EXCLUSIVE: Cody Weaver Talks ‘Southern Noise’ EP

Back in December of 2020 on-the-rise country music singer/songwriter Cody Weaver delivered his brand new five-song EP ‘Southern Noise’ with the record quickly garnering attention from fans and industry insiders alike with the collection showcasing Weaver’s stellar talents as an artist.

Here we chat exclusively with Cody Weaver to discuss the project further:

Congratulations on the release of your new EP, how have you found the response so far?

The response has been great so far, I’m still grinding for streams at this level but I’ve got a lot of good feedback from fans and from big-time publications like Music Row Mag. American Songwriter said I was one of their favorite artists from 2020. That means a lot to me.

Can you tell us a little about where you looked to for inspiration when bringing this vision to life?

I really just got to a place in my life where I didn’t want to do anything I didn’t love anymore. I started taking songwriting seriously and reading books about songwriting, watching YouTube for tips and vocal techniques. I’m inspired by a ton of other musicians, but one of my big inspirations was Ashley McBryde, her story and perseverance really motivated me to make this happen.

How did you find the process of whittling the song choices down to the chosen five?

We usually know pretty quickly what to put energy into and what to move away from as far as the songs go. I don’t ever trash ideas either, I just put ’em away and maybe I can mess with it again later on with fresh ears. My whole crew felt that these were our five strongest tunes at the time. It was pretty unanimous.

Is there one song in particular featured on the EP that has had the most surprising response from fans?

I got a lot of folks telling me they liked “Not This Time” the best and that wasn’t exactly the one I expected to take off. Don’t get me wrong I think we made a solid tune, but it was surprising how many folks loved it most on the album.

What was the overall experience of the writing process like for this project?

I worked really closely with my band on this project, typically an idea comes to me like a hook or a line, and then we just get together and hammer it out with all of our ideas and it usually just flows together. It’s always a great feeling when we write a new one. It feels like a huge accomplishment every time.

How have you found the process of sharing new music during a global pandemic?

Honestly, the last year has forced me to learn new ways of promoting and new ways to reach fans. Adapting and growing as an artist through it. The “down time” hasn’t been all that bad, considering the circumstances.

Along with releasing the EP, you’ve also recently shared the ‘Cope’ music video, what was filming day like for that clip?

It was so much fun filming with the band, my guitarist Jarrad did all the camera work. We had to perform on camera at different speeds for different shots. One of the takes was at 200% speed and it was so hard to do that fast we almost gave up on the idea. But one last take and boom we nailed it. Definitely a new and fun experience for all of us.

How do you feel the visual adds to the story of the song?

Humans are visual creatures, I think any time you can put a video to your music you can get your message across even better. We are captives of our vices, so being in a little shed dabbling in those vices in the video sends a message, and perhaps it’s up to the viewers’ discretion what that message is.

What do you hope your listeners take away from the EP, and the new music video?

I hope they see that I’m here and I mean business. I’m doing whatever it takes to realize my dream of being a country music songwriter and I’m doing it without a label. If I can inspire other indie artists too then that’s even better.

Looking ahead, what else can we expect from you in the near future?

Working on some lyric videos and already have six more songs ready for the studio. My goal is to do a full length in 2021. Might even have a surprise song here or there. You won’t wanna miss it.

Did you enjoy our exclusive interview with Cody Weaver? Let us know your thoughts across social media and in the comments below!