After the show runs its title. The names of Johnny McDougal and Brandon Caulfield are shown up on the screen as today's guests. Johnny sits across from Brandon that has a small coffee table in the middle of them. There are glasses of water on the table and a few scribbles of paper that contained some notes that Johnny had wrote down for the interview. This small set sits across from a stage that contains the standard musical instruments that any one could appreciate. He reached across the table and shook Brandon's hand then immediately commenced with the questions.

Johnny: It's a real pleasure man. I can start by saying sometimes where we grow up doesn't directly influence the kind of music we play which kind of leads into my question. I grew up in a small country town that's next to the Ohio River. We're talking a one stop light town with maybe one or two bars but not much else in the way of entertainment. Instead of following the regular crowd back in school I was pretty heavily influenced by punk rock and that pure stripped down sound of noise. Growing up in a town that was set in its ways was kind of a form of rebellion. Though I discovered my love for pure roots, blues, and Americana once I got older. Realizing the kind of legacy my Grandfather was quiet about lead to me really digging in. It was something I guess that lay dormant in me without knowing it. Which is why I went that direction for my solo endeavor. I wanted to explore it more and pay homage to it. A few trips to Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, and then Clarksdale, Mississippi really started driving it home for me. I realized once again that I was deviating from the norm once more by playing this real rootsy and raw powered stuff. Which is why I'm asking this. You were born in Seattle. The birthplace of Hendrix and where the grunge sound really started from. Most people would really use that as a stepping stone to find influence there. But you went in a different direction as well. Where'd it all come from and what really puts everything into perspective for you?

As Brandon is sat opposite Johnny with just the small table dividing the two musicians, his hair almost reaching his shoulders but the majority of it covered by a hat, the look is simple, his glasses with a blue tint in the glass and his facial hair draw focus to his face but his clothing choice rather unperfected and certainly not primed, a faded green scarf lightly wrapped around his neck and a checked t-shirt with jeans and what looks like basic work boots. As he extends a handshake to Johnny before sitting down and listening with a look of focus on his face as Johnny discusses the nature of his hometown and the roots of his influences, Brandon nods approvingly.

Brandon: Thanks man! It certainly is a pleasure to be here talking with you. I think it’s interesting that you were influenced by an alternative sound that perhaps didn’t conform to the ways of where you were brought up as the situation was similar for me but the genre’s slightly reversed. Seattle back when I was starting to become interested in music was still I felt at the time living in the shadows of that grunge music of the late 80’s and early 90’s, of course there’s a wonderful music tradition that goes way back to Hendrix that I guess at the time I was rather oblivious to, I never connected to the grunge sound or even the heavy guitar influenced rock sounds but rather the more softer acoustic sounds of country and folk, Van Morrison I guess was the music that I had heard most at home while growing up.

Of course you can’t deny the quality of the music that came from Seattle but it’s never something that I connected with for the longest time, I would certainly consider it music that I appreciate now despite it not quite being the sort of music that I play.

But you know, as I grew and I guess I’m talking from maybe sixteen years old upwards I was more interested in the country that I’m from rather than the hometown or even the state that I’m from, I was into stories of America, Steinbeck and the likes provided something that at the time I was a little unaware that music could provide perhaps even more emphatically and then in turn you find yourself starting to listen to folk and country and you find yourself starting to go backwards from Dylan.
From what I remember of Seattle, it was a fast-paced environment that surrounded myself and I think that in hindsight I may have been drawn to the slower and softer elements of music as a result, perhaps as an escape from the nature of the big city life.

But it certainly proves that music isn’t just one thing or the other, you can be as far away from the roots of a genre as possible and it can still find you. Needless to say, I think you’d have probably had more fun growing up where I did and vice versa?

Johnny: You know that's a damn good question. I've known the guys in my band since high school so being in a tight knit group of musicians that are also friends we all know what are strengths and weaknesses are. It's also easier for us to make music because we just gel together. When you're comfortable with a certain group of people you're more at ease with each other. So being in the studio and writing is just something that kind comes naturally. We all sit and collaborate together on a song's composition at times. Other times we can just be playing with licks that we've come up with. Then it's sort of like "Hey, play that again." It then just builds from there. We go through periods of spontaneity and other times there's stuff that has already been layed down that requires us to work together. Usually pre written lyrics are something we work on together when want to find a definite sound for the song in question. Other times it's just purely organic and spur of the moment. I can say that about being in the studio with those guys who are my greatest group of friends.

Touring with them is a whole different story. We're like a bunch of big kids on a field trip. So there's all this energy and excitement buzzing. We take out all the pent up energy and then release it on stage which creates for some great shows. Also since we all know each other we're real with each other on stage. What you get at a Meddling Kids show is basically like seeing us playing together in the studio. There's banter back and forth with some joking around. It's like you're in our garage watching us jam and enjoy ourselves. Though the big difference between the two is the energy. We try to be more serious in the studio and make sure we put in time as well as hard work into the process. Though we try to have fun with it at the same time. Touring is more our time to get out and have fun. Recording is work and to be taken as seriously as possible without getting too boring.

I formed Southland with family members really. We have a family friend who plays guitar that was pretty much my dad's best friend. After dad died he tried hard along with my uncle and grandad to keep the family from really falling apart. He wasn't even blood related but he's like having another uncle around. My blood uncle plays drums and the bassist is just a guy that was recommended to me. It was a process at first to really make sure the band gelled into a unit. I wanted to feature them just as well as myself although I had the bulk of the songwriting and composition responsibilities. So it was a two way street. I didn't want to completely steal thunder from some great musicians. I've given Joe Bob the singing duties for some songs that I didn't think my voice could do justice for. He has a definable country twang that really comes in handy. Though they seemed to understand this project was important to me. They actually let me have my position as a premier musician. It's humbly respectful for a group of musicians to sit back and say "This is your music and your art. You can have the reins."

I will say recording as a solo artist does give me a bit more freedom to explore my musical tastes. I mean I get to experiment a little bit and broaden myself somewhat. There was some things I didn't think I could do with TMK so I decided to do it as a solo act. It's also a bit more work really and sometimes painful to dig into the well to bring some things out of the dark that you rather wouldn't bring to light. But bringing that out has also done me a service and made me a better musician I think. There's more soul searching and deep thought involved. Though I do enjoy of saying I want the bass to come in here, the drum beat has to be this way, and this song has to have some mandolin in it. Then when it all comes together it's rewarding to be like damn, I wrote that whole beautiful thing.

Touring with Southland is less school boy energy and more like a revered pilgrimage. It's less chaotic and it gives me more time to myself since I'm often by myself. However, I do appreciate the company of others. Especially when it's family. There's usually a long night of swapping stories, playing cards, and just pretty much shooting the breeze. Though I'm so attached to some of the guys in TMK. Joe Monroe who shares the lead guitar spot in TMK from time to time often comes with us. So every once in a while we will play practical jokes on each other. But it's a bit quieter at times and mellowed out. I like that.

I really can't say what I like more. Making music is something that I love very much. But taking it on the road and seeing all those people that appreciate it puts it into perspective more. You have people come up to you after shows and tell you how much your music has inspired them. That or it's that the music you made helped them through a hard time. Any number of things really. It drives you to want to make more music. So it's a beautiful give and take. Playing music is the greatest addiction I've ever had.

What about yourself? What do you find different from touring and recording? Also, what about both do you enjoy? This is related to the question of touring but I like asking the simple things sometimes. You got a favorite road food or any places out there you like to hit when you go out to play music? I got to admit I'm a sucker for the hole in the wall diner or greasy spoon. We really enjoy those places. The people there enjoy having us as well. Like you I love playing the theaters and old music halls. The places that have history are the enjoyable one's. You're playing in the same places where the greats came before you. Which is why I love playing The Ryman every time I go to Nashville.

Brandon: It’s different for me I guess now, I’ve always struggled with attention shall we say. Performing onstage is a daunting thought for me which I guess stems from my own personal issues. Once I’m onstage I lose any sense of control that I have in other aspects of my life, I know the music that I’m gonna perform but there’s always the thought that it could go horribly wrong. So for me, actually getting out onstage was always the tricky thing, I guess I’d say that performing in front of people is some form of fear although now it’s definitely not particularly as bad as it has been at times, I enjoy it hugely when I’m onstage and performing but it’s the build-up to the performance that I find to be a struggle.
I think I probably prefer recording to be honest. It’s great to perform music that you’ve crafted onstage but the actual touring can be rough at times, I’ve done my travelling and for the most part I’ve explored what it is I’ve wanted to explore and with circumstance things change. Favourite food spots while touring I guess would be those secluded diners, the roadside diners would be a likely place of choice for me.

But like I say about how with circumstance things change, between 19 and 22 years of age I was all for travelling, I wouldn’t have a permanent place to call home during that period, I wasn’t a musician at that time, I played guitar and wrote but I just travelled, stopped off at various places along the way and picked up jobs here and there in order to get to the next place I wanted to be at, it was an unstable way of living that at the time I loved greatly.

Now I feel I need more control and structure in my life, I feel like the bigger picture of my life has already begun forming and with that means that touring is definitely a less favourable thing to go through, travelling has also been something I’ve enjoyed greatly but when you’re on the road alone and have a wife at home it changes your perspective, you know?

Johnny: I can understand where you're coming from there. I was nervous at first myself but I kind of just fell into it. There's no insecurities for me on stage because a lot of the time I'm bearing some serious stuff to the crowd through my music. So there's nothing really to be nervous about. Once my hands touch the strings of whatever instrument I'm playing I feel like I got nothing to lose so it's full throttle or nothing. It's like a sacrifice of sorts. Which is at the end of a lot of TMK shows we usually wreck our stuff. There's actually a method to that madness. We're telling the fans "Hey we're doing this for you and sacrificing ourselves figuratively by playing music." So then to wreck everything is kind of a nod to that for us. Also it's something the crowd just eats up. That and it's just fun as hell. Good way to let off steam.

He chuckled.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of traveling. I've got a rambling bone in me so I enjoy to get out there and explore the world. There's still so much music to be played and places to play it at you know. Out there I think there's still things to see and enjoy. I try to live life as fully as possible. Don't ever sell yourself short in anything you do. If you're going to do anything do it as best as you can. Make sure you've squeezed every drop out of it. That's my philosophy.

I think we should get up and play a song or two.

Brandon: Yeah, I’m not naturally an exhibitionist so the prospect of performing live was always a slight worry, like I say though it’s not so much of a worry now. I’m more than comfortable baring my soul onstage now, it just took a while for me to become entirely comfortable with it. That’s a pretty great philosophy to have, you hold back then you’re bound to have regrets. Make the most of your chances while you still can.

Brandon laughed slightly before standing to his feet, extending his hand across the table towards Johnny’s.

OOC: Thought this went really well for the first one. I'd love to see some other people get into this and write up another rp. Now that you see how it works. Curious to see who else may show up.

OOC: Thanks! Also, I love that feeling.