Chuck Shute Podcast
In depth interviews with musicians, comedians, authors, actors, and more! Guests on the show include David Duchovny, Billy Bob Thornton, Mark Normand, Dee Snider, Ann Wilson, Tony Horton, Don Dokken, Jack Carr and many more.
Chuck Shute Podcast
Ray West (Spread Eagle)
Ray West is a rock singer and frontman for the band Spread Eagle. The band has shows lined up for September and will be on the Monsters of Rock Cruise in 2024. We discuss how the band was signed originally, touring with Vain, Ray’s side projects, working with George Lynch and more!
0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:26 - Drug Cliche with Rock
0:10:10 - Spread Eagle Being Signed
0:13:00 - How Ray Joined Spread Eagle
0:14:45 - Record Deal & Production Agreement
0:17:30 - Signing with Frontiers Records & Royalties
0:19:12 - Touring with Vain
0:22:03 - Other Shows & Heavier Sound
0:24:35 - Sebastian Bach
0:25:35 - Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam & Mother Love Bone
0:32:22 - All Pointz West, Superfly & Magnificent Beasts
0:34:12 - Music Full Time & Cooking School
0:36:45 - Stand Up Comedy
0:38:05 - George Lynch
0:40:55 - Spread Eagle & Future Live Shows
0:45:15 - Being a Better Singer & Working Hard
0:46:35 - Same Song, Same Title, Freshness & Same Singers
0:51:15 - Production & New Bands
0:54:40 - Virtual Concerts & 80s Band Touring
0:57:25 - Changing Key of Songs & Hitting the Notes
1:00:45 - Working Around Bass Player's Schedule
1:02:10 - Rock Fans & Being Great Live
1:03:10 - Next Spread Eagle Record
1:05:10 - Joe DiMaggio Hospital
1:06:35 - Outro
Spread Eagle website:
https://spreadeagle.us/
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital website:
https://www.jdch.com/
Chuck Shute website:
https://www.chuckshute.com/
Thanks for Listening & Shute for the Moon!
All right, Ray West singer of The Rock Band spread eagle and some other projects is here today. He's got some great stories, insights and responses to my questions, some interesting run ins with other musicians too. Lots of great stuff coming right up why is that always the case? Why is it that cliche so true that it's like I feel like that's so many musicians I interview they start out and they have success and then they get into drugs and then they sober up.
Ray West:Creativity equals pain equals childhood traumas, and a lot of like delusional wannabe things you think you're supposed to be doing? You know, like I told someone like when I was a little, you know, Janis Joplin, you know, oh, man, and she did what? Oh, wow. Okay, I'll never do that. was almost like you're like, Huh, I'm a little bored. I got some downtime. What do I do? Now it's gonna get rid of this.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, that's gonna be a big part of the issue is the downtime. I because there's a lot of when you're, you're, you're busy, but at the same time, like in between shows, like, you get to a city and then you have a lot you only really doing a show for like an hour and a half, sometimes less, sometimes. 2030 minutes for your opening, right?
Ray West:Yeah. And, you know, it depends on who you're hanging out with. You know what I mean? It's like, when I was younger, you learn your lessons the hard way I had to learn but I know people that have never touched a drop or sniffed anything or whatever, you know, but I'll just say it's just so people either do it, and they stay with it, or they do and they never touch it again.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. You're right. Because some of the people that don't it's like, they figure another way. I was just I had the basis from rat on one cruciate, I think I'd say say, but yeah, he was telling me how he would back in the day this was before like laptops and stuff he would bring all these like, mixers and stuff to when he would tour and he would do he would set up in the hotel room and he would write songs and like, tinker and stuff. I was like, wow, that's like hardcore. Sounds like you didn't have a lot of time to do partying and stuff. So well, you know,
Ray West:and nowadays people like you know, people are people are like, they look unhealthy. They look and fit you know, the rock star image was different back in my day. You didn't do that. You know, now it's like, guys are looking all buff. They're having like Red Bulls backstage. It was different when we were you know, it sounded marine Clarita, Sebastian
Chuck Shute:Bach's book.
Ray West:No, I didn't but you know, I have it queued up on Audible.
Chuck Shute:That's a it is a great I did I read it like two days but there was a part in there. I think I want to say he was on tour with Bon Jovi maybe might have been Richie Sambora. And he said he took a shirt off, and he had like a beer gut. And then Sebastian Bach was like, what? And then he was like, oh, cocaine, oh, clear this right off or something. Like that was like a thing you did in the 80s. Like, you just took some cocaine to like lose weight.
Ray West:It's funny like that. That was the original diaper and the cocaine diet. They called it but I mean, so I was on my downtime. We weren't touring. At that time. Back in the days, we weren't touring. We were just about to leave the label. When I left the label, I really just sort of boredom, and depression, and everything just sort of piled in on me. And someone just said, Hey, Ray, man, I got something for you. And you know what I mean, I was gullible. I was insecure. And so it just made me it made the world go away.
Chuck Shute:Is it harder to get drugs though? After you leave a band like that down? It's like, you're not getting them for free as much. Right?
Ray West:Right. That's what happens. Everything's for free. I didn't pay I didn't pay for a drink since I was like, 15 years old, being in bands, you know what I mean? And yeah, everything was free. And then you find yourself you know, your savings account gets dwindled, and your friends don't want to talk to you anymore. No one wants to loan you any money. It gets pretty ugly. You become another person. You know, you can be the nicest guy in the world, soulful, kind, but this thing turns you into something else because it turns you into a zombie. You know, you want to do is, is feed and you know, it's pretty ugly.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. What your drug of choice was what it was, uh, I fell into heroin. Oh, the hard stuff. Damn.
Ray West:Okay. The Class A, you know, seventh degree arrest, felony arrest. It just happened. You know, it wasn't something I was proud of, you know, but it just seemed like at the time in Manhattan where I was living everybody was doing it. And it seemed the norm you went through an ecstasy party there was parents and if that you know end up I knew guys that came over there. I would have I won't say any names a particular person we probably both know. We were sitting down one night and he asked me to get him in particular asked me to get him some heroin go I can't sleep. Okay, great. They're sniffing cocaine normally I'm on the other side of the table just chillin there like you can have the rest of the bag so I lost the dope you know as they're stiffer cocaine is said to me you know that stuff is gonna kill you serious I'm Come on man. So everybody has a different views on it. You know? It just I fell into it. Luckily, years later, I snapped out of it. But I didn't have a lot of friends that didn't step out of it. And there's there's people really bad stories worse stories than me those the ones that aren't alive, you know. So it just it just took away my work took away everything took away, my friendships, my relationships, it all fell away for a while I was just like at rock bottom on my own.
Chuck Shute:So how'd you snap out? It was like a rock bottom moment. Was there something that one thing that happened?
Ray West:You know, they say you just get sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know, and I want to get back into the human race because you just fall away from the world. And also raising my boy Brando that snapped me out of you know that. That came a couple years, a couple years later, but it kind of snapped me out of it. You know, I think you just said inner an Inner Inner Inner Strength. So there's a spine that says, you know, what do you want to do? You're going to die, or you're going to live? It's an easy choice. You know, it's not, it's not a recreate, nobody can use heroin recreationally. It's implied.
Chuck Shute:Well, that's the same thing you're seeing. Or we're seeing over here. I'm in Arizona, but we have like the fentanyl problem. It's, I think it's Seattle. I think it's either fentanyl or heroin. A lot of those homeless people are on and it's just, it's sad. And now there's some new drugs drug called Trank. And you'd see these people online, and they just literally literally look like a zombie. And they're just like, they're just like falling asleep standing up. It's weird.
Ray West:Yeah, there's always going to be some new thing. You know, whether it's made in the lab, or someone discovers it in a forest somewhere, but there's always going to be some new thing because they're going to come up with the kibosh on this. And they're going to find something else to feed the kids, you know, and those are the ones that are most susceptible to everything. That's that's, that's the real reality is the hardship of it, you know?
Chuck Shute:Yeah, cuz I think I think my theory is like, everyone's built to do something on this earth, and maybe you just don't know what that is. Or you feel like you're, you're not achieving your point, you're probably feeling like you got lost and you're like, Okay, well, I thought I was supposed to be musician. Maybe I'm not. And so then you fall into the dirt like people fall on these drug things. And it just like numbs it temporarily, but that's good that you're able to get out and now you're back on track with music.
Ray West:I mean, I've had people that have just turned their back on me. Because of it, you know, they didn't want to deal with me. And maybe at that time, you know, I had someone told me, you know, I remember I'm asking for someone, I think it was an old manager for like, 20 bucks. He looked at me and he said, I can't give you 20 bucks. You're fucking junkie, that shit woke me up fast when someone tells you that. And it's not something you think you ever gonna be. You know what I mean? It's like, Come on, do that. That's disgusting. And there you are, man. But if you snap out of it, you some people learn the hard way. That's me. Later, we're talking. Yeah.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Well, I mean, it's like you said, though, it's like, at least you made it through that. Like, there's so many that that didn't died at 27. Or at that club. It's so stupid, but
Ray West:it's just and you know, you see a lot of people and like you said fentanyl is a new thing. You know, as I played the clubs, I don't see much of it. But with the kids, I hear a lot about it. You know, so I do speak to a lot of the young folk, they come to the, to the gigs, and it's it's a different read.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, it's interesting, because like, weed is legal. So it's like, that's not You're not even like really being a rebel. If you smoke weed. Now, it's like, you could just do that legally, it's not that big of a deal. So
Ray West:yeah, for some people, it's not a gateway drug man. It's just it's about like where you're at in life. You're so insecure person. And, and you fall on someone and you you just been so hurt by your own bullshit. It's like putting on a warm coat, a warm blanket. It just makes the world go away. That's That's what that drug does. You know, Coke wakes you up, and you're in the middle of everything. You're not You're an asshole, you know, but the other thing just makes you go to sleep and just put you out.
Chuck Shute:turns the world off. Yeah. In the
Ray West:beginning, it's a great push on like, all this is awesome. I can sit on this stuff, then. After a while you can.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, no, it's like, I like what you said about rejoining the human race. Yeah, I feel the same way. Like even just like, sometimes I'll go through these times where I'm just like, or like, not as much now. But like, when I was in my 20s and stuff, I'd be drinking a lot. And then it's like, let me start. Like as you get older, I think that's the other thing is as you get older, you start looking back and like, what am I doing? Like what? Like, I'm just this is my life. Like, I'm just gonna get drunk every weekend. Like, this is stupid, like, well, I want to like do something with my life, like, something I can be proud of.
Ray West:Yeah, do you want to live? You know, or do you want to die either way it is we look at if you want to be a part of the life you got to join life and you gotta be you gotta man up, take your lumps and just feel the pain. You got to embrace the pain because it's part of it. People that are afraid to embrace pain. They're the ones that have a hard time
Chuck Shute:that's a good that's a good point. Yeah, that's I feel like the harder you try to fight against pain or anxiety or whatever, try to like, oh, no, I'm not I don't want to think about that. I want to talk about that. And then it just like it could become stronger. You kind of just have to let it come in and go, Okay, just let myself be anxious for a while or you know, pissed off or just let it happen and then eventually it goes away.
Ray West:You know, I was at a point to where we were like, our beam was making a lot of moves when we got so we got some pretty quick we were moving fast and we were moving up. It was a good live band. And when the the atmosphere of rock and roll changed and was changing of the guard, you know, you got everybody got her By the business I think and some people handle it in different ways. So mine was to just party as much as possible and be as stupid as possible. Like me that never happened. I'll remember anything. But it there
Chuck Shute:when you guys got signed. That's weird. I interviewed your bandmate Rob, and I thought I had asked him about this, but I guess I didn't or maybe this just came to me, but I seemed or maybe I made it up. I don't know. But I feel like I read this article about you guys. Were I forget who signed you but whoever it was, was they were looking for like the next Guns and Roses or Motley Crue. And then then when they signed you, they were like, Yes, I got I got my motley crew or whatever. Who was that? Who was the guy that signed you guys? I forget who it was.
Ray West:The guy that sent us was from MCA Bruce Dickinson. Now there's two Bruce Dickinson's right. Really the singer Rockstar and that but the the one that signed us was remember the skit on SNL with Christopher Walken. More cowbell? Yeah. That's our Bruce Dickinson. Okay. Anna, like a pretty pretty popular a&r guy. So I guess between the way our manager or management talked us up and what he was looking for, they thought it was going to be like that, you know, but they didn't know what to do with us once they had us on the label.
Chuck Shute:But that is true, that that's what he was, he wanted his own kind of guns and roses is what
Ray West:I think one of the band was really going to swing for the fences and be aggressive, you know, because everything was kind of being like ABC cookie cutter rock and roll around that. And we know they wanted something musical but aggressive with the screen, he kind of vocal and you know, there's something very in your face, and we were very high energy in your face.
Chuck Shute:So he signed up before you even played a gig, right? Yeah, we
Ray West:got signed out of a rehearsal. That's crazy. They all came to see us a rehearsal we got we were like, maybe there was a lot of like buzz about the band in the city. But we thought we would have to do showcases and things like that. But they all came to rehearsal. We never had to do a show form or one of those sterile SAR, you know, like, set up a cooler it just sit there. You know, it was it was pretty cool. And that day he came in, he was like, let's do this. And we're like, Okay,
Chuck Shute:well, yeah, I wonder if part of that was based on that other song that you guys had before when the band was? Well, you weren't in it. It was a different band, I guess, technically bang or whatever. They had the summertime. And that was, I guess, in one line, I just watched the videos, it was kind of a catchy song. But they won like the Basement Tapes of MTV contest or whatever. So I wonder if part of that was based on that. Because your guitar player wrote that song, it was pretty catchy.
Ray West:Well, you know, Paul, Paul was a very gifted player. And that song was very Van Halen he, you know, that was the air for them back then. You know, and when Paul came to the city to meet me, the you know, it was it was a real change for him. You know, he had to change his style, he got more aggressive, we were all came from clean kind of, you know, we're just kind of a more laid back band image. And we all kind of got into this sort of sort of new mentality, like, let's just be aggressive. Let's get the city behind us as being New York City, wherever that is, and have this great energy. So, you know, those guys had their own thing in Boston. And, you know, when they came to New York, and had to like, take it up a notch,
Chuck Shute:how did they find you again?
Ray West:Well, actually, when I was in a band, I was when I moved to New York City was to be in a band called Fox hunt, and actually had a guitar player who was on heroin. And what he did is he stole all the band gear. And he moved to California, we needed a guitar player, somehow my manager, and Paul's manager got introduced to each other. So Paul, that you brought to New York to join the band that I was in. Ah, then what happened was, we started to rehearse. And somehow they want to let the other guitar player back in the band. I don't know why they thought he was like, kind of like, you know, just that rock and roll Keith Richards modern day type, you know. And Paul was like, fuck this shit, this isn't working. So he brought Tommy and Rob to New York City. They needed they needed to make a demo. So they were doing that they needed a singer for their demo. And I was asked to sing on their demo so that they could find another singer. And just so happens that we were doing some recording and we were like, that sounds pretty cool. So we decided to put the band together right then and there. And I joined them, you know, it all came together.
Chuck Shute:Which songs were on the demo?
Ray West:I think we had like switchblade, serenade scratch was on that demo. And it was possibly song called gunshot that never made the record. You know, those kind of Oregon la guns, the sound kind of song. But there was about three or four songs on there. By the time Bruce in them got to us, but it was pretty quick, you know, get the record the demo. He writing we wrote half the record in the studio, because we assigned it about five tunes, and they're like, there's just on you guys now. The next you know, before you know it, we're in the Record Plant. I'm in a real fucking studio dealing with that shit, you know, and I thought it was hot shit on the microphones or like on the Record Plant. It's something about it was just like, Oh my God, it was very big, you know? Yeah, well,
Chuck Shute:you but you already had a manager. So did he look over the contract and stuff because that's kind of a big thing. I think I thought I heard you say something about that. Like, make sure that you have somebody look over the contracts when you sign these things.
Ray West:Now what happens is a lot of bands get the record deal done. dangled in front of them. And then before the record deal comes production agreement, right? So our manager wanted to be our producer. And one wanted to be also our production company. So you got four hungry guys, the labels right there the night before we get told, Listen, man, once you guys send us production agreement, and then we'll get you to the label. So you're telling me we can't get to the label? Must we sign this thing? And it became kind of one of, you know, one of those kinds of things. So we, we set up production agreement with our lawyer looking at over force. And I think when we signed to MCA, the lawyer was hired for us by our management. So it's pretty tricky. You know, it's, it's, it's the old adage, man, guys are really hungry. They'll do anything to get on the label. And you sign your life. Wait, I'll tell you about the day we signed the contract. Remember the movie devil's advocate?
Chuck Shute:Yeah, like just rewatch that the other day.
Ray West:So the rooms dark as well, as long as we're gonna get big rooms, that long table. And we're all just growing up is a pile of the contracts about this book and thick, excuse my French, it's about this. You sign page after page after page. And our man, the other manager Scott says to us guys are looking all mellow man looks happy. We just signed a record contract. I'm like, Yeah, with it feels weird. It just weird. You know, you wanted to really enjoy the moment, but there was so many strings involved.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, so take more of the cut than they should have.
Ray West:It's always like that, the back and the record. In the music business days, you had the pie. And the you had half goes to the label, then the half the year that's yours is everybody gets a cut. By the time you're done, you got to have a slice of fucking pie. You know, it's not pretty. Um, none of us were rich, none of us had a big time lawyer to hire. You know, we, we did the best we could, you know, and we made some money. But it's, you know, like anything else. Once again, I wasn't a business person. And the rule I tell everybody is like, like, like you've heard, have a lawyer, a very good lawyer, look over contract, learn entertainment, law or business just learning it because if you're gonna go into making money in music, that's what you'd have to do. But nowadays, the business is different. The business isn't the music business doesn't really exist like it used to anymore. Nowadays, we're doing peer to where peer to peer salesmen. We make our living by going on the road. That's how we have to do it.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, so like, when you sign a deal now with frontiers records, I mean, is it's totally different, right?
Ray West:Completely different. It's a different animal, you know, they give you they give you a smaller budget. You don't get the quarter mil like it used to, you know, small if you're lucky to get 15 grand out of someone then you have to do costs and things like that a video make a decent video. So it's tricky, that kind of business. You have to that's why you have to involve a lot of social media. Yeah, the marketing department is you unless you unless you pay someone
Chuck Shute:you still have money coming in from spirit from frontiers and the old stuff and then merch and like, there's still money coming in at this point.
Ray West:Yeah, a little a couple bucks dropped every month, like a little ask, Can I get a direct deposit? And don't be like, Oh, I know what I got the I was going to frame the last ASCAP check. I got it was$2.11. But since then, you know, we've done some work and we've rearranged some things. So now we get you know, a couple of bucks each month. It's nice passive income.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. But like, I mean, like merch, too, and stuff. And like, Is there money from the videos and the YouTube and, and the other stuff?
Ray West:Yeah, once again, you know, that's a package is the way the way it's done. merch. Merch as far as the old days. We don't get a cut. We make our money now on our own merch. Yeah. So it's like, that's the harsh reality that we don't make. You know, there's no like, I think that maybe we actually sold a song to a TV show. That was a big check. Oh, but does money come rolling in like it used to? No, it doesn't. You know, you that's why we have to get on the road. That's the harsh reality.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Well, then you didn't tour back in the day with Vein I think, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Tell me about that. I know. There was a you got kicked off the tour because Tommy ran on stage naked or something like that. But
Ray West:yeah, that there was some I'll be real with you and pull back any punches. Since then. We've seen we've met Davey, and things have been really mellow and Rob seat cross paths with him a few times. Back then, we were young and cocky. We were feeling ourselves. We were the aggressive rock band and I thought vein at the time was very light. You know, and they had cool, girly catchy songs and I thought they were cool. They were great live, I thought but one day we're in the Midwest somewhere. And I get a little aggressive on the mic sometimes not. Well, you know, there's a great crowd I light up and I say some things that around you sometimes I said something like Hey, you know, this ain't no rock and roll glam fat bullshit. This has spread Buck needle so and so. And I guess, right after the show, there was some offense taken to that. You know, I'm like, I wasn't saying that at you. You know, just shout out to the crowd. That's how we were that you know, but it got taken very personal. And a lot of stuff. Elevators from there one day we wind up at some bar. We're all heading to some gig. I think it's in Georgia. I don't know if it was masquerade or someplace like that. We weren't allowed in the building. But well, what's going on their buses there? Yeah, they call the cops. They said their fear for their lives or something. And then you got something like that, man. I'm not exaggerating. It just didn't work out.
Chuck Shute:I was that bad where they call the cops. Wow, it was pretty bad. But we weren't. That was the how you got kicked off more so than the Tommy running naked.
Ray West:They were kind of more the headliners on that tour. Yeah, the more seasoned. So you know, for us to pull up and it's like, let us in. Now you guys can come into
Chuck Shute:here. That's a baller power move, though.
Ray West:Man Get out. So but what we did is that that caused us to headline on Go on. Just do our own shows. Yeah, that was kind of a cool it was it was good. A good break for us. You know, I remember we played and we played our geographic locales with them like Boston and New York City we had lined. So other than that, we were always first on the bill with them. So and we maybe just got tired of us blown the fuck away every night. I don't know. We were we were pretty darn wild on stage back then. We were like somebody said we were like caged monkeys at feeding time.
Chuck Shute:Wow. Is there a video of this on YouTube or anything?
Ray West:You know what? Somebody sent me one of us staying at the limelight in 1993. And I never watched myself on video. I won't do it. I won't. But I'll watch that one. It's pretty cool. We're on fire. Okay,
Chuck Shute:I'll have to check that out.
Ray West:Yeah, that's it for me. I do not like watching myself or listening to music.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Do you? Did you do any other tours besides that one with Vein back in the day?
Ray West:We went out with scatterbrain. Oh, right. And those guys that oh, those were fun shows
Chuck Shute:those were different. Was that more kind of a punk funk? Kind of? They were
Ray West:like heavy punk funk. And he was Tommy Christ was a funny entertainer. I learned a lot from him just like his his. His openness and his sense of self expression. And he didn't give it hell damn what he said, you know, he was just You said, and that was it. Very Henry Rollins. This is me. You're gonna take gonna take what I give you, you know, but um, they were great. They were fun to deal with.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, that's cool. I mean, do you have any other insights? When you look back? Like, is there anything that you would have done differently? Like, would you have changed the name of the band changed the style of the band? Or because it was right about that era where the music scene change? Like, do you think you would have changed it to get ahead of the game that way? Or?
Ray West:I think we were I think spreading music was kind of ahead of its time, then. I think there was good songwriting, a lot of musicality. You know, we were making a third record. And that record was, you know, during that change, and we were already influenced a lot by bands that we met, like when we hung out with Allison chains. And I mean that those guys, you know, that was very heavily influenced who influenced by Nelson change at that time. So we were getting we wrote a very heavy third record, we were starving to death. And we were going into more heavy direction anyway, because the thought was on the second record, you want to make$150,000. So do you want to make a million dollars? That's how they feed you. You know, then right after that, we were like, Let's make something really heavy. That's just us. And we were starting to get as heavy as possible. But then, of course, egos and attitudes and drugs got involved. And that's what the batch comes from. That's happened, you know, but we did a lot of the, you know, as far as shows, let me just go back. We did. We played a lot at this thing called My favorite show was concrete foundations forum. Remember, those? Concrete marketing company out of New York City had a huge thing they did in California was like Judas Priest, Panthera us it was everybody. It was like a big metal convention where to be at, you know, those get you should use a lot and did a lot of activity and you got to watch everybody play. We played right before Panthera one night, so that was good stuff, you know, spread did a lot of great things in a very short amount of time. It's just that everything was left on the table.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Did you ever do shows with any of the other New York bands like Twisted Sister or Danger, danger or trickster? I think Skid Row or any of those guys?
Ray West:No, I remember bass came. There was there was a time when basil's bass didn't hear our record. He heard the first album we were in California at the concrete foundations. And Jerry Miller used to be the publisher for metal Island. says to me bass is on the phone. He wants to talk to you like what and The in basket kinda you know a rolling conversation going, but we never got to open for Skid Row but he did come out on our on our stage once we were playing Jersey somewhere he was like he's like, almost seven feet tall or something. I'm only like five, five live I don't like a monkey hanging from a tree. It's pretty funny. Are with them? We you know, we we did our own shows. And we did not get to link up with that many other bands because it was such a short lived career.
Chuck Shute:Oh, yeah. I mean, eight 189 to like 95 like six years. Yeah, I
Ray West:mean, you know, we did do some gigs with other bands that I couldn't tell you their names. You know, there was a lot of things that just weren't a fog for me.
Chuck Shute:You know, how did you know the guys from Allison chains then?
Ray West:We're playing see our first tour. Now second tour. We were in Seattle. And Mike Starr comes on our bus with a very beautiful girl. And she's just like a buddy of his, of course turned on enamored by her. But Mike is on our bus. And everybody's telling me about how great Allison changes. Yeah, and we actually know this guy is on our bus. We hit it up, we're having a conversation. And he's telling me about where he's playing and the buzz on him is ridiculous. So it's got gotten to be about 230 in the morning. And I'm still trying to get on the screen because it comes back come back to the house. You know the band has advanced the house whatever we'll hang out have beers you check up the slider check out some tracks. He played me we die young with vocals and without I heard man the box rough mix and I fucking shit my pants. I want is this man, this is serious. I think Lane was passed out into the room to sleep and they were all crashed out. We were just have a little party in the room. Went back to the bus. I told the guys. That Spamhaus changes, like I can't explain it. It's amazing. And everybody's all into themselves or whatever, right? Look, you shut up man.
Chuck Shute:Those before they broke this is before.
Ray West:And they're um, like my and I get it right away. I got it. Like, you know, went through my through my DNA. I just got it. You must like we're in LA. And we're talking to one of our a&r people, Jennifer J Back in the day. We're all crammed her little conscious. I want to play you guys. My new favorite band. These guys are amazing. She puts in the tape IX book and Allison chains. And all the guys are leaning up. Oh my god, that's amazing. Like I told you about.
Chuck Shute:I thought I hate that. It always happens to me. I'm always like I tell somebody about a movie or some. And nobody listens. And then later they discover it. And then they tell tell people how great it is. Yeah, it's like genre
Ray West:was really great. What is really great, you got to watch it. That's a good show from them. From them, they actually came to the city. And when they played the cat club, Mike asked me to and they asked me to introduce them. And there was places about half full. And when they came back again, that following, you couldn't get in the place. They just blew up and I couldn't even get to them. And then Mike went through whatever he went through. And but you know, they record.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Wow. That's a cool story, though.
Ray West:Yeah. The other one was, I get one more. My friend Phil was in a band called law and order. They were our labelmates. Back then they were opening for Pearl Jam, before they before they blew up. So I'm like this again, another year of concrete. I'm gonna lay the foundations for him. And we go to the Trocadero, my friend Phil says, let's go see the band. I didn't open enough or they're really the same as a really cool, nice guy. I'm like, okay, whatever. The truck and error was packed as a troubadour, whatever, it's packed, and it looks like the most rabid fans, but it's their label. The label is like, just entities guys. I was like, man, who are they? These these people really into it, and I never seen that happen before. I never seen that. So they came up and when I didn't know the lyrics to Jeremy, but it blew my fucking mind. You know? And to witness that was another cool then I got to meet Eddie then for like a clip and a handshake and just you just felt it. You knew that was going to be huge, you know? So that's about that's my big run into it like celebrity or me being the a&r thing on like, that's gonna be big one day
Chuck Shute:because if you listen to your music fan and you like listen to music, and you listen to a lot of it, it's the same with movies. I mean, you can usually tell like, what's good and what's not although sometimes like what you think is good the general public doesn't always agree with it but yeah, I mean, that makes sense that you knew that this stuff was special because you'd listen to a lot of music your whole life
Ray West:yeah, here's something you need to know this this there's never been nobody liked this guy and he was and Lane was cool man from what I can when I got it, you know? I don't I'm not a Name Dropper person but as far as who I met I really thought was awesome. What's a cool nice laid back guy was sung really well and he didn't have to do anything on C just stand there and just emote and this thing you know that that was really impressive. I thought
Chuck Shute:yeah, that's just sad sad. That's another one talking about the drug thing like that just got the best of them because it always curious like, what if those What if they beat it you know, and they came back and then he sobered up like him and Kurt and all these other Seattle people and all these other rock stars, like if they you know, maybe they would I made the best music of their careers like sober and they they can really have a control on those emotions. I don't know it would have been cool to see for sure.
Ray West:Well, you lose a lot of people you know, although that is in Singapore, Linkin Park and then Chris. It goes on and on. But you know to lose. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I saw Mother Love Bone when they were just coming up. And I saw Andrew Woods sing live at the cat club. That was cool, too.
Chuck Shute:Amazing. Yeah, that's another one that you definitely wonder what would have happened with that band? Because he was so I liked him better than Eddie Vetter. Yeah, and he was a great, that's what the Pearl Jam. You know, they started with those guys, but I loved Andrew Wood. Yeah, he was great.
Ray West:And from what I heard, like he was the catalyst for a lot of the, you know, Seattle bands. So to get their groove on like he was like the is for a lot of that. So
Chuck Shute:yeah, he kind of bridged the gap. Because he, he kind of had that kind of 80s glam kind of look and a little bit of a sound. But then also, it was new as little fresher. And it was more alternative. And so would have been interesting to see. If they just stayed Mother Love Bone, and they made another out. Would they have made 10 with Andrew would singing and maybe his spin on some of those songs like, that would have been cool. That would have been interesting to hear.
Ray West:Yeah, and then there's a whole changing of the guard vocally, into a lower register because you had the guys in the 80s and early 90s screaming at the top of their brains and then this cool way of more chest natural singing was like you know, and honest lyrics. There was a lot of, you know, let's face it got silly. It got silly with spandex and hairspray and and the videos were just like, What the hell are we doing? And then this, this thing comes along, it just wipes everybody off the map because this is real. Yeah. Yeah,
Chuck Shute:I like it. Like when I was a kid, when I first got into rock, it was like 92 and I was in Seattle. I was living in Seattle and like, but I was getting into more of the hair metal, but I liked the grunge stuff too. And I love that era where there was a short period where it was kind of both together like in 91 all those Rock Records Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue, like Guns and Roses, Metallica, they all had huge records come out and it was like amazing and then and then it kind of shifted into full grunge and then yeah,
Ray West:yeah, then you know and then something's really original and cool. And then you have everything that tries to copy it and then it gets all vanilla and homogenized again, right? For the new the new thing what's the new thing it's a now the new these to be retro and to be cool. You know? And if you if you're a band like ours, that is you know, a lot of my influences stuff like Tina Turner and funk I love I like that you know and that should be back on the market you know, just grooving music This makes you feel good. It makes you groove you know, not just cookie cutter ABC.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, did you make some some music that was just that was totally different genre like more soul and funk.
Ray West:That's I wish I did I wish I had that cool soul funk record on it's going to happen to me what I did make a 1010 songs I was calling a PW back in the day, change it. It's been rebranded and I got a whole batch
Chuck Shute:point west or whatever. Yeah, I'll plan
Ray West:to us. Right. That was it was like, um, it's very honest, heavier, it's heavier. It's a little darker. Super melodic and heavy on what I call urban groove. Okay, now I've rebranded the whole thing, because I was hated them. APWU and that spans called Superfly.
Chuck Shute:Okay, and then what happened to magnificent beast? Is that still around?
Ray West:Yeah, that's so that's out of Miami. So we got about five songs in the can with that. Great producer seaboard on that. So that's still waiting to happen. You're doing some research. You're good, man. So that's good. But that'll be what I don't
Chuck Shute:know. I've just heard you mentioned it. I don't know what kind of style of music is that?
Ray West:It's, I'm gonna say it's in that kind of Allison Cheney's kind of vein. It's got a groove. Um, it's a little heavier than, than most of the stuff I do. We've got about five songs to prep, we actually record them this month, because they've been they've recorded everything else. They've been like very rarely going to sing it. Where are you going to sing it? I've been very busy. So um, that's something I'm looking forward to. But the simplify stuff is done that's in the Can we just put together and that's going to be through Deco. And those guys Gotcha. Great, nice people.
Chuck Shute:And so is music your full time you say really busy I know you have a son, but as music your full time career right now, are you doing other things to make ends meet and music is more of a hobby?
Ray West:Not this music is? Music is that the always that's that's been a problem with me. I sacrifice everything for music. And because of that, I live pretty close to the vest. You know, I'm very frugal person. You know, but I'm, I've always said I've lived out of my suitcase for years and once Winston, when I got my shit together, I swore to myself, my life is going to be about music and performing. I went through crisis of confidence last year, got my act together. I am full on fears this book. I'm fearless. I feel great. So I do a COVID emergency management gig for a couple hours a day because I live really feel like it makes me feel like I'm helping people. You know, people dealing with vaccinations or they're having to look at treatments and things like that. But my full spreadeagled is a full time job. Because now it's taken over my life. You know, so I'm in my nine to five person. No, I'm not a nine to five person. But I do what I have to do to survive not ashamed. No, it's great as back and doing more, I did have to make a choice. And I had to make a hard choice because it's like, oh, do I stay safe and just do this little gig? Or do I travel and sing rock and roll for my supper? And live with that? You know, the consequences of that. And that's why I've always leaned towards so it's gonna say, my tombstone, you know, you know, Ray, he went for it again.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, no, that's really close. I just heard you talking about some of the other stuff like you were doing. At one point you're doing cooking school, are you still you're not doing that anymore. We're not trying to do like a straw or something or
Ray West:so late 90s You know, the food that we're started saying, and I wanted to be a rock and roll chef, I thought that was just the coolest thing. So um, but I learned the hard way. If you want to be a chef or a cook, you need to start that when you're young. You know, you really do because it's a hard environment. It's hot. Everybody's plugged in. It's aggressive. It's hot. But I love cooking. I love the creativity of cooking. And it's just like writing to tune you putting things together to make things work. I'm a foodie. I like to want to have good money to spend on a great meal. I'll do it. But I'm also going to like I cook very well. So Rick, our drummer, he's another badass cook. I think Rick chef for a while. But yeah, man, I, I, I had that sort of other dream. I also wanted to be an actor at some point at some off Broadway theater. What do you do comedy
Chuck Shute:to the standup or something? Yeah. Tell me about that. Who did you work with? Because I've interviewed some of those New York comedians.
Ray West:Let me see. John, my friend, John Corbett, we worked out of a place called the Boston Comedy Club. Okay, I've heard about a lot of people like, you know, I saw everybody go through there. Yeah, I did more like the New York search, whether it's the the comedy club Caroline's we do a lot of open mic stuff, collective unconscious, serve reality in the city, you know, I can do some, just five minute, you know, five minutes of work, but I started the, the open mics like serve reality, give you a really good platform to try material. And I found that I was I was pretty good at it. But the music thing took over again. You know, every time I want to do something on this different, something comes around to do musically. So it's been like, it's difficult. I'm very add, you know, try, try stand up comedy. I've tried off Broadway acting. And just music seems to be my comfort, you know, but it's also it's my comfort zone. It's not, because every time you go on stage, you're outside of your comfort zone and in it at the same time, because you never know what's going to happen. You know, when we don't do tracks, nothing scripted. So anything go wrong. I love that. I love that environment. I love it. I'm addicted to that environment.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Well, you mentioned that you said like you had you lost your confidence or whatever. Is that were you talking about the George Lynch thing or whatever, because,
Ray West:because I hadn't I hadn't been singing that much. And what happened was, I was in a position where it's like, go for the money now. You know, or wait and do it proper. So I was like, I'll just do it now. You know, and I just wasn't ready, man. And I don't think he researched me well, because, you know, he wouldn't know when I wasn't saying and things like that. But point is, I want to do something I was not ready for you know, and I learned the hard way. Like, I'm a person I need to like, like you and me. We were to work on something I would need to just be in the room with you get to know you to feel out to feel Yeah, I'm just that's how I work, you know, just just jam rehearse one or two times. And I wasn't given that opportunity. And, um, that's the way that's the way he operated. But so you know, it's not his fault. He does what he does, you know what I mean? He's a great player, he's just going to do his thing. He's not going to make a rule. You know, I'm not going to stop this because you need that. So I went I tempted something did not work out the way I wanted. Because I didn't have the vocal switch that I should have had my technique. I've been singing for a few years, I've been doing bands with you know, lower 20 I didn't really work my high register. Like I'm late. And spread eagle music makes me work now. Soon in
Chuck Shute:time to like prepare for a gig like that to get your voice voice in shape.
Ray West:You know, just just just to get the songs in my DNA. takes a little while, you know, I'm not I'm not a cover singer guy, where they just come in and like bang it out. And we're good to go. You know?
Chuck Shute:Exactly. I only saw a clip because I heard you talking about them. I was like, Oh, I gotta see this. So I tried to Google it. I found like a I don't know one or two songs. I thought they sounded fine. So I didn't know
Ray West:what your if if if you're making a sort of making a certain kind of money and a guy comes into your gig, and you feel he might fuck up your money.
Chuck Shute:Just just get rid of it. Yeah,
Ray West:it's a mentality. So it's like, I wasn't given an opportunity to redeem myself. And that's, that's, that's the way that goes, Man, you know, that just means I was meant to do spray to good music and make it happen. You know, spread eagle is a really good live band. And that's part of my identity. And I've accepted that. So I'm going to bust my ass to make that happen, just like Rob DeLuca is going to bust his ass to make this happen, because everybody's gotten their shot. We're coming back 100 years later, but I feel like we're still good at it. So it's worth the battle. And I think I'll and, and I think I bring something original to the table. So I know that, you know, he, that gentleman mentioned making the album. And I think we could have made a really cool album together. You know, but that wasn't I wasn't given the opportunity so that you know, it's his last man.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, no, I mean, I think if that's your spread eagle is going to be a better fit for
Ray West:as many kids as rock.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, well, because you guys can do also like the Monsters of Rock cruise. And like all these festivals, like, that seems to be like a really high paying gig to get and a lot of bands have that error or on those things. If you tried to do that. Is that your next step? Well, I
Ray West:we're talking about that because we for years, you know, because when you're off the circuit, it's a very small circle of bands that seem to just do those festivals and cruises. You know, so they finally let spread eagle on the boat next year. So we got the Monsters of Rock cruise. 2024
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Oh, that okay. You are on that? Okay. Awesome. Sweet.
Ray West:Be on it. Yeah. And I noticed that the lineup is a little heavier than what they usually have. They're gonna have except on there. I saw April wine on there. I was like, well, that's cool. I want to see Glenn Hughes. That's why I'm going. I'm a huge Glenn Hughes fan. You don't like Lenny's?
Chuck Shute:Oh, yeah, I had him on my podcast. He was in daisies for a little now. He's, I think he's back to solo. But
Ray West:fanboy him to death, man. But that's cool. So I think we put in a lot of work this year, to be involved in the conversation. As far as I are. We're the only bands to ever play and three. So I want to do that to all of you know, anything that takes us up to the next level of doing this is what we want to do. So that's how we're busting our asses. You know, we talk about most bands aren't even touring. You know, we'll play the rooms nobody wants to play. Because yeah,
Chuck Shute:so you're coming here. But I think it's funny because I'm actually going to Colorado. And then I think you're playing Colorado the next night. So I might be able to hit the Denver gig that you guys how you doing a few like kind of West Coast? Sure. Just kind of exciting. Because usually, you know, like, East Coast bands like they don't come out this way very often. So
Ray West:we've noticed that so we were traveling, we just did a little little whiskey run. We did. We played Vegas. Vegas was great. Oh,
Chuck Shute:yeah. Did you play? What's that room called? I forget. Yeah. Vamp. Yeah, isn't that
Ray West:cool? I got a friend Andrew Freeman. He seems to be fine. And I've known Andy for a long time. And we brought him up on stage with us. So we hadn't seen I hadn't seen him in years. So it was like it was like a real cool reunion, you know. So I'm reconnected with the west coast on their friends out there. And I want to do some shows with them too. So hopefully, we'll make it all happen. But another friend,
Chuck Shute:Wasn't he in the George Lynch thing. Andy was an offspring and great white. He's been on a lot of stuff.
Ray West:He's a workhorse, man, he can sing anything. You know, some guys just have a great, huge, massive voice. And he can and he's doing a lot of do so. And he's doing do and do his band. So he's got a set of balls not wanting to be doing that. And he's my friend and I'm proud of the man. And the fact that we reach reconnected means the world to me. So what we're trying to play everywhere, bro, whether it's your backyard or Vamped whiskey, you know, I mean, we're Chad,
Chuck Shute:does it help if you can, if you could tour with the last in line or some of these other because I feel like that's like always good. If you guys can stick together do like a package 345 even maybe six, seven bands or whatever, like, the bigger the package, the bigger the venue, right?
Ray West:Like, the younger bands work together quite a bit. So the rest of the band just got to find a way to get together besides you know, and three, or the crews, you know, put little packages together that would be cool. You know, so anything that elevates, that gets you, you know, little more optics on you, you know is? Is that was what you want. So that's why that's why the cruise is a big deal for us. You know, because now we're involved in a different conversation. We're not just playing the club on the corner. And now we're playing with other bands that get a lot of visibility. So hopefully, each each each, each step will get us a little higher place to get us paid a little more. And so we can survive this thing. You know, we we love doing it. I mean, man, if you told me I would still be doing this, I would have laughed you out of the room. Because when I was a kid, it was like those you don't do that shit. When you're old. You don't do that. Then all of a sudden, things change. Rolling Stone Like, you know, out there, you're like, wait a minute I was maybe I was wrong. Maybe I'm glad I stopped doing drugs. I could do this again.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, well, I mean, if you have that thing in your system where you want to sing and that's in your bones, like, you can't really just get rid of it. Right? Well, that's
Ray West:what got me about the whole, like, the thing the issue last summer at lunch because, like, you know, you're good. You know, you're good if you just work hard and really put in the effort. And I was like, you know, he's he said, I don't want you to hate me. I said, I don't hate you, man. You're bucking being honest. You know, I didn't do what you needed. So I think I kick my own ass for about a good solid month. And then I said, You know what, not this, this is a fire that I needed this the fire. So now I'm going to be a better singer, I'm going to be a better performer, I'm going to be a better friend. I'm going to be better at it. I'm going to give myself that kick in the ass that I needed. And now we're now we're working hard. Now I'm doing spread eagle, and I'm able to do my Superfly stuff and able to do magnificent beasts and things like that.
Chuck Shute:Ya know, I'm curious. I think with the lunch, it sounds like it just wasn't a good fit. I feel like that's. And it wasn't. Yeah, that's more of a thing. There. I just feel like he was probably looking for particular he should just get Why can he get only Logan back? Is it what happened to that guy?
Ray West:I don't know, man, you know, and only Scott it really only. And I came up kind of together in South Florida. So we were somewhat besties as as young men and women when he got that gig. Actually. I was in this band. And we had a song that was demo is called wicked sensation. So I was surprised when oni went to LA and oh, they have a song called wicked sensation too.
Chuck Shute:So I don't have the same song or just same title,
Ray West:the title. I don't think it was hacked. But I'm like, wait a minute. And actually, the wicked sensation of song that we have that we had was I had the demo, I'll send you the demo. And you tell me what you think. But I was like, look at that man. So that's what I'm like, maybe I'm maybe I'm on the right unit. I'm on the track. I'm writing cool lyrics and cool titles, and then someone can can take it.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, that's kind of like that. I feel like that was a big thing in the 80s and 90s. Early 90s was like the a lot of bands at the st like monkey business Skid Row had one Danger Danger had one and they came out in like the same time. Yeah, it was like, okay, like, that's what painting part partly to why the grunge thing had to come along because like, there wasn't the grunge songs, they had some weird titles and things that were very unique that
Ray West:he was very, it was very honest, man. It wasn't a lot of spoon mans. I think there was only one of those. And so if it was that kick the businesses ask you, you have to people always want something new, something fresh. Right? When you when every riffs been played. every lyric has been written, what do you do? You know,
Chuck Shute:that's what I'm thinking now. Like, I feel like we need a new The next thing I don't know what it is. But I know we need something like because you have the Greta Van Fleet and all those kinds of bands that are kind of like, I don't know what you call that like retro. I love it. It's good, but it's like what's the next sound like what's the you know? And the Motley Crew and kiss and these bands came along? They blew everybody away because it was like this new look this new sound? And like there hasn't it feels like there hasn't been something like that in a long time.
Ray West:It's going to be some some young guys somewhere in a garage doing something with with electronics. It's you know, every riffs been played. You know, there was
Chuck Shute:I thought electronics never won Nine Inch Nails came out I was like, Oh, this is gonna be it. This is the future of like music this is gonna sound like they're gonna do the keyboards and stuff and then the Nine Inch Nails was kind of the only one like that.
Ray West:Yeah, that you know then dead mouse was the new punk you know, it's like that's that's there's a new I just it'll come out of nowhere. I don't know what it's going to be might just be a pill someone takes in. Wow, that's amazing. Sounds. Yeah, you smell some change. Take? Yeah,
Chuck Shute:did you ever? Have you ever heard the band news? I really liked them. But that's a that's like a kind of a different sound to
Ray West:now that guy sounds just like the guy from Radiohead. You know, I'm saying
Chuck Shute:think about that. Compare that to the voice but not the songs. Now music is heavier.
Ray West:Yeah. But the singer sounds like just just like to me like when I heard Dennis, the young mystics and I somebody played me a striper song. I'm like, Oh, sweet. Sounds like Dennis D. Young. It blew my mind. I'm sure. You've never thought of that before.
Chuck Shute:No, I hadn't. But now that I think about Yeah, I can hear that. Yeah, I always wonder when bands like that, like with Greta Van Fleet. I'm like, why don't you guys just lean into it and do a couple of zipline tunes. The crowd would go nuts if they they tried to say like, Oh, we don't really like what it was like, was that pain in the 80s? That That sounded like Zeplin and they would
Ray West:kingdom come? Kingdom Come? Yeah,
Chuck Shute:why didn't they ever just lean into it? Do a couple Zeppelin tunes. I mean, that'd be amazing.
Ray West:Because it was because we brought that up and I'm like, wow, you know, there's always going to I love Greta Van Fleet. I get it now. I get it. Even like twice, and the second time I saw and even we're better than the than the first time those those dudes got to going on stage it was rockin now. But I to me, they're like Zeplin meets triumphs because
Chuck Shute:when I saw I did see Greta Van Fleet once and I felt like it was interesting because it was more hippie stuff. There was a lot of slow, like hippie kind of jam. And I was like, well, this isn't very exemplary. This is more just like 60s, jam, music, it was interesting.
Ray West:And they'll be able to do whatever they want, because they're at a certain level of success, where I don't think they can really do any wrong because they have their crowd. It's like, it's not like they didn't do any wrong. It's like, oh, they have their people they know who their audiences.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, but it's not like to that level of the stadiums and stuff like they have a good crowd. But I wonder, I feel like a band needs to come out. That's going to be like the next stadium band. Because like these Molly crews and stuff, I mean, these bands are they're getting up, they're not going to be around forever. So I'm going to find I'm going to manage. Right, that's what I want to do.
Ray West:Why not? Yeah, we'll help manage them together. And when they will thank stack of buck in production.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, just in the middle, it'll be like, you will give 80% of the profits to me like,
Ray West:enjoy your water. Yeah.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, it really didn't even need a lot of these bands. Like we need record labels. You can just upload the music to Spotify and YouTube and like in your off and then go to or on your own.
Ray West:Look, you can make a great sounding song, whether it's on your laptop in your home studio, whatever. You don't need a big studio anymore. You don't need it. Unless you money for it unless you're the Foo Fighters or whatever, you know, but anybody with a with access to great recording gear, great software. That's that's the record company. The rest is all marketing, isn't it? Yeah,
Chuck Shute:no, that's true. Like there's even your guys's latest subway to the stars. I mean, it then there's so many albums that I listen to, and I go this sounds as good, if not better than anything that was like, you know, cost millions of dollars to make in the 80s and 90s. I mean, because the technology's changed. It's like, I don't know how you guys recorded that. But it's not like back in the day, if somebody recorded something like on their own, it was like very noticeable. Like, even some of the bigger bands I won't mention, like, they self produced, like their own albums in the 90s or whatever, early 2000s. And I was like, Oh, this doesn't sound good. But now, it sounds amazing.
Ray West:Yeah, but you know what, you still gotta go to the Neve console. You know, we got to find a nice warm board because we had that for subway. That doesn't matter. I think the old school productions still holds. You know, the Foo Fighters are proven that you know, it's like it's still holds, man.
Chuck Shute:But yeah, that sounds city. Did you watch that?
Ray West:Oh, yeah. I love that. That was good. That was good. But any kid but the laptop. I said this before? Anybody with a laptop in software can tell their friends in high school. Yeah, ma'am. I just finished my element drops tomorrow. You know, and SoundCloud, you know, and everybody's a rock star. Everybody has access to recording. You know, what, what comes out of it? I don't know. My guess is as good as your a song. I'm waiting. So I'm just doing what I can't do my thing. Until that next thing comes out, you know?
Chuck Shute:Yeah, it's kind of a flooded market. But I also think there's because people say like, oh, there's no good bands anymore. I think there's tons. You just got to find them. And it's just, there's a lot of stuff out there. But you got to look for what you want. And
Ray West:there's so many bands, everybody's vying for your attention. Everybody has a Facebook page, Instagram page, everybody's a rockstar, every every picture is somebody in the garage with a guitar dressed in leather pants, or it's an old you know, I mean, everybody has this mentality. Everybody wants to be famous.
Chuck Shute:And yeah, yeah, just be significant, or have a podcast or be a model, like on how many tick tock or Instagram models are there now? Like, it's insane.
Ray West:Yeah, but you know, I knew really like, like I said, to your bros, you're very easy to talk to man. I feel like we could do this for hours, you know, because I feel like, man, you made me feel really comfortable. You know, just so you know that. But there's so much music in the world. How do you get people to pay attention to you? You know, so the only way to do it, as far as I know, is you have to get up, leave the house and go to the fucking people. That's
Chuck Shute:good. I think I agree. I think that's a huge piece of it. I think you got to do it all I think you can't just play live you got to if you don't have a Facebook or all that stuff. I think that you're missing a big piece. But you definitely that is a huge piece because there's some people that I talked to that they put on an album and I'm like, so when are you going to tour? Oh, wow. I don't know if I'm going to like you have to tour like that's the only way you're gonna get fans is like face to face. Getting out there and playing the songs and making fans in every city. And yeah,
Ray West:because what I won't do that what I what I refuse to do with those silly virtual concerts. Oh, yeah. Stupid man.
Chuck Shute:I don't think is that even still a thing? I think that was only the
Ray West:people trying. I was watching. I tried to watch the I love Heart Radio One on how you got a band in a room, and there's, you know, the little faces like the zoom thing. It's got like 20 faces of people like, I'm silly. It was, ya
Chuck Shute:know, be like,
Ray West:come on, but there's no one there. You can't do that.
Chuck Shute:I think it I guess maybe it kind of makes sense if you're, if you're just doing like a solo acoustic, and you're just, you know, the acoustic guitar. I guess that's kind of cool. But yeah, he tried to do a concert that way. I just Yeah, it doesn't, doesn't work. I did see one that was like, it was during the pandemic. And so they couldn't have a crowd and they but they played like a real venue. And they played a stage. And they had the real sound system. It was kind of cool. But yeah, it's not it's not to say it doesn't take the place of a live show.
Ray West:There's nothing like, you know, the Gathering. And every every musician was gonna tell you that there's nothing like the gathering, having people in the room, just that energy, that sort of communal thing that happens that safe space, and you just kind of like having this conversation. You know, it's you're just you're, you write music. People take it in, they learn this language that you create it, you just have, it's a conversation back and forth, isn't it? That's what a live show is. You know, you learn you learn this language that we wrote. We all speak in it together, and we're having a good time with it. You know, the Kindle thing is where it's at. I still love going to live show and seeing a great life. And I love that feeling and being part of that. And I never want to lose that. I don't think I don't think we will. As long as there are good bands out there.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, no, I agree. I there's always going to be fans. I think there's going to be people that want to hear it.
Ray West:And everybody that was huge in the 80s and 90s is still touring. You got bands, like Whitesnake out there, you know, you got everybody is out there, anybody who had a record deal in the 80s, or had a friend who had one is out there touring, you know, Joey's cousin used to be the bass player, the Tekken in Tesla has a band, you know, that'd be it's like everybody's touring. So,
Chuck Shute:yeah, it's kind of cool, because like, there was a lot of those bands that I didn't get to see, especially living in Seattle, and not being over 20 A lot of the bands would come to Seattle, they'd play these shows that were 21 and over. So now I'm able to go see these, like, I just saw ugly kid Joe, like, for the first time, I was a huge fan of them, and I got to see them finally, like whatever is of 30 or 40 years later, and it sounded amazing. That's cool. That's the other thing is like a lot of these bands like they're still they still got it, which is great.
Ray West:That's the other thing they got some some people that are just phoning it in, you know, I'm, I've had it's a drag to go see a band. And they kind of like they're they're looking like they're swinging for the fences, but they're not hitting the fence. Like some guys are seeing and they're just sort of like alright, so if you can't do the notes you used to do find some other cool way to sing your song. You know, don't don't sit down look like an idiot struggling you know what I mean? It's not a good look, man. But everybody you can get out there and do it. Well do it that's why that's why we're that's why we're trying to do you know, we're we're doing it to the best of our ability. We really believe we can be good at this.
Chuck Shute:Yeah, so what so if you can't do Can you change the notes or whatever the key that the song is in to its singing if it's harder to sing the higher notes,
Ray West:always everybody tunes down somewhat live. No one's got maybe Greta Van Fleet can go on regular tuning. I don't know because I kids ridiculous genre. But um, I think we go down by step a half step. You know, it just it saves your voice. I just saw that tour scheduled that Rob sent me from we're going to Europe in September. It's every day. There's no days off. I've never life. I don't know if you can pull it up.
Chuck Shute:It Yeah, no, I did see because it was a few us shows. And then. Yeah, I did. I didn't how many days is that? It did look like it was about two weeks or something. Right?
Ray West:It's turned into like, two and a half weeks or three weeks. But it's like, there's no days off. I was just talking with Rob about it today. I'm like, Dude, I don't know, man. It was all you know. We just have to be quiet all day. I'm like, I'm a chatty mama chatty person. Are you looking at it?
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Okay, so, there's, you're playing the ninth and then oh, no, it looks like there's some days off. 13th 15th and then 1516 1718 1920 2122 20 334. Okay, yeah, there's like a big stretch in there where it's like, my life. There's a day off on the 25th you.
Ray West:I'll call you then if I can't you do it.
Chuck Shute:How many days you typically can you do without taking a day off in a row?
Ray West:I've done four. Okay, Lee, but you know, my my style of singing used to be a lot different. It was like a very Banshee screamy kind of thing. And now I've learned that I can do it. I can get away with doing something's very clean. You know, so it's about the intensity and the intent. I have great intention when I sing. So I feel like I'm gonna give the people what they need. Yeah,
Chuck Shute:so that's eight shows in a row. Yeah, although the 21st is a free show. So you may want to try as hard for that one.
Ray West:Gonna Hurt, that's gonna leave a mark man. So I wanted adventure if that's what I'm saying, like, I'm at this point in my life No, we're not a band that's been around for years, and it has, you know, get gets all the the a plus venues. So we do what we can we're working we're busting our asses. But I'm, I'm at a point now where I can sing so many nights in a row and I feel and I feel confident about it because people are always like, is Reagan hit the note? Is he gonna do that thing? And if you if you just that's that's what the thing last year got me because I knew that I had it in me. And so I've where I've worked that I've worked my way back, you know.
Chuck Shute:And so how does that work with Rob because he's still in UFO and Sebastian Bach.
Ray West:Oh, yeah, he does those gigs. He the way he scheduled himself was one that when he does have a UFO gig. I'm like, go do that. And that's, that's that's a big show. So we're very careful about scheduling. So so so far, it's been cool this year. So there hasn't been anything to be like, Oh, Philip, you know, but he's what I dig about Rob, where his head's at. He's doing this 100% on a 10%. You know, I trust that he's doing that. And he can trust that I'm doing that. You know what I mean? That's a big deal, because some people just get it halfway because they have other things to do. Or he's putting this first. And that's, we believe in this. You know, we're the we're The Little Engine That Could that never got the chance. You know, that's cool. Yeah. Janine spreadeagled.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. What am he should get you guys like that would be awesome to get on the Sebastian Bach to or something then that way he doesn't it's like a two for one for him. He
Ray West:you know, I bet they probably talked about I've never gotten any kind of answer. But it can be a little weaker. Even ask bass for that. Which is strange, because I used to know, bass back in the day. And when we did play LA, that last month, or whatever it was, you know, Bass was there, and Andrew was there was cool. But whatever, whatever strings and connections we can pull, we're going to make happen. So I trust that he's doing that. And I'll do what I can, Lance, you know?
Chuck Shute:Yeah, well, you just build in the name back up there and doing the shows and making more, no more new fans. And, you know, people bring their kids now and stuff and you make a fan of their kid and
Ray West:it's mind blowing, you know, I guys, we were somebody's high school band. You know, and that, that that guy's pass it down to his son or his daughter. And that happens. You see that the shows? I like when we see somebody some there were some kids they were they were dressed like dresses, like kind of gothy. But they were like, they were front and center the whole time. Like, man, you guys are great. You know, where you guys been? I'm like, y'all, it's a long story, man. Because we have this history, but it's just it's underground rock and roll itself is underground. You know, we're not part of the the pop market. You know, so a band like us that had some success in the early day. How do you make it happen again? Like, what do you do? You know, you just you got to deliver the goods, you got to be a great live band to see, that's all that matters if you don't have huge hits, you know? So I think we're I think we're a good show. We're getting better, man.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. And is there a new fourth record on the way I thought I heard you guys say that you already recorded some songs or wrote some are we writing
Ray West:and recording and all those shows came along. So we had to take a little break from that. And now that we have most of August off, we'll probably get back to getting something in the can. And then after September, we'll work a lot after September the studio. But you know, it's changed because we don't have we don't have the buses anymore. You know, we do a lot of fly ins and a lot of SUVs and vans. So we don't have the student in the back of the bus to write while we're away. But Bob's a rabid writer. So as Ricky, Ricky lives in the studio and writes as well and, and have my little home unit. So we're pedaling away now we're making some good tunes.
Chuck Shute:But what do you think that record would? Would it be before the end of the year or looking more 2024
Ray West:is the first quarter of next year and I'd like to have it done. We're already like, what? We're going to be ending summer sooner than sooner than later. Last quarter, so I don't see it being out this year. I would imagine the first quarter of next year. We're lucky. Okay.
Chuck Shute:And that would still be on frontiers.
Ray West:I'm not sure. Because there's a few things on the table right now. Oh, we're, we have a few eyes on us. So we'll see what happens.
Chuck Shute:Cool. Awesome. Well, people can look for that. And then the other you said the magnificent beasts and, and your solo and those ones will come out too?
Ray West:Yeah, Superfly is gonna come out. I think that's gonna be on September. Well, so as soon as I get anything that's free. That's you could have in your hand, I'll send it to you. I think they're great. They got a great marketing team. They're really excited about it. Because you know, you when you write something and what what did you know? What did you build it? Nobody came but we, we wrote these great batch of tunes. And I've been sitting on these songs for like 10 years. And I'm like, let's this has to go out. I'm not going to be happy. Unless I put this out. So that's where I'm at with this. So it has to get out. It's different. It's kind of like my, my calling cards, my volume. You know, I want people to hear it.
Chuck Shute:Cool. Well, I look forward to that, um, then I always end promoting a charity. Is there a charity that you've worked with before? Or you want to promote
Ray West:cancer? You know, I work with the Breast Cancer Foundation and here which is Joe DiMaggio hospital, because died of cancer in 2014. It was ugliest thing I've ever seen. Because I witnessed I witnessed what it did to her. So that it's something that really affects me. So if there's any charity that I care about, it's the breast cancer.
Chuck Shute:Okay, so which these are the hospital Joe DiMaggio hospital, they have like,
Ray West:I did a few things for the Children's Hospital. And you You haven't eaten Humble Pie until you've walked through a hospital like that where young people have cancer? Yeah, change. Change.
Chuck Shute:Gotcha. Okay, well, I'll put that in the show notes. People want to donate and then I'll put the website they can check out these tour dates here. The European ones are it's gonna be a tough stretch. But yeah, there's a couple American dates too. And maybe more. Would you add more dates? Possibly. Yeah.
Ray West:I mean, we just had to get this batch on paper, and make them all legit, and make them all secure. And now we're starting to add the next year because like I said, Man, this isn't a nine to five job. This is a crazy schedule job. You know, it's life.
Chuck Shute:Yeah. Gotcha. Well, thanks so much. Right. This was fun. I'll chat with you later.
Ray West:I'm glad I got to, you know, you're fucking awesome, dude.
Chuck Shute:Thanks for being off. I'll talk to you later. Bye. Thanks again to Ray West saref. spread eagle. You can follow the band on social media and check out their website for tour dates. They may be coming to a town near you soon. So you can also stream their music by a shirt and all that other great stuff. And if you'd like the band who saw him live and share your experience on social media and help promote them. You can share this interview on social media too and help out the band and my show. And of course, make sure you're subscribed to my YouTube channel and other social media. I'm gonna post some short clips and all my full length interviews on YouTube. Also, if you can please give us a rating or review or like where you're listening. I appreciate all your support for the guests in my show. Have a great day and shoot for the moon.
