WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>And it's so great to be with you, especially when

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<v Speaker 1>not only do we get to hear a fantastic bumper

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<v Speaker 1>like that, a great country tune, but we have the

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<v Speaker 1>artist behind it here in studio to yeah, have a

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<v Speaker 1>Jimmy jam session, and to talk about a new organization

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<v Speaker 1>founded last year that's really catching steam, the Mountain West

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<v Speaker 1>Country Music Association. To dive into this. The guy who

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<v Speaker 1>you just heard playing guitar singing the tune there, Michael Sweat,

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<v Speaker 1>joins me here in studio, a US Army veteran of

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<v Speaker 1>the Special Forces turned country artist extraordin are welcome, brother,

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<v Speaker 1>Good to have you.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, thanks Jamine, thanks for having me. I appreciate it

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<v Speaker 2>being on the air with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Before we get into your association, we'll play a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of tunes.

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<v Speaker 3>We'll have a good time, of course, but.

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<v Speaker 4>Let's talk a little bit about yourself.

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<v Speaker 1>How did you get to this point of performing country

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<v Speaker 1>music and with the association that we're going to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about founding that as well? Is the life journey in

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<v Speaker 1>a nutshell of course of Michael Sweat?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, sure, So.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been playing music on and off for a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of decades, but during a career in the military, it's

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<v Speaker 2>pretty tough to sustain success. And I generally specialized in

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<v Speaker 2>more of like the rock and metal genres when I

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<v Speaker 2>was younger, but I always wanted to do a country project.

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<v Speaker 3>And it reminds me of, you know, being a kid

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<v Speaker 3>in my.

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<v Speaker 2>Dad's shop, stealing cheer wines and listening to country music.

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<v Speaker 2>And I grew up near the great Randy Travis, and

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<v Speaker 2>so he was always very influential to me, and I

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<v Speaker 2>just wanted to.

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<v Speaker 3>Do a country project for myself.

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<v Speaker 1>So talk to us a little bit about what music

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<v Speaker 1>was like for you in your military service, because you

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<v Speaker 1>spent over two decades in the US Army and doing

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<v Speaker 1>Special Forces. Retired last September as of last year as

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<v Speaker 1>a sergeant major. And to me, if you're in multiple

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<v Speaker 1>combat tours and all the stressors that come with that,

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<v Speaker 1>music almost has to be a therapeutic outlet for you.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it absolutely was, and I think it was kind

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<v Speaker 2>of a constant throughout my career. A lot of my

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<v Speaker 2>coworkers would be upset if they didn't see the guitar

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<v Speaker 2>because they got so used to me dragging it around

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<v Speaker 2>the world and a lot of campfires and a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of countries we decompressed over over some you know, songs

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<v Speaker 2>around the fire and just playing some music and trying to,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, get some Catharsis out of it, if you will.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, when it comes to country music, especially going back

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<v Speaker 1>to some of those roots and you know the musical

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<v Speaker 1>stylings that influenced you as a performer of country music,

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<v Speaker 1>what is that like for you? What is it that

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<v Speaker 1>you most enjoy about it as a genre?

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<v Speaker 4>Man?

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<v Speaker 2>I think country is probably the most fun genre to play,

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<v Speaker 2>if I'm being honest. And my favorite part is just

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<v Speaker 2>the experiences that you can facilitate from the stage. And

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<v Speaker 2>it gives us such a thrill when we see the

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<v Speaker 2>eighty something year old couples out there that they brave

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<v Speaker 2>the elements until nine to thirty pm or so just

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<v Speaker 2>to dance and spend some time together. And you can

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<v Speaker 2>watch that happen and realize they've been doing that for

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<v Speaker 2>fifty years and just being a to be a part

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<v Speaker 2>of it's pretty special.

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<v Speaker 1>Today in the Denver Gazette, in addition to my normal

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<v Speaker 1>column that I have on Fridays, I also have a

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<v Speaker 1>featured story in the Arts section about everything we're going

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<v Speaker 1>to be discussing today army that builds Nashville alternative Mountain

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<v Speaker 1>West Country artists. This is a story in the Denver

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<v Speaker 1>Gazette today and the big reason why we've got Mike

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<v Speaker 1>here in studio. Tell us a bit about the genesis

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<v Speaker 1>of the Mountain West Country Music Association.

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<v Speaker 3>Absolutely, so, I.

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<v Speaker 2>Just, you know, as I was going on my own

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<v Speaker 2>musical journey and you know, forming a band and trying

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<v Speaker 2>to grow it and actually get somebody to let us

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<v Speaker 2>play on their stage for dollars, I begin to realize

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<v Speaker 2>how difficult that was, in fact, and how tough it

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<v Speaker 2>was to build those relationships and to make reasonable pay

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<v Speaker 2>and to advance in a career out here. And a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of people feel like they have to leave the

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<v Speaker 2>Mountain West to do that, and we see a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of talent go to Nashville or Austin or places like that.

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<v Speaker 2>And I just realized over a couple of years that

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<v Speaker 2>my band, Red Mountain Highways, had a lot of success

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<v Speaker 2>and we've come from those you know, three or four

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<v Speaker 2>hundred dollars bar gigs and made our way into the

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<v Speaker 2>multi thousand dollars shows. And I just felt like if

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<v Speaker 2>I could do it as a hobby player, as a

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<v Speaker 2>full time you know, military guy. Then then everyone else

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<v Speaker 2>can probably do it too, and there's probably some lessons

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<v Speaker 2>that we could share to to sort of help the

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<v Speaker 2>entire scene improve.

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<v Speaker 1>So, Michael sweat from those lessons, what is your association

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<v Speaker 1>built around in terms of the ways that you're trying

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<v Speaker 1>to empower and help other artists in this genre succeed?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>Sure, So you know when we talk about our three

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<v Speaker 2>main lines of effort, you know, it's to support and

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<v Speaker 2>develop up and coming artists, to cultivate passion for country music,

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<v Speaker 2>and then to bring regional and national talent to the

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<v Speaker 2>towns and cities that we serve. Right So within that,

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<v Speaker 2>there's a lot of things that we do. We try

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<v Speaker 2>to improve marketing campaigns for our artists and venues help

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<v Speaker 2>them do a better job of getting people to those rooms.

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<v Speaker 2>We focus a lot on the professionalization of the actual

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<v Speaker 2>artists in the scene, So education is a big piece

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<v Speaker 2>of this, and then it's just really sharing those relationships

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<v Speaker 2>and that professional credibility to where you know, we have

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<v Speaker 2>a pro artist pipeline where people can start out as

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<v Speaker 2>an artist and then they have to go through an

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<v Speaker 2>application process through our board of directors and if approved,

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<v Speaker 2>they get pro artist status, which gives us a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of confidence to vouch for those folks. So if I

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<v Speaker 2>have a great rep you know, relationship with a venue

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<v Speaker 2>that maybe's paying more like three or four thousand dollars

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<v Speaker 2>for gigs, I can recommend these guys without hesitation and

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<v Speaker 2>connect them with the relationships that the rest of us

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<v Speaker 2>have already built.

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<v Speaker 1>And that aspect of the venues is really important too,

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<v Speaker 1>because a lot of times they want the best acts

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<v Speaker 1>that they can get and they would like to have

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<v Speaker 1>a way to figure that out more easily. And so

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<v Speaker 1>from what I take away from the Association that one

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<v Speaker 1>of the big things is to sort of provide a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit of vetting for some of these bands that

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<v Speaker 1>then they can a venue can look at them and say, Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>here's a ban I would like, let me reach out

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<v Speaker 1>and maybe the Mount West Country Music Association can put

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<v Speaker 1>me in touch.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, one hundred percent.

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<v Speaker 2>And we view that as kind of one of the

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<v Speaker 2>valuable services that we can provide to venue owners as

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<v Speaker 2>industry members. You know, whether you're a small room that's

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<v Speaker 2>looking for a four hundred dollars act or whether you're

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<v Speaker 2>looking to fill up a giant ballroom and pay a

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<v Speaker 2>few thousand. You know, if an artist is a member

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<v Speaker 2>of the Mountain West Country Music Association, it at least

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<v Speaker 2>shows you that they're invested in their professional career. They

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<v Speaker 2>spent a little money, they're spending some time, they're working

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<v Speaker 2>on networking, they're working on self improvement, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>that's going to make most of them, you know, a

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<v Speaker 2>notch above the other options that are out there.

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<v Speaker 3>Michael Sweat here in studio.

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<v Speaker 1>He has his own band, Red Mountain Highway, and as

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<v Speaker 1>we're talking about, is the founder executive director of the

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<v Speaker 1>Mountain West Country Music Association. In a moment, we'll pick

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<v Speaker 1>up the converse and get to talking a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>more about the association and some of the things that

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<v Speaker 1>are happening. But first we got to have a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit of music. You've got that guitar there, You've got

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<v Speaker 1>that tremendous voice.

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<v Speaker 3>I want to hear that hart.

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<v Speaker 1>I've got my briefcase full of blues that always loves

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<v Speaker 1>to play some country music.

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<v Speaker 3>What are we going to do first?

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<v Speaker 2>So this is a song that I wrote for Miss

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<v Speaker 2>Christian Overstreet, A beautiful lady sitting.

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<v Speaker 3>Over there in the corner. I wrote it for her

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<v Speaker 3>for her birthday.

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<v Speaker 2>So I've only played it a couple of times, so

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<v Speaker 2>if I mess it up, it's probably your fault.

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<v Speaker 3>Jimmy.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to take full responsibility if something happens, but

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think it will. Let's play some music. Mike

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<v Speaker 1>sweat here in the studio.

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<v Speaker 2>Wal along the room, weird heavy boots.

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<v Speaker 5>I'm tracking my projects, kind us and Noitchius.

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<v Speaker 4>You stand strong from your every load. We you wild

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<v Speaker 4>like you read it.

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<v Speaker 6>Soft is the gone, with eyes like the sky, the

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<v Speaker 6>clouds roun gone.

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<v Speaker 4>I broke in my shop, good things before built in

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<v Speaker 4>my walls.

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<v Speaker 3>You can be skiing with.

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<v Speaker 7>The mood, the firing, my flalls, the cold night.

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<v Speaker 4>You get stars in the sky. If I run a light,

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<v Speaker 4>got noise easy and into more standing the rain.

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<v Speaker 7>I'll er the storm because your card we're starting food.

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<v Speaker 8>To talk of the time, sun, rain and might not

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<v Speaker 8>be perfect, it's perfect.

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<v Speaker 4>Westix, guys, river and cast.

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<v Speaker 7>But when I look at and you risk loud and flown,

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<v Speaker 7>that leads to the line swear a be.

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<v Speaker 4>Taller side, fire in the fast, the cold night, falls

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<v Speaker 4>in the sky, the run out of line, noise.

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<v Speaker 7>Easy looks, boom and the too long standing away.

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<v Speaker 4>The storm to fure the cad. We're fucking food.

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<v Speaker 7>Fun of Bop Colne, you.

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<v Speaker 4>Get stars in the sky line, easy.

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<v Speaker 1>To stand in the.

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<v Speaker 4>Leader. You're the cat fighting food. You the cab, We're

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<v Speaker 4>fighting food. Beautiful.

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<v Speaker 3>Nice job, dude, Nice job to you.

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<v Speaker 1>It sounds like you've been playing that for a while.

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<v Speaker 1>Good job once again. Michael Sweat joining us here in studio.

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<v Speaker 1>Got a name for that tune, brother, Well, I'm waiting

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<v Speaker 1>on Kristen to tell me what the name is right now.

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<v Speaker 1>We're calling it Kristen Song until she comes up with

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<v Speaker 1>something else. There you go. By the way, I should

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<v Speaker 1>mention that Kristen over Street is also marketing director for

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<v Speaker 1>the Mountain West Country Music Association.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, that's right.

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<v Speaker 1>Now. Let me ask you about the name Mountain West

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<v Speaker 1>because you're not just talking about Colorado. It implies something

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<v Speaker 1>broader in scope. Tell us about the vision that you

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<v Speaker 1>and the folks you're working with across the state of

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<v Speaker 1>Colorado right now have for growth.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, for sure.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's a five year, seven state plan and at

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<v Speaker 2>the end of the day, we kind of just feel

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<v Speaker 2>like the Mountain West has historically been a tough place

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<v Speaker 2>to succeed in music, and there hasn't been much continuity

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<v Speaker 2>between those states and those cities, so we anticipate Right

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<v Speaker 2>now we're mostly focused in Colorado. We've got three chapters

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<v Speaker 2>here in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Northern Colorado.

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<v Speaker 3>We're looking to grow two more chapters.

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<v Speaker 2>In Southern Colorado and Wyoming just after the New year

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<v Speaker 2>in January. But we do anticipate that the entire organization

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<v Speaker 2>will be comprised of members from Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,

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<v Speaker 2>and New Mexico and maybe the Black Hills region of

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<v Speaker 2>South Dakota. We've had a few of those guys reach

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<v Speaker 2>out and say, hey, scoop us up too, so we'll

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<v Speaker 2>see what happens then.

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<v Speaker 1>The vision and I talk about this in my article

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<v Speaker 1>for the Denver Gazette under Arts and Entertainment today, also

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<v Speaker 1>in the Colorado Springs Gazette. And you're based in Colorado Springs,

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<v Speaker 1>so I'm happy to see that. It seems like you

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<v Speaker 1>really are trying to create a sort of alternative, especially

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<v Speaker 1>for more localized artists, to the Nashville scene.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, one hundred percent.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean it's no secret that you know Nashville has

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<v Speaker 2>a type that's preferred, if you will.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, I grew up in the South.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been in Colorado for twenty one years, so this

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<v Speaker 2>is home and I consider myself a Western country artist now.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, historically we've struggled to break into that

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<v Speaker 2>market and Austin. You could say the same for Austin

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<v Speaker 2>in some ways. And there's just a really mature Texas

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<v Speaker 2>scene and a mature red dirt scene through Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 3>And Texas and Nashville.

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<v Speaker 2>But I think most of the artists in the Mountain

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<v Speaker 2>West have kind of been on their own through the years,

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<v Speaker 2>and when we look around, we go, well, why is

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<v Speaker 2>that there's outstanding music? You got great cities between Colorado

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<v Speaker 2>Springs and Denver and Cheyenne and Salt Lake City, there's

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<v Speaker 2>plenty of opportunity. I just feel like no one really

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<v Speaker 2>has made the effort to curate the scene and unite

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<v Speaker 2>the clans the way that we're trying to do it.

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<v Speaker 1>Talk to us a little bit about the expansion in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of the chapter. So in my story, I talked

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<v Speaker 1>with Brian Brooks of Brian Brooks Sundown Rising, which has

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<v Speaker 1>just been that's just over a year in and they're

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<v Speaker 1>crushing it. And he is the head of the brand

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<v Speaker 1>new Northern Colorado Chapter. I also talked with Rachelle Patino Heineke,

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<v Speaker 1>who's the president of the Denver chapter, her vice president

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<v Speaker 1>being Ryan Chris of Ryan Chris rough Cuts, a tremendous

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<v Speaker 1>advocate for Colorado's country music scene. So talk to us

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit about some of the acts that are

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<v Speaker 1>involved in things that are happening in Northern Colorado on Denver.

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<v Speaker 3>And Colorado Springs. Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, what you know, what it really comes down to

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<v Speaker 2>is that we were really looking to connect with people

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<v Speaker 2>that are serious about country music, that are respected in

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<v Speaker 2>the community, and that buy in this vision that we're propagating,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, saying, hey, all the ships rise on the

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<v Speaker 2>swelling tide.

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<v Speaker 3>At the end of the day, if we work together,

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<v Speaker 3>we are better. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, you talk about guys like Ryan Chris.

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<v Speaker 2>He's been out here doing this a long time. Everybody

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<v Speaker 2>loves him, super well respected, great band, and he knows

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of people and has a lot of relationships.

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<v Speaker 3>And connections and he can certainly serve as a mentor

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<v Speaker 3>or to, you know, artists that are.

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<v Speaker 2>Up and coming, developing, and Brian Brooks, my dear friend

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<v Speaker 2>up with Sundown Rising. They're fantastic and Brian's the same way.

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<v Speaker 2>He's been around the community a long time. He's got

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of respect, and so we just feel real

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<v Speaker 2>fortunate to just have such powerhouses on board with us.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, Rachelle, for what it's worth, we're thrilled

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<v Speaker 2>to get her. She played a huge role in the

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<v Speaker 2>Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame for another organization, fantastic organization,

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<v Speaker 2>and the work that she did there was outstanding, and

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<v Speaker 2>so you know when she ended up coming on board

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<v Speaker 2>to head up our Denver chapter, we were just thrilled.

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<v Speaker 3>We shouldn't be happier.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, tell us real quick because we're just about out

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<v Speaker 1>a time. We got to get another song in. Tell

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<v Speaker 1>us real quick about the awards event that you have

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<v Speaker 1>coming up on the twenty fifth the Antler's Hotel in

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<v Speaker 1>Colorida Springs.

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<v Speaker 3>We're super excited.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's the first annual Mountain West Country Music Association Awards.

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<v Speaker 2>We've got roughly thirty eight nominees and nine different categories

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<v Speaker 2>and we are doing a full educational symposium, cocktail hour,

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<v Speaker 2>and a three course plated meal at the Antlers that

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<v Speaker 2>correlates with a three hour awards show, and the aforementioned

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<v Speaker 2>Brian Brooks that you brought up is going to serve

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<v Speaker 2>as the house band for that. So we'll do about

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<v Speaker 2>a ninety minute program of events where we announce all

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<v Speaker 2>the nominees and the winners, and there'll be a few

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<v Speaker 2>performances throughout that from nominees and winners, and then at

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<v Speaker 2>the end of the show, we're just gonna have some

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<v Speaker 2>refreshments and do some dancing and listen to Brian Brooks

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<v Speaker 2>Sundown Rising play for about ninety minutes.

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<v Speaker 3>Beautiful.

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<v Speaker 1>On the website for the mount West Country Music Association.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Mountain WESTCMA dot org, and you can grab your

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<v Speaker 2>tickets to the awards show. There, you can learn more

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<v Speaker 2>about the organization, you can become a member. It's all right.

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<v Speaker 3>There, beautiful. Michael Sweat of the.

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<v Speaker 1>Mount West Country Music Association and Red Mountain Highway, thanks

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<v Speaker 1>so much for joining us here on Kawa today.

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<v Speaker 3>What a blast, love it man, Thank you so much

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<v Speaker 3>for having us haw.

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<v Speaker 1>We got one more two we're gonna go out to

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<v Speaker 1>and jam as we head into the weekend. Have a

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<v Speaker 1>great West of rest of weekend and make God bless America.

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<v Speaker 4>I am I ever gonna leave you.

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<v Speaker 3>When the sound lose it treat it's wrong. If I

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<v Speaker 3>can't even see, I won't to.

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<v Speaker 6>Have a who do I move on? Even John Warning

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<v Speaker 6>ain't got a sun set. He quickly got a song.

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<v Speaker 6>If the stud buys all my god left, I ain't

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<v Speaker 6>gonna dude wrong.

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<v Speaker 4>For Haggin was a cattle.

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<v Speaker 5>Let out of Tennessee.

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<v Speaker 4>And ripped the lyrics. Move in the band and never

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<v Speaker 4>found there finding next.

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<v Speaker 5>You wish you happy?

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<v Speaker 4>It always ride.

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<v Speaker 3>For Hank.

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<v Speaker 4>It lose a catalog.

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<v Speaker 3>I'll bow out before I'm guilty.

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<v Speaker 4>Living in the past, It's considered me a memory.

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<v Speaker 5>That last.

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<v Speaker 4>Every turn to see your you old sign eating on

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<v Speaker 4>the group on side. You just like to leave him

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<v Speaker 4>song you remember my good.

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<v Speaker 7>Bye hag It was tattling out.

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<v Speaker 4>Let out to sea.

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<v Speaker 5>We it's over in the bad, but I finding it

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<v Speaker 5>out next you wish you happy?

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<v Speaker 4>Let his ride. It was a cattleg I sois you

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<v Speaker 4>of the game? Mandk It was cattle. It was srank.

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<v Speaker 6>It was a cattle