"Anyone who has ever seen us live is going to hear the first 15 seconds of "Holler Back" and say ‘There’s The Lost Trailers. Those are the guys I saw open for Chesney or open for Sugarland’," says Stokes, tagged on the band’s website as The Writer."
Music is important and has a lasting quality," adds lead vocalist Ryder, aka The Voice. "But music should be fun too, there needs to be a balance. "Holler Back" is a fun song that captures the element of our live show which is really important to us as well.
"Ryder and Stokes both gravitated towards music in high school, where they convinced another student, drummer Jeff Potter, to join them in a band named Ryder Stokes. Soon, Stokes’ younger brother Andrew came on as their bassist, a position now held by the fifth and last member to join the band, Manny Medina (Andrew moved over to keyboards).
The new band caught a break early, as their demo found its way to Willie Nelson, who invited them to perform on his annual Fourth of July picnic. By the time they got to Austin, they had changed the band’s name, thanks to some unfortunate incidents involving successive equipment trailers. The 15,000 fans there that afternoon witnessed the debut of The Lost Trailers, and the response was so enthused that Nelson ended up inviting them to open other dates for him.
"What we learned from that experience was that putting on a great show will build a fan base," remembers Stokes. "If you do it night after night, your fan base will grow. If you earn those fans early on, they will stay fans for life. Even after all these years, Willie puts on a great show every night, and he takes care of his fans, and we strive for that sort of connection with our fans."
The Lost Trailers hit the road, first crammed into an SUV, then a van and ultimately graduating to a bonafide bus, which was the place they called home 300 days a year for five years. "For five years, we were basically living in America," says Ryder. "That experience was the basis of this record. It was being a group of guys with unique personalities who learn to live as a family, who have been there, done that, and tell that story honestly. We learned a lot about ourselves from constant touring, and we were able to define our sound before we got signed.
"The Lost Trailers came to the major label table after SONY/BMG Nashville A&R head Renee Bell introduced them to label chairman Joe Galante, who immediately signed them, seeing in The Lost Trailers that same road-tested talent and passionate drive that Alabama brought to his label 25 years before. "Alabama has always been one of our biggest role models," says Stokes. "It turned out that the first songs Ryder and I ever performed in front of an audience were Alabama songs. It was such a thrill to be on the same label where they spent their career, and signed by the guy who broke them. It just felt like it was meant to be.
"Through 2006, The Lost Trailers maintained their permanent temporary bus residence, headlining clubs like they had always done, and opening dates in massive arenas for established stars like Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley and another great teacher, Kenny Chesney.
"What we learned from Kenny was put out great songs, put out songs you believe in, and that your fans believe in," says Stokes. "Deliver to your fans. Give them what they want that’s the best of you. All the years of touring, we’ve learned what we do best. It was time to put that on a record.
"The band found the key to realizing that in producer Brett Beavers, who came into the picture with the same goal: capture the energy and excitement of The Lost Trailers’ live show and put it on a record. He produced several of the tracks, notably the album opener, "Holler Back," and the second cut, "How ‘Bout You Don’t". The wrenching ballad that does a complete emotional and musical 180 from the jacked-up title cut, and relies on Ryder’s resonate, soulful vocals to convey the desperation of a man about to lose everything, piercing the hearts of listeners who have been on either side of that door.
Ryder and Stokes not only share songwriting credits on several tunes, but also took the production reins in the studio on a couple of cuts, not unlike the way they used to do it before they were signed to a recording contract.
"We took six months off to make this record," says Ryder. "We haven’t taken that much time off the road in six years. We poured all of that energy that would have gone into performing live, and put it on this record. Everything we have done for the last seven years has led to this record."
Favorite Friends
The Lost Trailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then we'd all go fishing in the dusk bitten sun.
Not old enough to drive, but we knew if we could,
We'd have all the women in our neighborhood.
But we never thought that one of us would go away,
No, we never dreamed that we might cry on teenage graves.
The fairytale ends with the loss of our favorite friend.
Well, the funeral was nice, or that's what you're supposed to say,
We all sat together staring out into grey.
It was hard to believe that out of five faithful friends,
Four were left broken while one rode the wind.
And the nights out on the town fell few and far between,
Cause all we talked about was how great things used to be,
Our innocence ends with the loss of our favorite friend.
It seems like the best of us always fall to early grace,
And the road will keep rolling on, but angels are hard to replace,
I guess it was crazy luck, to have someone like that to lose,
But he couldn't stay long, God must have missed him, too.
Now Charlie is in college, and I hit the road,
And Al is building churches in New Mexico,
Steve is running from the law, but that's nothing new,
We all say we'll meet back home but we never do.
And the woods burned down long ago, the old neighborhood is gone,
And I can't get drunk no more, cause I hate drinking alone.
But I know in the end we'll get back to our favorite friends.
Cause life is much better when it is shared with our favorite friends.
The Lost Trailers' song "Favorite Friends" is a nostalgic ode to the inseparable bond forged between childhood friends. The lyrics detail the quintessential experiences shared by the group, from getting drunk in the woods to going fishing in the sun. The lyrics project a sense of invincibility, depicting the young boys as fearless, and possessing the belief that they could have any woman they wanted. However, this fairytale comes to an end with the sudden loss of one of their closest friends. The lyrics depict the solemn funeral and grief-stricken aftermath of the loss of their friend, who rode "the wind" while they were left to mourn.
The death of their friend created a rift between the remaining four, and as they all grew up, they drifted apart. The lyrics indicate that each went their separate ways and settled down into their own adult lives, building careers and families. The nostalgic reminiscences of their childhood adventures still haunt them, and the chorus projects the hope that they may one day rekindle the bond that they shared and meet their friend again. The song's somber melody and lyrics perfectly capture the memories of those days gone by, and the bittersweet reality of moving into adulthood.
Line by Line Meaning
We couldn't leave the woods 'til the bottle was done,
We would not return from the woods until we finished drinking from the bottle of alcohol.
Then we'd all go fishing in the dusk bitten sun.
After drinking, we would proceed to fish during sunset.
Not old enough to drive, but we knew if we could,
Although we were underage to operate a vehicle, we desired to have the ability to drive.
We'd have all the women in our neighborhood.
We believed that having the power to drive would attract all the women in our community.
But we never thought that one of us would go away,
We never once imagined that one of our friends would pass away or leave us permanently.
No, we never dreamed that we might cry on teenage graves.
The possibility of us mourning our friends' deaths at a young age was an unthinkable notion.
The fairytale ends with the loss of our favorite friend.
Our idealistic perception of life and friendship came to a halt with the loss of our beloved friend.
Well, the funeral was nice, or that's what you're supposed to say,
Although the funeral was a somber occasion, one was expected to utter pleasantries about it.
We all sat together staring out into grey.
Collectively, we gazed out into a dismal environment surrounded by melancholy.
It was hard to believe that out of five faithful friends,
Comprehending that one of our loyal five friends was no longer present proved to be challenging.
Four were left broken while one rode the wind.
Except for one individual that passed away, the other four of us endured a broken mental state.
And the nights out on the town fell few and far between,
We rarely ventured out for nights on the town anymore.
Cause all we talked about was how great things used to be,
During the rare instances when we did go out, our conversations always revolved around our past experiences and how wonderful they were.
Our innocence ends with the loss of our favorite friend.
Our sense of naivety halted with our friend's passing.
It seems like the best of us always fall to early grace,
It appears that the most impressive individuals among us pass away too soon.
And the road will keep rolling on, but angels are hard to replace,
Life moves forward, but it is difficult to find a substitution for an angelic being.
I guess it was crazy luck, to have someone like that to lose,
In some respects, it was a stroke of bad luck to have someone exceptional like our friend pass away.
But he couldn't stay long, God must have missed him, too.
Our friend's life was not meant to be long due to his significance, and even God desired his presence.
Now Charlie is in college, and I hit the road,
Currently, Charlie is pursuing post-secondary education, while I have embarked on a journey of my own.
And Al is building churches in New Mexico,
Al has made a significant career shift and is constructing places of worship in New Mexico.
Steve is running from the law, but that's nothing new,
Steve is engaged in his usual routine of evading law officials.
We all say we'll meet back home but we never do.
We often say that we will have a reunion back home, but we fail to follow through.
And the woods burned down long ago, the old neighborhood is gone,
The forest we used to visit is no longer standing, and the previous community we resided in ceased to exist.
And I can't get drunk no more, cause I hate drinking alone.
I refrain from consuming alcohol as it reminds me of the good times we shared together, and it is unpleasant to drink without them.
But I know in the end we'll get back to our favorite friends.
However, I believe that we will ultimately be reunited with our favorite friends.
Cause life is much better when it is shared with our favorite friends.
Our lives become substantially enriched when experienced with our cherished friends.
Contributed by Hannah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joan Laird
Absolutely love the song! Jason and Stokes, you are the best! Keep rockin'
Jessy Gutierrez
you guys are great. heard yall on xm radio and spent an hour finding this title because soundhound did not recognize it
Jennifer Cassidy-Burns
Just heard this song for the first time today on my Sirius satellite radio. Love it!!!
Ar-tist Man-ager
Love the song and what an awesome video, it looks amazing!That's our cowgirl like Reese Witherspoon, IIT Entertainment Model & Actress Meredith G.!
Graydon Hasenbusch
Good jam! Surprised I haven't heard this before!
Caitlin Buckley
Yay!! I love Dakota and Will!!!
Nikki Kilcullen
Favorite Video! Saw it a few years ago and have been trying to find it again ever since, thank God I finally did!
Dax Penick
Turned out great!
Jon Fair
please add this song to the canadian itunes store. :)
JBING1204
People who are hating on this music video need to lighten up theres a new subgenre in country for country rap its getting bigger as time goes on so yall mise as well accept it