PipemanRadio Interviews Desure at Shaky Knees 2023

0:04 Hey, you love them too. That's on for why for you wake up of America. It's time for the Adventures of pipe Man on W four cy dot com West Pompass number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man w for c Y Radio. And I'm here with dere yes nice here at shake knees and uh man, are you you are looking incredible? We'll start right there. I just you walked in. I'm like, damn, I want that outfit. Thank you man, thank you, thank you. Yeah.

1:11 I had a buddy of mine, Phil, Phil he does chain stitching, so I did head to head to toe chain stitch. Nice. I love it. And you got the eight ball there. I got a funny story about you. Remember the magic eight balls. Yeah. So when I was a kid, I left living with my mother to live with my father, and that decision was made by me asking a magic eight ball. That is a huge right. I was like, when I was eleven years old, I was talking to my dad and I was like, you know, I wanted to, but you know I couldn't make the decision. So he said, because I had it with me, asked the magic eight balls. I feel like we should do that more. I know, right, it's so much easier right things around, right, use it for a set list, like when idea that would be damn, that's actually sick. You know, I might steal this ide right, you could do like okay, so you could go on tour and do this like special tour where it's a different set every night of the tour and the set's determined by the magic A love that, right, A great idea. There you go. I don't think anybody's ever done it either. How about that? So, speaking of sets, let's tell everybody a little bit about your music and what we can expect here, what we expect here at Shaky Needs or anywhere else when they see you live. Yeah. So this is definitely one of those festivals that I've been looking forward to for a long time. It's one of the most incredible festivals.

2:44 But I I'm so excited to play and uh yeah, I'm playing solo out here acoustic. My I've got some new music coming out soon. I just finished up wrapped up my EP and I'm working on another one as we speak. I've got a couple out right now, so you can check it out wherever it's d sure er nice. So let's talk about the new music, because I don't know, it seems to me like someone and I was saying this while what was happening, but some of the best music is coming out now, And I said it during COVID. I'm like, we're going to get some of the best music ever because artists like you get to jump off that hamster wheel. Like as much as it sucked being locked down and no live music, for an artist, it was almost like a vacation in some senses. It sucked in one sense, but the other side is when once the last time you could just sit down and create without you know, there was definitely a lot of silver linings to it. I had. I had a kid during during COVID, right before and then going into it, and that, you know, I would have been gone on tour the whole time, and so that gave me a chance to be home and be present.

3:47 And it also gave me a chance to write a ton And so I got to be home and you know, stuck with a guitar or piano or whatever and sending songs to friends. I started bands during COVID that we just would send each other tracks and they'd play on something, and we wrote a ton of songs, and so I've gotten some of my favorite music that I've ever written out of this. And I agree. I think that things like this happening in the world, there's only something positive it's going to come out of it. It's always when something you know, huge is happening politically or whatever, great art comes from that. Yeah, and when you know when you're going through it, it sucks. But anything like that in life, when you look back on it, it's like, wow, it was like a blipping time, but while you were in it seemed like it was in eternity. Yeah, it's funny now that like, yeah, now I see someone with a mask or something and I'm like, oh yeah, Like it's almost like your brain like tries to trick you, like you forget. But it was a long time. I mean, this was you know, it's still not really over. It feels like it's still kind of present. But it's like it's weird where they get a very very very strange time and especially when you travel, like I just got back from like being on four continents, nine countries, and it's weird. You go different places and they there's still different viewpoints. Like there were certain flights I was on you could not get on the flight without a mask. Yeah, but then there were others like who cares. I've noticed that. Yeah. It kind of depends in the country too, where you're at it's like super strict or it's not, and it's like, let you just go with the flow. Yeah. But

5:18 yeah, I mean like as an artist, it was tough before COVID because you're like constantly playing gigs and then you're creating music on the way from one gig to another, and you have these deadlines so you don't have time to polish it. It's like a lot of hours I've talked to It's like they used to turn in music and they weren't even happy with it yet, but they had to meet the deadline. Yeah, whereas now they're like I was able to go over it and go over and go over until I could I could spend three months, like you know, mixing this thing or you know exactly like you know, just doing guitar or something. But yeah, I definitely before COVID, Yeah, it was like I definitely have this kind of momentum and I was touring on stopping. I was like, back to back things were happening, and it was like it felt great, and then everything just stopped. Yeah, it was like almost like starting over. And I'm kind of thankful in a way because it definitely made me look inward and reassess who I am as an artist, what the kind of music I want to be putting out, and the you know, genre or whatever, the delay that I want to fit in, and and it helped me solidify I think, who I am as an artist. See, and now that's been a common theme too that I love because I can't tell you how many artists I've interviewed dev said the same thing. They reevaluated like because you didn't have a chance. It's just like here, clue, this, this, this, this, this, this this, and you never really got a chance to sit and think is this really the direction I want to go? And it's I think that once you're on that path, it's pretty much impossible. I mean, it's unless you have like a huge following that you can pivot into

6:51 something else. It's it's pretty hard to do. And so it was like given an opportunity to be like actually, like you know, before I was, I was Torning a lot with like country artist in American that kind of world, and I was like, well, I'm not you know, I'm from LA and I don't really it's not really me. Like I love that stuff, but like I don't identify hugely with it, and I don't see myself as a country artist. I see myself, you know, as like I love like indie music and rock music, and and I kind of love that lane, like the stuff that I grew up on and stuff. So I kind of feel like I'm moving in that direction now. Well, you know what's cool about that too, is when you fund, when you figure that stuff out, I think is really when you start to make it as an artist. And I'll use an example good friend of mine, Jelly Roll.

7:36 Yeah, you asked him a few years ago if he'd be a country artist. No. Yeah, but now he's like the hottest on the country charts, hottest on the rock charts, hottest on the hip hop chart. He's like I think he's it comes down to authenticity, Yeah, and people see through through the bowl, you know, It's like it cuts through, and that authentic cit is where it's all. It's what it's all about. And that's like my favorite kind of artists. It's like I can see right through, you know what I mean, if you're trying something, if you're forcing something, if you're not staying true to yourself, you see right through. Oh, no doubt that perfect examples when you see artists live. There's bands I've seen live down like, yeah, they don't even want to be there. They hate each other, yeah, you know, and then you see the others up there like they're just having the time of their life.

8:26 And that's the way it should be because if if you're hating life doing this job, they're in the wrong business. Because there's that's the benefit, that's the major bet. Yeah, you know, playing live. I try to explain to people that don't play music, but there's nothing else in the entire world that you could compare to the feeling that you get when you give something. It's just you up there and you're giving something to this big audience of people, and there's cyprecation that you get back when that, like people start clapping or you know that, that feeling that like give and take of energy is insane. It is the best feeling in the world. And if you could bottle that, you'd be a millionaire. You know. I was talking about that a review recently of I was asking what would feel what does it feel like? And I know, but just so the listeners to be up on stage and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the whole crowd of singing your lyrics, and the first time that happens, that kind of blows your mind. I remember the first, like the first couple of times that I would be playing and I look down and someone I can see them kind of mouthing the lyrics, and it's like, you know, a couple of small rooms and stuff, and like I see a couple of people mouthing lyrics and I'm like, oh my god, like I know, that's crazy, Like you know, and then and then, you know, when you hear people singing your songs, that's just it's it's it's a whole different thing.

9:50 It would give me chills. Yeah, it's I mean, yeah, when I see like huge artists that like they'll put down the microphone and have a whole, you know, arena of people like that is just it's the most beautiful thing I think in the world. I was at one show a few years ago. It was the first show after twelve years for System of a Down and the whole show. The whole crowd sang every single song's even bits and pieces. It was the whole time. I was getting chills from it. It's like wow. So and the other thing is too, is I think not everybody gets the idea. Okay, So I go on tour and I do all these music festivals and do RAIO coverage. So it's kind of like the same gig as you in the respect of being on the road and all that, and some people want it, some people don't. But my daughter, when my youngest daughter, I browned to a festival a few times and after the first half a day, she's like, Dad, I don't know how you do this every weekend, Like I'm done already. And then people will say stuff to me like, well, doesn't suck being on the road. It isn't lonely, it'sn't you know, don't you want to be home? And I'm like, actually, when I get home as when it's lonely and it's depressing, I get to come down as you know, to come down blues. And when I'm on the road, I'm with all these people all the time, so they're my friends. So my friends are

11:22 all out in the road. Yeah, you know, And I don't think people understand about an artist. I'll look at an art and like, well, that's got to suck to never be home. But that is home. The road is home. Yeah, I think, I think, I don't know, I feel. I kind of feel both ways about it, because I do love being home. I just you know, my son is three that I love, love, love more than anything in the world, spending time with him, um and my wife, and so it is. I do. I think before I had a kid that was the case. I was like, I'm down, I'm a road dog like, and now I really do look forward to getting home and spending time. But again then there's the other side of the coin that I'm like, I could not stop doing this. It's it's just the best feeling in the world. I'm playing shows, being out there and just doing it. It's just, you know, it is it'll always be in me and always I'll always do it. And it is different when you have a family at home, like my kids are all grown and out, so like, yeah, yeah, I don't come home to anybody. Yeah, So it's like you're seeing a crowd of one hundred thousand people and then you go home to like no noise at all.

12:22 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Once he moves out, then it's yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's kind of it'll start over. So what you got going on after this? So I've got a couple of festivals coming up. There's a festival out in which Tall that I'm playing, and uh yeah, I'm releasing my EPs and one of them is getting mixed right now and uh it mastered, and so it should be out shortly. I'm just kind of wrapping it up, making sure you know, it's all dot in my eyes and yeah, and then I'm working on another one, an acoustic EP, and I'm just kind of trying to be I love writing and I love I love recording. So yeah, so tell me what Well, most of our listeners want to know, but I want to know too. What was it like, uh, you know, hanging around Giant Depp and Jeff Beck and what's it like now to trip out? Like, oh my god, it's it's crazy. Like I've done a couple of tours with like so called like Legacy Acts and being on it it's surreal, like you know, Dwight yoakum Or Willie Nelson or you know these people that I'm like, it's it's almost like it doesn't like it's like, well that's not real, Like there's no way that's real. You know, It's just you can't believe it because there's these people that you've been listening to since you're a kid or watching or whatever, and so it's like doesn't feel real. And so then I try and be really present and in it and take it every little second in and meet everybody, and I try and take it all in, but it is like a fleeting memory almost like I look back and I'm like, what the fuck, Like did that really happen? Like especially with the you know,

13:52 Jeff, you know, Rest in Peace Jeff beck Um was shortly after the tour. That's that would kind oh my god. I got to play with Jeff and I got to be I got to know him, and you know, he's he's a pretty like introverted dude. Um like sticks to himself and like I think Johnny's like the opposite, but he sticks to himself, and it kind of he warmed up and I got to know him and he's like such a great do we we we totally wrote out about music, and you know, we were like I was deejaying after, you know, after one of the shows, and he kept coming up and give me song requests and it was just like this moment that I was like, this is crazy, right. And and Johnny too, He's just the sweetest human I've ever met and so unbelievable humble. So he I'd be standing side of stage watching him, he'd come off stage come right up to me. It's just like that's crazy, Like I get to do that. Like he's just like he's always wanted to be a musician. He told me he started out as a musician and he kind of gotten acting as a It was like a weir, just like a freak thing that happened. I think it was Nicholas Cage or I forget who it was. Someone it was like he was Nick Cage and he was like, you should come to this interview. I mean exactly.

15:03 It was audition and he got it and it was like and then it just took off and he was like okay, because I'm not and that I'm trying to remember. I'm trying blank right now. But it was a really big it was a it was a spot to get Oh yeah, it was a big movie. I forget what it was. It was a big movie. I can't believe him. I'm trying im. I just saw about it the other day too. Yeah, I'm johna blank. But it was it was a it was a big movie. And then he was like he just kept telling you. He's like, I've always wanted to be I've always wanted to do this. He's like, I get off doing this, like this is there's nothing else like it. Well, that's like another friend of mine who was pretty big as an actress as a kid. Not her choice and she left being the celebrity to do music and that and that's the pretty reckless Taylor Mumpson. Oh yeah, yeah, and music was her thing. Yeah, and if you know it, you know what I mean, you know what your passion is and and what whatever it is that you can give your one hundred percent, you know. And uh yeah, he had some cool like he had some cool like tour stories early on, and we were again talking about we we we've gotten tattooed at the same place and so we had met years ago, and um, and he knew a lot of the same people that I knew. And it was it was cool. I was also on that tour solo, and so it's like getting to hang out this just me, you know, cruising around. I love him, and it's like it was a great tour and it was like it's really it was surreal and it was beautiful and I'm glad that I got to meet Jeff and and get you know, get to actually know him, and uh, yeah it was.

16:32 It was really great experience. And now here you are at Shaking Knives Ken year anniversary. Yeah, I love it. Yeah. So tell everybody how they can reach you on social media on the web. Yeah, get your new EP, went went drops, get everything, get all the info, and most importantly, buy merch because that's the only way or survived nowadays. Yeah, unless you just keep my song on repeat on Spotify while you're sleeping. Yeah, Spotify, dejer d E s u r E. Instagram? Does your music TikTok? Is? Does your official I believe? Yeah? Does your music? Is most of my social media? Yeah? Follow me? Is there a wild TikTok that you've done? Is there like your favorite TikTok you've done? I don't know. It's a lot of just like me playing my silly songs, but yeah, I don't know. You can check out you'll see, like you know, clips of videos and it's kind of like a little peek inside of my life. I love it well, I love what you're all about. You're a badass, and I hope anybody that's never heard you goes and tunes in and listens to you now because you're a badass singer, songwriter. And glad you're here at shaking knees and thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man. Thank you so much. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of pipe Man on W four CUI Radio.