Crazy Heart: A Q&A With Ryan Bingham

Videos by American Songwriter

Ryan Bingham has lived an itinerant life. Before becoming a professional musician, Bingham spent several years on the bull-riding circuit, a job that he says involves as much “bullshit” as the music biz. Today, the Texas-reared songwriter is best known for penning “The Weary Kind,” the Academy Award-winning song for the 2009 film Crazy Heart.

We sat down with Bingham at Bonnaroo, where he treated us to a performance of “Bread & Water,” a cut off his first album Mescalito. During our interview, he talked about his development as an artist, the inspiration behind the “The Weary Kind,” and why the state of Texas produces a special kind of songwriter.

Watch the interview.

Video shot and edited by Joseph LeMay