1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:15,956 Speaker 1: Pushkin. 2 00:00:20,156 --> 00:00:23,916 Speaker 2: Alejandro Escavito is a Texas born singer songwriter who comes 3 00:00:23,916 --> 00:00:27,396 Speaker 2: from a rich family of musicians, including his niece Sheila 4 00:00:27,476 --> 00:00:31,676 Speaker 2: e E. Of course for Escavito, Alejandro started out in 5 00:00:31,716 --> 00:00:34,436 Speaker 2: the pioneering in San Francisco punk band The Nuns in 6 00:00:34,516 --> 00:00:37,556 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy five. From there, he moved to New York 7 00:00:37,556 --> 00:00:40,076 Speaker 2: and then eventually settled in Austin, where he started playing 8 00:00:40,116 --> 00:00:42,756 Speaker 2: rootsy rock with bands like Rank and File as well 9 00:00:42,796 --> 00:00:46,836 Speaker 2: as The True Believers. In March, Alejandro Escavito released his 10 00:00:46,916 --> 00:00:50,556 Speaker 2: latest album, Echo Dancing, a retrospective of his career that 11 00:00:50,636 --> 00:00:55,716 Speaker 2: spans five decades. Inspired by artists like Brian Nino and Suicide, 12 00:00:55,836 --> 00:00:59,876 Speaker 2: Alejandro Escavito both reimagines and re records his previous work 13 00:01:00,036 --> 00:01:03,676 Speaker 2: on this album. On today's episode, Bruce Hedlam talks to 14 00:01:03,716 --> 00:01:07,316 Speaker 2: Alejandro Escavito about his late start in music, his upbringing 15 00:01:07,356 --> 00:01:10,196 Speaker 2: in San Antonio and Huntington Beach, where he'd sometimes pretend 16 00:01:10,236 --> 00:01:13,436 Speaker 2: to be Hawaiian to avoid Askacans, along with some great 17 00:01:13,476 --> 00:01:16,556 Speaker 2: stories about his swings through Austin and San Francisco, like 18 00:01:16,596 --> 00:01:18,996 Speaker 2: being on the bill for the Sex Pistols final show 19 00:01:19,676 --> 00:01:23,996 Speaker 2: and what makes those scenes so special? Alejandro also discussed 20 00:01:24,036 --> 00:01:26,756 Speaker 2: is why he's tried not to foreground his Chicano identity, 21 00:01:27,036 --> 00:01:29,316 Speaker 2: even as it's been front and center, for better and 22 00:01:29,396 --> 00:01:34,916 Speaker 2: worse through much of his personal life. This is broken 23 00:01:34,956 --> 00:01:37,196 Speaker 2: record liner notes for the digital age. 24 00:01:37,356 --> 00:01:38,316 Speaker 1: I'm justin Mitchman. 25 00:01:43,156 --> 00:01:46,556 Speaker 2: Here's Bruce Hedlum's conversation with Alejandro Escovito. 26 00:01:47,996 --> 00:01:51,556 Speaker 1: For people who don't know your well, they might even 27 00:01:51,596 --> 00:01:54,956 Speaker 1: know your career, recording career starting in ninety two. 28 00:01:54,836 --> 00:01:58,476 Speaker 3: Or so well, from my solo records, your solo. 29 00:01:58,236 --> 00:02:01,996 Speaker 1: Records, But people who don't know your your pre solo work, 30 00:02:02,156 --> 00:02:04,516 Speaker 1: I mean, you were in the La punk scene, the 31 00:02:04,556 --> 00:02:08,716 Speaker 1: New York punk scene, you San Francisco, San Francisco punk scene, 32 00:02:08,756 --> 00:02:13,796 Speaker 1: you open for sex Show, and of course you know 33 00:02:13,916 --> 00:02:18,476 Speaker 1: you're a legend in Austin, so you've you've been part 34 00:02:18,516 --> 00:02:21,716 Speaker 1: of all these great music scenes. So this new album 35 00:02:21,716 --> 00:02:24,756 Speaker 1: Echo Dancing, you revisit songs not just from your own 36 00:02:24,796 --> 00:02:27,716 Speaker 1: solo work, but before that. 37 00:02:28,236 --> 00:02:31,156 Speaker 3: Yes, I went all the way back. I mean I 38 00:02:31,676 --> 00:02:35,556 Speaker 3: recorded a Nun song. Yeah, a version of a song 39 00:02:35,636 --> 00:02:38,956 Speaker 3: called Lazy which Jennifer used to come out and sing 40 00:02:38,996 --> 00:02:41,956 Speaker 3: solo on piano, and we did a beautiful version. But 41 00:02:41,996 --> 00:02:45,196 Speaker 3: we're saving it for When I went to Italy to record, 42 00:02:45,796 --> 00:02:50,876 Speaker 3: I did eighteen songs and fourteen made the album and 43 00:02:51,156 --> 00:02:55,076 Speaker 3: four are being held back for a covers record. And 44 00:02:55,116 --> 00:02:58,756 Speaker 3: those songs were lazy. I did a Kevin Kenny song 45 00:02:58,796 --> 00:03:03,636 Speaker 3: called Another Scarlet Butterfly. I did a song by Tom 46 00:03:03,636 --> 00:03:06,796 Speaker 3: Waits called on the Nickel, and I did Leonard Cohen's 47 00:03:06,876 --> 00:03:07,956 Speaker 3: Alexandra Leaving. 48 00:03:09,116 --> 00:03:12,276 Speaker 4: I love Alexander Lee's So Beautiful Man, It's classic. That 49 00:03:12,316 --> 00:03:14,876 Speaker 4: was from that. The ten songs, Yeah, I can't remember 50 00:03:14,916 --> 00:03:18,596 Speaker 4: that record. Great record, one of my favorites of all time. Yeah, 51 00:03:18,676 --> 00:03:19,716 Speaker 4: I just love that record. 52 00:03:20,036 --> 00:03:23,916 Speaker 3: So anyway, we did those and I'm working on collecting 53 00:03:23,996 --> 00:03:27,516 Speaker 3: now all the songs I'll be doing for a covers record. 54 00:03:27,956 --> 00:03:29,796 Speaker 3: I know I'm going to do a Scott Walker song 55 00:03:30,516 --> 00:03:32,756 Speaker 3: called Duchess. You know, do you know the song? 56 00:03:32,836 --> 00:03:34,636 Speaker 1: I don't know thet so on. 57 00:03:34,796 --> 00:03:40,156 Speaker 3: I think, and you know things like that. A songwriter 58 00:03:40,236 --> 00:03:43,996 Speaker 3: out of Austin or Texas called Will Johnson. I'm doing 59 00:03:44,116 --> 00:03:46,796 Speaker 3: one of his. I'm doing a John Doe song, you know, 60 00:03:46,916 --> 00:03:47,516 Speaker 3: things like that. 61 00:03:47,756 --> 00:03:52,196 Speaker 1: That's great, But why why revisit these songs? Now? What 62 00:03:52,356 --> 00:03:55,516 Speaker 1: was going on that you wanted to look back on 63 00:03:55,556 --> 00:03:57,796 Speaker 1: some of your own work, and we record it. 64 00:03:57,956 --> 00:04:00,836 Speaker 3: Honestly, I think that ever since, you know, I was 65 00:04:00,836 --> 00:04:05,196 Speaker 3: stricken with a disease in about two thousand and three. 66 00:04:06,276 --> 00:04:10,156 Speaker 3: It was it was a hepatitis C. They told me 67 00:04:10,156 --> 00:04:12,076 Speaker 3: I had a year to live if I didn't get 68 00:04:12,076 --> 00:04:15,956 Speaker 3: a liver transplant, and it was a very dire time. 69 00:04:17,236 --> 00:04:19,396 Speaker 3: Two years of not working, you know, and I'd been 70 00:04:19,476 --> 00:04:22,996 Speaker 3: hitting the road hard all my life, you know, and 71 00:04:23,036 --> 00:04:25,356 Speaker 3: so it gave me a chance to really kind of 72 00:04:25,396 --> 00:04:31,716 Speaker 3: sit back finally and reflect. And in doing so, I 73 00:04:31,756 --> 00:04:34,436 Speaker 3: thought so much about the bands that i'd been in, 74 00:04:34,476 --> 00:04:38,156 Speaker 3: the Nuns rank and file, especially Judy Nylon here in 75 00:04:38,196 --> 00:04:41,516 Speaker 3: New York, and everything I learned along the way. And 76 00:04:41,556 --> 00:04:43,596 Speaker 3: so the next album I made, I co wrote with 77 00:04:43,716 --> 00:04:47,556 Speaker 3: Chuck Prophet, and it was the story of all those bands. 78 00:04:47,596 --> 00:04:51,876 Speaker 3: It was called Real Animals. And it seems that from 79 00:04:51,956 --> 00:04:54,356 Speaker 3: that point on it's been a matter of just kind 80 00:04:54,356 --> 00:04:58,556 Speaker 3: of kind of looking back at how to tell the story, 81 00:04:58,636 --> 00:05:01,516 Speaker 3: you know, continue to tell the story. And I just 82 00:05:01,556 --> 00:05:06,556 Speaker 3: felt that at this point, I'll be seventy four next year, 83 00:05:07,716 --> 00:05:10,756 Speaker 3: it was a good time to to really kind of 84 00:05:10,836 --> 00:05:13,476 Speaker 3: just go back and play around with these songs, you know, 85 00:05:13,476 --> 00:05:15,596 Speaker 3: because I've never felt like, you know, the thing about 86 00:05:15,596 --> 00:05:19,316 Speaker 3: making a record is once you record that album, by 87 00:05:19,356 --> 00:05:22,076 Speaker 3: the time the record's released, let's say six months later 88 00:05:22,196 --> 00:05:26,676 Speaker 3: or so, you're already on to new things. You're singing 89 00:05:26,676 --> 00:05:30,316 Speaker 3: those songs differently. They might even be arranged differently. You've 90 00:05:30,316 --> 00:05:33,676 Speaker 3: decided that instead of a full band, maybe this song 91 00:05:33,716 --> 00:05:38,116 Speaker 3: only requires you know, cello and violin or something or piano, so, 92 00:05:38,436 --> 00:05:42,236 Speaker 3: you know. And they had done a tribute album for 93 00:05:42,396 --> 00:05:46,916 Speaker 3: me when I was ill. It was called Porvida, and 94 00:05:47,716 --> 00:05:50,196 Speaker 3: Calexico had done a version of a song called Wave. 95 00:05:51,076 --> 00:05:53,636 Speaker 3: And when I got on the plane to go to Italy, 96 00:05:54,156 --> 00:05:57,836 Speaker 3: I began to listen to that record just for inspiration. 97 00:05:58,956 --> 00:06:04,796 Speaker 3: And suddenly my intention had shifted from going to Italy 98 00:06:04,916 --> 00:06:11,596 Speaker 3: to make a completely improvised record to re revisiting these 99 00:06:11,596 --> 00:06:16,276 Speaker 3: older songs like John cale had done, like Colexico had done. 100 00:06:16,636 --> 00:06:19,516 Speaker 3: That record had thirty two artists. Licinda had been on it, 101 00:06:19,676 --> 00:06:22,556 Speaker 3: you know, Steve are a lot of great people. Ian Hunter. 102 00:06:23,756 --> 00:06:25,596 Speaker 3: So I went back. I thought, this is cool man, 103 00:06:25,716 --> 00:06:29,596 Speaker 3: you know, let's go back. And I already had started 104 00:06:29,636 --> 00:06:32,596 Speaker 3: to work with the song sensitive Boys is just a 105 00:06:32,636 --> 00:06:37,196 Speaker 3: piano piece, and so when I got to the recording 106 00:06:37,196 --> 00:06:41,636 Speaker 3: studio in Italy. We began with the Sensitive Boys and 107 00:06:41,676 --> 00:06:46,236 Speaker 3: then Wave, the Glexico version kind of or inspired version. 108 00:06:46,036 --> 00:06:48,516 Speaker 1: I should say, So you were covering cover versions of you. 109 00:06:48,796 --> 00:06:50,756 Speaker 3: Yeah. 110 00:06:50,916 --> 00:06:53,836 Speaker 1: I want to ask you in particular about bury Me, 111 00:06:54,156 --> 00:06:57,636 Speaker 1: which was a standout on your first solo record, Ryot Gravity. 112 00:06:59,276 --> 00:07:01,516 Speaker 1: You did that in the nineties when you were I 113 00:07:01,516 --> 00:07:03,316 Speaker 1: think you were around forty when you disd your first 114 00:07:03,316 --> 00:07:07,756 Speaker 1: solo outs. Yep, so you mentioned you were You're just 115 00:07:07,796 --> 00:07:10,316 Speaker 1: you're about to turn seventy four. Where were you in 116 00:07:10,436 --> 00:07:13,516 Speaker 1: that when Gravity came out and you were singing bury 117 00:07:13,596 --> 00:07:14,596 Speaker 1: Me for the first time. 118 00:07:16,956 --> 00:07:20,836 Speaker 3: My life has been a lot of tests in my life. 119 00:07:21,276 --> 00:07:25,916 Speaker 3: I've been tested and at that point, my wife had 120 00:07:26,196 --> 00:07:31,796 Speaker 3: committed suicide and I was raising a nine year old 121 00:07:31,836 --> 00:07:37,196 Speaker 3: and a six month old girl, two girls, and it 122 00:07:37,276 --> 00:07:43,676 Speaker 3: was just a very difficult time and the burden of 123 00:07:43,716 --> 00:07:47,716 Speaker 3: that grief and working through the grief. The only method 124 00:07:47,756 --> 00:07:51,756 Speaker 3: I really had outside of therapy was writing songs, you know, 125 00:07:53,316 --> 00:07:56,556 Speaker 3: and bury Me was kind of like this almost kind 126 00:07:56,596 --> 00:08:03,236 Speaker 3: of like an expression of saying, I wish that had 127 00:08:03,276 --> 00:08:07,276 Speaker 3: happened to me instead of you. I wish the roles 128 00:08:07,276 --> 00:08:11,756 Speaker 3: had been reversed, you know, and to be buried with, 129 00:08:12,876 --> 00:08:16,196 Speaker 3: you know, the lies I've told and a rusted sword 130 00:08:16,396 --> 00:08:20,196 Speaker 3: and my bully suit and my favorite picture of you. 131 00:08:21,396 --> 00:08:27,596 Speaker 3: We're all kind of like things, you know, symbolized a 132 00:08:27,596 --> 00:08:30,476 Speaker 3: lot of the things that were happening with me at 133 00:08:30,476 --> 00:08:33,436 Speaker 3: the time. And yet at the same time, I had 134 00:08:33,476 --> 00:08:36,716 Speaker 3: no choice but to raise my children, you know, so 135 00:08:37,196 --> 00:08:38,276 Speaker 3: it was tough. You know. 136 00:08:38,516 --> 00:08:40,316 Speaker 1: Do you think your children got you through that? In 137 00:08:40,356 --> 00:08:40,836 Speaker 1: some ways? 138 00:08:40,996 --> 00:08:45,076 Speaker 3: Absolutely? You know, it was probably the only thing that 139 00:08:45,196 --> 00:08:49,156 Speaker 3: got me through that, you know, because it wasn't you know, 140 00:08:49,596 --> 00:08:53,116 Speaker 3: nothing was working other than that, you know, you know, 141 00:08:53,196 --> 00:08:56,836 Speaker 3: like alcohol. I mean, obviously I threw myself and I 142 00:08:56,876 --> 00:08:59,276 Speaker 3: was drinking too much and stuff, but the main thing 143 00:08:59,356 --> 00:09:02,356 Speaker 3: was just taking care of the kids and making that happen. 144 00:09:02,996 --> 00:09:06,716 Speaker 1: What's that like to revisit that song? Now? How did 145 00:09:06,796 --> 00:09:09,076 Speaker 1: you How did you want to record it this time? 146 00:09:11,236 --> 00:09:15,036 Speaker 3: I just wanted it to be rougher, you know, just 147 00:09:15,116 --> 00:09:18,796 Speaker 3: kind of more honest, more, you know, a little more 148 00:09:18,836 --> 00:09:23,476 Speaker 3: primitive version of the song. And you know, it started 149 00:09:23,516 --> 00:09:27,636 Speaker 3: out as kind of like a blue blues he kind 150 00:09:27,636 --> 00:09:31,156 Speaker 3: of almost like a country blues thing, you know, And 151 00:09:33,636 --> 00:09:35,756 Speaker 3: I remember that when you know. 152 00:09:35,716 --> 00:09:37,036 Speaker 1: I'm going to ask you if you can show me 153 00:09:37,076 --> 00:09:39,476 Speaker 1: what the country blues going to do? That? All right, 154 00:09:39,556 --> 00:09:40,156 Speaker 1: that's okay, But. 155 00:09:41,716 --> 00:09:48,556 Speaker 3: You know, at that time bury me was actually when 156 00:09:49,236 --> 00:09:53,956 Speaker 3: Rick was producing Johnny Cash's records, the solo records. You know, 157 00:09:54,956 --> 00:09:58,876 Speaker 3: they actually that song got thrown into the pile of songs. 158 00:09:58,916 --> 00:10:01,196 Speaker 3: It didn't make it, but it was one of the 159 00:10:01,236 --> 00:10:05,676 Speaker 3: songs that you know, I threw it for that. I 160 00:10:05,716 --> 00:10:07,996 Speaker 3: would have loved to have heard Johnny Cash sing that song. 161 00:10:09,156 --> 00:10:10,876 Speaker 1: Yeah, it might have been a little lower than your version. 162 00:10:12,196 --> 00:10:15,316 Speaker 1: Most likely you wanted it. You say you wanted it rougher. 163 00:10:15,396 --> 00:10:18,916 Speaker 1: That's a pretty dark song originally and pretty. 164 00:10:18,676 --> 00:10:21,676 Speaker 3: Start kind of like a symphonic thing about it. There 165 00:10:21,716 --> 00:10:23,556 Speaker 3: was something just kind of like you know, with the 166 00:10:23,596 --> 00:10:26,276 Speaker 3: synthesizer and stuff like that, you know, and now I 167 00:10:26,356 --> 00:10:28,716 Speaker 3: just kind of wanted like to be a little kind 168 00:10:28,716 --> 00:10:29,996 Speaker 3: of just tougher a little bit. 169 00:10:30,156 --> 00:10:34,116 Speaker 1: You know, I'm interested. Do you have your children listened 170 00:10:34,116 --> 00:10:34,396 Speaker 1: to it? 171 00:10:35,196 --> 00:10:35,476 Speaker 3: Yes? 172 00:10:35,836 --> 00:10:36,436 Speaker 1: What did they think? 173 00:10:36,476 --> 00:10:38,676 Speaker 3: You know, It's funny because my kids were the first 174 00:10:38,756 --> 00:10:40,996 Speaker 3: ones to hear my songs during that period of time 175 00:10:41,836 --> 00:10:46,396 Speaker 3: gravity thirteen years with these hands, those first kind of 176 00:10:46,436 --> 00:10:49,876 Speaker 3: trilogy of that period of time, which was like, you know, 177 00:10:50,076 --> 00:10:54,996 Speaker 3: obviously guilt Gravity was the darkest one. Thirteen years was 178 00:10:55,076 --> 00:10:59,636 Speaker 3: kind of like a more kind of melancholy look at 179 00:10:59,796 --> 00:11:04,476 Speaker 3: what had happened, you know, and then with these sounds 180 00:11:04,596 --> 00:11:08,476 Speaker 3: was kind of like coming out of this phase of grief, you. 181 00:11:08,436 --> 00:11:12,116 Speaker 1: Know, living when you recorded the Boston album, So were 182 00:11:12,156 --> 00:11:13,436 Speaker 1: you working at home at that point? 183 00:11:13,596 --> 00:11:16,236 Speaker 3: I was working at Waterloo Records. I was a record 184 00:11:16,236 --> 00:11:16,836 Speaker 3: store clerk. 185 00:11:17,316 --> 00:11:18,516 Speaker 1: Are you kidding? I didn't know that. 186 00:11:18,716 --> 00:11:20,116 Speaker 3: Yeah for many years. 187 00:11:20,196 --> 00:11:23,196 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, would you take your breaks and pull up 188 00:11:23,196 --> 00:11:23,636 Speaker 1: a guitar? 189 00:11:25,796 --> 00:11:27,956 Speaker 3: You know. It was funny because when the record came out, 190 00:11:27,996 --> 00:11:29,196 Speaker 3: I was selling my own record. 191 00:11:31,596 --> 00:11:33,956 Speaker 1: Anybody came in and said, man, whatever's playing, just take 192 00:11:33,996 --> 00:11:35,196 Speaker 1: it off, hey. 193 00:11:35,476 --> 00:11:37,876 Speaker 3: And of course I'd also accept the returns when they 194 00:11:37,916 --> 00:11:38,236 Speaker 3: came in. 195 00:11:38,636 --> 00:11:38,916 Speaker 1: Yeah. 196 00:11:39,156 --> 00:11:40,356 Speaker 3: No, not really, but. 197 00:11:41,596 --> 00:11:44,236 Speaker 1: I'll bet you kicked up a fist. You grew up 198 00:11:44,276 --> 00:11:47,516 Speaker 1: in a musical family, yes, sir, Yeah, your father was 199 00:11:47,556 --> 00:11:48,836 Speaker 1: your father full time musician? 200 00:11:49,236 --> 00:11:52,396 Speaker 3: No, he was, he was. He thought of himself as 201 00:11:52,436 --> 00:11:55,716 Speaker 3: a crooner, had sang in big bands in the thirties 202 00:11:55,756 --> 00:11:59,036 Speaker 3: and forties and also had worked and you know, my 203 00:11:59,076 --> 00:12:02,116 Speaker 3: father was born in Mexico in Salt Deal nineteen oh 204 00:12:02,116 --> 00:12:04,676 Speaker 3: seven he was born and crossed the borders when he 205 00:12:04,756 --> 00:12:07,716 Speaker 3: was twelve looking for his parents, who had moved on 206 00:12:07,796 --> 00:12:12,116 Speaker 3: into Texas to find work. So he sang in work 207 00:12:12,236 --> 00:12:16,156 Speaker 3: camps and played guitar a little bit and sang I love. 208 00:12:16,476 --> 00:12:19,836 Speaker 3: My father loved rock and roll, aroun chettas and big 209 00:12:19,876 --> 00:12:22,516 Speaker 3: band music. That was this thing. And my mom was 210 00:12:22,556 --> 00:12:26,076 Speaker 3: more kind of cultured and sophisticated. She had grown up 211 00:12:26,556 --> 00:12:29,476 Speaker 3: in San Marcos and graduated from college there and then 212 00:12:29,556 --> 00:12:32,916 Speaker 3: went to work at the Pentagon in Washington, DC as 213 00:12:32,916 --> 00:12:36,476 Speaker 3: a secretary. And so she went out and saw you know, 214 00:12:36,836 --> 00:12:40,436 Speaker 3: jazz and you know comedians. She told me she saw 215 00:12:40,516 --> 00:12:43,676 Speaker 3: Mort Sahl and Lenny Bruce and all those guys, you know, 216 00:12:43,756 --> 00:12:46,396 Speaker 3: that kind of thing. So, yeah, she was hipper and 217 00:12:46,476 --> 00:12:49,356 Speaker 3: my kind of very sophisticated, beautiful woman, really kind of 218 00:12:49,396 --> 00:12:53,596 Speaker 3: starlet beauty, you know. And so I had those two 219 00:12:53,716 --> 00:12:56,636 Speaker 3: kind of things always playing in my head, you know, 220 00:12:57,236 --> 00:13:01,076 Speaker 3: big band music and more orchestrated kind of you know, 221 00:13:01,196 --> 00:13:04,556 Speaker 3: big band music on my mom's side, sophisticated jazz. And 222 00:13:04,596 --> 00:13:07,916 Speaker 3: then she came in my first Winton Kelly record, you know, 223 00:13:07,996 --> 00:13:15,476 Speaker 3: and like my dad was really into ronchetta's and conjuntos 224 00:13:15,476 --> 00:13:16,356 Speaker 3: and things like that. 225 00:13:16,956 --> 00:13:19,156 Speaker 1: You know, is that where you get your love of strings? 226 00:13:19,196 --> 00:13:23,396 Speaker 1: You've always had such great strings. 227 00:13:22,996 --> 00:13:26,036 Speaker 3: That and I think that also two records were my 228 00:13:26,116 --> 00:13:29,716 Speaker 3: templates when I first started went Sola Were a Street 229 00:13:29,716 --> 00:13:33,356 Speaker 3: House was by Lou Reed and Paris nineteen nineteen by 230 00:13:33,916 --> 00:13:38,036 Speaker 3: John Klee, And those two records kind of gave me 231 00:13:38,756 --> 00:13:43,996 Speaker 3: the idea. And also Ronnie Lane's record and Slim Chants, 232 00:13:44,356 --> 00:13:47,756 Speaker 3: because Ronnie was living in Austin and so I played 233 00:13:47,796 --> 00:13:50,796 Speaker 3: in his band and it was a big string band, 234 00:13:50,796 --> 00:13:55,236 Speaker 3: but mostly like violin, more like fiddle and mandolins and 235 00:13:55,316 --> 00:13:59,036 Speaker 3: banjos and acoustic guitars and stuff, but really cool. It 236 00:13:59,076 --> 00:14:01,996 Speaker 3: was so great to learn from Ronnie. You know, I 237 00:14:02,076 --> 00:14:04,276 Speaker 3: loved Ronnie. I was a big Faces fan. 238 00:14:05,516 --> 00:14:07,596 Speaker 1: When you were a kid. Was that your taste like 239 00:14:07,636 --> 00:14:10,156 Speaker 1: British Invasion? That kind of music? 240 00:14:10,796 --> 00:14:14,596 Speaker 3: My taste of music began with Elvis and the Big Bopper. 241 00:14:15,756 --> 00:14:18,836 Speaker 3: I love Solomon Burke and Fats Domino was a hero 242 00:14:18,956 --> 00:14:19,436 Speaker 3: of mine. 243 00:14:20,596 --> 00:14:21,516 Speaker 1: Were you a piano player? 244 00:14:22,156 --> 00:14:24,156 Speaker 3: No, I was not a musician. 245 00:14:25,196 --> 00:14:28,076 Speaker 1: I mean everybody in your family was a musician. People 246 00:14:28,236 --> 00:14:31,476 Speaker 1: who know you know your brothers were in jazz bands, 247 00:14:31,516 --> 00:14:37,316 Speaker 1: big bands, Your niece is Sheila E from Princess Great Band. Yeah, 248 00:14:39,236 --> 00:14:40,836 Speaker 1: but you didn't play till much later. 249 00:14:41,316 --> 00:14:43,116 Speaker 3: I didn't start playing until I was twenty four. 250 00:14:43,396 --> 00:14:45,396 Speaker 1: What happened? Your dad gave you a guitar when you 251 00:14:45,436 --> 00:14:45,836 Speaker 1: were young. 252 00:14:47,196 --> 00:14:50,236 Speaker 3: I had a guitar very early. I took it apart 253 00:14:50,276 --> 00:14:53,636 Speaker 3: to paying it, gave it to me, never put it 254 00:14:53,756 --> 00:14:57,156 Speaker 3: back together. Have My brother picked it up, my younger brother, Haavier, 255 00:14:57,196 --> 00:14:59,036 Speaker 3: who was a much better guitar player than I am, 256 00:14:59,076 --> 00:15:01,596 Speaker 3: and he picked it up and he really took to it, 257 00:15:01,636 --> 00:15:04,556 Speaker 3: and you know, he was kind of more into the guitar. 258 00:15:04,756 --> 00:15:07,636 Speaker 3: But I was a surfer. I was a baseball player. 259 00:15:08,676 --> 00:15:10,716 Speaker 3: I loved surfing. I was you know, we grew up 260 00:15:10,756 --> 00:15:12,156 Speaker 3: in Huntington Beach, California, and. 261 00:15:13,236 --> 00:15:15,116 Speaker 1: You were born in San Antonio, right, and then moved 262 00:15:15,116 --> 00:15:15,756 Speaker 1: to California. 263 00:15:15,996 --> 00:15:19,916 Speaker 3: We moved when I was seven, six or seven, and 264 00:15:19,956 --> 00:15:23,276 Speaker 3: we lived in Orange County, first in Orange, California, and 265 00:15:23,276 --> 00:15:25,996 Speaker 3: then Huntington Beach. 266 00:15:26,436 --> 00:15:27,876 Speaker 1: What was the surfing scene like then. 267 00:15:28,636 --> 00:15:31,676 Speaker 3: It's a very different surfing scene. It was not an 268 00:15:31,756 --> 00:15:35,556 Speaker 3: integrated or diverse surfancy. 269 00:15:35,956 --> 00:15:36,196 Speaker 1: Yeah. 270 00:15:36,436 --> 00:15:40,436 Speaker 3: It was purely kind of you know, Anglo white, chalky 271 00:15:40,556 --> 00:15:43,916 Speaker 3: kind of guys. You know, and the Mexican kids and 272 00:15:43,956 --> 00:15:47,556 Speaker 3: the surfers always battled. So I was somewhere in the middle. 273 00:15:47,876 --> 00:15:51,756 Speaker 3: I had long air and surf like my hero David Nueva. 274 00:15:52,276 --> 00:15:57,796 Speaker 3: So the surfers thought I was Hawaiian. He passed his Hawaiian, 275 00:15:58,276 --> 00:16:00,476 Speaker 3: so I would be Hawaiian in order not to get 276 00:16:00,476 --> 00:16:05,476 Speaker 3: my ass kicked from time to time. So yeah, that's 277 00:16:05,556 --> 00:16:06,556 Speaker 3: what you know. 278 00:16:07,876 --> 00:16:10,916 Speaker 1: I'm thinking every Mexican at the border now should just 279 00:16:10,956 --> 00:16:11,876 Speaker 1: be yeah, I'm Hawaiian. 280 00:16:12,916 --> 00:16:14,676 Speaker 3: That would be a good one. I think that would do. 281 00:16:14,796 --> 00:16:16,916 Speaker 1: That would do that. I think you figured it out. 282 00:16:17,116 --> 00:16:21,076 Speaker 3: Yeah, so yeah, that was the deal. And uh and 283 00:16:21,116 --> 00:16:25,036 Speaker 3: then there was a great record store on Main Street 284 00:16:25,036 --> 00:16:29,916 Speaker 3: in Hunton Beach. This older hippie guy took a liking 285 00:16:29,996 --> 00:16:32,036 Speaker 3: to me and would turn me onto records, you know, 286 00:16:32,636 --> 00:16:37,716 Speaker 3: and he was really he was an anglophile. So Yardbirds, 287 00:16:37,756 --> 00:16:43,236 Speaker 3: pretty Things, Kinks, all those great records, you know, Lord 288 00:16:43,396 --> 00:16:48,596 Speaker 3: Sutch and you do these odd things. And he turned 289 00:16:48,596 --> 00:16:50,756 Speaker 3: me on to my you know, when the Roxy music 290 00:16:50,836 --> 00:16:53,996 Speaker 3: album came out and all the Mantahope records, you know 291 00:16:54,076 --> 00:16:57,116 Speaker 3: from Wildlife from the very first one, turned me onto 292 00:16:57,556 --> 00:17:01,116 Speaker 3: all the Bowie, all the t rex All that stuff 293 00:17:01,156 --> 00:17:05,556 Speaker 3: came to him, and I just became mesmerized by that 294 00:17:05,676 --> 00:17:08,036 Speaker 3: music and that look and that style. 295 00:17:08,396 --> 00:17:10,516 Speaker 1: What was it about the music that grabbed you so much? 296 00:17:10,596 --> 00:17:12,236 Speaker 1: The guitars, yeah. 297 00:17:12,076 --> 00:17:16,436 Speaker 3: The loud ronson and guys like Jimmy Page I loved 298 00:17:16,516 --> 00:17:20,116 Speaker 3: and you know Keith, of course, you always love Keith. 299 00:17:20,156 --> 00:17:22,636 Speaker 3: You gotta love Keith. You know, he's just the greatest 300 00:17:22,716 --> 00:17:25,836 Speaker 3: rhythm player, you know. And so I took a real 301 00:17:25,956 --> 00:17:29,476 Speaker 3: liking to end the clothes, you know, and the fashion 302 00:17:29,676 --> 00:17:30,476 Speaker 3: was a big. 303 00:17:31,956 --> 00:17:35,796 Speaker 1: Did you have any growing up? Did you like Mexican 304 00:17:35,876 --> 00:17:37,356 Speaker 1: music growing up through your father? 305 00:17:37,556 --> 00:17:40,036 Speaker 3: You know, It's funny because the punk rock was a rebellion. 306 00:17:40,316 --> 00:17:42,196 Speaker 3: A lot of people thought rock and roll was basically 307 00:17:42,236 --> 00:17:46,916 Speaker 3: a rebellion against your parents, right, But I mean I 308 00:17:47,076 --> 00:17:49,916 Speaker 3: personally did not have anything against the music that my 309 00:17:50,036 --> 00:17:52,276 Speaker 3: parents listened to. I loved it. You know. It was 310 00:17:54,076 --> 00:17:57,596 Speaker 3: familial and it was warm and it felt like home, 311 00:17:57,716 --> 00:18:00,516 Speaker 3: you know. So every time I hear that kind of music, 312 00:18:00,636 --> 00:18:03,956 Speaker 3: I think of my parents and being younger at the 313 00:18:03,956 --> 00:18:06,196 Speaker 3: house where my parents would dance at the drop of 314 00:18:06,196 --> 00:18:08,156 Speaker 3: a hat, you know, they just start and my dad 315 00:18:08,156 --> 00:18:10,156 Speaker 3: would sing to my mom all the time, you know. 316 00:18:10,276 --> 00:18:11,156 Speaker 1: Oh, it's amazing. 317 00:18:11,276 --> 00:18:13,636 Speaker 3: Yeah, like in a restaurant. We'd be in a restaurant 318 00:18:14,036 --> 00:18:16,316 Speaker 3: and so you built out this tune to her, you know, 319 00:18:16,436 --> 00:18:19,516 Speaker 3: this love song and everyone would clap after it was cool. 320 00:18:19,716 --> 00:18:20,396 Speaker 1: That amazing. 321 00:18:20,516 --> 00:18:20,916 Speaker 3: Yeah. 322 00:18:20,956 --> 00:18:22,516 Speaker 1: And was he a guitar player as well? 323 00:18:23,156 --> 00:18:25,596 Speaker 3: My father was a guitar player, but a very rough 324 00:18:25,676 --> 00:18:28,996 Speaker 3: guitar player. Like, yeah, I took after my dad. 325 00:18:29,396 --> 00:18:31,996 Speaker 1: Yeah. Now you went to San Francis. I just so 326 00:18:32,116 --> 00:18:34,796 Speaker 1: I get this right. You were interested in film, you 327 00:18:34,796 --> 00:18:35,716 Speaker 1: were a big film buff. 328 00:18:35,796 --> 00:18:38,556 Speaker 3: Well here's yeah. So then when you know the new 329 00:18:38,596 --> 00:18:43,556 Speaker 3: wave German, new Wave, French, new wave, Italian neo realism, 330 00:18:44,356 --> 00:18:46,476 Speaker 3: I took to that, right, So we wanted to be 331 00:18:46,476 --> 00:18:50,636 Speaker 3: a filmmaker. I wasn't playing guitar. I was checking out 332 00:18:50,636 --> 00:18:53,276 Speaker 3: every band I could, buying every record, I could, reading 333 00:18:53,316 --> 00:18:58,196 Speaker 3: every Enemy Sounds, Melody Maker out, I could Cream Rolling Stone, 334 00:18:58,196 --> 00:19:03,276 Speaker 3: all that, just totally, you know, just digesting everything, you know. 335 00:19:04,316 --> 00:19:16,236 Speaker 3: And then we decided to run away, my girlfriend and 336 00:19:16,236 --> 00:19:19,796 Speaker 3: I from Hollywood where I was living. This is after 337 00:19:19,836 --> 00:19:23,076 Speaker 3: seeing the Dolls and the Stooges and Patty Smith for 338 00:19:23,156 --> 00:19:26,556 Speaker 3: the first time, and you know these great bands Roxy 339 00:19:26,756 --> 00:19:30,076 Speaker 3: and Mott and you know Slade and you know, just 340 00:19:30,236 --> 00:19:36,396 Speaker 3: incredible music. And we decided we'd run away to San Francisco, 341 00:19:37,476 --> 00:19:39,756 Speaker 3: and we took off one night hitch high to San 342 00:19:39,796 --> 00:19:43,836 Speaker 3: Francisco from Hollywood, and it was there that my friend 343 00:19:43,876 --> 00:19:46,196 Speaker 3: and I were going to make a movie about the 344 00:19:46,236 --> 00:19:49,836 Speaker 3: shittiest band in the world. And since we thought we 345 00:19:49,916 --> 00:19:52,276 Speaker 3: looked so cool, we thought we'd play the band because 346 00:19:52,316 --> 00:19:55,996 Speaker 3: we couldn't play, so we'll be the band in the movie. 347 00:19:56,556 --> 00:20:00,956 Speaker 3: And that band became the Nuns, and then the Nuns 348 00:20:02,556 --> 00:20:05,876 Speaker 3: you know, by it, I don't know, it just kind 349 00:20:05,876 --> 00:20:08,196 Speaker 3: of happened to take off in San Francisco. It was 350 00:20:08,236 --> 00:20:11,996 Speaker 3: a good time. Punk rock embraced us, and we weren't 351 00:20:12,036 --> 00:20:15,756 Speaker 3: really punk rock. We just couldn't play, you know. And uh, 352 00:20:15,916 --> 00:20:18,476 Speaker 3: but we looked cool and we seemed to fit into 353 00:20:18,476 --> 00:20:21,716 Speaker 3: the scene and we became a big band in San Francisco. 354 00:20:22,676 --> 00:20:25,996 Speaker 3: But we never toured or anything. You know. You say 355 00:20:26,036 --> 00:20:30,836 Speaker 3: you warmed up for show at Winterland. 356 00:20:30,436 --> 00:20:33,076 Speaker 1: Yes, So what was that like for you? 357 00:20:33,236 --> 00:20:35,916 Speaker 3: It was like it was like a circus gone bad, 358 00:20:36,156 --> 00:20:39,716 Speaker 3: you know, Yeah, like suddenly the elephants or stampede and 359 00:20:39,716 --> 00:20:42,796 Speaker 3: then the animals have been cut loose from the cage's Yeah, 360 00:20:42,836 --> 00:20:45,476 Speaker 3: it was crazy, you know, it was. It was a spectacle. 361 00:20:46,316 --> 00:20:48,236 Speaker 3: It wasn't rock and roll. It was a spectrum. 362 00:20:48,276 --> 00:20:49,476 Speaker 1: Did you like their music? 363 00:20:49,916 --> 00:20:53,396 Speaker 3: I loved the sex Mistles the first the forty fives 364 00:20:53,436 --> 00:20:55,036 Speaker 3: were great. Yeah, the album was great. 365 00:20:55,196 --> 00:20:55,596 Speaker 1: Yeah. 366 00:20:55,636 --> 00:20:57,756 Speaker 3: I loved them, But they weren't a band anymore by 367 00:20:57,756 --> 00:21:00,916 Speaker 3: the time they got to Frisco. They were They weren't 368 00:21:00,916 --> 00:21:02,596 Speaker 3: playing together or anything. Really. 369 00:21:02,796 --> 00:21:04,756 Speaker 1: Yeah, And did you think of yourself as a band 370 00:21:04,756 --> 00:21:07,356 Speaker 1: by that point? You started as a non band, yeah, 371 00:21:07,516 --> 00:21:08,196 Speaker 1: came the band. 372 00:21:08,356 --> 00:21:13,316 Speaker 3: Yeah. And then shortly after the sex Mistle show, you know, 373 00:21:13,476 --> 00:21:15,956 Speaker 3: Sid came to our house that night, hung out with us, 374 00:21:16,036 --> 00:21:18,836 Speaker 3: and then we said, you know, he invited us to 375 00:21:18,836 --> 00:21:24,436 Speaker 3: go to London, and then we went to New York. 376 00:21:24,516 --> 00:21:27,156 Speaker 3: We came to New York to play and that was 377 00:21:27,196 --> 00:21:27,836 Speaker 3: seventy eight. 378 00:21:28,156 --> 00:21:29,956 Speaker 1: That was that at his urging or you just did 379 00:21:29,956 --> 00:21:30,636 Speaker 1: that on your own. 380 00:21:31,356 --> 00:21:32,796 Speaker 3: I'm sorry, it wasn't We. 381 00:21:32,716 --> 00:21:35,076 Speaker 1: Had Sid Vicious suggested you go to New York. 382 00:21:35,596 --> 00:21:38,276 Speaker 3: We were ready to go somewhere and New York was 383 00:21:38,316 --> 00:21:40,516 Speaker 3: the only place that we felt comfortable. 384 00:21:40,636 --> 00:21:41,956 Speaker 1: Did you like Sid Vicious? 385 00:21:42,276 --> 00:21:45,276 Speaker 3: Yeah, he was great, It's great. He was sweet man. 386 00:21:45,636 --> 00:21:47,516 Speaker 3: He was a good kid. He loved rock, and roll, 387 00:21:48,196 --> 00:21:52,076 Speaker 3: and the problem I think was more that he became 388 00:21:52,116 --> 00:21:57,076 Speaker 3: a caricature and that character caricature killed him, you know. 389 00:21:58,196 --> 00:22:01,636 Speaker 3: But I don't think that, you know, he was he 390 00:22:01,716 --> 00:22:05,676 Speaker 3: was kind of pushed in that direction, you know, by management, 391 00:22:05,836 --> 00:22:07,796 Speaker 3: by fans, you know. 392 00:22:07,916 --> 00:22:09,676 Speaker 1: But I don't know. 393 00:22:10,396 --> 00:22:11,516 Speaker 3: It's a strange story. 394 00:22:11,916 --> 00:22:13,476 Speaker 1: So what was New York like for you? Then? 395 00:22:14,796 --> 00:22:17,876 Speaker 3: You know, I never wanted you know, like in high school, 396 00:22:18,156 --> 00:22:20,116 Speaker 3: people were always I want to go. I can't wait 397 00:22:20,156 --> 00:22:24,076 Speaker 3: to go to Paris and you know, London and wherever, 398 00:22:24,196 --> 00:22:29,316 Speaker 3: you know, And I just wanted to come to New 399 00:22:29,396 --> 00:22:32,356 Speaker 3: York because the Velvet Underground were from New York, the 400 00:22:32,436 --> 00:22:34,996 Speaker 3: dolls were from New York, the Young Rascals were from 401 00:22:35,036 --> 00:22:38,316 Speaker 3: New York, you know, and all the great doop of 402 00:22:38,596 --> 00:22:41,716 Speaker 3: the fifties was from New York, it seemed. And I 403 00:22:41,836 --> 00:22:44,916 Speaker 3: just really wanted to come. And for me, it was 404 00:22:44,956 --> 00:22:48,236 Speaker 3: we moved to Chelsea. We lived a rock and roll 405 00:22:48,356 --> 00:22:49,116 Speaker 3: dream kind. 406 00:22:48,956 --> 00:22:51,316 Speaker 1: Of you know, what was the Chelsea like at that point? 407 00:22:51,596 --> 00:22:54,316 Speaker 3: It was still kind of like it was in the 408 00:22:54,356 --> 00:22:57,156 Speaker 3: sixties and stuff. You know, there's still a lot of characters. 409 00:22:58,196 --> 00:23:01,436 Speaker 3: Charles James, the great clothing designers still lived there, lived 410 00:23:01,436 --> 00:23:05,036 Speaker 3: there for years, never paid rent, you know, standing would 411 00:23:05,116 --> 00:23:10,836 Speaker 3: let him get by for whatever favors. To Francesco Scavulu, 412 00:23:10,876 --> 00:23:14,556 Speaker 3: I think out a studio downstairs and just all these 413 00:23:14,596 --> 00:23:17,156 Speaker 3: great people in and out, you know. And I met 414 00:23:17,196 --> 00:23:22,516 Speaker 3: so many great people, you know. I met Ki Kid, 415 00:23:22,556 --> 00:23:24,556 Speaker 3: Creole and the Coconuts. So he hang out with the 416 00:23:24,596 --> 00:23:26,796 Speaker 3: same people that I hung out. So there was a 417 00:23:26,836 --> 00:23:30,356 Speaker 3: big studio apartment that this woman lived in and she 418 00:23:30,396 --> 00:23:34,036 Speaker 3: would host like, you know, little soirees during the day 419 00:23:34,076 --> 00:23:35,956 Speaker 3: and all these people would come over. It was great. 420 00:23:36,476 --> 00:23:39,356 Speaker 3: It was you know, it was all everything I had 421 00:23:39,396 --> 00:23:44,636 Speaker 3: thought about when I watched Warhol films and yeah, Midnight 422 00:23:44,676 --> 00:23:47,916 Speaker 3: Cowboy and whatever. You know. It was a dream kind 423 00:23:47,916 --> 00:23:48,876 Speaker 3: of come true. You know. 424 00:23:49,316 --> 00:23:52,476 Speaker 1: Yeah. Not a lot of people watch Midnight Cowboy and say, wow, 425 00:23:53,036 --> 00:23:54,196 Speaker 1: no I want some of that. 426 00:23:54,516 --> 00:23:57,796 Speaker 3: Well, you know, the kind of band that we were 427 00:23:58,156 --> 00:24:00,316 Speaker 3: and the kind of people were kind of lent them 428 00:24:00,636 --> 00:24:02,556 Speaker 3: lent themselves to that. 429 00:24:02,756 --> 00:24:04,636 Speaker 1: Okay, what kind of what kind of people were you? 430 00:24:05,876 --> 00:24:10,436 Speaker 3: Uh? We were fuck ups with guitars. Yeah, you know, 431 00:24:10,516 --> 00:24:14,276 Speaker 3: we really were. We had no future, as they say, 432 00:24:14,836 --> 00:24:20,716 Speaker 3: you know, we we were just kids who I personally 433 00:24:21,036 --> 00:24:22,716 Speaker 3: was different than the rest of them. Of course, We 434 00:24:22,716 --> 00:24:27,076 Speaker 3: were all different, but you know, we dabbled in drugs. 435 00:24:28,196 --> 00:24:31,156 Speaker 3: You know, we were we were heathen like you know, 436 00:24:32,636 --> 00:24:37,276 Speaker 3: and you know we're from San Francisco. San Francisco in 437 00:24:37,276 --> 00:24:40,396 Speaker 3: those days was pretty wild. You know, it's Babylon. You know. 438 00:24:42,316 --> 00:24:44,796 Speaker 2: We'll be right back with more from Alejandro Escavito. 439 00:24:45,116 --> 00:24:45,836 Speaker 1: After the break. 440 00:24:50,076 --> 00:24:52,876 Speaker 2: We're back with more from Alejandro Escavito. 441 00:24:54,276 --> 00:24:56,956 Speaker 1: So was there one point in which you thought, I 442 00:24:56,996 --> 00:25:00,916 Speaker 1: want to make music that's going to last. I want 443 00:25:00,956 --> 00:25:02,116 Speaker 1: to get past this. 444 00:25:03,236 --> 00:25:05,676 Speaker 3: It didn't happen until my daughter Maya was born and 445 00:25:05,716 --> 00:25:08,276 Speaker 3: I was living in Austin because when I moved to 446 00:25:08,316 --> 00:25:14,236 Speaker 3: Austin said, I wasn't surrounded by like performance artists and 447 00:25:14,276 --> 00:25:17,516 Speaker 3: fake jazz and this and that. I was surrounded by 448 00:25:17,916 --> 00:25:24,156 Speaker 3: hardcore songwriters right Towns, Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale, Gilmour, 449 00:25:24,676 --> 00:25:27,596 Speaker 3: Joe Eely, Butch Hancock and one of the greatest of 450 00:25:27,636 --> 00:25:31,876 Speaker 3: them all. You know, just these amazing songwriters. 451 00:25:31,996 --> 00:25:34,036 Speaker 1: You know, were you going out and seeing them at night? 452 00:25:34,116 --> 00:25:34,796 Speaker 1: Did you know them? 453 00:25:34,876 --> 00:25:37,756 Speaker 3: Oh? You could see them in a backyard Towns at 454 00:25:37,756 --> 00:25:41,156 Speaker 3: a barbecue. You know. It was that kind of place, 455 00:25:41,316 --> 00:25:44,636 Speaker 3: you know, and I just soaked it in. I just 456 00:25:44,876 --> 00:25:47,636 Speaker 3: really loved it. You know, I was home. I was 457 00:25:47,676 --> 00:25:52,996 Speaker 3: back in Texas. I was surrounded by these incredible genius 458 00:25:53,036 --> 00:25:57,916 Speaker 3: songwriters and they took to me. And you know, my 459 00:25:57,996 --> 00:26:01,356 Speaker 3: first solo tours with Joe E Lee around Texas and Oklahoma, 460 00:26:02,276 --> 00:26:05,596 Speaker 3: and I watched him every night because solo, he was 461 00:26:05,596 --> 00:26:08,556 Speaker 3: one of the greatest performers I've ever seen. What made 462 00:26:08,636 --> 00:26:12,396 Speaker 3: him so great just his delivery, the way he you know, 463 00:26:12,876 --> 00:26:15,876 Speaker 3: he rocked, and yet he could play the most tender 464 00:26:16,956 --> 00:26:20,876 Speaker 3: ballad and he sang so beautifully. He was just such 465 00:26:20,916 --> 00:26:24,836 Speaker 3: a great presence. You know, he's like Bruce. He's like 466 00:26:24,836 --> 00:26:28,796 Speaker 3: a cowboy version of Bruce. You know, he was our Bruce, 467 00:26:28,916 --> 00:26:29,116 Speaker 3: you know. 468 00:26:29,356 --> 00:26:32,196 Speaker 1: Yeah, and for the kids at home, that's Bruce Springsteen. 469 00:26:34,396 --> 00:26:37,036 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, You've been on stage with them quite a 470 00:26:37,036 --> 00:26:39,476 Speaker 1: few times, I think, yeah, yeah. 471 00:26:39,316 --> 00:26:42,076 Speaker 3: Yeah, we saw Little Stephen last night. That was cool. 472 00:26:42,356 --> 00:26:42,756 Speaker 3: Was that right? 473 00:26:42,836 --> 00:26:43,116 Speaker 1: Yeah? 474 00:26:43,196 --> 00:26:48,556 Speaker 3: Yeah, he was at Jesse's trip. So yeah, yeah, and uh, 475 00:26:48,636 --> 00:26:53,956 Speaker 3: you know, and so being in Austin and having my daughter. 476 00:26:54,916 --> 00:27:00,796 Speaker 3: I remember when Maya turned one, I turned thirty one, 477 00:27:01,796 --> 00:27:04,076 Speaker 3: and I decided at that point, I remember it was 478 00:27:04,116 --> 00:27:06,836 Speaker 3: it was kind of traumatic birthday for me. I smoked 479 00:27:06,876 --> 00:27:09,276 Speaker 3: too much pot and kind of wanked it off, and 480 00:27:09,316 --> 00:27:11,436 Speaker 3: it's kind of like, you know, left the party and 481 00:27:11,516 --> 00:27:13,956 Speaker 3: kind of, you know, walking down the street wondering what 482 00:27:13,996 --> 00:27:17,116 Speaker 3: the fuck, you know, what's going on? You know. But 483 00:27:17,236 --> 00:27:19,716 Speaker 3: I decided that at that point that I was going 484 00:27:19,756 --> 00:27:23,756 Speaker 3: to get serious about writing songs, you know, because I'd 485 00:27:23,796 --> 00:27:29,796 Speaker 3: always written short stories and screenplays and treatments, and so 486 00:27:29,916 --> 00:27:32,116 Speaker 3: I'd always written, and I always had this idea that 487 00:27:32,836 --> 00:27:36,876 Speaker 3: songs should be like many movies, you know, and so 488 00:27:36,916 --> 00:27:38,556 Speaker 3: that's what I set out to do. 489 00:27:39,276 --> 00:27:41,516 Speaker 1: How did you do that? How did you sit how 490 00:27:41,516 --> 00:27:43,796 Speaker 1: do well, maybe you didn't sit down. How did you 491 00:27:44,076 --> 00:27:46,036 Speaker 1: say one day, I'm going to write, I'm going to 492 00:27:46,036 --> 00:27:49,076 Speaker 1: write different kinds of songs. What what happened? 493 00:27:50,476 --> 00:27:52,836 Speaker 3: I wasn't being included in the band I was in 494 00:27:52,876 --> 00:27:56,596 Speaker 3: at the time was Rank and File. There were two brothers, 495 00:27:56,676 --> 00:28:01,156 Speaker 3: very talented songwriters in Great August. But I wasn't being 496 00:28:01,356 --> 00:28:04,436 Speaker 3: like encouraged to do anything other than to be in 497 00:28:04,476 --> 00:28:07,356 Speaker 3: the band as a rhythm guitar player. There's no Body 498 00:28:07,476 --> 00:28:08,276 Speaker 3: My Fault. 499 00:28:08,196 --> 00:28:11,036 Speaker 1: Old Austin City clip and yeah, yeah, you see the brothers, 500 00:28:11,076 --> 00:28:13,636 Speaker 1: and then there's this I'm there for a very very 501 00:28:13,636 --> 00:28:15,116 Speaker 1: handsome guy with the guitar. 502 00:28:16,876 --> 00:28:20,556 Speaker 3: And so I wasn't. But I was never we were 503 00:28:20,596 --> 00:28:23,276 Speaker 3: never encouraged as like a band, like let's work on 504 00:28:23,356 --> 00:28:25,876 Speaker 3: this song as a band, you know, let's be a band. 505 00:28:26,396 --> 00:28:29,396 Speaker 3: And yet we had always kind of promised ourselves that 506 00:28:29,396 --> 00:28:31,196 Speaker 3: that's what we were going to be, you know, it 507 00:28:31,276 --> 00:28:35,516 Speaker 3: was a band. And so at a certain point when 508 00:28:36,996 --> 00:28:42,396 Speaker 3: the Brothers, we were playing with Loan Justice in California, 509 00:28:42,476 --> 00:28:45,756 Speaker 3: and Loan Justice was starting to blow up, and we 510 00:28:45,836 --> 00:28:49,676 Speaker 3: hadn't made our second record yet, and it did fairly well, 511 00:28:49,716 --> 00:28:51,836 Speaker 3: but it wasn't blowing up like Loan. 512 00:28:51,796 --> 00:28:54,676 Speaker 1: Justice was, you know, yeah they had that first album, really. 513 00:28:54,476 --> 00:28:57,916 Speaker 3: Yeah, And so the brothers kind of started to look 514 00:28:57,956 --> 00:29:02,436 Speaker 3: at pinpoint reasons why this wasn't happening, and I was 515 00:29:02,476 --> 00:29:06,276 Speaker 3: the most obvious choice. So they got I wasn't good 516 00:29:06,396 --> 00:29:09,076 Speaker 3: enough as a guitar player. I wasn't playing country guitar. 517 00:29:10,236 --> 00:29:12,516 Speaker 3: I was playing a Les Paull Junior and a Marshall 518 00:29:12,556 --> 00:29:15,596 Speaker 3: House attack, you know, and so like they're going, you know, 519 00:29:15,716 --> 00:29:19,756 Speaker 3: it doesn't fit, and so I said, well, I'm not 520 00:29:19,876 --> 00:29:21,756 Speaker 3: that and I don't want to be that, and so 521 00:29:21,796 --> 00:29:24,676 Speaker 3: I went off and I remember all the way back 522 00:29:24,716 --> 00:29:30,796 Speaker 3: from California. I drank a bottle of whiskey and I 523 00:29:30,916 --> 00:29:34,396 Speaker 3: listened to Foggy Notion by the Velvet Underground over and 524 00:29:34,596 --> 00:29:37,076 Speaker 3: over and over, and that's the only song. I listened 525 00:29:37,076 --> 00:29:40,116 Speaker 3: to the all the way home for about twenty hours, 526 00:29:40,156 --> 00:29:42,636 Speaker 3: you know, and I said, this is what I want 527 00:29:42,636 --> 00:29:46,796 Speaker 3: my band to sound like. And I got home and 528 00:29:46,836 --> 00:29:50,036 Speaker 3: I called my brother Javier, and Javier, at the time 529 00:29:51,396 --> 00:29:56,636 Speaker 3: was working in a restaurant washing dishes. I said, I want, 530 00:29:56,796 --> 00:29:58,876 Speaker 3: let's do a band, you know, let's make a band. 531 00:29:59,556 --> 00:30:01,476 Speaker 3: We were going to ask Nicky Beat of the Widows 532 00:30:01,476 --> 00:30:03,796 Speaker 3: to be our drummer, and we had all these plans. 533 00:30:03,956 --> 00:30:06,956 Speaker 3: It took Halveer a year to get to Austin, but 534 00:30:06,996 --> 00:30:10,676 Speaker 3: when he did, we started the True Believers and that began. 535 00:30:11,076 --> 00:30:13,236 Speaker 3: Javier had all the songs, but I started to write. 536 00:30:13,396 --> 00:30:16,756 Speaker 3: You know. The first song I wrote was this I 537 00:30:16,876 --> 00:30:20,396 Speaker 3: was like already thirty two maybe. And the first song 538 00:30:20,436 --> 00:30:23,316 Speaker 3: I wrote was the Rain Won't Help You when It's over. 539 00:30:24,716 --> 00:30:27,756 Speaker 3: And then I wrote five Hearts Breaking and all those 540 00:30:27,796 --> 00:30:30,676 Speaker 3: other songs that ended up on my solo record. 541 00:30:31,036 --> 00:30:35,876 Speaker 1: Yeah, how did were you the kind of person you 542 00:30:35,916 --> 00:30:38,116 Speaker 1: just made yourself sit down every day and I'm going 543 00:30:38,156 --> 00:30:40,956 Speaker 1: to write or no, when it was when the spirit. 544 00:30:40,636 --> 00:30:45,676 Speaker 3: I'm wait, too lazy for that, Yeah, I wait. You 545 00:30:45,716 --> 00:30:49,316 Speaker 3: know it's funny because when I did start to write, 546 00:30:49,876 --> 00:30:52,836 Speaker 3: they just flowed out like a waterfall. Man. It was crazy, 547 00:30:52,916 --> 00:30:55,276 Speaker 3: you know. It was like a title wave of songs. 548 00:30:55,316 --> 00:30:58,276 Speaker 3: I could sit anywhere we'd be late night, just hanging 549 00:30:58,316 --> 00:31:01,876 Speaker 3: out after hours, and pick up a guitar and the 550 00:31:01,916 --> 00:31:02,716 Speaker 3: song would come out. 551 00:31:03,196 --> 00:31:05,956 Speaker 1: Would you immediately write it down? Did you know from chord. 552 00:31:06,036 --> 00:31:09,596 Speaker 3: I lost a lot of songs. Oh yeah, but you 553 00:31:09,636 --> 00:31:11,356 Speaker 3: know a lot of them did stick with me and 554 00:31:11,596 --> 00:31:12,876 Speaker 3: they became those albums. 555 00:31:12,956 --> 00:31:15,876 Speaker 1: You know, well, those are some pretty good songs to 556 00:31:15,916 --> 00:31:16,356 Speaker 1: start with. 557 00:31:17,116 --> 00:31:19,556 Speaker 3: They're not bad, no, some of them, Okay. 558 00:31:19,436 --> 00:31:22,636 Speaker 1: Not at all. The first song you put on this album, 559 00:31:22,876 --> 00:31:26,316 Speaker 1: on your new album, yeah, of songs is John Conquest. 560 00:31:26,396 --> 00:31:28,116 Speaker 1: So I wanted you to talk a bit about that. 561 00:31:28,676 --> 00:31:30,476 Speaker 3: Well. John Conquest was a song I do with my 562 00:31:30,556 --> 00:31:33,876 Speaker 3: band Buick McCain. We were out of Austin and we 563 00:31:33,916 --> 00:31:37,876 Speaker 3: were just a very loud, kind of southern version of 564 00:31:39,356 --> 00:31:44,836 Speaker 3: the Dolls or something, and there was a critic there, 565 00:31:45,596 --> 00:31:49,516 Speaker 3: rock music critic, I should say, journalists by the name 566 00:31:49,596 --> 00:31:53,316 Speaker 3: of John Conquiz He's from England, but he only loved 567 00:31:53,316 --> 00:31:56,716 Speaker 3: country music and stuff and he loved. Prior to me 568 00:31:56,756 --> 00:31:58,836 Speaker 3: and making my first soulo record, I had a big band, 569 00:31:59,356 --> 00:32:02,316 Speaker 3: fifteen pieces. It was the Yell Hundreds or other orchestra, 570 00:32:02,476 --> 00:32:06,276 Speaker 3: you know, So I had backup singers, keyboard, is horn, 571 00:32:06,396 --> 00:32:08,956 Speaker 3: section three, two drummers. 572 00:32:09,196 --> 00:32:11,876 Speaker 1: Do you make that work as a working musician, And. 573 00:32:12,116 --> 00:32:14,236 Speaker 3: Well, that's what I would do with man. I would. 574 00:32:14,276 --> 00:32:18,916 Speaker 3: I would set up a gig and I'd say, then 575 00:32:19,196 --> 00:32:23,516 Speaker 3: just send out, call up my friends, We're going to 576 00:32:23,596 --> 00:32:25,756 Speaker 3: play at the Hole in the wall. Ten I got 577 00:32:25,756 --> 00:32:29,356 Speaker 3: a gig. Come you know, it's no rehearsal. We're all 578 00:32:29,356 --> 00:32:32,196 Speaker 3: going to improvise. When we got on stage, these players 579 00:32:32,196 --> 00:32:35,316 Speaker 3: were amazing. They were the best, the best jazz players 580 00:32:35,356 --> 00:32:38,756 Speaker 3: in town, the best Latin percussionists in town, you know, 581 00:32:39,356 --> 00:32:42,996 Speaker 3: best guitar players. I had all kinds of really wonderful musicians. 582 00:32:43,676 --> 00:32:49,156 Speaker 3: And these counts would show up sometimes fifteen, sometimes five, whatever, 583 00:32:49,236 --> 00:32:52,236 Speaker 3: you know, and I would just start playing little riffs 584 00:32:52,236 --> 00:32:55,556 Speaker 3: and you know, like gravity falling down again. That song 585 00:32:55,676 --> 00:32:57,476 Speaker 3: was totally improvised as a song. 586 00:32:58,156 --> 00:33:01,796 Speaker 1: Really yeah, I mean, you've always got good riffs in 587 00:33:01,796 --> 00:33:03,476 Speaker 1: your songs. I don't think of you as like a 588 00:33:03,596 --> 00:33:06,836 Speaker 1: jazz guy particular, No not, but you know you can 589 00:33:06,916 --> 00:33:07,836 Speaker 1: you can kick it off. 590 00:33:08,716 --> 00:33:13,556 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, just simple. It was all very simple. 591 00:33:14,076 --> 00:33:16,716 Speaker 3: Those songs were like, you know, like I always thought 592 00:33:16,716 --> 00:33:19,036 Speaker 3: of them like nursery rhymes. You know. I thought that 593 00:33:19,116 --> 00:33:21,516 Speaker 3: was really important to kind of get these like you know, 594 00:33:21,596 --> 00:33:24,996 Speaker 3: like Eno put a Straw on her Baby, you know 595 00:33:25,116 --> 00:33:27,556 Speaker 3: that that song of ENO's. You know, I just love 596 00:33:27,556 --> 00:33:30,636 Speaker 3: it because it's a it is a nursery rhyme, you 597 00:33:30,676 --> 00:33:32,636 Speaker 3: know it really I think it's an old Welsh or 598 00:33:32,636 --> 00:33:37,916 Speaker 3: something necessary. But I just loved it. And and that's 599 00:33:37,996 --> 00:33:40,076 Speaker 3: kind of like what I wanted to do with my songs, 600 00:33:40,116 --> 00:33:42,036 Speaker 3: you know. I just wanted to tell stories. And then 601 00:33:42,076 --> 00:33:44,556 Speaker 3: as I started to write more, I realized this was 602 00:33:44,596 --> 00:33:46,916 Speaker 3: a way for me to really kind of make that 603 00:33:47,236 --> 00:33:48,956 Speaker 3: movie but with music. 604 00:33:48,756 --> 00:33:54,076 Speaker 1: You know, and your songs are very very visual. Yeah, 605 00:33:54,156 --> 00:33:56,636 Speaker 1: I mean I think you know, one of my favorites 606 00:33:56,676 --> 00:34:01,916 Speaker 1: of yours is of course Swallows or San Juan. Yeah, 607 00:34:02,036 --> 00:34:03,516 Speaker 1: can you tell me a bit about that song. 608 00:34:03,676 --> 00:34:07,076 Speaker 3: I wrote that with Chuck Prophet and we were making 609 00:34:07,756 --> 00:34:10,476 Speaker 3: Real Animal, Yeah, and we and I told him the 610 00:34:10,476 --> 00:34:13,036 Speaker 3: story when I was a kid, the school trip was 611 00:34:13,036 --> 00:34:16,156 Speaker 3: always the San Juan Capistrano, you know, to watch the 612 00:34:16,196 --> 00:34:19,596 Speaker 3: swallows return to San Juan, right, And so we were 613 00:34:19,596 --> 00:34:21,756 Speaker 3: talking about and I told him that I had once 614 00:34:22,876 --> 00:34:26,396 Speaker 3: drawn the fountain where all the swallows would come to 615 00:34:26,676 --> 00:34:29,316 Speaker 3: and and it went on an award at some little 616 00:34:29,476 --> 00:34:32,756 Speaker 3: art show and on into the beach, and so we 617 00:34:32,836 --> 00:34:35,316 Speaker 3: took it from there and he had he had the 618 00:34:35,876 --> 00:34:37,956 Speaker 3: roll in the mud and the clay, which I loved. 619 00:34:38,796 --> 00:34:42,556 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's such a I mean, people know the story 620 00:34:42,596 --> 00:34:45,116 Speaker 1: because it's an old expression, return like the swallows to 621 00:34:46,156 --> 00:34:50,276 Speaker 1: San Juan Capistrano, But it's such a different song. It's 622 00:34:50,316 --> 00:34:54,076 Speaker 1: such a like a lot of your songs. It's about 623 00:34:54,756 --> 00:34:57,996 Speaker 1: a lot of your songs. It's about departure and trying 624 00:34:58,036 --> 00:35:01,236 Speaker 1: to come back and wondering whether you can come back. 625 00:35:02,236 --> 00:35:04,796 Speaker 3: That song was about trying to get back to the 626 00:35:04,916 --> 00:35:09,276 Speaker 3: roots of what we loved, you know, guitars and and 627 00:35:09,396 --> 00:35:11,516 Speaker 3: rock and roll. You know, that was seemed to be 628 00:35:12,316 --> 00:35:14,476 Speaker 3: somewhat fading at the time, you know, at least in 629 00:35:14,516 --> 00:35:17,276 Speaker 3: our eyes, you know, But. 630 00:35:17,356 --> 00:35:19,516 Speaker 1: It hasn't picked up much since. I would say that. 631 00:35:19,796 --> 00:35:22,156 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, rock and roll hasn't picked up too much 632 00:35:22,196 --> 00:35:23,076 Speaker 1: sense either. 633 00:35:24,196 --> 00:35:26,196 Speaker 3: There's a lot of young bands out there that are great. 634 00:35:27,116 --> 00:35:34,116 Speaker 3: Star Crawler I love, they're amazing. Henry Cash and his 635 00:35:34,316 --> 00:35:36,956 Speaker 3: group is just incredible. Errow, you know, the singer, and 636 00:35:38,076 --> 00:35:41,076 Speaker 3: they're just amazing. I love their energy. There's a band 637 00:35:41,356 --> 00:35:44,716 Speaker 3: and I'm gonna de Spits. I think they're called It 638 00:35:44,836 --> 00:35:49,756 Speaker 3: from Austin, and they're also managed by my manager. But 639 00:35:49,796 --> 00:35:54,196 Speaker 3: they're young girls who just I mean, they're vicious. Man. 640 00:35:54,276 --> 00:35:57,276 Speaker 3: They're so good, and they've got the energy and the spirit. 641 00:35:57,436 --> 00:35:57,636 Speaker 3: You know. 642 00:35:58,236 --> 00:36:01,836 Speaker 1: Do you do you think the radio or sort of 643 00:36:01,876 --> 00:36:05,356 Speaker 1: broader culture is going to come around to that music now? 644 00:36:05,356 --> 00:36:08,076 Speaker 3: I don't believe so. I think that now we have 645 00:36:08,156 --> 00:36:16,676 Speaker 3: become so separated from humanity. It seems like, you know, 646 00:36:16,796 --> 00:36:22,556 Speaker 3: the beautiful parts of humanity, the expression that that music 647 00:36:22,636 --> 00:36:25,756 Speaker 3: gave us at one point, I don't hear anymore. Maybe 648 00:36:25,796 --> 00:36:28,876 Speaker 3: it's because I don't have those ears anymore. I'm not twenty, 649 00:36:28,916 --> 00:36:33,436 Speaker 3: I'm not fifteen sixteen listening to Dylan records and Tim 650 00:36:33,476 --> 00:36:37,916 Speaker 3: Harden records and Tim Buckley records and you know that 651 00:36:38,036 --> 00:36:42,316 Speaker 3: kind of stuff. But I just I don't know. I 652 00:36:42,396 --> 00:36:44,036 Speaker 3: just don't feel it like I used to. 653 00:36:45,636 --> 00:36:50,276 Speaker 1: Your career really went through the nineties up to Man 654 00:36:50,356 --> 00:36:54,836 Speaker 1: under the Influence, which is just a great, great album, 655 00:36:55,396 --> 00:36:57,836 Speaker 1: and you do a few songs from that on this record. 656 00:36:57,876 --> 00:36:59,676 Speaker 1: Can you tell me about the making of that record, 657 00:36:59,676 --> 00:37:02,036 Speaker 1: because that was just before you got sick. 658 00:37:02,036 --> 00:37:04,036 Speaker 3: Right, that was the last record I made before I 659 00:37:04,076 --> 00:37:04,676 Speaker 3: became ill. 660 00:37:05,916 --> 00:37:09,556 Speaker 1: We had you known you had happy Titus? 661 00:37:09,796 --> 00:37:15,556 Speaker 3: No, not adopts see at that point? Now, okay, oh 662 00:37:15,596 --> 00:37:21,156 Speaker 3: maybe you know it's maybe I did. Because the way 663 00:37:21,356 --> 00:37:28,756 Speaker 3: what happened was I was touring extensively and I suddenly 664 00:37:28,756 --> 00:37:33,876 Speaker 3: came home was very, very tired, just exhausted and nauseous. 665 00:37:33,956 --> 00:37:36,676 Speaker 3: I couldn't. I We're touring with Jimmy Dale Gilmore on 666 00:37:36,756 --> 00:37:40,076 Speaker 3: the West Coast, and one night after we had been 667 00:37:40,076 --> 00:37:44,596 Speaker 3: in Boulder, Colorado, we saw Paul Westerberg and Patty Smith 668 00:37:44,636 --> 00:37:49,196 Speaker 3: at some radio conference in Boulder, and then drove all 669 00:37:49,236 --> 00:37:53,996 Speaker 3: the way to baff In, Alberta. And I was sick 670 00:37:54,116 --> 00:37:57,916 Speaker 3: all the way. And when I got to baff I 671 00:37:57,916 --> 00:38:01,556 Speaker 3: couldn't play the gig. And I never not, you know, 672 00:38:01,676 --> 00:38:03,356 Speaker 3: I was not that kind of guy. We played no 673 00:38:03,436 --> 00:38:07,516 Speaker 3: matter what. And then we got to Vancouver and I 674 00:38:07,556 --> 00:38:09,676 Speaker 3: tried to play it. I only lasted a few songs 675 00:38:09,716 --> 00:38:11,516 Speaker 3: and I went to a friend. A friend took me 676 00:38:11,556 --> 00:38:14,316 Speaker 3: to his doctor, and at that time they didn't really 677 00:38:14,356 --> 00:38:16,556 Speaker 3: know what epsey was, you know, they called it non 678 00:38:16,596 --> 00:38:18,796 Speaker 3: A and m B. But he didn't even say that 679 00:38:18,956 --> 00:38:22,116 Speaker 3: at that point. He just thought that I was exhausted 680 00:38:22,156 --> 00:38:25,236 Speaker 3: and took so I canceled the next gig. We made 681 00:38:25,276 --> 00:38:27,876 Speaker 3: it all the way down to the coat down to 682 00:38:27,956 --> 00:38:31,356 Speaker 3: San Diego, down the coast, and when I got home, 683 00:38:31,396 --> 00:38:34,196 Speaker 3: I was very ill and my friends told me I 684 00:38:34,236 --> 00:38:36,876 Speaker 3: should go see a friend of his who would he 685 00:38:36,956 --> 00:38:41,116 Speaker 3: thinks it could help me. And he told me that 686 00:38:41,156 --> 00:38:44,516 Speaker 3: he thought I had something wrong with my liver. And 687 00:38:44,556 --> 00:38:46,676 Speaker 3: I went to this old Mexican doctor on the East 688 00:38:46,716 --> 00:38:49,156 Speaker 3: side who told me, you're just getting old, he said, 689 00:38:49,236 --> 00:38:52,636 Speaker 3: you know. But they did blood tests, you know, And 690 00:38:53,916 --> 00:38:56,156 Speaker 3: I remember it was like the next day after the 691 00:38:56,196 --> 00:38:57,796 Speaker 3: blood tests that the nurse called me and said, the 692 00:38:57,836 --> 00:39:01,516 Speaker 3: doctor really needs to speak to you now. And he's 693 00:39:01,516 --> 00:39:03,236 Speaker 3: the one that told me I had non A and 694 00:39:03,276 --> 00:39:03,516 Speaker 3: on B. 695 00:39:05,436 --> 00:39:08,516 Speaker 1: You said, at least I'm not cure, at least now. 696 00:39:08,796 --> 00:39:11,676 Speaker 1: Now now you'd be taking drugs and you'd be fine. 697 00:39:11,956 --> 00:39:12,716 Speaker 3: Yeah, oh good, No. 698 00:39:12,956 --> 00:39:15,796 Speaker 1: So but you were on so you got on the 699 00:39:15,836 --> 00:39:17,076 Speaker 1: list for a New Liver. 700 00:39:17,716 --> 00:39:21,076 Speaker 3: I never did, really, I did not want to go 701 00:39:21,076 --> 00:39:24,996 Speaker 3: to that route. So I thought there was alternatives. And 702 00:39:25,036 --> 00:39:28,436 Speaker 3: what I did was I found Tibetan medicine. I found 703 00:39:28,436 --> 00:39:31,676 Speaker 3: a group of monks that were traveling through Houston, and 704 00:39:31,716 --> 00:39:33,556 Speaker 3: I went to see him. They had a doctor with them, 705 00:39:34,396 --> 00:39:38,236 Speaker 3: and right away, you know, Tibetan doctors, they take your pulse, 706 00:39:39,076 --> 00:39:42,836 Speaker 3: they read your tongue, and they read your urine. And 707 00:39:43,396 --> 00:39:47,076 Speaker 3: he told me, because you don't have cancer, and don't 708 00:39:47,116 --> 00:39:48,956 Speaker 3: be afraid, you're going to make this. You know, you're 709 00:39:48,956 --> 00:39:51,356 Speaker 3: going to make it through this. But I was very 710 00:39:51,396 --> 00:39:55,556 Speaker 3: weak man. I got really sick, you know. And then 711 00:39:55,636 --> 00:39:57,916 Speaker 3: when I went to my and then he introduced me 712 00:39:57,916 --> 00:40:02,196 Speaker 3: to another Tibetan doctor, doctor Dekey, and she kept me 713 00:40:02,236 --> 00:40:06,356 Speaker 3: alive for years through Tibetan medicine. I couldn't take the 714 00:40:06,836 --> 00:40:11,516 Speaker 3: interfere on anymore. It was killing me. Yeah, and a 715 00:40:11,636 --> 00:40:13,116 Speaker 3: Tibetan medicine kept me alive. 716 00:40:13,396 --> 00:40:14,196 Speaker 1: What was the treatment. 717 00:40:14,796 --> 00:40:17,876 Speaker 3: It's a it's a very you know, various like these 718 00:40:18,356 --> 00:40:22,116 Speaker 3: little brown medicine balls kind of like that looked like 719 00:40:22,356 --> 00:40:25,436 Speaker 3: mud dirt. They got a little straw they got they 720 00:40:25,476 --> 00:40:30,316 Speaker 3: have minerals and even some precious stone in them sometimes, 721 00:40:30,316 --> 00:40:32,436 Speaker 3: you know, and stuff, and I would take those and 722 00:40:32,556 --> 00:40:34,596 Speaker 3: meditate and it was a practice. I did the medicine 723 00:40:34,636 --> 00:40:35,836 Speaker 3: Buddha practice, you know. 724 00:40:36,876 --> 00:40:38,356 Speaker 1: And then how long did that take for you to 725 00:40:38,356 --> 00:40:39,076 Speaker 1: feel better? 726 00:40:40,676 --> 00:40:46,196 Speaker 3: I'd say it took It took a little while, because 727 00:40:46,916 --> 00:40:51,316 Speaker 3: you know, when you take herbs, they don't work like 728 00:40:51,796 --> 00:40:54,636 Speaker 3: Western medicine. It's not immediate. It takes a while to 729 00:40:54,676 --> 00:40:57,116 Speaker 3: build up in your system. And it did eventually, and 730 00:40:57,156 --> 00:41:01,956 Speaker 3: I was able to go back on the road and 731 00:41:02,156 --> 00:41:06,756 Speaker 3: just keep myself alive but not drinking, take it, trying 732 00:41:06,796 --> 00:41:07,996 Speaker 3: to take care of myself, you know. 733 00:41:08,716 --> 00:41:11,676 Speaker 1: And your Western doctors at that point, were they opposed 734 00:41:11,676 --> 00:41:11,916 Speaker 1: to this. 735 00:41:12,236 --> 00:41:15,196 Speaker 3: No, they were fine as long as I was getting better. 736 00:41:17,116 --> 00:41:21,316 Speaker 3: So my doctor was a wonderful doctor who has supported 737 00:41:21,356 --> 00:41:24,996 Speaker 3: me ever since I met him because of hepsie, but 738 00:41:25,716 --> 00:41:28,476 Speaker 3: comes to all my shows, you know by its all records. 739 00:41:28,636 --> 00:41:29,396 Speaker 3: He's a great guy. 740 00:41:29,476 --> 00:41:32,036 Speaker 1: That's what you want out of a doctor. So what, 741 00:41:32,156 --> 00:41:33,716 Speaker 1: how's your liver now? Is it okay? 742 00:41:33,876 --> 00:41:34,516 Speaker 3: It's fine? 743 00:41:34,836 --> 00:41:35,076 Speaker 1: Wow? 744 00:41:35,676 --> 00:41:37,316 Speaker 3: I mean it's not a brand new liver, it's not 745 00:41:37,356 --> 00:41:41,356 Speaker 3: a young man's liver, but it's yeah, but it's it 746 00:41:41,436 --> 00:41:42,716 Speaker 3: keeps me upright, You. 747 00:41:42,676 --> 00:41:46,236 Speaker 2: Know, after this last break, we'll be back with the 748 00:41:46,236 --> 00:41:54,756 Speaker 2: rest of Bruce Headlam's conversation with Alejandro Escovito. We're back 749 00:41:54,796 --> 00:41:55,996 Speaker 2: with the rest of the conversation. 750 00:41:57,076 --> 00:41:59,756 Speaker 1: After you got sick and you came back, you started 751 00:41:59,756 --> 00:42:02,516 Speaker 1: making albums with, you know, some of the people who 752 00:42:02,556 --> 00:42:05,516 Speaker 1: really influenced you. You did an album in two thousand 753 00:42:05,556 --> 00:42:09,756 Speaker 1: and six with John Klee, who you love first from 754 00:42:09,876 --> 00:42:12,996 Speaker 1: What the Velvet Underground? Yeah, what was that like? 755 00:42:13,436 --> 00:42:17,116 Speaker 3: You know, I still get kind of giddy of thinking 756 00:42:17,116 --> 00:42:22,316 Speaker 3: about it because it was John sent in one of 757 00:42:22,316 --> 00:42:25,516 Speaker 3: the first songs on the tribute record, the port View 758 00:42:25,556 --> 00:42:27,796 Speaker 3: of the record. He's send in a song called she 759 00:42:27,836 --> 00:42:29,756 Speaker 3: Doesn't Live Here Anymore in. 760 00:42:29,756 --> 00:42:30,556 Speaker 1: A beautiful song. 761 00:42:30,596 --> 00:42:33,636 Speaker 3: Oh my god, what a version he did. And so 762 00:42:34,596 --> 00:42:36,756 Speaker 3: we were doing a tribute to Sterling Morrison, who I 763 00:42:36,796 --> 00:42:42,356 Speaker 3: also knew from Austin, and Sterling had passed away, and 764 00:42:42,396 --> 00:42:44,956 Speaker 3: we were doing like a memorial permit one of the 765 00:42:44,996 --> 00:42:49,996 Speaker 3: South by Southwest conferences, and John came and I got 766 00:42:49,996 --> 00:42:53,156 Speaker 3: the string section together for him, and we did Paris 767 00:42:53,236 --> 00:42:56,516 Speaker 3: nineteen nineteen, We did Sister Ray, and we did all 768 00:42:56,516 --> 00:42:59,916 Speaker 3: these cool songs, you know, And when we were doing 769 00:42:59,916 --> 00:43:05,276 Speaker 3: a sound check for that gig. I said, I heard 770 00:43:05,316 --> 00:43:08,436 Speaker 3: you have a studio at your home. He goes, no, 771 00:43:08,556 --> 00:43:12,116 Speaker 3: I got rid of studio. And I said, well, why'd 772 00:43:12,116 --> 00:43:14,236 Speaker 3: you get rid of your studio? Goes, I hate musicians. 773 00:43:14,236 --> 00:43:19,476 Speaker 3: He said, oh that's cool, you know. I said, well, listen, 774 00:43:20,476 --> 00:43:22,956 Speaker 3: would you help me make a record? And right away 775 00:43:22,956 --> 00:43:26,916 Speaker 3: he said yes. And I had known John from playing 776 00:43:26,956 --> 00:43:28,876 Speaker 3: with Judy and Island here in New York, you know, 777 00:43:28,956 --> 00:43:33,076 Speaker 3: because we were managed by Jane Friedman like John was, 778 00:43:33,116 --> 00:43:36,876 Speaker 3: you know, and we would play a lot of gigs together. 779 00:43:36,956 --> 00:43:39,156 Speaker 3: But at that time John was a very different person, 780 00:43:39,316 --> 00:43:42,516 Speaker 3: you know, and he was kind of well, he was 781 00:43:42,836 --> 00:43:46,396 Speaker 3: intimidating to me, you know. He says, big man with 782 00:43:46,436 --> 00:43:49,756 Speaker 3: a big voice, drinking brandy and just being kind of wild, 783 00:43:49,876 --> 00:43:53,956 Speaker 3: you know. And I didn't really get close to him 784 00:43:53,996 --> 00:43:56,036 Speaker 3: in those days. You know. We'd go over his place 785 00:43:56,156 --> 00:43:58,196 Speaker 3: and stuff, but I was always just going to fly 786 00:43:58,316 --> 00:44:01,596 Speaker 3: on the walk on a kid, you know. And then 787 00:44:01,996 --> 00:44:04,996 Speaker 3: when I asked him we had a gig in La 788 00:44:05,276 --> 00:44:07,636 Speaker 3: and I went to La, he said said yes, said 789 00:44:07,636 --> 00:44:10,156 Speaker 3: we had a meeting, and he told me I want 790 00:44:10,156 --> 00:44:12,036 Speaker 3: three things from you. I want you to sound strong, 791 00:44:12,836 --> 00:44:15,436 Speaker 3: as inspired as you ever have been. And I want 792 00:44:15,476 --> 00:44:17,996 Speaker 3: you to go as deeper than you've ever been about 793 00:44:18,036 --> 00:44:21,236 Speaker 3: this record, you know. And so the first song I 794 00:44:21,276 --> 00:44:23,836 Speaker 3: wrote was that song of Vita's Lullaby about my mom 795 00:44:23,876 --> 00:44:27,116 Speaker 3: and dad. My dad died during that course of COVID, 796 00:44:27,196 --> 00:44:31,036 Speaker 3: you know, and even though I had been you know, 797 00:44:31,236 --> 00:44:35,676 Speaker 3: studying Buddhist script and preparing myself for a lot of things, 798 00:44:36,756 --> 00:44:39,196 Speaker 3: when my father passed away, it was devastating, you know. 799 00:44:40,356 --> 00:44:42,316 Speaker 3: And so I wrote that song about them because they 800 00:44:42,316 --> 00:44:45,196 Speaker 3: always danced, as I told you earlier, and so a 801 00:44:45,316 --> 00:44:49,156 Speaker 3: Vita's Lullaby is about him dancing with her somewhere else, 802 00:44:49,236 --> 00:44:52,396 Speaker 3: you know, some another place was your mother. She was 803 00:44:52,436 --> 00:44:52,836 Speaker 3: still alive. 804 00:44:52,956 --> 00:44:56,716 Speaker 1: Her, she was still alive, okay, but my dad was. 805 00:44:56,756 --> 00:45:01,156 Speaker 3: You know, a huge influence on me. So that was 806 00:45:01,196 --> 00:45:03,076 Speaker 3: the first song I wrote. And then the other songs 807 00:45:03,076 --> 00:45:05,556 Speaker 3: were all followed suit you know. They were all kind 808 00:45:05,556 --> 00:45:07,316 Speaker 3: of about that experience. 809 00:45:06,836 --> 00:45:11,116 Speaker 1: You know, and I did did He He liked the songs. 810 00:45:11,436 --> 00:45:14,436 Speaker 1: He liked the songs. He thought you'd gone deeper. 811 00:45:16,796 --> 00:45:22,516 Speaker 3: I think that, Uh, at the time, it seemed like 812 00:45:22,556 --> 00:45:25,356 Speaker 3: a you know, at the time, it seemed. 813 00:45:25,036 --> 00:45:27,156 Speaker 1: Like it surprises me. He said that, because I think 814 00:45:27,196 --> 00:45:31,796 Speaker 1: of him as such a not a songwriter about feelings. 815 00:45:31,796 --> 00:45:36,156 Speaker 1: He's such an intellectually intimidating figure. 816 00:45:36,516 --> 00:45:38,756 Speaker 3: Oh John, Yes, yeah, absolutely, so. 817 00:45:38,716 --> 00:45:40,396 Speaker 1: It surprises me that he did say no, you need 818 00:45:40,436 --> 00:45:41,236 Speaker 1: to go deeper. 819 00:45:41,636 --> 00:45:44,076 Speaker 3: And you know what was funny is that, you know, 820 00:45:44,156 --> 00:45:46,876 Speaker 3: I told you I had been kind of intimidated by him, right, 821 00:45:47,356 --> 00:45:50,076 Speaker 3: but when we made the record, he was like an 822 00:45:50,076 --> 00:45:53,076 Speaker 3: older brother. It's like I always felt like I had 823 00:45:53,116 --> 00:45:55,756 Speaker 3: his arm around my shoulder, going, you're cool, you know, 824 00:45:56,116 --> 00:45:58,316 Speaker 3: is this what you want? You know, give me more 825 00:45:58,316 --> 00:46:02,076 Speaker 3: of that, you know. And the record began very differently 826 00:46:02,156 --> 00:46:04,956 Speaker 3: for us because like where you Are was a piano 827 00:46:06,316 --> 00:46:09,916 Speaker 3: and I was sitting near with my acoustic and start playing, 828 00:46:10,236 --> 00:46:13,476 Speaker 3: and he would he would respond to whatever I was playing, 829 00:46:13,476 --> 00:46:15,556 Speaker 3: you know. He's such a great improviser, you know, So 830 00:46:16,956 --> 00:46:19,036 Speaker 3: we wrote, we wrote like that, you know, and the 831 00:46:19,076 --> 00:46:20,996 Speaker 3: record was recorded like that. At first, it was just 832 00:46:21,036 --> 00:46:23,836 Speaker 3: piano and acoustic guitar and my voice, you know, and 833 00:46:23,876 --> 00:46:26,596 Speaker 3: then we built the album all around that, you know, 834 00:46:27,276 --> 00:46:30,076 Speaker 3: which is kind of backwards for making records. Usually it's 835 00:46:30,116 --> 00:46:32,916 Speaker 3: like you get the rhythm section down and you get 836 00:46:32,996 --> 00:46:35,636 Speaker 3: the band down, and then the singer goes in and 837 00:46:36,196 --> 00:46:39,036 Speaker 3: re records his vocals. A lot of times, you know, whatever, 838 00:46:39,076 --> 00:46:42,396 Speaker 3: and you put everything else on top of that. But 839 00:46:42,516 --> 00:46:44,996 Speaker 3: this was different, and it was a really interesting way 840 00:46:45,036 --> 00:46:46,476 Speaker 3: to work, and I loved it because it was so 841 00:46:47,156 --> 00:46:51,956 Speaker 3: I needed that kind of support system because I was 842 00:46:51,996 --> 00:46:58,596 Speaker 3: still very, very shy, and I still had a lot 843 00:46:58,636 --> 00:46:59,076 Speaker 3: of fear. 844 00:46:59,596 --> 00:47:03,196 Speaker 1: You know, really hepatize because you were you were fifteen 845 00:47:03,276 --> 00:47:05,556 Speaker 1: years into your solo career at this point. What was 846 00:47:05,596 --> 00:47:06,636 Speaker 1: the what was the fear? 847 00:47:08,836 --> 00:47:14,876 Speaker 3: I had the feeling that you know, Bobby Newarth once 848 00:47:14,956 --> 00:47:18,076 Speaker 3: told me, he says, as artists were all just afraid 849 00:47:18,116 --> 00:47:20,636 Speaker 3: that someone's going to suss us out to be hacks, 850 00:47:20,756 --> 00:47:23,676 Speaker 3: you know, and I think I'm still living with that. 851 00:47:23,796 --> 00:47:25,916 Speaker 3: You know. I'd grown up in an environment which was 852 00:47:25,956 --> 00:47:35,076 Speaker 3: never very you know, the confirmation wasn't there when I 853 00:47:35,116 --> 00:47:39,076 Speaker 3: was a kid. You know, I was never told I 854 00:47:39,076 --> 00:47:44,316 Speaker 3: could do anything, you know, and the school system was 855 00:47:44,356 --> 00:47:48,436 Speaker 3: such in those days that you know, they even changed 856 00:47:48,436 --> 00:47:51,916 Speaker 3: my name. They wouldn't pronounce my name. I was Alex 857 00:47:52,076 --> 00:47:55,556 Speaker 3: for many years, and I hated it just because the 858 00:47:55,596 --> 00:48:00,116 Speaker 3: teacher refused to, you know, even try to pronounce my 859 00:48:00,196 --> 00:48:03,956 Speaker 3: name Alandro, you know, and me represented everything that was 860 00:48:03,996 --> 00:48:08,196 Speaker 3: wrong with society, and you know, the racial thing. 861 00:48:08,516 --> 00:48:12,236 Speaker 1: Were there a lot of Mexican kids in your class. 862 00:48:11,436 --> 00:48:15,876 Speaker 3: Not a lot, but some, yeah, yeah, And so you know, 863 00:48:16,676 --> 00:48:19,836 Speaker 3: Mexican kids were always and black kids and poor white 864 00:48:19,876 --> 00:48:22,996 Speaker 3: kids were always just kind of led to the machine shop, 865 00:48:23,076 --> 00:48:26,596 Speaker 3: the woods shop, you know, just to be worker aunts, 866 00:48:26,636 --> 00:48:30,756 Speaker 3: you know. And so we were never encouraged to be lawyers, 867 00:48:30,916 --> 00:48:38,956 Speaker 3: doctors and such so you know it, or filmmakers or filmmakers. 868 00:48:38,636 --> 00:48:42,756 Speaker 3: And that's why these dreams were so important. 869 00:48:42,276 --> 00:48:45,916 Speaker 1: You know, were those dreams your parents supported? 870 00:48:46,476 --> 00:48:47,716 Speaker 3: No? 871 00:48:47,716 --> 00:48:50,276 Speaker 1: Now why was that? Because your your parents sound like 872 00:48:51,956 --> 00:48:54,076 Speaker 1: your father sounds like such a romantic figure. 873 00:48:54,236 --> 00:48:57,076 Speaker 3: And I think because my brother, my older brothers had 874 00:48:57,156 --> 00:49:01,476 Speaker 3: been musicians and they saw what you know, they would 875 00:49:01,476 --> 00:49:04,436 Speaker 3: go to their shows, but my brothers played in supper clubs. 876 00:49:04,516 --> 00:49:07,316 Speaker 3: You know. It was that time, you know, yeah, sixties, 877 00:49:07,716 --> 00:49:13,116 Speaker 3: early sixties, like fifties. So they loved, you know, my 878 00:49:13,156 --> 00:49:15,756 Speaker 3: brother they love of course, they adored my older brothers, 879 00:49:15,876 --> 00:49:19,236 Speaker 3: you know. And I was a seventh kid out of thirteen, 880 00:49:20,276 --> 00:49:22,156 Speaker 3: so I was kind of lost in the shuffle. I 881 00:49:22,196 --> 00:49:26,076 Speaker 3: was kind of an invisible kid and just never seemed 882 00:49:26,076 --> 00:49:28,956 Speaker 3: to be able to do anything that impressed my parents. 883 00:49:29,036 --> 00:49:29,316 Speaker 3: You know. 884 00:49:30,596 --> 00:49:33,636 Speaker 1: Did that change you mentioned your father died. It really 885 00:49:33,716 --> 00:49:36,596 Speaker 1: changed really when he died, was he he. 886 00:49:36,596 --> 00:49:39,636 Speaker 3: Was supportive, you know. And when I played on the record, 887 00:49:39,716 --> 00:49:42,596 Speaker 3: you know, I did this record, We've made this play 888 00:49:44,196 --> 00:49:46,716 Speaker 3: called by the Hand of the Father, which was a 889 00:49:46,716 --> 00:49:49,316 Speaker 3: story of five different men born in the turn the 890 00:49:49,356 --> 00:49:52,876 Speaker 3: century in Mexico and chronicles their journey across the border 891 00:49:52,916 --> 00:49:56,076 Speaker 3: and all the things they did to work and support 892 00:49:56,116 --> 00:49:58,276 Speaker 3: their families and such. You know. When the album was 893 00:49:58,276 --> 00:50:00,916 Speaker 3: finally finished and I had my brother Pete, I wrote 894 00:50:00,916 --> 00:50:02,836 Speaker 3: a song for him to sing on the record, you know. 895 00:50:05,036 --> 00:50:07,316 Speaker 3: And when I finally played the album, my dad had 896 00:50:07,316 --> 00:50:09,796 Speaker 3: this little boombox he would always listen into, you know, 897 00:50:09,876 --> 00:50:11,516 Speaker 3: and he was kind of put it in the corner 898 00:50:11,556 --> 00:50:13,436 Speaker 3: and he just turned the chair around from all of 899 00:50:13,516 --> 00:50:16,236 Speaker 3: us and he just listened to the album and he 900 00:50:16,276 --> 00:50:18,916 Speaker 3: played it all the way through, turned around and I 901 00:50:18,996 --> 00:50:22,276 Speaker 3: was watching him listen, you know, checking him out. He 902 00:50:22,356 --> 00:50:24,396 Speaker 3: turned around, just kind of smiled, and then he hit 903 00:50:24,436 --> 00:50:26,756 Speaker 3: play again and listened to it all one more time, 904 00:50:26,836 --> 00:50:29,876 Speaker 3: all the way through, and then he turned around and 905 00:50:29,876 --> 00:50:31,676 Speaker 3: told me, he says, you finally got the beat right, 906 00:50:31,796 --> 00:50:37,356 Speaker 3: he said, So that was that was a big compliment 907 00:50:37,436 --> 00:50:40,596 Speaker 3: for him, you know. So yeah, you know, it wasn't 908 00:50:40,676 --> 00:50:43,796 Speaker 3: like I think my mom only saw me play maybe 909 00:50:43,836 --> 00:50:45,036 Speaker 3: once or twice, you know. 910 00:50:46,196 --> 00:50:47,796 Speaker 1: Did they But they support us. 911 00:50:47,836 --> 00:50:51,276 Speaker 3: I mean they helped us, gave it. They helped the 912 00:50:51,316 --> 00:50:53,996 Speaker 3: true believers get their first van, you know, to tours. 913 00:50:56,476 --> 00:50:59,876 Speaker 3: But I didn't have that like, you know, that push 914 00:51:00,956 --> 00:51:03,476 Speaker 3: or that kind of reckoning that you're an artist and 915 00:51:04,196 --> 00:51:06,676 Speaker 3: you know you're free to go to move on and 916 00:51:06,716 --> 00:51:08,116 Speaker 3: do what you want to do. You know. 917 00:51:08,676 --> 00:51:12,796 Speaker 1: It a struggle, which is interesting because you've done just 918 00:51:12,996 --> 00:51:16,236 Speaker 1: so many interesting things in your career. A couple of 919 00:51:16,316 --> 00:51:19,436 Speaker 1: years ago, you revisited the idea of crossing the. 920 00:51:19,396 --> 00:51:21,716 Speaker 3: Border with the crossing. 921 00:51:22,076 --> 00:51:25,716 Speaker 1: Yeah, with the Crossing, and then released a Spanish version 922 00:51:25,716 --> 00:51:29,076 Speaker 1: and there's Italian songs on it. You've done. You seem 923 00:51:29,196 --> 00:51:35,036 Speaker 1: quite fearless, and I would have guessed you'd have had 924 00:51:35,076 --> 00:51:37,276 Speaker 1: parents saying the whole time, you can do anything, you 925 00:51:37,316 --> 00:51:39,156 Speaker 1: can do anything. Where does that know? Where does that 926 00:51:39,196 --> 00:51:40,396 Speaker 1: come from? 927 00:51:40,756 --> 00:51:44,996 Speaker 3: Defiance? I think more than anything, you know, there was 928 00:51:45,036 --> 00:51:46,876 Speaker 3: always a sense that I wasn't going to be told 929 00:51:46,916 --> 00:51:50,116 Speaker 3: what to do, and that I wasn't going to be 930 00:51:51,396 --> 00:51:54,836 Speaker 3: pigeonholed into any sort of box. You know, I wasn't 931 00:51:54,996 --> 00:51:59,356 Speaker 3: just a Chicano. I wasn't just a Mexican American, you know. 932 00:51:59,396 --> 00:52:01,636 Speaker 3: I didn't want to be defined by race and culture. 933 00:52:02,436 --> 00:52:05,676 Speaker 3: You know. I wanted to be my own person. And 934 00:52:07,676 --> 00:52:13,156 Speaker 3: I think that the fearlessness just comes from which is 935 00:52:13,316 --> 00:52:17,036 Speaker 3: a wonderful little gadget to have in your toolbox if 936 00:52:17,036 --> 00:52:22,596 Speaker 3: you're a musician. You know, just came from wanting to 937 00:52:22,796 --> 00:52:24,756 Speaker 3: do I heard it all, like you know, it was 938 00:52:25,196 --> 00:52:28,116 Speaker 3: a broad spectrum of things that I drew from, you know, 939 00:52:28,796 --> 00:52:33,636 Speaker 3: from Mexican music to the Velvet Underground to you know, 940 00:52:34,596 --> 00:52:38,876 Speaker 3: Coltrane to Smoking Robinson to it was all there, you know, 941 00:52:39,636 --> 00:52:41,476 Speaker 3: and I ate it all up and I wanted it 942 00:52:41,556 --> 00:52:44,876 Speaker 3: and how can I make this work? And I wasn't like, 943 00:52:45,236 --> 00:52:47,196 Speaker 3: you know, because I started so late. I wasn't like 944 00:52:47,196 --> 00:52:50,916 Speaker 3: a musician's musician or anything, you know. I could barely 945 00:52:50,956 --> 00:52:54,796 Speaker 3: play guitar. I learned to write songs by basically taking 946 00:52:54,836 --> 00:52:58,756 Speaker 3: apart Dylan songs and Ian Hunter songs and John Kale 947 00:52:58,836 --> 00:53:05,956 Speaker 3: songs and just kind of reconstructing them, you know. But 948 00:53:06,156 --> 00:53:10,756 Speaker 3: all those guys that I admired were fearless in my eyes, 949 00:53:11,116 --> 00:53:16,956 Speaker 3: Lou Reed, John Klee, Judy Nylon, you know, from Judy. 950 00:53:17,036 --> 00:53:19,636 Speaker 3: I learned so much about just being able to stand 951 00:53:19,716 --> 00:53:22,716 Speaker 3: up and say this is me and this is what 952 00:53:22,756 --> 00:53:24,636 Speaker 3: I do. And I'm proud of what I do, and 953 00:53:25,116 --> 00:53:26,396 Speaker 3: you know, take it. 954 00:53:26,436 --> 00:53:28,356 Speaker 1: Or leave it, you know, Can you do that now? 955 00:53:29,276 --> 00:53:31,796 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, I'm not afraid anymore. 956 00:53:32,236 --> 00:53:34,916 Speaker 1: No, was there a time that changed. 957 00:53:39,516 --> 00:53:42,476 Speaker 3: It took a long time. Man. You know, it's funny 958 00:53:42,556 --> 00:53:44,676 Speaker 3: to say that now, because, like I just told you, 959 00:53:44,716 --> 00:53:47,916 Speaker 3: I'm going to be seventy four, but I was maybe 960 00:53:48,076 --> 00:53:50,396 Speaker 3: fifty or so when I finally learned how to say 961 00:53:50,436 --> 00:53:55,716 Speaker 3: no to people. Oh really, you know I always wanted 962 00:53:55,716 --> 00:54:00,276 Speaker 3: to kind of like you know, you know, I had 963 00:54:00,276 --> 00:54:05,796 Speaker 3: this therapist. He told me his his thing was based 964 00:54:05,836 --> 00:54:09,236 Speaker 3: on l Ron Early l Ron Hubbard and Buddhism as 965 00:54:09,276 --> 00:54:14,676 Speaker 3: a Buddhist right, but it was truth seeking, right. And 966 00:54:14,716 --> 00:54:17,156 Speaker 3: he says, you know, I feel like taking you by 967 00:54:17,156 --> 00:54:18,956 Speaker 3: the call and just throwing you up against the wall 968 00:54:19,036 --> 00:54:24,556 Speaker 3: right now. I said, lie. He goes, because you lie, 969 00:54:25,876 --> 00:54:28,676 Speaker 3: you won't tell me the truth. I said, I don't lie. 970 00:54:29,516 --> 00:54:32,236 Speaker 3: He goes, why you lying? I go, I don't lie. 971 00:54:32,956 --> 00:54:36,276 Speaker 3: He goes, why are lying? I go, Well, you know 972 00:54:36,356 --> 00:54:39,036 Speaker 3: it's something I started to break down, you know, well, 973 00:54:40,236 --> 00:54:42,436 Speaker 3: and it came down to like, I don't want to 974 00:54:42,476 --> 00:54:47,236 Speaker 3: hurt other people's feelings, right, And he goes, well, you know, 975 00:54:47,276 --> 00:54:51,436 Speaker 3: the responsibility is not yours, you know, it's theirs. The 976 00:54:51,516 --> 00:54:55,756 Speaker 3: truth is there for them to digest in whatever way 977 00:54:56,036 --> 00:54:58,396 Speaker 3: they're going to. They could be hurt, they could be 978 00:54:58,436 --> 00:55:03,076 Speaker 3: pissed off, be angry at you, but that's not your problem, 979 00:55:03,196 --> 00:55:08,636 Speaker 3: you know. And I took those words to heart. M hmm. 980 00:55:10,156 --> 00:55:12,276 Speaker 1: You know, you grew up number seven in a family 981 00:55:12,356 --> 00:55:16,396 Speaker 1: of thirteen, you you probably learned to get along. 982 00:55:17,436 --> 00:55:20,516 Speaker 3: You have to. There's no other way. You know, my 983 00:55:20,596 --> 00:55:23,396 Speaker 3: brother lived. You know, we were in bunk beds and 984 00:55:23,796 --> 00:55:27,796 Speaker 3: sleeping on the floor and wherever, you know, in the car. 985 00:55:27,956 --> 00:55:30,716 Speaker 3: If your brother was bugging you, I'd go I sleep 986 00:55:30,716 --> 00:55:33,596 Speaker 3: in the backyard or whatever. You know. Yeah, so like, yeah, 987 00:55:33,716 --> 00:55:37,436 Speaker 3: you know, it's like it was a tight fit thirteen kids, 988 00:55:37,436 --> 00:55:41,076 Speaker 3: and you know we didn't all live together at one time, 989 00:55:41,156 --> 00:55:43,556 Speaker 3: but there was always a lot of kids, you know, sure, 990 00:55:43,716 --> 00:55:46,796 Speaker 3: and my dad and mom were did their you know, 991 00:55:46,836 --> 00:55:51,196 Speaker 3: my mom and dad because of their interest in culture 992 00:55:51,596 --> 00:55:54,676 Speaker 3: and music, they love bars and they'd love to go 993 00:55:54,716 --> 00:55:57,996 Speaker 3: out dancing. So like growing up, we spent a lot 994 00:55:57,996 --> 00:56:00,316 Speaker 3: of nights out in the car, locked up with our 995 00:56:00,316 --> 00:56:04,596 Speaker 3: pajamas on while they went into these dance halls in 996 00:56:04,996 --> 00:56:10,596 Speaker 3: Texas and people fighting and making love and you know 997 00:56:10,796 --> 00:56:13,516 Speaker 3: whatever against the car the kids wake up. I was 998 00:56:13,556 --> 00:56:16,916 Speaker 3: the oldest usually and trying to calm down my brothers 999 00:56:16,916 --> 00:56:21,436 Speaker 3: and sisters, you know, until they came. Yes, it's an odd, 1000 00:56:21,676 --> 00:56:22,516 Speaker 3: odd childhood. 1001 00:56:23,076 --> 00:56:27,796 Speaker 1: Yeah. You then worked with Tony Visconti, who of course 1002 00:56:27,836 --> 00:56:33,836 Speaker 1: did a lot of those t rex Owie those albums. 1003 00:56:33,876 --> 00:56:36,276 Speaker 1: What did you what did you get from him? 1004 00:56:37,196 --> 00:56:40,356 Speaker 3: I'll tell you his story it. So initially I was 1005 00:56:40,396 --> 00:56:44,796 Speaker 3: supposed to work with Glenn John's and Chuck and I 1006 00:56:44,956 --> 00:56:48,036 Speaker 3: chuckoff and I went out to he lived in Ec 1007 00:56:48,116 --> 00:56:54,036 Speaker 3: de Provence, and we went out and visited him as 1008 00:56:54,156 --> 00:56:58,556 Speaker 3: villa that he lives in, and we spent some time 1009 00:56:58,596 --> 00:57:02,876 Speaker 3: with him. But we didn't see on what was the 1010 00:57:02,956 --> 00:57:09,116 Speaker 3: record should be, and so we decided not to worry 1011 00:57:09,676 --> 00:57:13,436 Speaker 3: with Glenn, and I called up being Ralphine, who was 1012 00:57:13,436 --> 00:57:16,276 Speaker 3: ahead of am I and Blue Note at the time, 1013 00:57:17,316 --> 00:57:19,036 Speaker 3: and told him, you know, I don't think this is 1014 00:57:19,076 --> 00:57:24,236 Speaker 3: going to work. And so, you know, it's funny because 1015 00:57:24,236 --> 00:57:27,316 Speaker 3: then the record company was telling me that we didn't 1016 00:57:27,356 --> 00:57:29,316 Speaker 3: have the songs. But we had written every song that 1017 00:57:29,396 --> 00:57:32,036 Speaker 3: was on the album. We had that album in tuck. 1018 00:57:32,076 --> 00:57:36,236 Speaker 3: We thought we thought we were ready, and so they 1019 00:57:36,276 --> 00:57:38,636 Speaker 3: told me that no, we don't hear it, and you 1020 00:57:38,716 --> 00:57:41,236 Speaker 3: need to go back and write. So I called up 1021 00:57:41,236 --> 00:57:45,196 Speaker 3: Being Hunter and Ian Hunter said, well, come on out, 1022 00:57:45,276 --> 00:57:47,076 Speaker 3: show me your songs, you know. So I came out 1023 00:57:47,116 --> 00:57:48,836 Speaker 3: here and was. 1024 00:57:48,756 --> 00:57:50,476 Speaker 1: That the first time you'd ever met him or had 1025 00:57:50,516 --> 00:57:51,156 Speaker 1: you known him before? 1026 00:57:51,236 --> 00:57:55,036 Speaker 3: I met him before, yeah, because he was also on 1027 00:57:55,076 --> 00:57:59,756 Speaker 3: that Portfitlio record, the tribute record. So and we listened 1028 00:57:59,756 --> 00:58:01,556 Speaker 3: to all the songs and it was amazing. You know. 1029 00:58:01,596 --> 00:58:04,956 Speaker 3: We'd go down to the basement and I would plan 1030 00:58:05,036 --> 00:58:09,876 Speaker 3: the songs and he would He would is basically say 1031 00:58:09,916 --> 00:58:13,556 Speaker 3: these are great songs. And so the only lesson that 1032 00:58:13,676 --> 00:58:16,316 Speaker 3: he said I need to tell you is that just 1033 00:58:16,356 --> 00:58:18,356 Speaker 3: don't let the record company fuck with you, you know. 1034 00:58:19,116 --> 00:58:21,516 Speaker 3: And he taught me this other trick about when they record, 1035 00:58:21,636 --> 00:58:23,636 Speaker 3: like how to hold the mic and really perform thing. 1036 00:58:24,556 --> 00:58:28,516 Speaker 3: And and so then Ian said, well what about Tony? 1037 00:58:28,916 --> 00:58:32,476 Speaker 3: I said, oh man, that would be amazing. So Tony 1038 00:58:32,516 --> 00:58:38,036 Speaker 3: flew out to Chicago and saw sound check and didn't 1039 00:58:38,036 --> 00:58:40,196 Speaker 3: realize that we were kind of rocked more than we 1040 00:58:40,556 --> 00:58:43,036 Speaker 3: you know, was on records, you know. So he loved that, 1041 00:58:43,356 --> 00:58:45,516 Speaker 3: you know, says we want to make we should make 1042 00:58:45,516 --> 00:58:47,716 Speaker 3: a rock and roll record, you know. And we had 1043 00:58:47,756 --> 00:58:52,756 Speaker 3: the songs and we went out recorded the studio in Lexington, Kentucky, 1044 00:58:52,996 --> 00:58:55,716 Speaker 3: and I just loved it, man, and it was great. 1045 00:58:55,756 --> 00:58:59,716 Speaker 3: And so we made three records together. We made Real Animal, 1046 00:58:59,796 --> 00:59:05,556 Speaker 3: Street Songs and Big Station together and you know, like 1047 00:59:05,876 --> 00:59:08,436 Speaker 3: Street Songs of Love was written in front of an audience, 1048 00:59:08,556 --> 00:59:13,356 Speaker 3: you know. In Austin. We took on a residency of 1049 00:59:13,356 --> 00:59:17,836 Speaker 3: two months. So we'd play like every Tuesday night. I'd 1050 00:59:17,876 --> 00:59:21,156 Speaker 3: call the band in. I'd have a verse or chorus 1051 00:59:21,556 --> 00:59:25,956 Speaker 3: titles sometimes, and we took Austin Motel was our green 1052 00:59:26,036 --> 00:59:28,876 Speaker 3: room across the street. We went back over and I'd 1053 00:59:28,916 --> 00:59:31,436 Speaker 3: come out and play what little I had to the audience, 1054 00:59:31,476 --> 00:59:35,516 Speaker 3: first acoustically, and then David, my guitar David Pokingham and 1055 00:59:35,556 --> 00:59:37,356 Speaker 3: my guitar player would come out and we do together. 1056 00:59:37,836 --> 00:59:39,716 Speaker 3: Then the band would come and we'd jam on it 1057 00:59:39,756 --> 00:59:41,876 Speaker 3: a little bit and then to play the rest of 1058 00:59:41,916 --> 00:59:43,876 Speaker 3: our set songs we knew and stuff. But we'd always 1059 00:59:43,876 --> 00:59:46,116 Speaker 3: got kind of do like two or three ideas a 1060 00:59:46,156 --> 00:59:50,476 Speaker 3: week right, and so then the audience began to build, 1061 00:59:50,836 --> 00:59:53,276 Speaker 3: and South Austin was really hip at that time. It 1062 00:59:53,356 --> 00:59:56,156 Speaker 3: was really cool. So I started to kind of take 1063 00:59:56,276 --> 00:59:59,716 Speaker 3: characters that were happening things, situations that were happening around me. 1064 01:00:00,116 --> 01:00:03,236 Speaker 3: Those became the songs, and by the end of it 1065 01:00:03,276 --> 01:00:06,876 Speaker 3: we had a full album. Tony came, We did pre 1066 01:00:06,916 --> 01:00:11,796 Speaker 3: production for a week. Then Tony played with us on 1067 01:00:11,836 --> 01:00:14,876 Speaker 3: the last of those Tuesday nights. We got in the van, 1068 01:00:15,596 --> 01:00:17,876 Speaker 3: went on a month long tour, ended up at the 1069 01:00:17,876 --> 01:00:20,836 Speaker 3: door of the studio in Lexington, and I swear we 1070 01:00:20,836 --> 01:00:23,756 Speaker 3: were so tight man. We just played that album just 1071 01:00:23,876 --> 01:00:24,196 Speaker 3: like that. 1072 01:00:24,356 --> 01:00:26,716 Speaker 1: Well, this is what I mean by fearless. You get 1073 01:00:26,796 --> 01:00:29,316 Speaker 1: up in front of an Austin crowd and just say 1074 01:00:29,516 --> 01:00:32,316 Speaker 1: here's a fragment, and yeah, you're gonna watch they watch 1075 01:00:32,396 --> 01:00:32,836 Speaker 1: you build. 1076 01:00:33,036 --> 01:00:33,436 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1077 01:00:34,036 --> 01:00:38,436 Speaker 1: Is it important to have an audience that will that 1078 01:00:38,516 --> 01:00:41,396 Speaker 1: will join you in something like that? Could you've done 1079 01:00:41,436 --> 01:00:43,916 Speaker 1: that in New York or a different place or was 1080 01:00:43,916 --> 01:00:44,516 Speaker 1: that Austin? 1081 01:00:45,036 --> 01:00:47,716 Speaker 3: I think that's an Austin thing. People always told me 1082 01:00:47,756 --> 01:00:49,956 Speaker 3: that the kind of things that happened in Austin don't 1083 01:00:49,996 --> 01:00:55,196 Speaker 3: happen anywhere else. You know, in those days especially so 1084 01:00:55,276 --> 01:00:57,076 Speaker 3: I think part of it was that, you know, Austin 1085 01:00:57,116 --> 01:00:59,756 Speaker 3: was always such a community that supported its artists in 1086 01:01:00,116 --> 01:01:04,076 Speaker 3: whatever fashion, you know. I mean, Joe Eally made one 1087 01:01:04,116 --> 01:01:07,916 Speaker 3: of the first kind of techno country records ever, you know, 1088 01:01:07,996 --> 01:01:10,316 Speaker 3: and people loved it, you know, high Res I think 1089 01:01:10,316 --> 01:01:13,916 Speaker 3: it was called. But you know, so like they've always 1090 01:01:13,996 --> 01:01:16,916 Speaker 3: been accepting of every transformation that I went through. 1091 01:01:17,476 --> 01:01:20,476 Speaker 1: That's amazing. Yeah, I do want to come back to 1092 01:01:20,556 --> 01:01:23,076 Speaker 1: one thing you mentioned, which is you didn't want to 1093 01:01:23,116 --> 01:01:28,196 Speaker 1: just be known as a Chicano, a Mexican songwriter, and 1094 01:01:28,276 --> 01:01:35,036 Speaker 1: it is true in this in the music business, certainly. 1095 01:01:35,116 --> 01:01:37,396 Speaker 1: I think of Lost Lobos, which is a band that 1096 01:01:37,436 --> 01:01:42,236 Speaker 1: can do almost anything, but they're always called the Chicano 1097 01:01:42,316 --> 01:01:46,636 Speaker 1: band from East La. Do you think it's it is 1098 01:01:46,716 --> 01:01:50,796 Speaker 1: limiting in this business if people that when people see you, 1099 01:01:50,876 --> 01:01:53,076 Speaker 1: they go, oh, well, we know what this is. 1100 01:01:53,556 --> 01:01:56,436 Speaker 3: When my album with These Hands came out on Raiko disc, 1101 01:01:56,636 --> 01:02:01,276 Speaker 3: you know, they were pushing all the radio promoters were 1102 01:02:01,316 --> 01:02:03,956 Speaker 3: pushing for my record to be played on the radio. 1103 01:02:04,676 --> 01:02:08,476 Speaker 3: The response from most of the radio people was we 1104 01:02:08,596 --> 01:02:11,676 Speaker 3: already have one Mexican band, we don't need another, which 1105 01:02:11,756 --> 01:02:14,516 Speaker 3: was Los Lobos. We can't pronounce his name, how do 1106 01:02:14,516 --> 01:02:18,636 Speaker 3: you expect us to play his music? You know? So yeah, 1107 01:02:19,236 --> 01:02:21,196 Speaker 3: you know, and I didn't want to change my name, 1108 01:02:21,596 --> 01:02:24,076 Speaker 3: you know, as I told you. You know, in my 1109 01:02:24,116 --> 01:02:26,116 Speaker 3: song is there's a lot of reference to my name. 1110 01:02:26,276 --> 01:02:29,436 Speaker 3: It's weird, but not my name. But so you know 1111 01:02:29,516 --> 01:02:32,876 Speaker 3: the name, you know, especially on the Crossings, there's that 1112 01:02:33,036 --> 01:02:36,676 Speaker 3: scene with Texas Ranger where the ranger says, what kind 1113 01:02:36,716 --> 01:02:38,796 Speaker 3: of we back name is that? What kind of spick 1114 01:02:38,916 --> 01:02:42,516 Speaker 3: name is that? And that really happened to me in 1115 01:02:42,596 --> 01:02:46,036 Speaker 3: Eagle Pass, Texas, you know, where I was introduced to 1116 01:02:46,076 --> 01:02:49,916 Speaker 3: a gentleman who was the next Texas Ranger and I said, 1117 01:02:50,676 --> 01:02:55,116 Speaker 3: my friend said, uncle John, this is Alejandro said, what 1118 01:02:55,236 --> 01:02:57,116 Speaker 3: kind of spick name is that? You know? 1119 01:02:58,236 --> 01:02:59,956 Speaker 1: So how old were you when that happened? 1120 01:02:59,956 --> 01:03:05,796 Speaker 3: Oh? I was in the True Believers. Yeah, so those 1121 01:03:05,876 --> 01:03:12,156 Speaker 3: kind of things have always to me, you know, and 1122 01:03:12,196 --> 01:03:14,676 Speaker 3: I didn't want to change my name. I'm proud of 1123 01:03:14,716 --> 01:03:18,636 Speaker 3: my culture, proud of my race, I'm proud of my lineage. 1124 01:03:18,676 --> 01:03:23,276 Speaker 3: I'm proud of you know, my family, you know, but 1125 01:03:26,036 --> 01:03:28,356 Speaker 3: my family has you know, if you were to do 1126 01:03:28,356 --> 01:03:31,636 Speaker 3: documentary on the Escovedo family, man, it's all over the place, 1127 01:03:31,836 --> 01:03:36,836 Speaker 3: you know, And I think we owe that to my 1128 01:03:36,916 --> 01:03:41,036 Speaker 3: mom and dad really the music. And my mom was 1129 01:03:41,796 --> 01:03:43,996 Speaker 3: so in the movies and films. She would take me 1130 01:03:44,036 --> 01:03:47,316 Speaker 3: to see films all the time since I was toddler, 1131 01:03:47,436 --> 01:03:50,676 Speaker 3: you know, so I was constantly being dragged to films. 1132 01:03:50,716 --> 01:03:53,276 Speaker 3: You know. She loved Marlon Brando, she loved James Dean, 1133 01:03:53,316 --> 01:03:55,956 Speaker 3: and she loved Montgomery Cliffs. So we would go see 1134 01:03:55,996 --> 01:03:58,716 Speaker 3: all those movies all the time. And she loved books, 1135 01:03:58,756 --> 01:04:02,436 Speaker 3: and you know, we were reading you know, Hemingway and Steinberg. 1136 01:04:02,516 --> 01:04:05,556 Speaker 3: She loved those guys, so we read those very early on. 1137 01:04:06,156 --> 01:04:09,436 Speaker 3: And it was because of her, you know. So as 1138 01:04:09,436 --> 01:04:12,876 Speaker 3: difficult as my relationship with my mother was, I owe 1139 01:04:13,756 --> 01:04:16,716 Speaker 3: the world probably, but I certainly wasn't going to be 1140 01:04:16,796 --> 01:04:21,676 Speaker 3: defined by because I'll be honest with you, I'm not 1141 01:04:21,716 --> 01:04:25,476 Speaker 3: really in the Chicono world. I'm not accept you know. 1142 01:04:26,156 --> 01:04:28,916 Speaker 3: They don't buy my records, right, they don't come to 1143 01:04:28,916 --> 01:04:33,236 Speaker 3: see me play. And yet in my eyes, I have 1144 01:04:33,356 --> 01:04:38,636 Speaker 3: spoken as much about the chicon experience as anybody has, 1145 01:04:38,716 --> 01:04:42,116 Speaker 3: you know. But yet, because I don't sing in Spanish 1146 01:04:42,156 --> 01:04:45,276 Speaker 3: and I love the Stooges as much as I. 1147 01:04:45,196 --> 01:04:47,836 Speaker 1: Love very eclectic taste. 1148 01:04:47,956 --> 01:04:50,276 Speaker 3: Yeah, so you know, we got to play. We got 1149 01:04:50,276 --> 01:04:54,236 Speaker 3: asked to play a salsa festival because of my name 1150 01:04:54,876 --> 01:04:57,636 Speaker 3: in San Jose, California. And the first song we did, 1151 01:04:57,636 --> 01:04:59,916 Speaker 3: because we knew that we weren't there they, we knew 1152 01:04:59,916 --> 01:05:02,036 Speaker 3: they had made a mistake. We played I Want to 1153 01:05:02,076 --> 01:05:03,836 Speaker 3: Be Your Dog for about fifteen minutes. 1154 01:05:05,676 --> 01:05:07,036 Speaker 1: That'll show them. 1155 01:05:06,956 --> 01:05:10,156 Speaker 3: Yeah, that'll show. Of course it lost. You'll never do that. 1156 01:05:10,636 --> 01:05:13,076 Speaker 1: Yeah, they're gonna make the check out to Alex That's 1157 01:05:13,076 --> 01:05:15,996 Speaker 1: what they're gonna do. All right. This was just such 1158 01:05:16,036 --> 01:05:18,636 Speaker 1: a treat and such an honor. Thank you so much. Well, 1159 01:05:19,156 --> 01:05:21,716 Speaker 1: everybody should listen to this album. It's just and it's 1160 01:05:21,756 --> 01:05:25,316 Speaker 1: a great primer on your early days and it'll drive 1161 01:05:25,356 --> 01:05:28,036 Speaker 1: all people back to those great albums. So thank you 1162 01:05:28,116 --> 01:05:28,476 Speaker 1: so much. 1163 01:05:28,556 --> 01:05:30,356 Speaker 3: Well, I appreciate you having me thinks. 1164 01:05:30,076 --> 01:05:34,516 Speaker 1: Oh no, no, an absolute joy you go. I wish 1165 01:05:34,516 --> 01:05:36,956 Speaker 1: it were mine. I would live in here if I could. 1166 01:05:38,156 --> 01:05:41,156 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. And when you successfully resisted playing 1167 01:05:41,156 --> 01:05:45,876 Speaker 1: the guitar the whole time, thank you. See that's power, 1168 01:05:46,476 --> 01:05:47,556 Speaker 1: all right, Thank you again. 1169 01:05:50,436 --> 01:05:50,836 Speaker 3: Thank you to. 1170 01:05:50,796 --> 01:05:53,396 Speaker 2: Alijandro Escavito for talking about his career and a bit 1171 01:05:53,396 --> 01:05:55,996 Speaker 2: about the making of his new album Echo Dancing. You 1172 01:05:55,996 --> 01:05:58,236 Speaker 2: can hear all of our favorite tracks from Aleandro Escavito 1173 01:05:58,316 --> 01:06:00,596 Speaker 2: on a playlist in the show notes for this episode, 1174 01:06:00,916 --> 01:06:02,956 Speaker 2: and be sure to follow us on Instagram at the 1175 01:06:02,996 --> 01:06:06,076 Speaker 2: Broken Record pot. You can follow us on Twitter at 1176 01:06:06,156 --> 01:06:09,636 Speaker 2: Broken Record. Broken Record is produced by Leo Rose, with 1177 01:06:09,796 --> 01:06:13,316 Speaker 2: marketing help from Eric Sandler and Jordan McMillan. Our engineer 1178 01:06:13,436 --> 01:06:17,836 Speaker 2: is Ben Tolladay. Broken Record is a production of Pushkin Industries. 1179 01:06:18,196 --> 01:06:20,996 Speaker 2: If you love this show and others from Pushkin, consider 1180 01:06:21,036 --> 01:06:25,396 Speaker 2: subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription 1181 01:06:25,476 --> 01:06:28,676 Speaker 2: that offers bonus content and absolute listening for four ninety 1182 01:06:28,756 --> 01:06:32,996 Speaker 2: nine a month. Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple podcast subscriptions, 1183 01:06:33,796 --> 01:06:36,396 Speaker 2: and if you like this show, please remember to share, rate, 1184 01:06:36,436 --> 01:06:38,196 Speaker 2: and review us on your podcast app. 1185 01:06:38,556 --> 01:06:41,356 Speaker 1: Our theme music's by Kenny Beats. I'm justin Richmond.