Interview with Atomic Bronco

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

• I grew up in a musical family, so it was always around. My mother played piano at the church we went to growing up, and she just put me behind the drumset at some point to keep me from driving her nuts and it kinda took off from there. Over time I've realized how important making music is to my well-being, so I'm not sure I want to even imagine what I'd be like if I hadn't gotten into music. 

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

• I work in a non-music day job, so this project is really my escape from reality. I work in an industry that allows for some creativity and innovation, but is overall defined by its restrictions and has a few generally accepted ways of doing things. What I've found liberating about music is that there's truly no rules or restrictions, especially if it's not your primary source of income. 

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

• I'm based in Austin Texas currently, but I started this project while I was living in London. Honestly, I think combining those two locations gives a pretty good indication of the type of music I make and my personality as a whole.  I grew up in very rural Kansas, but I'm not really a country music guy, and the only music I listened to on the radio growing up was classic rock, so I've always had that background. London and Austin both have great indie music scenes, so I guess both of those (very different) scenes have left their imprint as well. 

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

• I would love to open for Tame Impala or the Black Keys, mostly because they just seem like cool guys. 

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

• Have patience. Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

• This is like asking which of your kids is your favorite. I'm proud of all the music I've released, but I'd say Along With Me is probably one of the most personal songs I've put out, so I guess I'll go with that one.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

• To be honest, I'm not really a lyrics guy. I've just never listened to music that way. I've always been much more interested in the instrumentation of the song and the intonation and rhythm of the vocals than the meaning behind the lyrics. I feel that you can get a lot across with just the feeling of the performance. So I try to convey the message of the song with the guitar, drums and bass just as much as the vocals and lyrics. And I think songs can mean different things to different people, so I kinda think it's up to the listener to decide the message of the song. 

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming

• Well I just released my second album, Bull in a China Shop, and other than that, I'm planning on playing some shows around Austin this summer and working on a ton of new material.