"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."
How
The Lost Trailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your dead set on leavin', both of us tired of the same old fight
Your drawer's are empty, your closet too
Your lips are ready, to say were through
How bout you don't
Slam that door
Call it quits
Back the car out, make that ride
Hit the highway say good bye
How bout you don't
I want to be a changed man
Yeah, I'm gonna do the right thing now
I know I lose my temper, that's when everything goes south
You do to, you know its true
Well walking out, ain't the thing to do
How bout you don't
Slam that door
Call it quits
Pull your suitcase in that old ford
Back the car out, make that ride
Hit the highway say good bye
How bout you don't
Please don't say that its over
How bout you don't
Don't even move
Let me hold you
Show ya, that I still love you
Lets just try, one more time
There ain't to good, in sayin' goodbye
How bout you don't
How bout you don't
How bout you don't
The Lost Trailers' song "How" is a lament from a narrator who is trying to convince his partner not to leave him. The lyrics describe a tumultuous relationship where they are both tired of the fighting and the struggle, but instead of giving up, the singer is urging their partner to stay and work on the relationship. The chorus, "How bout you don't," presents a plea for them to reconsider, to not pack up and leave, and to try one more time before calling it quits.
The verses reveal a vulnerability in both parties, with the singer admitting that he can lose his temper, and the partner being ready to say they're through. However, the singer doesn't blame anyone or point fingers, but instead focuses on finding a solution that will work for both of them, making it clear that he still loves their partner and wants them to stay.
Overall, the song is a passionate plea to save a relationship that's in danger of falling apart due to constant bickering and anger. The singer is willing to work on the problems, and he hopes that his partner will be willing to do the same, proving that perseverance and love can overcome any obstacle.
Line by Line Meaning
All of this screaming, ain't gettin' us nowhere tonight
Yelling and fighting won't fix anything, it's just wasting our time and energy.
Your dead set on leavin', both of us tired of the same old fight
You're determined to leave, and we're exhausted from having the same argument over and over again.
Your drawer's are empty, your closet too
All your belongings are packed up and ready to go.
Your lips are ready, to say were through
You're prepared to say that it's over between us.
How bout you don't
What if you don't leave after all?
Slam that door
Don't close the door on our relationship yet.
Call it quits
Let's not give up on each other just yet.
Pull your suitcase in that old ford
Instead of leaving, put your suitcase away and stay with me.
Back the car out, make that ride
Don't go out to the car and leave, come back inside.
Hit the highway say good bye
Don't drive away and say goodbye just yet.
I want to be a changed man
I want to improve myself and be a better partner to you.
Yeah, I'm gonna do the right thing now
I'm going to make an effort to do what's right for us.
I know I lose my temper, that's when everything goes south
I realize that I have a problem with anger, and it causes issues in our relationship.
You do to, you know its true
You also have your faults and you know it's true.
Well walking out, ain't the thing to do
Leaving each other is not the solution to our problems.
Please don't say that its over
I'm asking you not to give up on us completely.
Don't even move
Stay with me for a little longer.
Let me hold you
Allow me to comfort you and hold you in my arms.
Show ya, that I still love you
I want to prove to you that I still love you.
Lets just try, one more time
Let's give each other one more chance to make things work.
There ain't to good, in sayin' goodbye
There's nothing good that comes from saying goodbye to each other.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: RYDER LEE, VICKY MC GEHEE, GEOFFREY NIELSON, STOKES NIELSON, JEREMY STOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paula Jane
I love everything about this song forever this is real country music ♥️🤠🎸💯
josh broome
This song was in my head for months and finally figured out the name of it
Jackie Owens
I used to be obsessed with this song..I haven't heard it in a pretty long time. <3
bigchicken88
I miss this band so much!!! I love their music. wish ya come back. great song.
KentuckyGirl381
This song means so much to me..and the voice of the lead singer is very moving...
Romona Fosmire
Peter I
Flower Fields
Beautiful song!
Shelby Grisham
2022 still one of the best country song
Brock Grubb
Long time since I heard this song. Literally just remembered it existed.
MySecondTv
How did I ever managed to forget about this song? <3