The Green Reflectors: Canadian Surf/Instrumental Band

Christina chats  with two brothers, Kyle and Aaron Furlotte, who make up the band The Green Reflectors.  For this episode Kyle and Aaron brought show and tell to Chrisitina's home. They chat with heart about decluttering, the origin story behind The Green Reflectors, and Kyle shares about his very personal experience with cancer. These are two grown boys that still really love toys!

The Green Reflectors are two brothers, who don’t look like brothers, but are most definitely related. Kyle plays the guitar and Aaron plays the drums. 

Formed in Bridgewater Nova Scotia in 2007, playing shows since 2008, they’ve jammed their way around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and toured in Newfoundland and Quebec. 

Wherever they play they end up turning heads, getting people’s attention and capturing the hearts of new fans with their loud in your face riff rock sound and extremely physical shows. The Green Reflectors have opened for many bands including award winning acts such as the Urban Surf Kings, The Chris Martin Trio, Lee Aaron, Northern Pikes and Like a Motorcycle to name a few. 

In November of 2015 they released their self-titled full-length album. Their second album, Tune Up, was released in 2018. They are currently working with Missing Fink Records in Georgia on a number of different projects including their latest full length album, Cool Rides & Poolsides.

Chapters

• 0:00 Greetings from Christina
• 0:49 Theme Song - Talk About It
• 1:14 Introduction by Christina
• 11:20 The Green Reflectors in studio!
• 12:54 Show and tell
• 13:40 Reflectmas
• 16:19 Carl the crab
• 17:15 Hard Rock Marionettes
• 18:10 Family feuding
• 21:08 Recycling song bits
• 22:52 Showing up!
• 24:15 Crafting and musican background
• 27:33 Wind vs. brass instrument
• 32:44 The origin story of The Green Reflectors
• 37:48 Decluttering
• 42:23 Exciting things coming up for The Green Reflectors
• 46:58 Toys
• 50:04 Nerves and fear when performing
• 51:22 Kyle's journey with cancer
• 1:02:44 Goodbye with AI's help
• 1:05:23 Heartbeat Hotline 1(902)-669-4769
• 1:06:17 Podcast Credits
• 1:06:47 Support the Podcast on Patreon

Transcript

S3E12: The Green Reflectors

Christina: [00:00:03] Welcome to a Chat with Heart. I'm your host, Christina Martin. I'm a singer songwriter. I live on a dirt road with my best friend Dale in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. A chat with heart is just me having chill conversations with people I want to celebrate, and topics that I'm curious about. If you have a question or a comment for this podcast, call my heartbeat hotline 1-902-669-4769. To send this podcast even more love visit me online at Patreon.com/ChristinaMartin. I'm so happy you're listening. Our personal stories have great power to heal, influence and inspire. All we have to do is show up for the conversation.

Song 'Talk About It': [00:00:49] If we just talk about it, we could shine a light, we could break a dark day. If we just talk about it, we can cut a way, we can make a brighter day.

Christina: [00:01:15] Okay, I'm just gonna roll. Uh. Good morning. Uh, that's what time I'm doing my little intro here for a chat with heart podcast. New episode. It is, uh, it is exciting to be alive. I feel I have some, um, very positive updates. Do you want to hear them? Okay, here we go. Here we go. Um, just just off the press. August 17th. I'm so thrilled to announce I will be, um, performing with, uh, my band at the Blueberry Jam Festival in Mabou, Nova Scotia. That's on Cape Breton Island, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I have a conversation coming up soon with, um, uh, with the organizer, Rankin MacInnes, so stay tuned for that. Um, I just I'm beyond thrilled to have that invitation. And it's just, you know, been doing, uh, quite a few band rehearsals, driving to the city, um, uh, staying with mom and then doing, like, blocks of two days of rehearsals. Um, we do just three hour sessions because, you know, a lot of us have, like, day jobs and a lot of driving, like Jordi, our drummer, Jordi Comstock, he's driving from Bridgewater. Jason Vautour, he's he teaches music during the day. Uh, myself, I've got an online part time job. Dale Murray doesn't, but he likes to keep busy, uh, recording and making music for other people. And, um. And we've been doing some great rehearsals with, uh, two keyboard players. One, uh, Ian Bent.

Christina: [00:03:14] Oh, my God, I just love this human. He's he plays, uh, the grand piano parts on my album Storm. And, uh, he's playing this show with us, uh, the day this episode launches July 28th at Granville Green. And, um, he plays with Alana York. And is. Is that part of that musical collaboration. His wife Alana. And, um, what a sweet, sweet man. And an incredibly talented guy. Um, recently we've also met, uh, the, um, music. No, it's the musician of the year on Prince Edward Island. And we are so lucky that she is living 30 minutes from us. Her name is, uh, is Hannah Melanson. Am I saying that right? Hannah's gonna let me know. Hannah Melanson. Yeah, it's Melanson. We've been over this. Milan. And I have this visual in my head. Mowing lawn. Um, sorry. Terrible vision. I also have a vision of her, uh, playing, you know, uh, immaculate, uh, and intricate and unique keyboards, but also sitting on a lawn tractor and mowing the lawn. That's how I remember how to pronounce your last name. Um, what a joy she's been in our life. We've had her rehearsing at the house. She's doing a bunch of shows with us coming up, including the show September 6th at Alderney Landing. And this fall, we've announced three shows in New Brunswick, in Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton bringing the band those New Brunswick shows we're playing with Elm City String Quartet. In September 6th at Alderney Landing. We have a string section as well and I'm just so excited about it all. Like to finally be getting to do these shows the way I've envisioned them, um, live for people and and if you don't know, September 6th is an even bigger project. Quite costly, quite costly. A lot of investments involved. Music Nova Scotia has just awarded me a lovely grant to help support that, and FACTOR is also behind it and a lot of out of pocket money from yours truly to make it all happen. So we're filming it. Um, we have visuals, um, animations, uh, lighting design by McKenzie Cornfield, who is another just a gem that I've been introduced to, um, this year. Been so wonderful working with MacKenzie. Um, we're showcasing, uh, album artwork, um, a a very intense collaboration, um, with myself and Nicole, uh, Aline Legault, my dear friend, and also photography by Cherokee Anderson that was used in the album artwork, where there will be some of that in the show. And, um, it's just a massive project to, you know, I mean, yeah, that's that's all. I'm just so excited. So that's all going well as much as I, you know, have the feeling like I'm always behind. I think I'm on track. That's sort of. I noticed that about myself over the years. I always feel like I'm behind and I'm never hitting my deadlines, but I'm actually I usually plan ahead so that I in reality, I'm hitting the deadlines.

Christina: [00:06:46] It's fine. So I feel very calm for the most part. Hey, I had my first chiropractor appointment this week, and it was awesome. I, uh, I'm excited. I've got two more coming up. I was, I was nervous. I think I had a fear about going to the chiropractor and, uh, nothing major on for me. Just a few adjustments that needed. But, you know, as you're getting older, it's it's good to check in on these things, not let them go too long if you're feeling the pains. Um, and you know what else I've got coming up August 28th, I want to mention Small of My Heart Songwriter circle with Lisa MacIsaac and Mo Kenney. That's in Pictou. Um, and my mom's officially done her chemotherapy, and she's doing really well. She's gaining more energy every day, and she's got some visitors coming to stay with her this month. So I'm I'm home more. But I've really enjoyed my time with mom, and, uh, we redid our guest room and yeah, I gotta say, uh, she is a fucking champ. And, uh, also a champ for putting up with me sometimes because I really pushed my mom. Um, I don't know if that's the right thing to do, but I push her to, you know, live her best life because I really think she deserves that.

Christina: [00:08:13] And she she might be resistant at first, and then she comes around and she's like, okay, okay, okay, I'll try what you suggested. I feel like such a bully sometimes, and maybe I am, but honestly, she's, uh, doing really well, and and that's all her and maybe a little bit of me just kind of being a pain in the ass and and, uh, pushing her to, um, take care of herself, and and she's. Yeah. She's a remarkable woman, though. Okay, listen, my guest today, I. I'm so happy you're listening. And, uh, thank you so much for all your support. Um, I just got another patron, Connie, signed up this week. Super exciting. Thank you so much, Connie. We have 65 patrons supporting me on Patreon monthly, yearly. You can sign up to be a free patron and get the newsletter, um, as well, so it's not hard to find. If you visit my website, there's links to Patreon and and I believe messages on this podcast that lead the way to, uh, to my Patreon page. Um, and one of actually one of my patrons is a guest today. Um, uh, but there are two guests today that make up the green reflectors. There are two of the nicest brothers that they get along. I've never, you know, I've siblings don't always get along so well. These do and they're super talented and um, doing something that I deem very unique in terms of like music and Atlantic Canada.

Christina: [00:09:52] Like, I don't know anyone else that sounds like them. Or if you go see them perform live that, you know, I just to me, they're completely unique here. Um, so it's refreshing, refreshingly creative. I urge you to check out their music. Go catch some live is. It's a very physical and fun performance, and so take some time to watch their handcrafted music videos with your family and friends. Uh, they're also authors, and, uh, they have a Christmas book out, and the music's great. And why do I love this episode? Because Kyle and Aaron, uh, who make up The Green Reflectors, they brought, um, a live studio audience with them, Holly Patterson, they brought some show and tell. We talk about, uh, decluttering, which is one of my passions, and we find out, uh, you know, like more about each of them and where the name the Green Reflectors actually comes from. Kyle is a is a cancer survivor. So he tells us about his experience with that. And I can confirm, uh, after hanging out for a whole afternoon barbecuing with this crew, they are, in fact, genuinely lovely humans. So here are two grown boys that still really love toys. Welcome, Kyle and Aaron of the Green Reflectors.

Christina: [00:11:20] Well, first of all, welcome to a chat with our podcast. I'm so happy to finally have you as my guests.

Kyle: [00:11:26] Thanks for having us.

Christina: [00:11:27] And you're even in our home like not many guests come all the way. Like these are oftentimes zoom chats, so this is extra special that you're in our home. You've brought some show and tell we're going to talk about. 

Aaron: [00:11:37] We like to go all out.

Christina: [00:11:38] And this is why I want to ask about, well, craftiness because I'm sitting uh, with Aaron and Kyle at my my, what is this is not a kitchen table. This is a what is this room like?

Kyle: [00:11:50] An entertaining room of some kind.

Christina: [00:11:51] Entertaining room of some kind.

Kyle: [00:11:53] Table, card table.

Christina: [00:11:54] Card table table. It's actually. And speaking of harvest table, I think that's what the wood has been harvested from our old barn. So I think that's what.

Kyle: [00:12:03] Yeah, that's that's cool.

Christina: [00:12:04] It's a harvest table. And on the.

Aaron: [00:12:06] The term for a table made out of rustic wood.

Christina: [00:12:10] Yeah like so all across, laid out. Strewn. Is that a word?

Aaron: [00:12:15] Yeah, yeah.

Christina: [00:12:16] Thank you. And we have Holly, by the way, here to, uh, our live studio audience. And also, yay, doubling as our social media manager. Right.

Kyle: [00:12:29] And faithful navigator that got us here,

Christina: [00:12:31] Which I, when you told me that I thought you were referring to your GPS, but, uh. And.

Aaron: [00:12:36] Yeah, I like the legs on this table.

Christina: [00:12:38] Yeah. Holly's... thank you so much. Um.

Aaron: [00:12:42] I really like it.

Christina: [00:12:42] We had a friend who actually made it, uh, for us. Um, so kudos to to Alistair. Um, Holly, also, thanks for the great homemade hummus.

Holly: [00:12:53] You're welcome.

Christina: [00:12:54] Okay. This is awesome. Uh, okay. So strewn across the harvest table, y'all. Can you describe what you brought for Show and Tell? And then we'll ask. I want to dive into.

Kyle: [00:13:05] The quick and dirty is miniature versions of ourselves and what we do. Um, there's really many versions of ourselves which my best friend Holly made for us. And they're made from pipe cleaners. Uh, jean patches. Um, and I think Aaron's hat is made out of a foam.

Aaron: [00:13:28] It's foam.

Kyle: [00:13:28] And mine. Mine is like Kraft sheets of Kraft foam.

Christina: [00:13:31] Sheets of Kraft foam. And yours is felt. And we're going to share a photo of this on my social media. It's all over your social. They're all over your social media

Aaron: [00:13:40] They pop up all the time, whenever we want a Christmas.

Kyle: [00:13:42] Yeah.

Aaron: [00:13:42] Especially at Christmas. Reflectmas. Hashtag. Reflectmas.

Christina: [00:13:46] Reflectmas,

Kyle: [00:13:47] That's what we call it.

Christina: [00:13:48] Yeah, I love it. It is. It really is a time of year to reflect. It is so nostalgic.

Kyle: [00:13:53] And part of that whole thing was just like it's kind of reflecting on our childhood. And we always really liked the Rudolph Christmas special. So that's what those guys were kind of based on. They're not quite as posable as like a real stop motion figure. So we just kind of put them in like different vehicles. Yeah. And move them around like that.

Aaron: [00:14:09] Little cars or trucks or on a little snowmobile or something.

Christina: [00:14:12] But it's so, so cool. I can't bend them, can I? Yeah. I don't want to. I want them to sit, uh, like. Okay, I don't want to break anything. I'm gonna put them up against the green reflector.

Kyle: [00:14:23] Aaron's bum is too slippery.

Aaron: [00:14:27] So that's an ongoing problem.

Christina: [00:14:28] Not the first time he's heard that, it's an ongoing.

Kyle: [00:14:30] Uh. Woo! Yeah, yeah. There I go again.

Christina: [00:14:33] Uh Fender stack?

Kyle: [00:14:36] Yeah. So this um,

Aaron: [00:14:38] Green GR stack.

Christina: [00:14:39] Yeah.

Kyle: [00:14:40] I have a friend. He's actually the fellow that runs Rock Opolis across the street from long McQuade. It's a rehearsal space. Yeah, but he also does. And he recovers amplifiers, and, um, he makes guitars, and he's he's quite a woodworker as well.

Christina: [00:14:53] I think he made Dale's pedalboard.

Kyle: [00:14:55] It's very possible. Yeah. Like that's that's his kind of. That's his bag.

Christina: [00:14:58] What's his name?

Kyle: [00:15:00] Uh, Pete Green.

Christina: [00:15:00] Yeah. It's Pete. Pete made Dell's pedalboard. Yeah. Pete green. Wow. No. Is there a pun intended? No. Or is that just, um. Because these are the green reflectors. Pete Green made this stack. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:15:15] He's he's he's been a friend of ours for a long time. Um, his band, the Black Rats there. We we played with them for a long time. And, uh, anyway, I just. I asked him if he could make me, like, a little miniature amp, and I kind of gave him, like, a vague idea of what I wanted. And this is what he came up with.

Christina: [00:15:31] So cool. And this is also featured in some videos.

Kyle: [00:15:35] Yeah. Our coke can crab video. Which brings us to the marionettes.

Christina: [00:15:38] Oh, I thought you were gonna say brings me to the crab because there is a crab here.

Aaron: [00:15:41] Oh there is.

Christina: [00:15:42] We'll get we'll get there. But. Okay.

Kyle: [00:15:44] Calvin the crab.

Christina: [00:15:45] Calvin the crab. He. I think we have a photo of me and Calvin the crab will put up.

Aaron: [00:15:49] He flips around and plays a Djembe in the video.

Christina: [00:15:52] This is. But you guys you guys just did Mike and Kristen the podcast. Podcast. Did you bring all this to to there?

Kyle: [00:15:58] We did. Yeah. We brought our toy box there to.

Christina: [00:16:01] Good because the more the merrier. And the and we've got some overlap but different audiences too. So the more people get to see this magical, uh, these magical creations and hear your music is the best.

Aaron: [00:16:14] So that the crab was made by her name was Isabel. Like Pineau or something?

Kyle: [00:16:19] Yeah. Uh, I don't know about the pronouncing and remembering names, but, uh, yeah, we weren't really sure how to make, like, a, like a puppet crab. So, like, this is kind of what we came up with, and he just has this, this sticks that are attached to his claws. And that's really all he does because we just wanted him to kind of play the drums. Yeah. But uh, yeah, he's super cute.

Aaron: [00:16:38] Came from like a Google image search. I was like, okay, I want a felt crab. Not something that looks really realistic, just something like fun and toy looks cute. And then we saw a picture. I was like that, can you make that? But make his pincers or whatever?

Kyle: [00:16:55] It's claws.

Aaron: [00:16:55] His claws bigger just so he can do.

Christina: [00:16:58] He can really play drums.

Aaron: [00:16:59] Play that djembe.

Christina: [00:17:01] Oh, yeah.

Aaron: [00:17:02] I didn't bring that. I should have brought that.

Christina: [00:17:03] But that's. Oh, you forgot the djembe?

Kyle: [00:17:08] There's more pieces to all of this. Yeah. This is like just a tiny bit the whole thing.

Christina: [00:17:12] Oh my god. Okay okay. Go on. So there's more.

Kyle: [00:17:15] Yeah. So we have marionettes that look like us and they were made by. So if you look up, uh, Darian, nets, hard rock marionettes on Instagram and Facebook. But yeah, they're pretty big.

Christina: [00:17:26] They're huge. Wow.

Kyle: [00:17:29] And they can dance around and do all kinds of crazy things. But.

Christina: [00:17:33] So you guys are brothers from the same mother and father?

Aaron: [00:17:37] That is correct.

Christina: [00:17:38] Do you have any other siblings?

Kyle: [00:17:40] I have a sister. Well, we have a sister.

Christina: [00:17:41] Yeah.

Kyle: [00:17:42] You're all like two years.

Christina: [00:17:43] Yeah. So selfish. Just me. I have a sister. Do you guys get along?

Kyle: [00:17:48] Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. We're all like. So Aaron and I are, like, almost Irish twins. So we're like. We're like a year and a half ish apart. Yeah, we're at that weird part in the year where we're actually like one number apart. So I'm 35 and he's 34. Okay. So, uh, and then Shannon was born in 86, so we're all like two years ish apart. Yeah. So we were kind of like a tight knit group.

Christina: [00:18:10] Yeah. So growing up, were you guys were really close. Always like, oh yeah, it must have been some fights. Do you ever have fights? And how does.

Kyle: [00:18:17] That. Yeah, there's been fights like in the band. There's been like there's been moments where we're like, we didn't talk to each other for a while and like, we didn't even. There was, there was, there was a point where we were, uh, we didn't, like, actually, like, rehearse together for a while because we were kind of, like, grumpy at each other,

Christina: [00:18:32] Just weren't talking. What changed?

Aaron: [00:18:35] It's not perfect. I don't know, you just kind of get over it after a while. You just kind of want to get back to work and you're like, you know what? Screw this. Fighting sucks.

Christina: [00:18:41] Yeah, I hear you.

Aaron: [00:18:42] When was that?

Kyle: [00:18:43] It was like a couple of years ago when we were. I know,

Christina: [00:18:46] He just forgets. That's his method. He's like, I don't remember ever fighting with you, actually, Kyle.

Kyle: [00:18:51] Oh, we've definitely fought, especially as kids. Um, we used to, like, bite each other and stuff like that, you know?

Christina: [00:18:57] Do you have any scars from that?

Kyle: [00:18:58] Not from, like, not from biting each other or any of the fights we had, but, uh. That's good. No, um, I don't know. We get along pretty good, though. Like, there's, like, the little spat here and there, but, like, I don't know, the band has been a thing for 16 years, and we've been through a lot together. Um, and, um, I don't know, we just always find a way to keep on going. So usually, usually, like, now, like the fights, like, if they're, they just kind of, you know, brush them under the rug like the day that they happened like, yeah, move on. It's like, ah, whatever.

Christina: [00:19:28] I've kind of come to believe that some of the healthiest relationships can have. You can have these fights like you can. I'm now looking at Holly because I want her to be involved in this conversation. I'm like, oh yeah.

Kyle: [00:19:40] We have fights.

Christina: [00:19:41] Yeah, but.

Kyle: [00:19:42] They're good ones. You know.

Christina: [00:19:44] I remember, I remember in university I was studying psychology, and I remember a research study that talked about, like, it's healthier to feel any emotion than to repress, uh, and just pass, you know, like, let things slide. So that what that meant was, uh, the research, this research showed that, like, even if you were angry, um, you know, I mean, you want to be you don't want to burn bridges, And but it's important to find a way to get it out or to say, like, I'm really pissed off at you. I still love you. You know what I mean? To to learn that, like, it took me forever to learn that you can be pissed off. You can say what's on your mind as long as you kind of find a healthier way to eventually get out of it or, like, let go and be like, well, we did. We said that we know how we feel now let's fucking move on from that. Like that just had to be said.

Kyle: [00:20:34] Yeah, we tell each other everything. Like, even if we know it's gonna, like, tick the other person off and just get it out there rather than, like, keep it in. I like that that kind of helps, you know, especially like if it's when it's band related stuff and it's like, hey, I don't want to do this thing or whatever. Like we tell each other.

Christina: [00:20:51] Yeah, I think that's important.

Kyle: [00:20:53] You don't like he'll like, I'll have a song. And then if he doesn't like the song, he'll just tell me. And I'm like, okay, sometimes I like this one a little bit.

Aaron: [00:21:01] This one doesn't seem to go along with what we're doing, right?

Aaron: [00:21:04] You're like, yeah, this one sounds like Green Day. I don't want to do that one. I'm like, okay.

Christina: [00:21:08] Have you ever had a situation where that same song that maybe isn't right for the time, like then, then later on and you, you actually come back to it and.

Kyle: [00:21:18] We did that. Yeah. With the one that you voiced actually that Sissiboo Sizzler song. Mhm. Yep. That one was one that we had years ago and it just sort of like fell apart and we didn't do anything with it for a long time and we didn't really like, like it. And then he had another idea and he was like we should do that and make it more sci fi. Yeah.

Aaron: [00:21:36] Modify that riff and like turn it into a completely different thing. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:21:39] And then he sent me a different drum beat. That's cool. That turned into a new song. But yeah, that's like totally one of those situations.

Christina: [00:21:45] Yeah. There's something to be said about learning when to let go of an idea and maybe not trash it, but just just shelf it for now. Come back to it, rework it. Um, I've even go ahead Aaron.

Aaron: [00:21:57] A lot of guitar riffs and stuff we came up with over the years that like.

Kyle: [00:22:01] It's hard to figure out, like where they go, um, you know, we don't like there's no lyrics that tie together our stuff, which you gotta like, help, like a melody can kind of help.

Aaron: [00:22:09] You gotta find, like, a couple of guitar riffs, like you can put together like, okay, this is like the verse part of the song, and this riff is like the chorus. Yeah. So you need a couple of them and it's hard to find like that other accompanying piece to go with.

Kyle: [00:22:24] Yeah, there are some songs we have that have taken years. We'll just like I'll, we'll, you know, we'll be jamming and be like, try that, try that old riff again or whatever. You know, that one that sounds like this or whatever, and we'll play it And sometimes we, you know, they turn into a new song and it all comes together. But it's a vibe thing, too, like some days are just really good days. And then all of a sudden, like, the ideas are flowing and the songs come out and you can kind of finish those unfinished ideas, but some stuff just sits around forever and ever.

Christina: [00:22:52] That's true. You do have to show if you show up every day, it's that's more likely to happen. You know, like if you if you just go. You know what? I'm not feeling it. I'm just going to not play music or write for like two months. Well, then you will never know what could have been created in that time if you had just shown up at the same time and just kind of like plowed through stuff and experimented. So, you know, like being there. And do you guys have like a regular rehearsal time or how does how's what's your practice? Usually, yeah. Okay.

Kyle: [00:23:24] It's usually like he'll come over Friday night and we'll just kind of like hang out and then Saturday, like, we just sometimes we'll jam all day if we're. Especially if we're making new stuff, but we always at least have a practice. We just kind of go over like the existing material. Yeah. We usually go over like all of it. So yeah. And there's more and more of it these days. But um, yeah. Like you're talking about like, it's sort of like exercising your creative muscle, right? Like, and just, you know, it's just like anything, like if you stop training your biceps and you're going to have weak arms or whatever, right? So I kind of I always thought of it like that too. Um, so we just we we're always kind of at it, always practicing, always talking about it, always making new things and especially like this stuff to the marionettes and all the other stuff that we do. It's all, you know, just to keep things moving and having fun.

Christina: [00:24:15] Was one of you more crafty as a kid? I want to go back. Aaron, you're pointing at Aaron. So tell me a bit.

Aaron: [00:24:22] About I made the drum set that goes with the marionettes, which.

Christina: [00:24:25] Okay, again, my little heartbeat listeners, you got to check out my both mine and the Green Reflectors Instagrams, because we're going to post some photos of what's what's here on my harvest table, what they've brought to the farmhouse.

Aaron: [00:24:39] Those are legit hand hammered cymbals.

Christina: [00:24:41] So cool, so cool. I like so when we're as a kid, were you making stuff or.

Aaron: [00:24:48] Yeah, like model cars and working on bikes.

Kyle: [00:24:52] He was always painting and drawing.

Aaron: [00:24:53] I still do that stuff, actually. Yeah, that's. Yeah, we just always like toys and cool things and that's.

Kyle: [00:25:01] I've always had still like that. That's why I've always had a thing for handmade stuff. Yeah, I love stuff.

Aaron: [00:25:06] I like making stuff. Yeah.

Christina: [00:25:08] So when you guys were, were kids, what point did, like, cell phones and computers come into your lives? Because I think we're, you know, we're I was I was born in 79 and 80, 88, 90, 90. Yeah. You're kidding. Wow.

Kyle: [00:25:24] Computers came in. Well, I, I can kind of always remember them being around. I know we had, like, a really old computer that took, like the floppy floppy disks.

Christina: [00:25:33] Yeah, I remember that. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:25:34] Like, and it was like the screen was like orange and black. Yeah.

Aaron: [00:25:37] They were basically useless up until. Oh, yeah, they were just paper weights.

Kyle: [00:25:41] Yeah. We could play like Wheel of Fortune on one, but I remember that. But not really caring about it that much until like I went over to a friend's house and they had video games and I was just that changed my life right there.

Christina: [00:25:51] Took over. Took over.

Kyle: [00:25:52] Yeah. Nintendo. Well, it did for me, not for for Aaron. Aaron managed to avoid all that stuff, and he was sort of like he called me a Nintendo freak and he was sort of anti that stuff. He's like, I don't want to touch this stuff. I don't want anything to do with it. And I went all the way full, you know, full tilt into the video game world and like the, the mid 90s up until like 2000 and then guitar took over and around 2003 when I also got interested in girls.

Christina: [00:26:20] Girls and guitars. Did did one like motivate the other did the oh,

Kyle: [00:26:24] I definitely started playing guitar to impress girls, but it didn't work. But then I got but so but I but I just, I got interested, I got really into guitar like like legit into guitar music and I was like, no, I just, I just like it for it.

Christina: [00:26:37] I actually do like this. Yeah. For forget About the girls.

Kyle: [00:26:41] Well, it didn't work.

Christina: [00:26:42] And and drums like, what's your musical background? I know there's a connection here between you, my, my drummer, Jordi Comstock and you. Unless I just made that up. Okay. But. Okay. Go back.

Aaron: [00:26:56] He's my teacher for the last six, six years, I guess six and a half years.

Christina: [00:27:01] Do you have any gossip on him? No, no. Like you lot. Did he ever lose it on you and, like, throw a stick at you or.

Kyle: [00:27:09] Not my tempo. Not.

Christina: [00:27:10] Yeah, not my tempo.

Aaron: [00:27:11] Not yet. No. I like his cat, Bobby.

Christina: [00:27:13] Oh, Bobby, I have I've seen pictures and videos. Yeah. Hey, Bobby. Uh. That's. So. Yeah. When did you start playing music? And what was like, what motivated your interest?

Aaron: [00:27:26] Well. So I.

Christina: [00:27:29] I know it wasn't Nintendo.

Kyle: [00:27:31] No, definitely wasn't Nintendo.

Aaron: [00:27:33] The first thing I wanted to play was the like, the trombone, because I used to go to like, my older sisters, like like the the high school, like the band shows that they do every now and periodically at the school, wherever I was like, I just kind of like the trombone because, oh, it's this thing. It's kind of neat. It has like moving parts, and I like. 

Christina: [00:27:51] Has buttons, like, yeah, buttons.

Kyle: [00:27:53] There was no buttons on that. No, it didn't have buttons. No trombone.

Christina: [00:27:55] Trombone. I was thinking of a trumpet. Sorry, I clearly I don't know, it's like my wind instrument.

Aaron: [00:28:00] It's the cooler version of the trumpet.

Kyle: [00:28:02] But is it though?

Christina: [00:28:03] Oh. So why little harp listeners will write in and I'm gonna. I'm gonna get. First of all, I'm gonna get trolls going to get worse about saying that a trombone has buttons.

Dale: [00:28:14] Um, it's not a wind instrument.

Christina: [00:28:18] We're totally cutting this out. What's a wind instrument? That's a flute.

Kyle: [00:28:22] Well, let's let's consult Holly on this one. Holly works in the band department at Long & McQuade.

Christina: [00:28:27] I thought anything you blew into, isn't that a wind instrument?

Holly: [00:28:34] So wind comes from woodwind.

Christina: [00:28:37] Come on up. Come on up. Holly, into the mic, Holly Patterson, ladies and gentlemen, everybody. Get right up here. Right up.

Holly: [00:28:45] So? So yeah. So woodwind is, is, um, typically comes from like the wooden wind instruments. So like flutes used to be made of wood. So they were considered flutes clarinets, oboes that kind of thing.

Christina: [00:28:57] So it's got to have wood in there? 

Holly: [00:28:58] Not anymore. Um, because most flutes are made of silver, um, and um, and saxophones are included because they're like a reed instrument. So reed instruments and anything that you sort of that would be made of wood and then brass instruments or anything that has like a mouthpiece that you kind of make the, the weird fart noise and go, yeah, that's a fart instrument. Brass instrument.

Christina: [00:29:20] That's a brass instrument. Okay. Getting quite the education here.

Holly: [00:29:24] And trumpet would be brass and like tuba and euphonium, that kind of thing.

Christina: [00:29:27] Cool. 

Aaron: [00:29:27] Bra-ass.

Christina: [00:29:29] Thank you for that. Holly Patterson everybody. Yeah! Whoo! Excellent. And I I'm not editing any of that out. I don't care that I just basically, we're having a good time. Yeah, we're having a good time. So.

Aaron: [00:29:42] But yeah. So trombone I don't know. Yeah. Trombone I think just the.

Kyle: [00:29:47] Well at band camp Bandcamp they like when you, when you, when you, they used to like take everybody like everybody whether they're interested in music or not. Everybody would go to like the, the band room and they'd kind of set you up and try you out on a bunch of different instruments, and they'd be like, okay, we think you're going to play the trumpet or the trombone or whatever. So that's that's what what happened to you is they would have just like. 

Aaron: [00:30:08] You had to go to the music, gave it to you and then and grade six and they'd look you over and like, okay.

Christina: [00:30:14] Look you over.

Aaron: [00:30:15] Your hands are this size. Like, this might be. Wow.

Kyle: [00:30:18] Yeah. Your mouth is this size.

Christina: [00:30:20] You don't have a choice.

Aaron: [00:30:21] You actually kind of remember, like when I went that day thinking, okay, either trombone or drums, I get that, but somebody, there was only one opening in the band for 1 or 2 for drums, because that was.

Kyle: [00:30:35] That's all the cool stuff.

Aaron: [00:30:36] Somebody already had it and I was like, well, shit. Um. Oh. So trombone and.

Christina: [00:30:42] Uh, wait, did you go 'oh' because you thought you weren't supposed to swear on this podcast?

Kyle: [00:30:45] Yeah, I think I already dropped one. 

Christina: [00:30:47] Definitely can. It's cool. Yeah. It's encouraged.

Aaron: [00:30:52] I don't even know why I like the thing. I just think it was like, uh, the trombone just looked like a cool mechanical thing.

Christina: [00:30:58] Cool wind instrument.

Aaron: [00:31:00] Cool wind instrument.

Christina: [00:31:01] I know, I'm just gonna say it is. It's the.

Speaker5: [00:31:04] Brass. I know, yeah.

Aaron: [00:31:05] But frigging saxophones are brass and whatever.

Christina: [00:31:10] I know.

Kyle: [00:31:12] I can't.

Aaron: [00:31:12] Really, like, put my finger on why it was I liked the trombone, but I just ah, it looked kind of fun to play. So I did the the week long band camp thing at the end of summer before grade seven, and then I didn't play it again after that, okay. Because it just didn't, uh, I couldn't.

Kyle: [00:31:29] Didn't resonate with him. It didn't resonate.

Christina: [00:31:31] Funny. So grade seven, then you quit?

Aaron: [00:31:34] I did grade six. This is like the summer. Well, yeah. Going into grade seven. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I did that one, one week long band camp thing and then I didn't I like, switched over and just like took tech class instead of music. So like all through school, I never took music.

Kyle: [00:31:51] And I did trumpet. I was the same way. 

Aaron: [00:31:52] Or touch any of that stuff, but I used to see all of Kyle's bands with the couple of them there that we probably won't bother to go into. We can but speak about like his friend played drums and like, and so I'd see that. I think that's kind of what influenced it. Like drums are another thing that like one of the reasons I like it is not just because it's like a musical thing you can play, but it's like there's a mechanical aspect to it. Like, I like cars and all that different stuff and bikes and their big drums. Drums have all those cool chrome metal parts and the little screws and the little, little, little hardware bits, all that neat looking stuff. And it's just I like to look at drums. They look fun.

Christina: [00:32:33] It's quite a commitment, the drums.

Aaron: [00:32:35] You can work on them. You can, you know, they got screws and you can take pieces off. You can modify them. And I like.

Kyle: [00:32:41] Which he does.

Aaron: [00:32:42] Which I've done. Yeah. Yeah. Like yeah.

Christina: [00:32:44] So when did this when did with the green reflectors. Like how was it birthed born conceived. Let's go back before the birthing.

Kyle: [00:32:55] Yeah. Well it was sort of like I play guitar for a while. And then I went to audio engineering school. And while I was there, um, Aaron and Dad used to come in on the weekends and pick me up and take me home to Bridgewater so I could escape the city. And they just showed up one day, and Aaron had saved up his money for a drum set. So, like, I didn't know it was happening. I didn't really know he was interested in any of that stuff.

Aaron: [00:33:19] Mowing lawns.

Kyle: [00:33:20] Yeah. So he was paper routes, paper route.

Christina: [00:33:21] But you didn't tell him that this was. 

Aaron: [00:33:23] $515?

Christina: [00:33:24] You made $515 that summer. Yeah, that's. Wow.

Kyle: [00:33:28] We had good paper routes, him and I, when we were kids. Yeah, they were big paper routes.

Christina: [00:33:32] That was a lot of money, that was a lot of money back then.

Kyle: [00:33:35] Yes. Oh, yeah. Well, so they showed up and they just sort of like, you know, they're like, hey, we got something in the trunk, you know, like it's like one of those moments, you know, where like, like like in Pulp Fiction, when they open the briefcase and then the light shines out, it's like, ah, it was like that. And then there was this red drum set in there, and I was like, what? Where did this come from? What's what's going on here? And then we like that. Was it. So that was November 30th, 2007. And I'd say that's, that's the birth of the band. Yeah. Like the day that Aaron got his drum set and he didn't really like we, we jammed that night and we neither of us could really play that well. But like that's it. That's like when the the band started, the name wasn't there yet, but like that. That's it. Because it hasn't changed since really we're the same two guys.

Christina: [00:34:19] What about the name?

Kyle: [00:34:22] Do you want to tell that story? Yeah.

Aaron: [00:34:24] Well, there's a couple of different stories.

Kyle: [00:34:26] Yeah, there's a couple like untrue, half truth.

Christina: [00:34:28] Well, you tell one and then you can tell the other one.

Aaron: [00:34:31] Well, kind of like started off like Kyle had his old Yamaha like Strat rip off guitar.

Kyle: [00:34:37] It was painted green.

Aaron: [00:34:38] And I had we had taken apart and I had sanded it all filling, filled in all the dents that were put in when you were doing like Nirvana covers and stuff and jumping on it and different things like, amazingly, it survived anyway, so I repainted it seafoam green. So we had the green guitar, and then it wasn't long after that, one morning on my paper route, I found this old tube amp tube amplifier in the garbage. And it was green.

Christina: [00:35:04] Oh, and that.

Aaron: [00:35:05] Was like a death trap kind of thing. It had like a two pronged plug that if you had it in the plug just the wrong way, when you put your fingers on the strings, it would electrocute it, would buzz you.

Christina: [00:35:15] Really? Yeah. Did you fix it up?

Aaron: [00:35:17] It has been fixed. It has been, it's still around..

Christina: [00:35:19] Oh my God. Oh. So the.

Aaron: [00:35:22] Oh, so that was green. That was green. Green was already kind of a thing. Mhm. That existed. And then.

Kyle: [00:35:29] Yeah, in our gear.

Aaron: [00:35:30] In our gear. So like another thing I like was, was old bikes. So like me and my dad used to go around like hunting the valley flea markets and yard sales and stuff. Try to find these old banana seat bikes and stuff. So one time we were going down through Hantsport and we see this one sitting in some yard with this shed of a house, little scruffy looking yard with all.

Kyle: [00:35:57] This knickknacks everywhere.

Aaron: [00:35:58] Knickknacks, farm equipment everywhere. Anybody had one of these bikes there? So we stopped and talked to the guy, like, kind of like weird old eccentric guy. And he's, like, going on about this bike that's got all this stuff on it. He had, like, the raccoon tails and every knick knack thing you could stick on a bike.

Kyle: [00:36:15] Hockey cards.

Aaron: [00:36:16] The cards and the clickers and the spokes and rabbit feet. Rabbit. Yeah, probably had mirrors all over it, but he had, like, all these, like, little tiny reflectors that he had drilled into, like the, the fenders and the frame. He was like, yeah, you can find the, the green, you can find the red reflectors and the orange reflectors. They're all over the place. But the green ones, they're rare. I can't find those. I gotta look all over the place. He's like, had this big, big spiel about these green reflectors and how rare they were. And I was like, okay, yeah, whatever.

Christina: [00:36:44] And so you tell, you go home, you tell that story or okay. So yeah, it was it was.

Kyle: [00:36:50] Like more about the bike at the time. It was a thing that like.

Aaron: [00:36:53] Yeah, it kind of happened. And then like the story just kind of like floats in the back of your mind for a long time. Yeah. And then it just like pops up later like. Yeah. The green reflectors.

Christina: [00:37:03] So pretty much it. Yeah. And you're like okay that's it.

Kyle: [00:37:06] That's it. Yeah. Well we had to we had um, his, his variety show like his like he's, he's graduating like he graduated in 2008. And um, they always had like a, like a, you know, two a year or whatever variety show at the school. And, um, he wanted to do one and we needed, like a name on the sign up sheet so we could, we could have either put like, oh, Kyle and Aaron Furlotte, but like, what fun is that? So he's like, we need like a name. So we like kind of would, you know, like I think dad was the one who blurted it. Like who said the green reflector? It's he's the one who.

Aaron: [00:37:36] It stuck with him more. He was the one that brought it back up again. Like, remember that guy?

Kyle: [00:37:39] I can remember him saying like, that's a cool name. And we just like, went with it. Okay. Yeah. So that that was it. So it's a very it's a family thing. Like dad was involved in it too.

Christina: [00:37:48] Okay. I'm obsessed I love I shouldn't say obsessed, but I love cleaning, organizing, and I'm not an expert in any of it. I'm not an expert. I'm not an expert in interior design. But I really have a passion for just decluttering. And I always want to help other people do it. But I try to like, stay away from it. Unless somebody asks, do you think I should start a business for decluttering? Like having inspiring people to have cleaner products in their lives so they don't get cancer.

Kyle: [00:38:15] And was what was that person? There was a Netflix show that that lady had like all this, like everybody throwing out all their stuff.

Christina: [00:38:23] Yeah. What was that called? She was a she is a book two or whatever. Yeah. And my method is very similar doesn't hers like, uh, you know, if it has joy and is useful. Yeah. Something like that.

Aaron: [00:38:35] The stuff I didn't, actually watch it. Purging stuff is actually very nice. We did that over the winter and that that is good.

Christina: [00:38:42] It feels good.

Kyle: [00:38:43] Yeah. Clearing out clutter for sure.

Christina: [00:38:44] Like, I don't think it feels good for hoarders because there's like an actual mental illness. Yeah, that's probably the most painful thing to get rid of your junk. Um, and some. Not that it's all junk, but, uh, as. Yeah, I just when you realize.

Aaron: [00:39:00] There's too much stuff around, it's like, I really got to do something here. Yeah.

Christina: [00:39:04] Or it could just be like someone who just can't bear or doesn't even know where to start. They want to make the move. They just need someone to come in and be like, all right, here's the deal. We're going to do this.

Kyle: [00:39:13] Yeah. You could be like a coach. Yeah. Like a good to be like like they had that person that can kind of like, you know what's not be biased or whatever. Like they don't really know, like, well, this doesn't look like it's once you can be like, when's the last time you used this. Yeah. Like ten years ago. Well, what do you think about that? Like, maybe we should just get rid of that. Yeah. Some of the stuff dad was talking about, like, you know, you have all this stuff in storage, it's like, well, when's the last time you had that out and used it? Like, why is that still a thing? Why is that being it's taking up real estate space in a container somewhere. It's like, are you getting any enjoyment out of that?

Christina: [00:39:46] What about this here's what have you ever put stuff in storage and then forgotten it even existed? Yes. You know, that's that's something I want to dive deep with people because, you know, I know my family is kind of like that. Um. Yeah. Mom, I'm talking about you. I love you, but I went through this with my mom recently, and she's just done so well. Um, but I think it was really hard for her because a lot of it is tied to memories. But if you literally. But there's stuff in boxes, you may. You you just may never ever you totally, literally forget it's there and it's taking up space and it's hard to clean around stuff. And then it's so why? Why not just let it go?

Kyle: [00:40:26] They're being hard to clean around stuff because you have too much stuff is like, that's the thing that like, drives me like absolutely insane. Same. And I have to, like, move things around or like put. Yeah, I totally get that. And, um, our parents right now are going through this, like, they're not like, our parents aren't elderly, but they're both going through this, like, weird phase of, like, being retired and thinking like, we could die anytime now. We don't want to have all this stuff for you guys to get rid of and all this.

Christina: [00:40:52] Oh, that's nice of them.

Kyle: [00:40:53] So it's like that's kind of sort of their angle, like where they're coming from. Plus my mom like I get she's like I'm like her. Whereas she likes to keep everything really clean. But she doesn't want to have to like, move something to to clean around it all the time. It's really irritating and I totally understand that. Like, yeah, I have a small house and I have a lot of room, but I do have a lot of stuff because as you know, music stuff takes up a lot of room. It does. And you need like a lot of it to like, do your thing sometimes.

Christina: [00:41:22] I know, I know, that's hard when you, especially when you're recording things you want to have maybe different, um, you know, different types of instruments and or amps to get a certain sound, let's say. But, um, maybe you could if I start this business, you could maybe be my Halifax rep, and I'd do it, and I'll be the North Shore Cumberland County rep. But, you know, maybe we could get people to hire us, like in other parts of the world. Yeah. Like, yo, you want in on. Just zoom in. Aaron, would you be good at this, too?

Kyle: [00:41:50] Oh, probably.He's the muscle.

Christina: [00:41:51] You're the muscle. Do you have any back problems? No. Not yet. Okay. Okay, cool. Aaron's going to be our. Yeah, the muscle for sure. And we're the. We're going to be the boss. He like here's what we're doing. All right. And Holly do you want in I mean.

Holly: [00:42:05] I'm going to be on the opposite end.

Christina: [00:42:07] Holly. Do we. We're going to have to have an intervention with Holly.

Kyle: [00:42:09] You should see Holly's little art room that she has.

Christina: [00:42:12] Uh oh.

Holly: [00:42:13] I know where everything is. 

Kyle: [00:42:16] Except when I get at it.

Christina: [00:42:17] I have. Do you want it to be an order?

Holly: [00:42:19] Um, maybe.

Christina: [00:42:21] I, uh, one time I worked at our. 

Aaron: [00:42:22] First customer.

Christina: [00:42:23] Yeah, you're our first customer, but we'll, you know, pro bono because, um, we need a testimonial. And if we don't charge you, hopefully it'll be better. Testimonial. Um. Hey, what are you guys got? Like, what do you got in the go right now? Like, are you.

Kyle: [00:42:38] We've got a whole bunch of cool things on the go. We're hopefully getting our we have that, uh, the cool rides and pool sides LP. It's done. It's pressed. It's like it's actually a real pro promise 100% like it's been like kind of in the works for, for years and like it's actually like the music has been done, the art's been done. Everything's been done for like two and a half years. But the record process.

Christina: [00:43:02] Can be painful. It can be painful. Let's just. Let's admit it.

Kyle: [00:43:06] Yeah, there's so many.

Aaron: [00:43:07] We're totally over it now. I just want to make a new album.

Christina: [00:43:10] I hear you.

Kyle: [00:43:10] We actually have two other albums. Waiting in the wings. Waiting in the wings. Yeah, that's great, but I think at this point I just I need to go down to the United States to get them and then bring them.

Christina: [00:43:22] Road trip. Are you guys ever do you ever think about just not printing, um, physical anymore? Because I do think of that from now on, just it's just so much work and money and outrageous.

Aaron: [00:43:34] Expensive.

Christina: [00:43:34] Like less and less people are buying. It's hard to predict. Yeah. You know, so just.

Kyle: [00:43:40] Well, we. Didn't we didn't do that stuff for the longest time. We didn't make like we used to hand make CDs like we, I would burn the CD and then we would like draw on the CD and make like a little paper sleeve for it. And that's what we did. The record thing only popped up like a couple of years ago, and we were like, we should do like one, we can do one. That'd be really cool. And then we did one and it was like it was stressful, but it was like to see it done was really cool. And we're like, we got to do another one. And then what happened was, is that we there was this guy in the States that liked our stuff and offered to pay for one of them. So we're like, well, we can't say no to that if it's free. So he made us like a bunch of little 40 fives, like little seven inch records or whatever. And then he and then he sold. I think he he sold most of his share and we've sold a lot of our share. And then he was like, hey, do you want to make a full LP? Which brings us to the next thing. So, you know, because they're being paid for for us, it's kind of hard to like say no. It's like, it's so, so tempting. But yeah, I mean, especially after this one being such a, such a, a long road to get it done.

Aaron: [00:44:50] And I just want to see it.

Kyle: [00:44:53] I just want to see it, I want to have it. But like, I don't I think I have like I have like one more really good idea left in me for like a physical record.

Christina: [00:45:01] Okay. One more.

Kyle: [00:45:02] Yeah. At least at least one more. And I don't think it's ever been done before. And I'm really excited about it. I could tell you about it.

Christina: [00:45:09] Okay. If you want. Yeah. Will this be the premiere that we're. You know, I heard about.

Kyle: [00:45:14] And I just. I just hope no one gets to it before we do.

Aaron: [00:45:16] Gonna we were gonna, like, not say about it, but.

Kyle: [00:45:19] Now it's like it's about it.

Christina: [00:45:21] Well, yeah. No musicians listen to this podcast so.

Kyle: [00:45:27] Well, this one I'll say this one is if you like board games. Boy, have we got something for you. Oh yeah. So I went online on Amazon and I found little spinners that fit perfectly inside of the hole of a record.

Christina: [00:45:43] Oh you know, oh, boy, I know. I think it's going to be a game. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:45:48] So the record is part of the game. So I want the B-side label to be like the numbers. So then you attach the spinner and you can spin it on the record.

Christina: [00:45:57] Yeah, that's awesome.

Kyle: [00:45:58] Craziest, coolest.

Christina: [00:45:59] Yeah.

Kyle: [00:46:00] And then the back of the of the of the artwork. Like so the front cover will be one thing. It will be. It's going to be Bonshaw 500, which is a reference to a defunct go kart track in Prince Edward Island. And then on the back is the board game. So we'll have like little punchout with cards and you can race them around this track. And then the board game like the little like there. We're gonna have like the song names kind of like pieced into little bits of, of the racetrack. Yeah. You know, so like one one's called Lost Bonanza mine. So there's gonna be a little mine, uh, up at the top or whatever. And you can kind of. You race your car around the mine and all this kind of stuff. So. Yeah, I think that'd be really. It's it's super us. 

Christina: [00:46:37] Great idea. And it's. Yeah, it's totally on brand.

Kyle: [00:46:40] It is.

Christina: [00:46:41] But also could pair nicely with your, um, with your Christmas book.

Kyle: [00:46:47] Yeah, yeah. Because it's like it's a kid friendly. Like it's like a toy. Yeah. You know,

Aaron: [00:46:52] Which once again, that comes back to like, we like the, the toys and the, you know,

Kyle: [00:46:58] We had good childhoods and remember that stuff fondly. And that's the stuff that we really liked is like just hanging out, being creative, playing with toys, just like the looks of things like sometimes it's just like the way like a toy would, like, feel in your hands, you know, it's kind of like a weird sensation sometimes, but like all that stuff just sort of. I think some people lose it. They just like, we got to grow up and get rid of these toys and this kind of stuff. This is what kids do or whatever it's like. We grew up in some ways, like we both have adult, grown up big guy jobs or whatever. But like, yeah, I still buy Hot Wheels cars. He still buys Hot Wheels cars. Like we still play.

Aaron: [00:47:34] All of these things can be part of the band. Like I can use the those toy cars and like the promo pictures, like with the little the miniature guys. And that's what I that's what we do.

Kyle: [00:47:45] But people freak out when they see it, especially if it's like a toy that they have they had when they were a kid or something like especially Aaron collects a lot of like older toys, so they'll like, uh, you know, see, like this old Tonka truck. Oh, I had one of those when I was a kid. I haven't seen one of those years. That's so cool. Where'd you guys get that? Oh, can I buy one or whatever?

Kyle: [00:48:01] So, like that, our music kind of, like, appeals to, like, it's not just the music. It's like the stuff we post and, like, all the toys like that. That kind of resonates with people, too. Yeah. In a, in a, you know, kind of fun way.

Aaron: [00:48:12] Everything we like try to incorporate it in some way to make it part of the band.

Christina: [00:48:17] I could see that with you, y'all. How you just never have. You've never abandoned that. It's just, um, still here. It's. But it's one of the reasons why I think you you do have such great, uh, just great ideas that, um, bring people so much joy. Um, and I think that's just a good reminder for other people that incorporating a little more play into your life, you know, if it's just so heavy, it we can't sustain that heaviness. It makes us sick, you know.

Kyle: [00:48:50] Yeah, I use that word a lot. The heavy word. And that's I talk about like our music not being like, it's not like heavy. There's no lyrical content like, so you don't really have to think about it too much. You just, like, just hear it. Yeah. And just like, like resonate with it or whatever. And then there's like the visual aspect where, you know, it's kind of very physical. It's a very.

Christina: [00:49:09] I was yes, I wanted to bring that up too. There's a physicality to the performing. Um, that is so fun. It's so fun. It must be liberating.

Kyle: [00:49:18] It is. It's it's like I was thinking about just be okay with being silly or like, just like, that's kind of what it is. It's just like I get, like, you get so pumped up at a show, especially if there's a lot of people there and they're like, all smiling at you or you're nervous or whatever. And then the adrenaline's going like crazy. And I just like, that's the stuff that, like, naturally comes out of me is like, okay, I see. Yeah, I'll just I'll look around sometimes and I'll see something like, oh, there's a, there's people sitting at a table and they look like they're like, maybe they're grumpy or something. And I'm like, those are the people that I'm going to go over to and I'm gonna like, go underneath their table and do something crazy. And then like, I just I just kind of go with the ideas that's kind of will myself to do them. But like, yeah, just be okay with being silly. Just be silly. I think.

Christina: [00:50:04] Like, were you ever scared when you try to do that stuff or were you like, no, I'm just going to do this or do you guys is fear a part of your lives or, or like nerves or anything like that when you're trying something new?

Kyle: [00:50:16] Well, before a show, I'm definitely like, I'm always really nervous and I'm not really sure what to, you know, what to expect, you know? So like it's it's not until like, things get going and then I just kind of let it all go. Yeah. But like like right now, like thinking about it, I'm like, did I did that one time or, you know, like, I can't believe I did that, especially after a show. And like, you do something really silly or something funny or I, you know, like I jump off a stage or whatever.

Christina: [00:50:44] Yeah, I've seen you running around.

Aaron: [00:50:45] You ran across the street, through the restaurant, up the stairs, and then played on there upstairs, like their rooftop balcony or a patio thing. Yeah, yeah.

Kyle: [00:50:54] And I went back downstairs, back across the street in front of a bus and then kept on playing.

Christina: [00:50:58] I think I saw the clip of that and I was like, way to go. That's awesome.

Kyle: [00:51:02] Like just in the moment, there's, there's not much like there's some aspects of it that are kind of like the they're scripted or choreographed at this point, like there's certain songs that have certain moves maybe, but like there's a lot of it that's just like, just go, just like flow, you know, let the let the movement, let it just come out of you or whatever.

Christina: [00:51:20] I love it.

Kyle: [00:51:21] Yeah it's pretty freeing.

Christina: [00:51:22] Free. There's so much that I could talk to you guys about. I mean, we're going to talk more because we're going to barbecue and I'm going to take you out, um, to Oxford to see my friend's store. Uh, I didn't even cover, like, cancer because you're a cancer survivor. What about you, Aaron? No. Oh, sorry.

Kyle: [00:51:38] He's good.

Christina: [00:51:39] You're good. Oh. Is that that must have been kind of freaky, eh? When your bro.

Aaron: [00:51:42] That was a little weird.

Kyle: [00:51:43] We thought the band was toast. Yeah.

Christina: [00:51:45] You thought you were gonna die?

Kyle: [00:51:46] Uh, not just that. I was gonna. At least that I thought that, like, my hand would stop working because they had to take all the lymph nodes out of my left arm.

Christina: [00:51:54] You got no lymph nodes over there?

Kyle: [00:51:55] Yeah, yeah, it's all gone. That was all like 20, wasn't it? Like 23 or 24.

Aaron: [00:51:59] Your arm was like, completely numb. Oh, yeah.

Kyle: [00:52:01] I woke up from the surgery and I think they had me kind of, like, pinned up with my arms in the air for, like, a long time while they did the, the lymph node surgery. So both my hands were numb for a week. And I actually thought like that, I just wasn't going to get it back.

Christina: [00:52:14] So, dude, that's not surgery. That's like a kinky sex cult of some kind. Yeah, yeah. Don't know what.

Kyle: [00:52:22] I got to talk to Doctor Giacomo Antonio about that one again. Yeah.

Aaron: [00:52:25] What were you doing? What was.

Christina: [00:52:27] What was that? Have hooks in your back. And were you up on a wall?

Kyle: [00:52:30] Um, so it felt like it when I woke up, that's for sure.

Christina: [00:52:33] What kind of cancer was it?

Kyle: [00:52:35] I had melanoma, and it just, like, spread everywhere.

Christina: [00:52:37] Oh, yeah. You told me that before. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:52:39] I've got a big scar on my stomach. 

Aaron: [00:52:40] It's shaped like a G.

Christina: [00:52:41] Yeah, it is shaped like a G. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:52:43] Here, I'll show you it.

Christina: [00:52:45] That is so badass.

Kyle: [00:52:47] Right?

Christina: [00:52:47] You guys should post that on your social media. Yeah, yeah, that's a that's a cool scar, though. It's actually quite.

Kyle: [00:52:54] It's pretty. Yeah. It's pretty intense. Like, it's still, like numb around there. Like you never like get it didn't tell me that kind of stuff. You know, at first I was like, yeah, you're gonna, like, lose sensation in all these different parts. Yeah. It's like the nerve damage or whatever. Like, I can't even feel my arm from like my, my shoulder down to my elbow and like the, the arm that like, you know, they took the lymph nodes out of. But you.

Christina: [00:53:15] Can still play now obviously, because.

Kyle: [00:53:17] Yeah, I mean I kind of like it's a little slower. I had to like modify the way I do things and it kind of hurts sometimes or whatever.

Christina: [00:53:24] When did this happen?

Kyle: [00:53:25] Um, I was I was 23, so it was like 2011. Yeah. Um,

Christina: [00:53:32] That's scary when you're a you're a kid. You're a kid.

Kyle: [00:53:34] I was yeah, I was, and I just thought like it was, I just thought I was toast. Like, I looked it up and like, oh, this, this is what killed Bob Marley and stuff. And like, you look at the worst stuff. Terrible when you get, you know, sick or whatever you like. Go on Google Now. And it's like the worst thing in the world to do that is to like, Google your sickness and see, like the worst case scenario all the time. But that's what I did. Yeah. And everything I saw was really bad. And then they were telling me to. I was like there's a there's a really good chance that you're going to have this thing called lymphedema. Yes. And I'm sure you know about that now.

Christina: [00:54:06] Like, yeah, with my mom going through breast cancer.

Kyle: [00:54:08] Yeah, she probably would to have had to have the lymph nodes taken out.

Christina: [00:54:11] She's having them all taken out now. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Kyle: [00:54:13] So this is kind of like a yeah. It's this same same thing. But like I only had like one arm done. But yeah, it's, um, lymphedema is like a, like, it's just the, the lymphatic fluid has no place to go. So it just kind of like builds up in your arm or wherever the, you know, and it swells up and they're like, yeah, there's a good chance that'll happen to you, and you probably won't be able to use your fingers that much, like you won't be able if you get that, dexterity will be gone.

Christina: [00:54:40] Yeah. All very much something to look forward to. Yeah, but have you had that?

Kyle: [00:54:45] No, but I have, like I get this pain in, like the top of my hand. That's really frustrating sometimes. And I'll, it'll kind of like make my hand go into a fist and stay there for a while. Oh, wow. You kind of have to, like, watch it. You know, I stretch a lot and I have to watch what I eat.

Christina: [00:55:00] And do you wear a sleeve? I've heard like.

Kyle: [00:55:03] No, but I did have, like, a for a little while I was wearing like a little bit of, like wrist compression and stuff like that, just to kind of see if it would help. But I think it just kind of made me weaker. So I just stopped doing it and just try to try to strengthen instead of like supporting it. I tried to like, strengthen the muscles around there. Yeah, I thought that was the right way to go. And it seems to be like, you know, like that was that was over ten years ago. And I'm still we're still doing it. I'm still going. Yeah. 

Christina: [00:55:29] You're like, are you in remission? What is the term? Are you cured? What's the deal?

Kyle: [00:55:34] Well, it's sort of like I didn't have to do chemo or any of the things that like, you know, like usually kind of associate with, like getting over cancer or whatever. It was all surgery stuff. So like, I went in, I went in, uh, just to have I had, like, a mole removed on my stomach that was like bleeding all the time. And I didn't really think anything of it. I just thought like, hey, there's this mole bleeding and it's ruining all my white work shirts. And I had to Band-Aid it up all the time. So I'm like, okay, it's not healing. Don't know what the frig. So I went and had it removed and at the same time I had one on my back removed. Like, that was just like a big one. It wasn't bleeding, but I just had it removed. And I thought, like I thought like if there was a problem with any of them, it would be that one on my back, because it was huge and it was gross and it had a hair coming out of it or whatever.

Christina: [00:56:18] Nice.

Kyle: [00:56:19] Yeah, I know, it's nasty.

Christina: [00:56:20] We've got some of those in our house. Don't worry.

Kyle: [00:56:22] I'm a very freckled person still. Like, it's just the way our our whole family is kind of like that.

Christina: [00:56:27] Don't look behind my right ear.

Aaron: [00:56:29] Dark moles everywhere.

Christina: [00:56:31] Yeah, yeah, I think I beat you guys, but.

Aaron: [00:56:33] So I've had them checked out.

Christina: [00:56:35] They're okay.

Kyle: [00:56:36] He's good.

Christina: [00:56:36] You're good. So are they good.

Kyle: [00:56:38] So the one on my back was fine. And then they, they said like the one on my stomach was, was I always kind of exaggerate it and say it was loaded with melanoma, but like, yeah, it had melanoma and then like, so what we have to do is like in a month you're going to have to come to the hospital and then we're going to take a larger area around that mole, take all that skin off, and then kind of stitch it back together. And at the same time we're going to take two lymph nodes out for biopsy. And then they when I went there, I didn't know where they would take the lymph nodes from. That wasn't decided until I got there. And this guy, who actually was a friend of mine and I didn't realize it was going to be him, and he's like, oh, dude, you're going to hate me after this. And he pulled up this needle that was like a mile long, this huge needle. And he's like, I'm gonna pump this stuff in you. And it's going to either highlight the lymph nodes in your groin or your armpit. And I couldn't decide, and I still don't know, like, what would have been worse? Probably the groin, but I don't know. Um, so anyway, they like they go, they go up to like, my arm and they're like, so we're going to take the ones that are. And I was asking questions. I was like, so where are they coming from? Because I had to know, like, it's going to be going to be your arm. So anyway, they took the ones out of my arm at surgery, and I remember waking up, I remember going into that surgery kind of being like Mr. Tough Guy, thinking like, it'd be as easy as having my wisdom teeth out. And I woke up and I was like, I just was like, curled in a ball because, like, my stomach had been, like, stitched back together right where that scar is. And it was really just tight and my arm hurt to move that.

Christina: [00:58:08] That's right. You can't laugh. You can't cough.

Kyle: [00:58:10] Yeah. No, it was just awful.

Christina: [00:58:12] You want to laugh, but you it hurts. Yeah. Yeah.

Kyle: [00:58:15] Well, I woke up laughing from my, my my surgery there to get my wisdom teeth out, and that's what I thought I'd just be like, ho ho ho ho ho, I'm all high on this or whatever. I'm just gonna laugh. I was like, no, I woke up and I just, like, curled in a ball and they just kind of, like, left me there for a while and like, told my parents and my parents came in and, and stuff like that. And so I actually was really stupid. And I went to work the next day, I like I walked down to work like all like hobbled over, like, and I stayed for half a day and then I was like, ah, I can't do it. I just got to go home. So I went home and I think I stayed home for the rest of the week or something like that. But then within two weeks we played a show and then what? But they sent the lymph nodes outside. This is a long story. They they took the lymph nodes out and to test them to see if there was more melanoma or whatever. And there was and I don't know, it might have been like a week or two weeks later I heard about it.

Kyle: [00:59:08] My mom worked at the doctor's office, so she would like, get this stuff, like right away. So, like, she's the one who actually, like, she, she told me before the doctor that I had melanoma in the first place. And she came home in tears that day. And she's like, this is so bad. And she like, like showed me the thing. And it was the same thing again. Like it just like we thought it was kind of, you know, crisis averted. Kyle had his surgery and got I think we got rid of it all, but we didn't. There was just. There was more. So then I had to. I was scheduled for a surgery. So this is like we're talking, uh, Christmas time. And then January was the surgery. And then the next surgery I was scheduled for was in April. And that one was like a more intense surgery because I had to have all the lymph nodes out. And, uh, I also had like a, like a Jackson Pratt bag. Kind of like, there's this little scar there on my armpit there. Oh, a little drain. Yeah, like the drainage or whatever, which was just gross because it's like, it's like blood and guts.

Christina: [01:00:06] I drained my mom's.

Kyle: [01:00:06] Yeah, blood and guts coming out. And you just kind of have to, like, deal with it or whatever. But, yeah, I woke up from that surgery and I was more scared going into that surgery because I was so freaked out about my hands and stuff like that, and not being able to do, like, play guitar again or play video games again, I thought, like this. This could really suck. Mhm. Um, and the fact that I woke up and both of my hands were numb and stayed numb for a week, I thought like, well, I don't know why my right hand is numb. Like they didn't do anything to that arm, but like, yeah. So for like a week and then it just came back, but like it hurt. So like that arm hurt so much. And I had this thing called chording, which is like scar tissue that kind of builds up around the area. And then it will like, go like you literally see it. It looks like a cord that goes like from like one side of your armpit to the other side of your armpit, all the way down your arm. And mine went up into the top of my hand, and it was just like this real tight, gross feeling, like scar tissue. And I'm not really sure. Like, I don't know, like the science behind it. Like why that happens. Like if it's just the trauma from getting the surgery done or whatever, but like, it was nasty. And I looked up like, like I got to get rid of this thing. So like they gave me exercises and exercises to do, like where you take your fingers and you crawl up the wall.

Christina: [01:01:20] Oh yeah. My mom does that.

Kyle: [01:01:21] Yeah. To kind of like stretch things out or whatever. Yeah. So I would do that. But like I would push it to the point of like extreme pain because I was like I had I had read stuff that like, you can just like snap that off, you can just break that right off. And I did it and it was disgusting. I was like, I was going up the wall as far as I could, and I would push it, and then I would try to bend my arms backwards. And you could just feel like this was the worst stretch of your life. It was so disgusting. And then one day it just went like I heard it and I felt it. It was just like a cut and it was gone.

Christina: [01:01:51] What?

Kyle: [01:01:53] Yeah.

Christina: [01:01:53] And and it's disgusting. Just just dissipated in you. Your body absorbed it or what? Yeah.

Kyle: [01:01:58] That's like I just kind of like it'll it actually still kind of can come back. Okay. Like if I just was, like, if I led a very sedentary life and I sat around and I didn't exercise and I didn't do stuff like it would definitely come back.

Christina: [01:02:13] Oh my God.

Kyle: [01:02:13] So you had to kind of keep moving.

Christina: [01:02:14] I'm gonna tell this to my mom.

Kyle: [01:02:16] So that was my experience. I wouldn't it was. 

Christina: [01:02:18] Well she's getting her lymph nodes all removed. So doctor Kyle. Doctor Kyle. Not a doctor. Just my. Not a doctor. Medical doctor. Not a doctor. Yeah.

Kyle: [01:02:26] That's me. So that's that's my story with Cancer.

Christina: [01:02:30] Glad you survived that, buddy.

Kyle: [01:02:31] Yeah, I go for regular checkups. If there's anything that's weird, like a mole or whatever, I've had other things removed, like on my nose or whatever. Anytime I'm paranoid.

Christina: [01:02:39] You're like, get rid of it. Yep. Yeah. Yep.

Kyle: [01:02:41] I'm the surgery king. They even had double jaw surgery.

Christina: [01:02:44] I've been there, I remember that. I've had the jaw. I'm part of the jaw surgery club as well, not double single, but that's another episode of a chat with Heart podcast. Hey though. Listen, I have we were talking about, uh, AI earlier and, uh, so I'm not a huge fan of it. Um, but it can be useful, I'm not going to lie. But what I started to do was I have these little goodbye statements that I read to my guests now, and I use I to make them just. I'm just so curious to see how what it's going to come up with.

Kyle: [01:03:15] What do they think about us.

Christina: [01:03:16] Yeah. So, uh, you ready for your goodbye statement? Yes. Okay. Okay, here I go. Goodbye. Green reflectors. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for being such awesome guests on the chat with Heart podcast. Your love of cats and Christmas is truly heartwarming. And let's and let's be real, you should have.

Aaron: [01:03:42] Talked about cats more.

Christina: [01:03:43] Yeah I know. And let's be real you're loud in your face. Riff rock sound and those extremely physical shows are what make you guys a true delight. You really know how to make people happy. No matter how many guitar strings you break or amps you blow. Do you do that? Does that happen?

Kyle: [01:04:02] How many amps I blow?

Christina: [01:04:03] But, um.

Kyle: [01:04:05] Kurt Cobain, a couple guitars. Cobain a few guitars. Yeah. And that riff rock phrase that sounds eerily familiar to something that I wrote.

Christina: [01:04:12] Oh, well, I plagiarism and hey, who cares if you might have different mothers or fathers? You're a family in rock and roll and that's what counts. Keep rocking, keep loving those cats and keep the Christmas spirit alive all year round. Stay loud. And then my personal edition was. Thanks for all of your support across many years.

Aaron: [01:04:36] Did the. I not know that we were brothers.

Christina: [01:04:39] Um, I almost sounded like that pulled off of, uh, your bio that said you your brothers. But you don't look like brothers. Yeah, yeah.

Kyle: [01:04:48] So that's how they interpreted that. Yeah.

Christina: [01:04:50] That's interesting. Yeah, that I thought that part of that was really great. A lot of it actually. Um, I couldn't have, couldn't have said it better myself and didn't say it better than you because it's pulled from most of what you've written.

Kyle: [01:05:03] Some of it was, yeah.

Christina: [01:05:04] This is a real hoot. You guys like, I'm excited about the barbecue. I'm excited you brought all this stuff. I'm excited to share this episode and, uh, all the fun picks that we've got. Holly, I'm glad you came. Yeah. Thanks for being here, Holly.

Kyle: [01:05:15] Thanks for putting up with me.

Christina: [01:05:18] All right. I think we're done.

Song 'I Don't Want to Say Goodbye to You': [01:05:20] I don't want to say goodbye to you. Oh, I don't want to say goodbye to you.

Heartbeat Hotline: [01:05:44] Welcome to the heartbeat hotline 19026694769. I'm the host of a chat with heart podcast, Christina Martin, and I'm so excited you called. Leave me your question, a suggestion for the podcast, or a comment about this episode. Please be aware your message may be used on the podcast and social media. Tell me your name, where you're calling from and it's also fine if you want to remain anonymous. Thanks for listening. Have a great fucking day!

Christina: [01:06:17] Thanks for listening to a Chat with Heart podcast produced by me, Cristina Martin. Co-produced and engineered by my husband, Dale Murray. Dale is a stellar singer, songwriter and music producer, so check out his website dalemurray.ca. The podcast theme song 'Talk about It' and 'I Don't Want to Say Goodbye to You' were written by me and recorded by Dale. Visit my bandcamp to find a CDs, vinyl, digital music and fun merch like custom made puzzles and temporary tattoo packs. Become a monthly or yearly supporter of this podcast and my music endeavors on Patreon. If you're new to Patreon, it's a membership platform that helps creators get paid. I love it! Sign up as a free or paid member at Patreon.com.ChristinaMartin. I would love it if you had time to share rate, leave a review and subscribe to a Chat with Heart on all the places you listen to podcasts. Wishing you, my little heartbeat listeners a great day.