Podge Lane released his sophomore album, ‘Common Country Misconceptions' on March 10th, 2023. Building on his debut album, Outer Monologues, released in 2021, Lane expands his own sound further by exploring country stylings and stories in unconventional manners. Showcasing his emphatic turn of phrase alongside quintessential country instrumentation, Lane reflects on many moments in his life with earnest growth. Where Outer Monologues gave a glimpse into one bad night in the life of the author, it ended with the promise of things getting better. Now we have Common Country Misconceptions, and Lane asks, ‘what comes after happily ever after’? As a lifelong fan of country music, Lane listened to the great tales of heroes overcoming evil, winning the loves of their lives, and riding off into the sunset.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Podge Lane, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. How has the time gone for you since our last interview?
Hi! It’s brilliant to get to chat again, I loved talking about Change In The Weather last time. Since then it’s been great, I brought out my Sophomore album Common Country Misconceptions, did a small tour of Ireland, supported the amazing Damsel on their tour, performed at the inaugural Showing Roots conference and went to Disneyland. Sorry I didn’t bring you back anything!
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
Coffee, lots of coffee. My family have always been used to it, when it comes to music I tend to be controlling of every detail, so I’m up doing emails at 4 in the morning when I’m back with the family for holidays.
I have an incredibly supportive girlfriend, who actually sings on my albums, and did all the artwork for CCM, so I really could not ask for more support, its really great.
Your latest album is 'Common Country Misconceptions'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Well I started with a different album in mind, but this one kind of fell in my lap, I wrote the song Paradise just for fun one day, and realised it was the natural progression from my last album Outer Monologues. On OM I was looking back at a more awkward, unhappy time, and detailing how I got to where I am now. So naturally I wanted to see what I had to complain about now that I was happy, apparently a lot.
As for strange, it was the fact the album came together relatively seamlessly. I wrote nearly every song knowing the exact placement on the album before hand. It felt like I was recreating an album I had already made in my head, this chaotic soundscape of the common country scenery being blown apart.
Can you shortly describe each of the tracks that are on the album?
Well the first two songs Welcome To Paradise and Paradise are kind of the one, with the message being simply, oh I’m happy now… why am I still so cranky.
Battle Wounds is my ode to the over-sharer, the person who talks your ear off and then leaves before you get a chance to speak. It’s gone down a thrill, especially with people who think its about them!
I Can See You In My Dreams is a ballad about the people who love those little things you don’t like about yourself, the scars, the scraggly hair, all of it.
Common Sense… well I’ve been told so many times that I lost my common sense, I had to write a song about finding it!
I Wish That I Had Your Life, we’ve all been there, jealous of someone else, but then you realise they’re jealous of you, it’s such a universal cycle, this one came out in about 4 minutes.
Too Late was just chaos, It’s about arguments where you say some dumb stuff, and it’s not even because of the person you’re arguing with, its your own problem you have to own up to. I wrote the lyrics in an art gallery.
History Repeatin’ started as a joke. It’s just a bouncy number about how the world is on fire. Should we ignore it? Should we fight? Who knows, I am but a humble bread man.
Change In the Weather is pleading at someone to stop looking for signs, and realise they are doing good, and that they can do anything, even if it’s raining and rain reminds them of bad times and… yeah.
I Wanna Be There is like the end credits, its just saying, well I’m happy, I’m still cranky, but at least I’m with you.
And yeah… that’s CCM…. You gotta listen now right?
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
I started in music in the perfect way, after finding out I was too uncoordinated to make money in sports. Soon after that at about 17 I started writing, singing and playing guitar.
It’s weird I never thought I’d get to this place touring, releasing music, doing interviews. I always just knew I never wanted to do anything else. Once I wrote my first song, I was like “Oh this is different to anything I’ve ever experienced”. I am so happy and privileged to be in this position.
Who is your favourite musician?
Oh man, that is a loaded question. Depending on the day you could get about 17 rap artists, 29 blues, 30 country and so on.
But of all time, I have to go with Johnny Cash, because he was the starting point for me. It was a guy, a guitar, and a cockiness to think anyone wanted to listen to them goof about on stage. I can’t explain it without writing an essay, so I just have to say Johnny Cash, perfect.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
Favourite would have to be just knowing that someone is listening to one of my albums, and that it’s letting them know yes someone else thinks like that. I make music for the simple fact that I want to hear these stories, so when someone else connects, that’s a huge moment for me.
Least favourite, remember those 3am emails during holidays with family? Probably that.
What’s your scariest experience?
Oh man, I’ve had it really easy. I once got pneumonia and stopped breathing on my skateboard as a kid. I had to be put in a bubble for like 5 days. On the plus side I got to go to Toys R Us and get Godzilla Destroy All Monsters on Gamecube after…. So wins and losses.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
The idea that you need to write like someone else, or that your music needs to sound a certain way, be pristinely produced etc. Music is great because there are no barriers to entry. Got a song? Sing it, record it on voice memos, put it out there. The fear in music is what I’d like to change.
What can we expect from Podge Lane in the near future?
I am heading up the Workmans Club Vintage Room on March 15th for a headline show! I am super excited for it, its a venue I really love, and can’t wait to get to play again. I’ll also be announcing some summer shows soon, but the Dublin show is the start of this run. I’ll be bringing along some guests and trying out some new music! Speaking of new music…. Oh look we’re out of time!