Skip Happens Podcast - Every Boot Has a Story!

Two Careers, One Voice: Angela Vittori on Music, Medicine, AI & Betting on Yourself | Skip Happens

• Skip Clark

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Speaker:

Hello everybody and welcome to Skip Happens. It's gonna be one of those voices that stops you mid-scroll. She's an Italian-American singer-songwriter. She's in Raleigh, North Carolina, with with some uh upstate New York groups blending soul blues and that raw honest storytelling that we all love. I love this. You've heard her solo work, possibly. You might have caught her tearing it up as lead singer of a group called Hatchback. And now she's stepping into a new chapter, but she's still making music, still pushing creativity, just doing it on her own terms, which is pretty cool. Uh, from tequila to God as a woman and even experimenting with AI-driven visuals. I like that. And she's proof that artists don't have to follow one lane to make something real. I'm Skip Clark. This is Skip Happens, and there she is, Angela Vittori. How are you?

Speaker 1:

Hey, I'm good, Skip. How are you?

Speaker:

Very well. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Speaker 1:

So nice to meet you, too.

Speaker:

You know, um John reached out and said, I needed to get you on the podcast, and apparently he reached out to you as well. And uh just I'm so glad that you agreed to do it. Uh, I love talking to musicians and uh finding out what they're all about. But uh wait, wait a minute, you're in Raleigh, you said, right?

Speaker 1:

Hard to believe. It doesn't look like Raleigh right now, but doesn't feel like Raleigh.

Speaker:

What for example, uh, how warm was it today?

Speaker 1:

Oh, it was in actually it got up to the 40s.

Speaker:

So we'll take that.

Speaker 1:

It starts out in the 20s every morning and it ends in the 20s every night lately. Oh gosh.

Speaker:

Oh my gosh. So is the snow? I mean, you what you probably got eight inches of snow. You got quite a bit there from that storm.

Speaker 1:

I mean, it's the most that people have ever seen, like in this area. It's just crazy. And me, growing up in upstate New York, I mean, this is just, you know, this is child's play, you know, for me. But to them, I mean, everything shuts down. They just don't know how to drive in it. They don't know how to, they don't know how to do it down here. So it's, you know, I don't get I don't want that type of weather down here, but I certainly know how to hold my own.

Speaker:

So exactly, and that's good. You could you could probably start a service saying, hey, I'll take you to work. I totally can handle this.

Speaker 1:

I totally could. I could teach lessons on how to drive in the snow.

Speaker:

I love it. I love it. And how long ago did you move to Raleigh?

Speaker 1:

Uh about four and a half years ago, almost five years ago now.

Speaker:

Was it because of a job, because of your singing, or yeah.

Speaker 1:

So I had um, I was actually living in Oregon before I lived here. And um, I moved here just to be closer to my sister and my nieces. Um, I was just kind of feeling like I needed a change. And I'm like, you know what? I think I'm gonna move to Raleigh um and just kind of take a chance and just see if I like it. Um, this area has a very big medical influence. And so I medical field. So it would just seem like the right fit for me. Um and yeah, I just kind of took the plunge from Oregon and just tried it out, and I'm still here.

Speaker:

So did you go to school to become a techno uh surgical technologist?

Speaker 1:

I did, yes. So yeah, I love I love being a surgical tech. Right now I work in labor and delivery. So I assist, you know, with all the you know, cesarean C-sections and all that, and um assist with vaginal deliveries and you know, everything to bring a baby into the world. Um, but before that I was in the main OR and I was just, you know, um working up in Baltimore, um, working here in North Carolina, just you know, helping out in surgery, and it's it's really cool. It's a lot.

Speaker:

But it's yeah, how much schooling goes into that?

Speaker 1:

It just depends. Um, you can do like a one-year, two-year program. Um just it just kind of depends on you know which avenue you want to take to do it. But um really like as soon as you're done with school, you can just jump right in and you know get as much experience as you know, in whatever specialty you want to do. So I really like labor and delivery. Um that's just kind of my you know, my favorite fit right now. But you can just you can do so much with it. You can do plastics, you can do ortho, you can do so much.

Speaker:

Oh my gosh. It's got it's gotta be so interesting. I know I'm here to talk about your music, but uh just I always like to chat a little bit about what you do. You know, I mean, you're human, you've got other things going, you gotta pay the bills, uh, you gotta do what you gotta do. But it sounds like you thoroughly enjoy that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, it's weird because like it's so what everybody like is baffled about is it's so different. So like I'll go from like being scrubbed in, like sterile in surgery all day long, and then I will change and you know, drive to a venue and hop on stage and do in the morning. But like people are like, How do you what is how who are you? You know, it's like these these like two different lifestyles that I somehow like balance.

Speaker:

You make them work, yeah. You balance them very well, obviously. It's it's it's in your blood, it's the passion, it's the dedication for what you do. You love, you love music.

Speaker 1:

Just go, it feels like I'm like going into like a phone booth and I'm just like, you know, changing, coming out, and I'm a totally different person. I've got a whole different look, and you know, it's just just funny. But I really I think it's like I think it's cool. I don't I obviously don't want to, you know, wear scrubs forever, and I obviously would love to just do music full time, but I this is a real job and it's rewarding and um extreme, and I just feel like it just fits my personality.

Speaker:

So benefits, yeah, yeah. Exactly, exactly. So uh it's uh when it comes to the music though, uh Angela, when did you first realize your voice wasn't just good but different? And the the kind people uh you know stopped talking for? Or when did you realize that? Because you are, I mean, I had a when I was told to get a hold of you, then I did a little research. I was blown away.

Speaker 1:

Well, thank you. That means a lot to me. Um, I don't know. Like I I just I've been singing my whole life, like since I was a little girl. And um I just, you know, like anytime there was a solo and like a school play, like I was all, you know, I was all about it. And I, you know, obviously, like, you know, I don't know. I never really thought about it as a kid. I just knew I liked doing it. And I don't know where like the aha moment was, except for when I got a little bit older. And, you know, I've told this story before that I was doing um what was called in upstate New York where I went to school, it's called a NISTMA solo. And um, you know, you pick out this song that you want to do out of this list and you sing it in front of three judges. And, you know, you work on this song, you know, for months at a time in your, you know, your chorus class. And um, you work on your NISMA solo, you get all the notes, you get all the, you know, all the words memorized and everything, then you sing it one night. You have to show up at night and sing it in front of three judges. And um, I sang my song and I got a perfect score. Ooh. For thinking, like, oh, oh my god. Like, I love doing this and I'm good at it too. Like, I think maybe that was my moment where I was like, ooh, okay, I should keep doing this, and it makes me feel good. And I like, you know, I have such a passion for like just singing. And I remember just like being so obsessed with female singers, just like loving, you know, just like female singers, just whoever was an icon, you know, in that year, in that era, like I was just studying them and analyzing them and just obsessed with their voice. And so I think I just knew I knew at a very young age that, you know, I am I have a problem.

Speaker:

But it's a good one.

Speaker 1:

I like that.

Speaker:

I still love it.

Speaker 1:

Uh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker:

Absolutely. Um, so would you say that you carved the path yourself, or did it have anything to do with you being Italian American, always music in the house, or you know, you pretty much did did this on your own?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I would say I did it on my own. Um, you know, my my older sister, she, you know, she sings too. We both, we both say like grew up singing. Um my parents didn't sing at all. Like, I don't know. I don't even I don't know really where it came from, but I just I feel like I wanted it. I wanted it bad. And so um, you know, there's a difference between like, you know, just kind of singing in the shower and singing in the car. I wanted it at a whole different level. Like I was very persistent about like, you know, I crave this. Like I I can't go to sleep with music because it just it's distracting. You know, it's hard to listen to somebody talk when there's background because I'm like this is a different level. And I think I definitely pursued it um on my own. You know, I didn't, I didn't have any, you know, any handouts growing up or anything. You know, there was nobody famous, no money inherited, no type of, you know, so yeah.

Speaker:

I totally get that. Um, have you ever thought about uh or have you like The Voice or American Idol or any of those shows that could kind of give you that jump?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, you you get asked that a lot when when you're a singer and a performer, you get asked like you should go on the voice. Have you ever thought about it? And yeah, everybody thinks about it. Everybody like looks at that and says, hmm, that's not a bad idea. You know? Um the best way to describe that is very similar to what I do in my day job, working at a hospital. So the hospital is there to help people, and it does. Sick people come, we help the sick people. Pregnant women come, we help the pregnant women. However, the hospital still needs to make money. So those shows are very much like that, where it's like, yes, they do give opportunities to people. Yes, they do change people's lives. However, they need to make good ratings and they need to make money and they need to be, you know, seen at year after year. People need to keep wanting to see this show. So I feel like they have their own agenda and there's people that they pick for reasons to benefit them, not because they are insanely talented or because they really do have this like voice of an angel. Sometimes those things are determined by what's gonna, you know, give them the better profit. So I just I think I think it I think it's good, I think it's great, and I think it is life-changing. And I sure I love I would, you know, sign me up, I'll go right now. But like I also see that, like, eh, you know, there's there's a catch there. And so it's like sometimes it's not as authentic as as it looks.

Speaker:

Now, I've um I've heard stories on both sides because like you know, I I talked to so many different people, and I've talked to American Idol winners, I've talked to those that haven't made it on idle, but they've made it with a label. Uh, it's I mean, it there's a lot of good, there's a lot of bad.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker:

And you know, there's a lot of money to be had, and that's basically I hate to say it, but sometimes that's what it comes down to.

Speaker 1:

Oh, of course. I mean, it's definitely like the focal point. That's that's the that's what what is hard about it, you know.

Speaker:

So now do you write?

Speaker 1:

I do, yeah.

Speaker:

So when you write, uh, do you start with uh lyrics, melody, or maybe just the feeling that you can't shake?

Speaker 1:

It's like half and half. Sometimes it's sometimes it starts with lyrics, and then I, you know, think about it forever. I'm like, you know, how do I even make this into something? And then vice versa. Sometimes, you know, it starts with the melody, and I'm like, oh, I really have this cool melody line. Now I need to figure out some words. It just kind of depends. Um but you know, some songs, like for example, tequila. Um tequila like took less than an hour. Like that was I wrote that song in the car, like driving to Baltimore for my job. So I mean, that was just like easy breezy, like such an easy right. And then there's other songs where it's like I'm still, you know, I'm still trying to figure out well, yeah.

Speaker:

You know, some of the biggest hits have come from uh songs that were written in very little time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know what I mean?

Speaker:

They'll say, Oh, I wrote that in 20 minutes, and it's like, holy crap, you do what? Yeah, yeah, I wrote that in 20 minutes. I said, Yeah, be shitting me. There's no way, but yeah.

Speaker 1:

I know it's crazy. It's you know, that's the beauty of it. And I think that that's what makes it fun, is that some songs are just so effortless, and then other songs are just like, oh my god, what like why can't I figure out this bridge?

Speaker:

You know, just yeah, so you know, uh Angela, I have to ask, uh problem I ain't ready for. Is that a confession?

Speaker 1:

So that song was actually written about my grandmother when she Yeah, I bet you didn't see that one coming, huh?

Speaker:

No, I did not.

Speaker 1:

I will okay, I'll tell you the story. So um my grandmother, who is, you know, is and was just the greatest woman on the planet, and um she died when she was 96 years old. So she's a very, very full long life. And um I remember, you know, your grandmother's always been in your life, you know, and you think you tell yourself she's always gonna be around forever, you know, you just convince yourself that that's you know the reality of it, even though you know that she's 96, it's gonna happen anytime, you know. And um at the time, you know, I got this phone call and it was like, hey, you know, Graham's not doing good and it's gonna be soon. And um I remember standing in my kitchen and I at the time I was like, you know, my job was kind of just like ugly annoying, and you know, I felt like I was just like tired and broke and just you know, fat and like nothing was working out, you know, I was just like stressed and just oh no, yeah, just feeling like, you know, everything's falling apart. And then I get this phone call that my grandmother, you know, who I is, you know, uh going to be passing very, very soon. And I stood at my kitchen and I was like, okay, you know what? I can I can handle everything else that I'm dealing with, but this is a problem I'm not ready for. And I was like, hmm, when I'm done dealing with this, I should write a song about that.

Speaker:

Exactly. I can I can say, I can see that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's because you know, I was like, you know, I can always make money. If I feel I'm feeling broke right now, I'm feeling like I just can't get ahead financially. I can, you know, I can figure that out. Um, you know, if I'm feeling like I gained a few pounds, I can just throw a dress on. No one's gonna see. But if I have, you know, so many solutions to all these other problems I have. Um, but this there's no solution to this. Like she's she's going to die. And I nothing I can do about that. And I'm not ready for that. And and then I realized, you know, after afterwards, I was like, you know, this could be relational too. This could be about a relationship, but you know, no, this is actually just about my grandmother passing away, and I just wasn't ready for it. And you're never ready for it, even though, like you said, you know, she's 96.

Speaker:

I mean, obviously it's kind of long life, long life. My mother-in-law is 98.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh wow.

Speaker:

See, still living alone, yeah. But it there's a lot of um, you know, yeah, it's almost like taking care of a child again. Yeah, you have to go over, you gotta make sure she takes her meds in the morning, make sure she takes her meds at night, make sure she gets her lunch, make sure there's always something. You gotta call her every day. But it like you say, you just never know. In 98, yeah, her goal is to live to be 100. But uh, you know what? It's like your grandma at at 96, that's a long life. Yeah, you know, and then sometimes I wonder what is the quality of life when you get to be that old? You know what I mean? You can't do things for yourself. If you fall, you gotta call somebody to come and help you get up. You get I mean, I fall, I need help getting up for crying out loud. I can't imagine what it's gonna be like if I live that long, but uh yeah, yeah. So yeah, exactly. Uh, do you write songs for yourself first, or do you ever think about how listeners might hear them?

Speaker 1:

I I think I write it for myself first because at the end of the day, I really just um it's really just about like what I'm going through. You know what I mean? And I think then later on I'm like, oh, maybe this, maybe somebody could relate to this. And that's all I want to be is I don't necessarily care what people think about me.

Speaker:

Let's not you know, I like that about you already because that that means a lot. It just means you're that's good. Let me put it that way.

Speaker 1:

I I truly like I just am who I am, and I just don't care if you don't like you don't like it, too freaking bad. Yeah, then don't follow me, then don't like you know, then that's fine. If I'm not if I'm not what you're looking for, or my music ain't for you, that's cool, you know. But I want people to know that anything I write or anything that I do and say when it comes to not even just music, just in general. Like I am authentic and real, and I'm not gonna try to be somebody I'm not.

Speaker:

So that's um that's the key to success right there. What you just said. Don't be somebody you're not, be yourself, be unique, be Angela Vittori.

Speaker 1:

People can see right through that, you know, peep and people want authenticity, like in a world. I've said this in an in an interview before where it's like social media is so fake. And now you have all now you have AI where it like just you don't you can't even tell in videos if it's real or anymore. And it's just like as cool as it is, like, yeah, that's cool that you know, a like broke into someone's house, like it's pretty neat to watch, but like people want realness, they want you know, just authenticity. And I just think people are craving it in this type of fake world that we're living in, and it's only gonna get worse. So I just I don't want to ever like even like just on this podcast, like I don't want to like act like somebody I don't wanna act like I just want people to see me for who I am, and that's the whole idea.

Speaker:

That's you know, that's the other reason I do this, and I've been doing it for quite a few years. It's just I want my viewers and I want my listeners and people that know me and people that know that I do this, and the people that I talk to are real people, yes. You know, when I talk to some of the bigger stars, I mean they're shopping the same grocery stores, they're uh doing everything that you and I do, you know, they're driving their you know, little um Subaru to the store, and it's just they're no different, they're no different, you know? Absolutely. Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

Speaker 1:

Oh, I think I was in high school. Oh yeah, actually. I wrote a song that's so funny. It just came back to me. I wrote a song when um my uncle died of cancer, and they played it at his funeral, actually.

Speaker:

Oh my god.

Speaker 1:

I don't like back then, you know. I think we like burned it to a CD or something. I don't know. I don't know how we did that, but and it was like you know, I don't I can't even think of how I recorded it, to be honest with you. But yeah, I wrote a song. I should try to find that actually. I wrote a song when my uncle died, and probably the first song I ever wrote. First, like song, you know.

Speaker:

Serious song, but uh usually when I ask um an artist or a songwriter, do you remember the first song that you either performed or you wrote? It's always like, Yeah, but I I don't I don't want to remember it. It sucked, it was terrible. It was like, I can't believe I did that. You know, that's I always ask that, and that's usually the answer I get. But in your situation, I get it. I get it. That's a beautiful thing. What's that?

Speaker 1:

It probably wasn't very good.

Speaker:

Doesn't matter, it was for a reason.

Speaker 1:

True, true.

Speaker:

You know what I mean? So yeah, that's pretty cool. What do you think about AI and all that? Being an artist, and it's pretty scary. I'm I'm you know, I have to I have to say, doing what I do with a radio station each and every afternoon, I do afternoon drive here in the Kews. Um and it's on a country station, but still I use AI to if I can't think of some of the right words uh to say, or if I'm looking for a certain line, I use it for that a little bit of research. And then I went on AI just for the hell of it to see what it would do music-wise. And I remember going to this one site and uh and I just put a few words in and it gave me a song. Uh-and it played me the song. And I went, holy crap, where is this coming from? Because, you know, I'm gonna be honest with you, it was really good. So that that got me thinking, going, This is scary for the people that I interviewed, for the people that make a living off of singing and and writing and producing, and now you can just get any Joe go down in front of his. Computer, put a couple of sentences in and say, write me a song about this, and then I want to hear it. Do you want male or female? Do you want country? Do you want pop? You know, it's just amazing. It was amazing, and it was really scary.

Speaker 1:

Well, that's that's how I would describe it is scary. Like it's it's just it's disappointing, actually. It really like makes me angry. Yeah, it does actually.

Speaker:

I know I can see it in your eyes.

Speaker 1:

It really does. Like it fires me up.

Speaker:

Me too.

Speaker 1:

It's like, all right, so why am I doing this? When like the computer can do it and do it better and faster than me. Like, you know, like why am I why am I doing it? It really it discourages. I hate to say that, but again, I'm real. I'm gonna be honest. Like, it discourages me because it's like, okay, why am I spending all this money to pay so and so and go and fly out to Nashville and get all this shit done when I can just type it in and have it done in seconds? Like, I I don't know, it's just but it's bothersome.

Speaker:

It's still not you though. True, and it's not that human touch. It's not, you know, if we go to see Hatchback play, I don't know if you're still singing with him or not, but uh you go that's that's different. That's now that's that human side and the interaction and all that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I know what I mean.

Speaker:

Yeah, so it's just it scares me.

Speaker 1:

It does, it scares me too. I think it's a great tool for, you know, like you said, you know, if I need to research something or I need to like word this better, um, and you know, make this sound more professional.

Speaker:

Well, you know, I I if it could do my radio show and make it sound good, I'd do it. So never mind. Oh my god, it's so crazy. Do they ask you to sing at work?

Speaker 1:

Oh, all the time. All the time. But you know what's funny is I do I just kind of do it naturally at work. I'm one of those people, this is super annoying, but I I am um I cannot like somebody will say something, and whatever they say triggers a song, so they'll just be talking and I'll just belt out a song. And it's so annoying, and people have just come to understand that this is just what I do.

Speaker:

Angela's here. I can hear her coming down the hall.

Speaker 1:

Like they'll be talking and they'll be like, Oh, yeah, it's been a while.

Speaker:

And I'm like, it's been a while, you know, just like you know, that's awesome, and that's your personality too, and that means a lot. That's half the battle. I mean, number one, being able to sing, which you can and and do all that, but also that personality that goes with it makes you who you are.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I that's cool. Have fun. I'm definitely like I'm definitely the comedian at work, and so I like to keep things, you know. We as much as I love my job, my job is very, very stressful. And I bet it is deal with a lot of life and death more than ever want to, you know, and um, and it's hard. And there's days when you know you drive home with the radio off and you just are like, Oh my god, why do why do I do this?

Speaker:

Why do I do this?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so like, why then why do I put myself in in this type of industry? This is so much, and you know, you don't want to go home with it, but you do.

Speaker:

And so I always like I always try to just find the fun and try to find like the humor and everything, and just like sometimes, like, especially in the operating room, um, people tend to take things a little too seriously, and so it's nice to just kind of like keep everybody grounded and like, hey, let's you know, let's just do you ever sing like in the delivery room or the uh operating room or something just to relax somebody or well, not like um I mean, I don't expect you to belt out a Carrie Underwood song before he cheats or something when somebody's giving birth, but yeah, I shouldn't put it that way, but still, um, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1:

Well, like I will do it in like a silly way, like not like my actual voice. I'll just kind of like be funny with it. Um I will say there was this one like this one time, it happened like two weeks ago, actually, but um I was in the OR and I was re you know, we had used it and then they come and they do a terminal clean and everything. Yep. And so we're back there um putting it all like resetting it for our next surgery. And I'm back there by myself, and there's just this nice like white noise back there. The acoustics are really good, and I'm by myself, putting everything where it needs to go, getting set up for the next one. I think I'm by myself, I'm just in my own little world, and I start singing. Um, I I don't even know what song it was right now, but it just whatever was in my head, and I just kind of started singing while I was putting stuff away.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Sudden the door opens and it was one of the baby nurses, and she goes, Oh my god, you sound beautiful. And I was like, Oh my god. You scared this kid out of me, and I can't.

Speaker:

But that's why, you know, all that what you're telling me right there just it makes work fun, even though it's very difficult at times. And I don't know if I could ever do what you do. Um, you know, I was a firefighter for years. I was a medic. Uh, I no longer do that. I don't want to do it any longer. Um just there's a lot of memories and a lot of but going in there every day. And now this is this has to be your way. When you get out of work, you go and do the quick change in a phone booth and you go to a venue somewhere. Um that kind of you can forget about everything that happened during the day, more or less, you know, because now Angela Vittori and Hatchback is coming out to play and they're gonna rock the house.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Exactly.

Speaker:

You know what I mean? Is there a um is there a side of Angela that only comes out with the full band?

Speaker 1:

Oh man, I don't know. Once I get that tequila in me, I mean oh it's gonna happen. Um, and you know, that's that's actually funny you should bring that up because that's actually one of my um, it was kind of the theme of of tequila when I wrote that song. Is we would, you know, at the time when I was with Hatchback, we would um we would we would rehearse, you know, a bunch of new songs and we would talk about like, okay, so I think we were rehearsing for um one of our New Year's Eve shows, and we were trying to figure out, okay, so the ball drops at midnight, and you're probably gonna talk like five minutes, you're gonna leave it. What are you gonna say? Like, you know, what you know, before the countdown, you know, what are you gonna talk about? And I remember just saying, like, oh, I'll I'll let the tequila tell me what to do. You know, I'll let the tequila say. And so they did it. Yeah. So that's kind of that was the the root of where that song even came from was me kind of saying, like, ah, I'll let the tequila tell me what to do. And so, um, but yeah, they I think it's funny because once I get like my boots on and I get my little my little fit on and I, you know, have my margarita, I I you're good to go. I think you're right. I think there is a side, it's weird because like you get on stage and like I said, you know, you get your outfit on and you just kind of like start to get that rumble in your belly, and you're just like, okay, here we go, showtime. And then like this persona just comes over. Like, I'm doing things on stage that like I I don't even realize I'm doing unl until I see it on video the next day, and I'm like, damn, what was you know?

Speaker:

What was that all about?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, I know it's just yeah, I think you're I think when you say that, I think, yeah, I think there is a side of me that like it's just this adrenaline performer just takes over. And I love it.

Speaker:

So uh you're no longer with hatchback?

Speaker 1:

I'm not. No. I actually um I left uh I kind of gave my notice um at the end of last year, 2022, I guess. That um, you know, after after the end of the year I'm gonna be done and um working on it.

Speaker 2:

Is it too much?

Speaker 1:

No, no, no, no. It wasn't too much. It was, you know, it was it was actually great, it was amazing. Um I'm just at a point where if I'm going to invest so much of myself, I need to build my name and my brand, you know.

Speaker:

100%.

Speaker 1:

Um I think it just got to a point where like I was enjoying it so much, but I felt like I wasn't really doing like I felt like I was like, okay, well, I'm in this cover band, but I'm also like trying to be an independent artist. So like you're here watching hashback, but you should like download some of my songs too, you know. It's like, you know, I I need to just instead of doing this, I need to like do this and just go in that direction and really make it, you know, build my brand. And that's the only way I'm going to, you know, advance as an artist is if I just focus on that instead of like trying to do this and this. So I had to just make a decision that this is what so now I think.

Speaker:

Did somebody help you make that decision, or is that all you? Because I understand what you're saying. You did it, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I will because it it just had to be done.

Speaker:

You know, it just no, I get it totally.

Speaker 1:

I have to really focus, you know. I can't focus like half my energy here and half of it there.

Speaker:

I really have to it's time to get Angela out there. Not hatch. I mean, I'll do respect to hatchback, but you being the the female voice and the lead singer and also doing your stuff now. We get you need to concentrate on yourself because you're ready to make that move. You're right. It's good marketing, good branding.

Speaker 1:

I am, and you know, the thing, the thing about it is, and I can't say this enough, like I want to do music more and more seriously. Like, I don't want to just do it as a hobby, you know, I don't want to just do it for fun. Like, I want to really do it and I want to do it to the best of my ability. And I in order for me to do that and to like do it that seriously, I need to like build it within myself and build, you know, my name, again, my brand. And I also need to like have this, you know, have have this vision of like, okay, who's with me? Who wants to do music as serious as I do? You know, so that's that's really key is like basically, you know, don't don't just do this as a hobby, really like right to a level that you know you can be at.

Speaker:

But it's gotta be hard for you because I mean, I know you want to do your own thing, and I get the branding, and I get, you know, you want to be independent. You you just you want to go down that road, but you also have a great job, which so you know, I don't know where you want to be in five years, but um I know where I'd like to see you, but it's gonna be so hard to, you know, I mean, you get a job that pays the bills, you could, you're you're living, it seems like you're doing very well, but then you take a chance by doing something that uh you know, you could be the greatest artist on earth, and still you're gonna have these issues. You go to Nashville, you're gonna hear a lot of no's, you hear a lot of yeses. You don't know. And and how many people are actually, you know, doing what you're trying to do? Um and you know, hopefully you're a cut above the rest, which I believe you are, but still it it gets kind of like, do I do this or do I not do this? Or you know what? But if you don't do it, you're gonna regret it. At least I think I know if it was me, I'd be like, oh shit, man, I should have done that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker:

But but then again, if I do it and I don't succeed, well, you know what? I gave it a shot.

Speaker 1:

That is that's how I feel. Because I'm like, you know, I just go to Nashville and just like test it out for even just like six months.

Speaker:

Just have you done that?

Speaker 1:

I haven't, but I've thought about it.

Speaker:

Yeah, do it. I am dead serious. You should do it. Now it's it can't be all that far of a drive from where you are. You're in Raleigh, so it's a few hours.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. I mean, it would be nice to just kind of do like you know, go there for a couple weeks at a time, come back here, you know, and just kind of juggle the two for a few and just just get down there and just start making connections with people. I already do have a handful of good connections down there. I work with a producer down there, I work with some really great people, but it would be nice to just be there and like be able to just kind of immerse myself in that element of live music. And you know, I think you know, you could go down and be like, wow, this is this is really a grind and I don't like it. Or you could be like, wow, like this was a learning opportunity that I needed to do. Or you could be like, I love it here and I ain't coming back, you know, just like you just you just don't know. And so, like you said, like you don't know until you try it. And I don't want to like I don't want to just never try it and be like, oh, I wonder if I would have done good. I wonder if I would have like, you know, wonder what I would have done if I were down there.

unknown:

Right.

Speaker 1:

I don't want to be that way. I hate like I will never live life with any regrets like that.

Speaker:

I just don't, don't, don't no, you can't do that. Not at all. I think it'd be a good move for you to just to go to Nashville and get a little taste of it. Um you know, I go there quite often, and um, I'm gonna be there again in March in what they call the country radio seminar. And and you should look that up because if you're thinking about taking a trip to Nashville, that would be the week to go. Um because anybody that's anybody is there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker:

And if you've got your music, uh I'm sure you've got it. I was gonna say not see the well, you have it on digital, I'm sure it's available. You should meet up with some of these people and network and go, hey, I'm Angela Vittoria. I, you know, here's some of my work. There's a lot of people out there looking to, you know, that's the place to go. It's a country radio seminar. Um even though I say country, it it's not all country. It's just yes, it's focused on country radio, but there's artists from all different genres. I mean, one year I was there with Steven Tyler. It was, you know, it's just like really crazy.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Sounds like something I would enjoy. So I'll have to I'll have to remember those dates.

Speaker:

Yeah, it's in March, uh the 18th, I think it starts. And it's that Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. I'm flying out on a Tuesday and coming back on a Saturday.

Speaker 1:

Oh, nice.

Speaker:

Yeah. You know, I've been doing that, it's it's not about me, this is about you, but I've been doing it um probab probably 25 years or more. So every year I go. It is good. And you get to meet the artists and you get to talk to them and you you get to find out, you know, what works and what doesn't work. Because anybody that's anybody is there. Yeah. And if you go and hang out, uh of course now I'm gonna let everybody know. Um but it the the seminar itself is at the Omni Hotel in Nashville.

Speaker 2:

Uh-huh.

Speaker:

All right. And if you hang out in that lobby of the Omni, you're all set. You're gonna, yeah, exactly. Okay. It gets crazy.

Speaker 1:

Good enough. All right.

Speaker:

Yeah, it's a little inside info, but uh now everybody's gonna know. I don't know. But um, yeah. So um let's talk about AI a little bit more. You released an AI-driven video for I Choose My Own Song. Or I chose my own song, right? Is that am I reading this right? You released an AI-driven video. I I made note of this. Did you or did you not? Or am I wrong?

Speaker 1:

I don't think so.

Speaker:

Okay, never mind, I'm wrong. Forget it. Erase.

Speaker 1:

I'm like, I did.

Speaker:

Okay, all right, all right. So you so what are you doing now? So you you're just kind of focusing on yourself, and maybe some new new things will be coming from Angela soon.

Speaker 1:

So basically, what I'm working on is doing, I know this sounds silly, but I'm basically gonna do the same thing. Um, a cover band style. Um, it's just gonna be my name, Angela Vittori.

Speaker:

Love it.

Speaker 1:

I'm gonna do covers like basically covers that I've been doing for a while, but also adding some fresh, like current hits, um, some RB stuff, which I think is really fun. Like like just RB stuff that like you would never expect to hear a live band do. I just I'm really like I'm really interested in doing that.

Speaker:

No, I think I think you have the voice for that.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. And um and also when it feels right, um, sprinkling in my originals and like, you know, you know, that whole thing where like the artist is singing a cover song and they're saying, you know, they're obviously doing a bunch of cover songs, and then all of a sudden they're like, hey, you know, does anybody want to hear one of my originals? You know, after you like build their trust and you think that's what you're capable of, then all of a sudden they're a little more open to like, oh yeah, sure, you know, and so that's kind of the plan is like just to kind of sprinkle in some originals. Um, I am a firm believer that people love cover music. And I feel like when people are at a venue and they don't know what you're singing, they don't think you're as good. You could be super talented, but if this if the crowd can't sing along, they're gonna be like, yeah, they were okay.

Speaker:

I agree.

Speaker 1:

People want familiarity and they want songs that they know. And the other thing is, is like I want to sing songs that the 20-year-olds know, that the 30-year-olds know, that the 50-year-olds know, that the 60 year old, like I I want to like I want something for everyone. I don't know.

Speaker:

It's called success.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I don't want to just be a tribute band where all we do is Fleetwood Mac. Like, I don't want to do that because if you hate Fleetwood Mac, you're never gonna hate the night. Yeah, yeah, you're gonna walk out, and so I just like my thing is I love covering songs that people like, and also covering songs that people wouldn't expect. So that's the fun. Like that, I love like looking at the crowd, and they're like, Oh, yeah, well now you got them hooked though.

Speaker:

Yeah, then it's okay maybe to say, Hey, you know what? We did that, but tell me what you think of this song. I just I just put it out last night. Let me know what you think, you know. Now you've got them hooked. Either they're gonna like it or they're gonna hate it.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, so that's that's what I'm working on. I love doing I love it. I love it. Yeah, making like medleys. So I love taking one song and then connecting it to a totally different song, and then connecting that song to a totally different song, and just like just kind of blowing people's minds and just making them be like, oh my gosh, almost like what a DJ does, but I want to do it with a band.

Speaker:

Have you uh had any of your music played on the radio?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I have.

Speaker:

And how was that?

Speaker 1:

I don't know.

Speaker:

Did you hear it?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's cool. Like it's just um first reaction.

Speaker:

When you heard Angela Vittori on the radio, what was your reaction?

Speaker 1:

I think my reaction is like holy crap, yes, like oh my god, like I think to like just like little Angela. Like I think back to like, you know, me as a kid, just like playing, you know, playing these female singers, you know, whether my biggest idol as a kid was Celine Dionne, um Shania Twain, um, you know, and then the you know, the typical pop artist, you know, all those people. Like I said, any female that had a good voice, I was obsessed. But like you know, the the the divas, you know, the classic like icons, Whitney Houston, all of those like just powerhouse vocals, you know, like I think back to little Angela and just like listening to them on the radio and then thinking about like, oh, like you don't know it yet, but you're gonna be on the radio one day. Like that's just that makes me makes me really proud. Makes me feel like I've done something right and I've done something to be proud of.

Speaker:

Absolutely, 100%. 100%. Is there um where if somebody's listening to this, they don't know you. I didn't know you until tonight. Now I feel like we're best friends.

Speaker 2:

We are.

Speaker:

Yeah, absolutely. And uh, I'm glad that you know we made contact and making this happen. Uh, it's so interesting. Somebody, and and I urge anybody watching this or listening to this to um look up her music. Where should they go to do that?

Speaker 1:

I think the best place is Spotify. Um Spotify just like has the best um algorithm. Like it helps, it helps me the most if you listen to me on Spotify. Um, and then Apple Music, I know it's on YouTube, um Amazon music, any type of any type of streaming thing of your choice, whichever one you do. But I know Spotify is like the big one. That's like those streams are powerful and they you know you really get get things going.

Speaker:

And I'll make sure I put a link uh on the bottom. You can't see my hand, but it'll be underneath there after. So uh is there a song that you wish you had written? That you maybe you hear it and go, man, I should have written that.

Speaker 1:

A lot of John Mayer songs I wish I wrote. I I I get you. That man has been very influential because I was listening to him in middle school with my little combat. You know what I'm saying? Like I every single album. That he came out with. Like, yeah, there's a lot of John Mayer songs that I'm like, damn it. I wish that was me, you know. But he's the first one that comes to mind for sure.

Speaker:

Love it.

Speaker 1:

Um, that's my answer. John Mayer song.

Speaker:

Gotcha. Best compliment you've ever gotten about your voice. Best compliment.

Speaker 1:

What was the question?

Speaker:

Oh, I'm sorry. Best compliment you've ever gotten about your voice. Your best compliment.

Speaker 1:

Oh, best compliment I've ever gotten. Um you know, this is a funny one. I sang for um, I don't know why I'm thinking of this one, but um I sang for like this festival. It it was here in North Carolina, and um it was called Holly Fest, and it was in Holly Springs, North Carolina, and I, you know, we get done and we kind of walk around the festival just to see what they had, the ride. And somebody in a food truck was like, was that you up there singing? And I was like, Yeah, and she's in her food truck, okay? So she doesn't eat, but she was like, girl, I heard you singing, you are amazing, and she just was so dramatic about it.

Speaker:

Love that, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And like all I could think was just like, oh my god, this is so genuine because she literally just heard me like it was just I don't know, I don't even know how it came to her knowing that it was me. I think maybe we said we were like we're we're the band that played earlier, and so I don't know, it's just maybe like a compliment like that. I love like just those genuine compliments where just people are like, you know, that's a specific one, and and sure there's others, but like just when somebody is just like so in awe of something that like I take for granted, you know. I'm gonna be honest with you, I take it for granted. I've been I've been singing since you don't think about it, yeah. And I don't think about it, and I just do it, and you know, it makes you and I'm going on a tangent here, whatever.

Speaker 2:

It's all good.

Speaker 1:

You know, it makes me like want to take like every single show and just savor it because it's like you just don't know who's listening, and like you do this and you just you know, you sing every Friday night, every Saturday night, you do this, you do that, and like we just kind of we go through the motions, and when you hear just like an authentic, genuine compliment like that, it's like, yeah, you better be giving it a hundred percent every time, don't go through the motions. Like people are and you have a new audience every single weekend and every single event, and give it a hundred percent. And so I I just I love that it's a challenge for sure. It's like, oh yeah, okay, I need to be bringing all the time because of stuff like that, because of compliments like that.

Speaker:

Exactly, exactly. And uh I hope somebody, you know, wants to be like you, fill your shoes, somehow do what you're doing, that they're listening to this and they're watching this because the advice that you're what you're saying right now and even earlier on in this podcast, it's you know, people need to hear that.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Yeah, they need to hear that.

Speaker:

You're doing it. What's that? I cut you off.

Speaker 1:

I really hope that someone listens to this, they're they're encouraged or they're challenged too.

Speaker:

You know, um, Angela, quickly, uh, when someone discovers your music for the first time, where should they start and why that song?

Speaker 1:

Hmm.

Speaker:

Crazy question.

Speaker 1:

I know that's a good one. You're provoking me. Um where should they start?

Speaker:

Um Is there something that you prefer that they hear first and then take in the rest?

Speaker 1:

I mean no, I really don't have a preference. I'm gonna I'm I'm as I think about it, I'm like, no.

Speaker:

That's fair.

Speaker 1:

Just uh enjoy it. Yeah, just enjoy it. I mean, I don't I I'm trying to think. I don't really have a you know, they could start with God as a woman because it's an Ariana Grande song. So it's like, you know, it's a different, it's a different take on that song. It's more like it's kind of, you know, we wanted it to be kind of sexy and just kind of like raw and um really stripped down. Um so like for me, like when I released that cover, um I had people being like, oh, I actually like I like your version better than the original.

Speaker:

And I'm like, yeah, I love it.

Speaker 1:

So maybe start there and then try some of the original and quickly, did you watch the Grammys? I didn't, but highlights the next day.

Speaker:

Oh, there you go. That's that's cheating.

Speaker 1:

You know, I I'll be honest with you, I can't see past like the the outfits. I'm just like, what?

Speaker:

Yeah, I hear you. It's like uh I saw, you know, I did watch it and I thought it was a great show. Some may disagree with me, but I thought it was great um to see all the different genres of music. But uh I I agree with you with the outfits. It's like, girl, seriously, you you know, I mean, um I'm trying to think who it was, but uh you know, she pretty much everything was hanging out and she had her whatever. It's like, really? This is crazy. Why what does that prove? That's uh I just don't get it. I just don't get it. I love the music and all that. It's the outfits. It's like, all right, even Lady Gaga, as much as I love her music, it's like, what's with some of these outfits? I remember the year she was wearing meat.

Speaker 1:

So it's like I do remember that.

Speaker:

So it was just like, I don't know if they're trying to make a statement or what. And and there you got uh whether you got the babes on stage in his boxer shorts, no shirt and socks. I mean, I'm like, okay. I don't get it. I don't get it. Maybe it's just me. But uh, you know, I always like to hear from the artists too.

Speaker 1:

I I agree. I try not to, you know, uh, like I said, it's it's a little painful to watch just because it's like I I don't know why we're showing up looking like this. And it's exactly just seems like a weird Halloween party that like doesn't make a scary one, yeah.

Speaker:

Exactly.

Speaker 1:

I do like to see like okay, who did win, who you know, what songs won, what artists won. Because to be honest with you, like it makes me say, like, oh, okay, maybe I need to learn that song. Oh, okay, that that song won a Grammy, or that artist won a Grammy. I need to look and see what her top songs are because obviously people, you know, dig her music or dig his music. I want to learn it. So I do take notes, I just don't necessarily watch the whole thing.

Speaker:

Gotcha, gotcha. What uh your preference genre of music, or do you just listen to everything?

Speaker 1:

What I listen I listen to everything. My preference in um genres that I like to perform, um, definitely country. Country's like seems to be um my wheelhouse.

Speaker:

And you're not just saying that because I'm sitting on the other end here.

Speaker 1:

No, okay, all right. Promise um country for sure, and um I like um like I wanna I don't want to say RB, but like I like kind of soulful like um like Olivia Dean kind of stuff. I've get I've been getting told a lot from multiple people that I sound like her, and I'm like uh now that you mention it.

Speaker:

Yeah, I didn't even think about that.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I've been I've been told that countless times that I sound like you sound just like Olivia Dean. You give me such Olivia Dean vibes, and I'm like, okay, well, is that a good thing?

Speaker:

Yeah, because I I no no, I know you love her and everything, but you also want to be a little bit of Angela Vittori. You know what I mean? You still have to have a little bit of your own. You don't want to be just like somebody, but you can be like similar. Yes, but yeah, have your you know, put your own spin on it, right?

Speaker 1:

Right, and that's uh that's that's kind of what I try to do. It's funny because I can definitely tell, even in just um a four a four-hour set, um, because I I sing for four hours straight.

Speaker 2:

Crazy.

Speaker 1:

Crazy, but um I mission myself to do it, and um I can tell like the strength of certain songs just because it's in my wheelhouse. Like, for example, a Teddy Swim song, I feel like I can just sing effortlessly because it's just in my wheelhouse. It's so good. I sing kind of the way he sings. I do the same sort of runs. I have, you know, kind of it's just it's easy for me. And then there's other songs where I'm like, oh, this is a little more difficult. You know, this is just not wheelhouse. And I like I can fake it and I can like, you know, put my own spin on it. Um, but there's like some Taylor Swift songs that I'm just like, oh my gosh, I just I I just don't sing like her. Like I just don't have those same, you know what I mean? Like I don't know how to describe it, but that's that's what it is. So yeah, I can always tell like who's like what vibe is comfortable for me and like which ones I have to work a little harder on.

Speaker:

Super Bowl. Do you watch?

Speaker 1:

I do, yeah.

Speaker:

Seahawks or Patriots. Oh Seahawks, Seahawks.

Speaker 1:

Oh, yeah.

Speaker:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Oregon. I have to go for Seahawks.

Speaker:

Oh, that's right. That's right, that's right. Angela Vittori. I mean, you took some time out of your night to spend it here on what's your favorite podcast now?

Speaker 1:

Um, Skip Happens, duh.

Speaker:

Thank you. Thank you. Okay, all right. Just testing. And also for being on the podcast tonight, ladies and gentlemen, Angela's gonna get a Skip Happens mug or two or three. I'll give you a couple to take to work if you take them into the uh yeah. I'll send them down to you. But we'll talk about that afterwards. Everybody that comes on gets a mug or two, whatever. You know, I'm pretty generous. So, anyways, uh, I do want to thank you for coming on tonight. I'm so glad that this did happen because it's so informative, not only to me, but to others that may be trying to do what you're doing. And just to hear it from somebody that's right in the middle of it right now is a good thing. So, you know, uh, and also doing what you do for a living, God bless you, because that is not an easy job. And I don't I I don't know if I could do that or not. I mean, I um we have a son that's a Down syndrome, but we knew beforehand, but still that day in the uh delivery room, there were all certain things they had to do. Uh they brought in uh a team from uh the neonatal unit just in case they were standing by and all I mean everything worked out great, but you know it's just amazing what what they do there, and you're a part of that, so yeah. And can I ask real quick, uh upstate New York, whereabouts? Thousand Islands region, holy crap, you're up by the border, yeah, yeah. No kidding, up near Clayton, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Around there, I I grew up in a town called Carthage.

Speaker:

Oh, yeah, no, I know it. Yeah, yeah, that's way up there. Um, I don't know if you know Johnny Spizzano, but yeah, oh my god, the border, the border, I know, I know exactly. Oh my gosh, that's amazing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's where I grew up.

Speaker:

It's beautiful up there, though.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, it is.

Speaker:

Right time of the year. Yeah, I was gonna say not as I kind of all right. Oh, I love it, Angela Vittoria. Uh, thank you for coming out and Skip Happens tonight. Uh, I love your story, I love everything about you. Um, I think you have a great future ahead of you. You've got some decisions to make and kind of do your own thing. But there's no doubt in my mind that uh you cannot do it because I know you can. And uh just just keep going. Five years down the road. I'm gonna go. I knew her. She was on my podcast.

Speaker 1:

Oh my god.

Speaker:

But I'm in the old folks home in five years. So I don't know.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for having me. This was a blast. I'm so happy we got to do this.

Speaker:

Uh, I am too. Thank you so much for coming on Skip Happens. If you're watching this, you're listening to this, whether it's now live or down the road, let us know in the comments down below. And also uh subscribe to Skip Happens on YouTube. And I'm sure Angela, do you have a YouTube channel?

Speaker 1:

I do, but I'm more just on social media.

Speaker:

All right. Well, make sure you catch up with her. I'm sure she would respond and would love to know what you think of the music as well. So thank you for watching, everybody. And uh, you know, I'm Skip Clark. This is Skip Happens, and we'll catch you next time. Stand by.

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Skip Clark

Host