(0:00) Swift 98 in the Spurt 851 this morning. (0:04) Joining me live over the phone today, (0:05) Wyoming’s own country music star, Ian Munzik, (0:08) headlining this year’s Lincoln County Fair. (0:11) Not this Friday, but next Friday, July 31st.

(0:15) Ian, good morning. (0:16) Thanks for your time. (0:16) How are you today? (0:18) Hey, thank you for having me on, man.

(0:20) It’s an honor. (0:21) Absolutely appreciate it. (0:22) And boy, we’re stoked to have you.

(0:24) There was some instant excitement (0:26) when the Lincoln County Fair announced (0:28) that you were the headliner. (0:29) Everybody was been waiting for it. (0:31) We finally get you back here in Lincoln County.

(0:34) Tell us about you, of course, a Wyoming guy. (0:38) Where are you from and what got you into country music? (0:41) I’m from Sheridan, which is, you know, (0:47) just over the mountains, over a few mountains from Haston. (0:51) And I grew up on a ranch out here (0:58) and to my dad and my two older brothers, (1:02) they also play country music.

(1:03) So I never really had a choice. (1:04) It was just always in my blood and around the house. (1:09) And by the time I was about 10 years old, (1:12) I was on stage playing with those guys.

(1:16) And, you know, we’d play any kind of rodeo or after party, (1:25) anywhere that would allow three kids to go play music. (1:29) That’s where we would be. (1:31) Love it.

(1:31) Absolutely love it. (1:33) You know, and Ian, you’ve been able to develop (1:36) your own unique style of country music. (1:39) How do you think that’s what’s been… (1:43) How did that come to be, your style of country music? (1:48) Yeah, that’s a good question.

(1:51) Honestly, being a ranch kid from Wyoming, (1:54) I mean, I would turn on the radio (1:56) and I would always hear tunes about, you know, (2:00) Georgia and Texas and states like that, (2:02) that were a long, long, long way away from Wyoming. (2:05) But I knew that the kind of country lifestyle (2:13) that we had out here was really special. (2:17) So I just promised my… (2:21) I made a promise at a very young age (2:24) that the kind of country music that I would make (2:28) would be about the things that are unique to the West.

(2:37) And I think just by doing that, (2:40) there’s a lot of people out there that are inspired (2:43) by the part of the country that we come from. (2:47) And I think that that’s been a huge part (2:50) of me getting to the place that I am right now. (2:56) Yeah, well, it’s certainly authentic.

(2:58) It’s certainly something people relate to. (3:00) And we all love the Wyoming drops (3:03) throughout your music that you do. (3:05) Oh, yeah, man.

(3:07) I sneak them in there every now and then. (3:09) I have to. (3:10) I can’t help myself.

(3:11) Absolutely. (3:12) No, we all love it. (3:13) Ian Munzik headlining this year’s Lincoln County Fair (3:16) on July 31st.

(3:18) Tickets still on sale. (3:19) Still some available. (3:21) LincolnCountyFair.info. (3:23) LincolnCountyFair.info for Ian Munzik (3:24) on July 31st at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds.

(3:27) Do you have a favorite song, Ian, (3:29) of all the songs that you’ve written and released? (3:32) Do you have one right now that’s your favorite? (3:35) Oh, man. (3:36) Well, I have a new album coming out August 21st. (3:46) And there’s a lot on there (3:48) that are probably gonna be my new ones.

(3:52) This album is, it is a no-skip album. (3:55) I love every track on there. (3:57) So there’s quite a few on there that I really love.

(4:02) But there’s always, you know, (4:05) I go back to Long Live Cowgirls (4:07) just because it’s with a hero of mine, Cody Johnson, (4:12) and being able to duet that, (4:15) I mean, was just a huge honor for me. (4:17) So that’s one that I think will just always stand out. (4:19) Yeah, that’s a good one.

(4:20) Absolutely a good one. (4:21) I wanted to bring up your new music. (4:23) You mentioned that coming out.

(4:24) Tell us what’s inspired the new album coming out in August. (4:30) Really, the album is called The Mountain Goats. (4:36) And all of my albums have had animal titles, (4:41) but for this one, I was writing (4:45) and I write a lot of my tunes with the same guy.

(4:52) And he’s kind of an older guy that has written a lot (4:55) for, you know, Eric Church and these huge artists. (5:00) And then I told him the title that I had (5:06) and it’s a play on G-O-A-T. (5:10) The Greatest of All Time.

(5:12) And I know that that was maybe a little bit arrogant (5:16) of me to claim that I am the greatest of all time (5:22) from the mountain. (5:25) But I told him, I was like, man, (5:27) like, is this gonna be arrogant if I say this? (5:30) And then he was like, no, it’s true (5:33) because you’re the only one that is from the mountains. (5:35) I was like, oh, you know what? (5:36) You’re right.

(5:37) It’s easy to be the greatest of all time (5:39) if you’re the only one. (5:41) Love it. (5:42) Ian Muzik with us this morning on the Weekday Wakeup.

(5:45) Ian, talk to us about your rise to stardom (5:49) and being the small town Sheridan, Wyoming kid (5:52) to now becoming a name that’s becoming more and more (5:56) household across the country music genre nationwide. (6:01) Oh man, well, thank you. (6:03) I still have a long, long way to go, (6:05) but man, I just think, I think staying true to who I am (6:11) and the part of the world in which I come from (6:16) because the country music, (6:21) there’s always new trends coming along.

(6:25) Every few years, there’s a new trend, (6:28) but I’ve always just tried to be (6:35) be me and that has always come across as being unique. (6:40) And I think that people in country music (6:44) can sniff out when you’re being real. (6:47) And I’ve just always really tried to be as real as I can.

(6:51) And there’s been quite a few artists along the way (6:55) that have really helped me from Cody Johnson (6:58) to Laney to, you know, they’re just people (7:05) that have brought me on tour very early on (7:08) and have done collaborations and duets. (7:15) I would not be here without those people, that’s for sure. (7:18) Love it, so again, July 31st, Ian Munsey, (7:21) Clive and Concert, headlining this year’s (7:23) Lincoln County Fair.

(7:24) Get tickets at lincolncountyfair.info. (7:25) By the way, follow Ian on social media. (7:28) You’re always posting fun videos. (7:30) I love them on your social media stuff.

(7:33) It’s always great. (7:34) So, and I think it just kind of goes to highlight (7:37) the type of energy you bring to your show, right? (7:39) People that go to your concert on July 31st, (7:41) they’re gonna have a good time. (7:41) It’s a high energy show.

(7:44) Oh yeah, man, we like to throw down. (7:46) We have the time of our lives on stage. (7:49) My band and I, we love what we do.

(7:51) And I think that comes across very, very clearly (7:55) from the very, very start. (7:57) So if you don’t have your tickets yet, (7:59) you will regret not having them (8:01) because I have a feeling that hopefully (8:04) it will be one of the best concerts (8:09) that you guys have ever been to. (8:10) That’s my goal.

(8:11) Love it. (8:12) Ian Munsey, July 31st, opening night (8:14) of the Lincoln County Fair. (8:15) Tickets still available at lincolncountyfair.info, (8:17) but they are selling fast, so lincolncountyfair.info. (8:20) Ian, thank you for your time.

(8:22) Really appreciate it. (8:23) We’ll see you in a couple weeks. (8:25) Yes, sir.

(8:25) Thank you for having me on. (8:27) You bet. (8:27) It’s all part of the weekday wake up this morning (8:29) on the SBI Radio Network.