Our guest for this episode is none other than the remarkable Wayne Ballew, a gifted songwriter whose story begins with a regular radio listen and culminates in a fascinating concept album. Join us as Wayne peels back the curtain on his creative process, talks about his collaborations with musicians like Zach Aaron and reveals why he leans towards writing rather than performing.
The episode doesn't halt at music, though. We explore Wayne's love for nature, his thrilling adventures in the majestic trails of Oregon and Washington, and his aspiration to conquer Mount Hood. Learn about the surprising link between his passion for hiking and his music, and be sure to catch the story of his unique song that earned a spot in a Bigfoot documentary. It's a treat for everyone, from music enthusiasts and avid hikers to individuals captivated by the inexplicable and unknown.
As we draw our conversation to a close, Wayne uncovers his involvement in a captivating Bigfoot documentary and delves into his interest in the paranormal. Together, we uncover the mysteries of Oregon's wilderness, the legendary Crater Lake clusters, and native American folklores about shape-shifters. As a parting gift, Wayne invites you to accompany him on his songwriting journey by exploring his music on his online platforms. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone drawn to storytelling through music, the allure of the great outdoors, and the intrigue of paranormal mysteries.
Wayne Ballew
Instagram:
@earlywayneballew
https://instagram.com/earlywayneballew?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Shoutout to:
Wayne Ballew
Zach Aaron
David Paulides
Dan the Man
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: MMyr2
Our guest for this episode is none other than the remarkable Wayne Ballew, a gifted songwriter whose story begins with a regular radio listen and culminates in a fascinating concept album. Join us as Wayne peels back the curtain on his creative process, talks about his collaborations with musicians like Zach Aaron and reveals why he leans towards writing rather than performing.
The episode doesn't halt at music, though. We explore Wayne's love for nature, his thrilling adventures in the majestic trails of Oregon and Washington, and his aspiration to conquer Mount Hood. Learn about the surprising link between his passion for hiking and his music, and be sure to catch the story of his unique song that earned a spot in a Bigfoot documentary. It's a treat for everyone, from music enthusiasts and avid hikers to individuals captivated by the inexplicable and unknown.
As we draw our conversation to a close, Wayne uncovers his involvement in a captivating Bigfoot documentary and delves into his interest in the paranormal. Together, we uncover the mysteries of Oregon's wilderness, the legendary Crater Lake clusters, and native American folklores about shape-shifters. As a parting gift, Wayne invites you to accompany him on his songwriting journey by exploring his music on his online platforms. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone drawn to storytelling through music, the allure of the great outdoors, and the intrigue of paranormal mysteries.
Wayne Ballew
Instagram:
@earlywayneballew
https://instagram.com/earlywayneballew?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Shoutout to:
Wayne Ballew
Zach Aaron
David Paulides
Dan the Man
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: MMyr2
Background music playing quickly. Wayne Baloo, how are you, man, doing? Well, how are you, sir? I'm doing good. I'm doing good, man, I'm thankful that you're here. I'm glad it's finally happening, just because, dude, they had a reschedule, reschedule, reschedule, and it just makes it feel like amateur hour for me, not for you, but for me, because you know I'm what? 205 in 205? I published 203? No, this will be 206-ish. So, and rescheduling is something I don't do, man, but I've been busy, busy, busy, and I'm pretty sure the listeners will understand, and not what protest too much, or, you know, pitchfork, or what is that, back in the day when they used to take the criminals out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's how I feel sometimes, man, lately, because I feel like I neglected them. But I haven't, man, I've been busy, busy, busy, and I'm glad I was able to tell you how busy I was to get an extra day. So, thank you, no worries, life happens. So, wayne, you are the man behind Zach Aaron's Ladigo Joe.
Speaker 2:Well, I came up with the idea I don't know if you want me to tell you the whole story or the abbreviated story. I love Zach Aaron's music and my wife and I were coming back from the Cascades and his Southeast Texas Trinity River Bob and Blues came on and she looked at me and she goes I didn't know, you wrote a song that's on the radio. And you didn't tell me. And I go honey, I didn't write that, that's this guy named Zach Aaron. And then I'm just totally infatuated with this storytelling music. And she goes that sounds like something you would write. And I go well, I want to reach out to the guys during COVID. What the hell Can't hurt, right? So do you know who Adam Carroll is it?
Speaker 1:doesn't ring a bell.
Speaker 2:He's one of the best singer-songwriters in Texas this side of Townsend, in my opinion and I was writing a song called Cowboy Joe about the prison rodeo in Texas. And I finished the song it was really good, adam and I were really excited about it and I told Adam what I was going to do and I go hey, I want to email Zach and I want to see what he thinks about this record or this song. And I just called out of the blue, just emailed him and I said hey, this is what I have. Are you interested maybe in writing a song with me or fixing this song for me? Is anything wrong with it? And I get the lingo wrong because I'm a plow boy, I'm a central Texas redneck, I'm not a cowboy. And he said there's a difference.
Speaker 1:Listeners.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, yes sir, there is, and he said he'd look at it. And weeks gone by and still had an inheriting thing from him. And Dr Mitchell Roth has a book called the Convict.
Speaker 1:Cowboys, yeah, you were reading that the other day. I saw your post.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, he was one of my professors at Sam Houston State University, where they held the prison rodeo at, and while I was waiting on Zach to reply to me, I emailed him the copy of the song that said hey, Dr Roth, I haven't talked to you in a long time, but what do you think about this? The song I wrote. And he emailed me back and he goes Wayne, my gosh, I love these lyrics, I love the story. Can you record this for me? My book's being optioned into a movie. Yeah, that's what I'm saying and I really can't say more than that right now.
Speaker 2:I just got my fingers crossed and at the time I tore a pec muscle of my child's bench pressing and I tore my pec muscle in half and I couldn't play a guitar. So I text Zach. I said, hey, would you please look at this song for me and let me know how I did? And do you want any part of this if this goes forward with the movie? And he said, heck, yeah, man. And he looked at it and he goes do you mind if I change a few things? I go change anything you want. And he made a really, in my opinion, a really good story song into an epic story song yeah, yeah, it's good, it's good and I really appreciate that. That's the long the condensed version of that story about how it came about.
Speaker 1:OK.
Speaker 2:All right. So the songs combined on two prison rodeo convicts O'Neill Browning, who was the best all around cowboy that ever the rodeo ever produced and the only inmate that was ever killed in the rodeo. He was stomped to death by a mare. So it's true story.
Speaker 1:Bagley yes, sir, yeah, ok, ok, all right. So would you? I mean jack of all trades, what would you call yourself, man, singer, songwriter, what man?
Speaker 2:I think maybe a singer, songwriter, although I consider myself more of a writer than a performer.
Speaker 1:What do you like most, man? Just being a writer, I love to write yeah, I love to write.
Speaker 2:My buddy and I Dale Inske he's a Oregonian up here a surfer and we call him the Saltwater Cowboy and he and I ended up writing a 16 song track about the concept album of the prison rodeo.
Speaker 1:OK, and that thing is one that's in you?
Speaker 2:Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that demo, yeah yeah, it's good. It's good Speaking of what we will get to that. So, singer, songwriter, you're an epic hiker. Yes, sir, when did you get into hiking? Because I know Texas doesn't have too many mountains.
Speaker 2:No, sir, not at all.
Speaker 1:But if you go west you go west Texas you might hit something around New Mexico and whatnot. So what got you into hiking man?
Speaker 2:I just love the outdoors, I love being outside, I love everything about the trees and mountains and, like you said, I love Texas to death. But Texas didn't have that and I had a chance to retire early and my wife got offered a job out here in Southern Oregon and we jumped on it and we have hit every trail. We have been all over Oregon and Washington and we haven't even touched the potential of all the hiking and all the great trails that are still out there.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it's everywhere.
Speaker 2:Smith Rock. I know you've talked about that before Love Smith Rock.
Speaker 1:That's my training ground man. I love Smith Rock.
Speaker 2:I have a goal of I want to climb hood in the next two years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, hit me up when you want to go. I've done it twice.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Okay, all right, let's do it, hit me up.
Speaker 1:I'll probably go to the shoot, but other than that, whoo yeah the reason why, man, there's a lot of dumbasses on hood.
Speaker 1:And I'm going to tell you that I heard that they are, man, they're all out for themselves. They'll kick eyes, they'll rope up when you don't even need to rope up and that's most dangerous. Yeah, dude, yes, but if you need a guide or anybody to go with, dude, I'll be glad to go up there and do, even though I said I'm only going to do that for winter, just winter routes, you know, just going up to Hell's Kitchen, man, that's it.
Speaker 2:That's my goal. I want to do hood. That's going to be my. The cherry on top of the Sunday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, it's good. It's a good one man, but there's better ones out there that I can point to. That's just down the road. So, okay, most epic trail you've been on or mountain so far in Oregon.
Speaker 2:I'd have to say I am terrible with names, please forgive me. I know we had an epic, epic adventure out Smith Rock. We love going anywhere at Crater Lake. I can all over crater. Yeah, that's probably my favorite, just because of the, the scenery. Oh yeah, I know a lot of these places are beautiful, but something about Crater Lake that just absolutely love the rim, the rim, hike, the 33 mile, yeah, that's, that's, I would probably say crater.
Speaker 1:Crater, All right. What about Washington man?
Speaker 2:We've been all over Stoke-Homme, the other north bend. There's a north bend here in Cougs Bay. So there's another north bend in Washington, little Si, mount Si. Yeah, that's the Guns Sight Mountains. That's what a lot of the locals call it. You love that place. That's probably one of my most favorite places outside of crater. We got to switch it.
Speaker 1:All right, you need to get out more.
Speaker 2:I'm working on it. Oh, I am so working on it. I'm still kind of new to this hiking game. I've only been doing it for years and I have just I got a lot to see and a lot to learn.
Speaker 1:yet yeah, yeah, hood, if you want to hit Adams, you want to hit Ellen's, you want to hit all those, you want to hit sisters, oh, the sisters are almost there. South sisters, south sisters, where it's at. Have you been?
Speaker 2:No, I haven't been actually on the hike, but I've been to sisters, I've been to the Thompson Guitar Shop out there and sisters, and it's on, it's on my list.
Speaker 1:It's the tallest there's. There's a lake up there and it's the highest lake in the state of Oregon. That's pretty cool. Oh, wow, it's pretty cool. Yeah, you got. You got a lot, man. I've done all Central Oregon. I've done McLaughlin a couple of times. Yeah, some good times. You're your way of my belt Good times, good times. So you had a song released in a documentary. Can you talk about that or no?
Speaker 2:Yes, I can.
Speaker 1:And it's about Bigfoot in Oregon it's about Bigfoot in Oregon.
Speaker 2:I live in Coquille and the. The documentary is called A Flash of Beauty Paranormal Bigfoot, and I know what people are probably going to think when they hear it, but it's nothing like what the title suggests. It the the money shot. The ending actually happened just right down the road where I live.
Speaker 1:OK.
Speaker 2:And it is the most fascinating story. These are normal people, everyday people that are coming on camera and say this is what I experienced, yeah, and you know, some people laugh at Bigfoot, some people take it seriously. I'm one of those guys that I think something's out there. Yeah, I don't know, I'm not saying it's a 10 foot 8 per se, but it's something out there that we have not identified.
Speaker 1:You're a believer.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Well, OK, you're a believer.
Speaker 2:Yes, ok.
Speaker 1:That's fine, that's fine.
Speaker 2:I wrote a song called Encounters, but it's about everything that I kind of believe in or kind of question.
Speaker 1:Yeah, listen to that right before you know getting going live with you. So it's pretty good man.
Speaker 2:Did you catch the references in it?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I did.
Speaker 1:A lot of people don't.
Speaker 2:That's the. That's the thing. You either know it or you don't.
Speaker 1:But one thing that I've noticed about your music, man, it's the spoken words pretty much, and it reminds me, if you had that you have a southern twang, but when you sing or when you do the spoken words, that twang goes away A bit and so like when you, when you say it, when you, when you sing, it almost is like spoken words with a guitar.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir. I agree to that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and man, dude, if you had it like a deeper, it would almost be like Johnny Cash, you know. But I know no one could be Johnny Cash. But that's what it reminded me of man. You got a lighter voice and it's spoken word and I'm just like man. This is when he was doing gospel, you know, like around 70s and 80s. Right, yeah, it's something like that, but nothing bad man, I love it, I love it. Well, thank you, bigfoot. Though, when people talk about Bigfoot, they do cringe, they do look away. There are a lot of people that put their I guess their reputation on the line, saying it's you know, real. I mean, a lot of people don't even believe you know the Holocaust happened. A lot of people don't believe you know the ancient Missoula flood didn't happen. You know what I mean. So it's like you're going to get those. So, bigfoot, what got you to say yes in that film?
Speaker 2:There are so many unidentified species that are identified every year out of the rainforest, out of our own force here in Oregon Promets. Even you know, we they didn't discover the gorilla. I'm remembering correctly until the early 1900s in the Congo, when the locals have been saying for years and years and years, there's these, these, these human like things out there, and they ended up being silverback gorillas. You know, there is something. It's really hard to explain what it is, but there's something inside my being that says there's something in those woods that we have not experienced yet, or found identified, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 2:I've had some really weird experiences that if you want me to talk about it on the wheel, I'm not shy about it. People that know me know that I speak up all the time. But I have some weird experiences. But I have seen things I can't, I can't wrap my head around. I have felt things. I have heard things.
Speaker 1:I'm not, I'm not mentally ill, nothing, no, no, I mean when you're out there, when you're out there in the woods alone or with people, and you give time to listen or hear things, you can hear and listen to things out there dude, Absolutely. Yes, so have you heard of that one show, that one movie, 411?.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir David Pilates.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, are you a fan of his work? Huge, huge. What are your thoughts? You say Crater Lake right, and he talks about Crater Lakes and these clusters. I know we're going on it, not a tangent, but this is interesting. I love the fact that you're on here. We're talking about it. The clusters Do you believe the clusters in his, like his, theory?
Speaker 2:Actually.
Speaker 1:I do.
Speaker 2:I'm into a lot of what he's saying because it just doesn't make sense. No, I've been part of a search and rescue group in my former life, and when you go three feet apart and you're 20 deep and you go over the same area hundreds and hundreds of times, over the span of several weeks, and then, all of a sudden, a year later, a pristine artifact shows up where you search the area.
Speaker 2:That doesn't make sense, right? There's something about that. Either it's a very sick human playing a really sick joke, yeah, or there's something else to it we don't understand. It's not an animal, yeah.
Speaker 1:What about those people? I mean, it happens a lot in Oregon. I remember back in 2000,. The guy went hunting and was never found, you know, and that was I don't think it was on that show. But you know, the kid going to Crater Lake right over the berm ends up disappearing. I mean, dude, it's like, are you kidding me? Something happens like that so it makes you think. You know, when you're going out and about by yourself, you're like am I going to make it out? Or what? Am I going to be another statistic? Am I going to be a cluster? What you know, it does make you think that it does, and I look for it.
Speaker 2:Do you look for it? Yes, sir, I look for it not that I want to be abducted or killed or anything like that. Obviously, but my eyes are on it. I'm on a swivel every time I'm out there.
Speaker 1:For real, and plus the one that tripped me out, not the little kid in Crater Lake, but the hunters, yes, the three hunters that went out, yep, and that one never came back.
Speaker 2:They found nothing.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:There's a case in Coos Bay. I work with a lady, her brother, same thing and I don't think David has been aware of that or not, I don't know. I thought about reaching out to him, but he he's an avid hunter, an experienced woodsman disappeared, vanished without a trace. Nothing was found. Yeah, man. And it just makes you, it just makes you wonder.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, Crater Lake is known for, like their ancient, you know native Stuff, their beliefs and everything else, and they're saying Crater is like has the most hits on you know paranormal stuff you know going on there. So it's this it's a wicked world, man, it's a wicked world, and people go out there Don't know a lick of survival and, yeah, yeah, I'm unprepared and dude. The weather can change in an instant. And one thing that I did find very interesting and true of what he says is once you get like hypothermic or heat exhaustion mostly hypothermic you take off your clothes and then and then you start moving up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the body, the body right there.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. Yeah, they go up, they go up. Try to get you know the scenery to see if they can get somebody, instead of going low.
Speaker 2:You know that that happened in Russia in the 50s. I believe the Teflon, All those guys, yeah, yes, sir, they were saying that. You know they were thinking it was supernatural. But come to find out they're now saying that they probably had an extreme case of hypothermia, and just yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's that's that's how people die on hood. Yes, sir, unsurprepared, not ready for you know the extreme weather that can change over a minute and over a second, dude, it's crazy, it's crazy. It's like how can people get caught up in there? And then you, once you get on that mountain, you'll know how and why people get caught up there. It's all about I need to get mine. That's what the attitude that they have, man. So yeah, I had. Yeah, dude, that's awesome man, I like that. So big foot, all right. The UFO thing too, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 2:Hey, the government said it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if they said it was, it's true.
Speaker 2:That's right. And I mean, who might argue with our government? And you know it goes back to Roswell, it really does, and there's a lot of things that just doesn't add up. You know that I don't see how the Air Force would have misidentified a weather balloon. Yeah, you know, it had to change the story the very next day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and that pill in the water, you know, yeah, dude, it's crazy, man, I listen to a lot of Joe Rogan. I listen to a lot of Joe Rogan and some of those guys on there. They're putting their reputation on there. I'm like, dude, this is crazy nonsense. You know like really crazy shit. If you don't mind me cussing in your episode, you know I'm like no sir.
Speaker 1:Dude, all right. And then you hear about, you know the classified and them going up to you know the Senate or the House and you know, given their words on what they saw and being denied, I'm like how can you deny this guy man?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, the government supposedly hasn't, and I'd have to look up to the research, but I read it somewhere and again I read it, I have to. I haven't verified it, but you know they're saying the government has patents out for cloaking devices and all these dark matter material, and it's just really you just shake your head going, ok, where did they come up with the stuff? Yeah, where reverse engineering? Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, well, you know that one guy man, I forgot his name, dude, I'm John Blank. It's Monday, bob Lazar, yes, yes, that guy. How he was explained in on the Rogan show, man, it was just like OK, they, they, they have the technology to figure things out man and it's just like, oh how, how. It's because of him, man, A lot of it is because of him.
Speaker 2:It's amazing he has a new documentary coming out next month. Ok, he's telling his story on what happened out of Area 51.
Speaker 1:Dude, he's not going to last long. It's not going to last long too, it's sad to say, but who?
Speaker 2:is it something else? And yeah, I don't want to. I know I'm going to come across as a kook or something, but I'm not saying like I said. I'm not saying there's a 10 foot eight room around out there. We haven't found. But there's something. You know. Scientists have hair samples. They have. They have hair samples of something that is primate DNA mixed with our DNA and they write it off as junk science. They write it off as it's been contaminated. But they have numerous samples that they just kind of just write off and won't Except for Dr Jeff Milder of the University of Idaho, I believe.
Speaker 1:OK, you know that guy's name. He lives in Clamford Falls. You know that right, Supposedly.
Speaker 2:Man, I'm drawn blank Xor.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, whoa yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, my word. No, I did not know that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, he does.
Speaker 2:I thought you were talking about less drought.
Speaker 1:Nope, nope.
Speaker 2:That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the rumor has it, and I believe it is true. I believe it is true. So, Prison rodeo concept. Not how many people have you listened to had that concept, man? Yes, they've done shows and prisons, you know, but Concepts Of just being in prison, that kind of thing, but you're going to take a picture height to the rodeo.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, like I told you, I went, my professor, I went to Sam Houston State. I'd been to the I've been to the walls unit. Where they used to have next door was the rodeo. And when I was talking to Adam Carroll about this, he brought up the idea he goes, Wayne. This, this idea is so unique and original he goes.
Speaker 2:I don't think anybody's ever wrote a song dedicated to the prison rodeo. And when I was talking with Zach he was. He said, hey, I'm kind of stuck, I'm trying to write a song about rodeo. That's why I told him I had something already going and I remember Adam telling me he goes, man, you, you, this would make an incredible story album. Yeah, just tell the life of cowboy Joe which, like I said, zach changed a lot ago, which for the better, and I started thinking about it and I I shit you not. Six of these songs came out of me within within a month and I got. I got with my buddy Dale and he had a bunch of surfing songs, ironically, that he wrote 30 years ago and he changed a lot of the surfing analogies to rodeo and they just work perfectly in the album. And as far as I know and I might be putting my foot in my mouth on this one. Nobody's done anything like this about on this topic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's why I ask I never heard it. But then a lot of gojo comes out and you're like I heard, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I'm extremely proud, and what you heard is the demos. We have a lot more to do. As a matter of fact, since the last time I spoke to you last week or the week before, I wrote another song that we're putting on there and I think we might even be putting another one on there. So it's going to be a long album, but it's going to tell the complete story and the life and times of the rodeo and the prison rodeo and what the inmates went through, and it just really excited about it.
Speaker 1:Okay, prison rodeo. And then there's something about a movie. You mentioned something, but I don't know if you can talk about it. Say what you can, but I'm interested because you got avid hiker, you got, you know, documentary, prison rodeo concept. I mean, come on.
Speaker 2:Right and I am extremely proud of the documentary. Again, for the people listening and for you too, sir, please check out the flash of beauty big foot, paranormal big foot. It's amazing and again it happened right here in Central Oregon. The money shot, but the prison rodeo. Like I said, I was talking with Dr Roth Mitchell Roth, that's who wrote the book and this has been turned into a full fledged movie, Hollywood production, and it is. The screenplay is nearly complete, from what I understand. I've been told there's some big time actors associated with it, with a big time director. I don't know what that means. Yeah, I just know that Ladigo Joe may have a shot of being in it and thanks to Zach, and Zach said he he's I hope it's okay to say this, Zach, and it's not. I apologize, but he said he'd be, he would do the stunt riding for free on the Bronx.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nice.
Speaker 2:They needed an extra stunt rider, but I'm really excited about it and I just have my fingers crossed and that's really about all I can say. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, man, that's awesome dude. Well, hopefully that is possible. And you, you are, you know, seen in there, just so people know like dude, this is the guy, this is guy, all right Music. Now. What band or who influenced you to become the singer or songwriter you are today?
Speaker 2:Without a doubt, it has to be Adam Carroll.
Speaker 1:Adam.
Speaker 2:Carroll yes, right, he's out of Tyler, Texas, and he lives in Wimperly now in Austin. And Adam Carroll is. He's a modern version of Towns Van Zandt and, with people going to get really mad at me for saying this, but I would take Adam Carroll's music over Towns Van Zandt's any day. And there's nothing wrong with Towns Van Zandt One of the best ever. But there's something about how Adam Carroll does his storytelling that just blows me out of the water.
Speaker 2:And then Owen Temple, Gordy Quist, of the band of heathens, that's who produced my my record. Those guys I grew up, you know, in my mid twenties when I first got into music. Those were the first people I got associated with and I started listening to. Maybe that's why I don't have the, the, the deep love for Towns Van Zandt and Guy Clark, like a lot of people do, because I didn't get into their music. I was listening to the Hank Jr part in Wailand and Willie, you know the old school outlaw music. And then I hit 22, 23 and I discovered Adam Carroll and that's where the like, I said the Hayes, Carl Owen Temple, the band of heathens, and that's where it took off and I found that I had a unique knack for for stories, and it's just it's. It's a drug, it's in my veins and I can't stop writing. I can't, I just can't. It's a good feeling, but it's very frustrating sometimes too.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, oh yeah, I got that. I totally understand. All right. When did it all start and how did it start? What's that? When and how did it?
Speaker 2:start, I had a buddy. His name is Tommy Hoke, he lives outside of Huntsville, texas, and he was a really, really good singer-songwriter. And I told him I go, man, I would do anything if I could do what you do make up words like this. And he goes have you ever tried? And I said, no, sir, never really have. And he goes do you know how to play guitar? And I go, no, sir, not very well. And he goes well, why don't we get you a guitar and why don't we see what we can do? And I just wanted to be like Tommy, and he still, to this day, is one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. He's not on the radio, from what I understand. He got married and had a family and his family came first, in which I really respect that. But that's how it all started for me. I just wanted to be like Tommy.
Speaker 1:OK. So you kindly shared your music with me, the demos. Yes, sir, perfect, I appreciate it. I mean, yeah, you could have said Stranger, danger nothing, no tube to me, but you shared with me and I'm quite thankful and honestly it was damn good. When will you release a full album?
Speaker 2:Myself or the Prisoner Audio album Yourself. I've already reached out to GordyQuist. Like I said, that's who produced my first album, or my first. I have 11 singles out. I've already reached out to him. I have two more albums written and ready to record. He's on tour. He's been. The band of heathens has been doing amazing things. They're just killing it right now and it's just me and him getting together at the right time because he has a list of mile long people that want to make records with him. Yeah, he's just, in my opinion, just incredible at what he does, and as soon as we get together and I'm hoping next summer or next December I'll have something out.
Speaker 1:What is your favorite song? If somebody had to they're listening to us right now, right, and you had to refer a song to them to get a good feel of what you're talking about and what I heard and why you're on this episode on the podcast. What song would that be?
Speaker 2:That's a tough question. Well, that is dead. Air is not good. I'm trying to think, hey, no, it's good.
Speaker 1:Plus I delete dead air, so no worries, I get dead air myself.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that I would have to say my the crow.
Speaker 1:That's what? Okay, I was going to ask because I myself I have it in order, I got the crow, but you know, let it go, joe for sure, but outside of let it go Joe, that's the crow, jackson Square Blues and what you see.
Speaker 2:That's probably three of my most requested songs. That's weird. You got them in the exact order, except one song that really and I forgot to say this earlier this is how me and Zach really connected. He loved my song kind of line bar. That's a mostly true story and I don't know if you remember the words of the kind of line bar, but it's, it's out there. It's kind of a crazy song, but that that's the first song I ever wrote and that song's got me a lot of what the hell did he just say type of glances after I sang the song.
Speaker 1:So I got you.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:What are your plans? And five to 12 months man.
Speaker 2:I want to do as many hikes as these old legs will take me. This. First and foremost, I want to get out in nature. I don't care if it's snowing, I don't care if it's raining, I want to do as many hikes as possible. I want to get out to the sisters this this spring, definitely that's one of my have to do list. We're going back up to Snow Kwame. I want to try to look around it, the hikes of their, franklin Falls, twin Falls, and I just really immersed myself in the Washington, you know, even St Helens this summer, even maybe being. First and foremost, I have a lot of wood to chop. I have a lot of wood to chop and then I want to. I want to get these records out. I want to finalize the Prisoner Audio album. I want to get it released within before April, I hope, and then, if everything works right, I want the second album to be cut and done by December.
Speaker 1:Third place to hike or explore.
Speaker 2:Right now and this is going to sound weird, but I'm having a lot of fun on the Oregon, the southern coast of Oregon, just exploring, you know, the Umka River and the Rogue River. I'm sorry, and it's the good Lord, I'm losing my mind here. You got me all flustered now. We've been having a lot of time in southern Oregon Just beating around, beating around the paths.
Speaker 1:Check out a mountain Ashland area around Siskius man. Siskius is underrated dude.
Speaker 2:I've heard. I've heard about the Siskius. Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:In the Crag Castle. If you get a chance, go down to Crag Castle. It's like in Dunesmere, it's in. Dunesmere. Yeah, dude, it's beautiful, check it out.
Speaker 2:We've been talking about gearing up to do the PCT, just the Oregon version of it, it's no joke.
Speaker 1:I know, I know Like.
Speaker 2:I said, we got a lot of training to do. I've always been in pretty good physical shape, but it's going to take a lot of yes, sir.
Speaker 1:But these are things I'm working towards. The more you hike, the more you put yourself out there, the less mass you'll have. Dude, you get skinny. You get skinny because of the lack of nutrition and the food, and you're just out there just hustling. Yeah, man, you notice like pants don't fit as they used to around the waist, but the thighs are huge. Oh yeah, dude.
Speaker 2:I can stand to lose a few pounds, so it'd be okay, yeah yeah, it'll be good, just be prepared.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, favorite non-country singer, man or band Non-country singer?
Speaker 2:Dude. Yeah, it's guns and roses Nice. Yeah, that's the old school axle you know, back in back in the day I used to thought, I used to think that man was the best singer I've ever heard in my entire life. Oh yeah, just the rain she has. Oh yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Well, I get list and hiking, all time Number one bucket list, hiking, bucket list, hiking, climbing, running.
Speaker 2:It has to be hood and I don't know why it's my bucket list. I'm dead set on climbing Mount Hood. It's not not Rainier, not South sisters, which I will do, it's just a little lower on my priority list. There's something for me about Mount Hood that I want to do. I don't, I can't explain it. I don't know why. My wife doesn't know how I want to do it and she says I will sit at the lodge and wait for you to come down.
Speaker 1:It's iconic man, it's iconic. It's an iconic mountain. You see it for miles. Man, just like Rainier. But you know, you're in Oregon, you see it.
Speaker 2:There's something about that mountain that I'm obsessed with. What?
Speaker 1:do you?
Speaker 2:think it is. I really don't know. You know, a lot of people tell me I have squirrels running around in my head and these squirrels just keep pointing towards Mount Hood. I just want to climb that mountain. I don't know what it is, why I want to. Maybe in a former life I was a mountaineer and I died on Hood. I don't know, I want to. I had a hope. No, I don't know that, but I want to climb Mount Hood.
Speaker 1:It's a different monster man. It's different monsters, a different beast. And when you get to Hell's Kitchen, up to the shoot dude, oh my God, all you want to do is barf because of the funeral.
Speaker 2:And I know it's not going to be easy. I know it's going to be a lot of a lot of work. It's going to be tough. Anybody that knows me knows that I'm yeah, I'm just, I'm tenacious, and when I usually set my set my mind to something, knock on wood, whatever you want to call it I've always had good luck of following through with my dreams. I know that that sounds really cliche and kind of sticky, but yeah, every time I've set my mind to something that I really wanted to do, including songwriting, I've done so. That. Climbing Mount Hood, for whatever reason, that is my bucket list down the mountain Well, not literally, but that's where the hill I wanted down.
Speaker 1:Your first job was at your dream when you were a kid. No, sir, no, okay, all right, all right, just curious, trying to trying to figure it out. Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:And I can't tell you. I really don't know. If you asked my wife, she'll tell you the same thing. He's obsessed with climbing that damn mountain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll talk. We'll talk more man, we'll talk more. We will Bucket list music wise man, Just write more songs.
Speaker 2:You know, I I hit my bucket list, if you can believe it. When I started doing this and I started really wanting to do this, I said I wanted to write a song with Adam Carroll. I wrote one. It hasn't been recorded yet, but we wrote one and it's fantastic, if you don't mind me saying. And then I got to write a song with Zach Aaron. That was right below Adam Carroll's highlight of my songwriting career. Zach I just I'm in love with his music and he's just a great dude. And then I got to write with Del Insky. Again, this guy's amazing. He's an incredible musician and if a lot of go Joe somehow ends up in that movie, I think I might just put the guitars in the case and just say you know what? It's time to go on to something else, because I don't know if I could top that.
Speaker 1:No way you got to. You got to continue, man.
Speaker 2:I probably will, but I just don't know how I could. I don't know how I could top that. Writing another song with Zach Aaron would be pretty cool, yeah, but my goals are pretty simple. I just wanted people to hear my music and hear my stories. I sing differently, my stories are different. It's something you're not going to find on the radio, and I just want to keep getting better at my craft. Well, the song is not radio stock. No, I have this radio in years.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't even know song and, like I told my last or last week's singer out of Willamette Valley we'll talk about this later I told them I hate country music man.
Speaker 2:I really do.
Speaker 1:I hate this stuff now. I hate it.
Speaker 2:It's a little different.
Speaker 1:It's not, it's not even, it's not even, it's not even.
Speaker 2:I heard that I was just trying to be kind. It's not my cup of tea, yes.
Speaker 1:So I mean when I say I don't like country, it doesn't mean I don't. Yeah, the subgenres, I figured, is what I love subgenres and it's sad that the subgenres are a lot better than the actual genre itself.
Speaker 1:I feel that way with self Sticking, sticking back to Americana, singer, songwriter, do that. I love it, I've always loved it, and just the lyrics itself, man, the angst and a lot of the music alone to just explain life and that's why I enjoy it. Now, the beers and the bars and stuff like that, not so much. Or the babes and the chicks. That's old man, that's old. It's all quick. What doesn't get old is when you're out hiking or anywhere out doors you have to bring a snack. A lot of people bring chips. A lot of people bring God knows what that they feel comfortable with. I feel comfortable with the PBJ sandwich. Right, you eat PBJ sandwiches.
Speaker 2:I, if I had to go to a desert island and take one food with me, it would be the PB and J, all day long, every day. And if they let me bring more than one group food group with me, I'd bring pancakes and make. That's what I've been doing lately making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with pancakes is from a bread.
Speaker 1:That they, that's, that's, that's gnarly. So do you put peanut butter on your pancakes? Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:And jelly.
Speaker 1:I don't do the jelly, but, man, a lot of people make fun of me for putting peanut butter on my pancakes. They're like why do you do that? It's just like a candy bar.
Speaker 2:You know it's amazing, it's the one of the, just the simple pleasure. Yeah, it's different.
Speaker 1:So. So how do you build the peanut butter jelly sandwich with the pancakes man? What's the ratio?
Speaker 2:What, what, what, not Well you know again, I'm kind of a bigger guy so I can eat a lot. My dream used to be competing in a hot dog eating contest at Nathan's Carn, Carnie Island, New York, but that felt didn't work out. So good luck with that, yeah.
Speaker 1:I know right.
Speaker 2:I can't hang with those guys. So you get, you get your base layer pancake, get a good layer of peanut butter and then you put another layer of jelly, put another pancake on top of it, do the same thing like you're building a wedding cake put another layer of peanut butter. Sometimes I use smooth on the bottom and chunky on top, and then I use great, both layers and then I put the the top layer on. This is where it gets even stranger. Sometimes Then I douse it in maple syrup.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so do you eat? You eat your PBJ with a fork.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sir, okay, unless I packing it with me, then I don't. If I'm packing it with me, I don't. You know, I don't put any syrup on it, I just put the pancake in a Ziploc baggy.
Speaker 1:That's the first. That's the first. People are going to be like blown away. And then you know what? Then my buddy, dan the man's going to be like hey, dude, I got you a PBJ sandwich, but it's with you, you got to, you got to try it.
Speaker 2:You have to try it. It's amazing. Now, if you're at home, yes, eat it with a fork, like George Cassandre did with the Snickers bars on the Seinfeld. But if you're going to go out hiking or go out somewhere, just lay off the, lay off the syrup, put it in the Ziploc baggy and it's good to go.
Speaker 1:No, I got a question now, since we're on this food kick. You eat cornbread, right? Yes, sir, all right. Do you eat with syrup, maple syrup? No, sir. What Hot butter? Hot butter, yeah.
Speaker 2:I guess it's not hot butter, hot cornbread, then butter melts, that's yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, sir. I thought we, we just became best friends on that one.
Speaker 2:I've never tried it. It sounds delicious, I just never tried it. Try it, okay, it's a southern thing. Yes, it is, it's a southern thing.
Speaker 1:Red beans and rice and cornbread. There it is, yep, all right. No-transcript. Waterboy, Waterboy okay, waterboy, every day music. What? What music do you hit every day, like when you have to be in the car? What kind of music?
Speaker 2:is it man? I don't listen to music in the car?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:I go weeks and months without listening to music.
Speaker 1:So I cast books audio books okay, what? What's the book you're reading right now? Or?
Speaker 2:I just blended in the vile Winston Churchill.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:World War two Yep.
Speaker 1:Yep, all right. Favorite song book podcast of all time yours, I was gonna be like, not mine, please.
Speaker 2:No, I had to say I love Joe Rogan. I mean, everybody else does, but I really, really appreciate what he's doing. I like Lex Friedman. Um, he has a great podcast. I'm a huge twin peaks Person. I don't know, diane, it's a, it's a podcast about twin peaks. Yeah, love and fatuated with that one too, and the audio books, like I said, it's blended in. The vile is amazing what Churchill and what they went through in World War two and I got through with sapiens not too long ago.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, all-time favorite song number one, not number two, not number three, number one number one and with all apologies to my Adam Carroll, who is my favorite songwriter ever, the acoustic version of play a train song by Todd Snyder is my very number one song.
Speaker 1:I'll have to check that out.
Speaker 2:It is something about that song. It's like climbing Mount Hood. I, I can't stop listening to it. And then there's I'm so long somebody could cry by Hank Williams.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know, Yep, okay, that's that. That's some good stuff right there, all right, well, man, hey, I Honestly appreciate this conversation, man. I loved it I. We can continue on. We don't have all the time in the world. I would like to have you back on. I want to talk about hood, I want to talk about more of this the Bigfoot and All that other stuff in Crater Lake, the clusters, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:If you, if you don't mind, any time you want to talk about it. I'm nearly. It sounds terrible. I'm obsessed with it and I know that's a. Can you see? Can you see my buddy back here?
Speaker 1:No, I haven't seen you once oh okay, well, I have a.
Speaker 2:there's my big foot, wearing his mardi Gras beats behind me.
Speaker 1:I see okay, but you know it's not a negative thing. All you have to say is that you're a believer and people understand man. You don't have to say you're not a. You don't have to say you're a kook or you're not a kook. You know that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:It's, it's out there, it is and I can talk to you for hours about some of the stuff that I've been researching and I've got that that documentary is really Not only open my eyes to other people's experiences who are like me and you, just normal people, but it's also I've gotten to know some producers and some writers and some other. It's just really opened up a world for me and I've been really really lucky and fortunate beyond my wildest expectations.
Speaker 1:So whenever you have time again and we don't have to reschedule now like since season's over, dude, I'm good until track, I'm only going on to the, the track meets. I'm not coaching, coaching, so I helped the coach there and the track meets. But from now till whenever you have time, man, let's sit back and figure out a couple shows on the clusters and Bigfoot and maybe the, the paranormal stuff that's in and around the national parks. Not trying to take up David's stuff, but I'm very interested in I want to hear other people talk about this what we know in David's books and in his documentaries.
Speaker 2:He doesn't say that, but he sure does dance around it a lot about Paranormal. The Bigfoot, you know, maybe is the reason why some of these and you know there is a lot of and this new documentary. I don't want to spoil anything, but you know there was a reason that the Native American folklore talked about shape shifters and Bigfoot might be one of those shape shifters.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, it's. It's some of it, some of the style witness testimony in this new new documentary. It makes you just stop and wonder. All right, you gotta check it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, where can you? You said next month correct, it comes out.
Speaker 2:It's out now. It's on. It's only on the God, I hope I'm pronouncing this right. The Vimo app, the I am you know app. Hmm, am I saying that right? Vimeo, there you go. Yes, sir, I think it's. It's only on that app right now. They had some problems with distributorship, but it should be out on iTunes Prime, all the normal streaming services up within a month or two.
Speaker 1:Okay, but you can check it out on that app, right now, send me the name, send me the stuff so I can promote it, you know, and Put it out there, especially promoting this episode and promoting you. Where can people find you?
Speaker 2:I'm on Instagram and early Wayne blue and Facebook and just Wayne blue.
Speaker 1:Wayne blue. Okay, you want to add anything? Did I miss anything, or we're good?
Speaker 2:man, I can't thank you enough for the opportunity. I know I've told you that numerous times, but I really, I really do appreciate it and I appreciate what you do and I Will take any advice you have on Mount Hood. I, that is my, that is my. I Don't. I told you I don't know why it's my bucket list, but I want to do that damn mountain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got you man, and you know they're Dan the man. I you've you probably heard some of the podcast with him on that right, yes, I'm. I'm normally a quiet guy, I believe it or not I am, especially when I'm out there. I just want to conquer it and get it on and, you know, just take it in. You know, and this was when we went to hood. That was his first outing with somebody on hood and he's done like I think, 10 times, 8 or 10 times, you know. And this first time with me, right, he was struggling, but what? When I was with them, I always checked in on him. You know, I always do that, always make sure. Hey, good, you good. It was probably annoying, but you know, he's like Nick, that was nice of you, thank you, you know that, and never really experienced that kind of thing, you know.
Speaker 1:And then I Was up the chute and I see he was below me and I'm like, yeah, you good, and you know, couldn't hear each other because there were so many people on the shoe and I hit the top. I was like Dan the man, you know, just like on top of the world. And right, I went up there, just took it in and Took a lot of pictures for people, because that's all people want, and I sat there for 30 minutes. I was like, where's this guy at, he's like? And he finally shows up right. And he's like dude, I wasn't gonna go up there, but because you Yelled at me and I made it, I had to come up. So, yeah, man, that, that that is a special mountain, it's. It's brutal. If you hit it right, dude, it'll do do great for you. Man.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, and I will take you up on talking about hood, and I would love to go up there with you in the time, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I'd normally go out like right as soon as Spring is almost over.
Speaker 2:That's what I was told best time.
Speaker 1:It's still cold, but it's definitely doable If you get the snow hard. When it's hard, you're good, you're you're golden, you need it hard. Yeah sure, that's what I that's what I hear. Yeah, so, man, until next time. Dude, please come back next time and the next time after that, wayne, please.
Speaker 2:Anytime you want to, nick I'll. I'll be in touch with you now. Keep you updated on the prison rodeo too.
Speaker 1:All right, nice. Thank you so much. Thank you, you, you.