1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Well, Chip, this is a real special treat today. It's 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: always fun when we have people we know and love 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: on a podcast with us. Look about smiling face. I 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: mean with this, we're not we're not recording it for 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: the internet to be seen, but we get to see 6 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: that smiling face. We'll spoil the mystery for everyone. Fancy 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: Hey Good is here with us today. Hi Fancy. Hi. 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: So for those of you who don't know, Fancy is 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: an amazing singer songwriter in Nashville that Chip and I 10 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: have had the pleasure of knowing for many years now. 11 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: And we were just talking about our theme for the 12 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: month of August is really about refocusing and just making 13 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: sure that you're actually in alignment with who you are, 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: You're not abandoning yourself for any parts of your life. 15 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: And I was telling Fancy before that. Immediately when Chip 16 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: and I started talking about a guest, I was like, 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: do you think Fancy would come on? Because your story 18 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: is just so in line with this topic to me? 19 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: Do you feel that so funny? Because I like when 20 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:02,639 Speaker 1: when she we started talking about people, I was like, 21 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: Fancy would be so perfect for this if we did 22 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: a music person. Yeah, yeah, I'm glad that if you 23 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: are talking about alignment, that you think of me, because 24 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: most of the time I don't know that I'm aligned 25 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: with anything. I don't always feel in alignment. But if 26 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: that's what the vibe I'm giving, then you know what, 27 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: I guess that's the goal. I think it is the 28 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: vibe you're giving. And I think I love that you 29 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: just said that, actually, because that's what it feels like, right, 30 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: Like that sort of feels like adult in life in 31 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: general to me is like when people are like you 32 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: just seem so chill and like you have it all together. 33 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: I'm like, is that what I'm giving off? Because that 34 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: is absolutely now that's about what's going on all the time, 35 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: is you're so confident, and I'm like, oh, spend spend 36 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: about five minutes in my head and you'll find out. 37 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: I mean, maybe that's just the problem about being human, 38 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: you know. It's like we we all suffer from that 39 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: same ship. You know. It's yeah, and in reality, are 40 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: are always such a you know, different thing, And these 41 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: days you don't really get to know people because we're 42 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: constantly learning about people via what they're presenting online or 43 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: what they're presenting on stage and stuff like that. So 44 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: you don't. You don't really know the real real unless 45 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: you're you know, you're in the thick of it with 46 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: these people in their day to day live. But you 47 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: know what, I think a lot of the time it's 48 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: about faking it till you make it. And my career stuff, 49 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: I think it's about anything. If you know, if you 50 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: want to feel confident and be confident, I think faking 51 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: confidence would be the best way to get there. Yeah, 52 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: you start living in and then maybe it happens and 53 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: starts to line up. Well, you know, the universe is 54 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: always listening, you know, and it gives you what you 55 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: ask for and what you put out. And you know. 56 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: It's funny because um, that actress from Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney. 57 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: I was reading an art of an interview with her 58 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: the other day and she was talking about like people 59 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: think that I'm so rich, and I like, I'm all 60 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: set now. She's like, yeah, I'm doing okay, but I 61 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: can't take years off like someone who's as established as 62 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: like a Gwyneth Paltrow. She's like, I am constantly like 63 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 1: looking for the next job. I'm paraphrasing to what she said, 64 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: but she's like, I'm constantly looking for the next thing 65 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: so I can keep what I have going going because 66 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: I'm just not there yet. And but like you know, 67 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: from an outsider's perspective, you're looking at like I want 68 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: that life. You know, she's everywhere and she seems like 69 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: she's killing it. But it's um you know, the perception 70 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: is not always the reality. You know. It's been interesting 71 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: for me the last couple of years in my life 72 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: is you know, living in Nashville and being close to 73 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: people who are you know who I'll do what I do, 74 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: and at all different stages of people's career. I'm close 75 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: to a lot of people who are headlining arenas, and 76 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: I'm close to people and get a publishing deal. I'm 77 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: close to myself included. You know, my friend group has 78 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: just a wide range of people at different stages of 79 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: their career. And it's because when you talk, when you're 80 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,839 Speaker 1: talking to all of them, it's funny. There's a there's 81 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: a running theme. We're always wanting more, We're always wanting 82 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: there's always something we're working towards. And sometimes no matter 83 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: where you're at in your career or in your life, 84 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: it just feels like, I mean, that's crazy to hear 85 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: that that actress, you know, she's in Euphoria, She's in 86 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: the White Lotus. I mean, those are two of the 87 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: biggest TV shows. And to hear she's still, you know, 88 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: having to constantly work to keep it, that's like, oh 89 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: my gosh, you think you're gonna meet this moment and 90 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: be at this, you know, But I think we're all 91 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: constantly working. We're constantly striving to like find what it? 92 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 1: What is it? You know? Well, I just want like 93 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: because I feel like this is really topical. I saw 94 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: this thing on Instagram the other day that I awarded 95 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: at the artists that I work with UM and it's 96 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: just like a little inspirational thing, and it says artists 97 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: are not like athletes. So we cannot win gold, we 98 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: cannot beat other creatives, we cannot come in first. Sport 99 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: is a objective, our craft is subjective. Creating to be 100 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: the best is a waste of energy. Instead, create to 101 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: connect with the people who need you because they're out there. 102 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: Create in your way because there is no right way. 103 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: Take the take the pressure off, and focus on your 104 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: new unique brand of magic. Damn it's so good. And 105 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: but it's like, you know, to Fancy's point, it's like 106 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: how do we all end up on this like hamster 107 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: wheel where like it's never it's never enough, you know completely, 108 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 1: And Fancy you mentioned like the friends you have that 109 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: are you know, selling out arenas and stuff right now, 110 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: and it's like they're still chasing though, you know, like 111 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: we if we set these mael markers as these things 112 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: that once we get there then will be complete. It's 113 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: like we're, like you said, we're never going to be 114 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: satisfied because there's always something else. And so that kind 115 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: of actually brings me back to the topic because I 116 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: think the most important thing most of us can do 117 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: are all of us is live in the present moment 118 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: and really like be true to yourself and ask yourself, 119 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: like what that quote just said about what are you 120 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: bringing to the world, and like who are you helping? 121 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: And what are you giving back? And are you satisfied 122 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: with this? Is this in alignment? So I want to 123 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: kind of go back to your story because the way 124 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: you started and then where you are now feel to 125 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: me like there's been so much growth and so much 126 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: progress and um in that terms of like just being 127 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: in alignment. So let's go back to just even your childhood, 128 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: When did you really start to fall in love with music? Um, 129 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: you know, as a child, I was really quiet, I 130 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: was shy. I had two older sisters, and um, I 131 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: never really had to speak because I was constantly being 132 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: spoken for my sisters. But music was always something that 133 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: I just gravitated towards, even when I was like really 134 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: little and my mom would tell you from you know, 135 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: some of the first stuff I murmured. You know, I 136 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: wasn't very social until I was like, I mean maybe 137 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: like ten eleven, I was right, But music was always 138 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: how I communicated. It's just kind of what's always what 139 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: what always excited me. It's always what made me um 140 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: kind of present in moments and even when I was 141 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: younger when people would ask like, what do you want 142 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: to be when you grow up, even without any sort 143 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: of context, I just knew I wanted to be a singer. 144 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: It's just kind of like it's weird to think about 145 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: because I've just always been in my head, like I 146 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: remember knowing that's what I was supposed to do from 147 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: like the like thinking back to me being little little, 148 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: so it's like, um, I don't I don't know where 149 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: that came from or what that was. It's just always 150 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: what has really driven me and what uh what spoke 151 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: to me. But yeah, it's just kind of always been 152 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: what I did. I've always been so envious of people 153 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: who just knew what they were supposed to do? Did 154 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: you feel that way TOI? I can't remember what I 155 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: was in fifth grade, I told my best friend I 156 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: want to help rock stars to be rock stars. But 157 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: I don't know how you knew that. I knew that. 158 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I didn't even know what I was saying. Like, 159 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: I don't even think I knew that rock stars had managers, 160 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: you know, like I just knew that I wanted to 161 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: be involved in some way. Yeah. Yeah, Well, I guess 162 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: it helps when you're a really really good singer and 163 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: so you're like, hey, I'm really good at this, so 164 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: maybe this should be my job. Well, you know, even 165 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: like I'm talking like pre school kindergarten, if someone asked 166 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: me what I wanted to do, I'm like, I'm going 167 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: to be a singer, like a talent, like a great 168 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: singer in pre k you know, at that point. But 169 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: I think it's about drive. I think it's about learning. 170 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: I've spent my whole entire life focused on this, on 171 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: this craft, and it's like, you know, just paid off 172 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: some days and other days I'm like, should I be 173 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: an insurance like a like what if I just worked 174 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: at Old Navy? But end of the day, it's what 175 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: fulfills me and what it's what I feel the most 176 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:02,719 Speaker 1: myself when I'm you know, creating, when I'm when I'm 177 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: writing songs, when I'm performing, when I'm connecting with people 178 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: through entertainment, That's where I feel the most myself. Where 179 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: did you first start singing? Where you were a church singer? 180 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: Is that I think I read that somewhere. Yeah, I 181 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: grew up in church. I'm like, if I was still religious, 182 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: I would be like a fourth generation Nazarene Um. I 183 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: randomly still remember like my first solo in church and 184 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,719 Speaker 1: it's like a little uh Christmas pageant where I was 185 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: really dressed like a little present, but I can't remember 186 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: all of these moments and it's just like I just 187 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: felt even back then, like it just felt so electric, 188 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 1: like singing to an audience and um, it's just yeah, 189 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: churches where I kind of got cut my teeth. Yeah, 190 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: performing a weird thing to say, but that's what. Yeah, 191 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: That's what it was. Were you not like you said 192 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: that you were a shy, quiet kid, Like was it 193 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: where you finally fell a lot? Like you weren't even nervous. 194 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: It was like you were nervous in real life, but 195 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: not on stage truly. Yeah, any any stage. And it's 196 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: like funny to think of, like church is like a 197 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: performance a place to perform. But like I could not 198 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: wait for the musicals that my mom would direct in church, 199 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: and like I couldn't wait because that's where I knew 200 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: that I could just be whatever I wanted to be, 201 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Yeah, Well, so if you 202 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: grew up in a church, and I know you grew 203 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: up in the South as well, and so like, imagine, 204 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: did you know growing up because you're a gay man, 205 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: and like did you know were you identifying with that 206 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: at a young age or was that when did that 207 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: come into your life? If I can, like if I 208 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: honestly think about like my most private inner thoughts, Yes 209 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: I knew, but I did not know what that was, 210 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: you know, Like I didn't know there was a name 211 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: for it. I didn't like I didn't identify as anything 212 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: other than you know, just being a little baby Jake, 213 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's it's always been a part of my identity, 214 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: you know. It's like I remember having crushes as far 215 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: back as like being in preschool. I got in trouble 216 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: in preschool one time for um playing doctor with a 217 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: kid named Christopher, and I was the doctor. I hope 218 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: you secured as an ailment. You need to check up. 219 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: It's definitely always been there. It's been you know. It's 220 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: I remember one of the first times feeling shame about that, 221 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: and it's not. I didn't even think about it as 222 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: an identity or a sexual but I remember being in 223 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: kindergarten having my first yearbook, and my sisters and I 224 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: were all sitting around our kitchen table and they were 225 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: circling all the boys they had crushes on in their 226 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: yearbook and I was doing the same thing, and I 227 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: just remember being told like, you don't circle the boys, 228 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: circle the girls, and I in my head, I was like, 229 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: that seems weird, but whatever, you know, I'll show you. 230 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: The first time I remember feeling like any amount of 231 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: embarrassment or shame of like, oh, I'm I'm not supposed 232 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: to be doing what I this is what I feel 233 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: like doing. Mh. But so did that start to affect 234 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,719 Speaker 1: Like I love that what you just said to not 235 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 1: be doing what I feel like doing because it's like 236 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: we don't really come into this world knowing any different, right, 237 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: and so then we're programmed with wherever we're from or 238 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: whatever our family conditioning is to believe certain things. And 239 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: this goes for everything sexuality, politics, religion, like all the things. 240 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: And it's like such a journey in each of our 241 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: lives to really ask ourselves. I think, like what is 242 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: true for me? Like what did I grow up believing? 243 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: And then what is true for me? But having to 244 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: let go of what we're taught is so ficult and 245 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: complex and complicated. So like, was there a part of 246 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: you that kind of shut down who like what you 247 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: were feeling and maybe what you're identifying with because of 248 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: what you were being taught? You know, I think subconsciously 249 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: I would have had to have been shutting down that 250 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: part of me just but you know, not understanding what 251 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: that part of me was. I don't remember until I was, 252 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,199 Speaker 1: like maybe in my early teens, feeling like wow, I'm 253 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: not like this is bad and I'm not allowed to 254 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: be who I am. Like I think those younger years 255 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: of myself. I just didn't like it just was like confusing, 256 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, I feel a certain way, 257 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: I think these things, but I'm not allowed to say them, 258 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: and if I do say I'm it's like shocking or 259 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: you know, polarizing. But you know, I grew up in 260 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: a family like they weren't like super like you know, 261 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: I just give that example of like I circled boys 262 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh, actually you circled the girls. But 263 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: but it wasn't like when I talk about feeling shame, 264 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: it was shame. I feel kind of felt just naturally 265 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: when you realize like, oh, this is what I'm supposed 266 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: to be doing. I feel like doing this. My My 267 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: family wasn't like oh, like, it wasn't like I was 268 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: getting in trouble or I was being honest for being 269 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: a certain way. It's you know, actually thinking back to 270 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: my younger years, specifically, my parents were embraced my flamboyance. 271 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: I've always been flamboyant. I've always been feminine, and I 272 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: never felt shame about that within my family unit. It 273 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: wasn't until like junior high in high school, um and 274 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: having to deal with other kids where I started feeling 275 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: any amount of shame for that. I always I would 276 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: like dress up and like my sisters and I would 277 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: play like, you know, dress up, and I would be 278 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: like making gowns out of my mom's quilts and afghans 279 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: and all this stuff. And never, never I made to 280 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: feel um shamed for that until you know, I got older. 281 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: So it was just an interesting thing knowing how I 282 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: felt about certain things and knowing that it wasn't the norm. 283 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: But also being so young, you don't know how to 284 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: ARTICU like that. Being young using you know, it's just 285 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: such a it's such a time to gather information and 286 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: it's so informative, and when you're in a situation where 287 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: certain things aren't supported, whether you're saying it out loud 288 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: or not, it's just it's just interesting. Yeah, So how 289 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: does that play into your music career? Because as you grew, 290 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: you're starting to kind of recognize weight this isn't okay. 291 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: And then you start navigating what you want to do 292 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: for your living or what you want to do for 293 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: a living, and you're like moving into adult life and 294 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: I'm imagining you start following this path of this music career. 295 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: So how were those things tying together. Well, you know, 296 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 1: when I moved to Nashville, I was seventeen years old, 297 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: and you know, I was playing anywhere and everywhere. I 298 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: was doing writers rounds left and right, you know, the whole, 299 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: the whole thing. And I was getting attention because I 300 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: think just because you know, I think people recognize that 301 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 1: I was talented and I had a gift when it 302 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: came to like writing songs, but the conversation about my 303 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: sexuality was always just at the forefront, and it was 304 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: so annoying because it's like I could be sitting up 305 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: there with like four other dudes who are like mediocre, 306 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: really talented kid kind of thing, and you know, they'd 307 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: go on to get a publishing deal, or they'd go 308 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: on to get a record deal or stuff like that, 309 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: and it's like, you know, I'm still at the Commodore 310 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: Lounge singing with you know, the same people, just kind 311 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: of trying to figure out why I wasn't getting the 312 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: same opportunities. And then I realized that this town was 313 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: not super supportive of queer people. And I came out 314 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: when I was um, I guess I was twenty so 315 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: living in Nashville, and I realized that my sexuality was 316 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: just nothing but an obstacle, and UM, I kind of 317 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: took a year off. I worked at for every twenty one, 318 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: and I was at work is where I got called 319 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: fancy because it was the first time I was around 320 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: other queer people. And so when I came out of 321 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: the closet, I started working for twenty one and I 322 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: jokingly say I didn't come out of the closet, I 323 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: first out of it, because suddenly it was like surrounded 324 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 1: by all these amazing queer people who were so supportive, 325 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: and it was it's just this other life from this 326 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: like conservative Christian world that I was so used to. 327 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 1: And I dyed my hair platinum blonde, I started painting 328 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: my fingernails. I wore like fool beat makeup every single 329 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: day probably for like seven years. And I'm kidding. And 330 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: at work is where I started getting called fancy. And 331 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:28,479 Speaker 1: so I took a year off from you know, just 332 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: even trying in Nashville, and I just kind of did 333 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: my own thing, and um started going by fancy full time. 334 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: And it was like such a polarizing time in my 335 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: social life because I, you know, all these people who 336 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: like knew me from like going to Trevecca, and like, 337 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: you know, living in this conservative bubble, all of a sudden, 338 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 1: we're like so polarized by me not only coming out, 339 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: but like changing was when I went to Tribecca and 340 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: who I was in this moment was so polarizing. So 341 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: I just it. I was A year later, I was 342 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: gonna do my first show, its Fancy, and it ended 343 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: up um selling out. It was like a smaller venue, 344 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: but I had never done a show where it had 345 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: sold out, and it kind of just showed me that, like, Wow, 346 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:15,360 Speaker 1: me being my like full self here in town as fancy, 347 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: it's eliminited. Me being becoming fancy, eliminated the question is 348 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 1: he gay? Like what's the deal? It's like, I'm gay. 349 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: It's in your face. It's been like it's it's not 350 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: the most polarizing thing at my show if you're coming 351 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 1: to see it, you know. So it just kind of 352 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: like changed the game for me. And my queerness has 353 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: always been such a huge staple in my art because 354 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: I've spent so much time not getting to express myself fully. 355 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: And you know, when I came out of the closet, 356 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: I kind of made a deal with myself that I 357 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: was never going to do that again, you know, and 358 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: then ups and downs, roller coasters, record deals, all this stuff, 359 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,360 Speaker 1: people speaking into your art. It's just been a it's 360 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: been a turbulent, bumpy ride, but it's been an interesting 361 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: one nonetheless. Okay, well, let's tell the listeners about the 362 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: part of your story that you're referencing this ship and 363 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: I know, but like it's so fascinating to hear you 364 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: say that. At that point, like you came out and 365 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: you started to really just lean into this fancy version 366 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,479 Speaker 1: of yourself and um, you were like I'm not going 367 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: to abandon myself again, Like I'm not gonna do it. 368 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: This is who I am. Take it or leave it. 369 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: And then you got a big record deal and we're 370 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: really like you had a viral hit with mean Yeah, 371 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: I was thinking about it today. I was like, did 372 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: fancy Invet invent going viral? Like I know he went 373 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: viral for viral Because now it's like it's people think 374 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: that's a marketing plan, will make a viral video, and 375 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: it's like it's not that fucking easy. But like I so, 376 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:51,679 Speaker 1: I was living in Los Angeles the first time I 377 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: heard of you. I worked with I was working with 378 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: a band called Five Knives and there's a guy in 379 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: there named Nathan Barla who we all know, and and 380 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: he was like, Chip, you have got to hear this 381 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: guy from Nashville. And even for me being in l 382 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: a like, I couldn't believe that this was coming from Nashville, 383 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: you know, I was like, wait, that's happening in Nashville. Um. 384 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: But at the time, so at the time, you were 385 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: going by who is fancy? Not just fancy? So I'm 386 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: curious if that was a question like that you wanted 387 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: the audience to ask, or if that was like that 388 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: was born out of you being like, wait a minute, 389 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: I'm figuring out who I am? Who is fancy? Like 390 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 1: where what was the like emphasis on the who is part? Well, 391 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: it's all a bit of a um tricky story. There's 392 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: a there's yeah, you know, it's all glamorous when you 393 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: look at it on paper. You know. I was working 394 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: with all the biggest names, and I went from working 395 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: at for Every twenty one, all of a sudden, I had, 396 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: you know, the publishing deal with my dreams to working 397 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: with producers that I never dream and I would meet 398 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: yet alone, work for and work with. And it was 399 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: just constant, you know, back to people telling me what 400 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: I could and couldn't do. And there's one thing that 401 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: motivates me more than anything else, and it's someone telling 402 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: me I can't. A very big producer who I was 403 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: writing with, and I was like playing him some of 404 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: the stuff that I was creating for myself from my artistry, 405 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: and I remember him just looking at me like dead 406 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: in the eye and being like, you really think you're 407 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: gonna be able to be an artist? And I was like, 408 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: I don't just think that I am an artist like 409 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: that is I mean, there's like, what are you talking about? 410 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: Like it was so puzzling to me, and he's like, yeah, 411 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: you're more of a behind the scenes kind of person. 412 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,400 Speaker 1: Like I think you you're gonna have lots of hits, 413 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: like you're a really talented writer, but you're definitely not 414 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: going to be an artist, like like this song would 415 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: be great for you know, any listed like ten other artists, 416 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: you know. But because I was you know, not only 417 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: just queer and flamboyant. I was wearing full face makeup, 418 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: but I'm also like, you know, large and in charge, 419 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 1: and so there was just so many things that people 420 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: saw as an obstacle to me being relevant and famous 421 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 1: and people recognizing me as an artist. And I thought 422 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: when I got my big record deal and my man 423 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: feel out of spite from that producer telling me I couldn't, 424 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: I thought that all of that was going to change, 425 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: and it did not. You know, I ended up in 426 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,959 Speaker 1: this situation where, you know, I don't think anyone woke up, 427 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: the people working for me. I don't think anyone woke 428 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 1: up and was like, you know what, we want to 429 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 1: damage this dude. We want to like mess up his 430 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: life and make him feel bad about himself. I don't 431 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: think this was like uh um, conscious effort to like 432 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,360 Speaker 1: shame me or make me feel a certain way. But 433 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,640 Speaker 1: inevitably Los Angeles just chewed me up and spit me out. 434 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: I signed this big deal, I get moved to the 435 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: l a part time, and then all of a sudden, 436 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: you know, the conversation turns to, well, you need to 437 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 1: be in a jam, and this is what we're gonna do. 438 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: We're gonna make this this whole campaign got pitched to 439 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: me about putting my song out, my song Goodbye, putting 440 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,239 Speaker 1: it out, having this like everything about being about not 441 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:18,359 Speaker 1: what you look like and not all this stuff, And 442 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,680 Speaker 1: all of a sudden I realized, like, wow, my songs 443 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: out and it's climbing the chart, all this stuff, and 444 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: I'm not a part of the brand at all. And 445 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: actually the first time I ever heard the song on 446 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,959 Speaker 1: the radio was the first time I was informed that 447 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: I was being called who is fancy? That wasn't a 448 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: decision I made. That was those And I think the 449 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: whole thing was for other people to ask who is fancy? 450 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: But I think inevitably when you take someone out of 451 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: their own branding and then pose a question, I think 452 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: what that ends up doing is making the artists look 453 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,360 Speaker 1: like they don't know who they are, like you kind 454 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 1: of implied, is like the second part of that question. 455 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: And no matter what I did after that with the label, 456 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: with my management, we just could not get on the 457 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: same page because that question was so um palpable who 458 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: is fancy? And my voice didn't matter and no one 459 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: else could really speak to this artist because they didn't 460 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: create it. I did this, this fan I think I 461 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: created to set myself free from this conservative Christian world 462 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: that I lived in Nashville. And then after that, it's 463 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: like country music row world where people were trying to 464 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,880 Speaker 1: make me play by their rules, and I realized, like, wow, 465 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: I'm not in that Christian bubble anymore. I'm not in 466 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 1: that music row bubble anymore. I'm in this Los Angeles 467 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: music business bubble now. And it's people doing the same 468 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: exact thing that people have been doing to me my 469 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: whole adult life as a queer person, telling me who 470 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: I am and what I am. And in fact, I 471 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: didn't even get to perform live. I got to be 472 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: on Jimmy fallon The Tonight Show, which is, you know, 473 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: a major achievement and a huge bucketless moment for an artist, 474 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: especially that being my first time on television and finding 475 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:06,239 Speaker 1: out that the only reason I was able to do 476 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:07,640 Speaker 1: it is because I had been in the gym every 477 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: single day while my song was climbing in the chart, 478 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden I looked a certain way, 479 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Suddenly I was presentable. Suddenly 480 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: the label was like, oh, well, maybe he's a star, 481 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: like you know, because I wasn't fat anymore. And it 482 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,640 Speaker 1: was just kind of a devastating time. All of these 483 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: bucket list things were happening to me. I had a 484 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: top forty hit on the pop radio a year after 485 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: one of the world's biggest producers told me I'd never 486 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: be an artist. Um. And then all of a sudden, 487 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 1: I was just in these moments of just like I'm 488 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: not surrounded by the right people. These people don't support 489 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: my art. Like I think there was some well intentioned 490 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: people around, but inevitably everyone just works for the man 491 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: So it's like you're kind of just not protected. And 492 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: the whole reason you have managers just to feel protected 493 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: and to feel like your brand and your your art 494 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: is being protected, you know, from hours to be and I, 495 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: uh spit up and shoot out and uh, I was 496 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: in and out of my record deal in a year 497 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: and a half, which is a lot of people get 498 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: um shelves and stuck in situation. At the end of 499 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: the day, everyone handled the situation with kindness, you know, 500 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 1: think horrible things happened, But at the end of the day, 501 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: I was let out of all contracts like it like 502 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: it just was like it's like it never happened. But 503 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: I walked away saying I had a you know, a 504 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:36,120 Speaker 1: top forty hit I toward the country with Ariana Grand Day. 505 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 1: I have a song with Ariana Grand Day. A viral hit. 506 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: It's like, some pretty badass things happened, But it was 507 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 1: traumatizing the whole time because I just felt like I 508 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,679 Speaker 1: wasn't allowed to be myself and I was having to 509 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: be something that other people wanted me to be, And 510 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: a lot of decisions were made out of fear, because 511 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: we gotta remember me being an openly gay pop star 512 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: that wanted to sing a about boys. I wasn't being 513 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 1: I refused, Remember I told you, I refused to not 514 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: bel and just by everyone doing their best to make me, 515 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: you know, tone it down or you know, be more palatable, 516 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: is what I'm not palatable is what I was told 517 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: all the time. But I was still thinking about boys 518 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: because that's what I know. I'm not going to try 519 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 1: to be like ambiguous, not at this point in my life. 520 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: So you know, my song boys Like You was kind 521 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: of my last hurrah with the label, and um, you 522 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: know it was. It already got stramed more than my 523 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: top forty hit by the time I got dropped. But 524 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,679 Speaker 1: there's just not much to say. But it was a 525 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:44,200 Speaker 1: time where you know, gay marriage wasn't even Yeah. Yeah, 526 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: it's so crazy to me because it's not like you 527 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: walked in and said, Hey, you're gonna manage me and 528 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: you're gonna put off our records. Like these people chose 529 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: to work with you and to not you know, support 530 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: you for you it just sounds absurd, like did It's 531 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: like they just wanted to waste their own time for 532 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: a year and a half. I think, like I said, 533 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: I think there was some well intentioned people, and I 534 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,680 Speaker 1: think as things start moving is you know, I don't 535 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: think anyone thought that Goodbye was truly going to catch 536 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: the way it caught. You know, it's seeming I remember, 537 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: I think it was January when they first sent it 538 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: to the first radio station, and it was already a 539 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: top forty hit by April. So it's not like it 540 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: spent all this time. I did not do one radio tour, 541 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: Like there wasn't like a ton of like it just 542 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: kind of really took on a life of its own. Yeah. 543 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: And unfortunately, this like big, which happens a lot to 544 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: a lot of artists, you know, this big grand mansion 545 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: was built without a fan foundation, brand opportunities that you know, 546 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: seemingly would launch someone into the stratosphere. Um, but there 547 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: was no foundation, There was no there was nothing for 548 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: me to really hold onto. There was nothing really for 549 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: the listeners to hold on too. And I think people, 550 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 1: you know, I think the industry wants to you know, 551 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: they constantly are talking about dumbing things down for the audience, 552 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: But I think the audience is a lot smarter than 553 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: the industry wants to give him credit for. And I 554 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: think they know when something is authentic when something's not authentic. 555 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,479 Speaker 1: And unfortunately for me, I was presenting myself on these 556 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: large platforms um not fully feeling great about myself. And 557 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: I think up on that, I totally agree with that, 558 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: And I think you know, Chip manages L King and 559 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: we talked and you've actually I've seen you open for 560 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: L King, and she, to me is one of those 561 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: people who just fucking is who she is, like across 562 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 1: the board, and um, I think people pick up on that, 563 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: and it's just like why people love her, And I like, 564 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: I love watching people like that really grow and succeed 565 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: because to me, like you said, the foundation is there 566 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: and they know who they are and they just own 567 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: it and people get it that way. But when we 568 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 1: try to like tort ourselves and fit into a box, 569 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: a lot of times it just gets lost and people 570 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: get confused and if they don't have the thing to 571 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: grip onto of, like no, this is who that person is, 572 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: they can't buy in either. Right well, And something I 573 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,479 Speaker 1: love about l King that I got to know about 574 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: her on this tour, O King is going to be 575 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: ol King And it doesn't matter if it is me, you, 576 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: or Elton John in the room, be herself. And that's 577 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 1: why she has been so successful in so many different 578 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: iterations of her career. And it was inspiring for me 579 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: to be around someone like that because you know what 580 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: I think, because of the way I grew up, and 581 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: because of the um all the voices who have told 582 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 1: me to be less, like to lit on it, be less, 583 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: be palatable, like you don't want people to be offended, 584 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: you don't want I think. Something I learned is that 585 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: that's not me, you know what I mean? Like, that's 586 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: not who I am. So done are the days of 587 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: me listening to anyone, whether it is a big wig producer, 588 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: whether it is a big shot manager, where it's a 589 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: label president, whether it's another artist, whether it's someone at 590 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: a grocery store, whether it's a fan comming on my Instagram. Um, 591 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: gone are the days where I listen to anyone about 592 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: who fancy is because this is the world I created, 593 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: you know, And I've really been able to in the 594 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: last couple of years or frustrate this really beautiful um 595 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: landscape around me, of the people I work with, of 596 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: the people who get to speak into my creative process, 597 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: the people who get to speak into my career, the 598 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: people who get to speak into my personal life are 599 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: really vetted and trusted and people that rarely criticize and 600 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: always uplift. You know. I realized that, you know, people 601 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: always talk about yes people, you don't want to be right, 602 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: but you don't want to be around no people either. 603 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: And there's a lot of people in this world, a 604 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: lot of people in this industry that are no people 605 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: for the sake of I think, their own insecurity, their 606 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: own fear. They can't imagine themselves, um, living to their 607 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: fullest potential, So why would they ever support someone else 608 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: living to their and this moment and when you think 609 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 1: about who's speaking into your life, the critics, you know, 610 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 1: whether they be people you don't know or people who 611 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 1: are working closely, um, you got to really ask yourself, 612 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: is this someone who I would switch places with? And 613 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: if the answers no, then what they're saying to you 614 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. Realize there's a lot of people in this 615 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: group in this career I've had speaking into it that 616 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: I would not trade places with, not for the most 617 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: money in the world. Would I want to be in 618 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: their position, because what they don't have is true happiness. 619 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: And you can see that as people you know exists 620 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: and around you. You can see when someone is truly happy. 621 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 1: And you would never treat someone way I got treated 622 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles. If you were happy, or if you 623 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,200 Speaker 1: were trying happiness, if you're trying to money and greed 624 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: and all of that stuff, Um, that's not gonna find 625 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 1: you happiness. And I am in a place now in 626 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: my life where being being myself and and creating art 627 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: that makes me happy and speaks to me, and I 628 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: think people in my community that makes me the happiest. 629 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 1: I don't care if a radio station wants to play 630 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: my song or not. I don't care if a big 631 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: manager thinks my song is a hit, because I know 632 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: that there's people out there listening. Um, this is the 633 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: first time I'm you know, last year I put out 634 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: my album and it's my debut album. I've been in 635 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: this game since I was seventeen years old, and I 636 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: put out my debut album last year in I've lived 637 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: in Nashville since two thousand nine. Wow, my only body 638 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: of work came out in one After a pretty gnarly 639 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: year yea with pandemics. I was hit by a tornado 640 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: here in Nashville. Yeah, you lost your house right, Yeah, 641 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: my apartment I did. The photos are insane. I'm never 642 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 1: say that, I'll but you know what it's like, with 643 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: the lowest of lows comes some of the highest of highs. 644 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: And I found myself again, you know, actually rising from 645 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 1: the ashes and getting to having the opportunity to put 646 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 1: my first full body of work out into this world. 647 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: And not for nothing. I own it so of like 648 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 1: despite you know, you can look at the who is 649 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:36,720 Speaker 1: Fancy Spotify page and I have over a hundred million spins. 650 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 1: But ultimately that was not beneficial to me in my life, 651 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 1: and you know, I don't have the same amount of streams, 652 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: you know, with what I'm doing now. But I feel 653 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 1: fulfilled and I feel so happy, and I feel like 654 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:52,800 Speaker 1: all these opportunities that are finding me now are finding 655 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: me at a moment of peace and me and um, 656 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm arriving, you know what I mean? 657 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: And and and not just in my career, but in 658 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: my life. I have a thing I do and this 659 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: started probably in like two thousand eighteen. I don't make 660 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: New Year's resolutions, but I said a theme for my year, 661 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:16,960 Speaker 1: and it's really it's really crazy how just knowing what 662 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: I want to happen in a year and just focusing 663 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: on that and and truly believing that that's what I 664 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 1: deserve and seeing myself um reaching that goal. It happens 665 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,760 Speaker 1: full stop. And so it's just been cool because people 666 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: have always made me feel like I couldn't do things 667 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: without them, specifically in my career, and this is that 668 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,239 Speaker 1: you know, you mentioned me going back on tour without King, 669 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 1: And this is the year where I've done everything that 670 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,439 Speaker 1: I was doing in two thousand fifteen, and I'm doing 671 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:47,880 Speaker 1: it again, and this time I'm doing it on my 672 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 1: own terms, and I'm doing it my way. And this 673 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: is art that no one has really spoken into except 674 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,319 Speaker 1: for me, so and trust to collaborators. So it's been 675 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: a really fulfilling moment. And you know, my story sounds dramatic, 676 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: it sounds crazy, but all of that today, you know, 677 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 1: it was a huge learning curve and I learned a 678 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 1: lot about what I don't want and what I don't need, 679 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 1: and what I don't need is people who don't understand 680 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:20,400 Speaker 1: me speaking into my my art and my life. The 681 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: reminder too, as you're talking, like, have you guys ever 682 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,239 Speaker 1: heard that analogy of like life is just a corkscrew 683 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 1: like we all wanted to be excuse me, this uphill climb, right, 684 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 1: Like something happens, you learn a lesson and then from 685 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 1: then on out it's just all the way up. And 686 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:40,160 Speaker 1: really it's like life is this up and down, you know, 687 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:43,240 Speaker 1: just journey of different obstacles and a lot of times 688 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: we even get the same lesson presented to us, and 689 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:48,440 Speaker 1: it's like, okay, well, am I going to make a 690 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: different decision this time? Or am I actually going to 691 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,440 Speaker 1: lean into my truth more and hold onto it? And 692 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: I hear so much of that in you. It's like 693 00:36:56,120 --> 00:37:00,399 Speaker 1: you kept bumping up against this thing of like who 694 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,799 Speaker 1: is fancy? You know, like through your whole life you've 695 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: kind of had the same narrative following you, and it's 696 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:09,399 Speaker 1: really inviting you to lean so much more hardcore into like, 697 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:11,880 Speaker 1: I know who I am, and I'm gonna tell you 698 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: who I am. And I think that the fulfillment that 699 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: I see you talking about right now has to be 700 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: a product of that. I mean, yeah, I mean the 701 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: the whole thing about people, the whole thing about the 702 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 1: who is fancy thing? And you know, I remember how 703 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 1: nauseating for me those label meetings were, because you know, 704 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:34,799 Speaker 1: it would be like, well, you need to be the 705 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,320 Speaker 1: male Megan Trainer, you need to make a motown record, 706 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 1: you need to make this kind of record, you need 707 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,120 Speaker 1: to make that record. And you know I would running, 708 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 1: I would do it all, I would do whatever that 709 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it was never enough. 710 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:50,080 Speaker 1: And so you know, I just realized, like, you know what, 711 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: I do know who I am, but who I am 712 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: just not fit into these people's version of what they 713 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:01,800 Speaker 1: want me to be. For oh, and that's no longer 714 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 1: something I do. I don't live for other people's comfort, 715 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: Like you don't like what I'm doing on Instagram unfollowed, 716 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:10,880 Speaker 1: you don't like what I'm doing at my shows, don't 717 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: come you know what I mean. It's like there's just 718 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 1: all these different I used to live for other people's comfort, 719 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: I used to want to be what other people wanted 720 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:21,239 Speaker 1: me to be. And I think you're right. I think, 721 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,359 Speaker 1: you know, I was rubbing against that. It's a theme 722 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: in my life of constant you know. I feel like 723 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: I have to prove myself, and I think I have 724 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:32,440 Speaker 1: proven myself. I've come out of all of those uh 725 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:40,880 Speaker 1: really dramatic stories unscathed, you know, and better better. I agree. Yeah, 726 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 1: you know, Kelly Clarkson was not lying. But doesn't kill 727 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:50,720 Speaker 1: you definitely makes you stronger. She always speaks the trip well. 728 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: The last album was called Southern Curiosity. I loved it. 729 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,399 Speaker 1: I think it's so great. I listened to that song 730 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 1: Don't Blink just one repeat for some reason. That one 731 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:01,880 Speaker 1: really speak to me and I just could blast it 732 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:03,919 Speaker 1: in my car all the time. I love it. Tell 733 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 1: us a little bit about that album and making that 734 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: album and what that process was like for you. Um, 735 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:12,799 Speaker 1: it was a long time coming the album. We took 736 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 1: a very long time to make it. Um. I moved 737 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:19,279 Speaker 1: back to Nashville from l A. I always kind of 738 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:20,759 Speaker 1: had a place in Nashville as I was kind of 739 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 1: going back and forth, but I moved back full time 740 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:29,600 Speaker 1: in two thousand sixteen, and UM, I got out of 741 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:33,719 Speaker 1: the last contract that I was in with all my 742 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:36,400 Speaker 1: previous stuff, I had to wait out. So I basically 743 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,760 Speaker 1: took a year off in Nashville. So I went from 744 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:41,840 Speaker 1: being on Jimmy Fallon and tourning with r On a 745 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:43,760 Speaker 1: Grande and all was stuff to moving back to Nashville 746 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: and working at a bar, and which is humbling to 747 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,839 Speaker 1: say the least. And um, I took a year off 748 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,799 Speaker 1: waiting to get out of my last contract, and I 749 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:54,400 Speaker 1: got out of thinking I was a little big for 750 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:56,560 Speaker 1: my bridges, thinking well, I'm going to get another deal 751 00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,799 Speaker 1: just like that. And it took me about a year 752 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:01,880 Speaker 1: and have to get another deal. So it was like 753 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 1: entering into two thousand eighteen when I finally got a 754 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:09,440 Speaker 1: new publishing deal, um with my now manager Natalie Osborne 755 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:16,320 Speaker 1: and her longtime collaborator Steve Markland, who's an amazing person. Um, 756 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: but what had happened is like those years where I 757 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: couldn't get a deal and I was just kind of 758 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:23,240 Speaker 1: existing in Nashville. I became very close to see Markland 759 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,719 Speaker 1: and obviously Natalie's you y'alls listeners don't know this, but 760 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:30,919 Speaker 1: she's my platonic life partners. She's my best friend and 761 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,680 Speaker 1: she was, you know, working at this publishing company, and 762 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,400 Speaker 1: I finally feel like I just they started like, you know, 763 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,239 Speaker 1: we'll help you get in rides, Well help you do this. 764 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 1: And then one day I was at their publishing company 765 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,480 Speaker 1: after having lunch with Natalie, and Steve's like, well, what 766 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: do you what do you need? Like I want to 767 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: help you, Like what do you need? And I was 768 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:51,359 Speaker 1: just like, enough, I need a publishing deal, like sign me, 769 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,200 Speaker 1: Like I don't need anything other than cold heart cash, 770 00:40:54,320 --> 00:41:00,040 Speaker 1: time and you know, space, and lucky me, I got it. 771 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: They gave me that tenfold and I started being able 772 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:05,360 Speaker 1: to travel that same year. You know, I told you 773 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,800 Speaker 1: about my themes for the year that I wanted to travel, 774 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:11,960 Speaker 1: So it was the year of travel and I I 775 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 1: spent money on one trip to Ireland and after that 776 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 1: I got to go to nine new countries that year 777 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 1: and I didn't pay for one of them. I want 778 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: next year. Yeah, it was like all songs, like people 779 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 1: wanted me to come somewhere and right or somewhere to perform, 780 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: you know, And it was just kind of a crazy 781 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 1: year of just like opportunities to get to see the world. 782 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: And I think, uh, going to London was really a 783 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:46,279 Speaker 1: catalyst for me as an artist, because UM, genre has 784 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 1: always been such a tricky thing for me, because I 785 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:53,680 Speaker 1: always felt too queer to truly belong here, and in 786 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:56,799 Speaker 1: l A, I felt to Nashville to belong there, and 787 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,120 Speaker 1: so I always it's always just been such a clusterfuck 788 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,880 Speaker 1: for me. And then when I was in London, genre 789 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,360 Speaker 1: was not a conversation whatsoever, mainly because country music isn't 790 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 1: a largely known thing there. So I actually wrote Don't 791 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: Blink in London with a pop producer UM who was like, oh, 792 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 1: I've always wanted to try to write a country song, 793 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 1: and what he played me was this like electric guitar 794 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:24,719 Speaker 1: riff with this trap beat underneath it, basically, and in 795 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 1: about ten minutes over there, Oh my god. Now. And 796 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 1: I remember being back stateside and we were like listening 797 00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,239 Speaker 1: to some of the songs I had written, and I 798 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:40,200 Speaker 1: feel like it was the first song that all of us, Natalie, Steve, myself, 799 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:42,040 Speaker 1: we're listening to and we were like, you know what, 800 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:46,359 Speaker 1: this is a vibe. It's a stand vibe and like 801 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:49,360 Speaker 1: it's you know, it's fresh, It's is a country I 802 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 1: don't know, is it pop? I don't know, but it's fancy, 803 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:55,759 Speaker 1: and that's what it felt like. It felt like I 804 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:59,080 Speaker 1: had really stepped into my sound for the first time. Um, 805 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,680 Speaker 1: the record after that, you know, we I was writing 806 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:04,880 Speaker 1: with so many people in Nashville and in London. I 807 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 1: wrote half that record in London. Um, but it just 808 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:11,080 Speaker 1: kind of fell together. And then John Green, who's a 809 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,120 Speaker 1: dear friend, and Tofa Brown, who's a dear friend. I've 810 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 1: known both of them for a better part of a decade, 811 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:18,760 Speaker 1: and um, we actually did a demo together that actually 812 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 1: never even made the record, which is funny, but I 813 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:24,680 Speaker 1: loved the way they made it sound. And so I 814 00:43:24,719 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 1: was like, can y'all come in and produced some songs 815 00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 1: on me? And I convinced Steve to pay for like 816 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 1: the first four and we were like calling it an 817 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 1: e P. And then in the studio I ended up 818 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 1: recording like nine songs. And then I just kept somehow 819 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:40,759 Speaker 1: talking people into letting me record more and more and more. 820 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: Every time John Green was in Nashville, me, him and 821 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:45,880 Speaker 1: Tofa we get together at Battle Tapes in East Nashville, 822 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: and I think we recorded like twenty songs for Sudden Curiosity. 823 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:55,080 Speaker 1: And then finally cut it down to eleven. But yeah, 824 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:57,319 Speaker 1: it was just a beautiful process and it was it 825 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:01,480 Speaker 1: was the most uh fulfilling creatively I've ever felt at 826 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:03,480 Speaker 1: that point, and I just felt so in charge and 827 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 1: so present in my own art and my own brand, 828 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:09,440 Speaker 1: and that record something I'm really proud of because in 829 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,520 Speaker 1: a lot of ways for me, it's a big fuck 830 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:14,800 Speaker 1: you to Los Angeles and a big fuck you to 831 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:18,200 Speaker 1: Nashville because I'm going to be whatever I want to 832 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,759 Speaker 1: be whenever I want to be. It fancy is not 833 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:23,319 Speaker 1: just one thing. I'm a lot of things. I'm born 834 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:27,239 Speaker 1: and raised in the South, and I'm unapologetically proud to 835 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:29,719 Speaker 1: be queer, and I never want to hide any of 836 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:33,240 Speaker 1: those facts about myself. Um, and I think that's something 837 00:44:33,280 --> 00:44:35,879 Speaker 1: that I was asked to do multiple times in this 838 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:39,120 Speaker 1: lifetime so far, and I'm just, you know, like I've 839 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:41,840 Speaker 1: said multiple times, I'm done doing that. I'm done apologizing 840 00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:44,399 Speaker 1: for being who and what I am. And I feel 841 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 1: like he is my love letter to myself and my 842 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:51,600 Speaker 1: love letter to being queer in the South. And the 843 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:54,960 Speaker 1: most beautiful part about it, I get emotional talking about 844 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:58,839 Speaker 1: this is all the messages I get from people who 845 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:03,600 Speaker 1: finally see themselves in music, because our narrative is not 846 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:09,399 Speaker 1: often explored, you know, especially in Nashville and kind of storytelling. 847 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,720 Speaker 1: And I feel like something curiosity was for me away, 848 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,040 Speaker 1: for me to tell my story. But the most impactful 849 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 1: thing for me has been hearing other people share their 850 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:21,279 Speaker 1: stories with me and tell me that that album was 851 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:24,000 Speaker 1: the first time they were able to see themselves in 852 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:27,640 Speaker 1: a space in a place that doesn't often celebrate them 853 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,320 Speaker 1: and so it's it's kind of a bridge of sorts 854 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 1: and I just really feel so blessed to have been 855 00:45:33,239 --> 00:45:36,560 Speaker 1: able to be a part of that and too, you know, 856 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:40,720 Speaker 1: be challenging the norm here in Nashville, challenging what stories 857 00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:44,560 Speaker 1: get told and who's getting to tell them. Yeah, And 858 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 1: I think, I mean that is so beautiful to me 859 00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:51,719 Speaker 1: because I really felt listening to this album, like what 860 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:55,960 Speaker 1: I get from it is just the rawness of your 861 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:59,120 Speaker 1: emotions in general, whether it's heartbreak or it's just like 862 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:02,880 Speaker 1: deep love of if it's accepting yourself, like I felt 863 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:06,279 Speaker 1: all of that, which then translates into me feeling that 864 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: for myself, you know, and giving myself the graces of 865 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:14,040 Speaker 1: just like you're this way, accept it, like stop trying 866 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,840 Speaker 1: to not be who you are to fit into someone 867 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:20,839 Speaker 1: else's box. And um, also it helps that you can 868 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:23,200 Speaker 1: fucking sing your ass off and it's just fankful to 869 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:26,560 Speaker 1: listen to you all day. So I'm just a huge 870 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:29,480 Speaker 1: fan of it. And I just love that you are 871 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:32,000 Speaker 1: embracing who you are because I think that that's a 872 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:35,080 Speaker 1: gift to all of us as well well. I I 873 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:39,200 Speaker 1: also love that, like, um, even in the production, the 874 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:42,520 Speaker 1: rawness like it's night and day from Who Is Fancy, 875 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:46,279 Speaker 1: and it's like the makeup came off, the cloak was 876 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:50,279 Speaker 1: the cloak was removed, and you just you fucking just 877 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:54,960 Speaker 1: laid your heart out on a record and it's you know, um, 878 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:59,400 Speaker 1: that to me is the clearest path to happiness. Is 879 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:03,960 Speaker 1: just like you allowed yourself to love yourself. And as 880 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,560 Speaker 1: much as you wanted people to hear this record, you 881 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:10,239 Speaker 1: needed you clearly needed to make this for you. And 882 00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:14,959 Speaker 1: that's I think where the most pure art comes from. Yeah, 883 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:17,640 Speaker 1: I think you know. It was also the first time, 884 00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 1: you know, I've been talking about being surrounded by the 885 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:22,560 Speaker 1: right people. It's the first time. Yeah, I felt so 886 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:27,640 Speaker 1: nurtured to be myself and there was I didn't have 887 00:47:27,680 --> 00:47:30,239 Speaker 1: no people around me, and not that the people around 888 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:34,520 Speaker 1: me were yes people, but I firsthand got to see 889 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:38,279 Speaker 1: what it's like when you're nurtured as a creator, as 890 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,040 Speaker 1: a creative, as a as an artist. Um when when 891 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:46,160 Speaker 1: people just allow you the space and the time to 892 00:47:46,320 --> 00:47:48,839 Speaker 1: be yourself, what can come of that? And I think 893 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: it's it's really beautiful that, you know, I found the 894 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:55,759 Speaker 1: people in the town that seemingly was not filled with 895 00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:59,480 Speaker 1: people like that. I'm really thankful that I've I found 896 00:47:59,560 --> 00:48:01,239 Speaker 1: the group of people that allow me to do that, 897 00:48:01,320 --> 00:48:03,520 Speaker 1: and that has morphed into this whole other thing. You know, 898 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,480 Speaker 1: I was sounded signed to Downtown. That's not even a 899 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:11,000 Speaker 1: thing in Nashville anymore. And now those publishers are my managers. 900 00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:13,520 Speaker 1: So we've kind of taken on this whole thing. Because 901 00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:15,960 Speaker 1: I think it's when you find the people that ride 902 00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:18,080 Speaker 1: for you, you you gotta stick with them. And I finally 903 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 1: feel like I have the people that ride for me. 904 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:22,400 Speaker 1: They don't ride for one song. It's it's not that 905 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:25,439 Speaker 1: they're writing because I have a a hit song. It's 906 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:29,680 Speaker 1: not because you know, there's this big artists taking me 907 00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 1: on tour. They ride for me, and I see it 908 00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:34,000 Speaker 1: in my day life, and I see it in my 909 00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:36,480 Speaker 1: career as well. So I think that's the most special 910 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:39,600 Speaker 1: thing for me that came of the whole Southern curiosity 911 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,640 Speaker 1: thing is just finding my tribe, finding my people, the 912 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 1: people nurture me and allow me to be myself in 913 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:53,600 Speaker 1: my you know, creative space. Yeah, freaking hard, what did 914 00:48:53,640 --> 00:48:56,359 Speaker 1: you say? And who knew that'd be so freaking hard 915 00:48:56,360 --> 00:48:59,360 Speaker 1: to find me? I think it's one of the hardest 916 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:02,879 Speaker 1: things though. It's finding, finding and embracing the people who 917 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:05,520 Speaker 1: can truly support you and be with you on your 918 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:09,920 Speaker 1: journey and then make you, like not make you, but 919 00:49:10,040 --> 00:49:13,000 Speaker 1: allow you to be yourself so that you can stay there, 920 00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:15,359 Speaker 1: you know. Like, I think it's probably something we're all 921 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:18,160 Speaker 1: going to bump up against. And the older I get, 922 00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 1: the more important. I love that you've been putting it 923 00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:24,319 Speaker 1: into like having yes people but I mean and not 924 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:27,000 Speaker 1: having no people around you. I've never thought about it 925 00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:29,319 Speaker 1: that way, but that is it's so destructive for a 926 00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:32,480 Speaker 1: creative because then you just you get squashed and you 927 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:34,720 Speaker 1: get smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller, and before 928 00:49:34,719 --> 00:49:37,680 Speaker 1: you know what, you're questioning everything you do, which is 929 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 1: literally the most contradictory thing to being able to really 930 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 1: embrace your creativity. Yeah, exactly, because when you have people 931 00:49:46,600 --> 00:49:48,799 Speaker 1: are just sitting there, you know, with their arrows ready 932 00:49:48,840 --> 00:49:52,239 Speaker 1: to shoot every dream, an idea you you're throwing out. 933 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:54,640 Speaker 1: It got me to a point where I didn't want 934 00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:58,920 Speaker 1: to throw anything out exactly about saying anything at all, 935 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:01,760 Speaker 1: and then it turns into well you don't know yourself, 936 00:50:02,160 --> 00:50:05,759 Speaker 1: you know. I'm like, well, great, perfect, and like I 937 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:10,520 Speaker 1: did before this conversation, glad we're here now. But I'm 938 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:16,800 Speaker 1: so glad we landed here. Yeah, thank you. It's it's 939 00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:20,799 Speaker 1: it should be criminal for liars to work in the arts, 940 00:50:20,840 --> 00:50:24,439 Speaker 1: because look, it's there are plenty of jobs out there 941 00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:27,319 Speaker 1: that are people's dream jobs, but when it comes to art, 942 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:30,560 Speaker 1: that is your dream, you know, like it's not a 943 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:33,479 Speaker 1: dream job, it is you are living your dream. And 944 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:36,200 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sure there were plenty of days that 945 00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:38,759 Speaker 1: you're like and maybe even still like you look back 946 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:40,359 Speaker 1: and like, how did I get there? While people were 947 00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:42,840 Speaker 1: lying to you, they were saying what they wanted you 948 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:44,759 Speaker 1: to hear so that they could get from you what 949 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:48,080 Speaker 1: they wanted, and it wasn't your dream. They wanted money, 950 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:50,600 Speaker 1: they wanted power. They wanted all of these things, and 951 00:50:50,640 --> 00:50:52,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure there were some well intentioned people there that 952 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:55,839 Speaker 1: did want to see you succeed, but it wasn't it 953 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:58,960 Speaker 1: was it might not have been for your dream though, 954 00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:01,640 Speaker 1: And it sounds like the people around you now And 955 00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:03,920 Speaker 1: of course I don't I don't know Steve, but I 956 00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:08,240 Speaker 1: of course know Natalie, and it's like they they're along, 957 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:12,600 Speaker 1: like they share your dream. So it's it's a they're 958 00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:15,640 Speaker 1: coming from a much more pure place and well, I 959 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:18,440 Speaker 1: mean it's it's so beautiful. Like you know, as a 960 00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:22,040 Speaker 1: manager myself, it's like, I I know none of this 961 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:24,560 Speaker 1: is easy. You know, it's like I have to believe 962 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:29,719 Speaker 1: the dream too other or I'm gonna fail, Like I 963 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:32,719 Speaker 1: have to wake up and believe the same fucking dream. Well, 964 00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:36,399 Speaker 1: I also thinking that I have realized in the last 965 00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:38,600 Speaker 1: couple of years working with nat and working with Steve 966 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:41,680 Speaker 1: is like also I believe in them just as much 967 00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:44,160 Speaker 1: as they believe in me. You trust people that you 968 00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:47,360 Speaker 1: believe in and that you see, you see their potential 969 00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:50,680 Speaker 1: and you see like where the you know when it's 970 00:51:50,719 --> 00:51:54,480 Speaker 1: able to like suddenly there's joy, you know, meetings. I 971 00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:57,760 Speaker 1: used to load the word meeting, like, let's have meeting, 972 00:51:58,080 --> 00:52:02,000 Speaker 1: let's jump on a call. I'd be like, oh god, no, 973 00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:05,080 Speaker 1: thank you. I'm gonna run off Runyon Canyon before I 974 00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:07,600 Speaker 1: go to another you know what I mean. But it's 975 00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:11,200 Speaker 1: just like now, it's like I find so much joy 976 00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:16,160 Speaker 1: in the brainstorming in the in the group think you know, 977 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:19,080 Speaker 1: what are we doing next? Because it does feel like 978 00:52:19,200 --> 00:52:22,680 Speaker 1: a week. It doesn't feel like me working for other people, 979 00:52:22,719 --> 00:52:26,320 Speaker 1: which is what my career has always felt. Me answering 980 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:35,680 Speaker 1: to some heterosexual white dude telling me how to be fancy. 981 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:39,319 Speaker 1: Finally feel like I'm at the helm of my own ship. 982 00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:41,960 Speaker 1: And everyone always says you have to be. But how 983 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:46,840 Speaker 1: many people allow you to be is really interesting because 984 00:52:46,920 --> 00:52:49,680 Speaker 1: the answer is not that many. And when you have 985 00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:53,320 Speaker 1: people that allow you to finally feel like they're working 986 00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:56,680 Speaker 1: with you and you're not, you're working for them, it 987 00:52:56,840 --> 00:53:02,040 Speaker 1: just it fosters a really peaceful, um joyful environment. So 988 00:53:02,239 --> 00:53:04,279 Speaker 1: not to say that you know we win all the time, 989 00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:06,200 Speaker 1: that every day is a win, that's not true. There's 990 00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:08,839 Speaker 1: many times where you know, we're all bummed out, but 991 00:53:09,520 --> 00:53:11,840 Speaker 1: we're in it together, you know, and that makes the 992 00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:18,080 Speaker 1: sting of you know, the not great days not feel 993 00:53:18,080 --> 00:53:20,319 Speaker 1: as bad because I know that I have this team 994 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:25,000 Speaker 1: around me that believes in the overall bigger picture right 995 00:53:26,960 --> 00:53:28,960 Speaker 1: in my career. Earlier, I had all this success, the 996 00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:31,760 Speaker 1: top forty hit, big tours, all this stuff under my belt. 997 00:53:31,800 --> 00:53:34,880 Speaker 1: But when the when, when the storm came, the house 998 00:53:35,080 --> 00:53:42,040 Speaker 1: crumbled completely. Well. The current the current single is blue 999 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:45,680 Speaker 1: dream Baby with Casey Musgraves. I also love this song. 1000 00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:49,080 Speaker 1: Tell us tell the listeners about recording this with Casey. 1001 00:53:49,480 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 1: So I'm working on my sophomore album and blue dream 1002 00:53:53,520 --> 00:53:56,160 Speaker 1: Baby I actually wrote with Karen Fairchild from a Little 1003 00:53:56,160 --> 00:54:00,920 Speaker 1: Big Town Love Karen and a Lisa Ander Higam, who 1004 00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:06,279 Speaker 1: is um producing some more stuff for my album, and um, 1005 00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:08,200 Speaker 1: it's one of those songs that you know, I'm just 1006 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:11,799 Speaker 1: I've been so in the world of sutting curiosity. When 1007 00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:14,000 Speaker 1: we wrote it, I was kind of like, I don't know, 1008 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:17,400 Speaker 1: and then, you know, after that first day listened a 1009 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:19,600 Speaker 1: Lisa sent it to me again and was like, this 1010 00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:23,600 Speaker 1: is bonkers, and I listened to it with like a 1011 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:25,200 Speaker 1: fresh ear, and I was like, you know what this 1012 00:54:25,280 --> 00:54:28,120 Speaker 1: reminds me of. It kind of reminds me of something 1013 00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:30,320 Speaker 1: I would have written back in two thousand and fifteen, 1014 00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:33,480 Speaker 1: like it just it's an earworm. It's like, I just 1015 00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:36,839 Speaker 1: think it's such pop yumminess. And I'm kind of in 1016 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:38,960 Speaker 1: the mood to get back to that because that's where 1017 00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:42,359 Speaker 1: I started, That's where my career started. So this next 1018 00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:46,359 Speaker 1: album is a little bit of a um I feel 1019 00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:49,560 Speaker 1: like Genesis because I'm kind of returning back to what 1020 00:54:49,719 --> 00:54:52,520 Speaker 1: made me popular in the first place, which is probably 1021 00:54:53,360 --> 00:54:56,160 Speaker 1: and Kasey and I are dear friends. Is one of 1022 00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:59,480 Speaker 1: my good juniors here in town. We've we've been like 1023 00:55:00,520 --> 00:55:02,759 Speaker 1: friendly for years and years and years, but I would 1024 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:04,880 Speaker 1: I would say we got really close after a trip 1025 00:55:05,600 --> 00:55:08,240 Speaker 1: we took with some friends to Cuba, and in Cuba 1026 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:10,319 Speaker 1: there's like no phones and like all this stuff, so 1027 00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:18,239 Speaker 1: you end up just having to like you. Yeah, So 1028 00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 1: we just became very close after that trip, and then 1029 00:55:20,719 --> 00:55:24,120 Speaker 1: obviously going into the pandemic, we you know, we were 1030 00:55:24,120 --> 00:55:29,040 Speaker 1: in the same little so you could, yea the same bubble. 1031 00:55:29,480 --> 00:55:33,799 Speaker 1: And she's my closest friends and getting to collaborate with 1032 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:36,560 Speaker 1: her is a dream. But it kind of came together. 1033 00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:40,440 Speaker 1: I played it for her boyfriend, Cole Um, and I 1034 00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:42,560 Speaker 1: got a text later that night from Casey and she's 1035 00:55:42,560 --> 00:55:44,759 Speaker 1: like cold, just talking about the song like we sent 1036 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:47,080 Speaker 1: it to me. And then next thing you know, we're 1037 00:55:47,120 --> 00:55:49,520 Speaker 1: in the studio. She's putting vocals down on it, sending harmonies, 1038 00:55:49,560 --> 00:55:51,520 Speaker 1: and then she did you know, the harmony for the 1039 00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:53,480 Speaker 1: second verse ended up sounding so cool. We made it 1040 00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:55,759 Speaker 1: like the main part of it. So it's just it's 1041 00:55:55,760 --> 00:55:57,799 Speaker 1: just been a dream collab. And again it's just a 1042 00:55:57,840 --> 00:56:00,120 Speaker 1: moment for me too. You know, the music video for 1043 00:56:00,160 --> 00:56:03,000 Speaker 1: that is so outrageous and wild and I'm having like 1044 00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:12,920 Speaker 1: wild galactic alien Gailien sex and everywhere and just like 1045 00:56:13,120 --> 00:56:15,640 Speaker 1: very much. But it's just a testament to I have 1046 00:56:15,680 --> 00:56:17,760 Speaker 1: a team around me that when I throw out a vision, 1047 00:56:18,040 --> 00:56:20,600 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter what it is like there they're there 1048 00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 1: to see it through. And like I when I was 1049 00:56:23,239 --> 00:56:25,359 Speaker 1: saying the idea for the music video, like I get 1050 00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:29,160 Speaker 1: abducted by Gailiens and then you know, the alien gets 1051 00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:31,800 Speaker 1: hard and this penis like that comes across the screen 1052 00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:33,920 Speaker 1: and all this stuff. I'm thinking, like I'm about to 1053 00:56:33,920 --> 00:56:38,040 Speaker 1: get like laughed at, or like someone somewhere is gonna 1054 00:56:38,080 --> 00:56:43,719 Speaker 1: say no, and it never happened, like like yeah, not 1055 00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:46,400 Speaker 1: so funny. This is great, Like just this I was 1056 00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:48,480 Speaker 1: just kind of like, Wow, I know that I'm in 1057 00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:51,640 Speaker 1: the right place for this because I just feel like 1058 00:56:51,680 --> 00:56:54,400 Speaker 1: my visions are finally getting to come to life and 1059 00:56:54,440 --> 00:56:56,799 Speaker 1: people are getting to know me for the first time 1060 00:56:56,840 --> 00:57:00,279 Speaker 1: for real. So and having someone like Casey on the track, 1061 00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:02,160 Speaker 1: you know, it's just been It's a dream come true. 1062 00:57:02,480 --> 00:57:06,240 Speaker 1: But again, that's another you know, my last giant feature. 1063 00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:09,000 Speaker 1: I'd say I've had a ton of features I've enjoyed 1064 00:57:09,040 --> 00:57:11,319 Speaker 1: being on, but I remember the song we Are on 1065 00:57:11,320 --> 00:57:13,600 Speaker 1: a Grande and Megan Trainer, you know, that team of 1066 00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:15,480 Speaker 1: people making me feel like I could never pull something 1067 00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:18,000 Speaker 1: like that off without them, And I feel like me 1068 00:57:18,120 --> 00:57:20,960 Speaker 1: putting out a song with Casey is just another homage 1069 00:57:21,000 --> 00:57:23,000 Speaker 1: to two thousand fifteen and all the people who told 1070 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:25,360 Speaker 1: me what I couldn't do. Here I am doing it. 1071 00:57:26,320 --> 00:57:28,000 Speaker 1: I feel like the album needs to be called like 1072 00:57:28,280 --> 00:57:35,000 Speaker 1: this is fancy bitch. I know people don't like to 1073 00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:37,840 Speaker 1: talk about stuff like this, but I've thought about that. 1074 00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:39,920 Speaker 1: I've thought about what this album should be called, and 1075 00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:42,560 Speaker 1: I think, like you said earlier, seven Curiosity was such 1076 00:57:42,600 --> 00:57:49,800 Speaker 1: a uh here's my heart do well? But I think 1077 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:54,560 Speaker 1: this album, with its pop learning sounds, is kind of 1078 00:57:54,600 --> 00:57:57,960 Speaker 1: like my genesis. So I've thought about calling it that, 1079 00:57:58,040 --> 00:58:01,480 Speaker 1: and I've also thought about just calling it fancy. Yeah, 1080 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:05,000 Speaker 1: I haven't decided yet, but you're spot on with that, 1081 00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:08,640 Speaker 1: because I think I don't think there is really any 1082 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:10,640 Speaker 1: more questions about who I am. I've kind of like 1083 00:58:10,720 --> 00:58:13,120 Speaker 1: laid it out on the table, But if anyone is 1084 00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:15,400 Speaker 1: still wondering, I would love to spell that out for 1085 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:21,080 Speaker 1: them there because and I never have been and I'm 1086 00:58:21,120 --> 00:58:24,480 Speaker 1: just kind of excited to have the opportunity to continue, 1087 00:58:25,560 --> 00:58:30,320 Speaker 1: uh living my dream. Yeah, if you had to say 1088 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:34,120 Speaker 1: anything to people listening, who you know either I mean 1089 00:58:34,160 --> 00:58:36,440 Speaker 1: whether it's in a creative field or not, but just 1090 00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:40,520 Speaker 1: in life in general, Like what is your biggest takeaway 1091 00:58:40,600 --> 00:58:43,680 Speaker 1: lesson from your whole experience with this corkscrew of like 1092 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:46,000 Speaker 1: who am? I know? This is who I am? And 1093 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:48,480 Speaker 1: then people questioning it, like what have you? What is 1094 00:58:48,680 --> 00:58:54,320 Speaker 1: the biggest takeaway that you could give the listeners? Um. 1095 00:58:54,440 --> 00:58:57,480 Speaker 1: I think listening to yourself is really important, and I 1096 00:58:57,520 --> 00:59:00,600 Speaker 1: think a lot of people, myself included in the past, 1097 00:59:00,760 --> 00:59:04,320 Speaker 1: do a lot of listening to others decisions based off 1098 00:59:04,400 --> 00:59:08,400 Speaker 1: other people's feelings, and I think we have to do 1099 00:59:09,200 --> 00:59:12,120 Speaker 1: a better job at truly listening to our gut because 1100 00:59:12,160 --> 00:59:15,360 Speaker 1: I don't. My mom always said to me, you've got 1101 00:59:15,440 --> 00:59:17,040 Speaker 1: to trust your gut because it's the only thing that 1102 00:59:17,080 --> 00:59:21,360 Speaker 1: won't lie to you. And I've really the last couple 1103 00:59:21,400 --> 00:59:23,840 Speaker 1: of years have been feeling that. And I was listening 1104 00:59:23,840 --> 00:59:26,240 Speaker 1: to something week. I was reading a book that was 1105 00:59:26,280 --> 00:59:30,880 Speaker 1: talking about true emotions and fears a real emotion, and 1106 00:59:30,920 --> 00:59:33,720 Speaker 1: so I think sometimes we make decisions out of fear, 1107 00:59:34,120 --> 00:59:37,320 Speaker 1: but when fear turns to panic, that's not a real emotion. 1108 00:59:37,520 --> 00:59:44,240 Speaker 1: That's that's you know, panic, It's just such a negative thing. 1109 00:59:44,320 --> 00:59:46,480 Speaker 1: And I feel like a lot of decisions in my 1110 00:59:46,560 --> 00:59:48,360 Speaker 1: life and my career have been made out of fear 1111 00:59:48,440 --> 00:59:50,800 Speaker 1: and panic, and I just think we've got to make 1112 00:59:50,840 --> 00:59:54,000 Speaker 1: decisions out of joy and out of love. And I 1113 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:57,360 Speaker 1: would say to someone, if you're not making decisions for 1114 00:59:57,400 --> 01:00:01,600 Speaker 1: yourself in any regard, your career, your life, personal life, 1115 01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:04,600 Speaker 1: if it's not bringing you joy, if you're not making 1116 01:00:04,640 --> 01:00:07,480 Speaker 1: these decisions from a place of love, then it's not 1117 01:00:07,560 --> 01:00:13,680 Speaker 1: the right thing. That's amazing true, That is so true. Fancy, 1118 01:00:13,760 --> 01:00:15,720 Speaker 1: thank you for being here with us and sharing your 1119 01:00:15,720 --> 01:00:18,640 Speaker 1: story with our listeners. I love the journey you're on, 1120 01:00:18,880 --> 01:00:22,080 Speaker 1: and I'm so excited to just see how the rest 1121 01:00:22,120 --> 01:00:26,040 Speaker 1: of this plays out. Where can people find you. You 1122 01:00:26,080 --> 01:00:29,480 Speaker 1: can find me on Instagram at Fancy Hey Good and 1123 01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:32,640 Speaker 1: anywhere you listen to music, anywhere you listen to music. 1124 01:00:32,680 --> 01:00:36,040 Speaker 1: I'll put links to Fancy's Instagram and this album in 1125 01:00:36,040 --> 01:00:39,439 Speaker 1: the description of this podcast. And I'm just so glad 1126 01:00:39,440 --> 01:00:43,400 Speaker 1: that you were here with us, and um, yeah, chif, 1127 01:00:43,440 --> 01:00:47,320 Speaker 1: do you have any closing remarks? No, I just can't 1128 01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:50,000 Speaker 1: wait to see you in person soon. Yes, let's hang, 1129 01:00:50,080 --> 01:00:57,200 Speaker 1: let's get let's do it. Thank you, Thanks Fancy, and 1130 01:00:57,240 --> 01:01:02,240 Speaker 1: thank you guys for listening. Bye bye,