Paul Szmal: Good morning, it's 8.38, it's F-LX Morning. We had so much fun doing this last year, the Vista Concert Series Previews at the Vista on Seneca Lake. The first show is coming up on May 9th and we have our first performers with us. Welcome Mike Keegan and Shelley Major. Good morning to you both.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Good morning. Good morning.
Paul Szmal: Now you're sort of the modern version of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. You play as a duo, a trio, and a quintet depending on the configuration. So tell us about your three units.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Well, you're looking at the duo right here. We've been together doing our thing for five, more than five years, six years maybe? I'd say six years, yeah. Six years now and we put that trio together about six years ago. We started off as a duo, I was just filling in. We got the trio together and we've been doing that and I thought, geez, you know this girl who's got a great voice, who plays the drums, she needs to come out front a little bit. Put the drumsticks down and come out front. I was listening when you were on the wall. Yeah, I heard. And you know, that seems to be working out too. It's a five piece band called the Phoenix Five, based out of Auburn. Got some great players, top of the line musicians there to back this young lady up. She's a superstar. I love doing it. We all have a lot of fun.
Paul Szmal: Alright, so you'll be appearing in your trio version as the Major Keys on May 9th and I know that a big part of what you do is harmonies, which, that's not easy to do live. There aren't very many bands, I mean the Eagles is what everybody thinks of, there aren't a lot of bands. It's one thing to do it in the studio, it's another to do it live on stage.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Very true. You're looking at one of the best harmonists in Auburn right there. He's the reason we do harmony. He's got such a brain and such a talent for it. It was definitely not something I'd ever experienced before I met Mike. He taught me a lot and he teaches everyone a lot.
Paul Szmal: So how did that come about, that you two met and got together and got started?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Well, I was filling in for Shelly's previous partner, Brad Beardsley, who's got a great show. He does a solo act now. He became part of our trio for the last five years. But he's wonderful, go out and catch him. Brad Beardsley, look him up. And he was ill for a bit and I was just filling in. And then of course, you know, COVID kicked in, so the three of us weren't doing a thing. And so the three of us worked out on her back porch and said, you know, gee, that sounds pretty good. It's too bad we don't have any place to put this, you know?
Paul Szmal: Yeah. During COVID?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yeah, during COVID. Did you do any of the, I know there were theater groups who did Zoom things and all together.
Paul Szmal: No, none of that. No, it was just something for us to do. I was going to go back and do my solo. I wasn't even in the, it wasn't a trio. I was going to go back, do my solo stuff. These two were going to go back and do their duo stuff. And it just started sounding good enough where we thought, you know, let's see what happens.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yeah. Yeah, the trio was born during COVID, for sure.
Paul Szmal: How does that happen when musicians just click like that? Is there just something that, magic that takes place?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: I think we all, everybody brings a little something different. Everybody has their power, you know, their magic power that they bring in, you know? You know, Brad, it started off he was, he was the singer. He was, he has a beautiful voice, great voice, one of the best. And, you know, Shelly was just starting to come into her own vocally, but it was a great drummer. And, you know, I said, gee, you know, we all can sing. Let's, let's put some harmonies together. It's my kind of, it's my thing, you know? And it just was the perfect mix. It was, it was the perfect mix. Since then, you know, you know, that's five years of playing a lot of gigs, doing a lot of studio time, learning a lot of things. And Shelly's voice has just grown to be absolutely one of the best I've, certainly the best voice I've ever worked with.
Paul Szmal: So Shelly, I want to ask you about your drumming, because a lot of people don't realize what a great drummer Karen Carpenter was. Were you influenced by her at all?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Absolutely, yes. I grew up listening to Karen, and she was one of my idols, for sure.
Paul Szmal: Wow. All right. I heard you play on the wall, so I can't wait to hear. What do you have for us?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Well, I don't know. Do we have to do a Karen Carpenter song? After that, we should. But no, let's do, let's do a more modern tune.
Paul Szmal: Okay, we can do that. It's up to you.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yeah. Yeah, let's do this one. People would know it, I think. This one?
Paul Szmal: Yeah. Maybe. We'll see. We didn't write it, that's for sure.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Georgia, wrap me up in all your, I want you. In my arms, oh, let me hold you. In my arms, oh, let me hold you. I'll never let you go again like I did. Oh, I used to say, I would never fall in love again until I found her. I said, I would never fall unless it's you I fall into. I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her, I found you.
Georgia, pulled me in, I asked to love her. Once again, you fell, I caught you. Oh, I'll never let you go again like I did. Oh, I used to say, I would never fall in love again until I found her. I said, I would never fall unless it's you I fall into. I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her, I found you.
I would never fall in love again until I found her. I said, I would never fall unless it's you I fall into. I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her, I found you.
Paul Szmal: Oh boy, that is wonderful. What did musicians do before you got tablets, when the pages would stick together when you tried to turn the page?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: I remembered stuff. I played for 45 years, been playing out and about, and for the first 35 of them, you'd go out there and just do it.
Paul Szmal: I want to ask you about your guitar. You've got a six string Taylor Acoustic guitar. That's an interesting pickup on there. It looks different than what I've seen.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yeah, I use this pickup. It comes with its own ES-2 system. It's a nice system, but to get a real natural sound, you really want to have a mic inside the sound hole. It's a dual pickup. It picks up the strings and there's a mic inside. I use it a lot of time for our duo stuff.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, that's a great sound. It's a real sweet thing. This is a really nice guitar. Her name is Sammy. It's a real nice guitar. It's about 10 or 11 years old. It's a little 12 fret, so it's a little bit shorter. Sometimes that's an inch and a half or two inches. It's a good time to have.
Paul Szmal: So Shelly, do you remember the first time you sang in public?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Wow, great question. First time in public? Well, it was certainly with Mixtape, which was the first rock and roll band that we took out on the road. It was from behind a drum set, you know, way in the back. So that was a lot different than when Mike suggested me coming out as a front person.
Paul Szmal: I didn't suggest, I demanded.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: He demanded. So what did you think? Did you go, I don't know if I want to do this, or were you psyched to do it?
Paul Szmal: Two years to do that. It was, yeah, I was pretty nervous to do that. Absolutely a different feeling altogether. But fun, you know, so I've learned a lot and I'm enjoying it.
Paul Szmal: Major keys. May 9th at the Vista, and I know one of the common threads last year when we did these, everybody just raved about the venue and what a great place it is. I mean, they draw huge crowds. What's not to like being next to Seneca Lake on a spring day?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yeah, right, it's beautiful. Just beautiful looking out over the lake playing music. They have food trucks there, you know, drinks. Hopefully it'll be a beautiful summer night.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. We're counting on Mother Nature for that. We're finally getting there after days of doing lacrosse games on 38 degree mornings.
By the way, the website is major-keys.com and also look for Major Keys on Facebook. You'll see the Major Keegs duo, the Major Keys, and what's the five piece again?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Phoenix Five. Phoenix Five. Both spelled with a PH.
Paul Szmal: Right. So where are you headed after the Vista?
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Well, we play a lot of local venues. We'll be at Aniello's Vineyard in Skinny Atlas. We play the Gould in Seneca Falls. We play Parker's in Auburn. There's so many.
Paul Szmal: Help me.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yeah, there's tons of them.
Paul Szmal: All right. Look them up on the website and look them up on Facebook.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Yes. Thanks for coming in so much. It was a surprise to me and I love having musicians on and I love hearing great music. That guitar sounds great. You're fantastic and best of luck in your summer touring.
Mike Higan, Shelley Major: Appreciate it. Thanks for having us.
Paul Szmal: All right. Thanks so much for your time. It's 8 49 now. It's FLX Morning.
