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
Navigating Music and Law: Molly D'Ago's Inspiring Tale
What happens when you blend the worlds of rock stardom and law? You get the captivating journey of Molly D'Ago, an extraordinary talent who has successfully navigated both realms. From her early days strumming a guitar in a high school garage band to touring nationally at just 16 with her dad on drums, Molly's story is a powerful testament to passion and resilience. Hear about her transition from guitarist to vocalist, and how she found herself on stage with acts like Tantric and The All-American Rejects. We share the hilariously chaotic tale of a locked U-Haul that almost shattered a band and explore the vital role of versatile venues like Kegs Canal Side in keeping live music thriving, especially post-COVID.
Molly also brings a legal twist to the rock narrative by detailing how her law degree from Syracuse University has sharpened her understanding of the music industry's complex landscape. She offers insights on artist rights, the nuances of music licensing, and the growing importance of social media for maintaining artist visibility. Her dual expertise empowers her to advocate for fellow musicians, ensuring they're informed and protected. Along with personal anecdotes about record deals and the evolving sports scene in Syracuse, Molly's journey underscores how legal acumen can complement a musical career.
In a world where self-releasing music offers both challenges and opportunities, hear how Molly's latest track made waves in the top 40 charts, and the exhilarating process of rapid song creation with talented producers. Featuring stories of independent success, like that of country artist Drew Baldrige, this episode highlights the power of determination and the joys of artistic collaboration. Whether it's a song that captures summer vibes or a number-one international hit, Molly's journey is a testament to the synergy between passion, creativity, and legal savvy in the music world.
Thanks for listening! Follow us at youtube.com/c/skiphappens
Hey music lovers, welcome to another episode of uh, what we call skip happens. You know it's a podcast where we dive deep into the stories, sounds and inspirations behind the music that you love and I mean you love and I'm your host, skip clark and uh, today I want to say you're in for a real treat, sitting down with a multi-talented artist whose journey weaves together the words of rock get this rock law and everything in between I had to throw that in there. From shredding guitar solos to climbing the charts, she has done it all and she's only just getting started. Well, she actually started a few years ago because she's been on Skip Happens before. So buckle up. Oh yeah, baby, because we're about to hear all about the amazing rise of molly diago and the powerhouse behind hits. Like and correct me if I'm wrong. I was doing my homework, molly, uh, end of the world, okay, yep, my sweet burning heart yep yep, okay.
Speaker 1:And if you've ever wondered what it's like to a balance rock stardom with a law degree and how to break through as a genre defying artist, well, this episode is for you. So let's get right into it. Molly Diago, what's going on? How are you?
Speaker 2:I'm good, Skip. How are you? It's so nice to see you again. It's been some time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's been a little bit, it's been a few years anyways, the podcast.
Speaker 2:At least I like to not count. I know Well we jumped on.
Speaker 1:You said Skip, I'm getting old. I said, whoa, hold the phone. No, no, no, no, I am. You're not aging at all, If anybody's aging it's right here.
Speaker 2:My back says otherwise. Okay, let's just, let's just go there.
Speaker 1:Well, your back says that, because the way you play the guitar and you're all over the place when you do that and probably one of the best female guitarists that I know, and you know me that I love music and it doesn't matter what the genre is it could be country, it could be rock, it could be alternative, it's all good and uh, just to watch you play that guitar is phenomenal. But let's talk about you, let's talk about your beginnings, and then we're going to get into what we really came here to talk about, and that is the, the brand new single, which is pretty cool, cool, so sounds like a plan this.
Speaker 1:This goes back a little bit. Uh, you had a high school garage band way back in the day, right.
Speaker 2:I did back when I was a baby. I did and we were terrible, but I didn't know that. Nobody told me that. They just let me go, including my dad, who I believe you know him as well. Yes, but yeah, I started out like most kids do, I think, with the terrible garage band that you have all the faith in the world in and then see where it goes, you know.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Well, it was not terrible. You wouldn't be where you are today if it was terrible.
Speaker 2:So, so Well, thank you. Yeah, so we had our moments, for sure, both good and bad, but I got a lot of experience and I kind of got a taste of music, you know, from that and doing the road thing, and I loved it and I couldn't see myself doing anything else at that time at least. And but guitar was really my thing, man, like there is something about it that is just so exciting and fun and you're always, you know, sort of learning new things, and I think the guitar also I can kind of hide behind it a little, you know what I mean. Like it's kind of like an extra piece of yourself. So I I loved it and you know I I still play a little bit here and there today, but uh, you know, humble beginnings for sure well, you still, you, you're still playing.
Speaker 1:You say a little bit here and there, but I mean you're coming out with new music and you're doing all that right.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I am, I'm still trying, still going for it.
Speaker 2:I so, after I did the garage band thing, I floated around with a bunch of different projects, just, you know, playing guitar, and then I ended up playing with a band called Tantric for a little bit and the singer of that band, who you know, became my friend, he kind of coaxed me into, you know, trying to sing.
Speaker 2:And a lot of the reason of why I wanted to become a singer is because every band I've ever been in and sorry if any of the singers you know are watching, but they can be a little difficult and you don't really control your own destiny, you know, when you're not the singer control your own destiny, you know when you're not the singer. So, and I mean, that's not always true, but you know, in a lot of circumstances it is so like I wanted to be able to know that I could count on myself and sort of, you know, follow what I wanted to do, and so the only thing, you know, that would make that possible is if I started singing. So that's what I did and I've been very fortunate to put out, you know, some songs and music over the last five, six years and I got myself a record deal two years ago and we're still going hard with it and we're hoping for the best you know.
Speaker 1:You at a young age, though, you headed out on a national tour, correct I?
Speaker 2:did. Yes, I was still in, I was still my first one, I was still in high school and yes, but you know I remember going into it and I was really excited because, oh, you know, rock and roll tour and you know all the excitement and of course, when you're like 16, you're like, okay, it's going to be awesome, but buzzkill, my dad was the drummer, so it wasn't as fun as one would have hoped, but I definitely I enjoyed it, you know. Anyway, and I did a couple of tours with my dad and you know I'm really thankful for those experiences for sure, because you know that's the dream when you're a kid, you know to go tour the country and play music, and some shows are great, some of them are not, you know, but you learn every single time, every single stop.
Speaker 1:It's a it's a learning experience every moment, whether it's what you're doing or what I do. Every day is a new day, that you're always learning something new, I guess.
Speaker 2:So exactly, oh, absolutely, and I'm sure you have a lot of stories.
Speaker 1:Someday we'll talk about that. Um, can any memorable moments like from those early days on the road, I mean you being 16, your dad on the drums. I'm sure he was keeping a close eye on you. Oh man, yeah, and you were keeping a close eye on your dad.
Speaker 2:I had to keep a close eye. That man's wild and I didn't know that until we got there. But no, I mean was it was a lot of fun and, uh, he did quit the band two to three times while we were on the road and had to rejoin the next day because he was our driver. So, um, I think those are the ones that, of course, the best ones are always because, again, you know family fighting and we're Italian, so, well, who does um?
Speaker 1:let me just put it that way who doesn't you love family?
Speaker 2:Family can really suck at times too, so exactly, and that's like I, I remember one night I think we're in Louisville, um, and the kind of a seedy part of town, because again, we were, you know, a newer band, so we weren't playing like you know right, uh, the kind of lottery or any venue you know a newer band, so we weren't playing like you know, uh, the kind of lottery or any venue you know similar to it. So I remember it was late at night and, um, you know, it was a bunch of kids and then my, you know, my dad and I remember it was so hot it was like 90 degrees outside and I went to go change, oh, we had a U-Haul with us with all our gear and uh, I locked the keys and everything we owned in the u-haul and uh, that, I think, caused him to quit the band the first time. So just, you know a little things that happened here and there and trying to navigate.
Speaker 1:You know the italian hotheads and I'm sure the other band members have an interesting perspective of some of those nights but it was fun so when the italian, the italian hotheads get together, you must laugh about some of those days now.
Speaker 2:Now we do, but it took 10 years to get there, you know. But now looking back, it was lots of fun and I'm sure hopefully he's laughing about it now too.
Speaker 1:I'm sure he is and I'm sure he's going. I can't believe. She just talked about that, Probably. But you know what?
Speaker 2:He took that risk.
Speaker 1:He took that risk by doing it, you know so, but yeah, you know you, you did collaborations with the all-american rejects and also pop evil. That was pretty, pretty impressive. Uh, what lesson did you learn from working alongside some of the biggest names in rock?
Speaker 2:You know, the biggest thing, and especially like watching some of those guys just do what they do, is like they never sort of give up that original passion of why they do this.
Speaker 2:And I think that even now I have to kind of remind myself sometimes because life gets busy, you know, especially as you grow up remind myself sometimes because life gets busy, you know, especially as you grow up. So I think the most important part of you know watching the season guys do it is just the dedication and the hard work and the hours that go into all this and being able to take a step back and sort of enjoy that, you know, at the end of the day, and that's every, every single night, you know, of being around those people. It's always that listen like this is the culmination of why you do this, you know, and to see the people, of course, whether it be for me or for them or whoever, you know, it's exciting and but actually one of my favorite, one of my favorite gigs still to this day, and I think you had something to do with it I remember I was in a country band and I believe that we were opening for Frankie Ballard at the the kegs place. It was.
Speaker 1:I think that was one of your guests. It was kegs canal side and they're located in jordan, new york. Uh, it's a redneck bar, it's a cool bar, it's a honky tonk, it's whatever you want it to be. But yes, frankie ballard, that's right, we did have a lot to do.
Speaker 2:That was a long time ago I'm getting flashbacks now.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and they're still going strong out there.
Speaker 2:They're still doing a lot of shows, both rock I was wondering so they have indoor, outdoor, right at that venue, like they yeah, because I we played in the outdoor portion, but it's really actually the outdoor stage was very impressive, because I remember like it goes back like yeah, it's now. I mean he is Tony.
Speaker 1:The owner is continuously been adding on and making it better, you know, a little bit at a time, and over the last few years he's done so much to this venue that artists are loving the fact that they get to play there and they get booked to play there. And the outdoor stage is phenomenal Even the indoor stage now is that's all been redone and the sound system is phenomenal and it's, it's just a great place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, indoor or outdoor, you know and I like it's awesome that they're preserving that because you know, um, I think especially post-covid and I'm sure you've it like a lot of these venues have definitely probably struggled to stay afloat.
Speaker 1:I think they've been struggling.
Speaker 2:yes, yes, and in Syracuse, new York, like that's what you do, you go see shows, right, so that's. You know Syracuse, jordan, the area, right. So I think that's awesome, that you know they're kicking along. And even because they're really, I feel like there's less and less country venues too, and, granted, I have not been there in a while, but I just remember that place.
Speaker 1:It was wonderful, that's where I'm getting at Nowadays, there's venues, there are venues, that's all.
Speaker 1:It's more than just whatever. There's a couple of clubs around town. They could do country. One night they're doing rock, the next night they have a rapper, the next night it's you know. So they're doing a little bit of everything and trying to get people to come out and enjoy the shows. But, like you said, this post-covid stuff has been really hard on a lot of owners, a lot of venues, even a lot of a lot of artists. You know to get back out there. But now we have this avenue, as we have Skip Happens. You know to get people like you on and you know let's talk. You know what I mean. I mean, I do this with a lot of big country artists. So, hey, a guitarist being a guitar guitarist, that was your first love, right. Then you moved into vocals.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and I think the guitar was like a safe spot for me. You know, I had never considered singing ever, but again I had. One influence in my life was just like listen, if this is what you want to excel at, and because I I not that I have control issues, but I do People in my life will say yes, but I wanted to be able to again control my destiny, because a lot of times, when you're putting a lot of hours and work into this and if everybody's not on that same page, it's hard, and I mean you can't fault them for that either, because some people, you know they're becoming adults, right, they're getting careers, and in order for me to really take hold of what I wanted to do, I had to, you know, put the pieces together and start singing.
Speaker 1:So that's kind of how we got here and um, you always knew you had that in you, I'm just saying I don't think so.
Speaker 2:No, maybe I I don't think. Maybe in the shower I thought it was great but, like you know, don't we all yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I have to ask. So, first of all, where are you right now?
Speaker 2:I'm in connecticut at this very second all right, very cool, very cool although I heard you guys got buried with snow well, it depends.
Speaker 1:You know you're from the area originally and you know that we get the lake effect so it could be snowing like crazy one spot. Drive down the road about a mile and it's sunny. So you know I think got a couple of feet here, but areas just to the north got five, six, seven feet. It's just unheard of.
Speaker 1:I'm going to say this there's a lot going on in the world. There's a lot going on right here in the United States right now. I know that I'm going to come. You want to throw all the lake effect snow at me? Fine, I'll take that, because I know I'm still coming home to a home and not ash. So it's just, you know, I just I just I read about it and I have to talk about it every day.
Speaker 2:It's crazy, it's crazy I'm sure, but I like I remember last night because I didn't realize really how tragic the situation is, especially in in our friends in California. But the videos coming out of there are just there. I can't even imagine, I can't even imagine what they're going through and I am definitely our heart, you know, goes out to them 100%, and I mean you probably as well. We have a lot of friends here, so definitely yeah.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. So yeah, I can't even especially you know for them, them, we're thinking about them, for sure. But uh, yes, like you said, I was complaining all week about 20s, until today when I saw those videos and I'm like, oh my gosh, you know terrible I want to say gordy just chimed in, said from what I just heard on spotify molly made the right decision to be a singer oh, thank you, gordy, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:That's pretty cool I appreciate that. Yeah, now I have to ask this transition, if there is one, from music to law, because you got a law degree at Syracuse University.
Speaker 2:Somehow. Yes, I did.
Speaker 1:You're a smart one here. Definitely I wouldn't be doing that.
Speaker 2:So well, I, yeah. So while I was still, you know, very actively playing music Syracuse of course let's go orange, although the basketball team is questionable at best this year. But I was really fortunate enough to have really flexible, you know, learning options at Syracuse and they really embraced me as a person versus just, you know, sort of a regular law student. So I was able to pursue that, you know, while still pursuing my career in music, which I'm super thankful for. I didn't have to, like you know, take a break and somehow I graduated and I passed the bar on my first try and I think I was sworn in five years ago, yesterday.
Speaker 1:So I feel, like I'm getting old, but I love it when you say somehow I did it. Young lady, you did very well. I mean, obviously. And if you pass the bar in your first attempt, that's pretty cool from what I've heard. So you're practiced. You've been licensed to practice law in two states. I'm reading and have you ever had to use your legal background doing what you do?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, yeah, I think well, for me personally, when I got the record deal that I have now with Wake Up Music, which love them, great group of people that was the first time I really got to be like, okay, I've trained for this moment, you know, in multiple ways and you know, be able to understand my rights as an artist and you know, make sure that I'm doing right by myself. And you know, because I think the biggest thing that artists do wrong is they don't value themselves properly. You know, and it's really easy to get swept up in bright lights, you know, and then you fall right back down on your butt and then you've got nothing. So I knew components of how to, you know, sort of set myself up and I think, uh, I use law musically more for my friends than I do myself, because I I get questions, you know, every day.
Speaker 2:Uh, because, of course, from playing guitar in various bands and groups and I'm associated with a lot of different people, that now they know, you know, the guitar playing lawyer is me, they call me and I mean it's great because I get calls from a lot of cool people. You know, in music but again, a lot of times the industry is set up, just, you know, I guess, disadvantageous for musicians and a lot of times they don't know, you know, sure, and it's okay, because how can you know what you don't know? You know you can't expect them to. So, um, one really big thing that's important to me is to be able to give back to, uh, you know, my music friends, who who need me, you know, in those times and even today I just helped a guy from Syracuse um license uh tune that they're using for, uh, the Syracuse.
Speaker 2:They're not the Sky Chiefs anymore, right they're something else.
Speaker 1:No, no, they haven't been the Sky Chiefs in a while. They are now.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:They went from the Sky Chiefs to the Chiefs, and now they're the Mets the Syracuse Mets AAA affiliate New York Mets.
Speaker 2:And right. And Zach, isn't he kind of like the emcee over there? No, Zach, yeah, my man he works in.
Speaker 1:I tried to get him to come down and say hello, but he's in his room. He practices announcing all the time. He doesn't really do a lot of the MC. I'm one of the PA announcers, but Zach does work in the press box and he does a lot with the lineups make sure everything is in order, make sure the players all have their walk up song in the computer. He does all that.
Speaker 2:I love it. Yeah, that's great, and. I know he loves it.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God.
Speaker 2:So I know I met Tom. You have to tell him I miss him. I was hoping I would get to see him today.
Speaker 1:But no, no.
Speaker 2:But, like I said just today, someone from Syracuse, or yesterday called me about licensing a song that I guess the Mets are using for I don't know even what purpose, but some purpose. So it comes into play here and there, right.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you, though, from a whole different perspective here how important is it to get it licensed? How important is it to get to get it licensed? Is that like if you think you have something that they should get ahold of, somebody that does what you do and and take care of all that, is that that will protect them correct? So somebody doesn't copy their, their work and all that copyright it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100%. I mean it's to copyright a song is really easy, right, it's just, basically, you know, you're sending it into the US government, You're saying, hey, this is mine, nobody else can use it, mostly it's, you know, for lyrical, but even so, the song as well. So it's like buying a piece of land, right, you're putting your flag in that land and saying this is my property. Same thing with music right, it's intellectual property, it's not real property. But if you can take that and license it, there are a bunch of companies that will distribute your music. Even if you are not connected whatsoever to anyone, you can still sign up for distribution and the songs can get sent out to the Mets, the songs can get sent out to WWE. It picks up a lot of independent music, all these things that can generate income so you can actually make a living doing something that you like.
Speaker 1:You should be compensated for that. So that's cool 100%.
Speaker 2:You should be compensated. And it sucks because it's still not much. It's still not what it should be, but a lot of where artists, especially independent artists, make a lot of money is licensing to TV, licensing to sports teams, licensing to any type of sync licensing to sports teams, licensing to any type of sync licensing. That is really where a lot of songwriters make the bulk of their money today, because, again, streaming is not paying well as well as it should be, in my opinion. So it's important to know your rights and stake your claim in your property, because it's yours and you made it.
Speaker 1:How important is it to you as a musician to be on the social media, to be streaming and all that? Is that very important?
Speaker 2:I think so because you know everybody's on social media, right, so, and then you see, I mean a new platform is born right Every two or three years, like to. You know, TikTok, I know, is now important and it's easy to get swallowed up and I think that for me, especially in the beginning, it was really discouraging because, like you see, all these people that are having major success, whether it be YouTube or Facebook, and if you don't know what you're doing, like it can be, you know hard, but I know that all the social and the social media team at the label and they hate me because I do such a bad job of this, but the more you post, supposedly the better it's supposed to get. I guess I don't know, but I know it's important. I just am not a good example of it, for sure, but I do recognize that that's the key to the world these days.
Speaker 1:It's scary, but it's not. Does that make sense? But there's so many artists that have become somebody because of TikTok, because of Instagram, because of what they're doing on Facebook I guess it would be TikTok out of the most, and it's almost like we could be losing that. I don't know what's going to happen with that, but still there's so many artists that you know that I'm playing on the air now that actually there's too many. If that, I don't want to upset anybody, but they're great though they're all good, but still it's.
Speaker 2:You know they're being noticed because they're on tiktok I know it's crazy and I think that, um, that's why it's important to balance the interest you know and I guess, like I guess it's good you know, to tell these artists to keep going. But again, I'm a bad role model with it because I am very, very fortunate that I have, you know, a team of folks who do a lot of marketing for me. So I don't, you know, I don't have to. I can post about ponies, and you know all that other stuff.
Speaker 1:I do love the horses, by the way, and I know that you know just. I love seeing the pics and they're just beautiful, Beautiful. And how many do you have? Can I ask?
Speaker 2:I don't know, it depends on the day. We have too many, but I was born into horse racing, which, uh, you know Vernon Downs is right, I was going to go there.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right.
Speaker 2:Love it, love it it's. You know, that's kind of where I'm from and, uh, you know I fell in love with the horses and now I've, more recently, uh, cause the horses at Vernon and they race with like, um, like a sulky a cart behind them. It's not like the thoroughbreds at the Kentucky Derby, right, and they're kind of like the unsung heroes of the horse world. So when they're done racing, like not a lot of people, you know, I guess, want them, which is sad because they're really wonderful athletes and they're really, you know, the temperament is really good.
Speaker 2:So I've kind of dedicated my life to creating other careers for the types of horses that race with the cart and hopes to sort of end the slaughter crisis that we have. And I've really sunk into this quite a bit, and especially during COVID and stuff. So I love doing it, but it takes a lot of my time, especially in the summer, and it's become hard because I've managed to get a wonderful booking agent and he gets quite frustrated with me because I can't you know, I can't do the festival on July 4th because we have a horse show, and so I'm trying to learn how to balance the horses with music.
Speaker 2:But that summer is a fun time, you know.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely, and, as I mentioned a moment ago, they're absolutely beautiful. If you haven't seen them, just look up Molly on Facebook. You're going to see some pictures. It's all ponies. Those ponies are beautiful. Now you've been so lucky to have a song actually go into the top 40. And End of the World, if I'm not mistaken. How was that? When you first saw that track take off back in the day, how was that? How did you feel it?
Speaker 2:was so exciting. It was so exciting and I remember there was a lot of turmoil going into it because you know well, I had one release prior and there was a lot of turmoil. There's always turmoil with me and the music. So I, you know, you kind of get used to it. But end of the world was the first song where a lot the first couple songs I put out were duets and I think part of it was because I was like deep down I was too scared to just jump out Again hiding behind a guitar, right, or oh, somebody else is on the song with me, it's not just me. This is my first track where I was like nope, we're going all in. And I did it without a label or anything.
Speaker 2:I was really fortunate again to just have connections that could help piece together the puzzle and you'd probably know quite a bit about this from your role in what you do in our industry. But the way that the music world works today, there's label services companies all over the place and they basically fill the hole of what labels do for artists. Whether it's connecting with a radio agent, who will pitch you, you know. Whether it's connecting with a radio agent, you know who will pitch you the song, whether it's getting your music on playlists, whether it's you know all of the fun stuff that labels do marketing. But you can go out and hire these people to do it. The downside is is it costs money to do that. Right, it's expensive, but the good side is, if the song takes off, you know you own 100% of it. You're not sharing with anybody. So I was able to piece together the campaign myself and when it went off and we hit the you know broke into the top 40 on active rock, it was exciting.
Speaker 1:I loved it, it is I. I became friends with a country music artist, Drew Baldrige, and Drew had a song called she's Somebody's Daughter. I brought Drew and I know this is about you, it's not supposed to be about me, but I'll tell you what happened here. I brought Drew in for a show a little over a year ago. He drove up in his own car from Nashville. He sold his own merchandise. He had that in the trunk, had his guitar in the backseat. He came in. He played this show. He sang. She in the trunk had his guitar in the backseat. He came in, he played the show. He sang she's somebody's daughter. He financed all that himself. You know I put the song on the radio. That song went all the way to number one, number one and he all on his own, out of his own pocket. And now he's already off and running with another song called tough people. But sometimes you got to do that, Sometimes you got to. You know you take those chances and he did.
Speaker 1:And he's very, just, just a great, great person. Um, you know, he'll always. He remembers the fact that we brought him in. He sent me a Christmas greeting. He uh said, happy new year. You know we text back and forth quite a bit. So now he's on a major tour with Bailey Zimmerman. He's going to be at CMAX, so that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:You know, I actually funny enough see him on TikTok.
Speaker 2:I see him on TikTok and I was a little bit familiar with his story and what he's doing is exactly like and honestly and I'm sure that you feel this way when an artist kind of takes control of the process like that and does it like I couldn't be more proud because, honestly, you can do it, you can do it yourself, you don't need a major label.
Speaker 2:And then I'm sure, in his position, especially out with Bailey um, he's in a position where the labels are going to want him versus the other way around, and that's the best position to be in Right labels are going to want him versus the other way around, and that's the best position to be in right Yep To be able to bargain and be in control of your music and your life and, honestly, amazing job with him. And it's thanks to people like you who are willing to give them a chance. You know and I can't say that enough and I say it every time but I deeply appreciate everything that you do, not only in Syracuse but nationally, for the artists that come on Skip Happens, for the artists that you. You know, yeah, you play on on on your station, all of it. We really, really get it.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, no, thank you, I'm just, but I love doing it. So, just like you, you have a passion and dedication for what you do. I have a passion and dedication for what I do. So and that's you know, that's how it works. That's how it works. That's how it works. What about my Sweet Burning Heart that hit number one? I'm reading this now, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I pulled this off the web. My Sweet Burning Heart hit number one on the international DRT chart. That had to be a super huge moment for you in your career. And what do you think clicked with listeners to bring that song such widespread recognition? Because I mean to go to number one. You have to have that. It's all over.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. Honestly, all the that was actually a little country tune. At least in my opinion it was and honestly I can't take any credit for that, because I was tapped to do the song A writer at the label, pepper she's also one of the owners of the label she had written the song years before and it just kind of sat on the shelf and she was really passionate about the song, like really liked it, and she played it for me. I liked it as well. So, uh, and that was the first time, you know, I, I, I had sort of a work with this label is hey, let's try this, see how it goes.
Speaker 2:So, um, I recorded the song for her and we did a whole media tour. We went to a bunch of news stations and all kinds of radio stations and I guess it resonated, you know, listeners, which was really exciting to watch. And it was exciting, you know, for all the people involved because the song especially it was really, it was like, you know, kind of a dream of hers to have, you know, something like this where it was a collaborative effort and really a song that she was really passionate about, and so for her to pick me to sort of bring that to life. I was definitely really honored and, uh, we had a lot of fun flying all over the country doing uh all the press for that song as well and, uh, you know, doing some shows for uh to sort of support it.
Speaker 2:So, um, it was definitely exciting and, uh, it, I do have a plaque, uh to show for it. I I should actually put that in my background the plaques that I've gotten, thankfully, you know, because of the great team that I have. But, yeah, it was awesome, it was awesome.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. All right, let's bring it up to date. I've got you on here. We're going to be talking about a brand-new song that's out. I think I can. Let me just see if I can bring it up here. I know I have it. Here we go. Let me know if you can hear this or not.
Speaker 2:Oh boy, I know yes.
Speaker 1:There it is.
Speaker 3:Let's let it play for a minute. That's amazing, God. I love it.
Speaker 1:That's you on a guitar right.
Speaker 3:There I am to find you, find you wow, wow, wow.
Speaker 2:That's it, woo. I know it's a rocker, but I it's a good rocker. I'm definitely excited.
Speaker 1:You know, I can picture myself having that on in the truck.
Speaker 2:I'm glad that's exactly what I needed to hear.
Speaker 1:No, no. In the middle of summer windows down, moon roof open, sun sun roof open, whatever you want to call it, and having that aviators, for sure and breaking every speed limit there is.
Speaker 2:That is so that's all right, you call me if you get pulled over just molly molly.
Speaker 1:I need some help with this ticket you're gonna go what? Never mind. No, I know, I know still, and now tell us about that. It's like a whole new chapter in your career.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. So again, a lot of the a lot of songs that you know we've put out so far have been a very much a collaborative effort. So I was working with a producer in St Louis who he's an up and coming kind of producer in rock. He's played in a lot of big active rock bands the last 10 years and he's kind of dipped his toe into producing and I like his style. We work well together.
Speaker 2:So I hit him up with a little bit of a like a guitar riff basically, and then you know, 24 hours later he had a whole track, you know, and we worked together to kind of, you know, piece it, piece by piece, and then I threw some words to it and we jammed out and I went and recorded it here in Hartford, connecticut, and again a couple of days later, you know, here we are basically. So the song didn't exist like 30 days ago. So it's all been very quick and exciting, to say the least. It's all been very quick and exciting, to say the least, but yeah, so, um, as usual, you know, I, uh miles clayborne is a producer who you know put this together me, and it was a great time, it was super fun that I mean, and that's you on the guitar, which is just phenomenal.
Speaker 2:I mean just yeah both me, yeah, some some me, some miles in there. But Because Miles is great, he plays every instrument known to man, as most of these producer guys do. But, like I said, I kind of found a riff that I liked and we just kind of went off it and a lot of my songs. That's how I start a riff, because I'm a guitar player.
Speaker 1:That's what I was going to ask. So you, being a guitar player, I know you want to write and you want to to sing and you want to do all that, but you start with a guitar rift and then you build off of that.
Speaker 2:You go from there.
Speaker 1:See, because when I talk to songwriters, obviously it's what you know songwriters, or you're a guitar player, guitarist. But they're like okay, I'll put down this, you know, I'll write down a couple of these lines, then I'll build off of that and then we'll put the music in.
Speaker 2:Afterwards you do it the opposite way, because you're a guitarist, you're a musician, so now you start I love that. Oh my God, that's so cool. I do, I, um, and it's just the way that it goes. You know, and when I started songwriting cause I I started it for myself, of course, and actually I prefer to use producers for my own music Cause I, like I don't I'm never so sure of what I'm writing for myself is really good. So I love partnering with great people who are professionals and have songs on the radio, you know, every day. But I was also. I song write for some other people and it's such a different process and I'm doing it, you know, for other folks and it's a lot more traditional, but for me it always starts with, you know, a guitar riff and we see where it goes, you know.
Speaker 1:Do you do everything from there, where you are in Connecticut, do you do everything from there, or do you get a chance to West coast or Nashville or somewhere where there's music happening?
Speaker 2:So, in terms of recording, I use a bunch of different studios. Um, I use one in Fort Wayne quite a bit, I use one in Boston, I use one in Syracuse, uh, brett Hoban, actually Waldensville.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Great, great guy Love them. Todd Hoban is, I think, his dad, um, and it's just kind of uh, number one we look at. You know, um, the tools, cause each studio is a little different, like they all have their ups, and I haven't been able to record in Nashville yet. I did get to go down to writer's row, which was amazing, and experience some of the madness that happens there, but I've never got to record there yet. That's definitely a bucket list. But when it comes to putting these songs together, a lot of times, especially post COVID, you know you can do so much remotely and the studio that I love to use in Hartford they have a setup so your producer can basically zoom into the session.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, because when I'm in the booth because again, confidence issue still I'm never like 100% sure of myself. I need someone to yell at me to say, hey, listen, that was terrible, because a lot of the engineers are just really nice when you come in and I'm like no, no, no, I need to know if that sucks you know?
Speaker 1:So it's just yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Who's got what you know? We fly there we stay here, whatever.
Speaker 1:I can't see that you being that way, but only you, know you. But uh, I can pretty much relate because you know, don't sugarcoat it If I suck, tell me. I suck because I need to build off of that. You know, it's the same thing with radio or when I do voiceover or anything along those lines. If I'm not doing it right, don't be nice to me, Tell me Right tell me.
Speaker 2:I want to know, because that means the whole world is going to know. Well, I always wonder, especially with radio.
Speaker 2:What's that I mean you have to be, especially with radio. I've always wondered you have to be on the ball pretty much every day Like, is there ever a period where cause I know that I feel this way um, especially when you get in a booth, like, is there nerves? Uh, that wait, you know what did I just say, like, what does that feel like for you? Because I'm honestly curious, cause again, I I feel like I get the same way and the pressure to be able to hit, you know, every day, or, you know, have a segments, I guess, or even just the way that you speak resonate, I guess, like what does that feel like? What does that feel like? How do you?
Speaker 1:deal with that. You're human and you're going to have those days. We all have those days. And then where you just say you know what, through this shit, I'm going to back off and I'm just going to you know, say you know what, through this shit, I'm going to back off and I'm just going to you know I'll come back tomorrow or I'll come back in an hour, whatever you just sometimes you need to do that, don't push yourself. But I also talk about when I bring people into the studio that are new. I'll say you know what, especially with young kids, and they kind of laugh at me. But I'll say, hey, bring, look at my scooch. I said bring something in there and have a conversation with it. And that's what I would tell you. You look at, look at the way you're talking to me tonight. This is great. We're having a one-on-one conversation, even though we have 213 people watching us right now, but still I'm looking at the numbers, but still you and I are having a conversation. You and I are one-on-one and this is how it should be.
Speaker 1:When I go on the air in the afternoon, I'm talking to my wife. Well, I don't know if I'm talking to my wife, but I'm just. But I'm talking to my friend, I'm talking to my best friend and I don't think of it as God. There's hundreds or thousands or whatever number of people out there listening. It's one-on-one. It's me talking to you. You know, hey, what are you doing today? Huh, you know what? Did you drive into work this morning? Did you see the accident on Route 81? If you come down 81? You know I'm having that conversation, yeah right.
Speaker 1:That's what makes great radio. And exactly with what you do, you get into the booth. And exactly with what you do, you get into the booth. You know what? Maybe you prop a teddy bear up there and you say, hey, you know.
Speaker 2:Right, this is what I'm doing Right, and that's that's. It's a very, very good perspective and a lot of times like I have to remind myself that too because I had a mentor he's actually a metal singer, a super heavy singer, but a really successful guy and I remember he brought me in to sing once and I sang the first line and he took his headphones off and he looked to the ground. He was just shook his head. I'm like oh shit, he's like you're not selling this to me, like he's like you're just like willy nilly just trying to get through. He said you need to sell it, you need to like it's real, like like it's a real life, you know. And that stuck with me for the rest of my life because I'm like, okay, you don't think of it until you think of it, or someone tells you hey, relax, relax, exactly, that's exactly it, molly.
Speaker 1:And, by the way, mike Mahoney says hello Linda, no, it's Lynn's Highland says hi too. I don't know if you can hear me. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Hi everybody. Yeah, Also, I didn't realize this is also on facebook. I just shared it to facebook like a minute ago, because I didn't realize that we get. We had facebook too, which is awesome.
Speaker 1:I love it yeah and uh, I do. If your these are a lot of your viewers and a lot of your fans that if they want to subscribe, to skip happens, I wouldn't say no everybody hit the button yeah, just go subscribe, my friend, because we do talk to all the artists or I can't say all but a lot of big artists, a lot of new artists, a lot of independent artists, a lot of anybody. That's anybody, everybody's got 100, you know, everybody's got a story. Molly, everybody's got a story.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter who they are, everybody's got a story absolutely, and it's it's it's good to, it's good to listen, it's good to listen, you know, sometimes and and and be able to take in these moments and actually, um, I believe we're going to be talking to a gentleman shortly who is uh, where's Jackson? Jackson where's? Uh, where is Jackson? Jackson's a little nervous.
Speaker 1:This is his first time, but he's here, I know.
Speaker 2:Tell us about Jackson, though, tell us a little nervous. This is his first time, but he's here.
Speaker 1:I know tell us about Jackson, though tell us a little bit about him so he is hold on, we're going to move over.
Speaker 2:Hold on, we're doing a costume change here he's a brand new artist. This is his very first release. You going to come in there he is.
Speaker 2:Dude, what's up? My friend Skip, Hello, Hello, my friend. So Jackson, he's still young, he's still a kid, but he's coming out and this is his very first track. He features on my track Chain that's coming out on 131 that we just talked about. Very cool chain that's coming out on 131 that we just talked about. He is super. He's kind of reminded me that I should not take any of this for granted, because you know he's excited and nervous and all of the things, and I need to also remember sometimes what that feels like, you know, and how exciting it is.
Speaker 2:So we went into the studio to do my vocals. It was a snow day, so he joined me from school and I asked him. I said there's a little piece of a song, right, that could maybe fit a little rap verse in there. And he said, yeah, let me give it a try. And he went right in the booth Like he was born to do it and just laid down a track and it made the cut and the label loved it. And you know he stuck on the song cut and the label loved it. And, uh, you know he's stuck on the song. So of course we're learning that with a song we have to do press and fun stuff. So I told him this is the fun stuff, right?
Speaker 1:yeah, and jackson, how do you feel about all that? It's pretty exciting. Yeah, it's exciting, something different to try out. So, yeah, and you've never had you've never had that type of experience before and you rap right. Yeah, that's really cool, but you've never done it on a professional level before. This is pretty much professional. It's pretty cool, and if the studio loved it, dude, that's even better. I know the label liked it.
Speaker 2:It took me so many years to get a label to like one of my things, so I was a little jealous not gonna lie, um, because you know it's, it's, it's, it's a journey to get to. You know where we are and so we're. I'm really excited and I've you know he he's been great and we're amped up and hopefully the family is excited and everybody's ready to go and and see what it does did you um play it for the family?
Speaker 1:I I assume you did, in the way you talk, that you've already played it for the family. Are you like playing it for all your friends, saying, hey, this is me, this is me. No, not really oh come on. I'd be all over that. What part of the song does he rap in?
Speaker 2:he raps in the bridge did, did we play that? I know it's. It's a ways into the track, is that? Him hang on, let's do it.
Speaker 1:Let's do it one more time. That dude, that's so good, so good, so good.
Speaker 2:I think he's been doing it his whole life. It was wild and I was. I was surprised to even one in the booth. But when he went in the booth and you know, like killed it on the first time we were like what the hell you know. But hey, you got it.
Speaker 1:And Mike Mahoney says OMG Jackson.
Speaker 2:That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:So there you go, yeah, yeah, we'll see. We'll see how it does. So I mean, how did molly, how did you and jackson kind of get together to do this? Maybe you mentioned it a moment ago, or or I don't know how did you guys come together?
Speaker 2:I've, I've been in jackson's life since he was a little, oh yeah, seven, since he was a baby, so um, and I mean he's kind of been around a little bit. My music stuff, um, I took him, I don't know, skip. Do you know fox fest in syracuse? Yes, yeah I actually I don't even know that, so I one year I played fox that's like, you know, you guys came around to it.
Speaker 2:So he's always kind of been, you know, around some of the music stuff. And again, when I went in to go record the song, I knew of course all the kids these days like they had their like AirPods in listening to rap and stuff. But he kind of thought, you know, maybe you might be interested in doing some music stuff and you have me, who's got you know songs and some resources to be able to make it happen. So I had to go in the studio to cut this track. I asked him if he wants to come because it was a snow day and you know, that's kind of the rest of the history, but that's pretty much how it went.
Speaker 1:See you get something good out of that.
Speaker 2:I tried telling them, but I don't know if he believes me.
Speaker 1:So you're 16 Jackson.
Speaker 2:You're 16?. Yeah, okay no.
Speaker 1:He's 14. 14. Wait, what he's 14? Yep, 14. I thought you were 16. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:It's a grown man on that track, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Do you realize? I don't know of another 14-year-old that has been dragged into the studio in a good way, In a good way, and now you're on a song that's going to kick some ass and they're going to go. Who is that rapper and they're going to go? It's 14-year-old Jackson. I know People are going to go, what? So that's cool, it's crazy right you're. You're what you've got. You're with good people, my friend.
Speaker 2:You're with good people 100, yeah, and it should be exciting. Um, like I said a little earlier, like um, a rock, this sort of well-known rock radio agent just picked it up yesterday. So, um, we're definitely hopeful that you know. Hopefully we can top, you know, end of the world. For me, that's my, my goal, and of, of course, jackson, his first try landing on a chart would not be crazy.
Speaker 1:No, it's a start. It's a start. Then you got to follow it up with something.
Speaker 2:So that's what I tell them. Now you're going to have to go all in.
Speaker 1:No, you know, Molly, you like all kinds of music. I know you know, as we've mentioned, you're a hell of a guitar player. You're into the, you know the rock and all that, and I know when you get on stage you let it all out, man. You just you're nuts on that guitar, which is pretty awesome. But you did play country for a while, which I know with your dad and all that, and so do you. Would you go back and play country if somebody asked you to?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, if the right situation came along. I mean, I love country music. I listen to it in my car almost every day. I love country. I love, you know, hip hop. I love a little bit of everything, but the thing I like about country music today, especially modern country, my favorite genre is, like 2000s, rock, and I find that a lot of today's modern country sort of mirrors a lot of that. Um, you know, they rely heavily on, you know, guitars and not computerized. You know everything which and rock is getting heavily computerized, which I don't love.
Speaker 2:So, um, I would love to come back and you know, and like a lot of the country singers and artists out right now are incredibly talented and I think it would be an honor to you know be able to step back into that ring a little bit and see what happens.
Speaker 1:And it's funny that you mentioned the 2000 rock. You know rock back in the early 2000s because, knowing the people that I know and the shows that I go to and they do their country stuff but then they go back to those days it's like their roots are in rock and it's just like are you shitting me?
Speaker 2:This is awesome, it's crazy and it's just like are you shitting me? This is awesome, it's crazy, it's wild, it's definitely. Yeah, I love these. Well, that's like darius rucker, darius rucker is one of my I love hootie, you know, and he was real, like, although he's, I guess, a little bit more 90s and in 2000s, but, um, I I think that those types of crossovers is what I want to hear, you know, and I think I don't know, I love know, I love it, I love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was going to ask you about crossing over. So there's a lot of artists. I mean we're getting a lot of a lot of crossover from pop artists going country, country artists going pop. How do you feel about that?
Speaker 2:I like it. I mean, I think that freedom of expression is the big thing, you know, and if you want to try something, I mean Taylor, our girl Taylor, she's the biggest proof of it. You know, and I know you and Tay go way back. I think it's great. I mean, all music is great as long as you're creating and doing something you love, but I'm actually interested, more so from the radio perspective of what that's been like to see different artists, you know come across your desk, let's take Post Malone. How has that impacted?
Speaker 1:How has that impacted, you know, life on your side Huge, huge. You take somebody like a Post Malone, who I know.
Speaker 1:And now he's kicking ass doing country and you know what. It sounds good and he's teamed up with the right people behind him. He's teamed up with other great artists, uh, and he's a great guy, he's just a great guy. Um, yeah, so it's people like that. That's kind of, given the format is evolving and it, just like with rock or anything we do, it evolves. All right, all right. And people are that's not country, that's not this, that's not. You know what I'm going to say. Maybe it's not country, like you remember country, but as we go through life and we get older, everything evolves.
Speaker 1:It's been a lot of years Nobody wanted computers, but now everything is computers and everything's digital and everything. Everything is evolving. The way we listen to music, the way we buy our music, all that it's just everything. Just it's called evolving and if you don't change with the times. If you don't change with the times, doing what I do or what you do, we're not going to win.
Speaker 2:So Absolutely, I completely agree, and I think that that's how music has been forever. You know it's. Every time we learn something new and we apply it, you know, hopefully it becomes a new hit. But I mean and that's, I think, a lot of reasons why, like for me, it made sense to put a rap verse on a rock song. Because you know, and especially um, my the, the mantra at the label that I'm on is new, she loves NU, new, anything new, anything exciting, anything edgy. That breaks the barrier, because you want to be first to the race, right, and if you're first to get something cool, then you're going to be the one. So I think that's why, also, this made sense to drop a rap verse on this. Um, did I know that like a 14 year old was going to come in and rip fire on it? No, but it worked and it was great. So we're hoping that. We're hoping that other people think so too, you.
Speaker 1:Jackson, what do you listen to?
Speaker 2:Mostly rap.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, I get it.
Speaker 2:Travis Scott Playboy Cardi All the big guys. All the big guys, and we have the sneaker for each of the guys too, right, travis Scott's, the Jordans, all of it. So I'm learning every day something new with this guy.
Speaker 1:What's his sneaker collection like? Does he have? Like how many pairs of these sneakers do you have, jax?
Speaker 2:Right now I've got probably around six pairs, maybe eight pairs.
Speaker 1:That's a year's salary.
Speaker 2:Crazy and he just started a business. Also. You know as a kid buying and selling shoes right and all types of stuff. Good, you know as a kid buying and selling shoes right and, um, all types of stuff.
Speaker 1:So good for you, brother.
Speaker 2:It's never ending, never ending.
Speaker 1:You got a hell of a future ahead of you doing what you're doing and just keep smiling, keep your head up and, uh, stay clean, If you know what I mean, because that's the only way you're going to get ahead. Do what you gotta do.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:You know, good advice. And Molly's going to get your ass if you don't so.
Speaker 2:Oh, he knows, he knows.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love it. Let me just pop back up here. Here we go. So yeah, so that's great. I'm happy for him, I'm happy for you. We've got a chain, chain, chain, chained, chained, chained, yep, chained. Okay, I do have it right. My papers are all messed up, but if somebody wants to get on and maybe download the music, can they get it. Yet, is it out, is it available?
Speaker 2:It is not not yet. Actually, you, low-key, just did a little world premiere right there. It will be available on the 31st of this month, anywhere music is tuned, so go check it out. Call your radio stations. Please Call Sirius XM. All the good ones.
Speaker 1:Help us out. You've been playing on Sirius, haven't you? You've already been.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, I have Super, super fortunate to sort of cross over into all of it and of course, radio is it's hard to follow these days.
Speaker 2:You know, like and I'm sure that that's actually something else I'm interested to hear you know, your perspective on is radio, now that there's so many options like podcasts and this and that and serious xm and uh, when we're talking about terrestrial radio, I mean I'm still on. I'm always, especially in the morning, like if I'm in that car, 8 am to 9 am. I know exactly what station I'm about. Terrestrial radio. I mean I'm still on. I'm always, especially in the morning, like if I'm in that car, 8 am to 9 am. I know exactly what station I'm on, terrestrial radio, all the way listening to it. You know I like to hear what's going on. Right, same thing, drive home.
Speaker 2:And when you say I'm curious from your perspective, what that feels like. Yeah, molly, when you, uh, I like to, I like to be informed and I I'll, honestly, a lot of times, the only time hearing things is when I'm in my car.
Speaker 1:You know, um, if I, you know you'll get me going a little bit, yeah, but, um, I've worked for the big companies. I I've been there. I now work for a local owner who started actually 95X here in Syracuse way back in the day. The guy's a radio legend. He owns the Wolf, the Beat, we have the Dinosaur and we have Fox Sports and he's got a whole bunch yeah, all the good stuff, and he's got a whole bunch of television stations, but they're over-the-air stations. What a smart move, if I may say, because a lot of people are cutting the cable, they're subscribing to the streaming services or they're watching over the air. Now they have the little antenna either up on the house or on top of the television and they scan and they get the local channels. Now, when it comes to radio, I think what we're doing is, if we're not local, we're not going to win. We need to be local. There is no other local company in this market that can do what we're doing in the way of country. The country competition is I heart, I heart.
Speaker 1:If you walk in that building, there's nobody there, nobody there. All right, you walk into my building. We've got a staff, not a big staff, but we have a staff studio two to seven. It's family and I have a midday girl. We have a great morning show. Morning show does come from Nashville, which makes it kind of cool. But now you're going to say, well then, that's not local, but they are. They are big D and Bubba, and what the deal is, I can reach out to them anytime in the morning, like the weather's been really crappy here. All right, you know, you've heard about the snow and all that. I can say hey, I. I just send them a quick email or a text off my phone saying hey, 81 is. Uh, you know it's a major slowdown, uh, there's a bad accident at wherever you know, whenever, in 30 seconds he's got that back and on the air. So that's amazing.
Speaker 2:It's amazing, it's amazing and all the rest of the day we're right there which is great, and I mean honestly to have that option. I didn't even know that was a thing um, honestly to have that option. I didn't even know that was a thing, um to have that option. It keeps. I feel like as a listener I would be much more engaged if I know that. You know that's still there. I'm still going to be informed. I'm still, especially if I'm in my car.
Speaker 1:You know the weather and no, exactly, exactly right, you know, I think that that's so it's so.
Speaker 2:It's so interesting how, again, uh, how all these things happen, and I guess you know I think that that's so, it's so. It's so interesting how, again, uh, how all these things happen, and I guess you know. Same thing with music, like we were talking about. You want to, you got to be on the cutting edge, so the fact that you guys are doing these things, I love it amazing see, this is what our competition is right here.
Speaker 1:In my hand it's the phone. It's tough because, but you know you get school, you get to bulletins, you get all that, everything's on your phone. We don't, we don't concentrate on doing the school closings on air like we used to do years ago. You know, I wake up in the morning. I wake up in the morning and I want you to go across my tv screen all the closings, the delays, whatever's going on. So let's keep the entertainment on air, like the radio. We're not going to spend 15 minutes going. Okay, here are the school closings today blah blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. Two hour delay, blah, blah, blah, one hour delay, blah blah. You know we don't do that.
Speaker 2:So keep it exciting with the good stuff.
Speaker 1:Keep it exciting and before you even leave the house you got all that information that you need to have because of your phone. So you know we have to take a different angle, different aspect. You know the local festivals we get involved in we go that route. We local, local, local is what we do.
Speaker 2:So I love it, yeah, and I think that for the listeners to be able to trust that they have that in their pocket, you know, to be able to turn to you guys and know what they're going to get and have that confidence that you know they're coming to you because they want to smile, you know they want to know what's up. You know, and I'm so happy that you guys are alive and thriving too.
Speaker 1:No, no, we are, and I'm happy to be where I am in my career because of all the stuff that's going on. You know, and I still have this. This is my own studio in the home and if you're ever back here in town, I'll definitely bring you into my pod zone, my voiceover studio, and I actually have a vocal booth, so it's all pretty cool.
Speaker 2:We're all set. We're all set. We're all set Dinosaur barbecue and I'm there.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 2:Or the Limp Lizard lizard. I gotta say the limp lizard too, because they're.
Speaker 1:I've never had limp lizard before never, and I'm really missing out. And they even have like a food truck. Now, don't they the limp trucks? Uh, they got. Limp lizard is great. They get involved with all the festivals going on and, uh, just good people, we had a meeting today. There's going to be a lot of great things going on this summer, uh, right at the inner part. And now you know what? If you don't mind, I may throw your name into the bucket for entertainment absolutely, I would love.
Speaker 2:I would love to come back to syracuse. I have no plans right now on the books and it's, which just makes me sad because it's my home, so I would absolutely love to come back and do something fun we need.
Speaker 1:Well, you did fox fest. When was the last time you did fox Fest? That was a while ago, right?
Speaker 2:Two or three years ago, and that was the last time I played Syracuse. A lot of my gigs have been down south and out west, so I would love to come back to Syracuse. It's my home. It's always a good time. As long as it's in like June to July to August, that's okay, but any other time's gotta be above 70 degrees, you know.
Speaker 1:But other than that I don't know about that, but you know. You know, like I said, I'm I'm glad to have a home and I'll take all the like effect you want to throw at me. So it's all good. We don't really get the hurricanes, we'll get very few tornadoes, if any. Of course, that seems to be increasing a little bit, but still it's. You know it's not bad.
Speaker 2:So it's crazy, it's absolutely crazy. And even then the weather is. Some people can live their life not afraid of these changes. But, man, I can tell you I am. This is frightening and I'm really hoping for good outcomes for earth. You know cause we all live here. We all got to take care of it.
Speaker 1:You know all that good stuff we do, we do. Um, finally, before I let you go, if you could give one piece of advice to a young artist, maybe somebody like jackson trying to navigate the balance between, uh, creativity and a practical career, what would it be? Because you, you want to. I mean you being an attorney.
Speaker 2:So I don't know, man, I don't know. I think that a big reason I became an attorney was not because I necessarily wanted to, but I remember my mom was really critical of my choice of being a musician and I'm sure a lot of other people face that, you know, in their life, although I'm thankful for it now, because the valid point of that is especially in a world where you know people like me and people like you know your friend earlier who's now out with Bailey. You have to have a plan and the plan takes money. So can you become a signed artist and have songs on the radio? Absolutely. But if you want to control your destiny and not get sort of railroaded for lack of a better term, you know by the industry, you have to have a plan, to have some money in your pocket to be able to fund it. And the goal is is that you know when you're able to fund it and construct you know label services yourself, which is a wonderful thing these days, because I'm sure that wasn't available 10, 20 years ago. You have to be able to afford to do it and you have to be able to afford a lifestyle where you are traveling. You know a lot and all of these things, especially if you're kind of, you know, initially bankrolling it yourself, which I was, you know, a few years ago.
Speaker 2:So having a career sorry, long answer. But having a career, you know a few years ago. So having a career sorry, long answer, but having a career, you know, that's lucrative has helped me be able to be in control and, you know, put myself in a position where I have again a wonderful team of people who support me and I'm not, you know, struggling or worrying about anything, because, again, I was able to struggle for a few years, you know, work really hard, whether it be in law or music or whatever, and, you know, eventually get to where I want to go. But again, that costs money. It costs money and it costs time.
Speaker 2:So, being realistic and having a job that's flexible and allows you to earn an income and a living that you know can afford all of these things, so you can set yourself up to be in that position, it's so important and I wouldn't be here still doing this if I didn't have it, to be quite honest. So it was really, really a good thing and at the time I hated it. But law school and stuff is a bit of a drag, but I'm happy I did it and I'm happy I'm here and additionally, I'm helping. Hopefully other people make good choices. They don't always listen.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Additionally, I'm helping you know, hopefully other people make good choices.
Speaker 2:Sometimes they don't always listen, but you know, absolutely that's OK. So, yeah, I mean, that's really it. And, of course, don't take anything for granted either, because I think last spiel, and then I'll stop. One thing that I felt tonight, because this is, you know, the first interview for my press cycle on the song, and when I came home earlier, because I was all over the place earlier today, like Jackson was nervous about this you know he's excited but he's nervous and for a minute I thought to myself I forgot how that feels, you know, I forgot being a kid and the excitement and all of that that goes into it, to the point that I've taken it for granted, you know.
Speaker 2:And so I think tonight, uh, and in fact this interview here, I am gonna think to myself wait a second, like why are you doing this? You know, why are you here? Like, think about your life, think about these opportunities, these people I've got to talk to, like Skip Clark and everybody else, like it's amazing and I need to be able to go back and not lose sight of you know why I'm here. And the kid at me when I was 14, I would be dying to be here, you know. So I think, between having a career and not taking these things for granted, you know, is really important, and I think that's the only advice that I have for anybody. Um, really, if it's even good advice, I don't know, but it's.
Speaker 1:It's my life, so you know you know what we need to get you back here. We have some opportunities coming up this summer. I'm going to put your name into the box. I'll talk to who I need to talk to. We could probably make that happen when the song does drop on the 31st. You said correct.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, 31st.
Speaker 1:The 31st. Where is it going to be? Will they be able to download it? Can they go to your website?
Speaker 2:Everywhere.
Speaker 1:Everywhere Okay.
Speaker 2:I do, I think I do. I think my website is just my name, but I know that we have Facebook, instagram, all that fun stuff. You can find the music anywhere music is streamed. You know Spotify, it's going to be, of course, pandora on some of the iHeart stations Hopefully some awesome local stations back home will also have me and, of course, wherever music is played. So call your stations and, yeah, stream the song, love it, hate it, I don't care.
Speaker 1:But listen to it. You know, molly, you look great and it's so good to see you. It's been a while since we've actually caught up, but we are good friends and always here anytime you want to come on. When Skip happens, all you have to do is get on the computer, do what you do and just let me know we'll get you on because we love you thank you, and I would love to come and and play a gig there for sure.
Speaker 1:So if you'll have me back, I will be there oh, please, that's a no-brainer, of course we'd have you back. We definitely love it real quickly is is your dad still playing or no? Yeah, kind of he has.
Speaker 2:Like he's in the stage of his life where he has his little old man band and they get together. They it's so cute, they rent out a storage unit. Okay, they rent out a storage unit and they have a bar in there and everything, and then they jam and they they say they have a gig, but the gig never like comes. So I, I don't know, but he, he has fun, you know so but I think that if I played Syracuse, I would have to drag him out of retirement for one more show.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, We'd make that happen, whatever we had to do.
Speaker 2:It would be fun. It would be fun.
Speaker 1:Molly Diago, thank you, thank you so much. I love you girl. Thank you so much for being on with Skip Happens tonight.
Speaker 1:I love you too, and of course, a lot of people have been watching. And now, if they all would just subscribe to Skip Happens and subscribe people. And this is what we do. This is what I do. I talk to the artists, the independent artists, the big artists, even in between People like, well, here Molly and I are good friends and she needs to. You know, it's a new chapter, so let's go. Let's go. Molly, thanks for joining us.
