TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:00:34
This has been a crazy couple of years for you. I mean, I was reading you were working in a feed store, going to college at Texas Tech. And now all that's behind you. Yeah, so I was going to school. I was going to be a landman at Texas Tech. And I was working, breaking bulls, and then also working at the feed store. And I was like, I'm making $8.00 an hour. I was like, I'm tired of chasing another man's dream. I was like, I want to chase mine. And I wrote a song, and ended up getting a bunch of views on TikTok, Instagram. And we bought a van, bought a trailer, started touring instantly, and started writing the album that came out. So-- So Texas Tech, that is the school that Scott Pelley of CBS News went to.
HUDSON WESTBROOK:
00:01:08
Oh, wow.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:01:09
Yes. Yeah. If you didn't know, now you know. There we go. You put that on hold. And so what did your parents think about that? Yeah. Yeah, so we were at-- we were at ACL. And I was playing. And I always give a story before I play this one song. And I said, my mom was out in the crowd. And I broke it to ACL that-- Austin City Limits, that I just dropped out of college. I like, hey. By the way, I just dropped out of college. Hope you love it, mom. And she walked backstage, and she was not too happy. No, no. I bet. And then we wrote "House Again" and we wrote "Texas Forever" and all the most recent songs. And we're seeing success. So the parents are in support now. Dad is in support as well.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:01:42
That's cool. What do you got on your wrist there? You got like-- you're on a tour right now. Yeah, I forgot to cut that off. But-- Last evening. We were actually, y'all were just showing the Gavin and Zach thing. But we were at that festival this weekend.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:01:54
Oh, really? In Oklahoma? Yeah, in Oklahoma. So we played that with Parker, Gavin, Zach, and a few other bands.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:02:01
Do you have an opinion on the Gavin and Zach thing? I don't want to put you on the spot. No, no. I don't-- I'll say whatever. But I think everyone just needs to play country music and chill, and do what you're made to do.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:02:13
Yeah. No one's better than anyone else. So but I think there's also, you want some media coverage when you do something like that. You want to be seen. So--
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:02:23
I like the comment about no one's afraid of Zach Bryan. I think a few people are probably afraid of him. Did he play football in college? After watching him climb that fence, I would be. That was a pretty good shape.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:02:30
That was otherworldly. Like, he just, like, slipped right through that barbed wire. Yeah, I wouldn't get mad enough to climb a barbed wire fence.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:02:35
So when you're hanging out with all these big stars, and also, you were-- I got here, you collaborated with Miranda Lambert recently, are you getting advice from them because you're so young? I mean, I feel like people might want to take you under their wing.
HUDSON WESTBROOK:
00:02:46
Yeah, I think the number-one thing, like, meeting with Miranda, we-- I didn't even think she was interested in doing the song. And then we talked to her. And she loved "House Again". And then I really loved "House That Built Me". So I really wanted to cover that. And working with her, she was just telling me, be yourself. Like, don't change yourself for anyone. Stay authentic to you. Everyone's going to love who you are, not what you do. They'll love your music, but you want to be loved as who you are and what you do for the world.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:03:12
That's great. And so that was really cool to see it coming from someone that is at the throne of country music. And so, yeah. I look up to her a lot, and especially she's-- her songwriting, from who she is as a woman, it's really cool to be a part of.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:03:27
Recording with Miranda Lambert, started writing original music just 17 months ago?
HUDSON WESTBROOK:
00:03:31
Yes, so I started writing music my freshman year.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:03:34
And this has just been a whirlwind.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:03:35
It's been a whirlwind.
HUDSON WESTBROOK:
00:03:36
Yes, it's been an absolute whirlwind.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:03:37
But hold on. I wouldn't be a proper Paramount employee if I didn't ask about Landman. You said you were going to be a landman coming out of Texas Tech. We have a show called Landman with Billy Bob Thornton. What do you think of it? I think my mom-- so my mom grew up in Midland. And then-- my mom grew up in Midland, and we hung out all the time there. I wanted to be a landman. And then you watch the TV show, and it's like, all right. There's a lot going on. I don't know if I would really do that, but it's definitely a TV show. I love watching it, man. Now that I can't-- I guess I could still go be a landman, but I'd rather do the country music. I can watch it, and it's the closest I can get--
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:04:15
Usually, when jobs are on TV more, people dream of doing that job. But you do see Billy Bob struggling. It's a tough job. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. For sure.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:04:22
Maybe not for me. I don't know how much controversy you got going on like that, but I don't want to be a part of it.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:04:27
Yeah, it's complex. Hudson Westbrook.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:04:29
We're wishing you the best.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:04:30
Yeah.
TONY DOKOUPIL:
00:04:30
Come back when you're a big star.
ADRIANA DIAZ:
00:04:31
Yes. Thank you so much for being here. His debut album, Texas Forever,is out right now.
