Does Portales Support Its Own?
By Cole Brakebill of Roosevelt Road & Roosevelt Road Video
As a proud son of Portales, New Mexico, this question has been on my mind for years: Does Portales support its own? I ask this not out of anger or disappointment, but as a heartfelt question from someone who deeply loves this town and its people.
I graduated from Portales High School in 2002. Like many, I spent my youth playing sports—basketball and baseball—dreaming big while being grounded by the values this town instills. My roots run deep here. My Papa, Warren, ran Brakebill Barber Shop for decades, a place where conversations flowed as freely as the hair clippings on the floor. I grew up on Roosevelt Road V, a county road that holds my fondest memories.
In 2012, I partnered with my friend Jordan Ennis to start a band named after the county roads in our town. We called ourselves Roosevelt Road. Our music was born out of the dust, wind, and heart of Portales. We sang about the rodeos, the heartbreaks, the struggles of addiction, and the grit it takes to carve out a life here. Our songs played at team ropings and rodeos, and to our surprise, they resonated far beyond the borders of Portales. In time, we found ourselves with a global audience, our music streaming in Australia, Brazil, and Canada, racking up millions of streams on Spotify alone.
Yet, despite our success, one thing has always puzzled me—why haven’t we felt the embrace of our own hometown? Apart from a few kind individuals, there has been little support from Portales itself. No radio play from local stations, no real recognition beyond a single write-up in 2013. And that’s where the confusion comes in. It’s not like we wrote songs trashing the place. We did everything we could to honor Portales, to celebrate its small-town spirit and the people who shaped us. We carried this town on our backs in every song, hoping to make the world fall in love with the place that made us who we are.
So I come back to the question: Does Portales support its own? I ask because I haven’t felt it—not the way you’d hope to feel it when you dedicate so much of your art to the town that raised you.
Now, I don’t mean to ruffle any feathers here. I’m not angry, and I’m certainly not looking for pats on the back. I’ve made peace with how things have gone. In truth, I’m more than fine with it. But I ask this question for the next generation of kids coming up in Portales—those who might one day form a band, paint a mural, or write a book, all in the name of this town.
They deserve a little more hometown love. They deserve to know that if they go out and represent Portales to the world, the people here will be rooting for them.
This is not an indictment, just an invitation—to think about how we can better support the artists, musicians, and creators among us. Because Portales is a special place. And it deserves to be celebrated, not just by the people who leave and make something of themselves, but by the people who stay and nurture that potential.
With all sincerity,
Cole Brakebill, Roosevelt Road Music & Roosevelt Road Video
