[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. 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.
[00:00:30] Whether you're a diehard music fan or just love discovering new sounds, this is the place where passion meets storytelling. 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!
[00:00:53] Well hello everybody. It's time for our chat with Trevor again for this Saturday. Hi Trevor, how you doing? Hello everybody. I'm doing okay. Well I'm not. I apologise to everyone for not doing a podcast last week because I was so terribly sick with the flu that I was in bed for three days. You can still hear it in my voice but I am getting better. You haven't been well either.
[00:01:22] No, no, I had to get a tooth extraction so... Ouch. Yeah, a big one. Ouch. Anyway, a couple of days just chill out and not do too much so it settles and heals a bit. So... And that wasn't the tooth that you broke, it was a different one? No, right beside it. Oh. I had cracks in it and a few wear and tears over the years I suppose. And they said, no, that one's got to come out. Oh, ouch.
[00:01:49] Oh well, you'll be healing and well soon. We both survived. That's right. Alright. Well, you haven't entered any competitions for a while so we've decided to enter you into the Country Stars competition this year. Yes, yes. We'll see how we go. We've... I'm not sure how it works but we've put the application in and we'll cross fingers and we'll go from there.
[00:02:15] Yeah, and we'll see if we get into some of the semi-finalists or whatever but we'll see how we go. And there's also a songwriting competition which we're looking at putting some of your songs in. You can put several songs in that one. Yeah, I've got to sit down and do a quick recording of each one of those, haven't I? Yes. And then we'll put them out raw and see if they like them. And they'll be your newer songs? That'll be some of the newer songs, yes.
[00:02:44] So they're unrecorded and they'll be, as you said, pretty raw. Yep, we'll just get in the studio, we'll set up the PA and a camera and then just do a quick little film clip of a couple I'd say there and I'll just pick them at the spare of the minute of the newer ones and we'll see what happens. Yeah, well it's been a while so we'll give it a go. And you got some awards for previous songwriting contests from memory too, didn't you?
[00:03:13] We did. Well, I think I got in the top 25, I think in Australia songwriters, many, many years ago. I haven't really jumped into a lot of competitions. We did run up at Cloundra, got in the newspaper and did really well until some beautiful woman comes along and knocked me out who was like a theatre actress, singer, songwriter. Yeah, you did tell us about that one as well. Yeah, she knocked me off at first but I come second so not too bad. Yeah, well done.
[00:03:43] Yeah, but it's been a long time. I've done a lot since then I suppose and I've learnt a lot since then. And you've grown a lot in maturity and stage presence and songwriting and… Yeah, I feel a lot more comfortable up on a stage. And I just find it, yeah, more enjoyable to go and do now where before you'd be scared to death. You still have your nerves. I've got a couple of gigs coming up, just private ones at the moment, one country one.
[00:04:11] And then a 60th for a lady who saw me playing in a market. Oh. And she kept my number and she said, look, I just loved what you did. And I think I was back then, I started playing… Yeah, when I first started playing the harmonica as well. So I did a bit of harp, a guitar and just singing in my local areas. And yeah, I thought I'll give this a whirl, see how it sounds. And she said, oh please, I want you to come and do our 60th.
[00:04:37] So I put a few of the boys together, the drummer and the lead guitarist and myself, and we'll go and have a bit of fun. Oh, that'll be lovely. What a lovely gesture. Yeah. Yeah. All right, let's talk about the Country Stars Competition. What do you reckon is the drawcard? What's so special about country music? Well, over the years, I was never into country. I just never sort of stuck my head in that window too much.
[00:05:05] And I find out as I go along and as you learn, it's just so big and it's so much fun. So I did a country festival, I think it was down the Gold Coast, and I had the best time ever. It was just…the music was unbelievable. The artists, the people, the stories, it just blew my mind, which is what got me into listening to country more. Which I probably listen to too much now. It's always country.
[00:05:35] Everyone's like, can you change, you know, your genre and give us something new? Yeah. Well, you know me. If I get involved in something, I really get deep and listen to every song, everything I can absorb to get a new feel of what I want to do. So I've been doing that over the last, nearly 12 months now. Well, you know, they say that they describe country music as three chords and the truth.
[00:06:01] Well, I did find that they can play one chord and sing the most beautiful lyrics and then change note and carry on. And yeah, some of those are…you'd be right. I just think that song sounds fantastic. And when you actually copy it and play it, it's really easy notes. And they're beautiful notes. And it's just the story. It's the way they write. So I'm learning a lot about that as well. You don't have to put a lot into it.
[00:06:30] You still got to put your middle eights and your intros and outros, but it's just a lot of fun to play because it's more about the vocal and the story. And the chords just are pretty tuned. Yeah, because the stories are sort of every man related like work, family, heartbreak, faith and the simple joys of life. Or it's emotional like this is a really vulnerable thing, story I'm telling you. Yeah, yeah.
[00:06:57] It's about he's lost his girl or he's lost his dog or a beer never broke his heart sort of thing. It's really interesting how they just pull out these great fun stories, you know. It used to be the old ones, the old ute and the old dog, but lately all the newer ones seem to be really deep, emotional. Yeah, like, you know, the land. This is where I buried my dog. This is where I raised my children. This is where I met my wife by the river.
[00:07:24] Things like that are just…it's…I don't know. It just gets to me. I really like…I really do like it. Well, just some history on country music. The instruments that have been used in country music in the past and in the history of it is the steel guitar and the dobro, the fiddle, the acoustic guitar, the banjo and the mandolin. Yep. All great instruments, all great sounds. Steel guitars, slide guitars.
[00:07:54] Yeah, all those things. They just…yeah, add a lot of flavour. As I know, because I used to play with a violinist there. We used to do weddings and functions and things like that. And it's a beautiful sound. You put that in the right place. It's…it's…the fiddles and the banjos. Yeah, steel guitars. They're all just great instruments that really add flavour. Okay. So, um…what about the, uh, voice styles, the vocals, the harmonies?
[00:08:24] Well, you get songs now that they'll…they'll…songs that they'll talk about the way I talk, you know? You sort of don't blame me, this is the way I talk. And they're talking, at least, they are. And it's just…it's fantastic. Um…the country twang they put around… Even…like the Aussies, even the Aussies, we have our own…our own country lingo. And it's pretty how you're going, mate. And it's…it's…they put that in…it gets into the song. It gets into the blood of the song. Same as the American country.
[00:08:53] They've got all different accents in different…different places where they come from, different states. So they get a lot more, I suppose, than what we do in Australia in…in accent, in their…the way they curl their tongue and roll their words. And it just…it gets to me. I really like it. I think it's great. I hope I don't try and change my voice into a country twang. No, I don't think that's possible. No, you've got to have that… But you've got a country twang anyway… Yes. …even though you're a born city.
[00:09:21] We've…you know, we've spent a lot of time in the country. I mean, our father comes from Leighton and…and the…the family was strong in farming up there. Yeah, and I've always been out in the bush. I go out in the bush all the time with a mate of mine and we…we fossick around and bring back timber and…yeah… got the cow hides and horns and all sorts of things. But the country's in our blood. You can't change that.
[00:09:45] But yeah, I…one fella said to me years ago when I…I did enter a competition somewhere in…in Brisbane, I think I was. And he said to me, oh, you've got to get rid of that country, that American twang you've got in your voice. And I went…it's just…I didn't even notice I had one. It's like…that's just me. That's how I sing. That's interesting how people pick up things in your voice, isn't it?
[00:10:09] And your tone…that you don't even know are there and…and aren't necessarily…it's just what they seem to think they pick up. They think you're doing that on purpose. I'm like…but I…I don't sing with an American accent. He said, I'll get rid of that American accent. I'm like…I don't talk with an American accent. I'm an Aussie mate. Yeah, that's interesting. I don't think I've ever…I could ever accuse you of having an American twang. Okay. That's okay then. Yeah.
[00:10:37] I think…I think he just read that into it or is he…or he was listening for something to complain about. I don't know but I think he was actually one of the judges in the contest so… Oh, wow. That's a strange thing to pick up on from an Aussie. And I just…yeah, I thought, okay, just accept everything, listen and take it on board and…yeah. So… Was he an Aussie or was he some other…
[00:11:03] I think he was Australian, yeah, but I just…I thought, where did he get American accent from? Yeah, definitely. That's…that's the strangest thing I think I've ever heard you say that anyone has said to you… Yeah, look, I've…look, I've asked people, I've just said, do I sound like I'm American or anything… If I've got a nationality and they're all like, no? Yeah. That's great. I mean, American accents are very distinct as opposed to Australian accents. Oh, definitely, definitely.
[00:11:32] But anyway, you know, I take everything as a compliment so I just go, well, that could be a good thing, you know, that could be a good thing. Like my song when they say, oh, Trey, I can't tell the difference between a cover and one of your songs. Well, that's the biggest compliment you could ever give me. Yeah, I reckon. I reckon. So, take everything in a positive attitude and yeah, don't look back, look forward and look up and carry on. That's how I see it.
[00:11:59] All right, well, my voice is going to peter out in a minute again. So, I'm going to say have a great day and we'll catch up with you next Saturday. Yes, and hopefully we get into a few of these competitions and we'll stir up some noise. How about that? Let's try. Okay, lots of love. Bye. Take care. Now, don't forget to check out Trevor McCormack's YouTube for Trevor's latest music video,
[00:12:28] which is going off. So, don't forget to have a listen. 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.