The Ben Maynard Program
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The Ben Maynard Program
EP. 112 From Ranch Life To The Road, Olivia Harms Shares How Tradition Shapes Her Music
If you miss steel guitar, two-step tempos, and songs born from real work and long roads, you’ll love this one. We welcome Olivia Harms—a ranch-raised artist carrying the torch for true country western honky tonk—who opens up about life on a cattle ranch, the Bakersfield legends who shaped her ear, and why she proudly swims against the pop-country current. From Oregon roots to Texas bars, from George Strait shoutouts to Buck Owens sparkle, Olivia lays out how her sound came to be and why it connects on a Friday night dance floor.
We dig into her latest single, Sent From Above, a heartfelt nod to her California cowboy and the kind of love story that writes itself when the details are honest. Olivia also breaks down her writing routine—voice memos, fast-falling hooks, and the stubborn songs that take three sessions—and how playing more than 200 shows a year becomes the best A/B test a songwriter can ask for. Then the curveball: a phone call from Taylor Sheridan that led to The Road on CBS and Paramount Plus with Blake Shelton and Keith Urban. Olivia shares the whirlwind of being handpicked, touring by bus, performing originals for arena crowds, and finding the right fans in a sea of shiny distractions.
You’ll also meet her band, the Roadrunners, hear about life in tiny Vina, California, and catch a first-ever live performance on the show: This Ain’t My First Rodeo. It’s a window into her core—clean tele twang, straight-ahead storytelling, and a voice that rides the line between Bakersfield grit and Texas charm. If you came for tradition, you’ll leave with a new favorite.
If this episode hits your country-loving heart, tap follow, leave a five-star review, and share it with a friend who still believes in honky tonk. Your support helps more ears find the music that never went out of style.
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Yeah, that would probably help if I brought the microphone a little closer. Hey there. Welcome into the Ben Maynard program. Thanks for being here. Before we get started, a little bit of housekeeping to take care of. Let's fix this now. Let's leave the camera alone for right now. Um, as you know, this program is available wherever you stream your podcasts. Just search the Ben Maynard program, boom, it's right there and go with it. Uh, but do me a favor, subscribe to it and download it. Okay, downloads are important. And then you can also leave me a five-star review because I deserve it. All right. But if you can't resist some of this right here and you're watching on YouTube, then thank you for doing that. Again, you have to subscribe to the channel though. When you do that, oh, hit the notification bell too. Because when you do that, you'll get uh notified every time a new episode drops. All right. Then you gotta give me a thumbs up and you have to leave a comment. All right. Leave a comment. I love the comments, and I reply to all your comments as well. Uh let's see, then you have to tell a thousand of your family and friends. All right. Used to be ten thousand, but really nobody knows ten thousand people. So tell a thousand of your family and friends and share it. Share it, okay? Sharing's important. Share it with all your people. All right. Last but not least, follow me on Instagram, simply Ben Maynard program, all one word, or on the TikTok at the Ben Maynard program. All right. So there are plenty of ways to take in this show for your dancing and listening pleasure. And uh this morning, this is gonna be a ton of fun. I'm so looking forward to this. My guest, my guest today was born Western Music Royalty, but this rhinestone cowgirl has stepped out on her own to craft music that is equal parts Texas, Bakersfield, I love that, and Nashville Country, making her very own country western honky tonk sound, and I love that so much. That's my kind of jam when it comes to country music. So, without further ado, it brings me great pleasure to welcome to the Ben Maynard program, Miss Olivia Harms. Hi, Olivia.
SPEAKER_02:Hi, Ben, how are you?
SPEAKER_04:I am great, and uh, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to do this. I noticed looking on your um looking on your tour schedule, and I kind of see I don't I honestly I don't picture that painting in your living room at home.
SPEAKER_02:No, you know, it's she's a beauty, she's a real beauty, but I'm not at home.
SPEAKER_04:You're out on the road tonight. You're in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, right?
SPEAKER_02:I am, yeah. I'm uh I'm in a whole different place than normal, you know, like out here living my best life on the road. So it feels good to be back with my my little Texas and Oklahoma buddies. That's where I'm at for this this little tour. And then about a week from now, I'll be back home and and gearing up for the next thing.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, that's great. Well, let me let me uh start with your okay. So your latest single is Sent from Above. And for the audience out there, you can find it wherever you stream your music, okay? Apple Music, Spotify, so on and so on. Um so tell tell me a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so I uh I found my California cowboy and uh I got married about a year and three months ago, so I'm still kind of a newlywed.
SPEAKER_04:Awesome, congratulations.
SPEAKER_02:Well, thank you. Yeah, he's he's a good boy. So uh I decided that I would put my songwriting skills to use and you know try to write a a song worthy of our love story, and that's kind of how it came out. So I released it for our one-year anniversary, and uh, it's been really sweet to see people, you know, like it and tell me their love story and how they met and just you know enjoy the song that I wrote about my my special California cowboy.
SPEAKER_04:That's awesome. I think that's great. Um, so I the um I don't know if it's the artwork, thumbnail, whatever it is, when you go on this on the streaming service, it's a it's a picture. Is that you and your husband on that?
SPEAKER_02:It is, it's one of our wedding pictures.
SPEAKER_04:That's great.
SPEAKER_02:It is, yeah. We had a real ranch wedding and you know, got some great pictures. We even had a mechanical bowl at our wedding and and dummy roping, and it was a real real western party.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, I love that. I love that. I think that's so great. So, how long have you been doing this? You know, the music stuff. How long have you been doing this?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, the music stuff I've as since I can remember. I was literally born into it. You know, you talked a little bit about my mom. I was born uh Western music royalty because she is in the Western Music Hall of Fame. Um, but she was actually pregnant with me, and she was booked at the Portland Speedway because I'm originally an Oregonian. Uh, so she was booked there, she was signed to a record label at the time, and she had a gig with Ricky Skaggs and Lori Morgan and Clint Black and all these great people. And uh, I was still hanging out, you know. She's like, Well, the kid's not here yet. I don't want to miss the gig. What do I do? So she goes into the doctor, and luckily he was a country music fan. And he's like, Okay, Joni, well, yeah, I mean, like, she's done. So uh if she hasn't arrived yet, why don't you come in on June 13th and and we'll take care of it so you don't miss your gig? And sure enough, like June 13th rolled around. I hadn't arrived yet. So they go in and they put her in room 13, and then at 1.13, which military time is 1313. I come out of the world, yeah. And two days later, I went to my very first gig and she's just like this little tiny champion, and she's like, Look what I did the other day, and now I'm just back at it, you know, right out of the chute and hitting the road. That's that's how it works.
SPEAKER_04:That's great. So don't tell me 13 is your favorite number, right? That's your lucky number.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's totally a lucky number, absolutely. It just pops up in all these random little places, and I'm like, Oh, it's like a little sign from God that we're all on the right track.
SPEAKER_04:That's it. That's awesome. I think I love it. So, what I um, you know, I've been I've been trying to uh take in my share of Olivia Harms music, and what I really like about it, and my audience, my audience knows where I sit music-wise. They know that you know I'm a rock, hard rock guy to my core, but they know that I I stretch it out a little bit. I love everything, and I do love my country music. But um what I like about your sound is it from the second I I I put on the first tune of um your second album, we'll talk about that in a little bit too. Um from the opening track, and I'm thinking, oh yeah, I I like this. This is this is like my good old country music. It's that um it's that actually what I had told what I had told Catherine, my wife, I said, this is country western music, you know. This is this is country western, and it's got that good old school sound that I like so much. I really, really enjoy it. And um tell me about your sound. Tell me about the the choice to go that route because so many artists um and I call it modern country, it's it's basically hip hop with a twang. And that is not you, I mean you kind of ran away from that and gone the opposite direction.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I definitely did, and I think a lot of it, you know, I'll I'll go into the story of how we got this mixing pot of music that I've created, but uh I think the base point is that I was raised on a ranch, it's a working cattle ranch. So I was raised on a place that's been in the same family, the Harms family, since 1872. So 153 years of chasing cows around and you know, cutting hay and and you know, living the Western lifestyle. So that's truly ingrained in me. And then, you know, listening to the kind of music that my mom makes, and I've always admired that, but I thought, well, I kind of got to blaze my own trail and and you know, like do my own thing too. And so we have the ranching background, and then of course, as soon as I could, I moved to Nashville and did that. And I was living in Nashville for three years, like 2017 to 2020. Okay, and it was very contemporary sound then, and so you know, I was like getting all these no's and all these people saying, like, you're way too country for country music, and I thought, okay, you know, try to, you know, push it a little bit and be a little bit more modern. And so we might have a touch of a mix of that in there, but then COVID sends me back to the ranch. You know, I was like, I don't want to be stove up in an apartment in Nashville, so I go back to the ranch, kind of wait for things to calm down. Uh, and as much as I love my West Coast home, they weren't the first to loosen up and and you know drop the COVID regulations. So I saw all my buddies going down to Texas, and I was like, Texas is wide open, like nobody, nobody in Texas gives a rip in the world. So I'm gonna go down there and I end up, you know, buying a travel trailer and loading up my dogs. I'm like, I'm gonna go live on the road and find people to listen to my music. So off I go. And I end up living in Texas for a couple years. Uh, and then you know, you top that all off with like my West Coast home. I grew up listening to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakum, and they're they're considered the kings of Bakersfield music. And so I guess you add all this in, you know, you put it in your kitchen aid and whip it all together. And you get Olivia Harms music. There you go.
SPEAKER_04:I love it. And and you know, listening to that, that, that second album, um the first track. Uh what is it? Hey, hey cowboy. Hey there, cowboy. Yeah. Name checks George Strait. So as soon as I as soon as I heard that, I'm listening to it, and I'm listening in my truck, and I hear it, and I'm like, oh, okay, all right, I'm gonna like this girl. I'm really gonna like this girl. And then it's like, I don't know, third or fourth track, Bakersfield. And and and I and I I tell I tell Catherine, I said, okay, just just don't just don't say anything. Just hang on, just listen, all right? And I'm waiting and I'm waiting and I'm waiting because I knew it had to come. And here comes Buck name check, Buck Owens. And I was going, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_02:We love him.
SPEAKER_04:I know, I I love it, I love it. I think that's great. So obviously, these artists were a tremendous influence on you. And being around your mother, she uh and I and I I heard a track from hers this morning, and I almost thought it was you because it's that it's just that same thing. So this is like uh this is like it it it it courses through your veins, you know, this this sound, and and and yeah, this is now it's so good. It's so good.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, no, I I I love it. I just absolutely love it. So I can see where your influence has come from, and uh there's certainly nothing wrong with name checking Buck Owens. Come on.
SPEAKER_02:Oh man, no, you know, the only thing I don't think I'll take from him is how he sang with his bottom teeth out. That might be the only thing I might not try to copy, is you know, singing like this. But other than that, I love him. I love his like how he dressed, you know, like the rhinestone suits and everything. That's like we got to get back to more of that.
SPEAKER_04:And and him and see, this is way before your time because I was I was little when this show was on, but hee-haw, you know, it's it's just a huge, huge show. I think they do they do they still like show repeats on country music television? I I don't even know, but but yeah, you know, Roy Clark and Buck Owens, I mean, they made that show.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, and then it's classic. This this blonde-headed skinny guy who wears jeans that look like they're painted on Dwight Yoakum comes along, and and then he's like best buddies with with Buck too, right? Right to the very to the very end.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_04:And Buck was a huge influence on Dwight.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, and that's just like that that great sound, and I mean it it's bringing back the honky tonks, and that's kind of my motto is like let's bring them back because that's some of the best music, some of the best times, too, you know. Like we were kind of chatting about Brooks and Dunn, and like that's the music you want to get out there and dance to and drink a cold beer to on a Friday night. That's what you want.
SPEAKER_04:Absolutely, absolutely good stuff, and and and and you know, it um there's nothing there's nothing pretentious about it, there's nothing phony about that sound and the artists that carry on that sound. Um to me, and and and like I said, being the rock hard rock guy, there was a there was a time during the late 80s, early 90s before grunge came in and smashed all that music that I really liked too, where it started to like duplicate itself over and over, and record companies were just going out for the big uh cash grab. Oh, we'll sign this artist because they sound like this artist over here, and then you had a bunch of posers out there. And and for me, and I'm probably gonna catch crap for this, but in the country music world as well, I feel like you're I I I mean look, you don't have to say anything, I don't want you to get in trouble, but I feel like I feel like there's a lot of that that goes on, or there's a lot of posing out there because so many of these artists, and I don't care if they're if they're making millions upon millions of dollars, they're all sounding the same. And they are you don't, and you have that good old-fashioned, and we said it country western honky tonk sound, and I just it's just it's tremendous. I absolutely love it.
SPEAKER_02:So I appreciate it. Yeah, we're no cookie cutters here.
SPEAKER_04:No, no, no, no, no. But but I what I like about it too is you're you're you're like breaking that mold of the modern country and and taking it, you know, back almost you know, full circle to where it really began in that in that sound. And I just I just love it. I love it so much. So we we we talked about some of your um your influences. You you were like, I don't know, 16, I think, when you released your first album.
SPEAKER_02:I was, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Can you can you tell us about that and and and and is that is that album still available anywhere at all?
SPEAKER_02:It is, yeah. I uh I haven't had it uploaded to Spotify. And you know, I I will at some point. Um the only reason is just because like with you know, some of the the stuff going on where I'm like trying to pitch and like have people learn Olivia Harms honky tonk sound. Uh 16-year-old me thought Taylor Swift was the queen, you know. I mean, I was a typical you know, Y2K kid, and I was writing 16-year-old songs about boys. And uh what else do you learn to write songs about, except for what's authentic when you're that age and what you're going through. And so yeah, I mean, I'm very proud of it. You know, 16-year-olds don't make albums very often, so it's something I'm proud of. It's just if somebody was to look up Olivia Harms and then they get like a teeny bopper song, they might be like, wait, that's not that's not what we had in mind.
SPEAKER_04:So we don't want to steer the audience to the first album right now. We'll we'll take them back. I know there's when um Rick Springfield back in in the early 80s really hit hard in the United States, they held back, they held back on his back catalog stuff because it was a little bit different, and he was more of a I don't want to say he was more of like a teen teen. Well, he was still a teen idol in the 80s. Yeah. 70 some years old, really. He's still kind of a teen idol. I mean, gosh, the guy looks amazing. But but but yeah, so you don't you you don't want to you don't want to start out with this be being where you are now in your career. We'll just bring everybody back in a little while, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we're we're pulling a Rick, you know, pulling a Rick Springfield. We're like once they're a fan, then we'll let them have it. But it was a a great experience. I mean, I got my first guitar from Santa Claus when I was six years old and uh started playing and riding. And yeah, I made up songs about everything I go feed my horse or you know, go out to feed cows or move things around in the barn, and I'd always be making up songs about whatever I was doing, and then it started to turn into this thing where I'm like, okay, I'm gonna write a song. And I I have one about my hometown, uh, can be. And it's it's been a fun song, you know. It's if you can be anything in can be is kind of the the line in the song. And I remember I took it downstairs to my mom, and I was like, I wrote this song, and she's she's no dummy, she'd been hearing me up there working in my bedroom, but she knows that us farms girls are stubborn, so we got to be left alone to do our work, you know. And so I finally got her wrapped up and I went downstairs and I said, Would you listen to this song I wrote? And she said, That's pretty good. I kind of wish I would have thought of that hook myself. And I know, I like that. Thanks. Yeah, you know, you can't do that with every hometown, but I guess I kind of lucked out with Camby organ, as you can you can move that one around to make it a hook. Quite creative.
SPEAKER_04:I that's great, that's great. Well, just just to let you know, um Santa and I, we are like we're really, really good buddies. We've been good buddies for a long time. So I've been completely aware of the guitar you got um a long time some years back. We are really good buddies.
SPEAKER_02:I bet you are. You look like you're a good little good elf.
SPEAKER_04:So uh tell me um tell me about okay. The some of the greatest songs, some of the greatest songs in music, doesn't matter the genre, were written in like 15 minutes on the back of a bar napkin, you know, uh in a you know, sitting at a smoky bar or whatever it is, and then some were you know complete struggles, uh even labors of love. What what is what's your writing process? I mean, do you do you do you lock yourself away uh once a week, once a day, whatever it is, uh, and write, or do you just have your cell phone sitting by your bedside and you wake up in the middle of the night with this idea and you open up voice memo and you put it in the in the cell phone?
SPEAKER_02:I've been guilty of all of it, Ben. I mean, uh, I feel like there's definitely been the songs where you're like, I love this hook, and we've got a really good chorus, but you know, the verses are gonna have to support this story, and you fight and you fight and you fight, and it's not one that comes easy, but at then at the end, it's it's what you wanted. But sometimes it takes a couple of writing sessions to get through it. And then I've also had the ones that just like fall out of your mouth, they just fall from your heart, and like you say, next thing you know, you got her done, and you're like, Well, that was the easiest song to write 30 minutes and we're done. And uh, you know, been definitely had them wake up in the night or write songs in my dreams, and then I'm thinking that's really good. And either it is, or you wake up the next morning, listen to the voice memo, and you're like, I don't know what I was thinking there. I thought that was a hit, but uh, there's all kinds of different ways of writing, and I I'm definitely like open to all of them. I've tried all of them just because I think that's what it means to be an artist, is there's no right or wrong way to do it. As if you're getting a song at the end that you're proud of, then boy, you accomplished it no matter what kind of road it took to get there. Um, and I've been trying to be better at writing, you know, once or twice a week now. There was a spell where you get busy and I I play over 200 dates a year, which is wonderful. I'm so blessed that I'm able to do that. But then at the same time, when you get off the road and you get home and you put the guitar away for a little bit, sometimes after you've been traveling and you've been playing and playing your heart out, the last thing you want to do is feel creative and get the guitar out again when you have your downtime to recoup and get ready to hit the road again. So, you know, I feel like it goes through ups and downs. And like, you know, right now I've been doing a lot of writing, which has been great, getting some new material created so we can get back in the studio and get some new music out for 2026. And just, you know, I'm open to however they come to me, I'm just blessed that somehow I'm able to write a couple of them.
SPEAKER_04:So that's that's kind of what your your goal is right now, is to get some get enough material for an album and and then get something put out next year.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's the goal. I think we're gonna have another album in 2026. That's the question for it.
SPEAKER_04:I I definitely will be looking forward to that one. Uh um. So tell me about this this TV series that that you're doing. Tell me a little bit about that and tell the audience about it.
SPEAKER_02:What a crazy experience, Ben. I mean, it I'll I'll start from the the get-go. Uh, I got home from the National Finals rodeo last year in 2024, and uh I was sitting on my couch doing some follow-up work, doing my emails, you know, the not so fun portion of my job. And all of a sudden I get a call and I answered it. And uh this fellow on the other end says, Hi, is this Olivia Harms? And I said, Yes. And he says, Well, this is Taylor Sheridan, and uh, I'd like to talk to you about being a part of a show. And I darn near hung up on him because I thought this could be a joke. One of my friends is pulling something on me, you know, that's not that doesn't happen. And uh I said, um yeah, uh, okay. And so I I heard him out and tried to like pinch myself and say, I don't know if this is real or what, but this really this really isn't Taylor. Somebody's pulling me, pulling my leg. Um, but he kind of explained this little the show that he and Blake were putting together, Blake Shelton's. And I said, Yes, I'm I'm interested. And um, so then he said, Well have one of my casting producers reach out to you. And I, you know, it was just like definitely a God thing because I was living in Fort Worth and I got asked to play a private party, and uh it was like a little house concert with like eight people, four couples, and uh he and his wife Nick were there, and I did like 30 minutes of playing in the living room and they left and I thought, oh well, that's kind of cool. But I never dreamed that he would store that nugget away and then you know reach out and see if I wanted to be a part of a show. But what a what a crazy experience. Uh, you know, it moved really fast over the holidays and jumped through all these hoops to get ready to, you know, maybe be cast for national TV. And next thing I know, we're we're all packed up and we're in Nashville. And they say, okay, these are the 12 that we've handpicked to be a part of this brand new TV show called The Road. And it's on CBS and Paramount Plus. And and they go through the rundown and they say, basically, y'all are gonna be competing uh as openers in in front of Keith Urban. He's gonna be the headliner, and you pile into the bus. We go on the road, we show what it's like to go from one place to the next. We show what it's what it's like for you to go to home suite hotel every night and live away from your family and really like show what it's like to grind on the road. Because it's not just getting up on stage, playing a song and having this great time, you know, having a drink, having a big party. You know, it's it's really kind of hard to be away and be in a different bed, have to unpack, repack, just like the train of travel. There's all this other stuff that goes into it, which was neat that they showed that. Um, and then they said, you know, Keith Urban's audience is is gonna vote on who their favorite opener is, and uh y'all will slowly just you know dwindle down. And uh man, what a what a great experience. So I I was there for uh a couple episodes, and you know, I think I might have been a little bit too traditional country for the Keith Urban crowd. That's all right. I still got to play my music and find some new friends and fans, so ain't no sweat off my back. If you told me a year ago that I was gonna be on national TV, I would have peeled over backwards.
SPEAKER_04:Right. And here's the thing, too. You got probably more exposure doing however many episodes you did of that show to a national audience than you had previous to that.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_04:And and I mean, there's there's there's uh you know, singing competition shows that have been going on for 25 years or whatever, and um, or actually even longer than that. Holy Toledo. I remember back in the 80s there was shows, but um the winner of those shows doesn't necessarily go on to bigger and better things. And I mean that was more yeah, that was no more evident than with the stuff from American Idol. It wasn't always the winner of those shows or those seasons that went on to the to greatness. It was usually the one that finished second, third, or fourth, that kind of thing. So yeah, it's it just I just think it's great that you got all this exposure, and and now people uh especially ones that watch the show or in or or are uh you know, country music fans, when they hear the name Olivia Harms, they now they know who she is.
SPEAKER_02:Um yeah, absolutely. You can't you can't even dream up like paying for or finding exposure like that, you know, to to be able to find my people. And that's really all I wanted out of the opportunity was uh as soon as I knew that the headliner was Keith Urban, I have nothing bad to say about him. I think he's an excellent entertainer and a terrific guitar player, but uh no one would realistically put me on a real tour with him to be his opener. I would be much more uh suited for you know, Brooks and Dunn or Zach Top or Cody Johnson or somebody like that that's in the same realm of country music as me. So I just wanted to find some folks that like the honky tonk music that I like to make. And boy, I I got that opportunity. And I mean, to even just to say that Olivia Harms is on a show with Blake Shelton and Keith Urban, created by Taylor Sheridan is still this sentence that I can't really believe that I'm saying that. But uh yeah, just like such a crazy year. And I mean, so so many blessings to be able to have that opportunity. And I mean, so many of the other artists that are still on that show are so talented and they are all so deserving. And to say that I was one of 12 that was handpicked out of the the United States, you know, that's that's not a not a bad thing. I'll no, no, I think that's great.
SPEAKER_04:It's it's great, it's something to be um something to be proud of, definitely. Um so you play guitar. Uh any other instruments you play?
SPEAKER_02:I fool around with some other stuff, but you know, I kind of let my boys in the band tackle the the big guns. You know, I got an a terrific fiddle player, and his brother actually plays steel guitar. So that family is talented, one on steel, one on fiddle. Uh, you know, I let them do the cool stuff, and then I just focus on writing songs that might be worthy of playing.
SPEAKER_04:Tell me about your band.
SPEAKER_02:They are amazing guys. Uh, I've been with them for probably five or six years now. I met them, they're Oregonians too. So we're all from Oregon. And uh I call them the Roadrunners because that's really all we do is we just travel up and down the road, going across the western states all year long. Uh, we're gearing up to go to the National Finals rodeo here in about three weeks. Uh, but but they're wonderful and you know, just like really good people to be around. I'm so proud that I get to have them with me. Uh, that's that's really you're spending so much of your time with them. They're kind of like your family. So you have to be able to enjoy them and get along and and you know, be drama-free and all those things. And so I don't want to lose them. They they are the best boys, and I'm so lucky to have them in my band. So if you come to Santa Clarita, you'll meet them.
SPEAKER_04:Oh no, we're definitely coming. So that yeah, that's that's a that's a given. That's a given. Um, so you're doing you're doing roughly like 200 shows a year.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and I don't know if I'm nuts or what, but I do it.
SPEAKER_04:That's a lot, yeah. It's a lot of time on the road. How does that um how does how how does let me put it this how does your husband feel about that? Does he come on the road with you or does he have to hit stay back at and and hold down the Ford at the ranch?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, he he mostly stays behind and holds down the Ford at the ranch, but he is able to come when he can. And he is a busy bee himself. So uh he has his own welding, he's like all boy, you know, cowboy rancher, and then he has a welding fabrication company. He builds slot beds and bumpers and all these custom racks, and then he also manages uh a big uh mechanical factory where they also like produce, like you know, up in Northern California, there's lots of almonds and walnuts and pecans, and so he does all sorts of things, and he's very busy himself. Uh, but you know, he knew right from the get go what I did because we actually met at a music festival. Uh, you know, it's a it's a great. Story. Uh, I had totally sworn off boys, as you do. Like, you get to the point where you're like, Okay, God, I'm done. We're I'm gonna focus on me. And that's always when he strikes, you know. That's when he's like, Okay, we got you to the we're done phase. You're we're gonna plan him in your life like three days later.
SPEAKER_04:And I'm just told my daughters, I don't mean to interrupt. I'm sorry, I told my daughters the same thing. Boy, boys are icky, boys are icky, stay away, you know.
SPEAKER_02:They I mean, you seem like you're a good egg, but some of them are, you know, we're like, I think I'm done here. I think I'm gonna just focus on the dogs, and that's to the point I got. And I mean, it was it was like no more than three days later, really, that I was playing a music festival, uh, and it was in my hometown of all places, and the headliner was Zach Bryan, and I was on like the you know, 2 p.m. opening slot, whoo, like really rowdy, get those 2 p.m. crowd, like yeah, and you're like, okay, we're gonna get wild. And uh I got all done. And since I was in my hometown, my mom had come with me. And uh I said, well, you know, it's pretty rare that I get to have a Saturday free, you know, as a musician, you're always headed on to the next thing or you're playing on a Saturday night. So I said, Let's enjoy some music. I never get to go to any concerts. So she was hanging out with me, and we came through the back entrance and and uh she said, Oh, this guy keeps looking at you and you should maybe go say hi. I said, No, I'm good. Thank you. I don't think so. And anyway, the night went on and eventually I kind of wandered over. I was on my way to like the bar or something, and I figured, well, he's in my path. I'll just say hi on my way by. And and uh I don't know, then I guess it kind of worked out from there, but he thought I was the guitar player's girlfriend because I had the VIP like artist badge on my purse. And uh he said, Do you you're here with one of the guitar players or something? And I said, No, I play. I I played earlier today, and and uh he was like, Oh, I don't really, and I was like, Yeah, you must not have listened, or I didn't make an impression on you.
SPEAKER_04:Bonehead, you why weren't you here at two o'clock when I was up on stage?
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, I mean he knew from the get-go, and then he said on his because I mean, crazy, crazy that he would drive from Northern California to Canby, Oregon to see a music festival. That's seven-hour drive. And so the next day when he it is, it's far. And it was just like him and his best friend on a whim wanted to see Zach Bryan so bad. And they said, Well, closest he's gonna be touring to us is seven hours away. Let's let's go up to this music festival. And so on the way back, he said, I bit the bullet and I was pretty nervous to give your music a listen just because I, you know, I I liked you and I wanted to continue continue chatting with you, and I was worried, you know, I don't like our music. And so he learned the music, and so I guess it lived up to his standards, and now he's my he's my biggest fan. So he's he's a good sport. He knew right from the get-go what I did and what my dream is. Uh, he even helped me move to Texas, you know, he met me, and I was like, I'm buying a house in Texas, so I don't think you want to date me. And uh he said, That's all right, I'll help you move. We can we can do this long distance thing. So we did long distance, me living in Texas for two years, and then he finally he said, Well, I think I'm kind of over having it be so so far apart. Maybe maybe we could get married and you could move to the ranch in Northern California. And so that's what I've done, and it's it's been wonderful. I I never thought I'd be a Californian, but it turns out y'all aren't so bad.
SPEAKER_04:Well, some of us. Some of us are some of us are actually pretty good. You know, uh, I won't get into too much, but you know, I'm I'm working on trying to straighten things out here in in our fine state.
SPEAKER_02:You go from the south end, I'll work on the north end. How's that?
SPEAKER_04:All right, you got a deal. And I got a I got a buddy of mine who's gonna who who's gonna help us out with all of that. So yeah, we just have to spread the word. So um okay, so your ranch, so it it's a working ranch, huh?
SPEAKER_02:It is, yeah. I've moved from one working cattle ranch up in Oregon, my hometown ranch, uh, to another one, to another family ranch. So my husband also has a family ranch uh in a tiny little town called Vina, California, and that's where we live now, and there's way more cows than there is people. I think the town's like 130 people, it's real small. Uh, but we got a steakhouse and a winery and lots of cows, so it's a good place to be.
SPEAKER_04:Steakhouse, that's it, that's all you need.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, steak and wine.
SPEAKER_04:Me, I'm not so much of a wine drinker, but you know, that's all right, I'll drink it for you. Okay, all right. Deal, deal. Um so so um you got a show tonight, that's and show tomorrow in Oklahoma City, and then um, and then you've got coming up also um you said the NFR, right? That's that's coming up in December. I know you've got yeah, I mean you have shows in between. I'm trying to pop up your your website here. There it is. Yeah. So uh you're kind of you're after um after Oklahoma, then you go down into Texas and then you kind of go back home into Oregon, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's kind of like it's sort of winding down a little bit for the season. I took October off so I could spend a little time at home. I think my husband appreciated that. And you know, it's nice to just like ground myself while the show was coming out and be able to be home for a little while. And now it's busier again. The next few weeks are kind of crazy. Uh, I decided that I would road trip to Texas and Oklahoma, uh, still have my house here in Texas, and I left a whole bunch of furniture here. So I figured, what the heck? I gotta be here anyways. I'll drive from California to Texas, go pick her up and take it. So I'll be having a table and chairs and all sorts of stuff on my journey back later this week after my uh my shows. Uh, and then we gear up for Thanksgiving. I have a few days at home for that week, and then I go play an organ for a couple shows, and then I go straight back home, repack, and uh get ready to go to Las Vegas for the NFR, which is the National Finals rodeo. If you have friends that maybe don't know what we're talking about, it's like the Super Bowl of rodeo and it's 10 nights and it's the it's rodeo's biggest event. Uh, everybody goes, and it's this just like amazing time when all the cowboys go to Vegas. If you're ever gonna go to Vegas, I might be biased, but I think that's the best time to go.
SPEAKER_04:That's okay. Nothing wrong with that. I don't think that's biased at all. That's just kind of telling it like it is. Um what was I? Oh, so um Do you have do you have a you don't have a guitar handy, do you? You don't have one.
SPEAKER_02:I do. Would you like me to play something?
SPEAKER_04:I'm gonna tell you what. I'm gonna tell you just it just it just hit me. It just hit me. I I don't I don't think you can actually sing anything on my show. I mean, even it's even though it's your music, but I have never had anybody play on the Ben Maynard program.
SPEAKER_02:Well, we can give her a go.
SPEAKER_04:I mean I would look and if you want to sing and they cut it out, they they they edit it or whatever. So I don't edit anything. I hit start, I hit stop, everything in the middle goes. But um uh I would love it. That would be so great.
SPEAKER_02:Let me grab it and we'll give it a we'll give it a go.
SPEAKER_04:Ah, that would be tremendous. Right here, folks, right here. First time ever, first time ever live music being played on the Ben Maynard program. That is so awesome. What a giver, Olivia.
SPEAKER_02:Oh man, no, this is fun. It's actually uh you you did it just right because uh I was working on some new music last night in the hotel room. We finally had to shut it down around around 10 p.m. because uh my mom's here with me and I I made her road trip. She made her road trip with me across the country because I was like, well, you know, like I'll I'll I can go back on my own, but it sure would be fun if I had a partner to travel with. And so she came along with me and we were working on some new music last night. And finally at 10 p.m., I was like, shoot, our neighbors probably don't love this. So we finally wrapped her up.
SPEAKER_04:What if your mom has her face on and she's not too shy, I would love to just say hi or love or love for her to say hi, but I want to hear some yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, deal. I'll uh see if I can call her attention. Okay, you got it. Um, do you have anything special you want to hear or just dealer's choice?
SPEAKER_04:No, no, this is no, this is on you. This is on you.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, dealer's choice. Let's see here. Um, let's do one of the songs that I played on the show. So if there's if there's anybody that's curious what the the road and the TV show is all about, uh the coolest part for me was that we were able to play our original music. And that's that's the very first show that I'm aware of, uh, where it's a music competition show and they allow the artists, you know, songwriters to share what they write a lot of times with other ones, like The Voice and American Idol. They're wonderful, also. Uh, but you're usually playing someone else's song. And so I was just tickled that I was gonna like, yes, that I was gonna be able to like share my truest, most most authentic music, because that's what it is, is if you write it, it's gotta be really authentic and special to you. And that's gonna be the very best way for an audience to get to know you is just through the music you write.
SPEAKER_04:Exactly. Because if you're just singing, if you're just doing covers um of other people's stuff, people, oh this person's very talented, they've got a great voice, whatever it might be. But what else do they know about them?
SPEAKER_02:Right, exactly. So uh that sold me on the show. As soon as I found that out, I was like, I'm in. I want to I want to be able to play my own music. And so this was my very first uh song. It was in episode one. We filmed it in Fort Worth at Tannahill. Uh and it's one of my favorite songs that I've I've written. Um, backstory is I kind of had some writer's block. And uh, you know, I called my mom because that's what girls do when things go wrong. I don't know if your kids are that way, but that's how I am. And I said, Mom, I don't know. I just feel like I haven't been able to write or finish anything. And and she said, Well, you just, you know, sit down and and just really try to be honest and like don't overthink it, just go from the heart. And I was at a time in my life where, you know, it was right before that time where I swore off men. But when you're traveling, you feel like, man, you go to one town and you've been to so many places, but you haven't really seen any of them because you just go and you play for the evening and then you move on the next day. And I really thought, boy, I meet some nice people. I I really sincerely do, but I I don't get to ever give them any time or or really, you know, pursue anything. I just break hearts and move on to the next town. And so before I knew it, that this was one of those times where I was like, okay, I finally just turned off my brain and let it fall out, and we got ourselves a song. So I'll do it for you. It's called This Ain't My First Rodeo. Nice.
SPEAKER_04:Olivia. Hold on, hold on. Okay, hold on. Wait. You're you're strumming the guitar and I I it it's not picking up anything, unfortunately. I'm just wondering.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:No, no, no, I'm wondering if my if my service is muting it because it's music shouldn't, but but it it it is. So I maybe they're not gonna they might not be allowing me to do this.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, even though the other thing I can do is take my ear pods out if you want to try it. We can try that too.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, you oh you get stuff. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02:I do. Do you want to give it a go? We'll give it one more go and see if it takes. Okay.
SPEAKER_04:If we can yes, of course I want to try this because if we can get some live music played on this show, come on. Yeah. All right, let's see if let's see if that works.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. Take two.
SPEAKER_04:There it is.
SPEAKER_03:Is it working?
SPEAKER_04:Yep.
SPEAKER_03:This little lady was born a running. Chasing down that morning sun. About the time you came along. I was fixing to get going. Sorry, it's gotta be this way. Maybe I'll come back one day. This ain't my first rodeo. I'll have a good running when it's time to go. I'll leave you in a cloud of dust, driving off in my pickup truck. Darling, don't try to tell me down. I'm leaving town. I break hearts, baby, don't you know? Say my first rodeo. I don't mean to lead you on it. Sometimes I let things go too long. Big dreams can leave no mess. Too late for me to change, I guess. Sorry, it's gotta be this way. Maybe I'll come back one day. This ain't my first rodeo. I'll have a good running when it's time to go. I'll leave you in a cloud of dust, driving off in my pickup truck. Darling, don't try to tell me down below. I'm a leaving town. I'll break hearts, baby. Don't you know?
SPEAKER_04:That was awesome. That was so, so good. Oh my goodness, that was great.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_04:What an absolute sport you are. Thank you so much for doing that. Just you know absolutely. I I don't know. I was just like, uh out on the road, uh, got a show tonight, probably gotta have a guitar laying around somewhere, you know.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. You know, we do, yeah. I'm sure the neighbors like that again. At least it's like noon here now in Oklahoma, so I ain't keeping them up like I was last night playing.
SPEAKER_04:What just what a great song though. And I look, I thank you. I love your voice. I love it. I love the I love the twang and the the honky tonkness in it. It's just and it and it doesn't um I used the word before, so I don't want you know, I don't want to keep repeating myself, but it doesn't come off um well, no, I won't use the word, it doesn't come off contrived at all. It's just who you it's who you are, and I absolutely love it. It sounded great. I hope that um StreamYard doesn't try to mute that out for you know two minutes of the of the show, but we'll see what happens. Hey, at least I got to hear it.
SPEAKER_02:That's right, you got it.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so um no, that was that's that's beautiful. That was great. I I really, really appreciate that. Um, do you ever and I I I think I might know the answer to this, but but during downtime family time, and it sounds like you're actually really, really close with your mother, especially if you're taking her out on the road with you. Um do you ever just break out a guitar and just you know, sit around the campfire at the ranch or sit in front of the fireplace at home or whatever and just bust out, start singing songs?
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Yeah, you know, music is such a big part, uh, especially of like the Harms family. Um and so that's like how I grew up is almost like my mom's side of the family is all very musical. So I grew up with that. Like the holidays were always a blast. And then it's funny, you get to be an adult or a little older, and then you realize that not everybody's family does that. And then you're like, wait, what? Nobody like not all like busting out and singing around, but you know, it's uh it's really cool. And my husband's family, uh, they're not musical, but they are music lovers. And I always say, like, I wouldn't have a job if there wasn't music lovers. So I'm so thankful that there's maybe more music lovers that aren't, you know, capable of playing music than there are actual musicians because I would be out of a job if everybody played music. So it's it's really cool, and they're so supportive of what I do, and I know I have a really unique job. Uh, I'm sure that's maybe not what every uh set of parents would choose for for their kid to marry someone that's like there and gone and on the road and then back. And but you know, they're really just the best, and they're so supportive, and like they come out to all my local shows and they have me play when I'm home and we have like little family gatherings. So I couldn't have gotten any luckier.
SPEAKER_04:No, I think that's great. And I have I have so much admiration for anyone who can play an instrument. I don't care if it's the recorder, but um because I can't. I I've I've owned guitars, I have an acoustic in my attic, yeah, hanging in my attic. I have a bass guitar that needs repair that's hanging in my attic. I have owned other guitars throughout my life. I am an absolute music lover, and it it's something that's that's that's uh you know a part of me. And the shame is that I can't, I I couldn't play a note to save my life, unfortunately. And and that's probably um that that is a regret of mine, is that I don't play any instruments, and so I have so much admiration for anyone who does uh you know play play uh play music. I love it.
SPEAKER_02:Well, it's probably the only talent I have. I'm probably not good at much else.
SPEAKER_04:Oh no, no, I doubt that. I doubt that. Come on. You you you're probably a pretty good uh a pretty good cattle herder and uh you know, maybe even a little roper or something like that. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I try to be handy and helpful while I'm home for sure, but yeah, I don't know. I I just am so grateful that I get to make a living doing something that I love because you know that's that's something I wish for everybody in their in their life is that they get to be able to do something that they love for a living. And and I'm very lucky because I know that that's not how it goes for everybody.
SPEAKER_04:And yeah, and that's an app it's it's uh you're right. Not everyone gets to do what it is that they absolutely love to earn a living. And you know, for anyone who's in the business or ha who or who, you know, kind of has knowledge of the business, and I I do a little bit, it's a tough business. And that's exactly what it is. There's there's two parts of that. There's the music, and then there's the business. And it's that second word that is the hard part about all of it.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, it totally is. And I mean, like, uh yeah, I know what I do is is probably complicated for a lot of folks that don't understand, you know, like the business side of it, like you were saying. But it's it's so funny, even when you think like you've kind of made a couple steps up, and I still have a long way to go. Uh, but it it never shocks you the amount the amount of people that'll come up and be like, how's your little music thing going? Like, do you ever make any money at that?
SPEAKER_04:And I'm like, oh you want to wring someone's neck. Uh oh, I lost you for a second here. Let's see if you pop back up. There you wait, wait, hang on. Your your screen, your screen went black.
SPEAKER_00:Hold on.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, that's okay. Yeah. You're I still have your name. I just don't have your I just don't have your your your your screen up. But that's all right. We'll give it a minute. Hey, technical issues here on the Ben Maynard program. What else is new, right? We do this all the time. Let's see. Let's do this. Hold on.
SPEAKER_02:You sound like Alvin and the chipmunks.
SPEAKER_04:Oh no. Oh no.
SPEAKER_02:It's pretty entertaining from my end, I have to say.
SPEAKER_04:Great. Uh then maybe I should talk to you.
SPEAKER_02:Can you sing the hula hoop song?
SPEAKER_04:Oh, geez. How about, you know what? Do you want to? Um I don't know if you if if it's your camera or not, but maybe if you disconnect and then and then try the try the link again, and then uh we'll go that way. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Hold second.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I can riff for a minute or so. It's no big deal.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:All right, Elvin.
SPEAKER_04:I will see you in a minute. All right, we'll get her back. We'll get her back. Oh, but was that not tremendous? First time ever. First time ever. I don't want to zoom in. I know I'm a little far away. I'm a little far off the camera, but um, I don't want to zoom in on me because when Olivia comes back, then uh then uh we'll get her back on. But um yeah. Was that not awesome or what? That was just the best. Oh, there she is. We're back.
SPEAKER_02:Hey, you're back. Oh, and you're back to Ben. Okay, well, that was really entertaining for me. I wish everybody could have heard uh Alvin Alvin Maynard. That would have been fabulous.
SPEAKER_04:I was I was actually gonna start trying to talk in slow motion to slow it down a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, well, I have no idea what happened. My apologies if I fouled it up for you.
SPEAKER_04:But no, you nah. Trust me, it's not a big deal. Look, I I do stupid stuff all the time, and I say, I say to my audience, like I like I told you earlier, I hit record and stop, and everything in between goes warts and all. It's all right. It look, it's like a live show when you're out there performing on stage and something goes wrong, you just gotta keep going, right?
SPEAKER_02:I mean, that's the truth. You yeah, you can't stop. You just gotta say, okay, here we are. And uh, you know, no matter what I sound like or what happens, we're gonna just keep rolling forward because that's the only thing you can do.
SPEAKER_04:And at least the audience knows it's all live and it's all real, and you're all human, yeah. And because there's a lot of artists out there that are doing a lot of faking, and uh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:There's nothing fake here. I would I could I couldn't try to be anything other than what I am. I you know, I learned a long time ago that uh this is kind of just what you get, because that's all I can do.
SPEAKER_04:What you see is what you get. That's okay, that's okay. It's it's a lot, it's a lot to see, and so it's a lot to get. That's great stuff. All right. So um, okay. So I want to are we up for just, I don't know, kind of a little game. Can we do that?
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. I love games.
SPEAKER_04:All right. All right. So um actually I was told that this that and I I didn't even know, but um I was told that this this kind of came from the television show The Office, and that's the island questions. I had no idea because I don't watch I don't watch The Office, I never saw it. But um Okay. So the island questions. You're gonna go live on a you're gonna go live on a deserted, not a desert island. People confuse that. Not a desert island, but deserted. Okay, you're gonna go live the rest of your island. Yeah, all by yourself. And um, but we'll give you some supplies to sustain yourself uh for the remainder of your days. So what kind of food is Olivia Harms gonna take?
SPEAKER_02:Mmm, man, that's uh that's tricky. I have to go agricultural, you know. Like I have to be able to have it be something that I could grow and then keep going. Um, so probably some sort of like like fruit, maybe? I don't know, like apple tree. I probably get tired of apples, but they'll grow, or maybe that I don't I don't know if I'd be a long.
SPEAKER_04:I thought you were a meat eater. I thought you liked a good steak.
SPEAKER_02:I do, I do love steak, but you know, if I'm if it's deserted, how am I gonna reproduce and get more steak? I don't know, that's tricky.
SPEAKER_04:But don't don't overthink this. Don't overthink it, Olivia.
SPEAKER_02:That's what happens when you ask an agricultural person, you know. Um, yeah, yeah, probably like some some good steak and popcorn. I'm a big sucker for popcorn, that's my favorite snack.
SPEAKER_04:All right, okay. Um what kind of candy bar are you gonna take?
SPEAKER_02:Like some dark chocolate.
SPEAKER_04:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I know. I'm a little, I'm like a step up from the slight bouge, not full bouge, but like above the recent.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Slight bouge, just some dark chocolate.
SPEAKER_04:That's okay. Yeah, you know, I I for me, I was always a I was always a milk chocolate guy through and through, you know. Uh yeah. And and then, you know, I met I met Catherine and she likes her dark chocolate, and she'll even like to mix it in. Give me some dark chocolate with caramel or something like that.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:And uh, so I do find myself snacking on some dark chocolate here from time to time and enjoying it as well.
SPEAKER_02:So I like your wife. I think we'd be friends too.
SPEAKER_04:Uh she's uh Yeah, and she's actually way better half of me, that's for sure. She is she I I I always tell everyone that that I am the lucky one in my in my marriage. She not at all. I'm I'm the one that struck gold. She's the she's the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow, definitely.
SPEAKER_03:I love it.
SPEAKER_04:But um, okay, so uh so we got uh a good steak or maybe some apples or something, and and potatoes. I know, yeah. And we got some dark chocolate. Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Uh sounds like a great meal. I'm already excited. I'm hungry now.
SPEAKER_04:Um, okay. What what book are you gonna take to read?
SPEAKER_02:Oh man, I don't know. Does it like totally make me just like your average Christian girl if I had to say the Bible? Because that's all you need.
SPEAKER_04:I mean, I mean, no, because honestly, I would probably take the same book.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So that's what that's my answer. Yeah, if I'm gonna be alone forever, I'm gonna take the Bible and you know, learn more.
SPEAKER_04:Learn more. Um, and uh probably the answer to just about any question you can come up with is in there somewhere. You just gotta know where to go.
SPEAKER_02:And then I'll be ready to go whenever he's like, your time on this island is done. I'll be like, All right, let's go.
SPEAKER_04:There you go. Um, all right. So music wise, what what uh album or uh sorry you you don't know what an album is. Um what C D I do, I do, I know.
SPEAKER_03:I have an album. I'm 30 years old.
SPEAKER_04:That's all. All right. So what uh what album or C D are you taking with you?
SPEAKER_02:Um probably um let's see. I want to say like Brooks and Dunn, probably like their greatest hits because I can dance and I can feel sad. They got it all right in there, like in their greatest hits album. They've got it all. I'll never get bored of listening to that.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, actually, if I put on a little when I'm outside of you know, uh out on my patio or whatever, I got a couple televisions hanging out there, and if I'm gonna listen to some Brooks and Dunn, I'll put on a greatest hits from from Brooks and Dunn. And yeah, you just get a little bit of everything.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and it's like it's perfect.
SPEAKER_04:So good, so good. So good. Um okay. What um what movie are you gonna take to watch?
SPEAKER_02:It's probably how to lose a guy in ten days.
SPEAKER_04:All right, never get tired of it.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, who doesn't love some Matthew McConaughey? All right, all right, all right.
SPEAKER_04:All right, all right, yeah, that's it. Yeah. I had to kind of be more original than that. So I always say right on, right on. But I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:Right on, right on, right on.
SPEAKER_04:Right on. So um, yeah, a good rom com. There you go.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you know, you feel good.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, one one person for conversational purposes only, living or dead. But of course, you know, when they come to the island, they're gonna they're gonna be serving your purpose, and so they'll be alive so that you can have conversation for the remainder of your days.
SPEAKER_02:Uh I mean, as much as I love my mom and my husband, I probably would have to say my Papa Harms. Because he I only got like seven years with him, and I mean, man, he's got all the the best stories, and I'd love to hear more of them as an adult and get to like really digest them and like hear about what he went through in his time, and he was. World War II vet, so I'm sure he's got like crazy stories about that, and like just yeah, he was he was one of my favorite people ever.
SPEAKER_04:Love it. I absolutely love it. Um, well, especially being a World War II vet. My my father was a World War II vet as well. He uh yeah, he's yeah, he served on a destroyer in the Pacific, and uh so uh and and for you to say that for you to to bring up your your um your dad um to be that one person, I look I agree, and I'm not gonna get into all the nastiness, but but I but I agree with that part uh because it would probably be the same thing for me as well, because my my um, like I said, my dad served in World War II, didn't didn't really ever talk about it. And um uh and then he and then he passed away in 1998 when he was 75. So I, you know, now being a you know an adult, I didn't really get to get to have those get to hear about those stories or try to get him to talk about some of those stories as well. So it'd be nice to get that. And that actually it's a goal of mine. I don't want to I don't want to to bird walk here during this, but that is a goal of mine is to try, and I have I I don't have much longer to do this, but to try to get a World War II vet on the podcast.
SPEAKER_02:So oh man, that would be incredible.
SPEAKER_04:The greatest generation ever. So um okay, so that no, that I think that's great. I think that's awesome. Um, it's not corny or anything like that. I think it's great. Um all right, how about a little of this or that?
SPEAKER_02:This or that, okay? Let's do it.
SPEAKER_04:A little of this or that. There's no wrong answer.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. I won't overthink it, Ben, I promise.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, you don't have to. Beetles or stones?
SPEAKER_00:Beatles.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. All right. Cheeseburger or pizza?
SPEAKER_00:Pizza.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. Actually, I think we're gonna fire up the pizza oven tonight and have pizzas. Sounds so good. Yeah. Um let's see. Um cake or pie?
SPEAKER_02:Pie for sure.
SPEAKER_04:What kind of pie?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, really any kind of pie, but like berry pie, pumpkin pie.
SPEAKER_04:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Any like the good ones that you can just tell a grandma made.
SPEAKER_04:Oh wow. Wow.
SPEAKER_02:I want it.
SPEAKER_04:Maybe a little bit of uh maybe even a little peach cobbler with a little extra butter and a little extra sugar in it, too.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh. Yeah, we we opted out for cake in our wedding just to show how like redneck we are. We're like, we don't need no cake, we're gonna have like all these cobblers, and there's uh there's a dairy down the road, they make homemade ice cream, so we're like, nobody needs cake here. We'll have cobblers and homemade ice cream.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, I love that. See, you it's okay to steer away from tradition, it's all right, and and just kind of do your we weren't mad, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:We loved it.
SPEAKER_04:No, and I'm sure your guests weren't hating it either.
SPEAKER_02:No, and it was nice and warm. We had an August wedding, so it was it was hot, and then I'll tell you what, at the end of the night, I think it was like 3 a.m. when we were finally done dancing, and it was the small posse of friends, and I was like, I think none of us were were sober either, you know. So we'll put that out there and be honest. And uh we were like, I think there's ice cream somewhere, and I know that at one point my husband had a like a communal ice cream ladle and he was feeding my fiddle player, and I mean everybody's just like going wild of the ice cream, is you know, you can't go wrong with that.
SPEAKER_04:That's awesome. What when did you get married? When's your anniversary?
SPEAKER_02:Uh August 10th of 2024. And really cool side story about that is uh that was my grandparents' anniversary. So uh my Papa Harm's the one that I would have on the island with me. He was married to my grandma Anna for like 60 years, and they were just like the sweetest love story ever. And so we got married on their anniversary, which happened to fall on Saturday. And when uh I chose that date and I told my husband and my my in-laws to be, uh, she said that date sounds so familiar. And so then the next day she, you know, went to her date book and kind of looked around and she said that was my parents' anniversary. So both of our maternal grandparents' anniversary was August 10th, and we were like, Okay, well, so like I said, that week he likes supposed to be.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it was just supposed that's how it was supposed to happen. That's awesome. I only asked because you you mentioned August, and my birthday's in August. So that's oh well.
SPEAKER_02:When's your birthday?
SPEAKER_04:The 17th.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, well, yeah, happy happy late birthday.
SPEAKER_04:Oh no, no, no, no, no, please, please. It's way, way, way beyond that, and I don't need happy birthdays anymore. But um no, I just just asking. But um okay, let's get back on. So we left off with uh cake or pie, so we got we got pie out of that. All right. That's a tough one for me, too. I love I love cake, and I love so many different types of cake, too. And like most of the time the the the the the the more chocolate the better as well. But uh, you know, pie pie is a really good one. So good. Um yeah, it is. All right, so now um the beach or the lake?
SPEAKER_02:Probably the lake. I do love the ocean. I absolutely do love the ocean. Uh, but I don't want to swim or really float in the ocean too often, I guess. You know, like unless you're in the the Caribbean or like, you know, I guess down where you are, Southern California.
SPEAKER_04:You got you got nice beaches for no, no, uh-uh. No, we don't. No, we honestly don't.
SPEAKER_02:But a lake, you can always like go float around, spend the day. That's probably more my vibe. Like, have a ranch water in my hand, send the dogs out there. That sounds more like like my jam.
SPEAKER_04:You get a get a raft or an inner tube, float with an ice cold, ice cold beer in your hand, right?
SPEAKER_02:Now we're talking.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, there you go. Yeah, no, so I I'm I'm the same way, minus the beer. I'm not a beer drinker, unfortunately. Well, I shouldn't say unfortunately, I'm just not a it. It's one of those things you have to acquire a taste for it, and I just can't do that. Uh yeah, it's okay.
SPEAKER_02:I'm not a beer drinker either. I like that. In Texas, they have it's called ranch water, and it's like tequila soda water and lime in a can. So it's kind of like a a white claw, but I think it's much better. It's not as sweet. So if I can get those, we'll be we'll be really happy.
SPEAKER_04:If you it well, and if it's got tequila, then it's gonna be pretty good because I I do like my tequila.
SPEAKER_02:Um, see, I knew we'd be friends.
SPEAKER_04:I do like my tequila, that's for sure. Um, okay. Day or night?
SPEAKER_02:Day. I'm a daytime person. I think that's because I I mean, no matter where I'm at, even if we play until two in the morning, I'm still usually waking up around 7 a.m. That's my like latest sleep in time, usually. So I'm programmed to be a morning person and love the daylight, get things done.
SPEAKER_04:I love it. I love it. Um, okay, so we're done with that. That was great. I love it. Where where's where's your mom? Where's your mom? Is she around? Is she tending to the dogs?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, she took them out. She took the dogs out.
SPEAKER_04:I just wanted to say hi. Nah, no big deal. I just wanted to just wanted her to say hi and I can say hi back. That's all. Um, okay, so if she comes back, I'll let you know. Tell everyone where they can find Olivia Harms.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean, if you're wanting to follow along and see the adventures, like see how cute my dogs are, any good stuff like that. Uh, social media, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, I don't know, wherever else people follow you, but whether you like to follow, just look up Olivia Harms music and you'll find me. And then if you want to listen to it, all the streaming platforms, if you want some swag or you want to check out tour dates or anything like that, oliviaharms.com is where we keep all those.
SPEAKER_04:Or if I want to buy something from your closet.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Yeah, I did, I uh I did do a closet clean out, and I'm sure you're really on top of it, Ben. I'm sure you wanted all sorts of stuff from there.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um you know what I'm so lucky that I get to have this job where, you know, I get to dress up and like I have two personalities for sure. When I'm out touring, I get to look nice and you know, try to be fashionable. But then when I'm home, uh I swear there's days where my sweet husband comes home and I probably look like I'm homeless because I've been cleaning all day and you know, you know, just like don't want to even think about getting dolled up. But uh I do get to have lots of fun clothes that sometimes people will send me or I get to support them or do a collab. And you know, you can only fit so many things in a ranch house. And so once in a while I gotta clean them out to make room and send them on to somebody else's closet.
SPEAKER_04:All right, no, that's great. Uh I know I need to get me some Olivia Harms swag too. Uh especially if especially if we're coming out to Cowboy Festival next April.
SPEAKER_02:Um well, we can fix you up.
SPEAKER_04:Good, good, good. And um uh okay, so you're so so Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, right? Those are the socials.
SPEAKER_02:Yep.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, all right. I don't know. YouTube, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I had a Twitter one time, but I I didn't get very good at the the tweeting, so I kind of just let it die.
SPEAKER_04:I'm not great at any of this stuff. I am so this is like so out of my wheelhouse. I tell people, even just even doing this podcast, I say it's held together by chewing gum and scotch tape, you know. It's like it's just but I can't even I can't even do my own um I can't even do my own thumbnails whenever I post it onto onto the YouTube channel. I have to have Catherine do all that stuff for me. She's she's so smart and I'm just a dummy.
SPEAKER_02:So that's okay.
SPEAKER_04:But uh are you petting a dog there?
SPEAKER_02:I am, yeah. We have we have one of them. Come here, you want to say hi? Come here. She's shy, but this is Luna.
SPEAKER_04:Luna.
SPEAKER_02:She's yeah, she's my border collie Catahula cross dog, and she's she's pretty special, but she was sounding off. I think she heard a maid or somebody out there. So sorry that you got to hear her little voice.
SPEAKER_04:I didn't hear anything. I just I saw your hand over here, and I thought, wait a minute, that looks like she could be petting a dog or something. So no, no, I like I told you before, god dogs are the best, and I know dogs will always be welcome on the podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Dude's like, I'll make my debut. Hi, Ben. My name's Luna.
SPEAKER_04:Hi, Luna. That's awesome. That's awesome. Okay, so we know where we can follow Olivia now. We know where we can find her music. It's on uh it's on the streaming services. Okay, just look up Olivia Harms. If if if you like just that that good old country western honky tonk sound, okay. Uh, you don't have to be old like me to appreciate it because look, Olivia is half my age and and she's out there doing it. So she's she's bringing that stuff back, and I love it to pieces. It is so good. It is it just so check it out wherever uh you stream your music, wherever you get it. And um yeah, it's just so good. And I I look, I I do, I look forward to meeting you. Um we're gonna get that done. And uh I can't thank you enough for doing this today on show day.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh. So fun. I've had a great time. Thank you for having me on.
SPEAKER_04:No, there's a lot of there's a lot of uh artists that don't want to do they don't want to do interviews on the day of a show. And I mean I understand it. I mean your voice is your tool, it's your instrument. So I I I it's I could completely understand that, but I yours just so good. And and again, premiering live music on the Ben Maynard program, the first time ever. Yes, yeah, I'm honored.
SPEAKER_02:I'm honored to be here.
SPEAKER_04:No, I'm the one that's honored. What a what a what a great honor and uh what a great song, too. My first rodeo.
SPEAKER_00:So well, thank you.
SPEAKER_04:Uh do me a favor, I'm just gonna close up shop, but stick around with me, okay? All right, can you got it?
SPEAKER_02:Thank you, Ben.
SPEAKER_04:You got it. All right, stay right here. All right, everyone. Listen, uh, we'll call it, uh we'll wrap it up right here. And uh thank you for being here. Again, this program is available wherever you get your podcast, just search the Ben Maynard program. Boom, it's right there. Subscribe to it, give me a five-star rating. Um, download it, share it with all your people. Uh, if you've enjoyed this half as much as I have, uh, and you really like uh Olivia, you liked her, you know, look, live performance. Come on, it doesn't get any better than that. Uh, and you're watching on YouTube, subscribe to the channel. Please subscribe to the channel, hit the notification bell, give me a thumbs up, and leave a comment. Okay. Tell a thousand of your family and friends also, and share it with all your people. Uh, last but not least, uh follow me on Instagram, simply the Ben Maynard program. I'm sorry, nope, that's the wrong one. Simply Ben Maynard program. All one word, Ben Maynard program. And then on the TikTok, and I know, I know I'm not I don't have to say the, but I do because I'm an old guy. Uh uh, TikTok is the Ben Maynard program. All right, so again, thank you so much for being here. Thank you to Olivia, because she was fabulous. Um, and uh let you guys go. All right, enjoy the rest of your day. This is the Ben Maynard program. Tell a friend. Right.