The next episode of “KRWG Music Spotlight” will air Saturday night at 10 on KRWG-TV, featuring local singer-songwriter Randy Lynch. Lynch is 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. Here's a preview of his conversation with "Music Spotlight" host Scott Brocato.
Scott Brocato:
We were talking before taping the show about what you were doing before (music), because you're a latecomer to music like I am.
Randy Lynch:
Right.
Scott Brocato:
What were you doing before music?
Randy Lynch:
I was working regular nine-to-five jobs and on the side I was working as a mobile DJ, an event DJ for about 25 years.
Scott Brocato:
Did you enjoy that?
Randy Lynch:
I did. It was fun getting to play with people. You do a wedding and you end up in somebody's family for a night. That's kind of a neat thing.
Scott Brocato:
Tell me about the journey that led you to music in 2019. It wasn't the most pleasant situation. I just mentioned (in the show intro) it came about after the end of a marriage.
Randy Lynch:
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 in a dark room and maybe have the TV on, maybe just sit there and stare at a wall. 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 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 I was 48 years old when this happened. And I didn't quite know what to do with it at first.
Scott Brocato:
And you didn't write even so much as poetry before you wrote these lyrics?
Randy Lynch:
Everything I wrote was politically-oriented prose. I was writing for the (Las Cruces) Sun News, but I'd never written a song.
Scott Brocato:
You started learning guitar not too long afterwards. How did that come about?
Randy Lynch:
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 says, “Well, how about guitar?” And they started pushing me towards Damian Luna here in town, an amazing musician. He heads up a band called the Ghetto Vaqueros now, but he also teaches guitar and he's amazing. He basically teaches you what you need to know to fit your needs and your wants.
Scott Brocato:
Well, let's go back a little bit. Who were some of your musical influences?
Randy Lynch:
I got so fed up with what was on the radio because it was, you know, I'm a child of the 80s. I grew up listening to pop on the radio, that was mainly it. I was not a country fan, but I discovered rock and metal and then punk. And that's the stuff that I got into. And I was a big metalhead for a long time, I still love that music. And I cover a bunch of that as country because everything I do comes out 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, I do some Hank Williams, I do 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 attention, especially with words, I'm all for that.
Scott Brocato:
You said that every step of your musical journey has forced you out of your comfort zone...
Randy Lynch:
Oh yeah.
Scott Brocato:
...and opened up a whole new world of expression and people. Talk about that.
Randy Lynch:
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 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. The very first time I got up 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 discomfort. It's always been there.
Scott Brocato:
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?
Randy Lynch:
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 didn't have the guts to try it. And I figured for years afterwards, I missed my window. You'll never miss your window. Pick it up whenever and just find your joy.
