Red Clay Strays Wrote “Drowning” During COVID When They Were Driving Uber To Pay Bills: “My Goal Was To Make 100 Bucks A Day”

Just trying to get by.

The Red Clay Stays are baring it all in their latest interview, a in-depth sit-down with the famed podcast host Joe Rogan. Brandon Coleman, Andy Bishop, and Drew Nix all sit down with Rogan for the Joe Rogan Experience, and talk about how the band originated, teased that a new record is slated for a summer release next year (shooting for June), how they feel called by God to make music and fulfill the talent they are given, and more.

The group is riding high, checking off boxes that artists dream about for years, yet they do not want to get comfortable with fame and still push to make music that resonates with their fan base.

Last year, the Mobile, Alabama-based group released their critically acclaimed sophomore record Made By These Moments. The 11-song project, produced by Dave Cobb, explores the complex chaos of everyday life, including confronting conflict, dealing with death, navigating emotions, and pursuing one’s aspirations. Made By These Moments instantly captivated fans, and the way each song resonated with fans showed the power of music. Whether listeners were being saved with “Wanna Be Loved,” felt seen with “No One Else Like Me,” or were reminded by the band’s strong roots in faith that God loves them with “God Does.”

When reviewing the album, I noted that there is a song that can resonate with every listener to the core, and the Red Clay Strays have found that to be true as they have taken these songs on the road over the last year. Frontman Brandon Coleman said that they write songs for their “sad” fanbase.

When Rogan asks how they are able to write songs that connect with a deeply saddened fanbase, Coleman shares that it came from them not “feeling good.” While the members of the Red Clay Strays might not be feeling that way at this point in their career, the reason their music can resonate so deeply with listeners, even saving one of their fans’ lives, is that they have likely been at that same low point in their lives at some point.

Coleman draws a specific connection to what the band members were experiencing when Drew Nix penned their powerful tune, “Drowning.” 

“A lot of it came from us not feeling good. Drew and my brother Matthew are the main writers for the band. And um, you know, our song ‘Drowning,’ Drew wrote that during COVID when we were driving for Uber, trying to keep the bills paid.

My goal was to make 100 bucks a day for Uber. Driving for Uber in Mobile, Alabama sucks. I’d have to do like 12-14 hours a day to get that.”

Rogan is in shock that five years ago, the Red Clay Strays were still having to drive Uber to get by. Given their current popularity, it’s hard to imagine they were struggling so much just a few years ago. However, just like many other musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic, it hit them the hardest because live music was not being played during the quarantine.

Coleman responds:

“Yeah. Yeah. And we were locally famous at the time, so I’d be picking up people and they’d be like ‘Oh my god, Red Clay Strays!’ I’m like, “Yeah, hop in.'”

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The song truly highlights the desperate time they were living in, embodying the song’s title, “Drowning.” When the group released the song, they shared that looking back on it, they were glad they never gave up and their talent prevailed; however, in the moment, it was a dark time for them.

“Looking back on it now it’s easy to say ‘thank God we didn’t quit,’ but it’s a lot harder to have that mindset in the middle of your struggle.

So if yer out there drowning, keep pushing, and don’t quit. You’ll be glad you did one day.”

You can feel that desperation to succeed and get your head above water as Coleman belts out the lyrics:

“I can’t tread much longer now
I’m trying, to keep my head
Above the water

So, throw me a line
Show me a sign
That everything will be alright
Cause I feel like I’m
Drowning
Somebody help me out”

Powerful, powerful stuff, man.

However, opening up about this song being written while they were driving for Uber opened up Brandon Coleman to go off on a tangent, talking about some of his wildest Uber experiences.

“Dude, I picked up, I was driving a Hyundai Sonata, I picked up five black dudes, and they wanted to get into the Hyundai Sonata to go to the stripper club. And I was like, “All five of y’all can’t fit in here, I can only take like four at the most.’ So they had to leave one behind, and I had to take them like 30 minutes across town. That’s how Mobile is, everything is like a 30-minute drive. And so I took them 30 minutes across town to the stripper club.” 

I can only imagine the look on Coleman’s face as a God-fearing man to hear that this group of men wanted to go to the strip club. I also think we should officially start a petition for

“There are some very interesting people at nighttime who get Ubers, just so you know.”

Rogan jokes that he can only imagine how bad it is when people hop in the car wanting to talk a lot, which Coleman notes happened some, but that was not his biggest fear as an Uber driver.

“The worst was the people with bad B.O. I’m like a germ freak. Sometimes, yeah, especially with smells. So (if) I can’t get a fresh air, I feel like I’m suffocating. And this frat guy got in my car one time, and he was… something, and he was going to Lowe’s to get something for a beer pong table. He was getting ready to have a frat party, and I had to drive him to Lowe’s.

And he smelled like he’d never taken a shower. So I was just trying not to freak out. I was just like (pulls his shirt up over his nose) leaning like that. I was sweating by the time he got out of the car.” 

HA. I shouldn’t laugh, but I’m sure many of us can relate to this experience from the other end, getting into an Uber’s car that has a rancid smell.

Coleman then shares that he believes humanity has too much faith in Uber drivers, as he has picked up people from the hospital and had to help them get into their homes and into bed after major surgeries. Of course, Coleman, being a kind human being, was always willing to help, but he knew that he was probably the exception, and many drivers would drop off these newly released patients with little assistance.

It sounds like Brandon Coleman and the other Red Clay Strays members have stories for days about their Uber careers.

Check out the whole interview while you’re here.

The post Red Clay Strays Wrote “Drowning” During COVID When They Were Driving Uber To Pay Bills: “My Goal Was To Make 100 Bucks A Day” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.