Tyler Halverson is a proud South Dakotan… but he’d never tell you to move to the “Mount Rushmore State.” The singer-songwriter (and “Amerijuana” trademark owner) recently joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast to discuss how he didn’t feel pressure putting together his sophomore album, In Defense of Drinking, revisited his dream blunt rotation, talked about his goal to sing at the NFR opening ceremony, and revealed why he wanted to keep his most recent album “less polished.” Halverson then gave his take on modern country music albums being 25 songs long, how he never passes up a thrifting opportunity, and said that one of his favorite genres of music to listen to is… big band music from the 1940s. There was really no stone left unturned in the conversation with the “Beer Garden Baby” singer. He even touched on some of his favorite places to play – and least favorite places (*cough* NASHVILLE *cough*). After Halverson said Texas was probably his ideal state for performing, he did give some credit to the music scene in South Dakota and the surrounding area: “South Dakota is an interesting music scene. I feel like there’s a lot more of a folk scene there. There’s a whole thing. I feel like that’s a whole thing in Minneapolis, and as you get out west, there’s a lot more folk festivals. There’s a lot more of a bluegrass and folk scene in South Dakota… to go play a show there, there’s really not many places to go.” Once he mentioned South Dakota, we started to ask him some more questions about the state that not everyone knows that much about. And funny enough, Halverson prefers to keep it that way. He hilariously became somewhat of a South Dakota gatekeeper, and shouted out some not-so-pleasant things about his home state: “We can’t talk about South Dakota too much. I don’t want people to know about it. It’s desolate and we love it. (It’s freezing in the winter). Absolutely. You go home and it’s like -30 without wind chill. It hurts to smile.” @whiskeyriff @Tyler Halverson @rockthecountry #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff #rockthecountry ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff Not to be rude towards South Dakota and its residents… but why would you have a reason to smile in weather like that? Halverson said that the best way to handle the harsh weather that South Dakota experiences is to a) stay inside b) go to the bar or c) drink. Obviously, “b” and “c” can be grouped together there… and though that might sound appealing to some, I’d say Tyler Halverson is doing a good job of convincing others to not move to his home state. To listen to the full interview, check it out on YouTube or make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post “I Don’t Want People To Know About It”: Tyler Halverson Is Doing His Best To Gatekeep His Home State Of South Dakota first appeared on Whiskey Riff.