Strung Out Episode 202 THE PHILOSOPHY OF ART WITH GERALD DOWD. PART ONE

​​Gerald Dowd has been described as “the hardest working drummer in Chicago” (Richard Milne, WXRT), playing on over 100 albums, and averaging 150 live dates a year around the world. In recent years, he's been releasing solo albums of original material, starting with his 2012 release, Kingsize EP. In 2014, he was the recipient of an IAP arts grant from Chicago's Dept. Of Cultural Affairs/Special Events (DCASE), which led to his first full-length solo album, Home Now, produced by Grammy-nominated producer Liam Davis, and featuring, among others, Chicago legends Robbie Fulks and Casey McDonough. His most recent album, Father's Day, was engineered/co-produced by Steve Dawson (Dolly Varden, Funeral Bonsai Wedding), and features Robbie Gjersoe (Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore), Nora O'Connor (The Decemberists, Neko Case, Iron And Wine) and pedal steel legend Lloyd Maines.  Gerald has also appeared on Switchback's upcoming album Red or Blue and has played on Martin Laurence McCormack's original music as well.   His website is www.GeraldDowd.com 

Transcript

[00:00:00] Anncr: Welcome to Strung Out, the podcast that looks at life through the lens of an artist. Your host is the artist, writer, and musician, Martin Lawrence McCormack. Now here's Marty. Welcome to Strung Out, and I have with me singer songwriter, um, musician extraordinaire Gerald Dowd. And we're going to do an interview with him.

[00:00:26] Martin McCormack: But first, let's get right to it. Let's listen to the music of Gerald Dowd. What is this first song? All right. Thanks. Well, thanks for having me here, Marty. Uh, this first song is, uh, from my new record and it's called the Minister of Loneliness. Like it. Okay.

[00:00:48] Gerald Dowd: I've been talking to myself,

[00:00:56] trying hard to change the world.

[00:01:02] How every time I'm

[00:01:13] the minister

[00:01:17] turns on

[00:01:22] you tell me to

[00:01:26] easy.

[00:01:31] A strangle

[00:01:36] away, and every time I.

[00:01:56] Most days, all I do, slowly,

[00:02:07] all the signals now so clear

[00:02:13] when nothing ever felt so true.

[00:02:19] You put.

[00:02:44] And every time I think I'm over you and things are looking great, the Minister of Loneliness, the Minister of Loneliness, yeah, the Minister of Loneliness turns out the light. The Minister of Loneliness turns out the light.

[00:03:21] Martin McCormack: And the sparrows go crazy. I love it. Thank you. Thank you, birds. Um, great song. And this is the first time I've really had a chance to listen to you live. Not on drums. And yeah, you're uh, full disclosure, Gerald has played drums on a lot of switchbacks. Albums over the years and a lot of my own personal stuff, which I'm very grateful for.

[00:03:50] Mm-Hmm. . Um, but listening to your voice, it kind of reminds me, uh, you got kind of a, a, a good, uh, tenor, like a baritone, not a tenor, but a baritone like Glen Campbell. Oh, I'll take that. Yeah. Yeah. You know, and I love that kind of, uh, voice because I think that kind of voices. Quintessentially, for me, Americana.

[00:04:13] Mm hmm. You know, and, so tell me, uh, a voice like that doesn't sound like you started out here in Chicago. Well, yeah, but I didn't, you know, it's not like I started out in Tennessee. I'm originally from Boston. Um, but my dad, um, was a big country fan and his, him and his brothers, they listened to, um, a lot of bluegrass, a lot of country music.

[00:04:37] Gerald Dowd: So I kind of grew up listening to Glenn Campbell and, and Charlie Rich and Tom T. Hall and Roger Miller and, and, uh, you know, Merle Haggard, like all these great country singers. Yeah. Yeah. Like a really, uh, great time, you know, in the seventies, that great country music that was around and, and, and older stuff too.

[00:04:54] But, uh, yeah. So, um, I, you know, That had to have influenced my, oh, I'm sure I'm singing. I'm sure it did. And there's near of Boston accent int you. It's gone now. Yeah, I, it, it comes back when I go home. Yeah. It sort of pops out a little bit. My wife likes to point that out to me, . Uh, but, uh, that's like going to Ireland.

[00:05:14] Martin McCormack: I, I come back with a bro. Guy. Uhhuh. . It's just kind of an odd, odd deal. I guess you, but, um, when did you move out to Chicago then? I moved here in 1991. Wow, so you've been here for a long time. Yeah, I'm from here now, you know. Yeah, I had come out here in the late 80s with my band from Boston, and we were on tour, and we had a couple days off in Chicago, and I just, I really loved it.

[00:05:36] Gerald Dowd: And we played lounge acts too, and that was, uh, you know, that, I just fell in love with the city, so then a few years later it was, uh, You know, time to make a move. And this is the city I moved to. In 1991, that time Americana was kind of just really starting to take off. I feel you had, um, uh, whiskey town and some of these bands, yeah, eventually kind of went on to become Wilco, you know, but, um, the guy that I played with, uh, and still play with, I have been playing with for over 20 years, Robbie folks.

[00:06:11] So it's. Especially here in Chicago. He was one, he was the, he was the guy who sort of kickstarted Chicago. Americana. Well, let's talk about country. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about Robbie folks because, uh, he's a, he's a great example, like you say. I, I would say he's one of the poster boys for, uh, Americana music.

[00:06:31] Martin McCormack: Um, uh, special consensus. Mm-Hmm. it was with, um, uh, which is no. small piece because that band's been around forever. And, uh, you know, tight bluegrass band. And Robbie Foulkes, um, really, uh, I, the thing about him, and maybe this is where I'm going with this, is, uh, He seems to me like the anti establishment musician of all musicians, you know, as far as he, you know, record labels and things like that.

[00:07:03] He kind of stands for the little guy when it comes to, do you concur or do you feel like, uh, well, Well, you know, he, he did have a major label record come out. Um, you know, I think that was probably right around the time record labels were starting to just kind of fold, you know, and, uh, So, um, But he's, you know, he's been on, since then he's been on, you know, um, I guess what you would call more independent labels like YepRoc, and now he's on Compass making all these great bluegrass records, and, uh, so, yeah, I don't, um, I guess I never thought about it like that, but, uh, but he's certainly a guy who, uh, does what he wants to do, and, and, um, I know that, um, A lot of major labels don't like that, you know?

[00:07:47] Gerald Dowd: Yeah, I guess that's where I, I, I just remember you had the one song about Nashville and, uh, Emphis Town and, uh, And, uh, for me, I, I, uh, not that I'm some sort of firebrand, but, um, That resonates with me because I think, in this business, you have to kinda Make it on your own, regardless. Yeah, yeah, it's a, it's a, it's a, Filthy business, you know?

[00:08:13] And if you, if you're at least doing what you love to do and, and, uh, do it to the best of your ability, and then, you know, hopefully good things will come from it. But if not, at least you've, you've done what you've set out to do, you know? Well, you're a musician that wears a lot of different musical hats.

[00:08:28] Martin McCormack: I know for sure. Obviously, you're, you play, you, you, you, uh, write your own songs, but you drum what other, do you play any other instruments or what's, what other hats do you wear? Not well. I mean, I, you know, I can mess around on bass. I can mess around even less on piano, you know. I mean, I know enough to, I can play a song if I need to, you know.

[00:08:52] Gerald Dowd: But, um, but, uh, yeah, no, it's really drums primarily. That's my, my first instrument, and that's what I would say. I still mostly do, although the songwriting and playing out solo is starting to take up a bigger piece of the pie, which I really like because it's just a nice change of pace to, you know, get out and, uh, and play your songs and lead a band.

[00:09:12] It's great to play with a band. To be on the other side of it, you know? Tell me about your band. Well, it's, you know, it's kind of, uh, I get who I can when I can. 'cause everybody's so busy. I mean, I ask, um, really great players and all the great players are busy, you know, so, um, uh, generally my drummer is Larry Brown, who's a incredible drummer in town.

[00:09:32] Um, and then bass players. I, I've used, uh, several. Josh pt, who plays in the Hoyle Brothers plays with me a lot. John Abey plays with me a lot. Um, and then, uh, is. There's a wealth of great guitarists in town. So, uh, Grant Tye plays with me. Robbie Gersow, who lives here in town, plays with me. Um, Greg Schultz, yeah, it's, uh, it's And so, I put, I get a band out when I can, you know.

[00:09:56] I wanna, I wanna be able to pay guys. And, uh, and so, uh, guys, male and female guys. And, um, yeah. So yeah, so I don't get to bring a full band out as much as I would like to. I wind up doing a lot of solo shows, duo shows, and stuff like that. Well, as a guy that has played in a duo for a long time, I appreciate what you're saying.

[00:10:20] Martin McCormack: It's very tough as an independent musician to maintain a band because, like you said, everybody's gigging, and you want to pay. Something. Right? That's a little more than you know, um, you know, uh, gas money , right? Uh, I was reading this, uh, BBC article, um, uh, uh, talking about in England, you know, that the, just the one line that stuck out to me was that.

[00:10:49] It's the musician that basically is paying for everything these days. Mm-Hmm. . Oh yeah, I, I saw that. Yeah. Yeah. The production and, and, uh, the sideman and, and uh, and promotion, promotions and travel and everything. Yeah. And it's funny, I never, it, I, I know it because I'm doing it and, uh, we're doing, it was switchback, but, um, I'm, you know, that just hit hard.

[00:11:12] I was like, yeah, you know, actually we're kind of the. The lowest rung in the business once it's all spent and everything, you know, whatever comes in for you, but you've managed to Do music full time? Yeah, yeah for uh, yeah coming up on 30 years. I guess I've been full time I last time I worked a temp job was 1997.

[00:11:33] Gerald Dowd: I think that feels good, doesn't it? It does I mean, it's as you know, it's up and down and it's just it's a struggle and it and sometimes you're you know, you're always um You're always having to think down the road, like, how's, uh, you know, June looking, or it's looking a little slim, but, okay, now it's starting to fill in now, you know, so it's, um, yeah, so it's, uh, it's not without its stressors and, uh, and, and, uh, job related stuff like any job, you know, anybody's job, accountant or whatever, um, but yeah, I mean, I'm doing what I love to do and I'm doing it More importantly doing it with great friends and people that who I respect and as people and also as musicians, yeah.

[00:12:12] Martin McCormack: Well I think it's great that you're tapping into uh, these, these local side people uh, that are playing with you and um, I would like to hear a second song right now. Okay. And why don't you tell us what you're gonna play and play to the camera. All right, all right. Uh, I should probably play the title track for my new record.

[00:12:32] Gerald Dowd: Not so new, it came out in August, but. I guess it's still kind of new. It's still new. Okay, good. Um, and this is called Father's Day. So we're listening to Gerald Dowd here on Strung Out, and we'll take a break after Gerald finishes. Good. All right.

[00:13:02] I learned a lot from my death. Some good and some bad. And if shades of gray were great, I say I be a college Grand. Hey, I be a IB.

[00:13:25] I learned a lot from my mom. A trumpet blast, a gentle song. And if rolling tires were grounding wires, I'd be a nuclear bomb. Hey, I'd be a nuclear bomb.

[00:13:51] Learned

[00:14:03] a lot from my wife. She turned this dull edge into a knife. And if my skin and bone had never met her stone, Well, I'd have one lonely life. If he once said little life

[00:14:26] Learned a lot from my kids They grew me up real quick Yeah, they did And if an auctioneer tried to sell those years Be. No, I would not be out. Hey, I'd never be out.

[00:15:09] Anncr: Hey, wanna show your support of Martin's artist endeavors? Buy me a coffee as an online site that makes supporting Marty easy. In just a few taps, you can make a payment of any amount and no account is needed. You can also decide to become an ongoing supporter. Go to martinmccormack. com and click on the words Support Martin.

[00:15:32] Let's help Martin keep it all capital.

[00:15:41] Martin McCormack: Okay, we're back with Gerald Dowd on Strung Out and um, I want to ask you a question. What, in your definition, is Americana music? That's interesting. I was just, uh, talking about this with Rachel Drew, who I know you've had on the show. And, uh, it just seems, uh, Americana to me now seems like a sort of a catch all for a lot of different stuff.

[00:16:05] Gerald Dowd: It's folk, country, um, You know, rock, heartland rock, you know, it's got anything, uh, you know, I think it all sort of comes down to, uh, to folk music, honestly. And then I think it just kind of comes from there, from whatever walk of life you come from. Um, but Americana to me just seems like, um, Yeah, it's a tough one.

[00:16:31] I feel like it's become so diffuse now that it's it's a tough thing to answer. But it's one of those things where you kind of know it when you hear it. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah, that's I bet that's labeled Americana or something, you know, right? So, right. It's difficult to put a label on it. And, uh, I guess the, the only way, uh, over the past I've been able to define it before we even really had Americana as a term was in terms of switchback what we weren't.

[00:17:04] Martin McCormack: I mean, we weren't country per se, we weren't Cajun, we weren't, uh, you know, Primarily Celtic, we weren't primarily rock, we weren't primarily folk, but you put it all together and then that's what you are. You get Americana, yeah. You get this Americana thing. Yeah, right, it's sort of like, uh, like a island of misfit musical genre or something.

[00:17:25] Gerald Dowd: Exactly. Whatever they can't classify you as, let's put them in Americana, they'll be fine. Which is a good thing, I think, in some ways. But I, I think, uh, it really kind of, uh, underscores the independent musician. Um, back in the day, we would have called them folk musicians, I think. You know, and you would have had your various categories.

[00:17:45] Martin McCormack: Your folk rock, your folk whatever. But, uh, I think, you know, and you can be signed to a label, but still have that kind of, uh, uh, edge where, um, you know, I feel bad for people that are, like, stuck in one genre. I call it stuck in a genre. I wouldn't want to be a blues musician knowing that I couldn't really Break out into Irish music or something like that.

[00:18:11] Gerald Dowd: Yeah, you know, uh, Gary Clark jr. That great blues guitarist. He's he got apparently he's getting a lot of flack for his new record because it's not a a traditional blues record and so a lot of the blues purists feel like he kind of uh, maybe Turned his back on, on the genre a little bit, but he's, he's, you know, he's blending in electronic drums and loops and, and, uh, and different kinds of forms, and it's a really cool record.

[00:18:35] But, uh, but yeah, it's a, it's, um, I think, I think it's fine if you're, if you want to be in one genre and just play that thing, you should go ahead and do that and have fun. But, uh, but yeah, it's, uh, it's weird when you, you try to put a little something extra in there and people don't really know what to do with you, you know?

[00:18:52] Martin McCormack: Well, look what happened to Beyonce. I know, I think it was probably one of the, one of the best things to happen in a long time, just to, uh, uh, shake an industry, uh, the country music industry, that itself has morphed so far from what was, uh, you know, considered, uh, uh, you know, country music when we were growing up.

[00:19:14] Gerald Dowd: Yeah, well, like, what, again, what does that label even mean anymore, you know? It's, uh, it's, uh, there's so many different things that can get thrown under that umbrella. Yeah. Well, I, uh, and maybe that's part of the problem of this business is that, uh, the pigeon holing is, it historically had, had been there to kind of market.

[00:19:35] Martin McCormack: But, um, but now there's not that much to market except the arts. What the artist is presenting. Uh, where do you think things are going as far as music is concerned? Hmm. Uh, as far as The, the writing of it, the creating of it, or the, or the disbursement of it, or everything? Start there and proceed, proceed forward.

[00:20:01] Gerald Dowd: I mean, God knows, you know, could, uh, could we have envisioned this, you know, 20 years ago, um, the way the industry is sort of, uh, built now, um, you know, I, I think, uh, it's encouraging that, you know, um, last couple of years that vinyl sales have been sort of the biggest growth in the sector, uh, sector in the industry, and, uh, and I like that.

[00:20:27] I like that, that they're still, uh, holding on to some, Part of the history of recorded music and of being a musician. Um, I think, you know, unfortunately though, I think we're heading, I think that, you know, the lid is open now. And so we're just going to kind of keep going this way. And, and the AI stuff is really.

[00:20:47] Not to get all doom and gloom here, people, but um, But, uh, you know, there's, uh, there's, you know, people saying that they've found, sort of

[00:21:01] Have a good day at work. Isn't that great? It's so great. Yeah. Chicago. Yeah. It doesn't, it didn't seem like we're in Chicago, but the train reminds us that we're in Chicago. The reality intrudes every, uh Like clockwork. Yeah. Right. It's almost on the schedule. Well, let's talk a little bit, uh, uh, about AI because that's, it is fragment, uh, in the sense that, um, AI is taking over everything faster than we realize.

[00:21:28] Martin McCormack: I just read that, uh, uh, the Air Force now is going to have a thousand AI jet fighters. Hmm. Um, our business, the only thing that AI can't do. is take place of live performance. That's true. Um, I mean, well, I would say that's true. Although we have had, um, you know, hologram shows already. That's already happened.

[00:21:54] Gerald Dowd: So I could see that being a, something could be taken to another level with the technology. I mean, that was, that was years and years ago. Yeah, with Tupac or Didn't they do Elvis or somebody like that? They had some, some hologram show with But, uh, but anyway, I think, um, you know, uh, I think, I think, you know, there are artists that have complained about finding sort of, um, uh, like a, a ghost account under their name with music that kind of sounds like their music, and that's just been generated by AI and then someone throws it up there.

[00:22:33] So I think, you know, I'd like to say that they'll be able to find a way to keep a lid on that, but I, I don't know. I don't know. It might have to take AI. Right. Uh, as strange as that sounds. And in a weird kind of, um, uh, you know, Jules Verne, uh, kind of, uh, way of looking at things, maybe, uh, maybe holographic performances, uh, 150 years from now will be the norm if we're living on Mars and we got a moon, you know, I mean, I can see sometimes technology takes place of, uh, you know, the distances involved.

[00:23:13] Martin McCormack: Right. I still, I, I feel like the, the Arbiter, where it's swinging for me, is I think it's swinging back to live performance in the sense that, um, there's really no other way of reaching out and connecting with people. Right. Um, you know, uh, that has that power. That's, that's my feeling. Right. I don't, yeah, I don't, what we do will never go away.

[00:23:36] Gerald Dowd: We'll keep playing and, and people, After us, we'll keep playing live, and so it'll be, it's still gonna be there, but, uh, yeah, it's gonna, I think it's gonna start to incorporate a bunch of different, uh, different elements of technology and of advancement, and, and yeah, I mean, who knows what, what it's gonna be like 20 years from now, you know?

[00:23:54] Martin McCormack: Well, let's take a little, we're going to take a little break. And, uh, when we come back, we're going to continue with, uh, Gerald Dowd on this podcast of, uh, Strung Out, and get to hear another song. So glad to have you with us. Hello, this is Polly Chase presenting artwork by Martin McCormick. This painting titled Dude features a mountain range that holds a special place in Marty's heart.

[00:24:22] Anncr: On the canvas, which measures 20 by 24, we see the Tetons rising in the hazy distance of a view from an abandoned dude ranch just outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming, near Marty's parents old place. The cool blues and violets of the background complement the buttery yellow foreground. These colors pass the viewer's attention back and forth along the horizontal plane, while the decaying Model T sinks into that scrubby landscape from which the majestic peaks punch upward along the vertical plane.

[00:25:01] It's a quiet yet very moving scene, both artistically and emotionally. It pulls the imagination into a human story waiting to be told, one witnessed by rock that is millions of years old. To explore this painting and more of Marty's artwork, go to martinmccormick. com. And we're back and uh, we've got uh, Capers the studio dog with us.

[00:25:32] Martin McCormack: And uh, she warmed up quickly to Gerald. Yeah, yeah, there was a little, it was a dicey at the beginning, but we've uh, we've come to an understanding. Yes. And, uh, and that's how I know if the talent, uh, is going to work or not. Um, why don't we take Miss Keepers back in? Thank you, Anya.

[00:25:59] All right, um, oh god, there she goes. Uh, a couple things. Let's get into, uh, that, uh, Um, tell us a little bit just about your family. You're married, kids? Yeah, married, two kids, uh, 23 and 15. 23 and 15? Wow. 23 and 15, yeah. Um, and so, uh, yeah, 15 year old is a freshman. Uh, 23 year old's out and doing her thing. And, uh, both love music.

[00:26:34] Gerald Dowd: Um, and, and play it. And, uh, and the older one is, is doing gigs around town. We, we have a gig coming up in two weeks together. So Are you doing the father daughter kind of thing, or, or what? I mean, not, I mean, because it's, I'm the father and she's the daughter. That's, but it's not like a, we just, we have a, we have this, uh, a band that we, uh, that plays from time to time.

[00:26:56] And so what's the name of that band? It's called 16 Eyes. Yes, and it's called that because all four of the members wear glasses. So, we, uh, we needed a name. And that was the name. It works. So, yeah, uh, with, uh, with a couple of, uh, great musicians in town. Jackie Schimmel, who plays bass. Um, and I've been playing bass with her in the Justin Roberts band for years and years.

[00:27:18] And, um, Michael Mahler, who's a great, uh, everything, he plays everything. Uh, and, um, so yeah, so we have a show coming up at, uh, Simon. Uh, the twenty, I think it's the 22nd of May. And is your wife a musician? Is she, uh, musically inclined or creative? Or what's the, what's the story there? Well, she's very creative.

[00:27:39] She's not musically, uh, she doesn't play any instrument, but she's a great singer. And she's just a, uh, huge music fan. And so, um, and so, yeah, we, we, there's a lot of music in our house all the time. Great. So, yeah, yeah, so. I really love that you. know your way around this town with the various clubs. So, you know, for those that are watching this that are aspiring musicians, um, tell us a little bit about some of the clubs that you enjoy playing.

[00:28:12] Martin McCormack: Huh. Well, um, and why pick your top three? Top three? I'll make it even tougher. Okay. Well, we were just talking about Fitzgerald's and, and that's, uh, you know, technically in Wyn, but it's close enough to Chicago. Sure. Uh, and that's, you know, I play there all the time. I think I'm down there probably a half dozen times a month sometimes.

[00:28:29] Gerald Dowd: And, um, and I just love it because, uh, I've always loved it and I kind of grew up there, you know, playing with everybody. And, uh, and Bill and Kate were just great. And now, uh, the new owners are fantastic and they're doing a great job with it. And, um, yeah, so I love playing there. Um, I love playing, um, let's see on the spot now.

[00:28:52] Uh, there's a bunch of places. Well, I think the first places that are coming to mind are out of the city, but that's space in Evanston is, is great. I consider that Chicago. Yeah, basically Chicago. Um, and so I, yeah, I have my CD release show, there last summer and um, and I love that place always have just because and and really kind of across the board what all these places have are uh, you know, they just know what they're doing and they make it really fun to play there and it's a comfortable setting and it sounds good and you know.

[00:29:21] Martin McCormack: And we're not talking large rooms in the sense of like, you know, a thousand seaters or something. We're talking at the most maybe 300 or something. Yeah, yeah, I think probably it's about about the same for both those places. Um, and then Metro. I love it. Played there a bunch over the years and I love Joe Shanahan and what he's done there and, and, uh, and again, it's just, it's, uh, these, all these places kind of feel, uh, homey.

[00:29:45] Gerald Dowd: There's a, there's a different, uh, different vibe to, to clubs in Chicago, I think. What is this song? This song, well you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to, I hope this isn't uh, isn't cheating or anything. So I run a songwriter series at Fitzgerald's every fourth Thursday of the month. It's called Song of the Month Club.

[00:30:05] Oh great. And the idea of it is that, um, I have a guest, a different guest every month. And every, myself and the guest each month have to come with a new song written just for the show. And so, um, so I wrote this song last month and I've just So it's, you can't find it anywhere, even if you wanted to, which you might not.

[00:30:26] But, uh, I thought maybe I'd bust this one out. Yeah, yeah, it's, yeah, I just, I, yeah, I bring in a guest songwriter. We gotta have you come in here and do that sometime, if you're game to do it. I'm totally game. Okay. Um, yeah, so it's been really nice that we just had the, uh, Um, and, uh, and so yeah, I've, I've got, you know, songwriting, as you know, is, can be difficult.

[00:30:51] Sometimes it comes easy, but most of the time it doesn't for me. And, um, and so it's, what this has done is, is forced me with a deadline to write at least a new song once a month. So I've got, you know, a couple dozen new songs for the last few years, which is great. Well, this is the perfect springboard into our next podcast where I want to get into a little more of the creative elements of your songwriting.

[00:31:14] Martin McCormack: Um, let's make sure, uh, we got your website so people can get your music. And, uh, come see you perform. Is it, what is it? It's, it's just gerald dowd.com. Nice and easy. Okay. Nothing tricky. Yeah. Uh, gerald dowd.com. You'll get that in the notes. Uh, um, the, uh, uh, podcast, uh, the audio version, and you've probably seen it by now if you're watching this on YouTube.

[00:31:39] Let's listen to, uh, Gerald Dowd. What's this song called? It's called, it's a new song. It's called Skeleton Key. Excellent drill. Dow Skeleton key.

[00:31:59] Gerald Dowd: Did you think it wrong with that mask you

[00:32:13] show you?

[00:32:27] But I can try So turn your skeleton key Don't turn away from me I won't be afraid of what you've kept inside Oh, all the time has come Show me where you're from I hear the timbers fall One, two, three, four Around your skeleton key

[00:33:01] Hey, that smile across your face, it looks borrowed. So leave your heavy load and your dirty deeds till tomorrow. Cross the road, you can't see where it leads till it's followed. Show you what you've never seen, it's not too late for what could have been. Put down your dukes for just a while. Turn your skeleton key, let those memories free, of every single broken promise you've been made.

[00:33:42] Oh, the time has come, to feel more than numb, to hear the tumblers fall, one, two, three. Round your skeleton key, who can only be loved.

[00:34:37] Show me where you are from and hear

[00:34:44] the, the

[00:34:56] Martin McCormack: awesome. Is it? Cheryl Dowd, nice cold ending there. The question mark is somebody told me. All right. Thanks for watching and listening and we'll catch you next time. Bye bye. Thank you for listening. For more information about this show or a transcript, visit martinmccormack. com. While there, sign up for our newsletter.

[00:35:19] Anncr: See you next time on Strung Out. It's oh so wrong, this pain we feel Makes no sense at all A swan song wasn't part of the deal Was no good at all Givin out joys, givin out sadness