Rob Baird releases debut CD "Blue Eyed Angels" Aug. 31

     Influenced by both rock and Texas country legends, 23-year-old singer Rob Baird will release his debut CD, Blue Eyed Angels Aug. 31.

    According to his official biography, the 11-track album has a "don't bore us get to the chorus approach to song structure, melded with Baird's affinity for darker-themed lyrics."

    The album's current single Fade Away was "influenced by Tom Petty's Wildflowers and the end result is deceptively simple and happy sounding."

    Baird will perform songs from Blue Eyed Angels at the County BBQ in San Antonio on Wednesday, Sept. 1. He will open for the Bart Crow Band at 6:30 p.m. The show is free and open to all ages. 

    Baird recently spoke with the LSL about his upcoming CD, live show and more.

Can you tell me about how your career in music began?

I started playing music in the local bars in Fort Worth and put together a band. I played for about three years with that band. We tried to play as much as possible, but they all have real jobs now – I'm the only one who's still doing music.

Who are some of your music inspirations?

Tom Petty is one of my favorites. I think that his music is timeless; he's been able to stick around for such a long time. I like a lot of rock-and-roll. I listened to a lot of country when I was younger, but I don't listen to it as much now these days.

How would you describe your sound and style on Blue Eyed Angels?

I think it's less country and more roots rock oriented. I think it has a different sound, but it's definitely memorable. It's a little bit dark, but overall the way that I try to write just conveys human emotions. I try to put music to the feelings that I have whether the story is about me or just a character. So hopefully that is what comes across on the record - common human emotions and the stories that lead to that.

We made the album in Lockhart. We all kind of lived in this house and my buddy, Scott Davis produced it. He plays guitar for Hayes Carll. When we went into this project, we knew that we wanted to make something special. It took some time, but in the end we were all real happy with it. It was a neat process to go down to Lockhart and stay in this old house, which was also the recording studio.

How did you decide to record in Lockhart?

It just seemed perfect. It's obviously kind of off the beaten path a little bit. It just had a really cool vibe which is great for recording. The cool thing was we could record whenever we wanted to. Normally a studio is on a block schedule, but there we could cook dinner and record afterwards. We recorded the more moody songs and slower songs at night, because we'd be kind of tired and it had that feel to it. And then during the day we recorded the more up tempo songs – so it gave us a lot of freedom.

Can you tell me about the current single, Fade Away?

I wrote it with Scott and it's one of my favorite songs. I was writing in Abilene with some friends, and that song just sort of came out of the blue creatively. But, Scott and I finished it and then we had it recorded literally within 24 hours which was really cool. It seems to be getting a good reaction which is nice.

What has the reaction been like from those who've heard the new material live?

We've been on tour for the better part of this year. The more that we've gotten out there, the better things have been. The band has progressed. I've had the same guys with me for close to a year. It's been positive and it's been really nice to see people start reacting to the music. It's kind of like a dream come true. As more people catch on the music and come out to the shows, it definitely gives me time to reflect, be thankful and take a deep breath and say: ‘we're doing something right here.'

How would you describe your live show?

It's more of a rock-and-roll show. I kind of base my show around bands that I like to go see and bands that I like. It's definitely centered around musicianship. I have a great band and I want them to show off a little bit. Getting my music across to people is my biggest goal.

Would you have any advice for college students who are interested in pursuing singing as a career?

It takes a lot of persistence and confidence. You have to be confident in what you want to do. As long as you believe in it and know what you are getting into, it's definitely a great job. I think the idea of being a musician and then actually being one are two different things – not in a bad way – there's just a lot of hard work, it's been good. There's always more work to do, more songs to write, more work to do on your live show – which is good because you are honing your craft. I love my work and waking up everyday getting to do what I get to do. It's definitely a blessing.

    For more information on Rob Baird, music samples and tour information visit:   www.robbairdmusic.com.

    For more information on the County Line BBQ Music Series in San Antonio visit:   www.countyline.com.