SkiP HappEns Podcast
Skip Clark is a dynamic and captivating podcast host and radio personality who has left an indelible mark on the world of broadcasting. With a voice that can command attention and a personality that oozes charm, Skip has become a beloved figure in the world of entertainment. His passion for storytelling and his ability to connect with his audience shine through in every episode of his podcast and every moment on the airwaves.
Skip’s journey in radio began decades ago, and he has since evolved into a seasoned professional who effortlessly navigates the waves of the media industry. His deep knowledge of music, pop culture, and current events keeps his listeners engaged and coming back for more. Skip Clark's enthusiasm and authenticity make him a trusted voice in the world of podcasting and radio. His dedication to his craft and his commitment to providing quality content continue to make him a standout in the world of broadcasting.
SkiP HappEns Podcast
From Duo to Solo: Brian Kelly on Passion, Performance, and New Beginnings
Can unpredictable weather make a live performance even more electric? Find out as we chat with Brian Kelly, who opens up about the thrill of performing at the New York State Fair and his recent headline show in Rhode Island. Brian takes us behind the scenes, sharing how he transitioned from a successful duo to establishing himself as a solo artist. He reflects on the inspiring journey that began when he moved to Nashville in 2007, and he promises us an exclusive look into the creative process fueling his upcoming solo album set to release later this year.
Join us for a heartfelt discussion where Brian's passion for songwriting and collaboration with his band members shines through. From his unfiltered take on the joy of making music that resonates with fans to his deep appreciation for their unwavering support, Brian's story is both inspiring and engaging. This episode promises to leave you with a newfound appreciation for the artistry and dedication that goes into every performance. Whether you've followed Brian for years or are just discovering his work, this conversation is one you won't want to miss.
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It is Skip Clark. We are backstage at Suburban Park at the New York Stage Fair and of course tonight's show is the one and only Brian Kelly Made the trip into Syracuse. From what I understand, brian, you got here yesterday.
Speaker 2:Sure did, sure did. We got here yesterday, went and ate a dinosaur barbecue, took the whole band and crew and we had a dang good time, man. It was a great night and did a little recording in the hotel room today Just a little snippet of a song and excited about tonight. Man, I've heard a lot of good things about the New York State Fair. New York's always been really good to us and to me and I'm just grateful to be here as a solo artist and make some memories.
Speaker 1:It's like a whole new ballgame for you, though. Being a solo artist, you've been to the top. You know what it's like. You guys have gone your own ways, and you're putting out a lot of great music, and we started off with See you Next Summer, and just we're doing what we need to do to support you. How is it, though? Is it like starting all over?
Speaker 2:again. You know it kind of is and it kind of isn't. You know, I guess, getting my voice out there and building you know building and you know, I guess getting my voice out there and building you know building, you know these records and building this brand and and just kind of reintroducing myself to the world is kind of like starting over. But, man, I'm just grateful for all the experience you know it's. It comes in handy when you're traveling, when you're on stage, when you're, you know how you are with your fans and how you want to do things and run your organization. From that standpoint it's not from a new way, but right now, man, just really having a blast creating, challenging myself, honoring my craft. I'm working on a record right now, releasing it in October I think, maybe early November. We'll see Date hadn't been dropped, but it's 12 songs.
Speaker 2:The full album yeah it's 12 songs of songs that I just wrote by myself. They're all brand new. I wrote them right after I dropped Tennessee. Truth Felt really inspired, really creative, and was kind of just doing what I always do, which was start songs on my own and get creative, spend time with myself. And I got about halfway done with the first song and I go man, I'm kind of curious how I would just finish this. So I finished it and I started doing that with a couple other songs and then I just had this vision of a record and kind of a homegrown record. A lot of the guys on the road with me in the band are playing on it, co-producing some of it, most of it, and it's just a really cool record, man, really proud of it and just been grinding, to be honest, with you. So just in terms of creative freedom, it's just so fun right now.
Speaker 1:So when you say a grind, it's a grind because it's a lot of fun number one, like you just said but it is also a grind, and especially now that it's not really starting over. But you're back to square one. But you've also picked up your songwriting after you dropped the album what was that? Back in May.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Tennessee Truth. Yes sir, remember it well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there you go, I have it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and that's where you pretty much picked up a lot.
Speaker 2:I mean a lot. I mean you've always been songwriting to a certain extent, but you've really increased that since then. You just you were talking about that a little bit uh, just by myself, like doing full 100 rights. You know, like I've, I've, I'm a songwriter to the core. I call myself a song hunter. I wake up and chase these ideas down, but, um, you know, um always been doing that. That's why I moved to nashville in 2007. You and it's taken me on quite a bit of a journey. I'm just grateful for where these songs you know have taken me and currently taken me. We just did a little headline show in Rhode Island, first solo show there. Great crowd. It was just. I think it was a Wednesday night, wednesday or Thursday night, I don't even know.
Speaker 1:I don't know how you keep track of that.
Speaker 2:But it was incredible, man. You know just a lot of firsts and you know, just continue to do what I always have done, which is write through the good times, the bad times, everything in between. Man, I'm a writer to my core, so you know, my favorite thing about waking up in the morning is getting some coffee and getting my iPad out and a guitar and just seeing if there's any magic in the room yeah, and it all every day is different when you do that, correct?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, man, some days I know exactly what I'm going to go and write, because I got the, the title or the idea the day before. I've been walking around with it and then some days you're sitting down and don't really have an idea. But it's, it's, you know it's, it's going to work on your craft and feeling like you maybe have something to say to get out, get out, and so that's where it can get different. You know, sometimes a title will come to you at the end of a course, sometimes just poking around with some guitar licks it's, it's, it's, it's a. It's so fun to chase because it all is kind of different. But once you get an idea that you're like I want to spend two, three, four hours. Sometimes it takes me a week, if I'm writing by myself, to finish a song, maybe a little longer because I like to digest the idea. But it's fun, man. It's just that it's never really the same. But, like I said, once you get an idea, you kind of know what to do.
Speaker 1:It is, and a lot of it. You know, we know that country music is. You know what we say on the radio is like the soundtrack to our lives and it's artists like you that write about that. Because you're human, we're human and you're writing about something that's really going on and you know, no matter who's listening, they're going to go. My God, he wrote that that's about me. That song is about me. You know, whether it's See you in September or whatever, it's just you know those songs, it's about me, those songs.
Speaker 2:It's about me. Yeah, that's what country music is. That's what it always has been. We're all human. No matter what you do for a living, no matter where you live, we all go through things, a lot of the same things. So when you pour your heart out, when you're honest with yourself and you try to find the truth in the room and you put it out for the world, there's going to be people that are going to hear that and go man, I'm going through that same exact thing. I've been through that. I feel that same way, and that's that's the fun part. You know, it starts. It's it's crazy what a song can do. It starts with internally and you get it out, and it has the the capability to touch a lot of people in different ways, and so it's just just a special thing.
Speaker 1:It is. You know it rained as you saw. It poured. It poured, and I was a little bit later getting over here to talk to you because of the rain. But maybe in a previous life we'll just call it that you played here at the great New York State Fair as part of Florida, georgia line. And it poured, and it poured.
Speaker 2:I want to say I could be wrong, but that might have been my birthday.
Speaker 1:I think you might be right. And it was a record-breaking crowd in front of the other stage and it was pouring and the rain it didn't matter.
Speaker 2:It didn't matter, it was incredible. It don't matter tonight either, so if it rains, we'll still play. Uh, hopefully there's no lightning, you know, and when no, no, the bad weather is out of here.
Speaker 1:My buddy over there that works with us, he is, uh, he's a pilot, so he pulls up his special app and that's why we were waiting to walk over here. He said, all right, it's going to be over with like in five minutes, we're good, we're good. So, yeah, and also you, some fans, young fans, sitting right out front.
Speaker 2:Already they're soaked to the bone, but they've been here since the very beginning of the day I heard there were people out there getting their spot. It was pouring down rain, and so I'm going to try to get them some BK t-shirts and some hats for hanging out that early. That's awesome, you love to hear it. And just fans, country fans, and that's what makes all this possible.
Speaker 1:I want to ask about your dogs.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because I saw them online. You have shepherds.
Speaker 2:We've got four German shepherds and we just added a miniature long-haired dachshund, so now we have five. And how old are they? And we are certified, crazy Me and my wife, Big, big dog people. And do you say, how old are they?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So Stone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what are the names of the aces?
Speaker 2:So we have Stone Sage Smoke and Sunday they're the shepherds. We have two sisters. They're both 10. Stone will be 10. Oh wow, stone is 10, actually we just celebrated his birthday right around mine. He's 10. Sunday is 9. And then, sheriff, our little doxy, he is uh about four months old.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, awesome. So when you celebrate a birthday with your dogs, you do put like the birthday cap on them and all that and a little, uh little, we do.
Speaker 2:We have yellow labs we need to start doing that because they're we've had them since they're puppies. You know our, our shepherds, they're our family and you know they're getting kind of older. They're all in great health, but obviously we've been thinking about that. Here's a Big Mac. Put your hat on, let them enjoy a little bit more. We feed them, we try to keep them healthy. Keep them trim, but it's their birthday Just one day, just kind of let them slide a little bit.
Speaker 1:I agree. So where do we see Brian Kelly in, let's say, five years from now? Right back at the top right.
Speaker 2:Man, you know I'm really just focused on these songs really, and not really the outcome. You know I want to record and write songs that move me and hopefully they'll move the needle for me, you know, and the fans. Having a great time connecting with fans and meeting them and hunting this dream down Come what may. We're going to work hard and just enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Well, you're moving the needle at the radio station if you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yes, I know.
Speaker 1:See, I've been doing this for a little bit. I love it, I love it, but now the hat. All right, you have the doing this for a little bit. Yeah, you have. So I love it, I love it, but now the hat. All right, you have the cowboy hat on. I would assume you did not wear that to the dinosaur last time, because everybody would know it was Brian Kelly.
Speaker 2:Well, you never know who's going to know, but I actually did not have this. I wore this old vintage Coors Light silver bullet ball cap. I found it's perfect. I found it's perfect. I found it the other day. I go, man, I've got to have that. It's white and like teal lettering. That's so cool.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. It's Brian Kelly. Thank you for taking a few minutes to chat with us today and thank you for being here in the queues at the great New York State Fair. You're going to have a great show tonight. I know the weather today has not been the best, but you're in Syracuse. It's better now than it would be in the middle of.
Speaker 2:February. Well, I will say, you know, when it starts raining and you've got people that are camping here, the nights when it clears up tend to be a little crazier they go. You know, hey, let's go have some drinks and you've got to hide from the storm or the rain. So hopefully tonight's extra rowdy.
Speaker 1:It will be Well. It really doesn't have to rain for people around here to do that. That's right. I'm just saying it's going to be a good time. Brian Kelly, again thank you for taking the time to talk to us here today. It's always an honor. I appreciate all the music you've done and you just keep going. Your songwriting. Everything about you is pretty cool, brother, appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 1:Thank you, brian Kelly.
