Interview with Beth Hart

Hello! It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had the incredible opportunity to hang out with Beth Hart. Over zoom video, Beth was born and raised in Los Angeles has such a legendary career. She talks about learning piano at a very early age and up going to high school for cello and voice. She talked about getting signed at a very early age, having a manager at 15 and ended up getting signed to Atlantic records. And we hear a lot about her brand new record, which is a tribute record to led Zepplin. 4 (2m 8s): The whole thing was produced by Rob Cavallo and she tells us the entire story. Basically, he had this whole orchestra piece of the songs and she ended up singing on it just to the orchestra. It's such a fascinating story about the making really of this led Zeppelin record and her backstory, such an incredible person. Definitely check that out. And like I said, the video's up Facebook page, YouTube channel app, bringing it backwards. It'd be rad if you subscribed to our channel, if you like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik TOK at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify or apple music, Google podcasts be incredible. If you follow us there as well, and hook us up with a five-star review, 5 (2m 49s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 4 (2m 55s): We're bringing it backwards with Beth Hart. 6 (2m 59s): How are you? 4 (3m 1s): I'm fantastic. How are you? I appreciate you doing this. Thank you so much. 6 (3m 7s): Oh, absolutely. No, thank you, man. 4 (3m 10s): I love the record that you did this Zeppelin tribute album. It's amazing. 6 (3m 16s): Oh, thank you, God. It was a good time, mate. Thank you, Scotty. It was a good time making it. Thank God. We got to make it during the pandemic lockdown on my gosh. So 4 (3m 26s): It was recorded mostly during that. 6 (3m 29s): Oh yeah. Everything was, I mean, in terms of the orchestration that had already been done by Rob Caballo and the arranger and the project was done for a Broadway show that was going to be for led Zepplin, no singing, just an orchestra and the pro and the project fell through. And I didn't know anything about it. I was in the middle of making, warn my mind with Rob Cavalo. And one day we had the choir that was singing on a song called let it grow in main room. And I was in the console room with Doug, the engineer and Rob and in break with lunchbreak and Rob said, Hey, I know, you know, the song, whole lot of love. 6 (4m 17s): I got it. More Kestrel version of it. Would you mind laying down a quick vocal? And I said, sure. So I took a pass and then I looked over at him, see if he was happy and he was filming. I said, do me a favor, do it one more time. And I said, okay, I did it one more time. And then when I was done, he said, cool, let's get back to work. So we finished on my mind and then I went out, I did promo run. And then I did only one tour. I was six week run, got home locked down. That was the beginning of pandemic. And I get a call. Hey, Rob wants to know if you want to do the whole Zeplin record. And I said, no way, no way in the world for a few reasons. 6 (4m 58s): One, I didn't feel that same kind of rage that I felt when I was young, when I was doing a lot more hard rock. And probably because I've been on, you know, anti-psychotics for 15 years straight. And then I was off them for five years and then I was on them before that. So that was dampening, you know, all of who I was, you know, that's what those kind of drugs do. And I was in the process of getting off the honest to God. We have to come off. So slowly, like over a period of two, three years, when you got 4 (5m 29s): I've, I have to do that as well. It's crazy, 6 (5m 32s): Horrible, horrible. And even when I finally got off, I had to go on beta blockers for my heart for three months because my resting heart rate was 150. And even on beta blockers, it was 130. It was insane. But I was, I was just, you know, those drugs are not meant to be, they were created to just for five weeks. You're supposed to be on them. Why lithium builds up in your system? And I refuse to go on lithium. So anyway, I was in the process of getting off of that. And, and I had my mother who I moved in here to protect her from COVID, which was a really bad idea. And, and then all this stuff, the marching, the inequality of marching and, and people saying there was no such thing as just people being assholes, you know, and not supporting well, you know, people fighting for equality and, and just all of it, you know, and I got really scared. 6 (6m 25s): And usually when I get really scared, I get really angry. So here I am angry and I call Wolf and I said, how to Rob send me everything. I mean, everything. Cause I didn't have any Zeplin. I never listened to Zeplin growing up. The only stuff I heard was like my neighbors when I was a kid would play like black dog, which I really loved that. I love babe, babe, I'm gonna leave you. It always makes me think of my dad. You know, my dad left when I was really young. I love those two songs. And the only reason why I knew all I love is cause my band, when I was like 30, they said, we really want you to learn this songs. We did it in like one of our 4 (7m 2s): PDs I record, right? 6 (7m 5s): Yeah. Like with the parody. So, so that was, but that was it. And so I needed everything on them, their records, their livestock. And then of course, Rob had already recorded all the orchestrations for that show. So there were medleys and all the stuff, but there wasn't drums guitars and bass and all that. It was just a date, eight orchestra. So because we were on lockdown, we had trucks come up and I have a studio here, but it's not for recording. It's just for writing, rehearsing, that kind of thing. So these, these trucks would come up and my husband on his own would have to load in all this equipment. And then I would see Rob on zoom that his studio, and then I'd see Doug, the engineer on it, his studio on zoom. 6 (7m 55s): And then I'd just sing into the mic to these orchestral tracks and we'd take like two or three songs. And then for one, one session, and then I wouldn't see them again for like two, three months. Thank God. Because I had time to really saturate my mind with being able to sing the stuff I'm scared to death to do this stuff. They I'm a female doing the ultimate male man's world of rock and roll specially at that time. And then B I did all the rage. It came back like, like I explained to you. So I had that, but I didn't know if I had it before that, but I'm also, I was like, man, how am I going to do this stuff where I respect plant? 6 (8m 41s): But at the same time, if I had to write it, who would I write it about? Cause if I, if I couldn't write it, there'd be no reason to sing it. I, it would be a really pretentious and kind of phony, you know? So that was like challenging was not just, you know, hitting the notes of plant, but, but doing it in a way that was respectful to the way that they'd written it. But also if I had to make it my own, what it would be. So it was really fortunate that I'd had that I didn't have to go in and make this record in two weeks. You know what I mean? But I got to take one or two songs or three songs sometimes per session and, and then get a break for like three months and get ready for the next two or three. 6 (9m 24s): You know what I mean? And then take another break for a few months. So that was really great having that time. But man, it was nerve wracking, man. Every time again, the session we did a session, thankfully, you know, working with Rob and Doug on warn my mind was so great because they knew the kind of girl I was. I get very nervous, very scared and very self-doubting with my own material, let alone with led Zepplin. I mean, hello, that's like hollow ground, you know, so they could see fricking nervous I was. And so they know me well enough on how to self soothe me and show me out, you know? And they're like, you got this girl, you know, but, but Rob was in Douglas, so amazing. 6 (10m 10s): They're just, they're amazing guys. They're loving and empathetic and patient. And, and then, you know, I'll tell you man, and every time I was tell this part, I always start crying. So I hope to God I'll start crying right now, but oh God, I know it's going to come. But at the end of all of it, when the lockdown lifted, it was when we finally got to go to Rob studio and at his house and listen to his mixes. And when we got there, that's when I heard Crozier on the drums and Matt log on his drums for, you know, stairway to heaven. And, and then Chris Cheney who had done bass for me on one, my mind playing his ass off as always. 6 (10m 56s): And then Steve Pierce playing guitar. And Steve had played all over my warn my mind and then Rob on his acoustic guitar. And I just fell on my knees crying. And then of course he picks the song, which is like my favorite, which is the babe, I'm gonna leave you for my dad. You know? And I literally fell on my knees and I just started crying and I kissed his knee. And I just, I think didn't, you know, for just being social dude and you know, and helping me get through this project because you know, a pandemic was fucking no for everybody, but here I got to be so challenged and humbled by one of the greatest bands in history ever, you know, a hundred years from now, people are still gonna play led Zeppelin. 6 (11m 43s): You know, it's like, fuck, it's like Beethoven. It's like the shit's going to be played forever. And here I got to make this album with the most kind of amazing people, but just killed it. I mean, they just killed it. And then I got to be a part of that. 4 (11m 58s): You did such an amazing job though. I mean, the record is so awesome. It's so awesome. 6 (12m 4s): That's all Rob Kavala man. I can't take no credit for that shit, man, that dude, all the people he got and you know, as scared as I am, that's Rob too. That's how he gets. He cares so much about everything he does. That's why you look at his discography at all the albums he's made 4 (12m 21s): Insane. 6 (12m 22s): It's insane, but you see why? Because he cares so much and he, and I'm sure he's got an ego we all do, but he puts that shit aside and does his job, man. And what's the job. The most important job is it's always about the song. It's never about the producer. It's never about the singer. It's never about the drummer. It's about the song and that's what he does. He surrounds himself with people that make it about the only thing that will ever matter. And that's the piece of music. And that's what I fucking love about Rob and Doug. And about all those musicians that play, it's just it's that, you know? Yeah, sure. You got an ego. Sure. You want people to like what you do and you, and you got, you know, otherwise you just stay at home and play for yourself. 6 (13m 6s): You'd never go out in the world and try and make it as a career. Right. We know that, but like to be able to put aside that and focus on what matters most, it's, it's a pleasure in working with people like that. And very, 4 (13m 20s): Yeah. And I mean, the records that he's done is like, like you said, I mean green day records, the, the, you know, the Google records, even the, my chemical romance record, I mean, they're all platinum, you know, some of the biggest records ever done. 6 (13m 35s): Yeah. And that us more said, I'm an invited. He only did that one song that would have best producer of the year was just doing that. And all she sent him was that piano particles that's I should send them. I mean, that thing is extremely, 4 (13m 57s): By the way, I don't know if you care 6 (14m 2s): That my pastor had gotten me to completely stop cussing. She slept funniest. I love Korean lady and I completely stopped because, and then when pandemic hit, I was like, fuck. I was just saying to my husband, I was like, dude, you got to remind me each night when I go on stage to just try not to curse. Like I normally do, dude, because it really bothers some people. I don't want to bother anybody, man. It feels so good to cuss again. Especially motherfucker motherfuckers, the best of all of them. That's my favorite. 4 (14m 40s): Oh wow. Well, I, like I said, the record is so amazing and I, I was watching the black dog music video and I love in the beginning when you're like, okay, you know, we can't have the music unsure some copyright thing and you're like, you just play the song along. So I have Spotify up and I took me like five or six minutes, but I ended up sinking the thing up beautifully. And it was, 6 (15m 7s): You know, what's unfortunate. That's not on the record. So if you would've gotten the actual music video, it's funny because in the background before we started one of the takes, I said, mother fuckers, you should have a big old smile on your face because we're making music and we could be digging ditches and be in jail. And that's how it started. But that was just for the video and yeah, that wasn't for on the album obviously. But yeah. So yeah, 4 (15m 38s): It's amazing. And then you, you sync it up and it it's perfect. And I love that blur, like, you know, on the drums, it's like a half, like, it's almost like you stop by a frame or two. And it's like, you know what I mean? Like matches up perfectly and I'm watching it. I'm like, this is such a great video and you must've been like, and then I watched it without the, the, the, the music. Cause I was just interested at this point and like just how hard you're going. And it's like the new, imagine 6 (16m 9s): We did two miss videos that day. 4 (16m 11s): Did you really? 6 (16m 12s): Yeah. So we did black dog that day and then we did, what's going to be the next release after. Yeah, yeah. 4 (16m 20s): It's yeah. You did a great job. It's so good. 6 (16m 23s): Thank you. That's Greg Waterman, man. That dude is a maniac man. He's pit bulls. Right-hand man. And I don't know if 4 (16m 30s): You know that. 6 (16m 31s): Yeah. Like pit bull doesn't sleep. Like the dude is one of those rare people that only needs like three hours for his enzymes to turn over and he's ready to go. So he like, literally, Like I know, right? It's the same people that fucking, they just don't need a lot of literally they only need that much for their enzymes to turn over. And then they were totally refreshed. And that's why he's such a work horse. So Greg is attached to Pitt for years and he lives with pit. But Greg started work with me when I was 29. And that dude, he is so good. He's so talented. And he loves to do things really raw, but he's just one of the funniest coolest guys, but not hyper like me super mellow, but he's funny. 6 (17m 15s): He's a really good dude. He did a good job on that. And do you see the next one, man? He did it killer job on that. It's really cool. 4 (17m 22s): Is it going to be similar with, I mean, I maybe can't even answer that without the music. 6 (17m 27s): Well, it's an it's in the same warehouse, but we had this bad ass warehouse in downtown. I've never seen things so rad. I wish I could just send you the pictures of the artists that painted the outside of this massive evil clown. One of the most incredible paint shops I've ever seen, but on the inside, there's all these different stories and rooms and cells and crazy shit. And we got to have that whole compound and we had a lockout for two days, but, but Greg is so bad ass that we just started in the morning. I think we finished at like 1:00 AM and we were done. And so we didn't even have to use it the next day. Yeah. We had a great crew and it was a lot of fun, but it is different. 6 (18m 9s): It's very different. It's not in black and white. It morphs. It's trippy. It looks like it's melting. It's really cool. They did a really cool job. 4 (18m 17s): I can't wait to see it. Well, you said, what else stuck out to me is you said you sang the, and I don't know if this went for the final recording, but you said you sang the record over just the orchestral parts. Is that what ended up making the album? 6 (18m 31s): No, that's why I was telling you when I got to, when I finally got to go listen to the, after the lockdown I lifted and, and we got to for the first time go listen to the mixes. That's when I went. Cause that's when I heard bass drums guitars, you know, like I was saying Steve and fricking Chris and fricking cocksure and, and those maniacs playing. And I remember when I met with kosher at when we did the two music videos, I said to him, yo, man, I don't know your fucking name, but is it okay if I call you bad motherfucker, by the way, no, listen. 6 (19m 11s): I swear to God for federal. I said, by the way, you need to call your accountancy and have him legally changed your name to bad motherfucker. So when the cops pull you over, they have to say, excuse me, motherfucker. Couldn't you get out of the car? Cause it plays his ass off. I mean, he is the star that record, man. You listen to him, play those drums. It's like, it's insane. It's insane. He just killed it. 4 (19m 38s): And so you're able to like vibe off that obviously, and then go in and then just sing your ass off. 6 (19m 44s): Oh, I didn't get any of that. When I sang, when I sing. 4 (19m 49s): That's what I was wondering. Yeah, it was just the orchestra. So your, is that, I mean, you were into it that much and like that powerful over just settling. 6 (19m 58s): I just studied the shit out of it. That's good. I studied it. And then I remember reading a book when I was 19 that the manager of the comedy store. Cause I would work sound at the comedy store when I was a teenager and the manager of the comedy store, I was kind of dating him a little bit. And he, he had given me this book called the dowel leadership and it said, if you want to master anything, you got to study to the point of where you can exactly do that, of which who you're studying. And then you have to completely let it go and walk your own path, but you can't walk your own path until you've absolutely learned it. Exactly. So like I would study and listen to plants, crunch all of it over and over and over. 6 (20m 42s): I mean incessantly and I'm an addict anyway. So like when I'm out in the garden, it's 12 hours, you know what I'm 4 (20m 47s): Saying? And I'm like, okay, we can relate on that level as well. 6 (20m 53s): Everything has to be over there. 4 (20m 54s): Of course 6 (20m 56s): All they fricking long. Yeah. Listening, listening, wasn't it wasn't and then having to let it go. So that was the thing with that was that, that was so scary is that I was afraid to let it go. And I remembered making the mistake of my last record I did with Joe Bonamassa, we did a record called black coffee. And instead of me letting go of Steve Marriott, which is what I should have done, I just tried to do it exactly like Steve Marriott. And I remember thinking afterwards what a cheap shot that was that I did that. Wasn't cool. It's not respectful to Steve. You know what I mean? Even though he's gone, it doesn't matter. It's like you can't, you know, like respect the artists, but if you're going to cover somebody, have the balls to also do your own thing and I didn't have that on the song, black coffee. 6 (21m 39s): So I didn't want to try and do that here. You know, I wanted to just show respect to plant, but in a way where I'm like, all right, dude, the stuff that you're doing, I'm trying to do you, but also at the same time show the respect of not just trying to copycat you, you know? 4 (21m 54s): Yeah. And you've nailed that. And like, even just kind of like the little subtle tweaks on the word, like the lyrics, like even in black dog, just like the way you kind of tweaked when, and you know, instead of saying, you know, be your man or, and then you, you kind of just shifted a little bit. 6 (22m 9s): You mean on a whole lot of love. I want to feel backdoor. I say, I want to be your backdoor tramp. 4 (22m 14s): Oh, that's what it was. Yeah. That's what it was. I knew that there was a little tweaks in there and I was like, okay, that's cool. 6 (22m 19s): Yeah. But on black dog, I definitely left it as me and you know, going after a woman because I'm bisexual. So I was like, fuck. Yeah, I'm all over that all day. 4 (22m 27s): Okay. I couldn't remember. Yeah. So it was that one. Yeah. Okay. That was a song. I remember you twisted it a little bit. I was like, oh, that's amazing. I'm curious. B was, so was the orchestra done for now that you brought it up, but it was going to be a Broadway show. Is that what you said? And like, was that the whole piece and because two versions of dancing days, like it goes dancing days and then a beautifully transitions and to when the levee breaks and then when it comes out of that, it's back 6 (22m 54s): Into 4 (22m 55s): <inaudible>. Okay. Tell me like that was that like just the mastermind of, of the whole thing, 6 (23m 4s): All Rob Cavallo, man, that's him in the arranger that arranged all that for that orchestra. That's who, and those are the only two partners involved in that project. And then, and then the whole thing, I don't know the story, but I just know I heard something about Broadway and I, and I knew that they had done that for some project that I think had to do with Broadway and then it fell through. So they were sitting there with these amazing medleys and, and we did a lot more than what ended. So 13 pieces or sorry, nine pieces ended up being on the album and we recorded, I believe 16. So he chose the best of the 16 pieces. 6 (23m 47s): Some were single songs and some were medleys. 4 (23m 51s): Yeah. Because it kind of goes, yeah, because it goes in and then it comes out into another song and then it goes right back into kind of the chorus of dancing. 6 (24m 0s): Yeah. It's so cool, man. 4 (24m 3s): And I love the song choices. I mean, just like the whole albums, isn't, 6 (24m 8s): That's all Robin follows choices and also the order order, it's all wrong, 4 (24m 14s): Which is important. I mean, one of the most important pieces of that, 6 (24m 17s): Oh my God. I know. Absolutely warn my mind. Every time I make an album, it's like, that's where I go my most crazies. And when during mixing and then when it comes to album listening, cause even though nowadays a lot of people don't listen to albums, they just stream the song still, man, I'm old school. And I liked when I buy someone's record, I like to listen down to the whole motherfucking thing, you know, in the order that, yeah. 4 (24m 42s): I mean, yeah, there's something to be said about that. And I've said this in interviews before, just like, yeah, you choose, I mean, stairway to heaven just off to this new record is number three, because that was why they didn't just go, okay, this sounds good at number there's the third one, we finished a little, just put that at number three. I mean, it's all, there's so much science and, and, and moving the songs around to make it, so it flows a certain way. And that's awesome that that's kind of the part that you spend a lot of time on is, is making sure that it, that a record for 6 (25m 12s): Hello, that it flows by the way. I know it sounds weird to just those out. I just wanted to ask you, are you aware of the rapper? <inaudible> he's been around forever. 4 (25m 20s): Yes. Yeah. He's from the bay area. 6 (25m 23s): Yes. From the bay area. So do you know the song that he did with Prozac and sugar-free called $19 lap dance? 4 (25m 33s): Yes. I do know that song. 6 (25m 36s): It's a strip club. I'm at the strip club like three weeks ago. Right. And I'm sitting there with my little brother, Bobby. I call my little brother, but he's not my real brother. My best friend, Ron found him on the street and takes care of me. He's a youngest 24 is great fucking killer kid. Just went through a lot of trauma though. Anyway, so I've got him and he's gay too. So I take her to the frickin strip club with some classic and I got him a lap dance and he tells us again, it's an all new too. And before she gives him a lap dance, he's such a cutie. He goes, by the way, I'm gay. I love him anyway. So he goes into the bathroom and I'm sitting there in the club and all of a sudden I hear I got $19, but I only got a dollar plus cigarette and I fell off my chair, dude, listen, I have my guitar tech, Joey. 6 (26m 27s): Who's also a producer. I flew it over to him and say, yo, you got to fucking take this motherfucker loop it. This is what's going to be playing for all of our shows from now on. Before we take the stage, 4 (26m 43s): It's 6 (26m 43s): Going to funny, man. I can't wait. I bet you, at least 30 people are going to get up a walkout before we 4 (26m 51s): They're like, ah, what's going on. So 6 (26m 55s): Fun. 4 (26m 55s): That's amazing. I don't know if you, if you mind just backing up a little bit here. I'm just curious. So you're born and raised in LA. Yeah. Okay. Born and raised in LA and you started playing piano. It was very, very early age. Was that the first instrument you learned? 6 (27m 10s): Yes. Yeah. I was four when I started on piano. Yeah. 4 (27m 13s): That's incredible. Did you just have a knack for you? You just interested in it or 6 (27m 19s): I think it was just like child trauma and stuff because to me the piano represented, I ain't going to probably think that's really cheesy. But to me, what it represented was God and I was never raised in a religious family, but I think because there was so much, you know, fucking horrible shit going on that I had to have something I was talking to, you know? So to me, the piano was like safety. The hand of God, you know? And I remember my first recital, I didn't play, no. Mary had a little lamb. I played a song I'd written no singing. It was just music. So my sister Sharon, you know, who died many years ago, sister Sharon. I remember at that recital. 6 (27m 59s): She cause I was so scared and nervous that she, you know, sat me at the piano and she stayed right by my side while I played it. She was great. She was the best. 4 (28m 8s): That's so cool. That is so incredible. She just sat next to you right on the, on the piano bench when you did it. 6 (28m 15s): And Sharon, Sharon was a stripper too. And I think that's why I love strippers so much. I have so much respect for them because you know, she was a stripper and that's how she met her husband who was Jakey Lee, who replaced Randy Rhoads for Ozzy Osborne. And that's who they had their daughter Jade with. And yeah. So yeah. So I have a lot, a lot of respect for strippers, I think because of that, you know, 4 (28m 36s): And you went to a performing arts school in LA as well. 6 (28m 39s): Yeah. Where I met actually my best friend, Ron, he takes care of what I call my little brother Bobby. I met Ronnie, but I'd ran away. I lived in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn with this Cuban motherfucker who was 24 when I was 14. And I lived there with him for a little while. And so when I finally made it to high school, performing arts, I was late into the year. So I got in there 7 (29m 2s): As a charge nurse. You can be a confident and dynamic leader who supports the nursing team and guide their patient care grand canyon. University's RN to BSN online degree program equips you with strategies that prepare you to manage the ever-changing realities of health care while maintaining focus on family support and patient outcomes. What do you think making a difference in health care looks like GCU offers over 250 high quality online programs like this one, find your purpose@grandcanyonuniversityvisitgcu.edu 6 (29m 32s): And like late November. And I met Ron and then of course the school kicked me out at the end of the year. And then I only did a half year more in the 11th grade. I Glendale high. And that's when I just told the principal. I said, this is what happened today. And I'm outta here. And the principal didn't argue with me. She said, I absolutely understand. I'm going to put you a, not as a dropout. I'm going to put you as a transfer into real estate school Realty world. And that way you won't be put down as a dropout. Yeah. So I didn't get an official dropout, but she was great. I loved my principals and school counselors. They were great. 4 (30m 4s): That is great. And then you from there was it just, you just started to play out and I mean, you said you had a job funding sound at the comedy comedy store. 6 (30m 13s): Yeah. But I was already planning out. I've started planning out at 16 and I couldn't make any money in Hollywood. So I hit south central, me and Ron. And what we would do is we would play all these different clubs where you give your sheet music to the house band. And there were so many clubs down there that you could hit. And, and what was cool is you'd get one song. And if they liked you, the people would come up in a line and give you a few dollars a piece while you were singing. And then if they didn't like you, they take you off the stage and kick you the fuck out of the club. Yeah. That's what they do. That's what they do. And they, and you could come back the next week. 6 (30m 54s): But if you didn't do good, you got kicked out. You weren't allowed into the glow. And it was so fun. And there were so many great singers, so many great musicians, Kevin Mo his real name is Kevin Moore. He was the guitar player of the house band of the page four. And then when the, the riots happened, not only did so much stuff get burned down there, but a lot of the owners burn their own places down for insurance. So it ended all of that for us. But that's what we were doing for those years to make money. 4 (31m 26s): Wow. But you could obviously write and read music to the extent of being able to hand sheet music over with your, 6 (31m 32s): No, it wasn't my own music. No, no Risa, Franklin stop 4 (31m 37s): Stuff 6 (31m 38s): Like that. You know, that kind of stuff. Yeah. 4 (31m 40s): I understand that. Okay. I was like, whoa, you're writing sheet music. It just made like, here, play my stuff. 6 (31m 44s): You know, that's the thing, you know what, with all the years of piano and all the years of shallow, cause I started playing cello in the fourth grade. I don't know how to read any music. It was, I faked it out by listening the cello. I couldn't, I knew a little bit enough because I've played cello forever all the way through 11th grade. So one time from an arts for double major, it was classical singing and for cello, but for piano, I never learned to read. So Mrs. Davis, once I hit the age of seven, seven or eight and the material started getting harder, she went, why are you not playing that? Right. And I'm like, and I told her, I said, you freaked out. I mean, I didn't say for dump. 6 (32m 25s): I said that you would always play these songs for me before you send them home. And when you're young, your ear is so good. You know, kids are their brains that whatever she played that day, I would just remember it. So when I'd say I was reading, I wasn't really reading until the materials started getting harder. And I couldn't remember everything she would play that day and she'd send me home with the material. Yeah. So she let me go. She said, that's it you're out of here 4 (32m 50s): Really? Instead of just like encouraging the fact that you could pick it up by ear 6 (32m 55s): So pissed. She was so well, but she was so rad and she was a rad painter and she had this, this huge thing down below her house of the most amazing that's where she rocked. And she had long black hair past her ass. She looked like a witch, but a beautiful witch and just, she was so awesome. I loved her. She got me really inspired into painting. Great painter. 4 (33m 21s): When did you start? Like, I mean, obviously you were playing in these places in south central, but like when did you start like writing songs and performing your own songs in front of people? 6 (33m 30s): So I was writing when, in terms of singing and writing. Right, right. When I went to my sister, my evil sisters birthday party, and up until then, I'd only been using her poetry and putting it to music and singing it. Right. So I'd go to places like the belly room at the comedy store or at different little places in Hollywood where you don't get paid any money, but you can get up with a backing track of your own music. So I met this producer named Jeff Tozer, who was my second manager when I was 16. My first manager was Seymour Heller when I was 15. And then I was with Jeff Tozer when I was 16. But Jeff Tozer, wasn't my manager. 6 (34m 12s): At first, he was just a guy that I went to to have tracks made for songs that I'd been writing so that I can have these tapes. And then I go to these different places, not in south central, but up in Hollywood, just to try and get with a manager. Right. I was seeking out a manager cause I'd let see more Heller go. So I'd sit up and have these tracks play to these, these cassette tapes. You just stick in and you'd sing along to it. And that's when I met Jeff. And then when Jeff, it was my 18th birthday as us, my birthday today. And he goes, oh, how old are you? And I said, I'm 18. He goes, why? I thought you were 30. And I said, no, I'm 18. And he goes, I want to, I want you to be, I want to sign you. I want you to, I want to manage you. 6 (34m 54s): And that's who I went and did star search with when I was plenty. And then, and then we won and then he released on his label, our first record, which was an indie record on Razr records. That was before I got signed to Atlantic. 4 (35m 9s): Okay. Wow. 6 (35m 11s): Yeah. 4 (35m 12s): So he's, that's how you got into star search and then you ended up winning. Yeah. You won star search and then you put a record out. And then from there, I mean, the deal with Atlantic came, what, after the record came out and I was doing well, 6 (35m 24s): No, that record did nothing. It did terrible. We were doing these college shows. He wouldn't let me play piano because he had to be the piano player. I could only play percussion. And at the colleges, maybe 20 people show up sometimes more, but it was, it was just a dud. It's sucked as an album. Everything about it sucked. And then I spent that money so fast that I ended up playing on the streets in a where you could make money in Santa Monica, which is a guitar case open. I had a guitar player, bass player, Frank Alatorre, Jimmy quarry on guitar. And that's where I met my third manager who now I've been with for 27 years, Dave Wolf. 6 (36m 5s): And he saw me singing on the street and literally got me a record deal. A three-way signed record deal with Atlantic, which was Ron, who was CEO. Then Jason Flom who had a LABA, which was a subsidiary. And Dave foster who had 1 43, which was a subsidiary. But I mean, after all those years of trying to get a deal, I didn't know that Jeff, because we went in and met with Jimmy. I have been to Interscope. He offered me a deal, but Jeff turned it down because the deal with Jeff was she didn't let me know this at the time was, if they didn't have him as producer, it was a no way deal. And all these labels were like, dude, we're choosing the producer that we think is best for her, but he didn't tell me any of that. 6 (36m 49s): And I found all that out later. 4 (36m 52s): Oh, I'm sure that didn't make it too happy. I mean, it worked out in the, in the end. I mean, it'd 6 (37m 0s): Be, 4 (37m 2s): And you've had him for, yeah. For, you said 27 years. That's incredible. Yeah. 6 (37m 6s): Yeah. He's amazing. He's like my family, absolutely great man and smart, smartest fuck. But he's also incredibly moral and that's what I love about David. He's smart. He knows how to do contracts, but he's not out to fuck anybody ever. That's not his style. And I love that about him. He's a good guy. 4 (37m 28s): And that's yeah, those are people are few and far between I would imagine, especially in the industry and being a young artist, like how easy would it be to take advantage of somebody like that? 6 (37m 38s): Yeah. Yeah. And I remember when I met him, I was already so burned out on the business that I had said no to him and my guitar player put his hand, he a drama queen like me, but his hand through a window and cut his finger and went to the hospital or might not ever be able to play guitar again, you gotta get with this manager is just going to get us frigging on top, man. You can't turn this guy down. And I'm like, man, fuck the music business and fuck managers. And then I said, all right, I'll have a meeting with him if he plays cards. Cause I'm really good at telling how good someone's hustle is. And I can read people real well when I play cards with them. David agreed. 6 (38m 18s): Yeah. So David agreed to play cards with me. 4 (38m 20s): What'd you play poker? 6 (38m 22s): No, we didn't. We just played UNO. It was just really fricking kids game. <inaudible> now we play a different game of course. But, but that game at that time, I didn't why Wolf yet. And that was a game that, that Wolf actually invented. And it's, it's a crossbreed between hearts spades and one other Canasta. So if you can ask us spades and hearts and you mix the three bats this game and it's so addicting, it's incredible. But you know, obviously I didn't know him. I learned his game yet. So we were sat there for three hours and played UNO. And then when we were done, I looked at him and I said, you could be my manager. 6 (39m 6s): You're a bad-ass motherfucker. Let's do it. And that was it. Oh, 4 (39m 10s): Oh my gosh. How did you know he was, he was a bad-ass on the UNO game. Was it, did he call down when you had one card before you did? He was like, oh no, 6 (39m 19s): No. So when I play cards with someone, whether it's a kid's game or not, it doesn't matter. It's it's how they work their whole energy. So I can tell if they can hustle. I can tell if they're a cruel hustler. In other words, if they're a cheater, right, right. Or I can tell if they're a real hustler and that like a good pimp versus a bad pimp. So a good pimp is someone who actually takes care of his girls and he does his gig, like a basketball player. He knows the game. And then you got shitty pimps. The try and be bad-ass is when really all they're out to do is beat the crap out of the girls because they feel so bad about themselves inside. 6 (40m 3s): And that's not someone who knows how to play the game. So that's what I look at when I play cards. Are you a good pimp? Are you a bad shitty pimp? And I could tell he was a good one. 4 (40m 15s): Is that something that you've had? I mean, is that something you still do to this day? I mean, play cards with people that you don't know very well or like how many times did you have 6 (40m 21s): To playing cards? Well, how 4 (40m 23s): Did you, how many times did you have to do that? To choose people? Like, is there another big moment that you're like, I can, you can remember 6 (40m 30s): Other people like that I've worked 4 (40m 31s): With like an industry person that you're like, okay. Yeah. Like, is there any way you could think of like, I wouldn't work with that producer or like you did because you played cards with them. 6 (40m 40s): No, no, no. Not with that. No. Just with management because management 4 (40m 43s): Is 6 (40m 43s): So deep personal managers, so deep it's so imperative. I don't care how talented you think you are. I don't care how hard you work. I don't give a fuck if you don't have a great manager in the music business, you are fucked period, period. That's just it. Unless you're one of those genius people that can manage themselves like that. Who's that one dude. He's an incredible rapper. McDonald, Tom MacDonald. That dude's insane. Even though his style is, he's such a genius, but I don't like his narrative. 6 (41m 24s): It's just, I don't want to say racist, but it just seems like he's gone a little too far to the right from my taste. So to me that, but you can't deny the fact that Tom MacDonald is brilliant in his visuals and in his ability to rap, just like a machine gun, Kelly, I mean, that motherfucker pisses me off, but he's so talented. And I hate what he fucking, he went way below the belt with M and M. He fucked that he fucked himself with that. You know that right with that fricking rap devil, when he fricking went for his daughter like that, it was like, oh, you just wait mother fucker. And then Eminem comes back with kill shot. 6 (42m 9s): And it's like, you can't mess with them. And then you 4 (42m 10s): Stupid little motherfucker, but 6 (42m 12s): Still, you know, you can't deny that kind of talent. There's still so much talent there. Right. So, but, but with Tom MacDonald, I know that he manages himself, he runs his own record company. He produces himself, writes himself. So literally he's 100% independent, but that's so rare that people have that ability to do that. And I'm certainly not one that can, so for me, when it comes to like personal management, I did know at a young age it's imperative, you have to have that or you will be screwed. Yeah. 4 (42m 44s): Because he's out there trying to, you know, he's fighting for you, correct. I mean, getting you stuff to do and kind of selling you and you're like what you were doing, what you had to offer to other people. 6 (42m 55s): Well, basically he makes sure that other people don't fuck me period. 4 (42m 59s): Sure. And 6 (43m 0s): Then also he has a whole team that he's built, you know, from my attorneys to, you know, the people that run all my business management to road managers and different promoters and different agents and all of that. So he's the, all of those relationships are all from David and then he's, and he's so good to people and respectful that he never burns a bridge. Not even when we come across assholes from time to time, he still knows how to handle it in a respectful manner. And that's what I love about David. And then when it comes to contracts, forget about it. He's just incredible. He's really smart. And he's got a business degree. He's crazy smart. 6 (43m 40s): So even when I send my stuff to attorneys to look over like being stocked around being Bienstock, I've been with for 27 years, Wolf always looks over it first, you know? So he knows how to look at all that stuff. And I remembered gaze X. I don't know if you've ever known it is an X cause you're young, but he's, he was an old punker from back in way back in the day. 4 (43m 60s): Sounds familiar. I'm 37. I'm not super young. 6 (44m 4s): Okay. Okay. Well gaze was like the producer of black flag, dead Kennedys. A lot of really early west coast punk. And I was his background singer for a little while when I was 4 (44m 17s): Killing. 6 (44m 18s): Yeah. And his girlfriend was Susie cotton and 4 (44m 23s): I love Susie con viewed her a couple of times for the shower. She's amazing. I love 6 (44m 30s): Her. This is back when I was a teenager. And I remember sitting on the couch with her. Cause she too was doing background for Gaysa cause gaze on her were boyfriend girlfriend. He was 4 (44m 39s): At her house. I was living with her. Right. Okay. Yes. 6 (44m 42s): I can't believe that. You know her. I can't believe it's so crazy man. And I remember her turning to me and I said, if you had any advice to give me what would it be? And she looked me right in the eye and she was like 40 at the time. And she said, if you don't have a great manager, you're screwed. And I was like, whoa, okay. Right on, man. Thank you. And I was 19 at the time. So yeah, she was the one that planted that seed because whatever you do, you just make sure you have a great manager. 4 (45m 15s): Wow. Wow. Yeah. Josie cotton. So cool. I talked to her when she put out the flatten, the curve song could the beginning of COVID and she had all these people on the song. I don't know if you've heard 6 (45m 27s): Even know she was still making music. 4 (45m 30s): She put this record out and I think it was Jen. Maybe it's just one song, but it's got like all these different people on it. And it was, it was really cool. I mean, it was when we thought COVID was going to be two weeks and she'd put the song out and She's still killing it though. It's crazy. 6 (45m 46s): Oh my God. I got to go online. It's how does she look? 4 (45m 50s): She looks good. 6 (45m 51s): Yeah. That is so awesome. Yeah. 4 (45m 54s): Yeah. It's so cool. Yeah. I interviewed her twice, once about something else. And then the other time was about yeah. The, the flatten, the curve song. It's so cool. 6 (46m 4s): So I got a question for you. How come you don't have an Italian accent, man? 4 (46m 8s): Well, cause I'm not Italian. 6 (46m 11s): I was told you were. 4 (46m 13s): I'm not. No I'm I, my grandparents are from my gram set of grandparents are from our Slovak and the other Greek. 6 (46m 25s): Oh, but you live in Italy? 4 (46m 27s): No, you're thinking of somebody else. 6 (46m 30s): I had the fricking interview with the dude from middle and day. 4 (46m 33s): Oh no, I would be cool. I'm in, I'm in Nashville. I'm really originally from San Diego. 6 (46m 40s): Oh my God. You live in Nashville. 4 (46m 43s): I just moved here a year ago, so. 6 (46m 45s): Okay. I'm so excited. I'm going to set you up right now. We're holding for one second. While you guys here, you guys I'm doing an interview. Do you have you guys seen guests go? Sorry about that. I got the earphones on it. You think gets go. Oh shit. Okay. Do you remember the name of the place where we went and saw those bad ass dues? We love so much that we played memory in Nashville. The fricking dudes had played the fricking killer upright bass and I bought their record. Do you remember the name of the club? Because this dude lives in Nashville and I got to turn him on to this place. 8 (47m 21s): I will look it up into my library because I have video. 6 (47m 25s): Oh my God, dude, you are going to be in heaven. I'm serious. I'm even going to go downstairs right now. Hope I don't lose you. And I'm going to show you the record I bought from them. Now I'm telling you all, 4 (47m 35s): This is 6 (47m 36s): A Nashville. Nashville. I've broken. Love, love it. You know why not? Because of the songwriters there, the songwriters are suck ass and you can put that in the article. I don't give a shit, but let me tell you what I do love there. I love all the artists in all those clubs, working their asses off. And they're so talented. It's so ridiculous toward a door to door, talent, talent, talent. And they're making all their money solely off tips. But these dudes right here, man, I'm gonna show you them. They're called the Royal hounds. This is the album I bought. 4 (48m 14s): I'm just going to type it in my thing. So I don't lose it. 6 (48m 17s): Oh, Scott, I got a question for you. Okay. So I'm not talking to the Italian dude. I'm talking to this young cute kid who says he's old enough. He's 38. What'd you say you were 38. So he lives in Nashville and he's only been there a year. Yeah. He's only been there a year and I wanted to tell him about that awesome place. Okay. It's called Robert's Western world. That's the name of the bar. 4 (48m 48s): Okay, 6 (48m 50s): Please. When the Royal hounds are playing. 4 (48m 56s): Okay. I will. It's on Broadway. Okay, cool. Yeah. It's right by the Ryman. I know exactly where that is. 6 (49m 2s): Yeah. And the Royal hounds did when I tell you talent. Okay. The upright bass player is the best upright bass player I've ever seen in my lifetime. Sings his ass off and writes his ass off. But guitar player is Brazil. Now, you know, Brazilians, they always do it better than everybody else. Credible. Incredible. He's only been here for a short time. We wrote him a letter so that he could get his, become a citizen here. Really? Yeah. He's just a lovely, beautiful guy and plays, phenomenal guitar and his young he's amazing. And then the drummer is a bad motherfucker too. But these guys play for like six hours and I'm not kidding you. 6 (49m 45s): You're going to be like this the whole time and be happy. 4 (49m 54s): I love it. I'm going to, I just found their website and 6 (49m 58s): I'm going to flip you around. Can you see it? Here it is. Can you see it? 4 (50m 2s): Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I know where that is. Okay. I know exactly where that is. 6 (50m 6s): Thank you so much, Roxanne, by the way, Roxanne, you looked dope with your hair color like that, man. Bad ass man. Gangster. Love you. Love Roxanne. 4 (50m 16s): Well, this has been so much fun. Thank you so much for doing this. You are awesome. 6 (50m 20s): Oh my God. No, it's my pleasure. You kidding? You're doing this for me, man. Are you kidding? I gotta be thinking 4 (50m 26s): You. No, no, no. You're a legend and 9 (50m 30s): No legend here. No way 4 (50m 36s): I beg to differ on that end. Well that's so the Zeplin records out, is this something you're going to like go out and play live or, or is it just 6 (50m 46s): No, we've already been a tour. The state. So we did a six week tour recently and then we leave 4 (50m 51s): On the 10th party. I'm sorry. I know, I knew 6 (50m 54s): We were just in Nashville. We just played Nashville. And that last week. 4 (50m 60s): No, 6 (51m 0s): No we're doing, we're doing one more tour now of the U S we do a four week run and we leave in a couple of days. So today we'd leave on the 10th. Okay. So we leave it in a couple days for one more, one more round of the states and then we come home and then we're going overseas. 4 (51m 15s): How is it with the, with, are you just doing this record or are you doing all your stuff 6 (51m 21s): Hilda? So whenever I put out a record, I always do the same thing. What I do is I have few songs from the new record that I intermix out night tonight, change it up. And then night tonight we change up the whole rest of the show with songs from all the records. So like any of my records, any of the stuff I've done with Joe Bonamassa as well, we shifted all up. So the band knows just a shitload of songs. And that way we're, we're keeping ourselves on our toes making our brains work. And then I don't like things to get like Vegas, you know, I don't like things to get to show biz. So I like to keep it rough edges and keep us on our toes. 4 (51m 59s): I like that. That's so cool. Yeah. I wasn't sure if you were doing it's a special thing and just doing maybe the Zeppelin record or something like that. No, that's amazing. 6 (52m 7s): You no, like for the last tour each night though, we did open up always with dancing days into the levee or we just go straight into the levee and then we follow it with no quarter into babe. And then you see that's it. And then we go into like original stuff and then sometimes we'll pull out black dog towards the end. But right now we've been working on cashmere to yes. So yeah. 4 (52m 32s): Wow. That's amazing. That's so cool. And yeah, well again, thank you so much, Beth, for doing this. This has been literally, 6 (52m 39s): Oh man. You are so welcome. Absolutely. So now before I let you go, have you seen the music video $19? 4 (52m 48s): No, I'll take that though. 6 (52m 50s): Please. You got to cause it to laugh your ass off. You have to watch the video. It's so freaking good, dude. I love those guys. Those guys are the funniest and that pro hos app. That motherfucker is one of the funniest dudes I've ever seen, man with his tennis shoe and the little cigarette hanging out of it. You got to watch it when they start off in the barbershop. No, you're going to laugh your ass off. 4 (53m 15s): I just found it. I'm going to watch it after he's sitting out. Like 6 (53m 20s): Yeah, I want to know that's that's I think that's just the single 4 (53m 25s): I've got to find that. Yeah, 6 (53m 26s): Yeah, yeah. Find it. Find the actual music video. Okay. That might be it. That might be 4 (53m 33s): Maybe it just shows that as the cover and then it'll go into the video, I'll find it YouTube, beautiful 6 (53m 37s): Thing. And I love 4 (53m 38s): Your plaque behind you for, for YouTube. 6 (53m 42s): Yeah. That's there. That's not, that's not my room. Fuck. No, I'd never had that shit up in my room. This is Scott's Bad-ass check out fucking Scott's fucking look at this motherfucker. My husband is so bad ass. Check this shit out. She got this shit. This is him motorcycling with Randy Castillo, which it was his best friend, the drummer from Ozzie, right. That Scott always toured with Randy. Look at my husband going 85 miles an hour, 4 (54m 10s): Zach, 6 (54m 11s): With his feet up. And he, and he knew that rolling bike people with their kids in the car to scare the shit out of it. And he pretend to be asleep. So we'd have a set. Oh 4 (54m 23s): No, 6 (54m 23s): He's so fucking funny. 4 (54m 25s): And then this is 6 (54m 25s): Him with Randy. Yeah. Randy died, unfortunately, but that's Fannie and Scotty. 4 (54m 30s): Oh, wow. 6 (54m 31s): And then you see this, this is what my manager David gave to my husband. Yeah. It's a Corvette though. One is my husband has his dad's Corvette. And then just one more thing. I got to show you. This is just how sweet my husband. He's just, he's just a doll, man. He's just such a good dude, but he's so much fun. Oh, like see those. See that right there 4 (54m 51s): As I read 6 (54m 54s): This one. 4 (54m 55s): Oh yeah. That one. So 6 (54m 57s): That's, that's what I wore at my favorite karaoke place where they have a Christmas Santa hat contest and I wore that Christmas. 4 (55m 12s): Oh man. And you probably want a competition too, as I mean for your 6 (55m 17s): Well, they kicked my ass out of there, but my best friend runs it. So that's why he runs it. 4 (55m 23s): Well, you kind of, oh, you've already kind of answered this question, but I I'm just going to ask it again because why not? I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists. I know you said the manager thing, but 6 (55m 32s): Yeah. Number one, advice is this, please, please do not determine your value as an artist based on if you're rich, famous or have a record deal, please don't do that because I really believe God gives you whatever it is you love to do for one reason, one reason only. And that's just to be happy and to heal. That's it. So if you get a manager or you get a record deal, or you've made a lot of money or whatever, great. And if you can handle that and live a healthy life, doing that wonderful, good for you. But I'm going to take another little quote out of the dowel leadership that book I told you about earlier, and it said be very weary of things, famous, a disease, and only those with the strongest mental and spiritual immune systems can handle it. 6 (56m 23s): So if you're going to go for it, just know that the most important thing you will ever win, ever achieve is what you've already got. And that is every time you wake up, there's something you love to do. So whether you get an applause for it or not, it doesn't fucking matter. The gift is the love for what you love to do, and you don't have to get a rip and applause or make money off of it to be joyous. And if you do great, good for you, but do it because, because of that, just be grateful, just like waking up is a gift. Just breathing and being alive is a gift. No matter how hard it is, if you're breathing, there's no mother fricking thing you cannot overcome.