Carbon Leaf, Touring, Making It Big, 2/2 (w/Barry Privett) Ep046
Welcome. Back to, another episode of fret buzz the podcast, my. Name is Erin septic and today, we're gonna be getting into part two with, Barry privet, of the band carbon, leaf before, we do that though if you're enjoying the show head on over to iTunes, and, give us a review it not only helps us our but it also lets others, know why they should listen to the show too and, if, you really really enjoy what you're hearing head on over to patreon, and, become part of fret buzz the podcast, team I also want to mention the songwriting Club in which you can sign up at fret buzz the podcast, calm, again. If you like what you hear hit that subscribe button we've, got a lot of good topics, and guest, hosts, on the way and with all that said let's jump, into part, two with very privat of the band carbon, leaf on fret. Buzz the, podcast, I. Had. The opportunity to see carbon leaf. Telling, the fans out there I got, to see very in action about. A, month, it was actually the night before st. Patty's Day and, you're. Playing elevation, 27. In Virginia. Beach which is a new music, venue, at. The old Jewish mother, building. You. Guys had it seemed like a lot, of people knew you I mean I guess this is hometown. For you but, it did, seem like it an adoring, crowd and the. Energy was really, high in there thank. You that was that was a little that was a little bit of a loose kind of sloppy show just because we were playing. Up that it was st. Patrick's weekend. And, you. Know how, that goes. Yes. Somebody bought I think about everybody shots on stage and. Irish. Tunes, yeah. Right, so a lot of some of that stuff was a lot different experience, than you would if you went, to. Different. Venues and we, also know kind of like there's. Certain certain, certain. Regions. Have a different. Experience, with the band and so sometimes you you kind of put. On the dog a little bit and act more like a party band and then, other places, you're, kind of more a little, more refined and. You. Know. Trying. To present yourself, more not, seriously, but, just. With a little bit more of. Class. Or reservation. I. Mean. Do you normally play the pennywhistle, ad shows, I mean, you know so, the whole the whole Celtic, side of our thing you know there was a time where we you, know we had a couple of albums that really. It. Back back in the early 2000s. You know it. Was a big influence and. There. Were some was off echoecho, that had that kind of influence and. Then. In 2013. We released kind of a straight-up Celtic. Original. Kind of Celtic ins.
Inspired. Album. So. It's it's it's a it's a thread that's through the music but if you would actually take our whole catalog. You. Know the Celtic stuff would be about one fifth of it but. Because there's a pennywhistle or whatever it's it's very distinctive, it's what people, tend to remember, a lot about, so. It's um it's. Not a gimmick but it's in a little, goes a long way and I know you. Know I'm very I'm very limited, in my my, ability, so, I. Can't. Really do the music. Justice. In terms of the traditional sense of the. Celtic. Music. But. It's kind of a fun diversion. Yeah. It's, like I have a I'd, take my harmonicas. To shows and, I'm. In, no way a great harmonica, player but I am like. I can play I don't, know I use the right harmonica, for the right song and that goes a long way but, it is like I could play the best guitar solo of my life and then I pull out the harmonica, and play for you. Know 20. Seconds, and people are like man I loved when you played the harmonica it's, like man it like I didn't put my life's work into the harmonica, No, they, love it it's, just it's something, different. I. Don't. Know what it is. It's. The the, novelty, of it yeah, I think so yeah, I think so, that's. It's, an, excitable, unexpected. Thing. And. I actually really enjoyed the. Novelty, of Carter, had the lead guitarist he has had at. Least ten. Different instruments, on stage, probably, more. It. Really, kept. The music fresh and. You. Know one song he's on a Fender. Stratocaster the, next he's on a like. An electric cello and then he's on, thinking. He had mandolin, and did he have a banjo up there yeah, there's. So, many different sounds that gave each song, a different. Texture, which. Really, helped keep the, whole concert, fresh. And interesting, yeah. And that's and. That's something that we've always valued, because. You. Know going to see a show where a band. Is, playing. The same instruments. I mean no matter how good the songs are and all mean for me. It. Is it is exciting, to kind of have a different. Change. You know and, I'm. Lucky, we're, lucky that's, you. Know you, have the basis that plays upright as well and, you. Can play the boat base and our. Drummer can pick up a guitar and you. Know, and. Carter. With all of his instruments, so it. Just, allows it. Allows us to go to different places and keep us from getting bored you know mm-hmm. Yeah. Remember you guys did like like, the, Eagles when they do seven. What's, the one where they're all just singing son of all the harmonies yeah you guys did something like that which. Was very good yeah. But did we do it around the one Mike. Thinks. Oh yeah yeah, Oh at. The end yeah. Yeah. You're constantly trying to try to have. A bag. Of tricks. That, you can switch up yeah. Actually. I think he turned off the mics yeah. That was unplugged. You. Know, yeah. Everyone, really, quiet, you, got really quiet in some rooms that works a lot better than others, the beach show that was a little bit of a border but um it's. A good way it's, a good way of like connecting. To. The audience like after you know two, hours of plugged. In music to just. Let. Everybody hear the room for a second as kind of a jarring, experience. Yeah. Really you, know people get caught up in talking, and, just. A little experience but - you know I remember some, girl was talking beside, me and somebody like jabbed her in. There. Like hey this. Is serious you need to pay attention it, really has it forces. Everyone to focus, it. Can get ugly sometimes. I. Mean. People pay people pay to come into a venue it's not it's not necessarily, their responsibility. To pay attention you know it's it's. Our job to uh to. Engage people but um. Sometimes. It gets annoying but usually. We just roll with it, yeah. What was it was very effective there I felt from the audience, good. Yeah. There wasn't any you, know the girl felt bad it wasn't she. Wasn't mad that somebody told her to be quiet it, was a positive thing. Okay. So. If you had it looks like you, and Carter, and Terry are are. You the only three original members. Yes. Because, other guys, look my. Age look. What. Do you. Well. They looked I mean they look very. Significantly. Younger. And. I don't mean that in a bad way. The. Gary. Carter and I are original. Members our bassist, and. Drummer. Are. Or. Not John our, bassist, has been with us though for 11 years so, you. Know exact, he's actually at this point been. With us longer. Than. Any. Other bass player right, though. He. He's our fifth player. Our.
First Guy was with us for you. Know just like two or three years and then quit soon after school, and then. We had and. Then. We had another. Guy. Jordan with us for about ten, years and then. And then we went through like three or four within like the course of the year before John joined so, he's, been with us eleven years I mean he's he's, in my in my mind you know he's carving these bass, player and and for. All intensive, purposes not. The founding member but you know I mean. He's the guy yeah, and. And. Then our drummer jesse has. Been with us for. About. A year and almost, a year and a half now. Yeah. And um. Yeah. Year and a half so you. Know. Right now I couldn't, be happier with the lineup I mean I I hope I hope this I hope this stays. The. Way it is we work really hard. And. I. Mean, Carbon, leaf wouldn't be here. Without. The. Contributions, of everybody, that has played with us you know what I mean. And. We're. Lucky to have them even if it was for a brief time certainly. Lucky to have Jason. Who was our, drummer, for 10. Years prior and, and. Jordan. Who played bass so. But. But as far as the as far as the makeup and the, way we get along I. Feel, like there's a lot of great potential there so we're just starting to now with Jesse just starting to be getting into some writing, again because. We spent a couple of years just. Restabilizing. You know right, getting. Those players getting getting us all I mean, sometimes you're just gonna have that I mean you guys I'm sure know I mean it's just you, spend so. Much of your time just trying to get. In the room with someone and get acquainted, and see if it's gonna work out and yeah I mean the fact that any band cancer I've you. Know. Getting. Each, of each each of them having lives. Having. Other dependents. Having wives and kids and you, know all, of these all these factors, that come, into play I mean. Are. Extraordinary. You, know. Now. Are you guys all located, in this in the same region. So you are you good you guys do band practice. So. Our, drummer is in Boston. Which, is the first time you know we've had a player kind of way out way out of town right. But, it's, working out. We. Practiced, a ton you know in our in our youth we would practice every, night right, and. Then when we started touring a lot. That. Practice, time became, it. Came, down to like you, know we. Get together and we rehearse. For a tour or, we. Get together and we write mhm, we, don't just get together and like, practice. Unless we had like a real good reason like for going out on the road right, we get together and we scrub.
Up What we need to scrub up and. You. Know for in the studio then we're we're doing, pre-production, or or I have a batch of songs to present people and say, here's. The next project, and then we start, you know working, through it. But. The days have kind of just hanging. Out and getting, together to practice. Doesn't. Happen tons. Unless. We're just like this is a writing week, come. Into town, so. I would say that would kind of be our. Rehearsal. Okay, so you have, dedicated slots. Of time where you guys kind. Of get together and then, go, over pre-production. Or any of those kinds of ideas. Do you do any like Skype. Or Google Hangouts, or any anything, like that where you guys talk together as a as a conference, type of thing at all not not, yet okay, yeah, that. Day may come. But. But right now it's just live, it'd. Be nice to get that organized, but we just haven't gotten that organized yeah, it's always interesting to kind of hear different. Bands perspectives. On how, they actually go about getting. That, kind. Of like what you were saying before that, that. That. Vibe between the, however. Many of you were there are the five of you or the four of you or whatever, it is kind of getting to know each other a little bit more and making sure that that that, vibe is there and being, able to bounce ideas off of each other yeah, is that something that when, you because. I know the three of you been together since the beginning is that something that you guys kind of generally, talk together about or, is, that something. You do want mostly on your own or, does. The two guitarists, work together as, how does that process kind of work yeah. Again. Earlier it would be you know guys. Either riding on their own or that or two. Guys getting together for an idea. And. We. We actually the band, met. In February. Jesse. Flew in and we spent, a week. Basically. Just coming up with ideas and. So, we came up with. Pieces. Of music we probably came up with like I don't know maybe like 40 40. Pieces, of music 40, songs or whatever, right, you, should kind of go all day. Take. Turns kind of with ideas, and, so and then, we've done that once before where. We rented a beach house this. Was back in 2012. And we, set up for a week and, you. Know we'd make breakfast, and by 10:00 a.m. we were writing and we would do that with, a break, during the day we do that till 10:00 at night and, that. Was that was really great, we came up with like 75. Pieces of music. Nothing. Nothing that was lyric driven but that, was stuff to give me right, as a, kind of concentrated, way of combating. The, fact that we're on the road or. You. Know living up personal. Lives outside you know the band, let's you, know instead of just getting together a night, or two here, and there let's. Go in and treat it like a. Thing. Seven, days, it. Seems to work out pretty well like, that just kind of like just emergent emergent approach and. Everybody's. Creative and loose and you're. Allowed, to kind of just live, and work in the same space. Yeah, that, sounds it sounds wonderful actually I think, that's great. Yeah. It's a it's a great way to get a lot done and, and. Then not have to worry about you, know juggling, this this balanced schedule of. Course there's then they wait on me to kind of come back with whatever I'm gonna come back with well like I said like you were saying before it gives you on the other side of it you. Know walking away with 75 tunes or, at least ideas. That you can kind of sift through and. Depending. On where you feel inspired come, up with you, know an albums worth of material versus. You, know going. Into it saying, okay we got to come up with 10 12 tunes to make an album that gives you more of the, the freedom to kind of just explore. Yeah. And and, and that was the way the first few albums were you went in and you and you created 12 track you know 12 songs and you cut an album.
Over. The over the years we've, accumulated, enough. Demos, where, I mean I have I mean, I have decades, and decades if all I did was write I mean we have like I have I have so I take care I take everything and I put it into my, iTunes and, I create playlists, based, on. The. Way a certain song sounds, to me and. I. Have. I probably, have like 15, different folders. Where I've I've, either broken things up into genre, or. It. Sounds like this. Sounds like a song for a Christmas album or. This. Sounds like you. Know a great summer song I just. Just named file, folders. Loosely. You. Know I have stuff write write these songs at night or I have song as I say write these songs during the day. Just. Kind of breaking things up in different ways and then I can pull from those playlists, depending on where. I am what I'm doing how much time I have and. We. Have 900, we have 900, unfinished. Songs like that. And they could either be up just a riff or something. I something. I recorded, while I was driving you, know not, a phone or. A full fledged band song. Kind. Of just waiting so. It's, a nice it's a nice flexible, space to be in, because. It's it's. Because. We've. Moved, past the point of having to have the whole band, necessarily. Show up and work. On something, even. Though we still even though we still do that and we'll, just add we'll, just add it to the pile so if we have 40 pieces of music and I. Know that there's probably six, of them that are gonna make it to a project within the next two years we. Still have a lot of stuff to work with down. The road right, right. Even. If we broke up even if we stop touring, you know I mean we, could we'd, still have decades. Material, that we could. Write. It yeah. Yeah. Um. Just, study. Because. I come from a little bit of a an. Engineering. Background that. Always fascinates, me the studio world, and recording. You, have mentioned a couple times that you guys had have. Built your own studio. What. Was that process like. And. If. You, could tell I. Would be a little selfish but you could tell me a, little, about like, what the studio is and, what you what kind of hardware, you guys are using and what's. In your studio that, always just like intrigues me I wish. Terry was here right now because he's our he's our main engineer, and he's our and. This is the thing this is part of why we're successful is that you know there, are some specialties, that that, each of us has you know don't, write, and if it's one it's certainly one thing that's carried, us very far as Terry's ability, to, you. Know be. Able to successfully engineer. You. Know the recordings, mm-hmm. So. He. And. He's out of town right now or else he'd be here but um, to. Answer a few those questions but um he. He, he got it when we were just, out of school just forming, carbon leaf you know that was his his job out of college was, working at a recording studio in Richmond in your, ear was, the studio and, he. Basically said, you know I'll, Alan. You know I'll do whatever he's, like but, they they, literally put him to lobby answering phones and, sweeping. Floors and, and. Then they put him in the dub room and you. Know he started learning how to make tubs and then. They put him in you. Know as an assistant, engineer to the beat the B the, B seat, you know the B engineer, and worked. His way up to be engineer, and then assistant, to the a engineer. And then worked his way to being an a engineer, at the studio so over the course of you know seven. Or eight years he became legit. Legit and. Actually. We learned a lot the. Studio let at, the time they let us go in after, hours and. Made. Our first couple of records meander. Shadows. In the banquet hall ether. Electrified, porch music were all all made in.
The. Off hours, at that studio, so, he would work a full day I, would be off work, in, my. Day job or the, management stuff and then we would meet at night and we would record. Through. The night and, when you're young of course you can do that you know you can like get, get an hour sleep and do, it all again yeah and so. We learned time sitting. There in the dark you know and. When. We you. Know we made we made echo, echo we made Indian summer at a different studio. You. Know this, was back in the early aughts. You know and, you. Know we spent like $80,000, making in B in summer at a at a studio, and. Some. Of that contest money that we used. From, Pontiac, and all that we use to make Indian, summer, insane. Amounts of money. Even. Even by those standards we spent way too much but it just it, was what it was, we. Were we, were creating, we were creating, in the studio that, was billing you know it's six seven eight hundred dollars for, the day we. Didn't come in with the fresh with, a batch of songs well rehearsed and let's record it we were we were creating, you know you're like it's. Like Oh miss Abbey Road we're like you know. Let's. Invent it. So. You know after those experiences. As. The. New technology, you know kind of you, know was, put into the musicians, hands Pro Tools and whatnot and Terry. Was very kind of astute, and kind of you, know learning these things we, realized, that we could make albums cheap. Cheaper. When. The record label said we'll pay you $15,000. For your fourth release on. The. Right on the label we were like well we, can probably make this for six. Not. Not you know, not. Having the gear yet but, anyway. So when. We left the label. We. Said let's just build our own studio and. You. Know we. Kind. Of borrowed. The money I. Don't. Know 30, 40 50, thousand dollars I think it put it in the studio and. And. So. We use a Pro Tools rig and. Upstairs. Is where I am now and it's. A it's a detached garage upstairs. As the editing suite okay. So, I'm, kind of sitting at the at, the you know there's a monitor, here and speakers, and this is this is where he and I would sit and, mix. And produce the record yeah, downstairs. We have. The. Studio space where the drums are set up and all the good everyone has their own station, and. Everything's. Miked up and kind of ready to go okay so we, can kind of come in and get be set up within you, know fairly, short amount of time to, either. Either, demo, or record. So at this point now if we if we are, recording ideas. They. Are. They're. Miked and and everything is is is. Ready. To go so then if the demo becomes, you know the, template. The demo can easily, become you. Know the. Track right. Right, right, right and. That's not like it's not like we're just demoing and then we'll go officially, record you know everything, sounds, really great out of the gate yeah and by the sounds of it that's something that just that studio is something that you guys only, use you don't you, don't like you. Don't know you source that out for other people to come in and record know, okay. Now we just you, know it's set up to do it easily. Enough but we just we don't have the time right right. I didn't know I I don't, know what um Terry's. Background. It is I don't know if he would if. He would want to do something like that as a side, project or not I know I would.
He. Definitely. Enjoys, he, definitely enjoys that yeah yeah but. Typically if there's if there's time that he has you. Know to work, on this, music. It's gonna be carving these stuff I mean there's there's no shortage of things that we have. That we need to do or want to get to right, right right right yeah absolutely, it's. Not it's not really we're not a true we're not really in a position to side hustle, you know we're we're. Pretty we are pretty around the clock on carbon. Leaf stuff yeah well that's nice that's that's nice that you have that available, to you to kind of just take advantage of it any time in any moment where you're feeling the inspiration, you screw down the studio and lay. Some tracks down that's that's that's great yeah. All the projects, are you know again, in Pro Tools and, I can you know I can kind of sit here and and you know pull a mic up and I can. Record my own my. Own vocals, or scratch usually, for each projects, once that once, we've tracked. I'll. Come in at night in the off hours and I will, and. I'll record my vocals kind. Of like this, standing. Up and all but um and, then to play back and I'll just I'll make the rough at its of what, I want and then he'll, come back through and we'll clean it up so. It. Works up works, out pretty well. Yeah. That's, great you, know we got in, the studio got flooded last year while, we were on tour so we. Deal. With that Zefram the hurricane it came through you know what, it wasn't the hurricane, it was just the bad rain June June first we are per Maryland and. The. Something. In the system that in the neighborhood got blocked, up and this wall of water came down the cul-de-sac. We're at the very end of a cul-de-sac and it's just Kings it. Came gushing down no, no. Put. Up foot of water in the base. Downstairs. I. Don't. Know could have been worse but you know there's about $25,000, worth of damage Wow. And. We're. Still trying to you know and, it's. It's, back to normal but we're. Trying. To, take. The opportunity, to upgrade, things, down there just, make. It a little nicer yeah. So. With. Carter I want to jump over to Carter's guitar playing a little bit because we do have you, know Aaron and I are both guitarists, first and foremost well. Aaron claims I think I guess your studio stuff is equal to it but yeah I am. Your. Live shows did, feature Carter, more I think then a lot, of the recordings, at least that I've listened to I won't I don't claim to be to, have listened all your stuff but uh you.
Know I feel, like in the, live show he really, stood. Out and, I think for guitarists, like that can. Be important, to to see that where in. Your. Discography. Could. Somebody. Who loves guitar, where could they hear more of that. Certain. Certain, album that are certain songs that he's featured, on more. Live. Acoustic, and in CinemaScope, is a is they live a, kind, of acoustic album, the double album that's got a little bit that stretches, out some of the songs a little bit like we do live because. The. You. Know they're really really it's more like kind of a song. Or two each album has as you, know some, of Carter's features, like. In. Indian summer has. Let. Your troubles roll by the solo, and. Echo. Echo has you, know maybe today where there's this kind of jam at the end but usually, it's not like here's. The jammy record, you know I. Think. As we do more live stuff. Which. We want to do more. More, live album kind of things. You. Know we might have some of that some, of that featured, and, even. Some records, that might actually be full on a, Jami. Or a fair again, getting back to kind of how I have things playlisted, you know there's definitely definitely. Definitely. Some stuff like that. That. Just need a, modicum, of lyrics, and uh and. The, rest could be the Carter show but, you. Know we record all of our live shows when we put them up for you know ten bucks and so you know if people want to hear you know a lot of that we. Will do it we used to do a lot more than we do now, I. Think. Just. Trying to think back it's you know shows, from so long ago I. Think. At some point we were like what. Are we are we a jam band or if we you know we're like this kind of hybrid, like, folk rock. Band. With. Me who's a lead vocalist, and a microphone. What. Do we want to be you. Know I know the, band can jam you, know, six. Ways to Sunday I. Don't. Know if that's the phrase or not but it sounds good. We'll. Take it yeah. And. We've done that in the past but it's like you know are we, you, know what's what's. The point like are we playing to like the one guitar player in the room or are we you know you. Know. Who. Are, we trying to impress. And. And why and, yeah. Where's. The bat I guess where's the balance of you. Know, performance. And and song cuz we've always been like a song oriented, band, not. Just get. Up there and do. A couple of obligatory you, know lines, of verse and then and then go off in the solo land you know and there's a lot of bands that do that yeah, and, that's what, they're there for I think those we talked, through. This podcast, and all, the different. Artists. That we've talked to and, even, me just listening to a tons, and tons of interviews with bands. It's. The bands that have. A tendency, to redefine. Themselves or, redevelop, themselves, that kind, of have. The most success. I know, we've used people like Herbie. Hancock, as an, example or, just, the, bands that. And. You take any band that you think of and how, over, the years. The, bands that have a tendency to kind of. Discover. New angles, on music. They. Have Tennessee, they have a tendency to kind of have the most success with their fans because, you.
Know The fans, are along for the ride as much as does anybody. Sure. It's it's a it's. A hard game to play that's for sure, it, is a hard game to play there's. A. There's. A wide spectrum. Of interest, from our. Fan base I feel. Like some bands you know they have I. Don't. Know how to put this without it's sounding like a positive, or negative on one side of the other but you know some. Artists might have a certain group. Of people who have, a more collective mind, about what they're what. They want out of an artist you know and I feel, like I feel, like for us we have we, have a wide spectrum of Ages. You. Know from from from kids, on up to you know older. Folks and everybody in between. We. Got some people that want to hear the Celtic stuff we got some people that don't hear the Celtic stuff we got some people that want to hear more more, jams. We. Got more people that are that are you know that want to hear, Lear, driven, performance, you, know, so. It's it's, really just kind of having. That balance and. At. The end of the day kind of being like this is the best we can kind of do with the two hours that we've got right. Some some regions of the, country you you do have you, do shift your strategy, a little bit you know so that. Um. You. Know there's. Certain rooms that are just that are more attuned it's you, don't know this until you go through and play him several times you know sometimes you go to a town you're like hasha we are, we bombing. You. Know it's, like no they're, just they're like really listening they're like looking at you and being like this, is you know I'm into, it where's, other places you go and they're just like bonkers. You know it's like Chapel, Hill is like a very list it's, if they're they're like very attuned to what you're doing and if you even if you play and get real quiet the room will get real quiet, same, with Burlington, the, cat's cradle does that replay in trouble yeah cat's cradle I love that they're like you know they're and they're they're like moving with you like whatever your ideas is their idea but then you've got a different read like Virginia Beach is a good example or or.
St.. Maybe st. Louis. Where. You. Know there's it's just kind of like it's a very room, is like breathing in different. Places. You know and, you. Have to kind of yeah they're like corral people a little bit more right. Or. Maybe not be as subtle, so. It. Just, changes, kind of where. You depending. On where you go I find. That even in just, playing only, in the Virginia Beach area I'd I have to change what I'm playing, every. Night based on I mean within my repertoire, but, you. Know one bar might be a brewery, has a very different vibe from. Somewhere. In the oceanfront. Or. Two written and you could have something like the vanguard in Hampton where it's just. A totally different room and it's not even necessarily a different region it's just a different people. Go there with a different mindset huh yeah. And you're playing a brewery I mean. You. Know it's it's it's it's, usually concrete, and glass it's loud you know there's no acoustics, they're not you know it's not a it's not a it's not a performance, friendly. Space. I would imagine but. It's a friendly I feel, like people are very so. It's usually great audience yeah. It's not acoustically, great but it is uh yeah. I like playing the brewery's more than playing bars. Sure. It's. The different, just, very different vibe people seem to be there. To have it's, usually a little earlier in the day it's earlier kind, of evening drinking, rather than late at night getting, drunk yeah. You're not competing with TV, you know TV screens from. I. Mean. You're probably still dealing with kind of you know people that are chatting cuz that's just what people are, doing they're meeting up yeah. Yeah, and, you probably have your work, cut, out for you. Just. Just from being a soloist. As well, right. You have to you have to wear all the hats musically, yeah. Yeah. My point was more you. Know on the fact that I think it's a good thing for all musicians, to think about just you. Have to read your audience and you have to you. Have to follow them or you have to go where you, think they want to go and it doesn't always work a lot, of times you have to you. Know cast in different directions and like, oh maybe they really. Don't like classic, rock like I'll try a country song like. Oh they don't like that either and then you try you. Know blues and you might finally find something that they react well to you. Might find nothing, that they react to and you're just like oh I'm just gonna play whatever I want yeah, and then and. It kind of goes back to what. She did fun yeah, you were saying is it all, depends on it's, hard to read a crowd sometimes, sometimes, when they're just like, nothing. There it's you, know you think you're not connecting, with them but you're actually really connecting, with them because they're really concentrating, on what, you're doing and it does have to do with, region. As well in terms of how the. East Coast crowd is much different than the West Coast crowd and. Then you do have people who are like. Bouncy. And into the music and want to dance and then you also have crowds, that they, just in the back of the room they're just standing, there with their arms crossed and they just stand there and they are. The musicians, yeah. I'm. Talking I'm trying to watch what he's doing raise. The. Poker face musicians, with our art school that's right, waiting. Waiting for the singer to quit singing so Cardinal solo. It's. Funny it's it's so true though there's, so many different kinds of fans out there that you have to kind of just try to gauge, yeah. Yeah. I mean and and. We. You. Know we I think we have you, know we have we, have I, always. Joked at Carbon, leaf is like, you. Know depressing. Lyrics with a really you know of you know with a really you, know plucky. Beat I don't know. You. Know we we we try to strike a balance where we're. Not taking ourselves. Seriously. You. Know. But. But we're we're, also not, just playing to the crowd and being. Afraid to, play. The songs that. We've. Written and tell a kind of a more of a balanced story of what, we what, we have what we do and I think after. Making set lists or so many years I mean there's just. It. Really, you know the order of how you put things out, really. Does make a huge difference, in the night and. And. So, we've gotten pretty pretty, good at kind of knowing knowing, what to do there and and. And that certainly helps, you, know. Out. Of curiosity. Where. Does the name Carbon, leaf come from. We. So. When we formed in college, we. Hadn't, played out yet and, it. Was I, think. It was a, spring. Getting, in the spring semester and we were Terry and I were taking a rafting trip with a school-sponsored. Rafting. Trip and coming. Back from the trip we were like we got to come up with a name we you know we've got a we, had the you, know some, gigs coming up on campus.
And. One. Of them was gonna be this this girl, friend. Of ours was having, an off-campus thing, and she wanted us to play on her porch and we're. Like we need a name and I start gonna start thinking about this you know and, we. Were just driving through the woods and just you, know looking out the window and just fit on whatever came, to mind and. I. Was like carbon. Leaf, and. You. Know we kind of thought about it we're like oh that's kind of interesting, but. It was basically two random words kind of thrown together that. Evoked, an interesting, image yeah, and. And. Of course our you know when we brought it to the guys Carter's. Always fine with whatever. I. Think. Palmer was fairly indifferent our basis at the time our. Drummer. Didn't like it at. All. Always. One. And. And. So. I think we had spent a little bit more time meeting about it and trying to come up with lists and we would write them it down and and. We couldn't agree on anything and, then the. Girl that was high you know that was having us basically. Just. Decided. To put carbon. Leaf on the poster, because. She'd heard you know we were like well we're thinking about this one name we're, not sure yet so. She I think she made up posters and put her on campus that carbon leaf was playing and, from. There we just were never able to recover right. Right right it. Became our name and. We. Weren't able to come up with anything, better and and. I and I liked it I mean I came up with it and I thought, it was I thought it evokes something interesting, and, it, kind of mirrors what what, you do with art it's like it was two random words that come together to form something. New just like, when you're creating you're like you're putting pieces together and you don't really have the definition, yet right. And, and. So. Then you said that and so so, basically we came up with this thing and then we set out to define it as kind of how I look at it you know so. Looking, back carbon. Leaf started. With just, two words thrown together but, with no content, and. And now it's kind of like this this bowl that's got this stuff in it and that's carbon tea yeah, very. Cool yeah. I'm glad you asked that end yeah, yeah, I've. Always wondered a, nothing. It was nothing premeditated. Or deep, to begin with. It. Was literally just a spontaneous it, was just a spontaneous thing, yeah, your five guys they get, together randomly because you're at school together there's no there's, no rhyme or reason to it it was all just happenstance yeah. You, know I'm walking down the dorm and I hear, Terry playing kook acoustic, guitar and, and, that's the start that's. Great just kind of trip you kind of trip trip into it yeah. And. You had no intention, of becoming a professional musician I assumed no. No I still, don't. What. Did you think he wanted to do I was I mean I was I was all set to be an. Actor, and filmmaker. And, a screenwriter or not that was what I that was what I was. Doing. In. College. And. And. That's. That's that, was kind of be my kind of path I didn't have any plan but I was doing theater and I was, in the writing and I was I was into wanting to do that and. And. Then just got, you. Know I mean I'm writing and performed it's just in a different space. You. Get sidetracked it's good sidetrack. Right. Right right it's kind of just kind of go with it. Well. You do what I did, see that you played you did play a role in a movie it at one point right, they. Had they, filmed, Lincoln the movie Lincoln here Steven Spielberg movie yeah yeah and. To saw that month, again yeah, 2011.
And They. Had local auditions, for. Principal. Parts that weren't them you know the major leads you know right right right I, auditioned, and I got I got a part and. So. Yeah it was ten days on set. My. Part got cut but, um it was just a little thing but um I got. To grow a beard for eight, months so that was fun very, cool very cool yeah. Yeah, it was it was a lot of fun to see them work I could. Actually see, you if you grow. Out your beard longer and dyed. It. I feel. Like you could wear the top hat and you. Could get the link in the Danny yeah. To, show you a picture, of me that looking looking a, lot. Like I was actually Abraham, Lincoln at, a show once back, in when we were opening for Fighting, Gravity back, in like 2000. It was like 1999. It. Was a Halloween show and uh I. Dressed. Like Lincoln. It was um, was. Kind of a trip yeah, because. You're pretty tall too right your, that's. My argument is that I got, cut from the movie because I look too much like Daniel, day-lewis. Didn't. Want to compete. Yeah. The spielberg, didn't want to confuse the audience. Looks. Like thank ya which one. So. You you've, you've. Played with quite, a few. Bands. That. Saw. Like big head Todd the monsters, obviously Delia's, band. What. Have been some of your favorite. Collaborations. Well. You know it's funny we I would say arguably that we haven't played with tons of people considering, our longevity I mean we did it we did a long, we did a tour with big head Todd. That. Was like maybe a five, or six week tour. And. They're really good yeah, I got. Some good songs. And. Have. A good devoted, fanbase. The. We. Did a we, did a tour with Blues Traveler yeah. And. We. Just did side stage stuff for you know like Dave Matthews, and John Mayer and all I and Counting. Crows I can't a guy somehow. It got out there that we would that we went on tour with his guys we never went on tour with those guys we did a string of, side-stage. You, know parking.
Lot Gigs, okay. But. The. You. Know we went on several tours with Great Big Sea which is a which was. A. Banned, from Newfoundland. Kind. Of the. Influences. When, we were younger kind. Of Celtic, influenced. Band. And. That. Was a lot of fun they had a devoted, fanbase and we got a lot of our early. Bass. From you know those kinds of gigs what. Playing for a thousand people a night you know that never heard you it was a real gift and. So we did that for um, several, runs, but. Other than that you know we've kind of been out of our own. Grind, in and out in the cities. And. Just picking, up people each time through, it's really hard to do nowadays you know without some kind of other you. Know it's. Not like it's the 70s, where you just write. Your, tour and then you know people here and you know the the the the the, ease the fanzine. That you're coming to town and you know people work people just really don't just mostly, they don't just come out uninitiated. Well. That, kind of brings, up this other idea in terms of I know we've talked a lot about venues, but what, about festivals, since, the summer is coming up, you. Know again. Haven't. Been a huge festival. Band. There's. A certain. You. Know there's a certain cachet, that the festivals, you know are looking, for you, know there's you. Know, that, their. Eyes are looking towards, kind of what's hot right now who's, got something going on with the with the song or. Who. You. Know can, the buyer make trades with with certain you know agents, or labels, and and say. Hey I'll bring on I'll bring on these, guys that you're developing if, we can get this guy at a certain price there's, a fair amount of that, going on that, we're not a part of you know we're not on a label right now we. Don't have, you. Know a viral, video or, a song, on the on the you. Know making, its rounds right now so a lot of that stuff kind of comes and goes and. We'll do we'll, do some of the kind of more. Community, minded festival, stuff hmm, but. You, know carbon leaf right now isn't like a name that's going to be like in the bottom pot you know and some.
Of The some, of the stuff that's going on in. Our. Region. Where. We where, we would, have, value. For. The festival. You, know we play we play that we play that region enough on our own. Throughout, the year where. The promoters. They. Want you to stay out of the market if you're, gonna play their festival. You. Know they'll say stay out of the market for a year here we're like well let's that's a little hard for us to do because it's a part of our bottom line so. It's. Like Coachella. Doesn't. Let the artists, play a show within like a couple, months of the. Festival. I mean. At. Least. It. Would be brutal if you depending. On that income, well. Yeah if you're on tour and you're promoting, something so, it's but anyway it's it's a powerful thing to be advertised, like. That you know you certainly certainly. They want it but it, is hard to balance if you're if you're a working band you're, like look we. Can't just sit around for, a festival. Dude, you. Played it Duke back in the. Late 2000s. I believe. It was like. 2007. Or 2008. No. Three and I sadly. Do didn't. See you. But. I'm pretty sure that was you guys they came, well. The problem I heard of you. We. Played Duke at 2008. Well. There you go so you were there April. 23rd. Yeah. It was the last classes, right, I think, it's party. On campus, yep. I. Don't. Know where were you I. Was. Being an idiot probably but. I. Don't. Think I don't think many people were there if I recall. You, might have been you were earlier, in the day so I might have had class it's very it was actually, the last day of classes but they would have banned setup all. Across campus and, I'm, like. They had great music. It was a really really fun day. But. I remember hearing about you guys and I did, wonder like who reached out to you for that or did you reach out to Duke I. Don't. Remember. That. Was 2008. I. Don't. Know how someone probably just approached the agency, tell. You the truth I. Don't. Know I didn't I didn't I didn't handle that, yeah. I mean it's not a huge deal but it's just something that I personally came, in you. Know I, have. A personal connection to you and. Very. Vaguely, remembered, that, we were there.
Like. A you. Know it looks like Harry Potter's Hogwarts. Oh yeah. It's Gordon gorgeous, there I love it her, our current. Our sound man and Turin tour. Manager went to Duke graduate, from Duke I think I told you that and, an email yeah Doug, Doug, Ross so. We. Played, we. Played a Nashville last week. Last. Friday during the. Game. Was. It was it Friday. Duke. Played on Sunday, they, lost to Michigan State, yeah, but they played on Friday, against. Virginia Tech yeah. That, was against tack right yeah. I joked from the stage that are some, our, engineer, probably wouldn't, it that we wouldn't sound very good because they're so engineers, probably back there watching the TV. What. Uh I, mean. Where did you play a national. I, grew. Up in that the, gray eagle, great, Eagle okay, Asheville. Is a great a love, Asheville, yeah, you great I grew. Up like an 80, miles east of Asheville, kind. Of between Asheville, and Charlotte yeah. But. My parents live up near Asheville now so every time I go back I'm I try, to go into Asheville at least for a day or go see concert, yeah, yeah. It's, a cool place it's getting getting. A bit built up yeah. I mean not the bad way it's, just you know every. Time we go back it's like a. Little. Bit more than just kind of a Main Street seems like, yeah. They they call it the the Boulder of the East the Boulder, of the east yeah. Kind. Of the hippie. Town. In the middle of the, mountains which are the, ski down a hippie. Town without a ski town. Yeah yeah. There's. Some skiing there but it's it's, icy yeah. That. Is you know it makes, the. One in, Charlottesville. It's, called um wintergreen. It makes wintergreen, wintergreen. Looks great after you grew up skiing North Carolina yeah. I'm. Just saying something, all. Right well Barry before we uh before, we do wrap this up what. Are the future plans for. Carbon. Leaf. Well. We need to get some new music out so, we're, working on that right now. We. Have, a, little April, run that, we're doing as. A Monday. We will head out and. To. Or most of April and then, we're going to come back and do a try. To shoot some video stuff. In. May but. Mostly. For me it's going to be. Right. You know writing and, and. Hopefully. Recording, by this late, spring and summer and. Got. A fault or, that's. Already lined up. So. Yeah. I'd say just new music, and videos. Which. Is something, we haven't done enough of so return it and, get a plan together for that now those are videos for YouTube.
Or What. Yeah, we. Want to do a mix of live. Performance. Videos and. Some. Concept, videos and things like that and. But. But but mainly just get to get all of us kind of writing you know again with Jesse joining us a year and a half ago who you. Know we handed him a hundred and some. Carbon leaf songs to learn for, the tours you. Know we're. Kind of at that level level now where it's like all right we have our show we have our catalogue let's. Get some new music going let's you, know give him a creative, stake and kind of. You. Know what. We are right. I think is super important, and. We're. Excited for it cuz he's a super, talented guy, I mean. He's he's, the best singer in the band. And. He. You know plays, great drums, play. Guitar you, know he. Writes so there's, tons of collaboration, opportunities, for. Us to get into and. It's. Been a long time since we've really been. Able to sit down and and right right. Looking. Forward to that got a long, list of things to do, very. Exciting, yeah that'll be very, cool to look forward to here's. Some new material, out of you guys that'd be great yeah. I agree so we're. Working. On it we. Really do appreciate your, time could. You let our audience know where, they can go to find more about you and carbon leaf. You. Can find carbon, leaf at carbonite.com, or. Our. Facebook page slash carbon leaf instagram. / carbon leaf. At. A show near you I don't know, yeah. Awesome, perfect yeah, you guys are awesome you're real you. Know you're inspiring, because of your, you. Were out there grinding, and yeah. It's very respectable. You're, successfully, grinding, in a way that, we. Can hope I hope to get to you yeah. Well I, don't quote Chuck Norris very often but you know he. Reminded. Me wants to make your own breaks so that's what you got to do coming. From a karate I guess that's what you gotta do I make your own breaks yeah. Everybody. Needs to quote Chuck Morse more. Awesome. Well, hey. Very have a great day. Thank. You very much we're do appreciate it thank. You and thanks beautiful, thank you yeah right thanks, Joe yeah, yep it was great good to know you guys. Yeah yeah. You.
2019-05-17 00:12
