Xavier Omär On American Idol, Barack Obama, RCA Records, HunnyMoon Mountain, Dallas (Full Interview)

Monterey, CA born/CO, GA, Japan, MD, TX, VA raised/Dallas, TX residing recording artist, Xavier Omär, sits down with DJ Smallz for over 74 minutes, opening up about his past amongst a variety of topics. This interview was filmed on 7/24/25.

This interview contains opinions and ideas of the interviewee. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The viewer or listener should seek the services of a competent professional for expert assistance or professional advice. Reference to any organization, publication or website does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the interviewee or the interviewer. The interviewee and the interviewer specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this interview.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
What is the correct way to pronounce your stage name?
Xavier Omar. No one's ever asked me that.
Thank you. Please.
Now, technically, quite technically, because of the
umlaut, it's Omar, is the way it's supposed to be said.
That's not what I'm going for. Obviously, the majority of my
fan base at the moment is in theUS, so I just did that as like a

(00:24):
difference maker. It's my real middle name, but I
added to OMLAO as a just a standout difference thing,
merchandising all those things. So Xavier Omar is how I was
hoping people would say it, but of course it's just Xavier Omar.
It's like I wanted the O to be more like, you know,
O'Shaughnessy O'Neill Omar. That's what I was hoping for,
but it didn't work out that way.So, but yes, Xavier Omar.

(00:48):
Now, aside from people mispronouncing it, do people
misspell it as well? No, I mean, a lot of people will
forget to use the umlau or put it over the O at times, but
because, you know, it's, it's easy to spell.
So for the most part, I've neverseen Xavier misspelled, except
on my Starbucks order this morning when they put a ZAVIOR

(01:11):
and I spelled it for the man. So I don't know how we got there
very upset about that, but yeah,for the most part it doesn't
happen that way. So yeah, just they misplaced the
umlaut or forget it entirely. And care to share where this
Starbucks was located at what part of the world?
It was in Dallas this morning, flying into into here.
I got a what time was my flight,like 7:00 AM or something.

(01:34):
And so I think I was in my terminal around 6:00 and just
trying to get something, you know, get some coffee to get
going. And yeah, I look, dude, dead in
the eyes. I said my name, Xavier Xavier.
And he's just typing away. Oh, cool name.
And then and then I hear when they call the order out Zavoir.

(01:56):
And I was like, who is that? What even is that?
And I was like, oh, no, that might be me.
And so I go look at it and it's like, yeah, I'm pretty sure this
it's my order. It's Cobra.
This is me. Yeah, pretty horrible.
I took a picture, showed my wifelike, you know, I'm just tired
of the game. Starbucks, get it together.
And Speaking of Starbucks, what'd you actually order for

(02:18):
those in the audience that are curious?
Yeah, I don't usually go. I'm not like, I'm new to coffee
in general, so I don't even do hot coffee yet.
So I'm really into a cold brew. What I got today was just a cold
brew with I think I got almond milk and some vanilla just to
give me you know, a little bit of I can't do the coffee flavor

(02:38):
full on yet, so I need some a little extra entertainment.
Just do that, swirl it, go at it, you know, give me wired for
the next 4 to 5 hours. You know, that's my thing.
Now, when it comes to either mispronunciation or
misspellings, zooming out, what do you notice people do more
overall speaking? It's, you know, the

(02:59):
pronunciation just because I haven't been super specific
about it, but hey, I want it this way.
It's one of those things that when you try to fight it, it's
just no need to fight it. Let the people say what they
say. Like just as long as we get
people get companies and whoeverI'm working with brands to put
that OOMLA on there to keep the branding consistent.
That's all that matters. That happens here and there.

(03:20):
But you know, it's, it's not thebiggest thing in the world that
people don't say it the way I want it to be said.
Like we, we have life to live. We got bills to pay.
It's all right. Now, do you accept any
abbreviations of this stage nameof yours?
From friends and family, I was getting used to X all my life

(03:41):
just hearing X growing up X man was of course when my parents
and adults would say when I was super young by the time I moved
to Georgia. And what was that?
Well, when I moved back around high school, so about 2000, you
know, form dating myself there, but around there for high
school, the South will call me ZE.

(04:03):
And I was not used to that at all.
Like I didn't, my parents didn'tsay it much and I just didn't
hear it much. So I didn't like it.
And now I prefer ZE amongst all my friends.
And then I moved to Texas and everybody in Texas called me X
and I was just like, well, I guess it doesn't matter what I
prefer. So I'm OK with either, of
course, X or zay, but that's pretty much as far as it goes

(04:25):
for, you know, nicknames or abbreviations or anything.
But just for clarification, you do prefer zay between those?
For, you know, for my people forsure, if I don't know you, like
I don't like you calling me Zay.Like I get it.
So like women will do it on the Internet.
It's nice, it's cool. But if you see me in public and
just be like Zay and I don't recognize the face, I'm not

(04:46):
answering. I'm just, I'm just not going to
answer. I don't know you.
So like, I don't want to make you think we might know each
other. Nah, like I'm Xavier.
Now you mentioned a middle name here that you end up using for
this stage name of yours, but care to share the origin or the
details of this name it's in in its entirety.

(05:06):
Yeah, you mean from the musical aspect?
Yes, why you chose a stage? Name.
Yeah. So of course, alluding to the
fact that I used to be SPZRKT, which means Fazzy Rocket, which
is the name that I came up with in my late teens.
I was in a rap group. I was in a rap group in high
school and just, you know, spit ball and stuff, trying to figure

(05:27):
out what the heck we're doing inmusic.
And any Rd. song. They had a song called Spaz,
that's what it was. And it would come on in the Cafe
at school. This is what actually this is
like my first year of college, which was all of two months.
But this song would come on the video, would come on in the
Cafe, and I would get up and do the dance Pharrell did in the

(05:48):
video, just dancing along. And so one of my homies just
start calling me Spazzy and I like the name.
So I ran with it because my group was doing this Star Wars
like kind of space stuff at the time.
So then we did Spazzy Rocket. I just added the rocket for the
space stuff. Once the group broke up and I
got into my solo music, maybe some 2-3 years later, I just

(06:12):
dropped the vowels out the name just to see what people might
respond to when they see those letters.
But hear this voice and you know, it was kind of a party
trick at 1st and it had a ceiling.
The party trick that had an absolute ceiling because you
couldn't spell it, you couldn't share it, you couldn't say it,
right? Like it only went so far.
So I wasn't even thinking about it.

(06:34):
But shout out Sango because I am.
I was in Europe with him, on a tour with him and I want to say
it was 2016 and we're in an Uberand he just looks at me because
it's the types where you can like face each other, right?
He just looks at me and goes, sowhen you're going to change your
name And I was like, I hadn't thought about it at all.

(06:55):
But from that point on I thoughtabout it and I sat down with my
team at the time and say what makes sense and nothing felt
really good. I wanted to use my name so that
it wouldn't have to change it again.
But no other like, you know, fake nickname or I don't know,
some made-up last name. Nothing really works good.

(07:15):
I don't like my actual name as an artist name, either of my
actual last name, I should say. But with the Omar, it's funny,
the girl who I first heard it from is my vocal coach now.
It's just the way she said it because the way I sang one day
and she just like my middle name.
And so I was like, I think I want to use that because it
sounded really good to me. So I went with the Omar, added

(07:38):
the Om Lao and here we are today.
And that ceiling was shattered immediately.
And it would, it helped my career expand because, you know,
people can say it for one so they can share it and tell them
who they're talking about. South.
So in essence, just for clarification, this is your
government first name and middlename, but then obviously you had
those two dots. Yes, on top, added that on the

(08:01):
top, but that's just the one artistic touch.
It's much like Anderson pack, whose name is, I think his name
is Brandon Anderson or somethinglike that, and he put the middle
first. Added the small dot as a detail
pack and so the umla was my detail as well.
Now, was there any inspiration from Anderson's name for this,

(08:21):
or that was just a mere example you were just providing?
An example, but before I was about to do it, like as I was
gearing up to make the change, Istill he wasn't superstar
Anderson pack yet and I had likeaccess to him.
So I asked him like, hey man, you know, how did you deal with
when you did your name change? Because he used to be Breezy

(08:43):
Lovejoy and I just got advice from him about how to handle it.
You know, people are going to, some people are going to go with
it, most people will go with it,and some are still going to try
to hang on to the past. But just keep going and it'll be
who you want. It'll be where you want it to
be, and you'll be who you want to be.
So I just hung on to that advicefrom him.
But there's like actual spellingof the name, and I like that.

(09:06):
Nothing specifically about that is what I was thinking when I
chose my name. Any any regret on adding those
two dots onto this final stage name, looking back on how
everything's played out? No, it's it's still super
unique. I think I've seen obviously
Motörhead is the the OG in American Music or the biggest

(09:27):
one in American Music to use it.We've seen Chloe Bailey use it
low key. I'm not going to say she stole
from me, but I know that she knows who I am.
I know that she knows because she did a thing on Freeform
where she was putting people onto artists and she listed me
first. She said Xavier Mars voice like
butter, blah, blah blah. I know she knows who I am.

(09:48):
So it's possible that you know, you know, it's possible from
Motörhead or just another another way to stand out SEO,
you know what I mean? Like when somebody searches
Xavier Omar with that Umm Lao, you're only getting me, right?
If you just search Xavier Omar, you might get Javier Omar, you
might, you know what I mean? So SEO purposes and just

(10:09):
something that stands out, my logo with the heart, Umm Lao
hearts on the moon, like all of that has made it a really good
choice. And this rap group.
Care to share the name of this group at?
The time, I do not care, no, if you were there, you were there.
It was high school. Some stuff still exists on the

(10:30):
Internet. I don't want to see it, I don't
want to be clowned about it. We were teenagers, leave me
alone. But me and my boy LA as well as
our homie Freeman, we were in the group together.
So the three of us are still heavily in music.
L as album, his newest album comes out July 25th.

(10:50):
So I really hope everybody's listening to that.
My album just came out back on May 2nd for Honeymoon Mountain
and Freeman. I'm not sure when his next one
is, but he has music out too. So we're still all going for it.
We found our way to our path andit's all much better than what
we did as kids. So focus on that.
Don't worry about the high school stuff.

(11:11):
And Cater shared the name of thealbum title that drops on July
25th for those in the audience. I like this album on July 25th
is Lotus Ave. If you go to his socials at
ELHAE, if you go to yeah, his YouTube, he's got these
phenomenal videos for it. Couple of them shot by David
Brain, who I worked with on Afraid Part 2 video.

(11:33):
Yeah, it's just it's phenomenal work.
It's very cinematic. That's just if you follow him in
his career, that's his style. You hear it all the way back to
Aura One. Her all have fallen like all the
projects. He's very cinematic in his
style, and that returns in this project to the largest degree,
yeah. And although you won't say the

(11:55):
name of the group at the time, are you able to elaborate on the
reason for the breakup back thenof this group?
Yeah, man, I've never even talked about this because I
guess since I haven't let too many people in on the group who
don't know about it, it hasn't been like a big talking point
really. But the reason the group broke
up back then was we were noticing, I guess with, I'm not

(12:18):
going to say who, but between the members, like interests were
just kind of changing. It seemed as if we noticed, you
know, who was doing the majorityof the work, who was suggesting
the the records, the beats that all these things, right?
And we looked at it like what's,you know, what's kind of

(12:39):
happening? It's not the energy that it had
been and we were getting, I think we all were at least 20 or
21 by that point too. So it was just like, we started
the group. We were 14, so interest was just
kind of changing. And I think we recognize that in
good time and said, you know, weshould look at doing this
another way. LA decided to branch off into

(13:02):
solo work. I never wanted to be a solo
artist. So I was like, I guess I don't
make music anymore. Like, quite literally, that was
my stance. Freeman was the first to put out
actually, was it? LALA was the first to put out a
project, like I think later thatyear he put out a mixtape and
then Freeman put one out not toolong after that.

(13:23):
And I think it took me maybe twoto three more years before I did
because again, I didn't want to be solo.
I had to figure that out. I thought I would just go play
drums for a band or maybe I could lead sing for a band, like
an actual band. I mean, Foo Fighters, Coldplay,
something like that I was looking at.
I always just wanted this camaraderie, this group.

(13:44):
I didn't see myself as like poster boy or lead of the group
in any manner that in that way. And so I didn't think that I
should do it solo. But I went out for American Idol
when I was in the rap group. I was rapping and I was singing
sometimes and people would comment on the songs that I sang

(14:05):
on. There was one in particular that
made people go, OK, yeah, like we really like this song more
than anything on the project. So I said I'll focus in on
singing. And that's how I like got to
this point. Today was just changing the way
I made music completely. But yeah, the breakup was
definitely just an overtime thing and I legitimately didn't

(14:28):
think I'd be making music after that.
But from the sounds of it, not your call at all.
No, no, no, no, not my call. I understood it and I even
agreed with it. I tried to make it go a
different way. Like I said, not trying to throw
anybody under the bus in this equation whatsoever.
I've tried to find it, find different ways for it to work in

(14:53):
different iterations, and it just didn't make sense.
So I backed off the most musically, but it was just, it
was too much fire in there, man.Yeah, I had to.
I had to come back for it. Now, just diving into the music
side of things for you, excuse me, you're obviously described

(15:15):
as a singer, but you're also described as a songwriter.
Which came first of these two talents for you?
Are you able to share the chronological order of the
history of how these came about in your life?
Yeah, songwriter came first because I was rapping and I was
writing my own stuff and that was about age 12.
My brother was actually in a three Man Group in high school.

(15:36):
He was the producer but he also rapped.
I had two other guys with him. So it's funny, I kind of
mirrored him in a way, except I didn't produce in high school,
but I sort of mirrored his high school life in a way.
He was so cool to me and I just wanted to do a piece of what he
was doing. And so I tried to get on the
song once and he told me if you can write 4 bars, you can be on

(15:59):
this song. I didn't know what a bar was.
This was maybe 6th or 7th grade,maybe around there and I was
just like 6th had to be 6th grade.
So I'm like, Yep, I guess I'm not on this song because I don't
know what a bar is. I can't do it.
And then even still not knowing what it was, I just couldn't

(16:19):
come up with lines at all to geton this song.
It was not until I stated started dating this girl in
middle school dating that I found out what a bar was because
she knew because she would rap sometimes.
So I learned from her what a barwould like structure of music.
So yeah, the songwriting came first and I just carried that

(16:40):
into my singing. Funny enough.
Like really way more inspired bylike, I think the the first not
rock, but like alt ish song I heard on the radio that I can
remember was Daughters by John Mayer.
And it's just so well written. That was it.
It was noticeably different to me than the music I was

(17:02):
listening to and I wanted more of that.
So I dove into a little bit moreof his music.
And then like Coldplay and Mumford and Sons was around that
time. And I find Jon Bellion and all
these really great writers and I'm like, I want to find like a
way to put this into R&B. Not that R&B is not written well
because honestly, I didn't dig into R&B like that being around

(17:24):
gospel so much, but I knew that what I was hearing, I didn't
hear in all the songs that I liked the same way, you know
what I mean? So I wanted to put like some of
that in there and I really like dug my feet in the ground on
just being a good songwriter. And so I think it's a strength
of mine for sure. So I like to say that a lot of

(17:46):
times when I meet people, I'll say I'm a songwriter rather than
an artist if they don't know me,just so they'll, it feels like
they won't be as aggressive about, oh, what are you, Oh, who
you work with? Oh, like all that stuff.
So when I was in a songwriter, it's like, oh, nice, who have
you written for? And then I could just, you know,
BS it, but you know, it's, it's easier, it's an easier approach

(18:08):
than trying to tell people like,this is my job.
And now they have 800 questions,so yeah.
Now, you mentioned this briefly,faintly, but want to hone in on
this. You mentioned the American Idol
audition. So how did that fit into the OK,
your solo art? Well, you break up from the
group and then this audition happens.

(18:28):
So you're a solo artist and thenthe audition happens, The
audition happens, you become a solo artist.
It kind of fit that. The latter, the audition
happens. So because I was realizing and
noticing how people responded tomy singing, the next time I went
out and did anything musical, the group broke up in Jesus
2020, of course, not 2020 The group broke up in 2010.

(18:52):
I want to say I was in San Antonio by 2011.
There was this event. Funny enough, my now MD and
drummer, he threw this event. I didn't even know him at the
time, but I knew that it was forlike people in our age group.
It was an open mic. So I was like, I'm going to go
sing that my one sing my one song where I sing the whole

(19:15):
thing and just see how people respond to that.
And it was like I was Michael Jackson.
It was ridiculous, just a response.
So I said, OK, maybe I really dohave something here.
And I decided to just look for when is American Idol coming
because I would watch it at the time.
Like when is Idol coming to Texas?

(19:35):
So the 11th season was coming toHouston, not San Antonio, but my
sister flew in. We drove to three hours.
We did the chaos of the first day to get your ticket.
We did the chaos of the second day.
Even though you already have your ticket.
People are just rude and we get down there at the audition at
the time. So this is that NRG Field or NRG

(19:57):
Stadium? They took the grass off the
field. I want y'all to see what I saw.
They took the grass off the field.
It's just concrete. That's all it is.
There are 12 judges tables. They're numbered blue judge
table. So not the TV judges, not even
close to one person at a judge table.
They, they use like maybe 1/4 ofthe arena to host all of us.

(20:21):
And then they would call us downby like the area we sat in and
then place us into fours. So they would do auditions by
fours. My group steps up, all the
judges get up and take a break. And I was like, Oh no, whatever
chance I had is over. Like not.
I mean, literally it was probably just a break.
They've been there for a little bit.
But also, what if they're changing what they want?

(20:43):
They're not getting the right things, blah, blah.
Like all the stuff is in my headanyway.
I still do my audition. And I've got to be honest with
you not I'm not super arrogant, but I felt like I was the best
and I did a good job. I genuinely did a good job and I
was not brought through and somebody from that group was,

(21:03):
which made me even more mad. Just didn't know what they were
looking for, I guess. So I sang, well, I forget the
song something by what are they called?
Neon? Something like some pop group
back then. Neon.
They had a song called Animals. I want to say whatever.
Yeah. I, my big story here is that I

(21:28):
think NFL player Matt Schaub, quarterback of the Houston
Texans at the time, cut my wristband off.
It was like him in the offensivelineman.
That's what it looked like. They're all that size.
And that dude looked like Matt Schaub and he cuts off my my
wristband. And I walked through the loser
tunnel, even though that's not what they called.
It was a freaking loser tunnel. I walked out of that, didn't

(21:51):
speak for the next three hours and was just so, so upset, so
sad. And oh, that's to say I was
pissed off and had like a I'm going to show you kind of
mindset and here we are. Now if any of those that judge
is watching or listening to thisinterview, is there anything you

(22:13):
want to say to this person? Almost flip them off.
No, they did their job like this.
They were looking for what they thought.
I don't want it, you know, I can't be upset about that.
I think Phillip Phillips won that year, like I wasn't no
Phillip Phillips, you know what I mean?

(22:34):
So that, you know, I don't thinkthat was going to be for me
anyway or any of the other showsthat I tried along the way
after. It just wasn't going to be for
me. And I'm glad, honestly, you just
put me on the right path. I didn't need those, those
contracts that they give out. I didn't need anything that
comes along with being on those shows at the time especially.

(22:55):
So yeah, I'm on the right path. I've headlined several tours
now. I've opened for a couple.
Like I paid for my house with money on music, money for music,
and I'll take care of my family with money for music.
Like can't be mad at the judge forever I guess.
And the interesting thing here on a show of that magnitude,
reality show contest or whateverthose things are called, is just

(23:17):
because you are declared the winner of said season doesn't
mean you can still make it. There's obviously other artists
like yourself that didn't get past, didn't get called the
winner and they're just as success, just as successful as
you, if not more successful. So you do hear those stories,
right? But then you also hear those
stories of the people that one that are forgotten about and of

(23:39):
course some of them, that one that everybody remembers.
So just how do you look at that in those type of?
They don't make these mega stars.
And I think we were fooled by that because Kelly Clarkson and
Carrie Underwood and Fantasia and Ruben started like all these
people that became these really massive stars early in what they
were doing. But there's way like more people

(24:03):
who did not become these really big stars.
Now they might have careers in music that I just don't know
about. Like there's a niche for
everything. And, you know, maybe they just
have a section or a market sharethat I'm just unaware of.
But the the illusion that everybody was going to be those
big names that I just said, I think that's gone, whether it's

(24:25):
from idle, the Voice, X Factor, I don't even think the voice has
one. Forgive me if I'm forgetting
somebody. I don't think they have one that
became like this really big star.
X Factor obviously has One Direction and Leona Lewis and a
couple others. But it's just these things.
They make money for the network.They are opportunities for

(24:46):
people to advance their careers and their lives.
But the illusion is gone. I believe so, yeah.
You know, I think and I believe that my career is where it's
supposed to be. Especially, you know, if God
didn't allow it, I didn't need it.
You know what I mean? And when it comes to the I'll

(25:09):
show you attitude or however wayyou figure figuratively said
that previously can't remember the words verbatim.
Was there ever a thought on trying?
If not that show, again another one of those type of reality
contest like an X Factor and TheVoice.
I did a few, I did. I did the voice, same result.
I did. I think I had a bad approach

(25:30):
there, but same result. I did America's Got Talent, same
result. Like I never got past the first
judge anywhere and I just don't think I was supposed to like the
the deals that I've been able tohave since the freedom that I
have as an artist. I would not have had that in
those contracts. Like those were some early

(25:54):
2000s, late 90s style contracts still back then.
Like, yeah, I didn't want any part of that.
So I thought I wanted it. And then you learn and I didn't
want any part of that. So I'm glad.
I really feel like not not even making the show.
I'm glad that God didn't like, crack the door open for me to
think that, oh, maybe this is for me because it just never

(26:15):
was. And also on the opposite side of
things, what do you want to say to those in the audience
watching or listening to this interview that did audition was
in the same boat as you didn't make it to be the winner of said
show and they're watching this and contemplating their own
career like should I keep going?Should I not?
So on and so forth. Obviously you had the I'm going
to show you attitude and kept going, but what do you want to

(26:38):
say to those that may be dejected after losing?
That I was dejected, you know what I mean?
That's the first feeling, is this failure.
But I think it's because I thought it was something that it
isn't #1 there's way more lanes these days, there's way more
opportunity. I went and like, put together

(26:59):
little pieces of a studio setup in my room at that time in 2011,
and now it's so much more accessible than it was back
then. Like, these shows are avenues,
but they're not the only one. For sure.
More people lose than don't. And Jennifer Hudson was a loser.
What? Like, obviously you know that.

(27:21):
That's the greatest example I would say.
But you know, everybody that didn't win or even didn't give
far. Cuz I got to be honest, my goal
was not to win the show. I was like, I just want to get
to Hollywood. Once I get to Hollywood, I'm
going to meet some of the right people, whether they're in the
show and maybe we become a grouplater or I meet a producer after

(27:42):
show, something like that. I just wanted to make a
connection that's I wanted to get far enough to make a
connection with somebody to helpme go forward.
And I didn't even reach that goal right.
And I'm still here. I've still headline my own tours
several times, whether it's buses or planes.
Like we've been able to make it happen, man.
And yeah, it's just not the end.It's just a a part of the story.

(28:06):
And also a part of the story is playlist appearance.
Like that segue? For Feelings for You, which
ended up being on Barack Obama'sfavorite music of 2022.
Yeah, that song, the story of that song itself, it's really
cool that it made it to that level because when we dropped

(28:29):
it, I was unaware. That shows you how much R and BI
was listening to at the time. I was unaware that it had a
sample from like a Gibeon, not just a Gibeon song, a Gibeon
single. Like, I just did not know.
We just, my team didn't know. We just like, believed in this
music, in this song, and the producers didn't.

(28:50):
It's so weird thinking about it that way.
They didn't know either. They got scammed in a beat pack
and the sample was in that pack.So anyway, we had to take the
song down because of course we got strikes and stuff.
And I'm like, this is my first song as an independent artist.
Like it's supposed to go perfect.
Everything is over. Like now nobody's going to care
when I drop it again or if I drop it again.

(29:12):
And I think it was two months, two or three months later, after
some reproduction, we just, we put the record out again and
this is the result. It was when on Spotify's
favorite R&B songs of the year, Obama's playlist, My wife and I
just kind of freaked out when wesaw it and debating whether or

(29:33):
not he actually listens to the music.
I'm pretty sure like a staff brings it to him and he has to
approve it. But the idea that he was just
like on Spotify or Apple one dayand just stopped on me and was
like, write that down. I don't know, man, I don't know.
But either way, I'm glad that itwas approved.
It's a cool thing that he does that raises awareness of artist

(29:55):
people may not have listened to or known about otherwise.
So it didn't change my life, butit was a very, very cool moment.
And how were you even notified about it that you had made this
list? I saw it on the Internet is we
weren't tagged or nothing like that.
I was just scrolling, I guess maybe one of my friends saw at

(30:17):
first, now that I'm like thinking it through and I think
I was tagged in the post and I'mlike, what is this?
And now I'm like, you know, I, Ithought it was just like an
encouragement thing, like, oh, you're going to be on here one
day. And no, I was like, literally on
there. So yeah, you just come across
it. Very nice moment.
I remember being in my home studio.

(30:37):
I was probably playing PlayStation though and just
seeing that and freaking out, taking it to my life.
And just record label wise at the time, were you truly
independent when you had that recognition?
Yes, truly independent with distribution.
So I think my distro at the timewas independent.

(30:59):
That's the name of the company Indico.
That was really cool. It's a big win for all of us in
that way, yeah. Do you think they had anything
to do with it? Well, they're great.
So I can't say that they didn't have anything to do with it.
Like they recovered on our snafureally well and and got the song
back up there. So they they were a really great
team to work with that I would recommend anybody to work with,

(31:21):
especially if you're getting back on your feet or you just
looking to advance to some manner in your career.
Like the people over at Indy Co gave Lister, like they know what
they're doing. Extremely helpful, extremely
accessible. Everything was clear.
So yeah, I don't know. I don't know what happens if
I'm, if they're not my distro atthe time because they, you know,

(31:43):
they have the conversations withthe people at the companies and
all that stuff. So I don't know what happens
without them, but I know what did with them, you know, so
great people. And are you still with them
today? I'm not, you know, not an issue,
not a bad thing. I actually really tried to get
back with them. It was it was honestly more so
about I'm going to, I wanted to basically double my deal because

(32:08):
I was like, hey, I'm about to give you double the music if you
keep my turns, Let's just doubleeverything else and let's do it.
And they don't want to do it that way.
And that's not a bad thing. That's just business.
Like at the time business said doesn't make sense to do exactly
that. They offered another deal and it
wasn't a bad deal. It's just not what I was looking
for. And so, you know, had to move on

(32:29):
from that. But had they come back with like
even something like close to what I was really looking for?
There's no reason to not, you know, go back and work with that
team. They're great.
They really are great at what they do.
But I'm also extremely happy with RBC and BMG.
And you also mentioned God here.Yes, you mentioned gospel music

(32:54):
throughout this conversation. Do you follow religion at this
point? 100 percent, 100%, I can't be
anchored in any manner without Jesus, without my faith in him
and and who he is, what he's done.

(33:16):
There's an end to me like I can do, but so much.
And it's really nice to know that and really good to know
that who I'm trusting in Alpha and Omega like stands outside of
time, not restricted by anything.
And for me to think that I can learn that, know that about him

(33:40):
and still try to live life without it.
Like it's, it's an impossibility.
I've, I've tried life without, like honestly surrendering my
life to him as a Lord and as father.
And it's not, it's not for me. It's not because when I go, not
just when I go through trouble, but when I go through things

(34:01):
like if I'm what, what is there for me to hold on to?
Like hope, what, what am I hoping in?
Like what is what am I hoping it?
There's nothing like it at that point.
Hope is just a word. I need to attach that hope to
something real and and proven. And it's not just my parents

(34:21):
faith that was passed down to me.
I went through the whole deconstruction thing at 19.
I stepped out and said, what is this?
I was on the drums one day at church at 19 years old and said,
what are we doing every week? Like what is this?
And for the first time, I stepped outside of my church,
stepped outside of my bubble to see what other people had to say
about Jesus or other things. And I I made my journey that

(34:43):
actually made it like a much deeper connection and
relationship. When I thought there was a
possibility for me to walk away,I looked into it for myself and
it gave me roots instead. So yes, it's what I do.
I'm on the worship team at my church back in in Texas.
I'm singing typically like 2 * amonth.

(35:04):
You know, I've, the themes are pretty consistent in my music.
Even when I started in Christianhip hop to now, you know, it's,
it's something that's never not been a part of my adult life.
So yeah, I continue to learn to grow in that.
And care to share what you consider yourself religion wise?

(35:24):
Is it just Christianity? Does it get any more deeper than
that? Like sometimes a particular
branch or denomination under that.
Umbrella. No, not branch or denomination.
It's it's Jesus follower of the way, you know, there's no
specific or you know, Catholic or whatever everybody's
different terminologies are. That's cool and great.

(35:45):
You know what I mean? Like end of the day, I believe
that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God, that he's part of
the, the Trinity, Godhead Trinity, that he died and and
rose again for our sins. Like the, the basic, the, the
basic foundation that you have to have to say I am a believer

(36:08):
and a follower of Christ. That's where I'm at.
You know what I mean? Everybody's specific things,
like if it, if that part isn't challenged or doesn't change,
then all well and good. If that part does change, I'm
not that. I'm not whatever that is, you
know, I mean, like, yeah, I'm, I'm really firm in my belief in

(36:28):
that. And just for additional context,
prior to the deconstruction thatyou went through, how were you
raised? Was it a Christianity as well?
Was it even more specific than that?
Yeah, it was. I feel like I've been non
denominational pretty much my whole life and my parents were
kind of just shifting into that as I was born.
I mean, they've been in Baptist churches, they're from

(36:49):
Mississippi, you know, they've been in Baptist churches and
Kojic churches and all those things.
But my first memories of churches about 345 around that
time frame and we were at a non denominational in Warner Robins,
GA. So yeah, the entirety of my

(37:09):
life, I've especially because I ended up playing drums and my
dad was the music director, my mom's in the choir, my sister's
in the choir, my brother went from drums to keys in Oregon,
and then I'm on drums. I'm there at the time.
Monday. Excuse me.
Sunday, Wednesday. Yes.
Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday. If the band had a rehearsal,

(37:31):
we'd be there on Saturday sometimes and don't let there be
a revival because we are there Sunday through Friday.
We'll get Saturday off. We'll come back again on Sunday.
Like, I can't believe they managed to do that along with
our regular lives. Like, what is insane, actually.
But yeah, that was a big part ofmy life, but it still wasn't

(37:51):
like what I was living. I can say that for sure.
I very much wanted to figure outwhat life was for me and not
just what my parents were sayingI should do.
So I didn't. I didn't get into Christianity
as like when I around it, yes, for sure.
I knew the music, I knew the Christianese, the terminologies

(38:14):
and all that stuff, but my heartwasn't there at all.
And like I said again, at 19 is when I really like challenged it
for sure and went to kind of seek against it and still found
my way back for sure. So yeah, I grew up in it, but
I've made my own choice. Now, when it comes to back to

(38:34):
music here, when it comes to themusic side of things and
specifically songwriting versus singing, which do you feel like
you're more talented at at this point?
Songwriting and I don't have to think about it.
There are so many freaking good singers in the world, man.
And I've learned that just because you're a great singer

(38:55):
doesn't mean you're a great artist.
Because I feel that I'm a betterartist than some people who are
way better singers than me. But that's just because of what
I can express in my writing, in my tone and the relatability of
hearing my voice in people wanting to sing with it and sing
back to it. Yeah, I've.

(39:17):
I've learned a lot of the differences in that I want my
voice to be better. There's so many voices I wish I
had. There's so many people who I
admire simply for their vocal ability.
But I recognize my strength being a songwriter, saying
things that are placing them in catchy manners or just singing

(39:37):
the right note. Put them in the right note at
the right time, the right word at the right time.
Like I I've me and my friend Andy Mineo.
I love writing with him the mostbecause when we would be in
sessions in the past, we will literally be going back and
forth between two different words to see what felt better
and that in a just insignificantword just isn't.
It doesn't matter to the song honestly, except to us it

(39:59):
matters so much. And just seeing which one felt
better. I love that and I think that's
why I'm really good at it. I love to sing, yes, but I know
my God-given ability is like, I'm going to work as much as I
can in it. But at the end of the day, he
put a cap on it. There's a cap somewhere.

(40:20):
And, and I could probably be true for the songwriting as
well, but I, I, I just, I love it so much more.
It's creating the story and thenexpressing it after, you know
what I mean? And which do you enjoy more,
whether you're more talented at it or not?

(40:41):
I'm going to say, oh man, I wantto say singing because of the
live experience, like with the crowd on a stage, that they're
very similar feelings. That's why it's taking me a
while to like give a real answer, even though I love
songwriting, feel more talented than that.

(41:03):
The the experiences, though, Euphoria is similar after
writing a really good record, which typically I've done at the
house by myself, but being able to take that record you love so
much and perform it and sing it to people who are singing it
back, it's a completely different.
It's the full circle of what youthought the song could be when

(41:23):
you wrote it. And that's probably why I think
I enjoy it so much more, yeah. And which do you think, your
followers, fans or supporters? Yeah, I don't know if you have a
name for them in particular. What do you think they enjoy the
most between those two talents of?
Yours, it's the singing, like some music hands will get into.

(41:45):
Oh, you wrote this really well. But you'll hear about, you'll
see about the voice way more like you get the like butter, so
smooth, so calming. Like you, I hear and see about
the voice way more than the writing.
But yes, there is that each group of people who are like,
man, you really, really wrote this song.
And yeah. And on the songwriting side of

(42:09):
things, while we're at it, how do you deal with writer's block
when you if you even get that? I don't.
I don't really think there's a block necessarily.
So for instance, a lot of there will be times I can't even say a
lot, but there will be times where I'm I hear a record and I

(42:34):
start to write and what I hear first is a like the second verse
of the song, not necessarily thebeginning.
Like it, it doesn't always happen in chronologically or
linear, I guess not always. I wrote the song in this order.
I'll just hear a part of the song first, figure out where I
should place it and then put it down.
And maybe the next day or a couple hours later, I'll pick it

(42:56):
back up. So it's not really a block as
much as it's just like maybe notquite time yet.
Like let this part sit, see whatfits around it.
It's almost like a puzzle in so many ways.
So I don't to me, if you're getting blocked, that might be
you need to go live like you need to go do some stuff, Go
enjoy your life, go out, go do something.

(43:19):
Maybe you're too, you're too in the studio.
You're writing too much, which is a thing like, yes, you want
to work the muscle and get good at it, but at some point you got
to put the weights down, brother, you can't be in the gym
every single day and expect the muscles that you've been tearing
to get stronger to ever get stronger because you're still

(43:40):
tearing them, right? So it's just, it's one of those
things that you might need to just take a real life break, go
through something and then come back and see what either
production makes you feel or like I have just about every
album, there's a record from me that like was in my head 1st and
I brought it to the producers ormy newest album that State of

(44:03):
the Will and little mistakes like those weren't beat sent to
me. That's something I felt I put on
my phone and I, you know, sent to them to get it made.
Sometimes I'll do a completely acapella or whatever and just
get the idea out, but those songs don't come if I'm in the
studio every single freaking dayof my life, right?

(44:24):
I had to go through some of those things.
I really live my life. So that's my my advice about it.
If you do feel you have writer'sblock, like maybe you just
haven't lived enough of your life yet to talk about something
beyond what you've talked about.Like you, just you've overdone
the season. And you mentioned it in a

(44:44):
previous portion of questions, but just in case those are
tuning into just this select portion of the interview, Akira
shared the name of the title to the album that you're
referencing, these songs. Are off so my album is called
Honeymoon Mountain. It released on May 2nd 2025.
It is my favorite album of my whole discography.
It's a wonderful story of I liketo tell how I got to it, which

(45:09):
is my friend was not in a good spot with his fiance at the
time. And so he wanted to just kind
of, you know, just have a good like a highlight real quick in
the in the relationship. So he takes her to Disneyland
and it's this imagery of going to this place to be happy.
People around you enjoy themselves being happy and

(45:33):
you're with this person and you're not happy together and
that's the person you want to behappy with.
He says they had a horrible timeand my mind just exploded.
And it took me to kind of what became this album.
Realizing we know what it's likewhen a relationship is just

(45:53):
over, you just end it. I've been around so much
divorce. I don't even want to go through
the whole list right now. But I've been around a lot of
it. And so, and it's some of it is
necessary. You know, we know what it's like
when it's over, but what is it like when you feel that way with
somebody but you do want to keepit and you do want to hold on?

(46:14):
And so the album explores that. It starts off at the worst
parts. And we're trying to climb this
mountain together. I just kind of use Honeymoon
Mountain as a theme park name, almost like Space Mountain to
ride at Disneyland. But yeah, I wanted this visual
of climbing a mountain with the one you love, but also the ups
and downs of like roller coasters and things of that

(46:34):
sort. So yeah, it all works.
It all works together really well in the album.
And Speaking of this particular project, any plans for a deluxe?
I'm not deluxe is not in my contract.
So if they got deluxe money, I don't mind a deluxe at all.
It might be like it could be like a one year anniversary
thing. It could be a couple months down

(46:55):
the line, but I don't like, you know, I don't like turning in
work that wasn't paid for or, orexpected.
Not that there won't be music for it because there will be
music that is available in that manner, but not as of as of this
exact moment of this recording. No, We'll see what happens
because there's, there's, there's a lot that's going to be

(47:17):
coming through. Have you done a deluxe previous
to this? No.
Well, I've attempted, so I was going to do a remix album for if
you feel we were remixing not every song, but a good maybe
about half the album was gettingremixed.
So there's some songs that are made that just never saw the
light of day because so Tanji, who is now the CEO of Def Jam,

(47:40):
he was my A&R at RCA. So Tanji got that job like
during that time frame. So then suddenly I had a new A&R
who I talked to once ever, and Iended up only being able to
speak to her assistant. Not that the assistant couldn't
like do the work, but we couldn't get things through to

(48:03):
the person who's supposed to help make it happen, right?
It's not the assistant's job to make it all happen, you know?
So anyway, it was really frustrating.
We couldn't get it done just because we couldn't reach our
ANR bro Like what? And then they kind of like, hey,
you know, Tonji's gone, we'll give you an opportunity.

(48:24):
Do you want to like see what happens with a, with another
single or do you want to walk? And I'm like, I'm going to walk.
What do you mean see what happens?
What? See what happens like that?
That's not very enticing at all.Plus, we couldn't get anything
to go through with the A&R you guys gave me.
So I'm not, can't even throw that person on the bus because I
don't remember their name. Like that's how little I talked

(48:47):
to that A&R. So yeah, anyway, we had the
remix album, which was basicallythe deluxe, and it just couldn't
happen for pure lack of communication.
Now when it comes to your previous bodies of work on this
discography, zooming out, never seen you do an additional
installment or a volume to a previous title.

(49:09):
Are there any plans to a volume to A2 in any of your previous
titles in your discography as far as albums and projects?
Well, you missed one. Hours spent loving you, got
moments spent loving you. Yeah, that's the only one,
though. That is the only one.
Pardon the brain foggy. It's OK, I like to I like to

(49:30):
explore something else. Not that it's not cheap, but
it's really easy to get fans excited about a two of something
that they already have proven tobe excited about.
So if I say I've got The Everlasting Wave 2 coming out,
my fan base would get really, really excited because of what

(49:51):
that meant to them in that time.I didn't mean to do that with, I
did it with one song with AfraidPart 2 and we when I went to
studio, that was not the goal. I don't really, like you said, I
don't really do that. It just turned out that was
where the story led and it made sense.
But in general, I like to try tofind what's new, what's fresh,
what's a different approach so that everything can kind of

(50:15):
stand out to itself and not be they're going to be compared to
each other. But I didn't want them to be
directly compared to each other in the sense of was 1 better
than two? Like a movie, you know, like we
do a movies, like I didn't want that comparison.
I needed it to be same actor, different movie and you know,
different characters, things like that.
So the Spent Loving You series, which technically is complete,

(50:41):
that has an opportunity to get atrilogy at some point, but we
left it. Where was that six years ago
now? We left it at at Moment Spent
Loving You, but who knows? You know that that might be the
only one that continues as far as albums to get another
installment. OK, got it.
And just for a little bit more background history, I know you

(51:03):
mentioned San Antonio and Georgia and things of that
nature, but just for clarification wise for those in
the audience getting to know youhere for the very first time,
care to share where you were actually born?
Monterey, CA and I've never seenit.
We moved one month later. The hospital I was born in, Fort
Ward Hospital, does not exist anymore.

(51:25):
So there's that. But yes, Monterey, I've been
scheming to go back just for a birthday or something and never
quite lines up, but at some point I will.
I will go back to my birth city and just I know that it's
beautiful. Just go enjoy it.
It's also expensive on Airbnb, so that's part of why I haven't
been. Yeah.
Too much going on. Well, yeah, Monterey, CA and

(51:48):
just military baby bounced around every three years after
that. And care to share where you
reside these days? I am in Dallas, TX.
And do you want to just give a chronological history of the
different moves in your life? Buckle up buddy.
So Monterey, CA, one month laterwe go to.

(52:11):
I feel like these are security questions.
Monterey, CA, one month later, we go to Colorado Springs, which
obviously is in Colorado. Three years after that, we go to
Warner Robins, GA. Yes, three years after that, we
go to Masawa, Japan. Three years after that, we go to

(52:36):
Waldorf, MD, but my dad is stationed at the Pentagon, but
he's working at the Pentagon. He retires there after 20 years
on the Air Force. But we have so much, like so
many ties to Georgia. He got a job at the old church
we were at. We came back to Georgia.
That was six years. So actually, I think I was in

(52:58):
Maryland for four years, came toGeorgia for six after that.
That was like, I'm trying to think right now.
It was like housing crisis 2008,all kind of stuff happened to
where he needed a different job.Yeah, he was a realtor doing
that. Good God, he found a job in San
Antonio. I wasn't going to go, but I

(53:20):
couldn't find a job as a what now 20 year old in in anywhere
in Warner Robins. So then we go to San Antonio,
which is how I got there the first time from late 2010 to
2014. I'm there.
And then I go back to Georgia. My sister had just got a
divorce. Like I spoke about divorces

(53:41):
earlier. She was one of, but she had just
got a divorce and it ended so crazy, had no family out there
around her. So I went to go be family with
her. I was there from 14 to 18.
At 18, I go to Alexandria, VA, to go marry my girlfriend who

(54:01):
lived in DC at the time. Marry her.
The Lord moves us to San Antonioagain.
I did not want to go back whatsoever, but it was very
clear. So I go to San Antonio in 2019.
It's been a pandemic there. We were pretty much released to
move again in 2022, and I did soimmediately.

(54:24):
We went up to Dallas, where a lot of her family was when we
got there. And they are not anymore.
It's just us now with two kids because everybody hates us.
So that is kind of like the the story, the traveling, bouncing
across the map in the world of my life.
Now when it comes to Dallas, circumstances could be different

(54:45):
for everyone, but can you give the audience A5 tips for anyone
moving to Dallas? Tip #1 is don't we are closed,
the traffic is crazy. No, So know what you're looking
for, like what kind of atmosphere you looking for when
you move there because when you move to Dallas, unless you

(55:07):
really are moving to Dallas proper like downtown, you are
probably going to live in greater Dallas.
Each area is completely different and has like they can
be specific to what you might need.
So in the kind of the kind of West southwest is way more

(55:28):
family oriented and affordable, but still really cool.
Like Grand Prairie has all thesesuper cool things.
Epic Central has an indoor waterpark and all, just all
everything you want. You got your hands ready, your
main event, blah blah blah, all the restaurants, everything you
want, the family focused is overthere.
And if you're single and living it up, you might want to go to

(55:50):
Greenville, which is like just off of downtown.
If you're a rich family, maybe you want to live in the north
over near grand Scape or what isit?
Frisco, the Colony, freaking I don't know you're super rich.
Highland Park, who knows? But like each area I feel like
offers something specific to maybe where you are in your life

(56:12):
and you want to make sure that you're going there and not
something that's like opposite to what you're really looking
for just because the house was nice, you know what I mean?
Or the apartment was cool or affordable.
Like stay out the east side, stay out.
But yeah, that's, I guess that'skind of the main tip is like
pick an area that matches your life, matches the speed of your

(56:33):
life. What's the next tip?
Tip 2. If you're a sports fan like me,
all the teams are all over the place.
They are not central the like from where I am, The Mavericks
are 23 minutes like east or something like that.
But the Cowboys are 25 minutes West, but the Dallas Wings and

(56:57):
FC Dallas are 40 minutes N they're all over the place.
They do have a team in everything, which is really
cool, but none of those teams share anything.
Well, the stars in The Mavericksshare the arena, but after that
you're going to have to go on world tour to go see some some
of the events when people here'sanother tip.

(57:18):
When people say DFW, they ain't that close brother.
Like they are near each other sure, but I'm not in Dallas
proper and Fort Worth is 45 minutes from me.
So they are still quite a distance from each other.
It's just a really, you know, ifyou join it all together, it's a
huge Metroplex. But don't go there thinking Fort

(57:40):
Worth is like right over. It's not like 30 minutes away at
all. Two more.
What can I think of 2? More.
She got two more. I don't know that I've been
there long enough to have two more.
Pretty much all the food is good.

(58:01):
That's a good tip. Pretty much I've I've enjoyed a
majority of the food. What's the last thing?
Oh, never go downtown during thefireworks.
It's a big parking lot, the whole highway.
That's just a random one, but that's it.
Yeah. Fireworks is in July 4th.
Yeah, yeah, it's, it's a parkinglot as a highway, Yeah.

(58:22):
Want to hone in on two things? It sounded like you were serious
about the traffic and then you took it back.
So I don't know if you were joking or trolling.
There. It's a thing.
It can. It can definitely be a thing,
yeah. What are those heavy traffic
times to avoid, if at all possible, in Dallas?
There's obviously rush hour, butthat's the thing about it.
It is so random. You'd be like, oh, there

(58:43):
shouldn't be any traffic right now and of course there's
traffic right now like it. That is the issue with me saying
we're closed. It's just there is no predicting
what follow. Also follow the Dallas, TX TV
page. Some somebody is on fire
somewhere every day in their car.
I don't know if the person's on fire, but their car definitely

(59:05):
is every day. It's insane.
And I don't know how it keeps happening.
Something and someone is on fireon these roads.
Get off the roads, please. Anyway, yeah, that's.
It's insane. And do you have a favorite food
establishment? I'm going to say we've only been

(59:26):
there a couple times. I'm going to say Mike's Chicken
is my favorite so far, 'cause they got biscuits and biscuits.
Be here. The chicken is really good, nice
and crunchy, you feel me? Besides are cool too.
The Mac and cheese ain't bad whatsoever.
It's really good. I'm never going to say no when
somebody said let's go to Mike's.

(59:47):
And before this interview ends, is there anything else you are
not asked followers, fans or supporters want to know?
I don't know man, get out my business.
I'm not sure what they want to know honestly.
I will say there was a cool conversation I had the other

(01:00:09):
day. I did a like a shoot in LA for a
song that me and Jalen Josie have on my album called Painting
the Stars. So it wasn't a music video, it
was just like a live performancething.
One of the people there asking me like, Hey, how do you handle

(01:00:29):
being an artist? And like, you know, you, you,
you have your, your family at home and you leave and you know,
there's still women on the road,blah, blah, blah.
And I was able to talk about howit's just number one, it's not
my personality to just talk to like random people that I don't
actually know and like try to invite them in.
But how the music that you make or the environment that you

(01:00:51):
create around you are the peoplewho tend to draw clothes, right.
So, you know, I'm saying this tosay that you can make your
whether it's your brain, your music or your life, you can make
it how you want it to be by whatyou're putting out and what you
accept, what you, what you expect as well to receive in

(01:01:15):
return. You know, I think you'll start
to see that that life that you're trying to build will
begin to happen. So, you know, I don't have rabid
fans throwing panties at me on the stage because I don't
necessarily put that energy out that that's what I'm looking for
or or that that's what the musiccalls for.

(01:01:35):
But you see the people that do in the music they make, right?
Like it is, there's a correlation not just in music,
but in life. Like I'm giving this off.
And so this is what is now showing up in my life.
So whatever it is, music, friends, friend groups, whatever
it may be, I would tell people to put off the energy and the

(01:02:02):
lifestyle, even that they they want and to be around that they
want to receive back. You can take, you know, what you
perceive as my career to be a, atrue testament to that.
Like we chill. Everything over here is super
chill. And that's because that's that's
how I am, and that's what I giveup.
Speaking of, you know, followers, fans, supporters,

(01:02:23):
things of that nature, what's been your favorite encounter
with one of these people so far?People have a lot of really cool
stories, whether it's meeting a partner at a concert.
I've had like partners meet at aconcert, which is really cool.
I don't know how many of them are still together, but it's

(01:02:45):
that's like a really cool story whenever that's shared or people
that bonded over my music and eventually got married or
played, you know, so much more or something like that at the
wedding. Blind man, I get those stories.
Those are my favorite ones, but I don't have like, honestly a
super specific specific interaction that's like, excuse

(01:03:06):
me, that was the one that's likestood out above everybody.
I have a -1 from, you know, justfor the sake of a story.
Back when I was still spazzy. Actually, I think I, I think I
quickly like figured out my lifeand ways to avoid this.
But I was doing a show in San Jose in like 2015 and

(01:03:29):
unfortunately it was the friend of one of my friends.
Like, I don't know this girl andshe just got smack drunk at the
show and when they were like coming up to like, oh, good job,
all that stuff, like Shorty grabbed my face and just licked
the side of my face. That's disgusting, bro.

(01:03:56):
Like, no, I've done pretty much all I can to make sure we're not
in that situation again. Now that show was at a bar.
Like, I'm getting my career together.
You know, you're doing the venues that you can do.
No, well, none of that, none of that anymore.
Even when I did, I think the onetime I did meet and greets, it
was before the show. Nobody's drunk, nothing's going

(01:04:19):
on. You know, we got the proper
security, all this stuff like I've, I've figured my life out
since then. But yeah, that was the worst
interaction. I'll never forget that.
But there has it. There's been so many like good
and nice interactions and stories that it's really really
is like, hard to pick out just one.
Speaking of meet and greets, areyou against them or it just
hasn't had an opportunity to keep that going?

(01:04:42):
I unfortunately end up almost always touring in the winter and
I say unfortunately because that's not what I'm trying to
do. Like I like the winter, but I
don't want to move around in it.Like I want to be home and just,
you know, get my fits off and put on my hoodie or whatever.
But go in city to city, country to country in the winter is not

(01:05:02):
what I'm trying to do. So when when that's happening,
like I'm just trying to not be sick so that I can, you know,
give the best performance for each crowd.
And sometimes it still doesn't work.
I just, you know what? I didn't get enough rest or
drink enough water or whatever it was sometimes still doesn't
work. Or I did everything I was
supposed to and my body was justlike, yeah, we don't care.

(01:05:23):
So I know that if I'm shaking 50hands a night or if I'm giving a
bunch of hugs, it just heightensthe possibility that I could get
sick and not be able to perform for the next city.
Because somehow, someway, all mytours have been in the winter.
I put out Mountain May hoping totour the late summer, and it
didn't work out that way. I'll see y'all in November,

(01:05:45):
December. Yeah.
So that's why I don't. I haven't consistently done any
kind of meet and greets. And wrapping up the question
here about these fans, followersand supporters or followers,
fans and supporters, I should say, what's the best way for one
of these people to approach you?What are the rules, the
etiquette, the guidelines, the do's or don't before someone

(01:06:09):
approaches you in that manner? Obviously no licking.
Oh my God. No licking please.
I will. I'll fight.
Now look, I got a punch a bag inthe garage.
Like hands ain't hands ain't slow, baby.
I'll be boxing with my my weightvest on.
Hands ain't slow. But this could be someone new

(01:06:30):
just getting into watching theirfavorite recording artist live
and things of that nature happento bump into you things.
Or maybe someone's watching thishaven't bumped into someone like
yourself. And in the event they do so, how
should they conduct themselves? Is there any rhyme or reason on
on on the guidelines there? I would say just be respectful
as you would be with anyone else.
You know, I think in a lot of mysituations, I'm typically with

(01:06:54):
somebody. I'm not that often out by myself
just because I'm a homebody. So when I'm out is I was
probably forced out. So whether I'm with my family,
especially if I'm with my familyor with you see somebody with me
and my team or something like that, just, you know, say my
name, say hello, say your name. Nobody ever tells me their name.

(01:07:15):
They just freak out and say can I get a picture?
Like, tell me who you are, you know, I'll shake your hand.
I'll take the photo, I'll talk to you.
Like all that stuff. I don't mind it.
I really don't. Because more times than not,
people will see you and wonder if it's you.
And even if they figure out thatit is, they'll just leave you
alone. So when somebody does come up to

(01:07:36):
me, I'm OK with it as long as they do stay in that the
guideline of just, you know, be respectful, be kind.
Don't. Don't call me a nickname.
You don't know me. Like, please.
Yeah. Just keep it chill.
Keep it simple. Just wondering because sometimes
you see the headlines of celebrities acting up to, you

(01:07:57):
know, one of these people and I just didn't know from your
perspective, you know, what is OK, what is not OK, things of
that. Nature, I don't, I don't get
paparazzi or, or people being a little too much like that.
So I don't have to tell anybody that it's not clocking to them.
Yeah, it's it's it's cool. Like just just be chill.
What about that odd moment one catches you publicly eating,

(01:08:21):
like at a restaurant? Atmosphere.
Things of that nature? What's the guidelines there?
That has happened a lot. That happened a lot when I was
in Maryland for the one year. Every time me and Kristen went
out, we got stopped either during or after.
So people are respectful. We may be eating and then
they'll like maybe they're on their way out so they want to

(01:08:41):
say something. I get that.
They're not just trying to interrupt me to the meeting.
So in that case, if you do see I'm actively eating and you're
on your way out, just speak to me.
Just speak and say your piece. Do not ask me to get up if you
don't have to. Like I'm with, if I'm by myself,
that's fine. Whatever, I'll get back to it.
But like, I'm with somebody. This is not the life that they

(01:09:03):
are trying to live. It's just what comes with my
life. So yeah, just speak to me and
you know, we'll have our pleasantries.
If I'm not seated yet or you seeme out walking or whatever, then
we can do the whole like stop and talk, take the pictures,
blah blah blah blah. At a restaurant, if I'm seated,
especially with that food, please, please leave me alone.

(01:09:27):
Well talk to me but don't try tomake me take a picture of eating
bro please. And Speaking of your wife, you
mentioned her here. Where is she at while we're
conducting this interview? She at home with them babies,
but we are both stay at home parents.
So I like to say I'm a stay at home dad that gets to make
music. Yeah, they are the whole day.

(01:09:50):
We have a three-year old as of now a three-year old and a 10
month old and they are they are the entire day.
They sleep on different schedules right now because the
baby is still doing 2 naps a day.
So we can't, we very rarely landthem sleeping at the same time.
And even if they are one's goingto sleep, the other's getting

(01:10:10):
up. So she is a trooper handling the
business. And yeah, I'm, I got a very
early flight to make sure that Iget back to help tomorrow.
And how are things going to workwhen you embark on this upcoming
tour of the USA and Europe it looks like?
I call them The Avengers. Like, mom, what are you doing?

(01:10:32):
Like, let's get you up on a plane.
Her friends who are willing, whoare, who are, you know, at home
and they can come help. Her sister is in New York, but
she's able to come and help. So we've pretty much been able
to pull people either for a weekor like at least a few days out

(01:10:52):
of the week, which even that helps.
If I can get somebody to be there for three days, that's
much better than her having to do all 7 herself, you know.
So that's we just reach out and figure out what can be done in
different time frames. Yeah, we even for like
Thanksgiving and all that, whichI'll miss this.
I'll miss Thanksgiving and my daughter's 4th birthday this

(01:11:13):
year, but she'll have family that's going to be there to help
them as well. I'll see them at my DC show
because they come to the DC showevery year.
So I'm not going to be all too long without them.
It'll still be a month, but I won't be all too long without
them. But fam, there's the family has
come down. We'll also go with her to DC.

(01:11:35):
So like she's saying, we've already put the measures in
place to like, make sure that all my girls are taken care of.
And this is the tour titled the same as the album.
For those in the audience just hearing about this for the first
time, where can they get more information about it?
Tickets, so on and so forth. Xavieromar.com It's the

(01:11:55):
honeymoon Mountain tour I'm doing.
I think 13 dates in Europe, in nine in the US So if I'm not in
your city, please find a city that's close.
I try to go as many places as I possibly could.
That made sense of the that the offer made sense, the deal made
sense to do so. Yeah, just come on out.

(01:12:16):
The live show aspect, I think when you hear it, you see the
emotion behind it. You hear the bandwidth it it's
it's always just elevated. So come on out to the show.
Will you be behind any of the drumming of your music?
Not this time. I've done it on tour before
though. It was I had a moment where me
and the band switched. What tour was that?

(01:12:37):
I want to say it was 2019, so itwas the Hot Hobby tour.
That's what it was. After moments of 11 you came
out. I had a part in the set where me
and my drummer was switched. So I take drums, he takes the
mic, the lead mic, the band comes up off the instruments and
we pre recorded like instrumentation for King Stand

(01:12:58):
the rain and they had like choreo.
It was a good moment because they have like my band has fans
like these girls, these boys single, some of these boys
single like like the girls love them.
And so it was just a cool momentto do something like that.
And if I didn't already do the trick, I would do it much more

(01:13:20):
often or figure out a spot to doit again, because it was, it was
one of my favorite things. So I've done it before, and I
got to figure out a way to do itagain.
Yeah. And just with this conversation
as we wrap up, is there anythingelse you want to add on to what
you've said previously here or subtract from what you've said?
No, I'm, I'm good with all I've said.

(01:13:42):
I don't, yeah, I don't see any issues or have a problem with
anything I've said in any manner.
So yeah, if you got a problem, come fight, you're going to
lose. Any last words before you depart
here? Now, whoever has been watching,
especially to this point, thank you.
Thank you for taking the time towatch.

(01:14:02):
This is a really cool experience.
Just having a chance to go back down memory lane and and
remember my why and be able to share that with your viewers as
well. So thank you and yeah, hoping
the best for everybody watching.