HamCo Live Hot Ticket podcast: The Wilder Blue, TradeUp Fest and 1970s country rock harmonies

Join host Josh Cecil and co-host Tyler Mechem for a special edition of the HamCo Live Hot Ticket podcast, your guide to the Hamilton County live music scene. In this episode, host Josh Cecil sits down for a porch-side interview with Zane Williams and Sean Rodriguez from the Texas-based country rock band The Wilder Blue. Joining from their tour bus in Wisconsin, Williams and Rodriguez discuss their unique sound, which blends 1970s acoustic folk rock, 1990s country and five-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Eagles, Alabama and Steely Dan. The duo shares behind-the-scenes stories about touring with Luke Combs, recording "Seven Bridges Road" and crafting intricate vocal arrangements on songs like "The Conversation." They also break down tracks from their new album, including "Texas Women," "Last Chance for Dancing," "Only the Years" and "Chasing the Sun," while discussing their choice to bring in pedal steel, fiddle and keyboard players for the first time. The conversation covers hilarious tour bus memories, their first, best and worst concert experiences, and a memorable story about Zane playing a private solo show for an audience of one. Josh also previews TradeUp Fest, a hybrid music festival and skilled trades celebration taking place Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Riverview Health Arena at Innovation Mile in Noblesville. The free daytime festival features eight local bands, food trucks and an interactive Trades Village, followed by a ticketed arena concert featuring Norah Reese, The Wilder Blue and headliner Larry Fleet. Visit tradeupfest.com to claim free daytime passes or purchase arena tickets, and head to hamcolive.com to subscribe to the weekly newsletter and view the complete local music calendar. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction and TradeUp Fest preview 2:15 Trades Village interactive booths and festival lineup 8:50 Interview with Zane Williams and Sean Rodriguez of The Wilder Blue 10:40 How Josh discovered The Wilder Blue and trade skills stories 13:40 Describing The Wilder Blue sound and 1970s country rock influences 16:00 Touring stadium dates with Luke Combs and recording "Seven Bridges Road" 17:35 Crafting intricate five-part vocal harmonies and "The Conversation" 22:15 Breakdown of new album tracks and throwback influences 29:40 Background behind "Last Chance for Dancing," "Only the Years" and "Chasing the Sun" 36:00 Bringing in pedal steel, fiddle and keyboard players 38:00 Life on the tour bus and funny gig memories 40:40 First, best and worst concert experiences 44:45 The weirdest solo gig: Playing a private show for one person 48:25 Upcoming TradeUp Fest performance details and YouTube subscriber goal