Roughstock (Aug. 9th 2010)
It's 'All About Tonight' For Blake Shelton
In this exclusive interview, writer Dan MacIntosh talked with Blake Shelton about his new album All About Tonight. During the interview Blake discusses his relationship with his in-laws, his upcoming album and American Idol.
The title track to Blake Shelton’s prior album, Hillbilly Bone, was a monster radio and video hit. His label, which has dubbed these extended plays ‘Six Paks’, is putting out another Shelton six-song set this summer, called All About Tonight. It includes plenty of Shelton’s humor and good time spirit. (And a little Miranda Lambert, of course). Roughstock had a chance to chat with Shelton about everything from his new music, to his thoughts about American Idol.
Roughstock (Dan MacIntosh): Your new release comes out as a second Six Pak which is a different way of releasing music. And I’m wondering, did your label have to convince you in any way to go with this concept, or you pretty much behind it as soon as they presented it to you?
Blake Shelton: I wouldn’t say that I was behind it as soon as they presented it to me, but they put it to me in a way that was very appealing to me, which was, you know ‘You’re going to get to record music, and hopefully, more often.’ What I mean by that is I can react to a song quicker. Meaning if I write it or I find it, I can go and record it, and if need be, it can be out on the radio two weeks from then because we’re not married to an album for two years, and that’s a cool thing. And having said that, that’s been one of the things over the years that is frustrating. You know, you make an album that – at the time – you feel really strong about and you’re pumped about it and you put it out there and the first single doesn’t do that well and the next single doesn’t do that well, but you’re $300,000 dollars into an album and you go, ‘God dang, man, I wish I had cut this song that I just now found because that would be the difference maker because in the Six Pak world you don’t worry about that.
Roughstock: Is the Six Pak something that Warner Bros. is going to do with other artists, or is that just something that they created for you?
Shelton: You know, I don’t know. I don’t even know that I’m gonna do any more of ‘em. It’s been pretty interesting, but I’ll tell you man, the record industry’s been changing that quickly still. I mean, I don’t know that by this time next year when I’m ready to put out something new again – because we’re coming with a greatest hits – if in November…I don’t even know what the record industry will look like at that point. If albums are still in stores; if it hasn’t moved totally digital yet, we may do another Six Pak or two. I mean, I love being able to record like this, go in whenever I want to and make a record. But I also know that it’s moving digital really, really quickly. As successful as that last Six Pack was, it still didn’t compare to the single sales of “Hillbilly Bone”. There’s no comparison. If that continues to happen, and as little of time as there will be till next summer, who knows what the record industry will look like at that point. I don’t know what Warners is doing with other artists.
Roughstock: Tell me about working with Trace Adkins, you mentioned “Hillbilly Bone” and how successful the video was. Did you ever imagine you would have such a successful video, and secondly, do you enjoy doing videos?
Shelton: I normally don’t enjoy doing videos, but I did that one because it was pretty simple. The director, Roland White…I called Roland on the phone a week before the video and I said, ‘Man, I don’t know what all you’ve thought about because we kicked back and forth some ideas on how to do the video, but I know if you’ve ever seen the movie The Cowboy Way, but there’s a scene where they walk into this really fancy restaurant, Woody (Harrelson) and Keifer Sutherland walk into this fancy restaurant, and the just don’t fit in. And they end up making a big stir in there. And I thought, ‘That’d be cool if Trace and I could do something like that.’ We didn’t talk about it again after that, but I walked in that day and he said, ‘All right, man. Here’s the video. Here’s what I want you and Trace to do. I want ya’ll to walk into this restaurant and just be as cocky as hell.’ And Trace looked over at me and said, ‘Well hell, that’s what I’d a done anyway.’ It was the easiest video I ever had to do because all we had to do was just kind of give people dirty looks right back at ‘em as they were giving us dirty looks for being a couple of rednecks in a fancy restaurant ruining the vibe, you know. It was tons of fun. I really did enjoy it. As far as the success of the video, I kind of had a feeling it would do well just because I’d be bringing my fan base in with his fan base and I knew that people would be excited about a collaboration like that.
Roughstock: I read that your friendship with Trace goes a long way back. Do you remember when you first met Trace?
Shelton: I met him at the ACM Awards in 2001. That was the first time I ever met Trace Adkins. We were standing around at some charity event. I really looked up to him at the time. I tried not to let on like I did. But at that point, he was on his, I think, third album. And I always thought he was just a badass anyway and country music needed somebody like him. But I never let on that he was somebody I really looked up to because I didn’t want to seem like a psycho fan hanging around him, you know, but I kinda was. But as the years went by and I got to know him…you know, it’s not often that you meet one of your heroes that you walk away from them and you look up to them even more than you did before, and Trace is one of those people. I don’t have anything but respect for that guy because you never have to wonder what he’s thinking or where he stands on a subject or how he feels about you, either. And you have to respect a guy like that. He doesn’t play politics or the business. He just is who is. And if he’s in a bad mood, you can tell it, you know? And if he’s in a good mood, you can tell it. I appreciate that about just the person in general.
Roughstock: There’s a song on this new release that’s a duet with Miranda Lambert called “Draggin’ the River”. It’s about the whole idea of trying to get the approval of parents or linking together even though the parents don’t approve. This made me wonder; did you seek out approval from Miranda’s folks when you asked her to marry you?
Shelton: Oh God yeah, I called her dad the night before and asked his permission and he was into it, but I did tell him, I said, ‘Man, I’m not telling you what to do, but I don’t think you should tell Beverly, Miranda’s mom. I think you should let Miranda tell her. There’s one thing I ask of you…’ because Miranda and her mom, they’re as much best friends as they are mother and daughter. And I knew that was something that Miranda would want, to get to tell her first. And I couldn’t believe he did it. He went along with it. I thought sooner or later before the night was over he wouldn’t be able to take it. He kept his promise and she got to call her the next day and tell her.
Roughstock: It sounds like you like your in-laws. Because, as you know, when you marry someone, you’re also marrying their family.
Shelton: I’ll tell you what, man; we hit it off the first time we met. Especially Rick and I, Miranda’s dad. He’s a guy that likes to hunt and fish and has got a gun collection. We have a lot of the same viewpoints as far as politics and things like that that we agree on. He always said that, no matter what happens between me and Miranda, that I was always gonna be family to him, you know? And that’s pretty cool. A pretty unique thing.
Roughstock: I’ll bet won of the big tests for you when you met Miranda was that she would get your sense of humor because you’ve got a great sense of humor. Has she always laughed at your jokes?
Shelton: Oh, hell no! She gets tired of me joking around constantly. She’ll be the first to tell you that, too. She’ll be, like, ‘Alright, hey, you are not on the bus right now with all your guy friends trying to make 'em laugh. You’re home. Why don’t you just chill out a little bit. You’re not funny making jokes about pooping and crap like that. Why don’t you just tone it down?’ She’ll always be the first to bring you back down to Earth a little bit.
Roughstock: I recall how you did a TV show called Clash of the Choirs, where you led a choir. They’re now revamping another kind of reality show, American Idol, and coming up with some new and fresh judges. And, you know, they don’t have anybody that understands country music, even though some of the biggest stars from the show have gone into country music. So I wonder if you’ve ever considered lobbying for a job as a judge on American Idol.
Shelton: Man, I would. But man, I think that stuff happens during deer season. There’s no way in hell I’m giving up deer season to go sit and watch somebody sing and tell them whether they’re good or not. If it was in the summertime, when it makes more sense for me, absolutely I’d be into it.
Roughstock: You have your priorities straight.
Shelton: That’s right.
Roughstock: We should probably talk about the single from the new album, “All About Tonight”. What attracted you to that song?
Shelton: Man, as simple as it is, it’s just the truth. I’m gonna be walking out here onstage in a few hours and I’m gonna be looking out at 50,000 people here in Minnesota at this concert tonight with a bunch of artists on it. And every person in this crowed tonight will be living the lyrics of “All about Tonight”. ‘Man, I’ve been working my ass off this year, and taking care of business. This is my night to act like a complete dipshit. And I’m gonna get drunk. There’s a chance I may get high. And there’s a 100% chance I’m gonna feel like crap about it tomorrow. I don’t care. I deserve this. I have earned this moment.’ and I’m gonna be looking out at thousands of people living that song. I know what that’s like, and that’s what attracted me to that song. It’s an anthem for ‘in the moment,’ you know?