69. Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise of The Waymores Discuss Waylon Jennings, Honky Tonk Heroes

Send us Fan MailCountry musicians Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise, who perform as The Waymores, introduce Al to an album by their band’s namesake, Honky Tonk Heroes by Waylon Jennings. Willie and Kira talk about why this album is so special to them, and they also tell Al about their farm in central Georgia and discuss their new album, Stone Sessions.Be sure to follow Willie and Kira on Twitter at @TWaymores and on Instagram at @thewaymores!As they mentioned, they also have a YouTube channel. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJWGJRTKouBz7IO3YkUJD4Q.You can also find out more about the band’s music and tour dates on their website, thewaymores.com.Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/1:22 Willie and Kira join the show1:49 Willie and Kira cite the other albums they considered for this episode3:05 Willie and Kira talk about the origins of The Waymores8:23 Kira and Willie revisit Kira’s introduction to Honky Tonk Heroes13:03 Willie thinks about Honky Tonk Heroes as a concept album13:33 Willie recounts his first experience of closely listening to Honky Tonk Heroes16:00 Kira and Willie explain why they think the album is brilliant17:58 Al had trouble focusing on the music on the album19:25 Waylon Jennings’ message and vocal delivery made the album meaningful for Kira21:09 Shoddy production is part of the album’s charm for Willie23:06 Willie and Kira delve into the particulars of Waylon’s vocal delivery26:28 Willie talks about his long-standing fixation with Honky Tonk Heroes29:00 Kira tells the story behind the partnership of Waylon and Billy Joe Shaver34:31 Kira and Willie laud the quality and uniqueness of Waylon’s voice37:37 Willie repeats a story told to him by Billy Joe ShaverDiscussion of selected tracks:39:35 We Had It All42:00 Ain’t No God in Mexico42:44 Low Down Freedom/Omaha46:59 Kira and Willie talk about a particular lesson they take from Waylon’s songwriting49:21 Honky Tonk Heroes was an aberration for a country album in the early ‘70s50:56 Kira and Willie talk extensively about “outlaw” vs. “outcast” country55:29 Willie likes how spacious Honky Tonk Heroes is57:19 Kira and Willie appreciate the way Waylon paints a picture with his songs1:00:56 Kira and Willie talk about their farm and their love of animals1:08:06 Kira and Willie talk about their new album, Stone SessionsSupport the show