PipemanRadio Interviews EKOH about NEW SINGLE MAYDAY

0:04 Hey, you have done to censure see wow, pray you wake up America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipe Man. I'll you four c why dot Com Withst. Pomp Beach is number one Internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man Washing. I can try to push sip it inside. I give the hole in your head. I trying to remind you what you're one of my shint I give the one the sit in one of your stand and you you me Washing, I can try to part you. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man w four c Y Radio, and I'm here with our next guest who First I really dig his new song, but I dig the whole concept of his music. So let's welcome to the show. Echo, how are you? What's up? Dude?

1:08 Thanks for having me Man appreciate here. I'm glad to be here. What's going on? Oh my pleasure. And the reason I said what I just did is because I saw that basically, your fans have labeled you as heart pop and I love that. Yeah, me too, especially because I don't think I'm savvy enough to have come up with that on my own. So it's actually pretty cool. It is a really cool label. If you could have a label, I mean, I hate labels, but if you gotta have one, that's the one that have. Yeah, there's anybody. I'm pretty against all labeling with everything, So to have to put a label on myself, it would have to be something that really rains true with me, and that one absolutely does. So I'm pretty lucky to have, you know, really dedicated and I'm just kind of close knit that really cares and really digs into what I'm about and kind of connects with it in their own way and then take it and build their own communities and their own slang words and their own terminology and make their own stuff. And it's really cool. Really just for me to be a part of what they're doing is really awesome.

2:16 And you know what else I love about it is Okay. So, first of all, it says a lot about your fans of what they think of you for them to come up with that, and that they really from based on what I saw about you, that they really understand who you are as an artist. You know, like sometimes fans they don't they just like the music, they don't really get what the artist is all about. But it's like it's almost like they get you. Yeah. I think that's kind of like, uh, I mean, that's the byproduct of if you're honest in your music and you write your own music and you put the time and effort into you know, there's nobody with their hands on this other than me, and so everything that comes out is you know, made by me, and you know I have my hands in everything, and so if you're watching it, it is authentic, you know. And if you're authentic with everything they're writing, and you're being honest in your lyrics and you're really putting yourself out there, people will relate. And that's one thing I've kind of learned more about songwriting in general is I used to think to relate to a broad audience you need to speak in broad terms, you know, you need to you know, brush and broad strokes. But the one thing I've learned more and more the more I do this is that the more specific you are to your own story, somehow, the more relatable you've become to more people because it's not necessarily even about the details, it's about the feeling. Yeah, And because they can tell you're being real, Like, it's so easy, at least for me to tell if an artist is just you know, plugging in

3:49 some formula or if they're just being real. Yeah. I mean it's easy to kind of phone it in sometimes if you want to, and in a world where you know, not even not even trying to phone in, but there's a lot of people that don't you know, write their own songs or write their own music, or they're being influenced by you know, a label or producers or whatever it may be. I've tried my best throughout my career to kind of cut out the noise and just listen to myself and only make what I want to make, and only make what I like. And yeah, it's it's it's a weird thing. I think it's more of a service to the fans to not try and make what they like. Mm hmm.

4:34 I've also found, you know, like when you try to please people, you're always there's always people you're not gonna please, Like, you're never gonna please everybody, so you might as well please yourself and then your people will come. Yeah, and that that's one hundred percent man. And you know the success of if you find success in trying to please others, it's not even as gratifying. You know, it doesn't feel was good because in the back of your mind, you know I did that. I wasn't being one hundred percent true. It's so much better if it's like, Okay, this, I wrote exactly what I wanted to write, how I wanted to write in and said what I wanted to say, and it connected. And that's a special feeling. I love that. You know. What I also love about the label that you have, because I'm so anti label, is that when your fans, especially give you a label, that that's if you were to call it, quote unquote a genre, it's your genre. It's not like being part of a genre. It's just being you. And like I go on tour and I do coverage of music festivals, and one of the funniest things we do when I do interviews on site is that because I hate the genre labels and boxing artists in, I'm like, well, if you were to come up with your own genre that only your band was in, what would that genre be Because that's the only way you're really able to be an artist and express yourself, opposed to oh my god, you know,

6:08 like they're not playing something that I'm used to hearing like you should be able to play whatever you want, you know. Yeah, so that's a question you actually ask people. Yeah. Absolutely, It's so fun too, because, like you know, nowadays, there's so many subgenres micro genres that it's kind of getting ridiculous. And I find that a lot of artists they have to go by this like formula. I call it an algebraic equation to make their music, because God forbid they should just stray a little bit off the road. People are like, oh, oh, sellout poser, blah blah blah or whatever they want to say, and all the gatekeepers come out and say shit. And to me, like, being an artist means experimenting and doing what makes you feel good no matter where you go with your music.

7:05 Yeah, I mean, I couldn't agree more man. And I think a lot of that comes down to labels, you know, pushing people. It's easier to sell something that is just this one thing. It's like, if you know what this is, it's in this box, we can sell this. Yeah, And that's always been my issue with labels as being like, well what are you. I'm like, I'm just me, man. You know, if I want to make a rap song, you know, because that's how I'm feeling that day, and that's how I feel I can best express the message I'm trying to get out is through this medium. I'm going to do that. If if I'm feeling like, yo, let's I want to make some heavy shit, let's let's go hard on, you know, make a sound like holding your head or hurt myself or something like that, I'm like, that's how I can get out what I want there. And then it's like, Okay, well we want you to do more of this, and my head's always like I can only make what I can make.

7:58 If that makes it, Oh yeah, that makes total sense. And I think that's where artists today, I think, in some ways are a lot luckier. Everybody talks about the negativity of things like Spotify and TikTok and all that and not having the record labels, but as somebody that was very involved in the music scene on the Sunset Strip in the eighties and seeing what these record labels did to these bands, it's like, thank god, artists like you can just make their own music, because that's what destroyed genres and destroyed bands was the record labels doing that. Yeah, it becomes commercialized and it's you know, investors, and it's all these people that aren't creatives, you know, judging the trajectory of an artistic medium. It's like, how can you How are we letting this happen? When did the power come out of the hands of the artists and the creators and go into the hands of just the people making decisions with money that should not be making these decisions. It is a detriment to the genre, to the medium, to the art for these people making these decisions. And it's not everybody. There are people at labels that know what they're doing and have an artistic vision, but it's hard to have that for twenty artists under your belt anyways. And you know it now, that's why you see the resurgence of all these random genres that we thought were dead or weren't cool anymore. It's like, no, they were

9:31 always cool. It's just we only saw what labels were pushing to radio, and so we are a slave to whatever gets put in front of our faces. And now when it's like, oh you can like whatever you want again, yeah, now people are like, oh shit, I have control to like what I like. I don't have to like only what's put in front of me. Let's go. That's one thing I love about Europe when I go over to Europe to cover festivals there is because that's exactly actly what happened. There were bands that I thought were gone and dead for like ten twenty years, and I'm like, oh my god, they were just in Europe all this time. You'll see that a lot with like especially like underground hip hop acts like that I grew up listening to. There was like this is like the punk rock of hip hop back in the day where it was like you know, Jedi mind tricks and already the Ruggyman and artists like you know, styles and beyond, artists like this that don't even tour the US, but they go over to Europe and absolutely crush right, and you're like, yes, okay, I'm I'm glad there's an audience. I knew it was somewhere and it's like this is where it's at, Like I should live here, right. You know. It even holds true for people like me and press or doing coverage at all these music festivals and shows because I do them all over the US, I do them in the UK, I do them in Europe. And Europe and UK they still treat press as if they were actually press, whereas here it's like they're trying to eliminate all the in the individual press so that they can control the narrative just like everything else. Yeah,

11:07 I mean that it's unfortunate. You know, I played Finland. I think was that last year we did a festival out in Finland, and yeah, it just felt like going back in time a little bit, and it was just, you know, the vibe is so cool and the fans are so appreciative, and not that they're not in the US, but it's just a very different energy. Yeah. It's also a different feeling when you know, English isn't somebody's first language and there and they're singing all your words and you're like, no, right wild. Yeah. I always think, man, that must feel so good as an orus. These people can't even you know, have a conversation with somebody in English, let's say, but yet they're singing every lyric of your song and they know what it means. Yeah.

11:54 That's that's one of probably one of the most like culture shock and also just like whoa moments is going that far away just knowing that your music can get that far. And I mean that's you know, more of a testament to you know, the Spotify is and the tiktoks that you know a lot of people do have negative things to say about. It's like, well, how are you going to do that before? Before this? Because that that puts the hand the power back in the hands of the artists where we can make something like that happen on our own and that's incredible. Yeah, totally. So the new single maybe I love the concept of that because I kind of I can relate to it too. So maybe you could tell the listeners your story behind that song. Oh man. I mean, may Day is a song for me that's been kind of years in the in the making.

12:50 It's a song about being unable to open up and be vulnerable. A lot of my problems I've noticed in personal relationships or in you know, romantic relationships tend to be my inability to open up and be vulnerable and to really let somebody in and tell somebody what's really going on with me and be authentic and let you see the parts of me that I'm afraid that you're going to judge, and tell you the thoughts that I have that might feel stupid, and you know, if I'm insecure or not feeling confident or all these kinds of here I'm scared or things like this, or all these things that I hold in and instead of talking about it, you know, and especially if you're in a romantic relationship, your partner probably knows right, you know, they can sense it, and we'll ask you know, what's going on, tell me what's going on there? Just one should open up. But once you open up and instead just pushing it down and pushing it down. And there's always the moment when everything comes to the service, whether it's you know, self destructing in a way with like substances, or or just making stupid decisions or doing things that are a detriment to yourself. And by the time it comes out, whether it's a lie that gets found out or you know, hurting somebody, by that point it's too late to open up. But also by that time it's the easiest to open up because everything's already out in the open. And when everybody, when somebody finally knows everything, it's so much easier to open up. And I've noticed why am I closest to my relationships

14:24 right after one of those moments, right you know, that's a good that's some good enlightenment right there, because some people they don't they don't even think of that part of it. Yeah, I think it was like, why do I feel closest with the people I'm with right after chaos, right after something terrible happened? And it's really because then everything's out in the open. I can be vulnerable. It's like you now see all of me and you accepted it, so I feel safe and now I can talk about these things. But and then and then the cycle happens again, and it's like, you know, may day, the fucking ships go going down, and now I'm finally ready to open up, you know, but it has to it has to come crashing down first. That's why I totally relate to this song too, because, you know, growing up for me, you know, guys aren't supposed to do that and express their feelings and just deal with it, you know. And the thing is, I always talk about, as funny as you say, romantic relationships because now at this stage of life, I'm like, I need to find the person who knows the me inside my head because nobody in the world knows that person. You know, and especially when you're an artist like you or you know, in the public eye, people think they know you, but they don't, you know, and you know, most it's like you're always living in a facade, you know, because yes, part of you is out there and that is part of you,

15:58 but that and there's another part of you that nobody ever gets to experience or see, because, like you said, you're hiding from judgment, your you know, society dictates oh blah blah blah blah blah. You know. And I think it's great that you made a song like this so people can see the message, get the message, and maybe future people can change and not have to bury that because nothing good happens from burying that crap. No, not at all, man. And I agree with the you know, can I find someone that I can let really know the person that's that's up here, because I feel, you know, you're like if I told you everything I was thinking, you be like, what the fuck are you?

16:47 Okay? You know all the way. But to be able to find someone it's like, yeah, that I can be completely authentic with that you can let see all of you is a very it's a very risky endeavor. To to kind of make you know, it's not easy to you know, let somebody know all these parts and be open, and it's just so uncomfortable, you know, and especially you're right, you know, being being raised, you know, uh, with the with toxic masculinity and and all these things of not opening up or you know, not being sensitive or whatever it may be that there's things that are ingrained in us that you can't do this or can't do that. And I remember I was watching that was that movie Ironclaw, you know, and it's like horrible, horrible series of events that happens with this family. I'm just like, this is just toxic masculinity on a mass scale of like all these guys that were unable to open up and just say what's going on? And uh, you know, you push it down for long enough and it's You're right, there's nothing. Everything you bury deep down will eventually grow, oh you know what I mean? Yeah, and it never grows into anything good. No. I kind of like relate to did you ever see the series Dexter? Yes? Okay, so I kind of related to Dexter because he had four relationships in that series. The first

18:17 one he could only be good Dexter because that woman would never understand his dark passenger, so he always had to hide that dark passenger. And then the second woman, he could never be good Dexter because she wanted only the bad boy, so God forbid anything he did would be good. She went like that third one was temporary because of a situation. But Hannah McKay was the key because Dexter could be everything he was with her and there was no judgment and he could finally be one hundred percent himself. And then he lost the urge to kill people because he could be one hundred percent. And I think that says it all. Yeah, it's a huge it's a huge thing.

19:04 And that is like, you know, the idea that I am not every piece of me, I'm all the pieces, you know, because there there is you know I do have especially when you when man, I hate saying like, when you're in this business, it feels very like pretentious, but you know there is a piece of this that is very put out for the world social media, you know, put on a face, sell your stuff, you know, it just it becomes that because you want people to see the art that you've made, and there is a certain way to get your art to people the way that they'll be able to see it with algorithms and stuff like that. So there is a piece of that game you do have to play in a face you do have to put on to get the art that you care about to people so that they can see it. You know.

19:56 So there is a piece that you have to put on for and then there's a piece you have to put on when you're around, you know, if you're playing live shows. And then there's the piece when you're just at home with your dogs and you have to go pick up dog shit in the backyard. All human being, there's all these different pieces, and you know, having one bad day or having a good day, neither of these is my full identity. It's an encapsulation of it all, and it's hard to remember that there is that is the whole person, is all of it instead of just the little moments. Totally. Now, I also want to talk about the special show you did on the ninth of February, because there were two things I thought were really cool about that. Considering I have like I think thirty pairs of Vans nice, I was totally like, well, that's really cool. Vans will be on site, give it away free swag, and then you could get in by just wearing vans like that'd be perfect, get in everywhere. And then more importantly donating to Music Cares because what a great, great thing for helping. What a great charity organization, And you know, I think it's something that's so seriously needed now more than ever, because there's so much mental illness in the music industry now and there's so much

21:27 help that's needed. So I think, not only is the organization way cool, but it's way cool that you did a show that donated money to that organization. Yeah, I mean, that whole thing ended up being on you know, on every side of it was so fulfilling and it is so cool to see and very just it was very moving just to see the whole thing because we've been doing this thing with you know, of signing vans. I've been doing that for maybe three years now and we've signed thousands of pairs of vans, and it's a it's a big part of the community that you know, my fans have built is is wearing vans the shows and getting them signed, you know, while I'm performing and making their own and bringing them to shows. And meet and greets and stuff like that. So it's always been such a huge piece and we've always tried to get Vans attention. Every maybe I would say like every quarter, we would make a video of all the highlights of us signing and we tag Vans, and it was always just like a, well, just throw another one out and nothing's going to happen.

22:34 They never reached out, and I was just like just kind of, you know, resigned to the fact that it's not going to happen, but we're not going to stop doing what we do. And so the fact that they, you know, reached out and took some interest and asked and we're curious about what we're doing, and at that point we just kind of hail married in. We're like, okay, well, let's do a free show. If we're wearing Vans, let's you know, make this something cool for the fans. Because at the end of the day, for us, it really comes down to, you know, how can we make this a cool fan experience? Yeah, and and and make something you know, unique for people to be a part of. And once you know, we're like, okay, we can make it free, but what do we do for people aren't wearing vans. And I've always been a big you know, warped tour and so I know what Kevin Lyman does. And I've known about Music Cares for a long time, especially during the pandemic. The Music Cares is doing and I think it's incredibly important. And like you said, I think it's very important now, not only because of the amount of you know, how mental illness is actually being you know, a light shed on it, but there's more artists now than there ever have been. I think that that's a part of you know, social media and being able to do it independently. So there's so many more artists now. There is so much more pressure as an artist because there are so many more artists and the output you have to have is so much greater. And with social media being a piece of that, there's even more pressure and there's even more nuance to the problems that you can face as an artist and the mental gymnastics they have to learn how to do,

24:07 and the pressure and all this kind of stuff. And none of us have health insurance, right, so because you're chasing a dreaming, you want to do this kind of stuff. And I meant a lot of people don't have health insurance, that have regular jobs. So how important it is to support an organization like that, to me is a no brainer. So the fact that we were able to support that organization and Vans ends up coming out and a lot of the fans that came out to the show, you know, a lot of my fan base don't have you know, I mean, and it's not even just my fan base. A lot of people are struggling right now with financially you know, it's hard. You know, concert tickets are not cheap. Buying merches and cheap, getting a babysitter, getting gas, parking, all the kind of stuff that goes into a night of going to a show is not cheap. And so a lot of the people that came out to that show weren't even wouldn't have been able to come to a show if it wasn't free. And so the fact that they were able to come to a show and Vans also goes, hey, we see you, and we see what you're doing and we support you too. It was like a group of people that we're told like, you're important. I love it, And to me, that's the most important thing as a fan or as a human being told like, hey, you're important. Don't forget that.

25:29 I just because you can't afford tickets to a show doesn't mean you don't deserve to go to a show, doesn't mean you're not important, doesn't mean you shouldn't have cool shit, Like we're going to show you that you are important and we're going to give you a good time on us. And that was a cool thing. And the fact that Vans showed up and then Vans picked up the check for music cares. They're like, we're going to pick up the check and pay for it, so everybody got into show free and if you didn't have a pair of Vans put up the money for music. It was just such a cool thing all around. And it was by far one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had playing a live show ever. It was really really fun. Oh, I so love hearing that. It's so amazing because I even think nowadays, I'm like, I don't even know how teenagers go to shows. I went to shows like almost every day of the week, but it was like two dollars for a ticket, five dollars if I wanted a T shirt, you know, and you could scrape the change together to go to a show. I don't even know how teenagers do it nowadays, to be honest, neither do I. Man, It's it's definitely different now than I used to go to free shows and parking lots, and those were the best I can right, I can't remember the last you know what free show has happened, you know? Or Yeah, tickets just used to be twenty bucks if it was like a really big bill, you know, twenty twenty five dollars. Now tickets are forty five dollars, seventy five dollars.

26:52 It's a lot. Yeah, totally. So let's tell everybody how they can reach out to you on the web. Connect you on socials. Check out your new single may Day, plus all your other music and everything you got going on. Yeah, you can find me on all social platforms. It's all at Echo Music. It's e koh music everywhere, Echo on all music platforms, YouTube, wherever, wherever you listen to music, you can find me. Nice any final words you want to leave our listeners with, Oh, man, that's that's I don't know. I just I mean, thank you, man, I just thanks for tuning in and listening. I appreciate anybody who you know is open minded and willing to give our music a shot and listen to something. Maybe if it doesn't, it might not necessarily feel like it's in the genre that that you normally play around in or listen to music in. I hope that you can relate to the substance, you know, sometimes even more than the genre, because that's that's kind of what we're all about. I think it's so important in me, even myself, Like I'm a metal head and a punk and I dig your music. So genre mean crap, Okay, I mean I grew up on metal, punk and hip hop, like underground hip hop, which when I was growing up was like punk rock right exactly, you know what I mean. So I moved from punk rock straight underground hip hop and was like, this is fuck the system. We're doing it on our own. DIY like we'll say what we want, go against the grain, like say it how it is.

28:23 It's like, this is where it's at. It's the attitude, it's the man, it really is. I do believe that, So I appreciate that compliment. Man, thank you anytime, and thanks for giving us such great music and great message, and thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man anytime, dude. Thank you, Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipe Man on W for CUI Radio.