December 19, 2025 • 34 mins
On the final best of 25 episode of In Service Of this week Grammy nominated bluegrass star Molly Tuttle sits down with Steve Baltin for a deep dive into songwriting, lyrics, fame, touring, the Grammys and more.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey the seat Balton.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And today we wrap up the Best of twenty twenty
five with Grammy nominated bluegrass artist Molly Tuttle. Really fun
conversation on her favorite lyrics, about touring, about being Grammy nominated,
I bet her experiences with the awards, about the new album,
about just everything.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
So hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did.
It's really good.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Stuff with Mollie, who hopefully takes home the Grammy this year.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I've been asking everybody this because it's a diehard music geek.
These are just the things I think about. So what
is your favorite lyric?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Oho? Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Man, I have so many that come to mind, but
I was just thinking about Joni Mitchell. So I'm gonna
go with I could drink a case of You.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Is there a particular line from that song? Or is
the line I could drink a case of you?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, let's go with that. That line.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It is. You know, it's funny because I was the
English pager so and as I said about music geek,
so I do think about these things, and I would
argue that that's probably the second best written song of
all time. I was in front of it is hell.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Lujah Oh yeah, of course. Well my other favorites that
I actually have written on the inside of my guitar
is The Grateful Dead A Lovely View of Heaven, but
I'd rather be with you. That's another favorite lyric. So
between those.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Two, just one from which one? Which song is that?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
From Standing on the Moon?
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Okay, Yeah, I've gotta admit I was never the biggest Deadhead.
I do love Box of Rain, and I've interviewed so
many members multiple times. Cool. You know, I really love,
like they're great guys, but I never, like, I don't know,
I had an early girlfriend who was into them, and
(02:19):
I could not get into the scene. It was a
little much.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I'm like, I like their songs and I like
listening to them, but yeah, I'm not like the biggest
Deadhead of all time, I guess. But I grew up
like in Palabalta where they kind of started The Grateful Dead,
So it's just kind of ingrained.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Very cool. So congratulations on the album and the Grammy nominee.
You know, it's really funny. I love the album, but
I also really love the title because you know, I'm
going to guess that not so little Miss Sunshine is
probably more of a personal thing. But it's very interesting
because you know, I talked to so many artists about
(03:05):
writing in these times, and it's also such a uh
it's such a great title for these times where I
think everybody is just I fucking had enough.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, totally. It's just like we don't need to sugarcoat
this anymore.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
It's like, I think some of the songs are a
little darker than others. Like there's a lot of really
happy songs on the album too, but I think part
of it was just about just kind of like being
myself and sharing my thoughts and feelings. And I've I
came around to that title. I had a few different
title ideas, but I felt like that one actually said
something that, you know, kind of reflected some of the album.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, it's interesting because you say that, you know, it
has maybe some darker songs, but I really love the
way it acts and the last two songs, you know,
because obviously obviously sorry, it's still really fucking early in
La I'm not a lot, but I was gonna say
I really love No Regrets, which is a beautiful love song,
and the last one as well, you know, it's just
(04:10):
it's an amazing song. It reminds me of something that
Brandy Clark, who's an incredible songwriter, would have written for
her last album.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Oh cool. Yeah, I love Brandy Clark, she's great, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
It really ends on a very positive like yeah, help
world notes.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, I kind of liked ending it on that song
because it's the most autobiographical song, and that's been kind
of a theme for me with my last couple of albums.
Always end on like a song that's very autobiographical, autobiographical
about my life, but also I kind of like that
it's looking ahead to you know, this kind of blank
(04:48):
page and whatever happens next, So it felt like nice
to end it on a bit of a hopeful note.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So it's interesting for you. I mean, when you think
about writing your story, I love that. And again maybe
that's just me being a writer, but you know, I mean,
what is the story you've written this year? Hmmm?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I think this year it's been like a year of
some big changes for me, like with this record, you know,
kind of having a new sound, putting together a new band,
So it feels like very much kind of starting something
new and taking a leap of faith at the same time,
I feel just really you know, comfortable in my own
skin and just kind of like happy with where I'm
(05:29):
at too, and just kind of seeing the music get
out there into the world and just hoping people like it.
There's a lot of like uncertainty there. But then there's
other things in my life that I feel like, really
certain about. But I feel like the story for me
this year has just been kind of, you know, giving
(05:51):
it my all and seeing what happens and not really
expecting or knowing what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
But yeah, funny, as soon as you say that, going
back to lyrics, I think of the line and not
dark yet. It's one of my favorite Dooling songs. But
he says, I'm not looking for nothing in nobody's eyes.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
But for you, so how gratifying it. And it's funny
because you say there's a lot of uncertainty there. Every
artist in the history of the world is uncertain. If
you're not you're not a good artist. I'm telling me.
Even when he was in his seventies, he would so
throw up for shows. He was so nervous. Oh my gosh,
I mean, but as he said, if you're not nervous
(06:33):
that you don't.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Care that's true. Yeah, yeah, I get nervous all the time,
Like I think this year in a way, like on stage,
I'm less nervous than ever before. I just feel more
self assured. But then I'm just not built for in
certain ways, I don't think I'm cut out for, like
the uncertainty of being like in this profession, because I
(06:56):
just like things to be steady and I like to
depend on things. I don't really like change that much.
I have a hard time with it. Every time I've
like moved to a new city, it just takes me
so long to adjust. And you know, so in a way,
like whatever my brain chemistry is, I don't think it's
like it necessarily gels with the life of a musician
(07:17):
when you never really know what's coming next. But at
the on the other hand, like part of me is
really made for it because I love I love the
lifestyle and I love making music and I don't think
I could really do anything else. But yeah, I see
some people who do this and they just like are
so easy, easy come, easy go, And for me, I
feel like I am always nervous about stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Interesting. Are there people that you've been around or talked
to over the years that have kind of helped you
adjust to it, because it is like a crazy lifestyle.
And I was going to say, if you're not made
for it, you know why do it? Because it is
one of the hardest lifestyles in the world. As someone
who's interviewed everyone from James Brown and BB King to
(08:01):
like you know, Adele and whoever. I mean music is
like you know, they're not you have to have a
certain desperation to do it because and I say that
only because you're going to face so much rejection. Even
if you're the biggest star, it's still and then you
become the biggest star and there's nothing that fucks with
you more than fame, right So, but for you, you know,
(08:26):
as someone who clearly wants to do it and obviously
has a gift for it, but also have questions the lifestyle.
Are there people you've been able to talk to over
the years that have kind of helped you understand or
transition into the amount of change and turmoil And you know,
just the fact that it is, as you say, it's unsteady.
(08:47):
It's gonna be like you know, even when you're successful,
there's always different changes coming along.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, definitely, yeah. I mean I think just getting to
live in Nashville and meet so many, like of my
heroes who have been doing it for a long time,
like my I made two records with Jerry Douglas producing
them with me, and he was just like a great
mentor through that process and someone it brings to mind
(09:15):
when you say like certain people are built for this,
Like I remember about a year and a half ago,
I went on a tour with Tommy Emmanuel, who's like
one of my favorite guitarists. We were overseas in the UK,
and just he is absolutely like made to tour. He
tours NonStop and he's just always in. He's always excited,
always energized, and if he gets tired, he just takes
(09:36):
a little nap wherever he is and wakes up and
he's ready to play again. He's always kind of coming
up with new musical ideas for the show. So that
was kind of inspiring just to see how he is
and just he rolls with it. And I think just
as I get older too, I take things a little
less hard, like in terms of rejection or just not
(09:57):
you know, meeting like I guess not meeting expectations or
this or that. Like there's just so many ups and
downs like all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
With this.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Lifestyle that you just kind of learn to roll with it.
But at the same time, it is it can still
be hard. But yeah, I think also like for me,
just being aware of like mental health too, Like I've
kind of been I talked to a therapists. I talk
to a therapist like every few weeks if I'm just
feeling run down or like or I'm not like taking
(10:32):
care of myself on the road or you know, spending
too much time on my screens and getting stressed out
and this and that. So that's helpful for me and
like something I started doing pretty young, like when I
moved to Nashville.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
So yeah, that's funny because Olanis is a good friend.
I've interviewed her so much over the years, and again
I talked about fame. She and I have talked about
it immensely, and we talked about how difficult fame is,
and it's like, well, how did you get through, you know,
the success of Jagged Blue Pill. And she's like a
lot of therapists.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, shout out to the therapists out there.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Well, I love the fact that you actually talked about
it openly though, because you know, there used to be
kind of a stigma with that and I think now
there's so much less so and it's very important to,
you know, like highlight that for young musicians or not
just musicians, but for everybody to realize there's nothing wrong
with it. It's okay, and in fact, a lot of
(11:31):
times it's just necessary.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, And even if like I just I feel like nowadays,
so many people I know have seen therapists before currently
in therapy. It's just so normal, even if you don't
think you have like a major issue, just kind of
going for a check in or For me, it was
really nice because I was like so having so much
(11:56):
anxiety when I moved to Nashville because I was just
getting my career started. I was in a new city,
I didn't know that many people, and it was just
really stressful. So but at the same time, I didn't
like have that much money. I didn't have great health insurance.
But there's like organizations like Music Cares. I remember they
kind of sponsored me to go see a therapist for
(12:18):
a while, so that was really nice. I think it's
great that there's stuff like that just for up and
coming people in the music industry, because it is hard
to like get healthcare and get the help you need sometimes.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Well, especially in this day and Asian America. But you know, yeah,
it's funny for someone who is has done therapy and
does like it, but also finds the immense value in
writing for therapy. It's interesting as you say you're writing
has gotten more autobiographical, has that also does that become
a cathartist? And I'm a huge believer, And I've talked
(12:54):
with everybody from like Willie Nelson to Mike Soler about this,
and no one knows where the hell songs come from.
Agrees they're like subconscious and so for you, like for example,
on this album, were the things that you wrote that
surprised you when you went back and listened to them.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Hmmm, yeah, I think like one song for me that
just sort of felt almost subconscious writing it. It just felt
like the words kind of flowed out was Summer of Love,
which I feel like was just kind of this came
from this deep feeling of like you know, nostalgia or
maybe like a more hopeful time. And yeah, and so
(13:33):
that one when I go back to it now, I'm
like this. I wrote this a year or two ago,
and it just feels like more even more relevant now.
So I think I'm always surprised when songs I feel
like take on new meaning for me over time, almost
like I was predicting what I would feel or be
thinking like in the future. So that was one that
felt like that. I didn't really know where it came from,
(13:54):
but all of a sudden, it was just kind of
like it was just there.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
I see. I always preface by saying I'm not that smart,
but I've been very lucky to talk to very smart
people much more intelligent than me. So I laugh when
you say that because Shanan O'Connor, who I adored, always
told me, and I think she was so right that
as a writer you can manifest things. You have to
(14:20):
be careful what you write because you write things in
new existence. And Nick Cave told me similarly. He told me,
whatever you like are longing for is what you write.
So he's like, when I'm sad, I write a happy song.
When I'm happy, I write a sad song. And he
told me he wrote in My Arms, which is arguably
the most beautiful love song ever in the church strung
(14:40):
out on Heroin.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So for you, it's funny when you think about that,
when you go back and look at it. Are there
songs in your career besides somemmer of love where you're like, okay,
I kind of did will that in New Existence because
I talked about that with other people and other people say,
Shanaid was absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Well, it was weird because there's one example that's kind
of like literal. But last night we were playing in Bloomington, Illinois,
and like my grandma came out to the show and
I played the song that I wrote years ago when
I had visited her out on out like in the
farm country in Illinois. My my dad grew up on
(15:22):
this farm that we would visit when we were kids,
and we'd stay at like the farmhouse where my grandparents lived,
and it was really fun, Like I have so many
nice memories of that. And then like a few years
a few years ago, I went to visit my grandma
and we went out to the old farm and like
walked around. But they had sold it to developers years
(15:45):
ago when I was a teenager, and they just kind
of let it go into disrepair. So the houses and stuff.
The house where my dad grew up was still there
in the barns and stuff, but they were like falling apart.
So I got back home to Nashville, and we had
taken all these pictures and it was just like such
a nice special time with my grandma. And I wrote
this song Flatland Girl, and there's a line in it
(16:07):
like it's all about kind of, you know, missing the
old farmhouse, and there's a line like all that's left
as a photograph and then like a year almost like
exactly a year later, the house was like burned to
the ground in the middle of the night, and nobody
really knew like why or how. But I was just like,
oh my gosh, every time I sing that song now
it's like taken on this new meaning for me because
(16:29):
it's literally no longer in existence the place I was
singing about. So I don't know that was like one
like weird psychic song moment, but I feel like there's
other ones like that. Like one thing I know is
that sometimes in the past, like if I'm in a relationship,
I might write like a breakup song, and then like
a few months later you break up, and maybe I
(16:51):
didn't even know, like subconsciously, maybe I knew that, like
the relationship was gonna come to an end. But I
feel like you can almost predict things like that that
you your conscious brain hasn't fully accepted yet, and then
you write a song and it just kind of comes out.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
That's interesting because I also think again that maybe you
know it's your sub conscious telling you that you do
need to do this. Yeah, and again I think that
you know, as a writer, you're writing the things that
you kind of want to happen.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Right, Yeah, maybe you're like not accepting it yet, but
you're like.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Oh, this is gonna suck, but you know your brain's
like it's time. Yeah, So how is the tour going.
It's always interesting to me because you know, you can
have a favorite song off the record and everybody's like,
but then the song that like you barely made the record,
you know, like the song that you're like, I'm not
(17:57):
sure everybody's like, oh my god, this is my favorite song. Ever. Yeah,
we're always surprised by how people spawn on the road.
Have there been songs on this album that people are
like that You've just been pleasantly surprised by the response.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Yeah, I think like the songs that we've been playing
live that feel like there's a just kind of it
gets the audience going a little bit. Well, one is
old Me, New Wig, and that one is just kind
of a fun, like uptempo moment. I feel like I
always make these records in my favorites are like the slow,
kind of sensitive songs, and then I go on tour
and we like never play those songs. I always play
(18:32):
like the fast ones, and we might mix in the
slower ones here and there and then be like, oh
it just it doesn't like hit as well in a
live setting. But yeah, we're still kind of working on
Like there's a few songs off the record we haven't
played live and we're like workshop workshopping them at sound
check still and so we'll see we haven't played all
(18:52):
of them live even still, so we're gonna hopefully by
the end of the year we will have so we'll
see how the reaction is to all the songs. But yeah,
we've been starting off the shows with the first track
on the record, Everything Burns, and that one at first
I was a little uncertain of. I was like, I
think it's cool. I don't know, like I can't really
gauge the reaction. But now in the past month, I
(19:15):
got this double neck acoustic guitar from Martin and I've
been playing it on this crazy double neck guitar, and
I feel like that suddenly like brought it to a
new level of just being exciting in the live show.
So there's always things like that. Sometimes we'll play a
song and for a while and be like, I don't know,
it's just not like getting the response we want, and
then we have to just kind of rework a section
(19:36):
of it or like make it really make an exciting
part in the live show that's not on the record.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
It's interesting you say that you don't always play the
like slower star sensitive stuff, But you know, what I've
found over the years is that's the stuff that like
I've always found that you know, we started off talking
about favorite lyrics and you went to Joni, and I mean,
I've always found that like, the more vulnerable there, the
more people respond to it because they hear themselves in it.
(20:04):
So there are songs that, like, you know, over the
years that or like especially even off this album, more
people come to you and they're like, oh my god,
this song is the best, or like you know, I'm
sure you, like I mentioned the Grammy nomination, and that's
really rewarding. But from talking with artists, there's really nothing
better than when someone says that song changed my life,
(20:25):
It got me through a breakup and saved my life,
you know. So for you, have you had those songs
and have you been surprised by some of the ones
that people like really latch onto?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Yeah, I mean I think a song for me that
like comes to mind as one off my like two
or three records ago, Crooked Tree, and people really like
that song and they make me art with that song,
like they put the lyrics into a picture, or they'll
make me like a pin or a sticker or this
and that. Like just the other day, this guy had
(21:01):
whittled me this crooked Tree branch and gave it to
me at a show. So that's kind of one that
I feel like people latch onto the most out of
all the songs I've written. And it just kind of
is about like, you know, embracing, embracing your what makes
you different, what makes us all just kind of unique,
and being unafraid to be the crooked tree in the forest.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I guess interesting. So for you, you know again, I've
talked about this, Like I said with some of the artists,
like a lot of times you don't know what song
is about, or it changes or it does whatever. So
when someone latches onto a song with cricket Tree, can
you go back and like you know? Also, I mean,
when you write a song, oftentimes you're just too close
(21:44):
to it. So when everybody tells you, oh my god,
I love the song so much, can you go back
and appreciate, Like, Okay, now I see why it is
everybody latches on this song so much.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Yeah, Like with that one, when I first wrote it,
I knew I really liked it, but I didn't Like
I had my batch of songs for my record and
that to me was just another one of the songs
on the album, and so I sent them. I remember, like,
I sent them to my manager and she was like,
I think that one's really special. And as we were
talking about the album title, which we ended up making
it the title track, it was just kind of like
(22:16):
everyone I played the songs for was like, yeah, I
think that should be like the title track. But to me,
it was kind of just you know, another day writing
a song that I liked, but I didn't really know
it was gonna kind of take on this life of
its own. So yeah, that was like a nice surprise.
I think I had a feeling that like it was
(22:36):
a special song to me, but I just didn't really
know like that it was gonna become, you know, one
of the songs off that record that I'm always playing
live and that I feel like, as I see so
many people covering it now and like there's a bunch
of videos of people online singing it, it's really cool.
So yeah, that one, I feel like, out of all
my songs, has kind of reached a lot of people,
and people kind of latch onto it in a way.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Off this record, I've found that song yet again. I
really like my so called life again because I just
think maybe it's because it you know, it appeals to
the writer in me. But I also think it's such
like a great you know it is just such a
great idea of like you know again. It kind of
reminded me lyrically, interestingly enough, a little bit of Mike
Nests from Social Distortion. Obviously stylistically different, but I love
(23:24):
Mike as a songwriter, so underrated songwriter.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah, I love Social Distortion too. But I think that, Yeah,
I don't know. I think I'm still just waiting to
see what happens with this record. It feels so new still,
and people have at the last over the last few weeks,
like I've noticed them singing along with the new songs,
which is really cool to see that kind of progression.
But yeah, that one is one we've only played live
(23:49):
a few times, and we were just kind of talking
about working it back in. We played it live and
then we felt like we needed to tweak our range
of it. We just felt like it's it wasn't translating
how it is kind of powerful and like punchy on
the record, but when we played it live, it just
felt like it wasn't fully there yet. So we were
(24:10):
actually working on it yesterday and I think we're gonna
add it back in, but so maybe that'll become the one,
But yeah, we're gonna We're gonna see what happens.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Well, I mean, you know, I definitely go off me
because you know, my taste is a little bit eclectic,
but you know, I again, that's what I just love.
But for you, I mean, it's funny you say, because
you're still the record still feels new, which is understandable.
So then when you get a Grammy nomination, you know,
like how exciting, validating whatever. And again, as I say
(24:42):
from talking with artists, I mean, fan response is always
you know, like there's nothing that beats that. But obviously
you know, the Grammy nominator is a huge deal and
it's very exciting as well in its own way.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Yeah, I mean it it was so exciting and just
really kind of validating at the same time, because it's
like sometimes it feels like you're just putting for me.
It feels like I'm just kind of throwing stuff into
the void, especially these days when everything moves so fast,
and like with social media, it's like you need a
little short clip of this or that, and like you're
(25:14):
just kind of hoping that people see it. But everyone's
attention span is small. So just having that recognition from
like peers in the music industry and just having the
record recognized and knowing that I'm just gonna have so
much fun like going out there and celebrating and seeing
other friends who have been nominated as well. I feel
(25:36):
like it was such a great year for music, so
I just feel it was really validating and just kind
of like affirming that you know, of this record that
I felt proud of, but I didn't really know how
people were going to respond to it. So yeah, I
was exciting. I think like it's something that I guess
I don't want it to be like I'm making a
(25:58):
record and if I don't get these awards and recognition,
I'm gonna feel like a failure. But it is just
kind of a nice like feeling to get recognized at
the same time.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
So I had two quick questions on this and then
we'll wrap up on something else. But you know, it's
I mean, as you say, it's fun just to go
out so for you are the people you're looking for,
just to seeing like you know, either friends or you know.
I mean, it's always fun still to just be a fan.
There's always someone that's like you geek out of or
(26:34):
it's funny. I remember one year of being on the
right carpet and everybody was geeking out over all people weird,
y'all Yankovic love. So I thought that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, I don't know who's gonna be there, but I'm like,
I'm so excited. The first year I went, I was
so nervous and honestly, like, I wore this outfit that
I couldn't really walk very well in, and then I
was freaking out and there were so many famous people everywhere,
and I was getting really self conscious. So I didn't
have like as much fun as I could have. And
then the second year, I was like, I knew what
(27:05):
to expect and I had a blast. So I'm just
excited to go back because I had so much fun.
Last time, I just didn't like I guess I kind
of just was able to relax a bit more. But yeah,
I mean the performances are always amazing. I don't know
who's gonna perform this year, but I'm so excited to
watch this year.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
That's funny though, because you said there's so many fans
people there are there people you know that like you're
surprised that they come up to you that they're fans.
And I've talked about this with so many people, and
it's like, you know, your music goes out to like
once you release a song, it's no longer yours. It
just belongs to the world, and you have no idea
who's gonna find it and who's gonna like it. You know.
I remember talking about this with Don Henley and who
(27:55):
was like, there are people that like, you know, like
are huge Eagles fans that I never would have expected.
So for you to get those people that have come
up to you and you're like, wait, you even know
who I am?
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Yeah, I mean I don't know if I can think
of a specific examples, but.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
I mean you did play air Claps Fords a couple
of times that you know, And now I actually was there.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
And yeah, I didn't actually get to meet Eric Clapton.
That I hope I get to meet him someday, but
but yeah, just anytime I'm doing something like that, Like
when I was there, I met Sheryl Crowe and that
was just so cool to see her and just she
watched our set and was so supportive. So that's someone
I would like not expect to even like, you know,
(28:40):
cross paths with necessarily, but she's just like such a
cool person and was just so sweet when I was
playing with Sierra Hole and came up to us after
and was like, yeah, you guys are amazing, and yeah,
so people like that that are just in a different world.
I'm always kind of excited when I get to cross pass.
I remember, like last year we went and that the
(29:01):
I got to play the CMA Awards with Dirk Spentley
and just you know, seeing meeting people in the country
world who still like had the awareness of kind of
bluegrass and were fans of that kind of music as well.
That's always kind of like a nice surprise.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Cool. Well, before we wrap up, the name of the
podcast is in Service Sub and it came from the
idea of philanthropy. But what I found now is like,
and again this goes back to the idea of like
even your music changing people's lives. In Service sub can
have such a broader meeting because most musicians are just
in service of the music and wherever this music comes from,
(29:40):
you know. And I say that with the idea again
of like songwriting being a kind of channeling, you know,
like that I talked to people about, like people say,
you put the antenna up and it comes in, So
it's like wherever you think the songs come from up
to you. But there is still like this feeling of
being in service of the music. So for you, what
do you see yourself as in service staff, whether it's
(30:01):
the fans, the music. There's particular organizations that are important
to you whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, I think like overall, I'm just kind of in
service of like making bringing people happiness joy. Like if
I can let people kind of escape their daily lives
go out to a concert and have fun and feel
good about themselves, then that's, you know, kind of what
I'm trying to do is just like make people happy,
(30:28):
I guess with my music, or make them feel seen
or heard or like they relate to one of my songs,
because that's what music does for me. I mean, like
on a more kind of I guess. The organizations I've
worked with mostly have to do with like alopecia, which
is on autoimmune disease that I've had for basically my
(30:48):
whole life. So I've worked with the National Foundation for Alopecia,
and that's been really cool, like over the last basically
last like ten years I've been working with them. That's
kind of like my longest you know relationship with a
foundation that every year we kind of do something together,
which has been really fun and gratifying. But but yeah,
(31:09):
that just also just kind of goes back to like
trying to help people, and if I can do that
through music or through raising awareness, then that's kind of
my goal.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
Well, it's funny because the original idea for the show
came from years ago. I was at an event where
I ran into Alice Cooper, who I love, and he
was saying, like, famous the brand that allows you to
do good. And you know, do you feel like when
you got more successful again, like you say, you know,
doing the Alopaciras stuff has been fun for you, that
that's one of the real purpose of it is again
(31:41):
it allows you to give back in different ways.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah, totally, like when you have a bigger platform and
you're able to reach more people and just kind of yeah,
it's really gratifying. And that's like definitely when I feel
kind of like worn out or like I'm just feeling
like I don't know what's next, kind of what keeps
me going sometimes it is just knowing that, like I
(32:05):
want to keep going in order to kind of I
guess spread this.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Message well as we wrap up, but I mean I'm
curious then too. You know, it's funny you say that
part of your goal is to you know, make people happy,
and do you feel like in this let's say tumultuous turmoil,
like really fucked up times that that role becomes even
(32:31):
more important, and especially as you say, to give people
an escape.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Yeah, I feel like music just brings people together. And
like at my shows, I can look out and there's
so many different types of people, and I think that's
important these days, just to have places for people to
gather and kind of like forget our differences for a
little bit and also just like to uplift people and
make them kind of you know, give people an escape.
(32:57):
But at the same time, my songs, like I write
about stuff that I care about, and I write about
stuff that could be like political at times, but I
feel like when it comes in the form of a song,
it's more just kind of like I'm expressing myself, so
it can be more palatable in a way maybe reach
more people.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Well, last question, one word answer or to you word
whatever it is, but easy one. You know. It's funny
because you say you played with Dirk at the Cmas.
At the Grammys, they always have these like big sort
of like iconic moments. Who would be your dream to
play with at the Grammys? Someone told the random that
people would not expect that's.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
A kind of question someone totally random. Oh my gosh,
who would it be? What if I played with Bob
Dylan at the Gramleys, that would be awesome.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
That would be what song would you do with Dylan?
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Oh? I don't know, do like a rolling Stone?
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Cool? Anything you want to add that I ask you about.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Cool. Well, thank you so much for being here. Pleasure
talking with you and you have relations again on the record.
Thank you cool, have a good one.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Thanks you too.
Hey the seat Balton.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And today we wrap up the Best of twenty twenty
five with Grammy nominated bluegrass artist Molly Tuttle. Really fun
conversation on her favorite lyrics, about touring, about being Grammy nominated,
I bet her experiences with the awards, about the new album,
about just everything.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
So hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did.
It's really good.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Stuff with Mollie, who hopefully takes home the Grammy this year.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I've been asking everybody this because it's a diehard music geek.
These are just the things I think about. So what
is your favorite lyric?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Oho? Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Man, I have so many that come to mind, but
I was just thinking about Joni Mitchell. So I'm gonna
go with I could drink a case of You.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Is there a particular line from that song? Or is
the line I could drink a case of you?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, let's go with that. That line.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It is. You know, it's funny because I was the
English pager so and as I said about music geek,
so I do think about these things, and I would
argue that that's probably the second best written song of
all time. I was in front of it is hell.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Lujah Oh yeah, of course. Well my other favorites that
I actually have written on the inside of my guitar
is The Grateful Dead A Lovely View of Heaven, but
I'd rather be with you. That's another favorite lyric. So
between those.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Two, just one from which one? Which song is that?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
From Standing on the Moon?
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Okay, Yeah, I've gotta admit I was never the biggest Deadhead.
I do love Box of Rain, and I've interviewed so
many members multiple times. Cool. You know, I really love,
like they're great guys, but I never, like, I don't know,
I had an early girlfriend who was into them, and
(02:19):
I could not get into the scene. It was a
little much.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I'm like, I like their songs and I like
listening to them, but yeah, I'm not like the biggest
Deadhead of all time, I guess. But I grew up
like in Palabalta where they kind of started The Grateful Dead,
So it's just kind of ingrained.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Very cool. So congratulations on the album and the Grammy nominee.
You know, it's really funny. I love the album, but
I also really love the title because you know, I'm
going to guess that not so little Miss Sunshine is
probably more of a personal thing. But it's very interesting
because you know, I talked to so many artists about
(03:05):
writing in these times, and it's also such a uh
it's such a great title for these times where I
think everybody is just I fucking had enough.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, totally. It's just like we don't need to sugarcoat
this anymore.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
It's like, I think some of the songs are a
little darker than others. Like there's a lot of really
happy songs on the album too, but I think part
of it was just about just kind of like being
myself and sharing my thoughts and feelings. And I've I
came around to that title. I had a few different
title ideas, but I felt like that one actually said
something that, you know, kind of reflected some of the album.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, it's interesting because you say that, you know, it
has maybe some darker songs, but I really love the
way it acts and the last two songs, you know,
because obviously obviously sorry, it's still really fucking early in
La I'm not a lot, but I was gonna say
I really love No Regrets, which is a beautiful love song,
and the last one as well, you know, it's just
(04:10):
it's an amazing song. It reminds me of something that
Brandy Clark, who's an incredible songwriter, would have written for
her last album.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Oh cool. Yeah, I love Brandy Clark, she's great, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
It really ends on a very positive like yeah, help
world notes.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, I kind of liked ending it on that song
because it's the most autobiographical song, and that's been kind
of a theme for me with my last couple of albums.
Always end on like a song that's very autobiographical, autobiographical
about my life, but also I kind of like that
it's looking ahead to you know, this kind of blank
(04:48):
page and whatever happens next, So it felt like nice
to end it on a bit of a hopeful note.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So it's interesting for you. I mean, when you think
about writing your story, I love that. And again maybe
that's just me being a writer, but you know, I mean,
what is the story you've written this year? Hmmm?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I think this year it's been like a year of
some big changes for me, like with this record, you know,
kind of having a new sound, putting together a new band,
So it feels like very much kind of starting something
new and taking a leap of faith at the same time,
I feel just really you know, comfortable in my own
skin and just kind of like happy with where I'm
(05:29):
at too, and just kind of seeing the music get
out there into the world and just hoping people like it.
There's a lot of like uncertainty there. But then there's
other things in my life that I feel like, really
certain about. But I feel like the story for me
this year has just been kind of, you know, giving
(05:51):
it my all and seeing what happens and not really
expecting or knowing what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
But yeah, funny, as soon as you say that, going
back to lyrics, I think of the line and not
dark yet. It's one of my favorite Dooling songs. But
he says, I'm not looking for nothing in nobody's eyes.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
But for you, so how gratifying it. And it's funny
because you say there's a lot of uncertainty there. Every
artist in the history of the world is uncertain. If
you're not you're not a good artist. I'm telling me.
Even when he was in his seventies, he would so
throw up for shows. He was so nervous. Oh my gosh,
I mean, but as he said, if you're not nervous
(06:33):
that you don't.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Care that's true. Yeah, yeah, I get nervous all the time,
Like I think this year in a way, like on stage,
I'm less nervous than ever before. I just feel more
self assured. But then I'm just not built for in
certain ways, I don't think I'm cut out for, like
the uncertainty of being like in this profession, because I
(06:56):
just like things to be steady and I like to
depend on things. I don't really like change that much.
I have a hard time with it. Every time I've
like moved to a new city, it just takes me
so long to adjust. And you know, so in a way,
like whatever my brain chemistry is, I don't think it's
like it necessarily gels with the life of a musician
(07:17):
when you never really know what's coming next. But at
the on the other hand, like part of me is
really made for it because I love I love the
lifestyle and I love making music and I don't think
I could really do anything else. But yeah, I see
some people who do this and they just like are
so easy, easy come, easy go, And for me, I
feel like I am always nervous about stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Interesting. Are there people that you've been around or talked
to over the years that have kind of helped you
adjust to it, because it is like a crazy lifestyle.
And I was going to say, if you're not made
for it, you know why do it? Because it is
one of the hardest lifestyles in the world. As someone
who's interviewed everyone from James Brown and BB King to
(08:01):
like you know, Adele and whoever. I mean music is
like you know, they're not you have to have a
certain desperation to do it because and I say that
only because you're going to face so much rejection. Even
if you're the biggest star, it's still and then you
become the biggest star and there's nothing that fucks with
you more than fame, right So, but for you, you know,
(08:26):
as someone who clearly wants to do it and obviously
has a gift for it, but also have questions the lifestyle.
Are there people you've been able to talk to over
the years that have kind of helped you understand or
transition into the amount of change and turmoil And you know,
just the fact that it is, as you say, it's unsteady.
(08:47):
It's gonna be like you know, even when you're successful,
there's always different changes coming along.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, definitely, yeah. I mean I think just getting to
live in Nashville and meet so many, like of my
heroes who have been doing it for a long time,
like my I made two records with Jerry Douglas producing
them with me, and he was just like a great
mentor through that process and someone it brings to mind
(09:15):
when you say like certain people are built for this,
Like I remember about a year and a half ago,
I went on a tour with Tommy Emmanuel, who's like
one of my favorite guitarists. We were overseas in the UK,
and just he is absolutely like made to tour. He
tours NonStop and he's just always in. He's always excited,
always energized, and if he gets tired, he just takes
(09:36):
a little nap wherever he is and wakes up and
he's ready to play again. He's always kind of coming
up with new musical ideas for the show. So that
was kind of inspiring just to see how he is
and just he rolls with it. And I think just
as I get older too, I take things a little
less hard, like in terms of rejection or just not
(09:57):
you know, meeting like I guess not meeting expectations or
this or that. Like there's just so many ups and
downs like all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
With this.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Lifestyle that you just kind of learn to roll with it.
But at the same time, it is it can still
be hard. But yeah, I think also like for me,
just being aware of like mental health too, Like I've
kind of been I talked to a therapists. I talk
to a therapist like every few weeks if I'm just
feeling run down or like or I'm not like taking
(10:32):
care of myself on the road or you know, spending
too much time on my screens and getting stressed out
and this and that. So that's helpful for me and
like something I started doing pretty young, like when I
moved to Nashville.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
So yeah, that's funny because Olanis is a good friend.
I've interviewed her so much over the years, and again
I talked about fame. She and I have talked about
it immensely, and we talked about how difficult fame is,
and it's like, well, how did you get through, you know,
the success of Jagged Blue Pill. And she's like a
lot of therapists.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, shout out to the therapists out there.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Well, I love the fact that you actually talked about
it openly though, because you know, there used to be
kind of a stigma with that and I think now
there's so much less so and it's very important to,
you know, like highlight that for young musicians or not
just musicians, but for everybody to realize there's nothing wrong
with it. It's okay, and in fact, a lot of
(11:31):
times it's just necessary.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, And even if like I just I feel like nowadays,
so many people I know have seen therapists before currently
in therapy. It's just so normal, even if you don't
think you have like a major issue, just kind of
going for a check in or For me, it was
really nice because I was like so having so much
(11:56):
anxiety when I moved to Nashville because I was just
getting my career started. I was in a new city,
I didn't know that many people, and it was just
really stressful. So but at the same time, I didn't
like have that much money. I didn't have great health insurance.
But there's like organizations like Music Cares. I remember they
kind of sponsored me to go see a therapist for
(12:18):
a while, so that was really nice. I think it's
great that there's stuff like that just for up and
coming people in the music industry, because it is hard
to like get healthcare and get the help you need sometimes.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Well, especially in this day and Asian America. But you know, yeah,
it's funny for someone who is has done therapy and
does like it, but also finds the immense value in
writing for therapy. It's interesting as you say you're writing
has gotten more autobiographical, has that also does that become
a cathartist? And I'm a huge believer, And I've talked
(12:54):
with everybody from like Willie Nelson to Mike Soler about this,
and no one knows where the hell songs come from.
Agrees they're like subconscious and so for you, like for example,
on this album, were the things that you wrote that
surprised you when you went back and listened to them.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Hmmm, yeah, I think like one song for me that
just sort of felt almost subconscious writing it. It just felt
like the words kind of flowed out was Summer of Love,
which I feel like was just kind of this came
from this deep feeling of like you know, nostalgia or
maybe like a more hopeful time. And yeah, and so
(13:33):
that one when I go back to it now, I'm
like this. I wrote this a year or two ago,
and it just feels like more even more relevant now.
So I think I'm always surprised when songs I feel
like take on new meaning for me over time, almost
like I was predicting what I would feel or be
thinking like in the future. So that was one that
felt like that. I didn't really know where it came from,
(13:54):
but all of a sudden, it was just kind of
like it was just there.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
I see. I always preface by saying I'm not that smart,
but I've been very lucky to talk to very smart
people much more intelligent than me. So I laugh when
you say that because Shanan O'Connor, who I adored, always
told me, and I think she was so right that
as a writer you can manifest things. You have to
(14:20):
be careful what you write because you write things in
new existence. And Nick Cave told me similarly. He told me,
whatever you like are longing for is what you write.
So he's like, when I'm sad, I write a happy song.
When I'm happy, I write a sad song. And he
told me he wrote in My Arms, which is arguably
the most beautiful love song ever in the church strung
(14:40):
out on Heroin.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So for you, it's funny when you think about that,
when you go back and look at it. Are there
songs in your career besides somemmer of love where you're like, okay,
I kind of did will that in New Existence because
I talked about that with other people and other people say,
Shanaid was absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Well, it was weird because there's one example that's kind
of like literal. But last night we were playing in Bloomington, Illinois,
and like my grandma came out to the show and
I played the song that I wrote years ago when
I had visited her out on out like in the
farm country in Illinois. My my dad grew up on
(15:22):
this farm that we would visit when we were kids,
and we'd stay at like the farmhouse where my grandparents lived,
and it was really fun, Like I have so many
nice memories of that. And then like a few years
a few years ago, I went to visit my grandma
and we went out to the old farm and like
walked around. But they had sold it to developers years
(15:45):
ago when I was a teenager, and they just kind
of let it go into disrepair. So the houses and stuff.
The house where my dad grew up was still there
in the barns and stuff, but they were like falling apart.
So I got back home to Nashville, and we had
taken all these pictures and it was just like such
a nice special time with my grandma. And I wrote
this song Flatland Girl, and there's a line in it
(16:07):
like it's all about kind of, you know, missing the
old farmhouse, and there's a line like all that's left
as a photograph and then like a year almost like
exactly a year later, the house was like burned to
the ground in the middle of the night, and nobody
really knew like why or how. But I was just like,
oh my gosh, every time I sing that song now
it's like taken on this new meaning for me because
(16:29):
it's literally no longer in existence the place I was
singing about. So I don't know that was like one
like weird psychic song moment, but I feel like there's
other ones like that. Like one thing I know is
that sometimes in the past, like if I'm in a relationship,
I might write like a breakup song, and then like
a few months later you break up, and maybe I
(16:51):
didn't even know, like subconsciously, maybe I knew that, like
the relationship was gonna come to an end. But I
feel like you can almost predict things like that that
you your conscious brain hasn't fully accepted yet, and then
you write a song and it just kind of comes out.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
That's interesting because I also think again that maybe you
know it's your sub conscious telling you that you do
need to do this. Yeah, and again I think that
you know, as a writer, you're writing the things that
you kind of want to happen.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Right, Yeah, maybe you're like not accepting it yet, but
you're like.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Oh, this is gonna suck, but you know your brain's
like it's time. Yeah, So how is the tour going.
It's always interesting to me because you know, you can
have a favorite song off the record and everybody's like,
but then the song that like you barely made the record,
you know, like the song that you're like, I'm not
(17:57):
sure everybody's like, oh my god, this is my favorite song. Ever. Yeah,
we're always surprised by how people spawn on the road.
Have there been songs on this album that people are
like that You've just been pleasantly surprised by the response.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Yeah, I think like the songs that we've been playing
live that feel like there's a just kind of it
gets the audience going a little bit. Well, one is
old Me, New Wig, and that one is just kind
of a fun, like uptempo moment. I feel like I
always make these records in my favorites are like the slow,
kind of sensitive songs, and then I go on tour
and we like never play those songs. I always play
(18:32):
like the fast ones, and we might mix in the
slower ones here and there and then be like, oh
it just it doesn't like hit as well in a
live setting. But yeah, we're still kind of working on
Like there's a few songs off the record we haven't
played live and we're like workshop workshopping them at sound
check still and so we'll see we haven't played all
(18:52):
of them live even still, so we're gonna hopefully by
the end of the year we will have so we'll
see how the reaction is to all the songs. But yeah,
we've been starting off the shows with the first track
on the record, Everything Burns, and that one at first
I was a little uncertain of. I was like, I
think it's cool. I don't know, like I can't really
gauge the reaction. But now in the past month, I
(19:15):
got this double neck acoustic guitar from Martin and I've
been playing it on this crazy double neck guitar, and
I feel like that suddenly like brought it to a
new level of just being exciting in the live show.
So there's always things like that. Sometimes we'll play a
song and for a while and be like, I don't know,
it's just not like getting the response we want, and
then we have to just kind of rework a section
(19:36):
of it or like make it really make an exciting
part in the live show that's not on the record.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
It's interesting you say that you don't always play the
like slower star sensitive stuff, But you know, what I've
found over the years is that's the stuff that like
I've always found that you know, we started off talking
about favorite lyrics and you went to Joni, and I mean,
I've always found that like, the more vulnerable there, the
more people respond to it because they hear themselves in it.
(20:04):
So there are songs that, like, you know, over the
years that or like especially even off this album, more
people come to you and they're like, oh my god,
this song is the best, or like you know, I'm
sure you, like I mentioned the Grammy nomination, and that's
really rewarding. But from talking with artists, there's really nothing
better than when someone says that song changed my life,
(20:25):
It got me through a breakup and saved my life,
you know. So for you, have you had those songs
and have you been surprised by some of the ones
that people like really latch onto?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Yeah, I mean I think a song for me that
like comes to mind as one off my like two
or three records ago, Crooked Tree, and people really like
that song and they make me art with that song,
like they put the lyrics into a picture, or they'll
make me like a pin or a sticker or this
and that. Like just the other day, this guy had
(21:01):
whittled me this crooked Tree branch and gave it to
me at a show. So that's kind of one that
I feel like people latch onto the most out of
all the songs I've written. And it just kind of
is about like, you know, embracing, embracing your what makes
you different, what makes us all just kind of unique,
and being unafraid to be the crooked tree in the forest.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I guess interesting. So for you, you know again, I've
talked about this, Like I said with some of the artists,
like a lot of times you don't know what song
is about, or it changes or it does whatever. So
when someone latches onto a song with cricket Tree, can
you go back and like you know? Also, I mean,
when you write a song, oftentimes you're just too close
(21:44):
to it. So when everybody tells you, oh my god,
I love the song so much, can you go back
and appreciate, Like, Okay, now I see why it is
everybody latches on this song so much.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Yeah, Like with that one, when I first wrote it,
I knew I really liked it, but I didn't Like
I had my batch of songs for my record and
that to me was just another one of the songs
on the album, and so I sent them. I remember, like,
I sent them to my manager and she was like,
I think that one's really special. And as we were
talking about the album title, which we ended up making
it the title track, it was just kind of like
(22:16):
everyone I played the songs for was like, yeah, I
think that should be like the title track. But to me,
it was kind of just you know, another day writing
a song that I liked, but I didn't really know
it was gonna kind of take on this life of
its own. So yeah, that was like a nice surprise.
I think I had a feeling that like it was
(22:36):
a special song to me, but I just didn't really
know like that it was gonna become, you know, one
of the songs off that record that I'm always playing
live and that I feel like, as I see so
many people covering it now and like there's a bunch
of videos of people online singing it, it's really cool.
So yeah, that one, I feel like, out of all
my songs, has kind of reached a lot of people,
and people kind of latch onto it in a way.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Off this record, I've found that song yet again. I
really like my so called life again because I just
think maybe it's because it you know, it appeals to
the writer in me. But I also think it's such
like a great you know it is just such a
great idea of like you know again. It kind of
reminded me lyrically, interestingly enough, a little bit of Mike
Nests from Social Distortion. Obviously stylistically different, but I love
(23:24):
Mike as a songwriter, so underrated songwriter.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah, I love Social Distortion too. But I think that, Yeah,
I don't know. I think I'm still just waiting to
see what happens with this record. It feels so new still,
and people have at the last over the last few weeks,
like I've noticed them singing along with the new songs,
which is really cool to see that kind of progression.
But yeah, that one is one we've only played live
(23:49):
a few times, and we were just kind of talking
about working it back in. We played it live and
then we felt like we needed to tweak our range
of it. We just felt like it's it wasn't translating
how it is kind of powerful and like punchy on
the record, but when we played it live, it just
felt like it wasn't fully there yet. So we were
(24:10):
actually working on it yesterday and I think we're gonna
add it back in, but so maybe that'll become the one,
But yeah, we're gonna We're gonna see what happens.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Well, I mean, you know, I definitely go off me
because you know, my taste is a little bit eclectic,
but you know, I again, that's what I just love.
But for you, I mean, it's funny you say, because
you're still the record still feels new, which is understandable.
So then when you get a Grammy nomination, you know,
like how exciting, validating whatever. And again, as I say
(24:42):
from talking with artists, I mean, fan response is always
you know, like there's nothing that beats that. But obviously
you know, the Grammy nominator is a huge deal and
it's very exciting as well in its own way.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Yeah, I mean it it was so exciting and just
really kind of validating at the same time, because it's
like sometimes it feels like you're just putting for me.
It feels like I'm just kind of throwing stuff into
the void, especially these days when everything moves so fast,
and like with social media, it's like you need a
little short clip of this or that, and like you're
(25:14):
just kind of hoping that people see it. But everyone's
attention span is small. So just having that recognition from
like peers in the music industry and just having the
record recognized and knowing that I'm just gonna have so
much fun like going out there and celebrating and seeing
other friends who have been nominated as well. I feel
(25:36):
like it was such a great year for music, so
I just feel it was really validating and just kind
of like affirming that you know, of this record that
I felt proud of, but I didn't really know how
people were going to respond to it. So yeah, I
was exciting. I think like it's something that I guess
I don't want it to be like I'm making a
(25:58):
record and if I don't get these awards and recognition,
I'm gonna feel like a failure. But it is just
kind of a nice like feeling to get recognized at
the same time.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
So I had two quick questions on this and then
we'll wrap up on something else. But you know, it's
I mean, as you say, it's fun just to go
out so for you are the people you're looking for,
just to seeing like you know, either friends or you know.
I mean, it's always fun still to just be a fan.
There's always someone that's like you geek out of or
(26:34):
it's funny. I remember one year of being on the
right carpet and everybody was geeking out over all people weird,
y'all Yankovic love. So I thought that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, I don't know who's gonna be there, but I'm like,
I'm so excited. The first year I went, I was
so nervous and honestly, like, I wore this outfit that
I couldn't really walk very well in, and then I
was freaking out and there were so many famous people everywhere,
and I was getting really self conscious. So I didn't
have like as much fun as I could have. And
then the second year, I was like, I knew what
(27:05):
to expect and I had a blast. So I'm just
excited to go back because I had so much fun.
Last time, I just didn't like I guess I kind
of just was able to relax a bit more. But yeah,
I mean the performances are always amazing. I don't know
who's gonna perform this year, but I'm so excited to
watch this year.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
That's funny though, because you said there's so many fans
people there are there people you know that like you're
surprised that they come up to you that they're fans.
And I've talked about this with so many people, and
it's like, you know, your music goes out to like
once you release a song, it's no longer yours. It
just belongs to the world, and you have no idea
who's gonna find it and who's gonna like it. You know.
I remember talking about this with Don Henley and who
(27:55):
was like, there are people that like, you know, like
are huge Eagles fans that I never would have expected.
So for you to get those people that have come
up to you and you're like, wait, you even know
who I am?
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Yeah, I mean I don't know if I can think
of a specific examples, but.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
I mean you did play air Claps Fords a couple
of times that you know, And now I actually was there.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
And yeah, I didn't actually get to meet Eric Clapton.
That I hope I get to meet him someday, but
but yeah, just anytime I'm doing something like that, Like
when I was there, I met Sheryl Crowe and that
was just so cool to see her and just she
watched our set and was so supportive. So that's someone
I would like not expect to even like, you know,
(28:40):
cross paths with necessarily, but she's just like such a
cool person and was just so sweet when I was
playing with Sierra Hole and came up to us after
and was like, yeah, you guys are amazing, and yeah,
so people like that that are just in a different world.
I'm always kind of excited when I get to cross pass.
I remember, like last year we went and that the
(29:01):
I got to play the CMA Awards with Dirk Spentley
and just you know, seeing meeting people in the country
world who still like had the awareness of kind of
bluegrass and were fans of that kind of music as well.
That's always kind of like a nice surprise.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Cool. Well, before we wrap up, the name of the
podcast is in Service Sub and it came from the
idea of philanthropy. But what I found now is like,
and again this goes back to the idea of like
even your music changing people's lives. In Service sub can
have such a broader meeting because most musicians are just
in service of the music and wherever this music comes from,
(29:40):
you know. And I say that with the idea again
of like songwriting being a kind of channeling, you know,
like that I talked to people about, like people say,
you put the antenna up and it comes in, So
it's like wherever you think the songs come from up
to you. But there is still like this feeling of
being in service of the music. So for you, what
do you see yourself as in service staff, whether it's
(30:01):
the fans, the music. There's particular organizations that are important
to you whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, I think like overall, I'm just kind of in
service of like making bringing people happiness joy. Like if
I can let people kind of escape their daily lives
go out to a concert and have fun and feel
good about themselves, then that's, you know, kind of what
I'm trying to do is just like make people happy,
(30:28):
I guess with my music, or make them feel seen
or heard or like they relate to one of my songs,
because that's what music does for me. I mean, like
on a more kind of I guess. The organizations I've
worked with mostly have to do with like alopecia, which
is on autoimmune disease that I've had for basically my
(30:48):
whole life. So I've worked with the National Foundation for Alopecia,
and that's been really cool, like over the last basically
last like ten years I've been working with them. That's
kind of like my longest you know relationship with a
foundation that every year we kind of do something together,
which has been really fun and gratifying. But but yeah,
(31:09):
that just also just kind of goes back to like
trying to help people, and if I can do that
through music or through raising awareness, then that's kind of
my goal.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
Well, it's funny because the original idea for the show
came from years ago. I was at an event where
I ran into Alice Cooper, who I love, and he
was saying, like, famous the brand that allows you to
do good. And you know, do you feel like when
you got more successful again, like you say, you know,
doing the Alopaciras stuff has been fun for you, that
that's one of the real purpose of it is again
(31:41):
it allows you to give back in different ways.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah, totally, like when you have a bigger platform and
you're able to reach more people and just kind of yeah,
it's really gratifying. And that's like definitely when I feel
kind of like worn out or like I'm just feeling
like I don't know what's next, kind of what keeps
me going sometimes it is just knowing that, like I
(32:05):
want to keep going in order to kind of I
guess spread this.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Message well as we wrap up, but I mean I'm
curious then too. You know, it's funny you say that
part of your goal is to you know, make people happy,
and do you feel like in this let's say tumultuous turmoil,
like really fucked up times that that role becomes even
(32:31):
more important, and especially as you say, to give people
an escape.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Yeah, I feel like music just brings people together. And
like at my shows, I can look out and there's
so many different types of people, and I think that's
important these days, just to have places for people to
gather and kind of like forget our differences for a
little bit and also just like to uplift people and
make them kind of you know, give people an escape.
(32:57):
But at the same time, my songs, like I write
about stuff that I care about, and I write about
stuff that could be like political at times, but I
feel like when it comes in the form of a song,
it's more just kind of like I'm expressing myself, so
it can be more palatable in a way maybe reach
more people.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Well, last question, one word answer or to you word
whatever it is, but easy one. You know. It's funny
because you say you played with Dirk at the Cmas.
At the Grammys, they always have these like big sort
of like iconic moments. Who would be your dream to
play with at the Grammys? Someone told the random that
people would not expect that's.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
A kind of question someone totally random. Oh my gosh,
who would it be? What if I played with Bob
Dylan at the Gramleys, that would be awesome.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
That would be what song would you do with Dylan?
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Oh? I don't know, do like a rolling Stone?
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Cool? Anything you want to add that I ask you about.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Cool. Well, thank you so much for being here. Pleasure
talking with you and you have relations again on the record.
Thank you cool, have a good one.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Thanks you too.
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