Today we have the privilege of giving you the exclusive full album premiere of “Family Time,” from singer-songwriter Bobby Cool. For Bobby, this is an album that has been a long time coming as there have been several issues that have gotten in the way of a proper release, including the pandemic.
The delay had such an impact that we saw singles being released over the course of a couple of years, rather than a couple of weeks, in which weekly or monthly is typical in a release cycle. But now that it’s finally here, listeners are treated to a blend of 10 unique Americana, bluegrass, and country tunes with a folk foundation.
‘Family Time’ is an album that is about togetherness, nostalgia, and personal experiences presented to you in an entrancing, relatable package. The plethora of stories and connections is not the only standout aspect of the album, but the music itself ranges from touching, to uplifting, to something you can even jam out to. Bobby has clearly poured his heart, hard work, and patience into ‘Family Time,’ and it’s paid off.
We don’t often think about those projects that never made it out of the pandemic, those that went through difficult times who were maybe unable to put their vision out there into the world. But it’s inspiring to see that it is possible to overcome those setbacks and can complete a project such as this. As long as you keep your cool.
Speaking of storytelling, I recently caught up with Bobby for more details about some of the tracks, the songwriting process, and how we finally arrived from point A to point Z. Check it out below!
Thanks! I would say, yes, usually there’s this excitement that comes with releasing a project and you’re anxious for people to hear it. But, honestly, because of the way the last couple of years have played out, I think I’m mostly feeling relieved it’s being released. We went into the studio, with these songs, at the end of February 2020 and, two weeks later, the world shut down. Now, nearly two and a half years later, the album is finally getting to see the light of day, so I think I’m just thankful we’re actually here.
While not necessarily a concept album in the traditional sense, a lot of themes can be related in some way. Was it a conscious decision when writing the album to have these themes that overlap?
No, it really wasn’t. I don’t name a project until the songs are written and recorded, so it really just came about organically. If it were a picture, it’s almost like you lay everything out there, look at it, and see what it looks like. When listening back through, though, family was a big theme. Which, now looking back, probably makes a lot of sense because my wife and I were in the thick of raising babies and dealing with the responsibilities of life, so the subject matter of the songs reflects that, I think.
When writing music, what comes first for you? The lyrics, or a melody, or just humming something catchy that comes to mind in the voice recorder of your phone?
A lot of songs definitely do start with voice memo recordings, but I think I have to have an idea of where I’m going to really sit down and write something. Whether it’s a song title, a hook, or a storyline, I usually write best when I can begin with the end in mind. If I have that, then the melody and lyrics start to fall into place.
During some of the downtime of the pandemic, you did a livestream cover series. How important was it to you to stay engaged and connected with listeners?
For sure. I think it was definitely important to stay engaged. Especially early on in the pandemic, everything seemed to be changing so quickly and the world was flipped upside down for everyone. The livestreams, in some ways, were a great way to stay connected but I think they were also a nice release. Creatively and socially. It kind of allowed you to forget what was going on around you and brought some sense of normalcy. We got a lot of messages from people too, saying they really looked forward to them, so it was a bright spot in those days, for sure.
July 3rd, 2022, was the two-year mark of the release of the album opener, ‘American Dream.” Over the course of those two years, there has been a steady flow of single releases. Was it frustrating sitting on the album for this long, waiting for the perfect moment to release it?
Yes. 100%. It was super frustrating. And I wish I could say I had been waiting on the perfect moment to release it but most of the wait had to do with the logistics of finishing the album. We recorded the rhythm section for all the songs in February 2020 but then had to record the vocals, fiddle, steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, and then mix and master everything.
Some of the delay with that was scheduling and then some of it was having the funds to pay people since shows were canceled and cash flow ran dry. My producer, Adam Haynes, and I decided that focusing on finishing one song at a time would at least allow us to release some music and we’d put the whole project out whenever we could.
Was the album fully finished by March of 2020, or did you run into any issues during production other than say a tentative release date?
No, it literally took us almost two years to finish and honestly the biggest issue was cash flow. Since everything was shut down and pretty much all of our shows canceled, it made the process excruciatingly slow.
It has been a tumultuous time in America, not only because of the pandemic. Regarding the economic, political climate, etc., and now with a war. You wrote “Waves of Grain’ in 2017. Five years later, things only seem to be getting more intense. Can you tell us a bit more about this song and the important messaging behind it, and how it applies to today’s climate?
Yeah, thanks for saying all that. So, in a lot of ways ‘Waves of Grain’ is one of those songs, for me, that feels like a gift. I sat down to write one day and honestly don’t remember what inspired it but for whatever reason I had an image of a wheat field being an analogy for a big group of people.
The opening lines, “there’s a farm out in a valley with its amber waves of grain, and in a wild way it reminds me that we are one and one and the same” is really just what I saw and, from there, the song came pretty quickly. Like you were saying, our world can feel so divided, even without a pandemic and everything that’s swirling geopolitically.
I think my biggest hope, with this song, is that it would offer some sort of reminder or encouragement, that even though we are all very different, we have the ability and compacity to be bound together in love. And love can and, truly does, cover up a multitude of wrongs.
The songs seemed to all have some deep and meaningful storytelling. Something folk music is well known for. How important is the storytelling aspect for you of your music? Do you like to write music that is your own individual experiences, but can be open to interpretation and relatable for the listener?
I’ve always had an affinity for story songs. I think, for me, it helps engage my head and my heart. There’s something with storytelling where you can convey a message or evoke an emotion that you almost can’t do any other way. And I definitely do draw from personal experiences when writing but I tend to prefer to leave songs open to interpretation.
Family and togetherness are a big part of this album, but musically speaking where did you draw some inspiration from? There seems to be quite a variety of influences. Everything from Bluegrass, Rock, to Americana.
I grew up listening to artists like The Eagles, James Taylor, and Billy Joel. In high school, though, I was introduced to country music and, specifically, really fell in love with that rootsy-americana, fiddle/mandolin/steel guitar sound. But I love all different types of music, so I think pulling from all of those influences and trying to incorporate them into a certain sound is what makes music great. For me, it keeps it fresh and hopefully offers something fresh to listen to, too.
Do you plan to play any shows anytime soon where folks can get a listen to these new songs in a live setting?
We just finished up a run of shows out west and have a few dates on the calendar coming up but, yes, the plan is to add more dates for the fall. Folks can check out the website (bobbycoolmusic.com) to see an updated show schedule.
Thanks for giving us some more insight into ‘Family Time,” is there anything else you’d like to say about the album, and to our readers?
Yeah, this has been great and thanks for asking about it. I hope it’s one of those albums that you look forward to putting on when you’re driving into work. I hope it’s relatable and that people can see their own family in some of these songs. And it’s been such a longtime coming, I think I honestly just hope they enjoy it.
