Interview with Country Artist Austin Dixon on New EP 'O-Town'

Interview with Country Artist Austin Dixon

MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.

What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?

Austin Dixon: No honors needed guys! Thanks for reaching out. I started playing guitar around 10 years old but was mostly just picking around until around 15 when I got my first acoustic guitar. When that happened, I started learning chords to my favorite songs and trying to sing while I played. I’ve sang for as long as I can remember but at that point I actually started trying to get good at it. One day a friend of mine that also played showed me a song he had written and I thought that was super cool. So, I started writing my own songs, and a few years later had a few that I thought were good enough for other people to hear and the rest is history!

MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?

Austin Dixon: I’ve had so many musical interests in my life that it’s always hard to pin down. My first CD was Paranoid by Black Sabbath and my first concert was AC/DC. So I guess you could say I’ve always been really into rock music. However, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a kid and they were all into country music, especially the old classics. George Strait has always been a staple in my music library, but he may be the only artist that’s been a staple for me for most of my life. I listen to a huge array of different artists in all genres, especially in country music. I was never super into so-called “bro country” or “boyfriend country,” but with that being said there was some of it during the 2010s that I’d find myself jamming to in the right environments. I’ve always been a fan of the story tellers. I would say that realm of songwriting is what I’ve always gravitated towards.

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MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?

Austin Dixon: A couple of my band mates and I have had a running joke lately that we play “normal guy shit.” Haha. Country music for the common man. As far as career goals? I won’t sugar-coat it, I want to go all the way to the top and be playing in stadiums. But, I want to maintain a level of approachability and that’s where the “normal guy shit” comes in. I hope I never come off as someone that’s unrelatable and I want to be known as a friendly and approachable guy.

MuzicNotez: What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?

Austin Dixon: It was the first so it’s probably biased but AC/DC was a hell of a show. My second favorite was probably The Weeknd at the BOK Center in Tulsa, but it definitely helped that we were basically front row for that show. The production was next level!

MuzicNotez: Your latest release is the EP ‘O-Town’, which we’re loving! How would you describe this release? What inspired it?

Austin Dixon: Most of the songs on that record were inspired either by my hometown of Sand Springs, Oklahoma or the town of Oilton, Oklahoma where I’ve spent time with a lot friends that grew up there. I’m proud of where I come from and the way of life my friends and I grew up with. I wanted to make music that we all enjoyed. The collection of songs as a whole are a great representation of how my life has evolved over the past ten years. There’s been good times like you hear about on the title track, there’s been times that needed big anthems like ‘Southern Town’, there’s been heartbreak (‘Casino Road’), there’s been plain old country livin’ (‘Down 99’), and there’s been some long-distance relationship challenges that my wife and I had to navigate for a while that you hear about on ‘Would You Stay.’

MuzicNotez: There’s a lot of debate on the current state of country music, but with artists like you we think it’s in great hands. What do you think about where country is heading?

Austin Dixon: I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand it’s awesome to see so much success from the independent realm of country music. On the other hand it’s unfortunate how obviously corrupt country music radio has become where if you’re not on a major label you really don’t have a chance of making big radio stations. However, with streaming going in the direction it is, I think we all know radio as we know it is dying off. As far as the genre itself goes? It’s probably never been better. Music is so accessible now, which gives every artist an opportunity to get their stuff out there. I just hope that we’ll eventually get back to a place where actually selling music has its benefits like it used to. Tour schedules have gotten insane for a lot of these big artists and you can tell that it’s taking a toll by how many of them are cancelling shows for vocal rest/mental health. But, with the way the system works right now, touring is where the money is.

MuzicNotez: You’re finding a lot of success lately, like being added to the ‘Fresh Finds Country’ playlist on Spotify. What’s it like to see your hard work paying off? What advice would you give to emerging artists looking to find similar success?

Austin Dixon: That was definitely an awesome email to receive and my wife and I had a small celebration over that. We still have a long way to go though and I’m looking forward to what we can achieve in the future. For new artists, the biggest thing I can say is that the country music world isn’t going to come to you. You have to put yourself out there via social media and by getting out and playing shows. That’s how people find out about you!

MuzicNotez: What else are you working on? What can we expect to see and hear from you in the future?

Austin Dixon: Right now we’re working on a couple singles that will deviate slightly from the aesthetic of ‘O-Town’ into a slightly more traditional realm of country music. The one that will come out first has a combination of Alan Jackson and the Eagles feel to it. I’m pretty excited about that one. The next one is a straight up honky tonk song that’s very guitar driven and has been really well received at our live shows. I can’t wait to get both of these songs out there!

MuzicNotez: Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your music? Any message for your fans?