Matt Axton Interview | Son of Hoyt Axton & Grandson of Mae Boren Axton

Few artists can claim a musical heritage as deep as Matt Axton. As the son of legendary singer-songwriter and actor Hoyt Axton and the grandson of Mae Boren Axton—the celebrated songwriter who co-wrote Elvis Presley's first No. 1 hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," and became known as the "Queen Mother of Nashville"—Matt was born into one of America's most influential songwriting families.

Growing up in Lake Tahoe, Matt spent much of his childhood on tour buses, backstage at concerts, and surrounded by some of the greatest musicians and storytellers of their generation. Music wasn't simply a career in the Axton household—it was a way of life. Those experiences helped shape Matt into an accomplished singer-songwriter whose music blends Americana, country, roots rock, blues, and soul while honoring his family's extraordinary legacy without living in its shadow.

Today, Matt has carved out an identity all his own. A prolific songwriter with more than 300 original songs, he has earned a reputation as an engaging performer whose concerts mix powerful storytelling, heartfelt songwriting, humor, and exceptional musicianship. His music reflects the influence of the American West while embracing the timeless traditions of folk, country, and rock 'n' roll.

Throughout his career, Matt has recorded with acclaimed musicians including Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) and Hal Cragin, collaborated on tribute projects such as Abbey Road Reimagined, and shared stages with artists including Midland, Paul Cauthen, Jim Lauderdale, and Nikki Lane. His performances have taken him to major festivals, historic venues, and listening rooms across the United States, where audiences quickly discover that while the Axton name opens the door, Matt's talent keeps people coming back.

The Axton family legacy is woven into the fabric of American music. Matt's grandmother, Mae Boren Axton, helped launch Elvis Presley's career with "Heartbreak Hotel," while his father, Hoyt Axton, wrote enduring classics including "Joy to the World," "Never Been to Spain," "The Pusher," "Greenback Dollar," and "The No No Song," songs that became hits for artists such as Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf, The Kingston Trio, Elvis Presley, and Ringo Starr.

On this episode of the Musical Miles Podcast, Byron Duffin sits down with Matt Axton to explore one of country music's most remarkable family legacies. Matt shares stories of growing up with his legendary father, the influence of his grandmother's groundbreaking career in Nashville, life on the road, the responsibility of carrying an iconic family name, and how he has forged his own path as one of today's most authentic Americana troubadours. It's an unforgettable conversation about family, songwriting, legacy, and the enduring power of great music.

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🎵 In This Episode:
• Matt Axton interview
• Son of Hoyt Axton
• Grandson of Mama Mae Boren Axton
• Independent Artist
 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Play a pretty little bluegrass tune called Everything right now. Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

When are you coming back to bed? Since you have lived for me, haven't found a single second to rest. Don't cry, my dolly. There's still a chance. I won't stop trying till my very last breath. Cause I cannot sleep without you laying next to me. And I want to be everything. Why do you say things that are not true? When that is something swore that you never do. You can say again your heart and your soul, but it doesn't mean a thing mean a thing, you're not around because I cannot sleep without you laying next to me, and I want to be everything. When I first saw you, you were the girl of my dreams. Now that I have you can see you leave when I first saw you, you were the girl of my dreams, girl of my dreams.

SPEAKER_04 2:19

Now that I have you can see you leave not sleep without Gelaine next to me, and I want to be fine Well I cannot sleep without Gelay next to me and I want to be I want to be I want to be your everything Cha cha thank you thank you thank you so much guitar plays itself Yeah oh yeah I doubt that hey music lovers welcome to Musical Miles Podcast I'm your host Byron Duffin and I'm here with Mr.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

Matt Axton and we are in Bozeman Montana at Bozeman Hot Springs and uh Matt's playing here tonight they have live music here pretty regularly yeah like four days a week all every weekend they sort of make some music out here so yeah what a cool place this is our first time here have you played here before this is our second time playing here at the Hot Springs it's a very it's interesting gig out there you know every sure it's really hard to hear people clap while their hands are underwater I realize is are you on the stage right in front of the pool?

SPEAKER_04 3:53

Yeah so yeah the big sort of the canopied area okay okay well we weren't sure how they set that up but they had a nice stage there yeah not a lot of room for people to watch unless they're in the pool exactly yeah or back away from it but uh what a cool what a cool place very cool so you are uh originally from uh born and raised in Reno Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe still which Reno's are a big city yeah right right next door so well we've only that's another place that's invaded us pretty good we haven't been over there much we've we've been there once or twice but uh you gotta get over there well in fact our kids were there this weekend really yeah our gr our son and his uh and our granddaughters were over there with his girlfriend so what a what a cool place but Matt comes by his musical talent you know usually I start this and ask when did you get bit by the music bug?

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Well essentially you were born with the music bug I'm assuming at some point you had to really take interest in it but but it you come by it fairly naturally absolutely the bug was everywhere there was bugs everywhere so all the way back to where I want to start is that uh your grandmother Mama May Axton uh she actually wrote co-wrote Heartbreak Hotel yeah that's how the whole thing started about 70 years ago now how amazing is that so she was a um she was a PR personality and part-time songwriter and part-time school teacher down in the in the southeast and midwest in the early 1950s and uh my my grandfather her husband was a military man so they moved around a lot right and they found themselves down in Jacksonville Florida in the early 50s and she became one of the head PR agents for Colonel Tom Parker. Okay um mainly for his his headlining artist a guy named Hank Snow who was the biggest country artist on the planet in the 50s. Sure and um there was this this young regional artist who was starting to get some traction and that artist manager reached out to my grandma was like hey May can you can you help get this you know young kid on some stages and maybe sneak him on some bills and she's like let me see what I can do. You know let's let's see and so the the story is that she tried to get him on some shows and Colonel Tom Parker's like no no way we're not letting an unknown kid on these shows and she's like well let's see what I can do and she snuck him on two shows. Him I mean Elvis Presley and then Colonel Tom Parker's like okay he's pretty good let me see if I can swoop him up and make him a star and after a few months they didn't really have a hit yet for Elvis um so they ran out to my grandma and they're like hey we know you can write songs you connected us with this Elvis kid how about you you write him a little hit to get him on the map and she her and her tough songwriting partner a guy named Tommy Durden uh went and got a newspaper and found a little article in the back and in the next 22 minutes that article inspired the song called Heartbreak Hotel and the rest is history.

SPEAKER_04 6:34

It is an an incredible history because that's just at the early early time in your family's music.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:43

But your your grandmother was very very instrumental in in getting Elvis's career off the ground without a doubt.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Yeah very instrumental in that directly which I am you know forever amazed at to think that that's something my grandma did that has these riffles in music history forever, you know, because there's so many artists that have referenced Heartbreak Hotel being the song that made them want to be you know Elton John and Paul McCartney and Keith Richards and all these people said that Heartbreak Hotel was the song that made them want to be a rock and roll star.

SPEAKER_04 7:10

So that's amazing to me to know that that like that effect was made by most of us think back on our grandparents, our grandmothers and I can't imagine my grandma writing a song like Heartbreak Hotel. You were fortunate enough to because she lived until she passed in 896. Her husband passed 10 years prior to that right but you guys uh uh you're your and then before I jump over it too fast uh your father is Hoyt who my very first live concert was Three Dog Night at 12 so uh one of my favorite favorites uh is is Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Oh yeah you can't go wrong with that I've I've only been caught singing karaoke twice in my life and that was one of them. Alright it's not the easiest song in the world so good job well I got conned into it by some guys I didn't know and there was no one in the crowd that knew me so I thought well if I'm ever gonna do it now's the time. But I had a lot of fun doing that but your dad wrote lots and lots of great stories but I read a s or song excuse me I read a story that when he he finally had an epiphany to that you know he's looking around at your mom's success and he's or his grandma his mom's success your grandmother and he looked out in the driveway and saw that new Cadillac sitting there and he thought you know what maybe that's not a bad way to make a living is that fair to say I mean that's so the story that he would always tell which both my dad and grandma are storytellers so you gotta take everything with many grains of salt whole bags of salt but they're always always truth wrapped in the middle there.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

The story that he would tell was that he came home one day from football practice and junior you know high school football practice and he saw Elvis and my grandma sort of talking about the musical lifestyle and all the great stuff that can come with it. Then he looked out in the driveway is like look at that nice car. He's like look at this nice new TV. He's like wait a second I can make a living playing music and that was it something just clicked in his brain right there. And he made his way after a small state in the navy made his way out to Hollywood and and wrote some tunes and Heartbreak or Joy to the world being the number one hit for Three Dog Night and to this day one of the coolest facts in the family is my dad and grandma are the only parent and child to independently write number one hits in the history of mankind. So something I'm very proud of.

SPEAKER_04 9:27

Independently independently which means yes he wrote Joy to the world on his own yeah grandma wrote Heartbreak Hotel and essentially engage gave Elvis a a percentage of the writing rights.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:38

Co-right to get him to sing it.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Well the big what my grandma said is they gave him songwriting credits because he was so you know he didn't have any money at it at that point in his career that she wanted to make sure he had something to like bolster his you know get his career going and help him out and he Elvis always said he just wanted to buy his mom a house was his whole goal. He obviously surpassed that many times but that just helped sort of you know that move forward. So trying to help create community help artists that's what she loved doing. Yeah yeah well and she she she helped lots of other artists as well along the way I know as recently as Tanya Tucker she worked with Tanya Tucker a little bit yeah well Blake Shelton was the last she sort of ushered through the industry and so after Heartbreak Hotel had its success my grandma moved to Nashville and she became a full-time PR person and she helped all the legends sort of her job was to just help them get their feet underneath them. They'd come to town and be like hey where do we go she'd connect them and like you know make some calls and make sure to you know do all the right things for them. She helped like Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton and Reba McIntyre and Blake Shelton being the last one. So there's still like I said even though 70 years ago was the first accident hit there's still some ripples with Blake Shelton being very huge ripples.

SPEAKER_04 10:49

Yeah it's it's been it's been fun to listen to your music and and I I hear your dad in your voice and in some of your songs. Yes yes uh and and I haven't listened to you play any of his hit songs um uh for us in the with this podcast with this job is that we we meet so many new artists all the time and we try and do our job and and make sure that we listen to the your to your music and and and have a little bit of a background before we sit down with you and and I like to listen to your original stuff. Don't want this to be about Hoyt and Mama May this is about you. Yes and so you currently hang your hat in LA correct?

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Yes the big evil metropolis of Los Angeles yes we're there.

SPEAKER_04 11:33

Well with so much history in in your family with grandma and dad in Nashville did you never have the the inkling to go that way or have you spent some time out there?

SPEAKER_00 11:42

I mean we too were out there quite a bit my grandma lived outside of Nashville except for for a long time you know about 30 years. My dad uh spent a lot of time in LA because he did so much acting and he sort of lived in that the rock world before the country world so um he always he always had sort of a compound in LA my grandma had the compound in Nashville and then my dad would usually live full time in somewhere a little more calm and natural like Lake Tahoe where I was born okay lived up in in crested butte and he lived up in Oregon so he always picked somewhere sort of you know out there natural was his thing. That he didn't get bothered to exactly well and it was just that time you know he went and you'd go record like that you'd go lock yourselves in your out in the woods for a few months and make an album and come back and release it to the world but trust me Nashville is sort of like a toss up flip a coin is it LA or Nashville? LA's just a little closer to home so that's about it.

SPEAKER_04 12:34

Well LA's you know most of us don't think of LA as a country mecca most of us don't think of Nashville as a rock but there are lots and lots of artists who live in Nashville and perform who are bluegrass blues oh yeah Motown I mean they they they cover the all the genres as well as LA you know we got to interview some some of the artists um that played in LA in the early 80s that said look that was the place to be you know uh um Dale Watson you know had it had made had a huge success in in that in that LA scene and so did uh Wiley in the uh Wiley in the Wild West.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

You know Wiley Gustafson I don't know he's from here in Montana actually but yeah he's the he's the Yahoo guy the yoga yeah he actually made a fortune on the Yahoo yoga but um a very interesting very very interesting um this is this this is the trouble of interviewing in in public places usually places yeah which this is mild compared to some of the places we've done interviews uh inside of bars with lots of stuff going on but um uh we just for our viewers we're right next to the pool here at uh at Bozeman Hot Springs and so the indoor pool is this so they're walking around behind our shop but we get a little bit of background you can hear the flip-flops flop yeah you can hear the squeaky flip-flops well so at what point I mean you grew up with all this influence did you know from a very very early age that your grandmother and your father were famous music people and tied to the music industry I mean I knew they were active musicians it was something you know it was just in their DNA they both loved it and they sure you know they they espoused it in every every way and I'm my legacy story is a teeny bit different in the fact that my mom was my dad's piano player and fan leader and music manager. So you know most legacy kids have one normal parent that's at home. I did not I have music on on every side and so you were fully indoctrinated from the beginning. But it was it was interesting it was never it was never forced on me. Sure it just was always around so it was something when I decided to make it my lifestyle it was just very it was encouraged and you know has been from day one.

SPEAKER_04 14:45

And so that makes it very easy and as a as somebody just to feel like you have an open you know open field to run in when it comes to that well we've interviewed a lot of artists and we ask them you know what when did you get bitten by the music bug or what were your parents musical and it's interesting to me the number of artists who like you said have one normal parent and one that's musical. You know we come to think of uh uh Django Walker do you know Django? Yeah what a great guy we've interviewed him a couple of times he's a cool guy but you know Jerry Jeff told him don't do this unless you really really love it. Yeah because you're gonna be and same with us we do this because we love it even though we get interrupted and you have to deal with it but but but you're in a you're in a bar or a lounge somewhere playing and some jack wagons back there talking 10 decibels above your song. Oh yeah and and and so you better love what you do or you're gonna want to whip somebody no you better love the people you're stuck in a van with too it's very important. That's sure well you're traveling with a full van. Yeah four four four piece van for traveling purposes but back in in California when we do larger shows and festivals we we go all the way up to 10 pieces sometimes we get horn sections and go big it all depends on availability and budgets you know that's the life we live in well talk about um uh once again your early early inspiration from some of those people who were in and out of your life and in and out of your home was there someone that you can really think of that came in and spent time with your dad or your family or your grandma and you went I want to be like that guy that's tough.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

I mean there's no one direct person I just remember my dad was so good at just having artistic characters surround him and he loved it. And so did my grandma and so just having more of that energy around just being open to people being open to the the collaboration and the any musical idea is a good idea. You got to give it a shot you know one of those things. And I mean I remember because we were on tour a lot so as a kid we just hopped on this tour bus traveled all over the universe and I thought it was a very normal thing to be waking up in a new place every day and only learned later you know that not every kid got to do that.

SPEAKER_04 16:49

Right. And so it was more that experience that sort of set me up for for for this kind of troubadour lifestyle that we're doing right so so so do you you think that became just second hat for you is just to get up and know that hey and and and and that's where the wanderlust wander wonderlust comes from is the growing up in that atmosphere I think it definitely helps.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Because it's hard no matter how how how well you two or how comfortable you know inherently life is always there right you always get a flat tire something is double booked late whatever food poisoning weird things right those things happen. Right like our bass player just got to the hospital because of that some bad lettuce I guess we oh my goodness but but he he showed up and still played the gigs and that's part of it. Your job is to no matter what's happening outside of of the show for those few hours your job is to just push everything out and and and play your music and give it the best chance it can to breathe. Sure. So yes I think it was a it was a natural fit to fall into being around it as a child but it's you know it's ever changing and the industry's completely different than when my dad did it as far as support system exactly that that's one thing I did want to talk to you about because you you having grown up in the industry you've seen those changes happen in real time.

SPEAKER_04 18:01

Yeah right um there's a lot of young artists that come into this that are just used to the Spotify you know streaming platforms and and but you know you grew up in a time and when your dad was making a living and your grandmother they were getting paid on mechanicals which very few people get paid on mechanicals anymore unless they're selling them themselves out of the trunk of their van, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Yes which is still rare I mean every everything moved to streaming and it's just yeah you used to be there used to be a really robust middle class working songwriter artist you know mid-level and that sort of has disappeared sadly as an industry. So either you're the you're the person chasing the TikTok lottery you know the social media lottery or you're just sort of grinding on the bottom hoping to build it up you know one fan at a time and that's what we're doing really the whole fashion well and and that's kind of what we hope that we have some impact on the music industry.

SPEAKER_04 18:51

One we want to share those stories that's what makes that's what makes this interesting to us that's what makes a song really interesting to and and you know I've always loved Heartbreak Hotel but now I know a little bit more about that story and how it came about and and and now I know you unfortunately get to know your didn't get to know your dad or your grandmother but still that connection is there. Right and it and it becomes a real connection and and then when we share those stories they go oh that's a cool story did not know that and and how many uh of our followers don't realize how this music business truly works we've been doing this for almost two years and we don't know how it works. We have a better idea and a better understanding but the the I I've seen just in the two years we've been doing this a huge change in how many more songwriter festivals there are and those songwriters are actually having to tour to make a living.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah well and you know and as the world becomes more impersonal you know it's one the weird irony of social media is you know everything is accessible but it's only accessible on this this depth.

SPEAKER_03 19:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

You know so it's one of those things where I think a lot of one thing you cannot replace is like organic artistry. So that's what like a lot more songwriter aspect people want to feel you know like they're involved like they have a personal connection to the art and I think that's epically valuable. It's what the greatest era of music had that it had this you know there's an eclectic mindset around it there's a communal mindset and obviously hyper talented people you couldn't fake any of that stuff back then you could fake it very easily now for the first part but you can't fake live music it's why we do that.

SPEAKER_04 20:25

Exactly and and I said you know there's been we interviewed uh uh we were doing interviews as part of the songwriter festival at Whitefish this last year in a deal called Coffee and Conversation and Bryce Long I don't know if you know Bryce a Nashville songwriter um but he wrote hits for Gary Allen and John Party and you know lots and lots of cuts but he's back to he just released his own self album self prom promoted album he's out trying to keep it out there but that being said when we we did an interview and asked for questions from the crowd and and someone asked what's your what's your take on AI and how's it going to change the way music is presented and he said it's already changed it. It's happening and and his take on it was real simple he said I grew up in a time when my I was expected to do a full day's work for a day's pay he said I don't feel like I could accept payment for a song I didn't truly write that was that I didn't live and experience and so but there is no replacing a live music experience.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

None and it's gonna become even more valuable for the people that can actually do it. Right.

SPEAKER_04 21:30

And that's what I'm that's what I truly believe it's gonna be a hard hard rough road to get there but it there there is you know there's gonna be a lot of value in that coming out well there are some obviously and you once again you grew up in the business but there are some great performers and then there's some just are just great singers right and so they they actually and even the songwriter deal reaches to a different crowd than a full blown festival or concert right yeah you know um uh we just in fact Funny story, Three Dog Night was my very first concert, and I just saw them again 10 miles from our house this spring. So, which was a cool experience. Oh, yeah. To get to relive that 50 years later. 50 plus years later.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

Yeah, yeah. Well, and they're one of those very unique bands that they didn't write their own material. No. They just basically did cover some, but they're the world's greatest cover band in a way. Sure. Just for that. But but you know, obviously hyper-talented, amazing harmonies, amazing musicians. It was like it was just made perfectly for what it was supposed to do. And thank goodness to them, because I said my dad Jeremiah is the whole reason why I exist, probably. So I'm glad they put it out there. And sure. Can't go wrong with Joy to the World no matter who's singing it. You know, more joy the better. Sure.

SPEAKER_04 22:43

Well, it's it's it's interesting. Well, let me ask you this: who, other than the people you grew up right there day to day with, who influenced your music more than anyone?

SPEAKER_00 22:55

We talk about that quite a bit in the van, you know, we're always trying to talk about stuff, pick our brains. And I'm growing up in California, I grew up, you know, in the high series, like Tahoe, so so naturally, you know, the West Coast style of stuff. So let's say if I had to pull my CD player from that era, and what song's got the most rotation, I mean definitely beat let's see, there's Zeppelin in there. There's Chili Peppers, there's like Sublimes, you know, it's very sort of California West Coast centered, but then we always had always mixed in some some country stuff, you know, some Garth and some some some Dolly. And I mean, I I really just had an open mind around all music. I think all music has value. You know, every everything is especially back then, there was just everybody had a very eclectic palate when it came to music, and we all liked every different genre. Everything's a lot straighter now, as far as like you know, people are not they want to be in comfort zones when it comes to stuff. But back then it was very open when it came to what we were listening to.

SPEAKER_04 23:48

Well, and I think I have a very broad taste in music, very eclectic taste in music. Everything from you know, prints, Metallica, and and I'm I'm quite a bit older than you, but but you know, grew up on CCR and and and uh the Eagles and and some of those bands were actually more country than country is today. Oh, absolutely. They have that more more country vibe than than what uh the country music today's broke country is a little bit is not it's it's been good for the generation, younger generation, to attach themselves to country music and find new fans there, but I think that it's also at times has had a the opposite effect on some others.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Well, I think it absolutely has. I think a lot of that's why there's a whole new category at the at the Grammys of the traditional country now and country. They're two different things. So they're like, they're not doing any of the they might have some lyrical content that's similar to country music, but none of the the song stylings or the instrumentation is is country music. Right. You know, so so now it's just sort of mixed. And you can have both. You should be able to have both.

SPEAKER_04 24:48

We're seeing we're seeing the steel guitar come back, the pedal steel come back. You know, there's some great things, and the fiddle come back. Yeah, and because um uh, you know, some great artists that that have had an impact, Cody Johnson has had a huge impact on on country music in the last five to ten years, as well as you know, now Zach Topp and some of these other young artists that are coming in, Ella Langley's just blowing the whole thing up, right? Yeah, and so um, but it's been fun to to to watch and learn and listen and and hear who really influenced most artists. And and I think everyone that plays today has had some influence from Elvis, whether they realize it or not, no, it's there, right? You you can't tell me that Merle Haggard wasn't influenced by all those guys. All those guys, you know, Buck Owens, that whole that whole Bakersfield sound had some real real interesting sounds to it, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:42

Yeah, yeah. And then like I said, they were even more experimental back then when you go listen to all those stuff. I mean, they were really it was really groovy, it was really, you know, lyrically, lyrically fun and punchy and moving around is just something that as and you know, music just naturally influences the next wave, even if like say even if they know it or not, those tones and those sounds and those trends seep into the next music. Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_04 26:05

Well, as a songwriter, um uh at uh how old were you when you first started writing your own music?

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Um so I was supposed to go play football, University of Oklahoma University of Oklahoma after high school, and I ended up hurting my knee playing basketball, and that's when I picked up the guitar seriously. So I I wrote my first songs when I was probably you know 16 or 17, but then really started going into songwriting as a as a as a livelihood and when I was about 20.

SPEAKER_04 26:32

Okay. So did you did you have the opportunity to uh co-write or work with your dad on stuff at all?

SPEAKER_00 26:40

No, sadly, he passed when I was about 16. So right? Okay, you know, right right when we were I was about that age to start doing that kind of stuff. But luckily, my mom's still sharp as attack, and I get her in my band every time, so I get to play music with her, and she was around in my dad's, you know, she was architect in my dad's most successful time, so she knows all the stories. She was in the band, so it's basically like playing with him. Sure, you know, for the most part. That's the that's how I get my fix.

SPEAKER_04 27:05

What uh um is there is there anyone from that era that is still living today that you wish you or would like to have the opportunity to work with?

SPEAKER_00 27:17

Work with? Oh, I mean, all of those people would have been amazing. I mean, you know, give me the the Wayland and the Merles and you know the country legends would have been really fun. I mean, I live, my dad lived in what I would consider like Americana genre, which because his first songs were sort of folk, were folk related. And then his biggest hits were all rock anthems like Joy of the World, Never Been to Spain, The Pusher, and his own personal hits were all in the country genres later on. So Della the Deal and the Deal and Bony Fingers and Bony Fingers, yes. He had about, I think, 20 songs that landed on the charts at some point. But so his mindset was always just write a song and it'll take you. You know, your job is to guide it and you know, put it in the right place. He didn't care what genre it was ever. And so I I sort of do that same thing where I I love the songwriters, like give me the town band, Banzam, absolutely, and yeah, the guy Clarks. Like you guys that that was my dad's world. Um I I love, I think starting with lyrics first. Starting with the story, then building around it is the best way to write a song. Although you can do it in many different ways, but that's just uh I think you know, still having lyrical depth is an important thing and sort of lost nowadays. And I I love anybody who cares about that.

SPEAKER_04 28:26

Well, they're those guys were all legendary and story, be they could write a song and tell the story, right? Yeah. Towns and guy and John Prime. Those guys are gone, but you know, there's a handful. I mean, Jerry Jeff was a great songwriter as well. Um, but uh there's a there's a handful. Ray Wiley Hubbard, do you know Ray Wiley? Yeah, what a cool guy he is.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

And he's but he's you know he feels like he's from that era, right? He's like Osh.

SPEAKER_04 28:50

But but he's still a little bit younger than those guys. But but he lived, he kind of lived in that time frame with those guys.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

I think there's the reality is I think there's uh just as good a musician as a songwriter as there was back then. It's just the industry doesn't cultivate it the same way. You know, back then they would find like, oh, look at this sort of organic thing, let's bolster them and try and get them in the right places. And now it's just a top-down. They're like, this person already established, let's come in and sort of ring out some funds and then we'll disappear. It's very different, you know, approach.

SPEAKER_04 29:18

Yeah, it's extremely different from from those days when they're out there. When oh yeah, they're there, they're there. Well, you look at, you know, there's there's somebody new getting famous on the internet every day. And somebody told me, I'm trying to remember, how many songs are downloaded to Spotify on a daily basis? It's just it's mind-boggling. Yeah, and and yet they keep putting them on there and they keep getting less and less when they do get played. We tell everybody go to the concerts, throw 20 in the tip bucket, and then go visit the merch table. Yeah, because that's what keeps the fuel in the van going up and down the road.

SPEAKER_00 29:51

Oh, absolutely, direct person-to-person support. I mean, that is why we do this, you know.

SPEAKER_04 29:56

Sure. So um uh your own personal catalog, how how many songs do you feel like you've written? Uh I've written about 350 songs.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

Okay. So, and at least five or six of them are good. So I'm just waiting to figure out which ones those are. But it's the accident curse, I say. My dad had about you know 400 songs, my grandma had a couple hundred, so uh, you know, there's a lot to draw from, a lot of inspiration. And in the end, it's just about getting the songs out there and seeing, you know, the give them legs and see where they run. Sure.

SPEAKER_04 30:25

Well, that's that's cool. So uh you travel a lot. I well, your schedule here in Montana is almost three weeks, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 30:32

Yeah, we get a month, a month on the road. A month on the road. Yeah, and we do that, I mean, as much as we can. Like I said, it's more of an old-fashioned style of touring. Um, there's not a lot of people doing it on this sort of scale independently anymore, but there's a few of us. And uh, you know, we try to, like I said, find the right venues that fit this kind of original Americana stuff and let the other bands know and create that little community, like I said, organically. And and I love it. Like I said, I grew up in it. Uh, that does not mean it's you know it's not a crazy lifestyle that is not for everybody because it's not oh no, it's not for everybody. And I I moved to LA five years ago thinking I was just gonna find this wealth of musicians that wanted to go do this, and it turns out there's not a lot. You know, I found a great group of guys, but it's been you know, whittling it down and finding the right people who have sort of that mentality to to go push and and and travel, you know, a hundred thousand miles to go meet some new people on the other part of the other side of the continent.

SPEAKER_04 31:28

Sure, sure. So let's talk about your uh your albums, because you have how many albums have you done? Six, is that right?

SPEAKER_00 31:35

I did three as my prior, you know, as more sort of folk songwriter. And then this we have um we just released our newest DP a couple months ago.

SPEAKER_04 31:45

Right, here in 2026, and it's called uh same old story.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

That's what we're touring around right now.

SPEAKER_04 31:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

And then we went in February and recorded a new whole new album out in Tulsa with a bunch of heavyweights from Nashville and LA and Oklahoma, and that's going to be released at the end of this year, 2026.

SPEAKER_04 32:02

You were in a recording studio in Tulsa or in a venue?

SPEAKER_00 32:05

So, what we did is what my dad and that generation did, and we locked ourselves in a cabin in the woods for about three weeks and recorded an album. Something I've always been dreaming about doing, and I figured it was just time, and it was one of the most magical, fun, crazy experiences ever. You know. So that'll be coming out the end of this year. We'll be trickling it out as they do.

SPEAKER_03 32:26

Cool. Well, cool.

SPEAKER_04 32:28

Well, um, I can't see that far, sweetheart.

SPEAKER_00 32:35

120,000 a day?

SPEAKER_04 32:38

100 to 2 120,000 songs a day or downloaded to Spotify. Added to. Yeah, can you imagine that? So the the the the music catalogs that are out there are so vast. And you keep thinking, I keep thinking, you know, I I can play a little bit, I don't play very good, but you know, I learned the cowboy chords, and you know, I could if you know those four chords, you can play hundreds, if not thousands, of songs. It's just changing the words and the and the and the the the order of those chords and how they come out. But it it amazes me, and every time I think of that, I think how it's all had to have been played and said at some point already.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

There's only so many notes. Yeah, there is only so many notes. Well, I always say it's it's not how many chords you play, it's how you play them. True, you know, is is the way it is. And like music and art is is this universal thing that it's been it's one of the most it's the closest thing to magic that I think we have in life. As far as it can cross cultures and ocean and ages, and you know, it can it can unite things, it can cause, you know, uh social push. I mean, it can do so much, and music has just always been an instrument of passing down tradition and and creating new ones, and I think it's that's a big reason why we do this and fill out to keep it, you know.

SPEAKER_04 33:55

Well, I think in our case, it's really helped to keep us open in some conversations with our children. You know, they're they range in age from 42 to to uh uh twenty-six today. Actually, our youngest birthday is to be birthday. And so um but they have very different tastes in music, but they introduce us to music all the time. And then there are there are some of our best friends, our our kids' age, and and our common interest is music, right? So, in fact, a kid the other day sent me a an email or a text, not a text, and he and he sent a link to a to a uh an artist by the name of Joe Jordan, and I don't know if you know who Joe is, but um, and and he goes, I've been listening to this guy a lot lately. I'm like, God, George, Joe Jordan, I'd interviewed him last fall. You know, yeah, uh well if you really want to listen to him, go listen to my podcast with him as my guest. But what you know, it's so it's so interesting because everyone's personalities are so different and their experiences are so different. Yours is very, very unique. We've interviewed a handful, like you said, that you know, like uh the bronze. Do you know those guys, Mickey and Gary, and and and Willie? You know all of them.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

You know all of them, and but I don't, I only know one of them. I only know but I love Reckless Kelly, I love you know.

SPEAKER_04 35:12

Absolutely, they're great. Well, they you know they have this festival in Otto every year for the BBR. BBR Braun Brothers reunion, and uh it's gone on for 40 years. But you know, their dad, Muzzy, was a very talent, is still a very talented singer-songwriter. The boys all play and sing, and they can play multiple instruments, and their grandfather, like in your case, was a uh musician.

SPEAKER_00 35:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:36

So, you know, but there's not a lot of those stories out there.

SPEAKER_00 35:39

Well, there's not, and that's what you that's why we got to keep them being told. That's what's amazing what you guys are doing, you know, putting it down on tape. Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_04 35:48

Well, so um we talked a little bit about uh several of those artists that have passed that you would love to have worked with. Is there anyone currently out there on the road touring or in the music industry that you would love to work on?

SPEAKER_00 36:01

Oh yeah, I mean, like I said, uh living in the Maricana world, which Americana is an umbrella term now, which means in the industry, which means anybody who's doing root space music, so even rock, country, blues, soul, you know, folk, bluegrass, they all sort of go in this Americana moniker, which I think is great. You know, a lot of people don't like it because it is so broad. I think it's great because it is so inclusive in that way. So I would say that the you know, the the Mount Rushmore of of Americana right now would be like the Brandy Carlisle, Sturgil Simpson, um, you know, I mean Tyler Childress is more stylized, but he's still in that world, you know, song very song driven. I mean, those are the people that I would love to you know share a stage with, like Lucas Nelson, that kind of stuff. Like those are those are my dreams because they're very eclectic. You know, Lucas is cool because he's doing a legacy as well, but gets to do a lot of his own music. And right, right, right. You know, I would love to do that. But Sturgil's the king because he just does what he wants, he gets to make whatever music he wants, and that's my dream. Sure, you know.

SPEAKER_04 36:57

A little bit, a little bit. I think culture wall kind of fits in that. But he retired. He did just recently. So yeah. Pretty young guy to be retired, but he just said, Look, I've had enough of it. And and he's not the only one. This is not for the weak of heart.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

No.

SPEAKER_04 37:11

Right? To to meet a schedule, to get up, and like you say, the van's breaking down, you gotta go get it serviced. You gotta somebody's gotta drive half half the night, and then somebody else has got to get in and and bring it on in, you know. So getting getting to these venues and getting set up is you know, you gotta load in, load out, sound check, all that good fun stuff.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Well, and most people, you know, I mean, bless you for giving them, showing them how the sausage is made. Because that's true. Most people think like, oh, you just play music, you just hop on stage for a couple hours and your day's done, and it's amazing. Yeah. You're like, no. I mean, we're driving, you know, it's on average day for us. We're driving probably three to six hours. Sure. We're getting there at least two hours before to load in. You got your show for three hours, got about an hour or two of loadout after that, and then you got to get to your hotel, wake up in the morning, and drive and do it all again. You know, so it's very little fanfare around it. It's more, it's it's it's a really grinding uh industry, but that also is where you get the material to write the songs. That's where you meet the people to pass on these things and get stories, and you know, that's the that's the point of this.

SPEAKER_04 38:13

Well, you and you don't always get to do the fun things. We we tell this uh we had the the fortune of interviewing Sundance Head. Do you know Sundance? He won the voice like in 2016. Oh wow. Extremely talented, got a vocalist, but he had an alcohol and drug dependency issues, and he but he's now sober, clean sober, and he's really making a resurgence. But he came to Blackfoot, Idaho, and played, and I took him shooting. He said, We don't ever get to do fun stuff like this because we're driving to the next gig and then you know, trying to catch up on our sleep and then go, but that was cool. I actually interviewed him in a gun club and we shot sporting clays and just had a great, great time. So but uh um no, it's it's always cool to to really understand what's going on, you know, behind the scenes. Yeah. So and and and one once again, we we uh we we're more fortunate than the average person, but they don't have any idea. Yeah, most people don't have any idea.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

No, but that's why it's okay to give them a little insight, you know. You gotta think back in any every generation prior to this, when the musician, you know, they could have peace. They didn't have to like check to their phone or be be shown to their audience 24-7. It's such a different mentality and and and psychology around art right now.

SPEAKER_03 39:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

You know, you gotta think if like Elton John had to go figure out how to edit his own videos, like how many of his songs wouldn't have gotten written? You know, it's just such a different world world.

SPEAKER_04 39:32

Oh, huge hugely different. I mean, there's there's yeah, you're exactly right because most of these artists are before they make it, they're doing all their own editing and their own PR work, and they're they're they're trying to, we're doing the same thing. We're trying to promote a podcast because we are competing for the same year or two years, right? Yeah, yeah. And there's only 24 hours in a day. How much time do you have to listen to other music besides your own to be inspired? And how much time do you have to watch something or learn something new? It's it's we're it's tough to compete for that time. So we're fortunate with what little bit we get, and we hope that that uh your story resonates with with our with our viewers and and and we get some feedback from it, and and that you know, a year from now or two years down the road we go, hey, guess what? Matt's gonna be Matt's gonna be back here and let's go see him. You're actually going to American Falls, Idaho. We are, yeah. Later this sum this summer, and and that's actually closer than this coming up here, but I didn't want to wait that long. Because we we get a big backlog of these interviews, and I hate to have them too far out, but you get to come to Bozeman and see a beautiful place. Well, this is such a beautiful place. You know, Bozeman, uh uh the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, which is over south of Missoula. And that's where your father passed away, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_00 40:45

Yeah, that's where he spent the last uh last few years of his life in in Hamilton. Hamilton, yes. Bitterroot, and that's where he's buried out there. So he is very buried. He is buried buried in Hamilton. So, you know, like I said, he always loved, he picked a lot of pretty places to spend his time in.

SPEAKER_04 40:58

Sure, sure. Well, I know you've got a lot going on, Matt. We appreciate you taking time to join us and thank you and share a little peek into your story. Yeah, yeah. Um, but uh because it's a very interesting story and and and what a great story because you you are part of a family legacy that very few people get to say that, right?

SPEAKER_00 41:19

Well, and that's you do you have any children of your own? I do not. No, no children of your own. I wouldn't be able to do this if I did, I don't think. It'd be crazy.

SPEAKER_04 41:26

We we we yeah, we've had that conversation with some who have families. It's not easy.

SPEAKER_00 41:30

Yeah, I'm getting there. I mean, the whole point of this, you know, it's not to just continue to tour until you're you explode or turn to dust. It there's a you it's a constant refining. You find the markets, the the venues, the people that make sense, and try and keep cultivating those friendships and stuff. And sure. There is a there's a you gotta be deliberate, but it also you have to be open, and we go, you know, try out new places all the time. Um I would really rely on on you people out there, you know, friends connecting things or telling us where to go, or you telling your friends about listening to our music. I mean that that part is very tried and true, just like it was before. Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_04 42:04

Well, just to be able to share that that experience and those stories, and you know, because you're once again, even your show is fairly eclectic in the types of music that you play. You play a little rock and roll, a little blues, a little bluegrass. You got got a little uh uh it it's it's a it's a good sampling, smorgasboard. Oh, if you will.

SPEAKER_00 42:24

Absolutely smorgasboard, as much as we can.

SPEAKER_04 42:26

And I love that.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

So let's tell everybody where they can find your music. So you can go to mad axton.com is a sort of a landing page, has a little bit of everything, a little family history, the new happenings, all that stuff, and then Mad Axton Music on all the social media platforms. That's where you can find me. And you know, we'd love to be friends in digital and real life. That's where we want to live. So say hi and I'll say hi back very soon.

SPEAKER_04 42:48

Perfect. Well, we we know that you know, when we post this, we will share all of your social links and everything that we're trying to do to help promote your music. And and now that you have a new album out, too, you know, when we see you drop those singles, if we're friends on social media, we see that, we share that. So we try and we try and share the love as it as it happens.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

That's the only way to do it. Yeah, the world needs more love, more joy.

SPEAKER_04 43:10

Yeah, there you go. Well, thanks again so much. Of course, Byron, much appreciated. We look forward to uh seeing you somewhere down the road. Maybe we'll come see in American Falls. That'd be great. That'd be great. So all right, the Musical Miles Podcast, I'm your host, Byron here with Matt Axton. We'll see you somewhere down the road. Adios for now.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

Today's episode of Musical Miles Podcast is brought to you by Roper Apparel and Footwear. Whether you're chasing songs with loading gear or standing front row at a live show, rope with the modernity.