PipemanRadio Interviews As You Were Army Band at Aftershock 2024

0:04 Hey, you have done to censure. I'm wow, crazy young. Why Up, America, It's time for the Adventures of pipe Man on W four C why dot com West pomp Beats is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man.

0:53 On a. Farm. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four CY Radio. And I'm here with as you were. Hi. My name is Brittany, I'm right, David, and my name is Kenny. As you were from an Army musical outreach. See. I love this because I've interviewed your band multiple times, but none of you exactly. So that's really cool. So let's talk about this a little bit because first time ever talked to the band that was before you and before them, I never even knew that was a job. I might have joined the Army. I called my son afterwards, who's in for like twenty years? I'm like, why didn't you just go in a band? Like why do you do what you did?

1:39 Exactly? And he didn't know either. So tell us for all of you, tell us your story of how you found out about being in the army and being in a band. Cause that's cool. Sure, yeah, I'll go ahead and start I'll try to keep it succinct because I get a little long witted, So just knowe me. But my name is Kenny. I'm the drummer staff sergeant in the Army, and my story starts way back in Sho's and six. Straight out of high school. I first heard about the fact that the Army even had musicians because my uncle's a Vietnam vet, and so he said, hey, Kenny, I already signed you up with a recruiter. You can take it or leave it. I think my girlfriend had broken up with me at the time, so as a teenager, I was like, I got nothing to lose. I did the audition past and I had to make a choice, so I thought, I'll go into the National Guard, so I did. I was a drummer for the California National Guard for seven years wow, all through undergrad finished college, and then after that I decided, Hey, if I want to finish my master's and have the Army help me out and get the post on eleven GI bill, which is one of the things that they offer to help with education, let me go ahead and do my three years. Eleven years later, here I am so on the active duty side and just beyond happy to have won this broaden assignment to be attached to US Army recruiting. In this broadening assignment, we call it, so we all enlisted to be musicians in the Army first and foremost, and then on top of that, we had to audition separately individually to be part of this team.

2:57 Wow, that's pretty cool. And here you are all right Aftershock, like one of the biggest festivals in the United States. That's we're beyond excited. Yeah, did it blow your mind when you were out there playing how much of a crowd there was? Yeah, Yeah, it's amazing. We performed Friday morning, we had an earlier time slot, but we were talking about it just yesterday this morning amongst ourselves that even that early, within half an hour of gates opening, there was hundreds of people out there and watching us, some folks that knew of us, some folks didn't know of us. So we're grateful for the fan base that our predecessors had created, but we're more than excited to gain new fans and to just really push the new music in the new direction of sound we're going in. They're all insanely talented and so I'm going to pass the mic off. But here's Brittany.

3:41 So what's your story. Brittany. I grew up as an army brat. My dad was in the Army for thirty two years, and I was always going to be a singer, a musician, so I did not think the army was my story, right, But I had been working on cruise ships and COVID hit and I did not have a job, and I moved moved back home with my parents. And because my dad's so in the community of army, we have a friend that was a band liaison that said, oh, Britney should join the band. And I was like, oh, very interested, please send me information. And it went pretty fast, and I was in one of the first like basic training groups right after COVID, like right after we well we were still wearing masks, but right after they started taking basic training again. So it's been pretty cool. It's been a blessing to be a musician and have health insurance.

4:31 That's a big thing for me. There's not many musicians that have health insurance. And then, so how'd your dad feel about the whole thing? And did your dad when he was in was there such thing as this? Then absolutely my dad was in as a chaplain, but obviously in around bandsman a lot we knew about Air Force singers, right, but a singer in the Army is ten years old now, so that is a rather new development as far as what musicians are in the Army. But the band's been around as long as the army's been around. We're on the crest on like the Army crest has a drum on it. So music has been around as long as the Army's been around. It's very integral and my parents were always really excited when the idea of army came up for me, because I think it was shocked them first of all, You're like, oh, our little musician is going to go.

5:22 Where are you going to be a rebel against the army? Yes? So I think it's been a really cool and it has brought a lot of cool conversations with my family and an understanding of kind of what my dad did and all he gave while I was growing. Up, right, Yeah, because you went really totally know that until you walk in those shoes yourself, absolutely, how about you? Yeah? So I was probably like the least on ex arth. Yeah, I guess, just very unexpected of me to ever join the army. I never gave it a thought in high school. I didn't even know again about army bands. The only way I knew my older brother he had joined right out of college the band because he's a saxophone player, and he had told me for a few years, like, hey, Art, you know you should go join man. He's like, it's a good gig for musicians. And I was just like, I'm not listening to you know, like again, Like I just like never really thought I could. I just didn't see myself as a soldier, you know. Like, but I don't know, times were getting tough. This was in twenty nineteen, so it was still before COVID, but I was getting tired of working in warehouses and fast food restaurants. And I got married really young too, at age twenty, and I just, I don't know, the life was ready taking a toll on me, and I just thought I wanted to make a change. So I finally just said, all right, putting all the chips in, let's do this army band thing.

6:43 See what happens. So, now do you think that was like the best decision yet? It was definitely a really good decision again, I'm still not like I don't know if I'm doing the full twenty yet, like filling it out, you know, but because this job, particularly being in this band, is super unique, you know, and like, well I'll never have this again and another Army band, you know. But yeah, that's cool, pretty sure and simple. How about you. I'm David, So I joined a bit about twelve years now. So yeah, after my bachelor's degree in music education, I was looking for opportunities to just play music and not teach, and so here i am. And I thought I'd just do a couple of years. But I'm still going.

7:25 Do any of you imagine that you would be playing a festival like this when you join the Army band? Definitely not not for me, and I'd never play it think. I think in the back of our minds, especially as like a more traditional rhythm players, you always hope for that opportunity. David is such a phenomenal basis. We haven't been able to work together too long, but he's too modest to share that he actually joined the Army as a to play a different instrument. He's absolutely nailing it and we couldn't be happier to have him. You might if I share it. So he actually joined the army, so he's been playing saxophone for the most part. But no, he's one of the yah yeah on air quotes. He's playing sech now o joker. A lot of the job entails to be what's called the forty two Romeo is the name of the military occupational specialty in the Army. A lot of it is ceremonial, traditional concert band and all that kind of stuff. And so for us rhythm players that have a background of rock, it's like, Okay, there's few and seldom opportunities to actually get to quote unquote rock out or you know, I went out stationed in Japan for four and a half years leading up to COVID. Ironically the novelty of being an American rock band, right, they love that, the foreigners and a lot of the mission there was comrad we call it community relations. But to hear to do it full time is like Brittany said, this is just such a blessing, Like this is phenomenal, Like Art said, we have been really envisioned it happening.

8:50 I think we're so fortunate that we have the personnel that we have. Now it seems between the four of us that we've all crossed paths in one way or another over the last few years, and there's always some level of word of mouth, even in our industry, even in our small army band field community. But I think we got the right people now to really to take what our team is capable of to the next level. And what is the next level? I guess just stay tuned, you know. Obviously the next step for us, the priority was the DWP festivals, and but really we need to get into the studio asap, and so we're working on that. We've got all kinds of new music, a whole new sound, and if you were able to check us out this past Friday and this upcoming weekend at Golden Sky, you're gonna hear all original music and definitely get a feel and taste for what's going to be on this new album.

9:40 Nice and so yeah, to your point, if somebody was told me while I was a teenager band joined the Army, I would think, yeah, that sounds like a marching band to me now, So I love that you said that, so we could clear it up for people listening to that. Man, I think about it. I think of all the friends I had in high school that were rockers that their life didn't go the way it most think it should go. That if they knew that they could go into the Army and be in a band, they might have gone in instead of going the route they went. I think that's actually one of the coolest things about the existence of the Army Band. And as a musician, you have to kind of accept when you go to college for music, or when you pursue music at any point, that you don't really have a lot of control. Right, you might end up Taylor Swift, you might end up nobody playing in your room, right, depending on circumstances or whatever.

10:40 But being able to trust that and I feel like just by trusting that and letting music lead me, I have ended up in the Army right. And it's been nice that people that are more vocal about the opportunities. And that's one of the things we're trying to do is be like, look, there's so many opportunities, not just in the Army bands, but like throughout the Army, right, so we can be part of that and share that experience and just talk about how what a blessing music is and how and the journey it takes you on when you trust it. Right. Yeah, we were talking before the interview about like the jobs and that you can learn in the army, and most of them I never thought of like you think in the army, especially if you're a kid. You think of the Army as like, oh, I'm just gonna have somebody telling me what to do and blah blah blah, and I'm gonna be some grunt. But really there's so much opportunity.

11:34 You're exactly right. I think subconsciously most folks are thinking, oh, I'm gonna be an in the infantry or a generic green army man, or even for the other branches for instance, like O, I'm gonna be stuck, you know, swabbing the poop dick or something. But that's what's really amazing about the Army. And you've probably heard this before, but we're here to recruit for the greater Army, not just the Army banfield. So it's fun to talk about our individual mos so it's called. But we're recruiting for one hundred and fifty jobs that are in the army. Army. I don't even know what They all don't have a memorize, right, But I know they're out there, and so if we can use our gifts and talents and everything that we're passionate about, and the armies found a way to utilize our skills and talents, I promise there's a way that the Army has a spot for you. So we're just here to talk to young people, let him know that they there's opportunities out there. I was that guy. I mean, granted, I did high school marching band, which is pretty nerdy, but when I saw the RTC guys, I was like, I'm not I can't be in the military, you know.

12:29 And then here I am all these years later, and technically between the Guard and acted duty, I've been drumming for the Army for eighteen years. Wow, and I'm only thirty five. Yeah, because when you mentioned the timing, like my son went in two thousand and seven, there you go. So we're about yeah, right around the same time. That's when I went to basic training. And that's when he went to Basically we might have been this at the same time. That would be funny. That would be small world. You never know, he keeps getting. Smaller, yeah, exactly. I mean, and I think my son was somebody that probably you would never think would go into the army, But he's a total army person, like right down to the core, Like. Was his mos what was his job? He was originally mechanic Okay, now he's syops.

13:09 Okay, so he's still in Oh yeah. He's doing the twenty years. It's amazing. He's got lesson to let well. Let him know, we said, you know, thank you for his service. You know it's that's no small feet. Yeah right. Our old first searching used to say, what's the percentage of folks that actually swear in and say, hey, I'm willing to Yeah, it's like one percent of Americans. Right, most of them. Right, they're like I'll do the forum, done, Okay, get what I want out of it and move on. But I also found for people educate, and you know this, my son, he's got some great opportunities after that twenty years, Like he's talking to me about jobs are already offered to him, and like people his age can't even get jobs like that, even if they have degrees and professionals, and so it is a good idea.

13:58 Absolutely, yeah, especially as musicians. I know, when you're young and a little bit arrogant, and the whole world, your whole futures ahead of you, and every opportunity is that your fingertips. I think I had settled in my youth thinking or considering like, I'm just gonna work until I can't work. I'm in a gig and I'm just gonna figure it out and make it happen. No concept of financial security or possible future opportunities. Just keep networking and hustling. And I'm from the Los Angeles area, southern California, and that was just the mindset. But I'm so grateful to have this job because the concept or the ability to support a family, to have that job security and to think, wait a minute, twenty years and a pension and I could potentially do something, you know what I mean. It's I wouldn't have this in any other Yeah, it's wild.

14:40 To get the pension and have another career. I'm toc of it. Like most people that don't go into services don't ever have that right. So how would you describe how your formation the band is different than predecessors? Oh? Shit, like that nice? We have a female vocalist, which I like. I like it too. Night. I feel validated we I definitely think our genre is different. I keep saying that it's similar to dream theater, but I really don't know what I'm talking about. My friend said that to me, and I was like, that's gonna be my tagline. But Art is an incredible composer. We work as a group to kind of put in our own flares and stuff and add like we work on lyrics together and melodies, but most of the music we have, like is built from the ground up by Art playing a lot of the instruments in his studio. Once we go to record, like, he'll bring us a demo track that he's played everything on. It's incredible, so when we go record, we'll play it. But it's just kind of amazing to have these incredible musicians here and to create something brand new. So we definitely have a different sound all like bottom up from the top down right, And I'm really excited about it. I think it's new without being off putting.

15:58 Right there you go. I love it. And so how about the musicians you meet backstage? How did they react to your band than to you guys. I think it's been overwhelmingly positive. Just now, Brittany and I went to grab coffee and she's like, oh, wait, as you were the girl working there, and we're like, oh, yeah, you heard of us. She's like everybody around there's been a buzz. You guys are amazing, Like, wow, yeah, so there's been little there's been a buzz. We've been getting positive reception, not just from audience and festival goers, but yeah, I think it's really cool to be part of this community and for folks to recognize you as you go from festival to festival. For the three of us, our first big festival with this group was this past May and Daytona Beach and Welcome to Rockville. And so then we had the last couple shows in Louisville. I don't know if you were out there.

16:44 How was at all of them? Yeah? Yep, and that mud at Oh my god. But how about driving on the Daytona Speedway. Oh that was a blast. I think Art and I were like, wo we got in those golf carts and I was joking like, look at all the fans, right because they. Got all the It's too bad you didn't have like a hum Vy to go. Through the you know what. That's a great idea though, Right next year, I'm gonna ask David to make sure that we get that done. Yeah, next year, bring me Army hum V and drive might be a take video driving on the Dayton will get. The outdoor teams buggy. I just wanted to also add Brittany is too modesty. She's one of the best vocalists I've ever worked with ian and outside of the Army. And before I even got a chance to work with her, we'd heard good things. You always hear things about folks before you get a chance to meet them. And a seasoned Army basis that I worked with before that I respect his musical opinion on top of his leadership choices.

17:37 He was like, oh this, Yeah, she's one of the best I've ever worked with in twenty years. And I was still skeptical until I met her. And then the icing on the cake is just her personality and the whole team's personality and charisma and how well we all get along. That's key, that y right there, And so in any band. You're exactly right, Yeah, it's all in some ways almost more important, right, Yes, is that camaraderie and you knospect show you exactly And then we spend so much time on the road cramped into the truck, right, we got to all get along. And I think we asked David specifically when he did his audition earlier this year, like, Hey, how do you feel about you know, driving long distances and you know, all these other kinds of situations and just getting to know who he was as a person. What are your favorite musical genres? What are your guilty pleasures that you like to listen to? Yeah, whatever it is.

18:22 Because sometimes, whether you're in a band, a job in the Army, the people you have to work with you don't necessarily like them, you have to do that. I think that's true everywhere. I was on cruise ships and definitely found some people that we didn't mesh. The biggest difference that I found in the Army is when you don't like someone, you you got to get over it right like you like, you have to be in the room with them. On cruise ships, if I didn't like mesh with someone, I could like walk away if they were messing with me or making me upset. When you're in the Army, you have to overcome that and make it so. This is a blessing that we've been able to create this team of people that we all know the quality of work is going to be great.

19:07 And then also they got good personalities, right, what is it the truck test or whatever, Like, you've got to be able to stand each other in a van for however many days you're traveling, and I think we all pass that. Maybe me, I love them, Well, I'm gonna do that too. I'll say I was joking. I was like, so far right, No, right, I think, yeah, it's just been a really honest environment and a really collaborative environment. And to be honest, we're just scratching the surface what you've all whatever accolades we've heard so far. We I think we're all still super humble or trying to stay humble and appreciative. But I'd like everybody, oh yeah, excepreating no king, But yeah, I just we're there's so much potential in this ensemble. And I'm not saying that as somebody that happens to be drumming for the group. I mean that as somebody with my own years of experience in the army and whatever bands I've played with in the southern California area, you know, when I was younger and all that, and I'm more than excited the future.

20:00 It's pretty cool. And you're right about going on the road because any band or anything you do, if you're together, and you guys even more so because you're like, you're trained professionals with guns, so you better get along. But they keep the guns locked away until we use them. So well there, but you still probably have like twenty thousand waves you can kill with your hands, so you have to get along. Well, we can't talk about that, no, I know, right. So anything else you want to share with the listeners we haven't covered already. That's important for them to know, and how they can check you guys out, where you're going to be next, your new music, all that good stuff.

20:41 Sure, I'll start, and then you can cover what I've missed. We are AYW Music on Instagram and Facebook, so you can find us there. Art and I both have the passwords, so we will say hi if you say hi VAC and then we will eventually be releasing an album on Spotify. Currently as you were does have music on Spotify. That is the old iteration of the band. Please listen to that. We are a different sounds, so get ready, I guess yeah. Yeah, Well so we're performing at Golden Sky this weekend, like we mentioned Friday or Saturday twelve four here you check Daniels. Oh yeah yeah, so next weekend, next Saturday, Jack Daniel, Stage twelve forty.

21:21 Nice be there, Yeah, can't wait. Tell them about all the You already got so much music on dick right, Like. Yeah, so I started making music for this band specifically, Like as soon as I knew I was I re enlisted to come to this band. As soon as I knew I got the gig, I started making all this music that I thought would be cool like for the band. So yeah, I already had three songs before I came here, and then they just kept pouring out, pouring out. So we've already got a full album. Nice. There's still songs that we haven't even like made. Lyrics for, so it's like they're all there. So yeah, I can't wait. I can't wait to share them. I'm super excited. Yeah. So just stay tuned Instagram and Facebook page AYW Music and you'll see where we'll be performing next and when and where to check out our new album.

22:04 I love it. Thanks for being here at Aftershock and all the DWP festivals. Most importantly, thank you for your service to our country and to us civilian the support. Yeah, we really appreciate that. And thanks for being on the Adventures pipe Man. Thank you so much. We'll see you next time. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of plate Man. I'm W for CUI Radio.