[piano intro] [music ends] - [Narrator] "Shaped by Sound" is a co-production of PBS North Carolina and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The series is presented by Come Hear North Carolina.

- [Host] I'm James Mieczkowski, and this is "Shaped By Sound."

Listening to dreamy country music by Blue Cactus might make you feel like you're floating or you've got your head in the clouds.

And that's the point.

For Steph and Mario, their music is inspired by many things and for now it's about looking upward and searching for silver linings.

Today on "Shaped By Sound," performing for us among the clouds with a full band and in conversation with me, this is Blue Cactus.

[upbeat country music] [music fades and ends] [gentle drum beat] [uplifting country music] ♪ Been biting my tongue so long ♪ ♪ It's a wonder the thing ain't gone ♪ ♪ But I'm still right here ♪ ♪ Trying to tell you that ♪ ♪ All the things that you said were wrong ♪ ♪ And all the ways that I don't belong ♪ ♪ You were wrong about it ♪ ♪ I'm just wondering ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to you for so long ♪ [uplifting country music] ♪ Always got something to prove ♪ ♪ Always needing something new ♪ ♪ Too many words and I can't cut through ♪ ♪ Make me tired to be with you ♪ ♪ Always saying that you know best ♪ ♪ That ain't what I've witnessed ♪ ♪ Tell me who you're trying to impress ♪ ♪ You ought to just talk less ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to you for so long ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to all along ♪ ♪ Took a shot but it ricocheted ♪ ♪ Like Mercury in retrograde ♪ ♪ Everybody got something to say ♪ ♪ You always got something to say ♪ ♪ Well, I got something to say ♪ ♪ So when you gonna hear me ♪ [uplifting country music] [uplifting music continues] ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to you for so long ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to all along ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna hear me, babe ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna hear me, babe ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna hear me, babe ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna listen ♪ [music crescendos and ends] - Can you speak to the name Blue Cactus?

Where did that come from?

- It came from the beginning of getting into like country music a lot together and we were really getting into like Western wear too.

We were just embracing everything about the genre.

And so the first Western wear shirt that he bought had cactuses embroidered all over it.

And I just noticed, I happened to notice, we were playing one of our first gigs and we didn't have a band name yet, but it was kind of dark in there and I just happened to notice, "I think the cactuses on your shirt are blue."

I was like, "Is that a blue cactus?"

And he was like, "Yeah."

And then I don't know, it just immediately clicked.

'Cause I was sensitive to trying to think of a band name.

We were both in that head space, and I was like, "Well, that would actually be a really good band name."

And we both agreed, which is not very common really, to be honest, so I think that was a good sign.

It felt like it sounded like the music we were making together.

- Yeah, I mean, it came off of a western wear shirt so I feel like it definitely.

- [Steph] Yeah.

- Sort of symbolic of that, right?

- [Steph] Mm hm.

- Did you say that out loud and go, "Band name, called it"?

- [Mario] Pretty much.

- [Steph] Yeah.

Steph likes to say we don't agree all the time, but I disagree with that.

- [James] Yeah.

[all laugh] [soft country music] ♪ If I could tell you one more thing ♪ ♪ I'd be softer ♪ ♪ I wouldn't be so mean ♪ ♪ And I'd just listen to what you're saying ♪ ♪ When you're looking away ♪ ♪ You ain't gotta say anything ♪ ♪ Anything ♪ ♪ Oh oh ♪ ♪ I hear you ♪ [gentle country music] ♪ If I could see you come next spring ♪ ♪ I'd shower you with love ♪ ♪ Kisses raining from above ♪ ♪ And we'd go dancing when the music plays ♪ ♪ I ain't no Fred Astaire ♪ ♪ You don't seem to care anyways ♪ ♪ Anyways ♪ ♪ Oh oh ♪ ♪ I see you ♪ [gentle country music] ♪ Are we going or are we coming back ♪ ♪ Are we going or are we coming back ♪ ♪ Are we going or are we coming back ♪ ♪ Are we walking or are we running ♪ ♪ Out of time ♪ [gentle music] ♪ If I could tell you one more thing ♪ ♪ I'd just listen to what you're saying ♪ [music ends] - So I want to talk a little bit about sort of the aesthetic of the show.

Steph, when we were talking to you about, talking to you both actually, about sort of the themes that were going on, you said that you were a big cloud nerd.

What is it about the clouds for you?

- I think, by nerd, I don't mean I'm an expert by any means, but I just really appreciate them and I think a lot of times we have been taught or something that cloudy days are not pretty or something.

And I find blue skies are kind of boring and I think the sky just is more interesting when there are clouds and they're constantly changing shapes and you can see different things when they do that.

And yeah, so I just, yeah, I think a lot of people think of clouds as negative, but actually they bring a lot of beauty and you can't really have a rainbow without the clouds.

- What is it about playing music and just being in this band that brings you joy?

- I love our band so much, and we've been so fortunate to play with many different people over the years who I love very deeply.

It means a lot that other people care about the music that we are creating and that they wanna put the time and energy into learning these songs and bringing their ideas to the process as well.

- Yeah, being able to feel the energy kind of multiply.

'Cause we're used to, of course, starting everything with the two of us and kind of feeling the whole thing kind of spread out further with a whole stage and everything.

And well, today with clouds and a whole bunch of other things going on, yeah.

- These people really care, they're just good friends.

I mean, it's not an easy career path, I will say that.

I mean, I don't know if we'll ever "make it."

It's just like, but when it feels really hard, those are the people we turn to to talk about that struggle.

[upbeat country music] ♪ Everyone says when it rains it pours ♪ ♪ I ain't seen this kind of rain before ♪ ♪ Soak me to the bone, nowhere to hang out and dry ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ And all the ones with all the answers ain't got the time ♪ ♪ They're running 'round in circles on an uphill climb ♪ ♪ Sunshine in a memory ♪ ♪ I close my eyes ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ I don't know if I'm getting better, if I'm getting worse ♪ ♪ I get by ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Seems the older I get, the faster time flies ♪ ♪ Waiting for the good thing just passing me by ♪ ♪ Lying to myself when I said it's all right ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Oh, and I don't know if I'm getting better ♪ ♪ If I'm getting worse ♪ ♪ I get by ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Oh, where's that silver lining ♪ ♪ How long must I keep on climbing ♪ ♪ Till I can see it shining over me ♪ ♪ Oh, where's that silver lining ♪ ♪ How long must I keep on climbing ♪ ♪ I know I'm gonna see it shining over me ♪ [upbeat country music] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] ♪ Oh, I don't know if I'm getting better ♪ ♪ If I'm getting worse ♪ ♪ If I'm getting better, if I'm getting worse ♪ ♪ If I'm getting better, if I'm getting worse ♪ ♪ I get by ♪ [upbeat music continues] ♪ Everyone says when it rains it pours ♪ ♪ I ain't seen this kind of rain before ♪ [music fades and ends] - "Kings" is a song that's gonna be on the new record too.

That was inspired by growing up with my little brother.

When we were kids, we actually lived in this little trailer park out in the country.

It was really near a patch of woods and we'd spend all day playing out in the woods together, building forts and just being kids.

And as we grew up and got older, he sort of got involved in some trouble later as a teenager because it's tough sometimes in a small town if you don't have an outlet to express yourself.

And unfortunately, the opioid epidemic is pretty bad in places like that.

And so yeah, he was kind of heading down that path for a bit and thankfully, his life turned around.

He got involved in the Air Force, which was a huge shift for him.

But that song was really just about us growing up together and then him being in the Air Force and on a deployment where he told me later that he thought he was gonna die.

And I just never think about losing people that you love.

But I think I certainly thought about it after he told me that he thought he was gonna die.

And yeah, just kind of reflected on our time together.

And when you're kids you never realize how precious that time is, you just can't.

- [James] Yeah.

- But as an adult now, I'd just give anything to go back to being a little kid with him at the trailer park building forts in the woods.

- [James] Yeah.

♪ Do you remember feeling small ♪ ♪ And lost in all the trees high above our heads ♪ ♪ Rusted box springs and all the broken things ♪ ♪ In our junkyard kingdom ♪ ♪ We used to be kings ♪ [gentle music] [gentle music continues] ♪ Do you remember feeling low ♪ ♪ Getting high with the boys in the black light glow ♪ ♪ Flying down country roads ♪ ♪ Always late to supper but you need another upper to go ♪ ♪ I let you go ♪ [gentle music] [gentle music continues] ♪ Far enough away for everyone to say ♪ ♪ How proud you had made 'em and you turned out right ♪ ♪ Staring down the scope, your finger on the trigger ♪ ♪ The ringing and the shimmer ♪ ♪ Of the bullets raining nearer ♪ ♪ Do you remember feeling small ♪ ♪ And lost in all the trees high above our heads ♪ ♪ The glistening of metal and rusted out barrels ♪ ♪ The old rope and tire of a junkyard swing ♪ ♪ We used to be kings ♪ [gentle music] ♪ Kings ♪ [gentle music] [gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] [music fades and ends] - It's easy to be overwhelmed by a lot of things going on in the world, particularly right now.

And I think a lot of us turn to something like music and art to sometimes be kind of a shelter to turn to and kind of be reminded of something greater than the constant anxiety and sort of feedback loop you can get into of thinking about a lot of negative things going on.

- Yeah, or it can be a blanket to just feel that deeper too.

- Yeah.

- I think the world is a pretty dark place in a lot of ways, especially right now.

And sometimes you just wanna acknowledge that and listen to music that can explore that well.

And I think it gives you permission to feel it and to let your emotions be present and to cry as well as helping you lift out of those feelings when you need to do that too, yeah.

- As creators, how does that make you feel that you get to kind of make that music that can do that for somebody else?

- I think that's the whole reason that we do it.

- Yeah.

- North Carolina really has such a rich, deep music community, and I'm excited for folks to really get to see that more through the show y'all are producing, so yeah.

- Well, thank you, and it's because of folks like you that we get to do this.

So it's a pleasure, thank you all.

- Thank you.

[soft music] ♪ Contrails cutting up the sky ♪ ♪ For a thousand miles wide ♪ ♪ A tiny man in his silver can ♪ ♪ Went to the stars and back again ♪ ♪ 'Cause he can ♪ ♪ This whole world is full of fever ♪ ♪ Bound to make me a believer ♪ ♪ Into the flame, fade to nothing ♪ ♪ You're just dying to feel something ♪ ♪ Something ♪ [soft ethereal music] ♪ You might be high long enough ♪ ♪ To know you won't stay gone ♪ ♪ Won't stay gone ♪ ♪ You might be young long enough ♪ ♪ But you won't stay long ♪ ♪ Won't stay long ♪ ♪ Long enough to make a believer ♪ [soft ethereal music] [ethereal music continues] ♪ All grown up like a kid ♪ ♪ No one told you how to win ♪ ♪ In every room a TV humming ♪ ♪ In every heart the numbing ♪ ♪ Numbing out ♪ [soft ethereal music] [ethereal music continues] [ethereal music continues] [ethereal music continues] [ethereal music continues] ♪ You might be high long enough ♪ ♪ To know you won't stay gone ♪ ♪ Won't stay gone ♪ ♪ You might be young long enough ♪ ♪ But you won't stay long ♪ ♪ Won't stay long ♪ ♪ Long enough to make a believer ♪ [soft ethereal music] [ethereal music continues] [ethereal music continues] [ethereal music continues] [music fades and ends] - [James] Thanks for joining us on "Shaped By Sound."

If you'd like to hear the songs we discussed today, you can find them over on our website at pbsnc.org/shapedbysound.

Or you can find 'em on YouTube.

[upbeat country music] [upbeat music continues] ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to you for so long ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you really gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Saying the same thing to you all along ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ When you gonna hear me ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna hear me, babe ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna hear me, babe ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna hear me, babe ♪ ♪ Are you ever gonna listen ♪ - [Narrator] "Shaped By Sound" is a co-production of PBS North Carolina and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The series is presented by Come Hear North Carolina.