February 12, 2025 • 36 mins
Ahead of an upcoming tour with Melissa Etheridge, British star Joss Stone joins In Service Of this week for a really fun conversation on cooking, touring, community, Bob Marley, Dave Stewart and, of course, giving back.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, it's Steve Balton and welcome to In service of
this week's stage, Bob and I are joined by the
amazing Joss Stone for a really fun conversation on her
uh unique way to make lasagna, Bob Marley, her upcoming
tour with Melissa Ethridge, Smoking Weed, and Martha Stewart, so
(00:26):
much more. This is a really fun conversation with Joss,
who we've known for many years. She's great. It's no
wonder if she fosters such a sense of community as
she talks about. Really enjoyed this conversation. I hope you
do as well. It's really fun for me because COVID
(00:57):
was actually a great time because I was isolated in
the sense of being isolated. But every artist in the
world want to do interviews because they were bored off
their ass.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Oh yeah, so true.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Literally, on a Friday night, did ninety minutes with Stevie Nicks,
and I was like, I feel bad, she will get
off the phone and.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
She just wanted to talk.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I was exactly. I was like, wait, wait, Stephen Nicks
is seventy six years old, all on a Friday night.
She's got nowhere else to be during COVID, so she's
got nothing else.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
To do, might as well have a chat with you.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
I mean I did five minutes with Lenny Kravitz and
our job. Everybody wanted to talk. Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I do think that we did get a bit bored
in that time, you know, like, you know, without the gigs.
But I was busying myself, like madly busying myself. But yeah,
no gigs, which is weird.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
No, that was a great worshock test. I would talk
to people and it was like, do you miss the
gigs or do you not miss the gigs? And it's funny.
I We'll talk to someone like David Ghetta for example. Yeah, yeah,
like this is the first time I've ever had a
summer break. I'm actually getting this fine. I talked to
like Ozzie Osbourne, who literally said, get me the fuck
(02:19):
out of here. Sharon and I are getting on each
other's tits. I'm losing my fucking mind.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh that's funny, Like.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You know, how do you handle it? So how did
you handle it?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I just carried on regardless. I just I think that
the thing that we didn't do was gigs, but it
didn't meant it didn't mean that we didn't do things,
so you know, I did, God, what did I do?
I wrote songs. You don't need, you know, permission from
the government to write a song. Even if you need
permission to permission run the government to walk outside hows,
(02:52):
you don't need permission to make art.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So we just carried on doing that. I did. I
did a thing on Facebook actually that.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I called Cooking with Joss, which was just I don't know,
it's just a bit of entertainment to make us all laugh.
I mean, I don't know what I'm doing. I cook
all the time, right, I'm a baker, and I do
like to I like to make stuff up in the kitchen.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
But I just thought it'd be fun. I thought, well,
what's my job?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Is my job very specific or is it just to
make people happy? Because that's not specific at all. That's
like can be anything. You can make people happy in
lots of different ways, you know. It's just that my
tool was to bring people, you know, thousands of people
into a room and sing to them. So I just thought, well,
maybe I can do it in other ways. And we
(03:40):
had so much fun. We had so much fun with
Cooking with Joss. Everyone was laughing and it sort of
lifted people's spirits a little bit, which is the main thing.
Even even in COVID time, I think we did what
did we did the what's it called?
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I dressed up as a sausage mass singer.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I did the mass singer just at the end, the
tail end of COVID time, and that was brilliant because
it came out just at the end of it, so
people felt like it was just this light relief of silliness,
and I think that's what we needed because everything was
so dark and serious and horrible.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
That's interesting because one of the things that we ask
on the podcast is what is your purpose? So that's
it purpose? Yeah, you know in COVID because you quit
not sing.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I think I think I had found my purpose a
lot earlier than COVID. But I think that when COVID happened,
it just became sort of like a I don't want
to say, more honed in, more more spread out.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Like so more more vague in a way.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So I realized that I have this wonderful habit of
making mountains into molehills. That's sort of how I do things,
and that's how I walk through this life. So you know,
when I did the World Tour, I was mounting. I
was making this massive thing. And to just play one
gig and then just play another one, Josse, it's no
big deal. But my purpose for that it wasn't about singing.
(05:13):
It was about making people happy and not treating one
person differently from the next. So I was aware of that.
That had been very clear to me. Especially, that's why
I did the World Tour. Really, it's just when the
rules started coming in, like you're not allowed outside, you're
not allowed to do gigs. Then I thought, oh, okay,
I need to change. I need to pick up a
different tool to do it.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, so important question. I'm a let's say shakeover. But
do you have to ask you what was your specialty
in cooking? If you're having a dinner party, Oh, you
were the five people you invite, and what are you making?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Okay, if I want a crowd pleaser and I know
everyone's going to like it, I'll do lasagna because it
is great. I mean, it's delicious and the.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Type of lasagna I do.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's funny because I didn't realize this my whole life.
I'd been taught by my mum and my best friend's mum.
They were like best mates, you know, so they always
sharing recipes. I've been taught to make.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Lasagna by them.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So it's sort of like a vegetarian version with like
kidney beans and all this and a cream sauce cheese
on top. So anyway, sometimes we put corn flakes on
top as well, which is.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
A bit weird, but it works.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So I go to my husband's now husband at the time,
my boyfriend's mum's house, and I'm telling them about this
recipe and like, yeah, I make it for you, Da
da dah, and Cody's like, is a bit different, mum,
and they half of their family ended up marrying an
Italian family. There's a lot of Italian influence going on
(06:52):
in there. And they were like, that's not lasagna, that's
not how we what they're are you talking about? Where's
the rocotta?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
What do you mean? Cream sauce? Is like, God, now,
I've been making it wrong my.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Whole life, but everyone loves it. It's a crowd pleaser
and it'll put on the pounds, which is what I
want to do when people come to my house and
want them to leave heavier.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah, So who are you inviting who's your fantasy buyer?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Who do we invite the fantasy vive? Okay, gosh, who
do we invite? Okay?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I really would like to invite Jordan Peterson. He's my
first I've been trying to talk to this guy for years.
I think that his team of people do not want
me to talk to him. I think they must think
I'm like some like lefty, like hippie girl, which sometimes
I am that maybe won't agree with him. I don't know,
(07:45):
but we've had like tweets back and forth. I wanted
to get him on my podcast. I did a podcast
about a couple about being happy. I call it a
Cup of Happy, And I just think he's just so
smart and brilliant and very straightforward and to the point.
I just love to hear his opinions on a lot
of things. Great conversation, I think, so that would be interesting.
(08:08):
Who else would I have?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I think I think some musicians.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Would be good, like Bob Marley would be good. I'd
like to talk to him. I think he would be
a fun chapter talk.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Maybe I don't know fun.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I heard it was a bit of a gangster, but
I sort of like that around the dinner table it's
nice to have a bit of gangster vibes. Because he
also had a big heart, didn't he. So yeah, Bob
Marley would be good. Let's pick. What about Martha Stewart.
She can tell me actually how to cook. She'd be great.
And she'd bring the weed, I feel, which would be
(08:45):
nice good to have.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait, hold
on for a second. You're gonna have Bob Marley and
you're gonna have Martha stewartring and Martha.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Would bring the weed.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
All I'm thinking is Bob Marley's going to bring like
some gangster energy with love and Martha's he's bringing weed.
That's so weird that I even said that, But that
is literally where my brain went.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
He might bring some weed as well, you know what.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
He would bring some warm guinness like his son. So
I worked with Damien and he had in the studio.
Of course there's loads of weed, but he what I
was surprised by was the guinness and the fact that
it wasn't like I don't know it was. It was
(09:41):
in little bottles and it was warm. That's odd anyway. Yeah,
and he rolls with red papers. Hmm, I'm a blue girl.
But yeah, that was quite That was quite a conungeum
between us. That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Who else would I have? What days to do?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
It would be great to have because I know he's
just such a lover. Can we have Dave?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Love him? He's so great.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
He makes me laugh, he makes everyone laugh, and I
think he would bring out the guitar and everyone would
just be singing. You know, it'd be good. And then
I'll ask my mom because then we can talk about
it when we get home.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Good good MiGs.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
That's right, we got five yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
One factory. It's funny. You know, I've interviewed every freaking
Marley kid in the world, and I never discussed this
with them. But in fact, you said Bob Marley would
be interesting conversation. That was how I got in NYU.
My essay was an imagined conversation with Bob Marley.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Oh no way, how funny. Yeah, I wonder what he'd
be like.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
You know, Betty Wright married Sporty, who wrote Buffalo's Soldier,
and she told me this story that you know they
were I think they were living in Florida and somebody
robbed her house and took all of her records. You know,
(11:07):
the records they put in the frame and put on
the wall kind of thing. They had all of that
record yeah, and it like really upset her. So Sporty
goes out into the middle of the street with a gun,
was shooting it in the air and he was saying
something to the effect of, who is the fuck stole
(11:28):
from my wife? Bring it back right now, And he's
shooting in the middle of the street, and sure enough
everyone brought brought her stuff back. I think the guy
that stole it what, has already sold it at this point,
and somehow it's all ended up on the same street
as her, and she got everything back. So I think that,
(11:48):
you know, we listened to these these songs one love
and you know a little bit, you know, we listened
to all these beautiful songs. But actually these guys are
not to be messed with. So they brought up in
Jamaica like this is not Yeah, it's not a soft place.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
They're hard. They're hard, but they're lovers.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
And I just think that's such a great combo, right exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Well, it's such an honor to talk with you. You've
been such an inspiration for me as a musician.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
My life and oh, that's nice.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Of service alongside music. And I'm a I grew up
on a nature preserve like animal rescue.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Oh that's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
You are just my queen. Anyway, thanks stage. I want
to know more about this Dave Stewart and song bits,
because that model is so fascinating. Can you talk about
how that works with people getting to own a piece
of the music. Yes, that that will do.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Okay, I think this is really fun.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So I've just learned about it literally, like I don't know,
last month because Dave Tommy. So Dave calls me up.
He's like, Jos, this is really cool idea that we
can involve the fans. And he knows I like involving
the fans and stuff, like ever since I learned that
social media was a thing and I realized we can
(13:18):
connect with the fans that actually talk to them, I
embraced that, like fully embrace that. So we've done artwork,
competitions and remix albums with the fans and it's just
been such a nice experience. So Dave knows that about me,
so he calls me up. He's like, I know you
like to do that. So I come across this thing
(13:42):
called song bits, and basically they can own a piece
of our songs. So he suggested to put Never Forget
My Love up. So Dave and I've written loads of
songs over the years. We were just going to see
if it worked with this one and say people wanted it,
they might not want it, you know. So so this
one is the title track to the last album that
(14:03):
Dave and I wrote, Never Forget My Love. And he explained,
you know, you can choose how much you charge for
a bit. If you want to charge one hundred dollars
for a bit, you can, but we wanted to make
it so everyone could have a bit, So we have
made it so if you want to buy one bit,
it costs two pound fifty, which I think is so cool.
(14:26):
So if you wanted to go, I don't know, buy
a gift for someone. Let's say, and I'm not the
only artist on the platform, So let's say you know
your dad loves an artist. I don't want to say
someone because I probably get it wrong, and they're not
on the platform. Let's say they love an artist called
Joe Blogs, and Christmas time's coming around, you don't know
what to get him? Spend two pound fifty you've got
(14:48):
a bit of his of his favorite artist's song.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
I think that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
So there are things that you can buy with it.
So Dave, I think, is offering to do like an
online guitar lesson.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Then that's cool.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
I can't offer anything like that because I can't play
an instrument. But there's merch and stuff, so people can
get their little song bit and they can get extra
bits and bobs signed things by Dave and I like,
you know, stuff like that, and if the song gets
placed in a movie or is used for something, then
they own a bit of it, so they get a bit.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's cool. I think this is really fun, Like I'm
room through it.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I think it's nice that the fans get to, like,
truly be part of what you're doing. I don't think
that's been the case, like really, it's always been like there.
I suppose they're consuming what you're giving them and enjoying it,
but to be literally part of it. That's why I
like doing the artwork competitions, because then they are really
(15:53):
part of what I'm making. It's like, wow, if I
put it out there and say, hey, what do you
think you know?
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Paint what you want to pay.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
I mean, I get to be the audience too. I
get to see and feel through them what they're feeling.
And we're I've noticed now, you know. I've done twenty
years of music and the last live album was called
twenty Years a Soul, and the live album was requested
by them. They wanted a live album, so I gave
(16:20):
them one, you know. So again, I wouldn't have done
it unless they'd have asked. There's no way I would
have done it. So it's like, wow, we're really this
is very circular here. This is like a beautiful thing
that's going on. And I'm getting on stage and I'm
seeing these people that I've been seeing for twenty years,
like the same people, a lot of the same people.
(16:41):
So we've grown up together, you know, we've had babies
at the same time.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
It's just it's so cool. It's like a community now.
For me, I never thought it was going to be
like that. I didn't actually foresee that, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
So it's nice. I like it. So yeah, people want
a bit, they can have it. It's fun.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
There are two things I have to ask you on
that that's interesting, and then I'm let's say it to
go again. But one if there was one song in
the history of the world that you could only a
bit of, what would the song be, Oh.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
It would be It would be.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
That Mariah Carey Christmas song m Because isn't that like,
didn't that sound like billions upon billions?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I don't even know the bloody name of it now,
but I'm like, that's the one. Everyone needs a bit
of that. I need a bit of that so I
can pay for my kids' school and all that kind
of stuff. That would be great.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
But truly, you know, it wouldn't it be nice to
have a piece of a song that you actually really like,
like eight and Away, you know, Aretha Franklin or Braving
Crazy Melissa Etheridge or something like that. It's kind of
cool to have that, right then it's not about money
at that point. It's just about what's cool. But you know,
there is a potential there, there's a potential to make
some wannger. So if that's the case, give me that.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
And then the second thing fair enough. Yeah, it's funny.
I had never thought about the questions of just now, sage,
what song would you do?
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Oh boy, that's impossible.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
The answer this first thing that comes to mind.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It's impossible that Christian Aguileras song. There you go.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
The first one that came to my mind was Misty,
the ele Fitzgerald version, because that's all always in my
head for some reason.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Yes, good choice, good choice.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Yeah. First one that came to my mom was Give
Me Shelter.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Oh yeah, Oh, that's such a good song.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
It's one of the ten best rock songs ever made.
I'm not even the hugest stones stand, but that's just
a fucking perfect song. And I was watching on Instagram
yesterday Mary's vocals on it. Oh my god. But the
other thing that's interesting that you just said, it's funny
you message Melissa, who I've known for a billion years
as well love She's gonna die hard. Following you said
(19:04):
you never expected the community. That's funny because I think
of bands like the Dead or the Deadheads, you know,
and it's like, yeah, always that was there a band
that you felt like a community of, because like I'm
a Springsteen fanatic, yeah, oh yeah, and that is very
much a community.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, yeah, No, I've never experienced it from the other side.
I've never I think because I just went straight into
doing this, right, so I didn't go I didn't even
really a school like, let alone another job like I
didn't have. I don't want to say anything like this
(19:43):
is not negative, but I didn't have a life before this,
this job that I do, I literally had my I
was fourteen when I was signed. I was twelve when
I went and did this little TV show that ended
up getting me signed. So I had from one to twelve,
zero to twelve just being like a kid. And then
(20:04):
I just was it was my job. So I didn't
go to concerts or anything like that. I never you know, yes,
I could be a big fan of somebody, but it
was very much on my own, in my bedroom or
in my headphones. It wasn't like I wasn't going to
gigs and like making friends with the fans. And I
see my fans doing that, and I think that is
what creates the community, and that's amazing, Like they have
(20:26):
made friends, lifelong friends, and I think that's beautiful, you know.
But at the same time, you don't always need that
to enjoy music. You can just be on your own
with the song and then you're not on your own.
And that's how it's been for me, you know, That's
how I've enjoyed music.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I mean, you weren't ten years old smoking we did
the Dad Show?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Come on, well, can you imagine maybe thirteen.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Nomine because I wos Yes.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I think it's so amazing how so many artists one
of their biggest sources of inspiration is being of service,
and you definitely brought that into your fans and I
think your fans really resonate with that, and so that
community can be built not just around the music, but
around soul and around the ideals, etc.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, like caring about each other and helping each other
and giving each other advice, Like that's a big part
of it.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I think, Yeah, your.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Music is the most soulful, and I think people crave
for soul, especially more and more as we get into
our phones, into technology. We need goal to be humans. Yes,
what would you say? I know there's there's so many
things to talk about, but what would you say if
(21:52):
you had to synthesize what you're in service of? What
is that process for you when you're creating music and
how would you find that?
Speaker 3 (22:02):
I think for me, I do really feel it's important
like that people feel better once they have received what
I have for them.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Right, So there are.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Times when we all get pissed off about something right,
and often we all want to tell the world and
be like, hey, is this fucked up? I'm going to
go online and I'm going to say, I'm going to
stand up, I'm going to speak my mind, I'm going
to be righteous. I'm going to tell the world that
this is wrong. I have had moments like that, and
(22:40):
that moment lasted for me for a couple of years
when I was probably aardn't know, between seventeen and twenty probably,
and honestly, honestly, when I look at that, I think, Okay,
all I did was share my pain and that I
know some people love that, and especially in soul music,
(23:02):
in blues and things like that, they want that, and
I do it in my songs even today.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I share my pain, but the way that I write,
I try.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
To give some sort of light because in every single problem,
there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
And I know that now, and I know that what
we make affects people. So I sort of had to
grow up and stop being so self centered. And you know, yes,
of course you can stand up for what's right, but
(23:32):
unless you're going to do something about it, and I
mean truly do something about it. Just take a walk
before you share your pain or your drama or your
bullshit with someone else, because you're not changing anything by talking.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
You know, I'm spreading the word.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
No, you're spreading the pain. You're spreading the drama. Unless
you have a solution, a true one, don't do it,
you know. So there's lots of charities you can join,
you can make a differ. If you want to make
a difference, go ahead and make a difference. Don't just
sit there and bloody moan about it. And we've all done.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
It right, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
That's why I love joining charities and helping them because
it's a very easy way that everyone can get involved
in fixing a problem. And then what are we talking about.
We're talking about a positive. Yes, there is this awful problem.
Look at this positive Look at this fix that we found.
Look at this beautiful thing that we're trying to do
to help plug the holes. You know, I think that
(24:31):
is a good way to be. And I've learned that
sort of the hard way. I've said negative things in
the past, and I've probably given my drama to people.
But I'm sort of trying to each song I write,
I want there to be some sort of art when
you get to the bridge. I want there to be
an answer or an idea of one you know. So yeah,
I think that's important. That's important to me. I really
(24:52):
hope that people feel that. I hope they feel uplifted.
And I also hope they feel comforted when they hear
about any pain or any sad lyric or anything like that.
The comfort comes from not feeling alone. I don't want
to be alone. You don't want to be We don't
want to be alone. That's what soul music is for,
you know, so you don't feel alone and lost. You know,
(25:13):
we're not lost just in a moment. We're going to
find a way out, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
So, I think I hope I answered your question. I
don't know if I went off on a tangent.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
I loved it. And I think the ability to have
you first and then sharing with others. You're so soulful,
you're so open, you're so giving. I imagine it was
a learning process of how to protect your own energy, yes,
so you can give that to others. Was there specific
(25:44):
aha moments? You know, after that that period where you realize,
you know, sharing your pain was just because you had
that pain, and you can't. You need to protect yourself more,
especially being in such a public eye.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
You know, I'm this amazing actress. She played Claire in
The Time Travel's wife, and she, you know, she's acting,
but she's feeling it just like I do when I'm singing.
You know, we are, we are fully in. You know,
you call it soulful. That's really what it is, and
(26:20):
you know it's your soul. You're burying your soul and
it can be tiring, and you know, talking about protecting
yourself and helping your energy remain with you so you
don't get sick or tired, you know, because that's a
real challenge at the end of each tour I get.
I do get sick each time I get cold or
some sort, you know, because you're exhausted and also emotionally
(26:41):
you're exhausted. So she said to me that she there
was some scenes in there where it was just like devastating,
you know, truly devastating, and I sing songs that can
be like that. But like I said, I tried to
write something at the end that brings us out of it,
or you know, I tried to hold the power.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
But my song's only last a few minutes.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
This woman is on stage acting this like the whole
bloody time, and she's just like ah, giving everything she said.
She washed her hands in cold water. Afterwards she just
ran it over her hands, just to sort of come back.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Because you're getting in.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
It's sort of like method acting, isn't it. And if
you go too far down that road, you turn into
a complete nut job. And that's what you're trying to
protect yourself from. You don't want to. You got to
cut at some point. It's like the cameras are rolling. Okay, cut,
you know that's you protecting yourself.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
You can go in, but come out, just come out,
come back.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
But that is a practice thing. It's not something that
you just naturally do. You have to deliberately decide. That's
what I'm doing and that's why the podcast that I
did about happiness was so helpful to me, and I
hope helpful to other people. But you know, I interviewed
a lot of people that have studied happiness and the
(28:05):
brain and the gut brain, and you know, how relationships
affect your happiness, and they had loads of tips, loads
of tips and tricks on how to pour yourself out
of a spiral. You know, the one thing, the one
thing that really stuck. There's a lot of things that
stuck with me, but the one thing I'm thinking right
now is if you are in a state of depression
(28:26):
and you're in that spiral. Let's say you're like stuck
in that song, that sad song, the best thing to
do is to focus on someone else that needs help.
Stop focusing on yourself, pull yourself out. But the natural
thing to do, especially if you're going through a breakup
or you've lost someone, you can't see past your own pain,
(28:48):
so you're seeing you're only looking inward. You're like, oh,
what I'm in pain? So the best thing to do
is wake up, brush your hair, brush your teeth, and
go out and join a charity and do something for
someone that needs it. Go pick up some washing for someone,
or clean someone's house. You know, focus on someone else
(29:09):
and it will help. It will help you just as
much it will help them.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
I thought that was a really good piece of advice,
and it helps me definitely if I focus on someone else,
for sure, for sure, and the audience are.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Right there in front of me, so I can't always
just be inside myself. It's for them. It's not for me,
it's for them.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I have to ask quickly before we wrap up, because
I've known Melissa, like I said, for years, she's amazing.
Talk about choring with her? And if you're going to
sing one you mentioned Brave and Crazy? Yeah, one mole
is the song you would do with her? One song
of hers or one song of yours you would want
her to do with you? What is it?
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Well, I would love to redo the Grammy performance that
we did that was Janie Choplin songs though, so that
it was her song. Yeah, Brave and Crazy is definitely
my favorite, mainly for that bassline and her lyrics, but also.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Are you braver or crazier?
Speaker 3 (30:15):
I think I'm both maybe braver, I'm not as crazy
as everyone thinks I am.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Also, you can sleep while I drive? You know that song?
Speaker 1 (30:25):
I love that song?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, I think that's so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
I love it and showing up on my playlist like
last year.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yeah, oh I love it. I think it's so romantic.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, it's like her version of Fast Car.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, it's really yours.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Would you want her to deal?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Oh? God, don't know my songs are good enough to
do with her. M. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
Gosh, she's sort of more rocky than Yeah. I mean,
she's soulful, but it's like a maybe calmer. I don't
know she'd want to sing that. Nah, we could do
some kind of wonderful would be great. That's a cover
that I did on the first record that's always really like,
it's funky and it's got like a good bill to it,
and I just think everyone sort of likes that.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
I'd be so embarrassed to even suggest one of my
songs for her to sing, like, all.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Right, it's too good, I mean, but she's still into
the spirit of collaboration and she's like the sweetest person
in fairness. Taking aside Piece of My Heart because you
both have already killed that one one song then from
anybody else? Would you want to do with her? Mm,
(31:45):
you're only made Peace of my Heart iconic?
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Yeah, but yeah, Piece of my Heart was wicked. I
don't know why Jonahma Trading came to mind. Joan ah
My Trading would be great.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
It's so beautiful. I'm not in love. What's that song
that says I'm not alone?
Speaker 3 (32:07):
But I'm open to persuasion?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Is that how it goes?
Speaker 3 (32:16):
What is the bloody song called Joan Armor Trading? Man,
what a lovely voice, so beautiful, so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Let's look it up. Let's look it up so I
can actually tell you Jane Armor Trading. Maybe it's like.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Jane Amor Trading. My dad loves her. Yeah, full lyrics,
love and affection.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
That's the name of it.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
That's the title of the song. I'm not in love that.
I'm open to persuasion? East or West? Where's the best
for romancing?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
He's door? But you know it's a bit slow in it.
She might need something a bit more rocky. You've got me.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Thinking now, Oh, you know the song you mentioned earlier?
I covered that with Angeliue Kid Joe, Gimme Shelter? Did
you say gimme Shelter? Yeah, that's a great tune as well. Yeah,
that's such a good tune. Yeah, the Rolling Stones, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Stuffed on the zoom. Is there anything you want to
add that we didn't ask about.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
No, I'm just excited to tell everyone about this song
bit thing.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I think it's so fun.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
I hope it's like something that people people seem to
really like it so far, so that's cool, and you know,
maybe we do another one off the next album. I've
got some singles coming out this year. I want to
drop one on my birthday just for fun. Why not,
because I haven't got an album that's ready. I was
supposed to have an album this year. That didn't happen.
I've been too busy making people and stuff. You know,
(34:00):
it's been a crazy time with all these babies. So yeah,
there's no album. But I just want to get music
to the people, you know, So I'm working on that,
and I really hope that we get to release a
bunch of singles. I've actually never done that. I've always
done just album, album, album, album, album, you know. But
now we're in a different world, different time, and it's
(34:20):
so easy to just upload it and it's out and
people can hear it. Don't need to do a whole drama.
We don't need to go running around the world promoting it.
We just let people have it. I think that's kind
of fun, like not putting pressure on things.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
So we'll see.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I would say, yeah, look out for that single on
April eleventh.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
It's coming. I don't know what it is, but it's coming.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
There's a single April eleventh, but you don't know the
song yet.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Oh no, yeah, I haven't haven't chosen the song yet,
but it will be one.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Well, it's so good to reconnect with you. Thank you
so much for the time.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah, thank you. It's lovely to chat with you both.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
I love me to chat with you, and that'll be
a great birthday present for me because I'm April twelfth, twelve.
That's that song.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Boom? Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
So Aries just love Aries, don't we? We just love
our own sign?
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Wait on March twenty seventh.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Hang on, is that Aries?
Speaker 1 (35:19):
It is Aries?
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yeah, it is Aries. You're a March Aries.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Oh my gosh, Oh my god. My husband, he's just Taurists.
He's April twentieth. So imagine that relationship. Woo, it's spicy.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Well, I think at some point in the future you
guys should do a duet. However, no one fucking wants
to hear me on that, so thanks you guys. I
don't know what's the best Aries song to do of
all time.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I mean, Aretha, Franklins and Aries. So in a way,
call me border.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
Song the whole catalog.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Yeah, more, call me, call me. I love that song
I want to do on this this tour. I'm about
to go out on this little tour. I'm going to
do like a little really calm sor like sit on
the sofa kind of thing with just a guitar and
a cello and two singers.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
It's called the Lessons More Tour. I want to cover
other song, do Right Woman, Do Right Man.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Aretha Franklin, thanks for having me on your podcast, Have
a Lovely Day.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Thanks so much. Yeah, it was great to speak with you.
Hey, it's Steve Balton and welcome to In service of
this week's stage, Bob and I are joined by the
amazing Joss Stone for a really fun conversation on her
uh unique way to make lasagna, Bob Marley, her upcoming
tour with Melissa Ethridge, Smoking Weed, and Martha Stewart, so
(00:26):
much more. This is a really fun conversation with Joss,
who we've known for many years. She's great. It's no
wonder if she fosters such a sense of community as
she talks about. Really enjoyed this conversation. I hope you
do as well. It's really fun for me because COVID
(00:57):
was actually a great time because I was isolated in
the sense of being isolated. But every artist in the
world want to do interviews because they were bored off
their ass.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Oh yeah, so true.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Literally, on a Friday night, did ninety minutes with Stevie Nicks,
and I was like, I feel bad, she will get
off the phone and.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
She just wanted to talk.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I was exactly. I was like, wait, wait, Stephen Nicks
is seventy six years old, all on a Friday night.
She's got nowhere else to be during COVID, so she's
got nothing else.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
To do, might as well have a chat with you.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
I mean I did five minutes with Lenny Kravitz and
our job. Everybody wanted to talk. Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I do think that we did get a bit bored
in that time, you know, like, you know, without the gigs.
But I was busying myself, like madly busying myself. But yeah,
no gigs, which is weird.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
No, that was a great worshock test. I would talk
to people and it was like, do you miss the
gigs or do you not miss the gigs? And it's funny.
I We'll talk to someone like David Ghetta for example. Yeah, yeah,
like this is the first time I've ever had a
summer break. I'm actually getting this fine. I talked to
like Ozzie Osbourne, who literally said, get me the fuck
(02:19):
out of here. Sharon and I are getting on each
other's tits. I'm losing my fucking mind.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh that's funny, Like.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You know, how do you handle it? So how did
you handle it?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I just carried on regardless. I just I think that
the thing that we didn't do was gigs, but it
didn't meant it didn't mean that we didn't do things,
so you know, I did, God, what did I do?
I wrote songs. You don't need, you know, permission from
the government to write a song. Even if you need
permission to permission run the government to walk outside hows,
(02:52):
you don't need permission to make art.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So we just carried on doing that. I did. I
did a thing on Facebook actually that.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I called Cooking with Joss, which was just I don't know,
it's just a bit of entertainment to make us all laugh.
I mean, I don't know what I'm doing. I cook
all the time, right, I'm a baker, and I do
like to I like to make stuff up in the kitchen.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
But I just thought it'd be fun. I thought, well,
what's my job?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Is my job very specific or is it just to
make people happy? Because that's not specific at all. That's
like can be anything. You can make people happy in
lots of different ways, you know. It's just that my
tool was to bring people, you know, thousands of people
into a room and sing to them. So I just thought, well,
maybe I can do it in other ways. And we
(03:40):
had so much fun. We had so much fun with
Cooking with Joss. Everyone was laughing and it sort of
lifted people's spirits a little bit, which is the main thing.
Even even in COVID time, I think we did what
did we did the what's it called?
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I dressed up as a sausage mass singer.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I did the mass singer just at the end, the
tail end of COVID time, and that was brilliant because
it came out just at the end of it, so
people felt like it was just this light relief of silliness,
and I think that's what we needed because everything was
so dark and serious and horrible.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
That's interesting because one of the things that we ask
on the podcast is what is your purpose? So that's
it purpose? Yeah, you know in COVID because you quit
not sing.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I think I think I had found my purpose a
lot earlier than COVID. But I think that when COVID happened,
it just became sort of like a I don't want
to say, more honed in, more more spread out.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Like so more more vague in a way.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So I realized that I have this wonderful habit of
making mountains into molehills. That's sort of how I do things,
and that's how I walk through this life. So you know,
when I did the World Tour, I was mounting. I
was making this massive thing. And to just play one
gig and then just play another one, Josse, it's no
big deal. But my purpose for that it wasn't about singing.
(05:13):
It was about making people happy and not treating one
person differently from the next. So I was aware of that.
That had been very clear to me. Especially, that's why
I did the World Tour. Really, it's just when the
rules started coming in, like you're not allowed outside, you're
not allowed to do gigs. Then I thought, oh, okay,
I need to change. I need to pick up a
different tool to do it.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, so important question. I'm a let's say shakeover. But
do you have to ask you what was your specialty
in cooking? If you're having a dinner party, Oh, you
were the five people you invite, and what are you making?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Okay, if I want a crowd pleaser and I know
everyone's going to like it, I'll do lasagna because it
is great. I mean, it's delicious and the.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Type of lasagna I do.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's funny because I didn't realize this my whole life.
I'd been taught by my mum and my best friend's mum.
They were like best mates, you know, so they always
sharing recipes. I've been taught to make.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Lasagna by them.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So it's sort of like a vegetarian version with like
kidney beans and all this and a cream sauce cheese
on top. So anyway, sometimes we put corn flakes on
top as well, which is.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
A bit weird, but it works.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So I go to my husband's now husband at the time,
my boyfriend's mum's house, and I'm telling them about this
recipe and like, yeah, I make it for you, Da
da dah, and Cody's like, is a bit different, mum,
and they half of their family ended up marrying an
Italian family. There's a lot of Italian influence going on
(06:52):
in there. And they were like, that's not lasagna, that's
not how we what they're are you talking about? Where's
the rocotta?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
What do you mean? Cream sauce? Is like, God, now,
I've been making it wrong my.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Whole life, but everyone loves it. It's a crowd pleaser
and it'll put on the pounds, which is what I
want to do when people come to my house and
want them to leave heavier.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah, So who are you inviting who's your fantasy buyer?
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Who do we invite the fantasy vive? Okay, gosh, who
do we invite? Okay?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I really would like to invite Jordan Peterson. He's my
first I've been trying to talk to this guy for years.
I think that his team of people do not want
me to talk to him. I think they must think
I'm like some like lefty, like hippie girl, which sometimes
I am that maybe won't agree with him. I don't know,
(07:45):
but we've had like tweets back and forth. I wanted
to get him on my podcast. I did a podcast
about a couple about being happy. I call it a
Cup of Happy, And I just think he's just so
smart and brilliant and very straightforward and to the point.
I just love to hear his opinions on a lot
of things. Great conversation, I think, so that would be interesting.
(08:08):
Who else would I have?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I think I think some musicians.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Would be good, like Bob Marley would be good. I'd
like to talk to him. I think he would be
a fun chapter talk.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Maybe I don't know fun.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I heard it was a bit of a gangster, but
I sort of like that around the dinner table it's
nice to have a bit of gangster vibes. Because he
also had a big heart, didn't he. So yeah, Bob
Marley would be good. Let's pick. What about Martha Stewart.
She can tell me actually how to cook. She'd be great.
And she'd bring the weed, I feel, which would be
(08:45):
nice good to have.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait, hold
on for a second. You're gonna have Bob Marley and
you're gonna have Martha stewartring and Martha.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Would bring the weed.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
All I'm thinking is Bob Marley's going to bring like
some gangster energy with love and Martha's he's bringing weed.
That's so weird that I even said that, But that
is literally where my brain went.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
He might bring some weed as well, you know what.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
He would bring some warm guinness like his son. So
I worked with Damien and he had in the studio.
Of course there's loads of weed, but he what I
was surprised by was the guinness and the fact that
it wasn't like I don't know it was. It was
(09:41):
in little bottles and it was warm. That's odd anyway. Yeah,
and he rolls with red papers. Hmm, I'm a blue girl.
But yeah, that was quite That was quite a conungeum
between us. That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Who else would I have? What days to do?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
It would be great to have because I know he's
just such a lover. Can we have Dave?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Love him? He's so great.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
He makes me laugh, he makes everyone laugh, and I
think he would bring out the guitar and everyone would
just be singing. You know, it'd be good. And then
I'll ask my mom because then we can talk about
it when we get home.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Good good MiGs.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
That's right, we got five yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
One factory. It's funny. You know, I've interviewed every freaking
Marley kid in the world, and I never discussed this
with them. But in fact, you said Bob Marley would
be interesting conversation. That was how I got in NYU.
My essay was an imagined conversation with Bob Marley.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Oh no way, how funny. Yeah, I wonder what he'd
be like.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
You know, Betty Wright married Sporty, who wrote Buffalo's Soldier,
and she told me this story that you know they
were I think they were living in Florida and somebody
robbed her house and took all of her records. You know,
(11:07):
the records they put in the frame and put on
the wall kind of thing. They had all of that
record yeah, and it like really upset her. So Sporty
goes out into the middle of the street with a gun,
was shooting it in the air and he was saying
something to the effect of, who is the fuck stole
(11:28):
from my wife? Bring it back right now, And he's
shooting in the middle of the street, and sure enough
everyone brought brought her stuff back. I think the guy
that stole it what, has already sold it at this point,
and somehow it's all ended up on the same street
as her, and she got everything back. So I think that,
(11:48):
you know, we listened to these these songs one love
and you know a little bit, you know, we listened
to all these beautiful songs. But actually these guys are
not to be messed with. So they brought up in
Jamaica like this is not Yeah, it's not a soft place.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
They're hard. They're hard, but they're lovers.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
And I just think that's such a great combo, right exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Well, it's such an honor to talk with you. You've
been such an inspiration for me as a musician.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
My life and oh, that's nice.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Of service alongside music. And I'm a I grew up
on a nature preserve like animal rescue.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Oh that's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
You are just my queen. Anyway, thanks stage. I want
to know more about this Dave Stewart and song bits,
because that model is so fascinating. Can you talk about
how that works with people getting to own a piece
of the music. Yes, that that will do.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Okay, I think this is really fun.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
So I've just learned about it literally, like I don't know,
last month because Dave Tommy. So Dave calls me up.
He's like, Jos, this is really cool idea that we
can involve the fans. And he knows I like involving
the fans and stuff, like ever since I learned that
social media was a thing and I realized we can
(13:18):
connect with the fans that actually talk to them, I
embraced that, like fully embrace that. So we've done artwork,
competitions and remix albums with the fans and it's just
been such a nice experience. So Dave knows that about me,
so he calls me up. He's like, I know you
like to do that. So I come across this thing
(13:42):
called song bits, and basically they can own a piece
of our songs. So he suggested to put Never Forget
My Love up. So Dave and I've written loads of
songs over the years. We were just going to see
if it worked with this one and say people wanted it,
they might not want it, you know. So so this
one is the title track to the last album that
(14:03):
Dave and I wrote, Never Forget My Love. And he explained,
you know, you can choose how much you charge for
a bit. If you want to charge one hundred dollars
for a bit, you can, but we wanted to make
it so everyone could have a bit, So we have
made it so if you want to buy one bit,
it costs two pound fifty, which I think is so cool.
(14:26):
So if you wanted to go, I don't know, buy
a gift for someone. Let's say, and I'm not the
only artist on the platform, So let's say you know
your dad loves an artist. I don't want to say
someone because I probably get it wrong, and they're not
on the platform. Let's say they love an artist called
Joe Blogs, and Christmas time's coming around, you don't know
what to get him? Spend two pound fifty you've got
(14:48):
a bit of his of his favorite artist's song.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
I think that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
So there are things that you can buy with it.
So Dave, I think, is offering to do like an
online guitar lesson.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Then that's cool.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
I can't offer anything like that because I can't play
an instrument. But there's merch and stuff, so people can
get their little song bit and they can get extra
bits and bobs signed things by Dave and I like,
you know, stuff like that, and if the song gets
placed in a movie or is used for something, then
they own a bit of it, so they get a bit.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
It's cool. I think this is really fun, Like I'm
room through it.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I think it's nice that the fans get to, like,
truly be part of what you're doing. I don't think
that's been the case, like really, it's always been like there.
I suppose they're consuming what you're giving them and enjoying it,
but to be literally part of it. That's why I
like doing the artwork competitions, because then they are really
(15:53):
part of what I'm making. It's like, wow, if I
put it out there and say, hey, what do you
think you know?
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Paint what you want to pay.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
I mean, I get to be the audience too. I
get to see and feel through them what they're feeling.
And we're I've noticed now, you know. I've done twenty
years of music and the last live album was called
twenty Years a Soul, and the live album was requested
by them. They wanted a live album, so I gave
(16:20):
them one, you know. So again, I wouldn't have done
it unless they'd have asked. There's no way I would
have done it. So it's like, wow, we're really this
is very circular here. This is like a beautiful thing
that's going on. And I'm getting on stage and I'm
seeing these people that I've been seeing for twenty years,
like the same people, a lot of the same people.
(16:41):
So we've grown up together, you know, we've had babies
at the same time.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
It's just it's so cool. It's like a community now.
For me, I never thought it was going to be
like that. I didn't actually foresee that, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
So it's nice. I like it. So yeah, people want
a bit, they can have it. It's fun.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
There are two things I have to ask you on
that that's interesting, and then I'm let's say it to
go again. But one if there was one song in
the history of the world that you could only a
bit of, what would the song be, Oh.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
It would be It would be.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
That Mariah Carey Christmas song m Because isn't that like,
didn't that sound like billions upon billions?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I don't even know the bloody name of it now,
but I'm like, that's the one. Everyone needs a bit
of that. I need a bit of that so I
can pay for my kids' school and all that kind
of stuff. That would be great.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
But truly, you know, it wouldn't it be nice to
have a piece of a song that you actually really like,
like eight and Away, you know, Aretha Franklin or Braving
Crazy Melissa Etheridge or something like that. It's kind of
cool to have that, right then it's not about money
at that point. It's just about what's cool. But you know,
there is a potential there, there's a potential to make
some wannger. So if that's the case, give me that.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
And then the second thing fair enough. Yeah, it's funny.
I had never thought about the questions of just now, sage,
what song would you do?
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Oh boy, that's impossible.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
The answer this first thing that comes to mind.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It's impossible that Christian Aguileras song. There you go.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
The first one that came to my mind was Misty,
the ele Fitzgerald version, because that's all always in my
head for some reason.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Yes, good choice, good choice.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Yeah. First one that came to my mom was Give
Me Shelter.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Oh yeah, Oh, that's such a good song.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
It's one of the ten best rock songs ever made.
I'm not even the hugest stones stand, but that's just
a fucking perfect song. And I was watching on Instagram
yesterday Mary's vocals on it. Oh my god. But the
other thing that's interesting that you just said, it's funny
you message Melissa, who I've known for a billion years
as well love She's gonna die hard. Following you said
(19:04):
you never expected the community. That's funny because I think
of bands like the Dead or the Deadheads, you know,
and it's like, yeah, always that was there a band
that you felt like a community of, because like I'm
a Springsteen fanatic, yeah, oh yeah, and that is very
much a community.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, yeah, No, I've never experienced it from the other side.
I've never I think because I just went straight into
doing this, right, so I didn't go I didn't even
really a school like, let alone another job like I
didn't have. I don't want to say anything like this
(19:43):
is not negative, but I didn't have a life before this,
this job that I do, I literally had my I
was fourteen when I was signed. I was twelve when
I went and did this little TV show that ended
up getting me signed. So I had from one to twelve,
zero to twelve just being like a kid. And then
(20:04):
I just was it was my job. So I didn't
go to concerts or anything like that. I never you know, yes,
I could be a big fan of somebody, but it
was very much on my own, in my bedroom or
in my headphones. It wasn't like I wasn't going to
gigs and like making friends with the fans. And I
see my fans doing that, and I think that is
what creates the community, and that's amazing, Like they have
(20:26):
made friends, lifelong friends, and I think that's beautiful, you know.
But at the same time, you don't always need that
to enjoy music. You can just be on your own
with the song and then you're not on your own.
And that's how it's been for me, you know, That's
how I've enjoyed music.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I mean, you weren't ten years old smoking we did
the Dad Show?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Come on, well, can you imagine maybe thirteen.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Nomine because I wos Yes.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I think it's so amazing how so many artists one
of their biggest sources of inspiration is being of service,
and you definitely brought that into your fans and I
think your fans really resonate with that, and so that
community can be built not just around the music, but
around soul and around the ideals, etc.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, like caring about each other and helping each other
and giving each other advice, Like that's a big part
of it.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I think, Yeah, your.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Music is the most soulful, and I think people crave
for soul, especially more and more as we get into
our phones, into technology. We need goal to be humans. Yes,
what would you say? I know there's there's so many
things to talk about, but what would you say if
(21:52):
you had to synthesize what you're in service of? What
is that process for you when you're creating music and
how would you find that?
Speaker 3 (22:02):
I think for me, I do really feel it's important
like that people feel better once they have received what
I have for them.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Right, So there are.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Times when we all get pissed off about something right,
and often we all want to tell the world and
be like, hey, is this fucked up? I'm going to
go online and I'm going to say, I'm going to
stand up, I'm going to speak my mind, I'm going
to be righteous. I'm going to tell the world that
this is wrong. I have had moments like that, and
(22:40):
that moment lasted for me for a couple of years
when I was probably aardn't know, between seventeen and twenty probably,
and honestly, honestly, when I look at that, I think, Okay,
all I did was share my pain and that I
know some people love that, and especially in soul music,
(23:02):
in blues and things like that, they want that, and
I do it in my songs even today.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I share my pain, but the way that I write,
I try.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
To give some sort of light because in every single problem,
there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
And I know that now, and I know that what
we make affects people. So I sort of had to
grow up and stop being so self centered. And you know, yes,
of course you can stand up for what's right, but
(23:32):
unless you're going to do something about it, and I
mean truly do something about it. Just take a walk
before you share your pain or your drama or your
bullshit with someone else, because you're not changing anything by talking.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
You know, I'm spreading the word.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
No, you're spreading the pain. You're spreading the drama. Unless
you have a solution, a true one, don't do it,
you know. So there's lots of charities you can join,
you can make a differ. If you want to make
a difference, go ahead and make a difference. Don't just
sit there and bloody moan about it. And we've all done.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
It right, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
That's why I love joining charities and helping them because
it's a very easy way that everyone can get involved
in fixing a problem. And then what are we talking about.
We're talking about a positive. Yes, there is this awful problem.
Look at this positive Look at this fix that we found.
Look at this beautiful thing that we're trying to do
to help plug the holes. You know, I think that
(24:31):
is a good way to be. And I've learned that
sort of the hard way. I've said negative things in
the past, and I've probably given my drama to people.
But I'm sort of trying to each song I write,
I want there to be some sort of art when
you get to the bridge. I want there to be
an answer or an idea of one you know. So yeah,
I think that's important. That's important to me. I really
(24:52):
hope that people feel that. I hope they feel uplifted.
And I also hope they feel comforted when they hear
about any pain or any sad lyric or anything like that.
The comfort comes from not feeling alone. I don't want
to be alone. You don't want to be We don't
want to be alone. That's what soul music is for,
you know, so you don't feel alone and lost. You know,
(25:13):
we're not lost just in a moment. We're going to
find a way out, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
So, I think I hope I answered your question. I
don't know if I went off on a tangent.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
I loved it. And I think the ability to have
you first and then sharing with others. You're so soulful,
you're so open, you're so giving. I imagine it was
a learning process of how to protect your own energy, yes,
so you can give that to others. Was there specific
(25:44):
aha moments? You know, after that that period where you realize,
you know, sharing your pain was just because you had
that pain, and you can't. You need to protect yourself more,
especially being in such a public eye.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
You know, I'm this amazing actress. She played Claire in
The Time Travel's wife, and she, you know, she's acting,
but she's feeling it just like I do when I'm singing.
You know, we are, we are fully in. You know,
you call it soulful. That's really what it is, and
(26:20):
you know it's your soul. You're burying your soul and
it can be tiring, and you know, talking about protecting
yourself and helping your energy remain with you so you
don't get sick or tired, you know, because that's a
real challenge at the end of each tour I get.
I do get sick each time I get cold or
some sort, you know, because you're exhausted and also emotionally
(26:41):
you're exhausted. So she said to me that she there
was some scenes in there where it was just like devastating,
you know, truly devastating, and I sing songs that can
be like that. But like I said, I tried to
write something at the end that brings us out of it,
or you know, I tried to hold the power.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
But my song's only last a few minutes.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
This woman is on stage acting this like the whole
bloody time, and she's just like ah, giving everything she said.
She washed her hands in cold water. Afterwards she just
ran it over her hands, just to sort of come back.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Because you're getting in.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
It's sort of like method acting, isn't it. And if
you go too far down that road, you turn into
a complete nut job. And that's what you're trying to
protect yourself from. You don't want to. You got to
cut at some point. It's like the cameras are rolling. Okay, cut,
you know that's you protecting yourself.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
You can go in, but come out, just come out,
come back.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
But that is a practice thing. It's not something that
you just naturally do. You have to deliberately decide. That's
what I'm doing and that's why the podcast that I
did about happiness was so helpful to me, and I
hope helpful to other people. But you know, I interviewed
a lot of people that have studied happiness and the
(28:05):
brain and the gut brain, and you know, how relationships
affect your happiness, and they had loads of tips, loads
of tips and tricks on how to pour yourself out
of a spiral. You know, the one thing, the one
thing that really stuck. There's a lot of things that
stuck with me, but the one thing I'm thinking right
now is if you are in a state of depression
(28:26):
and you're in that spiral. Let's say you're like stuck
in that song, that sad song, the best thing to
do is to focus on someone else that needs help.
Stop focusing on yourself, pull yourself out. But the natural
thing to do, especially if you're going through a breakup
or you've lost someone, you can't see past your own pain,
(28:48):
so you're seeing you're only looking inward. You're like, oh,
what I'm in pain? So the best thing to do
is wake up, brush your hair, brush your teeth, and
go out and join a charity and do something for
someone that needs it. Go pick up some washing for someone,
or clean someone's house. You know, focus on someone else
(29:09):
and it will help. It will help you just as
much it will help them.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
I thought that was a really good piece of advice,
and it helps me definitely if I focus on someone else,
for sure, for sure, and the audience are.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Right there in front of me, so I can't always
just be inside myself. It's for them. It's not for me,
it's for them.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I have to ask quickly before we wrap up, because
I've known Melissa, like I said, for years, she's amazing.
Talk about choring with her? And if you're going to
sing one you mentioned Brave and Crazy? Yeah, one mole
is the song you would do with her? One song
of hers or one song of yours you would want
her to do with you? What is it?
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Well, I would love to redo the Grammy performance that
we did that was Janie Choplin songs though, so that
it was her song. Yeah, Brave and Crazy is definitely
my favorite, mainly for that bassline and her lyrics, but also.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Are you braver or crazier?
Speaker 3 (30:15):
I think I'm both maybe braver, I'm not as crazy
as everyone thinks I am.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Also, you can sleep while I drive? You know that song?
Speaker 1 (30:25):
I love that song?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, I think that's so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
I love it and showing up on my playlist like
last year.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yeah, oh I love it. I think it's so romantic.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, it's like her version of Fast Car.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, it's really yours.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Would you want her to deal?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Oh? God, don't know my songs are good enough to
do with her. M. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
Gosh, she's sort of more rocky than Yeah. I mean,
she's soulful, but it's like a maybe calmer. I don't
know she'd want to sing that. Nah, we could do
some kind of wonderful would be great. That's a cover
that I did on the first record that's always really like,
it's funky and it's got like a good bill to it,
and I just think everyone sort of likes that.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
I'd be so embarrassed to even suggest one of my
songs for her to sing, like, all.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Right, it's too good, I mean, but she's still into
the spirit of collaboration and she's like the sweetest person
in fairness. Taking aside Piece of My Heart because you
both have already killed that one one song then from
anybody else? Would you want to do with her? Mm,
(31:45):
you're only made Peace of my Heart iconic?
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Yeah, but yeah, Piece of my Heart was wicked. I
don't know why Jonahma Trading came to mind. Joan ah
My Trading would be great.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
It's so beautiful. I'm not in love. What's that song
that says I'm not alone?
Speaker 3 (32:07):
But I'm open to persuasion?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Is that how it goes?
Speaker 3 (32:16):
What is the bloody song called Joan Armor Trading? Man,
what a lovely voice, so beautiful, so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Let's look it up. Let's look it up so I
can actually tell you Jane Armor Trading. Maybe it's like.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Jane Amor Trading. My dad loves her. Yeah, full lyrics,
love and affection.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
That's the name of it.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
That's the title of the song. I'm not in love that.
I'm open to persuasion? East or West? Where's the best
for romancing?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
He's door? But you know it's a bit slow in it.
She might need something a bit more rocky. You've got me.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Thinking now, Oh, you know the song you mentioned earlier?
I covered that with Angeliue Kid Joe, Gimme Shelter? Did
you say gimme Shelter? Yeah, that's a great tune as well. Yeah,
that's such a good tune. Yeah, the Rolling Stones, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Stuffed on the zoom. Is there anything you want to
add that we didn't ask about.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
No, I'm just excited to tell everyone about this song
bit thing.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I think it's so fun.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
I hope it's like something that people people seem to
really like it so far, so that's cool, and you know,
maybe we do another one off the next album. I've
got some singles coming out this year. I want to
drop one on my birthday just for fun. Why not,
because I haven't got an album that's ready. I was
supposed to have an album this year. That didn't happen.
I've been too busy making people and stuff. You know,
(34:00):
it's been a crazy time with all these babies. So yeah,
there's no album. But I just want to get music
to the people, you know, So I'm working on that,
and I really hope that we get to release a
bunch of singles. I've actually never done that. I've always
done just album, album, album, album, album, you know. But
now we're in a different world, different time, and it's
(34:20):
so easy to just upload it and it's out and
people can hear it. Don't need to do a whole drama.
We don't need to go running around the world promoting it.
We just let people have it. I think that's kind
of fun, like not putting pressure on things.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
So we'll see.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I would say, yeah, look out for that single on
April eleventh.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
It's coming. I don't know what it is, but it's coming.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
There's a single April eleventh, but you don't know the
song yet.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Oh no, yeah, I haven't haven't chosen the song yet,
but it will be one.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Well, it's so good to reconnect with you. Thank you
so much for the time.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah, thank you. It's lovely to chat with you both.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
I love me to chat with you, and that'll be
a great birthday present for me because I'm April twelfth, twelve.
That's that song.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Boom? Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
So Aries just love Aries, don't we? We just love
our own sign?
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Wait on March twenty seventh.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Hang on, is that Aries?
Speaker 1 (35:19):
It is Aries?
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yeah, it is Aries. You're a March Aries.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Oh my gosh, Oh my god. My husband, he's just Taurists.
He's April twentieth. So imagine that relationship. Woo, it's spicy.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Well, I think at some point in the future you
guys should do a duet. However, no one fucking wants
to hear me on that, so thanks you guys. I
don't know what's the best Aries song to do of
all time.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
I mean, Aretha, Franklins and Aries. So in a way,
call me border.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
Song the whole catalog.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Yeah, more, call me, call me. I love that song
I want to do on this this tour. I'm about
to go out on this little tour. I'm going to
do like a little really calm sor like sit on
the sofa kind of thing with just a guitar and
a cello and two singers.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
It's called the Lessons More Tour. I want to cover
other song, do Right Woman, Do Right Man.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Aretha Franklin, thanks for having me on your podcast, Have
a Lovely Day.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Thanks so much. Yeah, it was great to speak with you.
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