AK: Give me a brief history of the Rodeo. What led to the formation of
the group? What changes have occurred since its inception?
BA: Brent Amaker and the Rodeo started as an offshoot of a Seattle motorcycle club. Me and some buddies wanted to start a western band, and we planned on riding our bikes to shows. Shortly after formation, we started touring, and logistics made it difficult to maintain. So we ditched the bikes, bought a 15 passenger van, and focused on the music.
Since the band formed, the original members have been replaced. That was also the result of the tours. It’s a lot to ask of band members to hit the road over and over on a shoestring budget. So gradually, the first group of guys left. The new members were made up of members who were serious about touring and making something happen with their music careers. The Rodeo as it stands right now is what I consider to be the true Rodeo. I’ve never performed with more talented musicians. And every one of them has a crazy streak that embodies the spirit of the Rodeo. I’m lucky to be playing music with this band. They ARE the best.
AK: This is the first EP for the band. It’s also a much quicker
turnaround than usual. How did this EP come to be? Why so (relatively)
fast?
BA: Every time the Rodeo records, we document a moment in time. There is no guarantee that we’ll have the chance to recapture a particular energy if we go back to it later. We produced a small batch of songs that represented the current evolution of the project very well. So, we went into the studio and knocked it out. We could have waited to develop more songs for an LP, but I felt like these tunes stood on their own. We showed them to our label (Fin Records), and they were excited to get them out there. So here it is! The Country Sky EP.
AK: What is this EP doing to show the band’s progression as a group?
BA: For Year of the Dragon (2013), I felt like we took our brand of western music to a different place. And when it called for it, we got weird. That wasn’t intentional, but it was just where things were at with the band. We had a lot of fun, and I think you can hear it in those songs. But, if anything, Country Sky finds a balance between where we’ve come from and where we are going. The songs are hooky enough to enjoyed by fans of our earlier material and the musicianship has the character of the current line up. And for the first time you can hear a duet with a guest female vocalist (Seattle singer Rachael Ferguson of NighTraiN). Things feel very natural with this release. I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
AK: Was the sound you were shooting for what you ended up with?
BA: I wasn’t looking for a specific sound so much as I wanted a recording that represented what we had become. We’ve done that with Country Sky, and I’m very happy with it.
AK: You’re a band with a sort of connection to South Dakota. Tell me about that.
BA: It all started with my buddy Troy Nelson, who is a DJ at KEXP in Seattle. I met him in 1997. He had just arrived from Mitchell, and I had moved from Oklahoma City. We met at an open mic in Seattle and became friends. Troy’s buddies would come visit for vacation, and we’d all hang out. One of the first I met was Johnny Podhradsky, who would eventually become our band photographer. When the Rodeo started touring, the South Dakota crew provided crash pads throughout the country. We’ve enjoyed free accommodations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Sioux Falls, and Mitchell (just to name a few spots). Folks from South Dakota are good people and always seem to welcome a traveling musician. So, if we get within a couple of states of S.D., we make a point of swinging through for a show. Not to mention, you folks really know how to have a good time. I love playing music in South Dakota.
AK: Are you still pouring whiskey into the mouths of audience members?
BA: We cut that song (“Bring Me the Whiskey”) out a while back. People use to buy us so many shots when we played the song, that we couldn’t drink them all. So, I turned it into an opportunity to welcome folks to the “Church of the Rodeo” with a whiskey baptism. It was fun, but our set evolved and we moved onto other things. However, there is a place and time for everything. We have a few spots around the country where the club owners will hand us a full bottle of whiskey when we arrive. It’s always polite to share when handed a bottle of whiskey. So, you never know for sure. It can still happen.
AK: What’s the best drink you yourself have had?
BA: There’s a place in Seattle called Canon. Their signature “Canon” cocktail is one of my favorites (www.canonseattle.com). They are serious about their drink and known for crafting world class cocktails. But these days, I’m equally happy with a Bulleit Rye neat. My favorite drink changes from one year to the next. It’s good to have a moving target.
AK: Best meal?
BA: My best meal would be the one my wife serves me at the end of a tour. There is nothing like the taste of food cooked by a good woman after spending countless weeks in a van with a bunch of dudes. Anything she serves me in that moment is my best meal…as long as it’s steak.
AK: It was a pleasant surprise to hear the word “Kongo” in “Top of the Food Chain.” I can assume you’re referencing Mitchell’s finest (and only) strip club?
