39 years on the line. Now he's writing what it costs. Darren Thomas is an Oklahoma lineman who learned to write songs from his grandma and his dad, and he's turning a career's worth of storms, brotherhood, and hard lessons into music for the trade.
On this episode, host Thomas Williamson sits down with Darren in the Oklahoma heat to talk about his start at a small rural co-op, working Katrina, and why "you sign everything you touch, from a shovel handle to a hoist handle." Darren shares the story behind his songs "Line Life," written for linemen everywhere, and "What I Gave the Whiskey," a hard look at what the trade can take from you and the phone call that showed him why it mattered. He also has advice for apprentices, explains why "slow is fast," and talks about losing friends to line work and where he hopes his music goes next.
Presented by Tallman Equipment Company.
(2:48) - 39 Years on the Line: How Darren Got Started (4:07) - Storm Work, Katrina & the Brotherhood (6:03) - Retirement Plans & a Return to Songwriting (8:09) - The Story Behind "Line Life" (10:27) - "You Sign Everything You Touch" (10:54) - "Line Life" (Song Excerpt) (11:55) - Lessons from the Old Foreman (13:35) - Line Work Isn't for Everybody (15:55) - A Catalog of 35 Songs & 200 Poems (17:55) - "What I Gave the Whiskey" & the Cost of the Trade (20:22) - The Phone Call That Made It Worth It (21:39) - "What I Gave the Whiskey" (Song Excerpt) (24:01) - Advice for New Linemen: Be Humble (26:09) - "Slow Is Fast" (28:33) - Losing Friends to Line Work & Staying Focused (30:46) - What's Next: Songs on the Radio (32:20) - Performing at Lineman Events? (34:22) - Where to Find Darren's Music (37:39) - Closing & Sign-Off
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