Welcome To Backstage Pass Radio

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Today I am diving into the story of an artist who carries the soul of classic country in her voice and the spirit of the American West in her songwriting. It's Randy Holsey here, and thank you all for tuning in to another showcased artist on Backstage Pass Radio. From the Rhode Island honky talks to the wide open roads of Montana and Alaska, her journey has reshaped her sound, her heart, and her purpose. You all join me as we dive into the mind of the music of my friend Charlie Marie, and we'll do that right after this.

SPEAKER_03 0:31

This is Backstage Pass Radio. Backstage Pass Radio. A podcast by an artist for the artist. Each week we take you behind the scenes of some of your favorite musicians and the music they created. From chart-topping hits to underground gems, we explore the sounds that move us and the people who make it all happen. Remember to please subscribe, rate, and leave reviews on your favorite podcast platform. So whether you're a casual listener or a die hard music fan, tune in and discover the magic behind the melodies. Here is your host of Backstage Pass Radio, Randy Holsey.

SPEAKER_04 1:12

Hi, Charlie. Welcome. It's great to see your face.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Hi, Randy. I'm really excited. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_04 1:18

Yeah, I'm so glad that that you came in. And uh I guess you're dialing in from somewhere up in the northeast. I'm assuming Rhode Island, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Yes, Rhode Island. It's uh the place I'm living now is Warren.

SPEAKER_04 1:31

Warren, Warren, Rhode Island. And uh it's funny because when you really get to talking about the size of things, right? You know, there's always these Facebook, they do these little memes and they compare like foreign countries to Texas, and then they do Rhode Island and put it on, and like it's Rhode Island is about the size of Houston, right? It's it's crazy, right? How big tech. I don't know if it's how small Rhode Island is or how

Meeting Charlie Marie In Rhode Island

SPEAKER_04 1:58

big Texas is. I don't know, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:00

The whole thing is funny because yeah, it's just the smallest state in the U.S. And it's it's very uh it's funny being from Rhode Island because I feel like people here are very opinionated um and spunky, but yeah, it's wild Texas is a lot bigger than Rhode Island.

SPEAKER_04 2:16

Of course, of course. Well, it's great that you're here, and I have to be honest. So I've had a few people over time that have reached out to me here at the show and sent, you know, EPKs and um, you know, asking, you know, hey, I'd love to talk to you on your show. And I I don't always look at those things, but I I don't know why I looked at yours. You had sent me a real nice message about, you know, wanting to come on the show and talk to me and all the cool things that you had going on. And I went and I I know I queued up some music. So let's see what Charlie Marie is all about, right? And I'm like, oh, this is really cool. I gotta have her on. So here we are. Here we are finally.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Yeah, I'm happy it worked out. I just feel like some of these things, when they're meant to be, they click and then this is this is where we are.

SPEAKER_04 3:04

I agree. Well, so you grew up in Rhode Island, and you know, let's be honest for just a second. It's not, I don't think it's the first place that people think of when they think of classic country, but I wanted to ask you like, how do you feel like Rhode Island kind of shaped, I guess, your sound or your musical identity? Have you ever really given much thought to that?

SPEAKER_00 3:28

You know what, Randy? I have not. I think that it all kind of has really happened organically for me. So, in a way, because I was in Rhode Island and like not that many people listened to country music. Like, until I went to vocal lessons and my instructor at the time said I sounded like Patsy Klein, I'd never really listened to country music. And I just remember my mom had like a girlfriend, and she was the only woman that any ever played country music in her car. And that's kind of how I even like listened to some of it. And then it wasn't until I got involved with singing and wanting to, yeah, I kinda once I heard Patsy Klein, I wanted to be Patsy Klein. I loved her voice, the way she made me feel. So then that's kind of how my whole love for classic country evolved. Uh, but I think because I wasn't, you know, down south where everyone else was, I kind of wish that I came from like a southern state sometimes. Um, and I think because I was so far from Nashville, like being in Rhode Island, that that kind of made me even hungrier for like classic country. But it's yeah, it's kind of random how this stuff just happens because, like I said, I didn't intend any of this to occur. It's just kind of how things unfolded.

SPEAKER_04 4:44

You know what's interesting about that thought process too is like you could look at, you know, I I will never tout being like this really smart guy when it comes to the hip-hop genre, right? Like, it's not my lane. I I've had a couple of hip hop artists on my show, but it's not my lane. But look at Eminem. Like when you think of like rap and where it came from, you think of maybe New York City, you think of Atlanta down in the, you know, down in the south. You don't you don't really think too much of of Detroit, or you don't think of Michigan. Like, it just doesn't really cross your mind. But you never know, you never know. And look, look at all the great artists. I mean, you think about the people that I've had on my show, Stephanie Ryan, Nick

How Classic Country Found Her

SPEAKER_04 5:30

Bossey, all I'm still in touch with these guys today, and it's been years since they've done my show, and they're they're wonderful country artist. Uh Elliot Lewis from Hall of Notes has been on my show. He's up there in your area as well, right? Now he's not a country guy, but a lot of so many great artists up in the Northeast. And I'm glad to add one more to uh the backstage pass radio alumni.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Well, thanks again, Randy. Yeah, no, it's just it's wild how much talent really is everywhere. And now there's even more country artists than when I first started out. Because when I was a kid, I I didn't know many kids my age into country music, but now like a lot of people are into country, and it's kind of cool. I think it's nice that people are into this type of music because the thing about country music is I think you can listen to it throughout every aspect of your life. I a lot of the songs are about personal experiences for most people, and I just think that um I think the songs can kind of uh work really well as like a soundtrack to people's life.

SPEAKER_04 6:36

And I I agree. I I couldn't agree more. And you know what, Charlie? I've I've said this at nauseam on my show. I'm a rock pig from way back in the day. Like you wouldn't know it by looking at me now, but I had the long hair, like the 80s, like I did it all. I played in the bands, and I country never really, I mean, you heard it, but it was not, it was never my bag, right? And then when I went out in 2016 and said, you know what, I'm gonna grab an acoustic guitar and do the solo thing. And I learned real quick, like, you can't be a one-trick pony as a solo artist, you have to blend a little 70s, 80s, 90s classic rock along with some traditional country, some Americana. And you know what? I'm the first to say I have fallen in love with the Americana genre. Like, there are some of the best songwriters in there. I mean, I've fallen in love with it. I and I just want to be honest about that. It's a great genre of music.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Yeah, it's really cool because the thing about Americana, I mean, there's so many different influences in it.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

And it's just, it's just really cool to be an artist today and have so many great people to look up to. Because I feel like when I listen, well, I when I think about like the past music that I grew up listening, like I was blessed. And yeah, it's just, it's wild. And it's wild how we all change, you know. But I I mean, there's still music though, that like I grew up listening to NSYNC when I was a kid. Once in a while, I will put on, you know, the boy bands and whatnot. But yeah, country music is where my heart and soul is.

SPEAKER_04 8:11

You know what? I and I would also be a liar if um, and I don't want to grow a long nose on the show, right? So everybody can see that for those that know who Pinocchio is. But uh I will say I I have such an eclectic taste in different music. I'm a big Motown guy too, right? Like I'll go listen to bubblegum rock and then listen to the heaviest stuff out there, and then I'll turn on Jason Isbell and the 400 unit. Like, I I'm just all probably like every musician. We just we kind of go with what we feel for the time, right? And that's the way it should be at the end of the day. And I'm sure you would concur with that, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Yeah, exactly. I have all different people that I listen to during different periods in my life, and I go through phases where I listen to music all the time, and then when I don't really listen to music much, I get it, and it's just kind of how it's been.

SPEAKER_04 9:02

I get it, totally get it. Well, who were some of the first artists that you remember that kind of made you even fall in love with music? Not so much like like the Patsy Klein kind of thing, but like growing up when when that music bug hit you, what were you hearing at the time?

SPEAKER_00 9:22

So my mom always played Bob Seeger. Like, yeah, all I know every single, I mean, don't start testing me on this because I'm not I'm not a good person to have on your trivia team. I'm gonna be completely honest. You know, I mean, I I will bring snacks and I'll laugh and whatever, but anyway, trivia, hit or miss. But Bob Seeger, yeah, my mom played Bob Seager all the time. And when I think about my childhood, I

Early Music Influences And First Spark

SPEAKER_00 9:50

think about a lot of Bob Seeger, and then my dad played a lot of the Eagles and like the red hot chili peppers. So that was the stuff that I like grew up on when I was little. Yeah. And yeah, it's just good music.

SPEAKER_04 10:02

Well, they raised you well, let's just be honest. They raised you well, and we were talking about Detroit, Michigan earlier, Bob Seeger, Michigan guy, Detroit, Michigan guy, right? So, yeah, in fact, I played two shows this past weekend, and I had Seeger in both of those sets, right? So it's uh I love it. It's stuff that never gets old to me. Exactly. Um, and and you know, you mentioned earlier a little bit, you know, there was a comparison of your voice to Patsy Klein. When did you first realize that you maybe had that vintage tone, if you will?

SPEAKER_00 10:39

So there was this girl that um was in, I think she was in my fifth grade class, and this was kind of why I wanted to get into music. Her name was Jarilyn Sawyer, and she liked sang at school a lot, and I just thought she was really cool. And I remember like getting it. My aunt had bought us like a karaoke machine for Christmas, so then I was getting more into singing that way. And my grandmother noticed that I was really into this, so she looked in the bargain buyer and found a vocal coach, and then I went to um my teacher, John. But at the time I did not have my own voice, so I was imitating, I was trying to sound like Faith Hill, which was the sensation at the time. And I went there and I had memorized one of her songs and I sang it, and that's when my instructor, John, said that I wasn't singing in my own voice and that I needed to learn how to sing in my own voice. And that kind of crushed me because I didn't understand what he meant. Just like kind of when I moved to Nashville, and they're like, What's your sound? And it's like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 11:42

And this is what you hear, right? I don't know what it is.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Yeah, it was just a weird thing, but anyway, I just remember going home and like I feel like this is something everyone does when they are really feel like lost is I pray. And then the next day, I felt like something went off in my head, and I kind of knew how to sing with my like own voice. And I mean, I you have to practice, like the more you practice, the better your voice gets. And I mean, honestly, like my voice now, when I since I, you know, comparing myself to a kid, it doesn't sound the same, but that's because of all the years of experience I've had. But that was a big turning point for me. And that's when my I mean, I was singing like I remember the first song I learned was Raindrops on Roses from The Sound of Music. And so I learned all different types of music, and it was for a little, like a little while into vocal lessons that my teacher had said that. But honestly, once I started listening to Patsy Klein and singing her songs, that's when like I knew that that was the direction that I wanted to go in with music. And I'm really happy that country music and that is what again I idolized because another thing, like, I never really intended on writing music. That also unfolded. But now being an artist, like I don't think I would still be doing music if I didn't write my own. Yeah, so it's just crazy how things line up, and it's just nuts.

SPEAKER_04 13:08

Yeah, things happen for a reason, but isn't it cool to write something that's raw and true and just put it out there for people to interpret it how they want to? Like you you paint the canvas and then you let people interpret it how they want to. And I think that's what a good artist will do at the end of the day, right? And I I guess I was thinking a little bit in the past, but I think somewhere, and you correct me on the dates if I'm wrong, like somewhere around 2021, you stepped away from music for a while, and I was curious maybe what was going on in your world that kind of forced that change. And and I don't want you to divulge anything personal, but uh, you know, just maybe high level, like what you know, what pushed you away from music for a while?

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Yeah, so the more attention I started to get in my music career, the more I started to feel like really intense emotions that I didn't know what to do with. And I now like because I've done a lot of um inner inquiry, I've done like inner work

Finding Her Real Singing Voice

SPEAKER_00 14:15

and stuff. And something that has come up for me a lot was when I was a kid, I I think I was 12 years old, I made it on the national television show Star Search. And when you do that, like there's rounds of auditions that you do. I mean, every we watch the shows, we see it. It's different when you're actually in the experience. And I ended up making it on the show, and I sang crazy by Patsy Klein, and the judges didn't like me. And I remember, like, I don't remember everything, but I remember that Naomi Judd said I needed to practice the three Ps, which was pitch, posture, and presence. And I just remember standing there like frozen and just saying thank you the whole time. Um, but I think that experience had created like a lot of fear in me around being seen and around being myself and around music, I guess, and being on stage, like stuff that I ended up suppressing. So, like, I suppressed all that. Like, I remember after when I went um to school and stuff, like not all the kids were mean to me, some of the kids were because this is the world we live in, you know? It's just how it is sometimes. And I remember like not really knowing if I wanted to continue to sing. But a friend of mine had booked a show at a retirement home, and I went and I sang at a retirement home, and just the way that those people made me feel like made me realize that I didn't want to quit singing, that it's actually what made me happy.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

But I guess the thing in this, the little nugget, is that that planted a seed in me that I that tell told me that like I wasn't good enough and made me feel like I wasn't worthy of even like the success that I started to get in 2021. And it's been a wild journey because I still sometimes see this stuff come up like during like before certain shows, but I've because I've like taken care of these parts of myself, I guess, more and have like listened to them and brought them more into the light. Now I can like kind of like move through them and just enjoy being on stage, which took me a long time. So basically in 2021, because this is when I was getting a lot of attention for putting out Ramble On, I started to feel all this suppressed stuff coming up. And I tried all different things. Like I would go to yoga religiously, I was reading books, I was meditating, but none of the stuff worked. Um, and then yeah, I just ended up deciding like I had read Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey. I had tried going on a journey to Utah while my release was being out because I thought, hey, F it. I'm gonna face my fears, I'm gonna rent a car, I'm gonna travel, I'm gonna sleep at gas stations and blah, blah, blah, and parks, and I'm gonna face these fears and they'll be gone. But they weren't gone. Yeah. So basically, after having that experience, that was the first time that I started to feel like I hadn't touched on like this joy that I used to feel when I was saying, because basically, when you're in nature and you're on the road and you can just be free, it's this feeling that's hard to explain unless you've had it. Yeah. So towards the end of 2021, like just a lot of things my life started to shift. And I just felt like I needed to go on a longer journey, except this time I wanted to really like work on doing healing because like I felt like if I wanted to be a singer and I wanted to be the person that I feel like I came here to be, like I then I had it had to like face these parts of myself that were making me feel this way. So yeah, essentially a bunch of things happened, but the most catastrophic was when my dad passed away. Um, and it happened, it was very interesting because I had told him how I wanted to go on this this journey again. Um, I had saved a bunch of money, so I was gonna go for an extended amount of time. And my dad didn't want me to do it uh because he was around for when I did that little trip in Utah for like a month, and it scared him. He didn't like how I was on the road. But I'm like, dad, I have to do this. And he said that he would do anything to come on this journey with me, but he couldn't. He was had COPD, he couldn't come. And then a few days later, I remember um we had a conversation and he said that he thought he was gonna pass away, but I did not believe him because, like, when you know, I just figured he was in a weird place. I'm like, Dad, you're fine, like you're gonna be okay. But then the next day he passed away. So it was just really wild. But the thing that blows me away about this is my dad came on that journey with me. Like, I took his ashes everywhere. I spread his ashes all over town, and I felt like he was actually with me in spirit, and it kind of like ever since that experience, um it's kind of made me realize how there's so much more to our existence than we realize. And now, because of that too, like I want to know what happens like when we go to the other side, and like there's so much stuff out there, we can go down all these rabbit holes. But bottom line, it's like what I've discovered is that like love is inside of like love is inside of us, love is where we're going. And anytime you go through really difficult periods in your life, it's because you're going to grow and you're be going to become a better version of yourself. And you can't give up and you can't give in and you have to keep you have to keep moving on. But yeah, I mean, it's it isn't easy being here sometimes, especially being an artist.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Like it's weird being an artist sometimes because I'm not like everyone else. And sometimes I wish I was like everyone else, but when I've tried to be like everyone else, I feel like I'm dying inside. So I have to just honor who I am and continue to listen to what my heart says. But again, it's easier said than done at times, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.

SPEAKER_04 19:56

Well, when you went out and and to to kind of find yourself, if you will, I think you probably realized then that it became fuck what people say that are critical of the music, like the people that judge Star Search and American Idol. Now, don't get me wrong, those programs are meant to be critical, right? So you expect that, but let's let's be honest with one another. Music is like a blank canvas that a painter paints. Like you may not see in that picture what the artist saw, right? So how can you say that that's a bad piece of art if they felt like it was one of their best pieces? I mean, you look at some of the, and I'm not an art guy, but if you if you go and look at some of the famous painters like Leonardo da Vinci and Van Gogh, like you look at this stuff and you're like, what is that? Like, I don't even know. But I mean, they're world-renowned artists and you don't know why, but and the same thing for music, like, okay, so one of the juds didn't like or said to do something different. Like, you you have to do what your heart says to do, right? And you have to stay true to you, not everybody else, because you're never gonna, you're never gonna one of the peas please anybody else, right? Two middle fingers. I mean, you know, you you hear where I'm coming from, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:25

Oh, for sure. But I think like all of that stuff made me the person that I am today. Like, if I didn't have that experience, I wouldn't I I would be in a probably a completely different situation that I'm in now. But I've been like ever since then, like I've had people reach out to me about going on other shows, and I'm like, I don't ever want to go on one of those shows again. Like, I'm good. I don't believe like it's not for me. Yeah, and like you said, I mean, there's still like a part of me that wants to try and please everyone, but that part of me is like healing and it's getting stronger. And it's like you said, it's like fuck it. It's about listening to your fucking inner truth and following your own path. And like you said, I'm gonna say it again, fuck it. Yeah, because you're the only one walking in your shoes. And you're the only one that knows what's gonna make you happy at the end of the day. And there's plenty of people out there that are willing to manipulate and use you, especially when you're in a vulnerable place. And it's happened to me. I'm gonna be honest, like, especially in the healing world, like some people have their your best interests in heart and want to try to help empower you and actually help you, but there's people that are like, oh, you're in a weak point, let me take advantage of you. But you learn from these things.

SPEAKER_04 22:40

Sure, you do. It makes it makes you who you are, right? And you get absolutely it's called perseverance. You get better, you get stronger. And you know, who would you be if you didn't have all those life experiences? You'd be like everybody else, right? Who wants to be like everybody else? And you could go back to when I started this podcast, I said, I don't want this podcast to be another podcast. I want it to be something special. I want to talk to people like you, the local people, and that's really what I had in mind. I wanted to give a a mic to my peers for them to say, This is what's on my mind, this is what my music means, and to give you that podium. It just so happened that I got some really big name artists on the show along the way. But that the idea was never to say, oh, let's make money. It was about just heart-to-heart conversations like you and I are having. And if I made no money, I don't podcast for a living, right? But I never wanted my show to be like every other show. I can now happily say my show is in 143 different countries and it's top 10% on iTunes, right? And and and I'm proud of that. And it's just what it is, right? And so we do it because that's what we love. We do it to the best of our ability. And I'm sure, like you, I have people out there that are sitting somewhere critiquing what I'm doing here. If you don't like what I'm doing, get your own fucking show, spin it up, and go fuck yourself. Like that's that's my message to the haters, right? And I love my haters because it means they're always thinking about me at the end of the day. So there you go, right? Enough of the PSA from you, from you and I, right? To all the haters out there, but you have to continue your journey doing what you love and what makes you happy, and all the dominoes will just kind of just like fall right into place, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:38

Yeah, and that's what has been happening. But it's like you said, you have to do shit for the right reason. For a long time, I was doing this because I thought that if I got the attention from the world and from uh became successful, all of the stuff they tell you is gonna fix you inside. It doesn't, it's bullshit. Yeah, so that's why, like, the more I got that, the worse I felt because you feel pressure on yourself to be perfect. Well, I'm not perfect, man.

SPEAKER_04 25:12

Yeah, and these people preaching to you are the same people that have all the problems that you have. So why are y'all the educators, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Well, that's the thing. Like, and that's the thing you keep learning, man. You keep learning over and over and over. Like, everyone has some people are like extraordinary at certain things. But again, if you go in the house, is their house clean? Like, all these things, like, no one is perfect, everyone has flaws. We're human beings, and something like something else that I've come to terms with. It's like, can I just enjoy try and enjoy being a human? Try and enjoy this like ride, try to take it one day at a time. Because, too, like, I feel like the place that we're in in this world right now, it's just it's a strange environment. Like, people are going through a lot of stuff, and it feels like you can see people getting angry. Like, I live on a main road, I can hear people yelling at each other through their cars, like beeping and free like road rage. I'm like, this is wild.

SPEAKER_03 26:13

I know, I do.

SPEAKER_00 26:14

But it's like the bottom line is when you take a deep breath and you take a step back and you count your blessings, you know what's really important. And again, being rich, being famous, uh, having the number one song on iTunes or Billboard or whatever. It's like that's awesome. That's a great thing. I'm so happy for people like that, but that's not what makes people happy.

SPEAKER_03 26:38

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

It's an inner job. And like I said, I mean, I now I have a better understanding of this, and now I can finally experience joy on stage, and now I can sing from my heart again. But it took me a long time to get to that place. And you know, maybe some people haven't had that experience and they've been in that place the whole time, which is awesome. But for me, I've gone in and out of it, and I think that's what everyone is searching for. Everyone wants to feel good inside themselves.

SPEAKER_04 27:06

Sure, they do. And that's why it's more important to stay true to yourself because you have to have the inner peace and the inner comfort and the justification for yourself. You can't have somebody give you the justification for what you they don't, they're not you, they don't, they don't know how you tick. They they think they know, but only you know that at the end of the day, right? So Charlie Marie has to stay true to Charlie Marie, right? At the end of the day. So so so on that whole car journey thing, like so you just pack up a suitcase, you jump in the car, destination unknown, and you just take off driving. Is that how this plays out?

SPEAKER_00 27:48

So this time I had like booked a couple of retreats because my whole thing was like, okay, I'm gonna try doing like this healing thing, and I'm gonna figure out the answers to life. Okay, yeah, you know, you get, like I said, you learn a little bit, but I think life is a mystery. And essentially, a friend of mine helped me build a little platform bed in my Toyota Yaris, which is absolutely hilarious. Luckily, I'm small, I'm a size zero, I can curl up in the backseat and sleep comfortably

Fear Of Being Seen And Healing

SPEAKER_00 28:19

for a few days. But I mean, I visited my aunt and uncle several times. They live in uh Arizona, so that's kind of the hub of the West. I have a friend of mine that lives outside of Nashville in Ashland City. I visited him a couple of times. I have my cousin up in Washington, and I would stay at like Airbnbs and camp and do different things. But yeah, essentially I just kind of went with how I felt, and I would meet people and they would along the way, people would tell me about places and I would go visit them. And it things just would unfold. Like that's it was just it's unbelievable how life works when you let go of control and you allow life to flow through you. Like things that you never thought would have happened happen. And that's how I got a lot of these songs was from just letting life lead me where it wanted me to go. I would go there, I would be blown away by simplest like simple things, nature most of the time. And then I I would write songs about it because I didn't want to leave the moments, but unfortunately, like we we have to continue on. Like, I wish I could have stayed in Alaska. I honestly don't know if I could make it through the winter, but it was beautiful in July.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:30

And now, like when I listen to my record, I feel like I'm on my journey again. It kind of makes me like homesick for the road, but I know when I'm supposed to go back out west, I'll be out like back out west.

SPEAKER_04 29:40

Yeah, of course. You know, it it what you were just saying reminds me of a book uh as a younger kid. I didn't read a lot, um, but I read a book in school called A Walk to the West. I think that's what it was called, and it was about a guy and his dog, a true story, uh, that started somewhere on the East Coast and literally walked to California. And I don't remember all the details of the book. The point I'm making is when you set out and you're not in a plane flying from the east coast to the west coast, fly over states, and you're you're walking, you're meeting every walk of life along the way. You're meeting people, and and I remember him saying in this book, people just they they pour, I mean, the love was just pouring out because over time that people got to know that hey, this I guess it was in the news and stuff, hey, this guy's walking across the country. People were lending their homes and money and food and this and that, and it's that journey he had to take. He had to go out and just breathe the air, right? And just experience life. I think he wore out 23 pairs of shoes on this wall, and it was the most inspiring thing. And and your story is much like that, where you get to this cinder block wall in your life, and instead of beating your head against it, you just say, Well, let me just turn around and go the other way, and I'll come back to the cinder block wall if it's still there. And I I I just think your story is really cool. And as I dug into you a little bit more, I think that was very fascinating because I think that's an important story to have a musician tell. Like it, you know, it's sometimes you have to take an alternate path, is is the moral of the story. And you can come back to the main road, but sometimes you just have to detour a little bit to find your way.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

Definitely, because the storylines that were going on in my life at that time were very depressing and very heavy, and I needed to expand my mind. And when you go out on the road and you're vulnerable, like I slept honestly, my one of my favorite places to car camp was Walmart. You know, it's a safe place, or rest stops. Like people think people are gonna bother you. If you mind your own business and you're smart, nobody bothers you. And I would meet, I consider them earth angels. Yeah, I would hit points on these this journey where like I would feel really low, and then all of a sudden, someone would come out of nowhere, a stranger, and like tell me a story, or like you said, buy me, buy, tell me that they want to take me out for lunch, or like I met this one woman at a retreat, and she told me that if I came back through Sedona, that I could stay at her house, and I ended up doing that, and like it was so nice spending time with these people that like that's cool. I didn't know. Yeah, my boyfriend thinks I'm crazy because I always like I'm so open to certain people. He's like, You gotta be careful. It's like I trust my heart, yeah, and I'm lucky that none of these people, like the one person I met this guy in Montana um at a tire shop. He I this was such a weird, this is such a weird story, but I'm gonna tell it to you. So um, when I went to Alaska, there was this girl that I met, and she told me about uh her cousin that lived in Montana and how I could stay and like probably spend some time there with him. Because, you know, again, it's nice to save money and not spend a ton of money places or always sleep in your car. So that's where I was like going to eventually go. But I wanted to visit um Glacier National Park. And the time that I was driving through Montana, it was hot as hell. And I guess it's not usually hot, hot there. It was August. And I remember like just finding this random campground outside of Glacier Park and parking my car and trying to like scope out like where can I camp? Can I sleep in my car here? And I saw a bunch of people in swimsuits and they were walking to this place. And I said, I'm gonna follow these people. And I went and followed them, and it was some local swimming hole, but it was unbelievable. It was like this beautiful lake surrounded by mountains, and so I ended up like hanging out at this spot like a couple of days, but I got this idea in my head that I wanted to get a float because I wanted to like go float out on this lake, but I had no idea where to blow up the like a float, and I looked around and I ended up at this gas station. I bought a float at a gas station, and the woman said the cashier was like, You can go to the tire shop across the street and they'll blow up your float. And I'm like, Really? So I went there and asked these the tire shop to blow up my float so I could go hang out at the lake. And I met this guy there, and I ended up hanging out with this guy for a couple of days. We went to rodeos, I had like a really, really cool experience with him. Again, just a truly awesome human being. Was not a creep, was not a weirdo, and it was like unbelievable how kind this stranger was to me. Yeah, it it just blow like it blew my mind, and that would happen to me like throughout this journey. Like then I met up with the the girl's cousin, and that was that was exactly what I needed, you know. Like that's who I ended up writing the song Montana about because it was like I had gone through a breakup. The guy that I had played guitar with that was my best friend, that relationship ended. You know, when you go through these moments in your life where you feel like you're trash, you know, while these you're like, who am I? And then you find someone that sees something good inside of you and you're like, oh, thank you, Gina. Like, thank you. But then I had to leave and I had to keep going. And I but I would always listen to like what my my heart wanted me to do. And when I was in Montana and I spent time with this person, we had gone to a hot spring and it was so nice. So when I was driving back home, I was in South Dakota, and I'm like, you know what? I want to go to a hot spring. And I found this really awesome, like resort type place. You could spend $25 and hang out there all day. And I ended up staying like at this place in South Dakota for a few days and met another person and met other people, and it was just crazy how life is always bringing you the people you need if you get out of your own way.

SPEAKER_04 35:58

Yeah, 100%. And I love that story because it helps to restore my faith in humanity, right? Because sometimes I get really disgruntled with the way people act. Like you see all this bullshit on social media, the fighting and the bickering about politics, and it's just over-the-top. Like, like I get it, you have beliefs and you have all of these things, but why are we so fucking angry and so like I mean, it's just crazy. And when I hear stories, it's like Randy, there there are really good people out there, but what you see, we get so jaded in by being on our phones all the time and just seeing this shit day in and day out. And you you catch this attitude, like I hate people, like people suck. And then you hear stories like this, and it's like, thank you for breathing that into me because you know, you you know what I mean. Like, it's just ridiculous. The the the the bickering back and forth about just shit in general. And I think everybody needs to probably get in their yari and drive the fuck across the country and and sleep at a tar shop, right? Yeah, seriously. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 37:18

And it's fun. I mean, I still do it once in a while. Like, I mean, I played a show in New York and I told my boyfriend, um, I'm like, I'm gonna car camp in my car, and he's like, okay, here's something because I like doing it and it makes me feel like I'm on my adventure again. And it's such a weird thing to like, you know, get excited about waking up in the backseat of my car. Like, I don't know why, but it's fun. You're on an adventure, you're free. And I just guess the thing about this whole thing, too, it's like I felt like I had nothing left to lose. So I didn't care. I'm not, I don't think somebody's gonna come out and get me. Like, I don't care. Like, okay, cool, like, whatever, what's gonna happen? I'm just gonna go with it. And I think if you have that attitude too, like where you where you're not thinking people are out to get you, like, nothing bad is gonna happen. Also, if you're wise, I didn't go out to bar rooms and do anything crazy. Like, people didn't know I was sleeping in my car. I minded my business. Yes, and if you mind your business and do your own thing, nobody's gonna bother you.

SPEAKER_04 38:18

I agree with that. I agree with that 100%. Shifting gears just a little bit, you had a couple of singles that were released this year. One of the singles um is called Heart. And I was wondering if we can maybe treat the listeners to a short clip of the song and then come back and talk a little bit about the song.

SPEAKER_00 38:39

Sounds great.

SPEAKER_04 38:40

Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 38:41

Don't you want to find out what the votes chopped about? Can you hear the song that plays belief?

Life On The Road Out West

SPEAKER_01 39:20

Every human has all.

SPEAKER_04 39:56

But it's a cool tone. So kudos to you on the song. I love it. Thanks a lot. Tell me a little bit about it. What inspired it, if you don't mind?

SPEAKER_00 40:05

Yeah, so I'm just trying to remember the specific date. I believe it was in 2020. I um COVID had happened or whatever. I think that's when it is. I some of the dates are all blurred together. But I uh we couldn't really do much. And my sister's friend was having a like a little pool party, and I went to her house and she was telling me how she was gonna go to this protest in Providence, a Black Lives Matter protest. And I'd never been to one. So I said, you know what? I'm gonna go. I'm gonna make, I'm gonna like make a positive sign, like about peace or whatever. And like I'm gonna, I'm gonna go. And um the kid that I used to play guitar with all the time, Brian, like he went with me and we went. And I feel like I'm kind of sensitive. I feel like I can feel emotions, which is really bizarre, um, from other people sometimes. And when I went to this protest, it felt unbelievably like intense. I felt so much rage and like pain and grief and separation, and it was such a bizarre experience, um, which I understand. Like, you understand. Yeah, because we've all been treated with disrespect, treated with judgment, treated with cruelty, because unfortunately, hurt people hurt people. That is what a theme that I've seen in myself and in others. Uh, but it was really weird when we like walked by the police and there was like a line of police, and then we're walking by it. Just felt very, very separate, like separate, and it just felt very like I don't know, I just didn't feel good. So I remember going home after that experience and writing heart and crying. Sometimes I write songs and I just cry.

SPEAKER_02 41:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:56

And I just cried because it was like beneath all of it, beneath our beliefs, beneath our programming, beneath um our experiences, beneath what we look like, beneath our age, beneath our sex, we all have a heart. And we all, when we can remember and connect, we all come from love. And that's where it all starts and ends is in our hearts. But I'm telling you though, too, like from my own experiences, like when you first start going to your heart, if you have built up a lot of walls of protection, with motion most of us have, you have to work with your hearts until it opens. Of course. When you get your hearts open and you feel that love inside of yourself, you also start to realize that the love that we've all been searching for outside in the world is already inside of ourselves. It it's inside of our hearts. And this is really interesting, weird stuff. I mean, I it took me a long time to finally connect to my heart. And, you know, now if I put enough, like if I just sit in for a few minutes, I can open it and I can connect to it. But it took years of work to get there. But bottom line is every human has a heart. Just like the matters, that's what matters most. None of this other shit really matters. And I feel like most people are good.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:16

And if they if they if people treat people disrespectfully, we will disrespect it's because that's how they've been treated most of the time. And they're carrying a lot of pain and anger and hatred inside of themselves. Because that's something else that I've been learning is that you can't take how people treat you personally, which can be a hard pill to swallow, but people treat you how they actually treat themselves, of course. Which is such a wild thing to unfold.

SPEAKER_04 43:42

Yeah, say that louder for the people in the back of the room. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 43:46

Seriously, isn't that crazy?

SPEAKER_04 43:48

It is, yeah, but it's so true. It's so true. Well, you had another single, I believe, released this year, and you can educate me. I think it's pronounced King. Kankamagus Highway, right? Am I right?

SPEAKER_00 44:03

Yes. So I'm pretty sure you're right. So my mother still and other New Englanders say I say it wrong. Okay. They say it's called the Kankamangus Highway. So when I after my journey, I was like, oh, maybe I'm supposed to, after I traveled around in 2022 in my car, I'm like, maybe I'm supposed to move to Nashville. I ended up living with my friend um outside Ashland City for a little while, but unfortunately, it it's not a place I'm meant to live. I feel like I like visiting, but uh for some reason Rhode Island always calls me home. Anyway, um, my friend uh in Nashville, she's very good at

The Story Behind Heart

SPEAKER_00 44:37

researching. She went online and she said, This is how you say it. And um, if you go on the Visit New Hampshire website, there's this guy named Mel Allen, who was the editor of Yankee magazine, which is some big deal up in New England, and he has this whole video, and I saved the link.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

Good.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

Because when fans hassle me after the show, I'll educate them. I still feel like most people in New England call it the Kankam, uh, Kinkamankus Highway. But this gentleman, and I believe what he has to say, he says it's called the Kinkamagus after a Native American chief.

SPEAKER_04 45:11

Okay. You're you're you're right about that, about the chief part. And and I and I did just what you said. I went and watched like three videos because I hate getting people's names wrong. That's why I asked you before, can can I call you Charlie? Do you like Charlie Marie? Like, I I like the respect there, right? And so I went and I watched three different videos, and I'll be shit if all three of them didn't say it all different. And exactly. But the way you said it a second ago, too, it sounded like there was an N in there and there's no N in there, like Mangus, like there's no N in there.

SPEAKER_00 45:48

Yeah, exactly. Isn't it confusing?

SPEAKER_04 45:50

Yeah, and then um the M-A-G, you could say it Ma or Mo, right? Is it a long A short? Like, I mean, you could argue that six ways a Sunday, but nevertheless, right? It's uh it's a song that you wrote. This is a highway in New Hampshire through the White Mountains. I think it's a third, what is it, a 34-mile stretch of it's beautiful, the most amazing fall foliage that you'll ever see in your life. And it's my understanding, and you can correct me if I'm wrong because you've driven it, there's there's like no there's no stores, there's no cell service, there's like there's like it's primitive, right? Like there's nothing there, right? Except the beauty of nature.

SPEAKER_00 46:39

Exactly. Yeah, no, it's really cool. And I was inspired to write it because I like am from New England, but I didn't, I mean, I never went there. It was like I was in my like I was 30 something years old when I first went, and I was really into Ramdas, uh, a spiritual teacher or whatever. Uh, but he, yeah, he used to have this place in New Hampshire. And I don't know, I was really into Rom Das at the time. So I wanted to write a song about um this place, and I just feel like all of it kind of intertwined and outcame Kankamongous Highway, Kankamongas Highway. But yeah, no, it's wild. Now, see, it's once you start going back and forth with how you say it, it really messes with your psyche. Right. It's like this crap. But yeah, like you said, that's why I'm like, I want to do my research, I want to make sure I'm saying it right. And according to Mel Allen, it's correct. So I'm gonna go with what he says, you know.

SPEAKER_04 47:29

Well, I think the beauty of just this conversation is people can go look it up and call it whatever they want, but they know what we're talking about at the end of the day, right? Who cares? We're we're close enough to know, you know, exactly set the record straight there. Well, when you sit down and write music now, what is different now versus five years ago in your writing? How do you how do you think differently now about writing? Or how do you approach writing differently now than you did, say five years ago or three years ago or one year ago?

SPEAKER_00 48:04

In the past, when I first started writing, I wanted to write music that would make like would make it. Ooh, what's what's gonna make it? How am I gonna make it? Ooh, I wanna make it, or oh, I want this song, like the people to accept this song and all this stuff. And it was just funny too, because in Nashville, like unless you have credentials, like you gotta co-write, man. You better, you better co-write with somebody that has credentials.

Kancamagus Highway And New England Awe

SPEAKER_00 48:30

Again, you don't your songs don't mean anything. And it was very interesting because again, I never thought I would leave Nashville, but life pushed me back home to Rhode Island, and then that's when I've written most of my songs, and I felt really uncomfortable at first because I didn't really have anyone to write with. So I had to write songs by myself when I got home to Rhode Island, and that was the best thing I could have done. But for me, even then, when I first was writing, you know, when I first moved back home, I was still trying to fulfill this image that I had that I was trying to be. And then now I feel like I write music that my soul, my heart needs, like or songs that I need, that I need to listen to. Because a lot of times I think to myself in my head, or when nobody's around, I'm like, yo, you need to practice what you preach. And it's like a lot of times, like heart, for instance, you know, if I meditated or, you know, I went out in nature and I walked my dogs and it was a beautiful day, I feel, oh, one with everything. I want to wave to people, I want to say hi. Oh, you know, all these things. But if I'm rushing around and I got some guy behind me swearing at me because I didn't go through the light soon enough, and you know, um just weird stuff is going on, I don't feel warm and fuzzy inside towards everyone. I don't want to like be like, oh, you know, so this is the thing. Like, so that's when I feel like I need to take a step back and be like, okay, I'm out of alignment. Like, I don't want to, like you said, I'm feeling angry or I'm feeling sad. Like, what can I do now to come back to wherever my center? Because this doesn't feel right. So a lot of times I write music that I need to hear. I write music um from my personal experiences. Sometimes it kind of feels like a public diary.

SPEAKER_04 50:28

Yeah. But there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, if you're okay divulging your heart, which why would you not? Like, I mean, we're all human at the end of the day. And I've talked to so many artists in I can I can remember a couple in Nashville, I can remember um I'm trying to remember where Andrew's from now, but I mean, we we've gone down this path of getting into conversations around anxiety and depression and all the things that you know, just the things people go through in life, and we we're just having a very open and candid conversation about hey, I fought with depression, he was fighting with depression, he walked away from it. Like we're human at the end of the day, right? Like, and there's nothing wrong with sharing the feelings of your heart, right? I think that's an awesome thing, right? To to be able to um it's it's almost like talk therapy, right? I think when you have a when you have problems and you try to compress those pro or suppress those those problems, they don't go away, they just linger. But if you can like outwardly cry or outwardly talk and get those emotions out, it it it like purges, right? And I think that the songwriting that you're talking about is your way of purging, right? Would you agree with that or am I off base?

SPEAKER_00 51:56

No, I I feel like that is, and it's just been yeah, it's it's been like that for me. And it's just the like the messages kind of come through me. Like some of them I work harder on, like certain songs I definitely put a lot of energy and effort into. Um, because I'm also I know when something is finished and I know when something is not. Of course. Um, but then sometimes songs will just come out like very quickly. And yeah, I mean, some of these songs like heart, I mean, it's been years. It's been I've had that song for years. I think one of the most recent written songs on that record is Namaste, which was like maybe last year. Yeah, I think last year I wrote that. But two, I go through periods where I write a lot of songs, and then I go through periods where I don't. And I've had people say, like, you need to write every day, but it doesn't feel right every day. It doesn't, no, it doesn't feel right every day. And I have to listen to when it feels right, and I get this feeling like I want to write. And I have a long like we I feel like a lot of writers have this list of ideas, which I do. I have a bunch of songs that I eventually would like to write, but it has to be the right time. And I think a lot of times I have to have certain experiences to be able to write songs, like El Paso, for instance, which was on Ramble On, like that was one of the reasons why I ended up moving back home to Rhode Island. I never thought I was gonna have an experience like that, but life gave it to me for a reason.

SPEAKER_04 53:22

Yep. Well, I had an artist on my show, and he lives up. I I don't know why I'm drawing a blank on the city, but he's in Massachusetts. And um the band, you may or may not have heard of it, a Christian rock band called Striper, right? And then he went on to sing with the band Boston for a little while after the death of Brad Delt. But I was talking to Michael Sweet on my show. I've been fortunate enough to have him on a couple of times, but uh we were talking about the songwriting process, and he said, you know, I'm very structured in my songwriting process. Every morning at a certain time, I go and I I lock myself in a room and I I just dump. I that's what I do. That's his structured thing. But a lot of people are not structured like that. They have to just go when they're moved by something, or they get that they're driving down the road in the car and they get this idea, and it's like, oh, let me record that real quick. There's no structure to it. So it's interesting to see that you're you're kind of the ladder, right? It's like you gotta be in the mood. You might go a week without writing, but then you'll write for four days straight after that, right? Or whatever, right? It's just all over the map.

SPEAKER_00 54:34

Yeah, definitely. And I I don't know, I I think that for some people, like the gentleman you're talking about, like that seems like a writing practice, and I think it's probably part of like how he processes stuff. Because, like you're saying, like it's very it's helpful. It is definitely helpful to write music. But for me, I guess I yeah, like we're talking about, I just I have to have a uh an array of certain experiences, I have to have like enough free time. If I don't have like enough free time to really like get into it, then I yeah, I just it's hard for me to write like certain, I feel like meaningful songs for me.

SPEAKER_04 55:16

I totally get it. Well, you have a um a new record coming out this summer. Talk to the listeners about the upcoming release and what they can expect from the new effort.

SPEAKER_00 55:30

So it is the record is called Signs. It is gonna be released on Friday, June 5th. Um, all the places, Spotify, Apple. If you'd like some a physical copy, you can go to Bandcamp. I have it on CDs and vinyls. Um, but yeah, like I feel like most of the songs on this record are from my journey when I traveled across the country. And when I listen to this record, I feel like I'm I'm on that journey again. And

Songwriting Without Chasing Approval

SPEAKER_00 56:03

it kind of makes me feel like if a listener listens to the CD, to the record, that they're kind of like coming on that journey with me, also. And it's wild how it worked out this way. Um, but yeah, it's it's really cool. It talks about a bunch of my experiences that I had when I did this, and that's awesome. Like things that led up to it also, but it's kind of like a a record that takes you inside also, like an inner and outer journey.

SPEAKER_04 56:33

Yeah. Well, I usually ask this off the record, but I'll I'll just ask you while we're recording. Uh, you said you can get the vinyl at Bandcamp. Is that a pre-order that you have out there? Or talk talking a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 56:50

Yeah, you can pre-order it now. Um, I actually got them in the other day and I tested it, and I have a my record player though is old.

SPEAKER_02 56:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 56:58

And I scared the crap out of me because when I first listened to it, I'm like, uh, it doesn't sound right, but I had my friend test it and it's good. But anyway, yeah, it's wild how delicate like record players are and the whole thing. But anyway, got my vinyls in, they're nice. So yeah, you can pre-order stuff now.

SPEAKER_04 57:14

Um so how would I, how would I, um, how would I I can go to Bandcamp and I could buy one to support you. And how do I get you to sign it and get it to me?

SPEAKER_00 57:24

You can just write like in the comment. I think when you buy it, you can write a comment or something. And a lot of people just write in the comment uh if they can sign it, if I could sign it and I'll sign it for you.

SPEAKER_04 57:33

Okay, cool. And then they just whoever just ships it out that way, right?

SPEAKER_00 57:37

I end up shipping it, shipping it. That's fine.

SPEAKER_04 57:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 57:40

So yeah, I will my handwriting will be all over your package, and maybe you can read it, maybe you can't, because for some reason I love to write in cursive.

SPEAKER_04 57:48

Okay, well, here's what I'll do. Uh, since you said that and you exposed yourself, um, if you want me to, I can go in and edit out that you send your own stuff. If you rather people think that you have a team to send that out, right? Whatever you whatever you prefer. You tell me because that's why I usually ask off the record, because you know, some people don't want them to know that they're doing everything, they're doing on their own socials. They want them to think, you know, oh, I've got this team of people and all that. So I don't care.

SPEAKER_00 58:21

I I would rather have people know that I do it. Okay. I do not because I don't personally, it's like I don't I have I don't really have a team. I mean, I have one, my this guy, Joe, that's been helping me since I was a kid. He's helps me book shows, but like it's kind of wild all the No, I know, and I get it, and I completely get it because it's all about you know what your approach is. It's just funny because the stuff that you know, like all the stuff you do for your show. Come on, we wear all these different hats. It's unbelievable. That's why after you know, I'm always I didn't do this before, but now I'm like, you know what, kid? I put I'm like, I'm proud of you. Like the stuff we do is unbelievable, man.

SPEAKER_04 58:58

No, and you should be proud of that. And and I oh like I said earlier, with the pronunciation of names, like the whole thing, I just want to be respectful uh and put the best light on you, but I agree with you, like everything for my show, much like your music, is what I've done to get it here. And I've had a few people along the way, like my intro and my outro for my show was done. I was in professional hockey for 17 years, and the voice there is Adam Gordon, who was the play-by-play announcer for the Houston Arrows here in town. He's been gracious to give me his talent, right? To give me that cool intro, that cool radio voice. And then I've had my guitar player that has have has belled me out on some edits that were tricky, right? So I've had I've had help along the way, but 98.9% of it is all done right here in this room with my thought process and my hard work. So there's nothing, there's nothing to be ashamed of at all. Like just by like being respectful.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:01

No, for sure. And it's funny because like, yeah, there's definitely people that have helped that still do help me. Like my my friend Nick that that plays guitar with me now, like he did the music videos, most of them. I mean, I had I hired one other person to do one video, but it's it's very nice that we have certain people, and then I have a friend that I met in uh at Belmont University um who helps me with all of my mixing and stuff on my music. Like certain people like are very important to this whole process too, like you said. And but we but yeah, a lot of us do most of the stuff, which is just how it goes.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:36

Well, what's what's the old adage? It takes a village, right? I mean, and it and it does, and there's always gracious people there to help along the way. Is this an LP or an EP? Is this a a five-shot? It's an LP.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:48

Nice, it has 11 songs on it.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:51

Awesome, awesome. Well, I would love to support you there. And um, are you playing full time with the band? Do you do solo stuff? Talk to me a little bit about um how your shows work for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:05

So lately, I so I decided because before I was singing on the weekends and then I was waitressing, but then I came to this conclusion last year that I needed to, I didn't want to work where I was working, and I was gonna try to get another job in waitressing, but I had a dream. Sometimes I get dreams, and I felt like I'm not supposed to do waitressing right now. So I decided to focus on singing, and how I am doing that is during the week I sing at retirement homes, senior centers. So I've been doing that, and then yeah, I've just been playing shows. I a lot of times I play duo shows. Okay,

Signs Album Details And Preorders

SPEAKER_00 1:01:40

um, and then I do have some full band shows coming up. Um, but it's been wild and it's it's been unbelievable, man. I mean, this is real life here. Yeah, and uh some of these shows test me, but 90% of them um touch my touch my soul, man. Like it's it's just like I'm I I a lot of times I'll feel uplifted now. I'm like, I feel energized after I do things because I feel like I'm doing what I came here to do. And it's scary doing that too, because yeah, like it's not it's just a little different. It's different when you when you don't know for sure like what's gonna happen in a couple of months. I mean, you can see a month or so down the line and you got shows scattered everywhere, but you gotta trust.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:26

I dig it.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:27

It's another big one, man. The big T. Trust, trust, trust. Oh god.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:32

Right on. No, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:33

Um, I do have one other thing that's wild. Um, supposedly some of my songs are gonna be on a couple of TV shows. We'll see what happens. That's awesome. So that'll be really nice. I hope that works out.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:44

That'll be some mailbox money for you, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:47

So yeah, I'm just hoping that you know it gets some of my music out there a little more, and I just I'm looking forward to seeing him on the shows. Like, I'm I want to see it, man. But yeah, I'm excited.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:59

I had a cool guy on my show that was set up by a dear friend of mine. He uh he played, I think, eight or so years in a band called LA Guns, big 80s band, right? Um, he's now an A-list producer in in uh Woodland Hills, California. He's produced for William Shatner and Leif Garrett and Rick Springfield, Z like Z Z Top. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. But he's also had scores that he's written for like Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Family Guy, like all of these shows. And it's just like this mailbox money for him. And it's so awesome that that Adam has been become successful like that. So hopefully that takes off for you and you get more of your stuff out there like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:45

Yeah, it was just kind of wild because it was funny how that happened. Like, I mean, I've had little like nibbles. I felt, you know, he feels like you're fishing sometimes. And I didn't even think about this stuff. And then I got a call or an email basically. Um, I think it was in February from one place. And then a couple of weeks ago, I was driving home. I don't usually answer my phone when I don't know the number, but I said F it and I picked it up, and then it was the opportunity for something else. And I'm like, this is unbelievable. But this is why what I'm saying, I think when you're, you know, doing what your heart wants you to do, stuff really comes to you.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:19

Right place, right time.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:20

Yeah, it's wild.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:22

Yeah. Uh so the band, is this a permanent band for you or these higher guns that you pick up to play? And if it is your full-time band, do you care to shout these guys out and tell the listeners who you're playing with?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:35

Yeah, so I've been playing with this local band named These Wild Plains. I mean, we both kind of do our own stuff, uh, but most of the time, like, I they're my backing band. Like, that's who I recorded the record with, uh, signs. Um, but yeah, it's a local band in Boston. Um, they're gonna be backing me for some of the shows I have coming up at a few spots. And like I said, the lead guitar player, Nick Mercado, I play a lot with now, and it's really nice.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:03

Very cool. What advice would you give to someone who feels, and I think you're the perfect person to ask this, uh, who feels lost creatively or creatively. Um personally, right? Like you I know you've done a lot of soul searching, right? Um is there any advice that you give us to somebody that that might be doing the same soul searching that you were doing at one time?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:36

Stuff that's really helped me is spending time in nature. Um I think if you can spend time in nature, it helps you see the beauty in life.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:47

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:47

And I find that there's a healing

Playing Retirement Homes And Bandmates

SPEAKER_00 1:05:50

presence in nature, and this stuff is free. Something else that's free. Um, I don't consider myself a religious person person at all, but I I do believe that there's a higher power. And so, like praying and asking for for whoever you believe in um to be with you and to help you through certain times, I mean, that is a real thing. And I another thing that has helped me that's free. I love because I know how it is, man. Yeah. I keep saying that, but um, putting your hand on your heart, if you do that, it helps you get out of your mind and connect to your heart center, and you can just do that and breathe. And um I think sitting with the emotions that you don't want to face, when you start to listen to them and journal and like get their messages, um, you'll see that they have a gift for you. It took me a really long time to have the courage and the nerve to do this. Uh, but these are the the things that help you release any of the blocks that are keeping you from being in the present moment. And like I said, number one thing, I'd say nature. Number two thing, pray to whoever you believe in. Number three, put your hand on your heart. And um, yeah, just face your stuff and never never give up. And I'm gonna tell you something else. If you're here, you're here for a reason. And you belong here, and you have a gift that no one else has. Every single one of us has something that someone else in the world does not have and that cannot do. I feel like we're all like snowflakes, you know? Yeah, and we all belong here and deserve to be here, and no one is better or worse than anyone else. There's no such thing. And the other thing I'm just gonna say is no one is gonna save you. You know who's gonna save you? That light inside. Yeah, and I've I mean, I've gone through this a lot. Like, again, when I was at my low point, I would meet some of these healers and I would think they were gonna save me, and they helped me get to a like a step on the staircase, but man, you're the one doing the work. Yeah, like we talked about. So you're here for a reason. Never give up and always believe in yourself.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:11

Yeah, that's a great public service announcement. Thanks for sharing that. Um, any shows or events coming up that you care to share with the listeners here on Backstage Pass Radio?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:23

I have a couple of big shows coming up. So May 15th at the Shea Theater in um, I believe it's northern Massachusetts. Um, that's a big show. That's gonna be my first band show. That it seems like it's gonna be a really fun time. And then I do have my CD release show, uh, well, record release show on June 5th at the Lizard Lounge in Boston. Um, and then I have other shows sprinkled throughout the year. You can visit my website, CharlieMarieMusic.com. You'll be able to find all that out. I update it every probably week or so, so new shows are constantly going up.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:59

Okay.

Nature Prayer And Hand On Heart

SPEAKER_00 1:09:00

But yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:01

What about um where listeners can uh of course you mentioned the website, but where else can they find you on social media? Do you do you gravitate to one platform over the others?

SPEAKER_00 1:09:11

I my favorite one is Instagram. I use Instagram like no, I don't know why. I just love that one the most. Um, but yeah, I have Instagram, I have Facebook, I have YouTube, TikTok. I think I have a Twitter, but I never use it. I'm just gonna be honest.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:26

You sound like some of these things you're poor.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:30

It's too much stuff. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:32

Yeah, you know what? I tried, I tried to, and I'm like, okay, something's gotta go. And and Twitter X or whatever it's called now is the first one. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:41

I'm like, I don't even think it's Twitter anymore.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:43

Yeah, it's not. No. Um yeah, I was trying to think. There was something else I was gonna ask you about. I I think we're connected on uh if we didn't connect, we need to connect on Instagram. But I, you know, I think that's where a lot of musicians tend to gravitate to is Instagram. I would think that that's probably the primary platform for for musicians. And I could be wrong, but that's what I kind of see, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:10:11

Yeah, a lot of people, I mean, I like Instagram a lot, but I know a lot of people like TikTok. I just never really gotten it got into TikTok. I don't know why I have one. I just never use it. And I'm gonna be honest, I try not to go on them for too long because sometimes I just start, I'm like, oh, I'm not like this one, and oh, you know, and I'm like, nah, nope, nope, not doing this. Nope, gonna go pet my dogs, gonna go outside, you know. Like that was cool for a second. It's cool how you can connect with people and fans, yeah, and you can share all your stuff, but yeah, I just don't like it. I can tell when I fell in a rabbit hole, I'm like, I gotta climb out, I gotta get back into the Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:51

Well, you know, there's some good things like to when I think about TikTok, there's some positive things on it. Initially, I got a bad taste in my mouth because I felt like it was for younger kids and they were going out doing dumb videos, and it was and I'm like, I am not for the sake of this show, I'm not gonna go out and act like a fucking fool. I'm not gonna do that. Now, I've seen some artists play live on TikTok, and it's great. Um, and I I think like an update like for for you and I, like, hey, it's Charlie Marie. I'm playing it blah, blah, blah, on this Friday night, next Saturday. If you're available, I'm gonna be here. Like, I think videos like that are cool. But for me to take a video camera out and go do a cannonball in the pool to get attention, like, I'm not gonna do that shit, right? It's just not gonna happen. So that's just me and TikTok. It's a love hate thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:45

Yeah, you know, it different strokes for different folks.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:49

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:49

And uh, yeah, I just I don't know. Like I said, I've I go on TikTok for two seconds. I usually just post my videos, like I'll post cover videos of me singing, stuff like that. That's stuff I feel comfortable doing. Certain things I still don't like you. I don't feel comfortable starting doing things, like certain things. Um, and I know everybody tells you you need to do this, you need to do that, but what why what have we been talking about this whole time, man? You gotta do what you wanna do. Because if it's not fun, it's not fun.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:18

It's work then, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:12:19

If it's not fun, yeah, we all gotta do stuff we don't want to do. I mean, this stuff should be overall fun.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:24

Yeah, it really should. Well, Charlie, listen, um I I've loved my time with you, and thanks for letting the listeners of Backstage Pass Radio hear your story, and thanks for being um thanks for being real. I I connected with you because I love a heart-to-heart conversation, and I think you gave me that. I think you're a tell-it like it is person. I like to say that I'm a really good judge of character, and I picked up on that with you real quick, right? And I I appreciate that. So thank you for sharing your story uh with with my listeners. It means a lot, it really does.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:06

Well, this has been honestly one of the best conversations I've ever had. I usually will feel nervous

Shows Social Media And Final Thanks

SPEAKER_00 1:13:12

um before a conversation like this, and I don't know why, but I felt so zen. I think it's your vibe, and I'm just really grateful and honored to be on your show. So thank you so much for taking time out of your day to even have this conversation with me and for sharing my music with your listeners. It it really means a lot, and it's so refreshing to have heart-to-heart conversations, and I again I just really appreciate it. And it this felt it felt very good. So I I like when things feel good and this felt felt like a good talk.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:44

I love to hear that, and I and I would always ask if it means that much to you, you know. If you if you share with your listeners this the the show, that's always that's all I can ask. Um, I I would appreciate that, but thank you for being honest. That that is the motivation that I love to hear that keeps me putting out episode after episode. And really, at the end of the day, it's about you. It's it's about the artists, it's about their story and delivering that message to whoever, the world. If I if if I've got that presence and I can deliver it to 143 countries, that's where I'm gonna deliver it to. But like I said early on, if I can get your story in one set of ears, that's one more set of ears today than you had yesterday. So it was time well spent at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:40

Yeah, well, exactly. And that's what's cool about these situations because I am going to share this with my fans, and then they listen to our conversation and then they like this, and then they listen to more of your episodes, and it helps both people. Absolutely, and it's a it's that's what's great about it. It's an equal exchange. It is, it's very nice.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:00

It is well. Listen, you guys make sure to follow Charlie Marie on all of her social media accounts and on the official website at Charlie Marie Music.com. I also ask the listeners to like, share, and subscribe to the podcast on Facebook at BackstagePass Radio Podcast, on Instagram at BackstagePassRadio, and on the website at BackstagePassRadio.com. You guys remember to take care of yourselves and each other, and we will see you right back here on the next episode of Backstage Pass Radio.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:33

Thank you for tuning into this episode of Backstage Pass Radio. Backstage Pass Radio. We hope you enjoyed this episode and gained some new insights into the world of music. Backstage Pass Radio is heard in

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SPEAKER_03 1:15:46

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