Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Kyp Harness: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1478

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

In this 1478th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Ron Sexsmith's favourite singer-songwriter Kip Harness about his career in music and new release. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Yes, We Are Open podcast from Moneris, The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Team and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1478 of Toronto Miked. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times, and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team, the best baseball in the city outside the dome.

Join me on May 12 for the home opener at Christie Pitts. RecycleMyElectronics.ca, committing to our planet's future, means properly recycling our electronics of the past. The Advantage Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada. Valuable perspective for Canadian investors who want to remain knowledgeable, informed, and focused on long-term success. Season 6 of Yes We Are Open, an award-winning Monaris podcast hosted by FOTM Al Greggo, and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making his Toronto Mike debut

is indie music legend Kip Harness. Welcome Kip. Thank you, Mike. Really glad to be here. Thanks for having me. Do you want to just crack open our great legs off the top here? You have a Canuck Pale Ale there. But when you do it, man, can you do it in front of the mic? I want to hear that crack there. There, you know what? I'm spent.

I can't do it anymore today. Draw it out, man. Love it. Okay. Well, let me crack my... I'm cracking open a burst here. it out. Love it. Okay. Well, let me let me crack my I'm cracking open a burst here So cheers to you Kip I'll just see you Mike is kip like a short form like is it kipperston or something like that I just made that up. But is kip kips the whole deal. What's going on? Kipton is my name Kipton okay, y pto n. All right, well, welcome to Toronto Mic'd. I thought, do you mind, like,

we're gonna drink a little bit of Great Lakes and just listen to a song. Can we listen to this together and then we'll talk about it on the other side? Okay, let's just soak this in, man. I'm gonna have a good afternoon chat with you. I'm looking forward to this, but let's soak this in. ["Great Lakes"]

We'll drink it in while we drink our beer. Precisely. When I was just a running boy I heard the hymns of heaven's joy In a country church in a little town But I never knew what they meant till now up till then all I could see about life was how hard it love tells me you make it easy. And every day your love shows me how easy it can be. That of course is FOTM Ron Sexsmith. I'm gonna read a quote from Ron and then I'm gonna ask you about that song and about Ron. Unsung hero like yourself. Let's read the quote from Ron. He writes,

Kip Harness is my favorite songwriter. It's his lyrics that set him apart. They are every bit as powerful as the best Dylan, Cohen, and Lennon combined. Sounds like a monster of some kind. Well that's freakishly talented when you're Dylan, Cohen, and Lennon combined, but that's what Ron Sexsmith thinks about you. Yeah, you know, I'm all Johnny Cash on my off time too. Wow. That's nice. I gotta add that to the list.

Yeah, you better add that in as well. And Doug Hanning, but you know, yeah, that's really nice that he said that and he covered. I mean, this song must be from his YouTube channel. He did, yeah, he was doing like, I don't know, hotel cover songs. Oh, yeah. So what song is he covering here?

That's a great one for him to do. You Make It Easy. Who wrote You Make It Easy? I did. You wrote this song? Yeah. I'm on inside the actor's studio. Where were you this morning?

Who was the person, who was the most important person in your life? 1979. I know, I prefer Brian Linehan. Oh, Linehan, yeah he was really great yeah. The guys from the Watchmen gave me this picture of Brian Linehan right here. Oh is that it? I you know I try to emulate him you know I'm trying to be the Brian Linehan of podcasters in this city so. Yeah well he's got some

cool interviews with people if you look him up on YouTube. But none of them keep Harness. Well I don't know if he's still alive. I think he's long gone, sadly, long gone. Yeah. Brian left us far too soon. But you're here. When you hear a Ron Sexsmith, there's many singer-songwriters who say Ron Sexsmith is their favorite songwriter. And this is Ron Sexsmith saying you're his favorite songwriter. Well is Ron Sacksmith saying you're his favorite

songwriter. Well that's wonderful I don't know I guess he might still feel that way that now I'm not. He was tweeting at me this week. Oh I see okay so yeah no I that is great in fact you know Ron and I were great friends going around and the open stages and showing up to each other shows that nobody else was showing up to in those days I'm hoping you'll talk about those days. I want to go back to those days another guy who made his Toronto Mike debut Just last year was Bob Wiseman. Oh, yeah. Well Bob is Was the first musician I ever met in Toronto and the first time I went to that

fat Albert's open stage. And he was just this enthusiastic fire plug, just showering enthusiasm everywhere, and encouragement everywhere. And for me that was just fantastic and for a lot of people it was. I mean he produced a couple of albums that I was trying to tell him to get out in some form. You know, you just put them on the internet now. Sam Larkin and Bob Snyder, both those albums that he produced are classics and masterpieces. So yeah, and... Well, where did you come from?

Like you're telling me when you arrived, from where? Sarnia. What part of hell, because I've been there. Sarnia. I've been to hell. Yeah, Sarnia. What part of hell? Because I've been there. Sarnia. I've been to hell. Yeah, Sarnia. Shout out to Lake Huron. Yep, it's Lake Huron there.

And I grew up there, first in the country a little bit outside of Sarnia. Then we moved near to the city and it's kind of, it's a great place in some ways because it's got that wonderful shoreline coming down and the river and you got the best Sunsets in the province so they say yeah, I mean I go to I camp at this guy I can't bet the the pinery every summer. Oh, yeah The sunsets are unbelievable. Yeah. Well, it also has that. Yeah, it's like the longest sandy beach in North America I think I think I heard that somewhere is that I don't know that's true I don't know if it's true or not

I'm gonna start using that line because it's a beautiful sandy beach, that's for sure. And then unfortunately, in the south part of the city, the Chemical Valley area, right? And then below that to the south down the people in Sarnia are, have been badly impacted by, you know, the chemical, all the petrochemical industry, you know. I wrote a song about it, Chemical Valley. And yeah, I mean, it's cheek and jaw with the, you know, the First Nations reserve there and they've got two females born for every one male, you know. It's just a lot of health effects. And so there's even heard like a spike in a MS. I was in MS. There's a whack of ailments that seem to affect that part of the province more than any other part. Yeah, I mean, I'm not trying to like down talk because to me, there's this combination of this wonderful beauty in the other parts of the area, you know, and then this other part and then I think Looking back that's where a lot of my songs came from, you know, this combination of kind of beauty and corruption So here I want to go back to Sarnia

I want to find out, you know You know when you realized you wanted to to make music and then we're gonna kind of walk through your career And I got a whole bunch of your new songs now I will tell you Jason Schneider said kip's bringing a guitar unless Unless it's the world's tiniest guitar I don't see it. Well daddy is you know gone on the subway and it's not well and my recordings sound better anyway especially at this time of the day I don't really warm up till. What time do you warm up? Well it varies according to the day. Well okay well so you how is the beer? That's the kind of pair. Oh yeah it's great as As far as I know anything about beer, it's great. If

it's cold and it's gonna look all in there. I'm sending you home. I will let you know now you're gonna be on the subway going home with some fresh craft beer from Great Lakes. So you're bringing some beer home with you. Oh, okay, great. Well, daddy's gone for the next couple days, I guess. Shout out to Great Lakes Beer. Shout out to Great Lakes, because they're hosting us on June 27th, from six to nine p.m. for TMLX 15, the 15th Toronto Mike listener experience.

So Kip, if you're around here in South Etobicoke, Great Lakes Brewery, come on down, man. The first beer is on the house, and Palma Pasta is gonna feed us delicious Italian food, And I've got a lasagna in my freezer for you. You can take that home too. Oh cool. Did you know you were getting the swag and still know guitar? Well, I maybe I did know cause I did. I have listened to your podcast in the past. So like I was,

I've actually been gearing up for it. Any particular, like I'm wondering, did you hear Bob Wiseman for example, like any particular episode that you listened to? I've heard, you know, parts of all of them, I think, you know? Oh, 1,000, how many? Oh no, not all 1,478. Yeah, not everything, but have you listened to every one of my songs?

There's a question. Okay, touche, touche, okay. So, okay, I wanted to talk a little more about Ron Sexsmith because I don't feel the guy gets enough love. I don't think you get enough love. That's why you're here right now. I don't get enough love. So you know, cry if it's a safe space. Cry if you want. I'm still stuck on this whole

you're the you're better than Bob Dylan. Well, come on. Leonard Cohen. It's his quote. He was trying to give me a boost there. I don't know. Sometimes you can overboost a little bit. I think he aimed too high. Like, yeah, once you is better than, uh, Dylan Cohen and Lenin combined, people tune you out, right? They're like, maybe, you know what I mean?

It's like, Oh yeah, my buddy here, he's a really good basketball player. He's better than Jordan LeBron James and magic Johnson combined. And then you're like, okay, dude, uh, you've lost your integrity. But Ron sex, Miff said these words. Yeah. He also tweeted something the other day. I want to ask you about He says I wish I could sing at the Lightfoot tribute show

I'd love to be there, but I ain't being invited though. I saw him play each year since 1986 never saw one of those folks there It's widely known that gourd was my hero, but I guess they just don't care It feels kind of heartless and unfair. So Ron tweeted this because there's a Gordon Lightfoot tribute show at Massey Hall and Ron sex myth was not invited. What's your thoughts on that? Well I don't know.

It does seem a bit of an exclusion, but certainly I don't know what you do in a situation like that really. What's the protocol? And I don't really, I ain't even in business at that level, you know what I'm saying? I'm playing at Massey Hall. So I don't really even know and I think his manager should be doing his work for him, I think, to get him in there if possible. They should rectify this before it's too late. I'm not sure what day this Gordon Lightfoot Tribute show is at Massey Hall,

but it does seem like Ron Seck Smith should be a part of this. Oh, sure. Yeah. Well, I should actually be headlining it. Well, what's you who's your manager? Me. You got to get on that man. Okay, you got to make some call. I'm going to take myself out in the next hall to get on that man. Okay. You got to make some calls. I'm going to take myself out in the next hall and get myself a good talking to Hawksley Workman.

Ever heard of this cat, Hawksley Workman? Yeah. Yeah. He's a good FOTM too. So he wrote in and said, I say that, okay. Do you know what FOTM stands for? Yeah. Friend of the Toronto mic.

Okay. It's a good thing. I want you to know it's a good thing. You're an FOTM too. So be careful what you say about FOTMs. But Huxley wrote in, Oh, I had a crazy night with Kip Harness. What's your name? Kip Harness. The first year I lived in Toronto. What a hilarious and lovely guy. Wow. Yeah. I don't remember it at all. That means it was a good night. No, I'm just joking. Um, somehow we were going down

and I think playing a union show cause I had put out a record that was pretty kind of political around that time. Not all my stuff is though, like even in that bio, you know, the sort of like, you know, emphasis on societal decay. I mean, I write all kinds of songs. That's the most fantastic thing, you know, about me and on a long list of things. Yeah, so anyway, um... Yeah, that, um... Sorry, what were we talking about?

Huxley Workman. I wanna know what the hell happened that night. Yeah, okay, yeah, we were... We played, uh, we were both playing this. He was drumming for another guy. You know, he wasn't Huxley Workman as of yet. Yeah, I guess he says it's the first year he moved to Toronto and we're playing some Union gig down there and I, you know, I never played one before and, you know, I guess this guy had

put out a record said, welcome to the revolution it was called and this guy says, welcome to the revolution and yes I will have a beer quoting from the song and then I go and I my whole process to get Just drunk and and yell these songs out to these guy, but the reception was all really amazing, you know, but it was like and Pretty crazy night and they were drunk. This guy was driving us back. It was one of those cats and you know He was drunk. I came to realize you know, and especially when we don't drink and drive right yeah you think right but say I'm gonna drop right now okay yeah so anyway we're coming up Young Street and we're almost

at Dundas and there's that little street before Dundas off of Young and a taxi cab comes blazing through there and I thought oh this we're gonna get into a car accident the slow-motion thing that always happens, right? Like everything's just gliding and this is what's going to happen. Then nothing can stop it. And then turn the car around our car around in the middle of young street, you know, nobody was hurt, you know, and then the cab driver, I guess he was smoking at the time, the guy who hit us and dropped his cigarette in his car and started a fire.

So I just got my guitar and walked home. And so I, you know, you write a song about this night. All my songs are about that night. Everyone. Have you, uh, you performed with Huxley Workman, uh, anytime recently? No, he's, uh, he's too big for you. Uh, these people get, I think he's too big for me now too. I feel like he hasn't called me at up yet. Yeah, I don't know. I'll see what I could do. I mean, uh, we used to talk a lot like he would,

but then I feel like, uh, I haven't talked to Huxley workman in a while. So Hawk, if you're listening, man, give me a phone call. This is some bullshit right here. This is as bad as leaving Ron sex Smith off that, uh, Gordon Lightfoot tribute at Massey Hall. We got to rectify all this. There's another guy. I mean, again, we're going to get to, I want to know more about you and I want to play

these songs, but we've already talked about Ron Sex Smith and Hogsley Workman. What's your relationship like with Ian Blurton? I have no relationship with Ian Bert. He's just a fan. No, I, I think Ian's great and I always have liked him and I've seen him around, but you know, I, I can't say that on a big friend. He's, you know, he's a guy that I know. I think he's a fan of yours. Well, that's true.

I'm a fan of his, you know. I think he's a, another underappreciated guy. I think Ian's amazing. I think he's great. Yeah, there's something really rock and roll that's in a great way about Ian and my estimation. 18 albums. Yeah. So where does it begin? Like take me back. We've already kind of teased it by talking about you moved to Toronto at some point, but like, like where in your life do you realize you want to be, you want to be Bob Dylan? I think that's an accounting crows song, but by the way, your accent, this Oki accent I'm hearing, that's a Sarnia thing. What's going on here? I don't know. I don't think I'm putting anything on. I could be, you know,

in one of my... Well, Dylan put it on. He's from Minnesota for goodness sakes. I could be, I don't think I have an Oki accent, Mike. You know, I'm not putting it on. I hear some cats, they sound like they're hillbillies, but like, you know, I don't know. I think I'm talking the way I talk. I think I was actually congratulating myself. Those time to talk normal. There's a guy from Teenage Head, Dave Rave. Actually, I saw him on Friday and he sounds like he's from Brooklyn.

Like he sounds like he's from Hell's Kitchen or something like that. And he's a Hamilton guy. So, you know, I don't know. Or if naked, OK, she was here the other day. She lives in Mimico now. And Biff sounds like Cyndi Lauper. Like she's from New York or something. Like she's from Winnipeg. Well people can talk any way they want, right? No judgments here. I just wondered if that's a Sarnia thing. I haven't had a lot of Sarnia guests on. But that's how you sound in Sarnia, right?

Well yeah, you know, it's a unique place, you know. Nobody goes really, you know, if people want to cross the border, they go down to Windsor usually. And it's on the border of America. All anything I watched was American TV. All the news I watched was from murder city Detroit. And my mom worked over in Port Huron, Michigan. She went across the bridge back and forth the bridge every day. worked over in Port Huron, Michigan. She went across the bridge back and forth the bridge every day. So when does it click in that hey man I want to be a poet, I want to be a musician, I want to write music? Well I always was creating stuff and make up little things and then I made up catchphrases and stuff that would

catch on in school and everybody would say them and that's basically doing songs and I was really more into being a cartoonist when I was growing up and then never learned to play instruments. I had songs in my head all the time and then I went to get out of song, I went to U of T for literature but I didn't think I was going to stay there. There's nothing like I knew in my head, I don't know why I knew in my head, but I just knew it was kind of just an excuse in some ways to leave, go to find some other new things. And then I wanted to be a writer very, very much. I loved James Joyce.

That was the big inspiration at that time. And then I couldn't ignore the songs, they kept coming, So I took it on a price to learn to play guitar. And I used to have a rented room near U of T and I'd used to go to the campus late at night. Nobody was around and play, play really loud. And, and I went to Fed Albertson, met those cats that you were talking about. And Ron and Bob and Bob Snyder.

Bob Snyder. Yeah. Fantastic. yeah, amazing guy. So that's around, I guess, at that point, you're in like the mid 80s or something and you're playing like coffee houses and open stages and stuff. And then when you record that demo tape with Bob Wiseman, that's what kicks you off, right?

Wow, you do know that, eh? I told you, man, I'm Brian Linehan over here. I respect the name, okay. I was, I think I was Brian Linehan over here. Respect the name okay. I think I was the first guy that he ever recorded really Bob and I had got a little grab from Socan to do a demo you know and it was just before that time when everybody you know looked putting out something independently was actually seemed viable and I think oddly enough that began with the Barenaked Ladies having such a great success that's when Sam Recordman put in things in their

stores for indie stuff you know. 100% the two albums I always think of are that yellow tape you're referring to from Bare Naked Ladies and Shakespeare My Butt. Oh right that one yeah yeah those guys yeah yeah and yeah so your album coincides right with that like 1991 it. It's right there, right there. I guess so, yeah. I suppose. But... So tell me, so walk me through,

before we get to the new album and everything, just let's talk about, you know, how, like, like highlights and stuff. I know Don Kerr produced your, your, your, your follow-up. All right? Oh yeah, that, God's Vistula, and he just did a fantastic job on that. Like he was just new to,

I think, to producing and having a recording studio. And he just, you know, did such a great job, indulged himself and like a kid playing in a toy store. So, so that's always gonna, that, and I got some really good songs on that one too. So that's always kind of a special one to me. on that one too so that's always kind of a special one to me. How important to you was commercial success? Like was it all about the artistry? I want commercial success. I've always wanted commercial success and stuff because you want people to hear the songs basically right and making a couple Bakuski's wouldn't be too bad either right but I mean you doing it because you want to sell these stories. I mean, that's mostly a lot of what my songs are,

just storytelling and a point of view of the world. And you do it because you want people to hear it. And so if a commercial success, yeah, of course you want that. So, but I- So it's not even all, I mean, make it, and you said a few Bukuski's, it just makes life easier, I suppose, to make some moolah, but really, it's about maximizing the number of ears

that'll take in your art. Yeah, so, you know, I'm just going along this road that I've been traveling for this long now, and, yeah, I, you know, not everything I can do is great, but I mean, I think, you know, I always try to break some new ground and get closer to that kind of understanding of things, you know? Um, and you know, I usually, you know, cause I have to kind of do it all myself. So I'm going to make something,

put out a record. I want to think it's real good, you know? And so I'll come along and get really inspired, you know, and, uh, see something and it seems important and inevitable. And I just follow it. Well, yeah. You friendly with Robert priest? Not really. Not really. Uh, I have some kind of problems. I'm not like, I'm friendly. No, I'm friendly. No, I'm friendly with him. He lives in, um, you know, Toronto, right? And I'm around these, I know I'm not saying that I'm, I mean, I'm friendly. No, I'm friendly with him. He lives in, um, you know, Toronto, right? And I'm around these. I know I'm not saying that. I mean, I, cause you said, what do you

say? I'm friends and not, you know, but you know, yeah, he's, uh, I guess what is a friend, right? Like I guess a friend is somebody, I don't know. You'd call them up and have a beer or a coffee with them or something. That's a friend, right? So you're right. Not many, you know, getting in that circle, that's next level, right? There are people I consider people I'm friends of this guy. When I see him, we're happy to see each other and we shoot the show for a little bit or whatever, but that's not, I don't think, uh, like, you know, I'm not going to go text Dave Hodges and say, Hey,

let's grab a beer tomorrow. Whatever. I, cause it's, that's a whole different level of friendship, right? The whole concept is alien to me, frankly.'s talk about that okay. Okay. So you when you like for example are you still friendly with Bob Wiseman? Yeah yeah I mean I'm in contact with all these people you know I think if I want to be and everything and same goes vice versa you, I've known some of these guys for 30 or 40 years, and you know, it's not really going to be the same way it was then, you know, but that's fantastic, you just go on, you know.

So what's changed like between now and then? Like what has changed? I'm just wondering when you were kind of coming up in the mid-80s and you're talking about Fat Alberts and you know, you're bumping into Ron sex Smith and Bob Wiseman and Bob Snyder. Like, like from that to now, like how many years that's 40 years, right? Yeah. Yeah. So what are the most significant changes that you've observed in your last

40 years? And again, I, I mentioned that you got a new album out called kick the dust and we're going to play some jams from Kick the Dust Very good friend, but that's your 18th album. Like you yeah, you've been around you like you said you were the Johnny cat You've been everywhere man. Yeah, so like 40 years What were the most significant changes you've witnessed in your 40 years of creating music in this in this market? Well, there's never been a market for me, apparently. But...

So this goes back to commercial success. Commercial success, for sure. So, but I'm not averse to it, but you know, people, you make music and they say, well that's not commercial, okay. Well, do I not make that music then? No, it does not make that, I do not make that music. But, do you make music, like if somebody said,

hey, we need a song, I'll if you somebody said hey like we need a song I'll make this up man we need a song that we can that'll get played on Q107 yeah like do you ever said like hey I'll write one of those now. If somebody came with with an order and a guarantee that would be played on Q107 I would but I've written songs that can be played on Q107 it just takes a little bit of imagination and foresight, you know, and a feeling of, you know, a sort of visionary feeling maybe, you know, and that's not where things are at. But it's not saying that it will be like that forever, or you know, or even that it's really like that now. Maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. I'm talking out of my ass

because, you know, these are questions of commerce you're asking me and that ain't what I do. I mean I do it because nobody else is doing it. If you want to do it for me that'd be fantastic but you seem to be kind of busy. But I mean you know. Well it's just I find it interesting that I kind of like a peer musician like I like somebody who creates the art and you know, you're obviously critically acclaimed, right? Like I've been reading, like you're critically acclaimed beyond Ron Sexmith. It's not just Ron. There's a lot of people saying Kip Harness, like this guy makes music on his own terms. You know what I mean? This is the term I'm hearing. And

then I, I wonder like, where's that Delta between this guy creating this fantastic art for 40 years. You've got 18 albums on your belt. But you know, meanwhile, you know, Bob Wiseman was in Blue Rodeo, right? Like, you know, so it's like the commercial success eluding you. And I just wonder like, is there any bitterness about it or no, you're proud of what you've created, you know? You know, that when you say to me the most astounding things over the last 40 years or whatever like that and you know a little bit of bitterness is always good for a person, right?

You know, a little bit of salt in the stew. Yeah. But you can't eat a whole plate of salt for a meal. That's just the fact. It'll poison you. So, but I don't, you know, I've gone through periods, you know, I, I, I'm not the same person that I was, you know, is anybody the same person they were when they're 20, 30 and you know, part of even putting out the records is like, well, this is what I feel now, you know, I, and I think I'm coming to some kind of thing that I'm trying to get some understanding or something. And I, and I, this is what I feel and this is what I'm doing. to get some understanding or something and I this is what I feel and this is what I'm doing and then you know that might fade away and need to be replaced by another one I guess that's the thing that's kept me going and I think I'm one

of those people who say demand that the world come to them you know and so far they ain't listening but in the large sense but in a way it has a meaning that's why I say like bitterness is kind of over you know like or whatever I'm an angry guy I think but you use it right like I feel like I don't describe it as a chip is there a chip on your shoulder well I don't deny the anger I don't know be at different times again there's been a chip on my shoulder I don't know, at different times. Again, there's been a chip on my shoulder. I don't know if it's still there now. It turned into a monkey on my back. No, I don't think it's there now.

I think that, like, you know, it's preposterous to be concerned with things like that, with the horror and the havoc that's in the world. I mean, honestly, you know? Like, it's kind of in a way obscene, you know, you There's such terror going on among people. There's such injustice even in this city here that you could fill of Thousand volumes with it. So one has to put things in a bit of perspective, which hopefully may becomes to people, you know because we're just

You know, we're just, it's pure luck that, you know, we're not under the gun in one of these places around the world right now, you know. I sometimes say, I like, I won the sperm lottery because I was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Like, what were the odds when you look at the world at large? What were the odds? Well, I just think that, um, so I'm just, you know, relating it to my bitterness or whatever like that,

you know, like that's when you kind of get the groove of things. I think that like when you get the groove of things is that, you know, we're all on the same level. Like society always wants you to think in hierarchies, right, somebody's at the top, somebody at the bottom, and life is climbing up the ladder, right? So that's why I think society's ideal seems to be for people to be sociopaths. Like they, as kids, you teach them all sharing is

caring and share this and share that, you know. And then once they hit 18, you got to start teaching them just the opposite, you know? And that's the way people see there's a higher, there's the rich white man at the top, and there's women and the black man and the black woman, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, all the way down to, you know, the animals and the environment, which, you know, as you go further down,

you become more dehumanized, and people can't do that, you know, because you need to humanize somebody, you've dehumanized yourself. It's exactly to the same degree you've dehumanized them. So then, you know, it goes all the way down to the animals and the environment which they kill and exploit, you know? And so the my view of things is that what I think is also,

you know, a religious or spiritual type of view is that we're horizontal, life is horizontal. It's like the only real things are between you and me, you know, sitting here. Do you think we're treating this planet like shit? Well to some degree, you know, I mean, yeah Probably in a couple of songs, you know, but I do think it comes from that hierarchical point of view like, you know in inevitably you see these things that are beneath you in this hierarchy and Human nature being what it is treats them as less than human all the way down to the earth itself so you're observing all of this and then you're you know, it's a

Being released into your art form. It's just a poetry set to music essentially that yeah your music Yeah, so you have that creative outlet and then you can share this perspective and these thoughts with the universe. Yeah, exactly. And maybe you don't have a US Billboard number one song like the Bare Naked Ladies, but you have significant critical acclaim. And I think personally, I think if I had to choose between the commercial success and the critical success,

I'd like to think I would choose the critical success so long as I could like go to bed without feeling hungry and I have a nice bicycle. I just want a nice bicycle, you know? A bicycle. Yeah, I don't want a bicycle at all, but something equivalent. Get out of my basement. Kip, get the fuck out of here. You know a bicycle. Yeah, I don't want a bicycle at all, but I something Kip get the fuck out of here. Hey, I don't even know how to drive a car. Do I get credit for that? I I don't think you get credit for that. But what is your what are you again angry about bicycles?

Like what is it? You don't you don't know that would just I would just tell you what a convenient way to travel this city A bicycle is I'm just here, I'm not here, I don't work for the bicycle advocacy group or whatever, but I get around this city on a bike and I find it very convenient and I don't have to worry about, I mean I know you don't have to worry about parking either, you're not driving anywhere. But why are you being so proselytizing about it? I know, I'm here to tell you what a beautiful civilized way to travel this city and then you don't have to be oh so you're more civilized than I am I never

said that no man I'm a TTC guy too but I'm here to tell you yeah give biking a try and you might never be on the subway again yeah I'm pro subway I'm glad you're not out there you know clogging up the QEW. That's what matters Here's an FOTM Michael Barclay He he said that you should be hailed as a national treasure. So this appearance here We're gonna play music in a minute. Everybody's like where the hell's the music music is coming I want to learn more about kick kick the dust But my goal here is to give people just like an understanding and appreciation and

awareness at the very least of Kip Harness. So on our way to the music before I give you a few more gifts, I'm going to ask you about some people. So like we've been talking about Bob Wiseman and we've talked about Ron Sexman, we talked about Huxley Workman. Okay. Daniel Len Waw, have you worked with Daniel Len Waw, the legend? No, he expressed some interest in my music at one time. You never worked with Daniel Lanwau? I'm not mad at you. Are you trying? It sounds like I'm mad at you.

I don't understand your tone. No, because I have a note from somebody we both know who said you're associated with Daniel Lanwau and But maybe he would be like my music and yeah, actually I guess he had some You know, I think 30 years ago or something. He had a A&R deal with Capitol in the States and he was trying to get them to go for me and What happened there? I just they weren't interested but uh, you know, he's at one time He knew my music. He's a champion of yours. Yeah, you know, he's at one time. He knew my music. He's a champion of yours. Yeah. He said that's cool.

I was a good writer. Great writer. OK. No, love it. Mary Margaret O'Hara. Yeah, she was on my last record that I put out, Poverty Line, and did an amazing, great job. And and I see her around the town and she's always wonderful and I

think what she does is always pretty amazing. That's a big family though, O'Hara's right? There's a bunch of them right? Yeah. I talked to Michael O'Hara fairly recently on the the telephone. People still do that. Some Catherine O'Hara, who knows what she's been up to, I don't know. I haven't been following, but lots of action in the O'Hara family. And you wrote a book, right? Like you published Wigford Remembries. Yeah, it's a novel that I did with Nightwood in I think 2017, 16, 17, something like that.

And then I did another one called The Abandoned, another novel that was put out with them. And yeah, you know they were they they're out there are what they are I have other novels I'd like to get probably to you know same old story but those are two of the ones that were accepted okay so when you're not producing music you're producing novels and books. Yeah. Yeah. I write stories, you know, I like to, uh, you know, tell stories. That's all I can say. Well, let's listen to, I want to, I actually, I loaded up a few jams.

I wasn't sure if you'd have the guitar or not, cause I thought maybe, and then I thought, okay, well, find out what song you want to play first and make sure I don't play that. I don't want to steal a thunder, but what I have four songs that we're going to kind of play and chat about. And all four of these songs are on your brand new album, which is now released right now available. Kick the dust now out. Am I right? Yes, exactly. We did a show on Friday, the night that was really great. And we had a puppet show opening for the show. And, you know, Victor Bateman and Blake Howard and

Tanya Gill playing with me. Really great. Okay, Victor Bateman is your bassist and Blake Howard drummer. Yeah. Cool. Amazing. All right. But first, what have I given you so far, man? I gave you beer and lasagna, right? Yeah. I've given you anything else? Okay. Let me give you a few more things. Ridley Funeral Home wants you to have some measuring tape here, Kip. You got to, you never know when

you got to measure a commitment. And that QR code will help you subscribe to Yes, We Are Open. So the commitment I need from you, Kip, is you can have that speaker, but here's what you got to do with that speaker. You got to listen to season six of Yes, We Are Open. All right. That's an award-winning podcast from Minaris and it's hosted by FOTM Al Gregor who went out west this time. He went to Alberta and he's talking to small business owners

about like their trials and tribulations and challenges and then he shares their inspiring story with listeners like you. So, Yes We Are Open. That's the podcast I listen to. I have to listen to it. Yeah and while you're listening to stuff here, we are open. That's the podcast I listen to. I have to listen to it. Yeah. And while you're listening to stuff here, we'll get your financial house in order. Even though you don't have a number one Billboard Hot 100 song, we're going to, I highly recommend the Advantage Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada. Get some best practices, some good advice on that informative, inspiring podcast, Advantage Investor.

So there's a couple of podcasts on your list. And while you're taking notes here, because you're held captive in my basement, what are you going to do? Kip, you're going to leave? No way, because you haven't got the lasagna yet. It's in my freezer. So you're not going anywhere. RecycleMyElectronics.ca, that's where you go. If you have old electronics, old tech, old cables at home, don't throw it in the garbage, the chemicals end up in our landfill. Go to RecycleMyElectronics.ca. Before I play the music, are you a sports fan?

No. So, no interest in sports? Yeah, I mean, I don't put down people that watch sports or anything like that. I grew up with it a lot. You know, the maple leafs, you know, the, the gardens down there that was always on the television. Does Sarnia root for the leaf? Big hockey. I don't know.

I wouldn't even know that. Everybody's, I think, an individual. Like I knew, I do think that some people. You know, some may really, I was just thinking like maybe the Red Wings maybe. I'm not even sure. No, people wouldn't generally do that either Toronto or Montreal from my memory. All right my friend at Christie Pitts, which of course is Christie and Bloor Street here in Toronto. All Torontonians know Christie Pitts. The Toronto Maple Leafs will have their home opener

on May 12 at 2 p.m. Some interesting people will be there like Rick Emmett from triumph and Blair Packham Steve Paken Steven Brunt Wendell Clark Rick Vive Mike Apple Peter Groves Mark Hebbshire a bunch of cool FOTMs are going to be there I'm going to be there if that entices you to come down and say hi there's's no ticket required. Just show up May 12, 2 PM. Come say hi. That book is the history of Toronto May Believes Baseball. And that's a gift for you from the baseball team. Oh, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Want to kick out some jams from Kick the Dust? Yeah, you better. You better. Here we go. Let's hear. Playful children of yesteryear have been baptized by disappointment and tears. Long waiting lines in basement halls, the terror of the unexpected midnight call It's not a shame and it's not a disgrace It's not a federal case

It's a long corridor through which the tortured crawl It's the tortured crown It's business as usual, that's all Get them when they're young, when their eyes are full of stars When the longing to believe in can't conceive of the evil you are even waiting in the rain, waiting in the snow, waiting for the weekend, waiting for the dough it's not a tragedy, it's not a war, it's just the acceptable way things are Like a suicide note written in a blood red scrawl It's business as usual, that song

Please tell us what's business as usual that song Please tell us what's business as usual about? Well, I guess, you know, it's poetry, you know, so I mean there's no thing that it's really about, but I think anybody, I hope anybody that's human can maybe get like what it's about. It's you know, it's just the fact of what I was just talking about I guess of all that stuff going on in the world and Business as usual like I hear that phrase all the time and Yeah, it's a it's a cop-out, you know for so many things that go on to be honest and you know like you think humanity is getting a clue but then it's like a couple more steps backwards right and in so many ways maybe that's one aspect of it anyway yeah.

Do you think humanity at this point is simply dysfunctional? Well it's not like connected to like this it's source, you know So I mean that's why kind of the world is grotesque in so many ways because people really don't know what's what you know like spiritually I Mean morally is part of that too, but it's like there's no there's no real logic to it, right? There's no rationality to what people end up doing, although they know people know how to seem as if they are logical.

Very interesting, my friend. Now, when you're growing up at Cernia and then you realize you wanna play music, like who, I mean, cause I'm listening to the song and there's some influences I can hear. What musicians were influential to you? Like who did you emulate as a young musician?

Well, you know, I kind of bypassed a lot of modern rock. It just doesn't be interesting to me, like April Wine or Rush. I don't know. It didn't grab me anyway, that's all I can say. And I like 30s music. I had these records from the library like Eddie Cantor, you know, singing, Ma, he's making eyes at me, Ma, he's awfully nice to me, Hurry Ma and call a cop, pa for papa, if not pa then call a cop. You know, and Walter Houston, singing the September song. I liked old music, and then I had a gateway into the Beatles sort of, because they did a couple of honky-tonk songs like that, you know. And then, yeah, I mean you can hear, my influences are like a lot of guys who, you know, tried

to put poetry in their music and couldn't sing very well. Like, you know, with Cohen and Dylan and all those guys, I mean, in that respect. But I also like those Cole Porter guys and the George Gershwin guy, you know, those songs and you know, George's brother, Ira, was as much a genius in lyrics as, or maybe not quite as much, but really great in terms of lyrics, you know, and George Gershwin of course was a master of melody, you know, great, you know. What's more important, the melody or the lyrics?

Well, what I love about it is that they're both equal importance. I really don't like putting out my lyrics, you know, I have a lot of, as we can hear, I have a lot of lyrics in my songs. I don't like putting them out really separately before people hear the song, you know? And I don't like reading people's lyrics before I hear their song, you know? And I don't like reading people's lyrics before I hear their song, you know? You want them to come, that's the magic of it, is that you unite, they unite, you know? You form this mood, and then there's these words

that also add to that, you know? And it's like a magic that you pursue, you know? You mentioned you're a Beatles fan, so like is favorite Beatles song? Well it'd be Rain probably or Nowhere Man, you know, but that would change like tomorrow, right? It's so rich, you know. Now I'm thinking like Kip Harness kicks out the jams, right? You come by one day and we just play your ten, and again these would be fluid so they change by the day, but the day you make the list your ten favorite songs that day we play them and just

talk about them. Sure, yeah. Does that sound cool? Yeah, yeah for sure. Because absolutely, yeah, yeah. We drink a beer, we drink a Great Lakes beer, we hear you kick out your your favorite songs. I mentioned I loaded up a bunch of jams here, and this one I'm told. And I am curious, like in the current indie music universe we live in, when you have a single, what does that mean exactly today for you to say, for somebody to tell me, oh, this is Kip's newest single? Means absolutely nothing. Right.

I mean, you just make up stuff. I don't know. Like I just want to put my, well, whatever marketing is even for a cat. Maybe it means like, oh, we put out a new YouTube video or something. Yeah. You say it is whatever you say it is. You create something and you put it out there and then say, this is what it is. New thing. So I'm playing the new single and uh, in 2024, I think that means we have a new YouTube video that you can, uh, you can listen to, but let's listen to this one. And I couldn't find a nickel or a friend When I look in your eyes and I knew that You knew me

You put me back together again Back when I knew you went I know you now And I couldn't be more grateful Cause you've never been so beautiful or strong I don't know how This love grows deeper with each passing day But I'll take it anyhow because I know you now

And if tomorrow's given to us by the one who gives us love to share no matter where we go or what life does to us I know we'll both be there if tomorrow's ours to share You knew me when and you helped me to survive I know you now and your smile keeps me alive though the years have given us a history more importantly I know you now This is the single, man. Listen to this. This is the single. Sounds really good. I gotta say, yeah, I mean, I haven't listened to it in headphones for a long time anyway. And, and, uh, Dale Morningstar does just a really great job, you know, recording and then he mastered it kind of, you know, and stuff. And, uh, I haven't, you know, it sounds great. Fuck.

Yeah. Fucking loving it. And, uh, harmonica and everything. So there you go. Well done, my friend. Listen, I wish I had like like just give me 1% of that musical talent. I don't know how I missed it. Maybe I have it, I just haven't uncovered it yet. Probably. Maybe it's not too late. Okay. Did you know it's Willie Nelson's birthday today? Oh great. Happy birthday. So happy birthday to him because Willie's probably listening. Yeah, he's probably listening. Yeah, yeah.

He's 91 years young today. Wow. And they said they said cannabis would kill you. Yeah, that's right. And so sad in a way like he has to keep performing and working like that. He doesn't have enough money to support. It's gotta pay those taxes. I guess. The IRS is still out. That was a big thing, right? The, uh, he owed all that money to the IRS and he had to like, he was broken. He had to work up. I think, I think Leonard Cohen, uh, had, uh,

he was, I think he was fleeced by a bad business manager. And he also had to keep working into his seventies, I think. Oh, well, I was just joking about Willie Nelson. He obviously performs because he loves to perform. I hope I can do that too. You know, he famously had to work to pay his taxes. I do remember that. I remember the great story from that was him like watching them take out all the stuff from his house and he's standing with Chris Christopherson and he says, you know, Chris says, it's really sad, eh, Willie? And he

says, you know, it'd be sadder Chris if this was happening to somebody who gave a shit, you know? And that's Willie Nelson, I think. He just wants his weed, right? Yes. I used to have a cannabis sponsor, but there was legalities got in the way. Apparently anyway, that's a, that's a story for another day, but we were violating some rule or something. You know, rules were made to be broken kid, but that's what I say. Right? Sure. Who's your case? So we talked about some of these in you know, you were inspired by musicians from the 30s for goodness sakes Amazing. Are there any current? active musicians that you enjoy

Yeah, you know Stevie Wonder, I mean, and he's active. Yeah. And you know, I just like people kind of on my the current scene sort of thing. There's a guy Brody West play saxophone and does his thing. He's got several bands going at the same time. Tanya Gill, who plays with us. You know, there's a guy like Jerry LeJar and David Pickle. Jerry LeJar's, uh, LeJar's been here. Yeah. Uh, you know, and, uh, I like, um, you know, I like to listen to Ron's stuff when he has a new song, uh, people that are around today that, you know.

But Jerry's a good, there's a guy, there's a guy I like the sound of his stuff. He seems like he's cut from the same cloth as you, Jerry LeJure. And young guy, younger than me. I think anyone younger than me is young. This is what I meant. Well, you know, it changes, right? But I don't know who's young, right?

I don't know, yeah. These are the philosophical questions of our time. Like what is young? What is youth? And does it matter? You don't know. Yeah. These are the philosophical questions of our time. Like what is young? What is youth? You know, and does it matter? You know, you realize it. It's not really Nelson. It matters. Like what does it matter? Okay. I ask Willie Nelson's wife. Okay. Right. Right. Well, she's going to patch her in via zoom in a minute. We're going to find out, but here's another song from your new album, buddy.

in a minute, we're going to find out. But here's another song from your new album, buddy. To his home behind bars of steel The hangman came and unlocked the cage Since then every day we live takes a year of our age And the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one, no prodigal son And the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one, no prodigal son Don't like the road of good intentions, try the bad ones on time I was sabotaging, double crossed, I punched drunk and blind But I know that God's mercy is mine to know But I only believe it cause you tell me so The raconteur is stifled The magician has no tricks The third little pig didn't build his house of bricks

Every human being lifted to the level of a god Is a miserable self-dealing false healing fraud And the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one no prodigal son And the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one, no prodigal son Who are you, who am I? I don't know If you find out tell the person that I was long ago Don't wanna talk out of turn Don't wanna create confusion Tryna get up to speed With the latest illusion

There is no limit to how high you can go As long as you're willing to sink down low The fool is applauded ignorance gets a hand Wisdom goes looking through garbage cans And the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one, no prodigal son And the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one, no prodigal son Prodigal son There is no law, there is no rule There's no common interest, there is no school There is no leader, there's no one in charge

There's not even a detective sergeant at large He's the king because he's got no hypocrisy He'll still kill you dead but he won't lie through his teeth A whirlwind of chaos is spinning through the town But don't worry it's not gonna knock your house down In the time of our reckoning we could know God's reprieve But we trifle with evil cuz we truly don't believe in the hogs feasted forever They didn't share with no one no prodigal son and the hogs feasted forever

All right, two things firstly, are you okay? I saw you hit your head there. Oh, yeah, I'm okay I only warned you six seventy times. I'm an idiot. Yeah you okay? I saw you hit your head there. Oh yeah, I'm okay. I only warned you six, seven, eight times. I'm an idiot, yeah. That's not your fault. Everybody hits their head here to write a passage. And the song, lots of words in this song. Oh yeah. So here's my question. Do you have like a notebook where you're sketching out lyrics and then you also are noodling on the guitar or whatever coming up with music and then you mix it, you match it up? Like what is the process when you're composing a song? Do you write the music and then the lyrics for the music?

Like how does that work? Well, ideally, like the best thing is when they come at the same time, you know, and, and, and, and you know, I, I play every day and write stuff all the time, but the, the, the ones to put on record to me are the ones that are really good, you know, expired or whatever. Of course. And so the ones that are really good, you know, inspired or whatever. Of course.

And so the ones that are really great, they come at the same time. And lots of times I don't write the words down at all. I just keep singing them into my head. So that's all I remember. I'm a, I'm totally in the oral tradition. You understand? Of course you're from the thirties, man. I'm from the thirties.

And yeah, so then, yeah, they just kind of, and a couple of the ones on here, yeah, I was playing around, playing guitar, and then yeah, words came out and I actually thought them into the computer just as they came out so I wouldn't forget them, you know, the next day or something. And I know a couple of them actually developed out of actually poems or little just thoughts that I was writing down and I thought well Put it to music. Okay sounds when you're prolific right like like this just Again, I've lost track here man, but I think this is your 18th. What is something like that? Yeah It's like dust by the way kick the dust if somebody wants to hear more kick the dust

Where do you want them to go? Like can you run camp is really great because you want them to go? Like can you direct them? Well Bandcamp is really great because you get all, like actually get dough from them. You know, you get some money, right? Like, I mean, my stuff is on iTunes and all that kind of stuff, Spotify. But you'll never get enough streams

to get a check from Spotify, right? Yeah, like two cents, right? Every, you know, bunch of months. But it's worse than that, right? It's like, it's something like that. And then they're like, but we're not cutting you a check till you clear a thousand bucks or something like that, right? Well's like, it's something like that. And then they're like, but we're not cutting you a check till you clear a thousand bucks or something like that. Right?

Like the essential thing is like the, you know, the music business kind of whatever it was, the people who were doing the business part weren't doing their jobs. So it's kind of devolved down to like we make, they take. And, um, but that's why the KIP heads, like business model. And I tried to tell them all the while

and they just wouldn't listen to me. You know, they're going to listen to me. I'm going gonna listen to me. I'm gonna talk to the Kip heads for a minute man. If you're a Kip head, is that what we're calling them? The Kip heads? You like that? Well, no not really. I don't like it at all. You know give me some time. But they should be going, they should be buying directly from you. Do you have like a? Bandcamp, right? So bandcamp. That's what a bandcamp is. If they want a CD, nobody wants CDs anymore.

They don't play them anymore. But people are buying vinyl. But I make them. Yeah, but that's kind of bullshit. But I make CDs. They just hang it on the wall. Well, you know, it's kind of like, I'm gonna, you know, then that's when it becomes specialty,

like specialty coffee or specialized this or that. It becomes, it's a way of shutt, or specialized this or that, it becomes, it's a way of shuttling off music to the side, you know, and saying, well it can only be this particular strain of marijuana that I'm having today. You know, I mean, like it's bullshit. But, you know, I like to use it because I like making images that go along

with the music that I've created. And, you know You know that the songs even in my own heart are like little symphonies like the collection of songs I like to put pictures because I do visual like art too, you know, of course but um Bandcamp how much we're sending we're sending people to bandcamp And it says on the bandcamp that people want an old-fashioned CD They can just eat transfer me 20 me 20 buck cooskies And they got the address there kipharnes at gmail.com

Kipharnes at gmail.com mailed to their house, you know loving kip kyp For those who aren't sure kick the dust. Okay now a couple of quotes here before I got one more song I want to play actually before I set you free here. You've already earned your lasagna, but I, I'm digging this. I'm digging the vibe here. So I'm going to read a quote. This is not from Ron Sexmith. I'll just say that off the top. This is not a Ron Sexmith quote. This is from I magazine. Did you miss the old weeklies? What happened now? Magazine was fantastic. Yeah. Yeah. It's too bad really. Right.

There doesn't seem to be in existence with the same power. Well no, someone bought the logo in the website, but there's no relation, there's no spirit of the original Now magazine in the current iteration. No, it's gone. Such is life, you know, I don't know. I blame the internet. Okay, so this is the quote from I magazine.

Harness is, is it harness or harness? Harness. Yeah, okay harness is one of the best songwriters this city If not this country has ever seen With you for many here's one more I think I'm gonna just throw it you if you don't mind it's I want to give the right attribution here but I can't see it very quickly here and I'm not gonna edit this I refuse to edit Crash Magazine. I probably yeah. Crash magazine says. Part of those things that even exist anymore? I'm a I'm still in Crash Magazine and I'm 1601 Lord Charles hey whatever it takes kip has his own style it may not be a style that everyone likes but there are

those of us who think he's kind of genius oh go straight I think that was ghost-ridden by Ron sex man I'm not going to go shit right all right let me get one more jam here. He's still with us. Okay. Yeah, that's nice. Long may he run. Okay. Here is Jesus wept. Oh, It's your song, you can talk over it if you want. Oh great. The best things in life are free. Oh no.

Oh no. Disappearing, the quicksand of his lies. He's dreaming his last gasp. He had a good reputation, but now it's in the past. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp.

He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last gasp. He's dreaming his last of his lies he's dreaming his last gas we had a good reputation but now it's in the past the darkness crept the watchman slept

Jesus wept some went out of their minds with money some with love some had no mind to go out of waiting in line taking up space Completely unaware of all that they defaced The darkness crept, the watchman slept Jesus wept, his enemies are everywhere And they never sleep Sometimes a chill hears, but they creep

God-like minded individuals gonna start a revolutionary war A bunch of fucking nuts is what they are The darkness crept, the watchman slept Jesus wept Kip you're saying something man. Oh yeah. Yeah? Fuck the Nazis. Yeah, I just don't like the illogical stuff, right?

You know, the stuff that really makes no sense, that people insist you must treat as though it's, you know, has some basis to it, right? Because they believe it. And it's like, hey, Jack, you know know, like thinking logically and sequentially and intelligently, you know, hasn't gone out of date just yet, right? I mean, these cats want to, you know, repeal the enlightenment. Fuck them. But you can, you know, Jesus wept. yeah, it's a good one here and Just quick no, you know, I will get two person or anything, but I your wife's a poet is that right? That's right. Allison grayhurst. Yeah, great point. You just talk to each other in bohms like cuz I just yeah

Unfortunately reality intercedes every so often though with bill because you have kids stuff like that. Yeah So how old are your kids? 22 and 26. Oh, that's old. Yeah. I have a 22 year old as well, by the way. We have something in common. Oh, wow.

Yeah, because I saw a little baby thinking, I'm thinking, does he have a little baby? Well, I do, well, eight, eight years old now, actually. The youngest is eight in this house. She just turned eight. And the oldest is 22, so. Oh, nice. How many though?

Four. Four. Not to get too personal with you. Well, I don't, I got four kids. That's not, I don't, I don't consider that too personal. And why do I, so are you still married? I'm still, well, this is marriage. Not that you were married in the first place. You don't have to be married to have kids. I mean, I'm not saying that. I had to explain that to my eight year old the other day because she was talking

about how she was suggesting that you got to be married to have kids. And I was explaining that that's actually not true. Like this was a combo that happened. Like you don't actually it's not a prerequisite to be married and lots of people have kids and are married and your cousin, you have a cousin whose parents weren't married. Like, you know, this is how close it comes home. But yeah, we had to chat just the other day, but I will say this so that so we're chatting here on a Monday afternoon.

Tomorrow, I've got a whole ass to Montreal. So I'm driving to Montreal to pick up my second born who's coming home. But I got to move her to a new apartment before I bring her home. That sounds very confusing. But it means I got to sleep in Montreal and then wake up on the 1st of May and then do the move.

Anyway, and then I'll get her back to Toronto on the 1st. You want to help me, Kip? What are you doing tomorrow? He's okay Okay, well how convenient how convenient for you? All right, so kick the dust your 18th album I dig it and Dale Morningstar you shouted him out earlier, but Producer it did sound great sounded great in the headphones and you mentioned Victor Bateman on bass, and you got Blake Howard on drums,

and where can we see you anytime soon? We see you live. Don't have anything just planned right just yet. You have to go to kipharness.net, or join the group on the Facebook, Music of Kip Harness. There's an idea. That'll keep you, or yeah, I got a Twitter account. I got no followers or nothing.

Oh, it's at Kip Harness. Yeah. Kip Harness. I'm on Twitter. Okay, because I'm going to, when I drop this, you know, because... Oh yeah. I'm not editing it. No matter how many times you beg me, this is going live.

Like, we're going to take a photo. I'm going to get you lasagna. Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to give you the rundown here. So, firstly, thank you so much for coming by. Thank you, Mike. Thanks for having me. Enjoy the chat. I'm digging your vibe.

I might be talking like you for the rest of the day. And it'll be like, why are you talking like that? I just spent an hour with Kip Harness. So this is how I talk now. Dug the vibe, dig the music. Much luck. You're like an indie rock legend, like I said. And you know, Ron Saksmith knows his shit. That's a man who loves music.

And he says this is his favorite songwriter. There's a reason to check it out. So I hope everybody does that. Then, okay, so I mentioned we're running down the itinerary. So I'm gonna get the lasagna from my freezer and put it in this box. Do you have any vegetarian lasagna? You know what?

Just without doxing yourself, what part of the city do you live in? Just give me a neighborhood. How far? Give me a neighborhood, it's okay. How far? East York, okay. I'm going to, I bike. This isn't my music playing.

No, this is the aforementioned lowest of the lows that's playing here. What do you mean this isn't your music? Okay. Noting that. This is Rosie and Grey from Shakespeare, My Butt. Oh cool. I will bike to you a vegetarian lasagna.

Like I will do this. Okay. I can ask you everything. I only have a meat. I made such a big deal out of bicycling before. I was like, you know, do you know my Lord and Savior bicycle? Like I mean. I was upset that you seem to be, you said, suggested you might be anti-bike.

Like I didn't like how you said that. I'm not anti-bike, okay? You're pro-bike. suggested you might be anti bike like I didn't like I'm not anti bike okay your pro bike pro anything that you're peddling on something like a coat wire hanger you know how could you be a game cycling of course so okay but I'm saying I don't have I only have a meat lasagna in my freezer right now okay so I will will correspond and I'll even get your email from Jason or something and then I'll bike to you a vegetarian lasagna from Palma Pasta. Okay, but the beer is ready for you to go. And then we're gonna take a photo and then I'm gonna post this episode and

then I'm gonna tweet it at you and I'm gonna tag you on Facebook and we're gonna do all that good stuff. And then at some point you're coming back to kick out the jams. I just want to hear you, I want to play your favorite songs of the moment and hear why you like them. No. Oh, want to play your favorite songs of the moment and here are you like a no oh okay not your own songs oh although my story that would be another good episode I think that you should do with me I'm only do it I'd play bring my guitar I play them live and I talk about it I will only do that episode if Ron sex myth co-hosts with me so I will ask Ron because he might he's an FOTM if Ron will co-hosts with me. So I will ask Ron, because he might, he's an FOTM,

if Ron will co-host that episode, 100% you can bring your guitar down here and play your 10 favorite songs that you wrote, and then Ron and I will talk about it. Is that cool? I guess so, yeah. I mean, you know. I mean, I guess so, that's a great idea.

But you have to have Ron involved all the time. I can do it too. But yeah, it'd be great to have Ron here and praise me. Yeah, I wanna hear him praise be great to have Ron here and praise me. Yeah, I want to hear him. I want to hear him praise you. It's what I want to do. And that brings us to the end of our 1478th show. Wow. You can follow me on Twitter and Blue Sky. I'm at Toronto Mike. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery. I thoroughly enjoyed my burst palm of pasta recycle my electronics dot CA

Raymond James, Canada the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team Monaris and Ridley Funeral Home See you all actually tomorrow. I'm dropping the FOTM KOT jam See you all, actually tomorrow I'm dropping the FOTM, KOT jam, it's KOTJ episode where we kick out the money jam, so that'll drop tomorrow. See you all then. And I've kissed you in Spain And I've kissed you in places I better not name And I've seen the sun go down on Chacla Cours

But I like it much better going down on you Yeah, you know that's true because Everything is coming up Rosie and Grey Yeah, the wind is cold but the smell of snow warms us today And your smile is fine and it's just like mine and it won't go away Cause everything is Rosie now Everything is Rosie, yeah Cause everything is rosy now, everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray