Introducing The Western Express
Photo by Eryn Brooke
Hey Western Express, how the heck are you?
We’re doing good, pal. We’re excited to hang with y’all.
OK, easy question first, where are you right now, and what are you up to today?
It’s a rare rainy day here in Austin. We’ve been recording new song demos and doing some band business today.
Introduce yourself to our campers.
We’re Stephen and Phill.
Phill: I’m a pal who loves nothing more than to sleep under the stars, listen to the nightbird cry, and hear the river run. The dance halls and bars provide the balance to my love of solitude and nature.
Stephen: I’m a writer and a singer. I spend a lot of time at the honky tonks in Austin, and a lot of time with my kid. I also like to play golf when I can.
In two sentences describe your new release, Lunatics, Lovers & Poets.
It’s a collection of songs Stephen wrote, inspired by the desert, the dancehall, love, loss, mental health, and of course, quesadillas. It sounds like a border town honky tonk.
Take me back to the beginning, how did you guys meet and what was the moment that you decided to be in a band together?
We met on Craigslist in 2018 and we’ve been playing music together ever since. This is not a euphemism.
Tell me about ‘Flower Of The Rio Grande’.
Stephen: I wrote it about the woman who would later become my girlfriend, during the early stages of our dating. She’s from McAllen, down in the Rio Grande Valley, and for the first few months we dated, she wouldn’t be my girlfriend. I wrote Flower in those few months, while I was being patient.
‘Quesadilla Mamacita’ is probably the best song title of 2022, what can you tell me about the song?
Stephen: My friend Jess lives in San Antonio and one day a few years back, she texted to ask if I’d write her a song about a quesadilla. As is common for me, the hook—”my little Quesadilla Mamacita”—immediately ran through my head. I went away for about an hour and the song was done. Now if I can just get a hold of the marketing department at Chili’s…
So, Stephen, what does Phill bring to the band?
Honestly, this is Phill’s band, I’m just the lead singer. Phill manages every aspect of the business and logistics, which includes travel, booking, finance management, scheduling… and who knows what else. It’s a massive undertaking, and he does so much of it on his own. Oh and by the way, he also sings and plays bass at every show. And maybe most importantly, Phill brought together all the band members, I didn’t. He’s a remarkable judge of character, and he’s surrounded The Western Express with an incredible core group of friends and supporters who have all helped launch the band.
Least surprising question now, Phill; what does Stephen bring to the band?
Stephen brings a vision and fire to the operation that is unparalleled. He’s always thinking of the next song, the next piece of merchandise that people are going to want, or the next place we need to play. He brings both a sense of width and depth to the band that enriches everyone around him. Not just the band members, but the audience as well gains a great understanding of themselves from entering the world he creates in the songs. We are all able to travel deep into the desert or late into the night at the honky tonk. We do a good job of trading off steering the train and shovelling the coal.
With the poor $ numbers from streaming, what’s the best way for people to support you and your music?
These days, music is free. It’s not a fact that’s very fun to acknowledge, but it’s a fact nonetheless. So we rely on our community of friends and fans to come to shows, dance, sing, buy merchandise, tell their pals about us and how much you enjoy the songs.
What else is coming up in 2022? If you’re not busy enough having an album out.
Through the end of the year we’ll take some road trips for shows and continue with the record promotion we’ve already started. And we’re getting ready to go into the studio again in January 2023. We have some new songs and a drive to keep releasing our art.
If you could recommend one artist to listen to this week, who would it be?
Stephen: Eliot Bronson
Phill: Cisco Houston - I just came across this fellow, but he feels like an old voice from a long forgotten time that I needed to hear.
What’s the question I should have asked you today but haven’t?
Q: Where did the name The Western Express come from?
A: In the 50s, Willie Nelson was a young radio DJ in several Texas towns, and later in Vancouver, Washington. The name of his show was Western Express. Phill and I are both huge Willie fans, and know a lot about his story. From the first time the name came up as an option, we both knew it would be perfect for this project.
Finally, how do you take your coffee?
Stephen: I like weak gas station or diner coffee with a lot of cream.
Phill: BLACK and STRONG, sometimes before a show making it a bit Irish.
To find out more about The Western Express you can visit Stephen and Phill’s website, or you can check out what they’re up to on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Lunatics, Lovers & Poets is out now and available to stream everywhere. Tidal embed below.
