On his upcoming Spy-worthy holiday shows, he said, “If I tell ya, I’d have to kill ya. Can’t forsake the old spy code. But we have fun every year with a great theme. It is an irreverent holiday show that everyone loves. We have a blast putting it together. We always include fan favorites and a few holiday gems, but the rest of the set is a surprise.”
Keen is also pleased to present, in exclusive partnership with Nugs.TV, the world premiere of Western Chill, which was recorded live at his Snake Barn Movie Ranch Studios in Texas. The show includes 14 new and previously unrecorded tracks from Keen and his band.
He opened up about life during the quarantine. “I almost feel guilty saying this but, in many ways, this has been an extremely enlightening and productive year for me. Unbelievable challenges, but more than enough rewarding experiences to offset those obstacles,” he said.
“I built a full production video studio to handle streaming and recorded requests. One of the projects, Western Chill – an hour-long band collaboration piece, comes out on the Nugs platform on November 21st. We’ll release the audio version as a full-length record on the Dualtone label in February or March,” he said.
Regarding his future plans, he said, “I got 30,000 likes on a minute and a half video, where I mixed a cocktail I invented. I’m probably going to invent more cocktails. Working on a follow up to Western Chill called Late Night, Last Minute. Looking forward to working on that soon. I might start exercising. (laughing) And hopefully more live shows.”
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “It’s inspiring. The outlets and opportunities are endless. The creative potential is infinite. I wish there were more hours in the day.”
For young and aspiring musicians, he said, “Join BMI. Play the melody, and always keep your publishing.”
Regarding the key to longevity in the music business, he said, “Brute force and ignorance. Try to make more friends than enemies.”
On his definition of the word success, Keen said, “The word success means I almost always have to look it up to spell it correctly. Just like recommend or accommodate. I measure success by how happy my family is.
For his fans, the iconic crooner remarked, “I’m 64. Most people consider that old and sometimes I feel old. Consequently, I’m always looking for the upside to aging. It occurs to me that almost all the great things in my life and career have happened in the last 15 years. Now, I have an unusual trajectory.”
“I struggled to stay in music for much longer than almost anyone I know, so this probably does apply to many people. But I think had I laid it all down 15 or 20 years ago, I never would have known what I was made of. I’ve found that there is almost nothing I can’t do when I commit. It has taken a lifetime to learn that one thing,” he concluded.
To learn more about Robert Earl Keen, check out his official website and Facebook page.
