ep9 Brandi Sidoryk is in Nice Horse

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You know, I think what reallyfuels the recent success of a
movie, like a complete Unknownabout Bob Dylan or previously
with the Johnny Cash biopic Walkthe Line is going beyond
documentary and presenting afirst person view of their own
experience, seeing their storyas their own, developing empathy

(00:21):
by witnessing the struggles, theheartaches, and the little
victories early on.
That kept them going.
And I mean, it's cool seeing allthe bullshit Bob and Johnny had
to put up with, but what theworld really needs is a Dolly
Parton biopic.
I mean, now there is someone whohas seen some bullshit, right?

(00:41):
I can't imagine the stories ofwhat she had to put up with
endure.
Fight through would've madeJohnny wear an even darker shade
of black.
Our guest today is Brandy Sador,one half of the country band
nice horse, an effortlesslyoptimistic and encouraging
talent who has also seen somebullshit.

(01:03):
And if I can boldly draw a linebetween Brandy and Dolly,
neither has led it, define themor their careers.
These kinds of stories becomegreat movie arcs.
Okay, because they inevitablycapture one of our collective
favorite themes of overcomingadversity and knowing there is

(01:23):
more to us than the events welived through.
Brandy Sador is amulti-instrumentalist vocalist,
bassist guitarist, French hoist,a musician in the Royal Canadian
Navy.
And founding member of AlbertaCountry Band Nice Horse, a band
who has garnered steady praiseand awards for their music and

(01:44):
creative efforts, both locallyand nationally with the Canadian
Country Music Association overthe span of multiple albums and
singles in the past 10 years.
My name is Glenn Erickson.
This is almost famous enough.
Thanks for spending your timewith us.
This is Brandi Sidor.

Glen Erickson (02:17):
So, well, I mean, Brandi, the first, the first
thing I was honestly gonna belike, I was gonna be like, I was
gonna set the table with a bunchof stuff maybe, and then I was
like, but before we do that, Ineed to make sure the guy you're
living with isn't around.
'cause he's a total skelly wagor whatever term

Brandi (02:33):
Look, look.
Yeah.
He can be a real distraction.
So I told him, he is around,he's downstairs right now, but
he said he's, he promised me notto be a distract.
He won't be a distraction.

Okay.

Brandi (02:45):
Yeah.
Just, just, you never know whenhe might appear.

Okay.
full transparency.
'cause nobody loves an insidejoke on a podcast.
is partnered up with my formerband mate, Rob Angus, who's,

Brandi (02:59):
Yes.

both an incredible, wonderful, warm
hearted and, Absolute, jokesterof a boy sometimes.
So, uh, I love every

Brandi (03:10):
He is all those things.

lucky you, lucky you.
Better you than

Brandi (03:15):
I

all that stuff.

Brandi (03:17):
I, well, look, you were being in a band with him.
You, you've been, you've beenpartnered with him for
technically longer than I have,so, you know, you know better
than me.
But he did, he did ask me beforegoing on the podcast with you
today, he said, how, how are youand Glen gonna find enough stuff
to talk about me for two wholehours?
I said, I don't think we'retalking just about you.

I wouldn't expect him to frame that any other way.
Completely, honestly.
I just love, I just love thatwhen I reached out to ask you,
it was not even two full minutesbefore I got a text in all caps
about, uh, me asking you and nothim.
So, but

Brandi (03:58):
Yeah.

spent way too much time talking about him for
his ego,

Brandi (04:01):
Yeah, he's, he got his, he got his five minutes.
He is no more of, no more ofthis podcast.

That's all he gets.
Well, Brandi of Nice Horse.
I am talking, to now whatmathematically is one half of
Nice Horse.
Right.

Brandi (04:15):
Yes.
Mm-hmm.

you're kind of, you've been sitting with that
now for a year.

Brandi (04:21):
Mm-hmm.

I mean, this is 2025, so I think this is the
10th year since you formed as aband.
And I don't know if you guys

Brandi (04:30):
is.

the Hawaii story, the official forming or if when
you started actually makingsongs, ev every band maybe
considers it differently.
When do you consider when Nicehorse actually formed?

Brandi (04:44):
Yeah, I think it is that Hawaii trip, so in July of 2015.
Be, and to be honest, that isactually when we started writing
songs as well together as agroup.
because I was, I had sort of, asyou know, I was in a project
called Sydney York prior to NiceHorse.
And, and we had, uh, you know,had gone through the gamut of

(05:06):
our career and, and you know, inall the, all the ups and the
downs and the trials and thetribulations.
And at that time, Sydney York,who was my band mate, Krista
Woodley and myself, we had sortof taken a bit of a break from,
from Sydney, York.
We just needed to step back.
We had been doing a lot oftouring and we just, we just
wanted to reassess.

(05:27):
And for me, that meant kind ofgetting back to what was the
most important to me in music inthe first place, which is
songwriting.
So I, had in the, in 2015, haddone a series of month long
songwriting trips where I justrented my own house out on
Airbnb and went somewhere elsein the world to just feel

(05:48):
inspired, feel creative andwrite.
And so I, I spent a month inParis that year.
coincidentally at the same timeas the Paris attacks, which was,
quite the time to be in Paris,and I spent a month in Hawaii.
And when I spent that month inHawaii, I, I invited some of my,
favorite.
Collaborators to join me, which,uh, were Krista that the time

(06:13):
was, uh, you know, also on abreak from Sydney, York.
She had been my band mate andco-writer for years.
And, and, uh, Katie Rox who, wasa friend for in the, in the
music community for years.
She was doing a solo projectand, and I loved her writing
And, and Kayleigh Bird, who isalso a solo artist, um, who had

(06:33):
I had toured with for, um, inthe years prior as Sydney, York.
And so the four of us went to,to Hawaii and and I just invited
them'cause I'm like, come writesongs and have some my ties on
the beach with me and just, youknow, do be friends.
And, and what happened was wekind of,

what

Brandi (06:54):
we, we,

band,

Brandi (06:56):
yes, exactly.
And it was not intended.

And so now that I know that part of the story,
which I had never known before,how different would your life
look if something insteadhappened in France?
What kind of band would you bein now, if it was

Brandi (07:11):
Yeah.

French origin story, a

Brandi (07:14):
A French electro pop band.

who

Brandi (07:16):
Yeah.

you know, well, you French horn.
You could have, that's

Brandi (07:22):
Look,

of a stretch.
Um, that's a bit

Brandi (07:24):
yeah.

Not a

Brandi (07:25):
I've already played French horn in a pop band.

You have already played French horn.
Okay.
We're already digressing, but Ilooked it

Brandi (07:33):
Yeah.

what do, what are the most famous songs, you know,
with French, that feature FrenchHorn?

Brandi (07:38):
Oh, I, I

Brandi

Brandi (07:40):
this.

horn.

Brandi (07:42):
Yeah.
Well, I mean, look, there's alot of, there's a lot of great
horn parts in Brahms symphonies.
I would also say there's a lotof good Wagner horn parts, but
I, but probably the thing thatis most popular, I mean, is
probably Peter and the Wolf.
Yeah, people like know becausethey like hear the
instrumentation and theyactually then can, but what

(08:04):
about, what about all theRobinhood soundtrack, like John
Williams, like tons ofsoundtrack stuff.
He uses French horn, which is

went right to actual orchestral music because
you're also trained, so you havethis entire library.
I have none of that libraryimmediately anywhere near my
frontal lobes, so I immediatelywas just going to like, pop
songs,

Brandi (08:27):
like pop music.

they're, and they're all very old, like,

Brandi (08:32):
Was it like Beatles stuff was

that I, well, Beatles used it.
Yeah.

Brandi (08:35):
mm-hmm.

there's clearly stuff written about McCartney
being the first to try to slidein some orchestral arrangements
in some

Brandi (08:44):
Yes.

uh,

Brandi (08:45):
Mm-hmm.

necessarily favorable with some of the
others, but, Yeah, definitelysome of the Beatles songs that
are in there and SergeantPeppers is

Brandi (08:53):
Mm-hmm.

throw to.
I was interested to find outthat they were saying they think
The Stones, You Can't Always GetWhat You Want, which is my
favorite Stone song features

Brandi (09:04):
interesting.

horn prominently, and they say Neil Young's After
The Gold Rush, which now I'mgonna have to go

Brandi (09:10):
Oh,

and listen to also.

Brandi (09:12):
and I will too.
And, and you're, you're speakingof, um, not having some of that
classical orchestral music, uh,at the front, uh, the front of
your mind, uh, when we'retalking about this.
But you will notice I also havesome really interesting, unique
gaps in my music repertoirebecause I spent a lot of time, a
lot of my formative yearsengulfed in orchestral or

(09:35):
classical music on opera and,and country.
Those are my, those like.
Those are the, the, the genresthat I really know.
And so I have some reallyinteresting gaps that I'm
sometimes embarrassed to admit.
Like if, particularly in likeclassic rock, like I have some
really big gaps there that,every, every other human in the

(09:58):
world knows except for me itseems like.

Well, seems to know.
I think it's the way we alwaysproject our on ourselves though,
right?
Like we go into a place and wethink we should know this'cause
of

Brandi (10:09):
Yeah.

or

Brandi (10:11):
Yeah.

But everybody, everybody has their gaps and
then everybody fakes it and thenthey wait for that one moment.
They can throw out that onerelevant tidbit that they know
in a room, right?
But I don't

Brandi (10:22):
I suppose that's true.
And it's, and that's funny pointthat you say that too, because I
feel like, especially in thelast five years of my music
career, I've really tried tomake a point of, of.
Being so honest about what mygaps are, um, not just to
myself, but like in, within theindustry and publicly too,
because I feel like that'ssometimes an easy trap to fall

(10:44):
into in the music industry.
Is

I think it's the

Brandi (10:47):
is um,

I'm being completely honest, is that,

Brandi (10:50):
yeah,

you're so desperate for opportunities and
chance validation that goes withit, but especially opportunities
that you will try to into anycostume that you need to in any
room, metaphorically, right.

Brandi (11:07):
yeah.
I,

and you get sucked

Brandi (11:10):
I

that.

Brandi (11:10):
right.

I have to be able to talk about everything and
know everything and be reallygood at everything.
All of that is, is that initialtrap I think.

Brandi (11:21):
Yeah, I think you're right like that.
It's almost like that innatelike desire to be respected
within the industry as soon asyou enter it.
And, and I know there's a lot offear.
Surrounding that.
And I think it comes from bothsides, artist and industry.
Um, like so often I think I'venever, I don't, because I also
love asking industryprofessionals for advice and

(11:42):
other artists for advice becauseI feel like it's information
gathering and, and I like tohear what people have to say.
Um, but rarely does somebodyever say to me, and I didn't
notice this until later, that iflike when I asked them a
question, would they say, Idon't know.
Which, I honestly think there'sa lot of questions most of us

(12:02):
don't know the answer to inmusic.
Um, like it's an ever changinglandscape and there's no
formula.
And so it's funny that, rarelydo you hear, I don't know.
I think people are scared to saythat, but I don't think, I think
that's a point of strength as,as opposed to a point of
weakness.

Yeah, I do too.
I think you'll instead hear,that's a really good question,
which is really just code for, Idon't know, but I'm stalling.

Brandi (12:26):
Yeah.

um,

Brandi (12:28):
darling.

know, it's also how they coach people to
actually talk in interviewsabout That's a really good
question.

Brandi (12:34):
Yeah.

puff up your interviewer, but, so

Brandi (12:36):
Yeah.

well, I've completely abandoned your
timeline before I even got intoyour timeline.
Um, but I have, but what youwere talking about just makes me
think of another interestingquestion in the industry though,
and that's do you think in yourobservation, that whole
willingness to sort of shed,what you don't know and sort of

(12:59):
that authenticity part, you weretalking about wanting the
approval in the industry andI've

Brandi (13:07):
Mm-hmm.

sort of, I think we all do, but, I'm gonna be
honest about it here is I, I'vealways had this judgment over
all my years that perhaps thepeople who look like they're
going for the approval of theindustry aren't confident in
gaining approval with fans andaudience or as successful and

(13:29):
even vice versa.
Like I've seen the people, seethese people who just
immediately like, we get jealousof them, right?
They just pick up a guitar andthen someone says, you should
come play.
And then everybody loves whatthey do right off the bat

Brandi (13:41):
Yeah, yeah,

they don't give a shit about the whole, like, no,
you gotta do it this way.
And you're supposed to knowthese people and you get all,
but they don't care about allthat kind of stuff.
It feels like always twodifferent people.
Maybe that's what I'm trying tosay

Brandi (13:54):
yeah.

even know if that's

Brandi (13:55):
I think.

just'cause you're really smart.
I thought I'd ask whether youthink I, you

Brandi (14:00):
I don't know if I'm really smart, but I do, I do
think that's,

I wanna know what you think.

Brandi (14:06):
I do think it's really interesting because I, I think
it almost boils down to, I thinkit boils down to personality
types.
And I, I think you're right.
There are those artists thatdon't appear to care what
anybody else thinks and pick upa guitar and, and write from the
heart and can produce somethingamazing.

(14:28):
And it's, and it's why theybecome respected.
but then there are, there arethe others, and I can, I think I
can put myself into thiscategory a bit, is like, I'm
not, I, I always say I'm not acapital a artist.
I'm a type A artist.
and the capital A artist to meis the one who doesn't care.

(14:49):
you know, the.
The business side of things isoften secondary.
They'll, they'll sit in a roomfor 12 hours and play.
Um, and that to me is alwayscapital A artist.
And, and I am a type A person.
I, I, I have had to like, I'm acreative, but I'm also Type A
and I've really had to managethat, how that looks and how,
how it, presents itself in mycareer, in my music career, um,

(15:13):
and how I balance the two.
and I've noticed that for me, Idon't like, I can't help but
care.
Like that's just gonna be me.
And I have to accept that it ispart of me though.
And I think that that's arelatable part of me and
something that deserves, to beshared.
From an artist's perspective, asmuch as the not caring, seems to

(15:36):
be, uh, deserves.
Its, its due in the, in thisartist realm.
And I think they're just,

Yeah.

Brandi (15:42):
different.
And I think what I think bothactually have some landmines
that can trip you up a littlebit when you're navigating not
just music, but a music career.

Yeah, I think they have merit and landmines.
You're right.
Maybe that's with

Brandi (15:56):
Mm-hmm.

was being a little harsh and very black and
white with that sort of judgmentstatement.
But

Brandi (16:02):
Mm-hmm.

you know, full transparency.
Probably a little bit of on mypart because I think that's
where I fit in which

Brandi (16:12):
Mm.

don't know that I ever felt fully confident as you
called it, as capital a artisteither.
But I

Brandi (16:18):
Yeah.

really good at all these other things that
seemed really important.
And

Brandi (16:24):
Yeah.

and it didn't take long till I learned that
perseverance was perhaps, uh, agreater characteristic than
talent when it came to a careerin music even.
So, there's all kinds of peopleon both sides and along the way.
For sure.
So let's, let's, uh, let's jumpback'cause I want to keep
talking about, I, I'm reallyinterested, like you've been

(16:47):
sitting for a year now, almost10 years as a, as a group.
Nice Horse since you

Brandi (16:52):
Mm-hmm.

in a way went back to your roots.
I know personally that's foryou.
Like the way you said, like youtime doing a lot of different
things classically trained.
You try this alt pop group andgo for a real hard run at it and
then kind of go back in thismoment with friends in Hawaii to
discovering kind of roots and,and probably just that

(17:15):
connection you had with oneanother that really made it come
out purely and

Brandi (17:18):
Yeah.

that.
then 10 years later, it's justdown to the two, two of you OGs
you've been sitting up on thatfor a year.
You have an album that was out,you know, last year

Brandi (17:33):
Yep.

that you've been sitting on.
And so kind of looking back 10year span, what do you feel, I'm
gonna ask you a big questionright off the bat and then we
can start like,

Brandi (17:45):
Okay.

up.
But what do you feel causeyou've had a bunch of, I'm gonna
call it probably the rug pulledout from under you moments, or a
handful of them.
Like you've had

Brandi (17:57):
Yes.

member changes a couple of times.
You had

Brandi (18:00):
Mm-hmm.

change with one of that original four.
You

Brandi (18:03):
Mm-hmm.

not going to jump into it.
My outside perception is thatwas a difficult one and
challenging for you guys, um,relationally and, then the most
recent one, I mean, Krista'sbeen with you forever, right?
You guys were really tight.

Brandi (18:20):
Mm-hmm.

of changes are hard.
So, but I don't wanna assumeanything.
So in a 10 year span, what arethe things or the thing that was
the most surprising?
In your career that you raninto.

Brandi (18:32):
Yeah, the most surprising thing.
I think the, I think that's,you're right.
Like we, we have had a lot ofmoments where I'm, I've, I've
kind of, you know, like, likethrown my hands up in the air
and been like, what, what next?
Like, what could possibly happennext?
Um, and, and a lot of difficultmoments and the, but I would say

(18:56):
like, as difficult as the bandmember changeups are, because
they obviously are, it, being ina band is, being in a band is
hard and.
And like it's, it's equivalentto breaking up with a person
like Krista.
And I joke about this all thetime, like that we've probably,
like, we've probably have morefinance financial endeavors

(19:18):
together, like more shared bankaccounts than I have had with
any partner in my life.
Like that's like, and, and to behonest, with all of the touring
we did often in Sydney work withlike five people to a hotel
room.
I've probably shared a bed withKrista Moore than I have shared
with some of my partners.
Like, that's like, that's justthe honest truth.

(19:40):
And, and so those things arealways really, really hard,
because it's hard to, this isn'ta business where you go Monday
to Friday, nine to five, and yousee these people and then you
have this separation from them.
There's, um, the line of thelines of separation are often
blurred.
And we were, we're all friendswhen we started, so they were

(20:01):
even more blurred.
Those, all of those, bandchangeups were very hard, but
also not, also veryunderstandable because keeping
people together, in for longperiods of time is hard and the
industry is hard and there's alot, a lot of, it's hard to be

(20:25):
sustainable.
And so, so the financial, uh,stress of it, paired with, you
know, with the creative side,like having all of those
creatives, um, contributing, um,that it's, it makes it, it makes
it very, and and alsomotivations.
Everybody does this.
Keeping four people motivated onthe same track, with the same

(20:49):
values over, over, like thecourse of your life as you're
changing and growing is notalways realistic.

It's not

Brandi (20:57):
Yeah.
And,

hope.
You

Brandi (20:59):
and

can ride it out together.
'cause you're always gonna

Brandi (21:02):
absolute.

wave.
Yeah.

Brandi (21:04):
Absolutely.
And, and I know that like, Iknow that, like, I can think of
one of those band memberChangeups being like, really
just, I, I think a difference inwhere, what we expected, what
we, and what we wanted out ofbeing in a band.
And there are different, thereare so many different ways a
band can look and none of themare wrong.

(21:25):
Like none of them are wrong.
You can be, you can be gunningfor, to be playing stadiums or
you can be playing in a garageband like.
Once a month, and neither ofthose things is wrong.
And it's, but be because thereare so many different places on
the spectrum, you can land, itmight not work and not everyone

(21:45):
might have the same sharedvision and someone's vision
might change over the course oftime.
And, and that's really how itfelt.
It doesn't make it any easier.
Um, but it, that is truly whathappens.
And, and with and with, I candefinitely speak to, to Krista,
leaving Nice horse just over ayear ago.
for me that was so hard.

(22:05):
Krista is my best friend and,remains so.
but it's hard.
It's, it was hard because herand I have been creatively
linked, um, for, for 15 years.
And so that's so being, beingthat creatively linked and it,
it's more the idea of like, ugh.
Like, are we still gonna findways to make music together?

(22:29):
Like, that was something thatwas kind of my first question.
But I also know being in a bandis hard and I know that it, I
know that it wasn't right forher anymore.
And, and I had to respect thatbecause I want, I also want the
best for her, just like shewants the best for me.
So, so I mean, as these thingsare hard, and I have, and I'll

(22:52):
be honest too, we, uh, we didtherapy as a band for years.
Like yeah.
Like, but because we thought itwas important.

yeah.
Well it's so like arelationship, like everything
you've been saying, right?
Sounds like things we could justbe talking right now about
relationships, not music

Brandi (23:11):
Yeah.

And but that's what happens when you get into a
band.
A hundred percent.
And I think, uh, everybody who'sdone it obviously knows just how
intensely down to all of theinside jokes and metaphors.
It's how true it is.
So, uh, the fact that you didtherapy.
I think it's actually reallyincredible and incredibly

(23:32):
mature, to put a stake or to, tonot put a stake that sounded
like the wrong version of theword.
invest in this, in the level ofstakes that you have the success
or the career that you

Brandi (23:46):
Yeah.

To like, take it that seriously.
I think that's prettyincredible.
Um,

Brandi (23:51):
you.

yeah.
I can only imagine how difficultthen that was.
moving on from that and nothaving that around.
I mean, we were joking at thestart about the guy in the
basement, uh, my band mate, andI know

Brandi (24:06):
Sounds like I'm keeping him in the basement, by the way,
when you say that.

I like it.
That's, that's, uh, I wanna keepthat picture for a while, so I'm
gonna keep referencing it thatway.

Brandi (24:15):
Okay.

Um, I floundered for five years when that band
ended because I didn't want toplay with anybody else.
I didn't want

Brandi (24:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.

my version and my vision of anything to anybody
else's songs, then those twoguys' songs.
So, um,

Brandi (24:33):
Mm-hmm.

it's really hard to get over.
So I creatively, not justpersonally the way you're
expressing your relationshipwith Krista and with the others,
but,

Brandi (24:42):
Mm-hmm.

when you've got that much invested.
So that Totally, totally makessense.
So Brandi, the, the thing that Iwas most surprised of when I
like crack open the laptop to dosome research on the things that
I don't know about you, becauseI've had the good fortune of
knowing you for quite a while.
I think

Brandi (25:01):
Yeah,

maybe we met in New York City.
Was it in New York City at, at

Brandi (25:09):
I don't think it was,

your shows?
Were you not at CMJ

Brandi (25:14):
no, it wasn't CMJ, but we maybe met, I, I was actually
trying to think about when wemet too.
because

South by, was it?
We

Brandi (25:22):
could have been south by,

American city at a

Brandi (25:25):
I bet you, I bet you it was Austin.
I bet you it was Austin.
'cause Sydney York played anumber of times at South by, so
I bet you that was what it was.
Mm-hmm.

So, then obviously, you coming through
and then the, the band changeand you guys being in the Wa
thing and all of these things,ever since, um, had the good
fortune to know you and to watchthe career, uh, of the band, not
hard because you guys are soincredibly active on social

(25:55):
media, so it's very easy to keepup with you at the very least.
But, the thing I was sosurprised at was that your
self-titled record last year wastechnically only your second
album.
Over this entire span, right?
Like you,

Brandi (26:10):
Yes.

came out like, so you form, you decide in Hawaii,
I, I need a break.
I'm gonna go do theseinspirational things.
Four

Brandi (26:18):
Mm-hmm.

together, you, you find a spark, you decide to
go, like you came back withwhatever spark you had.
The four of you, like

Brandi (26:27):
Mm-hmm.

was visible to everyone around you because the
industry jumped on it quitequickly.
Like you had support, you weretouring for like, or opening for
acts that other people who hadbeen around a lot longer
probably were wanting thosespops and

Brandi (26:45):
Yeah,

out music, you put

Brandi (26:46):
I,

EP and then a full length within 18 months of
that period, right?
And so you

Brandi (26:53):
yeah,

very fast trajectory and I was just so
surprised that this was thenext, was this full length
thing.
So.

Brandi (27:02):
I know.

Tell me a little bit about that journey.
That's a different journey.
I mean, I have assumptions Idon't want to make them, so I'm
just curious about how you seewhat that journey was between
that quick start and the wholeidea of an album to that gap,
which may not feel like

Brandi (27:18):
Yeah.
Oh, it feels like a gap.
I can tell you it felt like apainful, painful, excruciating
gap.
So, and actually you, you askingwhat the hardest thing has been
in the last, like, in this 10years of nice horse, I would say
this is it.
for, and I, for me, well therewere two reasons.

(27:40):
I think two major reasons thatwe, um, we didn't release a
second record until last year,second full length record until
last year.
one of them was the pandemic.
We were very much, um, we, thepandemic was not good for
anybody, but in terms of thetimeline of nice horse's career,

(28:00):
it came at a pretty.
Catastrophic time.
for, for us, we had justreleased, our first single to
radio and it went top 40 and wecouldn't do a thing about it.
We were, we even started thepandemic in a, in a like, kind
of, in a, in a stressful placebecause we were in Switzerland

(28:24):
when, it was announced thatborders were starting to close.
We were on Switzerland and onplaying shows and, and, uh, we
struggled to get back and nicehorse, uh.
Ha has been like a long distanceband, um, spread across the
country, uh, for we've, we'venever all lived in the same
city.

(28:44):
So when we got back to Canada,and I remember landing in
Pearson and us being like, okay,everybody, we'll see you in a
couple of weeks when this allblows over.
And, and one of us went to theirhome in, in London, Ontario, and
one went to their home inVancouver.
And, and, uh, and two of us wentto our homes in Alberta.

(29:06):
And, and that was, that, thatcouple of what we thought was
gonna be a couple of weeks wasabsolutely not a couple of
weeks.
And, and so it just came, we, wehad a, we had a single that did
well at radio that we couldn'ttour.
We couldn't capitalize on atall.
And it really, we had, we wereon such a good trajectory and it
just really kind of took thewindow out of our sails.

(29:28):
Um, but that, I can't, I can'ttruly blame it all on the
pandemic.
How, however, I think that's apart of it that is really, that
did really stunt us.
Um, but the other thing is, andthis one is, this is the, this
one is the hardest, um, uh, evento talk about it from, it's

(29:49):
hard.
But, um, we, from the verybeginning of Nice Horse, and
you're right, we were, we weregiven some opportunities that we
were so grateful for so early inour career.
We were all in, we were allmusicians in different projects
before, and none of that stuff.

(30:09):
None of those opportunities werelost on us.
We knew how important they wereand how lucky we were to have
them so early on in the, in, uh,the career of Nice horse.
But, um, we also werecontinually being saddled with
the perception that Nice horsewas a gimmick because we were

(30:30):
all women.
It was said to us so many times,I too many to count.
Which was so frustrating and soconfusing to us because we were
all friends and we all, and itwas the, to be honest, one of
the most organic starts of aproject I'd ever had.

(30:52):
And I couldn't understand, Icouldn't wrap my head around the
fact that just because we werewomen, we were being perceived
as a gimmick.
It was so.
It was so frustrating and, andalso to be honest, pretty
motivating.
Like, we knew.
We knew because that was, wewere getting that feedback so
much that we're like, okay,what?

(31:15):
Like, let's look at other bands.
Let's look at our peers in theindustry and what they're doing,
and let's just aim to be threetimes better than all of them,
because that's just what we kindof had to, that's where, that's
where our brains had to go.
We're like, we can't be as good.
We have to be better, and wehave to aim for that.
Um, so that was, that was a bigpart.

(31:37):
Yeah.

I mean, a, the

Brandi (31:39):
Mm-hmm.

said is the unfortunate thing women have had
to bear for a very long time inall kinds of

Brandi (31:45):
Yeah.

That they can't

Brandi (31:47):
Mm-hmm.

they have to be better or they'll be dismissed
completely.
Uh, but if I can just, like, I'dlove to sort of just drill a
little bit into where thosevoices were coming from that
were considering you a gimmick.
Like how close to you were thosevoices or were they, were they
Alberta industry voices?

(32:10):
Were they the, when you weretrying to get into the wider
industry, was it in countrymusic or was it wider than that?
I'm wondering where those voiceswere coming from that that

Brandi (32:20):
I think it was, it was largely in country music.
Um, there are a few, uh, Albertavoices that, that had mentioned
it.
Not people that had known usvery well, mind you.
but, a lot from radio.
and, and from, from buyers, fromfestival buyers.
Um, there was a, there was afestival that we played, um,

(32:43):
fairly early on in our careerand all, just never forget this,
but, and it really feels likeit, I think it, as much as this
frustrated me and hurt me, Ithink about this all the time.
And so I guess I, in a way, Ican thank this promoter because
I, I'm so mindful of this, uh,this fact, as a woman, making my

(33:04):
way through the industry and,and acting as hopefully a mentor
for emerging artists.
Um, I remember we were playingthis festival and our agent had
warned us that they were alittle on the fence about
booking us in the first place,but they did eventually book us
and we played the show and weplayed a, a really good show.

(33:25):
And afterwards he came up to mebackstage and said, wow, that
was great.
He said, I've gotta be honest, Iwas reluctant to book you
because last time we had an allfemale act, they weren't very
good.
And immediately I.
Uh,

Yeah.

Brandi (33:46):
yeah.
And so I said, I said to him, Iwas like, have you ever had an
all male band that wasn't verygood?
And then after that, immediatelystop hiring every other male
band ever.
Like that's, that's, to methat's

used that

Brandi (34:03):
of what

All male band.
Right.

Brandi (34:05):
Yeah, exactly.
Like

in the history of

Brandi (34:07):
nobody,

been done other

Brandi (34:09):
nobody.
And no,

sort of derogatorily

Brandi (34:14):
it's,

too.

Brandi (34:15):
it's true that in itself.
But I, I remember saying like, Iknowing, I, I knew in that
moment that other women were inthe industry were always gonna
be judged by what we did.
And that might, and it's notfair.
But it's the reality that wehave to face right now.

(34:36):
And, and that knowledge ispowerful in itself.
And,

Mm-hmm.

Brandi (34:40):
and so that made me think every single time, like
about, and, and I mean, look,everyone in Nice Horse is, has
always been professional,respectful there.
Like every one of the women thathas been in Nice Horse, I, um, I
think of as like veryprofessional and, and has

(35:00):
always, always, like, theirdeportment in the industry is
always amazing.
I'm very proud to have workedwith such professional women.
but I, but we always like downto like, okay, everybody, let's
make sure the green room isspopless, because we don't wanna
be the people, we don't wanna bethe women that made it harder

(35:20):
for the next women coming behindus.
So, and, and it might not befair, but.

like that, because you're saying there's
guys like that all over whowould take any small issue or
misperception from you andprojected onto every other
version could come after you.

Brandi (35:39):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And that's, and, and that I, Ido,

Brandi.
That's like a huge weight.

Brandi (35:45):
it is huge, but I think that it's also,

that

Brandi (35:48):
I all

Because that's,

Brandi (35:51):
look, it's come up, it's come up in my personal therapy,
that's for sure.

it's just so unfair.
Um,

Brandi (35:59):
Yeah.

should have to take that on.
Sorry.
Go ahead.

Brandi (36:02):
It's, it's okay.
That's, uh, like, you're right,it is unfair.
But I also do, I also believe inthe, like I believe in the
talent coming up.
Um, uh.
Of, of all genders.
I, and I want, I want to be,regardless of, regardless of men
or women, I wanna be a good rolemodel and I want to be

(36:25):
professional, and I want to be agreat musician.
And I, I wanna be able to do allof those things regardless of
whether it seems to be myresponsibility as a woman in the
industry too.

absolutely.

Brandi (36:37):
things anyways, so, so I, I do, I do accept that
responsibility because I thinkit is something that needs.
That I, I should be right now.
And, and I hope, I hope that,and, and I should say this too,
of all of these things, like I'msaying how people thought we
were a gimmick and we had like alot of animosity, um, like, you

(36:57):
know, or just like reluctanceabout an all female band.
That's not every, that's notevery single person in the
industry that said that.
And there were so many that werenot like that.
I, and, and I would never wantthose people who were such great
supporters to feel like, theircontribution to, to helping lift
us up.
Um, is s slated in any way?

(37:18):
and I hope that those peoplecontinue to do the, to make that
positive change because, um, allof those things are helpful.
But then, but until weexperience that cultural change,
the broader cultural change iswhen it is truly going to get
better, and more equitable forartists no matter what your
gender is.

I think like even was having a conversation, if I
can be frank about the podcastand with somebody who was asking
me about my diversity choices,if you can believe.
Right?
So, and there was a moment whereI realized what they were asking
me was, are you gonna make sureyou get the female opinion?

(38:02):
But

Brandi (38:03):
Hmm.

really asking is, am I gonna get the female
opinion on the female issues inthe industry?
Which is kind of what we'retalking

Brandi (38:10):
Interesting.
Yeah.

that I felt so bothered by that framing
because, you know, I just wantthe female opinion on the

Brandi (38:20):
Yeah,

on the career.
I don't need it on the femaleissues alone.
Despite that, they get

Brandi (38:26):
yeah,

in marquee because there

Brandi (38:27):
yeah.

equity or equality across the board.
A hundred

Brandi (38:32):
Yeah.

In fact, I, I had written down Brandi, a question
about has the experience as thefemale artist changed though in
your 10 years?
I was curious and then I wasn'tsure if I wanted to say that for
the reasons I just said, like,but you

Brandi (38:47):
Yeah,

had the

Brandi (38:49):
I,

series about shit people say to nice horse and
being labeled a girl group.
But, but you

Brandi (38:55):
Yeah.

and then me wondering about have things
changed.
It makes me think of, um, likeanother Alberta country artist
who you've worked with, HaileyBenedict, who I actually, I've
asked her on Instagram if shewants to come on and she hasn't
responded.
So if, if you see her, you cangive her a kick and say, I
actually want to talk to herabout her career.

(39:18):
But, um,

Brandi (39:20):
poker.

I'm pretty sure, I know because I've sat down and
talked to her and I've seen itmore and more that she gets this
gimmick response because she'strying to be really good at
playing lead guitar and gets putin, you know, a different
version of a box than you guysdid.
But I'm, you know, I'm, so,

Brandi (39:41):
Yeah.

wondering, like, have things ever have things not
changed?

Brandi (39:45):
Yeah,

she's still

Brandi (39:46):
yeah,

like, called out or criticized or put in a box,
um, or misunderstood primarily.

Brandi (39:54):
yeah.
Well, and I will say this, like,I think I, um, I think Hailey,
Is is very good at playing leadguitar like I think she is, and
she's continuing to improve.
Like she is really good and,and, and it's, and but yeah,
people will always say thingslike trying to be really good,
heaven forbid somebody, um, showtheir progress as an artist and

(40:18):
their formative years.
Um, getting, like, to me that'salso also the most important
thing about Hayley is I thinkshe showed a lot of her, her
progress as a, as a leadguitarist, online.
And that resonated with people.
People, she has a followingbecause of her honesty in, in
her development as an, as aguitar player and as an artist.

(40:40):
And I think that's reallyamazing and, uh, something that
should be.
Um, celebrated about her insteadof scorned, which like, and that
not, I'm not saying people havescorned it, but people are
people, I mean, especially insocial media and the internet
can be, can be sort of harsh andunnecessarily.
Um,

Sort

Brandi (41:00):
absolutely.
Yeah.
But, but I also do, I alsothink, an artist like Hailey,
and I think that we, found thistoo in our career is that it did
get easier.
I can't tell though because it'shard, because I can't change, I
can't change my perspective.
I'm here in my body and in, inmy air, like, you know, in my

(41:23):
sphere.
And it's hard for me to see, um,what's happening outside of
that.
I can only assume and, andgather information from other
people, but I don't, I can'ttell if it's easier because we
worked to gain the respect and.
Us now personally have ha havesome respect and some, and, um,

(41:44):
that within the industry thatmakes it easier for us.
And I know Hailey is likelyfeeling the same, um, because
she has been doing great thingsand, uh, and she is, um,
earning, um, and has earned, uh,well-deserved respect in the
industry.
So it's hard to tell whetherit's it is actually, um,

(42:06):
systemic change or if it's justchange within our sphere.
Um, but I'm grateful for both.
Yeah.

see, this is what I love about you, Brandi, is
this incredible optimism andthat you tell all of these
stories with such a smile onyour face, um, despite you
getting, you know, having totell me a story about how you
got the shit hand of the decksometimes.
I, I do

Brandi (42:30):
yeah.

that, I mean, I mean, look at it like, like what
Hailey's doing.
Lindsay l already carved a path,a girl right out of

Brandi (42:38):
Mm-hmm.

right?
And so

Brandi (42:40):
Yep.

is an incredible artist in her own right.
She also her playing out front.
Nobody's comes outta the gate oris ever born great at the thing
that they do right off the bat.
And it's people who allowthemselves to be seen as
improving.
I mean, the fact that Lindsayjust finished a run of shows,
being the league guitar on theShania

Brandi (43:03):
Yeah.

like any guitar player of any gender, any era so
far needs that long.
To get that good, to be the onechosen to play those shows.
Right.

Brandi (43:17):
Yeah.
And I, and we don't have thesesame conversations often.
Yeah.
And like I, I think there are, Ithink there are

a fact.
It's just a

Brandi (43:25):
no, yeah, exactly.
And look, I think Lindsay'sanother great example like that
woman.
Like she chipped through bedrockto get through this industry.
She has worked so hard and,

Yeah.

Brandi (43:39):
and I have a, I have a great deal of respect for, I
have, there's so many peoplethat I can just say so proudly
that I have so much respect for,um, that are my peers in this
industry.
And I, and I love to see themmaking positive change.
And, and it's funny that yousay, um, that my, that I tell
you these stories with a smileon my face.

(44:00):
I honestly think the reason is,is because like, yeah, like I
feel like I've, you know, I'vebeen kicked quite a bit in this
industry and I don't like that.
I, it's, it's hard.
It's crushing.
Um, but I will, I love music.
Like when I really, and I'vebeen thinking about that so
much, particularly in the lastyear of my life and of my

(44:23):
career, um, when I stripeverything away.
All of the things that, and, andyou can relate to me on this
because you were just talkingabout how yeah, you're a good
musician, but you're like goodat all of these other business
things too that are important tothe industry side of things.
Um, and indirectly reallyimportant to a music career.

(44:45):
Like I feel the same waysometimes.
Like I can, like I'm a bit of a,a music industry multi-tool.
Um, not for lack of a betterword, calling myself a tool,
but, um, when I strip it allaway, what I love to do, not
what I have to do, not what Ineed to do, not what I do, uh,

(45:06):
to progress this forward andthis forward when I strip it all
away.
What I love to do is music and Ilove to create, and that to me
is what puts a smile on my face.
Because, and, and it's probablythe reason why, you know, we
persevere through all of thisstuff is because when I really
do strip it all away.
It's the music and I am

Yeah.

Brandi (45:28):
gonna smile every day I get to make music.

Well, Brandi, I mean, that's incredible.
And I mean, this is, I thinkit's a little more than that.
Anyone who's actually been in aroom with you just knows that
you're a vibe and, and you'refantastic to be around.
And I think you've just alsobeen blessed with, uh, some
incredible character.
So, but I

Brandi (45:48):
Thank you.

it's funny, I have to call myself out because
I asked you like, has anythingchanged in this industry?
This is why it takes so fuckinglong to change.
Brandi I just caught myselfbecause I knew of Lindsay L when
she was still a teenager.
Right when she was just writingwith Randy Bachman and, and,

Brandi (46:10):
Mm-hmm.

and because of that, I have this thing locked
in where I just let the phraseescape a girl from Alberta and I
have no business calling her agirl.
Right.
Um, many years down the road,that's what is so hard to
change, right?
Is um, it's the people that looklike me who call the shots and

(46:32):
make decisions and yeah, I triedto just, I'm not tooting my
horn.
I tried to just call myself onit and I just fully recognize
how many don't, and

Brandi (46:41):
but that's the thing.
I, I think you're so right,Glen.
Like I think that the importantpart is like we creating,
creating lasting culturalchanges really hard.
We've, we're literal we're, wesee it, it's like so in our
faces every single day rightnow.
Especially how hard and howsometimes fleeting, even ch like

(47:04):
how unfortunately fleetingthings that we thought had
changed can be unchanged in a,in a heartbeat.
Um, and so I think that's, butI, and.
But I also don't think it'srealistic for us to, uh, assume
that nobody will ever make amistake again in terms of, uh,
uh, of, you know, saying, sayingsomething the way people ha used

(47:29):
to say it.
I think, I think the biggestpart is if it's something that
you maybe feel you shouldn'thave said, or you should have
said a different way, trulycalling, like calling your own
self out on it makes it, makesit okay.
Like, you know, you are givingyourself the ability to change
and grow and sometimes thathappens in front of people, but

(47:49):
you have to be also willing tochange and grow.
And I think that's the biggestthing.

Yeah.
so let's, let's put the gimmickything to bed because, um,
everybody has to know that whatI was most fascinated about, the
four of you when you firststarted, and really all the way
along I.
Was like, yeah, you went and yougot together in Hawaii, you
formed country band.
Yeah.
Like not all of you were countryright away, or whatever reasons.

(48:16):
People, I don't know, wouldinfuse this reason.
They think it's a gimmick oryou're just trying to play, you

Brandi (48:23):
Mm-hmm.

you think is trendy or whatever they would
infuse in it.
what I saw firsthand was, Idon't think you were a bass
player before a Nice Horse.
And I know for a fact Krista wasnot a drummer before a Nice
Horse.
So I absolutely dare anybody toput together a gimmick band and
tell the people that they haveto learn the instruments at a

(48:47):
professional level thateverybody's going to expect for
you to even land one of thosegigs.
Like if you, like, not everybodymay know the name Tom Cochrane.
Right.
like a, you know, a Canadianrock icon who had.
Massive hits through the lateseventies and the eighties into

(49:08):
the nineties and before.
Life is a, like, he had a longcareer before.
Life is a highway.

Brandi (49:13):
Mm-hmm.

And now, you know, now for him, cars is a
daily occurrence, probably,unfortunately.
But so

Brandi (49:20):
Yeah.

aside a massive icon.
like, I've only played guitarand I would still be scared
shitless the first time I getthrown into an opening act with
an icon, right?
Like, let alone you, you, youdidn't have the years behind
learning that instrument that Ihad behind playing guitar at the
same age.
And, so when I say put thegimmicky thing to bed, I cannot

(49:43):
understand anybody not askingone contextual, critical
question to understand howincredible you all are as
musicians.
the

Brandi (49:53):
Thanks, Glen.

to your musicianship is absolutely
stunning.
And by stunning,

Brandi (50:00):
you.

I'm literally trying to achieve hyperbole.
I, I don't know, like I knowsome savants who can just pick
up every instrument and playthem.
I don't, I, I don't think youguys are savants, so it's, to me
that much more inspiring you hadto work your ass off to

Brandi (50:21):
Yeah,

good.

Brandi (50:23):
thanks Glen.

like you're playing your base on Instagram
all the time for people and

Brandi (50:28):
Yeah,

new licks and

Brandi (50:29):
yeah,

think is super fun,

Brandi (50:31):
yeah.

to

Brandi (50:32):
Well, I will, I will say, I will say this, Glen, so
I, I actually did play bassbefore Nice Horse.

Okay.

Brandi (50:40):
I, um, I've been, but so I, I actually was one of the few
members of Nice Horse who didplay my instrument before
joining Nice Horse.
I was in a, um, I was, uh, in, Iwas in a, um, a math rock band
called Beekeeper for a number ofyears.
Um, that was the same time thatI was in Sydney, York.
I was also in this math rockband.

(51:00):
And, um, I, I, uh, I played, Istarted playing bass, um, two
years after I started playingFrench horn when I was a kid.
So I have played bass for awhile.
Um, but it just wasn't myprimary for a really long time.
'cause I, I mean, I pursued mydegrees in classical voice.
I had.
It wasn't like always, I didn't,I didn't spend hours sitting in,

(51:22):
in the practice room practicingbass.
I spent hours in the practiceroom practicing voice.
Um, so, so it didn't, it, itdefinitely, my, my relationship
with bass definitely shifted atthe start of nice horse.
But, uh, but it was still aninstrument I played Krista,
however.
Had not played drums before, anNice Horse.

(51:43):
She is an incredible classicalbassoonist.
She's an an incredible musician.
And I would, when you say that,maybe we're not savants, if
there was one of us who wasgoing to be, I would say it's
Krista, I think she's

Mm.

Brandi (51:56):
one of the most incredible musicians I've ever
met.
And, uh, and she did, uh, shedid, uh, learn the drums for
nice horse.
And I think one of the biggestaccomplishments and something
I'm so proud of, I'm proud ofthe entire band for this, um,
but particularly of Krista, we,um, in, in 2022, we were all

(52:18):
nominated.
Um, on for our instruments atthe Canadian Country Music
Awards, which is the first timea band had all been nominated,
um, in 30 years since PrairieOyster.
And, uh, and Krista was thefirst woman to ever be nominated
in Drummer of the Year.
I'm intensely, intensely proudof her for that.

(52:41):
And I, and I'm proud of theYeah.
And I, I think that was, it was,it meant, um, it meant a, a lot
to, um, to have us all all be upthere for that.
And, and I think Krista, um,deserves a, a great deal of, of,
um, uh, like, of props for thatbecause she, she had started

(53:01):
playing that instrument, um,seven years prior.
So it's pretty, it's prettyincredible.
Absolutely.
But I will say this, uh, even,and this is the other thing that
made that, I mean, we kind, wekind of talked about it a bit,
um.
Earlier about how long it tookus to release a second record.
Um, we, uh, we battled becausewe, what was really important to

(53:27):
us as a band was that we were aband.
And, I might, I might be a leadvocalist and Katie might be a
lead vocalist, but our otherband members, their voice is
their instrument in, in thecontext of our recordings.
And it took us a long time torelease that record because we
recorded it two times over.

Yeah.

Brandi (53:50):
So we, because we continually had people telling
us, Not to play on our ownrecord.
And we had to fight tooth andnail and we would play and
people would take our parts offand, and it was, and look, and I
don't, here's the other thing isI don't fault any of these

(54:10):
people that were like, you haveto, you can't play on, we don't
want you to play on your ownrecord.
They, they all wanted us to fitin that tiny little pinhole of
country radio.
And they, so they were trying todo something, they were trying
to do something good for us.
They weren't there, there wasn'till intention.

(54:30):
The problem is, is that

this isn't, this one isn't, this one isn't just
subjective to sexism, right?
Like this is an industry

Brandi (54:38):
yes,

generally, and it's been around forever.
I remember, uh.

Brandi (54:43):
yes,

When I was younger, there was a band called
Switchfoot.
I don't know if you're familiar.
They

Brandi (54:48):
I.

grew out of the Christian rock into, and then
they had that, um, uh, a couplebig radio rock hits and,

Brandi (54:56):
Mm-hmm.

some people I knew in the industry told me.
So when they were Christian rocktop of that industry, they were

Brandi (55:04):
Mm-hmm.

on their own records and then they went to
record their mainstream labeland they sat there in the studio
and watched other people playtheir parts.
Like

Brandi (55:15):
Yeah,

this

Brandi (55:16):
I totally.

country music.
When you say a pinhole, thecountry music industry, if I'm
right, I think you would agreewith me, might have the smallest
of sound that they're choosingto

Brandi (55:27):
I know it, it is the truth.
And, and I and you're, you areso right.
What I like this issue thatwe're, that I'm talking about is
definitely not, um, it's, it'snot exclusive to women, but
because we were women andbecause of the, the barriers and
the hurdles we were alreadyfacing, it was more important to

(55:50):
us that we didn't.
And so that, like the, the wayit affected us, um, and what we
wanted to do and what we wantedto represent in music, because I
re when it comes down to it, Iwould rather be ma I would
rather make music that meantsomething to me and, and the

(56:11):
women that I'm creating musicwith, um, and may and have it
mean something, um, and, andcontribute to positive change,
um, as, as opposed to getting atop 10.
On country radio, to me

Yeah.

Brandi (56:26):
more meaningful.
and it's what I, and it's what Iwould love to if I like, and I
mean, I hu I say this veryhumbly because this is me being
presumptuous about leaving alegacy in music.
But if I was to leave a legacyin music, that's the one I would
want to leave.
So to me, that's, I, and thatwas, that was how we all felt.

(56:48):
And so that, but it took, we,we, we had to fight.
We had to fight for it, and wecouldn't, we, it was a real
struggle.
And, and so in the end, thatrecord was, was us.
But it was, but it was a hard,it was hard one,

yeah.
I mean, if

Brandi (57:06):
and it took us years.

me, mean, if anybody had told me, uh, I
wasn't gonna get to play, or thefour of us in my band.
We weren't the ones playing onour record, we would just set
Pax in.
Like, forget it.
Like there's not a

Brandi (57:20):
Yeah.

happen and I never

Brandi (57:22):
Mm-hmm.

consider the part of the fight that you're talking
about.
The fight for me just moved inmy own personal pride and, you
know, and preference and beliefin my band mates.

Brandi (57:34):
Yeah.

all

Brandi (57:35):
Yeah.

layers on top of it, but,

Brandi (57:38):
Well, and I will say this about your band in
particular because, uh, likeobviously you know that I love
your band like that, that waslike, not just because I'm
dating one of the band membersfrom the band, but, um, but but
you, you were an influentialband, like of an influential

(57:59):
band in, in for sure WesternCanada.
Like, there wasn't like a, likeas Sydney York, like you were,
The Wheat Pool was always in theconsciousness of the music, the,
the Western Canadian music sceneand.
You, the four of you would nothave been had the sound you had,

(58:21):
had you not all for played onit.
That's what made it special.
Like that's a part of the magic,um, is that the parts that you
played on guitar are the partsGlen would play on guitar.
Like that's like there were yourparts and they were distinct to
you and they didn't sound likeeverything else.
That's the beauty of, that's thebeauty of a band.

(58:42):
Like that's the whole point.

first of all, that's incredibly gracious of
you to say.
So thank you, Brandi.
I appreciate it.
And I didn't, and I hope Robdidn't put you up to it either,
so that's really nice.
Um,

Brandi (58:54):
Well, you know, you know, he didn't because he
didn't even wanna say hi.

it's true.
That's true.
Um, yeah, but I mean that's,it's so true.
Um, there was, there was a magicand I would hope everybody else.
is aspiring to play and comingup against these questions or
thoughts, or maybe evensomeone's posing it to them, the

(59:19):
level of belief you just need tocontinue to have in yourself and
the ones that you choose to makethis with and to be higher than
every other sound logic or, orindustry advice that you get at
any or workshop or anything.
Your level of belief in yourselfhas to be bigger right?

Brandi (59:41):
Absolutely.
And because, and because wetalked about this, this isn't
just a, a thing that femaleartists face.
It's, it's a thing that everyartist will o often face in
their career.
Um, you, like, you have to, youhave to be willing to invest
that belief in yourself becausethat, that is.

(01:00:02):
That is how you sustain being inthis industry.
If you don't believe in yourselfand you don't have enough
conviction in yourself to, tostand behind what you are doing
musically, you won't, you won'tgenerate any real artistic
change in the industry.
And, and, and that's like,that's I think a really
important part about being inmusic is, is creating new things

(01:00:26):
that haven't been heard before.
I, I would prefer to createsomething that hasn't been heard
before as opposed to somethingthat has been only heard, like
exclusively heard.
Like I, it just doesn't, itseems counterintuitive as an
artist.
And I'm not saying that it'swrong'cause I, I don't, I also
don't wanna slag any of thoseartists that, that fit that

(01:00:48):
pinhole.
I think artists that aregenuinely in that pinhole,
that's, that's really, amazing.
Because you've kind of won thelottery because who you are
genuinely and authentically fitswhat fits them, them, what they
want.

Glen Erickson (01:01:04):
well, because the pinhole

Brandi (01:01:05):
But that's not me.

with them.
They didn't, they didn't createthe pinhole.
You can't, you can't create apinhole.
Right.
Like

Brandi (01:01:13):
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.

artists through history have had the level of
influence, and we're talking onmaybe two hands, right?
In all of

Brandi (01:01:21):
Yeah.

history have had the level of influence to
actually create the pinhole thatthe industry then wants to push
everybody else through.

Brandi (01:01:30):
Yeah, yeah.

it's somebody in the industry.
The gatekeepers, the ones whodetermine the flow of money are
generally deciding what thatlooks like.
Country is

Brandi (01:01:40):
Yeah.

di.
Dependent successfully on radiofor airplay.
they're

Brandi (01:01:46):
Mm-hmm.

gatekeepers on that pinhole.

Brandi (01:01:50):
Yeah.

I, I mean, I was gonna ask you a question about,
'cause uh, in pop music thisyear, it was like almost I was
it a hundred percent female,almost like, like the Grammys

Brandi (01:02:02):
There was some epic representation.

back.
But besides that, it was sofemale and it was wonderful.
It still feels like countrymusic far behind that.
But rather than continue to diginto that stuff,

Brandi (01:02:15):
I, yeah.

you, you've spent a nice long time talking about
stuff that isn't the most funpart of the job or the industry
for you.
So let's spin it around a bit.
'cause I've talked about

Brandi (01:02:25):
Yeah.
Let's do that.

pulled outta you guys.

Brandi (01:02:29):
Yeah.

some pretty awesome things happen in the
last little while.
So, uh, can you tell me aboutsome of them and where they rank
for you?
Like the, I.
You guys seem so incrediblypleased you singing the national
anthem at like, you know, in,was it in Seattle at football,
at

Brandi (01:02:48):
Yeah, so we actually did two pretty epic, uh, Anthem
performances last year.
Um, one was for the SeattleSeahawks Buffalo Bills game, uh,
in October of last year.
And the other one was singingthe Anthem at the uh, MLB All
Star Game last year.

is absolutely Okay, so how do you land that
gig Brandi?
Like how do you

Brandi (01:03:13):
Okay.

gig?

Brandi (01:03:15):
This is, this is one of those things that hilariously
enough, um, uh, I can thank, uh,I can thank for both of those
actually.

I.

Brandi (01:03:24):
an amazing Albertan Canadian, uh, Keenan Vine, who
is, who does a ton of radioproduce or rodeo producing, um,
in Canada and south of theborder.
And he was asked to, uh, do the,the opening sequence for the MLB
Allstar game.
the be like being in Texas.
They wanted something very likeWestern, uh, inspired.

(01:03:47):
And so they were really, theywere looking for, uh, country
artists to sing the anthems.
And, uh, Cody Johnson sang theAmerican Anthem, for the All
Star game.
And when it came to choosing,uh, the choice for the Canadian
anthem, uh, Keenan, put our nameand two other very incredible
artists' names forward.

(01:04:07):
And, uh, the, and the MLB pickedus.
And so it was a, it was anincredibly big honor to have
been chosen, to do that.
And it was also just, it wasjust a mind blowingly like
humbling opportunity to do it.
It was like, that's definitelythe most people I've ever played
for or performed for, in mylife.

(01:04:29):
And what was further was theytold us before, before we went
to do the anthem, they said tous very firmly, the Canadian
anthem does not get televised.
The American anthem getstelevised, but the Canadian one
does not.
And we'd had some friends whohad done the, the anthem, the
Canadian anthem at the MLB AllStar game and they confirmed
that.

(01:04:49):
Um, so we went in thinking.
Just, just we're performing tolike 40,000 people in, in the
stadium, which is also alreadyhuge.
But that's it.
And then we, uh, and we sang theanthem, and then we, we got off
the, uh, we got off the fieldand our, and our phone started

(01:05:11):
going off with these peoplebeing like, oh my gosh, I saw
you sing the anthem.
And, and in my brain I'm like,these people aren't all at this
game.
Like, what the heck?
And it turns out that they didactually televise it, which, and
the MLB All Star game is likebroadcast.
There's like a 7 millionviewership on at the Allstar for
the Allstar game.

(01:05:32):
So we had no idea that that washappening.
It was a absolutely, it was avery unforgettable experience
for us.
It was amazing.

That's really cool.
I mean, I think it's pretty coolyou even knew some other people
who had already had thatexperience.
I don't know anybody else who'shad that experience.
So now I know someone who hasbeen able to

Brandi (01:05:50):
Yeah.

I think that's super cool, um, if I ever have
to call on somebody for someinformation.
tell me also about, so you'vegot this long history, I'm gonna
say it wrong, so I need you tocorrect me, whether it's with
cadets

Brandi (01:06:04):
Okay.

Navy Cadets,

Brandi (01:06:06):
Oh

the specific, uh, designation is of your

Brandi (01:06:11):
yeah.
So, so I'm, uh, I have been amember of the Royal Canadian
Navy, uh, since I was 18, soyeah, I never was a part of
cadets.
I went straight into like full.
Navy.
but I am, and I still amactively serving act.
In fact, after we talk today, Iwill be going directly to the

(01:06:31):
Navy to work for them.
So,

so awesome.
And so

Brandi (01:06:34):
yeah.

for them?
You've been able to like do somepretty cool stuff lately, right?

Brandi (01:06:39):
Yeah.
I've had, I, I mean, I'm so, uh,I'm very thankful for my
military career.
I, I am a musician in the Navy,so I play, uh, I joined as a
French horn player.
Uh, but to truth be told, they,uh, uh, they needed a vocalist.
And at the time in the NavyReserves, they were not allowed
to hire vocalists.

(01:07:00):
But I was a vocalist who alsoplayed French horn.
So, um, so I joined when I was18 and going to university in
Toronto.
because I was like, well, I canplay French horn and.
I'm a vocalist first, so I, Iimmediately joined there and
have been working as a Frenchhorn player, bass player, and
vocalist with them since then.

(01:07:21):
Um, but my, my role, shiftedduring the pandemic, uh, a
little bit, um, because I,largely, my experience in the
military had been, as amusician, and, and, uh, when the
pandemic hit, my touring stoppedin nice force.
And, the military had all ofthese musicians that were

(01:07:42):
supposed to go on tour as well,and they didn't have, they
didn't know what they were gonnado with them.
Like they, they were just, theydidn't have any idea what to do
with these musicians.
And so I reached out to, the,the officer, that is in charge
of the music branch for theNaval Reserves, and I said.
What are you doing with all ofthese people?
And, uh, and she said, I'm, I'mnot entirely sure yet.

(01:08:04):
We're still, um, looking atoptions.
And I said, well, if you needsomething for them, I would be
happy to build an online musicprogram for them, to, to do in
lieu of touring.
And she said, can you do it in aweek?
And I said, yes.

Wow.

Brandi (01:08:22):
And this has been, this is one of those things where,
here we're talking about earlierin this podcast, we're talking
about being honest when youdon't know something.
This is one of those times whenI'm like, I truly do not know if
I can build this in a week.
It's probably impossible, butI'm gonna try it anyways.
I'm gonna say yes and I'm gonnafigure it out.

(01:08:42):
And that the, and so I, we endedup building a program.
that was really the first of itskind for, for the Canadian
forces, where we had ourmusicians for all, from all
across the country,participating in this online
program, like this of, oftraining and, and really getting
involved in building, doingsocial media videos, which was

(01:09:03):
something that was fairly newfor, for the Naval Music branch.
Um, and, and, uh, and building aproduction team from our, from
our very talented members.
It was a, it was something, it'ssomething I'm very proud of, and
I was lucky, lucky enough toreceive, um, a commendation
from, uh, from the commander ofthe Naval Reserve for my work

(01:09:24):
with that.
Um, and I'm, I'm intensely proudof that for, for the reasons
being number one, it wassomething that I, I didn't, I
didn't know how to do.
I, I had an idea of how I wasgoing to execute it.
Um, but I, I wanted to, I wantedto make it happen, and I, and

(01:09:45):
I've wanted to push myself inthat way to try to, to make
something that I hadn't createdbefore.
Um, and I was, I was alsointensely proud because I feel
like my civilian music career,um, really helped me in that
because as a civilian musicianwho has been DIY for a large

(01:10:08):
portion of my career, I'm soused to just being like, okay,
this needs to be done.
I don't know how to do it.
I gotta figure it out.
Like, that's, that's just beenthe way, uh,

Yeah.

Brandi (01:10:21):
you just, you see a barrier and you're just like,
how do I blow through this?
Because the barriers are there,they're always gonna be there.
And it's just like, how do I,how do I circumvent this
barrier?
Yeah.
And so to me it was, um, a realchallenge and, and, uh.
And it's that spirit.
It was kind of that spirit ofwhat I do in my, in my career,

(01:10:43):
my civilian music career that Ibrought to, to my military
career to be like, you knowwhat, we're just gonna, like,
we're just gonna find a way toget this done.
And I felt like I had nothing tolose.
Like I probably pushed open somedoors that I wasn't meant to
push open.
but I, I always kind of jokeabout it where I'm like, the,
the way I did things, I wasprobably like, if I would've

(01:11:03):
stepped half a step to the left,maybe they would've
court-martialed me for it.
But instead I was just half stepthis way and I received a
commendation because I think youdon't, you great things don't
happen if you don't take somebig swings and take some
chances.
And, and that was what I had andthat was what I was proud of,
was that I took some really bigswings and I took some very big

(01:11:25):
chances and, and took some riskswith my own career and, um, and
they paid off.
And I was very proud of that.
And they did something good for,they, they did something to
advance the Canadian forces,which, you know, I, I think
that's, that's important,especially, you know, as a
Canadian, I'm proud to, I mean,obviously my little, my little

(01:11:46):
naval tattoo right here.
I'm very, I'm very proud.

I love it.
Uh, I, yeah, I think that'sincredible Brandi.
Like, um, I, you know, I knowfrom experience that my
participation in anything thatcame to do with building and
developing, know, at this pointin my life is some of the stuff
I'm happiest about, that I gotto participate, the opportunity
was there and proud of the, thethings that I got to do too.

(01:12:11):
So, um.
that's incredible that you'vehad that opportunity, very
unique opportunity that mostpeople wouldn't know

Brandi (01:12:19):
Thank you.

even there and you've been able to have an
impact.
Tell me, uh, so tell me aboutwhat's next.
Nice Horse.
So, besides the fact that youdid a cover of the Cars Drive,
which I love, which is recent

Brandi (01:12:33):
you.

this year, which is fantastic.
I don't think I've heard it withbanjo before, so there you go.
Um,

Brandi (01:12:40):
It.

so, yeah, I know.
So you've been working on theduo version for a year now, and

Brandi (01:12:49):
Mm-hmm.

you know, you came off finally getting that
album out and obviously somedeep breaths and some, and, um,
you know, recalculations, Idon't get the sense that you're
choosing to slow down or stopor, or any of that.
So what.
What's the, what's the plan?
What's the things lookingforward to from Nice horse at

(01:13:11):
this point?

Brandi (01:13:12):
Yeah, I think, I think that it's so funny, I don't
think I could ever slow down inmusic.
Like, I just don't think Icould, like,

think

Brandi (01:13:20):
as, like as, as long as I am on this side of the dirt, I
think I will be creating, I,that's something I've really
realized in the last year of mylife is that that is just what I
wanna be doing all the time.
I, I just love it so much and,and not even just in music.
Like I, like, I've really beengetting back into.

(01:13:42):
Uh, like I do a lot of sewingand now I've been sewing all of
my own stage outfits and, andI've just like, I just am always
craving finding opportunities tobe creative, so there's
absolutely no way I will bestopping in music, that's for
sure.
Um, nice Horse has, so the, thecars cover that you're talking

(01:14:02):
about, we actually recorded thatas part of a, um, a TV show
appearance that we made inJanuary for a show called Wild
Cards.
Um, and, and, uh, we were solucky because not only were we
physically in the episode, um,but we were also, they, they
had, um, I believe four of ourown original songs that they

(01:14:26):
licensed for the show, as wellas having us record this version
of the cars, uh, drive by thecars.
And it's.
Uh, they, the producers and theshowrunner really wanted that
song.
It was so important to them and,and, uh, and they were so happy
with how it turned out, whichreally made us feel great
because, you know, it was theirvision and we wanted to realize,

(01:14:50):
um, you know, having, havingachieved their vision and also
do a song that sounds like nicehorse.
So, um, so it was really FA fun,exciting challenge.
And, um, that was my first timeever being in a TV show, which
was kind of fun.
Um, and yeah, on set wastotally, um, it was totally,

(01:15:11):
well, I shouldn't say, Ishouldn't say this.
The being on that Wild card setwas actually a total, not a
totally new experience for mebecause three weeks prior to
that, to doing that, uh,filming, we were also doing a
filming for another TV show, um,that doesn't release until
December.
That we are also in.

(01:15:31):
And so that one also that, and,and we, we signed an NDA, so I'm
not allowed to say which show itis, but it's a show I'm very
excited about.
Um, and

Okay.

Brandi (01:15:43):
very, very well.

then.
I won't ask the wrong,

Brandi (01:15:46):
Yeah.

but all I

Brandi (01:15:48):
Yeah.

is do you, did you get any lines in either of
these programs?

Brandi (01:15:55):
Yes.
So yes.
So Katie had lines in the wildcards one,

of the S sag or whatever it is in Canada?

Brandi (01:16:02):
yeah, yeah.

part of the

Brandi (01:16:05):
Thera,

Academy?

Brandi (01:16:06):
Yeah.
Appar.
Apparently we are, they did haveus sign all of that paperwork to
become part of the,

I love

Brandi (01:16:11):
yeah.
So, and, and we do both havelines in the one that's coming
in December.
So, which was also veryunexpected.
I didn't think we were going tohave lines, but it was, um.
It's just, it was a, it was anexciting new opportunity and,
and, uh, and I'm definitelyexcited for that one to come
out.
And they, they also, theylicensed a, you know, a song
like a song of ours that Ireally love is gonna be on it.

(01:16:33):
And, yeah, there's something,there's just something really
special about, isn't like, it'sthe best thing about, about this
career is that there is a, thereare a lot of unglamorous things
that we do and a lot of workthat goes into it.
And, and so, so many, you know,there's really these really high

(01:16:53):
highs and then these like,totally like huge
disappointments.
But I, I, I sometimes have toremind myself and sometimes
other people remind me, likesometimes I'll get a note from
somebody that I went to highschool with that is like, oh my
gosh, you're doing all of thesecool things and.
And, and while they sending methat I'm advancing four shows

(01:17:18):
and writing a grant that's duein 20 minutes, and, and I'm, and
I'm not feeling that lucky inthat moment.
But the truth is, is that itdoes make me think and like, you
know what?
You're right.
I've done, I've done some reallycool things that I'm so proud of
and, and I, I can be, I can bereally grateful for those.

(01:17:40):
Even in those times when youdon't, sometimes you're at the
lowest and you're, you know,mentally or, or emotionally in
this career, I.

And the only thing that's preventing more of
those incredible happening is ifyou stop.
Yeah.
Right.

Brandi (01:17:55):
Yes.
And I think that that's thetough part, is that,

Yeah.

Brandi (01:18:00):
and I'm, I'm not a, I'm not a great, that's for better
or for worse, and this isprobably something the military
taught me, in fact, I'm prettysure it's, that's where I
learned from.
Um, but I also come from afamily of farmers and I feel
like farming is basically a halfstep away from being a musician.
Um, it's a very, a lot of thesame skill sets and mindsets go
into being both.

(01:18:21):
Um, it's just, it, it sounds so,it sounds so.
it's, it sounds too presumptuousand almost high and mighty to
say that this is a calling whatwe do, but I, I just don't, I
feel like music is just sowrapped up in the person that I
am, like it's, it feels likesuch a huge part of my

(01:18:42):
existence.
Um, and it feeds me in so manyways and drains me in others.
But it's not, it's never themusic that drains me.
It's

Yeah,

Brandi (01:18:51):
the industry that drains me, but the music never drains
me.
And I think that that's, that'sthe, I don't think like like
music can try to quit me, but Ican't quit it.

Well, Brandi, I, this has been a blast.
Uh, I absolutely love

Brandi (01:19:08):
It really has been same.

you are maybe the hardest working person I know.
And if I was sat down at a tableand someone said, who's the
hardest working musician you'veknown over the last 10 years?
I don't know that I could nameanybody else above you, Brandi,
like besides the amount that youcreate, the amount of flights
that you apparently take yourlife on a regular basis to get

(01:19:34):
to all these places and do thesethings.
I mean, I remember reading whereyou and Katie talked about you
started walking dogs to pay foryour trips to Nashville.
In Nashville.
You were

Brandi (01:19:46):
Yep.

dogs and ended up having too many dogs to walk
probably to do the things youwere in

Brandi (01:19:53):
Yeah,

to do.
Like if that isn't a betterpicture just this unending
hustle.
and I'm glad that you

Brandi (01:20:01):
it is so funny.

is the thing that sustains you because, it is just
point blank to anybody who wouldwant a life this.
A that there's a lot ofdifferent paths to what you end
up calling a career.

Brandi (01:20:14):
Yeah.

and number two is that it's gonna take a
ridiculous amount of hustle andheartbreak probably to get there
or to piece it together.
But you know, if you, if you cantap into the thing that
sustained you at the start orgave you the dream at the start,
and I guess that's what I seewhen I look at you and when I
hear you talk and it's very andinspiring.

(01:20:36):
I appreciate it.
Like I, you know, personally,Brandi, like started doing this
because I had to createsomething.
I was

Brandi (01:20:45):
Yeah,

dry since the pandemic and I knew that there
was a certain version of thingsI wanted to do.
This is the creative outlet forme.
I get to do.
You know, the hour and some youand I spend together is the life
giving part.
And then I have to spend

Brandi (01:21:00):
Yes.

editing and all this stuff.
But guess what?
I

Brandi (01:21:04):
Yep.

Um,

Brandi (01:21:06):
It's so funny, this, that's the part, the PE people
are going to hear the part that,you know, that part that feeds
you, which is also amazing.
'cause we get to show people thepart that feeds us.
And then, and then you're gonnago back behind the scenes and do
all of the other things it takesto do the thing you're creating.
And, and I mean, and I knowyou're, I know because you are
also, I'm not calling you a toollike I call myself, but you are

(01:21:29):
also a multi-tool of theindustry.
And so you end up doing all ofthese things too.

trades in the business.
You're not wrong to

Brandi (01:21:35):
exactly.

Yeah.

Brandi (01:21:38):
But I, I honestly like as we're sitting here talking,
like, and you're talk, youmentioned the dog walking.
I honestly, if I roll it back,oh.
Of everything I have done in mylife, probably since I was the
age of 12, I think almost everysingle thing I have done that's

(01:22:01):
not music was for music.
It was maybe like walking dogs.
Look, I loved all those dogs, soI'm very happy to walk those
dogs, but.
But I, I got to that pointbecause I'm like this, walking
these dogs helps me create moremusic.
And I was, and I was a flightattendant for a number of years.

(01:22:23):
And, and I mean, sorry, like I,I mean, I'm very sorry to the
airline that I worked for, but Iwas working there because I'm
like, if I work here, theschedule is flexible enough that
I can do music.
Like, it's like everythingfunneled towards this one
singular passion that I have.
And, and, uh, for better or forworse, sometimes, maybe for

(01:22:46):
worse, like, I, I, maybe, maybeI would be a, maybe I would be
a, a a different human being ifI just wasn't so singularly
focused on this thing that Ilove so much.
But I do love it so much andthat that's not really gonna
change.

well, Brandi, you, you try to say for worse,
but that smile on your face justmakes it absolutely hollow.
I can't believe it when you sayit.
So,

Brandi (01:23:13):
Look, sometimes there's lots of tears, Glen, but the guy
that's in the basement has todeal with them.
So

uh, when, when he gets out of the basement, he can
deal with it.
Okay.

Brandi (01:23:26):
yeah.

appreciate your time so much, and your honesty
and your energy.
Like I said, uh, you're a

Brandi (01:23:33):
Glen.

I've ever seen you and, um.
I always love some Brandi time.
Uh, I wish you and Katie andNice Horse, of course, all the
best.
And I can't wait to seeobviously your TV show in
December.
But, I just wanted to say thankyou again for your time and you
so much and everything thatyou're doing.
yeah.

(01:23:54):
So thank you.
Appreciate it.

Brandi (01:23:55):
Thank you.
I appreciate you too.

Hi.
Good evening.

alexi (01:24:05):
Oh, good evening.
How are you?

I'm, I'm just fine.
Thank you for asking.
so this is, uh, so we're talkingabout Brandy Sidoryk of Nice
Horse and, The episode, and Iwas so happy that she was a
guest.
And the moment I booked her as aguest, I was excited immediately
because I'm just so used to herenergy and it's, and it's very

(01:24:31):
high energy, very often, verypositive as well.
seems like a glass half fullperson, so who doesn't love
talking to somebody like that?
And she, I thought shecompletely delivered.
So, um.
Yeah.
I was like, oh yeah, this is,this is the best thing ever.
And then I just, I almost gotlost in the conversation with
her and I think maybe, I don'tknow, like I'm still learning

(01:24:56):
this stuff.
Right?
So this is episode nine only ofmy life, and that doesn't always
happen.
So.
That's kind of a pleasant treatmaybe for me.
we'll see whether that's apleasant treat for anybody else
if I get lost in a conversation.
But

alexi (01:25:14):
I think it'll be, I

yeah.

alexi (01:25:15):
I really enjoyed listening to this one.
and I think even if you removemy bias of that, I like
listening to you talk.
I think it was just a reallyinteresting one to listen to.
And she is so, she just, shejust seems so optimistic and
positive.
She

Yeah.

alexi (01:25:30):
seems so lovely.
Mm-hmm.

she has a, a smile on her face.
Um, but more than that, likewhat, what makes you know that
it's not a painted smile?
Is the vibe, right?
The way a person iscommunicating that, you know,
it's authentic, that she's,anyhow, just that whole, yeah,
that whole thing.
But I realized, yeah, and I justrealized afterwards, I'm like,

(01:26:13):
ah, people.
I.
I, or maybe it's good.
Maybe I, it's great that I letpeople know that she's like
smiling all the way throughthis.
Maybe that's actually a positiveat the moment.
I was thinking maybe that's not,maybe people are annoyed that
I'm identifying things theydon't get to see.
But I'll post some clips of ourconversation as usual.
Yeah, I really, I, I mean, I hada question for you specifically

(01:26:36):
about it because I realized inthe middle of the conversation
when we were talking and, andgot into at length, I feel about
the role that they feel or shehas had to play as a woman in
the music industry.
Over a span of time now andseeing the changes, but also,

(01:26:59):
you know, as she gets greateropportunities, feeling this
responsibility at times for whatshe does, she knows is going to
impact how somebody looks atfuture women or women bands, if
you want to call it.
We kind of made a joke aboutthat.

alexi (01:27:18):
there because I feel like we were on the same brainwave.
'cause all of my notes are fromthat part of the conversation

Okay, good.

alexi (01:27:25):
word for word.
What I was gonna bring up,

Okay, so jump in where you would jump in on all
of that.

alexi (01:27:32):
your question because

Well, the point I was, sorry, sorry.
Yeah, the, so the point I wasgonna make was I got caught in
right in the middle of that, of,of course feeling a lot of
empathy and wanting to find outmore about that experience.
But also realizing thatliterally running adjacent to
that was the fact that I wasanother guy in the industry

(01:27:57):
making her talk about that morethan just talking about herself
and her music.
Do you, do you follow me?
Like again, she was being, I wasall of a sudden super cognizant
of the fact that, am I.
Making her be a spokesperson forthe industry as a woman in an

(01:28:17):
all woman band, quote unquote.
And instead of just askingBrandy questions about her
experience as an artist, whichis what I was in my heart doing
and what I set out to do,

alexi (01:28:30):
Mm-hmm.

anyhow, I just, do you understand?
Like I just became so cognizantof, of, I, I.

alexi (01:28:38):
dude asking her and making her represent all women.
And I get that.

Yeah.
So I wanted to get yourperspective, obviously as a
listener of all of thesepodcasts so far, but also as a
young woman, hearing anotherwoman talk about her experience
and how you see all of that.

alexi (01:28:57):
No, I, I think that, um, I mean, I might be remembering
incorrectly.
It's been a few days since Ilistened, but like she, she kind
of delved into it, which like, Ishouldn't say totally changes
the fact, but it's not like youforced some answer of her.
It's not like you, set the stageso that she had to.

(01:29:19):
but I think you asked insightfulquestions that like could
amplify, like, amplify her voiceon the situation.
but I, I thought it was sointeresting and I'm so happy she
talked about it the way she did.
'cause she didn't, she didn'tspeak on behalf of all women.
She, everything that she posed,she posed.
From like an individualisticpoint of view, like, this was my

(01:29:39):
experience and this is what Ilike, felt, or like,

Mm-hmm.

alexi (01:29:43):
um, needed to feel.
And I think like, just like as awoman, the way she phrased that
conversation like a, I'mspeaking for all woman.
It was like, as

Hmm.

alexi (01:29:55):
woman, here's my experience and I know other
women experience it,

Yeah.

alexi (01:29:59):
which is so important.
And I think it's.
Just like the easiest way toamplify women's voices in that
sense.
Um, but I wrote down that youhad said to her during that
conversation, when she wastalking about, and it was
specifically the example of likethe green room, that it's such
like a small thing, but that shelike was cognitively aware about

(01:30:20):
the fact that she felt the needto leave a green room space than
she found it.

Yeah.

alexi (01:30:27):
that there was no negative connotation on women
and women in the industry andwomen bands for like the next
people, like down the path.
and you had kind of like pausedher and just said like, what a
huge unfair burden to bear toact so perfect so that the path
behind them, um, for other womenis kept clean.

(01:30:48):
And I think just the fact thatshe was able to pose that so
nicely was just like, as a youngwoman, almost like refreshing to
hear because I've had countlessconversations with other, like
women in my life in all walksabout this and having to like,
just like the feeling of havingto prove that you belong in the
space that you do.

(01:31:09):
whether

Yeah.
Yeah,

alexi (01:31:11):
academic, like sport related, and just like just
always feel the need to likeprove that they deserve the
space that they're in,

yeah.

alexi (01:31:21):
way that men feel really.

Yeah.

alexi (01:31:26):
it's interesting because.
Usually examples are so broadand so large, um, especially in
like academia and like, youknow, me with my lab.
Like it's, it's just like bigpicture things.
it's really interesting for herto be able to articulate it with
such like a small detail ofleaning, even like a green room,

(01:31:47):
nicer.
'cause I'm like, it, it isexactly that.
And I think it's like somethingthat's really important for.
whether it be like women whohaven't thought about it that
way, or people who don'tidentify as women who might have
not even thought about thatbefore.

Yeah.

alexi (01:32:02):
I think that's just such a, point that hits home and will
for a lot

Yeah.

alexi (01:32:07):
a lot of people who identify as women.
And I think it's just, yeah.
Such an interesting point forthe podcast to come up about.
'cause

Yeah,

alexi (01:32:15):
never even thought about it in that sense, like in a

well, I mean a few things there.
Like one is I, I have thisterrible, and maybe it's not
terrible.
Sometimes it feels terrible, aquality where I think of the
joke in a moment to add levity.
To a serious moment.
I've done this in likeboardrooms before.
places I don't often controlmyself very well with making a

(01:32:40):
joke at the moment.
I wanted to make a joke aboutit's her own fault for having a
band called Nice Horse that shefeels like she has to be nice
and clean up behind herself.
Anyhow, that was a, it would'vebeen a terrible joke, and I'm
really glad I withheld, in themoment.
The, the thing that I wasthinking in the moment was.
I, so, I mean, I have, I've hadthe exact same approach.

(01:33:04):
Like I've cleaned up rooms wherewe stayed.
I mean, we used to, when we usedto tour, there's a number of
well-known venues across Canadathat would have band rooms
because there were, there werebars that regularly had live
music, and there was an erawhere people were creating band
rooms.
So they would put the band up.

(01:33:24):
Overnight.

alexi (01:33:25):
Yeah.

Um, and we would always make a real point of
leaving it as clean as, orcleaner as when we came in.
And green rooms the same way.
Like we tried to be a respectfulband.
We would, you know, be very kindand, and generous with the, the
sound people who usually kind ofget crapped on all, like all
these aspects of being aprofessional.

(01:33:48):
I remember working at thosethings.

alexi (01:33:50):
of you.

Well, that's exactly it, but what I'm saying
is the only thing in my mind wasmy own integrity,

alexi (01:33:57):
Mm-hmm.

which was really important to me, and I would
hope that every band would havethat, but I had no experience
once or did it ever come to mymind really that I was doing
this for somebody else

alexi (01:34:13):
Yeah.

that I needed, I should say, that I needed to do
it.
For somebody else that it wasimportant that it had value.
It never had to be presented tome that way because like our
joke that nobody's ever calledit an all male band.
I wasn't sitting there thinkingI need to carve a great path for
the all male alt country bandsbehind me that come across

(01:34:37):
Canada.
Never.
So one of many relatableexperiences I'm sure that women
and those identifying have hadto.
Encounter right when they,

alexi (01:34:48):
Yeah.

you were saying, you've at your young age
experienced it at the universityin academia and, you know, it
crosses your mind.
It never had to cross my mind.
So that's pretty significant.
And I thought it was kind offunny joking though, when we
were like, nobody's ever calledit an all male band.
Like they call it.
They have to identify that thisis an all female band.

(01:35:11):
Like it's still a novelty.
Like it's still a novelty in2025.
Like it's not a novelty.

alexi (01:35:17):
joking about that, I was kind of laughing along and then
I was like, had that moment Ithink that you guys also did,
and I was like, wait, like it's,it's kind of not a joke, like

That shouldn't, yeah, and I, the other thing I
was trying to articulate, I'mgonna say it.
At the risk that I still haven'tarticulated the way I want it to
mean, and that's fine and you'reusually gracious if I make the
mistake.
But what I was trying to thinkof was the fact that the way I
would like it to be in the worldright now is like I do want her

(01:35:49):
opinion as a woman,

alexi (01:35:51):
Yeah.

not, not on.
The problem going on for women,I just is, I want a balanced
discourse in the world that somein so many places doesn't feel
balanced, right?
I want to be able to offer myopinion and recognize that it
comes from a certain demographicand perspective and you know,

(01:36:12):
gender and socioeconomic biases.
I get all that, but I still wantto be able to.
Offer my opinion to the worldor, or offer my ideas and I want
to be able to interact withothers.
And it's almost feels like we'velost the ability to even say
that because it'll get tornapart and stripped down so
quickly that I want to just hearabout Brandi's experience, and

(01:36:38):
it's gonna be from the femaleperspective.
But I don't need to call thatout.
I, but I, but that's just theway it is.
But it keeps getting called outand that's where I'm saying I
loved everything she had to sayand that we had a really good
conversation.
It felt like friends, but I wasstill so cognizant of that.
I still can't have it withoutfeeling like I'm calling out

(01:37:00):
that particular thing,unfortunately.

alexi (01:37:03):
that you're even.
Able to think about it.
Not only like in the moment,like reflect on it.
I think that's like the, that'slike crossed and makes it so
that you're not

Yeah.

alexi (01:37:16):
it out.
Like I think, I think the issuestems from when, like call it
out and like throw a label on,throw that woman label on
something, and leave it there.
Like they're

Or, or, or just take the pieces they want out of
context and apply it to someother larger story, which isn't
fair either.

alexi (01:37:35):
and I think you see that like I think the best example is
like in women's sports,

Hmm.
I.

alexi (01:37:40):
see a female athlete or team headline or break any news
without the first word on thatheadline being like that they're
a female team, whether a womanathlete, like.
I think it's like that, butyou're not doing that.
You're not being like, oh, lookat this female

Yeah.

alexi (01:37:55):
Look at this like woman perspective.
You're just also bringing up thefact that like her perspective
comes from where it does

Yeah,

alexi (01:38:03):
might be important.

yeah, I, that's a great point because I think
we're at a point in the musicindustry where there still are
some traditional tensions.
I.
Of equality and such between thegenders in the music business.
But there, but there is like,it's, it's also such a long ways
from even the way I know it wastalked about when I was young

(01:38:24):
and it's come so far.
So you're right.
Now we can look at sports and wecan look at the WNBA and we can
look at the PWHL and we can say,we can see, sorry, all of the.
the kind of negative ordifficult rhetoric around it
and, and challengingconversations and those stupid

(01:38:44):
old traditional viewpoints.
but it has to start somewhere,right?
And it started years ago withpeople just having the idea and
nobody willing to sort of, youknow, be put in that box.
And, and so those athletes aretrying to break.
Out of those boxes.
And, and I guess I just hopethat the conversations that are

(01:39:06):
most important still keephappening just to break down old
ways of thinking, right.
And, and continue to movetowards things.
so all of that stuff aside, oh,I should finish that off by
saying, her and I did chat for awhile after the podcast and.
And the nicest thing she said tome related to this, but also

(01:39:28):
just in general for doing thispodcast that someone could say
to me was like, yes, those,there were a couple of really
challenging things that aren'teasy for me to talk about, but
it felt really easy with you.
So I don't think I could havegotten a better compliment from
such a sweet person.
Uh, I was very appreciative.

(01:39:49):
She's done so many differentthings, so, Always the hustle.
If you wanna look to somebody.
for some hustle inspiration.
She's kinda the top shelf ofanybody I've met right across
the country.
So, Okay.
Um, I very quickly wanted tojust ask you.
I'm gonna put you on the spotjust really quick because, uh, I

(01:40:11):
had a meeting with somebodyrecently regarding, you know,
some work I do to support theEdmonton Folk Festival Folk
Music Festival.
And you know them like obviouslystarting the preparations for
transitioning to makingannouncements.
They've already announced theirheadliner here in Edmonton.
Uh, Mount Joy on the Sundaynight finale night.

(01:40:34):
So just in those preparationtalks, I was reflecting on the
fact that you like are such afolky now in a sense for our
festival.
Like you just love our festivalso much, which is great.
Like it's so exciting and I getto bring you every year.
And I have been doing that for along time'cause I've been
working with them for 10, 12, 13years I think.

alexi (01:40:56):
time.

And so as a result, I've been able to bring
you for a long time and I waswondering if off the top of your
head, you have a top one or twofolk fest memories.

alexi (01:41:08):
Oh.

And I don't know whether it's just a memory of
being at the folk festival thatyou'd point out, or whether it's
like, a musical discovery orsomething that, um, has kinda
locked in as a favorite for you.

alexi (01:41:21):
Oh yes.
Let me pull up, let me pull,well, I'll say there's one
that's like

What are you pulling up?
Do you have notes about thattoo?

alexi (01:41:31):
no.
Um, no, you're asking for two.
You'll get two.
My first one though isn't like adistinct, like this is a one
moment in time.

Okay.

alexi (01:41:41):
But when I was like little and going to folk fest,
like

A few years ago, like

alexi (01:41:47):
Okay.
No stop.
No.
When I was little, like when wewere

okay, like 10 years ago.
Okay.

alexi (01:41:54):
Yeah.
I just, I remember like lovingit during the day and like you
guys would buy like the kernelcorn, what's it called?

Kettle corn, the big bag of kettle corn.
Yeah.

alexi (01:42:05):
And like we would like like sometimes like face
painting and like walk around,but I, I distinctly remember
like there were some of the latenights, where you would want one
of the like late night shows,and mom of course would agree.
I just remember sitting on likethe side stage and being like
half asleep, half not, and like,just like leaning on your mom

(01:42:25):
and then just like watching thelive music and falling in love
with it.
And that just being like aconstant thing throughout the
years, um, kind of growing up.
And I was like, I think that'slike really where my, my very
heavy fondness of live musicreally stems from.

Yeah, it's'cause you got kind of brainwashed.
'cause you were just fallingasleep and I just

alexi (01:42:47):
into

kept, yeah, a hundred percent.
Yeah.

alexi (01:42:50):
but other than that, I was gonna say last year's folk
fest.
I think it was like kinda thefirst year that was a little
more like, and this is noticedto you and mom, but was like a
little more independent.

There's no diss there.

alexi (01:43:01):
well, because I loved going with you and mom, but last
year was like the first yearwhere I was like, you know, I
got to go with like my boyfriendand like my friend and like,

Yeah.

alexi (01:43:10):
up with people and, and last year's lineup was just so,
and I got to see Wild RiversLive.
I was pulling up my folk Festplaylist from last year

Oh, okay.
Cool.
Cool.

alexi (01:43:21):
but I got to see Wild River Live and like love them.
then there's a couple otherpeople I got to see live that I
love, like black pumas androdeos there again, et cetera.
But Briscoe, the band Briscoe, Iwatched their set last year and
I remember sitting on the hill.
I was so tired.

(01:43:42):
And I literally, like every songthey played, I was just like, I
need this song.
I need this song.
they were all so good.
And then they have song calledThe Well.
And that I think is like thesong that brought back my
terrible habit of like putting asong on repeat this summer.

Oh, that one.
Okay.

alexi (01:44:01):
cause that one, I, I just remember I kept playing it for
you in the car and I keptplaying it.
And then I was, there was oneplaylist that I had made for
work, and every time I was likeserving a brunch shift, that
playlist would get played and itwas on there.
So I was hearing it every like,work shift.
Yeah.
And that song was just like, Idon't know, that like, it's

(01:44:22):
still like, hits a certain notein my brain.
And I think

Yeah.

alexi (01:44:25):
like kinda launched, um, like kind of a new music
discovery for me this pastsummer.

Yeah, that's great.
Right.

alexi (01:44:32):
it was

So a, that's no diss on us.
In any way.
Like, if anything, we'veencouraged your independence all
along, and I don't thinkanything makes me happier than
to see you take ownership ofthat event for yourself and make
it your own.
So, that might've been the mostfun, actual part of it for me
was, a, having you outta my hairand b uh, just kidding.

(01:44:57):
Just kidding.
But, uh, I, I love seeing you dothat.
Like I, we talked about beforeat the day in Vegas when you and
your brother were just runningback and forth from stage to
stage.
'cause you wanted to see everyact pretty much.
And, you know, music dad, I, howam I supposed to be more proud
than you engaging with it?

(01:45:18):
That, to that level.
That's pretty awesome.
Uh, the second thing I was gonnasay is.
Yeah, last year was prettyincredible, was last year when
Angie McMahon was on the lineupand I didn't even realize it and
missed it

alexi (01:45:31):
Yes,

then I start watching one of the best
comedies of the last five yearsShrinking, uh, which we should
have a whole conversation onthat, uh, in post fame on its
own because the music supervisorrole is actually one of the main
actors, and the music choicesare so.
Perfect for an indie snob likeme, they're so bang on.

(01:45:55):
But the most, the most impactingsong of the last few seasons of
that show was at the end of anepisode with this song Letting
Go by Angie McMahon.
And then I was.
And then I came to you and I waslike, that sounds so familiar.
I think she was at Folk Fest andyou were like, she was at Folk
Fest last year, dad.
And I was like, so I can'tbelieve I blew that one and

(01:46:18):
didn't see that song getperformed because it's
incredible.
I'm gonna put it on ourplaylist.
It's so incredible.
So that's kind of, yeah, lastyear had a lot of cool stuff.

alexi (01:46:29):
so what we learned is going into this year, we're
gonna

I need more of, yeah.
I need to do my research betterand not just be, fall into the
trap of like, I've never heardthat name before, blah, blah,
blah, blah.
So, we're gonna do our researchbetter.

alexi (01:46:44):
what I did last year, you make a, you look at all the
people and then you make aplaylist and you add like two or
three of their songs to theplaylist, and you hit shuffle
when

You mean of people you don't know?
Oh, okay.

alexi (01:46:57):
Yeah, like what I did is I made a playlist and I like,
but for most of the artists,like some, I was like, Hmm, I
really don't think I'll be intoyou.
And so I didn't add them.
But for most artists, I justwanna Spotify and like there's
their top 10 songs

Yeah.

alexi (01:47:09):
the ones that intrigued me the most, I'd add like two or
three

Okay.

alexi (01:47:13):
and then I'd shuffle it.
And then some artists, I'd fallin love with some, I'd be like,
I really am not into this.
And I'd remove them.
But the ones I was really into,I'd add more.
And then.
I got really into those artists,and then

Yeah.

alexi (01:47:26):
fact that I would get to see them in like a month or two
down the line was

Yeah.
Okay.
Well, we'll, we'll maybe we'llmake a shared one, which is code
for, you'll get to do all thework of adding them for me, but
might, that might help.
Help me.
That's gonna be great.
Okay.
Thank you so much for yourinsights.
I was looking forward to it.
I appreciate it.
Okay.

alexi (01:47:46):
Yeah.
I'll see you in the morning.

See you in the morning.
Love you.

alexi (01:47:49):
Bye.

Bye.

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