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Hi, I'm Scott Brocato with KRWG Public Media, and I'd like to welcome you to this episode of Music Spotlight.

Buddy Aiken is an independent musician songwriter whose work spans decades and genres, including original and cover material.

According to his Buddy Aiken Musician Facebook page, he most likes connecting with people and sharing musical moments through live performances.

We are pleased to welcome Buddy Akin to KRWG Music Spotlight, and you'll be doing a live performance here in a moment.

I will.

But tell me about your origin.

You're from El Paso?

I'm from El Paso, right down the road originally.

Yeah, I started playing, piano organ when I was about seven, and then I tried my hand at the mandolin when I was about 14.

And then I started playing guitar at 15, and I just kind of never looked back.

I started writing songs at that point, and it it just really suited me, so.

When did you move to Las Cruces?

So first time, 1999.

And I was a nontraditional student at NMSU.

So I was an older student at NMSU, and that's when I got into working in prevention, which we can talk about if you want to.

And, then I went back to LA and then came back here.

So quite, quite a while ago.

But I lived in New Mexico as a kid, so I lived up in Silver City.

So I kind of consider myself as much a New Mexican as a Texan.

Well, what are some of the differences between the music scenes that you found, here in Las Cruces and El Paso?

So I haven't played on the music scene in El Paso very much in my life, because when I was younger, I mean, I played a few clubs, I studied music at UTEP, and then I kind of I moved up to Denver and I went out on the road, and from Denver I went to LA.

So I never really played in El Paso that much.

I played in Las Cruces a lot more than I've, I've ever played in Old Paso so well.

Who are some of your songwriting and musical influences?

Oh, the Beatles, George Harrison, Paul Simon, just all over the place.

I mean, I love Miles Davis, I know that's not like the usual songwriting influence, Well seeing you perform you cover a lot, like you said in the intro, you cover a lot of genres.

I'm kind of, I kind of look at genres, and I hope this doesn't upset anybody because some people are very invested in their genre.

But because I started as a visual artist when I was a kid, before I was really into music, I was just obsessed with drawing and painting and so forth.

So I kind of look at genres like colors on my palette.

So like I might draw a little bit from country or a little bit from jazz or a little bit from classical, and hopefully come up with something that's unique.

Well, you're currently you have, three bands as well as performing solo.

Let's see Creosote, which is power duo, The Urlybird, U,R,L,Y,B,U,R,D,S.

Yes.

And the Masterminds.

Talk about each one of those of the difference of genres there.

So Creosote is myself and Paulter Kimbalr, Paul Kimbal, we call ourselves a power duo or a desert rock power duo.

So I play guitar, and I know you've seen us, right?

So I play guitar, but I run it through a bass splitter, so I'm kind of playing bass and guitar.

Know, I know you're a bass player, so I'm not playing proper bass.

I'm not playing full on bass lines.

But neither am I. But, yeah right.

But it just gives it enough of a bass impression that it sounds full.

And then the way Paul plays and the way that we kind of relate to it, to one another rhythmically, which is something that happened from the beginning, like we were just on the same page rhythmically.

So between the two of us, a lot of the comments that we get are I thought it was at least 3 or 4 people until I walked up and saw it was just you two guys.

So we kind of like that, We're, we're kind of fast and rhythmic and and kind of rocky, you know, almost punky.

And Urlebirds?

And the Urlebirds, I'm laughing because I'm the youngest one in the band.

I'm 64 years old, right.

So we joke on stage and we say we're the Urlebirds because we go to bed early, we're up past your bedtime.

So it's a really fun band.

It's a four piece, It's myself, Carol Brooks, Dan Singleton on bass, who I was mentioning earlier, and Tom Meyers on drums, and we do music from the 60s up to the present.

And Masterminds?

Masterminds as myself, Katrina Doolittle and Danny Choate.

So we're, we're a trio.

Danny's out of out of the country right now, and we do a lot of my original stuff, and we do covers, but we do really different versions of covers.

Well, let's let's you start your music now.

Tell me about your first song, Alejandros Eyes.

Okay, so, Alejandrosis written about a friend of mine who's, didn't used to be able to travel around the state because of, immigration reasons, and now can.

But when I was traveling around the state for work related reasons, I would sort of imagine the two of us traveling around the state and what adventures we might get in.

And so I sort of wrote a song around that, and that.

All right.

Well, lets you perform that your other songs, Buddy Akin, our guest on KRWG Music Spotlight.

I'm looking at New Mexico through Alejandro's eyes, squinting at the orange sun, ascending on the right.

We're almost used to Socorro, its just another rise, looking at New Mexico through Alejandro's eyes.

There's a mountain and the beach where a river used to be.

There's an ancient trail, they call it highway 25.

A wooden cross with plastic flowers passing on one side.

I'm looking at New Mexico through Alejandro's eyes.

Well we hit 420, fly like eagles can't stop laughing, but it legal, can't stop singing I'm a southwest kind of guy.

This broken pavements fits for eggs to fry.

I'm looking at New Mexico through Alejandro's eyes.

Was a checkpoint, but we passed it, saw a cherry, so we gassed it.

Hid in an arroyo ‘till la migra passed us by, I dont think we see these eye to eye.

I'm looking at New Mexico through Alejandros Eyes.

Looking at New Mexico through Alejandro's eyes, Squinting at the orange sun ascending on the right.

We're almost to Socorro, It's just another right.

Looking at New Mexico through Alejandro's eyes.

Yes, I'm looking at New Mexico, through Alejandro's eyes.

There we go.

Okay, this next song, I guess you could say it's political.

And you'd be right.

But it's a song that's questioning, our efforts.

So when we get out in protest and do things like that, are we just increasing the vitriol or are we really making things better?

And I think it depends on where we're coming from, for coming from love.

I think it can make things better if we're just repeating the nastiness, maybe not so much.

So this is called the Crying Man.

Yes, I am the crying man, born in a world of doubt.

Understand this crying man, one from the inside out.

Born to make stand, on a moonless night.

If it's in your plan, help us win this fight.

And tell me, do we keep on marching?

Keep on shouting in the streets?

If love is what we're fighting for?

If we keep believing in the people that we meet.

Love can open any door.

Some say it's a dark night of the soul of our nation.

Lightning and thunder roar.

The words of hate may rain down upon our heads.

If love is what we're fighting for.

Tell me is love, what we're fighting for?

Well, now some say it's a dark night, of the soul of a nation.

Lightning and thunder roar.

The words of hate may rain down upon our heads, If love is what we're fighting for.

Then we keep on marching, keep on shouting in the streets, if love is what we're fighting for.

And we can't believe in, In the people that we meet, love can open any door, If love is what we're fighting for.

Love was in the palm of my hand, crying man.

This next song, is, It's kind of a different song.

I was watching YouTube one day, and there was this woman who was a musicologist, and she was talking about, sacred Egyptian scales, which I never heard of in my life.

So I'm taking notes and, like, writing it down and stuff, and and I played around with it for about a month, and I started getting a little theme going on these Egyptian scales.

And then I saw another documentary on YouTube that was about the French Renaissance.

And as I'm playing these Egyptian scales, I'm thinking about the French Renaissance.

And all of a sudden this song starts happening.

So this is called Scurrilous Saints and Sons of Libation, and it goes like this.

Scurrilous saints and sons of libation, Gather in seedy cafes Paris.

Free verse and crimes of alliteration, Flow like red wine to the Seine, and the sea.

Shrugging oppressive wool coats of the Great War, now the ex-patriots romp.

Painters and poets, like drunk lions roar.

F. Scott and Ernest, Man Ray, and Duchamp.

Django strolls like a ghost through the streets.

Strumming the bistro Fade.

Mourning two fingers and shoes for his feet.

Playing for francs, Ezra Pound and da da da da da da da da da da da.

Well, this is a lost generation, found the moveable feast.

The sun also rises, and when it goes down the ex-soldier finds no peace.

This is the birthplace of cafe life, huddled along the left bank.

Born in the salon of Gertrude Stein, the first to break rank.

Won't you sing for the soul of Alice B Toklas?

Revel the avant-garde?

Dance to the beat of Josephine Baker.

You might, if you write, change your world, might change your world, you might change your world.

You might, if you write change your world.

There you go.

That one, that was a bit of a worry when.

So ill tune up as I'm introducing this next one here.

So this song, not that I write everything for my dad, who's passed away a number of years ago, but every now and then, I write a song where I go, my dad would like this song.

I can just tell, he never got to hear it.

And my dad, was an amazing guy who played harmonica and guitar.

He was not Italian.

And this song is about an older Italian gentleman who's still living in Rome, probably 100 years ago.

And his, kids have all gone off to America, and he's still in Rome and he's missing them, and communication back then is not what it is now.

And so that's sort of how this song came about.

And it's a waltz.

It's called Old World Eyes.

He has old world eyes without much hope.

Rome is not the world city Anymore.

As he makes his way through ancient streets, he pretends that the cobblestone pavement is gold beneath his feet.

Anyone can be most anything, they long to be far across the water.

Such was his hope when he stood on the dock saying goodbye to his sons and daughters.

Now he's waiting to hear from them, waiting for news, waiting to hear from them.

Still, opens up his shop, hangs out the sign.

Well business is slower than usual, but he doesn't seem to mind.

He can pay the rent, but not on time.

Roma, the once mighty city, has long been left behind.

Well anyone can be most anything, they long to be far across the water.

Such was his hope when he stood on the dock saying goodbye to his sons and daughters.

Now he's waiting to hear from them.

Waiting for news.

Waiting to hear from them.

Still, he has old world eyes without much hope.

Roma, the once mighty city, will always be his home.

This song is a fairly recent song, and I know I already introduced this, so I'm just kind of talking to you guys, but.

I'll just, I'll just count it and do it.

Whoo, hoo!

Whoo, Hoo, hoo!

Whoo, Hoo, Hoo!

The time is now.

Choose love.

Lead with your heart.

Accept the light.

Live your truth.

Shine to rival the sun.

All nations rise, to the beat of one heart.

All nations rise, to make a new start.

So many years in the wilderness, searching.

Letting fear define our place in the sun.

Run in shame.

Turn and hide from the light.

But now I'm starting to think.

We just might get it right.

The time is now.

Choose love.

Lead with your heart.

Accept the light.

Live your truth.

Shine to rival the sun.

All nations rise to the beat of one heart.

All nations rise.

We're gonna make a new start.

A simple smile, how are you today?

It's been a while, a warm Namaste.

I fell in love with humanity.

Now I'm starting to think the one big family.

The time is now.

Choose love Lead with your heart.

Accept the light.

Live your truth or shine to rival the sun.

All nations rise, to the beat of one heart.

All nations rise, to make a new start.

A whole nations rise.

Thank you so much.

Thank you Scott.

Thank you KRWG and the whole crew.

Thank you guys so much.

That was Buddy Akin performing his song, All Nations Rise, a great song.

Tell me about the inspiration behind that.

Well, it's actually kind of a newer song and I think the inspiration was, you know, we're living in these times where there's a lot of vitriol and a lot of strong language going back and forth, and people are sort of lining up and being tribal with one another.

And I look at the human race as just one big tribe.

And to me, that's what the song is about.

When I'm seeing all nations rise and it's like all boats rise or all people rise, you know, let's rise up as, as humanity and let's really value one another and value this opportunity of life instead of bickering and and harming one another really.

Well, you're you're not a particularly political artist per se, but you're not shy about politics of your causes for what you believe.

Now, some people believe that musicians should, you know, pretty much keep quiet as far as that goes.

Their causes want to believe mean.

I'm hearing it now from Bruce Springsteen on his most recent tour.

Right.

what are your thoughts on that?

Yeah.

As far as musicians are, they just entertain versus airing their political views and just.

Well, I, I'm going to say musicians should not just entertain.

I mean, I think that musicians have, the rights that any other citizen has, you know, First Amendment rights to speak our, our truth and to, to speak our opinion.

Now, some of us, depending on how successful an entertainer might be, they might have a larger platform and maybe they need to be conscious of that.

But I think that musicians should be able to speak their mind.

Me personally, like I said, I like to bring people together.

I'm more about love and unity, but I don't pull punches when it comes to pointing out something that's, unjust, for instance, in our society.

And you'll hear some of that in the lyrics, but hopefully I don't.

Hopefully it's not too heavy handed, because in the end, I do want to bring people together, and I want people to to love one another.

I know that sounds hokey.

Maybe it sounds out of place in today's society because I, I hear people saying things like no hippies and stuff like that, and it's like, I'm ten years younger than the hippies.

But I always wanted to be a hippie and I think the hippies were on the right track.

And I think we need to kind of get back there.

Not not in every way, but in terms of of putting love first and putting our heart first.

And that's a lot of what that song is about.

Not for bringing back Bellbottoms?

No, no, no.

We'll talk about some of the causes that you are currently involved with.

Well, I've been involved to some extent with indivisible here in town, and I've gone out and played at some of the protests and so forth.

The Volunteers of America, a group that I've been involved with that has, provided music at some of the protests.

And, I think that's really important because I think that we need to keep our, our First Amendment rights, intact and well oiled and functioning in this country.

That's part of what makes us Americans, and that's what makes us special.

If there is specialness, or what's the word that they always use?

American exceptionalism, right?

If there is truly exceptionalism, that's what it is.

It derives from our Constitution and our ability to to uphold that Constitution.

So I feel very strongly about that.

I don't necessarily give up and proselytize about it all the time, but I definitely feel strongly about it.

I feel like I'm getting away from your question what was your question originally?

I think you just answered it.

Did I?

Okay, as long as I answered it, we're good.

But we were just talking about the causes you.

Yeah, yeah.

So with other causes, of course, I've got the, the food pantry that I run at the first Christian church.

It's for people with HIV.

We do fundraising around that.

And I'm generally very community minded.

So, one of the assets that we lost recently in the community was Downtown Blues Coffee.

So I know the owners of that are looking for, a new location that brought a lot of, artists and musicians and writers together.

So I think that's important.

It's one of the things that we have in Las Cruces that I think is really special, maybe because we're a university town, but we've got a lot of culture and art going on here and good on us.

We have about a minute left, a little less than a minute.

What advice would you give, new musicians who are starting out?

Turn and run, no, I'm kidding.

I think it would be to hold to your vision a lot of forces, whether it's when you're starting out, whether it's your friends or your parents or people at school or later on club owners or booking agents or whatever later on.

If you get this far, it may be producers or or managers or whatever.

A lot of people may want to change you, and they'll tell you that it's because they know better than you do.

But you're the artist, you remain the artist and and as much as you can, you call the shots.

All right, Buddy Akin, thank you so much for being our guest.

Thank you.

Yes, KRWG Music Spotlight.

Thank you Scott.

And be sure to catch our past performances on YouTube and like us on Facebook to keep up with future episodes for KRWG, I'm Scott Ricardo, and thank you for joining us for our KRWG Music Spotlight.

A lot of stars.

Kind of.

With dinner.

Party down.

fire in the fire.

Representing seven games.

Government for hire in a combat site.

Left to us and coming in a hurry with a furious feeling down your neck.

Team of TV partners have a Trump Democrat took it.

I don't play like that.

All of us overflow population.

Come on.

But whatever you do, save yourself.

Save yourself.

World has its own.

Listen to your heartbeat.

Tell me the direction of the Reverend in the right.

Right.

You patriotic, patriotic slap.

I pride my feeling.

Pretty sight.

How's that?

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

I feel fine about my song, by the way.

I need to grab water.

What would I do to do that?

What's that?

I'm sorry.

You know, I was.

Yeah.

Yeah.

it was a good place to sit for the.

So.

Water was.

Oh, you put it on the set.

It was.

If you want to follow me, to listen to it.

Okay.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

We'll get the stool.

The stool.

Okay.

The stool.

Okay.

Here's the water.