Austin Meade’s Crazy Night at a Jelly Roll Show Led to New Song

The latest addition to the Loudwire Nights Artist Spotlight series is Austin Meade, a guy whose music falls somewhere between southern and alternative rock, as he describes it.

“I grew up listening to old-school rock and a lot of pop punk, so I kind of try to combine those,” he explained to Chuck Armstrong on Loudwire Nights Tuesday night (Sept. 12). “Some people consider us in the country world for some reason, but maybe that’s just because of where I’m from [Austin, Texas].”

Over the years, Meade has done everything he could to avoid a typical desk job as he’s pursued his love of songwriting and good music. Through it all, he’s grown fond of traveling and living the touring life. Which is a good thing, because he has more than 50 shows on his calendar for the rest of 2023, including several dates opening for Dirty Honey.

One of the highlights of his touring life, though, came last year as he ended 2022 touring with ZZ Top.

“Playing some of those big arenas and some of the theater casinos we did on that tour, those are surreal moments to walk out and see like 5,000 seats or just a big open 10,000-person auditorium,” he admitted. “You’re like, ‘What in the hell is going on?’ That’s been pretty cool … and Billy Gibbons bought us lobster rolls whenever we were in Maine with him. That was cool.”

Meade is now celebrating the release of his latest song, “Blackout,” a track that he thinks will be relatable for a lot of people.

READ MORE: Jon and Nikki Stipp Dive Into the World of Hooked Like Helen

“We went to go see Jelly Roll do a little showcase show over at the Brooklyn Bowl,” Meade told Chuck about the night that inspired “Blackout.”

“And you know, we got the VIP treatment and so of course, I’m having a good time until I’m not. I had a great, great time, but I remember the next day I was at my buddy’s and I was taking a shower and I’m like, ‘Damn it. I just went straight back to blackout.’ How many years have I been doing this? I just started to think about it … I guess I’m preaching to myself, but I feel that a lot of my friends and a lot of people that I get along with and meet on the road—this is pretty relatable.”

What Else Did Austin Meade Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Some of the best live shows he’s ever seen
• Why 2023 is going to be one of the biggest years of his life—it’s not just about the music and touring
• What he’d be doing if he wasn’t making music: “I’d love to golf. If I wasn’t good enough to do the tour, I’d probably caddy for somebody.”

Listen to the Full Artist Spotlight Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Austin Meade joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, Sept. 12; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand. Stream “Blackout” at this location and then check out Austin Meade’s full tour schedule.