As we approach the halfway point of 2023, Travis Feutz has stayed busy with new music in the ever-hungry industry. Two single releases in the first quarter of the year got him off to a strong start, and in keeping his momentum rolling, Feutz and his band, The Stardust Cowboys, are set to offer a live EP, aptly titled The Stardust Cowboys: Live, tomorrow, but we’re honored to premiere it a day early!
Comprised of five songs, including a never-before-heard original, the band is using their live EP as a bridge to a full-length project that they are hard at work on in the studio.
We caught up with Travis to talk about the live EP, staying busy, the upcoming album and more!
*Listen to the premiere of The Stardust Cowboys Live here!*
Pro Country: You’ve been busy with releases this year, with two singles already releases earlier this year prior to your live EP, Travis Feutz & The Stardust Cowboys: Live. How important has it been for you to stay busy with releases and to consistently have new music to offer?
Travis Feutz: It’s been very important. My team and I feel that staying relevant and releasing new material at consistent pace is vital to getting an artist’s career off the ground. The music industry shows no signs of slowing down, so I’m just doing my best to try and keep up.
PC: What went into the decision to record a live EP, and what do you like about offering a bare bones, no frills recording?
TF: My team and I loved the idea of bridging the gap from the singles I released to the full-length project we are currently working on with a live album. We wanted to give a new take of previously released studio stuff; there will be one new track on the EP, and an acoustic version of an older song. We really feel this album captures the raw, live experience of the intimate venues we are playing.
PC: On top of that, how much do you enjoy putting the talents of your band on display with the live EP?
TF: I love it! The Stardust Cowboys work so hard on bringing these songs to life. They all add their personal influences to these songs, helping create the Stardust Cowboy live show experience. We have the mindset that the song is never finished. The songs, the shows, the experiences are constantly evolving. That’s how we approach our live shows. If you see us live in June, and again in July, it could very well feel like two different bands.
PC: What went into the decision to release a live take of “Country Song to Sing” as the lead single and first release from the live EP?
TF: If you’ve never heard or seen us before, we feel “Country Song To Sing” is a great introduction to our band. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s a great song to dance to. We open shows with it fairly often. It’s like our mission statement. During a live show, we go psychedelic country; we may jam on a song for a long time, but at our core, “Country Song to Sing” is who we are.
PC: Your live EP captures a mix of live takes of previously released songs and songs that are yet to be released. Was it hard to whittle down songs you wanted to include on the EP, and what do you like about the mix you landed on?
TF: It wasn’t too hard picking the songs out. We wanted to give a little bit of everything from our live show. We are currently performing a lot of new songs that haven’t been recorded yet, and we didn’t want too many unreleased stuff on the live album. So we decided to drop one new track, and I wanted one song to be just me and an acoustic guitar. That’s where I started out and I wanted to include that experience. “This Road” is an older song, and it felt perfect as an acoustic version.
PC: You’ve mentioned that you and the band are recording a full-length album. What information, if any, can you give about where you are in that process? What can listeners expect to hear?
TF: Yes, the band and I have already begun production of the full-length album. All I can say as of now is we are definitely taking our time with this one. We really want to dive into these songs and bring them to life in a way that really reflects where our headspace is at.
What can listeners expect to hear? Sonically, I think we are going in a bit of a new direction than some of our recent releases, but we are keeping it very country. I promise.
PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?
TF: First of all, I want to say congratulations to Pro Country. I love seeing this outlet get the recognition it deserves. I’m so happy seeing all of your success. Second, I just want to say thank you for always being in my corner, for taking the time to promote my music. It’s truly an honor being a part of Pro Country and I sure hope our relationship continues to grow. We have a lot in the works and we look forward to sharing it with y’all very soon. Cheers!
Pro Country 
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