1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Conversations on life, style, beauty and relationships. It's The Velvet's 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson. What's up, you guys. It's Kelly. 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: I'm just coming in to give you a little backstory 4 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: of this week's podcast both The Velvet and Edge. Our 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: guests this week are Claire Bowen and Brandon Robert Young, 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: who now formed the duo bow and Young. I would 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: assume that you guys probably remember Clear as Scarlett O'Connor 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: on the hit show Nashville and Brandon from his many 9 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: years as part of the John Hyatt trio. But now 10 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: the duo is married and they are taking their music 11 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: into their own hands with bow and Young. So Chippinas 12 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: conversation with Claire and Brandon ended up being so great, 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: with so many little life nuggets of wisdom. What you 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: guys know, I'm a sucker for so I couldn't cut 15 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: anything out. I just decided to make it a double 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: episode this week so you guys can get all of 17 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: those nuggets. In today's episode, we get the backstory of 18 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: both of them, what it was like moving to Nashville. 19 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: For Claire are coming from Australia, that was obviously a 20 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: huge transition especially after battling pediatric cancer for most of 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: her life. And then with Brandon's story of moving to Nashville. 22 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: He came without a plan and he just was pursuing 23 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: his dreams of being a musician and a songwriter. And 24 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: he's told us a lot about what that actually looked like, 25 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: what the grind looks like, and how to chase your 26 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: dreams when you feel like you don't know what you're doing. 27 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: They also told the story of falling in love and 28 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: getting engaged at none other than the Grand ol Opry. 29 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: Chip and I both said it was very refreshing to 30 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: see genuine love between two people. I mean honestly. Chip 31 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: even said this conversation made him believe in love again. 32 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: So who knows what's in story, y'all. I hope you 33 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: guys enjoyed Part one. Here's our conversation. Hey, Chip, it's 34 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: still spooky season. Are you feeling thank you? I left 35 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: my house this morning so actually had to do something 36 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: with myself. Um, I'm really excited about our guest today. 37 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: Should we bring her in? Of course? So we are 38 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: here with Claire Bowen and Brandon Robert Young, who now 39 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: make up the duo of Bowen and young, but most 40 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: of you guys probably no clear from her journey on 41 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: the show Nashville for a really long time, and we've 42 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: got all kinds of stories about both you guys, and 43 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: I cannot wait to talk about this. Thank you so 44 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: much for being here. We're so excited to talk to 45 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: you all. Did you just call me a whole road off? 46 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: Who are? Did I say that? I said Roll? Did 47 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: it sound like Coore? It was like, I just absolutely, 48 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: I'm like that Nashville. I don't remember Scarlett being a whore? 49 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: Was she did? I'm missing? She wasn't old, she was 50 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 1: lovely things just happening to her. It was really quite stressful. Girl, 51 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: poor girl. Well I was so good. Well, I was 52 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: telling you guys before we got on this podcast that 53 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: I love these kind of conversations because I do think, 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: you know, it's like everyone knows you from the show Nashville, 55 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: and now you guys have this amazing duo, and so 56 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: they're seeing you guys have this success, but they don't 57 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: know a lot of what the journey looked like to 58 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: get there. I didn't know half of it, and I 59 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: learned so much in researching with you guys, So I 60 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: think that we want to kind of talk about what 61 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: you have going on, but also we want to give 62 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: the listeners just the backstory of all the things that 63 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: you have gone through to get to this place in 64 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: your life, because I think that's such a big important 65 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: conversation for us to have with each other, of just 66 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: the connection of like, hey, life isn't easy for anyone, 67 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: Like we all have stuff, and um, it's how you 68 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: overcome those moments. And I was also explaining to you 69 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: all that a big topic this month for us is 70 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: overcoming fear. So I found a lot of that in 71 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: both of your stories, and I think there's some really 72 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: cool things we can talk to the listeners about. But 73 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: let's just start with, Um, maybe let's start with how 74 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: you got to Nashville. And now, Claire, you came from Australia, 75 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: so talk us a little bit through that journey. Uh. Well, 76 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: it was I was doing Spring Awakening at the Sydney 77 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: Theater Company and we were very lucky. Our artistic director 78 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: was Cate Blanchett, and she took me aside one day 79 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: and said, like it was like right before opening night 80 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: and said asked me if I'd ever thought about going 81 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: to the US, And I said no, that sounds terrifying, 82 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: and she said, well you should probably anyway. So I 83 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: did UM, and I was gosh, I was doing pilot season. 84 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: It was my very first pilot season and got this 85 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: wonderful script called Nashville and stood at my agent's desk 86 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: and damn near read the whole thing. She was like, 87 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: are you going home now? Like, yes, sorry, Um. On 88 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: the day UM, I fell in love with Scarlett immediately 89 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 1: the character that I played UM, and only on the 90 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: day of the audition it rained and went rains in California. 91 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: Everyone forgets how to so my bus didn't show up. 92 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: So I didn't show up to the audition for I 93 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: think three hours afterwards, after my time was supposed to happen. 94 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: I called my agents. I was like, because I'm so sorry, 95 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: Like I look like a drowned route and I'm really 96 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: late and the bus just like three of them haven't 97 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: shown up. But I don't know what to do. I 98 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: don't think I had money for a cab and they 99 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: were like, you have to get there, just figure it out. 100 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: They want to they want to meet the Australian Vendela 101 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: from Spring Awakening. I'm like, okay, I didn't know they 102 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: knew I did that. UM, So I made it happen. 103 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: Got there and it was literally this like the late 104 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: at night. It was like eight eight, nine o'clock and 105 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: it was literally a light at the end of the title, 106 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: this really long dark hallway. And they had waited for me, um, 107 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: and it was Jennie Backgroug's lovely assistant who makes a sun. 108 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: Um waited when I was sitting there with a camera 109 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: and was like, all right, sing. So I did and 110 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: did the words and did and she invited more and 111 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: more people into the room and they're all right, we 112 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:03,679 Speaker 1: need you back in the morning to sing a Cali 113 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: and T Bone and UM and r J and everything 114 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: changed within It was like my life, My whole life 115 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: changed in about thirty six hours. And then they called 116 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: me and they were like, hey, you mean in to Nashville. 117 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: I was like, great, where's that? Yeah? Here I am. Wait. 118 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: How old did you say you were? Oh gosh, it's 119 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: probably twenty. I don't know. I don't know was into 120 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: one just yeah, especially the last couple of years. Um. 121 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: But so you just up and left the country that 122 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: you were born and raised in. Did you know anyone 123 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: in Nashville nope. Um. When I was the first class 124 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: member to move here that wasn't local, and I got 125 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: myself a little cottage in Sylvan Park behind an eight 126 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: foot hedge so that nobody would come near me and 127 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 1: no one would talk to me because I was really 128 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: really shy. Um kind of more. I don't think I was. 129 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: Probably I wasn't socialized the same as everyone else. I 130 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: grew up half in a children's hospital U undergoing cancer treatment, 131 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: and then half in rural Australia. So I was incredibly introverted. 132 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: But I didn't know what an introvert was. I thought 133 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: I was just I don't know, like I didn't I 134 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: thought it was just weird, was stupid. So I stayed 135 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: away from everyone. Um, and it was. It was interesting 136 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: becoming very visible all of a sudden, even though I 137 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: knew that that's what came with what we do. Mm 138 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: hmm it was. It was a pretty mad roller coaster 139 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: of a of an experience. But I wouldn't change it 140 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: for the world. It was so wonderful. Go ahead, I 141 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: was going to ask, like, as an introvert, like what 142 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: drove you to the stage. I don't know. I really 143 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: like telling stories. Um. One of the things I guess 144 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: about being in hospital was we watched a lot of movies, 145 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: and it was like you know, the late eighties, when 146 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: I was stuck in there for however long, it was 147 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: um and you had to make your own fun. So 148 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: I was good at talking to people who didn't know 149 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: how to talk to anyone else, that we were all 150 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: kind of we're all kind of a bit different, like 151 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: when I when I first got to normal school, normal 152 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: and normal as are setting on a drive, but like 153 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: the average school where children are not missing arms and 154 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: legs and things like that, I didn't understand what I 155 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: was seeing because everyone was whole mostly um. So I 156 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: grew up in a place where you could be anything 157 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: um and the outside world was a whole lot more 158 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: frightening out there. So I never understood why people would 159 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: be made fun of for the way they looked, like 160 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 1: the color of their skin, or how many limbs there missing, 161 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, Like I didn't. It was 162 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: a real shock when I got out of hospital. Yeah, 163 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: So I don't know. I think maybe part of me 164 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: slipped into a place in my mind that was almost 165 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: if I was if I was telling a story and 166 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,559 Speaker 1: playing a character. It was almost like a barrier between 167 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: me and everybody else. Um, but my family have always 168 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: been really supportive and um, accepting and encouraging and in 169 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: all of my eccentricities, so thankfully. UM, I guess that's 170 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: what made me brave enough to not that I would 171 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: call myself very brave, but reckless enough to come over 172 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: here and risk everything. Yeah, I was saying the chip 173 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: whenever we uh booked you guys to be on the podcast, 174 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: I was like, do you think that she is aware 175 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: any of the cast members are aware of the impact 176 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: of that show on our city, Like how much it's 177 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: actually changed the city of Nashville and really put it 178 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: on the radar in such a different capacity and way, 179 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: Like are you all aware of that or is that 180 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: something y'all talk about? I think I'm acutely aware of it. 181 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: I'm lived here in two thousand and so I watched 182 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: Nashville change, you know, in two thousand to probably two 183 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: thousand five. It was when you were starting to see 184 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: twelve South start to come five, um, and all those 185 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: beautiful homes along Belmont Boulevard, many of which were sort 186 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: of boarded up and the grass was three ft high 187 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: and they were eyesores when I moved to town, and 188 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: then they sort of started to systematically rehab that neighborhood 189 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: and you know, the little quick Mark turned into Tell 190 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: South tap Room and then you know, things just started 191 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: to kind of come to life. Um. But then you know, 192 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: to jump forward to when maybe the first season of 193 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: Nashville was done, I mean you could just feel it, 194 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: like you could feel the city sort of this like 195 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: kinetic energy in the city, and it hasn't hasn't stopped since, 196 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: like I've watched it happen. Yeah, I recently really started 197 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: rewatching the show. I'm on Hulu, and it's I laugh 198 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: when you see the like the drone shots of the 199 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: city because it's like this little town now it's like 200 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: I live in East Nashville, So when I come across 201 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: for work, I'm just like, where did the city come from? 202 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: It's crazy to me, Yeah, everywhere exactly. Now reason bleached 203 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: my eyebrows up, so I look like a human Q 204 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: tips from I'm laughing at myself. Well, there were probably 205 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: weren't great salons and Nashville back then to like give 206 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: you good advice, and right, we've grown a lot there too. Yeah, 207 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 1: we should mention that Brandon, you were also a part 208 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: of the show because you've had songs on the show 209 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: as well, and so, um, and I want to talk 210 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: a little bit about your story of coming to Nashville too, 211 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: because I love I love the part that you just 212 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: showed over with a guitar you didn't know how to 213 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: play and talk about brave. Yes, UM, so let's maybe 214 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: dive into that. So tell us a little bit. You 215 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: said you came to Nashville a lot earlier. Um, did 216 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: you know you were moving here to pursue music? Because 217 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 1: the part of our story, your story that we know 218 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: is that you came to town with nothing except for 219 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: a guitar that you actually didn't quite know how to 220 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 1: play at that point, and your whole journey was just 221 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: teaching yourself and working your way up and really kind 222 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: of doing the grind that I a chip and I 223 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 1: have seen so many artists really partaken in Nashville. So 224 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: can you tell us a little bit about your journey? Yeah, 225 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,119 Speaker 1: I think for me, I grew up in Connecticut, Um, 226 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: in a small town, my mom, you know, with singing 227 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: at our bedside and sort of taught my sister and 228 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: I had a sing and I grew up singing in 229 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: sure in the choir, and my mom put me up 230 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: in front of the church when I was five years 231 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: old to sing my first solo um. And so, you know, 232 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: singing was always something that came natural to me. It 233 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,319 Speaker 1: wasn't something that I felt like I had to really 234 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: work at because it was just something that like, oh, 235 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: we just do it around the house, or you do 236 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: it ever um. And I'm a terrible athlete. So in school, 237 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: if I was going to do anything sort of extracurricular, 238 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: be a musical or play or something like that. So 239 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: when I got out of school, it was sort of, 240 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: you know, what am I gonna do with my life? 241 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: I would love to do something creative. My mom said, Brandon, 242 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: you're different, like I always thought, Oh, I got to 243 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: put on a student time and go get a job 244 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: doing something like my dad does, you know, sales and 245 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: marketing and things like that. My mom was like, you know, 246 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: you're different than your dad, and that's okay, you know, 247 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: and it's a beautiful part of you. You don't have 248 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: to do what what your dad does. And so at 249 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: that point I kind decided I'm either going to try 250 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: my handed acting or try my handed music and as 251 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,439 Speaker 1: I sort of looked at it, it was either acting, 252 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: I have to operate off someone else's script, I have 253 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: to read someone else's words music. If I do it right, 254 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: I can write my own. And so somebody suggested Nashville 255 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: after I had sort of checked l A and New 256 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: York off the list because l A was the opposite 257 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: side of the country from Connecticut. My mom would have 258 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: just died in New York was really close, and so 259 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: that didn't feel like going far enough away. And somebody 260 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: said Nashville. And I came to visit for one weekend 261 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: and honestly felt like it was the friendliest city I've 262 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: ever been in. So I moved here in my haunt 263 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: of Civic and quite literally like had never written a song. 264 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: Um didn't know how to play guitar. I asked my 265 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: parents and buying me a guitar, and they got me 266 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: this two hill Yamaha guitar, and I worked as a 267 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: legal cur or downtown Nashville, delivering documents for lawyers for 268 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: four years, and that night I would sit in my 269 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: apartment and and and learn how to play guitar and 270 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: write songs. And then my first song, or my first 271 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: time playing was at the accident. I was opening for 272 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: a singer songwriter. They're terrified. I played four or four 273 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: or five songs, sat on a stool because my knees 274 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: were knocking, and I was just you know, and I 275 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: just kept going and just um, I felt like, I'm, 276 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: you know, pretty bad at self promotion. But I felt 277 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: like if the art is good, then maybe people would 278 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: come back. And so I just kept going. I just 279 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: never stopped. And I found my way through you know, 280 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: almost record deals and you know, publishing deals and management 281 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: deals and then getting dropped and and then I found 282 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: my way to working with John High for nine years 283 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: on the road and that was a whole beautiful education 284 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: in and of itself, and travel the world with him, 285 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: and you know, and then Claren, I'm met and here 286 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: we are, which we will get to that story because 287 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: everyone loves a good love story, so we have to 288 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: hear all the details. Um. I love your story though, 289 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: because to me, that is the real national story. Like 290 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: it's it's not this glamorous thing where you come often 291 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: it's not like this easy thing that you show up 292 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: and you get a record deal and everything works out, 293 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: you know, and the grind is not very glamorous, and 294 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: I know, like I resonate with that. I don't. I 295 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: don't know if you feel that way, Chip, But like 296 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: part of my journey was having a degree in public 297 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: relations and that's why I moved here, and then I 298 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: hated it and so then it was like teaching myself 299 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: how to do all the things that I do now 300 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: and what that looks like while you're waiting tables to 301 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: pay your bills and all of that stuff. Isn't the 302 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: stuff that people talk about, you know? And so were 303 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: you like when you were was there ever a moment 304 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: where you out like maybe this isn't gonna work and 305 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: I just need to give up or did you just 306 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: always say like I'm gonna keep going. Uh. There was 307 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: definitely a time after I had sort of gotten dropped 308 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,919 Speaker 1: what you know, there were a couple of record deals 309 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: on the table in l A and the publishing deal 310 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 1: and management all this stuff, and there's like this sort 311 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: of moment in the sun where I sort of felt 312 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: like the clouds were parting and all this work that 313 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: I had done things were starting to come to fruition. 314 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: And then, as they do in this business, things sort 315 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: of started to crumble. Beneath me, and then I was 316 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: literally felt like I was standing, you know, naked, in 317 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: the middle of the city, going I don't know what 318 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do, Like I'm broke. I my head is 319 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 1: spinning because I've been running around town writing with with 320 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: everyone that that everyone said I should write with because 321 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: we were chasing this mythical hit single that that I 322 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,160 Speaker 1: didn't know what that was, but people, but we were 323 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: exactly so we were chasing it. And I felt like 324 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: I got to the place where I didn't know how 325 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 1: to write songs on my own anymore. And I called 326 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: my buddy, who is not a musician, and he lives 327 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: in l A. And I said, man, I think I 328 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: just need to get away for a minute and figure 329 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 1: out how to write songs. He come on out and 330 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 1: he had a one better apartment, yeah, sixth in Cloverdale, 331 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: Miracle Mile area in l A. And I slept on 332 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: his couch for eight months and I just wrote songs 333 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: every day by myself. I didn't hang out with musicians, 334 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: none of his friends were musicians. And I just wrote 335 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: about two albums worth of songs on my own. And 336 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: when I felt like I could write songs on my 337 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,959 Speaker 1: own again. That's when I moved back to Nashville, and 338 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, I'm ready to come back, and 339 00:18:55,240 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 1: I'm ready to sort of you know two point oh, 340 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,160 Speaker 1: you know, figure out what this next chapter of music 341 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: is going to look like for me. Um. But yeah, 342 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 1: it was. It was scary and sad, and I'd be 343 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: lying if I didn't say I had a lot of 344 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: really dark, depressed days because I felt like a failure. Um. 345 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,679 Speaker 1: But at the same time, there's something in me that 346 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: won't let me give up, Like, it won't let me quit. 347 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: Like even if I'm super dark, I'm just like, oh no, no, 348 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: Like I just can't because I moved here twenty two 349 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: years ago to write songs and sing them and that's 350 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: what I have to do. And what am I gonna 351 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: do now? I mean, I can't just switch here. If 352 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: you're like no, I realized that now you can start 353 00:19:52,520 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: on being a better athlete. You know. Well, Claire, you 354 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: kind of touched on this a little bit when you 355 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,119 Speaker 1: were talking to us about your childhood. But something I 356 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: learned about you was that you did have a diagnosis 357 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: of pediatric cancer, which I've never heard you talk about 358 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 1: that in an interview or um even as a part 359 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: of your story, and so it was shocking to me 360 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: to hear that you were diagnosed at four. Is that right? 361 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: Can can you tell us a little bit about that? 362 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,439 Speaker 1: And it obviously has impacted your life so much. I 363 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: want to hear more about that story. Um yeah, I 364 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: think gosh. I remember sitting on the couch and there 365 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: was this cat that used to come to the back door, 366 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: and uh, I love animals and grew up again in 367 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: rural Australia, like I was probably around more animals and people. 368 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: And we're making somebody's house in Sydney for something, um, 369 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: and mom said, oh, clip which is here? This is 370 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: the Russian blue cat that used to get He had 371 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: like six families. He was a little bit very sad, 372 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: and I remember like I would go running to see 373 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,640 Speaker 1: which because I loved him so much. And this one 374 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: day I was sitting on the couch, was watching a 375 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: cartoon or something, and I felt so sick. I just 376 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: like so tired, and I've been getting more and more 377 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: tired over like the last sort of it manifested. I 378 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: was worn with cancer. That's basically what they think, but 379 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: it didn't become apparent until a month before I really crashed, 380 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 1: and Mom had taken me to the doctor several times 381 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: and said, there is something wrong, please please can you 382 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: can you check? Can you scan? Can you test? Can you? 383 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 1: And the doctor a couple of doctors said to her, 384 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: your paranoid, she's your first baby. Go home and get 385 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: some sleep, and we're really patronizing towards her. Um and 386 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: I remember sitting on the couch and just like I 387 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: I thought, I felt so guilty, remember feeling horrible because 388 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: I just didn't care that the cat was there, and 389 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 1: I felt so awful. I was like, oh God, I've 390 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: got to get up. This is awful. He's going to 391 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: hate me to apologize. So I tried to get up 392 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: to apologize to the cat for not being excited to 393 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: see him, and my legs didn't work, and I just 394 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:12,640 Speaker 1: couldn't make the move. UM and my dad had come 395 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: home from Singapore, I think he'd been gone for three days, 396 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I could move them, but I just 397 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 1: it was like it was very strange. It was almost 398 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: like that feeling right before you pass out where everything 399 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: is kind of out of control. And Mom had taken 400 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: me to the doctor just a few days before and 401 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: been told again that she was crazy, and she was like, no, 402 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: something is wrong. Dad gets home after not seeing me 403 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 1: for three days, takes one look at me and it's 404 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,959 Speaker 1: like she's changed again. Let's go. So they took me 405 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: to the emergency department at Camperdown, I think UM in Sydney, 406 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: and I was diagnosed in the emergency room UM and 407 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: they gave me two weeks to live. And yeah, it 408 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 1: was pretty bad moment out of two of the strongest 409 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: people like, I can't imagine that fear, like, how do 410 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: you how do you reconcile that in your brain? Mom 411 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: said that, yeah, I can't. Mom said that every word 412 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: the doctor said was she was sure that there were 413 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: bullet holes in the wall behind her, because that's what 414 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: it felt like. And they said, look, we'll give you 415 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: pain medication and you can take a home and just go, 416 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: go and have the best weekend and do everything that 417 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: let her eat all of her favorite foods and then 418 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: say goodbye. And Mom and dad were like, you can't 419 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: how wait, no, no no, And so they they managed to 420 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: get ahold of a doctor who was brave enough to 421 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 1: allow us to do this experimental treatment that really hadn't 422 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 1: been tested on anyone or anything. Um. So Mom and 423 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: Dad signed a wave of form to say that if 424 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,359 Speaker 1: the chemotherapy regim and killed me out right that they 425 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:59,440 Speaker 1: wouldn't sue because it was so it was like pretty 426 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: crazy to um. And they started it that I think, 427 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: like I think they started that night. UM. But I 428 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: remember being really cold in the hospital and I was 429 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have overheard the conversation. I just remember like 430 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: a wooden door that was kind of like a hollow. 431 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, it was the thin door to the 432 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: doctor's office, and I was sitting. I must have been 433 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: with my grandmother. She probably was holding me, and I 434 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: remember the doctor saying two weeks and she's gone. Um. 435 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: And it was really cold because I've never been in 436 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: air conditioning before, and like rich people have air conditioning 437 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: where we come fromably, probably, I guess um. And Mom 438 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: and Dad came out of the room and I asked 439 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: them are their heaters in heaven? Because I was cold, 440 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: which is one of the saddest fucking things either. I 441 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: was like, oh God, I'm so sorry. Mom. Mom said, 442 00:24:58,080 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: you know what, they don't need them up there, but 443 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: you don't, don't you don't have to go there. Yet 444 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,159 Speaker 1: you've got to stay. So it did. Um, and it 445 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: was awful and one of those experiences that I'm also 446 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: so grateful for. And there are lots of children who 447 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: didn't make it out and I did, so that was 448 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: a whole Like the discovery of having survivors guilt was 449 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: interesting journey. Um. It was a very not no better 450 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: or worse than anybody else's. Childhood is very different where 451 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: you learn about mortality real quick because somebody pretty much 452 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,639 Speaker 1: passed away every day. Uh. And it's like being you know, 453 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: one of the last man standing so to speak. Um, 454 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: and the back and forth of like getting better not 455 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 1: getting better and h and I think with lots of surgery, 456 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 1: literally got cut in half once, um to get the 457 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: main part of the cancer out. But I don't I 458 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:04,959 Speaker 1: don't know if it makes you different or anything like that. 459 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,920 Speaker 1: Definitely doesn't make you better than anyone, because I don't 460 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: know any different. People always ask how does it change you? 461 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: It's like, well, didn't get a chance to be anything first, right, 462 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: But it was my parents who were the brave ones. 463 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: They were. I mean, that's that's just somebody tearing your 464 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: heart out and stomping on it, telling you something like 465 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: that baby. Um, but I made it and it's thanks 466 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: to the very brave doctor named Margaret and my wonderful 467 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 1: parents in the family. And yeah, mm hmm, probably got 468 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: something to do with the introversion thing. Yeah, I'm gonna say, 469 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: what do you think the like, is there something tangible 470 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: that you feel that experience has given you as a person, 471 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: Like all of the hard experiences in my life that 472 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 1: sucks so bad and I feel like I'm going to die, 473 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: and they just you know, they're crippling in all these 474 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: ways that making me into a better version of myself 475 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 1: ultimately after Um, but of course you can't always see 476 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 1: that when you're in it. And so I'm wondering if 477 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: there's something that you can tie to going through that 478 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: at such a young age that you feel it's given 479 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: you as a human. Maybe it's like the ability to 480 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,239 Speaker 1: overcome things or resiliency, Like is there anything that you 481 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: can um tangibly identify in your personality? Now? Very difficult 482 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: to kill? Yes, look at that attempt. You know, Um, 483 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: I don't know, you know, I grew up. I still 484 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: sweat the small stuff sometimes, like we all do. Like 485 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: I have a really hard time understanding why people cruel 486 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,640 Speaker 1: to each other. I think it's it was so interesting 487 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: getting to university and which was one of the worst 488 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: bolling experiences of my life. Wasn't even bold like I 489 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: went to school before and I was sucking bold. The kids, 490 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,640 Speaker 1: they were nice to meet the kids at the university. 491 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 1: You are horrid um And I was like, how do 492 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: you all think you have the time to be mean 493 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 1: to each other? Like you you really you really don't 494 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: understand how short time can be. And there's you know, 495 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: I suppose I don't know, just that that my life 496 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 1: has been a series of miracles and serendipitous like getting 497 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: out by the skin of my teeth, And I guess 498 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: it's a little bit like Brandon, where I just the 499 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: only option is to succeed somehow, and where the success 500 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: is get the essay turned in on time because you 501 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: didn't do any of the reading and you haven't done 502 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: your homework for about a year and you just you've 503 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: got two hours to get in it, or surviving cancer, 504 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 1: or I don't know. For Brandon singing at the bridgetone 505 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: twenty four hours noticed with some girl that he doesn't 506 00:28:55,400 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: know you just make it happen. Well, that it's a 507 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: really good segue into how you guys met, which I love. 508 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:12,719 Speaker 1: Thanks for Tea and that one up for us. Yes, exactly. 509 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: She should be on the podcast Brandon with the sports reference. 510 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: Look at thet you are never sell yourself short. Um, 511 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: so what is the story? I know I heard that. 512 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: I'm hearing bits and pieces, but it's you, Claire. We're 513 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: going to perform at bridge Stone, but you needed a 514 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: duet partner that didn't show up. Is that what happened? 515 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,959 Speaker 1: Tell us a story. Uh, the person who was supposed 516 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: seen with me bailed at the last minute, and UM, 517 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: my team like, all right, we know somebody dingerly beautifully. 518 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: We want you to write with him, and we really 519 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: wanted you to meet him for a while. And this 520 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: is just kind of perfect because I was stressed and 521 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: frightened and I'd never I mean I'd sung in front 522 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: of I suppose about that many people before when the 523 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: show started, but this was my set, and I've never 524 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: done a solo set before with a band. I came 525 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: with the musical theater and operas and there's normally a 526 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: guy with a stick and trying to be telling you 527 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: what to do. It wasn't there. Um. Sorry, well, we've 528 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: we've got somebody that we'd like you to meet, and 529 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 1: that I wasn't there for the next bit. Now. Yeah, 530 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: So I was in my little I was living in 531 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: a garage department UM in Germantown off Fifth Avenue, and 532 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: I was at home working on a song and got 533 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: a text message that said stop what you're doing, download 534 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: the song and call me. It was a really random 535 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: that was a random text, but I so I listened 536 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: to the song and made the call and say hey. 537 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: It's like, hey, can you sing that song? I was like, yeah, 538 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: I can sing that song. Can you kill it? Was 539 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 1: like yeah, I can kill it. Great A need at 540 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: the bridge Stone Arena in twenty four hours, staying with 541 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: my client and I was like, your client, what are 542 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: you talking about? And so I kind of got the 543 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: rundown and uh, you know, they just needed me for 544 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: the one song. And I was in the thick of 545 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: it with with John Hyatt. We were getting ready to 546 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 1: leave for a three month tour and UM I had 547 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: rehearsals with John all day the day of Claire's show 548 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: and I was like, this is gonna be tough. I 549 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: don't know, and her managering was like you know, like, 550 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: just tell me you can make it happen. And I 551 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: was like, all right, don't make it happen. So I 552 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: finished rehearsal with John, ran home, changed my clothes, met 553 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: Claire getting her dressing room backstage at the Bridge Stone, 554 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: and we ran through the song twice with her guitar player, 555 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: and then went out and played it to sold out 556 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: crowd and I literally walked off stage after saying with Claire, 557 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: handed the mic to the stage manager, and went and 558 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: got on a bus and left with Hyatt for three months, 559 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: and Claire and I sort of stayed in touch over text, 560 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: you know, once or twice a month, and her former 561 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: team had said, you know, hey, Claire's gonna make a record, 562 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: and we think you guys have a cool chemistry. Um, 563 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 1: maybe we get you guys together to write. So when 564 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: I got home, um, trying not to sneeze right now. Yeah, Um, 565 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 1: when I got home, we got together and I wrote 566 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: our first song, and our first song turned into our 567 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: second song, and we just kept going and then it 568 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: was you know, I don't know how much I was 569 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: honest to you that we were writing, and yeah, we 570 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: tried really hard. Nah. Yeah, but the thing I tell 571 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 1: you about, like singing in your hometown. Um, is a like, 572 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: Nahville feels like my hometown. But I didn't. I didn't 573 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: do all of my growing up here. I came here 574 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: on the television show and it was you know, relatively, 575 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: it was very different. I wouldn't say it was easy. Yeah, 576 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: it was very different to what other people's experience of that. 577 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: You know. However, if you do fall in your face 578 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: and you're on a television show, you do it in 579 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: front of like twelve and the New People. But there's 580 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,720 Speaker 1: still hometown thing where I still haven't when I go 581 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: back to Australia. My hometown is a really it's a 582 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: pretty wild place to go back to and sing. So 583 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: Brandon's and this is his hometown. He's lived here for 584 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: twenty years. Um, so do you get called to play 585 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 1: one of the biggest venues in your hometown with some 586 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: actress who thinks that she's a singer or whatever? People 587 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: thought that I was, Um, who don't know who? You know, 588 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: it might be drunk, I don't know, like you know, 589 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,480 Speaker 1: you don't know what you're going to get. And grandly, 590 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: I think you were really great and then when you 591 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 1: came in he walked into my dressing room, and I 592 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: immediately like, I felt like I knew him already, but 593 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 1: I immediately wanted to know everything about him. And I 594 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: was like, oh, I would be your best friend. You're lovely. 595 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: And then he sang down and sang to me and 596 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 1: the song that I had hundreds and hundreds of times before, 597 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking, these guys an't working with me. He's 598 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: an actor. He's singing too. It was so there was 599 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 1: something really beautiful about the way. I don't know, just 600 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: everything about him was beautiful. And um we went up, 601 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: but we were about just about to walk on stage, 602 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 1: and I was standing in front of the stairs with 603 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: my microphone, absolutely terrified. And my team that kind of 604 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: fanned off when we're doing team things and I was 605 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: alone there and I didn't know what I was doing. 606 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: I didn't know how to use a microphone before I 607 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: got to Nashville. Buddy Miller taught me. And he's a 608 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: very good person because we're still friends. And I mean, 609 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 1: I'm an idiot, so his patients. But I feel it's happened. 610 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: I don't think you even tapped me on the shoulder. 611 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 1: I think I just heard you, because if you had 612 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,400 Speaker 1: to touch me, I would have jumped a mile in 613 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: there a bit like that. That's right, he said, hey, 614 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:59,400 Speaker 1: And I turned around Brandon standing there, this person that 615 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: I just met. He was like, you're gonna be great 616 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 1: and they're gonna love you. It's gonna be okay, because 617 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:09,880 Speaker 1: he knew that look of like oh god, yeah, fine, 618 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,440 Speaker 1: crunching terror, because you've been there and you were still 619 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:16,720 Speaker 1: with it enough, even though I'm sure you were nervous 620 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: walking out in front of all those people with a 621 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:22,959 Speaker 1: song that you just sang through twice with whoever the funk, 622 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 1: I was um to be kind and it was just 623 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 1: a really I don't know, I'll never forget it. It 624 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: was so lovely um, and we just we became friends 625 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:37,520 Speaker 1: and then accidentally fell in love writing a song. It's 626 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: very natus, like, yeah, so y'all wrote together for a 627 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 1: year and then we're finally like, okay, jigs up, there's 628 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:57,359 Speaker 1: something more here. Well we wrote. I was sitting up 629 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: in Grands little apartment writing the very first we have 630 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 1: wrote together, which is all about your like the love 631 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 1: of your life being right under your nose and and 632 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, irony particulous. So we're making the work tape 633 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,280 Speaker 1: and I'm sitting there and I've never been so comfortable 634 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 1: in the writing room before. Um but I'm thinking, why 635 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: does my face feel hot? Like I'm getting cold or something. 636 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:26,839 Speaker 1: I'm gonna, oh no, I'm going to give him a cold. 637 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:31,320 Speaker 1: I have to go home and take something, and kept singing, 638 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,760 Speaker 1: making the work tape still going, and my legs felt funny. 639 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,919 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my god, what the fuck is wrong 640 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: with me? Blue? And my stomach was all fluttery, and 641 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: because I didn't really know what butterflies were, very very 642 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: very very late bloomer. And now I I'm thinking, oh no, 643 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to give him the flu or something, and 644 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: I'm gonna, oh god, I'm gonna have to apologize again 645 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: like the cat ship and then realize, oh no, I 646 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 1: like him, and finished the work tape and was kind 647 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 1: of like frozen there and then started packing my stuff 648 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,879 Speaker 1: as fast as I could into my satchel and he's 649 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: sort of looking at me like, do you want to 650 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:07,439 Speaker 1: go get something to eat? I'm like, dope, I gotta 651 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 1: gotta go, grabbing my ship dry in my bag and 652 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: he's like, would you like a glass of one? I 653 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: was like, absolutely not Randy, and he wasn't. He didn't 654 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: even so I literally ran a room, like I should 655 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: you know. I legged it downstairs traffic, jumped in my 656 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:34,359 Speaker 1: truck and burst into tears because I didn't understand what 657 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,839 Speaker 1: I was feeling, and frankly, it was terrifying. Um and 658 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,719 Speaker 1: it took a minute to calm down. Uh. And then 659 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: I went home and I was like, I'm an adult. 660 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: I can write with him without falling in love with him. 661 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,359 Speaker 1: This is ridiculous, Like Claire get together and it didn't work. 662 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,959 Speaker 1: I love. That is like the most human story though, 663 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,320 Speaker 1: because most people be are they associate. When you realize 664 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:57,360 Speaker 1: you love someone, are like like someone you want to 665 00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 1: be around them, and you're like, oh my god, I 666 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: don't know what I'm like, get me out of this. 667 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: I can't. You're trying to control all the ways you 668 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 1: felt and all the emotions that you're feeling, and like, 669 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 1: we just can't. But it's funny the things that we 670 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 1: do trying to do that you don't. You don't want 671 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: to give you yourself away either. It's like I get 672 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 1: to a point where I don't even want to make 673 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:21,800 Speaker 1: the eye contact with the like I'm just here. Yeah, 674 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 1: don't look at he sits in the back of the 675 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 1: stol and I'm not poor. Brandon is sitting up in 676 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:36,880 Speaker 1: the in his flat after I had run across the street, 677 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,800 Speaker 1: just kind of like yeah, He's like, what do I know? 678 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry it worked out. Were you feeling any 679 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 1: of the same stuff at that point, Brandon or were 680 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:54,920 Speaker 1: you kind of like a slower grow Well, you know, 681 00:38:55,400 --> 00:39:00,280 Speaker 1: it's Claire's magic, so you recognize that in me imediately 682 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:06,040 Speaker 1: if you're around her. But I was very, very focused 683 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:09,399 Speaker 1: on the fact that I had been brought in by 684 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,920 Speaker 1: a professional management company to do a job, which was 685 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:17,560 Speaker 1: write songs with their artists that they represented, and you know, 686 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,760 Speaker 1: from a sort of business perspective, it's like, just don't 687 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: be an idiot and screw it up, Like go in 688 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:29,040 Speaker 1: write the best songs that you can. Um, you know, 689 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 1: on down the road. I guess maybe six months in 690 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,799 Speaker 1: we started going out and having Vietnamese food after we 691 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:42,800 Speaker 1: would write a song, and I remember um doing something 692 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 1: that I never would have done in the past, which 693 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:49,759 Speaker 1: was I said to Claire, if you ever need like 694 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 1: an accompaniment partner, somebody to come out and play guitar 695 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:57,839 Speaker 1: for you and sing these songs. I'd love to throw 696 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,319 Speaker 1: my name in the hat. That is just not in 697 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,080 Speaker 1: my personality to do. But there was just something about 698 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 1: her that was different and so I sort of in 699 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: a lot of ways went completely against the way that 700 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:18,319 Speaker 1: I would have conducted myself and put myself out there 701 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 1: and just was like, if you ever need somebody, I 702 00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:25,279 Speaker 1: would love to to be there and do that. And 703 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,160 Speaker 1: that's sort of what happened. You know, we started playing 704 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:33,359 Speaker 1: music together, and you know, and and the more you're 705 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:38,080 Speaker 1: around somebody and the more you recognize how legitimate and 706 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:44,359 Speaker 1: genuine that that feeling is, that that love, the connection, um, 707 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,160 Speaker 1: the more you realize like I just don't want to 708 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,839 Speaker 1: do another day without you, you know, I don't want 709 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:52,560 Speaker 1: to do I don't want to do the fun stuff 710 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:54,239 Speaker 1: and I don't want to do the hard stuff without you. 711 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 1: And that's sort of where I came to personally where 712 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,120 Speaker 1: it was like, no, this is the real thing. And 713 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 1: so I'm just gonna say it was mm hmm. It 714 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:10,799 Speaker 1: was after what my dad had gotten sick, my dad 715 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:17,000 Speaker 1: had heart surgery, and I remember it being a thing 716 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 1: where it was like I just wanted to be near her, 717 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 1: Like going through all that stuff. Obviously, I flew home 718 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: off the road because I was out on the tour 719 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:28,719 Speaker 1: with with Hyatt, and I flew home and I was 720 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 1: with my family in the hospital and my dad came 721 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:33,759 Speaker 1: through surgery, and then we were there for a week 722 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 1: while Dad was sort of recovering. Um. But I remember, 723 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,279 Speaker 1: like outside of my family, she was the one I 724 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: wanted to talk to. And so that was a real 725 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: tell for me, real tell for me where I was 726 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 1: personally that this is the person that I want to 727 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:56,560 Speaker 1: link arms with and I want to live life together. 728 00:41:56,640 --> 00:41:58,960 Speaker 1: And and so that really was the thing. When I 729 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 1: came back from from that trip, my dad gone through surgery, 730 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:11,080 Speaker 1: it was just like, no time to say it, let's go, man, 731 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: that's what company have any issues like, it wouldn't have 732 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:20,040 Speaker 1: mattered if they did honestly came over, we're going to trouble. Yeah, 733 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:24,000 Speaker 1: we're weary that like they were going to see this as, 734 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 1: you know, something troubling. But it was received really, really well, 735 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 1: So they probably already knew, like you know, when you 736 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 1: can look at people and just tell that there's something more. 737 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:42,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. My friends, my friends definitely knew, Yeah, 738 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:47,279 Speaker 1: definitely knew. They were just waiting for me to tell them, yeah, 739 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 1: to come clean, you know what I mean. They're all 740 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:53,360 Speaker 1: sitting around going all right, yeah, I this is a 741 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:55,800 Speaker 1: done deal. But they were waiting for me and I 742 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 1: kind of keep my cards closed to my chest kind 743 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:02,760 Speaker 1: of person. So well, I finally did kind of come cleaner. 744 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:09,440 Speaker 1: Are like, well it's about time. Yeah, thank god. I've 745 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 1: read you quoted saying that love is a miracle and 746 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:16,080 Speaker 1: so that you should just lean in and or when 747 00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:17,880 Speaker 1: you have it in front of you, like to just 748 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:20,360 Speaker 1: really embrace it. I loved that because I think it 749 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:23,759 Speaker 1: is something that we take for granted, or like even 750 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: just relationships in general. I think it's like so flippant 751 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 1: these days. Everyone's like on to the next, and it's 752 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 1: so special when you can really embrace another human in 753 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,279 Speaker 1: that capacity. I love that you guys spent the time 754 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:38,040 Speaker 1: to actually get to know each other too. I think 755 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:41,960 Speaker 1: that was beautiful. Thank you. It was important. And we 756 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:45,800 Speaker 1: we had both come out of relationships that was so 757 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 1: bad that, um we both separately decided We told each 758 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:54,840 Speaker 1: other later that we decided that we were just happier alone. 759 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 1: Um Mine was really abusive and scary, and Brands was 760 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 1: a whole different thing, and it was we have both 761 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 1: been yours was abusive too, and it was just we 762 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:11,279 Speaker 1: had been through the ring and just decided that this 763 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 1: is just not what like, it just doesn't seem like 764 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:19,560 Speaker 1: what happens in in stories. It's not there, it's not 765 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:23,439 Speaker 1: out there. And if that's not it, then what's the point? 766 00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:27,400 Speaker 1: Like I father have really good friends. And then and 767 00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:29,160 Speaker 1: then he wanted to hang out with me, and I 768 00:44:29,239 --> 00:44:34,320 Speaker 1: was like, this magical, gorgeous angel person played the guitar 769 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,040 Speaker 1: for me, like really, And I think this was right 770 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 1: after I had squirted him in the eye with line 771 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:40,719 Speaker 1: by accident because I was putting him my phone and 772 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:43,120 Speaker 1: it's like when I try to throw a football for 773 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,840 Speaker 1: any ball that's not balls, it just goes the opposite 774 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: way of totally blinded him. And he was like, by 775 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:52,719 Speaker 1: the way, can I come and play the guitar? Was 776 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:57,640 Speaker 1: like like he's still talking to me, yeah, And you know, 777 00:44:57,719 --> 00:44:59,759 Speaker 1: it was just when he came back from his dad 778 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:02,360 Speaker 1: being sick. I had I think I text you and 779 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:03,920 Speaker 1: was like, hey, I know that you're stuck in the 780 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: hospital if there's any like jug and the doctors are 781 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: saying that you don't understand all that sounds scary. Do 782 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:13,080 Speaker 1: you want anything translated? Which is the weirdest thing to 783 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:16,520 Speaker 1: say to somebody, but in my world that's normal. And 784 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:18,719 Speaker 1: he was like what does this mean? I was like, 785 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:21,200 Speaker 1: oh that and it was like, oh, you actually want 786 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:23,600 Speaker 1: to talk to me about my weird like all of 787 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:26,839 Speaker 1: this random medical knowledge that's burnt in there because that's 788 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 1: where I grew up. It's you know, it's that useless 789 00:45:30,560 --> 00:45:35,399 Speaker 1: information that comes in handy at once in your life. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, 790 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,719 Speaker 1: it was really really lovely. Yeah, so you guys got 791 00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:42,839 Speaker 1: together and you proposed at the rheman, did I get 792 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:45,920 Speaker 1: this right? Are at the Grand ol Opry? We were 793 00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:49,000 Speaker 1: playing the opry Um in December. You know how they 794 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:54,120 Speaker 1: do they move the Grand Old Opry back to Rhyanan. Yes. 795 00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 1: We were playing the early on the Late Show on 796 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:04,040 Speaker 1: a Friday night and I had a decoy gift um, 797 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:08,160 Speaker 1: which was a handwritten the best song. Yeah, it was 798 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 1: the lyrics, the very first song that we wrote. Sorry 799 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:18,960 Speaker 1: the cat is here, but just a tale um. Yeah. 800 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: So I had a decoy gift and so after we finished, 801 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:23,160 Speaker 1: I had the ring in my pocket. After we finished 802 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,560 Speaker 1: the first show, we went up to our dressing room 803 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:28,880 Speaker 1: and I gave her the decoy gift so that so 804 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:31,600 Speaker 1: while she was opening it and was focused on that, 805 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 1: that's when I got down on my knee and asked 806 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:39,600 Speaker 1: her to to marry me. And in true Australian form, 807 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:46,880 Speaker 1: she said, what do you reckon? Brandon's on the floor 808 00:46:47,239 --> 00:46:52,600 Speaker 1: looking up and be like what, Yesrandon, Mary, You're like, oh, 809 00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:56,680 Speaker 1: I mean yes. I thought you'd know what it meant, 810 00:46:56,719 --> 00:46:58,640 Speaker 1: but I realized that you had quite a charge question 811 00:46:58,719 --> 00:47:03,040 Speaker 1: and not really should have be clear. Yeah. So we 812 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:06,920 Speaker 1: had a quick face time with her folks and uh 813 00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:13,960 Speaker 1: family and Jason Isbell was playing downstairs, and so we 814 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:17,320 Speaker 1: went down and watched the song and then we played 815 00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:22,040 Speaker 1: the second show and Claire announced it on w SIM. Wow, 816 00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:26,960 Speaker 1: it was really cool and it was really fun. Was 817 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:28,840 Speaker 1: there no part of view that like toyed with the 818 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,239 Speaker 1: idea of doing it on stage or did you know 819 00:47:31,400 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: that it needed to be a private moment there? There 820 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:36,800 Speaker 1: was a moment where I actually thought about it, but 821 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:41,640 Speaker 1: I just felt like, you know, it would just be 822 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 1: more powerful for it to just beat us. There was 823 00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:48,880 Speaker 1: so much in Claire's life at that point, you know, 824 00:47:49,560 --> 00:47:53,640 Speaker 1: the show was everywhere and there was so much of 825 00:47:53,800 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 1: her life that was not private at that point that 826 00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:00,400 Speaker 1: I just felt like it was so much more meaningful 827 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:02,680 Speaker 1: for it to just be us and then we can 828 00:48:02,760 --> 00:48:06,280 Speaker 1: tell people about it afterwards. And so, I mean fifteen 829 00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:09,719 Speaker 1: minutes later we told people on the radar, right, but 830 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: the actual moment was us. That's nice. Yeah, it was 831 00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:17,120 Speaker 1: really cool. I would have said yes if we were 832 00:48:17,160 --> 00:48:22,640 Speaker 1: on the stage as well, what do you reckon? Ye? 833 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:27,160 Speaker 1: Be able to keep that just us? Yeah? Thanks for 834 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,200 Speaker 1: listening to The Velvet's Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson, where 835 00:48:30,280 --> 00:48:33,160 Speaker 1: we believe everyone has a little velvet and a little edge. 836 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:37,720 Speaker 1: Subscribe for more conversations on life, style, beauty, and relationships. 837 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:40,440 Speaker 1: Search Velvet's Edge wherever you get your podcasts.