Check out our interview below with Texas country star, Jon Wolfe!
Where did the inspiration to release a live album come from?
We’ve built an amazing fanbase over the past ten years – especially here in Texas- and Gruene Hall is not only a legendary venue, but it’s one of our favorite places to put on a show. It seemed like great timing to record a live album and be able to relive the concert over and over again.
How did you decide which songs would be given a new “live” life?
The setlist was chosen from fan favorites over the years, #1 songs we’ve had in Texas, and a couple of covers from Texas legends like Billy Joe Shaver and George Strait.
You’ve said performing at Gruene Hall is very special to you – do you recall your first time going to the venue?
I’ve been touring and releasing music now for ten years as an artist, but I can remember 15 years ago going to Gruene Hall on Tuesday nights to see Two Tons of Steel. I was always blown away by the feeling of great history in that venue and dreamed that someday I might be able to perform there too. To have had the opportunity to perform there several times in my career and now record a live album was a dream come true.
Since this venue is in Texas and you’re well-loved there – what is your favorite thing about Texas?
I love the music scene here. There is great history among the venues around Texas, so much comradery among other Texas artists, and Texas gives artists like myself the freedom and ability to play the music we want to play. It’s a maverick way of life down here.
You just released your single “Feels Like Country Music” to radio, why did you choose this song?
Feels Like Country Music is the title track to the EP that I released last June. Lyrically, the song has a lot to say about country music and our lifestyle. This song is like an anthem that connects people to the things they believe in, stand for, and the embodiment of their foundation. You could say that country music has so many variations within the genre, but this song feels like the core element of what country music truly is – at the heart of it all.
Can you share the memory of the first time you heard yourself on the radio?
I heard myself the first time a little over ten years ago on Texas radio in Corpus Christi. It was my very first single, Let a Country Boy Love You, and I was sitting in my truck awestruck that someone believed in the song enough to play it on the radio! It was such a surreal feeling.
You have your own brand of tequila, Juan Lobo, what inspired this creation?
My south Texas fans gave me the nickname of Juan Lobo years ago, and it began to develop its own persona. I’ve been a tequila fan for years and I’m passionate about the process of tequila. About three years ago, I started toying around with the idea of creating my own tequila brand by visiting distilleries in Guadalajara. What started out as an idea quickly became a passion project, and now a physical product you can actually buy in liquor stores and bars!
Where can we pick up a bottle? Head to JuanLoboTequila.com for a list of local retailers near you.
We’re currently in a weird, uncertain time for performers and many people. How are you handling the quarantine? What have you been filling your time with? Spending a lot of time with my wife, which we typically don’t get much of during the normal touring year. I’ve been keeping myself busy with projects around the house, getting organized, and working on some songs for a new album.
What can fans expect next from you?
We’ve got some new and exciting things happening on the Juan Lobo Tequila front, we’ve got a new video coming out soon for Feels Like Country Music, and I’m working on getting some new music out to radio and fans for early next year.
Stream Live At The Legendary Gruene Hall now and follow Jon on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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