1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:24,476 Speaker 1: Pushkin. On her intimate new album, Wary and Strange, Amethyst 2 00:00:24,516 --> 00:00:27,316 Speaker 1: Kia sings her heart out about losing her mom to 3 00:00:27,396 --> 00:00:30,636 Speaker 1: suicide and what it's like being the only black person 4 00:00:30,676 --> 00:00:34,116 Speaker 1: in the room at country gigs. I want the fans 5 00:00:34,156 --> 00:00:38,356 Speaker 1: and won my face in the Greek, but I'm black pie. 6 00:00:38,836 --> 00:00:41,876 Speaker 1: I want to sweet that down right. I'm a beat, 7 00:00:42,156 --> 00:00:46,916 Speaker 1: but I'm black Pine. Amethyst Kia has always been caught 8 00:00:46,916 --> 00:00:50,796 Speaker 1: between different worlds. Growing up with massive anxiety as a 9 00:00:50,796 --> 00:00:54,516 Speaker 1: teenager near Chattanooga, Tennessee, she started learning Green Day and 10 00:00:54,556 --> 00:00:59,036 Speaker 1: Tory Amal songs alone in her bedroom on guitar. Eventually, 11 00:00:59,036 --> 00:01:02,436 Speaker 1: she built up her chops and courage and began performing 12 00:01:02,476 --> 00:01:06,276 Speaker 1: bluegrass standards live, catching the attention of recent guests at 13 00:01:06,276 --> 00:01:10,556 Speaker 1: the pod In Banjo Extraordinaire ran In Giddins, who put 14 00:01:10,636 --> 00:01:14,316 Speaker 1: Kia in her band in twenty eighteen. Nearly two years later, 15 00:01:14,596 --> 00:01:18,276 Speaker 1: Amethyst Kia started working with Phoebe Bridges producer Tony Berg 16 00:01:18,596 --> 00:01:22,196 Speaker 1: on what would become her newest album, Wary and Strange. 17 00:01:22,596 --> 00:01:25,916 Speaker 1: The project expertly fuses Kia's love for nineties alt rock 18 00:01:26,236 --> 00:01:30,636 Speaker 1: with her old time country sensibility. Amethyst Kia performs two 19 00:01:30,636 --> 00:01:33,196 Speaker 1: of her new songs on today's episode and talks to 20 00:01:33,196 --> 00:01:35,316 Speaker 1: Bruce Headlam about what it was like for a black 21 00:01:35,356 --> 00:01:38,156 Speaker 1: teenager to come out as gay in a white Christian 22 00:01:38,236 --> 00:01:41,356 Speaker 1: Southern town. She also explains how learning of the West 23 00:01:41,396 --> 00:01:46,196 Speaker 1: African roots of bluegrass helped reaffirm her place in Americana music. 24 00:01:50,396 --> 00:01:53,076 Speaker 1: This is broken record liner notes for the digital age. 25 00:01:53,276 --> 00:02:02,036 Speaker 1: I'm justin Richmontain. Here's Bruce Headlam with Amethyst Kia. There 26 00:02:02,076 --> 00:02:04,796 Speaker 1: are many things I love about your album, but we'll 27 00:02:04,836 --> 00:02:06,876 Speaker 1: get to the songs in a second. But the sound 28 00:02:06,916 --> 00:02:14,076 Speaker 1: of your album, it's so textured, but so interesting in 29 00:02:14,196 --> 00:02:17,636 Speaker 1: the sounds you apply to different songs. Often when people 30 00:02:17,676 --> 00:02:19,076 Speaker 1: do that, they bring in a lot of kind of 31 00:02:19,116 --> 00:02:21,876 Speaker 1: noise and effects. They don't seem integral to the songs, 32 00:02:21,876 --> 00:02:25,476 Speaker 1: but yours do. Did you conceive of them with so 33 00:02:25,596 --> 00:02:29,436 Speaker 1: many different sounds? With the string arrangements, it sounded like 34 00:02:29,436 --> 00:02:30,756 Speaker 1: you have flutes, or it may have been like an 35 00:02:30,756 --> 00:02:35,116 Speaker 1: old melotron. Flutes were melotron. So this album went through 36 00:02:35,156 --> 00:02:38,956 Speaker 1: like sort of three different stages, with what is out 37 00:02:38,996 --> 00:02:43,156 Speaker 1: now being the final stage and making this album, I 38 00:02:43,236 --> 00:02:44,916 Speaker 1: was kind of going through like a bit of a 39 00:02:44,996 --> 00:02:49,116 Speaker 1: musical identity crisis because I was like I was dealing 40 00:02:49,116 --> 00:02:53,596 Speaker 1: with writer's block. I was in therapy trying to like 41 00:02:53,836 --> 00:02:58,076 Speaker 1: unpack lots of repressed feelings that were like holding me 42 00:02:58,156 --> 00:03:02,116 Speaker 1: back creatively. So there was just a lot of like 43 00:03:02,516 --> 00:03:04,636 Speaker 1: stuff that I was trying to figure out during the 44 00:03:04,676 --> 00:03:09,476 Speaker 1: making of this record, and my final conclusion for what 45 00:03:09,516 --> 00:03:12,596 Speaker 1: I wanted the record to be is I wanted to 46 00:03:12,596 --> 00:03:15,916 Speaker 1: combine my folk music influences from when I was in 47 00:03:15,956 --> 00:03:20,556 Speaker 1: college and then also combine my lifelong love and obsession 48 00:03:20,676 --> 00:03:24,716 Speaker 1: for alternative music. Because the way that my songs are 49 00:03:24,836 --> 00:03:27,756 Speaker 1: when I write them, I don't sit down and think 50 00:03:27,756 --> 00:03:29,636 Speaker 1: about I'm going to write a country song or I'm 51 00:03:29,676 --> 00:03:31,636 Speaker 1: going to write a rock and roll song. My focus 52 00:03:31,636 --> 00:03:33,276 Speaker 1: had always been on how am I going to range 53 00:03:33,356 --> 00:03:35,956 Speaker 1: us on the guitar. I didn't have the resources or 54 00:03:35,996 --> 00:03:40,276 Speaker 1: the mental capacity to even think beyond that. So meeting 55 00:03:40,316 --> 00:03:43,196 Speaker 1: up with Tony and his years of experience of like 56 00:03:43,356 --> 00:03:47,156 Speaker 1: working with within multiple genres of music, he would have 57 00:03:47,276 --> 00:03:50,676 Speaker 1: these ideas of these different sounds to use to layer 58 00:03:51,596 --> 00:03:55,116 Speaker 1: that I never would have thought of. For example, in 59 00:03:55,476 --> 00:03:58,956 Speaker 1: Hangover Blues, you Know, we had recorded you know, the 60 00:03:59,036 --> 00:04:04,036 Speaker 1: rhythm track for it, and he disappeared for a minute 61 00:04:04,036 --> 00:04:07,676 Speaker 1: and came back with this tourist kind of trinket that 62 00:04:07,956 --> 00:04:11,276 Speaker 1: a friend gave him from Burma. It had a little 63 00:04:11,276 --> 00:04:15,596 Speaker 1: button and it had Tibetan chants. So that part in 64 00:04:15,636 --> 00:04:19,236 Speaker 1: the beginning of the song on the record where you 65 00:04:19,276 --> 00:04:21,796 Speaker 1: hear the guy kind of chanting that's from this little 66 00:04:22,116 --> 00:04:27,116 Speaker 1: from this like tourist toy. Like no sound, regardless of 67 00:04:27,156 --> 00:04:30,196 Speaker 1: where it came from, was off limits. Then also there 68 00:04:30,276 --> 00:04:33,956 Speaker 1: was you know, obviously the using the melotron for different things, 69 00:04:33,996 --> 00:04:37,756 Speaker 1: like with fancy drones. Just the way that he thinks 70 00:04:37,756 --> 00:04:41,636 Speaker 1: about music and thinks about sound played such a pivotal 71 00:04:41,716 --> 00:04:45,036 Speaker 1: role in like how this record turned out, and it 72 00:04:45,156 --> 00:04:49,196 Speaker 1: really clicked with me because all of my favorite records 73 00:04:50,076 --> 00:04:54,356 Speaker 1: are records that have like just weird, little nuanced layers 74 00:04:54,396 --> 00:04:56,916 Speaker 1: of sounds. You know, every time you listen to the record, 75 00:04:56,956 --> 00:04:58,556 Speaker 1: you hear a new sound that you maybe you didn't 76 00:04:58,556 --> 00:05:02,716 Speaker 1: recognize before. The sound reminded me of old LPs, you know, 77 00:05:02,836 --> 00:05:05,596 Speaker 1: from eighties or nineties. Yeah, and I'm wondering, are those 78 00:05:05,756 --> 00:05:08,636 Speaker 1: some of your favorite albums. A lot of my stuff 79 00:05:08,676 --> 00:05:11,476 Speaker 1: that I fell in love with is definitely from the nineties, 80 00:05:11,516 --> 00:05:16,276 Speaker 1: like Radiohead, Records, Tori Amos Records, BORC Records, and it 81 00:05:16,316 --> 00:05:18,716 Speaker 1: was like magic to be had no idea how any 82 00:05:18,756 --> 00:05:21,996 Speaker 1: of that happened or how any of those sounds were made. 83 00:05:22,276 --> 00:05:26,556 Speaker 1: Working with Tony, I was like, Okay, this is how. 84 00:05:26,596 --> 00:05:29,276 Speaker 1: And then there's this one really cool thing called a 85 00:05:29,356 --> 00:05:32,396 Speaker 1: Kalida loop. They're not made anymore. It's really hard to find. 86 00:05:32,436 --> 00:05:35,396 Speaker 1: I keep checking reverb dot com to see if anybody's 87 00:05:35,436 --> 00:05:39,116 Speaker 1: trying to sell one. But like, you can basically record 88 00:05:39,756 --> 00:05:44,876 Speaker 1: any sound and then go back and like flip it around, 89 00:05:44,916 --> 00:05:48,996 Speaker 1: manipulate it, like change the pitch. Seeing all of sound 90 00:05:49,076 --> 00:05:52,156 Speaker 1: as a way to be musical was just an approach 91 00:05:52,196 --> 00:05:55,716 Speaker 1: to music that I never really took in a studio setting, 92 00:05:56,156 --> 00:05:59,996 Speaker 1: and so I learned a lot. And for me, he 93 00:06:00,076 --> 00:06:02,876 Speaker 1: said a high bar of like what a producer should be. 94 00:06:03,156 --> 00:06:04,836 Speaker 1: I know what I want now when I go in 95 00:06:04,876 --> 00:06:07,956 Speaker 1: the studio. I want someone that just really thinks outside 96 00:06:07,996 --> 00:06:11,836 Speaker 1: of the box the sound. So okay, well that's outside 97 00:06:11,836 --> 00:06:14,836 Speaker 1: of the box. Let's talk about the box your songs. Yeah, 98 00:06:14,876 --> 00:06:17,076 Speaker 1: I notice you have a guitar. Would you like to 99 00:06:17,116 --> 00:06:19,276 Speaker 1: sing one? Yeah? I would love to anything you like? 100 00:06:19,716 --> 00:06:48,556 Speaker 1: All right, we'll do uh hangover Blues woke up this 101 00:06:48,956 --> 00:07:10,476 Speaker 1: money feeding baby had the worst hang oh blue, I 102 00:07:10,756 --> 00:07:23,516 Speaker 1: don my baby had it come. And if I did 103 00:07:23,556 --> 00:07:27,876 Speaker 1: it all over again, I do the same damn thing 104 00:07:28,156 --> 00:07:33,876 Speaker 1: in it. And if I did it all bark again, 105 00:07:34,076 --> 00:08:03,756 Speaker 1: I do the same damn than its. I like sweet 106 00:08:03,836 --> 00:08:18,396 Speaker 1: pleads right up, Gray lor knows I like to look, 107 00:08:18,796 --> 00:08:29,836 Speaker 1: but I was scared to think that my baby had 108 00:08:29,996 --> 00:08:38,636 Speaker 1: it down. We know you had my hands and knees 109 00:08:38,676 --> 00:08:46,156 Speaker 1: and lon she get them into speechless time You had 110 00:08:46,316 --> 00:08:50,356 Speaker 1: my hands and knees and norn she get them into speechless. 111 00:08:50,796 --> 00:09:27,116 Speaker 1: Hay time dum. Then my baby hated game now. And 112 00:09:27,476 --> 00:09:30,916 Speaker 1: if I did it all over again, I do the 113 00:09:31,116 --> 00:09:38,716 Speaker 1: same damn bang And if I did it all over again, 114 00:09:38,916 --> 00:09:45,796 Speaker 1: I do the same damn banging it Hi, sing damn Bangingyhi, 115 00:09:46,076 --> 00:09:55,276 Speaker 1: sing damn dang Hi. This is gonna seem like a 116 00:09:55,316 --> 00:09:58,316 Speaker 1: silly question because anybody who's had a hangover those would 117 00:09:58,356 --> 00:10:01,556 Speaker 1: inspired that song, right, But what inspired that particular song. 118 00:10:01,956 --> 00:10:04,876 Speaker 1: When I left Chattanoogain moved to Johnson City, I like 119 00:10:05,036 --> 00:10:07,676 Speaker 1: went back in the closet because I was like, I 120 00:10:07,716 --> 00:10:11,196 Speaker 1: went from a medium sized Bible belt town to a 121 00:10:11,276 --> 00:10:14,876 Speaker 1: small Bible belt down, so I was very like concerned 122 00:10:15,076 --> 00:10:18,596 Speaker 1: about how that would play out. I came out I 123 00:10:18,636 --> 00:10:20,676 Speaker 1: was gay in high school, Like my sophomore year in 124 00:10:20,716 --> 00:10:23,716 Speaker 1: high school, were you dating? Then? I went on some dates, 125 00:10:23,716 --> 00:10:28,236 Speaker 1: but my social anxiety was so was so crippling that 126 00:10:28,316 --> 00:10:32,276 Speaker 1: like I could never get past my anxiety to really 127 00:10:32,356 --> 00:10:35,436 Speaker 1: like do anything beyond like going out on the day. 128 00:10:35,796 --> 00:10:37,756 Speaker 1: I had a lot of low self esteem, so like 129 00:10:38,036 --> 00:10:40,676 Speaker 1: sharing myself in an intimate way with someone was just 130 00:10:40,756 --> 00:10:43,756 Speaker 1: beyond the pale for me because I had such poor 131 00:10:43,796 --> 00:10:46,756 Speaker 1: self image of myself that part of me in a 132 00:10:46,756 --> 00:10:49,196 Speaker 1: lot of ways was like how can anybody like me? 133 00:10:49,516 --> 00:10:53,116 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, not a great mental space to be in. 134 00:10:53,316 --> 00:10:56,116 Speaker 1: But but then I went back in the clausem early twenties, 135 00:10:56,236 --> 00:10:59,196 Speaker 1: and then I kind of just stayed there for like 136 00:10:59,236 --> 00:11:02,196 Speaker 1: seven years, which wasn't the intention. So by the time 137 00:11:02,236 --> 00:11:04,756 Speaker 1: I was in my late twenties, I was like something 138 00:11:04,796 --> 00:11:08,116 Speaker 1: about the year twenty seven. They say that when you 139 00:11:08,156 --> 00:11:11,356 Speaker 1: turned twenty seven, all of your cells and your body 140 00:11:11,396 --> 00:11:15,196 Speaker 1: have totally regenerated. I don't know. I've not looked up 141 00:11:15,236 --> 00:11:18,156 Speaker 1: the science, but I've just had conversations with people and 142 00:11:18,276 --> 00:11:21,156 Speaker 1: like there may be something to it, because I feel 143 00:11:21,156 --> 00:11:23,596 Speaker 1: like at the age of twenty seven, I just decided 144 00:11:23,716 --> 00:11:28,876 Speaker 1: to like not care anymore about how people felt, and 145 00:11:28,916 --> 00:11:32,036 Speaker 1: then I kind of just started dating do my own thing. 146 00:11:32,036 --> 00:11:35,916 Speaker 1: I started. I had my party phase in my late twenties, 147 00:11:35,916 --> 00:11:38,556 Speaker 1: which is a weird time to do that. I'd had 148 00:11:38,596 --> 00:11:41,156 Speaker 1: like a few drinks here and there, like in my 149 00:11:41,236 --> 00:11:43,316 Speaker 1: early twenties and into my mid twenties, but I didn't 150 00:11:43,356 --> 00:11:47,476 Speaker 1: start like drinking or actually get drunk until like my 151 00:11:47,916 --> 00:11:50,436 Speaker 1: late twenties. In my mind, I was like, well, I'll 152 00:11:50,476 --> 00:11:53,796 Speaker 1: be more interesting if I drink. But Hangover Blues was 153 00:11:53,836 --> 00:11:56,156 Speaker 1: like the beginning of that phase. So it was when 154 00:11:56,276 --> 00:12:00,396 Speaker 1: things were still fun, at least in my mind. Things 155 00:12:00,396 --> 00:12:02,956 Speaker 1: were fun. But the line in the song that talks 156 00:12:02,956 --> 00:12:04,996 Speaker 1: about I like to look, but I was scared to 157 00:12:05,076 --> 00:12:08,436 Speaker 1: death that came from a line from The Great Gatsby. 158 00:12:08,756 --> 00:12:12,476 Speaker 1: There is this idea of like being so attracted to 159 00:12:12,516 --> 00:12:15,596 Speaker 1: someone but also being terrified of them at the same time. 160 00:12:15,916 --> 00:12:19,156 Speaker 1: I don't think that's the way a relationship should work. 161 00:12:19,156 --> 00:12:21,196 Speaker 1: I don't think you should ever feel tar about it 162 00:12:21,276 --> 00:12:24,996 Speaker 1: if the personally I don't know any other way, all right, Yeah, 163 00:12:25,036 --> 00:12:28,036 Speaker 1: but there was like this exciting exhilaration about it, like 164 00:12:28,196 --> 00:12:30,396 Speaker 1: you know, this this person that is like just was 165 00:12:30,476 --> 00:12:34,236 Speaker 1: so opposite for me in every single way, but like, 166 00:12:34,396 --> 00:12:35,916 Speaker 1: I don't know, there was something about it that was 167 00:12:35,956 --> 00:12:38,916 Speaker 1: just terribly exciting to me. So that was referring to 168 00:12:38,996 --> 00:12:40,956 Speaker 1: like a person that I was dating at that time. 169 00:12:41,236 --> 00:12:43,996 Speaker 1: You said you had writer's block. Was that a result 170 00:12:44,036 --> 00:12:47,476 Speaker 1: of the social anxiety? Do you think possibly? I mean, 171 00:12:47,596 --> 00:12:50,236 Speaker 1: I would say between like two thousand and nine all 172 00:12:50,236 --> 00:12:52,956 Speaker 1: the way up until like twenty twenty fourteen. You know, 173 00:12:53,036 --> 00:12:55,036 Speaker 1: I wrote a lot when I was in high school. 174 00:12:55,076 --> 00:12:58,676 Speaker 1: I wrote a lot of poems, song ideas, and songs, 175 00:12:59,516 --> 00:13:02,156 Speaker 1: but I kind of stopped and just focused on traditional 176 00:13:02,236 --> 00:13:04,596 Speaker 1: music because when I started studying the roots in the 177 00:13:04,596 --> 00:13:08,756 Speaker 1: cultural history of American music, I realized I need to 178 00:13:08,756 --> 00:13:11,996 Speaker 1: really own in on this. I was lacking grounding in 179 00:13:11,996 --> 00:13:14,796 Speaker 1: my musical journey because I'd spent so much of it 180 00:13:14,876 --> 00:13:17,636 Speaker 1: kind of on my own, listening to different things that 181 00:13:17,756 --> 00:13:20,196 Speaker 1: I needed to learn how to play with other musicians 182 00:13:20,316 --> 00:13:23,796 Speaker 1: and learn how to be a performer. But the real 183 00:13:23,836 --> 00:13:27,556 Speaker 1: songwriting didn't really like start happening until I was probably 184 00:13:27,556 --> 00:13:30,436 Speaker 1: I would say probably twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen. Then by 185 00:13:30,436 --> 00:13:33,236 Speaker 1: the time twenty eighteen rolled around. That's when like the 186 00:13:33,236 --> 00:13:36,516 Speaker 1: writer's block was happening. Because I was really in deep 187 00:13:36,516 --> 00:13:41,316 Speaker 1: in this like on again, off again ambiguous relationship with someone. 188 00:13:41,676 --> 00:13:45,876 Speaker 1: It was consuming all of my emotional energy. This person 189 00:13:46,036 --> 00:13:49,076 Speaker 1: didn't really even end up being amused to write songs about. 190 00:13:49,196 --> 00:13:52,316 Speaker 1: It was just this person just blocked out my creativity 191 00:13:52,516 --> 00:13:56,316 Speaker 1: like altogether. It wasn't until after working on Our Native 192 00:13:56,396 --> 00:14:00,716 Speaker 1: Daughters that's when the writer's block started to lift, and 193 00:14:00,796 --> 00:14:04,636 Speaker 1: I really started to like get some momentum with writing 194 00:14:04,636 --> 00:14:08,396 Speaker 1: some new songs and then also like deciding to record 195 00:14:08,476 --> 00:14:10,916 Speaker 1: some of the songs that I'd written and like have 196 00:14:10,996 --> 00:14:14,836 Speaker 1: a record of all original material and also sort of 197 00:14:15,196 --> 00:14:21,716 Speaker 1: reconcile these two musical sides and just make something completely 198 00:14:21,756 --> 00:14:25,196 Speaker 1: fresh and new and something that really represented who I 199 00:14:25,236 --> 00:14:28,516 Speaker 1: am as a musician and where I really was in 200 00:14:28,556 --> 00:14:30,916 Speaker 1: that current moment. We should talk a bit about the 201 00:14:30,956 --> 00:14:33,956 Speaker 1: other side, because you went to study at Eastern Tennessee 202 00:14:34,516 --> 00:14:37,396 Speaker 1: and you took a bluegrass course, I think without really 203 00:14:37,436 --> 00:14:40,916 Speaker 1: knowing much about bluegrass, right right, Yeah, yeah, I took 204 00:14:40,956 --> 00:14:44,396 Speaker 1: a blue grass guitar class with Jack Toddle. Classical didn't 205 00:14:44,596 --> 00:14:47,276 Speaker 1: isn't really appealing to me because the way that I 206 00:14:47,356 --> 00:14:50,156 Speaker 1: learned music didn't really align with how they taught it, 207 00:14:50,236 --> 00:14:53,996 Speaker 1: and so it just didn't really interest me. But with 208 00:14:54,316 --> 00:14:56,676 Speaker 1: blue grass guitar, it was an opportunity for me to 209 00:14:56,716 --> 00:14:59,396 Speaker 1: take a music class and not have to worry about 210 00:14:59,556 --> 00:15:01,916 Speaker 1: oral skills and theory and all that kind of stuff. 211 00:15:01,956 --> 00:15:05,076 Speaker 1: And the way that I learned was like recognized and respected. 212 00:15:05,476 --> 00:15:08,916 Speaker 1: So it started there, and then as I kept digging 213 00:15:08,916 --> 00:15:10,916 Speaker 1: more and more, I started seeing, like, you know, the 214 00:15:11,076 --> 00:15:14,236 Speaker 1: entirety of like American roots music and how it plays 215 00:15:14,316 --> 00:15:18,476 Speaker 1: such a huge role in all American music, and also 216 00:15:19,236 --> 00:15:22,636 Speaker 1: having it revealed to me the West African influence in 217 00:15:22,716 --> 00:15:26,236 Speaker 1: country music and in bluegrass music and all these musics 218 00:15:26,236 --> 00:15:30,556 Speaker 1: that people have identified with being like southern white Christian, 219 00:15:31,236 --> 00:15:34,636 Speaker 1: like all of my favorite things basically were happening at once. 220 00:15:35,076 --> 00:15:37,996 Speaker 1: I could pursue music in a way where my way 221 00:15:37,996 --> 00:15:41,116 Speaker 1: of doing it was was recognized, and I was like 222 00:15:41,196 --> 00:15:45,596 Speaker 1: having my entire idea of music and history and culture challenged. 223 00:15:46,156 --> 00:15:48,796 Speaker 1: And I was also seeing where I fit in as 224 00:15:49,316 --> 00:15:51,956 Speaker 1: a black girl who grew up in like you know, 225 00:15:52,036 --> 00:15:56,276 Speaker 1: conservative white Christian you know area, where I fit in 226 00:15:56,276 --> 00:16:00,516 Speaker 1: in this world and in like the larger story of history, 227 00:16:00,796 --> 00:16:02,956 Speaker 1: You didn't know about the West African influence. All I 228 00:16:03,036 --> 00:16:05,956 Speaker 1: knew about bluegrass was the Beverly Hillbillies. That's literally all 229 00:16:05,956 --> 00:16:09,516 Speaker 1: I knew. So I walked in completely unaware of anything, 230 00:16:09,876 --> 00:16:12,996 Speaker 1: you know, with an intellectual curiosity to just like see 231 00:16:12,996 --> 00:16:15,116 Speaker 1: what all of what's all this bluegrass about? And then 232 00:16:15,156 --> 00:16:18,036 Speaker 1: it led me into old Time? Do you remember what 233 00:16:18,076 --> 00:16:21,076 Speaker 1: the songs were that first captured you or were their 234 00:16:21,116 --> 00:16:24,676 Speaker 1: performers from old time that you just gravitated towards. I 235 00:16:24,716 --> 00:16:28,196 Speaker 1: would say Doc Watson, the Carter Family, learning about like 236 00:16:28,276 --> 00:16:30,916 Speaker 1: Leslie Riddle and how like he played such a huge 237 00:16:30,996 --> 00:16:33,716 Speaker 1: role in development of like the Carter Family and there 238 00:16:33,836 --> 00:16:37,476 Speaker 1: and their success Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. The one 239 00:16:37,596 --> 00:16:40,396 Speaker 1: band that really kind of solidified for me I need 240 00:16:40,436 --> 00:16:44,396 Speaker 1: to pursue this is the Carolina Chocolate Drops because they 241 00:16:44,396 --> 00:16:47,676 Speaker 1: were the first black stream man that I'd ever heard of. 242 00:16:48,156 --> 00:16:51,916 Speaker 1: They were all like living, breathing in the here and 243 00:16:51,996 --> 00:16:55,396 Speaker 1: now and the way that they played the music was 244 00:16:55,516 --> 00:17:01,236 Speaker 1: so exciting and like once I saw them, which is 245 00:17:01,236 --> 00:17:05,076 Speaker 1: why I'm an advocate that you know, representation matters. Seeing 246 00:17:05,236 --> 00:17:08,676 Speaker 1: someone that looks like you doing something is something that 247 00:17:08,716 --> 00:17:11,476 Speaker 1: you know A lot of people kind of take for granted. 248 00:17:11,596 --> 00:17:14,156 Speaker 1: It was just a really inspiring moment where I was 249 00:17:14,196 --> 00:17:16,076 Speaker 1: just like, all right, well, I'm going to stick with 250 00:17:16,116 --> 00:17:18,476 Speaker 1: this old time thing because like there's something to it 251 00:17:18,596 --> 00:17:21,996 Speaker 1: and it's giving me this sense of purpose that I 252 00:17:21,996 --> 00:17:26,236 Speaker 1: didn't really feel I had prior. Amazing. And then later 253 00:17:26,356 --> 00:17:28,676 Speaker 1: when you played with Our Native Daughters, you played with 254 00:17:28,916 --> 00:17:31,676 Speaker 1: Rihanna and Giddens. Yeah, so with Rihanna and Giddens. I 255 00:17:31,676 --> 00:17:36,556 Speaker 1: actually met her prior to Our Native Daughters. She saw 256 00:17:36,596 --> 00:17:40,916 Speaker 1: me perform at Cambridge Folk Festival on like a there 257 00:17:40,956 --> 00:17:44,236 Speaker 1: was like a YouTube video. This is in twenty sixteen. 258 00:17:44,276 --> 00:17:46,436 Speaker 1: She always looks for like a people of color to 259 00:17:46,476 --> 00:17:49,916 Speaker 1: open for her, and her agent reached out to me, 260 00:17:50,196 --> 00:17:52,436 Speaker 1: so I actually got to meet her and like opened 261 00:17:52,476 --> 00:17:55,116 Speaker 1: for her, which was amazing. I mean, she's such an 262 00:17:55,156 --> 00:18:00,356 Speaker 1: incredible performer and is such a brilliant mind. So when 263 00:18:00,356 --> 00:18:03,676 Speaker 1: she asked me to do Our Native Daughters, first of all, 264 00:18:03,716 --> 00:18:08,676 Speaker 1: the answer was a resounding yes. Because I had a 265 00:18:08,716 --> 00:18:11,436 Speaker 1: shut up and sing policy for really really long time. 266 00:18:12,196 --> 00:18:16,076 Speaker 1: You know, this was an opportunity to be like, Okay, 267 00:18:16,116 --> 00:18:18,876 Speaker 1: here's a way that I can talk about this history 268 00:18:18,996 --> 00:18:22,476 Speaker 1: that I've known about and had discussions about, but never 269 00:18:22,636 --> 00:18:27,476 Speaker 1: ventured into singing about. Because of the audience that I 270 00:18:27,516 --> 00:18:30,916 Speaker 1: had garnered, I was worried that I was going to 271 00:18:30,996 --> 00:18:33,956 Speaker 1: get backlash that I wasn't one of those like, you know, 272 00:18:34,436 --> 00:18:37,596 Speaker 1: safe black people that just you know, smile and dance 273 00:18:37,676 --> 00:18:39,996 Speaker 1: and don't say anything to rock the boat. That's kind 274 00:18:40,036 --> 00:18:42,316 Speaker 1: of the role that I put myself in. So this 275 00:18:42,396 --> 00:18:44,956 Speaker 1: was an opportunity to just like throw caution to the 276 00:18:44,996 --> 00:18:48,676 Speaker 1: wind and step forward with like four amazingly talented black 277 00:18:48,716 --> 00:18:52,796 Speaker 1: women and have that courage and strength to like talk 278 00:18:52,836 --> 00:18:56,476 Speaker 1: about this about the Transtlantic slave trade and how it affected, 279 00:18:56,716 --> 00:18:59,516 Speaker 1: you know, the America's But at the same time, it 280 00:18:59,556 --> 00:19:03,076 Speaker 1: was also like I went from opening for Rhiannagtens to 281 00:19:03,236 --> 00:19:07,236 Speaker 1: now like being a colleague, and so that was also 282 00:19:07,316 --> 00:19:09,516 Speaker 1: very intimidating because I'm just like, oh my God, Like 283 00:19:09,756 --> 00:19:11,396 Speaker 1: who am I to be on this project? Like at 284 00:19:11,396 --> 00:19:12,636 Speaker 1: the end of the day, it was just kind of 285 00:19:12,636 --> 00:19:14,596 Speaker 1: like I'm you know, I went for it. Anyway, even 286 00:19:14,636 --> 00:19:17,596 Speaker 1: though I was very nervous and very like, you know, intimidated, 287 00:19:17,716 --> 00:19:20,596 Speaker 1: I was also like, well, I have to do it. 288 00:19:20,676 --> 00:19:24,196 Speaker 1: I have to this is so important. What I got 289 00:19:24,196 --> 00:19:27,276 Speaker 1: from that experience was so much more than I think 290 00:19:27,316 --> 00:19:29,356 Speaker 1: I even realized I was going to get. It was 291 00:19:29,436 --> 00:19:33,036 Speaker 1: for the first time I actually had this sense of 292 00:19:33,076 --> 00:19:35,756 Speaker 1: like telling the story of my ancestors, like I've heard 293 00:19:35,796 --> 00:19:39,996 Speaker 1: people use the term ancestors when talking about doing things, 294 00:19:40,236 --> 00:19:42,396 Speaker 1: and that seemed like such a foreign concept to me, 295 00:19:42,556 --> 00:19:46,116 Speaker 1: because I spent so much of my life seeing myself 296 00:19:46,156 --> 00:19:48,316 Speaker 1: as like a loan on an island for a really 297 00:19:48,316 --> 00:19:51,476 Speaker 1: long time because of my social anxiety, and then with 298 00:19:51,556 --> 00:19:56,036 Speaker 1: my fear of rejection, I built walls and kept distance 299 00:19:56,116 --> 00:19:59,436 Speaker 1: emotionally from people so I wouldn't get disappointed by them 300 00:19:59,516 --> 00:20:02,356 Speaker 1: later because I just didn't trust people to ever truly 301 00:20:02,356 --> 00:20:05,756 Speaker 1: care about me, to actually be in a situation where 302 00:20:05,756 --> 00:20:08,916 Speaker 1: it's like, you know what, there is so much more 303 00:20:09,316 --> 00:20:11,836 Speaker 1: to this world than just me and how I'm feeling 304 00:20:12,276 --> 00:20:14,596 Speaker 1: and what I say and do and how I am 305 00:20:15,156 --> 00:20:19,636 Speaker 1: does affect other people. Feeling a connection with something that 306 00:20:19,796 --> 00:20:22,636 Speaker 1: is hundreds of years old and all of us as 307 00:20:22,676 --> 00:20:25,916 Speaker 1: women of color, still feeling the repercussions of what the 308 00:20:25,916 --> 00:20:31,196 Speaker 1: Transatlantic slave trade like established for how black people should 309 00:20:31,196 --> 00:20:34,636 Speaker 1: be treated and viewed, and seeing how that still affects 310 00:20:34,676 --> 00:20:38,476 Speaker 1: us in our daily lives. Knowing the people before us, 311 00:20:38,836 --> 00:20:42,116 Speaker 1: all that they had to endure, and then for me 312 00:20:42,196 --> 00:20:45,036 Speaker 1: to be able to have the opportunities that I have now, 313 00:20:45,756 --> 00:20:48,476 Speaker 1: it's like, the least I can do is sing a 314 00:20:48,556 --> 00:20:53,796 Speaker 1: song and whatever backlash were to happen. So what like, 315 00:20:54,516 --> 00:20:56,436 Speaker 1: if the people before me can handle what was thrown 316 00:20:56,476 --> 00:20:59,636 Speaker 1: at them, being brought over on a slave ship, being 317 00:20:59,676 --> 00:21:04,796 Speaker 1: whipped and beaten, being segregated, being chased out of office 318 00:21:04,876 --> 00:21:08,796 Speaker 1: during reconstruction by white supremacists, if all of those people 319 00:21:08,796 --> 00:21:11,636 Speaker 1: can survive through that, for me to be here now, 320 00:21:12,116 --> 00:21:15,796 Speaker 1: like I really don't have an excuse to not do 321 00:21:15,956 --> 00:21:19,796 Speaker 1: my part in this aspect of history. Did that help 322 00:21:19,836 --> 00:21:24,036 Speaker 1: your writer's block too? Oh? Yeah, it really did. It 323 00:21:24,076 --> 00:21:28,996 Speaker 1: gave me the courage to like write and speak about things, 324 00:21:29,276 --> 00:21:32,836 Speaker 1: not just about how I'm feeling personally, which that's obviously 325 00:21:32,916 --> 00:21:36,076 Speaker 1: very important, but to be able to like look outside 326 00:21:36,076 --> 00:21:39,636 Speaker 1: of myself and like make commentary about things that I 327 00:21:39,716 --> 00:21:42,716 Speaker 1: see that I and really like stating what my beliefs 328 00:21:42,716 --> 00:21:45,956 Speaker 1: are about certain issues. So a lot of my newer 329 00:21:45,956 --> 00:21:49,156 Speaker 1: songs that I'm writing now involve a lot more like 330 00:21:49,836 --> 00:21:53,436 Speaker 1: social commentary than my previous records. So there's still gonna 331 00:21:53,436 --> 00:21:56,396 Speaker 1: be like the deeply personal stuff that'll always be part 332 00:21:56,436 --> 00:21:58,876 Speaker 1: of what I write, of course, But now I'm not 333 00:21:58,996 --> 00:22:01,596 Speaker 1: afraid to, like, you know, speak my mind on certain 334 00:22:01,636 --> 00:22:05,596 Speaker 1: things anymore, which such a relief. We'll be right back 335 00:22:05,596 --> 00:22:12,916 Speaker 1: with Amethyskia after a quick break. We're back with more 336 00:22:13,036 --> 00:22:16,076 Speaker 1: from Amethyst Kia and Bruce Hudlam and just a quick 337 00:22:16,116 --> 00:22:20,596 Speaker 1: heads up. This segment contains discussion of suicide. Do you 338 00:22:20,596 --> 00:22:23,516 Speaker 1: want to play another song? Yeah, let's do it. This 339 00:22:23,556 --> 00:22:45,556 Speaker 1: one is called Firewater. Melancina always seemed a work for me, 340 00:22:47,356 --> 00:22:54,236 Speaker 1: wistful and uncertain on my dreams. Starts farms into shapes 341 00:22:54,316 --> 00:23:02,316 Speaker 1: that never lieve. Strange anderarything all see, I'm a ghost 342 00:23:02,356 --> 00:23:08,356 Speaker 1: in the alle, in the room, everywhere I go in 343 00:23:08,516 --> 00:23:14,836 Speaker 1: pending Dude, how many spirits does it take to lift 344 00:23:14,836 --> 00:23:21,436 Speaker 1: the spirit? I don't know. I don't know because I 345 00:23:21,596 --> 00:23:25,756 Speaker 1: bought every spirit and I'm still laying here, crying on 346 00:23:25,796 --> 00:23:35,236 Speaker 1: the floor on the flood. So can you just leave me? Bee? 347 00:23:37,276 --> 00:23:43,036 Speaker 1: Being drenched in fire water won't save me? How forsake 348 00:23:43,156 --> 00:23:49,476 Speaker 1: the path of bealth Fleet? Can't he to sleep me? 349 00:23:49,636 --> 00:24:03,556 Speaker 1: Be pens of stairs on the only crowns I've ever green? 350 00:24:04,916 --> 00:24:10,556 Speaker 1: The dog I find the answers that I need city 351 00:24:10,636 --> 00:24:14,836 Speaker 1: lights on the own stars. I have seen how many 352 00:24:14,956 --> 00:24:20,676 Speaker 1: nights until I find and he can breathe? How many 353 00:24:20,676 --> 00:24:24,836 Speaker 1: spirits does take to lift the spirit? I don't know. 354 00:24:26,116 --> 00:24:31,716 Speaker 1: I don't know, as I bought every spirit and I'm 355 00:24:31,796 --> 00:24:41,756 Speaker 1: still laying here crying on the floor, hunger flood. So 356 00:24:41,996 --> 00:24:48,036 Speaker 1: can you just leave? Maybe being drenched the fire and 357 00:24:48,196 --> 00:24:54,596 Speaker 1: water won't see me? Forsake the path of felth flee. 358 00:24:56,476 --> 00:25:02,116 Speaker 1: Can't he just leave? Can you just leave? Can you 359 00:25:02,676 --> 00:25:23,756 Speaker 1: just leave me? Maybe you learned a lot of Eastern Tennessee. 360 00:25:23,956 --> 00:25:27,676 Speaker 1: The picking is just fabulous on that, thank you. Yeah. 361 00:25:28,316 --> 00:25:30,516 Speaker 1: Prior to that, a lot of my fingerstyle picking was 362 00:25:30,716 --> 00:25:34,836 Speaker 1: very much classically influenced. But once I started learning three fingerstyle, 363 00:25:35,316 --> 00:25:38,316 Speaker 1: what's also been done is like Merle Travis style. Then 364 00:25:38,396 --> 00:25:40,756 Speaker 1: it really opened things up for me. And then I've 365 00:25:40,756 --> 00:25:43,956 Speaker 1: also been a fan of like percussive fingerstyle. I just 366 00:25:44,396 --> 00:25:47,636 Speaker 1: love guitar and the different ways to play, so I 367 00:25:47,756 --> 00:25:50,116 Speaker 1: kind of picked things up from here and there and 368 00:25:50,516 --> 00:25:53,276 Speaker 1: have fun with it. So do you remember your first guitar? Yeah, 369 00:25:53,276 --> 00:25:57,796 Speaker 1: my first guitar was a late eighties Fender Acoustic and 370 00:25:58,636 --> 00:26:00,796 Speaker 1: my parents bought it for me at a place and 371 00:26:01,516 --> 00:26:05,516 Speaker 1: Ring Gold, Georgia called the sound Post really really nice guys. 372 00:26:05,596 --> 00:26:07,436 Speaker 1: That was like in North Georgia, not far from where 373 00:26:07,476 --> 00:26:10,116 Speaker 1: I live in Chatanooga. Literally the first ten years of 374 00:26:10,116 --> 00:26:14,116 Speaker 1: playing guitar, there's a thing inside some next of acoustic 375 00:26:14,156 --> 00:26:17,636 Speaker 1: guitars called trust rods, and you can tighten it. Apparently 376 00:26:17,796 --> 00:26:20,756 Speaker 1: the trust rod was like super loose when I got it, 377 00:26:20,956 --> 00:26:24,996 Speaker 1: and so for years I just adapted to having to 378 00:26:25,036 --> 00:26:28,116 Speaker 1: push down really hard on the strings. And I remember 379 00:26:28,116 --> 00:26:30,836 Speaker 1: the first time I think it was one of my 380 00:26:31,596 --> 00:26:34,556 Speaker 1: band directors at East to State University, because I had 381 00:26:34,556 --> 00:26:36,796 Speaker 1: played other guitars and I'm like, for some reason, the 382 00:26:36,796 --> 00:26:39,596 Speaker 1: other guitars are like a little bit easier to play, 383 00:26:39,636 --> 00:26:42,516 Speaker 1: what's up with this one? And then my professor told me, oh, well, 384 00:26:42,556 --> 00:26:45,156 Speaker 1: your trust rod is completely loose. And then it tightened 385 00:26:45,276 --> 00:26:47,316 Speaker 1: because I was about to get a whole new guitar. 386 00:26:47,636 --> 00:26:49,996 Speaker 1: So you had a really high action on the guitar. Yeah, 387 00:26:50,036 --> 00:26:52,436 Speaker 1: the action was pretty high, but like I didn't know 388 00:26:52,476 --> 00:26:54,676 Speaker 1: any better because I just played the same tar for years. 389 00:26:54,836 --> 00:26:56,436 Speaker 1: And that's when I found out that my trust rod 390 00:26:56,556 --> 00:27:00,676 Speaker 1: was too loose. I got it fixed, and then it 391 00:27:00,836 --> 00:27:03,516 Speaker 1: just it played like a dream. So I just played 392 00:27:03,556 --> 00:27:06,516 Speaker 1: this late eighties Fender for a really long time, and 393 00:27:06,516 --> 00:27:09,876 Speaker 1: then I eventually bought a Martin Maha any O nine, 394 00:27:10,156 --> 00:27:12,796 Speaker 1: which is basically like the sustainable Forrest version of a 395 00:27:12,876 --> 00:27:16,476 Speaker 1: D eighteen. So that was like my first like guitar purchase, 396 00:27:16,636 --> 00:27:17,996 Speaker 1: even though it took me two years to pay it 397 00:27:17,996 --> 00:27:20,436 Speaker 1: off of my credit card. I have no regrets, so 398 00:27:21,436 --> 00:27:23,836 Speaker 1: probably good for your hand. Yeah, it'd be like a 399 00:27:23,836 --> 00:27:26,436 Speaker 1: guy playing like a trombone without a mouthpiece for ten 400 00:27:26,516 --> 00:27:28,236 Speaker 1: years and someone says, you know, it's a lot easier 401 00:27:28,276 --> 00:27:30,956 Speaker 1: if you Yeah, if you put this up. Yeah. Well 402 00:27:30,996 --> 00:27:34,796 Speaker 1: I was so like my music playing was such an insular, private, 403 00:27:34,956 --> 00:27:38,956 Speaker 1: like isolated thing that like I just wasn't My music 404 00:27:38,996 --> 00:27:43,836 Speaker 1: experience didn't really involve other people or other like ideas, 405 00:27:43,916 --> 00:27:46,316 Speaker 1: so like I was kind of just a guitar hermit. 406 00:27:46,396 --> 00:27:49,556 Speaker 1: I guess I was on my island playing stuff. So yeah, 407 00:27:49,636 --> 00:27:52,996 Speaker 1: I just didn't play with anybody else until college. Yeah, 408 00:27:53,076 --> 00:27:54,756 Speaker 1: I didn't really. I didn't play with anyboy else I had. 409 00:27:54,796 --> 00:27:57,556 Speaker 1: Like there was this one time there was like a 410 00:27:57,596 --> 00:28:00,156 Speaker 1: talent show. This girl that I was friends with and 411 00:28:00,196 --> 00:28:02,516 Speaker 1: also had a huge crush on. She played bass and 412 00:28:02,596 --> 00:28:05,556 Speaker 1: sang and she wanted to play Zombie by the Cranberries, 413 00:28:05,836 --> 00:28:08,396 Speaker 1: so I played. I played guitar. I didn't even sing 414 00:28:08,436 --> 00:28:10,316 Speaker 1: with us, because at the time I didn't even think 415 00:28:10,316 --> 00:28:12,876 Speaker 1: of myself as a singer. Really, everybody in that school 416 00:28:13,236 --> 00:28:16,596 Speaker 1: lost their minds and people were like, oh my god, 417 00:28:16,596 --> 00:28:19,116 Speaker 1: you're a tar playing so good. And it was the 418 00:28:19,156 --> 00:28:22,156 Speaker 1: first time I'd ever been like complimented outside of like 419 00:28:22,236 --> 00:28:25,876 Speaker 1: my parents. So I was sort of like, I don't know, 420 00:28:26,076 --> 00:28:29,156 Speaker 1: like this was really easy. It was my first step 421 00:28:29,156 --> 00:28:31,076 Speaker 1: in having to learn how to like take a compliment 422 00:28:31,396 --> 00:28:34,156 Speaker 1: and also realized that like, just because I do something 423 00:28:34,196 --> 00:28:36,716 Speaker 1: all the time doesn't mean that other people do it, 424 00:28:36,836 --> 00:28:41,076 Speaker 1: you know. So there was that first moment of realizing, oh, okay, 425 00:28:41,116 --> 00:28:44,396 Speaker 1: like I do something that is really special to other 426 00:28:44,436 --> 00:28:46,956 Speaker 1: people's eyes. What was the first song you played when 427 00:28:46,956 --> 00:28:50,396 Speaker 1: you got that Fender guitar. After a month or two 428 00:28:50,596 --> 00:28:54,836 Speaker 1: however long that was of learning CG and D learning 429 00:28:54,876 --> 00:28:58,036 Speaker 1: strumming pattern, the first song that I learned to play 430 00:28:58,436 --> 00:29:01,036 Speaker 1: was good Written's Time of Your Life by Green Day, 431 00:29:01,316 --> 00:29:04,236 Speaker 1: and it was so exciting. I just remember, like that 432 00:29:04,396 --> 00:29:06,556 Speaker 1: song was so controversial at the time, because you know, 433 00:29:06,596 --> 00:29:09,396 Speaker 1: a lot of people were like they sold out, Like 434 00:29:09,436 --> 00:29:13,116 Speaker 1: are they still punk anymore? Because they played this acoustic song. 435 00:29:13,356 --> 00:29:16,316 Speaker 1: Fortunately for me, like I grew up in a household 436 00:29:16,356 --> 00:29:18,556 Speaker 1: where it was all kinds of music being played, so 437 00:29:18,676 --> 00:29:21,236 Speaker 1: to me, if I like something, I like something. So 438 00:29:21,276 --> 00:29:23,076 Speaker 1: I kind of liked the idea that the first song 439 00:29:23,116 --> 00:29:26,956 Speaker 1: I learned was like this quote unquote controversial moment in 440 00:29:26,996 --> 00:29:29,796 Speaker 1: green Day's career. It's a damn good song and it 441 00:29:29,876 --> 00:29:32,756 Speaker 1: had all the chords that I learned. I learned like 442 00:29:32,836 --> 00:29:34,956 Speaker 1: lots of like pop punk songs like you know, Blink 443 00:29:34,996 --> 00:29:38,796 Speaker 1: one at two green Day. Once I started taking classical guitar, 444 00:29:39,196 --> 00:29:41,996 Speaker 1: it opened like the dexterity up on my hands. And 445 00:29:42,036 --> 00:29:44,596 Speaker 1: then I became obsessed with Tory Amos when I was fifteen. 446 00:29:44,636 --> 00:29:47,516 Speaker 1: So then one time I recorded this cover of Blood 447 00:29:47,556 --> 00:29:50,556 Speaker 1: Roses on like this little tape deck thing, and like, 448 00:29:50,676 --> 00:29:52,076 Speaker 1: I don't know, I wish I still had because I 449 00:29:52,076 --> 00:29:53,676 Speaker 1: have no idea what happened to any of that stuff. 450 00:29:53,676 --> 00:29:56,076 Speaker 1: I recorded, like a bunch of like Tory Amos covers 451 00:29:56,076 --> 00:29:59,156 Speaker 1: and they're probably melting in some trash somewhere. I read 452 00:29:59,196 --> 00:30:02,676 Speaker 1: somewhere that you loved listening to field recordings. Was that 453 00:30:02,756 --> 00:30:07,396 Speaker 1: a big part of Eastern Tennessee. Yeah, my band instructor, 454 00:30:07,436 --> 00:30:10,876 Speaker 1: I'm Ryan Drotti. I joined the program. That was when 455 00:30:10,956 --> 00:30:13,556 Speaker 1: like at that point there was like a lot of 456 00:30:13,596 --> 00:30:18,116 Speaker 1: bluegrass band sections, so he put together like the first 457 00:30:18,596 --> 00:30:21,476 Speaker 1: Old Time Pride band, and the pride bands were the 458 00:30:21,516 --> 00:30:23,796 Speaker 1: bands that like got to play more than the three 459 00:30:23,876 --> 00:30:27,076 Speaker 1: required band shows. All of us were new to old Time. 460 00:30:27,636 --> 00:30:30,236 Speaker 1: So what we would do when we first started bringing 461 00:30:30,276 --> 00:30:34,116 Speaker 1: songs to band practice, it would be like, you know, 462 00:30:34,476 --> 00:30:38,156 Speaker 1: versions of traditional songs that were sung by like you know, 463 00:30:38,276 --> 00:30:44,036 Speaker 1: Bruce Molski or Alison Kraus or like some other contemporary 464 00:30:44,116 --> 00:30:47,756 Speaker 1: musician that had covered a traditional song. But what Roy 465 00:30:47,996 --> 00:30:52,396 Speaker 1: wanted us to do was to dig a little bit 466 00:30:52,436 --> 00:30:57,996 Speaker 1: deeper and listen to source recordings, like the earliest known 467 00:30:58,076 --> 00:31:02,276 Speaker 1: recording of a song, because there's a lot of nuance 468 00:31:03,076 --> 00:31:08,716 Speaker 1: and dynamic differences that source recording has that if you 469 00:31:08,796 --> 00:31:13,356 Speaker 1: just play the contemporary person's version of the song, you're 470 00:31:13,436 --> 00:31:18,156 Speaker 1: missing out on an opportunity to make that song your 471 00:31:18,156 --> 00:31:21,156 Speaker 1: own song. So if you listen to the source recording, 472 00:31:21,596 --> 00:31:24,236 Speaker 1: you then have the ability to like take that song 473 00:31:24,236 --> 00:31:26,396 Speaker 1: and like make it your own instead of you like 474 00:31:26,396 --> 00:31:29,076 Speaker 1: Bruce Molski when he plays something, he's put his stamp 475 00:31:29,316 --> 00:31:31,716 Speaker 1: on the song. So it took us a while to 476 00:31:31,956 --> 00:31:34,516 Speaker 1: get used to that. But once I did get used 477 00:31:34,516 --> 00:31:38,116 Speaker 1: to it, you end up hearing the melody and you 478 00:31:38,196 --> 00:31:40,356 Speaker 1: forget about, you know, the fact that it was on 479 00:31:40,396 --> 00:31:43,476 Speaker 1: a wax cylinder. It's more than just learn a song 480 00:31:43,516 --> 00:31:46,476 Speaker 1: and play it. You're actually learning about the history of 481 00:31:46,476 --> 00:31:48,996 Speaker 1: the song in the many different ways that it was played, 482 00:31:49,156 --> 00:31:53,276 Speaker 1: and it just creates like a richer experience, you know, 483 00:31:53,516 --> 00:31:56,476 Speaker 1: with interpreting. I should mention on the album that's got 484 00:31:56,516 --> 00:32:00,636 Speaker 1: a beautiful string arrangement. Yes, so there are songs that 485 00:32:00,676 --> 00:32:02,876 Speaker 1: do have string arrangements on them and those were written 486 00:32:02,876 --> 00:32:06,996 Speaker 1: by a woman named Aaron Dalton. But on Firewater in particular, 487 00:32:07,236 --> 00:32:10,556 Speaker 1: that was the melotron. Again, it was yeah, And it 488 00:32:10,596 --> 00:32:12,716 Speaker 1: was interesting because like when we recorded the song initially, 489 00:32:12,796 --> 00:32:14,756 Speaker 1: like there wasn't any like strings at all in it. 490 00:32:14,876 --> 00:32:17,516 Speaker 1: Then when I heard it again when they sent like 491 00:32:17,596 --> 00:32:20,236 Speaker 1: the you know, the first set of mixes, I heard 492 00:32:20,276 --> 00:32:22,676 Speaker 1: that edited and I'm like, oh my god, that's amazing. 493 00:32:23,116 --> 00:32:25,356 Speaker 1: I definitely want to keep that, you know, and found 494 00:32:25,356 --> 00:32:26,876 Speaker 1: a way to make it so that like it's almost 495 00:32:26,916 --> 00:32:28,236 Speaker 1: like it's in the middle of the record, so it 496 00:32:28,236 --> 00:32:31,236 Speaker 1: feels a little bit like an interlude before getting into firewater. 497 00:32:31,316 --> 00:32:35,236 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's gorgeous. Your album is a book ended 498 00:32:35,276 --> 00:32:38,436 Speaker 1: by a song, Soapbox. Yes. Did you think of the 499 00:32:38,476 --> 00:32:40,876 Speaker 1: album as a coherent whole or were you thinking of 500 00:32:40,916 --> 00:32:44,796 Speaker 1: songs individually? I think in the beginning it was definitely 501 00:32:45,076 --> 00:32:48,796 Speaker 1: the songs were thought about more individually, because the songs 502 00:32:48,796 --> 00:32:50,996 Speaker 1: were all written between a span of like, you know, 503 00:32:51,236 --> 00:32:54,556 Speaker 1: between twenty sixteen and like twenty nineteen, So like, there 504 00:32:54,556 --> 00:32:56,516 Speaker 1: were some songs on there that I've been playing for 505 00:32:56,716 --> 00:33:00,676 Speaker 1: years but just hadn't recorded yet. It wasn't really until 506 00:33:00,956 --> 00:33:03,276 Speaker 1: I wrote the last two or three songs for the 507 00:33:03,356 --> 00:33:07,516 Speaker 1: record that I started to see like a coherent connection. 508 00:33:07,676 --> 00:33:09,796 Speaker 1: I remember I was actually to dinner with my girlfriend 509 00:33:09,916 --> 00:33:12,196 Speaker 1: one time and she's like, you know, this is kind 510 00:33:12,236 --> 00:33:14,676 Speaker 1: of like a breakup album, because quite a few of 511 00:33:14,716 --> 00:33:18,036 Speaker 1: the songs deal directly with like relationships that I've had 512 00:33:18,036 --> 00:33:20,676 Speaker 1: had in the past. The other songs in there were 513 00:33:20,716 --> 00:33:24,636 Speaker 1: dealing with trauma, like Wild Turkey. So the whole album 514 00:33:24,796 --> 00:33:28,916 Speaker 1: essentially ended up being like less breakup and more just 515 00:33:29,116 --> 00:33:34,036 Speaker 1: me fighting to figure out who I am and fighting 516 00:33:34,036 --> 00:33:37,036 Speaker 1: off feeling weary and strange. So Soapbox was like the 517 00:33:37,156 --> 00:33:39,196 Speaker 1: very last thing that I wrote for the record, and 518 00:33:39,876 --> 00:33:43,436 Speaker 1: it's more or less a proclamation of me breaking out 519 00:33:43,476 --> 00:33:47,436 Speaker 1: of fear of verticule and backlash that had kept me 520 00:33:47,676 --> 00:33:50,316 Speaker 1: silent for so long as far as you know, speaking 521 00:33:50,356 --> 00:33:52,916 Speaker 1: about how I feel about things. So that song kind 522 00:33:52,916 --> 00:33:55,596 Speaker 1: of like you know, really sealed the deal on it 523 00:33:55,636 --> 00:33:58,996 Speaker 1: being more conceptual than I think it I originally intended 524 00:33:59,036 --> 00:34:01,476 Speaker 1: it to be. So it is a breakup album, then 525 00:34:01,476 --> 00:34:04,796 Speaker 1: you're breaking up with that fearful side of yourself. Yeah. 526 00:34:05,076 --> 00:34:06,956 Speaker 1: One thing I love in this albums there's a lot 527 00:34:06,956 --> 00:34:09,716 Speaker 1: of different voices. Like the song You Just had a 528 00:34:09,756 --> 00:34:14,356 Speaker 1: beautiful old Carter style fingerpicking, but the lyrics are very contemporary, 529 00:34:14,356 --> 00:34:18,476 Speaker 1: where you've got other songs like Opaque, where it seems 530 00:34:18,476 --> 00:34:21,556 Speaker 1: you're pulling from like old flood songs like these very 531 00:34:21,596 --> 00:34:26,156 Speaker 1: old songs are being Oh yeah, definitely with Opaque. Well, really, 532 00:34:26,276 --> 00:34:28,356 Speaker 1: most of that song is actually a dream that I 533 00:34:28,436 --> 00:34:30,876 Speaker 1: had for some reason. I was in my childhood home 534 00:34:30,876 --> 00:34:35,156 Speaker 1: in Chenooga and I opened the front door and what 535 00:34:35,276 --> 00:34:40,436 Speaker 1: I describe in the first verse of wearing an opaque coat, 536 00:34:40,796 --> 00:34:44,876 Speaker 1: you know, the scene in American Psycho Patrick Bateman is 537 00:34:44,876 --> 00:34:47,996 Speaker 1: wearing like his kill raincoat. That's the kind of coat 538 00:34:48,076 --> 00:34:50,516 Speaker 1: she was wearing. And it was pouring down rain outside, 539 00:34:51,196 --> 00:34:55,596 Speaker 1: and she looked terrified. I reached out my hand to 540 00:34:55,756 --> 00:35:00,196 Speaker 1: like invite her in. She started coughing and choking, and 541 00:35:00,316 --> 00:35:03,196 Speaker 1: she was shaking her head and like backing away from me. 542 00:35:03,556 --> 00:35:06,236 Speaker 1: So washing away was really just referring to like her 543 00:35:06,316 --> 00:35:09,836 Speaker 1: literally like being in the rain, and like just her 544 00:35:10,036 --> 00:35:13,756 Speaker 1: entire her whole persona, her veneer, her whole thing that 545 00:35:13,836 --> 00:35:17,556 Speaker 1: she presented to me as a person was disappearing, and 546 00:35:17,596 --> 00:35:19,796 Speaker 1: I was starting to see, like who she really was. 547 00:35:20,436 --> 00:35:22,756 Speaker 1: I'm sorry you say who she really was? Was it 548 00:35:22,876 --> 00:35:25,076 Speaker 1: someone in your life? This was the person that I 549 00:35:25,116 --> 00:35:28,196 Speaker 1: had this sort of like ambiguous on again, off again 550 00:35:28,436 --> 00:35:31,076 Speaker 1: relationship with, And I don't even know if I gave 551 00:35:31,116 --> 00:35:33,276 Speaker 1: me really call a relationship looking back now, and my 552 00:35:33,356 --> 00:35:36,196 Speaker 1: mind I wanted it to be. The other part of it, too, 553 00:35:36,356 --> 00:35:38,796 Speaker 1: was like this person couldn't be what I wanted them 554 00:35:38,836 --> 00:35:41,596 Speaker 1: to be, but I was trying to make it something 555 00:35:41,676 --> 00:35:44,436 Speaker 1: that it just wasn't. I was still like learning how 556 00:35:44,476 --> 00:35:47,756 Speaker 1: to date and also have self respect for myself, Like 557 00:35:48,036 --> 00:35:50,876 Speaker 1: I hadn't quite figured out those two things. Yeah, yeah, 558 00:35:51,116 --> 00:35:55,796 Speaker 1: nobody has. But I feel like I'm better about it now. 559 00:35:56,156 --> 00:35:59,076 Speaker 1: First of all, a terrifying dream. Was it therapeutic for 560 00:35:59,116 --> 00:36:01,836 Speaker 1: you to put that experience into song? Can you kind 561 00:36:01,876 --> 00:36:03,996 Speaker 1: of now it's a song, I can kind of get 562 00:36:04,036 --> 00:36:06,956 Speaker 1: away the emotional weight of it. Yeah, I mean, and 563 00:36:06,956 --> 00:36:09,396 Speaker 1: that that's kind of what music has always been. If 564 00:36:09,436 --> 00:36:13,236 Speaker 1: something happens and I'm just in a terrible mental health 565 00:36:13,396 --> 00:36:17,756 Speaker 1: spiral and I come across the song, I will listen 566 00:36:17,796 --> 00:36:20,516 Speaker 1: to that song obsessively to the point where I'll have 567 00:36:20,636 --> 00:36:22,636 Speaker 1: to like actually learn the song and play it. I 568 00:36:22,676 --> 00:36:27,436 Speaker 1: did that with Nearly Forgot my Broken Heart by Chris Cornell. 569 00:36:27,876 --> 00:36:32,596 Speaker 1: I had like a breakup situation, and I became so 570 00:36:32,636 --> 00:36:35,116 Speaker 1: obsessed with that entire record. But like, I got so 571 00:36:35,156 --> 00:36:37,036 Speaker 1: obsessed with that song the only way I could get 572 00:36:37,036 --> 00:36:38,716 Speaker 1: it out of my system was like learning how to 573 00:36:38,756 --> 00:36:40,636 Speaker 1: play it and singing it over and over and over again. 574 00:36:40,796 --> 00:36:43,076 Speaker 1: Can you talk a bit about Wild Turkey if you 575 00:36:43,116 --> 00:36:45,636 Speaker 1: want so? With Wild Turkey, it took me a couple 576 00:36:45,676 --> 00:36:48,276 Speaker 1: of years to write that song because it took me 577 00:36:48,316 --> 00:36:51,236 Speaker 1: a long time to really truly confront how I felt 578 00:36:51,236 --> 00:36:54,516 Speaker 1: when my mom died. Wild Turkey was my way of 579 00:36:54,916 --> 00:36:58,676 Speaker 1: fully formula recognizing what happened and what I tried to 580 00:36:58,716 --> 00:37:01,076 Speaker 1: do to cope. So once I finally was able to 581 00:37:01,116 --> 00:37:04,356 Speaker 1: like release that song, it was just like, Okay, now 582 00:37:04,796 --> 00:37:06,756 Speaker 1: I really feel like I can talk about it because 583 00:37:06,836 --> 00:37:10,116 Speaker 1: I've allowed myself to process it. And again in it's 584 00:37:10,156 --> 00:37:12,716 Speaker 1: thanks to going to therapy. I have a wonderful therapist 585 00:37:12,916 --> 00:37:16,636 Speaker 1: and getting to the point where I could finally write 586 00:37:16,636 --> 00:37:18,956 Speaker 1: the song about my mother. That's when I can finally 587 00:37:18,996 --> 00:37:21,436 Speaker 1: like talk about her suicide and talk about how it 588 00:37:21,476 --> 00:37:25,876 Speaker 1: affected me and how I suppressed my grief when she 589 00:37:25,956 --> 00:37:29,156 Speaker 1: committed suicide. To me, it meant that like she didn't 590 00:37:29,196 --> 00:37:31,916 Speaker 1: love me, she was tired of me and didn't want 591 00:37:31,916 --> 00:37:35,996 Speaker 1: to stick around, so she like left, And that's when 592 00:37:36,116 --> 00:37:38,596 Speaker 1: I really it is settled in my mind, like there's 593 00:37:38,636 --> 00:37:41,236 Speaker 1: no point in getting close to people, because if my 594 00:37:41,236 --> 00:37:43,396 Speaker 1: own mom won't stick around for me, then why should 595 00:37:43,396 --> 00:37:46,636 Speaker 1: I expect anyone else. So that was something that became 596 00:37:46,716 --> 00:37:49,996 Speaker 1: like this mantra for me of like not letting people 597 00:37:49,996 --> 00:37:52,676 Speaker 1: to get too close, not wanting to talk about my mom, 598 00:37:52,796 --> 00:37:55,236 Speaker 1: not wanting to really talk about what me and my 599 00:37:55,316 --> 00:37:58,516 Speaker 1: dad went through after my mom committed suicide, and like 600 00:37:59,516 --> 00:38:03,356 Speaker 1: you know, just keeping huge swaths of my past to 601 00:38:03,516 --> 00:38:08,436 Speaker 1: myself and to be able to finally express things and 602 00:38:08,596 --> 00:38:11,716 Speaker 1: talk about things, and also realized that like, I'm not alone, 603 00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:15,036 Speaker 1: and you know, while Turkey was at big, big step 604 00:38:15,116 --> 00:38:18,836 Speaker 1: of like releasing that traumatic part of my life that 605 00:38:18,916 --> 00:38:23,876 Speaker 1: I based my entire existence and decision making around and 606 00:38:23,956 --> 00:38:26,876 Speaker 1: not realizing that that was what was causing it. How 607 00:38:26,916 --> 00:38:29,396 Speaker 1: old were you when your mom done? I was seventeen. 608 00:38:30,076 --> 00:38:32,916 Speaker 1: You played at a funeral, didn't you? I did. I 609 00:38:32,956 --> 00:38:36,116 Speaker 1: did write a song for her funeral, and that was 610 00:38:36,156 --> 00:38:39,116 Speaker 1: a song asking why did you leave? Please come back 611 00:38:39,156 --> 00:38:41,916 Speaker 1: to me. I think I might have only cried once 612 00:38:41,996 --> 00:38:46,676 Speaker 1: during that whole period, because another thing I realized the 613 00:38:46,716 --> 00:38:49,876 Speaker 1: other day. I've always been an incredibly sensitive person, and 614 00:38:49,956 --> 00:38:52,756 Speaker 1: I would cry when I was upset. Kids would make 615 00:38:52,756 --> 00:38:56,196 Speaker 1: fun of me for it. So for years and years 616 00:38:56,236 --> 00:38:59,716 Speaker 1: and years, I've just made it a point to not 617 00:38:59,916 --> 00:39:03,036 Speaker 1: cry about anything because I didn't want to get made 618 00:39:03,036 --> 00:39:06,836 Speaker 1: fun of. But I didn't realize that that's what I'd internalized. 619 00:39:06,876 --> 00:39:10,436 Speaker 1: So do you still play that song? No, that song, 620 00:39:10,516 --> 00:39:12,716 Speaker 1: I don't really play that one. I don't think I'll 621 00:39:12,756 --> 00:39:15,996 Speaker 1: ever record it or perform it, because like that was 622 00:39:16,036 --> 00:39:19,916 Speaker 1: a song for her for that moment, and it's not 623 00:39:19,996 --> 00:39:23,476 Speaker 1: a place I really want to go back and revisit. 624 00:39:24,276 --> 00:39:26,476 Speaker 1: We're gonna take a quick break and then we'll be 625 00:39:26,476 --> 00:39:33,836 Speaker 1: back with more from Bruce Headlam's conversation with Amethyst Kia. 626 00:39:33,956 --> 00:39:37,676 Speaker 1: We're back with more from Amethyst Kia. I did want 627 00:39:37,676 --> 00:39:41,196 Speaker 1: to ask you about singing, because you know, when people 628 00:39:41,276 --> 00:39:44,636 Speaker 1: hear you, you've got this powerhouse voice. At some point, 629 00:39:44,636 --> 00:39:47,076 Speaker 1: did somebody look at you and say, you know, you 630 00:39:47,076 --> 00:39:51,236 Speaker 1: can really sing? Well? My dad was always really encouraging, 631 00:39:51,476 --> 00:39:54,276 Speaker 1: but you know, when I'm that young, I'm just like, yeah, okay, whatever. 632 00:39:54,756 --> 00:39:58,116 Speaker 1: It wasn't really until like college, like I got encouraged 633 00:39:58,156 --> 00:40:00,356 Speaker 1: audition for school band. It wasn't until college when I 634 00:40:00,396 --> 00:40:03,156 Speaker 1: started like singing and playing stuff. It took until like 635 00:40:03,276 --> 00:40:08,756 Speaker 1: my early almost to mid twenties before really fully recognizing that, like, okay, 636 00:40:08,756 --> 00:40:11,636 Speaker 1: people aren't just playing a really bad joke on me. 637 00:40:11,836 --> 00:40:14,156 Speaker 1: They actually do like what I'm doing. Did you get 638 00:40:14,196 --> 00:40:17,556 Speaker 1: training because you've got this huge voice? I mean, the 639 00:40:17,676 --> 00:40:21,356 Speaker 1: huge voice was there from birth. Both of my parents 640 00:40:21,516 --> 00:40:25,876 Speaker 1: have like very strong projecting voices, so I inherited that. 641 00:40:26,196 --> 00:40:28,996 Speaker 1: It's not something that I had to really work at. 642 00:40:29,476 --> 00:40:32,076 Speaker 1: What I did have to work at though, is to 643 00:40:32,236 --> 00:40:34,436 Speaker 1: know not when to go full blast, because I would 644 00:40:34,436 --> 00:40:38,036 Speaker 1: sing like full blast all the time for everything, no 645 00:40:38,236 --> 00:40:42,956 Speaker 1: dynamic whatsoever. So what I ended up doing is in college, 646 00:40:43,356 --> 00:40:47,396 Speaker 1: I took a couple of vocal instruction classes with the 647 00:40:47,436 --> 00:40:50,676 Speaker 1: current director of the Bluegrest Old Time Country Music Studies 648 00:40:51,156 --> 00:40:53,476 Speaker 1: named Dan Boher. What he said to me was, I 649 00:40:53,516 --> 00:40:56,596 Speaker 1: don't want to change anything about your actual singing voice. 650 00:40:56,956 --> 00:41:00,156 Speaker 1: What I want to do is help you learn how 651 00:41:00,156 --> 00:41:03,116 Speaker 1: to have more dynamic, like if I'm singing an angry 652 00:41:03,116 --> 00:41:06,636 Speaker 1: song versus singing a sad song, to know how to 653 00:41:06,676 --> 00:41:09,396 Speaker 1: like sing in character. So that was my big is 654 00:41:09,436 --> 00:41:11,556 Speaker 1: just like knowing how to reel it in. Which of 655 00:41:11,596 --> 00:41:14,276 Speaker 1: your parents was the music lover? Then both of them 656 00:41:14,316 --> 00:41:17,316 Speaker 1: loved music. My dad was the audio file so he 657 00:41:17,396 --> 00:41:20,676 Speaker 1: had like San suwee three way speakers, He had a 658 00:41:20,716 --> 00:41:24,876 Speaker 1: turntable CD player, he had an integrated ample fire and 659 00:41:24,996 --> 00:41:28,596 Speaker 1: had like the radio and everything like connected to that. 660 00:41:29,036 --> 00:41:32,076 Speaker 1: He used to lead, sing and play hand percussion in 661 00:41:32,196 --> 00:41:36,556 Speaker 1: a band back in I want to say the mid 662 00:41:36,756 --> 00:41:40,356 Speaker 1: to late seventies. Then he ended up picking the management 663 00:41:40,396 --> 00:41:43,476 Speaker 1: career over the music because the band wanted to go 664 00:41:43,516 --> 00:41:46,396 Speaker 1: out to LA and he actually he really liked his job. 665 00:41:46,436 --> 00:41:50,756 Speaker 1: He worked at Sears, but music was always a huge, 666 00:41:50,836 --> 00:41:54,036 Speaker 1: huge hobby for him, like listening and always getting equipment 667 00:41:54,036 --> 00:41:56,236 Speaker 1: and stuff. Now did he have great music at home? 668 00:41:56,276 --> 00:41:58,116 Speaker 1: Because when I grew up, the guys with the best 669 00:41:58,116 --> 00:42:01,876 Speaker 1: stereos had the worst taste in music. They have like 670 00:42:02,076 --> 00:42:04,876 Speaker 1: four thousand dollars systems and like Boston Don't Look Back 671 00:42:04,956 --> 00:42:09,516 Speaker 1: there their only album. Yeah, well that was the like 672 00:42:09,556 --> 00:42:11,476 Speaker 1: with my dad would run into like he wanted to 673 00:42:11,516 --> 00:42:13,676 Speaker 1: try to play in a band again once his band 674 00:42:13,716 --> 00:42:16,716 Speaker 1: moved to LA. But like he like rock and roll, 675 00:42:16,796 --> 00:42:20,796 Speaker 1: country blues, like that sort of mix of stuff because 676 00:42:20,796 --> 00:42:22,396 Speaker 1: the band he played and they did they covered like 677 00:42:22,436 --> 00:42:25,876 Speaker 1: Almond Brothers and like you know, color Santana and like 678 00:42:25,956 --> 00:42:28,116 Speaker 1: Isisley Brothers, orth Winning Fire, like they covered all that 679 00:42:28,196 --> 00:42:30,556 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. He kept running into white guys that 680 00:42:30,636 --> 00:42:32,956 Speaker 1: all they wanted to do was play like Deep Purple. 681 00:42:33,516 --> 00:42:36,156 Speaker 1: And then when he'd run into other black musicians, all 682 00:42:36,196 --> 00:42:39,116 Speaker 1: they wanted to play was James Brown. His interests and 683 00:42:39,396 --> 00:42:41,596 Speaker 1: the way he thought about stuff, like people just didn't 684 00:42:41,596 --> 00:42:44,996 Speaker 1: really get it, you know. So he had Dolly Parton records. 685 00:42:45,596 --> 00:42:49,396 Speaker 1: He had like you know, Miles Davis, Carlos Santana Prince. 686 00:42:50,076 --> 00:42:52,356 Speaker 1: Then he would also go down these rabbit holes where 687 00:42:52,356 --> 00:42:56,476 Speaker 1: he would find like really obscure stuff like jazz flute players, 688 00:42:56,836 --> 00:42:59,236 Speaker 1: jazz harmonica players. He would just find like out there 689 00:42:59,436 --> 00:43:03,996 Speaker 1: obscure stuff, but it was really good. So he really 690 00:43:04,036 --> 00:43:06,396 Speaker 1: had such a rich musical experience and it just kind 691 00:43:06,396 --> 00:43:09,556 Speaker 1: of tapped him into all of that. Were they certain 692 00:43:09,996 --> 00:43:14,036 Speaker 1: genres of songs that you found you were particularly drawn to. 693 00:43:14,876 --> 00:43:18,036 Speaker 1: I was drawn to murder ballads, and I was drawn 694 00:43:18,316 --> 00:43:22,516 Speaker 1: to some of like the older country blues stuff. Those 695 00:43:22,516 --> 00:43:24,156 Speaker 1: were kind of the two things that I ended up 696 00:43:24,156 --> 00:43:27,156 Speaker 1: getting drawn to the most. What was your favorite murder ballad? 697 00:43:27,716 --> 00:43:30,676 Speaker 1: My favorite murder ballad was Pretty Polly. It's a pretty 698 00:43:30,756 --> 00:43:33,716 Speaker 1: like standard blue dress and old time murder ballad. But 699 00:43:34,076 --> 00:43:38,356 Speaker 1: what I did particularly with that song is I kind 700 00:43:38,356 --> 00:43:42,716 Speaker 1: of traced back all the way to like British Isles 701 00:43:42,916 --> 00:43:47,636 Speaker 1: version of that song. And Pretty Polly was a woman 702 00:43:47,756 --> 00:43:51,196 Speaker 1: that got proposed to by a man. She didn't want 703 00:43:51,236 --> 00:43:54,236 Speaker 1: to marry him, so he kidnaps her, takes around in 704 00:43:54,236 --> 00:43:58,036 Speaker 1: the woods, murderser and berrieser, and then goes on a 705 00:43:58,036 --> 00:44:01,916 Speaker 1: boat and sometimes he escapes. Sometimes he's caught and thrown 706 00:44:01,956 --> 00:44:04,676 Speaker 1: in jail. Those are usually the two endings. The ending 707 00:44:04,716 --> 00:44:09,596 Speaker 1: that I found was the boat sinks and he's drowning, 708 00:44:09,876 --> 00:44:13,196 Speaker 1: and before he dies, her ghost is in the water 709 00:44:13,516 --> 00:44:17,196 Speaker 1: holding a baby and he's screaming and screaming, and that's 710 00:44:17,196 --> 00:44:20,276 Speaker 1: how that ends. And I'm like, hell, yeah, this is metal. 711 00:44:20,516 --> 00:44:24,596 Speaker 1: You know that explains your dream? And I would you 712 00:44:24,676 --> 00:44:27,836 Speaker 1: know enough to remember? God, I was gonna say I 713 00:44:27,876 --> 00:44:31,356 Speaker 1: could try, but I might mess it up because I 714 00:44:31,396 --> 00:44:53,956 Speaker 1: just haven't played it in so many years. Holly, Pretty Polly, 715 00:44:54,236 --> 00:45:00,996 Speaker 1: come go along with me, holl pretty poly come go 716 00:45:01,156 --> 00:45:06,916 Speaker 1: along with me. Fo we getting married? Some pleasure to see. 717 00:45:07,996 --> 00:45:16,196 Speaker 1: My minded is marry nebood part my mind to marry 718 00:45:16,436 --> 00:45:21,276 Speaker 1: and never a part. First time I saw you ruin 719 00:45:21,636 --> 00:45:26,676 Speaker 1: my heart. She jumped up behind him and away they 720 00:45:26,756 --> 00:45:32,876 Speaker 1: did ride. She jumped up behind him and away they 721 00:45:32,916 --> 00:45:40,676 Speaker 1: did ride, leaving her loved ones and family behind. Oh shit, 722 00:45:41,516 --> 00:45:43,756 Speaker 1: I've already I've already messed up. There's a verse that 723 00:45:43,836 --> 00:45:47,076 Speaker 1: I didn't get in there. That's okay, it's fantastic. We 724 00:45:47,116 --> 00:45:49,876 Speaker 1: get the point. Don't mess with Paul. Yeah, that's a 725 00:45:49,956 --> 00:45:52,476 Speaker 1: big mistake. Thank you. So much for coming in. It's 726 00:45:52,556 --> 00:45:55,356 Speaker 1: just been fabulous. Oh yeah, this has been a pleasure. 727 00:45:55,556 --> 00:45:58,316 Speaker 1: All the best with this album. It's a it's amazing. 728 00:45:58,516 --> 00:46:04,196 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Thank you to Amethyst Kia for 729 00:46:04,276 --> 00:46:07,556 Speaker 1: sharing songs from her new album Wearing and Strange Bruce. 730 00:46:08,236 --> 00:46:10,796 Speaker 1: You can check out all our favorite Amethyst Kia songs 731 00:46:10,956 --> 00:46:14,396 Speaker 1: at broken Record podcast dot com. Be sure to subscribe 732 00:46:14,396 --> 00:46:17,636 Speaker 1: to our YouTube channel at YouTube dot com slash Broken 733 00:46:17,676 --> 00:46:21,236 Speaker 1: Record Podcast, where we can find all of our new episodes. 734 00:46:21,716 --> 00:46:25,076 Speaker 1: You can follow us on Twitter at broken Record. Broken 735 00:46:25,116 --> 00:46:29,516 Speaker 1: Record is produced with helpful Lea Rose, Jason Gambrell, Martin Gonzalez, 736 00:46:29,836 --> 00:46:34,196 Speaker 1: Rick Sandler, and Jennifer Sanchez, with engineering help from Nick Chafee. 737 00:46:34,196 --> 00:46:37,916 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Mi Alabelle. Broken Record is a 738 00:46:37,916 --> 00:46:40,596 Speaker 1: production to Pushkin Industries, and if you love this show 739 00:46:40,636 --> 00:46:44,956 Speaker 1: and others from Pushkin, consider becoming a Pushnick. Pushnick is 740 00:46:44,956 --> 00:46:49,236 Speaker 1: a podcast subscription that offers bonus content and uninterrupted ad 741 00:46:49,276 --> 00:46:52,116 Speaker 1: free listening for four ninety nine a ninth look for 742 00:46:52,156 --> 00:46:56,076 Speaker 1: Pushnick exclusively on Apple podcast subscriptions, and if you like 743 00:46:56,156 --> 00:46:59,196 Speaker 1: the show, please remember to share, rate, and view us 744 00:46:59,236 --> 00:47:02,116 Speaker 1: on your podcast staff. Our theme musics by Kenny beats. 745 00:47:02,516 --> 00:47:03,476 Speaker 1: I'm justin Mishmi