Matt Connarton Unleashed: Rebecca Turmel

0:00 Speaker 1: And now joining us alive in studio here if we have Rebecca Turmael, Hello, welcome.

0:04 Speaker 2: It's awesome to be here. Yes, talk music.

0:07 Speaker 1: And no for wonderful to have you. Yeah, that's that's a beautiful song you had mentioned off air, I think something about Is that the first song you recorded?

0:16 Speaker 2: Yes, so that's the first song that I went into the studio with. I was terrified. My guitar had never been in a recording studio. Yeah, that was a little over two years ago. Now I released that in July of twenty twenty two, so it's it's been a bit and it's been a journey so far.

0:35 Speaker 1: Where did you record that?

0:36 Speaker 2: I record that at the Underground in Randolph, Vermont with Vincent. He's incredible in such a great space over there.

0:45 Speaker 1: Now, how did you How did you come to record there? Because you know, you've got so many options as far as studios or or even home recording or there's so many different ways now to record. What led you to record there?

0:57 Speaker 2: I well, first of all, I know absolutely nothing about recording any of that fun stuff. So a good friend of mine who I brought the song to, Jim Yeager. He's been in the music industry for well over forty years now. He recommended Vinnie because I just needed a place where I could feel comfortable, because I was so frightened to get into the studio for the first time. Yeah, so He's like, get us to the other Ground. It's a great spot and they have a great acoustic sound. So I'm like, all right, let's do it.

1:28 Speaker 2: And I ended up falling in love with the space. And I'm really glad of that choice that I made to go to the Underground.

1:33 Speaker 1: Yeah, now did you because you sent us a couple other songs? Who were these all recorded there?

1:38 Speaker 2: No? Actually, I actually I've had the privilege of getting I got to record at Blackbird's studio in Nashville, but I also have recorded up at Squam Sound with Randy Rus. I've kind of tried a few different spaces and actually just this week I was at the studio Portland and Portland Main Oh no kidding, So I just I like to try a new space with most each song. But wish you well. I also recorded at the Underground as well.

2:05 Speaker 1: The studio in Portland. Was that because John MacArthur. I think that's how we met. We met you through John. Yes, is that the studio where it's him and his son, I think.

2:16 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, the Sam MacArthur and John and his wife Weaver are also the co owners of that studio. But they do a great monthly event for singer songwriters in duo acts. You can go in and get a video, live video, and a live recording on one take in one night. But it's also an in studio audience in there too, so you get like this, it's awesome.

2:41 Speaker 1: Is it intimidating to do that? Oh?

2:43 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a very small space, right right, Yeah, but it was really cool because you got to just live in the moment with the music, but capture it as well and like with that professional sound in that professional video.

2:56 Speaker 1: Yeah.

2:57 Speaker 2: So you get a little bit of everything, which is nice, and especially when I'm a working, a full time working musician, I need a lot of content, video content and stuff for my ePK. It was great to do.

3:07 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no doubt. Now you So I read your bio. Did you start out doing covers and then started doing originals?

3:15 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I've been. Actually I just hit my seven year anniversary of playing out.

3:20 Speaker 1: Oh congratulations.

3:21 Speaker 2: I started off as a cover artist, a gigging musician. My first gig was in my hometown at this Irish pub I worked at. It was Kathleen's Cottage now it's Kathleen's Irish Pub, and I just I did that for a while. I would take songs that I loved, songs that were meaningful to me, and tried to make them my own, yeah, make performance with it. And I finally decided, Okay, I need to try writing my own stuff and seeing how that feels like. And it's definitely an entirely different experience.

3:50 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting because for a lot of singer songwriters, you know, a lot of people we talked to on the show, they start out with original music and then they wind up doing covers live because they kind of have to because it helps, you know, as far as getting gigs, and that's what a lot of venues want. So it's interesting for you it kind of went the other way. I mean, was it always your plan to ultimately do your own material or not?

4:13 Speaker 2: Really? It honestly wasn't even my plan to do music to begin with. I usually started off in the theater. Okay, So when I was a little girl at my first show, I think I was like nine years old, but I fell in love with performing, being on stage and in college. I dabbled with my guitar in high school, but I didn't really do much with it. I picked it back up and started playing songs and went to some open mics with some friends, some other theater kids, and because it's just fun to do that stuff. Yeah, then I was getting gig opportunities.

4:43 Speaker 2: People asked me to play at their bars and restaurants, and it's just flourished into this whole journey, not only musical discovery but self discovery as well.

4:54 Speaker 1: And to be able to do that full time. It seems like this is because I the other thing, I was surprised reading your bio. It seems like, in the grand scheme of things, you haven't been at this that long, but it seems like you've been able to really, you know, have a lot of success very quickly with it, which is great.

5:12 Speaker 2: Yeah. I feel extremely fortunate that the opportunities that have come my way. It's it's just astounding to think of how far I have come because I've only been doing it full time for about two years now. Yeah, but I have a really great support system. I've had some wonderful mentors in my life. That really guided me and helped me so far, and I think helps with that trajectory to get yeah further along a little bit faster. Yeah, of course I'm always nosing the grindstone, just yeah.

5:42 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like like in terms of mentors, like like I assume John MacArthur is one, right, oh yeah.

5:48 Speaker 2: And Brad Myrick as well. I actually am a self taught guitarist and I just recently decided okay, it's time and I really understand what I'm doing, and I've been diving into some guitar lessons as well.

5:59 Speaker 1: Yeah.

6:00 Speaker 2: But my my first mentor was also previously my manager, was Jimmy Eager, and he was a blessing to have at the beginning because I've always like been so I'm so nervous about everything all the time. I don't need to be, but i am. It's just a trade of mind I can't seem to get rid of. But he did a really good job keeping me level headed and just and being honest with me. So it's been nice to have just people who are genuinely there and who care, and it's just it's I'm so grateful for everyone I've had.

6:29 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, how do you find how do you find those people? Because I hear a lot of especially young musicians, say it's hard to find mentors or people they can really trust, Like have you just been fortunate or do you have some kind of you know, are you intuitive in a way where you know, Okay, this person I think is going to help me in their genuine and they you know, because there's a lot of I don't know sharks. I don't know how else to put it.

6:53 Speaker 2: You know what I mean, I know exactly what you mean. I think it's just been a mix of both just being fortunate and also I just I really love being a part of our music community, and I play a lot, but when I'm not playing, I really try to get out and see what else everyone else is doing, especially the full timers, because it's hard. So I love to show support. And with that, that's everyone that I've met who's going to my life that has really been through, like mutual music friends who have known them previously.

7:23 Speaker 2: So that's how I ran into Jim and I was performing with a friend of mine and he's just the friendliest person there is. So he goes around and talks to everybody, and I'm so glad that he introduced himself to me, and I wanted to with him. I'm missing something. I wanted an unbiased opinion, and I didn't really know Jim that well at that point. So I sent him that song and he's like, don't release this. Can I meet with you? And I'm like, what do you mean? And he was just telling me how he wanted to help and he didn't want like he wished he had someone when he started out to not make the same mistakes that he did, and being the understanding of the industry, which is has changed so much, it's constantly changing.

8:03 Speaker 2: Yeah, but someone just has the understanding. So I've gotten lucky with meeting those people. Yeah, it's just so funny. You meet one person and someone else comes into the picture. You can learn something from everyone, Oh really can?

8:15 Speaker 1: Yeah? Absolutely? Yeah. I think I think so much of being successful is is, you know, putting out the right energy and attracting people into your you know, into your career and into your life, just generally who are also positive and uh, you know, and and you know, like you said, you know, you meet one person, then that leads to meeting another person and another person and it sounds like you've you've been able to meet uh people who are you know, like I said, genuine and and kind of build that support system.

8:45 Speaker 1: And like John MacArthur, we had him on the show. It was it was a few months ago now and uh yeah he was great and just you know, just so positive. And you know, because there is a lot of negativity too, in the sense that especially for for people who've been around while like like I have, the industry has changed a lot, you know, as technology has changed, the industry has changed, and you know, and there is a lot of there's a lot of negativity. There's a lot of frustration, and I think it's easy to get jaded, which a lot of people, you know, a lot a lot of people do.

9:18 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, they're not sharks, they're just jaded, you know what I mean. So so to be able to surround yourself with positive people who want what's best for you and who want want what's best for the scene and really kind of see it as a community, I think is really important.

9:31 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with you there there's if we're not connected with each other. To me, it's nothing is ever a competition either, and everyone has something to offer as a musician and I really respect and admire anybody who just does this in any way, shape or form. So I always I have I feel like I do have a good sense of just like understanding people and where they're coming from. Like you were saying, it is really hard to not get take things personally, especially if someone doesn't like your music or your sound.

10:06 Speaker 2: Sure sure so, like you said, surrounding yourself with like a positive group of people who are going after the same thing, or I try to choose surround myself with people who are in a place that I want to be or a level that I'm not at yet. I just love I love I love learning. I just want to learn from everyone.

10:23 Speaker 1: You just said something very important because what a lot of people don't understand. And this this supplies not just in music, but in so many things. People get people get frustrated, People get envious of people who are doing better than they are, and and so I think people will often miss an opportunity to learn from someone because they're frustrated that they're not where that person is where they think they should be. And it's important to you know, my the way I tend to think of it, as you know, I mean, there are people who are you know, I do a few different things, and there are people who are far more successful these things than I am.

11:01 Speaker 1: But I look at those people and I try to take inspiration, try to learn from them. But also if they can do it, then that's proof of concept, you know, because none of it, it's nothing is a zero sum game. Life is not a zero sum game. The music industry is not a zero some game. Just because somebody is doing better doesn't mean you're automatically doing worse. Really, it's an opportunity for you to learn from them and to kind of maybe try to model what they do or follow their example whatever it is, you know, or just you see them succeed and it's like, okay, well if they can do it, I can do it, you know.

11:33 Speaker 1: And to really and to really kind of remember that and keep that in mind.

11:36 Speaker 2: Oh definitely. Yeah, And everyone has their own path in this industry in particular, it's different for everyone. Yeah, there's And what I'm learning too is success for everyone is different. We define success differently. So I'm really trying to figure or figure it right now what successful means to me and and kind of let that guide me as well. All because what's working for someone else may actually may not work for me. So I think it's just in terms two of thinking what a success to you? And right now, if I could pay my bills with my music, that is success.

12:12 Speaker 2: I'm so fortunate for that. I count my blessing. Because you also don't know how long it's gonna last.

12:17 Speaker 1: Sure, sure, yeah.

12:18 Speaker 2: It's all unknown. Every day is unknown, which makes it exciting but also terrifying.

12:24 Speaker 1: What has surprised you? Are there things that have surprised you just in terms of are there things about about your career where you kind of go, Okay, I didn't think this would be like this. I didn't think, Uh, I don't know. I didn't. I didn't think that, you know, whatever it is, it could even be something negative, like I didn't think, you know, Spotify would pay so poorly or whatever it is. Like, are there things even counter that have really been a surprise to you?

12:49 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean there's always surprises around every corner. Yeah, but with this, I think I've just been really surprising myself. I haven't really I didn't really realize what i've I was capable of because I've I'm always such like a nervous and shy person I'm I look at myself as like an introverted extrovert, like I actually have a really hard time with performing, which has always surprised me because I love the theater and being on stage. But that was that was down that I think about. It probably the first most kind of like shock factor for me.

13:25 Speaker 2: When I got on stage for the first time, I was my guitar. I'm like, oh, I'm not a character. I'm not playing somebody interesting. This is me, and you can't I mean, you can't act unless you want to try to be a different persona. But it's it's a goal of mine to always be as authentic and just be myself and hope that's enough. But that was that was really shocking to me, to just be like, whoa this is. It's a completely different game than I thought it was performance wise. But there's there's just been a lot of different experience instance that I have that have been surprising.

14:02 Speaker 2: Like Jim challenged me, He's like got me down to Blackbirds Studio in Nashville, and thinking like I had so many thoughts of what that experience was going to be like and how those people what they were going to be like. All my cesson musicians and my producer, and I did get to meet John McBride too, which was really cool. But I was just shocked at how down to earth and humble all those guys were and inviting and warm and welcoming. I was so scared for absolutely no reason. I was treated with respect, which is refreshing in an industry where people always you never know.

14:40 Speaker 2: We were talking about earlier, but I think it's there's just been so many surprises, but beautiful surprises too, and just again it goes back to discovering myself. I don't really I'm still finding myself. I just turned twenty seven, so I still feel like I'm still kid, right, It's better starting to figure it out.

15:05 Speaker 1: Yeah, the the Nashville perspective is interesting. We've we've had a lot of guests on the show who you know, they talk about going to Nashville and how intimidating it is, you know, because it's Nashville. But you know, they they find people who or they have you know, usually if someone has some sort of a connection already in Nashville, you know it's it's hopefully it's going to be a positive experience, and it usually turns out to be but it's you know, that's that's pretty intimidating. You know, it sounds really scary to me.

15:33 Speaker 1: Is like those songwriting circles, and I'm sure those happen. I know they happened in New York City too, But but Nash, I mean, that sounds like really intense pressure. I don't know if you had an opportunity to do that when you were there.

15:45 Speaker 2: No, I did not perform when I was down there. I was just in the studio, and I'm glad I didn't because I definitely am not ready for them. Yeah, it's like you said, it's intimidating. Yeah, those are some of the best people in the game.

15:56 Speaker 1: Yep.

15:56 Speaker 2: Yeah, but then again, I come up here in New Hampshire and we also have the talent is in my opinion at at some of the same level. Yeah, it's not directed to one location, but it was cool to go experience it.

16:12 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, No, I agree with you though. It's like, you know, any anywhere. I mean, we have an incredible music scene here, but I would also say that's probably the case anywhere, Like any anywhere in the world, there's people, you know, that's the thing. We're fortunate to live in an era where, because of the Internet, you know, you can find music from anywhere in the world and find something you like. You know, there's we live in an amazing time in that sense, because, like Jenny and I are old enough to remember when you know, you go to the you go to the record store and you flip through and you find stuff, and you know, now you can just go online find anything you want.

16:43 Speaker 1: You know, I mean literally, you know any genre and you know you want to hear some Norwegian speed metal, well you can. You can go online and google that and find some and you might find something you like. You know. It's it's it's really a remarkable time that way. I feel like too. In music, people are just generally musicians creative types are just generally more supportive. I often draw a contrast with stand up comedy. Now, I have no experience in stand up comedy. I'm not a comic, but some of the podcasts that I've fallen into listening to over the years are hosted by comics, and my impression of stand up comedy is that it's very cutthroat and everyone kind of secretly hates each other, and sometimes it spills out into the open and it's but but with music, I feel like all genres too, I feel like like people are just generally more supportive and want to see other people succeed and and want to want to help each other, and there's much more of a sense of community.

17:41 Speaker 2: Oh definitely. Yeah, And that was honestly a big reason too why I made that transition from theater to the to music, because I felt more of a warm and welcoming community. Yeah, it's it's hard. With professional theater, it's it's very competitive and like every everything matter is like inside and out, like and you got to be a triple threat. And I've never just been into competition.

18:08 Speaker 1: Yeah.

18:09 Speaker 2: Just so when I was started out and playing out live and the the amount of support that I got despite not being that good when I first started, I look back at somebody was like, oh my gosh, but we all get to start somewhere.

18:25 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.

18:26 Speaker 2: So. Yeah, it's just that when people are are warm and welcoming it it helps everybody in the long run. We all need to support each other and be part of it together because it can be isolating. We're all on the road by ourselves. So when you can get together or watch someone else it's so important to make those connections.

18:46 Speaker 1: By the way you use the term triple threat, I think I've heard that before apply to theater. Is that? Let me let me see if I if I have it right? Is it? You got to be able to sing, dance and act?

18:56 Speaker 2: You got it? I could not do the dance part.

19:00 Speaker 1: Really, did you do theater for a long time?

19:03 Speaker 2: I did? Yeah? I actually I was in the theater program up in Plmouth State University and I did some shows at like in the Interlake Summer Theater. There was a professional theater out of like the Tilt and prep school, so I was in both like community and professional stage shows. Yeah, which was really cool. And again like those difference in communities in the support system. Community theater is in my opinion, so important for to have in every every city, every town that it was just so important to my development growing up and just having the arts.

19:39 Speaker 1: Yeah, I need them absolutely. So without that experience, you might not be doing what you're doing now, I would assume.

19:45 Speaker 2: Yeah, I probably wouldn't. I don't think i'd have the ability to. It's hard to step on stage.

19:51 Speaker 1: Sure, sure does that work for it? So I don't do it anymore. I used to play in bands, and for me it was always because I'm in introvert but which is surprises some people when they hear me say that because I do this, But it's like, yeah, but if you really understand, because extroverts don't understand what being an introvert really is in some ways. But but for me, it was always with playing out. It was like I would be very anxious right up to the moment of getting on stage. Once I was on stage, I just all that fell away.

20:25 Speaker 1: Although I never did what you did, so I always played in bands. So when you're a dude and a band with a bunch of dudes, it's a little different, you know what. It's safer, you know what I mean. I was the bass Like, if I'm a bass player in a rock band, there's you know, and other bass players might not like when I say this, but there's not a lot of pressure really because the attention is not on me when I'm on stage, but doing what you do, the attention is all on you.

20:51 Speaker 2: Yeah. It's scary, especially being by yourself. Yeah, And I've really had to work on being confident with my guitar, being self taught, yeah, and trying to figure that out too, But it's I think, no matter what, it's just a step foot on stage, on any type of stage, no matter if it's twenty people, one hundred and fifty people. To me, it's always scary, like you're saying, I still get that, Like I despite seven years up until like I'm on stage, it takes me a little bit to settle in, but then once I do and get comfortable, it kind of fades away.

21:25 Speaker 1: Yeah.

21:25 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I'm also a perfectionist. I nitpick everything, so I try. I got to like find a way to escape and get out of my head. And so because the music does that for me, Yeah, I Garrett of this, I'm just okay, what's the music that I'm playing? What's the story I'm telling?

21:39 Speaker 1: Well, you kind of want to be a little anxious, right, Like in a way, it's you know, it might not be the most pleasant thing to feel that nervousness, but if it went away, wouldn't you kind of miss it? Because then it's like because then you might start wondering, I don't know, is this exciting to be still? Or am I getting complacent? You know?

21:56 Speaker 2: You make a good point there, Yeah, the nerves tell us that we care and it's important to us. Yeah, And maybe that's why I haven't lost it, because every day I don't, this just gets more meaningful to me because I've been doing it for so long now and chasing something kind of not really still not knowing what I'm chasing. Yeah, and just all I know is I want to have a career in music, right, But you could do so much with that, right, But.

22:22 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I because I had moments. I remember, you know, there were a couple of shows along the way where I wasn't nervous before. But I look back and I realized, well, that's because there were shows where maybe there was hardly anyone there. So it's like, well, I kind of takes the pressure off when you're playing to an empty room. It's like there's nobody here, but you know, but then we'd play a show where there were people, and I'd get nervous again, and it's like, okay, good, good, it's still there.

22:44 Speaker 1: But yeah, I'd like I'm I'm very much an introvert, but for me, it's like I'm much more comfortable being on stage or any kind of performance element. That's where I feel the safest, you know, whether it's being on stage, playing in a band, or being behind a microphone doing a radio show or public speaking doesn't phaze me at all. Actually enjoy it. I'm I feel more comfortable speaking in public than I do just having a conversation with somebody. And I mean, you know I can do. I used to be very socially awkward, but I I dealt with that.

23:20 Speaker 1: But but but ultimately, like this is where I feel the safest behind this microphone. You know what I mean? Does that make sense?

23:26 Speaker 2: It sure does. I know exactly what you mean and it and people don't understand it that don't do it?

23:32 Speaker 1: Yeah, what do you mean?

23:33 Speaker 2: You're scared to get that you're or you sing so well or you you've been doing this for so long and I'm like it doesn't matter every time. I'm still just so terrifying, right right. I actually had the first opportunity to open for someone thanks to the a Hampshire Music Collective. Yeah, John MacArthur. I got to open up for John Gorka the Bank and hands Odd and it was incredible and I I really didn't think I was. I was trying to keep myself cong because I knew I was going to be nervous yeah, and I got up there.

24:06 Speaker 2: All I had to do was play for twenty minutes. I play for three hours almost every day. All of a sudden, Yeah, but I got so incredibly nervous. I had to run off stage and immediately throw up. I will how much I was worked up. Thank god, nobody could tell.

24:21 Speaker 1: You mean at the end of the site yeh oh wow.

24:23 Speaker 2: And thank god. So I run around the ground. Yeah, And in my head, I'm like, why it's so scared Because I have been doing this so long and it was my own I'm wondering if it was with my own music. But I'm just finding that maybe it's just for me. But I don't think it's going to go away. Those nerves are always going to be there. Yeah, But I just I care so deeply, and I also just want to create an experience for anyone that's at one of my shows, even if it's just to escape or or to get out whatever you're feeling that heartbreak they just went through.

24:57 Speaker 2: Sometimes I just need to hear that sad song. But yeah, I think I will forever be nervously.

25:07 Speaker 1: Have you got an open for for anybody else like that?

25:09 Speaker 2: Like John Gorka, No, that's that's it so far. I hope to that's my goin in the future to do more of that. I really enjoyed it.

25:18 Speaker 1: Do you have like a kind of a dream idea of who you'd really like to open for? Is there someone you just think would be.

25:25 Speaker 2: Would love to open up for? Liz Longley So she's one of my favorite singer songwriters.

25:31 Speaker 1: Not familiar with her.

25:32 Speaker 2: She I think she's from Pennsylvania, but she's in Nashville. It's kind of like an Americana artist, but she does a little bit of everything. But I saw her live at the Tupelou Music Hall. I just wanted to go to a show. I had the night off. I never get Fridays or Saturdays off. I think this was like this is probably four years ago now, and I saw it was a female artist, and if I get a chance, like I always try to find someone that I can just go for inspiration or just to see what someone else is doing.

26:03 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I absolutely fell in love with her in the way that she told her stories and her songs just had a great sound. But I absolutely adore her and her One of her songs is actually what inspired me to write my own and am I missing something. So if I could open up for her one day that I think I could fit well into into like her sound too like we'd pair well.

26:26 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, oh very cool.

26:29 Speaker 2: Maybe one day.

26:30 Speaker 1: If you're just joining us. Rebecca Turmelo is here with us live in studio. Have you is anyone reached out to her like to try to you know, like maybe John or somebody like just kind of.

26:44 Speaker 2: I would like to, but I think I'd be too scared to do it right now, you know what I mean. But it's Liz Longley. I need to be ready because that actually so, I'm in a duo partner with I'm so lucky, my boyfriend and musical genius all in one. We play together all the time. Oh, we saw her when she came to The Flying Monkey at the beginning. It was March, I think this year, and he's like, you have to go talk to her because she came out after the show. Oh really, I my first experience with like getting starstruck.

27:17 Speaker 2: Yeah, like, is this what it feels like? But she he told her that we always play her song Camaro. It's this song is incredible in terms of like the lyrics and the story, the story I can relate to and she's like, oh, send me a video when you get the chance. So every time we play it. Now I've been taking a video and I'm like, when it's right, maybe we'll send it over to her. See what happens. And maybe that could be the opportunity.

27:40 Speaker 1: That could be No, that that could very well, that could very well be an n So. Now, so how often do you play as a duo?

27:48 Speaker 2: Not too often, probably about like two or three times a month. But we just played actually last night, we played a thirtieth birthday party for a good friend of ours. But we we've been writing some music together and that's been another great experience lately, is working and writing with someone else. And we we endo actually it was the two of us that recorded the studio Portland, so I'm really hoping we got some good takes because it was nerve wracking. Yeah, So I hope to have some of our music out soon because we performed to do it that we wrote together there excellent.

28:24 Speaker 1: Does he also play guitar?

28:26 Speaker 2: Okay, he's the most talented guitarist that I know, but he also is a singer songwriter. He produces great with all the recording, so I'm actually learning a lot from him in that sense. Brendan Gill Gill and he just actually released his first single are You Here, and self produced that and mixed it on his own, and I'm the quality of it. It just came out great, And I'm like, I wish, I wish I would have put a little bit more time into my first song. I mean, I'm proud of how it came out, but it's nice to see, like because he put a lot of time and years into it versus I just kind of had of ripped that band aid off.

29:05 Speaker 2: I'm just gonna get in there. Whatever happens, happens, we'll capture it, right. I can always rerecord it right, right, So I it's it's it's it's cool to like meet somebody else who has a different perspective and a different way of doing things because I'm learning from that. Yeah, I'm not stuck in my ways. I'm seeing how something else works with a different approach.

29:24 Speaker 1: Right.

29:25 Speaker 2: So I'm lucky too, Like I just I get to spend all my time with him doing what I love, with the person I love that. There's nothing that beats that.

29:33 Speaker 1: That's awesome, excellent, excellent, Well we should uh, we'll play another track. What should we play next? I'll let you pick, We've got the road song or wish you well.

29:42 Speaker 2: Let's do wish you well because that was that's kind of like part two to am I missing something? Oh?

29:46 Speaker 1: Okay, perfect, and then we'll play We'll play road song at the end of the segment. But if you are just so on your nest. Rebecca Turmael is with us here in studio? Oh which studio was this one recorded?

29:56 Speaker 2: Also the underground?

29:57 Speaker 1: Okay? Gotcha? And vermont yep? Okay, very good? All right? This is wish you Well.

30:25 Speaker 3: I did everything I ford do to try and page,

30:33 Speaker 3: but that's not who I have ever seen.

30:43 Speaker 4: Even after all those things you didn't say.

30:51 Speaker 5: I don't wanna oh them against you.

30:55 Speaker 6: Wish you well instead?

30:59 Speaker 1: How is shot?

31:01 Speaker 6: If I could tell you to Louie your pass this one man.

31:07 Speaker 1: Say I it's your.

31:10 Speaker 6: Bill. Oh, I'll miss you.

31:18 Speaker 4: I found this noll boy your turn roumb man. I'm letting go of it over learning from upping.

31:37 Speaker 5: I hope you you cannot be free from all your pace.

31:46 Speaker 5: It may not work out, but I'll pbab.

31:50 Speaker 3: Be a shilling. Oh it's you.

31:56 Speaker 6: If I could tell you to your face he's working, I'd say, upbraid to love yourself.

32:07 Speaker 3: It's true. I always shoe.

32:30 Speaker 2: I wish you.

32:32 Speaker 6: If I could tell you to.

32:35 Speaker 1: Your face he's working, i'd say, upbraid.

32:41 Speaker 6: To love yourself. It's okay, A small half.

32:48 Speaker 3: Always sure.

32:50 Speaker 6: If I can tell to you always he's work, it's saying I wish you.

33:17 Speaker 1: Oh that's nice, I wish you well. Rebecca Turmel is here with us live in studio. Yeah, we were. We were kind of talking off air about the song and how great the mix is and and how how nice those guitars sound, and as you pointed out to the drums sound really good. And and he's a he's a what's his name, Vinnie is it?

33:35 Speaker 2: Yeah? Vincent Freeman.

33:36 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a drummer. Yeah.

33:39 Speaker 5: Yeah.

33:40 Speaker 1: Now that's a lot of the stuff that comes out in Nashville to I always say this, I'm curious if you agree with me in terms of production. I mean, the production on that is phenomenal. I feel like I'm not a I'm not a big country guy, but i feel like the best produced because I have a somewhat of a background in audio production, the best produced music to me, But you just hear on the radio on commercial radio is coming out of Nashville in terms of how the guitars sound and how the drums sound, Like, I feel like Nashville's really got it down right now, you know.

34:11 Speaker 1: But I'm picky as hell too, like especially about how drums sound, you know, like something went somewhere along the line with I think it probably started in the nineties, like with rock music. Something to me went wrong with the way guitars are recorded. They they don't sound right to me. And and a lot of a lot with drums too, you know. But I feel like, but anything that comes out in Nashville, it's like they've really nailed it.

34:35 Speaker 3: You know.

34:36 Speaker 2: Yeah, And that's a big reason why I made the decision to go down there. I would have sent you that song, but I didn't have a radio edit. And I say one bad word, no, but it's not really that bad. But I wrote this song with Jim called Girls on Fire my female empowerment anthem. But that was something I noticed too when I was down there or listening back to just like the first take, Yeah, like is this real?

35:04 Speaker 1: So good?

35:04 Speaker 2: They haven't even touched it yet, Yeah, but they had one of those I just I don't have too much knowledge on it yet. I'm learning more about it, Like one of the original Neve consoles. Does that sound correct?

35:16 Speaker 4: Uh?

35:17 Speaker 2: And but the drum sound that came out of that was really really impressive. And that was the first time too, when I was in that studio noticing and starting to listen and hear the difference in sounds and instruments and even my vocals and background vocals. Yeah, And that's why I kind of had have been experimenting with jumping around at different studios so I can learn and hear it and know what I like because I don't. I don't know that yet. I finely recorded a handful of songs so far.

35:48 Speaker 1: All the backing vocals.

35:49 Speaker 2: That's all you I assume on Yeah, I wish you well yep. And then am I missing stuff they too?

35:54 Speaker 1: Yeah? Okay, yeah? Yeah?

35:58 Speaker 3: Is that? Uh?

35:59 Speaker 6: Is that?

36:00 Speaker 1: And to do like those layered vocals where you're kind of harmonizing with yourself or does that come easy?

36:06 Speaker 2: It can be. That's something I noticed too, and growing up in the theater and I did course, Yeah, I was a kid too, so that helps me in terms of being able to hear it. But yeah, when it's your own voice, and you're like and it's it's kind of funky. Uh So it was nice. When I was down at Blackbird, I was able to hire a background vocalist and she came in and I swear it only took her like five minutes. And it's not an easy song to sing. I'm in there all day, like I'm not going to do this. And then her name was Marcia, and she was just just like just this beautiful, bright, bubbly energy that I needed day.

36:42 Speaker 2: But she just sang was like I'll never forget what she said too. She's like, wow, girl, this is a barn burner.

36:49 Speaker 1: Oh that's school. That's cool.

36:51 Speaker 2: I will never forget that. Yeah, but it was nice to hear that difference too, and it's it I would like to like, it's I can do it myself, but I feel like it adds a different element and a different sound and gives it more of a quality to it when you have a contrasting tone or what it's kind of similar.

37:07 Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt. Now are these all on an album that's available or what?

37:15 Speaker 3: No?

37:15 Speaker 2: No, I actually have been releasing single by single okay, because I really being new to it and just not sure of where it was going or what I wanted to do. I wanted to just like give each song sole focus. Yeah so far, But actually I just recently finished recording. It still needs to be mixed and master and all. That my first collection of songs in a three song EP, okay, and that was that was interesting to do because I haven't done that yet, working on a collection of music and keeping like a similar sound and stories and such.

37:52 Speaker 2: But yeah, the song by song I think was a good choice for me, just being is not knowing who I was an artist yet, that makes sense.

38:02 Speaker 1: Yeah, And you know, we again, we live in a time where you know, you've got different options in terms of like when I was growing up, it was, you know, somebody would put out an album and usually there would be a single for the album that would go to radio, usually six eight weeks before the album was coming out, and then the album would come out and then subsequent singles would come out. And that was just the standard way of doing it. Whereas now you know, you can do it any way you want to, like a lot of a lot of guests that we have on the show, do it the way you're doing it, where you know you have a series of singles and maybe eventually those singles become an EP or an album or maybe not.

38:37 Speaker 2: But yeah, there was something interesting actually that Minnie told me from the underground. He's like, have you ever heard of the Waterfall release?

38:44 Speaker 1: The Waterfall Effect? Yeah, oh, Temple Mountain, you know Temple. Yeah, he was on last week and he was talking about that, because that's been his.

38:52 Speaker 2: Approach to Yeah, and it seems to work for people. But in our constantly changing music industry and especially with the way people consume their music, I think to releasing song by song, it gives more life to each to each song and and not something for people to look forward to and stay stay connected with. You release all those songs at once, like that moment's over. You can kind of actend that when you release song by song, because especially as as someone like me who's also writing music and trying to become a recording artist as well, building that community and keeping those my followers and my fans engaged and just in wanting to hear more.

39:38 Speaker 2: So I think it's been it's been working so far. But I'm really intrigued by that Waterfall release and here I might utilize that.

39:45 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, absolutely. The time goes so fast. So what's what's kind of your uh what do you see as sort of the long term trajectory or do you know, like, do you have kind of a plan in terms of are you going or maybe I don't know if you're done a national tour or no.

40:03 Speaker 2: But I would love even I it's just around New England, just to go out perform some shows singer songwriter style, just me and my guitar and tell my stories. But my my also make goal. Like I I just I just love being in the studio and creating, and I've always wanted to look into what it would be like to write for other people as well, because I just love writing and creating and being in that process, Like being in the spotlight is not really what I want necessarily. I just want to create the music and create something meaningful.

40:42 Speaker 1: Okay.

40:43 Speaker 2: So because it's it's so funny and it feels weird to say this, but if I didn't have to perform again, I'd be okay with that. But as long as I have my studio and I can write my music and just play my guitar, happy because it's what we were talking about. It's so nerve wracking, and but for some reason, I have to keep doing it right. It's like a calling and I can't. I can't be a songwriter thout performing. So it's like kind of you gotta do it. It's hand in hand.

41:10 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, well yeah, and it's working for you. It's it's uh, it's definitely working. Have you You mentioned earlier too, because you know our audience, we know this industry, people who listen. There's also a lot of musicians who are you know, uh, trying to make their way. Do you have any advice for someone because you you've been able to really make some leaps and bounds in a short time, do you have any advice for someone who's maybe starting out, maybe a singer songwriter starting out.

41:37 Speaker 2: The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to those around you. Like we were saying earlier, it's not a comparison. Use it as a learning experience. Yeah, you are your own person, You have your own perspective, in your own voice. So trust that that's enough. I did in that first and it's it's hard to ignore all the noise, so to say, sure, but also just just forcing yourself to do it. If you're scared of something. You should probably go and do that thing because that's going to bring you further.

42:11 Speaker 2: I remember I couldn't even keep my hands still when I was playing my guitar, but I'm like, I'm doing it because you cannot get better if you don't do it. So I think the biggest thing that helped me was just forcing myself into those difficult situations, figuring it out in the moment. And although I may not have believed in myself, just at least trying to find a little bit belief. So do the hard things and just do the best you can. At the end of the day, that's all you can do. Just do something, move the goalpost, even if it's just a little bit.

42:41 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's great advice, absolutely absolutely, And where should people go online to keep up with everything that you're doing.

42:49 Speaker 2: So I have a website Rebecca Tremel dot com, but you can find me on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see me perform, my mom bands intown too, so which is a great website alert see in your area.

43:02 Speaker 1: I love that absolutely, But I'm all around.

43:05 Speaker 2: I'm actually we'll be at a Oddball Brewing tonight in Pembrooke, or sun Cook for the first time.

43:10 Speaker 1: Okay, so I'm all.

43:12 Speaker 2: Over, I try I play. I play a lot in New Hampshire, but I'm in Masson Vermont sometimes as well. Yeah, I'll go where over they'll let me sing with my guitar.

43:20 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. Where's the furthest you've gone as far as playing shows?

43:25 Speaker 2: I mean I played down in Florida then that was moretest because on vacation. But in this area by Portland's probably the farthest. No, actually, because now I've been in Killington, that's pretty part. That's pretty far too in terms of where I'm located. But probably the farthest I've driven is three hours for a show. Yeah, and I think that's something too that that helped me get a little bit farther. Is I just I didn't care how long I had to drive where I had to go, just if I had the gig opportunity again getting that experience that helped me out tremendously.

43:56 Speaker 2: Am I I'll take it, I'll drive.

43:58 Speaker 1: I can do it well. That that reminds me of what you know, we had a Frank Gallagher played at a plague Dad rather on with us during the first hour. You know, He's from Portland, and he was saying, uh, yeah, just you know, play out as much as possible, which is which is interesting too because some some people it tends to be more though, people in bands, people in like four piece rock bands, who say, yeah, you actually don't want to play out too much because you risk oversaturating. But but I I always when I used to play, I always just wanted to play as much as I possibly could, you know, That was my That was my kind of ethos about it.

44:32 Speaker 1: Just just get out there and play as much as you can. I mean, I think you know, if you're playing the same like if you're playing the same bar every single week or something, you can oversaturate. But but you also want the experience and and you know, and and seize every opportunity to uh, you know, to get out there. And and because it's not the other thing too that I think some people miss is it's not just about being in front of audiences. It's also about making those connections. You know, you might go play to a room where the there's only a couple of people there, but one of those couple of people might also be a musician, and they might also they might be interested in what you're doing, or they might do something else in the scene, you know, and they want to connect with you.

45:09 Speaker 1: And so there's always opportunities, and you know, you miss all those opportunities if you don't take them.

45:15 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you you never know who's going to be in the crowd yep. I never like if there's a venue that reached. I always tried to play each place that reaches out to me, despite like maybe other judgments people have, like about the room or whatever. I always try to get my own opinion. I think everybody it deserves the benefit of the doubt, but it you just you never know who's going to be there. I actually this past summer I was playing at a Shopper's Pub in Manchester and God Smacks guitar tech and manager.

45:48 Speaker 2: We're eating dinner. I was playing and he ended up giving me VIP passes to go see the show and I'm just Shoppers Pub is so cool.

45:58 Speaker 1: Yeah, you just never know. You just never know. Well, Rebecca, thank you so much. Rebecca Turmel here with us in studio this morning. This has been wonderful. In a moment, we'll close out with the Road song. Anything we should know about this one before we play it, Rebecca.

46:14 Speaker 2: So this song, it's fitting we're ending on it, especially after everything we talked about. This is like my homage to all my other full time musicians out there.

46:23 Speaker 1: Oh cool.

46:23 Speaker 2: And this is a song that I wrote with Jim Yeger and probably the one I'm most proud of so far. We actually have Jackson Brown's guitarist Boul McCollum on this track vocal to Vermont and I said it just captured the essence of the road and he sure did so.

46:37 Speaker 1: Oh very cool, very cool, perfect way to end all right here. It is Rebecca Turmel. This is called the Road Song.