¶ Intro / Opening
Hey, thanks for checking the show up today we have a great guest entertainment journalist Matt wake is on and we're going to talk about his career, his thoughts on the music industry, some of his favorite interviews that he's done and so much more. So if you love music, this is a great one get ready. Please welcome Matt weak to the chuck shoe podcast. How you doing, Matt?
I'm good. Chuck, how are you? Thanks for having me, man.
Great. Yeah. Thanks for being here. So yeah, I kept seeing your name on Twitter. I felt like every time I go on Twitter, somebody has either liked your tweet or shared it or commented on it. And I was like, and then when I saw the article
¶ Interview w/ Phil Lewis of L.A. Guns
on sleaze rocks about Phil Lewis from LA guns, and he singled you out as his favorite interview out of whatever it was 125 or 200 interviews or whatever. I was like, I kind of want to pick this guy's brain a little.
Wow. Yeah. And I didn't know that Phil had told them that. That that was his favorite interview. Obviously flattered. Huge fan of Phil and La guns and girl. And, you know, when people do a lot of press, and they actually didn't hate talking to you, it's nice.
Yeah, do you think that maybe was why he liked that interview so much. Because you're you're like a true fan. You're like a hardcore fan. You were bringing up like more just like album tracks and things. And
I think, and I've said this before, but good research gives good questions, which gives good answers, which results in a good article. Um, and I think a lot of times these people get asked the same questions about the same stuff. And, yeah, it could be worse, that could be digging ditches. But you know, we all gets old, saying the same stuff all the time. But um, you know, try to make it interesting for them.
And you know, a key thing for me is also in a lot of people are hip to this, but you start with what's new, they're there. To it's, it's a business thing, they're there to promote their new work or whatever tour. And, you know, if you start off with like, the legacy backstory, like history stuff, you know, I don't think you get them on your site is quick, if you think of interesting questions related to what they're promoting now. I think that gets him into it. And then you go from there.
Well, yeah. What I noticed that was interesting when I'm reading the the interview, is that you you asked him a lot about things that he liked rap, because I'm always thinking like, what's interesting to me, and then I think that audience will find that interesting, but you're really asking him stuff about, like, some of his deep influences and music that he really liked. And I think that's what got him excited. Maybe.
And, you know, he gave some really good answers like that band, the heavy metal kids. One of the singers, he mentioned that he was, had inspired him was coming up, England having some really cool singers back then, was this guy who was the singer for this band that was called in 1974. The heavy metal kids, which is kind of a early name, but early times had that name, but I loved it was a cool band. It's like sounds like glam rock Humble Pie. Like, wow, yeah.
I've never heard of them. So yeah, then how did you? I know you're a fan of Kiss. Guns and Roses. Obviously. I like guns. What other bands do I mean? It seems like you are pretty eclectic with your music tastes, right? I mean, did you? When did you start listening to music as a young young kid or teenager?
Yeah, so I was the oldest child and my parents. You know, they weren't like, they were awesome, but they weren't like super hit music people. So like, the first band that I kind of found on my own and loved was Motley Crue did the first band I loved and I still love them to
this day. And you know, like you mentioned GNR and then you know from GNR you It's funny how things lead to each other cuz I found out about guns through they were opening a leg of Molly's girls girls who are girls toward that was coming through where I live so I was like I haven't heard of them all
by the tape. And this was early after appetite came out and I was like this is awesome and you know, the my buddies I played it for you know, they'd like Welcome to the jungle but the rest of them were kind of like this this fan have like five singers like no, it's one guy but he is insanely cool and good and different. And from there, like you read Oh, the the original guitar player was Tracy guns and You're like psyched when you see the LA guns release
and think it was 88. And then like, even like, wow, the singer Phil Lewis, he sounds cool. And then you read up on him and you're like, what he was in a band called Girl with the, the guitarist Phil Collen from Def Leppard. Right? Before they made it bigger, you know, like, it's, you know how it is, man as
you go down the rabbit hole, but that's harder to do. Back in those days. You know, before the internet, you had to, like read a lot of rock magazines and things and I'm assuming,
and there were a lot of good ones. And, you know, some of them, you know, I bought, but I'll be honest with you, man, like a lot of us, you know, I'm 50 years old, but like, he'd spend time like in the magazine aisle of the grocery store, like, while your mom was getting groceries, like reading metal edge, or like, you know, in college, like, I might not have had a ton of money back then to buy every issued like rolling stone or spin or whatever, but I started, I guess, subscribing to those in
college, but um, and then, you know, the occasional hip fret, like you always had that one friend who is like, getting trading thrash tapes before thrash had made like, what, Metallica, this is awesome. But everything from like that, you know, kind of hard rock and heavy metal of the 80s. But then, you know, I love the Black Crowes. I love James diction. I guess, you know, some of the even to like the white stripes, I liked them a lot. Recent bands, I like dirty honey a lot.
And yeah, you know, I think
¶ New Rock Bands
they're really strong. And, you know, it's and I also love, and I certainly get the what people ding them for just like, but Greta Van Fleet. I love them. I think they're great. You know, but you know, if you're, of course, you have to expect and understand they're going to get dinged for the Zeplin thing, but it's just like, I like Neil Young. But if some people think his voice is gets on their nerves, and I don't like it, I can understand that perspective. Uh huh. Yeah, well,
it's to reinvent the wheel at this point with rock music unless you're going to start having a DJ and getting getting going the electronic route. I mean, and people miss Led Zeppelin, I mean, you can't see loads up and live anymore. So Greta Van Fleet might be the closest thing I wish they would do a couple Zeppelin songs, I wish I think they should just embrace it personally.
You know, I love it, when they lean into it. Like I've seen, like, in some of their, you know, they haven't released a live DVD, but they've released some pretty long concert excerpts on YouTube, but they'll have like, the song remains the same stop production where, you know, the song remains the same, where they'd be like, for Jimmy pages, you know, that kind of video effect. They'll do that kind of stuff like, wow, the guitar player has kind of like a suit with like,
Cosmos cups stuff on it. But I, you know, and I think they're starting to really, you know, I hear a lot of rush in, you know, from the last couple of albums in there to, like early rush stuff, or there's a difference, you know, the rush was kind of a Zeplin clone early too, but anyway, and also, I think a key thing with Greta Van Fleet. There's no blues in the singer's voice really. Not a ton. It didn't have like Robert had a huge and he's obviously the Greta guys, obviously, it was a
musical theater kid. It's really good to hear that. Like,
I never thought of that. But yeah, I could see that because they were the costumes and like I saw him live once and they Yeah, I feel like there was a lot of like, flowery backgrounds and things and
it loved him. And, you know, I I saw them play a club here when they were first starting. And they were very good very young. But I'd love to see that big production now and like Yeah, but there's times where you know, with the suits and some of the photoshoots and like, dude, just come up there with like, no shirt on and leather pants like you know slash and 88 or something and you know enough of the cosplay but
it's a cosplay. That's what it is. Yeah, you're right.
But you know, queen, you know, Freddie with the cat suits. You wouldn't wear that, you know, driving down to the liquor store probably but like you know, but it's it's all part of the trip, but um I don't know, man. It's, you know, it's cool. Having you know, rock bands are just fun to think about like,
Yeah, well, so you mentioned queen, are you a fan of the struts because that's a very Queen sounding. They're kind of the Greta Van Fleet for Led Zeppelin. The struts are kind of like for Queen.
Yes, I've heard They are very good live, I would like to see them live. My thing with the stress is, it seems to me lean into the rock thing more quick trying to have like Kashia it seems like they look make a lot of overt moves. To get a more mainstream more pop audience, like the tracks kind
of sounds. It's kind of got mean as this Maroon Five, like some of the production or like you got Kashia singing on it and like, it's like, I feel just rock the fuck out or rock up the hill, you know, rock out, lean into rock quit trying to like sneak rock into pop like, hey, if we were if we just this up as pop a little bit, but you were at our hearts for rockers, maybe that'll help us get a bigger house. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. It's gonna be hard
because a rock band, a new rock band, I mean, because there's some really good ones like Greta Van Fleet, but even Greta Van Fleet when they came here, they played the marquee, which I think it might hold a few 1000. So I mean, it's it's hard to really grow as a band if you're doing straight rock. So I kind of get that but i i prefer them to stick to rock as well.
And another thing I think that's, I think a lot of the most talented record producers, I think they work in pop and r&b and rap now, whereas, you know, you had all these brilliant producers, because that's where the money is. Yeah. And you know, that I'm sure they like rock too. But I mean, you know, it's like all these brilliant producers in the heyday, when rock was the
Rainmaker moneymaker. Like it helps these bands, man, it helps it helps having that, you know, 3000 view 3000 foot view of like, okay, I'm not in the band. A little more, this a little less of that. Like, it's kind of like, I don't know, I think that's an underrated thing. That I think as far as, because those producers, I mean, you think about like the rock of the 60s 70s 80s, mid 60s through mid 90s. How many, it's just
amazing. Like, I'm not the biggest Pearl Jam or Nirvana guy, but I love Stone Temple Pilots. I love sampler. But you can't argue. I mean, the saw the singing was awesome one there's a lot of really good rock
singers. And I think maybe some of those guys now probably are doing the kit the guys that would have been those the new one the new good rock singers, I think a lot of them are, you know, probably pop singers or r&b singers or rappers or in, you know, the, like, innovative guitarist like, you know, Tom Morello is probably the last truly innovative rock guitar player that's reached a big audience like, I think maybe the guys who would have been the next ones are designing the next
Apple Watch, or the next social media platform, I think, are their
DJs a lot. That's the cool thing now is DJs are
¶ DJs vs Danceable Rock Songs
rockstars which is so weird to me. Because when you see a DJ concert, I mean, they're literally pushing buttons on a computer and pumping their fists in the air. And people go nuts for it. I mean, those concerts sell out way bigger than a Greta Van Fleet or struts,
way bigger. But here's the deal. You think back to like, Van Halen is a classic example of this. I think, obviously Def Leppard is rock bands that bring in young girls have a lot of younger women drive the trends when women drive the trends, because one you've got them going then buying the stuff, but then guess what, you've got a lot of dudes going because they want to be there too. Because, you know, the, the, you know, you know, women are there and that's what
dudes are interested in. Yeah, so
some people just like that music. I had a roommate. And this was like, I guess was the kind of mid early 2000s. And he would listen to EDM music all day, like just when he'd be like, studying and on his computer, and I was like, because to me, it's dance music. If you're going to listen to it, you're going to dance, but he would just listen to it. To like chill, which was very strange to me.
Yes, that is it would not be my thing either. I think another thing Rock has like pick out danceable. Like, AC DC is like a lot of AC DC songs are really danceable. Uh huh. Even you know, Van Halen, there's some danceable stuff in there, like, I think, hard rock that's danceable without trying while still being rock and not overtly trying to like oh, we're gonna put a DJ scratching on this or have a you know, Drum Machine on this one song like, I mean, even Judas Priest like living after
midnight, that is a jam. You know, you can shake your ass to live in after midnight. But um,
I think the thing with rock for me is a lot of those songs are songs that you can you're gonna sing along to. And then so then when you start singing, then you know, if you're like me, and especially if you've had a couple beers or whatever, then you're really going to get your hands into it and do all the moves and stuff. And, and I don't know if I call that dancing, but it's like, rocking out, I guess. I don't know. It's fun. I have a good time.
Yeah. And that's, you know, books, books, man. I think there's a lot of good. I think there's a lot of good young bands that can play well to come up with some cool riffs or stuff. And there are some good singers, but I think it's small. I mean, but to have a singer that has good melodies, and they write good. Sing along courses, like you're talking about chocolate, like, I just don't know if there's as much as that in the rock world as there used to be.
Yeah, definitely. So obviously, when we talk music all day, I want to come back to music. But I do want to ask to
¶ Film & TV
like when you're growing up, were you fans of, of movies and TV shows and comedians, because you interview other entertainment people besides musicians? Right?
Yeah, totally. You know what? Like, that's the thing. The creative process. I mean, yeah, what if you're making a movie or making a rock album? Or like coming up with a set of jokes, if you're a stand up? Like, it's all the creative process, right. So like, it's interesting. And those people are inherently interesting to
talk with. Because of like, you know, yeah, there's craft in it, but also like it Keith Richards, you know, he's always said, he's like an antenna, he doesn't just sit around, I'm gonna think of rip today. You know, it's like, it happens as a rider to like, think of like a story idea. Or, you know, a turn of a phrase, but I don't really think of it.
Sometimes I do in our fine things, but a lot of times it's come from, but as far as movies, like as a kid, I mean, I was like, the perfect age a little kid when Star Wars came out. So like, you know, that kind of immersive storytelling. And I think an underrated thing about Star Wars is like, an even later stuff that I love so much like Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, like, they didn't just like, here's all the, here's the star movie. And here's, all of the main characters are most of them.
Just roll the characters out slowly and subtly, as part of the journey, like, as opposed to like, Okay, here's all our characters, main characters, and this is who you're going to be carrying and watching.
Right now, I think he's the master of that. I find it sometimes annoying, though, that so many shows, and movies now try to emulate that style. And they don't do it very well. So it's confusing. Tarantino could do it. Because he, he was, like I said, he's a master of that. But so many other people try to copy that. And it's almost annoying to me.
Yeah. But I mean, I think you know, it's a tough man to be interesting and good for like, say, two hours for a movie, or like, six hours for a TV show over different episodes to be good. I mean, it's hard enough to come up with us, a rock song, that's three minutes that millions of people will want to hear and think is awesome, and is good. And then multiply that times out to two hours, or just six hours or two, like for a franchise and sequel. It's like, that's, it's hard,
man. But comedians, you know, I think some of those guys are
¶ Comedians
some of the smartest people around the really, really, really good ones. Mmm, remember, me and my then wife saw Aziz Ansari, several years ago, do a show in Nashville. And, you know, we it's well chronicled some of the stuff that he's been through since then. But like how'd it just remember that one? It was really good, really entertaining. I was like, But secondly, I was like, this guy. Could be a brain surgeon if he wanted to. He could invent like,
I think that's what his parents wanted to. Yep.
You know, and he definitely has it in. I mean, yeah. You know, and so I think, you know, you know, clever people are interesting, and, yeah, I mean, there's a lot of cartoons Have any kind of people in, you know, whether it's music or stand up comedians or, you know, film kind of people who fear that but then the interesting clever people, clever people are interesting no matter what if, if the, you know, if they're a cab driver, and they're clever, that's interesting. They can be
interesting. Some people were born in Anthony Bourdain. Holy shit. Yeah. People love them. Love to and he was just some people just they have it man. And, you know, they work at it and develop like he was a workaholic and determined and, you know, but I mean, you can't go to the store. And you can't take a masterclass video course online, on how to have the magnetic.
Mm hmm. No, that's true. And there's, I mean, there's some people that you just when you I don't know, you
¶ Interview Format & Almost Famous
probably do you do most of your interviews in on Zoom now? Or maybe you've done some in person or with someone or some on the phone, or is it been a mix?
Okay, for a long time, a lot of them particularly personalities have a certain notoriety we're on the phone. Yeah. Yeah, cuz I live in a tertiary market. Okay. It probably be different if I, like worked first, spin full time and lived in New York. But what I love them. I love them interviews, one, because they kind of see into your world, you seem to theirs. You don't step on each other as much like, I can tell exactly when they're done talking. Yeah, answering
the question. And they can tell them through answering a question. You know, they look into your, you know, not like it's a deep meaning. Again, it's a business transaction. I don't think that like, you know, these guys are gonna are now my bros. Like, and I've learned the hard way. Before that it that is not the case. But yeah, it's
like, the almost famous when Philip Seymour Hoffman's like, you know, training the kid. And he's like, he's like, don't become friends with the rockstars they're gonna make you feel really cool. But you're not cool. So don't be friends with. And that's like, really good advice. Because it's true. And they, and you know, they may try to buddy up to you. But usually, it's, you know, probably just good business move, honestly.
Yeah. And you know, wow. And I love that movie so much. It's just got so much heart. When it first came out, I'll be honest with you. I was like, man, they'd be all doing a bunch of blow and heroin. And like, this is kind of like the Disney version of 70s Hard Rock like, but I think if it was made more like Boogie Nights, I haven't won Boogie Nights and
¶ Boogie Nights & Tarantino
decades. In
movies where I was hanging on every scene on I saw in the theater, I was just like, what is going to happen next, like every scene, I was just like, draw anyway. And I think it's almost like three hours and I didn't want it to end. I was like, I want to keep going with these characters. Where does it go?
Totally another one like that. We mentioned here to fiction earlier, I saw Pulp Fiction in the theater when it first came out pack theater. And when they get down to it, I mean, literally when the scene by where they were in the basement of the pawn shop. Yeah, everybody was like, literally on the edge of their seat like what the fuck is because so many movies. And that's what was so brilliant about his early stuff.
Like so many movies, especially around that time, you're like, Okay, I can read the tag on on the movie poster are the VHS box at the video and tell you what's going to happen. You know? You had no idea what was going to happen. The first one he lost that to me was Kill Bill. You know, she's gonna kill Bill. It's in the title. Now. Is it stylish? Is it well crafted? But that was the first time I was like, Hey, I'm walking before the movie starts. I know what's gonna happen.
Yeah, that one was a very, I think that's a polarizing Tarantino movie for there. It's weird, because there's pieces of that movie that I just love that I think are brilliant. But then there was a lot of gaps where I was kind of like, almost feel like he maybe should have cut it into one movie.
Or, you know, how good would that be as a limited series? Yeah, there you go. You know, I think I'm sure a million people or a lot of people. I mean, surely that's his next move. He said he only wants to make 10 movies. Yeah, but I mean, come on. That is perfect limited series on a like a HBO or whatever.
Yeah. I just had jizzy pearl from love hate on and he he does a whole turn Tino homage in his book and we talked about him retire and like he can't be done right? Wouldn't he want to be a mentor of a producer or something? I mean, it's just a sad if he just retires because that is to me that's wasted talent.
Yeah, and I think he's mentioned wanting to write books and I'm sure that would be interesting, but he is such a visual visual panache. You know? We're all love hate how cool is that record man that? Uh yeah. 91 The debut album?
Yeah, they're the first like two or three I think are pretty good. And then even some of his new stuff. I like it, too. It sounds like Well, that sounds pretty good. So yeah, he's a fun one. But back to you. So movies, TV,
¶ Matt's Journey to Journalism & Playing Music
comedians, your you know, your fan of all this art. So when did you start getting into journalism? I know, you went to University of Alabama was that when you first started? Do you work in the newspaper there? Did you do high school or?
No, it's, I'll tell you the story there. So in at the University of Alabama, I was going to do I was studying advertising. But I think, you know, one too many bomb hits on this, like, one day on the joint. Like, I don't want to trick people into buying stuff, man. So I switched to public relations. Which part of that you had to take journalism courses? Okay, so I took I actually I think I took it one journalism course at the
University of Alabama. The only two things I remember from that, or will three, one, you know, ask your most difficult questions later, don't start with so why did you fire your drummer or
good advice?
It's good advice. To you know, the inverted pyramid, you know, of classic, you know, more hard news type thing, most important thing first, less left and in descending order into the least important thing about that story. What feature right and you kind of mix it up a little more, but then set the scene and the other was the teacher world week. He was, he was a dude, the instructor of my journalism class, we're awake. That's the that's those who don't like like, things like, you
know, like a Phil Spector giant, like Wade kind of thing.
More like, trying to pass it off as real hair.
Okay, that's definitely memorable. So you graduate from Alabama and then your first job was at this valley planet? Is this like a full time thing? Or is this like a side gig or what is what tell me about Valley planet?
Yeah, yeah. Okay, so Valley planet was a in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where the rock space campus it's now the most populous city in Alabama. But Valley planet was an alternative weekly. There used to be one guys in almost every middle sized city or college it size city or up, you know, where it would have kind of like they were kind of ragtag weekly publications with coverage of, you know, entertainment and arts. But, you know, before that, I tried to be in bands and stuff like
that. I was gonna ask about that, too, because obviously, you have the guitars in the background. So you did play music as well.
Yeah, I tried to do that for about 10 years. And eventually, you know, I was in New Orleans at the time doing bands there. And like, you know, my bass player was addicted to heroin and methadone. My significant at the other, my significant other at the time, had crazy substance abuse issues. Just I turned 30, and like, you know, I don't think the Black Crowes are ever going to call me to be their lead guitar player. You kind of I was good enough.
That that's a problem with I have to be talent as a musician, but the problem about the talent is sometimes it feels like a talent. Like you know, no beat talent. If you put the right chemistry of few beat count guys together, it can turn into an A level band. If they
can't, I feel like there's a lot of musicians, you know, and you talk to a lot of them. I talk to a lot of musicians who i i can't i mean, i purse. I'm not a musician. I mean, I tried to play guitar, I suck but I really can't tell the difference between this drummer and that drummer. And this drummer may be in a huge band but They don't sound that much different than the other drummer. And I think it's because some of its time and place some of its they're easy
to work with. There's all these other factors that kind of go into success with some of these people who may have quote unquote beat talent.
And also like, I think, instance like you're talking about, if they're hooked up with the right singer who has the right songs, and is a good enough performer. I mean, you know, and that's where it comes in. Kind of life is Plinko like the game on prices, right? It's what it's not just you, it's what you bounce off of that right.
Well, I don't know if you must, I think you did you interview Jason ElDeen, or you've you review, you're familiar with him, obviously. But I interviewed his his drummer, rich Redman, and he was telling me his story how he was in Nashville for like, I don't know, it was like seven or 10 years or something. And he was in a million different bands as a drummer, different styles of music, you know, metal, reggae,
all this other stuff. And then when he found Jason LD, and he's like, I'm sticking with this guy, I'm gonna go wherever he goes. And I mean, that's worked out really well for him. So as soon as it's like sticking, but he said that a lot of the other people that he saw that were maybe more talented than him, they just didn't stick with it. And they would leave Nashville to get a different job, or they quit the music business.
And you know what, that's a great point. I have a friend who is the drummer for a pretty big star that, you know, he paid for similar thing. He was in blues bands, he was in regional r&b bands, but but he stuck with it long enough. And when he connected with this guy, this is a guy who has songs again, saying, and people, and he's fallen six, and he has a great career now playing drums
for this guy. But um, so anyway, I tried to do the music thing realized, you know, the Black Crowes aren't gonna have me be their new lead guitar player, my girlfriend at the time, who had her stuff really together. She was like, an advertiser was a pro will shop in she was a friend before, for instance, but she's like, Hey, I know a lot about music. And you have a cool way with words. Why don't you try to be in music, right? I was like, those guys are all failed
musicians and. And back then, like it's more wide open now. But the lens of what was cool and good. Like I remember reading, like the record reviews, in a publication, a major publication that in the same issue, they like trashed, like, a new Motley Crue album that I loved, that had a lot of good songs on it. And they gave like, you know, Na, some rap is
good. But they gave like a good review to some Jai bass rap artists that no one remembers their name now, like, and I was like, there was a lot of that to where I was like, people don't really like, you know, my music doesn't really have a lot of critical. Credence in the saints, but it doesn't have to be that way. And I got the opportunity I so after, like, the music thing kind of petered
out. For me in New Orleans, I just got tired slop and food on the plate for a day job or, you know, or, you know, working in a guitar store and rearranging the guitar chords for eight hours in a day, like you're just like, I'm 30 years old, this isn't really working. I came back home to my hometown, went out to a bar, and I ran into a college friend that had creative writing courses with minored in English at Alabama, which I think was essential in taking creative
writing. Kind of the merging of like, what I learned in public relations, classes, journalism classes with the creative thing, I think, we have kind of maybe do something interesting sometimes. But she was like, Hey, my friend that I ran into at the bar from my creative writing classes. She's like, Hey, man, I'm working for this alternative. Weekly. We need writers. Why don't you come write for us? You are good. I like to write in our class. I was like, Sure I do. I'll do it.
And actually, like, also sold advertising at this thing. That's how bad I was. I was like, wow, I can have something to do with that's actually a viable career. That still has something to do with doing cool stuff every day. Like, you know, I'm not in a band. But you know, this would be a cool way to make a living. And like one of the first people I interviewed was
¶ B.B. King, Nikki Sixx & Early Jobs
BB King. He was cool. Yeah. Maybe my second or third interview and like I remember his pseudonym to call it like back then this sufferings phones weren't quite as 20 years ago, cell phones weren't quite as big with people, particularly older people. And yet, like I call and also cell phone reception was kind of shady. So for for interviews, you often use landlines. Sure. So I was put to call into his hotel BB kings hotel, and his I'll never forget it. His pseudonym was pump Davidson.
What does that mean?
I don't know. I think it's just funny. You know, like, like, a lot of those rockers will have like, kind of sexual innuendo kind of pseudo names for hotel checking names used to back in the day. But so yeah, so that was a key, it's all about getting, you know, little toe
holes. And I got enough clips there where I got started writing for The Daily in here in Huntsville, which you know, daily newspapers before you know that it's well documented a tough time now but back then that was a cool thing to get into started what writing freelance for them then I got a job at a small community daily in Clemson,
South Carolina in that area. And see there, you got to interview stuff like who's the like Zac Brown, like when he was like, so you'd get to interview now, they've never talked to a small
market paper like that. But so they're, they're opportunities like that, like, and I they had me start my own art weekly there, which was good experience because then you're, you're used to working with people and you're on the other side of class, like, Okay, I know how it feels to be the editor now, so I want to be that way when I'm working for people consider that but anyway, from there, I got in with doing kind of the Greenville Greenville, South Carolina is a pretty cool market
because it's small enough that it's not a pain in the ass but it's got cool nice stuff and I got a job they're working for their foe fo weekly they're gonna net paper, which can net on USA Today is their flagship. They own a lot of
Yeah, that's what my girlfriend works for that I think they own channel 12 Or they did I don't know. What's that?
They own a lot of cheap TV channels gonna. Yeah. But anyway, they're, you know, I got to interview like, that's the first time I interviewed Nikki Sixx, you know,
yes, Molly crew on your on your resume thing here. And so is that just Nikki Sixers unit for the whole band.
Nikki's only one I've ever interviewed. I've interviewed him for LA Weekly. Couple of times. He's always really thoughtful, great in the big thing at in Greenville. I got, I get hooked, got hooked up. Canet was also doing a nationwide network online called Metro Mix they have in all these markets. And eventually they I mean, they're like in Austin,
New York. Anyway, the music editor liked my stuff and was started using it in other markets like, you know, if say, say someone like slash, who is on his solo career that time was coming through the Carolinas and I interviewed him and they use it in other markets.
How does that work? Do they pay you to pick that up? Or they give you like a flat fee? Or how's
it feel sorry for photographers, because they haven't worse but like, yeah, like, there will be stories, stories now even like the APL use, and it's cool because it gets your name out there and your content. I'll see ya. Syndication stuff gets syndicated a lot. And I'm like, wow, I didn't know my read that story was also on US News and World Report's or, you know, in Oregon someplace or whatever. There's in some of these companies, um, you know, a lot of different outlets in
different markets. But the key thing I kind of got off the off the track there, but the music editor, indie Herman was a very key person in my career. He was the music editor at Metro Mix. Then later, he became the music editor at the LA Weekly in Los Angeles where he resided. Still, that's a big one. Yeah. And After I left this Greenville job came back to my hometown Huntsville was freelancing for PACE some which was kind of a big deal back in the day.
They're still around but it for a while there, they were kind of right under, you know, like spinning Rolling Stone in terms of a place you'd want to write
for. But anyway, Andy, at once he got the LA Weekly music everything he can, you know, he was like, Hey, man, we're getting the band back together, you know, quote unquote, like, and he brought in me and I think another one or two of his Metro Mix riders he like in addition to the LA riders he was working with, but I got to do that's my honey hole is like Los Angeles, hard rock. Yeah. So I got a lot of chances to write about that. And to be a part of like, I
mean, shit. You watch the the dirt movie in Motley Crue, there's a scene where there's a issue of LA Weekly Motley, on the cover, like,
yeah, oh, yeah, that's very famous for sure.
So and he was a good editor, too, I learned a lot for him. Like, I would advise, you know, people who want to be a writer, when you start working with good editors, notice how they edit it, and give it your next story more to them in the first place. More like that, oh, they like this. But that's much this. Wow, I'll play that next time. You can really learn from that. And also, he had good
ideas. Like he also taught me and you and I got, I think you got to watch it as a former musician, as a writer, because musicians tend to to be okay, this stuff is great. I think this stuff sucks. But you have to realize there are really good artists in every genre. Like, yeah, man, how
do you handle that? Because I think I saw in one of the jobs you were had to cover, like the symphony and stuff like
¶ Covering Subjects You're Not a Fan Of
that must as a rock guy, that's gonna be hard to cover stuff that maybe you're not as big of a fan of or maybe you are a symphony fan. But there's got to be something that you're covering, you're going I'm not really a fan of this. So how do you approach that?
You find every or and, you know, the symphony. And it's interesting. That's something people rarely cover now, because we can track around 2012, media outlets started getting really good. As things went almost totally to digital.
Well, they can track exactly what people read and what they don't what, you know, before that in the print emphasis days, they had subscription numbers, and they could do focus groups, but they didn't really know who read, like, what stories but like now, I mean, symphonies Cool, great and skilled and all that stuff. But there's just, you know, a big audience for that. But in to answer your question, like, am I a big pop country fan? No. But you do
research on these people. You ask them good questions that they haven't been asked all the time. And they can be fun to interview and, you know, in and sometimes, you know, someone's fame is the most interesting thing about, you know, sometimes they're artists sometimes it's how they found that guitar that Where did where did they find that special guitar that's like,
on all their songs. Sometimes it's what was their band rehearsal place, like when they the first time they jammed, like, the whole deal is to try to put the make the reader person who's reading it on their phone or whatever, like, feel
like they're in the room. You can't describe like the person's shoe laces and the doorknob and like the welcome mat, but like, unless, I don't know, there's something really crazy about the shoe laces, but it's putting them there, man, like, and that's what that's the fun of it. And to be honest, I still I love the research. I love the interviewing process. 20 years in it's the writing is it's getting more challenging for me because I've done it so much. You know, like, Yeah, I
¶ Highs & Lows of Journalism Work
mean, eight years and so to get to the job that you have now the Alabama Media Group, so in those eight years, I mean, like we talked about some of these other places that you kind of bounced around, did it feel like a steady climb that whole way or whatever? Would you ever have thoughts of like, oh, man, like was there was there highs and lows during that time where the thoughts were your thoughts of giving up or stuff like that?
Sure. Sure. There's, there are periods of say conda there's also periods like, Whoa, I thought this was headed in the right direction, and now it is not. And there's not really anything in in indicating it's going to go in the good direction again. Yeah, it's tough. And even in the man, the last couple of years, like, you know, there are certain opportunities have come and certain opportunities have gone.
I have an awesome staff job@aol.com, which is the website of the Birmingham News, Huntsville times mobile press register. So I cover a lot of stuff related to North Alabama. But also a lot of my stuff's syndicated somewhat syndicated
throughout the state. My boss is really smart about, you know, don't just limit your stuff to writing about stuff that is from Alabama, coming through Alabama, but also sometimes that people in Alabama would be interested in, like our readership loves 80s, hard rock, they read a lot of those stories, which is great for me. Right. But wow, you know, the interview with Phil Lewis of La guns, I have a good relationship with, you know, I had a good interview with Tracy
A few years back. And I have, I've had a positive relation and interactions with their manager. So, you know, that was that wasn't promoting a gig in Alabama, that was promoting the
record. And so, opportunities like that come up, and my boss, his name has been flying again, is, in addition to being a good journalist, and good writing about entertainment stuff, he's smart enough to not you know, whereas previous areas, regional local groups were like, they would want you to write about stuff that these are people from where your outlet is based in on a local regional level, or stuff coming through here. So it makes
sense. But hell, they have a staff job, because, you know, frankly, the freelance stuff, in my experience, it's harder to get the higher you go up. And some people are just so awesome that, you know, they're gonna, you know, they're gonna go all the way to the top, but I think
it's very hard to ascend. I think those you know, freelance budgets have gone down the pay, in my experience has gone down, sometimes significantly, like, but still I do some of it, you know, I've got something coming out this year with Guitar World, that's really cool. I've got something still coming out with spin. But what I want to do next, it's like, you know, I've
¶ Writing a Book
kind of done that. And what I want to do next Chuck is write a book. Because there you go, you know, I was like, you know, what did I've spent 20 years of my life lifting up other people. And you know, whether that spans or, you know, comedians are writing about restaurants and chefs or like, you know, movie stuff, or like, I'm like, You know what, a lot of these people are very talented, but a lot of them kind of think I'm as talented as they are in what I do. And it's time. Yeah, it's so
what would your book be about?
Okay, perfect. I don't want to let the keys Anglet I don't want to give away the keys to the kingdom but I will say my plans are right now are to do a book that is based on what I consider the best story I ever wrote. And it was for LA Weekly. In its in a regard, but it's regarding to Tory it's a story of the tour and industry that hadn't been told. And but a lot of a lot of major bands do.
Okay, I'll have to check that out. So this is kind of a cliche question. I know but what what is your favorite
¶ Favorite Interviews
interview? Was there one that really stands out? Are some that really stick out?
Yeah, what man I mentioned. Anytime you're interviewing someone, who when you are a teenager, they were on a poster on your bedroom wall. Surreal, pretty fucking cool. And, you know, I've been doing this enough that, you know, early, you might be a little nervous in your career on some of those, but now it's, you know, it's, it's really a thrill. So that would be people
like Nikki Sixx. Getting to interview like, slash, who, you know, his is interesting because Because time slots on interviews are often like 2030 minutes, something like that. But you know, he's kind of this was for regional press. So or for this is for Metro back so it's for national press, but not the biggest outlet. So the interview
slot was 10 minutes. But I'm sure his interview questions were colorful, concise, interesting, you know, some people will take this long to enter, answer the question only this parts. Yeah, interesting. But all this stuff was like a homerun and good and interesting. And you know, he'd been sober for a few years by
then. smart, funny. And then like, all these heroes I get to talk to now like, you know, that I had their cassettes when I was a kid, like, chips enough from an if it's enough for Tracy guns, or, you know, Anthony quarter, the singer from tour tour, like, I remember sitting watching dial MTV, and walking shoes by love that song tour tour being on there, or, you know, because a lot of those bands also that I think, what was cool, like, you know, and maybe not on that level, but
think of how many think of how few bands now. Okay, let me back up. Think of how back in like the 80s in the 70s, really 80s. You could name multiple members of the band, if not all, I mean, you know, was Van Halen, or Motley? Or, you know, the different guys in Kiss? Or, you know, even somebody like poison. I mean, everybody knew all for those dudes names. Even, you know, through, you know, even bands, even like rat guns and
stuff like that. A lot of people if you didn't know, all four of them, you know, two of them. Right? Now, how many real rock bands that have launched in the last five years or so ago? Can most people name one, let alone to let alone the whole band like? And, you know, I think MTV had a lot to do with that. Because, you know, it's wasn't just the singer in the video, usually. But then the prominence of MTV and you know, people still make videos, but it's not the same thing on YouTube. But
because you have to. It's just different. It's monocot culture versus customized culture.
Totally. Yeah. Well, another interview you did
¶ Bob Saget
recently, I mean, because Bob Saget. He just passed away. And you'd interviewed him this summer. And I read that that was a that was a really great interview to some interesting stuff, like how he got the role and How I Met Your Mother. And, and because I think was something like his daughters went to school with the creators, daughters. I'm like, I love hearing stuff like that. And you post a lot of those kind of tidbits on Twitter, too.
Then, you know, I, he was a genuine dude. So you know, I spent maybe 45 minutes on the phone with him. But oh, that's a long one then, huh? Yeah. And I think that's changing what the interview times are going up a lot on a lot of people like, and also more people are doing regional press. I think with the pandemic, people want to get themselves the best shot. Yeah. And if that means doing interviews, maybe they didn't do the last project cycle where they just did national press.
You know, not everybody doing that, but I think a lot of people are but like, that second interview, Bob Saget, where he starts talking about Yeah, I was getting you know, I got this awesome role. I can't remember I think he was talking about full house or I don't know if it was Funniest Home Videos. But then Mike, he's like, you know, I got this great house, but then I also got a divorce and like, he kind of, I don't know, it was really human then and I thought
he was really genuine. And you know, anytime someone like, at the inner you know, I don't include this usually in there. But, you know, sometimes, you know, one of these big guys at the end of yo going interview man, you know, like, you know, in Dickies done that Bob did and these, and it's the highest and that's why I'm so grateful for you pointing out the thing about Phil Lewis from LA guns like,
yeah, it's so cool. He does a ton of interviews and but the whole thing is like, these people are just inherently inherently interesting. And I mean, just I can't imagine like and that's what part of the reason I want to do a book like aside for from a few iconic, you know, journalism pieces. Most people are going to remember a article or interview 20 years from now, but I can name you all
the dudes in poison. I can name you everybody who's ever been in the Black Crowes I can name it's ever been in kiss like I'm that's to create something that people care about. that long and you know, most of the time brings them joy. Like I mean, what I mean what did it what a what a wife, you know, Eddie Van
Halen birthdays today. Think about this all the time, like, you know, especially before like the 90s kind of self serious artists like, I love the Black Crowes but, you know, they take themselves a little too seriously the grunge dudes did have most of them but but how
¶ Van Halen & Black Crowes Books
much fun I had listening to be an alien. You know, like a car with your buddies. Like, like I heard. I was listening to I was on a treadmill. I was listening to the other day and listening to the inhale and the semi debut in the that song feel your love tonight. Just like this ad telling you man, this makes takes me right back to being a kid. And like, I've got a decent drive. I've got a decent car with a good with a pitch and stereo on my way to go pick up a hot day. I mean, like I mean
1000 Good times. Van Halen like, you know, that was that was just a special band and Eddie, like, uh, yeah, he was a badass, but man, like, the joy and like the smile in his virtuosity. No one ever had that. It's like Hendrix. She listened to him. Love him. He's great. But yeah, the students gonna die. Like it's just so there's just a dark undertone. And you know Eddie had some darkness to like atomic punk or you know, obviously you've got a with the devil like this or the struggle
with alcohol he was he was addicted alcohol pretty heavily. I think that was a definitely a dark thing. When I read you ever he never got a chance to interview Eddie. Remember Van Halen Did you? Yeah,
that was a that was a that was a bucket list thing. I always like to interview head, haven't interviewed anyone from Van Halen. My friend of Greg read off, of course, wrote the great Van Halen rising book. And on their early days, if anyone watches this, if you like Van Halen, or you just like how rock bands, interested in rock bands, this is the story of how Van
Halen started. You know, like, their early years paying their dues playing the backyard parties, how the brothers met Dave, and, you know, it goes all the way through their early stuff all the way to the end of the first tour Sabbath. It's
incredibly research. Like he taught my camp and he was the one person the band he was able to talk with, but he talked along with the producer, temperament and all the cool thing and what I loved about these LA Weekly stories and some of these other stories I've done for like dell.com and other people like talking to the other big guns and roses has a ton of people in Guns and Roses universe. Yeah, like the people who were in like Chris Webber, who was in Hollywood rose with
Dizzy and exa Excellent. Like, is he you know, was living in his house like axles or axle was I forget which one you know you know, whether it's you know, it's well documented people like Michelle young or James or like, you know, I think Guns and Roses might have the most interesting kind of universe of are. Mark canner who was slashes big buddy, we took a lot of the early photos of them like in his parents phone, Kenner's deli, very famous Los Angeles place restaurant. And that that is a
fun thing. Because of what like what Greg did. He talked to all these Van Halen universe people, these big players that help you construct a really because it's like, it's like Steve Gorman's book for the Black Crowes who's an awesome guy. Great interview and just a good dude. I don't know him anything but professionally, but he you can just tell that people are good people. I've interviewed other
people in that band. Several and Steve's just awesome, but, like, the perspective of the band from someone who isn't the high reverse like,
because the band probably doesn't remember a lot of the stuff too if they're fucked up and they're on drugs and shit. They don't remember this stuff where someone is an outsider is gonna remember that when they were all fucked up. They're gonna remember that in the person who's fucked up.
Also, and also like, the egos aren't quite as big and you got to have a big ego I think to be a in some context to be a songwriter and a kind of a frontman, or like the Guitar Hero thing, but like, like Steve, he wasn't team Chris and he wasn't team rich. Steve. You know, it's like the catcher and also like, I think what Steve's book is so good. You know, like, there's I think there have been a few former major league catchers who went on to become
pretty decent managers. And it's like, the catcher sees the whole field. And I think the drummer is back there on the drum kit. He sees the whole stage, man. That's a good point. And his his book. Have you read Steve's
¶ Stephen Pearcy & Ratt
book? No, no,
I haven't. Yeah, I love reading. biographies, especially rock biographies. Like I think one of the most recent ones I read, because I had him on the show was Steven Piercey. I don't know if you've read that on that one's really fat. And that's where he talks about Eddie Van Halen, they were neighbors. And Eddie would come over and you'd be like, Hey, you got any booze? Or like, can I keep my booze in your garage? I'm hiding it from my wife. And that's when I knew like, okay,
yeah, he definitely had. Eddie Van Halen definitely had a big alcohol problem. Like, were you hiding booze and stuff?
It's awesome. You got to interview the PRC. And what a great band rat. And those records are so good. And his vocal like style is so perfect for that. And like a cool kind of sound. And I got to interview him once for LA Weekly for there's a time when there are two versions of rat out there. Yeah, we kind of did a story with that. And but it was a thriller again, someone else who like how many times did I listen to invasion of your privacy? or out of the cellar? When I was
good? How many times did I see this guy on MTV? And he's like telling you talking telling you about the time. You know, we talked about the business thing, the two competing rat bands at the same time. But we we also got into like, when they wrote round and round like, yeah, I don't know, man. It's like you. It's cool. You got to talk to freakin Steven Piercey. Man, that's so cool. How cool it literally, we're lucky. You're lucky.
Yeah. No, for sure. It's It's amazing. Some of these, like you said, if you have a poster of them on your wall, and then you get to sit down and do a face to face. And they give you that time. I mean, it's just, it's a real treat. And then for the fact that you're gonna record this interview, or you're in your case, you're gonna write it up and then other people are going to be entertained by that. That's, that's even more amazing.
Like that, passing along that. That energy that you get from that person's music to like, yeah, we have a you know, the stuff we do. It's, it's a, it's a part of that signal chain. It's cool to be a part of it.
Yeah, absolutely. Well, thanks so much for doing
¶ Cats & New Leash On Life
this. I appreciate it. I do like to end each episode with the charity camera if I told you. So. I don't know if there's a charity or cause you want to give a shout out to here. I know. You're a big cat guy. I don't know if there's something else that is near and dear to your heart.
Oh, you know? Yes. And where I got my cats for I am a big cat guy. Pets are great. They're good buddies. Good comic relief.
I don't know how you get your cats to cuddle with each other. Our cats. We have two cats and they hate each other. It's like, really? I don't know how you do that.
I think you know what I think? I think they came from different places, but through the same shelter called New leash on life instead of new lease on life. But they do foster parents. A lot of times where these families will take care of the little baby puppies or kittens or whatever. In these cats, man like that would be Yeah, yeah, just Yeah, I think you lately Shawn life here in Alabama where I am would be? I don't know, man. Yeah, it's just especially endemic. Yeah, yeah.
I'll throw that in the notes along with the website for with all your writings, and then also, I guess, people could Google you or follow you on Twitter. Definitely follow me on Twitter because you post some really cool stuff in there. Like there was one the other day I had. I didn't know Mike McCready was in a hair metal band in the 80s. That kind of sounded like rat and so stuff like that is really cool to the picture. You posted a violin for Scott Weiland from some demo pilots
where he played football. I'd never seen that picture before. So your fun twitter follow for sure.
Oh, thanks, Jeff. Man. I appreciate that. It's fun that the the the rock community on Twitter is really fun and generally positive.
Yeah, I agree. Absolutely. Well, thanks so much
¶ Wrap Up & Outro
for doing this. I'll get this episode out soon. And I'll talk to you later.
Cool. Sounds good. Chuck, let me know. All right, here. Okay.
Thanks. Bye. Bye. Hi. Once again, thanks to Matt wake, follow him on Twitter. He posts some great stuff. And he's written some great articles. So I look forward to that book when it comes out. If you enjoyed this interview, let me know either with a YouTube comment or on social media. And of course, make sure to follow and subscribe so that you're in the loop with future episodes. I appreciate all your support with the shows. I know the guests appreciate you're supporting
them as well. And of course, if you have a few extra bucks lying around, you can always donate to the guest charity. Have a great rest of your day. And remember to shoot for the moon.