SkiP HappEns Podcast
Skip Clark is a dynamic and captivating podcast host and radio personality who has left an indelible mark on the world of broadcasting. With a voice that can command attention and a personality that oozes charm, Skip has become a beloved figure in the world of entertainment. His passion for storytelling and his ability to connect with his audience shine through in every episode of his podcast and every moment on the airwaves.
Skip’s journey in radio began decades ago, and he has since evolved into a seasoned professional who effortlessly navigates the waves of the media industry. His deep knowledge of music, pop culture, and current events keeps his listeners engaged and coming back for more. Skip Clark's enthusiasm and authenticity make him a trusted voice in the world of podcasting and radio. His dedication to his craft and his commitment to providing quality content continue to make him a standout in the world of broadcasting.
SkiP HappEns Podcast
From County Cork to the Grand Ole Opry: Megs McCarthy's Journey in Global Country Music
Oh, everybody, and welcome to the I love this already to the podcast. My name is Skip Clark. Of course, I am the host and I am joined by the talented Megs McCarthy. She's an Irish country artist whose music has been captivating audience audiences all over the world. Megs is here to talk about a new single. It's called Our Song and today's not your birthday, is it?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:No, but the song dropped on your birthday. All right, I get that. This beautiful track is all about love, support and being there for someone who's it's all about life's ups and downs and from her roots in get this Coney Cork, ireland, to performing on the world stage. Mags has quite the journey, so we're going to sit back. I want you to sit back, relax and get ready to hear all about her music, listen to her accent, her story. And I looked it up before you went on, mags, and I said how far is County Cork from Syracuse, new York? Because that's where the podcast is and my phone told me 3,100 miles, so welcome.
Speaker 3:Welcome.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, skip, for having me on your show, and I may be 3,000 miles, but you know what I feel like I'm only two feet away from you.
Speaker 1:I know it's like we could actually touch each other. Boom, a little bit of a high five. I love it yeah.
Speaker 2:How is everybody in Syracuseuse? Thank you so much for having me on your show absolutely everybody is good.
Speaker 1:Uh, it's cold and snowy, I can tell you that much. Uh, it's that time of the year, but uh, you know, we, we do get the four seasons, but right now it's not the season that you know. If you don't want to visit syracuse right now it's cold, unless you love it, I'm just saying I don't know. So where exactly are you? Tell everybody, where are you?
Speaker 2:Okay, right now I'm in it's, in County Cork, it's the southern part of Ireland. Some of your visitors or some of your listeners, sorry might have visited Ireland and visited, maybe, blarney Castle. So I live about 20 minutes from there, on a farm. So I grew up on a farm and, yeah, so I.
Speaker 1:Ireland it's 1am and it's great, you know. Thank you for being up late. I don't know what your schedule usually is, but uh this is normal is it normal? Okay, well.
Speaker 2:I could be out playing music or I could be calving, helping the family calve some goats yeah, I was gonna ask because, being a musician, your hours are a lot different than most.
Speaker 1:I mean, you're out playing music till in the wee hours of the morning, so to speak, and then, you know, maybe you sleep in later in the morning.
Speaker 2:But uh, yeah, yeah, I also well, I'm a secondary, I'm a secondary high school teacher. You call it in america, we call it secondary school. So I get up and go to work too. So really yeah, yeah. So I I have, I like, a couple of different things going on in my life which keeps me very busy, and it's kind of my job, kind of keeps me going with my music too, you know absolutely so.
Speaker 1:Being a school teacher, that that is, um, that is amazing, that is cool and what a great. Uh, I know you love your music and you're putting out some great music and you've got you know our song just came out, but having that to fall back on because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow, so to speak, and at least you've got you've got that. Tell me a little bit about what's it like to be a school teacher in Ireland.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's amazing. I, I love it, I love my job and obviously music is when I first, I suppose Skip, went to like when I was growing up myself. I always wanted to do music, I always wanted to be into songwriting and I learned a lot of instruments and I wanted a tour and, you know, do everything with music. But you, my family, were very good to me. They always made sure I was going to get educated and made sure I ended up with a job because, as you know, skip, to do well in music it can be quite hard and it's a very, very tough road to go down.
Speaker 2:So I always went to college and still got educated and did a master's and then every chance I got I was gone to America touring, or, you know, gone traveling to Europe and with Rhythm of the Dance. But my dream, obviously would be nice, to become a country singer and to get to the Grand Ole Opry. And you know, I've been a songwriter for a lot of years and when you're young, skip, you think you're great, you you know. But it's not until you started to write with amazing songwriters that you realize that you weren't really so good at all. And songwriters have made me better and musicians have made me better too. So music has been my life. So, yeah, I love teaching, I love life, you know, in general, skip to be honest with honest, it doesn't matter what I do you know, so I'm happy now you're a dancer too.
Speaker 1:Am I reading that right?
Speaker 2:yeah, I started dancing. Actually, when I was four years of age I started. That was my first thing I ever did was to learn how to irish dance and yeah, so I'm still dancing, yeah well I, I could never understand how you don't step on your own toes, because I want to kick the Irish dancers here in the States.
Speaker 1:You know they have different shows and this and that, for example, riverdance. Your legs are moving so fast and they're going in all different directions.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, that just amazes me Amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's pretty difficult, like I suppose it was very challenging irish dancing growing up, and I think it's a challenge that drove me to want to be better, you know. So, yeah, so it's but to to get the opportunity to tour and see the world and do what I love. It was incredible, and it's not that I, you know. I think I just needed to go back to. What I really wanted to do was to become a singer and to go my own. So I left the show and I went off to America and I started songwriting. And it was hard too, you know, to leave the touring show, but I was trying to finish college and still keep everyone happy around me that I was going to end up with a job.
Speaker 1:Exactly when was the last time you were over here in the States?
Speaker 2:Well, 2000, just before COVID. So when was the last time you were over here in the States? Just before?
Speaker 1:COVID, so it's been a little bit then.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it has been back and forth. You know I do a trip.
Speaker 1:You know it's funny because it's funny, but it's not funny. But when I talk to different artists, I mean for you you, for example, and others it's always like COVID is that. It's like it was either before COVID or after COVID. You know, like that's how everybody looks at it and they'll go well, that was before COVID or that was after COVID, yeah, and uh, how did that? Uh, let's, let's talk about that for a little bit, because when COVID hit, I mean not only here but there as well, it was just all around the world and everything was going on. How did you handle all that? I mean with your music and all that you know?
Speaker 2:what COVID was always very difficult, but I was living on the farm, so the farm was very busy and I was still songwriting and I did everything online. But I was so busy and I did a lot of running to stay fit and a lot of dancing at home and then, to be honest, you after that, one of my family members actually got very sick, so I, we were taking care of him and so everything kind of went out the window with music and I think life, um, kind of you put life, you put life into perspective very quick when someone's health becomes and then so you know that person's doing very well. So I'm back at music again and it's given me a new lease of life. And I see, you know that person's doing very well. So I'm back at music again and it's given me a new lease of life. And I see you know people.
Speaker 2:I'm very appreciative of everybody and everything and just it's been during covid was.
Speaker 1:It was difficult for everybody, but I think you know we're all here today, you know, you know to tell the story about us, you know so yeah, it definitely changed the way that, uh, that we do things about that you know, yeah, even though, like doing the video thing, that's kind of where I was going with it because, uh, before here we go, before covid, uh, when the artist like yourself would come through on a radio tour, it'd be like all right, I'm gonna get beer, I'm gonna get some pizza, and wait, you're gonna come over to my studio and we're going to do a podcast and we're going to talk about your music, so on and so forth.
Speaker 1:And of course, covid kind of put a stop to all that. And you know, the radio tours, yeah, they're there, but nothing like what they used to be. And now we have ways of doing things, which I think this is probably one of the few pluses I can think of that came out of COVID, where you know, for example, I mean, you're 3,100 miles away and we're doing this just as if you were. You know, like you said, we did the high five right here in Cudi.
Speaker 2:So you know, you know for me as well, skip.
Speaker 2:Just before I came back from Ireland last time, I did a massive radio tour right, and it was so incredible for me to travel through America and to meet all the program directors and stations, the people.
Speaker 2:People used to come to the stations just to see me. And it was so nice because for me it was just to see America, to see the countryside. I got to see places that I would never have in my life, would have probably even gone there. You know like you know back roads and high roads, and you know it's coming from Ireland, which is a very small country compared to the US. You know it's, it's it's. You could never see all of it. You know what I mean. It's just an incredible country and I was so grateful and I'm so blessed to this day that the that radio and country radio especially were so kind to me and still'm so blessed to this day that the that radio and country radio especially were so kind to me and still are so kind to me, and I I hope to get to see you in person though, skip you know, I'm sure we're going to make that trip up to the East.
Speaker 1:I can meet you at Charlotte's farm in Nashville. We came on.
Speaker 2:Charlotte, I was talking about you with Skip. So absolutely, or you can just come over to Ireland in 3,000 miles.
Speaker 1:I would absolutely love to do that. Being in the States, is there some place or something really stick out in your mind that you said, if you ever come back and you will that you need to go there again?
Speaker 2:Well, definitely I'd love to play the grand old opry and debut there, but I one of the most precious places I actually did visit. I've gone there a few times with graceland. I want to see elvis presley's place and that was incredible, you know. But there there is lots of places obviously I'd love to visit, I'd love to visit all my friends and country radio and. But definitely there's a few hospitals and a few doctors around the place who are very kind to me and very helpful towards me too, when, when you know, through a tough time.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, definitely I'll be going there as well. And yeah then, but yeah, I can't wait to get back there and see you all in person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hopefully we'll be able to do that here pretty soon. Let's talk about the music, though. A little bit Our song. Tell me about that. Wait a minute. You know what? I'm going to play a little bit of it. Then you and I are going to talk about it. Let me know, just shake your head. Yes, you can hear it. I can tell there she is, megs McCarthy on the Skip Happens Podcast.
Speaker 3:Wake up every morning with a feeling in my heart, a feeling that I can't ignore. I knew it from the start I want to spend my life with you, forever, by my side. Together, we will laugh and love with nothing left to hide. We'll build a life of happiness with memories to hold. Love that's pure and true, worth more than gold, when there every storm that comes and basking every song. Our love will stand the test of time, never be unknown. So let's be together. I'll love you forever. Hand in hand, we'll face the world and soar up to the sky. With you, my heart is full and I know where we belong. We'll be each other's rock and our love will be so strong, wow wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
Speaker 1:Man, I'll tell you I actually had it cranked before you went on tonight. You know, I put the song into. I have a roadcaster here that we use as a podcaster that I can put all that stuff in there and I hang on to it and it's like wow, this is just really really good. You know, I hear the Irish, but I hear the country and bringing it together like that Phenomenal. Tell us a little bit about the song.
Speaker 2:So there's a bit of story actually around the song. So there's probably a friend of yours, sob leslie, from new york as well. It's radio guys. So I'd be kind of very friendly with stan and um. During when my dad or was sick at the time, um, he used to always write to me how, how's your dad, how's your dad? I have entire things and makes it. One night he sent me a little lyrics. I was like, oh my god, I said you're an incredible writer, lyricist, and so he'd be back and forth for a long time. And next thing, about a year, he sent me a load of stuff and lyrics and then a year later he surprised him and I said I was surprised coming for you. So he, so we put the song together, we wrote the song together and, um, I put music, I put everything around it and it was actually.
Speaker 2:The song was actually recorded musically in nashville with all the national musicians and then I went up to dublin and I recorded vocals at wind windmill lane studios in dublin and so again it was like sending stuff back and forth skiffy, it's kind of so it's amazing though so stan wrote the sound, myself wrote the song together, and I actually sent it to him and I said, here I have a surprise to you. And he just was flabbergasted because he he was always telling me oh, don't tell anyone, I do lyrics. I said, no, I won't tell a soul.
Speaker 1:He told me he told me, and it was just a few weeks ago, now it's all coming together. He sent me, I think I don't know, on facebook message or an email or something and said dude, I wrote a song and that I didn't even think about that until now. I'm good. Oh, my goodness, that's exactly it. That's so awesome.
Speaker 2:We're really good friends stan is so kind to me as well and, um, but I think he was kind of, he was blown away. He goes, and I, I remember him when he and he's such a good lyricist he's like, oh, and he's so down with the earth, you know, and I was like no, I'm gonna do this. I said it's just, the lyrics is just, they're amazing, you know so, um, but the song is about love, about finding your true soul mate, you know, and a lot of time in relationships, you know, people forget after a while.
Speaker 2:You know that like that the person, that that soul mate, that connection that you make with that person and don't ever forget it and don't ever lose it and and appreciate people in life, and that you know there'll be days when your partner comes home and they'll be down and feeling low, and there'll be days they can be home, they'll be happy. But know that every time you walk through the door I'll always have a smile.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly so with that, like you and your significant other, I mean. Did you have you had those thoughts in mind when you and stan wrote?
Speaker 2:that well, myself and stan are significant other. It could be anything. I mean, you could be talking about an animal, it could be anybody yeah, you know, yeah, it depends on what way people could interpret songs differently, like you know, but definitely it's about love and, you know, appreciating your partner in all aspects of life and to be, honest with skip. I'm kind of blown away with the amount of amount of people that have written to me and like really, really loving it.
Speaker 2:And you know, even when we was landing on high in the itunes download chart, I was kind of like, oh my god, this is just so, so, so blown away and I think, um, yeah, so you just never know, like what's, what can happen and with a song, but even the music. All the boys in ashford, they were so kind to me. They were like, oh, we're gonna, we're gonna knock this one out of the public mind and they were like you're gonna put the fiddle on it max.
Speaker 1:I was like, okay, okay so, but yeah, it's been, it's been amazing and to do it online and to do everything, it's so mad, it's it's it's kind of crazy how it all came together, right, I mean, doing everything, you're there and the others are here, and then you make it all work yeah, and I my my favorite moment was it was just so long and I just sent it to him and I was like here, this is what I did that, listen to this.
Speaker 2:And he just couldn't believe it. So I said I'm, we're going, it's going out to radio. Now, we're going to put it out to radio.
Speaker 1:So it's really, really nice and I'm gonna have to text him when we get off tonight. I'll have to text Stan and go dude, look at, yeah, now I've got it. I get it. I was talking to mags tonight. Now I got the whole story.
Speaker 2:So I love it, james Bond.
Speaker 1:There you go. Yeah, jay James Pond, the froggy station. You got to love it though, such a good guy. So the song is now getting radio airplay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's going for Impact Week on the 17th of February. But yeah, it's been playing on Ireland radio stations and I've been doing a lot of interviews over here. It's starting out in the UK in the first week of February as well. So, yeah, I just love country radio.
Speaker 1:Country radio are the best, they're the best people, they're the best of everything, and you know I, um, I chat with a lot of artists of course you know that and a lot of these artists go on that c2c and they end up going to ireland, england, different you know, out there and they just say the crowds are phenomenal, the love for country music in that part of the world is phenomenal and it's big where you are as well, then, correct.
Speaker 2:Yeah, country music is big here. Obviously, the home of country music is in the United States. I suppose bluegrass Irish music is connected too, you know. But definitely, yeah, it's very big over here.
Speaker 1:And why do you think that is Because, like you say, you know, I think it's very big over here. And why do you think that is Because, like you say, you know, I mean, I think it's awesome. But you know, here in the United States, you know, nashville is the home of country music. Well, it's home of all the different genres now, but these artists go over there and they're playing songs that maybe we haven't even heard here in the States yet they're playing some of the music that hasn't heard here in the states, yet. They're playing some of the music that hasn't been dropped, and everybody's singing back to them on stage. So, yeah, very loyal country music people, yeah especially irish people.
Speaker 2:Irish people are very loud, they'll sing that. We're very. We sing all the american songs here, like even old stuff, like you put on, anything from patsy klein to even, you know, obviously, dolly parton, garth brooks, johnny look what garth did over there.
Speaker 1:I mean, when he had those back in a bunch of years ago, he just huge, huge yeah, oh, massive, absolutely massive.
Speaker 2:I love him so. Yeah, he's so cool and they're so. Yeah, country music is a small country too, you know, and skip remember like irish music is huge here too, and it's very similar to bluegrass music and how it's played.
Speaker 1:It is not. You mention it. Yeah, exactly, I get it. I get it. How many um mags, mags and mccarthy's who we're talking to tonight, if happens, podcast. By the way, I will mention it again. She's 3,100 miles from me right now. She is in Ireland it's between 1 and 2 in the morning over there as we record this here tonight. It's just amazing with the technology you play a lot of different instruments.
Speaker 2:I try Skip.
Speaker 1:Tell us about the different instruments that you play.
Speaker 2:I started off learning guitar, fiddle, banjo, piano, but like, do you know what I was saying? The jack of all trades but a masternode. But my main instrument is a fiddle. I play baron as well and mandolin. Um, the banjo I have is actually not like a five string, it's a four string tenor banjo, it's more. It's more like irish music.
Speaker 2:It's not like claw hammer style banjo, no, like it's a different style of game okay yeah, so it's like I wouldn't call myself a banjo player, but like can play some music anyway, but I love the fiddle. My fiddle was actually it's 138 years of age old now, sorry and it was belonged to my grandfather, who obviously he died when I was two, so I don't remember him, skip. But the fiddle has gone to 46 countries. It's amazing. It's so old and so sentimental to me. I've always loved music and I've always tried to play as many very different instruments. I love learning things, but that's just me in general anyway. I just love learning. I love writing with people. I just love people.
Speaker 1:I hear you, if that fiddle that's been around so long, if it could tell you something, if it could talk to you, what do you think it would tell you?
Speaker 2:If it could talk to me.
Speaker 1:Because it's got to have some stories, man.
Speaker 2:It could tell me stop damaging damaging me, I don't know like stop tossing me around actually, I had to get my bow re-hair during the week because I was after shredding the disaster out of it like one of my charlie. Charlie tans was someone I always wanted to meet and I was just so misfortunate like yeah, I never got that opportunity in life.
Speaker 2:But yeah. So yeah, the fiddle, yeah, it's so sentimental to me and when I play it, you know, I just hope my granddad is looking down on top of me, you know, and people say if he was alive today he'd be gone with me To every pub session. He'd be out and he'd be gone on the road with me. So yeah, it's nice, you know.
Speaker 1:What you know. You've had this incredible journey so far and everything that you're doing, from being a teacher to being a musician, traveling the world, doing something that you love what do you think? Where do you let me put it this way where do you see yourself in five years?
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:I know that's a tough question.
Speaker 2:I could be sitting with Skip New York hey, five years time.
Speaker 1:Oh, you could be my podcast co-host.
Speaker 2:Well, that'd be nice.
Speaker 1:I'll go ahead, though I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Five years time. Let me think now Well, I hope to be alive and kicking. Um, obviously I would love to have definitely have played the brand all off with that stage over the nice and probably touring with someone that would let me on the tour, um, um, definitely playing at veterans homes, because I big raw love for veterans and living facilities in the US. Five years time I hope to be. You know, for me it's not about awards, it's just about playing music and doing the best I can and if I get on, I definitely would love to get on a major tour if someone would let me on and the Grand Ole Opry and just enjoy life.
Speaker 1:That's definitely a goal and that's on your bucket list and I could say that's going to happen for you. You know, I can. Just I know it's going to happen for you, will you come, skip to see me.
Speaker 1:I would be there. If you said hey, guess what? I'm going to be playing on the Grand Ole Opry next weekend, I'd be on a flight down to Nashville. I would be there and cheer you on. As a matter of fact, I call Stan in Watertown and say Stan, you and I need to do a road trip. We're heading to Nashville and we're going to be in Nashville. We have what they call the Country Radio Seminar.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And that's coming up. February 19th. Are you going to skip? Yeah, I've done that for well over 20 years. I'll be in Nashvilleashville that week.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, it's so cool because you get to meet all of the your friends there yeah, you know, it's like you as a musician, you don't see each other all the time, except for maybe this one event or something. Everybody gets together and you, you play catch up. And it's the same thing with the radio seminar, because we're like a big family, we all know each other. Yeah, you know, just because we don't hang every day of the week with each other or whatever, but we get together for that one week and it's like it's so cool. It's so cool and you see a lot of old friends and anybody. That's anybody, whether it's a musician, whether it's a radio person, whether it's a record label, a promoter. They're everybody's there, everybody's that's what it's.
Speaker 2:I remember the first crs I went to because you know, I didn't like this is years ago, I don't know what what it was you know, but I remember going in this crowd of people and it's just, it's a really cool thing.
Speaker 2:You get to see so many people and so many different artists and, oh, everyone trying to do well and it's so nice to see so many people doing well to skip. I remember skip the first time I went to nashville. I got on a plane, skip, I, I, two suitcases and a fiddle and I landed into nashville. Imagine this I remember getting on the flight thinking am I crazy here? What am I doing? Like I thought I was doing great getting on the play first, but it was really um gutsy thing. I did like I just went there, not just to shout it out. And when I landed there I knew no, like I had to build, you know, connections and friends many friends.
Speaker 2:But I remember the first night I walked down broadway skip. It was like I was like here I am, I feel like going. Oh my god, these musicians are just incredible Insane. They were hanging out windows and up dreams you know yourself, Yep.
Speaker 1:Yep, but.
Speaker 2:I just got to meet really great musicians and it's actually. They were so kind. They started introducing me to other great musicians and then I started to meet, like these, a-list players, session players. And I was in awe of them and they used to say say, come on in here, max, come in here, come up and they invite you up on stage.
Speaker 1:Yes, I was going to ask if you had that opportunity. Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like and like, just to be invited up on stage station in was one of the oh yeah the wild horse loom when it was called the wild horse yes it was just mad.
Speaker 2:That next thing like fiddlers, like joke, I I don't tracey lawrence's, uh, he's band leader joe cabarell and you know, amy mclaughlin, they're all these fiddle pairs are just so, so incredible starting to introduce me to more people and then they all you know, we, they started playing with me and then they were like you need to put us, you need to put your music out there and go out on the road. And then I got the opportunity to play. I was in the hard rock playing one night and the lady that was running the hard rock stage the BMI hard rock stage at CMA Fest she came up to me and said I just want you on that stage. And she turned to the organiser. She says I don't care what I'm going to put up on the stage. She says stage that I.
Speaker 2:And she turned to the organizer. She says I don't care what I'm gonna put up in the stages. She's going up there and I said, oh my god, this is insane. Like you know how cool was that. So then it's just, people have been kind to me, you know, and I enjoy that and I just, I just enjoy playing music and writing, like David Ross. David Ross and Steve O'Brien of Nashville.
Speaker 2:They give me songs for songwriters to say might as well you sing this. I said, oh, maybe Am I a good enough, Will I manage it, Will I do a good job with it? So they trust me too. You know it's been nice. It was tough, it was hard in the beginning, you know.
Speaker 1:I remember in the apartment going there was no kettle and you set the boil of water on the cooker. Oh my god, so you went. You, you went over just on your own. You had nothing going. You just said you know, I'm gonna take a little, I'm gonna pack a couple of suitcases, I'm gonna get on a plane and see what happens, I'm gonna go to nashville. So you, as a young lady, you went all by yourself, without you had no contacts at the time. You were just gonna go and do your thing. And how important, how do you think that has shaped you up to this point? How do you think that has worked out for you?
Speaker 2:well before actually international, I went, I was over and back, you know, visiting a lot, you know. But the thing is, I think it's definitely I learned a lot about the industry too. That's why I still have a job.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, no comment. No, I know Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you get it. It is definitely made me a smarter person, tougher person, I suppose in the industry. I do appreciate when you I suppose for someone just listening, for going down there for the first time, it is definitely easier to go from Syracuse to Nashville than Ireland to Nashville, and I can tell you that right now.
Speaker 2:But you know, you just there is, it was, it's just it's. I think it was. The friends that I made helped me big time, like people were just kind to me. If I didn't have that I don't think I would have gotten as far in Nashville or in the country music community.
Speaker 1:And it was hard, it wasn't easy, you know, but no no, I get that, but you had the love, the dedication and the passion for what you want to do. Yeah, that's what was pushing you through this and you knew that. And walking down Broadway back in the day before, well, it's crazy. Now you walk down Broadway, that's nuts. But just hearing the music and you're probably thinking, you know, I could do that. That's so cool. This is what I want to do. This is where I want to be. Yeah, that that's so cool. This is what I want to do. This is where I want to be, and that's a part of doing it all. And now look at all the bars that are down there. In places, they're always looking for people to play, but you mentioned the station in. See, that's outside of town.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's just a cool place.
Speaker 1:It's a cool place. And then I usually I don't like dropping names, but that's where I met up with Dierks Bentley. We went to the station in. It was my wife and I, and that's when I first met Dierks. He was playing in his bluegrass band at the station in and he took a break, came over, we had a picture, we talked and we've been, you know, anytime he comes to town now it's cool. Hey, skip, how are you, how's Nancy, how's your son, how's you? Know what I mean. So that's the cool thing about it. And it was at the station in. Those are the places I love. Broadway is nice and, yes, it's cool to get out there and, uh, you know, do your thing on those stages and, uh, make everybody happy. But it gets to the point where there's so many of you and everybody's doing the same thing Get outside of town a little bit, get into some of those honky tonks. You know, even the Bluebird, yeah, you know. So those are the places that really, really matter, I think.
Speaker 2:And there are places that are very, some places that aren't organized and musicians that show up and start playing and mixing all these really great musicians to come and you're sitting there, you're listening to some amazing music and you're just blown away by them and they're like pull out the fiddle Mags, come on up here and I'm like, oh my God, I gotta do my thing.
Speaker 1:I love it. So I mean, you're putting out your own music. Megs McCarthy, you've got our song that is out there. But what if somebody came up to you and said you know what? We need a fiddle player in the band? You know what I mean? You will not be that. You're obviously not the headliner, you're just part of the band. Your talent and how you can play that fiddle plays a major role in the band.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, Absolutely. Actually, you know, I'd love to you know, at the end of the day, like I know, I have my own stuff, but definitely I love playing with people as well, and if a big country star asks me to play fiddle with them on the tour, yeah, I jump on.
Speaker 2:I'd be like, yeah, I'm going on and you know, to have that experience behind me, to be able to say that you know someone, someone actually appreciated me as a musician, to have them on with me. You know so. You know so it's been, it's been that would be incredible. You know. So I remember, just before cold, what actually happened and corey he was actually Shania Twain's band leader at the time and he reached out to me because she was looking for a fiddle pair and he reached out to know what.
Speaker 2:I auditioned to be her fiddle pair for her tour, for that last tour that she had but at the time we were struggling with visa and stuff at the time so I never got the opportunity. So to answer your question, I love it, think. I think the more you play with people, and especially within big country artists, they're going to have the best musicians anyway. So it's a privilege to play with amazing other musicians you know and to be given that opportunity. So you know, I know I have my own music and my own thing, but it's also really cool to play and jam with other people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think that's. That's really uncommon at this point, because I believe it was last summer. I went to a Jake Owen show and Charlie Worsham was playing guitar with him. Oh wow. So he was actually part of the band and he wasn't. You know, he wasn't the headliner, but he was in the band. It was Charlie Worsham and I said you know, that's really cool, that's cool. So, even though he has put out his own stuff, but still he was just on the road with Jake.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's cool. They're probably friends anyway.
Speaker 1:Exactly, exactly. It's like hey, you need a guitar player, I'll come along. I got nothing to do. You're still called Jim Bond. Tell me a little bit about where you live in Ireland. What is it like? Tell everybody, you know, we have no idea, I have no idea. I'm in the United States. I love America. Here we are, obviously, and it's absolutely beautiful.
Speaker 2:But what's Ireland like? Ireland's a beautiful country. It's probably, they say, the size about Indiana, the state of Indiana, maybe. I live in a farm. It's just outside Cork City, maybe about 30 minutes. It's near Blarney Castle, about 15 minutes, where you kiss the Blarney stone. The roads are very small. So I remember, skip, the first place where I landed was New York and I remember at the airport, sitting at the airport on my suitcase, saying to my friends oh my god, look how many roads to have. Oh my god. And then we have some American tourists that would come to Ireland. They were like oh, you're in, roads are very small, you're very narrow. So our roads would be much smaller and but like it's as green as Johnnyny cash's song, you know, um, 40 shades of green that he wrote yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah so he wrote the whole song about ireland and then so yeah, it's, it's so.
Speaker 2:I live in a farm, a dairy and beef farm, and it's just. It's a really quiet area. Where I live, I play a place called dripsy and um people are so nice. We all know each other there.
Speaker 3:Love it.
Speaker 2:And we all look out for each other, and Cork is a very, very nice city to visit. It's not, you know, it's on the south part of Ireland. Now. Our weather's actually quite. We don't want to have the snow what you have there in the US, where you are.
Speaker 1:I can send you some if you like it.
Speaker 2:We actually you know, recently it was about maybe I don't know, two inches in the whole in a lot of the places, but schools were closed and stuff for that.
Speaker 2:Well, that happens we can't drive here at all in the snow. We're the ice. Once the snow is here, it's like everything shuts down. We even went two inches, I'd say. But the weather look as you have said a while ago four seasons, we've got two. But it's definitely worth a visit. Anyone that has visited here loves it. Well, they love it. They'll say they love it anyway. Whether they say something else is a different story.
Speaker 1:I've heard good things. I have no idea what it's really like.
Speaker 2:The west of Ireland. I really like you have the Clifston Moor down with Galway Kerry, just the scenic route. And then I'm a country girl so I love the country, love it. So it's very hard to put a country girl back into the city. So I love the country, I love the peacefulness of the country, but obviously I teach in the city. So but again, like Ireland, it's a very, very small country but we have great people here and the people are actually very nice, very helpful, very accommodating.
Speaker 1:Very cool, yeah, very cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you like it Skip.
Speaker 1:I'm already just you telling me about it. It's like all right, maybe I should talk to my wife about making a trip to Ireland. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know, time will tell.
Speaker 2:And you're more than welcome to you. Know, I'll be there at the airport to collect you, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'd be going. These roads are so small, oh, and we drive at the other side of the road as well.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh my gosh, I with the other side of the road as well.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh my gosh, I told you I don't know if it was before, I think it was before we went out with the camera and the lights, but I spent, you know, a few weeks in England, Scotland, Wales, and, of course, driving on the other side of the road. That was like, and you hit the roundabouts and you got to go the other. All I can think of was the movie there's Big Ben, there's Big Ben, there's Big Ben.
Speaker 2:That was me back in the day driving around that circle. Yeah, and when I was driving in America as well, that's not the other side of the road, but I think you just get used to it after a while, though. Oh sure, well, I suppose it's hard to write if the roads are smaller and narrower. You know what I mean. They'd be harder to pass people. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's the way it was in England, scotland, wales. You know they were narrow and it was hard to pass people. The sheep were just. You know I had to wait for them to cross the road and all that. Yeah, but it's a beautiful country. It's a beautiful country, you know. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful country, you know? Yeah, it is, it is, but it's just like the US. The US is beautiful. I think, any places is. I remember seeing the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam and like.
Speaker 1:It's amazing, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:Going away and just driving through there and it's amazing. You know it's. America is so big I haven't seen all of it.
Speaker 1:I've seen a lot of it. I haven't seen all of it. Well, you're going to be back to see more. I know that you'll be.
Speaker 2:I love to go to more, visit more states as well. You know because I toured there when I was at rhythm of dance. We toured right around america and I remember we got stuck one night. This is back in 2003. We were in san jose on the night of thanksgiving and our tour bus got a puncture oh we never forgot there was a couple of um truck drivers, or we got over here. We call them articulated lorries or arctic lorries. Uh, you call them um what you call semis oh, a semi.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're a tractor trailer.
Speaker 2:There's 18 wheelers and I'm not off, and he's like are you stuck? And I was like yeah, because the shop wasn't going to open for the bus driver until the next day and he changed the tire and got us back on the road, and I said you know what that's kindness.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely 100%, and the truck drivers do that. They're on the road all the time and they know, they know, and they want you to be safe too. So you get that. So you were on the tour. Was it the River Dance? Yeah, it's like River Dance, but Rhythm of Dance the same thing, because there was one that came here to the Northeast that I don't know if it was similar to river dance and I remember it being in town. I don't know maybe might have been lord of the dancer river.
Speaker 1:Dancer, rhythm of the dancer yeah, it was something along those lines. That's cool. How did you get involved with that?
Speaker 2:I mean, just because you you're a dancer and you auditioned, or I actually, um, got a call to join the tours, to join Rhythm of the Dance, so I went up to Dublin I was young, you know and I went from. I was a man actually, I went from playing in, we say, pubs and bars and car, when I was young yeah, yeah, yeah and.
Speaker 2:I think my first on stage with the show was 20,000 people in Holland, and I had to, so I danced with the show was 20,000 people in Holland, and I had to, so I danced with the fiddle, and what happened was the tune that I this particular tune that I was really kind of good at with the dancing. They didn't have the copyright to the tune. So two nights before I was supposed to go on the stage in front of so many thousand people, I had to learn a new tune with the dance and I was oh, I never oh wow, when we got to the show, he's like no, maxis, and when you walk in here now, don't, don't, don't worry about it.
Speaker 2:And I still walked in. It was massive screens everywhere and I was like I gotta do this routine tonight. And but I managed, I got got straight to the pub.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I bet that's cool. How are the pubs there?
Speaker 2:In Ireland.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Oh, they're like very much similar to all the bars you have in the US. You know, Pubs and hotels are very nice here and the food is very good here. Food is very good here.
Speaker 1:I got it what is tell me about what would be a good Irish meal, are very nice here and the food is very good here. Food is very good here. I got it. Tell me about what would be a good Irish meal. If I was in Ireland and I went to a pub. What would I get?
Speaker 2:You get spuds and veg and steak and you get hamburgers. I like my steak.
Speaker 1:No, I'm a beef guy guy, there's no doubt about that. I had to cut back a little bit but I love my beef. The uh, but you raise beef cattle, milk cattle. Is this a family?
Speaker 2:yeah, it belongs to my, my parents, my grandfather, actually grandmother, and then passed on to my my father I know work. I have actually three brothers and a sister, so yeah, so everyone, anyone that comes to the farm, you know they're. If you came you'd probably get a job.
Speaker 1:You never know. I might have to. I might have to, you know. Let's talk about the security of what we do. No, I'm just kidding. But so do you raise the beef cattle? Do you slaughter your own cattle? Do you raise them and then sell them?
Speaker 2:We raise them and then they go to the factory.
Speaker 1:Do you ever become attached to them?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you do Skip Very much, so it can be sad. But it's actually, you know, it can be sad, you know, but yeah, yeah, it's life, you know, and it is, it is yeah.
Speaker 2:So we, we raise honor and we look after all our animals and you know they're, they're, they're loved by all of us. But it can be sad. It's apparently can be sad, sad too, especially things like that. Especially, you know, if it's like a sick human, you get a sick calf, you know, and you do, you go to town, you bring in, you know, and you do, you go to town, you bring in the vets and you try everything you can for them to try and save them. You know so. But like at the end of the day, to see them out and they're running around the fields and they're happy out, you know it's nice.
Speaker 1:It's nice to you, wouldn't want to mess with them. Skip, they are no, believe me, I'm not exactly a city boy, but I'm not a hardcore country.
Speaker 2:You're in the middle of the road.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm in the middle of the road. I'm all over the place. Kelsey Parker's been posting here. She is a big fan of yours. She has amazing Irish work. I love her song. I don't have my glasses on, is it run?
Speaker 2:Yeah, run, I run it. Yep, yep, I've been playing her song, thanks.
Speaker 1:Kelsey yeah, she goes. I've been playing her song Emotional Honesty.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was my first time seeing Ross.
Speaker 1:Sending Meg's love all the way from Maryland.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you so much, Kelsey. Yeah, the most daunting was written by Steve O'Brien, David M Ross for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Do you know what Skip? All my followers and people that have been writing to me. I actually have been trying to keep up with emails and messaging people as best I can, because it's amazing the amount of people that are writing to me.
Speaker 2:It's, it's, you know and even letters to my, my home, and you know people posting like the postman every day like here's another 20 for your mind. So it's, it's incredible. So thank you so so much from the bottom of my heart to all the your followers and to everybody that has been following me yeah. I got a text the other day. It was in French and I I had to translate it.
Speaker 2:You know, because, my French wouldn't be great and basically said that they saw me perform in 2003 and they've always been following me and that this they were proud to have known me and I was just blown away that you know that even I for the last number of years when I you know I was taking care of, when you know that even for the last number of years when I was taking care of my family member like to have people not forget me and to you know that they keep writing to me and you know they want to see things happen for me, which is amazing. I'm just. It really touches my heart. So thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Actually, when you put out a song for example our song, you're touching somebody's. A song for example our song you're touching somebody's heart. You are our song. Yeah, you're touching somebody's heart and it'll always be in their memory too, because that's what music is. Music is the soundtrack of our lives. I mean, I've said that so many times, but it's so true, and it's the universal language all around the world. It's music, it's that's how we speak, that's how we feel, that it gets our emotions out there. It, it. That's what it's all about.
Speaker 2:It's what it's all about, and especially, I suppose, in country music. It's very about the song and the story, isn't it skip, you know no, it is, it is absolutely and there's definitely songs that have touched all of us throughout our lives, you know. So um I'm I'm just hoping that our song, our song I love it.
Speaker 1:Our song, our song.
Speaker 2:I love it it's funny because I didn't know. Um. Um, I was trying to come up with a title for it, you know and I was like oh, because two people coming together, we call it our song. You know so the two people, you so when you meet that soulmate that you have for your life, you know exactly, exactly, actually one girl said to me recently well, I'm gonna play, she's gonna play it at her wedding, so that's nice you know, I'm just.
Speaker 1:I made a bunch of notes before we went on and something just caught my eye and it says you have performed in 46 plus countries. Um, are there any particular places or moments that stand out to you, special or impactful on your career? Now we know nashville, but still and the united states, but you know, you've traveled all around the world 46 different countries.
Speaker 2:That's amazing yeah, it's incredible, and I, to be honest with you, there's been something in each country I've gone to, whether it's you know, whether it was a venue that I saw that was incredible, or it was a person, or you know that I would have met somebody, or you know each country had their own something that was really nice about it, but definitely I suppose that has impacted my life, my career. I can't really suppose name one country.
Speaker 1:I always loved coming home, though nothing better than your own bed traveling, when you get to go home and you're in your own place.
Speaker 2:Better yeah, I definitely think the US does really hone my craft for for music, you know, for everything, but I I got the experience of playing for you know um all the amazing people as well around the world, so it was. It's good. I suppose it's hard for me to name a specific country you know um, but I did. I will tell you one thing at times, if you ask me where I was, I, my mom, would ring me one day and says where are you now? Like no, I'm in between, I mean that is so true.
Speaker 1:If you were to ask an artist uh, you know where, you know they, they show up. It's like did you know that you were in Syracuse when you pulled up on the bus and they'd go? No, no idea, I just go where the bus takes me and I do what I have to do. But, uh, you know not. I mean, they love what they do. Don't get me wrong. It's just like because you're always on the road, you're always traveling. It's like okay, where are we now?
Speaker 2:actually, the one thing I did enjoy and you just get kicked to me was I always enjoyed the bus drivers race, so I get on the bus and there was always the right in the front and I go how many kilometers a week? Today, my, we got seven hours to drive to the next thing. You're whatever. You know, I did always let me sit up in the boss and one day and we're in the parking lot and I was, and then he said you want to drive it? I said yeah, show me how would you drive this? So I was driving the bus around the parking lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And he said can I tell you something, man? I said yeah. He said I had two people on before you arrived. And I said all right, who are they? He said Robbie Williams and BB King.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:King Really. And he said here's BB King's pin. He gave him his pin that he signed his autograph, so he gave it to me and he said to me. He said can I tell you something secret? I was like yeah, and he said you're my favorite by far. And I said I'll stop.
Speaker 1:I love it. Can you imagine? I think it would be cool to get one of these bus drivers on the podcast, because the stories they'd be able to tell uh, who they've worked for over the years, who they've, you know, taken to all these different venues, and some of the conversations, uh, that they have on the bus, and some of the stuff that happens that we, you and I, never see or hear about, but the stories, I'm sure would absolutely.
Speaker 2:I remember one bus story where he was from, uh, norway, and, um, he wanted to come in to see the show and I said, yeah, come on, wayne, you can stand side stage, you can watch it from there. And next thing I have. So I was out in this doing my thing and when I turned around, so we had this like rider at the back and he was actually standing on the stage and the lights were on him and he was like this tapuates me.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 2:You're on the stage. There's 10,000 people can see you, just wave.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, I love that, I love that yeah.
Speaker 2:They can tell you some funny stories, all right, but definitely it's amazing. To be honest with you, it was the best experience in my life. Um, I've a lot yet to do, a lot yet to grow, I suppose, for myself now, you know, and I I would, I suppose, love to have the opportunity to you know, open for somebody, you know I work very hard I suppose down through the years and and yeah, if I can get to Syracuse now and sit with Skip and have a good time.
Speaker 1:We do this in person here, the podcast, which would be cool, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Has anybody tried to talk you into moving to the States, because what you do Well, they all say I should just go there and just stay there and just do my thing there. But yeah, I mean, you know, I'd love to just you know. That's your home Do the best I can, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, we'll see, I'll see you know, I obviously want to get there now and visit you all and see everything.
Speaker 1:I hope you do that rather soon, because I would love to say hello and uh, just uh. It's the way I am with a lot, of, a lot of the people that I talk to and I get to. You know, we just have, have a conversation, it's, it's so cool, and we usually meet up in nashville, which will in just a few weeks. I'll be doing that with a lot of the artists I've had on the podcast as well, but you know, this is this has been awesome, and they just actually listens to show.
Speaker 2:Her name is Sarah Sarah Murphy. She's from Syracuse, so I just wanted to say hello, yeah, so she, yeah, I'd love to. Obviously, when I get over to America, I'd love to visit you, skip, because I'll be coming down from New York and I'll visit all you know what, what I should really do is get a bus, put all the radio program directors on it, or a couple of buses probably take me a load of buses and then fly you all over here to Ireland. Then we all have a party. That'd be nice.
Speaker 1:I'm always in for a party. Maybe some good Irish beer I'd be good. Give me some Guinness, I'll get you Jameson as well. What is speaking of that? What is the big beer the most popular?
Speaker 2:In Ireland you have Guinness. Yeah, Guinness would be, but then in Cork we have our own Murphys that they have what?
Speaker 1:is Murphys.
Speaker 2:It's like another. It's like Guinness. No, I don't drink. I'm a celiac as well, so I have to be careful.
Speaker 1:Yes, you have to be careful. I get that yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Guinness and the Coors.
Speaker 1:Oh, coors. Okay, I heard that loud and clear. Coors is American made. Yeah, heard that loud and clear. Of course it's American-made.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So they have to import that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So well, I suppose everything's imported now, isn't it here?
Speaker 1:I guess you're right, we all kind of swap around things. Well, we don't know what's going to be happening with all the importing of.
Speaker 2:Importing, exporting.
Speaker 1:We got a lot of stuff changing here in America when it comes to that Long story.
Speaker 2:That's okay, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Mags McCarthy, if somebody wanted to find out more about you, they want to get your music. Where do they go?
Speaker 2:If they go to magsmccarthycom, so M-A-G-S Mags, sorry.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, you know, you just scared, I thought you fell. No.
Speaker 2:The phone went down. The phone went down here because I was underneath the phone so and I had you up against the coffee jar.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, all right, that's cool balanced, you're balanced no, it looks great. It looks great. Yeah, no, but I I when that happened, my heart stopped for a second. I went oh my god, I thought you like fell off the chair. Maybe you fell asleep, because it's like two in the morning there, it's good, I enjoy talking to you, skip.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so if they go to magsmccarthycom. Actually, you can sign up to my mailing list and then you get an email from me or whoever, and then you can follow me on all social media and Spotify.
Speaker 1:And do you do all that yourself?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do everything myself.
Speaker 1:That's a lot.
Speaker 2:Well, hang on. Now I have a person in Kentucky running my website because I couldn't do it myself. Do you know what I mean? Like, I mean, I do as much as I can myself, but I have people that help me. Skip, Skip. I couldn't do anything myself.
Speaker 1:There's a lot there, but.
Speaker 2:I do an awful lot of the operations myself. Yeah, the operations myself, and yeah, but like business side of it you gotta handle. Yeah, like I do all the music and stuff and like I I'm musicians and engineers and producers that I work with, you know, but I I uh regarding website and all that construction, because that takes a lot, all that mailing list takes.
Speaker 2:It's a huge amount of um, you know, because what happened to me before is I ran it, you know, when I first started, but I lost the mailing list, so I lost you know. So, yeah, some, some. So I have a guy out in.
Speaker 1:Kentucky. I love it, I love it. Oh my God, I love it. Megs McCarthy, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for coming on. Thank you Skip from the bottom of my heart for having me on your podcast.
Speaker 1:Absolutely To your wonderful family.
Speaker 2:To everyone there, I wish you all. I know we're into February nearly, but Happy New Year to the rest of us.
Speaker 1:Have a happy healthy one. I hope.
Speaker 2:I get to see you soon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I was going. See you soon. You have no idea when you'll be making a trip back over here.
Speaker 2:I'm just trying to get my visa now. Hopefully, skip, it'll be soon, it'll be soon.
Speaker 1:Megs McCarthy. It's 2 o'clock in the morning there. It's almost 9 o'clock here. I do want to say thank you so much in the bottom of my heart for joining us here on skip happens tonight. Um, just hopefully your fans will subscribe to the skip happens podcast and also my viewers and listeners will look you up and get your music and, uh, let's, you know, let's get it on the radio and do our thing.
Speaker 2:Thank you so so much. Skip and listen. Thank you for always supporting me and my music. It means a lot. Even though we're 3,000 miles away.
Speaker 1:Don't ever think that I don't appreciate it 3,100. So 3,100 miles, that's what it's worth. Oh, I got it wrong. Okay, that's crazy. I've got 100 miles. There you go, that's all. That's all. But stay right there, megs. Again, thank you for joining us here tonight and thank you for watching. Subscribe to Skip Happens right there on YouTube and yeah thank you, and just so much. We're going to get you back on to. Anything happens, we'll get you back on.
Speaker 2:Okay, I like that. Skip happens anything happens.
Speaker 1:Well, you know this is this has been a pretty good podcast tonight because skip really hasn't happened. Well, wait a minute. You fell. No, the camera fell, so that would be like so always something happens.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I love it actually the wi-fi wouldn't work remember yeah, that's right, skip happens.
Speaker 1:That's. That's what happens. Skip happens. You got it. Mags McCarthy, check her out. Everybody there she is live from Ireland, by the way, so if you didn't catch that, it's just a few minutes ago. But thanks for joining us. Mags, stay right there. Thanks for watching everybody. Have a pleasant night. See ya from Skip. You're awesome.
