Skip to content
1 episode

addiction & recovery

Every episode of The Rugged Revival featuring addiction & recovery — conversations with independent country, Americana, and roots artists.

Addiction, Fatherhood & a Life Built Around Music | Chasen Wayne
Ramblin' & Gamblin' with The Slim Chance Cowboy

Chasen Wayne

Addiction, Fatherhood & a Life Built Around Music | Chasen Wayne

Chasen Wayne’s route into music has been anything but conventional. Raised around rodeo cowboys and blue-collar workers, Wayne spent years working with his hands while finding whatever time he could to write songs, play guitar and build a life in music. What followed has been a journey through hard work, addiction, sobriety, marriage, fatherhood and an unwavering commitment to his craft. In this deeply candid conversation with Slim Chance Cowboy, Chasen opens up about the experiences behind his music, the reality of making earlier records while heavily drinking and using drugs, his decision to get sober, and the family that now means more to him than any stage or record ever could. We also dig into his evolution as a songwriter, his work as a talent buyer at the Sagebrush, the sacrifices that come with touring as a father, and the story behind Chasen Wayne & The Honky Tonk Machine’s latest record, The Diamond Saloon. This is more than a conversation about country music. It’s an honest look at the life behind the songs... the mistakes, the work, the people worth changing for, and what it means to keep pursuing something after more than a decade of trying to get it right. Chapters 00:00 Introducing Chasen Wayne 00:36 Rodeo Roots & a Blue-Collar Upbringing 03:59 Austin, Plumbing & Learning the Craft 07:39 Injury, Addiction & a Turning Point at the Sagebrush 10:48 From King Cowboy to The Diamond Saloon 12:43 Writing His Life Into the Songs 14:02 Getting Sober & Looking Back at the Early Records 14:57 Strange Places & Moving Beyond Traditional Country 17:57 The Story Behind “Honeymoon” & Corpus Christi 20:36 Addiction, Sobriety & Choosing His Family 21:47 Work Ethic, Fatherhood & the Cost of Touring 25:15 Finding His Own Sound & Why He Keeps Going 28:57 What’s Next for Chasen Wayne Subscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music! Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628 Follow The Rugged Revival: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevival Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679 Website: www.theruggedrevival.com Email: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

24 September 2026· 30:19