The only good thing to ever come outta Hobbs

New Mexico.

Like few other artists, Ryan Bingham's music projects the culture and feel of West Texas and the eastern plains of New Mexico, which I call junior varsity west Texas. I spent some time in the area in my mid 20s and have a love for west Texas and a deep disdain for eastern New Mexico.

Like many teens from the area, Ryan became a kid on the run. I was stunned to learn when I lived there how common it is for kids to jump trains or grab a ride with some weird 20 year old and head to Lubbock or Amarillo or Odessa and wander until you found your way home. Semi-homeless high school dropouts. There's nothing to do in Hobbs, or Clovis, or Tucomcari or Roswell. Texas is where they go to roam and so did Ryan, picking up both the western and Mexican flavors.

I can't sing but I like to sing along to his music so quite often I find myself singing a Bingham song to my daughter as I'm putting her down at night. She doesn't know the song is about getting high.

Be sure to check out the live Spotify album he did in 2015 at SXSW. His live stuff is great.