Imagine the vibrant tapestry of country and Americana music woven together by the gifted hands of solo artists united. That's the essence of the 615 Collective, an ensemble that Nicole sparked into existence, and the heart of our latest conversation. Nicole, along with the celebrated Aaron Goodvin and the enchanting Sarah Darling, pull back the curtain on the symphony of collaboration that defines their group. They divulge the secret sauce of balancing individual artistry with the harmony of collective performance, all while delivering anecdotes that capture the spirit of their shared stage experiences. Together, they've created a live music phenomenon that's as refreshing as it is resonant with the soul of Nashville.
With the spotlight warming their multi-instrumental dexterity, we get an up-close appreciation of the musical finesse within the 615 Collective. Imagine the strum of Nicole's guitar, the melody of her piano, and the charm of her fiddle intertwining with the rich narratives spun by these troubadours. As Sarah Darling's six-album-strong journey unfolds, we celebrate the sheer dedication that's become synonymous with their names. From the intimate rawness of songwriter showcases like CRS's Acoustic Alley to the joyous blend of voices and strings on stage, this episode is an acoustic journey through the passions and paths of artists who live to stir the hearts of their listeners.
Thanks for listening! Follow us at youtube.com/c/skiphappens
Imagine the vibrant tapestry of country and Americana music woven together by the gifted hands of solo artists united. That's the essence of the 615 Collective, an ensemble that Nicole sparked into existence, and the heart of our latest conversation. Nicole, along with the celebrated Aaron Goodvin and the enchanting Sarah Darling, pull back the curtain on the symphony of collaboration that defines their group. They divulge the secret sauce of balancing individual artistry with the harmony of collective performance, all while delivering anecdotes that capture the spirit of their shared stage experiences. Together, they've created a live music phenomenon that's as refreshing as it is resonant with the soul of Nashville.
With the spotlight warming their multi-instrumental dexterity, we get an up-close appreciation of the musical finesse within the 615 Collective. Imagine the strum of Nicole's guitar, the melody of her piano, and the charm of her fiddle intertwining with the rich narratives spun by these troubadours. As Sarah Darling's six-album-strong journey unfolds, we celebrate the sheer dedication that's become synonymous with their names. From the intimate rawness of songwriter showcases like CRS's Acoustic Alley to the joyous blend of voices and strings on stage, this episode is an acoustic journey through the passions and paths of artists who live to stir the hearts of their listeners.
Thanks for listening! Follow us at youtube.com/c/skiphappens
go. We're going to be live. We are live. Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of Skip Happens. I know everybody's kind of getting in the groove. It's cool. Got a great one for you tonight. I think almost every week we have a great one. A lot of so much great talent out there To these individuals. I'll tell you right now I do not know the other two. I do from being in the business. Anyways, we're going to get right to it. We're going to find out what they're all about. Tonight we have 615 Collective and there's a little bit of a delay, so maybe if I talk slower. Hello guys, how are you?
Speaker 3:Hey, Skip, hey, how are you Skip?
Speaker 1:Doing well. It's good to see you. Now. We have Nicole, correct. It must be not much of a delay right now. I like that. And we have, of course, michael. We got Nicole Witt and Michael Logan, is that correct? Now, those are the two I don't know. And then on the other half, on the other side of the screen, I got aaron goodvin, who is uh don't know exactly exactly.
Speaker 1:Uh, aaron is. Uh, I met him in nashville a few years back. He's been on my skip happens podcast. He's done a lot, is, you know, doing his own thing and he's a big star in Canada. I know that.
Speaker 3:Huge.
Speaker 1:Your sleeves do not match how big of a star you are in Canada.
Speaker 4:My sleeves are looking very. I didn't really notice it until we got on the call. I'm like why are my arms so long?
Speaker 1:Is that Sarah's t-shirt or something?
Speaker 3:Yes, I've been trying to dress him in the band. My arms so long. Is that Sarah's t-shirt or something? I've been trying to dress him in the band. I take blame.
Speaker 1:You're going to like this. That is Sarah Darling. If you've been a country music fan for a while, you know she's put out several albums. She's written for a lot of people, just like all of you have done that, sarah, it's just so good to see you. Now you're all together as one and it's called 615 Collective, and are you still doing your individual projects, or is this the new thing?
Speaker 4:Yes, we're all solo acts and we're all very selfish still.
Speaker 1:That is absolutely true, I love it.
Speaker 3:We all do our solo careers as well. But this is really fun because when we go on stage together as the collective, it's just a fun band situation. And it reminds me my favorite artist of all time is Tom Petty and you know, I think about the Traveling Wilburys and it just has that kind of fun, feel like, when we all get on stage and we we kind of sing on each other's songs and harmonize.
Speaker 1:So how would you describe what you do? Because you say you're a fan of Tom Petty and of course that's kind of over here, but then we're doing country and then maybe a little bit of bluegrass. I think Nicole's got some bluegrass roots, right.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, so I've written a couple of bluegrass songs and my grandparents were grassers, but I don't really do bluegrass. I have written a couple of songs that way, I suppose, but the band is very country Americana and, yeah, it's just been a blast to do this together.
Speaker 1:And you got Michael right over there who's kind of staring in the camera. It's like I love this, no, I love this. It's like, do you really need me here? But no, so this.
Speaker 5:I try not to talk over everybody now.
Speaker 1:You know what. It's going to be a little bit hard if we have a delay, but you know what we're going to make it work. That's what we do, and if anybody talks over somebody, it's probably going to be me and not intentionally, and I always I'm one of those that doesn't know when to stop talking. So me too okay, all right, good see, I stopped for a second, but this whole 615 collective is the brain child of you, nicole. Is that? Were you the one that actually said let's do this?
Speaker 2:yeah, I started dreaming about this, uh, in 2020 and yeah, the band started in 2021 and, uh, it's. It's definitely it's been a fun ride. I mean, these guys are amazing and it's just it's so fun to do this together, but it like collectively uh all of us on stage together.
Speaker 2:it's a little bit like a like a super group, because it's like everyone kind of does um their own thing and it's very like character driven. So I feel feel like there's some, there's somebody for everybody out there, like you know, in the audience. Um, so yeah, and you know we write music. Um, we have written two records full of 6.5 music, and then we do, we play some of the songs that we've um gotten cut on other artists and then we also play, um you know, each other's like solo stuff in a collective sort of way.
Speaker 1:So that's cool, what a really cool idea. When you think about it Something, it's different, it's unique. I mean the way it varies.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think I think one of the coolest things is like you know, as a, you know we're all very good at what we do, you know, and that's's very clear, and there's there's the nicest thing is like none of us have the ego at all and we all, we as a, as a solo artist, you get to like sit back and go like, oh, I get to watch, you know michael do his thing or sarah do her thing, and just like. You're kind of like on stage but you're a spectator and you get to be a part of it. So it's like it's a really nice change from being just like the solo act that has to have it you know all together and carry the whole show and and so it's like it's really cool to just be able to step back and have a friend play a song and then to be able to collaborate with them. So it is it's literally like it. It's so unique in that you know we're all very successful at, you know what we do on our own, but then we come together and it's like it feels like it's even more successful in a way, if that makes any sense yeah, it does
Speaker 3:and and michael and I have known each other for for years now and we've toured europe together, and so it's really cool that there's some cool back stories to us all being friends and that there's some cool backstories to us all being friends. And yeah, Michael and I toured all over.
Speaker 1:Well, you did the C2C right. If I remember, sarah, you guys you went over. I know you were there Did the whole group go and do like C2C this year and did you get a chance to do that as one?
Speaker 3:No, we did not do C2C this year. I've done it a few different times over the years, but we did not do c2c this year. I've done it um a few different times, um over the years, but um, we did not do it. But I, that is a goal of ours to definitely get over to to c2c. I think it'd be really cool absolutely.
Speaker 1:I mean that everybody I talked to that has had that opportunity. Just, you know they can't talk about it enough. It it's just, it's a experience I think everybody needs, needs to have. What about you, michael? You're a multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and you've my God I was reading your bio people you've written songs for. Can you tell us a little bit about who you've written for? I'll let you do it and along those roads lines.
Speaker 5:Sure, sure, well, yeah, well, thank, thank you. That's kind of you to say that man. Um, I guess, uh, kelly clarkson is is somebody that probably would be the most, uh, something people are the most familiar with um, she recorded a song called um you're breaking your own heart on on her album stronger, which was awesome and life-changing kind of a thing. But yeah, I think Nicole and I actually met through co-writing, you know, years ago, and Nashville's just a collaborative town. It's one of the beautiful things about it, and so over the years I've just gotten to write for friends of mine I mean matt carney and johnny lang, mark broussard and folks like that, yeah, um and uh and then just a lot of film and tv kind of stuff.
Speaker 1:But I I love the challenge of writing across genres and that kind of thing yeah, is this like starting over for you, though, because you, being who you are and at that level, you know a platinum selling singer, songwriter, and now you're like doing the radio tour again. And same thing for sarah. I mean, even aaron's been through this. But uh, now it's like, okay, we're going back out on a radio tour. We got to get up at 6 am, we got to be on the morning shows. We have to do this, we have to do that. Who's buying the coffee? Who's buying breakfast? Where are we going?
Speaker 5:right, right, it doesn't. I mean that's that's a great question, but it really doesn't feel like starting over. I think it's just a unique thing for all of us, like we still all are doing our own you know tours and like I just this past week was doing some solo shows, we all have solo tours. So to me this feels like just a really fun collaborative thing and extension.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Nicole, how many instruments do you play?
Speaker 1:I play guitar, piano and fiddle, so Wow, is it hard to be able to do all those. I mean, I'm just a radio guy, I push um but it's extremely hard.
Speaker 4:I'm always. I'm always like in awe of uh, nicole will like play a song on guitar, and then she'll, and then, and then she does. She does that well, and then she grabs the fiddle and then you just like, because there's always that thing where it's like oh, you play a lot of instruments, but how well do you play them? And she just crushes on the fiddle. It is so much fun to watch.
Speaker 1:You know, I was trying to think was it Runaway June? Is it Natalie? Natalie, I love.
Speaker 4:Natalie.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, she's amazing. We hung out in Nashville at CRS for a little bit and I know you guys were there as well, and but we also had her in the Northeast here in Syracuse and we did a show with them and to watch her on that fiddle is just amazing. And I'm sure you're incredible too.
Speaker 4:I just it just amazes me that you can do that Just love those girls and I love like getting fiddle on my, on my number one hits in Canada because I don't have them up there. So when Nicole picks up the fiddle and we go into boy like me, I'm like, oh, this is awesome.
Speaker 4:It's like a whole nother way to like your whole nother treatment for the song and still works and it's so cool and that's like the coolest part about this whole thing is like even if you've heard like these songs that we've written for other people, you're going to hear the way that we do it, which is so much cooler, like just, and it just is like there's no, there's no other way to put it. It's just way cooler to hear it the way we do it.
Speaker 1:Then you know, that's um. One thing I really enjoy about the songwriters is you always hear the final project and the song could be sent to somebody else, given to somebody else, sold to somebody else or whatever. But when you hear the actual songwriters play the song, it just means so much more. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just no totally. And you know, for example, crs, if we go to acoustic alley and we watch, you know you see all the songwriters like yourself up there and you go, wow, that's the real deal, right, right, that's where it came from.
Speaker 4:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And look at Sarah over there. I mean how many, what five albums you've put, five full-length albums, six.
Speaker 3:I have. I have been doing music a long time.
Speaker 1:Yes, I know that, let me put it this way I'm not going to tell you how old I am. Well, either way, I got your beat. So I'm just saying but I know that for a fact, but but putting out five, five or five or six full length albums, you've had the singles, you've been on country radio, you've been on tour, you've done it all and here again, just like with Michael it's, it's now you're doing this. I mean, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 3:I love it. It's, you know, in as a musician, I feel like you know we, we do it because we love it. Um, and there's something really cool about collaboration that just re-inspires you in a new way. And I love what I'm doing solo as well, and I have an album coming out this year. It's very like, kind of Laurel Canyon country influence.
Speaker 3:And that's really cool and I have that going on and then, like, I bring that into what we do and it's, you know, and it's just really, really fun, and it's more about the inspiration for me, I think. As I get older, I'm like I just want to enjoy music.
Speaker 3:And it's really much more fun to tour with your friends than to be by yourself. It's just more fun. It just reminds me, when I like think of bands back in the 60s and 70s, like they were all hanging out together and like making magic, and I feel like we're kind of honing in on whatever that is um as well how many yeah?
Speaker 1:no, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 4:I was just gonna say it's. It's like we spent like I know what you're getting at like there, there are grueling parts to the job and and but the one thing is is like, if you're doing it and this is a rule for like me if I'm, if I'm going out there and playing, and as long as I'm hanging out with the people that I would normally hang out with anyway and want to be around, and and I'm traveling like, yeah, my ass hurts, sitting in the back of a van for 12 hours.
Speaker 4:I've sat in this seat in any possible way that you could sit in a seat. I've had my back on the ground, I've done it all, but it's like if you're with people that you love and they let you be you and you're just hanging out and you're just a part of something, it doesn't really get any better than that.
Speaker 2:This is real.
Speaker 4:It's a hard thing to explain, like, yeah, if you're on the road with five people, you hate it gets old really quick. But this group is just so, you know it just so. It's so nice to be, have friends and have support and have, and everybody plays each other their new songs and they're coming. Oh man, that's really freaking great. And then you know, like, even on the 615 records, like we, like I, I got to cut a song on this new record that I don't know if it would have been on my record you know, but it was perfect for a 615 thing, but I don't know if it was perfect for what I was trying to do, sure.
Speaker 4:So what's really cool about that is like now I've got another avenue for my songs and everybody has another avenue for maybe a song that they weren't like.
Speaker 4:Oh, I don't know if this really fits me, but I love it and I want to do something with it. So it's just like. It just brings more opportunity, all all of our ways. And like. One of the coolest things is like. I mean, I mean quite honestly, we could have a festival where aaron goodman, michael logan, sarah and Nicole Whitplay and then 615 Headlines the damn time. So it works for us.
Speaker 1:We get the group discount on that too. That's right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4:It's just a really great. It's a really cool thing. And it's all about who you're hanging out with Sarah.
Speaker 1:how many times have you been on the Grand Ole Opry, Do you know?
Speaker 3:I have been on the Grand Ole Opry 97 times. I actually forgot if it was 97 or 98. It doesn't matter it doesn't matter, it's a lot. You stop counting. Yeah, my first appearance was in 2012, and my grandfather was in the audience. It was a really, really special thing. He passed away, but that was his dream was to. Actually that was a big deal in my household growing up. It was like you've made it if you've played the Opry, and that was probably one of the greatest moments of my life in country music.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God and Grandpa got to see it.
Speaker 3:He got to see it and Ben Skill was his favorite artist.
Speaker 1:And he was on that night.
Speaker 3:And he introduced me and asked me to sing. Go Rest High in the Mountain with him.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I was like this is.
Speaker 3:God, it was so beautiful and I was like you know what that is amazing. That's incredible. Oh my God, I've. It was so beautiful and I was like you know what that is like amazing.
Speaker 1:Oh my God. I've never cried on my podcast. I know I might get a little sassy over here too. Yeah, wow, sarah, that is so cool.
Speaker 4:I'm sure you can see all my chill bumps.
Speaker 1:Actually, I see the tan lines.
Speaker 4:It's been washed too many times. All the real estate and it's all coming up. My whole arm chill bumps everywhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, I know I get the goosebumps. I call them chicken noodles, chicken noodles. I like that, Something a little bit different. So what about you, michael? I mean, have you been able to play that big stage? Or, because of what you do, have you been on the Opry at all or no?
Speaker 5:I've actually played on that stage, but not for the Grand Ole Opry. It was for that event um, but it.
Speaker 1:But I've gotten to play the rhyming, which was, uh, incredible, all the rhyming. Oh my god, the mother church, the one right right downtown, that is just.
Speaker 5:I get goosebumps every time I walk in there yeah, yeah, it's a spiritual experience, that place for sure so tell me a little bit more about the music from 615 collective.
Speaker 1:So all of you are together, are you? You've put out a little bit of a? Well, not a little bit. You put out a song, well, hang on a minute, let me, let me. This is why it's called skip. Happens because I just kind of deviate every once in a while and I kind of, oh now I can't find it here, hang on, hang on.
Speaker 1:But you're driving a truck, somebody's driving a truck we know which song that is yeah, yeah, I was gonna play a little bit of it here, but I guess I can't get it up. Hang on, I just had it up damn, it sounds like a personal problem well, you know, aaron, you know, uh, skip happens, and it's not the eyesight.
Speaker 1:That's not the first thing to go, um, just saying the skip happens, but uh, yeah. So as a group, let all right. Let me ask you this while I'm waiting for that, aaron, when you go back to Canada, do you take these uh fine folks with you? Have they done shows?
Speaker 4:with you. I haven't yet and, but honestly it's something that is like in the works, like um, you know, like what's really cool is as a um, like um, I've had an incredible career up there and um play a lot of shows and this band, like has a lot of really really cool stuff going on. And it's not really stuff that, like, we're ready to talk about.
Speaker 4:But I think it's like because this thing has come together in such an organic way, it's like a lot about this shouldn't work at all. You know, when you bring, like, how many other times have they put together bands that they're like oh, we're gonna take all these singers and we're gonna put them together and it's gonna be great, and they all just end up hating each other or whatever it is. Well, this all came together so organically that there's like something in the DNA of it that's like it just works.
Speaker 4:And there's no real rhyme or reason. So it's like one of the things that like we've been kind of navigating is like this feels like it's going to another level without us even really doing anything, and we've all tried very hard in our, you know, in our careers to to be as big as we could be, and it's like, and then we come together and we get all these opportunities kind of fall into our lap and it's just like a lot of magical stuff. So we've got a lot of great things going on. So, like that, those are conversations that like we're starting to have now. It's like how can we leverage, know, aaron's career?
Speaker 1:in.
Speaker 4:Canada to get 615 to go up and do shows, maybe while I'm already on a festival or whatever. It's like another chance to kind of like yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Get everybody up there and open up those doors and go, yeah.
Speaker 4:And I honestly think that that could be a really cool path for us.
Speaker 1:Now this may be a really dumb question, which I have a tendency to ask every so often, but 615, collective, now 615 is the area code of Nashville and then the collective is just you guys coming together.
Speaker 2:We're the collection. Yes, we're the collection, the collective.
Speaker 1:The collaborative yes, all right, listen. 615 rolling down the highway. This is making it float. Yes, All right, listen, listen. This is gross. Make me float over right now. I'm coming at you so good.
Speaker 4:I'm just going to play a little clip of it. And in his rearview mirror, his angel waves goodbye. She knows he's got to go. She knows he's one of them. Brothers of the highway, children of the wind.
Speaker 5:That Detroit diesel pirate ship Goes blowing out again.
Speaker 4:Saving for the second sun. Freedom's your best friend. Brothers of the highway, children of the wind.
Speaker 1:So that is. That's the single that's been dropped, right? I mean, it's being sent to radio by grassroots, correct? Yes, so good, so good. Who's the? Who's the driver there banging the drumsticks on the steering wheel? That's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:That's our drummer, Jeremy Spray, and he's a big part of what we do as well, and so yeah, cool.
Speaker 1:Now is there a meaning behind that song? Did I read that there's some truck drivers in the family, or something along those lines?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's a song that I wrote a while ago and my dad worked for roadway express okay for 32 years and michael's dad worked for got walls trucking for 15 and uh, so it's something that george straight cut a while back and um.
Speaker 2:But we've kind of done our own rendition and it's kind of become a bit of an anthem for us. We, you know, you know it's, you know we're not truck drivers but we spend a lot of time on the road and so that kind of open, open road, the freedom of the open road and and that whole thing, that that's kind of us. So it feels very, very us. And it was kind of cool because the guy that's kind of making that electric really work on that track, this guy, nathan katterly.
Speaker 2:He played all over jelly roll stuff and whatever he really kind of, I think, um figured out like the sound of like a real sound that like a rig, a semi would make, and uh. So I love that track and it's cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's super cool yeah, it is super cool, absolutely. Sarah, hit it right. It's super cool, super cool, super cool baby. Super cool. It is Absolutely you guys. Now you're on a radio tour, right? Yes, super neat, you're on a radio tour. So where are you? You told us before you went on the air. So where are you?
Speaker 2:You told us before you went on the air. Where are you right now? We're in Paducah.
Speaker 1:Kentucky.
Speaker 4:Paducah, paducah.
Speaker 1:Paducah, paducah. How do you say it, paducah?
Speaker 3:Paducah, paducah.
Speaker 1:In Kentucky. Okay, I got you, so I'm going to be in the lobby of a Homewood Suites.
Speaker 4:Yes, shout out to Billy at Homewood Suites, because I called him on the phone earlier and I said listen, I'm a Hilton Diamond members, I don't have a room. Can we just come and use the lobby, because that's when we're going to have to do the podcast. So and he was like oh, are you kidding me? Come on.
Speaker 1:That's cool man.
Speaker 4:He gave us the Wi-Fi password and everything. Yeah, super sweet.
Speaker 1:Oh wow. Until you get the out in the morning and you see all these medals on there, it's like wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute this internet at 45 bucks a night.
Speaker 3:That's great. Yeah, what is that? It's nuts. Do you guys ever like play pranks on each other?
Speaker 1:well, well, here's even better coming from the experienced one over here go ahead.
Speaker 3:This is good. Here's what I'm going to say. Oh man, Less than pranks, we've created different characters that have entered, and I would like to introduce you to Billy Bo Bennett. Hi.
Speaker 2:I'm Billy Bo. How are you?
Speaker 4:Nice to see you.
Speaker 1:Billy Bo, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 4:Billy Bo Bennett is like the crazy uncle that tells jokes and then explains why the joke is funny and then laughs and everybody else has to laugh because he's laughing.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, skip Billy Bo kind of. We were stuck in a van with Billy Bo for like 28 hours over the weekend. It was a long trip.
Speaker 1:A real Billy Bo. It was a.
Speaker 4:Billy Bo pretty much the whole time Billy. Bo in the room with us now.
Speaker 5:Billy Bo.
Speaker 4:He shows up from time to time. He's got to be patient, he only comes out once, probably talking about me.
Speaker 1:No, no, I'm not that bad. What do you have a character, natalie, or is it just a billy bo with aaron?
Speaker 2:well, I don't really have it like a character, but I feel like we're gonna. We're gonna make these as you know, they're, they're gonna like surface, I think, as as time goes, as time goes, I feel like okay, nikita, nikita, nikita, nikita.
Speaker 3:I feel like okay, nikhil.
Speaker 5:Nikhil, nikhil.
Speaker 3:Is she Russian, of course?
Speaker 5:she's Russian.
Speaker 3:I think Nicole is. She's so dry, she has such a dry sense of humor, and so does Michael. Michael has a good voice. Sometimes. It might not come out today, that's okay it might not come out today, that's okay.
Speaker 4:Michael once referred to a hotel lobby as something that stinks like the inside of a fake leg.
Speaker 3:It's a movie quote though.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what movie was that? Michael? Do you remember what movie that was?
Speaker 5:Anchorman.
Speaker 1:Anchorman oh, okay.
Speaker 5:I can't take credit for it.
Speaker 1:I think more pranks we have inside jokes, right?
Speaker 5:that's what happens from touring.
Speaker 1:It's like yeah, I know, I know, I know we hold on to it.
Speaker 3:We use them constantly they stay in. They stay in cycle. I would. I would say that I'm more. They make fun of me because I they. They tell me I need to buy streamers for the stage and roller skates and I'm like the hippie of the group.
Speaker 4:She's the hippie Like we've thought about, like handing out like complimentary 615 gummies about 35 minutes before the show.
Speaker 1:Why not?
Speaker 4:And then about right at the right time he's like that's a brilliant idea.
Speaker 1:It is a brilliant idea. I got a bag of them in my office.
Speaker 4:She's going to be all Laurel Canyon'd up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I'll have the streamers and everybody will be like this is crazy.
Speaker 1:This is crazy.
Speaker 4:We're kidding. Don't do drugs, kids.
Speaker 1:Well, the gummies are. You know, if you beat those are fine. If you're okay. Yeah, I mean, if you go easy, If you go easy, yeah, I mean I've never done it, so I wouldn't know, Uh-huh.
Speaker 4:Well, I could tell you a story you want to hear it about me.
Speaker 1:I can tell you I mean, this is a conversation, this is Skip Happens. We find out about the artists, we find out who you are, what you're doing, where you're going and all that good stuff. But there's also the fact that we're real people and we all you know it's just we do a lot of crazy things. Well, a few weeks ago I guess it was over the holidays had some time off and I went down to a place called Flintstone it's legal here, the place is really cool. I went in and I said you know, I want something just going to kind of take the edge off of life, make me feel good, make me feel creative, because I love to write, I write novels, I do all that, I love doing that. So the guy's like well, you want something that's going to keep you awake. I said he goes this bag and this bag take your pick. I said I'll take them both. So I took them both. He goes. I'm going to warn you.
Speaker 1:He says bag, you take your pick. I said I'll take them both. So I took them both. He goes. I'm gonna warn you. He says if you've never done this, just do a little gummy at a time, just cut off a little piece, whatever. Well, I cut it in half and I ate half of it. There's a little more in a little piece. I'm watching television and about an hour went by and all of a sudden I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I thought I was having a stroke. I thought something was going on.
Speaker 1:Dude. Now, mind you, you know, I watched those stupid court shows where you know somebody, you know whatever, judge, whoever, and um, the credits were going up the screen. I couldn't watch the screen because it's moving.
Speaker 1:I have an 85 inch flat screen in the family room. So the credits. I go, I can't watch this. I go. Oh my god, what's wrong? So my wife works from home. She was upstairs, I could barely walk up the stairs. She goes what's wrong with you? I go. Either I'm shit faced or I'm having a stroke, or she goes. You didn't take, I said I did. And that night I had a show to go do a Christmas show. That's when it was. It was at a theater here in Syracuse. I had to be the MC for the show and I'm going, oh my God, I can't go. I can't do this. I don't know what I'm going to do, but it took about five or six hours and it wore off and I was okay by the by Showtime. But it's just an experience that you know. It was laughing. My son just chimed in.
Speaker 3:Oh, hey, zachary.
Speaker 1:Mom upstairs entertainment. I'm sorry. He says uh, hi, girls, look at me, love you, babe, skip Very, but um, my son is down syndrome. Oh no, his name's Zach, of course, and uh, we do a podcast called Zach attack with dad. That's a whole nother subject. Let's get back to six, one, five, collective.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's awesome, yeah, so, um, what, so what? The subject let's get back to 615 collective.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's awesome, yeah, so, um, what so that sounds?
Speaker 4:crazy man like this is why I don't do that stuff, because I just don't do it you don't need that you know what?
Speaker 1:I am? High on life. I, I'm high on life. You should be high on life. This is, I love doing this, what we're doing right here. I'm talking to you guys. I love the format, I love the music. I love you know, this is what I love. It's a two-way street. Well, I work the radio side of it and it's people like you that give us the great music to play that makes us who we are. So, which is oh, thank you.
Speaker 3:That means a lot to us.
Speaker 1:That's awesome yeah so we got to, we've got the new song out, and is there going to be an album in the works of 615 Collective or what's?
Speaker 2:the deal? Yes, for sure. We have an EP this fall coming out called Music City.
Speaker 1:I love it. Okay, and I will say this I know, and Erin already knows you know, being involved with grassroots, with Nancy, that whole gang is just phenomenal. I tell that to everybody. If you're going to be with anybody, that's who you need to be with. You know, and you know just.
Speaker 4:Nancy's been my manager for it's going on seven years.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's right.
Speaker 4:I think our group that says a lot because I yeah, that's amazing Because I'm hard to get along with.
Speaker 1:Somehow. I don't think that's true.
Speaker 4:If I make it seven years in this band.
Speaker 1:That would be amazing.
Speaker 4:Sarah can give you some pointers. Every night I pray that they don't work me out, so y'all travel together.
Speaker 1:You're in the van, you're hitting up radio stations. Who's doing most of the driving?
Speaker 5:We try to split it up pretty easily. I gotta say Nicole is a rock star.
Speaker 3:Nicole is like our rock really.
Speaker 5:I'll fill this out there too. This band was really Nicole's vision. She's the one that reached out to us and put the whole thing together, came up with the name. So credit where credit is due.
Speaker 3:We wouldn't be here without Nicole.
Speaker 4:Nicole, no, no, no we knew each other before we wrote like 2018, 20 something, yeah, we started writing, and then I didn't like I knew of Sarah and I didn't really know Michael until, like, we went out on the first show and then we've been BFFs ever since.
Speaker 5:We started writing BFFs 12 years ago probably, oh wow, that's the crazy thing about.
Speaker 4:Nashville is like we all. We've all lived there. We've all had our own little circles of people right, right right with them. And then you get in this group where you don't really even know two of the other people and it's like everybody's so great and so talented at what they do and it's like it's so that's. The best part about nashville is like I like just last year I found like one of my new favorite co-writers. I've been in that town for 12 years.
Speaker 1:So it's like how did?
Speaker 4:how did I not meet this person before you know like?
Speaker 3:it's crazy, it's really. It's actually just happened to me too.
Speaker 4:Right, it's like how have we not been friends for 10 years. Writing.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's crazy you.
Speaker 1:You know, when you think about it, and you know more than I do, I guess about this that you know there are so many songwriters in Nashville I mean there's, everybody's a songwriter, Everybody wants to be an artist, everybody wants. You know.
Speaker 4:That's why they're there, so it's got to be kind of difficult to find the right person, difficult and also so cool like, yeah it's. How do you like it's?
Speaker 5:just the depth of that city, like the depth, is crazy, there's a lot of dreamers per square inch.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, you got it, you got it let me tell you go ahead, I'm going to tell you something about Michael.
Speaker 3:Michael is, I feel, like our. He's like our wise Sage, sage like wizard owl. I've never heard the owl part. Actually, he doesn't know the owl part. I'm freestyling right now.
Speaker 1:I love wizard owls. I'll take it. I'll take it. No, he comes up with those lines.
Speaker 3:He has lines in songs that I'm like I never could write anything that deep and introspective. You're just so great.
Speaker 1:And up on stage.
Speaker 3:When I hear him sing, I'm just like wow, he has a song called Let it Be Love. That just blows my mind.
Speaker 4:It's one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. It's one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. Yeah, one of the best songs I've ever heard.
Speaker 1:Wow, amazing, amazing.
Speaker 3:The owl.
Speaker 1:The owl the owl. Anybody that's watching this. I mean, if you're just watching this now, I mean, take a look at the screen in front of you. Those are some of the most talented people you're ever going to see and the people that maybe have written some songs that you already know. Um, look at, you got aaron, you got michael, you got nicole, you got sarah. I mean just wow oh, thank you. Thank you so much just you know you're doing what you love yeah, 100 you know, I mean it makes it easy.
Speaker 1:Is there one? Well, you said Nicole is pretty much the rock of the group, right?
Speaker 5:Yep.
Speaker 1:So everybody else is like you call her mom, yeah pretty much oh yeah.
Speaker 2:She packs snacks in the van for everybody. She brings in snacks and water.
Speaker 1:Oh, she's that person I do.
Speaker 3:She could pull anything out of her Smoked almonds. She's got almonds Like the person.
Speaker 4:I do like she, like she, she could pull anything out of her smoked almonds, like the other day. We were like right after our show we played north carolina on saturday night and um, we get, we get out of the show and I'm like man and and uh, ryan playing bass, he goes man I would love if we could get some snacks. And um, I was like oh, snacks sound great, right? We're like, oh, let's go out and get some snacks. And Nicole's like well, I have a power bar.
Speaker 4:And I was like yeah because that's exactly what everybody wants when they're done a show. It's a power bar. Can I get a protein bar, you know? Do you have an apple, you know how? About some boiled eggs? That's what I'm really into. No, I want chips and chocolate, I need sweets and she's like well, I have a power bar well you gotta eat healthy.
Speaker 1:You do. I'm glad you didn't take care of yourself and these hours. I'm sure you got to be up early in the morning to hit the road and be somewhere. So it's crazy yeah, it's morning shows mostly that you're on, correct.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, most of the time yeah. I mean we get, we kind of do them all day when we do them.
Speaker 3:but yeah, you, have to learn how to take care of yourself and balance yourself on the road, and I work out a lot, so like that's something I find.
Speaker 1:And so does Nicole, so I'll see her in the gym a lot at the hotels.
Speaker 3:Where are you at? Yeah, where are?
Speaker 4:you at. You know where those vending machines are, where they put the little indents in the wall, so you can just eat.
Speaker 1:I love it. My wife is the same way. She'd be in the gym and I'd be back in the hotel room drinking coffee, watching TV or something.
Speaker 5:I always liked. When I first get to a hotel, I like to find out where the gym is, so I know where to feel guilty for not going.
Speaker 4:I'm a frequent hot tubber. I love a good hot tub on the road.
Speaker 1:As long as it's clean. You don't know who's been sitting in that hot tub. Well, that is true, hey Skip.
Speaker 3:if you don't know, don't hurt you.
Speaker 1:Well, that is true. You don't know if there was a kid that is true, you know, these are like the secrets of those that are on the road. As an artist, right here, it's all coming out tonight. Yeah, that's true, that's cool. That's cool Now, how long before, back in Nashville.
Speaker 3:Tonight We'll drive back tonight. It's not too far.
Speaker 1:No, because you're in wherever in Kentucky right now, paducah.
Speaker 4:There's actually a we might stay in town. There's a quilt show this week.
Speaker 3:And we all really enjoy the knit. I'm really into crochets.
Speaker 4:We're kidding, there is a quilt show.
Speaker 1:You notice, I wasn't saying a word because I didn't know what to say. I'm speechless. Are we're kidding? There is a quilt, you notice? I wasn't saying a word because I didn't know what to say.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's like You're, like I'm speechless.
Speaker 1:No, no, it's like are they serious or are they just trying to? We're into quilts, you're into quilts? Yeah, one square at a time.
Speaker 4:He just said quilting pleasure.
Speaker 1:Michael listen to. Michael just said that. See, Michael, listen to it, michael just said that See, there's a wizard owl.
Speaker 4:Yep, he's a wizard owl there you go.
Speaker 1:You know, look, if somebody wanted to look you up, of course you guys got the website going. You got all that going. What is the website?
Speaker 2:Nicole, yeah, 615 Collective, and it's all spelled out, so it's S-A-X-O-N-E 615collectivecom.
Speaker 1:And why did you do that? Why did you spell it out?
Speaker 2:Well, because 615.
Speaker 1:I like it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, 615collective. I think when I looked the URL with the number was already taken, so I just got the spelled out version. But we have a lot of people that on posters and all sorts of stuff they use, you know they use the numbers and that's going to. I have a doing business as so that that works too.
Speaker 1:I gotcha, you got a DBA. I gotcha, I gotcha. And all the music is up there as well, and any shows that you might have coming up. We have lots of shows, lots of shows. Do you play down on I hate to say it Broadway at all?
Speaker 2:Not really, we don't. Not really we're touring out most of the time.
Speaker 1:The reason I was asking you, because anybody and everybody's got a bar down there now. Oh yeah, they do, I'm just saying, and a lot of the artists are playing in the bars, those bars. I was just wondering if you were down there at all.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I definitely have. Yeah, we have before. Like I think all of us, but I think, like, as the collective we have, and it would have to be the right thing for us to go down there and want to do it, you know.
Speaker 1:You know it's been great chatting with you. I love the music. Expect to hear a whole lot more. I know now. You know Sarah's on and of a whole lot more, I know now that Sarah's on and, of course, michael and Aaron and Nicole. It's just the talent, the songwriting, the music. I mean it's the best, it really is Thank you so much Thank you so much we appreciate it, buddy. And I highly recommend anybody checking this out. You need to go online. Go to 615collectivecom, was it?
Speaker 2:615collectivecom, was it six, one, five collectivecom okay, spell it out.
Speaker 1:Spell it out go there spell it out. They gotta, they, I'm sure they gotta either get to the gym or get to bed, because they got an early morning. I know I'll get you one of the two do you um? Have you guys ever been in the northeast at all?
Speaker 2:So we're coming in August, we have a seven or eight day run up there, but we're not playing in Syracuse, yeah, so we should.
Speaker 3:I've played in Syracuse for a while. Is it Funkin' Waffles?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, yes, yes, up on University.
Speaker 2:Okay, I wonder if that could be cool Maybe.
Speaker 1:We also, with the radio station that I program, we do a lot of what we call the 92.1 the Wolf. What's Next? Private Listener Showcase? Okay, and it's a lot of new artists, it's a lot of well-established artists. It's pretty much an acoustic setting, but we can do whatever that's amazing. We have a great venue for that built-in stage. The guy gives you all the pizza. You want wings? It's just great. We have a great relationship. If you're in the area, we're going to have to do something.
Speaker 4:That would be awesome. I would love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. You said that's in August. Do you know where Off the top of your head or no?
Speaker 2:I think we'll leave out like August the 2nd or 3rd, and it's through August the 11th.
Speaker 1:I'll look it up. I'll look it up and I can let somebody know at Grassroots, let Shannon know or somehow. Yeah, absolutely, we'd love to get you up here, love to get you on the stage and love to hear more from 615 Collective. Good luck to all of you, sarah. Thank you so much, paul Michael. It's just so much talent that I'm looking at right now. Appreciate it all. Thanks for being on. Skip Happens tonight.
Speaker 4:Thanks so much Skip.