June 12, 2025 • 28 mins
Bubba Startz welcomes Anthony from East of Anthony, diving into the band's origins and formation. They discuss the organic growth and evolution of their songwriting process, providing a glimpse into band practices and the album creation journey. Anthony shares insights into the album's title and cover art, building anticipation for the upcoming release. The conversation shifts to the announcement of a summer mixtape showcase, followed by plans for visiting Arkansas. The episode wraps up with final thoughts and a warm farewell.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:04):
Welcome in to a very exciting episode of thescene.
I'm your host, Bubba Starts, and with me todayis Anthony of East of Anthony.
Welcome to the show, brother.
Thanks for having me, man.
Well, before we get too far down the road here,let you go ahead and and kind of, give us a
short, history of, yourself and the band, andthen we'll talk about everything you guys got
(00:26):
going on now.
Yeah.
So it really started during COVID.
Probably me, like a lot of people, decidedthat, hey.
I'm gonna write some music.
I've got nothing else to do.
And I do art too, and I was doing some art,some live on Instagram is really how it all
(00:52):
started.
And Instagram kept blocking my the music I hadin the background, copywriting it.
So I started making my own music just to feedin the background while I did my art.
And one day, was like, hey.
That's catchy.
Think I'm gonna put some lyrics to it.
And next thing I know, I was writing a song anda song and a song.
(01:16):
And I've played for years, but as far asperforming and, like, actually taking that
extra step to perform was something I hadalways wanted to do.
I just never took the step.
I guess you'd say circumstances weren't right.
So it was 2000 around 02/2021, decided, yeah,I'm gonna start I wanna perform and, you know,
(01:42):
you start building the set list, things likethat, and trying to get gigs.
It was a it's a slow process, but here we are.
This is, yeah, 02/2025.
I gradually have built a band in 02/2023.
Towards the end of twenty three, I met Zach.
(02:04):
He's my bass player.
He was at one of our shows, me and mypreviously guitarist, Steven.
He it was just me and him for a little bit.
And we were just kinda like a duo.
And we were doing a show, and he he loved ourmusic.
And he said and so I asked him, like, hey.
(02:26):
You know, wanna play bass?
We need bass player.
And so then we were a trio, and then we met ourour drummer that we had before.
I actually just sent him our new album to givehim me.
He's getting the listen to it before anybodyelse.
He was our drummer, Jordan.
(02:50):
And Jordan had a foot injury this past year.
We met Todd.
He was gonna fill in.
And so the rest is kinda history.
Todd remained our new drummer.
We all gel really good.
That was a four piece at the time.
It was me and Zach, and then Walker.
Walker's our lead guitarist now.
(03:10):
And we met Walker through last year, we did thethere's a big the big eclipse.
There's an eclipse festival we all were at andmet Walker, his family.
And so he joined.
And I I, you know, I just asked.
I I people liked our music, so I would justask, hey.
(03:31):
I need, you know, I need this.
I need that.
You wanna join?
And they're like, yeah.
Sure.
You know?
And so so here we are, and we're a really, youknow, pretty tight knit group.
Zach's sister-in-law, she's the newest member.
If you listen to our latest single, SaveYourself, she's the one in that song.
(03:53):
And so after we recorded that song in studio,everybody was like I think it was our drummer
Todd.
Todd's like, hey.
What if we asked her to join the band?
You know?
I he just he had this vision, this idea ofother songs with her.
I'm like, dude, I'm like, me too.
(04:15):
I I hear it.
I I already have some songs in mind that are onthe shelf I call I have this, like, figurative
shelf of songs that aren't finished.
And I'm like, I hear her vocals on it.
So Zach was all for it, my bass player, his herbrother-in-law.
So he was all for it.
So now we're five piece.
So the the small paying gigs have just gotteneven smaller.
(04:42):
We'll all make about $20 a gig now.
No.
We have we're we're we're super happy to haveher on.
She's been she's been looking for a projectlike this.
And it was funny.
I was looking for female vocalists for abouttwo months for this song that it was finished.
(05:06):
We were in studio.
We had recorded some of it.
And I was on TikTok and I would do my TikTokstuff.
And if I knew a vocalist on there, would ask,hey, would you be interested in just laying
down vocals on this this song?
And I found a couple of girls that were, likehad good vocals.
(05:27):
They just weren't that they didn't just, like,hit you like, okay.
Yeah.
This is the one.
And then I was on Facebook and and and there'sLondon.
And I didn't know if she's related to Zach yetor not.
So I asked her, said, hey.
Your vocals are perfect, I think, for thissong.
Would you be interested?
(05:48):
Swear I'm not a creep, you know.
And so the rest is history kind of.
And it's what's funny is Zach's like, oh, yeah.
London can sing, you know?
Now you tell me.
Now you tell me.
And so it was a funny this funny, you know,story about how it kinda happened.
(06:08):
So
Well, and it's all it's all been totallyorganic, it feels like.
You know?
You you start off, and it just keeps kindagrowing and building very naturally and with
the people that are already attracted to themusic.
And I think that's a really cool thing is that,y'all have kinda come together because of your
songs and because of others' affinity for themthat they're like, yeah.
(06:33):
I'd love to play these songs with you.
And as a songwriter myself, I mean, that'sgotta feel really awesome for you to, just sit
back and have other people that are willing to,you know, invest in you and invest in your your
music.
And, is there has there been an evolution ofthe songwriting process now over the course of
the last five years?
Are you kinda writing with the core members ofthe group, or is it still mostly you kinda
(06:58):
bringing in songs and and maybe there's sometweaks to certain things?
I'd say we're so we just finished, ourprofessional studio album.
It it drops Friday.
It's that's how fresh it is.
And, like, I I love the fact that we're we'redoing this today because it drops the
(07:19):
thirteenth.
So the singles are already out there, but nowyou get to listen to it altogether as one full
album.
And but to answer your question, yeah, it wasbasically me bringing in, hey.
Here's another song I wrote.
Hey.
Here's another song I wrote.
And then Todd, you know, or whoever's on thedrums before, hey.
(07:41):
Yeah.
I'm gonna do this.
Cool.
Sounds great.
Zach, it's always great on bass to just whipout a bass line, and I'm like, yeah.
Dude, it's perfect.
You know?
And I try to let them have as much almost a100% leeway as they can or as they want on
songs.
(08:01):
Because I want it to come natural to them.
And I really a 100%, I don't think I've everreally just said, no.
I don't like that.
Do it my way.
You know?
I feel like if you give your band that freedomto do that, to express themselves on songs,
unless it's just really out there that changesthe dynamic of your sound or something, you
(08:26):
know, that'd be different.
But they put their own spin on stuff.
I love it.
And then our producer, he takes what we givehim.
I I usually send him demos.
He puts his own spin on it.
He always asks, hey.
Do you care if I give a little freedom here?
And I'm like, dude, I can't wait to hear it.
(08:47):
And so far, me and Jeremy have been just rightthere on every song.
So as of this weekend, we had a we had kind ofa a big band weekend because our our show
canceled.
We had a big show scheduled this weekend pastweekend and their AC went out.
And, you know, it's real hot in Arkansas.
(09:10):
About to find out, man.
I'm going to Little Rock next week.
I right?
Yeah.
So it's it's indeed hot, man.
Shorts, sandals, for sure.
The beer hat.
I don't know if something's keeping cool.
So we we just we're all like, hey.
Let's just hang out at the house this weekend.
(09:32):
We got more big we got, especially next week,some big shows coming up.
Let's practice for hers and just chill out.
And so some of that writing process that youwere talking about started happening this
weekend, which I've wanted to for a while.
We were just kind of rounding out that outwe're finishing the album.
(09:54):
Right.
You were you were focused on on anotherproject.
And now that that's finished, you have a littlebit of freedom of time and and create
creativity to to go and pursue the next phase,man.
Is really awesome.
Yeah.
I tell you what, this, in this song that Toddit was Sunday morning.
(10:14):
Todd just over here doing triplets on drums.
And I'm like, what are you doing?
He said, just exercise.
It's an exercise.
I said, keep doing it.
I grabbed my electric guitar real quick.
And through a just a riff came out of nowhere,just pulled it out of my butt.
(10:34):
And, I mean, this might be who knows?
I keep saying this this will be our best songyet.
You know?
You never know.
But it was cool to have that finally happenwhere I didn't start the song.
That was all Todd.
I'm like, dude, that was all you that turnedinto the riff that, you know, I created.
(10:56):
If only Zach was here, you know, someone elsecould throw down, Vin May the cherry on top,
you know.
So that was the
time that somebody else kinda brought the seed.
Right?
Yeah.
That that you've been bringing your packs ofseeds to it and going, well, here I have this.
Let's water it.
Now the seed was kinda brought from somewhereelse, and you got a chance to kinda be the
(11:20):
watering can instead of the sower.
And I got from a from a songwriter'sperspective, that's gotta be really cool, man.
It was it was cool to finally sit back and andjust throw your stuff, you know, or, you know,
what am I trying to say, jump in on a song andnot feel like it's always all about you.
(11:41):
That's what I always hate.
I always tell the band, it's not always aboutme or I don't ever want to be that.
And when you're, like, the sole songwriter, I Iguess I tend to feel that way sometimes.
Like, I always have to reiterate to the band,like, you guys always put your input.
Tell me whatever, you know?
You're not gonna bother.
Don't feel like just because I wrote the songthat, you know so I want them to have that
(12:04):
freedom.
So it was cool for Todd.
Now this it's Todd's song, basically, whichit'll become the band's.
But it was so cool for him to do that, and thenwe we have a new song.
I threw my phone down real quick, hit record sowe wouldn't forget it, and, it's just cool that
(12:25):
it worked out that way finally.
You know?
Well and you guys are just getting started.
It seems like you got a really awesome thinggoing on.
And, yeah, it just keeps, just kinda goingwhere it's gonna go anyway.
Right?
It doesn't feel like anything has been forced.
It doesn't, at least from the outside here,talking to you today, it seems like kind of the
(12:50):
dream of how every band should start, right, ofof growing in that way and and then, getting to
to make music with some really awesome people,which it sounds like you got around you.
I it's a dream, man.
It's the dream of every songwriter, I think, tohave their songs kind of brought to life, with
other musicians.
(13:10):
My my path is is very much the same butdifferent.
Right?
I I've just played with a lot more people.
Right?
I've been putting the bands together for thelast twenty years.
I've played with all kinds of different parts.
So I have all these original songs that I'vewritten, and I've pretty much been playing the
same batch of songs, but they've all come outin different expressions because I'm not coming
(13:33):
in and going, you have to play it just likethis.
It's like, no.
You know, what they did is what they did, andand what you're gonna bring to this song are is
different, and that's fine.
That's the way that it should be.
So, yeah, how fun to, you know, spend the lastseveral years of your life just kind of
watching this all happen in real time.
And now y'all got an album coming out, Fridaythe thirteenth, And, let let's talk a little
(13:59):
bit about the songs on the album.
How many songs are are coming out on this one?
It's 10.
Where's my I got a CD CD somewhere.
Is it 10?
Yeah.
I usually do 11.
I know on my past albums, I try to keep I tryto do about 11.
And then we dropped an EP.
(14:19):
A couple months ago, we dropped an EP, whichthat EP was is what made up the part of this
album.
So, yeah, 10 songs.
It was at yeah.
Eight, four and four, and then our producer didan instrumental for us for a show.
I wanted a walk on instrumental.
(14:43):
And we actually we liked it so much, we put itat the beginning of the album as an intro.
Killer.
So we have that.
And then Remember Me is a song that's a songthat really kinda took off.
(15:04):
It was on my album.
And for being in the bedroom, lo fi, and merecording, doing all that, I tell people it's
the blind squirrel finding the nut, you know.
It turned out good enough where people cameback and kept listening to it till it I think
it's at it's at, like, 2,500 streams.
(15:24):
Nothing major, but for, like, a bedroomrecording and people that do know our music go,
oh, yeah.
You don't remember me.
So what we did, we remastered it.
I let and I let Jeremy have free reign with it.
And so this is his mix.
So you'll see on the album, it's the last songon the album.
(15:45):
It says Remember Me, Jeremy Huddleston mix.
So that's the that's the album.
10 songs.
We do have the song on there, Higher Ground, isgetting about a 100 streams a day.
Awesome.
It's it's at 20 I think as of today, 22,000streams between all the three major, like,
(16:14):
streaming services.
So it's I don't know what's gonna happen withthat, you know.
I feel like the right person hears that song,who knows, you know.
But Higher Ground is is really doing good.
It's kinda set and it kinda set the kind of thefeel for what we're what we've kinda become, I
(16:42):
guess, as musically.
I mean, I I was always that musically, but it'slike we kind of are continuing that direction
still.
And now we have well, now we have London andher vocals, so we're gonna that's gonna change
things.
Save Yourself is on that album.
Save Yourself features London.
(17:03):
And, man, it's a it's a good song.
With her vocals in it, it just took it toanother level.
In fact, I feel like it took this the album toanother level.
So it's a I think it's a good listen.
It was cool to release them as singles What Idid since December of twenty four, I released
(17:25):
New Messiah, which is the song on the album.
And then each month, I released a single untilthis month.
And then it all came together to become onealbum.
So and now it's just a full listen.
That's awesome.
It's something that I'm kinda working towards.
(17:48):
I made an album, oh, fifteen years ago.
And, you know, just kinda rushed through it,and it was something that at the end of the
day, while I was proud of the songs, we didn'ttake our time like we should have.
And now I've gotten a chance to take a few ofthese songs and some new ones that I've written
back in the studio, more recently.
(18:08):
And, just doing, like, a a four song EP, butgot some great players on it.
You know, pretty much recorded the bass anddrum tracks, within a couple of takes live in
the studio and just cranked it all out and haveslowly kind of built this thing, but it's the
best work I've ever done.
And I and I can't be more proud of it, andthat's just kind of working with people that I
(18:31):
don't work with on a regular basis, guys that Iknow and I've gotten to know well, but they're
in the Rapid City, South Dakota area.
I'm five hours east of there.
Right?
So we all kinda got together.
So I I I've experienced this a little bitlately on maybe a smaller scale because I think
when you're able to share that experience withpeople, close to you, and not just necessarily
(18:55):
that, you know, that you're friends with, butyou're seeing each other all the time.
Right?
You're regularly getting together for brandpractice, and you're able to share in that
excitement.
I think it can really, I think it reallyamplify that energy, right, and can really
propel you towards even greater and and newerthings.
And it feels like with kind of the lateaddition of London to the album and to the, to
(19:21):
the band that you kind of, you know, quicklyclose that chapter.
Right?
Let's put this one out here, and let's get towork on some new stuff and and see where the
evolution continues to go for this band.
Is there a name of the album?
Yeah.
It's called The Divide.
Yep.
(19:42):
It'll it'll and you'll see our tiger I don'tknow if you've seen our tiger hang hang on.
Let me get it here.
So our our Tiger logo, that's our main brand.
You're you're gonna see it.
(20:03):
You if you haven't been seeing it for the pastthree years, you're gonna you're gonna see it
for the next whatever, you know, till this isdone.
But I don't know if you can kinda see the
Yeah.
That's awesome.
The double tigers.
So that Jeremy kind of enhanced our main logo.
(20:24):
So when you go to the Spotify or wherever youyou see this oh, there it is.
There's the there's the original one rightthere.
Epic.
So that and that logo is to represent the factthat we are kind of a heavy band.
(20:46):
We do heavy and then we we write some very kindof softer material.
So and it's also a nod to something elsepersonal that people who know me know a
situation.
It's a nod to that.
Those two tigers, the balance and the imbalanceand all.
(21:09):
So it's a nod or a playoff of that.
But for the most part, we're a we're a hardrock band.
We're not metal, but we're a hard rock band.
But at the same time, there's there's thislike, fake faces on there.
It's very it it's you'll hear it when you get achance.
It's very acoustic.
(21:31):
It hits you at the end.
Don't get me wrong.
That ending is is epic.
It hits you at the end, but that's kind of whatwhat we are and what we're gonna continue to
be.
And I feel like in today's music with music,you you you can be whatever you want when you
want.
(21:52):
As long as it works and meshes well.
I don't think you need to be all over theplace.
But I grew up, you know, grew up hearing bandsdo it too, like Alice in Chains and Sound Guard
and different bands that were very hard rock,almost metal.
And then, you know, they drop an EP like Jar ofFlies, if you know anything about, you know,
(22:17):
Alice in Chains.
And so that's kind of the mentality I've hadwith all of this.
The and the the band's always been on boardwith the the the group.
So that's kind of what we are.
That's where that logo comes into play.
And you'll hear that in the song.
So but, yeah, that's what it'll look like.
(22:38):
To get back to your question, so Friday, that'swhat you'll that's what you'll look for is that
new kind of I don't know if he AI ed it orwhat, but he took he took what I sent him and
did that.
I was like, man, that is that's pretty cool.
He he's like, can it can it be the album cover?
(22:58):
I'm like, yes.
I love it.
So it just it made it it was still us, but itwas oh, he's put the split down.
That's right.
He put the divide because of the name of thealbum.
That's right.
So you see the split actually happening therein right there in that picture.
That's right.
You see the actual, like, split.
(23:21):
So that was all Jeremy.
Jeremy, a producer, I joke with him, you needto join the band because he's got his
fingerprint on so much of our music.
Right.
He's not he's much less an outside influencethan an inside influence now.
Yeah.
And he'll take stuff, like, when I we go in thestudio and he sends me, you know, the take of
(23:47):
what he's, you know, put together.
I do.
I give him liberties.
And, you know, if we if we meet again and talkmore in the future here, You know, we can talk
about that more where I'll tell you, like, I'llsay, hey, did you hey, did you listen to this
song?
Okay.
(24:07):
So in that song, that's all Jeremy.
Like, Jeremy, you know, he'll take a riff.
Like, he'll take my riff, like, on SaveYourself.
I thought the riff was already cool.
And he took it, he goes, what do you think wedid, you know, this?
It's so simple.
I said, oh my gosh.
It took it to another level.
(24:28):
And so I love the fact that he's in tune withus like that, in tune with me.
I tell him, I'm like, I don't don't know whatI'm gonna do if you die, man.
Because we're we're just I don't I don't wannawork with anybody else really, you know.
That's how gelled and in sync we have been withwith this.
(24:53):
So a lot of what you see in this album or hear,there's a lot.
There's he's in the mix.
No pun intended.
But he that was a good one.
But he's in the mix to the point I joke all thetime, just join the band.
Come on.
Just join the band.
So it's it's been really cool again going backto your you saying how it kind of just
(25:19):
spontaneously happened.
Even with Jeremy finding him, just happened.
Just happened.
I was looking for other producers and justfound him.
It just kinda fell on our laps.
Well, and that's what kinda makes it feel like,you know, without being overly religious, but
it makes it feel like a god thing.
Right?
It it makes it feel like it's definitely out ofyour control what is happening when it all just
(25:44):
fits together so perfectly.
Right?
A lot of the same projects, I give credit tosomething much larger because it's like,
couldn't I couldn't have planned this.
I couldn't not even on my best days could Ihave planned what has transpired in the last,
you know, fourteen months of doing thispodcast, and, you know, my music has kind of
(26:05):
been following suit now as well.
So, Anthony, man, pleasure getting to know youtoday.
Can't wait to listen to the album, everyone.
That is called the divide from East of Anthony.
It's gonna be available everywhere onstreaming.
You guys printing CDs too?
Yeah.
Making CDs, merch is fixing to hit the fan.
(26:27):
So, yeah, we had lot of merch.
We had we had a we had a good stack in aboutwas it a month ago?
Two months ago now, we sold out of all ourmerch. It
It was a really small it was in small intimateshow, and they just wiped us out.
And so we're just now getting, you know,financially where we can get some more merch
together.
(26:48):
Yeah.
We'll have merch, where you can get it online,all that kind of stuff.
Yep.
There you go.
You're you're becoming a real band right beforeour eyes.
Yeah.
Go check out the album.
Would love to I don't know what kind of music,you know, you make or into, but love would love
to hear your your take on.
Yeah.
Well and we do some, album and song reviews,through our blog and website, and we're
(27:11):
building a a lot bigger thing.
You know?
To date, the the podcast has been, you know,mostly just interviews.
We've done a few songwriter showcases that wefilmed, and now we're working on, actually,
when we come to Little Rock, we're doing ashowcase for our summer mixtape.
So a chance for artists to come in, put theirbest song forward, perform it live for a live
(27:31):
audience, and for myself, right, the executiveproducer of the scene projects.
And, yeah, to give people a chance to be a partof like, everyone can be a part of it no matter
what, but for the cream to rise to the top andto have some of these you know, we're doing
some contests and different things because,before I won, you know, the content creator of
(27:53):
the year award back in April, I didn't thinkthat winning anything in the music business was
it really meant anything.
And and since I've started opening everyconversation with, oh, my name is Bubba Starts,
and I have an award winning podcast, andwatching the doors that that has opened, I
realized that now we kinda have some of that togive to other artists, whether they're just
(28:13):
starting out or they've been doing this fortwenty years.
We have something to offer in the way of ourname carrying a little bit of weight in
whatever small music community that we'rebuilding right now.
But I would love to listen to the album.
I can't wait to listen to it.
I'll be coming through Arkansas real soon.
I don't know exactly where y'all are at, butI'll throw up a peace sign on my way through.
(28:37):
And, hopefully, we get to hook up, real soon,man.
Yeah.
Love it.
Love it.
Yep.
Awesome.
Well, Anthony, thanks for being part of thescene, brother.
Thank you, man.
Thank you for what you're doing.
Welcome in to a very exciting episode of thescene.
I'm your host, Bubba Starts, and with me todayis Anthony of East of Anthony.
Welcome to the show, brother.
Thanks for having me, man.
Well, before we get too far down the road here,let you go ahead and and kind of, give us a
short, history of, yourself and the band, andthen we'll talk about everything you guys got
(00:26):
going on now.
Yeah.
So it really started during COVID.
Probably me, like a lot of people, decidedthat, hey.
I'm gonna write some music.
I've got nothing else to do.
And I do art too, and I was doing some art,some live on Instagram is really how it all
(00:52):
started.
And Instagram kept blocking my the music I hadin the background, copywriting it.
So I started making my own music just to feedin the background while I did my art.
And one day, was like, hey.
That's catchy.
Think I'm gonna put some lyrics to it.
And next thing I know, I was writing a song anda song and a song.
(01:16):
And I've played for years, but as far asperforming and, like, actually taking that
extra step to perform was something I hadalways wanted to do.
I just never took the step.
I guess you'd say circumstances weren't right.
So it was 2000 around 02/2021, decided, yeah,I'm gonna start I wanna perform and, you know,
(01:42):
you start building the set list, things likethat, and trying to get gigs.
It was a it's a slow process, but here we are.
This is, yeah, 02/2025.
I gradually have built a band in 02/2023.
Towards the end of twenty three, I met Zach.
(02:04):
He's my bass player.
He was at one of our shows, me and mypreviously guitarist, Steven.
He it was just me and him for a little bit.
And we were just kinda like a duo.
And we were doing a show, and he he loved ourmusic.
And he said and so I asked him, like, hey.
(02:26):
You know, wanna play bass?
We need bass player.
And so then we were a trio, and then we met ourour drummer that we had before.
I actually just sent him our new album to givehim me.
He's getting the listen to it before anybodyelse.
He was our drummer, Jordan.
(02:50):
And Jordan had a foot injury this past year.
We met Todd.
He was gonna fill in.
And so the rest is kinda history.
Todd remained our new drummer.
We all gel really good.
That was a four piece at the time.
It was me and Zach, and then Walker.
Walker's our lead guitarist now.
(03:10):
And we met Walker through last year, we did thethere's a big the big eclipse.
There's an eclipse festival we all were at andmet Walker, his family.
And so he joined.
And I I, you know, I just asked.
I I people liked our music, so I would justask, hey.
(03:31):
I need, you know, I need this.
I need that.
You wanna join?
And they're like, yeah.
Sure.
You know?
And so so here we are, and we're a really, youknow, pretty tight knit group.
Zach's sister-in-law, she's the newest member.
If you listen to our latest single, SaveYourself, she's the one in that song.
(03:53):
And so after we recorded that song in studio,everybody was like I think it was our drummer
Todd.
Todd's like, hey.
What if we asked her to join the band?
You know?
I he just he had this vision, this idea ofother songs with her.
I'm like, dude, I'm like, me too.
(04:15):
I I hear it.
I I already have some songs in mind that are onthe shelf I call I have this, like, figurative
shelf of songs that aren't finished.
And I'm like, I hear her vocals on it.
So Zach was all for it, my bass player, his herbrother-in-law.
So he was all for it.
So now we're five piece.
So the the small paying gigs have just gotteneven smaller.
(04:42):
We'll all make about $20 a gig now.
No.
We have we're we're we're super happy to haveher on.
She's been she's been looking for a projectlike this.
And it was funny.
I was looking for female vocalists for abouttwo months for this song that it was finished.
(05:06):
We were in studio.
We had recorded some of it.
And I was on TikTok and I would do my TikTokstuff.
And if I knew a vocalist on there, would ask,hey, would you be interested in just laying
down vocals on this this song?
And I found a couple of girls that were, likehad good vocals.
(05:27):
They just weren't that they didn't just, like,hit you like, okay.
Yeah.
This is the one.
And then I was on Facebook and and and there'sLondon.
And I didn't know if she's related to Zach yetor not.
So I asked her, said, hey.
Your vocals are perfect, I think, for thissong.
Would you be interested?
(05:48):
Swear I'm not a creep, you know.
And so the rest is history kind of.
And it's what's funny is Zach's like, oh, yeah.
London can sing, you know?
Now you tell me.
Now you tell me.
And so it was a funny this funny, you know,story about how it kinda happened.
(06:08):
So
Well, and it's all it's all been totallyorganic, it feels like.
You know?
You you start off, and it just keeps kindagrowing and building very naturally and with
the people that are already attracted to themusic.
And I think that's a really cool thing is that,y'all have kinda come together because of your
songs and because of others' affinity for themthat they're like, yeah.
(06:33):
I'd love to play these songs with you.
And as a songwriter myself, I mean, that'sgotta feel really awesome for you to, just sit
back and have other people that are willing to,you know, invest in you and invest in your your
music.
And, is there has there been an evolution ofthe songwriting process now over the course of
the last five years?
Are you kinda writing with the core members ofthe group, or is it still mostly you kinda
(06:58):
bringing in songs and and maybe there's sometweaks to certain things?
I'd say we're so we just finished, ourprofessional studio album.
It it drops Friday.
It's that's how fresh it is.
And, like, I I love the fact that we're we'redoing this today because it drops the
(07:19):
thirteenth.
So the singles are already out there, but nowyou get to listen to it altogether as one full
album.
And but to answer your question, yeah, it wasbasically me bringing in, hey.
Here's another song I wrote.
Hey.
Here's another song I wrote.
And then Todd, you know, or whoever's on thedrums before, hey.
(07:41):
Yeah.
I'm gonna do this.
Cool.
Sounds great.
Zach, it's always great on bass to just whipout a bass line, and I'm like, yeah.
Dude, it's perfect.
You know?
And I try to let them have as much almost a100% leeway as they can or as they want on
songs.
(08:01):
Because I want it to come natural to them.
And I really a 100%, I don't think I've everreally just said, no.
I don't like that.
Do it my way.
You know?
I feel like if you give your band that freedomto do that, to express themselves on songs,
unless it's just really out there that changesthe dynamic of your sound or something, you
(08:26):
know, that'd be different.
But they put their own spin on stuff.
I love it.
And then our producer, he takes what we givehim.
I I usually send him demos.
He puts his own spin on it.
He always asks, hey.
Do you care if I give a little freedom here?
And I'm like, dude, I can't wait to hear it.
(08:47):
And so far, me and Jeremy have been just rightthere on every song.
So as of this weekend, we had a we had kind ofa a big band weekend because our our show
canceled.
We had a big show scheduled this weekend pastweekend and their AC went out.
And, you know, it's real hot in Arkansas.
(09:10):
About to find out, man.
I'm going to Little Rock next week.
I right?
Yeah.
So it's it's indeed hot, man.
Shorts, sandals, for sure.
The beer hat.
I don't know if something's keeping cool.
So we we just we're all like, hey.
Let's just hang out at the house this weekend.
(09:32):
We got more big we got, especially next week,some big shows coming up.
Let's practice for hers and just chill out.
And so some of that writing process that youwere talking about started happening this
weekend, which I've wanted to for a while.
We were just kind of rounding out that outwe're finishing the album.
(09:54):
Right.
You were you were focused on on anotherproject.
And now that that's finished, you have a littlebit of freedom of time and and create
creativity to to go and pursue the next phase,man.
Is really awesome.
Yeah.
I tell you what, this, in this song that Toddit was Sunday morning.
(10:14):
Todd just over here doing triplets on drums.
And I'm like, what are you doing?
He said, just exercise.
It's an exercise.
I said, keep doing it.
I grabbed my electric guitar real quick.
And through a just a riff came out of nowhere,just pulled it out of my butt.
(10:34):
And, I mean, this might be who knows?
I keep saying this this will be our best songyet.
You know?
You never know.
But it was cool to have that finally happenwhere I didn't start the song.
That was all Todd.
I'm like, dude, that was all you that turnedinto the riff that, you know, I created.
(10:56):
If only Zach was here, you know, someone elsecould throw down, Vin May the cherry on top,
you know.
So that was the
time that somebody else kinda brought the seed.
Right?
Yeah.
That that you've been bringing your packs ofseeds to it and going, well, here I have this.
Let's water it.
Now the seed was kinda brought from somewhereelse, and you got a chance to kinda be the
(11:20):
watering can instead of the sower.
And I got from a from a songwriter'sperspective, that's gotta be really cool, man.
It was it was cool to finally sit back and andjust throw your stuff, you know, or, you know,
what am I trying to say, jump in on a song andnot feel like it's always all about you.
(11:41):
That's what I always hate.
I always tell the band, it's not always aboutme or I don't ever want to be that.
And when you're, like, the sole songwriter, I Iguess I tend to feel that way sometimes.
Like, I always have to reiterate to the band,like, you guys always put your input.
Tell me whatever, you know?
You're not gonna bother.
Don't feel like just because I wrote the songthat, you know so I want them to have that
(12:04):
freedom.
So it was cool for Todd.
Now this it's Todd's song, basically, whichit'll become the band's.
But it was so cool for him to do that, and thenwe we have a new song.
I threw my phone down real quick, hit record sowe wouldn't forget it, and, it's just cool that
(12:25):
it worked out that way finally.
You know?
Well and you guys are just getting started.
It seems like you got a really awesome thinggoing on.
And, yeah, it just keeps, just kinda goingwhere it's gonna go anyway.
Right?
It doesn't feel like anything has been forced.
It doesn't, at least from the outside here,talking to you today, it seems like kind of the
(12:50):
dream of how every band should start, right, ofof growing in that way and and then, getting to
to make music with some really awesome people,which it sounds like you got around you.
I it's a dream, man.
It's the dream of every songwriter, I think, tohave their songs kind of brought to life, with
other musicians.
(13:10):
My my path is is very much the same butdifferent.
Right?
I I've just played with a lot more people.
Right?
I've been putting the bands together for thelast twenty years.
I've played with all kinds of different parts.
So I have all these original songs that I'vewritten, and I've pretty much been playing the
same batch of songs, but they've all come outin different expressions because I'm not coming
(13:33):
in and going, you have to play it just likethis.
It's like, no.
You know, what they did is what they did, andand what you're gonna bring to this song are is
different, and that's fine.
That's the way that it should be.
So, yeah, how fun to, you know, spend the lastseveral years of your life just kind of
watching this all happen in real time.
And now y'all got an album coming out, Fridaythe thirteenth, And, let let's talk a little
(13:59):
bit about the songs on the album.
How many songs are are coming out on this one?
It's 10.
Where's my I got a CD CD somewhere.
Is it 10?
Yeah.
I usually do 11.
I know on my past albums, I try to keep I tryto do about 11.
And then we dropped an EP.
(14:19):
A couple months ago, we dropped an EP, whichthat EP was is what made up the part of this
album.
So, yeah, 10 songs.
It was at yeah.
Eight, four and four, and then our producer didan instrumental for us for a show.
I wanted a walk on instrumental.
(14:43):
And we actually we liked it so much, we put itat the beginning of the album as an intro.
Killer.
So we have that.
And then Remember Me is a song that's a songthat really kinda took off.
(15:04):
It was on my album.
And for being in the bedroom, lo fi, and merecording, doing all that, I tell people it's
the blind squirrel finding the nut, you know.
It turned out good enough where people cameback and kept listening to it till it I think
it's at it's at, like, 2,500 streams.
(15:24):
Nothing major, but for, like, a bedroomrecording and people that do know our music go,
oh, yeah.
You don't remember me.
So what we did, we remastered it.
I let and I let Jeremy have free reign with it.
And so this is his mix.
So you'll see on the album, it's the last songon the album.
(15:45):
It says Remember Me, Jeremy Huddleston mix.
So that's the that's the album.
10 songs.
We do have the song on there, Higher Ground, isgetting about a 100 streams a day.
Awesome.
It's it's at 20 I think as of today, 22,000streams between all the three major, like,
(16:14):
streaming services.
So it's I don't know what's gonna happen withthat, you know.
I feel like the right person hears that song,who knows, you know.
But Higher Ground is is really doing good.
It's kinda set and it kinda set the kind of thefeel for what we're what we've kinda become, I
(16:42):
guess, as musically.
I mean, I I was always that musically, but it'slike we kind of are continuing that direction
still.
And now we have well, now we have London andher vocals, so we're gonna that's gonna change
things.
Save Yourself is on that album.
Save Yourself features London.
(17:03):
And, man, it's a it's a good song.
With her vocals in it, it just took it toanother level.
In fact, I feel like it took this the album toanother level.
So it's a I think it's a good listen.
It was cool to release them as singles What Idid since December of twenty four, I released
(17:25):
New Messiah, which is the song on the album.
And then each month, I released a single untilthis month.
And then it all came together to become onealbum.
So and now it's just a full listen.
That's awesome.
It's something that I'm kinda working towards.
(17:48):
I made an album, oh, fifteen years ago.
And, you know, just kinda rushed through it,and it was something that at the end of the
day, while I was proud of the songs, we didn'ttake our time like we should have.
And now I've gotten a chance to take a few ofthese songs and some new ones that I've written
back in the studio, more recently.
(18:08):
And, just doing, like, a a four song EP, butgot some great players on it.
You know, pretty much recorded the bass anddrum tracks, within a couple of takes live in
the studio and just cranked it all out and haveslowly kind of built this thing, but it's the
best work I've ever done.
And I and I can't be more proud of it, andthat's just kind of working with people that I
(18:31):
don't work with on a regular basis, guys that Iknow and I've gotten to know well, but they're
in the Rapid City, South Dakota area.
I'm five hours east of there.
Right?
So we all kinda got together.
So I I I've experienced this a little bitlately on maybe a smaller scale because I think
when you're able to share that experience withpeople, close to you, and not just necessarily
(18:55):
that, you know, that you're friends with, butyou're seeing each other all the time.
Right?
You're regularly getting together for brandpractice, and you're able to share in that
excitement.
I think it can really, I think it reallyamplify that energy, right, and can really
propel you towards even greater and and newerthings.
And it feels like with kind of the lateaddition of London to the album and to the, to
(19:21):
the band that you kind of, you know, quicklyclose that chapter.
Right?
Let's put this one out here, and let's get towork on some new stuff and and see where the
evolution continues to go for this band.
Is there a name of the album?
Yeah.
It's called The Divide.
Yep.
(19:42):
It'll it'll and you'll see our tiger I don'tknow if you've seen our tiger hang hang on.
Let me get it here.
So our our Tiger logo, that's our main brand.
You're you're gonna see it.
(20:03):
You if you haven't been seeing it for the pastthree years, you're gonna you're gonna see it
for the next whatever, you know, till this isdone.
But I don't know if you can kinda see the
Yeah.
That's awesome.
The double tigers.
So that Jeremy kind of enhanced our main logo.
(20:24):
So when you go to the Spotify or wherever youyou see this oh, there it is.
There's the there's the original one rightthere.
Epic.
So that and that logo is to represent the factthat we are kind of a heavy band.
(20:46):
We do heavy and then we we write some very kindof softer material.
So and it's also a nod to something elsepersonal that people who know me know a
situation.
It's a nod to that.
Those two tigers, the balance and the imbalanceand all.
(21:09):
So it's a nod or a playoff of that.
But for the most part, we're a we're a hardrock band.
We're not metal, but we're a hard rock band.
But at the same time, there's there's thislike, fake faces on there.
It's very it it's you'll hear it when you get achance.
It's very acoustic.
(21:31):
It hits you at the end.
Don't get me wrong.
That ending is is epic.
It hits you at the end, but that's kind of whatwhat we are and what we're gonna continue to
be.
And I feel like in today's music with music,you you you can be whatever you want when you
want.
(21:52):
As long as it works and meshes well.
I don't think you need to be all over theplace.
But I grew up, you know, grew up hearing bandsdo it too, like Alice in Chains and Sound Guard
and different bands that were very hard rock,almost metal.
And then, you know, they drop an EP like Jar ofFlies, if you know anything about, you know,
(22:17):
Alice in Chains.
And so that's kind of the mentality I've hadwith all of this.
The and the the band's always been on boardwith the the the group.
So that's kind of what we are.
That's where that logo comes into play.
And you'll hear that in the song.
So but, yeah, that's what it'll look like.
(22:38):
To get back to your question, so Friday, that'swhat you'll that's what you'll look for is that
new kind of I don't know if he AI ed it orwhat, but he took he took what I sent him and
did that.
I was like, man, that is that's pretty cool.
He he's like, can it can it be the album cover?
(22:58):
I'm like, yes.
I love it.
So it just it made it it was still us, but itwas oh, he's put the split down.
That's right.
He put the divide because of the name of thealbum.
That's right.
So you see the split actually happening therein right there in that picture.
That's right.
You see the actual, like, split.
(23:21):
So that was all Jeremy.
Jeremy, a producer, I joke with him, you needto join the band because he's got his
fingerprint on so much of our music.
Right.
He's not he's much less an outside influencethan an inside influence now.
Yeah.
And he'll take stuff, like, when I we go in thestudio and he sends me, you know, the take of
(23:47):
what he's, you know, put together.
I do.
I give him liberties.
And, you know, if we if we meet again and talkmore in the future here, You know, we can talk
about that more where I'll tell you, like, I'llsay, hey, did you hey, did you listen to this
song?
Okay.
(24:07):
So in that song, that's all Jeremy.
Like, Jeremy, you know, he'll take a riff.
Like, he'll take my riff, like, on SaveYourself.
I thought the riff was already cool.
And he took it, he goes, what do you think wedid, you know, this?
It's so simple.
I said, oh my gosh.
It took it to another level.
(24:28):
And so I love the fact that he's in tune withus like that, in tune with me.
I tell him, I'm like, I don't don't know whatI'm gonna do if you die, man.
Because we're we're just I don't I don't wannawork with anybody else really, you know.
That's how gelled and in sync we have been withwith this.
(24:53):
So a lot of what you see in this album or hear,there's a lot.
There's he's in the mix.
No pun intended.
But he that was a good one.
But he's in the mix to the point I joke all thetime, just join the band.
Come on.
Just join the band.
So it's it's been really cool again going backto your you saying how it kind of just
(25:19):
spontaneously happened.
Even with Jeremy finding him, just happened.
Just happened.
I was looking for other producers and justfound him.
It just kinda fell on our laps.
Well, and that's what kinda makes it feel like,you know, without being overly religious, but
it makes it feel like a god thing.
Right?
It it makes it feel like it's definitely out ofyour control what is happening when it all just
(25:44):
fits together so perfectly.
Right?
A lot of the same projects, I give credit tosomething much larger because it's like,
couldn't I couldn't have planned this.
I couldn't not even on my best days could Ihave planned what has transpired in the last,
you know, fourteen months of doing thispodcast, and, you know, my music has kind of
(26:05):
been following suit now as well.
So, Anthony, man, pleasure getting to know youtoday.
Can't wait to listen to the album, everyone.
That is called the divide from East of Anthony.
It's gonna be available everywhere onstreaming.
You guys printing CDs too?
Yeah.
Making CDs, merch is fixing to hit the fan.
(26:27):
So, yeah, we had lot of merch.
We had we had a we had a good stack in aboutwas it a month ago?
Two months ago now, we sold out of all ourmerch. It
It was a really small it was in small intimateshow, and they just wiped us out.
And so we're just now getting, you know,financially where we can get some more merch
together.
(26:48):
Yeah.
We'll have merch, where you can get it online,all that kind of stuff.
Yep.
There you go.
You're you're becoming a real band right beforeour eyes.
Yeah.
Go check out the album.
Would love to I don't know what kind of music,you know, you make or into, but love would love
to hear your your take on.
Yeah.
Well and we do some, album and song reviews,through our blog and website, and we're
(27:11):
building a a lot bigger thing.
You know?
To date, the the podcast has been, you know,mostly just interviews.
We've done a few songwriter showcases that wefilmed, and now we're working on, actually,
when we come to Little Rock, we're doing ashowcase for our summer mixtape.
So a chance for artists to come in, put theirbest song forward, perform it live for a live
(27:31):
audience, and for myself, right, the executiveproducer of the scene projects.
And, yeah, to give people a chance to be a partof like, everyone can be a part of it no matter
what, but for the cream to rise to the top andto have some of these you know, we're doing
some contests and different things because,before I won, you know, the content creator of
(27:53):
the year award back in April, I didn't thinkthat winning anything in the music business was
it really meant anything.
And and since I've started opening everyconversation with, oh, my name is Bubba Starts,
and I have an award winning podcast, andwatching the doors that that has opened, I
realized that now we kinda have some of that togive to other artists, whether they're just
(28:13):
starting out or they've been doing this fortwenty years.
We have something to offer in the way of ourname carrying a little bit of weight in
whatever small music community that we'rebuilding right now.
But I would love to listen to the album.
I can't wait to listen to it.
I'll be coming through Arkansas real soon.
I don't know exactly where y'all are at, butI'll throw up a peace sign on my way through.
(28:37):
And, hopefully, we get to hook up, real soon,man.
Yeah.
Love it.
Love it.
Yep.
Awesome.
Well, Anthony, thanks for being part of thescene, brother.
Thank you, man.
Thank you for what you're doing.
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