In The Groove EP.8: Charlie Crocket - Welcome To Hard Times
Welcome to In The Groove, brought to you in collaboration with our great friends over at OnVinyl.co.nz, where you can find a huge selection of new and used vinyl, all personally selected and play-graded. This week, we’re diving into Welcome to Hard Times by Charley Crockett—a record that drags you straight into the gritty, dust-laden heart of classic country music, but with an edge that’s uniquely his own.
Charley Crockett isn’t just another musician riding the wave of country nostalgia—he’s lived the life most folks only sing about. Growing up in trailer parks, busking on the streets of New York and New Orleans, enduring extended periods of homelessness, and facing criminal convictions, Crockett has earned every ounce of his hard-boiled street cred the hard way.
But his story goes deeper than that. Crockett has faced unimaginable personal hardships, including the tragic loss of his sister to addiction—a loss that shook him to his core and left a lasting scar. His brother, too, has had his share of struggles with the law, dragging Charley into a web of legal troubles that saw him twice convicted for crimes he didn’t commit. These experiences aren’t just backstory—they’re the fuel behind his music, giving it an authenticity that can only come from living through the kind of hard times he sings about.
When you listen to Welcome to Hard Times, you’re hearing the voice of someone who’s been through the wringer, not some overly-polished, manufactured act churned out by the Nashville machine.
Crockett had already built up a substantial discography, drawing on blues and country influences, but a brush with death—emergency heart surgery—sharpened his focus. This led to the creation of Welcome to Hard Times, an album he crafted to redefine country music. The album was produced by Mark Neil, a veteran producer known for his work with The Black Keys, and recorded at the legendary Sonic Ranch near El Paso, Texas. Sonic Ranch is renowned for its high-quality analog recording capabilities, which give this album its raw and authentic sound.
Crockett’s music is a melting pot of influences—country, soul, blues, Mexican ballads, and even a touch of calypso. He calls his distinctive style “Gulf & Western”—which, let’s be honest, sounds like it might be a chain of patriotic gas stations, but is actually a reflection of his roots and the rich blend of genres that make up his music. His husky voice, with a slight lisp that occasionally sneaks through, is instantly recognizable. At times, it sounds like a strangled goose—or rather, like he’s got a woodwind reed, maybe a clarinet, living in his throat. It’s unmistakable—in the way that you can instantly recognize Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash with just a few words—it’s raw, unfiltered, and full of character. This is cowboy music for the modern age, steeped in tradition but with a fresh twist.
Crockett is nothing if not prolific—15 albums in nine years, and performing some 200 shows a year. He’s working harder than the Energizer Bunny on meth! While today’s country radio might be filled with overproduced, sugar-coated hits, Crockett is out here keeping it real, crafting songs as gritty and authentic as the dive bars he cut his teeth on.
The title track, “Welcome to Hard Times,” is the perfect antidote to the glossy commercial country that dominates the airwaves. We’ve got Mitch Freer in the studio today, playing the track on a Waterloo Jumbo King—the same guitar you’ll see Charley playing in most of his live videos. Waterloo guitars are an offshoot of Texas-based Collings Guitars, a company famous for their beautiful craftsmanship and tone. The Waterloo line was designed to recreate the look, feel, and sound of pre-war era guitars, particularly those made by Gibson, Epiphone, and Kalamazoo. However, due to the high cost of production and the exceptional quality of these instruments, Collings eventually had to cease production—they were just too good for their price point. As the story goes, Collings gave Charley his Waterloo as he was starting to break through, and being a good old Texas boy, he took to it immediately and has championed it ever since.
With a capo on the 3rd fret and playing in the key of Bb (though out of the G position), Crockett sets a mood that’s both nostalgic and melancholic, reflecting the hard truths in the lyrics: "Welcome to hard times, feeling low. Do you like sinnin'? No? Well, you will before you go." The song kicks off in the relative minor of Bb, which is Gm (Em shape), setting the tension up. There’s also some stonking honky-tonk saloon-style piano in the foreground, which is prominent throughout the album.
This is a song that says, “Life’s tough, but you’re welcome to join the ride anyway.” Its blend of sorrow and defiance is a prime example of what makes Crockett’s music so compelling.
Other key tracks include "Run Horse Run," which could be a 21st-century addition to Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads album. It gallops through tales of gambling and life on the road. The pedal steel on this track is ferocious, and the solo is like a wild electrical storm in the desert.
"Heads You Win, Tails I Lose" is a heart-wrenching lament about lost love, delivered with the kind of raw emotion that only someone who’s truly been there can muster.
"Blackjack County Chain" is one of the most hard-hitting tracks on the album, telling the brutal story of a man pressed into a chain gang and whipped into submission. Originally written by Red Lane and released by Willie Nelson in the 60s, it was pulled from radio for its controversial content. Crockett revives it with a slow, deliberate shuffle that adds even more weight to its already heavy subject matter.
Welcome to Hard Times isn’t just an album—it’s a stark reminder of what country music was and still can be when it’s done right. Charley Crockett’s voice, his vintage cowboy style, and his relentless work ethic make him one of the most authentic and hard-working artists out there today. If you’re fed up with the slick, soulless crap coming out of Nashville, give this album a spin—it’ll restore your faith in country music.
So, be sure to check out Welcome to Hard Times at Studio 1 Vintage Guitars and OnVinyl.co.nz. Stay tuned for more deep dives into the music we love.