Steve Augeri (ex Journey)

Steve Augeri is a rock singer & songwriter, best known for fronting the band Journey for 8 years.  Steve also played with Tall Stories & Tyketto and now has a solo career.  His new album "Seven Ways 'Til Sunday" is available now.  He'll be hitting the road soon for Parti-Gras with Bret Michaels, Night Ranger, Jefferson Starship & Mark McGrath. We'll discuss all this and more in this episode! Check it out! 

00:00 - Intro
00:31 - New Album "Seven Ways 'Til Sunday"
03:25 - New Song "Desert Moon" & Neal Schon
04:31 - Songwriting Royalties
05:35 - New Song "Magic" & Guitarist Adam Holland
06:50 - Performing Songs Live
07:56 - Tall Stories & Tyketto
09:20 - Early Days & NYC Rock Scene
13:42 - Shows with Mr. Big
15:01 - Musical Hiatus to Journey Gig
17:51 - Learning from Journey
21:50 - Current Situation with Journey
25:05 - New Shows with Bret Michaels
27:05 - Mark McGrath
28:20 - Underworld with Kee Marcello
30:40 - Marketing Music Now
35:55 - Walburton, Northshore & Bissell Charities
38:13 - Outro

Steve Augeri website:
https://www.steveaugeri.com/

Northshore Animal League website:
https://www.animalleague.org/

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

All right, Steven Gerrard is here today to promote his new album seven ways till Sunday. And he's also doing the party gras tour with Bret Michaels night Ranger Jefferson Starship and Mark McGrath. So we're gonna talk about that. Plus his old bands tall stories tie ketto journey, all this and more coming right up

Steve Augeri: 0:31

Hey everybody, Chuck, how you doing?

Chuck Shute: 0:33

Good. Yeah, so I was just gonna say though, it's interesting. I think bated breath is the is that kind of the first single,

Steve Augeri: 0:43

that was the first single we released it as far back as Jesus. It's a year. It's going it's almost not quite a year, but it's going on a year. You know, we some time had passed before I had released something that I usually try to put something out every year. And just to let everybody know, I'm still alive and kicking. And so it was we put it out last February for Valentine's Day, because it was just appropriate. I thought that was the first single Yeah, cool.

Chuck Shute: 1:11

Okay, what because I really, like I think magic, I think that's my favorite song. On the record, I really thought that was the first song it's like that it's kind of like a catchy rocker.

Steve Augeri: 1:19

I appreciate that. Well, you know, that that was you know, I grew up with the Beatles. And that started that whole power pop up tempo powerpop and things that just that just went through the decades and decades on from, you know, The Clash, and, you know, just on and on all these great power pop bands throughout this the decades. And it's, you know, I think, well, here's a funny story. i The running title initially was called fullsteam, or spring fighters because it has a Bruce Springsteen, slight vibe with a with the glockenspiel, like a Born to Run. And it also something about it just reminded me of the energy of the Foo Fighters, and maybe the killers even so I'm glad you like it. Frankly, I really appreciate that. And yeah, especially there, it was just, it was an animal to mix. It was the hardest song to mix, because many moving parts and I'm not quite sure we got it. Right. But you know, sometimes you just have to cut bait and and release the thing.

Chuck Shute: 2:29

Yeah, no, it sounds good. I think that would be a fun one to do live to like, was that something? Are you going to include more of these original songs in your live sets?

Steve Augeri: 2:37

Yeah, I was just on the phone with the keyboard player, Craig Pullman. And we were just discussing the key to do it in and we had recorded it a half step down. And we're, we're back to bring it back up to normal for a 440. So we were just discussing keys and what what key to learn it in and what key not to learn it. So yeah, we're looking forward. We are planning on doing that and rehearsing for songs from the record and see which ones you know, fit in which ones get a reaction during a live show, as opposed to just on a record, you know,

Chuck Shute: 3:12

okay, yeah, I noticed that you're coming to Arizona and you're playing this, I think what's it called The Good Life Festival with Kansas? And again,

Steve Augeri: 3:21

that's right.

Chuck Shute: 3:22

Yeah. You know, and then I noticed so you have a song on the new record called Desert moon. That was co written with Neil, Sean. Like, maybe that wouldn't be a cool thing to do in Arizona, especially if you do it like when the sun setting or something kind of interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

Steve Augeri: 3:35

Because the desert. Yeah, that is. That's a special song to me, obviously, because it was written with Neil. As far back as 15 years ago, so and, you know, that one afternoon, we got to rehearsal early, he and I. And he's he's always noodling and playing and jamming. And I said, Let's jam. And so I ran behind Dean Kushner was kit. And still and he has his mic set up. And we started jamming. And we created that song and in about an hour or two. And I'm really proud of that song because it evolved from what we, from the that little small seedling, it took on another life. And I think it's, I think it's one of the strongest songs on the record. I'm really proud of that song desert moon.

Chuck Shute: 4:31

Now, how does that work? If you wrote songs with the guys from Germany? Did they just give you that when you left the band like you can take that and use on your solo stuff? Or was there certain songs they wanted to keep? Or how's that work?

Steve Augeri: 4:42

Well, certainly after 15 years. For example, jetted moon and then with Jonathan Kanoko, right with never far from home. Certainly if they never went ahead and released it, and I was an I was, if, if not well, I was at least Stick certainly a key writer, principle writer on the song, I could certainly go ahead and do it. And as long as they get their, their credits and their monetary split, everybody's happy, you know? Yeah, they

Chuck Shute: 5:13

definitely need that.

Steve Augeri: 5:16

God bless him. Yeah. Yeah. So it's, it's a great feather in my cap to, to, to include them in the credits and and say that I've written these particularly, at least you know, two songs, or at least at least half of two songs are going to be good on the record, right?

Chuck Shute: 5:34

Oh, no. Yeah, well, so was magic. Who was it that CO written because I can, like I said, that one was my favorite. So

Steve Augeri: 5:40

that's great. So So Adam Holland, my guitarist for over 10 years who used to play with a wonderful band called Valentine. Adam wrote this wonderful song for his daughter, one year, going back about a little over three years. And we demoed it in his fantastic and it inspired me to to branch out and you know, sometimes you write a song, and then from that song, you write as many as 3234567 songs. And so he inspired me to do a power pump song, we're getting back to the power pop. And I thought, Well, I think it would be great since he inspired the song to bring him in, and, and CO write the song of me because lyrically, he did such a great song on the on this other song, and he's just got a great, he's just a great writer, and he's also a great lyricist. So this is one song on the record, where I shared the lyrics, and maybe three of the songs on the record out of 11 this is one we co wrote the both the music and the lyrics. And, um, it was really a great partnership. Yeah, yeah,

Chuck Shute: 6:48

you'd like playing the the more rockin songs live or the ballads or both.

Steve Augeri: 6:55

So it doesn't matter the tempo or the genre, as long as there is an emotional connection or any a connection, you know, emotional connection that you can convey to an audience, that could be an audience of one, it can be just you there or it could be an audience of 70,000 Whatever you can get, if you feel there's a connection, and you're you've got some kind of rapport. I don't care what kind of song it is. Because you know, anything from when I was with Germany, anything from open arms, to you know, separate ways anything in between in between the two was it was wide open. And if the audience reacts in a positive way, and their hands go up in the air, or they stand up or they just you know, you can see it in their eyes and the body language. That's the song will play.

Chuck Shute: 7:52

Yeah, no, I like I did some deep digging until your some of your older bands. I found like some of the tall stories because I heard you and tell stories in Taekwondo. So I was like, I gotta hear your work with those ones, too. So I checked it out. I was like, Oh, this is really good. I like to tell stories. And then I heard something about to ketto The fans were kind of upset because it wasn't supposed to be a title record. It was supposed to just be and then they named a tie kettle and I was like, I'm I'm surprised the fans were upset because I I liked the songs that I heard especially let it go. I thought that was a really was that yours? Right.

Steve Augeri: 8:22

That's her rocker? Yeah. Yeah, the thing about a tie kiddo was yeah, we I went to write a record with them. And it was only supposed to write write with them for a week. And we wrote an entire album in seven days. And, and that was it. I was gonna go home and just go on my merry way. And after the week, unbeknownst to me, they were, they were kind of splitting from Danny Vaughn, who's just superstar vocalist. In his right. He's just standalone, incredible guy. But they were splitting. And I didn't know this. And I think they kind of kept it under the hat and wanted to see how we are personalities gelled and if we worked in wrote together well, and we really did in seven days. We had a ball. And we wrote this record. And yeah, it was just speaking of magic. It was truly magic. Working with those guys.

Chuck Shute: 9:16

Yeah, so talk about those old days like before, in the 80s and 90s You were kind of involved in the New York rock scene, right?

Steve Augeri: 9:25

Yeah. Where are you located? Are you in?

Chuck Shute: 9:28

I'm in I'm actually in Scottsdale, Arizona. I'm originally from Seattle. I moved here in Arizona like 2008 And so yeah,

Steve Augeri: 9:35

right on your beautiful I

Chuck Shute: 9:36

definitely did not have a lot of the that style of rock in Seattle when I grew up in the 90s it was all grunge

Steve Augeri: 9:41

sure but what you had that I mean you had an identity which a lot of people can say and it was a great identity and it and it ruled it ruled rock and roll for a long time and and you know, it was a healthy change. It ruined it. Well, it put my career on hold for a while but it was a necessary evil if you want to call it an evil, right? We will we I'm sorry.

Chuck Shute: 10:05

No, I was just gonna I was wondering if you were involved in that in the New York scene because I think, you know, there was the band's like, you know, Twisted Sister obviously. And then like later was like Skid Row trickster and Danger Danger like were you associated with all those guys are you kind of came up at the same time right?

Steve Augeri: 10:20

Yes and yet not too much we were more well we were centralized more in in Manhattan only because we used to we, we we kind of honed our craft and in this little place called the bitter end in Greenwich Village. Yeah. And that's known for Bob Dylan's and, and on and on, I mean, just used to be a coffee house kind of place where you'd go put your guitar and do a folk set. George Carlin started there, they used to have comedy and, and then later on, they had rock and roll bands. And they'd have as many as 678 bands a night. And we got to playing there a minimum of once a week, I think every Wednesday and we went from, you know, five people in the audience. And we'd have to go out in the middle of winter in the freezing cold and give out tickets. And they would pay maybe $2 to get in and we get 50 cents out of out of the $2. Or, you know, there was some kind of something along those lines. And, you know, we'd have to go there in like hucksters, I suppose is what they called it. But we really learned our craft in that little nightclub theater. And if you guys are ever in New York City, downtown in Greenwich Village, go see it. There's a lot of history. The stage was as small as a postage stamp. And back in the day, I used to fall into the tables a great many times, because it was so small. And I think, Well, I used to drink back then too. So you know, there wasn't it was. There was a twofold reasoning there. But it was great times. Great band. Great talented guys. Absolutely fantastic.

Chuck Shute: 12:01

tall stories you're talking about. This was with tell stories. Yeah. Yeah. And you because you also were a background singer for Michael Schenker. Right.

Steve Augeri: 12:09

That's correct. Well, you know, yes, I will. Well, let's go there. However, I just want to talk about New York for a second here. No, please, during that time, you know, they had a wonderful Well, Max's Kansas City CBGBs, there was a scene, the China club, limelight. And there was a wonderful scene, a New York music scene that has all but disappeared. And if it's still here, or something probably has returned, but I, I'm just probably too old to know about it. And it's underground. But there was a wonderful New York scene that we were a small part of, I think we were looking at a bigger picture. And at one time, we had a manager that was a world class manager by Prager, who managed Of course, foreigner mountain giant, who's if you want to talk about giants, you know, Dan has huff and giant and in bad company at one time, so we were their little baby band, and we were shooting for the we were shooting big and shooting for the stars.

Chuck Shute: 13:12

Yeah, well, didn't you and I don't know if this is accurate because it's on Wikipedia, but it says that you guys were nominated for Best Debut album and Best Debut Male Vocalist at the New York Music Awards. That's pretty cool.

Steve Augeri: 13:24

Yeah, that's correct. It was it was a great shot in the arm. I don't know if you guys remember Curtis Steiger. He walked away with best vocalist and Mary J. Blige, Mary J. Blige. Also, that was the year she, she came up. I know she's had a great career herself. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 13:41

Yeah. Did you guys do some? I think I saw that you had done you played a show with Mr. Big did you play with a lot of the bigger bands like either opening for them? Or

Steve Augeri: 13:49

we will look we were fortunate enough to get the first leg I think was the first leg of the tour. And it was in fact, so I think we played at a minimum of a month to a month and a half. The record company mustered up a couple of dollars for us. Thank you for that. That was the least they could have done. They put us on row with them. And what a great band to go out there. Watch them each night. And watch these pros and these amazing musicians and singers, Eric Martin. And I remember I think it was Daytona but I could be wrong, but we were some somewhere on the Florida coast. And there might have been 10 to 1520 people in the audience. And they had reached number one in the charts with to be with you. And then we were with this number one band with the number one song in America. And we were playing with 2020 people maximum weird so we celebrated of course like it was you know, New Year's Eve and 1999 and all that but of course from then on you know things just every door open for them after that they just you know everybody knew about Mr. Big yeah Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 15:00

so then I know like, I've heard you tell the story a couple of times where then you, you did ketto. And then you ended up just quitting music and you're working maintenance at the gap during that time when you quit? Did you? Were you doing music on the side at all? Or did you just not even sing for like a year?

Steve Augeri: 15:15

I guess? Yeah. So, so it's as simple as this. So I'm not quite sure, I think it was about 37. And I had released two records. And I had, I had, my career had exceeded all my peers that I grew up with all the guys I've rubbed elbows with in my neighborhood. And it was, it was wonderful. It was fantastic. I was, I was content thinking, you know, because it's a one in a million, you know, to make it in this industry. And I don't even know what the odds are today, it's probably more difficult. But I found myself fortunate. And I thought I had to put my feet stay grounded and think of the reality of raising my son and my wife and putting a roof over their head. So I was my cousin worked for the gap. And she knew I was a construction worker for 20 years, as I was doing rock and roll in New York. So there was an opening in their maintenance department where I'd swing a hammer and change light fixtures and toilet bowl seats and, and paint fitting rooms. And I worked for them for a year. And I yeah, I deep down of course, you know, your DNA is you want to be that singer that you that dream. But I had to put it on the shelf, and you know, grow up a little bit and take care of business, my family. And that's when a phone call. I got a phone call with either from John O'Neill, O'Neill and John. And the rest is, you know, as they say, history.

Chuck Shute: 16:54

So like, were you ready for that opportunity? Like had you been so rehearsing? Like, did you cut your hair? Like, was this something you had totally just given up? Or were you kind of still hoping that maybe something on the backburner would happen?

Steve Augeri: 17:05

Yeah, well, I had a mild haircut, I guess it was shorter. And yeah, and I, you know, I couldn't, I didn't conform and comply to, you know, that it wasn't what I was about. I was still a rocker. And, and I still had, you know, an appearance, perhaps, that's, you know, I'll probably have this hair, you know, when they put me in a box when, you know, years from now, but maybe I'll have it I will see about that. Yeah, but I'm, I'm sorry, we were we.

Chuck Shute: 17:37

Yeah. So then I was just wondering how ready you were when you got that call? Like it

Steve Augeri: 17:41

was no voice? If you don't think for a year, there's nothing.

Chuck Shute: 17:45

You see, you haven't done any like weekend gigs, or

Steve Augeri: 17:47

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. So absolutely nothing. And so I begged them for two weeks of preparation. And even two weeks is not not enough. So. So I went out there two weeks later, and I had five days to rehearse, to record an audition with them. I did two songs a day, one classic hit song, and, and one new song that he had written. So we recorded 10 songs, five, again, five hits, and five new songs, five future hits, right. And by the fifth day, something clicked. I think, you know, day one was like, day two, and with a little bit more, but by day five, I was hitting all cylinders. And that's when I got lucky. And and that's how it happens. I mean, I was just fortunate in that respect.

Chuck Shute: 18:42

Yeah. Well, I heard you say that was a John Kolodner. That said, that gave you some really good advice and said, Take notes. Like, watch what, you know, learn from these guys, because these guys are the best. And you You did right? You kind of tried to watch what they were doing. And obviously you're in it too. So you're learning that way? What what did you learn by watching them and seeing how they work and being a cog in that machine?

Steve Augeri: 19:04

Well, so just imagine you're green and you go any profession or any kind of industry in you going in there as a, what do they call them? When you're a carpenter, a trait what are they not a trait, for instance? Well, you're certainly an apprentice. And I would go I went in there as an apprentice. And if I was, if I had any, you know, small, smallest brain in the world, it'd be the most intelligent thing to do is was to observe and absorb and sponge off these guys and learn their craft. What What was I not doing before? And what are these guys doing? That's put them on the top of the heap. And so of course, and every day was a was a lesson to learn in a day at school. Sure. So what did you learn

Chuck Shute: 19:58

like what kinds of things Well, you know it definitely because you've been in other bands you've been in tell stories you've been into ketto, you know, backup vocalist with Michael Schenker, you've seen other bands, how they operated? What did they do differently? You think that put them above so that they're I mean, because obviously they're multi platinum group?

Steve Augeri: 20:15

Well, you know, for starters, when when you achieve something of that, of that nature, there's just an aura and you carry yourself, but there's a constant confidence in them that was lacking in me. So, I mean, let's face it, if you pan a song like faithfully and don't stop leaving open arms and down the line, you've got a nice track record there, and you can walk with your head high. And so there was just something even just this is one small thing I'm thinking of now. But, you know, the other thing was juillet, John Kolodner turned to me because he told me to come meet him at the Four Seasons in Uptown Manhattan. And I walked in and at the time, it was 1998, I think. And so I was in full grunge regalia. I had my plaid shirt, my rip jeans at the knee, and my construct black construction boots, he took one look at me, he says, Listen, you're gonna have to start apart from the Vice was keep your eyes and ears open. He said, You're gonna have to from here on and I want you to dress like a rockstar. And so I took that to heart, whatever that is dressing like a rockstar. The other thing which was very important and very intelligent, what he says, Whatever you do, don't spend your money. He said, You mean the bank. And that was very good advice as well.

Chuck Shute: 21:46

Now, that is really good advice. So I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you what your thoughts were on the current journey situation. And I'll be respectful, you want to say no calm, I don't want to get anybody in trouble. I'm not looking for clickbait, as accused. But there's some stuff going on with journey right now. And I just wondered if you had an opinion? Or because you've been in that camp? So you'd kind of have more of a opinion than that? I would knowing you have been inside of that.

Steve Augeri: 22:14

Sure. You, of course, you have to ask and look, if you asked me about them, or if you asked me about my next door neighbor. And if their marriage was kind of Rocky, it's the same thing. It's it's not my business. It's none of my business. However, it's it's a relationship that's going on for 50 years. And that's extraordinary, just to achieve that milestone. And if you don't have cracks in your foundation, your I don't know you must walk also walk on water. So nobody walks on water. They've been together this long, there's a good chance that they could, I'm sure they could patch things up. Except they have been, you know, things have been a little rocky lately, more so than ever. But you know, that's all I could say. It's, it's, it's theirs to work out their their issue to work out. And I hope they do for the sake of the band, and an equally for the sake of the fans, because you can't help but think that it affects them as well.

Chuck Shute: 23:21

Yeah, well guess the latest thing was the singer was saying he's getting frustrated. And he's saying, Well, if you want to fire me fire me. So I just wondered like, what if they did if he split? Would you go back to Germany? What do you think that would be something that they would come bring you back into the fold?

Steve Augeri: 23:35

Well, I would probably say, No one No. One? And I'll tell you why. Yeah, because if they if they asked me to go, for starters, look, I've had my day in the sun. I've had my run. And I think it was wonderful. Cornell has done that, and probably twice as long as I've been there. And he's done it magnificently. And I just you know, I think they need to patch it up within the current team. I just think that's the way it is. Because if I were to go with with whatever faction because unfortunately right now there's there appears to be like there's two camps. You know, I love I love those guys, if I could call it love and respect them equally, for different reasons. Because they gave me the biggest shot anybody could, you know, biggest opportunity anyone could ever have. And I would hate to turn my back on one or the other so that it probably be just better. I just think it would just be you know, yeah, I'm content doing what I'm doing. Dudes guys still go out five days a week and not just I can't physically do that. The joy would. After the first show I'd be back in you know, like a deer in the headlights is my voice can work on the third after the third show and the third day. And that's not where I'd like to be.

Chuck Shute: 25:06

Yeah. So now because I know that was the issue, why you left in the first place, there were some voice issues. But you've fixed that now, because you've got tour dates lined up. It's more than than one or two a week, right? You're doing like three or four dates a week.

Steve Augeri: 25:17

Yeah. Well, I'm yeah, what? So so this summer, I have the wonderful opportunity. And I was asked to join Bret Michaels, and Mardi Gras. Fantastic party grow 2023 And that's going to be blast and we're going to do three nights in a row but I'm not going to go out to and sing an hour and a half. I'm going to go out there and a few songs a night and that that's you know, I could do that standing on my head.

Chuck Shute: 25:41

So that makes a difference to is how long you're singing for sure. Sure, sure. Okay, yeah. Cuz like when you see when you go on when I go to see Guns and Roses, like he was doing like three hour shows, like they played almost every song and I loved it, but I was like, oh, that's gotta hurt your voice.

Steve Augeri: 25:57

Well, I want yeah, geez. I wonder how so how many shirts do they do week? Good.

Chuck Shute: 26:03

They were I feel like they were full time touring. If it seemed like it was five days a week I could be wrong. God bless X. Oh, good for you. AXA. Yeah, that's crazy. So that's good. That makes more sense. So you will be on the party gras. You'll be on every show. You're just not going to do an hour and a half. You're gonna do

Steve Augeri: 26:18

Oh yeah, I'm just gonna I'm gonna come out. You know what, uh, Mark McGrath and I are coming out as guest artists. And we're going to come after Jefferson Starship comes night Ranger. My good buddy, Jack blades. And then Brett comes out with a Bret Michaels band. And during his set, he's gonna take a 15 minute break or so 1520 minute break and bring Mike out or myself out during that set, and we're going to break up the show a little bit here. We're going to throw these monster hits at them in the middle of his monster hits. And then we're probably going to come out I'm sure we'll come out for non coral together and and you know bring the house down. Okay, so

Chuck Shute: 27:00

you'll like play with his band and basically Okay, and Mark McGrath that's

Steve Augeri: 27:05

cool. Mike is the equivalent of Brett in personality and energy this guy that's those two dudes could be brothers. You know? They just have that weight in personality and energy and to know one and then meet them. The other guy said you know if you had a blindfold to say I was feeling we were picking up the same vibes. They're great guys. Great personalities and great to have them I don't know. They're both great showman I think they might want up each other every

Chuck Shute: 27:40

I've been trying to get both those guys on my show. It's weird because Mark McGrath follows me on Instagram, which I think is the way I was like I don't know if he did a mistake or something. I keep trying to get him on the show and he doesn't respond to my messages but he follows me I don't know so I kind of tried to get him for you.

Steve Augeri: 27:54

I will put in a word for you my friend thank you that's very cool. Yeah, I

Chuck Shute: 27:57

hope to see that show. Or like I said the what is it called the life what is something Life Festival and Queen Creek that the way you come in Arizona Kansas like oh there's something something life new life

Steve Augeri: 28:10

I think is good time good life in life. I think that's what it yeah, this early. You had it perfectly.

Chuck Shute: 28:15

Yeah to perfect. I've screwed it up already. I was gonna ask you too about this other thing I read. You did the supergroup called underworld with a key Marcelo who had also had on the show recordings were never released. Is there any plans to get those out?

Steve Augeri: 28:31

So shortly after I exited Germany. That's a nice way to put it right. I was released that's a really good way to put it to key contacted me to see if I would be interested in doing it. And of course, Virgil Donati and key as it guitars, holy cow, yeah, I'd love to. And in fact, at the very tail end, we had a childhood friend of mine, James LoMenzo. Was was going to be involved

Chuck Shute: 29:03

with white lion and Megadeth too. And he's

Steve Augeri: 29:06

right now he's you know, just they're all over these massive stages all over the world and Megadeth back in Megadeth, right. So um, so I'm scattered I'm sorry, where were

Chuck Shute: 29:19

you doing this? The band was key and no one

Steve Augeri: 29:23

knew I forgot underworld I

Chuck Shute: 29:24

think it's called right.

Steve Augeri: 29:25

Oh, sadly what we did was we recorded four songs Key wrote these amazing Prague songs, which I have, you know, I was a big prog fan. As I am with most music, I'm big music fan and certainly comes with that I was, you know, grew up without ELP and yes, and Genesis and bands of that nature and he wrote some really masterpieces. And so we recorded these four songs. He had them mixed, and that was as far as it got. It kind of stalled out got the car ran out of gas. And however those are available, I think somewhere out there on YouTube and there. Okay, so there was one song called Metaphorically speaking, which was fantastic. I mean, it could have easily been a queen song off of innuendo It was that kind of majestic. You know, Masterpiece really keys a hell of a, apart from just being a great guitarist and writer. He's a hell of a singer as well.

Chuck Shute: 30:26

Yeah, I love his uh, I think it's a side project is I think it's called Top of the world I had him on. I saw I listened to that album, while I was like, Oh, this is really good stuff. It's,

Steve Augeri: 30:34

I bet it is. I'm sure it is,

Chuck Shute: 30:36

is it? It's gonna be hard, though, to get people to listen to music. I mean, it's like, this is good that you're doing this podcast. And hopefully this helps a little bit. But it's just so competitive. It's such a flooded market, there's so much because people say there's a there's no good music. And I think it's the opposite. I think there's too much good music. And it's just it's hard to find it because it's such a flooded market.

Steve Augeri: 30:56

It's funny that you say that it is definitely a flooded market, because in 2020, everybody went into their shell, right? We were all in lockdown. And which inspired me and motivated me to record this record and finish Record and put it out. But I'm certainly I can't imagine I was alone. I'm sure everybody had to do the same thing. So of course, as soon as things started loosening up, you can imagine there's your floodgates open. And lo and behold, that's exactly what happened about a year ago, so much music was coming out. And I was tempted to put my record out a year ago. But again, because of the same reason. And frankly, this just about when Joni put out the record, and I was just about to release it. And I stopped and I said that's a bad idea. I don't want to I don't want any kind of comparisons. I don't want any kind of, you know, competition. Let each of us have our day in the sun in art, you know. And so I postponed the record. I'm glad I did, because I worked on a couple extra songs. And but yeah, there is this is the interesting thing. Nowadays, you could go on YouTube, and you can listen to a song like your back in the day, the a&r people used to get your record or your cassette deck, right. And they've listened to the first 20 seconds and they'd hit fast forward, and acuter, the next song and the next song in the next song. And I think that's how people are listening to music today. And the one thing I mean, I produced my record and, and I treated every moment and every second of each song, like it was the same, the beginning of the song needs to grab you right away. And the end of the song has to keep your attention to the very last note to the end of the fade or whatever you know. So sometimes people don't even get a chance to get I mean, if you build a song or you write a song you want it to build right dramatically. You want it to dynamically bring them in at first and then build and build and build like, are you familiar with Ravel's Bolero? Oh, that's a good piece. Well, after this, I want you to google it and listen to it. Okay, beautiful. It starts with one instrument very piano very softly. And by the end of the song. It's the same repetitive melody, but it's on 11 I don't know if you can see my shirt. This one goes to 11

Chuck Shute: 33:20

Oh, yeah, I love that. Yeah, spinal tap reference.

Steve Augeri: 33:24

It's it's bringing down the walls, it's in the ceilings coming down because it's so it's built to this. And that's sometimes if you you know, 20 seconds of a song you move on, you're missing the good stuff. The meat is at the end of the song, the real, you know. So when you guys get a chance to listen to my music, whether it's purchasing the CD or, or iTunes or Amazon or anything like that. Do we have some time to listen to the end of the song? I beg?

Chuck Shute: 33:58

Yeah, no, it's greatest.

Steve Augeri: 34:00

That's where you're at? Absolutely. No

Chuck Shute: 34:03

people can they can listen for free it can listen to streaming. And you can listen for free. Yeah, but even though it's free, that still helps you when you get the streams helps that those streams get up and then more people listen to it, hopefully get our playlists and things and it

Steve Augeri: 34:18

doesn't hurt. You know. Gone are the days where a musician unless I mean, I don't know how you can become the next Beyonce or the next Harry Styles. Well, I'm trying to think of a band right now. I don't know how it's gonna happen. But I don't they'll have to I don't know how they can sell music. I mean, like it's

Chuck Shute: 34:43

a lot of you know, you got a placement like commercials like I know rival sons. I love rival sons. They have that song and I think it's a Toyota or one of the car commercials. And I hear it multiple times a day. I'm like, I just keep thinking like chi Ching chi Ching every time that they play that song so I think it's like some Have them like that, like a movie a TV show? That's correct. And that's really competitive too. But yeah, it's just this game. You got to play. And then I think the other way musicians make money is from the merch, the T shirts and cool stuff like mugs. And I mean, that's what somebody said that we're traveling t shirt sales company, and we, you know, our jingles sell the T shirts. So

Steve Augeri: 35:19

Well, that's true. However, you have to get to the point where people are going to walk through the gate and sit in the seats because of the music. First and foremost. And then you have the opportunity to either sell a t shirt or not, but yeah,

Chuck Shute: 35:32

when I think that helps you like with a party girl, because you got so many big names. I mean, that just seems like a fun concert. Same with a good life festival. You know, the bluffs are cold in Kansas. And that seems like a great show. It won't.

Steve Augeri: 35:43

It's not it. It's going to be great. Yeah, it's going to be great. It doesn't hurt. Yeah, for sure.

Chuck Shute: 35:49

Very cool. Well, thanks so much, Steve. I'll let you get back. I'm sure you got more stuff to do or more interviews or whatever. So I always end promoting a charity. At the end of each episodes are charity that you've worked with before or something that you want to give a shout out to here?

Steve Augeri: 36:01

Yeah, you know, I, I do. You know, I've had the opportunity to work with a wonderful St. Jude's charity, the Warburton Foundation, however, and I just gonna plug them real quick. But today, I want to give a big, big ups to the North Shore animal league here in New York on Long Island, because I rescued a beautiful my Simon Earl was his name. He was part lab and port hound. And they were fabulous. And they do great things, rescuing animals from all over the country.

Chuck Shute: 36:37

Yeah, I think I've heard of that one. Isn't that the one Howard Stern's wife is correct. Yeah. Okay.

Steve Augeri: 36:42

But I have to say one more. There's one great, great rescue by the name of the Bissell Foundation. And if you ever had a vacuum cleaner or a shampoo rug, shampooer those are the Bissell people. And they have an enormous in a fantastic foundation that rescues dogs animals all over the country. And, you know, it's just nice to give a pull up, give a you know, a round of applause. People. Yeah, well, the North Shore animal League. Okay, friends at the ward Warburton.

Chuck Shute: 37:18

All right. Thank you. I'll put that in the show notes along with your website. And people can check out on tour with the party gras or the Good Life Festival. I don't Is there other shows that you're doing that are not part of the party gras.

Steve Augeri: 37:28

Yeah, I mean, they're multiplying we just got booked. We're gonna go over to Chile for three three shows. We're going to be in Epcot, I think it's in March, two and three, or three and four. So yeah, the calendar is filling up. So I'm hoping to see everybody all around the country. Okay, great. Well, thanks so much for joining us. He now rizona my friend.

Chuck Shute: 37:50

Yeah, good life festival. Like I said, I got the gotta right now. So yeah, it's two days. So let's see you and then I think Kenny Loggins is the second day. So I'll try to make that to.

Steve Augeri: 38:01

I have a great Kenny Loggins story, but I'll tell you next time. Oh,

Chuck Shute: 38:04

next. Oh, you're gonna save. Okay, teaser. All right. We gotta come back. All right. I'll see you later. The Good Life. Okay. Oh, by Steve. Oh, Jerry. Check him out on the party gras tour. Check out the new album seven ways till Sunday. And like you said, make sure to listen to the whole thing to really grasp it. And make sure to support all the guests by buying merchandise or tickets or even following them on social media. And of course, you can support our show simply by following us on social media, sharing our posts or episodes, liking and commenting that'll help both social media and on YouTube. I appreciate all your support. Have a great day and shoot for the moon.