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
Pursuing Dreams: Country Singer Kimberly Burke's Musical Journey
What if you could pursue your wildest dreams while juggling multiple passions? Join us as we chat with the remarkable country singer Kimberly Burke, who shares her exhilarating journey from the snowy landscapes of Oswego, New York, to the vibrant, music-filled streets of Nashville. Kimberly's life is a fascinating blend of music and horsemanship, having transitioned from managing a bustling show barn to fully embracing her musical aspirations. With her roots firmly planted in both the equestrian and music worlds, she offers a unique perspective on balancing creativity and tradition.
Listen as Kimberly reveals the secrets behind her creative songwriting process, often sparked during long drives between her homes in Florida and Tennessee. She recounts her experiences performing at iconic venues like the Bluebird Cafe and collaborating with Nashville's talented music community. From her single gaining popularity on the radio to recording at the prestigious Blackbird Studio with an all-star band, Kimberly's story is a testament to the power of determination and passion. We also explore her family's influence on her music, including her son's saxophone collaborations and her husband's unwavering support.
As we wrap up, Kimberly gives us a glimpse into her future projects, including a new single set for release on Valentine's Day. She shares her excitement about attending the CRS event, eager to connect with industry peers and fans. Whether it's through her moving lyrics or her captivating storytelling, Kimberly Burke is an artist whose journey inspires us all to chase our dreams, no matter where they lead. Don't miss out on her music and be sure to follow her adventures on social media at KimberlyBurke.music.
Thanks for listening! Follow us at youtube.com/c/skiphappens
Hey, we are live. My name is Skip Clark. This is Skip Clark. Well, the Skip Happens podcast, and thank you for joining us here again tonight. We're live on YouTube, we're live on my Facebook page and you know you're going to be watching it live. You can see it right now, obviously. If not, you want to wait and watch it a little bit later, that's okay too, because it'll all be posted. As you know, when I come, come on here because of what I do my connections to uh nashville I love to sit down with the new artists. I don't know she's exactly a new artist, but she's been for a little bit and uh, she's uh hooked up with some really good people in nashville. That's a good sign. Right there, she's off and running, is well. Let me just put it this way Her name is Kimberly Burke and Kimberly hello. How are you?
Speaker 2:Hey, thanks for having me Absolutely.
Speaker 1:First of all, I need to ask where in the world is Kimberly? Where are you?
Speaker 2:I am in the panhandle of Florida on the Gulf Coast right now and I split time between here and Nashville.
Speaker 1:Really Well. Do you like drive up to Nashville? Is it a pretty easy drive?
Speaker 2:It's not bad. It's like six and a half hours so it's not a big deal, you know. You can leave in the morning and be there midday.
Speaker 1:So it's an easy drive. And how often do you get to Nashville?
Speaker 2:About once a month right now. Yeah, I go, you know about once a month. Do songwriter nights, you know perform, do you know some promotional stuff?
Speaker 1:But yeah, All right, I got to ask some basic questions. How long have you been doing music?
Speaker 2:My whole life. I went to school for music, I have a degree in music and you know I've been singing since I was teeny, tiny, uh, performing in anything they'd let me perform in, and all different kinds of bands. I mean, you name it Um, but I went to school for it but it wasn't um, it was supposed to be plan a actually Um.
Speaker 2:But I also rode horses my whole life and that was my other passion, and um, that actually became my job for many years. Um, but I also rode horses my whole life and that was my other passion, and um, that actually became my job for many years. Um. So I'm kind of switched gears now and I'm back to music full time, which is awesome.
Speaker 1:So do you still have horses?
Speaker 2:I do, I do. I'm greatly downsized from where I was, cause. I ran a working show barn for years, you know. So we would have anywhere from 15 to 25 horses, you know, at any given time, and now I have one horse that made the cut as my pet you know a buddy who came with me to Florida and that's it right now, actually one old retired horse that's at a friend's farm in Virginia. We didn't want to try to move him.
Speaker 3:He's 28 years old.
Speaker 2:We didn't want to move him to Florida. It was going to be too hard on him.
Speaker 1:I'm not up on horses. I like horses. I'm not up on horses. What is the average lifespan of a horse?
Speaker 2:It depends on the type of horse. Honestly, there are some hardier than others. But you know, late 20s or so mid to late 20s um, you know this guy's, you know, looks like a movie star. You know he's a young looking guy, but he's 28 years and what's his name?
Speaker 1:I mean, do they respond to their names and all that?
Speaker 2:yeah horses are super smart. Um, they're kind of like people, though. You know there's some smart ones, but uh, his name's wally, uh, that's my return guy, and uh, virginia, and then, uh, I've got casey uh here in florida with me, so awesome, but let's talk about your music.
Speaker 1:So you've been doing that quite a while. You make yeah. Well, wait, I want to back up even a little bit further. We were talking. We were talking before we actually went live. Yeah said have you ever been to upstate new york and what did you do?
Speaker 2:I was born in oswego.
Speaker 1:I'm a hometown girl technically, yeah wow so, but how long were you there till you made the move? To where'd you go? Florida, and then actually.
Speaker 2:So we, um, I was in new york until I was 10 and then we moved to knoxville for two years to talk about culture shock. Um, I moved to knoxville for two years and then to virginia. So I kind of grew up in virginia, you know what I mean for the most part, and was was in Virginia for a really long time until recently, and we just moved to Florida this year, like in May, so it's a new thing.
Speaker 1:You talk about Virginia, I think of horses. My daughter in Virginia and there's a lot of farms, a lot of just beautiful beautiful acreage and you know the beautiful white fences and the beautiful barns and you see a lot of horses.
Speaker 2:So that would be huge and I mean we were super fortunate, we were right in what they call the Shenandoah Valley outside of Winchester. Patsy Cline, you know territory and I mean it's really a beautiful area, you know. But you're right, it's tons of horse farms, you know, we kind of eat, sleep it and breathe it there. So you talk about.
Speaker 1:You know, we kind of eat, sleep it and breathe it there. So you talk about. You say we moved to florida. I would assume my husband and probably have a couple of kids I do.
Speaker 2:I have a son and he's uh kind of back and forth between florida and tennessee as well and uh. But yeah, my husband and I moved here and my husband got to check off. He said I was wanting a boat, so he has a boat now.
Speaker 1:So yeah, we've gone from uh farmers to you know it's like, kimberly, I need you to go work a few more gigs. We've got to make another payment on this boat.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. Yeah, exactly, you know it's a step down from horses, though. You know there's nothing. You know horses are crazy. You know. At least the boat you can, you know, put in the dock and walk away, you know well, you could tie up a horse and walk away, or not for long, not for long.
Speaker 1:Horse whisper right Because you've been training horse.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I um been a horse trainer for a professional horse trainer since I was 18.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, do you play your music for the horses? Do you like grab your guitar? Do you go like, let's say, you go into the barn, and I think that'd be cool to do, I think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they love music. It's very soothing. Um, they do, uh, uh, I mean animals like music, but um, I do it's been known to happen, you know to sit in the barn, especially in Virginia. You know, right now my horse doesn't live at our house, you know he's at a boarding facility.
Speaker 2:So I don't usually go over there with my guitar very often, although I have, but yeah, it was a regular thing to kind of play music and sing, and I mean I sing, you know, kind of hum and sing to myself 24-7 anyway. So whoever's around me for any period of time is going to hear something.
Speaker 1:So tell me, and tell all of us, a little bit about your music. How would you describe it?
Speaker 2:I would describe it as country. You know definitely what I'm writing now. I would definitely describe as country, maybe a little undercurrent of soul and blues, but definitely country and writing a lot of country. It's not all I have ever done. I mean I, you know, have been. I have a degree in voice performance and I've studied classical music and I'm a classical singer as well, which you would never know from hearing the stuff that's on the radio. But I've been in rock bands, funk bands, blues duos, you know, you name it over the years.
Speaker 1:Well, it all crosses over now. Anyways, I mean a lot of that. You know, years ago we never had horns in country music. Now we have horns in country music, and it goes the other way too. I mean, a lot of bands popular bands didn't have a steel guitar. Now a lot of them are getting the steel guitar. So it kind of goes both ways.
Speaker 2:No for sure. Yeah, I think you know good music is good music right and of goes both ways. So no for sure. Yeah, I think you know good music is good music right. And I think you know the the genre lanes have broadened a lot. I mean, you know this is something I've talked about with friends. You know, like you look at artists you know from the past, like, say, tom petty, like what would tom petty be now? Would he be a country artist? You know, quite likely he might be. You know what I mean. Like you know it's. You know, uh, a lot of stuff. Like you know what I mean, like you know it's. You know a lot of stuff like that, janis Joplin, like a lot of Janis.
Speaker 2:Joplin would be considered country, you know. So I think it's a broader genre which, you know, makes some people happy and some people not so happy. I mean, I I think it's just good music is good music, and I think the thing I love about country music is how it tells a story. I like songs that you can really connect to with a story, and I think that's a key component of country music.
Speaker 1:You're reading my mind because I was going to talk about that a little bit. Whether it's you or somebody else in the country genre, when you write a song, it's a lot about your real life, it's about things that are going on. It's about things that are going on and it's about things that just about anybody can relate to. I mean, I've caught myself driving down the road in my truck and I'm listening to a certain song and I go damn, you know what that? That was me, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's really been written for me, yeah.
Speaker 2:No I think that's, that's the cool part about songs, right, is like I mean, a song is really kind of a frozen moment in time, sure, you know, and you know I think our job as songwriters is to really take people on a journey you know, paint a picture of, you know it's sort of that movie inside your head. You know that you take people on a ride there and, um, what it means to the songwriter, you know. What it means to me might not be what it means to the person listening and that's cool, I mean it's, you know, because you're able to connect to it in your own personal way. Um, and you know that emotional connection is, you know, one of the coolest things about music. You know for sure.
Speaker 1:It is the pandemic. What was that four years ago now? Yeah, I mean that was. There was a time for whether it's doing what I do or doing what you do.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:We know. That's when we started doing a lot of it this way. It just and I imagine for your songwriting it was pretty much the same that you, you couldn't go certain places, but yet you would do a zoom call or something along those lines. But it's right, it's not as effective. You don't feel the body language, you don't. I don't know something about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, there's, you know, I think you know I I love songwriting, but I really love performing as well, and you know there's just the energy that you get from a live audience really just can't be duplicated. You know, um, and it's in, every performance is different because you have different energy from different crowds. You know, and some, some nights, certain songs really resonate and then the next night it's maybe a completely different song. You know, and you know that's one of the fun parts about playing gigs and even playing covers is, you know, I like to try to really kind of customize. When I'm looking out at a crowd, like you know, you kind of get clues. You know, as the night goes on, like OK, well, this crowd's really feeling this, you know and then you might take things in a different direction than you did before.
Speaker 2:you know 100 percent.
Speaker 1:Tell me about your songwriting, how your creative process and I know that sounds like a pretty generic question. Well, maybe it is, but tell us about your creative process.
Speaker 2:I would say most of the time, you know, I might have like a general idea. Like you know, something kind of comes up in conversation or I'm going through something or see something, feel something, and then maybe like like, sort of like a hook line might come out of that or an idea, you know.
Speaker 2:But as far as the process itself, I mean, I generally kind of write everything together. So it's, you know, I'll sit down with my guitar and, you know, start to kind of play a chord progression and that sort of melody and lyrics tend to kind of filter in. You know all together. But then I also write a lot when I'm driving, you know, because I drive a lot and I, you know, go back and forth to Nashville and you know, my husband and I we make jokes that I should just get in the car and drive to Nashville, like whether I need to be there or not, because I inevitably write something, you know, when I go back and forth, and so that's kind of like a little different type of process. You know, it's that sort of stream of consciousness almost. You know, you're like going down the road and of thinking when you're driving.
Speaker 1:I mean, you're cruising along and you just, you know, hey, I got a six hour drive and you, whether you got that, you're listening to the radio or maybe you just you want to think about certain thoughts and whatever comes out of those, yeah, stuff starts to kind of noodle its way in, you know um, and I think like that's kind of a.
Speaker 2:I've had some pretty cool songs that have manifested from just drives, you know. But yeah, typically I write with my guitar, you know I love that.
Speaker 1:So you get to Nashville. You've been at certain writers right arounds. Writers get involved with that. You've also been at oh God, I just had a brain fart the bluebird, yes, yes, and what's that feel like to you? I can't believe I couldn't think of that. It's like I just had a brain fart.
Speaker 2:I don't know that's okay. It happens to all of us. It will probably happen to me at some point, so don't feel bad, I get older.
Speaker 3:I know a lot of those.
Speaker 2:You know. You know everybody talks about the bluebird is, um, I think it is a very unique animal because it is such a listening crowd. You know, um, you can hear a pin drop in that place because they hang on every word, on every. You know every line and um, it doesn't really matter how much you perform. When you perform at the bluebird it's different. You know, there's an intensity, um, that is a little intimidating but also inspiring. You know, and um, yeah, it's a cool experience. Every time I've done it it's a cool experience, and um, I also do, uh, a lot of the writers nights at the Commodore grill in Nashville.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And she's been really supportive and, you know, invite me out to play a lot of those. But yeah, I you know both of those places. You know the caliber of songwriting and of artists that you can meet is phenomenal.
Speaker 1:You never know who's going to walk in, correct?
Speaker 2:No, you don't. You don't know who's going to walk in. And I mean, you know I've met, I've been at writers nights where I'm performing, and you know I'm sharing the stage with Grammy winning, you know songwriters that have written multiple hit songs and you know are friendly and welcoming and and you know it's a pretty cool community. I mean I have to say on the whole it's a welcoming, encouraging community. I mean sure it's competitive, but it's not. I would say it's an encouraging environment.
Speaker 1:You say competitive, but everybody helps each other out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is, and I think you know I've been in a lot of things in my life that are competitive.
Speaker 2:The horses are very competitive when you get to the higher levels and, and I have to say, music like Nashville in particular, you know you would think would be, you know, kind of a rough town as far as the competition. And it is very competitive in the sense that you have so many ridiculously talented people in one spot. But every time I go people are like hey, I used to do this writer's night and yeah, I used to meet so-and-so, and maybe we can get together and co-write, or you know, I mean it's a very encouraging, like you know, artistic place where everybody's trying to kind of, you know, just get to the next level and, you know, I think it's super cool.
Speaker 1:But there's so much of that going on. Yeah, it could be like 12 things going on in one night and you want to go there, and then you want to go here, and then you want to go there, and it's like I don't know which one should I go to. You know, it's just great opportunity, no matter where you go. I would assume.
Speaker 2:It is. I mean, every time you go out, I mean you don't even have to go to a writer's night, you could go out for lunch and bump into somebody. Amazing, you strike up a conversation. I mean I've gone out for coffee there and been like, oh my God, that's you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no exactly yeah. Right there with you? Yeah, of course that. Right there with you. Yeah, of course that's. That's what nashville is all about. I mean, if you go to jill, you just had that's what happens?
Speaker 1:you just be the fan. That's over the top. You just got to be cool, right? You know, the funny story is the very first time, many, many, many years ago, I went to nashville and I was at this event and, uh, I think lone star was there, brooks and dunn were there, and right, oh my god, oh my god, I'm calling home going. Honey, honey, honey. I see richard mcdonald, lone stars, right now. He's wrote you know, I'm doing all that now. It's like you just gotta be like yeah, good to see you, man, you know what I mean. You gotta be cool, yeah, but there is that initial. You know like, oh, my god. But oh, yeah, they live a life like you and I. They go grocery store. They have to get. Yeah, they gotta. You know they're paying a lot for groceries, just like we are, so it's all the same, it's all the same well, yeah, and here at the beach.
Speaker 2:So where we are, we're in the area that they call 30a okay and there's a lot of um nashville that have like like successful nashville, that has like second homes here and there's a lot of people that split time so like you could be walking through the grocery store here and see, you know, like major stars. You know what I mean from nashville and that's the same thing here.
Speaker 2:It's like be cool, like on vacation, like just leave them alone. You know, like like I don't know, you know, I think Billy Dean was is down there somewhere.
Speaker 1:I know he's on the beach, but I just don't know where exactly. But I mean, we've had him on the podcast and we talked about it, but I know he's he's, he was in Florida.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that Gulf coast, like that whole, you know from, you know really like that part of Alabama, like you know Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, alabama all the way down to. Panama City Beach. Florida is definitely. You know there's a lot of Nashville that spends time there, so you kind of know who you're going to see. So you kind of know who you're going to see.
Speaker 1:In Alabama. They've got some pretty cool studios down in the Gulf Shores or whatever In that area. They've got some cool studios in that area and I know a lot of artists will go there and cut whatever they're going to cut. Hang on, you know what I want to do. I want to check out the hurricane tracker for you.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, you might want to. I haven't looked at it recently, sorry.
Speaker 1:I'm not paying attention.
Speaker 2:Skip, it's not good.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, you know what? You've been pretty lucky, let's just say I mean where you're located with all the storms that have been coming across, and I think there's another one now, maybe not to the extent extent of Milton or one of the previous hurricanes, but it's still there. No it is.
Speaker 2:I feel so bad for the people south of us that had such horrible luck. It's one of the parts of living in Florida on the coast, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying, did you say Pensacola?
Speaker 1:Are you say Pensacola? Are you near Pensacola?
Speaker 2:or no, we're close to like. If you look at Destin on the map, we're close.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Cool, cool.
Speaker 1:I know it's a great radio station, pensacola, so yeah, it's 98.7, but I love them. They're the cat, so it's pretty cool, cool stuff. But so you get up to Nashville. When you're up there, do you get to play out at all besides the writers' nights? Do you do anything on Broadway? Do you go to some of the bars, like out of town? I?
Speaker 2:have. I've played. Well, I played at 12 Keys. I haven't played on Broadway yet because up until we moved in May I wasn't really available enough to dedicate that much time to being there. Um, so that's the promotion company that I work with. That's one of the things that we've been kind of discussing is starting to play on Broadway. Some you know now that my schedule isn't as determined by farm ownership, um, and having to be available for that lifestyle. So that's kind of on. The goal for this coming year is to be playing in Nashville more and to get out more and to do more in general with, you know, the Writers' Nights, and more just promotion, just promotion. I'm really lucky right now because the single that I put out in September is on the radio and been picked up by quite a few stations, so I'm super stoked about that.
Speaker 1:And it sounds something like this it does, it does. It sounds really familiar to you.
Speaker 2:It does sound kind of familiar.
Speaker 1:Just play just that little bit of it. Hang on, I will get that I've been shooting whiskey.
Speaker 3:I've been drinking wine Donnie on a tequila, a little bit of lime and now I'm seeing double Baby. It's me and you, my men, say it's unhealthy, unhealthy. I need to get on track, promise you just own me If I take it back. And I know they're right, but it's hard to find. I'm missing you. This circle, it needs to be broken. This pain is the path that I've chosen. The circle it needs to be broken. This pain is the path that I've chosen, found my way to that lost time place, back to the girl that I was before. I was the girl with you days.
Speaker 1:Wow, wow, wow, you go girl. Thank you. Yeah, Now is that your regular band. Did you hire studio musicians?
Speaker 2:That is a Nashville band, that we put together with the help of the producer, nick Worley. So I had a fan that was recorded at Blackbird, yeah, so it doesn't really get a whole lot better than that. And so I had a fantastic group of musicians. Xander Wyatt was the band leader and on acoustic guitar and mandolin, and I had Gideon Klein on electric guitar, gabriel Klein, his brother, on percussion and drums, jay Weaver on bass.
Speaker 1:That's like an all-star lineup.
Speaker 2:It is and Ty Bailey on keyboards.
Speaker 1:A lot of people don't realize is that an artist like yourself. When you go into a studio, really the band is made up of professionals. They play from everybody, from the newest artist all the way up to riba mcintyre or whoever right what I'm saying. So those are the people that you're hiring to be on your album or on your single.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, no everybody in that band is currently touring with. Someone like, for example, like xander wyatt is touring with larry fleet right now, who's been on tour with morgan wallen yes, absolutely yeah. So I mean, I was very, very fortunate and I mean they're all touring musicians and you know, and nick uh worley, the producer, did a fantastic job and you know, um, and blackbird is just an amazing studio is it all right there?
Speaker 1:I mean anybody that knows anything about the music, anything about what's going on in nashville, and blackbird comes up, you go wow, okay, that's cool yeah, no, it's legit.
Speaker 2:Um, no doubt it's a. It's a fantastic experience. I mean, I could like move into blackbird.
Speaker 1:It's very, very cool I geek out in those places yeah, it's easy to do yeah, I go in and I I see everything that's going on.
Speaker 2:It's like this is so freaking cool yeah, no, the I mean it just it's an amazing facility and you know the I love the vocal booth, like that's just one of those places like stay in the vocal booth all day. You know um and and sing and I I really love being in the studio and it's. You know it's such a cool collaborative thing. You know you walk in with your scratch takes of your songs and you know everybody adds their own. You know parts and flair and then the next thing you know it's like what you've been hearing inside your head comes to life.
Speaker 1:It all comes together.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's amazing. You know, it's really amazing.
Speaker 1:Are you the only musician? Is your husband a musician? Are the kids doing it at all, or is it just you?
Speaker 2:My husband is definitely not a musician. He is a big fan. He is a speaker carrier, but he loves music.
Speaker 1:Good work, my son does do loves music.
Speaker 2:My son does do some music. He plays a saxophone and he does do some writing and in fact he and I have been co -writing a little bit recently, so that would be kind of cool. He does a lot of jazz and you know stuff like that, Um, and he's really very talented. He does not do it for a living, although he could, Um, but he, uh, it's, it's a good just outlet for him and he enjoys doing it. You know what I mean on that level. So Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Saxophone is uh, how do I do it? I would describe it as a very sexy instrument. There's something about the saxophone, you know. Yeah, very.
Speaker 2:I don't mean this in a creepy way, but it could be very seductive, it's just no it's, you're absolutely right, it's a very cool, sexy instrument and, um, you know, and he kind of grew up you know, I on a lot of r&b and old you know, soul and stuff and uh, you can really hear that influence and in what he does, yeah, is it a alto or uh tenor sax alto alto.
Speaker 1:Yeah, john williard is. Uh, I don't know if you can see the comments there. John williard is a voiceover artist. He was the voice of the cmas for a lot of years uh-huh he's a big fan of the Skip Happens podcast.
Speaker 1:We do a lot of things. He's done a lot of things for me. I just see he's chiming in there. He was the man, the voice, that you still hear it everywhere nowadays. I'll see a commercial come out or something. I'll go. It's John Williard. He's watching, he's listening right now hello John, yeah, I um.
Speaker 2:No, I can't see the comments, so all right, see that or not?
Speaker 1:yeah, he says happy to do it for you. Well, thank you, john, but not such a cool guy, one of the cool guys. So I have to ask you training horses, traveling and doing what you did, more or less you know, training horses going up and down the East coast and all that, I mean it's gotta be a pretty good job. A lot of traveling, I get it, but it's something that you love to do. But now you've kind of put that on the back burner. You get to get tower up even more and you're really concentrating on that. Why?
Speaker 2:You know, it was always. I was always torn between my two loves. You know what I mean of music and writing and I'm very fortunate in the sense that I've somehow been able to do both his careers. You know. You know, I've known what I wanted to do since I was three years old. You know what I mean If you look at my baby book.
Speaker 2:It's like what do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a singer and I want to ride horses. You know, be a singer and a cowgirl is what it said. Um, you know, and so you know that hasn't changed and luckily I'm crazy enough that I thought that those could be, you know, viable career paths and and it worked, you know, um, and the thing is they're both very all-consuming, you know, and I, I went to school for music and I was kind of on that path and I just had some opportunities arise, uh, with the horses that I hadn't really counted on and that it just sort of snowballed into, you know, one thing onto the next, and that was also like a lifelong passion of mine.
Speaker 2:So it was just kind of like, okay, that sort of became the front runner as far as the career. It was never a choice of which one I liked more, it was just I couldn't really do both at that level at the same time. Um, but I always felt like there was just really something missing because, you know, music was really supposed to be what I pursued and it was just, you know, it derailed a little bit and I think, you know, I did my first album of original songs when I was 17.
Speaker 1:Oh, my god, just a couple of weeks ago. Yeah right, we wish.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean exactly and I think you know it's just a couple of weeks ago, yeah right, we wish. But yeah, I mean exactly and I think you know this was a huge part of what I wanted to do, and I sort of, you know, got to a point where I had kind of reached a lot of the goals that I wanted to in the world.
Speaker 2:And there was this, you know, just real longing for wanting to really chase music on a level that you know I kind of hadn't had the opportunity before, like a lot of people, regardless of what the career path was. You know my day job as it, you know as unusual as my day job was, but my day job and you know what I was, you know doing running a farm, having a family, you know all these things um kind of kept, you know, limiting what I could do. And at this point you know I am able to pursue it on a level that I haven't had the opportunity to do before. It's awesome.
Speaker 2:Luckily it's, you know, moving forward in a very positive direction. So I'm stoked and I try really hard to kind of encourage people. Like you know, if there's something you want to do, like, just do it. You know, take a step forward and follow my own advice, you know.
Speaker 1:I hear you. I mean I'm trying to branch off and do different things. I'm okay over here now I don't have to worry about certain things and now I can do whatever's over here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I totally can relate to that, Totally, totally same life experience, necessarily, and that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of 22 year olds, you know, writing incredible stuff. Like you know, taylor swift started writing incredible stuff when she was, you know, a teenager. But I think you know, at every point in your life, um, you're coming from a different perspective and I think you know, maybe my path as a songwriter and an artist is is coming from a perspective, you know, because of where I've been and you know how, how that got me to where I am now. You know, and I I think that it's so easy to kind of lull ourselves into, well, but I chose this path, so I'm just going to stick with it and there's nothing wrong with that. But I think if there's something that you really have like a hardcore desire to chase and you can even it doesn't have to be like, you know, full tilt, you know, but on any level, if you can chase it on any level, I think it's important to do, you know that's great advice.
Speaker 1:Anybody that's watching this. I mean do it, you know, do it. Get out there and do it.
Speaker 2:You can do it, don't worry, I mean like what's the worst thing that's going to happen, you know, like it doesn't work. You know and you know. So I mean, I think I think that's kind of the lesson I've been teaching myself is this whole process has gone on, you know.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely Absolutely. When you say you ride the horses, are you running with them? Do you do the jumps? Do you do? You know what I mean? No, I'm not the jumps.
Speaker 2:Yep, so I was a hunter jumper trainer, so I did show horses. I started Western as a kid actually, and I rode western some, but, um, so english riding I know you're not a horse guy so I'll walk through so, uh, english primarily, um, and a hunter jumper trainer, um, so yes, we would jump a course of jumps like in an arena, um, and it's judged like on precision and horse form and you know, smoothness, those kinds of things, um, just to kind of give you the basics uh falling off and, yes, definitely not falling off, although I've done that plenty uh, I'll just say I'd be the one falling off.
Speaker 2:It's like oh, you would be. Yeah, well, everybody does in the beginning it's yeah, I guess Sometimes it's okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and plus I think it would hurt a little bit, if you know what I mean, Because I see them jumping up and down on that set or the way the horse is moving, and then your body if it doesn't move with the horse, it's not going to be very comfortable. Does that make sense?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it does make sense. I have six pins in a plate in my right knee. That would test my statement.
Speaker 1:How do you travel when you go through the airport?
Speaker 2:uh metal detector you know it's not very comforting, but I'm there. I rarely set it off, so I don't know what that says about tsa, but but yeah, I, um, I, uh, I have set it off before, but yeah it's yeah, six pins and a plate in my knee and that was riding a three year old like a new three year old, yeah.
Speaker 1:Right. And I zagged a little bit, tell me and now I just played a little clip of the single. But tell me about the single and how did it come about?
Speaker 2:OK, so it's called the Girl I Was Before, ok, and it's, you know, basically a story song that we can all kind of relate to. I think of. You know you're in a relationship with somebody for a long time and you know, whenever you're in that relationship your identity kind of becomes intertwined. You know you're sort of a part of that couple.
Speaker 2:And I think, think, you know, when we have to sort of redefine ourselves post relationship, you know, you start to realize, you know, maybe parts of you that you've lost or changed or whatever, and there's that sort of sense of returning, you know, back to your kind of true self. Um, and that's that's kind of the story of, of the, of sort of you know, sort of lamenting the loss of the relationship but kind of talking about returning to the girl that you were before.
Speaker 1:And how does the whiskey in the words the whiskey?
Speaker 2:I've been drinking whiskey. I've been drinking wine Damiana and tequila with a little bit of lime but, now I'm being double, but it's me and you.
Speaker 1:So let me ask on one of those trips to Nashville, did that song come about?
Speaker 2:You know. So it's funny that line. I will admit it's funny. I had I had some friends that we were sitting around one night and we were drinking a little bit and we weren't drinking all those things though but, um, and they said, you know, you don't have enough songs with alcohol in them. And it was like this joke, you know like you don't have enough songs with alcohol in them. And so the song started. That part of the song started as a little bit of a joke, you know, like between us, and then it then it took this turn and evolved into that you know completely different. You know like a much more serious, you know song. Um, we started bits and pieces of personal life kind of mixed in with a little bit of a story inside my head. But yeah, um, it's uh, yeah, that's a lot.
Speaker 2:I would not recommend that lineup. Don't think that would be a good lineup. I'm surprised I don't get asked more allergies in florida, giving me a hard time. Um the. I'm surprised I don't get asked more about damiana um, because a lot of people don't. Do you know what damiana Damiana liquor is? Have you ever had it?
Speaker 1:I have not.
Speaker 2:No, okay, so it's a it's a it's a cactus liquor and they make it in Mexico.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And I never knew about it, you know, being from New York originally, and Virginia, yeah, we don't have Damiana up there, but but my husband introduced it to me and it's uh, you can get it in California, which is where he's from, and uh, and Mexico and uh, but anyway, you'll have to try it in a margarita, Cause if you have it in a margarita.
Speaker 1:I have to make note of that.
Speaker 2:Yes, it will change your, your, your. I'm doing margaritas that way.
Speaker 1:It will change you in ways you don't.
Speaker 2:It might, yeah, you might want to just a little bit, just a little bit.
Speaker 1:Just a little bit.
Speaker 2:Moderation.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. So, Kimberly, where can we get a hold of your music?
Speaker 2:So I'm on every kind of platform, streaming platform you could want to find me on. So that single we just heard snippets of is called the Girl I was before. Um, I also have, um, a couple of albums that are out. I have an album named flight risk um, uh, that is out, that you could hear of, one called seasons. It's, you know, been out for a few years now.
Speaker 3:Um.
Speaker 2:I have a single, uh that's out called no Better Love, which is also from the Flight Risk album. We are going to release another new single on Valentine's Day Nice. So that's something to look forward to and it is sort of Valentine's Day related. So that should be coming out on Valentine's Day, so kind of excited about that and should be going back into the studio to Blackbird Not exactly sure when we haven't scheduled it yet, but before too long. So I have, I have enough now for a new album, so we're going to start.
Speaker 1:So that'd be number three for you. Yes, you have enough, that is.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I knew you had at least one. Yeah, wow, that is, I knew you had at least one, yeah. Wow, that's great, kimberly.
Speaker 2:That is awesome, thank you.
Speaker 1:Do you get the opportunity to go to the country radio seminar at all?
Speaker 2:No, but I actually just had Nancy, who you know from grassroots.
Speaker 1:I love Nancy. Yeah, nancy's awesome, so she and I were just talking about that today and I'm going to be going this year, so this coming year I'll see you there because and we usually everybody kind of hooks up and says hello and, you know, meet somebody in person for the first time. It's kind of cool so yeah I've had so many artists on a lot of the newer artists now I wouldn't even consider you a new artist.
Speaker 2:I mean you're into your third album you you know I I'm new in the sense that it's finally getting promoted in a proper way, so more people exposure to it. You know what I mean and so I mean thank you for thinking of me in that way, but I'm I'm new to you and I'm new to a lot of people and um, and, and that's okay. You know what I mean. It's, uh, just working on, you know, getting it out so that more listeners can hear it, and it's really been a very cool experience. I mean I'm thrilled to think that you know it's getting picked up by radio stations and and you know, every week I get the report of, you know more spins are being added and and I've gotten a really nice response from you know different interviews that I've had and you know the radio stations liking it. So that's all I can ask for. And you know I have a nice, a very loyal fan base.
Speaker 2:You know hoping to have a bigger, you know, fan base like everybody, but the awesome fans that I do have are very, very loyal and very into my original music and super positive. You know about the direction my music is kind of taken. You know, with this new single, kind of where we're going and I think that's, you know that's. I feel very fortunate, I feel very blessed in that way, for sure.
Speaker 1:And, like I mentioned in the beginning, before you went out live, the fact that you do have grassroots and a lot of different promotional companies you could go with, but this is one company that's, you know, made up of musicians and radio people, and to have that those two people, or those two groups of people working together, just makes it for everybody understands what's going on. You know what I mean right.
Speaker 2:I mean it's, you know. You know you're really only as good as your team and you know you can. You can be writing good things or putting good, you know music out and if you don't have the right team to put it in the right hands to get the exposure that you need, then you know, unfortunately it just sits and it gets lost. And you know it's.
Speaker 2:I mean, these days we live in a world that is more accessible to musicians than it ever has been, but it's also very easy to get lost you know, in the sea of music, you know, and it's these days we, we, we work on fighting the algorithm you know what I mean and using it to our advantage. And I think, if you don't have professionals, that that's what they do all day long. It's, it's difficult, you know, I do. I think it's difficult. So you know, grass roots promotion has been fantastic. They I have people helping me with streaming. I think it's difficult, so you know, grassroots promotion has been fantastic.
Speaker 3:They.
Speaker 2:I have people helping me with streaming. I have people helping me get it out on radio. I have, you know, mentor sessions with Nancy, who you meant, you know that you mentioned, and you know it's. It's great to have those opportunities to be pushed and to get really positive feedback on. You know what's good, what could be better. You know direction, you know and just really have it a well-rounded attack, because that's what it kind of takes to get to the next level.
Speaker 1:Those are the people that know how to do it.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I know Absolutely, they can tackle a certain situation as well.
Speaker 1:If they're not so happy with something, they're going to tell you, but they're going to tell you how you could do it better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a very positive experience.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:You know and you understand I mean it's, it's one of those things that you know not all songs that you send down the pipeline are going to be, you know like you're not going to keep them. You know there's a lot that gets left on the cutting room floor. You know, and that's you know.
Speaker 2:Like you write something like I wrote a song, this morning and I sent it to Nancy and you know, thankfully she likes it, you know, and I I. But you know, sometimes you write things and you're super excited about it and then you listen to them two weeks later and you're like yeah, that's, you know certain things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that sucks, you know. So that happens. So I do some voiceover work and it's like, oh, this is great, and I'll give it a little time, I'll go do something, then come back and give it a listen and go. That really sucked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it can be sad, but true, you know.
Speaker 1:I know it's so true. You know you're so awesome to chat with. I know we haven't met before till tonight, but to be able to talk about you, to talk about your music and where it's going and the team that's behind you, and I'm a little jealous that you're in the panhandle of Florida, but yeah, I know, roll the eyes, go ahead All right, I love New York, new York.
Speaker 2:I was born there.
Speaker 1:I still love New York. Well, do you love the snow? You lived in a Swigo. You got the wind off of Lake Ontario, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Snowball, I mean snow belt action. Um, yeah, so you know we, we could cross country ski out our back door. I remember that as a kid. Um, you know snowmobiles. I mean, you know my favorite memory, my grandmother is still around at 98. And yeah, she's awesome. But I like, one of my favorite memories as a kid is her like jumping the snowmobile.
Speaker 1:Like you know, like them, like having you know like yeah, yeah, mounds of snow and my grandmother, my little tiny grandmother, like jumping the snowmobile.
Speaker 2:I mean it's a family affair. I mean everybody was out on a snowmobile or skiing or you know. I mean you just the fun continues outside. It doesn't matter if there's snow.
Speaker 1:So I'll tell you that yesterday we got to 81 degrees.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:It was 70. What's the temperature there?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's been in the 80s, but it's been a little bit cooler the past week or so. It's actually been nice. We've had a little bit of a break. But yeah, I mean, it's beautiful. Not going to lie, I like it. I like it a lot. I'm sort of enjoying being a little bit of a beach bum. I try to go to the beach every morning that I'm home in. Florida. Do you walk the beach every morning that I'm home in? Yeah, I take my dog, so I have um, we have two dogs and okay I try to take my dog every morning to the beach.
Speaker 2:He's become a beach guy so what kind of dog? Uh, we have two. We have a mini aussie uh, who's 14 taylor like the guitar. And then, uh, we have a vishla. I don't know if you know what those are.
Speaker 2:It's a hungarian pointer and, uh, they're kind of like a like a german short hair, except they're the red color um, okay yeah, so he's a big like running, walking, hiking, busy kind of guy and uh, so he and I go every morning, you know, for a few miles, and uh, um, his name is cash I know, but did you just say miles?
Speaker 1:yeah, how many miles do you walk, is that?
Speaker 2:like at least three in the morning. Yeah, like you know, at least three, sometimes more if we have time, you know and it's quiet time of the year where the beaches aren't crowded. Yeah, it's. It does get busy here for sure, and we're still in the honeymoon stage of this area. So you know all the locals are like like they're waiting for fall or you know they're. You know, get kind of over it when it gets really busy and you know there's lines and stuff where like hey, you know what?
Speaker 1:We don't care. Like you know, we are still kind of tourists, you know so we're okay with it.
Speaker 2:All right, it's all right enjoy it can I ask what does your husband do? He's a builder. Um, so yeah, he's a, uh like a carpenter and builder and there's work just about any.
Speaker 1:Wherever he goes, he can get work.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, yeah so he's uh did a lot of his specialty is kind of old historic homes like Victorian homes and but he he does everything.
Speaker 1:Does he watch this old house?
Speaker 2:He did, yeah, and you know he watches a lot of YouTube stuff, you know.
Speaker 1:Yes, I mean come on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's one of those annoying people in the sense that he can watch YouTube video about anything and then go do it. You know what I mean? He just has that kind of mind that, yeah, it's super cool. I am not that person, but it is cool. He can build just about anything if he studies how to do it, so it comes in very handy.
Speaker 1:It does. I'm sure it does. Kimberly Burke. She's a musician. You can go online, google her name, get her music. It's on all the platforms. It's the way it is. It's on all the platforms.
Speaker 2:It's on all the platforms and I'm sorry to interrupt you Social media. I have to put in the plug. Skip. Social media is KimberlyBurke B-U-R-K-E dot music. You can find me on any of those. If you want to follow me, it would be great.
Speaker 1:Kimberly Burke dot music.
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 1:You're so sweet. Good luck to you.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. Thanks so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:No, 100%. I just love talking to people like you. I look forward to saying hello in person. February will be here before you know it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know I've been going to CRS for probably 25, 30 years, so it's, you know, it's always new people, you get to say hello and all the good stuff. So I look forward to that. It's a great opportunity for you as an artist as well, because there's a ton of radio people, there's a ton of execs, there's just anybody. That's anybody is there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I'm excited, it'll be great and it would be super cool to see you, so thanks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, we can hang out in bar lines in the Omni.
Speaker 2:All right, I'll show you about Damiana. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Don't give me shit face.
Speaker 2:I'll be like bad influence, I know.
Speaker 1:It's a podcast, I can say that. Um, very good. Kimberly burke, thanks for joining us here tonight and skip happens. It's just a pleasure talking to you. I love the music. Um, I expect to hear a whole lot more and I know I'm gonna like it, so I just I can't wait. Keep me posted. You say you got the new one coming out in february. Yeah, um, let's do this again. We get a little bit closer. I'll let shannon or nancy know that I definitely want to do this again. We get a little bit closer. I'll let Shannon or Nancy know that I definitely want to do this, or you could put a plug in as well.
Speaker 2:That would be great. Thanks so much.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, so stay right there. I just want to thank everybody for watching and don't forget to subscribe to Skip Happens. There's a whole lot of these on there, from the newest artist to a, a very well established artist, and some of those that have been around a long, long, long long time. It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool. I'm just saying it's pretty cool. So, anyways, thanks for joining us everybody. Stay right there, kimberly and uh, good night. Thanks for having us on skip happens podcast.
