A standout at this year's BIGSOUND, Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Bud Rokesky is nearing the release of his debut album that's due early 2023 dropping another single 'Floodlights'.
A serving of smouldering, heartfelt alt country soaked in Bud's honest, earthy drawl, 'Floodlights' is the second single lifted from the 'Outsider' album (scheduled to drop 17 February) following Bud's debut single, the earnestly passionate 'Love My Baby More'."'Floodlights' is a story of regret, confusion, a little anger, and finally acceptance," Bud says. "I wrote 'Floodlights' wondering what maybe protected me from my own close calls with recklessness in youth, but also understanding that you can't control every outcome.
"Sometimes it's best to put it down to enigmatic luck or fate, so as to protect your sanity.
"We recorded 'Floodlights' in one take at Rainbow Valley Studios [Matt Corby's studio], with organ by the incredibly talented Harry Sutherland and pedal steel by the LA-based multi-instrumentalist Ray Suen."
Rokesky's songs can be interpreted in many ways, not least because they seek to explore how different people have different takes on the same situation. It's a perspective gained from a lifetime of observing others.
"Being an outsider meant I had a lot of free time growing up to question what everyone was doing, or why everyone was doing what they were doing," he explains, discussing the origins of his 'Outsider' album.
"When people listen to the record I'd love for them to hear the beauty in other characters' troubles, so that they can think of their own troubles or questions as beautiful; and the fact that we have questions and troubles is beautiful, because we're all here experiencing them."
After recent appearances at Dashville Skyline and Groundwater Country Music Festival, and ahead of performing at 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival, here Bud shares five reasons why pro bull riding is similar to competitive surfing – 'cause why not.
Scoring
Both wave choice and bull selection have an impact on a rider's potential to score well or poorly. The 'ranker' the bull or gnarlier a wave is, the higher your points factor will be.In pro bull riding, the bull's performance receives its own score, which is added to the rider's score. A rank bull could help a rider score higher, or the bull might easily throw the rider off before the 8-second count, leading to a no score ride.
Charm
Part of surfing's beauty is watching humans interact with nature in a somewhat unnatural way, yet making it look like the two were made for each other. In big wave surfing, the entertainment perhaps comes more from the high adrenal factor. I would argue that both beauty and adrenaline apply to bull riding as well.Injury
In both sports there is a high risk of all types of injuries. In July 2017, JB Mauney had his rotator cuff tendon torn completely off when Cowahbunga stepped on his shoulder after a dismount. JB's arm was essentially held on by his skin. He recovered and continues to ride.Surfer Owen Wright suffered from blood effusion in the brain after a wipeout in 2015. He had to learn to walk again, but was able to recover and took out bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.
Training/ Partying
It has been well documented that surf tours are infamous for wild partying. In the very early days of rock & roll touring, many rock & roll stars (and hoteliers) were confronted by just how wild and crazy the country music tours were. This is perhaps the same story with rodeo circuits.These days with large sums of money and lucrative endorsements at stake, the partying in both the surfing and bull riding worlds continues to transition into focussed training, such as diet and nutrition, yoga and strength training, meditation and also technological analysis.
Respect
Although it may seem as though humans are trying to dominate and wrestle with nature in both sports, in most cases the opposite is true. Professional surfers and bull riders alike will readily attest to the respect they have for the waves or the bulls.Riders understand that nature calls the shots. It's up to the rider to give nature the space it requires and interpret the wave or bull's movements, in order to have greater control over their interaction with nature.
Bonus
The Brazilians do extremely well at both sports.Bud Rokesky's debut album 'Outsider' is released 17 February, 2023. Bud plays the Mother Hen Touring showcase at Tamworth Country Music Festival 17 January, Riverboats Music Festival (Echuca-Moama) 17-19 February and Port Fairy Folk Festival 10-13 March.
