Love, Sweat, and Wine: Misha Fair Talks About Growing Up in a Musical Family, Making Music Her Own, and Connecting Across Generations

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Welcome to the Holly Hughes
Podcast, where creative people

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get together and talk about
living a creative life.

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I'm exceedingly excited to have
Misha Fair here today.

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She calls herself an alt country
artist and songwriter.

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But I think you're a soul
country artist and songwriter,

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and so I wanna call you that
today, if that's OK.

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Yeah, because your music just
feels that way to me.

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And your voice and your vibe and
your sound has all got that hmm

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in it, right.
Do you know what I'm saying?

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Like, do you consciously right
that way?

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Like is that where how music
feels in your body?

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It's interesting, I come from a
background of jazz and soul and

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funk with my parents and
grandparents being in music, in

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those sectors of music.
And so I think that is

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definitely in me.
But I'm classically trained, so

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I, I'm always thinking
melodically and, and I don't

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know, I think that's, it's just
how it comes up.

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I think from a really young age,
because I also was really

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exposed to like pure Americana,
old timey, you know, country.

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And then going through, you
know, I think as we all did, the

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90s country boom, I don't know,
It's like some days the music

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comes out and it's so country.
It's all dulcimers and banjos

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and mandolins and everybody's
like, oh, you sound like Dolly.

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And then there's other days
where I'm squalling and I sound

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like Etta James, so you know.
I do, I do because I listen to

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all yours dogs.
So like for me, like with beg

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and love, sweat and wine, right,
like you know, I'm listening to

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it.
I'm like, like, just wanna,

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like, I just want.
I'm with you.

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Do you know, is that OK?
There's too much I want to back

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up.
So I want to talk about your

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family and your background and
being exposed to music.

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I always say my appreciation for
music or being able to read it

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or, or whatever the instruments
I grew up playing is because in

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elementary school I had a really
good music teacher, right?

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And so that opened the door,
right?

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Because that wasn't really, not
that my parents didn't play

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music, but I think that was
probably a massive luxury for

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them growing up.
It was like, you can even

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consider that we have many more
important things to do.

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But I think when you are exposed
to music, musicality and sound

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like that at a very young age,
it shapes the world.

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So I want to know what your
world look like growing up.

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Oh my goodness, I think I had a
pretty unusual look.

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So first of all, I grew up on a
street.

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It was the only St. in our
neighborhood that didn't have a

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music name every.
It was a color and I can say it

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because it's really cool.
So Indigo is the street that I

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named that I grew up on.
And all the other streets were

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like lyric and Symphony and, you
know, things like that.

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And so, I mean for like the
entire neighborhood, but we were

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the first family in that
neighborhood.

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But that was not like the
correlation.

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It just happened that way.
And my grandfather was a jazz

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musician who he opened, well, my
father's father, he opened the

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Playboy Club in Atlanta and was
like a really integral part of

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that scene of jazz.
He was friends with Sammy Davis

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Junior and you know, there was a
lot of that.

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And then my mother's father was
this sole pioneer.

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His name is Chuck Willis and
they call him the King of the

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Stroll.
So whenever we do like the Soul

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Train line or even on American
Bandstand, when the teens would

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line up and go down the line,
the Stroll was like his thing.

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So, you know, a lot of his music
got sung by Conway Twitty and

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Elvis and and Otis Redding and
all these people.

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And so I always knew that, you
know how people say it's in your

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blood?
Because outside of just knowing,

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I had like, professional
musicians and my parents were

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with The S.O.S.
Band.

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And during the 80s they were
like everything, you know?

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So at school, we do show and
tell.

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They were partly I did not like
that was not in like shut up.

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Yeah.
Let's see, that was my era

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because I'm older, but like,
shut up.

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So yeah, like other kids would
come to show and tell or go to.

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I remember Parents Day in
kindergarten and there was one

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other kid whose dad was like a
really big radio DJ.

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So when he showed up and then my
parents showed up and they

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actually brought other members
of the of the band, but they

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came in there like concert gear,
like fresh off a tour.

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And I mean, it was crazy, you
know, I, I was just, I was that

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kid, but my parents were really,
my, really grounded, you know,

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my mom and well, my grandmother,
she was a music teacher.

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So for her it was like, you got
to know how to read music.

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So I'm, I think I've known how
to do that since I was like 4,

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because that was just important,
you know?

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And wait, did you do like did
they even do like the do re MI

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with your hands do or not just
just the?

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Music.
It just, you know what I'm

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talking about, yeah.
Like, I don't remember those

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systems.
I just remember.

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So I, when I tell you I was
primed in a very interesting

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position, like at my church, the
the minister of music was like

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over the Morehouse College Glee
Club.

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And so everyone around me was so
deeply embedded into the music

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community.
And so even when we were like,

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if we were on hard times, people
would like come together and

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make sure that I can have music
classes and join like choirs and

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I had access to auditions and
things.

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So for me, it was therapy
because I had a really rough go

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at socializing.
Like I didn't socialize well.

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So being able to while my dad
was on tour was that.

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I mean, I was really with my
grandma the whole time.

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She made sure that I was in
children's choirs.

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There was a, a touring choir
called Kalenwald, and they would

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give you sheet music even if you
couldn't read it.

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You had to have it with the
notes.

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And I think that's a logical
process happened where I'm like,

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OK, the notes go up on page and
the voices go up and the notes

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go down and the voices go down.
And, and, you know, people

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started, you know, giving me
tips about how to find those

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notes, you know, but I don't
recall having a formal music

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class until high school where
outside of just being a chorus

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and my parents, they were just
doing their thing.

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You know, they were young and
they were, you know, musicians.

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So we didn't like, play
together.

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I actually didn't play with my
dad until recently.

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Like never even practice in the
house.

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Like was there like any
pressure?

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Like I'm thinking if I came from
a musical family, what if I

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sucked?
No like what if, like what if I

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am like I'm kind of tone deaf.
I think I can, I think I can

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sing like 3 notes actually on
key, but I'm always singing.

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I'm the girl in the car singing
loud.

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I don't care.
I realize when I exercise right

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because I'm always taking dance
classes.

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I'm sing.
I'm like why am I so out of

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breath?
I'm like I'm singing Oh my God

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can the person next to me hear
me?

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I hope not like I do it as like
a release, but I am not creative

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that way.
So how I experienced the world,

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the world and like horrid
moments as a writer.

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I'm so fascinated by like your
process of doing that,

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especially again, because you
came from that like my mom's

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like she was a stay at home, you
know, mom, that was like which

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her option back in the day, but
always an artist, right?

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Always painting, always doing
something.

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So I was exposed to art really
young, right?

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So going to a museum or going to
see something, I get really

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hungry for it when I don't get
to get that fed into me, which

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is like why I dance every week,
whatever.

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My my dad was chemical engineer,
so totally different kind of

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mentality.
They both grew up really poor,

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right?
And so for us it was go to

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school and do better, right?
So growing up it was like, well,

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how you want to write?
How do you make a living doing

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that?
Like there was no blueprint for,

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you know, children of first or
second generation Americans at

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that point.
So I'm fascinated being in this

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beautiful pot of music and sound
and and like, and then having

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that in your body.
On a very strange side note, if

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you know jazz, do you know the
name Eddie Palmieri at all?

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I'm not familiar.
You ask your ask your parents if

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they're still around.
But he was my neighbor growing

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up and he is a jazz pianist.
And he would come home and out

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of his house, you would hear and
we would all just sit outside.

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But like listening to this man
and his son is also Eddie

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Junior, whatever this big family
in there making music, right

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that.
So I'm assuming your house must

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have been like that for the
neighbors.

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I wish it was.
So, you know, I think growing up

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they gave me options because so
my dad, my dad became a musician

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because I think when he
graduated high school, he ran

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out of options.
You know, it's like, all right,

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everybody else is going off to
college and doing whatever and

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he's been like surviving and
taking care.

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While my grandfather was away
working and someone introduced

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to him, he found an old base and
he got, you know, he kind of

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taught himself.
He's self-taught.

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I think he holds on to that
because he didn't go to college.

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He's only been a musician.
And he wanted me to do other

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things, so he never pressed.
And when I was about to go to

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college, we sat together, you
know, talking about things

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because I started getting really
discouraged right close to the

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end of graduation.
And I asked him, you know,

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should I do music, too?
Like what?

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Just asking questions.
And he said he would tell me

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what his dad told him.
And he said, you know, if you

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love it, you'll do it for free.
But be so good you never have

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to.
And.

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We snap on that one.
That was good.

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It, I mean, it was like he's
telling a 17 year old this and I

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wasn't sure because I didn't
have good practice habits

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because growing up my
grandfather got me a saxophone

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and I was like third grade and I
learned then that I mean, do you

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still?
Play.

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No, no, I So I through the years
I kept picking up instruments

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and putting him down.
I had really, really poor

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practice skills.
Like I wanted to do the act of

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playing.
I did not want to do the work

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and I didn't know that that was
what it was because with

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singing, I was singing all the
time.

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I and I didn't just sing.
I, I was very creative.

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I did hair and I did like I did
all the hair in the neighborhood

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and prom hair.
And you know, I, I did, I made

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clothes and jewelry.
And, you know, the funny part is

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my grandfather, Chuck Willis,
his wife, she owned a salon that

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did Dionne Warwick's hair.
And like, we were in that kind

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of just that early Atlanta
culture, but we weren't rich.

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So it was one of those things
where my grandmother was

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struggling a lot because my dad
was often, you know, working.

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And she wanted to just make sure
that I was, I think that I was

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balanced because because I
wasn't like, you know, it's like

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you hear someone on the radio,
you expect them to look a

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certain way, carry themselves a
certain way, have certain

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things.
And I didn't.

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So I was bullied a lot.
And my outlet for what I was

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experiencing was music.
And I didn't care about it for

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everybody else.
But that's just kind of I wrote

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songs for myself since I was
really, really little.

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I had that one saxophone that I
never played and a karaoke

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machine.
And I learned that I preferred

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the karaoke machine and the tape
that I had had Whitney Houston

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and Billy Ray Cyrus on either
side.

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And I taped over Whitney Houston
and kept Billy Ray.

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OK, yeah, in that crazy.
Well, her notes are hard.

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It doesn't matter if you're
good, right?

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Hard.
They're too hard.

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Yeah.
You know how you could put tape

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on a tape?
You know that tell my age.

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You put tape on a tape and you
could record over it.

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So I would like record my own
songs over the other side of it

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00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:04,160
and play them for my grandpa.
Like, tell me if this is good

224
00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:10,120
music to you.
And from there, I'd probably, by

225
00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,040
the time I was nine years old, I
was in studios because my dad

226
00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:18,240
was recording, doing other like
gigs outside of The S.O.S.

227
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,200
Band.
And I started doing demo

228
00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,320
singing.
So I learned how to imitate.

229
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,240
They would tell me, you know, do
you know how to sound like these

230
00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,760
R&B singers that were coming up
like Monica and all these?

231
00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:32,480
No, I know them all.
You can go there.

232
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,800
I'm their way.
Actually, I played The Boy is

233
00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:37,840
Mine the other day.
It came up on something and I

234
00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,160
was like, it's like, I'm like,
why do I still know all the

235
00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:42,920
words?
This is just like a weird thing

236
00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:44,440
of mine.
Anyway, sorry, keep going.

237
00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,640
Yeah, no, that's, I mean, and
all of those singers, they

238
00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:50,680
didn't sound like me.
I knew they didn't sound like

239
00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,600
me.
And and I think I feel like I

240
00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,320
whenever I tell this, I I kind
of skip around a bit.

241
00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:02,640
I think the biggest point of it
is right before that occurred, I

242
00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,320
had like a really weird life
altering thing happened and I

243
00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,840
was really, really young.
I think I was about 8 years old

244
00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:11,720
and I was sad.
And you know how adults when

245
00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:15,920
they start noticing that you're
sad, it's they try to like place

246
00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:17,800
it and figure it out, but they
don't know.

247
00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:23,920
And the music teacher at my
school gave me a solo to just

248
00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,760
kind of play around with, but it
was Hank Williams.

249
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:34,080
I'm solo, so I could cry.
And I think in the choir we

250
00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,720
would sing a lot of Amir Khanna.
And this was the first time that

251
00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:42,520
I think I had heard a country
song that resonated so deeply

252
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:46,120
with me.
And I sang it all the time.

253
00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,680
And not only did I I sang it, I
mean, just all the time.

254
00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:56,400
And if I met people who I felt,
you know, would receive it, they

255
00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:01,000
would get that song.
And from there, I think I

256
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,640
started to shift to wanting to
hear more country music.

257
00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,600
And I think that's where
everything kind of turned for

258
00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,600
me, where I wasn't just
listening to what my parents

259
00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:15,080
were listening to, but I was
trying to hear more, you know,

260
00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:21,840
music from other spaces.
And yeah, I, I went into the

261
00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:26,200
studio to do, I have so many
random stories and I don't want

262
00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,640
to like bog this down with those
random stories, but no.

263
00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,120
I love the random.
I think I'm, like listening to

264
00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:37,440
your story and like, I'm like
the grown up mother that I am,

265
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,800
like, wants to cry for the
little girl who felt so alone

266
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:47,640
and bullied and isolated, who
was probably introverted because

267
00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,400
right.
And without safety and

268
00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:52,720
protection.
And yet you have this gift that

269
00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,760
brings people like I'm.
My eyes are literally and like,

270
00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,600
yeah.
And I'm a smush.

271
00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:00,560
I know, I know.
Yeah.

272
00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,080
But like, I want to scoop you
up.

273
00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,640
And I know you're a very petite
person.

274
00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:07,040
You're petite.
You're.

275
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,720
Yeah, you're petite.
So like, I'm thinking it must

276
00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,599
have been even smaller, right?
And like, I just want to shove

277
00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:18,160
everyone back.
I've always wanted to explore

278
00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:25,200
the idea of that there is some
sort of pain point in our lives

279
00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,640
for everyone who's creative,
right?

280
00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:34,000
There are some really sad,
horrendous, sometimes

281
00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:40,560
uncontrollable moments, right,
that we either like, use it as

282
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,960
fuel for our creativity and why
we go forward, or it can like,

283
00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,520
nail you back in a spot and not
let you grow right like that.

284
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,240
I think sometimes tragedy has
that, but I really haven't met a

285
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,880
successfully creative person who
hasn't.

286
00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,040
It hasn't.
I'm sure plenty of regular

287
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,440
people do, too.
But I, I write about a lot of

288
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:10,360
my, like, sad stuff because I
don't want, I don't want you to

289
00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:14,120
think of it when you see me,
right?

290
00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:15,680
Right.
Look, the beauty of being a

291
00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,960
writer that gets published in
papers, you don't even know

292
00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,480
who's doing it right.
But you as a singer, as a

293
00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:29,280
musician, it's your face and
it's, it's your voice.

294
00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:36,200
And I think claiming your voice
is so beautiful and powerful.

295
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:44,000
And I mean, I, I would imagine
if I was A at 8, I was flailing

296
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,280
like literally, I danced so hard
because that was my way of

297
00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,720
getting, I have all these things
that no one knows what's going

298
00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,440
on in my head or whatever.
Like no awareness about.

299
00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,760
No, that would be not.
And I would was really good at

300
00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,360
masking.
So you would never know that I

301
00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:00,480
was unhappy, right?
I was the good girl.

302
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:05,360
I did all those things, but I
would burn.

303
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:10,280
I my body would burn literally
like every muscle to get to get

304
00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:16,440
it out now if I could with my
mouth open and sing like that's

305
00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,960
like a whole other level.
It's like a, it's a whole

306
00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,720
different dimension.
It's like it's sound, it

307
00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,120
penetrates, it's so many other
things.

308
00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:29,360
I can't create that I So when
was the first time that you

309
00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,320
wrote a song?
Oh my goodness.

310
00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:40,440
OK, probably it was early.
I I had have been like six the

311
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,280
first song, like the first
actual song, because it was in

312
00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,880
that mixtape for my granddaddy.
I was like, do you?

313
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:48,800
Still have it?
I have no idea.

314
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,720
Every few years when I'm like
doing stuff at my parents house

315
00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,680
and unpacking, I run across the
tape and then I say I'm not

316
00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,680
going to lose it.
I know it's here and and then I

317
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,000
can't find it.
So I know it's there, but like.

318
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,720
I would, I think, and even my,
my daughter now, like since she

319
00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:11,200
was, I have video of her at 3:00
and 4:00, like creating these

320
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,160
songs that are very cohesive and
saying things that you wouldn't

321
00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:19,240
expect a little person to say.
So I feel like I was doing that

322
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,600
probably before, but I think the
first time I was aware that I

323
00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:28,160
was saying what I felt like that
it was emotion and not just

324
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:32,720
saying words and imitating or
mimicking what's on the radio.

325
00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:41,160
After I got that karaoke machine
though, I started, you know,

326
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,600
learning how to record myself
because my parents had studio

327
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:49,480
and they were we were always in
studios And I learned how to

328
00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:54,480
take a boom box and my karaoke
and record myself on one side

329
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,480
and then take the tape and play
it back and record a harmony.

330
00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:06,400
So I had to been about 10 around
that time and just experimenting

331
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:12,800
with sound and I, I would say
things that were so deep for a

332
00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:21,040
kid, you know, I, I do remember
a song about having like 5 steps

333
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,400
for you to like 5 steps for you
to love me.

334
00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,600
I think was like 4 step like I
counted down and I remember that

335
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,480
feeling and now thinking about
who was I crushing on?

336
00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,720
I don't that I don't know
because because I'm like, why

337
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:40,040
don't you see me?
That's a but you just made me

338
00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,000
remember the the the name of the
boy I had my first crush on

339
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,760
ever.
He was so not interested.

340
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,120
He's like, yeah, no way man, and
I not interested.

341
00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:50,000
Yes.
That's what's important.

342
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:55,480
Music is like that, right?
You like I can smell like smells

343
00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,440
of like I wrote a song about my
grandmother and when I sing it,

344
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:04,480
I have like a visceral response
to things that I remember about

345
00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,040
her that may have like faded a
bit.

346
00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,520
I think music is kind of that
thing.

347
00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:13,280
You remember old names and
faces, so.

348
00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,600
So, So what do you want people
to experience because you play a

349
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,960
bunch of live shows?
Like what do you want them to

350
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,760
experience when they see you?
And is it the same thing that

351
00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:29,560
when they just hear you?
I think as of late, especially

352
00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,400
in these last couple of years,
I've wanted people to see a

353
00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:38,400
softer side of me, which is
probably a more complete view.

354
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:42,800
Because when I wrote the songs
that are out and available that

355
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,960
are country songs, because I've
done features and other things

356
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:51,040
and actually had a cool emo pop
album that was out a few years

357
00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,120
ago.
And when we went country, you

358
00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:58,360
know, officially with the
published music, we pull those

359
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,000
down.
And I realized that when I wrote

360
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,120
them, I was in a different
space.

361
00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:09,000
I was changing a lot with my
social circle and my music

362
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:14,720
circle, and I was struggling
with feeling heard and seen,

363
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,000
which kind of explains some of
the lyric.

364
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:22,840
Like, who do you think you are?
Like that screen was a real

365
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:28,520
moment that had happened where I
felt like I was, I got kind of

366
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:34,040
brushed away or aside rather.
And I was like the head of a

367
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,600
department at that time.
So I'm like, how dare you put me

368
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,640
out of my.
And I was, you know, and I

369
00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:46,440
wasn't really mad, but I just
wanted to feel assertive and

370
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,040
feel heard.
And I think that people think

371
00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,120
that my music is a little angry,
like a little revengey

372
00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:58,440
sometimes.
So because it's so like, I'm

373
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,040
very boisterous.
I'm very present, I'll say, I

374
00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,760
think.
I wouldn't say Provenge I, I

375
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,640
think it's look at me.
Yeah.

376
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,160
You look at me when I say to
look at me.

377
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:09,880
And this is who you'll see of
me.

378
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:10,840
Yeah.
Oh.

379
00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:15,200
That's like that.
That will be the special clip of

380
00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,040
it.
You look at me and see, yeah,

381
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,800
no, I think that is controlling
your narrative.

382
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:24,440
I think that's like a moment of
saying this is who I am.

383
00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:26,680
Yeah, right.
Like it's just like my whole

384
00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,360
saying about like don't put me
in a box cuz I'll smash it and

385
00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:32,040
dance on top.
Yeah.

386
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:34,880
We're not one thing.
Yeah.

387
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,480
And creative people have to do
the dance a lot between day

388
00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,520
jobs, right?
Yeah.

389
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,760
And earning money or doing
whatever.

390
00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:50,600
And living and loving their art,
whatever it is right like to

391
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:55,360
have your voice, that you have
sung and had a voice and let it

392
00:24:55,440 --> 00:25:01,320
transform and grow with you is a
gift instead of just being one.

393
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:02,560
One note.
Literally.

394
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,640
Yeah, yeah.
I like that because it's, you

395
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,120
know, ironically, when I said it
out loud, I realized, you know,

396
00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:13,400
when I released Memphis, that
was the first single that we put

397
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,800
out in 2023.
The first message I got was like

398
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:22,880
a hashtag revenge country.
And I never heard that, but I

399
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:27,760
owned it.
And I was like, OK, but I, when

400
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:29,720
I wrote it, that wasn't what I
was thinking.

401
00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,560
I actually had written that
thinking I was going to sell it

402
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,840
to somebody else because I'm a
songwriter, you know, and I knew

403
00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:41,800
that their persona was a lot
more forceful and like, but when

404
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,440
I wrote big, I really wrote big
for me.

405
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:48,080
And you know, the other songs
that are out, not one.

406
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,160
They all have that common theme
of empowerment.

407
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:57,760
And that was the central theme
for me in that time of my life

408
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:00,840
is like empowerment, like I'm
and I'm here.

409
00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:06,960
You articulated perfect and now
I am here.

410
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,040
But I'm not mad.
I'm not sad.

411
00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:13,760
I'm I'm often feeling very
loved.

412
00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:18,480
And I knew that during that time
I didn't write very many love

413
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,640
songs.
And I don't know that I've even

414
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,760
in love.
I'd never wrote love songs.

415
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,400
I always wrote about all the
other experiences.

416
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:28,720
I would write about someone
else's experience before I'd

417
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,680
write about my own.
And I found in this last couple

418
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:38,120
of years that I've written more
songs about my experience in

419
00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:42,320
loving others and loving myself,
whether it's my daughter, my

420
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,480
son, my parents.
Like I write these these kind of

421
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,800
homage pieces.
And that's the music that's

422
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,960
coming out in the next the rest
of this year and the next year.

423
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,240
And so I think when I play live,
I play a lot of the new material

424
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:03,600
to test it out because I need
for people, even if it's out,

425
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:08,480
not out yet, I need for them to
see that there is depth in the

426
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:15,320
stories and just the emotional,
like the landscape.

427
00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,120
I think of the of the music that
I'm writing, so.

428
00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:19,800
Isn't that what country is
though?

429
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:24,080
Like it's storytelling like
country music as a whole is.

430
00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:27,320
I know there's pop like, but I
know there's a million different

431
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:28,640
things.
Whoever's listening, don't get

432
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,920
mad.
But I think at the heart of it,

433
00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,880
it's storytelling that my
husband used to listen to

434
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:38,160
alternative rock all the time
and he was he was angry all the

435
00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,560
time is like, hey, babe, I was
just saying we're in the South

436
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,200
now, let's try some country.
And it's totally chilled though,

437
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:45,760
right?
Like, you know, it's, it's

438
00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,920
really changed.
And I think in the last, I don't

439
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:54,080
know, 15 plus years, there's way
more options of country music

440
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,720
out there.
So I think that's interesting.

441
00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,800
I want to ask you, do you, are
you more prolific when you are

442
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,800
in an emotionally heightened
state, happy or sad?

443
00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,760
Or are you just disciplined like
you were like how you weren't

444
00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:13,280
when you were younger and you
just make time to practice and

445
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:17,720
write X amount of times a week?
Wow.

446
00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,400
OK.
So I think I cycle through both

447
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:28,880
of those spaces and, you know,
emotional regulation, it's a.

448
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,800
Real.
I never claimed to have it by

449
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,400
the way.
Like, you know, I, I will say I,

450
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,480
I, I unfortunately, well, it
might be very fortunate.

451
00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:41,920
I have ADHD pretty seriously.
So my focus is like always like,

452
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:48,600
and I use those surges to create
because I know that, you know,

453
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:54,320
I'll get into a mad dash, like
really a mania of writing where

454
00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,720
I won't sleep.
I'll get into a project, but I'm

455
00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,920
also, I'm a painter, so I will
throw that in there.

456
00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:01,720
And when I'm painting, I do the
same thing.

457
00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,120
I will paint for two days and
not sleep until the piece is

458
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,480
done.
So music is like that for me.

459
00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:11,200
If I'm recording, it's like my
manager will walk in and my eyes

460
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,920
are like buck wide open because
I haven't slept.

461
00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,760
And I'm just trying to get it
all out because I don't want to

462
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:22,880
crash and not be as creative as
I was the day before.

463
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,720
But then because I'm also a
music teacher and, you know,

464
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:33,560
I've been doing artist
development for like 13 years I

465
00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:38,040
think now.
And you know, I have to practice

466
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,520
for the artists that I'm working
with and the students that

467
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:46,280
depend on me, my practice skills
and my dedication to like

468
00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:51,200
sitting in a system.
It improved my life as a

469
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:56,680
musician and my skill set
probably in a way that I

470
00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,680
wouldn't have done just being a
musician and just playing

471
00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:02,640
because just playing out is it
is just OK.

472
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,840
I've got a gig and I really love
this song, so I'm just going to

473
00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:10,160
jam.
And I've had good examples.

474
00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,720
My dad practices.
I watch him all the time.

475
00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,280
You know, we don't play
together, but I do watch him

476
00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:20,560
preparing for gigs and, you
know, he's always prepared and

477
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:22,800
he has to because again, he's
not or he doesn't read

478
00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,560
traditional music.
So, you know, to compensate, I

479
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:31,600
think, for those things.
He's always very, very, very

480
00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:36,920
meticulous about the practice.
And I do that too.

481
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,600
You know, I will make time now
to sit and go through all my

482
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:45,240
songs and do charts when it's
time to create.

483
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,160
Depending on what it is though,
because I do write for other

484
00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:53,760
artists and I write for sync
music for like film and TV and

485
00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:58,040
different things like that.
I make a schedule for myself to

486
00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,560
sit down.
I don't force it though.

487
00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:06,000
And I use a lot of like
psychological stuff like the

488
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,800
little lists, you know, when you
say, hey, here's a word and what

489
00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:11,400
does this word make you think
of?

490
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:15,880
And I do a lot of that though,
to keep me like going so that I

491
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:21,040
don't have to rely all the time
on that heavy emotion and, and

492
00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,000
just pouring out all of the
things that are personal to me.

493
00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:28,760
Yeah, I think sometimes for me
personally, I give my, I do the

494
00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,840
five minute writing exercise a
lot.

495
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,320
Yeah.
Right, cuz I, I am pretty good

496
00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:35,360
at procrastinating.
I hate laundry, but damn if

497
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:39,000
suddenly that laundry becomes
really important and I'll be

498
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,960
like just sit for 5 minutes and
then the 5 minutes almost

499
00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:45,320
inevitably is an hour and a half
to two hours.

500
00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,200
Like I just, I just you just get
in the zone.

501
00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,880
Also depends like where I am in
a book or an essay, like is it a

502
00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,640
first draft, second?
Is it editorial?

503
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:56,600
Like all of those different,
different thoughts.

504
00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,520
Are there that many processes to
like writing a song, right?

505
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,760
Like, because I know there's
structure to a song.

506
00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,760
You have to get to the hook.
You have to like all of those

507
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:06,520
things that I don't know, but I
know.

508
00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,640
So like, I wonder, like the
first draft is like, Oh my God,

509
00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:13,520
this is the great idea.
Or are you always listening and

510
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:20,320
you hear a sound or a tone and
you're like, yeah, that I've.

511
00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:24,280
It's interesting.
I feel like you just, I

512
00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:29,200
described a lot of a lot of
processes because depending if

513
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:33,840
I'm riding by myself, sometimes
it's it can be the last way You

514
00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:35,760
just describe it where it's a
sound.

515
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:39,200
I'll pick up instruments because
I have like a instrument rack

516
00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,720
that has all these little teeny
things that I like, very

517
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,920
interesting sounding string
instruments, not necessarily

518
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,360
just a guitar.
And I'll play around with

519
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:53,240
melodies there.
And if something strikes me, I

520
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,640
mean, it could be the washing
machine like booming.

521
00:32:56,120 --> 00:33:00,040
I've, I've recorded the washing
machine just for like a bass

522
00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:06,200
drum and things like that can,
can make me feel like, you know,

523
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,720
inspired.
And that'll start something.

524
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,880
I just always keep like a
recorder of my phone or

525
00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:15,800
something so that if I get that
idea or I hear that sound, I can

526
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,720
record it and and then see if
something comes of it.

527
00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:23,920
And I learned a long time ago
that I do a lot of my writing

528
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,080
when I'm really not able to
write it down.

529
00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:31,360
So yeah.
So like if I'm driving or like

530
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:36,160
in the shower.
So I used to have a this idea

531
00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:40,960
that if the idea stuck past that
moment, then it was more it was

532
00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:46,400
really worth me working on if I
remembered it walking down the

533
00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:49,080
hall and could make it to where
I can, you know?

534
00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,400
I so disagree with you.
I so disagree.

535
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,120
I love but I love that this is
my favorite part.

536
00:33:54,400 --> 00:34:00,520
I disagree because I have
notebooks everywhere and post

537
00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:04,200
its I like colored paper like
everywhere.

538
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:09,360
I'm very color makes my brain
OK, right?

539
00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:10,719
There must be a thing about
that.

540
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:16,480
So I have 2-3 blank notebooks
and they can't have lines.

541
00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:19,920
Bless you all who like to write
with line paper, but I can't

542
00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:21,760
line paper and I write
diagonally.

543
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,199
I write diagonally like this
across the page.

544
00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:28,560
So diagonals creative and if
it's A to do or mechanical

545
00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:32,239
thing, it's straight.
But I have this because we all

546
00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:33,760
know I'm clairvoyant and all
those funny things.

547
00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,280
So I have there's this moment
when you're when you're not

548
00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:38,560
fully conscious, like right
before you fall asleep, right?

549
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:42,560
So 3 notebooks in the room and
I've had I've had to get much

550
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:44,120
better.
These are my favorite pens.

551
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:44,880
What is?
This.

552
00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:47,239
Hold on, hold it up, hold it up.
It's a pen.

553
00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:50,360
Tell you're my person.
I am your person.

554
00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:51,159
This is what I've been.
Yeah.

555
00:34:51,199 --> 00:34:53,880
Anyway, Pen tell.
It has to be this one.

556
00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,800
I have a box of them.
If it's, I don't write in black

557
00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:58,960
ink, I can't even read my
handwriting in black ink.

558
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,160
It has to be blue or I have a
bajillion colored markers.

559
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,680
Because again, but I learned if
I don't put a marker next to my

560
00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,000
bed and I go to write in the
middle of night where an idea

561
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,840
comes to me, sometimes I write
and I I will show everyone who's

562
00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,000
watching on YouTube because why
aren't you watching on YouTube?

563
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,320
It might look like this.
It might be like a squiggle, but

564
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,040
part of it gets erased because
the pen isn't down.

565
00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:24,440
So clearly you need a marker and
they don't always make sense

566
00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,440
when I wake up, but almost
always it's that piece that I'm

567
00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,680
missing.
Like when I'm writing and I'm

568
00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:34,000
stuck and I know I have to get
from point A to point B and I

569
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,720
really love point B, but the the
muddy middle of how to how do I

570
00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:40,040
get there?
Like what is the whatever, all

571
00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:44,040
the writer things, I take a nap.
I become narcoleptic.

572
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:47,320
I'm like, I need to take a nap.
And then I put a book on both

573
00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:52,200
sides of me, an empty notebook
and my pen and almost always an

574
00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:53,960
idea will come and I'm like,
that was it?

575
00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,760
So I used to think like if I
wake up and I still have it, but

576
00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,800
if it's like clairvoyant message
or if it's a message from

577
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,040
somewhere else, you're not going
to keep it, right.

578
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:04,880
I also have notebooks in the
car.

579
00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,640
Not I don't recommend that
there's better technology now,

580
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,680
but I have I also have notebooks
that I think are too pretty to

581
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,720
put bad like my words in
sometimes and I like covet them

582
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:16,240
and I just I literally have a
stack of those.

583
00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:18,800
Don't judge me.
But I think that's also part of

584
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:21,040
the creative process.
It's almost like here's an empty

585
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,600
space.
What are we gonna fill it with?

586
00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:29,040
I've struggled through times of
feeling absolutely not creative

587
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,520
and thinking that I suck at
everything, right?

588
00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:34,920
Whatever.
It's the creative person.

589
00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,360
Not that I suck as a person, but
that like my art or what I'm

590
00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:42,200
trying to do is not not good
enough for what I wanted to be

591
00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:46,160
and always getting judged right?
Because artists are always being

592
00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,680
judged by people who don't do
it.

593
00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:50,560
Whatever, Don't even get me
started.

594
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,200
But for you, what?
What is that like?

595
00:36:54,200 --> 00:37:00,240
Like you have to be on stage and
present and be and be the woman

596
00:37:00,240 --> 00:37:04,480
and be the face of this.
And what if you're having a bad

597
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:06,200
day?
What if you're not feeling it?

598
00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,600
How do you like?
How do you do that?

599
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:15,440
You know, I still don't know.
I, I, you know, there was a time

600
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:21,200
when I would because I'd have
such a hard time to just be up

601
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:22,840
there with so much energy in the
room.

602
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:29,240
I used to carry because I make,
I make jewelry a source crystals

603
00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:34,720
and stones and and I would carry
like carnelian and, you know,

604
00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,840
tourmaline.
Like I'm like please like block

605
00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:41,840
this stuff that I'm feeling.
Selenite you need selenite like

606
00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:44,800
do you have selenite?
Older things, I think I have

607
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,600
some say I have all kinds of
stuff, pyrite and like just I'm

608
00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,760
like, where's my money and
where's my disc?

609
00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,320
Where's you know?
It's just high vibration.

610
00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,600
Just high vibration.
You know, and, and I would try

611
00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:00,680
to place myself in the space
where I felt more confident and,

612
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,480
you know, also always trying to
protect myself too.

613
00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:12,400
You know, there's so much of
that that I think I'm, I know

614
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:16,000
that I'm extremely empathic and
I feel a lot.

615
00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,440
And so to keep myself like
focused and in the space of

616
00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:24,560
delivering whatever the, the
musical message is, I have to

617
00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:29,640
block out everything else.
And now, you know, especially

618
00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:34,920
going in, you know, into country
music and I'm always wondering

619
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,400
what people are feeling and
thinking about the music.

620
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:42,320
And that can be overwhelming,
you know.

621
00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,400
So, you know, I do have, I don't
know.

622
00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:50,520
Have you ever seen?
There's a book by Julia Cameron

623
00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,440
called The Artist Way.
Of course it's right there.

624
00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:56,880
Oh, that's like literally right.
Like right there.

625
00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:02,680
So like between that and like
Atomic Habits, that kind of

626
00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:09,240
became me walking myself through
what my day on a show day or

627
00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:12,240
really a regular day, but
especially when I have show

628
00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:16,640
days, I really have to do my
morning pages and like clear

629
00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:21,000
everything out and have and
create a clear path to the stage

630
00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:25,240
and visualize that moment and
what I need and what I want,

631
00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,800
what I want to give to the
audience and what I want to

632
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:33,200
receive back from them prior to
actually going on the stage and

633
00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:35,840
doing the job.
So it's your ritual, would you

634
00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,880
call it a ritual or is it
self-care or I don't like people

635
00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:44,160
have things to double check.
I think in seeing you, I know

636
00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:48,480
you were exceedingly to open
right as an empath looking at

637
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:50,960
another empath.
So for me, I'm just like what

638
00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:53,400
color?
Like what wall?

639
00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:57,800
But I feel like part of your
ADHD lies to you that when you

640
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:02,200
take away feeling some of
everyone else's feelings, you're

641
00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:05,880
gonna be left with all of yours.
And then you'll have to like

642
00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:10,720
finish processing some of that,
which is fine, but it'll make

643
00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:12,440
good art.
But I also think some of it is

644
00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:13,920
like old.
We could just clear it away, be

645
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,360
like, oh, like that old thing
that doesn't matter anymore.

646
00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:19,560
I don't need to connect with
anyone through that feeling in

647
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:22,000
my audience, right?
Because you're like even the

648
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:26,720
heck that you said earlier, like
you're Misha now see me hear me

649
00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:29,800
bitch.
OK, sorry.

650
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:34,760
I just had to add that.
I know I was like, it's like I'm

651
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:38,840
all soft and fuzzy and
exceedingly emotional and

652
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:47,840
squishy, but I have a good like
there's a here at first just and

653
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:52,120
I keep a lot more, but you are
again in front of people way

654
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,680
more.
So I admire that.

655
00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:57,040
And maybe offline, I will share
what I want to do for you.

656
00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:01,280
But I also really want to touch
on, like you keep saying, how

657
00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,960
you write for other people.
And so like for me as an author,

658
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:10,080
that's ghostwriting, right?
So and that what is it like to

659
00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,920
have someone else sing your
song?

660
00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:16,200
Have you always liked it?
And do they stick it as good as

661
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:21,160
you?
OK, all right, so I and.

662
00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:23,480
You don't have to name names
because you know, obviously.

663
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,680
I enjoy the process because I
get to get outside of like, I'm

664
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:33,040
still infusing pieces of myself.
I think the challenge is always

665
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,320
like they always say, don't give
them the sauce.

666
00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:40,040
Like if you're an artist, don't
give them all of what you would

667
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:45,400
do because now you have someone
copying what you would do.

668
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:48,800
And now they've become you as an
artist inadvertently.

669
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:54,720
And so when I started writing,
initially, people would say

670
00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:56,600
you've got to tone down the
vocal.

671
00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,720
And it used to be because
they're like, nobody's going to

672
00:41:59,720 --> 00:42:02,840
do all of that.
Nobody is going to be able to

673
00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:06,360
reach hot, sing is high and sing
is low and do all of these

674
00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:09,840
harmonies.
And over time, I started

675
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:14,720
learning how to communicate with
the artist prior to the, you

676
00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:19,080
know, like the writing process
or during it and really listen

677
00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:24,240
to their stories, not try to
write songs with them, but get

678
00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:29,360
to know them and there's and
know their real stories and then

679
00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,720
interpret that.
Not necessarily what they say,

680
00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:36,840
but sometimes it's just the
feeling like the core choices.

681
00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,840
If they're melancholy, there's
something in not necessarily

682
00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:45,960
using sad chords, but choosing
even the juxtaposition of

683
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:52,000
something a little bit lighter
can like affect people in a

684
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,520
different way.
And so I think about that all

685
00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:58,080
the time I'm looking at a person
and, and things that I think I

686
00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:02,200
know about them versus that
vulnerability that you start to

687
00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:07,240
see when you're really genuinely
asking them about themselves.

688
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:11,040
And, and that helps me with the
writing process.

689
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:15,560
And I tend to get like really
authentic songs from that.

690
00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:21,760
And then watching them sing the
songs in the last few years,

691
00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:26,560
it's, I think it, it got a
little bit hard because I was

692
00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:30,960
doing more country stuff and I
wanted to keep a lot of the the

693
00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:36,360
songs that were going out.
Honestly, it's how Memphis came

694
00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:38,200
to be.
It's like some of the songs that

695
00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:44,520
I have now, they're mine because
I, you know, got strong at the

696
00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:48,320
end of the decision and said,
you know what, everybody here

697
00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:53,360
wants to sell my song but me and
deciding that I would sing those

698
00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:57,800
songs and that that artist or
whoever it was for was not going

699
00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,320
to be able to do what I was able
to do.

700
00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:02,720
And I and I wanted the chance to
do that.

701
00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,680
But I do write songs that we
call them throwaways.

702
00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:10,200
We're like, it's OK if they
don't, you know, if it doesn't

703
00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,120
sound like me, that's the point.
It's art.

704
00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:15,720
I want you to interpret it.
I want to see it through your

705
00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:20,360
eyes and your lens.
And so we leave space for that

706
00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:23,200
as a songwriter, that's we
should do that, you know, like

707
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:28,080
give them the opportunity to be
collaborative in the the

708
00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:31,640
storytelling and the the
presentation of this art.

709
00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:37,120
So yeah, that's.
Is it true that songwriters, you

710
00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:40,000
you, I'm assuming you keep your
rights because that's how

711
00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,280
royalties are paid?
Is that how that works?

712
00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:46,200
Yeah, Yeah, as a songwriter.
So, you know, I'm also a

713
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:49,160
producer.
And as a producer, you can give

714
00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,000
people songs.
You know, you can sell songs

715
00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:53,520
exclusively.
I mean, that's ten.

716
00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:57,560
That tends to be the case.
But most of the time you are

717
00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:02,440
reserving the rights to the
master recording of the song.

718
00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:07,280
And as a songwriter, you know, I
copyright everything.

719
00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:10,640
And, you know, I make sure that,
you know, I can do what I want

720
00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:16,000
to do with the song.
But I I do share, you know, with

721
00:45:16,240 --> 00:45:20,200
artists often, which you don't
see that a lot, you know, where

722
00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:22,560
you'll give something to the to
the artists.

723
00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:27,200
But I'm like, if you are adding
to the art and interpreting your

724
00:45:27,200 --> 00:45:31,440
way, like, you know, we usually
try to work things out and, and,

725
00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:33,880
and the business I usually leave
to my manager.

726
00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:40,840
But I, but I do, yeah, I, I've
set things up pretty well or we

727
00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:46,040
set things up pretty well where
I'm able to still retain like my

728
00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,400
name recognition and then
whatever percentages that we

729
00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:51,480
agree on for having written the
song.

730
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:54,760
Yeah, I think a lot of artists
don't talk about like, money or

731
00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:56,800
like making sure you own your
stuff.

732
00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:59,080
You keep your stuff, man.
Just keep it.

733
00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:02,000
I think that's my biggest
because you can always reuse

734
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:04,200
yourself.
Like that's my biggest.

735
00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:08,200
Also want this is a burning
question is a little snarky, but

736
00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:11,880
like you work with artists and
you work with younger people who

737
00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:14,240
want to get better at singing
and whatever.

738
00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:19,640
Have you ever run across a kid
who or an artist who their whole

739
00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:24,000
heart and being is in it, but
you know that voice is really

740
00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:27,720
not going to like what?
What can you do for that?

741
00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:30,640
Because we all know there's
plenty of very famous people who

742
00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:34,320
are all auto tuned right?
Like that exists.

743
00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:36,080
Not we can't deny that that
happens.

744
00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:39,440
But I'm curious about someone
with all the heart who has the

745
00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:42,800
burning passion but maybe not
the skill.

746
00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:46,720
Like, how do you manage that as
a person who's mentoring them?

747
00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:49,360
Well.
Or do they not get you because

748
00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:51,480
you're like, I only deal with
people who are this good?

749
00:46:51,480 --> 00:46:54,800
Like how does that work?
I think I've what I learned,

750
00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:59,000
especially when working out of
Atlanta, was that there are a

751
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,960
lot of people who won't take an
artist unless they already are

752
00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:07,000
at a place where they can take,
you know, the credit for having

753
00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:11,440
help to them get somewhere.
But for me, I actually like when

754
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:17,400
I get a singer who is a little
underdeveloped because, you

755
00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:20,400
know, talent is one thing.
You know, there's things that

756
00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:23,160
you just, you know, we know kids
that just hum and it just, oh,

757
00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:28,280
OK, they must be able to sing.
But then skill is something that

758
00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:30,680
you can grow just like you can
learn how to type.

759
00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:37,200
And I treat the voice like
athleticism in a way, you know,

760
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:40,240
like if you, I mean the whole
body, it's all muscle and

761
00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:43,520
tendons and all that.
And so the same way you can be

762
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:48,560
out of shape and go and train to
be stronger and more flexible

763
00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:52,200
and more agile, you can do the
same thing with the voice.

764
00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:56,040
But it all starts with clearly
understanding what you want for

765
00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:59,320
that voice.
So I do evaluations, doesn't

766
00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:01,160
matter if it's a child or an
adult.

767
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:04,800
I always evaluate where I listen
to them just sing something

768
00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:08,120
naturally.
And then we talk about if in a

769
00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:10,880
perfect world, what would you
want to see happen with your

770
00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:13,200
voice?
And then we compare that against

771
00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,120
where they already are.
And then I try to put together a

772
00:48:16,120 --> 00:48:20,160
plan that builds up those skills
that they say that they want or

773
00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:24,240
that I think that they need.
And we would do it just like a

774
00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:29,440
track coach would do for a kid
That's, that's slower, but not

775
00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:31,600
slow because they're, they're
just slow.

776
00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:35,480
I mean, they need muscle to be
built and they've got to do, you

777
00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:39,560
know, there's certain exercises
they can do to be, to do, I

778
00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,920
guess sprints, for example,
versus long term running.

779
00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:45,200
And the voice, again, it's the
same thing.

780
00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:48,680
And I try to look at it like
that and never assume that where

781
00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:52,400
someone is today is where
they'll be in two weeks, a

782
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:56,560
month, six months or a year.
I see people grow all the time

783
00:48:56,560 --> 00:49:01,160
and become like incredible
singers, but they have to be

784
00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:05,280
willing to address things and do
the work to do it.

785
00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:09,240
I love that you, I love that I
love all of that.

786
00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:12,440
I mean I don't I didn't even
know that was an option that you

787
00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:17,680
can build the skill and get I I
think that's hopeful.

788
00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:20,560
I I'm a big believer that I
think everyone should be doing

789
00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:23,080
some sort of art.
You don't have to monetize it.

790
00:49:23,080 --> 00:49:26,800
Singing, pottery, dancing.
I mean, those are some of my

791
00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:28,880
things.
I bought a bunch of watercolors.

792
00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:32,360
I posted a video like a month
ago about how awful my picture

793
00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:34,320
is.
And it's the whole point was I

794
00:49:34,320 --> 00:49:35,920
just had fun doing it.
Yeah.

795
00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:43,400
And it's OK to it's amazing to
pursue a creative life, right?

796
00:49:43,720 --> 00:49:48,760
But it's doesn't mean that it
the end game or this is winning,

797
00:49:48,760 --> 00:49:50,440
right?
Like So what success for you?

798
00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:54,360
Like what we're going to give
you every dream that you want.

799
00:49:54,720 --> 00:50:00,800
What is it?
Oh my goodness, it really is.

800
00:50:01,160 --> 00:50:07,120
And it's such a simple goal.
I want stability for my kids,

801
00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:11,560
for my family, for myself.
It's, it's very simple, you

802
00:50:11,560 --> 00:50:14,440
know, like my, it goes back to
that first thing my dad said, if

803
00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:16,280
you love it, you'll do it for
free.

804
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:22,320
If I couldn't do anything, you
know, I've had speech problems

805
00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:25,560
in the past, like from health
and all these things.

806
00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:28,720
And they took my voice for a
while.

807
00:50:28,720 --> 00:50:32,440
It took my speech.
And I remember someone saying,

808
00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:35,680
well, if you can't, if you can't
talk, you can't work.

809
00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:39,280
And I was still was working like
a regular like day job thing.

810
00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:42,040
I think I was working at a
hospital, ironically.

811
00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:48,360
And, you know, the therapist
realized somebody had said,

812
00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:51,440
like, talking to family, that I
was a singer and I was

813
00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:56,280
stuttering so badly.
And she said, well, today we're

814
00:50:56,280 --> 00:50:57,720
going to sing some of these
things.

815
00:50:57,720 --> 00:50:59,960
We're not just going to talk.
And I couldn't get through a

816
00:50:59,960 --> 00:51:02,920
single sentence speaking.
And we started singing.

817
00:51:03,240 --> 00:51:07,880
And I watched and she watched as
day by day my speech started to

818
00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:12,000
just smooth itself back out
because it's just not the same

819
00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,360
side of the brain.
And I, I learned then, yeah,

820
00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:19,840
really speech and music, like
there is in something different

821
00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:24,680
about language and music.
And I feel like that's what they

822
00:51:24,680 --> 00:51:27,560
always say about music bridges
both of those hemispheres.

823
00:51:28,720 --> 00:51:32,800
And I'm a linguist as well.
So like the the threat of losing

824
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:37,160
my voice was so insane to me
that I might not ever sing.

825
00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:40,200
And then knowing that I was
singing songs but still had a

826
00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:43,040
stutter, like a debilitating
stutter when I spoke.

827
00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:47,920
And I still stutter when I get
nervous or tired and things like

828
00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:52,120
that.
And I just know that there's so

829
00:51:52,120 --> 00:51:58,280
much just wonderful stuff that
the body can do that we can do

830
00:51:58,560 --> 00:52:02,560
as people.
And I always want to make sure

831
00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:09,360
that I'm looking beyond what
people think I can do and what I

832
00:52:09,360 --> 00:52:13,720
think I can do and pushing and
pushing and not giving up, you

833
00:52:13,720 --> 00:52:17,200
know, So it all for me, it
always comes back down to that

834
00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:21,120
as a, as a singer, as a writer,
and just knowing that if I

835
00:52:21,120 --> 00:52:23,360
couldn't write, if I couldn't
sing, I would have been writing.

836
00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:27,120
You know, if I couldn't write, I
would have been putting colors

837
00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:31,640
on the page, you know, something
to help me create the pictures

838
00:52:31,720 --> 00:52:35,120
in my mind and in my heart.
So I love that.

839
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:38,920
So there's like, there's no way
you wouldn't be a creative

840
00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:42,120
person because it's just in you.
OK, so the burning question I

841
00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:45,240
have is like, have you played
with your dad like this?

842
00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:48,760
Hearing how often you didn't?
I'm like, what?

843
00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:50,800
What the hell do I have to
facilitate this?

844
00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:53,600
What is going on?
Please tell me that you 2 have

845
00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:57,640
collaborated in something.
I had the sweetest moment with

846
00:52:57,640 --> 00:53:04,160
my dad last week.
So last week I every Oh my gosh.

847
00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:08,120
So my birthday just passed and
my son is like my birthday twin.

848
00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:11,120
I had him just like a few hours
before my birthday.

849
00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:13,320
So he's the 4th, I'm the 5th of
July.

850
00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:18,960
I went home so that I could, you
know, be with my parents and all

851
00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:22,040
that stuff.
And I play dulcimer, which, you

852
00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:24,560
know, I had like a stick
dulcimer and it's really cute

853
00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:26,400
and really easy to play for the
most part.

854
00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:31,480
And my son, every time he sees
me with anything like, you know,

855
00:53:31,480 --> 00:53:34,800
that's guitar, like he'll pick
it up, but he doesn't usually

856
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:38,520
know how to play.
And, and he took a liking to

857
00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:41,160
this thing and he just played
around with it.

858
00:53:41,160 --> 00:53:45,440
And I sat with him for about an
hour and just showed him this

859
00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:50,080
chords and things like that.
And the next day he picked it up

860
00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,360
and I picked up my guitar and I
was just kind of just leading

861
00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:56,280
him and singing through like
progressions.

862
00:53:56,280 --> 00:54:01,200
I would sing the progression
like go to the one four, you

863
00:54:01,200 --> 00:54:06,560
know, 5-1 and just singing and
he starts playing along and it

864
00:54:06,560 --> 00:54:08,800
was right.
It was so good.

865
00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:11,960
And then so I was like, let me
show my parents.

866
00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:16,440
So I go and he and I are sitting
there and I have the guitar.

867
00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:18,640
This first time my son and I had
done this.

868
00:54:18,800 --> 00:54:23,480
He's playing, my dad goes and
grabs an acoustic bass that he

869
00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:26,880
never plays, by the way.
He just, he used to have this

870
00:54:26,880 --> 00:54:29,640
deal with Fender and they gave
it to him and he just keeps it.

871
00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:31,960
But that's what you need for
like country music.

872
00:54:32,720 --> 00:54:37,440
And we end up playing the
greatest country jam.

873
00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:45,000
It was so good, and I was
fighting tears the whole time

874
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,240
because my son didn't know.
This was the first time that I

875
00:54:49,240 --> 00:54:55,680
was doing this with my dad and
to be able to do that with three

876
00:54:55,680 --> 00:55:03,160
generations was overwhelmingly
powerful for me, especially

877
00:55:03,160 --> 00:55:05,520
because we don't come from the
same music style.

878
00:55:05,520 --> 00:55:08,880
But but he has played country,
you know, he has with other

879
00:55:08,880 --> 00:55:14,080
bands, just not with me, you
know, and, and it was nothing,

880
00:55:14,080 --> 00:55:17,440
no shots to me.
He just, we just, I never made

881
00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:20,320
the time and you know, that's
how it went, but whatever.

882
00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:22,640
Excuses, excuses.
This is a magic moment.

883
00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:25,320
Did you record any of it or is
it just a beautiful memory?

884
00:55:25,320 --> 00:55:29,680
Now my mom recorded it.
My mom recorded it, but I was

885
00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:33,920
literally just waking up and I
was and you know, being, I don't

886
00:55:33,920 --> 00:55:36,880
want to call it vain, but
literally I'm like, please don't

887
00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:40,040
post it anywhere because I
looked.

888
00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:42,360
So I just, I just rolled out of
bed.

889
00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:46,480
But for me, it's one of those
things, it wasn't even about my

890
00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:48,720
core memory.
I just kept thinking about the

891
00:55:48,720 --> 00:55:54,120
core memory for my son.
You know that he's able to do

892
00:55:54,120 --> 00:56:00,200
this with his mom and his
grandfather, you know, and I

893
00:56:00,200 --> 00:56:01,760
don't know that he'll ever
forget that.

894
00:56:01,760 --> 00:56:05,360
I hope he doesn't, you know so.
It's beautiful.

895
00:56:05,360 --> 00:56:09,080
It's that's that's like one of
those magic moments in life.

896
00:56:09,080 --> 00:56:14,120
I would assume right that not
like family thread, the Thai

897
00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:18,040
music and I also think for you.
I think you downplay it too

898
00:56:18,040 --> 00:56:20,280
much, like from just like
listening to you.

899
00:56:20,280 --> 00:56:25,240
But I love, like for me hearing
you tell that story, it's being

900
00:56:25,240 --> 00:56:29,960
seen by the men in your family
for your musicality and your

901
00:56:29,960 --> 00:56:32,680
gifts, not just the nurturer of
what they need.

902
00:56:33,560 --> 00:56:36,520
Like, that's that's amazing.
Yeah.

903
00:56:36,520 --> 00:56:39,960
I want you to like, put that in
your coffee and drink it Like,

904
00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:43,200
that's some good.
That's really good stuff coming

905
00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:44,120
out.
I like that.

906
00:56:45,120 --> 00:56:47,120
I can't imagine what that's
like, honestly.

907
00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:53,760
Like I that's like a a new goal.
Yeah, it is beautiful.

908
00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:58,160
I, I will say that the support
that I have from my dad

909
00:56:58,600 --> 00:57:01,600
particularly, and he's always
been that way.

910
00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:08,920
I think that I've always hidden
because to me he's like here,

911
00:57:08,920 --> 00:57:11,920
you know, and I've always hidden
like, like I don't do enough.

912
00:57:11,920 --> 00:57:14,080
And you know, that they call it
imposter syndrome.

913
00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:16,440
And I really have lived in that
space.

914
00:57:16,440 --> 00:57:19,560
And he's always tried to remind
me there's in his eyes, there's

915
00:57:19,560 --> 00:57:23,120
nothing wrong that I could do,
but I always wanted to be like,

916
00:57:23,120 --> 00:57:25,960
he's like, he said so good, you
know that.

917
00:57:26,120 --> 00:57:30,960
And I just, that was the first
time that I think I didn't, I

918
00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:34,440
didn't shy away from the
opportunity to play in front of

919
00:57:34,440 --> 00:57:37,480
him, but really, because it
wasn't in my mind, it wasn't

920
00:57:37,480 --> 00:57:40,760
about me, It was about my son.
I wanted him to have a moment,

921
00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:44,040
you know, so.
Those cancer women, I'm telling

922
00:57:44,040 --> 00:57:46,160
you, they're givers.
They're just givers.

923
00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:49,120
So like, I want to throw this
out to any artist listening.

924
00:57:49,120 --> 00:57:51,800
I love the quote.
Like, you know that you would do

925
00:57:51,800 --> 00:57:55,880
it for free, but I got to tell
you, a lot of industry every

926
00:57:55,960 --> 00:57:58,440
They asked artists to work for
free all the time.

927
00:57:58,440 --> 00:58:02,960
And it's really scary to say no.
But say no because the minute

928
00:58:02,960 --> 00:58:05,760
you own your worth, you get
paid.

929
00:58:05,760 --> 00:58:07,960
You might have to wait and you
might think you're missing

930
00:58:07,960 --> 00:58:10,240
something.
But in today's day and age, when

931
00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:13,280
there's a bajillion ways for you
to get your art, your music,

932
00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:17,080
your sound, your stories out,
you are not dependent on the

933
00:58:17,080 --> 00:58:18,600
free thing.
If it's free, you could do it

934
00:58:18,600 --> 00:58:20,840
yourself.
I'm just saying like that, that

935
00:58:20,840 --> 00:58:24,720
grinds me because people don't
think about your rehearsal time,

936
00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:26,880
you getting there, How do you
practice you'd like?

937
00:58:27,080 --> 00:58:32,440
There's so much that goes into
any artistic endeavor that

938
00:58:32,440 --> 00:58:35,520
people who maybe aren't inclined
to be artistic, they don't

939
00:58:35,520 --> 00:58:39,680
understand.
So I want to rah, rah you to

940
00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:43,160
ask, and you can always
negotiate, by the way, but you

941
00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:46,120
could just ask and you never
know what's going to happen.

942
00:58:46,520 --> 00:58:49,960
OK, so we're coming towards the
end of the interview and I get

943
00:58:49,960 --> 00:58:54,560
to ask you my favorite question.
If you came with a warning

944
00:58:54,560 --> 00:59:00,120
label, what would it be?
That warning label?

945
00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:04,000
Oh, it would probably.
Be.

946
00:59:04,960 --> 00:59:09,200
Don't tell me I can't.
He'll never tell me I can't do

947
00:59:09,200 --> 00:59:13,840
it because the person, not only
will I do it, the person you get

948
00:59:13,840 --> 00:59:18,760
will be drastically different
from the person you would have

949
00:59:18,760 --> 00:59:22,000
gotten if you had a little
confidence in me at the

950
00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:24,440
beginning, you know?
So yeah.

951
00:59:24,440 --> 00:59:27,720
Because now I'm, I'm like a
bulldozer coming to break that,

952
00:59:27,880 --> 00:59:30,600
that wall down.
So yeah.

953
00:59:31,200 --> 00:59:33,760
I love it.
Thank you Misha Fair for joining

954
00:59:33,760 --> 00:59:36,000
me.
How can people hear your music?

955
00:59:36,000 --> 00:59:38,320
Where do they need to go?
How can we connect with you?

956
00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:44,360
You can find my music everywhere
if you go to just type in Misha

957
00:59:44,360 --> 00:59:47,120
Fair and Google search and
you'll find all links to me.

958
00:59:47,120 --> 00:59:52,560
All of my music is listed as
MISHAFAIR.

959
00:59:52,840 --> 00:59:57,480
So that's Instagram, Facebook.
It might say Misha Fair Music,

960
00:59:57,480 --> 00:59:59,760
but if you type my name in, I
promise you'll find me.

961
01:00:01,280 --> 01:00:02,400
Thank you.
Thank you.