(upbeat rock music) - [Narrator] "Ocean State Sessions" features performances by local musicians and brings you the stories behind the songs.

Coming up tonight.

♪ I try my best to sing loud ♪ ♪ Will you carry the sound ♪ ♪ And Monarch ♪ (upbeat rock music) ♪ Put no money down ♪ (slow guitar music) (slow guitar music continues) (slow guitar music continues) (slow guitar music continues) ♪ Bring on the rain, she said ♪ ♪ As a single tear fell and carried her to sea ♪ ♪ Well, I better learn to swim ♪ ♪ 'Cause all rivers lead to the ocean ♪ (slow guitar music continues) (slow guitar music continues) ♪ Bring on the pain, she said ♪ ♪ 'Cause I've carried heavier before ♪ ♪ And if you can't escape ♪ ♪ The extra weight ♪ ♪ Then you better race for more ♪ ♪ If I could ♪ ♪ Reach my arms to the sky ♪ ♪ I'd hitch a ride ♪ ♪ On a satellite ♪ ♪ I'd hold my hands to the night ♪ ♪ And catch a flight ♪ ♪ On a satellite ♪ (slow guitar music continues) ♪ Well, the sky is falling ♪ ♪ And the sun is gone ♪ ♪ It's the end of the world ♪ ♪ As you know it ♪ ♪ I'm gonna pack up a bag ♪ ♪ Get outta town ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's burning down anyway ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ If I could reach my arms ♪ ♪ To the sky ♪ ♪ I'd hitch a ride ♪ ♪ On a satellite ♪ ♪ I'd hold my hands ♪ ♪ To the night ♪ ♪ And catch a flight ♪ ♪ On a satellite ♪ ♪ Ooo ♪ ♪ Ooo ♪ ♪ If I could ♪ ♪ Reach my arms ♪ ♪ To the sky ♪ ♪ I'd hitch a ride ♪ ♪ On a satellite ♪ ♪ I'd hold my hands to the night ♪ ♪ And catch a flight ♪ ♪ On a satellite ♪ - The three songs that I perform today, "Satellite," "Where Does A Prayer Go?"

and "Monarch," all three of those were written in the past year or so.

And within months of each other, I would say, like maybe last last summer to fall, they were all written.

I had a very difficult year.

Pandemic was not good to a lot of people, I lost my dad last year.

And so these songs were kind of inspired by that loss and kind of my processing it.

And you know when things happen, one of the gifts of being an artist of any kind or a creator of any kind is having a place to put all of that stuff and in some ways turn something really, really crappy into something less crappy and maybe even more beautiful and share it with other people.

So that's sort of, all three of them are sort of, almost like a package deal in a way.

(quiet guitar music) (quiet guitar music continues) (quiet guitar music continues) ♪ Should I say it out loud ♪ ♪ Can I say it in my head ♪ ♪ If I sit and write it down ♪ ♪ I wouldn't know where I should send it ♪ ♪ Well it never really made sense to me ♪ ♪ To talk to the sky ♪ ♪ But the birds and the balloons ♪ ♪ And the sun seem to know why ♪ ♪ Is anybody listening ♪ ♪ Tell me where does a prayer go ♪ ♪ When it's parted from your lips ♪ ♪ Is there a God that I should thank or blame ♪ ♪ Or cry to for all this ♪ ♪ And if he's even there ♪ ♪ I wouldn't know what to say ♪ ♪ Tell me, where ♪ ♪ Does a prayer go ♪ (quiet guitar music continues) ♪ In church, they always taught me ♪ ♪ To get down on my knees ♪ ♪ And bow my head ♪ ♪ And fold my hands and close my eyes and speak ♪ ♪ Well, it never seemed much different ♪ ♪ Than talking to a wall ♪ ♪ 'Cause anyone with ears that hear might answer after all ♪ ♪ Is anybody listening ♪ ♪ Tell me ♪ ♪ Where does a prayer go ♪ ♪ When it's parted from your lips ♪ ♪ Is there a God that I should thank or blame ♪ ♪ Or cry to for all this ♪ ♪ And if he's even there, I wouldn't know what to say ♪ ♪ Tell me where ♪ ♪ Does a prayer go ♪ ♪ Where do the words go ♪ ♪ When they're parted from your lips ♪ ♪ Are they carried up above the clouds on a one-way trip ♪ ♪ I can't help but think ♪ ♪ They disappear into thin air ♪ ♪ Tell me where ♪ ♪ Where ♪ ♪ Does a prayer go ♪ ♪ Mmmm ♪ - After my dad passed away, I was seeing butterflies everywhere.

Literally I was at the, there's a line in the song, you know, I didn't know you liked the beach.

I was at the beach one day and there were like three of them parked around me in the sand and they didn't move for hours.

And then later in the summer, I was actually in the middle of a parking lot taking a motorcycle riding class.

It was like, you know, dead heat of summer.

And like Monarch butterfly flies by my head while I'm on the bike and I'm like, what is going on here?

And I'm not a person that typically believes in signs like that, from the beyond and all that.

So, but sometimes things just happen and you can't help but sort of wake up and be like, okay, wait a minute, what's going on here?

So that, you know that song is literally about the butterflies, but also again, about me working through like, Hmm, is there such a thing as these signs?

(quiet guitar music) (quiet guitar music continues) ♪ Hey Monarch ♪ ♪ I didn't know you like the beach ♪ ♪ But you've been sitting here with me ♪ ♪ Does the sun burn your wings ♪ ♪ Hey Monarch ♪ ♪ Where'd you come from, where you going ♪ ♪ Or do you even know it ♪ ♪ Please don't leave without me ♪ ♪ They say you've got a message for me ♪ ♪ They say you mean something ♪ ♪ But, Monarch ♪ ♪ Why is that so hard ♪ ♪ To believe ♪ ♪ Hey, Monarch ♪ ♪ Can they hear me from the ground ♪ ♪ I try my best to sing loud ♪ ♪ Will you carry the sound ♪ ♪ And Monarch ♪ ♪ Sometimes I wish I were like you ♪ ♪ And hide away when I want to ♪ ♪ And come back someone else ♪ ♪ They say you've got a message for me ♪ ♪ They say you mean something ♪ ♪ But, Monarch ♪ ♪ Why is that so hard ♪ ♪ To believe ♪ ♪ Well, I don't believe ♪ ♪ In messages ♪ ♪ But if you've got something ♪ ♪ Then, Monarch ♪ ♪ I'll be listening ♪ - This song is called "Gasoline."

This is a brand new one, just freshly recorded it in the last year.

It'll be out in 2023 on a brand new original album.

Actually recorded it down where I grew up on the South Shore in Massachusetts, which was a nice homecoming.

You know, it's interesting, it's like sometimes you gotta go back home and connect to your roots again, which is something I've been wanting to do for a while.

I didn't move that far away, but I'd been living away from my hometown for about 15 years and as soon as I got back down there this crazy thing happened and a global pandemic showed up, which was not good for many things, but it was good for songwriting.

So just had a lot of time home to think, reflect and like just kind of look at the experiences I'd had for the last number of years, traveling the country, traveling the world.

And I was just reflecting back and strumming through the guitar and you know, sometimes I think to rebuild something, you gotta burn it down.

And that was when "Gasoline" was born.

♪ Ever since I was a kid ♪ ♪ I found it hard to keep my anger in ♪ ♪ I'd pound my fists and I'd slam the door ♪ ♪ Till I got older, found the liquor store ♪ ♪ Ever since I's a baby boy ♪ ♪ I always like to play with toys ♪ ♪ And I like fun and I like joy ♪ ♪ Yeah, ever since I's a baby boy ♪ ♪ In my teens, things got mean ♪ ♪ Give that fire some gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ ♪ I never minded looking back ♪ ♪ The past pulls no punches, that's a fact ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's all laid out just how it was ♪ ♪ History's written by the victorious ♪ ♪ The loser's history goes unseen ♪ ♪ Give that fire some gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ ♪ They say there's darkness in the light ♪ ♪ It's hard to see it 'cause it burns so bright ♪ ♪ Now I think some people think too much ♪ ♪ While other people aren't thinking enough ♪ ♪ It does no good to kick and scream ♪ ♪ Give that fire some gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ (calm rock music) (calm rock music continues) (calm rock music continues) ♪ Ever since I was a kid ♪ ♪ I found it hard to keep my anger in ♪ ♪ I'd pound my fists and I'd slam the door ♪ ♪ Till I got older, found the liquor store ♪ ♪ Was just my crutch on which to lean ♪ ♪ Give that fire some gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ ♪ Oh, it does no good to kick and scream ♪ ♪ Give that fire some gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ ♪ Get the gasoline ♪ - Something I had always wanted to do, but had never like carved out the time to make happen, I loved season one of "Twin Peaks."

I had started season two of "Twin Peaks" on numerous occasions, and I'd get two, three, four episodes in and I would just peter out, my enthusiasm would wane and I never made it through.

And finally, just kind of sitting at home with time to spare, decided we were gonna power through.

And I must say it exceeded expectations.

I found myself very much invested in the show and in the characters.

Shelly Johnson is one of the main characters of Twin Peaks.

She's just a young woman who dropped outta high school, a kind of a small town queen if you will, who is just a beautiful young woman who found an older guy that she was taken with and married young and has found herself just working at a local diner without any real, lofty aspirations and just kind of realizing that she might have got herself into, maybe something that wasn't the best for her.

(quiet rock bluesy music) ♪ Small town queen with small town dreams ♪ ♪ Worked the Double R Diner since she was seventeen ♪ ♪ All things good or evil ♪ ♪ Or caught in between ♪ ♪ The darkness of the woods ♪ ♪ The lake washes clean ♪ ♪ Buried in the timber of Washington state ♪ ♪ Tangled webs are woven in this strange little place ♪ ♪ Shelly met Leo one night at The Roadhouse ♪ ♪ Then they got married and Shelly dropped out ♪ ♪ Now she's got a whole lotta action ♪ ♪ Right here at home ♪ ♪ Got a boy named Bobby on the side when Leo's on the road ♪ ♪ The way Leo treats her I can't understand ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ She works at the diner serving damn good pies ♪ ♪ The whole town's crawling with the FBI ♪ ♪ Mysteries and murder ♪ ♪ Her friends are dying ♪ ♪ For kids in this town it's just a day in the life ♪ ♪ Now she's got a whole lotta problems at the end of the day ♪ ♪ When Leo gets home, he treats her like a maid ♪ ♪ She washes the floor, he's got a heavy hand ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ Owls screeching in the dead of the night ♪ ♪ Shelly pulled the trigger and Leo took flight ♪ ♪ Leo and Bobby got into a fight ♪ ♪ Then a shot came through the window in the nick of time ♪ ♪ Another shot came through the window in the nick of time ♪ ♪ They say beautiful women cause men to do bad things ♪ ♪ It's not the fault of women ♪ ♪ Some men have a weakness ♪ ♪ Muscle and mind are two very different things ♪ ♪ That's why small town queens rarely keep their kings ♪ ♪ Now there's not a whole lotta action ♪ ♪ At home on the couch ♪ ♪ Bobby's head is in the game and Leo's checked out ♪ ♪ I think Shelly Johnson could use a good plan ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ ♪ Shelly Johnson could sure use a better man ♪ (quiet rock music) (quiet rock music continues) (quiet rock music continues) (quiet rock music continues) (quiet rock music continues) - I really love classic country music.

I love the the heart and the sentiment of early country music, before it became a national thing, when it was more a regional musical style.

When it was even called country folk and all these different titles, before it really settled on country music.

Stuff from the '40s into the '50s, and then the stuff that survived Elvis, I mean, as Hank Williams was kind of coming down in his career and Lefty Frizzell was coming up.

I like country as it transitions through the '50s and then even through the '60s and into the '70s.

And another huge inspiration that I've only recently realized, how impactful, is Bruce Springsteen.

I don't think I understood until this year how much his music, just being on in my life, just being on VH1 or being on, on the radio.

You know, being on MTV, just the songs as a soundtrack to growing up.

I started to realize those songs had a profound impact on how I write and I think how I approach songwriting.

I love the way he describes things in his songs.

I love the way he paints the pictures.

And I think subconsciously and even at times consciously, I was grabbing onto Springsteen inspirations in my own songwriting.

And I kind of had that epiphany this year.

And the result of it is that we've actually been diving a little deeper into some of Bruce Springsteen's songs, which has been fun.

(upbeat rock music) (upbeat rock music continues) ♪ What did independence ever get me ♪ ♪ Except free time on my hands ♪ ♪ The ability to be lonesome ♪ ♪ The ability to feel lonesome ♪ ♪ I tried and I traveled the world around ♪ ♪ Where has it left me ♪ ♪ A stranger in my own town ♪ ♪ A stranger in my own house ♪ ♪ Who can't put no money down ♪ ♪ So I'll just hang around ♪ ♪ I can't go home, I burned that bridge ♪ ♪ And spent my last dime ♪ ♪ I've got nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ What did inspiration ever get me ♪ ♪ Except more time by myself ♪ ♪ While my degree sits on the shelf ♪ ♪ And I pursue something else ♪ ♪ This is what happens when you wake up ♪ ♪ And you realize it's all an act ♪ ♪ That the cool kids in the class ♪ ♪ Were just actors in a mask ♪ ♪ Who can't put no money down ♪ ♪ So I'll just hang around ♪ ♪ I can't go home, I burned that bridge ♪ ♪ And spent my last dime ♪ ♪ I've got nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ I've got nothing to do ♪ ♪ And not all dreams come true ♪ ♪ But, at least I got off the starting line ♪ ♪ At least I got off the starting line ♪ ♪ I've got nothing to do, for real this time ♪ (upbeat rock music continues) ♪ Can't put no money down ♪ ♪ So I'll just hang around ♪ ♪ I can't go home, I burned that bridge ♪ ♪ And spent my last dime ♪ ♪ I've got nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Spent my money, my last dime ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ ♪ Nothing to do, for real this time ♪ (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Go online to hear more music, meet the artists and more, visit RIPBS.org.

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