The interview with Lyle was very lengthly, and what you read here is but a small segment of a very in-depth discussion that spanned several evenings and many cases of Corona Extra.
The interview took place in the bar-mix room at Bison Lick Studios in Mississippi, a place Lyle has felt comfortable with, and where he tracked many of his earlier recordings.
We'll bring you more of this great interview in the near future.
ELC: THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK WITH ME.
LYLE: My pleasure Eddie. I've got a nice buzz right now.
ELC: CAN YOU SHARE ANY MEMORIES OF YOUR EARLY DAYS PLAYING THE CIRCUIT
LYLE: I can remember people laughing at me and throwing shit at me because they thought I was strange. They figured I was a retard because of my facial lockups, but when I played my music, they finally began to accept it.
ELC: WHAT WAS YOUR EARLY GUITAR AND AMP SETUP
LYLE:As a teenager, my first amp was an old Silvertone guitar case amp that came with the
guitar. It sounded like shit, so I wired an extension speaker, ( my old Zenith radio speaker) into the Silvertone, and promptly blew the fuck out of my Zenith! My first real amplifier was a Fender Super Reverb.
ELC: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF YOUR FACIAL LOCKUP PROBLEMS AND HOW IT AFFECTED YOUR MUSIC
LYLE: As I said earlier, people thought I was retard, until they heard the music and saw my fine lookin' River Bitches'. The women kept the audiences' attention off my occasionally contorted face, and figured it was worth putting up with me just to see the Bitches.
ELC: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO FORM YOUR OWN GROUP
LYLE:I couldn't find ANY band that would let me join them, so I had no choice but to start my own! The real challenge was finding top rate musicians who looked more fucked up than me. I had to be the best looking guy in the band if I was the front man.
ELC: IS THE STORY ABOUT AN OLD BLUES MAN REFERRING TO WOMEN AS RIVER BITCHES HOW YOU CAME TO NAME THE GROUP.
LYLE:My old friend, " Mud Hen Hawkins " always told me that women who grew up along the Mighty Mississippi were the finest women a man could want. They were tough, attractive, and didn't put up with any bullshit from any man. They were also resourceful and talented…….that's why I consider it a compliment to call my band mates " River Bitches ".
ELC: CAN YOU SHARE ANY MEMORIES OF THE EARLY RIVER BITCHES THAT YOU USED IN THE GROUP
LYLE: My early bitches were very " loose ". I would always make sure that they would " service " the club owner, the bouncer, and the bartender. This would always gaurantee a return engagement! The fact that they were also very musically talented and attractive also helped.
ELC: ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR BAND MEMBERS AND HOW YOU FOUND THEM
LYLE: As I traveled down the Mighty River, I encountered an amazing wealth of talent. They all wanted to fuck my Bitches, so it was never any problem getting guys to play in the band!
ELC: WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR EARLIEST RECORDING SESSIONS.
LYLE: I don't remember SHIT, I was drunk!! The only thing I really remember was dealing with fucked up equipment that I had to make sound as good as I could. The technology wasn't there when I began recording, so I always had to improvise. This proved to very helpful when I needed a certain sound…..I knew how to get it.
ELC: HOW IS THE NEW MATERIAL COMING, AND IS IT AS RISQUE AS THE PREVIOUS RECORDING
LYLE:The new material is more mature, more revealing about my early life, and as always, risqué. I believe in honest lyrics. I use cuss words because that's what everybody can identify with. Do you understand what the fuck I mean?
ELC: WE'VE NOTICED A FASCINATION FOR THINGS COLEMAN….DO YOU ENDORSE THEIR PRODUCTS OR IS THERE A MUCH DEEPER STORY THERE
LYLE: One of my new songs on my upcoming C.D. is entitled " By The Light Of A Coleman ". This is a song about my first piece of ass as a young 12-year old. Coleman products definitely played a big part in my early years on my camping trips, where I would meet young girls and explore our hormones. Their lanterns gave off a great light, and their stoves were fantastic for that " bacon & eggs " breakfast after you just blew your load into a hot young babe!
ELC:WHAT TYPE OF GUITAR, AMP, EFFECTS, STRINGS, ETC. DO YOU USE NOW
LYLE: Through the years, I have learned that the best sounds for me come through Fender and Gibson guitars, Musicman, Vox, and Marshall amps. I use strings, gauges 010" thru 046". I try to keep effects minimal, such as reverb and maybe some digital delay when appropriate. I also use some basic vibrato on some tunes. Sometimes, I just kick the fuckin' amp to get a good sound out of the reverb.
ELC:HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WRITING….LYRICS FIRST, MELODY…..DO YOU WRITE IN THE STUDIO
LYLE: I like to write from my life's own experiences. I'll get a theme, a story, and then I'll set a tempo, and then the music. The tempo is the foundation. The best way for me to write is to take the old acoustic guitar out and sit by the campfire, with no distractions, and start playing. That's when the chord changes and melody come together. Of course. A bottle of " Wild Turkey " always helps.
ELC:WHO ARE YOUR GREATEST MUSICAL INFLUENCES
LYLE: They are to numerous to name. If I told you, you'd never believe I was " Country & Western "!
ELC:YOU'RE NOT MARRIED - DO YOU THINK YOU'LL STAY SINGLE OR IS THERE ANOTHER PLAN
LYLE: I was always blown away by how many people I knew got totally fucked over by getting married. They lost everything, had to pay alimony, child support, lost their homes to the wife, and were totally miserable when the relationship went bad.(Note from ELC: Lyle experienced a severe facial lockup while answering this question. It was a painful sight to behold) I decided at an early age that I should just find a woman that loved me and wouldn't give me any bullshit. I just want to play my music and have fun. The way I look at it, I'd be afraid to get married and bring children into this world if they looked like me! Remember, touring with the River Bitches…..I've seen just about everything!
ELC: CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT CLETUS SACK AND THAT RELATIONSHIP
LYLE: Cletus, my long lost brother who recently entered my life, scared the SHIT outta me when I first saw how butt-fucking ugly he was! I love him, and he is quite talented. I'm sure that we'll be working together but I don't know if the audience could handle a show with the two of us on stage. He also has a severe drooling problem when he sings, which has actually caused him to electrocute himself on stage. I will not share a mic with him.
ELC:WILL YOU PRODUCE YOUR NEXT CD OR USE AN OUTSIDE PRODUCER
LYLE:I plan on producing my next CD definitely. My only problem is trying to figure out all this new-fangled shit recording equipment. Hell, it ain't got no tape reels that you can see turning! I might have to bring in an outside producer if I can't make this shit work. Word is, up and down The River, there's a guy named Eddy LaCava who's The Man. I'll try and get him."ELC RESPONDS - I'd be honored to produce your next CD...could be real fun"
ELC:YOUR LABEL CALLS YOU "ADULT COUNTRY", BUT WHAT LABEL IF ANY DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS
LYLE:I see myself as " Real Country ". I write about real things in real life. If I see a woman who's got a beautiful face, nice tits, nice ass, and nice legs, I'll write a song about it. I'll also write about the relationship with a woman like that and what it can do to a man.
ELC:WE'VE HEARD YOU ARE QUITE THE CHEF….CARE TO TALK A BIT ABOUT YOUR FOOD EXPERIENCES
LYLE: This is a whole other subject that I can't go into in length, but having traveled The Mighty Mississippi, I've eaten the finest food there is. My own personal favorite is the " BBQ'd Possum Ribs w/ Georgia Peanut Butter Sauce ".
ELC:YOU DID A GUEST SHOT WITH A ZYDECO BAND CALLED HOWLIN' KING CRAWDAD….WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE
LYLE:I've always loved Zydeco music since I first saw The King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. I had some great fun playing with Howlin' King Crawdad and even cut a couple of tunes with him. The truth is, I had to get back to my own music, but I'm sure that will include my own version of Lyle's Zydeco on my upcoming CD.
ELC:ANY INFORMATION ON YOUR UPCOMING TOUR
LYLE: Can't book the tour until the new CD is done, but I'll keep you posted. I'll try and get Cletus onboard for this one!
ELC:WHAT ARE SOME OF THINGS YOU ARE CURRENTLY LISTENING TO
LYLE:The sound of me smashing the fucking digital recorder against a tree because I can't figure the fucking thing out! I try not to listen to any other artists when I am writing, I don't want to be influenced. The last artist that influenced me was Alan Jackson, when he used the term " delicate body " in one of his songs. This really touched me.
ELC:ANY MOVIES OR BOOKS THAT YOU ESPECIALLY LIKE OR HAVE INFLUENCED YOU
LYLE:I'm sorry to say that I never had proper book-learnin', so I can't read worth a shit. I don't have a T.V. The only television I see is at the bar in the clubs we are playing. My influences come from my own life's experiences.
ELC:WE'VE HEARD THAT ON THE ROAD YOUR REPUTATION AS A LADIES MAN PRECEEDS YOU.ANY COMMENTS
LYLE: Let's just say that I have a lot of children. The trouble is, I don't know who they are, or where they are!
ELC: WHAT'S NEXT FOR LYLE
LYLE: Head out on the road with my new band, my new CD, and some Fine new River Bitches!
