Interview with Elise Hayes

Hello! It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with Ilise Hayes over zoom video, Elissa's born and raised in New Hampshire. And she talks about how she got into music comes from a very artistic household, her brother's guitar player, and she started singing at a very, very early age, started playing piano around eight she's, classically trained on the piano. And as a vocalist, she ended up attending Berkeley school of music. When she graduated, she moved down to Nashville. Having one of her songs placed on Grey's anatomy. 3 (1m 54s): She was also a keyboard player and background singer for Carly Pearce. So she talked about that experience, where she was when COVID hit and all about her new EAP, which is called human heart. You can watch our interview with Elise on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It would be awesome if you subscribe to our channel like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik TOK at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify, apple music, Google podcasts, it'd be awesome if you follow us there as well, and hook us up with a five star review, 4 (2m 30s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 3 (2m 36s): We're bringing it backwards with Ilise Hayes. Awesome. So I am Adam, and this is about you and your journey and music. And we'll talk about the new EPS as well. 5 (2m 49s): Cool. 3 (2m 50s): Cool. Awesome. So, first off, where were you born and raised? 5 (2m 53s): I was born in Keene, New Hampshire. It's like a small new England town and yeah, I grew up there and then I went to college in Boston and right after I graduated college, I moved down to Nashville 3 (3m 9s): In Nashville still. 5 (3m 11s): Yeah. 3 (3m 11s): Yep. Awesome. I'm in the suburbs of Nashville as well. I know, I know. I keep finding this out that I'm like, oh, this person's in Nashville. I just interviewed somebody else that was in Nashville. I'm like, ah, oh, well next time though. It, it, it, it allows us to have another discussion, I guess I'm in Williamson county. 5 (3m 36s): Okay, awesome. 3 (3m 37s): Yeah. I'll tell you after 5 (3m 41s): I won't ask for your address. 3 (3m 42s): Okay. Amazing. Well, okay. You said you grew up in New Hampshire. Is that what you said? What was it like growing up there? 5 (3m 51s): It's amazing. It's such a beautiful part of the country. And I don't know. It's, it's a really, really sweet town that I grew up in. It's very, like, I don't know if you've ever been to new England. 3 (4m 4s): I have not my best friends from there. And I've just, and I've never went, but he moved next to me when we were like kids. 5 (4m 11s): Yeah. It's just very like homey and cute and people are super nice and I don't know, just really value nature. And I loved, I loved growing up there and I feel like I, I love it more now because it's just like, you know, once you leave, you always appreciate it. 3 (4m 31s): Sure. 5 (4m 32s): But yeah, I love it there. I love there. 3 (4m 35s): Well, you said you went to school in Boston and I'm just assuming you went, I don't know if he even said this. Did you go to Berkeley? Okay. I figured if you're a songwriter and music and you said you go to Boston, that's just an assumption there, but awesome. So how did you get into music? Obviously? Very talented. I'm just basing on your songs, but the fact that you went there, how did you get involved in music, family? Anything like that? 5 (4m 59s): Yeah. My dad is a super musical guy. He is kind of a hobbyist guitar player and loves like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell and just like a huge music lover. So there's always music on in the house. My mom, her dad was an artist, a painter. And so I feel like art was just like super valued in our house growing up. And yeah, it was just one of those things that I, I just, I don't really remember beginning it. I know that's cliche to say, but I feel like I really have been singing since I was a little kid and just wanting to do it and pursue it since I was super young, I got into it and then like started doing musical theater and voice lessons and just kind of different choirs and things like that. 5 (5m 51s): And, and just kind of, I don't know if I'm talking my way into Berkeley and yeah. It's been a, it's been a ride. 3 (5m 60s): Yeah. Has it always been voice or did you pick up an issue? I know you play instruments, but was it something you also picked up at an early age? 5 (6m 7s): Yeah, I've been playing piano since I was probably like eight. 3 (6m 10s): Okay. 5 (6m 11s): Yeah. That was something, everybody in my family played an instrument. My brother's a really talented guitar player. My sister played piano and I think my parents, it was always really important to them, for us to have music lessons. So I'm super grateful that they really instilled that in us, but yeah. Yeah. So both kind of singing and playing piano from a young age. 3 (6m 35s): Okay. Does your brother still play or is he pursuing music? 5 (6m 38s): Yes, he's. He's not like professionally pursuing music I guess, but he still plays and he's awesome. And has bands in new England that he plays shows with and stuff like that. So 3 (6m 49s): That's amazing. So piano at eight. And did you continue playing piano throughout your, is that what you went to? Berkeley Ford, you go for vocals. 5 (6m 57s): I went to Berkeley primarily for voice and yeah, no, I played all through high school, classically trained and then as I sort of got into songwriting, I really just kind of fell into playing my own songs or playing other people's songs. And, and I've always been, you know, primarily a piano player. Like when I play shows, I play in saying, and yeah, it's always been like a huge part of my artistry. 3 (7m 29s): Okay. And when did you start writing music on your own? 5 (7m 34s): I mean, I was always like, I had this little toy keyboard when I was a kid in my room that had belonged to my brother and I would like stay up late and like find notes on the keyboard and, and write like really terrible lyrics. And I th so I think in a way I've been writing since I was really young, but like full songs, probably not until like the end of high school. 3 (8m 2s): Okay. And do you remember showing these songs to people? Like, were they songs that you kept yourself or were you like laying out and out and about 5 (8m 11s): Very nervous about showing people songs that I had written, I was always a singer. So it was like, I had no problem when I was in high school, like getting out and singing a cover of something. I felt it out, but It came to writing my own stuff. I was way more insecure about it. And so I would like show my friends or I would show like a boyfriend or something like that. And they would be like, you wrote that. And I'm like, yeah, but I don't know if it's good. And I think it was really encouraging to go to a place like Berkeley, because there were so many kids that were way ahead of the game at that point, like getting into school, having already played their own shows, having like put out records. 5 (8m 52s): And I was like, okay, like maybe it's maybe it's okay that I've always done this. Like I should put myself out there more. So that's definitely like, when I really started pursuing it and feeling like I could do it was like when I first got to school. 3 (9m 5s): Okay. And to get into Berkeley, was there an audition process? I've interviewed, many people have went there and everyone's got a different story. It's either like, oh yeah. There's let me in. Or like I had to be on the spot doing site reading, or I had to submit a demo. Like, what was your story? 5 (9m 20s): I, I had to audition. It was like, I went to a summer program that 3 (9m 29s): I've talked to people about this one as well. 5 (9m 31s): Yeah. Yeah. So it was like the summer before my senior year of high school, they have like a five week intensive that you can do. And I was always just kind of like, I want to get out of New Hampshire out of here. There's nothing going on. And so I remember I found this program on the internet and I like begged my parents for years to let me go. And it, and you know, when you're a kid, you don't even think about how expensive that is or like, so I think they were like, okay, like, hang on. We gotta figure it out. I'm like, oh my God, I can't believe by like, expected them to do that. But they did it for me. And at that program, I was encouraged to audition for like a scholarship for school at the program. 5 (10m 19s): So I did that and I ended up getting like a little bit of a scholarship to go. 3 (10m 24s): That's awesome. 5 (10m 25s): So, yeah, it was kind of like, at that point, once I had gone there, I applied to like a couple of other schools and I auditioned for those two, but it was like, once you go to Berkeley and you see like, wow, there's all of these people. Like one in four kids is international. There's all these different kinds of music and so much diversity. And I was just like hooked. So I couldn't not go after that summer. Okay. 3 (10m 54s): Okay. And w when you go to this intensive camp, cause like I said, I've interviewed other people that have went, but I've never really asked too many questions on it. Like, is it something where you show up and there's a bunch of kids that either want to go to Berkeley or they're interested in playing music. Yeah. Is there like a diff like a big wide net of people's like skill levels? Cause like I would imagine like, oh, I play guitar a little bit. Like I want to go try the, check this out. And it's like, I know three power chords or is it like people that are really, really into it? 5 (11m 23s): Got it. It was so long ago now that it's hard for me to remember exactly. Like all in terms of like skill level. But I do remember it. I don't think it was hard to go. I mean, I think like you had to submit an essay and maybe like a recording or something. 3 (11m 41s): Oh. So there was like, okay, that I guess I was, my dad answered it. You have to get into the camp. It's not like I can just sign up and go, 5 (11m 48s): Well, I mean, maybe it is honestly, I can't remember, but I feel like I remember there being like you to say why you wanted to go, what you were up to. Like you had to kind of prove your presence. I guess 3 (11m 60s): That makes sense. So 5 (12m 1s): Formal audition, but, but yeah, we just all got there and you go and it's intense, like the first half an hour that you're there, you have to do an audition and they give you like a, a rating. 3 (12m 14s): Wow. 5 (12m 15s): You just kind of like wear like a Scarlet letter. 3 (12m 20s): That's brutal. You have to sing in front of everybody. Or just like maybe some professors, 5 (12m 24s): Like really intimidatingly talented teachers, amazing things. And so yeah, it was like right off the bat, like you were in a very professional environment, I think is good. I think for me, I was definitely intimidated, but I was like just excited. Yeah. Yeah. 3 (12m 44s): Very cool. Yeah. A real quick question on your brother. Is he older or younger than you? 5 (12m 49s): He's older. 3 (12m 49s): He's older. Did you ever play with him? Like in like obviously he's in bands and stuff. Did you guys ever do anything together? 5 (12m 56s): Yeah. So my brother is 10 years older than me, so I hang up. It was always like, he is so much cooler than me. He's playing cars and he's like, 3 (13m 6s): Sure. 5 (13m 7s): He's, you know, living in California and doing all these cool things. So it was always kind of like me just kind of looking up at him, but as we've sort of like leveled out now, I feel like we have done a lot of stuff together. Especially like at family events, like we'll play for my dad is like one of his favorite things is to like play with the two of us. And so we've done that and if I've played up around my hometown, he's played with me and stuff. So that's really awesome. 3 (13m 38s): That is so cool. I'm 11 years older than my sister. So it's interesting to hear like the other, other side of the coin. 5 (13m 46s): I'm always just like, I was always just like, does he know that I sing? I was like, he's just like, okay, we get that. You sing. 3 (13m 56s): That's awesome. So you go to Berkeley and then when you graduate, like is what, when you get there and you're learning, like, what do you want to do? Like, is it, I want to do an artist project and I want to put records out myself. I want to tour with an artist on her write songs. Like you said, he kind of fell into songwriting at the school. Like what was your direction? 5 (14m 16s): I mean, to be honest with you, I think I went into Berkeley hoping that I would find that I didn't have, I knew that I wanted to be a singer and I knew that I, I was good at that and I felt like I could find a career doing it, but I wasn't sure if I was good enough to write my own songs or if I needed to find my own songs or how that even like I'm from New Hampshire, there's no like industry, my dad's a guidance counselor. My mom's a nurse. I was like, I hope that I can figure out a path here. And what ended up happening was like I said, I just, I fell into songwriting and I got so obsessed with making music. 5 (14m 57s): I had like a, an RMB been there and a couple of guys that I just started writing with all the time. And then it became very clear that like, okay, this is my path. Like I'm going to write my own songs and I'm gonna play shows and I'm gonna, you know, pursue this as an artist versus like, I don't know, trying to go on American idol or something like that. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for me it was like, I just really found comfort in being able to create something that felt singular fine versus like having to be compared to other people. 5 (15m 40s): Like, I feel like with my artistry, I was able to just be myself, you know, kind of a crazy business, like to be able to find the way that you say things and the way that you write music just felt like a hug versus a lot of the rest of it. 3 (15m 58s): Sure. That makes sense. And it's hard to find your voice, right? I mean, that's probably one of the hardest things to do. 5 (16m 4s): Oh yeah. I mean, it's embarrassing to go back and like, I was so heavily, heavily influenced by like some of the best R and B singers, like Erica Badu and Jill Scott and like just these incredible artists in that genre. And I, I needed to figure out where I was in that world, you know? Like I, I, and so it's, it's funny to go back and be like, you can't quite sing like them. 3 (16m 34s): Well, you have your own sound. Right. I mean, they can't sing like you, 5 (16m 38s): It totally came out of that. Like, you know, you pull from all of these people that you love so much. And eventually you're like, oh, I think I'm making stuff. That sounds like me now. And like everything else. 3 (16m 52s): Sure, sure. Wow. Okay. Well, what was your first or like what, once you graduated or did it happen during school that you've kind of like you had a first like milestone success or like, what was the first big moment for you either in school or when you had finished? 5 (17m 7s): I mean, there was a couple things in school that were like really amazing experiences. Got to sing for Steve Winwood. I got to sing for earth, wind and fire, like crazy and cool. 3 (17m 20s): Like how'd you get those gigs? Like, cause it just your audition to sing with them. 5 (17m 24s): Well, and it, it was like at the end of each school year, they would, they would pick people to be a part of a commencement concert. 3 (17m 32s): Oh cool. 5 (17m 33s): You could, I got the opportunity to sing in front of them. And that was equal parts. Nerve-wracking and amazing. It's like in an arena, like it's so crazy looking back, it's like, wow, you guys, like, we were so young, we just like got up there and did it. But yeah. So that was amazing. And then when I ended up moving to Nashville, it, it just ended up being like a really cool journey. We, we moved here at the same time as a friend of ours named Johnny Duke, who at the time was playing for a little big town. Wow. It was living across the street from John Osborne, brothers Osborne and all like weird things like came together and started playing writers' rounds and all of these different things. 5 (18m 22s): And I guess like my first big moment was like my first TV placement. I like, I had written a song with this amazing artist named Jill Andrews called rest or golden. It ended up on Grey's anatomy. That was like TV placement. And I was like, whoa, 3 (18m 42s): That's huge. 5 (18m 43s): It was a big deal. And it was one of those things where I was like, okay, like I had been in town for like a year. And I think it was like a huge vote of encouragement for me to like, stay around and 3 (18m 57s): Like validated you being here. I'd imagine. Yeah. 5 (19m 1s): Wow. 3 (19m 2s): It's interesting because Grey's anatomy, whoever was the music director or, you know, at the time for that show was like such a tastemaker they would grab these artists and put them on the show. And then, you know, you hear years later, like, oh, it's blah, blah, blah. And like, oh yeah, my first placement, like they would, they were picking these bands and finding these songs that were these artists that ended up blowing up. It's crazy. 5 (19m 27s): Ingrid Michaelson. I think like her entire career started off of a Grey's anatomy placement. 3 (19m 32s): That's insane. I interviewed somebody else that had the same story, but I can't remember who it was, but it was like, yeah, they just kept getting songs picked up by Grey's anatomy. And then it was like, you know, so many Spotify or like Shizam AMS became a thing. And then it was like building their career. It's insane. 5 (19m 48s): An incredible vessel. And I think like for me, being in Nashville and not doing country per se in very much in like a country network with like all of these country artists that were starting to pop off, I was kind of like, well, what is my path going to be? You know? And I think with the Grey's anatomy placement, just watching Jill and how it affected her career and her listeners and her fan base, I was just like, wow, that's like an amazing way to connect with people. I mean, national TV, man. It's like the song in the back of a TV show is going to affect people the way that it does, especially shows like Grey's anatomy or any of those, like kind of 3 (20m 34s): Like the drama, 5 (20m 35s): Like yeah. They get inside of you and you fall in love with the characters. Like people really attach themselves to the music. So yeah, that was like the first thing where I was like, I think I can, I think I can do this. 3 (20m 50s): Yeah. Yeah. Well, did you move to Nashville just because you knew it was a music town. 5 (20m 54s): Yeah. I mean, I, to be completely honest, I wanted to move to New York. I was like art set on living in New York city. And I, I hung back in Boston for about six months to save some money after graduation. And I had a lot of friends that ended up moving to New York and, you know, it's just so expensive. It 3 (21m 18s): Was, 5 (21m 20s): If you're not from a trust fund, if you don't have like, like health, a lot of jobs to live in New York. And for me that was like, oh, like I knew that I was going to have to have a job. And there was absolutely no, like I was, there's no way around that, but I wanted to find something or somewhere that I could live where I didn't have to be working like a nine to five or do something completely an unrelated to 3 (21m 45s): Right. Or like 90 hours a week, just to try to figure out between sleeping and yeah. Whatnot to try to write some music. 5 (21m 55s): Yeah. I mean, it wasn't like I was a waitress and a bartender and all of those things, but like I wanted to have a little bit more flexibility and honestly, Nashville was at the time, I mean, I've lived here for 10 years. I moved here in 2011 or 2012. It was like affordable. It was like, 3 (22m 16s): It's like, 5 (22m 17s): Because it wasn't that cool yet. 3 (22m 20s): It's so weird. Yeah. I just moved here like a little over a year ago and it's like, I've moved from, from San Diego and Southern California. And I'm like, whoa, like, it's rad. I love it here. But I talked to so many people that have moved here recently from California. I was like, wait, what? Like, I didn't know. That was a thing. But apparently we've been coming here in masses. 5 (22m 41s): It's been, it's been so wild to watch. Like I feel like, you know, just being from the Northeast, Nashville's always been so cool. But from, from people were like, you're going to move to, you're gonna move to Nashville. Like wow. And I was like, yeah. And they were like, okay, like have fun with that. You know? And now it's like, the Nashville, Nashville is so cool. 3 (23m 2s): Right. 5 (23m 3s): And it's like, I told you guys it was going to be cool, but, but yeah, it's just funny how it's completely changed. And the perception of it has changed too from like people in LA or people in New York, like people are like, oh, Nashville is like so awesome. I'm like it is. And it always was, 3 (23m 21s): <inaudible> no right. I mean, this is where the best songwriters in the world are. 5 (23m 25s): Yeah. And it's just like the community. I mean, there's just so few places where for songwriters will get up on the same stage and, and play their songs. And it's like, feels like a family, you know, really get connected to those people and you're in rooms with them. And it's just, I hope that it continues to have like, just that really, really tight knit community feel that it has had, you know? 3 (23m 53s): Yeah. I, I hope, I, I mean, I guess we'll see, but I can't see that changing. I mean, I feel like the artists that live here and it's just such a different vibe than Southern California or LA and like, it's not, I feel like if, if you're a superstar and you live here, it's not, you're not getting the same. Like people bugging you and pictures. And like, I feel like people are more like, like leave them alone in a sense, like, I don't know. It's weird. 5 (24m 20s): It's not like the same, like media paparazzi vibe. 3 (24m 25s): Sure, sure. 5 (24m 26s): A little bit more like be cool. 3 (24m 29s): Right. Exactly. And that's what I like. I've noticed it just be cool. Like, you'll see, you know, big country stars and the target and no one's going up and bugging them and trying to like get photos and all that stuff. 5 (24m 40s): Yeah. I remember like one of the first, I don't know, it must have been like the first year or two that I was here. I was in the grocery store. It was like super bowl Sunday. And I was getting like chips and salsa and stuff like that. I was like checking out and Kelly Clarkson was in front of me and I was just like, oh my God, do not be weird. We're feel weird. Don't stare at her. But it was hard. 3 (25m 7s): Yeah. No for sure. But if that was LA, it'd be 40 people asking her to take pictures or, you know? Yeah. Here's my demo. I feel like it's not, as, that's not as it doesn't happen as much here. Yeah. Okay. So you get this, you score this TV placement, which is massive. And then from there, are you putting out, you know, more of your own music? I did see you, you used to tour with somebody like you did touring. 5 (25m 35s): Yeah. So I, yeah. So after that happened, I mean, that was very much like Jill's win. And I was so lucky to be a part of it. So I think my mind was just like, okay, like, well maybe I could have some placements like that with my music. And maybe, I mean, it was, it was my song that I co-wrote with her, but it was like her song. Right. And so I, I started writing a lot for that stuff. And other placements started coming in and had a couple of like really good years with all with film and TV. And then, yeah. So my, one of my best friends in town at the beginning of my time in Nashville was Carly Pearce, who was like a huge country star. 5 (26m 18s): Now 3 (26m 19s): It's crazy. 5 (26m 20s): And my husband works for her in tour, manages her. But yeah, she, she was working her tail off at the same time that, you know, we were all doing our thing and she got a record deal, which was no surprise to anyone at all. And she needed somebody to come out on her radio tour with her and she was like, Mike's coming, who's my now husband. Then Brendan. She was like, would you want to come? And I was like, I think, yes, I do. And so I was only supposed to go out for two weeks and then that ended up being like a year and a half. 3 (26m 60s): Wow. 5 (27m 1s): Yeah. It was amazing. Like we just got to do so much cool stuff and I'm, I'm so grateful for that because I think like having been in Nashville, you, you get a little bit, like you forget that people just love music. You know, you forget that, like people go to shows to like see artists that they love. And it's, it's not all just like industry, like songwriters watching songwriters all the time. Like, I feel like you can fall into here, big music city. So I think it just kind of like made me fall back in love with performing. And I'm so grateful that I got the chance to, to experience something on that level. 5 (27m 41s): And it was her first single and it was blowing up. And so to see like the song just like catching like wildfire across the country, like literally one day nobody would know the words the next day when people were starting to sing it, then it was like people were screaming it by the end. So it was really inspiring. Really cool. And yeah, I'm super, super grateful to her for giving me that opportunity, 3 (28m 4s): The cool thing to be a part of it. So. Awesome. 5 (28m 7s): So cool. 3 (28m 8s): Wow. And then do you get back and you're putting out your own songs again or constantly writing your own music? 5 (28m 14s): Yeah, I got back and I was like, okay. I, I had stepped away from the band just because I was like, there was just no other time. I couldn't, if I wanted to do my own stuff, there was no time for it. Like, and so I had to make a hard decision to step away from it. And so I did that and yeah. And then I got back that summer and I was kind of like, okay, what do I want to do now? Like, I want to put music out. How do I want it to sound? And over the years I had been like recording my own vocals and making like my own piano vocal demos. And I was kind of like, okay, like maybe I could try my hand at producing some stuff, you know, just like, let's try. 5 (29m 1s): And I ended up just like really enjoying having that control of my music. So I just, yeah, I put out in 2019, I think I put out like three or four songs that I had all produced and the whole thing. And I top of 2020, like had the CP that I wanted to record. And then of course, like the pandemic hit and it was like, okay, well, you know, I have all this music that I want to record, but my husband is a touring, musician lost his job. I it's. So, I mean, it's no secret that it's expensive to record music and put it out, do it the, that you want to do it producing was helping that, but it's still like, it's still expensive. 5 (29m 47s): And so I kind of had to press pause and I went full into a bunch of different film and TV projects. And then, you know, once things started getting better, was able to finally like finish the CP and now I can put it out. I put it out. So it's like, yeah, it's just kind of been, I feel like since COVID, it's been like a weird, like woo, as we all feel, but yeah, it's just, it's kind of been like, okay, I think I can do this again. You know, like get stuff out there and really chase my artists thing. Cause yeah, I definitely had to like step back from it for a minute, but yeah, just film and TV projects, stuff that I knew that like could help our financial situation with is being lost, you know? 3 (30m 36s): Yeah. I mean, yeah. And Nashville had the worst. I mean, not that anyone had to work as far as like COVID, but I mean, it was like there was a bomb and then there was like a tornado and like, and then it was go, it was like, what is happening? 5 (30m 48s): Yeah, it was, it was very weird. I mean, I remember like it, that night of the tornado, I had played a private event downtown and I like got into a cab at like 1130 maybe and went right past, like the east Nashville strip that got completely 30 minutes later. I mean, it was like stormy, but you had no idea that it was going to turn into something insane. And, and yeah, just like how horribly traumatic that was for the entire community. And so many people were affected by that string. Not just Nashville, but like, yeah. 5 (31m 30s): That, and then whoa, the whole world, the whole industry shuts down a week later. It's like, what is going on? It was definitely the strangest time. 3 (31m 42s): Yeah. So wild. 5 (31m 44s): It happened. 3 (31m 46s): Were you able to record the record in a city or like, I mean you have stuff there in front of you. Like, do you do any of the recording at your house? 5 (31m 53s): Yeah, I recorded all the vocals here. 3 (31m 56s): Wow. 5 (31m 58s): Yeah. I recorded honestly a lot here. And then there was a couple of tracks that I co-produced with a producer in town named Andrew Petroff. So we track some stuff at his studio and then some at will sales studio. He's a drummer amazing drummer in Nashville, but yeah, like nothing, there was no formal like studio day tracking day for this stuff. It was very like, we can try this here. We recorded drums back here. Like, yeah, we really just, I wanted to take control of it and do it in a way I, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it at home, especially I was working on it all through COVID I just wanted to be able to do as much as I could. 5 (32m 46s): You know? And yeah. So we did, I'd say 60% of it was tracked right here. 3 (32m 52s): That's amazing. Yeah. We'll congratulate. I mean the record's out. It's awesome. Are you doing, obviously, I don't know if you're going to be doing a tour to support it, but are you playing out in support of the, of the AP 5 (33m 3s): I've got some shows in June and playing musician's corner and plan one night at the five spot with Nicole bogs and the real they're amazing. And yeah, I think I am going to do like some, some listening rooms like in this region and, and just to try to get back out there and connect with real listeners and it's like my absolute favorite part, so definitely want to do that. 3 (33m 29s): Amazing. Well, I appreciate your time at least. Thank you so much for doing this. 5 (33m 33s): Of course. Yeah. No, it was awesome to talk to you. Thanks for taking the time. 3 (33m 36s): Of course. I have one more quick question. I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 5 (33m 43s): Oh, I feel like I'm always like, do you have any advice for me, artists advice? You know, I just think like if there's any way to just really be yourself and not ever compromise what you like to sound like or what you like to sing or the kind of songs you like to write. I think it's hard sometimes in the climate that we all live in to feel like we don't have to do something that somebody else is doing. We don't have to sound like everything else. You know, I think, try to find what's yours.