Parenting Panel with Bobby Houck from The Blue Dogs

Founded and based in Charleston, South Carolina, The Blue Dogs formed in 1987, when two life long friends wanted to pursue their dream of creating music. Now, the band is revered for it’s feel-good original songs, upbeat shows, and an effortless blend of rock, pop, and country.

The Blue Dogs is headed by Hank Futch (bass) and Bobby Houck (lead singer, acoustic guitar). Today, June 3rd, they premiered their first album in 16 years, Big Dreamers, marking a musical comeback after taking jobs outside of music to support their new families. They are accompanied by guitarist Dan Hood, steel guitar player Charlie Thompson, longtime drummer Greg Walker, and featuring former member Phillip Lammonds, who co-wrote three of the new songs.

The songs on “Big Dreamer” are catchy and danceable with a Tim McGraw sound meets Garth Brookes vocals. You’ll find yourself dancing in your chair upon each listen. The music just flows, almost like it wrote itself and Bobby and Hank are just the vessels to communicate it to the world. The lyrics are thoughtful and raw as well, informed by their wives and kids.

Listen here:

The music is beautiful and while slow, still upbeat. It’s definitely music that sticks with the soul as the day progresses.

We got a chance to speak with Bobby Houck from the band in this Parenting Panel on topics from parenting to the bands music. So, without further ado, let’s dive in:

How many children do you have? What are their names and ages?

Two children, Charlotte (13) and Ann Wallace (11)

Did you have fears or concerns about how becoming a parent would interfere with your artistic endeavors?

I think we all worry about the time we have to spend away from home with the ritual touring, and what we will miss, what they will miss. I was in this band for over 20 years before I had my first child, so I had a traveled a bunch of miles without having that concern – so it was something I was really worried about. When they are super young, they don’t really remember that you’re gone, but then they do, and that’s tough.

I must say, the pandemic gave me an amazing gift, which was to be home and be present, basically for the two years from march 2020-feb 2022, and for me, the timing was perfect. I was lucky. At their ages, they really needed and wanted me around. And my wife really, really needed me around to help.

Now in May 2022, my girls have turned 13 and 11, and are a little older, a little more independent, spending more time with friends and doing things, sleepovers away from home, school activities, sports etc…so my absence is a little less noticeable. However it is still noticeable, so I do try to be at home as much as possible when I’m not working.

Have those fears come true, or no? 

I’ve definitely had to miss a few things, school performances, or other things – the hardest was missing daddy-daughter dances. I somehow missed all of those when they were very young, but luckily this past year I got to do my first one. But there are always going to be those things we end up missing, because we have to book so far in advance, and it’s just an occupational hazard that you hope they understand. Mine love the fact that I play, so I think they see and understand that it is what it is. My wife helps them deal with it. I think she likes it sometimes when I’m away so maybe they will take after her – ha!

In what ways has parenthood helped your creativity, if any? 

Well, in our case, since the very beginning of the Blue Dogs, we had some silly but hilarious songs that were written by my co-founder Buck Bradberry that could be considered kid songs, songs about animals, and vegetables, just funny takes on things…a couple show up on our first couple of albums, Music For Dog People and Soul Dogfood.  So we’ve always said – we’re going to do a kids album. From 2009-2014, those years when my kids were toddlers, we did some work on those songs and it was fun to try them out on the kids. Also, I watched every single children’s movie with them, and to this day there is something about the genre that I love. If one comes on I have to watch it. Toy Story, Madagascar, The Princess & the Frog, all the Pixar and Disney stuff – I think now I love them more than they do. But ALL of them have one thing in common: great music, great songs. I mean, Randy Newman’s songs all through the Toy Story series….unreal. That song when Jessie gets left behind by her kid? It still makes me cry. My 11 year old can’t even sit through that song…we both would break up.

So anyway, we finally have started trying to get the kids record actually made, 30 years later, and we are working on new songs to add, and we think we’ll finally get it done in 2023. So yes, sort of being immersed in the kid world to me brings out the kid in me, which is kind of how I feel when I play music in general anyway.

What has parenthood taught you about yourself, your music, or your creative process?

At a certain point, when the kids get to be around 5 or so, they are no longer fascinated by your instrument or your singing, or maybe they get used to it, but they just don’t really have an interest in it. And then I found out a little later that they didn’t really listen to my music, and recently discovered they still didn’t know a couple of the records. So while I don’t blame them, I was like, maybe my music doesn’t really appeal to them, and is that something I can use to try and experiment and find something they do like? Maybe I need to work harder to make songs catchier? Poppier? Our first album in a long time is coming out soon, and they’ve heard that, and there are some they love, and some they are “meh.” So basically I think they (and my wife) are pretty helpful in terms of seeing what kind of reaction I’ll get from a new song. They are my early indicators.

How do you juggle your family and your career? Who’s your support system?

It’s insane to juggle anything today, for anybody, and as much as phones and email and technology have helped us tremendously, those same things are a drain also. Keeping a calendar and communicating with my wife on what I have to do, and keeping the band informed and up to date…these things are insanely time-consuming and difficult. But I have learned to keep momma happy -- you know what they say – by making sure she has the calendar as early as possible. Occasionally there’s still a surprise or two, and that’s not good. But to answer your question, first and foremost my wife is incredibly supportive and tolerant of the things we have to do. She loves that I’m in the band but also really needs my help, from getting the kids to school and to sports and activities – that’s the most time consuming thing as a parent now. But she really allows me to do things related to music, and for that I’m extremely grateful. It’s the things outside of my own gigs…like going to see shows, or jamming with friends on off nights…that to her may seem “extra” but she understands.

Also, her parents are young enough to be able to help a large amount…they will come down and keep the kids occasionally when she and I both have something going on, and even my extended family of inlaws, their kids are the cousins that my kids love, and they do a good bit of entertaining and taking care of my kids when I’m away, and Shannon needs to work.

Has the pandemic taken away or added to your creative flow? Are you taking good care of yourself these days?

The pandemic was the first time I hadn’t played at least once in a month since 1987. So it was incredibly good for me. People kept asking if I missed playing live, and I frankly said “not at all.” It was a welcome break. And I enjoyed the virtual shows…that was a cool thing to discover and get better at. And it’s something we can use going forward.

It also got me off of the treadmill of “regular family hours” into “band weekend hours” back to “regular family hours”….I actually started going to bed at a normal time (most of the time) and that really felt good. I’m a little older these days, so it was about time for me to start “sleeping my age.”

I gained a little weight in the pandemic, but I’m losing it now, and I’m in as good a shape now as I’ve been in a while.

I will say, I’ve been out to see some music recently, and I had a great time staying up late again…so that is not completely out of my system. I hope it never will be!

What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a parent? Any advice for others?

Actually, it’s the thing that everyone tells you – “don’t blink.” That is 1000% percent true, and I know it continues on throughout life…but for those first few years, maybe from 1-12….they change so much and so fast. You know, by the time my oldest got to 12 and now 13, you can see that she’s becoming the person that she will be from here on. But from 1 to 2, or 2 to 3, they are so different, it’s like – man, take a lot of videos and photos, and just write some things down that they say and do…I kept saying I was going to journal all of the funny or meaningful things they said, but I didn’t do that as much as I should have. Even with a million pictures, it’s still important to take it all in, be present, and remember it as much as you can. Because it changes so fast.

Do your children inspire / inform your music?

Not directly at this point, but I just think having their support and love makes me a better person, and probably makes me a better musician.

Have you ever written a song for or about your kids?

No. But we do have kids’ songs.

Not every artist parent incorporates their children into their music - if you do not is this a conscious decision?

Not really. I’ve always wanted to be able to express something about them in a song. Or about being a parent. I hope I will soon.

Otherwise, I’m not an extremely prolific writer, and I just really came out of a 10 year bout with something of a writers block….so I feel like there are so many things I need and want to write about, and pieces of things I’ve written over the years, that I’m not even really thinking directly about them when I write. There’s too much going on in the world and even internally that don’t have anything to do with them…maybe indirectly, but not about them. So it’s not something I’ve gotten to…yet.

How have you been managing parenting during the pandemic? What has been the hardest part and what is the silver lining? 

I think I answered this above for the most part – but the best silver lining was that we had time to write and record our first studio album in 18 years. It’s coming out June 3 2022.

Connect with Bobby Houck and his band The Blue Dogs via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // Spotify // Soundcloud