Joshua Ingram

My Manifesto-or-My explanation to those who may not understand,

You don’t owe me anything, but if you’re ever curious about why I do things the way I do them, I’d love if you read on. I know I am doing things the hard way and that expecting to be successful in an already ridiculously undependable field while not doing the most tried and true things, is a little farfetched. I don’t care. If I want to be successful as a musician, I should: spend a lot of time in Nashville and LA, spend my nights in a van or a motel room, play shows all across the country, pay everything I make to an agent or promoter, pay for studios to record my songs, co-write songs with writers who have cuts, pay for my singles to get played on the radio, and hope, that after all this, I have two cents to rub together. This would possibly be acceptable to me if I was the only person I had to worry about, but I am not. I have a family that I care for and who very much depends on me to earn a decent living. Not only that, but they’d like me to be around instead of on the road, and so would I. I would hate waking up in stinky rooms instead of the house my family slept in. So, all the ways people go about “making it” in the music business aren’t acceptable options for me, by my own choice. 

Instead of these previously identified methods to success, I, and my team, have opted for alternative practices. We do most of our creation in house. If you hear a track, or watch a video, and it doesn’t seem like it was created by a team of trained industry pros, that’s because it wasn’t. Since we have a hard time selling music anymore due to the streaming takeover, I have a hard time justifying spending the money it would cost to go into a studio to record. I’m not arguing that the product would be better, I’m just arguing that my money is better spent paying my mortgage, feeding my family, and providing the protection of things like insurance and IRAs. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

I also make sure that when I book a show, the venue has enough faith in me to guarantee me a decent amount of money, so I have to make up the difference in my nightly goal with tips and mech sales by a smaller percentage. We have broken down how much we need to earn and how many shows a week we need to earn it in so that we can do like I said above and pay for the things we need to pay for. This means we’re not playing lots of the real songwriter type places who want to charge a cover, want us to open for someone else for free, or want us to play a free audition night. That means, some places that don’t seem the most conducive to music, but pay us well, get preferential treatment when we’re scheduling. Rest assured, if you see me playing in front of a football crowd, I’m getting paid well. This also usually means that I don’t get to play as many of my original songs as I’d like to and while that’s a bummer, I don’t have the luxury of being a starving artist begging for someone to listen to me. I do, however, know thousands of cover songs that the people who tip me want to hear. I sure do thank you all for that! The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

In my career, I have recorded in studios, paid radio promoters, played exposure gigs for free, been on the road, kissed multiple butts to try to get the attention of someone who might help me find success, but the most success I have ever had is from what I can manage in house. Just my wife and I manage to: book 3-6 shows a week, keep Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the website calendar up to date, send out communication to our fan base, keep inventory of merchandise, maintain the PA gear and instruments, write, record, and release new music, release music videos, grow our fanbase, promote developments, maintain our vehicles, and probably more things I’m not thinking about. We keep good lists, follow up on everything (even when people don’t reciprocate) and communicate as much as we possibly can. This causes us to have to cut some corners like not having the most expensive recording equipment, taking our own pictures, and basically putting out media that seems homemade. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

What we are going for is the human interaction. You’ve heard me say that we’re not in the music business, but the people business. When COVID-19 shut the world down, I realized more than ever how much people need to be able to connect, and how powerful a tool music is to that end. I also know how much I enjoy entertaining folks on weekends or evenings. I love watching husbands and wives dance together. I love when people hear their favorite song and smile or when they like one of my songs enough that they sing the words along with me. This is the realization that showed me the steps to being a successful musician aren’t the steps I should be taking. Instead, I would like to take steps to connect people to one another using music as the vehicle to do that. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

We like to sell the merch since we can’t sell the music anymore because that’s just not how the world works. Sure, we could spend the time and money to create content that competes with Taylor Swift for your attention, but that hardly seems like the right thing to do, even if we could afford it. No, I’m gonna put out some songs, make videos with picture of my fans in them, sing my heart out on stage and hope that everyone in the audience knows that I’m giving it all I have for the sake of whoever is there, and that you’ll buy a T-shirt and stream the singles.

Our merch is provided by a local, independently owned company. Michael keeps his prices competitive, provides the best product, works with us on design, turns the jobs around quickly, and is personally invested in our satisfaction. We’ve been approached by other suppliers but are loyal customers until we have a reason not to be. When you buy merch from us, you’re keeping two small businesses in business. We take half of what you pay and deposit it for future merch buying, and half goes into the business coffers. Michael helps us make sure we always have your size, and if we don’t, we can get it quickly. All of this is run behind the scenes so we can continue to generate revenue and you can continue to look so good while you’re advertising for Joshua Ingram. I could use national print shops for musicians, or use bundled product from music publishers, like publish with me and I’ll get my friend to give you a merch discout, blah blah blah, but I prefer to work with a local who knows and cares about what I need. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

I believe in organic promotion. Nowadays, if I want you to know something, I have to pay for it to be promoted on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and everything else. If I want you to hear about it through print media, I’ve got to take out ads. I’ve got to spend hours a day posting and blogging, begging you to like, add, follow, subscribe, share, retweet…and it’s exhausting. I believe that if you’ll really give my product a chance, you might like it enough to do all those things yourself, and if you don’t, no matter how much bought-and-paid-for hype I create, it isn’t going to enable an unlikable product to become likable. Sometimes, I may make something that isn’t very good. That happens. I’d rather let the people who are already fans decide if they like what I put out. I hope that if you DO like what I put out, you’ll know it helps me when you share it, and that you’ll naturally want to do so. If you don’t want to do it, that’s up to you. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

If I moved to Nashville, I would be around the heart of the music industry. There would be opportunities every day for me to meet and work with successful musicians. I’d be able to collaborate with people who live and die for the music scene. The odds of my success would skyrocket because I would be in the place where successful people go. I would be far from home, far from my children, and my children would be far from me. I already miss a lot of concerts, volleyball games, and plays because of my job. If I lived in Nashville, I would miss all of them. I already miss them when they don’t sleep in my house, but if I lived in Nashville, I would miss them every night. I already miss chances to be out and about with them, but if I lived in Nashville, I would miss all of them. I know being successful in music means sacrificing a number of personal comforts, but the opportunity to raise my kids is not one of them. I will not put success in the music business above my family. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

Like I said at the beginning, I know that what I’m doing is against almost every recommended tactic to be successful in music, but that’s ok. I’m not trying to be successful in music as much as I am trying to be successful with people. We at Joshua Ingram, have the ability to create original music and video, distribute it to the world on multiple platforms, perform the material in front of an audience and be paid for it, sell merchandise to fans, and get to know people as they get to know us. I don’t chart in the top 100, I don’t play massive venues, I don’t have millions of followers, and I don’t care. That’s not why we’re doing it. The effect of this decision makes me someone that the pros in the music industry tend to overlook, and I’m fine with that.

https://melogroove.co/an-exclusive-interview-with-joshua-ingram/

Melogroove Interview Questions

Could you share the story behind your latest song and what inspired its creation?

            This is actually quite unique.  Very recently, a friend reached out to me to say he was getting divorced but wanted to try to save his marriage.  He asked if there was anything I could write that would help him do that.  I asked what happened, penned some words, sent him a demo recording and he loved it.  Time will tell if it accomplished his goal, but my wife and l love the song, so we will likely release it someday.  It’s currently titled Don’t Let Go.

How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?

            I try to use songs as a response to a human condition or current situation.  When I feel something powerful, I try to capture it in a song.  I have many songs about love, life choices, stories, and human emotion.  It’s what we all live with, and I see myself as sort of a scribe to record the happenings through music.

As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?

            I will let you know when I figure it out.  Mostly, I just realize anything I try to do that is dis-ingenuine will be noticed by the audience and rejected.  I have a small audience that already likes what I do, so to change to be liked on a broader scale might alienate them, and I won’t do that.  Really, I think you have to believe if you are doing what you’re supposed to be doing, this world is big enough for us all to find a place.  No one needs to change to fit some arbitrary standard.  Do you and do it well.

What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today's music industry?

            The hardest thing for me is not feeling that I can sell hard copies of music.  Yes, I know some people still buy CDs and vinyl, but for the most part, the phone or satellite radio is how people are listening to music.  That means, for the most part, they are streaming, which means we aren’t getting paid…at least not the way it used to be.  An indie artist has always made their money on the road, but some of that money used to come from the purchase of music.  It’s impractical now to payout to have enough hard copy to sell and carry it from show to show.  We’ve had to figure out other ways to A. get the record in front of people, and B. make up for the lost money.  It’s tricky, but doable.

Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians? How does it influence your creative process?

            I co-wrote my first song a few years ago and it was a fun experience.  Being able to openly communicate ideas before they went into a song allowed for us to come up with the BEST ones, not just the only ones a person could think of.  I think if you’re with the right people, it will fuel your creativity.  If it squelches you, you need to get with some other people.

What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?

            Technology and social media play a crucial role in promoting music, unfortunately, it does that for everyone so it can also become a saturated media where only the folks with the biggest budget get through.  It seems like a level playing field, but the misunderstanding is that the platforms are for the users benefit.  They are for the platform’s benefit, which means the richest advertisers will get the biggest notice.  In that regard, it’s no different than the outlets that existed before the internet…whoa, how old do I sound?

Are there any particular artists or genres that have had a significant impact on your musical style?

            Someone influenced every musician, no matter what they say.  My major ones are: Counting Crows, Paul Simon, Eagles, Billy Joel, Marc Cohn, Monte Montgomery, RUSH and thousands more.

Indie musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engage with your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?

            I’m always trying to be creative when it comes to connecting with my fans.  On the video for my last single Better With You, I asked people to send pictures of the people who make their lives better and I put them in the video.  It was well received based on the viewing numbers right out of the gate.  I’ve also invited my fans to the studio to sing on a record. We do all kinds of social media voting and so on.

Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?

Most of my impactful memories come from playing private house parties.  Some of these can get a little wild and they’ve caused us to have to set a great number of rules for when we agree to go to someone’s house. We don’t mess around when it comes to partying.  We want everyone to be able to do it again, and again.

In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians?

            As I said before, the streaming platforms cut out the need for the listener to own a hard copy, which cuts into tour income.  It also means it’s as easy to listen to a major release as it is a local or indie release so there’s not the same feel of listening to a local when the next song can be from a major label.  Lastly, it really hurts the idea of making a record as opposed to making singles, because they’re all just basically singles once they’re streaming.  Whether this is good or not is not up to me. It has and will cause people who choose to make a living making music to have to figure out a way to do it, but that’s not new.  Every generation has their challenges in that area.  I personally feel that streaming disconnects the music from the fans a little bit, but it also makes the world’s music, from all time, available to them at the click of a button, so who knows what can happen?

I have a large pile of dirt to move.  That’s not a Euphemism, I literally have to move lots of dirt from a pile into a hole.  Why me?  Why now?  Here’s the story.

Several years ago, the pool at my mom’s house, the one I loved as a kid, grew to resent as a teen who had to maintain it, and have really missed over the last few weeks of unseasonable Texas heat, fell into disrepair.  After some consideration we (my mom, brothers, and I) made the decision to fill it in.  It was bittersweet but made the most sense.  We set out imagining how we’d get it done.  

There was brief talk of hiring someone, but if you know us, you know that’s not really how we do things.  We all grew up kind of taking care of things on our own.  My brothers and I decided we could fill the hole in on our own but needed to figure out the best way to get the dirt.  After a few phone calls and looking around, my youngest brother found a place that would fill up his pickup bed with dirt.  I remember when we emptied that first load and realized just how much bigger that pool hole was than the bed of his pickup.  That plan wasn’t going to work because the site was too far away and didn’t bring enough dirt all at once.

My sister-in-law found a place online where you could order a dump truck full of dirt for drop off.  This was a much better route, but the size of the trucks and layout of the yard made it impossible for the truck to get to the pool.  The first one dumped the dirt on the driveway, my brother borrowed a bobcat, and spent the day filling in the pool.  It was awesome, except that it still wasn’t all the dirt we needed.  We knew we’d need to repeat the process but couldn’t get more dirt right away.  The bobcat had to be returned, everyone went back to work, life moved on, but the job still wasn’t complete.  

Over time, it kind of slipped our minds that we had an incomplete job until the city reminded us.  It was time to crank it up again and get that hole filled, only this time, there were more schedule challenges.  There were new babies, new jobs, new responsibilities, so getting all three of us there with the dirt and the machinery proved difficult.  In fact, we decided first just to get the dirt there and figure it out as we went.  Once the dump truck showed up, it felt good to know we could get back to work. Unfortunately, we didn’t have access to the same equipment, but we talked about renting something.  We also knew this wasn’t exactly enough dirt to complete the job. We would need to get more before we rented equipment so as to only do it once.  

There were times we thought we’d just move it by hand to get it off the driveway, but getting the three of us there on a day when it wasn’t raining, no one had to work, and we didn’t have some other responsibility was almost impossible.  The dirt sat in place for a long time, while we sorted out what the perfect solution would be.  It takes a long time to come up with the perfect solution when there are so many hurdles and obstacles.

Years ago, I worked as the youth director at a church.  Sometimes I would get overwhelmed by the number of issues I had to deal with because it felt like I had to deal with them all at once.  That feeling can cause a person to freeze and not handle any issue at all.  My friend and co-worker, Trudy, would let me sit in her office and vent.  When I did, she’d ask, “How do you eat an elephant?”  It was like she wasn’t even listening to what I was saying.  She, like everyone else, didn’t really care, or so I thought.  She was really giving me the best advice because her snarky but supportive countrified answer was “One bite at a time.”  What she meant was the size of the problem can seem overwhelming, but the work of solving it isn’t, it’ll just take some time.  I still use this advice almost daily.

I have decided not to wait on the perfect way to move this dirt.  I can’t commit an entire day or week to moving this dirt, but I can commit one hour a day.  After a week and a half of committing one hour a day, I reached a breakthrough point where I could really see that I was making headway.  Now the pile is halfway gone.  I almost get excited now when I drive to the dirt because I know I’m going to do a little of something, that is part of a big something.  Soon, that dirt will be gone.  When it is, I will celebrate, but not for too long.  There will be another big job, but it will not be scary or overpowering because I will eat it one bite at a time.

There’s an expression that everyone overestimates what they can do in a day but underestimates what they can do in a month.  People also ask what you’ll tell yourself in five years that you wish you had done today.  I have a friend who said, “You can wish in one hand and poop in the other and see which one fills up first.” We can spend as much time as we want looking for the perfect solution, the right time, the best situation, or we can pick up our shovel and move a day’s worth of dirt.  I don’t know what problems you’re dealing with, but I’ll close this by saying you don’t have to do it alone.  If you want help, let me know.  Whatever it is, it’s easier when your back is not the only one carrying the load.

Don’t wait; let’s get moving.  I love you.

Joshua

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

-Mother Theresa

The pile originally started where the shovel is leaning against the fence.

Hannah Owens is a local songwriter I’ve known for several years and while this isn’t the only good thing about her, I have to say she has the most beautiful voice.  Her songs elicit emotion of all sorts and draw you in.  She has a subtle and unassuming presentation, often sitting cross legged on a stool just strumming along like she was fishing for catfish off the dock.  She has a sweetness in her soul that’s obvious to the audience, but she also has a fire in her heart that keeps her running with the best of them.  

            Her original recordings are reminiscent of a groovy kind of Alt-Americana sound like it could be from 50 years ago or 50 years from now.  The production indicates she’s willing to take some risks with what otherwise might be a pretty traditional female country sound.  I think she sounds anything but traditional, though she can drop a pretty good Dolly or Patsy tune on you.  

            You’ll want to pay close attention to the lyrics as she’ll take you on a trip through the feelings one may have in a relationship, on the road, or just looking inward.  She plays around town and collaborates a lot.  Hannah is also willing to jump onstage and sing harmony with you whenever she gets the feels.  I remember once, she came up to sing something with me and before I let her get away I started into Whiskey Lullaby.  It was the most fun I’d ever had singing that song.  

            Find Hannah around town at Magnolia Motor Lounge or countless other places where music is happening.  I’m proud to call her friend but even prouder to share this industry with her, and share her music with you.  Links are below, follow her and go see a show!

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Lacey Ingram is, as she says, my sister from another mister… or is it that I’m her brother from another mother?  Either way, we of course enjoyed meeting each other and finding the humor in sharing the same last name and love for making music.  We instantly hit it off, like many of us do, one night in the stockyards. Lacey is such a firebrand and almost always has that devilish grin that draws you to her.  

            My favorite song she’s put out so far is Murder and Moonshine.  It’s a story type rocking song that combines elements of country, rock, blues, and even some folk and bluegrass.  The most important element in the song is her piercing voice that introduces itself, unapologetically, the line “There’s fiiiiiiiiire on the mountain!”  I get goosebumps every time I listen.  We’ve all felt pinned into a tough situation and that’s what this song addresses, though hopefully we’re not all only wanted by the long arm of the law.

            Lacey plays around town a great deal and she brings that thunder with her.  Follow her social media and streaming platforms so you’ll find out when she has new music coming.  Don’t miss Lacey while she’s still playing for you for free!  Tell her I sent you!

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Rachel Stacy has been such a force for music for a good bit.  I’ve had massive respect for her ability and tenacity.  She has some kind of traditional country sounding stuff but also some kick-you-right-in-the-dang teeth rock music.  Rachel brings a soul to the stage that has to be moving 1000 MPH.  I dare you to go to a Rachel Stacy show and lose interest, cause she won’t let you.  There is not a part of her show that isn’t entertaining.  She sings like fire, plays guitar exceptionally, and saws a fiddle in half.  

            We play in many of the same places, but not on the same nights, so I almost never get to hear her play live.  If I did, I’d want to hear her live version of “Boomerang” which cuts to the quick.  “Wishing Well” might be new favorite song of hers.  It feels like something that came from my youth with an uplifting message about a commitment to remembering the past.  

            Rachel has a way to connect words and music to human emotion that is not super common.  When you match those notes and words to her heart wrenching voice, it makes for a powerful experience.  Go see, listen, and experience Rachel Stacy.  You’ll thank me for it.

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These are three powerful women in a male dominated business, but don’t let that change how you think, cause they don’t.

It's been icy and lots of shows have canceled.  That's always tough for working musicians but this is nothing compared to 2020.  We're all a little tougher and braver now.  Since I didn't get to play much this week, and neither did many others, I'll tell you about three artists I wish I got to see more:

Tee Fitch is such a groovy songwriter I sometimes feel like he's customizing the songs for me.  Sellwood Bridge has that iconic sound like it was lifted from a nineties movie about relationships, growing up, and trying to decide which parts of life to care about and which parts to throw into the wind.  I CAN NOT stop listening to it.  If you grew up with the music I did, this will fit perfectly into that huge binder of homemade CDs with the perfect mixes for driving.  Thing For You is very catchy and since I know the person it was written for, I can tell you it's about as honest a song as a person can write.  Have you ever fallen hard for someone and don't exactly know what to do about it?  If so, this song will make perfect sense.  If not, well, sorry about you, get out there and meet some people.

I met Tee through a mutual friend when I needed someone to play bass at a show in Waco, TX.  He could not have been cooler that day as we encountered technical problem after technical problem.  He is such a good dude to have around because he doesn't get rattled, or at least he doesn't let it show.  With excellent guitar skills, great vocals, and genuine song-writing, I wish I could see more Tee Fitch shows and hear more Tee Fitch Music.  Check him out online!

Spotify   Web Site

I met CC Cross in a music competition several years ago.  Side note: I hate music competitions, but they do create an opportunity to meet and network with other musicians, and there's nothing better than that.  CC and I became fast friends, cause she's just like that.  She's sweet but not weak, tough but not mean, and walk through fire for the ones she loves.  We lost touch a few years ago and she took a break from music for a bit.  Now that she's back at it, I can't wait to see what she comes up with.  

She has an excellent cover of Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground but her single Woman of Steel is probably my favorite thing she has on Spotify.  Again, I wish you could have access to all of her material, and it may be floating around somewhere out there.  I know I still have some hard copies of the CDs she sold at shows.  I like to use the word grit to describe artists who I think really put themselves out there and don't let the difficulty of the business slow them down.  Since I use that often enough, it doesn't begin to describe the grit, tenacity, full on soul of fire that CC puts into her music.  Check her out and tell me I'm wrong.

Spotify  Reverb Nation

To round out my three this week, I'll add someone who should need no introduction, but he is someone I wish I could see more often.  Colin Boyd is someone I've known for years, and even though we don't talk much, I have crazy respect for his talent and work ethic!  You don't get to work as much and for a long in this business as Colin has if you're not working seriously hard and maintaining solid relationships.  He's got such a groovy way about it him too.  You would think it all just comes easy to him.  You know how some musicians are so loud they suck up all the energy in the room for themselves?  Well, that's not Colin.  I don't know if I've met a humbler, more gracious fellow song-writer than Colin, and if anyone had a right to be a little cocky, it'd be him. 

Tell me, when you listen to ​​​​​​​Another Heart To Break you don't feel like you're in some honky-tonk waiting in line for a cool, not cold, lite beer that'll cost a dollar and a half.  It swings, it grooves, and is a really fun listen.  Juliet is a fun song simply asking if she's found Romeo yet.  It's fun and light hearted.  I'll be listening more and more as I didn't realize until the writing of this blog that I wasn't following him on Spotify.  Let me assure you, that has been rectified.  Check out Colin at the links below, and he has tons of shows so go see him live and tell him I sent you.

Spotify Web Site

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to share this with other music fans.  Go see live music if you love music.  Be careful out there.  See you soon!

Every Saturday I play a show at Filthy McNasty's Saloon in the Fort Worth Stockyards. I play 4:00-6:00 and take over the stage from the man who plays 2:00-4:00, Phil Wallace. Phil is one of the most entertaining musicians I know, but I don't always know how entertaining he means to be. He'll sometimes talk as much as he sings, and will let you know if he thinks you should be doing something different than you are. Phil has a unique approach to stage presence that sometimes involves not being on the stage at all.  

As long as I've known Phil, I've known him to be talented and genuine. He has an old soul and writes that way. You won't usually hear him sing the latest release from the coolest new band, but he'll sing songs that make you think and sometimes want to lay down and cry. He'll also make you laugh till you almost wet yourself. Oh yeah, if he takes a shine to you, he's liable to make you blush. Go see Phil Wallace play. Listen to his music. You've never heard anything like him.

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Sometimes, when Phil can't make it on a Saturday, he'll get our buddy T-Bone Stearns to fill in for him. T-Bone has the kind of voice that will pull you in from the street because you just know someone with that voice must also have something good to sing. Whether you catch him with his band, The Low Flying Buzzards, or by himself, his shows are really cool to watch. He'll sing heart wrenching love songs and good ole beer drinking tunes. He's an inspiration to people like me because of the strength of will he shows in this business that will put your willpower to the test every second.  

T-Bone has a style that seems familiar, but not like anyone you've heard before. While he can sound just like Willie, Waylon, and Johnny, he doesn't. There's not a huge catalogue available on Spotify yet, but check out what he does have, follow, like I do, and wait for more. His new single "Buzzards" is a gritty mournful jam that takes you through an emotional desert reducing people to dogs and buzzards, reminding us to take care of the ones we love.  

I can't wait to hear what more T-Bone will have for us to listen to, but for now, he plays several shows every week. I bet you can figure out when and where to find him, like a buzzard might...

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And finally, why don't I tell you about Skylar Payne. Skylar has been around for awhile (not as long as me) but long enough for most people who hang out in the DFW honky-tonks to know who he is. He hosts lots of open mic nights, open jams, songwriter nights, you name it.  

He's written some incredible music in his own right. One blew me away so much I did a cover of it on my YouTube channel. It's called "Before You Said Goodbye" and I can't even think of the song without starting to sing it in my head, cause that's where it sticks. Another, "Sittin' With A Psycho" I've only heard live, but hope he'll record it soon. 

His voice and songwriting are filled with grit, emotion, and just enough vulnerability to help you believe him but not make him seem weak. I've had the honor of watching him work for several years and can't wait to see what else he comes up with. Go see Skylar Payne.

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Go see Phil, T-Bone, and Skylar. Not only are these men great musicians, but I consider them good friends. I wish we had more recorded music from them, but until then, we gotta catch the shows. Follow them on Spotify, or Apple, or wherever so you can hear when they have new music.  

Happy New Year everyone!

I've decided I'm going to type a weekly blog about the DFW music industry.  There are so many cool people out there doing their thing, and I'd like to help be part of people knowing about it.  This first entry will be just about something that happened last night.

After my show, I had time to go to the Fort Worth Stockyards to see Dusty Moats and Aliza Ford.

Dusty is a great singer/songwriter and entertainer but what's even cooler, is that he was recording an episode of the Texas Tailgate live show on EMLK radio with Aliza as his guest.  I didn't even know Dusty Was doing this, but it was really cool to watch those guys trade stories, share songs, and kind of pull back the curtain on this crazy business.

Dusty is one of the hardest working musicians I know.  He books shows for different artists, is involved in running EMLK, an internet based radio station that plays local artists (like me, thanks EMLK!), and of course writes and performs music all over.  His single "Lakin' it Easy" has been streamed almost 200,000 times on Spotify alone.  If you're looking to find someone else to listen to, give Dusty a shot.  

I was glad to see Aliza Ford last night.  Aliza has been working at this for awhile, and just keeps getting better.  Not only are the tunes about the truest form of country music I've heard in awhile, they're insightful and just feel good to listen to.  I got to hear one he had just written (for a pretty girl, of course) and it was fun to hear him share something that new with the audience.  Even when the content is heavy, like in his song "Goodbye", there's a power in his voice that makes it easier to listen to the sad words.  I'm excited to see what Aliza comes up with for 2023 and if you'd like to hear this local talent, find him on Spotify or wherever you look for music.

I wanted to stop into Filthy McNastys to say hi to some folks before we headed home.  I knew my buddy Ben Hatton was playing in there, and to my great pleasure, he was decked out in Joshua Ingram merchandise.  What an honor!  Ben has one of the silkiest voices I've heard, especially in the Stockyards.  We've been making plans to write together so he can start putting out some original material, but scheduling is always hard when you work all the time.  Don't worry though, we'll get it done, but until then, you can see him every Thursday night at Filthy McNasty's.  

One last thing, did I mention these shows are free?  That's right, you can just walk right in and listen.  I know we get used to listening to the same old people who have "made it" on TV or the radio, and when they come to town we'll buy expensive tickets, stand in line, shove through the crowd to find our seat, pay for overpriced beer, but there are other ways to enjoy music and the people I will bring to your attention in this year will really appreciate your support.  

https://dustymoatsmusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/Aliza.C.Ford/

https://www.facebook.com/bhattonmusic/

Come to a show, stream the music, like, subscribe, share...all of these local artists count on it.  

Keep Jammin!

My grandfather served in WWII.  He didn't speak often of his service, but I know he was proud of what he did for his beliefs and the needs of our country.  My father-in-law served during Vietnam and I never hear him talk about that.  I've had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of veterans over the years from WWII to Korea to Vietnam to various operations during the Cold War to Desert Shield/Storm to Enduring Freedom and even events I didn't include in this list.  I have personal friends who have seen things on the other side of the world that I would never even want to imagine.  Some are outspoken about their service and some are more reserved.  Sometimes, I'm surprised to learn from a person that they served.  I'm gonna use words like "they" and "them" many times in this piece because I never served in the military and they did or do.

Every eighteen year old makes the choice after graduation.  For some, it makes the most sense to serve before college or career because there are some decent programs available.  Some have a sense of duty to their country, family heritage, or conscience.  No matter why someone chooses to serve in the armed forces, it is honorable in a way that is hard to describe.  It's honorable because whether they fight in a war or not, they are ready to.  See, the military is a powerful institution that trains its men and women to be disciplined, resourceful, and loyal- and, sadly, to be ready to endure and enact unspeakable harm.  We need a military because we live in a world that is still infected with evil.  And when they take that oath, they are choosing something that I never had to choose.  They are choosing the country, this country, first.

I know we have lots to disagree about in today's day and age.  It seems that's all we do now is argue.  We can do that because Germany and Japan didn't win WWII.  We can have the freedom we still have because the American military has been serving throughout the world to keep the fight over there and try to establish freedom and human dignity everywhere.  We even have the right to disagree about that.  Some people think we should only worry about this country and bring our troops home.  Some people think we should police the entire world.  No matter what you think, I hope we can all remember to treat our veterans with honor and respect.  I hope we never ever get as confused as the country was during Vietnam.  I hope no matter who is in office and what the military is doing, we will remember to honor those who serve.  I hope, no matter what you think about our flag, our national anthem, and other symbols of our country, you'll understand that someone who wore that flag on their shoulder might not like to see it disrespected.  

They, from the first shot at Lexington and Concord to now, have made a choice to serve and protect this country. Not just freedom and democracy, but these United States of America.  They are a group comprised of individuals.  Some like to talk about their service, some don't.  Some are proud and some are haunted by sixty year old memories.  Some will tell you they didn't do much and some will tell you more than they should.  Some appreciate being thanked for their service, some do not.  ALL of them deserve our respect. 

On this Veterans Day, I hope we can unite as a country and show thanks to our service men and women no matter when or how they served.  For a minute, let's take down the flags that are anything but the American flag. Just for today, let's stop arguing about shots and masks.  For today, let's not worry about whether Christmas season starts too early, the price of gas, or what Aaron Rodgers thinks about anything.  For today, let's enjoy the freedom and protection that has been, is, and will be provided by the American military.  They deserve our affection and respect- each and every one of them.

Thank you to all who have served.  Thank you to the parents, siblings, spouses, and children of those who have served.  Know that anytime you are at a show of mine, your first beer is on me.   Know that anytime you need a listening ear or a friendly face, all you have to do is call.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for protecting this country from the evils in the world.  Thank you for doing your duty.  Thank you for not slapping us when we argue about dumb stuff that you fought for our right to argue about.  

God bless you all and God bless the United States of America!

Hello there! 

I have a show Wednesday night at the Ranch in Las Colinas, a couple of private events, and my regular 2nd Thursday night and every Saturday at Filthy McNasty's. 

Some weeks are like that, and some are like last week where I'm driving all over the place and playing a variety of venues.  I often compare being a singer/songwriter to selling vacuums door to door, even though I've never done that.  There's an amount of uncertainty every week because you know how many doors you'll knock on, but you don't know how many times you'll hear the word yes.  There's an amount of certainty because you know you're depending on yourself to knock on a certain number of doors every day, and banking on the averages you've come to know in the past to determine that there will be some yes answers in there.  Reminding myself that I am the one in control by controlling my work ethic is the only way I've been able to feel comfortable raising a family in an industry like music.   

I'm not even really in the music industry because I don't look for record deals, pay radio promotions, hire Nashville agents, write for publishing companies, or tour with promoters.  I'm really in the Joshua Ingram business, and music happens to be my product. There are challenging times, sure, but there is nothing like working for yourself.  There's no sick pay, but I've learned how to manage that.  There's no vacation pay, but I take a percentage every week and set it aside so I can take time off.  There's no retirement but I have my own, independent long-term investments that will serve that purpose if I ever retire.   

I've started to feel a little older.  I don't recover like I used to.  I'm developing some arthritis in my knuckles and probably some nodes on my vocal cords.  I definitely don't always understand the music that is popular today.  I am however, finding myself in conversations with lots of younger songwriters and can see that same spark I had years ago.  There's a dream and a naiveté that goes along with setting out down this road.  There are plenty of people who will tell them it's not responsible, dependable, or sensible.  That's all true.  I enjoy that, since others will be telling them those things, I'll be able to look at them through 20 years of experience and tell them they can do it.  I also enjoy the idea of getting to share some of the wisdom I've gained like; It's not about being famous, it's about being able to do it for as long as you want. 

Thanks for listening and for being part of why I can keep making music for a living.  Thank you for giving me 20 years that I can share with the next bunch.  In 20 years, I'll be close to retirement age in America, but I bet I'll be nowhere close to retiring.   

I've got five more songs we're putting together right now and I'll get them to you as soon as I can.  Until then, keep streaming and sharing the music and let me know when you're coming to a show!

We're happy to announce that "Starring, Me" is released on all streaming and download platforms world wide.  The video will debut on YouTube tonight.  If you don't already subscribe to my channel, here is the link: www.youtube.com/joshuaingram 

please subscribe, and share with your friends! 

There are 4 shows this week: 

Wednesday, Big Fish in Grapevine at 6:30 

Thursday Chill in Grapevine at 7:00 

Friday Fox Hollow Resort in Graham at 8:00 

Saturday Filthy McNasty's in Fort Worth at 4:00 

Hope you can help listen to "Starring, Me" and I hope to see you at a show this week!