This interview is yet another moment in my life where I got to meet and hang out with one of the artists that I have on my “List of Favorites.” Uncle Kracker is one of the coolest people that I’ve ever met. He has written many Top 100 hits and the list includes mega hits like; “Follow Me,” “In A Little While,” a cover of “Drift Away” (with original vocalist Dobie Gray), “Rescue” and the more recent “Smile” from his cd “Happy Hour.” Uncle Kracker has collaborated with some of the greatest artists in music including Kid Rock, Kenny Chesney and David Allan Coe (who actually set this interview up for me).
Uncle Krackers’ music spans a vast spectrum of music including Rap, Rock, Country, Blues, Soul and everything in between. To really appreciate his talent, you must not only listen to the lyrics, but let the music in his songs get inside you and take you on a journey to wherever it may go. His most recent release; “Happy Hour” is completely full of hits…I mean EVERY SONG is a winner (which many artists fail to accomplish these days) including one of my favorites: “Livin A Dream.” “Happy Hour” is definitely a “must add” to your music collection. T.E.N. recently caught up with Uncle Kracker in Cleveland, Ohio where we talked about his career, his friends and what disturbs him the most. Like I said, David Allan Coe and Miss Kimberly Hastings set this interview up for me and it also was videoed for an upcoming D.A.C. project as well.
The Entertainment Nexus- Let’s talk about your latest release “Happy Hour.” Why did it take so long to be released after “Seventy-Two & Sunny?”
Uncle Kracker- Ya know, it was almost five years in between but nothin in particular kept it from being released. I put out “Seventy-Two & Sunny” and we toured that thing for a year and a half. Then I went in and recorded a record that actually didn’t get released. That ate up some time there. I wasn’t just sitting around doin nothin. I don’t know what happened…time flies. It just goes “POOF” and it’s gone!
TEN- Every song on “Happy Hour” has the makings for a hit.
UK- Oh man thanks!
TEN- You’re welcome. Do you think this might be your greatest release to date?
UK- I think it’s my best record for sure. Well, I’m a little biased too. I restructured a lot of things in my camp and changed the way I was doing a lot of things. Obviously…I changed producers…changed people I was writing with just to shake it up a little bit. It’s definitely my best to date…without a doubt!
TEN- Where do the inspirations for your songs come from?
UK- I don’t know man, you can get inspiration from…I guess just about anywhere. You know what I mean? No place in particular. It could be something as dumb as a fly on the wall. Anything can spark something. I can go a long time without any ideas for that matter. I’m just lucky when it does happen.
TEN- How did the collaboration between you and Jesse Lee happen on your song “Me Again?”
UK- The record label set that thing up. I turned in the song and they thought it would be a great idea to make it a duet. Then they suggested Jesse… she’s my label mate. I had never met her before that, but I had listened to her and she’s great! What a great singer! She reminds me of a young Dolly Parton…which is really awesome! So I’m glad they did hook that up.
TEN- it’s a really cool song. David Allan Coe and Kimberly Hastings do it in concert.
UK- Oh do they? (Laughs) THAT’S AWESOME!
TEN- You’ve not only written chart topping hits for yourself but you’ve also co-written a lot of hits for Kid Rock. Can you name some of them that people would be like; Hey, I didn’t know he co-wrote that!”
UK- I’ve written a lot of stuff with Kid Rock: “Cowboy,” “Only God Knows Why,” stuff like that. I co-wrote “All Summer Long” with him. I got lucky a couple of times I guess with him. (Laughs)
TEN- How did you meet Kid Rock?
UK- I met Kid Rock years ago…a long time ago. It was a bar back where I’m from that turned into a “Teen Club” on Sunday nights. They were having this “DJ Battle Competition thing” and Kid Rock and my brother; they’re much older than I am…ended up battling each other in this thing. They became buddies and then he and I became best friends outta that whole thing.
TEN- You were his turntable man for many years. What made you decide to go out on a solo career?
UK- Ya know…I don’t know. I always had the bug to do something and it was kind of a plan anyway to just get the Kid Rock project up and gone then spawn mine off of that. It just turned out to be something that just evolved. I didn’t wanna leave either but then again ya just can’t DJ for him forever I guess. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know, sometimes I wish that I didn’t…ya know what I mean? I was doin both for a long time and I had to make a choice because there was just zero time for anything that had to do with family.
TEN- You two still collaborate just like on “All Summer Long.”
UK- Yeah, we’re still best friends and we keep it fun and simple.
TEN- In your solo career you have worked with many big name artists like Kenny Chesney, Bret Michaels and David Allan Coe. What was it like to work with Kenny Chesney and Bret Michaels?
UK- Wow…that was a weird day. I did a song on “Seventy-Two & Sunny” that Kenny and Bret sang on. I wrote that song in like ten minutes because I didn’t even have the song. I was in Nashville at the studio recording another song called; “Writing It Down.” Kenny came to the studio and I thought: “Shit, I got him here. I’d better hurry up and write this one fast so he can get on it!” I had met Bret before. He was in town and he did harmonies on the chorus. It was weird. They’re both obviously huge, huge artists but so very easy to deal with. Nothin’s hard when everybody knows what they’re doin! That was cool.
TEN- “Seventy-Two & Sunny” had more of a “Country vibe” to it than your previous releases. Was that a result from being in Nashville and working with Kenny or did you just want to branch out in a different direction?
UK- I just wanted to do something different. I don’t know why actually. It was just where my head was at the time.
TEN- David Allan Coe is a legend in music.
UK- ABSOLUTELY!
TEN- How did you meet him and become great friends with him?
UK- I met David in…I wanna say Dallas, Texas. We were on the Kid Rock “Destroy Your Liver Tour.” Something happened where David Allan Coe ended up calling Kid Rock because David Allan had read an article where Kid Rock dropped David’s name and how David was an influence. David actually extended the branch to Kid Rock because he was around the town at the same time and he came out. I have always loved David Allan Coe’s songs. When he came out…he and I just clicked and became great friends. He’s just a good dude, man and obviously one of the greatest songwriters of our time without a question.
TEN- How does it make you feel when David writes songs and mentions you were performed your songs in his shows?
UK- Aw man, it makes you feel like a star because you’re watching the guy that you grew up listening to, sing one of yours. It’s pretty surreal. A total rush!
TEN- The two of you have collaborated on your song “Letter To My Daughters.” Are there any plans to work with David in the future?
UK- There’s no existing plans. We have different schedules so we’re never at the same spot at the same time. No plans…but anything can happen. I’d love to.
TEN- What about a project with you, Kid Rock, David Allan Coe and a bunch of other artists collaborating on a new cd for him?
UK- It would be fun! I thought he was workin on one. I’m not sure what ever happened to that record.
TEN- I keep telling Kimberly (Hastings) that I have a list of artists that would love to work with David on a project like that.
UK- It would be fun but the only problem would be tryin to get everybody in the same spot. (Laughs)
TEN- What’s your coolest memory of Joe C?
UK- (Long pause) Joe and me used to fight all the time. (Laughs) Ya know it’s funny, we started touring and we brought Joe out for the first time when we played a show in Chicago. We’d gotten to Chicago a little bit early and we went into a mall. We were walkin around and Joe C was just cussin like a sailor and this old lady, she bends down and she pinches his cheek and she says; “You’re so cute” and he goes “GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” The lady about shit herself, she was so old. It was awesome. He was always doin something like that. There are a lot of those cool stories.
TEN- What was it like to work with Dobie Gray on “Drift Away?”
UK- Dobie’s a good dude. He did a lot of cool, cool stuff that he didn’t have to. Usually collaborations like that are a pain in the ass, but Dobie went “above and beyond.” When I did Leno, he came out and performed with me. When I did the video in Detroit, he came to do the video with me. He didn’t have to do any of that stuff but he did all of it. It just turned out to be a great experience. It coulda been a shitty one but it turned out to be a great experience for myself. You’d probably get a different story outta him but I had a lot of fun.
TEN- Tell me something disturbing about yourself that you’ve never revealed before in an interview and nothin too incriminating.
UK- (Everybody on the bus erupts in laughter) I have an unusually large penis. (More laughter)
TEN- And that disturbs you? (Laughs)
UK- (More laughter) I’m sorry… I don’t know… (Still laughing)
TEN- Is there anything else that you want to add or say?
UK- Yes, that I don’t have an unusually large penis! (Still laughing)
I want to thank Uncle Kracker for taking the time for this interview, Shifty for being so cool and a very special thank you to David Allan Coe and Miss Kimberly Hastings for making the telephone call to Uncle Kracker and setting this interview up for me. You guys are THE BEST!
For more information on Uncle Kracker visit www.unclekracker.com www.myspace.com/unclekracker and on Facebook too. All photos courtesy of UncleKracker.com unless otherwise noted.
For exclusive photos of Uncle Kracker, David Allan Coe and Miss Kim Hastings, visit the “Showing Some Love For TEN” gallery.