ANNOUNCER: This program is brought to you in part by the City of Danville's Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

And by Santa Cruz Guitars and Santa Cruz Guitar Strings.

Additional support provided by these sponsors.

Hello, and welcome to The Life of a Musician, recorded live in the beautiful city of Danville, Virginia.

Tonight's episode is recorded from the I.S.

Bendall House.

Let's step inside and listen.

-♪ Within the sound of silence ♪ ♪ In restless dreams I walked alone ♪ ♪ Narrow streets Of cobblestone ♪ ♪ 'Neath the halo Of a streetlamp ♪ ♪ I turned my collar To the cold and damp ♪ ♪ When my eyes were stabbed By the flash of a neon light ♪ ♪ That split the night ♪ ♪ And touched The sound of silence ♪ ♪ And in the naked light, I saw ♪ ♪ Ten thousand people, Maybe more ♪ ♪ People talking without speaking ♪ ♪ People hearing without listening ♪ ♪ People writing songs That voices never shared ♪ ♪ And no one dared ♪ ♪ Disturb the sound of silence ♪ ♪ "Fools" said I, "You do not know ♪ ♪ Silence like a cancer grows ♪ ♪ Hear my words That I might teach you ♪ ♪ Take my arms That I might reach you" ♪ ♪ But my words, Like silent raindrops fell ♪ ♪ And echoed in The wells of silence ♪ ♪ And the people Bowed and prayed ♪ ♪ To the neon god they made ♪ ♪ And the sign flashed out Its warning ♪ ♪ In the words That it was forming ♪ ♪ Then the sign said, "The words on the prophets ♪ ♪ Are written On the subway walls ♪ ♪ In tenement halls" ♪ ♪ And whispered In the sound of silence ♪ -Hello, everyone, and welcome to The Life of a Musician , garage band edition.

We are here with my good friends, Dave and Jeanie Shilling in Danville, Virginia, and this dynamic duo make up what we like to call Vintage Silk.

How are you guys doing?

-I'm doing great.

-How are you feeling?

-Feel great.

-Sounded really great on Sound of Silence .

-Thanks.

-It was really beautifully done.

That's one of the reasons I wanted you guys on the show, was I wanted to show a different aspect of being a musician.

There's all kinds of ways that we as artists or musicians do our art or exist, you know, in this musical world.

And you guys are a husband-and-wife duet who make music.

Why don't you tell us just a little bit about yourselves, you know?

Where did it begin?

Where did it--?

Where is it going to end?

-Go ahead.

-No, you go.

-Yeah, go.

-So, we've been together, what, ten years, around ten years.

-Yeah, about ten.

-And we kind of met through music.

-Yeah.

-We had known each other a little bit through mutual friends, and then I found out Jeanie, through the friend, was an awesome singer.

So, then I was actually trying to stay away from her for some crazy reason.

I don't know-- -And he did.

-For a little while.

For a little while.

-Successfully for a little while.

-He did.

He did.

-For a little while.

Yeah.

So, it's kind of-- that's kind of part of the relationship story too.

-Yeah, just went from there.

-Yeah, kind of, music brought us together, yeah.

Started playing around.

Hanging at your place, hanging at my place.

-Working on some songs, you know.

Just kind of kept going.

-And then started gigging.

-Hm-mm.

-That's kind of one of the great things, I think, about what you guys do.

You know, you're not out here trying to-- and let me, you know, identify that as saying, we would all take a million-dollar record deal if somebody just wanted to drop it on our laps.

But you are just enjoying each other's company, and making music and playing for people, but you're not under this, oh, give me a big contract.

-No.

No.

-We would take that-- -Besides, we're getting too old, but-- -We'd take that 1,000-dollar contract.

Yeah.

-No.

-At least a thousand.

-I just enjoy doing the gigs.

I've always loved music anyway, whether it be playing in the hallway or in a bathroom, or wherever the good acoustics are.

BRANDON: Right.

-It's like-- It's all about having fun and meeting different musicians.

And that's what we do.

-Yeah.

It's been super fun.

-Yeah.

-Very successfully.

I remember one time you were talking about it, and I thought, how cool would that be just to feel that freedom?

You're talking about, like, going down somewhere in Georgia and just, like, busking.

-Yeah.

And Savannah, other places.

Yeah.

Yeah.

-We're actually circling back to that.

-Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

-We need to put it together.

-Try different places and-- -'Cause things are kind of slow with, you know-- -Yeah, and we-- -With the whole... what we do, so... -We went to Florida for two weeks and found seven gigs there that we weren't expecting, you know, but we had a blast, you know.

-Oh, and we hooked up with a guy in Savannah.

-Yeah.

Yeah, we did, on the street.

- Yeah.

He was out... -He was out there playing some oldies, so we went out and started singing with him.

-Yeah.

Super fun.

-So, you-- When you talk about The Life of a Musician , you guys are just living it.

I mean, you're literally just-- you're letting music happen.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-And then once you do, you guys do sound great.

One of the things I first noticed about you two was, you pick material really well, songs that when you guys do them, you kind of make them your own, and you've got this great harmony together.

So, what's, you know, what's kind of your guys' thought process when you're picking a song that you guys want to do as a duet?

What's kind of the way that you'd go about that?

-I don't know about Dave, but I know-- -Oh, you know me.

-If I listen to a song that we want to learn, first of all, I listen to see if it's got any good harmony with it, or if I can put any harmony to it.

And if it works, we'll try it.

And if it doesn't work, then we move on to another one.

-We have a stack of moving onto another ones.

-Yes.

Yeah.

We do.

And then sometimes, we'll go back to them too.

-Yeah.

-You know, we'll try it again later.

-Well, one-- what was that song that we set down for two years?

-Oh, God, I don't know.

-Struggled with it, picked it up.

And worked on it.

-I don't know.

There was a lot of them.

-Well, it's the-- you know, but that's led me to, you know-- I've become a big Vintage Silk fan, a big supporter.

-Aww.

-Aww.

-I know, I know.

I know.

I'm earning those brownie points for later.

But I know you guys just have this great talent for picking really good tunes.

And one of those tunes was Lydia , and when you guys did it, it took me back to my Eastern Kentucky, you know, Southern West Virginia coalfield roots.

And when I heard you guys do that song, it just about brought me to tears.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

It does.

The words are great.

I love that song.

-You guys' harmony on that was amazing.

So, would you do a piece of that, or the whole pie of that one?

-JEANIE: Sure.

-And I'll do my best not to mess you up, as you guys get into that one.

[gentle guitar notes] -♪ Lydie lit a cigarette today ♪ ♪ Ancient fumbling fingers In her way ♪ ♪ From a forty-year-old Coffee cup ♪ ♪ She sipped a bit of gin ♪ ♪ Closed her eyes And let the memories in ♪ ♪ She lives in the old place All alone ♪ ♪ Keeps in touch with neighbors By the phone ♪ ♪ Grows roses on the graves ♪ ♪ Of her firstborn And his father ♪ ♪ And the coal trucks Never bother her ♪ ♪ Oh Lydie, let him go The boy is gone ♪ ♪ Her mother struggled as she Tore him from her arms ♪ ♪ Oh Lydia, your tears Are heaven's rain ♪ ♪ But she never was the same ♪ ♪ A cotton dress And satin shoes ♪ ♪ Indian summer sun Dressed in amber hues ♪ ♪ Spending time with A coal miner's son ♪ ♪ To an old time, fiddle tune ♪ ♪ The months went by Just like a breeze that year ♪ ♪ They wed in June ♪ ♪ And by the fall The boy was here ♪ ♪ Word come down from big stone There's a fire in the mine ♪ ♪ And the eleven men They couldn't find ♪ ♪ Oh Lydie, let him go The boy is gone ♪ ♪ Her mother struggled as she Tore him from her arms ♪ ♪ Oh Lydia, your tears Are heaven's rain ♪ ♪ But she never was the same ♪ ♪ She watched them pull him From the hole ♪ ♪ The overalls he wore Blackened by the smoke ♪ ♪ Lydie twice had had this dream And twice it had come true ♪ ♪ And when she saw His father's boots she knew ♪ ♪ Oh Lydie, let him go The boy is gone ♪ ♪ Her mother struggled as she Tore him from her arms ♪ ♪ Oh Lydia, your tears Are heaven's rain ♪ ♪ But she never was the same ♪ [mellow guitar music] ♪ Lydie lit a cigarette today ♪ ♪ Ancient fumbling fingers In her way ♪ ♪ From a forty-year-old Coffee cup ♪ ♪ She sipped a bit of gin ♪ ♪ Closed her eyes And let the memories in ♪ That was nice.

-Absolutely beautiful.

I'd be clapping.

I'm just going to clap for you.

-Yeah, I'm clapping.

I'm clapping for you.

-Clapping for you.

Beautiful.

You guys harmonize so well together.

And, you know, for folks back home, you know, maybe what would be some tips you would give them on how is it that you guys find that, you know, it's undescribable, that total sound, or that ability to just fit together.

How-- do you even know how you guys are doing it?

-Because you said it all, right-- I think it's got to find the right person.

-Yeah.

That's a lot of it.

-That works together, because you can find other people to sing with and it just doesn't work as well.

You have to find that right person that you do well together, I think.

But, you know, that's me.

-There has to be a little magic there.

-Yeah.

-I mean, you know, we were kind of like that immediately.

-Yeah.

-I mean, I remember the first couple of songs-- -I think so.

-It was-- I mean, you always struggle, right, in trying to-- we'll switch off.

You doing harmony, am I doing harmony, and changing keys and that?

But you can tell right off the bat, like, this is working, you know.

-So, well, you know what it is?

What it sounds like to me is, is music is basically just integrated in your guys' lives, just like breathing or drinking coffee in the morning, or eating eggs or whatever it is.

JEANIE: Oh yes.

-It's just the same thing as-- this is just what you do.

It's just part of your life.

-We're always on the lookout for material.

-Yeah, always.

-I think she and I both will, you know, we'll test each other's songs, you know.

And they don't all work out, but it's kind of, you know, always on the lookout, and a lot of them do work out, you know.

-Right.

-A lot of them, we just do our way too.

We'll be inspired by the way the artist did it, but you know-- -What's the most fun thing, you know, about you... basically how you're living your life, musically?

I mean, what's the most fun?

-I guess the enjoyment that I-- when I sing and do music and hang out with friends, I just-- that's my happiest moments, I guess.

I think I'd be lost without playing music.

-I understand that.

I absolutely understand that.

And I have to talk about-- I know we're jumping subject, but you know, I could talk to you guys for hours, you know, about it.

But we got to fit a lifetime of everything in just this little segment here.

So-- but I have to ask, the garage.

This is, you know, folks back home, this is not a prop.

This is not a setup.

JEANIE: Oh, no.

-This is the garage.

-This is it.

This is where everything happens.

-The only way we sit, right?

-Yeah.

-Because normally, you're here, and I'm kind of here, and you're kind of there.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-You know what I'm saying.

-Or we're standing, like, right here.

-So, I'd-- but this is a total reflection of, you know, definitely who you are.

You know, you've got the kayaks.

I know you guys love to kayak.

-Yeah.

This is our hangout right here.

We come out here and at the tiki bar more than in the house.

-Yeah, the house is just where you go to sleep.

-Yeah.

Pretty much.

Well, I've slept out here a few times too now.

-But I love it.

It's just-- it's a mix of just every little part of who you are and what you are.

There's nothing fake about what you guys are doing.

-Yeah.

There's no reason to be fake.

I am who I am.

-BRANDON: Exactly.

Well, I think that- -Oh, we have some great times out here.

We have great awesome gigs too, you know.

-Yeah.

-And we'll play wineries and, you know, just little things.

-Yeah.

-And occasionally, you know, there's ups and downs, but those are some great times too, occasionally.

But out here, it's always a good time.

You know, it's just-- it's like, it's just wonderful, yeah.

-It's a haven.

I know I have found myself out here in utter enjoyment many, many times.

I said, okay, let's go play at Jeanie's.

It's time to have a good time making music.

I want to put you a little bit on the spot, Dave, and it might be awful of me.

But you are an excellent, excellent songwriter, other than choosing material and doing a harmony and practicing your vocals and all of these things.

You've also-- you wrote a song and I said, you know, I want to hear Dave do that song.

So, could you tell me a little bit about the song, and then perform the song?

-Yeah.

Sure.

Yeah.

So, this is one and I don't-- I mean, maybe I just, like, got lucky on one song, right?

I'm not really a songwriter, but I did write this one... about this woman I met, oh, I don't know, ten years ago.

-BRANDON: Oh, yeah.

-Yeah.

BRANDON: We worked this out behind the scenes.

This is your anniversary present.

-And I think that's the thing.

I only write when there's a lot going on.

And what was going on for me at the time was, I knew I loved this woman.

And I was probably going to love this woman, if I didn't already, but I was, at the time, a little worried about that.

I wasn't-- I had commitment issues, let's say.

So, I was in this struggle, right?

And I wrote this song.

It kind of came to me, wrote it in like, it's one of these like, write in five minutes, right?

-BRANDON: Right.

-It just boom boom, which was kind of what I was feeling at the time.

And, yes, this is about you.

-BRANDON: Aww.

-For the longest time, he didn't want me doing harmony with him.

He's like, "No, this is my song."

-Yeah.

That's for sure.

-BRANDON: Oh, no.

-Yeah.

He wanted to-- he did not want me doing harmony with him.

-Yeah.

-And I said, well, I'm going to do it one time with you and see what you think.

-She did it anyway.

-I did it anyway.

-But thankfully so.

Because it's awesome.

And now I'll do it without her around occasionally, and without the harmony.

And it's like, just shut it down.

BRANDON: Well, it's not the same.

-It has to have the harmony, yeah, for sure.

This is called She's Too Wonderful.

BRANDON: She's Too Wonderful.

-It's my one hit, makes me wonder maybe, you know.

BRANDON: Wait on this, ma'am.

[gentle guitar notes] ♪ There she is That lovely lady ♪ ♪ With eyes that carry The night away ♪ ♪ Mmm, I love to Love that lady ♪ ♪ Keep her up all night 'Til the break of day ♪ ♪ But I can't let her come ♪ ♪ Too far into This broken heart ♪ ♪ She's too wonderful for me ♪ [sweet guitar music] ♪ She's known love And she's known heartache ♪ ♪ Raised up a sweet family ♪ ♪ She's had it all Been down to nothing ♪ ♪ Now all she wants Is to be seen ♪ ♪ But I can't let her come ♪ ♪ Too far into This broken heart ♪ ♪ She's too wonderful for me Me ♪ ♪ But I can't let her come ♪ ♪ Too far into This broken heart ♪ ♪ I can't let her in ♪ ♪ Can't do that again ♪ ♪ She's too wonderful for me ♪ ♪ She's too wonderful for me ♪ -Beautifully done.

-I love her harmonies on that.

-Now, this time around.

She talked you into it, and now you can't go back.

-No.

It was like-- it was really the first time.

I don't, for whatever reason, it's like, no.

I've got this thing in my head on this song.

And so, yeah.

Sorry about that, right?

But the first time I heard it, it's like, okay.

Fair enough.

That's true.

That's true.

-And his son told him, "Dad, let her do the harmony with you.

So-- -Well, basically, he consistently says, just listen to you.

-BRANDON: Just listen.

-Just in general.

-Wise words, passed down by a younger man.

-Yeah.

-So, you've got this amazing life.

You're making music.

You've got this cool garage, you know, wonderful things going on.

So, what's the future hold, you know?

You guys got any major plans?

Or just, you know, it's perfect like it is?

-We came to Danville and found a house to retire in, and this is it, it seems like.

Continue to play music as long as we can, wherever we can.

But, other than that, I think we're good here.

I'm happy in Danville.

-I think you guys are a perfect example of finding that sweet spot, you know.

You feel fulfilled with everything that you're doing, and I think that is success.

You know, there's a lot of people who are still searching, and this is what they call success.

And so, you guys already figured it out.

So now, you're in the, you know, the sweet, sweet, enjoy-it phase.

-Well, it's like count your blessings too, you know.

-Yeah.

-Like, when's enough enough or, you know, like...

So, it can be an endless search if you keep looking, right?

So-- -Absolutely.

And I think it's awesome.

Dave, Jeanie, Vintage Silk- DAVID: Mm-mm.

-The super duo, thank you so, so, very much for being on the show.

-Thank you, Brandon.

-Thank you, yeah.

Yeah.

Appreciate it.

-We had a great time.

-You guys sound beautiful.

-Thank you.

-Sound absolutely fantastic.

-Appreciate it.

You should hang out.

We should play some music.

-BRANDON: We should.

-If you have some time.

BRANDON: We should hang out, yeah, some time.

-Yeah.

We could set it up right now.

-And make it happen.

We will just continue to do this.

We're just going to play after we turn the cameras off and have fun.

-JEANIE: Yeah.

-Thank you, folks back home, very much for taking the time to join us here on The Life of a Musician .

And I hope that you'll keep tuning in to each week's new episode.

And until then, be well and God bless.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you for being a part of our show.

We look forward to seeing you on the next episode of The Life of a Musician.

DAVE: ♪ With eyes that carry The night away ♪ ♪ Mmm, I love to Love that lady ♪ ♪ Keep her up all night 'Til the break of day ♪ ANNOUNCER: This program is brought to you in part by the City of Danville's Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

And by Santa Cruz Guitars and Santa Cruz Guitar Strings.

Additional support provided by these sponsors.

[♪♪♪]