by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
WHO: Cole Deggs and the Lonesome
WHERE: Jacksonville Landing
WHEN: August 31st
Sony Music/ Columbia Nashville recently signed Cole Deggs & The Lonesome as their newest and most promising artist. The five piece band is fronted by Cole Deggs with his brother Shade playing bass. The Wallace brothers, Jimmy and David, are on keyboards and lead guitar respectively, and Florida native Brian Hayes is on drums.
The Deggs brothers grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas and the Wallace brothers hail from Shreveport, Louisiana. For Cole and Shade, signing with Sony/Columbia represented the peak of a 13 year career in Nashville, playing the clubs and pounding the pavement with a satchel full of great songs trying to impress the decision makers of the various Nashville record companies.
Today I chatted with Cole about his "overnight success" in a viciously competitive business that makes it extremely difficult for newcomers to break into the big time milieu.
EU: Hey man, I was just enjoying your songs from your debut album on Columbia. I was impressed with the mixes on those tunes. I could hear everything. I particularly enjoyed the pedal steel that dominates the intro on '12 Ounces Deep.' You guys must have at least fifteen years of paying dues for your 'overnight success. You've got the goods to deliver to the people.
Cole Deggs: Thanks for the positive comments on our album, we were lucky to have the very best engineers working on the studio album. As you suggested, when I moved to Nashville, I thought I would have a record deal in two years. Man, it was a hell of a long night. I had a lot of growing up to do during that time. Thirteen years later, I finally signed the deal with Columbia. But that was okay, I needed that time to play out and grow as a musician and songwriter.
EU: I noticed that you bill yourself as a Southern rock/country artist. I found that interesting because my friend Tinsley Ellis also considers himself a Southern rock player working tin the blues genre. Listening to your music, I could hear that Southern rock influence. Is that what you feel about your band?
CD: Yes, we do consider ourselves a Southern rock band with country influences. It's more defined in our live shows. We really rock out on stage. However, we do put elements of country into our songs, especially ballads, with a pedal steel on some of the songs. So you might say we have a country flavor to our music.
EU: I noticed in your studio music you seem to have captured a bit of the edge of live performing. But I know it's difficult in a studio setting to get that sound. Do you bring a small audience into the studio to amp up the excitement?
CD: Absolutely. It's very difficult to record a studio record that sounds exciting. When we are playing live, the adrenaline is pumping and we get into the groove, feeding off the audience. But we are very pleased how the album came out.
EU: Do you have a wealth of material ready to record after your tour is over?
CD: Yes, we have enough solid songs for the next album when we get off the road. But my brother Shade and I are writing all the time-any chance we get to keep the creative juices flowing. We have a stockpile of material. Then we have to think about ideas for our next video, so we are busy all the time creating and performing. It's an endless cycle. You have to keep sharp and never take your career for granted. You're only as good as your last album or gig.
EU: How is playing with your brother working out?
CD: Shade and I have been working together for many years, bouncing ideas off one another. We tried to put a band together in Texas, but it didn't work out. Then we decided pack our bags and move to Nashville to go for it. Of course, it took a lot longer than we expected, but that thirteen years was time well spent. Having family on the road is great thing, and we get along really well-and that goes for the entire band. We all feel blessed to have moved up to this level. We've had a great response to our singles on the radio. So that has given us much encouragement to keep writing new songs.
That ended our conversation. Cole Deggs and The Lonesome perform at Jacksonville Landing with Mark Wills August 31st which kicks off the 99.9 FM Gator Country Free Concert Series. The show begins at 8:00 pm
Cole Deggs and The Lonesome perform at the Jacksonville Landing with Mark Wills August 31st which kicks off the 99.9 FM Gator Country Free Concert Series. The show begins at 8 pm. Is Cole Deggs and the Lonesome country or Southern rock? See what Cole says in the complete interview at eujacksonville.com.
Gator Country, WGNE-FM 99.9, is throwing a free foot-stomping concert series at the Jacksonville Landing. That by itself should be enough to get local country music fans to gas up their trucks, but Gator is offering more.
“We are not your grandfather’s radio station,” says Gator’s Program Director Jeff Davis. “What separates our radio station from the rest is that we are not afraid to play the new songs from Chris Cagle or Mark Wills or other of tomorrow’s superstars. We are more aggressive with playing the newer artists and the more established artists as well. We like to be the first radio station to play an artist’s new song, whether he is Garth Brooks or Chris Cagle, then let the audience decide who they like the best.”
Gator Country may seem like the new kid on the block, what with local dinosaurs such as Rooster and the Hitkicker, but their unique approach is helping them attract a new listener that wants to hear a wider variety of country music.
“We’ve been in the market for two and a half years. So we are not brand new, but let’s say we’ve taken the wrapper off,” said station manager Gary Spurgeon.
The party begins Friday, Aug 31st at 8 pm, with Mark Wills and Cole Deggs and the Lonesome. Then on September 7th, Steve Holy headlines with Danielle Peck. September 14th features David Lee Murphy and Whiskey Falls. Finally, September 21st, Chris Cagle headlines with Crossin’ Dixon. Regular Gator Country listeners have many chances to win VIP passes and to meet the stars.
“Jeff has a close relationship with the artists so he can bring them to town with a few phone calls,” said Spurgeon.
“We love to bring Nashville’s stars to Jacksonville listeners for free. This time we have an incredible lineup and our whole staff can’t wait for the series to get underway. In other words, there’s something for country fans of all ages,” added Davis.
The lineup for the new concert series includes stellar artists with established hit albums and singles. Mark Wills brought the number one hits ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ’19 Somethin’,’ while Steve Holy had hits such as ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Brand New Girlfriend.’ Take this chance to see hit-making artists before they reach superstar status.
“And again, it’s free!” said Jeff Davis one last time.
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