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.
www.youtube.com/@skiphappenspodcast
SkiP HappEns Podcast
Nashville Calling: How a Toronto Firefighter is Making Waves in Country Music
Hello everybody. It is Skip Clark and it's another edition of Skip Happens. And, as you know, I always have a lot of my good friends. They've become my good friends on here Independent artists, those that are trying to make a go at what they love, their passion, their dedication. And we've had Rob Fitzgerald on before. It had to be a while ago, but it's so good to see him. He's north of the border and he also works for the city of Toronto, so I know that. I know that, but I don't know how much longer, because the music he's putting out is unbelievable. Maybe it's almost time to retire, because being a firefighter, Rob, you can get out at a young age and still go and do something you love.
Speaker 2:Rob Fitzgerald. Yeah, Skip, it's great to see you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for having me on again.
Speaker 2:I know we always have great chats, so seeing you at CRS and Nashville, things like that so I feel like I've come to know you quite well, which is great. So, yeah, you know the job of firefighting. It does take a toll on the body and you'm, you know, close to 20 years in now and, uh, you know it's, it's taken a toll on my body, but I have the. You know, I've got the opportunity here that I have two great passions. So I'm third generation firefighter, so it runs in the family and it's something that I'm built to do. So, and you know, you know my love for music and you know, in the countryside especially, but the big thing for me is the love of it. What it does is it's my therapy as well. So you know from everything that.
Speaker 2:I have to see at work and I can come home and I can write songs record, get together with some incredible musicians and just kind of live this other life away from that. That, that, that profession.
Speaker 1:Nothing better.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So mental health, right there, it's your own way of taking care of a lot of issues and probably more than likely I know because I was a firefighter for a lot of years but more than likely the things you see and the things you have to do and you know when. Once you get home, it's a way of you kind of putting your mind in a different frame and start thinking about, you know, your music, helping it does you know, working downtown toronto, it's, it's the nature of the beast.
Speaker 2:Any big city, there's just going to be more of everything. Yeah, so you're just, you're just going to see things that most people aren't supposed to see. And music is a really good release. It's a healer, it is, and that's why I call it, it's my therapy. Yeah, exactly, and you know, and I've got the drive and passion, that, and not only that, just every time I release a single good things keep happening. So I love it, I love it.
Speaker 1:You know, you said you've been on the force uh, nearly 20 years, but how long? I know we've probably talked about this before. I know I'll have to go back and look at the other podcasts, but, um, how long have you been playing music?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would have to probably go back to a former life, that you know, when I had longer hair and and cut my hair.
Speaker 1:Can I find that on here? Wait a minute, it's buried?
Speaker 2:you probably can. But I basically gave it up to have a family, I get a real career job, and it wasn't until my daughter was in her teens that she she wanted to learn how to play guitar and I thought, why not teach her some of what I know? And and I just kept the guitars out and I started writing and one thing led to another and I didn't want to be an actual artist, I just wanted to be a songwriter firefight by day, song right by night, send stuff out to publishers, and just some industry people just suggested that why don't you give it a shot at the artist side? And COVID was perfect for that because everybody was oh yeah because of it. So I had a chance to kind of regroup and brand myself and you know recordings and uh, promo shots, and then when, when it all opened up, I kind of hit the gate along with everyone else.
Speaker 2:So it was probably a little bit of a blessing in disguise. I wouldn't necessarily say COVID is much of a blessing in disguise. I wouldn't necessarily say coving is much of a blessing, but it's been good. Oh, I hear you. And with each single that I've released, especially this one, there's just more and more people that I've got in my corner. Now that just help me with the next one more exposure. Nothing happens overnight and I'm just having a blast with it every step of the way.
Speaker 1:Exactly do you take the guitar to work with you?
Speaker 2:yeah, well, I actually have a guitar in my locker at work.
Speaker 1:Oh I love it. And the guys go hey, rob, pull out the guitar, why don't you? Just, you know, maybe you're not out training, you don't? It's kind of a quiet night and you have to do whatever you know we, the station I work at, is 150 years old.
Speaker 2:It's the oldest working fire station in yorkville. So now the nice weather, we have bench time outside after dinner, so I usually bring it out and I'll start. That's cool strumming, and the dogs come by with the dog walkers and it's it's a great community for that.
Speaker 1:So it's just it just helps us to bond with the community that much more and what do the guys think about you doing what you do and knowing that you're trying to go to the next level with that, you know, with your music?
Speaker 2:They love it. They're very supportive. You know I've got we've got a chief in our hall to other captains I'm one of the captains as well. Oh, cool, right right down to the young bucks and to the young bucks you know, seeing what? I get a chance to do away from work. Everybody does something away from work as well, and so it takes their mind off of it. It's a fairly busy hall. So you know everybody needs to get the rest that they need to get, but it's you know. So you know there's a few festivals that the whole crew is going to be coming to.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. Yeah, I love that you have the support of your coworkers, which is the other, the other extended family that we have.
Speaker 2:Everybody supports everybody.
Speaker 1:God, I love that. I love that. How often do you get out of Canada and head to Nashville?
Speaker 2:So I'm there probably about four to five times a year now.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And it's just. You know the things like CRS is one of them, right Country.
Speaker 1:Radio Seminar yes.
Speaker 2:That's another tool for me and grassroots. Being my representative out of Nashville, you know they're such great supporters and coming down to be able to and they help me promote. You know my upcoming releases or you know just music in general. I'm doing a lot of recording in Nashville. This current release has given me an awful lot of connections, a publishing deal kind of record deal as well that we can dive into a little bit more, but just with that songwriting as well, and I'll be doing a radio tour the second week of June. So there's just more that's happening. That's pulling me down there. They're more.
Speaker 1:So now you're actually signed with a label yeah, it's, it's kind of, uh it is.
Speaker 2:It was um aaron goodman. Oh yeah, I know a well-known country artist. Yep, um had a venture with his wife. His wife works on the publisher side and uh, that's. He's a grassroots artist as well. So the last crs country Country Radio Seminar last September, he and I talked because we had an actual grassroots event. So then we started talking and we made it an actual venture, and so he brought me down and set me up with all kinds of songwriters, set me their catalog and we narrowed it down to this song that we were currently releasing right now, and it hooked me up with Eric Torres, who's a fantastic producer you know, priest Jimmy Allen, lee Bryce, james Johnson.
Speaker 2:So, and the musicians in the room were just incredible. Here's little old me from Canada walking in to these guys that have played with, you know, keith Urban and Janie Fleener, who's who's on tour with George Strait right now.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So these are like a a list of of musicians. So I was so happy to be able to have them in the room and they treated me so well and made me feel real, real, comfortable, and the rest is history to feel intimidated at all.
Speaker 2:I was too, because I don't. I don't live that life down there and amongst all of those you know incredibly wicked session musicians who also play live with with pretty much everybody. So was I a little intimidated? Yes, but they're so good in the room that you, you wouldn't even know it and there's there's no one that ever made me feel that way. So the moment I stepped up to the mic during the, the tracking session that it was, it was just like an old glove, and Eric Torres, the producer, is so easygoing and made me feel very comfortable.
Speaker 2:Makes it easier yeah, aaron Goodman's in the room the whole entire time cheering me on, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Now, for those that don't know Aaron, he's in Canada. He's huge, super huge. I mean he's like what. Tim McGraw is here from what I understand, yeah, but you know it's a whole different world north of the border, but that is starting to move over and you know it's overflowing into Nashville now. I think we're sharing a lot of artists and that's how I got to know Aaron. He made the trip to Nashville. I've had him on my Skip Happens podcast before. But for those that don't know this guy's huge, ask anybody in Canada who Aaron Goodvin is, and they're going to come right out and tell you he's just and what a great guy too.
Speaker 2:He is down to earth. He and I have become very good friends and we talk pretty much weekly right now, especially with his new single going on about you know, and what we're doing now that the single's out is trying to get a little more conversions on the single you know what we can do, that's you know further the single.
Speaker 1:You know what we can do. That's, uh, you know well, further reaching than just the recording. Yeah, I want to talk about that. Let's dive into the new single. A little bit sounds like a memory, and how did that song land in your hands and what made you say this is the one?
Speaker 2:so when we we talked about doing this, this venture together, this publishing kind of mini, mini record deal, um, he said, before we even get down to songwriting, I'm going to send you a catalog. So this is a catalog of songs that he's either written or he's co-written, and I think it was about 20 different songs, and one caught my eye or my ear and and that was sounds like a memory and and so the next step was to then come down to Nashville and we'll songwrite every day with a different songwriter, and there was a whole slew of them, or they were just, you know, they're hit songwriters. So once the songs were done, I came back and did the demos for it and everything was being compared to Sounds Like a Memory. That song was so strong. I said, you know, if this is the worst case scenario, this is the best, this is fantastic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no doubt. Oh, there was really no pressure knowing that that song was already there and while a couple of them were oh, you know they were, they were okay, strong ish. This song was was the one and I knew it was kind of made that for my vocal style which, and you know, going into the studio, I, I, I knew I would be able to do it justice, so so the demo is quite a bit different than the the final product, and that's kind of the way I wanted giving a little more of that traditional countryside that I'm all about as well yeah, it had to be so much fun, though, working with all these A-list players and everybody coming together and making it happen for you and feeling really comfortable.
Speaker 1:That is just so freaking cool.
Speaker 2:It is, and not only that, they're one take. Yeah, that's what they are, they're so good. Justin Ostrander, he was charting the song as the demo was playing in the control room. By the time the song was done, he was done charting. Make quick photocopies. We went out, we did a quick verse and chorus just to get tempo and feel and then we banged it off and then then that was it and they some of them did their overdubs that they had and I think probably in 40, 45 minutes start to finish. We were done.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, what I've heard with the song. There seems to be a lot of emotion in your delivery and did the song connect with maybe a personal experience or a story in your life?
Speaker 2:It did. I love that feel that, even though there was the traditional country feel, you know, bluetooth speaker on the sand and you've still got some of that current ways of being able to say certain things, but yeah, I could envision the whole thing and with a little bit of the soul that was in there, I was able to capture that as well. I just loved it when I heard it.
Speaker 2:And it's just like you know your favorite cover song that you love to sing. It's kind of like that. So what we've done now is there's a couple more songs that came out of all of this that I'm going to head back down and we're going to record and make more of this Very cool. This is just the first step of many that we're going to do.
Speaker 1:So you've had I made some notes. Here you have three new singles and, of course, the album that's coming out in 2025. What themes or stories are you excited to share on this project?
Speaker 2:I would say it's kind of a culmination of all of all of it. Um, you know, everything right right to my my last single, which is kind of a tribute to where I come from, as, as a man, you know, paying tribute to my father and uh. So that that was a big one and uh, one that somebody nobody's even heard of is just just about, just about working hard and it's basically, it's just called living hard.
Speaker 1:yeah is there anybody? I you mentioned your daughter picking up a guitar, but going back to maybe your, your father, your mother or any, let's go back a little bit. Were they musicians at all or no, they weren't.
Speaker 2:They were they were both civil servants okay so music was never, really was never approved as a potential way of living Gotcha. So or a career or it, you know Well that was back then that's right, it was more.
Speaker 2:This is the thing you do for fun on the side, and that's where it stays. So and it's just where they came from. And my grandfather so my mom's father he was musical. So whether I picked it up from from that side of things, uh, who knows. But uh, it wasn't always country music I'm. I had such a love for southern rock, oh yeah, so the southern rock kind of blended into my country style as well. That's why a little bit of the soul works for me as well as the rock side as well.
Speaker 1:Do you again? Is Emerson Drive? They're still going right in Canada. Do you know, emerson Drive? How about Doc Walker?
Speaker 2:Doc Walker is maybe not so much, but I don't follow that as much. It's tough here in Canada. There are so few places that you know, since COVID, a lot of places closed down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that sucks, so the music scene changed big time.
Speaker 2:It's only really been maybe up to last year that the music festivals really started to flourish and a few ended up closing down. So some of the ones that were doing regular tours and a lot of regular stops, a lot of those regular places are gone.
Speaker 1:Correct me if I'm wrong, but, rob, you've had some pretty cool milestones. You've had hopefully I got this right you've had five number one singles on the Canadian Indie Country Countdown. That's cool. Multiple tracks, a chart on Music Row, which we know I think that's how we first got to know each other a little bit was because of Music Row. What do those milestones mean to you? That's huge.
Speaker 2:Well in Canada. It's just that confirmation that you know you're definitely on the right track and you know having my I think I'm now five songs in on Sirius XM here in Canada. No longer am I just playing in. You know some local areas around here. You know anyone that can get Sirius XM is now hearing my stuff. So and it just it just leads to more listeners knowing who I am, which.
Speaker 1:When you talk about Sirius XM and of course, a lot of people get their music from satellite radio I mean, is it the same? Now, maybe this question's really dumb. Is it the same that's here in the states?
Speaker 2:it's the exact same. Sirius XM, it's okay. It's just channel 171, instead of what the highway is. The highway's like 56. Yeah, so it's an upper channel and it's predominantly it's only Canadian country music. Oh, okay, is it labeled?
Speaker 1:Canadian country.
Speaker 2:It's actually called Top of the Country. I love that, but it's not labeled Canadian.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's good to know. I didn't know that. Yeah, see, when I get in the truck tomorrow, head into work, I'm going to go to it and see what it sounds like. You never know, I might hear a Rob Fitzgerald song. Come on well I'm in.
Speaker 2:I'm in. You know I'm being played there right now, so you got.
Speaker 1:I love that, you know I got and what is that feeling like? I mean, you must be out in the truck doing whatever and you got serious xm on and uh, you're listening and your song comes on. What do you? Just kind of go, wow okay, it is cool.
Speaker 2:But what's even more cool is when somebody sends me a screenshot that they're driving around, yeah, and it's playing for them, and then you know, it's just because I don't always. A lot of times I may listen to my own playlist and and not, but a lot of people send me I go with your songs on right now. So that's, that's very god, that's so cool yeah, that's very cool.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that, though obviously I know what the highway is and all that, and I just did when you mentioned that I'm going. I don't know if I've heard Rob on the highway, but now it all makes sense that it's that upper channel.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cross your fingers. We're going to see if we can get to the highway with this new release.
Speaker 1:So when they do the, they do the highway find, which is pretty cool.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, so grassroots is going to be working their magic and seeing what they can do in this case.
Speaker 1:So you know we've talked about this before, but you got a good team with grassroots. Oh, they are phenomenal.
Speaker 2:I've been with them since day one and with every release I can't say enough. So now we've gone even further. We've gone the streaming side as well. So they partnered with another company here in canada, great um zyk marketing. So between the two of them, what they're doing for me and then on the radio side is just more, is just getting me more. So it's, I think right now this is the second weekend, for sounds like a memory, and we're 200 000 streams on spotify, damn so, and growing, yeah, and growing, but 300, I think. I took a look today 355 playlists, so some editorials, which is great, and but that's just. You know, regular people just throw me in their playlist as well, so it's well and rightfully so.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so anyways, it's, it's going well.
Speaker 1:I have not a good spot and with uh, all the summer gigs that are coming up.
Speaker 2:uh, it's, it's going well. I have no complaints. You're in a good spot and, with all the summer gigs that are coming up, it's going to be a fun season.
Speaker 1:So when was the last time you were at the Bluebird? You did play the Bluebird, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was.
Speaker 1:Was that nerve-wracking?
Speaker 2:Yes, it was, don't lie, it's very nerve-wracking and it's so quiet, right, it is quiet, right it is. And it was the monday night open mic, because I'm not local they, they really do their sundays to their locals, gotcha, um. So I was able to sign up and do it and it was right when the bluebird documentary movie came out, so the lineup to get in for the open mic night was down. It's a strip mall, so it's just, yeah, lined up all the way down and it was packed and I got a chance to do two songs. Uh, while I was there and I have people that are still following me from this day, just just from that, that performance.
Speaker 1:So just once, look at that. I see the cat behind you. I see the cat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's uh, that's like my son's cat. So, oh, he's spying on you trying to get downstairs probably. Oh, it looks like it. Oh, he's spying on you Trying to get downstairs Probably.
Speaker 1:Oh, it looks like. It Looks like he's trying to get the door. But not only the Bluebird, but you've been doing a lot of festivals across Canada. That's right. And is there one performance out of all those festivals that might stand out?
Speaker 2:I would have to say last year's at Summerfest was truly magical I have yet that's the first festival that was that big that I've played. You know the reception for it was incredible. My band didn't come with me, but I had an A-list of musicians that were out there that were just phenomenal. They tour with everyone here in Canada there, that cool, just just phenomenal. They tour with everyone here in canada. So to the stage, to the people, the crowd it was. It was an incredible set, incredible experience. My, uh, my wife's family lives there, so it made sense to try and go there and play. And, yeah, 100 not far from where the festival was and it's surrounded by mountains and beautiful, yeah, beautiful, beautiful, yeah, so I got a chance to meet Keith Urban. All right, keep dropping the names.
Speaker 1:I like this.
Speaker 2:Rub shoulders with people that I. That was the standout one, but we've got a couple of festivals this year that are going to be standout again as well.
Speaker 1:But they're all north of the border.
Speaker 2:They're all up there, yes.
Speaker 1:So is it hard for you to north of the border? They're all Canada, yeah, so what is there? Is it hard for you to come across the border to do shows, or if you wanted to bring the band or maybe hook up with some musicians over here, and I mean, is that? Is that a challenge for you?
Speaker 2:If you, if I, was a tribute band, it might be a little bit easier. But to just kind of step on the other side of the border and say we want to tour, um, it would be. It's pretty expensive to do just for me, you know and play smaller venues, I'd have to pretty much do it just as a solo show. So we're trying to work our way up to let's, let's, let's see if we can make enough noise that we can actually start joining support for, for larger, for bigger, odd.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that. And you mentioned that, uh, you're going to go out on a radio tour, hopefully, uh, grassroots, and I'm sure they will. Uh, they'll get you hooked up and all that. Do you know when that's going to happen?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's going to be the second tour. Some I've already been to, some I haven't.
Speaker 1:It's cool it's cool, I love it. Is new york on the list or no?
Speaker 2:um it, it's not on this one, but it okay. I think new york because of the proximity where we are, we can make it a separate one.
Speaker 1:Dude, I'm only a few hours from Toronto, that's right, Exactly.
Speaker 2:So just you know, you come right across at Niagara Falls.
Speaker 1:baby, you come right down to Thruway. Hey, come on, We'll do the podcast here in person. That'd be great.
Speaker 2:I know it'd be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:So that's why you know we need to keep in touch with this, because if you do come anywhere close, we definitely I'd get you hooked up, put you in front of some people and then we could hang out and have a few cold ones and do a podcast that's a great idea.
Speaker 2:I think we should do that I think.
Speaker 1:So, like I said, we're only gonna what? Three and a half hours from you? Yeah, I don't know. I it's been a while since I've gone that way, but yes, your cues I think is about that from yeah, yeah so know, with the tour plans in the works, and what can fans expect from your live shows?
Speaker 2:A whole lot of energy. So I've got a five-piece band, including a fiddle player. Everybody sings, so the harmonies are solid and music-wise they're as good as you can get anywhere and, uh, love playing with them. The the. I always said that if I'm gonna have whatever band that I want around me, I want to enjoy being around and I enjoy being around all of them and we have a great time and, uh, and you become a little more of a family once you've got an entire summer of of festival tours going on, yeah, yeah, this is what it is.
Speaker 1:You get to know. You get to know a little bit too much about each other yeah and uh, I'm really easy going.
Speaker 2:I'm not a tough boss when it comes to, you know, making sure everybody does this and that I just just as long as you're ready. That's, that's it, and and that's where I come from. It's like you know, being a firefighter and it being as stressful as it is that I get a chance to do music. So you know what's there, what's there to be uptight about no, that's like we were talking about minutes ago.
Speaker 1:You know, when you come home after a tough shift, music's your outlet, exactly. You know it's all and it. It helps mental health and all that. So, yeah, you know we all go through a lot. Is the performing? Is it different in canada as opposed to nashville, or is it pretty much the same regardless?
Speaker 2:uh, I find it the same anywhere and I've performed in national nashville. It's a little different because I find it the same anywhere. Um, and I've performed in national and nashville. It's a little different because I usually do the song writing rounds either at um, you know, either at live oak or um the commodore or or the bluebird cafe. So that kind of performance is a little bit different. It's the, the story and then the song, whereas if you come to see us in the band, you're actually getting a chance to actually experience you know, just experience music. Yeah, we've got a few choice covers that we love to add in there that just work well for this you know, old school country theme that we've got going on.
Speaker 1:So was it just the last CRS that I saw you there? Yeah, was it?
Speaker 2:two years ago it was two years ago I didn't get a chance to come down because I had just come back from recording Gotcha.
Speaker 1:What did you get out of that Say? That was your first time going and I remember seeing you sitting on the bench. I think your wife was with you. She was with me, yes, and we got talking a little bit. But what did you get out of CRS?
Speaker 2:as an artist, I got a chance to actually connect with the program directors, that I haven't done a tour to their station, that I wouldn't know. So being able to have that face time with them, for them to get the and I think there was three or four stations that came out for the grassroots night. Because of that, just that, that chatting and talking, getting to know me, they picked up my next single.
Speaker 1:There you go. So it paid off for you? I mean, no doubt it is.
Speaker 2:That's right. So having that connection makes makes a big difference and they they get a chance to see that you know I'm, I'm, I'm not just a hack, that I just kind of I'm in this for for good.
Speaker 1:You're the real deal. That's when it comes to the music, you're the real deal. You're not somebody, you're not so hey. So let's talk about your writing a little bit. Explain to me your style, your creative style, and where do you come up with your ideas?
Speaker 2:I would say that's absolutely everywhere. A lot of times it's driving, a lot of it can be noodling around. Sometimes chords come before the melody, sometimes a hook comes out of something else that I've heard. One song that we haven't released yet is living hard, and we were in Alabama and we were driving to one of the radio stations down there and it was I think it was a late June, early July, and it was a hundred degrees in the shade, yeah, and there was guys working on the road and and I said that's a hard living. So so I, I just play, play on words. Hard living is living hard on me. So, and that's, that's a hard living. So so I, I just play on words. Hard living is living hard on me. So and, uh, that's that single will actually come out, and I recorded that one in nashville as well awesome.
Speaker 1:So so you got that creative side that comes out, and it's all about life, it's all about what you see exactly, yeah, you know everything's been said a million times.
Speaker 2:How can you say it a little bit different?
Speaker 1:so that's all, but you got to be yourself. Saying it a little bit different you, you are yourself. You have to be unique. Don't be? You know, don't try to be somebody you're not. But you know, yeah, I hear so many different things from different artists, so yeah, so I've got.
Speaker 2:I've also got a very good mentor, a songwriter mentor. He lives at orange county, california, warren sellers. I met him at the durango songwriter uh okay and uh he's. I've been with him. I think it's been four years now and I'm still still learning from him and it's that whole craft of of songwriting. I've learned so much from him and uh, he's helped me quite a bit, so I enjoy our sessions together still to the to this day.
Speaker 1:So it sounds like a memory. If somebody wanted to go and get that, they can get that now, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can. So if any of your your streaming services, your Spotify, amazon Apple, I think it's all up there.
Speaker 1:So, oh my god, there's so many different platforms.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's the dsps man, that's right. So whatever you have it's, it's on it. So youtube, tiktok music, it's on. Well, I went to youtube.
Speaker 1:I didn't see it on. I was going to play it in the beginning here but I didn't, unless I just overlooked it. But my my bird feeder kept interrupting me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's there. So, yeah, it's like I said, it's it's getting really good response so how do you, how do you stay grounded?
Speaker 1:How do you recharge?
Speaker 2:My wife makes sure that happens.
Speaker 1:Thank God, yeah, yeah, I hear you there.
Speaker 2:I think the biggest thing is I don't take this too seriously and, and you know, sometimes getting blinders on and just working hard at it and going out and doing it it's. I think that's the grounding part in itself. I find this, this business of music, is very humbling and it can be fleeting at times. So, so sometimes you get a lot of no's, sometimes it just goes smooth sailing, you get a ton of yes's, so it's just a matter of just keeping your nose to the grindstone and plug away at it.
Speaker 1:Now, here's a good thing You've got a great job and we thank you for what you do. You've got a great job. So I think that kind of takes a lot of the pressure off the other.
Speaker 2:You said it exactly. You know what I?
Speaker 1:mean it's like God, this is all I do. I got to have a hit or I'm going to. I can't pay my bills. That's right. This is the. I think you're doing it right. You know you've been a firefighter for how many years? Almost 20. And now you're going, you know. You know you're getting close. I don't know how it is there if you're 20 and out, but but I know here in the States it's like 20 and out, whether it's police fire. You know you can retire at a young age and you can go on and do something you absolutely love and collect your retirement.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, there is no 25, and now you can go, almost as you can go, to 65.
Speaker 2:So they go by an age you, you can go, as, like I said, you can go as long as you want. There used to be, but they, they lifted. That. You're absolutely right. I I don't have the pressure. So if you know, you know, or I don't have to wake up and say I have to song write today. You know, I have terrible adhd, so I see a million different squirrels all day long. So I get to it when I get to it and but the part of it being an indie artist is that I have to wear all the hats. So there's a different set of goals that I work on every single day, depending on what I need to do, to, to, to, to keep things moving along.
Speaker 1:What? What advice would you give to somebody that's trying to do what you're doing? Just make sure you have a backup plan. What else?
Speaker 2:A backup plan is good, but just make sure you have a plan period to just try to wing. And it doesn't work because you know there's so much social media these days that you have to master that part of it. Now there's a lot of artists these days. You know they're going viral that way and then they're getting picked up instead of the work happening first and then. Okay, how do I make social media fit in there along the way? Um, how do I make sure the recordings are there? How do I make sure that my songs are the, the, the, as competitive as they can be in this market? So that's why I joined the National Songwriters Association, this mentor in.
Speaker 2:California. So you know who do I talk to. Do you know to to to go play the better venues around town. Start off with the smaller ones. So with you're just going to have to be ready to put in all of the work that it's going to take to be able to do the live aspect of it. How many musicians that believe in the project. That doesn't happen right away because they don't know who you are, and then you just start gaining steam, picking up more people, having more people in your corner. People believe in the project. People believe in the project. I have Canadian radio promoters, us radio promoters, and just get yourself out there as much as you possibly can.
Speaker 1:It's good stuff. Are you doing all your own social?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's a lot of work, dude.
Speaker 2:It is. That's a lot of work and I have help from some people that they do it for a living. So you get little tips and pointers on because the algorithm changes or or or all. There's all kinds of things that change, that change how you may plan to how to post, when to post, what to post so what's one song that sounds like a memory to you, a song that sounds like a memory, I'm gonna.
Speaker 1:A song that sounds like a memory. I'm going to throw a couple questions at you just for the fun of it.
Speaker 2:I would say any one of the Chris Stapleton love songs.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, millionaire, millionaire, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's another one. He's my biggest influence, so that's any time I hear is is just it. You know, just sticks in my head and you always say boy, I could wish, I wish I could write like that.
Speaker 1:He's just phenomenal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, phenomenal, absolutely.
Speaker 1:What's your? Are you up late writing sometimes?
Speaker 2:I'm up late usually and I don't know if I write late. I write best in the afternoon, so that's my coffee time, um. But you know maybe t-shirt uh that my latest is coming up with new merchandise, so I'll stay up late doing t-shirts. That doesn't dive into my daytime stuff what is your favorite songwriting snack? Bowl of ice cream. I don't know, I I I like to songwrite with whiskey so I don't snack with when I do songwriting.
Speaker 1:I, I love whiskey, so yeah, yeah, no, no, I get that and what?
Speaker 2:what's your?
Speaker 1:flavor. What do you drink?
Speaker 2:There's lots. Chattahoochee 111 is one of my favorites.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 2:Smooth, and there's some Tennessee whiskey I absolutely love. There's some whiskeys here as well, so I've got a decent collection.
Speaker 1:All right, I'm going to throw one at you. What first country album you ever owned? Um, I think it was alan jackson. Oh, did you see him on our the award show the other night, or no? Yes, oh, my god, I teared up when he sang.
Speaker 2:Remember when it was just oh I, I love him as a performer. I just I wish he could still perform. You know as well. But it's like you know, between alan jackson, brooks and dunn are another huge one oh my gosh alabama, I think, uh, around the same time I I love alabama as well, so that's kind of what I tailor. Uh, some of the harmony is alabama, without it being too, you know know, group harmony focused, but there's a lot of that that happens in the live.
Speaker 1:How is Lainey's following up where you are, lainey Wilson? Yeah, it's huge. It's huge everywhere. Yeah.
Speaker 2:She's it. She's got the formula and it doesn't matter male or female side. She's it.
Speaker 1:What would happen if she called you right now and said hey, rob, I want you to go out on tour with me. What I mean? What would be the reaction in your house right now?
Speaker 2:I say, are you sure you got the right guy? But after that I would say, yes, you know, figure it all out along the line you know, and she's so humble and we had, we had.
Speaker 1:Actually the reason I said that was we had a Zoom call with her today and we got talking about her next single, which is just going to. It's a monster, I can tell you right now, at least here in the States. I was just kind of curious how, being in Canada, how it all, because there is that difference Canadian, us, but still, I guess I know she knows the dumb question but she's such an inspiration to women as well yeah um, you know, randa lambert, she was another, a big one.
Speaker 2:She's another favorite of mine as well. So the house that built me, it's, you know, it's oh my god, incredible song. It's one of my favorite songs. She's all she's done such a good job for there's going to be so many young girls now see that say that's what I want to do. And she's persevered and she just keeps getting better and better.
Speaker 1:You know one thing I don't know I love your music and I love what you do. And then there's also Zach top here, who's got the older sound we just started in on. His next single, called Use Me, I Never Lie, went to number one, yeah, but it's that old sound that it's all coming back. That's right, and it's huge.
Speaker 2:And I was very happy about that, because I didn't stay with that whole. I was going to ask Modern track. I stayed with the more I would say traditional, contemporary, more what it's like. But yeah, the traditional side works for me. I'm not quite as traditional as Zach Taub, but he's fantastic at it. He's got the, you know. So his background is huge when it comes to that, you know so his background is huge when it comes to that.
Speaker 1:So what's uh one thing about the music industry that most people don't realize until they're in it? Uh, how long it can take everybody wants it now and it doesn't happen like that.
Speaker 2:You know nashville. They always say it's a 10-year town. I actually think it's 10 years anywhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I would agree with you. And it's so true, it is a 10-year town. I mean, no way fans are butts about it. You got to pay your dues. You'll wait on tables.
Speaker 2:You know you could be sweeping the sidewalks, but you got to do what you got to do there are some people that have gone viral on TikTok and things like that and they've kind of skipped that. And it's tough when you're trying to slug it out and work on the craft and doing all the steps that you need to do that. You know that it's going to take time. When you see that happen, it's just like well, it is what it is. So is it going to stop me from doing what I'm doing? No, because there's a million other reasons to why I do it anyway. So and but, but for me it's like I said, it's every. It's just one single at a time, one song at a time, one recording at a time, and, and now my phone's ringing.
Speaker 1:So hey, you're busy, that's income, that's helping. How does that work, though? Because you must. With the fire department, you have the rotating shifts, right. That's right, yes, so I mean there's going to be weekends where you need to work.
Speaker 2:There are, and I'm quite selective when it comes because I do my own booking. It's great. So somebody, somebody says what's your availability, I'll show you availability and it'd be on the days that I'm not working. That doesn't always work out with festivals because certain festivals fall on certain weekends, correct? So I just move some of my vacation time around, yeah, and if I really need to, there we do what's called subbing, so you just work for each other on.
Speaker 1:yeah, my brother was a city firefighter here and he did that a lot. If they had something going they would sub, They'd move around a little bit. Yeah, it's cool stuff, Rob Fitzgerald man, I tell you it's great to see you.
Speaker 2:You too, Skip. I always love talking to you. This is like a great conversation.
Speaker 1:You know, that's what it's about to find out about you. And you got the new music out and people need to go and get that. You need just check this guy out. It's Rob Fitzgerald, you can Google him. Um, well, I did that and some other Rob came up and it definitely wasn't you, because that Rob was like 90 years old. But, um, I said, oh, that's not Rob. But uh, Rob Fitzgerald, just put music after it and he'll come up and check out the brand new song. It's huge. You know what? I'm going to find a link and I'm going to attach it to this video so, whoever they'll hear, the music Sounds like a memory.
Speaker 2:Sure, I think it may actually be on Play MPE.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure I can go right over there, on the other side of my room and I can pull it off. That's what I'll do. It is there.
Speaker 2:Now and I can pull it off. That's what I'll do. It is there now to mention it. So, yeah, that's cool. But yeah, I'm glad you're doing this and I know you talk to some big artists too, so the fact that you're having this conversation with me I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:You know, and I'm not just saying this everybody's the same, everybody. I treat them all on the same level. You're as big as the next one, you know. It's just, it's the way it is. By the way, you know, jacob Smalley.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:He says hello. He says hey, skip. Hey, Rob, he just chimed in.
Speaker 2:Nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, good guy, I got to get him back on here too. So Love the song, rob. He said I don't know if you can see it.
Speaker 2:I'm reading it right now.
Speaker 1:It's perfect, Yep yep, yep, all right. So, rob, it's been great catching up with you and, of course, you know, anytime you want to come back on, you just reach out. You got my. You got what you need to get a hold of me. So you know we make it happen and just keep doing what you're doing. Stay safe. I know what that's like Been there, done that but being a captain, you're up front, so you're riding in the cab.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, the grunt work that I do. I don't need to do as much of the grunt work these days, but it's a busy truck so it's still demanding. It still requires you to be in shape.
Speaker 1:Is that a truck company or is it an engine? I forgot. So here we call them pumps, which would be an engine in the us.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay uh, are, we also have a ladder. So it's uh, but we also have what's called aerials. The aerials have pumps, the ladders don't have do they have platforms like an aerial platform? Platforms and we have one. Uh, it's the tower. The. The tower one is what is it? 230 feet Holy cow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's new, it's only about a couple of years old. Crap and uh, we, we just got it, so it's it. It it's a. It's a downtown truck as well, for all the high rises, so it's so. I love being on an, so there you go.
Speaker 1:You're right there. Yeah, that's right. So you're the guy shutting out orders, the driver, he's pumping it.
Speaker 2:That's right, exactly, exactly, exactly. Usually, I don't have to give too many orders because the crew's that good, so everybody's good.
Speaker 1:Everybody's got a job to do. I know I've been there and that's what a lot of people don't realize is that you know, just open the roof or take care of another duty. They know what's going on.
Speaker 2:Exactly yeah, thanks again for having me Skip. I appreciate it and I will see you at CRS next February. I hope so.
Speaker 1:And keep in mind if you happen to come a little bit South of the border. We're just three and a half hours, so you just yeah. I think I'll talk to and tell them. I told you.
Speaker 2:I love them.
Speaker 1:I absolutely love them. Rob Fitzgerald. Again thank you for being on Skip Happens tonight.
Speaker 2:Thanks a lot, Skip. Thanks again for having me. Thank you.
