The roots-Americana singer/songwriter recently released his sixth album, “Baker Hotel” on March 25 via his own label, Bill Grease Records. Green is currently on tour in support of the project, which has received praise from CMT, Wide Open Country, Bluegrass Situation, The Boot, Whiskey Riff, and many more.
Green, a Flint, Texas native, has been selling out venues across his home state and beyond for the last 15 years, making a name for himself as a skilled songwriter and a gritty performer, who is backed by a powerhouse band.
The Journal-News recently spoke with Green in a Q&A while he was on the road. He shared more about the new album “Baker Hotel,” touring, his passion for writing songs, and about his life as a husband and a new dad.
Question: Tell us about what you’ve been up to this year?
William Clark Green: It’s been a wild year. Me and my wife got married back in April and we had our first child in July. We had a baby boy. Then, I went on a national tour. So, it’s been difficult, flying in and out, and being on the road, but she’s handling it fantastic. We met during COVID-19, so this is all a brand-new world to her, and I was obviously not touring during COVID, so life was a lot different. We live in Fort Worth; Texas and we absolutely love it there.
Q: How’s the touring going? It looks like you have a solid tour schedule.
A: It’s been really fun. We haven’t been up North since COVID. The last run up here was 2019. So, it’s fun getting back into those markets and also going into new markets. We just played Milwaukee, and we played Detroit last night and I haven’t been to those cities, so it’s been great, getting out and exploring the towns, and seeing what they’re all about.
We have played Ohio before, and in the Cincinnati area, too, but it’s been a minute. It was before COVID.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about coming to Lori’s Roadhouse in West Chester?
A: I have no idea what to expect. I’m just excited to get there and see if we have any fans in that area, which would be great. We haven’t spent hardly any time there touring, so we’re there to find out. Our expectations, we don’t have any, because we have no idea. We’re just happy to see if our music has translated there, and hopefully, play for some fans. There’s eleven of us in the tour bus, so there’s a lot of smells going on.
Q: Talk about the new project, “Baker Hotel.” My understanding is that the name of the album and title track are based on an old hotel in Texas. Tell us about it from your perspective?
A: Every album that I’ve come out with is about a Texas town. So, this one is about a hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas. They are actually remodeling it right now. They dumped $60 million dollars into it, or probably $65 million at this point, because of inflation. They have been working their tails off on it. Growing up in that area in West Texas, and just hearing all the stories of people has been interesting. Back in the day, they used to break into the hotel when it was vacant and try to get all the way to the top. It’s just a really cool story about that, and I wrote a song about it. It took a long time to write the song. I wrote that song, Baker Hotel” with Dean Fields and Ross Cooper. We also did a music video at the Baker Hotel. They gave us access to it which was really cool, and we got to meet the guys who were remodeling it, the owners, and they were great about letting us be in there.
Q: Tell us about the song “Baker Hotel.”
A: The song is about the kids breaking into the hotel and getting to the top. It’s kind of a “dare ya” scenario. Kind of like that seventh or eighth grade on bicycles, Americana thing.
Q: Can you tell us about another one of the songs on the album?
A: We’re really excited about our next single, which we are going to push national for the first time. It’s called “Anymore.” I wrote that song with my dear friends Zane Williams and Max Stalling, who are two fantastic songwriters in Texas. We’re thrilled to have radio play outside of the Texas markets, Texas and Oklahoma. It’s going to be the first time we’re going to push that, and it’s going to be in January, so we’re excited to see how the country responds to the single that we’re going to release nationally.
Q: Can you share about your musical journey for those who might be seeing you for the first time?
A: This has been my job since I was 22 years old. I’m 36 now. I believe I’ve done six studio albums. I’d have to count them up really quick, but it’s just been a whirlwind of putting out music and hitting the highway. There was a lull there during COVID, and I decided to take a break from the music business, because there was no need to be in it, because there was nothing we could do about it. So, I took about a year off and focused on other things. Now, we’re hitting it hard again, so it’s been kind of interesting going full speed for so many years, and watching life out the window, and then it all comes to a screeching halt. Then, all of the sudden, we’re fired back up again. It’s almost like the last three years didn’t exist. It’s really bizarre. All we’ve ever known is the highway and putting out music. That’s literally all I’ve done for the majority of my life to this point. So, it’s been a really fun ride. Hopefully, what we leave behind is quality, good music. That’s the whole goal is to put out music that we write.
Q: You mentioned you met your wife in the midst of COVID. What are some other ways that you spent your time?
A: I just focused on anything that wasn’t the music business. I remodeled my home. I remodeled our farmhouse outside of Abilene, and I tried to get better at a skill. The construction business in Texas during COVID was exploding. We had no idea how long it was going to last, and I wasn’t going to let someone else dictate whether I grow or not. We were shutdown, and there was nothing I could do about it, so I really was trying to work in the construction business, to be honest with you. I started out with my own stuff, and I did a few favors for some friends, and contracted a few things, nothing major, but minor, and I realized how amazing my job is and how I don’t want to do that.
Q: How did you get your start in music? Did you know you always wanted to write songs? How have you paved your own way in this business?
A: I started writing songs in eighth grade, so it’s always been a part of me. I didn’t think it was possible to be successful at it. I thought it was kind of like the NFL, like you’re either George Strait or you’re nothing. So, the odds were so slim, and it was just a pipe dream. Then, I started understanding that there’s the underground songwriter world, and I got introduced to that, and it’s just been an absolute whirlwind. It’s been a major part of my life, and I couldn’t image my life without it. But, when I was in college, I just had fun, and it was more of an outlet. It wasn’t a profession. Then, I had to take a serious hard look. When I was 22 years old, that’s when I consider my career started. It was “Are you going to pursue real-world, or are you going to do your music?” I talked with my mom about it, and it was a very important decision that I didn’t take lightly, because I knew I was going to have to bust my hump. So, yeah, I decided to go after it, decided to dedicate 10 years of my life, and I’ll be damned, on the eighth year, we started making money. So, I was able to make it a profession, but it took a huge sacrifice, and I’ve had a lot of people help me along the way.
Q: What are you the proudest of what you’ve been able to accomplish to date?
A: I’m just really proud of the music I’ve released. Not to toot my own horn, but I think it comes with integrity, musically and lyrically. I feel like what I’m leaving behind is quality and my best work. That’s really my goal, to leave behind something that I did my best at and worked extremely hard at. It’s me at my best, so that’s really my goals. With the entire music career, I think success and all that stuff can be measured in tons of different ways, and for us, we’re road dogs and songwriter types, and yeah, as long as the music that I’m leaving behind is quality, and can help people through life, or change people’s lives, or be a part of their marriage, or whatever, that’s really cool.
Q: What are some of the things that influence your songwriting?
A: Whether it’s looking inward, or at other people’s lives. I write a lot of my songs from afar, seeing something that’s going on with somebody else, but making it first person. But, I’d say every one of my records is a chapter of my life. And it’s an intimate thing, too. I’d say you can look at every record, and see where I’m at, at that point in my life. Records are really two or three years behind reality…I’m really excited about the next chapter and what I’m going to write about. Especially being married with a kid and seeing how that impacts my writing. That will be really fun, and a much-needed change.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I used to (laughs.) No, those hobbies all have taken a back burner. Being a father has been a really cool experience. My goal is to be a great husband and a great father and that’s my main focus. Golf has taken a back seat and duck hunting has taken a back seat, but primarily, it’s golf, hunting and barbecuing, it’s the typical Texan pretty much. But, when I have time off, I really want to spend it with my family.
HOW TO GO
What: William Clark Green in concert at Lori’s Roadhouse with special guest Ben Chapman
Where: 4924 Union Centre Pavilion Dr., Suite B in West Chester Twp.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Cost: General admission tickets start at $10. VIP tickets start at $25. (plus ticketing fee.) Various ticketing packages are available.
More info: Ages 18 and up show. Go to lrhlive.com. Connect with William Clark Green at www.williamclarkgreen.com.
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