Homegrown honky-tonk: Golden Guy gets Dayton support on new album

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Down and out characters dominate the honky-tonk country songs on Golden Guy’s new album “Personal Pain,” which will be released at Hidden Gem Music Club in Centerville on Friday, Oct. 20. “Potato-Potato-Potato” is a tale of a heartbroken tough guy seeking solace by riding his Harley Davidson. The plight of a hapless criminal is detailed in “Prison Song.” Album opener, “Expelled,” is about a shifty figure banished from the Garden of Eden.

Not much is known about the Dayton-based group Golden Guy and His Bucking Bloviators. According to the shadowy singer and guitarist, he is backed by Plectrum (lead guitar), Col. Poppin (bass) and Lanky Luke (drums). He admits the songs on the homegrown release were all written by local filmmaker and storyboard artist J. Todd Anderson, except for two songs co-written by Anderson and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ethan Coen (”Fargo”).

That’s as forthcoming as Golden Guy would be on biographical information. Thankfully, he was much more forthcoming when discussing the making of his captivating new album, “Personal Pain.”

Q: Where did you record the album?

A: We did it over at Reel Love Recording Company with Patrick Himes. He’s the man to go to. He’s the guy. Always try to work with somebody that’s more talented than you are. That’s what I try to do. We worked on it for a long time. We started recording in COVID because nobody had anything to do. We started adding songs. We’d play out for a little bit and figure it all out and then we’d get back together.

Q: How did you like working with Patrick?

A: He’s great. He’s a true creative producer. He doesn’t defang you with technology. He really has those instincts of getting in there and getting the best out of you. I recognize that because I’ve worked with my share of bad producers and my share of really good ones. With the really good ones, you set the direction for them and they’ll run with it. That’s what Patrick does. He really brought the best out those singers like Khrys Blank, Amber Hargett, Emma Woodruff and Heather Redman.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Q: Who else was involved in this record?

A: My band, the Bucking Bloviators, is on there. Patrick also rounded up all these other people in that really cool studio he has. This isn’t Los Angeles or Nashville but there are some fine session players in town. We had John Lardinois, Nick Kizirnis and Wayne Hobbs, a steel guitar guy from New Carlisle. We had a harmonica player from East Dayton named Robb Lynch. Not one of these guys is from Nashville. Nobody is going to taint this record with a commercial, throw-it-away sound. That’s called ephemeral stuff. We don’t do ephemeral.

Q: What were you hoping to accomplish with this project?

A: I want to sell some records. Objectively, that’s what it’s about. What are we doing this for if we’re not going to sell any records? We’re going to try to sell these darn things instead of putting them underneath the pool table and leveling it up.

Q: Moving units is certainly part of it but isn’t self-expression a consideration as well?

A: Oh, I don’t know about the self-expression part. It’s just like a shark — it has to keep swimming. It has to get the water going over its gills all the time because if it’s stops it dies … and then it has to have lunch. That’s what the Bucking Bloviators is all about, keeping that water going over the gills so they can have another fine meal at some point, and that’s the consumer.

Q: Are consumers ready for Golden Guy?

A: They better be because we’ve got just what they want with this new Golden Guy record. “Personal Pain” is one of the finest records that’s ever come out. And it comes out on Atom Records here in Dayton. It’s a wholly grown Dayton project. We’re excited to play it for people at the Hidden Gem. You can’t call it a return. We’re tomorrow’s nobodies and yesterday’s has-beens and now we’re back.

Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.

HOW TO GO

Who: Golden Guy and His Bucking Bloviators

Where: Hidden Gem Music Club, 507 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Centerville

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20

Cost: Free

More info: 937-829-4874 or www.hiddengemdayton.com

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