Ryan Fox from Dexter and the Moonrocks shouted out a fellow band when he joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, and I’ve got to say, this isn’t a hot take… it’s just a 100% correct take.
The drummer and vocalist from the ‘”y’allternative band” discussed how he took over the social media manager role for the group, why fans always think their music is from a different time, how Dexter and the Moonrocks always split songwriting credits, and their fanbase being as diverse as they come.
Fox also touched on the similarities between the country and grunge genres, how Dexter and the Moonrocks got their name (no one in the group is named Dexter) after originally starting as a country band, their song “Freaking Out” going viral, and why they believe the Turnpike Troubadours should be the biggest act in the world.
That’s the aforementioned “100% correct take.”
After all, Turnpike was one of the the bands that helped Dexter and the Moonrocks get started. They and other bands like the Red Clay Strays and Whiskey Myers took chances on them, and Fox said he’ll always be grateful for the push those bands gave his band:
“I’m really happy with the opportunities like a band like Red Clay Strays gave us, and like Turnpike is giving us, and Whiskey Myers gave us. We wouldn’t be here without their influence and what they’ve done.”
Ryan Fox has plenty of hills he’ll die on, but the one take that he voiced most strongly was how astounded he is that the Turnpike Troubadours aren’t selling out stadiums. Though they are one of the best bands in the business – without a doubt – that hasn’t directly translated to streaming and ticket sales.
That really bugs Fox:
“I’ve said this all the time: Turnpike Troubadours should be the biggest band in the f***ing world. They should be. I love Zach Bryan, I love George Strait, they are fantastic artists. But Turnpike should be the ones selling 100,000 tickets in a stadium. And they did with The Boys From Oklahoma, but they should have been doing it for years. They are so, so good.”
We can all agree on that, right?
Ryan Fox wishes that everyone in the world loved Turnpike as much as Texans do. Hailing from the Lone Star State himself, the Dexter and the Moonrocks drummer stated that they’re one of the most beloved groups out of the state, and that the band behind songs like “Good Lord Lorrie” and “Every Girl” means a lot to him personally:
“When you grow up in Texas, you think every Turnpike song is a multiplatinum hit. And I don’t think they have a song over 100 million streams. That’s a disservice to everything…
Evan Felker has reached out to us and said, ‘Y’all’s music is really cool.’ And I’m like, ‘I love you. I was 11 years old crying to ‘Diamonds & Gasoline. This is awesome.'”
@whiskeyriff @Dexter & The Moonrocks @Turnpike Troubadours @The Red Clay Strays @whiskeymyers #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff
Cool to see a couple of bands from the southern U.S. looking out for and supporting one another.
You can hear about all of that and more from Ryan Fox by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
Cheers, y’all.
