What 25 Years of Writing Songs Taught Him About Success, with Kyle Blankenship of Flip The Mule
Ep.58: Kyle Blankenship has been writing songs for 25 years. Flip the Mule is the first project that finally feels right.
The Tennessee indie folk rock songwriter and his lifelong musical partner Tyler Bandy are building something unhurried and intentional — a catalog of songs meant to outlast them. Kyle talks about watching his childhood home burn down and writing a song in 10 minutes, why he left his solo career to start a band again, and the phrase that reframed his entire creative life: "If it matters at all, it matters."
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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Intro: Kyle Blankenship and Flip the Mule
1:24 — Describing the Flip the Mule sound: indie folk rock with rock and roll roots
3:02 — A 25-year songwriting partnership with Tyler Bandy
5:11 — The true story behind "Our Old House" — watching his childhood home burn
11:04 — "Cool" as a philosophy: expect nothing, accept everything
17:22 — From The Good Side to Lines for Real to going solo
21:06 — Why being a solo artist is easier but not as fun
27:45 — Growing up in a musical family: gospel harmonies, Motown, and Elton John
33:00 — Balancing music, family, and discipline without the "at all costs" mindset
38:35 — How melody and story drive his songwriting process
42:28 — Redefining success: the process is complete when you put it out into the world
49:19 — Listening to music as a fan: discovering Dawes during COVID
52:30 — "If it matters at all, it matters" — art for art's sake
ABOUT KYLE BLANKENSHIP: Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from the TN/KY line near Nashville. Two solo albums under Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84. Flip the Mule is his current project with Tyler Bandy.
CONNECT WITH FLIP THE MULE:
▸ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/flipthemule
▸ Instagram: / flipthemule
▸ YouTube: / @flipthemule
▸ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hEGU...
▸ Bandcamp: https://flipthemule.bandcamp.com
🎵 MUSIC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Songs: "Cool" | "Our Old House" — Flip the Mule | "Mama's on a Moon Kick" | "Lucy Baby" — Kyle Blankenship | "100 Years From Now" — Theo Katzman
Albums: Nowhere to Be Found — Kyle Blankenship | Make It Through The Day — Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84 | Modern Johnny Sings — Theo Katzman
Artists: Flip the Mule | Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84 | Tyler Bandy | The Good Side | Lines for Real | Theo Katzman | Vulfpeck | Dawes | Fleet Foxes | My Morning Jacket | Band of Horses | Dan and Shay | Chris Stapleton | Elton John | Billy Joel | The Temptations | Rob Tait
▸ Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: / playlist
▸ "loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE...
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▸ This podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com