Changing Roads Podcast
Changing Roads Podcast unveils the profound essence of travel, exploring not just the destinations, but the personal transformations within. We unravel the various themes, aspects and narratives of travel that define us, shape us, and lead us to the heart of our own stories.
Changing Roads Podcast
Music Doesn't Stop at Stop Signs: The Intersection of Music and Travel
What if music was not just a form of entertainment, but a vehicle for an adventurous journey? If you're intrigued by the connection between music and travel, this episode will strike a chord. We're riding shotgun on the road with Payton Nixon, a gifted musician and traveler. Join Brad and Payton as they discuss life as a touring musician and the transformative power of travel and music. They talk about the unique challenges, personal growth, and the bonds that are forged during these adventures.
Finally, they explore the intersection of music, language, and culture. From the dive bars of Nashville and Austin to the Arctic North, Peyton and Brad explore how these experiences have shaped their musical style and world view. So get ready, as we embark on this journey where every mile is a melody and every destination a verse in the song of life.
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Welcome wanderers, dreamers and fellow seekers of the open road. This is Changing Roads, a sanctuary for explorers of the world and the self. At the crossroads where travel and music converge, an ethereal harmony booms In the uproarious cadence of untamed lands and uncharted landscapes. We, as adventurers and explorers, take charge, as composers and producers, of an epic anthem, scribbling down each step in heartbeat on blank sheet music that will become an album of life, experience and self-identity. Our chorus is melt into the very fabric of our journeys, harmonizing with the diverse cultural rhythms that serenade us along our roads. Whether it be an rickety RV destined for flat tires or a tour bus with fine leather seats, we charge forward, facing head on the potholes and speed bumps and enjoying the roads, which are smooth, because the next stage always awaits. The notes we encounter become moments suspended in time, each chord a fragment of our experiences. Our songs unfurl as mighty milestones through cranked up, overdriven amps. The drums reflect our pace. They interlace themselves into the measures of our narratives, creating an album that maps our passage through this vast and ever-changing world. Our carefully chosen set list, taped to the stage, purposely reflects our experiences and our stories. Each destination explored, every mile traversed and every soul crossed on our tours comes to life as we aim to perform the greatest show ever played. The music composed of the footprints we leave and the songs that resonate deep within us is poised in the quiet reddy band. And then the show begins and all of it is released into a roar. And may we never forget that, rain or shine, the show must always go on.
Speaker 1:Hi, welcome to Changing Roads. I am your host, Brad, and I am sitting here with my co-host, Ranger, my loyal travel companion and service dog. This is going to be a really cool episode, one that I'm really excited for. The topic we're going to be talking about today is close to my heart, and I've been very excited to do it because the person that I'm having on with us today is a very neat person. She's a good person, she's a very talented musician and she's also my favorite part of Canada. So I would like to introduce you guys to Peyton Nixon. Hi, Peyton, that was very kind.
Speaker 3:Well, my name is Peyton. I met Brad in White Horse, yukon, close to the midnight sun, so it was daylight all the time. I was on tour with my band Stubbs and the, and we played at the 98 Hotel in Lefty's Well, and I think Lefty's Well is where we met.
Speaker 1:Yep, it is. Actually I wanted to touch on how we met because I think that was really cool. I was going to talk about in this podcast how music and travel intersect in different ways and can play important roles in how people experience their own journeys and travels. When I met Peyton, I had just rolled and totaled my Explorer on the Alaskan Highway and I was really down and out about it. I was kind of numb. And then I met Peyton. I heard music coming out of a bar and I walked in and she relit that fire under me. That played a very important part in my journey and that's just something I wanted to throw out there. It was really cool how we met and our paths just crossed. That was on my journey, you were on your journey.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that was a fun show. I was fired up about it because we had a band of 10 to 13-year-olds opening for us. They're called Kals Go Moo. They brought the audience. There are lots of people there so I was very excited. They got to stay for just the first couple of songs. They're all too young so they had to leave early into the set. But I was like I'm going to bring the most energy I can because they were super rock and roll. One of their lead singers. He says at the very beginning all right, get to the front and let's dance, because this is a motherfucking rock show, and his dad's sitting in the corner with earplugs in and he just crosses his legs and he just shakes his head. He was like he's getting in trouble for that later.
Speaker 1:It reminded me of school, of rock, but better. Those kids were playing like Nirvana. I was like, holy crap, I met a Nirvana show. It was incredible.
Speaker 3:They were so good and so full of energy so that definitely lit the fire under me where I was like, all right, let's go, boys, like we got to put on a good show, heck yeah. Follow up Cowz Go, moo, cowz Go.
Speaker 1:Moo Cowz Go Moo, and then Stubbs and the. Yeah, you guys were the highlight, though.
Speaker 3:Thanks, yeah, that was a fun show and then. So Brad is dancing in the front holding down the dance floor the whole night. And how did it get brought about that? You were from Texas.
Speaker 1:I don't know, maybe I was two stepping, was that it?
Speaker 3:Something happened and Stubbs, I think, mentioned like oh, he's from Texas, like Peyton, he's from Texas. And I was so excited because here I am so far from home up in the Yukon, and having someone from the same stomping grounds right there and you were holding it down all night and you reminded me of my cousin Trapper Trav, and I just like jumped, I just jumped down and gave you a big hug.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's amazing how we're up in the Yukon and two people from Texas just randomly intersect like that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I felt like home.
Speaker 1:It's crazy how that works. You're not from Canada, Like you said. Point that out. You're a Texas woman.
Speaker 3:I'm a Texas woman, born and raised.
Speaker 1:I wanted to ask you what brought you to Canada from Texas.
Speaker 3:So my uncle lives in Roslyn. He invited me I guess I should say before that is that my grandfather, his dad, my dad's dad, was born and raised in Roslyn and was a chemist and he taught chemistry at Texas A&M and commerce. So he moved down there and all of his kids live there. He would drive his kids up in the summertime to visit Roslyn and my one uncle, Zach. He moved here and then he invited me when I was 17 to come spring skiing. I'd never even seen snow before and he invited me here and I just kept coming back for longer and longer and it was a month and next summer and then a few months and then six months and then applied to school to get a two year student permit and then on a work permit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's amazing how experiencing a new place and that change in environment just redirects your life. Sometimes you see snow and you fall in love with this place and you're like, yeah, this is what I want to do, this is what I want to be, and you change your entire location and situation based on that.
Speaker 3:It's crazy how good it can be for you, not just mentally, but whenever we drive up the hill from trail trail's a little town that's below and we drive up to Roslyn. Every time my ears pop and they clear up and I find like I can breathe so well here, just that fresh, cold mountain air and it just feels good, it feels right.
Speaker 1:That's why I always go back to Colorado. There's something about the mountains and that clean air and it's just a whole different world, especially from Texas, that's for sure.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Well, texas misses you and Canada is very lucky to have you. The reason that you're on with me today is because we're going to talk about music and how it intersects with travel. There's a lot of aspects and angles there and we're going to hit some of them in this conversation, but I think it's a really cool topic to talk about, especially on this podcast with the theme and Peyton. The reason that I thought about you in the first place for doing this interview was because when I met you, you were on tour with your band. Right, I was taking Ranger to all the national parks. I was on my way to Alaska and you were on your own journey there with your tour, and how many shows did you play again?
Speaker 3:I believe we played 41 or 42 shows over the course of 100 days, or just below 100 days.
Speaker 1:That's crazy. I did 63 parks in 11 months and you did 41 shows in 100 days.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a lot of moving for anyone.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, Super cool. So, Peyton, let's get into that your experience with touring. You went to a lot of different towns and you crossed Canada and I'm sure that you experienced a lot of different people, a lot of different nuances in the culture. How do you think that affected you as a musician, not just in your tour and your experience with that, but also just how you viewed the world?
Speaker 3:Well, first of all, I thought it was so amazing that we, a group of five people like from ages 26 to 30, all agreed to hop in an RV and go see every single province in BC, plus the Yukon and Northwest Territories. So that was amazing, that I had a group of people that were all on the same page and wanted to go see stuff, wanted to travel. And then I was thinking you know, I haven't seen every state in the United States and I'm here in Canada now and I don't know how much longer I'll be here, if I'll be here forever. Another year, another five years, 10,. But I was like I'm seeing all of it right now and who would have thought like 10 years ago I would have never guessed that I would be doing something that wild.
Speaker 1:It's crazy that you guys jumped in a van and did that. I did that myself at one point in my life and it was spur of the moment and I just went on a crazy music tour for 5,000 miles and it was one of the best travel experiences I've ever had in my life.
Speaker 3:And you were playing music.
Speaker 1:I wasn't. I was basically like full-time manager. I had five women back of my explorer and I was doing all the unload, all the gear set up. Gear takedown was driving, navigating, finding places to camp break in camp setting up, camp cooking. I did literally everything for these girls so that they could?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, did they pay you?
Speaker 1:I had Justin, I spent like two weeks before we left and you know it was just them and they had this broken down van that didn't run very well and I just jumped in and, without even thinking about it, I was like I'll take you, and that's just what it turned into, which was really special because I got to be a part of their experience on this tour and I got to help behind the scenes and give them reliable transportation and take that stress off their back of all these things that you have to do while on tour and that was just really really fun, really cool.
Speaker 1:But I got to experience the country in a way that I hadn't before. You know I had traveled that same route many times in my explorations the West of the Rockies but in that tour setting it was a completely different experience. Even the same places, the same roads. You know it's looking at your journey from a different angle and that was really neat. So I understand when you're on tour talking about you. It's amazing to see and explore these places from the angle of a touring musician, right.
Speaker 3:Oh, totally. And what was that dynamic like with you and the themes, as you would say?
Speaker 1:A lot, a lot. It was a lot of fun, but I was the only male and I was with a bunch of females. There's a difference in energy and a difference in needs and it wasn't a barrier, it was just. I tuned into my feminine side pretty quickly.
Speaker 3:Very good, yeah. And then yeah stuff he kept saying to me, or in people we've met he's like, yeah, peyton's going to have three periods while we're traveling together on the road and so switching it to your perspective of traveling with five females, you dealt with a lot of menstruation.
Speaker 1:That energy was something that I just kind of hid from and just let them do their thing. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. It's an interesting dynamic and it's interesting that you and I shared that, that I went on this tour with five women and you went on your own tour with a bunch of guys. Right, that's an interesting dynamic to have, as I know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. At first I didn't think anything of it. I thought, oh, these are just my friends who are just going on this tour. But as the weeks went by I was like, oh, this is actually a little bit difficult being outnumbered.
Speaker 1:Guys are crazy.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, the party animals too, my bunch and you definitely at times would feel the imbalance of the female and masculine energy, right, the feminine and the masculine and you probably felt that as well, like an imbalance where you might have thought, hey, girls, I know I've got a good point here, but whenever you've got five women you're dealing with, you probably go unheard sometimes.
Speaker 1:Do you think that you at some point found that balance? Because there was a point in my experience there where everything that's just kind of fell into place and they were my friends at that point and everything just became copacetic. Did that happen with you?
Speaker 3:First of all, we all love each other so much and are super comfortable with one another, and throughout the whole tour we would just say it like it is. If something was out of line, I feel like somebody would just speak up and say it, and if there was ever a little bit of conflict, it seemed like we were really quick to just snap back. Yeah, there were no grudges that were held for really long amounts of times. Somebody would say, hey, stop being an asshole. And then five minutes later we're all singing along to a cassette tape and just having a grand old time. And since we've gotten back, I would say having that rest period and some space from one another, I think we're remembering that we all love each other. We're all like one big family, and now I feel like we're going to be tighter and closer than we were before the tour. But on the tour I would say there were like rocky moments where you're like why did I sign up to do this? But now that it's over, it's like, damn, that was really special.
Speaker 1:Living on the road with someone or even traveling with somebody, the things that you're going through and experience and just the general fact that you're on the road and all these things that you have to think about, your logistics, your way of life and just the general stress. When you're traveling with someone like that. You just have to be straightforward. There's not a lot of room for any of the fluffiness and you're on a mission and when things need to be said, things need to be said and you guys are all on there for the same reason. You're going to do this and you're going to do it right and you're going to get it done, and there's not a lot of room for the fluffiness, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would completely agree with that and we had a really good mix of people Our drummer, eric. He is probably the most in tune with like mechanical stuff and dealing with the RV. He would just always be opening up the hood, checking little things, checking the tire pressure and stuff. I'm like I would never, I wouldn't know what to do and I don't think any of us would know what to do. So the fact that he is so on that sort of stuff like that was huge for the tour, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everybody brings something different. That's a really cool thing and an interesting that's an interesting point is that everyone brings something different to your travel experience, with not just the experience itself, but their knowledge. Didn't have a guy to keep looking under the hood and checking the tire pressure. Maybe the maybe you get more flat tires, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely, and someone that knows how to change a flat tire, because we did have. On our way home in Alberta we had a blowout and I was thinking, well, there goes the rest of our day, we're just going to be on the side of this road. But no, they got out there and fixed the tire on the RV. I was like, wow, that's impressive to me.
Speaker 1:I saw your rig. I hung out with you guys for a while in it. I can't imagine having a tire on that thing.
Speaker 3:No, it was crazy. It was an inside tire too, in the back. And a funny thing about it is that me and Stubbs were talking the day before and I was saying I just feel like books are an important thing. I was like I haven't even been reading very much in the past probably three years, but I have all of these books and I'm like, I know it probably seems like clutter, but I think it's going to be important. I think it's important to hold on to your library. And then, whenever we were fixing the tire, we couldn't lift the RV up enough and we couldn't find anything like any piece of wood, anything. But we found these two big old books that we had packed in the RV and we shoved them in between the jack and the RV and it worked. And Stubbs was like, oh my gosh, books saved the day. Can you believe that? I was like, yeah, in a different way than I thought, but they did.
Speaker 1:Books are amazing. I actually have books right now underneath my studio monitors, holding them up so that it levels up. I think it's where I have. I have Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy under there right now.
Speaker 3:Beautiful. Yeah, either read it or use it as a microphone stand.
Speaker 1:I read more books on the road than I ever had before. There's just some part of traveling where you get enough downtime or you just need to clean your head out to where you have that chance to read and pull yourself out of that environment for a minute. And when you're home, there's just too much to do. It's so easy to just put Netflix on, but that's really cool that you have that opportunity to spend time with these things like reading that, to the extent that you can. You don't normally do when you're by yourself back at home in your comfort zone, right.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah, I found I did a lot better job at, for one, not drinking as much. I find in Roslyn it can be easy to hop on the drinking train and go to the brewery with your friends. There's always a reason to drink. But on tour I found that I didn't have that pressure anymore and that I drank a lot less and I was able to focus on exercise more than I thought I would. Me and Stubbs were always hitting the ground running and trying to do little workouts here and there, and it felt really good to be on the road and realize that you're still in power of your environment.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So you're away from home and nothing's the same at all. You can still monitor what you're putting into your body and moving your body, even though you're sitting in an RV for hours and hours.
Speaker 1:It's almost even more important than when you're at home. You're in such this chaotic environment that to have some sort of stability and the ability to take care of yourself in that chaotic environment it almost becomes more important. You say.
Speaker 3:You do lack control of most of what's going on with your day. And so it's a way to regain control.
Speaker 1:That's something that you and I talked about a few weeks ago as well. You said that you were putting a lot of focus on doing that and trying to maintain your own balance, but then there was another dynamic to the group of people that you were with. There were more let's party, let's have fun, right, and it's just a different lifestyle. So I can't imagine how much of a challenge that might have been for your needs compared to their needs and trying to balance those.
Speaker 3:There was definitely adversity when it came to trying to stay somewhat grounded. I think that, for me, going on tour and seeing a lot of the country, was that I wanted to stay focused and what our mission was, which was we are playing 42 shows and that takes a lot of energy, even though it seems like all we're just hooligans on the road, like having a blast. I definitely took that part serious, because nothing feels worse than being one of the lead singers on stage and your voice is completely shot because you partied too hard the night before and then your voice is cracking and people are watching you. That is something that I definitely did not want to experience, and so I took it seriously.
Speaker 3:Whenever we had a show the next day and I wanted to feel good and if I did go to bed late, I slept late, I prioritized my sleep and I tried not to smoke too many spliffs. I just wanted to be in tip top shape, do our vocal exercises before shows and give the best performance I could, because I really care about the music. It's really special, the project that Stubbs has going on, and so I'm happy to be a part of it and I want to support it in the best way I could, and that's the best way I knew how.
Speaker 1:You think that your state of mind and your priorities there, do you think that helped the rest of the band kind of draw them in as well?
Speaker 3:I hope so. I think maybe, whether I realize it or not, it probably helped at times. I think I was naturally like the mother of the group and I have that nurturing side where I want everyone to drink more water and I'm always like, here, have some water, have some water? Hey, we need to slow down. I'm scared Like let's be careful. And I think for the guys it probably got a bit annoying where they're like I felt too much like a mom rather than like a bandmate and I probably got on their nerves in that way or they thought I was being too much. But I also feel like at times it was probably appreciated and I know they all love me and respect me and so, yeah, I think it was probably good to have the feminine energy in the mix. I think Stubbs probably appreciated it the most Out of the rest of the band.
Speaker 1:Stubbs is your lead singer right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's the singer, songwriter, lead guitar player most of the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what was it you told me a few weeks ago? If you were speeding down the road 20 miles over however many kilometers I guess I should say about what their mothers would think. Do you remember that?
Speaker 3:Yeah Well, for me I'm like we're in this rickety RV and we've got to go all the way to the other side of the country and then all the way back and we're going up to Whitehorse, past Whitehorse, 130 clicks from the Arctic Circle into the Northwest Territories. So in my mind I'm like if we, even though the speed limit's 100, if we go 90, go down 10%, we'll get 10% more out of this RV or there's a 10% less chance that it's going to break down on us or something. And the boys I just don't know that they were on the same page as me and I was like feeling nervous you feel the whole box on top of the truck moving around and I definitely was outnumbered there and all I could think was like all of your moms would agree with me. Like if all of your moms were here right now, you'd be outnumbered and we'd be going slower.
Speaker 1:That's a good way to think about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right, like you wouldn't argue with your mom if she was like, hey, slow down, I'm uncomfortable, yeah, but I was supposed to be a rock star like the rest of them, so it was probably not very cool for me to always be speaking up about that.
Speaker 1:You're a rock star at heart. Nothing can take the rock star out of you. In fact, you look at these major bands that are really successful. Everybody thinks that it's, you know, party, party, party, party and that they're throwing TVs out the windows at the motel and sure, like Motley Crue had its days. But as these guys get older, you know they stop drinking altogether and they're not doing drugs and they're not partying and they realize that in order to be successful musicians or to go on a successful tour, you have to take care of yourself and be healthy and responsible and go to sleep earlier. And that's just part of becoming a professional musician.
Speaker 3:I would agree. And you know, before this tour, whenever I'd go to band practice or whenever we'd have a show, I was always like oh yeah, I'm going to crack one with the boys, like we're hanging out, we're having fun, like it's show time, and I always would have like quite a not quite a few, but I don't know like four drinks while I'm performing and just having a grand old time like throwing a few beers back at practice and thought just felt normal. But then when we were on tour I'm hanging out with subs a lot and I realized that stuff doesn't drink, never has, doesn't smoke, never has, doesn't do any sort of drugs, never has. He's on a completely different level than everyone else right now and I was like I'm doing this for a hundred days. I can't just be in this mode of, oh, I'm with my band, like let's party and hang out because I have to stay on top of my health, but having stubs there is a role model.
Speaker 3:I think that's what saved me, because if he also just wanted a part of the time, I think I would have too and I would have burned out or felt really crappy all the time, but it just clicked for me. I was like Stubbs is having a great time. He stays out till 3 AM. He's partying, he's having the best time ever. Why can't I do that too? And so I would still have a drink occasionally when we were performing. But there were multiple shows, especially towards the end, where I was like I'm going to have water with Stubbs.
Speaker 1:It's amazing how much the people that you're traveling with can influence you for better or for the worse, right. So who you choose to be around in the first place, that affects your entire experience, not just with your journeys and your travels, but also on a personal level, on your personal well-being. So I think that there's a balance. I think that it's cool that you had the guys that wanted to just party and have fun, right, because they're on tour, it should be fun, it should be a blast, but then you had other people that were reeling it in and taking it seriously, and I think that when you take both of those two things at some point, even if it's not obvious at the moment- it eats in the middle and you start getting this healthy balance.
Speaker 3:Right. I think we definitely developed a good balance, because having the more wild side the more I think of it is like the how would what is Jordan Peterson say? The chaos and the dogma of it all? Definitely important to have both, because I don't think we would have done as many fun things if they weren't in the mode of let's go, we're here now, let's explore, let's do this Like we'll rest later sort of mindset. I probably would have just taken way more naps and not seen as much If it weren't for them just being like all right, like gear up, it's time to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you just said you had more time to see things, to look out the window, right as you're touring, because that's what you're doing when you're traveling. Right, you're trying to take this music to other people and share it with them and you're having your own journey, but it's important to look out the window and see the scenery, go by and experience these places that you're going on an intimate level. And if you forget about that, then what's the point at the end of the day?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. That was a huge part and I probably missed out a little bit on looking out the window because I was napping in my palace, as we'd call it, our two little doggos. We had my little girl Charlie, and then Louis dog Leonard, and they'd be the ones in the front seat most of the time, I think, because there was AC up there, but they were sitting shotgun. Eric was usually driving and they got to see quite a bit.
Speaker 1:I think it's just a blast for dogs too. They see the world in a different way, and I was traveling with Ranger and every time I look back he was staring at the window watching the world go by, and for a dog, that must be just the coolest thing in the world.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they love looking out the window, they love all the things to see.
Speaker 1:I love that show that you did. It's the one that you have posted up on YouTube. Where was that the one that you had? All your dogs were all running all over the stage.
Speaker 3:Oh, that was in the Duncan showroom.
Speaker 1:And it was a Charlie just sat down next to you and was looking out the crowd and I think you, what did you say? You were like it's Charlie wants to be on stage. Dude, it's Charlie's moment.
Speaker 3:Yeah, those two dogs are usually at our rehearsals and so they'll go and they'll just sit right in. We kind of were all in a circle whenever we're at practice, so we're all facing one another and the dogs like to just sit in the middle and look and sometimes they'll lay down or they'll wander over to each band member to try to get pets and whatnot. So they're very comfortable on the stage and that show in particular was all filmed and stuff and we didn't have control of our dogs. They're running up on the stage, our friends are trying to get the dogs. It was just kind of a shit show.
Speaker 1:But pretty fun. That's so fun. That's what makes it fun, though, right.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And what your saxophone broke on the stage.
Speaker 3:Yeah, my baritone saxophone. Something went funny with it and I ended up getting it fixed in Cam Loops. What was his name? Something Riga? I'm drawing a blank on his first name, but shout out to him because he saved the day fixing my baritone. I just called him up. The music store gave me his contact and he was like yeah, bring it by. Like right now I'll check it out for you. And he tuned it up and it was good for the rest of the tour.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everything works out in the end. You should have taken him on tour with you guys. It's always not a good tech with the array.
Speaker 3:Have a good tech. Yeah, and another saxophone player as well. He's a shredder right here.
Speaker 1:A good RV tech, a good sound tech, a good drum tech. Those are nice people to have with you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Campbell Riga.
Speaker 1:Campbell Riga.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's the same.
Speaker 1:If you're listening to this. Thank you so much. I hope you go on tour with Stubbs in the next one. You're essential Heck, yeah, overall. You just talked about a lot of the challenges that you had touring ways. You overcame them and that's just a part of traveling. You're always going to run into challenges and speed bumps. I think that, from what you said, you and your band did a pretty good job at facing those things head on and just rolling with it, right.
Speaker 3:I would say so.
Speaker 1:Which is important. Overall your experience on your tour, what do you think Success?
Speaker 3:Absolute success.
Speaker 1:Good. If you touch one person with your music, that makes it all worth it right? You definitely changed my journey.
Speaker 2:Aw.
Speaker 1:And across you guys at exactly the right time.
Speaker 3:You totally did. We had such a fun night. That night too, we banged on some bars window as they're shutting down and they let us in. They'll take a shot. And then we're dancing outside of the bar to Iceberg. And then we go back to the RV and Louis is like. I just bought off two guys. They were trying to break in the RV and it was a wild night but it was such a good time, Good people.
Speaker 1:Those are priceless memories that You'll never forget, things that you only experienced traveling on the road and touring.
Speaker 3:And in the White Horse, like I thought that was the coolest place. You know, it was cool to travel everywhere, but the West is so much fun and during that time of the year everyone was having a good time. We found a party. It was a rave in Mayo, which I think it's population like I don't know, like a couple hundred maybe, and they're like yeah, there's this rave in Mayo. And so of course the boys are like we have to go and we drove hours to get there. And, sure enough, in the middle of nowhere we come across a rave and people are dressed wacky and we went and party there. They're like how did you hear about this? And we heard about it from you know so? And so back in White Horse and we're a band, we're just touring around and they're like OK, like you can come in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing. That's another thing. One of the things about being on the road is you come across just the most random and insane things like that. You know if you're sitting at your house then something's going on. Yeah, you might hear about it and you go check it out, but on the road there's just so much going on and you learn about these crazy off the wall things and you get to go experience them and yeah, and once again, that's something that like, if I weren't with the boys, I would never do something like that.
Speaker 3:Right, I stayed in the RV for the first couple hours and then I was like, ok, maybe I'll venture out, but you know they're so game for anything. Things like that that came to us were definitely because they seek out that adventure all the time.
Speaker 1:So that's good, they pulled you out of the RV.
Speaker 3:Yeah, stop sleeping.
Speaker 1:There's a rave going on. Come on.
Speaker 3:When I showed up, they all dressed up for the rave and they're like you're going to wear that. And I was like, yeah, like I don't. You know, we dress up for shows all the time. I'm like I just feel like being comfortable. And they're like don't embarrass us. And I was like I guess I'm embarrassing you. And as soon as I get in, you know somebody's like, oh yeah, I see you dressed up. I was like, oh fuck, ok, I love it.
Speaker 1:I super love it, so that's really cool. You're traveling, you're experiencing all these cool things, all these different areas and cultures and people and their raves, and you're on the road and you're experiencing all these different places. Right, you're taking in that culture and that's making an impact on your experience and your travels. I wanted to bring up sometimes a lot of people don't realize how much your impact on what you bring to different communities, your culture, how you exchange that culture. Right, not just are you getting something from these places, but you're also giving something that comes from a place that they're not from and they're not used to, and they're walking away, at the end of the day, with something special, right, what do you think about that? Like, how these things that you're bringing to other communities and that impact that your music and your presence might have on them.
Speaker 3:Is that like as a group or impact?
Speaker 1:Sure, both a group, your band yourself, you're bringing a special and different and new to these places that would not have that without you guys being there.
Speaker 3:Well, for one, I would say that Roslyn is a really cool place. The seasons just started back up and there's lots of new people working on the mountain and I was playing pool the other night and some guys just like you know, this doesn't happen anywhere else when people just hang out and talk like we're just talking to each other. We're playing pool with strangers. Yeah, roslyn's kind of that place where you know everyone, even if you don't know them, and you treat them like you know them. And we are all from different places.
Speaker 3:None of us are from Roslyn. We're from Texas, vancouver Island, alberta, ontario and Quebec. So we're from all over the place and we all found Roslyn and I think we all have that mentality or that openness about us where we can just talk to anyone and we'll hang out and have a good time, and I think that definitely benefited us on the road just feeling normal around everyone and not ever having to put up a front, like we're happy to hang out, we're happy to experience new people and new places, and I think that was a really important part of our group dynamic. And I'm rambling a bit, I'm trying to focus back onto the impact that maybe we had on people, so along with us just being open and happy to chat. Stubbs his music is so all over the place. If you haven't checked it out yet, stubbs and the he's written songs in like 10 different languages now and all different genres.
Speaker 1:Mandarin German. Actually, I was going to talk to you about that as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, all of those Mandarin, German, Japanese, Spanish, French, Hindi, it's all over the place. So to get to go and share that with people all across the country, they're probably thinking like these guys are like, are wacky, right, we're? We're different and it seems to bring joy to people to see a different side of music. It's fun, it's witty, theatrical and it's interesting. And also, in my opinion at least, I think all the songs are so well done. They're well written.
Speaker 3:You know, I don't feel like it's just you know what do you say? Slap me humor, Is that how you say it? I don't think it's just like that. I think it's actually very well done and smart and that's why I'm so excited to perform the songs. And then we get such great feedback from people Wow, you guys really perform and that was so interesting and you never knew what was coming next. And it feels good to be a part of a show where people aren't getting bored. People stick around and are looking at you like, oh my gosh, what could be next? And they don't know if they should laugh, but then they're laughing. They don't know if they should dance, but then they're dancing. And it's really special to be a part of that gift that you can give to people and also travel to the country. Sometimes people just stumble upon us and I'd say most of the time people are just stumbling upon us and they're like, yeah, we didn't expect this and we're so happy that we got to be a part of it.
Speaker 1:The music is the universal language, right, everybody speaks in music notes and on music staffs. You guys just brought it to the next level with singing songs in Mandarin Chinese and in turn which is also cool, because you're taking these other cultures and these other languages and you're exploring them and you're bringing them to people where they're. I've never seen a band sing a song in Mandarin Chinese before. Absolutely. How does this girl learn lyrics in Mandarin Chinese and remember them? This is amazing to me.
Speaker 3:I've always been good with words and remembering script and stuff like that. So when subs will bring me something, I'm always keen to learn it and pick it up. But sometimes people are unsure if they should like our music because they're thinking maybe we are offensive. We've actually gotten some feedback from people or some flack, maybe even from people saying like, oh well, you're singing in Mandarin, but that's like a very white privilege thing to do because you don't know the culture and Mandarin people aren't profiting from your song or something like that.
Speaker 3:And you know, stubbs, he's not trying to make a statement, he's not trying to offend anyone, he's just doing his own thing. And for me, once again, I feel like the music is so well done and to him he's like oh, a new language, different sounds, I can make this into something that is fun and interesting. And for him, he's exploring his artistry and his songwriting through different languages and he's not trying to offend anyone, he's just being creative and learning. And he's a huge traveler. He's just got back yesterday or today from Vietnam and Cambodia, so Vietnamese song coming out soon I'm sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one of the things I had written down to talk about was harmony and diversity.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Both travel and music celebrate diversity right. They're showcasing the beauty of different cultures, languages and all these landscapes, while you're emphasizing this underlying harmony that connects them right.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely. That's a beautiful way to put it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and both travel and music do that, and I think that Stubbs and you guys really tapped into that, and maybe there are people that don't understand that, which is fine. You're always going to get negative reviews at some point. I'm glad that he understands that and that you guys have tapped into that, because it takes y'all to a whole new level and when you take that on a music tour, I think that meshes so well because that's why you're there. You're celebrating that diversity.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I mean our Portuguese song. The lyrics are let's celebrate the culture of Brazil. That's what it's about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. It's about transcendence and transformation. You're transcending borders, You're taking it to the next level. You're expanding your own experiences, minds, and you're trying to do that for the people that you're interacting with on the road and playing for and sharing your music with right.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. That's a really interesting word, actually transcending and it just sparked a thought about, along with the music, because it's so theatrical and different from anything I've ever heard before. As a performer, I'm able to transcend and be somebody different. I get to be a character for each song. It's forever changing, but I can put aside my personal life and my own vulnerabilities and I can just step out as this new character and that, to me, is really special for the performance aspect of things and then also put that alongside traveling, you're also able to transcend and be whoever you want to be whenever you're in a new place, because nobody knows you and so you say you've messed up in the past and you carry all of that with you and you think you're being judged for it. You're able to just let go of it and introduce yourself as you want to new people Not important to take home with you as well. You can be whoever you want to be every single day.
Speaker 1:You nailed it and I was actually going to bring that same thing up to you.
Speaker 3:Did I snag your line?
Speaker 1:You nailed it, though, because in my travels, that's exactly my experience. You go into a new place, and I get to walk into it Whoever I give myself to other people, as that's who I am, and you can explore these different personalities and ways of seeing yourself that you wouldn't normally be able to do just at home. That's really fun, and I think that you learn a lot from it, and, at the end of the day, you're exploring yourself, identity, right Through travel. You do the same thing with music You're exploring who you are and your identity, and those cross very well in travel and music right.
Speaker 3:They totally do.
Speaker 1:I think so.
Speaker 3:Did you find you were able to fit in with lots of different groups whenever you were just traveling on your own with your dog? So it's easy when you're alone to meld in with different people, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm a chameleon. So when I travel I fall right in. I observe where I'm at and which culture I'm in or which town I'm in, and it's really easy for me to just even if I make tiny little alterations to the personality that I left home with, it's very easy for me to just fall right in and feel comfortable with other people, but also them be comfortable with me. I think it's a really important quality.
Speaker 3:But everybody has that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you won't get that without having the bravery to just explore that and have fun with it and stay in your shell. You got to break out of that shell at some point. Right, it's like when I'm traveling and I tell everyone this, I find, wherever I go, the dirtiest dive bar, because that's where you're going to find the locals, that's where you're going to find the people that live there and those are the people I want to talk to and hang out with and I want to learn about where you're from. So what better place than the dive bar where you know it has sticky floors and the drunk guy at the end of the bar that can't keep his head up? It's just fun. You dive right into a culture, just meet those people that live there. And yeah, you just touched on that in a good way.
Speaker 3:You don't find that in every place either, Like big cities. You just got back from Nashville.
Speaker 2:You did.
Speaker 3:I'm kind of curious of what you thought of that, because it's not the small town feel. Find a little local dive bar and have a chat with everyone, is it?
Speaker 1:No, not really. I was staying on Broadway, which is downtown Nashville, which all the famous honky-tonks are, and all those venues and bars and restaurants, and most of the locals don't hang out on Broadway. The same with Austin. You're from Texas. I'm sure you've spent time in Austin. You go to Sixth Street, which is the strip in Austin where everyone wants to go to, and, no, the locals don't go to Sixth Street. You get this melting pot of travelers, but the locals are maybe over on Red River.
Speaker 1:So, sometimes it can be hard to seek those places out, like in Nashville. So no, I met some locals that were popping into a place because they were waiting for friends or something. But, not as easy sometimes in places that you go.
Speaker 3:I actually lived in Nashville for three years. I went to a university there. Unfortunately, I was never 21. And the time that I lived there only for a month, I was 21. So I never actually got to explore, I guess, the bar scene or party culture in Nashville, like going out and seeing the live music, and I definitely went to my friend's shows and there were events you could go even if you weren't 21.
Speaker 1:But to some degree. I think that's a good thing, Because you got to experience. Nashville in a way that most people don't experience Nashville. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:That's a good way to put it. I have I've gone back a few times my good friend and old roommate Fenley. He lives and he actually just moved to Chicago, but he was living in Nashville for the past few years and so I'd go back and hang out with him and we'd go party on or whatever. But when you're just there for a week you can't really meld into the culture.
Speaker 1:There's another aspect to that when you're traveling at all these different places is you go to Nashville or Austin and everyone wants to go to Broadway or Sixth Street these really crazy famous places that at the end of the day can become really touristy Bourbon Street, new Orleans. But if you take the time to break away from those places, walk down the street and really explore the place that you're in and not just spend all of your time on some touristy strip, Like if you want to know Nashville, you're not going to know Nashville on Broadway, like Vegas, it's the strip, those are the neon lights and all the attractions. But there's a side to every city that is completely different. Go find what makes that city unique. So I'm glad that you weren't 21 in Nashville. You got to experience Nashville, the country music capital of the world, in a much more intimate way just because of that.
Speaker 3:That's a good way to look at it. And I made friends. I wouldn't say a whole. I was going to say I made a lot of friends, but I don't think I made a lot of friends. But I have a few friends and acquaintances that are now just doing it big in the music scene and that's really special to see. Like as soon as I graduated I kind of knew I was like this place isn't for me. I need to get away from it all, and the hustle and bustle just wasn't what my soul needed at the time. But it's really cool to see classmates and they're getting played on the radio, they're opening for big names, they're touring all the time. They're doing what they set out to do whenever they got there and that's really fun Just having my random Instagram people that we follow each other because we sat next to each other in a class and now they're still there but they're doing the dang thing and I'm like, damn, that's impressive that they stuck with it. They're on the grind and their dreams are coming true.
Speaker 1:Doing it? Yep, absolutely. That's what you got to do. You got to put everything into it and just make it happen.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's what you do on tour. That's what I'm doing with this podcast, all these things that are intimidating right at first. But if you want to make it happen, make it happen, do it. Yeah, no matter what.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'd say so. Shout out to Nathan Oronoets in Nashville. He goes by Sugarleg, I think, and he's playing with Daniel DiNauto. It's like a country psychedelic band.
Speaker 3:I met Nathan in my publishing class with Dan Keen and we became friends and we did the showcase thing at Belmont where I got to be the artist manager and he was the artist and he's just one of the best people I think I've ever met and he plays keys and guitar like you wouldn't even believe and he always was just so happy and loving and giving and he told me when we were in class he was like I just know music, I know I'm just doing music, I know that's what I'm doing, that's what I do and it didn't click to me as that serious. But then you watch him and he's not messing around. He's like this is what I'm doing and he's playing for sold out stadiums and it's really cool to see someone whose heart was always in it, who was always like a grounded, loving person. His grandmother taught him how to play piano and he always was just someone who I trusted and loved to be around and I'm so happy that things are going his way right now and yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Anyways.
Speaker 1:Good things won't come to you if you sit still.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 1:Same with travel. If you sit in your house, then you're never going to experience these things and you got to get out there and go for it and explore, dive into your curiosity and push your boundaries and expand your perspectives. And, like I said, that goes for music in general as much as it goes towards travel in general, wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 3:I would agree.
Speaker 1:Heck yeah, they're both a quest for freedom at the end of the day.
Speaker 3:A quest for freedom? Heck yeah.
Speaker 1:Quest for freedom. The only other thing I wanted to bring up that I think is really interesting, that I wanted to throw out there to you and we're just going to get a little philosophical for like 30 seconds here. I love how music and travel both transcend time and space. What do you think about that? They manipulate your perception of time and space. You create this immersive experience of how time can feel expanded or contracted and how you experience travel or music. It fluctuates, right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, when you're driving down the road, the music doesn't stop at the stop sign.
Speaker 1:I love that. Actually, that might be the title of this episode Hop at the stop sign. Perfect, like, yeah, all right, peyton, I think that we're running out of time here. Such an awesome conversation with you, such an amazing thing to have you on here, and I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3:Well, thanks for having me and thanks for doing the podcast. I think that's so exciting that you get to. Not only have you traveled to all of the national parks with your dog and met lots of people, but now you're expanding that further and you're doing this podcast to share with others.
Speaker 1:Thanks. That's what creativity is, though, right. Same goes for you. Always look for that next creative outlet and push it, push it, push it and look for the next thing, and never stop at the stop sign.
Speaker 3:You should stop at the stop sign.
Speaker 1:I came out very wrong. Yeah, stop at the stop sign.
Speaker 3:Stop at the stop sign, just your radio.
Speaker 1:Stop, stop at stop signs. That's funny, jesus.
Speaker 3:Christ, my mind just blanked. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Peyton, I got you a Christmas present. What? Yeah, I emailed it to you right before this interview, because I didn't want you to get in the way of it. I emailed it to you right before this interview because I didn't want you to see it before you came on.
Speaker 3:Should I look at it now or after we hang up?
Speaker 1:I was about to ask do you want to know what it is or do you want to wait to unwrap it?
Speaker 3:Oh, is that a trick question? I feel like you pick.
Speaker 1:What do you want to hit?
Speaker 3:Well, if you've put in my email, then that's going to be. It's just right there.
Speaker 1:It's your Christmas present. You decide how you do unwrap it.
Speaker 3:So I could wait until. I could wait until.
Speaker 1:It's your Christmas present.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, we're going to open it right now. Then Perfect, Okay. Message from Brad Keep playing, keep creating and never stop believing in the power of music. Dave Grohl, merry Christmas and thank you, peyton, for being a part of Changing Roads. May your roads, wherever they lead, take you to the greatest of destinations. Oh, thanks, brad.
Speaker 1:Did you see what it is? It's not just words of encouragement.
Speaker 3:That's all you see.
Speaker 1:Really yeah, there's no wink.
Speaker 3:Oh, I have an email from iTunes that would be it. Oh, bradley sent you an Apple gift card. Ah, rock and roll, all right, thank you.
Speaker 1:Something else in there too, not just a gift card.
Speaker 3:How do I, oh my goodness, the gift that keeps on giving message, view entire message? Do I have to redeem it to see?
Speaker 1:You shouldn't have to maybe click on it.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:This is like when someone wraps a present like 20 times just to make you a.
Speaker 3:Oh gosh, it wants me to sign in. That's not a good thing. I never know these passwords.
Speaker 1:Will you please give everybody your Apple login and password, so we can help you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, to always remember, because I've it's so bad and there's different ones and you have to have it for your sign in, for your, for your, your key chain, for it's a whole thing. And I don't, I can't ever, I can't get apps, like I don't get apps because I don't ever remember my password. Well, I can't see the rest of it. So you might just have to tell me.
Speaker 1:I got you the documentary series Sonic highways by the Foo Fighters.
Speaker 3:Oh cool, You're wearing the Foo Fighters shirt right now.
Speaker 1:Daring it, Dude. Do you know what that's about?
Speaker 3:I don't know what it's about.
Speaker 1:You're going to love it. So on the 20th anniversary of the Foo Fighters, they decided to record a new album. But rather than just recording a new album, they were going to travel across the country and go to different cities and different music studios and they were going to write a different song at a different studio, based on the culture that they were in.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 1:It's super, super cool. It's eye-opening and it's about diving into cultures and finding out how that can influence your own music.
Speaker 3:That's perfect.
Speaker 1:It's also an album. Like I said, they recorded an album Same thing Sonic highways. You should check it out. It's really cool. Christmas Peyton. Thank you, brad, that's very sweet I appreciate you being on this show with me and you spent hours on Zoom with me, trying to help me figure this out as I went.
Speaker 3:Oh, you got it. You're putting in the work.
Speaker 1:You played a big part in this podcast, even aside from this interview, so I want you to know that.
Speaker 3:Aw, thank you, and yeah, anytime we can chat again on the podcast maybe.
Speaker 1:Cool. Oh yeah, I'll have you back on at some point. We'll talk about traveling with our dogs, or something.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Charlie.
Speaker 3:Aw, there's this.
Speaker 1:Aw, there's Charlie. Yeah, all right, peyton, I have one more surprise for our guests, and I'm going to end this episode with a clip of one of your songs, rather than my normal outro.
Speaker 3:So Okay, cool.
Speaker 1:That's a special thing. That's a Christmas present for everybody else. Peyton, tell us where we can find your music.
Speaker 3:Yeah, on Bandcamp, on Spotify, on Apple Music and YouTube Stubs and.
Speaker 1:Awesome Stubs and the and everybody. Send Peyton a hundred Christmas presents is our goal. We're going to fill the Christmas tree with presents for Peyton. Thank you, peyton, so nice to have you on here.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, say bye to everybody.
Speaker 3:Goodbye.
Speaker 1:Yeah, See you next time guys.
Speaker 2:Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye. Winter season is coming. If you visit near here, you'll know this beauty and beautiful smile.
Speaker 3:You will nation it together and do you love it.
Speaker 2:Talent as your shonkou ah. Talents I will be in the name. Trudan me to wager Yang Tzu Song Chen, yang Fei Da. Talents I will be in the name. Talents I will be in the name. Trudan me to wager Zhang Zha Shun Hu Zhong Hui Hua Bi Fei, niu O Tu O Hui Hua Taa Song Mei, kaishou Taa Song Mei, chu Lai, you Zhong you Zhong Ni. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to like and subscribe.