{"id":11677,"date":"2024-10-24T20:09:13","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T13:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=11677"},"modified":"2024-10-24T20:09:13","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T13:09:13","slug":"muscadine-bloodline-is-on-a-quest-to-make-music-and-build-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=11677","title":{"rendered":"Muscadine Bloodline Is on a Quest to Make Music and Build Muscle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>What\u2019s in a name? For Muscadine Bloodline, a title rebrand may have been the spark that elevated the country duo from permanent college town cover band to now playing in front of sold-out audiences at pro football stadiums.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s now nine years since Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster decided on ditching not only their home state of Alabama but also their nondescript stage name\u2014Gary and Charlie\u2014and head to Nashville in pursuit of country music stardom. Not only did Muscodine Bloodline sound more like a real band, the change helped forge a both a friendship and now dedicated partnership with a sole goal of launching their unique style of country music worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe always joked that all band names sucked unless it worked out,\u201d Muncaster says. \u201cWe\u2019re still chugging along. So hopefully it\u2019s working out just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The self investment has paid off more than the two could have envisioned. Since moving to the Music City, the <a href=\"https:\/\/muscadinebloodline.com\/\">indie country artists <\/a>\u00a0have built a massive cult following\u2014and their success is now blowing up on a national platform. They\u2019ve got a new album, <a href=\"https:\/\/muscadinebloodline.com\/products\/pre-order-the-coastal-plain-cd?srsltid=AfmBOoo6cYxzJUtRWK7xyGHeNKIHt34Rok-xFjedM3Yj9w8A-Fq_4GIY\">The Coastal Plain,<\/a> which has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/muscadine-bloodline-the-coastal-plain-1235082387\/\">critically acclaimed.<\/a> And in addition to their own U.S. tour in support of their work, they\u2019re also currently opening the for rap-country crossover <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C_gm5XnS1uk\/\">superstar Post Malone.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u00a0 were just running around as Gary and Charlie, because we didn\u2019t know that we were really going to work together in an official capacity,\u201d Muncaster says. \u201cOnce we finally built a lot of chemistry, and decided we were going to do this thing together, we decided we need to have a band name. We wanted something that rhymed and something that sounded inherently southern, and we landed on Muscadine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their careers are reliant on each other\u2019s full attention. This has required Stanton and Muncaster to become nearly inseparable\u2014and not just onstage or the recording studio.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s the aspect of putting your life into Charlie\u2019s hands and his into yours,\u201d Stanton says. \u201cWe both represent each other\u2014and we\u2019ve been pretty much married for nine years. We\u2019ve seen each other a lot\u2014sometimes more than our spouses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The two have now developed a teammate-like camaraderie in the weightroom as well. Muncaster, now six years sober, has had to rely on Stanton\u2014a lifelong fitness buff\u2014to help him regain his health. Today, Muncaster is down is more than 50 pounds in his physical pursuit of becoming a better conditioned country performer.<\/p>\n<p>And while weightlifting and conditioning have allowed both of them to show off a bit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/athletes-celebrities\/pro-tips\/tucker-wetmore-from-all-state-football-to-all-things-country\/\">their country muscle<\/a>, better performance onstage is allowing Muscadine Bloodline to showcase their high-energy stage shows on a national level.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to sound good, and have you leave our show saying that was a great live band,\u201d Muncaster says. \u201cWe\u2019re confident that if we can get you to a show, you\u2019ll buy another ticket because it was a good enough performance to warrant another buy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MUSCADINE BLOODLINE: &#039;WE CHANGED OUR NAME WHEN WE BEGAN TAKING MUSIC SERIOUSLY\u2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_SH_hTrS6Ko?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Staying Sober and Staying Dedicated to Fitness<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Muncaster began playing guitar at age 14, but admits to really having no initial desire to pursue music until college. This was about the time when voice began to develop as well as his instrument skills. His onstage career began playing nightly gigs along the Auburn bar scene. As he played for mostly friends early on, he started earning some cash\u2014as well with free food and booze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe moment for me was when I was like, \u2018Oh, I can drink free beer <em>and<\/em> get 300 or 400 bucks?\u201d he recalls. \u201cThat was my jumpstart moment into music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soon after he paired up with Stanton, who had finished up college at Southern Miss with a degree in music management. After hearing positive reviews among the local crowed, the two soon decided that it was the right time to head to Nashville. \u201cWithin like six months, we started to really see some traction,\u201d Stanton recalls. \u201cWe\u2019re like, dang let\u2019s keep at it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the road to music success, however, the late-night performance came at a health cost for Muncaster\u2014he ballooned to over 270 pounds. Fortunately, he found the willpower to drop alcohol cold turkey. Since then he hasn\u2019t had a drink in over six years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started realizing that no good decision I\u2019ve ever made has come from being hammered,\u201d he admits. \u201cSo for me it was as simple as saying to myself, it\u2019s easier for a guy like me to be sober.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But what Muncaster didn\u2019t have was a plan to drop the 50-plus pounds of extra weight he\u2019d steadily gained. The extra poundage began affecting his performance onstage. Fortunately, Stanton was the weightroom role model Muncaster needed. The two began working out together, with the help of personal trainer Matt Blank. Blank was a friend of Stanton\u2019s during college at the University of Southern Mississippi.<\/p>\n<p>Stanton never needed to use a tough love approach to get Muncaster to join him in the gym, but instead offered a lead by example formula\u2014consistency. That\u2019s all Muncaster needed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would tell Charlie that I\u2019ve been going to the gym, and eventually Charlie decided to tag along,\u201d Stanton says. \u201cFrom there we\u2019ve gone through spurts of working out every day together. Some days, if Charlie wants to go play a round of golf, he\u2019ll go do that. Or if we\u2019re not going to work out on a day, we\u2019ll come up with a plan for things we need to stay away from.<\/p>\n<p>Training became a pattern forming staple in Muncaster\u2019s day to day world. He began catching on to certain lifestyle adjustments\u2014meal prepping being one. And the healthy habits began to snowball, with Muncaster asking questions and Stanton always there to answer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was literally, like the first person in my life at age 23, who showed me how to count calories,\u201d Muncaster said. \u201cAnd it blew my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, Muncaster sports a 220 pound frame, thanks to \u00a0a steady and consistent workout and diet regimen. \u201cI\u2019d really check out what he was doing in the beginning,\u201d Muncaster says. \u201cThen I\u2019d be like, alright, I\u2019m gonna cook some grilled chicken and rice and call it a day. The more I learned the easier it became.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stanton sees the progress, and is proud to be a part of his partner\u2019s transformation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo Charlie\u2019s credit, he\u2019s done it healthy,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not like a crash diet to reach a goal, then quit and three months later he\u2019s back to where he was. I feel like Charlie\u2019s got, like, a pretty good grasp on what he needs.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Muscodine Bloodline Are Partners on the Stage and the Weightroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Before settling on Muscadine Bloodline as the official name, Stanton and Muncaster toyed around with other options. One was Dry County Riot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt sounded too much like a southern metal band,\u201d Stanton says. They settled on combining \u201cMuscadine\u201d\u2014a locally grown grape\u2014with \u201cBloodline,\u201d a simple term representing their southern heritage. And the words sort of rhymed too. \u201cWe came along Muscadine Bloodline, and it was like, <em>We don\u2019t hate that.<\/em> So that\u2019s where we landed,\u201d Stanton says.<\/p>\n<p>Even with a fancy new name a continuously expanding worldwide fanbase, the two admit separating themselves from their Alabama and southern traditions will never be an option. \u201cYou cant hide these rednecks,\u201d Muncaster says.<\/p>\n<p>The closest \u201cnon-southern\u201d activity would be Muncaster\u2019s penchant for golf, which he does as often as time allows. Stanton, meanwhile remains an avid hunter who purposely stays away from the links. \u201cI have addictive personality,\u201d he says. \u201cI just don\u2019t have room for one more [hobby]. If I do, I\u2019ll try to be playing on the tour if I start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The two, however have developed a healthy pattern for getting in a workout no matter the city they roll into. Having an Anytime Fitness membership helps. \u201cTwenty bucks a month get you into any gym in America,\u201d Muncaster says. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stanton has been heavy into weightlifting since high school football and baseball days. <strong>\u201c<\/strong>It\u2019s been a part of my life forever,\u201d he says. \u201cI kind of learned the ropes during high school workouts for football and baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the 5\u20196\u201d, 165-pound former athlete is a seasoned veteran in the gym, Muncaster is quickly becoming a reliable pec-building proteg\u00e9. He\u2019s constantly gobbling up quick training tips Stanton throws at him while at the same time burning calories throughout this weight-loss journey.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ll also rely on a workout program created by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mattblankfit\/\">trainer Matt Blank. <\/a>Stanton and Blank have known each other since their college days at Southern Miss. \u201cWe\u2019ll open it up and do the workouts specifically made for me and Charlie,\u201d Stanton says. \u00a0\u201cOver the last two years, he\u2019s helped us maintain a strategy, especially on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stanton says normally they\u2019ll do a two-on (upper body, lower body), one-off split, with Sundays set aside for R&amp;R. On the road however, they sometimes tend to tackle full-body workouts when soundcheck, media appearances and other commitments leave them with little time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGary has set a good example, and I\u2019m starting to catch on,\u201d Muncaster says. \u201cI\u2019ve been like, I wonder what that\u2019s like to be healthy. Once you start catching on to that, you also start wanting to be better in certain other areas. And that\u2019s kind of the trickle down effect it had.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:100%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/muscadine_bloodline_cover-e1729447438112.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" alt=\"Muscadine Bloodline\" width=\"1109\" height=\"1109\" data-fallback-img=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/muscadine_bloodline_cover-e1729447438112.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">Muscadine Bloodline<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>A Duo Made for the Long and Steady Run to Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On the road, when the temptations of post-concert pizzas, Oreos, or a cold beer hover backstage, Stanton tries to come prepared with healthier alternatives. He\u2019ll oftentimes fill the tour bus fridge with deer meat or turkey breast prepared following one of his recent hunting trips.<\/p>\n<p>But while they both continue to keep their waistlines down with better meal options, the Muscadine Bloodline duo understands that their real meal tickets are their voices. So keeping them healthy night in and night out is as important as counting macros.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not Greek gods like Riley Green or Parker McCollum,\u201d Stanton says laughing. \u201cSo we have to go out and sound good every night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before and after every concert, Stanton and Muncaster go over a host of vocal exercises and breath work in order their voices stay on point for each 90 minute show and to also prevent fatigue the vocal chords. Drinking tea helps as well, the duo says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll do breathing exercises before I go on stage,\u201d Muncaster says, \u201cbecause I gotta hold these big breaths to sing. I feel like if we don\u2019t do our warmups, we\u2019ll literally get worn out. Then you\u2019re worried about the next night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While their songwriting for <em>The Coastal Plain<\/em>\u2014with southern melodic <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/track\/1NDFcGLZEHByr0jrC0GKsq\">ballads such as 90-10<\/a> has been labeled <a href=\"https:\/\/savingcountrymusic.com\/album-review-muscadine-bloodlines-the-coastal-plain\/\">\u201csneaky good, sometimes overtly stellar,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0the pair wants to present to their newest fans that their live performances are even more dazzling as the reviews.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll just have to come out and see one and figure out,\u201d Stanton says. \u00a0We\u2019re very detailed in how we build a flow of songs. We don\u2019t just get up there and just play. We try to take your 90-minute journey of what we\u2019re working on at the moment. Our goal is you just sound is better than we did on the records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the minds of Muscodine Bloodline, the rise to country music as independent artists has been a slow and steady climb\u2014and they\u2019re OK with that\u2014while seeing others skyrocket to success. In 2020, they teamed with current country music phenom Lainey Wilson on \u201cPieces.\u201d While her rise to worldwide stardom appears to some to have come at meteoric speeds, Stanton and Muncaster still take the slow and steady grind approach to continue moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re looking at your career and saying, \u2018Why aren\u2019t we here?\u2019 I think that\u2019s a huge lesson that we\u2019ve learned to avoid along the way,\u201d Muncaster says. \u00a0\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what anyone else is doing\u2014 I\u2019m happy for them. What we\u2019re doing is is what we\u2019re doing. We can\u2019t and don\u2019t compare to everybody else. We like to say, \u2018Be where your feet are.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/athletes-celebrities\/muscadine-bloodline-are-on-a-quest-to-make-music-and-build-muscle\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s in a name? For Muscadine Bloodline, a title rebrand may have been the spark that elevated the country duo from permanent college town cover band to now playing in front of sold-out audiences at pro football stadiums. It\u2019s now nine years since Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster decided on ditching not only their home &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11677\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}