Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

EP 389 - "Now You've Gone" with Cathy Rankin and Ken K. Mary

Nov 22, 2024

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Mark interviews Cathy Rankin and Ken Mary about Cathy's new single "Now You've Gone."

On October 29, 2024, Cathy Rankin released her debut single “Now You’ve Gone,” featuring renowned musicians David Ellefson (formerly of Megadeth) Ken Mary (formerly of Alice Cooper) and John Ronson. The emotional track, inspired by deeply personal experiences, reflects on themes of love, grief, and ultimately hope.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by the 2024 Novel Writing Storybundle - Only available until the end of November 2024.

In the interview, Mark, Cathy, and Ken talk about:

Cathy's various family members who are musicians, her first exposure to music when she was young and how that impacted her creative life
Getting into theatre, and acting, when she was little, but not having the confidence in music itself
The first time Cathy had to perform a singing scene when she was acting in a film
The difference between being a performing musician and being a live host
Ken's background as a musician having toured with various different artists over the years
How being the lead singer might be one of the more difficult positions to be in, since the majority of the audience focus is on them (rather than, for example, the drummer)
The concept of the instrument choosing the musician rather than it being the other way around - and how that's the way it was for Ken and playing the drums
How playing drums was never "work" for Ken no matter what type of band he was in
The great producers that Ken has worked alongside over the years
The way that Cathy and Ken first met and started to work together (When Jon Ronson asked Cathy to interview Ken about his most recent album)
Cathy showing some of her poems to Ken and getting some feedback on the option to produce one of them into a song
How everything in this production unfolded organically and the chemistry of Cathy and the musicians in producing the song
The delightful lyrical and musical Easter Eggs that appear in the song
The connection between Neil Peart's loss of his daughter and the loss of Cathy's nephew Christian and why the song is a tribute to both their memories
What people who want to support the musical artists can do to help out

After the interview Mark reflects on three different things that came up in the conversation, including the magic of organic creativity, the concept of playing a character when on stage, and the value of art, music, poetry, and prose in expressing deep emotion and forging connections.

Clips from "Now You've Gone" have been used with permission.

"Now You've Gone" is performed by: Cathy Rankin - Vocals, Lyrics Ken Mary - Drums/Percussion David Ellefson - Bass John Bronson - Guitar Produced and Mixed by Ken Mary/Sonic Phish Studios with contribution by Thomas Laufenberg

Links of Interest:

One look and listen at Cathy Rankin and her stellar high notes, and you know she was born to entertain. Whether on stage, on camera, or in any crowd, Rankin brings a strong female voice to her music on every level. Never one to take a backseat, this force-to-be-reckoned-with doesn’t just move fans with her powerful vocals, but also proudly reps the girls while holding her own with the guys. And, in Cathy's case, it's not just any ordinary "guys" that are part of her project, its renowned rockers David Ellefson, bassist (Kings of Thrash, Dieth, formerly of Megadeth), Ken Mary, Drummer/Composer/Producer (Flotsam and Jetsam, Great White, Fifth Angel, formerly of Alice Cooper and House of Lords), and guitarist John Bronson. This formidable line-up is on display on her new single, "Now You've Gone," with more music arriving soon.

Cathy’s natural inclination for music and performance was evident from an early age when she vowed she would be a singer and actor, and her dream never wavered. Her grandfather first influenced her love of music. An accomplished professional big band musician, he played saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo and piano, primarily by ear, practicing in his music room with Cathy paying close attention. This exposure, along with her grandmother, one of the first female violinists in the Scottsdale Symphony, and guidance from her big sister who played drums in the popular 80s metal band, Whiskey Blu, formed the musical foundation that would be a lifelong passion for this songstress. While Cathy’s influences were wide-ranging, her original work is deeply rooted in classic rock woven with elements of blues, a touch of prog and at times even country, taking listeners on a journey reminiscent of the iconic frontwomen that defined female rock, such as Nicks, Wilson and Benatar.

As a member of popular cover bands, Superhero and Daisy Train, Cathy spent years performing full time for thousands of audiences on countless stages, from Superbowl Fanfest, to corporate events, festivals and the Vegas Strip. Cathy is also co-host of the Metal Hall of Fame with Eddie Trunk (That Metal Show, Trunk Nation), and host of the annual Bubba Bash honoring Neil Peart. And through in-depth interviews with award-winning artists such as John Waite, Geoff Tate, Lita Ford, KIX, Winger, Fifth Angel, and more, Cathy has been able to share that education and inspiration with countless other passionate music fans.

Ken K. Mary is an American musician who has worked as a drummer, producer, engineer, and record executive on over thirty-five albums. He has worked in genres from heavy rock to choral music. Mary is best known for his work with acts such as Accept, Fifth Angel, Chastain, TKO, Impellitteri, House of Lords, Bonfire and Alice Cooper, and is currently the drummer of Flotsam and Jetsam and Jack Russell's Great White

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0