Strung Out Episode 240: ERNIE HENDRICKSON, JOURNEYMAN SINGER-SONGWRITER (Interview One)

For every big name in the business of music, there are thousands of names in the calling of music.  These names are not as well known, but they are the ones that pursue their craft with no illusions about fame or fortune.  They are drawn to it because they know they need to do it.  Their reward is touching souls, channeling the energy in a room and bringing light into a sometimes-dreary world.  Ernie Hendrickson is one such musician.  No pretensions about the business, he steadily plies his craft across northern Illinois, playing a myriad of different venues.  His songs are wonderful creations, part reflections on the calling he has answered and part observations about the world around him.  His guitar handling is smooth, bringing out great support to his midwestern baritone voice.  Hailing from Palos Park, he has a family and is one of the few who is out there--independent, full-time and working like no tomorrow.  His website is www.erniehendrickson.com.

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:14:44
Unknown
Welcome to Strung Out, the podcast that looks at life through the lens of an artist. Your host is the artist, writer and musician Martin Lawrence McCormack. Now here's Marty.

00:00:14:44 - 00:00:35:23
Unknown
And, great to have you with us. And, I have singer songwriter Bernie Hendrickson. We are playing, out of his beautiful house here. And this is pillows. Pillows part park. Yeah, just a gorgeous drive down here. And, just a beautiful sunny day.

00:00:35:28 - 00:00:49:38
Unknown
But I know you're not here for the weather report on the drive. You want to hear his music? So why don't you start in with the song and we'll take it from there? Let's do that. What's. What's this one called? I'll kick it off with one called Do It for love.

00:01:02:22 - 00:01:44:55
Unknown
The 6:00 train to the city cost me $6. And that's for his saxophone going on the corner. Tossed a few coins into. I have to stop at my favorite record shop. I'm gonna spend my last couple bucks, but I don't do it for the money. I only do it for the. I say.

00:01:45:00 - 00:01:50:27
Unknown
The.

00:01:50:32 - 00:02:30:13
Unknown
Damn. You should be a doctor or a lawyer. My old man, he always said, well, if it don't pay to make this guitar play. So much for making bread. You may be living in the lab for country. But I tell you, when push comes to shove. I don't give a damn about the money. I'll do it for that.

00:02:30:18 - 00:02:44:06
Unknown
All right. Then,

00:02:50:19 - 00:02:57:06
Unknown
Me I'll do.

00:02:57:11 - 00:03:00:12
Unknown
The.

00:03:08:51 - 00:03:39:06
Unknown
Well, then there's. I'm going early. They say heavenly lullaby. Then I worry you about anything. Just happy to be alive. Pray you can do it. Full power. Oh, glory. To it. And it's so bright.

00:03:39:10 - 00:04:14:28
Unknown
It's that same old story here. And I want them to. Yes. Oh. Do want me to feel alive. Like I gotta take that. It's like, you won't have to do it for the money, but yeah, they do it all the time. That's right. What I want for one, for the money.

00:04:14:32 - 00:04:35:37
Unknown
You do it for the money. You. You covered up. Now you don't pay to pay for it. To.

00:04:35:42 - 00:04:39:54
Unknown
Come.

00:04:40:41 - 00:05:03:53
Unknown
Also, Wow. Way to start off with a real declarative song, I love it. First of all, trouble. This is good. You know, my dog caper, she she gets in on the show, too. So. Bessie. Bessie, this is Bessie, the other wonder dog. You're going to ruin the show. But, no, that was great, I love it.

00:05:03:58 - 00:05:26:04
Unknown
Tell us a little bit about, the guitar you're playing, and, I always like to just kind of, start there, and then we'll we'll delve into. I've got some questions. Well, you can see, you can see this thing has a mark or two on it. Yeah. I'm it's great. This is I thought every mark on it I made.

00:05:26:05 - 00:05:49:04
Unknown
So I've got this thing new, and it's an HD 28 Martin HD 28. Now, I don't know anything about guitars. I only know roughly how to play them. You're right. Well, what what drew you to this, Martin? I mean, it's, What year do you think this, I probably bought it in, like, 99. Okay. And there's a store.

00:05:49:04 - 00:06:11:46
Unknown
I grew up in Rockford, Illinois. Yeah. And, you know, we didn't have the internet then, right? We couldn't look for guitars online. Right? So you just go to the store and. Right. This was one of the the better acoustic guitars that they had. And I, I was looking to I had a seagull. Okay. Remember those? Sure. Yeah. Hey, you get down, you get down.

00:06:11:49 - 00:06:32:23
Unknown
Well, we'll just let her do her thing, okay? It's got a great sound. And, I love the. I love that you have been wearing holes through it. In our band switchback. Brian Fitzgerald has gone through, I think about four guitars that way. Just where we're right through warm, right through him. And, a mandolin as well.

00:06:32:23 - 00:06:57:32
Unknown
But, I mean, and so I love this. Everybody take note. This is what. This is what you want. You want to treat your instrument, I feel is, a tool or an instrument and not, you know, not hang it up on a wall, but, but that's, you know, the and you've got a really great style, but let's talk about that song, Do It for love.

00:06:57:37 - 00:07:20:41
Unknown
One lyric that caught my head, caught my mind was, if you talk about your dad telling you, was that that's the truth. That's not true story. Yeah. My my dad, in fact, when he comes to the shows, I always look at him when I sing that line, and. Yeah, that's all for technologies that, you know, he actually still, you know, encourages me to write.

00:07:20:54 - 00:07:42:04
Unknown
Go get a real job. You're doing it full time. Yeah. Good on you. That's, that's, that's important. We'll talk. We'll talk more about that. My dad, encouraged me to go full time. When I was debating whether I should. I was working at a hospital for a while. Once I got out of college.

00:07:42:09 - 00:08:04:42
Unknown
In marketing, just to pay off the bill and stuff. But, you know, growing up in Woodstock, you said, there was this guy named Mario, and he played full time, recording. And I did that one day, you know, Mario, Mario was able to make a living, and he's living in a nice house, and that was all he said, you know?

00:08:04:47 - 00:08:26:30
Unknown
But there was it, you know, it's interesting that our dads were the ones the kind of like, because usually a father figure is kind of like, hey, you know, get a job, like you said. Well, yeah. I mean, so your dad was encouraging you to go for. Absolutely. Yeah. No, my dad was, I guess, you know, he definitely did encourage me.

00:08:26:36 - 00:08:45:38
Unknown
Yeah. In fact, he's the one that got me a guitar. You know, when I was young. There's a song I have called, Down the Road, which talks about how, you know, my dad bought me a guitar and, you know, I was like, he was a dreamer and a gambler. Then bought me an old guitar when I was ten.

00:08:45:52 - 00:09:08:41
Unknown
Said if I learned to play good, I wouldn't end up like him. You know, my dad, my dad was a factory worker. Got it. Yeah. And, I mean, I think I think did have, you know, wanted me to pursue my dreams. Okay. But I think that, you know, the more, the more real that became, the more he pulled back a little bit because, just out of, you know, concern for your.

00:09:08:46 - 00:09:35:41
Unknown
Sure. You know. Well, you know, that's no, how to guide. Yeah. You know, there's no there's no guarantee. You know, I, I still wake up every day and, Hustle. Yes. To make this work, you know, and and being a full time, singer songwriter, the hustle is, it's amazing how much hustle you have to do, in order to, to, to make a living and, picking up gigs and, and everything like that.

00:09:35:46 - 00:10:06:13
Unknown
So you grew up in Rockford? Yeah. Where your parents both from Rockford originally? No. Tell me about your background. My parents were high school sweethearts in Wisconsin. Oh. Well, which is, a small town, I think about, 1200, maybe 1500 people. Sorry, Schulberg. If I got that right, we'll get the one person that's going to be sending hate mail.

00:10:06:18 - 00:10:33:51
Unknown
No, but, but it's in southwest Wisconsin, so. Okay, it's about like, you know, 80, 90 miles from Rockford. And my dad, showed up finding work at the Chrysler plant in Belvidere or Belvidere down there. Sure. So, sure. A big draw for a lot of, a lot of folks in that area. And, growing up in the country county, of course, Belvidere, had the car thing and then we we lived on a little farm.

00:10:33:51 - 00:10:56:03
Unknown
So, they also had a great horse auction one back in the day, but, so Schlossberg must be off of 11. Yeah. Okay. Did you know that, you drive a lot. Okay. Oh, that way, on that in that territory. And, what that explains maybe, I saw that you played Kathy Carp. Yes. For Dickinson and,

00:10:56:14 - 00:11:22:01
Unknown
Yeah. Where did you start? You know, so was it just around Rockford? Did you do Charlotte's Web and all that sort of stuff? Yeah, I've done some stuff with Charlotte's Web. Although when I was coming up, Charlotte's Web was kind of past its heyday. It kind of died as a physical building. Yeah. In fact, the building that was Charlotte's Web was being kind of condemned.

00:11:22:06 - 00:11:41:33
Unknown
Right. And we were still like the band that I was in called the Seed Band, which I grew up playing in, like hippie jam bands. Okay, okay. Sure. That that was my I came to music through that. Not not the singer songwriter world. But more just, you know, remodeled or still sent to the Grateful Dead. Okay.

00:11:41:46 - 00:12:06:45
Unknown
You know, like, there was a, you know, in the, the mid 90s, there was that big kind of, neo hippie kind of you had, like, fish and leftover salmon. Yeah. You know, prior to that little feat. So that was all that kind of. Yeah. And it was big. It was big. And there, you know, there was enough of a scene in Rockford for that, that, you know, the seed band was like a ten year old group.

00:12:06:45 - 00:12:24:21
Unknown
And we, you know, we had we had much, much more success that I took for granted then, you know, sure. When you're young is, you know, a few hundred people show up to your shows and you think, oh, this is easy, you know? Right? Right. But you think that's always going to be like, yeah. Oh my God.

00:12:24:21 - 00:12:47:51
Unknown
Yeah. But anyway, my point was, when the Seed Band played the Charlotte's Web building, it had like, we were in there illegally. Oh, people were throwing shows there. Oh that's great playing in a condemned building. That's, that's. You gotta love it, though, you know? So, and how old were you when you, you decided this is it?

00:12:47:51 - 00:13:09:36
Unknown
I'm. I'm going into it. You know, I, I mean, I honestly never, I'm just I don't know why, but I never had a second thought in my mind that I would just be doing music, you know? Yeah, yeah. Even, like, in high school, I started playing gigs when I was probably 15 years old. Okay. Yeah, I remember, in the C band.

00:13:09:36 - 00:13:34:56
Unknown
You know, one of the first things we did was, we played, a normal rally. Yeah. You know what that is? Well, a normal rally. A normal rally. Oh, a normal rally. You know what is a normal event? The the the, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Oh, great. Normal. Oh, okay. Well, I guess that's a nostalgia now.

00:13:35:01 - 00:14:02:07
Unknown
Yeah. No. 15 years old, you know, and just playing in bars illegally. Right? You know, it wasn't a drinking age, but, you know, I it just always seemed like. Yeah, this is it. This is what I'm going to do. Was there any particular person that, you looked to, besides, who did you. Obviously there were supporting you to some degree, you know, to, to, to follow your bliss.

00:14:02:12 - 00:14:22:03
Unknown
But was there any one musician and or was there somebody that you look to was, you know, that you're like, I want to be like that guy? Or was it these jam bands of of, the 90s? They what? You're just like, I'm going to make this happen. I had a good circle of musical friends in high school.

00:14:22:08 - 00:14:45:46
Unknown
And, I would say we kind of just supported each other. Look at us. You know, there's a guy named Mark Prasad at my school. That sort of rallied us to start the group, the Seed Band. And he was he was kind of one of the first people I knew. That was like writing his own songs and stuff, writing words.

00:14:45:48 - 00:15:13:35
Unknown
Okay. And I was like, wow, okay. I hadn't really started writing yet, but. So Mark. Mark, inspired me that way. But, you know, he he was just he was not there like two steps ahead or three steps ahead. He was just kind of ready, you know? And that was, and then we started getting gigs. I mean, almost immediately, you know, we was being in a town like Rockford, a city, at that time the second largest city in the state, I think Aurora, Illinois, now is there.

00:15:13:35 - 00:15:39:50
Unknown
But Rockford, was it a nurturing kind of environment for for artists? I mean, is it really, you know, Rockford? Was a good sized town, a medium sized town, 150,000 people. And it had enough where, you know, you still had to connect the dots and move, you know, move through the chain and find your way to these things.

00:15:39:50 - 00:16:07:28
Unknown
Like, you know, it had a big festival called on the Waterfront. Yes. Oh, yeah. And I mean, they had everybody, you know, they had, the Allman Brothers and Chick Corea and John Scofield and just, you know, okay, you you had to get down. You're running the interview. You, you, you know, you don't worry. But so, like, you know, we had to move through those channels to, you know, play this game, play that gig, meet these people.

00:16:07:28 - 00:16:29:34
Unknown
You know, it was a good, like, kind of manageable microcosm for what, let's say, what Chicago is, you know. Right. So, you know, we had to we still had to hustle and find our way up. And we did. And eventually and in fact, Rockford also had its own like, music awards, right? They had the Grammys. They got the oh, cool.

00:16:29:44 - 00:16:51:30
Unknown
See the Rockford? I didn't even know that. So Rockford Area Music Industry Awards and the C band won a couple of those. Oh that's great. It was just kind of, I would say absolutely very supportive and, well, in Rockford, of course, you know, cheap trick. Yeah. I mean, there's no I mean, the pedigree is there, you know, as far as music and everything like that.

00:16:51:32 - 00:17:12:38
Unknown
And, and it was far enough away from Chicago, I'm guessing. Yeah. To to have its own kind of. Yeah. Character. You know, I had no idea what Chicago was. I mean, Chicago was another universe to me. And let's, let's have you play another song right now, and then we'll we'll pick up with what brought you down to Chicago.

00:17:12:43 - 00:17:41:50
Unknown
And I after this film, we're listening to Ernie Hendrickson and, strung Out and, yeah, pick a pick a tune. Whatever you'd like. And, Ernie's dog is, she she's, she's enjoying this is. She's running the title. No, no, we can we can put her away if you want. But I do have to say she dressed, color coordinated with me, so, I'm extremely impressed that she got the memo.

00:17:41:55 - 00:18:03:40
Unknown
That's a pretty, pretty damn cool. But, that's hilarious. All right, well, let's hear it. Let's hear what you got here. What's this one color I'm going to do? One that, I usually play at my gigs. It was on my 2010 album walking with angels, and it's just kind of, it's a good reminder for me.

00:18:03:40 - 00:18:07:17
Unknown
It's called hold on Hope. Okay. Yeah.

00:18:07:17 - 00:18:13:35
Unknown
I'm.

00:18:13:40 - 00:18:24:17
Unknown
Like.

00:18:24:21 - 00:18:33:20
Unknown
It's been a long time. Oh. And, hope.

00:18:33:24 - 00:18:42:04
Unknown
Ready to turn you down winding road.

00:18:42:08 - 00:18:50:52
Unknown
Through the wind and rain. Through the ice and snow.

00:18:50:57 - 00:19:00:01
Unknown
Yes. For a long time. Holding on to hope.

00:19:00:05 - 00:19:08:48
Unknown
Year old when all the world words. New.

00:19:08:52 - 00:19:17:15
Unknown
Below sea level. See of.

00:19:17:19 - 00:19:35:50
Unknown
Am weary and don't try to come down. Reaching down in your. No. Hold on to.

00:19:35:54 - 00:19:44:51
Unknown
Hold on, hold on, hold on to.

00:19:44:56 - 00:19:53:18
Unknown
Oh, yeah. Oh, hold on, hold on, hold on to.

00:19:53:23 - 00:20:11:53
Unknown
Telephone was ringing. Your friends band. Oh. Read the morning paper and last name and new.

00:20:11:58 - 00:20:29:55
Unknown
House and it must be some kind of joke. You for that and this for your. You mom.

00:20:30:00 - 00:20:38:58
Unknown
Oh, now. Oh, hold on to.

00:20:39:03 - 00:21:07:10
Unknown
Whoa, whoa. Now. Oh, wow. Oh.

00:21:07:15 - 00:21:55:58
Unknown
So hold on. Hold on, hold on to hold. Oh. Now. Oh, come, hold on to you. You just came to my. Now. Hold on. Oh I just to keep going for la la la la la la la la. Oh oh whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.

00:21:56:03 - 00:22:06:41
Unknown
Oh. You know. When I.

00:22:06:41 - 00:22:21:42
Unknown
And the fans go wild. Yeah. She's done, she's. You're done. I'm going to put her into, a doggy, doggy daycare. You're out and, you're out strung out here with Ernie Hendrickson. We'll be right back. All right.

00:22:21:42 - 00:22:43:35
Unknown
Document back down. Express. Coming on. I'm good this time. Half again. This time.

00:22:43:40 - 00:23:03:44
Unknown
One. No.

00:23:03:44 - 00:23:27:35
Unknown
And we're back. And, we we, the dog is in the basement for all you, animal lover. She's fine. But no animals were injured, you know, and it was great. Well, how are they going to do this? I, I hear, I hear, a musician trying to reassure himself to keep an keep going in this tree.

00:23:27:40 - 00:23:53:02
Unknown
Yeah. Hold on. Yeah. You know, and, and it's it's funny how many times we have to write songs for ourselves in order to kind of give ourselves the, the boost. Yes, definitely. What what I end up trying to do because, I definitely don't think, I'm smart or anything. Like, I don't have anything to to tell anybody.

00:23:53:07 - 00:24:15:36
Unknown
You. There's there's nothing I'm trying to. I'm not even trying to impart any wisdom to anyone else. And I'm trying to get myself through. Right. You know, there's just, I always think about this little, before there were memes. There were. There were. You'd see, like a painting somewhere with some words on it. Right? Right. So true.

00:24:15:37 - 00:24:43:17
Unknown
So. Yeah, I was probably in, like, a doctor's office or something like that. I remember seeing this, horse, and it was in a cave. I'm sorry. You know, a fence? Yeah. Fenced in horse, a small little fence. And the caption was, hope is not a way out. It's a way through. Wow. And I think about that a lot.

00:24:43:22 - 00:25:11:09
Unknown
Yeah. Well, and and, in today's world, yeah. Hope is, we need it. And, but as a musician, do you feel like, it's your sacred duty to take these experiences, these, like, reassure or yourself and, and give them to the audience? Or are you kind of of the mind. Hey, if you if you find something in it.

00:25:11:09 - 00:25:46:21
Unknown
Great. You know, there's those two kind of camps that seem to exist for singer songwriters, especially, you know, the ones of us that craft our songs and, agonize over it. You're imparting something. And that's a, that's an interesting way to, to put it. And I think, I think I would definitely put myself in that camp of feeling some kind of obligation to,

00:25:46:25 - 00:26:29:17
Unknown
To the craft, you know, because it might be good for someone else. Not, you know, not not not in the sense that, like, You know, you know, a song is bigger than a person, I think, you know, like. Sure. A song when a song comes through, like you, you're reaching out for something, right? You're not. You know, I, I kind of look at it as, that's that's sort of my job is, is to, be open to what comes through and hope that it can help someone else because I'm helping myself, you know?

00:26:29:17 - 00:26:48:22
Unknown
So it's like this whole circuit that completes once it, once it gets from me to someone else and then back, you know, especially in a live environment that's like the easiest way for that circuit to be completed, right? Like, you know, you feel the energy in the room. Absolutely. It's come back to you. You're putting it back out.

00:26:48:22 - 00:27:17:34
Unknown
But, you know, in the I guess, in the sense of just being a songwriter and going through life, you know, there are periods where it feels like, You're more connected, like, you know, closer to the sun. Right, right. And then your orbit goes a little farther out, you know? And that that whole experience, it it's it's funny.

00:27:17:39 - 00:27:38:07
Unknown
You we never we can never sort of like we keep going through that cycle again and again and again, you know, and each time you think, oh, this is it, this is now. Now I'm doing the right thing and everything's coming to me, you know, and then you realize, oh, wait, no, I'm going, I'm going farther out again.

00:27:38:07 - 00:28:03:11
Unknown
And I'm getting farther away from the source. You know, that's, you know, that's, that's a great way to put it. I mean, serving the muses, that kind of thing. I think, you know, that's what I call it. I mean, when you try. Yeah. There are times where you feel like you're absolutely hotwired in and and and this is your calling and everything like that, but there's, there's always that, disconnect as well.

00:28:03:16 - 00:28:30:09
Unknown
And I think part of that has to do with maybe the society that we're in that, singer songwriters especially, you know, are looked upon, you know, we're the first thing maybe to go away when it comes down to necessary expenditures, you know, it even though it is very necessary, it's a spiritual kind of thing.

00:28:30:09 - 00:28:56:55
Unknown
And we're in a society that, unfortunately, doesn't place a lot of credence in that, you know, to some degree, that's, you know, when you're using that kind of word, you know, those kind of words like, do I feel it's a sacred duty? And is it a spiritual thing? Yes. Yeah, to me it is, you know, and not not that, you know, not that that means anything.

00:28:57:00 - 00:29:24:33
Unknown
You know, those words in general, I think that, you know, they're, they're they're words that are attempting to describe something which really can't be described. Right, right. I think why it's important to to look upon it that way. And that's what I'm hearing. And, you know, the these two songs that you play so far, the reason why it is important is when you make a commitment into this business, into this.

00:29:24:33 - 00:29:52:18
Unknown
And I hate to even use the word business, but it is a business. But it's a calling. Yeah, it's a calling first. And then somehow you have to take a business side to it. You have to. You're kind of like, one of those crabs that moves on to a oh, you know, hopefully I'll get a bigger show with gigs and, you know, and and the business protects you, but, you know, the sacred part of you is inside that shell, and, it's it's difficult.

00:29:52:23 - 00:30:22:45
Unknown
It's a difficult thing. And and did that bring you down to Chicago? Your married, your your wife? You know, you have two, two daughters. I mean, no, you were a singer songwriter raising a family. Yeah. You're now in that really interesting, niche, you know, and I know a lot of artists like. Like yourself. Just just for the for the the person that's, thinking of all I want to.

00:30:22:45 - 00:30:58:59
Unknown
I've got to do this. How is it working for you? Oh, just, you know, do these these are this is, these are all really good questions. And, you know, it's cool to have this conversation with another artist because you get this. Yes. I. I do, you know, and I guess nothing is so the thing that always anchors me and I guess keeps me going and keeps me, free from just like, being, a mess of anxiety, which, you know, I can be sometimes and.

00:30:59:01 - 00:31:32:18
Unknown
Sure, but, what what sort of grounds me to what I'm doing is that, if I, if I this is I've always my whole life just said if I stay focused, becoming better at my craft, or just, you know, giving myself more wholly to it, fully to it, and, and just let that be my main focus.

00:31:32:18 - 00:31:43:14
Unknown
Sure. Then I'm going to be okay. And meaning like.

00:31:43:18 - 00:32:13:44
Unknown
You know, I think musicians in general are just terrible business people. They can or you know, I mean it's like it's, you know, it's a different part of the brain or something like that. You know, business is not, I could try, I could try that. I could try saying like, oh, I'm going to, I'm going to really like, work on selling more product and like, you're right, you really amping up that side of what I do.

00:32:13:49 - 00:32:38:56
Unknown
I would fail. Right. But if you, if I, if I just, if I just tell myself what I'm going to do is work on my craft, try to get better as a writer and try to get better as a player. And definitely reach out into the community and try to make connections. I mean, that that's, you know, finding other people that do this.

00:32:39:01 - 00:33:06:06
Unknown
Well, you touch touching on one of the basic tenets of success is being with like minded people. Yeah. Who can share your, your pain, and your, your successes and your struggle. Because it is a struggle. Yeah. And, is your wife, supportive? Oh, yeah, very much so. I mean, you know, is there any, anything like, you know, you know, you're raising chickens?

00:33:06:10 - 00:33:25:52
Unknown
She doesn't come to you and say, you know, Ernie, you know, we just got 500,000 more of those. You can, you know, we could go on a chicken farm, you know? Or is it the kind of like, go do your thing, you know, shoot. Well, I mean, we, you know, I, I makes, you know, we meet in the middle, and I help with expenses, too.

00:33:25:52 - 00:33:46:11
Unknown
I'm not. I'm not just out by plane runner, you know, like you're not. You know, I do make a living playing music. Yeah. You know, and not everything that I do, is is, Well, nothing that I do is glamorous, which is important. I think you're bringing up a very good point. I think, a true singer songwriter has to come to that.

00:33:46:11 - 00:34:08:20
Unknown
Understand? Yeah. It's a journeyman existence. Yeah. I mean, you're traits I that absolutely am. I, I look at it as a trade and, you know, I, I'm actually really, I find I find honor in that, you know, I mean, whatever trade you are, you know, if you're a carpenter or whatever it is that you do, you know, that's such a valuable thing.

00:34:08:20 - 00:34:34:08
Unknown
That's that's knowledge that, you know, you've you've put blood, sweat and tears in to gain. Right? And you have that now and you can you can go anywhere on this planet and be, you know, be able to work that trade right now. So that's very true. I find that music is, is very much a trade. And. Yeah, I respect I respect it like that.

00:34:34:08 - 00:35:00:18
Unknown
You know, I, so, you know, I'm out playing restaurants, you know. Right. I'm not I'm not telling people on the internet that I'm playing this gig or that gig, you know, like, I'll tell. I'll talk about gigs where, you know, I'm trying to sell tickets, right? You know, that's. Well, yeah, I totally get that. And, and we should talk about that a little more after I want to hear another song, first.

00:35:00:18 - 00:35:34:32
Unknown
But I want to talk about that part of the trade we're going to go into that part because it's so important to expose that part to, the audience here. Yeah. About, you know, that the, the unglamorous side of being a journeyman musician. So and we can talk about that probably a whole podcast. We can't, go, as I said, it's all unglamorous, so.

00:35:34:37 - 00:35:54:49
Unknown
Well, guys, give us a song, and then we'll we'll pick up, we'll pick up that part, and, and we'll take just a little break after this. And what's the name of this song? I'm going to do one. I have a new record. This just a live record. Live solo record called Live at Cafe Carpet.

00:35:54:49 - 00:36:18:44
Unknown
Thank you. Great. You know, I did. And on it, there are two songs which are, I realized after the fact are like the same song. You know, nothing wrong with that organ melody. Yeah. Pretty much. You want, you know, you're not the first, and you won't be the last, to cannibalize their own music. Well, yeah.

00:36:18:44 - 00:36:43:10
Unknown
I mean, it was, they were both finished by the time I realized that. I had used to say it's interesting, but, I like both of them, and I'm going to do one of them right now, and this is kind of. It's just a song. It's called If the World Went Dark. And actually, I wrote this song thinking about, like, how.

00:36:43:15 - 00:37:21:01
Unknown
You know, modern technology has put us in this place where we're just constantly sort of distracted from the environment that we're in. You know, whether you're at a restaurant, you know, you, you know, you go to a, you go to a bar and everybody's like this, you know. No, you know, not talking to each other. And, you know, so that was kind of the, the perspective, you know, we because, you know, I, I'm about here and we try to get as far away from the urban, you know, we lived in Chicago for a while.

00:37:21:06 - 00:37:44:59
Unknown
But, then it was like, you know, and I do like the energy of Chicago, you know, there's I love the, the diversity and the sheer the arts and everything, the food. But sometimes you know, for me it's, I need, I need to be in a natural place. Oh yeah, I am absolutely. We just followed we thought we looked at the map and followed the forest preserves down the park.

00:37:44:59 - 00:38:11:32
Unknown
That's how we got down here, you know? And yeah, I can totally, relate to that. Having grown, grown up in the country. Yeah. And, you know, marrying a woman that's from the city and she's like, this is it, you know? So, but there is something needed for that. But, so. Yeah. Yeah, well, let's hear the song and then, well, we'll, we'll we'll take a little break.

00:38:11:32 - 00:38:14:21
Unknown
We're out strung out here with Ernie Hendrickson.

00:38:15:17 - 00:38:24:47
Unknown
Hey. Hey.

00:38:24:52 - 00:38:59:56
Unknown
What if the world with the dog. Just for a few days. What if we all love this for a change? Anybody here? What the pundits say. What if the whirlwind are just for a few days and. What if he actually had to be in the same room with the people who happened to be in the same room with Ben?

00:38:59:59 - 00:39:46:54
Unknown
Facebook feed, things everyone knows. Grow. Sorry, folks. Kitchen's closed. What if the world went dark just for a few days, then a few more. What do you say? I wonder how he to step out of the main. Get off that hamster wheel for a few days. His mother lives at the lock up. On our way. Train's got my man jumping around like a long cocaine.

00:39:46:59 - 00:39:55:45
Unknown
I'm all wired up six ways from Sunday.

00:39:55:49 - 00:40:28:41
Unknown
Got the wishing that one day you would all go die. Every last detail so I can catch my breath. Take a long a like. Going back in time. Before we give it away. See what we're left behind for. Freedom day. And.

00:40:28:46 - 00:40:46:34
Unknown
Day. We.

00:40:46:39 - 00:41:07:02
Unknown
This modern life feels like a runaway train. Got half of my own to jump out of this thing. You know, at the end of the line. Will looking to promise.

00:41:07:07 - 00:41:23:21
Unknown
God be wishing for one day. Just for once in my life. To see em stop in the Scott. No, he and well. No way.

00:41:23:25 - 00:42:05:05
Unknown
I'd untangle my mind in a thousand way if the whirlwind. For a few days.

00:42:05:21 - 00:42:09:50
Unknown
All right. We're going to be right back after this. Don't go away.

00:42:09:50 - 00:42:33:29
Unknown
Hey. Want to show your support of Martin's artist endeavors? Buy Me a Coffee is an online site that makes supporting Marty easy. In just a few tabs, you can make a payment of any amount and no account is needed. You can also decide to become an ongoing supporter. Go to Martin mccormack.com and click on the words support. Mark.

00:42:33:34 - 00:42:40:56
Unknown
Let's help Martin keep it all caffeinated.

00:42:40:56 - 00:43:14:09
Unknown
We're back. And, boy, that, I think in today's day and age right now, the world needs to go dark. And unfortunately, it might, but we won't get into geopolitics. But, you know, that is part of being a singer songwriter is pointing out these things. Yeah. You know, to people and, in delivering by music in such a way that they're open to it, you know, give them a chance to, to think about things like that.

00:43:14:09 - 00:43:37:39
Unknown
Yeah. That one. I mean, that's just sort of, I could have written that 20 years ago, you know, that's just the the world's always been going that way, you know, and, for me, that's a very natural position to take is like, let's I've seen those shirts, you know, stay human. Right. Crazy. You know, to think that we have to actually.

00:43:37:44 - 00:43:59:35
Unknown
Well, we all, you know, I mean, who knows? Or, you know, maybe not our kids, but, our kids get, you know, that's all Neuralink and God only knows, you know, it's scary. You just know this whole idea that, you know, we're very disconnected from the natural environment at this in time, more than we ever have.

00:43:59:40 - 00:44:43:32
Unknown
You know, to me, I'm always trying to stay grounded in that, you know, that that and music and nature kind of always seem to to have like, a synergy there, right? Absolutely. You know, you, you have, you know, like the cycles of nature, the cycle, the creative cycle. We go through these things, you know. Right. We sometimes we bear fruit, sometimes we're in a follow stage, you know, so it's like, you know, you have to, you have to stay grounded, you know, and you have to, you know, try to you have to try to, you know, keep, your connection to whatever source, you know, sustains your life.

00:44:43:36 - 00:45:07:21
Unknown
And one of the things we're talking about being grounded as a singer songwriter, just, before you played the song, was that notion that you you play a lot of different shows, and not all shows are for public consumption. You know, that grounds you playing those kind of gigs? I mean, I've continued to do retirement homes and things like that.

00:45:07:21 - 00:45:32:42
Unknown
Yeah. Me too, you know, because it's just it's not only is it a good thing to do, but it it grounds you, the adults in, in a, a way that, I think some of these people, they get an instant shot at fame and bam, they're up there and they know nothing of it. You know, in some ways, that wonderful human element has been, a missed.

00:45:32:47 - 00:46:06:09
Unknown
Yeah, thing for them. You know, so. Yeah. Right. But for people out there, you know, there's no, there's no shame in trying to get your craft into whatever you can. Because it's so difficult. It's not. It's not even really. I feel like, you know, if you're going to, you have to trust, you know, it's like that thing when I was saying, like, what keeps me not a mess of anxiety and doing this is trying.

00:46:06:14 - 00:46:38:58
Unknown
Trying to trust that if I take care of if I put first things first and I just honor the craft that I'm going to, I'm going to come into things that I'm where I'm needed, you know? Right. Like, okay, if I'm playing in a nursing home, I need it there that day, you know, I mean, somebody, you know, I can't tell you how many situations I've been in where it's not, a concert with the lights on and, you know, everything.

00:46:38:58 - 00:47:15:18
Unknown
Like, you know, you know, the glamorous setting, you know? Yeah. But that's so cool, actually, because somebody has come up to to me afterwards and just said that they were they were moved to tears or, you know. Right. They were going through something and you played a song that spoke right to them. So like, you have to trust that you're going to you're going to find these places where you're needed and you're touching on something that I think is really important is that, that the universe does affirm you.

00:47:15:23 - 00:47:55:08
Unknown
You have to be open to it. I believe that, and that's that's what I believe as well. I just feel that, if you have that and you kind of have, a somewhat, you know, good work ethic, I think you can do fairly well in this world is, musician, a singer songwriter, journeyman. I think, you know, the it's the difficulty and not to belabor it is there's no manual on this, and there's no, there's no school for this, particular type of, of craft.

00:47:55:12 - 00:48:20:03
Unknown
And, and in some ways, that's, that's a great thing, you know, because if no rules means you make up your own rules. Yeah, that's true there. Really? Yeah. There's, you know, and I went to school for music. I okay, when I was, fresh out of high school, you know, music, jazz band, concert band. I was, I was in choir.

00:48:20:03 - 00:48:36:43
Unknown
Anything I could do in, in music in high school, I did. And so when it came time, you know, when I was, I was 17 years old. When I graduated high school, I was just a child, right. You know, so, like, to me, I was just like, okay, what's next? Where is where else can I learn about music?

00:48:36:43 - 00:49:00:29
Unknown
Right. So in college I was like, all right. I studied guitar and at at that point, you know, I could only afford to go to a state college. They only had classical guitar back when state colleges were workers. Oh, great. For sure. You should go look for I mean, you. We laughed at it, but, we got a daughter to send to school, so we're not laughing.

00:49:00:31 - 00:49:23:33
Unknown
Yeah, we're not laughing at a job, but. So they had classical. That's cool. Classical music was the only option at, I think actually at both. You have I, and I assume I went to ISU. Okay. And, Well, there was northern Illinois, too, but, you know, there may have had a jazz program, but anyway, I could study jazz to.

00:49:23:33 - 00:49:52:04
Unknown
That would have been great, right? I did play in the jazz band when I was at ISU, but, so, you know, studying music, was was just all I ever thought to do. Did they teach me how to make a living in music? No. I mean, they didn't. I mean, I didn't I didn't learn anything about what I was going to have to do to, you know, to to make this all work.

00:49:52:09 - 00:50:15:42
Unknown
I think back then I had this idea that, I was just going to hit the gravy train pretty soon, you know, and, like, you know, limos and the whole night, you know. Well, I mean, sometimes that happens, you know, I mean, that's the, the odd thing about this is that you know, right place, right time is, is is a true thing.

00:50:15:53 - 00:50:55:07
Unknown
It really does happen, you know, that, but for the vast majority of people, such as ourselves, it's it becomes them. Coming to terms with that or. I like what you say, you know, having that openness to to the craft and just saying, okay, if this is if this is where I'm supposed to be today, you know, in this moment, this is where I'm supposed to be, and I'm going to be the best I can do and lift up a bunch of souls, you know, 100%, you know, because if not that, then what what what's the what's the whole purpose anyway?

00:50:55:07 - 00:51:18:42
Unknown
Exactly. I mean, you're going to if you're not, if you're not into it to to try to, have a sense of service in a way because, you know, music is kind of in service to, the listener, you know? Right. You know, then you're going to end up empty anyway, you know, Ray Wylie Hubbard, you know.

00:51:18:42 - 00:51:47:25
Unknown
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I was just listening to an album of his yesterday, and I wrote down this line in one of his songs like, I don't get, exactly right, but to paraphrase, it was something like, it's a good day when I, might I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations? Well. That's beautiful. Yeah, well, it's funny you mentioned him because I can hear a little bit of him in you, and I can hear a little bit of Willis Allen Ramsey.

00:51:47:25 - 00:52:14:36
Unknown
Oh, yeah. You know, that kind of, nice, you know, journeyman, kind of, performance, though you, you I, you your I like you attack the guitar in such a way, you know, with the percussive and stuff like that, that you, you give that very full sound, which, and, we're going to continue this, with part two of the podcast because we're, well, we're we're doing great.

00:52:14:41 - 00:52:47:34
Unknown
And, a lot more questions. The next, next part of the podcast, we kind of delve into, Ernie's, song crafting, but we can, continue along with, some of these ideas, but give us one to, to play out this, this, part one. And, if you would, telling me when I was getting the camera ready, maybe something, upbeat, but, you know, the I'll try to, try to get back in my chair if I can.

00:52:47:34 - 00:53:12:52
Unknown
Yeah. Okay. Great. These are great. Cheers to the, All right, so, this one's called citizen love. Citizen of love. And he's going to play us out, and, it's always, Oh. And before you do that, for the people that just listen, give, give people your website, Ernie hendrickson.com kcso and. Okay. Hendrickson Ernie hendrickson.com.

00:53:12:57 - 00:53:15:26
Unknown
Okay. And what's the name of the song? Citizen and

00:53:29:54 - 00:53:40:22
Unknown
I hope you.

00:53:40:27 - 00:53:43:39
Unknown
Know.

00:53:43:44 - 00:53:53:13
Unknown
Oh. Yeah. We never.

00:53:53:18 - 00:54:02:56
Unknown
The country I belong to. Hey, there's no more.

00:54:03:01 - 00:54:12:06
Unknown
No atomic bombs. No eyes up in the sky.

00:54:12:11 - 00:54:48:35
Unknown
No matter what the dream. No pressure. That sounds. We can't have. No. If we. You don't need to tell the society of us citizens of every citizen. Citizen. Since sits at the live.

00:54:48:39 - 00:54:58:00
Unknown
Where? Nationality could need any pride.

00:54:58:05 - 00:55:11:12
Unknown
No secrecy. There ain't nothing to hide. No profit to see.

00:55:11:17 - 00:55:48:41
Unknown
No freedom to defend. When you don't have no enemy. And everybody's your friend down the world. And section. I have to say, I love to, just in a standard. Love.

00:55:48:46 - 00:55:54:14
Unknown
Song.

00:55:54:19 - 00:56:00:20
Unknown
That there.

00:56:00:24 - 00:56:20:41
Unknown
You go. Let the clouds roll over. I don't need a reason why. No one change my mind.

00:56:20:45 - 00:56:29:38
Unknown
In that place beyond ethnicity. In that little dreamland.

00:56:29:43 - 00:56:41:12
Unknown
Where the language we speak. The. All you need is a heart. You want to stay. You don't need army is a.

00:56:41:17 - 00:56:47:17
Unknown
Word that this in action made.

00:56:47:22 - 00:56:55:01
Unknown
We're all just this great if when you.

00:56:55:06 - 00:57:17:39
Unknown
Go. Swinging in the love of. All the love, all night. Love all the stress and the love.

00:57:17:44 - 00:57:22:27
Unknown
And the love.

00:57:22:31 - 00:57:48:45
Unknown
The. All the sex. Love. I'm. I'm coming. That's it. I stand up for all you. Do.

00:57:48:50 - 00:57:55:44
Unknown
Well.

00:57:55:49 - 00:58:08:57
Unknown
You.

00:58:09:02 - 00:58:13:21
Unknown
Don't go.

00:58:13:25 - 00:58:18:20
Unknown
Let us.

00:58:18:25 - 00:58:22:37
Unknown
Just never love.

00:58:22:42 - 00:58:30:00
Unknown
You.

00:58:30:05 - 00:58:30:12
Unknown
Oh,

00:58:30:12 - 00:58:35:22
Unknown
okay. We'll see you next week on the strung out.

00:58:35:22 - 00:58:53:05
Unknown
Thank you for listening. For more information about this show or a transcript, visit Martin mccormack.com while there. Sign up for our newsletter. See you next time on Strung Out.

00:58:53:10 - 00:59:05:57
Unknown
It's so strong. Spain, we feel, makes no sense at all. The swan song wasn't part of the deal, was no good. All giving no choice. Giving us a.