1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:01,280 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 2: I've had shows that I thought were a disaster and 3 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 2: people loved it, or maybe I even heard a recording 4 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 2: of it. It's like, oh my god, it's so interesting, 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 2: like that was unusual and beautiful something about it. But 6 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 2: I felt terrible on stage. I felt insecure or the 7 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 2: opposite where and this happens a lot where in recording too, 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 2: in the studio, where you get that feeling like I 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 2: just nailed it, that was perfect. I played the crap out. 10 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 3: Of that song. 11 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: That's usually not the best take. 12 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 3: I'm buzznight and welcome to the Take in a Walk Podcast, 13 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 3: the podcast where we delve into the stories behind the 14 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 3: music with musicians of all type talking about their influences, 15 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 3: their creative processes, and their passions. Today, on this episode, 16 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 3: we welcome Chris Wood from the Grammy nominated leaders of 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 3: Americana roots music, the Wood Brothers. They're hitting the road. 18 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 3: They've released their eighth studio album, Hard as the Hero, 19 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 3: which is outstanding. Once again, here's Chris Wood on Taking 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 3: a Walk. Thanks Chris for being on Taking a Walk. 21 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 3: I want to ask you who instilled in you the 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 3: notion of pushing the envelope, which is so much a 23 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 3: signature of you and the Wood Brothers who instilled it. 24 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: Should I be walking right now? By the way, I 25 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 2: feel like I should be taking a walk literally, but 26 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 2: maybe that's just a metaphor. 27 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 3: It could be both. So you can stay in put, 28 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 3: you can saunter, But as long as I've got you 29 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 3: on a good quality space, I'll take it and grab. 30 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 2: It, Okay, pushing the envelope. I guess when I started, well, 31 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: the first thing I did early on when I was 32 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: a kid is you know, I was really lucky to 33 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: have some amazing mentors base professional base teachers in the Boulder, 34 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: Denver area where I was growing up. First guy studied 35 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 2: with was kind of a young hockshot in the Boulder 36 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: of Denver area, and he pushed me into all kinds 37 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 2: of things like out of my you know, I was 38 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: ninth grade, so I was in too. My brother and 39 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 2: I were into sixties rock and roll and all kinds 40 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: of things. But he definitely pushed me into more adventurous 41 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 2: jazz music listening. He I remember him giving me a 42 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: cassette tape. One side was Stan Getz, the other side 43 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 2: of Stelonious Monk. At first, I gravitated towards the stan Getz, 44 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 2: and the more I listened to both sides, the more 45 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 2: and more I gravitated towards Selonious Monk because it's just 46 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: you know. It took me a minute, but once I once, once, 47 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: I got a taste for it, and I was like, oh, 48 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: this is really cool. Stan Getz was nice, but Thelonious Monk, 49 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: so I'd say, he I I attribute maybe the beginnings 50 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: of that pushing the envelope to him. In high school, 51 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: I was really lucky to have again a professional, local, 52 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 2: working bass player as the head of the jazz band 53 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 2: that I was a part of. So I feel like, 54 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: in my own tiny little bit way, I'm like a 55 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 2: Malcolm Gladwell ten thousand Hours story, like where I lucked 56 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: out with some great mentors early on. Then I went 57 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 2: to the New England Conservants Wory in Boston, and I 58 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 2: studied with Dave Holland. But not only did I just 59 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: study based with Dave Holland, but I studied music with 60 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 2: Bob Moses, with Jerry Allen, great jazz pianist George Garzone, 61 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 2: credible tenor sax player John McNeil is a great trumpet player. 62 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 2: All musicians known for pushing the envelope. So I remember 63 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 2: having private lessons with Jerry Allen, you know, who just 64 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: was a monstrous, incredible jazz pianist and so irreverent and 65 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: about the music, deeped in the tradition and yet pushing 66 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 2: the envelope and really trying to do new things. At first, 67 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: we did I would say, more traditional lessons where you know, 68 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 2: she would have me do things like, oh, go transcribe 69 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 2: this Charles Mingo solo or something. But eventually the lessons 70 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 2: turned into as did most of my lessons with all 71 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: those people, we have an hour for a lesson, improvise, go, 72 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: and so it was just this constant pushing and encouragement 73 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 2: to explore, you know, explore the instrument, explore the music, 74 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: explore all the possibilities. Well at the same time, you know, 75 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 2: learning the history of music, so you kind of knew 76 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 2: where it all came from. So again, lucky to have 77 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 2: some great mentors once I started Medeski, Martin and Wood 78 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 2: with John Medeski and Billy Martin, those guys were on 79 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 2: the same trajectory, if not even more so, like a 80 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: very independent minded always about stretching the music. We never 81 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 2: knew what we were going to do. We always knew 82 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 2: what we were not going to do, so we sort 83 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: of had no idea what we were doing, but we 84 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 2: knew we could, by process of elimination, find a pass 85 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 2: forward musically. The way we approached our career, the way 86 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 2: we toured, everything about it was a very independent spirit 87 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: and not wanting to be boxed in and wanting to 88 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 2: be able to call all the shots. 89 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 3: You know. So your music and you touched on it 90 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 3: spans all these different genres. And when I think of 91 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 3: the Wood Brothers, I don't think of the Wood Brothers 92 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 3: in a category. I think of funk and jazz and 93 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 3: folk and just gospel and just this range of things. 94 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 3: How did your time when you spent in the Boston area, 95 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 3: Since I'm outside of Boston, how did that sort of 96 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 3: influence you in terms of where the spirit of the 97 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 3: music around Boston is so diverse as well? 98 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 2: Well? I didn't. Honestly, I didn't last long in Boston. 99 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: I went to the New England Conservatory of Music. I 100 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:19,239 Speaker 2: was full time for one semester, and by the second 101 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 2: semester I really just started working playing gigs. By the summertime, 102 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: I did this crazy tour where this Israeli sacks player 103 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 2: hired me John Medeski and Bob Moses and another person 104 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 2: to be his rhythm section for a tour of Israel. 105 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 2: And you know, I was very young. I was like 106 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: twenty years old or twenty one years old. And it 107 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: was just when Saddam Usain had invaded Kuwait, but the 108 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 2: official Gulf War hadn't started yet, but you know, there 109 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: was a lot of crazy stuff going on. Tensions are 110 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: really high, and here we were touring Israel and waiting 111 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 2: for scud missiles to come over into Tel Aviv at 112 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 2: any moment. So it was an amazing experience, you know. 113 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 2: And by then that was my summer and I got 114 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 2: a sublet New York City where I uh just played gigs, 115 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 2: you know, down in Rivington. And this is back in 116 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: the early nineties, and man was it not gentrified. So 117 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 2: I was sort of almost scared to go out the 118 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 2: street and basically practiced all the time and then played 119 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 2: some gigs and then went back for my second year 120 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 2: of school in Boston, but I was literally just part time. 121 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 2: I'm only taking private lessons at that point. That's when 122 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 2: I really went in deep with all those mentors that 123 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 2: I thought told you about, and so I was really 124 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 2: just playing shows, playing playing gigs and taking the lessons. 125 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 2: And by the end of that year, John Medeski and 126 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 2: I decided to get a place together in East Village, Manhattan, 127 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 2: and that's when we started Medeskie Martin. I would I 128 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 2: think that was the summer of nineteen ninety one. 129 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 3: Well, it's obvious you and the band love live performance, 130 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 3: and you've chronicled live performances, you know, quite frequently in 131 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 3: the history of the Wood Brothers as well. Who and 132 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 3: what are some of the live performances that really had 133 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 3: an influence on you as a fan just watching and 134 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 3: enjoying it. 135 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 2: I mean, living in New York City in the early nineties, 136 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 2: early to mid mid nineties, I was able to see 137 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 2: a lot of cool stuff, some things that I really 138 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 2: remember that were special. Pachow was the great bass player 139 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 2: from Cuba. He's basically like the Duke Ellington of Cuba 140 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: invented the mambo. And his nephew or cousin is Cutchaito Lopez. 141 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 2: It's the Lopez families, all the great great family of 142 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: bass players from Cuba. But he would the Cutchaito was 143 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 2: part of the Brunavista Social Club and all the offshoots 144 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 2: of that Coachow was kind of like the founding father, 145 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 2: and he came out. Andy Garcia produced a double album 146 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: Withow that came out around that time, and I got 147 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: to see him at Soob's like right up close. That 148 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 2: was a huge influence seeing that, I remember seeing. I 149 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:44,199 Speaker 2: was also a huge sly Stone fan, and also through that, 150 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 2: Graham Central Station so Graham Larry Graham with Graham Central 151 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: Station bass player for sly Stone, did a residency at 152 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 2: Tramps in New York back then too. I remember that 153 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 2: being incredible, not just for the band and how amazing 154 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,599 Speaker 2: he was, but also for the audience. You know, he's 155 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 2: the kind of musician that attracts musicians, and I just 156 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 2: remember being surrounded by incredible singers and musicians, New York 157 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 2: musicians in the audience who were like singing along and 158 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 2: I felt like I was in like a church service, 159 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: you know, It's incredible. That was a good one. And 160 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: then just really cool stuff like the Balanese National Orchestra 161 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 2: coming to town Hall, or like seeing Pendereki himself conducting 162 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 2: the threnity for the Victims of Hiroshima with the New 163 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: York Orchestra, you know, at Lincoln Hall, and all kinds 164 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 2: of just incredible music, and not only that, you know, 165 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 2: amazing dance performances. It's just it's just New York's amazing 166 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 2: for that. You know, you could just get quite a 167 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: cultural education just by going out and seeing what's coming 168 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 2: through town. 169 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 3: Do you remember the moment that first cemented your love 170 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 3: and passion for music at Like how old you were 171 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 3: in the moment that that happened. 172 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 2: I don't know if there was a singular moment, but 173 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 2: there was definitely an influence from our father, you know, 174 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 2: who was by trade a molecular biologist, Like he was 175 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 2: sort of a respected scientist. But when he was at 176 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 2: Harvard in the late fifties, he was also and as 177 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 2: a kid, you know, he was obsessed with folk music 178 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: and was in that same generation as Bob Dylan, soaking 179 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 2: up all the same music. So when he was a 180 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 2: kid living in Saint Louis, there was all these musicians 181 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: coming up from the Ozarks and from Appalachia, and he 182 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 2: was cutting class and learning all these songs. By the 183 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 2: time he's in Harvard in the late fifties, he had 184 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 2: his own radio show. He had his own band. He 185 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 2: was doing duets Joan Baez, and he knew like four 186 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 2: hundred folk songs, like he just had that kind of mind, 187 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 2: you know, so't he could have pursued it as his profession. 188 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 2: But even though he didn't, we grew up with him 189 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: singing and playing guitar around the house, and so I 190 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 2: would say that is the earlyest influence, seeing you know, 191 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,719 Speaker 2: up close someone who can really play the guitar and 192 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 2: sing a song, and that always stuck with me. I 193 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 2: don't think I appreciated it until he started The Wood Brothers, 194 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 2: you know, because I was off exploring a whole different 195 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 2: musical universe in New York City and with Lebiski, Martin 196 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 2: and Wood. And by the time the Wood Brothers started, 197 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,559 Speaker 2: you know, we were sort of in our mid to 198 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 2: late thirties and reflecting back, it was like, oh, this 199 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 2: is like coming full circle mount being in a band 200 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 2: where we're really writing songs and exploring roots American music 201 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 2: in that way. That's when we've kind of felt the 202 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 2: connection back to our father in those early days. 203 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 3: Can you take us inside the process that went down 204 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 3: for Hard as the Hero, which is your latest and 205 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 3: it's just outstanding the songwriting process, the recording process, give 206 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 3: us a little glimpse into how you guys work. 207 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 2: Well, I mean the songs kind of come from different 208 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 2: directions and grow organically. I mean it might be some 209 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: lyrics or some music that Oliver starts. It might be 210 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 2: lyrics and music that I start. It might be even 211 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 2: just a musical idea that Johno comes up with, whether 212 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: it's on the keyboard or the drums. Sometimes the lyrics 213 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 2: are disembodied for a while, they live just on the 214 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 2: page without music, and then a piece of music comes along, 215 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 2: like a voice memo for example, maybe a sound check 216 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: groove that we just spontaneously play together, and suddenly whoever 217 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 2: wrote the lyrics is like, oh, that's this actually is 218 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 2: the perfect kind of music for these lyrics. Some music 219 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 2: is good at generating lyrics, you know, like it might 220 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: be a very generic piece of music that's for some 221 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 2: reason it inspires you to write a story or create imagery. 222 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 2: But then once that's done, you might realize like, well this, 223 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 2: if I keep this music, it's not going to be 224 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 2: very interesting. So let's now that I have the lyrics, 225 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 2: let's throw away the music find a different piece of music. 226 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: Let's find a new home for these words, and some 227 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 2: really interesting things can happen that way, you know. So 228 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 2: you can take a very generic country waltz or blues 229 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 2: form and it's kind of great for generating phrases of words, 230 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: you know. But in the end you're like, well, okay, 231 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 2: that was great, but musically, let's do something more interesting, 232 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 2: let's do something different. So there's a was that, you know, 233 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 2: there's there's always that process of creating and throwing away, 234 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 2: creating and throwing away, and by the end of hundreds 235 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 2: of choices, you end up with something that's uniquely yours. 236 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 2: It's it's quite a variety of ways that the songs 237 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 2: get written. The recording process, and this one was interesting, 238 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 2: you know, only because we went fully to tape. We 239 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 2: didn't use the computer, so a lot of people record 240 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 2: a tape, but we decided that we weren't even going 241 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 2: to turn on a screen for the recording process. What 242 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 2: we didn't realize is how profound that is. And I 243 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 2: think most people you talk to in this modern world 244 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 2: don't go a single day without turning on a screen 245 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 2: of some kind, and I think we've forgotten what it's 246 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 2: like to live without them. We get all our information 247 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: sure screens now, and with all this information and data 248 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 2: that comes through the screens, we are able to agonize 249 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 2: over all these choices that we make in our lives, 250 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 2: whether it's the weather or the stock market, or the news, 251 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 2: or the traffic or all these things that before the 252 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 2: screens existed, you just pay attention to your present moment 253 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 2: and your environment immediately around you and make split second 254 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 2: decisions based off what you see and hear and feel 255 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 2: very obvious what I'm saying, But we take it so 256 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 2: for granted now that all this data is streaming through 257 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 2: these screens, that kind of have to take a minute 258 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 2: to really remember what that was like. So making this 259 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 2: record it felt like going back to that little bit 260 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 2: we never try on a screen when you don't use 261 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 2: a computer. I think we have to remind people that 262 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 2: the way most records are made these days with computers, 263 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 2: anything you record you can be manipulated in just endless 264 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 2: amount of ways, right, so it changes the whole mindset, 265 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 2: Like whatever the performance, whatever happened in the performance can 266 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: be manipulated or fixed, you know, as people say like, 267 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 2: well that wasn't a perfect take, but we can fix 268 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 2: it with a computer. We'll change. You know, we'll mute 269 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 2: this part, or edit this part, or I'll re record 270 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 2: this one little part, or when you go onto tape, 271 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 2: that option is not there, at least not as simply, 272 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 2: it's quite a risky task to try to redo a 273 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 2: little part of a song, right because you could destroy 274 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 2: the entire take by erasing too much of the song, 275 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 2: you know. So the result is it completely changes your 276 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,239 Speaker 2: decision process when you listen back. If we go in 277 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 2: and retrack a song, we go into the control room 278 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 2: to listen back to it. Instead of having the mindset 279 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 2: of like, well, this may not be perfect, but we 280 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 2: can fix it, it changes to does this feel good or 281 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 2: does it not feel good? And if it feels good 282 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 2: enough that you can forgive any imperfections, then you go 283 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 2: with it. But if it doesn't feel good enough, then 284 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 2: you just perform it again. Is not the option to six. 285 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 2: So you know, everyone closes their eyes, you play the 286 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 2: tape and it's purely listening. When you have a screen 287 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 2: and you're listening back to a take, you see the 288 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,880 Speaker 2: waveforms on the screen, so you're not purely listening. You're 289 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 2: watching the music and you can see before a sound happens. 290 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 2: You can see it on the screen. So oh, here 291 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 2: comes the vocal, here comes the drum track, And that's 292 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 2: not the way we experience music when we're just a listener, appreciator, 293 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 2: or a fan. So it's all these things again, so obvious, 294 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 2: but it really change the way you perceive and experience 295 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 2: the music and therefore is the creator. It changes the 296 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 2: way you make decisions about you know, what is good 297 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 2: and what is not good enough? If that makes sense, Yeah, 298 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 2: it really does. 299 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 3: Because even before you went and talked about imperfection, which 300 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 3: is so missing in so much music these days. Yes, 301 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 3: you read my mind where I was going to go next, Well, 302 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 3: this is. 303 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 2: And this is an important point to put to This 304 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 2: is what I'd like to point this out because it's 305 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,400 Speaker 2: so important and it's the reason, the explanation of what 306 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 2: you just said why so much music today is missing 307 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 2: the imperfections. Which are these imperfections that a lot of 308 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 2: our favorite recordings of the golden age of recording, like 309 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 2: the early seventies. Let's say there's imperfections that become your 310 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:59,640 Speaker 2: favorite part of the song. You know, it's the most 311 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 2: human in part. And through things like pro tools and 312 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 2: all the computer editing, the way people mix songs is 313 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 2: they listen to it and they're like, oh, that that 314 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 2: could be a little better. I'm gonna adjust that level 315 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,199 Speaker 2: and I'm gonna tweak that little part, and then they 316 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 2: listen to it again. Oh, now I hear something else. 317 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 2: I'm gonna just change that. And we describe it as 318 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: like a microscope. You're putting a microscope that's way too 319 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 2: powerful over this piece of music and seeing all the 320 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 2: little rough edges. And when you get in that mindset, 321 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 2: your tendency is to fix all the rough edges because 322 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 2: you can. That's you know, it's kind of this amazing 323 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 2: technology you can do that. But the result is you 324 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 2: tend to eventually massage out of the music all of 325 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 2: the personality. So it's not to say that the technology 326 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 2: is useless or you shouldn't use it, but you have 327 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 2: to be mindful of that, and it's always good to 328 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 2: remember that so that you act quickly and you trust 329 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 2: your gut instinct. But if you only if you just 330 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 2: keep using the technology because it's there and it's an 331 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 2: option and you can. Yeah, the end result tends to feel. 332 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 3: Really really well put. 333 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more of the Taking a 334 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:30,919 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast. 335 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 3: So hard as the hero, there is a theme that 336 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 3: I detect running through of sort of mindfulness and enjoying 337 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 3: and savoring moments. Uh Pilgrim is one that sort of 338 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 3: says we're all running around too fast to slow down, 339 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 3: and and and and rolling on as a beautiful one 340 00:21:54,880 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 3: about you know, finding love is the guiding light between 341 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 3: the beats. You know, Oliver pulls that sort of meditation 342 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 3: technique and line those pockets. Also is really kind of 343 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 3: looking at mercy and material materialism. How did you guys 344 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 3: get to this wonderful place that embodies the spirit of 345 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 3: this album. 346 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 2: It's something we talk about a lot, I mean, and 347 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,360 Speaker 2: not just recently, but for years, you know, constantly fascinated. 348 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 2: And it stems from looking back at performing because after 349 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 2: shows are always talking about what did that feel like 350 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 2: for you? And what did she like for you? Was 351 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 2: it good? Was it bad? What does that even mean? 352 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 2: And I think what we've all learned, any any musician 353 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 2: who's been doing this kind of thing long enough learns 354 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 2: eventually is that however they think it went, that it 355 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 2: doesn't mean it's good or bad. You know that you 356 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 2: can't trust the way your just personal experience was. I've 357 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 2: had shows that I thought were a disaster and people 358 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 2: loved it, or maybe I even heard a recording of it. 359 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 2: It's like, oh my god, so interesting, like that was 360 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 2: unusual and beautiful something about it. But I felt terrible 361 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 2: on stage. I felt insecure or the opposite where And 362 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,880 Speaker 2: this happens a lot in recording too, in the studio 363 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 2: where you get that feeling like I just nailed it, 364 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 2: that was perfect. I played the crap out of that song. 365 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 2: That's usually not the best take. You know, there's no 366 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 2: because it lacks in general, those kind of when you 367 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:47,239 Speaker 2: feel that way, it's your two in control and it 368 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 2: lacks vulnerability, and it lacks Humanity's you've perfected something, You've 369 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 2: turned it into a formula when you feel that way, 370 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 2: and you can repeat that formula, but that formula is 371 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 2: never as interesting as that vulnerable first take when you 372 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 2: actually didn't know what was happening. So once you accept 373 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 2: that you're not in control and you're not even really 374 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 2: I mean, there's a lot to be said about preparation, 375 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 2: but ultimately, in the heat of the moment, in the 376 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 2: final performance, no matter what, you're really not in control. 377 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 2: To how it turns out, because it's just too much happening. 378 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 2: But the one thing you can in control of is 379 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 2: your presence of mind and just paying attention. That's the 380 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 2: one thing you can do. And it's the most important thing, 381 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 2: of course, and that's you know, this gets talked about. 382 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 2: People have been talking about that for thousands of years. 383 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 2: And it's a slippery slope, right, And how do you 384 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 2: do that? How do you get out of your own way? 385 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 2: How do you not be self conscious? You know, all 386 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 2: these sort of paradoxes and conundrums that people struggle with. 387 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 2: So there's a lyric that repeats itself on the records 388 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:03,880 Speaker 2: and two different songs and it's remember to remember. So 389 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 2: the hardest thing about this, like if I asked you, like, 390 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:11,639 Speaker 2: can you enjoy yourself right now? Can you just like 391 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 2: in people? You know, it's like a guided meditation, right, 392 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 2: Someone guiding a meditation will get you to be mindful 393 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 2: of your body and like think of your feet and 394 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 2: your shoulders and your neck, and can you relax and 395 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 2: can you breathe and can you smile and actually enjoy 396 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:26,960 Speaker 2: this moment even if you have a few cranky parts 397 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 2: in your body right now? It's actually not that hard, 398 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 2: right if you allow yourself a moment to go there, 399 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 2: no big deal, Like most people can make themselves feel 400 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 2: better and gain some presence of mind. The hardest thing 401 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,439 Speaker 2: about it is like, suddenly you're up on stage in 402 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 2: front of a whole bunch of people performing. Can you 403 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 2: do it then? Or when someone in the studio hits 404 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,920 Speaker 2: the record button and you're trying to make your definitive 405 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 2: version of a song for a record, you know, and 406 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 2: that pressure is on you, can you get yourself into 407 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 2: space right then? And so we found that the hardest 408 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 2: thing about being mindful of and being present is remembering 409 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 2: to do it. And so it becomes an interesting practice 410 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 2: of like, sure, you can do it when you're all 411 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 2: alone and you're in a peaceful place, but can you 412 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,120 Speaker 2: do it in a chaotic place? Can you do it 413 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 2: when you're in pain? Can you do it when you're 414 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 2: in the middle of an argument with someone else? Like 415 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 2: practicing presence of mind in difficult situations is where you 416 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 2: really learn how to do it. So as a performer 417 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 2: and dealing with you know, the nerves or the tension 418 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 2: or other things that can happen on stage in your 419 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 2: mind or the fact that maybe your monitors are not 420 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 2: working or something technically is going around, Can you still relax, 421 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 2: listen and enjoy what's happening. I think so much of 422 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,400 Speaker 2: the best music happened when we kind of don't even 423 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 2: realize it, because really, all you're doing in that moment 424 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 2: is listening not to yourself but to the other people 425 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,479 Speaker 2: in the band. And if you're in a state of 426 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 2: mind where you trust your own instincts without thinking about it, 427 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 2: you just react with the perfect appropriate response. So there's 428 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 2: a lot of trust involved. 429 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 3: You know. We produce this other podcast it's called Music 430 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 3: Save Me, and it focuses on kind of the healing 431 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 3: power of music from musicians' viewpoint. Do you believe music 432 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 3: has healing powers? 433 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, of course. I mean the music is incredible, 434 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:50,359 Speaker 2: you know, like when Bob Marley, Bob Marley said it 435 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 2: all with you know, once the music hits you feel 436 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 2: all right, right, that's true. It's amazing when you put 437 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 2: on some music, it literally immediately changes your state of mind. 438 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 2: So that's truly a magical thing. But I think it's 439 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 2: probably not much different than paying attention to anything. You know, 440 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 2: if you're in a drab, blank room, and all of 441 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 2: a sudden, someone hangs an amazing piece of artwork or 442 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 2: puts this incredible bouquet of flowers in there, and you 443 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 2: smell it and you see the colors. Anything that is 444 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 2: organic and there's something to focus on. I think also 445 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,399 Speaker 2: does things to your mind that are probably similar. But 446 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 2: I think the practice of playing music is feeling just 447 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 2: because you're working on those very things of trying of 448 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 2: being present while you're doing something. And I think playing 449 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 2: an instrument or singing comes with all kinds of baggage. 450 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 2: You know, you have this desire to be good at it. 451 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 2: Maybe not when you're a tiny little kid and you're 452 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 2: first banging on a piano and you've never you know, 453 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 2: it's just probably this euphoric outburst, but eventually, when you 454 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 2: get indoctrinated with all the hang ups of society, your 455 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 2: desire when you're play an instrument is that you're supposed 456 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 2: to be good at it, and that is the one 457 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 2: thing that will get in the way of you making 458 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 2: good music. You're going to be so hung up on that. 459 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 2: So that's when then you have to start practicing. How 460 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 2: do I let go of that and simply pay attention 461 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 2: not to myself because I'm going to focus on the 462 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 2: minutia of whether I'm doing it right or wrong, but 463 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 2: instead focus on everything else but myself and learn how 464 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 2: to trust that I will react appropriately. And that's that's 465 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,720 Speaker 2: the essence of even just living in the present moment, 466 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 2: whether you're playing music or not right, just paying attention 467 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 2: and trusting that if you simply pay attention, you'll know 468 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 2: what to do. Your environment will tell you what to do, 469 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 2: but you have to trust yourself to let go of 470 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 2: the forethought and the hang ups. So easier said than done. 471 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 2: But it's does it really takes practice? 472 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 3: How does being an organic farmer help you as a creator? Uh? 473 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 2: It it takes me away from my instrument. I mean, 474 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 2: I think you'll hear a lot of our artists talking, 475 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 2: people like Rick Rubin or you know, all kinds of creators. 476 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 2: We'll talk about the power of simply taking a walk. 477 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 2: You know, if you're if you're working on a song 478 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 2: or working on something creative or writing a book or 479 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 2: whatever it may be, and you take a walk. There's 480 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 2: something about that. So farming is a lot of heavy 481 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 2: labor and repetitive and you know, uh, we do most 482 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 2: of our farming not with machines. You know. We're on 483 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 2: a small farm and on an island in British Columbia, 484 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 2: and so uh, it's just a lot of sort of 485 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 2: just labor, but in a beautiful place. There's birds, there's 486 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 2: lots of the wildlife here is amazing. So it's a 487 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 2: peaceful place where you just do hard work for hours 488 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 2: on an and that's a great time for a song 489 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 2: to kind of it's like a meditation. It's a time 490 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 2: to kind of let a song just keep looping in 491 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 2: a pleasant way away from your instrument. And I stumble 492 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 2: across a lot of good ideas I think doing that, 493 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 2: and it also gets your way from over practicing. You know, 494 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 2: I think a lot of my heroes for talking about 495 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 2: classic blues musicians, and there's all kinds of people that 496 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 2: that we love, you know, in the sort of Alan 497 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 2: Lomax folk tradition of recordings that weren't working hard all day, 498 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 2: they weren't sitting around practicing scales in a room like 499 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 2: their music came at the end of our day because 500 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,479 Speaker 2: they needed it, you know, they needed that release that 501 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 2: it was this joyful expression. I think all this work 502 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 2: and being away from my instrument then creates at hungards 503 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 2: and there's never a chance I'm ever going to be 504 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 2: burnt out. I think there can be a danger creatively 505 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 2: to working on something too much in a room by yourself, 506 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 2: to practicing too much. You can go down all kinds 507 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 2: of rabbit holes and maybe lose sight of what's vital 508 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 2: about music. 509 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 3: Chris, in closing, what do you think the future uncharted 510 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 3: territory is for you and the Wood Brothers? Because you 511 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 3: guys are always looking forward. 512 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: I think once you even fall in love, once you understand. 513 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 2: I mean, the beautiful thing about music is that nobody 514 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 2: has ever figured it out. No one's ever gonna figure 515 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 2: it out. It's just the endless one of those endless 516 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 2: games that it's those infinite possibilities. If anything, you can 517 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 2: start to at least get familiar of the process and 518 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 2: why the process works. You're not in control. Like it 519 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 2: comes back to that thing again when writing and even 520 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 2: when playing, if you want the music to feel right, 521 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 2: you're not in control. That keeps it infinitely and just interesting. 522 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 2: I think if you were in control, and if music 523 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 2: were a formula that you could figure out, it would 524 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 2: get boring really quickly because everyone could do it. Anybody 525 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 2: could do it. The process that I think now we've 526 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 2: gone through enough times to realize these things means that 527 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 2: it's never going to get boring. There's endless ideas, there's 528 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 2: endless new combinations of things to stumble upon. We're in 529 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 2: a situation. I feel really lucky to be in a 530 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 2: situation to be working with in the same way that 531 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 2: I had this with Medeskue Martin would but with Oliver 532 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 2: my brother and John Rix, two people that have different 533 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 2: tastes and yet I have huge amount of respect for 534 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 2: all of their insights and opinions. So if I bring 535 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 2: in a musical idea, whether it's lyrics or just the music, 536 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,840 Speaker 2: and they here's a way to change it, I've a 537 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 2: complete trust that they're hearing something that's a good idea 538 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 2: that I just for some reason couldn't hear because I 539 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:32,399 Speaker 2: was stuck in one perspective. So to be with co 540 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:36,719 Speaker 2: creators like that is incredible. It saves you, again, a 541 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 2: lot of time from maybe getting lost down creative rabbit 542 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:44,600 Speaker 2: holes that aren't going to end up in a very 543 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:52,839 Speaker 2: interesting place. So incredibly grateful for that. Yeah, it's really fun. 544 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 2: I mean, I think there's this romanticized idea about being 545 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 2: a creator all by yourself and doing everything, and this 546 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 2: sort of internet culture has taken that to a whole 547 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 2: other level. It used to be a lot of our 548 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 2: favorite recordings from back in the day. You had the composer, 549 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:15,760 Speaker 2: you had a different person was the arranger, you had 550 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 2: the star singer, you had an orchestra. All those were 551 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,919 Speaker 2: different people that then created this one recording that we love, 552 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 2: and then you had maybe a TV show that promoted 553 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 2: them and all that kind of thing. Now, think about 554 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 2: people growing up in this age. They have to be 555 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 2: the writer, the arranger, the performer. They have to video 556 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 2: themselves doing it. It's not collaborative anymore. You're expected to 557 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 2: be this renaissance person who can do everything at such 558 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 2: a high level. And there are the few freaky people 559 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 2: who do it, and they're amazing, you know, and they 560 00:35:55,840 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 2: become big on YouTube and Instagram and TikTok. But I 561 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 2: think for most creators it's a collaborative process, and the 562 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:08,239 Speaker 2: beautiful things happen because we listen to each other and 563 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,719 Speaker 2: follow the music instead of, you know, feeling like we're 564 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 2: in control of it and it must abide to our will. 565 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 3: Amazing I'm so grateful for the time, I'm grateful for 566 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 3: the music. I'm really so happy to talk to you 567 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 3: and I wish you well on the road, and thanks 568 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 3: for being on Taking a Walk Chris. 569 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,720 Speaker 2: Thanks buzz all right, my pleasure. 570 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to this episode of Taking a Walk 571 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 3: with Chris Wood from the Wood Brothers. Thanks for listening 572 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 3: to this episode of Taking a Walk with Chris Wood 573 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 3: from the Wood Brothers. Share taking a walk with your friends. 574 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,640 Speaker 3: We'd really appreciate it. Also follow us so you never 575 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:52,400 Speaker 3: miss an episode and leave us a review. That would 576 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 3: be really helpful for us as well. Find us at 577 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 3: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the iHeartRadio app, where you can 578 00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 3: so church Taken a Walk