COVERAGE
In Their OwnWords
Conversations with artists on the road, backstage, and between sets. From Texas dance halls to festival stages unfiltered and up close.
Full Interview · 01
Artist Tanner
Venue Billy Bob's Texas
Location Fort Worth, TX
Genre Texas Country
Occasion Birthday Bash
By Bryan Atkinson
INTERVIEW DETAILS
Tanner: From Skip Tracing to Selling Out Billy Bob's
A Birthday Bash conversation at the world's largest honky-tonk
Interview by Bryan Atkinson · Billy Bob's Texas, Fort Worth · Texas Country
Tanner has been a fixture on the Texas country circuit for years — the kind of artist whose energy in a small bar room is the same energy he brings to a stage like Billy Bob's. We caught up with him on his birthday, right before his Birthday Bash performance, for a conversation that covered everything from his days as a skip tracer tracking down delinquent car notes, to the mentor whose advice has shaped every song he's written since high school. Equal parts grounded and fired up, Tanner is an artist who knows exactly who he is and exactly where he's going.
Q Super important question - dog or cat?
A Dogs. No brainer.
"If you can't make 'em laugh, make 'em cry." — the line from his high school English teacher that has shaped every song he's written since.
Q What kind of kid were you growing up?
A I was always singing constantly. I did choir my senior year in high school, but I was always the kid that was always singing. I don't know if class clown would be the right word - but yeah, definitely that kid.
Q Before music, what was the last normal job you had?
A I was a skip tracer. I would find people that stopped paying on their car notes. It was miserable. Pretty much a glorified stalker - find all the information, try to find their car, get cussed out. Ruining people's days.
Q Was there a mentor or teacher who had a big impact before music took off?
A Back in high school, my English teacher - I had her for two years. She always told me, "If you can't make 'em laugh, make 'em cry." That's always kind of stuck with me in my songwriting.
Q What's a mistake you made early in your career that taught you the most?
A I don't have anything I wouldn't do again. I would just say it's important to get the right people around you. It's all about the people.
Q Tonight's the Birthday Bash at Billy Bob's — what would make it a perfect night?
A A sellout. Let's throw it out into the universe — it's gonna happen.
KEY MOMENTS
Career before music
Skip tracer - tracking down delinquent car notes
Mentor's advice
"If you can't make 'em laugh, make 'em cry"
On the business side
"It's supposed to be fun - I'm gonna get back to that"
In the blind bag
Alani, chi worms, TKI Jerky
Q You've been grinding the Texas circuit for a few years. From early bar shows like Hank's to rooms like Billy Bob's - what's changed most about how you approach a performance?
A I don't think anything's changed. You go out there and you give it - leave it all on the stage. That's always kind of what I've done. The energy's been pretty consistent since day one.
Q Everybody sees the lights and the smoke shows. What's the part people don't see?
A I'm getting used to the business side of it and I'm trying to get away from that. It's easy to make this thing a job and it's supposed to be fun. I'm gonna try to get back to that.
Q I know you like to goose hunt - so I have to ask. What's in Tanner's blind bag?
A I'm an Alani guy - gotta have an Alani. I've been on a chi worms kick too, but those are kind of crunchy so not great for the blind. And my brother makes beef jerky — TKI Jerky - so some of that for sure.
Full Interview · 02
Artist H&RRY (Harry Morelli)
Festival Electric Forest
Location Rothbury, Michigan
Genre EDM / Electronic
From Chicago, IL
By Bryan Atkinson
INTERVIEW DETAILS
H&RRY: No Festival Quite Like Electric Forest
A conversation at the gates of Rothbury with Chicago producer Harry Morelli
Interview by Bryan Atkinson · Electric Forest, Rothbury MI · EDM / Electronic
Harry Morelli performs as H&RRY - a Chicago-born electronic producer whose sound sits at the intersection of deep house, groove, and that specific kind of energy that fills a festival stage at 2 in the afternoon when the crowd is already fully in it. We caught him at Electric Forest, his second time performing at the festival, right after what he described as his biggest festival show to date. The conversation covered tailored setlists, dream stage builds, the artists who shaped him in middle school when nobody else was listening, and why deep dish pizza is a non-negotiable.
Q Electric Forest has such a unique vibe. How does performing here compare to other festivals you've played?
A To say it truthfully, there really is no other festival like Electric Forest. The people, the workers, the staff, and obviously the attendees just bring a certain vibe that no other festival has. You can clearly see it when you play the earliest set in the entire festival and everyone's there to support you — versus a lot of other festivals where they only come for the headliners. The moment the gates open, everyone's there.
"I was that weird kid in middle school who liked EDM when no one else did. Seeing them create stuff nobody else was listening to — that was groundbreaking for me."
Q Do you tailor a setlist for a certain kind of festival, or do you stick to core stuff?
A For Forest specifically I'll tailor it, because I like giving my all and this was my biggest festival show - I wanted to make it special. I played a lot of unreleased music, a couple of released tunes, and just went all out. Some bass, some groovy stuff in the middle, and ended on a high. When it comes to other shows, I'll usually have a few tracks I know I want to play and build the set around that. But for Forest, I start from scratch.
Q When you're not performing, what kind of music do you find yourself listening to?
A Lately — Khruangbin. Check any of my playlists and it's all house music, EDM, electronic. But when I want to decompress I'll put on Khruangbin, or even some Barry Can Swim. Just mellow stuff. Even lo-fi hip hop that gets me in the zone.
Q Go-to comfort food?
A I'm from Chicago - deep dish pizza. That's one of the absolute faves. No contest.
Q Tonight's the Birthday Bash at Billy Bob's - what would make it a perfect night?
A A sellout. Let's throw it out into the universe — it's gonna happen.
KEY MOMENTS
On Forest
"No other festival has this vibe - the gate opens and everyone's already there"
Dream stage
A giant ampersand stage with the crowd surrounding him
Influences
Skrillex, Jamie xx, Khruangbin, Barry Can Swim
Comfort food
Chicago deep dish pizza - no contest
Q What's one show or musical moment that changed your life as an artist?
A Listening to Sonnambula in sixth grade - that track by them during an EDM launch got me producing music at a very young age. Without them, without Skrillex, without Jamie xx - I was that weird kid in middle school who liked EDM when no one else did. Seeing them perform and create stuff nobody else in my grade was listening to was groundbreaking. Without them I wouldn't be here today.
Q If Electric Forest gave you an unlimited budget to build your own stage or experience, what would you do?
AI wouldn't go too big - I like the intimate stuff. I'd definitely want to expand the Honeycomb. But my dream is something like what Fred Again did in LA - that stage that wound throughout the audience. I always think it'd be cool if I performed on a giant ampersand, since the ampersand is literally in my artist name. Perform in the middle of it with everyone around me.
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