Danielle Juhre was in her first semester at Berklee College of Music. Her parents were in town for freshman orientation week.
After the orientation, a jam session was held at Cafe 939. New students had the option to sign up and perform with a band of legendary teachers of legacy.
Danielle's parents asked her if she would go up. Terrified of performing with world-renowned musicians in front of her peers, she emphatically declined.
But then, thinking of her parents' sacrifices to get her to Berklee, she put her name on the sign up sheet. It would prove to be the most pivotal moment of her music career.
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Episode Transcript
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Max Chopovsky (00:02):
This is Moral of the Story interesting people
telling their favorite shortstories and then breaking them
down to understand what makesthem so good.
I'm your host, max Drapowski.
Today's guest is Danielle Gere,the Nashville-based
singer-songwriter who spipes arewhat I can only describe as a
mix between Adele, amy Winehouseand Audra May, whose
(00:23):
unforgettable voice gracesAvicii's remake of Feeling Good.
Danielle's soulful soundtraverses three octaves and does
so with grace.
Her slight rasp a hint of theraw emotional undercurrents of
her music.
Born in Rockton, illinois,danielle was surrounded by music
from an early age.
Quite literally, her father,who did life sound for artists
like Charlie Daniels and BonnieRait, had a recording studio at
(00:45):
home and, as Danielle says,would take her car seat and put
it by the stage.
Despite this immersivechildhood and playing and
singing in bands as anadolescent, danielle didn't take
music seriously until she wasaccepted to the Berkeley College
of Music in Boston.
At Berkeley, she spent her lastsavings on the hustle,
traveling to New York to shareher demos outside Atlantic
(01:08):
Records.
While at Berkeley, daniellewrote, does she Know?
With friends Charlie Wallaceand Emiliano Santoro.
The song would go on to beplaced on the 60th Grammy Ballot
for Best R&B Song, the first ofmultiple songs to have the
distinction.
Although it took her years tofeel comfortable taking the
stage, looking people in the eyeand pouring her heart out to
(01:29):
the audience, danielle nowcommands the room with a rare
poignancy.
Her goal is to create space forintimacy, a moment for presence
and an authentic connectionwith each person in the room.
She is still plagued byself-doubt at times, but
reactions from the crowd remindDanielle of her gift, willing to
sacrifice her privacy and shareher personal struggles.
(01:50):
She writes for catharsis, butalso in hopes that her story
will help someone else.
Her talent has not goneunnoticed.
In March 2023, danielle signeda publishing deal with the
Stereotypes, the GrammyAward-winning group known for
collaborations with Bruno Mars,justin Bieber and Beyonce.
This time for Danielle, atleast from my humble perspective
(02:12):
, is kind of a magical twilightin her career, with the
inevitability of her rise tostardom just beyond the horizon.
Danielle, welcome to the show.
Danielle Juhre (02:22):
Oh my God, I need you to hang out with me
more often, Max.
That was the best intro I'veever heard.
Thank you so much.
That's wonderful.
Max Chopovsky (02:30):
Thank you Down to hang out whenever, and the
intro is just the representationof what you've done, so thank
you again for being on the show.
Danielle Juhre (02:38):
Oh, my gosh, of course.
Thank you so much for having me.
Max Chopovsky (02:42):
So you are here to tell us a story.
Is there anything that weshould know before we get
started?
Do you want to set the stage?
Danielle Juhre (02:50):
Yeah, so this is fairly recent.
I think I'm going to tell astory based off of where
everything started, and it kindof all started at Berkeley
College of Music and I willnever forget.
My Berkeley audition song was asong called Nothing Else by
Dave Barnes and it was one of myall-time favorite songs.
(03:13):
It's my dad's favorite song andI was just thrilled to be able
to audition with that.
So, flash forward to today Ijust moved to Nashville about
three, four months ago and I hadsomeone from my team, kyle
Cashwaggy, who's the A&R atBeachwave Publishing, with the
stereotypes.
He was like who are some of thepeople you'd love to
(03:35):
collaborate with?
And Dave Barnes was at the topof the list.
But I knew that was insanelylofty and it was not going to
happen.
And Dave's team wrote back andhe was interested.
And now to sit, like today, I'vehad two sessions with him and I
was just at his album releaseparty for his most recent album
and that really hit me becausehere I was auditioning with his
(04:00):
song to get into the school ofmy dreams.
And now, if I I mean I'd liketo say we're friends with Dave
Barnes, which is so funny, butDave's written some of the most
incredible songs, like God gaveme you and you, by Dan and Shay,
which is arguably maybe morebias, but my favorite song off
(04:20):
the.
They're all like other oldrecord and I will never get over
this feeling.
That was such a win on my endof just being able to know
someone that heavily inspired meand to just be at their house
recording with them.
That was pretty crazy.
Max Chopovsky (04:40):
So tell me more about that story.
So, from your sort of audition,walk me through that process.
What was that like?
Danielle Juhre (04:46):
So I auditioned for Berkeley in Chicago at
Chicago recording company and Iwent with my dad and I don't
know.
It was such a I almost want tosay cathartic experience, and
the reason why I use that wordis I had mentally planned for
this for so long and it finallycame to fruition and it felt
(05:07):
like a breath of fresh air of Iwas able to be surrounded and
around people that I wanted to,you know, be with and just kind
of be in that moment of beingsurrounded by insanely talented
people.
And I'll never forget when Ifinally got in and I was
(05:30):
surrounded by this insanelytalented group of people, it
changed my entire perspective.
I think going to Berkeleychanged me as an artist because
I was everyone was the best intheir high school and then they
all came and it was like acollective group of people that
were all the best in their highschool or whatever, and I don't
(05:52):
know to be surrounded by a bunchof people that have been doing
any sort of form of music sincethey were two or three years old
.
It was just.
It felt like I had finally beenin the place that I wanted to
be for so long.
Max Chopovsky (06:06):
Yeah, like you belong there.
Danielle Juhre (06:08):
Yeah, absolutely .
Max Chopovsky (06:10):
So my little brother.
We have a big age difference.
He's 14 years younger than me.
He went to Boston University,but he's a music producer now
and he collaborated a lot withkids from Berkeley and at one
point I shot a music video forhim and he flew in he was still
in Boston at the time and hisfriend who was the singer and
(06:32):
guitarist in this video he flewin from LA and we did this song
and I just remember watchingthis guitarist play the guitar
and be so comfortable and havesuch a good voice and I just
thought, my goodness, if this isthe caliber of people that go
to Berkeley.
It is such a rich environmentfor not just learning but
(06:54):
finding people that you mightspend your careers with, or at
least frequent collaborators.
Danielle Juhre (06:59):
Yeah, absolutely , it was every day.
It was something new and you'resurrounded by incredible people
from all over the world.
That was one of the coolestparts is, every weekend we'd get
together and everyone wouldmake a dish from their home
country and it was everyonemissed home and everyone.
(07:23):
So they just kind of was like,let's bring home here.
And I cannot express howwonderful it was to be
surrounded by a bunch oflike-minded people but also
people that come from so manydifferent backgrounds that it's
almost like it's not like-mindedat all, which sounds really
funny, but I don't know.
(07:45):
It was such an amazingexperience and actually,
speaking of stories, I will tellthis because this was probably
the most pivotal moment in myentire career, which I probably
should have led with the storythat was really dumb.
So I'll never forget my parentscame for freshman orientation
week at Berkeley and they have ajam session in one of the it's
(08:07):
right next to it's called Cafe939, which is like the Berkeley
like performance area.
So there was a whole freshmanorientation and then they had
the freshman come up and thenperform with a band that
consisted of all the teachers,but they were teachers of legacy
, like Victor Wooten, and justamazing, amazing, world-renowned
(08:29):
like people.
So my parents were sitting inthe audience and there was like
a call, like a write-up sheetfor you to sign up to sing with
the band and they were like areyou going to do it?
I was like, absolutely not, Iam not doing this.
I'm in front of my peers.
I'm not going to perform.
There's absolutely no way.
That's so nerve-wrackingbecause they're listening in a
(08:49):
totally different way.
It's not like you're performingto friends or family that have
no idea.
These are people that arepinpointing every single note
and realizing and analyzing whyyou chose the note you did and
why you didn't.
So I was like there's just noway I'm going up there.
So I looked at my parents and Iwas like you know what I'm in
(09:09):
this moment and if I don'tperform, that would be so stupid
of me, because I'm in front ofmy peers, I'm with my family,
who have spent every last dimeto get me to this moment, and I
just want to prove everyone thatI'm supposed to be here right
now.
So I wrote my name on the listand I got up and I sang If I
(09:31):
Ain't Got you by Alicia Keys andone of my Foul Time favorites,
and I will never, ever forget.
I looked out and I was like I'dblacked out and everyone had
their phones out and then I gota standing ovation and the dean
of I think the voice wanted tospeak with me afterwards and
whatever.
(09:51):
I only tell this because it wasa moment of.
I had spent so much timedoubting myself as an artist.
I was going for a musicbusiness degree.
I wasn't going for songwritingor artistry, I had told myself.
I was like I know the odds, I'mnot going to be the artist and
to see that and to have astanding ovation at your dream
(10:13):
school and I had no, I won't sayrepresentation, but I had no
one pushing me or being anadvocate for me musically at
school at all.
I auditioned for every auditionin high school, never got it.
I was put in the lowest choirand I was in the freshman choir
for all four years.
I was not welcomed in my musicdepartment.
(10:36):
So for me to go from that to mydream school was just
everything to me and that was ahuge moment of oh my God.
My peers understand what I'mgoing through and empathize.
I don't know, maybe they'rejust standing up there and
clapping and I'm thinking farmore into the situation, but I
(10:58):
will never forget that and mymom cried.
She cries a lot of thesesituations.
I guess I would do if I was amom and I just remember looking
out to my parents and they themlooking around and they still
talk about this to this day andI do too, but it was one of the
coolest experiences as a firstweek as a freshman.
Max Chopovsky (11:21):
I mean you're telling a story and I have
goosebumps Like that's.
First of all, any song byAlicia Keys for anyone that has
good pipes, is literally a wayto you know if you can nail it,
you know it's life altering.
So actually I play the pianoand, yeah, and one of the songs
that I really like was that songIf I ain't got you, because
(11:42):
it's such an interesting way toplay it, you know, because the
notes are.
It's almost like this arpeggioright Of the notes where she
kind of does that like pattern,and it's such a beautiful song.
And have you seen the video ofher and John Mayer performing in
Times Square and they switchoff between if I ain't got you
and gravity.
Danielle Juhre (12:03):
Yeah, it's amazing.
Oh my God, oh my.
Max Chopovsky (12:06):
God Right, Because most people don't
realize that the same chordprogressions account for you
know what?
90% of pop music, right, andthis one happens to be a little
bit different, but there arestill.
You know, you can't have acompletely unique chord
progression and this one justhappens to be the one used in
songs that are written by twoincredibly talented people, and
(12:26):
so just the fact that the two ofthem got together, I watched
that and I'm like damn, that isfire, Fire.
Danielle Juhre (12:35):
Yeah, I love and respect them both.
I'm a huge Mayer fan, soabsolutely I like the song too,
because it can be done in somany different ways that it can
be heartfelt or it can be donealmost in a very jazz type of
lounge if you will kind of feel.
But I don't know, there's somany different ways that you can
(12:57):
go about that song and it stillcreates impact, which I love
about it.
Max Chopovsky (13:02):
Totally, and the way it's written, it lets you
improvise, you can syncopate, itjust gets you know.
There's so many directions thatyou can take this thing, but I
think that's what makes for anincredible singer-songwriter is
they allow the song to beinterpreted differently by each
person in the audience.
So you know, every person takesaway something unique maybe,
(13:23):
and it has this like universalappeal, but at the same time it
has a very personal andindividual appeal.
Danielle Juhre (13:30):
Totally.
Max Chopovsky (13:31):
So I have another Alicia Keys story.
So when my brother was in highschool he went to the same high
school I did.
There was a girl?
Oh, that's cool, yeah, where wegrew up in Louisville.
After we moved to the US, andso there was a performing arts
school as part of my high school.
In fact, randomly, jenniferLawrence went to the same high
school in Louisville in Kentucky, but there was a pretty
(13:52):
respected musical program aswell, and so there was this girl
there and I think her name isAudrey almost positive, it's
Audrey.
They ended up I actually thinkshe's on Broadway now, if I'm
not mistaken, but they did thisperformance in front of the
entire school at this pep rally,and the song that I suggested
that they do in very strongwords was Empire State of Mind,
(14:12):
because my brother got to rapand that's something that he got
from me, and Alicia Keysdoesn't really do anything up
until the first chorus of thatsong, and when she does, she
immediately unleashes thesepowerful vocals, and so when
Audrey did that the entire Imean I have a video of it the
entire gym just erupted andhonestly, it's unbelievable.
(14:38):
What I think is interesting isit's like there was a branch in
your life.
It's like this fork in the road, and one path is you decide
that you're not going to go upthere.
Your fears, your anxieties getthe better of you and then you
have a life that goes down thatpath and the other path is be
like, fuck it, I'm gonna go upthere and I'm gonna do this
(15:00):
thing because who cares?
And I think that I don'tremember why I read this, but
people tend to regret the thingsthat they don't do more than
the things they do, and you justnever know, like.
I come from a family ofperformers that none of whom
actually do any performinganymore, except for my brother,
(15:21):
but we all love to have a mic inour hands.
That's just, you know, justkind of runs in the family, and
so it's amazing because you dosomething that you love to do
and you connect.
There's no feeling better thanconnecting with an audience and
having them dig whatever you'redoing, and it's like you're
suspended in time.
(15:41):
There was a time when we were inNashville and I was there for a
bachelor party one of my bestbuddies and we went to this club
and what I used to do when wewould do stuff like this is I
would always try to get up onstage always and whoever was
playing, like if I could playthe piano or if I could talk the
drummer into letting me playthe drums or if, like, somebody
(16:02):
was on the mic, I would get upthere and grab the mic if I
could.
And I remember we were at thisbig bar with this stage kind of
up against the window, so theperformers' backs are to the
windows, and then there's thisbig crowd of people and I was
there with my friends and I was,like, you know, the band was
playing and there was somebodythat was kind of rapping, but it
(16:23):
was kind of one of those thingsthat was, you know, basically
impromptu.
And so I just remember, likeimmediately making my way to the
stage and thinking, you know,should I do this or should I not
do this?
And the alcohol probably helpeda little bit, gave me a little
bit extra bravery.
And I just remember thinking,you know, just kind of putting
one foot on the stage and thenjust sort of sneaky, getting
(16:46):
closer and closer, and at onepoint I just jumped up on the
stage and I grabbed the mic andI just started freestyling like
to everybody in the crowd.
But I was talking about, like mybuddy's bachelor party and it
was something about, you know, Ithink I rhymed like because I'm
from the Ukraine and my onebuddy they were both consultants
, and so one of them was fromMackenzie and one of them worked
for Bane and Company, and so Irhymed like Ukraine and Bane.
(17:11):
It was just like I don't knowwhy, but it was one of those
things.
It was just one of those reallyfunny things and you know I
could have not done it, but itwas like who cares?
Right, life is too short.
You got to get out there.
Danielle Juhre (17:28):
That's awesome.
Max Chopovsky (17:30):
So when you collaborated with Charlie and
Emiliano, I'm curious what wasthat process like in terms of
the collaboration and how thesong sort of came about, Because
to write a song requires suchvulnerability and then you have
to, you know, kind of combinethat with the vulnerability and
authenticity from your writingpartners.
(17:53):
How did you go about that?
Danielle Juhre (17:55):
So usually when we're writing for me, I don't
know and can't do anything otherthan insane amount of
transparency and vulnerability.
And it's really funny becausethere's times where I'll think
about that and I'll say far morein a song than I ever will to a
person sometimes, which is sofunny.
It's so funny.
It wasn't that long ago but itfeels like a throwback I'm
(18:17):
trying to think of when we wrotethat.
I think that was my first likeactual song and structure and I
remember I went to Charlie'sapartment and we're just kind of
.
He was like I want to like writeyou a single and I was like
okay, like let's do that.
And so he goes what's inspiredyou?
And I was, I just I was like AmyWinehouse, and so I remember
(18:38):
he's like we have to do a popsong, like I want to do a pop
song.
I was like I don't want to do apop song, I don't want to be a
pop artist, I want to do like anode to Amy and be myself and do
you know, like a little bit ofjazz with like a little bit of
pop.
And I remember you know likenot fighting with them, but we
were like butting heads becausehe wanted to break me out of
(19:01):
this very like jazz style way ofwriting.
And it's so funny looking backnow because I signed my deal
based on being a pop writer andpop tile top liner, but at the
time I didn't.
You know, I was very heavilyimmersed in jazz and being at
Berkeley and you know wanting towrite cutting edge things,
which is so funny because all myfavorite songs are the same
(19:23):
four chords over and over againand you know, honestly, so we do
the number system here inNashville, so it's like like 154
or like 13, like 64.
Max Chopovsky (19:37):
Just like CGF or like CE.
That would be like a, but aminor, though right, like six,
exactly yeah.
Danielle Juhre (19:46):
And so you know, just, I was very adamant about
like paying like homage to AmyWinehouse, but being myself at
the same time, that was my wholething.
And so, yeah, we wrote thissong and I just remember Charlie
was arranging the horn partsand we were getting horn players
at Berkeley to come into thestudio and we had a couple
(20:08):
different background singers onthat song, which is so funny.
I think all the three girls,xena and man their names escape
me, it's been so long and I wasso bummed when Charlie recorded
the background vocals I wasn'tthere personally.
I believe her name's Nina, butthey're all the girls that sing
background are now like touringwith Yeba and I think Xena moved
(20:32):
back and she's like featured onbillboards all over for Spotify
and as her own artist.
But it was just so cool to bewith all, just all different.
It was like a collaborative,like Berkeley effort and project
and, yeah, that song is veryBerkeley.
Max Chopovsky (20:48):
What's the rationale for having somebody
else do background vocals versusjust tracking it yourself and
going about it that way?
Danielle Juhre (20:56):
Yeah, that's a great question.
So usually it's just to have adifferent voice and a different
level of depth and sound addedto the track.
You can totally.
Obviously it's just do ityourself, and sometimes I do but
to have that like extra addedlevel and sound of someone
else's voice as a backgroundvocalist, it really does help
(21:19):
the track a lot.
So that was really fun.
And then I think I originallystarted when I was writing with
Charlie on the track and then myfriend Emiliano joined us for
the guitar parts and it kind ofjust fell together from there.
But it was the more I thinkabout it.
I don't think I've ever had asingle song of mine, and
probably never will, where itdidn't originate with friends.
(21:42):
That's really, really importantto me.
I only work with friends really, and just people that I'm
insanely close with, which makesthe most sense, because I like
that huge level of transparencyand vulnerability.
Max Chopovsky (21:57):
Totally yeah.
Yeah, because you can reallyonly be vulnerable with them.
Danielle Juhre (22:01):
Yeah.
Max Chopovsky (22:02):
And what a great environment at Berkeley that you
can have people who are sotalented that eventually they
end up on billboards and ontours that are still students
Totally, but they're all youknow.
Maybe they have some refiningto do of their craft, but the
raw talent is there and so youget to work with these
incredible people.
It's just such an amazingopportunity.
Danielle Juhre (22:22):
It is so crazy and funny enough.
I actually I think I have asession with Charlie next week
and we haven't talked like spokerather, and probably a couple
of years.
So it's kind of funny.
You asked that and talkingabout that song because, yeah,
and then Emiliano, he's like atick famous on TikTok now and
doesn't even do music anymore.
I don't know what he's doing,but I like to make fun of him.
(22:45):
He's hilarious, he's a goofball, yeah, it's.
It's so wild that it kind ofall started from there.
And then I had a like anepiphany of I love the style of
music but pop is so universaland I don't know it really spoke
to me, but that was kind ofinteresting that I really didn't
want to go towards pop when Ifirst started and when I wrote
(23:08):
that song and I love that song.
It kind of makes me cringe nowI can't listen to it anymore
because I sound so young and youknow, whatever, we've all been
there Really.
Max Chopovsky (23:20):
Well, I mean.
So.
First of all, martin Scorsesehas said in the past that if you
watch your work or, in yourcase, listen to your work six
months to a year down the roadand you don't absolutely hate it
, that means you're not evolvingas an artist, right?
So that's the first thing.
And the second thing that comesto mind is people reinvent
themselves all the time.
I mean, think of Taylor Swift,right?
(23:42):
She started out as a countrysinger, like she was full on
country and now she's pop, andshe's even said that.
You know, she's had to reinventherself to stay relevant.
So the fact that you're doingmore pop now doesn't mean that
you don't ever get to go back tothose jazz roots, you know.
Danielle Juhre (24:00):
Totally, totally , absolutely, and yeah, I think
about all the time.
A lot of my favorite artists,like even John Mayer he did
randomly just dropped that bornand raised, you know, like
country record, folk inducedrecord, just things like that.
And Lady Gaga going from likepop to country to like EDM, back
to jazz.
I just highly respect theartists that are constantly
(24:23):
changing and evolving and Ithink about that all the time.
It's like we all listened toall different genres our whole
life, so to pick one thing andone lane forever seems really
silly.
Max Chopovsky (24:36):
Totally, and you know, I think, that the
challenge is the more prominentyou get, the more you have a
team of agents and managers,publicists, that are vested in
you continuing to do what'sworking.
And it almost becomes thislevel of resistance to exploring
something new and evolving,because for them it's like if it
ain't broke, don't fix it right.
My cut comes from your currentearnings and that comes from an
(25:00):
existing audience, and if youevolve, you're going to have a
whole new audience.
So what if it's a smalleraudience?
What if?
you know, let's not rock theboat.
But the brave artists say if Idon't evolve and I don't follow
my heart into a new area that'scalling, then I'm not going to
be fulfilled.
You know, totally.
I mean, think about a Veechiright.
(25:21):
When he was, when EDM wasbasically EDM he decided to
start doing country and when hedid, I think it might have been
wake me up.
I can't remember if that wasthe song that he premiered at
Miami.
I think it was at Ultra, whichis a music festival there in
Miami.
It was either that song or thedays or the nights, I can't
(25:42):
remember.
But he was on stage and peoplewere like what the fuck is this?
Like this is not Tim, like thisis not what I have come to
expect from this guy.
And you know what?
It didn't matter, he continuedto sort of reign.
You know, because peoplerespect what he does, regardless
of the genre.
Danielle Juhre (26:01):
Absolutely.
Yeah, I at one point I justrecently dropped a song called
sober and really different,totally different than anything
I've ever done.
But I wanted to prove that Idon't just sit in my room and
write a Del tracks all day long.
So that was like I was like I'mgoing to show everybody that I
can.
I was like I can do somethingelse, but I don't want to.
(26:22):
So I was like I'm going to youknow.
So I was like I'm going torelease this one pop track and
I'll never forget a lot of mydemographic.
That's really interesting, butit's ages 18 to about 70, 75.
And I don't ever want to losethe 50 plus year olds ever.
Like that's like my favorite.
(26:42):
Like I want those people thathate everything on the radio to
at least, you know, toleratewhat I listen to, if not like it
.
That's just my goal as anartist forever.
And so when I had cross, hadthat demographic crossover and
like that song sober, I was like, okay, cool, and it seems to me
that when someone's a fan,they'll just like it, regardless
(27:03):
of what the genre is.
It's just inevitable.
I mean, I can think of, oh myGod, who's like my all time
favorite artist right now Idon't know there's so many, but
I'm in love with this girl namedHolly Humberstone right now.
She's phenomenal super pop andI don't think she'd ever write a
country record, but if she did,I'd listen to it and I'd love
it.
It's like it doesn't matter.
You know, people will move withyou.
(27:24):
Yeah.
Max Chopovsky (27:26):
And those that don't might not do it
immediately, but if you give itsome time I think they'll come
around to it because they'llappreciate they're tied more to
the artist than the artist'scurrent genre.
Danielle Juhre (27:39):
Totally, totally .
And then you know, I also thinkabout this too.
It's like all right, you don'tlike this and something's going
to change in two, three yearsfrom now and maybe you'll like
that.
Otherwise, you know, just keeplistening to the old stuff, yeah
.
Max Chopovsky (27:52):
Whatever?
Danielle Juhre (27:53):
works, you know.
Max Chopovsky (27:54):
I have a vast catalog, right, yeah?
So let me ask you this Do youhave a key that you prefer to
write in, or is it different forevery song, just whatever feels
right for each song?
Danielle Juhre (28:07):
I usually try not to let the key like alter me
.
I usually stay in like C, a,minor, like G, minor kind of
land.
But yeah, I tend to not try to.
Really, it's really almostabout the feeling and the chords
, really I don't know.
I'm kind of a little proud tosay like I can you know, I'll
(28:29):
kind of work with it.
But it's usually if the chorusis like screamy belty, I got in
a little bit of an issue and wekind of just like move the key
down.
But yeah, I like to stay around, usually like C, minor kind of
land.
Max Chopovsky (28:43):
It's interesting.
I ask because, like I loveElton John and a lot of his
music is in B flat, major, andthere's a specific, there's
almost a certain sound to it,like if you play just a regular
C triad, it's fine, but if youplay B flat it's usually in
version of that chord, likewhere you have F, b flat and D
(29:06):
right.
So instead of playing B flat asthe root right, there's just
something so interesting to that, you know.
So I'm curious because somepeople have preferences.
Danielle Juhre (29:15):
Yeah, yeah, I'm so much about feeling, and
almost more just because thesongwriter in me is just I'm a
top liner.
I just kind of really want tojust do that melody justice.
So it's almost just whateverkey really suits.
That melody is what I tend togo towards, and if it's a little
high it's gonna make it work.
Max Chopovsky (29:35):
Totally, totally, yeah.
So let me ask you this thestory that you told about going
up on stage and deciding to doif I ain't got you, what is the
moral of that story for you?
Danielle Juhre (29:48):
I think it's.
It's a multitude of things.
Number one it's taken me areally long time to get to this
point, but don't take a momentthat you've waited your whole
life for for granted.
So it's a little bit of that.
And there's like things whereI've just now learned to
celebrate things, and it's funnyin this industry.
(30:10):
It's like when you're up thereand you've won a Grammy Award
and then your publicist and teamare looking at you and it's
like we're going to be excitedtonight but tomorrow we're going
to worry because you have tothink about how you're going to
get your next Grammy, and so inthat moment it was just this
overwhelming feeling ofcelebrating this moment, of
working so hard to get to thismoment.
(30:31):
And I think the other is just Imean, it's nowhere near
profound, but it's just don'tlet your you get in the way of
yourself.
I think that if I wouldn't havetalked myself into going, I
wouldn't have met the friends Idid, I wouldn't have had this
talk on campus of whatever andthe videos and whatever that was
(30:53):
posted, and it really helped mebecause I don't like talking
about myself and I'm veryuncomfortable.
So I'm kind of glad I did do itbecause my.
I got to sing it instead sothat I could kind of be like hi,
I'm here, I'm interested inwriting with everyone and anyone
.
So in a way it kind of reallyworked out where I didn't have
(31:14):
to non singing but like verballytry to communicate who I want
to collaborate with.
So it kind of really did helpme.
But yeah, it's exactly likewhat you mentioned earlier.
I think I would just beinsanely angry with myself if I
wouldn't have done it and I hadnothing to lose.
I just got there, I had nofriends and I'm there with my
(31:35):
parents, so it's, you know.
I had absolutely nothing to loseat that point.
Max Chopovsky (31:41):
As a freshman, to get up on stage and be like I
don't care, like I know I'mbeing judged, but totally.
So.
What I think happened wasbecause you're totally right,
like people, as you're up there,they're listening for is she
hitting the notes, is she offkey, is she off beat?
And but everybody in that roomis there because their
connection to the music isn'tlogical, it's cerebral, right?
(32:03):
So what happens is that themoment those people, one by one,
start to connect with it, themoment the music starts to speak
to them on this deeplyemotional level, all of that is
she on key, is she on tempo?
All of that goes out the windowand they're just grooving with
you and they turn from, like youknow, rick Beato.
Danielle Juhre (32:24):
Yeah.
Max Chopovsky (32:25):
Okay, so Beato is like.
In my mind he's like theAnthony Bourdain of music,
because he could sit there andbreak down the music theory of
any song, right, and whensomebody's playing for him, he
just loses himself in the music.
He's just grooving, right.
Danielle Juhre (32:41):
Absolutely yeah, and I think yeah, it's like a
mixture of both.
It's like they'll judge youuntil they start hearing it and
that's like no, we're just gonnalike enjoy this moment 100%,
100%.
Max Chopovsky (32:51):
And that's when the phones came out, and that's
when they were like we don'treally give a shit what year she
is or whatever.
This is an amazing, likemagical moment in time and we're
just going to be here for it.
Danielle Juhre (33:02):
Totally.
I think one of the girls I wentto Berkeley with like posted it
on Facebook and I still I'mafraid to listen to it because I
think I would judge the hellout of it now.
But it felt so wonderful in themoment.
But it's just insane how muchI've grown as an artist and
vocalist from that moment.
(33:22):
But yeah, that was such a cooltime and just a way to be like
welcomed into an entirelydifferent part of my life.
Max Chopovsky (33:31):
Yes, all that matters.
I mean, it doesn't reallymatter how you look back on it
now, like if you were tore-listen to it.
All that matters is you hadthis magical moment in time when
the stars aligned and youbelted out this song and you
connected with it, and theaudience connected with you.
Literally, it's that simple,you know.
(33:52):
There's nothing else to it,totally.
Danielle Juhre (33:54):
Totally, totally yeah.
Max Chopovsky (33:58):
So, as a songwriter, you are a
storyteller and it's a reallyunique medium for storytelling
because, ultimately, that's whatsongs are.
They're stories, right, and so,as you think about telling a
story through a song, how do youapproach the storytelling piece
of it?
Danielle Juhre (34:15):
I don't really approach it any differently than
if you were just tellingsomeone what's going on.
It's just a little bit moremethodical in the sense of it's
prethought out and a littlepremeditated.
But what I mean by that is isthat, let's say, you have the
song and it's like I'm in lovewith someone, your verses, how
you like, you know the first dayyou met, what they were wearing
(34:38):
, where you were, and then thepre-chorus is and in this moment
, all these things led me tothis moment, and then the chorus
would be I'm in, like you know,in love with you or whatever.
So premeditated in the sense ofyou know, kind of an
abstracture of where you'regoing, but it's very, very
detailed, trying to make it,especially coming to Nashville,
very like thought-provoking.
(34:59):
But I really don't see it anydifferently than, you know,
telling a story or how you wouldcommunicate.
I put it in the sense of, let'ssay that you're having like a
get-together at your house withyour best friends in the living
room and you're sharing a deep,intimate story, you know, to
your friends about what happenedor what the situation is, and I
(35:20):
see it no differently thanstorytelling.
You know when you want to besuper vulnerable.
But yeah, I think it's the samething.
Max Chopovsky (35:28):
Interesting.
Okay, so as you think about youknow good stories.
What would you say do goodstories have in common?
Danielle Juhre (35:36):
I think a good element of detail, but I think
also just a good element of justyour recollection of what
exactly went on.
But I don't know.
For me I'd say humor, to behonest, like some level of humor
if possible, unless it's, youknow, really sad.
(35:59):
But I don't know, a lot of myfriends we won't get down this
road, but a lot of my friends welove using laughter as a form
of a goping mechanism, you know,just like everyone.
So, yeah, I would definitelysay like a good mixture of like
some sort of satire for sure,but I don't know, just very, I
(36:20):
guess, detail oriented would,you know, be great.
Max Chopovsky (36:24):
Yeah, I mean humor is actually a wonderful
release valve because it reallyis exhausting to be listening to
or watching something that isvery monotonously sad, like
that's just a lot of stress.
So I'm in pre-production forthis short film that I'm
directing, based on a screenplaythat I wrote about my own life
(36:44):
and the relationships between afather and a son, and there's an
immigrant component to it andthe son decides to go into the
creative arts and the dad islike the dad doesn't approve of
it because he immigrated to theUS.
And he's like what are youdoing?
And so I wrote this thing and Isent it to some people to get
their thoughts on it and theywere like you got to have some
humor in this, because Iremember my cousin was like if
(37:07):
you don't add more humor, thisis going to read like a lifetime
special.
And I was like got it.
Danielle Juhre (37:13):
Absolutely.
I entirely relate.
My mom is 100% Greek and mygrandparents are from Greece.
I went through the very similarthing with my family of
everyone's either a doctor,lawyer, some sort of whatever in
business.
They're looking at you atEaster and Thanksgiving and
(37:33):
Christmas and it's just kind oflike, all right, this has been
really fun, but when are yougetting a job?
It's like no, this is my job.
I totally, entirely empathizeand that's why I got so lucky
when my mom married a non-Greekand there was a counterbalance
to it.
There was, there was, and it wasjust kind of like, okay, cool,
(37:55):
all the things of me having tomarry a Greek man and keep this
tradition going on.
I'm actually being welcomedinto this family, so I fully
understand and I can't wait toknow more about that.
Max Chopovsky (38:12):
Well, I mean, I'm happy to send you the script.
I'm actually looking for acomposer to write.
There's this pivotal song inthe film where the dad plays the
guitar and you find out thathe's a hypocrite because he's
telling his kids not to pursuethe creative arts.
But that's what he did and it'sa very emotional sort of part
in the short and so, yeah, I'dlove to send it to you.
Danielle Juhre (38:32):
Oh, my God, that'd be awesome.
I'd love to.
Max Chopovsky (38:36):
So we talked about the moral of the story.
Do you think that every storyhas to have a moral?
Danielle Juhre (38:42):
No, I don't think so.
It's kind of funny.
I think that this is kind ofdeep, but I think the story is
the moral, because you wentthrough something to get to the
moral, which is the story.
Max Chopovsky (38:56):
Interesting.
So you're just assuming thatthe story has an actual arc and
an issue that gets resolved.
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Yeah, it's an interestinganswer.
I actually agree because Ithink that every story has a
moral.
It's just a matter ofunderstanding what the moral is.
It might just not be an obviousmoral, but I think that every
(39:16):
story has a moral.
Danielle Juhre (39:17):
Yeah, absolutely .
I think that if you only tell astory for a resolution, then I
don't know, I think that's kindof silly.
But that's also maybe perhapsthe pessimist in me, because I
love my favorite movies are themost depressing movies ever,
because they're real.
Max Chopovsky (39:33):
Oh yeah, well, I think you like the story that
I'm going to send, because atthe end there is no resolution.
Cool Kind of leaves it hanging,you know that's really cool.
Danielle Juhre (39:43):
I love stuff like that because I feel like
this may be really hot take, butit's just kind of like also
like the superhero movies andjust stuff like that.
It's like you know that the badguy dies or whatever, or he
comes back and then they prolongit for eight seasons or
whatever that's right.
But you know, I don't know.
I like sometimes when there'sno resolution, I don't think
(40:05):
that there's enough stuffwithout resolution, and
sometimes it's really coolbecause then the people can come
to their own conclusions ofwhat the resolution is 100% and
sometimes that's so much morefun than you leaving and I was
like well, that was that, andthis ended that way Great.
Max Chopovsky (40:21):
It's because I think a lot of filmmakers do not
give enough credit to theaudience.
In other words, they feel likethe audience needs to have the
takeaway crammed down theirthroats and there's no
equivocation around the moral ofthe story.
And I think that you shouldmake the audience a little
uncomfortable and let them cometo their own conclusions,
because it might be differentfor different people, Like make
(40:44):
them think a little bit right.
Make them think like have somerespect for them.
Danielle Juhre (40:49):
Absolutely.
Also, I think of, too.
If someone draws their ownconclusions from the end of
something.
What if they relate to it 10times more because they drew
their own conclusion to it too?
Max Chopovsky (40:59):
I completely agree with that.
Danielle Juhre (41:01):
I really like allowing people I do that with
my music too.
It's just kind of like allowthe listener to come to their
own conclusions.
And sometimes it's so much funto go back and speak with
someone and they're like we lovethis song of yours and this is
why, because you wrote this,this and this.
And then I have to sit thereand be like, oh, that's exactly
(41:21):
why I wrote that.
Yeah, it was like some sort ofconclusion that they drew that I
had nothing to do with why Iwrote the song and yeah, I think
that's.
That's like the coolest partreally.
Max Chopovsky (41:32):
That's funny.
So the music video that I madefor my brother with that guitar
player.
I'll send that to you, butthere's the end of it.
There's actually a couple ofways to interpret how the video
ends and it makes you go back tothe beginning and be like wait,
was this what we were seeing,or were we seeing something else
?
I just think that it's becausepeople will come to me and be
(41:53):
like, what did this part mean?
And I'll be like, well, whatdoes it mean to you?
Like that's all that matters,who cares what I thought it
meant.
What matters is what it meansto you.
Danielle Juhre (42:02):
Totally totally.
Max Chopovsky (42:04):
So okay, a couple more last questions for you.
What is one of your favoritebooks that you think just nails
the art of storytelling?
Danielle Juhre (42:14):
I love the Catcher and the Rye and the
element of storytellingimmediately.
It's the perfect blend ofsatire but also realism.
I don't know.
I've always been drawn to thatbook.
I that's one of my all timefavorites.
Max Chopovsky (42:33):
Love it, love it, okay.
So last question If you couldsay one thing to 20 year old
Danielle, what would it be?
Danielle Juhre (42:45):
I would probably say, to keep doing exactly what
you're doing, which is so funny, because most people are giving
yourself advice not to dosomething.
But, yeah, mine is to notchange.
I think that I'm in theposition that I'm in because I
never went to the parties.
I stayed at home.
I would subscribe to billboardand make this Excel sheet of all
(43:09):
the people I needed to reachout to, and never left the house
.
My parents were begging me toget out of the house and make
friends, and I think that everysingle moment led me to now and
to be an advocate for my friendswhen they need references or
help or don't know what's goingon in the industry.
And I just think those tirelessnights of doing that.
(43:29):
But I probably would say,though, maybe get out a little
bit and have a little more fun.
You know, like every once in awhile I probably should have
done that, but truly I thinkit's to do exactly what I've
been doing.
I'm really proud of the levelof work ethic since I was, like,
probably 10 or 11 years old.
It's really and truly why I amwhere I am.
(43:50):
So, yeah, but I don't know,that's like keeping up.
Max Chopovsky (43:56):
I mean, yeah, you're right.
The crazy thing about thisindustry is you have to have an
insane amount of talent to besuccessful.
But an insane amount of talentdoes not guarantee success.
Danielle Juhre (44:06):
Absolutely.
Max Chopovsky (44:07):
Absolutely.
So you have to be supertalented and also the hardest
worker out there Totally.
Danielle Juhre (44:14):
Right.
That's actually more important,I would say Absolutely, yeah, I
totally agree, definitely.
Max Chopovsky (44:22):
Well, that does it, danielle Jere.
Thank you for being on the show.
Danielle Juhre (44:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
This was so fun and insanelyinsightful, so thank you.
Max Chopovsky (44:34):
Thank you For show notes and more.
Head over to MossPodorg.
Find us on Apple Podcasts,spotify, wherever you get your
podcast on.
This was Moral of the Story.
I'm Max Tropowski.
Thank you for listening.
Talk to you next time.
This is Moral of the Story interesting people
telling their favorite shortstories and then breaking them
down to understand what makesthem so good.
I'm your host, max Drapowski.
Today's guest is Danielle Gere,the Nashville-based
singer-songwriter who spipes arewhat I can only describe as a
mix between Adele, amy Winehouseand Audra May, whose
(00:23):
unforgettable voice gracesAvicii's remake of Feeling Good.
Danielle's soulful soundtraverses three octaves and does
so with grace.
Her slight rasp a hint of theraw emotional undercurrents of
her music.
Born in Rockton, illinois,danielle was surrounded by music
from an early age.
Quite literally, her father,who did life sound for artists
like Charlie Daniels and BonnieRait, had a recording studio at
(00:45):
home and, as Danielle says,would take her car seat and put
it by the stage.
Despite this immersivechildhood and playing and
singing in bands as anadolescent, danielle didn't take
music seriously until she wasaccepted to the Berkeley College
of Music in Boston.
At Berkeley, she spent her lastsavings on the hustle,
traveling to New York to shareher demos outside Atlantic
(01:08):
Records.
While at Berkeley, daniellewrote, does she Know?
With friends Charlie Wallaceand Emiliano Santoro.
The song would go on to beplaced on the 60th Grammy Ballot
for Best R&B Song, the first ofmultiple songs to have the
distinction.
Although it took her years tofeel comfortable taking the
stage, looking people in the eyeand pouring her heart out to
(01:29):
the audience, danielle nowcommands the room with a rare
poignancy.
Her goal is to create space forintimacy, a moment for presence
and an authentic connectionwith each person in the room.
She is still plagued byself-doubt at times, but
reactions from the crowd remindDanielle of her gift, willing to
sacrifice her privacy and shareher personal struggles.
(01:50):
She writes for catharsis, butalso in hopes that her story
will help someone else.
Her talent has not goneunnoticed.
In March 2023, danielle signeda publishing deal with the
Stereotypes, the GrammyAward-winning group known for
collaborations with Bruno Mars,justin Bieber and Beyonce.
This time for Danielle, atleast from my humble perspective
(02:12):
, is kind of a magical twilightin her career, with the
inevitability of her rise tostardom just beyond the horizon.
Danielle, welcome to the show.
Danielle Juhre (02:22):
Oh my God, I need you to hang out with me
more often, Max.
That was the best intro I'veever heard.
Thank you so much.
That's wonderful.
Max Chopovsky (02:30):
Thank you Down to hang out whenever, and the
intro is just the representationof what you've done, so thank
you again for being on the show.
Danielle Juhre (02:38):
Oh, my gosh, of course.
Thank you so much for having me.
Max Chopovsky (02:42):
So you are here to tell us a story.
Is there anything that weshould know before we get
started?
Do you want to set the stage?
Danielle Juhre (02:50):
Yeah, so this is fairly recent.
I think I'm going to tell astory based off of where
everything started, and it kindof all started at Berkeley
College of Music and I willnever forget.
My Berkeley audition song was asong called Nothing Else by
Dave Barnes and it was one of myall-time favorite songs.
(03:13):
It's my dad's favorite song andI was just thrilled to be able
to audition with that.
So, flash forward to today Ijust moved to Nashville about
three, four months ago and I hadsomeone from my team, kyle
Cashwaggy, who's the A&R atBeachwave Publishing, with the
stereotypes.
He was like who are some of thepeople you'd love to
(03:35):
collaborate with?
And Dave Barnes was at the topof the list.
But I knew that was insanelylofty and it was not going to
happen.
And Dave's team wrote back andhe was interested.
And now to sit, like today, I'vehad two sessions with him and I
was just at his album releaseparty for his most recent album
and that really hit me becausehere I was auditioning with his
(04:00):
song to get into the school ofmy dreams.
And now, if I I mean I'd liketo say we're friends with Dave
Barnes, which is so funny, butDave's written some of the most
incredible songs, like God gaveme you and you, by Dan and Shay,
which is arguably maybe morebias, but my favorite song off
(04:20):
the.
They're all like other oldrecord and I will never get over
this feeling.
That was such a win on my endof just being able to know
someone that heavily inspired meand to just be at their house
recording with them.
That was pretty crazy.
Max Chopovsky (04:40):
So tell me more about that story.
So, from your sort of audition,walk me through that process.
What was that like?
Danielle Juhre (04:46):
So I auditioned for Berkeley in Chicago at
Chicago recording company and Iwent with my dad and I don't
know.
It was such a I almost want tosay cathartic experience, and
the reason why I use that wordis I had mentally planned for
this for so long and it finallycame to fruition and it felt
(05:07):
like a breath of fresh air of Iwas able to be surrounded and
around people that I wanted to,you know, be with and just kind
of be in that moment of beingsurrounded by insanely talented
people.
And I'll never forget when Ifinally got in and I was
(05:30):
surrounded by this insanelytalented group of people, it
changed my entire perspective.
I think going to Berkeleychanged me as an artist because
I was everyone was the best intheir high school and then they
all came and it was like acollective group of people that
were all the best in their highschool or whatever, and I don't
(05:52):
know to be surrounded by a bunchof people that have been doing
any sort of form of music sincethey were two or three years old
.
It was just.
It felt like I had finally beenin the place that I wanted to
be for so long.
Max Chopovsky (06:06):
Yeah, like you belong there.
Danielle Juhre (06:08):
Yeah, absolutely .
Max Chopovsky (06:10):
So my little brother.
We have a big age difference.
He's 14 years younger than me.
He went to Boston University,but he's a music producer now
and he collaborated a lot withkids from Berkeley and at one
point I shot a music video forhim and he flew in he was still
in Boston at the time and hisfriend who was the singer and
(06:32):
guitarist in this video he flewin from LA and we did this song
and I just remember watchingthis guitarist play the guitar
and be so comfortable and havesuch a good voice and I just
thought, my goodness, if this isthe caliber of people that go
to Berkeley.
It is such a rich environmentfor not just learning but
(06:54):
finding people that you mightspend your careers with, or at
least frequent collaborators.
Danielle Juhre (06:59):
Yeah, absolutely , it was every day.
It was something new and you'resurrounded by incredible people
from all over the world.
That was one of the coolestparts is, every weekend we'd get
together and everyone wouldmake a dish from their home
country and it was everyonemissed home and everyone.
(07:23):
So they just kind of was like,let's bring home here.
And I cannot express howwonderful it was to be
surrounded by a bunch oflike-minded people but also
people that come from so manydifferent backgrounds that it's
almost like it's not like-mindedat all, which sounds really
funny, but I don't know.
(07:45):
It was such an amazingexperience and actually,
speaking of stories, I will tellthis because this was probably
the most pivotal moment in myentire career, which I probably
should have led with the storythat was really dumb.
So I'll never forget my parentscame for freshman orientation
week at Berkeley and they have ajam session in one of the it's
(08:07):
right next to it's called Cafe939, which is like the Berkeley
like performance area.
So there was a whole freshmanorientation and then they had
the freshman come up and thenperform with a band that
consisted of all the teachers,but they were teachers of legacy
, like Victor Wooten, and justamazing, amazing, world-renowned
(08:29):
like people.
So my parents were sitting inthe audience and there was like
a call, like a write-up sheetfor you to sign up to sing with
the band and they were like areyou going to do it?
I was like, absolutely not, Iam not doing this.
I'm in front of my peers.
I'm not going to perform.
There's absolutely no way.
That's so nerve-wrackingbecause they're listening in a
(08:49):
totally different way.
It's not like you're performingto friends or family that have
no idea.
These are people that arepinpointing every single note
and realizing and analyzing whyyou chose the note you did and
why you didn't.
So I was like there's just noway I'm going up there.
So I looked at my parents and Iwas like you know what I'm in
(09:09):
this moment and if I don'tperform, that would be so stupid
of me, because I'm in front ofmy peers, I'm with my family,
who have spent every last dimeto get me to this moment, and I
just want to prove everyone thatI'm supposed to be here right
now.
So I wrote my name on the listand I got up and I sang If I
(09:31):
Ain't Got you by Alicia Keys andone of my Foul Time favorites,
and I will never, ever forget.
I looked out and I was like I'dblacked out and everyone had
their phones out and then I gota standing ovation and the dean
of I think the voice wanted tospeak with me afterwards and
whatever.
(09:51):
I only tell this because it wasa moment of.
I had spent so much timedoubting myself as an artist.
I was going for a musicbusiness degree.
I wasn't going for songwritingor artistry, I had told myself.
I was like I know the odds, I'mnot going to be the artist and
to see that and to have astanding ovation at your dream
(10:13):
school and I had no, I won't sayrepresentation, but I had no
one pushing me or being anadvocate for me musically at
school at all.
I auditioned for every auditionin high school, never got it.
I was put in the lowest choirand I was in the freshman choir
for all four years.
I was not welcomed in my musicdepartment.
(10:36):
So for me to go from that to mydream school was just
everything to me and that was ahuge moment of oh my God.
My peers understand what I'mgoing through and empathize.
I don't know, maybe they'rejust standing up there and
clapping and I'm thinking farmore into the situation, but I
(10:58):
will never forget that and mymom cried.
She cries a lot of thesesituations.
I guess I would do if I was amom and I just remember looking
out to my parents and they themlooking around and they still
talk about this to this day andI do too, but it was one of the
coolest experiences as a firstweek as a freshman.
Max Chopovsky (11:21):
I mean you're telling a story and I have
goosebumps Like that's.
First of all, any song byAlicia Keys for anyone that has
good pipes, is literally a wayto you know if you can nail it,
you know it's life altering.
So actually I play the pianoand, yeah, and one of the songs
that I really like was that songIf I ain't got you, because
(11:42):
it's such an interesting way toplay it, you know, because the
notes are.
It's almost like this arpeggioright Of the notes where she
kind of does that like pattern,and it's such a beautiful song.
And have you seen the video ofher and John Mayer performing in
Times Square and they switchoff between if I ain't got you
and gravity.
Danielle Juhre (12:03):
Yeah, it's amazing.
Oh my God, oh my.
Max Chopovsky (12:06):
God Right, Because most people don't
realize that the same chordprogressions account for you
know what?
90% of pop music, right, andthis one happens to be a little
bit different, but there arestill.
You know, you can't have acompletely unique chord
progression and this one justhappens to be the one used in
songs that are written by twoincredibly talented people, and
(12:26):
so just the fact that the two ofthem got together, I watched
that and I'm like damn, that isfire, Fire.
Danielle Juhre (12:35):
Yeah, I love and respect them both.
I'm a huge Mayer fan, soabsolutely I like the song too,
because it can be done in somany different ways that it can
be heartfelt or it can be donealmost in a very jazz type of
lounge if you will kind of feel.
But I don't know, there's somany different ways that you can
(12:57):
go about that song and it stillcreates impact, which I love
about it.
Max Chopovsky (13:02):
Totally, and the way it's written, it lets you
improvise, you can syncopate, itjust gets you know.
There's so many directions thatyou can take this thing, but I
think that's what makes for anincredible singer-songwriter is
they allow the song to beinterpreted differently by each
person in the audience.
So you know, every person takesaway something unique maybe,
(13:23):
and it has this like universalappeal, but at the same time it
has a very personal andindividual appeal.
Danielle Juhre (13:30):
Totally.
Max Chopovsky (13:31):
So I have another Alicia Keys story.
So when my brother was in highschool he went to the same high
school I did.
There was a girl?
Oh, that's cool, yeah, where wegrew up in Louisville.
After we moved to the US, andso there was a performing arts
school as part of my high school.
In fact, randomly, jenniferLawrence went to the same high
school in Louisville in Kentucky, but there was a pretty
(13:52):
respected musical program aswell, and so there was this girl
there and I think her name isAudrey almost positive, it's
Audrey.
They ended up I actually thinkshe's on Broadway now, if I'm
not mistaken, but they did thisperformance in front of the
entire school at this pep rally,and the song that I suggested
that they do in very strongwords was Empire State of Mind,
(14:12):
because my brother got to rapand that's something that he got
from me, and Alicia Keysdoesn't really do anything up
until the first chorus of thatsong, and when she does, she
immediately unleashes thesepowerful vocals, and so when
Audrey did that the entire Imean I have a video of it the
entire gym just erupted andhonestly, it's unbelievable.
(14:38):
What I think is interesting isit's like there was a branch in
your life.
It's like this fork in the road, and one path is you decide
that you're not going to go upthere.
Your fears, your anxieties getthe better of you and then you
have a life that goes down thatpath and the other path is be
like, fuck it, I'm gonna go upthere and I'm gonna do this
(15:00):
thing because who cares?
And I think that I don'tremember why I read this, but
people tend to regret the thingsthat they don't do more than
the things they do, and you justnever know, like.
I come from a family ofperformers that none of whom
actually do any performinganymore, except for my brother,
(15:21):
but we all love to have a mic inour hands.
That's just, you know, justkind of runs in the family, and
so it's amazing because you dosomething that you love to do
and you connect.
There's no feeling better thanconnecting with an audience and
having them dig whatever you'redoing, and it's like you're
suspended in time.
(15:41):
There was a time when we were inNashville and I was there for a
bachelor party one of my bestbuddies and we went to this club
and what I used to do when wewould do stuff like this is I
would always try to get up onstage always and whoever was
playing, like if I could playthe piano or if I could talk the
drummer into letting me playthe drums or if, like, somebody
(16:02):
was on the mic, I would get upthere and grab the mic if I
could.
And I remember we were at thisbig bar with this stage kind of
up against the window, so theperformers' backs are to the
windows, and then there's thisbig crowd of people and I was
there with my friends and I was,like, you know, the band was
playing and there was somebodythat was kind of rapping, but it
(16:23):
was kind of one of those thingsthat was, you know, basically
impromptu.
And so I just remember, likeimmediately making my way to the
stage and thinking, you know,should I do this or should I not
do this?
And the alcohol probably helpeda little bit, gave me a little
bit extra bravery.
And I just remember thinking,you know, just kind of putting
one foot on the stage and thenjust sort of sneaky, getting
(16:46):
closer and closer, and at onepoint I just jumped up on the
stage and I grabbed the mic andI just started freestyling like
to everybody in the crowd.
But I was talking about, like mybuddy's bachelor party and it
was something about, you know, Ithink I rhymed like because I'm
from the Ukraine and my onebuddy they were both consultants
, and so one of them was fromMackenzie and one of them worked
for Bane and Company, and so Irhymed like Ukraine and Bane.
(17:11):
It was just like I don't knowwhy, but it was one of those
things.
It was just one of those reallyfunny things and you know I
could have not done it, but itwas like who cares?
Right, life is too short.
You got to get out there.
Danielle Juhre (17:28):
That's awesome.
Max Chopovsky (17:30):
So when you collaborated with Charlie and
Emiliano, I'm curious what wasthat process like in terms of
the collaboration and how thesong sort of came about, Because
to write a song requires suchvulnerability and then you have
to, you know, kind of combinethat with the vulnerability and
authenticity from your writingpartners.
(17:53):
How did you go about that?
Danielle Juhre (17:55):
So usually when we're writing for me, I don't
know and can't do anything otherthan insane amount of
transparency and vulnerability.
And it's really funny becausethere's times where I'll think
about that and I'll say far morein a song than I ever will to a
person sometimes, which is sofunny.
It's so funny.
It wasn't that long ago but itfeels like a throwback I'm
(18:17):
trying to think of when we wrotethat.
I think that was my first likeactual song and structure and I
remember I went to Charlie'sapartment and we're just kind of
.
He was like I want to like writeyou a single and I was like
okay, like let's do that.
And so he goes what's inspiredyou?
And I was, I just I was like AmyWinehouse, and so I remember
(18:38):
he's like we have to do a popsong, like I want to do a pop
song.
I was like I don't want to do apop song, I don't want to be a
pop artist, I want to do like anode to Amy and be myself and do
you know, like a little bit ofjazz with like a little bit of
pop.
And I remember you know likenot fighting with them, but we
were like butting heads becausehe wanted to break me out of
(19:01):
this very like jazz style way ofwriting.
And it's so funny looking backnow because I signed my deal
based on being a pop writer andpop tile top liner, but at the
time I didn't.
You know, I was very heavilyimmersed in jazz and being at
Berkeley and you know wanting towrite cutting edge things,
which is so funny because all myfavorite songs are the same
(19:23):
four chords over and over againand you know, honestly, so we do
the number system here inNashville, so it's like like 154
or like 13, like 64.
Max Chopovsky (19:37):
Just like CGF or like CE.
That would be like a, but aminor, though right, like six,
exactly yeah.
Danielle Juhre (19:46):
And so you know, just, I was very adamant about
like paying like homage to AmyWinehouse, but being myself at
the same time, that was my wholething.
And so, yeah, we wrote thissong and I just remember Charlie
was arranging the horn partsand we were getting horn players
at Berkeley to come into thestudio and we had a couple
(20:08):
different background singers onthat song, which is so funny.
I think all the three girls,xena and man their names escape
me, it's been so long and I wasso bummed when Charlie recorded
the background vocals I wasn'tthere personally.
I believe her name's Nina, butthey're all the girls that sing
background are now like touringwith Yeba and I think Xena moved
(20:32):
back and she's like featured onbillboards all over for Spotify
and as her own artist.
But it was just so cool to bewith all, just all different.
It was like a collaborative,like Berkeley effort and project
and, yeah, that song is veryBerkeley.
Max Chopovsky (20:48):
What's the rationale for having somebody
else do background vocals versusjust tracking it yourself and
going about it that way?
Danielle Juhre (20:56):
Yeah, that's a great question.
So usually it's just to have adifferent voice and a different
level of depth and sound addedto the track.
You can totally.
Obviously it's just do ityourself, and sometimes I do but
to have that like extra addedlevel and sound of someone
else's voice as a backgroundvocalist, it really does help
(21:19):
the track a lot.
So that was really fun.
And then I think I originallystarted when I was writing with
Charlie on the track and then myfriend Emiliano joined us for
the guitar parts and it kind ofjust fell together from there.
But it was the more I thinkabout it.
I don't think I've ever had asingle song of mine, and
probably never will, where itdidn't originate with friends.
(21:42):
That's really, really importantto me.
I only work with friends really, and just people that I'm
insanely close with, which makesthe most sense, because I like
that huge level of transparencyand vulnerability.
Max Chopovsky (21:57):
Totally yeah.
Yeah, because you can reallyonly be vulnerable with them.
Danielle Juhre (22:01):
Yeah.
Max Chopovsky (22:02):
And what a great environment at Berkeley that you
can have people who are sotalented that eventually they
end up on billboards and ontours that are still students
Totally, but they're all youknow.
Maybe they have some refiningto do of their craft, but the
raw talent is there and so youget to work with these
incredible people.
It's just such an amazingopportunity.
Danielle Juhre (22:22):
It is so crazy and funny enough.
I actually I think I have asession with Charlie next week
and we haven't talked like spokerather, and probably a couple
of years.
So it's kind of funny.
You asked that and talkingabout that song because, yeah,
and then Emiliano, he's like atick famous on TikTok now and
doesn't even do music anymore.
I don't know what he's doing,but I like to make fun of him.
(22:45):
He's hilarious, he's a goofball, yeah, it's.
It's so wild that it kind ofall started from there.
And then I had a like anepiphany of I love the style of
music but pop is so universaland I don't know it really spoke
to me, but that was kind ofinteresting that I really didn't
want to go towards pop when Ifirst started and when I wrote
(23:08):
that song and I love that song.
It kind of makes me cringe nowI can't listen to it anymore
because I sound so young and youknow, whatever, we've all been
there Really.
Max Chopovsky (23:20):
Well, I mean.
So.
First of all, martin Scorsesehas said in the past that if you
watch your work or, in yourcase, listen to your work six
months to a year down the roadand you don't absolutely hate it
, that means you're not evolvingas an artist, right?
So that's the first thing.
And the second thing that comesto mind is people reinvent
themselves all the time.
I mean, think of Taylor Swift,right?
(23:42):
She started out as a countrysinger, like she was full on
country and now she's pop, andshe's even said that.
You know, she's had to reinventherself to stay relevant.
So the fact that you're doingmore pop now doesn't mean that
you don't ever get to go back tothose jazz roots, you know.
Danielle Juhre (24:00):
Totally, totally , absolutely, and yeah, I think
about all the time.
A lot of my favorite artists,like even John Mayer he did
randomly just dropped that bornand raised, you know, like
country record, folk inducedrecord, just things like that.
And Lady Gaga going from likepop to country to like EDM, back
to jazz.
I just highly respect theartists that are constantly
(24:23):
changing and evolving and Ithink about that all the time.
It's like we all listened toall different genres our whole
life, so to pick one thing andone lane forever seems really
silly.
Max Chopovsky (24:36):
Totally, and you know, I think, that the
challenge is the more prominentyou get, the more you have a
team of agents and managers,publicists, that are vested in
you continuing to do what'sworking.
And it almost becomes thislevel of resistance to exploring
something new and evolving,because for them it's like if it
ain't broke, don't fix it right.
My cut comes from your currentearnings and that comes from an
(25:00):
existing audience, and if youevolve, you're going to have a
whole new audience.
So what if it's a smalleraudience?
What if?
you know, let's not rock theboat.
But the brave artists say if Idon't evolve and I don't follow
my heart into a new area that'scalling, then I'm not going to
be fulfilled.
You know, totally.
I mean, think about a Veechiright.
(25:21):
When he was, when EDM wasbasically EDM he decided to
start doing country and when hedid, I think it might have been
wake me up.
I can't remember if that wasthe song that he premiered at
Miami.
I think it was at Ultra, whichis a music festival there in
Miami.
It was either that song or thedays or the nights, I can't
(25:42):
remember.
But he was on stage and peoplewere like what the fuck is this?
Like this is not Tim, like thisis not what I have come to
expect from this guy.
And you know what?
It didn't matter, he continuedto sort of reign.
You know, because peoplerespect what he does, regardless
of the genre.
Danielle Juhre (26:01):
Absolutely.
Yeah, I at one point I justrecently dropped a song called
sober and really different,totally different than anything
I've ever done.
But I wanted to prove that Idon't just sit in my room and
write a Del tracks all day long.
So that was like I was like I'mgoing to show everybody that I
can.
I was like I can do somethingelse, but I don't want to.
(26:22):
So I was like I'm going to youknow.
So I was like I'm going torelease this one pop track and
I'll never forget a lot of mydemographic.
That's really interesting, butit's ages 18 to about 70, 75.
And I don't ever want to losethe 50 plus year olds ever.
Like that's like my favorite.
(26:42):
Like I want those people thathate everything on the radio to
at least, you know, toleratewhat I listen to, if not like it
.
That's just my goal as anartist forever.
And so when I had cross, hadthat demographic crossover and
like that song sober, I was like, okay, cool, and it seems to me
that when someone's a fan,they'll just like it, regardless
(27:03):
of what the genre is.
It's just inevitable.
I mean, I can think of, oh myGod, who's like my all time
favorite artist right now Idon't know there's so many, but
I'm in love with this girl namedHolly Humberstone right now.
She's phenomenal super pop andI don't think she'd ever write a
country record, but if she did,I'd listen to it and I'd love
it.
It's like it doesn't matter.
You know, people will move withyou.
(27:24):
Yeah.
Max Chopovsky (27:26):
And those that don't might not do it
immediately, but if you give itsome time I think they'll come
around to it because they'llappreciate they're tied more to
the artist than the artist'scurrent genre.
Danielle Juhre (27:39):
Totally, totally .
And then you know, I also thinkabout this too.
It's like all right, you don'tlike this and something's going
to change in two, three yearsfrom now and maybe you'll like
that.
Otherwise, you know, just keeplistening to the old stuff, yeah
.
Max Chopovsky (27:52):
Whatever?
Danielle Juhre (27:53):
works, you know.
Max Chopovsky (27:54):
I have a vast catalog, right, yeah?
So let me ask you this Do youhave a key that you prefer to
write in, or is it different forevery song, just whatever feels
right for each song?
Danielle Juhre (28:07):
I usually try not to let the key like alter me
.
I usually stay in like C, a,minor, like G, minor kind of
land.
But yeah, I tend to not try to.
Really, it's really almostabout the feeling and the chords
, really I don't know.
I'm kind of a little proud tosay like I can you know, I'll
(28:29):
kind of work with it.
But it's usually if the chorusis like screamy belty, I got in
a little bit of an issue and wekind of just like move the key
down.
But yeah, I like to stay around, usually like C, minor kind of
land.
Max Chopovsky (28:43):
It's interesting.
I ask because, like I loveElton John and a lot of his
music is in B flat, major, andthere's a specific, there's
almost a certain sound to it,like if you play just a regular
C triad, it's fine, but if youplay B flat it's usually in
version of that chord, likewhere you have F, b flat and D
(29:06):
right.
So instead of playing B flat asthe root right, there's just
something so interesting to that, you know.
So I'm curious because somepeople have preferences.
Danielle Juhre (29:15):
Yeah, yeah, I'm so much about feeling, and
almost more just because thesongwriter in me is just I'm a
top liner.
I just kind of really want tojust do that melody justice.
So it's almost just whateverkey really suits.
That melody is what I tend togo towards, and if it's a little
high it's gonna make it work.
Max Chopovsky (29:35):
Totally, totally, yeah.
So let me ask you this thestory that you told about going
up on stage and deciding to doif I ain't got you, what is the
moral of that story for you?
Danielle Juhre (29:48):
I think it's.
It's a multitude of things.
Number one it's taken me areally long time to get to this
point, but don't take a momentthat you've waited your whole
life for for granted.
So it's a little bit of that.
And there's like things whereI've just now learned to
celebrate things, and it's funnyin this industry.
(30:10):
It's like when you're up thereand you've won a Grammy Award
and then your publicist and teamare looking at you and it's
like we're going to be excitedtonight but tomorrow we're going
to worry because you have tothink about how you're going to
get your next Grammy, and so inthat moment it was just this
overwhelming feeling ofcelebrating this moment, of
working so hard to get to thismoment.
(30:31):
And I think the other is just Imean, it's nowhere near
profound, but it's just don'tlet your you get in the way of
yourself.
I think that if I wouldn't havetalked myself into going, I
wouldn't have met the friends Idid, I wouldn't have had this
talk on campus of whatever andthe videos and whatever that was
(30:53):
posted, and it really helped mebecause I don't like talking
about myself and I'm veryuncomfortable.
So I'm kind of glad I did do itbecause my.
I got to sing it instead sothat I could kind of be like hi,
I'm here, I'm interested inwriting with everyone and anyone
.
So in a way it kind of reallyworked out where I didn't have
(31:14):
to non singing but like verballytry to communicate who I want
to collaborate with.
So it kind of really did helpme.
But yeah, it's exactly likewhat you mentioned earlier.
I think I would just beinsanely angry with myself if I
wouldn't have done it and I hadnothing to lose.
I just got there, I had nofriends and I'm there with my
(31:35):
parents, so it's, you know.
I had absolutely nothing to loseat that point.
Max Chopovsky (31:41):
As a freshman, to get up on stage and be like I
don't care, like I know I'mbeing judged, but totally.
So.
What I think happened wasbecause you're totally right,
like people, as you're up there,they're listening for is she
hitting the notes, is she offkey, is she off beat?
And but everybody in that roomis there because their
connection to the music isn'tlogical, it's cerebral, right?
(32:03):
So what happens is that themoment those people, one by one,
start to connect with it, themoment the music starts to speak
to them on this deeplyemotional level, all of that is
she on key, is she on tempo?
All of that goes out the windowand they're just grooving with
you and they turn from, like youknow, rick Beato.
Danielle Juhre (32:24):
Yeah.
Max Chopovsky (32:25):
Okay, so Beato is like.
In my mind he's like theAnthony Bourdain of music,
because he could sit there andbreak down the music theory of
any song, right, and whensomebody's playing for him, he
just loses himself in the music.
He's just grooving, right.
Danielle Juhre (32:41):
Absolutely yeah, and I think yeah, it's like a
mixture of both.
It's like they'll judge youuntil they start hearing it and
that's like no, we're just gonnalike enjoy this moment 100%,
100%.
Max Chopovsky (32:51):
And that's when the phones came out, and that's
when they were like we don'treally give a shit what year she
is or whatever.
This is an amazing, likemagical moment in time and we're
just going to be here for it.
Danielle Juhre (33:02):
Totally.
I think one of the girls I wentto Berkeley with like posted it
on Facebook and I still I'mafraid to listen to it because I
think I would judge the hellout of it now.
But it felt so wonderful in themoment.
But it's just insane how muchI've grown as an artist and
vocalist from that moment.
(33:22):
But yeah, that was such a cooltime and just a way to be like
welcomed into an entirelydifferent part of my life.
Max Chopovsky (33:31):
Yes, all that matters.
I mean, it doesn't reallymatter how you look back on it
now, like if you were tore-listen to it.
All that matters is you hadthis magical moment in time when
the stars aligned and youbelted out this song and you
connected with it, and theaudience connected with you.
Literally, it's that simple,you know.
(33:52):
There's nothing else to it,totally.
Danielle Juhre (33:54):
Totally, totally yeah.
Max Chopovsky (33:58):
So, as a songwriter, you are a
storyteller and it's a reallyunique medium for storytelling
because, ultimately, that's whatsongs are.
They're stories, right, and so,as you think about telling a
story through a song, how do youapproach the storytelling piece
of it?
Danielle Juhre (34:15):
I don't really approach it any differently than
if you were just tellingsomeone what's going on.
It's just a little bit moremethodical in the sense of it's
prethought out and a littlepremeditated.
But what I mean by that is isthat, let's say, you have the
song and it's like I'm in lovewith someone, your verses, how
you like, you know the first dayyou met, what they were wearing
(34:38):
, where you were, and then thepre-chorus is and in this moment
, all these things led me tothis moment, and then the chorus
would be I'm in, like you know,in love with you or whatever.
So premeditated in the sense ofyou know, kind of an
abstracture of where you'regoing, but it's very, very
detailed, trying to make it,especially coming to Nashville,
very like thought-provoking.
(34:59):
But I really don't see it anydifferently than, you know,
telling a story or how you wouldcommunicate.
I put it in the sense of, let'ssay that you're having like a
get-together at your house withyour best friends in the living
room and you're sharing a deep,intimate story, you know, to
your friends about what happenedor what the situation is, and I
(35:20):
see it no differently thanstorytelling.
You know when you want to besuper vulnerable.
But yeah, I think it's the samething.
Max Chopovsky (35:28):
Interesting.
Okay, so as you think about youknow good stories.
What would you say do goodstories have in common?
Danielle Juhre (35:36):
I think a good element of detail, but I think
also just a good element of justyour recollection of what
exactly went on.
But I don't know.
For me I'd say humor, to behonest, like some level of humor
if possible, unless it's, youknow, really sad.
(35:59):
But I don't know, a lot of myfriends we won't get down this
road, but a lot of my friends welove using laughter as a form
of a goping mechanism, you know,just like everyone.
So, yeah, I would definitelysay like a good mixture of like
some sort of satire for sure,but I don't know, just very, I
(36:20):
guess, detail oriented would,you know, be great.
Max Chopovsky (36:24):
Yeah, I mean humor is actually a wonderful
release valve because it reallyis exhausting to be listening to
or watching something that isvery monotonously sad, like
that's just a lot of stress.
So I'm in pre-production forthis short film that I'm
directing, based on a screenplaythat I wrote about my own life
(36:44):
and the relationships between afather and a son, and there's an
immigrant component to it andthe son decides to go into the
creative arts and the dad islike the dad doesn't approve of
it because he immigrated to theUS.
And he's like what are youdoing?
And so I wrote this thing and Isent it to some people to get
their thoughts on it and theywere like you got to have some
humor in this, because Iremember my cousin was like if
(37:07):
you don't add more humor, thisis going to read like a lifetime
special.
And I was like got it.
Danielle Juhre (37:13):
Absolutely.
I entirely relate.
My mom is 100% Greek and mygrandparents are from Greece.
I went through the very similarthing with my family of
everyone's either a doctor,lawyer, some sort of whatever in
business.
They're looking at you atEaster and Thanksgiving and
(37:33):
Christmas and it's just kind oflike, all right, this has been
really fun, but when are yougetting a job?
It's like no, this is my job.
I totally, entirely empathizeand that's why I got so lucky
when my mom married a non-Greekand there was a counterbalance
to it.
There was, there was, and it wasjust kind of like, okay, cool,
(37:55):
all the things of me having tomarry a Greek man and keep this
tradition going on.
I'm actually being welcomedinto this family, so I fully
understand and I can't wait toknow more about that.
Max Chopovsky (38:12):
Well, I mean, I'm happy to send you the script.
I'm actually looking for acomposer to write.
There's this pivotal song inthe film where the dad plays the
guitar and you find out thathe's a hypocrite because he's
telling his kids not to pursuethe creative arts.
But that's what he did and it'sa very emotional sort of part
in the short and so, yeah, I'dlove to send it to you.
Danielle Juhre (38:32):
Oh, my God, that'd be awesome.
I'd love to.
Max Chopovsky (38:36):
So we talked about the moral of the story.
Do you think that every storyhas to have a moral?
Danielle Juhre (38:42):
No, I don't think so.
It's kind of funny.
I think that this is kind ofdeep, but I think the story is
the moral, because you wentthrough something to get to the
moral, which is the story.
Max Chopovsky (38:56):
Interesting.
So you're just assuming thatthe story has an actual arc and
an issue that gets resolved.
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Yeah, it's an interestinganswer.
I actually agree because Ithink that every story has a
moral.
It's just a matter ofunderstanding what the moral is.
It might just not be an obviousmoral, but I think that every
(39:16):
story has a moral.
Danielle Juhre (39:17):
Yeah, absolutely .
I think that if you only tell astory for a resolution, then I
don't know, I think that's kindof silly.
But that's also maybe perhapsthe pessimist in me, because I
love my favorite movies are themost depressing movies ever,
because they're real.
Max Chopovsky (39:33):
Oh yeah, well, I think you like the story that
I'm going to send, because atthe end there is no resolution.
Cool Kind of leaves it hanging,you know that's really cool.
Danielle Juhre (39:43):
I love stuff like that because I feel like
this may be really hot take, butit's just kind of like also
like the superhero movies andjust stuff like that.
It's like you know that the badguy dies or whatever, or he
comes back and then they prolongit for eight seasons or
whatever that's right.
But you know, I don't know.
I like sometimes when there'sno resolution, I don't think
(40:05):
that there's enough stuffwithout resolution, and
sometimes it's really coolbecause then the people can come
to their own conclusions ofwhat the resolution is 100% and
sometimes that's so much morefun than you leaving and I was
like well, that was that, andthis ended that way Great.
Max Chopovsky (40:21):
It's because I think a lot of filmmakers do not
give enough credit to theaudience.
In other words, they feel likethe audience needs to have the
takeaway crammed down theirthroats and there's no
equivocation around the moral ofthe story.
And I think that you shouldmake the audience a little
uncomfortable and let them cometo their own conclusions,
because it might be differentfor different people, Like make
(40:44):
them think a little bit right.
Make them think like have somerespect for them.
Danielle Juhre (40:49):
Absolutely.
Also, I think of, too.
If someone draws their ownconclusions from the end of
something.
What if they relate to it 10times more because they drew
their own conclusion to it too?
Max Chopovsky (40:59):
I completely agree with that.
Danielle Juhre (41:01):
I really like allowing people I do that with
my music too.
It's just kind of like allowthe listener to come to their
own conclusions.
And sometimes it's so much funto go back and speak with
someone and they're like we lovethis song of yours and this is
why, because you wrote this,this and this.
And then I have to sit thereand be like, oh, that's exactly
(41:21):
why I wrote that.
Yeah, it was like some sort ofconclusion that they drew that I
had nothing to do with why Iwrote the song and yeah, I think
that's.
That's like the coolest partreally.
Max Chopovsky (41:32):
That's funny.
So the music video that I madefor my brother with that guitar
player.
I'll send that to you, butthere's the end of it.
There's actually a couple ofways to interpret how the video
ends and it makes you go back tothe beginning and be like wait,
was this what we were seeing,or were we seeing something else
?
I just think that it's becausepeople will come to me and be
(41:53):
like, what did this part mean?
And I'll be like, well, whatdoes it mean to you?
Like that's all that matters,who cares what I thought it
meant.
What matters is what it meansto you.
Danielle Juhre (42:02):
Totally totally.
Max Chopovsky (42:04):
So okay, a couple more last questions for you.
What is one of your favoritebooks that you think just nails
the art of storytelling?
Danielle Juhre (42:14):
I love the Catcher and the Rye and the
element of storytellingimmediately.
It's the perfect blend ofsatire but also realism.
I don't know.
I've always been drawn to thatbook.
I that's one of my all timefavorites.
Max Chopovsky (42:33):
Love it, love it, okay.
So last question If you couldsay one thing to 20 year old
Danielle, what would it be?
Danielle Juhre (42:45):
I would probably say, to keep doing exactly what
you're doing, which is so funny, because most people are giving
yourself advice not to dosomething.
But, yeah, mine is to notchange.
I think that I'm in theposition that I'm in because I
never went to the parties.
I stayed at home.
I would subscribe to billboardand make this Excel sheet of all
(43:09):
the people I needed to reachout to, and never left the house
.
My parents were begging me toget out of the house and make
friends, and I think that everysingle moment led me to now and
to be an advocate for my friendswhen they need references or
help or don't know what's goingon in the industry.
And I just think those tirelessnights of doing that.
(43:29):
But I probably would say,though, maybe get out a little
bit and have a little more fun.
You know, like every once in awhile I probably should have
done that, but truly I thinkit's to do exactly what I've
been doing.
I'm really proud of the levelof work ethic since I was, like,
probably 10 or 11 years old.
It's really and truly why I amwhere I am.
(43:50):
So, yeah, but I don't know,that's like keeping up.
Max Chopovsky (43:56):
I mean, yeah, you're right.
The crazy thing about thisindustry is you have to have an
insane amount of talent to besuccessful.
But an insane amount of talentdoes not guarantee success.
Danielle Juhre (44:06):
Absolutely.
Max Chopovsky (44:07):
Absolutely.
So you have to be supertalented and also the hardest
worker out there Totally.
Danielle Juhre (44:14):
Right.
That's actually more important,I would say Absolutely, yeah, I
totally agree, definitely.
Max Chopovsky (44:22):
Well, that does it, danielle Jere.
Thank you for being on the show.
Danielle Juhre (44:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
This was so fun and insanelyinsightful, so thank you.
Max Chopovsky (44:34):
Thank you For show notes and more.
Head over to MossPodorg.
Find us on Apple Podcasts,spotify, wherever you get your
podcast on.
This was Moral of the Story.
I'm Max Tropowski.
Thank you for listening.
Talk to you next time.
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