Albumpalooza ft. Benson Boone, Lizzy McAlpine, and Interview with Conan Gray

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Okay, now we're gonna start.I hope you don't care that it didn't
shower today. Oh dude, Ilike slapped down a backwards hat and I
just woke up and I just I'mraw dogging this day with my with my

(00:25):
selfish, I can't whip you.I also pulled this Celsius out. I
want to read this flavor to youbecause I want to know what you think
about it. Sparkling Mandarin marshmallow.Can I tell you something? Yes,
that's my favorite flavor. Really.I went through the fridge and I was
like, that sounds disgusting. Dude. It tastes like an orange dreamsickle.
It's so good. It's so good. I like decided that I had to

(00:48):
taste it because it felt like themost out of place one in the fridge.
Because we have some like we're justsponsored by Celsius, not us,
but the company is. Yeah,so our fridges are stocked with these Celsius
ones, and there's so many differentflavors that I'm on a mission to try.
And I love a Celsius. Iknow that that's kind of controversial right
now because the West good for you. They were super up for a minute
and then all of a sudden,people are like, well, I love

(01:11):
them, and that's my actual favoriteone. But my second favorite one is
either the Fuji apple pair. See, that's my favorite one. App that
one goes hard. That one's agood one. I love the food or
the tangerine or the orange or whateverone that's called. See, all those
are good. This one is it'sgiven me too much marshmallow. I personally
love it. It's an aftertaste ofmarshmallow. It just kind of tastes like

(01:34):
you're drinking a fun drink. What'syour drink today? Which is almost empty?
You got like one sip left?Yeah, I wish I had more,
to be honest, but it's aquad shot of espresso. Are you
okay? No? Because I needmore? Yeah? That looks I think
I have a caffeine addiction, honestly, But but like who doesn't these tastes,

(01:55):
I know, but I do aquad shot over ice at home straight
up for rod dog shots of espresso. Well, I brew it over brown
sugar. So my coffee order isbasically or my coffee how I make it
at home is a spin off ofthe brown Sugar Shake, an espresso from
Starbucks. I brew my four shotsover brown sugar, and then I just

(02:15):
poured over ice, add some cinnamonand a splash of vanilla. Who puts
you onto this? Though? Youjust experiment with coffee your place. No
one necessarily put me onto it.But I did love that coffee from Starbucks,
and I think I guess maybe TikTokput me onto it because I saw
somebody like remake it at home?Right, And I was spending way too

(02:37):
much money on coffee, yeah,dude, and I had just gotten min
espresso. And if you don't havean espresso and you like coffee, you
need it, Okay. I havenot heard one person say that an espresso
isn't worth the money. It's forsure worth the money. And so I
just do again a quad shot overice at home. I used to shake
it because that's how I was.I got the inspiration from TikTok, but

(03:00):
now I don't. I just brewit over espresso brown sugar. Do an
espressos? Like? Do you stilluse pods for those? Ye? But
it doesn't taste as bad as likea cure EG? I think yeah,
because we have those pods in ouroffice. I don't know if it's a
cureg specifically, but they're not good. They're not They taste like you got
them out of a dumpster. They'renot good. Yeah, that's that's my

(03:20):
hot take. Is an espresso islike or a cureg is not not it
like, if you're gonna spend moneyon a coffee machine that takes pods,
you might as well just buy theespressa something good. But people will say
that then espresso pods are pretty expensive, which they can be. But when
you have a caffeine addiction and it'sworth it, I mean I justified a

(03:42):
lot, like I will budget tomake sure that I have enough money to
make make my coffee. But I'mgoing to correct I might not have breakfast,
but my coffee will be made.Well, I'm going to cheers to
your last sip here. Thank you, cheers. Let's get it going,
dude. Well you did not needto hear it HD. So we have
a lot of music to talk abouttoday, obviously, but first welcome back

(04:03):
on the playlist. We're taking aquick attendance. If you hear a voice
missing, that's Chris Michayla's not here, mikaelin Oh I miss her, Michaela,
she's gone, she said this iswild to say, she said jojo
Seawat's house. She sure is,which is an insane sentence to say out
loud, like she said, JojoSewat's house. She produces Jojo sewats podcast,

(04:26):
which has been all over my feedfor the since the iHeart Radio med
is a hot topic right now,hot top, a super hot top.
She was addressed like one of themembers of Kiss at the iHeart Awards.
She sure was. And man,that clip is all over my TikTok.
Favorite guest on my podcast, whatis it? One of my exes?

(04:47):
So mckala's probably there right now whileshe's talking about it. But Marley,
Hello, welcome dude, welcome backon the playlist. And then, of
course I'm John. We're back herefor another week. Before we get into
the new music. There were acouple of pre that I've seen on my
TikTok lately. Some artists dropped innew music soon, Dua Lipas teasing some
of her new tracks. Oh really, And then I don't know if you

(05:14):
saw this, Joe Jonas, Yes, what's up with this? Okay Jonas
brother's track or I think it's himsolo? Ok, But I've seen him.
I think it's maybe he's posting onbe Real, you know how,
like celebrities are on be Real rightnow and follow the celebrities. He's been

(05:35):
posting with Alexander twenty three. He'sbeen in the studio with Alexander twenty three,
probably producing a track, correct,probably this one that he's teasing.
I applied to be verified on beReal. No, denied so fast.
I'm embarrassed. Joe Wait is JoeJonas the one that left the Jonas Brothers
originally? First? Uh, theyall just kind of broke up together.

(05:59):
Okay, it wasn't one of them. No. I think they've stated that
Nick is the one and this iswhy mckaylan needs to be here. He's
the real one with this. ButNick, I think was the one who
decided to part ways with the band, and then they all did their own
things solo. Yeah, except Kevinback to being solo again or I don't
know. I don't think he's goingsolo. I think he's probably like the

(06:20):
same way Luke Hemmings is doing hisown stuff on the side. Yeah,
yeah, I think it's probably thesame as that. That's a good point.
Still a member of the band,but like still want to do your
solo projects. I think as youget older that you probably gravitate more in
your own direction too, which Ithink is so fine and so normal.
And I mean, people love JoeJonas in the Jonas Brothers. Why wouldn't
they love him outside of the JonasBrothers. Yeah, so, I don't

(06:42):
know. I think it's cool,and it also just gives more avenues for
more Yeah, more Jonas Brothers music. I was just on the subject of
getting gold was. I don't knowif you saw this TikTok I reposted last
night. Everything just rolls around TikTok. But I know it's so empairing.
It's like my entire life too.It's so bad. It is so bad.
But there was this TikTok where thisdoctor's saying, oh, like it's
official year old and he's like,what do you mean. He goes,

(07:04):
no, you failed all the tests. And he's like, I failed all
the tests and he goes, yeah, well, okay, Well what are
you doing this summer? He's like, oh, well, I have nine
weddings And he's like, oh,of course. Do you see those friends
that you're getting married to all thetime? And he goes, no,
I probably see them like once everythree months if we're lucky to go to
a dinner. All I do isreally play adult softball. And they're like,
oh, adult softball. Yeah,and you don't think that you're old.

(07:25):
And it was just this entire thingthat says, at twenty seven,
you don't think you're old, butat the end of the day, you
are. And I was like,damn, dude, ouch, it hit
me hard. It closes and itwas like, your friend just had a
baby, and he goes, oh, good for them. He's like,
that's how you know you're old,because young people would be like, oh
no, oh my god, it'strue. I was with my friends last
night who just recently moved back downto this area from northern California and they're

(07:48):
expecting their first child in July.No way, yeah, And so I'm
sitting at their house and it's likethe first time I've really hung out with
them since I guess the day shetold us that they were pregnant. And
so I'm sitting there and we're chitchatting and their due dates coming up,
and I was like, Wow,you're pregnant. This friend is pregnant,
this friend is getting married, thisfriend is getting married, this friend is

(08:11):
getting engaged. Oh my gosh,I'm I'm still skipping dinners. Yea,
literally that is that's yeah. Anyway, it was very like reality check.
I was like, Oh, butit's the phase of life we're in.
That's just where we're at our world. It's it truly is sad. All

(08:31):
right, plugging in the ox here, let's talk about new music for this
week. So many albums out therejust was a lot to listen to.
I was pretty overwhelmed last night.If I'm totally honest, did you get
did you listen to all the albums? I I tried really hard to listen
and actually like taking in, butI didn't get to like digest all of

(08:52):
them properly. But I did.I did give most of them a listen.
The one I spent the most timewith was Benson Boone. Here We
Go debut album for DNS, andBoone dude discovered he could sing at a
Battle of the bands in high schooland then says, should I do American
Idol? I guess they reached outto him after singing him post a TikTok
or any video online, so heapplies for American Idol makes it pretty far,

(09:13):
yeah, and then eventually drops outbecause he's like, oh, these
people are taking this singing thing prettyserious. I think he made it to
like top twenty four or something likethat, and then he leaves because he's
like, I don't know if Ieven want to do music. I thought
he left because he didn't want hiscareer to take off and be known as
the guy who made it on AmericanIdle. I mean I think that that's
got to be an underlying thing too, right, Yeah, Like, I

(09:35):
honestly don't know the last like famousAmerican Idol singer that won. I think
like Adam Hill Clarkson. Yeah,yeah, yeah, I guess that is
you got David Archiletta. He did, David Archilett didn't win, didn't win,
But still I feel like American Idolstill him famous. I know that's
so crazy, wow, but likethese days, I couldn't tell you the

(09:56):
last big American Idol singer, youknow. No, so super weird.
So eventually he decides to take musicback up and releases a couple of singles,
an EP, and then now thisis his debut album. Beautiful Things
of course was a number one song. Take that up. Still absolutely one

(10:18):
of my favorite songs of the entireyear, like obsessed with that song.
And now the album's out and Ifeel like the new one that's gaining some
traction is Cry song If the BoyAhead, Cry, Cry, Go Ahead
and rules someone nurses life else nightit's so good. Okay. I was

(10:52):
listening to that on the way inand I have to say, I don't
know how I missed this. Uh, the intro that song, it's the
best. My jaw hit the floor. Yeah. I was like, oh,
this is this doesn't sound at allwhat I listened to, like what
I listened to last night when Ilistened to it for the first time and

(11:13):
I was driving in and I waslike, oh, oh wow, Wow,
that's why I loved it so much. So last night, before the
album came out, I was scrollingthrough TikTok because he's been teasing a lot
of these songs. But someone hadposted a clip of him at I think
his show in Chicago. Yeah,and it was this entire song and so
he plays this opening of Cry andit didn't sound like it at all.

(11:33):
It sounded like a sad song,like a slow sad like Woe is Me?
Almost yes, Yes, and sothen the lights cut out and it
sounded like the mic cutout, andI was like, oh, no,
he had technical difficulties on like hisvery first tour. And then he comes
in with the real start of cryand I was like, that was sick.
And it turns out that's exactly howit was on the album. Oh

(12:01):
it all like are you sing it? It's a completely different film it was.
It was so like I said,I was listening to it and I
was like, oh, this isvery this is not at all what I

(12:22):
was expecting the intro to sound like. And so when I when I noticed
that it dropped into the no nono, like no that doesn't like,
I was like what And it fitsto me too because the verses I hate
that you think you can get awaywith blaming all your problems on your mental
state, and I feel like,I just like, I know people like
that. You know, it's onething to like actually have issues going on

(12:45):
that you're working with, but thenit's another thing to use those issues as
an excuse, right, And sowith this song, to me, like
it opens up sad because someone islike almost messing with him and then he's
like you know what, no likeI'm actually I take that all. I'm
upset, you know, like I'mnot letting you get the best of me
right now, Like I'm again,yes again, Like I'm more angry than
sad about it. And I feellike that switch up at the opening just

(13:07):
capsulated that perfectly. Yeah. Iwas absolutely mind blown by that one.
I loved. That's probably one ofmy new favorites album to be honest,
obsessed with it. I also reallylove Drunk in my Mind. Yeah,

(13:37):
you know, like the vocals reallyshine in everything. Yeah, and this
one he is obviously relating like talkingor his feelings about someone to the poisonous
but like masking effects of alcohol.But the part that stuck out in this
song to me was the verse.I think it's the second verse. And
I feel like, normally, inso many songs, like a lot of

(13:58):
artists have reverse naturally about use reverband it kind of gives this echo effect
on your voice, and you layerchoruses with your voices a lot. But
I feel like everything was stripped inthis verse and it literally sounds like his
raw audio of him on the mound. Oh tell me whether love went thought
that we was out there? Couldit would have said been everything that we

(14:20):
seemed to be. It just soundsso pure, and then it comes in
kissing the fuck when they gave youup, but you just went it wide
open. You must be choking fromtaking it's quessive speed, just like takes
you through a journey. Every singlesong. Yeah, the whole album was

(14:43):
a ten out of ten. Honestly, it really was. There wasn't a
single miss. And he even putlike ghost Town and In the Stars out
on it. All of those albumsthat I don't really feel like had a
home or space now have a spaceon this album and completely agree. The
whole thing front to back was incredible. Yeah, I think those are insane.
I wanted to bring up one moresong because like, these are the

(15:05):
three that had stood out to meat least on these first few listens,
and this last one was there shegoes, but the part of this song,
and I feel like this to meis the most summer song out of
all of them, and it's becausethere's this part of the bridge and tell

(15:33):
me that is right. It justit gave me that vibe immediately. That's
that's exactly what came to my mindthe minute that you started playing and I
was like, Oh, that soundsexactly like totally, and I was just
like, this is this is thesummer vibe to me, you know,

(15:54):
like reminded me just a blue sky. I think I saw that listening to
this Benson Boone things of consciously becauseI'm just like, I immediately drew that.
So I love to be someone thatwas my, that was my the
intro, into the intro and thenof the album and then into be someone
seamless. Oh seamless, so good. I think you you're so right.

(16:15):
Like song after song of this album, it just feels like an album you
have to scream, like an albumyou got a belt out in your car.
There's so many deep but strong emotionsin it. And I'm I'm so
curious to see him live because Idon't know how that doesn't destroy your voice.
I was about I was just aboutto say I saw a TikTok that

(16:36):
he posted the other day where hewas like me mentally preparing to shred my
vocal chords every night, sing writeall these songs that he can't sing well.
I wonder if he'll do something likewhat Olivia Rodrigu is doing right now
on tour. Okay, because shehas you know, the song All American
Bitch, where there's like that screamingportion in the bridge. I guess she's
like turning it around and having thecrowd scream. So but it's more easy

(17:00):
on her, probably easy on hervocal. Yeah, And I think when
I was watching him perform cry inthat video, I was telling you about
a few minutes ago, that's whatI was looking for because that's one of
the songs that he does have tobelt out, and I was like,
Okay, let's see every note hebelt it out. He didn't turn it
to the crowd, and I waslike, he's probably so hyped to like

(17:21):
his new album is out. He'ssinging these new songs. You know the
fact that he wasn't like classically trainedhis whole life and singing it just it.
I'm having a hard time processing.Yeah, Like it's insane. That's
really insane. There's so much soulin this album. And I feel like
fireworks and rollerblades like two things thatremind me of summer already. We live
by the beach. We see alot of rollerbladers during the summer. The
fireworks the fourth of July, Likeeverything in this album fit perfect and it's

(17:45):
it's gonna be my one of myfavorite albums this year. I think so
too. I'm obsessed with it.Let's switch the vibe completely though. Guess
we got we got time with thesad girl once. This is her new
album Older, that's Spenson game,who was stronger somehow? Wish it was
easy? Oh wish. So whenI first turned this album on, I

(18:15):
was driving into the studio this morningand it was raining in La just like
it has been every weekend, itfeels like since October. Disappointing. Today
I was happy for a moment,like I was annoyed seeing that in the
weather. And then when I waslistening to this Lizzy album, I just
finished Benson and I was like,this is it's kind of nice. It
felt like the vibe for it.Yeah. I listened to it on the
way home from visiting my friends lastnight. Last night. It was like

(18:37):
an hour ish more drive, andso I was like, this is the
perfect time to sit and listen tothis Lizzy album. Yeah, because I
knew it was gonna be a littlesadder. Yeah. And let me tell
you, I I want to loveit. Okay, I don't not love
it. Let me just preface myexpectations really high. I mean, ID

(19:00):
five seconds flat so much. Yeah, And I said this was going to
be very different, I know.And I did hear her say something about
five seconds flat where she was like, that's not true to like who she
is as a song singer, songwriter, right, So I knew it was
going to be different, especially givenOlder, the single that came out a
few weeks ago. It seems tobe one of the slower ones on the

(19:21):
album. Yeah, I just knowthat there's probably a much deeper meaning to
each individual song, and I don'tfeel like I got enough time to sit
with that. Com So just asfirst listen across the entire album, I
think it's really good, like drivingmusic, yes, and like really good
like oh I'm working at a coffeeshop in the rain, or kind of

(19:45):
music like Yeah, but I justknow that there's deeper meanings to each one
and I didn't get the time tosit with it. So I really wanted
to love it. But off offirst listen, I was like, it's
hard, it's hard to understand.I completely agree with that, and I
think that's why I I haven't givena real judgment to either, because I
feel like there are there is somuch depth to a lot of these songs,
Like the next single I think she'spushing is drunk Running stops You.

(20:11):
Nobody takes it from your head.And I feel like, even seeing the
lyrics that she's teased on socials overthe last couple of days or weeks,
I feel like I still don't fullyget what the song's about because I needed
all the lyrics. Yeah, youknow, it feels so intricate totally,
So I don't have a full likewhether I love or hate it. Yeah,

(20:33):
not that I would ever hate anythingthat she puts out, honestly,
because she's truly incredible between vocals andher songwriting abilities. Like, I truly
think she's an incredible artist. SoI just don't think I got enough time
to sit with it enough to havea good judgment. And I just like,
I know a lot of her topicsare heavier and sadder, and I
know I gravitate towards that. Like, for example, I was sending Olivia

(20:56):
my girlfriends songs this morning that Ireally love from New Music Friday m and
then she sends me back a messageand she says, Hey, all these
songs are sad, like even fromthe Bens and Boone album, you sent
me all like the breakup songs andI was like, oh, I'm sorry.
Like she's like are we are weokay? And I was like,
no, like we're fine. Areyou hinting at something? I was like,

(21:17):
I think those are just the bettersongs. And she's like, it
feels like you almost love heartbreak morethan you like being in love. And
I was like, it's honestly kindof close, but you're like having identity
crisis on the land or unpacked thatat a later date, perhaps off the
Lizzy album, though, the onlytrack that or stood out to me most
at least so far, was AllFalls Down Cause it All fall stone.

(21:48):
I feel like this very much hadthat driving feel to it, that Driving
in the Rain especially, Yeah,I love I did like this one.
I remember liking this one a lot, and I liked it. So she's
talking about all falls Down, andit's kind of like about how life can
have its ups and downs, right, and when it has it's down sometimes
it feels like it all comes downat the same time, kind of like
a when it rains it pours typesituation. Really, and she has this

(22:11):
lyric in there where she says I'mtwenty three and at a sold out show.
I'm happy, but I'll probably cryafter you go home. And I
was just like pointing at the upsand downs. But then as she's talking
about that, I noticed that alot of these little runs in the song
fall, like a lot of thenotes fall, they go down in scale,
and I thought that was so interesting. You can even hear it in

(22:32):
the intro here a little bit,and every time she talks about something going
down in the song, she hasthat accompanied at the end, and I
was like, oh, I don'tknow if that was intentional, but it
felt like it was kind of mirroringthe actual music too. To me,
honest, I would not be surprisedif it was intentional, because, like
I said, she's an incredible artist. Yeah, And it's just like,

(22:52):
so that's the word I'm looking for. Intentional, Yeah, like very intentional
with her with her music and howshe how she does it all. And
it's fun to watch her on socialmedia talk about it now that it's out.
She doesn't tease it a lot,no, which is interesting. I
did notice that she was teasing drunkrunning, So I would assume to your

(23:15):
point that that's probably the single thatthey're going to push next, but she
didn't tease it a lot. No, Yeah, we're gonna have to sit
with that one bit. Yeah,okay. I do want to briefly touch
on Conan Gray's new album It's calledFound Heavy, which was like very synth

(23:40):
heavy. It sounded very eighties like. It sounded to me like it could
have been the soundtrack to Stranger Things. Oh do you see what I'm saying
about? Like so many sins tothe entire songs join me, This is
giving bleachers to dances, Baby dancewith me. This felt like the modern
day version of a weekend dance tomine because of friends don't dance and if

(24:07):
they don't dance, no friends ama little bit right? Yeah? Absolutely,
Like I just kept listening to thisand I was drawing like different inspirations
from different I guess, classic oldschool artists. Like there's a song called
Forever with Me and it sounded likea journey banger. I say, I

(24:34):
think, yup, Like you couldtell me that's Journey. I would have
known, really though, Like isthat Steve Perry? So anyway, I
do have to spend some more withthat one too, But it just felt
like a heavy eighties album. Wedo have an interview with him that we're

(24:56):
gonna tack onto the end of thispodcast. Here. Let's yeah, let's
take a quick break and then we'llgo into the singles. Hang on just
a second, we'll be right back, and we're back. We're so back,
all right. Let's talk about singlesnow. Stuff that stuck out to

(25:18):
us a little bit. I brieflywant to touch on already another single from
Beyonce. It's a pony up remixto Texas Hold Them Walk Up This Morning.
I like, I feel like sheturned it into a club banger.
Yeah, it doesn't feel country anymore. It feels like a little bit more

(25:40):
Beyonce, but like I love it. Those aren't even the lyrics to Texas
Hold Them are? They definitely not. It's like a whole new verse.
Oh wow. The beginning starts thesame, and I think it goes into
the chorus the same way, andthen after the first chorus it drops in
that remix part. I didn't geta chance to listen to this. I'm
definitely going to know. It surprisedme, but I liked it, okay,

(26:04):
So I want I just was tryingto hide my release of guests through
my mouth a burp. I shouldhave just said that I was trying to
be a little bit cleaner than Burt, but it just sounded way worse anyway.
Okay, So I do want totell you about my favorite release this
week aside from Benson Boone. BensonBoone takes the cake right like, no

(26:27):
no questions ask, Let's take BensonBoone aside. I want to play you
in my favorite song from this week. All right, let's here. Do
you know the band Lawrence. Yes, they are a soul pop band you
could say, out of New YorkCity and the two lead singers who switched
back and forth, they're brother andsister. They they work with John Bellion
a lot. Yeah. Yeah,opened for John Belly and actually when I

(26:48):
saw him at the Greek Theater yearsago. But yeah, they have this
new song that came out today.It's called Guy I used to be.
This is such a nineties sitcom maincharacter energy type song, but it is
such a hit and I'm on youand Goo goo good bye, Like this

(27:27):
is me at the grocery store withheadphones and kicking all like that. Karen's
picking out cereal for a kids nextto me, I don't care. I
haven't a buck. Like I lovethat it is such a bop and I
feel like they just they don't getthe credit that they deserve because I obviously

(27:51):
see a lot of their videos onsocials and stuff, and they have a
full band with them. Obviously youcan hear the live horns in that song,
and they have so many different creativevideos. I don't know who runs
their social but they do an incrediblejob. They're touring, obviously, and
they did this promo to buy ticketsfor their tour, and because they're brother
and sister the lead singers, they'relike calling it the Family Business Tour,

(28:12):
and they like did this entire sketchwhere they're like presenting the family Business to
this board meeting, and they justlike have so much work involved in these
videos. And then sometimes they'll setup their entire band in like the living
room of a house and they'll justlike run through practices and they'll film it
and they'll put in Some of themhave millions of views, which is awesome,
wow, And it just feels likesuch an authentic, authentic band and

(28:34):
just real classic music, and itjust it feels good. Yeah, you
know what I mean. They havethis, they have this bridge rights,
it's the best marley. Like Idon't know if I can play the whole
thing on a podcast because it's long, But we're gonna sit there and let's
do it. So they have thischorus and then they're like, hang on,

(28:56):
we're going to break this down.Let's strip, let's take everything out.
We'll add it in one by one. I love this back up from
the bottom. I love that likereverb in my ears. It feels good.
And the pianos are in, You'rethe only day I've mattered. Some
vocals sing, I bring in somehorns. We keep changing good. It's

(29:29):
like it's the best day of mylife. Like I just get in the
zone when I hear this. Thatwas an experience? Is that experience?
That was an experience? Like Oh, it's just like I want to listen
to it in the morning, andit's gonna start every day off like it's
the new best day of my life. I'm gonna listen to that on the
way home with my windows down,all the way up. It's incredible,
all the way up. It's oneof the best releases this week and it's
not on the New Music Friday playlistthat I saw, or on Benson Boone's

(29:52):
album, or unfortunately not on BensonBoone's album, although I would be very
puppy or the kid, but wasn'ton the album. So Lawrence, that's
guy I used to be. Checkit out, dude, don't sleep on
that song. And why we're allmy picks. I'm gonna hit you with
one more sneaky banger. Let's heara sneaky banger of the week. My
goodness. So Natasha Bangfield, legend, legend, got bops, underrated,

(30:17):
m maybe not underrated these days.I feel like she's getting the attention now
right, it's coming back. She'sgot bops. A lot of people miss
out though we know I'm written andunwritten like one of her best bangers.
We all know that one. AbsolutelySometimes people be sleeping on her other hits.
You know what I'm saying. Thisguy Badger though, producer, he's
not sleeping on him. He takesthese words and he makes it into a
banger for the club A mile,I love you, Let's go. What

(31:03):
a banger it is? Wow?What a banger? Don't know who this
guy is? I saw this onTikTok and I was like, I gotta
investigate. Came out this morning,clicked on that song, never looked back.
Wow, sneaky banger. Wow,slign it in there. Good for
you, badger recognizing legit. NatashaBeddingfield songs, Natasha Natasha Beddingfield songs.
I'm pumped here right now. Hisheart rates salivated songs that are not unwritten

(31:26):
but still bangers. Good. Wow, that's my sneaky bang. And I'm
taking out my ox and note I'mgiving it to you. Okay. I
don't know why I wore sweatshirt.This is tough. I'm exastinating. It's
because it's raining outside. I reallygave that everything incredible. All right,
well, let me hit you witha story time. I'm ready for it.

(31:47):
The year is twenty fourteen, okay, and years ago Jesus Kelsey Ballerini
has just entered the scene. Okay, Okay, So I first of all,
let me just say I adore herevery I love her. I want
to be her best friend so bad. Is she the one dating Chasetokes?
Correct? Yeah, so I feellike I'd like that guy. She.

(32:09):
I just love her. So anyway, she had the country seamed back in
like twenty fourteen, and she releasedthis banger called love Me Like You mean
It you Gotta kiss so yes.It's very light, it's summary, it's

(32:35):
you know, fun, youthful,just kind of makes you want to dance.
Well, here we are ten yearslater, ten years later, and
she has truly been through Helen backwith her like divorce, very public divorce
her you know ep that she releasedthat kind of just really took off.
It's incredible, rolling up the dormant, dormant, rolling up the welcome Matt,

(33:00):
You're close, You're really close.I'm impressed. I give myself much.
And then she's going, you know, she went on tour and you
know, now she's in a newrelationship shout out John B. And is
I think currently writing a new album. But she did find time to re
release and recreate this song and it'svery different. Cheers me, chills me

(33:27):
like you idiot that I have thosekids me so good. It's very like,
very opposite of what the first songwas. It's slow, mature,
it doesn't really feel like a summersong. It feels more like a nighttime
driving, you know home kind ofsong. Like it's very very polar opposite

(33:53):
what was released ten years ago.I was pretty unfamiliar with the original,
like I don't I don't remember thatsong obviously, so when I was hearing
it, I was like, oh, this is why would you change this?
Yeah, what are you gonna do? This is a banger, right,
And then as she really got intoit, I was like, oh,
wow, this song works both ways. It does, and I feel
like that is just credit to awell written song. I think a well
written song, no matter what styleyou played in, like will sound good.

(34:14):
Yeah, that's awesome. So it'sI just I loved that song.
I've been a fan of hers sincetwenty fourteen, and so yeah, to
hear that complete shifts one eighty ofyou know, youthful summer fun to like
slow, mature nighttime vibe, yeahsong getting older. Yeah, well and

(34:35):
we're sad, so we like thesad the sad sound. But anyway,
so that was one of my favoritereleases because you know, she's just to
take something and do a one eightyand it's still be so good. I
think that's why I love covers somuch, Like I'm such a fan of
when artists do covers of other artistssongs, because if you can take a

(34:58):
song and completely shift vibe and makeit work like it was supposed to be
written like that in the first place. Yeah, it is such a talent,
you know, And I feel likethe song has a completely different meaning
when you do that. Totally,totally. I love that. Yeah,
so I loved I loved that onea lot. The second one I want
to bring up is my guy willLinley. I love him. He's just
this precious guy and he's been teasingthis song for quite some time and now

(35:24):
it's finally out. It's called BlameDo what you got to Get? Oh
me if you got. I can'ttake this. I can't take this take.

(35:52):
I just love all of the likelike the claps of the and the
like the drums are like an infectiousbeat. I just I love one of
those artists that like it's just everythinghe does is feel good. Yeah,
you know, exactly feels wholesome.I think, m hm. And it's
just the BacT He has a portionin the song where he has like a
backtrack of his of his vocals andit's just so it's so cool. I

(36:15):
love the layering and again, Ithink the drums and the clapping and it
just seems like a really fun ishe opening up for somebody and by hold,
that's right, that's right. Ithink they were just at the l
Ray a couple of weeks ago,and I'm really bummed to fist it.
I knowe I've seen him on onsomeone's tour list somewhere. I saw him
when he was at the Moroccan Loungea couple of months ago. Yes,

(36:37):
so fun. I don't know arethey I don't know if he's coming back
or if he's going on his owntour or whatever, but I kind of
hope he does because he's so fun. Yeah. I would love to talk
to him. I just love to. We did. We did meet him
after the show when he was atthe Moroccan Lounge and he's just like the

(36:58):
sweetest, the sweet this guy.So big fan of him and big fan
of that release. Love that.The last one I want to talk about
is another Luke Kemming's release, Closedmy Eyes. I honestly think I liked
this one more than Shakes. Really, yeah, did you give it a
listen? Like it? Just goingback to what we had talked about when

(37:36):
Shakes came out and what this albumlike kind of means to him and how
he's you know what the framework ofthis album is going to be. I
was thinking about it as I waslistening to the lyrics, and they're like
I don't want to close my eyesbetween like the production like it seemed it
sounds so busy, and I wasthinking about it. I was like,

(37:58):
whenever I closed my eyes, likeand your mind just kind of runs wild,
Like that's kind of what I feellike. That song sounded like to
me, is like I don't wantto close my eyes because my mind won't
shut off. Yeah, and there'stoo much to think about. And I
think that's kind of the point.That's interesting you say that too, because
just based on the stuff I've heardfrom the last song when he was writing
a lot of the CP that he'scoming out with, it was mostly written

(38:19):
in New York, Yeah, likein one of the busiest cities where,
yeah, if you close your eyes, it doesn't matter if you're in an
apartment, there are just noises inlife totally bustling around you. But also
like one of the lyrics is likeI never got to say goodbye, and
it's like when you close your eye, like when you go down to like
lay your head down at night togo to sleep, and your mind won't
shut off, and you're like,well, what I never got to say
goodbye to this person or I neverdid this, or what if I said
this? You know what I mean? Like your mind? I think that's

(38:40):
kind of what he's trying to conveyin the song. Yeah, And I
related so hard to that because sometimeswhen I go to bed in my mind
just want just won't shut off.Oh I didn't say bye to that one
cashier who said totally am I thinkingabout that? And so I just think
it it gave a better understanding asto where the album is going in the
sense of like living this busy,busy lifestyle and feeling stuck, but you

(39:07):
know, life doesn't stop moving,like everything goes on with that totally.
So I loved that one on thison the first listen. I love that
it feels like it's definitely within thesame sound as Shake's, that first one
that came out of totally very dreamy, and I love that direction he's going
totally, and I think Shakes reallylike built with me. I think I
liked it at first, and thenthe more it was out, the more

(39:28):
I loved it like that became oneof my favorite at leastes that week a
few days later, and I feellike that will probably happen with this one
too. Yeah. I gave thisone a couple lessens and I was like,
oh, I think I like thisone a little bit more than Shakes,
butady, yeah already off of likeeven like three or four listens or
whatever. How times I listened toit this morning, which was kind of
a lot if that doesn't say alot anyway, but yeah, it's I

(39:51):
think. Also something that stood outto me is his vocal range is kind
of crazy, really, yeah,because I was listening to this song and
it doesn't sound to me like I'mlistening to it and it doesn't sound anything
like a five seconds a summer songlike his vocal His vocal sounds so different,
a like in a fine way,like it's yeah, she's different.

(40:12):
I was just thinking about how crazyit is that he can do one song
like, uh, I'm blanking ona five seconds of summer song that's like
more recent but like complete mess ygain. Ok Okay, So I heard that
in the store the other day andI was like, oh, yeah,
you know, I love them.I love this song whenever, and then
I listened to this this morning andI was like, oh, this is

(40:34):
the same vocal vocals, Like it'sthe same person and not being a huge
One Direction fan, but I feellike I still kind of noticed that too.
I like listening to some of thesolo projects, Like I guess I
never really paid that much attention toOne Direction songs back in the day,
Like I wasn't a huge fan obviously, but it still feels different to me,
Like I feel like I hear Harrystyles different by himself than I would

(40:54):
collectively with it totally, you know, yeah, absolutely. Granted he's like
when One Direction was One Direction,like they were so young, so his
vocals have been matured, yeah,over the years. So I agree with
you in that. I mean NiallHorn even, yeah, you know what
I mean. Think about him inone Direction versus now crazy the vocals are

(41:16):
crazy, but Lukekemming sorry not tobut because Luke Hemming's is still in five
seconds of Summer actively and then hearinghim do a side project and his vocals
sound so different, that's what wascrazy. That's interesting. It's the same
maturity. Yeah, yeah, yeah, It's not like he's in a different
place in his life exactly. It'sliterally just a different sound totally. That's
interesting. Yeah, I was thinkingback to because I feel like every group

(41:38):
will eventually have its reunion, rightlike if in Sync is finally having that
day after twenty years. If OneDirection does a reunion, I'm I'm gonna
spend every penny that I own.I think that's why I know that they
will, because people will want topay for it. But I don't think
that's coming until all of their soloprojects have lived out their life for the

(42:00):
most part, you know, becauseright now, why would they. Harry
Styles is on top now, Horn'sdoing very well, Zane's coming out with
new music this year. I feellike they're still in their own lanes that
I don't see when John's crushing mydreams currently. So that's fine, it
will come, and like Coachella twentythirty, oh my god, thirty yeah,
or like the iHeartRadio Music that's notfar from now, Isn't that crazy?

(42:22):
Twenty thirty is six years from now. That is, we're closer to
twenty thirty than we are. ThatKelsey Bellerini story from twenty fourteen. Oh
I'm sick. Isn't that insane?No, I'm sick over that. But
anyway, Yeah, those were mypicks of the way. I'm going to
guest plug from Michaela real quick becauseshe sent in a song from her faves

(42:42):
fly by Midnight, and I listenedto it this morning too and thought it
was a banger. It's called theWeather. That was beautiful. I like
their sound a lot so much.Yes, I completely agree with you,

(43:06):
she said very soundtracky. Yeah,I think that's interesting you say that,
because that's how I think about themusic that I like. It's very like
love song pop bangers. But Ialways play the songs that I like to
the soundtrack of a movie. Ithink, yeah, always in my mind,
like you can picture something when you'relistening to it. Yes, I
imagine like being in a truck withlike someone you love in the shotgun scene

(43:30):
and you're like going through these hillsdriving and there's like sun and it's windy
and the windows are down. Yeah, you're just like having this connection.
Or you're like on a train leaningout the window and it's raining. See
how many of you can do Yeah, But I always do that with all
music, and then it's so interestingI've liked the same couple of scenes that
I use in my head to determinewhether or not a music is my sound,

(43:52):
Like that's one of them. Ihave one where it's like I love
being on a hill at night lookingat the city skyline. That was It's
one I play all the time,you know, for like the late night
drives or whatever. But it's sointeresting you have those images in your mind
that you set these songs to.Yeah, totally anyway, Thanks mi Kayla,
Thanks Mikayla. So the other dayI sat down with Conan Gray,

(44:15):
and I want to play a littlebit of that interview. I lit'll get
to know you sessh with Conan Gray. We talked breakups, we talked new
music. So that's coming next onthe playlist stick around. So we've been
pretty good about artist interviews lately.Conan Gray stopped by the studio the other

(44:37):
day and I got a few minutesto chat with him. He was doing
some stuff here in the studio,and I kind of want you to get
to know him too. I justgot to know him for a few minutes.
He sold out the Forum in LaMadison Square Garden in New York City,
and his new album Found Heaven isout today, and last year,
Conan went through the worst breakup ofhis life, like the one that like

(44:57):
really crushes you that he'll remember forever. That's what he just went through.
So some of the songs on thisnext album are going to cover that.
So here's a few minutes getting toknow Conan Gray. So I got Conan
Gray with me, Dude, Iam, I have to tell you this.
So at the end of last year, I was scrolling on TikTok and
I saw one from you that waslike, I'm not going to post an

(45:17):
end of the year recapp because thiswas straight up the worst year in my
life. And I just remember inthat moment, I was like going through
a tough time too, and Iwas like that was so relatable. Yeah,
I mean that's that's very valid.Yeah, last year was literally the
worst year of meth my lie.So, like status report of twenty twenty
four were about three months and how'sit been so far? It's been better.

(45:37):
I can't say it's been easier,but it's been better. Like life
has been better. It's been reallylike busy, but like like there was
this trend like the year before withmy song memories that people do like a
like, oh my year in memories, and I'm like, whoa, Like
I do not want to remedy.Yeah, you're like that's not what I
had into, thank you. Yeahyeah. So what about like a peek

(46:00):
in a low for the year sofar, Like, what's been your highest
point for the first couple of weeksso far? And maybe just keep the
highest point. Honestly, today hasbeen the highest point of the year.
Really, A new song out,new song out. My tour is like
officially on sale today, and everything'sjust been really happy. I can't wait
to be back on tour because I'msick of being home. I hate being
home. I go fucking crazy.Really, oh my, I lose my

(46:22):
mind. So what does like homeconan consist of? Like, what are
you doing when you're not in hustlemode for music? Truthfully? Fortnite?
Really? No? Yeah? Doyou play Fortnite? Yeah? I'm a
gamer the fuck a way. Ididn't know that you're not. You're not.
Oh yeah, I'm know a lotof curse a you're fine about to
curse? Yeah, we can editmost of that. Okay, okay,

(46:43):
yeah, I know I love forit. Do you play Fortnite, I
do, Yeah, okay, there'sa new season. Yes, that's it
just came out like literally yesterday,so I'm definitely charging my switch up right
now fortnite. And then, likeI mean, I truthfully, I also
like just write song NonStop. It'smy writing songs is not considered work to
me, like it's my fun time. And then everything else like this is

(47:06):
work. So can you turn thesong writing off? Like are you just
always in songwriting mode? Yeah?Always really, but it's fun for me,
Like it's what I do, It'show I process my emotions. So
it's always on. I don't Idon't mind it always being on though.
So I want to talk about thenew song Ali Rose, because I mean,
I'm sure you go into a lotof these interviews and people are like,
I love the new song. No, this song, like genuinely,

(47:27):
dude, one of my favorite thingsthat came out that week. This was
such an awesome release here, Solike what went into the idea of this
song? Like where did it comefrom? So? I wrote the song
in London and I'd just been dumpedand I was like in London and London's
like a very like it's a goodplace to be heartbroken, cold and rainy,

(47:49):
like the vibe you're like the Beatlesand now John I'm so angry,
and so I was like, yeah, I didn't really know what to do
with myself. So I wrote asong and then it was Ali Rose,
but it was originally called the originalsong went Oh Edgi Go Go abbey Road
because it was like I was writingit about London, about being in London,
but I was like, I probablyshouldn't name Beatles, and the Beatles

(48:13):
kind of took that. Yeah,yeah, I heard that there's a pretty
good album called Abbey Road, soI was like, oh, I should
switch this into something that's like soundsmore like like a random name or something
just so. But but yeah,Ali Rose is it's my favorite on the
album, and I'm really happy thatit's out, So it really is your
favorite on the album so far.Yeah, it's always it's always like,
without fail, without me even trying. It's always the last song that I

(48:36):
write for an album that ends upbeing my favorite. It always ends up
being the best, low key,and it always ends up being my favorite
and also like the fan favorite.Because when I wrote my first album,
the last song that I wrote wasHeather. Yeah, and then when I
wrote my second album, the lastsong that I wrote was Memories, and
then for this one it was AliRose. So I always like have a
special place in my heart for thealbum. So so what what is that
do you think? Do you thinkit's wrapping a bow on everything you have

(48:58):
to say in that album? Like, why what do you think it is
about the last song? I thinkit's two things. I think One,
you kind of you know, likeyou write and write and write, write
and write until you feel like youwrote a song good enough to finish the
album. You're like, okay,like I didn't, that's good enough,
that's good enough. But also Ithink in order for me personally, in
order for me to write like areally really good song, I need perspective,

(49:21):
Like I need some space from thesituation to figure out how I feel
about it. I need to likenot be too angry and not too sad.
I need just kind of like actuallybe able to objectively look at something
in order for me to get theright vibe. And I feel like you've
had so much to reflect on overthis last year. There's also a weird
part too, like, so obviouslyyou do some research before an artist comes
in, and I always feel weirdabout doing that because you come in,

(49:43):
we're meeting for the first time,and I'm like, oh, I know
you went through the worst breakup ofyour life. I hate that, I
know that, but I do youknow? Yeah? And I was curious,
though, when you look back atother songs that maybe used to be
your favorite, like Heather, doyou look back at those songs now that
you have this real heartbreak experience andbe like, oh, man, this
guy was he didn't even know whatwas coming. Ooh, that's a good
question. I mean I always lookback at old songs and like kind of

(50:06):
like like you know, when youlike look at a baby photo of yourself,
like, oh, like, that'skind of how I look at I
mean, I've been writing songs sinceI was eleven, so like I have
songs from so many stages of mylife and I look back at like a
song like Heather, and I'm like, that's how I felt at that time,
and like I really felt that thatwas like the most love and the
most pain I could feel. Andthen you know, then you grow and
you learn and you experienced things,so like I look back at every song

(50:29):
from then and I just smile.It makes me happy. Also, like
those songs like how they're like memories, like they changed my life, so
also I have all these memories attachedto them, where like I think about
going on tour and being able tosing these songs with people, like they
become very happy memories to me.Is it difficult when you when you go
on a lot of these promo runsand you're talking to so many people about

(50:50):
the music, and then you kindof have to in some way relive some
of the hardest moments of your life, Like you're talking about, unfortunately the
breakup sometimes and sometimes I feel badbringing that up, Like are you at
as where it's easier to talk aboutnow? It It's interesting, I mean,
I it's really awkward because like youtalk and talk and talk and talk

(51:10):
and talk about like these songs andand you know, like there's a lot
of like talking about like the storyof a song and explaining what a song
means. But then there's also likeyour own like my actual memories and my
actual brain with like an actual humanbeing on the other end of it.
So it is like really like it'sthis combination of like kind of depersonalizing where

(51:30):
I'm like, yeah, this didn'teven happen anymore. I've talked about it
so many times, it doesn't evenfeel real. Yeah. But then also
like you only like run into someoneor you like see and you're like,
oh, whoa wait, no,like this is really real and this is
and I like, yeah, it'sit's all. It's all a very strange
experience. It's not very human.This is not normal at all in the
slightest. And we can like youknow, like I try to just like

(51:52):
remind myself like, oh, likethis is there's a difference between like what
I say versuss like what actually happensas well, you know, like you
kind of have to like take itall with a grain of salt. Yeah,
I mean to a lesser degree.Like I remember, for example,
the last time I went through abreakup, and when people in your friend
group here you've broken up, yougot to tell the same story. Oh
yeah. And then you get toa point where it doesn't even feel like

(52:14):
it's like you're it feels like youare telling a story. It's not something
that happened to you. Yeah,exactly. It starts to feel like it
like I'm telling a made up story. And then I think back, and
I'm like, whoa, wait,that like actually happened a campaign, And
I think maybe that's just part ofprocessing emotions, you know, you just
like talk about it enough times towhere it doesn't feel so painful anymore.
But it is weird to be remindedlike, oh wait, whoa, Like

(52:35):
this is all very real and alsolike didn't happen that long ago, you
know, like it's just a it'sa weird thing writing songs and then like
having to give them to people.People. Yeah, so how many things,
how many moments from this past year, both good and bad memories,
are going to be on Found Heaven? I think a lot of a lot.

(52:55):
It's interesting. So obviously I wentthrough my first real breakup and stuff
like that with this album. ButI think people were expecting me to like
write like a love album or likelike a breakup breakup album, But it's
not that at all. This albumis my like crush album where I was
like developing or understanding that I'd hadthis crush on this person, that this
person had a crush on me aswell, and then like kind of the

(53:17):
confusion around that. Yeah, andthen also like there's like a few songs
that are about the breakup, butnot a ton because it takes me a
while. It takes me about likea year after something to start writing like
very true about what I'm what Iexperienced. Are you someone who takes a
few minutes to process your feelings likethat? Because even being on the air
sometimes like someone will something will happenand they'll ask me how I feel about

(53:39):
it, and I'm like, Iactually don't know. I don't know.
Yah, yeah, I need afew days to really think about it to
know how I feel. Yeah,but it's the weirdest thing. I don't
have to know in the moment,and it's pretty like it's been I've noticed
yet it takes me usually about likesix months to a year before I can
write like a really good song aboutsomething like it takes me a while.
Yeah, what do you think?Like, how do you know when you

(54:00):
are ready to write a song aboutit? Does it just naturally flow out
of you? Yeah? I writelike every day, so eventually the songs
just start being like, oh wait, that actually feels like like it's actually
means something more true than the otherones did yea, or like there's new
perspective you know, like sometimes youkind of just like know when you're just
like talking at and you're talking,You're like, wait, like do I

(54:21):
even believe the words that I'm sayingright now? Like then I'll have them?
Was like, whoa, this reallyhit me. Yeah, So coming
out of this year with a breakuplike that, did you go through that
stage where you're like, I'm donewith love? No? So, I
mean definitely there was a mom whereI was like whoa, Like that was
a lot, But there's nothing inme that regrets it or anything because I
learned so much. My eyes wereopen to like a completely new side of

(54:45):
myself and of like the world becauseof it all, and I'd do it
all again in a heartbeat, eventhough it was like, so it was
a lot, but you know,that's life, and ye, it's so
it's usually worth it to get yourheart broken almost every time, obviously disregarding
like truly horrible experiences, Like it'salways worth it to like put yourself out

(55:07):
there and like you know, gethurt or maybe hurt someone. You know,
you can do that on accident aswell, and then it's worth it
because that's life, that's living life. You actually answered my next question because
I always find it fascinating to asksomeone who's who's been through a terrible breakup,
because I reflect on ones that I'vebeen through, and I wonder if
you could go back in a racethat from happening, would you go back

(55:29):
and do that? Not at all? Oh my gosh, not at all.
No, no, no, II do it, like literally again
right now, just to like it'snot crazy that we're so down for that.
Sometimes it's just like feeling something isbetter than never feeling anything at all.
Oh you. That's like the themeof this whole album is like feeling
something is better than feeling nothing.Because I used to be someone who you'd
be like, feel nothing, justgo and try to work and write songs

(55:51):
and like go on tour and don'tfeel anything. And now I'm like,
WHOA, Like what a waste oflife. It's so worth it to get
your heart broken. It's so worthit. I love you put that.
What can you tell us about therest of the album still to come?
I think I can tell you thatit's definitely going to be a surprise.
It's like a lot of twists andturns on the album, and it's a
little bit of everything. But it'salso very much me like having fun and

(56:14):
experimenting. Like it's a very Imean, it's frankly, it's a weird
album. Yeah. Yeah, soexcited to hear it. Thank you,
dude, Thank you for taking thetime of coming in. Thank you so
much. So that's it, dude, Time for it, Time for us
to wrap up, mckaylon. Hopefullyshe'll be here next week. Some closing
business. We do have a playlistyou can follow. Marley keeps that up
to date every single week. Sure, try to what can where do you

(56:35):
find that? What's it called?It's actually called on the playlist, but
the on is in parentheses. Wellthat was pretty easy, I think.
No, I'm pretty sure, right, I was just making me a second
guess myself. And then we'll haveanother episode for you next Friday. You
can listen to us wherever you listento podcasts. Yeah, you're doing that
right now. But check out ourplaylist and all these songs we talk about
in the podcast will be on theplaylist, so you can update yours,

(56:59):
you know, get some bang yoursin there, and we'll see you next
week. All right, Bye,love you, you said bye, I
love you. Yeah, I messedup do it again, Love you bye,