1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:23,076 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey everyone, today we have Sharon van Etton on 2 00:00:23,116 --> 00:00:26,796 Speaker 1: the show, the singer songwriter who Pitchfork recently crowned an 3 00:00:26,916 --> 00:00:30,876 Speaker 1: indie rock institution. Van Etton was discovered in the early 4 00:00:30,956 --> 00:00:34,716 Speaker 1: OTTs after performing at Open Mike's in Manhattan's Lower East Side. 5 00:00:35,356 --> 00:00:37,636 Speaker 1: Her two thousand and nine debut album, Because I Was 6 00:00:37,636 --> 00:00:40,156 Speaker 1: In Love was written as a way to process surviving 7 00:00:40,236 --> 00:00:43,636 Speaker 1: a violent crime and an abusive relationship in her twenties. 8 00:00:44,596 --> 00:00:47,556 Speaker 1: Over the next few years, Sharon continued her journey in music, 9 00:00:47,636 --> 00:00:51,076 Speaker 1: releasing albums and touring internationally until on a whim around 10 00:00:51,116 --> 00:00:54,836 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, she auditioned for the Netflix show The Oa, 11 00:00:55,156 --> 00:00:59,196 Speaker 1: landing a major role despite having no previous acting experience. 12 00:01:00,076 --> 00:01:03,316 Speaker 1: In May, van Etton released her critically acclaimed sixth album, 13 00:01:03,556 --> 00:01:06,916 Speaker 1: We've been Going about This All Wrong. In my opinion, 14 00:01:07,036 --> 00:01:10,196 Speaker 1: it's her best. It's an album dedicated to the collective 15 00:01:10,196 --> 00:01:13,276 Speaker 1: trauma amassed in the lead up to the Pandemic and beyond. 16 00:01:14,036 --> 00:01:16,996 Speaker 1: On today's episode, Broken Record producer Leah Rose talks to 17 00:01:16,996 --> 00:01:20,556 Speaker 1: Sharon Vanetton about some of those pandemic issues, like recording 18 00:01:20,556 --> 00:01:23,836 Speaker 1: her new album in her LA based home studio during lockdown. 19 00:01:23,956 --> 00:01:27,996 Speaker 1: While attempting to balance domestic life. Sharon also explains how 20 00:01:27,996 --> 00:01:30,916 Speaker 1: her inner Jersey Girl comes out on stage and while 21 00:01:30,956 --> 00:01:34,276 Speaker 1: wearing leather pants and heels on stage post pandemic feels 22 00:01:34,516 --> 00:01:40,636 Speaker 1: so daunting. This is broken record liner notes for the 23 00:01:40,676 --> 00:01:45,516 Speaker 1: digital age. I'm justin Richmond. Here's Leah Rose with Sharon Vanetton. 24 00:01:46,556 --> 00:01:50,116 Speaker 1: Your new album, it's a pandemic album, but it's also 25 00:01:51,036 --> 00:01:54,676 Speaker 1: a forced domesticity album. You record it at home, you 26 00:01:54,676 --> 00:01:57,276 Speaker 1: have a studio at home, But that must have been 27 00:01:57,276 --> 00:02:00,276 Speaker 1: a completely different experience on top of the pandemic, on 28 00:02:00,316 --> 00:02:03,476 Speaker 1: top of you know, what was going on politically, on 29 00:02:03,516 --> 00:02:07,596 Speaker 1: top of wildfires, on top of being a mom, a partner. 30 00:02:08,116 --> 00:02:13,436 Speaker 1: How did the situation at home influence the recording? Well, 31 00:02:13,476 --> 00:02:16,436 Speaker 1: you know, as a mom, you know that you find 32 00:02:16,476 --> 00:02:19,596 Speaker 1: the moments you can to make shit happen. You know, 33 00:02:20,396 --> 00:02:24,876 Speaker 1: like I have thirty minutes to make some magic. I'm 34 00:02:24,876 --> 00:02:26,476 Speaker 1: going to go in there. I'm going to do the 35 00:02:26,516 --> 00:02:30,436 Speaker 1: best that I can. And you set realistic goals for yourself. 36 00:02:31,156 --> 00:02:33,236 Speaker 1: And when you have to be able to ask permission, 37 00:02:33,316 --> 00:02:35,276 Speaker 1: when you really need to be the one that works 38 00:02:35,676 --> 00:02:39,316 Speaker 1: more than the other, like today's today, I really need 39 00:02:39,316 --> 00:02:42,756 Speaker 1: to be in there. I'm hitting a stride here, and 40 00:02:43,476 --> 00:02:47,476 Speaker 1: you know, my partner has pretty set hours in his day, meetings, meeting, zoom, 41 00:02:47,516 --> 00:02:52,156 Speaker 1: zoom zoom, and in New York, I didn't have a 42 00:02:52,236 --> 00:02:55,716 Speaker 1: dedicated studio for myself, so in that way it was 43 00:02:55,756 --> 00:02:58,916 Speaker 1: for the better. It was in my garage, going through 44 00:02:58,956 --> 00:03:02,156 Speaker 1: my back in my backyard, so I was able to 45 00:03:03,396 --> 00:03:05,436 Speaker 1: most of the time if I needed to go in there, 46 00:03:05,436 --> 00:03:07,396 Speaker 1: I could. If I needed to put my kid on 47 00:03:07,436 --> 00:03:09,476 Speaker 1: the TV in order for myself to work for an 48 00:03:09,476 --> 00:03:12,156 Speaker 1: extra hour, I would. Most of the time he was 49 00:03:12,196 --> 00:03:15,156 Speaker 1: outside skating, and on early demos, you can probably hear 50 00:03:15,236 --> 00:03:17,636 Speaker 1: him in the yard, and there's a window for my 51 00:03:17,716 --> 00:03:20,116 Speaker 1: studio looking out, so I could see him going back 52 00:03:20,156 --> 00:03:23,116 Speaker 1: and forth. And sometimes he would sit in there with 53 00:03:23,196 --> 00:03:25,356 Speaker 1: me if I was just working on lyrics, and he 54 00:03:25,356 --> 00:03:29,276 Speaker 1: would play the drums, and you know, other times I 55 00:03:29,276 --> 00:03:32,956 Speaker 1: could just be reading to disconnect from an emotional place 56 00:03:32,956 --> 00:03:36,316 Speaker 1: that took me too far, and we'd be hanging out 57 00:03:36,356 --> 00:03:39,276 Speaker 1: in the living room just like talking and reading. But 58 00:03:39,356 --> 00:03:43,276 Speaker 1: you just find whatever moments of inspiration you need. You know, 59 00:03:44,036 --> 00:03:46,556 Speaker 1: do lyrics or do melodies come to you sort of 60 00:03:46,596 --> 00:03:48,756 Speaker 1: like a flash of lightning, like you have to like 61 00:03:48,836 --> 00:03:50,956 Speaker 1: go in and capture it, or is it something you 62 00:03:50,956 --> 00:03:54,156 Speaker 1: can just sort of like work up and start with 63 00:03:54,196 --> 00:03:57,476 Speaker 1: more like vowel sounds or guttural sounds and it turns 64 00:03:57,476 --> 00:04:00,716 Speaker 1: into something. I mean, most of the time, melodies come 65 00:04:00,796 --> 00:04:03,796 Speaker 1: as soon as I sit down to something, whether it 66 00:04:03,836 --> 00:04:08,676 Speaker 1: be a piano guitar. Lyrics come way later, but I 67 00:04:08,716 --> 00:04:13,276 Speaker 1: tend to sit down and create a chord progression and 68 00:04:13,436 --> 00:04:17,076 Speaker 1: a melody, and I'll once I get from point A 69 00:04:17,356 --> 00:04:20,796 Speaker 1: and point B, maybe there's a C. I don't always 70 00:04:20,836 --> 00:04:24,316 Speaker 1: believe in the C, but I think if I find 71 00:04:24,316 --> 00:04:27,236 Speaker 1: something interesting that can at least go to those places, 72 00:04:27,716 --> 00:04:31,396 Speaker 1: I'll hit record and just let myself sing stream of 73 00:04:31,516 --> 00:04:36,796 Speaker 1: consciously for about ten fifteen minutes, and I'll let myself 74 00:04:36,876 --> 00:04:39,276 Speaker 1: wander melodically and see what it is that I find. 75 00:04:40,076 --> 00:04:42,836 Speaker 1: And most of the time I just hit stop and 76 00:04:42,916 --> 00:04:45,356 Speaker 1: I move on to the next thing, and I don't 77 00:04:45,476 --> 00:04:48,156 Speaker 1: think about that too much, and I see if I 78 00:04:48,196 --> 00:04:52,676 Speaker 1: can find another melodic idea on a different instrument. Sometimes 79 00:04:52,796 --> 00:04:54,996 Speaker 1: two or three of those ideas in the same day 80 00:04:55,116 --> 00:04:58,916 Speaker 1: ended up end up being married later on. Sometimes there 81 00:04:58,916 --> 00:05:02,356 Speaker 1: are three different songs. Sometimes it's three pieces of garbage, 82 00:05:02,476 --> 00:05:06,076 Speaker 1: but on moments where I can't even play an instrument 83 00:05:06,076 --> 00:05:09,676 Speaker 1: and hear a melody. I go back to those songs 84 00:05:09,676 --> 00:05:13,276 Speaker 1: and I listened back and pull out words and phrases 85 00:05:13,316 --> 00:05:15,836 Speaker 1: and try to remember what it was I was going through, 86 00:05:16,356 --> 00:05:20,636 Speaker 1: and then I'll shape words around them. On the rare occasion, 87 00:05:21,356 --> 00:05:24,836 Speaker 1: the words just come out. Like the song Darkest came 88 00:05:24,836 --> 00:05:28,436 Speaker 1: out in one sitting, and I just I let it 89 00:05:28,476 --> 00:05:32,436 Speaker 1: live on its own. There's no like verse chorus situation. 90 00:05:32,476 --> 00:05:35,876 Speaker 1: I don't know what that is, but it's like one 91 00:05:35,916 --> 00:05:39,036 Speaker 1: solid piece and I don't know where it came from, 92 00:05:39,036 --> 00:05:41,676 Speaker 1: but it just came out of thin air. What point 93 00:05:41,676 --> 00:05:45,236 Speaker 1: in the pandemic did that come? That one was the 94 00:05:45,316 --> 00:05:50,196 Speaker 1: probably the only one that was fully realized before the album. 95 00:05:50,876 --> 00:05:52,716 Speaker 1: But I didn't want to put it on my last 96 00:05:52,756 --> 00:05:55,836 Speaker 1: record because I thought it was too apocalyptic. And it 97 00:05:55,916 --> 00:05:59,236 Speaker 1: was on a demo on my phone and you could 98 00:05:59,316 --> 00:06:02,996 Speaker 1: hear the birds chirping through the windows, and I saved 99 00:06:03,036 --> 00:06:05,716 Speaker 1: it and I put it in this folder because I 100 00:06:05,756 --> 00:06:08,836 Speaker 1: thought it was just too dark for the context of 101 00:06:08,916 --> 00:06:13,196 Speaker 1: the songs. And then this song kept coming up and 102 00:06:13,276 --> 00:06:17,636 Speaker 1: the demos that I wanted to work on, and you know, 103 00:06:17,676 --> 00:06:20,796 Speaker 1: I ended up rerecording that one in the studio. But 104 00:06:20,876 --> 00:06:23,116 Speaker 1: the one thing I didn't want to lose was the birds, 105 00:06:23,836 --> 00:06:27,916 Speaker 1: because there was this point in LA when people stopped 106 00:06:27,996 --> 00:06:33,276 Speaker 1: driving and the sky turned blue and so many birds 107 00:06:33,596 --> 00:06:37,396 Speaker 1: started coming out, And in the midst of what I 108 00:06:37,436 --> 00:06:40,556 Speaker 1: thought was the end of the world, nature was coming back, 109 00:06:40,676 --> 00:06:43,116 Speaker 1: and it gave me this moment. I don't know if 110 00:06:43,116 --> 00:06:46,276 Speaker 1: you experienced the same thing, but in the midst of 111 00:06:46,316 --> 00:06:50,196 Speaker 1: all this chaos and these fires and the earthquakes, I 112 00:06:51,316 --> 00:06:54,796 Speaker 1: heard the birds and it made me remember this demo, 113 00:06:55,316 --> 00:06:59,156 Speaker 1: and I thought, with how intense all my other songs are, 114 00:06:59,716 --> 00:07:04,356 Speaker 1: this song now feels light and I don't want to 115 00:07:04,396 --> 00:07:07,276 Speaker 1: build it up, and I want this one song to 116 00:07:07,356 --> 00:07:10,596 Speaker 1: live on its song without any product action. And I 117 00:07:10,676 --> 00:07:13,316 Speaker 1: knew that before I even built up the other songs. 118 00:07:13,396 --> 00:07:15,596 Speaker 1: But I knew the other songs were going to go there, 119 00:07:15,996 --> 00:07:18,036 Speaker 1: But that was the one where I just felt like, Okay, 120 00:07:18,036 --> 00:07:20,396 Speaker 1: this is where everyone can kind of take a deep breath. 121 00:07:21,356 --> 00:07:24,196 Speaker 1: I read an old Time Out interview that you did 122 00:07:24,236 --> 00:07:27,636 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen, and you said, I'm not a down 123 00:07:27,676 --> 00:07:30,676 Speaker 1: in the dumps person. People think that I am because 124 00:07:30,676 --> 00:07:33,116 Speaker 1: of the music that I write. Is that something that 125 00:07:33,436 --> 00:07:36,716 Speaker 1: you feel compelled to tell people because your music is 126 00:07:36,756 --> 00:07:41,396 Speaker 1: so emotional. Well, I definitely like reassuring people that I'm 127 00:07:41,396 --> 00:07:46,476 Speaker 1: okay in number one, especially my mother, who at various 128 00:07:46,476 --> 00:07:48,916 Speaker 1: points in my life, was like, I thought you were okay. 129 00:07:48,996 --> 00:07:50,916 Speaker 1: I thought we were you know, I thought you were 130 00:07:50,956 --> 00:07:52,796 Speaker 1: in a good place. I'm like, well I am. But like, 131 00:07:52,876 --> 00:07:55,676 Speaker 1: this is my coping mechanism. This is my form of therapy. 132 00:07:55,876 --> 00:07:59,196 Speaker 1: And if I didn't have music, I don't know where 133 00:07:59,196 --> 00:08:02,756 Speaker 1: i'd be today. But I do have that outlet, you know, 134 00:08:02,996 --> 00:08:05,396 Speaker 1: And I think that if any if you have an outlet, 135 00:08:05,436 --> 00:08:08,556 Speaker 1: whatever it is, with being music or exercising or painting, 136 00:08:08,636 --> 00:08:12,196 Speaker 1: it's like everyone needs to find their outlet to let 137 00:08:12,236 --> 00:08:14,596 Speaker 1: out the side of them that is hard to communicate. 138 00:08:14,716 --> 00:08:19,436 Speaker 1: And that's how I process my emotions. Yeah, So how 139 00:08:19,476 --> 00:08:22,636 Speaker 1: do records usually start for you? Like, do you isolate 140 00:08:22,956 --> 00:08:26,996 Speaker 1: certain sounds or feelings that you want to capture or 141 00:08:27,036 --> 00:08:29,436 Speaker 1: is it more just you like noodling on an instrument 142 00:08:29,636 --> 00:08:33,036 Speaker 1: or writing lyrics? How do they usually begin? Well? I 143 00:08:33,516 --> 00:08:38,076 Speaker 1: tend to write and write and write and not think 144 00:08:38,116 --> 00:08:41,676 Speaker 1: about the production part of it at first. And then 145 00:08:42,076 --> 00:08:45,236 Speaker 1: when I have a collection of songs and I look 146 00:08:45,236 --> 00:08:47,436 Speaker 1: at the entirety of what they are and what I'm 147 00:08:47,476 --> 00:08:49,876 Speaker 1: talking about and what I'm going through in that moment. 148 00:08:50,596 --> 00:08:54,956 Speaker 1: Then I realize that I'm capturing a time period and 149 00:08:55,036 --> 00:08:59,036 Speaker 1: it feels like a chapter. And this particular chapter I 150 00:08:59,116 --> 00:09:04,316 Speaker 1: had about twenty demos and it was COVID, Yeah, and 151 00:09:05,036 --> 00:09:08,876 Speaker 1: I was going to lean into all of the trepid 152 00:09:08,916 --> 00:09:13,516 Speaker 1: day and the darkness and the doubts and the rollercoaster 153 00:09:13,676 --> 00:09:16,836 Speaker 1: of emotions that we were all feeling in parallel in 154 00:09:16,836 --> 00:09:21,636 Speaker 1: different ways. But I wrote all the songs on different instruments, 155 00:09:21,756 --> 00:09:25,836 Speaker 1: so even the bare bones of the songs all started 156 00:09:25,836 --> 00:09:29,596 Speaker 1: in very different places, and I just knew that it 157 00:09:29,636 --> 00:09:32,676 Speaker 1: was going to be a very emotional, a very dramatic 158 00:09:32,716 --> 00:09:35,956 Speaker 1: record before I added anything to it. Do you ever 159 00:09:36,196 --> 00:09:40,676 Speaker 1: do like a gut check with friends or with your 160 00:09:40,756 --> 00:09:44,836 Speaker 1: partner to sort of like bounce your feeling about a 161 00:09:44,916 --> 00:09:47,436 Speaker 1: subject off of them to see if it's kind of 162 00:09:47,476 --> 00:09:51,876 Speaker 1: like a collective feeling. Absolutely, I mean I write from 163 00:09:51,876 --> 00:09:56,476 Speaker 1: a really personal place, and you know, even before Quarantine, 164 00:09:56,556 --> 00:10:00,836 Speaker 1: I wanted to make sure that after I write personal 165 00:10:00,916 --> 00:10:04,036 Speaker 1: songs that they feel universal in a way where anyone 166 00:10:04,116 --> 00:10:07,436 Speaker 1: can connect to them on their own level. So you know, 167 00:10:07,516 --> 00:10:10,196 Speaker 1: I checked myself there before I share it with anyone else, 168 00:10:10,236 --> 00:10:14,196 Speaker 1: and I will say about of what I write, no 169 00:10:14,236 --> 00:10:17,916 Speaker 1: one's ears hear them, because I always write from a 170 00:10:17,996 --> 00:10:20,756 Speaker 1: personal place and it starts there without every thinking that 171 00:10:20,796 --> 00:10:23,356 Speaker 1: it's going to be for anyone else. So that's my 172 00:10:23,396 --> 00:10:28,236 Speaker 1: first filter. Second filter is my partner who is also 173 00:10:28,316 --> 00:10:32,636 Speaker 1: my manager, and he also used to play drums with me, 174 00:10:32,716 --> 00:10:37,516 Speaker 1: so he has a musician's ear as well as thinking 175 00:10:37,556 --> 00:10:40,676 Speaker 1: of all of my albums collectively and what the trajectory 176 00:10:41,276 --> 00:10:44,596 Speaker 1: of my sound has been or will be, or what 177 00:10:44,756 --> 00:10:48,596 Speaker 1: kind of twists and turns are interesting just as a friend. 178 00:10:49,156 --> 00:10:52,396 Speaker 1: But he listens to the content sometimes and asks me, 179 00:10:52,476 --> 00:10:55,756 Speaker 1: like where I'm going? You know? How dark? How dark 180 00:10:55,876 --> 00:10:58,676 Speaker 1: is this? There's even been a song on the record 181 00:10:58,676 --> 00:11:02,276 Speaker 1: where he thought I was singing too low. He's like, 182 00:11:02,356 --> 00:11:05,836 Speaker 1: it sounds uncomfortably low, and I was like, I want 183 00:11:05,836 --> 00:11:09,756 Speaker 1: people to be uncomfortably low with me. What other types 184 00:11:09,756 --> 00:11:13,236 Speaker 1: of feedback does he give you, like specifically when looking 185 00:11:13,396 --> 00:11:17,036 Speaker 1: at the story of all of your albums together, sometimes 186 00:11:17,076 --> 00:11:19,876 Speaker 1: he'll comment on the tempo of my songs and say 187 00:11:20,036 --> 00:11:24,556 Speaker 1: they could be bumped up a couple you know, bpms 188 00:11:24,636 --> 00:11:28,076 Speaker 1: or whatever, because my songs tend to be very mid tempo. 189 00:11:28,156 --> 00:11:32,116 Speaker 1: I think I've honed in my mid tempo ballad for sure, 190 00:11:32,476 --> 00:11:35,156 Speaker 1: and so he'll check me on and trying to give 191 00:11:35,476 --> 00:11:40,116 Speaker 1: some tempo to the records and not laughing at myself 192 00:11:40,156 --> 00:11:43,436 Speaker 1: when a song is too lighthearted, because I'm like with mistakes. 193 00:11:43,476 --> 00:11:46,716 Speaker 1: I thought, is this one too silly to include, you know, 194 00:11:46,756 --> 00:11:49,756 Speaker 1: because it's about it's about me being a bad dancer. 195 00:11:49,796 --> 00:11:53,676 Speaker 1: But he thought, He's like, this is the you know, 196 00:11:53,796 --> 00:11:57,716 Speaker 1: as word as we start talking about sequencing of the record, 197 00:11:57,836 --> 00:12:00,156 Speaker 1: and you know, this is a point in the record 198 00:12:00,156 --> 00:12:02,756 Speaker 1: where that song comes in. We actually really need that 199 00:12:02,836 --> 00:12:06,356 Speaker 1: one song, and it took us a long time to 200 00:12:06,356 --> 00:12:08,716 Speaker 1: get there, but we did, and I found the confidence 201 00:12:08,756 --> 00:12:12,316 Speaker 1: to sing something that lighthearted in the context of the 202 00:12:12,316 --> 00:12:14,876 Speaker 1: weight of the whole album. I want to ask you 203 00:12:14,876 --> 00:12:17,676 Speaker 1: about Home to Me. I believe it's a song about 204 00:12:17,716 --> 00:12:19,196 Speaker 1: your son, but I just wanted to hear how it 205 00:12:19,236 --> 00:12:20,956 Speaker 1: came to you and what you were thinking when you 206 00:12:21,036 --> 00:12:25,996 Speaker 1: wrote it. Home to Me is definitely about my son. 207 00:12:26,156 --> 00:12:29,716 Speaker 1: I have peppered in a couple of secret messages to 208 00:12:29,796 --> 00:12:33,836 Speaker 1: him for when he's old enough to know better. He's five, 209 00:12:34,516 --> 00:12:37,876 Speaker 1: and you know, he's only just starting to understand what 210 00:12:37,956 --> 00:12:41,756 Speaker 1: I do. And it's interesting is he starts asking how 211 00:12:41,756 --> 00:12:44,756 Speaker 1: many movies does it take to get to the city 212 00:12:44,796 --> 00:12:46,756 Speaker 1: where you're going to go. It's all of like the 213 00:12:46,876 --> 00:12:50,356 Speaker 1: increments are all about how many movies can I watch? 214 00:12:50,436 --> 00:12:56,076 Speaker 1: On the way? You can watch The Sandlot four times? 215 00:12:57,996 --> 00:13:00,796 Speaker 1: But you know, it's in the middle of the pandemic 216 00:13:00,996 --> 00:13:05,596 Speaker 1: and writing a new record. I mean, it's very surreal 217 00:13:05,796 --> 00:13:09,836 Speaker 1: to even imagine going on tour again. Yeah, I wasn't 218 00:13:09,836 --> 00:13:13,636 Speaker 1: even sure if it would happen. Quite frankly, I'm scared 219 00:13:13,756 --> 00:13:16,556 Speaker 1: to go back out, but I'm gonna do it because 220 00:13:16,556 --> 00:13:19,396 Speaker 1: that's what I'm supposed to do and that, you know, 221 00:13:19,436 --> 00:13:24,676 Speaker 1: because things are normal now, right so they say, But 222 00:13:24,876 --> 00:13:29,036 Speaker 1: you know, I'm envisioning myself being on the road and 223 00:13:29,876 --> 00:13:34,636 Speaker 1: my son's starting school, and I'm basically apologizing because I 224 00:13:34,716 --> 00:13:38,396 Speaker 1: know how hard it is. But my I feel like 225 00:13:38,476 --> 00:13:41,116 Speaker 1: my job is for him to grow up watching us 226 00:13:41,156 --> 00:13:45,276 Speaker 1: figure it out, watching us make it work, and helping 227 00:13:45,276 --> 00:13:49,396 Speaker 1: each other thrive even when it's hard. And I would 228 00:13:49,436 --> 00:13:51,676 Speaker 1: not be my full self if I did not have 229 00:13:51,836 --> 00:13:55,996 Speaker 1: music and my bond and the fans that support it. 230 00:13:56,556 --> 00:13:59,476 Speaker 1: That's so important too. That's not a little point, right. 231 00:13:59,556 --> 00:14:03,476 Speaker 1: It's so important to feel like yourself after you've had 232 00:14:03,516 --> 00:14:05,676 Speaker 1: a child. It's just such a big deal. And I 233 00:14:05,716 --> 00:14:07,276 Speaker 1: was another thing I was thinking about when I was 234 00:14:07,316 --> 00:14:10,356 Speaker 1: thinking about you going on stage age after being home 235 00:14:10,436 --> 00:14:13,396 Speaker 1: and being a mom and you know, wearing the pandemic 236 00:14:14,236 --> 00:14:16,956 Speaker 1: clothes and whatever it is, you know, and all of 237 00:14:16,996 --> 00:14:19,596 Speaker 1: a sudden you have to step on stage with maybe 238 00:14:19,676 --> 00:14:22,476 Speaker 1: makeup or you have to do your hair and have 239 00:14:22,596 --> 00:14:27,316 Speaker 1: like a cool outfit. That seems like such a big transition, 240 00:14:28,236 --> 00:14:31,076 Speaker 1: and like, can you even like move your body in 241 00:14:31,116 --> 00:14:33,316 Speaker 1: the way you want to move it? How do you 242 00:14:33,356 --> 00:14:37,436 Speaker 1: get back into that mode? Let me tell you. I 243 00:14:37,596 --> 00:14:39,756 Speaker 1: first of all, I got a pair of leather pants 244 00:14:39,796 --> 00:14:43,276 Speaker 1: for the last tour, and I was nervous to put 245 00:14:43,276 --> 00:14:46,996 Speaker 1: them back on. I was like, really, leather pants, Why 246 00:14:47,036 --> 00:14:49,276 Speaker 1: did I do this to myself? Why am I going 247 00:14:49,316 --> 00:14:52,476 Speaker 1: in this rock direction? Why am I trying to be 248 00:14:52,716 --> 00:14:56,196 Speaker 1: Jane Jet right now? I really just I wish I 249 00:14:56,236 --> 00:15:00,356 Speaker 1: could wear sweatpants on stage. You know. We just had 250 00:15:00,356 --> 00:15:05,476 Speaker 1: our first warm up shows recently, and they're on one hand, 251 00:15:05,476 --> 00:15:09,596 Speaker 1: it's nice to shake it off, and I'm I'm glad 252 00:15:09,676 --> 00:15:13,556 Speaker 1: that I'm as my partner calls elevated, Sharon, you know 253 00:15:13,876 --> 00:15:16,636 Speaker 1: you're still yourself. It's just like if you were going 254 00:15:16,636 --> 00:15:20,116 Speaker 1: out on the town or something, and it helps to 255 00:15:20,116 --> 00:15:24,916 Speaker 1: get into this alter ego ish in order to disconnect 256 00:15:25,276 --> 00:15:29,196 Speaker 1: from that person. Yes, even like practice, Like I was 257 00:15:29,396 --> 00:15:32,556 Speaker 1: practicing walking in heels again around the house because I've 258 00:15:32,596 --> 00:15:37,956 Speaker 1: been wearing my bloodstones every day every day, Like Okay, 259 00:15:37,996 --> 00:15:40,556 Speaker 1: well maybe I need to see if blunt Stones will 260 00:15:40,556 --> 00:15:44,436 Speaker 1: collaborate with me on like a Chelsea boit because that's 261 00:15:44,476 --> 00:15:47,596 Speaker 1: going to be my transition. Yeah. I was looking at 262 00:15:47,636 --> 00:15:50,196 Speaker 1: your European tour dates last night and I was just 263 00:15:50,276 --> 00:15:53,996 Speaker 1: thinking about it, like it must be such a singular 264 00:15:54,036 --> 00:15:57,396 Speaker 1: experience for you, just as a mother and as a partner, 265 00:15:58,116 --> 00:16:01,556 Speaker 1: how to figure out how to balance the domestic side 266 00:16:01,556 --> 00:16:03,636 Speaker 1: of life and also like show up and be on 267 00:16:03,756 --> 00:16:07,156 Speaker 1: stage and be so super present to the fans. Is 268 00:16:07,156 --> 00:16:10,316 Speaker 1: there anybody in your life you can talk to about that, 269 00:16:10,396 --> 00:16:12,556 Speaker 1: like how to balance that and how to sort of 270 00:16:12,556 --> 00:16:15,476 Speaker 1: like come to terms within your mind. I mean I've 271 00:16:15,476 --> 00:16:18,356 Speaker 1: talked to different parents for sure, And I think what's 272 00:16:18,356 --> 00:16:21,116 Speaker 1: so unique is that any rigid parent would see my 273 00:16:21,196 --> 00:16:23,996 Speaker 1: career and just be like, oh, yeah, your kid's never 274 00:16:24,076 --> 00:16:27,076 Speaker 1: going on the road. I've never been like that in 275 00:16:27,076 --> 00:16:29,836 Speaker 1: my life, But as I'm getting older, I know that 276 00:16:29,916 --> 00:16:33,676 Speaker 1: I want some structure for my kid because I don't 277 00:16:33,756 --> 00:16:38,396 Speaker 1: naturally have it as a musician and a pisces and 278 00:16:38,556 --> 00:16:42,636 Speaker 1: I'm just a dreamer and I thrive in structure, even 279 00:16:42,636 --> 00:16:45,796 Speaker 1: though I fight against it all the time. So I'm 280 00:16:45,796 --> 00:16:48,756 Speaker 1: trying to find the best of both worlds. Yeah, most 281 00:16:48,796 --> 00:16:51,836 Speaker 1: parents that I know that are on the road or dads, 282 00:16:51,916 --> 00:16:54,516 Speaker 1: and they have a very different kind of attachment to 283 00:16:55,556 --> 00:16:59,236 Speaker 1: kids that there's a separation a bit more where I 284 00:16:59,876 --> 00:17:03,996 Speaker 1: feel constantly connected. And the mothers that I talked to, 285 00:17:04,956 --> 00:17:08,156 Speaker 1: they again, they have different styles and they tend to 286 00:17:08,716 --> 00:17:12,276 Speaker 1: be able to bring a nanny on tour full time, 287 00:17:12,556 --> 00:17:15,676 Speaker 1: and I can't do that either. I love when my 288 00:17:15,716 --> 00:17:17,716 Speaker 1: son comes out and he sees what I do. I 289 00:17:17,756 --> 00:17:19,516 Speaker 1: want him to know what I do. I want him 290 00:17:19,516 --> 00:17:21,516 Speaker 1: to know that I'm available. I want him to be 291 00:17:21,556 --> 00:17:24,396 Speaker 1: able to visualize what my schedule is every day. So 292 00:17:24,436 --> 00:17:26,476 Speaker 1: if I tell him I'm sound checking, he'll know what 293 00:17:26,516 --> 00:17:28,716 Speaker 1: that means. If I tell him I'm just backstage with 294 00:17:28,796 --> 00:17:32,076 Speaker 1: the guys, he knows what I'm talking about. And when 295 00:17:32,076 --> 00:17:34,036 Speaker 1: he knows that I didn't sleep well through the night 296 00:17:34,036 --> 00:17:36,196 Speaker 1: because of the bunk. Then he'll know exactly what I'm 297 00:17:36,236 --> 00:17:38,236 Speaker 1: talking about because he knows what the bunk is, and 298 00:17:38,316 --> 00:17:41,036 Speaker 1: he knows the backstage is, you know. But I also 299 00:17:41,196 --> 00:17:45,436 Speaker 1: he starts kindergarten in August, and I realize that I'm 300 00:17:45,436 --> 00:17:47,356 Speaker 1: going to be on tour for his first day of school, 301 00:17:47,356 --> 00:17:50,276 Speaker 1: and my heart's already broken, you know. But I want 302 00:17:50,316 --> 00:17:54,436 Speaker 1: him to have that, So you can't have both. Yeah. 303 00:17:54,516 --> 00:17:57,796 Speaker 1: We had Michael Stipe on the show recently and he 304 00:17:57,876 --> 00:18:01,756 Speaker 1: was talking about the postpartum period after you come off 305 00:18:01,796 --> 00:18:04,236 Speaker 1: of a big tour or after you finish an album, 306 00:18:04,516 --> 00:18:06,436 Speaker 1: and I was curious to know, since you've actually been 307 00:18:06,636 --> 00:18:10,116 Speaker 1: through postpartum, are those sort of like feelings when you 308 00:18:10,156 --> 00:18:18,156 Speaker 1: finish a big project. Absolutely not, I mean yes, I 309 00:18:18,236 --> 00:18:21,276 Speaker 1: mean your soul is torn open, you like, give all 310 00:18:21,316 --> 00:18:24,356 Speaker 1: these socks. I mean, anyone that's gone through thirty four 311 00:18:24,476 --> 00:18:28,196 Speaker 1: hours of induced labor then to be cut open and 312 00:18:28,276 --> 00:18:30,916 Speaker 1: then takes months to heal. And I'm you know, my 313 00:18:30,996 --> 00:18:33,436 Speaker 1: son is five and I still feel my incision and 314 00:18:33,476 --> 00:18:36,196 Speaker 1: I'm numbed down there and I pee every time I laugh. 315 00:18:36,356 --> 00:18:39,236 Speaker 1: I mean, yes, but it's intense. When you make a record, 316 00:18:39,276 --> 00:18:41,356 Speaker 1: it's intense. When you go on tour and you come home, 317 00:18:41,396 --> 00:18:44,636 Speaker 1: it's intense, and it's like it's more. It's not postpartum. 318 00:18:44,996 --> 00:18:47,956 Speaker 1: It's like you need a nap and you don't want 319 00:18:47,956 --> 00:18:51,516 Speaker 1: to be bothered, and the things that people don't tell you. 320 00:18:51,636 --> 00:18:54,916 Speaker 1: The healing process is different, and with touring, it's like 321 00:18:55,596 --> 00:19:01,636 Speaker 1: you come home and you're exhausted. The physical, physical aspect 322 00:19:01,836 --> 00:19:04,716 Speaker 1: is real. We have to pause for a quick break, 323 00:19:04,956 --> 00:19:07,036 Speaker 1: but we'll be right back with more from Sharon Vanetton 324 00:19:07,196 --> 00:19:14,036 Speaker 1: and Leah Rose. We're back with more from Leah Rose's 325 00:19:14,076 --> 00:19:17,916 Speaker 1: conversation with Sharon Vinnett. Let's talk a little bit about 326 00:19:17,996 --> 00:19:22,156 Speaker 1: your background growing up in Jersey. Do you remember like 327 00:19:22,196 --> 00:19:25,356 Speaker 1: the first artist or the first piece of music that 328 00:19:25,476 --> 00:19:29,036 Speaker 1: you really connected to. The first song I ever fell 329 00:19:29,076 --> 00:19:32,036 Speaker 1: in love with was Unchained Melody. I just thought it 330 00:19:32,076 --> 00:19:33,956 Speaker 1: was one of the most beautiful songs I've ever written. 331 00:19:33,996 --> 00:19:36,876 Speaker 1: I still do. But the first thing I sought out 332 00:19:36,916 --> 00:19:40,916 Speaker 1: on my own was Elastica. I found it a Sam 333 00:19:40,996 --> 00:19:45,916 Speaker 1: Goodie in the mall, and I remember that I wanted 334 00:19:45,916 --> 00:19:48,516 Speaker 1: to be them so bad. That was like, they look 335 00:19:48,636 --> 00:19:52,316 Speaker 1: so cool. It was like the connect you know connection, 336 00:19:52,916 --> 00:19:55,276 Speaker 1: uh huh. I didn't know a lot of female rock 337 00:19:55,396 --> 00:19:58,356 Speaker 1: musicians that were modern, but that kind of opened up 338 00:19:58,356 --> 00:20:02,756 Speaker 1: this whole other gate as soon as my schoolmates were 339 00:20:02,756 --> 00:20:06,836 Speaker 1: a here, like we're trading Walkman and sharing the cassettes 340 00:20:06,836 --> 00:20:10,556 Speaker 1: were listening to and I was like, Oh, Sonic Youth cool, 341 00:20:10,836 --> 00:20:14,196 Speaker 1: Nirvana cool, you know, Liz Fair cool. But that was 342 00:20:14,316 --> 00:20:18,756 Speaker 1: kind of my gateway into getting into with the cool 343 00:20:18,836 --> 00:20:21,116 Speaker 1: kids because I listened to a lot of classic music 344 00:20:21,236 --> 00:20:23,716 Speaker 1: leading up to that. So were you listening to stuff 345 00:20:23,756 --> 00:20:25,916 Speaker 1: that your brothers and sisters were hearing or what was like? 346 00:20:25,996 --> 00:20:28,396 Speaker 1: What was music like in your house? It was all 347 00:20:28,436 --> 00:20:31,156 Speaker 1: over the place. So I was one of five kids, 348 00:20:31,596 --> 00:20:35,316 Speaker 1: and my dad had the final collection that he had 349 00:20:35,436 --> 00:20:38,316 Speaker 1: since he was a kid, so it was a lot 350 00:20:38,356 --> 00:20:43,316 Speaker 1: of sixties, sixties seventies rock. His favorite band is Jethro Tull, 351 00:20:44,036 --> 00:20:46,876 Speaker 1: and he was listening to music constantly in the car. 352 00:20:46,956 --> 00:20:51,116 Speaker 1: But it was Jethro Tull, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The 353 00:20:51,276 --> 00:20:56,716 Speaker 1: King's smot the Hoople, and then my older brother who 354 00:20:56,796 --> 00:20:59,316 Speaker 1: was super into that music as well, because we all 355 00:20:59,356 --> 00:21:02,596 Speaker 1: listened to what my dad listened to. Yeah, my older 356 00:21:02,636 --> 00:21:05,436 Speaker 1: brother gave me his box of tapes when he left 357 00:21:05,676 --> 00:21:08,156 Speaker 1: for college as a going away present, and it was 358 00:21:08,196 --> 00:21:13,676 Speaker 1: like n inch Nail's Pretty Hate Machine, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, 359 00:21:14,356 --> 00:21:19,556 Speaker 1: Jin Blossoms, sol Asylum. My mom was like folk. She 360 00:21:19,676 --> 00:21:24,556 Speaker 1: likes Joni Mitchell and m Melanie and she got me 361 00:21:24,636 --> 00:21:28,796 Speaker 1: into Married Shapin and Lucinda Williams. So like I feel 362 00:21:28,836 --> 00:21:31,796 Speaker 1: like I'm so I'm inspired by so much that I 363 00:21:31,876 --> 00:21:36,156 Speaker 1: get I get confused. Yeah, was the house loud? Like 364 00:21:36,236 --> 00:21:38,356 Speaker 1: was there always music playing? Like? What was the regular 365 00:21:38,436 --> 00:21:41,316 Speaker 1: vibe in the house? Oh? Absolutely, I mean my dad 366 00:21:41,396 --> 00:21:45,436 Speaker 1: was blasting records downstairs, and then when there wasn't music 367 00:21:45,476 --> 00:21:47,716 Speaker 1: going on in the basement, then the drums were probably 368 00:21:47,756 --> 00:21:50,916 Speaker 1: being played or my brother and his friends were probably jamming. 369 00:21:50,996 --> 00:21:54,436 Speaker 1: And like with road trips, especially when there's like seven 370 00:21:54,516 --> 00:21:57,596 Speaker 1: of us in a car when we drove my brother 371 00:21:57,716 --> 00:22:01,396 Speaker 1: cross country to go to Arizona State. We're in my 372 00:22:01,476 --> 00:22:04,396 Speaker 1: parents green mini van and we have one of those 373 00:22:04,476 --> 00:22:07,476 Speaker 1: max on the top of the car and the whole like, 374 00:22:07,796 --> 00:22:10,076 Speaker 1: there's certain things that I was to remember from this 375 00:22:10,156 --> 00:22:14,076 Speaker 1: road trip is that we all had our Walkman and 376 00:22:14,876 --> 00:22:16,996 Speaker 1: neutral grain bars. I will never be able to eat 377 00:22:17,036 --> 00:22:19,516 Speaker 1: one again in my life because I smell them forever 378 00:22:20,676 --> 00:22:23,076 Speaker 1: or are you who did that prepare you at all 379 00:22:23,156 --> 00:22:26,636 Speaker 1: for going on tour, especially early tours, just like being 380 00:22:26,676 --> 00:22:29,316 Speaker 1: packed into a car with your family or just living 381 00:22:29,356 --> 00:22:32,076 Speaker 1: in the house with a lot of things going on, 382 00:22:32,196 --> 00:22:35,156 Speaker 1: like I'm sure at times it was chaotic, Like did 383 00:22:35,196 --> 00:22:38,596 Speaker 1: that prepare you for that life? Oh? Absolutely? I mean 384 00:22:38,676 --> 00:22:40,796 Speaker 1: I was a you know, I was raised as a camper, 385 00:22:41,156 --> 00:22:43,996 Speaker 1: and you learn how to share space and not to 386 00:22:44,036 --> 00:22:46,556 Speaker 1: take up a lot of space. And I also learned 387 00:22:46,596 --> 00:22:50,116 Speaker 1: to be like a listener and not a talker, although 388 00:22:50,156 --> 00:22:53,356 Speaker 1: I'm talking a lot right now, but I'm a better 389 00:22:53,396 --> 00:22:56,876 Speaker 1: listener than a talker. I'm kind of indecisive because there 390 00:22:56,876 --> 00:22:59,516 Speaker 1: were so many of us that I never I let 391 00:22:59,556 --> 00:23:01,996 Speaker 1: everyone else make the decision because if I was another 392 00:23:02,076 --> 00:23:04,956 Speaker 1: opinion in the mix, I just it stressed me out 393 00:23:04,996 --> 00:23:08,276 Speaker 1: too much, and so I would I would just kind 394 00:23:08,276 --> 00:23:10,156 Speaker 1: of let everyone else to side and deal with it 395 00:23:10,196 --> 00:23:12,636 Speaker 1: because I didn't really care. Okay, I just learned to 396 00:23:12,676 --> 00:23:15,396 Speaker 1: not care. So when did you start actually playing? When 397 00:23:15,396 --> 00:23:17,276 Speaker 1: did you start picking up instruments and what did you 398 00:23:17,316 --> 00:23:20,996 Speaker 1: play first? Instruments were encouraged at a really young age. 399 00:23:21,156 --> 00:23:25,596 Speaker 1: I remember when I moved in about I think kindergarten 400 00:23:26,316 --> 00:23:28,796 Speaker 1: and there was a it was like a fixer upper 401 00:23:28,876 --> 00:23:32,716 Speaker 1: Victorian house where I first lived in a Nutley, New Jersey. 402 00:23:33,316 --> 00:23:35,356 Speaker 1: But the people that moved didn't want to take their 403 00:23:35,356 --> 00:23:37,876 Speaker 1: grand piano, and it was like this old grand piano 404 00:23:38,836 --> 00:23:41,796 Speaker 1: and everyone was like it was chaotic with everybody like 405 00:23:42,156 --> 00:23:44,756 Speaker 1: like moving in and like the kids claiming their rooms 406 00:23:44,876 --> 00:23:47,036 Speaker 1: or whatever. But like I was too young to know, 407 00:23:47,716 --> 00:23:49,716 Speaker 1: and I got I guess I got lost in the 408 00:23:49,716 --> 00:23:52,036 Speaker 1: shuffle where I couldn't find anybody, and my mom was 409 00:23:52,076 --> 00:23:54,276 Speaker 1: looking for me. I guess, you know, I was wandering 410 00:23:54,276 --> 00:23:57,116 Speaker 1: around and then she heard me and I was under 411 00:23:57,156 --> 00:24:01,996 Speaker 1: the piano crying, and she said that ever since that day, 412 00:24:02,036 --> 00:24:05,236 Speaker 1: I gravitated towards that piano and I started just like 413 00:24:05,316 --> 00:24:07,956 Speaker 1: hearing notes and humming along to it, and she's like, 414 00:24:08,036 --> 00:24:11,036 Speaker 1: you always played it. And then I think by the 415 00:24:11,116 --> 00:24:15,196 Speaker 1: time I was in second or third grade, I got lessons, 416 00:24:16,036 --> 00:24:19,036 Speaker 1: and I got piano lessons early on, and then I 417 00:24:19,156 --> 00:24:24,156 Speaker 1: got suzuki violin lessons through my local elementary school. And 418 00:24:24,196 --> 00:24:26,676 Speaker 1: then in the middle of my sixth grade year, we 419 00:24:26,796 --> 00:24:30,876 Speaker 1: moved and there wasn't really like a music scene there 420 00:24:31,836 --> 00:24:36,236 Speaker 1: and so it wasn't until high school that I tried 421 00:24:36,276 --> 00:24:37,956 Speaker 1: to go back into the music world, and then I 422 00:24:37,996 --> 00:24:41,916 Speaker 1: did choir. And when I went into high school, as 423 00:24:41,916 --> 00:24:43,836 Speaker 1: when my brother left for college and he left me 424 00:24:43,876 --> 00:24:47,276 Speaker 1: his guitar and I started playing guitar and I was 425 00:24:47,356 --> 00:24:50,796 Speaker 1: learning how to sing properly. And before that I was 426 00:24:50,836 --> 00:24:53,796 Speaker 1: only singing in church. We used to go every Sunday. 427 00:24:54,356 --> 00:24:58,436 Speaker 1: I wasn't really religious, but I loved messing with everyone 428 00:24:58,436 --> 00:25:00,316 Speaker 1: in the room because they'd only sing the melody and 429 00:25:00,356 --> 00:25:02,796 Speaker 1: I'd be the only one in the whole room singing 430 00:25:02,836 --> 00:25:06,196 Speaker 1: a harmony. But I like challenging myself to like learn 431 00:25:06,236 --> 00:25:09,516 Speaker 1: harmonies that way. And by the time I was choir, 432 00:25:09,676 --> 00:25:12,836 Speaker 1: I I kind of found my niche. That's when the 433 00:25:12,916 --> 00:25:16,516 Speaker 1: guitar and the singing started. Was there a point when 434 00:25:16,516 --> 00:25:19,956 Speaker 1: you decided, maybe around you know, high school, late high 435 00:25:19,956 --> 00:25:23,996 Speaker 1: school or early college age, that you wanted to try 436 00:25:23,996 --> 00:25:27,076 Speaker 1: and take our crack at music full time or was 437 00:25:27,116 --> 00:25:30,116 Speaker 1: it always sort of a hobby at that point. It 438 00:25:30,316 --> 00:25:33,556 Speaker 1: was a hobby for sure. In high school, I used 439 00:25:33,596 --> 00:25:38,156 Speaker 1: to write more silly songs with an older friend of mine. 440 00:25:38,156 --> 00:25:40,236 Speaker 1: Her name was Dana, and we would sit on the 441 00:25:40,276 --> 00:25:43,036 Speaker 1: main street and just write about what we saw like 442 00:25:43,076 --> 00:25:45,356 Speaker 1: a gangster in the corner with his pants blowing in 443 00:25:45,396 --> 00:25:49,036 Speaker 1: the wind, and you know this green canoe that sat 444 00:25:49,076 --> 00:25:50,596 Speaker 1: on the main street. That were like, one day, we're 445 00:25:50,596 --> 00:25:52,996 Speaker 1: going to save up enough money to buy this green canoe. 446 00:25:53,956 --> 00:25:58,316 Speaker 1: But very like ween like songs. Yeah, and they were 447 00:25:58,356 --> 00:26:00,356 Speaker 1: like a big you know we were you know they live, 448 00:26:00,436 --> 00:26:04,356 Speaker 1: they live close to where we're from. Oh they're in Pennsylvania, right, 449 00:26:05,156 --> 00:26:08,116 Speaker 1: New Hope. Yeah, so like I used to. I used 450 00:26:08,156 --> 00:26:10,516 Speaker 1: to play on the corner of Lambertville and New Hope. 451 00:26:10,556 --> 00:26:13,116 Speaker 1: And when I moved in the middle of my sixth 452 00:26:13,196 --> 00:26:15,636 Speaker 1: grade year, we moved to a town close to Pennsylvania 453 00:26:15,676 --> 00:26:19,356 Speaker 1: and Lambertville. Lambertville New Hope had like the open mics 454 00:26:19,396 --> 00:26:23,156 Speaker 1: that I would go through later in life. But yeah, 455 00:26:23,236 --> 00:26:24,996 Speaker 1: I mean, I just I didn't take it seriously, but 456 00:26:25,036 --> 00:26:27,436 Speaker 1: I knew that I that was the only thing I 457 00:26:27,476 --> 00:26:29,476 Speaker 1: ever cared about was music. I didn't know what I 458 00:26:29,516 --> 00:26:30,836 Speaker 1: was going to do or how I was going to 459 00:26:30,916 --> 00:26:34,036 Speaker 1: do it. But my parents when we talked about what 460 00:26:34,076 --> 00:26:35,716 Speaker 1: I was going to do for a job one day, 461 00:26:35,756 --> 00:26:37,516 Speaker 1: and I was like, I just I want to do music. 462 00:26:37,516 --> 00:26:39,956 Speaker 1: They're like, but what about it? You know, they say 463 00:26:39,996 --> 00:26:41,796 Speaker 1: after high school I have to go to college, so 464 00:26:41,836 --> 00:26:44,636 Speaker 1: what I want want to do in college. And there 465 00:26:44,716 --> 00:26:47,276 Speaker 1: wasn't like if I could have a year off to 466 00:26:47,356 --> 00:26:49,676 Speaker 1: figure it out or anything. It was just not an 467 00:26:49,676 --> 00:26:52,636 Speaker 1: option at the time. In the nineties, it wasn't really discussed. 468 00:26:52,716 --> 00:26:54,996 Speaker 1: I don't feel like it was the natural thing to do. 469 00:26:55,076 --> 00:26:57,596 Speaker 1: You can do it, so let's do it. And they 470 00:26:57,636 --> 00:27:00,836 Speaker 1: wanted me to have a backup plan. Yeah. I threw 471 00:27:01,036 --> 00:27:02,716 Speaker 1: a kid that was a year ahead of me in 472 00:27:03,196 --> 00:27:06,916 Speaker 1: choir actually and in theater, which I also did musicals 473 00:27:06,956 --> 00:27:09,556 Speaker 1: in theater. He went to a recording school in Middle 474 00:27:09,556 --> 00:27:13,636 Speaker 1: Tennessee in Murphersboro. He said, you should check out Middle Tennessee. 475 00:27:13,636 --> 00:27:15,956 Speaker 1: It's pretty cool. There's a good recording program, and it's 476 00:27:16,116 --> 00:27:19,196 Speaker 1: in the fastest city, fastest scoring city in the South. 477 00:27:19,236 --> 00:27:21,956 Speaker 1: So they said it was before East Nashville popped up 478 00:27:21,996 --> 00:27:24,516 Speaker 1: at all. So I moved there in ninety nine. It 479 00:27:24,596 --> 00:27:28,236 Speaker 1: was the only school I applied to, and I didn't 480 00:27:28,236 --> 00:27:31,316 Speaker 1: get past the general studies classes because I had this 481 00:27:31,396 --> 00:27:33,876 Speaker 1: illusion that I could finally go to school for music 482 00:27:33,876 --> 00:27:36,796 Speaker 1: and I'd be taking music classes. But the whole first 483 00:27:36,836 --> 00:27:40,956 Speaker 1: year was spent doing science and maths and like the 484 00:27:41,476 --> 00:27:43,956 Speaker 1: English but I was like, I just I got like 485 00:27:44,036 --> 00:27:45,596 Speaker 1: straight's in high school, and now I had to do 486 00:27:45,636 --> 00:27:47,996 Speaker 1: this all over again. And I was so mad that 487 00:27:48,076 --> 00:27:51,156 Speaker 1: I stopped going and I got a job at a venue, 488 00:27:52,036 --> 00:27:56,116 Speaker 1: and that's when I started writing songs for real. But 489 00:27:56,676 --> 00:27:58,516 Speaker 1: I didn't think I could do it full time until 490 00:27:58,596 --> 00:28:02,716 Speaker 1: my twenties, when I left Tennessee with my tail between 491 00:28:02,756 --> 00:28:06,476 Speaker 1: my legs after I had a bad relationship, moved back 492 00:28:06,476 --> 00:28:08,876 Speaker 1: in with my parents for a year to save money, 493 00:28:09,116 --> 00:28:11,316 Speaker 1: and then after that year, I moved to New York 494 00:28:11,356 --> 00:28:15,356 Speaker 1: in about two thousand four two thousand and five and 495 00:28:16,636 --> 00:28:19,556 Speaker 1: really really gave it my first go with the songs 496 00:28:19,556 --> 00:28:22,116 Speaker 1: that I had written in the past. Do you remember 497 00:28:22,156 --> 00:28:26,316 Speaker 1: some of those early performances and were you just sort 498 00:28:26,316 --> 00:28:29,156 Speaker 1: of like closing your eyes and going inside or were 499 00:28:29,196 --> 00:28:32,996 Speaker 1: you able to be aware of yourself in the situation. 500 00:28:33,516 --> 00:28:36,156 Speaker 1: I used to hide behind my bangs, and I always 501 00:28:36,156 --> 00:28:38,796 Speaker 1: had short cuts because whenever I got stressed out, I 502 00:28:38,796 --> 00:28:41,716 Speaker 1: would cut my hair. And I always have the weirdest 503 00:28:41,716 --> 00:28:44,716 Speaker 1: haircuts because I cut it myself, especially the back, but 504 00:28:44,796 --> 00:28:47,796 Speaker 1: the front was always long. And so I would do 505 00:28:47,836 --> 00:28:52,116 Speaker 1: this thing where I would perform and hide behind behind 506 00:28:52,156 --> 00:28:54,796 Speaker 1: my hair. So I didn't have to look at people. 507 00:28:55,396 --> 00:28:57,596 Speaker 1: And I used to just drink a little bit too 508 00:28:57,676 --> 00:29:00,236 Speaker 1: much whiskey and go to open legs and tell people 509 00:29:00,276 --> 00:29:04,916 Speaker 1: that I only wanted to write music to make people cry. Yeah, 510 00:29:04,956 --> 00:29:06,876 Speaker 1: but I was like so shy. But I was also 511 00:29:06,916 --> 00:29:09,396 Speaker 1: a shit talker, like I didn't know what I was doing. 512 00:29:09,436 --> 00:29:11,596 Speaker 1: I was so I didn't know, Like I just I 513 00:29:11,676 --> 00:29:14,196 Speaker 1: was driven to play, and I had no idea why. 514 00:29:14,236 --> 00:29:18,316 Speaker 1: I didn't even I didn't have enough distance from the 515 00:29:18,396 --> 00:29:21,516 Speaker 1: songs to realize how intense they were. And I would 516 00:29:21,516 --> 00:29:24,076 Speaker 1: do this like weird thing in between where people weren't 517 00:29:24,116 --> 00:29:26,196 Speaker 1: sure if I was doing stand up, if this was 518 00:29:26,236 --> 00:29:29,556 Speaker 1: like performance art, or if I actually was playing real songs. 519 00:29:29,676 --> 00:29:33,716 Speaker 1: Like they were so lost. But when I started, you know, 520 00:29:34,036 --> 00:29:38,556 Speaker 1: singing more and talking less and you know, making less jokes, 521 00:29:38,596 --> 00:29:41,596 Speaker 1: I think the music made more sense. I was thinking 522 00:29:41,596 --> 00:29:45,156 Speaker 1: about you growing up in Jersey. Is there any sort 523 00:29:45,196 --> 00:29:50,836 Speaker 1: of connective tissue that you feel between you Patti Smith 524 00:29:51,196 --> 00:29:54,236 Speaker 1: and Springsteen? Like? Is there anything there? Like? Is there 525 00:29:54,316 --> 00:30:00,196 Speaker 1: any commonality? I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen, and 526 00:30:00,356 --> 00:30:03,836 Speaker 1: as an adult I found Patty And I think when 527 00:30:03,876 --> 00:30:06,916 Speaker 1: I finally learned how to have a band, they had 528 00:30:06,956 --> 00:30:12,836 Speaker 1: a baby. I mean, that's that's my only thing. I 529 00:30:13,716 --> 00:30:17,036 Speaker 1: you know, I appreciate them both for different reasons. Bruce 530 00:30:17,156 --> 00:30:19,916 Speaker 1: was such a like a neighbor, a friend, you know, 531 00:30:20,676 --> 00:30:22,516 Speaker 1: not my neighbor, but you know what I mean, I 532 00:30:22,516 --> 00:30:24,996 Speaker 1: feel like everyone from Jersey. I still remember this kid 533 00:30:25,036 --> 00:30:27,836 Speaker 1: in elementary school who swore that that was his uncle 534 00:30:27,956 --> 00:30:30,876 Speaker 1: or his cousin or something, and I wanted to believe 535 00:30:30,916 --> 00:30:33,196 Speaker 1: it's so bad just because his last name was Springsteen. 536 00:30:33,316 --> 00:30:36,436 Speaker 1: But you know, I feel like everyone from New Jersey 537 00:30:36,436 --> 00:30:40,156 Speaker 1: feels this camaraderie with Bruce Springsteen because he just talks 538 00:30:40,196 --> 00:30:43,236 Speaker 1: about growing up in a small town and like working class, 539 00:30:43,396 --> 00:30:48,036 Speaker 1: blue collar like stories that nobody tells. And that's a 540 00:30:48,076 --> 00:30:52,756 Speaker 1: lot of Jersey. And you know, I didn't understand or 541 00:30:52,796 --> 00:30:55,996 Speaker 1: come into Patti Smith's music until I had gone through 542 00:30:56,756 --> 00:30:59,476 Speaker 1: until I lived a life a bit to be able 543 00:30:59,476 --> 00:31:03,836 Speaker 1: to connect with her, with her trauma and with her 544 00:31:03,916 --> 00:31:07,436 Speaker 1: path in life. And living in New York, you know, 545 00:31:07,596 --> 00:31:11,236 Speaker 1: New York's to meet embodies Patti Smith so much, and 546 00:31:11,316 --> 00:31:13,556 Speaker 1: even in the places that I lived, I felt like 547 00:31:13,596 --> 00:31:18,396 Speaker 1: I was circling her past lives. And you know, it 548 00:31:18,436 --> 00:31:21,556 Speaker 1: makes me made me think differently about how I phrased 549 00:31:22,276 --> 00:31:25,956 Speaker 1: things and what it was I wanted to share versus 550 00:31:26,116 --> 00:31:30,316 Speaker 1: how can I use things to symbolize versus speak so 551 00:31:30,396 --> 00:31:33,916 Speaker 1: directly so that again more people can connect with it 552 00:31:33,956 --> 00:31:36,636 Speaker 1: in their own way, versus just telling them exactly how 553 00:31:36,676 --> 00:31:39,716 Speaker 1: I felt. And I'm still learning how to do that, 554 00:31:39,796 --> 00:31:43,836 Speaker 1: and I still aspire to learn how to write in 555 00:31:43,916 --> 00:31:46,396 Speaker 1: a more poetic way as she does. Yeah, I mean 556 00:31:46,436 --> 00:31:48,316 Speaker 1: I feel there's a certain amount of grit between the 557 00:31:48,356 --> 00:31:52,196 Speaker 1: three of you, like that might be a commonality. The 558 00:31:52,276 --> 00:31:55,196 Speaker 1: way they engage with the audience, too, is something that 559 00:31:55,356 --> 00:31:58,356 Speaker 1: I want to learn how to do better. I'm learning 560 00:31:58,356 --> 00:32:00,996 Speaker 1: how to put instruments down. You know that, there's just 561 00:32:01,076 --> 00:32:03,036 Speaker 1: part of me as a musician that I'm like, I 562 00:32:03,196 --> 00:32:05,716 Speaker 1: still play, I play guitar, I play keys. I played 563 00:32:05,716 --> 00:32:08,356 Speaker 1: a lot on this record. But I think in a 564 00:32:08,436 --> 00:32:13,076 Speaker 1: live set, as I'm learning to let go of the instrument, 565 00:32:13,236 --> 00:32:17,116 Speaker 1: I'm actually a better performer when I'm not multitasking if 566 00:32:17,116 --> 00:32:20,836 Speaker 1: i can just sing. But I'm a little territorial where 567 00:32:20,876 --> 00:32:22,716 Speaker 1: I'm like Charlie, I don't want you to play my 568 00:32:22,756 --> 00:32:26,876 Speaker 1: guitar part, can you play the piano instead? But it 569 00:32:26,956 --> 00:32:30,036 Speaker 1: actually doesn't help the situation. Most of the time, I 570 00:32:30,116 --> 00:32:31,876 Speaker 1: just have to let go and be a singer. But 571 00:32:31,956 --> 00:32:34,236 Speaker 1: it's such a hard thing to do after being my 572 00:32:34,276 --> 00:32:37,796 Speaker 1: own band for so long. You know, Yeah, do you 573 00:32:37,796 --> 00:32:39,956 Speaker 1: ever get hung up about what you do on stage? 574 00:32:39,956 --> 00:32:42,756 Speaker 1: Like physically if you don't have an instrument? Well, yeah, 575 00:32:42,756 --> 00:32:44,716 Speaker 1: what do I do with my hand? Sure? I mean 576 00:32:45,196 --> 00:32:48,596 Speaker 1: I realize I'm a pointer. I'm like pointing so much, 577 00:32:48,756 --> 00:32:51,956 Speaker 1: you know, like what would Alane do? You know? I'm 578 00:32:51,956 --> 00:32:54,396 Speaker 1: like such a Jersey girl. I'm just pointing at everyone, 579 00:32:54,476 --> 00:32:56,956 Speaker 1: and then I look back and I'm like, remember, people 580 00:32:56,956 --> 00:32:59,396 Speaker 1: are just gonna mirror that. If you're pointing at everyone, 581 00:32:59,396 --> 00:33:00,956 Speaker 1: They're just going to point right back to you. And 582 00:33:00,956 --> 00:33:02,836 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden, like you have an audience, 583 00:33:02,876 --> 00:33:05,396 Speaker 1: it's all pointing at me. And I'm like, maybe I 584 00:33:05,436 --> 00:33:08,876 Speaker 1: need to figure out more signs. But yeah, I'm still 585 00:33:09,196 --> 00:33:11,436 Speaker 1: figuring out that part of it. But it's fun to 586 00:33:11,516 --> 00:33:14,596 Speaker 1: like walk around stage and mess with my bandmates and 587 00:33:14,676 --> 00:33:17,796 Speaker 1: interact with them in other ways. But I need to 588 00:33:17,836 --> 00:33:21,716 Speaker 1: watch a lot more performance videos to be inspired about 589 00:33:21,756 --> 00:33:23,476 Speaker 1: what that is. But I also want to find it 590 00:33:23,516 --> 00:33:27,556 Speaker 1: on my own without completely ripping people. Patty's a really 591 00:33:27,556 --> 00:33:31,596 Speaker 1: crazy performer. She's really good. She's so I mean, she's 592 00:33:31,596 --> 00:33:34,916 Speaker 1: so wonderful. I gotten to see her twice at Bowerie 593 00:33:34,956 --> 00:33:39,116 Speaker 1: for New Year's before she stopped doing the New Year's shows. 594 00:33:39,476 --> 00:33:42,596 Speaker 1: I remember where she was having a night and she 595 00:33:43,356 --> 00:33:45,556 Speaker 1: kind of stopped the show and was just talking for 596 00:33:45,676 --> 00:33:47,876 Speaker 1: a while and saying that, you know, she doesn't know why, 597 00:33:47,956 --> 00:33:49,956 Speaker 1: but it was one of those days where she woke 598 00:33:50,036 --> 00:33:54,636 Speaker 1: up and she's like, today is just not my day, 599 00:33:55,476 --> 00:33:59,396 Speaker 1: having a bad day. Nothing happened, but having a bad day, 600 00:33:59,436 --> 00:34:02,636 Speaker 1: and doesn't that just piss you off. She's just talking 601 00:34:02,636 --> 00:34:04,396 Speaker 1: about how something I'm just She's like, I'm just trying 602 00:34:04,396 --> 00:34:06,356 Speaker 1: to shake this thing off. I don't know what it is, 603 00:34:06,476 --> 00:34:09,236 Speaker 1: but it's this thing and I've been feeling it all day. 604 00:34:09,436 --> 00:34:13,636 Speaker 1: And the whole audience just started like connecting with her 605 00:34:13,796 --> 00:34:16,076 Speaker 1: and like, yeah, it was like, you know, the do 606 00:34:16,116 --> 00:34:18,356 Speaker 1: you believe in fairies kind of feeling where all of 607 00:34:18,436 --> 00:34:20,676 Speaker 1: a sudden, like the energy of the crowd gave her 608 00:34:20,716 --> 00:34:24,436 Speaker 1: her confidence back and she went right into pissing in 609 00:34:24,476 --> 00:34:28,916 Speaker 1: a river and I lost my mind. It was one 610 00:34:28,956 --> 00:34:31,316 Speaker 1: of the best performances I've ever seen in my life. 611 00:34:31,316 --> 00:34:34,636 Speaker 1: I think that was two thousand and ten. So she's 612 00:34:34,636 --> 00:34:40,236 Speaker 1: an expert vamper, which Springsteen is too, So there's another connection. 613 00:34:40,716 --> 00:34:43,436 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, Okay, I gotta learn on that. Yeah, 614 00:34:43,476 --> 00:34:46,236 Speaker 1: the power of the vamp. Yeah, guys, this is where 615 00:34:46,276 --> 00:34:48,076 Speaker 1: you can vamp. You wait on me to do some 616 00:34:48,196 --> 00:34:50,916 Speaker 1: kind of thing. You know, you have to learn how 617 00:34:50,956 --> 00:34:53,916 Speaker 1: to be able to speak right at a certain point 618 00:34:54,156 --> 00:34:57,756 Speaker 1: and engage with the audience and and yes, be able 619 00:34:57,836 --> 00:35:02,356 Speaker 1: to get another emotion besides the emotion of the songs 620 00:35:02,396 --> 00:35:04,356 Speaker 1: that you're giving. Said that you can show them a 621 00:35:04,396 --> 00:35:08,836 Speaker 1: bit about who you are, yea. And sometimes shit happens 622 00:35:08,876 --> 00:35:12,876 Speaker 1: on stage. It's funny, and sometimes you need to communicate it. 623 00:35:13,956 --> 00:35:17,716 Speaker 1: Sometimes you just I try to engage with the people 624 00:35:17,716 --> 00:35:19,316 Speaker 1: in the audience and you never know it's going to 625 00:35:19,396 --> 00:35:23,596 Speaker 1: come from there. But you know, it's uncomfortable sometimes when 626 00:35:23,636 --> 00:35:26,356 Speaker 1: it's only song, song, song, song, song, song, song, and 627 00:35:26,436 --> 00:35:29,636 Speaker 1: you don't ever try to connect with them in another way. 628 00:35:29,996 --> 00:35:31,956 Speaker 1: We'll be right back after a break with more from 629 00:35:31,956 --> 00:35:39,076 Speaker 1: Sharon van Etton and Leah Rose. We're back with Sharon 630 00:35:39,156 --> 00:35:41,756 Speaker 1: van Etton, but before we jump back into the conversation, 631 00:35:42,076 --> 00:36:19,316 Speaker 1: let's hear her new song Darkness Fades s Sun his whole. 632 00:36:21,556 --> 00:36:52,076 Speaker 1: He oh, it's been warm suns too, the sin wet 633 00:36:52,916 --> 00:37:50,356 Speaker 1: to oh dudek seem fun see um he stars far 634 00:37:53,276 --> 00:39:16,676 Speaker 1: keeping water, start looking at I'm struggling for dreaming of 635 00:39:23,516 --> 00:40:18,796 Speaker 1: a hell. Clock stays sticky back in darkness, Fates. It 636 00:40:18,956 --> 00:40:21,316 Speaker 1: sounds like you're using your voice in a new way. 637 00:40:21,716 --> 00:40:25,396 Speaker 1: It's like you're able to harness more power in your vocals. 638 00:40:26,196 --> 00:40:28,556 Speaker 1: And is that something that's coming from your chest or 639 00:40:28,676 --> 00:40:31,236 Speaker 1: is it more of like from your head, Like where 640 00:40:31,356 --> 00:40:34,396 Speaker 1: is that coming from? And how did you prepare yourself 641 00:40:34,476 --> 00:40:38,116 Speaker 1: to do that? I honestly, I was harnessing my inner 642 00:40:38,236 --> 00:40:43,836 Speaker 1: choir girl, And you know it comes up through my boots, 643 00:40:43,916 --> 00:40:46,916 Speaker 1: but it probably sits in my you know, in my abs, 644 00:40:46,996 --> 00:40:50,916 Speaker 1: in my chest somewhere, you know, my diaphragm. But I 645 00:40:51,436 --> 00:40:54,236 Speaker 1: took some vocal lessons from this woman in New York, 646 00:40:54,356 --> 00:40:58,556 Speaker 1: Joe Joy. Ask you who used to sing a lot 647 00:40:58,716 --> 00:41:03,676 Speaker 1: with Peter Gabriel and Laurie Anderson, And so she was 648 00:41:04,036 --> 00:41:07,956 Speaker 1: a trained rock singer who doesn't judge you based on 649 00:41:08,156 --> 00:41:10,516 Speaker 1: like how you sing, how you look, what your lifestyle is. 650 00:41:11,236 --> 00:41:16,156 Speaker 1: She teaches you exercises and how to relax, like your throat, 651 00:41:16,236 --> 00:41:19,956 Speaker 1: your jaw, your tongue, and how to project your voice 652 00:41:19,996 --> 00:41:21,996 Speaker 1: in a different way by the shapes you can make 653 00:41:22,116 --> 00:41:25,876 Speaker 1: with your mouth. And so you have to do a 654 00:41:25,996 --> 00:41:28,996 Speaker 1: lot of visualizing. When you open yourself up like that 655 00:41:29,276 --> 00:41:33,076 Speaker 1: and imagine like your body as a straw and just 656 00:41:33,476 --> 00:41:37,396 Speaker 1: allowing air to go through. It's a lot easier sub 657 00:41:37,476 --> 00:41:40,396 Speaker 1: than done. But yeah, when I when I first wrote 658 00:41:40,436 --> 00:41:42,756 Speaker 1: that melody, it was I didn't know it was going 659 00:41:42,796 --> 00:41:44,996 Speaker 1: to come out, and I felt like I was controlling 660 00:41:45,196 --> 00:41:48,276 Speaker 1: so much grief and the only way I could get 661 00:41:48,316 --> 00:41:52,516 Speaker 1: it out was pretending like I was in quire and 662 00:41:53,196 --> 00:41:56,836 Speaker 1: singing it in this proper way. Almost I had to 663 00:41:57,436 --> 00:42:02,516 Speaker 1: posture and stand and close my eyes and just visualize 664 00:42:02,596 --> 00:42:05,596 Speaker 1: that I was singing in that way. Have you seen 665 00:42:05,676 --> 00:42:08,196 Speaker 1: a difference in the way that you sang after taking 666 00:42:08,276 --> 00:42:11,716 Speaker 1: the vocal lesson and doing the visualizations. I mean, it's 667 00:42:11,756 --> 00:42:13,956 Speaker 1: something I have to keep up, but I'll bring the 668 00:42:14,076 --> 00:42:18,396 Speaker 1: exercises on tour because it's also maintenance. It's muscle memory 669 00:42:18,596 --> 00:42:21,756 Speaker 1: of even how you talk, so like if I was 670 00:42:21,876 --> 00:42:24,516 Speaker 1: trying to save my voice, I would talk more like this. 671 00:42:25,956 --> 00:42:28,556 Speaker 1: And it's the way that you aim the air at 672 00:42:28,596 --> 00:42:32,676 Speaker 1: the roof of your mouth, so you're tricking your throat 673 00:42:32,716 --> 00:42:36,236 Speaker 1: into not receiving error through your vocal cords. Oh but 674 00:42:36,516 --> 00:42:39,236 Speaker 1: how I really talk. It all sits right here and 675 00:42:39,916 --> 00:42:43,316 Speaker 1: that's the rasp. But if I speak like this, it's 676 00:42:43,476 --> 00:42:46,596 Speaker 1: very different. But I can't do that without laughing. Yeah, 677 00:42:46,996 --> 00:42:48,596 Speaker 1: this is some of the hard These are some of 678 00:42:48,636 --> 00:42:52,196 Speaker 1: the hardest songs as a singer to perform. And I 679 00:42:52,316 --> 00:42:55,196 Speaker 1: just had four shows in a row and I've had 680 00:42:55,276 --> 00:42:58,876 Speaker 1: two days off in I could just feel it, you know, 681 00:42:58,996 --> 00:43:01,356 Speaker 1: in my throat. I'm like, I need to practice more. 682 00:43:01,636 --> 00:43:05,156 Speaker 1: I'm so like vocally out of shape. And they are 683 00:43:05,356 --> 00:43:10,036 Speaker 1: very demanding songs, not just an intensity in the performance, 684 00:43:10,116 --> 00:43:12,716 Speaker 1: but also the range is insane. I don't know why 685 00:43:12,756 --> 00:43:15,636 Speaker 1: I did this to myself. Yes, okay, I just want 686 00:43:15,636 --> 00:43:17,436 Speaker 1: to ask you about a couple more songs, if that's okay, 687 00:43:17,756 --> 00:43:20,676 Speaker 1: of course, can you tell me about the story about 688 00:43:20,716 --> 00:43:23,516 Speaker 1: every time the sun comes up? I know it's a 689 00:43:23,596 --> 00:43:25,796 Speaker 1: line I'm probably going to regret the rest of my life. 690 00:43:26,076 --> 00:43:28,996 Speaker 1: But we just were having a late night and it 691 00:43:29,156 --> 00:43:31,436 Speaker 1: was a song that I hadn't finished, and we were 692 00:43:31,476 --> 00:43:33,996 Speaker 1: ahead of schedule in the studio and we had time 693 00:43:34,116 --> 00:43:37,516 Speaker 1: to work on one more and the band was encouraging 694 00:43:37,596 --> 00:43:39,116 Speaker 1: we had to finish it because they were like, this 695 00:43:39,236 --> 00:43:42,956 Speaker 1: is going to be a classic song. It's so Bruce Springsteen. 696 00:43:43,756 --> 00:43:44,956 Speaker 1: And I was like, well, I don't know, like my 697 00:43:45,036 --> 00:43:47,236 Speaker 1: lyrics aren't done, and they're like, why don't you just 698 00:43:47,316 --> 00:43:49,916 Speaker 1: take a break, have like a drink and a smoke 699 00:43:50,076 --> 00:43:52,796 Speaker 1: and come back and like we'll I'll play the song 700 00:43:52,996 --> 00:43:56,436 Speaker 1: live and you can just you can just freestyle lyrics. 701 00:43:56,516 --> 00:43:59,476 Speaker 1: We won't keep anything, and then we can at least 702 00:43:59,516 --> 00:44:03,116 Speaker 1: get the band music done and then you can work 703 00:44:03,156 --> 00:44:04,836 Speaker 1: on the lyrics another time. You can work on the 704 00:44:04,956 --> 00:44:08,036 Speaker 1: vocals another time, because we'll be recording in separate rooms 705 00:44:08,116 --> 00:44:11,556 Speaker 1: or whatever. And while you know, while I was having 706 00:44:11,596 --> 00:44:14,436 Speaker 1: a drink with the band, like I literally, you know, 707 00:44:14,516 --> 00:44:18,196 Speaker 1: I broke Stuart Lerman, who produced a record with me, 708 00:44:18,276 --> 00:44:20,836 Speaker 1: I like broke one of his glasses and like I 709 00:44:20,996 --> 00:44:23,716 Speaker 1: cleaned it up and like you had to do the 710 00:44:23,836 --> 00:44:26,516 Speaker 1: dishes in the bathroom in the studio that we were at. 711 00:44:26,636 --> 00:44:28,636 Speaker 1: So it was called like Hobo Sounded. It was an 712 00:44:28,636 --> 00:44:32,676 Speaker 1: amazing studio that was just through the Lincoln Tunnel and 713 00:44:32,836 --> 00:44:35,116 Speaker 1: Weehawk in New Jersey and I would take the bus 714 00:44:35,196 --> 00:44:37,396 Speaker 1: there from the Port Authority and it was an amazing setup. 715 00:44:37,436 --> 00:44:39,996 Speaker 1: It was just exactly what I needed. Wasn't too much, 716 00:44:40,036 --> 00:44:41,836 Speaker 1: it wasn't too little, was just enough for what I 717 00:44:41,916 --> 00:44:44,356 Speaker 1: needed at that time. And this the funny thing was 718 00:44:44,436 --> 00:44:46,476 Speaker 1: where you did the dishes. It was in the bathroom, 719 00:44:46,556 --> 00:44:48,396 Speaker 1: and I was just a little stone and I thought 720 00:44:48,436 --> 00:44:50,396 Speaker 1: it was really funny that I was like doing the 721 00:44:50,516 --> 00:44:54,036 Speaker 1: dishes after I went to the bathroom. And so I 722 00:44:54,156 --> 00:44:56,756 Speaker 1: came back into the studio and like, the band's all 723 00:44:56,796 --> 00:44:59,796 Speaker 1: ready for me to go, and I'm thinking, this isn't 724 00:44:59,836 --> 00:45:02,396 Speaker 1: a keeper take, and so I'm just singing stream of 725 00:45:02,476 --> 00:45:06,196 Speaker 1: consciously in the place of like just the bands playing 726 00:45:06,236 --> 00:45:08,476 Speaker 1: live together, and I'm just doing these vocals that I'm like, 727 00:45:08,676 --> 00:45:10,516 Speaker 1: I'm not worried because they're not going to keep it. 728 00:45:10,636 --> 00:45:14,196 Speaker 1: But they kept it, and they said, I don't think 729 00:45:14,276 --> 00:45:16,556 Speaker 1: you need to rewrite any of this, and I was like, 730 00:45:16,756 --> 00:45:20,236 Speaker 1: oh man, okay, I'm probably going to regret this later. 731 00:45:20,996 --> 00:45:23,436 Speaker 1: But I was just kind of documenting what happened, but 732 00:45:23,636 --> 00:45:26,236 Speaker 1: like taking out a context. It seems kind of random. 733 00:45:26,436 --> 00:45:28,516 Speaker 1: But I mean, that song gets stuck in my head 734 00:45:28,596 --> 00:45:33,956 Speaker 1: like no other. Oh thanks. Also, I was reading about 735 00:45:34,396 --> 00:45:38,076 Speaker 1: you've been studying psychology on and off, and it sounds 736 00:45:38,156 --> 00:45:41,676 Speaker 1: like you've really wanted to at a certain point. I 737 00:45:41,716 --> 00:45:43,676 Speaker 1: think around twenty fifteen, you want to take a break 738 00:45:43,756 --> 00:45:46,316 Speaker 1: from music and you started to go back to school, 739 00:45:47,196 --> 00:45:50,596 Speaker 1: but then you got the job on the OA, and 740 00:45:51,196 --> 00:45:52,876 Speaker 1: it sounds like things have just been sort of like 741 00:45:52,956 --> 00:45:55,836 Speaker 1: building and building. But that desire is still there to 742 00:45:55,996 --> 00:46:00,916 Speaker 1: finish your psychology degree and possibly pursue that in some 743 00:46:01,356 --> 00:46:04,156 Speaker 1: way or another. Is that something that you're still thinking 744 00:46:04,196 --> 00:46:08,356 Speaker 1: about now? Absolutely, I've actually, you know, I never finished 745 00:46:08,436 --> 00:46:13,036 Speaker 1: my underground But I'm two classes away from being able 746 00:46:13,116 --> 00:46:16,516 Speaker 1: to transfer to a university. I just have to hit 747 00:46:16,636 --> 00:46:22,116 Speaker 1: these these damn general studies classes. Yes, I just need 748 00:46:22,436 --> 00:46:27,796 Speaker 1: one science and one statistics class and I can transfer 749 00:46:28,076 --> 00:46:32,556 Speaker 1: to the psychology program in a university in California. But 750 00:46:33,276 --> 00:46:36,996 Speaker 1: I can't wait to get past the you know, the 751 00:46:37,076 --> 00:46:39,636 Speaker 1: general studies classes so I can figure out what it 752 00:46:39,796 --> 00:46:42,956 Speaker 1: is that I most connect with, because I'm sure once 753 00:46:43,036 --> 00:46:46,876 Speaker 1: I start digging into the more specific classes in psychology 754 00:46:46,956 --> 00:46:48,836 Speaker 1: that I'll be able to focus on what it is 755 00:46:48,876 --> 00:46:51,196 Speaker 1: I want to do, because I don't know if it's 756 00:46:51,716 --> 00:46:54,196 Speaker 1: the social work aspect or if it's working out of 757 00:46:54,236 --> 00:46:57,276 Speaker 1: a university and connecting with younger kids as they transition 758 00:46:57,436 --> 00:47:01,116 Speaker 1: from their homes, or if it's one on one therapy 759 00:47:01,556 --> 00:47:04,076 Speaker 1: in like my own practice, or if it's being a 760 00:47:04,156 --> 00:47:08,556 Speaker 1: consultant in some kind of way. I'm not sure, but yeah, 761 00:47:08,636 --> 00:47:10,356 Speaker 1: I just want to help. I just want to help 762 00:47:10,396 --> 00:47:13,036 Speaker 1: people learn how to talk about their emotions because it's 763 00:47:13,516 --> 00:47:16,156 Speaker 1: the only thing I've had that's been consistent in my 764 00:47:16,276 --> 00:47:18,836 Speaker 1: life and learning how to hone and it's helped me 765 00:47:18,876 --> 00:47:21,996 Speaker 1: a lot. So we'll see what We'll see where it goes. 766 00:47:22,396 --> 00:47:25,076 Speaker 1: Maybe it was in the new Pitchfork profile on you 767 00:47:25,236 --> 00:47:27,796 Speaker 1: that you said, maybe when you're fifty, you'll slow down 768 00:47:27,876 --> 00:47:31,516 Speaker 1: with the creative side of things and focus more on 769 00:47:32,196 --> 00:47:34,716 Speaker 1: building a psychology practice or figuring out what that is. 770 00:47:35,676 --> 00:47:39,676 Speaker 1: But it also seems like you have so much creative 771 00:47:39,676 --> 00:47:42,236 Speaker 1: ambition still and there's so much that you're still doing, 772 00:47:42,356 --> 00:47:45,516 Speaker 1: and there's definitely more music. So do you think that's 773 00:47:45,516 --> 00:47:48,556 Speaker 1: something that will actually ever happen. I mean, my goal 774 00:47:48,716 --> 00:47:50,436 Speaker 1: is to have a degree by the time I'm fifty. 775 00:47:50,476 --> 00:47:53,916 Speaker 1: I'm forty one. I think that's our realistical while chipping 776 00:47:53,956 --> 00:47:58,636 Speaker 1: away at this degree while also still working on music, 777 00:47:58,796 --> 00:48:00,596 Speaker 1: because that is something that I feel like I will 778 00:48:00,636 --> 00:48:03,116 Speaker 1: always do you know, I don't know where these other 779 00:48:03,276 --> 00:48:05,756 Speaker 1: interests will will take me. I'm just you know, I'm 780 00:48:05,796 --> 00:48:09,276 Speaker 1: interested in a lot of things, but I think if 781 00:48:09,276 --> 00:48:12,836 Speaker 1: I set goals for myself that they will be realistic. 782 00:48:13,196 --> 00:48:16,316 Speaker 1: And you know, once I say Okay, I'm going to 783 00:48:16,356 --> 00:48:18,196 Speaker 1: go to school for this, I'll focus on that for 784 00:48:18,276 --> 00:48:22,716 Speaker 1: a semester or two, depending on what the program looks like, 785 00:48:22,916 --> 00:48:25,276 Speaker 1: I'll say okay, then I'm going to get a dedicate 786 00:48:25,476 --> 00:48:27,636 Speaker 1: a year to this, and we'll see where this leads. 787 00:48:28,596 --> 00:48:31,076 Speaker 1: But you know, it's like, I think it's healthy to 788 00:48:31,156 --> 00:48:33,596 Speaker 1: learn how to pivot, and as we get older, it's 789 00:48:33,636 --> 00:48:35,836 Speaker 1: it's I think it's healthy to not depend on one 790 00:48:35,916 --> 00:48:40,676 Speaker 1: thing to sustain ourselves. And again, I want I want 791 00:48:40,716 --> 00:48:43,316 Speaker 1: my son to grow up thinking that anything is possible. 792 00:48:43,596 --> 00:48:46,916 Speaker 1: So for me to be able to pivot from being 793 00:48:46,996 --> 00:48:49,636 Speaker 1: on the road all the time to finding work that 794 00:48:49,916 --> 00:48:52,716 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that I have to be absent, then I'm 795 00:48:52,836 --> 00:48:55,396 Speaker 1: all for it. Well, thank you so much for doing this. 796 00:48:55,516 --> 00:48:58,156 Speaker 1: It was so fun talking to you, and I wish 797 00:48:58,196 --> 00:49:01,196 Speaker 1: you huge, huge luck on the tour. You're going to 798 00:49:01,316 --> 00:49:05,836 Speaker 1: kill it. Well, thank you so much, Lee, it was 799 00:49:05,916 --> 00:49:08,156 Speaker 1: really nice getting to talk with you. I appreciate you 800 00:49:08,276 --> 00:49:14,356 Speaker 1: taking the time. It was really really fun. Thanks to 801 00:49:14,436 --> 00:49:17,116 Speaker 1: Sharon Vnetton for giving us insight into the making of 802 00:49:17,236 --> 00:49:20,036 Speaker 1: her new album. We've been going about this all wrong. 803 00:49:20,996 --> 00:49:23,516 Speaker 1: To hear our favorite Sharon Vnetton songs. Check out the 804 00:49:23,556 --> 00:49:27,076 Speaker 1: playlist at broken record podcast dot com. Be sure to 805 00:49:27,116 --> 00:49:30,076 Speaker 1: subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube dot com slash 806 00:49:30,156 --> 00:49:32,596 Speaker 1: broken record Podcast, where you can find all of our 807 00:49:32,636 --> 00:49:36,156 Speaker 1: new episodes. You can follow us on Twitter at broken Record. 808 00:49:36,676 --> 00:49:39,596 Speaker 1: Broken Record is produced and help from Lea Rose, Jason Gambrel, 809 00:49:39,876 --> 00:49:43,676 Speaker 1: vent Holiday, Eric Sandler, and Jennifer Sanchez, with engineering help 810 00:49:43,756 --> 00:49:48,356 Speaker 1: from Nick Chafe. Our executive producer is Mia Lobell. Broken 811 00:49:48,436 --> 00:49:51,316 Speaker 1: Record is a production of Pushkin Industries. 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