♪slow limb and falling leaf♪ ♪The genesis of the split♪ ♪The lament of a lemon tree♪ ♪And who's gonna cut you down♪ ♪When all of your fruit is gone♪ ♪And when all of your leaves are brown♪ ♪And the time is a marching on♪ ♪You live♪ I'm Glenn Richards, and this is Amplified, showcasing some amazing artists for your listening pleasure.

On this episode, we're very happy to welcome a longtime Gainesville favorite, Ricky Kendall and his Friends, featuring Ricky Kendall on guitar and vocals, Michael Claytor on guitar and vocals, Sam Moss on vocals.

We've got Ryan Baker on piano, Jared Groom on drums, and Keith Ladd on bass with one of the first songs I remember hearing Ricky Kendall do, when I first came to town years ago, this is “Leilani Heights” Ricky Kendall and Friends on Amplified.

♪♪I was flying high♪ ♪on Leilani Heights♪ ♪Just a boy of four♪ ♪In 1985♪ ♪I could feel the day underneath the shade♪ ♪I could almost taste the sweet♪ ♪and summer lemonade♪ ♪Racing up the road♪ ♪me and Joey Sloan♪ ♪when our rubber souls could hit the open road♪ ♪long before the war♪ ♪fought in ‘94♪ ♪underneath the roof I came to call my troubled home♪ ♪Atop the mountain of the thistles♪ ♪Chris came tumbling terrified♪ ♪I could hear his father whistle♪ ♪I could hear his spirit die♪ ♪Leilani Heights♪ ♪In the month of May♪ ♪we were hard at play♪ ♪Just a memory♪ ♪and a boy that won't be named♪ ♪Came the pick up truck♪ ♪I was paralyzed♪ ♪I could almost hear the lights of red♪ ♪and blue that night♪ ♪Death had told me all the secrets♪ ♪no young boy should ever hear♪ ♪I remember Death was trembling♪ ♪when I woke up to my mama's tears♪ ♪We lived that year♪ ♪I'm going back♪ ♪Won't you come on back with me♪ ♪to Leilani Heights♪ ♪To Leilani Heights♪ ♪We're all renegades♪ ♪We have all escaped♪ ♪from the memories of the joy and fear and shame♪ ♪You know I'm going back♪ ♪I'm running home♪ ♪I will go into the death to come alive♪ ♪Would you go back with me♪ ♪to Leilani Heights♪ ♪Would you go back with me♪ ♪to Leilani Heights♪ ♪Would you go back with me to Leilani Heights♪♪ Nice.

Thank you, thank you.

♪Sea green brother, I feel the grief♪ ♪Here comes a tide♪ ♪flooding my eyes♪ ♪Shoreline castle of memories♪ ♪Under a sky taken by time♪ ♪I’m going undertow to find you♪ ♪Till I'm the ocean♪ ♪all around you♪ ♪Down the deep and darkest trench♪ ♪I won't return without you♪ ♪Without you♪ ♪Sister’s hooked on a line again♪ ♪Hungry to feel♪ ♪Glutton for pain♪ ♪I miss her♪ ♪mean as she's ever been♪ ♪running that real blood on her face♪ ♪So I'm going undertow to find you♪ ♪till I'm the ocean all around you♪ ♪Down the deep and darkest trench♪ ♪I won't return without you♪ ♪Not without you♪ ♪I’m going undertow to find you♪ ♪Till I'm the ocean all around you♪ ♪Down the deep and darkest trench♪ ♪I won't return without you♪ ♪No, I won't return with you♪♪ ♪♪I got rusted out♪ ♪and I could not be found♪ ♪all my hammers hardened up♪ ♪my one sustain is down♪ ♪My hands go and ringing♪ ♪hard worn on the floor♪ ♪I may never play again♪ ♪but I'll be played no more♪ ♪By the hunger♪ ♪by the throat♪ ♪Can you hear me?♪ ♪In my sour note?♪ ♪With the crooked neck I sing♪ ♪If I don't sound to you beautiful♪ ♪will you even hear a thing?♪ ♪I'm strung out on some anger♪ ♪And I'm hung up on a wall♪ ♪By my own devices♪ ♪but I swear it's not my fault♪ ♪He’s all brown and broken♪ ♪and my words all out of wit♪ ♪Locked and left unspoken♪ ♪because these keys no longer fit♪ ♪Still I hunger♪ ♪Yes, I hope♪ ♪You can find me♪ ♪In this little song I wrote♪ ♪With a bad case♪ ♪and nothing new♪ ♪I hold me like you love me still♪ ♪and I will play for you♪ ♪Hold me like a brand new thing♪ ♪and I’ll believe it's true♪ ♪Two, three, four!♪ That's a bad case from 2015’s “Passing Chord” by Ricky Kendall and his friends.

Ahead of that, “Eldest Brother Sea” and “Leilani Heights” starting things off.

Many familiar faces here.

Been a while.

We've been trying to get Ricky here, but, thanks for being here.

Thank you for having us.

And, thank you for bringing, all of your comrades.

So, along with Michael and Sam, you are one of the practitioners at the Arts and Medicine program at UF Health Shands.

-That's right.

So how did you get involved with that?

I feel like I came in under the wire.

In 2012, I was playing around town, and the, administrative staff would come to live shows around downtown, and they saw me playing, and, they asked if I would want to kind of volunteer and come to the program and do some work with patients.

And I said, sure.

And I volunteered for a while.

And then the person that I was shadowing, Danielle DeKosmo, left for Tampa, and she kind of put my name in a hat for, for, being a part of the team.

So I took that up and I applied and been so happy ever since with the work we do there.

Yeah, it's, it's pretty special.

And you still, find time to play around town.

You've got, shows off and on, but it seems like it it's less than it was.

But then, you know, life and family happen, right?

Yeah, that for sure.

Yeah.

I feel like I was playing every night.

Every other night somewhere.

For a long time.

Jared and I were in a couple different bands together.

Before this formation of this band.

We're in Paxico Via Mexico together.

We were also in, was there was another band we were into or was it always Paxico?

I think we changed band names like 19 times for fun, and it never took off, but, Yeah.

But then, you know, life happens and I feel like I play every day at work so much that, I kind of got out of the habit of staying out late and playing those 9:00 shows.

Got harder and harder to do.

So now, every once in a while, I get out there, which is super fun.

What you what do you want to tell us about this next one?

This next one is a is a newer song is called “Songs in the Sky” -And there's a digital version of that.

There is a digital version of that.

I forgot.

It's on SoundCloud.

Bandcamp I want to say.

Bandcamp that’s right, that’s right.

I wrote this song, Chelsea Carnes called me up.

She was doing an Earth Day benefit show and calling for songs about, you know, just being, human on the planet, enjoying the planet.

And so I used to go to the river every Friday and kayak on the Santa Fe River, and while I was there, I just felt like I could disappear and become, an animal again.

And be with all the birds and the other creatures out there.

And so this is, this is kind of a song about being out there and finding songs out there.

I'd take my little guitar on a, on a kayak and and see what I could find out there.

All right.

Playing songs in the sky.

Here's Ricky Kendall and Friends on Amplified.

♪♪Floating on a dream♪ ♪Willow and a whippoorwill♪ ♪Rock me in the riverbed♪ ♪Under a magnolia bloom♪ ♪vertical a swallowtail♪ ♪Following her lover's trail♪ ♪chasing a♪ ♪Song through the sky♪ Wind through pine and of the river.

♪wind through a pine♪ ♪end of a river♪ ♪and time out of mind♪ ♪Fuse through a flower and life after death♪ ♪Over and over and over♪ ♪Take me from a place♪ ♪tangled up in loneliness♪ ♪Living on a second hand sense of time♪ ♪Minutes in a day♪ ♪Locked inside an hourglass♪ ♪Measuring an hour past chasing some♪ ♪Lost sense of place♪ ♪Day with no name♪ ♪Somebody, somewhere is feeling the same♪ ♪Heart's in a weathervane♪ ♪Words blowing by♪ ♪Searching around for the songs in the sky♪ ♪Songs in the sky♪ ♪We’re woven in a loom♪ ♪High above a water oak♪ ♪Beautifully far away♪ ♪Making a ring around the moon♪ ♪Crystal and kaleidoscope♪ ♪Caricole and fade away♪ ♪It's only a♪ ♪Dream in the night♪ ♪A trick of the eye♪ ♪Pale apparitions of water and light♪ ♪Sight unrequited♪ ♪Songs in the wind♪ ♪I'm in a river again♪ ♪and I'm floating on a dream♪ ♪Willow and Whippoorwill♪ ♪Rock me in a river bed♪♪ One, two, three.

♪♪You grow and there's no going back♪ ♪You die and face the finite fact♪ ♪Your infinite beyond your body♪ ♪faded into the black♪ ♪But when you hold the light of living♪ ♪Bound up in a new beginning♪ ♪You tangle around with truth♪ ♪You harbor a hidden root♪ ♪You choose You individuate♪ ♪You move Twisted into the shape of you♪ ♪Who's gonna witness it?♪ ♪Slow limb and the falling leaf♪ ♪The genesis of the split♪ ♪The lament of a lemon tree♪ ♪And who's gonna cut you down♪ ♪when all of your fruit is gone♪ ♪And when all of your leaves are brown♪ ♪And time is a marching on♪ ♪You live♪ ♪You bear a given name♪ ♪You give everything you came to give♪ ♪I'm gonna give to you♪ ♪I'm gonna give♪ ♪I'm gonna give♪ ♪I'm gonna give♪ ♪Everything I've got to give♪ ♪Oh I think I remember you♪ ♪The seed that became somebody else♪ ♪There was a hidden root♪ ♪You fruited a story and it fell♪ ♪slow like a silhouette♪ ♪at sundown a disappearing♪ ♪detail that forgot itself♪ ♪and came down from all the climbing♪ ♪True.

Silent against the sky♪ ♪You grew out of the alibi of♪ ♪You and me♪ ♪A seed♪♪ Two, three, four.

♪♪What am I to do♪ ♪with these open arms?♪ ♪Could you come and save my soul tonight♪ ♪Like you have a thousand times♪ ♪Hold my hand♪ ♪Help me understand♪ ♪what I need to know♪ ♪To calm my trembling bones♪ ♪Cause I’m high♪ ♪and low♪ ♪Won't you come to me♪ ♪Come and hold me♪ ♪In my open arms♪ ♪there like an empty cup♪ ♪So come and bring your love♪ ♪Come and fill me up♪ ♪Cause I’m high♪ ♪and low♪ ♪Won't you hold me close♪ ♪And don't ever let me go♪ ♪My open arms♪ ♪they’re like an empty cup♪ ♪So come and bring your love♪ ♪Come and fill me up♪♪ That's “Open Arms” Another one from 2015’s “Passing Chord” by Ricky Kendall and Friends on Amplified.

Ahead of that, “Songs in the Sky” And “Hidden Route.” So where's the best place for people to learn more about who you are and what you do, and find your music?

Sure.

I mean, you know, those albums are on Spotify and iTunes and everything I do have a little hidden SoundCloud account.

That's pretty fun.

Full of demos and fun.

I feel like that's a good way to get to know maybe where some of these things start.

And then really just, Yeah.

Like, I would just suggest the work that I do with Arts in Medicine.

I feel like that's kind of really informed how I live as an artist now.

As opposed to back when I was doing more recording and more live shows.

So, yeah.

Arts in Medicine.

Arts in Medicine.

It's “Aim to Connect.” “A-I-M to Connect.” Yeah.

Check it out.

You can also see these guys there, too.

Which is great.

Yes.

Michael Claytor, one of the practitioners.

And- I'm sorry, senior program manager: Sam Moss.

So you guys did an album, right?

“Warrior’s Path.” We did, yes.

Was that, like, a year or something ago?

Yeah, about a year and a half ago, we did that.

Is that still available?

Still available, I believe via the website and YouTube.

You can listen to it.

Talk about that project.

Sure.

Yeah.

We invited those patients that we come in contact with at the hospital.

There's sickle cell patients, and, we noticed that there was kind of like an outpouring of expression from these people, about their experience in the hospital, their experience with their illness.

And, they call themselves “Warriors” because the day in, day out, painful disease and you kind of weather it, you're in for hospital admissions a lot of times.

And that's where we meet some of these people, and so, when we’re expressing with them They have these very similar vibes that come up about just being strong, being brave, weathering the hospital system, which is a kind of a big deal as well.

So we decided to give them a platform to be able to write and sing and rap.

And so we got together and facilitated songwriting sessions.

Out of those songwriting sessions came an eight song album.

They're just straight from their hearts to the listener, and it's really beautiful.

I recommend it, check it out.

“Aim to Connect” And wasn't there another one?

Or is that the only one?

There's “Thankful for Love,” which is a kid’s album.

And that came out probably 5 or 6 years ago now, and I would sit at the bedside and write songs with kids, and, then we recorded a full-length album from that.

I definitely recommend you check out “Aim to Connect” and learn about some of the fantastic things that go on in the Arts in Medicine program.

And it's not just music, right?

It's dance.

It's, visual arts.

Literary arts, Guided meditation, tai chi, massage therapy, all these different kinds of things.

All right.

Well, thank you so much for the work that you guys do.

All right, so we got time for a couple more.

Two more, in fact.

anything you want to tell us about these next two?

“Liminal” is what we're going to start with.

Sure.

“Liminal” is another new song - a newer song And what I'll say about it is it's kind of a song about existing in that in-between space of, for me, it's feeling okay and not feeling okay.

Anxiety.

And on the world stage, all the stuff that's happening.

I know we all feel it.

So it's my way of kind of talking about what that feels like when I'm making dinner at home, to feel all those feelings at one time, and then to sit down with the guitar and to be able to express it is a gift.

Yeah.

Alright.

With “Liminal,” here's Ricky Kendall.

His friends have wandered off.

Ricky Kendall on Amplified.

♪♪There I was, lost in the day♪ ♪Down in the trouble♪ ♪Gone in a terrible way♪ ♪Shut down♪ ♪Rule on a card♪ ♪Lost in the shuffle again♪ ♪Driftwood heart♪ ♪Stowing away♪ ♪Stole by a river♪ ♪Stoned on a memory strain♪ ♪Snap back♪ ♪Making my dinner♪ ♪Watching a worry parade♪ ♪Go by♪ ♪In a hurricane♪ ♪I was there without♪ ♪My wherewithal♪ ♪When I came to♪ ♪It was getting late♪ ♪And I had no doubt♪ ♪I'm liminal♪ ♪Pluck my strings♪ ♪Scratch my throat♪ ♪Time has a double♪ ♪Don't slow me down♪ ♪I'm a roving tone♪ ♪Caught in a bubble♪ ♪Clearly visible♪ ♪Inaudible♪ ♪How many days?♪♪ ♪Too many nights♪ ♪Turning and tossing♪ ♪Turn on the telephone light♪ ♪Scroll down♪ ♪Down to the bottom♪ ♪Ad infinitum tonight♪ ♪Sigh out♪ ♪Possibilities♪ ♪I am days away♪ ♪Simultaneously, in my way♪ ♪Duplicity♪ ♪in a braided fray♪ ♪Too tense to sleep♪ ♪Watch me crack♪ ♪Time in twain♪ ♪Blurred in a rhythm♪ ♪Love on a tele delay♪ ♪Slap back♪ ♪Some kind of -ism♪ ♪Light in a prism array♪ ♪Hold me still♪ ♪Lest I shake♪ ♪Blurred in a vision♪ ♪Two birds flying away♪ ♪One stone thrown by a killer♪ ♪Render me stiller♪ ♪Til I♪ ♪Can see the lake♪ ♪And the ripple I made♪ ♪The sound reverberating♪ ♪Feel the wake in concentric shapes♪ ♪And the time it takes to dissipate♪♪ ♪Alive, I see the trees are much greener now♪ ♪The deep blue twilight♪ ♪Before the sun comes out♪ ♪They say hello to me♪ ♪Here in my ghost town♪ ♪ A burning summer has begun♪ ♪This isn’t where I live♪ ♪I must've moved on♪ ♪Something's telling me♪ ♪It's better that I'm gone♪ ♪I've been walking through the streets♪ ♪A lonely vagabond♪ ♪Trying to find a love gone wrong♪ ♪I could sink down in a river♪ ♪Where the red-wing blackbirds sing♪ ♪Something wild and free♪ ♪Got the best of me♪ ♪And now I'm one with every living thing♪ ♪The wind has opened both of my windows♪ ♪Hoping was so hopeless♪ ♪When my eyes were closed♪ ♪In my dreams, I've seen a careful crafted color code♪ ♪Until this mystery is known♪ ♪Cypress kneeling down to meet me♪ ♪Sky and heron shades of blue♪ ♪Found my heart again♪ ♪On a prairie wind♪ ♪Whispering truth I forgot I knew♪ ♪Alive, I see the days without number now♪ ♪Awakened from a dead finite slumber now♪ ♪To say hello to everything I've dreamed about♪ ♪Alive, I am where I belong♪ Thank you guys very much for listening.

Thank you.

That's “Burning Summer,” another one from 2015’s “Passing Chord” by Ricky Kendall.

“Liminal” ahead of that Learn more about Amplified and check out past episodes at WUFT.org/amplified.

You can see Michael Claytor's performance on there.

Thank you to Ricky Kendall and his fantastic friends for being here Michael Claytor, Sam Moss, Ryan Baker, Jared Groom, and Keith Ladd.

Thank you for checking us out and we'll see you next time.