With his fifth studio album, 9 Lives, set to release on Friday, Koe Wetzel sat down in an interview with Rolling Stones‘ Josh Crutchmen and discussed everything from the new album, his love for catfish noodling, his desire to distance himself from his past hits and the Texas artists who have influenced him throughout his career.
In the interview, Crutchmen noted that the likes of Charlie Robinson, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers Band have influenced the “Drunk Driving” singer whether it’s on stage or in the studio.
Wetzel, coming from a long line of outlaw Texas artists, noted how he’s studied what these legends do on stage and implemented them into his rowdy live shows, “It’s fu*king insane, bro. You grow up, you watch these cats on stage, you pick apart little bitty pieces of what each artist did — and what I do onstage is just little sh*t I nitpicked from each artist I’ve been influenced by.”
The studying seems to have paid dividends for the 32-year-old singer/songwriter. It’s no stretch to say that he is one of the best performers in the genre, consistently bringing some of the most electric live shows wherever he goes across the country. His unique blend of country, rock and R&B influences as seen in the pre-released tracks from 9 Lives creates some interesting crowds as well.
With the rowdy live shows comes rowdy crowds, something that Wetzel has become synonymous with. His wild stories and songs coupled with his southern rock influences breed some crazy fans as Bowen noted in Crutchmen’s article, “His fans are nuts and amazing. They can look at you like you’re from outer space sometimes, because you’re not playing what Koe does. But I still have an absolute blast because of Koe and his crew, and for whatever reason, we always end up winning over his fans by the end of the show.”
Along with the new album on Friday, Wetzel is about to embark on his Damn Near Normal tour with Treaty Oak Revival, Kolby Cooper and more. Upcoming tour dates include the following:
- July 27 The Woodlands, Texas || Cynthia Woods Pavilion
- Aug. 7 Missoula, Mont. || Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater
- Aug. 8 Nampa, Idaho || Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
- Aug. 9 Sandy, Utah || Sandy Amphitheater
- Aug. 10 Las Vegas, Nev. || The Theater at Virgin Hotel Hotels Las Vegas
- Aug. 15 Minneapolis, Minn. || The Armory
- Aug. 16 Council Bluffs, Iowa || Stir Cove (Harrah’s Casino)
- Aug. 21 Cleveland, Ohio || Jacobs Pavilion
- Aug. 22 Columbus, Ohio || KEMBA Live Outdoor
- Aug. 23 Pittsburgh, Pa. || Stage AE
- Aug. 24 Washington, D.C. || The Anthem