2025 ADV Cannonball Soundtrack and #5 Robert Baldinger Rally Prep Talk.

2025 ADV Cannonball Original Soundtrack and #5 Robert Baldinger Rally Prep Talk. 

Chapters

• 0:46 Interview
• 26:28 2025 ADV Cannonball Theme Song
• 28:25 Day 1
• 30:37 Day 2
• 33:44 Day 3
• 36:14 Day 4
• 39:16 Day 5
• 42:08 Day 6
• 44:28 Day 7
• 47:31 Day 8 - The Finish Line

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

And a very special thanks to Snack Moto for buying the crew a giant keg of sweet ass IPA. And thanks to Carrie for the hospitality on the long road to the start line of the 2025 ADV Cannonball Rally. Now roll that intro.

SPEAKER_01: 0:18

Welcome to the ADV Cannonball Podcast. Where we discuss all things on two wheels, the adventure bike cannonball, and other motorcycle-related nonsense.

SPEAKER_08: 0:41

Season three, episode 17. Welcome to Adventure Cannonball Podcast. I'm your host, Taylor Lawson. Today is Wednesday, October 1st. Many of our loyal listeners will know that our co-host, Aaron, is driving across the country right now, collecting motorcycles and preparing for the start of the first annual Adventure Cannonball rally. As such, he's unable to join us today. That said, we have the pleasure to welcome back to the show our guest from season three, episode eight, Robert Baldinger. Robert, welcome to the show. Hey, thank you. Great to be back. So since Aaron's unable to join us, will you you're gonna have to you're gonna have to fill in, you're gonna have to do some of the work. I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to do it. Gladly. All right. So that said, um, would you please tell us where you're sitting and most importantly, tell us what you're drinking.

SPEAKER_05: 1:36

Oh, um, I'm at home in my house uh in Grestorp, Sweden. Um actually, uh what I'm drinking, I had two two um options here because buying beer, I had I got my house on two of them because they were so adventure riding beers. The first one that the first one that I'm not drinking now that was free to roam. So that's just adventure. Oh. But then then the other one just reminded me of so many adventure riders. Uh it's called the Moody Meer cat. You know how they stand up tall, not aggressive, but just being uh tall straight up when they stand. So this is the Moody Meer cat.

SPEAKER_08: 2:23

The Moody Meerkat. All right. Um, are they IPAs or what are they?

SPEAKER_05: 2:28

Uh this is called the West Coast Pils. So it's sort of uh yeah, a Pilsner lager style, but sort of leaning towards IPA in a way.

SPEAKER_08: 2:41

Nice. I was thinking for sure you were gonna say um you were you were having an it's called Apostrophe M-E-R-I-K-A. Have you seen that at Sistambo Laget, Merka? Uh no, actually. No. Instead of America? Yeah, I saw that as a Swedish brand. Um so I am in I am in the studio in Stockholm, and I am drinking an IPA by New Sweden IPA at Uppegards, Uppegords Breakari. So um yeah, I like those. Yeah, they're they're like the basic, easy to drink.

SPEAKER_05: 3:16

You're an IPA guy, I've learned listening to your podcast.

SPEAKER_08: 3:21

Yeah, it happens that way. So um I first of all I want to say thank you for doing the initial hard work from Aaron. So yeah. I do it again for him. I think you may have a chance here in California and across the country very soon. All right. Since um since last having you on the show, and uh we got a lot of downloads on that show. It's very popular, not to mention that it was um it was on YouTube. So thank you for doing that. That was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_05: 3:49

Yeah, great to hear that.

SPEAKER_08: 3:52

Since last having you on the show, you have signed up to participate in the ADV Cannonball Rally 2025, and you are officially competitor number five.

SPEAKER_05: 4:03

Yeah, you you planted a seed there. I think it was a bamboo seed because it grew a meter a day. Um so yeah, eventually I I just had to do it. It's sort of a bucket list thing, also.

SPEAKER_08: 4:19

Yeah, very cool. I'm super excited to see what what comes of it. And also one of the reasons I wanted to have you on this podcast again, like uh you're leaving in in what you're leaving in 48 hours to go to the States, right? Yeah, I'd say uh 36 hours actually. Wow, okay, even sooner. Very cool. And one of the reasons I want to have you here is, and also there's there's been some some cryptic text messages which come through with some music. So what I wanted to do was talk to you about your planning, your preparation, um, the music you produce, what you plan to do with the music, and then if you're willing to talk to us a little bit about your strategy without maybe yeah, whatever you're willing to share. I know you're very open in terms of what you what you bring in terms of your channel. Um, and this is an opportunity for you to well, this is gonna drop before the rally, so you can decide how much you wanna how you much you want to drop out there.

SPEAKER_05: 5:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 5:16

Yeah, so um you've been doing a copious amount of both planning and preparation, and you've graciously agreed to share some of those details with us. But what I'm really curious to know is about the production of the soundtrack and the and the like that's fantastic. Talk to me a bit about that. We'll start with that.

SPEAKER_05: 5:37

Yeah, well, uh I do these adventure trips, and for me, every trip is a movie. Uh so I don't think that much. Of course, I do some planning for the trip, but what's really growing in my mind before a trip is the movie I'm going to make about that trip, and that always expresses itself in music. Uh, if I'm going to we went to Turkey, I start looking for Turkish uh styled music and stuff like that. And I also think through the intro, uh, because I never know what's going to happen on the actual trip, but I always plan um how can I do the intro uh intro to to this trip. So and the same this uh with the cannonball rally. Um how am I gonna start this? And of course, there's a strong connection, it's it's um low-hanging fruit to make it sort of a cannonball run themed intro. So I'm I'm nice. I'm thinking already the sort of funky, groovy, twangy, yeah, you know, eight uh 70s, 80s action TV series uh intro music. Um yeah, so so I spend hours just digging for the right tunes and yeah, something that could be fitting for telling this story, and um then I've started a bit more and more since the AI music has become better and better, but now just very recently it made a giant leap so you can't really tell what's AI and uh not anymore. And it's um it's great for you know epic mountain drone shots and stuff like that, but I I noticed I could I could I didn't find that sort of funky groovy um song for the intro, so I tried to make it with a uh AI service, and after about 150 or 200 tries, I I got it right. So um yeah, so so I really think in scenes and everything before a trip. So when that works so well, I've thought about let's make a finish line, you know. Uh we all made it through these uh struggles, and yeah, the you know how the mind works. Uh and we're all at the finish line and everything, and uh so let's make a Hollywood uh style. We're almost in Hollywood anyway, so uh yeah, close enough. Yeah, 80s rock anthem, top gun, uh top gun sprinkles on top and everything. Uh uh we made it to the finish line and everything. And that turned out really good. It did, yeah, absolutely. And then um, and I thought, I mean, let's let's make one song for each day because each day is gonna be so different. Um so I thought let's make themed music for the region that we're writing in, um uh with lyrics that fits the the day in a way. I mean, day one, uh everybody's energized, uh eager to go, um fresh butts and everything. Yeah, fresh butts for sure. Yeah, so that sort of uh um yeah, uh bluegrass, Carolina stuff, um story begins and everything, and uh then we move into um Arkansas. Um now sorry, we're going into uh through the Appalachians and into Tennessee and stuff like that. So we have oh what what do we have there? We have the yeah, Nashville uh country, we have some outlaw country, Johnny Cash style. So yeah, I got just caught up the whole days uh this week, just went into that because it's fun when you sort of can realize what you're thinking of.

SPEAKER_08: 10:05

You talked about the chapters, right? So as you go into this, you're looking in the different chapters. So as a as a movie maker, you're going, okay, this is a scene, this is gonna be a maybe I don't know. Have you thought like there's gonna be about each day is gonna be a new chapter within the movie, or have you have you thought that uh is that how you're thinking?

SPEAKER_05: 10:25

Yeah, um one thing that I've I've decided already is at least the start, the intro will be of course with a back to the Atlantic Ocean. Because then you get the the perfect ending shot with the yeah, with a Pacific backdrop, of course. I mean that's the whole thing about it. Um coast to coast. Yeah, absolutely. And then um, I mean when we go day by day, it's going to be because in all my uh travel uh movies, in a way I I sort of try to end the day. Um, of course, things happen during the day, and I describe what's happened there. But how how how's the feeling at night, and then in the morning, what's going to happen today, and so on. So it it and it's going to be pretty clear what I want to say there because I'm gonna start each day showing the map. This is uh um the the routes and and the checkpoints for today, and talk a bit about the strategy uh for the day and and then show it happening, and sort of yeah, every chapter is gonna be like that. But it's gonna be very um different chapters anyway, because the landscape change and the struggles change and the highs and the lows.

SPEAKER_08: 11:57

Yeah, you really capture that. I love the um, I don't think it was day three or day four, when it's the uh like if you think about the um uh AD Vivet who uh pre-rode this, and he's like, it's a slab day, it's 700 miles, and in your song it talks about it being um by the way, everyone who's listening, all the music's coming. This podcast that we're doing right now is a preamble. The entire album that he developed, um, that Robert developed is going to be um following this. So instead of rolling an interview, we're gonna roll the album, just so you have that to listen to in the podcast.

SPEAKER_05: 12:28

Yeah, but that that's just before uh day three is going over the crossing the Mississippi. So that's sort of Delta Blues, really yeah, hardcore uh blues there. But for day four with over 700 miles, I thought we need energy here. We need to gotta yeah, twist the uh throttle hard until we reach the end, and yeah, so that's uh energy uh boosting song there.

SPEAKER_08: 13:00

Yeah, it's quite cool. Let me stop for a second. I want to back up and ask you. So you shared this with me previously about how you got into character for this. What did you do? We talked about when you you're like you you said, I went back and I watched.

SPEAKER_05: 13:14

Oh yeah. Um yeah, I mean there are so many uh angles to this. One is it's a competition, uh, just uh that part and getting uh into that because it's it's a bit different from uh the types of rides I'm normally doing, uh covering distance but at my own pace and stuff like that. But then also, I mean, it is a legendary uh race. Um so yeah, I I read up on uh Irving uh Cannonball Baker who started it all in 1914, um crossing the the continent there in 14 days, I think it was.

SPEAKER_06: 14:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 14:02

Something like that. So so and and then we have the movies and everything, so there's so many things sort of adding up in this thing.

SPEAKER_08: 14:12

So did you go back and watch the original um Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Dom Delawise, Roger Moore, oh yeah, Farrah Fawcett? Did you go back and watch that original?

SPEAKER_05: 14:22

Oh I did that, I did that. And then for for uh sort of the strategy, I also watched uh Death Race 2000, if you remember that one. No, podcast.

SPEAKER_04: 14:34

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 14:37

Yes, I do recall. Let's hope it doesn't get quite that um interesting. Yeah. So one of the things that Aaron and I have talked about a huge amount in in this podcast is doing the proper preparing, right? Planning and preparation. Yeah. And um you've done a lot of that. So what other things have you done besides breaking out hours and hours of time into developing the music and soundtrack, which again we'll roll out of this. What other things have you done in terms of your preparation and planning?

SPEAKER_05: 15:12

Um, I studied the map a lot. Uh I've done the ride uh east to west a couple of times now, and and um yeah, because I mean I want to be the one with the highest score at the end. I hope everyone does that and and plans for that. And so so I'm I'm thinking about strategy there and how to do that. I I do want to do a lot of off-road writing as well. Um but yeah, that there's a compromise there. It's number one is about collecting uh the checkpoints and getting the score uh like that. So that that's one the the routes to take and so on, and that may all change depending on weather or whatever happens. So um developing uh sort of uh plan A, B, and C. Um then also I mean try to figure out the range of the bike, and but most of all, actually, it's gonna be really long days. Um and it's a lot about I mean you do get points for the shortest uh time spent on yeah, from start to finish. Um so it's about being on on the move as much as possible, so and still keeping the focus because I mean uh it's a safety thing also. So I'm yeah, you want to finish. Yeah, uh absolutely. So nutrition, um how to eat, um, when to eat, um sort of um micro naps and things like that. Um I'm not going to give you the full recipe I have.

SPEAKER_08: 17:14

Ah, okay, fair enough. Yeah, it is still it is because the people who are listening to this podcast, you will be, you know, you're gonna have one through four, and you're gonna have six through forty are gonna be on the track with you. So um, yeah, give up as much as you're willing to.

SPEAKER_05: 17:30

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so but there's a lot to think about, and and um I have great fun with that. Uh, although it takes, I cannot help but think of it uh all the time, even at work. Yeah. So yeah, I haven't been that productive closing in on the on the departure. And they're not really happy of me going away in the sort of uh business high season, going away for uh just over two weeks. But I thought, I mean, I'm lying there, hopefully 90 years old. I'm not gonna remember those two weeks at work anyway. So, but I'll remember this.

SPEAKER_08: 18:14

So you absolutely remember this. I think you've I think you've done a good job picking the right the right thing to spend your time doing. Yeah. Um let me bounce back to the music again. So I I interrupted you. I think you were gonna talk about your your big splash finish and how you're gonna bring it home into California.

SPEAKER_05: 18:31

Yeah, I I sort of uh play the and that happens every time. Before I go, I already sort of play through possible versions of the of the movie uh before I even go. So but so so it's all based, of course, on my uh vivid imagination. But um after the the long stretch, the 730 miles thing, we leave the flatlands going um up in the southern Rockies. Um, so so of course there's a song change there, theme or genre uh change, sort of a bit more um uh adventurous and powerful because now we're gonna win over the mountain. Uh coming down from the mountain, it's to the flat plains of uh uh Arizona. Arizona, yeah. Yeah, uh I'm a Swede here. I'm learning the your geography. So yeah, so so a bit Mexican influenced uh uh in there.

SPEAKER_07: 19:42

But that was yeah. That was one of my favorites. That that that uh I guess that was day six. Was that day six? Yeah, that's that's day six, and and and actually I like that one all right.

SPEAKER_05: 19:54

I played it for a couple of people, and no one can really stand still, the feet start moving because and uh so I so look forward to coming down that mountain in Arizona and just get that feeling. Um because yeah, you you need a energizer boost sometimes, and after that, it's it's almost like one day is sort of power uh a bit darker and slower, and then da da da you get that vitamin injection. Um day seven is uh we're getting we're writing and we're getting almost to the finish line. We can see the ocean from from there almost, and we can smell the sea, and so so that's sort of uh not a ballad, but it's a slower song about we're we're almost there, but just one more day with uh and so on. So yeah, and I can believe I have never done music this way before, but I got really excited about this, so that's why I shared it with um everyone before the race now, instead of only having it in the in the videos.

SPEAKER_08: 21:12

Now, what was really impressive is you took that, you put the album together, you had the start day, the finish day, and all the days in between, and then you put it into an album, and then uh you sent a was it a message this morning which said that you actually got it, it's already up on Spotify.

SPEAKER_05: 21:29

Yeah, yeah. Um yeah, it it sort of uh spun out of control there. I was just going to make an intro song, but now it's an album on Spotify, and I'm not sure if I'm polluting Spotify with AI music, but I like the songs. Um I hope yeah, anyone who listens to it does too. And it's it's a fun thing for for this event. And um, maybe next year, I mean it will be a slightly different route, and it won't make as much uh sense to that. So this is a 2025 uh my uh it's me imagining how it's going to be before I ride.

SPEAKER_08: 22:17

Yeah, so um so with that, um, is there anything else that you'd like to share about your preparation or about anything that you can talk about your strategy without giving it away to your competitors? Obviously, they should take care of their health, they should make sure they hydrate, they should make sure they know where fuel stops are, they should know the range on their vehicles.

SPEAKER_05: 22:36

Yeah, I'd like to give all my competitors some advice, and that is um take really long lunches, no rush, go go really slow and careful. Don't don't fill up the tank too much, it's just gonna weigh you down. And uh and just have the biggest party every night. So it's gonna be great. I I think that's great advice.

SPEAKER_08: 23:06

Yeah. And um and with that, I think we should um we should Oh, yeah, no, I have one last question I want to ask you. So uh really, I mean, uh one of the things that you're really good at capturing, if you look at your your your full feature films, is that you capture one of your cameras is drone. How are you going to be able to uh not fill your tank to half, not take long lunches, not party every night, and still find time to fly the drone, and of course do your very best to collect as many points as you can?

SPEAKER_05: 23:41

Uh the drone takes some extra time, it does. And I'm just gonna have to collect some extreme checkpoints to cover for that, I guess. To compensate for that. Yeah, so but but I but I have minimized the time it takes for me to make drone shots with a mount for the handlebar for the controller. Um, I have a bag on on me, not the backpack that I had to stop and uh stuff like stuff like that, but I do have the drone sort of on my front side. Yeah. It hurts riding through something that is the perfect drone scenery, and you don't you don't shoot it.

SPEAKER_08: 24:25

So yeah. And I'm sure there's a lot of competitors who are happy to um let you uh put the drone in the air and take pictures as they ride by you. Yeah, yeah, that helps. Well, look, um, I really wanted to have you on to talk a bit about really to talk about your music and introduce that, and also to let people know that um people who are participating in this, there is going to be a full feature movie about this, and you can look forward to that. And um, and if you if you maybe don't follow Robert's last bit of advice, you might be able to um get some, you know, his drone shots might be of your license plate. So just remember you gotta you gotta you gotta ride fast.

SPEAKER_04: 25:06

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_08: 25:08

Yeah. And um, and with that, I just want to say thank you so much. I'm excited to see you in California on day seven. Yeah, that should be fun. And um I'll let you get back to your last minute preparations, but thanks very much for taking time away from them to chat with us on the podcast, and I look forward to seeing you in California.

SPEAKER_06: 25:28

Adventure, endurance, glory. This isn't just a ride, it's the ultimate test of rider and machine. The ADV Cannonball Rally challenges you to ride from ghost to ghost, navigating checkpoint to checkpoint by GPS and pushing past your limits. Take on every off-road stage, and you'll earn bragging rights and a coveted Rough Rider trophy. Own the twisty tarmac and you'll claim the checkpoint crusher award. Every mile counts, every choice matters. Rack up the points, and your name could be etched forever on the winner's cup. This year the routes are harder, the mileage is longer, the glory is greater. The ADV Cannonball Rally is open for registration. Fortune favors the bolt. Sign up today.

SPEAKER_03: 28:43

We'll just sing freedom songs and show the west is coming. From Kitty Hawk, I'm flying like the ride boys in the air. Dreaming with the throttle wide, the wind is in my head. Carolina rollin', sunshine in my eyes. The road is widening open underneath the southern sky. With every mile behind me, the story starts to grow. Carolina rollin' got a long way to go.

SPEAKER_10: 30:40

Straight into Tennessee.

SPEAKER_02: 30:52

The ridges cast their shadows. The valleys open wide.

SPEAKER_03: 31:02

The highway cuts the silence. I cross the borderline. I'm rolling through the mountains. The dark hills shelter me. The road runs on forever. Straight into Tennessee. The daylight starts to dwindle. The sky turns burning red. The miles fall in silence, but the journey pulls ahead. I'm rolling through the mountain. The dark hills show to me. The road runs on forever. Straight into Tennessee's car the canyons, and that comes settling slow. And I follow where it takes me. There's a long way to go. Straight in the tin sea.

SPEAKER_02: 34:51

I found a kind of rhythm. And the dust and quiet smile. I'm settled on a river road. The miles don't trouble me. Rolling slow and steady now. It just carries me along. Every mile behind me becomes another song. Rollin' slow and steady now.

SPEAKER_03: 36:44

Highway burns beneath my wheels. Miles ahead, keep calling. No time to rest on heel. Seven hundred miles to go through the heat and through the night. Gotta keep that throttle strong till the hills inside. Shadows cut across the land. So they must go. Still I ride on steady till the daylight comes again. Seven hundred miles ago through the heat and through the night. Gotta keep that throttle strong till it is inside. Where the earth and sky wave. Into the rockies, dust and stone. The time is deep, the air is thin. Every mouth cuts to the bone, but I won't let the mountain wind. Into the rockies, dust and stone. The climb is steep, the air is thick. Every mile cuts to the bone, but I won't let the mountain. Shadows stretch forever. The daylight fades to gray. The mountain takes no mercy, but I ride it anyway. Into the rockies, dust, and storm. The climb is steep, the air is thin. Every mouth cuts to the bone, but I won't let the mountain wind day six Desert Land. Arizona sun is blazing, cactus standing tall. The desert sings a rhythm. I can hear the border call. Rolling west through desert land. Borders near, I understand. Miles run fast, the night won't wait. The California's at the gate. Dusty towns behind me. The road is hot and white. Trumpets ring like laughter. With the mountains at my side, rolling west through desert land, borders near, I understand. Miles run faster than I won't wait. The Californians at the gate. The desert sky is endless, but the ocean's what I found. Rolling west through desert land. Borders near I understand. Miles run fast, the night won't wait. California's at the gate. The coastline draws me near. I see the city shining, but the ends not yet here. Almost home. I can see the shore. The ocean waits, but I need one day more. The road still calls, and I can't let go almost home, but not yet I know. The palm trees line the highway, the skyline breaks the haze. The monument is waited, but I can't count the dates almost home. I can see the shore. And I can't let go. Almost home, but not yet I know. The mouths are heavy on me, but my spirit holds alive. Tomorrow brings the ending. Tonight it's only time. Almost home. I can see the shore. The ocean wakes, but I need one day more. The road still calls, and I can't let go. Almost home, but not yet I know. Almost home. Three thousand miles does the rain. We were strangers. Just names and faces. Our brothers in the strange places.

SPEAKER_12: 48:29

We'll keep the study.

SPEAKER_04: 48:36

Every step was the five of our eyes. We made it to the finish line. Together we climbed. Together we die. No more. We still got to come by.

SPEAKER_03: 48:57

We made it to the finish line. Don't turn the five minutes.

SPEAKER_01: 51:04

That really helps us with the algorithm gods. All hail the algorithm gods. You can buy us a coffee on buymecoffee.com slash advcannonball. Or directly help save this sinking ship for the price of a pint at patreon.com slash advcannonball. Follow us on all the socials with the handle at advcannonball. If you'd like to send us a question or comment for the air, or if you are a musical artist and want your royalty-free music played on our podcast, or if you'd like to contact us for advertising opportunities, email us at podcast at advcannonball.com. Thanks for listening. And remember, don't be an ADV weenie. Keep your right hand cranked and your feet on the fence.