CMT Blog: Archive

Jason Boland and the Stragglers have a lot to be excited about. Their recent release, Comal County Blue, debuted at No. 30 on Billboard's country albums chart and No. 1 on iTunes' list of best-selling country albums. But the thing they look forward to the most is getting back on the road with Boland, who was sidelined with a vocal cord injury that almost ended his career. He talked with CMT.com about the experience.

CMT: So what actually happened?

Boland: I just overworked, and one specific instance ... my vocal cord bled out. It made a nasty little polyp ... so it just made a huge amount of hoarseness. And you get those pop-yodels every now and then, and I knew something was up.

What does that feel like?

It doesn't feel like anything because there are no nerves in it. You can just tell something is wrong because it's your voice and you're used to hearing what the tone is like. But they fixed me up. I feel good.

It seems like this is like a pitcher hurting their shoulder in that your voice is your livelihood.

It's the one thing that could park us. If it had been my right pinky, you know. But we needed a break. We've been hitting every beer joint that would let us in the door for the last 10 years.

Was there any time you thought you might have to give up singing?

I never got that feeling. And I don't know if it was denial, but I never let that enter my head. That would definitely be a bridge to cross when we got there.

What about from here on out? Are you going to sound different?

I don't think I'm gonna sound different, except I think I'll sound better because I've never had any singing training [until now]. I wasn't a natural singer. I was a songwriter that ended up fronting a band. ... We'll still be giving it hell.

Editor's note: Jason Boland and the Stragglers return to the road for shows in Oklahoma City on Nov. 27 and Tulsa, Okla., on Nov. 28.