Episode 2: Patterson Hood

In episode two of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to Patterson Hood from Drive-By Truckers. For over forty years, this indefatigable performer and overall force of good has been releasing records both with his band and as a solo artist and delivering sterling live shows to packed crowds night after night. Over the course of their conversation, Elizabeth and Patterson talk about his early influences and the watershed moment that convinced him he could make his living as a songwriter (2:28). They also discuss the Drive-By Truckers’ origin story and how DBT’s bold decision to release the ambitious, audacious double album Southern Rock Opera took the band to the next level (8:52). Then, they revisit the story of his growing up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama; what it was like being the son of the beloved session ace, David Hood; and what impact that legacy had on his own career choices (15:54), and dive into the nuances of Hood’s friendship and songwriting partnership with the great Mike Cooley, whom he has collaborated with for four decades (27:05). Patterson then tells Elizabeth what it was like working with artists like Booker T., Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (32:50). Later, they explore DBT’s decision to be an explicitly political band that fights for the causes they believe in (39:21). Finally, they get into Patterson’s new solo record, Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams (48:20); his fall 2025 tour with Known Associate Craig Finn from the Hold Steady (55:40); and, of course, what the future holds (60:40). Subscribe to Known Associates here and check out Southwest Review’s website here. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!   Host: Elizabeth NelsonProducers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah SmithMixed by: Clay Jones