Mike Loughlin | Matt Connarton Unleashed

0:06 Speaker 1: Well, check that out. That is a recording of a live rehearsal there from our friend and studio who we're going to talk to in just a moment. Welcome everybody. We have entered our number two New Marrow dose of Matt Connorton Unleashed and we are live from the studios of wm NH ninety five point three FM and Glorious Manchester, New Hampshire. And of course you can stream the show from anywhere. Go to Matt connorton dot com slash live for all your live streaming options, social media links, contact info, show archives, et cetera, et cetera, and don't forget to check out our brand new site, Matt Connorton Unleashed dot com, dedicated specifically to the show.

0:42 Speaker 1: You can find the archive of the show there, although we are still adding some features to the site, but please take a look at that if you haven't already. By the way, if you were with us in the first hour of the show today, I just heard from Dave Derby from the Dan Builders. He was supposed to be joining us during the first hour but ran into an issue, but we might get him on in the hour today, so this might all work out. But let's focus on right now because our friend Mike Lachlan is here in studio.

1:07 Speaker 1: Let me get those Uh, Mike's up there. How you doing, Mike, Let's see keep talking?

1:14 Speaker 2: Is it good? Oh?

1:15 Speaker 1: Yeah, there we go?

1:16 Speaker 2: Are we unleashed? Here? Is this unleashed too?

1:18 Speaker 1: This is Matt Connorton unleash and we are live from the studios of wh Sorry it's from my guitar a little please, would you? Oh that sounds gorgeous. Well, that sounds so good. That sounds so good. So Mike Lachlan of course, And I got to adjust this camera because you gotta have a camera on you, Mike Lachlan, very old friend. Yeah, I always say I was saying this this morning when I was talking about who's coming on the show today, And you've heard me say this a thousand times. I can always remember exactly how long I've known you.

1:48 Speaker 1: You remember why, right I do? I met you? I think it was literally the week of nine to eleven.

1:54 Speaker 2: We have that power over the event, our friendship. I could make a really horrible joke, but I won't, but I'll leave it.

2:00 Speaker 1: There too soon. Yeah no, but uh, but that that is very easy to remember, how long I've known you. So it's been twenty five years.

2:09 Speaker 2: Oh my god, Yeah, it's time. Time doesn't just fly, It's it's so fleeting. It's I don't even it feels like, honestly like ten years ago, but like it's twenty. Yeah.

2:20 Speaker 1: Yeah, it goes faster. You notice it goes faster as we get older.

2:23 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think it's a downward spiral toward the toilet bottom. You know that. It's like it it goes quicker.

2:27 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it sucks. Have you noticed that how much it sucks?

2:30 Speaker 2: Yeah?

2:30 Speaker 1: That it works out, works more. Ye, my knees, it's all terrible. I don't have any of those problems yet. I'm actually holding up really well. But uh see, I assume because I like, physically I still feel like I'm twenty five. But I think what that is is I'm just one of those people who I'm just gonna wake up one day and it's all gonna crash all at once. Like I'm just gonna wake up one morning with debilitating back pain and can barely walk and it's just gonna it's just all gonna hit me all at the same time.

2:56 Speaker 2: I think, Yes, I so do you? How are your eyes good, so am mine. I have really good eyes too. Yeah, but it's it's a I keep the same way you just said. I've heard from many people, including a brother of mine, that like, it's you're fine, and then the cliff, right, it just comes. I'm like, all right, yeah, yeah, not that we'll see.

3:13 Speaker 1: Yeah, i'd rather I think I like it the way I like it, the way I'm maintaining for now, at least, because I can still delude myself into just thinking I'm going to feel this way forever, even though you know I'm not going to see the cliff coming. But I guess you're not supposed to see the cliff coming now, would or it wouldn't be the cliff.

3:29 Speaker 2: But remember, you're not a mere mortal Matt. You are a former mister Olympian. So that's that is a thing that you you were not just amongst us minions here, You're you're a man amongst men.

3:40 Speaker 1: Thank you for mentioning that. Nobody ever brings that up, that I'm a former mister Olympian.

3:43 Speaker 2: It is on your IMDb. I thought it is.

3:46 Speaker 1: Yes, nobody ever gives me credit for it, though, it's almost like they think it's fake or something.

3:51 Speaker 2: I don't consider it fake. That's really checks. Don't check, don't look up, don't doubt it, don't look for real facts. Just just accept truth. Yes, when it comes from the mouth of anyone, it's more fun, That's what I say. It's more fun.

4:03 Speaker 1: Exactly well said Sir Well said, So, of course you are a musician from the area rumored to be Yeah, yeah, how's your life schedule been, You've been playing a lot.

4:14 Speaker 2: I've been playing. I mean, I know the last time I talked to you, I think I told you that I have like a vocal condition that kind of makes it rougher for me to play consistently, like back to back nights and right like that.

4:24 Speaker 1: So so you're still dealing with that.

4:27 Speaker 2: It's gonna be a chronic thing.

4:29 Speaker 1: I was told, so like as in, you're just stuck with it forever.

4:32 Speaker 2: I can manage it. But it's like it probably, I mean, it's like, you know, there's certain I was told dietary habits can change things, but I want a really strict diet and I didn't see any difference. So it's like, this is not fun. Oh wow, So you know it's it's I think part of it's probably psychological. You start overthinking because it's all about your tent, my tension in my vocal cords. Yeah, so if you get nervous or you start thinking about it too much, that becomes a par with your vocal cords because your upper body tenses up.

5:03 Speaker 1: Oh so, so it works the same as ed as what you're saying.

5:06 Speaker 2: I mean, let's just put it in the same let's put it in the same category.

5:12 Speaker 1: Sure, sure, So so how do you how do you manage that? So do you just you just don't play?

5:18 Speaker 2: I don't play. I can play basically. I play mostly once a week. Okay, sometimes twice, but that's rare. It stinks because I really, over the years and you've known me, I've I love playing in bands and I miss doing that. But the way of doing if I had rehearsal time and then gigs, that would make it really hard for me.

5:36 Speaker 1: Oh geez, I didn't even think of that part because.

5:38 Speaker 2: I'd be and I'm a pretty I go for it vocally, so it's hard for me to kind of just I can't just fake it and be like, Okay, tonight, we're going to do this and all this. But like the whole feeling of a practice even is come of the same as a live gig for me, so whis No, maybe that's wrong to do, but that's just the way it is for me, so right right.

5:55 Speaker 1: Wow, while I'm dying to hear you play, I haven't. It's been so long since when was the last time you're on the show? I know it's been at least a couple of years, because this is your first time in the news studio.

6:03 Speaker 2: It's three or four years ago. Oh my god, I don't wow, I don't know.

6:07 Speaker 1: No, I can't be that one.

6:08 Speaker 2: Four years ago sounds right, right? Maybe three? I remember you had who's the guy who? You had a great photo on the wall of a painting of one of your uh.

6:19 Speaker 1: Oh, it was probably Gonzo because because we used to have a lot of his.

6:23 Speaker 2: Artwork in the old studio front of some guy's head, and it was like, oh yeah, theograft head.

6:27 Speaker 1: The giant cardboard Peter whitehead.

6:29 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, that's great, I remember that one.

6:31 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, A little little less space here. This room is smaller, but but it's better, you know. The new building is wonderful. It's funny when I first found out we were moving here, because this used to be a bus station, and it still shows up on Google as a bus station, which is why there's even a sign on the building that says we do not sell bus tickets here because sometimes why people still ring the doorbell wanting bus tickets. It's crazy. But uh, when we've when I found out we were first moving here, I was like, oh, the building is going to be too small.

6:56 Speaker 1: We're moving there really, but it's kind of like one of those magic buildings where you walk in side and there's actually a lot more space on it than you would expect.

7:02 Speaker 2: It's like that movie back Rooms. Have you seen the trailer for that? No, it's like some old it's a YouTube thing from years ago. Oh really, but it's like one of those old industrial buildings. Yeah, that just seems to go on forever. Yeah, and that that's kind of the premise. It's like this weird space that's in there, that's like, how is this keep going?

7:18 Speaker 1: Right?

7:19 Speaker 2: So yeah, it's kind of it looks like this.

7:21 Speaker 1: Oh interesting to be had, it's interesting. Yeah. Well I'm dying. Are you play?

7:25 Speaker 3: What do you?

7:25 Speaker 1: What are you gonna play for us?

7:26 Speaker 2: I'm gonna play a new song called on deaf Ears.

7:29 Speaker 1: All right, Mike Laughlan here with us live in studio.

8:00 Speaker 4: You don't on your high horse.

8:03 Speaker 3: I want to see you ride somewhere aware of the righteous.

8:08 Speaker 4: Singing the sing le or his side.

8:12 Speaker 5: Let me be whitneys your lemma here, ain't ma'am from the congregation singing songs for only them?

8:24 Speaker 4: Maybe again, I'm you blind to see? But I don't they send men for me. I just want me taking for I high hide forty five found the words you sing?

8:38 Speaker 6: I would he speak the man anyway because I'm going where they be falling on ever.

8:47 Speaker 4: Again. See that I'm shining halos. I see the tears you shed.

9:16 Speaker 6: It's the only when there's eyes a round of siege.

9:20 Speaker 1: Just what you did, because.

9:22 Speaker 4: Every thing is our texts.

9:25 Speaker 3: Now, everything's for sale, currencies you and me.

9:31 Speaker 4: I saw.

9:32 Speaker 2: So what is Bill?

9:34 Speaker 4: Maybe he how't you're blind to see?

9:37 Speaker 6: But I know all this ain't meant for me, and I just want to take him for I hide. What if I found the words you say? I want here speak the man anyway.

9:51 Speaker 4: Because I know they be falling around ever.

9:57 Speaker 7: Again, and there everything there it was, He's upside down.

10:34 Speaker 6: And maybe you're just finally see I'm.

10:41 Speaker 4: Not play a lord.

11:09 Speaker 6: Maybe I'm just trying to see, I know on the same man for me.

11:15 Speaker 4: And night you's gonna be taken for. I hide.

11:21 Speaker 6: For if I've found the words you say, Oh Blain speak the man in wait.

11:26 Speaker 4: Of course I go where they be falling around Ethie again.

11:41 Speaker 8: Around ethe skin, around thee again.

12:01 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I love it. Oh that was great. See what's that called again?

12:06 Speaker 2: On deaf ears?

12:07 Speaker 1: On deaf ears? What a great track? If you're just joining us are a great song I should say not a track because it's not prerecorded, but welcome everybody, if you are just joining us. Mike Lachlan is here with us live in studio. That is wonderful. Now when did you write that? Was that recent?

12:23 Speaker 2: Probably in the last five months. Really, it's pretty four or five months, Yeah.

12:28 Speaker 1: Pretty fresh. Yeah. Well, any particular inspiration for that, I.

12:33 Speaker 2: Would just call somewhat social media madness, gotcha, gotcha. I mean that that warmhole of bottomless pit of nothing that I think is killing us and destroying us is that's kind of the inspiration somewhat. It's it's not an obvious but it's like partly.

12:49 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you've been talking about that a lot on You've been posting about that well actually over the years, I don't know if I saw something just the other day about it that you posted.

12:58 Speaker 2: I use it just for my own I always called about a digital bathroom stall like it's not like, it's not I expect nothing. It's just a way to I usually do either try to provoke by a thought, not like intentionally to try and be a provocateur, but just to kind of provoke thought or it's not it's nonsense and it's and I don't I don't think it's healthy for us. Especially. Facebook's unique that way because Facebook is people that are first of all, it's old people now, but it's a but it's mostly friends.

13:29 Speaker 2: It's not like Twitter or the artist formally known as twitter x. It's not like that where you're just shooting it off into the ether with people you don't know's it's people you know and then you start hating on each other. It's like, yeah, it's I was way too engaged like years ago, and I was like, this is horrible for my mental health. It was Dad, and I was like, all right, this is supposed to just be fun and silly, and I think I take I kind of took it that way I would take it having a conversation at a bar or in person.

13:58 Speaker 2: And I don't think most people are that good faith, right, And so I was like, oh, I like discussing. I find the world fascinating. Yeah, tragically and beautifully and all that. But like it was, it's just not healthy. And I can just talk to me about myself. But I can see a million people who have the same. Oh yeah, if you're unless you're just unfeeling. Yeah you want to like they're there to destroy, then okay, like good for you. It's kind of a psychopath but whatever.

14:26 Speaker 1: Yeah, my approach to it is, you know, I like to post some ghost I don't.

14:30 Speaker 2: Uh smart move the same thing I did that long ago.

14:33 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I don't. I don't argue with people on social media. It might be better for my content if I did, you know, in terms of social engagement, because I do. You know, we don't on this iteration of Unleashed. We don't do political stuff anymore, but as you know, we used to when I was on an Afternoon So now I keep all that on podcasts, and everything we do here is is not I mean, sometimes we dip into it because it's almost impossible not to sure, especially like if I'm talking to a band who has a message that's, you know, one one way or the other.

15:03 Speaker 1: Uh, usually only one way. I don't really want to hear too much. I don't really want to let too much of well, you know, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna have some you know, Maga band on my show. I guess this is what I'm trying. I'm not gonna interview five Finger Death Punch or something like that. I guess that is what I'm saying.

15:19 Speaker 2: But but but don't you find that as okay. So as an interviewer, though, I would say either way, if you're so anti Maga or pro Maga, that's boring to me. I can see why you like or dislike. Yeah, but I don't like. I don't understand the it's it's boring. As a thinker, I come. I'm always kind of a nuanced person, and that gets me hell from everyone right now. So it's like, oh, I see a play, I can go this way and go I see the point. I try to be pretty fair in my devil's advocacy, yes, and that drives by the way, just for the kids at home listening, it's horrible for your brain because it makes me feel schizophrenic at the time, right because I'm like, well, I see this way, but then I see it this way, and then I go this way explosion right now, So it's like a but it's I don't know, I find pure, it's boring.

16:06 Speaker 1: Well, A lot of part of the problem is I think that we and I've been saying I'm sure you've heard me say this before, because I've been saying this for literally decades. Critical thinking is so discouraged. You're supposed to be a binary thinker. You're supposed to be all the way on one end or all the way on the other. You're and all of your opinions you're supposed to like. You're literally not allowed to say I have mixed feelings about this or anything, or I'm conflicted about this, because then you get called wishy washy, you get called of fence sitter.

16:35 Speaker 1: Yes, you know, you have to be and you have to be consistently. If it's politics, you have to be consistently all one or all the other, or or because everybody eats their own, both liberals and conservatives and everybody, you know, they get so mad at you if you dare have an independent or a dissenting thought. You know, it's very clear, like like I mean, social media is more clickish than school was growing up.

16:57 Speaker 2: Way worse. Yeah, it's worse because there's an audio into watching and that makes the pressure of like did Matt just say that? What's going on with Matt?

17:06 Speaker 1: Right?

17:06 Speaker 2: It's like so, and it's not again as a person, and I know you obviously do because you do this on shows and I love talking. I hate politics. Yeah, I despise it because I think it's basically it's k fabey. It's really as a wrestler guy, it really is pro wrestling, and I think that people don't. It's so strange to me that we all kind of cry about it and get all mad about it, but then every four years we seem to play the game again and believe it's going to be different this time. Right, they're going to say I heard a comedian years ago say that every like politician should be like a NASCAR driver's jacket and have to we to wear their sponsor on their coach to go.

17:45 Speaker 2: Ah, I see where you're coming from, because everyone's just beholden to their biggest donor exactly. So it's like that, let's just be honest about it. So it doesn't mean they don't have feelings about something. I would say, agree with the people. You know, that person who is a D locally that you're friends with is not the same as a person who's a D in a senator. Yeah, the same thing. Are you probably have more in common at the local level between and these labels are silly. They're anachronistic too.

18:12 Speaker 2: I don't think that D and R mean anything anymore. I think that's much more. We're seeing a different alignment, I think, but especially right now, it's very interesting what's going on right now. Again, it's another we're going to do music, but like it's fascinating to me and I do like talking about it just on social media. It's because it's not the right place for it.

18:30 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I can't argue with people on social media.

18:32 Speaker 2: I just headache. Yeah, I've lost friends.

18:36 Speaker 6: Yeah.

18:37 Speaker 2: And it was like for and it's so funny in hindsight, I know now that they would be like, oh, that was a crazy thing I said, but they ghosted me and I was like, oh, you've known me for twenty five years and you thought that that's the interpretation you got because I think there was a madness in the last ten years that happened. I think that people went nuts, and I think it all revolves around the totem that is Trump. Yeah, there's a kind of there's a kind of religious worship and demonizing in both ways.

19:07 Speaker 2: It's kind of like this kind of he's either devil or a god, right, And I think that you can't have you can't, we don't. Religion is not a rational thing, right, so they kind of all become a rational agreed.

19:20 Speaker 1: Yeah. It infected my family too. You know, my dad passed away in December, and he was like, he was very uh, he was very angry with me for not agreeing with him.

19:31 Speaker 2: But here's before we move on from this. I know it can get really boring. This is what I'm going to say. This is my own last thing on politics. I think you have to stop looking at politics as a right left thing. Politically, if people start thinking about there's different there's right brained people and there's left brain people, and that truly is the right because there's if you're right brains, you're more usually kind of creative person, you're intuitive, a certain kind of a person that is that a left brain person is more organized and they're kind of there's a more, they're kind of more the the people who are managers at places that kind of here's a way to do it, and there's a fairness to a certain thing.

20:03 Speaker 2: Both those are virtues. You want both of them, but it's hard to convince a person who's got that value over here. It doesn't mean they're wrong. It means that they hold a hierarchy, one thing more important than the other than you do. And that's all that it is. And I think if people saw, oh that I get it, it would make us more because we're hating each other in a way that's weird to Me's some things. Look, I'm sure there's some things that you have a red line on that's like that's of course, of course, But like for the most part, I think it's we're all we're all just trying to get by.

20:36 Speaker 2: Man. It sounds like I'm kind of a hippie and the old school hippie way in that way, I'm just like, it's all just who cares, Like, let's all just be good to one another. It sounds like a cliche.

20:44 Speaker 1: But before we leave the subject entirely though, I just have to ask you this because when you and I worked together at Strawberries all those years ago, and and I just remember you and me and and Jeremy and of course out to Jeremy. Oh yeah, I love Jeremy. And every once in a while he'll say, like in Messenger, he'll send me something kiss related that he just happened. And he's not a kiss fan, but he'll just he'll see something. He'll say, Ill, Matt would like this, And of course Lee, and uh, you know, like it's it.

21:11 Speaker 1: Do you ever just kind of feel wistful for like it? It doesn't it seem like it was a simpler time. Yes, during the I never, like I never imagined I would pine for the days of the George W. Bush administration, but I actually do.

21:23 Speaker 2: I don't pine for the time. It's not that it's not the right way. It wasn't social media, right, That's the big There was no iPhone and there was no social media. Yeah, and the two big this is why again, if you want to rock me and many of my friends have talked about why there are no rock stars anymore, it's the phone. Yeah, Because if you had all the stories you hear about Aerosmith and led Zeppelin with there was phones everywhere.

21:42 Speaker 1: That's a you know, I've never even thought about.

21:44 Speaker 2: That would be that's why there's no rock stars. You have to be careful.

21:47 Speaker 1: I've never even thought of it that way. That's a great insight though.

21:50 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was like, oh, that's part. Now you have to get some people who say f it, right, But then they have to deal with the kind of collateral of that. Yes, because there was a thing and if he was nineteen seventy four, Jimmy Page was doing all kinds of things right, you know, and there was a kind of mythology and we didn't see it, but it was kind of accepted to because that's what rock stars do. We live in a different time now because of social media. And again I don't think it's good faith people for the most part who hear any ship.

22:18 Speaker 2: It's the kind of angry ones who but it's not accepted now, even though it's kind of this kind of a weird thing in the back of our head, that kind of as you're saying, you long for the days of George W. Bush, I don't, but I don't either, I know what you mean by that. It was simpler but it was no, I know you, I'm just hyperbolic. Yeah, yeah, it was a simpler time because we weren't. It was a smaller world. We're too we know too many things. Like I was thinking, kind of like social media, you know, that superpower of being inside someone's head.

22:48 Speaker 2: We could read people's thoughts. We kind of are now eating. I can go to the grocery store and if i'm Facebook friends or someone with like five people, I can go, oh, there's Billy. I know he thinks that's true. It's like a weird thing. It's not healthy though. I'm not supposed to know this much about each other. And that's why I think the beauty of yesteryear for rock stars was the kind of the mystique. That's why I've always thought Tool. I've always respected Tool because you didn't know anything about them for a modern band, like before you could.

23:18 Speaker 2: That was true of everyone. Yeah, it was always like David Bowie was just this this creature, you know, But like now everyone knows and everyone wants to be seen, which I hate. Yes, here we are here, I am It's boring.

23:32 Speaker 1: It is for dinner, especially a Rocks, which are rock.

23:36 Speaker 2: Stars, but any I mean maybe I'm I'm putting too much Creeds because I miss that because the rock Stars was part of my youth. But it's also I think it means something to culture. I think there's something about some girl or guy who's got swagger. I miss Courtney Love. It might sound crazy, I miss Corney, I miss I miss early Madonna. Like thought, there's no girl like that now. And I think that like Madonna was way more cutting edge than people give her credit for. I agree, it's like she's not Britney Spears as people compared, like she's the new Britain.

24:07 Speaker 2: Some Pearson's the new Britney Spears mean new Madonna, right, Sabrina Carpenter, No, you don't get it. Madonna was always going onto the underground clubs of London and Chicago and New York and finding the unknown dance music right and making that sound of pop right, whereas modern popular. Who's the I want? Who's the guy from Sweden put does everything? Matt Moore, Matt uh Something, I forget his name, but he does every song these producers. I want the famous guy who can make me sound like a hit boring right, Like that's not gonna make You're gonna sound.

24:37 Speaker 1: Like everybody else exactly.

24:38 Speaker 2: So I miss originality. I miss Marilyn Manson. I'm never the biggest Manson fan, But I love the kind of that guy's doing that right, That rebel spirit I guess of music is gone.

24:50 Speaker 1: And he's still and it's not like like he's an example of someone who's still very active making music. But but the but the reaction to it is is not there, like he seems past today.

25:00 Speaker 2: Now I think it's going to come back, I really do. I think there's a kind of I just I think kids who are the children of Gen xers, I think gen X was so coolah and by the way we were that's right, No, I say this Gen X is the coolest generation. We're not the greatest generation, but we're the coolest generation. And because I mean, it's what. It was a magical time to be alive, and art was great, movies and film movies and music, and it was just a cool time to be alive for a lot of reasons. It was a lucky time to be alive, to be fair, to go through your kind of formative years.

25:39 Speaker 1: So I agree, I agree, well, very good. While I'm dying to here another one if you're just joining us. Oh quick update for our live listeners. Dave Derby from The Damn Builders will be with us at eleven fifteen am in the third hour. So we have we have secured Dave Derby, which I'm relieved about because I was bummed I didn't get to stoked to him earlier. Remember the Damn Builders, they're they're Boston band, but they were on MTV. When I first found out I was gonna be interviewing Dave today, I was like, oh my god.

26:08 Speaker 1: I remembered the video for Shine. Do you remember that?

26:11 Speaker 2: I certainly know the name. I don't know I did they play with. I feel like they played with someone big that I know, like probably that I was like a really big fan of and they work were either they did a song with. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe think of the wrong band. I definitely know the name, ye yeah.

26:27 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Well very good. So what are you gonna play for us now, Mike?

26:30 Speaker 2: I'm gonna play a newer song called lust and Wine.

26:33 Speaker 1: All right, Mike, Mike Lachlan is here with us live in studio.

27:16 Speaker 3: Were the dayline makes Me nervous, makes me want you on?

27:22 Speaker 1: And I.

27:25 Speaker 3: Memor Rezi burning when they're put before the lie where some things are e turnal. It's some things odd, divine

27:43 Speaker 3: loved lingers lasting if you won't Space and time.

27:50 Speaker 6: In these estes taste like staying white.

28:00 Speaker 3: And I.

28:02 Speaker 4: My copy is spoke by my way.

28:05 Speaker 9: Run strive.

28:11 Speaker 4: Nin't you wings that could give me fly both? The Devil's Song keeps me here tonight.

28:38 Speaker 9: Will redize while I'm reading.

28:42 Speaker 3: Scattered along the Flies, your poetry and fiction.

28:50 Speaker 4: I all it made me feel alive.

28:55 Speaker 3: Will Maybe I'm just stating now just by in time.

29:04 Speaker 4: Chill, I am released by that aint just kissed you night.

29:12 Speaker 3: Now these ashes taaste like lostan why.

29:20 Speaker 7: He now.

29:23 Speaker 4: My cumpy is fuver my way wrong?

29:27 Speaker 6: Strip Ain't your wings could help me fly?

29:37 Speaker 8: Boy?

29:38 Speaker 4: The Devil's Song keeps me eing tonight.

30:15 Speaker 6: Here now, she says, she's tea my lord stand away

30:24 Speaker 6: Now my cuffe is full by my way worn stripe.

30:35 Speaker 4: The angel wings that could heve me fly.

30:40 Speaker 1: Move?

30:41 Speaker 4: The Devil's Song it keeps me it tonight.

31:04 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. Mike Lachlan is here with us a live in studio that was great. That's called lust and wine. All right, very very good if you are just doing us. Mike Lachlan is here with us. He's been playing some tunes and we've been talking, and uh, I've known Mike for a very long time. Are you in the five timers club here on the show?

31:23 Speaker 2: Have you been on five time?

31:25 Speaker 1: Probably?

31:25 Speaker 2: Probably this show?

31:26 Speaker 1: Probably?

31:27 Speaker 2: I don't think three right, right.

31:29 Speaker 1: It's easy to lose track because I've interviewed you on Local Outbreak and you've been and you were the original host.

31:34 Speaker 2: And we've we've we've talked what four score probably times that we've done many.

31:40 Speaker 1: Many, absolutely absolutely remember. One of the times was at the salon at Styling Souls in Manchester. Do you remember that?

31:48 Speaker 2: That was? Yeah? That was yeah, that was right. Wow, that's a long time. That was sixteen years ago.

31:54 Speaker 1: Oh my god.

31:54 Speaker 2: That was because I was going to move to New York. Oh that's right, yeah, and then that'll whatever. Yeah, yeah, I was leaving and I was like, oh I was gonna do I did a show?

32:04 Speaker 1: You ended up in another band?

32:07 Speaker 2: I would I started another band at that time, but I was planning on it was going to end. It's kind of a temporary thing because I was like, I have so much really with that band, which was Glorious Noise, and my old band was Mantra. Yes, and then but Mantra was it kind of grew, it grew out of itself. In my from what I was going, I was like, the sound that became Glorious Noise was the sound. I wanted Mantra to be well, at least try for a little while, Try a new shoot on for a little bit, right, more rhythmic, yeah, which we could have because we had the people.

32:38 Speaker 2: It was just I don't know, I think it's just life. I think some things it was. Part of it was we just creatively were different, and some of it was also just life happened. You know, kids, people had kids and that stuff happens to bands, you know.

32:54 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely absolutely do you. I mean, I know, you know you talked earlier about the what is it called again as a dystonia.

33:01 Speaker 2: It's called muscular muscle tension dysphonia dysphonia. Yeah, I always get the JV version of what RFK Junior has. Oh really like he has the much more. You could hear it in his voice, but it's neu. I think it's they say when I went, they said it might be neurological, but it's I think it's more psychological. If I'm being I've looked up online and you don't trust everything you read online. But they told me that at when I went for vocal therapy too. It could be some of that. It's and I also sing incorrectly.

33:30 Speaker 2: You do in one way, they said, I don't breathe.

33:34 Speaker 1: Enough more with your throat than probably I've never.

33:36 Speaker 2: Learned how to sing. So it's like.

33:39 Speaker 1: It's like it works for you.

33:41 Speaker 2: But but yeah, but I think it's one of those Well that's kind of unfortunately what the therapist Scalp told me. She said, you've been lucky that you've got by because you're good enough at this to do You've probably hurt your your vocal, your your The way you sing is not technically correct. So I don't know, I mean, and it's I've tried things I can't. It's it's hard to break. I don't know. I feel sometimes I feel great, yeah, and sometimes I don't. It's it's it's like a hit or miss things.

34:09 Speaker 1: Yeah, because you've been dealing with this for quite a few years now, right.

34:12 Speaker 2: Yeah, And when I play gigs, I'm playing for three hours, so it gets tired. Oh my god. Yeah, but that's mean with breaks obviously, so it's probably about closer to like two ten. Yeah, but uh it's still you know, it's it. It is what it is, So I mean whatever, we all have our cross to bear. Oh, of course, of course as a singer, it sucks.

34:33 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. Do you miss being in a band ever? Yeah?

34:36 Speaker 2: I missed feeling the kick drum. Yeah, it's just like one of those or like feeling like that kind of resonance from the bass. I was actually gonna ask you a question about music. Yes, I was thinking about old bands from that era. Yeah, yeah, a band you were in.

34:51 Speaker 1: Yeah.

34:51 Speaker 2: Is there any Is there any kind of recordings of Viper Casino?

34:59 Speaker 1: No, because we never got it. We never played a single show as.

35:03 Speaker 2: You ever rehearsed, you guys record anything together?

35:06 Speaker 1: No, So so Hillman and I, you know, we got together a bunch and just played, and then we were supposed to do a show. I had a show booked in. Uh jeez, where was it.

35:20 Speaker 2: I was excited for you guys. I was really close with Andrew, so.

35:23 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I was. I was excited about it because I thought the whole thing was cool as hell, and it was very bizarre, which was cool. Yeah, that's part of what I was excited about. I was like, this is so far out of anything I've done. And then he just totally blew me off because leading up to the show, he just stopped communicating with me. That's but I don't know if you remember he did eventually apologize to me.

35:45 Speaker 2: He's a nice dude.

35:45 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, because because you were with him when he did, because he came in I was an f ye and conquered and you guys came into them all that day and he actually came and apologized to me. This was like years later. Yeah, but he finally said I'm sorry, and and uh, you know he's said something about he was just going through a lot at the time.

36:02 Speaker 2: And was it similar to what he was doing as Viper.

36:05 Speaker 4: Yeah.

36:06 Speaker 1: The idea was it was going to be what he was doing as Viper, but I was going to play bass. I was gonna be his live bass player, and we were going to do this thing where he'd be in the he'd be in the Viper, his Viper costume or whatever you want to call. It was all crazy, and I was gonna wear a suit so it would be that contrast and his manager. Yeah, yeah, or kind of like, you know, he's Viper and I'm the I'm the pit boss of the casino or something, you know. Because it was Viper Casino. That was that was what it was going to be, and I was so excited about it.

36:34 Speaker 1: And then he just and we had a show booked. It was going to be our first show together as Viper Casino, and he just uh, but I'll tell you this, that remains one of my favorite interviews I've ever done. When I before before Vipers, when it was when he was his Viper and he just started his Viper and I interviewed him, and it remains to this day one of my favorite interviews because he's totally in character at the entire time and it was hilarious.

37:01 Speaker 2: It was when I was to week. I was there. You probably were there for it was that in his barn. No, Okay, there was something I remember. I think I was there for this though.

37:11 Speaker 1: I mean I vividly remember the barn. I remember he was there too for that. Yeah, I remember you being there for stuff. Yeah, because I think we did a follow up, but he was No. This was when I was hosting the Metal Classroom on rage Rock Radio dot com. Okay, so it was like my first time ever hosting my own show and uh or eventually the Metal Classroom became the hidden track. And I can't remember if it was still the Metal Classroom or for it to become the hidden track at that point, but but yeah, and it was he was it was.

37:38 Speaker 1: Do you remember Hammer. You must have met Hammer at some point Hammer Hammer owned rage rock Radio dot Com. I've completely lost touch with him. He's out of the music scene entirely as far as I know. But but so he owned rage Rock, so he gave me the gig hosting that show. And Viper was one of my first interviews on that show on rage rock Radio dot com. And yeah, he was totally in character and it was hilarious.

38:01 Speaker 2: I saw him do I'm not sure if it was his first show. It might have been. Yeah, it was either his first or second show.

38:06 Speaker 3: I was.

38:07 Speaker 2: I went with him. It was somewhere like in It was like Mass, something like your Mass or something.

38:14 Speaker 1: Oh, and it was at the jump Off.

38:17 Speaker 2: I don't remember the name of the club.

38:18 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure it was at the No Wild Yeah, the jump Off in Lawrence or something.

38:24 Speaker 2: It was either it was maybe it was I don't remember. It's all flurry to me, but it was it was whild watching like all these bands would play, and then he got up there in full mass smoke machine just yea and just these random repeated loop techno like skinny Puppy. It was like this wild thing. It was just and that for me, first of all, just kind of proud of my friend doing it. Yeah, he's he's committed and it was kind of great to see him come alive and do it. Yeah, because if anyone knows we're talking about Andrew Hillman, I've known him forever.

38:55 Speaker 2: He was in two of my bands.

38:56 Speaker 1: Yeah, very talent.

38:57 Speaker 2: He is also I wish he's a natural born rock star. Yeah, and like he just he's so good at it. And he's a great bass player. I played bass, oh yeah, so, but he has a totally interesting vibe of Yeah, he was committed to something that was totally unique, and he's hilarious. He's very fun very funny.

39:16 Speaker 1: But yeah, and I remember that night too because I obviously I was at that that show and uh, he said something about wanting to have a band, like like maybe having a bass player, and I was like really because I'll do it.

39:31 Speaker 2: You're that easy man. Oh yeah, Well I was just you were you were, you were intrigued.

39:35 Speaker 1: I was so into it because it was so strange and so cool. I was like, dude, if you want me to play with you, I'll play. Oh yeah, but uh but yeah, but it never never got off the ground anyway. But uh yeah, So you were Now when I first met you, you were in Something.

39:53 Speaker 2: The worst band name of all time. But I but whatever, it is what it.

39:56 Speaker 1: Is, but something. I feel like something kind of became mantra am.

39:59 Speaker 2: I if I'm totally being honest, it's all been kind of one thing because it's just growing.

40:05 Speaker 1: Because it's all each each successive band has had some of the same members.

40:09 Speaker 2: Right yeah, and there I mean, And I've written ninety five percent of the songs, and I kind of knew. I just my thing is that I'm not I always I'm not capable of pulling it off like I'm not Billy Corgan can do in the studio. Just do everything myself. And I like being in a band. The beauty of like like John Bellefonte, when I was in Something, it was me and Hillman were just playing in a barn and then I had these songs I was working on, but then John came in and started playing lead over them. I was like, whoa, what is that?

40:37 Speaker 2: That's exactly what we need because he wasn't playing the blues, and I was like, I don't John Ken play the blues and he does work it into his but like he was doing something that was like a universe of sound, and I was like, that's what we need, that's what I want, that's what we're looking for, and that kind of and if you remember, we were so naive other than John, I think the three of us that Me, Sean, and Andrew were kind of like kind of we're working through our abilities. We weren't like great players.

41:05 Speaker 2: I certainly was, and I can definitely at least own that for myself. Sean we gave him the bass because he's like, oh, we need a bass player, so he was cool enough to do it. But like, we were just naive and we happened to have I think I wrote decent songs and then John could really slay on guitar, and so it was it kind of we were we were a good band. I don't think we had to grown. Mantra was more songwriter based. The songs were more focused. I think they sound they were more like concise. And then I had both Gary Mayhew on drums, who's phenomenal, and then Sean, who's a pure great rock and roll drummer.

41:46 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love Sean thinks like a producer and not like a drummer. You've been like, he's not a he thinks the whole song, yes, which is so nice. That's so awesome as a guy who like he's he Sean the best. I wish he was going to be here tonight. I was hoping. But I'll be playing a show with Sean. We're doing That's one thing I wanted to say. Yeah, I do it kind of every almost a year. They do it at Giuseppe's and Meredith. They have a music memorial to raise money for a kid going to school college for music.

42:15 Speaker 2: So Sean's gonna be playing drums, and I got a guy named lu Parazzo playing piano, and we're gonna we're kind of like headlining. It sounds stupid, but we're the last band on although Tim Terrio, you know Tim Terrio is No, I don't know Tim. You he's amazing. Yeah, he's been playing forever he was. He went on tour with Sully from Godsmack. He was his guitar player. Okay, he's he was a big Portsmouth I forget the name of the band he was in. I feel horrible saying that, but he plays everywhere kind of in the Portsmouth area.

42:45 Speaker 2: He's great. He's a phenomenal I saw him play years ago at somewhere else and he played in the meantime by Uh, what's who did that?

42:55 Speaker 1: Oh that's that's space space Yeah, I couldnt think of it.

43:00 Speaker 2: And it was so good. Really yeah, I was like, oh, he's playing that song. Yeah, because when someone you do the circuit playing cover songs, you hear the same one of course, so it's like, oh he did that and they did sabotage but the Beastie Boys. I was like, that's great.

43:12 Speaker 3: Yeah.

43:12 Speaker 2: So and he he's just great.

43:14 Speaker 1: Yeah.

43:14 Speaker 2: So I love seeing people who can do great things that I can't do.

43:19 Speaker 1: Yeah, I have to get him on the show. Tim Terrio is his name.

43:22 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I don't know what he's could he just kind of do in the circuit now, but yeah, he plays professionally whatever you want to call it. He's a hired gun. Yeah, yeah, he's because he's a phenomenal player.

43:31 Speaker 1: Oh wow, oh very cool, very cool. We have time. Do you want to play one more?

43:37 Speaker 2: Sure? Do you want me to do a newer one or do you want me to do an older one? What do you want me?

43:41 Speaker 1: Well, I'm really enjoying hearing the new stuff. Okay, if you're just joining us, Mike Lachlan is here with us live in studio and uh yeah the other two you played were pretty new, right both?

43:50 Speaker 2: Yeah, for the last last half a year.

43:52 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Yeah, You've always been pretty prolific, right. Have you ever had a drought as a songwriter?

43:58 Speaker 2: Have you ever? I would say yes, in towards the tail end of Mantra. Really it was more because I was when you're in a band, you get together and like you have like an what you're doing. I didn't have anywhere to bring it. So I have a lot of songs I write playing right now. They're more acoustic bass because I'm playing acoustic guitar, but myself out. But I have been writing. I do write more kind of once it will be bent for a band, but I kind of just go, what's the point of doing that right now? Because I can't do anything with it, so I focus more on the acoustic ones in mantra.

44:29 Speaker 2: I was starting to red Letter Day was written in mantra. I wrote it on keyboard. I wanted this kind of wave sound, and I was like that, I don't think that band would have played it. Oh okay, So I was like, I want to start doing I wanted to start doing other things, and I think everyone to be I think everyone was kind of like we were doing well and like that kind of kept this going. But I think we all were interested in other things at that point in time. To everyone's sure, so sure, they're probably all sick me.

45:02 Speaker 1: All right, what are you gonna play for us?

45:04 Speaker 2: I'm only another newer one called A Space Inside your Mind?

45:09 Speaker 1: All right, Mike Lachlan live in studio with us.

45:25 Speaker 4: Sensu mentalist stool. Don't call me it all me. It is Stasi's so it's Ben. It's gonna be your came live me.

45:36 Speaker 3: It built a petty stool and put you stand in on you little jewel fan.

45:44 Speaker 4: Guess that was my phone. I'm not seen, I sing.

45:49 Speaker 6: Said it in post play. Ryl said I wasn't strong enough to be your man. I'm not asking for a four giveness. I'm not asking for your time, just asking for space inside your mind.

46:18 Speaker 3: Now give it you at church so I can feel either on my sense well of him?

46:25 Speaker 4: Was was in one of them?

46:27 Speaker 6: For you?

46:27 Speaker 4: It's sure, is man, go as will.

46:31 Speaker 6: There's something I keep ered in my soul. Will it's over now ye.

46:37 Speaker 9: Have blah blah blah.

46:38 Speaker 4: I had to see a go. I'm not singing.

46:42 Speaker 3: I was evil to things heeded and go his blame. Like Sheryl said, I wasn't strong enough to be old man. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm not asking for your time, just asking for speak inside your mind.

47:24 Speaker 4: Will I hate it and let it feed it? Sometimes promises and love.

47:32 Speaker 3: Just can't be cared. You been worn it and then be horned robber feelings. I had them, they never.

47:44 Speaker 5: Left, but they came to rest.

47:50 Speaker 3: Call me a sensi mentalistor, don't call me at all. It is just that. It's all it's been. It's gonna go to be your car b My may of builds up. Petty's still let but you stand.

48:07 Speaker 4: In no, but you live up to your a fantasy. I guess that was my fault. I'm not saying I was able things.

48:17 Speaker 6: They hid it in lost fan like Sheryl said, I wasn't strong enough to be your man. I'm not asking for forgiveness.

48:29 Speaker 4: I'm not asking for your time, just asking for speak inside your mind. Yeah, speak inside your mind.

48:45 Speaker 6: Oh, speak inside your mind, speak inside your mind.

49:03 Speaker 1: Fantastic, fantastic. Mike Lachlan here with us live in studio. Now, do you have any shows this weekend? Mike? Where's where's your next show? We should plug your next?

49:14 Speaker 3: Uh?

49:15 Speaker 2: Next, next Friday, I'm in a place called the New found in Okay, in Alexandria.

49:23 Speaker 1: Okay, there you go, very good. Next Friday night, all right, whatever? Yeah, what time do you go on?

49:33 Speaker 2: So bad at this? I think six?

49:34 Speaker 1: I think six to eight, okay, six to eight?

49:37 Speaker 2: All right?

49:38 Speaker 1: Well, so where should people go? I ask everybody this. I know you hate the s ques.

49:42 Speaker 2: I'm you can go and find me at led Zeppelin dot com. D No, I don't. I don't have any sites. It's I should be. I'm the worst at this the entire world. I I know. I get people all the time. Yeah asking me the question, Oh my god, it's like and it's very kind, it's very sweet and it's like, I know I should, I just don't. I don't think of me playing cover songs is a big deal, right, you know what I mean? Like I mean, I play my original I work. Yeah, seven or eight of them in every gig I play.

50:15 Speaker 1: Oh that's good.

50:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, But I just I'm happy for the people who see me. I don't think going to see a cover artist is not a thing people do. They go out for the night, and that's the person there. Yes, and there's the people that they like that go. I'll go see them again every once in a while because I like that person playing. Maybe there's those two people go to everyone of their shows. That seems insane to me. God bless you if you're supporting those people. I just get sick of hearing myself. I can't imagine how people getting sick of hearing me so playing the same songs because I just don't.

50:47 Speaker 2: I'm really lazy about learning new songs. I don't care about cover songs. Yeah, so I go I know that one off. Randomly, I'll play a song. If I'm working on a song, go oh that sounds like that song, and all just suddenly I'll play that song. I have to like it. Though, so I can't just go, oh, I get here's a question for you, doctor Matt. You're a man about town when you go, who do you think is? What do you think is the most requested song by people to go, Oh my god? Can you play this song?

51:17 Speaker 1: That's a great question.

51:18 Speaker 2: It used to be Freebird it kind of as a joke. Yeah, but I don't think that's what it is.

51:23 Speaker 1: Maybe, uh, What's Up by Fournin Blods.

51:28 Speaker 2: I think that's up there. I think the ones I think are country road.

51:32 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah.

51:33 Speaker 2: I'm always like, Okay, look it's Friday night. I'm sure if you come tomorrow the guy here is going to do it. I'm sure if you come here next Friday, the guy will do it. I'm sure to come the next night after that, the person will do it. It's every time, So I don't play that song. Yeah, here's Low by Cracker because you know it, but it's not done to death. There's certain songs that everyone wants to hear every time they're out, and maybe it's understandable. I'm not trying to be forgiving on that stuff, but yeah, really every.

52:04 Speaker 1: Time, I'm the same way. I don't get it. So I don't get it.

52:07 Speaker 2: Yeah, fire sublime where it's at what I got, what I got? Yeah, I like becks where it's at.

52:16 Speaker 1: That'd be cool, that would be that would be ah well, very good. Well, Mike, this is always a pleasure.

52:21 Speaker 2: My friend fantastics as well, Doctor Matt Connerton.

52:25 Speaker 1: We need to not let another. However many years it's been go by before you come back.

52:31 Speaker 2: Hopefully I can get somebody else again, Johnald, that could have He's cool to talk to. Yeah, Sean, Yeah, I sometimes feel like I'd love to have someone else here to kind of bounce off of.

52:42 Speaker 1: But yeah, definitely.

52:43 Speaker 2: It's just fun because I like I can talk myself, and it's fun to talk to you because you're a good interviewer. Matt. That's why you deserve to take the job. For me, I was horrible at it. I kind of always envisioned it is kind of kind of the only kind of plus of it for me is I kind of envisioned it the way most podcasts are now. Yeah, it was supposed to be a hang at like a bar with musicians, right, and so I remember talking the way you'd talk at a bar, right, And it was not I wasn't you're much better at this than I was.

53:11 Speaker 2: I was kind of like asking questions a certain way, but it felt too informal. Yeah, I know what, and I'm I just didn't have the the acumen that you have.

53:21 Speaker 1: No, thank you, No, I appreciate that, Mike. I appreciate that very much.