April 10, 2025 • 43 mins
Your backstage pass to Crook County. In this candid interview, host & producer Kyle Tekiela shares some honest details that were too raw for the show, and talks music, family, burnout, and the making of the podcast.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening listening to a tenderfoot TV podcast. Girls.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hello everyone, welcome to Inside krit County, your exclusive backstage
pass to the show. Today, I'm sitting down with Kyle Tequila,
the creator and host of Krick County, to dig a
little deeper into his process of turning a personal life
story into a top ten podcast. Before we get started,
this interview is full of spoilers, so if you haven't
listened to the show yet, I recommend that you pause,
(00:43):
go binge the entire season on Tenderfit Plus and then
pop back in. Hey, Kyle, thanks for sitting down with
me today.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, happy to be here, Laura.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm really excited to connect. And you know, this show
is so personal to you that I feel like I
already kind of have a sense of who you are,
as do I imagine everybody else that's listened, especially on
Tenderfoot Plus, where we just get to binge the entire
story in twenty four hours, which is what I did. Wow,
it's really engaging, you know, and I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
This whole thing's been a whirlwind. I'm kind of speechless,
so but thank you very much. It's amazing to hear stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Like that, So you're a film producer, and you have
a lot of other creative outlets, not necessarily podcasting. So
why did you decide to create this show as a
podcast and not as a film.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
That's a good question. Well, yeah, I've been producing movies
since twenty thirteen, and anyone who is in the industry
knows just how much of a behemoth producing a movie is,
and how awful and stressful, and how much of a
nightmare it is, and how it can collapse at any moment.
And if you're not fully committed and like twenty four
to seven on with your brain and you can't leave
(01:59):
any other life except getting this movie off the ground.
It's exhausting and it's a lot. And so I'd done
probably seven movies or so in some kind of producer couldpacity,
and I'd also been editing movies and working as what's
called like a post production supervisor on a bunch of
other movies. I was just really really burned out. I
think by the time this story really started to kind
(02:20):
of come into fruition production wise, and I'd finished two
movies in a span of two years, and they both
were coming out in theaters like with pretty significant releases.
In like May and June of twenty twenty Wow, which
we all know, the theaters were completely closed because of COVID.
(02:41):
So both those movies just were completely decimated at the
box office. And it was like I killed myself trying
to get those two movies made, and so like just
all that happening and then it just kind of going nowhere.
Just it really hurt. It really was a big blow,
and and I just wanted nothing to do with the
industry for a while. And you know, I had been
recording the interviews with my dad on this show for
(03:02):
a while, and you know, the seed of the idea
to turn it into a podcast, besides just being kind
of like a family archive, really, which was my original intent,
was just to get these stories because I had no
idea how long he had left to live, because he
was such a mess, and so I just wanted to
have them so I can share him with with my
family and my son when he was old enough. I
didn't really listen to podcasts. I think I probably listened
(03:24):
to Cereal when it came out, the first one because
it was just like this huge, you know, nationwide thing
that everyone was talking about. But I didn't really it
wasn't really into the podcast thing, and then for some
reason someone told me about Up and Vanished season one
and I listened to that, and I think that that
kind of blew me away because it wasn't just people
talking like there was so much production value that pain
(03:46):
put into it, you know, so much sound effects and
he really took the time to make it sound good
and get the right microphone and mix it and you know,
getting makeup and vanity set to do the music on that.
It just felt like a theater of the mind. It
felt like a movie. And so that was when I go,
oh my god, I could I could do that with
Krook County or it wasn't Krok County at the time,
(04:06):
it was just with my dad's fucked up story. And
so then I started developing it as a podcast series
at that time. And then when COVID hit and I
was just so burned out of the industry, it was
the perfect time for me to really do the to
do the show, to make it happened. And so I
(04:27):
had a pilot episode prior to COVID actually done, sent
it to MAVs actually after I heard Up and Vanished
and I heard that score I was still producing one
of those movies that was coming out in twenty twenty,
and I wanted him to score the movie, and so
that's how I initially reached out to him for that,
and he, you know, we became kind of best friends.
(04:47):
And then when I had the pilot for the podcast,
I sent it to him and he was like, this
is great. I'm gonna send it to the guys if
you don't mind. Was like, absolutely so, and then they
loved it, and they came to La and we met
up at a coffee shop and we struck a deal,
and then we seemed to be off to the races.
But I was still so burned out. Even though mentally
I wanted to do this podcast, I like just physically
(05:09):
couldn't sit down and edit. Like I was just so done,
and so nothing really happened until twenty twenty three, when
I kind of like cleared that cash, you know, of
like whatever disappointment and pain and anguish and and and
started getting creative again and just started cutting it, just
(05:31):
crushing episodes, just really getting into it. And I was
I was just in the zone and pumped out a
bunch of episodes and I called Donald up I'm like,
you still want to do the show, and he's like yeah.
So over the next year, we finished the show and
you sold it, and we developed a plan to get
it out there, and now here we are. It's very exciting.
So it's a long journey to say the least. Yeah,
(05:52):
but I think I think it was totally worth the
wait to wait till now.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Absolutely, And I mean the fact that the show, the
actual production, once you got into the weeds of building
each episode and then producing each episode, the fact that
that took about a year makes a lot of sense
to me because it is a very highly produced in
a good way show. You know, there's so many elements
to it. There's so many sound clips that you pull
(06:17):
in from news, and like it really brings people into
the world that you grew up in and that your
dad was living in. And I think, you know, if
you'd put a show together in three months, it obviously
would not have had nearly as many layers or depth.
So yeah, that time really shows.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, it's a lot of because it's really just me
in a room, yeah, doing all this by myself. So
it's literally just a lot of me just kind of
like just staring at a space and letting my brain
go kind of fucking trying to pull threads and like
make a story happen. And it's a lot of self
reflection too, So yeah, it does take all that time
to really get it right.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Another creative outlet that you have in the show is
your music. I think it's a really awesome easter egg
for listeners. I didn't realize initially that that was your
band that was in the soundtrack. Can you talk a
little bit about Starry Is music and the songs that
you featured in Crik County and how that all fits
into the show.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it's it's kind of like one of those things.
Another reason why I'm glad it didn't happen before twenty
twenty and when I first started doing the pilot, it's
because I didn't have a band. I'd always been in
music when I was a kid, Like that was the
thing that I wanted to do, Like I got my
first guitar at ten, and I was I started an
original band at ten. We were called Malice, and it
was just like really heavy, like dark alternative, you know,
(07:36):
like ten year olds for ten year old long hair
and like paint black fingernails. I was a little goth kid,
and I played bands all throughout high school. I was
in punk bands, and I was in the Chicago scene
that you know, spawned fall Up Boy and the Academy
is and we were playing shows with fall Up Boy
and garages and vfw's and community senators and like we
had this amazing punk rock scene. Obviously that turned into
(07:59):
like this huge nationwide phenomenon and in the early two
thousands it just went crazy. But by the time it
all went crazy, I had my dad was dealing with
heroin addiction, and our family was falling apart. And it
was like, I don't have the freedom anymore to like
go out and be like a rock star and you know,
or pretend to be a rock star and and like,
you know, be completely irresponsible and be broken. Like I
(08:21):
had to get a fucking job. And I got into film,
which almost is dumb.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
And uh, but it's glorified.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
There's at least kind of like jobs, you know, And
so yeah, I got into film. And in college I
went to SIU Southern Illinois University. I met this like
group of nerds that had this TV show that aired
on the Midwest PBS affiliate, and it was like a
docuseries show, Like they would record these little five minute
documentaries that they'd drive all over the country. They'd find
(08:50):
these crazy stories, they'd interview them, they'd shoot them, they'd
come back, they'd edit it themselves, and then we packaged
into this little show and it would air on PBS
and it was an amazing show, and it was an
amazing experience, and we ended up winning a ton of
Emmys and it was a huge eye opener, like I
could actually do this as a career, and so a
huge confidence boost. And I met a lot of the
people that I ended up working with like in my
(09:12):
career through that show. Like a lot of these people
moved to LA And before I moved to LA, I
actually moved to Atlanta. That's where I started my real
career as an editor. I was editing a bunch of
stuff for tn T and TBS and movie trailers and whatnot.
But back to the music thing, So music kind of
went away. The guitar basically was collecting dusk on the
wall and then same thing COVID hits and I'm completely
(09:35):
burned out and I hate everyone and and I'm like,
I just like, what am I doing with my life,
and I started playing guitar again and it was like
this spark just lit and it was like, oh yeah,
I used to fucking love music, and so I just
like couldn't. I became obsessed and I'm like, I need,
I need to write songs. I need to do something.
(09:56):
And so I went on Craigslist, good old Craigslist, and
I found this dude, John who had like it was
him and a drummer, and they had a bunch of
songs that they had written, but it was just instrumentals,
and they were like looking for a vocalist singer for
like three years, and I, you know, craigslisted them back
and I'm like, hey, send me your demos, and they
sent me the demos and they were great. They were
(10:17):
the songs, and so I started writing the lyrics and so, yeah,
like the songs that are in the main titles and
the end titles Aloha, Crush and No Show, a lot
of that. I mean, all of it really is about
those issues and about my dad's heroin addiction, about me
trying to put him the rehab, about him telling me
this fucked up story about his life and how am
I supposed to deal with that shit? Like, what does
(10:38):
that mean all that? So when this whole thing actually
came together in twenty twenty three as a show, the
music was there, the podcast was there, and it was
just this perfect marriage to kind of like put everything
together in one package and completely just like hurt all.
It was like it just the biggest therapy session ever
to get it out. So I feel so light, I
feel like I can fly right now. Just really happy
(10:59):
to have all this shit off my back.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So note to anyone who's dealing with really tough family stories,
make a podcast, publish it to millions of people.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Write an album. Yeah, music is a really incredible way
to process anything. Absolutely, is there anywhere that people can
go and just listen to these songs a little more
in depth since we get clips of them in the show,
but we don't really get the full start to finish song.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, I mean anywhere you stream music, they're out there Spotify,
Apple Music or whatever.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
You know, quick plug And the band is called Starry Eyes.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Starry Eyes we have two albums out.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Great. You talked about initially gathering these stories and interviewing
your dad with the intention of this being a family
archive not something public. Yeah, can you talk a little
bit about that process of when you actually first started
interviewing him and what that looked like, and then if
that shifted as you decided this was going to become
(11:56):
something for the public rather than just for your own
family's kind of internal.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Processing when I first learned about all this, besides the heroin,
the Heroin was an ongoing thing for years and years
and years. In twenty thirteen, he called me. And I
had been a strange with him from him for about
five years, and so when he called me, it was
odd because I don't talk to him at this point,
and when I do talk to him, it's like fuck
(12:22):
you, you know, it's like really not it's not healthy at all.
So when he called me, he was just like he
was a wreck, and he was like vulnerable and emotional,
and I was shocked. It's like what is this? And
it was this basically my last day, like I'm done,
I'm dying and I'm done and I need help and
you're the only one that could help me because everyone
(12:43):
had cut him out at this point. So he comes
to his firstborn son to save the day. And so
I heard him out and I felt I felt sympathy
for him. I mean, he was a great dad growing
up until he wasn't until the drugs turned him into
a monster. And by this time, I was healthy in
my career. I was healthy, I had a wife and
(13:04):
we were already talking about raising a kid. I was
I was healthy. I'm healthy, and I'm in a good place,
and I felt like I could do it. So I
immediately kind of like figured out rehabs, like whatever that means.
I started calling around. I got him a spot at
this detox facility in southern California, and then put him
on a flight from Chicago to LA the next morning.
And I picked him up at the airport and he
(13:26):
just was this skeleton of a person. It was really awful.
I mean, like he didn't have a belt on. His
pants were just like falling down. He was constantly lifting
his pants up. Just really sad, really sad state. And
you know, I drove him to the airport and it
was pretty much a silent drive, and so I dropped
him off, and that's what you do, drop him off
and you leave. And then he started getting clean, as
(13:47):
you do hopefully, and then I would visit him and
then he would slowly start opening up all this stuff
to me, and it wasn't a lot. It was just like,
you don't really know who I am, and you know
I used to do bad things, and you know, it
was just like a lot of little hints, you know,
little bread crumbs kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I don't know if he's on drugs, Like, I don't
know if it's like some heroin hangover or you know,
he's just like hallucinating. I don't I don't really take
any of this stuff, you know, on face value. So
when he does get sober and I know he's sober
and we're having conversations and he's like kind of like
the you know, the old Ken Is, I can kind
of see it a little bit. And then that's when
he's really laid it out for me, and it was
(14:25):
just like what are you talking about? Like what? So
I gave him an iPad and I said write this
shit down, like just in your time and your spare time.
And he was staying with me for like a couple
of days too, and you go back and forth, and
I'm just like, whatever thought you have, just write it
all out, because it was hard for him to get
it out, like he would say it and he would
stop and be like, I don't want to talk about that,
(14:46):
you know, he'd like shut it down again. So I'm like,
just write it down in your own time. And then
like one day, it was probably a year or two later,
it was like forty pages, like you know, kind of
autobiography all over the play scatterbrain, you know. But I
read it and it was just like, it's the story.
It's the story, it's Crook County, it's insane. So I
spent a good amount of time kind of like organizing
(15:09):
the thoughts, asking him other questions and telling him to
send me a little voice memos every now and then
if he has a thought. And I just started compiling
information and materials. And at the same time, I was
really busy doing movie stuff, so I just like, there
wasn't a podcast, there wasn't anything. It was just like
working on my dad, get having him purge all these things.
(15:30):
And then in twenty seventeen, that's when I heard up
and vanished, like I said, and I was like, this
could be a podcast, you know. And that's when I
pulled out the recorder and he was ready and I
was ready, and he was sober at this time, and
he was working in a rehab facility, you know, helping
people stay clean. It was kind of like his his
penance for his life of crime and what he felt
(15:51):
like he had to do. And we just started recording
and over a couple of years we got all this
material and then I would go and fly out and I,
you know, got my mom in Chicago, got my brother,
got my dad's twin brother, Rich, I you know, found
his old paramedic firefighter partner, his high school girlfriend. You know,
(16:11):
just like all these things started pulling clips, started learning
about the mafia, like just all this research really dive
in and then you know, and then the rest is history.
I put it all together and now here we are.
But yeah, you know, so the question was how do
you transition from family archives to that? And it was
critically I had to insert. I realized I had to
insert myself into the story to tell the story, as
(16:35):
opposed to just like having this be like archival footage
that I could share. You know, here's an hour interview
with your dad, the kind of thing or your grandpa
kind of thing. Right, So that's that was the change.
That was the flip that I that I had to do.
What was that like therapeutic and very lonely because I
was just sitting in my room, like just thinking for
(16:56):
weeks and weeks and weeks, and just like then I'd
write a little something and then I'd tie two pieces
of footage together with this little thought that I had, right,
And it was just like this slow, like brick laying
process that took a long time. Do you know how
do you connect all these dots?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Right?
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Because it's three it's three four decades of stuff plus
my life, you know, and how it affected us and
now it affect everybody else. So it's a lot. But
I learned a lot I could do. I can be
a lot more efficient at that now. I think through
this process, I know how to do it.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Has the process of doing this show, you know, recording
these interviews, reaching out to your family and you know,
extended community, has it shifted how your family operates?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
That's that's interesting. You know, they're a bunch of stubborn bastards,
let me tell you, But I will say that this
whole process has brought us a lot closer together. Yeah,
And I think you know, one of the morals of
this whole thing is is secrets kill? And you can't
(18:01):
have a functioning family unit when everyone's holding on to
shit and burying, burying realities, you know what I mean,
because they're they're not fun, they're ugly. And so for us,
I forced everybody to dig this shit up and say
it to me and say it to my face and
put it out there. And I have these conversations and
I think, just like it. It was cathartic for me,
(18:22):
it was really cathartic for everybody else too. So yeah,
in a way, now that it's all out there, and
especially now that it's out in the world and people
are hearing it and they're getting like my mom's getting
facebooked by people like holy, like why you know, it's
like there's nothing left to hide and now and they're
almost like it's it's weird. It's like they feel lighter.
(18:43):
Like I just said, I feel like I can float.
Like everyone feels a lot lighter now. It's like yeah,
Like and and because they're not being persecuted like they
thought they would be persecuted by sharing this stuff, people
are actually like sympathizing and empathizing and being like oh
my god, you know, and like feeling the need to
to help or be friends again, or you know, reignite
an old friendship or whatever, like, oh my god, now
(19:04):
I understand why you were the way you were or
why you you know, why things happened and why we
fell up, our relationship fell apart. It's like all everything
has been kind of glued back together again in a
weird way. So yeah, it's very healthy.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
That's so beautiful, that's really cool. Are you Are you
still the only one in touch with your dad or
has anybody else made contact with him?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Ninety nine point nine percent me. Every now and then
he'll text my mom and she's she just wants nothing
to do with them, so she'll just be like, whatever can,
you know kind of thing that's my mom voice, whatever can.
And then my brother wanted nothing to do with him
for years. I mean yeah, really like high school for
him was a nightmare.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Yeah, and he.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Hadn't talked to him for over ten years. So I'll
share a little secret with you. We had this sit
down on Christmas two months ago, my mom, my brother,
and myself and I played him all all the episodes.
We sat down in this in this room and we
played eight episodes straight and we shit ton of wine.
(20:11):
We got really drunk, and we got really emotional and
we just hashed all the shit out and it was
again really healthy. But in the middle of it, it
was the craziest thing. In the middle of it, my
dad texts me and he says, and he says, I'm
gonna kill myself today.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Seriously.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yes, I have the text and it's at it's Christmas.
He's got no family, He's fucked. He's his head is
fucked still and you know, poor the guy's a mess.
He really is. As much as I try to help him,
but he's still a fucking mess. And I go, WHOA.
I pulled on my phone, like you guys can just
texted me read this and put it out and they
read it. And my brother goes, fuck that, give me
(20:51):
that fucking phone. I'm going to FaceTime it right now.
It was the first time he ever said anything like
that in like over ten years, and so he facetimed
my dad and I have it all recorded, and he
just confronted him and just let him have it, like
ten twelve years of all this backlog of hate and
pain and things he wanted to say, and he just
fucking crushed him. And it was it was crazy. It
(21:13):
was super healthy for him, and at the end of
it they were kind of like both kind of laughing
a little bit. It was wild. It was wild shit,
And so I'm gonna I'm gonna release some bonus episodes
that has a lot of this like kind of present
day stuff going on, this present day drama. Wow, welcome
to the Tequila Family. Never a dull moment.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
That is kind of the opposite action I would expect
someone to take if they heard their dad was feeling suicidal.
He's like, I'm gonna let him have it because in
case he goes, I have to get this off my
chest kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
No, it was kind of cool life. It sounds like right,
It like it.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Totally like knocked him off that. Yeah, the train of thought, yeah,
my thinking. That's literally what he said. He said, what
the fuck are you thinking right texting your son who's
like done nothing but help you, that you're gonna fucking
kill yourself, Like you're putting that weight on your on Kyle, Like,
what is wrong with you? And just he just crushed him.
It was It was pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I Mean, the thing that comes through in the show
from both you and your brother and your mom is
the fact that there's still so much love there, and
I think that's what that is. It's like, if you
are angry, you still care. If your brother didn't love
your dad still despite everything, he wouldn't have cared. He'd
(22:30):
have seen that text and not you know.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Bothered, say LEVI, But yeah, I know, you're a hundred
percent right.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
It's I mean, it's really so vulnerable to put this
out into the world, but I think a lot of
people live with these huge secrets and these weights that
sit on their shoulders. Like you were saying, everyone feels
lighter even though it's been really painful and really messy,
and y'all's way of processing it, you know, is not
(22:56):
necessarily what like a textbook therapist would be like this
is the proper way to process these sorts of things,
you know, But it works for you, guys, and it's
created a lot of healing. And I think it's really
cool to share that so publicly because it has the
potential to really connect with a lot of other people
that are in similarly messy situations that might feel like
(23:18):
their past forgiveness like your dad imagine, does you know?
And anyway, I just think it's very courageous to share
stuff that's this intense and personal really is so freeing.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yeah, like it really is, like I don't care what
people think to be at all. Like this is who
exactly who I am, you know, and this is my
fucked up family enjoy And.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
It's amazing that it sounds like you've been met with
a lot of compassion rather than vitriol. Just wonderful.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Honestly, if you're mad at me for this, fuck you you're.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
So who helped you with the show? Did you? You've
basically already covered that you just did this on your
own mostly, but you did work with Tenderfoot. Can you
talk a little bit about that process of building a
team and who you worked with and how you worked
with other people on this?
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah, it was a one man band. I mean all
production was me, all the editing, the music, sound effects,
the sound design, whatever, all that. Like me, me, me,
you know, it's like a college film, you know, shit
shot by me, edited by me, all that. But Tenderfoot
is they're so efficient and professional and they know this
(24:29):
space so well. Donald is the one I work with
day to day on this and and maps for the score.
But Donald's like it's got to be eight episodes and
two bonus up. Like he gives me the format, right,
you know there's gonna be two mid roles, so plan
for that. Okay, So I know I could I basically
thirty minute show, which was always my plan. I didn't
want some like droning hour long. It's just too much,
(24:52):
you know, something's hours perfect, but like I just felt
like it would just be too much at an hour
on the show. So I was like always like thirty minutes.
So I was like, okay, I do literally three ten
minute chunks like and just break it up like it
very episodically like a TV show, and so like that,
the form is tenderfoot like that's their that's their guidance.
And then you know, I filled it all with tent
(25:13):
music from MAVs. Actually he sent me just his library
of stuff, like you know, to cut two, and then
he crafted an original score once everything was locked cool
and which is amazing because he's such a beast. He's
so talented. He really just elevates everything he touches. So
thank you MAVs, Budd, You're great. And then as far
as trailers and stuff, you know, again that's them, Like
(25:36):
this wasn't a video thing. He's like, you need you
need a two minute, you need a sixty, you need thirty,
you need video stuff, you need personal stuff for you. You
gotta fucking learn how to do TikTok, you gotta dance.
So yeah, all that stuff is tenderfoot. And you know,
a lot of conversations between Donald and I am like,
you know, like, what what do you think we should
do with this? Like should I hold this story back?
Is it like stuff like that? You know, he was
(25:58):
kind of like an advisor in that front. But but yeah,
I mean, for the most part, to me sitting in
a room by myself just staring at a computer screen
pressing buttons.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Wow, that's that is very intense.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Very lonely, extremely lonely.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Has your dad listened to the show?
Speaker 1 (26:15):
He listened to the pilot, okay, and we played it
for him and we sat down with him, and it
was a lot for him. It's one thing for him
to finally unveil all of these things to me, but
another to listen to it back in this packaged movie thing,
you know, like it. It kind of messed with him
(26:39):
a bit, and he didn't He was kind of speechless
for you. He didn't know what to say, and then
it scared him. He's like, oh my god, like it's
it's like a thing, Like it's not just mice, it's
like a thing now. And then so we had to
talk about that, and that that leads into that, well,
are you comfortable even doing this? And so eventually it
(26:59):
was like once once that shock of like oh my god,
this is a thing now wore off, and he understands
and he knows I'm a film, he knows what I do.
He knows I he trusted me to tell it the
right way. And so once that all kind of settled
itself out, he was totally at peace with it and
supportive of it and always asking me if I needed
(27:21):
any more stories or you know whatever, any more clarification
on anything, you know, as I'm in production, as I'm
editing all this stuff, and you know, even nowadays, like
every now and then, it'll hit me up with the
voice memo. It's just whacked out, crazy thing. And he's like,
I don't know if you need that or not, but
there it is. So I've got just a folder just
full of insanity of voice memos from him. But but yeah,
(27:44):
so I mean he's and I told him like, Hey,
the show's coming out February eleventh, Dad, that's great son.
You know, congrats, you know, you're so proud of you.
Blah blah blah. You know. So there are moments where
we have like normal human conversations and then they like
spiral into like like I'm gonna fucking kill myself, you
know kind of stuff. It's very odd. It's a lot
(28:04):
of a lot of like almost like bipolar conversations. But yeah,
so I mean he's one hundred percent supportive of it.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
To answer your question, I think it's really interesting. I
don't remember what episode it is that you mentioned this,
but he talks about how he never shared his story
in AA, you know, like he wasn't comfortable in that
setting sharing these things, and now that same person is
confronting the fact that millions of people are hearing his story.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
It's just one thing to tell it to a group
and the other just to like not even like just
pretend it's not even happening. And then it's on the radio,
you know, Yeah, and you're not a part of the experience.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, I suppose that's what it is. It's it's just interesting.
It sort of fits with the picture you paint of
your dad of this like life of extremes.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
You know very much.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
So so you mentioned in episode three that you talk
to a criminal defense attorney and he encourages you not
to release the story. Is is your dad concerned about that?
Are you concerned about it at all? Your dad's rebuttal
was that he thinks that everybody that he talks about
is dead, but he's not, and he you know, goes
(29:14):
on mic and admits to committing a number of murders basically,
So can you just talk a little bit more about
how he's reconciled about how you've reconciled that. If there's
any kind of concern or fear showing up now that
you've released this.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
No of anything, there's less fear.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Interesting, okayly enough.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
You know, because your brain goes when when it's all
conceptual and you know, you think of all the worst
things that can happen, and of course it's like, yes,
you think that everyone's dead because you were the kid,
but like it, it's different when it's conceptual than versus reality.
And you know, it's not just the mafia that that
could be, you know, coming for him, but it's also
(29:55):
law enforcement or FBI. You know, there's no statute of
limitations on murder. So yes, all these things are going
through my head, which is why I talk to this attorney.
And of course I'm asking my dad all this stuff.
And I think, really, what it boils down to is
it's two things. One, we decided not to name names
(30:15):
in the show. We decided not to dig up bodies
in the show. We do a lot of we take
a lot of creative license in telling the story without
revealing incriminating details. And I think I do a pretty
good job balancing that. And two, he is just at
(30:36):
a very interesting point in his life where he's right
at the end of it. He's not healthy and he
has nothing left to lose, and just getting this burden
off of his chest is the most important thing and
putting it out there in the world. Also, it's monetarily
like he made a little cash on this deal. Let's
just be honest. You know, he doesn't have any money.
(30:58):
He's broke, he's living on social Security. He's not he's
basically he's borderline and poverty. He was living under a
bridge for six months two years ago. Like he was
literally homeless, I mean usual wreck and so like I,
you know, I'm able to pay for rent for him now,
and I bought him a car, and he's stable, like
his situation is stable, and so there's just like all
(31:19):
those things he's and it's like, if Karma's gonna come
get me, then like Kara, come get me. That's that's
where he stands. I don't feel like I'm in any
danger at whatsoever, because again, I'm not dropping names and
I'm not digging up bodies. My roleness is to learn
about my father. You know, I'm not here to point
fingers or blame anybody. So I don't feel anything. And
now that it's out, I've gotten a few dms on Instagram,
(31:43):
like when the trailer came out from Chicago. Names that
I know, Oh wow, And that was a heartbeat moment
when I when I saw that name pop up in
my messages, and it's kind of funny. It was a
very simple message. It was like this looks cool, and
I'm like, is that the most ominous chill threat I've
ever heard in my life or what like? Or does
(32:04):
he actually like it? So I don't know. So I
wrote back and I'm like and I say last name
as in last name, and he was, yeah, that's my grandfather.
And I'm like, oh god, here we go. Whoa. And
then I write I'm like, don't worry, it's not something
like snitch Fest. So it's really just like a father
son's story. Blah blah blah. You know, I hope you
like it. Nothing for like a day and I'm like,
(32:25):
oh god, it's already happening. I'm done. My worst fears
are coming true. And then and then the next day
he hits me up and he's like, actually, this is
I have a book that I want to write and
I have a screenplay and like this is so cool,
Like you're doing it how I would do it. And
it was like, oh, everyone just wants to fucking tell
their story. Like no one cares anymore, as long as
(32:45):
you're not saying that guy did it. You know, You're like,
people just want to tell their story. So I get
I'd feel I feel better about everything. So yeah, it's
been a really weird been a really weird journey so far,
say the least.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Yeah. Well, and to embark on that journey too. During
the pandemic is particularly intense because everything is closed down
and are closed down and you're digging into these really
dark things. You know, it's just it's very drinking as
drinking everybody that was the thing to do in twenty
twenty and twenty three one. But it is so cool
(33:21):
to hear about this trajectory of It really is a
story of like from the darkness to the light. You know,
it sounds so cheesy to say that, but I just
keep hearing you over and over again talk about how
beautiful this has been to like open that up. And
I love it and I hope that it encourages other
people to do that.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
This is a great segue into my next question, which
is what do you hope people gain from listening to
this show and to your family story.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Yeah, I mean it's really simple. Like I said earlier,
secrets kill people. And so there's also the themes of
addiction and getting help, and yeah, alcoholics nomenous or anonymous,
you know, Narco anonymous, cocaine anonymous. You know, there's all
the anonymous is, and there's so much value in seeking help,
(34:06):
and it's really hard to that you need help. It's
so it's like almost one of the hardest things, and
especially like in Italian families, you just don't you just
eat it. It's just sorry, you don't. You don't tell
anybody about it. He's fucking choke on it. So yeah,
I think that it's just really important, you know. And
my dad never would have gotten help, like I had
a He had a call me on his fucking he
(34:27):
had a he was gonna kill himself. He had he
had a gun in his hand, and so he had
to get to that point two to seek help. But
E didn't. He didn't seek help. He saw my help,
you know, not a therapist. And so I had to
basically put him into a situation where there was therapy.
And even then he was he didn't want to tell
anybody anything. But just being in an environment where people
are seeking help and and and dealing with their issues
(34:51):
kind of publicly, it's really it's you know, it can
be the best thing you ever do. You know, I've
never met someone that's going to AA and said it
was terrible, terrible idea. You know. Yeah, a lot of
people relapse, but it's not AA's fault. That's that's you, Like,
that's you not following the program, and that's you give
him back into the to the dem insert the depression
or whatever it is, and you know, it's it's hard,
it's a battle, it's a constant bat it's a lifelong battle,
(35:13):
and it takes a lot of strength, but you have
to take that first step. And so I hope there's
a little bit of that in there, a little bit
of hope for people, maybe a little inspiration. Everyone knows
somebody that's addicted to something.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Your dad's story of addiction was not something that I
expected to show up in the show, you know, because
just because you look at we listen to the trailer
and you're like, Okay, this is going to be, you know,
a mafia story, and then you put it right in
episode two. It's like you get the first impression of
your dad and then you immediately bring in his heroin addiction,
(35:48):
which happened a little later than the full story, Like
you kind of jump in time a little bit. Why
was it important for you to have that not chronologically ordered,
like bring that in early?
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Yeah, you know this because this never was a mafia show.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Yeah. Fair, it's not a.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Third person whatever rehashing of things that happened, you know,
news clips and whatever. It's like a it's my story,
it's my relationship with my dad who fucked up big time,
and I thought he was just a piece of shit
heroin addict, but no, he actually had this insane history
that I could never have even imagined. I played a
(36:27):
huge role in why he's a fucking heroin addict, right,
And so it's like two sides of the same coin.
You have to tell both sides of the story and
you have to lay him out. And I did it.
I kind of did it naked like MafA, Like it's
just full. Episode one is Mafia. Episode two is fucked
up family and Heroin, and then you smash them together
and then you start mixing it up and that's what
(36:48):
happens for the rest of the episodes. I'm just like
mixing up this bowl of you know, pain, pain, and anguish,
but the cookies are delicious.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Well it's I mean it's effective. Like as a listener
with absolutely no context going in. It gave me a
very different perspective on your dot from the get go,
you know, and instead of you know, at ending up
in this you can just dismiss him as a terrible person.
It's like you have this layer of Okay, I understand
how he ended up where he ended up in all
the layers of trum and all of the things.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
That's a really interesting point that I think has been
really surprising is the amount of people who have said,
while he was actually a really good guy and he
really loved you guys. It's like they say that first,
like that's like, yes, you kill people, he's in the mafia,
But like their takeaway is that he, at the end
of the day, like he was actually a good person
(37:41):
who was put in a really bad situation and then
just it got completely out of control. And I think
I think a lot of that's true. I mean, obviously
he made those decisions, you know, and he did those things,
and you can't ignore that that's awful. But people are
super complex, and no, there's no such thing as a
real monster. I mean, maybe there is, like super sociopathic people,
(38:02):
but he's not a sociopath, I don't think. I think
he is actually just a really complex person who found
a way to deal with his awful child. Like you know,
how he was recruited as a seventeen year old kid
living on the streets, and how he basically just like
ended up in that life, and how he was able
(38:24):
to kind of get out of that life and start
a family and raise a family who loved him, and
be a great dad. You know, he's just like, he's
kind of this guy who just like fell into a
pit and dug himself out of it, but the pit's
still there, and all I do is look and oh
there's the pit. You know, he just had to find
the pit. And so yeah, it's like the complexity of
him as a person, I think is what makes this
(38:45):
show really really special and different, because it's not just
some like good guy bad guy mafia thing. You know,
we're all we're all a little fucked up, and we're
all we can all be really good too at the
same time. You know.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Yeah, I think the show does a really good job
of that. And I think that theme, I mean, that
theme is something that a lot of Tenderfoot shows explore
to is the humanity, you know, part of the picture.
And no one's story is straightforward. Like you said, there
are some people whose brains are very different and they
get pushed into these very like dark places. But a
(39:19):
lot of people who end up committing crimes are kind
of I think in situations more like your dad, where
it's less their choice than externally people perceive it.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Is Yeah, a lot of external pressures and a forcing
of the hand and all that kind of stuff. Yeah.
I mean, of course, at the end of the day,
they could just say no and walk away or try
to but it's true. It's hard, It's really hard. True. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
So at the end of the season, you have this
kind of call to action for listeners to reach out
to you with questions and comments. And you've touched a
little bit on some of the things you've heard from people,
But is there anything that you've heard from folks so
far that's really impacted you that you want to share
with everybody? You know.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
I got a comment yesterday and it was someone basically
what you just said, Like I wasn't expecting the addiction
stuff and I had battled that dick, and that really
struck a note with me. How he said that AA
saved his life because AA saved my life. So there's
that connection I think is going to land with a
lot of people. Someone this morning reached out to me
(40:21):
that I went to high school with that obviously had
no idea about any of this stuff. I said, I
don't know if you know this, but my dad died
of alcoholism at when I was fifteen, and he battled
it for a really long time, and and it was
a private thing that we kept within the family. And
hearing your dad story now and understanding is like, it
makes me want to tell my story, you know. So
(40:42):
it's a lot of I think. I think it really
it's like triggering people in a positive way to like to,
I guess, embrace these really hard things that have happened
to them in their past instead of hide it. I
think that's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
So what's next for Kirk County.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
M Well, there's going to be a bunch of other
seasons of it. I'm trying. I have ideas for it.
I would love to There's so much going on with
my dad currently, things that I have not even talked
to you about yet that are wild that I might
be able to squeeze into a season two, like a
continuation story. If I can. Great. If I can't, then
(41:25):
I'm going to do other stories like under the Banner
of Crook County. You know, because in the same kind
of way I did this one. You know, it's going
to be thoughtful and and a lot of humanity mixed
with the bad. But then immediately we are pitching this
as a TV series, you know, like a prestige show,
(41:47):
you know, go Sopranos meets Dexter meets Fargo meets Chicago
Fire did we didn't even talk about that, the whole
paramedic firefighter thing. You know, that's such a unique angle
to his story, you know, to be a first responder
who's a mafia asset. You know, he's a hero by
day and a hit man by night. Like that's that's
(42:07):
a show. Let's go HBO. What are we talking about it?
We'll see we're working on that.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
We didn't talk about that, but that whole trajectory. I
think that's part of why, you know, folks are reaching
out and saying, your dad was a good a good guy,
clearly loved you because he's so obviously was trying to
do better. You know, the fact that he wanted to
be a firefighter. It's like such a complete balancing effect
for what he's doing. You know, it's like hit man
and then you save lives like that is the goal.
(42:33):
And so it's it's so clear that he, yeah, wanted
to do better. And I mean it's a great show.
So where can people get in touch with you to
stay updated about all this that's coming next. Maybe send
you a story potentially if they have something that could fit.
I don't know if that's something that you're looking for,
(42:55):
But what do you suggest people do if they want
to stay in touch with you in the show?
Speaker 1 (42:58):
Sure you'd send me a postcard the mail. Yeah, you know.
I've got all the social stuff, so I control kirk
County Podcast Instagram account, and the website has like a
you email feature and a contact and there's also a
voicemail thing that actually I want to do. I want
I want people to leave me voicemails and I want
to play them on a bonus episode. So go to
(43:19):
Kirkcounty Podcast dot com and leave me a voicemail, ask
me a question, tell me how you feel about the show, whatever.
You can call me a douchebag. That's fun. I'll talk
to everybody, so pretty pretty available. Awesome.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Thank you so much, Kyle. This was really fun. I
really appreciate your time and I'm excited to share. This
is everyone on tendorfoot plus
You're listening listening to a tenderfoot TV podcast. Girls.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hello everyone, welcome to Inside krit County, your exclusive backstage
pass to the show. Today, I'm sitting down with Kyle Tequila,
the creator and host of Krick County, to dig a
little deeper into his process of turning a personal life
story into a top ten podcast. Before we get started,
this interview is full of spoilers, so if you haven't
listened to the show yet, I recommend that you pause,
(00:43):
go binge the entire season on Tenderfit Plus and then
pop back in. Hey, Kyle, thanks for sitting down with
me today.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, happy to be here, Laura.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm really excited to connect. And you know, this show
is so personal to you that I feel like I
already kind of have a sense of who you are,
as do I imagine everybody else that's listened, especially on
Tenderfoot Plus, where we just get to binge the entire
story in twenty four hours, which is what I did. Wow,
it's really engaging, you know, and I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
This whole thing's been a whirlwind. I'm kind of speechless,
so but thank you very much. It's amazing to hear stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Like that, So you're a film producer, and you have
a lot of other creative outlets, not necessarily podcasting. So
why did you decide to create this show as a
podcast and not as a film.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
That's a good question. Well, yeah, I've been producing movies
since twenty thirteen, and anyone who is in the industry
knows just how much of a behemoth producing a movie is,
and how awful and stressful, and how much of a
nightmare it is, and how it can collapse at any moment.
And if you're not fully committed and like twenty four
to seven on with your brain and you can't leave
(01:59):
any other life except getting this movie off the ground.
It's exhausting and it's a lot. And so I'd done
probably seven movies or so in some kind of producer couldpacity,
and I'd also been editing movies and working as what's
called like a post production supervisor on a bunch of
other movies. I was just really really burned out. I
think by the time this story really started to kind
(02:20):
of come into fruition production wise, and I'd finished two
movies in a span of two years, and they both
were coming out in theaters like with pretty significant releases.
In like May and June of twenty twenty Wow, which
we all know, the theaters were completely closed because of COVID.
(02:41):
So both those movies just were completely decimated at the
box office. And it was like I killed myself trying
to get those two movies made, and so like just
all that happening and then it just kind of going nowhere.
Just it really hurt. It really was a big blow,
and and I just wanted nothing to do with the
industry for a while. And you know, I had been
recording the interviews with my dad on this show for
(03:02):
a while, and you know, the seed of the idea
to turn it into a podcast, besides just being kind
of like a family archive, really, which was my original intent,
was just to get these stories because I had no
idea how long he had left to live, because he
was such a mess, and so I just wanted to
have them so I can share him with with my
family and my son when he was old enough. I
didn't really listen to podcasts. I think I probably listened
(03:24):
to Cereal when it came out, the first one because
it was just like this huge, you know, nationwide thing
that everyone was talking about. But I didn't really it
wasn't really into the podcast thing, and then for some
reason someone told me about Up and Vanished season one
and I listened to that, and I think that that
kind of blew me away because it wasn't just people
talking like there was so much production value that pain
(03:46):
put into it, you know, so much sound effects and
he really took the time to make it sound good
and get the right microphone and mix it and you know,
getting makeup and vanity set to do the music on that.
It just felt like a theater of the mind. It
felt like a movie. And so that was when I go,
oh my god, I could I could do that with
Krook County or it wasn't Krok County at the time,
(04:06):
it was just with my dad's fucked up story. And
so then I started developing it as a podcast series
at that time. And then when COVID hit and I
was just so burned out of the industry, it was
the perfect time for me to really do the to
do the show, to make it happened. And so I
(04:27):
had a pilot episode prior to COVID actually done, sent
it to MAVs actually after I heard Up and Vanished
and I heard that score I was still producing one
of those movies that was coming out in twenty twenty,
and I wanted him to score the movie, and so
that's how I initially reached out to him for that,
and he, you know, we became kind of best friends.
(04:47):
And then when I had the pilot for the podcast,
I sent it to him and he was like, this
is great. I'm gonna send it to the guys if
you don't mind. Was like, absolutely so, and then they
loved it, and they came to La and we met
up at a coffee shop and we struck a deal,
and then we seemed to be off to the races.
But I was still so burned out. Even though mentally
I wanted to do this podcast, I like just physically
(05:09):
couldn't sit down and edit. Like I was just so done,
and so nothing really happened until twenty twenty three, when
I kind of like cleared that cash, you know, of
like whatever disappointment and pain and anguish and and and
started getting creative again and just started cutting it, just
(05:31):
crushing episodes, just really getting into it. And I was
I was just in the zone and pumped out a
bunch of episodes and I called Donald up I'm like,
you still want to do the show, and he's like yeah.
So over the next year, we finished the show and
you sold it, and we developed a plan to get
it out there, and now here we are. It's very exciting.
So it's a long journey to say the least. Yeah,
(05:52):
but I think I think it was totally worth the
wait to wait till now.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Absolutely, And I mean the fact that the show, the
actual production, once you got into the weeds of building
each episode and then producing each episode, the fact that
that took about a year makes a lot of sense
to me because it is a very highly produced in
a good way show. You know, there's so many elements
to it. There's so many sound clips that you pull
(06:17):
in from news, and like it really brings people into
the world that you grew up in and that your
dad was living in. And I think, you know, if
you'd put a show together in three months, it obviously
would not have had nearly as many layers or depth.
So yeah, that time really shows.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, it's a lot of because it's really just me
in a room, yeah, doing all this by myself. So
it's literally just a lot of me just kind of
like just staring at a space and letting my brain
go kind of fucking trying to pull threads and like
make a story happen. And it's a lot of self
reflection too, So yeah, it does take all that time
to really get it right.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Another creative outlet that you have in the show is
your music. I think it's a really awesome easter egg
for listeners. I didn't realize initially that that was your
band that was in the soundtrack. Can you talk a
little bit about Starry Is music and the songs that
you featured in Crik County and how that all fits
into the show.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it's it's kind of like one of those things.
Another reason why I'm glad it didn't happen before twenty
twenty and when I first started doing the pilot, it's
because I didn't have a band. I'd always been in
music when I was a kid, Like that was the
thing that I wanted to do, Like I got my
first guitar at ten, and I was I started an
original band at ten. We were called Malice, and it
was just like really heavy, like dark alternative, you know,
(07:36):
like ten year olds for ten year old long hair
and like paint black fingernails. I was a little goth kid,
and I played bands all throughout high school. I was
in punk bands, and I was in the Chicago scene
that you know, spawned fall Up Boy and the Academy
is and we were playing shows with fall Up Boy
and garages and vfw's and community senators and like we
had this amazing punk rock scene. Obviously that turned into
(07:59):
like this huge nationwide phenomenon and in the early two
thousands it just went crazy. But by the time it
all went crazy, I had my dad was dealing with
heroin addiction, and our family was falling apart. And it
was like, I don't have the freedom anymore to like
go out and be like a rock star and you know,
or pretend to be a rock star and and like,
you know, be completely irresponsible and be broken. Like I
(08:21):
had to get a fucking job. And I got into film,
which almost is dumb.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
And uh, but it's glorified.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
There's at least kind of like jobs, you know, And
so yeah, I got into film. And in college I
went to SIU Southern Illinois University. I met this like
group of nerds that had this TV show that aired
on the Midwest PBS affiliate, and it was like a
docuseries show, Like they would record these little five minute
documentaries that they'd drive all over the country. They'd find
(08:50):
these crazy stories, they'd interview them, they'd shoot them, they'd
come back, they'd edit it themselves, and then we packaged
into this little show and it would air on PBS
and it was an amazing show, and it was an
amazing experience, and we ended up winning a ton of
Emmys and it was a huge eye opener, like I
could actually do this as a career, and so a
huge confidence boost. And I met a lot of the
people that I ended up working with like in my
(09:12):
career through that show. Like a lot of these people
moved to LA And before I moved to LA, I
actually moved to Atlanta. That's where I started my real
career as an editor. I was editing a bunch of
stuff for tn T and TBS and movie trailers and whatnot.
But back to the music thing, So music kind of
went away. The guitar basically was collecting dusk on the
wall and then same thing COVID hits and I'm completely
(09:35):
burned out and I hate everyone and and I'm like,
I just like, what am I doing with my life,
and I started playing guitar again and it was like
this spark just lit and it was like, oh yeah,
I used to fucking love music, and so I just
like couldn't. I became obsessed and I'm like, I need,
I need to write songs. I need to do something.
(09:56):
And so I went on Craigslist, good old Craigslist, and
I found this dude, John who had like it was
him and a drummer, and they had a bunch of
songs that they had written, but it was just instrumentals,
and they were like looking for a vocalist singer for
like three years, and I, you know, craigslisted them back
and I'm like, hey, send me your demos, and they
sent me the demos and they were great. They were
(10:17):
the songs, and so I started writing the lyrics and so, yeah,
like the songs that are in the main titles and
the end titles Aloha, Crush and No Show, a lot
of that. I mean, all of it really is about
those issues and about my dad's heroin addiction, about me
trying to put him the rehab, about him telling me
this fucked up story about his life and how am
I supposed to deal with that shit? Like, what does
(10:38):
that mean all that? So when this whole thing actually
came together in twenty twenty three as a show, the
music was there, the podcast was there, and it was
just this perfect marriage to kind of like put everything
together in one package and completely just like hurt all.
It was like it just the biggest therapy session ever
to get it out. So I feel so light, I
feel like I can fly right now. Just really happy
(10:59):
to have all this shit off my back.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So note to anyone who's dealing with really tough family stories,
make a podcast, publish it to millions of people.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
And.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Write an album. Yeah, music is a really incredible way
to process anything. Absolutely, is there anywhere that people can
go and just listen to these songs a little more
in depth since we get clips of them in the show,
but we don't really get the full start to finish song.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, I mean anywhere you stream music, they're out there Spotify,
Apple Music or whatever.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
You know, quick plug And the band is called Starry Eyes.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Starry Eyes we have two albums out.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Great. You talked about initially gathering these stories and interviewing
your dad with the intention of this being a family
archive not something public. Yeah, can you talk a little
bit about that process of when you actually first started
interviewing him and what that looked like, and then if
that shifted as you decided this was going to become
(11:56):
something for the public rather than just for your own
family's kind of internal.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Processing when I first learned about all this, besides the heroin,
the Heroin was an ongoing thing for years and years
and years. In twenty thirteen, he called me. And I
had been a strange with him from him for about
five years, and so when he called me, it was
odd because I don't talk to him at this point,
and when I do talk to him, it's like fuck
(12:22):
you, you know, it's like really not it's not healthy at all.
So when he called me, he was just like he
was a wreck, and he was like vulnerable and emotional,
and I was shocked. It's like what is this? And
it was this basically my last day, like I'm done,
I'm dying and I'm done and I need help and
you're the only one that could help me because everyone
(12:43):
had cut him out at this point. So he comes
to his firstborn son to save the day. And so
I heard him out and I felt I felt sympathy
for him. I mean, he was a great dad growing
up until he wasn't until the drugs turned him into
a monster. And by this time, I was healthy in
my career. I was healthy, I had a wife and
(13:04):
we were already talking about raising a kid. I was
I was healthy. I'm healthy, and I'm in a good place,
and I felt like I could do it. So I
immediately kind of like figured out rehabs, like whatever that means.
I started calling around. I got him a spot at
this detox facility in southern California, and then put him
on a flight from Chicago to LA the next morning.
And I picked him up at the airport and he
(13:26):
just was this skeleton of a person. It was really awful.
I mean, like he didn't have a belt on. His
pants were just like falling down. He was constantly lifting
his pants up. Just really sad, really sad state. And
you know, I drove him to the airport and it
was pretty much a silent drive, and so I dropped
him off, and that's what you do, drop him off
and you leave. And then he started getting clean, as
(13:47):
you do hopefully, and then I would visit him and
then he would slowly start opening up all this stuff
to me, and it wasn't a lot. It was just like,
you don't really know who I am, and you know
I used to do bad things, and you know, it
was just like a lot of little hints, you know,
little bread crumbs kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I don't know if he's on drugs, Like, I don't
know if it's like some heroin hangover or you know,
he's just like hallucinating. I don't I don't really take
any of this stuff, you know, on face value. So
when he does get sober and I know he's sober
and we're having conversations and he's like kind of like
the you know, the old Ken Is, I can kind
of see it a little bit. And then that's when
he's really laid it out for me, and it was
(14:25):
just like what are you talking about? Like what? So
I gave him an iPad and I said write this
shit down, like just in your time and your spare time.
And he was staying with me for like a couple
of days too, and you go back and forth, and
I'm just like, whatever thought you have, just write it
all out, because it was hard for him to get
it out, like he would say it and he would
stop and be like, I don't want to talk about that,
(14:46):
you know, he'd like shut it down again. So I'm like,
just write it down in your own time. And then
like one day, it was probably a year or two later,
it was like forty pages, like you know, kind of
autobiography all over the play scatterbrain, you know. But I
read it and it was just like, it's the story.
It's the story, it's Crook County, it's insane. So I
spent a good amount of time kind of like organizing
(15:09):
the thoughts, asking him other questions and telling him to
send me a little voice memos every now and then
if he has a thought. And I just started compiling
information and materials. And at the same time, I was
really busy doing movie stuff, so I just like, there
wasn't a podcast, there wasn't anything. It was just like
working on my dad, get having him purge all these things.
(15:30):
And then in twenty seventeen, that's when I heard up
and vanished, like I said, and I was like, this
could be a podcast, you know. And that's when I
pulled out the recorder and he was ready and I
was ready, and he was sober at this time, and
he was working in a rehab facility, you know, helping
people stay clean. It was kind of like his his
penance for his life of crime and what he felt
(15:51):
like he had to do. And we just started recording
and over a couple of years we got all this
material and then I would go and fly out and I,
you know, got my mom in Chicago, got my brother,
got my dad's twin brother, Rich, I you know, found
his old paramedic firefighter partner, his high school girlfriend. You know,
(16:11):
just like all these things started pulling clips, started learning
about the mafia, like just all this research really dive
in and then you know, and then the rest is history.
I put it all together and now here we are.
But yeah, you know, so the question was how do
you transition from family archives to that? And it was
critically I had to insert. I realized I had to
insert myself into the story to tell the story, as
(16:35):
opposed to just like having this be like archival footage
that I could share. You know, here's an hour interview
with your dad, the kind of thing or your grandpa
kind of thing. Right, So that's that was the change.
That was the flip that I that I had to do.
What was that like therapeutic and very lonely because I
was just sitting in my room, like just thinking for
(16:56):
weeks and weeks and weeks, and just like then I'd
write a little something and then I'd tie two pieces
of footage together with this little thought that I had, right,
And it was just like this slow, like brick laying
process that took a long time. Do you know how
do you connect all these dots?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Right?
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Because it's three it's three four decades of stuff plus
my life, you know, and how it affected us and
now it affect everybody else. So it's a lot. But
I learned a lot I could do. I can be
a lot more efficient at that now. I think through
this process, I know how to do it.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Has the process of doing this show, you know, recording
these interviews, reaching out to your family and you know,
extended community, has it shifted how your family operates?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
That's that's interesting. You know, they're a bunch of stubborn bastards,
let me tell you, But I will say that this
whole process has brought us a lot closer together. Yeah,
And I think you know, one of the morals of
this whole thing is is secrets kill? And you can't
(18:01):
have a functioning family unit when everyone's holding on to
shit and burying, burying realities, you know what I mean,
because they're they're not fun, they're ugly. And so for us,
I forced everybody to dig this shit up and say
it to me and say it to my face and
put it out there. And I have these conversations and
I think, just like it. It was cathartic for me,
(18:22):
it was really cathartic for everybody else too. So yeah,
in a way, now that it's all out there, and
especially now that it's out in the world and people
are hearing it and they're getting like my mom's getting
facebooked by people like holy, like why you know, it's
like there's nothing left to hide and now and they're
almost like it's it's weird. It's like they feel lighter.
(18:43):
Like I just said, I feel like I can float.
Like everyone feels a lot lighter now. It's like yeah,
Like and and because they're not being persecuted like they
thought they would be persecuted by sharing this stuff, people
are actually like sympathizing and empathizing and being like oh
my god, you know, and like feeling the need to
to help or be friends again, or you know, reignite
an old friendship or whatever, like, oh my god, now
(19:04):
I understand why you were the way you were or
why you you know, why things happened and why we
fell up, our relationship fell apart. It's like all everything
has been kind of glued back together again in a
weird way. So yeah, it's very healthy.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
That's so beautiful, that's really cool. Are you Are you
still the only one in touch with your dad or
has anybody else made contact with him?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Ninety nine point nine percent me. Every now and then
he'll text my mom and she's she just wants nothing
to do with them, so she'll just be like, whatever can,
you know kind of thing that's my mom voice, whatever can.
And then my brother wanted nothing to do with him
for years. I mean yeah, really like high school for
him was a nightmare.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Yeah, and he.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Hadn't talked to him for over ten years. So I'll
share a little secret with you. We had this sit
down on Christmas two months ago, my mom, my brother,
and myself and I played him all all the episodes.
We sat down in this in this room and we
played eight episodes straight and we shit ton of wine.
(20:11):
We got really drunk, and we got really emotional and
we just hashed all the shit out and it was
again really healthy. But in the middle of it, it
was the craziest thing. In the middle of it, my
dad texts me and he says, and he says, I'm
gonna kill myself today.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Seriously.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yes, I have the text and it's at it's Christmas.
He's got no family, He's fucked. He's his head is
fucked still and you know, poor the guy's a mess.
He really is. As much as I try to help him,
but he's still a fucking mess. And I go, WHOA.
I pulled on my phone, like you guys can just
texted me read this and put it out and they
read it. And my brother goes, fuck that, give me
(20:51):
that fucking phone. I'm going to FaceTime it right now.
It was the first time he ever said anything like
that in like over ten years, and so he facetimed
my dad and I have it all recorded, and he
just confronted him and just let him have it, like
ten twelve years of all this backlog of hate and
pain and things he wanted to say, and he just
fucking crushed him. And it was it was crazy. It
(21:13):
was super healthy for him, and at the end of
it they were kind of like both kind of laughing
a little bit. It was wild. It was wild shit,
And so I'm gonna I'm gonna release some bonus episodes
that has a lot of this like kind of present
day stuff going on, this present day drama. Wow, welcome
to the Tequila Family. Never a dull moment.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
That is kind of the opposite action I would expect
someone to take if they heard their dad was feeling suicidal.
He's like, I'm gonna let him have it because in
case he goes, I have to get this off my
chest kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
No, it was kind of cool life. It sounds like right,
It like it.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Totally like knocked him off that. Yeah, the train of thought, yeah,
my thinking. That's literally what he said. He said, what
the fuck are you thinking right texting your son who's
like done nothing but help you, that you're gonna fucking
kill yourself, Like you're putting that weight on your on Kyle, Like,
what is wrong with you? And just he just crushed him.
It was It was pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I Mean, the thing that comes through in the show
from both you and your brother and your mom is
the fact that there's still so much love there, and
I think that's what that is. It's like, if you
are angry, you still care. If your brother didn't love
your dad still despite everything, he wouldn't have cared. He'd
(22:30):
have seen that text and not you know.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Bothered, say LEVI, But yeah, I know, you're a hundred
percent right.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
It's I mean, it's really so vulnerable to put this
out into the world, but I think a lot of
people live with these huge secrets and these weights that
sit on their shoulders. Like you were saying, everyone feels
lighter even though it's been really painful and really messy,
and y'all's way of processing it, you know, is not
(22:56):
necessarily what like a textbook therapist would be like this
is the proper way to process these sorts of things,
you know, But it works for you, guys, and it's
created a lot of healing. And I think it's really
cool to share that so publicly because it has the
potential to really connect with a lot of other people
that are in similarly messy situations that might feel like
(23:18):
their past forgiveness like your dad imagine, does you know?
And anyway, I just think it's very courageous to share
stuff that's this intense and personal really is so freeing.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yeah, like it really is, like I don't care what
people think to be at all. Like this is who
exactly who I am, you know, and this is my
fucked up family enjoy And.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
It's amazing that it sounds like you've been met with
a lot of compassion rather than vitriol. Just wonderful.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Honestly, if you're mad at me for this, fuck you you're.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
So who helped you with the show? Did you? You've
basically already covered that you just did this on your
own mostly, but you did work with Tenderfoot. Can you
talk a little bit about that process of building a
team and who you worked with and how you worked
with other people on this?
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yeah, it was a one man band. I mean all
production was me, all the editing, the music, sound effects,
the sound design, whatever, all that. Like me, me, me,
you know, it's like a college film, you know, shit
shot by me, edited by me, all that. But Tenderfoot
is they're so efficient and professional and they know this
(24:29):
space so well. Donald is the one I work with
day to day on this and and maps for the score.
But Donald's like it's got to be eight episodes and
two bonus up. Like he gives me the format, right,
you know there's gonna be two mid roles, so plan
for that. Okay, So I know I could I basically
thirty minute show, which was always my plan. I didn't
want some like droning hour long. It's just too much,
(24:52):
you know, something's hours perfect, but like I just felt
like it would just be too much at an hour
on the show. So I was like always like thirty minutes.
So I was like, okay, I do literally three ten
minute chunks like and just break it up like it
very episodically like a TV show, and so like that,
the form is tenderfoot like that's their that's their guidance.
And then you know, I filled it all with tent
(25:13):
music from MAVs. Actually he sent me just his library
of stuff, like you know, to cut two, and then
he crafted an original score once everything was locked cool
and which is amazing because he's such a beast. He's
so talented. He really just elevates everything he touches. So
thank you MAVs, Budd, You're great. And then as far
as trailers and stuff, you know, again that's them, Like
(25:36):
this wasn't a video thing. He's like, you need you
need a two minute, you need a sixty, you need thirty,
you need video stuff, you need personal stuff for you. You
gotta fucking learn how to do TikTok, you gotta dance.
So yeah, all that stuff is tenderfoot. And you know,
a lot of conversations between Donald and I am like,
you know, like, what what do you think we should
do with this? Like should I hold this story back?
Is it like stuff like that? You know, he was
(25:58):
kind of like an advisor in that front. But but yeah,
I mean, for the most part, to me sitting in
a room by myself just staring at a computer screen
pressing buttons.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Wow, that's that is very intense.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Very lonely, extremely lonely.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Has your dad listened to the show?
Speaker 1 (26:15):
He listened to the pilot, okay, and we played it
for him and we sat down with him, and it
was a lot for him. It's one thing for him
to finally unveil all of these things to me, but
another to listen to it back in this packaged movie thing,
you know, like it. It kind of messed with him
(26:39):
a bit, and he didn't He was kind of speechless
for you. He didn't know what to say, and then
it scared him. He's like, oh my god, like it's
it's like a thing, Like it's not just mice, it's
like a thing now. And then so we had to
talk about that, and that that leads into that, well,
are you comfortable even doing this? And so eventually it
(26:59):
was like once once that shock of like oh my god,
this is a thing now wore off, and he understands
and he knows I'm a film, he knows what I do.
He knows I he trusted me to tell it the
right way. And so once that all kind of settled
itself out, he was totally at peace with it and
supportive of it and always asking me if I needed
(27:21):
any more stories or you know whatever, any more clarification
on anything, you know, as I'm in production, as I'm
editing all this stuff, and you know, even nowadays, like
every now and then, it'll hit me up with the
voice memo. It's just whacked out, crazy thing. And he's like,
I don't know if you need that or not, but
there it is. So I've got just a folder just
full of insanity of voice memos from him. But but yeah,
(27:44):
so I mean he's and I told him like, Hey,
the show's coming out February eleventh, Dad, that's great son.
You know, congrats, you know, you're so proud of you.
Blah blah blah. You know. So there are moments where
we have like normal human conversations and then they like
spiral into like like I'm gonna fucking kill myself, you
know kind of stuff. It's very odd. It's a lot
(28:04):
of a lot of like almost like bipolar conversations. But yeah,
so I mean he's one hundred percent supportive of it.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
To answer your question, I think it's really interesting. I
don't remember what episode it is that you mentioned this,
but he talks about how he never shared his story
in AA, you know, like he wasn't comfortable in that
setting sharing these things, and now that same person is
confronting the fact that millions of people are hearing his story.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
It's just one thing to tell it to a group
and the other just to like not even like just
pretend it's not even happening. And then it's on the radio,
you know, Yeah, and you're not a part of the experience.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, I suppose that's what it is. It's it's just interesting.
It sort of fits with the picture you paint of
your dad of this like life of extremes.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
You know very much.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
So so you mentioned in episode three that you talk
to a criminal defense attorney and he encourages you not
to release the story. Is is your dad concerned about that?
Are you concerned about it at all? Your dad's rebuttal
was that he thinks that everybody that he talks about
is dead, but he's not, and he you know, goes
(29:14):
on mic and admits to committing a number of murders basically,
So can you just talk a little bit more about
how he's reconciled about how you've reconciled that. If there's
any kind of concern or fear showing up now that
you've released this.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
No of anything, there's less fear.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Interesting, okayly enough.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
You know, because your brain goes when when it's all
conceptual and you know, you think of all the worst
things that can happen, and of course it's like, yes,
you think that everyone's dead because you were the kid,
but like it, it's different when it's conceptual than versus reality.
And you know, it's not just the mafia that that
could be, you know, coming for him, but it's also
(29:55):
law enforcement or FBI. You know, there's no statute of
limitations on murder. So yes, all these things are going
through my head, which is why I talk to this attorney.
And of course I'm asking my dad all this stuff.
And I think, really, what it boils down to is
it's two things. One, we decided not to name names
(30:15):
in the show. We decided not to dig up bodies
in the show. We do a lot of we take
a lot of creative license in telling the story without
revealing incriminating details. And I think I do a pretty
good job balancing that. And two, he is just at
(30:36):
a very interesting point in his life where he's right
at the end of it. He's not healthy and he
has nothing left to lose, and just getting this burden
off of his chest is the most important thing and
putting it out there in the world. Also, it's monetarily
like he made a little cash on this deal. Let's
just be honest. You know, he doesn't have any money.
(30:58):
He's broke, he's living on social Security. He's not he's
basically he's borderline and poverty. He was living under a
bridge for six months two years ago. Like he was
literally homeless, I mean usual wreck and so like I,
you know, I'm able to pay for rent for him now,
and I bought him a car, and he's stable, like
his situation is stable, and so there's just like all
(31:19):
those things he's and it's like, if Karma's gonna come
get me, then like Kara, come get me. That's that's
where he stands. I don't feel like I'm in any
danger at whatsoever, because again, I'm not dropping names and
I'm not digging up bodies. My roleness is to learn
about my father. You know, I'm not here to point
fingers or blame anybody. So I don't feel anything. And
now that it's out, I've gotten a few dms on Instagram,
(31:43):
like when the trailer came out from Chicago. Names that
I know, Oh wow, And that was a heartbeat moment
when I when I saw that name pop up in
my messages, and it's kind of funny. It was a
very simple message. It was like this looks cool, and
I'm like, is that the most ominous chill threat I've
ever heard in my life or what like? Or does
(32:04):
he actually like it? So I don't know. So I
wrote back and I'm like and I say last name
as in last name, and he was, yeah, that's my grandfather.
And I'm like, oh god, here we go. Whoa. And
then I write I'm like, don't worry, it's not something
like snitch Fest. So it's really just like a father
son's story. Blah blah blah. You know, I hope you
like it. Nothing for like a day and I'm like,
(32:25):
oh god, it's already happening. I'm done. My worst fears
are coming true. And then and then the next day
he hits me up and he's like, actually, this is
I have a book that I want to write and
I have a screenplay and like this is so cool,
Like you're doing it how I would do it. And
it was like, oh, everyone just wants to fucking tell
their story. Like no one cares anymore, as long as
(32:45):
you're not saying that guy did it. You know, You're like,
people just want to tell their story. So I get
I'd feel I feel better about everything. So yeah, it's
been a really weird been a really weird journey so far,
say the least.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Yeah. Well, and to embark on that journey too. During
the pandemic is particularly intense because everything is closed down
and are closed down and you're digging into these really
dark things. You know, it's just it's very drinking as
drinking everybody that was the thing to do in twenty
twenty and twenty three one. But it is so cool
(33:21):
to hear about this trajectory of It really is a
story of like from the darkness to the light. You know,
it sounds so cheesy to say that, but I just
keep hearing you over and over again talk about how
beautiful this has been to like open that up. And
I love it and I hope that it encourages other
people to do that.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
This is a great segue into my next question, which
is what do you hope people gain from listening to
this show and to your family story.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
Yeah, I mean it's really simple. Like I said earlier,
secrets kill people. And so there's also the themes of
addiction and getting help, and yeah, alcoholics nomenous or anonymous,
you know, Narco anonymous, cocaine anonymous. You know, there's all
the anonymous is, and there's so much value in seeking help,
(34:06):
and it's really hard to that you need help. It's
so it's like almost one of the hardest things, and
especially like in Italian families, you just don't you just
eat it. It's just sorry, you don't. You don't tell
anybody about it. He's fucking choke on it. So yeah,
I think that it's just really important, you know. And
my dad never would have gotten help, like I had
a He had a call me on his fucking he
(34:27):
had a he was gonna kill himself. He had he
had a gun in his hand, and so he had
to get to that point two to seek help. But
E didn't. He didn't seek help. He saw my help,
you know, not a therapist. And so I had to
basically put him into a situation where there was therapy.
And even then he was he didn't want to tell
anybody anything. But just being in an environment where people
are seeking help and and and dealing with their issues
(34:51):
kind of publicly, it's really it's you know, it can
be the best thing you ever do. You know, I've
never met someone that's going to AA and said it
was terrible, terrible idea. You know. Yeah, a lot of
people relapse, but it's not AA's fault. That's that's you, Like,
that's you not following the program, and that's you give
him back into the to the dem insert the depression
or whatever it is, and you know, it's it's hard,
it's a battle, it's a constant bat it's a lifelong battle,
(35:13):
and it takes a lot of strength, but you have
to take that first step. And so I hope there's
a little bit of that in there, a little bit
of hope for people, maybe a little inspiration. Everyone knows
somebody that's addicted to something.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Your dad's story of addiction was not something that I
expected to show up in the show, you know, because
just because you look at we listen to the trailer
and you're like, Okay, this is going to be, you know,
a mafia story, and then you put it right in
episode two. It's like you get the first impression of
your dad and then you immediately bring in his heroin addiction,
(35:48):
which happened a little later than the full story, Like
you kind of jump in time a little bit. Why
was it important for you to have that not chronologically ordered,
like bring that in early?
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Yeah, you know this because this never was a mafia show.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Yeah. Fair, it's not a.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Third person whatever rehashing of things that happened, you know,
news clips and whatever. It's like a it's my story,
it's my relationship with my dad who fucked up big time,
and I thought he was just a piece of shit
heroin addict, but no, he actually had this insane history
that I could never have even imagined. I played a
(36:27):
huge role in why he's a fucking heroin addict, right,
And so it's like two sides of the same coin.
You have to tell both sides of the story and
you have to lay him out. And I did it.
I kind of did it naked like MafA, Like it's
just full. Episode one is Mafia. Episode two is fucked
up family and Heroin, and then you smash them together
and then you start mixing it up and that's what
(36:48):
happens for the rest of the episodes. I'm just like
mixing up this bowl of you know, pain, pain, and anguish,
but the cookies are delicious.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Well it's I mean it's effective. Like as a listener
with absolutely no context going in. It gave me a
very different perspective on your dot from the get go,
you know, and instead of you know, at ending up
in this you can just dismiss him as a terrible person.
It's like you have this layer of Okay, I understand
how he ended up where he ended up in all
the layers of trum and all of the things.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
That's a really interesting point that I think has been
really surprising is the amount of people who have said,
while he was actually a really good guy and he
really loved you guys. It's like they say that first,
like that's like, yes, you kill people, he's in the mafia,
But like their takeaway is that he, at the end
of the day, like he was actually a good person
(37:41):
who was put in a really bad situation and then
just it got completely out of control. And I think
I think a lot of that's true. I mean, obviously
he made those decisions, you know, and he did those things,
and you can't ignore that that's awful. But people are
super complex, and no, there's no such thing as a
real monster. I mean, maybe there is, like super sociopathic people,
(38:02):
but he's not a sociopath, I don't think. I think
he is actually just a really complex person who found
a way to deal with his awful child. Like you know,
how he was recruited as a seventeen year old kid
living on the streets, and how he basically just like
ended up in that life, and how he was able
(38:24):
to kind of get out of that life and start
a family and raise a family who loved him, and
be a great dad. You know, he's just like, he's
kind of this guy who just like fell into a
pit and dug himself out of it, but the pit's
still there, and all I do is look and oh
there's the pit. You know, he just had to find
the pit. And so yeah, it's like the complexity of
him as a person, I think is what makes this
(38:45):
show really really special and different, because it's not just
some like good guy bad guy mafia thing. You know,
we're all we're all a little fucked up, and we're
all we can all be really good too at the
same time. You know.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Yeah, I think the show does a really good job
of that. And I think that theme, I mean, that
theme is something that a lot of Tenderfoot shows explore
to is the humanity, you know, part of the picture.
And no one's story is straightforward. Like you said, there
are some people whose brains are very different and they
get pushed into these very like dark places. But a
(39:19):
lot of people who end up committing crimes are kind
of I think in situations more like your dad, where
it's less their choice than externally people perceive it.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Is Yeah, a lot of external pressures and a forcing
of the hand and all that kind of stuff. Yeah.
I mean, of course, at the end of the day,
they could just say no and walk away or try
to but it's true. It's hard, It's really hard. True. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
So at the end of the season, you have this
kind of call to action for listeners to reach out
to you with questions and comments. And you've touched a
little bit on some of the things you've heard from people,
But is there anything that you've heard from folks so
far that's really impacted you that you want to share
with everybody? You know.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
I got a comment yesterday and it was someone basically
what you just said, Like I wasn't expecting the addiction
stuff and I had battled that dick, and that really
struck a note with me. How he said that AA
saved his life because AA saved my life. So there's
that connection I think is going to land with a
lot of people. Someone this morning reached out to me
(40:21):
that I went to high school with that obviously had
no idea about any of this stuff. I said, I
don't know if you know this, but my dad died
of alcoholism at when I was fifteen, and he battled
it for a really long time, and and it was
a private thing that we kept within the family. And
hearing your dad story now and understanding is like, it
makes me want to tell my story, you know. So
(40:42):
it's a lot of I think. I think it really
it's like triggering people in a positive way to like to,
I guess, embrace these really hard things that have happened
to them in their past instead of hide it. I
think that's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
So what's next for Kirk County.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
M Well, there's going to be a bunch of other
seasons of it. I'm trying. I have ideas for it.
I would love to There's so much going on with
my dad currently, things that I have not even talked
to you about yet that are wild that I might
be able to squeeze into a season two, like a
continuation story. If I can. Great. If I can't, then
(41:25):
I'm going to do other stories like under the Banner
of Crook County. You know, because in the same kind
of way I did this one. You know, it's going
to be thoughtful and and a lot of humanity mixed
with the bad. But then immediately we are pitching this
as a TV series, you know, like a prestige show,
(41:47):
you know, go Sopranos meets Dexter meets Fargo meets Chicago
Fire did we didn't even talk about that, the whole
paramedic firefighter thing. You know, that's such a unique angle
to his story, you know, to be a first responder
who's a mafia asset. You know, he's a hero by
day and a hit man by night. Like that's that's
(42:07):
a show. Let's go HBO. What are we talking about it?
We'll see we're working on that.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
We didn't talk about that, but that whole trajectory. I
think that's part of why, you know, folks are reaching
out and saying, your dad was a good a good guy,
clearly loved you because he's so obviously was trying to
do better. You know, the fact that he wanted to
be a firefighter. It's like such a complete balancing effect
for what he's doing. You know, it's like hit man
and then you save lives like that is the goal.
(42:33):
And so it's it's so clear that he, yeah, wanted
to do better. And I mean it's a great show.
So where can people get in touch with you to
stay updated about all this that's coming next. Maybe send
you a story potentially if they have something that could fit.
I don't know if that's something that you're looking for,
(42:55):
But what do you suggest people do if they want
to stay in touch with you in the show?
Speaker 1 (42:58):
Sure you'd send me a postcard the mail. Yeah, you know.
I've got all the social stuff, so I control kirk
County Podcast Instagram account, and the website has like a
you email feature and a contact and there's also a
voicemail thing that actually I want to do. I want
I want people to leave me voicemails and I want
to play them on a bonus episode. So go to
(43:19):
Kirkcounty Podcast dot com and leave me a voicemail, ask
me a question, tell me how you feel about the show, whatever.
You can call me a douchebag. That's fun. I'll talk
to everybody, so pretty pretty available. Awesome.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Thank you so much, Kyle. This was really fun. I
really appreciate your time and I'm excited to share. This
is everyone on tendorfoot plus
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