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Hi, I'm Scott Brocato with KRWG Public Media and I'd like to welcome you to this episode of Music Spotlight.

Randy Lynch is a Las Cruces singer songwriter who calls himself a country music revivalist and a haunted southwestern troubadour.

He's a relative newcomer to the music scene who started writing lyrics in 2019 after emerging from a year long depression following the end of his marriage, and began playing around town two years later.

His latest EP is titled Haunted.

We are pleased to welcome Randy Lynch to KRWG Music Spotlight.

Well, we were talking, before taping the show about what you were doing before because you were a late comer to music like I. Right.

Yeah.

You started around the same time, but what were you doing before music?

For the most part.

I was working regular 9 to 5 jobs, and, on the side, I was working as a mobile DJ, an event DJ, for about 25 years.

Did you enjoy that?

I did, it was fun, getting to play with people and, you know, you do a wedding and you end up in somebody's family for a night.

That's kind of a neat thing.

Yeah.

I did, videotape I videotape weddings on the side for a while.

And same thing you become like part of the thing.

And it was quite enjoyable.

Well, tell me about the journey that led you to music in 2019. it wasn't the most pleasant situation.

I just mentioned it.

It came about after the end of a marriage.

It was it was a really ugly breakup, really ugly.

And, I dropped into this huge depression that, I didn't do anything except what I basically had to do to survive, go to work, be around family enough so they weren't super, worried about me.

But otherwise I didn't do a whole bunch for about a year.

I was just.

I'd go home, sit, sit in a dark room, and maybe have a TV on, maybe just sit there and stare at a wall.

It was, it was a rough period, and that lasted for about a year.

I was writing as a political writer at the time, but, all of a sudden, as I started coming out of stuff and things started to ease up a little bit, I started writing these.

The song lyrics and didn't know what to do with it.

I didn't play an instrument.

I hadn't played an instrument since high school band.

And you know, I was 48 years old when when this happened and I didn't quite know what to do with it at first.

And you weren't you didn't write, even so much as poetry before.

No.

Before you wrote these lyrics.

I everything I wrote was, was, politically oriented prose and, I was writing for the Sun-News, but I'd never I'd never written a song.

Well, then you picked up the you started learning guitar not too long afterwards.

How did that come about?

Well, there was a, YouTube and, internet show called Roundtable that, I got to be a part of.

I basically got, tricked into becoming a co-host on it after the original co-host left, and, I got to meet a bunch of musicians that way, and I showed a couple of them what I'd been writing, and I had several of them sitting there saying, you need to be putting this out as music.

And it's like, I don't play anything.

Well, they started pushing and pushing.

You need to find somebody to teach you how to play something.

And I said, well, how about guitar?

And they started pushing me towards Damian Luna here in town, a amazing musician.

He heads up a band called the Ghetto Vaqueros now, but he also teaches, guitar, and he's amazing.

He, he basically teaches you what you need to know to fit, you know, your needs and your wants.

Well, let's, let you show off your guitar and singing and songwriting skills right now.

We'll get you set up to perform some of your music.

Let's talk about the first song.

It was only a dream.

What inspired that?

That was actually I was dreaming, and I I have regular nightmares to this day, that I still deal with the depression.

The guitar helps a lot with easing that.

The music does.

And I made some good friends and found a woman that's treated me very well.

That's helped ease that off.

But I still have those those sort of dreams.

And this was all what could have been that that was stuff that I actually did dream about.

All right, well, let's get you started.

It was only a dream.

Randy Lynch, today's guest on KRWG Music Spotlight.

Picked up dinner on my way home.

And a dozen Sonia roses.

You swung open the front door.

Even as I approached it.

You threw your arms around me.

And whispered, ‘Baby, welcome home.

My alarm started buzzing.

And I woke up all alone.

It was only a dream.

One I didn't want to wake up from.

It was only a dream.

What my life could have become.

But as real as it seemed it was only a dream.

Wrapped my arms around you.

Oh my God, you felt like home.

We look down in the new crib.

Where our baby wed laid down.

She had eyes just like mine.

And a smile the same as yours.

Then it all started fading.

But I just wanted more.

It was only a dream.

One I didn't want to wake up from.

It was only a dream.

What my life could have become.

But as real as it seemed.

It was only a dream.

Every night I'm drawn back to you.

Where I feel like I belong.

I try to hold on and not let go.

But it never lasts long.

It was only a dream.

One I didn't want to wake up from.

It was only a dream.

What my life could have become.

But as real as it seemed it was only a dream.

But as real as it seemed, it was only a dream.

This is one that I wrote.

A lot of people have had this issue in their marriages.

It's called Who you Used to Be.

Ask me if there is another.

I don't have the heart to lie.

Cause there's a woman she owns my heart.

And for her Id gladly die.

I have loved her for a long time.

I long to hold her in my arms.

Her gentle touch could soothe my broken heart.

She could be my shelter from the storm.

And you've known her all your life.

Look in the mirror and youll see.

She is the woman who became my wife.

Yes, shes who you used to be.

We have fallen such a long way.

Nearly strangers in this bed.

We hurt each other with no restraint.

I fear our love just might be dead.

I still think about her always.

Shed lift me up when I was down.

I may have chased her too far away.

I still need her back around.

And you've known her all your life.

Look in the mirror and youll see.

She's a woman who, became my wife.

Yes, shes who you used to be.

Yes, shes who you used to be.

This was the first song that, that I've written that will be putting on, on the album that's going to be coming out, and, man, we don't get a whole bunch of, of, respect, in New Mexico being southern New Mexico artists and not a whole lot of songs about, down here.

This is called, the Dona Ana Moon.

I've been laying here.

In the bed of my truck, killin 12 ounce cans til I can't stand up.

The airs still warm even though it's late September.

On this desert night.

Your all that I remember.

Under the Dona Ana Moon Feeling sorry for myself.

Wish you'd come back soon.

Wish you would never left.

I thought our love was true.

When we were under the Dona Ana moon.

Wind is picking up Stirring up the air.

That mesquite smell making me aware.

The past will blow away.

The seasons will change too yet I still stay under that Dona Ana moon.

Under the Dona Ana moon.

Im feeling sorry for myself.

Wish you would come back soon.

Wish you had never left.

I thought our love was true when we were under the Dona Ana moon.

Under the Dona Ana moon.

I'm feeling sorry for myself.

Wish you would come back soon.

Wish you had never left.

I thought our love was true When we were under the Dona Ana moon.

I miss lying here with you Ohhhhhhhh Under the Dona Ana moon.

I thought our love was true.

When we were under the Dona Ana moon.

Under the Dona Ana moon.

Here's one dealing with my depression called Dancing with my Demons.

Late at night I'm dancing with my demons.

Kick off my boots and I walk the floor.

Take a trip down whiskey river.

Til Im propped up beside the jukebox and they dance some more.

Propped up beside the jukebox and they dance some more.

You think you know me?

But can you really see?

Everything that's hiding behind my eyes, When I go home and I pour that first drink, that's when the temperature starts to rise.

It starts with a waltz in the key of self-doubt.

Then I don't belong here and I never have.

I'm a pretender, about to be found out.

Then Ill lose everything and never get it back.

Late at night I'm dancing with my demons.

And kick off my boots and I walk the floor.

Take a trip down whiskey river.

Til Im propped up beside the jukebox and they dance some more.

Propped up beside the jukebox and they dance some more.

We dance a two-step, I know this song by heart.

It's about that woman that I treated so wrong.

And I tore my whole world apart.

And that's the guilt that still weighs me down.

Then comes a slow dance as hope slips away.

Whispering in my ears say that no one's gonna miss you.

The lights all fade out I can't see another day in the dead of night that lie sounds true.

Then I wake up, hungover, head pounding.

That dancing helped me make it through the night.

Late at night I'm dancing with my demons.

Kick off my boots and I walk the floor.

Take a trip down whiskey river.

Till I'm propped up beside the jukebox and they dance some more.

Propped up beside the jukebox and they dance some more.

And this final one is Dark Eyes.

I got no illusions I know what I am.

All my flaws and weakness.

No, I'm not a good man.

But the way you look at me dear.

You're not seeing what I see.

Youre looking at someone Wish I could be.

Those dark eyes, look right through me.

Those dark eyes, see what I don't see?

They see a man, I don't think I am.

Maybe I could have been.

Those dark eyes make me wanna look again.

I know my past sins.

Not much more to say.

Thought Id be alone part of the price to pay.

One day there you were.

It felt like a song.

Like you looked at my heart some more right than wrong.

Those dark eyes, look right through me.

Those dark eyes, see what I don't see?

They see a man I don't think I am.

Maybe I could have been.

Those dark eyes, make me wanna look again.

Those dark eyes, look right through me.

Those dark eyes, see what I don't see?

They see a man I don't think I am.

Maybe I could have been.

Those dark eyes, make me wanna look again.

Those dark eyes, make me wanna look again.

Thank you guys.

Randy Lynch, today's guest on KRWG Music Spotlight.

Well, let's talk about the last song you did, Dark Eyes.

What's the story behind that?

One of my few love songs.

most of my stuff is going to be sad, and it's going to be.

It's going to stay sad.

I have a friend who actually, his big saying is sad songs to make me happy.

He'll always be happy with my music because of that.

But, I, I lucked into, meeting a woman about a year ago that, she's been very good to me.

Very kind.

And I've been experiencing some stuff I didn't think I'd get to experience again.

And I started writing a love song, and I didn't know where this was coming from either, but.

But there was.

So that's basically about her and the way that she saw me when I couldn't see anything good in myself.

And can you say her name?

Her name is Naomi.

All right.

I could name it, but I just wanted to give her a plug.

Well, let's go back a little bit.

Who were some of your musical influences?

And I've seen you play, and we talked about this before.

You got the cowboy hat, and you have everything else.

And you're playing at someplace like Madelines and how come the Pixies?

Yeah.

And I was not expecting the Pixies to be covered by a guy with a cowboy hat.

Who were some of your musical influences growing up?

I got so fed up with what was on the radio because it was, you know, I. I'm a child of the 80s.

I grew up listening to pop on the radio was mainly it I was not a country fan, but I discovered, you know, rock and metal and then punk.

And that's the stuff that I got into.

And I was a I was a big metal head for a long time.

And I still love that music.

And I cover a bunch of that as country because everything I do comes up kind of country.

But I went back and, I'd been exposed to country music, and I went back and found some stuff that I really did love.

So, you know, I, I do some Hank Williams, I do some, some George Jones.

I even do some George Strait.

Not my favorite, but I still like the guy.

But, yeah, I play a little bit of everything.

If anybody's doing something that's interesting and different and catches my my attention, especially with words, I'm all for that, so.

Well, you you said that every step of your musical journey has forced you out of your comfort zone.

Oh, yeah.

And opened up a whole new world of expression and people, talk about that.

This was nothing that I planned the whole thing with the music thing.

I had no idea that any of this was even possible.

I was basically learning how to play guitar so I could put these, these words to music, and I could get them out there for me.

Next thing I know, I'm on stage doing an open mic, which is very uncomfortable.

Very first time I got it for an open mic, I did one song and Damian, my music teacher, he was there sitting at the back wall until I started playing.

Then he's in my face with his camera filming the whole thing.

So that's the sort of, you know, discomfort.

No pressure.

Yeah, no pressure at all.

Well, what are you working on now?

You mentioned, a love song you just wrote.

What other new music are you working on and when can we expect to hear it.

Well, if you come out, to one of the open mics, especially Madeline's.

I'm trying new stuff all the time out there.

I'm about to go into the studio, with, Dallas David Ochoa.

He recorded my my first EP, which was a blast to do.

And we're going to start a new, full length album here before too much longer.

All right.

Well, finally, any advice you would want to give to other musicians who might be starting out just like you were a few short years ago?

Oh, that's easy.

The big thing I hear is older people who are like, man, I'd love to do this.

I'd love to pick up an instrument, but I'm too old.

If you're still breathing, you're not too old.

I picked up a guitar at 48 years old, and I had a chance when I was in elementary school, and I blew it.

I. I didn't have the guts to, to try it.

And I figured for years afterwards, I missed my, my window.

You'll never miss your window.

Pick it up whenever and and just find your joy.

I was in my late 50s before I picked up my first bass.

So there you go.

I agree with you 100%, Randy Lynch, it's been a pleasure to have you on Music Spotlight.

Thank you so much.

Thank you man.

Be sure to catch our past performances on YouTube and like us on Facebook to keep up with future episodes for KRWG I'm Scott Brocato and thank you for joining us for KRWG Music Spotlight.