And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox.
When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue.
And welcome back to the Chatterbox Redux podcast.
And in this edition, our special guest is Joe
Hermes. This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox
giving you all you need to know about music.
now on Chatterbox. We're just lucky enough to
welcome back Joe Hermes. Joe, welcome back to
Chatterbox. How are you, sir? Great, Nick. Great.
Glad to be here. And yeah, I'm doing well. Thank
you. It's great to have you back. I mean, you're
getting a real regular, but that's a sign of
how busy you are because we've chatted autumn
full last year for the first time. We've had
you back since and again now. And well, just
busy. It's not just releasing singles. It's all
these tours as well. And massive tour, of course,
supporting and opening for Boys Life. Yeah, we
had the Boys Life tour. We just got done with
that. And then we're getting ready to head out
on a rock tour with Lansdowne. I saw that. And
there's a lot of dates there in Europe. I see
you going to Germany and various places. I'll
get you to take up on that one. So what countries
are you visiting in Europe? There's a few, isn't
it? Yeah, we've got quite a few dates in Germany.
Then I think we hit Austria, Czech Republic,
France. We have a date in each one of those countries
and we come back to the UK and then we finish
in the Netherlands. Cool. And in the UK, I see
you've got Wolverhampton, we've got London. Manchester
and then we got Glasgow I think up in Scotland.
Sure so almost during the whole country again
because well have you now had a chance to see
much of the UK or you're just too busy traveling
to really take note of where you are and what
you're doing you just know you're there but have
you had a chance to see any of it? I have witnessed
a lot of hedgerows Uh, it's been plenty of Pedro
watching in my, uh, recent, uh, months here.
Uh, you know, we, we were over in November for
about two and a half, three weeks. Um, got my
first dose of the UK in November. And then we
went out with boys live for a good, a good long
bit, um, six weeks. And then we did 24 shows
there and that was all over the place. Uh, And
I will say during that trip, I probably settled
in to, you know, finding areas that, or not just
areas, but like, you know, food and things that
I started to really enjoy. That's getting me
excited to go back again. I still couldn't always
tell you where I was at within the country because,
you know, every day it was a new location. But
I know we've been coast to coast from east to
west and north to south so yeah of course you've
been over you've done ireland as well haven't
you i think you've done north and republic i
think you've done that over the period i think
i think you've been to both now i think you've
done dublin yeah we we actually did not no that's
one of my regrets is we didn't get to do the
uh the ireland show they there was a big gap
uh they did they finished with two shows in ireland
um And I had to miss those because we had to
come back here to the states and get ready for
this next tour. Maybe you say now. Yeah. Yeah.
Had I stayed on, I would have had all of about
two to three days to get my rock band together
to get out on the road. And that would have probably
been a little bit much to tackle. So I had to
regret regrettably skip Ireland. But I yeah,
I got that in my sights and I can't wait to go.
get it on you know hopefully this year at some
point yeah i had no doubt it would be on your
bucket list so yeah good let's let's say you
do both you can do the north you can do uh you
know i mean dublin is an amazing city anyway
you just love it it's just but but belfast yeah
quite lively it's that and of course then you've
been to the capital of the north as well so both
is important at least at least do them too you
know So yeah, I've got the actual dates here
as far as the UK is concerned So we got you the
underworld in London on the 27th of April got
you in Wolverhampton on the 28th of April Glasgow
29th of April Manchester on the 1st of May that's
your dates over here But we're not just talking
about you opening up a game for someone. We also
got New music to talk about a single In actual
fact, we're going to talk the same single, but
two different versions today. So we've got Boots
on Broadway. Both versions sound absolutely amazing.
I'm not sure what version to put into our hit
and miss show because they both sound really
good. So, I've got to ask the question really.
Does he know you are basically rock country.
So let's let's ask you which version came first
Country version the country version came first.
Okay, and you know, I we sat down and we're writing
this song and it actually It actually stemmed
from my one of my Finnish buddies That was in
Nashville with me that actually toured with me
back in November. Uh, he had a, he had a start
on a, on this song and we sat down and wrote
it. And of course he's a, he's a rock guy converted
to country as well. Um, and then our producer
is also a big Southern rock artist and a player
and producer. So It started down the country
route because it was about downtown Nashville
on Broadway But then you know the realization
came that there's a whole lot of rock music getting
played on Broadway if you've been there in Nashville
and I just felt like I needed to step up and
and Knowing that I was going out on this rock
tour. It just made sense like hey Let's take
another stab at this thing and see what happens
when we beef up the guitars a little bit and
add a little more you know of the drums and And
it just, you know, it really, I think it worked
well in both settings. Of course, I think I'm
partial to the rock version myself, but I'll
let you all decide which one you like more. Well,
they're going to hear both versions, so there
you go. On this show, that was the idea. So,
yeah. But of course, the country version sounds
good, but the rock version does rock. There's
going to be no dust on those smart speakers by
the time we finish with that version, I'll tell
you. No. If there is, you're doing it wrong,
right? Yeah, absolutely. Good way of looking
at it. How have the audiences been taking to
you? I think you initially had a pleasant surprise
because obviously the boy's life audience is
the boy's life audience, of course, you know.
Right. to you but but then they go you come on
and do your stuff and uh well they just party
didn't they initially when we first talked so
i assume that carried on and they love you i
guess it it did i i know we caught a lot of people
off guard you know because we we let off the
show we were the early opener and uh i just came
right out from the start and said look i know
you're all here to see boys live but we're gonna
get the party started with some country rock
and uh And you hear a couple jeers and a couple
woo -hoo's out there. But then as the songs went
on, yeah, it was like we were just converting
them song by song. And yeah, by the end of that
20, 25 minute set, we usually had a pretty good
group of fans coming out of each one of those
shows. And you know what's funny, Nick, is...
A lot of these folks would come up to me and
some of the ladies would come up after the shows,
grabbing photos and autographs and whatnot. And
they would whisper, I really like country music.
And I would just kind of smile and I'd say. Why
are we whispering? You know, it's taboo. And
I'm like, it's okay. Like, you can like Boys
Life and country music. It's okay. Well, of course,
there's people that would go to a rock concert
and they'd whisper that they like Boys Life.
Yeah. I mean, well, so we've had some fans that
we've met over the Boys Life tour. And they're
like, we're going to come see you in London or
Manchester or wherever. And I was like, well,
I hope you're coming ready to rock and roll because
it's going to be quite different than what we
just did with Boys Life. Because I mean, at one,
it's their smaller, their smaller rock clubs,
you know, or smaller clubs that, you know. And
then, of course, the bands that we're playing
with, like. Whereas Boys Life, we were, you know,
we were the. probably the heaviest, if you will.
Now we're going to be like the most laid back
and docile because, you know, the opening, we're
actually direct support. So the opener, you know,
Prospect Hill, they, you know, they're significantly
heavier than I am in the hard rock, you know,
borderline metal, whatever you want to call it.
And then then we're going to come out and do
my rock rockified Country rock or rock country
And then of course lands down is a pretty solid
right down the lane hard rock type group So,
you know, I was just warning I was warning people
that they would be messaging me like oh we're
gonna come see at this date or that date and
I'm like just Just beware what you're getting
into I'd love to see you and I want you to come
out and have a Have a good time and we need to
tow the line for all the Joe Hermas fans that
are you know coming out in the UK now and I just
fair warning though. You better get ready to
rock it out with us It takes two to tangle and
two to present a radio show So here's Nick and
Sue, your musical duo. This is Nick and Sue with
Chatterbox, giving you all you need to know about
musical entertainment. Chatterbox, Chatterbox,
Chatterbox, Chatterbox, Chatterbox. Brilliant.
I mean, what do you say? I mean, you spent a
lot of time over here in the UK in recent times.
I mean... Is it fair to say you spent more time
here in the last sort of six, seven, eight months
than you have back in the USA or was it? Oh,
by far. Well, since. Yeah, I haven't even really
thought of that. I think I've spent a total of
of. Yeah, I have. Yep. You're right. As I'm adding
it up in my head, I had spent more time in the
UK in the last six months than I had in the US
by probably almost two to one. Sure. And would
you say, because it's been sort of that comprehensive,
we'll say, as to how, you know, how many concerts
you've played here now, I mean, would you say,
is it fair to say now that maybe the British
audience is perhaps bigger than the American
one? Because you've been there, you know, done
a lot in a short period of time here. Yeah, I
would say that I'm seeing a lot more activity.
I kind of had a weird journey here in the US.
I started out in late 2019, and I kind of gained
a bunch of fans right out of the gate. Then 2020
hit. I kind of downshifted into more the writing
and producing work for a few years instead of
trying to get right back out on the road. I hadn't
even been out on the road. I just basically played
around my hometown. So then we had a bunch of
fans come out right out. Right then and then
it was kind of been Kind of a smolder since then
until I got To the UK because I think I just
think you had so many people in my area in my
region trying to do the same thing and that the
opportunity came to come over to the UK and it
was just like a whole breath of fresh air and
new fans and You know not that there's no competition
because there's plenty of it but I feel like
the boys life thing while I was nervous about
it was pretty nice because you could kind of
stand on your own two feet, you know, and people
could see you for what you were instead of like
just sticking me on a country show and be like,
Oh, well that guy's too rock. You know, he's
not, he's not country Western and, or, uh, you
know, we're being with other country rock guys.
Cause there's a lot of these, a lot of these
younger guys I'm seeing. I just played with,
um, Couple last week here in hometown. I mean,
it's like I'm looking at a at a You know ten
-year younger version of myself. I mean black
hat black shirt, you know He's he's got song
song names that are like very similar to mine
and you know, it's just it's just funny that
I'm like, all right. Well at least you know,
I know I'm doing Doing something right if I feel
like guys are starting to you know, follow the
the trend that i've been i've been doing but
at the same time you know i hadn't made enough
noise to really own the trend so i'm like well
hopefully i'll be the first i'll be in early
enough in the uk that there will be no mistake
that uh joe hermit owns the rock country world
sure sure and of course uh you're probably well
away you've probably done your homework but it's
uh not rare for an american artist to be bigger
in the uk than in the usa it's nothing new at
all uh nothing new at all uh go to the scale
of susie quattro is a regular on this show uh
she landed in 1973 and never went back and she
is such a superstar here still she's on par with
what Cher is in america you know uh dean friedman
big star here but a couple of minor hits over
there in the 70s you know but that's just two
examples but we have it at all levels from those
levels going right down and it's nothing new
for a British audience to love an American artist
more than the Americans do and you're bringing
that that slightly different sound the Joe Hermes
sound over which is of course Joe Hermes sound
to us it's not anyone else's sound so as you
say you got in early so that could only help
it could only work so yeah Yeah, I'm excited.
I mean, I don't know where it's going to go,
but I know the feedback's been great. And I mean,
obviously, speaking with all the media that we've
been speaking with, that I've been introduced
to, yeah, I have no complaints. I see a bright
future. Yeah. Well, no one says anymore, I'm
not introducing Joe Hermes as a new artist to
us anymore. Nobody says who's he anymore. In
fact, the odd person even asks for Joe Hermes'
record now. They all know who you are, so that's
a good start, a very good start in just six months,
really. Yeah, and Nick, I'll be honest, it's
such a weird mind flip when I know how long I've
been grinding it out over here in the States,
you know, five years of just what feels like
you're just like Yeah, just fighting tooth and
nail to get some air. And then, you know, but
then you come to the UK and it's like you're
brand new again. And, you know, it's it's it's
nice. Makes you makes me feel like I'm just starting
starting from square one again, even though I
know I'm not. But it's just interesting. I've
never experienced anything like it. And. but
i'm not tired and i'm not looking to shut it
down anytime soon absolutely not of course you
make it here you have a few few hits over here
then of course it will happen it's be so funny
if you did all over america they start discovering
you because you're big in the uk and they think
it's something you you could just say to no i've
been here all the time i start yeah Yeah, it
took some more intelligent folks to find me,
right? Very good, I like that. That's kept the
people listening to 230 radio stations very happy.
Good work, very well done. Well, you know, there's
always that quiet competition and it never hurts
to, you know, feed the machine a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, I have
noted because you mentioned, you know, on your
bucket list, you've got Ireland's hopefully,
hopefully you can visit Dublin and the North
and come back to see us again later this year.
Sounds like you're going to anyway. So that'd
be our next. That'd be our next chat. So, yeah,
we're not going to stop. I'm not going to stop,
Nick, until I have every single one of those
rock and country fans having me on their playlist.
So. The sooner you guys do it, the sooner I'm
going to get out of your hair. That's all I'm
talking about. No, then you're going to have
to come back and do the greatest hits album,
then you're going to have to come back again
when you do the anthologies. There's no going
nowhere, right? Well, I'll do the best I can.
I promise you that. It's great to have a catch
-up every few months. Yeah, great. Have a good
chat. You've become a good music friend. Right,
let's do your social media, shall we? So, look
at where we are. I'll hand that over to you because
I want to say JoeHermes .com but I'm probably
going to be wrong. You're close. JoeHermesMusic
.com JoeHermesMusic .com and i was looking at
it before at the beginning of our chat and i
just lost it on my screen but i i do know you
got some of the tour dates on there um that gives
people the opportunity to listen to some more
of your your stuff uh that we've not talked about
today in addition to that right at the top there
uh we got your links to your other social media
and uh you know where they can find you and download
stuff and everything else it's all on there so
safe it's all right there Joe, every success
with this, especially in Europe, that's good,
that's exciting. And we look forward to our next
chat in a few months' time, no doubt, and every
success with the single as well. All right? All
right. Thank you, Nick. I appreciate it. And
thank you to all your listeners. Yeah. And thank
you for coming back on Chatterbox. Speak to you
soon. See you. Cheers. Bye. Bye now. Bye. Bye.
You've been listening to the Chatterbox Redux
podcast and in this edition our special guest
was Joe Hermes If you're interested in becoming
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take care thank you for your company And, uh,
we catch them. Bye -bye. Nick and Sue with Chatterbox
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