00:01 - Aaron (Host)
in a lifetime, forever, yeah, man a lifetime, forever, forever in a lifetime that's what young and sick, said you know I never well first, hey, no, no, simple road family, what's up? This is aaron.
00:12 - Apple (Host)
It's apple and mel and who else and we have a special guest who's me?
00:18 - Mel (Host)
come on me, dan hi dan welcome to the studio.
00:23 - Aaron (Host)
Looks like he's hiding behind the microphone.
00:28 - Apple (Host)
Dan turned into a five year old child.
00:30 - Aaron (Host)
Nobody can hear this yet it's all just us. Um. So what I was going to say is I I didn't ever make a proper announcement for the new intro music. I just kind of started sliding it in there to see if anybody would notice.
00:42 - Mel (Host)
Of course they know. Nobody said anything.
00:46 - Aaron (Host)
So, I want fanfare, I want parades, I want paratroopers with neon signs, I want wow, that's festive that's fireworks, that's. I'm not really a fan of fireworks, if I'm being honest and they scared darwin, they do.
01:01
We'll just leave those out so, anyway, yeah, the music that you just heard, uh, leading up to us, our intro music, was created by our friend young and sick, that's right for the no simple road family thank you, nick. Thank you, nick, and he even did a dope ass logo for us too back a while ago. Yeah, that you can still get in the store over at no simple roadcom if you want to buy yourself some merch anyway. Our our guest this week, though, is, uh, a new friend yeah our, our new friend kyle tuttle banjo friend.
01:34 - Mel (Host)
Yeah, I love new banjo friends.
01:36 - Aaron (Host)
We had a blast talking with kyle and it's a fortuitous timing on the release of this episode because he just got his Grammy in the mail.
01:47 - Mel (Host)
That's right.
01:48 - Aaron (Host)
So congratulations, kyle for hooking that up and well-earned and rightly deserved brother. And then his new album Labor of Lust just came out through Heady Wax Fiends, which is another episode that we're going to be releasing here in a couple of weeks is a dope record club that you can be a part of, and if you were a part of it you would have just received labor of lust. But since you didn't and aren't, you can't and you won't, and then also Kyle just had a birthday.
02:20 - Mel (Host)
He celebrated a birthday, um, so it seems like he's having one hell of a like year, already off and running.
02:31 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah, kyle's coming up roses.
02:32 - Apple (Host)
Right now sounds like a good birthday month and another may birthday yep, another may birthday, lots of transition yeah, I got good company in may yeah dan dan dan you got a may birthday dan joined us on on his birthday.
02:46 - Mel (Host)
When he got here on his birthday, that's right, I remember that's why we had a birthday cake. That was the whole birthday cake candle thing.
02:51 - Aaron (Host)
I got it, I remember I get it now. Wow, you know it's been a busy, busy week keep up here I'm gonna try, I'm trying, babe, I really am, it's uh, there's a lot going on in this thing right here. Um, yeah well, I mean I don't know you want. There's a lot going on in this thing right here. Yeah well, I mean I don't know. Do you want to read something?
03:08 - Apple (Host)
Apple, you said Well, yeah, because the new album and like they said it came out on Hetty Waxwing Records. It has been out on February 16th on all your streaming platforms, but not that dope colored. You know, lp you can get, but this is from his site and I just love what it says about the new album. On his new record, tuttle explores a wide range of sounds and possibilities for the banjo, while songwriting gives insight into a tumultuous time in his own life losing a mentor and going through a divorce. A life in professional music or performance of any kind really, a life in professional music or performance of any kind really is often painted in glamour, but the man behind the curtain can exist in a difficult duality. An attempt at putting a saddle on success can eat a person up and wreck the things that they hold dear. In reality, any pursuit of the love of the masses can easily become a labor of lust.
04:09 - Aaron (Host)
Oh, wow, yeah.
04:11 - Mel (Host)
Dang.
04:12 - Aaron (Host)
Okay, now it makes sense.
04:15 - Apple (Host)
Yeah, and you're going to hear a lot more. We talk about the album and the stuff that went into it. This is a great conversation.
04:23 - Aaron (Host)
Anybody that creates a rap for their cat feeder is a-okay in my book man. So let's, let's, uh, let's do the business and get everybody to the the interview or the the conversation. Sorry, everybody, you ready mel I'm ready.
04:39 - Mel (Host)
You're stretching. I'm stretching and yawning. I feel like a today. I feel like all I want to do is just like stretch my back and like pull my arms as far apart as they possibly can be.
04:51 - Aaron (Host)
Sniff catnip, you were dancing earlier too.
04:54 - Mel (Host)
Yeah, I had to get out my wiggles, your wiggles.
04:57 - Aaron (Host)
All right, let's do the business Wiggle wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
04:59 - Mel (Host)
Yeah, follow us on Instagram at no Simple Road.
05:04 - Aaron (Host)
And Facebook at NoSimpleRoad and Twitter at NoSimpleRoad. That's right.
05:07 - Mel (Host)
And then, after you're done with that, go to wwwnosimpleroadcom, which that's where you can get our merch.
05:14 - Apple (Host)
That's where you get cool merch.
05:15 - Aaron (Host)
You can get a tarot reading with the Grateful Dead tarot deck done by Mel and I over Zoom. You sign up, you get an hour-long reading. I send you all kinds of info afterwards, a set list based on the cards that you pulled. It's a whole mishigas going on over at nosimpleroadcom plus. We got the keep separate weird t-shirts up there. We got the thug life jerry shirts up there. Go go over to nosimpleroadcom and check that out and then go to patreoncom forward slash, no simple road. That is how you can can support NSR and be a mensch. Well, you're probably already.
05:47 - Mel (Host)
Yeah, you're a mensch but?
05:48 - Aaron (Host)
but here here's the deal. No simple road does cost a dollar a month, it's. It's a buck a month to listen to NSR. You get eight episodes for that dollar. But the other side of that dollar coin is nobody's paying attention if you're paying or not. So it's the honor system, everybody. Dollar a month. Honor system, patreoncom forward slash no simple road.
06:07
And hey, if you do go over there and you sign up, our friends over at lost sailor leather have created oh yeah special no simple road leather stamped keychains and if you sign up for five dollars or more a month, you will get a no simple road keychain plus all the other stuff that is up there. You get all the episodes a day early-ish and ad-free. You get Connor's picks the best Grateful Dead picks on the planet. You get Andrew's picks who picks the best stuff from around the jam scene and a whole bunch of other extra stuff. So go over to Patreon and check that out. Do we have any new reviews, people?
06:46 - Apple (Host)
We to patreon and check that out. Um, any, do we have any new reviews? People, we do. You, boy, we always ask that you leave a review, and this is apple podcast. You can go over. Do that five stars and leave a review. We did get a new review this week second one for me all right, you want to do it?
06:58 - Mel (Host)
yeah, everything's tight everything from age, wait what is it.
07:06 - Aaron (Host)
Come on, babe, you could do it oh, age p06 okay cool, okay, sorry.
07:13 - Mel (Host)
Um, I have been a listener for years now. When I'm listening to you guys, it feels like I'm hanging with dear friends. Love this podcast, all the and how the universe is working for us all. Thanks for keeping it real and all the rad vibes you guys produce. Yay.
07:29 - Aaron (Host)
Thank you so much, that's sweet, Simple as that everybody.
07:35 - Mel (Host)
That's how you work. How would you read that name? The name yeah.
07:40 - Apple (Host)
H-P-O-6.
07:41 - Aaron (Host)
H-P-O-6. Okay, I was trying to say there might be something from Dick in there, but we're not getting it?
07:46 - Apple (Host)
Yeah, no.
07:47 - Aaron (Host)
You know what man? That is really sweet and we appreciate it. It's as simple as that, it's not hard and it really does stuff for the show.
07:58 - Mel (Host)
It helps us be recognized by other people, and the algorithm and all the things that you know, when you're looking for a new podcast saying anymore, you're just going to wait for me to keep talking so you can talk.
08:10 - Aaron (Host)
No, go ahead no go ahead, that's it.
08:13 - Apple (Host)
Go ahead, the trains have collided.
08:16 - Aaron (Host)
That's it what.
08:19 - Mel (Host)
It's move on, move on.
08:23 - Aaron (Host)
I want to say uh, uh, uh yeah, that a special um, we love you to uh Evan out there. Evan um wrote to me on Instagram the other day and is having a rough go and reached out to the show and uh, just wanted to say that we love you, man, and hang in there and if you need us, you know where to hit us up and we'll always be here. It's as simple as that, yeah yeah, we love you, evan yeah, um, am I missing anything? 971, that doesn't say the tepid line 971-808-1524.
09:02
That is the no, no Simple Road Tepid line. You can call in. You got three minutes to say whatever the hell it is you want.
09:08 - Apple (Host)
Yep, open mic, open mic. You can do whatever you want. We always give suggestions, but you can come up with something cool.
09:15 - Aaron (Host)
And last but not least, what. There's one more thing. You can't think about it, no.
09:28 - Apple (Host)
What's the last thing we say?
09:29 - Mel (Host)
oh, the most important thing tell a friend yeah, tell a friend about your favorite episode. Tell your mama, tell your dad, tell your boyfriend, whoever you want to tell, tell them. Hey, man, I listened to that arrhythmia episode with dr jeff mcnary. It was amazing. Let's go to to Costa Rica, let's do this ayahuasca thing, or you know what. That was a great recap with Scotty from Winter Wondergrass Anything.
09:50 - Apple (Host)
And there's a lot of we're going into summer and spring, all the fun stuff. Go shout out for the rooftops at the next outing you're at and you can get the whole family, all your friends, at once. There, you goller at him. Just be. It just needed to announce that just make sure you keep it.
10:04 - Aaron (Host)
No, simple road for sure. All right, everybody, let's, uh, let's get them to this conversation.
10:10 - Apple (Host)
I'm gonna say two last things, because we didn't say before. You can go over and find out what kyle tuttle is up to at kyle tuttlecom and at kyle tuttle banjo on instagram to see what he is up to on his own, with his band and with Molly Tuttle.
10:27 - Mel (Host)
How about.
10:27 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah, all right, everybody, yeah, what's up?
10:31 - Mel (Host)
man yeah.
10:31 - Aaron (Host)
Ready.
10:32 - Kyle (Guest)
All right.
10:32 - Aaron (Host)
Without further ado. How?
10:33 - Mel (Host)
y'all doing the nose of a great group. We're super Kyle.
10:36 - Aaron (Host)
Tuttle yeah.
10:37 - Kyle (Guest)
Cool, yeah Me too. Thanks for thanks for having me. Yeah, man, I'm Aaron aaron, yeah, kyle right on, my name is mel okay, I'm mel, and then we have and then I'm apple, apple, yes, right on kyle.
10:53 - Aaron (Host)
What are you doing today, man?
10:56 - Kyle (Guest)
uh man, I just got back, um, I actually just got back from the, uh uh, from the jerry garcia museum, from the Jerry Garcia Museum opening up there in Owensboro Kentucky.
11:07 - Mel (Host)
How is that? Yeah, while it's fresh.
11:12 - Kyle (Guest)
There's a cat food machine going off right now. It's an automatic feeder for the cat when we're gone and there's a little rap that I wrote. Wait a minute, hold the phone, it feeds the. It's an automatic feeder for the cat when we're gone and there's a little wrap that I wrote uh for it.
11:27 - Aaron (Host)
Wait, wait a minute, hold the phone. The machine wraps for the cat as it feeds it. Correct, okay, sure, all right, cool, got it, oh yeah.
11:40 - Kyle (Guest)
Wow yeah. It's a it's, it's, it's a, it's a very interesting, it's a very interesting setup.
11:45 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah, a lucky cat man.
11:53 - Kyle (Guest)
So how was the opening man? It was really something else. I mean, I'm still just sort of trying to wrap my head around it. I guess you know, because Vince Herman sort of put the the thing, the music together was the musical director and was like the house and leftover salmon was the house band for the thing.
12:13
But then this huge, you know a good list of of special guests people, specifically Peter Rowan and Maria Moldauer, and Eric Eric Thompson and David Nelson Uh, and these are all cats that, like hung, played music, lots of music in the formative years, you know with with with Jerry Um wow.
12:38
And so that. So the the sort of just like collective knowledge about him. You know, just being in that place with all those, with all those people it was, it was like it was kind of heavy, I mean it was really cool. I feel like I learned a lot. You know, learned as much as I'm ever going to be able to learn about Jerry, probably was it somber. No, ok, no, not at all. Yeah no, I just have it. I just mean heavy, I guess, like intense, you know.
13:06 - Mel (Host)
Oh yeah, A lot to take in.
13:08 - Kyle (Guest)
A lot to take in. Yeah yeah, it wasn't somber, though it was a party. It was cool.
13:13 - Mel (Host)
So what's one cool thing that you learned that you didn't know Because you said that there was a lot of things.
13:30 - Kyle (Guest)
Like, what's one of the things being around, all that, like you said, those people that were so entwined in his life, um, uh, I uh was one of the things that I learned.
13:33
Um, you know, just uh, really, how seriously he took the music you know because like I said it was, it was a party, you know, but people, um, everybody talks about being around him. You know, he, he, he took playing the music very seriously and especially with old and in the way, like I was talking to to Peter Rowan about the vocal stat, just just sort of picking his brain about the harmonies and who sang which part and how they worked out the vocal stacks with old and in the way you know, with Jerry and Grissman was mostly the other one singing, it's mostly peter and and dog and jerry and uh, you know, and that's one of the things peter said. He said. He said, uh, if you go in there in the museum and you look at some of those pictures where he doesn't have the beard, uh, and you can see his face better, you can see how focused he is when he was, when he's singing and stuff like that he was. He was talking about one picture specifically in the museum, but, um, yeah, it was, that's just that's so cool yeah, and, and on the same day, pap's blue ribbon started following you uh
14:38 - Apple (Host)
no that was that was.
14:39 - Mel (Host)
I think it was actually a couple days apart, but within, pretty much within the same week, so yeah, so what now, man?
14:44 - Aaron (Host)
I mean, that's it right, you did it. Yeah, it's it's, I did it. Yeah, I've been working towards that one for near 20 years Hit the plateau how?
14:55 - Kyle (Guest)
much of my, of my money they've got.
14:57 - Aaron (Host)
But right, yeah, you know what was your entry to Jerry's music Kyle.
15:11 - Kyle (Guest)
I was like a metalhead, like a punk rocker and I was in a band with my buddies and I grew up playing guitar. I started as a guitar player when I was a little kid. I just got turned on to it. My grandparents had this little toy guitar that I would just pick up and bang it banger on and sing songs and stuff when I was like two or three or whatever you know um.
15:34
So I got put in guitar lessons when I was like five years old and, uh, then I was a was, was got real into punk, rock and and metal and you know, like the speed, speed picking shred metal guitar, uh type of thing you know big, big distortion sounds and stuff like that, um and uh.
15:56
Then when I was like 16 probably, um, I got turned on to the Grateful Dead by a good buddy of mine named Ian Newberry he was. He was like. He moved to town, started on to the grateful dead by a good buddy of mine named ian newberry. He was, he was like. He moved to town, started going to the high school that I was going to and he was a really good guitar player better than me, no doubt, you know and he uh, and he sort of got turned on.
16:17
He had, he was a deadhead and a jazz guy and I was a metalhead, you know. So, okay, we, we had a really cool, we had a really cool friendship because we turned each other onto different stuff and one of the things that he turned me onto was the grateful dead. So that was super cool. And then I started getting into bluegrass and the olden in the way. Realization that there's the dead and the bluegrass thing was connected actually took me like a little bit longer to figure out. For some reason I knew that I just thought of Jerry as a guitar player.
16:46
And then I started getting into bluegrass also, you know, and then maybe I don't know, six months into that journey or something, it was like wait a minute. You mean there's a connection between these things.
16:57 - Aaron (Host)
Oh shit, it's on.
16:58 - Kyle (Guest)
Oh shit, it's on, yeah. And then look at me now I mean I'm special now.
17:06 - Aaron (Host)
Still, and look at me now. I mean I'm still. It's. It's been 20 years. What do they say? I've been there so long.
17:08 - Apple (Host)
We got to calling it home me and aaron were talking about that, like because today we spent today. We were watching a lot of videos and stuff of uh, you and your band and everything, and we were wondering there's always like our story. He, he was a punker back in the teens, I was a metal head and we've been best friends for 40 years and then and then it led to the dead, but we saw you, like sometimes on stage, like with the subhuman shirt on I was like oh yeah, you're a punk.
17:30
We're like you know, yeah, and with the new album you got the anarchy and the lay. It's like. It's like it's so many people's which makes sense. We're, we're, that was our found family. Then the punk scene or the metal scene, and then grateful dead comes along, opens up a whole nother world of music that goes with it so well you know, but I'm kyle, I gotta know like playing shred guitar and and speed picking to banjo.
17:58 - Aaron (Host)
Now it makes sense, like I understand it now musically, how they go together but at the time what? Was the slide like how did that? How did that happen?
18:09 - Kyle (Guest)
well, uh, it was, uh, it was a couple of things. I mean, I think that I think the sound appealed to me, you know, because of the, because of the on top of the beat really really uh forward, uh loud. You know banjo and electric guitar, uh, the the banjo is kind of like the electric guitar, you know the banjo, or the fiddle, I guess, or or like the electric guitar of the bluegrass band, maybe of your standard five-piece bluegrass band, I don't really know, but um, so, sonically that was, and it it appealed to me that way. But my buddy, ian newberry, like I was talking about, he's an excellent guitar player and he and I started getting into the bluegrass stuff around the same time, you know, and we were both, like I said, we were showing each other a lot of things and he was just getting better at guitar way we're you know, we would both take home the tony rice tape and then we'd come back and he'd play his to what he learned.
19:06
I played what I learned, and when he played what he learned, I was like damn dude got it, you know so and and and that why I was uh 17, for my 17th birthday, my grandparents who also had had this toy guitar, you know that had that had sort of started my whole path there um magically had a banjo sitting in the attic. It's been there like since the 60s. That I had never heard about or anything like that, and it wasn't like a nice one, it was a silver tone, it was uh. I guess my grandpa had probably bought it basically during like the folk revival, you know, and uh and wanted to try to learn. He had also bought a fiddle a little bit later in life and tried to learn that a little bit, but he didn't. It wasn't, it didn't come to him physically the stuff very easily.
19:51
He didn't really stick with it or anything so I guess he had bought that banjo similar story, um and uh, it had been in the attic like for my whole life and then, uh, on my 17th birthday, because I was like starting to get into bluegrass and stuff, they pulled it out and gave it to me and so that was just really serendipitous, like the first thing, and it had some little book, you know, some little homemade. This is how you play the banjo book with it. And the first little lick thing on page one that I, when I like played it, I like sat down there and like put and like did it. And the first time I did it I was just like yeah, I'm in.
20:29
This is it, and then I started playing started working my ass off to play the banjo and taught myself, you know, and so that I could jam with my buddy Ian too, because now he's playing guitar and I'm playing banjo. So, we got a cooler thing going on and everybody's got a little a little more sympathy for me sucking.
20:53 - Mel (Host)
Yeah, but now you don't have to compete. You know you can do your own thing, you're not trying to be better Totally so.
21:03 - Kyle (Guest)
So it came out of. It came out of luck, yeah, there with my family, just sort of having one, and then also with that influence of my buddy and having someone to play with and learn with, you know, helps a lot.
21:13 - Aaron (Host)
It's not like one for one, going from the guitar to the banjo it's. You know. The strings are tuned differently. It's a different thing. Was it a hard slog to learn?
21:28 - Kyle (Guest)
The right hand is more of what's different really and truly, you know, because the left hand, the strings are tuned differently, but it's still. You're still making shapes on the neck you know. So there's a couple of new shapes to learn, a couple of modified shapes to learn or whatever. Um, it's not that big a deal deal. The right hand, the pattern, the picking stuff, wearing finger picks and doing all that stuff. That's the more difficult part, I think.
21:53 - Mel (Host)
Do you do a claw hammer also?
21:57 - Kyle (Guest)
Very poorly yeah.
21:59 - Aaron (Host)
I don't agree.
22:00 - Kyle (Guest)
I saw you doing it today.
22:01 - Aaron (Host)
I don't agree.
22:04 - Kyle (Guest)
I don't really. Yeah, I wouldn't advertise myself as a real, I wouldn't call myself a real claw hammer banjo player, because I know real claw hammer banjo players and they got some techniques that I don't really have, but I can make a little noise with it, like that.
22:22 - Aaron (Host)
I fool around with the guitar. I've been playing for a while and Mel got a banjo. I bought her a banjo last year last year for her birthday and uh, I've picked it up a few times and it it seems like the most difficult fucking thing on the planet to me, Like it's so confusing but also he knows how to you play it just fine.
22:43 - Mel (Host)
You make it sound amazing, so again he does. He's playing the same thing you're doing like you know how to do I feel like when you play guitar and you have that it's it's a lot easier to transfer versus never having played any stringed instrument. And then because, like you said, the, the shapes on the strings are the same, but when you're doing patterns that's a whole different thing than a strum yeah, it's true.
23:07 - Kyle (Guest)
True it is. Yeah, it's a whole different animal, but uh, but you know, uh, how long too late it's never too late to learn.
23:14 - Mel (Host)
How long did it take you to make you like, till you felt really good and comfortable, like how long of a span was that?
23:23 - Kyle (Guest)
oh, I'm not. I don't feel really good and comfortable yet I don't think really I, I think, yeah, yeah, I would goodness, okay, yeah, okay I could, always. I could definitely be better. I mean hell I could.
23:33 - Mel (Host)
I could have done better at playing what I played last night, you know that's true, but what I mean is like what you're making a living doing it, you've like you're this is your life, so like there was a point where you had to be like trust in yourself and be like, yeah, I'm, I'm good enough to do this uh yeah, trust in yourself and be stubborn too.
23:53 - Kyle (Guest)
Maybe you know okay stubborn, stubborn enough to just keep showing up and keep doing it again and again and again. You know uh I mean, like I said I was, I was playing with my friends. You know I had when I, when I started playing banjo, I had already been in in like, like.
24:08
When I say bands, I mean like basement punk rock bands yeah, my buddies, yeah, it's not like real bands or any or anything like that, but we made real music, you know, uh, and it was loud but we but you know so. So the jamming with people element of me playing the banjo has been like in it from the very beginning, I guess that's what I'm trying to say so you know, I mean I started playing gigs.
24:31
I mean I probably was was playing banjo on a, on little local gigs within within three or four months of of picking one up for the very first time. But like I said I had already, I was already familiar with all these other things like we just talked about and I like had the bug man, I had it so bad.
24:51
Um, my, my, uh, senior year of high school, they did what was called block scheduling, so you had like four classes for a semester and then four classes for another semester, right, so you know, like half the like four different classes for the next half of the year or whatever.
25:07
And, uh, so you had to have two real classes like math and social studies or whatever, and then two that you get to choose for the first half, and then the same thing happened for the second half. My, the, I had got to have a good relationship with the band instructor at my high school and I wasn't in the band. I had been in the band playing trumpet and French horn and shit, when I was like in ninth grade and I hated it and I sucked so bad. But but even, even through all that, I kept I made a real good relationship with the band director, you know. And, and I had through my whole time in high school. So for my life, my senior year of high school, he, he put me in the schedule both semesters for two courses of band every day. So I had like math and social studies and band and band.
25:51
And then the second semester I had, like whatever the two other things you have to have, that I don't remember where they are and band and band. And I wasn't in the band. You know, lucky me I don't have anything to do for half of my day of high school, you know, but I was at school and there was a room next to the band room that I could hang out in and I just took the banjo to school with every day.
26:11 - Mel (Host)
I mean, I spent my whole senior year of high school basically learning to play the banjo at school you got to woodshed at school I got to woodshed at school, yeah, because my, because the band director was super cool that's like on the job, like paid training or something you know, not paid, but like if you would have had to pay for lessons. You know what I mean.
26:31 - Kyle (Guest)
Like that totally for that amount of time you know, I had like I had like four hours a day to you know, and there was uh, there was a streaming. There was like music streaming. This was 2000, 2004, when I graduated, so this is like 2003 when this happening. You know, there wasn't really like you could still download music, but there wasn't um like spotify or anything like that out. But there was this website called uh radio free, ymsb, and it was a streaming service of tapes of of shows like yonder mount string band. They had a yonder mount string band radio and a john hartford radio um station where they just played bootlegs. I don't know what their archive was. It may have been from archiveorg or something like that, but they just streamed from this one little website. You know all these live shows and you couldn't download them, you couldn't pick them and listen to them. I don't think. I think you just had to stream it, you know you just put it on there and tape.
27:28
Yeah, you just put it on. Listen to it right you had to be at the computer, you know, so I would. I would sit there and and have a tape recorder going for that thing and just like, sit in school and listen to john hartford tapes, listen to john hartford live shows, like tape the songs that I liked and learn to play them and shit. It was really cool, wow you created your own curriculum.
27:48 - Aaron (Host)
I did yeah, can you imagine if they would have let us do that? We were just well okay. Could you imagine? I mean, I stuck.
27:55 - Kyle (Guest)
I stuck outside and smoked weed.
27:56 - Mel (Host)
That's part of that, was also part of the deal, not part of the deal, but that's also part of my curriculum, Got it. This is a great argument for letting kids plan their own day. You know, like with the right frame of mind, I mean because you said you really had a hunger for it. So like, with the right attention to something and focus like look at what you can create. I mean it seems like you're living a pretty fun, rewarding life.
28:25 - Kyle (Guest)
It's not, I can't complain.
28:30 - Apple (Host)
Did you ever go back? Did you get the opportunity to thank that band teacher or anything after the fact?
28:38 - Kyle (Guest)
I haven't seen him in many, many years. So no, not really. His name is Tim Kieser. He's an awesome dude, thanks.
28:46 - Apple (Host)
Tim. Yeah, thank you, tim. Good job years so uh, so no, not really. Uh, his name is tim keeser. He's, he's an awesome dude, um.
28:48 - Kyle (Guest)
thanks, tim yeah, yeah, thank you. Good job.
28:49 - Aaron (Host)
You know um, yeah, but uh, yeah let me, let me ask you a heavy question are you happy?
28:56 - Kyle (Guest)
yeah, am I happy, am I happy doing? Doing doing the with music and and doing this, doing what I'm doing the way I'm doing it, the way I'm doing it, the way you're doing it.
29:04 - Mel (Host)
I like that.
29:05 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, I, you know, I am, and I and it's, it's, it's, I'm, really, I'm, I'm extremely. I've worked super, I've worked super, duper hard, but I'm also still extremely lucky. I mean, there's no, there's, no, there's. The two are not inseparable. I don't think to be in the position that I'm in, you know, right now to be, to get to be in the band that I'm in with the people that I'm in in it with, and the relationship that we all have with each other, the golden highway situation is just really it's a special, cool thing. Um, and that's not lost on me, you know, that's not, it's not just some other gig right uh, I've been working a long time and never had a situation like that before, you know.
29:49
So, yeah, but I'm, but yeah, I'm happy. I'm exhausted sometimes, but I am happy because I've been in Nashville now for 12 years I guess, and you know it's been a long journey to get to where I'm at. I mean, I'm not at the finishing spot of it or of my goal of it or anything by any means, but there was a long time where I wasn't really getting to work. It wasn't really just getting, you know, play music that fit my life and and and have it feel like it's on my terms as much as it is. Yeah, maybe now you know what I mean, because now I can release my own music. I mean, I just put out that record and and, uh, people like it.
30:42
It seems like it's so fucking good yeah and and some we did like eight shows and some people came out like there's people like singing along to some of these songs that had been out for like four days at this point, you know, and I was just like blown away by that, so that that kind of thing will make you happy.
31:00 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah.
31:01 - Kyle (Guest)
When you, when you do and when you do in this, this life, which does kick your ass, I mean, there's no question about it. If you want to try to make a living in professional music, it is going to kick your ass, uh, both physically and emotionally. You know, um, beat your heart up pretty good when you care anything does, when you care so much about about it, you know, and when you put your, your sort of livelihood on the line up there with your art sort of that's like a sort of bold and kind of stupid thing to do with your life or a person to do with their life, you know, um, but uh, and I think that's kind of why I said stubborn instead that thing about being stubborn early, earlier, you know, um, but yeah, that's, but uh, but uh it's.
31:46
you know, I I'm starting to feel like I do do some like a lot, like I have some control, uh, in in the way this all goes down to a little bit and to a little degree, and that feels really cool. You know, it hasn't always felt that way. That's a pretty new feeling for me, I guess. Congratulations, brother.
32:01 - Aaron (Host)
You deserve it, man. It's, you know there's. There's a lot of people playing music and to be seen and heard is it all by itself a feat, but to do it with class and and have talent like you have, you know, and have worked as hard as you have, you deserve it, brother. It's, it's, you know, it's. That's the way it should be. If you put in the work, yeah, yeah you get the. Thing it's but that as an artist, that's not always the case yeah, that's, and I mean shucks, thank you very much.
32:32 - Kyle (Guest)
Y'all gonna make me blush over here, um, but uh, but you're right, man, and that's that's sort of what I was saying, trying to say too. It's not lost on me. Like a lot of people work their whole, their whole career and don't get to do any of the things that golden highway is getting to do right now, I mean, we're going for one hell of a ride and it's uh, and it's. It's just crazy to me, it's still surprising to me all the time. You know, I mean, start to look back at the calendar, like oh yeah, that's the stuff I did last year.
32:56 - Apple (Host)
Like holy shit you know, congratulations on that too. The grammy win, wait, wait. I was watching the grammys, I jumped up and almost punched the light over me, because I said you were in. I mean, you're in the category with all those people that were in that category and when they say it was like holy shit, like like you, did it, man, and your reaction you posted of watching it on your Instagram was it was awesome too.
33:22 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, it was. That's a. It still doesn't feel real, you know still doesn't feel real. You know I don't have the grammy in the mail yet, so I so it still doesn't feel real. But but yeah, that category, I mean just just even being on that, on that list of people. I mean, for god's sakes, you know willie and billy and, uh, mighty poplar and michael cleveland and you know all that yeah the happy group baila won the one right before us.
33:46
what was super cool for me is that is that, uh, the category right before us. What was super cool for me is that is that, uh, the category right before us was, um, uh, some world music or something like that, I'm not really sure world folk or something, but uh, Bela flex record his most recent record with Zakir Hussain and uh Edgar. Meyer the flute, the flutist whose name I'm blanking on and I apologize to that person because, they're totally up there and on their name is on the billing and it's
34:12
just as bad-ass as those other cats, but that was nominated and that won the category right before us. You know, and to me Bela is like my, like a huge inspiration. I mean like my, my sort of guru, you know. I mean I know that's true for many banjo players, but but he, um, is hugely influential to me and I'm I'm such a nerd for him, you know, he's like the only person that I like freak, I like fanboy and like get weird around yeah uh, but it was so cool that he uh, he, because basically the reason that I even think the grammys are cool is because bella has so many.
34:46
You know that, like the grammys, of course, are cool I'm not dissing on the Grammys but, like as a banjo player, you never consider, you would never, I would never consider that I could, that would ever be an option, probably to be like in that mentioned in that world, win an award in that like music that's real and famous and big and part of the industry, not just bluegrass.
35:13
You know, I mean, it's a bluegrass grammy. It's not on the televised part, but you know what I'm saying oh man. But but learning, you know, when I was a kid, when I was young and and getting into bluegrass and learning about bella and studying all that stuff, and learning that he, at least at the time, and probably still has more grammys in more categories than anybody else. So like he doesn't have the most grammys, but he's got the most category, he's got a bunch of grammys right and they're in more categories than anyone else.
35:38
And I was just like damn, that is so cool man, he's a grammy award, grammy award winning banjo player. Like that's so very inspiring to me and like what if I could get one? And here we are and he won the one right before us. That's what I was trying to say. It's just so, so, wildly full circle that they literally give him one and then give us one. It's just like he's the whole reason that I think it's cool.
36:00 - Aaron (Host)
So what's the guy's name, though?
36:02 - Mel (Host)
um well, the album was as we speak as we speak that was amazing, um, aaron and I had gone to the concert for that album and it was like I've never seen anything like that before. It was like another world, it was like a portal, but anyway, you guys came.
36:17 - Apple (Host)
They came home, their eyes were like why? It was like, did you guys go do a bunch of drugs? They're like, no, not tonight. Well, we just saw.
36:24 - Mel (Host)
Rakesh Charasia.
36:28 - Kyle (Guest)
Okay, cool, rakesh Charasia. That dude is bad to the bone.
36:31 - Mel (Host)
He's amazing he changes, like the entire vibration of the room. The air changes in the place, it like turned so serious and not in a like bad way, but it just was like there's no playing around right now.
36:45 - Kyle (Guest)
This is yes.
36:48 - Mel (Host)
And I mean, do you think about that with your music, like when you're playing, the kind of feeling that you're I don't want to say giving, but that you're emoting, how does that happen? Like you're just, you're playing because you love it, you're playing because you're practicing, you're playing because you're getting paid to whatever. How does it come for you? It's just because of the love. Like, how does how does your emotion come through? Yeah, just because of the love. That's a really good way to.
37:14 - Kyle (Guest)
That's a really good way to put it, mel, I think, yeah, I just I love it, I love it, I love, I love playing music, I love doing it, I love, I love hearing it, I love, you know, watching it. I love, I love, you know. Being in the crowd watching a band, I said I think you know, I've had a lot of um, a lot of, uh, you know, formative, important experiences, uh, uh, things, moments that, uh, that are, you know, things that are important, memories that I have and stuff like that. So I know what it is like when it's done. Well, you know from this, from out here.
37:58
So now, if I'm up there doing it, you know, I mean at least at least there's some awareness. I'm not I'm not going to say like that's like the stuff I'm thinking about, that's not really what I'm like thinking about while I'm playing notes on the banjo, but there's there, I have an awareness of what a good show is or something. But and so you got to think about that to some degree, I guess, at least if you're getting paid, maybe, if you're not getting paid.
38:23 - Mel (Host)
You know it changes depending on what you're doing. Yeah, yeah, but, but it's but I understand the question, right, you?
38:29 - Aaron (Host)
you know what I mean.
38:30 - Mel (Host)
Like, just like that thing that and you answered it perfectly. I just but I, but I'm not, but I'm not done. Oh, perfect.
38:38 - Kyle (Guest)
I that that. Still, most importantly, it's the love of it. You know, and just trying to, and like when you get in the, when you get in the in the feet, you know sometimes it's easy to get worn down or something like that. But but once the music start, even between songs, you might be like, but once the, once the music is coming out of your hands and and try, and I try and um, have that be the source of what I'm pulling from.
39:17 - Mel (Host)
You know what I'm saying yeah, yeah, I feel what you're saying not like, not like.
39:21 - Kyle (Guest)
Oh, I hope I do a good job. I mean, there's like, there's a little bit of like I hope I don't mess this up. There's a little bit of like, oh, like I practiced this cool lick, maybe I'll try it right now. You know, uh, music school, shit like that. You know because I went to music school too for a while.
39:35 - Mel (Host)
But um, it's beyond that. It sounds like yeah, but.
39:39 - Kyle (Guest)
But I'm trying. That's not the thing I'm trying to think about when I'm up there doing it. I'm trying to think about what's what's right here, and and uh and and connect and listen. You know, look, look and listen. Read the room. Read the room.
39:52 - Aaron (Host)
You know what, though, I think I think coming up listening to the dead is the thing for me that showed me that that was even a thing that was like the first. Oh, this isn't an ego-driven trip, this is something else, and that's when my perception of what playing music could actually be changed, and it's a completely different animal than like when we were coming up, like any stupid metal band that we used to see. I can't think of any.
40:36
Iron Maiden whatever, it's great, it's good music. It's still listen to Maiden today. It holds up, it's great. It's not the same thing, though, when you put on Terrapin Station or really good Warfat, and it takes you to that place and all the hair stands up on your arm.
40:54 - Mel (Host)
Or maybe it's just a different place.
40:58 - Aaron (Host)
I think it's where the music's coming from, is the source of that thing is is just a different vibration I don't know how else to say it and and I think that the success that you're seeing right now is because of that, not and and, like you said, their luck sure is a huge part of it. You know, there's other people that are doing the same thing, that may never get to have a grammy, you know. But I think knowing the difference between the two things and then having the gratitude for where you're at is the key, because otherwise you're just a, I don't know.
41:40 - Apple (Host)
Well, that's what you're saying. You visually perform kyle as you. You're one of the much more animated, colorful players up on the stage most of the time and and you like your love comes through. You look so happy up there playing and you're very colorful and animated. You make it a lot more fun to watch. I love all bluegrass but a lot of times it's just, you know it's very stationary and you know, just jamming you, you, you bring a different like color and fun to it. That is just amazing to listen to and watch, oh man thanks, apple, I appreciate that yeah um, yeah, no, it's fun.
42:21 - Kyle (Guest)
That's what I'm talking about. The fun, the love of it, the fun of it. That's like what I'm trying to, what I'm trying to draw, that's what I'm trying to share. Uh, well, that's the point I'm I want to get across, trying to draw, that's what I'm trying to share. Uh, that's the point I'm I want to get across. If there's a point to get across, yeah, in, in, in what I'm doing. You know and like and like you said, uh, aaron, it's like I, the grateful dead's a lot. Where I learned that from, too. You know, because, like you, just because you know, you listen to all these the culture of tapes, listening to live shows, listening for the differences, the things that happen different instead of the, instead of the things that happen the same all the time, and you get a feel for, like man, when something happens different and you hear the crowd you put.
43:03
You know on those on an old dead tape man, yeah, it's like that's the, that's another moment where the hair stands up on the back of your neck, you know, and it's just like so there, so we, we always chase, we always chasing to me, you're always chasing, I'm always chasing those moments, you know, uh, because that's the shit, man, that's the best yeah, I mean, what better to chase?
43:29 - Mel (Host)
you know that's like that's a feeling that you get and it's also like a shared feeling that we all feel. So it's so the whole room goes up, you know, and it's like you just, you just know it and you're like damn that's cool and you remember it forever.
43:43 - Kyle (Guest)
We're all in this together, you know yeah we're all, because it's a thing that we are all doing it together. I'm, you know it's, it takes, there's, there's, there's information and emotion being sent both ways from between the stage and the crowd, you know, and at a good, at a good show, and in a good, one of those moments, that's when it's like goes that energy, just goes into a circle in it and it all is there, you know, but it's like yeah, we're, we got, we got stuff for you and you got stuff for us, you know.
44:12 - Mel (Host)
Yeah, that's a good way to put it, that hive mind.
44:16 - Aaron (Host)
Whatever that is, I've been trying to figure it out for 35 years.
44:23 - Kyle (Guest)
I still don't know what it is, but that's, it's magic. It's magic. Yeah, it's cool, yeah, yeah, that's that's no, that's what we all chasing.
44:27 - Aaron (Host)
It's the it's the best shit ever. Like, if I look I you're saying that and I'm kind of like looking around the room and I'm like all the artwork that's in here, like all the important shit, is all like mile markers of one of those moments for us. Do you know?
44:44 - Mel (Host)
what I mean Like oh yeah, there's there.
44:54 - Aaron (Host)
Know what I mean? Like, oh yeah, there's. There's the thing from fish at the gorge and the hair stands up, oh, I know. And there's corno 77 and boom, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, and that to me, when I'm, however, old and laying on my deathbed, the stuff that I'm going to remember is those moments of connection with that, with the thing that was bigger than who I am. You know it's not going to be well, I own a really cool car.
45:12 - Apple (Host)
I got a bunch of money in the bank.
45:15 - Aaron (Host)
It's going to be those moments. So tell me, kyle, about a little bit, about recording labor of lust.
45:24 - Kyle (Guest)
Um, that, uh, so that record, um, was recorded over a couple of years. It was a couple of different recording sessions with a couple of different bands over, starting in 2018. Some of it's as old as 2018, just a couple of tracks, um, and then the, and then about a third of it came in 2020, um, beginning of 2020, right before everything shut down, and then the rest of it came in 2021 okay uh and uh and then so it's basically been done since 2021.
46:03
I mean, you know there's mixing and editing and stuff, mastering and stuff like that to be done, but the bulk of the bulk of the singing and playing on it, you know, has been done for a while. Um, and I was just waiting to tour. I waited, waited to put it out because I really wanted to release it with a with a tour. You know, um, even a small tour, I did like eight shows, um, so uh, yeah, but but uh, making it, yeah, it was I.
46:28
I thought over time I thought it would be an ep first and then I thought, you know, I, I never and I uh had different plans for it over the years and then eventually it just I, I kept never putting it out and I kept recording more music and it's like, okay, well, I guess we got a full-length record, let's get longer now growing and growing, exactly yeah who who's the, who's the or who wrote um.
46:50 - Aaron (Host)
Ground speed is that earl scruggs that's okay.
46:53 - Apple (Host)
Okay, we're trying for it. We, which we probably could have looked up, we were like who did this cover?
46:58 - Aaron (Host)
I think that one and and scorch on the porch are are my favorites off right yeah, man, it's, it's, it's so good. And in the last, like I don't know, I want to say since, like 2017, 2016, there's been a lot more interest in bluegrass. It seems like the scene around bluegrass has kind of gone a little more mainstream than than just not yeah and totally. Do you think that has helped you or or hindered you?
47:39 - Kyle (Guest)
helped for sure. That's, that's a, that's there's, that's good.
47:43
You know, bluegrass there was like it was pretty, it's a pretty like fringe world bluegrass you know, until historically, you know, from the beginning of the thing, I mean, flatt Scruggs had a little bit of popular. You know, you got Flatt Scruggs on the Beverly Hillbillies. That was like the first sort of bump for real public eye bump for bluegrass. And then in 2000,. You know the oh Brother when Art Thou thing, that was another gigantic bump for it. You know the uh, a brother where art out thing, that was another gigantic bump for for it, you know. But now I think we're, I think we're sort of experiencing another one of those right now. You know, I mean, beyonce just put out a Dolly Parton track and and she's got banjo on that one. Uh, you know, rhiannon Giddens is playing banjo on that one track of hers and um, that's uh, I, you know, I think that's, it's great, that's good for, that's good for us all, that's, you know, that's good for everyone. And it and it eventually, you know, makes more connections back to the roots.
48:38
What's cool about roots music is the, is, um, the way that the, that uh, you know, people are going to check out that Beyonce track and then be like, oh, who's Dolly Parton? And then they're going to go look up Dolly Parton. They're going to be like, oh, this is cool. Well, what's what you know? You know, inevitably you're going to like see, like somebody somebody who's a grown up, some young person who's grown up as a Beyonce fan is like about watching Dolly and Porter singing Milwaukee. Here I come with like rhinestones and the big hair and like that's probably a thousand somebodies that, like a thousand somebodies that, like Beyonce, are about to end up in that exact position and probably like at least five of them are going to be like this shit is awesome. You know, and and and and and. Then you got a Dolly fan because you know. You got a Porter Wagner fan because of Beyonce. I mean, that's good for the momentum of this whole thing, just keeping on moving forward and growing and bringing more people into the fold.
49:43 - Aaron (Host)
I can't remember the cat's name that we talked to, the super fast flat picker that we talked to Eddie.
49:54 - Apple (Host)
Yeah, jake, eddie, yeah.
49:55 - Mel (Host)
Jake.
49:56 - Kyle (Guest)
Eddie, jake, eddie, yeah, oh yeah. I don't really know Jake, but I know who he is.
50:00 - Aaron (Host)
So he had a really unique outlook. Kind of asked you the question, man, because His, his outlook and take on it was Kind of guarded as far as like Bluegrass and roots music. He was like you know, I'm down to teach anybody Because he teaches lessons and does homestays and all that stuff he's like. But I feel like this music kind of belongs To the people that have lived it and it should only do you guys remember that yes.
50:35
And I thought that was such a weird. Like totally respect his opinion, Sure, but it seemed weird to me. I was like, well, shit, if you love a thing, like, why wouldn't you want to share it with as many people as possible? You know?
50:51 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, yeah, that's kind of, you know, I mean I, I, you know I do, I definitely you. I wouldn't want to get into any making anybody feel like it was like appropriated or something. You know you're like taking this music and and putting it in some place it's not supposed to be or or something. But but to me, um, there's a lot of respect to tradition it's. It's just, it's sort of like like for me personally that I respect the tradition. But what I'm trying to say is I think, and I get the impression, um, that, uh, respect, respect for the tradition of where the music came from, and sort of a nod of the hat to the people that made it first, the people that Jake's probably talking about, you know, is just sort of inherently a component of sharing it, you know.
51:46
Of sharing it with new people Like you don't. To me, those aren't those that you you know what I'm saying that comes along, that's part of it. Sharing it, sharing it with anyone, is a uh. A part of that is is a nod of the hat to the people that made it, and so that's uh. I in my, to me, I think I can only think that's good.
52:06
I mean, I can't really see a way in which you're going to hinder something and maybe it gets watered down, maybe someone else's new versions of songs. The further down the line you get from people that understand the real music, the real timing and tone elements of bluegrass music, of like really making it sound right, like the way you strum your guitar, instead of, like someone that comes from a rock and roll background, it doesn't necessarily have this. These same timing and tone elements might strum an acoustic guitar a different way and that's not or a banjo or mandolin or whatever, and that's not as true to the sound you you know. So that so like, technically speaking, so the music could be getting watered down maybe three or four times down the line you the, the song has lost a bit of what it might have if you heard it in North Carolina, picked by somebody on the front porch.
53:01
But I don't think that's a bad thing because the other one still exists, you know and it always will always will and and and also like the yeah, it's hard to say, I mean, we don't, none of us really that music is so old most of blue there's, there's new songs being wrote in bluegrass and stuff like that but um, most of it is so old. It's like about a life that, like I don't know, I, I don't really none of us really lived in the cabin, little cabin home on the hill, you know, I mean I would love to have, but I didn't, you know.
53:40 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah, I'm shooting for that, I know, I know for a fact. Yeah, totally.
53:44 - Kyle (Guest)
That's where we want to end up.
53:46 - Apple (Host)
I was going to say I know that Jake had.
53:53 - Mel (Host)
His thing was definitely about the respect of where it came from and like it being the music of where they were. You know, like in in that totally.
53:59 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah, so I don't, I don't think he meant it to be contrary or anything.
54:03 - Mel (Host)
I just felt like like you were saying, kyle, it's like a very respectful thing, but again, like you, learning and sharing that music, that is respect and and when you try to emulate something or try to practice something, you know, that's also kind of a show of admiration and and respect you know totally, yeah, yeah, imitate.
54:21 - Aaron (Host)
Imitation is the biggest form of flattery yeah, man, and music's meant to be shared Well and also taking an art form in its traditional form, learning it and then doing something new with it is the definition of art right.
54:40 - Kyle (Guest)
And it takes and like that's sort of what you're saying. It's like there's we're experiencing, you know, since maybe the, since the, since about 2018, 17, 16, something like that, there's been a sort of another bump in bluegrass. You know, since maybe the, since the since about 2018, 17, 16, something like that, there's been a sort of another another bump in bluegrass, you know, and so that along with any kind of bump like that, obviously is going to come some of those experimentations and and crossover projects and stuff like that. But yeah, I think that's. I think that's how the music grows, you know, and some things stick and some things don't.
55:08
I mean, you got you go back and listen to. You know, there's there's in there's. There's times, and there's times in bluegrass where, uh, where it became popular to mix, to mix certain things certain ways, you know, covered it, soaked in reverb and and with some of these drum sounds that the osman brothers use and stuff, and it's like some of that stuff was like spaghetti at the wall and it didn't stick. We don't like, we don't still do that. They did that for a little while, but we don't do that now Cause we don't.
55:36
It didn't. It wasn't the the, quite the thing, you know, but they tried, they tried it out, you know. And Bill Monroe's band, I mean, he had an accordion before he had Earl Scruggs join the band in 1945, he had a two-finger banjo player, snuffy Jenkins, and he had Stringbean, I think, played in the band too, and Grandpa Jones, I think, probably had even played a show in the band and there was an accordion. So they were just like. Bill was an innovator man. Bill Monroe was an absolute innovator, and especially later in his life, you know, he claimed it all as if he had done it, then it was bluegrass. And if you're not, if you didn't do it like him, then it wasn't really bluegrass. But, dude, you used to have an accordion in the band.
56:22 - Mel (Host)
I mean, it started out with jugs and stuff like we're all it's okay, we're all.
56:26 - Aaron (Host)
Those experiments have been there since the beginning well, and and let's I mean, take it even a step further bands like the chieftains and, and you know, traditional irish music and all that like that transformed when it came here into, you know, the americana and the stuff that was happening then, and then that transformed into bluegrass. And now we're further down the road and and I think that's kind of rad to see, to be able to look back through time and see a progression of a thing as it morphs and grows and changes, and see where we're at now with what you do and like the kitchen dwellers and yonder and green sky, like all these bands that are made bluegrass, psychedelic, like. What a fucking amazing rad thing, yeah, yes.
57:19 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I love it, you know, obviously that's that's that's definitely like my cup of tea, you know, and I recognize that it's not everyone's cup of tea and that's, and that's fine. It doesn't, it doesn't, uh, doesn't. I don't think one's better than the other stylistically or whatever, but it's, it's, um, it's. It's very cool that that's a more sort of acceptable and and more common thing to see these days, you know I mean yonder, yonder Mountain String Band changed the game.
57:51
They were the real, they were the first ones to do it, to take a string band to that volume. You know nobody had played, nobody had played those four instruments quite for that many people at that volume, like without drums and still singing three part harmonies and stuff. You know they really that's they. And with the light show, and and the and they, you know I mean they, really they changed, they totally changed the game between like 2000,. You know two and 2006,. Really, I mean between 2000,.
58:29
I saw him in 2003. Um, I saw him on my 18th birthday at the georgia theater, uh, in athens, and you know that was like I don't know how they, they, maybe it was sold out, I don't even know. I, I think I don't know if it was probably sold out, but you know that's like, that's like 400 seats or something, 500 seats. I don't even know. I, I think I don't know if it was probably sold out, but you know that's like, that's like 400 seats or something, 500 seats, I don't know. I mean, it was a time it was a small room for them. Then, like four or five years later, they're playing three nights at red rocks. You know I mean that's like no string band. String bands had not played three nights at red rocks at that volume with a light show. You know and I think.
59:05
so we have them to to thank. Thank, you know, and and that's it's cool, cause that came right after the oh brother, where art thou thing, you know. So they really lucked out in in that way because, like you got in 2000, that record comes out and the very first recorded shows of the on-demand string band are like 1999, fall of 1999 or something like that. So they were forming probably hell, probably partially because of that, you know, to be honest, I mean, they probably, they probably saw that and had a little bit of the bug too, you know. And then and then being able to combine that stuff with the dead, being able to grab the dead heads and give them a place in bluegrass, and then and then, or really re re, establish their place in bluegrass, since Olden in the Way had not been a thing, I think we have them to thank.
59:55 - Aaron (Host)
And there's that luck thing again.
59:59 - Mel (Host)
I was just going to say what do you think luck is? Kyle Shit, because not in every interview do we talk about the same thing or the same point keeps coming up, but luck has come up several, actually like six or seven times, and I just wonder what, what you make of it, what do you think in your head, like how do you reason it or how do you explain it?
01:00:24 - Kyle (Guest)
Oh, I try not to think too hard about that. I don't think.
01:00:28 - Mel (Host)
About luck.
01:00:29 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, cause it'll drive you crazy, trying to, you know, trying to wish, wishing you had it or something, I don't know. Uh, you know, I, I think that we make our own luck. I mean, uh, in a big way. That's like I said I keep saying about being stubborn, you know, but just like showing, just um, just showing up and doing it again. I think luck, luck favors the dumb, because we just keep on trying, just keep on trying shit, you know, and and that's uh, and I think, and that's what I mean, I guess, to say that we make our own luck.
01:01:04
You know, I've had, I've had some incredible opportunities, uh, come my way in life, um, and some that I've been able to capitalize on and some that I haven't. You know, some that I've missed the boat on, and I, and I still still think often, sometimes, you know like, oh man, what if I'd have made this different decision? I might have been you. You know, whatever I could have, I would have been in that band or I wouldn't have, I would have been in this other band or I wouldn't have ended up at this. Whatever, you know, it's hard it's hard to say.
01:01:36
But but you know, all of those opportunities ultimately happened because I was there at the place at the time, showing up, doing the shows, being the being, trying to be true to what I want, I guess you know, like I said earlier, like trying to do it on your own terms or something.
01:01:57
I don't really know exactly what I'm trying to say, but but, like when I moved to nashville, you know, I was like trying to be a sideman, trying to like I wasn't sure exactly what I was trying to do. I went to music school for a little while and then I moved to Nashville and I was just like trying to get in a band, trying to be a side man, trying to get gigs. You know what I mean. I had short hair and I was all clean cut and I wore a plaid button up shirt and and and and showed up and played a million other people's songs on a million gigs, you know, and a million bands that were fun and really cool and taught me a lot, um, but weren't weren't like big stage, big things, you know yeah um and uh.
01:02:36
So the, you know, I just kept on doing it. So the all those opportunities that have come my way have just been because I like the, the, the old, uh, you know the thing must be present to win they say with your with your lottery ticket or whatever with your raffle ticket must be present to win with your, with your lottery ticket or whatever with your raffle ticket must be present to win.
01:02:52
But but I think I mean that to me that kind of that is a. It's a, it's funny but it's. But that's true, you know how you.
01:03:00 - Mel (Host)
I mean, if it's like it's just just keep you if you're the one that gets the opportunity in the end, sooner or later. That's a damn good name for an album or a song.
01:03:16 - Apple (Host)
What must be must be present to win no shit yeah totally I'm curious about, kind of in this vein of what we're talking about, you you've taken, you've had a lot of opportunities taking the stage with a lot of different people and is is there, is there any? Do you have a? Is there anybody on your like, on your list, that you would love to play with that you haven't.
01:03:37 - Kyle (Guest)
Um, yeah, yeah, but you know, probably dell. I mean, you know, I've never, I've never actually I get. I get to play with the mccurry's a lot, with ronnie and rob and the traveling mccurry's and all those guys um, uh, but you know, I've never picked one with dell. I think that would be pretty cool.
01:03:56
Um, yeah that's a good pick, I've, I've uh, I mean I've, I've. It's hard to say you know, I've, gotten've, gotten. Sitting in with a band is always different. You know things are different. Sometimes it's really cool and you have a really great, important musical connection moment with the people on stage. Sometimes the sound is just crazy and it's a very last minute and you don't know the song as well and it's just there's a million things, there's a million things. So it can be this incredible spectrum from this awesomely profound event to just kind of so-so and actually a little bit annoying.
01:04:36
And unfortunately it doesn't matter. It's not like the big, famous, fancy one that you want to be is good and a lesser important one not that they're, they're all the same, but you know, it's like it doesn't matter. That is there's. How important it is or how nice the place is, has nothing to do with if it's going to end up on the good or bad side of that spectrum or how good, yeah, yeah or so, um, but I've, but I've been able to, um, to sit in with, uh, with bayla's band doing the the my bluegrass heart show, and it was like a super band. It wasn't just like me, you know, it was like all the golden highway, it was out there and and stuff. But still, I mean, I was like dude, I'm like standing right next to bella and wow and playing in his show, playing his song in his show, like playing banjo next to him.
01:05:21 - Mel (Host)
That's just like yeah did you see him like do anything, dope that you like that, like stood what stood out to you, like watching him play uh you know, I don't remember like it like technique or licks or anything.
01:05:38 - Kyle (Guest)
I don't remember anything, anything particularly that stood out from that time. You know, I mean I remember it being awesome. I remember that we played Whitewater and like when he took the, we all took turns playing solos and like when he took one, like I didn't play the banjo and I just like sat there and looked at him and it was totally badass. But I've been lucky enough to too, to get to play, to be around Bela a handful of times and study with him a little bit, oh cool. So I have moments like that. I had maybe already had some of those moments so like that wasn't the thing that was on my radar, maybe when.
01:06:19
I was doing that show with him.
01:06:20 - Apple (Host)
You know what I'm saying Wait, I got another question. Another question too, going back to the very beginning of your musical upbringing and stuff. I'm just curious but did yeah growing up learning banjo guitar starting young? Uh, did you and molly play a lot together as kids, or did that come later in life?
01:06:47 - Kyle (Guest)
this is a piece of trivia, information that everybody is always trying to work out, and I do like to keep a shrouded veil of around the whole thing, but we are not related oh okay, I didn't know that, nope or are they or no? Uh, no, we, we, uh no, we're not so um, you know.
01:07:17 - Aaron (Host)
So that's, I can't answer that so then no, okay, the answer is no so no, I guess the answer is no yeah, we did not play together so I met her.
01:07:25 - Kyle (Guest)
I met molly at berkeley. We we all of the band all the golden highway band, was at berkeley in around in and around 2010. I guess all except for shelby means was the bass player was not attending berkeley but she was in another band, delamay, that was based in Boston at the time, so she was like up there. I met Shelby in Boston also, so around 2010,.
01:07:48 - Aaron (Host)
We all knew each other, got to know each other back then you said earlier you know you've played in a lot of bands, you've played with a lot of people. You said but this situation with the Golden Highway is different, unique. What about it makes it so?
01:08:06 - Kyle (Guest)
Well, a big part of it is. That is like is what I was just saying. It's like we met, we all met and played together in jam sessions and stuff. You know 14, 12, 12, 13, 14 years ago you know, was.
01:08:20
It was when those, those friendships were, those musical relationships were formed, you know, uh, so, so, and I don't think any of us I'm I'm sure there was never one jam session of us all at the same time back then. I know that, I just know that never happened. Um, but, uh, and it's not like we were like, oh, maybe one day we should have a band in 15 years you know, but, but.
01:08:46
But that's what happened, you know. So it's just, it's just really it's like, it's like I feel like it's like summer camp vibes, you know, they're like, they're like my, they're like my brothers and sisters, I mean, it really feels that way you know, which is cool because, like I said, I've been in a lot of bands, I've traveled, and you get to know people.
01:09:10
You know when you travel down the road with them, no matter what the project is, and I'm a people person, so I like to, I'm social and I like to get to know people and I've spent a lot of time in a lot of vans with a lot of people over the last whatever 15 years, 20 years, but this one, it's cool, man, it just feels like family. We get along really well and there's a really cool history and shared and shared a group of experiences that creates our situation, you know. And then we've, and we've all worked with each other on other projects. You know, there's there's a bunch of, there's just a bunch, and, and all of all of the, everyone in the band's significant Others is also good dear friends of all of ours and we're really well connected. That's family.
01:10:08
And they're all killer musicians, so we have a joke of them. They have a band.
01:10:13 - Mel (Host)
They have their own band.
01:10:16 - Kyle (Guest)
And it's like they'd be as good as us. You know they may. We may have to take them out to open for us or something sometimes. So, just that kind of stuff is. It's um, it's cool, it's special.
01:10:26 - Mel (Host)
It's not always like that when you're when you're making music with people no man, I mean that's like the the that's deep on top of deep, because when you, when you have when you have a musical connection with somebody, that's awesome. But then when you share a history and you have music connection, and then you said you all worked on each other's product or side projects, so like you have that other half now too, like that's deep.
01:10:48 - Kyle (Guest)
And it goes back, you know, and Dominic plays on my new. Dominic plays mandolin on labor or lust. He also plays mandolin on the Bobcat record that I put out in 2016. Okay, so you know, that's like, that's like, uh, and he's been on tour now in my band, you know, so we got, and Bronwyn's been on tour in my band, uh, plenty of times. Shelby's, everyone's, everyone in in in Molly Tuttle's band has also been in the Kyle Tuttle band at least once, except for Molly, I guess.
01:11:18 - Apple (Host)
But she sat in.
01:11:19 - Kyle (Guest)
she sat in with me, so still you know uh yeah, Watching in with me so still, you know, wow, yeah, watching watching bronwyn play is one of life's great joys. Yeah, she's a shredder and you know, it's just so cool man she probably wouldn't mind me saying it when she uh, when I met her at at berkeley in 2010 or whatever, she was like an irish fiddle player man. She was killing irish. She all all the, all the cool ornaments. That's a style. It's like a very specific style.
01:11:48
It's not like bluegrass, you know right and she was like awesome at that and like learning, like checking, like getting exposed to what bluegrass is and like look at her now she's a literally a champion yeah, wow, fiddle player Grammy winner.
01:12:02 - Aaron (Host)
Okay. So last question Uh, you can go back to any grateful dead show.
01:12:21 - Kyle (Guest)
What would it be? Oh dude, that's an impossible question.
01:12:25 - Apple (Host)
That might be the best answer. It's the golden ticket. You got like five seconds.
01:12:30 - Kyle (Guest)
I think, dude, I think I would say probably. I'm trying to remember the date Like it's like December 15 or something of 87, when Jerry, like the first show back, jerry's first show back from the coma, from the coma he was after he was down.
01:12:51
You know it's they open with. They open with touch of gray, you know, and he's and the the we will get by at the end is just like it's. It's one of those moments like, dude, I've been on archive, I've recently been digging into this show. That's why I'm I would choose it. Yeah, um, but yeah, there's, you can. You can listen to a bunch of different recordings of that show on archive, you know, and if you find a one that's got a lot of crowd noise, it's not really good for the listening of the show and but you want to listen to the last three choruses of of, uh, touch of gray with that, because the crowd is just going nuts, man, and it's so, it's so powerful. To me it's like one of the best recorded versions of that exact thing we were talking about earlier, you know it's like that feeling that you chase.
01:13:45
It's like dude, they, they like. You know he's back, they're back.
01:13:51
And it's just so bad ass man. And there's a great that was the first Black Money River ever, cause he wrote that during that time too. So super cool. And I and man, I really have been loving, um, the late eighties stuff because of Brent. You know, brent and Jerry had this, had this like magical thing and there's like all this other stuff that's cheesy about those that time period and the, the, the, the big, the big, two drum sound can get extreme sometimes, but Brent and Jerry just like the same thing. It's like you go back and you listen to these tapes and and you hear them. You hear the moments where jerry jerry plays something and brent just answers them. You know they're, they're taught, they're musically talking and it was like you know that was what that band needed. That's, that was. That was the. Brent was the kick that that band needed. I think at that time in life.
01:14:44 - Mel (Host)
You know the.
01:14:44 - Kyle (Guest)
Brent was the kick that that band needed, I think at that time in life. You know, and it's, and it's that stuff is what I love so much about that music. So I just love, I just love listening for those those little things.
01:14:57 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah.
01:14:58 - Kyle (Guest)
That would be my. That would be my show, Jerry's first show back.
01:15:00 - Aaron (Host)
I think if I could go back it'd be I'd go to the closing of winter land there. Yeah that we watched the video and there's moments where you can physically see Garcia like exiting his body and whatever that is is just fully engaged and he's just not present or completely present, I don't know which, and I would love to go back with with the knowledge of it and be able to see it like, pay attention and be like okay, here we go.
01:15:39 - Apple (Host)
This is where he starts channeling. It's about to happen. It's about to happen. Yeah, yeah, man. Well, we have a, we have a mutual friend. This is where he starts channeling.
01:15:43 - Aaron (Host)
It's about to happen.
01:15:45 - Apple (Host)
It's about to happen.
01:15:46 - Aaron (Host)
Yeah, yeah, man. Well, we have a mutual friend, sean McLean. Aw, aw, yeah, cool, yeah, man Love that guy. You guys were hanging out and he texted me one night and was like you should come to the bar, I'm hanging out with Kyle and I couldn't go. We were, we were doing something. So next time, next time you're in town, we'll have to hang out, man.
01:16:06 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, totally, totally. Are y'all in Portland?
01:16:10 - Apple (Host)
Yeah, yeah.
01:16:11 - Kyle (Guest)
Yeah, okay, cool man, yeah, and as you know, sean is one of the.
01:16:18 - Mel (Host)
Sean is out playing music.
01:16:19 - Apple (Host)
He's amazing, he's unstoppable, yeah that dude's got a good.
01:16:25 - Kyle (Guest)
He's got a good. He embodies that thing. The fun, you know, whatever the fun element of music, like we're talking about. Man Sean, is a really good spearheader of that type of energy. You know, he just carries it with him.
01:16:41 - Aaron (Host)
He's the vibe tender, yeah, yeah.
01:16:44 - Mel (Host)
Exactly, he's the vibe tender vibe tender yeah, he said it himself, kyle thanks so much for hanging out with us, especially right after, uh, the garcia museum exhibit thing. That that's cool. That's cool that we got to share that with you for a little bit and get that. Uh, you know get it fresh yeah yeah, that's really.
01:17:04 - Kyle (Guest)
It's not. I didn't realize, when I had set this up, that that's how this was the timing was going to be. You know that that's that I would be at the dead thing and then be here with y'all. I didn't. I didn't put that together really until today. But I was like, oh wow, this is great, it's really good timing.
01:17:17 - Aaron (Host)
Right on man Synchronicity. We'll catch you here, man, it's great to meet you.
01:17:31 - Mel (Host)
yeah, thank you, kyle likewise, thank thank y'all so much for um for for your time it's. It's been a blast, it's been fun man have a have a great rest of your sunday brother. All right, we'll talk to you soon right on.
01:17:37 - Aaron (Host)
Wow, that was sweet kyle tuttle, not molly's brother, no well, we all learned something there. Yeah, you thought the same thing oh, I sure did I mean it stands to reason, but then that was also kind of cryptic, like they they're not related, but he's like, or are they like, to keep that shrouded kyle man thank
01:17:56
you, thank you for hanging out with us, brother. That that you know. Sometimes, um, when we're doing, when we're having a conversation with somebody for the show, there's times when I'm like looking at the clock going okay, we got 15 minutes left. Okay, we got five minutes you know this just flowed this. I looked down and I was like oh shit, we're at 55 already and this felt.
01:18:17 - Apple (Host)
This felt again like this and as he came on, like he was, like he was in the room yeah, very comfortable, just relaxed, flowing conversation and yeah, well, I mean, that's somebody that like I mean we said it before but really really deserves what they're getting you know you worked hard man that what he kept on talking about showing up, showing up, that's called consistency, and then it's also called discipline, and it's also called tenacity
01:18:45
yeah, I like that how it all came down to that like must be present to win yes, that's a. That's a good rule for every like. You can't just sign up and bail and then hope you win to get to get a call like hey you won.
01:18:58 - Mel (Host)
If I win, let me know you were here for two minutes, even if you didn't participate and you showed up, you knew what happened yeah, do you know what I'm saying?
01:19:09 - Aaron (Host)
so?
01:19:10 - Mel (Host)
even if you didn't literally run the mile, you saw that that fight happened because you were there on the track. You know what I'm saying. So, like there is something to be said for just showing up, and sometimes that means just going to the thing or doing the thing, or you know like reading the law of attraction book or any of that stuff.
01:19:36 - Aaron (Host)
That's 50 of the work in manifesting. What you want in life is consistency continuing to do something even if you're not physically seeing a result. You know you continue doing it without the lust of the result. You're doing it because you love it and like and continue.
01:19:57 - Apple (Host)
Like he was saying a lot luck is a lot. It comes to the dumb a lot more because you just continue to do the thing yeah, you don't feel like why are you still doing that? Because I'm just gonna do it till it works, till I win yeah damn it.
01:20:10 - Mel (Host)
And now it connects a little bit more what he was saying being stubborn. Yeah, like you're just doing it, I don't care what's going on, I don't care what you're doing, I don't care what's happening outside, I'm doing my thing that'd be cool if they put that on a shirt.
01:20:22 - Aaron (Host)
what just do it? Doing my thing, that'd be, cool. If they put that on a shirt, what Just do it?
01:20:26 - Mel (Host)
Like a little swoosh underneath it.
01:20:28 - Kyle (Guest)
I wonder if that would sell. That sounds like a hit.
01:20:30 - Aaron (Host)
You think Like a headquarters in Portland or something. No simple road, just do it, just do it. I wish you guys could see Mel right now. She just gave me the biggest eye roll, head shake.
01:20:45 - Apple (Host)
Sometimes humor is funny and other times yeah, let's start doing stuff Like see who gives us a cease and desist.
01:20:51 - Aaron (Host)
First I can tell All right everybody, wow, well, we're going to take off. We'll be back on Monday with another no Simple Road Weekly Rewind.
01:21:01 - Apple (Host)
No, don't give up.
01:21:05 - Aaron (Host)
Keep trying. Weekly rewind no, don't give up keep trying.
01:21:07 - Apple (Host)
You make mel laugh I can't do it right now throw it against the wall.
01:21:09 - Aaron (Host)
Thanks for hanging out with no simple road on a beautiful saturday afternoon make sure to go check out sunday kyle's, kyle's solo stuff too. Everybody weekend day bleed in one.
01:21:19 - Mel (Host)
Sorry, check out kyle's album of Lust.
01:21:22 - Aaron (Host)
Go check out everything that he's doing with the Molly Tuttle band and Golden Highway and all the stuff that's going on. Man, it's a if you're well, I don't even want to say if you're, just you're going to dig it, that's it so. Yeah, there's no if no, until next time. Take care of each other. Smile this stranger Safety. Third Love yourself, hyd. No, if no until next time, take care of each other. Smile this stranger safety.
01:21:45 - Mel (Host)
third love yourself, hydrate one another and keep at it, whatever it is that thing that you think you're not making progress on, or maybe even just tiny incremental progress don't keep at it.
01:21:56 - Aaron (Host)
That's it. Don't quit, don't quit. Love y'all peace.