[00:00:00] Welcome to Trevor McCormack Music Podcast. I'm Chrissie Mack from Radio Northern Beaches and I couldn't be more excited to kick off this musical journey with you. Joining me is my brother, the legendary Trevor McCormack, known as Mack, a true storyteller and music enthusiast.
[00:00:18] With each episode, we're peeling back the layers behind the hits, sharing untold stories from artists and exploring what sparks the creativity behind the music that moves us all. Whether you're a diehard music fan or just love discovering new sounds, this is the place where passion meets storytelling.
[00:00:38] So, hit the follow button, share this with your fellow music lovers and leave a review. Your support keeps the vibe alive. Turn up the volume and get ready to be inspired. And let's dive into the world of music together. Let's go! Well, it's time for Trevor and Chrissie's chat again today and how are you doing, Trev? Hi! Yeah, another big day at work, but all going good. We've made some progress with some things, so we're moving forward.
[00:01:06] So, I gave you a task to do. Did you complete your task? Uh-oh. Anybody out there, can they help me? Yes, I did. Because I've been reorganising my workload through three days a week instead of five or seven. I've got that done and then I could make some phone calls and contact some people, which I've done. A couple of the contestants in the Country Stars, I'm having a chat with those guys.
[00:01:34] And I give Cole a ring, because Cole Finlay actually said give him a ring and touch base, which I did just yesterday, the day before I think it was. And he called me back. I left a message. He called me back and said, yeah, Trev, mate, let's get together. Let's have some fun. Like, come up, we'll have a coffee and have a chat and sort some music stuff out and see what you want to do. Brilliant! Yeah, looking forward to that one. That's coming up soon, hopefully. And?
[00:01:58] And, okay, from there, I'd messaged a fellow that I met the weekend before a big country stars. He's in Nashville or Tennessee, somewhere, I think Nashville it is, which I thought he was only going for a week. And then I thought about it after I sent a message. I thought, well, you wouldn't just fly over there for a week. You must be out there for a month. I knew he was over there for one something. And so he messaged me back and said, no, I'm still over in Nashville, in the States. He says, as soon as I get back, I'll call you.
[00:02:25] Now, he promised me, because I want to go down to the Gympie Muster. For some reason, I've never been to the Gympie Muster. And I've got a friend, I said, come on, let's go down there and take some guitars and hang out. Rob shoulders with a few people around the campsites and have a bit of fun and see some good music. And he said to me, my friend I met, which is through a friend, through a friend. And he said, oh, Trev, when you come up here, come and hang out backstage with us and with the boys. Yeah, see what we do. Let's have some fun.
[00:02:54] So I'll get to the same thing. Rub a few shoulders with a few people, which will open some doors, I hope. And I might get some more of my music up into the bigger stages. That's the plan anyway. Well, you're sort of getting around with the right people. So hopefully that will help. Yeah, well, that's the thing. We've opened some doors and they're lovely people and they love their music and they love people who love their music. So I'm in the right place.
[00:03:18] So I've opened some right channels and hopefully we can do a bit more serious work rather than me working around the clockers on the maintenance. And I can actually hold the guitar for a bit longer. That will be excellent. That will be lovely. Now, we also managed to get some video clips from the Country Stars show, which were made available to us. So we've downloaded those and I'll have a look at those. Have you had a look at them properly yet?
[00:03:48] I have not had time. That's how busy I am. So I think I've glanced at some of the photography photos, the stills. But yeah, not clear enough. Yeah, well, we've organized some of the photography from there as well. So I've paid for that and I'm just waiting to find out how to download them or how we get them. And I've got videos. But I was really pleased with the video they took of your new song, Velvet Howl. Oh, no, no, that's our song. Well, yes, I did help with that one.
[00:04:17] I just wanted to write this and they went, wow. It's just acoustic, but they did a good job of recording it. So once you've okayed it, I'll put it up for everybody to have a listen to. Oh, I'd love to see that myself. So there you go. Because it's funny, you're on a stage and you do what you do and you enjoy it. Actually, I was a little nervous on that day for some reason. And it got the better of me, but I don't think anyone noticed. So we got through it.
[00:04:43] But you don't often see back at yourself how you look, what you do, how it sounds. And we did a gig the Saturday after the Country Stars, the Saturday night, I did a gig. And a lady must have been taking footage of the singing and all what we were doing. And I saw a bit of that. Boy, you don't realize how much you muck up when you're up there on stage and having a great time and stirring up the audience. Yeah. Well, that's what was kind of a little bit missing on the competition.
[00:05:12] Like I knew that you were a little bit nervous because it wasn't your usual flair. Yeah, they were all sort of just staring at you. Watch your occalibble. Anyway, no, it came across quite well. So when you approve it, I'll put it up for everybody to listen to because that's a brand new song. Yeah. Well, you get the same with all the, you know, you have your TV shows, all your judges and they're judging the people singing the songs. Well, those people have never been judged in their life.
[00:05:39] The judges, they've just got into music and grew and become somebody. And they even say it. They go, I don't think I could do it. It's like, well, yeah, it's scary. All right. So what else have you been up to? Other than that, I just, I came back. I went down yesterday. It's back to the, what we call HQ headquarters at the DKM Music.
[00:06:04] We've made up flyers, business cards, and we've got a sign out the front of the shop now so people know. Walk up those stairs and you'll find some talented boys and you can learn how to play guitar and sing and do vocals and all sorts of things. Pardon me. So I spent the day up there. Had to finish off, hang a big TV on the wall so we can run some music videos when people are waiting. Tried to get up a few things. Put a ding-a-ling bell on the door.
[00:06:32] You know the old ding-a-ling when you open the door? Yeah. Like the old fish and chip shop or the butcher shop. Ding-a-ling-a-ling. Yeah, probably a lot of the young ones wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about. So I said to Dave, I'll put your ding-a-ling. He thought that was quite funny. And a few things, a few cameras around, just a bit of safety. And we're all done. He's all set, ready to go. All I have to do is clean out, I suppose, my room. We stocked my teaching room full of bits from the other previous place we were in.
[00:07:02] So Shelley and Dave will sort of get stuck into that. And if I get a chance, I'll get back down there next week and, yeah, thin it out. And say, right, this is all going to go. I need space. So he's already got me one client who wants to do vocal and singing. And a funny thing, I know I probably can't talk about it yet, but, well, we've got a place already that have just said you guys are playing in our new shop when we open it. And I'll tell you more about that down the track. Ooh, a mystery.
[00:07:30] We've got the cardigan bar and we've got somewhere else. And by the time I settle down there, I'm sure we'll have about three or four places around that area. We'll be just playing regularly here and there and try out new songs. We're going to take our customers. My aim is to get our customers that want to play in public is to get them to a level, a certain level, take them over to the cardigan bar on an open mic night, and we'll get up on stage with them just in case they have a nervous breakdown.
[00:08:00] Which is easy to do. It's not hard to do. It's just sort of freezing to get everything. But they're learning. So it's expected. So we'll get them up there and we'll back them. That's good practice. Yeah. So if it's a guitarist who wants to do leads, we'll go, all right, we're going to sing two songs. This is what it's going to be. That's what you've been learning. Dave or I'll sing. And I'll play rhythm. Dave will back in with the lead guitar behind him playing lead guitar.
[00:08:29] And if he's fine, Dave will just fade away in the background and let him run. If it's a singer, then we put the singer up and we'll put a mic beside Dave and myself. And we'll harmonize and just cover him or her if they sort of break down a little bit or fail a few lines. So it gives them just that confidence of, wow, look, I'm up on a stage and I'm looking at all these people, which is a scary thing when you're up there. They're all looking at me. Yeah. Well, it's all really good experience.
[00:08:58] And to be able to provide that as well as teach them is a plus. Well, I don't think anyone does that in the teaching skills. We want to take them out as soon as they're ready. One song, just get one song down pat. Right, let's go do it. Let's get you up there. Let's show you what it's all about. Shake them up and have a bit of fun and bring their families and friends and just, yeah, watch them go. We watched one the other week over there, a young guy that Dave had been teaching for quite some years.
[00:09:28] And, oh, wow, it just blew me away. This kid, what, he'd be 17? He can sing like he wouldn't believe. He can play guitar like I've never seen him. Like, he's obviously Dave's taught him, you can tell, because he plays guitar just like Dave plays. Yeah, you were telling us about him last week, yeah. Yeah, so he got the gig on the weekend, on the Saturday night or the Sunday to play all by himself and do whatever he does. Oh, well done. And that's the encouragement we want to give these guys.
[00:09:58] Look, you can do this. You know, you can do what we do. Just, yeah, mate, come in here and we'll give you the best of what we can give. And it's up to you then to practice and let's put you on the stage and go for it. That's excellent. I'm so glad to hear that's happening. I'm really excited about this. It's just something Dave and I have always wanted to hang out and work together and play music because we don't play enough. He works around the clock. I work around the clock. So now we've freed the end of the weeks. We can sort of start doing this now.
[00:10:28] So just the other day, like yesterday I was over there. I went down and stayed at Shelly's and Dave's because it was a bit of a trip back. And I thought, oh, I'll come and have dinner with him and hang out. And I just played a bit of guitar when he had a gap between a session, a music lesson. And he can't help himself. He just picks up the nearest guitar and just starts ripping out these beautiful notes. And it was just, he says, I just, I get it so inspired. As soon as you start playing a tune, like an original tune, he goes, I can't help myself. I've got to play it.
[00:10:55] So you feel so honored to have people like that around you. And I can't wait to meet all these newer guys and like Cole Finley and the band and people around him as well. But I'm sure they will just go, oh, let's, oh, I need to bite into this. Like keep playing that. Oh, yeah, let me have a go. I want to join you. It's all that exciting, all that fun. And you just see smiles. People just smile. And you can't beat that. Yeah, well, music is in your soul.
[00:11:22] And your soul can be joyful when you've got music. That's right. It is. It's just so peaceful and a happy place. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, I think they'll do us for this week because I know you've been working all morning and ready to collapse. So, and then when you, after you've had a bit of a nap, you'll get up and pick up your guitar again. I know you. Yeah. So I'm going to let you go and we'll catch you next week. All right.
[00:11:51] Love to everybody. Stay safe. And yeah, well. Talk to you next week. Talk to you next week. For Trevor's latest music video. And you can also go to Trevor McCormack Music for any podcasts that you might have missed. So don't forget to follow and share.