002: John Baumann
On the second episode of New Slang, I'm joined by Texas singer-songwriter John Baumann. He stopped by one Saturday morning after playing a sold-out show at The Blue Light the night before. On the episode, we talk about his evolution as a songwriter, The Wallflowers, and some of his songs.
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Read the transcript
Thomas Mooney: Hey everyone,
welcome to Episode Two of the
new slang podcast. This week
we're with Texas singer
songwriter john Bauman, not to
be confused with Led Zeppelin
drummer john Bonham. Anyways, a
couple months back I guess we
met up on a Saturday morning
both of us were nursing
hangovers from the night before
because john had played blue
light. Anyways, we had like a,
you know, I guess probably about
a 40 minute conversation and
then he was having to drive up
to Amarillo. Anyways, if this is
if this is your first time
listening, I'd highly encourage
you to go and check out the
debut podcast episode. It's with
Evan valgrind RC Edwards of
Turnpike troubadours. That one's
about like an hour long on it.
Evan plays this new song called
Mockingbird. We talk about a lot
of music stuff. We go a little
bit into the whole steamboat
stuff. Just anyways, check that
out. This week's episode is
sponsored by the blue light.
They're the epicenter of what we
all call panhandle music. does
all these different songwriters
who have come up through the
blue light, essentially, you
know, I was up there last night,
hanging out with Jerry Serrano,
who's the the new host of
songwriter night. And, you know,
he's up there playing his new
songs. And, you know, he's got
his keyboard out right now, you
know, usually there's a lot of
guys playing guitar, but you
know, he'll set up his keyboards
up there. And every once in a
while he'll bring his trumpet
and play along with some people.
You know, this is a place
songwriter night is just the
place where guys like Dalton
Domino and Clara Cordero,
flatland Calvary and Randall
King. And, you know, you can go
back to Brandon Adams and
Kenneth O'Meara and red Shanahan
all playing their music there,
you know, and you really don't
know who's gonna show up. And
there's obviously a lot of new
guys that you've never heard of
before. But then every once in a
while, there will be somebody
that you have that just happened
to stop by. Just the best place
to see live and original music
here in Lubbock, much like most
weekends, this weekend, right
here is a pretty stacked one.
You can get started on Thursdays
going up there and listening to
the O's play. Friday is Mike and
the moon pies. And Dolly, Shawn
and Randall King are going to be
playing Saturday. You know,
dolly shot has been working on a
new record called walkabout so
I'm sure there's going to be
playing a whole lot of new songs
from that. I'm also pretty sure
that will we will be probably
giving away some tickets to
probably every one of those
shows this weekend. You can find
us on Twitter at New slang
underscore lbk which that's
probably where we'll be giving
away some some tickets to to the
blue light this weekend. So be
sure to follow us on that. All
right, now on to the john Bauman
conversation. I tweeted
yesterday, wherever you're
playing was about how, like, I
guess in the the late 2000s or
like the entire few 1000s a lot
of people started doing this.
Like Robert okene Jerry Jeff
Walker kind of talking nicely
croon thing. In my opinion, it
came off a lot. Really, really
fake. You've got to have like
this natural kind of just tone
in your voice that texts and
draw. I guess like Where'd that
come from? Like?
John Baumann: Yeah, my sister
used to give me hell about she'd
always say I sang kind of nasal
Lee and it kind of drove me nuts
when I was kind of playing
guitar in the beginning. I don't
you know, I I'm the first to
tell people I don't have like a
beautiful voice. I'm not gonna
go on American Idol. I wouldn't
go on there. If somebody pushed
me into it. I just it's not me.
You know, I'm from Amarillo,
Texas. So maybe there's a little
bit of a draw there. But man,
I'm, I'm pretty much a San
Antonio product in terms of the
culture I was raised in. And
it's funny to hear, you know,
people from different parts of
Texas have different drawls and
yeah, it's just that's just kind
of what is original and
authentic to me to kind of,
that's just my voice, just kind
of what it is.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah, that's what
like I've always thought when
when I've heard you is that it's
a genuine thing. It's not like
you can tell like, it's your
talking voice and your your
vocals are. You know, you can
tell that they're that they're
more than the same. You know,
it's not that you're trying To
do something else, but I think
it's such a weird thing that in
the 2000s, there's a whole bunch
of people who were, you know,
trying to sound like Randy
Rogers in that kind of that
nicely. Vocal take, which it
turned out to be a little bit
like on the windy side, right,
in my opinion.
John Baumann: Yeah, you know, I
think people, especially for
songwriters, you just need to do
what you do. And you need to
sing your songs. And, you know,
I hope I come across as
authentic. But I'm not gonna sit
down and write a song unless
it's something I'm excited
about, or something I believe in
or something that's happened to
me, it's really, it's impossible
for me to put myself in a
situation where I have to
fabricate a song, I just can't
do it. So somebody has told me
before that, you know, you sing
the way you talk. And I think
it's a compliment. But I I gotta
admit, I hear guys that have
killer voices. And there is
there's some, I don't want to
say jealousy. But you know,
maybe a little bit, maybe a
little bit of envy. Just I wish
I could deliver it. But the
truth is, I'm just I am who I
am. And that's the way it's
going to come out.
Thomas Mooney: I think like you,
you write the way you talk?
Yeah. Which is this like
expansive? vocabulary? I think
that not a lot of people want to
even try doing because it
doesn't for I think a lot of
people. They don't give like the
the audience enough credit for
being I guess, like, not smart
enough, necessarily, but that
they don't think that you know,
that people want to hear not
necessarily big $5 words. Sure,
but at least a varied
vocabulary, you know?
John Baumann: Yeah, it's really
funny in this in this business,
especially trying to trying to
come up and in the music
business, and you know, a lot of
the venues you play, I hate to
say it, but there's a lot of
bubblegum people out there, and
there's a lot of people who want
bubblegum stuff. And you know,
don't lose my train of thought
it was a long night. Yeah,
vocabulary is so important to
me. And it's good to know that
there's people out there that
that do kind of feed off of it.
But I'm, I love words, I love
language. You know, I'm, I'm the
kind of guy who will hear a word
that he doesn't know when to
look it up immediately. And
they'll say it over to himself a
couple times. But it's just,
it's fun. It's, it's, it's a
growth kind of a thing.
Thomas Mooney: Where your
parents, like one of those
parents who, you know, had like
the word of the day, to the
mirror kind of thing.
John Baumann: Not so much. But
my sisters are all guilty of
this. We, we sometimes use a
word out of context, and my
father would always call us out
on it. And, and he would always
say that's, you know, something
like that's so random. And he'd
be like, that is not the right
use of that word. We grew up in
a house of books. Lots of
reading, you know, my father was
a good man. He read to us every
night. That was a good thing.
But you know, language words, it
was just kind of the culture
around our house.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah. So like
you're originally from Amarillo,
right? You're born. They're born
there.
John Baumann: Yeah, I lived
there till I was four years old.
And then my father, he was a
river district attorney, and
Amarillo, Texas. And he lost to
I think a guy named Danny white.
He was running as a Democrat. So
Bible Belt, that first stanza
that song is the real that
really happened. He lost the
election by 11 votes, and got a
job in San Antonio. And we moved
to San Antonio, I was four or
five years old.
Thomas Mooney: What was it
though, that, like, pushed you
back here as far as like, you
know, writing about the area and
a lot of ways.
John Baumann: Yeah, you know, I
came back here for Community
College, go South Plains. I, you
know, I kind of embellish the
story a little bit, but I had a
girl far too. I followed her up
here. And kind of got a taste in
my mouth of just what it's
there's geography is very cool.
But I hate to say bleak. But as
bleak as this part of the world
can seem, sometimes there is a
incredible beauty to it. I don't
know if it's the sky or the way
that the clouds look like to
borrow your Kennedy phrase vapor
trails, or whatever. But there's
a real rugged beauty to it here.
And so many great musicians and
songwriters and storytellers
come from this part of the
world. And I don't know if it's
from boredom, or if it's from
inspiration in the landscape.
But all of that was kind of a
platform that I could build upon
and was excited to build upon
when I was first getting started
writing songs.
Thomas Mooney: It's very, I
guess, like it's a romanticized
tale of like, you know, being
from from Lubbock and being a
songwriter kind of know like,
John Baumann: It really is, it's
become a thing. It's like,
almost like chic. You know?
Yeah, it really is.
Thomas Mooney: It's just I don't
know, it's weird. Because there
for a while, like, I feel there
for a while, it was a, it wasn't
necessarily like a dead time
here, but like it was, it was
just wasn't like talked about in
the rest of the state I felt as
far as musicians and bands go.
And now all of a sudden, it's
back on, you know, it's rising.
And now now we're talking about
old guys in ways that, you know,
we didn't before, like, now all
of a sudden, you know, people
are familiar with the mains
brothers and the flatlanders in
more ways than just, oh, I've
heard of that band. Like,
they're more familiar with just
even the music. You know. Like,
whenever you started writing
songs, like I think like that
first EP, especially your, and
it goes back to the whole
vocabulary thing. You're kind of
a wordy writer, it felt like
very much and I've compared it
to like the early Springsteen of
just like, you know, putting a
whole lot of stuff in, in a
short period of time. You've
kind of like back off that in a
way like, especially on this
departures. What, what is it
about, like, you know, learning
to I guess, maybe slow down,
control yourself, don't like,
throw everything in at once.
What, uh, how did you start, I
guess, evolving?
John Baumann: You know, I think
that's a battle. I'm still
fighting. It was just yesterday,
we were in the van. And I had a
I came on we played sax pub in
Austin on Thursday night, and I
came I drove home from that
show, and I was thinking, you
know, just have some song ideas
running through my head. And
anyways, long story short, we
wrote a song in the van. Yes, it
was a cool thing. But as I was
writing it, we ran out a
soundcheck last night. And man,
I was shoving so many words into
that end of phrases. And it kind
of felt like getting back into
the old habits. It's a it's a
real battle for me, because
there's a lot I want to say. And
I think every word is important.
But in terms of the evolving
with departures, I think it was
just it was important to know, I
don't know, you know, it's good
to be a little more concise.
It's it's a battle I'm gonna
fight for further for as long as
I'm doing this. It really is
just, there's a lot I want to
say. It's hard to control.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah, I mean, I,
I can I feel like that's a very
understandable thing.
John Baumann: Yeah, it's like a
rider rider issue.
Thomas Mooney: Trying to put in
like, no, I need to say more
about this. Yeah. departures
though, like it's this. I feel
like it's gonna be like one of
those stepping stone epcs where
you I feel like people turn
their heads even more,
especially with like, like,
vices that was very kind of
guitar town moment for you as
far as like, sound and being
being an anthem in a way, you
know, I feel like there's a
little bit more anthem stuff
going on this.
John Baumann: I think you're
right. And a lot of that I got
to give credit to my my
producer, Justin Pollard. He
kind of coached me up on a lot
of the songs not with the
writing but just in terms of the
phrasing and the tone and you
know, doing the vocal take as
many times as we needed to get a
good one. But yeah, I think I I
appreciate that. I think vices
is a little bit anthemion and
the more I listen to songs, I
start to hear other Anthony type
songs now. I want to kind of go
that direction like North
Country zone for instance,
that's, that's kind of in that
wheelhouse.
Thomas Mooney: But I think like
Bay City blues is even you know,
in a way not Anthony, like in
the, you know, heartland country
or heartland rock kind of Born
to Run kind of way, but it is
very much a it captures a
certain voice a certain thought
that that a lot of people have
John Baumann: brought out you
know, and even in that song I
feel like I'm shoving some words
in maybe on the chorus, you
know, the right calls for
ransom. There's a lot going on
there. But I guess I guess it
works. But, you know, back to
back to the production I think
that really helped alleviate a
lot of the desire to kind of
shove words and and things like
that.
Thomas Mooney: So like, what
what do you have coming up next
week? What are you what are you
kind of what's your next thing
that you're looking forward to?
John Baumann: I'm I'm always
writing you know, I think every
songwriter in the modern era has
a, you know, iPhone or whatever
a notepad where they've got all
their song ideas listed and you
know, mine's 150 deep right now,
kind of half finished ideas.
But, you know, the next natural
step is a full length record.
And that's been a little bit of
a funny spot for me, you know,
I'm a guy with two VPS and one
full length and, and I would
argue that, you know, my full
length, the High Plains aqui
record, I really only like four
or five songs off that record.
But naturally, the next thing is
a full length record. And it's,
it's really got to be my best,
it's an important time for me to
really deliver the goods and and
I'm really pushing myself to do
that, and not so much in just
what I'm talking about, but how
the songs how the songs are
sung, you know, so many songs,
country music, their GED
monitor, see their 141414 if you
know, Nashville charts or
whatever. But it's important for
the phrasing to lift, and really
carry so I'm really kind of
pushing myself, but I'm not
gonna, I'm not gonna get in bed
on a project until I'm, like,
sure far 100% confident, but I
think I think I'm close. I think
it'll be recorded the next
couple months, but gotta do some
work. And I'm realizing it's
hard with the road right now.
You know, we're not touring, per
se, but we're doing runs, you
know, three days at a time. And
after three days of this boy,
Monday and Tuesday, I get home
and I'm, I need to sleep. So I'm
trying to find a new balance
here with with how the work
ethic works with the touring. Or
the gigs.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah, like how do
you? How do you even start? Like
that, that 150 song ID idea? Or
like, how do you start even
going in there and knowing like
what I did, like, Are you are
you afraid that you know? That
one of them just like slips by
and you don't realize you had it
until goddamnit? Like, I wish I
would have done something more
with that.
John Baumann: You know, it's
funny with with the songs so
much so much of the time, I'll
have like a line and I'll just
be like, Man, this is so killer.
This is creative. This is
hilarious. This is nobody's
doing this. But it's really hard
to get past that first or second
line. it's it's a it's a tough
thing. And that's why there's so
many unfinished songs. A lot of
times I'll finish a song and
I'll send it you know, I've got
a couple guys helping me,
Justin, one of the guys who
produced that record. He's, he's
managing, if you will. I sent
him a lot of stuff. And his
partner, john Selman, I send
them a lot of stuff. And you
know, sometimes they send
something back and they say,
sometimes I say nothing at all.
And it's kind of like, Alright,
well, maybe that's not a good
idea. But to somebody else, it's
a good idea. So it's a funny
little kind of situation with
what do I believe in? What is
the team believe in? And then
what are the people believe in,
in terms of a fresh song idea
and things like that? So I don't
know. Sometimes Sometimes it
hits and it's magic. And
sometimes it's like, go back, go
back to the drawing board.
Thomas Mooney: What, uh, last
night, you mentioned, you know,
you're gonna be on this Pat
green tribute appellation. Yeah.
Well, how did you get involved
with that? And like, how did you
pick through his songs and
decide?
John Baumann: Yeah, so, um, it
wasn't really my choice on the
song. And it was really a stroke
of luck. And, you know, it's not
officially that we're, we're not
supposed to say that we're on
it. But, you know, I kind of
plugged it on Twitter a week ago
saying, you know, we're in
studio today doing a tribute
song and I was so excited man, I
wanted to scream it from the
rooftops that I was doing this
but kind of for, I guess, public
relations or whatever, you know,
kind of had to hit the brakes,
but they're doing a pat green
tribute album. And I think Cody
Johnson called power cord more
what Wilkins are all on it and
Justin back to him kind of said,
Hey, man, bring your guys in.
And let's cut a song let's cut
nightmare. And you know, for
diehard Pat fans, nightmare is
one of those songs that harkens
back to the early days, and you
can go on YouTube or Spotify and
listen to the live versions and
people are going crazy. It's a
beautiful, beautiful song. So I
was so honored that, you know,
he asked us if we wanted to do
it. So we did it, and kind of
made it our own. And, you know,
oddly enough, it's the only
studio version of that song. So
it was it's really really cool
for me, especially as a guy who
would go see Pat green at 1314
years old and in here and play
this song and just think, man,
this is this is a gut rancher.
So even if Pat doesn't like it,
I might have to take it for my
next record anyways, because we
did a pretty good job on it. I
have to say
Thomas Mooney: those those early
it's one of those things where
like everyone always says he's I
like who blah blah. But I liked
his first stuff better Yeah,
like it's but in reality, like
if you listen to those first
pack Green records, the ones
that are all produced by like
Lloyd means those records, I
think are are underrated, just
by by average fans. And I think
that may be because they came
out, I guess, like 1520 years
ago now. But those first records
are just incredible.
John Baumann: It's so funny how
an artist in their early years
they can kind of, in a weird
way, they're, it's, I haven't
fully figured this out yet for
myself. And I wonder if I'm
going through it. But in a weird
way, when they're young and
naive, they kind of don't know
everything, and they don't think
everything through and sometimes
they just spit out stuff when
it's magic. And they kind of
don't know what's happening
maybe at the time. And maybe
that's what was happening with
Pat. Pat's thing, I think
eventually starts spreading like
wildfire, and people look back,
and those were the glory days
and whatnot. But, uh, and a lot
of it's the production of a good
producer. You know, Lloyd Maines
is not gonna, he's not gonna
make a bad record. But, uh,
yeah, there's something about
the beginning, in the early
years, in the naivety of this
whole thing, you can really make
some beautiful stuff.
Accidentally.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah. Yeah. I
think it's one of those things
where you yet, maybe you're too
naive, you're too dumb to know
any better. And also, I think
it's also just sometimes, you
know, when you first start out,
you actually have something to
say. And you have not just one
thing to say you have, you know,
three records worth of things to
say that you need to get out.
And, you know, sometimes it was
just hit.
John Baumann: It's amazing with
writing songs sometimes, like,
it'll just come out. And it's,
it's great. You know, the song I
wrote middlin, I had a huge chip
on my shoulder. And I still kind
of do in a way I'm kind of, but
that song came out in 20
minutes. And I played an open
mic in Austin. And the crowd
response was so positive that I
was just completely jacked. And
it came out quickly. And then,
you know, here we are a few
years later, and it's kind of
take take some time to write a
song. Yeah. So
Thomas Mooney: yeah, I can
imagine like, what's what right,
right now? Like, what's the the
song that has taken the longest
to, to actually finish?
John Baumann: Oh, that's a
really good question. There's a
lot of songs I'm working on
right now that I feel are going
to take some time, but I'm
really pushing myself. You know,
I guess off departures, maybe,
you know, departures all came
out kind of quick, actually.
Because it was just like, we got
to get a project, we got to get
a project out. The song medicine
man, you know, I wrote those
first two verses, and I had the
chorus. And then I was like, I
have nothing else to say about
the situation. So I just kind of
the last two verses kind of
slapped together. That one took
some time. But, you know, in
hindsight, departures is a
pretty quick, pretty quick ride,
I was kind of under some
pressure to get get something
out.
Thomas Mooney: Are you ever
worried like, you know, you have
this idea. You write and you
maybe get like a verse chorus
out or something like that. And
you don't know how to finish it?
Are you worried ever that, that
you're, it's gonna take too long
in the that original idea that
original thought, is not what
you think now? Like they you
just not able? That it's just
gonna be a last moment?
John Baumann: Yeah, there.
There's some worry. In a lot of
those. A lot of those ideas that
don't come in fruition, they
just kind of linger forever. And
it's so funny, you'll have a
conversation with somebody and
they'll say a phrase that you
use in a sorry, we're thinking
about, and it is kind of a
bummer. You know, realizing, oh
man, I've got this idea, but I
just can't get over the hump. So
yeah, there is some worry. But
the good thing about this is
there's always another line or
another idea out there. It's
just a matter of does it hit you
kind of at that magic moment?
Thomas Mooney: If you were if
you had like a live show, and
they were like, john, we want
you to play your favorite record
just in a row like all at once.
John Baumann: Yeah. Like, like
cover songs or something.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah, like if
you're just going to cover an
album though. It's great. Like a
full full length. What a would
be on on that list at least have
like the you would want to even
attempt
John Baumann: I would uh, I
would love to be able to
recreate as best I could t bone
Burnett's wallflowers bring it
down the horse I mean that is in
some ways I feels like the
original Americana album pardon
me for not knowing as much music
as I should, you know, but it
album is so well done. And I
know every song on there
lyrically, you know, the band
and I were recovering the
difference for a while but it
was just hard for me to deliver
the the chorus because it's so
big Then we know we can play it
I don't know if I did Jacob
Dylan any justice singing it but
bring it on the horse covered
cover song song is would be it I
think like what year did that
come out like 90? Want to say 97
or 96? Yeah, I could be off
Thomas Mooney: I still think
like the the wallflowers isn't
that time where it's one of
those where, you know now now
you can just access music in get
in anybody's discography at
once. That's still like a time
where whatever CD you had just
like kind of became your
favorite CD. Or there's so I
like I'm in the minority. I'm
always just like, like rebel
sweetheart is my favorite. Just
because like, that's the record
I had forever, you know.
underrated band, though. Yeah,
John Baumann: kind of a funny
little history with them. You
know, it's one thing to be Bob
Dylan son, and then to be the
frontman for this band. And I
can't remember the first CD had
Ashes to ashes on it. And they
kind of had some changing parts
in the band. But, you know, when
one hidden one, one headlight
came out, I remember him with
Bruce Springsteen on MTV Music
Awards, and I just, I think that
was in the day where you could
record something to VHS and I
would record it and watch it
over and over again, it just
like that CD had I listened to
it all the time. And then, you
know, if you're the wallflowers
in today's world, and I, you
know, I wonder if it's tough
sometimes because you made this
masterpiece, and yes, you have
rebel, sweetheart. But it's kind
of like, that's the apex maybe,
of where, where the career
trajectory? I don't know. I
sound like a fool. But well, I
Thomas Mooney: mean, like it I
think it all could just goes
back to just being Bob Dylan
son. You know what I mean?
Because I must say, saying that,
like, the wallflowers isn't a
genuine thing. But like, you
have to know that. Jacob Dylan
was probably thinking, Okay, I
need to, I'm not gonna be a folk
songwriter, which I obviously
now he's doing more. Yeah.
singer songwriter, kind of stuff
limiting country. But you know,
that, uh, at some point that he
was like, No, I'm gonna I'm
gonna make a, like a rock band.
You know, I can't I can't be a
songwriter like a singer
songwriter. kind of thing.
John Baumann: I couldn't imagine
being the son of like, the most
iconic American songwriter, one
of you know, it's just, that'd
be a really, really a tough bit
of baggage. But you know, I
think he did. Well, I think he's
doing well. Things bank account
probably looks alright. Yeah,
Thomas Mooney: I'm sure. Have
you heard of like, one of the
one of Dylan's like grandson's
is like a rapper. I can't think
of his name or anything like
this. I have no idea. But it's
one of those just like what he
says. I can't I he doesn't just
go by bla bla bla Dylan. I don't
know what his name is.
John Baumann: I think I know
what the band and I are going to
be googling on the way.
Thomas Mooney: I don't even know
if he has an album. You may just
have to like go on SoundCloud.
And find these random
John Baumann: grandpa things. I
don't know. He's probably like
he's doing his thing. It's all
good.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah, I don't
know. That's funny. I'm sure
Dylan's a fan of some hip hop.
John Baumann: I bet he is, you
know, I bet he is. I don't know
the guy. Yeah. But uh,
Thomas Mooney: I'm sure he has
like some Kendrick Lamar. Or
some. I bet like he's actually a
big fan of Jay Z. Yeah, that's
where I put my money on.
John Baumann: I, you know, I'm
not opposed to Philip Dylan's
coming around. I just saw him in
an IBM commercial. You know,
that one where he's talking to
Watson or whoever the computer
is, but he feels like he's, he's
coming around. I heard a story,
my friend tell me that Bob Dylan
went to Bob Dylan Museum, like
disguised as somebody else one
time just to like, check it out.
I don't know. It's weird.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah. There's
this I guess like an essay that
was done by Todd Snyder, about
Bob Dylan that he had done for
like this magazine. And I don't
know how old it is probably
like, maybe 15 years old, the
essay. And it's about like, if
if he was able to meet Bob
Dylan, would he because he just
you know, he loves Bob Dylan.
Right? But like Bob Dylan's one
of those guys where it's hard to
meet the actual Bob Dylan
without being
John Baumann: all the actual Bob
Dylan is Robert Zimmerman. It's
like, yeah, it's just funny how
Yeah, I completely can
understand that.
Thomas Mooney: But like, it's
also it's it goes into this,
like his little essay goes into
the whole, like, do you want to
meet your heroes? Because your
heroes are always just gonna
disappoint you. There's that
aspect. There's the whole like,
are you meeting like the actual
Bob Dylan? Are you just meeting
like one of these various, you
know, characters that he's
created with Yeah, these
personas and then also just like
the I there's like I guess
another aspect of it but he goes
into like these stories that his
friends have told them about
their their times meeting Bob
Dylan in which they're really
hilarious like, probably my
favorite one is like East
Nashville, this guy is walks out
and sees this guy on the street
and he's like, that's got to be
Bob Dylan or that's a hobo. I
can't, and he couldn't like,
tell the difference. So he like
kinda like, just stood there for
about 510 minutes watching this
guy. And the guy was standing
there and like messing with his
shoes or something like that.
And he finally walks by and he
just says, It's me in like,
continues on.
John Baumann: Yeah, it's like,
you got somebody looking at you
trying to figure out, he was
like, I know what this guy's
thinking, you know, I'm just
gonna tell him it's me. I heard
a story about Steve Martin.
Somebody was doing the same
thing to Steve Martin. And he
just handed me a business card
says yes. You just met Steve
Martin. I would think though,
you know, after so much
notoriety and press, fame or
critical acclaim or whatever.
anonymity is like a beautiful,
beautiful thing you never
thought she'd want. But it
becomes like a prized
possession. in a weird way.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah. That's like
if you become president, you're
like, you're never gonna have a
John Baumann: I couldn't
imagine. It's amazing how great
they get after for eight years
in office, man, it's just it's
it's tragic, in a way.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah. It's so
weird like that, you know,
they've aged like in, they've
aged 20 years and eight years. I
mean, they always show those
pictures of Brock. And it's
like, man, he had, you know,
John Baumann: he was a young man
going in office, you know, and
now he looks he's gray and
wrinkled. He just the toll of
the job. Yeah, it's just rough.
Thomas Mooney: And of course,
Clinton now like, you see
Clinton on these campaigns with
Hillary, it's like man, Bill
looks. He looks like he.
John Baumann: Oh, man, I'm
working on a song called Bad
bill. And it's about Bill
Clinton. Yeah, I think it'll be
we'll see if it ever gets
finished. It's another kind of
one liner in my iPhone but for
some there's some comedy there I
think yeah. Yeah, Bill Clinton
man swinging dick Yeah,
Thomas Mooney: okay, so like
what did you What did you listen
to as a kid? Like what was your
like your just go to record that
you had
John Baumann: you know, it's
funny like I always go to like
Home Depot or Lowe's with my my
dad when I was a kid and he
always had like Randy Travis on
cassette and George straight on
cassette and you know, I'd never
wanted to go in the store so I
just said leave me in the car
and I just listened to those
tapes. Um, well the first CDs I
ever bought was the Beatles just
because I thought it was like a
cool thing. But I actually like
never really liked the record.
It was like one of those
anthology records. Like I said,
the wallflowers was a big one. I
was one of those guys who would
like find one song off the
record and just love that song.
I didn't care for like, like Foo
Fighters like they had the
walking after you song and it
was like the slow country song
on that record. I think everlong
was on on that record, but I
just loved walking after you
because I was just like, I was
like, Americana country. kind of
song. So you know, but but
country music you know, you know
also Allison's like on a lot of
matchbox Tony and stuff like
that.
Thomas Mooney: I think like
okay, matchbox. 20 is one of
those bands. That still still
guilty pleasure. Oh, yeah, you
know, I'll I have all three CDs
just because I keep every CD.
Okay, so me and Parker were
talking one time, like what
we're talking about like
Panthera like what CD? Was it
that like your parents just like
you had and they took it away
from me? Because they're like,
No, you can't listen to this. Is
there anything?
John Baumann: No, I really never
was in like, Lincoln Park or
tool or any like heavy stuff. I
just wasn't my wasn't my bag.
You know, one thing this is,
this is not music related. But I
was a kid I thought Tom Green
was hilarious. So I like print.
I print Tom Green, like
transcripts from his skits and
things like that I print them
off on the home computer and not
just like leaving around the
house just because I was
lackadaisical not thinking my
parents would find that stuff
and they'd read it and just be
like, what the hell is wrong
with this kid? You know? So?
There wasn't really record but
you know, stuff like that.
Thomas Mooney: Yes. Okay, so
like, what what would you be
schizo? Did you just like read
them to yourself or did you
John Baumann: it's that's, you
know, I'd see him on TV and
think there were so hilarious
and then I just, I print them
off and I and I read them and I
just, I thought it was kind of
funny. Like my mom was on your
What is it? My phone was on your
hip or my phone was on your?
Yeah,
Thomas Mooney: it's like on
everything. I forgot about that
song. Yeah, that's when like MTV
had music videos and the music
video was It
John Baumann: was a real, it was
a relevant thing. Yeah, I guess
just a weird teenager man. Just
a weird guy.
Thomas Mooney: I think like,
that's just a being a teenager.
Yeah, kind of an idiot for
John Baumann: Oh, there's no
question about
Thomas Mooney: one of the Okay,
so this is like, one of the
things I was talking with Ryan
co about one time was, you know,
we're from the generation
especially like, if you, if your
parents weren't like, in the art
scene, they weren't always taken
into music and stuff. You just
were raised on like that top
layer of culture. How was was
that? Is that? Was that how it
was grown up for you?
John Baumann: Not really, you
know, we took a family trip to
New York one time and all I
cared about was going to see
Yankees game, and I got two
sisters. And they both like
theater and stuff like that. And
we were going to go see a
Broadway show. And I was just
livid about it. And I can't
remember what we saw, you know,
carousel or something. And, man,
I walked out of there just like,
what, you know, live theater is
a beautiful, incredible thing.
So, you know, we kind of we kind
of would, we would never go to
Disneyland. You know, my parents
were always so proud of the fact
that we were not a Disneyland
vacation type. But you know, we
go see DC and see the monuments
and run an RV and drive on the
Pacific Coast Highway. Just my
parents always wanted us to see
kind of internet My dad always
emphasize remembering what you
see and what you do. And but in
terms of music, you know, my
parents weren't really like
music aficionados, but my dad
loved Roy Orbison and things
like that, but I just never. I
don't know.
Thomas Mooney: Yeah, what what
is your favorite like dad ism,
that your dad just like, always
would say,
John Baumann: Oh, man. Famous
last words. He'd always say, you
know, that was that was one of
them. Just kind of like you say
something, you're so confident
about it. And then you know, all
hell breaks loose. You didn't
see coming, but you should see
it coming because things happen.
He had a lot of a lot of like
phrases and things like that.
But yeah,
Thomas Mooney: the one that
always sticks in my head about
my dad was anytime we were on
vacation, you know, you they
bought me a disposable camera,
or like, he would have a camera,
but his obviously at film and
shit. And he would uh, I would
always just be like, Hey, take a
photo of that. Take a photo, you
know, take a photo of me take a
photo of this and his he wore
out the line. You'd have to wait
for a Kodak moment. And I
thought it was the dumbest thing
ever just like cuz obviously
just taking it from the damn
commercial. But he's like, you
gotta wait for a Kodak moment.
Yeah. And so at the end of the
trip or whatever, he would
always just have 10 fucking
photos. Yeah, like, nothing
John Baumann: like that. Come
on.
Thomas Mooney: I'd ease up that
disposable. Like in one day.
Yeah,
John Baumann: yeah. But it's
Yeah, it's funny, you know,
fathers and sons. It's funny
what you what you glean from
them. And it's weird. Because
sometimes you see your dad
you're like, man, I don't want
to be that guy. You know, even
if he's not a bad guy or
anything. And then as you get
older, you become that guy in
some ways. Not not entirely, but
kind of a funny. Yeah, funny
thing.
Thomas Mooney: Hey, this is this
is Danny right here.
John Baumann: Yeah, man, thank
you so much for coming out.
What's the pups name? writer,
writer. That's an apropos Yeah.
Right on Indiana Jones.
Thomas Mooney: But yeah, we're
about like, 35 minutes. You want
to play a song?
John Baumann: Yeah, I can play a
song. I'll see if I can see. All
right.
Thomas Mooney: Hey, just another
little quick break for another
sponsor of the new slang
podcast. It's flatland Calvary
symbol folks. Yeah, it's their
their first full length record.
And other than the very first CD
release show for humble folks is
going to be Friday, April first
at the blue light. That's next
weekend. You know, I'm probably
gonna make everyone jealous by
saying this, but I've actually
had the record for like, like
two weeks now. And you know,
it's really really, really good.
They recorded the record over at
Scott versus amusement park
Studios here in town. And you
know, it's kind of like come may
in the way that it pops. It just
pops in the right spots it It
sounds great. As they said with
come may it's easy on the ears
heavy on the heart in saying
that there are some really
really cool surprises that are
going to be on this record. You
know, it's a band that that
we're seeing mature and grow
right before our eyes. Like
cleddau told me a few months
back you know, he's not
summertime love kid anymore. So
He's He's, I guess developed all
these different characters and
personas that he's going to be
able to go into and hopefully
you'll be able to hear that on
the record, you know, and next
Wednesday, you'll have to drop
what you're doing and head over
to the new slang website because
we'll be streaming the entire
record all 11 tracks for
Wednesday, Thursday Friday
probably just the entire
weekend. If you've not heard of
flatland cavalry, go and check
out their their first EP. If you
have, be sure to go to new slang
Lubbock calm and stream the new
record whenever we have it out.
Believe in the buzz, you know,
the hype is real. It's all
warranted and you know put a
score on the board for the
humble folks. Okay, now some
more john Bauman.
John Baumann: play a song called
goodbye whiskey the song don't
know what's gonna go on the
record. why you had a thing
jury? No, that's shocked to
hear. I wrote off read was not
burned out. I go into liquor, or
the Delta dog Cantina. I got
lemon in my water. So but gigas
and drinking man. You will miss
me. Goodbye whiskey. Whiskey.
Figured I'd had enough. Dre can
solo in the dark. Too much jack
on. Too much could he sorry. I
won't even mention the morning.
Hit pound and lack of bowling.
Hell, I even lost some belly
fat. Got a bit complex. She
didn't drink it man. You will
miss me. Goodbye whiskey. See I
go through changes. Mad the
killing of age. After some time,
it's a simple choice. pastime
pasttime turn page. It ain't
hard dodge temptation. I don't
mind standing tall. Something
good or bad. The shakes and
quakes. alcohol. Drinking man.
You will miss me. Goodbye
whiskey. Drake. You won't miss
me. Goodbye, whiskey.



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