← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Steve Bardwil : From Disney's Chief Counsel to Chasing Musical Dreams with 11-Time Grammy Winner Joe Chiccarelli- Inspiring Music Stories
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- [00:01]
Narrator
Taking a Walk.
- [00:01]
Buzz Knight
I'm Buzz Knight and this is the Taking a Walk podcast. Now, what if the price of your dream life was walking away from one of the most powerful jobs in Hollywood? Steve Bardwell spent years as chief counsel for Walt Disney Studios, navigating billion dollar deals, high stakes negotiations, and the relentless pressure of the entertainment industry's legal machine. But behind closed doors, he was writing songs, leading a band, and wrestling with a question that haunted him.
- [00:36]
Steve Bardwell
What if?
- [00:37]
Buzz Knight
There's more. In 2024, Steve made a decision that seemed crazy to everyone around him. He left Disney to pursue music full time. One year later, he got a critically acclaimed album produced by 11 time Grammy winner Joe Ciccarelli. Rave reviews from so many folks, and he's heading back into the studio. This is the story of how he did it, why he did it, and what it cost him. Welcome to Taking a Walk. Steve Bardwell is next.
- [01:10]
Mind Games Host
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
- [01:14]
Joel from How To Money
Hey, it's Joel and Matt from how to Money. If your New Year's resolution is to finally get your finances in shape, we've got your back prices, they're still high and the economy is all over the place. But 2026 is the year for you to get intentional and make real progress.
- [01:30]
Matt from How To Money
That's right, yeah. Each week we break down what's happening with your money, the most important issues to focus on, and the small moves that make a big difference. Kick off the year with confidence. Listen to How To Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:45]
Mind Games Host
What if mind control is real?
- [01:47]
Steve Bardwell
If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?
- [01:50]
Mind Games Host
Can you hypnotically persuade someone? A car.
- [01:54]
Narrator
When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.
- [01:58]
Mind Games Host
Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?
- [02:01]
Narrator
I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.
- [02:04]
Mind Games Host
Can you get someone to join your cult?
- [02:06]
Mind Games Narrator
NLP was used on me to access.
- [02:08]
Mind Games Host
My subconscious mind games. A new podcast, exploring nlp, AKA neuro linguistic programming. Is it a self help miracle, a shady hypnosis scam, or both? Listen to mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [02:28]
Buzz Knight
Taking a Walk Steve Bardwell, welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [02:32]
Steve Bardwell
Thank you very much. Happy to be here and thanks for having me.
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Buzz Knight
So since we call this show Taking a Walk, we like to ask this question. It's fascinating. We get all different sorts of answers from everybody, all walks of life. If you could take a walk with Someone, Steve, living or dead, who would you take a walk with and maybe tell us where you might take that walk with them?
- [02:54]
Steve Bardwell
Oh, that's, that's kind of a. Interesting and tough question at the same. I could take a walk with anyone living or not living.
- [03:03]
Buzz Knight
Correct. Prefer living. Just go. You, you can. Your imagination.
- [03:08]
Steve Bardwell
Well, maybe not.
- [03:09]
Buzz Knight
I don't know. No criteria to it. You tell me.
- [03:12]
Steve Bardwell
Could I pick one living and one not living?
- [03:14]
Buzz Knight
Absolutely.
- [03:16]
Steve Bardwell
The non living person I'd like to take a walk with is Mark Twain. I think, just think he's an interesting guy who I'd love to chat with and living, Eddie. Paul McCartney. Okay.
- [03:31]
Buzz Knight
I don't know if there was a Mark Twain answer ever, but there's been a number of Paul McCartney answers for sure, as you could well imagine. So it would be quite a walk. I'd love to be on a fly on the wall for.
- [03:45]
Steve Bardwell
I've had him a couple times, but I, you know, at a restaurant, but never, never really talked to him.
- [03:53]
Buzz Knight
So you have an amazing story. Before we get into the story, I wanted to hear first about your earliest music influences that you can recall.
- [04:06]
Steve Bardwell
Well, it would have to be the Beatles. Seen him on it. You know, I saw, I saw him on Ed Sullivan when I was really young. I really didn't understand what it was, but I saw these girls screaming and the crowd going crazy. And I had some older friends that were really into the Beatles and I would say that was my first thing that influenced me or made me think about music being cool.
- [04:39]
Buzz Knight
And everything changed. For anybody who saw that, right. Their life probably changed. Whether they went into music or whether they became chief counsel for Walt Disney, their life changed when they saw this amazing moment in time. Right?
- [04:59]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah. Yeah. Well, and then when I was like, I don't know, 12 or whatever is when I started thinking I would want to. You know, this was many years after seeing them on tv. But I wanted a, a guitar and my, my parents got me a St. George electric guitar from Sears, which I, which I, which I wish I still had.
- [05:23]
Buzz Knight
Oh, I was keeping my fingers crossed. I was like, do you have it somewhere? Is it not in the basement among cobwebs?
- [05:29]
Steve Bardwell
Is it so now singing like happened to it? I wish I could say sold it at a pawn shop and got some money. I don't know what happened to it. I don't know where it went.
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Buzz Knight
So where did you grow up, Steve?
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Steve Bardwell
I grew up in the Valley and San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, outside, you know, part of Los Angeles proper, in Encino.
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Buzz Knight
And do you remember the first concert? I'm sure. I'm sure you do.
- [05:55]
Steve Bardwell
I do. When I was little, I was like 10, and my cousin who was. She was like 16, drove me and a friend of mine and a couple other cousins in a station wagon in the Dodger Stadium to see the Beatles.
- [06:12]
Buzz Knight
Oh, okay. We come full circle, even more. And that was the 28 minute or 29 minute show.
- [06:22]
Steve Bardwell
Right. It was a Dodger Stadium. Bobby Hebb, I think, opened for them. There was a tent set up, a green and white tent set up in center field that had a sign on it that said dressing room. And that's where Bobby Head came out. And then he went back in. And then the Beatles came out and they did play for about 20, like you said, 20 minutes, half hour. And the sound system was, you know, those cone speak speakers that they had at the stadium? They didn't have, like, the kind of sound systems they do now. Couldn't really hear them because the girls were. Everyone was screaming so much. And then they went in the dressing room at the end, and then a car flew out the back end of the dressing room and they opened the gates and they were out of the stadium before anyone had a chance to even think that it was over.
- [07:12]
Buzz Knight
And how many times did Bobby Hebb do Sonny?
- [07:17]
Steve Bardwell
He did it once. That was his big hit.
- [07:20]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. Because, you know, if there really wasn't a big arsenal of songs, usually.
- [07:27]
Steve Bardwell
Well, see, he played for. He played longer than the Beatles, I think. And I can tell you, no, any. No one was paying attention to him except, you know, Sonny. He did do.
- [07:37]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. Great song, by the way.
- [07:39]
Steve Bardwell
Was a great song. Yeah. Is a great song. Still is a great song.
- [07:42]
Buzz Knight
Yep.
- [07:44]
Steve Bardwell
So.
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Buzz Knight
Okay, let's get to the meat of it here. Sir, you were chief counsel at Walt Disney Studios, one of the most prestigious legal positions in Hollywood, no less, anywhere. Can you take us back to that moment where you decided to walk away? What was that conversation like with yourself? I'm sure it had been going on.
- [08:06]
Steve Bardwell
It had been going on. You know, I hadn't played guitar for. Since, you know, in college and about, you know, 15 years ago, I, you know, bought a Martin acoustic guitar and started playing and writing some songs. And my friend who I went to the Beatles concert with, that I grew up with, plays bass. So I asked. I told him I wanted to form a band. I told him and some other musicians that I heard playing live, and I approached them and said, I'm thinking of starting a band. Would you be interested? And we played and we actually had Some, some pretty swell gigs. We, you know, opened for Donovan Frankenrider, Pablo Cruz, Eddie Money, Jim Messina, Robbie Krieger, Dickie Betts, and most recently, before I left it, well, I was still at Disney. We did a show opening for Lyle Lovett and his big band at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. But I could never really promote it or spend full time because I had no music cred because I was chief counsel of the Walt Disney Company. And it's a pretty much of a full time job, as you can imagine, because I oversaw the legal affairs of, you know, Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Animation, Walt Disney Studios, Fox Searchlight, Fox Pictures, the distribution arm, the Music Disney Music Group. And there were some other responsibilities as well. I had a, you know, hundreds of people on my team and it was, it was an amazing job. You know, I got, I, I worked with some, you know, some of the people at Disney were extremely creative and smart. You know, I worked with the chairman of the studio, Alan Bergman, who I'm still very good friends with. We have dinner, you know, once a month or so. I worked with Steve Jobs a lot. Got to be pretty, got to know him really well. You know, Kathy Kennedy at Lucasfilm, Kevin Feige at Marvel, and John Lassever and Ed Catmull were at Pixar. And then, you know, Jim Morrison, Pete Docter were there when I left and I, I had decided that I bet I'd been there and done a lot of that and covet hit. And I was, we were all working from home, doing Zoom meetings and I just thought it was a, you know, if I'm going to do the music thing, I got to do it. And so I, I, I told Alan Bergman that I wanted to, you know, to leave. And he, he said, oh, can't you just stay, you know, one more year? And I, I did that. And then he said, and I was, the year was coming. He goes, well, can you just stay six more months? And I go, okay. But that's, I'm, that's it. I'm, I'm out of here. And, and I left and, and I did, I know you, you asked like, what was my thought process? It's, it was, it was kind of bittersweet because, you know, and it was a, wasn't the easiest decision to make because when you're working a job like that, my identity was kind of wrapped up in being chief counsel of the Walt Disney Studio. My business cards, you know, had Mickey Mouse on it and said, you know, chief counsel, Walt Disney Studios. When I would go to meetings, restaurants, knew that, knew me as that. You know, you check into a hotel and you give them the card. That's who you are. You're kind of wondering, well, who am I going to be? What am I going to, you know, what if the music thing doesn't work out? You know, you just never know what when your time's up. And I just figure I know what life at Disney's like really well, but I don't know what life outside of Disney is like. And maybe I'll be bored. Hopefully I can do the music thing, but at least I want to just see what else life has to offer besides Disney. And the only way to do that is to leave. And so that's kind of where I landed.
- [12:24]
Buzz Knight
And did, besides Allan, did anyone in your family try to talk you out of it? Was there anybody that said no?
- [12:33]
Steve Bardwell
No, because my family, my kids and my wife knew that I wanted to do the music thing. You know, when I left I, I didn't have, you know, songs that I knew I wanted to record. I, I wrote the, I wrote some songs, new songs after I quit. I wanted to find a producer. I, I was, I was starting, when I left with nothing music wise that would lead me to believe that, you know, I definitely had a music place to go. It was a hope.
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Buzz Knight
As you had described years back, getting into music and working with your friends and playing in a band. Did you sort of feel the momentum of that sort of picking up in terms of your passionate love for it as you were first beginning it then?
- [13:27]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah, when we were beginning it, all the guys, everyone in the band and by the way, everyone that was in the original band is still in the band except for our bass player who left that George, the one who I've been friends with growing up. I think as I was that way, as we got more serious with the music, he was not as dedicated or, you know, not into the commitment that the rest of us were, knew that we needed to make to this, to go to that, to this next level and, but everyone else has been in the band and we all, you know, I wasn't the only one that had a, a full time job. Everyone else in the band had other jobs too, but gradually the other guys left their jobs and went into the, you know, started doing music full time. I was the last one out of, out of a full time job. Our guitar player, Johnny Statula, we, when we opened, we opened for Dickey Betts and they heard and Johnny, I think had met Dwayne Betts, Dickie's son once or twice and they were playing together so they started talking and they saw Johnny playing in our band and next thing I, you know, they were forming the All In Bets band. This was like 10 years ago. And they asked Johnny to join the Almond Betts band. So he's been touring and recording with them and he's also been playing and out with Dwayne Betts. Johnny brought our drummer Vince and our keyboard player Max out with them and they're touring with Dwayne Betts as well. And Vince has also toured with an electronic music artist named Zoo Zhu. And Aaron, the saxophone player was touring with Zoo and he brought Vince into that situation. So I'm just, you know, they're all. Everyone started getting more serious about the music and like I said, I was the last one out of a job and into the music.
- [15:26]
Buzz Knight
What were their jobs? Just a, you know, a variety of different types of jobs that he had.
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Steve Bardwell
Yeah, Johnny worked for a beverage company as a manager of some sort. Aaron worked for. He was a computer data analyst. I think he worked for a short time for P. Diddy and Max worked. He, he was. Max actually won an Emmy because he, Max is like a tech geek. He plays B3 organ and every kind of keyboard you can imagine. We just finished a recording session. I think he had nine different. He had a, A Wurlitzer, a Prophet synth, a Nord, a B3 or he has his own B3 organ. He repairs and fixes them. He had whatever keyboard that Stevie wondered used on, you know, long time ago and he had the same one that the Doors used. So I mean, and he, he worked for the company that films sports events from planes and blimps and helicopters and he, he like hooks up and creates the camera rigs and all that stuff and he won an Emmy for that.
- [16:41]
Buzz Knight
So they come from all different walks of life basically and all roads intersected back to.
- [16:47]
Steve Bardwell
We've all become great friends. It's like a family. We've had this, you know, to. Max is the newest member of the band and he's been with us over 10 years.
- [16:57]
Buzz Knight
So walk me through the decision to work with Joe Ciccarelli. You're. You're a new artist, you're. You're starting from scratch kind of. How did you get an 11 time Grammy winner to take your call?
- [17:13]
Steve Bardwell
Well, that's funny. I knew I wanted to get a good producer and I was originally thinking. And I called a friend of mine who's in the business and I said, hey, I'm. And I had. By this time, I had written the songs, and I actually booked some time at East West Studios, like, month, three or four months in advance, figuring, okay, now I just gotta find a producer. And I asked my friend, I go, I want to get a good producer. Can you, you know, who can I call? I was thinking, like, do you know Rick Rubin? He goes, he goes, that's not really my thing. Let me ask around. I know some people. You know some people.
- [17:53]
Buzz Knight
I know a guy.
- [17:54]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah, they send me three names and three phone numbers. And I googled them. I didn't. I hadn't. I didn't know who Joe Ciccarelli was. I googled them and it said he won 11 Grammys. And I saw the artist that he worked with, ELTON John and U2 and Beck and the Counting Crows and Jason Mraz and just, you know, Lance Morissette and Frank Zappa and Morrissey and My Morning Jacket and the Killers and the White Stripes. I mean, it's just on and on and so. And I always believe that if you don't ask, it's the same as, you know, if they said no. So what's, what's the downside? So I called them and got his voice message. So I said, steve Bardwell and gave my phone number. And then I didn't hear. A few days later, I get a text from saying, joe Chicarelli here. What do you want? I go, I said, well, I said. I texted him back and said, I'm a singer, songwriter. I'm making an album at east west, and I was looking for someone. I was hoping to work with you as a producer. And he texted me back and said, do you have any demos? And I. So I did have some, you know, songs that I recorded on my iPhone. They weren't professionally done demos at all. And sent them to him, and he texted back and said, cool songs, we should talk. So I figured, whoa, maybe, maybe, you know, I'll take that. So he, we, we. We talked on the phone and he was in. At the time, he was in France at a recording studio doing an album with Morrissey. And he said, let's have breakfast when I get back. I said, that'd be great. I met him for breakfast and, you know, we started talking.
- [19:50]
Joel from How To Money
He.
- [19:51]
Steve Bardwell
He said, so what are you looking to do? What are you looking for with this album? I want you to win another Grammy. He just laughed. He goes, yeah, okay. What, you know, I, you know, I asked, what do you, you know, what do you seeing? What kind of record do you see? And we, we Just started talking and he, I told him about the band and the times that I had booked in the studio. Coincidentally, he was free to do, do the tracking, but he had, he was, he had another project that he was working on. So we did the track, we did the tr, you know, the tracking with the band in the studio and with guide, I just did guide vocals at that time. And he said, you know, I gotta jump into something else for a few months. So he goes, you're not, are you? He's the one that we first started talking. He said, are you in a hurry? Is there a deadline? I go, no, whenever. I'll work around you. And so a few months later, we did, went back and did some guitar and, and keyboard overdubs and did the vocals and then the background vocals. And my wife Catherine is a singer. And so when it came time to do background vocals, I, you know, Joe said, so who does your backup vocals? And I said, well, it's my wife Catherine and Max. I go, but if you want to bring somebody else in, that's fine with, you know, with me. I just want to make the best record possible. He goes, well, let's, if it's, if it, it's better if it's your guys, if it works out, let's try them, and if it doesn't work out, we'll bring somebody in. So they had to go in and sing for him, and he liked what they had to bring to the table, and so it worked out.
- [21:36]
Buzz Knight
Did he at all challenge your vision for the record, at least in those early conversations, or did he just sort of let you kind of.
- [21:44]
Steve Bardwell
No. I told him, you know, the reason I'm coming to you is I, I've never done this before. I'm not a, I, I don't know anything about the recording process really. I go, I, I, I want you to, to make the rep, the best record you can make with us. And he, he was amazing. He, he, he said he wanted to come to our, to our rehearsals before we go into the studio. And so I had booked rehearsals for a week with the band. So as soon as Joe said he wanted to come to the rehearsals, I called the band and go, Joe wants to come to the rehearsals for a week. We have to rehearse a week before Joe. So the rehearsals ended up being two weeks, one week without, you know, just the us trying to get our act together. And so Joe doesn't walk. He goes, what did I get myself into? And, you know, a week with Joe and he's, he's Amazing. I mean, I, I, we become good friends. I, you know, I really love the guy. He's just amazingly talented.
- [22:52]
Buzz Knight
So he is known for being really hands on, changing tempos and switching keys and reworking. Is there a specific example that you can give of a song where his input completely changed what you thought it was originally going to be?
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Steve Bardwell
Yeah, we had this, just this recent. On this re. Just last album, we had a song called Good Things. And we worked it up, you know, playing it a certain way. He came in and, and he, he's, he was, he knows every, he'll tell Vince, the drummer, don't place eighth notes and play sixteenths. And, you know, you got to drive the energy before the chorus starts. Or he'll tell the, you know, the bass player, you know, I, I think, you know, those guys are playing majors. You're playing A minor here. I don't think that it's not sinking right. The song that we were playing, I would say had more of a traveling Woolberries or Petty kind of vibe. That's the closest thing I can think of. But when he got done with this, it's like a Stevie Wonder Motown song or something. You know, I didn't even know we had it in us. Like, he, he brings out the best in all of our, you know, all the music, all the music and musicians that there is. And, and you, you say he's hands on. I mean, I mean, he would. We're playing a song and we had a, you know, we do a take of the song and he goes, I'm going to come out, Vince. I think I'm going to change that snare drum. And he, he comes out and he's on his hands and knees. He, he, he has a, when we had breakfast, he, he said, you know, I think for this album, what I'm hearing is I think you need a vintage Ludwig or Gretsch drum kit. Have your drummer call John at Angel City Drum Works. And, you know, so we had this drum kit and he showed a bunch of snare drums or something. I don't know the difference between a snare, a snare drums, a snare drum in my book. But he would try out two or three snare drums and go back in. Nah. And come out and put tape on those. And he doesn't tell his. There's two assistants. He doesn't tell them to come out and do. He actually does it himself. He's on his hands and knees. He's, he's like, hands on.
- [25:12]
Buzz Knight
That's incredible.
- [25:13]
Steve Bardwell
The guy has the Best ears in the. In the business.
- [25:17]
Buzz Knight
That is so wonderful. Just hearing that inside story there on how he just. Just knows what he wants and gets real specific and gets his hands dirty.
- [25:28]
Steve Bardwell
The specificity is unreal. You'll come in and I'm playing, you know, I have. He told me, I have. I had a Taylor guitar. I have a Taylor guitar, Martin guitar, and a Gibson. You know, he'd start, he'd say, try the Gibson and I'm playing that. He goes, he tried the Martin and then he. And then try to the tailor. He goes. He goes, hold on. And he goes upstairs. He has his own studio at East West Studios now, his own production studio. And he has some guitars up there. He brings down an EP, an old EPone acoustic guitar that. It's like the John Lennon model. It had. It wasn't John Lennon's signature, but it said, you know, had the. When Epiphone made this, they put John Lennon's signature, you know, in the guitar. I'm playing that. And he goes, yeah, that'll work on whatever. This was a particular song. I didn't remember what song it was, but he has something. He has a sound in mind that he's looking for. He knows how to get it.
- [26:33]
Narrator
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [26:38]
Matt from How To Money
New year, new goals, and in this economy, a better money plan is more necessary than ever. I am Matt.
- [26:45]
Joel from How To Money
And I'm Joel.
- [26:46]
Matt from How To Money
We are from the how to Money podcast and every. We help you to spend smarter, save more, and make sense of what's going on out there.
- [26:52]
Joel from How To Money
If you want 2026 to be the year you finally feel in control of your money, we're here to give you the tools and advice to help you make it happen. Listen to how to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [27:05]
Mind Games Narrator
What if mind control is real?
- [27:08]
Steve Bardwell
If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?
- [27:11]
Mind Games Narrator
Can you hypnotically persuade someone to be Buy a car.
- [27:14]
Narrator
When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.
- [27:19]
Mind Games Narrator
Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?
- [27:21]
Narrator
I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.
- [27:25]
Mind Games Narrator
Can you get someone to join your cult?
- [27:27]
Steve Bardwell
NLP was used on me to access my subconscious.
- [27:30]
Mind Games Narrator
Nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics, and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.
- [27:41]
Narrator
It's about engineering consciousness.
- [27:43]
Mind Games Narrator
Mind Games is the story of nlp, its crazy cast of Disciples and the fake doctor who invented it at a new age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, NLP might actually work.
- [28:01]
Mind Games Host
This is wild.
- [28:02]
Mind Games Narrator
Listen to mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [28:12]
Narrator
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [28:15]
Buzz Knight
Nothing But Time has been called timeless and contemporary. When you were making it, did you have a particular sonic target in mind that you were looking for that that you were chasing? Or did it just turn out, you know, just feel just right?
- [28:36]
Steve Bardwell
You know, I, I, I wrote, I wrote all the songs, and when I write them, I'm just playing them on my acoustic guitar. So it's me and it, me and the song, really. I never envisioned or had an idea of what it would sound like with the band at the time. I wrote them the process that when we work up a song, I take that song to, to the band and I play it for them. There's a song, Magic Night in Paris on the album that's kind of a. About an experience I had at a jazz club in Paris. And it was, you know, a swing dance kind of jazz club. And I saw these people fall kind of, but I thought fall in love. An older guy and a younger woman started dancing. And as the evening wore on, they were, they were more than dancing. And I wrote a song about it. So I said, I want to get like a vibe of a dance club in Paris in the 40s or something. And it was different sound than the other songs that we were doing. And so we kind of were just worked it up. And, you know, Aaron plays sax and flute. And so with the piano and the saxophone, we were able to get kind of a jazz vibe thing going on the song. We work up the songs and then we just started playing them for Joe. And Joe would just add things and do things that we never even thought of. You know, we think, oh, this is a cool song. We got nailed. It still has the same vibe and bones that we originally have, but Joe takes it to a different level. He'll tell Johnny, Johnny can, can play something and he'll like, mouth a riff, a guitar riff, and Johnny will try something. He goes, no, no, no, try something else. Yeah, that'll double it, double it. Double the tempo or just do footballs there. Don't play this. And he just creates this sound that's. You hear it on the record and it's like, it's just like, wow, that's us.
- [30:45]
Buzz Knight
I love Send Them love. And why do you think that song has resonated to such a great degree?
- [30:56]
Steve Bardwell
I wrote that song because this girl came to me that was really bummed out because people have been saying some really negative things about her online. I think I just started thinking and I kept hearing more and more about bullying online, and I think social media is really messed up a lot of things. I almost don't want to get started on that, but I just. I told her, don't pay attention to what other people say about you, because what they say says more about them than it does about you. Somebody saying something about you doesn't make what they say. That's not who you are. You know who you are. And you just got to take the high road, you know, send them love. And then I. After I did that, I go, that's. That could be a song. And so I just kind of wrote down what I told her and put it to music. And I think it's resonated with people because I don't think there's anybody that hasn't felt somebody, you know, saying something about them. I don't know. When somebody says something negative about you, if you listen to it and absorb it or pay attention to it, give it power, it can affect you in a negative way and discourage you. You make you feel less. I just think it's important that, you know, I always. Mike, thing is, I. I don't take criticism from anybody that I wouldn't want advice from. People can say whatever they want. You just gotta take the high road and not. Not push back. Don't go tit for tat with somebody. Just, okay, they said it. I'm sending them love. I feel sorry for them that that's what they want to spend their time doing.
- [32:41]
Buzz Knight
Well, you've said reading reviews feels like reading about somebody else, so you've. You've kind of illustrated in your own way about your work too.
- [32:53]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah, sometimes I, you know, it's weird. I listen to my songs. They help me, like, if I'm thinking something that I'll listen to a song. Yeah. Wow, that's. I should take that advice. I should take my own advice. It's kind of interesting that way.
- [33:09]
Buzz Knight
So you're heading back into East West Studios. You must be so excited to record a new album.
- [33:17]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah.
- [33:19]
Buzz Knight
And with Joe, I mean, boy, it's. I'm excited for you. What's different, though, about you as an artist, obviously, now, compared to when you walked in there the first time?
- [33:31]
Steve Bardwell
I didn't know anything when I walked in the first time I've been having been through a recording session, I've learned the jargon. I could speak the language. At least now I don't ask as many questions like, what does this mean? What are you talking about? And there's a comfort that not only I have with the process, but I think everybody in the band has, because we've all worked with Joe before, and Joe knows us. We know Joe. It's less stressful or. And less pressure, and I. I feel like I'm more relaxed and the band's more relaxed. And maybe Joe. Joe's comfortable. He. He's always. He's pretty. He. He. He doesn't beat around the bush. He tells you if something's not working or try this, do that. But I just think there's a mutual familiarity and camaraderie that, you know, and. Because we bonded, I mean, recording an album, when you're working together for an extensive period of time and you're eating, you know, lunch and dinner with everybody for a number of days, and you, you know, just get to be friends, and Joe and I become friends. We've gone out to dinner, and I just talked to him this morning, you know, and it's just different. And the songs are different this time.
- [34:54]
Buzz Knight
Evolution.
- [34:56]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah, right.
- [34:57]
Buzz Knight
Evolution. What traits from your past life do you think have served you well in your new life?
- [35:07]
Steve Bardwell
I think, you know, working with creative people, I always realized that the artist is very precious about what they create because they. They're invested in it. It's hard for them to listen to other people at the studio. We would see dailies every day. And, you know, if a movie's three hours long or whatever, and not as many people are going to see that movie if it's three hours long than if it's two hours long. And even two hours long is plenty along for a movie. The worst thing you want to do is have somebody come out and say, it's a good movie. Wow, it's too long. But I. And I just use that as an example because I think as an artist, I can get kind of precious about the songs that I write. But when the. When other professionals that I'm working with tell me their opinions, I. I value. I. I welcome those. I don't want to be so precious about them that I'm not willing to make changes based on their suggestion. And I. I just believe that the more creative input that there is to a. A project, the better the song for songwriting in particular, the. You know, and for movie making, too. Sometimes the reason you have a T is a team sport. I'd say it's not so much an individual sport. Yeah, look at the beat. I think the Beatles, when the four of them were together, what they created was magical. I mean, they're all great artists individually, but I don't think them alone was as much magic as the four of them together were.
- [36:48]
Buzz Knight
And yet those entities like that, just like organizations and teams can be very fragile, you know, especially as a long time has been spent together, you know.
- [37:01]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah.
- [37:02]
Buzz Knight
Touring and studio time, eventually those things sometimes wear thin, right?
- [37:09]
Steve Bardwell
Yeah. And sometimes I have to tell my. I find myself being resistant to some, a suggestion. I have to say, hey dude, listen, you don't know everything.
- [37:18]
Buzz Knight
Listen, you know, this show that I do is, is an extension of where I started, came out of the radio business, but as an on air person is how I first started before I got into senior management. So for me, taking a walk, you know, came out of that sort of pursuit of love of something and passion for something and wanting to sort of go back to my initial roots and where my, you know, where my heart really is. So I understand it, at least from my perspective. But in closing here, you know, taking your perspective on how you followed your heart and if someone's listening and they're in this position of a job, a career course, how would you get them in their own way to jump off the curb and do what they love?
- [38:19]
Steve Bardwell
I would say one thing that kind of held me back a little bit was thinking, you know, I, I wish I would have done this when I was younger. Am I an idiot? Am I stupid? What am I thinking trying to do this now? I think that it's never too late to there's something you really want to do at the end of your life. You can look back and say, I tried this, I really wanted to do it. I went for, didn't work out, but I gave it my best shot, you know, or maybe it did work out and wow. Or you can say I never tried. I wish I would have. And I, I, I think I wish I would have is like the worst of those possibilities. Go, you got to go for it. Otherwise you're going to be looking back saying, what if I wish I would have. I wonder if I could have, you know, just the experience. Even if I had failed at this or it hadn't worked out or, you know, it didn't work with Joe or whatever, I still would have enjoyed the, the learning experience of the, in the ride of trying it. And what's the downside?
- [39:31]
Buzz Knight
Well, you know way more about movies than I know, but this is the stuff that certainly movies are made of. Who's going to play you in the movie?
- [39:43]
Steve Bardwell
Robert Downey Jr.
- [39:46]
Buzz Knight
There you go. Quite a, quite a life there, right? It's an amazing story. The music is fantastic. I can't wait to hear the new music. And I really appreciate how you, you took us behind the scenes there to the creation and, and your amazing story. And Steve Bardwell, I'm so glad that you're on Taking a Walk.
- [40:07]
Steve Bardwell
Well, thank you very much. Happy to be here.
- [40:09]
Buzz Knight
Thanks for having me and come back again anytime.
- [40:13]
Steve Bardwell
Thank you very much. Buzz.
- [40:16]
Narrator
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.
- [40:34]
Joel from How To Money
Hey, it's Joel and Matt from how to Money. If your New Year's resolution is to finally get your finances in shape, we've got your back prices, they're still high and the economy is all over the place. But 2026 is the year for you to get intentional and make real progress.
- [40:50]
Matt from How To Money
That's right, yeah. Each week we break down what's happening with your money, the most important issues to focus on, and the small moves that make a big difference. Kick off the year with confidence. Listen to how to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [41:05]
Mind Games Host
What if mind control is real?
- [41:07]
Steve Bardwell
If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?
- [41:10]
Mind Games Host
Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?
- [41:14]
Narrator
When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.
- [41:18]
Mind Games Host
Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?
- [41:20]
Narrator
I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.
- [41:24]
Mind Games Host
Can you get someone to join your cult?
- [41:26]
Mind Games Narrator
NLP was used on me to access.
- [41:28]
Mind Games Host
My subconscious mind games. A new podcast, exploring nlp, AKA Neuro linguistic programming. Is it a self help music miracle, a shady hypnosis scam? Or both? Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.