The Bobby Tenderloin Universe Conquer Guilt with Love on Cathartic New Single “Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch”
The Bobby Tenderloin Universe is a band, a community, and a movement; but, most of all, it’s an excuse to don your western wear and give yourself over to the song and dance at the heart of every BTU show. Bobby enraptures his audiences with his deep, rich voice and thoughtful, tender lyrics, rustling up a fresh new take on the old country we all love. Some say he exhibits the sincerity of Johnny Cash, the wit of Roger Millar, and the vocal stylings and production sensibilities of Lee Hazlewood. He and his band are lifelong friends and it shows in the way they bring the songs to life.
“Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch” is a brand new song about guilt, how love is the only thing that can conquer it, and ego death. Bobby wants his listeners to remember that these human experiences are universal and that you’re not alone.
“The lyrics came to me very quickly in a stream of consciousness kind of way, back in a time when I was the “Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch.” The electric guitar riff was inspired by the riff in “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” and I kept the chords pretty simple, to not distract from the lyrics. Once I slapped the tune together in my basement, I sent it to Nathan Gray to add pedal steel and had Emma Frazier and Kayla Enns over to replace my strained, high background parts with their angelic, effortless vocals.” – Bobby Tenderloin
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
This is Bobby T from The Bobby Tenderloin Universe.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Our sophomore album, Satan is a Woman, is named after the title track, which tells the story of a man who loves a woman but feels tied to a rigid moral belief system. This woman constantly challenges his ideas, and he fears that gaining new knowledge might change his beliefs, making him feel like he’s “letting evil in.” So, in his mind, even though he desperately loves her, she is evil. He finds himself in an internal battle because not loving her is not an option, but he feels he can’t live with himself if he continues to see her in this way.
The ending is where it gets interesting and it’s meant to be ambiguous. To me, it means that if he continues to cling to this ‘Satanic Panic’ version of Satan, he faces two choices: either he kills himself or kill Satan. But what does that mean, to “kill Satan”?
Perhaps it signifies killing his own “satanic panic” version of Satan, allowing him to grow and be with the woman he loves. Or it could mean that he can’t move forward until he confronts and “kills” his own ego, which is truly holding him back.
Of course, some people might take a much more literal interpretation. They might think the song is about him killing an evil incarnate man with horns and a goatee haha. Or they might see it as him killing his girlfriend, although I hope they don’t see it that way.
Ultimately, I’m excited to hear what people think. It’s nerve-wracking to put something out that’s more on the provocative side but I’m looking forward to hearing people’s different interpretations. I’m not the first country artist to write a murder ballad so I don’t think anyone will get themselves in too much of a tizzy.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
Most of it comes together as I’m going about my day. The next step is to play the song idea on both piano and guitar, which can inspire different ideas. Finally, once I feel the song is done, I go into my basement, where I record it on the instruments I have. Then I send it to Nathan Gray, who records pedal steel and sometimes dobro, which adds the icing to the cake.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We’re having our vinyl release party on September 25 in Copenhagen, the same day it’s released digitally to the internet streaming services. We then play 26 shows in Scandinavia in 26 days and come home to our Alberta release mini-tour where we’re playing a series of Halloween party shows on Oct. 31-Nov 2 in Edmonton, Milo, and Canmore.
We also released a music video for the song, Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
We toured with Orville Peck in 2019, right after our first album was released, which really helped get the band rolling. Then, 2020… Once the world started to get back on track after all of that, we had the opportunity to open for Charley Crockett in Edmonton and Vancouver in 2023, which was another amazing experience.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
I’m inspired by a lot of the artists coming out of my hometown of Edmonton these days, who also happen to be pals. Kip Lilly, Smokey, LN Baba, Mallrovers, and Big Evil Rat are a few that come to mind right away.
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