Country singer-songwriter Ned LeDoux chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his forthcoming new album “Buckskin.”
‘Upside of the Ground’
Ned LeDoux released the second song “Upside of the Ground” from his upcoming third full-length album, “Buckskin,” on all digital service providers. “We have been playing it live the last four months or so, and the audience loves it,” he said.
“Upside of the Groud” was penned by his friend, mentor, and producer Mac McAnally, and it follows on the heels of last month’s release of his album’s self-penned debut song “The Mountain.”
“I wish Mac was here right now to tell the story of ‘Upside of the Ground’ better than I can. It has been about 18 years ago,” he said. “Mac produced my father’s last three albums, and Mac wrote this song for dad, and it sat on the shelf for about 18 years. He sent me this song and I thought it was a little different since it’s quite a mouthful but I love the message and the story.”
‘Buckskin’
“Buckskin” like his first two albums “Sagebrush” and “Next In Line,” continues his steadfast love of carrying on the traditions, music, values and the cowboy way of life passed down to him by his mom and dad, Peggy and Chris LeDoux. “Buckskin” features 12 songs, eight of which LeDoux wrote or co-wrote. It leaves no doubt LeDoux knows where he came from and is proud to carry on the LeDoux family name.
On the song selection process for the new album, LeDoux said, “I wrote almost everything in 2020. We did get out and we played a few dates but not like we usually do. I had all this time at home so I was able to finish a lot of projects around the house and start new ones. It was great to be with the family.”
“Almost every night, I would come downstairs and pick up the guitar, and I would play things, and eventually, these ideas started coming out,” he added.
The album will be released on March 11 and it is available for pre-order on digital service providers by clicking here.
While it was hard to pick a favorite song from the new CD, he listed “The Buckskin” poem as the one that stands out to him. “I had been trying to turn it into a song for the last three years,” he said. “It’s a poem about my dad’s championship ride in 1976. The name of the horse was Stormy Weather and it was a Buckskin horse. I remember all of the hard work and dedication my father put into that leading up to his win, so I started piecing things together and that’s how ‘The Buckskin’ came to be.”
‘He Rides The Wild Horses’
He continues to keep his dad’s (Chris LeDoux’s) legacy and music alive. In addition to his eight original songs on “Buckskin,” LeDoux has included his dad’s self-penned iconic “He Rides The Wild Horses, which is one of his favorite songs his father ever wrote. “That was a good song of dad’s to follow ‘The Buckskin’ poem on the album,” he admitted. “Every album I put out will always have me covering a song of my father’s.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, LeDoux responded, “Perseverance.”
Opening for Garth Brooks and Aaron Watson
In July, LeDoux opened for Garth Brooks at the 125th Anniversary of Cheyenne Frontier Days (and the 50th anniversary of Chris LeDoux’s self-released album, Songs of Rodeo Life). LeDoux was on hand, with Brooks, for the unveiling of the bronze Chris LeDoux Memorial Statue titled “Just LeDoux It.” Like his son Ned, the statue will forever honor the legacy and reputation of Chris LeDoux as a touring and recording artist and his legacy as a World Champion rodeo cowboy.
LeDoux is well respected for his high-energy live shows that mix his western roots with the rock and roll influences he acquired in his youth. He routinely headlines his own shows as well as earned coveted opening slots for Toby Keith, Aaron Watson, and Garth Brooks.
He opened for Brooks at the 125th anniversary for Cheyenne frontier Days last July which was “crazy.” “That was just a magical day,” LeDoux exclaimed. “Being invited to open for Garth was just a neat day. The best part was that my whole family was there and my wife’s side of the family. It was like a celebration for dad but also a big family reunion.”
LeDoux had great words about opening and playing for Aaron Watson. “Aaron is such a good guy, he and his whole group,” he said.
He defined the word success as “setting goals, working towards your goals and dreams and achieving them.” “Success does not come without hard work,” he said.
For his fans, he concluded about the “Buckskin” album, “The folks that listen to my music know that I am going to write songs about cowboys, the ranch life and family. This album has a new twist on some of those things and I really like the variety of this collection. There are some fun songs that blend well with everything else on the album.”
To learn more about singer-songwriter Ned LeDoux, visit his official website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
