Donnie Vie (ex Enuff Z'Nuff)

Episode #43- Donnie Vie, former Enuff Z'Nuff singer returns to the show to discuss his new solo song "All My Favorite Things" as well as his new song with Enuff Z'Nuff "Strangers in My Head"

0:00:00 - Intro
0:01:23 - Holding Up During the Pandemic 
0:06:40 - New Management Team 
0:09:05 - Residuals and Royalties 
0:15:50 - "New Thing" Song Composition 
0:19:00 - Repressing Emotions & Drugs
0:24:50 - Helping Newer Bands
0:28:50 - Working On Things
0:34:00 - Releasing Singles Vs. Albums
0:38:15 - Demos and Music Producers 
0:45:35 - Chip Z'Nuff
1:02:25 - Livestreams 
1:05:30 - Coronavirus, Masks, Health & Hygiene 
1:16:15 - Private Messages from Fans
1:21:15 - Donnie Vie & The Fallen Blue
1:25:43 - Wrap Up

Donnie Vie Website:
http://www.donnievie.com

Donnie Vie & The Fallen Blue
https://www.facebook.com/DVandTheFallenBlue/

Chuck Shute Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chuck_shute/

Transcript

Chuck Shute : 0:14

Welcome to the traction podcast. My guest today Donnie v. Solo Artist and former singer have enough Xena. He has a couple of new songs out right now a solo song called all my favorite things, and a new song with enough's enough called strangers in my head. Both great songs. The strangers in my head actually gets in my head no pun intended there. But this is actually the second time I've had Donnie on my show. If you haven't already, check out our first interview. It's episode number five of my podcast one of my most popular episodes, he had some really good stories in that one. And we went over a lot of the history of enough's enough and some defining moments for him like his near death experience and all this crazy stuff. So this time, you know kind of all over the place. Donnie likes to kind of go off on these tangents and I let him because it's interesting stuff like he's talking about things with the music, business and royalties. He's talking about his partnership with chip from enough's enough. And he's talking about the pandemic and masks all sorts of great stuff in this interview. And I think you'll enjoy.

Donnie Vie : 1:19

Hello, Dani. Hey, hi, are you ready? Yeah. How you doing? Pretty good for my age. How about yourself?

Chuck Shute : 1:29

Good, good. Not too bad at all. So yeah, just wondering how you're, you're holding up like, what's your mindset during this pandemic, because you've been through hell with your near death experience and your pancreas liquefying and all this stuff. So my thought is that either you're thinking, well, I've been through so much so this isn't gonna kill me or you're thinking you're fragile and you need to, you know, really quarantine real good.

Donnie Vie : 1:52

I'm personally not even thinking about it. I really hope that it doesn't. I just don't even think Think about it. I was just exposed to it I found out a few days after I was like real close to it I went up in and sat in with a band for for two songs. And then I found out two days later that the one guy the guitar player was got sick as fuck he had the Coronavirus as like oh no, you know, nothing more than album. Oh, that's fine. I'm fine. My tank.

Chuck Shute : 2:34

That's Yeah, that's my thought like, you're almost like, you gotta feel like indestructible after everything you've been through.

Donnie Vie : 2:39

Yeah. Unless I'm walking in Home Depot or the grocery store or something and having to put the mask on I don't even Usually, I usually forget to bring even bring one I forget that it's even even happening. You know, I mean,

Chuck Shute : 2:53

Jesus spent a lot of time at home anyways.

Unknown Speaker : 2:56

Um

Donnie Vie : 2:58

Yeah, I say Say yeah, most everything I do is you know out of my little studio or you know I'm either that or you know out going out to get something or you know the fan of my bike. Yeah you know so I don't really I quit going out to I've never been really one that would just go out to go out and hang at clubs or anything like that you know I mean at one point it was it was too chaotic when I would and then then at another point I was just find myself going out all scraggly looking for drugs or something so wasn't really wasn't really something I ever really did you know and so it's like you know, I mean at what my schedule or routine is basically isn't even interrupted whatsoever I just do my thing and then I don't worry about it when it's your time. It's your time no matter what you're doing.

Chuck Shute : 3:54

Yeah. And now So speaking of the drugs, are you are you are you having difficulty or two temptation to stay sober cuz that's got to be the biggest test for I mean I've seen so many people that are falling off the wagon with all the crazy stuff going on in the world or is this

Donnie Vie : 4:10

oh man I just got right back on all of that excess bucket

Unknown Speaker : 4:14

is fucking hell right now everything

Donnie Vie : 4:19

now I have no problem with it doesn't even occur to me and I can I can be around it or whatever the hell I mean I used to be able to used to be able to spot the signals like you could tell if somebody was yelling that guy over there that guy over there I think he's high or something if you're looking for something if I could find it on the moon, looking for it, you know, I mean, but I don't even it's not even in my mind anymore. So and that was the only way that that it was ever gonna happen for me. Anyway was it I just truly got sick of it and which I did you know, I just it just like wasn't doing anything good. You know for me Make me feel good nothing like that. It's like what the fuck am I even doing anymore? You know, I mean, so that's just I just not cut it out you know and then and never looked back not even an issue.

Chuck Shute : 5:12

Yeah so like what is your living situation? Are you still living with your sister? I thought I heard something about like a teenage girl or who is living with teenage teenage girl there is a teenage girl who lives here

Donnie Vie : 5:23

yeah I live with I have a wonderful little little family situation here you know I live with this one chick named Diana too. She was just going through a through a messy divorce she's still not over but and just met her through a through getting my hair she does hair. Okay, my hair done and just met her and we just we've been inseparable since and I you know, I don't even know what to call the relationship. It's not your standard boyfriend girlfriend relationship. It's It's, you know, it's strange, but anything with me is strange, you know, but the, the boy is he's 20 the girl just turned 18 or daughter and and I love them and they love me and and it's like it's a really nice nice little situation I live you know, I live in a really nice house and we just finished my new studio and it's like a big room big bedroom with the studio and and it's fucking awesome and it's you know, it's like jaw like book and needed now I ever wanted in, and I'm happy a truck.

Chuck Shute : 6:34

And that's great. That's great to hear. Well, so and then also I heard in terms of the music stuff in terms of the business side of things, you now have a new management and legal and who else is part of your team, like who's helping you with all this music stuff because it sounds like it takes a team to be to run music now. It's not just you can't do everything. There's so much to do.

Donnie Vie : 6:55

I can't do anything. Now you could write and play Yeah, but I mean, you know, I've always been able to do that. I've just always came up short on anything other than that, you know, but I have no problem doing the work. You know, I mean, it's just, it's just some guys are really really good at like, like my former partner. He's great at fucking hustling shit up and hustling and, like a used car salesman? No, I mean, I'm not like that. I'm not like that at all. And it's a shame because I mean, if if I would ever put the work ethics into what I do, as I did into like, looking for drugs, stuff like that, you know, I mean, yeah, I would fucking I'd be a billionaire. You know, but, uh, but yeah, it's a team now. It's, I just got really lucky there's a like, there's a select group of fans that come together with me and we're like a little group and and we get things done and, you know, like, and Michael- he has recently come on board. Little bit more in a in a stronger fashion who helped with social media and stuff like that because you really need you need one guy got a manager now his name is Aaron Duke he he goes and takes care of like the business end of things and you know like all these little issues that that I'm needing to get this clusterfuck on you know resolved and and untangled because I mean just with my own work ethic and plus and trusting everybody and just not paying much attention anything except the songwriting and the singing and you know that's because that's all I fucking ever gave a fuck about... STILL, that's really all I give a fuck about stuff that songs don't necessarily pay the bills, right but but um yeah, there's like, I gotta get I got a lot of legal shit. It needs to be attended to all every single label I've ever been with. Still not one of them. And all those records I put out has ever given me one dime of record sales residuals. Like that. Yeah, me too. So So, you know, like I said, I got my, you know, my manager is now trying to unravel that and find the money and because there is mine, yeah, it just doesn't isn't gone to me. You know, and I and I was my angle with my approach was starting to be that I'll just start taking stuff and releasing it and see who comes out of the woodwork to go after me, then that's the person that that's the ones I need to go after. You know, I mean, flush flush themselves out, but I guess that wasn't a great strategy because nobody knows or gives a fuck about me. So, so, yeah, just going going after some things. You know, my manager. He takes care of that kind of shit. We go I got a, I got a couple of you know, there's a lot of fans throughout my, my career and a lot of through through my life who have who tell me, you know that, that songs and stuff that I've done has literally, they couldn't have gotten through their lives are something that which I can never understand. I mean, how could a song or an artist record or something get you through, you know, make you not kill yourself or something like that, but I guess it's, I guess it's possible because so many tell me that and and, you know, and then I kind of have to credit it to the to the whole thing I credit it to I guess that that I had a purpose here. Oh, you have a purpose here on this planet and, and it's not necessarily self serving, you know what I mean? But you can't put a price tag on somebody telling You Dude, I was getting ready to ended all this day and and, and something you said or saying or this and that may change my mind and here I am, like 1020 years later and stuff like that well some of these you know turn out to be luckily for me of attorney or subtitle you know itself

Chuck Shute : 11:22

to help you with the stuff

Donnie Vie : 11:23

Yeah, I wish I wish a lot more would because because I mean there is there's some there's some issues that are really yeah so you know I'm really being violated

Chuck Shute : 11:35

out away You never got royalties for the CD of music sales and then but you'll start some soundtrack work you did a song on Jerry Maguire. And then you said music and movie trailers. And what about like when your songs played on Sirius XM? Because I know that I've heard from comedians they get that's a pretty lucrative deal. The comedian say one of them had Liz Meili on she said that the money from satellite radio pays her rent. She lives in New York. So that's Gotta be yeah yeah in any of the money from serious

Donnie Vie : 12:03

Dad Dad that yeah that I get the money like there's companies that like ASCAP or BMI or something like that those with those who is is is you know trace your airplay and you get paid a residual on airplay and so it is a show to the companies for for the you know the satellite radio they have those two and yeah they're seen as how obviously there really is is radio is pretty much non existent anymore you know i mean and so that this this stuff is I you know I've done being paid on I get you know, I get royalty checks for for stuff like that but but not not even close to all of my songs are they all registered or anything with that and so that's that's another thing that trying to get it together and and you know I've just let a lack go by and and when you when you operate that way Everybody even some people that you think are the closest to you are just slowly eating it all up and taking everything and and before you know it you're standing in a position like what the fuck you know and legally you don't have a leg to stand on and in some situations and you know it just it's crazy fucking shit you know i mean but but I do get I do get royalties for when something is played on satellite radio I still get it that's ASCAP ASCAP checks but those aren't those are never much unless you have a current hit signal you know and like when we did have like fly Michelle or new thing or something like that they were actually you know heavy heavy rotation heavy airplane stuff there was there was some decent money coming in. But there was once again there was a some bullshit went on at that time it along with every other aspect of my life. And where somebody has gone and just to muck things up could file the conflicting you know, file for the song and conflicting manner that it needed to be settled by litigators. And then that just kind of got lost in the, in the shuffle for so long and so, like all the money for a new thing, a read, you know, radio residuals or MTV or all that play and stuff like that all got kept, and was supposedly sitting in an escrow, you know, waiting for it to be this, you know, waiting for the dispute to be solved. And once we finally did get to that point, you know, because attorneys cost a lot of money. Yeah. And in the end, the ends you have to justify the means when you're going to do something, you know, and when a lot of it is just principal and principal You know a lot of attorneys aren't don't take principle as payment and so by the time you finally get in a position where you can start to address this shit then they have this well we don't have all those records we can't trace that stuff anymore and all this and that and so you get you know plucked out of you know probably we're talking six figures you know yeah you know there's there's easily six figures in mounts out there that are sitting there that with my name on them, or at least that should be paid to me but hopefully hopefully we'll get we'll start to get this stuff ironed out and get the paid but yeah, they're basically do this all for love for sure. So

Chuck Shute : 15:50

that going back to that song, I just heard this the other day, I was listening to an interview, that song "New Thing" it's one of your biggest hits, obviously. I didn't know that the way you came up with That song was it was the sound that your car made when you started it became the opening paragraph. That's amazing because when I listened to it it does sound like that kind of like Danna like that's really a

Donnie Vie : 16:13

she's a lot of the true story behind a lot of that stuff yet got so buried under the under the carpet that you know with all of the facade and everything that was created you know like the brothers and baseball and all this and that shit just you know got just you know when rumor becomes fact and then eventually you forget even tell the real stories and now you know that I'm more clear headed stuff when when I think about certain things like like that song for, for example, I remember, you know, I can remember I can visualize and see myself sitting there. I was late for something and I just got done working on my grandfather and I go Getting my beat or piece of a car. And it's like rah rah rah rah rah rah rah rah, rah, rah, rah, rah rah rah rah? I was like, and it did that a bunch of times and I can hear I'm sure everybody can like if you're standing in the shower or something you hear you can hear sort of music in the in the water and and and so I hear it in when it comes to me I hear it in everything you know i mean and so so you know I obviously I heard it in that and and just immediately saw the riff he said pick up a guitar and figure what you know what the best chords the suit that was but it basically it presented itself and then it just, you know, turned it into a song then brought it brought it by chips and and he slapped his name on. So many others. Yeah,

Chuck Shute : 17:56

well, you guys had such a great you know, That great run in the 80s and 90s where you did a lot of touring with a lot of big bands like you do remember a lot of those times like with some of my favorite bands like poison Warren quiet Riot firehouse Def Leppard Damn Yankees Oh, yes.

Donnie Vie : 18:15

Yeah, I do remember a lot more than people think that I remember. You know is a way people talk about near or talk to me and stuff it's always like you were so out of it you know, you were so fucked up it's just not true. That's not fucking true. I remember every I can't remember but every single song What where where I was what how I wrote it, how I produced it what what instruments what what found? I was looking for this and that, you know, and well, and what was what was cock blocking it at the time. And, you know, I prefer like every single story I remember. The only time I don't remember something is if I was like, you know, when you get Mexican black drunk, you know, I mean, were you just standing there you know, you're totally and that never really happened to me

Chuck Shute : 19:07

in Mexican black because it's tequila or something

Donnie Vie : 19:10

like that like the Mexican guys, my Mexican friends like when they get drunk, they get to a certain point where they're just standing there like the lights are on but nobody's home. I mean, and I guess I shouldn't say it sounds racist, but is this true? You know, I mean there's habits without people but I would never get like that very often, you know somebody else would black would pass out. I would just shift into a different year. Yeah. And it was a whole different. Oh, no different personality.

Chuck Shute : 19:40

I think even white people we've been there too. I don't know. Yeah.

Donnie Vie : 19:44

So like everything. Everything you repressed, becomes now as a personality comes to foreigner and in everything that you try to be or anything you know, because of your manners because of your morals and your ethics and stuff. All of that guy takes a backseat. You know, I mean, it's pretty much non existent. And like howard stern Oh, he said, everybody's like who he is on the air and who he is at home personally, you know, to different people and but he's even staying and he says, Well, I'm on the air. That's who I am. So I'm at home, it's all conforming, you know, I mean, and I totally get that, you know, but I mean, there's, there's a line you draw, like when you're just I would just all my anger and frustration everything which is basically why I medicated myself so often through so much through the, through my career. It's it's a vicious circle as he's doing that because of frustration and, like, for a long time, it was it was so depressing and so frustrating. I couldn't fucking change things that uh, that it was that or to myself, you know, I mean, and, and so, you know, so I went with that, you know, and then And then as I got clean, or when I was getting clean spurts, I would so quickly remember why I was staying and staying out of my mind. You know, I mean it says, You can't live that frustrating that angry in that with everything going on around you so ridiculously stupid and the wrong moves and which I've always felt, you know, throughout my entire career, you know, especially with that band, it's like, these are not the right moves to be making this is ridiculous and, and the person who should be making, calling the shots and the decisions This is the visionary you know, I mean, which is, which is me but when you got somebody else, it's just stepping on to the visionary platform with you. And to the point of where, where the identity, you even take a back seat and the identity to, to the band and and we And the reality is that I wrote the songs and in my voice were the were the signature of the band and what God the band you know the deal what got the band loved and heard and respected by you know, all of the our heroes and stuff like that was because of you know the songs I write and my vocal style and and but I was like the low man on the totem pole as far as having any face though or anything like that which is ridiculous but it's just that's just the way it started working out. You go to do something for for love to be loved. And then then you would never dream that somebody would just take it, start taking it whether you would know regardless of what you thought about it, that's I'll give the shirt off my back but when you're stealing it that's a whole different issue for me and and you know, the violation and stuff is just absurd. absurd but

Chuck Shute : 23:01

well, now you have more creative freedom and as a solo artist, as opposed to being in a band and also you're not working with a major label, so like you're pretty much calling all the shots now, right?

Donnie Vie : 23:12

Yeah, calling all the shots, but basically, without any of the opportunities in that, that I used to have at the time where, where those opportunities would have been, were crucial and vital and they were just the all the all of the judgment calls and everything that was just gone wrong and in ridiculously stupid and for the wrong read other people's personal agendas, you know, management labels, you know, just just for the lack of in you know, I would have I would know what we should be doing I was a no this is wrong or this and that but, but the way it was perceived was I would pop up periodically and say this while everybody else stuff is being already put into place but, but it's like I wasn't normally making me aware of a decision that's happening and I find out I find out a lot of calls that are judgment calls that are made when I'm holding the damn record in my hand or where I'm already on some on the bus somewhere it's like, at that point it's etched in stone and you can't do anything about anything. Therefore, you know it Medicaid again and and so that I did wasn't that's where I really lacked was my consistency in being present with with a clear head, you know, I mean, but, I mean, any idiot would have known that all these moves are wrong, but what are some idiots don't care?

Chuck Shute : 24:46

Well, yeah, we can't, unfortunately, can't go back in time. But you know, one thing that you're doing that's cool is you're kind of helping out some of these younger bands for making those same mistakes, maybe by having these interviews, but you also did this. I thought this was cool. You had a song called tests where other bands covered your songs. And so you've talked about maybe having some interest in possibly helping out younger bands with producing or maybe helping to write songs

Donnie Vie : 25:14

yeah it's something new to me yeah after all these years because of you know spending so much time of my life with with one foot in and one foot out of reality you know, he's waiting for the hammer to follow it. So I've always been in a position where, where I'm one fucking move away from total devastate, and totally, you know, that you can't even exist. And you're not able to think about things like you don't have the luxury of thinking about different ideas of things that you'd like to do with your, with your talents and you're increasing your creativity like like finding other bands, and producing them and writing for them and things like that, which I would have absolutely no problem doing. Provided that I like, what, what I hear to begin with, like the piece of clay that, uh, that somebody presents like I I can see myself working with this Yeah, I mean, cuz I I would have to like it and let's say we had a had a big paycheck you know which obviously something new is not going to have a big paycheck and normally I wouldn't get it anyway or somebody signed for me but uh but it's I have to I would have to like it. Like, I've never really sang lead vocals on any other artists I did a few times and it was for decent money. And but when when somebody you know, when I get involved in something it's not just like a producer. It's not like any other firing a session guy or somebody to sing something or this anatomy. If you getting me, you're getting a lot that comes with it, you know what I mean? And, uh huh, like, like, rearrange rewrite things, you know, have to turn it into me. And like, just like with Bruce, I have tried, I produced a couple of things in the past and most most of them were, were like friends projects and stuff. And by the end of it, the end result would always turn out. Everybody fucking loves it, but the process itself would be I'm the enemy. You know, I mean, because I'm basically tearing everything apart and telling you suck at this and you're stuck on this. And this and that. Here's what you should be doing and, and before you know you're orchestrating and puppeteering the whole damn thing. And so it's like what am I even doing? You know, and I'm calling getting his his flack for doing this until the end result. And then the guys can't recreate it anyway, you know, once you once you produce that and it's and it's great, then they can't recreate it and they that they're not they don't think in that in that spectrum you know, I mean so but yeah I liked I liked the thought of you know I just like I'm just getting you know it's taking a while but I'm trying to get a foundation on some sort of a organism organized type company or something, you know put together you know, starting first and foremost with with going out and getting my money from everybody that bought me in the app, you know, I mean, but what to start to put together more more more capabilities more, you know, different different types of because there's not much I I couldn't figure out how to do you know, from from fixing For making something battery operated work I like work with electricity all the way to to putting together a song You know, it's I can pretty much it you know when if I start anything I can pretty much say my school this will go well I've counted it and I know what I'm capable I was and

Chuck Shute : 29:22

I heard you say something about you're doing stuff around the house and you just like fixing stuff like doing normal things. Now this is like become a new hobby for you just,

Donnie Vie : 29:31

I'm feeling more satisfaction and fulfillment from doing things like that, that I physically can see results from. And, and you know, I mean I spent, look how many years I've put into put into the arts and stuff and as far as my dream was built was never to be a famous rock star. My dream was to was to create something one day that was in the same Breath you could hold in the same breath as the great thing that I grew up listening to and would sit there and like man this is great and really inspire me and and and you know just you get your influences from and stuff but that was my dream are my goal and and I believe I've I've done that you know as a long time ago and but like I said that stuff doesn't really pay the bills and you just have to go on and and also once it once I didn't even ever thought about the fact of being able to show much affect someone's life or or to put color into somebody black and white existence and that never even occurred to me when I first started doing this. And once I started to see that was happening that became that also drove drove my my bus. You know what Meaning, because those are the things that are important to me. If you know I've had big houses I've had fancy this fancy that and I still would only utilize like one small area where where I did what I did my thing, you know, and everything else was just for everybody else and, and so I don't need really anything. I just needed a maybe something salad which I wasn't capable of, of being involved in anything salad you know, because I was still not salad and and that kind of has that now and and and in kind of a security that this isn't going away and this The good thing and and just the whole being an influence and and kind of a mentor now to kids and that I love they care about me they look to me for for answers and got And, and in a household that where I live in it, and people live in it and, and things are needed to be done and, and to take the pride and doing it because it's also, you know considered my place as well now and and it's not discouraging it makes me to the point of where I'm being told, but you know, she's telling me all the time says Would you stop fixing this or fix an ad or bill Miss and now it's you get to your get to your your duties that you got to do, they're stacking up and I'm like, but it doesn't work that way with me. And it's it's like a switch that turns on. When it turns on. There's nothing else that I do I go 1,000% into something like when a batch of songs comes or something like that I sit there and I don't, I'll stay up for days. You know, doing making these songs as soon as I finish one another one would come. But then there's also periods more often where where nothing is coming and nothing is you know and I'm not as inspired or motivated to do that and plug and take it's what I do is not a situation where you can like if you want to do a job you go work go to work or something where you're not

Chuck Shute : 33:20

going to do nine to five is what you're saying.

Donnie Vie : 33:23

Yeah, well it's not something that you're capable of. Like a lot of artists get treated as a business we're going to go to work today we're going to write a song today Yeah, we're going to do this or that today. That doesn't work like that with me. When they come they come when the ship comes when that feeling or that urge tells me it's time to do this done. There's no denying it and I go fucking full force into it. But if I'm not full force into one thing, I'm full force into another because that's just the way I am. I don't you know, go big or go home.

Chuck Shute : 33:55

Yeah, we'll say you got it. You got the new song, all my favorite things. And that's I was actually I heard that you said it was a beside you're supposed to release this party time song, but you can do the party time song because of the quarantine.

Donnie Vie : 34:08

Oh, it was it was it was with not not party time. Oh, when I was getting ready to Yeah, yeah no the songs called party time but it was absolutely the opposite of party time when you're ready to release a song so would have been just another shortcut to thinking and say well let's not waste that because because that's the whole deal now is is to make a whole record. First of all, it even at doing it the cheapest you possibly can cutting the most fat off is still you know quite considerable expense. There's expenses involved in that, you know, because you got to get certain certain guys you have to get to play on things that cost money. Somebody to engineer and mix all of that shit costs money. You know that there's there's food and and different arrangements and expenses involved and who's staying where and this and that where you're doing all this that cost money rental on this and that or studios for a certain amount of times and stuff all costs money and nothing nobody will will do any of that for free you know so it costs it costs quite a bit and then like I said, you know there's never justify the means I don't ever I don't end up getting anything out of out of it except the love for it and other people's love. But like I said, that doesn't pay the bills. And so to make a whole record, and then you go out and you do your round of promotion for it. Which is like when we first did our first couple interviews that I was doing like five or six a day for like three weeks, you know, with the promotion of beautiful things record and and then but it's It's all just promotion and publicizing and getting your name out there for a collection of things. As opposed to if you're just releasing one song you're getting you can do the same amount of publicity, the same amount of promotion, and not be like wasting the rest of the songs which I don't consider wasting, but it's just economically it doesn't really make sense anymore people. Most of the masses don't really buy CDs anymore. Yeah.

Chuck Shute : 36:31

When in the 60s, it was the Beatles and everything was about the single and then went to the albums in the 70s and 80s. And now it's going back to the singles.

Donnie Vie : 36:39

Well, it only goes to the album's with, with a band or a project where the album is great. You know what I mean? And I've, I've tried to never put filler on anything that I do. You know, as far as I'm concerned, I've always I'm like a biggest fan. You know, I look at everything. I listen to stuff when I don't even consider that I write or create most of this shit I consider like there's a, there's a higher energy that is giving me this stuff. And so I'm the biggest fan I'm like, when I'm done with something I'm like, holy shit, that sounds fucking great and, and I can't believe in that gets to be me to do that not true I can cool. And so when we make a record, you know I get like I said when I get involved in something I start going head to head into it I realize I get completely absorbed in it where there's, I'll forget to eat I'll forget to sleep I'll forget to do anything. And, but, and I I have a stockpile of great stuff that I've written since the beautiful things record and it's sitting there and I would love nothing more than to to make a full record, you know, but how do you know I pretty much got a I'm learning how to track everything myself. Get the equipment and learn how to use the equipment. Do it properly so that when you can send it out to have it mixed by somebody they got something that they can mix it's not a pile of shit. You know and and and when you're making your demos when you're first creating a song there's there's there's a magic to that original performance that original idea the way that you you created it that you can't tell them can recreate when you go to you know, you'll still most people will only hear the studio version, the record version of something they won't hear is a original idea the original way at least, you know, structured and, and the original performances on everything. And, and if they did, there's, yes, sonically. It sounds better when it's the studio version, the record version only sonically does but there's an energy there's an excitement and an innocent magic The original. And so now I'm trying to, to make sure that when I do demo these and create them, they're not pieces of shit. Yeah.

Chuck Shute : 39:11

By when I was such a hardcore music fan when I was in high school used to buy the bootleg demo tapes, you could buy like bootleg demo tapes that were Guns and Roses and all these bands I would listen to I was like, This is the same it doesn't even sound like the same band. It's amazing. They could be

Donnie Vie : 39:27

well a lot of the big bands who have had have had a big time producer, those big bands on record to be listened to and and a producer is basically taking taking the artist as paint and painting his his vision with the artist as as just the materials. And the producer is doing that. You know, I mean, so a lot of these fans like, like their Guns and Roses record that that appetite. That was fucking the master thesis. This were all everything involved that comes together and creates this you know, I mean, I don't believe that that any other demos plate captured that the magnitude of that oh yeah yeah yeah I for destruction

Chuck Shute : 40:13

I think it was the user illusion demos that I got and they I questioned if it was even the same bit maybe it wasn't I don't know because it sounded so ugly not somebody was like very like a lot of their stuff they wrote it was like very acoustic and very way stripped down and then when they go into the studio they add all these horns and keyboards and you know electric guitars and things So

Donnie Vie : 40:33

once that's when somebody starts off one way, like they started off with a great producer and it kind of presented and there's something that's, that's amazing. And then somebody gets somebody gets to start controlling things and stuff getting a producer and starts thinking they can do it all themselves and and you lost all that magic and but I've never we have seldom had a producer. I've produced every Even when we had a producer, I produce, you know, except for strength. I had a producer for that one who, who really put a lot of vision into what we're doing, which I loved. I love like, it's sort of a collaboration like, things I wouldn't have thought of and stuff like that, you know, but seldom is that ever happened with me, I pretty much have a vision of it when when I create when it's in my head, and the idea comes, they're pretty obvious. They're not. The songs that I write and perform are not rocket science. I mean, pretty basic. Yeah. There's not Yeah, you

Chuck Shute : 41:34

need whether it's a producer or a songwriting part. Like I feel like you need somebody a lot of times to help with the vision and kind of like it's that kind of going back and forth chemistry that I mean, Lennon, McCartney. I mean, you got the two of them together. I mean, they're both geniuses, but alone, but together it's even more powerful. Don't you agree?

Donnie Vie : 41:54

Well, that budget George Martin. Yeah. I mean, it's like you hear you hear some of the demos. They're original demos of some of those songs the way they were written. And they're not they don't have that impact. They're not that amazing. George Martin, you know, wishes is vital. If any of those guys in that band is john or Paul or anybody, he was as vital to putting that together in the stars aligned there. I would have loved to have had or even you had a chance to see what could have what I was capable of having a producer to that of that. You know, with that, that greatness where they took what my ideas and stuff because I think I did a pretty good job on my own. But I'd like to see what you know, take it out on the Autobahn and we'll open it up and see what the baby do.

Chuck Shute : 42:47

Did they when you're in enough's enough in the early days, like a first couple albums did they give you a list of producers to work with that's I've heard other bands have said that. They'll give you a list and you can kind of pick from the list.

Donnie Vie : 43:00

Our first record, we, uh, we wrote, or, you know, I wrote with chip as well, we had so many songs. And you know, a lot of times a band's first record is like their greatest hits up until that point. And and we had so many songs, and we were so because chip and I'd spent, you know, so many hours with a four track machine and an eight track machine and putting these songs together and like I said, they're not rocket science. So when we did our first record, we already our first manager owned a studio so we were pretty, pretty experienced and in doing that, and so we our first record was produced by us, it says another guy's name on it that what that was, a lot of my things, say somebody else's name on something too, but that doesn't mean they had anything to do with it. But yeah, then after that record, the success of that record, then there was a short list of, of guys and and you know, with the The sound that we had in the songwriting that we had just like the band might not have been the perfect members, choice of members to be performing. And that style and that style of songwriting. You know, I mean, these guys weren't necessarily either. Even like, Derek, on average. He thought I wrote Dear Prudence. He had no idea he didn't know Beatles songs, or anything like that. Wow. And a totally different influence. Yeah. And, and a lot of those big producers were it was the same way. These guys you know that the production sound of our band due to the players and stuff with a demo the heavy distorted guitars and shit, putting that with them, the super poppy melody and song structures didn't really make a lot of sense. You know, very few bands able to successfully put that on. A record you know, I mean, combine those two, and they call it power pop, which I think I'm the keynote and we tried to proclaim music king but I remember king of nothing but so finding find these big name producers and stuff. It wouldn't make much sense and and and you know the the labels that we were with really didn't envision that either and so it was let's you know just do your thing because if it ain't fix why break it? Yeah, well yeah so now

Chuck Shute : 45:35

you're back with Enuff Z'Nuff for at least one song The new song "strangers in my head" which I've I listened to that one and the other other new one that you have not not party to all my favorite things. Those are both great new songs. But tell me about the the new one with Enuff Z'Nuff. Because I think it's like truly melodic really good arrangement Beatle-esque, but it's a little heavier vibe. Did you write it with a heavier vibe to make it kind of sound more Enuff Z'Nuff?

Donnie Vie : 46:00

Yeah, I uh I have a very wide very versatile in my writing and, and, and like I've always said I let the songs Tell me what they want to be and and especially now I'm able to do that without having any anybody in there you know kind of handcuffing one hand behind your back, you know, in their in their ring and it's unable to have full control over what's going to happen and I write a very versatile style feel, you know, a wide range of and I have, you know, like a with with Beautiful Things I chose perfectly chose that, that lighter direction at a I would call it light but, but I kind of picked to pick the side of the fence, you know to to, to work on and but that didn't mean that I wasn't still writing the Enuff Z'Nuff sounding stuff, you know what I mean? And so I've got like, Like most of the new stuff that I have sitting there, backlog is heavier edge stuff. And so what happened was in the I just did such a frustrating violating fucking thing that going through with Chip and the business and stuff and so I mean, I even went on a huge tirade when just like there was a straw that broke the camel's back and I was like, fuck this this shit has to end today and this is absurd. And so it went on what I would say was really fucking me up in the head and emotionally and stuff where I wasn't able to function properly. It's because I've so conflict and so fucked up and head over this shit. And then the pandemic came along and all it took was Chip texting The Happy birthday, which I hadn't spoken one word of text or, or verbally or you know, physically or anything with him and like five over five years you know and it was just you know you know if if you don't talk to somebody for so long and you're hesitant to even even you know calm like your grandma or something you haven't done yeah haven't called in so long that now it's hard to call Well, they got like that and you know and then when we started talking you know I responded and for you know there was a phone conversation because there was a licensing deal going down and which is actually the reason that even contacted me because certain things he certain deals and things and ways of making money he's not capable of without involving me, like relicensing, a couple of older records. And so I didn't really understand or get that at first, you know, and so I'm like, and then we start talking, and all of the political shit and all of the issues and things aren't just for runner. For the for In the in the on the front burner what you're doing is talking and talking to your friend who you spent all these years with doing all this and that you know and everybody's on their best behavior you know i mean and so so that I you know kind of got duped into thinking there was there was an opportunity to to resurrect this thing to some extent you know what I could do my thing but also be a part of that for the fans stake and for for me emotionally because I mean not enough was 30 years of my life that's all My blood sweat and tears have killed myself for for all those years in two and a half to just cut that loose is is not an easy thing to do and people will be like, well, you're doing better now we like this better now and this map, so that doesn't matter. It's like you like your your baby that you just had now that What about your children, you know that who have grown up in this net? You can't just cut that loose. So, for me it was I was looking hopeful. And especially for the fam perspective, because, you know, it's it's our diehard fans are mighty. And they were kind of divided and and for you know, it's just looking at it from a fan's perspective, which is the only reason I do anything anymore. That's my whole motivation. The songs I consider belong to the fans, you know, and especially if I'm not going to get anything for him, I'd rather give them to some people that I love, you know, I mean, and, and so it was hopeful. And I kind of was strung along a little bit. I mean, I put it out there. Oh, hey, I'll do this. You know, I'll be a part of this, again, to some capacity. If you're interested, but it wasn't a play. It ended up just getting one song and Then when I was like, Well, where do we go from here? Yeah, and nothing, it was like that the focus, we can take that song, stick it on the record, take it put my name on that record. And, you know, and bury it amongst the other 10 songs, you know, I mean, and just add my name in there because he likes to do that it'll take somebody somebody could could have came and delivered beer or something though name can go on sometimes bent on who they are. And so I kind of got duped along and and so just only to find that the mindset and the agenda we're still still self serving. And you know, I mean, I just don't understand the agenda over there that that Who was he doing? I was asked him point blank, who are you doing this for? Who do you do this? If this is just for every decision you're making is just for you. You don't care when there's no consideration for what the fans want or the fans think of anything like You go over to that camp and you post anything that's favorable about, I think it was better with Donnie that you're deleted, you're blocked immediately. And that's preventing anybody from from any kind of growth or improving or something by not seeing what people are thoughts are and living in a bubble. And, you know, I just like, well, we can do this for, you know, and I was, you know, and, and I knew I remembered so quickly, just being back involved with him for for the brief little few minutes that it was I remember, it came all come that came back to me of why I why I wasn't doing that anymore. You know, I mean, and, and until I was basically getting ready to put myself in a position where I would endure that, again, for the fans for the rep, the integrity, like an astronaut didn't sell billions of records are anything but the integrity, the musical integrity of the records and that reputation of that was really really high and, and all of the records you know are very were held or you know really regarded as well. And then all of a sudden, that name just it wasn't that anymore. So it was like that. And I take that personally I'm like, really devaluing What the fuck we, you know, we actually it actually had that poor poor band name. You know, I mean what he's doing to it now it's like I don't hate it nor do I like it it's just doesn't do anything for me. There's just no emotion

Chuck Shute : 53:37

because I feel like enough's enough is the two of you. I mean, well really originally means is for you guys. But like, why did he call it chips enough for

Donnie Vie : 53:46

you? Yeah, exactly. I would have I wouldn't have chilled I wouldn't have used it. I wasn't prepared or planned on using the name for anything. You know, if I wasn't doing it with him, you know what I mean? Right. He Because,

Chuck Shute : 54:02

yeah, it's like Axl Rose. He was Guns and Roses when he took us he took the name and then he was but it was totally different band. It was mostly just Axl Rose solo album.

Donnie Vie : 54:12

Well, at least he's the singer. He's the sound that you're used to hearing that you love about the thing we know but chip was isn't the singer, not the writer he's not anything except the bass player from what you're what you love from long enough to know, you know, and minor contract you can hear by, by what he's doing now is up themselves and what I'm doing now, on my own without him, you can hear what each of us basically contributed to this stuff, you know, and and though and though I I wrote and, and you know, just about everything. I would write differently, and I would do things produce things differently. When I was working with him, then I would not working with him and so I considered that that was important to the, what it what that band was those songs and stuff and so that's why I consider working with him as enough's enough. But he's the rooster. He's the rooster on the cornflake box, you know, I mean,

Chuck Shute : 55:14

what does that mean? Just he's the face of it.

Donnie Vie : 55:18

Yeah, you see the box? There's no rooster in the box. There. No, but no, he recognized cornflakes. But there he is. Okay, you know, there's the rooster and that's what he is

Chuck Shute : 55:30

like the mascot is what you're saying.

Donnie Vie : 55:33

Yeah, but I mean, he took that so far and he and he's over exaggerated that and over over. You know, it just made impression out there. Even consciously, that he did so much more than what he actually did. And that which I don't I don't have that big have a problem with it when you're but if you're taking taking away from me what I actually did And, and that's where I have the problem with it, you know and so tell you

Chuck Shute : 56:04

the best power pop basis

Donnie Vie : 56:06

around right? Well, he was, he is I don't believe that, that he sounds like he is on these new records you know, when he had something really great to play to play on. He really rose to the occasion you know, I mean and and now now you don't even really notice the bass in his songs. And that's what he does. So if you're not showing her your strengths, you're showing your weaknesses and and that's what I believe he's doing and this devaluing everything and so I thought that this was an attempt at least one, the fans we get one new one, which is just you know, you'll see

Chuck Shute : 56:47

a lot. It's a great song.

Donnie Vie : 56:50

It's a perfect example of it as a collaborator collaborating concept between he and I because I have this I have this song demoed before he even heard it. And it's exactly the same way. It's just not sonically the same, but you look on his record, and it says he's enough. You know, I mean, and I'm like, Oh, fuck, man. And but he didn't even use it to I would have used it. If I was him to push that it's the single. That's the thing that people minus p and want to hear and it's in. It's a great song. And it's reminiscent of what people know and love about the band. And it's my vocals. It's just an ad and what he did. He was the mothership Darren used his other bullshit

Chuck Shute : 57:41

on iTunes right now, because I just bought it on iTunes. It's the most popular song on the album. I haven't listened to the rest. Yeah,

Donnie Vie : 57:48

well, of course, that's like all your options are decapitation, bullet to the brain, being stabbed, hanging So for for not getting killed you know i mean it's pretty obvious what what choice you're gonna pick there and so still

Chuck Shute : 58:09

but bad boy between you two

Donnie Vie : 58:12

I wouldn't I wouldn't call it bad blood... what i'm trying I would My heart is in such a different place than his he just doesn't he does he is like I said the agenda is is self serving it has nothing to do with what anyone else feels about anything especially me you know more especially or the fans or anybody other than himself and as long as he's got new thing in "Fly High Michelle" to perform and to get on these cock rock conglomeration shows and tours and stuff like that, you know, opening for for bands like Faster Pussycat or something like that. It's it's a it's a third you know, but but but he's happy. You know, it goes it's obviously it's more spotlight for him at the last less hassle, it's less headache than not having to deal with me. You know, I mean and and he's just choosing that over but I'm like, What are you doing this for? What is your? What is your objective to to why you do this? I mean what about what about everybody else? You know and so it's it's kind of I don't know if you really label it as bad blood it's very conflicted and you know it's just like a big question mark above my head I talked to him and I feel like 10 minutes later after I think that we've talked about something we discussed something 10 minutes later I think to myself well I know less than I did before we spoke you know, I mean, and and that's just the whole thing you know at this but when I saw that he really even wasn't going to push that song. And and, you know, for obvious other reasons, because it would it put everything else he did on that in the shadows. You know, And so that once again, there's the self serving, attitude and agenda. But when I saw that wasn't happening, I was like, well, this is ridiculous. That's just just a violation to everybody, especially me, you know, me putting me in that position again. And so well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, at least at least in my camp, make sure that it's pushed and make sure that it's put out, and I think a good day to do it will probably be the day before the rest of that record comes out. You know, I mean, and, uh, well, that's, you know, a lot of my team, you know, made that call and said, let's do that. I said, I will go for it sounds cool to me. You know, I'm, I'm all up for sticking it in. He asked me to pull one out, put one on digs out of my ass and stick it in some other app. You know, I mean, that works for me. But I don't think you know enough. It won't reach enough people to make a really big difference, but it At least to the one to look for it, you know the it's important to they'll have it and and it's not going to get it does nothing but help him anyway promote and we'll sell his help sell his record because that's where you can find that song. You know, but we're like you know i mean no but like I said you don't need to buy a CD anymore to get the songs and people just download it or listen to it on YouTube or something and so that's where we're back to I just put releasing singles now. And but you know, at least I got it out there and least people got a chance to see it featured somehow and I'm off and I'm also presenting it as this is the array This is not enough, not just enough this is me heavy. You know which is which it basically is you know, but it's but this is how it sounds. This is where you know where where it picks up after this and in tracker. This is the same guys this is the same form. Mila the same chemistry is that so here's one one more for you. Yeah, possibly the last but hopefully not, you know, because if people love that stuff until here at least got one you know and that where somebody's actually focusing the attention on it you know I mean

Chuck Shute : 1:02:20

yeah no that's good so I hope you can do more but you're also doing are you doing live streams now or you're gonna do live streams.

Donnie Vie : 1:02:26

I'm like I said, I got I got bogged down with a lot of projects I got involved with and I also just wasn't wasn't feeling it artistically for a while here. And there's a few things that I still owe fans to have paid money for something and they haven't gotten it yet. But I I know that that I'll make good on that. And I know that I'll, I'll make it worth their way. And so all of that will tie together because of the way I'm going to do that is with all of the songs that I'm going to release the videos to these fans who purchased it or this and that, I'm going to record some backing tracks to it as well and performance wise to a backing track where you say if I define a shell, they'll be a drums, there'll be, you know, I'll make a mock drum be a bass and some other guitars and some background vocals and then I'll sing and perform it to that, you know, so, as I'm building those and constructing those, My plan is to do a whole live performance online of a concert in that fashion. You know, but that's going to be a lot of work and, and I just delving into it now I just just put my studio finished putting that together the other day. And so now I can, you know, and now it's just getting over the apprehension of getting started, you know, I mean, because it is when I'm doing that I'm going into a huge, emotional and energetic and physical activity. You know, that that's going to take a lot out of me for a long time. And, and so that's, that's the whole thing of actually is playing the first fucking note on the first thing. And then once I do, and it's all just gonna roll, you know, I mean, and there's some new gear that I've gotten that I've never used before, and things like that, that, that I that I've been told this is going to make a big difference and this and that and so all of this stuff, you know, I'm going to be learning and you know, if you don't, if I don't really know something my way around something like I knew GarageBand like the back of my hand. But uh, but now I'm using logic which is like GarageBand on steroids, steroids and there's a lot of things as far as engineering and production wise and affection different things you got to use properly, that I don't I'm not familiar with, with how any of those work or how to make those. Those work. You know, I would just adapt I very, very unconventional man. Have of accomplishing what I have accomplished on my own. You know, so but I'm going to try to do things right and see what I can what I can do and I think once I do get it rolling, I'll be a lot more productive than I was. Yeah, I mean I, I can I can churn them out, you know, every week

Chuck Shute : 1:05:23

it sounds like touring is not coming back anytime soon. So the livestream is kind of all we have right now.

Donnie Vie : 1:05:29

Yeah. Yeah, it's uh some places it they have opened back up and and like I said, just went out just for I haven't gone out to a club or anything and so long and then I do go out and persuaded to go out one night. And when everybody's saying don't do this, because it's dangerous still out there. Don't go do this around all those people and stuff and even if the club is only allowed 75% capacity, that's still elbow the elbow. Yeah. People without masks on and and and I you know went against all inflation and this and and went and did it and then it was it turns out that two days later I get a call that of how dangerously close I was to it.

Chuck Shute : 1:06:15

How long was that? Have you? Are you out of the woods? Has it been more 14 days

Donnie Vie : 1:06:18

a week? A week ago? Oh, I do. I do believe that was last weekend. Or possibly two weekends ago. I don't try planning time it doesn't exist in my life. Yeah, me it's in a doll. Just one big time. Yeah. But um, yeah, I mean, that's, that's how it was. And but that's, that just tells me right there though, that some people are going to contract it. Everybody. We are all going to come in contact with this virus. We are all there's no two ways about it. That germ of virus. If we had if you haven't already touched it or been exposed to it. You will be You know, I mean and so some people are going to get, some people are going to get it and it's going to be heavily symptomatic. Some people will come across it and not do anything to you. And it's just, it's something that's really under the microscope these days as whereas if there was if it wasn't so if it wasn't so discovered and and publicized and, and and focused on, I don't think people necessarily would be would be paying attention or focusing on how many people are getting or dying from this because people are a lot of people are dying from everything every day. You know, I mean and so bit just because it was definitely big, it was good business for news, and stuff like that, you know, and it is something new that's out there and, and a hazard but there's a lot of hazards out there and and I believe in a lot of hazards every day. We we are Subject to like, just driving your car driving my worst cycle down the street every day, you know, I'm put, there's a risk that somebody is going to fucking cut me off or hit me or something like that and where are you? You know driving your car, some fucking truck is just going to go barreling at there's that risk in anything you do. You take a sip of alcohol like you hear all the time, but somebody took just one drink and it killed them somehow or this and that and

Chuck Shute : 1:08:26

it's more risky because you're a smoker and because your history and everything.

Donnie Vie : 1:08:32

I think I'm my analogy is I'm Kippur. You know, what can you do to a piece of beef jerky? I mean, really, you really can't affect it, you know, I mean, it's, it's all dried out and tempered already, you know, there's nothing, no way for anything to flow through it.

Chuck Shute : 1:08:50

And it's a nice image

Donnie Vie : 1:08:51

until it until it's my time, you know, I mean, I've defied all odds, up until now, you know, my lungs are still clear. till the last time I was checked and you know my pancreas is I haven't had any problems with it since since that happened and you know it's not like I go to get regularly checked but all my levels that will last time today have work which weren't too long ago everything's absolutely fine except for some some damage permanent damage to my liver you know I have cirrhosis and but I don't drink anymore and i'm not i'm not you know putting all those drugs and alcohol into myself anymore but I'm certainly not not eating anything I want to eat you know, I mean or not smoke smoking my cigarette is that those look so cool you know, it's like, I'm not knocking out everything. I'm just being reasonable to to my body and but you know, it's just not for not for the sake of of watching out for it to be preventive. It's just what what's happened to me You know, I'm older I, I've just outgrown a lot of shit and so I am not not as brutal to myself and I did start drinking a little bit again, right before that happened and when I do anything like i said i do it heavily. And because I was sick I didn't know that that's what was wrong with me, right I was just felt I felt sick and I was had a lot of things to do, and having all those things to do while you're sick, but no enthusiasm when all you want to do is lay there. Impossible. So I, you know, I reverted back to the crutch, you know, and like I said, when I do something, I do it heavy, so we're talking bottles and bottles of alcohol again today, you know, and of course that happened, but it happened good. I mean, they fucking got me good. I had the doctor come in, tell me you're gonna die and all this and that shit. And I'm like, I just don't feel that yet. I don't feel that that's happening. instinctually and, and then you know, assuming there was a few weeks After getting out of the hospital where everybody was like busting my balls don't do this you can't do that you know the people are preparing my food it would be broccoli and berries and shit like that I'm like what the fuck you know? I am this this is this absolutely no enjoyment whatsoever in anything truck that I mean so that's where that all my favorite things came from and what I don't think that I don't think it's it obviously didn't get me this time mm hmm you can't get much closer than I you know seeing on the same microphone rubbing the stained sweat together you know and and with a guy that the next day or two days later was was on his back with with with the Coronavirus you know i mean it and then and also in the same situation his girlfriend who came from another state was in contact with me from New York and was in contact with with a lot of that after your father died of And she was heavily in contact with that in New York is, you know, the spike is way higher there. She comes from there and, and sees that test negative and and so you know and then he tests positive who is who wasn't in contact with a lot of that and so it's all the it's all what's what's going to happen you know I mean what's going to happen is going to happen and you know just out of courtesy i like i don't i don't denounce math so I don't put you know knock them or anything but but because I see the way people wear them and they're basically ridiculously useless though the way most people wear these things and the same old mask and they're touching their mouth and they're pulling it off there. So they could breathe in through their glasses fogging up and stuff and then they're touching all the merchandise and stuff like that. And it's the same one. It's like, what good is that doing? No, I mean, that's actually getting getting more germs from your mind. I'm stuffing you normally would have had you not had a mask that you're messing with the whole fucking time you're in there. And but people are taking a big stand and I'll knock you and they'll be so violated that, that if you you know your attitude bad attitude against the mask, you know, I don't know how you're wearing your mask out there and I don't know who the people you're around and how they're wearing their masks, but what I see it's absolutely ridiculously effective. You know, and, and so it's better

Chuck Shute : 1:13:31

to probably just stay home or avoid people and socially distance.

Donnie Vie : 1:13:36

I can't I just say I just say be, be mindful. That's how it might be. Be mindful, keep your, you know, relatively be considerate to others. You know, make sure that you're not breathing anybody's face or coughing on anybody or, you know, get your hands off, where you go to the bathroom 10 times a day and you still have People it's still I don't wash my hands you have Tracy Yeah, I mean, I I don't know if that may be my as well my immunity system was, was build up so strongly that my grandpa used to tell me, you know it was it's all that germaphobe that that makes you a victim are so susceptible to, to germs fucking with you because you have no immune system if you're, you live your whole life germaphobe and as for me, you know, I pick pills up off the ground I don't where they then I eat them. You know, somebody say, hey, Daddy, what's this? I don't, I'll let you know about this statement. But I have no reservations. I'll go into a restaurant and I'm hungry. And we're getting ready to order and I see something still sitting on the table on the left, I grab that shit, I start eating. You know there's, there's nothing wrong with it. But I

Chuck Shute : 1:14:51

still do that now or hopefully not now.

Donnie Vie : 1:14:54

I was like, if a situation arose, I don't mean to going to throw it away it's pretty much the same perfectly good. I mean, who sits there and wipes their boogers and shit all over their food they didn't eat now I mean, who does that? Nobody dies. You're done eating it, you know,

Chuck Shute : 1:15:12

touching the old way down. Oh, they coughed on it or licked it

Donnie Vie : 1:15:15

stall. So So did the people that made it you know, I mean hopefully

Chuck Shute : 1:15:24

masks and things

Donnie Vie : 1:15:27

yeah you know better than that. You know better than that that's not a big difference in what's sitting there on that somebody didn't eat and and when you come serve different to you in the old days at least there there'd be a cigarette put out in it you know i mean

Chuck Shute : 1:15:44

that's funny now

Donnie Vie : 1:15:45

there's not you know, so but I look Yeah, I go if I'm starving, like, oh god, I'm so hungry. You know, I walked in like a pizza place or something. Somebody left like a third of a pizza sitting there. I'm starving. I'm like, I'm I'm that motherfucker. People are like, what are you doing? I go eat pizza. No, you just do your weight for your fucking pizza. I'm fucking, I'm ready to leave and in 10 minutes. I mean

Chuck Shute : 1:16:10

that's funny. So yeah, I mean, there's a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world right now. But you know, I don't think that that the the politicians are going to save us so like but you are kind of saving the world in a way because you answer a lot of your direct messages and people reach out to you. They it's like you said earlier people reach out to you they're suicidal and stuff. Do you? Are you still getting a lot of those kinds of messages?

Donnie Vie : 1:16:33

Oh, hell yeah. You know, but uh, I'll spend more time in a day I get so many times a day. It's ridiculous how

Chuck Shute : 1:16:40

many day like 100 or like

Donnie Vie : 1:16:43

on a on a slow day. I'll get you know, say I'll be messaging with somebody. And like, you know, say a few and I was that was the only way we were keeping in touch. Like I'll message you. I'll pm you on this day to let you know what the deal is. would have to scroll for, you know, for literally feet to find you to find your message and, and just like just like respond to you. And then by the time you respond back its feet farther again and so and with the way I operate I never remember anything I added have a heads up Call today to remind me that, that I'd be talking to you, and when I was told yesterday that this would be happening, and I'm like, well, you're gonna have to remind me right now but because I, I get lost in the time and I'll just be, you know, God only knows what I'd be in the middle of it. And now it's on your call and I didn't have my earbuds in and you know, and I had to get up you know, and But yeah, I get a lot of them but but you know, there's a lot of them. I just, it's the luck of the draw which ones I I see, you know, of course you get a lot of them were just like anybody else. Yes. Is this bullshit and garbage that people really should be sending to other people, like send these chain letters and chain things and these gifts and these, uh, these memes and stuff the ego and post it to everybody's on your friend thing and your pm stuff like that, like, Why the fuck are you doing that to everybody? Nobody wants to see that or, I mean most people don't especially me, and it clogs up all my shit but then if I see something that's long, somebody wrote something that's long, a lot of times well, I can see the gist of what they're the content in the first sentence. You know, I mean, and so I'll you know, I'll read this the luck of the draw which ones they're there at the time where I'm looking at it and usually, you know, I'll miss five or six of them a day that I'll really go you know, get involved and get in, in depth in my answers responses to some of the people or you know, as long as as many characters as are allowed in it. No message. You know, I mean, and, um, and, you know, there's still a lot of people I don't know, why necessarily, that come to me to ask for for this or that because I mean, you know, I mean, it's ridiculous, you know, but I just seem to be able to have a little, maybe a little more persuasion or a way of saying something that somebody that makes it easier for them to grasp, or easily to relate to and make more sense or something like that. And just my personal experiences or experiences I've experienced from other people's experiences, which I know I've experienced a lot in my life and, and basically, it's, it's also good that my heart tells me to do it. It's, you know, something in the right same voice, it gives me the song tells me that I should be saying something to these people or saying this to that person and To find that that makes a difference. And you can't put a price tag on that. That's, that's more important than any money in the world that's more important than anything and you know, if somebody is suffering it I it makes me suffer. I don't like that. You know, I mean, Mm hmm. Lester Lester complete fucking jagoff Yes.

Chuck Shute : 1:20:20

Now that's good. So not only with your music, is it helping, but just like, if you actually directly will talk to some of these people? That's great. So like, have you? I thought I heard something about, you know, I mean, this is all hypothetical. But if they made a movie of your life, like who would play and you said john C. Reilly, you would want him to be you?

Donnie Vie : 1:20:41

Yeah, well, you can't take Robert Redford damn take Johnny Depp for Danny v. You know, I mean, I'm not I'm not easy on the eyes, nor am I sexy. But uh, the john C. Reilly, there you go the other route. He's funny. Laughing everything is in you know, entertaining and And estimate that said the other day if I was a superhero, which one would they be? And they decided on Deadpool.

Chuck Shute : 1:21:07

Totally. I could see that. Yeah, that's a good one.

Donnie Vie : 1:21:10

Yeah, that made sense to me. CUDA? Yeah.

Chuck Shute : 1:21:13

Well, I was like to wrap up with a charity I know that you are you still working with the anti bullying campaign?

Donnie Vie : 1:21:20

Not so much. They really didn't give a fuck about me ran it to the point where I have a couple of them where where they inquired Who is this that wants to reach out to help do this? I am absolutely not. Yeah. Last day, we went it was meant bringing awareness to anything and like Well, fuck you, you know I mean, but Well, what I'm trying to do now is and I don't know why but it's like the same thing like some voice something is telling me that this is this is a something a direction that like with the cover stuff that I do a little side project that Do and it's just cover songs right Pump up the volume pump up the voltage and some old classics and and get to show off the athletics of what I do like what I can do vocally and things like that and and so I need a kind of a purpose to present that why am I Why is Donnie doing cover song you know when we want another original isn't that and fill in with the name that I kind of came upon the fallen blue I like the sound of that name. And in the past I've been they've they've reached out to me but it used to be called it that was a charity for to help bring awareness and to help fund raise money for the families of of police and firemen and stuff like that they lost their lives in the line of duty. You know, it's their families. People are left there and they reach out to me in the past and I've worked with them in the past and I've gotten a couple of get out of jail free cards. It actually worked. I mean, and, and, but when it came up with that name again, I was like I like the ring of it and then something told me, well let's try to get ahold of these people and get in direct contact with them and, and make you know, I'm trying to make this a more a bigger relationship and a more hands on relationship by this organization and and then just so happens at that time right as that all of a sudden the police need a friend. I mean, yeah, and if anybody especially me, who has had many many dealings with the law with the police, and and none of them have really been favorable but uh, but I mean and but when you think about it, nothing that I didn't bring on myself, you know, and doing their job and stuff and I don't believe that of course there's a bad apple appear in their, you know, their involvement but but it's not like you Nobody knows that they're there, they're there, they're allowed to continue on doing that shit, which means they're in cahoots with somebody who's higher up. And so that's where the issues are, is the higher up than just the actual physical police who are out there doing their jobs don't come you know, get a little carried away, but that's their job, you know, I mean, and if it weren't for them that you know people be doing anything the fuck they want it to there'd be there'd be it would be much more dangerous place to live you know and and they need you know need a friend and like I said, I don't know why but something some little thing inside me told me that that that's it you read the signs you watch the signs, you know, just like anywhere you want to go somewhere you want to follow the science, you know, and this tell me that this is possibly something that down the road, you know, to so I could still do this, this this outlet of my creativity. And I'd have a purpose for it where I'm not just doing it to jack off and you know spin my wheels or from from my friend who has who was making his dream come true but by involving him in this you know and and but it's like I said you know something inspires me Something tells me thumbs telling me all the things to say right now mm hmm I mean what what kind of buffoon I'm just a buffoon intelligent conversation with a plugin idiot like me

Chuck Shute : 1:25:29

well I think you're interesting I love the new I love both your new songs so thanks so much for coming on my show anything else you want to promote or any other upcoming projects that you have?

Donnie Vie : 1:25:39

Yeah I got a release in actual vinyl 45 I think next month that with the original single that was going to be that party time. And it's kind of a it's not as a deep song is everything that I'm known to have written, but it's Maura. This anthem That then I've been chip and I were we're consciously trying to stumble on for our whole lives and our whole career is like this this party anthem, you know, like rock and roll all night party every day type thing and okay and I think it's a really it's a really cool song and and I think it would make a great beer commercial or something but really it's an add on of work 45 vinyl with all my favorite things on the flip side of it and that'll be out you know, next month and of course I'll be doing a doing a live feed live concert stream Yeah. Yeah with the backing tracks and stuff I tried to take it up upper level than what most people are doing. You know, I saw post malone did something real cool. And it really brought awareness to him. To me about him he did a thing where there was like four different mean him and, and three other guys from three from four different okay. And somehow plugged this shit together and performed as a band and did a whole set of Nirvana stuff. I was like, wow, this fucking guy is fucking good and, and that was really cool. And that was a step above what you're seeing with these other artists that just grabbed their acoustic guitar and, and getting on there and posting every day or something like that it's like alright already, you know it's a win if you don't have my head, who cares? I mean but uh, but you know, you can't really say that, you know, if people just want to do then it kind of I think that kind of level playing field right now you know, as opposed to having to go to a big stadium or something arena to see a band or something there they would be with the same, the same venue as everybody else right now you got to do it online. And everybody's got that opportunity. It's a matter of getting exposed to amount of people and, and but I wanted to step it up a little bit and make it make it something you know In lines of all the concert,

Chuck Shute : 1:28:02

yeah. Would you have other musicians? Or have you ever thought of like being in like a supergroup of like other

Donnie Vie : 1:28:10

than that, that would be awesome. That'd be awesome. But but but, you know, I wish allows thing and I made the wish in one hand piece of shit and the other hand what's heavier, you know? So, right but um like I even I even put it out there to chip I said that this would probably be a real good time to if we did an acoustic performance together or something and just you know, but it just it just goes on deaf ears and and but I did consider impossibly maybe have you know the drummer and the bass player from my new band involved in this and you know, people that people are going outside and listen I don't have it you don't have it the other guy don't have it like we can all go in my little studio and and do this with his backing tracks until you only need the three of us. And that's that's something I'm Playing with doing but I got it. I got to share, get off the pot. I gotta shake a leg and get this done. Yeah. Going and promoted and things like that. So yeah.

Chuck Shute : 1:29:12

All right well good luck to you I look forward to the new song next month and I look forward to everything else that you do. Thanks for coming on my show.

Donnie Vie : 1:29:20

Thanks for thinking of me all right. I appreciate it. Got your got your contact information so anything I think Yeah, I want to promote I'll be calling it sounds

Chuck Shute : 1:29:30

good. Okay. All right, Donnie Vie always interesting stuff from him. He's really made some great music over the years. Check out his new songs, all my favorite things and the enough's enough tune strangers in my head really catchy, as well as his latest album, beautiful things. It's a brilliant album. Every song is well written and catchy. And you can follow Donnie on all social media. I'm on there as well. If you want to follow me If you liked this episode, you can subscribe so you don't miss any more. episodes and if you have the time, you can write me a nice review on iTunes that really helps with the algorithm and all that stuff. Thank you so much for your support with the show I can't do without you. So until next time, have a great day or night and shoot for the moon.