The day Billy Broome graduated from school in his hometown of Bonham, Texas, he wasted no time shipping south to the Live Music Capital of the World to pursue his dreams of seeing his name in marquee lights.
Now, a years-long mainstay of the Austin scene both with his band Silo Road and more recently performing under his name, Broome has proven a sonic force to be reckoned with. Harnessing a captivating amalgam of classic rock n’ roll, cosmic country, and a sprinkle of grunge, Broome delivers a powerful sound both live and in the studio.
And quietly, under the radar, the modest singer-songwriter and guitarist dropped his debut solo album, Cosmic Grooves, which hit streaming services February 6th, 2024 with vinyl releases hitting shelves March 22nd.
Cosmic Grooves is an 8-track adventure from start to finish, never administering a dull moment with its rollicking blend of honky tonk rock and semi-psychedelic grooves with songs that touch on detoxing from booze (“Pink Elephants”), Broome’s playful relationship with his cat (“Gone or Not”), the delightfully meta song about writing a song (“Another Song”) and much more.
With a fluttering psychedelic electric guitar riff washing over a mellow mid-tempo percussion, the opening track, “Gone or Not,” sends listeners on a wistful adventure sooner than later. “This mornin’ / Over breakfast / I reached for my coffee / As you walked out the door,” Broome sings over a gentle acoustic strum. The breezy song starts off sounding like a potentially lost love scenario, but if listened to closely, a few lines might give way to realize what the song is actually about: his cat, Dolly. “I had one about my dog already, and I didn’t want to leave her [the cat] out,” he stated with a laugh when chatting on the phone with us. The song was co-written with Lucas Hudgins and Sara Stephens.
And then it’s time for some juke joint honky tonk rock n’ roll with the second track, “Distracted.” As if it were a long lost B-Side track to Exile On Main Street, Broome admits they penned this number with The Rolling Stones in mind. “We’re all massive Stones’ fans, and knew we wanted to pay homage to them one way or another.”
“Pink Elephants” follows, bringing the mellower psychedelia along with it, this time touching on the heavier subject of detox and sobriety. The piano is a key element in this number, and Broome’s comforting vocals transcend the listener into a blissful, meditative space despite the lyrics: “I’m shiverin’ / Think I just might give in / If not for the pink elephants / I’d be here alone.”
The only cover on the album is the gut-punching version of the Townes Van Zandt classic, “Waitin’ Around to Die.” With a vibe and energy that feels like The Beatles “Yer Blues,” Broome and company rattle the speakers with this ode not only to TVZ but Rocky Hill, who delivered a similar version 20+ years ago. “We wanted to come at it like a full on punk band,” he told us, again with a hearty laugh. “We did it live one time – and I mean – I’ve never seen a reaction like that. You could hear a pin drop for a brief second before a booming ‘Yeahhh!’ So we thought maybe we should record this one.”
Cosmic Grooves was recorded at Signal Hill Recording in Dripping Springs, Texas. It was co-produced by Broome and Patrick Herzfeld, and mastered by David Willingham. Herzfeld also plays drums on the album, along with Adam Johnson (guitar), Morgan Patrick Thompson (bass), Simon Page (pedal steel), Sammy Powell (keys), and Jason McKenzie (tabla). The album art was created by Amy Beth Winkler.
When talking about the creation of the album, Broome stated, “Everybody coming together and making an album is awesome. Everybody has a little piece of it. You can come up with all the ideas in the world, but once everybody is putting in and creating, it’s really my favorite part of the whole thing.” As a life-long disciple of the city’s musical traditions (and of his hero, Doug Sahm), Broome has found his own sound and voice, and doesn’t hold back using it, as evidenced on Cosmic Grooves.
Every Sunday night Broome can be found at his residency leading Silo Road in a rousing musical journey at iconic East Austin haunt The White Horse — a testament to his commitment to the live music experience he sought out since he was a kid growing up in small town Texas.
