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Rap + Hick = Bandit Farley The Official Interview

It’s rap and country combined. I’m rapping but it’s more in a hick way. I’ve never heard a sound or style like mine.

GW: Tell me where you’re from and how you started getting into music and how you developed an interest for music.
Bandit Farley: Ever since I’ve been younger, pretty much ever since I’ve been old enough to walk with my stick horse, I was always singing. The day that I really got developed into my music, I mean I’ve always been in the high school marching band, but the death of my friend Derek…that really took a toll on my life. One minute you’re here and the next minute you’re gone, and the only way I felt that I could cope with life is through a song. My friend died on October 11th of 2002, and I ended up going to this small county in Arkansas and checked myself into a hotel, and there was really nothing to do. I sat on the bed watching TV or whatever and I got bored, didn’t have nothin’ to do so I ended up going to Wal-Mart and I bought me a pen and paper. I decided to start writing about my life, and the more I wrote the more everything I was writing was turning into a song. I started writing music in 2002 and in 2003 I had an accident so I kind of stopped writing because I thought God didn’t want me to do my music so I let it go for a while and in 2011 I picked it back up and then in August 12 I released my first single ‘Country Boy Swag’.

GW: How would you explain your music to someone that has never heard it?
Bandit Farley: It’s rap and country combined. I’m rapping but it’s more in a hick way. I’ve never heard a sound or style like mine.

GW: Did you have an influence for that type of style?
Bandit Farley: I listen to rap music and country music, I like all types of music, but rap and country are my favorite. My dad always wanted me to be a country singer, but I never wanted to be a country singer, I wanted to be a rapper. I started writing and country rap was right on the dot for me. I tried hip-hop when I was younger but it wasn’t panning out, it was like I was trying to be somebody that I wasn’t; me being a country rapper is me being myself and I don’t have to change my style or nothin’ like that. Whether I’m at a hip-hop concert or a country concert I’m still going to have my cowboy boots on and I’ll still be rappin’, so it don’t matter. [Laughs]

GW: Who are your musical influences?
Bandit Farley: I like Eminem, I like a little bit of George Jones, Meryl Hager, I like Colt Ford, Lenny Cooper, I like some Bubba Sparks too.

GW: How have things changed for you since you’ve released your first single?
Bandit Farley: What’s changed about me is more of my writin’. But I’ve learned my craft more, I’ve learned who Bandit Farley is. I was always Doug Farley, but I found Bandit Farley ya know what I mean?

GW: How has your career changed?
Bandit Farley: I’ve developed a lot of fans. I can be walkin’ around my hometown or surrounding towns and people will recognize me. But fame won’t change me….Bandit Farley will never change for fame.

GW: Are most of your fans local?
Bandit Farley: No. I have fans in Georgia, some in Nashville, I’ve even had fans that have wrote me from Washington DC.

GW: How do you see your career growing in the next year?
Bandit Farley: I see it going far. On my time off from work I plan to keep going strong on my music. I want this so bad, I’ve got the hunger for it. I can’t just sit down, I’ve got to keep movin’.


GW: What do you think is important for fans to know about you?
Bandit Farley: I’m a loving person and I love music, I love my fans. Bandit Farley is here to please the fans, but I’m also here to deliver a message.

GW: What’s your message?
Bandit Farley: Country boy swag! I haven’t really successful at anything I’ve ever done because I had trouble in school and stuff like that and I had a lot of folks put me down and tell me that I wouldn’t ever amount to nothin’. But I see myself today and I’m doing great. For every person out there, for every kid out there that ever had trouble in school, I tell them to keep on goin’ and to never give up on their dreams. Praying to God and keeping faith in their heart will get them far.

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