WEBVTT - Faye Webster Takes Off 0:00:15.436 --> 0:00:22.636 Pushkin. Hey there, it's justin Richmond. Today we're gonna hear 0:00:22.636 --> 0:00:24.516 a chat with one of my favorite artists from twenty 0:00:24.596 --> 0:00:28.436 twenty one, Atlanta singer songwriter Faye Webster. We'll get into 0:00:28.476 --> 0:00:30.556 her backstory in a minute, but first let's hear her 0:00:30.556 --> 0:00:33.036 perform the title song off her new album, I Know 0:00:33.116 --> 0:00:38.516 I'm Funny ha ha live from the Shangarlock control room. 0:00:38.676 --> 0:00:46.196 Let's see. Don drink some sugame and we can argue 0:00:46.476 --> 0:00:56.756 out the same thing. Talk about neighbors, food, I wonder 0:00:57.316 --> 0:01:05.036 thing moving. I hope they don't know my one personally 0:01:07.076 --> 0:01:13.116 some of it told them offt in this thing. The 0:01:13.436 --> 0:01:40.116 fucking he kept my money you m h. I think 0:01:40.196 --> 0:01:48.716 your sister's so pretty good drunken afy could they met me? 0:01:50.676 --> 0:01:56.956 I made her laugh one time at dinner. She said, 0:01:57.036 --> 0:02:03.516 I'm funny. No I think too. I know I'm funny. 0:02:03.756 --> 0:02:24.876 Ha ha hm m M. I don't know. I keep 0:02:24.956 --> 0:02:35.156 China on. We go through faces overs, but now we 0:02:35.436 --> 0:02:41.836 both won will be rock stars. Got you base last 0:02:41.956 --> 0:02:50.556 June birthday, same one the garphone linkin park Place. M 0:02:51.596 --> 0:03:21.196 you look better with it anyways. That was Faye Webster 0:03:21.276 --> 0:03:24.436 performing her song I Know I'm Funny ha ha. Fay 0:03:24.476 --> 0:03:27.276 stopped by Changarla earlier this month, in between stops on 0:03:27.356 --> 0:03:30.196 her tour opening for Wilco. The twenty four year old 0:03:30.196 --> 0:03:33.356 singer Songwriters started releasing music independently when she was just 0:03:33.436 --> 0:03:36.756 sixteen years old. In twenty seventeen, her second album was 0:03:36.796 --> 0:03:40.396 released through Awful Records, home to the Atlanta hip hop collective. 0:03:40.956 --> 0:03:42.916 Faye was a bit of an outlier on that rap 0:03:42.916 --> 0:03:45.276 heavy label, but working with them gave her a different 0:03:45.276 --> 0:03:48.556 perspective on recording than she otherwise would have had. In 0:03:48.596 --> 0:03:51.476 the years since, Faye Webster has gotten critical acclaim from 0:03:51.516 --> 0:03:54.556 Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, and even ended up with a 0:03:54.596 --> 0:03:58.876 coveted placement on Barack Obama's twenty twenty Spotify playlist. On 0:03:58.916 --> 0:04:01.356 today's episode, I talked to Faye about artists like The 0:04:01.436 --> 0:04:05.116 Ramones and Garth Brooks influencing her writing style. Faye also 0:04:05.116 --> 0:04:07.556 played some songs live, as well as an early demo 0:04:07.676 --> 0:04:14.836 version of her song Years. This is broken record liner 0:04:14.916 --> 0:04:22.596 notes for the digital age. I'm justin Richmond. Here's my 0:04:22.636 --> 0:04:26.836 conversation with Fay Webster. How long you've been on tour already? 0:04:27.036 --> 0:04:29.556 Like for this tour only like two weeks. It's kind 0:04:29.556 --> 0:04:32.276 of short this stretch, but we had just got off 0:04:32.316 --> 0:04:36.236 tour from a month long tour before this. Yeah, okay 0:04:36.316 --> 0:04:38.316 on the East Coast. Was that your first tour back? 0:04:38.516 --> 0:04:41.236 It was? How was that? Going back at it? It 0:04:41.276 --> 0:04:44.196 was fun. I feel like the first like three shows 0:04:44.196 --> 0:04:47.876 were like weird, but after the fourth shows like, oh, 0:04:47.916 --> 0:04:51.996 this is completely like I understand because like the past year, 0:04:51.996 --> 0:04:55.036 I just been like sitting at home. So it's just 0:04:55.156 --> 0:04:59.996 like I forgot like how stressful of a hustle touring is. 0:05:00.716 --> 0:05:02.836 But it's also like such a normal thing to me 0:05:02.876 --> 0:05:05.316 at this point. Nice. So I think you just took 0:05:05.516 --> 0:05:07.996 a second to get back into the groove. Did you 0:05:08.116 --> 0:05:09.836 enjoy just staying at home for like a year year 0:05:09.836 --> 0:05:13.436 and a half? Yeah, I left it, Yeah I did, 0:05:13.476 --> 0:05:15.516 because when I'm not touring, I'm just like that's what 0:05:15.556 --> 0:05:18.476 I'm doing. Anyways, it's very normal to me. When did 0:05:18.476 --> 0:05:21.036 you first start toy? I think my first tour was 0:05:21.076 --> 0:05:24.596 twenty seventeen. Twenty seventeen, so how old were you? I 0:05:24.636 --> 0:05:29.836 was born in ninety seven, right, so I think that 0:05:29.876 --> 0:05:32.556 sounds about right because my first tour I wasn't old 0:05:32.636 --> 0:05:35.516 enough to drink and then I went to Europe and 0:05:35.556 --> 0:05:38.396 I could drink there because the drinking age is low. 0:05:38.836 --> 0:05:40.956 I remember getting like a really drunken Europe on my 0:05:40.996 --> 0:05:44.396 first tour, and I like left my guitar and like 0:05:45.276 --> 0:05:49.076 some crazy city that I could not get back to. Um. 0:05:49.196 --> 0:05:52.476 I think I was in Glasgow, and then I think 0:05:52.476 --> 0:05:56.076 I went back to London or something without damn, I 0:05:56.156 --> 0:06:00.636 was hungover as buck and I left my guitar in Glasgow. 0:06:00.716 --> 0:06:07.276 That sucks any other good tour stories. Probably my concept 0:06:07.276 --> 0:06:09.876 of time is so messed up. Yeah, when I'm touring 0:06:09.916 --> 0:06:11.756 and I feel like I don't think of things until 0:06:11.756 --> 0:06:15.796 it's like, oh yeah, like I remember that, It's like 0:06:15.836 --> 0:06:19.276 when was that? Where was that? But I don't know, 0:06:20.676 --> 0:06:22.756 I have no idea. It's funny because I feel like 0:06:22.836 --> 0:06:24.796 for most people who don't like just go on tour, 0:06:24.836 --> 0:06:27.156 most people felt like the last year kind of warped 0:06:27.236 --> 0:06:28.836 time for them, like they had no way to kind 0:06:28.836 --> 0:06:31.516 of measure or account time. But for you, it was 0:06:31.556 --> 0:06:33.076 just like that might not have been the case. It's 0:06:33.116 --> 0:06:35.436 like normal if touring life just your normal sort of 0:06:35.436 --> 0:06:37.916 life is a musician cause you just sort of have 0:06:37.996 --> 0:06:41.116 that not being tethered to time, feeling yeah, was it 0:06:41.116 --> 0:06:42.796 like different for you then the pandemic. Do think you 0:06:42.836 --> 0:06:45.316 experienced it different? I guess so. I feel like it's 0:06:45.356 --> 0:06:50.396 so different per person anyways, you know. But I feel 0:06:50.436 --> 0:06:56.356 like over the pandemic time like flew by somehow, but 0:06:56.516 --> 0:06:58.876 also like it was nice because it's just like in 0:06:58.916 --> 0:07:02.436 the moment. But tour, it's like last week seems like 0:07:03.436 --> 0:07:06.076 last month to me right now when you're actually moving around, 0:07:06.476 --> 0:07:09.316 how do you enjoy it? I do. I feel like 0:07:09.396 --> 0:07:13.236 I enjoy both, Like I enjoy being home, but I 0:07:13.316 --> 0:07:16.156 also like I enjoy being on tour. It's like when 0:07:16.156 --> 0:07:18.036 I'm on tour, I'm like I can't wait to get home, 0:07:18.556 --> 0:07:19.916 and then when I'm home, I'm like, I can't wait 0:07:19.956 --> 0:07:22.076 to get on tour. And I was just going through 0:07:22.116 --> 0:07:24.556 this cycle for the rest of my life. When you 0:07:24.596 --> 0:07:26.956 were younger, did you want to be a professional musician? 0:07:27.036 --> 0:07:28.876 I go out, like to make a living touring and 0:07:29.396 --> 0:07:31.796 making records or not really, I mean I wanted to 0:07:31.796 --> 0:07:35.116 make music, and then it was like it wasn't like 0:07:35.196 --> 0:07:37.436 senior year of high school and there was actually pressure 0:07:37.436 --> 0:07:38.556 and it was like, hey, what do you want to 0:07:38.996 --> 0:07:41.756 do when you grew up? And like that moment of 0:07:41.876 --> 0:07:43.956 just like applying to colleges and stuff. I was like, 0:07:45.156 --> 0:07:46.756 I guess this is the only thing I know how 0:07:46.796 --> 0:07:49.276 to do. But I wasn't like, oh, I can't wait 0:07:49.316 --> 0:07:52.756 to be a touring musician and like putting out records. 0:07:52.756 --> 0:07:55.196 It was just like, I play music. That's all I 0:07:55.236 --> 0:07:57.956 know what to do right now, right, And I feel 0:07:57.956 --> 0:07:59.996 like that just like escalated into what it is. And 0:08:00.036 --> 0:08:02.116 you would already put out a record by that point, right, 0:08:02.916 --> 0:08:05.676 your first very first record, Yeah, you would put out 0:08:05.876 --> 0:08:08.156 in high school? Yeah I did. Yeah, Well, got you 0:08:08.156 --> 0:08:11.876 started playing music? Got you interested? My brother plays music 0:08:12.756 --> 0:08:14.476 and he's a few years older than me, So I 0:08:14.476 --> 0:08:17.116 feel like kind of just like sitting in my room 0:08:17.116 --> 0:08:18.996 and hearing him through the walls in the house, I 0:08:19.116 --> 0:08:22.356 was just like, that's kind of cool. What was he playing? Um? 0:08:22.596 --> 0:08:27.076 He was like a Ramones Fane and like whatever, like 0:08:27.436 --> 0:08:30.236 classic rock my dad listened to. I feel like he 0:08:30.316 --> 0:08:32.436 kind of fell into that. So yeah, he was just 0:08:32.516 --> 0:08:36.956 like in the basement setting up shitty amps and stuff, 0:08:37.636 --> 0:08:42.316 shitty microphones and just like playing music, playing blitz greeg bop. 0:08:42.876 --> 0:08:46.596 Yeah was it? And this was in Atlanta? Yes? Cool? 0:08:46.676 --> 0:08:50.756 When do you start discovering like the larger music scene Atlanta. 0:08:50.996 --> 0:08:54.356 When does that happen? Not? So like high school, I 0:08:54.476 --> 0:08:57.796 was playing open mics all the time because there's the 0:08:57.836 --> 0:09:01.316 only chance I had to play songs not in my bedroom. 0:09:02.796 --> 0:09:04.796 And I think that's when I started to meet people 0:09:05.596 --> 0:09:08.516 and be like, there's music that exists. That's not what 0:09:08.636 --> 0:09:11.196 my parents are listening to. That's not what my brothers 0:09:11.276 --> 0:09:13.636 listening to. Like that's crazy. I feel like it wasn't 0:09:13.676 --> 0:09:15.916 untill like high school that I figured that out. Wow 0:09:16.236 --> 0:09:17.836 were you writing at that time? Like, were you like 0:09:17.876 --> 0:09:20.236 the songs you're playing at the open mics? Yeah, I 0:09:20.316 --> 0:09:23.596 mean they sucked, but I was, yeah, I was writing songs. 0:09:24.116 --> 0:09:25.876 What got you writing? I don't know. I feel like 0:09:25.876 --> 0:09:28.716 when I learned a guitar, I was just playing covers 0:09:28.716 --> 0:09:32.916 over and over and like even going to guitar lessons, 0:09:32.916 --> 0:09:34.556 I would just print out lyrics and they would just 0:09:34.596 --> 0:09:36.636 like write the chord above the lyric, like what it's 0:09:36.636 --> 0:09:39.276 time to change to the chord, And I feel like, 0:09:39.396 --> 0:09:42.716 I mean, I have like ten binders full of these lessons, 0:09:42.876 --> 0:09:45.036 So I feel like I was just like, maybe I 0:09:45.036 --> 0:09:48.316 should try to write my own songs to where they 0:09:48.356 --> 0:09:50.636 can't do this to my songs like they can't tell 0:09:50.676 --> 0:09:52.876 me what to play when you know, would you take 0:09:52.916 --> 0:09:54.956 those into your teacher or would you would you just 0:09:55.036 --> 0:09:57.996 quit lessons? And like, oh, eventually I switched teachers and 0:09:58.876 --> 0:10:00.636 I started off with like a guitar teacher, and then 0:10:00.676 --> 0:10:03.556 I went to like, oh, maybe I'll try a songwriting teacher, 0:10:04.716 --> 0:10:06.996 and I would just like play songs. Just kind of 0:10:07.076 --> 0:10:10.796 terrifying because they wrote good songs and I didn't feel 0:10:10.796 --> 0:10:14.556 like I didn't even think about it, being like I 0:10:15.156 --> 0:10:17.076 want to write my own songs. I think I just 0:10:17.156 --> 0:10:21.076 like started doing it from all those guitar lessons that 0:10:21.116 --> 0:10:24.116 I first took, where they just wrote the chords above 0:10:24.156 --> 0:10:27.436 the lyrics. I feel like that's kind of when I like, 0:10:27.436 --> 0:10:30.436 I would eventually choose to change the key of songs 0:10:30.476 --> 0:10:33.396 just to like play those chords. Are those are the chords? 0:10:33.396 --> 0:10:35.196 Like if you sit down the guitar, you just start 0:10:35.276 --> 0:10:40.516 playing those more often than not. Flick. Yes. I don't 0:10:40.516 --> 0:10:43.076 even know who they are and I truly cannot tell you. 0:10:43.996 --> 0:10:47.276 And are there any songs that you've written using like 0:10:47.316 --> 0:10:51.796 those exactly those chords? Uh? Yeah, a lot? Anything you 0:10:51.836 --> 0:10:56.556 can play? Um, do you want to play a song? Sure? 0:11:07.476 --> 0:11:12.516 Student to want something better. It's been my time but 0:11:12.956 --> 0:11:20.836 nothing so pepe nothing you were so long for me 0:11:20.996 --> 0:11:28.956 to I'm so alone and here I'm with me. I 0:11:29.076 --> 0:11:32.756 went to what in such you mind? You seem pretty 0:11:32.916 --> 0:11:42.516 lucky butt and leave little fully up too same she 0:11:42.996 --> 0:11:46.436 wastes and no change his name and make it my 0:11:50.796 --> 0:11:55.756 will you William? Will you will you will you? Will 0:11:55.836 --> 0:12:04.236 you be with me? Will you will you will you 0:12:04.476 --> 0:12:13.516 will you Willia? Will you be with me? M try 0:12:13.596 --> 0:12:18.236 to eat truth, sleep, but everything seems born to me. 0:12:18.436 --> 0:12:26.396 I don't know what to do. Got to friendsic see 0:12:26.516 --> 0:12:29.996 but they cut two jobs and a baby. I just 0:12:30.316 --> 0:12:38.716 want to see pending on her time apart. But the 0:12:39.236 --> 0:12:48.076 distractions are in there, insental wor only two A couple 0:12:48.196 --> 0:12:52.956 times thought you hear your likes, but I figured it 0:12:57.196 --> 0:13:01.236 will you will you will you will you will you 0:13:01.756 --> 0:13:13.796 will it be with me? Oh you will Lee bees, 0:13:20.716 --> 0:13:35.636 will you will you? Who you leep? Busy O beus 0:13:38.236 --> 0:13:46.036 O two chord songs. It's different, nice fucking love that 0:13:46.156 --> 0:13:48.956 man like you have a really nice groove. There's also 0:13:48.956 --> 0:13:51.396 a lot of repetition in your songs, which are like 0:13:51.756 --> 0:13:54.956 well won two chords like you said yeah, like the 0:13:55.036 --> 0:13:57.876 will you will you, and I feel like I appreciate 0:13:57.956 --> 0:14:04.116 that in songwriting, just like sometimes like it should just 0:14:04.396 --> 0:14:08.916 be simple, you know what I mean? Yeah, Like you 0:14:09.156 --> 0:14:11.356 can play two chords and write a song. You can 0:14:11.396 --> 0:14:13.756 play two chords and write a good song. The little 0:14:13.796 --> 0:14:15.996 things that get overlooked is the cool shit to me, 0:14:17.356 --> 0:14:23.836 influence creeping Yeah goodness, it's no shame in that it 0:14:23.916 --> 0:14:26.956 doesn't love the Ramons. Yeah, we'll be right back with 0:14:27.036 --> 0:14:33.996 Fay Webster. After a quick break, we're back with more 0:14:34.036 --> 0:14:37.076 from my conversation with Fay Webster. Do you remember the 0:14:37.156 --> 0:14:40.316 first song you wrote? Yeah, the first song I wrote, 0:14:41.276 --> 0:14:45.036 I literally just like used the same melody as a 0:14:45.116 --> 0:14:47.916 Miley Cyrus song and I changed the words, And I 0:14:47.956 --> 0:14:50.796 remember my best friend got so mad at me, and 0:14:50.956 --> 0:14:54.556 she was like delete this audio file, like you're going 0:14:54.636 --> 0:14:58.196 to get sued, Like we're like an elementary school. Like 0:14:58.276 --> 0:15:01.836 I was in like fifth grade, So I don't even 0:15:01.876 --> 0:15:04.196 remember what it was, like what it egan was. I 0:15:04.276 --> 0:15:07.956 just remember like I just changed the changed the lyrics, 0:15:08.156 --> 0:15:10.116 used the same melody, and I was like I wrote 0:15:10.156 --> 0:15:14.516 a song. My friends like no, what Miley song? What 0:15:14.636 --> 0:15:16.716 what song did you change it was? I think it's 0:15:16.756 --> 0:15:19.876 just called I miss you, okay, I don't know. It's 0:15:19.876 --> 0:15:23.676 like very early. It was like I was really into 0:15:23.716 --> 0:15:25.956 the song that she wrote with her dad on the airplane. 0:15:26.356 --> 0:15:28.196 I don't know that one on the show and my dad. 0:15:28.196 --> 0:15:30.316 I don't really get these references, but I don't Miley, 0:15:30.476 --> 0:15:32.996 how'd you record that? I feel like my brothers had 0:15:33.156 --> 0:15:38.396 like cool stuff, especially since he's older. Both of them 0:15:38.436 --> 0:15:40.676 were into like making movies for a little bit, so 0:15:40.796 --> 0:15:44.476 they had like the zoom recorder and like cool shit 0:15:44.916 --> 0:15:47.956 connected to our PC. And I feel like maybe I 0:15:48.036 --> 0:15:50.236 did it there. I don't even know. So fifth grade 0:15:50.316 --> 0:15:54.116 you started writing and recording like the earliest stuff. Yeah, 0:15:54.316 --> 0:15:56.916 which is crazy to think about because I don't remember 0:15:57.396 --> 0:15:59.836 writing songs in fifth grade. But I remember, like performing 0:15:59.916 --> 0:16:02.596 at my fifth grade graduation in one of your songs. 0:16:02.916 --> 0:16:08.636 They did, but I sang the real one, Oh, the 0:16:08.716 --> 0:16:11.516 real one, not your Okay, I should have seen your version. 0:16:11.796 --> 0:16:14.436 I know. Did you play guitar? I performed that Did 0:16:14.476 --> 0:16:16.956 you play the guitar? And was playing guitar? Wow, that's 0:16:16.996 --> 0:16:20.596 fucking impressive for a fifth grader. But the first one 0:16:20.636 --> 0:16:25.236 I ever learned was Lola the Kinks. Yeah, it's the 0:16:25.316 --> 0:16:29.636 first one I ever learned. I don't know why. I 0:16:29.716 --> 0:16:32.996 guess because my brother. Yeah, it's classic rock radio staple, 0:16:33.156 --> 0:16:36.676 but the Kinks are incredible. Yeah, so classic rock punk 0:16:36.796 --> 0:16:39.756 rock early on, like a Ramons at least is what 0:16:39.916 --> 0:16:42.196 you were. That's just what you're hearing around the house. Yeah, 0:16:42.636 --> 0:16:44.876 or like that's what my dad would play and my brother, 0:16:45.356 --> 0:16:48.396 but then my mom would play like western swing music, 0:16:48.956 --> 0:16:52.756 which I think I gravitated towards more like Texas playboys 0:16:52.836 --> 0:16:54.996 and yeah, like a Sleep at the Wheel was one 0:16:54.996 --> 0:16:59.436 of our favorite bands growing up. Wow, Alison Krause, Garth Brooks, 0:16:59.916 --> 0:17:02.636 shit like that, Alison Krause, that's a really I don't know, 0:17:02.756 --> 0:17:05.156 that's that's pretty evolved taste. I feel like, do you 0:17:05.236 --> 0:17:08.756 think so? I feel like it makes so much sense. 0:17:09.596 --> 0:17:11.756 And that's interesting you say that because I've said that 0:17:11.796 --> 0:17:14.796 to people before and they're like, really, well, my mom 0:17:14.916 --> 0:17:17.076 is from Texas and like grew up listening to like 0:17:17.756 --> 0:17:20.316 soft country like that. I feel like they she just 0:17:20.396 --> 0:17:22.956 put me on before she put on all of y'all. Man, 0:17:23.076 --> 0:17:25.076 So what was it about Alison Krass that drew you in? 0:17:25.556 --> 0:17:28.796 Definitely her voice. I was like, this is crazy, like 0:17:28.916 --> 0:17:34.236 it truly sounds unreal. Like a cgi vocal woid. It's 0:17:34.236 --> 0:17:36.636 just like too perfect all the time. It's heavenly. But 0:17:36.716 --> 0:17:38.996 I also like that she played the violin. Yeah, I 0:17:39.076 --> 0:17:42.476 like tried to take violin lessons a bunch and I 0:17:42.636 --> 0:17:45.436 just sucked. I was so bad at it. I was like, 0:17:45.476 --> 0:17:48.316 I can't do this. But it's also like, I mean, 0:17:48.396 --> 0:17:51.836 growing up, I would only hear male artists, So I 0:17:51.876 --> 0:17:54.436 feel like, finally when my mom started playing me Alison Cross, 0:17:54.516 --> 0:17:56.956 I was like, oh, like girls can do this too. Yeah, 0:17:57.836 --> 0:18:01.596 that's fucking sick. She was very inspirational for me. And 0:18:01.636 --> 0:18:03.996 I gotta say, if you're only hearing male artis, especially 0:18:03.996 --> 0:18:06.036 if it's like the Ramones and like Zeppelin, you know, 0:18:06.116 --> 0:18:08.796 like your usual like her voice would really cut through 0:18:08.916 --> 0:18:12.476 the noise. Truly, I'm not super familiar with Atlanta. When 0:18:12.476 --> 0:18:14.876 I think of Atlanta, I think really great R and B, 0:18:15.236 --> 0:18:17.476 really great hip hop, you know, like I guess there's 0:18:17.556 --> 0:18:19.556 rock and roll bands around, Like I don't really you know, 0:18:19.596 --> 0:18:20.996 but I don't really think of it like that way. 0:18:21.996 --> 0:18:24.476 Was that like were you plugged into that stuff growing up? 0:18:24.636 --> 0:18:27.996 Was were you hearing that? I mean born in ninety seven, Like, yeah, 0:18:28.236 --> 0:18:31.076 everything's hitting at that I like Atlanta because it's just 0:18:31.236 --> 0:18:34.716 like there's everything. It's like what do you want? And 0:18:34.796 --> 0:18:37.116 then you can find that there. You can go see 0:18:37.196 --> 0:18:40.596 like a garage rock band, and you can also go 0:18:40.716 --> 0:18:44.156 see like sick ass rep and R and B artist, 0:18:44.236 --> 0:18:48.156 and you can also go see like singers long writers 0:18:48.316 --> 0:18:50.676 at like a weird open mic. I don't know, it's 0:18:50.716 --> 0:18:54.356 like I really appreciate that about Atlanta. So once you 0:18:54.396 --> 0:18:56.076 got to high school sort of finding your own music, 0:18:56.196 --> 0:18:59.396 what were you finding? I feel like I was that's 0:18:59.436 --> 0:19:02.436 when I was finding like folk music or like folk 0:19:02.756 --> 0:19:06.796 rock music. I was listening to Daz's record Nothing Is 0:19:06.836 --> 0:19:09.396 Wrong a Lot in high School is one of my 0:19:09.476 --> 0:19:11.916 favorite records in high school. How did you end up 0:19:11.916 --> 0:19:14.916 recording your first record in high school? My friend had 0:19:14.956 --> 0:19:16.796 moved to Nashville, so I was just like going there 0:19:16.796 --> 0:19:19.836 a lot and it was just like it was really 0:19:19.916 --> 0:19:22.276 my dad that was like, you're you're playing these open 0:19:22.356 --> 0:19:24.156 mics all the time and then you have like nothing 0:19:24.236 --> 0:19:28.556 to give to people. I'm like, okay, do they even 0:19:28.636 --> 0:19:31.236 want something? Like I didn't even know, but I had 0:19:31.316 --> 0:19:33.436 these songs and it was just like I knew so 0:19:33.556 --> 0:19:35.996 many people in Nashville that made music. And how'd you 0:19:36.076 --> 0:19:39.676 know people there because my friend moved there that I 0:19:39.876 --> 0:19:43.476 met also in like the open mic stuff. When she moved, 0:19:43.516 --> 0:19:45.836 I would just like go visit her and like sing 0:19:45.996 --> 0:19:49.196 with her and like play music with her. It's recorded 0:19:49.276 --> 0:19:51.636 really well. It's just like in a house. I recorded 0:19:51.716 --> 0:19:54.436 both my first two records, and just like bedrooms. You 0:19:54.556 --> 0:19:56.836 had an engineer obviously on that, right, Yeah, because it's recorded, 0:19:56.876 --> 0:19:59.836 it makes sense that I haven't listened to it. And 0:20:00.756 --> 0:20:04.396 so long did you play anything off of that record? 0:20:04.476 --> 0:20:07.876 Stof No, I barely play stuff off my self titled record. 0:20:08.156 --> 0:20:09.996 Do you feel connection to any of the songs anymore? 0:20:10.476 --> 0:20:13.036 Definitely not my first record. There's some songs on my 0:20:13.116 --> 0:20:16.156 self title that I'm like, this still represents me in 0:20:16.276 --> 0:20:19.316 some way, Like at one point it did really well 0:20:19.476 --> 0:20:22.076 and it doesn't anymore. But I still like there's moments 0:20:22.116 --> 0:20:25.196 where I'm like, I enjoyed playing the song because it 0:20:25.316 --> 0:20:29.276 makes me feel like I just started playing music again. 0:20:29.516 --> 0:20:31.836 My Self Titled was when I was just like, oh, 0:20:31.876 --> 0:20:34.476 I'm taking this seriously now, how do you get from 0:20:34.996 --> 0:20:37.396 that self titled or from the first record to the 0:20:37.436 --> 0:20:41.636 self titled which was like it's pretty experimental for like, yeah, 0:20:41.836 --> 0:20:43.796 Rold you might have been at the time. Yeah, I 0:20:43.876 --> 0:20:45.556 don't know. I feel like the first one is like 0:20:45.836 --> 0:20:48.916 very Nashville esque, and then when I realized that I 0:20:49.076 --> 0:20:53.236 don't like Nashville, Like, I was just spending more time 0:20:53.596 --> 0:20:57.756 back home in Atlanta, and like my brothers moved to Athens, 0:20:57.916 --> 0:20:59.516 so I was spending a lot of time in Athens. 0:21:00.356 --> 0:21:03.116 And just the music scene in Athens is really really sick. 0:21:03.396 --> 0:21:09.356 What's that like? It's just like I literally call shit 0:21:09.516 --> 0:21:13.076 like Athens rock, Like I don't know what you call it, 0:21:13.156 --> 0:21:15.636 but it's like so I feel like it's it's like specific. 0:21:15.956 --> 0:21:19.116 Is there like a band we could listen to or something? Well, 0:21:19.236 --> 0:21:22.196 Rim is from Athens. Oh, I didn't realize that my 0:21:22.316 --> 0:21:25.556 brother's in a really cool band called way Yuka, but 0:21:26.636 --> 0:21:28.876 the wigs are from Athens. I don't know. It's kind 0:21:28.876 --> 0:21:30.556 of iconic. And I was just like spending a lot 0:21:30.596 --> 0:21:33.156 of time there and they had like shows and stuff 0:21:33.236 --> 0:21:36.196 that I feel like Atlanta didn't really have the same 0:21:36.316 --> 0:21:40.676 like intimate vibe as Athens did. A small town, I 0:21:40.916 --> 0:21:44.156 don't know, I think so, And just like it's also 0:21:44.356 --> 0:21:47.556 so supportive the way that Atlanta is supportive. So I 0:21:47.596 --> 0:21:49.196 was spending also a lot of time in the air, 0:21:49.516 --> 0:21:52.236 and that's when I was like meeting my brother's friends 0:21:52.316 --> 0:21:56.556 that make music and like truly experiencing like what it's 0:21:56.596 --> 0:21:59.036 like to be at a show or like what it's 0:21:59.116 --> 0:22:04.476 like to like watch somebody record music. And that's when 0:22:04.516 --> 0:22:06.556 I just like clicked with it and I've made on 0:22:06.916 --> 0:22:10.316 all the rest of my records there. But I don't know, 0:22:11.236 --> 0:22:14.756 it's really sick. How did you get on Awful Records 0:22:15.076 --> 0:22:18.036 for that second record? I was just a fan. I 0:22:18.156 --> 0:22:22.676 was literally a fan and was like messaging Etherial a lot, 0:22:22.996 --> 0:22:24.836 just like sending my music, and he would like send 0:22:24.876 --> 0:22:28.676 me his music eat humans would like sell photoprints at 0:22:28.676 --> 0:22:31.036 their shows and I would like buy photos from him 0:22:31.076 --> 0:22:35.676 and just like became friends. And then I think like 0:22:35.796 --> 0:22:37.676 the year I dropped out of college, I was just 0:22:38.436 --> 0:22:41.836 with them every day because I was just like watching 0:22:42.036 --> 0:22:45.156 and learning. And then when it got time for me 0:22:45.236 --> 0:22:48.396 to put out another record, they were just like like, 0:22:48.436 --> 0:22:51.996 you're already here. You're already here every day, Like why 0:22:52.036 --> 0:22:54.716 don't you just like do this with us? And how 0:22:54.756 --> 0:22:56.996 would you explain that label to people? I feel like 0:22:57.316 --> 0:23:01.236 maybe not. It's really like it was like a collective. 0:23:01.836 --> 0:23:04.636 Like it didn't feel like I was on a label. 0:23:04.756 --> 0:23:08.436 It just felt like I was a part of a 0:23:08.556 --> 0:23:11.916 collective people that just like made cool shit. And it 0:23:12.076 --> 0:23:15.076 wasn't even like all musicians. It was a very good 0:23:15.156 --> 0:23:19.156 learning experience, an iconic like in Atlanta specifically, right, Yeah. 0:23:19.796 --> 0:23:21.516 I mean to me, I was like when I joined, 0:23:21.596 --> 0:23:24.076 I was like, even though I've been around these people 0:23:24.076 --> 0:23:26.076 all day, it's like still some some people And I'm like, 0:23:26.196 --> 0:23:28.556 that's crazy that, like you want to hang out with me, 0:23:28.836 --> 0:23:31.836 Like I've just listened to your music for like so 0:23:32.116 --> 0:23:35.876 long and like idolize you guys at the time, would 0:23:35.876 --> 0:23:37.636 you say it was like pretty local, like a local 0:23:37.996 --> 0:23:41.756 yeah thing. Yeah, it really was. I don't know, it 0:23:41.876 --> 0:23:45.556 was so iconic. Yeah, I feel like I would I 0:23:45.636 --> 0:23:47.956 would have not wanted to have it any other way. 0:23:48.396 --> 0:23:50.796 It's really like unique stuff and it reminds me like 0:23:51.036 --> 0:23:53.636 not in not in terms of like the production sound, 0:23:53.676 --> 0:23:55.036 but just in terms of the vibe like of like 0:23:55.116 --> 0:23:58.236 the Memphis like the old Memphis cassette tape like rap 0:23:58.356 --> 0:24:00.596 scene like back in the nineties, or or even like 0:24:00.636 --> 0:24:02.116 the Bay Area rap scene, Like it just has its 0:24:02.196 --> 0:24:06.316 own really distinctive, unique sound that you don't hear anywhere else. Yeah, 0:24:06.316 --> 0:24:07.676 when I listened to those off When I listened to 0:24:07.676 --> 0:24:10.756 those songs from from Off, Agree, what was it like 0:24:10.876 --> 0:24:13.876 collaborating with them? I feel like everything was like so 0:24:14.236 --> 0:24:17.556 di iy in like a way that I prefer, Like 0:24:17.716 --> 0:24:21.036 I prefer to make music in a bedroom with friends, 0:24:22.036 --> 0:24:27.516 and I feel like, just like watching people just like 0:24:28.116 --> 0:24:31.676 make music when they felt like it was something I 0:24:31.876 --> 0:24:34.476 had never really seen before. Like I was so used 0:24:34.476 --> 0:24:38.116 to like people just sitting on songs forever and perfecting 0:24:38.196 --> 0:24:40.316 it and like I'm not going to make a record 0:24:40.476 --> 0:24:43.636 till I have twelve songs ready, and this way, it 0:24:43.756 --> 0:24:47.876 just felt like when they made music, it was like 0:24:48.756 --> 0:24:50.716 that's what it's supposed to sound like in this moment, 0:24:51.596 --> 0:24:53.116 which is kind of how I like to record to 0:24:53.156 --> 0:24:56.356 this day because it's like, yeah, I just wrote a 0:24:56.396 --> 0:24:57.716 song and it's like I need to get this off 0:24:57.796 --> 0:25:01.676 my chest now. Yeah, it's like if you sit on 0:25:01.756 --> 0:25:04.196 it for a month, like you might just like alter 0:25:04.356 --> 0:25:08.116 it or change it. And I feel like watching Awful record, 0:25:09.196 --> 0:25:11.476 just like one take it was like sound good, y'all, 0:25:11.516 --> 0:25:13.516 sound good to be like, let's put it out tomorrow, 0:25:14.316 --> 0:25:16.756 And I was like, dang, that's like what people should 0:25:16.756 --> 0:25:19.356 do more often and how you how would you put 0:25:19.396 --> 0:25:22.356