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Mind over Matter with Darren Kozelsky
by Randy Cunningham
 Darren Kozelsky is feeling just a bit shaken, and rightfully so. The blast of Arctic air and accompanying blizzard that dumped 30 inches of snow in Colorado has moved east into Texas, and even though the ice and snow remain miles away in the Amarillo area, the remnants of the system, including thunderstorms, hail, and tornado warnings, have created havoc in Darren’s current home of Dallas. “Man, I’m glad you weren’t just with me in the car a few minutes ago,” Darren laughs, “We’ve got this huge storm rollin’ through right now, and I was driving home and lightning struck this pole right in front of me. Man, I let out a yell!”
Unlike the stormy weather that caused this Ballinger, Texas native to temporarily run away seeking shelter, the music of Darren Kozelsky, showcased on his initial release, Let Your Mind Fly, is bringing out fans, record company insiders, and fellow musicians in large numbers, beating a path directly to any show listing Darren’s name on the bill.
A Dean’s List graduate of Angelo State University in San Angelo, Darren quickly realized during his college days that live bands were few and far between. To satisfy that musical void he created the Can’t Hardly Playboys, a band he jokingly acknowledges was not necessarily recognized for their quality of music, but for their volume. “I remember our first paying job. We were asked to play at a wedding reception that was held in a barn. We had a really rinky-dink setup and actually sounded horrible, but we were loud. Still, we got paid 300 bucks.”
Realizing that song quality was much more important than volume, Darren turned down the amps to focus on a songwriting career, and in 2005 entered Cedar Creek Studios in Austin with Red Dirt producer/ godfather Mike McClure at the dials. Darren combines his writing skills with McClure, along with covers songs from Merle Haggard and Bob Childers to create Let Your Mind Fly, a 14-track masterpiece described by industry insiders as “chicken soup for the soul.” Not long after, the CD’s first single, “Mind Over Matter,” blazed a path to #15 on the charts.
Darren’s notoriety as a singer began to be noticed. One memorable evening, he was thrust over that invisible line that separates performers from their fans. “Tell you a story,” Darren relates. “A while back I was on the ‘Cruising With Ragweed’ trip, and about the 2nd or 3rd night on deck, Wade Bowen, Stoney Larue, and Cody Canada were doing a songwriter’s swap. I remember thinking, ‘I want to buy these guys a shot,’ so I went to the bar, got the shots, and was headed back to the stage when I ran into Cody. He hands me his guitar and said he wanted me to sing ‘Wildfire.’ So, I sit down to play and Stoney sings it with me, and I just thought, ‘This is freakin’ awesome! Man, we had a ball.”
All secrets aside, Darren, a recent “Newcomer of the Year” nominee for the 2007 “Gruene With Envy Awards,” now finds himself squarely in the spotlight of a musical life illuminated by his friends in the music business who realize and appreciate his incredible talents. Darren played the Hangover Ball on January 1st at the Wormy Dog Saloon in Oklahoma City. “I’m playing the first set in a songwriter’s swap with Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, and Brandon Rhyder. I’m sharing a stage with these guys. My name is actually on the bill. I mean, these are some of the same folks I show my new songs to, such as Brandon or Cody Canada. These folks have always been supportive. This is a huge event for me.”
Respected by his peers, Darren is also an unassuming, “everyday” guy who is unaffected by the stardom appearing ever closer on his musical horizon. H is one who realizes that the folks who buy his CD are his lifeblood. “I love being around people, and I enjoy seeing folks at shows have a good time. I smile a lot, and I feel like I have a good personality. When I’m playing a show, I want people to come up and visit. I love it when they want to talk. Not too long ago I did a show with Jarrod Birmingham, a really nice guy, and afterwards a couple came up to me and said, ‘We’ve been to a lot of shows, and nowadays we just come out now to see Jarrod because he’s really into it. You’re the first person we’ve seen in a long time that believes in what he’s doing like Jarrod does. If you’re coming back, we’ll be back, too.’” Though we’re conducting the interview over a long distance phone connection, his pride and appreciation for that comment shines through, when he states, “I tell you what. I wouldn’t trade what they said for anything.”
Appreciated by fellow musicians and fans for his sincerity and honesty, Darren is also stubbornly unwilling to trade instant success for a song he doesn’t totally support. “Everyone wants success, but to give you an example, I’m not sure Billy Ray Cyrus would’ve done ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ if he knew how it would affect his career. I’d rather have less success with songs I absolutely believe in, rather than having to stand up in front of a crowd and think, ‘I hate this song, and I don’t want to have to sing it again.’ I mean, you’re tattooed with those decisions for the rest of your life.”
Even more important than Darren’s career is his role as husband and father. Though appreciative of the professional rewards he’s received, the support from his wife Amy is a huge inspiration when sitting down to pen an instant classic. As he states, “Amy gives me a lot of security and comfort. It’s hard for me to call this ‘my’ career or ‘my’ marriage, because everything we do is a team effort. Other than having God in my life, Amy is a hero to me. We have friends that have split up, and marriage is hard work, but we work on it everyday. It’s like the bridge from ‘Messed Up In Love’ (from “Let Your Mind Flow”) says: “If the lightning strikes we’ll be just fine.”
Strangely, at that moment during the phone conversation, Darren pauses, then comments, “Man, there was just another lightning flash outside. This weather’s pretty bad.” But true to his positive nature and outlook, he pauses again before stating, “It’s OK though. The storm will be over soon.”
Visit www.darrenkozelsky.com for tour dates, to purchase music or merchandise, or to post a note or comment to the man himself.
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