April 21, 2024 • 22 mins
Dulcé Sloan sits down with actor and adventure enthusiast, Orlando Bloom, to discuss his new Peacock show, "Orlando Bloom: To The Edge" and his spirtual journey through making the show. Plus, Dulcé chats with country singer-songwriter, Brittney Spencer, about her debut album, "My Stupid LIfe," her experience covering "Blackbird" for Beyoncé's latest country album, and how the DIxie Chicks and Taylor Swift influenced her decision to be a country music writer and performer.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
My depth tonight is an actor and adventure enthusiast who
has a new limited docu series called Orlando Bloom to
the Edge.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Please welcome Orlando Blue.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hi everyone, that's a nice that's a nice wole of response.
Hi everyone, Oh.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
You got interviewed before.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I don't act like you've never had a million people like.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
You haven't been hacked in as long as most of
you people have been alive. Okay, So I just saw
you jumping out of a play out of a play
out of out of a plane. You know you need
your face for work, right, mister Orlando Bloom.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Why are you jumping down a plane with.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
A batsuit on a flying squirrel?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
The flying squirrel?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
You're jumping out planes like flying squirrels with a parachute wiffering.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Well, because I didn't get any takes on me doing
like a longevity show where or would get to, like,
you know, meet people who live long and prosper I
kind of had that idea. It was like it was
COVID when like I felt really the palpable level of
fear around me. I don't know about you, but I
was like, if I get out of this. I want
to do something that shows how people live in such
a way that they could survive this. Right, But like
(01:41):
I said, nobody bit on that. But they said, how
about we throw you out of a plane. How about
we throw you to the bottom of the ocean and
up a mountains.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So I was like, okay, that works.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
So you came up with an idea during the roney
as if you like to call it, where we were
in a panasonic you know, and you were like, man,
I would love to talk to people about just, you know,
how do I become you.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Know, a person who lives to be one hundred years old?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
And then yeah, networks were like, no, I don't nobody
care about that, but can't we see you risk your life?
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Is that what everyone was like, that's exactly what it was.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, okay, And so don't you have children? Cause it's
because if it was me, if you if I miss
Katery Perry and I got a baby at home, I'm like, sir,
if you don't sit down, why for what?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
God love you?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, she's she's amazing, super We both support each other immenseally.
But look, obviously, perhaps she didn't know exactly quite the
lengths I'd be going to until I kind of came
home freaking out, sweating and going like, uh that was
real and a lot. But I think, you know, I
(02:52):
hope that Like for me, it was like this was
an opportunity to kind of get super capable, super focused,
and actually these remarkable athletes that taught me all these
incredible things. You see, Luke Aitkins was the guy who
taught me to wingsuit, and Camilla Jabbar was taught me
to free dive with Will Troubridge, and then there was
this amazing adaptive climber named mo Beck who was born
(03:13):
with one hand and claimed exactly what I climbed, Like,
these are people with an incredible skill set, and I
kind of felt like, well, if I could learn instead
of being this like impulsive kid that I kind of
always said been in Like that was when I got
into trouble, you know, like flying around on my motorcycle
thinking I could do anything and then not knowing the
protocols or not knowing exactly. It was like an education
(03:35):
in becoming super present, super capable and able to like
push through what I think was you know, an edge
for me. Now listen for other people their edges a
little different, you know, but it was like it wouldn't
necessarily play on TV in the same way.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well, my edge is being a black woman in America.
So there you go.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
On, you have to step out the house, right.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
I walk outside, and I'm like, man, this is extreme,
this is real. I hope I make it back tonight,
black al I might meet Jesus far across the street.
So you went wing suited, yeah, rock climbing, free diving. Yeah,
Now I thought diving didn't cost any money.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
What what is what is free diving?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So I basically swam to I ended up at about
one hundred and two feet thirty seven meters. I guess
it's like one tenth of the Chrysler building or ten
floors maybe you can think of it ten floors. I
swam to ten floors on one breath and.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Down and back. So was it five down and five
up or was it ten down and ten.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Up, ten down to ten up?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, so it's like two hundred feet ago, okay.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
And so it's free diving called that because it's free
of air?
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Is that why?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Because you don't have like a there's.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
No snorkel, there's there's no nu school.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But there's just it's just you, you and your breath
and the and the great deep beyond.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Pretty scary. I mean it's a weird feeling because you're
you're literally like you know, I mean, I'm not clostrophobic,
and I love the ocean. But there was a lot
of technical stuff with like you know, equalizing, and I
had a mask, and I mean, you know, it was
it was challenging, but we got there and it was
and I only had like a week to kind of
do that. I mean, I learned to I learned to
(05:28):
hold my breath. I kept doing these techniques. So Camilla,
who was training me, taught me these breath routines and
ways to sort of exhale whole breath out to build
up this co two, which is what you feel most
uncomfortably when you're underwater. But and then holding your breath
for an extended period of time. I mean, it's it
is unnatural.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
It's not saying that, like I definitely wouldn't recommend it
just to kind of go do that, you know, but
but it was like I think I got a lot
from it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
So like, so you learned my breath, so you learned
a lot from this experience of all, wait, I'm almost
not making it out of these experiences. Yeah, what do
you felt like you learned in those places where we're
at those momentary Just like I'm like right on the
because like.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Did you reach the was the edge?
Speaker 5 (06:15):
Death? Was the edge?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
I think it's close to it.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
I think, I say in this show, I never feel
more alive when I'm as close to death. And I
think that I had that feeling of you know, if
you if you're in in a really intense moment, a
really intense situation, and I have these incredible teachers. If
I follow the protocol, if I just follow what I've learned,
if I trust, if I let go all of those
ideas of like being rhythm being like trust the universe,
(06:41):
Trust this is on my path. Trust that like I've
learned everything, Trust that Luke who taught me, for example,
with the free diving, that I was capable to wingsuit
after twenty five jumps, which is when I got my
A license.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So we're not sure.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
We're not sure anyone really has done it on the
twenty sixth jump wingsuiting because it's a particularly terrifying kind
of experience when you don't have a huge amount of experience.
But yo, but I kind of had. I felt like
being present, really present, and maybe that's something that I'll
take back. Hopefully that's something that I am taking back
(07:12):
to my family, like being more present or grateful, more
like appreciative of life.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I guess that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Because the idea of being more present is the thing
that's always I mean, it's we're here, I'm a present,
You're welcome. But but I guess the ide because like
how it is your gift, Look at God, Thank you
so much. And if you have any nice friends, I
want to meet me. You know, we can talk about
that letter, mister Bloom. But I do wonder like was
(07:44):
there anything that got you? I guess like being in
those moments, it feels like it's probably a very spiritual
experience when you're that close to just yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
So I yeah, definitely, when you're that close to death.
And I've had this Buddhist practice in my life since
I sixteen, so I chann't now me wh and get killed,
which has been a really wonderful philosophy in my life
and something like kind of an anchor for me. Really,
So I actually you see me chant a little bit
of that, and it's something that I would say, help
me to deal with the voices in my head telling
(08:14):
me that I was insane or that I might die.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
You know, that's survival, sir. Has your body gone breathe?
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Yeah, exactly, bro.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Which, by the way, when you're doing that, you are breathing,
but I think you know in a way. Yeah, it's
it was very focusing and grounding and because you're in
like these hyper tense situations. I liked that it helped.
I'll use it again.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
I use it now.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
You're an actor who's been a part of huge franchises. Yeah,
the read The Powers of the European But like this
is a docu series, so there's no because like I'm
also a trained actor. When I started doing stand up,
it scared me because I'd never been on stage and
it wasn't me being a character bringing someone else to life,
and they were someone else's words. So how did it
(09:01):
feel to be on camera but you weren't playing someone
else and you were very being very true to yourself
and presenting yourself.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Kind of honorable and terrified. Yeah, it was a lot,
to be honest, I never thought of doing anything like this,
you know, I wasn't thinking I want to do an
unscripted show and I want to do some kind of
action adventure thing. It wasn't in my in my thinking.
It just was something that became part of my journey,
which I'm grateful for. But it was like, definitely, I
was I had a certain amount of like, am I
(09:29):
going to say something really silly all the time or
just part of the time, and I am I gonna
sound like I know anything about anything, you know? So
that was that was That was also I think a
massive I'm grateful for that question. It was a massive
part of the equation because whilst doing these insane things
was insane and challenging, like overcoming some of the things
(09:52):
in my mind that prevented me from even thinking anything
I had to say was going to work for an
unscripted show. Because as you point out, so I've worked
on some great characters and great writers, and when you
have a dialogue you know from a character that's been
written now, it's there's there's there's choices that you make,
but when you're just riffing, it's like, as you know,
like you can't really you know it is.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
That gonna work?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So it was that was another element to it that
I kind of had to sort of learn to embrace.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
That's amazing. I'm so excited for you for this project.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Thanks.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I hope you look it.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
I will love it. I love to watch you.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
I love you, guys.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
My guest Tonight is a country singer songwriter whose debut
album is called My Stupid Life.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Please Welcome Brittany's ben Zone. Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
First of all, hot titties, Hello, Hello you had George
asked them if I could be out a little bit too.
They were like, okay, we got to keep it like
TV hosts.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
But I was like, I want mine out deliberate too.
Just make you feel powerful. They do make you feel powerful.
It's like hello, good.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Morning, but what I wanted you to know. So then
when they asked me, when I was like, got my
hosting week and they're like, who do you want to
come out, I was like, Britty Spencer on the top
of my list, and I'm so glad.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You came because I didn't know you could come. So
I'm so glad you can have them.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
For you because I follow you on Instagram and I
was like, I'm making somebody. I'm so excited you're here.
So your debut album, My Stupid Life, came out earlier
this year.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
What do you want people?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
What do you want to tell people about your album,
like you as an artist or what inspired you like?
Tell them everything so they can buy you put on
the top of the Billboard charts. We could you grabmy
some stuff?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
My gosh, Well, first, thank you so much for having me.
This is course, this is my first time on like
nighttime television just like talking and stuff. So yeah, yeah,
I haven't like done like a debut and nighttime television,
and so this is like my first one, and this
is cool. That's my Stupid Life, you know. I think
(12:14):
with this album, I want people to know that I
love music. I love country music. It taught me how
to tell a story. It taught me how to connect
with my own story. And this album is it's a
sunic spectrum.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I love country music, and I also love pop, and
I love rock, and I love R and B, and
I love just I wish good was a genre sometimes,
you know, I like to thread a lot of things together,
but it's all kind of held together by how I
interpret country music and the storytelling tradition that it is
so as we are both black women. I don't know
if anyone noticed.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
It's h it can kind of feel scary or unsafe
a lot of times to open up and the people
in So, how did you overcome that when you were writing.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
The songs for this album? Uh, the same way. I'm
still trying to learn how to overcome it. I guess
I just I just try to be honest, you know,
And I try to any anything that I do, I
try to make it feel like an invitation, you know,
for other people. You know. I feel like I make
music for people who felt unseen, you know, or feel
unseen or feel like they just feel like they're the
only ones sometimes. And and so that's kind of where
(13:20):
my storytelling comes from and how I write songs. And
being a black woman in country music, I mean, honestly,
like I'm so happy to be black, I'm so happy
to be a woman. I'm so happy to be in
country music. And like it makes my experience.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
All of these things make my They make my experience
as a country artist way more fun. I think, like
I have a great time like being part of this
moment in country music where people are just exploring and
like bringing like we're bringing more than our complexion. We're
bringing our culture, and so we're like, that's why we're
fusing a lot of things together. I just think it's
fun and it's more explorative and I think there's a
(13:55):
lot of creativity and innovation in that. And I don't know,
it's just stepping into this knowing country music historically has
kind of left us out for like, you know, one
hundred plus years, there's not really any expectation on what
we should look or sound like. I guess sometimes it
feels like because you know, it's like it's something about
being like the underdog. It feels like it's you get
to kind of have a little more fun. That's what
(14:16):
it feels like for me sometimes. Of course I feel
the struggle of it sometimes, but mostly I'm just kind
of focused on, like how I don't have to live
up to a status quo because no one ever really
gave me one because they didn't think I would be here,
right because they get to do fun things.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
It's like I feel like that sometimes, like as a
performer in a comic and people ask me, like, you know,
what it's like to be a woman in stand up
and a woman in entertainment and kind of like it's
like when people don't have expectations of you, they get
to be surprised by everything you do. But just like,
well all of this is great, Like, well you didn't
think I could do half of this, so when I'm
(14:52):
doing all of it, it's like, damn.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Sure good, Yeah you were like cause you Like.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I think the other thing that's surprises to people is like,
I grew up in Georgia, right, I grew up in
the South, so we always heard country music. Yeah, and
it didn't seem and it one something that's crazy to us.
We always saw black people in country music, but not
everybody saw black people in country music. And can you
describe your music as universal country? What does that mean?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
It means I just want to have a little something
for everybody, you know, I just want I think that's
why my album is the way it is. There's not
one single song that sounds like another, and I kind
of like it that way. That's kind of how I
listen to music, you know. I feel like there's so
many country artists before me that have kind of accomplished that,
whether you talk about it like a Dolly or a Shanaya,
like I think that's really cool. Having something that everybody
(15:43):
can kind of connect with in your discography. I think
that's really cool, and that's that's what I want to do.
I want to have fun. You know, I love country music.
I'm also black. I'm also I'm from Baltimore. You know,
my grandparents are from the South, but my family moved
to Baltimore. And that's a really eclectic mix anyway. You know,
it's a home of Hairspray, Billie Holliday and Tony Braxton.
(16:03):
That's a ne collective mix, you know, and the Wire.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
So like that's just a lot of things, a lot
going on.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, And I'm not a reflection of that. And so
I know I'm not the only one. And when I
meet people who are kind of like me and they
just like music, oftentimes they're like, yo, I listen to
this genre in that genre and they have a playlist
and it's about ten for genres on it. And I'm like,
that's how I hear music, too, And all those artists
probably all like each other and listen to each other anyway.
So I think, I don't know, I think we cage
(16:30):
people into a little too much sometimes, But I don't
want to be. No, you don't want to.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Be because listen, if you do like a lot of different
types of stuff, then when the Grammy showed up, you
could be like, well, you can't just put me in
one category. Yeah, and then I'm at the Cemas, and
then I'm at the Latin Grammys, and then I'm want.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
A K pop band, and.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Then it's just like and then we do a p
So I'm all over the world getting awards. Now, I
know we cannot talk to you without mentioning the fact
that you were on Beyonce's cover of Blackbird. That was
fun because I didn't I didn't want to get to
know you.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
But I know everybody was in here.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Like asking about Beyonce.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I'm like, hey, I mean I would too, I'd be
like cute, yeah, but like I just want to go
get Britney what Brittany did, but then also grew beyon
So it's like I have because by law, I have
to ask you about Beyonce. It's I'm so sorry. It's
a lot that's been passed recently.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I can you don't make the rules.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
I don't make the rules.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
I get black Twitter laws.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
This has nothing to do with me, So like how
does she find you? I mean, I know I found you,
but I mean I listened to different types of music,
but like, how does she find you?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Did she call you?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Did she was a prank call? You're like, oh, tell
your cousin get off my phone, So like how did
she find you?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
I have no idea. I have no idea, Like I'm
not just saying I literally don't know I have I
have so many questions. I already had questions in my
head because like Giance is like a like a big
system in my head, and I'll be asking her questions sometimes,
but like now I actually really have questions, Like I
don't actually no, and I think that's so cool. Though
I'm just happy to be on the record. It's a
beautiful record, Like even if I wasn't on it, like
(18:06):
I would just be mad into it. This is a
no skips like start to finish, Like if it have
been twenty more songs, I would listen to the whole
thing over and over again. And I don't know, I
just it's a fun time, like to be able to
be a part of that record and to I don't know,
be here talking to y'all and being able to say
a song that I love, Like the Beatles is my
second favorite band of all time, you know, and so
(18:28):
this is really cool. It's it's fun, and it's I
still wake up and I'm like, what is happening right now? Yeah,
Like I'm like hearing bees, I'm like, oh, that's miss
the beet hoveist like following me right now.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I like you, they're dropping locations everybody.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
But when they love you, they love you, but they
don't so much love. They show so much love, And
I mean, I think that's just a reflection of her
because she does the same.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Well.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I do want to ask you one one last question.
What was the first country album that made you realize
that you wanted to get into country music?
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Oh? The first one?
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Just like I could do this.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yeah. I remember when I first got introduced to country music.
I was like fourteen to fifteen years old, and I
became a fan of it, like I like I dibbed in,
like I listened to the Chicks and I was like, oh, snap,
like what is happening? And I like went on this
this whole journey of just listening to the country music.
And I feel like I can't remember exactly which album
(19:24):
it was I'm always annoyed at myself and not remembering that,
but it sent me on a rabbit hole. I would
say the artist that made me feel like I could
do it was Taylor Swift. It was something about her
that made me feel like, like, maybe I don't have
to just be a fan. Maybe I can like, maybe
I can actually do this. She's poetic, She's from Pennsylvania.
I'm from Maryland, and so it was something about like
(19:44):
not having a twang and like and being able to
like fuse poetry and storytelling, and also just being young
and like vulnerable. It was something about that that made
me feel like, maybe I don't have to just kind
of be on the sidelines. Maybe I want to sing.
I've always wanted to sing, and maybe this is giving
me a little direction. Well, I'm so happy to have
you here.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Now, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Now, before we go, I want to get my good
sis some of her flowers. Now you're on tour with
Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan this summer.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yes I am.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
I'm still excited.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Nast Well, she has opened for rebook McIntyre and I
don't know if y'all know, but black people love Reba McIntyre.
We do, we do because of the show, yo, listen
one because of the show too. Because she's literally just
a white Mary J. Blige.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
I don't know if y'all know.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Listen fancy and most of Mary J's songs, it's the
same thing.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It's the same thing.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
She's just trying to help her kids. You're trying to
be a good person to raise her own.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Not to miss it in the commercials.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Now to mention commercials, listen, we love Dolly has introduced
you at her show. Yeah, and then Maren Morris on
her record, she has you as a background vocalist, and
you've collaborated with her on many occasions.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, I've seen with Baron quite a bit. I tour
with her. She's amazing. Like we met on Twitter, Like
I posted a cover of a song called Crowded Table
that's in a bandage she's in called the High Women,
and I don't I met them online and then a
year later I was singing with them in front of
fifty thousand people. That's kind of wild.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
Look, that's wild.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I've just I've been really fortunate to to collab with
a lot of incredible artists who are really kind and generous,
and I just don't know I want to do to
thank you. People don't just pick up folks for fun.
Oh I know, I don't take it for granted. That's
really cool, and I just I don't know. I want
to keep singing, and you know, and one day if
I'll be in a position and I get to extend
(21:38):
that same like that same generosity and just invitation to
be a part of something I'm doing. So I'm excited
They've They've shown me a lot of what I aspire
to do and be when I get to that point
in my career.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
I'm so happy that you came, and I want to
come to one shows. Please invite me.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
You always invited.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yeah, and I'm bringing a bunch of people with me
for you, black people with me.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Yes, Yes, turn it out. Oh God.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
My super Life is available now before tour days. Check
out Bringing Friend the dot com.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Explore more shows from The Daily Show podcast universe by
searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts. Watch
The Daily Show weeknights at eleven ten Central on Comedy
Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
This has been a Comedy Central podcast
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
My depth tonight is an actor and adventure enthusiast who
has a new limited docu series called Orlando Bloom to
the Edge.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Please welcome Orlando Blue.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hi everyone, that's a nice that's a nice wole of response.
Hi everyone, Oh.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
You got interviewed before.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I don't act like you've never had a million people like.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
You haven't been hacked in as long as most of
you people have been alive. Okay, So I just saw
you jumping out of a play out of a play
out of out of a plane. You know you need
your face for work, right, mister Orlando Bloom.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Why are you jumping down a plane with.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
A batsuit on a flying squirrel?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
The flying squirrel?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
You're jumping out planes like flying squirrels with a parachute wiffering.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Well, because I didn't get any takes on me doing
like a longevity show where or would get to, like,
you know, meet people who live long and prosper I
kind of had that idea. It was like it was
COVID when like I felt really the palpable level of
fear around me. I don't know about you, but I
was like, if I get out of this. I want
to do something that shows how people live in such
a way that they could survive this. Right, But like
(01:41):
I said, nobody bit on that. But they said, how
about we throw you out of a plane. How about
we throw you to the bottom of the ocean and
up a mountains.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So I was like, okay, that works.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
So you came up with an idea during the roney
as if you like to call it, where we were
in a panasonic you know, and you were like, man,
I would love to talk to people about just, you know,
how do I become you.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Know, a person who lives to be one hundred years old?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
And then yeah, networks were like, no, I don't nobody
care about that, but can't we see you risk your life?
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Is that what everyone was like, that's exactly what it was.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, okay, And so don't you have children? Cause it's
because if it was me, if you if I miss
Katery Perry and I got a baby at home, I'm like, sir,
if you don't sit down, why for what?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
God love you?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, she's she's amazing, super We both support each other immenseally.
But look, obviously, perhaps she didn't know exactly quite the
lengths I'd be going to until I kind of came
home freaking out, sweating and going like, uh that was
real and a lot. But I think, you know, I
(02:52):
hope that Like for me, it was like this was
an opportunity to kind of get super capable, super focused,
and actually these remarkable athletes that taught me all these
incredible things. You see, Luke Aitkins was the guy who
taught me to wingsuit, and Camilla Jabbar was taught me
to free dive with Will Troubridge, and then there was
this amazing adaptive climber named mo Beck who was born
(03:13):
with one hand and claimed exactly what I climbed, Like,
these are people with an incredible skill set, and I
kind of felt like, well, if I could learn instead
of being this like impulsive kid that I kind of
always said been in Like that was when I got
into trouble, you know, like flying around on my motorcycle
thinking I could do anything and then not knowing the
protocols or not knowing exactly. It was like an education
(03:35):
in becoming super present, super capable and able to like
push through what I think was you know, an edge
for me. Now listen for other people their edges a
little different, you know, but it was like it wouldn't
necessarily play on TV in the same way.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well, my edge is being a black woman in America.
So there you go.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
On, you have to step out the house, right.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
I walk outside, and I'm like, man, this is extreme,
this is real. I hope I make it back tonight,
black al I might meet Jesus far across the street.
So you went wing suited, yeah, rock climbing, free diving. Yeah,
Now I thought diving didn't cost any money.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
What what is what is free diving?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So I basically swam to I ended up at about
one hundred and two feet thirty seven meters. I guess
it's like one tenth of the Chrysler building or ten
floors maybe you can think of it ten floors. I
swam to ten floors on one breath and.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Down and back. So was it five down and five
up or was it ten down and ten.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Up, ten down to ten up?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, so it's like two hundred feet ago, okay.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
And so it's free diving called that because it's free
of air?
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Is that why?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Because you don't have like a there's.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
No snorkel, there's there's no nu school.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But there's just it's just you, you and your breath
and the and the great deep beyond.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Pretty scary. I mean it's a weird feeling because you're
you're literally like you know, I mean, I'm not clostrophobic,
and I love the ocean. But there was a lot
of technical stuff with like you know, equalizing, and I
had a mask, and I mean, you know, it was
it was challenging, but we got there and it was
and I only had like a week to kind of
do that. I mean, I learned to I learned to
(05:28):
hold my breath. I kept doing these techniques. So Camilla,
who was training me, taught me these breath routines and
ways to sort of exhale whole breath out to build
up this co two, which is what you feel most
uncomfortably when you're underwater. But and then holding your breath
for an extended period of time. I mean, it's it
is unnatural.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
It's not saying that, like I definitely wouldn't recommend it
just to kind of go do that, you know, but
but it was like I think I got a lot
from it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
So like, so you learned my breath, so you learned
a lot from this experience of all, wait, I'm almost
not making it out of these experiences. Yeah, what do
you felt like you learned in those places where we're
at those momentary Just like I'm like right on the
because like.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Did you reach the was the edge?
Speaker 5 (06:15):
Death? Was the edge?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
I think it's close to it.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
I think, I say in this show, I never feel
more alive when I'm as close to death. And I
think that I had that feeling of you know, if
you if you're in in a really intense moment, a
really intense situation, and I have these incredible teachers. If
I follow the protocol, if I just follow what I've learned,
if I trust, if I let go all of those
ideas of like being rhythm being like trust the universe,
(06:41):
Trust this is on my path. Trust that like I've
learned everything, Trust that Luke who taught me, for example,
with the free diving, that I was capable to wingsuit
after twenty five jumps, which is when I got my
A license.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So we're not sure.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
We're not sure anyone really has done it on the
twenty sixth jump wingsuiting because it's a particularly terrifying kind
of experience when you don't have a huge amount of experience.
But yo, but I kind of had. I felt like
being present, really present, and maybe that's something that I'll
take back. Hopefully that's something that I am taking back
(07:12):
to my family, like being more present or grateful, more
like appreciative of life.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I guess that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Because the idea of being more present is the thing
that's always I mean, it's we're here, I'm a present,
You're welcome. But but I guess the ide because like
how it is your gift, Look at God, Thank you
so much. And if you have any nice friends, I
want to meet me. You know, we can talk about
that letter, mister Bloom. But I do wonder like was
(07:44):
there anything that got you? I guess like being in
those moments, it feels like it's probably a very spiritual
experience when you're that close to just yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
So I yeah, definitely, when you're that close to death.
And I've had this Buddhist practice in my life since
I sixteen, so I chann't now me wh and get killed,
which has been a really wonderful philosophy in my life
and something like kind of an anchor for me. Really,
So I actually you see me chant a little bit
of that, and it's something that I would say, help
me to deal with the voices in my head telling
(08:14):
me that I was insane or that I might die.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
You know, that's survival, sir. Has your body gone breathe?
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Yeah, exactly, bro.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Which, by the way, when you're doing that, you are breathing,
but I think you know in a way. Yeah, it's
it was very focusing and grounding and because you're in
like these hyper tense situations. I liked that it helped.
I'll use it again.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
I use it now.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
You're an actor who's been a part of huge franchises. Yeah,
the read The Powers of the European But like this
is a docu series, so there's no because like I'm
also a trained actor. When I started doing stand up,
it scared me because I'd never been on stage and
it wasn't me being a character bringing someone else to life,
and they were someone else's words. So how did it
(09:01):
feel to be on camera but you weren't playing someone
else and you were very being very true to yourself
and presenting yourself.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Kind of honorable and terrified. Yeah, it was a lot,
to be honest, I never thought of doing anything like this,
you know, I wasn't thinking I want to do an
unscripted show and I want to do some kind of
action adventure thing. It wasn't in my in my thinking.
It just was something that became part of my journey,
which I'm grateful for. But it was like, definitely, I
was I had a certain amount of like, am I
(09:29):
going to say something really silly all the time or
just part of the time, and I am I gonna
sound like I know anything about anything, you know? So
that was that was That was also I think a
massive I'm grateful for that question. It was a massive
part of the equation because whilst doing these insane things
was insane and challenging, like overcoming some of the things
(09:52):
in my mind that prevented me from even thinking anything
I had to say was going to work for an
unscripted show. Because as you point out, so I've worked
on some great characters and great writers, and when you
have a dialogue you know from a character that's been
written now, it's there's there's there's choices that you make,
but when you're just riffing, it's like, as you know,
like you can't really you know it is.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
That gonna work?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So it was that was another element to it that
I kind of had to sort of learn to embrace.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
That's amazing. I'm so excited for you for this project.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Thanks.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I hope you look it.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
I will love it. I love to watch you.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
I love you, guys.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
My guest Tonight is a country singer songwriter whose debut
album is called My Stupid Life.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Please Welcome Brittany's ben Zone. Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
First of all, hot titties, Hello, Hello you had George
asked them if I could be out a little bit too.
They were like, okay, we got to keep it like
TV hosts.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
But I was like, I want mine out deliberate too.
Just make you feel powerful. They do make you feel powerful.
It's like hello, good.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Morning, but what I wanted you to know. So then
when they asked me, when I was like, got my
hosting week and they're like, who do you want to
come out, I was like, Britty Spencer on the top
of my list, and I'm so glad.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You came because I didn't know you could come. So
I'm so glad you can have them.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
For you because I follow you on Instagram and I
was like, I'm making somebody. I'm so excited you're here.
So your debut album, My Stupid Life, came out earlier
this year.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
What do you want people?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
What do you want to tell people about your album,
like you as an artist or what inspired you like?
Tell them everything so they can buy you put on
the top of the Billboard charts. We could you grabmy
some stuff?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
My gosh, Well, first, thank you so much for having me.
This is course, this is my first time on like
nighttime television just like talking and stuff. So yeah, yeah,
I haven't like done like a debut and nighttime television,
and so this is like my first one, and this
is cool. That's my Stupid Life, you know. I think
(12:14):
with this album, I want people to know that I
love music. I love country music. It taught me how
to tell a story. It taught me how to connect
with my own story. And this album is it's a
sunic spectrum.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
I love country music, and I also love pop, and
I love rock, and I love R and B, and
I love just I wish good was a genre sometimes,
you know, I like to thread a lot of things together,
but it's all kind of held together by how I
interpret country music and the storytelling tradition that it is
so as we are both black women. I don't know
if anyone noticed.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
It's h it can kind of feel scary or unsafe
a lot of times to open up and the people
in So, how did you overcome that when you were writing.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
The songs for this album? Uh, the same way. I'm
still trying to learn how to overcome it. I guess
I just I just try to be honest, you know,
And I try to any anything that I do, I
try to make it feel like an invitation, you know,
for other people. You know. I feel like I make
music for people who felt unseen, you know, or feel
unseen or feel like they just feel like they're the
only ones sometimes. And and so that's kind of where
(13:20):
my storytelling comes from and how I write songs. And
being a black woman in country music, I mean, honestly,
like I'm so happy to be black, I'm so happy
to be a woman. I'm so happy to be in
country music. And like it makes my experience.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
All of these things make my They make my experience
as a country artist way more fun. I think, like
I have a great time like being part of this
moment in country music where people are just exploring and
like bringing like we're bringing more than our complexion. We're
bringing our culture, and so we're like, that's why we're
fusing a lot of things together. I just think it's
fun and it's more explorative and I think there's a
(13:55):
lot of creativity and innovation in that. And I don't know,
it's just stepping into this knowing country music historically has
kind of left us out for like, you know, one
hundred plus years, there's not really any expectation on what
we should look or sound like. I guess sometimes it
feels like because you know, it's like it's something about
being like the underdog. It feels like it's you get
to kind of have a little more fun. That's what
(14:16):
it feels like for me sometimes. Of course I feel
the struggle of it sometimes, but mostly I'm just kind
of focused on, like how I don't have to live
up to a status quo because no one ever really
gave me one because they didn't think I would be here,
right because they get to do fun things.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
It's like I feel like that sometimes, like as a
performer in a comic and people ask me, like, you know,
what it's like to be a woman in stand up
and a woman in entertainment and kind of like it's
like when people don't have expectations of you, they get
to be surprised by everything you do. But just like,
well all of this is great, Like, well you didn't
think I could do half of this, so when I'm
(14:52):
doing all of it, it's like, damn.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Sure good, Yeah you were like cause you Like.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I think the other thing that's surprises to people is like,
I grew up in Georgia, right, I grew up in
the South, so we always heard country music. Yeah, and
it didn't seem and it one something that's crazy to us.
We always saw black people in country music, but not
everybody saw black people in country music. And can you
describe your music as universal country? What does that mean?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
It means I just want to have a little something
for everybody, you know, I just want I think that's
why my album is the way it is. There's not
one single song that sounds like another, and I kind
of like it that way. That's kind of how I
listen to music, you know. I feel like there's so
many country artists before me that have kind of accomplished that,
whether you talk about it like a Dolly or a Shanaya,
like I think that's really cool. Having something that everybody
(15:43):
can kind of connect with in your discography. I think
that's really cool, and that's that's what I want to do.
I want to have fun. You know, I love country music.
I'm also black. I'm also I'm from Baltimore. You know,
my grandparents are from the South, but my family moved
to Baltimore. And that's a really eclectic mix anyway. You know,
it's a home of Hairspray, Billie Holliday and Tony Braxton.
(16:03):
That's a ne collective mix, you know, and the Wire.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
So like that's just a lot of things, a lot
going on.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, And I'm not a reflection of that. And so
I know I'm not the only one. And when I
meet people who are kind of like me and they
just like music, oftentimes they're like, yo, I listen to
this genre in that genre and they have a playlist
and it's about ten for genres on it. And I'm like,
that's how I hear music, too, And all those artists
probably all like each other and listen to each other anyway.
So I think, I don't know, I think we cage
(16:30):
people into a little too much sometimes, But I don't
want to be. No, you don't want to.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Be because listen, if you do like a lot of different
types of stuff, then when the Grammy showed up, you
could be like, well, you can't just put me in
one category. Yeah, and then I'm at the Cemas, and
then I'm at the Latin Grammys, and then I'm want.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
A K pop band, and.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Then it's just like and then we do a p
So I'm all over the world getting awards. Now, I
know we cannot talk to you without mentioning the fact
that you were on Beyonce's cover of Blackbird. That was
fun because I didn't I didn't want to get to
know you.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
But I know everybody was in here.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Like asking about Beyonce.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I'm like, hey, I mean I would too, I'd be
like cute, yeah, but like I just want to go
get Britney what Brittany did, but then also grew beyon
So it's like I have because by law, I have
to ask you about Beyonce. It's I'm so sorry. It's
a lot that's been passed recently.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I can you don't make the rules.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
I don't make the rules.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
I get black Twitter laws.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
This has nothing to do with me, So like how
does she find you? I mean, I know I found you,
but I mean I listened to different types of music,
but like, how does she find you?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Did she call you?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Did she was a prank call? You're like, oh, tell
your cousin get off my phone, So like how did
she find you?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
I have no idea. I have no idea, Like I'm
not just saying I literally don't know I have I
have so many questions. I already had questions in my
head because like Giance is like a like a big
system in my head, and I'll be asking her questions sometimes,
but like now I actually really have questions, Like I
don't actually no, and I think that's so cool. Though
I'm just happy to be on the record. It's a
beautiful record, Like even if I wasn't on it, like
(18:06):
I would just be mad into it. This is a
no skips like start to finish, Like if it have
been twenty more songs, I would listen to the whole
thing over and over again. And I don't know, I
just it's a fun time, like to be able to
be a part of that record and to I don't know,
be here talking to y'all and being able to say
a song that I love, Like the Beatles is my
second favorite band of all time, you know, and so
(18:28):
this is really cool. It's it's fun, and it's I
still wake up and I'm like, what is happening right now? Yeah,
Like I'm like hearing bees, I'm like, oh, that's miss
the beet hoveist like following me right now.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I like you, they're dropping locations everybody.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
But when they love you, they love you, but they
don't so much love. They show so much love, And
I mean, I think that's just a reflection of her
because she does the same.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Well.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I do want to ask you one one last question.
What was the first country album that made you realize
that you wanted to get into country music?
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Oh? The first one?
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Just like I could do this.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Yeah. I remember when I first got introduced to country music.
I was like fourteen to fifteen years old, and I
became a fan of it, like I like I dibbed in,
like I listened to the Chicks and I was like, oh, snap,
like what is happening? And I like went on this
this whole journey of just listening to the country music.
And I feel like I can't remember exactly which album
(19:24):
it was I'm always annoyed at myself and not remembering that,
but it sent me on a rabbit hole. I would
say the artist that made me feel like I could
do it was Taylor Swift. It was something about her
that made me feel like, like, maybe I don't have
to just be a fan. Maybe I can like, maybe
I can actually do this. She's poetic, She's from Pennsylvania.
I'm from Maryland, and so it was something about like
(19:44):
not having a twang and like and being able to
like fuse poetry and storytelling, and also just being young
and like vulnerable. It was something about that that made
me feel like, maybe I don't have to just kind
of be on the sidelines. Maybe I want to sing.
I've always wanted to sing, and maybe this is giving
me a little direction. Well, I'm so happy to have
you here.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Now, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Now, before we go, I want to get my good
sis some of her flowers. Now you're on tour with
Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan this summer.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yes I am.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
I'm still excited.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Nast Well, she has opened for rebook McIntyre and I
don't know if y'all know, but black people love Reba McIntyre.
We do, we do because of the show, yo, listen
one because of the show too. Because she's literally just
a white Mary J. Blige.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
I don't know if y'all know.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Listen fancy and most of Mary J's songs, it's the
same thing.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It's the same thing.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
She's just trying to help her kids. You're trying to
be a good person to raise her own.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Not to miss it in the commercials.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Now to mention commercials, listen, we love Dolly has introduced
you at her show. Yeah, and then Maren Morris on
her record, she has you as a background vocalist, and
you've collaborated with her on many occasions.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, I've seen with Baron quite a bit. I tour
with her. She's amazing. Like we met on Twitter, Like
I posted a cover of a song called Crowded Table
that's in a bandage she's in called the High Women,
and I don't I met them online and then a
year later I was singing with them in front of
fifty thousand people. That's kind of wild.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
Look, that's wild.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I've just I've been really fortunate to to collab with
a lot of incredible artists who are really kind and generous,
and I just don't know I want to do to
thank you. People don't just pick up folks for fun.
Oh I know, I don't take it for granted. That's
really cool, and I just I don't know. I want
to keep singing, and you know, and one day if
I'll be in a position and I get to extend
(21:38):
that same like that same generosity and just invitation to
be a part of something I'm doing. So I'm excited
They've They've shown me a lot of what I aspire
to do and be when I get to that point
in my career.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
I'm so happy that you came, and I want to
come to one shows. Please invite me.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
You always invited.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yeah, and I'm bringing a bunch of people with me
for you, black people with me.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Yes, Yes, turn it out. Oh God.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
My super Life is available now before tour days. Check
out Bringing Friend the dot com.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Explore more shows from The Daily Show podcast universe by
searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts. Watch
The Daily Show weeknights at eleven ten Central on Comedy
Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
This has been a Comedy Central podcast
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.