Some new, old music is on the way from Benjamin Tod. The “Using Again” singer joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast to talk about his faith, staying grounded while country keeps changing, doing his best to no longer be an antagonist, why staying true matters to yourself matters now more than ever, and much more. If you’ve ever listened to the often sinister and sincere stylings of Benjamin Tod, you know that the subject matter of his songs can vary from hopeful to as dark as it gets. The country music artist has quite the story to get where he is today – battling drug addiction at a young age, busking to try and make ends meet, and hopping freight trains to travel across the country. Through it all, he’s gained an intense appreciation and deep knowledge for the country music artists that have come before him. During our conversation, Tod briefly touched on why he’s frustrated that younger artists (at least some of them) don’t care to keep up with the genre’s history: “All of us, we know Dock Boggs and Blind Willie McTell and we know the old English ballads and how they relate to murder ballads from Appalachia and the songs they are derivative from. If you have a clear understanding of that, and your knowledge of country music isn’t just Travis Tritt and Hank Sr…. if you don’t have a fundamental understanding of the history of country music and its impact, then it’s really hard to have a conversation. We’re talking about two different things.” Benjamin Tod is one who is very much informed on country music and it’s impact, which is why he’s decided to do a little bit of a passion project that honors some of his favorite artists from yesteryear. While talking about all the things he has going on in his life – like preparing to bring a child into the world, or up-keeping his land in Kentucky – he revealed that he’s somehow carved out the time to record a record full of covers in the near future. Tod said that he’s got about 10 songs (one from each of his favorite artists) that he plans to cover himself and compile them all into one project: “I’m gonna record a record in December. A classic country record of sort of… I just picked a tune from probably by top 10 favorite classic country artists. Starting with Jimmy Rogers and moving all the way up to a Keith Whitley tune. And it spans (a long time). I’ve got one Graham Parsons tune and a Don Williams tune, obviously a Haggard tune. I tried to reach around (and pull from everywhere).” @whiskeyriff @Benjamin Tod #whiskeyriffraff #whiskeyriff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff Hey, there’s five artists right there. Tod has talked highly of other names such as Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt in the past, so they too could find a home on the 34-year-old’s cover project. Guess we’ll have to wait until he actually delivers the album to see who fills out the rest of the track list… but until then, make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or click here to hear more from Benjamin Tod. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Benjamin Tod Is Recording A Classic Country Covers Album Featuring Songs By Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard & More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.