Kentucky natives Halfway to Hazard - Chad Warrix of Breathitt County and David Tolliver of Knott County - return to the state on Friday to perform at Lexington's Cadillac Ranch. The country duo first hit the scene in 2007 with their self-titled debut, "Halfway to Hazard," and have gone on to perform around the country supporting such acts as Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as well as being nominated for ACM's Top Duo this year.
In anticipation of Friday's show, Warrix gave me a moment of his time to answer a few questions.
Both you and David originate from small towns in southeastern KentuckyÖboth places that barely get a mention on the map. Therefore, you must be doubly overwhelmed by your success, though the road getting here was not the easiest. What advice would you give aspiring/struggling musicians who currently fill the shoes you once wore?
First and foremost, find a musical outlet at an early age - school pep band, private lessons, garage bands, whatever. Just find other musicians and exchange ideas and most importantly make music. Surround yourself with people that are better than you at playing, singing, writing, etc... Next decide if you really want to make music a career or make it just a hobby. Once you have the means and enough support from wherever you get your support, you have to move to where the music is. YOU (Nashville, LA, NYC, Atlanta, Austin, etc...) Stay focused and determined.
Speaking of your hometowns, how does it feel to come back and be greeted by signs bearing "Home of David Tolliver" and "Home of Chad Warrix" upon entering your respective home counties?
Pretty crazy, hasn't really sunk in yet. Very humble and honored. I am very proud of where I come from, and for the people there to recognize me as one of their own, that's very special.
Your debut single, "Daisy," hit the Top 40 on the Billboard charts back in 2007. How did you two react?
I still remember exactly where we were when we heard "Daisy" on the radio for the first time - the central California coast traveling with our record label on our "radio tour" (we visited over 50 radio stations across the U.S. with the release of "Daisy"), we almost wrecked the truck we were in, we were slapping high fives and I'm pretty sure we hugged, a man kind of hug, the kind where you mean it, but just a kind of pat on the back and hurry to get it over with kind of hug.
What about when you received the nomination for ACM Top Duo this year?
It was really early in the morning when we got the news. I was running through the house half naked, jumping up and down, smiling from ear to ear. David and I called each other and we were both so proud. It was awesome to be acknowledged for all the hard work we had been doing. It also made me happy for my family, because they really share the ups and the downs with you.
You toured with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on 2007's Soul2Soul tour and again with McGraw and Jason Aldean this year. Any dream tour mates?
Well we have kind of started at the top, Tim and Faith have been so wonderful to us, and it is always fun to tour with friends like Jason, but there are some very cool people out there that would be cool, and not just in country, like Bryan Adams, Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, Bob Seger, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty. In the country genre, I'd say Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Brooks and Dunn, Montgomery/Gentry, Brad Paisley and Toby Keith.
You're both married with children. How do you and your families handle life on the road?
It's definitely the toughest part of our job. We try to use iChat (online video conferencing) and phone calls to stay close. But it hurts to miss things, big or little, because of our hectic schedule. Once H2H grows a little more, we will be able to bring the families along more often. We are gone a lot, most people don't realize how much. David and I were only home like 94 days total in 2007. Crazy. It's not for everyone, lots of hotels, rental cars, airplanes, buses, airport security, lost luggage, broken guitars. It makes you appreciate our military so much that can be over seas for a year at a time away from their loved ones. When I think about that, it puts things in perspective for me. This job is demanding and our families pay the biggest toll.
What's up next for Halfway to Hazard?
We are currently writing and recording our sophomore record. We are constantly writing, year round. At this point we are usually just picking songs and deciding which ones go together to make the best H2H album possible. We are always strategizing and planning our future moves. It is crucial to stay progressive and creative in this crazy job or you'll find yourself on the way out in a hurry.