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Skip Happens Podcast - Every Boot Has a Story!
🎙️ Welcome to the Skip Happens Podcast – Your Backstage Pass to Country Music 🎶
Join veteran radio host Skip Clark as he dives deep into the heart of country music, where every episode tells a story worth hearing. From legendary country artists to rising Nashville stars, Skip Happens brings you raw, real, and revealing conversations you won’t find anywhere else.
🌟 Go beyond the spotlight as Skip connects with the people behind the music — exploring their journeys, their struggles, and the moments that shaped their careers. Whether it's laughter, inspiration, or a behind-the-scenes scoop, this podcast captures the true essence of country life.
🎧 Perfect for fans of authentic storytelling, Nashville culture, and anyone who loves the rhythm of a good conversation. Subscribe now and join us on this unforgettable ride through the world of country music and more.
👉 New episodes weekly! Don’t miss a beat – because when Skip happens, stories unfold.
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Skip Happens Podcast - Every Boot Has a Story!
Waylon Hanel: From Self-Taught Guitar to Presidential Performance
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The moment Waylon Hanel's mother hid his guitar and refused to return it until he tried singing marked the beginning of an extraordinary musical journey. In this captivating conversation with Skip Clark, the 23-year-old rising country star reveals the authentic path that's taken him from self-taught guitarist to performing the national anthem for a president.
Named after the legendary Waylon Jennings, Hannell's musical identity was shaped by the outlaw country traditions he absorbed growing up in rural Michigan. "I grew up hunting, fishing, trapping, and riding around in trucks listening to Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash," he shares. Those influences remain evident in both his lifestyle—with coyote pelts decorating his home—and his musical approach that prizes authenticity above all else.
Hanel's rapid ascent over just five years has included opening for country heavyweights like Trace Adkins, Ashley McBride, and Josh Turner. He recounts the surreal experience of going from "playing a pub that holds 50 people to a sold-out show for 1,300," yet maintains a grounded perspective on fame. His latest album "Don't Mess With My Country" showcases his evolution as an artist, while his single "Blackberry Brandy"—a duet born from a chance encounter in Nashville—demonstrates his collaborative spirit. Perhaps most impressive is scoring a #1 hit in the UK as an independent artist competing against label-backed performers.
Whether describing his Ford F-350 dually, his vintage '69 Ford F-100, or the "damn near out-of-body" experience of singing for thousands with Secret Service agents standing by, Hannell embodies the authentic spirit driving today's most compelling country music. Follow @WaylenHannelMusic on all platforms to join this remarkable musical journey that's only just beginning.
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Meeting Waylon Hannell
Speaker 1And we are live. Hello everybody, welcome. Hey there, welcome to another edition, another exciting episode of Skip Happens and, of course, hosted by yours truly Skip Clark. And tonight I'm going to be sitting down with the incredibly talented I love this Waylon. Waylon Hannell, rising star in the country music world, quickly making waves. This kid, get I call him a kid because I could probably be his grandpa he's 20, right, 23, 23, 23, uh, he's uh. Waylon's already wild audiences with his self-taught skills. Uh, textured vocals, powerful storytelling. And get this, he's named after the legendary waylon jennings. I love it, I love it. Dude, how are you.
Speaker 2It's good to see you. Very good. Nice to see you too, skip. Thanks for having me on brother absolutely.
Speaker 1First of all, I always start these things off with like where in the world is Waylon, where are you? Oh yeah, I'm out in Millington, michigan, right now at home oh, really, so you're like okay, so that, yeah, we're in Syracuse, I do the podcast in Syracuse, so we had a temperature today, it being, of course, we're live right now. What is? It's the 11th of March, right?
Speaker 2Yeah, so we had a temperature of 70 degrees today.
Speaker 1What was your temperature?
Speaker 2Today was about a high of 52, I think, yeah, we beat you. I was in a t-shirt today just being in Michigan. This was like, oh my God, this is awesome weather.
Musical Beginnings and Family Influence
Speaker 1Yeah, it's like today. 70 in Syracuse is like who would have thought? Yeah, exactly who would have thought? And the St Patrick's Day parade is actually coming up Saturday and they're predicting a high of about 70 again. So you know it's going to be at the parade, it's going to be a party man. Let's talk about you, dude. So tell us a little bit about Whalen. You know you're self-taught. You know, tell us a little bit about that. You've had an incredible rise. What five years? About five years you've been doing this. Yeah, about five years professionally.
Speaker 2And can you walk us through your journey and what first drew you to music? Yeah, man, so you know, growing up and uh, we just grew up down the road in, uh, clio, michigan, and uh, me and my brother landon, mom and dad, and you know, just growing up, hunting and fishing, all this stuff doing outdoors, trapping, and all that and that. Right, there is one of the coyote that I got a little while ago.
Speaker 1It's hard to see it because it's like on the side. Oh, there it is.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, you skinned it and you hung it up oh yeah, that's just some of the stuff and there's another coon back there, you know. But that's just a few of them. But that's what I grew up doing and music was always a big part of my life. You know, growing up listening to, uh, waylon jennings, merle hagger, johnny cash, all the greats, and that was just some of my favorite memories, riding around in the truck going coon hunting and, you know, having those old guys on the CD, and so that was a real big influence on me and I never, to be honest man, I never thought that I would be a musician and I always idolized my dad, and I still do. He's a great carpenter, a great builder, a farmer, and that's what I planned on doing for my life.
Speaker 2Well, when I turned 15, for Christmas time, I always asked for a guitar and I broke everything I touched. I break everything I touched Not so much now, but I always did when I was a kid. So I asked for one for Christmas when I was 15. They finally got me one and I taught myself how to play. I just I didn't know where to go. No one in my family plays music Nobody and so I was kind of the odd duck out doing that. But I taught myself how to play in about, I'd say, two and a half, three months and I learned my first song. It was Walk the Line by Johnny Cash.
Speaker 1Now did you go on YouTube by Johnny Cash? Now did you go on YouTube? I mean you did because so many. I mean I look to get something done around the house. It's like I'll just go on YouTube and find a video of somebody that's got the same issue and somebody that knows how to do it. I still mess it up, but still, at least I have an idea.
Speaker 2Yeah, and that's what I did with my uh, my guitar and my music man. I went through there and I started, you know, looking at different videos and big shout out to Marty Schwartz for teaching me everything I know.
Speaker 2But, anyway, yeah, I learned how to play and I never, I never sang or nothing. I was just playing guitar and all that. And mom she's actually the one who got me into it she goes you should try to sing, you know. And I said I don't want to do that, it's just not my thing. Well, I was 15 at the time and I rode the bus back to school with my brother. So I came home and she was a nurse. She worked second shift in the NICU unit with all the babies. You know. Wow, yeah, yeah. And I came home and I couldn't find my guitar. It was gone and I had it always in one corner in my room. So I looked for two hours before wrestling practice and I called her. She goes yeah, you're not getting that thing back until you at least try to sing. So my mother blackmailed me.
Speaker 1She did that was the right thing to do.
Speaker 2Yeah, and so without her doing that, I would not be talking with you and have been able to do some of the things I've been doing in the past, exactly.
Named After Waylon Jennings
Speaker 1Now, how did you, being named after Waylon Jennings, influence your approach to music and your artistic identity? How did all that man? That's cool.
Speaker 2You know, I'm very blessed to be able to be named after someone like that and, like I said, I grew up listening to that kind of music and dad's the one who put the bug in mom's ear. We need to name our kid Waylon. And so she finally agreed and I'm glad that she did. And yeah, man, waylon Jennings, he's just one of the best man, from his songwriting to his guitar playing, the style that he had, and the biggest reason why I respected him as an artist so much is because he took a chance with Willie Nelson and did it their own way and he got kicked out of Nashville. You know him and Willie Nelson did. They said screw you, man, we're going to do, we're going to play with our own band, we're going to play our own songs and we're going to do it. And look what happened. He's one of the biggest and one of the best and a legend. You know, people still play his music and idolize it and that's one of the biggest reasons why I try to play my music the same way.
Speaker 1Yeah, and country music ever since day one with you, right, I mean, it resonates so deeply with you.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, and don't get me wrong, I love Ted Nugent, bob Seger, I love disco music. I know that kind of is weird, but I love that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1No, no, I'm just kidding with you, but I lived during that decade, dude, some funky times, man, yeah, and we played that funky music, didn't we? That's what I'm just saying. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. But if I was to jump into your truck I assume you drive a truck I just looking at you, I'm going to say, okay, let me guess, let me guess. So I want to say you have a Silverado. Close I have a well, not really close a Ford F-350. Oh shit, that's a big truck.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think I kind of overkill.
Speaker 1It's all right. It's all right. Nothing wrong with that. Is it a dually or is it just? It's a dually or is it just it's dually.
Speaker 2It's a dually, yep Diesel dually, and I love that truck. Wow, my favorite one to drive in the summer, though. I have a. I saved up enough money and I was able to buy it all cash. I have a 69 Ford F 100. Dude, oh dude. It's awesome, and the only thing that I don't necessarily like about it, it's got an automatic in it, and I wish it had that four speed or three speed on the floor.
Speaker 1You know, there's nothing better than driving a standard. I learned to drive on a standard and now I'm going to show my age a little bit. I mean, you're 23. I could be your grandfather, but, um, I learned the shift was on the column. Yeah, you know, with the clutch and all that. And when my parents took me out to learn to drive, we would stop on a hill. Oh, make me. You know, you have to kind of bring the clutch out, give it a little gas, bring the clutch out, and then you have to feel that sweet spot. Yes, yes, no, exactly, but yeah, I do. I do miss that because I drive a Colorado, now a Chevy. But you know, I just now everything's automatic pretty much for me. But I know exactly where you're going when you're talking standard.
Speaker 2Oh, dude, there's no better feeling. It's actually you're driving the truck. You know it's so cool. Before I bought that I had a Jeep Wrangler YJ and that had a stick shift in it and I let my girlfriend drive it one day and she damn near put my head through the back of the seat just going like that you know it was like jerking right.
Trucks, Guitars, and Country Living
Speaker 2I know, yeah, I know, oh my god, but yeah, I really enjoy that truck and, uh, you know, in summer, summertime doing shows, I'll be able to drive that out there and it's pretty cool. Yeah, so a trailer behind it with equipment and all that good stuff uh, I haven't hooked a trailer up yet to it, but one of these days I want to get a tonneau cover and put all my equipment in there. There you go.
Speaker 1Because you're going to be out and about, you're going to be playing gigs. I mean, now you got a way to get there. I get it, totally get it. Tell us a little bit about that process. When it comes to writing songs, I mean being only 23, tell us, talk to me.
Speaker 2So it's weird, man, songwriting there's. No, there's no right way to do it, no wrong way to do it, and uh, that's kind of the best way I can describe it. If you have an idea, you better write it down right now. And because you'll forget about it, there's I don't know hundreds or if not thousands of songs that I've. Man, I'm going to write that tonight, and then I get busy doing stuff, scheduling shows, or, you know, start drinking beer, and then I really forget. You know, but that's one of my biggest pieces of advice If you have an idea, write it down in your notebook, so at least you remember what it was.
Speaker 2And yeah, man, I try to write songs about what I know, what I've done. But that's the other cool thing about songwriting you don't have to be, uh, that person. You can be whatever you want. You know, you could be a cowboy, you can be an Indian, you can be what they did, or if you had a buddy that did it, or a grandfather or something you know. You can hear stories about it and it relates to a lot of people. And that's one of the biggest things that music did for me is, you know, get you right in your heart, man, and that's what I try to do with my music. So what?
Speaker 1are we working on now? I know, heidi, your manager was kind kind of she sent me a lot of information, but I loaded the the song blackberry brandy. Oh yeah, dude, that is. I think I had a play when you popped in tonight. It's like this is really really good number one. Uh, tell me about the inspiration behind that and uh, who's the woman that's singing with you? I, I know, man, she's on fire.
Speaker 2So her name is Madison Hughes. She's based out of Jacksonville, florida, but she lives in Nashville, tennessee. Now, okay, she was on. She was actually on the Voice about, I'd say, four years ago, maybe five, but so she had a big start from that and she didn't win or nothing, but she had a lot of publicity from it. So she started doing her own thing and I was down at my favorite bar in Nashville it's called the Local and it's off.
Speaker 1Broadway, you know that's why I like it? Because it's not on the main street. It's not there right in the middle of everything. It's cool. Exactly, they call it the Local for a reason.
Speaker 2Yes, exactly Exactly. So we were down there and I heard my good buddy, dave Gibson, and another friend of mine, greg Crow, were going to be playing down there on. They always play on a Monday night. So we were down there cutting songs and I said I got a free day so I'm going to go over there and listen to them. Well, when we did, they said hey, waylon, do you want to come up and play a song? I'm like sure. So I played a song that I'm going to end up recording, probably in a few weeks, and so I sang that with Dave.
Speaker 2And then, about an hour later because we stayed for a couple of whiskeys and then in walked Madison. Now I've never met her before, it's the first time I've ever seen her. So she walks in and you know I waved we were sitting right next to the door and she walked right up to the stage and started talking with Dave. And he waved her up on stage a little later and they sang that song Blackberry Brandy and Dave Gibson, I think he wrote it with his ex-girlfriend Calissa Ewing I think that's how you say her last name and Madison was planning on cutting that song. So I had some liquid courage in me. So I walked up and I said, dude, that would be an awesome song for a duet if you could ever get somebody to do it. And that was just my. You know, take on it. Sure, she goes. Well, do you want to do?
Speaker 1it with me.
Speaker 2I went oh yeah, I do. I just I wasn't thinking about me. Yeah, no, I know.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2Yeah, so right after that we got each other's contact. In about one month after that we recorded that song. That's so cool.
Speaker 1I know it was so cool man, you know, and if somebody wanted to hear it I know I was listening to it earlier but I can't get my phone to completely go into the system here to play it but if they wanted to get that music I would imagine they can just log on to your website or, oh yeah, anywhere you find music, uh, my website, whalenhandlecom.
Speaker 2Or you know all the platforms spotify, pandora, apple music, youtube. I'm on every single one of them.
Speaker 1Good don't stop doing that as, uh, you know, being 23, a young artist, what's your approach to staying authentic to your roots while still evolving musically? I mean, you're still at the beginning, I mean 23. Oh yeah, you know there's still a lot to come for you.
Songwriting Process and Musical Journey
Speaker 2Oh, yeah, man, and you know I look forward to every single day. Every day is new. You know you're not doing the same thing playing, playing your music You're doing the same thing, but you're always meeting new people. And you know, instead of going into the shop at GM and doing the same thing over and over again music, you, you grow and, like you were saying, you learn more songs. You, you learn different ways to write songs and and even recording, you find different ways to record it if you can find a nice, efficient way. And I'm starting to get that down, but it's just, this business is so crazy and so fun that I don't think I would ever want a different job. I really don't. Is this all you do? Yeah, so, full time, this is what I do with music During the week. Sometimes, if I have an off day, I'll go and help dad, because he works for himself as a business or a builder and he remodels kitchens and bathrooms and all that.
Speaker 1Oh, wow.
Speaker 2Yeah, so we'll go in there and bust that out. Do tile and vanities, cabinets, all that kind of stuff you got something to fall back on.
Speaker 1You know, yeah, sometimes we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. You know, you don't? I don't I mean, anything could happen, but it's good to have something to fall back on and and that's a talent in itself to have to be creative and be able to do that, so it's a lot of fun. Man, yeah, I'm sure your dad does a great job. I could never do this. I could never do it. I can't, I can't hammer, I.
Speaker 2I can't do any of that. Well, if you want, I can send you his phone number, for if you need her, I'll give it to my wife.
Speaker 1I kind of I stay clear of that stuff. But anyway, like you said, you go to YouTube and you figure it out. No, I do, and you know we laugh about that. But how true. I mean it is true. Or I've, uh, I've done things by going to YouTube. Oh, dude, it's like what the frick? I ain't going to pay somebody a hundred bucks an hour to come over and do this. I know I can do it Exactly. It may take a little bit longer, but I get it done.
Speaker 2There was a. I took one of my. It was before I bought this dually. I had a half ton Ford and there was something wrong with it. I couldn't fix it myself, so I had to take it to the shop and it was just one of the local ones here in Millington and I was on there. No, excuse me, it was at a dealership. That's what it was. It was at a Ford dealership, excuse me. And when I took it back there, you know I was talking to one of the sales reps and all that. I knew him from high school and I looked over and there was a guy on his phone on YouTube looking up how to fix the truck and he worked at a dealership.
Speaker 1I'm not joking, true story. I'd be like. I don't know if I want to go through with this Dude. I could have did that. That's why I brought it to you, exactly, exactly, and these are the guys supposed to be trained in all this. So it is. It is. You know. You've charted on music row the mainstream chart, which is very cool. You've performed with a lot of huge names. You know, throw some of those names out there, like Travis Tritt, ashley McBride.
Speaker 2Oh, yeah, yeah, trace Adkins, trace, yes, yeah, trace Adkins. Josh Turner, ashley McBride, jody Messina, uh, tyler Farr Um and. I've been lucky to be able to be on that stage with those kinds of people.
Speaker 1Do you get like really nervous when you're? You know you're, you are who you are and you're going to be like them sooner rather than later. I'm sure you're doing a great job, but do you feel like feel like intimidated or like, holy shit, he's watching me or he's going to be listening to me? Do you ever feel like I don't know if I?
Speaker 2can do this. I mean some, not really anymore. You know, the first time I ever opened up for someone big, it was trace adkins and he was at the capitol theater in flint, michigan, and uh, and it was just me. I didn't have a band or a steel player or electric guitar player, just me up there and it was a sold out show for about 1300 people and I went from playing you know mccadam's pub in michigan that holds 50 to doing that. So it really opened it up for me. Oh, go ahead, I'm sorry. Oh, dude, it was so cool. And so right before the show we had a catered dinner and I wanted to go to the original Halo Burger right down the road, but the tour manager for Trace said, come on down, we have a catered dinner for everybody and you can eat with us. I'm like, oh, ok, cool.
Speaker 1So me and my dad.
Speaker 2We walked down there backstage in the basement and there's a big steel door and I don't know how big. It is 10 feet wide. So, uh, we're sitting by that and the door swings open. This hot blonde walks out, a little chihuahua dog yipping and yapping, and then, uh, this tall guy with a ponytail walks out with matching pajamas, and I didn't know who it was. Yeah, because I recognize him by his voice. He goes hey, can you pass the salt? And it was him, man. So we let him eat for an hour.
Speaker 2I didn't want to go over there, he was busy. And he came over to me and shook my hand and says so you're wailing, you're opening for me, tell me a little bit about yourself. And we talked for probably half an hour. Uh, everything but music. He wanted to know. We already knew what we were there to do. We were there to do our job. He wanted to know what else I liked, and so he was showing me pictures of the deer that he shot on his farm. And I beat him. I got two, he got one. But yeah, man, after I opened for him, he got on stage and he gave a huge shout out to me saying I want to say thank you to Waylon Hano for coming and opening the show for me so cool. And the funniest thing that he said was I remember being that age, I guarantee you couldn't drive a steak through his ass. It's so tight. And he was right.
Speaker 1He was absolutely right man, that's trace, that's great, and he's backstage probably no, I no.
Speaker 2Last time I saw him he was like smoking like a fiend. I heard that he was a big smoker. I don't think he drinks or smokes anymore. He's kind of over, If that's the case that's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was super cool. So after that experience I noticed all that. They're just people, man, you know, just like you and me. They're just people and they're doing their thing and if you treat them like people, they'll treat you like people and that's what.
Speaker 1That's what I do with my skip happens podcast. You know, I get the radio thing going. I get to meet a lot of great artists like yourself and I interview a lot of artists. But you know what? It's not only about the music, it's to prove to the viewers and the listeners that you know this dude is dude, is real. He's no different than you and I. He, you know, drives a truck. He goes to the store, yeah, but his job is playing music. My job is interviewing them.
Speaker 2And I guess the viewers and listeners.
Speaker 1Your job is to listen, it's true, man you know. And always one fan at a time, I always say that, hey, that right, there is so true. It is so true, so true. Are you a sports nut, do you?
Speaker 2Not, not too much. You know I I wrestled in high school, played football, baseball, ran track. I think I still hold the eighth grade record for 200 meter hurdles in Michigan. No kidding, well, I shouldn't say record. I'm probably in seventh place, but I'm up there. I'm sure you're up there. I could never do that.
Speaker 2Never did, I don't play sports and all that, and I don't. I mean I'll watch football, I'll watch the game and all that kind of stuff, but if I'm not outside I'm either playing my guitar, working on stuff or raising hell drinking beer.
Speaker 1There you go, you pick. Do you have? I think I have five or six now.
Speaker 2Six now it gets expensive. I didn't know that it's like me with all my toys here.
Speaker 1We're talking about my camera. We're talking about different things, I know. You know it all adds up. It all adds up, but this is what I do and that's what you do exactly, and do you? Who makes your favorite guitar? Is it fender?
Speaker 2who makes nice guitars. I learned about branching out into the electric guitar and trying to learn it. But uh, if, if it was electric, I'd either go gibson or fender um, and then for acoustic, definitely gibson. I love gibson's, but what about? I'm starting to like the sound of a Martin guitar man. Oh, you know, I've heard good things about them from other artists. I'm really starting to like the Martin. It's just, it's a deep, rich tone. But as soon as you crank that capo up to a little bit of a higher fret you get that nice, real trebly sound and that's what I like.
Speaker 1I love that.
Speaker 2I've heard that from a lot of artists, as a matter of fact, and then also Taylor. So it's Taylor who makes a nice guitar. I have a Taylor. I forget what the model is on it, but I was just down in Florida last night. I was doing some housework for my grandpa. Down there. We put in an air conditioning unit, got it all tightened up and did up and he drove down there. And I'm not I don't take my guitars on planes, dude, I do not take them. They don't respect your luggage, they don't respect nothing, right, and I try to watch out for that. A bag of clothes with some toothpaste in it? Yeah, I'll let you take care of that, but I'm not giving you an $800, $1,500 rig. So, grandpa, he drove that down there in the back of his pickup truck, and that was the one that I was playing was a Taylor.
Speaker 1That is cool. You know you talk about flying with the guitars, though, and we do a lot of shows with artists here in the Cuse and talk to a lot of other artists. Number one you never check your guitar through. Number two you better have if you do put it on the plane. You got to have one of those good cases. I mean, they actually have hard cases like a pelican case for a guitar. Uh, you want something like that. There are a lot of bucks, but still, and then, if you do take it on, you make sure you carry it on board and make sure they put it in a compartment where you like in the front yeah, and I got lucky.
Speaker 2I went down to texas and was writing a song or uh, writing songs with a guy named Bernie Nelson and I got lucky and was Able to put it on there. And because usually they what is that compartment Is it for, like baby carriages and all that.
Speaker 1I think it's for like suits and carriages and just larger items that I guess I don't know. Okay, I'm not a flight attendant so I couldn't tell you. You know, my flight to Nashville, of course I was sitting in the front and I was watching them put stuff in those compartments. So yeah, some of the larger items, like a guitar or something, that where you know you don't want to check through, because how often have you and I sat on a plane, looked out the window and you see the luggage cart come up and you see them start tossing stuff around and something flips off. The cart lands on the tarmac then they go on the window that's my guitar.
Speaker 2I was. I was banging on the window, man, and they couldn't hear me it just yeah, I know that's crazy but yeah, I'm gonna look into those pelican guitar cases yeah, I don't know if they're pelican, but they're hard.
Speaker 1we did a show with low cash here not too long ago and the guy showed up with these cases and I'm going these, these are fricking awesome If you have a guitar and I'm sure you know with their guitars they're worth a lot of money that they had them. They had them pretty well protected, so if they did get tossed around or you know, you're not going to damage them.
Speaker 2but what do I know? I'm a radio guy. What do I know more than me? You just gave me some advice.
Speaker 1Oh, I'm just trying to help, like the camera. Exactly man, I love it. So you've put out an EP, yeah, right. And what's next for you, waylon? Yeah.
Speaker 2So I put out a self-titled EP Waylon Handel with five songs on it. Four of those songs were written in Texas. One of them was written myself in Florida when I was 16 years old. I put that out probably, I'd say, four years ago now, maybe, yeah, probably around four. And then I put out an album titled New Old Outlaws and the title track is probably one of my favorite songs I've ever wrote and I'm working on a new album, and so that'll be out sometime next year or this year. But my newest album and I actually think I have a copy right here it's called Don't Mess With my Country. I like it and that album is probably my best one. It got released, I think, in November sometime.
Speaker 1Yeah, I saw those songs on there, man.
Speaker 2Oh my gosh, if, if you haven't listened to it and if viewers haven't listened to it yet, you probably, should, probably, shouldn't take it.
Speaker 1Hopefully they pick it up and they, you know, when we get done here tonight and we give all your locations where they can get your music you know all the socials and all that that they go on and they buy the music and buy the album and all that good stuff. Now, all the tracks on that album did you write a co-write or what's?
Speaker 2the deal. On this brand new album there's a few songs that I did not write. There's a couple that I did write and it's kind of cool, man, it's weird. Sometimes I get pitched songs from some people and it's such a crazy feeling to know that somebody likes my sound so much, or likes me as a person, that they want to entrust me with the something that they created. You know, and it's just, it's unreal. So I have quite a few songs on here that I did that with.
Speaker 1See, that's. That's cool If you can make somebody's song come to life. You know that, that feeling like if I was to give you a song, I, that's cool If you can make somebody's song come to life. You know that, that feeling like if I was to give you a song, I, maybe I couldn't bring it to life.
Speaker 2But if I give it to an artist like you and you bring it to life, that's gotta be such a feeling, that's a it's probably the one of the biggest, or if not the biggest greatest compliment that I could get is somebody entrusting me to make something out of something that they made. You know, I respect those people and I owe my life for them letting me do that. I love it.
Speaker 1I love it. You know that's, that's. That's great to hear. Just knowing that, uh, do you get the Nashville often?
Speaker 2Yeah, I get down there quite often. Actually, probably from a few days from today, I'll be going down there and cutting six more tracks. Okay, where do you record? So I used to record right downtown Nashville, on Division Street. You remember Omni Sound Studios there? Oh yeah, oh yeah, and it got bulldozed in the middle of last year. It's kind of a shame man. Now they're building a high-rise. I know Well, yeah, it's a little last year on. It's kind of a shame man, you know. Now they're building a high-rise.
Speaker 1I know I well. There's a high-rise on every corner.
Speaker 2I know man, you know dude it's crazy down there they're building so many buildings that they have to build over the road.
Speaker 1Yeah, no exactly right, exactly right. It's crazy and it you know it's a great place to go. It's a great city. All different genres of's a great city, all different genres of music, anything and everybody, everybody's there. It's just so cool to go to Nashville. It is Even where it is in today's world. I've been going there, you know, for the last 25 years for this country radio seminar thing and I was just there last week and just between then and last time I went, I'm like holy shit, where'd this building come from? Yeah, I know it's like wow, and they go up that fast. They do. It's scary, but still Then, if you go to Broadway on the weekends.
Speaker 1you're going to go down in the evening, Forget it. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 2It's crazy man. And that's why you go to places like the local, exactly that's exactly why.
Speaker 1Yeah, oh, the Station Inn. I love the Station Inn. I mentioned that. Every time I talk to somebody and we talk about Nashville and places to go outside of town, I'll just, you know, get out, take an Uber over to the Station Inn and get myself some beer and hang out and listen to the entertainment. And the advantage of going to those places maybe like the local and the Station Inn is you never know who's going to walk in. You never know who's going to walk in.
Speaker 2You never know who's going to be playing, you don't know. Yeah, and that's why I like those places, man, and there's a reason why they call it the local and stuff like that, and because they're off the beaten path. You know the big artists, everybody knows their face, knows their name. They don't want to walk right down the middle of the road where all the people are.
Speaker 1I'll go down on broadway. Who knows who I'll see. Well, I hate to break the news to you. Uh, you're not going to see anybody because they don't want to go down there. Exactly, man, you know, I get it. So you got a full band behind you. Do you have regular guys you play with all the time, or?
Speaker 2uh, yeah, so I just got a full band uh at the beginning of this year 2025 and we've done probably three or four shows. We're going to be doing our fourth one, uh this saturday, coming up in montrose, michigan, so that's going to be a lot of fun. But, uh, this year is going to be a lot of whaling handle band and I'm really looking forward to that. Man, I love it.
Speaker 1I love it and you're working well on the music row chart. But who's pushing the music for you? Is it Heidi?
Speaker 2It's a little bit of everybody. So first what we were doing was just putting our music out there. And then we got a hold of the first person that I ever worked with out of Nashville, tennessee. Her name was Pam Lewis and she's a great woman. I still love her, still respect her to this day. I always will. She was the one who was Garth Brooks' manager when he first started out. Oh wow, yeah. And now she runs a promotion company, pla Media Nice. So I worked with them for a little while and they put me in magazines and all that stuff and really got my name out there for a big jumpstart. And then we worked with Kat Atwood oh, I know Kat. Oh, yeah, jumpstart, uh. And then we worked with, uh, kat atwood oh, I know kat, yeah, she's awesome man and she recommended us to uh, oh, my gosh, what's her name?
Speaker 2nancy, I don't know. Anyway, she recommended to someone, or recommended us to someone, to promote our music to the radio and after we did that, she was the one who finally got me on some music row charts and she got me in the UK and all that stuff and I was able to have my first number one song over in the UK. Congrats, yeah, man, and it was. I think it topped out at number 43 on music realm and, being an independent artist competing with all the people with labels, I'm I'm proud of that.
Speaker 1No, and you should be. Anything 80 or above on the music road chart is pretty damn good.
Speaker 2I'm very, very blessed to be able to work with people that I've been working with and promote my music like that.
Speaker 1Did you get a chance to go overseas and play like in the UK at all?
Speaker 2No, not yet. And we actually got some messages for some places out there that wanted to hire me, but just, you know, things were picking up in the summertime and I wasn't able to leave. But, hopefully this year or next year I'll be able to branch out of the United States.
Speaker 1I mean, if you had a number one in the UK, that's pretty cool.
Radio Success and UK Number One
Speaker 2I know, I think I should make a trip over there. I think you should.
Speaker 1And I think you'd be amazed how much. Well, obviously you had a number one there. And I think you'd be amazed how much. Well, obviously you hit a number one there. They love country music.
Speaker 2Oh, they do man.
Speaker 1Yeah, the artists that go, like they take advantage of the C2C and they go and do those shows. I mean, they're blown away that these listeners, these fans know every track of every album and they're singing it back to you. It's amazing, it's so cool, man.
Speaker 2That's another thing that just stunned me when I first started playing my original material is when people actually listen to it and you can tell because they're singing it back to you. Oh my gosh, it gives me goosebumps every time, man. That's awesome.
Speaker 1That's awesome. You know, I can't even imagine I see it happen when I do shows. Or you know I'm presenting shows. But just see the look on the artist's face when you know all these listeners are like singing back to them, you could just, you could just tell they're like wow.
Speaker 2Oh dude, you can't stop smiling, Seriously, you cannot stop smiling. How do?
Speaker 1you keep yourself grounded. It sounds like you got so much going. It's so awesome.
Speaker 2Surround myself with good people, good faith people Try to stay out of trouble as much as I can. The girlfriend really helps me with that one. But yeah, just surround myself with good people. Keep it very family oriented. You know my mother, heidi. She's my manager. Oh, I didn't know that was your mom. Yep, and it's my manager. Oh, I didn't know that was your mom.
Speaker 1Yep, it's so cool.
Speaker 2Yeah, and that's actually one of the biggest pieces of advice that I was given from somebody in Nashville. They said if you can keep it in the family, as long as you can do it, you know, because there's so many snakes and there's so many people in this business that just want to make a buck. Oh yeah, you know, no many, uh, there's so many people in this business that just want to make a buck. Oh yeah, you know no 100.
Speaker 2Yeah, so people like you and my family I I try to surround myself with to uh uh, keep myself right down there absolutely good.
Speaker 1I love hearing that. Tell me about your hunting. I keep looking at what you know you got, uh behind you. What is that? Again, again, coyote, coyote, is it?
Speaker 2coyote or coyote, coyote, coyote. We always say coyote up here. Do you have a lot of those there?
Speaker 1Oh yeah, we're overran with them.
Speaker 2Yeah, yep, in northern Michigan we're starting to get wolves again, so that's pretty cool. I've heard that. Yeah, what about the deer? Yeah, and there's the uh deer population. Uh, this this year it was unreal. There's so many deer up here. We had a mild winter last year, so all the bucks survived, the does survive, and I think we probably had I don't know the number, but definitely thousands of more deer this year. So it was, it was nice in here.
Speaker 1I think it's everywhere. Oh yeah, you see deer where you never seen deer before. I mean, I go into the radio station and it's actually within the city of syracuse limits and it's like my god, there's a deer, like where the hell you come from. It's like you know, it's like, but there are. They're everywhere. As a matter of fact, they they started. Is it calling? When they start? Um, I'm trying to think they like, like they. Well, no, no, they shoot the deer because there's too many they give oh like uh, yeah, like management and all that, yeah, yeah, like deer management.
Speaker 1I mean, there's neighborhoods around here that have had to do that. Oh, wow, yeah, and then they give the meat to charity, but oh, that's cool man, yeah, that's super cool.
Speaker 2I heard like ted nugent uh, does that stuff he does, he does.
Speaker 1Are you a nugent fan? Oh, I love nugent man.
Speaker 2Isn't it crazy, oh dude he's, he's so wild man, he's so wild me and uh, uh, who was it? Me and me? Yeah, it was me and my dad. We went and seen him over in saginaw, michigan, at the Temple Theater Dude. That show he played like it was 1977, man.
Speaker 1Oh my God, so cool. So if he, if he called you and said hey, Waylon, look it's Ted. Hey, um, you know, I have an opening, Uh you want to come and play with me.
Speaker 2Uh, dude, I'd say, dude, fuck, yeah, I'll be there tomorrow.
Speaker 1I love it.
Speaker 2I would, man. I would be there in a heartbeat. You wouldn't be scared shitless, no man. And that goes back to what we were talking about earlier.
Speaker 1They're just people, man. No, I know it is, but sometimes you feel intimidated.
Speaker 2Oh well, I mean to a certain extent, when somebody with a big name is calling you, I could see that, but once you start getting to know somebody, it's just life man.
Speaker 1I love it. I love it. If there's anybody that you could collaborate with, who would that be? Let's leave Nugent out of it. Who else Would it? Dead or alive?
Speaker 2Either way, either way Dead. Probably, I'd say Merle Haggard. Okay, definitely Merle Haggard, you know? Know, I think in my opinion he's probably the best song writer in country music. Just being able to write your own stuff and sing it well and take it to number one, that's just unheard of I was gonna guess, johnny cash for you I don't know, I get it I get it okay and uh, alive man I probably dude. Eric church is pretty cool man.
Speaker 1Eric church is a cool dude he just blew me away at the crs and it's really too bad.
Speaker 1You didn't see it oh, he was there, man he was there, he did a sit down with jelly roll, oh and dude, a conversation that just totally blew me away. It was so real, so down to earth. Jelly's a big fan of Eric and you know he was fanboying. He was like, oh my God, oh my God, it was so cool.
Speaker 1But also Eric Church at the Ryman while we were at CRS uh, we do lunch there and one time throughout the week and, um, he did a song and it was for he was talking about the school shooting in nashville and he was talking about the fact that the next day, you know, it was so hard to take his kids to school and drop them off. And when he did that, he pulled away and he sat in the parking lot and he wrote this song and he played the song and it was dedicated to, you know, all the parents and all that. And while he did that, a whole choir came out and it was just, dude, I'm gonna be honest with you I started to cry. It was just amazing. He touched the heart of everybody that was in there. It was just, and what he did just blew everybody away.
Speaker 1You'll have to look at I'm sure it's on youtube look up eric church at the ryman for crs 2025 I think whoa it was yeah, it was just like whoa, you know and to see eric church in that setting and to hear his story and to go back when he was meeting with Jelly Roll, just he was sitting there, didn't have his sunglasses on, he was just real. He was real, 100%, all the way through real. And so was Jason Jelly Roll to Ford I mean the same thing. He was so real and it was just. I'm glad you said Eric Church, that was just and that right.
Speaker 2there is just another reason why I like him so much more Exactly.
Speaker 1Exactly, you know, and it's just yes, it's Eric Church, but you know what? The format that you're in country and the stories that come out of the music and your music that you're playing, the music that you've got on your EP and your album, and all that, that's all real, that's all you know. That's what country music is, and it's people like you that you know where I can go. Dude Waylon's singing about me. Holy shit, this song's about me, you know, I mean, that's country music, that's what it's about and that's what you're doing. Well, thank you, man.
Speaker 2That's what it's about, and that's what you're doing. Well, thank you, man Dude. Now you're going to make me cry.
Singing the National Anthem for President
Speaker 1No, no, there's no crying allowed. I'm just saying, oh man, I know, but that's the way it is and that's why we love what we do and that's why I love the country music format. I love doing what I do. I love chatting with you guys, whether you're young, you're fairly new, you're an independent artist, but you're kicking ass, and there's also artists out there that have been doing it a while. Either way, they're so real and so true all the way through. So that's cool, that's cool.
Speaker 2Yeah, well, thank you very much for saying all those kind things.
Speaker 1Absolutely. I need to know. I'm not going with politics here. We don't get into politics because it just starts a fire. But how was that to sing the national anthem for the president and the vice president and all that? I saw you did that as well.
Speaker 2Oh yeah man that right there? No, I was intimidated and nervous for that I'd be a wreck.
Speaker 1I'd be like making a mess out of my pants, I'm sure, oh yeah.
Speaker 2I'm surprised I didn't. I'm really surprised I didn't, man. And we got there and it was. We sang, me and my steel guitar player. I really wanted to include him in that one because he's been there with me for a long time. Very cool, yeah. So we did that show together and so we sang the anthem for President Trump. And you know, before the election the past year, and there was about nine 000 people in the stadium, it was at the dort federal event center in flint, michigan, right off miller uh 69 there, yep and uh dude. What a experience I to me. I don't want to get weird, but it was damn near out of body.
Speaker 1It was so cool and no, I get it, I was right when I was walking out there, they called my name.
Speaker 2They they said, ladies and gentlemen, waylon Hannell, here to sing the national anthem with a steel guitar player. And I walked out there and people started cheering and all that and like whoa, and we got up there and we sang that anthem and, and what I don't know, if there's a better thing that you could do is sing the nation song for, you know, the president of the United States.
Speaker 1I get it regardless who it is. I totally, I totally get that 100%.
Speaker 2Just one of the biggest honors ever and the thing is the pressure.
Speaker 1See, I don't know if I'd be able to handle the pressure, but obviously you did it very well. But knowing that if you were to mess that up and which happens way too often Come on watch football games, we watch NASCAR, we watch everything, and it's like okay, dude, you missed a whole verse, or you know it's like okay. So, and especially in that setting, for you to be able to go and do that and hold your composure and be be yourself, be wailing, handle and get out there and sing that dude, probably better than I would have man it's, it's unreal man and if, uh, and if anybody's interested and and know if you want to, if you weren't there and you want to see it, if you go and follow my tiktok page, wailing handle music.
Speaker 2I think we have that pinned right up at the top, rightfully so. Performance it's pretty cool dude, that is very cool yeah, and so let's so get this man so right when we uh right when all ears on, bring it on.
Speaker 2So, right when we got done, me and my steel guitar player barry gokey is his name right when we got done, uh, we were talking to a guy, I think his name's jay. I could be wrong, but he was the guy coordinating us around, you know, because secret service is walking around with guns and this, all that kind of stuff, and they want to know where you are at all times. So they said we have two designated seats for you, right here. So, right when we were done, we walked to those seats. Well, barry, he lives up in the UP and we're in Flint, so he's got over a five hour drive home. So he goes, waylon, I'm going to, uh, take my guitar and get it, you know, loaded up in the case, and I'm probably going to skid out of here.
Speaker 2I said, okay, barry, well, thank you very much for doing this with me Shook his hand and he went backstage. Well, little did I know, cause I was sitting in my chair watching Trump speak and, uh, sarah, sarah Polzin, or someone who was also speaking. Well, barry walked backstage and when he walked behind the curtain, all these Secret Service members are back there. So here comes Barry, 68-year-old man walking around in a plaid shirt. They're like, hey, what the hell are you doing back here? And they wouldn't let him leave. Oh my God, oh dude.
Speaker 2They surrounded him for the whole hour and a half and and his phone is going off non-stop because people are saying congratulations, congratulations. People are trying to call him and they're getting closer and closer and closer. Like dude, this guy is like on alert, he's gonna. Oh dude, it was so funny. So we met in the parking lot. He was like the last guy out of there because they wouldn't let him leave. Oh my God, I wanted to get home, I know. So he ended up getting home way later than we wanted to. Wow.
Speaker 1He said it was all worth it, it was cool. Yeah, exactly Exactly. What an experience.
Speaker 2You know it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1It's pretty cool getting to know you a little bit and, and you know, and thank you for taking the time out tonight to come on my podcast, Skip happens.
Speaker 2Thank you for having me dude. This has been. This is probably the coolest podcast I will ever do in my life.
Speaker 1Thank you so much for saying that. I just like to have fun. That's what it's about. But it's the most important that I introduce you to a lot of my viewers and the listeners here in Syracuse and hopefully they can jump on and get your music, listen to you, find out more about you and, if you wouldn't mind, just tell us again your Tik TOK Instagram and all that Is it. Anywhere Can they just Google, you Will all that come up.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, you can Google me. You just Google that name, waylon.
Speaker 1Hannel right there, although it's.
Speaker 2W, yeah, w A Y L O N. Last name Hannel H H-A-N-E-L. And so for my Facebook page, whalen Hanel Music, instagram Whalen Hanel Music and TikTok, the exact same Whalen Hanel Music. And we post every single day the first of the month, we usually post where I'm going to be playing, so my schedule, just day-to-day stuff keeping up with me, and we always let people know when new music's coming out, and it'll be sometime soon when that's going to be happening, dude.
Speaker 1I love it. Like I said before, you're only 23. 23. 23. 23. Only been doing this for about five years. But I'm still hanging in there, that's all right. Just, you know, control yourself, you gotta. You know you got a long life ahead of you and I can see a future star here, so that's pretty cool. Thanks, brother. Just always remember, skip happens, I will you know what I mean. So thank you again for joining us tonight.
Speaker 2Um, we're going to say goodbye, but I want you to hang on right there and uh, hopefully you won't go anywhere.
Speaker 1I don't know, I'll be right here in my form. So, all right, it's uh, whalen hannel everybody. And, by the way, you can subscribe to him on youtube. I believe you have a channel. Make sure yep, make sure you subscribe to that. You go to skip happen, so you subscribe to me. Look at, look at, I keep moving you see that?
Speaker 2see, that's why I want to get that camera. Man, I move and it just stays.
Speaker 1I should get a hold. It's an insta 360 link too. It's a small camera. I got great cameras around here, but uh, I bought this for under 200 bucks. Now I should call them and say dude, hey, give me a sponsorship you give me a sponsorship for cameras, for insta 360.
Speaker 1You reach out to one of the guitar manufacturers or boot companies or somebody and say I need a sponsorship, and you for Insta360,. You reach out to one of the guitar manufacturers or boot companies or somebody and say I need a sponsorship and you're going to be good Sounds, good man. Yeah, all right, it's Waylon Hannell, everybody, waylon, god bless you God bless you too, skip.
Speaker 1Enjoy the weather. Enjoy the weather you too, as much as it'll get. I know I hope to get to meet you sometime and I'm sure our paths will cross somewhere because you know, because of what we do. So and I hope it's all right. Peace out everybody. Have a great night.
