Latest / RockTheLife / RockTheLife Season 2 E2
Transcript
- RTL Intro 30p (FULL): Rock. 68 knocking down gates Karen: Welcome to Rock the Life, a podcast for fans, by fans. I'm Katya. Amy: I'm Amy. Karen: And Amy, first things first, I hope you like my 80s, my legitimate eighth grade jacket from like the 80s and 90s. Okay. Amy: Love it. Absolutely love it. Karen: so today we are talking about someone who has the passion and the contributions to make rock and roll what it is today. And it's such a powerful part of our lives. Amy: huh. huh. huh. Karen: it's kind of, I feel talking with Tyson Leslie, who we're talking to. we can recognize and celebrate the impact he's made throughout his work and his talent and the rock community. He is someone we Amy: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Karen: have talked about wanting to for two years we've been wanting to talk to him. Amy: Yeah. Karen: you know, and it's more than just the really big names in our rock community that we see to make this all happen. It's some of the people who are like a little behind the scenes. And Tyson Leslie Amy: Yeah. Karen: is that workhouse, but he also Amy: Yeah. Karen: brings his own creativity. dedication, personality to the music. Like we're always looking for Tyson when we see the bands play. Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: so it's beyond the stage, it's beyond a recording, it's part of the experience that Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: is rocking the life. And I that's what we're celebrating today. And that is the conversation that we're having with Tyson because Amy: Yeah. Karen: we adore what he does for music. So we'll hear about Amy: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Karen: Vixen and we'll hear about his Special group of musicians that he puts together once a year and Amy: Yeah. Karen: what what he's been up to. So so looking forward to. Amy: Yeah, it's exciting. I loved this conversation with Tyson. I found myself just since it's been so long and so long in the works, like I just kind of found myself a little giddy. Karen: So long in the works. Amy: So you'll hear some giggles that are just kind of stupid, but I was really excited for this for this interview. So Karen: It is it is a great musical journey. And I love that he's somewhat Amy: Yeah. Karen: he's our contemporary. So when we talk about music and things Amy: Yeah. Karen: we loved and how we get into it, we're like, yeah, right on. That's exactly it. Amy: Yep, yep, yep. Without further ado, you guys, here's Dyson. Karen: Here's Tyson. Tyson, welcome to Rock the Life. How are you doing? tyson leslie: Hello, I'm doing good. How are you guys? Karen: Doing actually doing great. We're how yeah, Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: we're we took a little break from podcasting and now we're back and I realized how much I missed talking to Amy all the time and talking to everyone and getting Amy: Huh, right? Karen: back into music. So yeah, I'm doing great. tyson leslie: Nice. I haven't done a podcast Amy: Yep. tyson leslie: in a long time myself, actually. I usually get in trouble because I say things that I probably shouldn't. So we'll see what happens this time. Amy: Well, I don't think I don't think that's possible with us 'cause we're just it's willy nilly, you know? It's it's you know that's the nice thing about being a fan is tyson leslie: Yeah. Well I don't I don't it's not that I get in trouble with the people that I'm doing podcasts with. It's p it's the people in in Karen: It's in the stories. tyson leslie: my life that listen to it. I go, really, why did you have talk about that? And so, you know. Karen: You know, I Tyson is listening to a podcast Amy: Get that. Karen: that you were talking about like Vixen and Brownies and a show and I was crying. I was laughing so hard. Amy: my gosh. I love it. tyson leslie: Yeah, that was an interesting name. Yeah. Karen: Ate the wrong brownies. tyson leslie: A lot of them. Amy: Phenomenal. That's phenomenal. Karen: Okay, so Tyson, tyson leslie: Yeah. Karen: I have to ask, we are recording this in September of twenty-sixth. So what are you doing right now? Where are you at? What exciting musical adventure are you working on? tyson leslie: I'm I'm just in Nashville right now. I just got home, but then I gotta leave. Well, let's see, where did I go? I don't even remember where was. and I've got to go to Oklahoma. I was in Little Rock, Arkansas last weekend. And then Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: I'm gonna go to Oklahoma City this weekend to play at a piano bar. And then so I don't really have anything huge going on at the moment. there's a journey to Tribute show, kind of one of those jams like Rare Hair and Purple Jam and stuff Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: that a friend of mine is putting on. actually we were just talking about Skylar. she's in that show and a bunch of other people that are local here. that's coming up, I believe when is that? October I I can't remember. I have to if I don't have a calendar in front of me, I'll never remember anything. because I live Amy: Truth. tyson leslie: by my calendar all the time. so that's coming Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: up on the twelfth of October at the Sky Deck here Amy: Okay. tyson leslie: in Nashville. And that's all these guys that play for these huge country artists like Kane Brown and Luke Combs and whoever. and then a bunch of guys that do Broadway and some rock guys like myself, Buck Johnson from Aerosmith. And I'm not sure. I I I need to actually go back and look and see who the lineups who's all in it 'cause all it's it changes every time and it's always a lot of fun. We're all getting together Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: and playing journey songs and so that'll be good time that so that's kind of the biggest thing I have Karen: That will tyson leslie: that I'm working on right now and then I've got this women of rock thing in Cincinnati Ohio and I believe that might be gosh is that the day before the it's coming up that's coming up too so Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: and then I had a friend of mine Karen: So what what is that? tyson leslie: who passed what's that the women of rock thing Karen: The woman of Rome. tyson leslie: our fr yeah, so we have so there's some friends that are that own a club called the Bell and the Bear in Cincinnati, Ohio. And they they basically do this thing, this big jam where they get all these so myself, Joel Hoekstra from Trans Siberian Orchestra slash Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: slash share slash every other damn thing he's done 'cause he's done a million things. he's actually out with Steven Pearcy from Rat right now. Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: he's gonna be there. Brett Lightning from Vixen will be there, and Tommy London, myself, Johnny Martin from LA Guns, he'll be there. And it's a lot of fun. we did I did it a couple of years ago with John Karabi. It was so much fun. and it's it's basically it's it's a a thing that celebrates all the women in the music community of Cincinnati. And it also Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: I believe it's also a benefit show if I remember correctly. I just with all of these different shows going on, it's time I it's hard for me to keep track of who who what which show what money goes to what and all the stuff. I know the journey thing goes to cancer. And so it's like Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: I do my own shows too, so it's just like I can't I I can't I can't keep track. Also we're all drinking coffee 'cause I just look up so 'cause I Amy: blame you, but it's also exciting. tyson leslie: I'm gonna go to bed at like six thirty seven in the morning 'cause my life is so weird. Karen: are you the most like creative in like the middle of the night, early morning? tyson leslie: sometimes that is the most of the time, yes, that is the case. Well, also the other thing is it's unpot everybody else is in bed, so I don't get bothered. I know my my my phone's not ringing Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: or my my emails aren't going off and things like that aren't happening. I was actually working on a Christmas song last night recording that, finishing that up for a client in Kansas City, who actually, oddly enough, Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: was the first person ever to record my music when I was a teenager. And now I'm recording stuff for him, so it's kind of pretty cool. Karen: Who is that? Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: his name's Mark Murtha. He had a when I was a kid, he had a a recording studio called Inferno Music or whatever. He he was the only guy, you know, it's the first time I'd ever ever been to a studio where it was out of somebody's house. And he had all it basically a studio like I have right here, first time I'd ever seen that when I was a kid. And it was a community of bands from that area that were all went through there. And to be honest, at the time he was affordable and He made stuff sound good that nobody else was doing. And, you know, all the other studios, if you wanted to go record, it was gonna cost you thousands of dollars a week to do. Well, we were kids, we didn't have that. So, Mark actually afford you know, basically provided this affordable studio that sounded good and he c created this community together back then where you would make C D compilations of all the bands that have recorded there and then he would put on shows there and all the bands that were on that C D would play. And so we would all be around together and and kind of get to know one another. It was a really cool time actually. And I miss that kind of Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: camaraderie and and fun that we had back then. That was and and the music was Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: good. I was in a band called Alienation Karen: Well you tyson leslie: with a couple rests. kids and an Italian guy. It was like the equal opportunity band. We just needed a black guy and a woman and we would have been we would have had it all. So Karen: Well so I'm gonna ask you, like going back tyson leslie: Yeah. Karen: to that, who was who was the first person, musician, producer otherwise who took a chance on you? tyson leslie: well I mean Mark really, as far as that kinda goes. because what that allowed me to do is so I we recorded my first cassette tape 'cause we didn't even have CDs, that wasn't even a thing. Amy: Right? tyson leslie: And we put out a we put out a I think it was eight songs. It was called Under the Gun. And I wrote gosh, I wrote like ninety percent of the songs. I think our singer wrote a couple of them as well. And we put them out on cassette and we went to Musicland and our singer he he was a salesman. Amy: my god, it's a glance. tyson leslie: Like he was a relentless, like, okay, okay, I'll do it if you just leave me alone kind of guy. You know, he was one of those, he was the squeaky Amy: Nice. tyson leslie: he was the squeakiest wheel of them all. And I think I mean, honestly, there was something to be said for that because Because of that he got our cassette into music land. He got our song played on the radio, which you know, so back in olden days there was a a radio station called Zero that was based out of Texas, but it was syndicated all over the country and we had it in Kansas City. But in the afternoons, I'm not sure why this happened, but in the afternoons they had basically a local show and a very now famous DJ from Kansas City named Johnny Dare back in the day, he was kind of like the sidekick and there was this other guy, his name is Greg Todd, and he went by Beezer of the Rock Enforcer, it was D Rock Z Rock Enforcer, and it was Bezer Johnny Dare show. And and Vlad, our singer, had bugged Greg so much to play our song that even when on the radio he was like, This guy's been bugging the shit out of me to play this song. And Karen: Ha ha. tyson leslie: So I'm gonna play it. So it was and that was the first time my song was ever played on the radio. And so Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: I would say Mark, Martha at Inferno Studios and Beezer or Greg and Johnny Dare were the first people to take a chance on my music Karen: You sir. tyson leslie: and actually, you know, get it played in on a wide audience since that that whole thing of where you're in your car and you're like, Okay, you're sitting around, it's gonna be played at four o'clock on Tuesday, so you gotta be around you. We didn't Karen: I remember this. tyson leslie: have social media and all that stuff. So we didn't have that way to market and tell people like you just had to call all your friends and be like, dude, listen to the radio at four o'clock on Tuesday and they're gonna play our song. Amy: my gosh. Karen: If you had the tape in ready to record when it came on. tyson leslie: And that was probably the only time that song I really played. What's that? Yeah, they absolutely Amy: Right? Like tyson leslie: did that. I have that cassette still Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: somewhere in my garage of that exact moment for sure. yeah. Amy: I love that. How did that feel? tyson leslie: I mean obviously just like anything else, it's like It's like you see on the movies, you know, it's like when you saw on that thing you do when you're sitting around the the the radio and it's definitely exciting Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: to s because back then you it wasn't music wasn't as easily accessible as it is now. like you just couldn't go online and and broadcast your music to everybody. You it wasn't a thing. So to have the radio Karen: You had to work it. tyson leslie: people believe in you enough to play your song was a big deal. Karen: But it's well, you know, Tyson, looking at your shirt you're wearing, Amy: That's so phenomenal. That's exciting. That's exciting. Karen: I'm gonna turn it around because I think you're kind of doing that for other musicians too now. We have there was a series Amy: Yeah. Karen: that Amy and I did where we were finding young music musicians like the next generation still playing rock. Totally. And they had a connection to you. There was like so many of them mentioned your name. So yeah, and Skylar's Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: one of them, Skylar Jade. tyson leslie: Okay. Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: so tyson leslie: Yeah, you're right. Karen: also t Amy: Love her. Karen: so tell tell us about rare hair. What is it? tyson leslie: God, she's come a long way that girl. Rare Hairs just originally an was an idea Karen: love we follow her, we watch her. tyson leslie: for a band. And I was just it was a band that I was gonna start at in Kansas City before I moved to Nashville. d that just played deep cut eighties. But basically the bands that you see on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, that kind of stuff. The stuff that wasn't Bon Jovi big. It was bands like, Amy: Right. tyson leslie: you know, we were we were We were gonna cover bands like Dangerous Toys and Enough's Enough and Torah Torah and all these bands that Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: I loved growing up that used to be played on actually on Z Rock on that radio station. it was it was a show that was supposed to be for people that would sit around watching Headbangers Bell on Saturday nights. And I realized in Nashville that show probably wouldn't draw very well. Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: based on just It's weird how like all those bands now are considered deep cut bands by you know, by the masses for the most part. Whereas people like the three of us know who all those bands are because we were there and we were watching the the shows and all that stuff. a lot of people don't. You know, if you mention if I go to Kid Rocks on a Friday night and mention Torah Torah on a microphone or even play one of their songs, nobody's gonna know what it is. Amy: What? Yeah, yeah. tyson leslie: except for maybe that one random person in the back going, Holy crap, I can't believe they're playing that. So we wanted I wanted to have a show that catered to those people that were but I couldn't figure out how to make that something that would be well attended, I guess. And then I started doing these shows called Loud Jans here in in Nashville that was put on by a guy named Tom Hurst. And his format and the way that he had all these musicians play. I was playing a few of these shows. I realized, man, I think this concept, this idea, this eighties era bands would be better served in a format like this because the people that are playing in these shows are all my age or older even. And they all played like stadiums and arenas for a living, playing with Florida Georgia line and playing for Taylor Swift. playing for all these big country artists, but they were all rock guys and they all were extraordinary musicians who really didn't get a chance to show what they could do when they're playing for Luke Bryan or something like that, because the Karen: Yeah, sure. tyson leslie: it's not to take away from the country music that they played, but the stuff they're playing is very simple compared to Mr. Big or Dachin or something like that. They're playing You know, they're just playing four chords. They're just doing they're doing stuff like that over and over again for like, you know, and that to be honest, you know, some of them told me it was kinda boring. And I'm like, But you're playing Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: in stadiums, you're playing in arenas, but if you do that long enough, it still kind of bec can become a job in a way or whatever. And so Amy: Mm-hmm. Uh-huh. tyson leslie: but they don't get to do shreddy guitar solos or do the kind of stuff that that exists within the eighties, you know, hairband realm or whatever. And so we put our first show together, I believe it was January eleventh ish, somewhere around that, in twenty sixteen. And we had we had a few special guests, which was a big deal. My friend Brandy Goldsboro hit helped me get actually Anthony Quarter from Torah Torah. We did walking shoes. we had Eric Bidningham Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: from Cinderella, which was a huge deal for Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: me because like I was a huge Cinderella fan and Torah Torah fan, hon oddly enough. Amy: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. tyson leslie: He helped me get Paul Taylor from Winger. And we did Madeline on that song on that show. And so the idea Amy: Nice. tyson leslie: is I pick about thirty songs from that era, that time period. And each song has a different lineup of players. and so we would have Dan from Florida Georgia line, and we would have Amos from my first show. We had Amos and Matt from Taylor Swift's band playing Scared by Dangerous Toys. And I was singing it. We Amy: Wow. Karen: Love that. tyson leslie: have video of that. And I remember meeting Jason McMaster from the Monsters of the Rock cruise. And I was like, dude, I don't know you yet. I haven't met you, but I have to show you something because I think you're gonna get you're gonna dig it. And it was the video from that show. I was like, those there's Taylor Swift's drummer and bass player playing one of your songs. He was like, Holy crap, this is so cool. And that was the idea was that to to create something that builds the community and brings a lot of musicians together from the scene. and also give people an opportunity to play with their heroes because now that we are at our twenty twenty-third or twenty-fourth show, I'm not even sure where we're at right now. we've had the amount of people that have played my show over the years is insane to me. And the people that grew up on my, you know, hanging on my wall and posters that have played my show. voluntarily. I mean I haven't I never I haven't paid anybody ever, including me. Like we Amy: Yeah, yeah. tyson leslie: you know, we do these song these shows for charity and stuff like that. And the fact that I've had some of these people still blows my mind. And I look at that list and it's just like it's it's crazy. And it almost feels like, you know, bragging, but it's like it's more just like I I it's I don't know. I still look at that and I'm kind of bewildered by it. Amy: You know what Karen: It's a Amy: I love? You know, this is this is something that I absolutely adore about the thing that you've been able to do for yourself. And you've had people help you along the way, so I'm not discrediting any of that, but you tyson leslie: True. Amy: have taken and ha created opportunities for yourself to turn your idols into your your friends and your peers. And that to me is so incredible and so exciting that it just it makes me giddy. And so I can imagine you looking at that list going, my gosh. tyson leslie: Yeah. I mean it's the first thing I did in Nashville, one of the very first things I I I know this was kind of along your line of questioning anyway, but I was in this cover group, it was this one off thing with Rachel Bolin from Skid Row and and his girlfriend at the time and we were playing the Toledo, Ohio Pride Festival and we were just playing like Pat Benatar and you know, A C D C and stuff like that. And I remember we rehearsed at his house and I remember think and I and I went over there and I was just like Okay, because the thing is like when you go from being a fan to being a peer, that's one thing. It's a whole different thing when you go from being like a fan to actual friends and you're like or working in that level. And so I'll go to his house and I'm like dude, I'm not gonna lie, this is w weird. Like I grew up like almost pierced my nose because you in eighth grade and now I'm eating your friggin' barbecue and looking at like Skidero stuff all over the house. Like this is a trip. And you know, I I've had those experiences with like a few people here in town and it's it's it it is one of the things I guess when you live in a town where those people live, like people that live in LA or New York or wherever a lot of museums Karen: Yeah. Well LA used to be, yeah. tyson leslie: like that reside and here's one of them for sure. you know, where you can go Eat at the pancake pantry and there's Vince Gill just sitting like two you know down on your Dolly Partner or whatever and they're Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: just all like eating Karen: Debbie. tyson leslie: like everybody else and you're like And what thing about here though is it's just kind of you know that's gonna happen sometimes and people just kinda leave alone and let do their thing and you know it's pretty cool. Or at least Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: they did. I don't know if that's Karen: What if tyson leslie: still the case. I haven't seen seen any random celebrity Karen: What is the tyson leslie: sightings in a while. Karen: We have to get you when you're out at four we have to get you out. What is the rock scene like in Asheville? Is it big 'cause I always think Nashville is country, but tyson leslie: The rock thing. Karen: I know that like so many musicians are in Nashville. It's like the place to be for the last decade. tyson leslie: Yeah, it's I don't know, it's a little fragmented right now. there for a while there was a huge community. we had the rock and roll residency guys and then Tom Hurst was doing his loud jams. I was doing my rare hair shows. My friend Jack Ivans was doing this thing called Grunge Night, and where there was all these different things where all these rock guys and girls could come out and be part of this community and see each other, work together, and this was like Monthly. Like we all had something was going on that we were all looking forward to, that we're all working on working towards. And then we knew we were gonna see each other every month. And that none of that exists right now, including rare hair. Like I'm took a break this year. and Jack he's I think he only did one grunge night in January. Loudjam's is gone. the residency is gone. Like all those things are gone. And so Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: really quiet. is I guess is the way to answer that question. Karen: Why? Why did they all go away? tyson leslie: there everybody got busy with other things. You know, the residency guys became Ace Freely's band and Gene Simmons Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: band. That was a whole different thing. And they got b so busy they just couldn't do it anymore. the the th it also became a little oversaturated with all these kinds of things because there were other people doing other things and we're all doing them at once and it was just like and we could all feel the the pressure of like okay if we do too much of this stuff it's gonna pollute or dilute the Amy: Right. tyson leslie: and I don't know it's and then for me I got burned out life happened a lot of life happened Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: needed to step away from All of it. I I and and work on myself, which is something I've been doing and still doing and trying to figure out, kind of navigating around a lot of changes in my just in my personal life. And Amy: Hmm. tyson leslie: it was too hard to do all of that and try to juggle a hundred and thirty musicians and Amy: Right. tyson leslie: do all of those things. So I just need I I just personally needed a break. I'm bringing it back in April and I've starting to make announcements about it. All of that's happening slowly. I'm t I've reached out to guests and we're actually hopefully getting the venue booked in the next week or two so we can have a date so we can announce that show and bring it back hopefully, you know, nice and big and make it something. The Amy: Whoa. tyson leslie: rare hair's been a challenge though, because It's while it's something that people know about and it's become a thing like on the cruise and everything. In Nashville, it's weird because when you look at it right here, you look at a poster, you you look at something like that. If you're not part of the community, you don't know what it is. Doesn't make sense. And so the average listener, they look at that and go, Cool, and and then move on. Like they don't go, that's something I wanna see, I wanna be part of, I wanna whatever. so That is a big thing that I'm working on right now, trying to figure out how can I make this to where we can we haven't had over two hundred people in the last two shows. And so I feel like attendance has gone down. And so how do we get the word out to let people know what this show is and not just that it it's a thing that exists that might be cool. Like I wanted I want people to instantly see a poster, like a movie poster and go, yeah, I gotta see that movie. You know what I mean? I I've gotta Amy: That's what that is. Yeah. tyson leslie: figure that out. So that's that's we're working on trying to get a marketing team together and try to figure out how we can better brand this whole thing into next. Amy: Okay, so we'll have you back in March of twenty twenty seven as we get ready. And if you happen to be looking for a couple of like MCs or anything like that, we'll just put that plug in there too. So there you go. no but I am serious tyson leslie: I know this is right there. Karen: So Amy: about that. So but no but I am serious about, you know, if you're if it's not too crazy busy, let's look, let's talk again in March and then we'll see what we've got going tyson leslie: Yeah, that'd be Amy: on and then We'd love to have you back and help promote that for sure. A hundred percent. Because it is a great thing. And you know, when we talk to Skylar about that and just having the opportunity to play with one of her heroes, she's she was so giddy tyson leslie: Yeah, yeah. Amy: and so great. And I just, you know, that's the opportunity that it it's it's just incredible. And it just to me it just it's it's everything that Rock the Life is. And so we'd love to work with you on that for sure. tyson leslie: Yeah, I mean to do stuff like that, you know, with Skylar and and other there's been some other kids, literally Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: kids that have come up and played and I always try to give them an opportunity like that that's super unforgettable. for that reason. Like I mean Skylar was and is she's unique though. She's an extraordinary Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: musician. Like she's come so far from Like I I I just saw a video I think last week at some point and I was just like, Who's this kit? Like she's just vo as a vocalist, as a guitar player, just leaps and bounds since I met her, you know. And I Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: mean, that's what you hope for anybody that's that age, that that they'll keep going and they'll keep working at it and they'll just keep getting better. And Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: that journey show that I've got coming up. I'm I've got a song that I I don't know if I'm playing with her, but she's performing in the show. So that'll be really Amy: I love that. tyson leslie: fun. But we've had all kinds of kids. we actually had a whole kid band that played at Rare Hair like years ago. They're not a band anymore. but they were all like teenager, like kids and they were playing dream theater and it was just ridiculous. It was so good. They were called spilt milk. Amy: Wow. Did you have did you have the the rare hair that you did on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, was Kobe Reese a part of that? tyson leslie: Yeah, we had Kobe Race was Karen: Should be. tyson leslie: one of those and Kobe's God Amy: Yeah, that's what I thought. tyson leslie: what is he like fourteen at the time, I think, or something like that. And Amy: Yeah, yeah. tyson leslie: and that's hilarious too, 'cause that was a thing I was like, Amy: We had Kobe on. tyson leslie: I don't remember I met him on the Kiss Cruise, I believe. I think it was something yeah, it was something like that. It was the Kiss Cruise. And and his parents, you know, and folks were pushing him, and I was like, I don't know. And then we had to do we we had Kobe come out when I play with Sebastian Bach. We did the thing with Smash and And Kobe came up and sang I don't he I think he did The Wizard by by Black Sabbath. And he did the whole harmonica Amy: Well tyson leslie: thing the beginning. It was fantastic. And he's another one that's Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: like I've been watching kind of come up in the ranks and Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: and become a thing. You know, I like I love watching young people come and stick with it and become a thing. Like become I remember teaching actually oddly enough I did this I went to this award show this weekend and this she wasn't a kid kid like these other people but I had this this this woman who I used to teach guitar she won an award and I was telling my person I was with I like I used to teach her guitar like before I moved Amy: That's all. tyson leslie: to Nashville, I used to teach her in Kansas City and she's winning awards for songwriting. Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: Stuff like that. It's really cool. Karen: That is awesome. Amy: That's incredible. How was the award show? tyson leslie: the award show was cool. It was an interesting. I was, you know, I hadn't been an award show in a several years. I'd I'd been to a couple in Kansas City that I was nominated for some things there. this one was on a whole different level though, and very, very unique for me. It's I I I mean, if I'm being honest, it's like equating it to like going to a really fancy wedding and listening to nothing but bridesmaids and grooms in the speeches. 'Cause you're like I I don't know any Amy: Yeah. Karen: there. tyson leslie: of these people or who they are or who they're talking about and you know and all all the like and everybody's thanking God and their moms and their this and that and stuff like that. And you're just kinda like, Okay, cool. You know, like I I I've never Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: heard you I've no heard you me it's like it's different than like if you're watching like the Grammys or the Oscars and stuff where you recognize Karen: Right where you know it all. tyson leslie: who everybody is and you have a comedian that's kind of posting the whole thing. You're just kind of in this, you know, okay. I'm at the Granville Opry, which is really cool, surrounded by all these people. And and there's Vince Gill and there's, you know, Tony Orlando getting up and stuff like that. And then there's a whole bunch of people that I don't know and a handful of people that I do know. And the oddly enough, the handful of people that I did know, like everybody that was I knew that was nominated in the category one, except for me and my friend Kim, who were both nominated, and and I 'Cause I'm like, I don't know any of these people and I don't quite know how they know me, but I'll show up 'cause they put my name in the hat somehow and and that's cool. And like even the people I was nominated with, I had no idea who any of were. And but I you know, I was really happy to see anybody succeed. it was really it was cool to be part of something like that. It was really fun to experience Karen: Yeah. Good to celebrate good to celebrate the music. tyson leslie: it and trust and everything like that. And sweat your ass off for an hour when where you're waiting on this red carpet pictures. So by the time you get on the red carpet, you look like a Amy: So yeah. tyson leslie: sweat. And then you go inside and it's freezing. So now you're freezing for an hour and a half waiting for the show to start. So there's a lot of hurry up and okay, now you wait for a while. Okay, hurry up and get over here. Okay, now you wait for a long time. And now the show starts and you wait for, you know, I don't know. Karen: Then you sit. tyson leslie: I don't think my award Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: came up until nine PM or something like that. but it was cool. It was the performances Amy: Right. Karen: And then hopefully there's a great after party. tyson leslie: were really good. Right. Yeah. My after party was my bedroom. You know, I I actually we went and found Amy: Yeah. Karen: Yeah, okay. tyson leslie: like down the road away from everything else because the after parties were in venues that were so crowded with people, it was gross. So I was like, Yeah, we're not staying to this. This let's Karen: Yeah, like they're already started. Okay, no. tyson leslie: just find a place quiet where we can get some food and then be on our way. And that's Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: but it was a lot of fun. Karen: Okay. tyson leslie: it was it was cool experience. Amy: That's awesome. Karen: So when is the next music cruise you're going on? Monster Hub Rock, Kiss Cruise, you name it. What's what's the next one? tyson leslie: I have the Chris Jericho cruise coming up in November. So it's wrestling and metal bands and me playing dueling pianos with my friend Alyssa Mustow. It's gonna be a lot of fun. And I haven't I'm I can't wait Amy: That's tyson leslie: to get out of this city and get back on a boat again. Chris Jericho's a blast. He's a super, super sweet guy. If you or into the wrestling thing, which is I I'm not gonna lie, I'm not. I I couldn't Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: I never cared about that stuff when I was a kid. I thought it was silly and overacted and whatever. But I met Chris at the Creatures Fest show here in Nashville, which is a kiss related thing. K Chris Jericho ha has a an eighties era kiss tribute band. Called quarantine that plays nothing Amy: Quarantine. Yeah. tyson leslie: but all the stuff from the eighties, which I love that era of Kiss that a lot of the KISS trivia bands don't cover. So he's doing stuff from Asylum and Crazy Nights and Hot in the Amy: Well. tyson leslie: Shade. And I love that stuff. And I tried to get him to let me play keys with him on that thing 'cause, you know, there's a lot of keyboard play and songs in the eighties, but he was like, Man, it's not rock and roll enough. Like just like the KISS. He's just like, I don't want keys on the stuff. All right, fine. So, but we're gonna have a blast. He's a he's a super, super good dude. And all the other musicians and bands that are gonna be on there and I like Carla Harvey, from the she's got a new band called Violent Hour that she's gonna be on there and gosh, I can't even remember who's on it to be honest yet. 'cause there's there's somebody Karen: Well answer there's music and wrestling. tyson leslie: Yeah, that's a thing. Perfect. They even set up a wrestling Karen: Ha ha ha. Amy: my gosh. tyson leslie: on this cruise and they do matches in them on the pool deck and they do one in the theater. So it'll be ridiculous. I haven't been on this one yet. it's been going Karen: So are you playing why they wrestle? tyson leslie: for years. Am I I I will be doing the dueling pianos thing on there, so that will be fun. So I will be kind of like Amy: No wrestling. tyson leslie: no wrestling for me. I know. I I Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: I didn't I I didn't even like that stuff when I was a kid in high school or whatever. Like I watched these sweaty dudes wrestling around with each other touching. Amy: Like Karen: I'm pull I don't know pulling something that I shouldn't pull. tyson leslie: Yeah, right. Yeah, I knew I mean I need I Karen: Ha ha chest. tyson leslie: definitely need my Amy: No joke. tyson leslie: hands to take my edit off. So Amy: Right Right. my gosh, that sounds like a blast. That's gonna be a good time. tyson leslie: Yeah, it does. I'm I'm excited. Karen: Well, Amy and I keep talking about monsters of rock. We have to get ourselves out on that cruise. That just sounds like being contained with like No. I know. We say that all the time. Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: You've never been on it, neither of you? That's crazy to me. Yeah, that's talking Amy: No. Yeah, I know. tyson leslie: about community together. You definitely should go. Amy: Yeah, we we really want to. We really want to. Big time. So, but yeah, we'll see. We'll see. Never know. Karen: Well so I'm gonna I'm gonna ask you another one too. If if Amy and I were to come to Nashville, what bars would you recommend that we go to? Or venues, not necessarily bars, venues. tyson leslie: Yeah. I mean you're rock people. So Karen: Yes. tyson leslie: I mean so I would just say go see Skylar's mom at JB J's 'cause th Amy: Right. tyson leslie: they do rock better than anybody. Karen: And and we did that, okay. tyson leslie: For Amy: I I didn't get to see her mom perform though. It was the wrong night, but Karen: Okay. tyson leslie: There's a there's a good rock band that plays on Sundays called Ballistic at Whiskey Bent. they play there every every Sunday from six to ten. actually Hugh McDonald's I guess stepson plays guitar in that band. his next his name is Jake Johnson and he's a blast. And the they play every Sunday. It just depends on when you're there. because different Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: bands play different venues at different times. So like I mentioned the other band, if you're here on Tuesday and Wednesday, you're gonna miss because they're off on those days. You know what I mean? So it's like if you're here on a Amy: Right. tyson leslie: Monday, then there's they're about the only thing that there is. But there I mean there's a lot of stuff out there. at Kid Rocks there's a variety of of rock and country, depending on who's playing what day of the week it is. at Whiskey Bant they have rock on Sundays, but every other day it's mostly country, you know. Mellow Mushroom has a lot of rock bands. Karen: that country too. So that's tyson leslie: They have a they have a metal band that they have like metal night on Mondays, that they've been doing forever and ever at Mellow. and not a Amy: That's fun. tyson leslie: lot of people know about that one. Big Shots used to have a band called Sever. I don't know if they still do. they were playing on Tuesdays and they play everything from slipknot to corn to like they're a whole different kind of and so there Amy: wow. Yeah. tyson leslie: are but if you're into like real country music, go to Roberts, period. That's the only like that's all you the only place you gotta go. Or go I mean Karen: Okay. Okay. I'm actually heading to Tennessee on Thursday next week. So tyson leslie: or you can go to Alan Jackson's across the street 'cause both of those places are classic country only. They don't want any Luke Bryan, they don't want any, you know, Luke Combs. Karen: I like I Amy: wow. Karen: like O'Brien too. tyson leslie: current stuff it's gotta be like it's gotta be like nineties and before. but if you wanna hear the Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: current country you can go to Miranda Karen: Absorb. tyson leslie: Lamberts or Jason Eldings or any other bar that has some country guy's name on it and Karen: Just sounds so wild. tyson leslie: hear that stuff. So it just kinda depends on what you like. Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: You know if you like funk Karen: Gonna water. tyson leslie: or blues or something like that, then you go into Printer's Karen: I call it. tyson leslie: Alley and you go to Bourbon Street and you go to some of those places Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: and send different bands. Like there's a place called Black Rabbit. My buddy Ping Rose he plays there and he he does anything from blues to funk to some you know, he does some rock stuff too. He's really good at it. and so it just depends, or if you want original music, then you go outside of Broadway and you go to some of these venues that aren't in that touristy area. the exiting Karen: That's what we need. tyson leslie: or things like that. Or if you want to s hear some other genuine country, you go out by the Grand Old Opry, you go to Music City Bar Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: and Group, or you go to scoreboards and hear all kinds of stuff out that way that's a little different than you hear on Broadway. So there's a lot of options and there's never not something to do. There's plenty to do. Depending on what you like. Karen: I love that. Okay. Okay. So if I yeah, Amy: Right? All Karen: if I make it Amy: right. Karen: I'll give you a trip report if I make it down. Okay, so also we are we always talk about fan experiences. So I think everything you've done is a fan experience. But who were you originally a fan of? Like what music really got you wanting to become a professional musician? Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: I was a I was a pro. I mean, 'cause when I was a kid, I was well, little, I came up on on classical music. I I the movie Amadeus, I watched that movie literally every day Amy: I love that movie. tyson leslie: when I came home from school. This is a long ass movie, but I watched it literally I finished my homework and watched the whole thing. And I was obsessed with that. and then but like when I was I think it was my first first grade birthday, maybe. Then I got Molly Crew and Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister and Vanna Halen for my birthday on and I remember thinking, Okay, piano's not cool anymore, I wanna play guitar. And I I ended up basically winning this piano this talent contest in Colorado and and winning a hundred dollars from that. And I took the hundred dollars and bought my first guitar and taught myself how to play guitar. And and all of a sudden guitar was way cooler than piano. And so as a result, it was I kinda worked myself through Guns N' Roses and figuring out all these kinds of bands and learning how to play these kinds of songs from all these different bands. And so later on I mean, I know this is a really roundabout way to answer this question, but Karen: No, no, but Amy: No, it's great. tyson leslie: like who and specifically You know, it was definitely was at the time it was my all all those bands that I got on cassette, I wore that Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: twisted Stay Hungry Stay Hungry record out. I you know, I went to Scout camp and and wore out Doctor Feel Good and and Warren's dirty, rotten filthy, stinkin' rich on my Sony Walkman and just l listened to those over and over and over and over. And oddly enough, last week we played with Warren. so it's like all all of those kinds of like we had those weird full circle things where like, you know, I I've it it's hard pressed to find a band from that eighties era like hard rock heavy metal big hair world that I haven't worked with or become friends with Karen: Exactly. tyson leslie: or done something with some capacity, which is so weird. But think because you mentioned Monster Truck and Amy: It's amazing, Tyson. tyson leslie: things like that, those opportunities have allowed me to really network and become friends with and or associates with or whatever you want to call it, colleagues with these people that used to hang on my wall when I was a kid or that were in my Walkman when I was a kid. And so to ask your question, there's a lot to to that question. Kind of all of them, yeah. Yeah. Which is weird. And pretty exciting. Amy: Yeah, all of them just all of them all of them Yeah, all of them my gosh It's amazing. Karen: A lot. All of the above. Well who no, that is well th I'm looking at the time, Amy too. So this is like I could go on for hours. That's why I'm just like Amy: Yeah. It's it's it's it's about it's about time for rapid fire, but Tyson, I'm so excited for you. Like it's it's one of those things where your talent has garnered you this level of respect among the people Karen: Absolutely. Amy: who you grew up watching and listening to. And that's I know you don't like to toot your own horn here, but I'm just like blown away. It's so exciting to to just see. I know. Karen: Well and Amy and it's more than one instrument. It's not like he's a just a guitarist. It's he's also like, no, the he's a piano player. Wait, no, he's the guitarist. No, he's He's a tour manager. He's a songwriter. Amy: No. No, he's a songwriter. No, he's yeah, yeah. Karen: He's Amy: Right? Massive Yeah. So we're just okay, so okay. That's one of the things we get to do on our show, Tyson, that since we're four fans, bifans, we do get to gush a little bit over our guests and that's what we're doing. So I hope Karen: Ha ha ha Amy: that's okay. tyson leslie: Mm-hmm. Amy: We'll never apologize for it, but you know, I I Karen: No we won't. We're just like Amy: I know that you're you're a yeah, you're a modest guy, so I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but it's impressive. It's impressive. tyson leslie: Good, you're good. Thanks. I Karen: So what tyson leslie: mean it it's it's been a lot of work, that's all, Karen: Amy and I were tyson leslie: you know, coming Amy: Yeah. Yeah. A lot of work. Karen: Okay, so let me ask you this also. What do you consider yourself more as in if a musician, do you call yourself more a piano player or guitarist? Or songwriter? Like what do you what do you tyson leslie: it just depends on the week, honestly. Karen: Okay. tyson leslie: it depends on what you get called for. So I I get mostly keyboard calls, because that's what Karen: Okay. tyson leslie: most folks know me as. but then one of the bands I was playing with on Broadway for a very long time, I was playing keyboards and bass guitar most of the time. So and I was having Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: to do them at the same time because We it was just kind of out of necessity. I was doing the bass thing and it was missing keys, like it was missing sounds and so I brought my keyboard one time and I attempted to try to play them both simultaneously and it went wow. Karen: literally at the same time. Amy: Well mm. tyson leslie: Yeah. And so I just kept doing that and I did and and and so after doing that for several years, you know, I got pretty okay at it. And so now if I get hired as a bass player, I always ask, Do you want me to bring keys as well? And or same time same with guitar. I not every song I can do on both with guitar. Like that that one's a little tougher. And and Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: with bass for that a couple songs it's really hard to do if I have to play a lot of open strings or do a lot of picking, then trying to do this is can be difficult. But I figured out a way to do it. And so it just kinda depends on the week. I just I get called for different things for very so I've like I did a Queen tribute thing that was on keys. I did a Paula McCartney tribute thing that was on keys. But then like last week I just just played bass in a thing. in the journey thing I'm playing just bass on some stuff. I'm just playing just keys on some stuff. sometimes I'll get I I I got called to do a drum session, which was weird. I was I don't really out of all the millions of really Amy: Ha ha. tyson leslie: drivers in this time you're calling me. Okay, cool. So I had to set up my drums and my electric drum kit and run it because he just wanted what's called a MIDI file so he could go through and kind of edit Amy: Mm, tyson leslie: later. And so I set up that and and I played drums on it and that worked out. It was a super fun. And so it kinda depends week to week. whatever I get called to do. And actually enjoy that that way 'cause it's it's not the same thing all the time. Amy: Right, you don't get bored. I love it. tyson leslie: Right. Amy: my gosh. Are you ready for tyson leslie: Mm. Karen: Well, Amy, do you want Amy: a round of rapid fire questions? Yeah. Karen: Ha ha ha. tyson leslie: Sure. Amy: All right. Now Katya will tell you they don't have to be quick answers, but it's usually the first thing you think of. Karen: Okay, rapid fire. What's the most questionable request Amy: I threw you out of order, sorry. Karen: you've gotten from a drunk person to play? Monsters of Rock in a Bar, anywhere. Yeah, tyson leslie: The most questionable. Karen: song request. tyson leslie: I mean, I have an entire book and that's on Facebook of all of these mismatched incorrect requests. So anything from, you know, Piano Man by Elton John to I I had this one where this guy just wrote out this elaborate stuff and like play this my favorite song and he called me Asian Jesus. And it's like the most ridiculous. Like what And okay, cool. And so I've I've had requests come up going, I'll pay you fifty dollars to tell the other girl to stop singing. I'm like, my god, you're so mean. Like this is terrible. I've I've Amy: Okay. tyson leslie: I've had a thousand dollars put on my piano to write four letters on a mirror, which was G O K U. Like go K you. Like I'm like, really? You have that much money to just throw away for me to write four letters on a mirror? Okay, cool. I'll take it, you know, I'll take your money. So Karen: I'll do it, yeah. Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: yeah, it's interesting what people will bring up. As far as questionable, I mean I think all of those things are questionable to you know, as I can't think of any Karen: That is that is all questionable. Okay. tyson leslie: specific song or anything that's like you know, 'cause there's no song that I I mean, I'll play whatever. Like I don't care if it's Dick down and doubt I there now there are a few things that I won't I won't I won't do R. Kelly songs anymore. I w you know I'm not doing stuff like that 'cause I'm just like that's gross. I'm not going that that that way. Karen: Mm. Bear. There. Yes. tyson leslie: But the P Diddy Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: the P. Diddy catalog I never played in the first place, so it's like whatever. I'm not gonna play that either. But everything else Karen: No. No. Yeah. Don't just stay away from it. Band. Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: is fair game. Karen: Okay, do you have tyson leslie: Yeah. Amy: That's awesome. Karen: a do you have a any like cruise survival strategy? Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: I mean that that that that just goes with pace yourself. If if you haven't been on it, as they all say, it's a marathon, not a sprint. So if you go hard that first day, you're gonna hate it the rest of the you know, you're gonna hate yourself the next day. Like there's so much to do, but it depends on which cruise you're on, too. If it's monsters, there's fifty bands to see. It's Hans, it's go here, go here. This band's over. Okay, let's go here, let's go watch two. Two or three songs of this band and let's go watch two or three songs of this band. Let's go watch two or three songs all right, and let's go get something to eat. Okay, let's go to the pool deck and do this. And this guy's doing a signing and there's a comedian over here. Okay, there's a lot. Tons. Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: but most of these other cruises aren't quite that frantic. So if you're on the Kiss cruise or if you're on like the Jericho cruise, it's not gonna be nearly as it's there's a lot to do, but not like at the pace that monsters is is a completely unique thing. so I would just say, you know, go and enjoy the community and get to know everybody and get to know the people because if you're gonna go back again, those people become some of those people become your lifelong friends and the people that you look forward to Amy: I love it. tyson leslie: for you. And and especially since you guys have never been, it's like if you go, then you need to figure out a way to stock up your money because y you won't you will Have so much fun that you won't want to miss it ever again. It's it's one of those things like Karen: Ha ha. tyson leslie: where it's like if you don't go, you feel like you're missing out on something, you know, big Karen: Missing out. FOMO. Yeah. Amy: Yeah. Karen: I still feel like it. I haven't like 'cause we have Amy: Well Karen: we've had people talk about it and I was like, okay, this is absolutely what we need to be doing. Okay. Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: Yeah, there's nothing like it. Nothing like it. 'Cause you're stuck on a boat for Amy: my gosh. Wanna go? Karen: So tyson leslie: five days with all these people that you grew up listening to and you run into you know, you're going the you're going to the cafeteria to get something to eat and there's there's the guy from Queensrike or there's the guy from there's Nuno Betancourt or there's whoever. And you can just talk to him or don't because Karen: There's Tyson. tyson leslie: shit, Leah Ford looks like she's in a bad mood. Maybe I shouldn't talk to her today. You know, it's like or Maybe she's in a great mood and okay, cool. Now's a good Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: time to, you know, get my autograph Karen: I'll go up and talk to her today, yes. tyson leslie: or my picture or whatever. there's Sebastian Amy: Yeah, wow. tyson leslie: barreling through the whole like there's this nine foot Amy: Ha ha ha. tyson leslie: you know, human being that with the loud voice barreling through the hallway, trying to get to the other side and getting stopped every two seconds. You know, it's because you can't miss it. So Amy: Right. You right? Karen: Okay, so with with all that and all the people tyson leslie: It's pretty cool. Amy: my gosh, I love it. Karen: and everyone you've met, has there been someone that left you starstruck? tyson leslie: that doesn't happen to me really very often. I I when I met Getty Lee, that was pr pretty wild. That was a tough one. I was just like, I don't know what to say to this guy. I'm a huge rush fan. And I felt like, you know, was it Chr Chris Farley on the remember when you were in Rush? That was cool. Like I didn't know what the hell you would say to that guy. actually, you know, we were talking about when I was a kid learning Guns and Roses songs was one of the first things I taught myself on guitar. And one of the first kind of starstruck moments I had was I was playing with Corey Taylor from back in two thousand nine and we did this show in Kansas City called Rockfest, which is kind of the pinnacle of shows to do in Kansas City as an artist or as a musician. It was the biggest one day festival in the United States and Amy: Well. tyson leslie: I go I go backstage. I just get to the festival. I arrive at the festival. I go backstage and there's freaking Duff McKagan standing there talking to Corey. And I'm just like he's like shirtless and you know, still just like and Duff was like my favorite dude from Guns of Roses when I was a kid. So I was like Karen: Super cool. Amy: Mm. tyson leslie: Okay, I I don't know. And he was so nice and we actually sat and had dinner together, was the next day. But the fr we go I go on get ready to go on stage and Duff comes up, he's heads up with the rest of us. And he looks at me, he's like, Is that what you're wearing on stage? And I was like, Yeah. He's like, Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: I've got some other clothes in my trailer if you want to try them on or anything. And I was like, my God, Duff McKagan's Karen: Yes, please. tyson leslie: giving me a hard time right now about my about my wardrobe. Karen: I got tyson leslie: And I was like, if I wore any of your clothes, it would look like a friggin' dress because you're like much taller Karen: so tyson leslie: than me. He's like, that might look cool. And I was like, no. And so that was that was surreal. Karen: Wait, you didn't take her off on the altar? tyson leslie: And then we ended up like the next day having lunch and talking about finances. Because at the time he was writing for the finance Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: column for Playboy. And I was like, really curious about how because he was there with his van loaded. And Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: his lowest tier band of all the bands that he's in, you know, because there's Guns N' Roses and there was Velvet Revolver was still a thing at the time. And then there's this loaded thing that was kind of his own band, his own songs. And he drove the van, like no bus. And he was like, I want my guys to know what it's like to be out there truck, you know, roughing it like the old days. So Amy: Doing it. Mm. tyson leslie: And I think he probably missed that too. So he's like, I'm driving the van, I'm taking them around. We're not making a lot of money, but we're having a blast. We're having the time of our lives out here on the road, you know, playing these shows. Like, man, that's super cool. So that Karen: That is really cool. Amy: Wow. tyson leslie: that was that was that's probably the long answer to that question. Karen: No, that's an awesome answer. Amy: I love it so much. It's phenomenal. Yeah. tyson leslie: huh. Karen: Okay, what Amy: That's great. Karen: what is on heavy rotation on your playlist right now? Amy: Mm. Karen: What you will see? tyson leslie: I've been listening checking out the new anthrax record, which is really cool. I was on a big Paul McCartney kick because I did this Paul McCartney tribute show not too long ago and I totally got on that. what else have I been listening to? I have to go to my Spotify to remember because it it might people go, What kind of stuff do you I'm like, it changes every day. Amy: Right. tyson leslie: yesterday yesterday I was stuck on three sides to every story by extreme. Like I just was totally into that. Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: but I've I've also been revisiting speaking to Corey Taylor, I went back and started revisiting Stone Sour's records, and Slipknot's record and his solo stuff. Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: Because by the way, Corey, if you're watching this which I know you're not, call me. that's a whole story. but Karen: Hashtag tyson leslie: I I'm writing I finished writing this record that's s well, I'm not completely finished, but it's pretty much done. It's super personal, like sad bastard song record. and I'm gotta get in and start recording it, but I also I had a friend stay at my house last week, early last week, who he and I played in in Corey's band together. He was the drummer. And we reconnected over all kinds of things and it it opened that kind of Pandora's box of me going back and revisiting that music that we did and re engaging with all things Corey, I guess, Stone Sour Slipknot and all stuff. And it lit a fire under my ass to write some like heavy stuff again, which I haven't written anything heavy. In a long, long, Amy: Well. tyson leslie: long time. And I I have a lot of I guess for lack of better terms, emotions to still tap into and kind of Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: revision musically speaking. it's a better way to channel it through music than in other avenues. So I started writing these heavy riffs again and writing these lyrics that are pretty angry and so I already forgot the question, but that's the that's kind of what I'm tapping into with Karen: No, it's what's on rotation right now. So that's it. I can't wait to hear your Amy: Yeah, yeah. Karen: music. I can't wait to hear when that comes out. I'm glad. tyson leslie: Yeah. Yeah. So it's like listening Amy: Yeah. tyson leslie: to that sound sour stuff, I was like, Man, I want to write stuff like this. And I kinda wanted to do something where I'm fronting, I'm not playing any instruments at all. And so I called up my buddy Jack Ivans and and my buddy Andy Jones. I said, Hey, I've got this idea for this new metal project and I want you guys to be part of it. So let's start kicking around ideas, let's start sending songs back and forth. I need to do a metal thing again and get out and get some of these things that are within out. Amy: Yeah, process. tyson leslie: yeah, out of my head and into music. So I'm kinda excited about it, you know, like I this probably won't happen until next year. but at least get the songs written, get the things happening and I'm Amy: Mm-hmm. tyson leslie: really I actually spent all w the last two weeks, which is why everything's blurry and it's things right here behind me. of re redoing my studio. Like I redid everything. Got a new computer, a new interface, ni like lots of things. So that I can just any time that I'm ready to do it, there's a mixer board Amy: Ready. tyson leslie: right under the thing. I can just if my I need to play drums, I just pull up the faders, hit play or hit record and go. And every instrument's ready to go. So that's the goal of having two new records out in the next year or so. And it's a lot of work and a lot of but I have to really focus on and on getting it done with 'cause I'm unfortunately very n well known as talk talking about an idea or starting ideas and not finishing them. But this is something I absolutely have to finish. Karen: And we need more metal records in our life. Amy: I got you on that. Karen: So I'm looking forward to that. That will be or seven new but yet. Amy: Especially ones that help tyson leslie: Yeah. Amy: process the hard stuff. Yeah. Karen: Well in new metal. Like, yeah, tyson leslie: Yeah. Karen: just that's all. That would be great. Okay. Thank Amy: well. Karen: you. Thank you for our rapid fire. Amy: my word. Karen: Tyson, thank you. Amy Amy and I have been talking about Amy: my gosh, Tyson? Yay. Karen: you for two years now. So thank you so much for yeah, Amy: Over a year, yes. Karen: thank you for tyson leslie: right. Karen: coming on the show. I really appreciate it. We really appreciate it. Amy: Yes. my gosh. tyson leslie: It's not a me. Amy: No, we've we tyson leslie: Thank you very much. Amy: we're so thrilled that you're here and that you've taken the time with us. So tyson leslie: Two years. that's more. Amy: you know, it was we we who do we talk to first? I I don't remember if we talked to Skylar first or if we talked to Julia. But you know, everybody tyson leslie: Yeah, yeah. Amy: that we had talked to just spoke so highly of you and I was like, my gosh, we need to do this. And you and I started talking. And then, you know, for a lot of things, the shit just hit the fan. So I just kind of backed off. And then it seemed like I was I Picked up a little bit, like, maybe now's the time. So that's when I reached back out and and all of that. So thank you so much. Uh-huh. Yeah. my gosh. Yes. Karen: It's it's a timing b between all of us. Yeah. This is Amy: Yes. So, but anyway, thank you so much, Tyson. And I hope you have a great rest of your week. Can't wait for some new processing music to come out and just everything that you're tyson leslie: Thank you. Amy: doing. And I'm serious. Well let's look at March for promoting rare hair. I I mean that sincerely. So. tyson leslie: Yeah. Amy: Well thank you. Bye. tyson leslie: Okay, thank you. Karen: Okay. Thank you, Tyson. Amy, how much fun was that? Amy: my gosh. I loved it. I loved it so much. He just I I appreciate Karen: He is no, I'll say he is a big thank you for everything he does to rock and roll. Multi instrumentalist, Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: performing with Vixen, Rare Hair. I mean, his journey's a reminder that music's so Amy: Yeah. Karen: much more, and it takes a lot to build that community, bring people together, creating those opportunities, sharing the stage, and keeping the rock and roll music we love alive. And that's something I totally appreciate. Amy: What I yeah, what I really love is how he's encouraging the next generation as well. you know, we talked a little bit about Skylar, we talked a little bit about Kobe, and he's just all in with it at the same time. And I find that to be very exciting. You know, I kinda I liked that a lot about what he had to say. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Karen: Cause it's not about just being in the spotlight, right? It's making a spotlight for everyone else too. And that's what he's doing. He's not just shining it on Amy: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Karen: him, which he can do because he's incredible. But what he does is he allows others to really shine. And he's doing Amy: Yeah. Yeah. Karen: that for more musicians. And with that, I can't like I'm so excited to go to Nashville and hit all those clubs and see him play it. I hope if people go Amy: Mm-hmm. Karen: to Nashville, they kind of look behind the singer and see who's supporting them and see the amazing Amy: Yeah. Karen: talent that there's there. And I bet they'll find Tyson. Amy: Agreed. you guys don't forget, like and subscribe, follow along for more fun chit chats. And if you happen to be interested in some Rock the Life merch, you can find that at RTLmerch.com. you can find us on our socials at Rock the Life Girl on Instagram. Karen: Okay. So with that, okay. Don't Amy: So yeah. Don't forget. Karen: forget. Rock the life. Amy: Rock to life. Bye.