00:01.53
calltocourage
Ah, welcome to the call to card podcast I am here today with art Matthews who has just checked his hair and everything's great. There's a few gray hairs there on your chin bed.
00:11.34
ARD
Yeah, are no you getting ah getting salt and paper going on your which.
00:17.49
calltocourage
Ah, like it's the show Good to have you here? Um, how things in Cape town. What are you currently working on what's keeping you busy.
00:25.30
ARD
Thank you man good to be here. Um I just checked now that I think our last one was 2019 I do do you remember that? Ah, we that we did it before 2019 I I actually checked on the emails because they're looking for a link to to join and there was you used to use Zoom then so I clicked.
00:31.49
calltocourage
Um.
00:40.91
ARD
And if this league is inspireded like okay I'm on the wrong email thread. Yeah um so in beautiful south Every good fashion. Ah I don't know if you noticed but those lights just went off from the background but we've got load chicken. Yeah for sure.
00:51.40
calltocourage
I did notice. Okay I used to label to stay.
00:56.56
ARD
I don't know I'm um I'm good but I have to use ah studio light. Ah unfortunate, we're gonna have to keep it moody and dark like this unfortunately but this but this week it I got plenty plenty power other than other than for our lights but yamen it sounds been cold. It's cold. Dude it's ah ah you know having spent the first half of the year in um
01:06.59
calltocourage
And.
01:15.91
ARD
The Caribbean it was. It's been a very hard adjustment to come back to and and and be okay with all of this. But yeah, other than that but can't complain work is good. Got lots of music coming out and um flowing. It's cool.
01:28.91
calltocourage
What are you creating at the moment you said you spending time in your studio right now. Are you doing ah some solo stuff or or is just ginger.
01:35.37
ARD
Um, so currently today I'll just working on a bit of a corporate project which I'm hoping I can't really tell anything about unfortunately but you will know all about it. Should it happen and work so hold thumbs. Um, but yeah, so that's quite a. Quite a big one and then some solo stuff just carrying on with some music that I wrote on the boat just to get that out. So I'm very excited I just got a mix back from from Berlin my guy who mixes for me. Um, just amazing Chris for nickack same guy who who mixed impossible machines. So doing that. No new ginger. Stuff on the horizon only because of just really, um, location you know they Joburg base and and everyone has such big lives now and it's just hard to go hey man, let's go away for a weekend and record. But ah I'll try and get the boys to do that soon.
02:23.38
calltocourage
What? Um, what did your arts on the fight I only hear more about the bird story. But what what came through there some some solo stuff.
02:29.68
ARD
Um, that was it was basically just how ah bad that the first course it was it was on I had such intention I wanted to write the full album in the crossing and it just anyway I can.
02:38.28
calltocourage
Ah.
02:46.14
ARD
Kind of compared as a you know when la of youre trying and read a book while you were going over a chapman's peak you know or or any mountain this pass. It's so you know the boat is is listing the whole time's just rocking like this 24 hours a day for as long as your passages. So I'm just recording like this with a laptop like yeah, but.
02:53.23
calltocourage
Um, ah.
03:05.93
ARD
I probably.
03:10.10
calltocourage
Ah, ah.
03:12.28
ARD
Ah, a chart ah kind to be um, creative and I was I got got a couple of ideas up but us to be honest, it's taken so long to decompress from that whole experience that it's only starting to come out now you know I had quite quite um, a mountain to climb when I came back because I was only made to be gone for a month and a bit jess so and I ended up being gone till the middle of April so I came back to some interesting things that had happened you know while I was gone all all good, but just mainly mainly debt and I'll be plugging away. No debt debt debt. No debt.
03:41.66
calltocourage
Death. Yeah I did.
03:46.99
ARD
No, no, no, no death. Everyone's alive and well and and and everything's flowing beautifully again I'm so lucky to do what I do but you know I've been gone for a long time couldn't pay bulls while um, it's very hard to do an E of T when you when you in the middle of the ocean you know? Yeah, so um, think over took a minutes.
04:00.41
calltocourage
Ah, that that crossing looked epic share that Journey. What made you do for those, you don't know what it is just share what the whole story was around it and um. Yeah, what your intention was and where you started and some of the adventures you had on your journey.
04:17.42
ARD
Ah, how how long is this podcast exactly. But so it's it started with an idea I mean I've had a a coasts skipper Yacht master for quite some time and um I made the mistake that I can tell all your viewers and listeners to never make the same. Just.
04:22.54
calltocourage
Ah.
04:29.00
calltocourage
Ah.
04:33.86
ARD
Just don't buy a boat and certainly don't beat by a big boat in general The best boat in the world is your friend's boat. So I'm now everyone's friend because I have a boat in the Caribbean but bought this old wooden boat and also don't ever buy an old wood boat and don't buy Wooden boat and anyway i' done all the hard yard.
04:35.79
calltocourage
Yeah.
04:49.61
calltocourage
Um, lessons.
04:53.15
ARD
So g guys can have ah ah, an easier life. Um, and but yeah, but partner myself got into this and um I spent 3 years restoring her. She's an old classic sailing vessel if you go on Instagram and you type the word follow Tim it'll come up it's follow Tim Sv um and it's the old Howard Davis which was um. Basically a south african training vessel built by the essay navy and I spent 3 years in every last penny on this earth that I had and then some to restore her and then this idea came up that the Cape Tera was running this year and their history of about this boat was that she was actually the first. Um.
05:16.36
calltocourage
Ah.
05:29.29
ARD
She was in the first ever cape to rio seventy one she was the godship the godship in fact and I was like I was like how cool would it be if if this silly rock star actually got it to get it across the I fifty years later because it was also the fiftieth running of the.
05:33.50
calltocourage
Um, wow.
05:46.55
ARD
The Cape toia and I was like come on. You know if you if you say the theme of of the show is courage then um, then that was kind of my moment of courage going. Well you know I can do it I know she's I know she's good. She's seaworthy I know I know because I've spent all the money may there she is and I to upgrade my.
05:52.25
calltocourage
Are.
06:01.58
calltocourage
Yeah.
06:04.85
ARD
Ticket to offshore yard master which was I don't I mean I don't know when last year at school looking at numbers and triangulating sun meridians and all these things it's just the ah bre bro bro ah bro anyway you get the picture. Yeah, ah did I um, ah.
06:11.10
calltocourage
None of that.
06:20.47
calltocourage
That's a call to courage on its own just that part.
06:24.21
ARD
My kitchen was just covered with charts and sextants and all sorts of it was. It was really wild I don't know I don't know what was going on. There were no hallucogenics involved at the time of off any of this but it looked like I was of something proper. Um, and then ah yeah, so I entered ah did the k 3 3 it ran on the second of January after doing two back-to-back gigs with Triin John News Eve I landed straight and get straight onto the boat and prep. You know there were 7 of us I was the captain. It's a twenty five day race which we had planned for.
06:47.89
calltocourage
Wow.
06:56.70
ARD
Um, it's a hell of a race I mean for those who don't know the cave to here. It's not. It's not exactly skip across of the the the thames or the or the vol you know, ah thing did so I dont know I don't know what what intersection carry. Yeah.
07:12.12
calltocourage
Just before you get into this what? Ah what experience have you got in actually doing this like this is a serious race and I know you have your license.
07:17.15
ARD
I Feel saying United Joking none I've got I had super advanced laes. The only thing that I had was that I had been chartering around Cape town for quite a while and as you know Cape town is very unkind. It's really harsh conditions and I like you know up and down the coast here quite ah, quite a lot.
07:29.83
calltocourage
Yeah.
07:35.76
ARD
Which gave me I think false confidence. No and I had no idea what I was getting myself in for but I think in that regard ignorance was a little bit bliss for me. Um, and you know it's It's man it's It's one of those things. Nothing venture should nothing gain and I would I would not take it.
07:38.51
calltocourage
Um, ah.
07:50.85
calltocourage
Are.
07:54.35
ARD
Back ever people ask me if I do it again. The answer is yes because most people do this and when they have the experiences and the challenges that we had a lot of people will never sell again which I got to few times I was I never ever get I'm never leaving my studio ever I love music so much please can I and you do that? Please whatever. And. Ah, just fortunate that I ended the the whole story. Unfortunately, we couldn't complete the race. We had some technical issues along the way so I had to withdraw I to withdraw after a couple of days um people can read about it on online. It's it's pretty well documentcumented, but it was all in the name of safety and so we had to do do a detour to saint taina.
08:18.86
calltocourage
Ah.
08:30.56
ARD
Couple of the crew had to had to leave and um and then we just did the rest of the trip. We still went to Brazil I just didn't go to rio so what I decided was you know what we went to receive and the point of're going to receive is that once you're there, you could still go down to rio or you could go up to the caribbean so I went to receive.
08:38.74
calltocourage
Ah.
08:47.64
calltocourage
Ah.
08:48.51
ARD
Did carnival for two weeks you know it's all part of month that was just all my planning all research you know, just do just basically making the right all the time carefully thinking where to go to next.
09:03.67
calltocourage
Ah.
09:07.80
ARD
Well being nowhere near the road for two weeks and just marked on the street is beautiful. It was amazing and then yeah so long story short where I ended up taking it to to Tobago from there which was a hell of a thing from from received to debaga is is another crossing. It's two thousand two hundred miles and the twelve days and we were only three crew at that stage on this massive sixty six foot yacht and so we had 3 hours and 6 hours off 24 hours a day for 12 hours straight to get to tobega so need is to say by the time I got there I really looked like Tom Hanks
09:27.89
calltocourage
Wow.
09:38.28
ARD
And ah and I had a volleyball in that name all sorts of things I was getting completely cuckoo. It was like a what the last stop from? um tobago is it's just ah, it's a quick hop but it's not a quick hop. It's quite a treacherous one and um.
09:44.80
calltocourage
Wow man So where's the bird Now What? what? where did where is she.
09:57.64
ARD
Ah, you know from there to Grenada is quite an easy hop. But it's an overnight and it's that that loss it was only at overnight and I was like come on. Are you kidding me? We're just being yeah it was just it was wild. It was such a test so she's actually still in grennaated turns out a friend of mine owns. Ah, the merino called Pricky Bay in Grenada. And he's been kind enough to just ah, have me have her there for a little while and chill and decide what to do next and I've got some cool options I've got a sailing school interested in doing some ah some teaching on her um over there some yeah you know, ah super yacht training. Um, so yeah, so. Obviously I'm working now. Fortunately I'm so booked up I'm just as I say so blessed to be what I do and hopefully um I can get back there next year and and now I've done the hard yards I've done the very hard yards I did 3 crossings for for my first time ever doing a crossing I did 3 and um and um, so now. Ah you know when I do get.
10:47.54
calltocourage
Well.
10:53.47
ARD
Few months off I'm going to go and explore the Caribbean in my pirate boat. Why not what would take on this friend. Besides that decision exactly they were buy old garden at night.
10:59.87
calltocourage
What a blessing bro. What an absolute adventure and what Ah, what do you take from this like what did you learn from this besides don't make decisions like this when you drunk.
11:12.56
ARD
When need off to drop the door. So listen a ah library. Ah promise as I say it's taken a while to unpack it. It was very intense. It really was I don't want to I don't want to overall undersell it but it was a was a hell of an experience. Um. And an accomplishment that I will never be able to no one can take from me and I'm very super happy that I've done it I haven't lost everything you know money is something I can always make you know she's still a floating asset. She's out there. She's in beautiful Nick I haven't lost anything. Everything's good. Um, but what I have gained is something that most people never get to do.
11:42.71
calltocourage
And.
11:50.63
ARD
Mind musicians who who who decide to to branch out into interve captains on ah quite a big boat and so Bret what an experience I learned but I literally kind of equate this to a dmt trip. It's like I lived 3 lifetimes this year it was it was my.
11:57.90
calltocourage
Ah, ah.
12:06.16
calltocourage
And.
12:08.83
ARD
All lifetimes that I that I lived and then I had to come back to see like oh Wow the guitar thingy with the strings and then you and you ah look La La now with your mouth and then people clap off to his like again. Yeah, this is yeah I went that from.
12:12.86
calltocourage
Are.
12:27.70
ARD
From pirates of the caribbean coming back in the you know and making music again. So what an experience something I went but I always said I can't afford to because I couldn't I mean I shouldn't have ah ah can't actually afford to you know we're still, we're still as much much as we do well in South Africa we're not in yacht buying status yet you know, ah.
12:43.91
calltocourage
Um, ah.
12:46.17
ARD
I Can't afford to but my my mantra is I can't afford to but I can't afford not to and if anything this points to to your courage thing. You know, whatever you guys are thinking. Don't forget. We have one laugh people are dropping around us like flies don't hold out on things. Um that you've been wanting to do a bucket list I think should be if. I Don't even like the term bucket List. You must do whatever you want as soon as you can obviously within reason you know plan it a bit but I would be just encourage people to be fearless because if this bluff folk This bluff music can take a bite to the Caribbean from from Cave town then anyone could do just about anything I can tell you that much.
13:21.25
calltocourage
Such good at vasro. How do you how do you know how well do you know these 7 beings that you choose to go on this wild adventure with like your career I know you've done a bit of sailing. But what does that look like.
13:24.66
ARD
That's not that.
13:31.88
ARD
Yeah, so that that ended up being being actually the issue. Um at the end of the day. So I some of them were really dear friends of mine but but like wild characters but very inexperienced with sailing and then I had my cousin who's incredible is a yacht master he was ah he's a weld then he was the The reason that that um that I got there to be honest and I've told him this um he flew out from Grenada's funny enough so I actually went back I even joked I said I'm dropping your daughter- door. There was back to your boat I bought picked through boat in Prickly Bay and I said here we go Mark your daughter-law service your your your limo has arrived.
13:55.44
calltocourage
Ah.
14:10.62
ARD
And um, and then I had ah ah a really experienced um instructor with me as well who was ended up being my navigator and then literally just one other kid who was was like ah kind of Boatsin who doesn't have any qualification but he's done some gnarly sailing and the rest were guests and friends and in in Retro respect. There was a mistake. Um.
14:24.99
calltocourage
Okay.
14:29.77
ARD
Because God lets each and every one of them but I needed. You know you do need crew. You need proper crew because it's not an easy race and you need people who are in it to win it right to the end and um and unfortunately with the incidents that we had people got spooked I got spooked. You know we there was a chance that we're going to lose our mask at one stage. Um, but ah.
14:37.32
calltocourage
Yes.
14:49.67
ARD
So that you know the cruise selection is super important. It's at um, it's something that I would have definitely done differently. Yeah.
14:56.16
calltocourage
Barbara kudos for going on that adventure. It's such an amazing amazing feat I mean I did ten weeks and we we ro bars across Africa also like you know with a crew of people that we didn't know but I think there's a very different thing to being stuck in 60
15:07.43
ARD
Yeah.
15:14.64
calltocourage
Sixty feet and not being able to move and get away from one another I mean we at least had good night's rest. And yeah, we had an adventure. But yeah I could I imagine what? Ah what a crossing like that would be.
15:17.76
ARD
Yeah, yeah.
15:24.57
ARD
Yarbra it's it's very hard to put into words and until you've done it. it's it's it's not easy I learned so much about well. The 1 thing I learned about myself is that I can actually do the shit you know and I did it well and I handled myself I believe I composed myself of course I freaked out everyone would you know I was the Captain. So. The buck stuffs with me, you know and I think when that actually hit home is when I I think that's when I've really kind of it hit. You know? Ah I don't want to say padic but I was like oh dear if any if anything happens you know this? Ah, you go to jail for this stuff. You know if anything happens if guy you know, breaks his finger and and. And it starts rotting while you are to sea or something like that. It's one hundred your responsibility and it so turns out that even when you get to the island when they get off the boat if they under your captainancy you responsible for that when they go to a bar and get drunk and get in a fight you the one who goes to jail which I didn't read I was like come on. You know's like I thought once.
16:03.63
calltocourage
Um, ah yeah.
16:16.18
calltocourage
Um, wow.
16:19.34
ARD
You know pirates and so being the captain was actually a bit of an ah, an overzealous um, kind of desire of mind. But I'm I'm glad I did it I feel ah feel good and and as I said I learned that I could actually handle because we had some big moments of some big decision making that had to be done and I'd like to think that. That I carried myself as best as possible in between very normal human freaking out. But um, you know we got there, Not ah ah, not no one so much as bumped their knee on the trip I was so so safety crazy I was like you know, but I suffered it as a result you know I had I had the worst.
16:55.68
ARD
I was so tired but I didn't I didn't I didn't know what the word fatigue meant until I did this I was like because I'm you know I'm pretty hardy I've done I've done some stuff of of a state of late before in my life. You know I like part 4 of at least 3 times that I can remember.
17:14.11
calltocourage
Ah.
17:18.29
calltocourage
So you thought you would repeat.
17:19.10
ARD
Um, so but by the fifth ah thought I was prepared but you know unfortunately as the captain you don't Sleep. You just don't sleep. Um and I and I didn't I did not sleep live but and um, yeah, it was. Also any realize the the importance of of good rest and good. You know good routines and good. A really good team that you can trust. But um, not that I could trust it as people. It's just with the Butt. You know it was It was tough for me.
17:45.73
calltocourage
Where do you learn that leadership have you had a got a role model in your life that teaches you that or you just flow and go.
17:51.74
ARD
Um, well you know bro I've been the head of kind of just ginger all these years as well. So in ah, in a way that's kind of that kind of gave me a little bit of schooling and grounding you know, ah being the leading and kind of kind of the the the decision maker. You know for the most part. For a band like F for twenty odd twenty nearly eight years now um that was about the only life lesson leadership stuff that've never done courses or anything like that. Obviously I did proper courses for for the actual sailing but that doesn't teach you leadership that just shows you tides and wind.
18:23.38
calltocourage
Rut.
18:23.85
ARD
So don't know no, there's no mentor. No one I can think of in particular apart from having just been out there living being ah being a rock band in foreign countries and also dealing with stuff and you know backstage and onstage and and I get that's kind of where I got it from and I think I took that up to another left I'll tell you 1 thing if you do want to go sail like. Umm, probably your man because I after've done it and where I might know we may not go it on an old wooden boat. Let's go on something kiff and fun with an electric windir will stuff like that that my cousin and myself will get anyone anyway. I'm convinced of that.
18:58.92
calltocourage
What's um, share some of the adventures that you've had being the leader of the of just ginger. What's um, for those who don't know just ginger if they're not maybe from South Africa that's a long time to be.
19:08.97
ARD
Um, yeah.
19:11.72
calltocourage
Ah, music band staying together like not a lot of bands stay together that long and are it's successful and continue to turn out work like you guys have what's that what's required to keep you guys together I Mean in addition to leadership.
19:22.41
ARD
Um, bre we have a very simple. We've always had a very simple rule between all of us with the same the same members for last twenty as I say seven or eight years now and we had 1 rule. We're just like are we having fun and as as long as we're having fun. We're good. You know they're. Um I guess it's it kind of helps us just get through a lot of things but you know we we played again yesterday to quite a Nas sauce crowd and we're just we're just having such a ball and every time we draw us also especially in the face of you know what? we've all gone through as um. A humanity from covid to all that weird stuff that's going on now now. We're just like man this is fun. How like how lucky are we to do this. We've got a health for the most parts and um, let's get up and do it so it's just the adventures of so far and you know it's. You know so many to mention. But 1 story I will tell you is that offt our kind of second record in South Africa that did well went platinum over here which is not a lot of records but it was still quite a big deal for the country I decided to go on a holiday to Los Angeles and go and visit my friend Bruce Fulford who was my drummer in a band before. And um, when when you in those days, you'd go and they'd get. They'd say. Okay, you could stay for like a week or two weeks and I went there and they stamped me for six months I was like whoa hang on opportunity coincidence I think not so so I extended my holiday and I was like I'm gonna.
20:51.40
ARD
And the macbooks that come out with the first ones that could ever burn Cds you know the first the first laptop with a cd burner I went straight to the nearest ah store in the America and bought bought their laptop and started burning cds of the songs that we had and I was like well I'm here I'm here now, but let's let's.
20:55.91
calltocourage
Ah, yeah.
21:09.90
ARD
Let's see what can become of it and I was just hanging out and I used to take cds every time it went out and my philosophy was like I'm going to get drunk with as many people as possible and and give them the Cd and my thing was I'm just writing my number on here and um. I'm not taking any cards but it's a little bit silly but I didn't because you know la they're all they're all hustlers and they're all. It's the l a thing god bless him and I'll just like I'm not I won't be calling you you call me, you listen to the songs if you dig it call me and um and lo and behold someone did call me and they got me, um, an interview an audition.
21:29.27
calltocourage
And.
21:42.60
ARD
Should I say at capital records the capital records in Hollywood and I did ah ah did an audition there and then I got to the next a r and then finally to play for the president and I played the first part of 1 song and he stopped me and I was like oh damn it you buggergged this up. He said okay cool. He said he said where's your band. Let's let's get your guys signed up.
21:44.25
calltocourage
Wow.
22:00.52
ARD
Like well there's 1 little problem with that the that's the man of Africa and he literally said he said that make your problems mine and I looked to the guy who you know who'd got me the the audition and he said that that means that it's not a problem. He's gonna fly out. So um.
22:12.60
calltocourage
Wow.
22:15.32
ARD
That's carbb just giner got signed to capital records back in the day 2003 I think it was thereabouts.
22:20.51
calltocourage
Amazing and are they still your your record label now.
22:23.52
ARD
9 and and our chief that we got let go from them like about 4 years after that. But by then we were kind of in. He's sweeping in the background there. Someone's someone's having a jaw there.
22:33.36
calltocourage
Yeah, there is someone sweeping upstairs.
22:38.19
ARD
Um, somewhat sweet. Um, so I just got to convince some market as well. Get here. It's out of mind. But um. Yeah, so so you know that we actually ended up going through quite a few labels at that stage um got dropped by capital for whatever reason who knows why and then ended up signing with curb records and Nashville and that's who we did that last big ginger album through.
23:07.67
calltocourage
Okay.
23:08.87
ARD
And then one they kind of fizzled the way we're like well what are we doing in America we love south africa so much if we're going to be waiting for our break which could be anytime to this day stall who knows and what is a break you know in this day and age like we we happy we've done we've done kif life is cool when it's simple and you can appreciate it for its simplicity as well and you know you stop comparing yourself to degrees of success that perhaps you had or were motivated by in the beginning and you just realizing oh man this is cool I dig my little I dig my little hustle I dig what we do there's no drama I don't have excess of money so I can I trust everyone I don't you know I don't. Believe people people hang out with me because they dig me certainly not because they're gonna get rich did know I mean um so it's taken a lot of that kind of um, just like unpacking all of that and just processing and accepting and just. Getting on with it man like her life is really chill the cape town here I mean I mean I've got ah this heritage building which is one hundred meters away from the beach I got my dogs. Yeah I managed to build a house with a mom on the back and like that's my that's my life have I'm not married no kids and to be honest, bro. Pretty damn happy I get to play Xbox whenever I want I'm um, I'm on level 55 um, if you guys want if you got anyone wants to hook up with me bluff boy x seven hit me up. Let's ah, let's go and slice some demons whenever you want. Ah.
24:22.26
calltocourage
Ah.
24:33.80
calltocourage
And bro have you got any desire for partnership to to do this share this life with a partner or to be a parent I Know you don't have that in your world at the moment is that a desire in your world.
24:35.91
ARD
Have appointment to to stand that life was popular to be parents and them up that a desire to no, it's It's an interesting question. It's not a desire as such Um, but it's also I'm not closed off to it I'm not like ah you know I'm I'm not like. Opposed to it So I'm open to the universe providing me the right thing and the right time in whatever way that is and until such time I'm just happy with the company that I keep and and to be honest, the big. The biggest lesson is I'm actually happy with my own company I've I've had I've done a lot of.
25:11.39
calltocourage
And.
25:13.18
ARD
A lot of dealing with with um myself my self-confidence forgiving myself being comfortable with myself to be honest is like I I Really enjoy it like I'm I'm jolled you know? Um, but you know.
25:23.40
calltocourage
And.
25:25.81
ARD
Yeah, so as I say I'm open I'm open to whatever the universe provides but at the moment it's certainly not a desire It's never been in my Dna to um to want to go and expand my Dna into the world for it's not been ah, a drive and for whatever reason it hasn't happened yet and either way, whatever happens. Happens. But I'm chilled so good. Let's how you get to feel that's space said to the and love hearing people. They're not comfortable with peace with them. Um, yeah, happy opportunityity of really that you need to opening accept yourself for everything like is yourself solving.
25:48.28
calltocourage
So Good Man. It's so good to feel you in that space and to yeah I Love hearing people that are comfortable with being with themselves. So What's um, how do you get to the maturity of recognizing that you need to love and accept yourself. For everything like is that something you you go on a journey for plant medicine like what's the thing that gets you there and.
26:04.90
ARD
You go or you from Club. What's the same Interesting. So um, we actually wrote a song on the last ginger record called everything since then it's called Love anyone. It's one of the first coabs we've done in a very long Time. So if people do want to check it out. The song is called Love anyone. The album is called everything since then. And the song basically talks about you know if you love anyone, you may as well love yourself and the whole concept is is that you really can't find a partner or you really can't love somebody else if you're looking for them to fulfill you. So as soon as you love yourself and you're comfortable then everyone else is just going to be a beautiful blessing and a butterfly in your life. And then then you can be in power. But I mean how often do you see people that just cannot be alignmb. They serial marers. They serial dates. They can't spend a night alone. They they need someone else to complete them and I you know everyone must go through what they need to go. There's never any judgment on my side I understand being lonely I understand you know.
26:47.99
calltocourage
And.
27:01.67
ARD
Feeling inadequate or or whatever it is but you know to fight to have someone else fulfilling like that's my person and and and the the other beautiful terms of like the my co-pilots like yeah, that's very like it. But at the end of the day this is your life It's very nice to have someone to bounce stuff off of but um. You know, always always I get careful of code dependency too much and that's not something I dig I've done it I've done it plenty times I've been super into relationships and I've I've just I've always unfortunately gone oh man this is ah like in principle. It's a little bit old school for me but I don't really really kind of dig this to be honest with you. Um. Not that I'm selfish like I actually I'm quite the opposite I get I go so all in that I eventually end up losing myself entirely and then and then I get a little bit bummed to be honest, um because I know that left to my own devices. Believe it or not I'm actually I actually do I actually have some good habits and so I live a good life I wouldn't be this. Older Rocksty if I if if I was if it was a train wreck you know, left to own devices. so um so yeah so I I enjoy my independence and then you know then and when you're in that position. Everything that comes into your life is just color. It's just a blessing and it's just light and it's flow and you know I'll just see people. Oh man I see see people trying and fighting working on the relationship I'm like oh du come on. It's like like that here was he there if you care for something enough. Definitely give it a guy but.
28:31.39
ARD
Laboring over it and kids suffering as a result and just also just living a life of a thousand deaths like why? Just just if if someone's not jelling with you. Just go I love you? What's an amazing experience. Thank you so much. But I I'll can I call you tomorrow what? but next week
28:46.68
calltocourage
Yeah, but how do you get there? How do you get to this place of luck being in this like is is this your upbringing. Do you have this model to you in your caregivers like what is it that gets you to this place of recognizing that you can love and accept yourself so fully.
29:02.86
ARD
Yeah, it's been ah, it's been a process for me, certainly not intention I haven't been like actively working on doing it. It's just ah ah I feel like I've just stumbled into this kind of mindset you mentioned mentioned plant medicine I did ah a san pedro journey um in 2017 which was amazing. It's first and last time I've ever done it? Um, that didn't really teach me about what we're talking about right now more than just ah, a lot of beautiful enlightenment. A lot of encouragement. You know, part of the thing about before you go on a journey like that you have to have an intention. Which I didn't have right until the morning of going and I was like oh man what if I got up there without an intention then I'm going to lose my mind. That's so worry. Ah I worry. So at the last minute I just in the morning we were all gathered. You know we were taking a hikeup mountain and I said okay, my intention is is that I've had this quite interesting life. The intention is is that I just want to be I want just some kind of indication that what I'm doing is right? or if I need to change what I'm doing I'll change it tomorrow I'll be I'll become an accountant or something like that tomorrow and that's my attention but you ever uses me for the accounting.
30:12.56
calltocourage
And.
30:12.62
ARD
Um, but but I was I just get that intention for myself and man I had I'm not that kind of hippie by the way but I was like you know in in the middle of ah in the middle of the journey. It was just so beautiful. Everyone else was purging around me I didn't purge which which was the only thing that kind of made me worry I was like oh man, you've kept this. This this plant in you aren't you main to vomit and then then you start you start seeing things I didn't and I didn't see things. It's not.. It's not really, It's not a very visible um hallucgenic in that Sense. It's not like Ayahuasca. We meet your ancestors and all that I'm not don't think I'm ready to do that. Um, just yet. But I was I would find myself like on the mountain just like and you fully you know you got all your Faculties. You're very cognizant of what's going On. You're not out of your mind. It's such a beautiful Planet. It is. It's It's so powerful like I really wouldn't advocate anything on the planet and not alcohol not weed nothing I would never ever ever suggest that anyone.
30:57.90
calltocourage
So.
31:09.22
ARD
Does anything but I would say if it if you came across the path of the right Charman and the right people in the right environment. That's something to check out because I ah don't see how it could ever have a negative effect on you I and I've yet to hear of a case and if you do research you'll be hard pressed to find someone you had an adverse reaction to Sam Pedro if you compared.
31:26.43
calltocourage
Yeah.
31:28.88
ARD
Next door neighbor. What they how they are reacting tonight on alcohol. It's it's a walk in the park. Um, and I just as iqueing up the mountain I just find myself in lotus like full lotus position I I even know the word lotus until I've cloned this mountain I just in the and I'll just like expelling I just like and like things would like. Fullland you know like I'd think about certain things and go oh no, no, that doesn't apply it to anymore and I'll just like breathe out so that was actually very cool. It was very very cool and it it wasn't intentional. It was. It was really guided guideed by Uncle Pedro you know? Yeah, but it's but it is true. These plants are very they they're very powerful.
32:02.30
calltocourage
Ah.
32:06.23
ARD
And yeah, but it's also one of those things the same for me with um with with mushrooms. You know when I do when I do take it is so microdoses I know you can do the hero dose and you need to do that and you need to freak out I Ah I don't like that I'm a bit of a control freak being a caine and everything. But um, you know psilocybin and the mushrooms are just beautiful. They just.
32:20.99
calltocourage
Um, ah.
32:24.70
ARD
Beautiful little teachers and they you know they they they they scrub your brain clean and they they they refrag you I did ah I did a like ah for a couple of days when I got back from the trip to kind of deal with the ptsd that I had from it and it worked treat. Render was wonderful and again it's another thing that I oh.
32:38.51
calltocourage
Um.
32:43.70
ARD
Ah, wouldn't I don't know we're not taking it until Africa burn next year again
32:45.14
calltocourage
So you said pedro you go up the mountain and you're like rockstar accountant what comes through for you that gets you to not become a bookkeeper.
32:54.76
ARD
Um, yeah, what? But from my part Mama trick report far from my actual me result that I got in high school.
32:59.22
calltocourage
And your bookkeeping skills. So.
33:08.41
ARD
Um, now it was beautiful when I was Inlys I was just I was just getting beautiful. Just beautiful messages going brew you you good? You know your intentions are good. You know you the music you do uplifts people. It's coming from the right intention and you're good a message that I did get which I unfortunately didn't heed terribly well because I ended up buying a damn boat. Ah, but the message that I did get they were like you got to get a bit of a move on Buddy. We'd like to hear some more music. So Let's get going and unfortunate it all the opposite which I'd apologize to Uncle pedro with that. But I am I'm doing it now. The the boat's out of my sphere. So I am I'm actually able to get back in the studio and.
33:35.35
calltocourage
Um.
33:45.57
ARD
And also but newly invigorated as well. So so all of it that went through um was for everything that happened was for for good reason and ah and I just got beautiful affirmations that that I'm on the right track and need to continue doing what I'm doing.
34:02.22
calltocourage
So Good to hear bro I mean in a world where everyone's so focused on like the commercial stuff I Really think we need to spend more time uplifting and developing our artists and yeah, it's beautiful to so to connect with people that are following their creative muse and bringing it to the world and. Like it's been your life path for as long as I've known you but how long have you How long have you known you were going to be a muso when does that come into your world.
34:30.55
ARD
Um, yeah, know, um, from when I left school I went straight and studied drums. Um, so I thought I was going to be a drummer immediately I just had no idea I had a voice um I learned how to play guitar like literally during that year of learning drums I picked up a guitar and started my own. My first cover. And I guess from the time that I got the response of people hearing me I was like okay this is actually you can actually do this and also interestingly enough is that this little adventure on the boat as well. You know, just another reaffirmation is like yes, go and be a piratey. Can't do all the things. But at the end of the day music is what you do you know and um, you know as you get older like I'm 48 now and um, you always, especially you know being so financially dependent. It is such a commitment being being a full-time artist which is what I've been my whole life. It's it's a lifestyle bro. It's ah it's a commitment you don' you don't you don't. And a lot of musicians I know and there's absolutely no shame in it I think it's commendable. In fact, it's a they have second jobs. You know you need you need a job to be a musician which in itself is a contradiction because my job is my job music is my job but you know you know what I'm saying it is such it's such a commitment um
35:37.70
calltocourage
Yeah, so.
35:41.88
ARD
Which I'm proud of I Also look back at it and I go down you just you are one of the you One of the survivors you've done it I think this is all you're going to do and you know every now and then you go Oh should I be investing in this business and yes, maybe I should have done some other investments in stocks and trades and got some and you know spread my eggs in different baskets or whatever I'm just go. Yeah I will on a. Probably my so but you know I own I own a house and I own a boat and and I'm pretty Kif I really am okay like you know and I know this this probably always sounds like an answer that that people of lesser means if you want to say of which that's even the wrong word for me but of of lesser degrees of success.
36:05.26
calltocourage
Have.
36:19.37
ARD
You know, according to other people which is also bs. But um I just get I do see you super wealthy people and I just go mad with all that money and all that success. You know, especially also other musicians who've had wildest success in me, they can't leave the house. You know I walk down the road to out bay and people know me that but like they half are me and I mean like like and we chill I've got a very very chilled life and so I'm just seeing what the universe is going to hand to be the same with with my personal life anything could happen I'm you know I'm fortunate that as a musician for some reason I don't know how. My voice seems to be stronger than ever before the creativity doesn't die I genuinely say believe this when I say this is that I think my best years are ahead of me. Um I have have some grand plans I have have confidence that I haven't had in many many years and I'm also just you know it's one of those universal things as well when you take your. When you when you take the the urgency or the desperation out of something then it just all dress falls into your lap which is ah something I wish I had to known and when just Ginger was in l la you know we were like just hustling everything ah you fighting fighting dividing and way to gone just chill man. It's gonna happen whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen and you actually invite it quicker when when you adopt that mindset. But it's incredibly difficult. It's the same as telling someone that when you in the ocean and a shock swims towards it you have to swim towards it. Yes, in theory that is correct but it's a natural to fly.
37:48.98
calltocourage
That that creativity that you're feeling now is that something that you can cultivate or does that only come as a function of putting in the the creative reps or is it a function of experience and having to go through this natural process like what do you put that down to.
37:52.30
ARD
To get is that something that you can cultivate towards is a as a culture topic. The creator grasps over it etc I experiment and looking to go through this natural process like hopefully you put that down to so my biggest kind of. I wouldn't call it regret. Yeah I can call it regret I can also I can also place it correctly and said it because it's not ah, it's not ah all- conssuming regret. But I would say my biggest weakness mychilles He So to say is is Distraction. You know with this this boat distracted me life distracts me I've ah far too Often. You know for God to suggest that he wants to go for a beer.
38:28.80
calltocourage
And you're humid.
38:29.19
ARD
On a Tuesday I'll be there I mean but also that's I'm human I'm also blessed enough to be able to do so without it being without it affecting my way of life. But as I say the 1 thing I do want to do more um. Is ah you just just apply yourself to just get in the freaking I've got the most beautiful studio which people can't see now because of load shatting. Um, it is beautiful I can do anything I want here and it's literally the the sky is the limit and and it's only up to my imagination. I can do whatever I want to do but in order to do it I need to do it if that makes sense I do need to sit here and I need to sit in this beautiful gift of a studio where some people are like oh trying to save money to spend two days in a studio I can come down whenever I want. It's I cleared this dungeon out and created the studio here and it's just it's it's heavenburg and like I live in. Paradise I am in paradise and I just need to I just need to apply myself a lot more which I will so. That's what promise to anyone who knows on music and cares and for those who don't you will soon because I'm going to wait for it. I'm going to apply myself. Ah.
39:40.46
ARD
Ah, ah, having on every and not be connected to some of Theri stuff sort of from other rhythm but resume as a impossible to be like just before I contacted you.
39:42.77
calltocourage
I have to own that having left South Africa and not been connected to South African Radio and stuff I've sort of fallen out of rhythm a little bit with your music and then a friend shed impossible machines with me like just before I contacted you and it's been on repeat in my world for the last.
39:58.88
ARD
Ah, repeat come when its get some that bad. What the inspiration have what what is impossible machine. Well I ended up naing my about the impossible machine' got nothing to do with that. So.
40:02.80
calltocourage
Couple of months and I'm fucking loving it so much. Man. What's the what's the inspiration behind that What is what is the impossible Machine. I.
40:13.92
ARD
Because the song is all about these impossible machines these cell phones that you know that we're addicted to all the time and I'm a I'm i' quite badly down that rabbit hole I think like most of society in this day and age show. The song was written. About that and ah, you know just about trying to make sure that we are able to stay present without these devices distracting us all the time like they do about finding good habits around them and how they're going to um, fact or you know contribute to your presence. Um. But the album I must say you know as a musician It's so hard to listen to your body at work and be proud of every song like I can't I haven't been I haven't been able to before. Of course we've got a couple of songs that I thank god people love and I'm happy to play them over and over again. People always say like don't you get tired to playing Shella waters and what he means I'm like listen did have you seen my job compared to going. Pushing pins at another dish I'm like to if I if this if this ah if this fat gapooth person could go and sing shallow waters I get paid for it and applauded and and people appreciate it then then if that's my if that's my job then soviet then um I couldn't.
41:08.34
calltocourage
Um, ah God to.
41:25.11
ARD
Any more grateful that said you know you always want to do new music and things like that. But um I have completely forgotten where I was going with a point. Um, yeah I'm going to ask you to fill me in there again just possible picture right? Yeah yeah, yes yeah, I'll saying I'll saying um albums that you that Youhanis and and I'm just.
41:36.30
calltocourage
Um, no cool just the inspiration for impossible machines like that I mean I could feel the.
41:44.38
ARD
It's one of those records that just came together track by track top to bottom I didn't use acccua guitar not one acccua guitar on the whole track which is kind of what I thought I was known for you know singer Songwriter Cusick and weirdly the first time I ever did an album without a cuick guitar was the first palma award I ever got in my life. It's kind of like the you is going.
42:00.28
calltocourage
Wow.
42:03.25
ARD
Hate your accousic shits. Yeah, just like just play electric guitar and I use got a lot of synth and electro stuff on the record and yeah it got got very well received and it's just one of those records that I am i' am proud of I don't you know people do ask me if I listen to my and music I Really don't not on purpose. Um, but that record for Sure. Ah, is something that I ah stand by I Love playing the songs live. They've obviously got a different dynamic because I don't have all the electronic elements with me when I'm playing live but they translate very well even on a cua guitar and there's a couple of songs in there that I'm very proud of and this next song that I'll give you? Um, yeah, I'll let you know the song is called Tell everyone. So when you hear it. It's a song that is obviously written about Oceans because I've been on the ocean and I am I'm definitely worried I'm not a conspiracy person at all. But I am worried about how we are raping our oceans and you know the plastic pollution and overfishing are genuine concerns I'm I'm not a global warm.
42:58.75
calltocourage
Ah.
43:00.77
ARD
Conspiracy theorist at all to be to be honest, that's not really a concern of mine because you know climate change has been changing since the beginning Um, of course I'm I'm always open to to more information on that. But like the on the ground concerns that I have is that the ocean and the and the tagline in the song goes.
43:20.29
ARD
Ah, try to tell the world that if the oceans diet we can say goodbye so try and find you know, find way tell everyone because that is true. You know if the oceans die which not looking good. It's not looking good and having cell halfway across the world I've got to see you know the reefs are dying like 70% of them are burnt out of.
43:24.57
calltocourage
Um.
43:37.30
ARD
There's not a lot of fish. We didn't catch a lot of fish and we sailed six thousand four hundred miles um it's not as bo it used to be again I hope I'm wrong. Maybe I think someone can tell me that the world is okay as far as aure because I know that reproduction does happen but but the the reefs in big trouble. Um.
43:41.87
calltocourage
Are.
43:56.47
ARD
And so nevermind ai taking over the world and terrible politics happening and Covid and all these other things we need to worry and worry about a nuclear and stuff like that if we don't have an ocean we are gone that is that is I'm pretty sure of that.
44:11.73
calltocourage
Um.
44:12.72
ARD
What do you? What do you? let me let me shoot a question back to you quickly. What's what's your um, first of all, where are you where you based let's so let's reverse this interview for 2 seconds what what took you interview interviewing the wrong guy. Yeah I want to know what the hell's going on with you.
44:23.59
calltocourage
I'm in Guatemala at the moment I've made this my home. Yeah.
44:31.76
ARD
That's a Guatemala. It's like what is a Guatemala but on toast.
44:33.91
calltocourage
Yemen guacamole you know, many people from South Africa have no idea where Guatemala is and you know I'll get friends phoning me from South Africa and they've been out for 10 beers and they'll be like pickers. What are you doing in guacamole I'm like.
44:44.73
ARD
Ah.
44:49.18
ARD
Yeah, but.
44:49.87
calltocourage
It's Guatemala Latin america yeah central america um, next to Mexico. Yeah I've been here for probably 5 years now and it was the end of my world excursion which was my journey to go and find myself in a bit of a healing path of the after my life in Johannesburg.
44:56.81
ARD
Um, yeah.
45:09.87
calltocourage
And just ended up here. So yeah I mean Gu a mine at the moment. Yeahmen.
45:10.76
ARD
Um, what a jol that's that's that's amazing and you've got fos love internet there to to do things like that. So. That's always my first thing about any other country and like what is your what is your bandwidth. So what? What do you do outside of. But cost sorry bro I'm curious now.
45:29.65
calltocourage
That's cool. Yeah I've I've got um a a men's work container that supports men to have openhearted conversations and have some of the topics that a lot of men don't necessarily have space to have conversations about um I'm really interested in the the high rates of. Suicide in men because I don't think we have cultivated inside our culture a space to have authentic conversations. Hence the the podcast and um, yeah, I'm also really interested in relationships as a as a pathway for growth and everything that you've said earlier around relationship is at the basis of my teaching that you know.
45:53.32
ARD
Yeah.
46:07.20
calltocourage
It all starts at the relationship with self and so when you're comfortable with yourself. Love have have accepted all parts of yourself. Whatever whatever you use to get to that that place is what I teach and yeah, there's many men that are looking for partnership but potentially going there from a place of.
46:09.93
ARD
Um.
46:16.62
ARD
Um, yeah.
46:23.54
calltocourage
Like neediness or longingness and just where you are at the moment I Believe that's the only place to be able to manifest solid partnership is from a place of being completely cool with me I completely accept myself if I live this life completely on my own Amazing If somebody else comes in like you said it's just a splash of color into my life and we co-create together. And if that person was to like a butterfly disappear again. You don't try and hold on to it. You accept it for what it is So yeah, so that's that's what lights me up at the moment supporting supporting menu.
46:51.81
ARD
Ah I think that's very powerful. It's also surprising to hear not surprising that it's something that would be in your realm of of thinking and doing and capability. But it's also quite a.. It's ah it's a lesser spoken about and considered thing that is affecting men like you can't believe men have been so Demonized. Ah, lately which I find sad you know, especially the whole Hashtag metoo movement which was important I understand all these things but she's like like we are getting into you know the work era where even basic chivalry is being really Shunned. So I feel that men don't have a clue of where they stand and belong in society to some degree.
47:28.64
calltocourage
This is.
47:30.56
ARD
Unfortunately, there are some monsters among us who have really ruined for everyone the same as same as you know the horrible female species have have also really disappointed themselves and and everyone else you know and and for you know for men as well. So but I think especially the um. The mental health situation and the suicide stuff has never been more prevalent I've never met more friends of mine who ah who are in or I've never known friends of mine to be more depressed than they are at the moment you know going through a lot of self questioning and doubt and and um.
48:02.30
calltocourage
And has.
48:04.82
ARD
And and and ah and it's all related to Covid and you can tell me if you seen the correlation but you know the Covid thing Shesan I think I I got depressed I Never knew that I I didn't I didn't write music on'm that most happy-go lucky you've ever met before that and and while I did kind of cocaine cover I did those rooftop shows and I've you know, kind of held my composure.
48:23.30
calltocourage
Um, yeah, yeah.
48:23.97
ARD
It's the fossil is always different on social media as you know, but I mean shit if I am if I am actually feeling the pinch psychologically you know then I can only imagine what people are going and then again this brings you back. What about what about men. And these are true men. So This is such a compliment to to people who who have chosen this path which is the selfless selfless path. That's so hard to say with the lip um of of having of having wives and having families and kids and now you so you stuck in covered and you and your job's been ripped away from you or your income has been. Done and you're feeling inadequate I mean Suicide Suicide rates went through the roof and it just takes such Character. You can just understand how how how men and females of course the single mothers the Plas of the you know of the feminine. Everyone Of course you know the whole society but she's like yeah so I think it's very cool that there's a.
49:04.93
calltocourage
Um.
49:18.14
ARD
There's an outlet for men and you know so to be going on because I want to I want to hear more than more about what what you're doing. But so men men in our in our kind of Era have grown up with sash Bravado that we've had to we've had to be much a you're pussy if you if you cry you know you know crying is ah is a form of weakness.
49:30.20
calltocourage
Yeah.
49:36.86
ARD
You can never show emotion. You have to be super tough. What the hell for who the hell said that at you know at what at what Jock convention did that become mandatory and you know what we still, We're still having to break those um, kind of those preconceptions.
49:37.35
calltocourage
Listen.
49:54.59
ARD
In so many ways and I just think it's lovely I've never said I love you more to to male friends in my life since covered I mean I was always quite forthcoming like epi. You know I mean you say I Love you. Ah, you do? It's so simple yet it doesn't mean that you want to have relations with him image. You cant so that you love them. Do you know what? I mean and it's.
49:59.50
calltocourage
Thank you very.
50:12.21
ARD
It's a genuine thing and why can't men hear that and why why could't people hear that and I think yes so it's been. It's been quite alight but but tell me what what you've seen since um since covered and and you know the effect that it's had on people or not even since yeah.
50:26.69
calltocourage
Um I think it's yeah I think I think what you point to is is pretty true specifically for the world that I grew up in and I think inherently on this path of being a healer is our own individual journey of being a wounded healer like there's a part of me that was. Stuck in that Macho world and believing that I needed to tick certain boxes to be acceptable or to be Okay, um, I'm now of the opinion that our relationships with others are sort of an indication of how meaningful our life is and I was living in a world where I was. Pretending to be okay with everything in my life and you know not wanting to deep dive into where I felt uncomfortable. Not wanting to let people know that I wasn't okay when laugh was shit and I think that's the same for many men and when you don't have a space where you feel that you can authentically be yourself. Lay it on top with the idea that you need to make sure that everything's okay, lay it on top with the idea like you said you don't Cry. You don't show emotions those emotions get bottled up and you store them inside yourself and I think there's not a lot of ways that we're taught not only to be able to recognize those things.
51:24.69
ARD
Um.
51:34.21
calltocourage
But even they're simple tools like emotional release tools that you can use to tap into that anger and to let that rage move through you in a healthy way so that you don't carry it in your body and so that you don't sit for days and weeks and months and eventually years with the frustration of.
51:44.29
ARD
Are.
51:51.65
calltocourage
You know, having a shit job. You know having to do things just for money feeling like you don't know who to be able to connect with for me. It was sort of surface level conversations fueled with lots of alcohol to basically just glaze over and make me feel numb.
51:53.50
ARD
Yeah.
52:07.98
calltocourage
Because my life was so fucking terrible and I didn't know how to be able to just say you know what I'm fucking hating what I'm doing and I don't blame anybody around me. But it's really hard to form a deep and authentic connection with the people that I love the most go for a beer and say hey man how things going How's laugh and I'm like oh.
52:26.19
ARD
Yeah, yeah.
52:26.57
calltocourage
Be good How things with you like I Twiy dove at the conversation. So I don't have to go there that shit builds up and I think if we don't get a chance to be able to own that and to be able to speak about it eventually this manifests as depression. You know, feeling lost. Um I think these.
52:42.31
ARD
Um, your sick. Yeah, just easy. Yeah.
52:43.24
calltocourage
Deeply stored emotion become just ease in the body exactly and I think that's that's sort of the the pandemic that we're facing I mean what came with Covid whatever you believe about what you think happened there. The bigger crisis is not.
52:59.18
ARD
Is out.
53:00.87
calltocourage
How many people died as a function of having received Covid I think it's the ongoing mental Health and feelings of disconnection that is the real pandemic and the real crisis and I think that's why I'm so led up to have these types of conversations and to be able to connect with more and more men but also couples like this is this is a.
53:10.14
ARD
That left to site of comfort doesn.
53:18.66
calltocourage
You know men need women women need men and even in this work culture where we don't know if we're men or women and we identify as different things I believe it doesn't matter the body that you're born into we both have this sort of ah.
53:22.25
ARD
That's why we go to work with for.
53:29.44
ARD
Both have this sort of.
53:33.75
calltocourage
Ah, what's it like a universal masculine and feminine energy that exists inside both of us and we can't be 1 without the other and I think what those represent for me in a male body is the emotional part of the feminine energies is being okay to cry being okay to fucking rage being okay to have an authentic.
53:34.70
ARD
like human universal but it's given that exists inside both of us being factor I think because we're physical for many in a Mac is the emotional part of the image is being a I can pay that part think.
53:51.89
calltocourage
Heart open conversation with somebody else if you disconnect that from yourself, you disconnect yourself from a part of this human experience and I think that's really the work and it's the same for women you know like to be able to find purpose in their masculine and move through the world in a meaningful way.
53:52.90
ARD
To follow conversation with somebody else if you think that problem moved you disconnec yourself from the human experience and I think it's threaten the work and it's the same to be able to fight to rescue move through the world full way I just be connected to to questions I think we all have to.
54:08.25
calltocourage
Not just be connected to the emotions I think we all have work to do on what I call the inner marriage our own internal masculine and feminine irrespective of the body. We're born into.
54:11.77
ARD
fabric are in total thatability. Respect about the poverty picture. Yeah I think it's powerful suffering and so that's quick enough thats excited about I As a fact of me getting to myself and accepting myself the sample of with such is I've had the firsting partnership to who with.
54:19.18
calltocourage
Yeah, so that's what I've been working on and that's what I'm excited about I mean as a function of me getting clear on loving myself and accepting myself and some plant medicine Journeys I've manifested an amazing partnership into my life. With another being who has you know matches me and has done the same amount of work that I've done and we've continued to grow together. So yeah, that's been my jam over the last the last few years.
54:35.30
ARD
And just yeah, just begin. You could to go together. Yeah let's speak budget the last few years do you facilitate any ceremonies on your side there or or do you have somewhere who does it or do you have a showman there or and just a template better of so we want be objective.
54:52.50
calltocourage
Um I don't facilitate plant Medicine myself. Um I've been on Journeys with people in the community I live in a small Hippie community with tourists coming through lots of yoga meditation like a new agey scene.
54:56.17
ARD
Community Island Small yeah with tourists coming throughation like community see yeah and has quite a ethetic balance a of five Ram So there's there's access to that that also a lot of time like I was in.
55:03.26
calltocourage
And there's quite a lot of ecstatic dance and quite a lot of plant medicine in and around. Yeah, so there's this access to that type of stuff also being in Latin America A lot of like ayhuasca and St pedro and the the masculine cactuses as well. So yeah, there's access to a lot of it. It's in fact, living here. It's more about.
55:14.60
ARD
Picture the the mascu cactuses as well. It's so right? yeah' access to it's fabul here. It's more but sensoring to some of an integrating work that you do instead of moving from whats theyre to the next because it's a bit of that as well and then your Abc and you hiding out doing continual.
55:23.48
calltocourage
Centering yourself and integrating the work that you do instead of moving from one ceremony to the next because there's a bit of that as well in the New Hc and you know people hiding out in doing continual retreats off the retreat but not actually anchoring it into their life.
55:33.99
ARD
Treats of the extreme but be angry. The yeah yeah I can imagine I can imagine but there must be um, quite different being out out there because you are so you know you know your South America is just known for its for for that kind of. Access to to that kind of stuff. so so I get it so it must be must be interesting to to just be planted there especially being from Joburg you know and being on this new path and so how cool but I I didn't know that you were in guacamole and I think it's amazing.
55:51.61
calltocourage
Mr.
56:07.21
calltocourage
Ah, you still cartsurfing.
56:08.84
ARD
I haven't for ah breath again. This boat man. Ah I stopped everything Sadly I've still got my cart in my garage right next door here and um I want to get out again for sure and now I can so I will and it's also not seasoned at the moment that said the.
56:11.96
calltocourage
Yeah.
56:27.58
ARD
Roof min got blown off last night captown has been brutal but it's the most brutal I've ever seen these winters. It's I've never had so much rain never had so much wind. So Don know what the sample I think it's al nino happening at the moment. So there's a chance. The summer is going to be equally as brutal. Um I'm not terribly sure.
56:35.89
calltocourage
Well.
56:46.33
ARD
But yeah, we'll get back to the water. Definitely I go back your Pi for a second I Maybe at the space to play something before me some data what? ah on guitar. Yeah, yeah, yeah I guess I can stop thinking about that. Okay, well I here.
56:50.59
calltocourage
I want to go back to your music for a second. Firstly, if you got the space to be able to play something before we sign out here. Yeah start thinking about that while I ask you? um your inspiration of.
57:05.81
ARD
Your inspiration from hundred years who recently promised what role put the deep play the opportunity as ah as a great back angyoist um, obviously massive we sang sugar man yesterday for the first time since his' passing and and.
57:08.11
calltocourage
Rodriguez who recently passed what role what did he play in your journey as ah as a group and and your solo artist.
57:22.54
ARD
It will always be a tribute it was. You know it was written as a tribute to him because when I grew up on the bluff. We didn't have information enough to to tell us that the story of his passing wasn't true because the story was that he had actually killed himself on stage when I grew up and so when we did it as a tri when we did it as a tribute I I swear before every.
57:35.73
calltocourage
Oh wow.
57:41.85
ARD
Every plot medicine and everything anything. That's holy that I I did it us we did it as a tribute to our fallen hero in 90 ninety six ninety seven I was like man this guy needs to be known and remembered for these beautiful songs and lo and behold it taps me about shoulder that walks on the stage with me at stand bankkerit I was like oh man, you are very much alive.
57:43.24
calltocourage
Okay.
57:50.90
calltocourage
Wow.
58:01.44
ARD
Of which of of course very grateful for but um, so it feels like a weird like double tribute because I actually wrote the song as a tribute well wrote it sang it covered it. Um as a tribute to him and now obviously you know it's such an impact. Um, it was a bit. It was a bit odd because you know that movie was very successful for him and everyone else claimed to have found sugar man when in fact, it was exactly a few months after the song was the biggest. It was a big song I don't if you remember how big our version was in South Africa that embarked on on a big shirt which which.
58:29.76
calltocourage
I Do Yeah yeah yeah.
58:33.34
ARD
I mean I'm so happy that if I had any part or if we had any partt with that. Even if we had no partt just just to even think that we you know we? um, we kind of just bolstered the obvious ah in some way as well. Um, So yeah, it's a tough one. Obviously I did a. Didn't I also didn't want to jump onto anything. There's no Bandwagon. It's it just a heartfelt little little ode that I gave to Him. He'll always be loved always respected gratitude will be forever for for the influence. He'd had on me as a songwriter because I I heard this I was like man that's the kind of music I Want. Do and obviously you know music has to evolve at some stage. But yeah big impact on my life and what a legend.
59:15.94
calltocourage
So good. So good. What do you look back on your laugh and tell your 19 year old self with a gift of hindsight.
59:26.00
ARD
The most common recurring thing in that regard advicewise is that I wish I wish I could have just trusted that it's all going to be okay, it's all actually going to be okay and when you're in mood panic and when you when you are believing the lie that anxiety is. When you caught up and and and everyone is so anxious I didn't know anxiety until recently I thought I would be immune to it my whole life. But I got it and but I also realized i' able to talk myself out of it if if you repeat the correct factual mentors and realize that anxiety is a lie but the advice would be. Would be true just Joel yes, it's tough I'm sorry life life is not easy man. It's it's it is not easy, but you know what? you've always been fine. You're going to be fine and you know you'll you'll be fine in the end and if it's not fine then it's not the end.
01:00:09.40
calltocourage
I have.
01:00:19.80
calltocourage
I've noticed recently you've got ah a really solid connection with your mom um has that always been good has that ever been rocky have you guys just always had a good flow together.
01:00:21.94
ARD
The up.
01:00:27.39
ARD
Now it's been. It's been interesting. Obviously the the love has been ridiculous. Both ways always but we've we've we've had our times you know she's she's quite resolute in her beliefs which I'm happy for but I had quite a lot of christianity forced on me for quite a long time and I think it caused a little bit of a rift when I started.
01:00:43.65
calltocourage
Of.
01:00:46.32
ARD
Becoming my own person and just going. You know everyone's allowed to believe what they want I just don't feel like having having it impose on me. No one's belief for that matter. Um, so I think you know her her her devotion to to her faith which is commendable and awesome I think got got in the way of some natural growth and. Fun stuff that we could have you know some time that we could have had together and then I was away quite a while so we were quite distant. Always there I mean always there. Um, but since I Apple to the place on this property. We've just had the greatest time and fun enough. You know once we both got over the 2 strains of covid together. Um.
01:01:09.37
calltocourage
Um.
01:01:24.50
ARD
We just we we kind of like I won't say partied our way through it. But we just we just are really of the of the opinion that she turned 18 in February and I'm like man as long as you're 80 and you you willing to come have a little spot of sherry with me on on the evening. How freaking kif is this so um.
01:01:31.00
calltocourage
12
01:01:39.21
calltocourage
Have.
01:01:41.60
ARD
And been the the best couple of years. She's in incredible spirit. She's so strong. She's really funny. In fact I think I need to do a lot more on social media with her because every time I do a post with her gets a thousand times more lax and we're not do any much stupid music on this I gotta to use it I can definitely use them but the markets employ.
01:01:56.97
calltocourage
Um.
01:02:03.30
ARD
Ah.
01:02:03.56
calltocourage
Ah, what's ah, what's your relationship with your father luck is he in your world.
01:02:05.32
ARD
Father past fifteen years ago and I got to meet him when I was 17 was very late was a very weird one and we had a beautiful relationship right up until he passed of cancer and when when 17 Yeah.
01:02:17.44
calltocourage
He was part of your life or you only met him when you were 17
01:02:23.30
ARD
So we are it was quite an odd one but it was fantastic. There's obviously a lot of history and stories as to why he wasn't around um but I didn't really mind and then when we connected I was like okay oh that's weird I guess I was kind of cathartic even then I was like instead of guy where were you I just said listen, you've missed a lot of. Birthday. So you better, buy me a drum kit I'm going to drum college and he was like okay, cool like you got a vladi do and yeah, we had. We had a great time. He was so cool. He was charming Andre Pirice steffaus britz I mean it doesn't get a lot more of re concert in that Myoonna would have been a britz. And I'm not been an affair of his while my mother was married to Mr. Matthews who is not my father. So yeah, they are yeah um.
01:03:02.80
calltocourage
Okay, Wow Amazing! What are you gonna play us brother.
01:03:11.26
ARD
I didn't know I was playing send let me get some let me get some of the sweet reverb now I was gonna plug it in and get old pro fashion Nel but goodt.
01:03:15.61
calltocourage
Okay.
01:03:29.55
ARD
Um, so this guitar is then an atlantic crossing and I change the strings today for the first time just as well say solid shot.
01:03:51.38
ARD
Um, been dreaming of a perfect world where we live consider it of who we are.
01:04:05.28
ARD
Um, afraid of what we become will we wade until it's too late or we start a revolution now.
01:04:21.64
ARD
We are not alone but we better get Busier. We will soon be wait wait How long wait wait. How long wait wait. How long we are not alone. Hope not too low. Are.
01:05:07.11
ARD
Um, just think of what will leave behind. Will we wait until it's too late.
01:05:18.25
ARD
Oh we started a revolution now we are lo but we better get busy up. We will soon be wait wait How long wait wait. How long.
01:05:38.38
ARD
Um, wait wait How long we are no no hope not too long are.
01:05:58.10
ARD
Um, get up now say it loud. You love can change the world. Ah.
01:06:13.73
ARD
Get up now say it alone get over it before we lose our.
01:06:27.86
ARD
Um, get up now. Don't you wait your love can change the world. Oh get up now say it loud.
01:06:43.90
ARD
Get over it before we lose our so.
01:07:01.60
calltocourage
Yes, ah fuck you I'm glad you chose that. It's one of my favorite songs on that album I think it's so good brew.
01:07:09.93
ARD
Yeah, right? shot. Thank you? Yeah, there was ah, there's such a there was such a such a wild cardd off the record. It was the fifth single and it's just rock man. It's the most she sam songg that I have. And I like it because we've got a little message and it's a little dark horse and and as you can see. It's such a fun one to play live when I play with jude my drummer geez we slam the crap out of that thing on stage when when we when I got back from the caribbean the first show I had was at Africa Burn and and I mean as I say this guitar looked so foreign I was like what what what what.
01:07:38.86
calltocourage
Nothing.
01:07:40.22
ARD
Just gone on stage and turned up to 11 and just laughed. It was so funny.
01:07:44.18
calltocourage
Oh good Rebecca so amazing man bud it's been so good hanging out with you I really appreciate you sharing your magic I really appreciate you following your path bud and just watching you yeah continue to. Just be you bro and share your gift because yeah, it's fucking inspiring and it's been an honor to watch your journey into to hear what you've created and yeah longma continue brother.
01:08:11.39
ARD
Thank you my man and well done with with where you're at and what you're doing I think it's important work. So um, carry on doing it and Karen's spreading the good vibes and and yeah man, that's that's very cool. Thanks for having me on your show and the support we appreciate it. Ben.
01:08:23.63
calltocourage
Yeah, much love man. Um, there's a space here for you if you ever come back to visit your boats. It's not far from the Caribbean to swing passquad canwali.
01:08:28.92
ARD
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah me with a good time Bre Yeah, you may you may see me still.
01:08:38.58
calltocourage
I've got friendss to come to South Africa next year and yabra we'll have a ah beer together and and catch up in person. But I appreciate you making the time even in your load shadding to to share your love brother much love cha.
01:08:46.66
ARD
Shot My boy take care Lots of love Men bye.
