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High Desert Queen frontman Ryan Garney joins The Sonic Road Podcast to reveal why 2026 is the "line in the sand" for real musicians against AI and drops a massive Ripple Fest Texas announcement! In this exclusive highlight reel, Ryan discusses his decision to leave a 21-year teaching career to pursue music full-time, his move toward analog recording live to tape, and why AI-generated bands on Spotify can never replace the "stank" of a real human performance. Get Ripple Fest Texas 2026 Tickets Here: https://lickofmyspoon.com/ Find High Desert Queen Music and Tour Dates Here: https://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/ Follow The Sonic Road Podcast on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & X: @thesonicroad Subscribe on Youtube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://linktr.ee/thesonicroad As the founder of Ripple Fest Texas and Lick of My Spoon Productions, Ryan explains his mission to keep music festivals affordable and reveals that legendary band Greenleaf will make their first-ever American appearance at Ripple Fest 2026 in Austin, Texas. We dive into the challenges of the post-COVID music industry, his "Gigging with Garney" series on Instagram, and why the underground stoner rock scene is poised for a major resurgence in 2026. #thesonicroadpodcast #musicpodcast2026 #HighDesertQueen #RippleFestTexas #Greenleaf #StonerRock #MusicIndustry2026