Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen have once again decided to join their talents, this time for Hold My Beer, Vol. 2, The 12-track record includes songs written by the Texas artists, as well as by David Lee, Lori McKenna and Dean Dillon, among others, and an unreleased song by Waylon Jennings, which features both the country music icon and his son, Shooter Jennings, on the track. For two successful artists on their own, after releasing the first Hold My Beer, Vol. 1, there was never really a question if they would do a second one.

“Wade and I throughout the years have really enjoyed being on stage together and being on the road together, and playing golf on the road together,” Randy told Everything Nash. “We’re actually true friends, real friends, and so it’s just an opportunity to have a good time and to do something different than what we normally do. We just love it.”

Neither Randy nor Wade knew before they released their first record together how much fun they would have making it, or how well it would resonate with their collective fans.

“The first record just really came out of nowhere,” Randy reflected. “We didn’t really know what we were doing. We actually were just going to do three studio tracks and tag it at the end of a live record, ’cause we were that clueless at the time. And then we released that record and saw the success that it had.

“It’s really cool to see people enjoy what we enjoy too,” he continued. “So we just wanted to do more of it. I’m really glad that we continue to do these projects. Whether it’s live records or studio records, we really do enjoy [being together]. We live like a minute from each other. So it’s not a fake thing. We really enjoy hanging out. We make sure we’re a really fun time at the shows.”

Both Randy and Wade have had plenty of album sales, hit songs and sold-out concerts throughout Texas and beyond, but it wasn’t the desire of gaining more fans as much as a desire to do something together that inspired the second project.

“It’s the friendship that propels in a sense, our own individual careers as well,” Wade acknowledged. “And so I think we had to do this. I think it’s also something that we need to do for our own sanity. He gets me away from the guys that I tour with.  And also the songs are different than the sounds I play on my own set. So it breaks up the monotony of touring. There’s a lot of things that it provides for us.

“It just so happens that fans see that it’s real, that we’re being real,” he added. “Both the songs and these new records that we make, and the real friendship that exists comes out. We’re providing them. People get to have a laugh, or a beer, on us.”

Hold My Beer, Vol. 2, is a collective project, in every way, although Randy gladly gives Wade credit for being the driving force behind getting things done.

“I think Wade, really, to be honest, is kind of the alpha in this situation,” Randy noted. ‘I respect Wade’s opinion as well. I really trust him. I would bring a song to the table and he would say ‘Nah, not for this project.’ That didn’t hurt my feelings. I think also, when we sat down with Jon Randall and Jim Beavers, and they were nice enough to block off a couple of days, more than one –– we’re talking about some hit songwriters, and they got it.

“They understood it,” he remarked. “I had an idea of what we needed to get, what we needed to write, and how we needed to do it … I really do think Wade’s creative vision is actually the driving force behind this.”

Randy and Wade just dropped “Rodeo Clown” from Hold My Beer, Vol. 2. Pre-order the record here.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sweet Talk Publicity / Monica Murray / 5FoldCreative