Western Chill not only perfectly describes Robert Earl Keen’s personality, but it’s also the title of the album he wrote, recorded, and produced with his band members in 2023. More than an album, the boxed set includes an illustrated songbook and a DVD. Delaying the digital release helped keep Western Chill at the forefront for most of 2024. It’s the kind of project Keen expected to do when he retired. Instead, it re-energized and reconnected him to his singer/songwriter roots.
“That project was born out of Covid,” Keen says. “We stayed together as a band throughout the pandemic and rehearsed on my ranch, away from everybody. I wrote Western Chill under the stars – five songs in one night, and other band members brought in their songs. We rehearsed them as a band until they felt really good.”
Not long off an ambitious Christmas show tour, Keen is pleased with his most recent holiday-themed production. “We have done fourteen years of Christmas shows, and often we create a theme. One year, it was ‘Out of this World Christmas,’ and we played songs like ‘Space Odyssey’ by David Bowie and ‘Up, Up, and Away” by the 5th Dimension. We did a ‘Country Gold’ themed show one year with songs by Lefty Frizzell and Tammy Wynette.”
The most recent theme was “Lights. Camera, Christmas!” and featured famous movie songs. “They weren’t all from Christmas movies, either. There were plenty of songs from popular movies. The band picked some of the songs, and it got everyone in the spirit of Christmas. People had a good time listening to the kind of songs you can sing along with.”
The show was pure Robert Earl Keen -- kitschy, quirky, and fun – all the things people have come to experience when they attend one of his shows. “It reminds me of a dysfunctional family Christmas, which is my version of Christmas,” he laughs. “I grew up with crazy Christmases, and now we put a lot into these Christmas shows, from building sets to extra lighting. So when it’s all over, I like to take it easy as much as possible.”
Keen was joined on the Christmas tour by Elizabeth Cook and Wayne Payne. “Elizabeth has been a pal for several years. She is one of the most entertaining people I know. A lot of people can sing well, but it’s rare to find great entertainers. For Elizabeth, it’s something that comes naturally. She was born with it in spades. Waylon Payne is the same way, and he’s been a friend for a long time.
He was born into music – his father was Jody Payne, Willie Nelson’s guitarist, and his mama was Sammi Smith, who sang ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night.’ He’s every bit as good a singer as his mama was, and he has written many hits for other artists. Both Elizabeth and Waylon bring a lot of joy to the stage.”
Keen writes much about Texas, his home state because that’s what he knows best. His lyrics often begin with poems, a practice he started during recovery in 2023. A morning gratitude list turned into poems, which lent themselves to song lyrics.
A native of Houston, Keen attended Texas A&M University in College Station, graduating in 1978 with a degree in English. During college, he roomed with Lyle Lovett, an aspiring musician. Keen began writing songs and playing bluegrass music with friends, including Bryan Duckworth, who became a long-time fiddle player in Keen’s band.
Keen’s 1984 debut album, No Kinda Dancer, was the first of twenty full-length albums. He always knew that he wanted to share his music with the world, starting with songwriting. Many of his songs have been covered by artists, including Lovett, The Highwaymen, Joe Ely, George Straight, and Nanci Griffith.
When Americana was recognized as an official music genre in the late 1990s, Keen was the first artist featured on the Americana Music Chart. Along with producer Clara Rose, Keen launched the Americana Podcast in 2019, with guests including Jim Lauderdale, Billy Bob Thornton, Paul Thorn, Billy Strings, Lori McKenna, I’m With Her, Drew Holcomb, and more - 138 episodes that aired through October 27, 2023.
Despite his announcement to retire a while back, Robert Earl Keen is still going strong with his longtime touring band, including Brian Beken, Kym Warner, Bill Whitbeck, and Tom Van Shaik. Western Chill was a genuine team effort, with everyone contributing to the songwriting and lead vocals of the laid-back album. “It was a great bonding experience for us,” Keen says.
Now, the band is working on a bluegrass record that borrows from other genres. “We’re going to do some well-known bluegrass songs, but there will be a few surprises.” The album is set to be released in the spring.
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