Bettin' On The Mule

Northwest Georgia band Bettin' On The Mule has been nominated for three music awards. The International Singer Songwriter Association nominated the band for "Band of the Year", Album of the Year "Tag Applied For" and Song of the Year for "I Think of You". The awards show will take place on August 6th in Sandy Springs, GA. The first single from the CD "Every Day and Every Night" made it's debut at #2 on the Georgia Songbirds Podcast heard on internet radio stations all over the world. The CD "Tag Applied For" was recorded in Kennesaw, GA at the studio owned by Jackyl lead singer Jesse James Dupree.

Recently Bettin' On The Mule were crowned the winners of the Smiley's Unique Entertainment Georgia Music Showcase held at Sixes Tavern in Cartersville. In addition to touring to support their new CD, the band released their signature beer called "Mule Kicker" in May. You can find it at Hixtown Brewing Company in Villa Rica.

Bettin' On The Mule has a full schedule of upcoming shows including July 16th at the Summer Concert Series in Cedartown, GA. and the Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival on August 20th in Kennesaw, GA. For more information on the band please visit their website at www.bettinonthemule.com - Marietta Daily Journal Online

Northwest Georgia Band Releases New Music
Local band Bettin' On The Mule has just released their new EP titled "Tag Applied For". This is the second CD from the band. Their debut album "ALL IN" was released in early 2020. Bettin' On The Mule's newest release was recorded at Cock of the Walk Studios in Kennesaw, Georgia. The studio is owned by rock band Jackyl lead singer Jesse James Dupree. The songs were recorded, engineered, and produced by acclaimed engineer Jeff Tomei and mastered at Glenn Schick Mastering in Atlanta.
The first single from the new record titled "Every Day and Every Night" debuted at #2 on the Georgia Songbirds podcast top 10 countdown and remained in the top ten for three weeks. The podcast is played on internet radio stations all over the world. The band will be starting production on videos for their singles in the next few months. Bettin' On The Mule will be out promoting "Tag Applied For" in 2022 with shows in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. Additional shows will be added to the schedule later.
Bettin' On The Mule members are:
Jacob Wilson - Lead vocals and bass;
Brandon Wilson - Lead guitar and backing vocals;
Rick Norris - Drums and backing vocals. - The Dallas New Era

RadioAirplay.com Review Every Day and Every Night

Overall Impression:
Blending meaty riffs with a killer sense of groove and a generous helping of feel-good vibes, Bettin' On The Mule's fantastic rip-rollicking southern-edged rocker "Every Day and Every Night" is the perfect example of what happens when you get a bunch of like-minded musicians together that quite simply love to make music, and whether its the fantastically infectious feeling of energy coming off each and every overdriven guitar hook, vocal phrase, or percussive hit, "Every Day and Every Night" is very clearly one of those tracks made to be performed live in front of an audience so that they can throw their hands up in the air, get on moving, and have one heck of a good whiskey-fueled time!


Strongest Point(s):
Opening with the rousing sound of drums and a deliciously crunchy guitar riff that incorporates a delightfully quirky chromatic shift, "Every Day and Every Night" wastes no time in getting those energy levels raised, settling into its foot-tapping groove instantaneously whilst effectively establishing its charming fun-lovin' character, and by the time the warm and pleasantly husky tones of the vocals enter, you can't help but feel fully-onboard for what will be an undeniably pleasant ride from start to finish.
There's a certain energy to rock music that is unquestionably unique and when you get a band such as Bettin' On The Mule who clearly embrace the spirit of the genre with wide open arms you can't help but feel invested in what they're trying to convey to their audience. Whilst the music is based within a major tonality throughout most of the track, I found it particularly interesting when the song took a somewhat unexpected yet exciting detour around its midway point, opting for a darker tone with the help of the chord progressions' sudden shift into a minor based tonality. Not only does this create a great bit of contrast in the arrangement but also allows the music to briefly explore some new melodic and harmonic ground before returning to its roots.

Target Audience Appeal:
"Every Day and Every Night" is a superb southern rocker and fans of the genre will no doubt find it to be a thoroughly good time.

Artist target suggestions:
The Cadillac Three, 38 Special, Whiskey Myers, Blackberry Smoke, Kenny Wayne Shepard, The Steel Woods, Bishop Gunn, The Jompson Brothers, Them Dirty Roses, ZZ Top

About The Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar as well as teaching it, helping students learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and become more proficient in home recording. - Jango.com

By LORA BUNCH

I have known Jake Wilson for many years and started off watching him and my son Ian playing guitars, singing and writing songs together at our home and family get togethers. Jake and both my boys, Ian and Noah, co-wrote some of the songs. Jake’s passion for music grew stronger year after year, and his family shares this love as well. It was no surprise for me to see them form a band and take their talent on the road as Bettin’ on the Mule.

On a recent Friday night at Rocco’s, watching them perform was amazing. They drew a big crowd, and everyone was having a great time. They connected well with the audience and brought it all out on the stage. Here is your chance to get to know them better.

Who are the band members?

Jake Wilson – lead vocalist/rhythm guitar, Shannon Wilson – bass guitar/backup vocals, Rick Norris – drums/backup vocals, Brandon Wilson – lead guitar/backup vocals.

How did you get the band’s name?

The drummer (Rick) came up with it, explaining when you are at a horse race and everyone is betting on the front runner horse and no one is betting on the mule but the mule wins.

What did you do during the last year or so with the shutdown?

Writing and recording and played shows we could still play in even out of state, Facebook Lives, etc.

Tell me about your albums and the songs on them.

Two albums. “All In” was recorded in Westminster, S.C., and the second one is “Tag Applied For” recorded in Kennesaw at the Cock of the Wall owned by Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl.

What’s your favorite song on your album and why?

Jake: Every Day Every Night
Rick: I Think of You
Brandon: Every Day and Every Night
Shannon: Sound of Thunder

Tell me what you have coming up this year that you are looking forward to.

Festivals and cities for shows this summer and going to San Destin Golf Resort in Miramar Beach to play a show.

Who is your biggest musical inspiration?

Jake: Joe Elliot, Def Leppard
Rick: Elvis, my dad took me three times to see him in concert
Brandon: Keith Richards
Shannon: Eddie Van Halen

Where can we find your music?

Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, and bettinonthemule.com

Is there a place you have not performed that you would like to?

Jake: Grand Ole Opry and Madison Square Garden
Shannon: Apollo or the Ritz
Rick: Fox Theatre
Brandon: Lakewood and Verizon

What do you see in the distant future for your music, like where would you like to end up in five years?

Band collectively: Across the pond to Europe and doing some tours there, Amsterdam, getting music out to more people, playing bigger venues and our name out there everywhere.

What is your overall favorite song by another singer?

Jake: Def Leppard, Hysteria
Rick: Bad Company, Moving on
Shannon: Rolling Stones, Far Away Eyes
Brandon: The Who, Eminence Front

If you could change one thing today in any area of life, what would you choose?

Jake: Save money earlier
Rick: More extroverted when younger
Shannon: I would have started saving money earlier.
Brandon: Dating choices of the past

What are the top songs on your playlist right now?

Jake: Michael Jackson, Def Leppard, and Michael Bolton
Rick: Bad Lands – Dreams in the Dark, Mr. Big – Green-Tinted 60s Mind, Stones – Gimme Shelter
Shannon: April Wine, Prince, Rolling Stones, The Georgia Satellites
Brandon: Iron Maiden, Blackfoot, Meryl Haggard, Rolling Stones

Tell me about your hobbies outside of music.

Jake: drinking beer, fishing, hunting
Rick: family going to the casino
Shannon: family and friends and grandbabies
Brandon: kids working on cars

What are three things outside of people and faith you wouldn’t want to live without?

Jake: AC, music, beer
Shannon: AC, remote control, bass guitar
Rick: AC, music, cat
Brandon: transportation, tools, guitar

What would you like new musicians coming out to know that maybe you wish you had known when you were just starting out?

Band collectively: Don’t think you know it all or that it will happen overnight. Stay humble, be friendly to all people, and don’t be afraid to listen – you are not always right.

If you could have a songwriting session with anyone alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

Jake: Glenn Frey – Eagles, Chad Kroeger – Nickelback, and Michael Jackson
Shannon: Willie Nelson, Billie Joe Shaver, and Charlie Starr
Rick: Bernie Taupin
Brandon: Rolling Stones

Do you have a favorite place or ritual you prefer when you are writing?

Jake: Hanging out with Ian drinking beer
Shannon: When it is quiet and alone
Rick: When I am in nature, a nice view or at the beach
Brandon: no, just when inspiration hits

What if anything did you learn or take from the shutdown over the last year?

Band collectively: The solitude and not getting to play and listen to other bands brought to our attention to love and appreciate music and freedom of it and expression and life.

You will want to check these guys out! They have even had their own beer brand launched call The Mule Kicker. You can find it at Hixtown Brewery in Villa Rica. They have a lot of things to look forward to as they travel and grow in their music. I would suggest you catch a show because the music is amazing and the show they put on is even better. - Best of North Georgia Mountains

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Norris.

Hi Richard, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started playing drums at age 14 when my Dad bought me a drum set for my birthday. Over the years, I played in various bands and even moved out to Los Angeles to play. Fast forward to the current day and the band I play in now, Bettin’ On The Mule. We have two CDs out and are working on a third.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been an easy one for us. Bettin’ On The Mule has had some challenges along the way. When we released our debut CD called “All In” we had our CD release party and one week later the Covid pandemic hit then the whole world shut down. So we never were able to properly promote it. Our bass player Shannon Wilson was in a terrible car accident a couple of years ago. He had to take months off to recover. Then last year I had cancer surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from the back of my right leg. I had a few complications from the surgery and we ended up having to cancel a couple of our bigger shows. But I am blessed by God that after two surgeries and some tough recovery, I am cancer free and back to playing drums with Bettin’ On The Mule.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the drummer for Bettin’ On The Mule and also sing backing vocals. Jacob Wilson is the lead singer and Rhythm Guitar; Brandon Wilson is the Lead Guitar player and backing singer as well. The newest member of the band Shannon “Beef” Wilson holds down the bass while providing awesome backing vocals. Our music is a unique combination of Southern Rock, Classic Rock and County we like to call “Hometown Rock”. We are still touring and promoting our second CD called “Tag Applied For” and are working on new music that will be released later this year. We will also be releasing our debut music video for our song “Every Day and Every Night” which debuted at #2 on the Georgia Songbirds Countdown heard on internet radio stations heard all over the world. We were blessed to record our CD at Cock of the Walk Studios, the Kennesaw recording studio of Jackyl lead singer Jesse James Dupree and to work with acclaimed engineer/producer Jeff Tomei. The band was also named the winner of the Smileys Unique Entertainment Georgia Music Showcase in June 2022. We were also nominated by the International Singer-Songwriter Association (ISSA) for Band of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year. In 2023, Bettin’ On The Mule is looking forward to releasing new music, touring, playing festivals, gaining new fans and making new music videos.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like the variety of entertainment that is provided in Atlanta. You have an awesome choice of talented artists. The local music scene is one of the best in the country. I think my least favorite thing about the city is the TRAFFIC!

Contact Info:

Website: www.bettinonthemule.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bettinonthemule
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@bettinonthemule
Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KYUY6AsIyV8UappW2Logg - Voyage ATL

Peek Park was filled with the sounds of classic rock and country music again on Saturday evening as the band Bettin’ on the Mule rolled into Cedartown as part of the city’s summer concert series.

The Northwest Georgia band, which includes two members from Rockmart, is coming off of being nominated for three awards by the International Singer Songwriter Association.

The band is nominated for Band of the Year, Album of the Year for its EP “Tag Applied For,” and Song of the Year for “I Think of You.” Members are Jacob Wilson, Brandon Wilson and Rick Norris. - Northwest Georgia News

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rick Norris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rick, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Being blessed by God to be able to make music and perform. There is a lot of hard work by everyone involved and we just love what we do. If one person enjoys our music or comes to see us at a live show and has fun then it makes us feel good that we have spread some joy into someone’s life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Bettin’ On The Mule’s sound is best called “Hometown Rock”. With our original songs we try to appeal to many people with a Classic Rock/Southern Rock vibe. Playing together for about 5 years the band has been a three piece for a couple of years now consisting of: Jacob Wilson – Lead Vocals and Bass, Brandon Wilson – Lead guitar and backing vocals and Rick Norris – Drums and backing vocals. Recently we have welcomed a new member Shannon Wilson on Bass and backing vocals. This enables Jake to focus on just singing lead. We released our debut CD, “ALL IN” in February 2020. We had a big CD release party and was starting our promotion tour when COVID hit and the world shut down. So it was difficult to get out and play to promote the CD. During the shutdown, we worked on writing more music with our friend and songwriter Ian Denney. Some of those songs are what became our latest EP “Tag Applied For”.
Our first single, “Every Day and Every Night” debuted at #2 on the Georgia Songbirds Podcast broadcasted on internet radio stations all over the world. At this year’s International Singer Songwriters Association (ISSA), our second single “I Think of You” is nominated for “Song of the Year”. We are also blessed with two other ISSA nominations this year, Band of the Year and Album of the Year “Tag Applied For”. We have been playing tons of shows promoting the EP and we were blessed to be named the winner of the Smiley’s Unique Entertainment Georgia Music Showcase in Cartersville, GA in June 2022
We are also excited about the release of our signature beer named “Mule Kicker”! Right now it is only available at Hixtown Brewing Company in Villa Rica, GA but we have plans to expand it soon. Bettin’ On The Mule has been blessed and we are going to keep working hard for our fans to make fun and interesting music and build our brand. The band is scheduled to head back to do some recording again at Jesse James Dupree’s, Cock of the Walk Studios with Producer/Engineer Jeff Tomei in September 2022.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend visiting, I would have to tell them you can’t visit Atlanta without going to The Varsity for a chili dog, onion rings and a frosted orange! Then visit the Georgia Aquarium. Afterwards head over to watch the World Champion Atlanta Braves in person. Before they left town, I would tell them to make sure to catch a concert at The Historic Fox Theatre.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many who deserve a shoutout for their support of Bettin’ On The Mule. Our families, friends and fans have always been there to back us 100%. We appreciate them all very much and couldn’t do this without them. Shoutout to friend and songwriter Ian Denney for his many contributions. A special shoutout to Producer/Engineer Jeff Tomei for the awesome work on our newest EP “Tag Applied For”. Also to Cock of the Walk Studios and Jesse James Dupree for the opportunity to record at such a cool place.

Website: www.bettinonthemule.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bettinonthemule

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC03INPZf5PiB5MkXdJnXoEA

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KYUY6AsIyV8UappW2Logg?si=mEDjZ67JQjawdiobZ_pU0w

Image Credits
Todd Dean Images, Sonya Norris - Shoutout Atlanta

There are lots of local musicians in our listening area. One or those is Bettin" On the Mule, a three piece power trio that hails from Fairmount.

Bettin" On The Mule is made up of Jacob Wilson,lead vocals, bass guitar; Brandon Wilson, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals; Rick Norris, drums, vocals.

They play a fun mix of Southern Rock, Classic Rock, Country and Originals. Their unique sound personifies the phrase "Hometown Rock". This phrase perfectly describes the style and feel of the band's music and show. They love performing and their music comes from the soul. An exciting stage show where everyone is having fun, great musicianship and original songs that have a true meaning to them. That is what you can expect from Bettin' On The Mule.

Bettin' On The Mule has opened for The Lacs, The Georgia Thunderbolts, Jeff Rodgers Band and more. The band has played many awesome venues all over the southeast including, The Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Musicfest, Sixes Tavern, Mullen's Pub Seneca, SC, and The Cleburne County Fair (Alabama) just to name a few.

The group's debut CD is still available on most digital platforms. And a new CD, Tag Applied For, is coming soon! - 104.9therebel.com

Bettin’ on the Mule will start at 7 p.m., food vendors and fountains galore

It’s time once again for a show in Cedartown, and everyone is invited to come out and take part in the latest in the 2022 Summer Concert Series shows in Peek Park on Saturday night.

Bettin’ on the Mule, a Fairmount-based power trio who mix southern and classic rock favorites with country hits and some original music as well, will be headlining on the stage.

The live music is free to watch, and food vendors will also be out selling treats during the event set to start at 7 p.m. - Polk Today