ep13 The Deep Dark Woods can feel it

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Ryan Boldt of The Deep DarkWoods really made me feel
something.
There was a moment in ourconversation when he told me he
listens to music all of thetime, and he is always looking
for a song to make him feelsomething.
I've always cared more about theway a song can break my heart
than the perfection or theexecution of the notes, and to
borrow from an overused term.

(00:22):
I felt seen when I heard him saythat.
And isn't that what humanconnection is really all about?
You go about your day and thenyou sit down to get to know
someone and in a moment.
A word you and him are the same.
I had all kinds of paths alreadycarved out to supposedly achieve
this common ground.
You know, our band started atthe same time, shared the same

(00:44):
stages.
We grew up in the same part ofthe country.
I was friends with his cousin,but it was the thing he
confessed that really makes him,Ryan, that connected with the
thing that really makes me,Glen, that cut through.
And isn't that the gift of whatan artist does?
Not surprisingly, for 20 yearsnow to connect with who we
really are.

(01:05):
The deep dark woods haveproduced seven full length
albums and an imminent eighthgarnered local and international
awards, and toured the worldwhile managing the unpredictable
shifts of lineup changes,relocation, various label deals,
and a pandemic.
They're easily described as atraditional folk roots band, but
those singular labels fallshorter than usual.

(01:26):
And you'll find yourself wantingto add some version of blues and
country and more with modernnods to quiet storytelling
artists of your preference.
And then you'll realize you leftout the crucial nods to past
greats like The Band or TheGrateful Dead.
My name is Glen Erickson.
This is Almost Famous Enough.
Thank you for spending your timewith us.

(01:47):
This is The Deep Dark Woods.

Glen Erickson (02:04):
thanks for joining me anyhow, Ryan, uh,
Ryan Boldt, The Deep Dark Woods.
Appreciate this.
you are, in southern Ontario.
you know, I always knew you fromSaskatoon, Saskatchewan, the
middle of the prairies.
So, since your band and soundhas always sat in the pocket of
Americana, we might as well do alittle canadiana.
And where in Southern Ontarioare you sitting right now?

Ryan (02:27):
I'm in, uh, London, Ontario now.

Okay.

Ryan (02:30):
Yeah.

Right in the, right in the city.
Great, great little city.
Do they still have the folk clubthere?

Ryan (02:36):
No, unfortunately that closed.

that's too bad.

Ryan (02:39):
they have an, they have, there was like that tiny, uh,
what was it called?
The music, London Music Hall

Yep,

Ryan (02:47):
like

yep,

Ryan (02:47):
that one's gone, but they have a little place called
Chaster Pub and they put

Okay.

Ryan (02:53):
there.
Um,

cool.

Ryan (02:54):
lots of good people come like, you know, Eric

Yeah.

Ryan (02:58):
kind of guys, so

Nice.
Yeah.
I remember playing in thebasement of the London Music
Hall Little Club there a coupleof times, and tapping on the
three people I knew in London totry come out every single time
and bring their friends, greatpeople, they were very
hospitable.
So you're in London, Ontario.
You've been there how long?
How long have you been theresince you made that move out

(03:19):
East.

Ryan (03:20):
Well, I moved out here to be with my wife.
That was, uh, 2017 I believe.
then, uh, we moved away to.
To Nova Scotia during, um, and

Okay.

Ryan (03:35):
stayed

I.

Ryan (03:36):
three years or so and have been back now for a full, just
over a full year.

Okay.

Ryan (03:42):
Yeah.

so you famously, of course, started out in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Iguess part of my curiosity is
was it like actual Saskatoon, orwas it Saskatoon adjacent, or
did, uh, I just seemed to, Igrew up in Regina, Saskatchewan,
and I seem to always feel like,a lot of people, you know, maybe
they lived in Warman or they, orthey were in Domini or, or some

(04:07):
version, you know, that theykind of just trickled in, in
their twenties through theircollege years.
And, uh, whether that was you oryour band members, wa was, uh,
was it all Saskatoon proper or

Ryan (04:19):
I

otherwise?

Ryan (04:19):
uh, Sask Saskatoon.
I, I grew up there and, but wespent a lot of time up at
Christopher Lake, which is,

Hmm.

Ryan (04:29):
just north of Prince Albert.

Yeah.
Lake Country for sure.

Ryan (04:34):
So that, that's where I met, uh, my band at the time,
Chris Mason and Bert Barlow.

Yeah.

Ryan (04:40):
from, from going to camp and all that.
and so we,

That's awesome.

Ryan (04:45):
was living in

I,

Ryan (04:46):
for, for the summer.
We started the band and,

okay, so how old were you when you guys started?
2005.
Deep Dark Woods

Ryan (04:54):
I

together.

Ryan (04:55):
I was 22.
Yeah,

Yeah.
Pretty classic age to start a,

Ryan (05:00):
yeah,

your friends, right?
So you have a, you have a newsingle Ryan and I wanna for sure
talk about it and, and sort offind out where you are right
now, obviously where you'reheaded.
I also just really love to backall the way up and.
Tell some of the story all theway up to where we are right now
and sort of, I don't know, Iwant to get a better picture of

(05:21):
sort of who you are and whatthat arc has looked like in your
career.
And I think whatever the piecesare that kind of stand out, that
shaped that for you.
So if we start back there at2005, you said 22 years old, a
group of friends.
You started going to camp inlate country Saskatchewan with,
I, I guess my very firstquestion obviously, know, you're

(05:43):
renowned for your verytraditional sound.
I mean, right outta the gate,you know, traditional music,
traditional roots, and all thesort of parallels that were sort
of being thrown your way.
and I think what was obviouslyinteresting at the time was, I
think people found itinteresting when young men kind
of put on old clothes, right?
So.
You know, you guys, you guyscome out like a fully formed,

(06:06):
very like folk driven band that,you know, sounds like they moved
from the backyard fire pitright.
To a stage very seamlessly, veryaffable.
So what was, what was the thingthat you guys formed around?
Was that driven by your interestin songwriting or did these
group of guys all have this sameunique interest in traditional

(06:28):
music and sounds for their age?

Ryan (06:30):
no, that, that was, uh, uh, like I started maybe
playing, uh, songs, uh, in myparents' basement, my bedroom,
when I was, know, 17, 18, I wasplaying, you know, all.
Irish and American songs and,and singing Neil Young and Bob
Dylan, stuff like

Yeah.

Ryan (06:51):
And probably around 19 is when I first started writing
songs.
There weren't very good songs,but, uh, I started writing.
And, uh, that was when I wasliving in DC with, uh, right
after high school.
I was, uh, I started writing.
knew

Hmm.

Ryan (07:09):
to do and, uh, and then I moved back to Saskatchewan to
form the band.
but, those, those guys were kindof into more, like Radiohead and
all that sort of stuff.
and I, I kind of turned them onto, to Bob Dylan and,

Yeah.

Ryan (07:25):
folk,

Yep.
well, I mean that there's a lotof parallels.
So you and I have met before, afew times I played in the band,
the wheat pool.
Um, so we had a whole bunch ofintersections around, think the
time from about 2007 to 11 or12.
I remember, I, I think that'sreally interesting parallel in a
sense that I came into that bandand their two brothers who

(07:48):
really wanted to explore their,their roots of their love of
Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot,all that kind of songwriting.

Ryan (07:54):
right.

And, uh, I, I came from that indie rock
Radiohead world, but, I had thisside door of, I think Wilco was
where we sort of cross firstcrossed, and then I, I just kept
getting sucked in deeper anddeeper for, to, uh, to a lot of
Canadian that I, you know, andAmericana stuff that I, know,
probably wished I had heardsooner.
So that's, that's, that's aninteresting start out.

(08:16):
So, so you guys start playingthis music, you bring it out,
obviously you're getting, uh,some momentum is building up.
In other words, probably in thetypical band way of, somebody
hears you play, they like whatthey hear, they book you for
some shows, the response goes,well, you keep getting booked
for shows.
And that snowball kind ofbegins, so from my outside
perspective, right?
Like you have your first recordin 2007.

(08:39):
And then 2009, 2011, sort ofthis steady, typical two year
album.
Album.
Album.
Did that feel like, a straightline of a snowball rolling down
a hill, building right from of2005 outta the gate to then

Ryan (08:53):
Yeah.
definitely.
We started, uh, think we playedour first show at Amigos in
2005, and then from

Yeah.
Famous pub.
Yeah.

Ryan (09:04):
Um, then from there, we started playing more shows.
We'd play every, you know, monthor so, and the word got out and
the shows started selling out.
And, uh, then we startedtraveling a little bit, going to

Yeah.

Ryan (09:20):
and Prince Albert's and, and then making our way to, to
Edmonton and Calgary.
And eventually in 2007 we wentout to and that's where we met,
Steve Dawson from Black HenRecords.
uh, he came to the show andloved it and wanted to

Yeah.

Ryan (09:38):
us.
so he, we had our Hang me Oh,hang me record out at that
point.
And, and, uh, he loved it.
And I believe that one was on,yeah, it was on, uh, End.
So after we recorded that, hewanted to release it, and

Okay.
So he picked that up and thenyou recorded the next record

Ryan (09:57):
With

as well.
Right.
So, that's the winter hoursrecord.
So I, I remember distinctly, uh,meeting you guys, I think, and
seeing you.
At the Moose Jaw Breakout West,or it was just called the
Western and Canadian MusicAwards, I think back then in
Moose Jaw.
we didn't even have a record outthen.
I remember begging a guy fromCalgary who was kind of a, right

(10:19):
in the middle of the scene, thisgreat guy named Laurie Matheson.
He had a show booked with youguys.
I begged him to put us on thebill

Ryan (10:27):
Okay.

he did What a sweetheart.
So he came down and played thatshow.
I remember that.
And I remember there was again,the same festival, Western
Kennedy Music Awards inEdmonton.
Maybe it was the next year orthe year after we had an album
out by that point.
And, uh, this is gonna be afunny story for you, and, and I
should preface it to say, I haveno jealousy or whatever about

(10:48):
the Deep Dark Woods or Boundsband.
This might sound like it when Itell you this story.
So we're, it's this, uh, thisvenue called The Artery in
Edmonton, Alberta.
And festival's going on, and youguys were booked and the place
was packed and it was hopping.
of course I did a lot of thebusiness in our band.
So I did the due diligence kindof, I did the cringey stuff like

(11:09):
finding out who the agents andwho all the, gatekeeper people
were that were there for thefestival.
And course we had the verytypical aspirations of South by
Southwest, very early, probablytoo early.
I found out who the guy was.
he was at that show watching youguys.
I remember standing beside himand striking up a conversation

(11:29):
while you guys were playing.
This is so funny to me now.
and for whatever Cavalier offthe cuff reason, I was like,
these guys are amazing, right?
And he is like, yeah, he islike, I was like, you guys
should, you should totally bookthem for South By Man.
He did book you guys for Southby that year and he didn't book
us and was specifically told hewas only picking one band out of

(11:51):
that whole sort of genre andspace of alt country.
So the guys in the band, I don'tknow if they were super happy
that I, not that he booked youon my recommendation, but it was
just, it was just a funny,ironic moment to me.
So, but I was a fan right offthe bat from that point.
And I remember, I can rememberspecifically you guys playing,

(12:13):
hang Me, oh, hang Me, and that,bop to that song, always got
everybody up in the room, whichwas fantastic.
And I think our favorite thingalways about your band was, uh,
your bassist Chris, who thisfantastic sort of up down bop
while he started playing.
He would just get lost in thegroove and, and it was so fun to
watch.
Great guy.
So, yeah, my, so my firstintroduction is that album and

(12:36):
that song.
which was independent.
And then like you said, youconnected with Steve Dawson, who
at that time was Blacken, wasreally quickly evolving.
I think the Canadian musicscene, CBC Radio three is a big
part of it.
a lot of black he songs andSteve seemed like a perfect fit.

Ryan (12:53):
Mm-hmm.

you make the second record, and then you sort
of move into the third record.
the place I left Behind and thenthat move goes to six shooters.
So I'm curious what's happeningin that sort of five year span
of, you're getting a lot ofshows, you're getting offers,
you're being asked to go toSouth by you're in talks with
six shooter.
Did that feel fast?

(13:13):
How was that happening?
Unraveling for

Ryan (13:16):
Yeah,

sort of traditional band like you guys.

Ryan (13:19):
yeah, it, it, it felt very, very fast.
it just seemed like there wasgood news all the time that

Hmm.

Ryan (13:27):
remember I was on some message board from, I think it
was like a Bob Dylan messageboard from year, for years.
At that point, I obsessed with.
Bob Dylan and I posted a videoof my band and somebody that
worked for Hill Records.
really liked it and sent me amessage and we got to talking

(13:49):
and he, I told him we werecoming down to, I think it was
Nashville or some somewhere.
he came and watched us and fromthat point we signed with Sugar
Hill down in, in like the wholeworld.
And then six shooter in Canada.

Yeah.

Ryan (14:05):
and around that time we got with a new manager, an
American manager from Sweetly,uh, he now puts on like Shaking
Knees Festival and all

Hmm.

Ryan (14:17):
of massive festivals.
and because of him, a lot of thestuff happened.
Uh, we were nominated for Awardsand we were

Yeah.

Ryan (14:27):
up in the us, um, playing mostly in the US and then the
odd in Canada.
Um, yeah, so it

So,

Ryan (14:35):
was very quick.
All of it.

so I think, so part of the reason I like to
have these conversations on thispodcast is to authentically pull
veil back a little bit on whatcareers in music look like, uh,
and what's actually happening.
You know, I think everybody hasthat aspiration of we were able
to kick the snowball down thehill and it just kept going.
And like you said, likeeverything we heard was good

(14:59):
news, for a long time, which isa very interesting way to put
it.
I think one of the ways mostyoung bands that I've watched
aren't prepared for thatsnowball to happen, especially
if it feels fast, is you tend tojust all, you know, when you're
young, you just don't have a lotof other skills, such as, like
trying to figure out how themoney flows when all this stuff,

(15:21):
and you're, now you're paying,someone else is on the payroll,
now you have a manager, now youhave an agent.
Now you have different peoplethat are on the payroll, so to
speak.
Uh, and yes, you're getting theopportunities.
I, I'm curious at that time andyour experience, was that, was
that a challenge?
Was that, did that feel messy?
Did you feel like you got luckyand landed with the right people

(15:42):
to help with it?
How did, that side of thebusiness unravel for you?

Ryan (15:46):
Yeah.
we, we got very lucky.
Chris Mason and Lucas Getz, the,the drummer at the time very
good at, at, money Stuff.
Me

at the business side.
Yeah.

Ryan (16:00):
I'm not very good.
I'm not very good at that sortof thing.
I was focused on songs and

Yeah.

Ryan (16:05):
shows and, uh, but we did have an amazing manager who
hooked us up with a, a greatbusiness manager.
We had a, an amazing lawyer.
Uh, all American guys, reallyhelped us

Mm-hmm.

Ryan (16:20):
with, all that, that so much that we didn't really have
to worry at that point.
and like I said, everything was,uh, at that point, the, like
early mid 2010, like the 2000tens.
kind of music was reallypopular.
so we got in just at the perfecttime for people to care.

(16:41):
It doesn't seem like care asmuch about, folk music or folk
rock music as much as they usedto.
but yeah, because of that, thatwas, that, that helped.
And, uh, yeah.
And then having Tim, ourmanager, he pushed things to the
next level.
Definitely.

Yeah.
I mean, do you feel, do you feelthat observation about the
perception of maybe how thepublic cares about or versions
of traditional.
Music.
I mean, there was an interestingblend right then, back then,
right?
Because there's such still, Imean, there still is to wonder
however people think a, a dividebetween, popular or mainstream

(17:17):
and the industry that goes withit versus what we would call
indie because it doesn't havethe corporate machine behind it.
and I felt like indie there was,you know, has always adopted and
overlapped and, blended a lot ofthings, because it's generally
fueled by an audience that ismore accepting, right?
They're just not looking for thecookie cutter mainstream version

(17:38):
of music.
yeah, I feel like they werereally embracing that sort of
either most traditional, likeour, our band was like surging
through the alt country.
I.
Appetite of that time, kind ofon the heels of a lot of those
bands of Ryan Adams andWhiskeytown and, and But,

Ryan (17:54):
Right.

um, but you guys had a whole different range of
things you're overlapping withand I can see why it'd be really
popular in the States since theyhave a deeper depth of
traditional music and how bluesand, and country and bluegrass
and folk all overlap.
And so do you feel like theobservation that it's changed

(18:15):
from, 2009 to, you know, now two20, 2025, is that just an effect
of, the sub-genre not feeling asstrong or promoted or do you
think any other shift hashappened?

Ryan (18:29):
Um, I, I think musical tastes are constantly changing.
right now it's not, it's not acool thing for, younger people.
I mean, there's, there's a,there is like a little bit of a
kind of folky sort of thinggoing on, but it's like, you
know, don't know how, how toproperly explain the type.

(18:50):
Like there's like Jessica Prattand that

Yeah.

Ryan (18:54):
Um.
White fence, like more of thepsychedelic kind of folk rock
stuff.

Hmm.

Ryan (18:59):
and that's kind of what I'm sort of doing right now in a
certain way.
uh, but it's definitely a lotmore traditional than that,
music.
so I

The folk music festival circuits still seem
pretty strong.
Uh, do you feel like you see aprobably much wider range and
lens of that than I do?
Does that feel like that thatarea has stayed pretty healthy?

Ryan (19:22):
I mean, it's definitely healthy, but even the folk
festivals have changed, likethe, the musical styles have
changed at those.
It's hard to

Yeah.

Ryan (19:31):
a folk artist at the folk festivals now.

Yeah.
There's, it's funny, like I'mhere in Edmonton and our folk
festival, which has sort ofmaintained it's size and health
and, but it's maintained itstradition to of a lot of people
around here, right?
Who they continue to booktraditional.
Artists, folk artists as theheart and soul and the bulk, and

(19:54):
even, even mostly in theheadlining sphere, you know,
compared to like our neighborsdown the road in Calgary who,
you know, are sort of, I think amore example of the more modern
folk fest right now who tend tostep further outside of, uh,
those more traditional circleswith their, so I, but I hear, I,
I hear all the time about, uh,you know, one crowd would love

(20:15):
it if would a little lesstraditional and other people are
like wanting to fiercely protectthat, that tradition and that
history.
So,

Ryan (20:22):
Yeah.

um,

Ryan (20:24):
uh, I think it's important to, change, you gotta know your
roots.
uh, may maintain that a littlebit, but I mean, obviously you
gotta go with what people aregonna buy.

Yeah,

Ryan (20:36):
if,

well,

Ryan (20:38):
booking, you know, people like rambling Jack, that's not
gonna, bring in young kids.
It'd bring

yeah.

Ryan (20:44):
but, you know.

Yeah.
I mean, it was funny like herethey were booking like old crow
medicine show like, that feltlike its own sub genre of the
thing kind of thing that theydo.
And, I don't know.
I had the wrong perception.
They ended up on the main stagein the afternoon and had the
entire hill here in Edmontonjust bopping, and

Ryan (21:04):
Mm-hmm.

I was wrong.
I'm like, look at these guysstill have such an incredible
reach and impact, so that'spretty cool.

Ryan (21:10):
Yeah.

when I spend a little time googling you, Ryan,
I end up, I saw the same.
Term a few times from earlyearly press.
calling you an old soul, which Ithink is kind of, in one hand
someone could probably easilysay that just based on your
music without actually meetingyou, which may be is a typical
unfair thing that a person inthe press might do.

(21:32):
make a bunch of assumptionsabout who you are just because
of the way you express yourselfthrough your songwriting and
your music.
But I, I'm curious how you feel,especially in what you were just
talking about.
'cause you said you just kind ofthrew in the phrase what the
kids want or are listening.
So, you know, 2005, you'resitting at a 20 year lifespan

(21:52):
under the moniker of Deep darkWoods.
Now, when you were young, like Iused the expression, young kids
wearing old clothes, like whenyou play traditional music is.
Maybe a bit of a, not aspectacle, but it's a thing to
sort of turn heads a little bit.
Like that's a little bitdifferent.
Everyone needs a differentiator,but when you're not an old soul
anymore,'cause now you're anolder guy,

Ryan (22:15):
Yes.

uh, uh what does that, does that feel like for
you personally?

Ryan (22:21):
Um, it, well, it kind of just so fast, I'm sure, you
know, you have children

Yeah.

Ryan (22:30):
fast it goes.
like I, I still feel like I am,like it's 2012.
it's, it's so So I haven'treally thought about anything.
I just go about, I.
Writing and, and playing, and Idon't really look back at
anything.

hmm.

Ryan (22:50):
Um, I find if I look back, you know, some things might be a
little sad or something.
or, or, yeah, I just, I don'treally think about anything like
that.

I think that sounds healthy.

Ryan (23:03):
yeah,

very healthy approach.

Ryan (23:05):
I

Absolutely.

Ryan (23:06):
move forward with the way I write songs and,

Yeah.
Well, I think that's, thinkthat's a great, like I said, I
think that's fantastic.
I think this, this way and Idon't know how you've felt about
how people try to hang, youknow, genres and stuff like that
on bands or on you personally,uh, and your background, like
using terms, everything fromlike murder ballad or, or any of

(23:33):
that sort of.
Stuff like I, I think what I'vealways found interesting is how
effortless it seemed for you tojust sort of live, like, it's
like you'd never felt likeyou've had to mess with the
formula

Ryan (23:44):
Yeah,

the way along.
And I don't know if that liketrue you, for you or whether
you've felt like you've ever hadto wrestle with originality, are
there, if that's another thingthat you just never thought
about.

Ryan (23:55):
no, I never thought about it.
I, I listen to music constantly.
That's all I do

Hmm.

Ryan (24:02):
music is always on.
I'm always trying to find stuffthat will make me feel
something, you know?

Hmm.

Ryan (24:10):
I'm all, every day I listen to music, every waking
moment, there's always a recordon in the house.
I'm obsessed with trying to findstuff that will give me some
sort of spark to, to help mewrite, my own songs.
Uh,

Yeah.

Ryan (24:28):
so I like getting back to what you said about people, you
know, kind of putting a labelon, on you.
I find, I do find it kind ofunfortunate, cause I, I think a
lot of people are influenced bywhat the press will say,

Yeah.

Ryan (24:45):
what, what kind of music you are.
And I think that's kind of maybehad a, an effect on not getting
to certain types of musicalfans.
because you know, I, yes, there,the music that, that I play now
is, has elements of, of myyounger days.
but I've grown so much andlearnt, different techniques of

(25:11):
writing and, and lyricism Ididn't have when I was years
old.
and I, I think when, uh,somebody was writing about you,
it, it can have an effect on, onwho listens.

Yeah.
'cause they're struggling sohard to create some box of.
to a crowd, but then by,unintended or intended
consequences, they've now putyou in a box that you didn't
necessarily choose to be in.
And you feel like, you wouldlove to have a wider potential

(25:46):
reach than, than the, than thepeople who are carrying that
translation across for you everytime.
I mean, I, I know when Ilistened to your music, were
talking about, you know, youhave elements from before, like
distinctly to me, like the firstthree records have, you know, a
very similar feel and

Ryan (26:06):
Mm-hmm.

the whole shape of it, I guess is what I would
say.
But then you have a song, up onthe mountain.
I, I always say it wrong, so Iwanted to say it right, but on
the Euro, Euro record, right,which is I think your fourth
full length record and.
And that's where I see a shiftstart.
I'm curious if that is where youfelt a shift start.
Like that song to me feels likeit's poached from a Lost Neil

(26:27):
Young catalog so distinctly, andit feels like you sort of having
an identity stepping even outfurther from the sound of the
band on the first three.
Was that, does that line up withwhat was happening for you
personally and for the, for theband?

Ryan (26:43):
Yeah, definitely.
I, uh, that record that wasafter, it was basically a new
band, um, on the Euro record.
Jeff.
Jeff came in after winter hours.
we met him

by the way.
I like the last show we everplayed with you was at the Iron,
Ironwood in Calgary.

Ryan (27:04):
right.

Jeff had, that's the first we had seen Jeff play
with you and it felt like youhad gotten a ringer.
You know what I mean?
Like you just got Gretzky andMessi on the same team and it
wasn't, wasn't fair to the restof us or something.
But I also remember that showbecause I think he was really
good at haggling.
'cause the promoter was like,maybe not dipping you on some
money or something.

(27:24):
And I was like, and I was like,Hey, that guy's a rock star.
He knows how to also hagglewith, uh, and it's not the
promoter, it's whoever he hasdoing the showrunner the, and
the sad part of it is that theowner of the Ironwood, who's an
absolute gem, uh, of a guy, buthe usually had had too much to
drink by the end of the night tostep in and help out.

(27:45):
But he was a beautiful man.
So, yeah.
So that was, but he's a ringer.
So I cut you off there.
Sorry.
But, um, a, he's a great talentand he's still, he's still with
you now.
He.

Ryan (27:55):
still, still, been an up and down, adventure for the last
20 years.
Um, with, with,

he located?
Is it a geography thing too?

Ryan (28:05):
he's in Banff.
yeah, I think we put a place outbehind, and then we did Jubilee
with, Jonathan Wilson,producing.
And then at that point we'd beentouring for just constantly
touring.
We had no breaks at all, and we

Mm-hmm.

Ryan (28:22):
kind of going crazy, and the band was just dying because
of.
Of the,

Yeah.

Ryan (28:29):
and were playing 150 shows a year or something.
It was crazy.
Um,

what contributed to the changeover?

Ryan (28:38):
yeah,

there's a couple things that happen.
There's that, there's thepressure of what the next level
is.
Sometimes you find that, youknow, some guy has to figure out
that his aspirations when he was22 aren't the same when he is 27
or 29.

Ryan (28:51):
yeah, We'd, we'd added Clayton Linthicum from Casey and
Clayton on electric guitar for,uh, the Jubilee album.
Burke had quit, shortly beforethat.
and then the touring, theconstant touring in 20, I 20 13,
20 14.
During that record, just woreeverybody out.

(29:13):
Um, Lucas, the drummer, just hadenough and, and quit.
uh, I just wanted to keep going.
I couldn't, I couldn't stop.
I mean, I dedicated whatever, 10years of my life at that point
to, playing.
I never went to school, uh,college or anything.

(29:34):
I knew right from I was 16 thatI wanted to play in a rock and
roll band.
uh, so I didn't wanna stop.
and, uh, we, but we ended up onhiatus for, two years.
But during that point, Irecorded the Arrow album, with,
uh.
What is my new band now?
Well,

Yeah,

Ryan (29:55):
it anyway, and, uh, and then I just kept going.
And, yeah, 2017 that that wasput out

yeah,

Ryan (30:03):
it's just kind of been in an evolving band.
Uh, Jeff and I and MikeSilverman, I know probably you
probably know Mike

yeah.
Yeah.

Ryan (30:13):
has been, that's been the band, the core band for, yeah,
almost 10 years now.
Almost as long band,

So from that point, that's when we start
seeing like only you on therecord covers of your singles
and, and different things.
So is that, is that in partbecause not just'cause you're
the original member or you justare like, I think maybe people
don't always understand howthese distinctions get made on
the business side, right?

(30:40):
Like, you can have a bandagreement with your original
guys, your actual contract, andif they leave then, you know, or
people might be surprisedsometimes that they think a band
is a band, but actually only twomembers are, you know, the
signed legal right holders ofthe quote unquote business
entity that is a band.
So, That transition, we startonly seeing you on the covers

(31:04):
of, of things and in interviewsand stuff.
So how has that transition, Iguess, been, is it really just
been on your shoulders and thenyou pull those guys together
when it's time to record or?

Ryan (31:16):
I mean, I, I front all the money, I do all of that, so
it's.
You know, it's my band, but, Iconsider Jeff and Mike parts of,
of this band.
Um,

Yeah.

Ryan (31:30):
every now and again, I'll have to play a show without
Jeff, uh, or Mike, and it feelsweird,

Hmm.
Well, I mean, Jeff is thelongest

Ryan (31:40):
yeah.
Yeah,

you've played with now, so I.

Ryan (31:42):
he is been in it since 2000 and, probably late, late
2008 I think, or 2009, early2009.
it's been a long time with him.

Yeah.

Ryan (31:54):
I mean, also the geography of things.
Uh, being out in Ontario andJeff and Mike being in Alberta.
Makes for a difficult, uh, wecan't all get together and take
photos.
So what, like we need, need thephoto right

See

Ryan (32:13):
we have to just do

that's, uh, I love that you said that
actually, because it's so funnyto me that, you could make a
whole bunch of assumptions justoff of like, it's just you in
the photo now, which means it'sreally anyhow, but it's really
just a geographical that youhave.
I think that's great.

Ryan (32:32):
I've been trying to get pictures with, with the three of
us and it's really almostimpossible.
if we had, if I had more money,I'd fly them out to do it.
But

It's like you need to buy this big backdrop
and then take your picture, mailit to the next guy and he takes,
and then get a, a graphic artistto stitch you together as if
you're all on the same backdropor something.
So I, I really wanted,

Ryan (32:56):
we, are,

go ahead.

Ryan (32:58):
on tour, in two weeks, so I'm hoping that we can snap a
few pictures for that time.

No note.
Got a multitask.
Get all the things in whenyou're together.

Ryan (33:09):
yeah.

I did wanna ask you,'cause we were talking about
the Euro album, the inspirationfor the title and where it came
from.

Ryan (33:16):
as you know, I love, uh, old folk lore and folk songs and
there's always, you know, theyalways sing about the euro in,
folk songs and traditionalsongs.
And day I was in Victoria and Isaw the, uh, a building downtown
that said Yarro on it, and I waslike, oh, let's go ahead and use

(33:36):
that.

That's great.

Ryan (33:38):
Yeah.

I was curious because, uh, I spent a year of
my life in a town called Yarro,BC between Chillowak and
Abbotsford, closer to Chillowak,just like a, a little off the
highway, when you're on thehighway between Chillowak and
Abbotsford in the lower mainlandof bc And I was like, I had
never heard that name surface

Ryan (33:59):
Okay.

much before.

Ryan (34:01):
It's a beautiful word.
I, I, I love pretty soundingwords like that.
I'm always looking for when I'mwriting that's, I'm looking for
pretty sounding words, you know,to add into my songs.

so about this stage, like you said you had
moved out to Ontario to be withyour now wife.
You've been going super hardbecause of all the opportunities
for the band, enough so thatit's burning out some people,
but just kinda driving youforward.
you're in your thirties by thispoint,

Ryan (34:32):
Mm-hmm.

And so, you know the personal side of your life,
right, of trying to keep thiscareer together, which I'm sure
feels like it's on a shoestringso often at the time.

Ryan (34:43):
Yeah.

but like you said, I just gotta keep moving.
I just gotta keep moving'causeyou don't wanna stop or you
fear.
Everything stops, right?
But one of the biggestcomplicating factors to that I
think for a lot of people islike their personal life.
Like, do I fall in love?
Can I fall in love?
What if I meet a person who'snot into this life or
geographically somewhere else?

(35:04):
So how did that happen for youmeeting somebody and was that
somebody you had already knownand been or being with for a
long time?
Or how did that

Ryan (35:13):
I

happen?

Ryan (35:14):
I knew her'cause she was a musician as well, Jenny Kel.
and so she played and that wewere part of and, we got to know
each other.
And, uh, she just understandsthe world of touring.
And,

Yeah.

Ryan (35:29):
um, I think it, it, I've been in other relationships
while I was in the band earlierand we were on tour constantly.
Uh, and it just, it's hard tomake it work.

Yeah, it's a hard life.

Ryan (35:42):
But if, uh, I mean, she, she knows what touring is she's
all for it.

Yeah.
So you, you've made the moveout.

Ryan (35:50):
you know, it

It's very

Ryan (35:52):
uh, especially having child is, hard

I was gonna ask that question.
I mean, it's hard even when theyunderstand that it's hard,
right?
That doesn't take away from howhard it can be.
And then you've had childrentogether.
I was gonna ask about that.
I, I've told this story on mypodcast already'cause I had
Grant Lawrence on early and oneof the earliest funny things to
me in my conversation withGrant,'cause I joined the band

(36:17):
when I was 35 years old.
And, always felt like thingsmight have been different if we
had just started five yearsearlier, but I was 35 and I had
a kid already, and the secondwas on its way.
and Grant always at that time,this is like, you know, 2007 era
and he was always extremelycurious about why I was doing
that or if I thought how that hejust, it seemed unheard of for

(36:42):
him to start this trajectory solate.
And so I've, I've lived throughthe challenges of what that
looks like.
So I'm, I'm curious, like, soyou had kids, you went through a
phase here of like a move andthat relationship and keeping
things going and having kids,and that probably slammed right
into the pandemic, like one likeconstant

Ryan (37:03):
well, my

I.

Ryan (37:04):
my, my kid's only two, so I had

I thought you had it.
I thought, sorry, I thought youhad it sooner before

Ryan (37:10):
no, it,

Okay.

Ryan (37:12):
we had the kid when we were in, uh.
Uh, Nova Scotia and,

Okay.

Ryan (37:18):
and I was 40 at that point, so,

Yeah.
That's a hell of a choice, man.

Ryan (37:23):
I know,

Where,

Ryan (37:24):
I'm,

do you have the energy to run a music career in
a, in a 2-year-old,

Ryan (37:29):
It's

in your forties?

Ryan (37:30):
It is completely insanity.

said just the other day.
Yeah,

Ryan (37:34):
Well, now I understand why people had kid have kids at like
22

when they're young.
A

Ryan (37:39):
Yeah,

I could never imagine it now.

Ryan (37:43):
it's insane.
I'm so tired all the time,constantly.

Yeah, I believe it.
I mean, so Scotia.
It's funny.
So you, in a sense, you sort ofprefaced it first in the way of
like, we went there to ride outthe pandemic probably with a
support system of people Right.
And,

Ryan (38:01):
Mm-hmm.

and whatnot.
So, so there were a couplethings I was gonna also wanna
ask you about really quick whilewe kind of move through your,
through your timeline.
I mean, one of them is, I.
Sort of the, you, you, well youtouched on already a bit, Ryan,
about having, got lucky indifferent people that came in
and the relationships you'vehad.
I'm wondering about yourexperiences some, and we touched

(38:24):
on this too a little bit withthe band, but challenging ones,
um, I'm curious like was onelike, like Steve Dawson is a gem
and what he was doing at thetime, like I said, felt like
very significant in theCanadiana music scene.
he was finding and embracing andgiving a platform'cause he was
doing more than just producing.
He put you on the label, hewould do tons of promotion, they

(38:47):
would have, they always seemedto have a showcase at all of the
festivals and the Canadian MusicWeeks and North by Northeast and
things.
So, that quick turnaround tothen meeting the guys from Sugar
Hill and, and six shooter whocan obviously give you.
A much bigger stage in access.
is that an easy thing tonavigate Steve?

(39:07):
Is he really endorsing andsupporting it, or is it
challenging when a guy kind ofinvests in you, but then you
have new opportunities show up

Ryan (39:15):
yeah, I mean, he, he was always super supportive and
still is.
I talk to him every now andagain.
there was no hard feelings atall.
He knew that we were, going upand needed, needed something
more that

Yeah.

Ryan (39:30):
And sugar Hill was, was great.
We put out two records withthem.
but I think the second one weput out with them was a little
too weird for them.
And then they dropped us.

Oh no.
Which one?
Which one was that?

Ryan (39:44):
it was Jubilee.

Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.

Ryan (39:46):
And, and to be, to be honest, uh, like the Jubilee
record, I think there's somereally good stuff on there, but
it is way too long.
um, Jonathan Wilson's an amazingproducer.
one thing I could say is that Iwish he would've just like
reined it in a little and toldus to shorten the songs, I
guess.
But I mean, we were, at thatpoint, we were doing a lot of

(40:08):
Grateful Dead sort of, we wereplaying with the guys from the
Grateful Dead and all that sortof

Wow.

Ryan (40:14):
uh, it was, you

That's funny.

Ryan (40:16):
were, we were trying to put it on the record, but I just
don't think it works now.
Now.
And, and the thing is, there wasfive of us.
of us in there trying to geteverything, all everybody say,
all mashed together with,

Yeah.

Ryan (40:32):
producer.
And it just doesn't work.
You need one or two people, uh,to do it.
You can't, you can't have thatmany people.

smaller committee for sure.

Ryan (40:42):
Yeah.

the parallel I understand is actually guy from
the same backyard.
So I worked with, uh, AndySchoff his very early days.
I had heard him on, um, ohshoot.
Why did the name, what was thewebsite?
Everybody got on with theirmusic in like

Ryan (40:57):
MySpace.

MySpace.
Yeah.
I don't know the name.
Just now I'm showing my age.
Um, so I found Andy on that, onMySpace.
And then, I had formed an indielabel and actually had put out
his first, darker days record onit.
And of course, he was on thissnowball trajectory that was
taking off and starting to getnoticed.
And then he had anopportunities.

(41:18):
with the label in the Statesthat was connected to Hopeless,
uh, a punk label.
So all that re so I helpednavigate that too for him.
And, and same thing was for himin a transition of, you know, he
needed those biggeropportunities'cause it was just
happening so fast and I wasn'tever gonna be able to keep up.
But, uh, he was also in the samespace at the time, which is

(41:38):
interesting, which is like, he,he was at that moment, I
remember we were negotiatingthat deal, wanted to put out
like a double, double record.
He was writing prolifically.
He had so many songs, he wantedto just put them all out.
And, people like me were sayingyour songs aren't equal.
There's a reason people choosesome of them.
But

Ryan (41:57):
Yeah.

yeah, it's, it's hard when you have a lot of
different voices telling youdifferent things and things are
happening fast.
Right.

Ryan (42:04):
Yeah.
And when you're 25 years old,you know, it's, it's different
than, know, a 25-year-old in the1960s, you know, your thirties
is equivalent to being in yourtwenties.

Yeah, I get you.

Ryan (42:17):
so I, I'm, I've a much better producer now.
I, I know what I want.
I'm not afraid to, to say it.
you know, now I, I take, I, Iwant the record to be a half an
hour to, to 40 minutes tops.
I think that's what most peoplewant to listen to.
They get tired of 75 minuterecords,

Yeah.

Ryan (42:39):
like the, the early two thousands and the nineties when
the CD came in.
and people just put out thesemassively long albums.
They would,

Just'cause they could just'cause the format
afforded it.
Yeah.

Ryan (42:51):
You could make it 80 minutes if you wanted.
And it just,

well, and now we, now we don't really have a
format trying to dictate it forus anymore.
And now you see people justpushing singles all the time
and, and the long, the long formis, yeah.
Um, well that kind of pushes usup talking about what you're
doing right now and writingright now and this new single
Ruby that you have out.
Which, I guess the first thingI'd ask is this, uh, cause I

(43:17):
didn't see it in your pressors,is, is Ruby part of a record?
is this the tease to, uh, thenew record kind of idea?
Okay.

Ryan (43:25):
uh, we went out to BC in, uh, July, I believe, and made a
record out there.
Uh, it was me, Jeff, Mike andEvan Cheadle, who, who's played
on the last couple records,Evan's.
One, one of the greatest guitarplayers I I've ever met.

Hmm.

Ryan (43:44):
guitar players that, I feel can play what I want.
And that's Evan and Clayton.

That's, uh,

Ryan (43:51):
yeah,

important characteristic.

Ryan (43:53):
it is, it is.
And if, if I can't have thoseguys, then I just, I don't have
a, a guitar player.
I just do it by myself.
I don't know who else can playlike that.
He's got, they

Yeah.

Ryan (44:05):
a tone that's, uh, that's like a mixture of Robbie
Robertson and, and, uh, RichardThompson.
British, very British sounding,but also that nice Canadian
American.

Yeah.
Tone is everything Almostbefore.

Ryan (44:20):
yeah.
it

Before chops, right?

Ryan (44:23):
And, and when I first got Evan into the band, which was
2017, he'd never played, aelectric guitar in the band.
But I'd,

Wow.

Ryan (44:32):
I'd, heard him playing at a, a tiny little club in
Victoria.
And I, I knew he was amazing.
I could just, I could see it,

Yeah.
this song, Ruby, which I thinkby the way, is so good, man.
Like, there's, uh, there'ssomething about this song, the
first half a line when you comeout.
there's this like pillowy soft,lilting, higher end of your
register.
Which is a particular tone, Ithink for a baritone singer.
Right.
And maybe the reason it grabbedme is like, I've like been, I've

(45:05):
followed a couple people inCanada really close that I feel
you are in the same pocket within your voice.
Like Dan Mangan and, and Haydenwho both started with, they
start in a different way.
They started with really leaninginto a heavy baritone version,
uh, of their music you know,acoustic based music still, um,

(45:26):
versus the traditional side.
And they've had to change thatover the years.
I, I think probably mostly'causeit wasn't sustainable, what they
were doing to their voice.
and they've leaned into thissort of higher part.
But I feel like it has a verydistinct tone when it comes from
a baritone voice.
And then I, if I hadn't knownany better that first half a
line, I could have either ofthose.

(45:48):
Guys, it seems like such aperfect delivery.
Is this a, I guess I'm alwayscurious right off the bat, is
this a conscious choice?
Are you trying to sing a bit ofa different delivery?
Are you exploring a differentspace vocally for yourself?
Does it have, does that haveanything to do with age and
experience and time on the roadand what that does for your

(46:08):
voice?

Ryan (46:09):
def definitely a, a lot of different things.
Um.
Uh, when I was on the roadconstantly before Covid, voice
was, you know, you're using itall the time, constantly
touring.
Um, and so my voice got wasquite low and it was hard to hit
the higher notes'cause it was, Ithink, worn out.

(46:31):
Uh, I never do any sort ofwarmups.
I probably should, but, thinkthe older I'm getting, for some
reason, my voice is becoming,uh, higher.
But, uh, yeah, I, and, and I, itfeels really good.
I, I, I remember when I firststarted, I would sing in a high
hierarchy and then I, agirlfriend of mine told me I was

(46:54):
singing too high and then itkind I.
It made me think, this was whenI was young and it made me
think, okay, I'm singing toohigh.
And, and then I started singinglower and uh, it was just in the
last couple years where I'mlike, man, it feels really good
to sing very high like this.
So,

funny what the influence others will say is
like, I remember hearing Bon ofAir had his bands for years and
he sang at a lower regular andthen he showed up singing some
classic song in that falsettoand all of his buddies were
like.
should keep singing like thatand now he trademarked it
essentially.
Right.
That

Ryan (47:32):
right.

tone.
But, tell me a bit about thesong.
I guess the first thing I haveto say, and I started saying
this before I just was specificabout your, your vocal tone was
it definitely does feel to melike the most realized like
mature version of Ryan Boldtthat I've heard.
Like if anything feels like thisis exactly a guy in his skin, it

(47:54):
feels like that for sure.
But I read your specific, justquick little presser about the
subject matter, what you weregoing through when you wrote
this song, balancing loss ofsomeone that you loved that was
close to you, who had died withexpectation of a child coming,
which is most incredible, youknow, unrelatable to anything

(48:14):
else.
Experience of excitement.
You know, let me put it thisway, um.
I find one of the mostinteresting human
characteristics is cognitivedissonance about keeping two
seemingly opposing ideas, andyet we can carry them with us,
right?
Like, and in, in this instance,like, how do we laugh?
Or is it, how do we feel aboutmaking a joke when we're

(48:36):
surrounded by a world that seemslike it's falling apart?
Or, you know, this tragedy hashappened and extreme joy has
happened and most people don'tprocess it, I guess is where I'm
getting to, but songwritersprocess it.
And it seems like you tried toprocess it in this song.
I'm just really curious whatthat experience was like for you
trying to bring that out ofyourself and put it into a song

(48:59):
like that.

Ryan (49:00):
well, I think when I write songs I just, I don't ever write
songs when I don't feel likeI'm, like, when I don't have
that feeling inside of me.
and I think that, that happeningwith Kiko dying, he was my tour
manager over in the UK for 10years.
we were very good friends.

(49:21):
you know, I'd go visit him.
I.
when we were, when I wasn't onthe road, and, uh, he was, he
was coming to visit my when shewas born.
Um, him and his dad were gonna,they, they had the trip planned.
It was gonna be his dad's, hedad's old now.
Uh, it was gonna be his dad'slast trip abroad.
And so they planned all this outand then just died in his sleep.

(49:44):
he had a hernia

Wow.

Ryan (49:46):
he got on operation and, didn't wake up the next day.
And, I was out at a cabin withmy wife.
It was like one month before ourdaughter was born.
And so, yeah, it was quite,quite a thing to, to go through.

Yeah.

Ryan (50:02):
really get to process the death when you're, really took
me quite some time to, I mean,not to, to actually process his
death.
Uh, it was, you know, finally aafter a year, that's kinda when
I was able to settle down fromhaving a child and, and really
understand what had happenedthat I'd never

Yeah.

Ryan (50:23):
And, you know, I had all my gear, we had gear together
his house.
And,

Yeah.

Ryan (50:28):
so, yeah, it was a crazy, crazy time.
And, I went on tour and hewasn't there.
he was always there with me ontour, uh, whether it was solo or
with the band.
He was the driver.
and then I.
I went on a solo tour and I hadto go to his house and pick up
my stuff, and I, it was crazy,you know, just

Yeah.

Ryan (50:49):
seeing his shoes sitting there, and his com, his laptop
that he'd

Hmm.

Ryan (50:53):
always

Hmm.

Ryan (50:54):
the road.
so I mean that really, but Iwrote it between the, two things
happening.
So, I didn't actually processwhat, uh, had happened till a
year later, but I think thewriting of the song maybe helped
a little bit with that.
But, I don't really think aboutwriting.
It's, it's just a thing thathappens.

(51:14):
I'll sit down with if I, if Ihave this, kind of, I don't
know.
It's a weird feeling, I guesssome songwriters have where you
just.
you

sure.
You have to get it out.

Ryan (51:24):
it.
Yeah.
You can feel there's somethingbubbling a little bit you have
to down and you, you have to doit quickly or else that, that
feeling can leave quickly as itcame.

And it's such a scary feeling to feel like it
might be gone, so you have tocatch it.

Ryan (51:44):
Yeah, I know, I

it definitely felt, it definitely felt like,
'cause a lot of your songs, theyfeel very attached to because
you've done these, these balladvolumes and some of a lot of
public domain songs that feelvery in the pocket with a good
part of your catalog with thedeep, dark woods, uh, where
you're doing very traditionalfolk storytelling, I feel, which
becomes a little more distinctwhen the more personal version

(52:09):
of you comes into a song.
And this feels, ruby feels verypersonal compared to a lot of
your catalog.
Is that an accurate,

Ryan (52:16):
Yeah,

interpretation of it?
Yeah.

Ryan (52:19):
I think, my earlier songs, a lot of'em were story story
songs,

Yep.

Ryan (52:25):
of telling a story of somebody else.
around the last record changingFaces,

Yeah.
Is that what we can expect onthe rest of the, the rest of the
record?
Is it Definitely follow withthis one?

Ryan (52:38):
I, think so.
Yeah.
It's a, it's a mixture ofthings.
It's,

Yeah.

Ryan (52:43):
yeah.
Um,

So I don't have a date.
Do you have a date?
When is the full album comingout and being released?

Ryan (52:50):
in the fall or I don't, I'm not sure the Yeah.

And you have, like you said, you're heading
out in the road in a couple ofweeks only and you got like a
series of shows I saw and thenyou are hopping the pond and
you're doing some UK showsattached to some festivals that
are kind of happen around thistime normally.

Ryan (53:09):
Yeah.

Yeah,

Ryan (53:11):
I went last year to the uk and yeah, I, I just, I love
playing over there.
The crowds are, there's just afolk music scene

yeah,

Ryan (53:20):
more,

sure.

Ryan (53:22):
is here, so it's really nice.

well, Ryan, uh, most of all, I just want you to
know.
I think it's like 20 years andyou're still going, despite
being exhausted with a2-year-old in your forties.
Um, of that is amazing.
Uh, I have so much respect forthe people who have kept it
going and able to hear from youpersonally, how, you know, you

(53:46):
just expressed it, you couldn'thelp it.
I think that I just have thisdrive to keep going.
You've always had this drive,this is what you knew from 16.
yeah, like we all know howchallenging it is to feel, like
how easy the ball can stoprolling

Ryan (54:00):
Yeah.

in this business, but that you keep, keep pushing
it and kicking it along I thinkis fantastic.

Ryan (54:07):
Yeah.
I, I

from.

Ryan (54:08):
I, I'm a little too old to stop now.
I, I, I did 20 years of thisand, uh, I got nothing else to
do, so I don't

yeah, well you don't have to ask that question,
but is like, you do it verywell.
I think, uh, I'm excited aboutthe new record because like I
said, I'm extremely charmed byyour new song, Ruby.
I love it.
I'm really glad to hear it Iwish you all the best with it
and I appreciate your time me.
I did forget I was gonna ask youa question at the start, and I
forget I have to ask it beforeI, before I say bye.

(54:41):
But your last name is Boldt.
You're from Saskatoon.
I knew a whole bunch of Boldtsthat were attached to the big
mega church back then.
Did you have any relation to allthe other Boldts in Saskatoon?

Ryan (54:52):
there's, uh, Which church?
Which church?

Curtis Boldt at the big Alliance Church.

Ryan (54:59):
Curtis.
Boldt's.
My cousin.
Yes.

Okay.
He's married to Kim

Ryan (55:03):
Yeah,

and when I was at teenager I went to church and
did Bible quizzing.

Ryan (55:08):
Uhhuh.

and they were the cool kids in the provincial
things we'd go to.
So I would always hang out withthem.
and they're now here inEdmonton, actually.
She has her own dental officeand stuff.
Um, had to ask because it's asmall world and Boldt seems like
such a Saskatoon name in myhistory, so

Ryan (55:27):
a me, it's a Mennonite name.
We're,

is.

Ryan (55:30):
yeah.

Yeah.
Yep.
Oh, that's awesome.
I love connections like that.
Well, I, I really appreciatethis.
Like I said, Ryan, you're takingthe time to just talk about your
history and your story and thethings that you've experienced
and learned, think benefiteverybody.
And, I really wish you the bestwith the new album and the tour,
and especially with the family.

Ryan (55:50):
Thank you so much.
Appreciate

Yeah, you bet.
Okay.
Thanks a lot, Ryan.
Appreciate man.
Okay, you take care.

Ryan (55:56):
Yep.
See ya.

Bye-Bye.
Was that B roll gold?
Did I miss some B roll Gold bynot be recording yet.

alexi (56:08):
no.
I'm actually very thankful thatyou did not hit record.

Okay.
And not to share that screengrab that we laughed about ever.
Okay.

alexi (56:16):
Nope.

Um, So, let's have a quick chat'cause I know
uh, this isn't a normal time forus to record and this, is in the
middle of exam season thatyou're trying to get through and
under the crunch and you havework shifts and all of these
things.
So we're adjusting, calling itaudible, going on the fly here,
but.
Wanted to get the conversationin around episode 13, uh, with

(56:39):
Ryan Boldt of the deep darkwoods.
who, well, I guess I was tellingyou already this morning, my
funniest, just the, the exchangeat the very end of the
conversation where I rememberedto ask him about whether he's
related.
To other people that I knew withthe Boldt last name and just
that actually really weirdconnection.
anyhow, but that kind of stuff'salways funny about how

alexi (56:58):
Small world.

Yeah.
Small world stuff, right?
So that's kind of fun.
so we had wanted to talk and Iwanted to ask you a question
specific to, A couple of thingsthat came up in the podcast.
So, and I had a conversationalready sort of related with,
uh, somebody else about this.
cause it stays top of mind eversince I had this conversation
with Ryan, which was, there wastwo parts to it.

(57:20):
I mean, there's the firstversion of people's opinion and
the effect it has on you and theeffect it has on other people.
So he had brought up, you know,I had asked him about being.
sort of boxed into certaingenres because in the concept of
quote unquote, playing verytraditional music, and people
use that term, and I think theyused that term because they
didn't know which direction togo.

(57:40):
Was it, was it folk?
Was it new folk or old folk?
Or it had a little country, or alittle blues or a little
bluegrass, or a little Celticeven, or whatever it had at
times, all the veins, peoplewouldn't know what to do with
it.
But then he was experiencing.
You know, if a radio DJ orsomebody would kind of, whatever

(58:01):
they chose, whatever word theychose to use to share about the
music and how they understoodhis music, it creates a, it
created a box and now he's inthat box.
And I guess what he expressedwas I, he experienced, you know,
was I getting limited in myaudience?
Because of somebody's words.
And then I just kind of thoughtbigger about that of like, you

(58:23):
know how sharing your opinion onsomething is like a portal that
you're passing information toeveryone else in your world too,
but you're potentially doing itthrough a very small box or door
or a very wide one for people.
So that was kind of the one halfof that.
Oops, I smacked.
there was one half of that and.
Yeah.
The other half was, just kind oftalking about his voice at the

(58:45):
end, where he was talking aboutI, because I asked him'cause of
the way it sounded on his newsingle and relatives to some
other singers who have kind ofhad to change their voice as
they get a little bit older.
And he made a comment about howwhen he was young, he had a, a,
a, a previous girlfriend who,told him not to sing like that.
Not to sing hi.
Right.
And so.
he didn't, right, and then hekind of leaned into that deeper

(59:08):
baritone of his, and now he'skind of finding he really likes
it.
but I, I just found it sointeresting how that one
opinion, especially when you'reyounger, can shape you.
And again, this whole idea of.
one, someone speaking one thinginto your life can like put you
through a door, a brand new doorthat you wouldn't have gone
through unless they saidsomething from, and it's just

(59:29):
their observation orperspective.

alexi (59:32):
Sure.

And I was just kind of wondering,'cause I know
being farther down the line inyears, I've got examples and
stories, but you're kind ofearly in this.
So all my stories are about.
Happening things that happenedwhen I was literally the age you
are.
So I'm wondering if you'veexperienced things already, you
think in your, like in your lifeof you know, somebody and it

(59:54):
might've just been a randomcomment or a thing that they
just said and then you were likeit.
Yeah.
Does that make sense?

alexi (01:00:00):
Yeah, I think, think, yeah, I think there's more like
small, repetitive comments.
I.
like, I couldn't recall, youknow, like time and place, like,
you know, things are like justsaid enough to you, like, or
casually just dropped that likeyou start to kind of believe
them and there are like bigcomments.
I think I'm also like verysensitive, so, and like that's

(01:00:22):
something I own for sure.

Glen Erickson (01:00:23):
Yeah, it's good to own that.
I think.

alexi (01:00:25):
but like, I think one of like the possible kinda like
downsides of being so sensitive.
cause there are definitely afew.
Is that like I have to workreally hard for like, any kind
of a comment, not to be liketaken very personally.
I don't know.
But I mean, it's interestingbecause even like in in words
that you would find like wouldsupposedly have like a positive

(01:00:45):
connotation, like when I was ingrade.
Six.
I got put in like that, advancedmath, like I got taken out of
whatever French class got put inadvanced math.
And like, I remember, my teacherthat year was just like, well,
you're obviously like a verylike gifted girl.
Like you're very, like, you're avery smart girl.
You're very like, ahead of thecurve.
Like I'm putting you in theadvanced reading group, the
advanced math group, like, itfeels great.

(01:01:06):
But then I found like as soon asI entered junior high, like.
Like, so much of like myidentity that I started to shape
to be around the fact that like,I was smart.
Like I was told I was smart,

Well, that's exactly what I'm saying.
Yeah.
You started that one word.
You've took an identity out ofit.
Right.

alexi (01:01:23):
a hundred percent.
And, it was really hard for mewhen like, especially like the
word like gifted and likeadvanced, like all of those kind
of small comments.
It was fine in junior highbecause I was like, I was put in
all the advanced groups and Ilike worked really hard and I
got like the highest grades.
And then as soon as I startedhigh school, like I remember I

(01:01:45):
got my first like 60 and likehad a panic attack.
Like it was like earthshattering and

Yeah.

alexi (01:01:52):
Shouldn't be like, it doesn't matter.
But it was not that like I got abad grade.
It was that, like, that grade Ifelt like was like impending on
my identity.

It's like, who am I all of a sudden because of
that?
But that's,

alexi (01:02:07):
that's

the power of this that I'm talking about, right?
Yeah, exactly.
So someone says a thing andthen, you know, and especially
when you're young, you don'thave this critical thinking or
self-examination process, uh,built yet, and you just, and it
just sends you through thatdoor.
And even sometimes.
Forms your identity.
Like I remember, I don't knowhow or when I, I seem to

(01:02:29):
remember getting the messagewhen I was like very small that
I had pneumonia when I wasreally little.
I think I can't confirm or deny'cause it was probably beyond my
memory right now.
But I do remember.
Somehow being told that I hadsmall lung capacity ever since,
like that's why it was hard forme to breathe underwater at
swimming lessons or, but theseweren't things I came up with.

(01:02:50):
When I think back now, likethese are things that are told
to me, but then I've walkedthrough 50 years of my life
thinking I have small lungcapacity and I don't actually
know if it's true or not.
Right.
Like,

alexi (01:02:59):
Yeah.

if someone tells you a thing or When I was in my
first year of college, I mean,up to that point, I was
clueless.
My mom.
Was buying me all my clothes,right?
Like I was not involved in thatprocess at all.
And then I don't know what jeansI was wearing, I don't know what
brand I was wearing.
And I, it didn't seem to affectmy confidence'cause I was like
first year college, I wasflirting with girls like crazy.

(01:03:21):
And I remember sitting on acouch with a couple of girls I'd
gotten to know that year infirst year, and they were like.
They said to me specificallylike, you know, you'd look
really good if you'd wear likeLevi's five oh ones.
This was like the beginning ofthe nineties.
So Levi's five oh ones were likethe gene to wear.
And I was like, all I heard waslike, girls say you would look

(01:03:42):
really good if, and I went rightdown to the discount Army Navy
and got a pair of Le Levi fiveoh ones and never looked back.
Do you know what I mean?
And like one little word canshape.
I think it's also relative towhat you were saying about it
becoming your identity and thenlike you're like, I'm the smart
girl, and then all of a suddenyou get into a bigger pool and

(01:04:03):
you're not the smart girl maybeanymore the same way, and I.

alexi (01:04:07):
like And also just not being like the smartest, like,
yeah.
And then you're

yeah,

alexi (01:04:12):
like what's true now?
Like.

yeah.
But don't you think, like, Ihear this in the music business
all the time too, of, you know,someone starts playing and, and
they're playing music and thenthey're wanting to like go to
that next level and that nextlevel is the first level out of
their room where all of theirfamily and parents were like,
you sound.
Beautiful.
You have the most beautifulvoice.

(01:04:34):
And they take, they go rightfrom that to applying for
American Idol, right?
And then they go in front of ajudge and then they're like, you
need to work on this.
It's, you know, it's not, it'snot that, but it, so I think,
yeah.
I just wondered whether you had,I guess, similar examples.
'cause.
cause you're right, like someonesays a thing or you always think
a thing, but then there's theother part of, I guess I'm

(01:04:56):
wondering, you can think aboutif this, if you have an example
in your life of, there's also acase where somebody just says
something and you realize you'venever been thinking about it
that way about yourself.
You wouldn't see yourself unlesssomebody said that thing that
way.

alexi (01:05:11):
Yeah, I think, yes.
I think in like both kind ofpositive and negative lights, I
think especially like, well sayfirst of all like for like a,
like a positive light.
There definitely has been acouple times where, and it's
like kind of usually flattery orlike comes out in like a
compliment.
but where people have saidthings.
I'm just like, oh, like, youknow, something that was just
part of like my habit or likewhat I thought of like my

(01:05:33):
personality.
And then they like coin it adifferent term.
and then, yeah, like I thinklike at work, I remember when I
was hosting, like this is liketwo years back, um, a new server
had been hired and she was alittle bit like older than like
the average age group at mywork.
And, just like her first shift,like I was like.
Helping, like bust all hertables, like just doing
everything I could so she like,could have like a little bit of

(01:05:55):
an easier shift.
and then I always at work likejust try to build relationships
with everyone, like get peopledrinks, like ask how they're
doing.
Like I just, I just try to belike as helpful while I'm there
as possible.
Like,'cause what I'm gettingpaid for.
and had come to me a coupleweeks later and she was like,
you are like, so In tune withlike asking people about like
their personal lives and, andshe just went on to say like,

(01:06:17):
how I always like remember whatpeople say and like follow up
with them about it and like makethem feel like what they're just
like saying is actually heard.
And

Mm-hmm.

alexi (01:06:27):
was like she was saying it like, it was this like big
thing how it was like this likeamazing kind of like trade I
have.
And I was just like, oh, I justlike, just Snoopy and I like
love.
people feel like that.
You know what I mean?

You downplayed it.

alexi (01:06:40):
well, just like, oh, I never thought about that.
But it's like that, that kind ofthing.
It's like really sweet and itmakes you feel really good.
Like it makes you feel reallylovely.
I think it can also be, anegative thing, I think,
especially for women.
I remember in junior high, likeI can like.
Vividly quote, things thatjunior high boys told me about
my personality or my appearancethat like, really, like they

(01:07:04):
stick with you until you'remature enough to go through the
process of unsticking, thosekind of things.
And I, like, I know my friends,like, I could literally pick out
that like my friends had said aswell.
Um, but like, were like exactcomments from, from guys and I
think that's where it can belike a negative thing, of like,
I'm just, you know, when you'reyounger you don't really think

(01:07:24):
about that, and then all suddenyou have like some 13-year-old
boy who is like popular and belike, well, you have a really
wide face.
Like you look like a basketball.
And to him it's just like,whatever, like it's a stupid
comment, but then it's like,that's like in your head and
you're like, oh, I've neverthought about myself that way.
And then all of a sudden you areworried for the next 5, 6, 7

(01:07:44):
years that you have like areally wide face and that like
maybe you shouldn't put yourhair up during basketball
practice and like kind of stuff.

Yeah.

alexi (01:07:52):
yeah, like definitely edged sword with those kinda.

Yeah, I think, I mean, there's a whole general
conversation just about whatwords can do.
I.
For people for sure.
but it is definitely thedouble-edged ness of it.
I, I just think it's also just,there's the wideness of just,
people can say a thing and itcan just really affect you and
it can shut you off fromcertain.
Directions that you might go inyour life as a result, or propel

(01:08:18):
you into them, which can also beawesome, right?
Like there's a point whensomebody sees a thing in you and
identifies it and that reallysort of brings an, an energy and
a life to that and you start tomaybe pursue it, right?
So, and you need somebody to seethat in you.
And I think that's huge.
And, and with all theseconversations about artists and
people in the music industry.

(01:08:40):
I think everybody could probablytell a story of where was it
that you felt that realvalidation, and it probably
wasn't from your immediatefamily or friends, right?
It was from somebody that.
You respected and was outside ofthat normal circle who still saw
you and saw some potential andtook the time to draw that out

(01:09:00):
of you, which is pretty awesome.
Um, compared to like, you know,and Ryan telling the story of
this girlfriend who is like, youshouldn't sing that way.
And I, and I sort of briefly,had dropped in, like, I had
heard the story of Bon that heused to sing in his early days
with his early bands, just inhis normal.
Register a voice and thenwhatever the circumstance was

(01:09:21):
that he showed up and he decidedto sing a song in that high
falsetto and sing a, a ladiespart or something like that.
And, um, I'd have to go back andfact check the story, but, and
then people were like, thatactually sounds awesome.
And if somebody hadn't said,that actually sounds awesome, we
might not have Bon of air,

alexi (01:09:36):
Yeah.

you know?
cause that's became histrademark, really.
And, yeah, just interesting thekind of.
The windows that we can

alexi (01:09:44):
Yeah, I

push ourselves through or Yeah.

alexi (01:09:46):
like casual, like even like with music, it's like if
someone tells you like they likea band, then you just decide
like, oh, maybe I should like,you know, give them a chance.

Yeah.
Someone's opinion matters.
Yeah.

alexi (01:09:58):
yeah.
Or like, wonder about like howmany bands like I've discovered.
Because someone in my life haslike mentioned them or like how
many bands I haven't gone anddiscovered because someone's
like, oh, have you heard of thisband?
Like, oh, I really don't likethem.
Or like, like it goes both ways,

Yeah.

alexi (01:10:12):
but

And how important that is.
Even your fans' opinion is, oryour audiences and whether
they're really actively engagedin being even willing to talk
about it for you or, orwhatever, but you know,
voluntarily or involuntarilypeople are by their opinions,
passing you through a a, awindow right.

(01:10:34):
To someone else.
And that can be.
Yeah, that's like, that's feelsvery delicate.
Just the way you have nocontrol.
When you hear someone else talkabout it, you realize just how
delicate that actually is.
Right.
I guess the last little piece,I'll talk about that as I was
listening as well.
I.
Music related.
I was listening to anotherpodcast song, Exploder, which is
one of the oldest podcaststhat's been around of, you know,

(01:10:57):
having an artist actually breakdown how they wrote a song and
the process they went through.
And it's pretty famous.
And I was scanning back, likeall the way back to like 20 15,
16, 17, the early years.
And I found that they did onewith Lindsay Buckingham of
Fleetwood Mac about the song.
Go your own way.
Which I was like, oh, I got, Iwant to hear this guy talk about
the breakdown of this song forsure.

(01:11:19):
And like there's all kinds ofgreat stuff in it.
But related to this, he talkedabout once the song was all
finished and he talked about howthey came to make it, but, and
some of the choices they made,particularly with the drums and
then it went to radio and hetalked about how he was
listening to the famous DJ inhis city.
Introduce the song and be like,here's the new song from

(01:11:39):
Fleetwood Mac and blah blahblah.
And then they played it and hewas like, so happy to hear a
song on the radio.
And then at the end the DJ waslike, yeah, I don't know how I
feel about that one.
That was it.
Right?
And here's what was funny to me,is that Lindsey Buckingham, who
kind of famously is like kind ofspicy and outspoken.
but he, I, he said he likecalled the radio station and

(01:12:01):
asked to talk to the dj and sohe actually like tried to call
him on it because like it wasso, like why would you do that?
Right?
Like, you have so much influenceby saying that about how, and it
obviously worked out very welldespite that dj, but just to
call in and actually be the guyas an artist to call him on it.

(01:12:22):
Like that's kinda.
That was kind of funny to me.
But Anyhow, that's, uh, that'ssome of the thoughts that I
wanted to chat with you and Iappreciate your experiences and
all that kinda stuff.
I don't think, I don't think youhave a, I don't think your face
is too round.
I think it's just the perfectamount of round, by the way,

alexi (01:12:38):
Oh, thanks.

always has been.
Now, when you were born, that'sanother story.
And we could share your babypictures.

alexi (01:12:44):
That was a basketball,

That was a basketball, you, you came out.
Like a Michelin baby, but lookhow, look how incredible you've
continued to be, so

alexi (01:12:53):
20 years apparently.

apparently.
Okay.
That's it.
That's all.
Good luck with your exams.
I love you so much.

alexi (01:13:00):
Okay.

I

alexi (01:13:00):
you.
Bye.

Okay.
Bye-Bye.

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