopping by we’ll see you in the show tonight. Thanks.