What's going on, guys? Welcome back to Chudu
Podcast. I am here on a Friday night, 727. Usually
start at 730, but eh, you know, it is what it
is. But make sure you're all watching. Let me
know the volume's up, because I do have the volume
up. We should be pumping through the speakers.
I promise, I hope. But today, we are taking a
seat back to the blast from the past. Some history
from you -know -who and some great history from
a gentleman I have here on the podcast today.
This guy's been writing lyrics for quite some
time, and he's what I like to call old school,
man. Not like the old AI stuff that's going on
now. This is old school. Those of you know, you
know. So, hang in there. We're gonna go and start
the podcast in a... What's going on, guys? Welcome
back to the Junior Podcast. I am here today with...
Probably a lot of people know who he is, or a
few of us may know, a good handful of us, maybe
even more. He's been from the RGV for quite some
time. He's played in quite a few bands. Great
lyric writer. If you, you really have to pick
at the lyrics to understand exactly what he's
talking about, but when you do, you understand
what he's talking about. Okay, gentlemen, welcome
Isaac Mandela to the podcast. What's going on,
Isaac? Hey, buddy, how you doing? Am I too loud,
buddy? I'm sorry, my bad. No, no, you're fine,
you're fine. Don't be like Mooncat was this Sunday,
this past Monday real late. I tried to get a
rise out of the kid, but it just didn't happen.
It just didn't happen. No, no, no. It's been
a minute, bro. It has been quite some time. It's
been a minute. I know we were chit -chatting
before the pod started. We got here a little
early. Most of my guests get here exactly at...
730 said, but if I know Isaac, he will be here
an hour and a half early. You blame my father
on that. Bro, we're not seeing up mics. We're
not seeing up instruments today. We're sitting
in a podcast having a conversation, bro. We should
have recorded the conversations. Oh, no, that's
that's only for the subscribers and only fans,
but that's a whole different story. But anyways,
man. First of all, I say thank you for coming
out to the podcast with me today, man I know
like I said before it's been immense. We talked
There's a lot of history between Isaac and I
through the years This is what he's doing. He's
still doing this Manifested into podcasting for
me and you know, we we found a fork in the road
We went our opposite ways, but eventually came
back to the same area say what's up and eventually
we'll probably divide again but Tell us a little
bit about yourself Isaac. I mean where you grew
up where you're from, you know All that good
stuff. We want to know all the basics of you
buddy talk to me growing up. Let's see Dad was
a soldier in the United States Army. So we moved
around a lot military bases military schools.
I've been a lot of time in Texas like Central
Texas Forte Texas I spent about six years there
and then I took off from there to Fort Clayton,
Panama That was paradise. That was beautiful.
I didn't want to leave. And then when that tour
was over, he got stationed in Kingsville, Texas.
So I kind of, mom and pop are still there and
that's where I call home. My brother's there,
my sister's there, my mom and dad are there.
That's where I call home. So that was the beginning
of... Moving down here. I couldn't find a job
in Kingsville, right and someone had to die or
retire Hey, man, that Kingsville is a small it's
a small town small town small town I came down
here and I got picked up right away as an educator.
So I've been doing that for the last 27 years
I think going on 28 if I'm not mistaken Wow,
but no man, it's been it's been quite quite a
ride. I've enjoyed That I was born here right
wasn't raised here the right and I always get
asked like you're not from here Are you I don't
know what gives it away? but no, I was born here,
but as soon as I was born we took off to Fort
Polk, Louisiana Oh shoot there. Okay. Dad was
a dual sergeant there For I don't want to say
about three years there. So No, didn't follow
dad's footsteps joining the army. I never laced
up a pair of combat boots, right? My brother
did my father did of course, but I went to school
at Texas A &M Kingsville graduated from there
and then I came down right here now as far as
I in that Small time you're in Kingsville. Were
you Already into the music scene. Were you really
getting into it little by little? My brother
was my brother was in a band and I found it fascinating,
you know, but I couldn't, I didn't have anything
to go on. My brother was a drummer, a pretty
good drummer. So when I graduated from high school,
I just said, you know what, I'm going to try
to start a band. And the crazy, it's rather embarrassing
when you start a band and they say, okay, what
do you do? You say, I'm a vocalist. Okay, let's
see. Couldn't sing a lick. It was terrible. It
was a terrible experience, but it was an experience
I had to go through because they were playing
the same key that the track was on, and that
was not my range. So halfway through a gig, I
was shot. The vocals were shot. So little by
little, you learn from those mistakes. And it
wasn't until... I was in two bands in Kingsville.
Cover bands, of course. Right. And then when
I got here to the valley, that is where I started
to more or less start finding a voice. OK. A
lot of people want to sound like this. They want
to sound like that. I didn't want to sound like
anything. I wanted to try to find your original
voice that I had, which I remember doing. You
were there. You were there. We were there. We
were doing an acoustic gig for my aunt's birthday.
Oh, OK. Yeah, I remember that. I remember that.
My cousin was with me, Mary, and she said, are
you going to warm up? And I was like, no, I don't
warm up. And she's like, are you going to drink
a hot tea? I was like, no, I'm drinking beer.
And I think it was you, Al, and I getting married
in the back. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And
she's like, I can't believe you don't do that
stuff. So I was like, well, that's just. That's
the way we roll, ma 'am. So we go and we do our
little set and I come back and I sit next to
my cousin Mary and she says, my God, I can't
believe you do that. And I said, yeah, you sound
just like Huelito. Now, Huelito, my grandfather
on my mom's side was a truck driver, but that
was during the week. On the weekends, he was
a musician. He'd go across the border to Reynosa.
Oh, shit. And he would be playing there. He even
cut an album. I think it was a cover album, I
think. This is the acoustic you would always
have in your hand when we would go practice.
Yes, that's the one. I still have it. And that
makes sense now. It does. Okay. So you were there.
Al was there. It was late as shit, man. I remember
that. And my grandmother, because when I first
got down here, I was staying with her until I
can get myself settled. Right, right. And she
would listen to us. Yes. You and Al on the acoustics
and me just there. She would listen to us in
the other room because we were in the living
room. Yeah. And then, you know, after with me,
it was something like two, three in the morning,
I guess, man, we'd go home late. And when you
guys would leave, I'd go and say, I'm going to
bed already. And she says, oh, man, I really
wish that Antonio, Antonio was his name. Yeah,
I wish Tonya was alive so that he could hear
you because you sound just like. So I think going
back to the original voice that you had to find
was always there genetically through my grandfather.
Now, my grandfather's voice, tone singing voice
is what I have. My father's volume, as far as
how loud you can project your voice, that is
my old man. So you ever see those little... Those
little kids at the border, and they're selling
chicklets, and they're playing their accordions,
and they're singing their asses off. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah. That is what... When I see that,
I'm just like, man, that kid has got some pipes.
He can really, really do well. If someone would
just nurture that... Yeah, yeah, I got you. But
that is where I think I found my voice. The volume
and the tone came from my father, and the vocal
sound of it all was from my grandfather. Yeah.
so um that's where that came from yeah and when
you came down to the valley you started up i
know john he goes make sure you mentioned this
i know john you're probably watching already
but uh you make sure mention make sure he mentions
the actual first band that he came down and sang
with and that's with uh naked souls yeah that
was willy vega yeah and that was with lucas i
don't remember the drummer's name i can't remember
his name but that was um cover band and I want
to say we did that's where I started to learn
how to that why that I realized that I said hey
you know I want to try to write something original
so I got Willie and we did a small EP and like
a four song EP I think it was yeah and when we
did that that kind of opened up the door to say
okay I now I know I can do this mm -hmm it's
not something that is out of reach So when that
disintegrated, when that went down the pipe,
I really decided to focus on going back to school
and get my masters, which was a complete joke.
I hated school. Yeah, I really, really did. And
John Fez said, you'll be back. He always says
that. Yeah, he does. He always says that. He's
always right. He's always right. Damn guru. So
you'll be back. And it didn't take long. You
and I were talking about creative release earlier.
And within two weeks, Marcus, the tension of
not being able to release creatively, yeah, creatively,
built up. And then I called John, hey, man, find
me somebody. I'm ready to get back to work. And
that's where. you came in yeah that i saw it
if people are watching if anybody remembers myspace
uh that was a while back uh i saw i saw that
he had put up uh i think it was uh my little
satellite that i heard they put up there if anybody
could play this it'd be great you know hit me
up and what so have you what oh god cool i listened
to it i was i'd already been playing guitar for
a while and uh i heard that song i go well it
doesn't sound that Difficult I think and I think
it pick it up and sure enough I picked it up
in about Shit about a day and a half So after
going by by cord by cord by cord and I found
it and I gave John a call Hey, man, I got I got
something for you here. I go. I'm really interested
I want to see who this singer is and I want to
see I mean what's on what's on the on the menu
what am I playing with right and He introduced
me to you and we met I remember playing my little
satellite for the first time with you and it
sounded To me, I hope I did well, but it just
clicked. That's the beauty of it, man. I think
when you find that one person that you can relate
to, that one person that is going to say, hey,
I want to do what you're doing, and I want to
do what you're doing, both of you guys are on
the same page, I think we went off from the races
there. We started riding originally. Yeah, we
started riding. And it's funny because... When
we started you started writing writing the original
I had to come up with music. Yeah, so I was like
damn I got to find something and I think I Think
love was a love was a murder. I think was one
of them that we picked up pretty quick I was
like one of the first ones we actually touched
people. It wasn't really the one that Melted
into what made it take off because the one that
really got me and I still remember that phone
call at two in the morning Yeah, I called you.
I called you. I called you. At 2 in the morning,
2, 3 in the morning, I go, bro, I got something.
He's like, you're like, huh? What? What? What?
I got something. Hold on. Hold on. Don't hang
up. This is what we had, the little flip phones.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The little
flip phones. I go, don't hang up. Hold on, dude.
Let me get my guitar. And it's funny, because
before that happened, I was asleep. Me and my
wife were asleep. And I just popped out of bed.
She goes, what's wrong? I just take off right
to the guest room. And I pick up my acoustic,
and I start playing these notes. And she goes,
are you serious? You woke up to play. Big weight.
Please, I had it right here. I just got put into
this. And as soon as I figured it out, the first
person I call is you. I go, dude, you got to
hear this. What was it? It was last Sunday. Last
Sunday. Last Sunday is the first actual song
that I was actually completed in a dream. It
was fucking weird. And I said, I played for you.
You're like, shit. I go, I'm not going to be
able to sleep tonight. That sucks about shit.
And then, boom, you started writing on it. No,
I think the funny thing about that, that you
mentioned that you had it in a dream. Because
I've had dreams, and I've spoken to other musicians,
like they dream in music. Yes. And in my dream,
it's beautiful. And I can see like colors, and
I can see like, you know, shifts and patterns,
and I can hear it. And there's no wrong, it's
all right. And then when I wake up, I can't remember.
How do you forget that? It happened to me a lot.
And when I got that one down, I go, this is the
one we're going to work on. This is the one.
This is the first one we're going to piece together.
It's going to be one complete song. That track
got on college radio. I want to say it. Yeah,
it did. That one hit college radio. And bringing
it to you, and they said, look, dude, what do
you got? It was like showing up to the sandbox
because, look, I brought this. What do you got?
I brought this. Let's build something. So we
started sculpting this thing together. And it
starts rising, slowly. So then, John, I think
it was John, he goes, you know what, guys? I
think we need a bass player to fill these things
up. So they start building and look for a bass,
and that's where we meet, for the first time,
the only other brother from a different mother
that I've known at the time who loves Siri Vaughn
like I did was Bob. I remember Bob, yes! I remember
him. Was he part of Naked Souls at the time also?
Yes, he was. He was, dude. And he was a really
nice guy, man. He really was. He was polite,
loved to drink, so I loved him already. And we
would just go and write and stuff. But he did
really well. I mean, he did really well. He was
a really good bass player. He's not Steve. Yeah,
nobody is Steve. We'll get to Steve later on
in the pod, but yeah. That guy is amazing on
any song that we would write. It was like Steven
featuring Tracy's men. We were his guests. It
was really, really weird because he just had
these weird patterns that gave John a lot of
trouble doing the mixing and mastering. of the
track because you had you, and then you had Ali,
and then you had Stephen, and it was just a hodgepodge
of just clashing and just like, oh my God, there
are too many notes. There's too much. I don't
know how he did it. We put that board to work.
I don't know how he did it, but I do remember
him complaining about that. He goes, it's so
busy. Marcus wants to do this. Al wants to do
this. Stephen is going to do this. No one's going
to tell him what not to do. He was like, and
then you come in and you wanted to do your ooh
-la -la's and the ah -la -la's and you're going
all over the place, too. You guys just have too
much. Yeah. It was creativity coming out the
whoo -ha. It was. It was. I'm glad it happened
that way because that is the only way those songs
could have been written. You could have worked
with another vocalist, another lyricist, and
it would not have come out the same. No. I could
have worked with another guitar player and it
would not have come out the same. No. So the
way... That track came out last Sunday. If you
listen to it, it is stacked. It is stacked with
a lot of layers of instruments, three instruments,
three or four. Bass, guitar, another guitar,
and then drums and vocals. So there's five. But
it's just thick. It's extremely thick. Harlem
to Memphis, same thing. Same thing. I want to
say because that was like our first crack at
it. We did we did not want to leave anything
out. Yeah. Yeah, if I'm correct I didn't want
to leave anything out. Well consider the style.
I mean we we're working with Bob Bob actually
didn't work out that well because he had other
things going on his life and I know we had gotten
a drummer I forgot the name of that gentleman's
name. He had a headset and I forgot his name.
I forgot his name anyways, but we're jamming
out with Bob you me Bob and and that gentleman
And he has the back, and he starts singing with
the back. I'm like, oh, wow. Someone's really
off, or I got bad ears. I'm not a singer. It
just sounds off. So I go, you know what? Let
him sing his heart out. Let Isaac tell us. No,
no, no, no, man. But you know what? Just before
I was in, Kevin once said, Jesus take the wheel.
Wait, before that, so. I go, I'm gonna let it
be what let it be. Then all of a sudden, it just
came to a halt for like six, seven months. We
came to a halt for six, seven months. I ended
up getting married. I get married and then slowly
came back and said, hey dude, let's start playing
again. So we started writing two more, three
more songs on top of that. And then I go, bro,
this is... too many songs, I'm punching out too
many songs, music itself, writing too much music,
I need somebody to collab with, because I feel
there's a little too much on me right now. So
at that time, Al was playing guitar. You see,
that's why I take two different styles. You got
a blues player, and then Al was the medalist.
So I told you, dude, I got somebody that can...
Back us up. They helped me back up. It'll sound
even more The way you guys collaborated because
there were two different styles And we knew that
coming in. Yeah, I knew you were a blues man
and I knew Al was a metalhead but when what was
really cool thing about that was when we would
go into a writing session all that stopped at
the door and You and Al came in with a different
type of style. Yeah that was your own it wasn't
your influences or his influences it was just
both of you going in and coming up with one one
complete sound and i remember specifically um
i think it was you because you or was it al somebody
was tap dancing while somebody was playing uh
rhythm and it was because it was on those spanish
or those acoustic guitars beautiful sound and
then you guys started harmonizing on the guitars.
You're playing in a certain key and he's playing
in another key. We're playing the same notes.
But man, the way those things came together was,
I have not heard anything like that doing music
this long. But when I first heard that, I said,
that's really, really pretty. It was beautiful.
And I think when we would go play acoustic shows,
and that's why I think earlier I said I love
those because they're so intimate. They were,
they allowed you and Al to polish off a craft
that you were brand new to. Right. You know,
you guys would just plug up and then go. Yeah.
Now you're just on an acoustic guitar. Right.
And it didn't take away, in fact, it brought
more to the table than, than you would in like
an electric setting. Those gigs, those early
gigs, before we even started cutting records,
we were peeling off the layers. of those tracks.
And I remember you and Al saying, let's try this.
And it got better. And then the next gig, let's
try this. I got this idea, let's try this. And
it just got better. And when we thought that
it had been polished to a high shine, that's
when we went in to record the first EP, I think
it was, we did. But that was just a, man, it
was beautiful. Even Al. the way you guys collaborated
together, the way you guys would write songs,
or the way you guys would like, put songs together,
made it real easy for me to just dance on top
of all that. Yeah, yeah. We got already, Jacito
Rivera already tuned in. He goes, oh, he's at
home, bro. I took away his legs so he can come
to the podcast. No, and it's true, man, writing
with Al. was like a midnight stroll. It was so
easy. It was. Because hearing him play something,
I would fill it in with something. I would play
something, he would fill it in with something.
And it was just mash, mash, mash. It was going.
Now, it got to the point where we're writing
so much, you're like, hey, guys, step back a
little bit. Because it would get a little complicated.
And I was like, man, this is getting really progressive.
It's starting to, you know, different parts are
coming in. And I'm like, OK, I'm getting lost.
Alright, I'm getting lost here. I'm not supposed
to get lost. Right, right. But I would get lost
a few times, but then when you guys would hammer
it out and fine tune it, it was easy. It was
so easy. And the way... I know you said, I'm
not a singer, but you really, really are because
I remember when we were doing acoustic gigs and
they were intimate and you would sing back vocals
on, you would harmonize with me and it was...
Dead dead on and it made the song that much better
and I was like man that sounds really not me
But the way you would come in on up because you
can sing really high It was funny because when
we did that you were like here put a microphone
on it. Why don't you? It's not a whole lot, you
know, and then it started to get a little a little
more and a little more comfortable Once you got
a grip on it, man, you really really took it
home and I was like, yeah, that sounds really
pretty yeah you know nowadays i mean it's you
just plug up and then it sounds pretty but the
way you would do things uh playing guitar um
and singing at the same time i was like this
this is really really good right and uh i really
really did appreciate that and it was really
really nice to hear that yeah it was it was it
was fun times man and and at that point we're
doing the the acoustic gigs And, by the way,
TGIF was no longer existing in the RGV anymore,
but Al and I sat back, it was, bro, we need to
progress. And he goes, what do you mean? I go,
we need to progress. He goes, I think we need
a bass player. I think we're gonna have to look
for a drummer, because this is something that's
flourishing to something a little bit bigger.
You know, we need, our bridges are getting, we're
getting bigger, we need bigger bridges. And he
goes, okay, well, let's look around for a bass
player. He had I hadn't I had met Steve once
Steve once just one time and he told me dude
come and check out Steve play, dude All right.
I'll come back. It was funny cuz I would always
be a guy somebody come check him out like all
right I'll go check them out. Okay, so we go
out there and I'm checking him out and I hear
him playing bass. I'm like, okay, he got some
runs. He has a nice Blues runs. I like that.
He's a blues player like me And then they start
playing heavy metal, and you see him go off.
I'm like, what the fuck? I saw that. Are you
serious? And then they would switch again. I'm
like, holy, where have you been hiding this guy,
dude? Yeah, man. He's unbelievable. I go, we
need him. And it was a simple conversation. Walked
to him and go, hey, what's up, dude? What's up?
Hey, what's up, Mark? Hey, what's up, my buddy
Mark? Hey, what's up? What's up, Al? Everybody
knew Al. He goes, hey, bro, we have a question
for you. He goes, yeah, go ahead, tell him. Oh,
you want me to tell him? Yeah, you tell him,
dude. Yeah, believe me. He goes, hey, look, dude,
we got a little band together. We're slowly progressing,
and we want to grow into an actual band band.
Because right now, it's just an acoustic. We
really want to plug up. And I think you would
fit perfect, because you have such a raw, different
style than what not just playing metal, but jazz
and blues at the same time. I think you got offended
one time when I said, You're really a jazz musician.
I think you got offended. He looked at me like,
shit, I'm good. No, I'm not. And I go, it's a
compliment, man. It really is. Jazz is a tough
break, man. I was being honest. I said, you really
are a jazz bass player. And he's like, no, I'm
not. He didn't want anything to do with that
little thing. I said, okay, you'll grow into
it if I won't. But he's an amazing bass player.
He really, really is. He could find notes that
I didn't even think existed. And you and I listened
to music since we were kids. The way he played
bass was just... He just found things, man. He
just found the right sound, the right note, at
the right place, on the right song, and it didn't
take him long. And once it was locked in, it
was there. There was no changing it, because
it was, I dare say it was perfect. We could not
ask him to do anything more, because that one
take... Mean it was just a hardliner the base
on that but you have to go that far. Look at
plow plows I was just you know, he just told
you man that amazing Steven man, if you're listening
cheese, man, you are a brilliant bassist. You're
really really Yeah, so I asked him and he's like
what kind of music it's We don't even know the
damn genre man. It's just a mixture of stuff.
Well, what do you play? He told I play guitar
Style, I'm more of a Jimi Hendrix and a Jimmy
Page and a St. Ray Vaughn style. Well, I know
what Al plays. Stupid metalhead. So he goes,
so you want to give it a shot? I guess I'll give
it a shot. He comes in with his bass. We plug
up for the first time. We had to plug up because
all he had was electrical bass. And he picked
up the songs pretty quick. He did. So we're like,
all right, we got Steve in. That's good. Now
we need a drummer. So, Ali, like Ali, he knows
every damn musician in the damn valley, dude.
Dude, I got the perfect person. I go, who? This
guy, he's a buddy of mine, I played the Hano
with him. I'm like, oh, great, let the Hano player,
all right. Who are we talking about, Al? He got
Mario. Go Mario. And I go, never met the guy?
He goes, no, trust me, dude. Don't worry, dude,
he's good, man. He's studying to be a border
patrol. I'm like, oh, okay. Mario, yeah. So,
I'm like, all right. Let's go, let's give him
a shot. All right, cool. So we're bringing in
Mario for the first time. Clicks. So that right
there was the official first full -fledged Tracy's
Men Band right there. And I remember it because
we practiced so much. And then all of a sudden
you go, hey, man, guess what? We got us a gig.
What? We got a gig. May I ask where? We're playing
at Mission High School in the gym. That's right.
That's right. We did. I'm all like, what the
hell? We're playing at an elementary, I think
it was an elementary show that we're doing or
something like that. We're going to go, we're
going to play for these guys. I'm like, I look
at Steve Tigger, we're going to play for a bunch
of kids? I go, hey man, a gig's a gig, dude.
Let's go! We have played some really weird gigs,
man. I think that one was weird. That dog show
or whatever the dog shelter one was weird. We'll
go over that one in a little bit. The bars were
cool gigs, but we didn't care, man. We just wanted
to go play. I didn't care. It didn't bother me
at all if we played at a school or if we played
at a birthday party. Didn't care it didn't bother
me one bit and I still don't care. Yeah, just
like wherever we go Even nowadays it doesn't
bother me Yeah, and so we stay with Mario for
a couple of months and then Mario gets picked
up and he heads off to yeah. Yeah, we're troll
That's right. So we're like We need to find ourselves
a drummer and we got to find a fast and then
you told us about a drummer that was playing
at a No, no, no before that we find another drummer
who? Applies for the job we give Michelle we
get Ozzy I'm glad you're remembering all this,
man. This is really hazy, man. That's called
old age, bro. It's still there. Let me have it.
I said... Because I was like, okay, this guy
knows all these... I don't remember these guys.
You got Ozzy in there. That was a whole... I'm
not even gonna put you on the spotlight there,
Ozzy, because you got issues. But we got rid
of Ozzy, then we picked up a drummer. We were
gonna pick up a drummer that you had seen at
some band. He played with some band. He was like...
real technical drummer. We went over to his house
and played in his garage and we, Al, Steve and
I were like, man, I don't, I don't feel it. I
go, we don't feel it. And then sure enough, we
knew somebody for the longest time. We decided
to reach out to Joel. Joel has played in various
bands and we knew who he was. And at that, at
that moment, I was like, bro, you want to go
with Joel? That's fine. I really want Juan. I
really want Juan. I want Juan Connor, man. This
is the guy. This is the guy. He's going to take
us places. We want this guy. But Juan is the
same way. They're both the same. But I go...
Are you arguing with me? No, I'm arguing with
Alan Steve. He goes, you're not there. We're
listening to this George Flay. He goes, I really
want Juan, dude. Because when we're jamming out
at, I think it was at David's house, he had a
little garage in the back or in the basement
and we're playing. And don't ask me about the
basement. in the valley. So, we're like, you
know what, dude? I'm gonna step back. I brought
Steve in. I talked to Steve. We got him in. You
brought Mario. You pick up the drummer's Al.
We're gonna go with Joel. All right, cool. What
is it? Al and Steve went and talked to him. We
got him in. We brought him in for the first thing.
First, he had to listen to everything, and then
he just, it clicked. Yeah, he picked up real
quick, man. Joel's a really good drummer. Very
good. And that John Doe, when we started playing,
you got us another gig. and this is the picture
we're talking about. Yeah, that's the dog shelter
gig, man, right there. Yeah. It was hot as hell.
Oh, hell yeah. It was hot, too, man. It smelled
like mutt out there. It did. And I wasn't talking
about the dogs. It was for the dogs. That was
really funny, man, because I was like, OK, what
an hour. OK, yeah, it was hot, too. Yeah, that
was one gig that we played at that was real cool,
because it was like one of the first gigs we
did. as a full band outside, you know, and we
didn't know the elements of the guitars going
off to the bass drum, the skins and all that
stuff. So we were like, we're on the fly for
that. But that was that was a fun time. Now,
we got this whole band together and we start
doing we start doing these songs that were originally
acoustic. What's the mindset right there when
when we're actually going at full fledge band
already? Well, you can see the transition. from
when we were playing at Fridays, doing acoustic
gigs, and then going over to a full electric
band. And the really good thing about that was
that we had already honed in on those tracks.
And when you guys plugged up, it was like going
into a different environment, and because you
had so much more at your disposal. And electrically,
you can do a lot more than you can acoustically.
So when we went electric, one, it was super loud.
I remember that. I mean, you and Al would always
be, turn down, turn up. It was one of those things.
But it was very loud. But that's the way it worked.
It wasn't about, OK, let's try to play them the
same way we did with the intimate gigs. It was
a whole new game. Right. With going electric.
Right, right, right. And we did, I liked those.
I did like the electric gigs. Those were cool.
But for me, it was always, you know. The unplugged
ones were really, really good. And I remember
we were playing in bars and we weren't really
keen on doing covers. We wanted to do our own,
but we didn't have a whole lot of our own. Right.
So we started. working on different covers. And
the one I think we talked about earlier was L
.A. Woman from the Doors. I absolutely love playing.
I really liked the song when I hear it. But the
way you and Al and Howell and Steve played it,
man, it just, you guys did it your way. Our style.
Yeah, your style. You didn't sound like the track.
That one. And then I think one of your favorites
was Tire Mother Down. That was another one. That
we you guys and that's what I really admired
about both you guys man is that you did You didn't
want to sound like the track. I'm gonna do it
the way I think I would have done it right mine,
right and It just made it made the world a difference
it made the difference between what you guys
were doing What everybody else is trying to sound
like the track, right? You know, so it's one
of those things that you just really need to
go back on and say This is the way we're gonna
do it we don't want to sound like this we want
to sound like us and i think you and al gave
the band an identity by by doing that um i was
still trying to find a voice at the time and
um i was just trying not to lose my voice at
the time but the way you guys were able to work
together and piece those covers your own way
made all the difference in the world. Yeah. Howell
did the same thing. Yeah. He didn't play it the
way it was on the track. Right. Steven threw
all the rules out. You know, he played it his
way. Right. And not unless it was like a like
a lick that had to be played. Right. But everything
else was that was a Steve. Yeah. And that was
Al and that was you. Right. And that was Howell.
And that I want to say the four of you coming
together that way gave the band it's identity.
I was still trying to struggle to find my identity.
But once you guys click, I was like, okay, they're
going to carry me. Because I don't have anything.
But as the years went on, you start to find what
type of musician you are. You start to find who
you really are as a singer. And it takes time.
Yeah, it does. It's trial and error. I don't
want to sound like this. And damn it. John...
It all comes back to John. When we would go record,
he would say, okay, Elvis Costello. I was like,
oh, man, did I sound like him? Yeah, on this
part right here. Okay, Brian Ferry. Because I
was listening to a lot of Roxy music, and Elvis
Costello goes, okay, you sound like there. So
he could hear me mimicking... different artists
on one track. I tried to like mix it up so nobody
would know. Man, I couldn't fool him then, but
he picked up on it. And it wasn't until we started
working with Fez that I started to slowly but
surely begin to understand what it meant to find
your voice. And it doesn't necessarily mean that
you sound like somebody, you don't sound like
somebody. It's the style in which you record
a track. I think we were talking about it earlier
when I brought a processor in. Yeah, yeah. And
John, I'm old school. John is way, way out there,
old school. And he's, oh, that's Q. What is it?
I go, it's a vocal processor. You don't need
it. It's really going to help me sound better.
Yes, it will. I'm not going to lie. You do need
to sound better. That's not the way to do it.
Right. It was trial and error at Bam Wa Studios.
Yes, it was. Track after track after track. Right.
And you peel off layers, vocally, physically
and vocally. I mean, you do peel off. Right.
And that is where I started to learn it's not
really what you sound like. It's how you record
a track. Right. the backup vocals it's the harmonies
right it's it's a lot of stuff and again going
back to where everybody brought a lot to the
table and then people would get upset when he
would start taking things out i would know it's
the final recording and you wouldn't hear a piece
hey what happened to that piece oh yeah it's
too busy too busy it's cute but we're not gonna
use it yeah that was the thing right it's cute
but yeah or the thing behind the door Oh, yeah,
when he'd peek over, yeah, yeah. When he would
do that, I'd be like, oh, I'm gonna do it again.
But I really cut my teeth there with John at
BanWa Studios, learning how to, one, find your
original voice, and two, learning how to record
your voice. And I learned a lot. I still am learning
a lot from that. Well, that's all you can do,
man. When you're in the music career and you're
trying to progress to get to the higher, the
next step, you have to be open to learning new
things. Well, you have to be a lifelong learner.
I mean, you are. We talked about your podcast
earlier when we weren't on the air. You're not
afraid to fail. Right. You dare to fail. Exactly.
I really admire that. And I always took that
with me when we would record or we would write.
I didn't care if it was, if someone said no.
My biggest fear was that I was not going to be
able to get it out there to see if it was going
to stick against them. Right, right. Okay, so
I would just throw it. And if it worked, great.
If it didn't, well, let's go on to something
else. Right, exactly. I wanted to try... to see
if it was what the song was calling for. And
I know when you and I were writing songs, there
was no twisting. There was no turning or pulling
or pushing. You allowed the song to breathe.
And that was easy to sing to. You weren't like
hammered anvil on songs. That was a different
story, but not you. You allowed the song to breathe
and open and, oh, Isaac, try and pause here,
or Isaac, go over here. And the really funny
thing about it was, when you would do that, you'd
make it sound like it was my idea, which it wasn't,
because it wasn't yours. And I'm like, hey, I'm
pretty good at doing this. And it was really
just you weaving your way. The way, I don't know,
a tree would grow. It's just the way that I would
hear it in my head. You know, just like what
we talked about earlier about being asleep and
you hearing the music and you're like, you don't
want to lose that moment. So you try to break
away from it and you can't. Right. And you wake
up the next morning like, shit. Yeah. What was
that damn note? I can't tell you how many times
that's happened to me, man. And I want to remember
Marcus. I do, but it's gone. Yeah, I hear it.
You grasp it and then... It's gone. I'm like,
did it go like this? No, it didn't go like that.
The rule of thumb now with the band that I'm
in now is write and record everything, whether
it's good or bad. Because we always have one
of those famous words, I'll remember it. No,
no, no, just record it. Yeah, record it. Go back
to it and you have it there. Yeah. at that uh
blue above the wires we released one of the first
albums that was released first i had stepped
out for a while uh and that and that in that
period of time and i know we had tim come in
another guitar player come in and take over take
over my spot um you all started gigging more
out in the open there five years passed by uh
funny story uh they were playing at best by And
I remember Best Buy. Yeah, it was a gig at Best
Buy. How do you remember that? These are key
points in my life, bro, that I try to keep in
notch. I'm playing in the practice room. Al's
playing with me. And then I guess you go up to
Steve. He goes, who's that? Marcus is over there.
All right. You think you want to play with us?
He goes, I don't know. Why don't you go ask?
He goes, yeah, all right. Whatever. OK. So I'm
there with Al. And you walk in. He goes, what's
up, Marcus? What's up, dude? Alright, yeah, we
have a guitar John with a sound like what most
of these are your songs And we ended up coming
back to the band after five years and John goes
I knew it was gonna be So At that point we're
you guys were already finishing up the plow album
The Plow album was coming out, they were still
touching up on it. Let me put a picture of that
one there. The Plow album, Tracy and the Plow
album, that was like the last, one of the last
albums I came out on again. But that one, that
one was, for me it was a lot of fun, because
it was way out of my comfort zone. For me? And
for Isaac, I know Isaac's like. That was a bitch
dude. Oh my god, I know you can tell cuz Alan
I would talk to like us dude, they go what do
you think Isaac Isaac can do a bro. I'm gonna
tell you right now, dude. This is way But he
said do it cuz he's doing it for you, dude Honestly,
bro, I mean I love blue ball the wire like I
said mo the Alan I we Co -wrote the music through
most the majority of it, but this one was more
out more of his baby Bro It was honestly that
album. I honestly had the most fun on only reason
why I was able to play with so many notes in
that in that album There were so many fun notes.
You guys were all over the place And then I remember
like when I said we're gonna go in a different
direction And I was like, what do you mean? We're
going to tune down. And he was like, why? I'll
get to that in a minute. And then I knew. I was
like, oh, no, dude. They're going to go hard.
They're going to go heavy. That album. And I
said it twice already. And I'll say it again.
That album was a bitch to sing on. And it really
was. One, it was out of my comfort zone. Two,
John was ruthless. Yes. Ruthless on that album.
And this is where the legend comes out, guys.
I mean, if you watch the older episode with Evolve
about a couple years ago, this is something we
brought up, and John refuses to acknowledge this.
John, you're going to watch because I'm asking
the man right now. Did John make you bleed? Yeah,
man. Well, I think what it was, man, was that,
like, you just can only do so much. Right. And
I never complained. And I still don't complain.
You know, whatever John Fesney had done, he just
did it. And I remember going in there, and it
was on that album. That album ripped up my vocal
cords. But the cool thing about when that happens,
they get thicker. Your vocals get thicker. Your
voice gets thicker. I don't know if it's being
damaged, probably. as soon as that album we started
recording that album the first couple of recording
sessions Marcus were ruthless they were I mean
over and over and I remember like coughing and
like shit just coming up man I'm like oh my god
this is this is not good you know but right didn't
bitch didn't complain and I kind of you know
I said yeah John after the session was over it's
Man, I really ripped up my vocals on that. He
goes, yeah, yeah, you did. We're honest, man.
Unapologetic. No sorry, would you like? No, none
of that shit. But did you die? You went through
it. You went through it. And his theory was,
you need to get out of that comfort zone if you're
going to want to grow as a vocalist. And until
this day... Whenever now and then one of the
tracks comes up on the random I'll listen to
it and I'll say holy shit, dude. That was yeah,
that was a very difficult album to yeah sing
what and do harmonies and back vocals and Because
man, it was it was push. It was push push push
push push until it was gone Yeah, and then okay,
I'm done. I I'm there's no more voice. Yeah,
so that album I mean To be honest with was like
I said before it was it was so much on my my
part being more Because I'll I'll I'll push me
to the limits. Hey, it needs to sound like this
shit Everybody because you need you need to find
that key and you you need to chop it here and
you got to do this You got I'm like, bro, I'm
giving it all I got it. No, no, no, no, you got
to do that My there's the first time I was getting
pushed more I mean it was way out of my comfort
zone, but getting pushed into that direction
kind of made me Better guitar player. Yeah along
the way you grew. Yeah with experience. Yeah,
you got out of that conference and we all did
Yeah, I think the only one that was comfortable
was out. Yes You and I were catching hell man,
right? But when you listen to it now it when
you listen to Any of the releases that we did
yeah Tracy's men releases they aged really Yes,
they did they and I'll go back and listen to
it in its entirety and I'm like, oh my god, this
is This isn't bad. This is actually pretty good.
And not to stroke my own ego or anything, but
it was the way that you and Al would put things
together that made it good. You guys had some
kind of tunnel vision or something that allowed
the songs to be written in that way. And then
when Al, I don't know who gave Al the green light
to do Plow, it wasn't me. But while that happened.
All I know is that the way I heard Plow and if
I'm not Steve you're watching or anybody in the
guys watching that the show Steve started off
with a simple bass run the When you heard that
I'm like Dude, are we in a jungle or something?
What the hell's going on? Oh, no, you got it.
He got the influence from Tito and Okay. All
right. Well, there you go. Yeah, you see that's
new to me I didn't know that but when I heard
that for the first time like dude This is like
way out of my comfort zone. I don't know where
we're going with this How is it a play and you
know, just hang on and let's go for the ride
then Al has all we're gonna do to stroke and
watch Okay, cool. You go high go low harmonize
it. All right, that's it. It's okay. We're going
good. We're going good songs going great The
breakdown towards the end Bro, I took that take.
I would say about 10 maybe 20 times I could not
get it because you're missing it in your head
I was so fed up without like I'll get away from
my face out But just like I said you when you
finally get it you finally hit the mark that
you need to hit you're like I don't remember
how relieved you were when you finished. I remember
that, man, because I'd go to those sessions,
and I'll be completely honest with you, Marcus,
I was scared shitless because I was next. Because
remember, we would do the drum tracks first,
and then we would do the bass tracks, and then
the other sessions would be, I think it would
just be Al, and then maybe you came in. But once
it was all done, and it was like, it was dreadful,
because I was like, oh my God, there's... eight
tracks, nine tracks, and they're all ball breakers.
And I said, well, you know, sink or swim. But
with John's guidance, man, to be honest with
you, and the push, push, push attitude that that
album demanded, it didn't ask for it. It demanded
you to push. When it was done, I don't know who
was more relieved you or me like it was completely
over I had fun on it, but the recording session
was Terrible. It was it was scary. It was out
there. That was quite the scariest Album, I think
I ever was a part of right all the other ones
like kick walks. Oh after that album I Said my
goodbyes I split Steve later down the road, decided,
you know what, I'm bowing out, later, I'm gone.
And so the only ones that are there is just you,
Al, and Joel. And we're like, okay, what are
we doing now? So you pick up Mike, which is another
great player from Forty Cover Kids. Another great
player, man. Steve's cousin, by the way. Yeah,
but runs in the blood, runs in the family. Those
guys are just great. So you go off and finish
off this last album. Um, yeah, I heard that one
and it just, it took a twist. You're like, wow,
okay. It went from something that was enlightening,
then hard, and then just like, okay, that's where
we're going to stay. That's it. We're there,
we're at. And then after that, it just faded
away. And that was it. That was a tough fade
though, man, because we've been doing it for
so long and it was a very... It was it was a
difficult moment like when it disintegrated.
Yeah, we saw the writing on the wall Yeah, you
all right, and we're gonna do another album or
we're gonna go do this we do that right right
right and I felt you know, I think everybody
felt it was time for it for a change right and
I like I like the way that we all said, okay,
you know what guys it we had a good run me a
great run Yeah, but I knew that I was gonna take
a break which I did But I never stopped writing.
I always was always writing. I was always listening
to conversations and magpying from here, magpying
from there. Right. I'd have them there. So I
think when it was it was bittersweet, Marcus.
Yeah, that's what it was. When Tracy's been disintegrated
and we all left, you know, in pretty good terms
and in a good couple of years. It was a good
run. Yeah, it was a good run. And the cool thing
about that, man, was that we could not have Moved
on unless we did that band, right? I could not
have been the vocalist once I left Tracy's men
I was not the same vocalist when I started I
got just a little bit better a little more original
and then you start picking things up along the
way and Then you're just okay now now what what
are you gonna do now, right? I think I took six
months off. I think man. Maybe maybe a year.
It's going nuts. Yeah It was going crazy, like
the way you were going crazy. Yeah. You know,
you let the release. Couldn't release. Like I
said, I had to do something else. I mean, before.
Well, before before the podcast, this was because
Isaac and I were talking about when Al stepped
out for a while and Al was already getting the
hunch for it again. He wanted to go back and
play again. So I reached out to Al and he goes,
hey, do you know what? Let's let's start a small
cover band. Because sure, you play bass, I'll
play guitar, and we'll get Juan. The drummer
always won! Are you joking? So we get Juan in
the band, and we start jamming out and everything.
And, you know, Al and I would talk a lot, hey
man, let's play a Trish's Men song. Well, let's
give it a shot. Let's play Last Sunday. I know
all the lyrics to that one, I know how to play
it, I know the leads, you know the bass lines,
Juan knows it like the back of his hand, let's
just play it. So when we play it, you're like,
shh, badass, okay. We learned it, that's for
the back pocket, you never know who might use
it. Turns out, down the road, we were at a benefit
concert, and we were on stage, we're playing,
I think we had just finished playing Ace of Spades,
I think it was Ace of Spades, I'm not sure, but...
And the corner of my eye, I see you standing
over there going, hey, this guy's here. I have
a confession. I want to hear that confession.
I was there. But I was there looking at another
guitar player. Ah! This interview's over, guys.
Thank you for coming by. We'll see you next time.
And the crazy thing about that, Marcus, is that
he's playing with us now. Really? Yeah. Freddie.
OK. I was looking at him, but at the time, I
wanted to get back into writing another album
or single or anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And
I was starting to cherry pick. I was going around
bars and checking out people playing and drummers
and what have you. And that guy stuck out. I
mean, his band was good. Yeah. Overdrive something.
Oh, Mars Overdrive. Damn, they were really good.
Freddie and the singer was playing and something.
They had like some kind of technical difficulty
with his amp or process. You got another out,
didn't you? You got another out. Yeah, another
out. It was during, they were doing a Prince
song. Okay. Okay. And I remember this because
I was looking at Freddie and like, and then I
saw it's like, oh shit, something's happened
to this guitar. Freddie sees his bandmate go
down, like, oh shit, there's something wrong.
He picks up right where that guy was. Post has
started playing. And I told myself, see, that
shit, you cannot teach. That shit is what you
need. So I approached him, but it wasn't the
right time, because he was in a band, and it
wasn't the right time, because he was working
a lot. And I said, OK, that's fine. If you ever
decide you change your mind, let me know. And
just recently, maybe three weeks ago, a month
ago, I just shot him out of the blue. I said,
hey, I'm doing an acoustic gig, because I like
acoustic gig. Would you like to come and play
with us? He said, I'd love to. I have time now.
I'm not doing anything. I'm in another band,
but that's not like this. And he didn't even
go to a rehearsal. He just showed up at the gig.
And Javi shows him these are the chords. Dude,
he just picked it up. And he's a lead guitar
player is what he really is. It allows the songs
to open up in blue when you have a lead guitar
player. Right, right, right. You can go on forever,
eight measures, 16, it doesn't matter. Exactly.
I just sit back and just let me know when you're
done and I'll come back in. Right, right, right.
That was what I was doing there. Ah, you see,
I told you. No, so I see in the corner of my
eye and I go to him, hey, look over there. He's
like, that's Isaac. He goes, do you want to or
what? Bring them over to you. All right, cool.
And that's what I made the announcement I got
a special guest for one time only more time one
time only and I and got a great picture of it
is The original members playing one last time
in any particular the cubbyhole in any more Texas
we played a last Sunday and I think we also played
a I think it was a Harlem to Memphis the two
songs that actually hit the radio waves. Yes,
I did at the time and Playing that again, I guess
you could say that was the for me at that moment
It was like the last hurrah like it was a closure
for me. Yeah, you know, I It was something that
I got closure for it, you know It it brought
back a lot of memories else at the same thing
dude brought back a shitload of memories. Yeah,
dude It's there it's like Reading this you already
know how the story ends But you wanna read it
again. You know what I mean? So, and I told him,
I go, man, it's just something that's gonna be
in our back pockets for the rest of our lives,
you know, where this band we're playing in now
succeeds, it doesn't, breaks down, whatever,
it is what it is, but we had that one moment
in time where it was Isaac, it was myself, it
was you, it was Steve, it was a Joel, that...
that's always going to be a memory set in stone.
Because you can always fall back, oh, I remember
this time, which brings me to... When we before
we became an actual full -fledged band which
we'll get to right now cuz I gotta get to commercial
break We're about an hour in this is gonna be
a long podcast. There's a lot of stuff on the
table here guys But let me give a shout out to
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man for helping us out going back to the urban
legend i always tell the story nobody believes
me i think it's gonna actually fill the puzzles
if you can still remember San Antonio gig Bull
Peppers Your cousin Bo had got us a gig up there
right big shot to Bo. What's up, Bo? We're out
there and One of the waitresses comes up to us
And she goes, oh, you guys are part of the band?
I go, yeah. Oh, we got to give you bracelets.
Make sure you go up there. And she goes, all
right. They put a bracelet on. They give Al a
bracelet. No, they gave me a bracelet first.
Al was setting up still. Was it illegal to drink
at the time? Yeah, it was. It was already, I
think, 24, 23 years old. And I get my bracelet,
and I come back with two beers. And Al goes,
where did you get those beers? From the bar?
Who gave them to you? I got a bracelet. What's
that free beer? He comes back with two beers
with actually three beers and we're seeing that
we start drinking boom boom boom boom here you
see us we're setting up a lot of that then all
of a sudden you see I'll go Al B. McGuire and
all, we head to Kmart, find a fishing string,
and string that son of a bitch up, and we come
back. It's nuts. Yep. We come back, play the
show, and then we get another round of beer,
and we get another round of beer. By the time
we're drinking so much, a waitress approaches
you, and she tells you, we're not serving beer
anymore. No. She tells you, these guys have been
drinking a lot of beer. Do you like to continue
serving them? Is it true that he goes... Cut
him off. Did I cut him off? I probably did. I
was playing a dick and probably did, man. Cut
him off, because these guys are not going to
stop. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, man, because boy,
that was a long time ago, man. But yeah. Yeah.
I think they didn't expect. There was a lot of
people in there. Yeah, but I don't think they
expected us to be drinking that much. Yeah. You
know, but that's what we did. I mean, that's
what we always did. And they were just serving
liquor after that and they couldn't serve anything
else. The beer was already gone. It was gone.
It was like, Jesus. They were tapped out. They
were, man. It was funny. That was a nice gig.
I liked that one, man. That was a cool one. That
was a fun. That was a real fun gig. So see, now
you guys know the story already. So this is the
correct story already. So I want to get your
thoughts, man. I'm going to show you some pictures
real quick. these are pictures of the members
and I'm gonna start from From beginning to the
last member. So the first you already got mine.
I already heard my piece already So let me go
and start up with this one right here. Okay,
that's out. Yeah, my boy Very good. That's string
popper. Let's see. Sorry. What are your thoughts
on this guy, man? I was a great musician man.
He really really is and not only that he's a
great collaborator He is a, well, he's a metalhead.
That's his nature. He has a heavy hand, and that's
why he breaks a lot of strings. But the imagination
that he would bring to the table was, I think,
was responsible for a lot of the good middle
eights that we would have. Maybe the hooks in
the chorus that he'd come up with, you know?
But if... If he's around, and he's not in a band,
and you guys want to start a band, that's the
guy that you want. Well, he's playing with Bullerite
at the moment, so he's being a bass player to
Bullerite. Oh, he's playing bass? He's playing
bass. Yeah, that's right. I'm sure he's loving
that. Speaking of bass players, here's another
one for you. There's Steven. There's where he
got offended when I said he was a jazz. And that
was a compliment, Marcus, really. But yeah, Steve,
man, that guy, again, amazing, him and his cousin,
Mike, Michael, amazing. And the crazy thing is,
he never had a lesson. He never took lessons.
None of y 'all did. No. You guys were just, it
was just something that you guys had in you as
a talent, to be honest with you, the talent that
you guys had to play the instruments that you
did and to play them the way you did. Right.
And without having to be trained or, you know,
I think if you were to be trained, you probably,
one, would quit, and two, you'd probably go back
to the garage and start playing the way you did.
Right, right. So that's Stephen. That's Stephen,
right. And the last but not least. There's Hawell.
Yeah. Fat Beats Hawell. Yeah. Another great guy
right there, man. Love that man. Great drummer.
Great. Oh, man, what I really liked about Hawell.
was he was one of the first ones there and one
of the last ones to leave. All that damn equipment
he would carry along. Yeah, I'm glad I was never
a drummer. You know, I just had to bring my mic
and that was it. You're like, I'm set up. You
get all mad. But he was... He was kind of like
a maestro, I guess, you know? He knew when things
would start and when they would stop and you
could hear him calling out, okay, here, or change.
I could hear him. And he just had a knack for
for rhythm. He had a knack for the way They could
blend into one another even when we'd go on like
on a down like we'd be playing pretty well And
then he'd go to a drop beat right that was beautiful.
I love the way you would do that Yeah, he did
that a lot on the uterpey album. Okay, so he
did really well and the crazy thing about well
is When he would go record again another nightmare
from you know Fez. Yeah, he would get so nervous
He would get really, really, really nervous.
And he would try to calm his nerves by drinking
beer. And then he'd get sloppy. So Fez, John,
gave him an herbal tea. He said, you can drink
that after. Let's try a tea. And I think it was
one of that Sleepy Bear tea. We even have a song
called Sleepy Tea. And it really chilled him
out, man. I mean, Howell would get really high
strung recording. You sure it was sleepy? I know,
but God knows what Fentus put in there, but it
really chilled him out. And that track, I remember
he was doing... I can't remember the track, but
it is on the Utopia album. But it really chilled
him out, man. He would just play and then they
got it down and... When feds told me I was like,
well, maybe that's you know, what do you need
it? I don't know what you put in there, but All
in all I mean the best whatever was written and
written in stone with this band I Mean I wouldn't
have any other other way. I know like I said
every band goes through the ups and downs of
disagreements the fights, the yelling, the poking
at, but you try to push that aside. I mean, between
brothers, it's the way it is. It was a brotherhood.
It really was. I mean, that's the way I looked
at it. Yeah, there was a lot of, you know, oh
no, freaking nice guy, freaking well, damn it,
Mark, what the fuck are you doing? It was just...
But that's the way I mean even if like especially
if you're trying to do something that you've
never done before Right and everybody thinks
that their way is right. Yeah, so and You know,
I'm guilty of that too, man. I really really
am the ego back in that day was this horrendous
I my ego has been gone for years now. So I'm
a little I'm a lot more passive now a lot more
understanding. We were so young. Yeah we were
very very young back in those days and it was
like driving it was like giving a teenager a
sports car and saying here's the keys go have
fun and you know it is what it is i mean it's
like i said i wouldn't change it any other way
i'll cherish The good times. And those are the
things I do remember, man, to be honest with
you, or the good times that we had. Yes, we argued.
Yes, we did debate it. And yes, we got angry
or whatever, pouted and threw tantrums and stuff
like that. But man, that goes everywhere, man.
That's universal. You can't even have a utopian
band. There's just no way. That's true. That's
true. I mean, it is what it is. It is what it
is. Great work. I mean, it was fun doing it.
Scary at times. Right. cut your teeth on something
that you had a passion for and you really need
to go back and listen to those albums and they
have aged really really well. I've caught myself
once in a blue moon I will pop in I'll go to
Spotify and just let me hear this album and you
just and you start reminiscing oh this is where
Steve fell down no there's part where and there
was a lot of other recordings that We were doing
I still have the I still have the recording where
I have Steve, you know White chocolate! I don't
know for some reason. I don't know what he was
doing. Steve was funny that way though, man.
He had these little one -liners that he'd blurt
out. Like he had some sort of Tourette's or something.
But he was funny. Steve was hilarious. He really...
I'd never seen Steve angry or upset or hurt.
He was just always fun to be around. Yeah, and
he could quote movies. better than you. Oh yeah.
Oh hell yeah. It was great. I loved it. Even
now to this day I'll talk to him and he'll quote
Pistols at Dawn or something. Right. No man,
great love man to know that man is to love that
man. He's a really really really good guy. I
know I reached out to Al and Steve. I think we
are going to do a part two of reminiscing about
this band also because this is something everybody
that I've known you know and it's funny because
I've had guests on the show they go oh man there's
this band I used to work with they're from They're
from Mission. I think they're from Mission and
McAllen. And he goes, I got their album right
here. And I see the Sola's Day one or I'll see
a blue above the wire. I go, really? He goes,
I hear the guitar player is an asshole. I go,
which one? I look for the name. My name right
there. He's a fucking asshole. Holy shit, you're
on this album. And you know, it's weird because.
You start seeing these people come out of the
woodwork and say, oh, I know this guy. Oh, I
know who Isaac is. Oh, I know John. And you're
like, where were you guys 15 years ago? Where
were you guys? But I mean, it is what it is.
It's set in stone. And I mean, it's fun to play
with memories. And you just got to move on. I
would not trade any of that, man. It was a learning
experience. it was fun like i said and it was
scary at times right it's frustrating sometimes
but yep i wouldn't change it there's no way yeah
so after the fade of tracy it finally fades away
that's one question oh shit one question no nothing
nothing bad no i know what you're gonna ask what
where did i get the name yes where did the name
come i want to know i've been steve and i was
debate it goes Man has to be from Mandela, dude.
I know for a fact. They got an autistic bastard.
But what the fuck do we get Tracy from? I go,
I don't know. One day we'll ask him. Maybe we
bump into him at an old folks home and we're
all there for some reason. What the fuck is going
on here? What the hell are you talking about?
That's freaky man crap. That's funny that you
mention that because when I was in Kingsville,
there was a really good friend of mine by the
name of Rob Coger, keyboard player. Brilliant,
man. The guy was really, really good. and we
started writing songs together and um he said
something like we should start a band and i was
like all right man just you and me yeah i got
everything i got keyboard drum machine this and
you just sing and i'll go write songs okay sounds
good to me and they go i said well what what
do you want to name the band he's all tracy's
mend he came up with it oh shit he came up with
that and um it stuck with me And then I moved
from Kingsville and I came down here, and I don't
know what happened to Rob. I haven't gotten in
contact with him, but that's where I got it from.
I got it from my buddy Rob, one of the best friends
I've ever had and a talented musician, but he's
the one that came up with that one. I got one
of our top fans on here. He's talking about it.
I'm sorry, Louis, let me say it. There Louie
you're happy because I got a name for my central
playing band. I'm very nice. Do we think I appreciate
that? These are these are my fans, bro So that's
where it originated from from that part, right
and then the and Alan I I don't still actually
Steve and I talked a lot we talked about the
old days there to go broke I mean some of the
lyrics that Isaac would write bro. I mean what?
What was he drinking? What was he smoking? What
was he on? There you go, and that could be a
time for another time, maybe in a part two. If
we do end having a part two, maybe we'll invite
you back and we'll all four of us will sit down
here and, you know, finally put the nail on the
closing coffin there and say, yeah, that's it.
Everything's been said and done. That's it. But
that'll be further down the line. Lyrics now
the lyrics. Yeah itself. We'll talk about that
next time because I know I know we're short in
time I want to go into this new band that you're
in a dodge. Yes Take us take us on a stroll there.
Well, what are we looking at? Because I know
we're pressed for time. No, go for it. Go for
it. You got you got you I Wasn't do I was trying
to cut again trying to find somebody to help
me cut an EP or an album and I was working with
a piano player and it just You're a musician,
Marcus. You know when it's going to work and
it's not going to work. Right, right. You know
when somebody has their head in it and their
heart in it. Right, right. He didn't have it.
And I just kept being patient with him and patient.
And then I just finally decided, like, he just
said, you know what? It's not happening for me.
Right. And I said, oh, shit. OK, thanks for your
time, I guess. So I'm sitting at home, tooling
my thumbs, wondering, OK, now what's next? I'm
not in a band. I'm not writing anything, I'm
not recording, and I get a call from a really
good friend of mine by the name of Andy. And
he gives me a call and says, hey, Isaac, are
you doing anything? And I was like, what do you
mean? Musically. I said, no, no, I'm not. Actually,
I'm not. In fact, I just got dropped. And he's
like, hey, would you want to come audition for
this cover band that we're putting together?
And I was like. It's something, it's something,
man. Yes, absolutely, I'd love to. So I go, come
on this day. And so I show up. And they're all
sitting outside in the back, man. He's got a
nice little set up in the back. And I sit with
them, and hey, I'm Isaac. How you doing? Blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah. And they start talking
about the ideas of what they're going to want
to do. And we're supposed to go audition, you
know, I'm supposed to go and, you know, sing
a couple songs for him and see up there, you
know, if I'm be able to make this or not. Right.
So I'm just waiting and waiting. And, you know,
whenever you guys are ready, let me know. And
then Andy says, oh, by the way, Isaac has albums
out in a band, this old band Traces Men. And
to the rest of the people that were there, that
just they're like, what do you mean albums like
albums, albums? Yeah, he does, man. And they
didn't believe Andy. And so they looked us up
on Apple and they played last Sunday. I didn't
have to audition. Hey, you're in, you're in.
The magical song of the dream I had, buddy. But
the crazy thing was, you know, Marcus, when you're
in a band, you know that shit just isn't going
to work out. Yeah. OK, that was I was in that
man. I didn't say anything because it wasn't
my band and I was just. there, going through
the motions. But I started to say, OK, who's
the workhorse? Who's the one that's always here
on time? Who's the one that leaves late? Who's
the one that does their homework? Who's the one
that has the desire, the push? And I found them.
Because I knew that band was just going to disintegrate
within about maybe less than a month. So when
it did, I gave it about a seven -day morning
period, I guess, to let people go their own way.
And I gave my buddy Javi in Horsa, that's who
I'm working with now. I gave him a call and I
said, hey, what are you doing? He's like, I'll
just hang out. I'm gonna ask you a question that
may not seem friendly, but I assure you it is.
He's like, yeah, sure, what's up? Do you write
songs? He's like, and it just popped on him.
He had a plethora of material. He had a lot of
ideas. He was looking for somebody. Who wanted
to venture out and do something like that, right?
So, okay. Look man. I got access to a studio.
All right Let's set up something and see if we
can write a song right within the first ten minutes
of that we did It was it was cute little, you
know, nothing fancy Just we just wanted to see
if the engine would turn on and right right,
right So once we started to do that we knew we
had There was something there. And the one thing
about Javi is his imagination. It's vast. It's
deep. He doesn't do the same thing twice. He
loves to play with processes and sounds. I mean,
he loves to do that stuff. He's not a lead guitar
player. I'm not a lead guitar player. I just
play chords. That's all I need. I need a lead
guitar player. So when he started to write songs,
man, Marcus... It was like the well was full.
The tap was open. Songs were just coming out.
They were just coming out, coming out, coming
out. So he is working with another, I say a very
young man. He's about 25, 24, somewhere in there.
Alex never had a lesson on percussion and drums,
man. This man is, this young man is extremely
talented. So we get him to come in. He's so talented
that... When he was playing gigs with us acoustically,
because we were doing them acoustically, he was
playing on a cajon. Oh shoot, okay. He was playing,
and he knew the songs. So when we went to record,
he'd never played them on a kit. Oh shit. Didn't
skip a beat. And he just did the whole EP in
one day. Holy moly. Yeah, he did all four tracks
in one day. And that was the first EP. We got
a taste of that. Liked it we did another one.
Mm -hmm, and then we did another one and then
it started to get expensive So we started let's
go to singles we started doing singles right
so that's where we're at right now and if anybody
Would like to go and see us play we play Every
Saturday at University Drafthouse at noon in
Edinburgh in Edinburgh. Oh, it's an acoustic
show. Mm -hmm It's not loud. It's really intimate
and we even invite people to come sit with us
like they'd have sofas Mm -hmm have a seat drink
your beer chill out with us. I think I saw a
video that about it was like this past Saturday
No, the last you were outside. Yeah, usually
we play inside But we I like to play inside because
the sofas you're just like it's like it was like
a rehearsal It's like a hobby's house, right?
So we play there every Saturday and We do the
Deal was you know, I made an offer that the owner
manager just couldn't refuse I said look If you
allow us to play we'll play for free one hour
one hour for free. Mm -hmm, but the catch is
We don't play covers. We play our own music.
Okay. Yeah, and he was like, well, let's see
what you have So we showed him what we had on
I think he was using Spotify. I think at the
time and He liked it. He goes, come in Saturday,
let's give it a shot. And we did for one hour.
And it worked out really well. It was just Javi
and I. Most of the time it was Javi and I. Freddie
just started showing up and that's when everything
started to really take on a different feel. But
it's something that we've always wanted to do,
get back into playing because of the pandemic.
We stopped. All we do is just writing. And then
we had all this material and then we started
recording. And that took forever to do. And then
we say, let's start playing live. So slowly but
surely Freddie and Javi have the same concept
as you and Ali. Oh, okay. They make the covers
their own. They play, this is the way I would
play it. Right. Sounds like the song, but with
a different take. A different feel. A different
feel. And remember, you and I and Al and everybody
else. We're not the same positions that we were
back in our 20s. Right. You know, I'm already
50. You're probably like in your mid -40s already.
Thanks. Appreciate that. You're welcome. We're
not the same. It's the experiences that we had
with Tracy's Men that allows me or allows me
now to venture out and do something new. I'm
not afraid anymore like I used to be. I'm more
or less like you now. When you were there, you
dared to fail. I'm like that now. I'm not scared
to fail. I know that I can sing. I know that
I have an original voice now. I found it. I know
that I can write better than I did before. And
I know what a catchy hook is. I know what a middle
eight is. I know how verses go. So what I'm doing
now is just the graduation of what we did with
Tracy's Men with different members. Right. Same
concept, original. And we don't care about, you
know, getting paid. We love to do it. So we do
play there every Saturday, university draft outs
at noon. That's cool, man. It's a free gig. That's
cool, that's cool. I mean, you know, you have
some, let me put some websites right here real
quick. I do have a QR code. You want to catch
everything that's going on with these guys, where
they're showing up, where they're going to play.
Hit them up. Also, if you want to follow Isaac
and you have some, some lyrics or music you want
to donate. Hit them up, man. You're glad you
listened to them. I'd love to talk people there
with people about their lyrics. It's really,
really neat. I enjoy that. It's a, it's a, we
talked about this before also. It's a, not really
a lost passion. It's more like AI has made it
simpler. We talked about that. It took a lot
of the hard work out of being a musician. Imagination
and creativity. And that stuff again Marcus you
cannot teach. Imagination and creativity. It's
something that you either have or you don't.
And the bad thing about And I'm not knocking
it man. I mean AI is you know It's it's great.
It really really is mm -hmm, but I think it takes
away from the originality of the artist Yeah,
the guitar player with a singer or the poet or
whatever You're allowing a program to be creative
for you, and you're not honing in Your creativity
what we did with yeah, we honed in on your creativity,
Al's creativity. With AI, it just wipes all that
out. Yeah, it does. So if you're using it, great,
congratulations. But I prefer doing it the old
way, writing something and then writing it again
until I find out. Use a thesaurus, go back to
your notes, look at something and try to say
it better. But, um, I enjoy that process. That's
cool, man. I really do. That's why I know he
brought me a little something -something. Yeah,
I did. Look at that. The old man in the sea.
He's trying to say something, man. He's trying
to tell you that's a really good story, man.
It's really, really good. Will there ever not
be an A .I. book about me, bro? When you read
that, you're gonna say, that's a bad -ass old
man. I'll take a gander at it, I guess. You'll
like it. There are cliff notes for the right
matters. Heavyweight is so great, you don't need
Cliff Nose. Some people are like, what the hell
are Cliff Nose doing? No, no, no. Not part of
your time period. You don't need it, man. You're
going to get hooked on that one. It's really,
really, really good. Isaac, one last question
for you tonight, bro. When it's all said and
done, Father Time finally catches up and says,
hey, you know what? It's time to go. You know,
you need to say your goodbyes. What do you want
to be known as? What do you want to be remembered
as? I think when you get, when a man reaches
a certain age, he wants to leave something behind.
I know I do. And the goal with Tracy's Man and
Adagio Drag is to record and release as many
songs as I possibly can until I'm 86 out of here.
That way, when my wife or my children miss me,
all they gotta do is push play. So if I want
to be remembered by anything, I want to be remembered
by Being considerate enough to leave something
behind Not not a family heirloom, you know, I
got plenty of those to pass around but something
that My wife and my and my children say, you
know, my kids would say hey, that's my old man,
right? My wife that's that's my husband. That's
that's right. He was and That's what I want people
to remember me by is like, hey, this guy wasn't
the greatest singer in the world, all right?
Wasn't the most talented, but you know, he did
okay. And he left us this. And whomever can listen
to it and get something out of it, man, I mean,
that's what it's for. And there's no really easy
way to leave something behind like that. You
will have your son listen to your music yeah
they're actually these podcasts i mean video
wise audio wise he can come back and see whenever
you want uh but yeah and and everything you're
saying it's it's true i mean you you want to
leave something behind for the ones they're going
to be carrying on you know hopefully that memory
carries on further right you know right i i totally
agree with you with that man and the one thing
about music markets and i think you'll agree
with me People are gonna forget about me When
I die give it 20 years give it 30 years. They're
not gonna know who I was but Apple Spotify, yep
Prime YouTube all those music engines Your music
and my music will continue to be played. Yeah,
I told you that it was in South Korea. Yeah The
Netherlands, we got picked up. The Netherlands.
I can't even pick that out on a map. It's crazy.
And there's the same thing I was telling you.
Bro, I mean, we talked about it. You can't make
it here. I mean, yeah. It really is about making
it here. It's just about leaving. Right, Marcus.
It's about leaving something behind. Yeah. And
I can't think of a better thing to leave behind
than music. Music is universal. Yeah, exactly.
And there's something for everybody. Yeah, a
little little dab of this little dab of that
for everybody listen to First of all, I want
to say thank you for coming out Thank you for
having to come out and playing with me on these
cameras and mics even though we're there's no
acoustic or or live band in the background, but
guys The albums that Isaac and I were talking
about they are available on Spotify Apple. I
believe I'm prime also there on any just look
platform that they're out there man just look
it up I mean even that the one that Isaac loves
the most here is available for you to listen
when they're the last one of the last ones that
we wrote together as a whole Fledge group great
man it just it brings back a lot of memories
I wasn't just anticipating for today to talk
to you man and reminisce about old stuff like
that bro cuz it's fun to dip back in the past
and See yourself from looking at yourself in
the past into where you're at in retrospect now
And it's it's a total different aspect from both
ends of the table now because you're still pursuing
music I've just like you know what I'm doing
this now. This is a great day for you, man. I
congratulate a niche it finally found The hook.
Get me out there. Congratulations, man. I wish
you the best of luck. Thanks. And I really, really
am proud of what you've done here. Likewise for
you. Carry on with your music writing, your lyric
writing. But still, you need to bring out a thesaurus
to follow exactly what Isaac is talking about.
We'll get into that part two, when we get the
rest of the guys in here to sit down and have
a chat. Hopefully soon, maybe in the summer or
right before school starts, we'll get something
going. I'd love to, man. That'd be great, man.
Really, thank you so much. for inviting me over.
It was really a pleasure. I appreciate you, man.
Thank you so much. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen,
that is our podcast for tonight. I know we're
an hour and 30 minutes in. Well, I consider the
fact that the South Texas International Film
Festival was like four hours long. This is the
longest I've been alive with you guys. I want
to say thank you to Isaac Mandela coming to the
studio. Big shout out to Al, Steve, Hoel from
the original members of Tracy's Men. That's history
that's you got a respect of Isaac and a little
respect of my history where we had all started
from so oh wait I got one more Comment down here.
Who do I have here? He goes great show by Liz
Okay, cool. There you go. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Don't forget, guys, subscribe,
follow our podcast. We do have, like I said,
we do have merch. Be one of our subscribers on
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month, two bucks. Let's think, guys. Less than
guess. Uh, so also if you want to go to a bonfire
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our podcast wherever it's available guys We'll
see you next week on friday 7 30. I will have
it cacahuate back in the house again with martin
gomez martin There you go, Louie, you have competition.
We will see you next week, 7 .30. Thank you so
much for tuning in. Staying so late with us.
Great conversation with great people, man. And
we're gonna have this again later on. It might
be a two -hour show, I don't know. Let's see,
because once the conversation starts going, by
the time we know it's 12 in the morning, you
know, we all got jobs to do. So, but other than
that, guys, thank you so much. We'll see you
next time. Laters, gators, peace out.