William Surly in his natural habitat . . . hanging at Landmark Saloon in Portland. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media



Stream or download Episode 94: Episode 94 featuring William Surly



His given name is Michael Scheidt, but when you are a member of the Lonesome Billies, you are destined to be Billied.So he became William Surly — singer, songwriter, bass player and general jack-of-all-musical trades for the Portland-based country quartet. Surly, though, seems to be a bit of a misnomer. As our guest for Episode #94 of That Much Further West Podcast, Surly proved to be fun and friendly if not a little bit feisty.Chalk it up to being the youngest of five competitive brothers who grew up listening to all kinds of music, from new wave and punk to classic rock. It all helped shape the artist who performs as William Surly, a player who found his calling in country music and who has emerged from being a role player in a band to taking center stage as a solo performer.A few weeks ago he sat down with the podcast crew at Landmark Saloon ahead of his twice-monthly solo gig to talk about his role in The Lonesome Billies and the path that led him from punk rock to country. He credits his mother and her collection of folk records for steering him toward the songwriting heroes who inspired his journey. But he said it’s the friendships and chemistry that he’s developed with his fellow bandmates that inspires him to take musical chances and trust the direction he’s headed.



William Surly, sharing some tunes at Landmark Saloon.Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media



He also shares a few sweet acoustic performances during the interview, including two songs from the new Lonesome Billies album “Right On Time” that is drawing critical praise for its outlaw country sound and vibe.So dig into this brand new episode of That Much Further West Podcast and get to know William Surly — the bearded guy in the cowboy hat who’s living the dream, one shot of tequila at a time.Here’s the playlist from Episode #94:Away From My Big City Dreams, The Lonesome BilliesTall Cotton (Live at Landmark), William SurlySad Old Man, The Lonesome BilliesJust Tryin’ To Live (Live at Landmark), William SurlyThe Bottle Knows Me Better (Live at Landmark), William SurlyPine Box, The Lonesome Billies



Mike Lee and Phil Favorite from That Much Further West Podcast come face-to-face with William Surly at Landmark Saloon.