The Highwire with Del Bigtree - MUSICIAN SOUNDS OFF ON COVID RESTRICTIONS

Episode Date: January 26, 2022

Brad Skistimas, singer/songwriter for Five Times August, talks to Del about how his decade long music career has shifted to more meaningful music with a message, including the Apple Music #1 song, “Sad Little Man.”#FiveTimesAugust #BradSkistimas #SadLittleManBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-highwire-with-del-bigtree--3620606/support.

When we talk about, you know, language and getting the message across, obviously that's something that we're very proud of here at the Highwire. I think we've achieved a lot. We have seen this entire conversation change. And when I look back at what got us here, you know, there are certainly always milestones in a movement. You know, I think about our lawsuit wins, you know, through Aaron Siri and Associates, you know, the wins against the CDC, the FDA, Health and Human Services, all of this breaking, literally just destroying the fact. foundation of this lie as we know it. There's the big moments where we march. In fact, maybe like the Battle of Trenton was a huge, huge experience

because this was the belly of the beast. This was Trenton, New Jersey, one of the most pharma-driven states in the country, home to many of the pharmaceutical companies. We had a turnout of somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 people. They said we chanted outside of that state capital, and they were trying to remove the religious exemption. and in the end, they failed. We had won, the people won,

we staved off that final vote that they needed. And then Sweetie, who had led that entire charge, you know, just this year was deselected. He lost the election bid. Everyone thought he was untouchable. Those are certainly big moments. But for me, I think the moment where I started recognizing that this thing was shifting

was when artists started getting involved, when musicians started getting involved. Once you start hearing songs and the musicians and the comedians. Maybe I'm prone to that because I did. I was an artist. You know, I started out in theater. My wife and I were actually in a band together years ago,

the Lee Nestor band, my wife's band. We even opened for the Googie Dolls. It was a great time and fun memory for us. But when I think about it, when I think about the soundtrack of the time, I think about the 1960s, which were the stories I grew up with. My parents marched in the 1960s. It's that soundtrack of the 1960s to me that leaves that indefinitely. elbow mark that feels like once the artists were behind it, that is when that movement really

took hold. And it's what we remember. When we think of the 1960, it's the music and the soundtrack of that time. So when artists started singing about medical freedom and songs parodying, you know, the issues around Tony Fauci and, you know, artists, you know, we started seeing comedians crack jokes about the pandemic. That's when I started thinking, it's happening. This is real from here on out. It's only a matter of time when we actually win this. And so it's really a pleasure and an honor when I think about as I've been on these stages and starting to hear music being played that are our songs, the songs of this movement, of this revolution, if you will, it's been very exciting. And one of those artists that I've stood on stages before and has got

some amazing songs. We played his music videos. Sad Little Man, which is one of my favorites about Tony Fauci. Of course, I'm talking about Brad Schistimis and five times August who joins me now. Brad, awesome. Good to see it. Thanks for coming in studio today. Yeah. So this is a weird topic to sing about. And let's be honest. I mean, the 1960s, you know, it's anti-war, it's all these things. But, you know, medical freedom, health freedom, vaccinations. When did you decide, you know what? As an artist, I need to say something about this. Yeah, I think towards the end of 2020, you know, my wife has actually been involved in the medical freedom movement since our first son was born.

Okay. And, you know, we, as new parents, you just go along and you just listen to whatever you're supposed to do. And, you know, he got his early vaccines and had some adverse reactions to it that he's still dealing with today. And so the information has been floating in my ether and the more. more than crouched upon my doorstep, it was sort of like, I was looking around, looking for my peers to speak up. Musically, I'm going like, where is everybody? And I kind of felt like I don't want to look back on this time. I feel like I didn't say anything.

So I started speaking out through my music, and, you know, I just felt like it had to be set because nobody else was really saying anything. Right. Now, your career doesn't start here. You've been in music for how long now? Yeah, two decades now. Two decades now. And is there something about how that career went? Have you always sort of been singing music about, you know,

rebelling against the system or the man? I mean, what is it that leads you here? Was this a sort of step out? This was definitely a step out. I mean, I liked pleasing people. I like being in the middle and just having a big dynamic audience that, you know, we all get along. Like music is supposed to bring people together.

You go to a concert. it's not a divisive experience. You can be, you know, standing next to somebody who believes in completely different things than you do, but you're singing the same song, you're looking at each other, you're smiling. I like that about music. But it reached a point where, you know,

I started speaking out, like I said, at the beginning of, or at the end of 2020, the beginning of 2021. And it just sort of, you know, I was dipping my toe in the water, so to speak, going like, well, I'm going to say, say something that I know I'm going to lose fans from saying this. And sure enough that happened, but what also happened was I started getting more feedback from people going, oh my gosh,

thank you so much for speaking out. And the more I got that feedback, the more encouraging it was, and I would release the next song after that and the next song after that. And each time I'd think, like, oh, I'm going to get in trouble for this. But what the feedback was really was from people going like thank you for speaking up because that message is not being portrayed anywhere in entertainment there's a handful of guys out there right now that are in music and entertainment and comedy and you know it's really starting to usher in the message in a new way that hasn't really been been approached yet i don't think so no my my career was always a safe path you know i was singing love songs for you know 20 years and that's kind of where i was that was that was

my domain and every now and then I would release a song that had like a bigger picture a more come-together message but like this was definitely crossing a line so when you when you put out that first song were you sort of careful about your message or do you feel like you let it rip were you trying to test your audience and how your audience respond yeah the the first song I released was called God Help Us All and it was a toe dip into okay I like I said I know this is going to turn some people off. I don't know how much. We'll see what the tolerance level is. And I was, I thought I was being pretty careful. But then you would get these messages from people that are like, oh my gosh, like I've been listening to you forever. How could you say that? I'm deleting your music.

And like I said, but then for every one of those messages, you get five or six or seven more messages from people that are like, wow, you know, I needed to hear that. So it's just very encouraging to put out that kind of message and get that kind of feedback. Because you, I, I, I, I felt like it was just me venting through my music. Music is supposed to be a reflection of the times and how the artist portrays the world. And you don't really see that in art so much right now. Yeah.

There's no real clear message. And these are confusing times. So for me to pick that path and be like, well, I'm going to say what I truly believe in for the first time ever, we'll see how this goes. Right. You know, I felt for the first couple songs, I was like, I'm either burning down.

down everything I've ever worked for or I'm building something new up here. And, you know, it's been very rewarding for sure. You know, when I think about, when we think about rock and roll, you know, I mean, it's sex, drugs, rock and roll, live in the moment, live or die, like this whole attitude. Yet all of the rockers we grew up with, I mean, it feels like, like, where are they, right? I mean, the only guy I think that I can really think of, you know, that I grew, listening to those Eric Clapton, you know, but everybody else seems to just be like, oh, yeah, compliance like these guys are more afraid of death and yeah at least portrayed in their youth right you know

so I guess it's time it's time for a new generation there is a new generation I wrote down some of the guys we've been featuring here Jimmy Levy R.C. the rapper bryson gray high res a blind Joe writing great music do you feel like there's a new genre you know here you know is this yeah are we at a place where can call this a genre yet I think so I don't know what you would call it conspiracy rock what they call it or something like that. No, I, it's an exciting time for sure. It does feel like something new. It feels like a rekindling of,

that's a lot of the feedback that I get on YouTube is people going, you know, an older generation going like, wow, I thought this was dead and gone, the spirit of the 60s. Right. It's just weird because it's a 180 in and of itself. All those rebellious rockers have grown up and now it seems like they're part of the system.

Right. They sort of bailed on us. You're like, you know, you're, hoping that they show up. I mean, even with Eric Clapton, he spoke up. He got the vaccine. He told us about his experience. He's still slandered and labeled anti-vaxxer and conspiracy and what happened to Eric Clapton and Rolling Stone releases all these like smear articles. And, you know, he's just telling, that's why so many people I think are afraid to speak. Right. Because their whole careers on the line. I think these independent guys like me and

everybody just listed out, we have an opportunity as independent artists that don't have a team of people. We don't have lawyers in A&R agents and record labels telling us what to think and what we're going to say through our next single. We're actually speaking, you know, we're saying things that we actually mean and want to say to the world. And that hasn't been done. I don't think in a really long time with music. Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, where it actually is speaking to the times, that has more power to it. This isn't just a love story. It's not, you know, about, you know, your problem with someone across the street. This is a global moment.

And what better time? I mean, again, I do reflect on my parents' involvement in the 60s. I mean, I don't know if I grew up as a singer, as an artist, you know, filmmaker. I even worked in New York. I did musical theater. So I ended up touring with Hare, the musical. I got the Broadway touring company all over Europe. I played George Berger, which was a rock and roll musical.

It was a great time. And I think about how that contributed to my life now. Like that was a very rebellious character I was playing, but representing that sort of moment of, you know, again, I think George Berger and Harris, like my body, my choice. Like, I'm going to burn this draft card. You don't own me. You don't get to tell me what to do.

And there's so much of that that does feel like it's palpable right now. The tension is growing, the oppression on people all over the world. And so when you watch, you know, these images of Australia. you know what I mean like and and police been like beating innocent people unarmed people in the streets and hearing about lockdowns when you write a song now is there some part of it that is you know i suppose as we think about how music works it never leaves you it's really the emotion right it's the emotion of the people of the time do you feel like you're putting it in a time capsule of sorts yeah i think that uh it feels like i'm sort of investing into the future. Like what I'm writing right now isn't, you know, it might not connect with with everybody.

Right. It's going to make some people mad. And my hope is, you know, ideally down the road, they come back around and they go, oh, I get it now. You know, I get what they were doing. Everything I've released over the span of my career has come from a real place. And so I'm coming from a place now as a father and somebody who cares about what's happening in the world. I don't want to leave this place behind from my kids and their kids the way it is now. Yeah. Do you feel Like, I mean, as we said, there's other musicians. When you stepped out, like, you were one of the only ones there. As you start, do you start, are you feeling momentum?

Like, there are others that are really going to start. Do you think this is growing? I hope so. Yeah. I hope so. You hope to see it. I would like to see bigger artists with the larger platforms speak out. You know, everybody has sort of a machine behind them.

So guys like me, you know, I think we're starting to really see that, like, this is our time to speak up. You know, if you don't have a machine behind you, if you don't have a record label, kind of telling you what to say, what to think, what to do, this is your chance to really speak up if this is what you believe in. So it's an important time for sure. Well, it's an important time. You're right in the middle of it. It's really awesome. You're bringing that energy. I mean, it's so great because it can get so heavy, all the speaking, all the shouting at these stages to have you standing on these platforms on these stages in front of capitals, playing music.

I think it's really, it's opening people's hearts up, which I think is what music does so well. I mean, how much can you penetrate if it's just, you know, a bunch of intense energy. Music takes us to another place. It opens us up so we can really let it sink in. I think it's so important that you're hearing and you're doing it. So I understand we're going to attempt to have a live performance. What song are going to sing? I'm going to do, I will not be leaving quietly.

All right. And if people want to check out your music in the future, where do we go? Five Times August.com. Okay. And you can follow me on all the socials just at Five Times August. All right. on all the social. Five times August, live here in studio.

Take a listen. Here we go. Try to break me. Talk me down and integrate me. You can try to silence every word. But I will not be leaving quietly. I won't leave. I won't leave.

leave I will not be leaving quietly can mark me and try to outsmart me you can shame me try to blame me best to shut me up and scold me control man-man sensor push me and try to kick me out but I pretend like you've seen the last of me Try to talk me down and try to silence every word