That was the most emotionally vulnerable moment ever on the podcast. Yeah, I love weeds. So this song, I started writing after I went to this at my new mom in Virginia, and I started recording stories that she would tell, just like I would sneakily push record on my phone and just set it on the table and see if she knows. And this was a story she was telling.
She was talking about great Aunt Belma, so my mom's aunt and just how much of a character she was and some of it is embellished, but it's kind of like a malgomation of lots of stories that my mom's told about different characters and family. And really the takeaway from it is what she taught me, which was just do you basically. And it kind of like, it took me a long time to write as most songs do, but it was like I had this metaphor that I was sticking with. And I went through probably three different courses, totally different, and several different verses that I totally scrapped and feel fine about that.
But before it was what I was happy with, I think that it even took me a long time to really understand the metaphor. I love the way weeds look. That was part of the thing. When I moved up here and noticed all the beautiful wildflowers and stuff and just how we let things grow and don't manicure them to our perfect Western idea of like a manicured lawn.
It's so much more beautiful. I felt that metaphor inside, but it took a long time to really put it into words and understand it. But I think it's pretty consistent. Like, don't know what I want.
I'm not going to double dig. I'm going to double dig this. But yeah, it's just like, you know, who cares if the world doesn't think it's beautiful? Like you think it's beautiful and it is.
Yeah, every flower, every plant is a weed if it's in the wrong place, you know, took hold wrong place. Right, in the wrong context. Yeah. I pictured when we first recorded this song, I was like, we got to get this over the Dolly part and she's going to love it.
She would love it does. I mean, I mean, I'm going to put them up like many colors. Yeah. I think it's like storytelling.
I think we both love storytelling songs or like something that just kind of invokes their family or friends. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Exactly. I wanted it to capture like the storytelling, you know, of families that they pass on stories. I mean, there's no, I don't know any photos of great at them. It's just like she lives in my memory.
She lives in my mom's memory. Yeah. And she, my all account was his character. So she, you know, just their own thing.
That's like, even though I never met her, that's the takeaway I have like, that's just like my genes, I guess, hopefully. And I was really proud we recorded it. I think we tried to go big on that song, like the little three part harmony moves at the end. Yeah.
It's like kind of out of character for us. But it was weird. It was like, it was a loud. Yeah.
It was a last minute decision. And we said, what if we do this? I think that was my idea. It was.
Yeah. Yeah. It was. Yeah.
It was. It was. It was. It was.
It was. It was. It was. It was.
It was. It was. It's. It's.
That's why two verse Hive, and you see. It is. This is. That's when you read.
Right. And you read The Heart of Wisdom, and you stored your home. And you put your family at the speed. ECU.
It's what I should think, right? Which. It's. It's easy to go back and.
But it felt not easy to go back and forth. It's because. And it has a pivot to. Hold on.
And. We were around like 10 kids here, 8 kids here, 15 kids here. And then Uncle Frank jumped out of the bathroom and ran down the street. And a neighbor just came like with him at the scruff of the deck.
I was like, is this one yours? Like an actual baby. And then maybe I'll run. Oh, baby.
I'm stealing that baby. I don't know what I'm going to use it for. Song title, band name. There you go.
I got to listen to those. We have so many good way lines. Resume entry. My nana—this is a song about my family.
My nana—no, I'm understanding the two other songs. Just like, do-ra-lu-ra-lu-ra-lu-ra-lu-ra-lu-ra-lu-ra. Run, run. At tonight I wish all of y— All the time.
time. And so I just think it kind of led into me missing my family. I've been living down here for 11 years for their all of Pennsylvania. And I don't get home very often.
So it's just missing then thinking about a bunch of Irish folklore that was told to me before I went to bed and played for me before I went to sleep. It kind of fell into a country-ish thing because I was listening to a country down here. So yeah, it's one of the most favorite songs I've ever written. And my parents came down a couple months ago.
We played in Black Mountain and I played it for them live for the first time. It's really special. I don't know what I'm trying to think about all the verses. It also talks about some drinking.
It also talks about some like, I think that the main goal of that song is like connects me with my feelings that love for my family. Yeah, I feel it when we sing that second verse and I thought about my mama and I thought about my dad. I mean, it's hard for me to not cry. Like even though I didn't write it, but it's a really touching part.
And that's my voice cracked like perfectly to you when we recorded it. We only did it a couple of times. So like that's the sound I want because I don't want it to sound polished and clean. I want to sound like rough and Irish and real and real.
Yeah. Can I have your permission to take the recording? I have an Irish Penny whistle to it. I think that would fit in there really well.
Yeah, you had my permission. I have to learn half of my Penny whistle. I can play a recorder. I did have a Penny whistle when I was a little kid.
They're really annoying. Maybe if we had had the budget for to pay a backpipe player, I would have given backpipe on it. I bet you we could find one around here. Oh, yeah.
I can't, I cannot believe I don't think I've ever seen a backpipe player like downtown. I think I've seen everything else. But I don't think I've ever seen a backpipe. I've seen one.
I've seen one. This is a long time ago. Yeah. Yeah.
This is my first new turn. I was like, classic. Yeah, I could have expected that. Well, if you see me again, I'll take I'll take my portable recorder.
I'll take your song and I will sync it up later and I'll just say I play something. We'll figure it out. That'll be the the B side. I was a we'll ask.
In Philadelphia. You didn't want to say as we last about I was all about it. I'll edit it. I know.
I'll turn it. I'll edit that in. Okay. You can switch it around.
Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I feel like the songs that are the most the songs that have stuck are the ones that literally don't feel like they came from me. And that was one of them that just kind of like I was looking at pictures of outer space from a Hubble telescope one day and I got really inspired and I just wrote it all down like the whole song in one go.
I didn't really think about anything. The one line that I like from it a lot is now that we know the password we let everybody in. I grew up like very religious. Mostly in the Methodist church, but like and I'm not saying that's a bad or good thing, but it did give me a lot of hang ups.
And I think there's just this like cheekiness to that line of oh now that we have the password we have this rocket ship that can take us into deep space. We can let everybody in the heavens that are just like, you know, the ones that believe Jesus Christ. I don't know. That's like kind of heavy, but I was like kind of coming to terms with different parts of my spirituality.
I think that's a song that everybody can relate to because you hear heaven in it and there's a couple of little like sort of like nods to religion. But also it's a universe. Yeah, it's really not like it's not a Christian song. It's like this is the best point to me.
It's like, you know, like the world is in the universe is for everybody. The beauty is for everybody. So I find I look at people's faces and we play that. I don't even like universal.
Yeah, that's also one of my favorite songs. But I don't honestly don't even remember writing it. It's not because of anything like blacked outness. I don't think but like I like looked at these pictures and then it was all on paper and then I recorded it and I do the same thing and I listened to the next thing.
I think that one's gonna stick. I'm like, it did. It's good. How close like when you write a song like that, how much are you thinking about the ultimate production of it like now that you've recorded songs?
Are you writing now thinking, okay, well, you know, we'll do this live with two guitars and two voices, but I want to record it with a bass and a penny whistle and a saxophone and that's her thing. That's a really good question. I don't know if you I think since the recording, since recording that album, I think about it a lot more. Yeah, like I'm just picturing it.
I'm like, oh, the possibilities. I mean, I could I found that recording was a lot a lot harder than playing live because it's so permanent and it's like you could do literally anything that you wanted and how do you decide what to do? Yeah. So I like I think about that.
I'm like, I think about all the different ways it could be. I think another thing that we do is we figure out, we take a song that we like, you know, we'll send it to each other, like you got to listen to the song and then we'll like imagine all the ways that we could do it that are different, different feel, you know, different tempo, like how I could do the drums that are different, you know, how we can kind of put in there that makes it different. So that's something I think about like when writing on like, we could play like this and then we get tired of that, we could play like this, you know, or we could even change instruments. So that's definitely not something I used to think about, but it is now.
I think it's more so I think also when I'm like listening to new music or people that really inspire me, maybe I'm just like, yes, I want to have a recording like that. But my brain doesn't necessarily go to the logistics of things right away. I'm just kind of like, oh my god, that sounds amazing. And I don't know how or why, but I like want that quality, right?
You know, and I learned so much about recording a lot. I don't really know anything, but I learned a lot about recording with that process and I learned so much, but I hardly know anything. I like that. Well, there's just so much to know, you know, it's a it's like a whole universe in itself.
But so I grew up with my stuff that has recording studio. And so I guess I probably do know, you know, more than the average person about what goes on in recording studios and what the process looks like. But I just I see him and all that he knows. And it's like, it's insane from his ear that he can hear things that like, I don't, they're not there.
You know what I mean? Like, he's incredible. So down to like, you know, what all the possibilities are how you go about making that sound with not even having that instrument, or, you know, it's just like, it's just a it's a wealth of knowledge that I'm definitely like happy to be a part of. But it's going to be a lifelong learning process.
I think I asked for a field recorder for shows. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I have this I'm recording this little four track zoom. I'm not going to show it to you because I'm afraid it'll unplug. Wait, maybe I can't.
No, maybe not. It's just a zoom H6, but it's awesome. It sounds great. Like I have, you know, like an interface and record on the computer, but the zoom portable sounds way better than in most home studio interfaces I've ever, ever heard.
It's really cool. Especially if you can like plug into the, if you get the kind of recorder where you can plug into the soundboard and get that. Yeah, get that for you as well. You probably know all this stuff already.
So we'll see what Santa Claus does. More from Rooster and just a few moments. We'll remind you that you can find them at roostermusicavl.weebly.com. Also on all the streaming services and we'll have links in the bio.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, WNC Original Music, wherever you get your podcast, or go to wncoriginalmusic.com. And now here is Alison Price with a review of Night Songs by the band 77 Apes. As soon as I opened Apple Music, selected Night Songs, the newest release from New Haven, Connecticut based singer-songwriter 77 Apes, and began playing the first track, I was transported to a different world. Evening in five parts begins with the quiet growl of lo-fi guitars, slowly growing to a crescendo of ambient textures before you first hear Gary's voice begin telling a story.
As I listened through the album, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a wide range of styles intertwine on the succession of songs. Robin Hitchcock and Nick Cave both came to mind as I was transfixed by Gary's songwriting and intimate storytelling style. In the vein of confessional singer-songwriters before him, each song takes the listener on a journey through a snapshot of life. Twilight Garbles, my favorite track on the album, offering central vocals and a throbbing danceable beat.
With some research, I found that 77 Apes has actually released three prior albums as well as multiple singles, and their songs are shazammed all over the world. And with good reason, each song in night's song sounds reminiscent of a memory, and at the same time fresh and new. If you are a fan of indie rock, intimate songwriting, and growl-y lo-fi guitars, I highly recommend you give 77 Apes a listen. This is Matt Walsh, you're listening to WNC Original Music.
Do you guys have any questions for each other? I used to like, lean music with me. It's been an emotional roller coaster for a year. I know she didn't answer.
I was obviously not a real question. I think she really meant it. She seemed very super and was waiting for an answer. That was the most emotionally vulnerable moment ever on the podcast.
I just let it go of mine. Also the harshest moment. I'm out. Actually, no.
Take it away. Let's go to the head. I have a question. What song are you most excited to record when we make our next album?
Tell the world we were nice. Yeah, me too. That's the first song any ever wrote, which is, no, maybe not the first ever wrote, but sure it was 16. It is the most badass country song there ever was.
Thanks. Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited. Can I ask you the same question or is that copy done?
You can ask me. What? I don't think I've. Oh, ghost.
I was going to say that. That's the only one that you know that I was that. I wish I was recording a video there. What was that?
I don't know. I do this sometimes. I'm thinking. Oh, okay.
I like the Grinch. Yeah. Any other questions for each other? Do you like the music with me?
Yes. Queen. Okay. Okay.
Who are some musicians, national or local, that you wish people would listen to more? Mm. Wow. You know, I have to start with Gillian Welch because I am consistently surprised.
Like, I mean, I know that Gillian has an amazing following, of course, but there's people who just don't even know about Gillian Welch. Yeah. Or don't know that certain songs that other people sing, she wrote. Yeah.
It's kind of like the Carol Cane of like, yeah, new folk where it's like, oh my gosh, she wrote that song. You know, like, I totally wholeheartedly agree. Yeah. Yeah.
Gillian Welch, Grand Car Lyle. There's a local musician we play with a lot. His name is Jim Swayze. And he's played shows with him and he's just got a great attitude, voice vibe, like, he's a local musician, I believe.
Catherine O'Shea, the local musician who's just an incredible songwriter. She's all right. She's been on a podcast a few times. Oh, cool.
Cool. Cool. Yeah. Yeah.
You should check out her podcast episodes. I'm not just promoting a podcast here, but for her podcast episodes, we did like a little bit of a house party at her brother's house. Not a, there wasn't like a part of it. Most of the people there also came in, there's a bunch of duets, basically.
So she had like eight people come and she did each song as a duet with a different person. It's really cool. Oh, that's nice. Yeah.
It's really cool. I've been listening to a lot of Courtney Marie Andrews, and I feel like she's a little underrated. Her songwriting is incredible. She's not local.
I think she's out of Nashville. I could be wrong about that. So I'll put that on the... Oh, I'm making a national.
That's good. Yeah. Yeah. I think people should be aware of the Citizen Vinyl Open Folk, which I just went to last Wednesday.
It's like a curated Open Mic. So they have six artists playing through songs each, and it's all local. It's sort of an event for locals. It's not touristy.
It's all about the underground, but some really amazing up and coming. Sing or songwriters. It's a really cool event. Apparently the concept started in Argentina, and this is the third one in the world, where it's the same sort of thing.
It has to be in a beautiful place. The acoustics and the sound have to be impeccable, and the talent has to be incredible. Those are the three roles. And it's a really, really great event since Citizen Vinyl, which is on the grid of arcade.
Okay. One more Wednesday's. Go check it out. I think I had like four other verses.
Again, that we didn't use. That was kind of just like a stream of consciousness song way that happened. And it's not even all true. So it's true.
Yeah. But it's just sort of like, yeah. I mean, it just sort of came out like the whole story, and then we ended up picking and choosing certain verses. But I think it kind of just tells the story of a relationship ending badly, and with no trust, and no respect, and parts of it are true.
I'll let the audience just guess what parts. But there was a verse that I went to use that kind of turned it all around and made it happy in the end. And we decided also that it doesn't make any sense. Like with the vibe of the song, we were like, just cut that one.
So I'm really happy for that decision. I think it just, the vibe is consistent now. This is one I want us to play like fast. Yeah.
I think it's a song that I love for sure. But like we don't play it out live enough. You know, maybe that's a different conversation. But like, I do really love that song.
We just have to play it out in a minute. But I want us to play it like fast. Like a six, eight, like bluegrass. So like, do you know the last day?
Yes. We haven't talked about that yet. So you know, it's like, I think that's what we tend to do. It's like, we're bored with that.
It's playing a whole entirely different way. And turning on the same wavelength. Yeah, that's a cool thing to do too. Because sometimes you, by doing that, you like your new version a whole lot better.
And everybody does like your new version a whole lot better than the original version. Are you guys, as your headphones plug in? Because I'm hearing my voice all of a sudden. Yeah, I'm not hearing now.
It's fine. I can hear a lot better now. Oh, good. Yeah, I'm not hearing myself now.
Yeah. Okay, great. All right, we'll start over borrowed wedding ring. Really?
I'm just kidding. I was going to be like, oh my god, this is an optional roll. I'm not a stacker. Right.
Yeah. Okay, bring back all the other emotions that you had. Just like you did in the same order. Same words.
Right. Act, act surprised when you were surprised before. I'll feed you. Take it with you when you go.
How does anybody really know? They say it's all here for you. And do what you will do. But everyone must reap the seeds they sow.
I got my fortune right here in the ground. Insights and sounds. I don't want anymore. I can reach out for everything I need is all around.
I got my fortune here in the ground. No money, can't buy everything, you know. It's not the only thing you have to show. Cause you can't go a single day without loving in some way.
Cause I plant your love and baby let it grow. And I, a woman, walks around the room. Nothing more in life she wants to own. Cause she knows how well she can live when a goal is just to give.
She looks around and sees all she has grown. I got my fortune right here in the ground. Insights and sounds. I don't want anymore.
I can reach out for everything I need is all around. I got my fortune here, I got my fortune right here in the insights and sounds. I don't want anymore. I can reach out for everything I need is all around.
I got my fortune here, got my fortune here, got my fortune here in the ground. Uh, fortune. How do you, first of all, how do you say that word? Do you say fortune or fortune?
I say fortune. I say fortune. Like a fortune cookie. Okay, good.
Yeah, but you can just say it a little more southern than me. Fortune. Fortune. Um, fortune.
So this song I wrote after listening to a podcast called Love and Radio. Really? Really? It's, you know, really.
So, okay, Love and Radio. It's a great love and a video. But the story was about this man and you may have like heard of this story, Elsory, it's been all over the news and stuff, but he is this old man and he made like his life goal, at the end of his life, his whole legacy was going to be bearing this treasure and like, be encouraging. He would say make a treasure map for it and not a treasure map, it was a riddle.
Yeah. And he, and people like quit their jobs and like, we're like, I'm going to find the treasure. This is what I'm going to do. Like people got injured, people quit their jobs.
Like, hundreds of people did it. And so I was just like, I was just like, I was just like, activated by this story, but it started, got me thinking like, he doesn't care. Like, he doesn't want this treasure. He wants people, but his reason for doing it was to make people have adventures.
And so that got me thinking about like, what is the real treasure? What is the real fortune? And, you know, I had kind of just moved here and sort of like was thinking about, you know, one day, like owning land and stuff like that. This was like on my mind.
And so I was like, that's really all I want. I just want to be able to like live somewhere and appreciate the beauty of, you know, the earth, the dirt, like the soil, the ground, you know. So I just then I kind of just made up another, you know, part of that story with an old woman and sort of like, just some, you know, whimsical like talking about like what really does it all mean? Why do we put so much value on stuff?
And like at the end of the day, like we're just going to be living on the earth, you know, on a plot of the earth. And we die in the earth, you know. So that song, it was like, when it was wild for you, it took me a long time to want to play that song for people. Like it was something that I just really like kept inside.
I liked it. I love it. But it was a long time before I wanted to play it. And I think people have given me a lot of good feedback on it since we've been on the album.
Makes me feel good. Like I like it even more. I like it's my sis. Have you guys written songs where you like not hate the song, but like don't really like it.
Maybe almost didn't play it for the other person. And then you play it and something happens that kind of becomes one of your favorite songs. Yeah, definitely. I wrote a song.
It sounded like album, but I played it for you. I didn't have much confidence in it. And I played it for Aaron. And she was like, this is my favorite song of all time.
And so then I just kept playing it over and over and I'm like, this is actually okay. You know, like sometimes it just takes up a little like boost from someone else to be like, no, this is good. Do you know? And I think that's what's cool about being an undoo because it's like, you know, I am so sensitive that I would have a hard time showing it to three bandmates.
Yeah. One bandmate. I know it's like, I'm like, it's fine. And also knows that I'm going to be like, this is a little weird.
Even though that's never happened before. But like, honesty, honesty. This chord changes a little bit off. It's like we can trust in their hands.
You know, so I think like sometimes I'm like, maybe this isn't, you know, without that, without that trust, I might not be willing to share it and be like, if I was like, maybe this isn't the best, but maybe it is like, I'm able to do that because I know that you'll, you know, and you'll be encouraging. I wouldn't be in a band. I was like, it's gonna be a band. What's it gonna be called?
I wouldn't be playing music out as much if I didn't have the lip. Support. Yeah. Support.
And push. Yeah. You got your band there, I know. Everyone.
Sometimes you couldn't tell if what he'd say was true. Sure didn't look like he was alive when he's talking to you. He'd say, my god, well that's a fact. One day I'm only even enough.
Well, come on. Fades won't shoot a layer. It'll down. Take a little bit of a smile from the world ain't so in now.
They're two nips from the bottle. Maybe just one token. And fall asleep listening. Shoe songs you wish you wrote.
My buddy, Brad, will he's been through shit. He's been kicked. He's been pissed a little. He's been jailed and nailed and detained.
Saying, why's everybody always picking on me? All I'm trying to do is have a little fun. Get a liquor drink. Tie one on and now I'm stuck here.
One phone call. One window. And four cold walls. He can fix your car.
He can fix your truck. He can fix your bike. It won't cost a buck. He can climb a tree.
He can dig a ditch. Well, he's a real good man and a son of a bitch. Don't ask him why. Cause he don't know what it is he keeps.
The world knows. Just went off some paint. Crack a PBR. And keep things simple as a clay that they own.
Brad, won't you lay your head on now? Take a little rest, my friend, the world ain't slowing down. Take two nips from the bottle. Maybe just one tote.
And fall asleep listening to the songs you wish you wrote. And fall asleep listening to the songs you wish you. Brad, Brad, is he a real life breathing human being? Actually, I just, this afternoon I received a cease and desist order.
He said we cannot do that. I know I was so nervous. I'm like, can't you dive over this? I'm like, he's going to be on the radio.
It's a soul. And he was like, oh, yeah. I got that. I got that.
He's one of my best friends. He's a boy. That's him. Is that him?
He's a little bit so old. He was him. There were a couple times where we played his song. And he was watching twice that's happened.
And he doesn't even live here anymore. Like, did we just summon him? It's a cyrow song. I don't know.
But no, Brad rains was the same kind of thing. Like, all game at once. And it was just like, I couldn't believe a lot of the things that this person did and was still alive. Thriving.
And I needed to document it. So that song is an O to him. He's a great man. But like, he lived in his truck in my driveway for a hot minute.
He's one of a kind. He's one of a kind. Usually, he's a fish or man. And I had to like write down all of the things that he did.
Because it was a country. It was a hunter, but he didn't have much. I think that was something. He had a gun, but he didn't shoot.
That's what it was. Yeah. He was just pissed. He was just a sample.
Whenever he got a chance. Yeah. No, he got whipped. He got pissed away.
Oh. He also got shot in the leg. Really? Yeah.
For the shot from a farmer. He went to the field. I mean, I feel that. I'm happy that he was alive.
Because he's a nice dude. You know? Nice country boy. But he's been through some stuff.
We had to document it. We put it on the radio. Usually when we play that, and he says, everywhere to this is true. And then we looked down at her shoes.
Because she says in a song, something about boots. Yeah. I say boots. Because we shared the same size foot.
Because I wore a pair of his logging boots that were like steel toad that I had pulled out of his truck when I needed shoes. And I just couldn't take them off. It was so uncomfortable. I worked in them all the time.
I think we would share the same size. I think for the first three years, we played a band. You were wearing those shoes. With every time you played that song.
I would say, everywhere this is true. And then we both looked down at her shoes. And we'd be like, yes. Here we go.
We should have the boots to prove it. I don't know. They're worn through though now. So I have to be like, everything about this is true, except for the boot part.
Until I still know the pair of his. Yeah. Brad Reigns is a storytelling song. I am my hero's John Prine.
And I like how real and quick he is with words. And I think I was trying to chill about a little bit, but can't get to that level. But maybe something. Well, I think that song, like, paints a really good picture of who he is.
Yeah. You know, knowing Brad Reigns, I mean, you get the full picture there. And I think that a lot of times when there's like a biographical song, it's like glimpses. You get glimpses of person.
But that one just lays it all out there. Yeah. And pays the full picture. So.
Are you guys thinking you might make a video with him in it? And it's just a very literal video where it just shows him fishing and shooting and getting shot and stuff like wearing boots? Never do it. No.
Oh, it's hard for me. We can have a Brad Reigns look alike. We got somebody dressed up like him. No, I'm not going to ask him.
All right. Thanks to Rousa for being on the podcast again. Don't forget to check the show notes for where to find their music or just search rooster, Asheville music on Google. You'll find them or on all the internet music outlets, I guess.
I needed this artist. Don't forget to subscribe to WNC Original Music wherever you get your podcasts. Probably just go to the place that you're wherever you're listening right now. There's probably a subscribe button.
Just tap on that subscribe button. I don't like to smash that button like a lot of other podcasts or so violent. Just needlessly violent. Thanks to Allison Price for doing another great review and for 77 Apes for letting us look at that album.
This week's closing song comes from Chris Hitchcock. Chris is a North Carolina resident now by way of Michigan, Nashville and New Orleans. Chris has five albums out and looking at putting out a new one pretty soon. You can find him live with his van, the South End Mistakes.
And make sure to check the show notes for his music or search Chris Hitchcock at all the streaming sites. Here's Chris Hitchcock. Have a good week.