Orchestra Indigo (Rick Randlett) Interview #4 - The Final on Vinyl Podcast

I had a good conversation with Rick Randlett from Orchestra Indigo about his upcoming track, "Shadows of Seasons."

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:14

Hello everybody, this is Keith MuzikMan Hannaleck with the Final on Vinyl Podcast, and today we are with Rick Randlett, who is actually Orchestra Indigo. And this is our fourth interview with Rick. Our last uh conversation was in January of this year. And um recently in October, he had released Walking Among Ghosts, and in January another track is coming out called Shadows of the Seasons Past. Welcome back, Rick. Thank you, Keith.

Speaker 0:47

Glad to be here.

Speaker 1 0:49

Glad to have you again. So I definitely noticed a uh a theme emerging in your music, particularly particularly with these last two tracks. Walking among ghosts and shadows, you know, and and it's like, hmm, what's going on with this gentleman? So it seems to me, um, correct me if I'm if I'm off base here, you you you reach back to the past and you're looking at things in the past, and maybe people that have been in your lives, and that presence that's still there, and what you're doing is interpreting that through your music? Would I be close to that?

Speaker 1:28

Yeah, that's very close. Uh it yeah, the the the idea on both of them is just what when people leave and you know leave the earth wherever they do go, do they actually leave part of them behind? Um I didn't my brother and I last summer took a trip and uh we went back to we were born in Philadelphia and raised there and in Levitown. Uh and we went to see our old house, and the sidewalk in front of the house is still the original sidewalk from when the house was built in the 50s. And you know, I'm just looking at it and thinking about how many people have walked along that sidewalk in the last 60 years, you know. Um and and I've also felt it's like, and I'm sure you've felt this too. Uh uh quite a while ago I w took a trip, uh, went to Gettysburg to the battlefields, and there's something about walking those battlefields. Uh it's like you can sense presences of people that lived and died there. Uh and I just wonder how much of ourselves we actually do leave behind in places, and is that why some places just feel so different to us? We go and we go, this is a special place. And is it because of all the people before us and what they've left when they were there enjoying that special place?

Speaker 1 3:17

I think if the energy is uh strong, if it's prolific energy, it's positive energy, um somebody that has a good heart. Uh to me, that's the kind of thing that has staying power and that's uh infinite. So, you know, along those lines, maybe that's exactly what goes on. I'm not sure, but that's a thought anyway.

Speaker 3:41

Well none of us are sure. So yeah, that that yeah, I I would prefer to think it was the good energy. Definitely.

Speaker 1 3:53

So all these track releases are are leading up to one full release. When will that be coming out? Uh spring, summertime?

Speaker 4:02

In June, yeah. I don't think we have an exact date yet. Uh it's gonna basically stick with the whole ghost and spirit type uh of theme. I may the the working title right now is the album will be named after the first single, Walking Among Ghosts, but that could change between now and June. Uh you know, I see what I'm gonna do one more single, uh probably the end of March, beginning of April, and then do the album in June.

Speaker 1 4:42

So if I recall, this will be your fourth proper release as orchestra indigo, is that right?

Speaker 4:50

One and two fifth.

Speaker 1 4:53

Fifth, wow.

Speaker 4:55

Um farewell to memories, requiem, small hours, hearing visions, and then this one, yeah, be the fifth, yeah.

Speaker 1 5:09

Right. And I've had the opportunity to hear them all, cover them all. I feel honored that you would choose me to do that, Rick.

Speaker 5:16

Oh, I appreciate it. I really do. I I like, you know, like I I've told you before, you know, I really enjoy your reviews because they come from a different perspective than most people do. Uh and I I do enjoy reading them. So yeah, it's amazing that it you know, it just doesn't seem that long ago that we were talking about the very first one and talking for the first time, and now here we are for the fi you know, fifth album. It's like, wow, how did that happen?

Speaker 1 5:49

Right. It's like you created this whole new persona. I mean, you were a uh a well-known blues guitarist, and you just did a total flip of the switch and changed genres and your whole mindset and the way you do things, and the everything is like you did a 180, you know.

Speaker 6:08

Oh yeah, without a doubt. You know, you do act like that. Yeah, I mean it was it I mean, it was I mean, you have to remember first that you know, I went to school and studied theory and composition. So I've studied orchestration, composition, all that stuff all my youth, you know, and through my twenties and stuff. Um then I got sidetracked into blues and rock, and it was fun, and I was making money. Um, the I mean, and we've talked about this before, the thing that changed it was the pandemic because I had just released a blues album and I couldn't tour. You know, all of a sudden all my gigs were canceled, and I could barely leave my house except to go get groceries. So, and I had a couple of keyboards here, and I've always had recording equipment. So I just started uh trying some stuff, and you know, I put a few tracks together, just trying something totally different. And I was liking it and enjoying it, but I wasn't sure really what I had. So, you know, I sent a few tracks to uh Sherry Finzer and asked her, I asked her if I could send her some stuff to listen to, and you know, whether she thought I should pursue this or not, and she was you know very, very encouraging and said that I should put an album together and release it. So now we're here.

Speaker 1 7:42

Wow. Well, you know, sometimes in life we get backed into a corner and we're forced to make a decision, and at that time it feels stressful and scary, and then as things develop you realize it happened for a reason, and now you're even in a better place. And this has happened to a lot of musicians since COVID.

Speaker 8:03

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm I'm in my 70s now. It's like you reach a point where how much longer can you be driving from bar to bar playing at places, you know, it really wears on you. Sure. Um, you know, this is nice. I mean, I between this and teaching privately, you know, I you know, I'm comfortable and I don't have to go hang out with drunks every weekend.

Speaker 1 8:34

So for those of you uh out there that haven't uh listened to Rick talk before, uh maybe you can just give a little background. Um, being a blues guitarist and your transition to orchestra indigo, uh and you also teach. What do you teach?

Speaker 8:51

Uh I teach uh mostly stringed instruments, guitar, bass, uh things like that. I teach uh slide guitar, uh lap steel, that type of stuff. I do have a couple of students who study songwriting and theory and stuff like that. So uh, but that's yeah, basically I've been I've been teaching privately off and on since I was in college in the 70s. Uh I I I I found I tried teaching public school when I first got out of college and found that I didn't like teaching large groups, but I really do enjoy one-on-one.

Speaker 1 9:34

So, along with all those instruments that you're teaching your students, uh are any of those implemented into your current music or is this all and computer-based?

Speaker 9:46

No, I've been I I record some guitar stuff off and on, and I I'm gonna do something with it at some point. But uh at this point, no, all the Orchestra Indigo stuff is all uh keyboards. Uh there's no guitar involved. And in some ways, I've tried putting guitar into it, and we've talked about this before. Um, but it's hard. I I I have played blues and rock for so long that that language is just inherently a part of me, and it's hard to play in a different style at this point. Uh and it just doesn't, when I've tried it, it just doesn't seem to fit the mood and stuff of the you know, the Orchestra Indigo, the more new age ambient kind of stuff. And for me, it's cool because by playing keyboards, I don't play the same thing. You know, on guitar, I you know, I've got so many patterns and things ingrained in my head that are go-to's, but I don't have that on keyboard. So I tend to be, I don't know if I'd say more creative, but I try to I become I'm more unique. I'm not I don't play piano and keyboards the way a guy who's been playing those for 40 years will play them. So my approach is going to be different than your average keyboard player.

Speaker 1 11:23

Well that makes sense, you know. Uh being a talented guitar player, um, I still believe, and I think I've mentioned this before to you, that you can implement the guitar lines into your into your music. I know you can do it. I mean, I've heard a lot of sub-genres um melded into new age, um, like jazz, for instance. Uh I've heard a lot of that, which is pretty cool. You know, a very subtle, a very subtle guitar line, maybe in the background, that kind of thing. I could see you doing that. But I can also understand where you're coming from with you know, you you're gonna go back to what you did before. It's hard to to change that, right? Yeah.

Speaker 12:08

Yeah. It's just I mean, I have tried it. I I mean I've recorded, I probably have, because I I'm I mean I work a lot. I record, I I already put in an hour and a half of recording before I talk to you this morning, and then I'll go teach lessons all afternoon. Um and I've already I've recorded close to oh probably 20 some odd guitar tracks, you know, trying to do this style with guitar, but it doesn't really fit Orchestra Indigo, so I'm really I mean it's it's I like it, it's nice stuff, and I may just release it under my own name or a different name at some point. Uh because it when I get like feeling like I can't think of anything to do with the keyboards, I'll pick up the guitar and do a guitar thing, just uh you know, change my open up my creative thing a little bit and try something different. Well sure.

Speaker 1 13:12

I mean you could release a entire album of guitar instrumentals and find an entirely different audience, right?

Speaker 13:19

Yeah, I probably will at some point because I've got the stuff and I you know I'll be doing more without a doubt. So if I do, you'll know.

Speaker 1 13:29

I hope so. Well, what's really cool about that, Rick, is that when an artist does that, it creates interest to a listener and goes, Oh, what else does this guy do? Oh, he's orchestra indigo as well. Hmm. Start looking at that. So all these things unfold for the artist, and before you know it, you got two or three different things going on, all these different identities and different musical directions, and you're pulling in all these people, and your audience is just growing exponentially, you know?

Speaker 13:59

Yeah, that's true. That's a very good point. Yeah.

Speaker 1 14:03

Well, it's always a pleasure to speak to you, sir, and um I'm excited for you. Uh, I'm glad to know that the entire album will be coming out next summer when the sun is shining and it's nice and warm here in the northeast. And uh Yeah.

Speaker 14:19

Well, it's pouring rain here in Florida if that makes you feel better or so.

Speaker 1 14:25

Well, not really today. We got a nor'easter happening here, so you know anywhere from uh three to twelve inches or whatever. But you know, it's that time of year. That's what I got a snowblower for, right?

Speaker 14:39

That's right.

Speaker 1 14:42

All right, Eric. Uh I wish you and yours uh happy holidays and look forward to uh reaching out again on the new year to get your your single out there.

Speaker 14:51

Cool. Thank you very much, Keith. I really appreciate it. I enjoy talking to you every time we do it. I really do.

Speaker 1 14:59

You as well too. You take care. You too. All right, bye bye.

Speaker 15:04

Bye.