Desi and Cody are where pop sensibilities meets folk and country, and laid back California meets Tulsa underground cool. Their harmonies are individual and iconic. Their sound is unmistakable and their upcoming album with the last few singles as teasers has unleashed a force of nature developed from years of songwriting chops and performing. They’re true to what’s been know in northeastern Oklahoma as The Tulsa Sound since the legendary Leon Russell roamed Trenton and 3rd street at his recording studio. Here’s our interview with Cody Clinton of Desi and Cody, Artists You Should Know.

Where did you grow up and where do you call home now?

Grew up in Oologah, OK. Live in Tulsa, OK. Desi grew up in rural Oregon just a ways outside of Portland… then came to Claremore, OK in High School.

How have the life experiences of where you lived affected your songwriting or the songs you choose to record?

I grew up in a low income household. My first home was a single wide trailer out in a place called the Brewer Bottoms of Oologah. From there, we bounced around from cheap apartment complex to the next. I didn’t know I was poor until I got to school. Kinda got bullied for it. Later, when Nirvana came out with grunge… with its thrift store clothing style and angsty lyrics… I felt right at home. I was now valid BECAUSE I was a poor kid. Desi grew up in a somewhat similar situation. Being raised primarily by a single mother. I think this kind of thing gives you a feeling that you are either going to end up stuck that way, or you’re going to try for something way different. The struggle makes its way into the music. Woody Guthrie didn’t sing songs about being rich and having an easy life. There’s something about coming from the working class.

What artists/songwriters have impacted or influenced your work the most?

I could go on for days. In the beginning as a boy it was the Beatles and Michael Jackson. When I finally really started playing it went from grunge bands like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Later it was 70’s stuff like Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. Eventually I got into Bob Dylan and then The Band. From there I found bluegrass. Then some of the indie stuff like Wilco and Jack White. Finally, it came to certain country songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and John Prine. Desi grew up with old movies… like Doris Day and Judy Garland. You can hear that in her singing… I think when she came of age her influences were pretty similar to mine. I know for sure that we listen to pretty much the same stuff now. Oh and for her Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath were formative as well.

American Dream if you want us to
I’m losing my sleep cause I got to
We can stream on TV if you want us to
And watch Meryl Streep cause we want to

Desi and Cody from the song John Wayne

When you perform, what do you hope is your audience’s biggest takeaway?

Goodness. I’m not even sure really. I suppose I hope that they enjoyed themselves at least. At most, maybe they related to our pain and joy… and were able to process some of their own.

Tell me a little bit about your latest project?

Our new album is sort of a step into taking back our power. Our first album was sorta this story of us falling in love, but also processing some trauma. The second one was pretty dark. We had both lost parents. We had some hard times financially. Of course that makes being married harder. This new one is kinda like us being tempered by fire. We could’ve broke, but we didn’t and now we are way stronger for it. It’s more fun than the last album. It’s still has some of that darkness… because that’s what it took to get here. The sound is a bit more like Hippy Cult Music… haha. We were watching a lot of cheesy horror stuff during the pandemic as well. I actually referenced the keyboards on “The Muensters” theme song for one of the keyboard sounds on a song called “Saige Mary.” I was sending the producer, Andrew Bair, films to watch for inspiration. Stuff like “Blood on Satan’s Claw” and “Wickerman.” All old 70’s Folk Horror stuff. Stuff that kinda walks the line between scary and comedic cheese.

What was different or unique about your approach to this last project as compared to previous ones?

I think that we had a producer who made it easy for me to let go of the reigns a little bit more than I have in the past. I produced the last two… with some help… but on this one I basically let Andrew do his thing. Not to say I didn’t have input. I definitely did, but I tried my best to only speak up when it really mattered to me.

Was there ever a time you felt like you wanted to quit making music?

Yes. Covid… and really the year or so leading up to Covid. I swore I would never do this full time again. I was gonna be an electrician. But… I got sucked back in. I’m not even sure how it happened. It just… happened. Haha.

What is your funniest or favorite “on the road” story when touring?

Probably the air bnb “Murder Dungeon” experience. We got an air bnb that was supposed to be a bougie shipping container near Raleigh, NC. When we got there it had a dirt floor, a particle board outhouse, and a guy offering us his home made biscuits and moonshine. We found ropes attached to hooks under the bed. He was about to lock the gate behind us where we couldn’t get our car out. We left immediately and got a different one closer to the venue. It was an absolute hellish experience l, but it’s funny now.

Who or what keeps you grounded the most?

We keep each other grounded. Our dogs. We meditate. We have our own little version of spirituality. Lots of things.

What advice would you give artists just starting out?

Do it yourself as much as you can for as long as you can. No one is going to care about your career in music more than YOU.

Listen to Desi and Cody on AmericanaMusic.com’s Artists You Should Know Playlist