Rayland Baxter chats ‘Imaginary Man’ and tour!
Rayland Baxter is one of a kind. His last year has been one for the books with his latest record “Imaginary Man” coming out last August and his music hitting the radio airwaves. He’s currently on his first headlining tour and has been steadily on the road since early December. He’s in Burlington, Vermont tonight and will be hitting up our lovely city on Saturday night! To get a peek into what to expect for his set, we were able to have a quick chat to see what to expect from the set as well as what he’s currently working on. Find our interview below and we hope to see you in the crowd on Saturday at Brighton Music Hall. Doors are at 7:30 pm!
What are the three touring essentials you must have with you while on the road?
A few good books. Right now I’m reading “the words” by Jean-Paul Sartre. Palo Santo to keep the stenches away and wenches at bay. One of those memory foam neck pillows…and I keep my smoke and rainbow paper inside.
“Imaginary Man” came out in August. As people have had the time to process it, how do you feel it’s been going over?
So far so good…this is our first headlining tour and it’s great. The band guys are dedicated to the show and they are quite the joy to travel with. They are my buddies from Nashville and its sweet we get to kick it all day and play music. Ya know…it’s the best way to spend time in my mind. People are showing up to see us play and we are playing good shows. I’m happy to make many more albums and keep this thing going on…until I die…I’m in for the long haul. I wish I had more time to go fishing though.
How did you go about the songwriting process for this record? Are you currently working on new material?
I’m always writing and humming melodies and making little snippets of song and lyric…so yes, I have heaps of new songs in the works…most of them are unfinished and when I have time I will find a quiet cabin in the hills of East Tennessee and finish em all up. as far as a process…I have no process…it’s random as hell…left right black white under over yada yada put me under the bridge fly over the mountain I ain’t got no rhyme or reason.
You’re playing these tour dates. What can fans look forward to when coming to these sets?
Our set is dynamic. We jam jam jam. We switch it up every night. I fit a handful of solo songs in there every night…we get loud and we get quiet and everywhere in between. We have fun fun fun also.
What’s coming up during 2016 for Rayland Baxter?
Lots of shows and touring and writing and fly fishing and travelling and spending time in the woods and eating good food and fitting as much good life living Into everyday…and playing shows and getting better as a band and improving my craft as a guitar player, musician, songwriter, singer, and human being.
