Interview with Gavin Haley

What's going on? 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 the opportunity to hang out with Gavin Haley over zoom video. Gavin grew up in Kentucky and he talks about how he got into music. He grew up in the church was involved in musical theater, but wasn't really a song writer didn't really take songwriting too seriously until later in life, he was a huge cyclist, actually professional cyclist for a majority of his life. When he got to San Francisco, his family moved to San Francisco bay area and he started writing songs with his sister at first and they put together a little demo tape, took it down to LA and we're trying to, you know, meet with managers and different people that way he would do that in between touring with his cycling team. 2 (3m 14s): When he ended up giving up cycling is when he moved to Los Angeles and started to pursue music. Full-time we hear about the success of his record long game, working with Travis Barker on Totty, his recent record bike rides alone, which he wrote and recorded with his roommate during quarantine wrote the whole record, just put it out to him and a guitar. He has a new album called I hate you. Don't leave me with the most recent single cliche. We hear all about the new record and how much different it was putting that together versus bike rides alone. You can watch our interview with Gavin 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 tick-tock at bringing back pod. 2 (4m 0s): And if you're listening to this on Spotify, apple music, Google podcasts, it would be awesome if you follow us there as well and hook us up with a five-star review. 3 (4m 9s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 2 (4m 15s): We're bringing it backwards with Gavin Haley. Hey, what's up, man? How are you? 4 (4m 20s): How are you? 2 (4m 21s): I'm great, dude. I live at you have your guitar. That's awesome. 4 (4m 24s): I didn't know if you know how it goes with zoom sometimes can get in and 2 (4m 29s): Yeah, we're just going to start writing a song together. You know that. 4 (4m 32s): Wow. I'm ready. Are you ready? Tell me about your life trauma. I'm ready. 2 (4m 38s): Oh man. Do you, how much time do you have? 4 (4m 41s): I got about like 45 minutes. 2 (4m 43s): Okay. Now I was just, but I meant about my life trauma. I was kidding, but that's good to know. 4 (4m 50s): I didn't know if you were going along with it. I was like, damn. He seems pretty serious. Okay. 2 (4m 56s): No, man. I appreciate you doing this. Thank you again so much. 4 (4m 59s): Yeah. Sorry. Sorry. I was in my last time. It was just a mix-up on schedule, so 2 (5m 4s): Oh no, no need to apologize. It's all good. It's all good. This podcast about you and your journey and music. And we'll talk about the new record you have coming out. And obviously the latest song that just came out as well. 4 (5m 16s): Awesome. I'm excited to be able to. 2 (5m 18s): Awesome. Awesome. So talk to me. Where were you born and raised? 4 (5m 21s): I was born in Michigan, but I was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. My dad works for general motors, so we moved around a lot going up. Yeah. So we were in motor city and so I was like two years old. My parents relocated to Louisville and I was like, I was about like 17. So 2 (5m 37s): Obviously most of your life in Louisville, 4 (5m 39s): Some people call it the Midwest. You're right there on the Ohio river. So people who don't really aren't familiar with Kentucky, we'll call it the south, but they got the south, the Southern hospitality there for sure. 2 (5m 49s): Nice. What was it like being, I mean, growing up there, was it a small town, big town? I mean, Louisville, I would imagine is pretty big. 4 (5m 56s): It was a pretty big town. My life was like very, I wouldn't say controlled, but my, I have four sisters and two brothers, my mom homeschooled, all of us, obviously. Wow. I'm the middle child. So it was like five of us really poor core growing up, like all super close. And then we would be heavy in the church man. Like I was pretty much weekends for me was Saturday, Sunday church. And then occasionally like a Wednesday co-op with church or like kids who would hang out with. But the main thing I do is like cycling. So Louisville was so beautiful, man, in terms of parks and this one park called Cherokee park and Iroquois park, I would ride my bike at all the time. 4 (6m 37s): Yeah. So that was really like me growing up. I spent most of my time in nature. I, I was talking to my friend the other day. I was like, man, like it took a long time for me to get the social aspect down when I moved out here. Cause I realized that growing up, I just spent so much time alone. Like, yeah. It's a great place to do that. 2 (6m 54s): How are you in LA now? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I usually from I'm from San Diego, but I moved to Nashville area, so 4 (7m 3s): Oh, sweet. 2 (7m 3s): I swapped with you. Yeah. Or south of Nashville. 4 (7m 7s): Okay. I love Nashville man. Cool town. 2 (7m 10s): Yeah. So that's 4 (7m 12s): There will like ask you a million questions. They'll drop you off where you're going and like ask who's inside the place and stuff. It's crazy. 2 (7m 21s): That's funny. Was it similar to in Louisville though? I mean 4 (7m 26s): Uber, 2 (7m 27s): Uber, but I mean like it's so close, right? I mean, we're not that far from Kentucky, 4 (7m 33s): You know, I think it is a little different, like yeah. I would say, I would say Nashville is definitely more of like, well I can't, I can't speak on it now, but the times I've been, it's like a lot more similar crowd. Like Louisville is pretty diverse, but there's a lot of different people that like come from there and get ended up being there. So 2 (7m 54s): Yeah. All right. Well, you said you grew up in church, weekends in church. Was that something you, were you in the church, you know, gospel band or, I mean like worship group or anything like that? 4 (8m 5s): I started singing in a choir like, so I went to the church. I went to it's called Southeast Christian. It was actually this fucking massive church dude, like this fit 10,000 people church. 2 (8m 16s): Wow. 4 (8m 16s): And then for a little bit, we went to a smaller one, but one of my best friends growing up, he had this youth group that I would go, it was like, it was just like, you know, I was like 14, it was a great way to meet girls type thing 2 (8m 28s): There. 4 (8m 30s): And we would go together on like Wednesday nights. I want to stay at Thursday nights and they offered like choir. And so I started doing that, just didn't even really think about it. I always loved music and I really fell in love with singing. I was like, I want to, I don't know if I was like 12, 13, it was like middle school. And that, that became like a pretty big passion. So then I became more serious about like when I was at church, like trying to get in touch with the musicians and hanging out with them. Yeah. And then I picked up guitar and it was always like, I knew I loved it, but it was on the back burner because athletics got pretty serious at the same time. Like when I was 16, 2 (9m 6s): What sports did you play? 4 (9m 7s): I was a cyclist. 2 (9m 8s): Yeah. You said that, but that what you did as a sport. 4 (9m 11s): Yeah. Since I was homeschooled, like we didn't really play ball in six sports. Right. So cycling, like it's an individual sport or you can have like a team that's a club, like, cause no schools really do it. And like, I got pretty good at it. Like when I was like 15 and then when I was 16, I got like really good. And I was competing all over the country and then I got picked up by the national team that took me over to Europe. Like when I was like 16 years old. 2 (9m 37s): Wow. Like tour de France type cycling or like, 4 (9m 42s): Yeah. So that's road cycling. And I did that until I was about 16, but then I, the one I specialize was called cyclocross. It's like a, make a road and mountain bike. If you could like, imagine that 2 (9m 52s): You're on like 4 (9m 53s): A road bike, but with knobby tires. But I do have done like the tour and stuff. So that's, 2 (9m 58s): That's crazy. I had a roommate in college that was way into cycling. And he went from, I live in San Diego, he went all the way down to the Mexican border. And then he went from the border all the way up to Canada. 4 (10m 12s): People do that, man. There's like an actual route that, yeah. Yeah. 2 (10m 17s): It's like, dude, I'm like, yeah. That's when like, he's like, okay like, well our lease was ending and he's like, all right, I'm just going to do this bike thing. And I'm like, oh my God, like, that's insane. He would ride like a hundred miles every week or every weekend. 4 (10m 28s): Yeah. It's like, 2 (10m 30s): It's insane where you some imagine you do similar rides like that. 4 (10m 35s): Yeah. Distance wise. Like that would definitely be, there's like two parts to the season. Like that's called base training. So before you're racing, you'll do, yeah. Weekends will be 80, a hundred miles. So you spend like five, six hours on the bike. And then when you're in the season, you're racing every weekend. So it's like, you build up this big base of like cardio and you really have your legs under you and you try and maintain it after that. So you won't do too many huge rods, but yeah. It's like the coaching with it is pretty like detailed, like yeah. Yeah. It's pretty wild, man. Like I said, like, so when I came out to LA I feel like, I mean, I was homeschooled. 4 (11m 15s): I wouldn't say I was socially awkward, but like sports. Like I definitely just had a different life growing up. It was so one track, like, this is what I'm going to do. And man, I didn't have a sip of alcohol until like I came out here. Like I really, I was so focused on what I wanted to do and that was a cycling and it kinda ended pretty abruptly. But yeah, man, it was, it was a great way to grow up. I, I don't really have any regrets really with, with any of the sports. Like it was such a cool way to see the world. And 2 (11m 45s): I mean, you were touring essentially doing that before you're touring as a musician. That's crazy. 4 (11m 50s): And like with touring with what's tough is like, I've done a few tours. You really don't get to see where you're going. Right? Like you get place, you play the show, go out. It's like already late, go to sleep. You wake up, you drive to the next place. Like recycling. It was cool because I'd be in play like one place for months at a time, like pretty much the entirety of the winter. So like, I'd be based with like a host family. And I, you mean you got to train out there so you get to know, I always say cycling is like the best speed to get to know somewhere because cars are too fast, walking too slow. But when you're on a bike, you really get to like see things and 2 (12m 23s): You get to really observe where you're at. 4 (12m 25s): Yeah. It was a great time, bro. Your skin is popping. Either. Got some type of light. You look at me. 2 (12m 32s): I appreciate that. I do have a light here and a little one up there, but thank you. I'm old too. That makes me feel good. I appreciate that. Well, so when you get to LA, well actually I'm curious to real quick. So you started singing and like play, you said playing guitar around this like 14 years old. 4 (12m 52s): A little later on, but yeah, I started saying like 14, I picked up a guitar, I'd say like 15, 16. Yeah. Like three chords type thing. Well doesn't really good at it. 2 (13m 2s): Right. But where are you playing to like, you know, accompany your voice or you're playing to write songs? Like how did it start 4 (13m 8s): To be completely transparent with you? I was like a diehard fan of Justin Bieber. I yeah, like most of the performances he was doing at a time, that was really when he was just taking off with like radio shows with just an acoustic guitar or like intimate acoustic shows. And I was like, damn, like every guy, my age hated the hell out of this kid. And I was like, this guy's amazing, man is both good. And I really like felt connected to his songs for some reason. And so I picked up a guitar cause I wanted to learn how to play those songs. I mean, I always, I always joke around like coming from the upbringing. I do, I really am not. Well-versed in the history of music. Like I get really insecure about this actually, because you know, I feel like when P when artists out here get asked, like what their idols are, they could name you like the entirety of the seventies and sixties. 4 (13m 56s): And like that I don't have that, you know, like, I'm really getting that now. But like growing up, I, I listened to the Christian radio station. Occasionally got to turn on the hits, you know? So that was like, like Coldplay, like all this stuff that was hot when I was growing up is what I was listening to. So yeah. I really just grew up trying to learn how to play those songs and yeah. That's how it started. 2 (14m 17s): Yeah. But when did you, so that's cool though. I mean, that's, that's awesome that you were like, yeah, everyone hated on just some beaver, but I'm like that guy, people were obviously resonating with what he was doing. He was like the biggest thing he still is. I mean, like the biggest thing on the planet 4 (14m 34s): Fiber, if I ever meet the dude, I'm going to tell him there was like, actually like the first talent show I ever did. I'm pretty sure I played one time or a song, one less lonely girl. I definitely played. 2 (14m 44s): Did you really, when did you do that? You did a talent show though. Even when your homeschool. 4 (14m 49s): Yeah. So we found one, like that was part just like the city. It was like actually tied to like this country club type thing. I was getting creative with it. Cause I knew I wanted to do it, but I didn't know. I was Uber confident growing up. Like when I look back and look at videos, I'm like, oh my God, what was I doing, dude? But we found ways to get some performances in. And like I started playing a couple of weddings, stuff like that. It was like never shows, but just places I could hop onto a stage. 2 (15m 18s): When did you get like some validation that you're pretty good at it? Like it was your family supportive or like your brothers and sisters were like, oh, you're really good at this. Or were they like, oh man, like making fun of you. I mean, I don't know. 4 (15m 30s): My oldest sisters were really supportive. My older brother. He was just wanted me to shut the hell up. We share the same, share the same room. And like you, you know how it is when you catch like that, like the fever for something new, which you see, you want to do it all the time. Right. When I, like, I fell in love with music, it was like, it was kind of my therapy for athletics. You know, it was like my office time. I'm just playing music. I was like, I would say 16, 17. I started getting a bit older. I was spending more time in Europe at that time. My parents located in Northern California. So like my off time would be there and I met some new friends and my older sister was like, she's the one who kind of really got me into music outside of the church. 4 (16m 13s): Cause she, she, she was actually in like the worship team and she played keys and she sang and we wrote my first song together. And she's like, you know, this isn't half bad. Like you really are passionate about this. Like you take the same, try from athletics. We can make it. And it was just at the time that my parents had located to Northern California and before like being in Louisville, the reason I did athletics, it's like when I was growing up there, it's weird. This is going to be kind of a long answer, but 2 (16m 42s): Sorry. I know this is what I love. I want to hear the long answer. I don't need the, I need the cliff notes. I want the whole thing. 0 (16m 49s): Bet. MGM is pitching baseball fans, a chance to swing for the fences register using code capital 200 and win $200 in free bets. When you place a $10 Moneyline wager on any major league baseball game and either team hits a home run regardless of your bet's outcome, enjoy baseball like never before with bed MGMs daily promotions at your fingertips all season long, sign up today and find out why nothing beats a win at the king of sports books. Major league baseball, trademarks used with permission. Visit bet mgm.com for terms and conditions must be 21 years of age or older. The wager Washington DC, only new customer offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements rewards issued as non withdrawal, free bets or site credit free bets expire seven days from issuance, please gamble responsibly gambling problem. 0 (17m 39s): Call 1 805 2 2 4700. There's never been a better time to find out why bet. MGM is the king of sports books. Download the bet MGM app and place $10 Moneyline wager on any NBA playoff game. If either team hits a three-pointer in the game, you'll win $200 in free bets. 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When you place a $10 Moneyline wager on any major league baseball game, and either team hits a home run regardless of your bets outcome, enjoy baseball like never before with bed MGMs daily promotions at your fingertips all season long, download the app or go to bed. 0 (19m 2s): mgm.com and use code champion 200 to win $200 when you bet 10 bucks on an MLB game, and either team hits a home run, sign up today and find out why nothing beats a win at the king of sports books, major league baseball, trademarks used with permission. Visit bed mgm.com for terms and conditions must be 21 years of age or older. The wager Virginia only new customer offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements rewards issued as non withdrawal free bats are site credit, free bets expire seven days from issuance, please gamble responsibly gambling problem. Call 1 8 8 8 5 3 2 3500. 4 (19m 38s): When I, when I grew up in Louisville, I felt kind of trapped there. You know, it was like people I grew up grew up with. I mean, I'm 25. Now they're already married and have children, you know, but that was like kinda, you grew up there, you go to school, you get a good job. You get married, you have kids. And to me that was like a really scary feeling. The idea of just living your whole life, where you come from. And so with music, I didn't ever think that it was a possibility to like get out to the west coast and make that a thing for myself with athletics. I, it, it was like what I did from the beginning. So I knew like I knew people had done it. And so for me, that was my way out. But when my parents went to Northern California, I was like, oh, there's six hours from the capital of like this industry and my sister and I took a few trips down there. 4 (20m 21s): We burned some CDs. We sent out like physical submissions to like every agency, like every like management company we could find. And I'm so embarrassed. Like I've probably said the stupidest shit. Like that's rad though. We got like three or four responses and we went in and we had these meetings and like ended up, started working with this company. I even have one from like a bigger agency, like CAA, like sent my shit back and they're like, thanks for the consideration. Looking back on it. Now it's hilarious. But I just started taking it more seriously. Then like my friends were like, yeah, we'll do it. I started doing covers and kind of having like a local support group in something ended up happening with my cycling career. 4 (21m 7s): I don't talk about it too much. I just wasn't able to do the training I needed to do. Like my health was kind of and a really sensitive place. And I, I just went for a man when I was 19, I found a room to rent in LA and it was like, I'm not going to go to college just because you're supposed to go to college. I feel like you got to have a plan, whatever you do. And that wasn't the route for me. So I just came here and that's 2 (21m 28s): Oh my gosh. Well not to pry at the cycling story, but I'm curious when you were writing songs with your sisters, submitting them to agencies, but were you also at the same time, were you still cycling? 4 (21m 40s): Yeah, it was tough, man. Like I hate living with regrets and that is one of my regrets. Like anything I do, I want to do it a hundred percent. And like my last year as a cyclist was my official first year as a professional. I assigned pro at 18, just like literally on my 18th birthday. I want to say like a month before that. And I knew in my head that I wanted to do music, you know? And, and athletics is something like, you have to like, not physically, but you like have to want to kill people. Like when you start, like you have to, you want to, you have to know you're the shit you have to like, that has to be your main focus. 4 (22m 20s): Like Muhammad Ali was my idol growing up in like, that's really the mentality you have to have because you have hundreds of people doing the same training as you, if you want to separate yourself, it's like, how much can you devote yourself to the craft? And, and the back of my mind, it was like, I'm going to see this year out. I'm going to try and have a good year. And then I'm going to do music. And at the same time I got pretty sick. Like my immune system was just not able to handle the amount of training I was doing, which was like 25 to 30 hours of riding a week. And then other stuff was just shutting down. It was a really shitty time, man. And I was hurt all year. Finn, didn't finish a lot of races and just was able to have like one decent race at the national championship. 4 (23m 4s): Didn't make the world selection to go race and represent the states for that. So that was depressing and it was kind of all this perfect storm to just make a transition into music. 2 (23m 15s): We're glad you did, dude. I mean, you're doing the songs you write are insanely good. I mean, it's so talented. I can't imagine. I mean, how good you are at music. I mean, does the fact that you were that great at, at cycling and as well? It's like, I mean, that's just so crazy. I mean, but it makes sense. Obviously you put a lot of effort and time into what you do. So once the cycling thing kind of ended, do you moved to LA right after that? Or were you still working with your sister at all? Or, and are you still like riding with her at all? 4 (23m 44s): Yeah, so we, we jam out together. She's, she's like one of my best friends. I'm really, my siblings are honestly all my best friends. I'm so lucky to have like my blood family be very close and supportive, very thankful for that. So 2016, I like announced that I was quitting or whatever you want to call it retiring. I don't think he can retire at 19. That's not much of a career. 2 (24m 9s): Well, you make it to the pro level. You can, you know, 4 (24m 13s): You know, it was kind of the shock, like my coach and everyone who'd been in my corner for awhile. And that was like March. And I think by July I moved, I moved here. So it was, I didn't know anybody here besides like the one manager at the time I was kind of talking with and I just started playing like a lot of open mics in any house so I could get to, I just was playing. So yeah, I, I still stay in touch with my sister and stuff. We still jam, but she's on her own journey right now and stuff. And, yeah. 2 (24m 43s): Awesome. So you obviously you're writing songs with your sister and then you just continued writing as you were doing cycling. It was kind of not as intense. I would imagine that 4 (24m 53s): I dove into it. Like it was more of a, I didn't really write, I wrote my first song with her, but I didn't really write my own song for myself until I moved here. It was a song called fades away that I put out. I don't even think it's on major streaming platforms. It's on YouTube and stuff's on SoundCloud and stuff like that. And I that's really when I dove in, but during like when I was in Europe and stuff, it wasn't full songs. As much as I was just journaling a lot. I had like a blog for myself that I would write like a story recaps. I've always loved telling stories and I'm really passionate about. And so it kind of just transferred over. Like, that's something I, when I moved here, I just dove completely in any and all studios I could get to and be a part of, like, I was just there. 4 (25m 37s): That was like the first two years. It didn't matter what time it was. I had like a day job too. But if you, I had to be up at six, if someone invited me to a studio at 2:00 AM, like, I'll be there. Yeah. I just immersed myself around people who are really good at this. And I've been doing it for a long time and kind of rubbed off, you know, 2 (25m 55s): That must've been hard though. I mean, like you said, you were homeschooled and now you're going to like one of the biggest cities in the whole country and you got to, how do you even begin to meet people? Are you just trying to go out to any club bar venue that you can to try to put network? 4 (26m 14s): I was, I was like 19 at the time site. I, I don't even remember if I had a fake. I'm pretty sure my, yeah, I think I might've. I, it was like, I got really, it was one of those things where I'm not really a religious person anymore, but I just felt guided. Like I got so lucky in certain situations, just meeting people and like, I'd be at a coffee shop and just started talking to somebody and they'd invite me to a show and like that same venue that I went and watched a show two years later, it would be the reason I got like a record deal, you know? Like it's like crazy how I think if you just imagine that things are gonna work out for you and your treat people, right. Things happen, you know, I will say though, it was pretty awkward. 4 (26m 56s): Like it's just a different world out here, man. Like I have conversations with my friends about this all the time. Like people are really closed off to genuine kindness sometimes out here. Like it's, it's, it's a very interesting, 2 (27m 13s): Yeah. How can do that? Yeah. From Southern California. I know what you're saying. Like, I mean, look, it's kinda more like, what can you do for me? 4 (27m 20s): Exactly. So I came out here with like, how are you doing like opening doors for people? And people are like, what the fuck do you want from me, bro? And so that really made me kind of the first two years out here with some of the worst years I've ever had in terms of mental health, just because I was like so confused and I felt pressure to be somebody I wasn't too, you know, like I was kinda said earlier to you, how people have really been doing this since they're like four and five years old. That's that's like really intimidating, you know, knowing that I'm just a newbie out here who wants to sing when people hear, oh, you like, you're that acoustic guy. Like, there's so many of those people, you know, I didn't really, I just, yeah, I didn't have the accolades. 4 (28m 2s): I didn't have any of the history or the time and work people that put into this. And I think that that was, I really suffered with identity for a couple years being out here. Cause you really find identity in what you do. I was an athlete, you know? And when I, when that was gone, it's like, oh, who am I besides a guy who likes music? You know? And I've kind of come to terms with that too. I think that's a special thing, you know, regardless of all the history of who you like to listen to, who you grew up, listening to, what you know about jazz, like whatever your music knowledge is, like, all it, it really is at the end of that is somebody who can hear something and feel moved by it. 4 (28m 44s): And that's really what I came to terms with for myself. It's like, like I might not be the best at this or the best at that, but I can hear something and I can make something that makes people feel. And like, I think that was the turning point of when things started to work out for me here was like, everybody's so worried about how they're perceived here. And like I stopped caring about that. I'm like, I've probably really turned a lot of people off the wrong way just by being myself, but that's always going to happen and you can't worry about that, you know? But I think that there's a lot of really good people in this city at the end of the day and it's just have good intentions. People will come around. 2 (29m 22s): Wow. Well, what would you say like the first kind of success moment for you was, I mean, you talked about meeting someone and then you ended up signing a record deal. But like between all of that, like obviously at what moment do you, okay, this I'm just going to be me and then I'm going to do you do this thing? And then it works like what, what was the, 4 (29m 42s): I put out the song called fades away, which is the first song, average jobs. And it was at the time on like Spotify and stuff. It's not on there anymore. And it, it just kind of, this was before like Tik TOK and stuff. So it's really interesting to see how that stuff changed, but I'd never had a song out. And within like 10 days it had like a hundred thousand plays and I was like, what the fuck? Like, 2 (30m 5s): Whoa, 4 (30m 6s): Like this is crazy. Like a week later ends up on like viral 50 lists in America, like viral then like Australia. And it was just like looking back at it now. Like I, I believe that when you're supposed to do something, you will have like an instant moment or like not an instant, just like enough to keep you going. You know, it was just really confirmation for me like, oh, I'm supposed to be doing this. And that started some conversations with people my next like 10 songs, completely flopped. But like, it was just enough to make me keep 2 (30m 38s): Got the one that, yeah, the one that kicks off, it's like, okay, this is something like, obviously I can, I can do this right for the next five, 10 flop. If you did it once you could obviously re redo that you could do it again. 4 (30m 51s): Yeah. So that happened and kind of just had some conversations and started playing a lot of house shows, especially in Venice. And yeah, literally two years after I moved to, I think to the date I signed with red bull records and they've been my family since man, they've been so taking such great care in their amazing over there. And just trying to the last two years feels like a blur, you know, that's crazy. 2 (31m 17s): How did you meet red bull and like where it was that something that happened where they saw you play or heard your record? Or like when did that, how did that conversation begin? 4 (31m 26s): Yeah. Manager. I had, at the time we had me in some sessions with this guy called August await. Who's my brother, amazing friend. One of the most talented writers I know ever. He kind of took me under his wing and we started doing songs together and we sent some of those songs in and the conversation began. They came out and watched me play and yeah, that's kinda how that went. And it took a while and it was all locked in and yeah, they they've been great and they support the vision, like whatever I want to do, they get behind it. So I'm really blessed that centrally 2 (31m 59s): That's amazing. And you put out long, long game was like your first record, like full record. Right? 6 (32m 5s): Mommy is cheating me to breakfast. 7 (32m 7s): Yup. Let me see your phone. Huh? Look here. I download this McDonald's app because when you buy any bagel sandwich, like the steak, egg, and cheese bagel, you get one free. 6 (32m 17s): Wait, you just bought that on my phone. That's 7 (32m 19s): Right. I'll let you got McDonald's money. You could treat mama. 6 (32m 23s): Okay. Ma you got it 8 (32m 25s): Valid for product of equal or lesser value. Rather be 10, 10 20 to participate in McDonald's ballad. One time per day app download registration required. 10 (32m 36s): Hey son, how are you feeling? 11 (32m 40s): I find pops 10 (32m 41s): What's on your mind. 12 (32m 42s): I just, 11 (32m 44s): I can't explain it. 12 (32m 49s): I started to wonder if who you talk to 15 (32m 54s): When your kid can't find the language up and find the lyrics. Listen to the sounded out album and get tips and tools to start a conversation. It sounded out together. Dog brought to you by ad council and Padilla ventures. 16 (33m 8s): Goodbye bench, press audio, squat rack fairly well kettlebell 14 (33m 13s): A Kaelin Nita spot. 16 (33m 14s): No Jake from state farm. I'm just saying goodbye to my pricing gym membership. 14 (33m 19s): Don't give up what you love. State farm has options like insuring your home and ride with great rates on both. 16 (33m 25s): Nice. Hey, can I buy you a protein shake or a granola bar? 14 (33m 29s): Surprisingly great rates like a good neighbor state farm. Is there color go to state farm.com for a quote today? 2 (33m 36s): Yeah. Full yeah, fully P and we put that on 2019. It does amazing. Like, tell me about putting that, putting that out in, you know, kind of the, the success and the buzz of it and what, what did that lead to? 4 (33m 49s): So it's really weird. I mean, that came out in fall of 2019. It was on tour with Ash. Like really? That was the first time where I was like, I of experienced a moment of like jadedness. Like I was like, oh God, a little bit success. Like the demons start coming out of me. And you know, like you start like feeling yourself a little bit. And it was really humbling, man, because the success of that was kind of to be completely honest, like put on the back burner because we went into a pandemic three months later, 2 (34m 16s): Right. Where I was going to ask you to see how you had 4 (34m 20s): Had this project come out. That was streaming incredible. And I didn't really get the chance to capitalize that on the tour. I excited. And it was really when I look at it now from a roof place, it really what I needed as a person, because 2020, I like learned so much about myself. I traveled a lot. Like I know people weren't really traveling, but I, I I've found safe ways to get places I wanted to go to. And I spent a lot of time out of California, went back to Kentucky for like four months. I just was like reconnecting with like, I had a really successful project in terms of like what I, like, I put stuff out. 4 (35m 0s): But up to that point, that was definitely the most successful thing that had happened. And I was really tired though. I, I feel like I didn't have any substance. And I tell people this all the time. I'm like, when you're in the studio every day, you're not writing about new experiences. You can only, you know, write about so much and then, you know, need to go experience and things. And it was a really great year, but at the same time, you know, I feel like that's still what people know me by as 2022. And I want my next shit to be bigger than that, but you just never know how it's going to work. And that was, that was, yeah. I was like another moment. Like I just set up my first song now the rest, like after that flopped, then I put that out. It's gone. Well, I feel like it's just, it's like energy to keep going. 4 (35m 43s): It's like, you can do this. It's just another, another, yeah. Another reason to keep going. Yeah. Yeah. 2 (35m 51s): I mean, that, must've been pretty devastating though, right? I mean, you're you put out this record just really well, you're touring it, but not really getting the full opportunity to do it. Cause this pandemic hits and then it's like the weight of the world or like basically the industry everyone's like, what's happening. What's going to happen here. Like at that point, are you just like, okay, I'm not even gonna listen to the noise. I'm just gonna try to move forward. Like how do you even pick up and move forward? 4 (36m 19s): I mean, I could have done a lot better in 2020 and you know, regardless of that, same thing happened, everybody, you know, they're not like unique in the position that I was put in. You know, they're artists that started the pandemic with no fans that are now massive because of like social media platforms. And I think that's really, the main thing is just learning how to this whole thing made people realize you don't really need to go places. You just need to be creative. And I've spent, I could have spent 2020 becoming a wizard, Tik TOK, but I chose to travel and reconnect with myself. I think in the long run, I have more to say because of that, I wouldn't say I'm devastated just because like it's situational. 4 (37m 2s): I didn't really do this to myself. Do you know? Right. Right. Of 2 (37m 5s): Course 4 (37m 5s): It happened. And all we can do is try and find the positives with it. Of course, if I could go back in time and not have the pandemic haven't yet. Hell yeah. 2 (37m 14s): Sure, sure. But I mean, you put another rad record out in 2020 from all that. Right. 4 (37m 19s): I love that music man. Like I fricking, and mainly the one I put on 2021 was like my baby. Like I wrote all the songs in my bedroom and traveling and 2 (37m 31s): My grads alone. 4 (37m 32s): Yeah. Bike rides alone, like in the streaming world. But to me, like, that's what I'm most proud of. And it's just funny, like how, like I've realized during this whole time you can make something in five minutes that could change your life and you could spend months on something that just could do nothing. And that's, that's really the big difference between I feel the art space and the athletic world. It's like, you have no measure to what I talk about it all the time. You have no measure to what is good, you know? Right. Because something is received on a bigger scale. Does that make it better? I don't know. Some of my favorite songs aren't discovered at all, you know, but that's been the personal journey with artists. 4 (38m 14s): Like just keep it about the music. It's so easy to, to get lost in like the numbers, because that's ultimately what companies care about, you know, really like that's, that's how you get your budgets for the next shit. And that's how like, if, as a business, that's how you keep things moving. But I think if you make music with the intention of that, oftentimes like often more than not, it's not going to do well. You know, it's like, I tell people all the time, you're not a star because you look the best because you play the best because you have the most beautiful outfit. You're a star. If you could stay here and keep it about the music and like that's, that's the most important thing to me. 4 (38m 58s): And I'm really proud of myself that I can like be in this place right now. So 2 (39m 3s): I love that. Yeah. I mean, not that your record didn't do good. I mean, bike rides alone, still stream pretty well. Look at it. I mean, but like, yeah, it's all subjective, right? I mean, my favorite songs from records or off of albums, certain albums are nine out of 10, never the, the single or the hit or whatever, which is so interesting because it's just, everyone has their own opinion, but you know, the masses or the, the, the corporation, whoever put the most money behind a whatever song, then that becomes kind of the, the most known and recognize one, if you weren't a fan of an artist, you only knew them by what X song or whatever. 4 (39m 45s): Yeah. I think that's even more acute today. Like I, and it's not a bad thing. It's just the competitive side of me is like, how do I figure this out? Like what, what, like, what do you got to do? But I find like, I just know, cause I have a 17 year old brother and a 12 year old sister, like people who go to shows, those are like fans peak. Those are active listeners. Those are the people that are going to find that deep cut on the album. That's us their favorite song. But there's not a lot of active listeners in 2022. Cause there's like a popping every week. You know, you don't really have active listeners. You have, I mean, I, I remember showing my brother and the artists and I won't say names and like 2000, he's a basketball player. Keep in mind. He's not really much of an artist. I love the hell out of him, but he's a, he's a bebop player. 2 (40m 26s): Okay. Your brother, my Lord is just kidding. 4 (40m 33s): Yeah. I showed him an artist and like 2017, 2018, I want to say. And he's like, nah, it's just trash. And then the artists ended up becoming very successful in like 2020. And he, I remember he came in the room day, he's playing the song. He's like, this shit is so hot. And I'm like, really? 2 (40m 48s): They're like, huh? 4 (40m 50s): It's like, people listen to, you know, you, why are Crocs huge again in 2022? Like, you know, 2 (40m 56s): It blows my mind. Yeah. 4 (40m 58s): Like people, people consume things when they see other people consuming things. And so it's really, it's a, I feel like that's becoming more acute in the world. It's really interesting. Yeah. 2 (41m 9s): It really is. I mean, cause you can have an artist that streams insane on Spotify or whatever, and that doesn't necessarily mean their stuff's going to translate into like hard ticket sales. That's somebody. Yeah. Right. Or somebody that's doing awesome on Tik TOK could have X million followers and then they put a song out and they try to push it on their Tik TOK. And then you go to their streaming service platform and it has like 10,000 plays. You're like, how do you have 8 million people that are, you know, following you? And then like, it doesn't track it. Doesn't spill over to the other platform or whatever. 4 (41m 44s): So nobody knows anything. They just do it. And then nobody knows anything, man. Like literally it's just like trial and error. It's hilarious. I, I put a video of a piece of plastic on my Ted talk the other day. Literally there's like this stream of water and I put plastic into and it made this weird noise and I got like 4 million views. I like my music up there on there for months and get like a couple hundred views. Like nobody knows, dude. It's just all that. That's what I'm saying. All that matters to me is the music. Like I, I'm not going to become a dinosaur. I'm going to do every, I'm going to do everything. Make sure I'm out there. But you, you got to keep it about your art. Cause I think at the end of the day, even if you fail, you know, like you'll at least be content knowing that you failed your way. 2 (42m 31s): And I love that. 4 (42m 32s): Like I, more and more like trying to be inspired by people that have that mindset. I mean, Kanye gets so much hate, but I eat watching his documentary made me really inspired. Cause it's like, oh, this person just bet on themselves every step of the way. And regardless of that, that becomes a toxic thing. Like you know that you decide your own destiny in a way that's something that nobody can take from me. 2 (42m 57s): Yeah. He, he gets all this hate yet. He's like still, you know, household name, one of the biggest artists ever like headlines, he could headline any festival or you know, it's just, it's it. That's what blows my mind. You know? It's like all these people quote, unquote know like him yet you go to his like whatever page and he's has X billion people paying attention to him at any given moment. 4 (43m 18s): I didn't know all this music on be honest. Like obviously I know, I know some hits, but because of this documentary I really dug in, I was just like, wow. My face. He keeps it about the vocals. Oh 2 (43m 31s): Yeah. 4 (43m 33s): Unbelievable. Yeah. That's, there's so many, so many artists I've yet to like really dive into like you just, you know, hits and stuff, but then you go in and you're like, whoa, like crazy. 2 (43m 46s): No, I know. What is it? Graduation is one of those early ones that one's such a great record. Like it doesn't get it. 4 (43m 53s): College dropout, 2 (43m 55s): College dropout. Maybe that's what I'm thinking. Or is it graduation? Or 4 (43m 59s): I think, I think he won a Grammy for that too. I mean, don't quote me, but 2 (44m 3s): Yeah. I want to say, and then I'm going to get all this hate, like, oh, how'd you not know all these Connie records. Okay. Well 4 (44m 10s): I'll never like act like my little dude. 10 (44m 14s): Hey son, how are you feeling? 11 (44m 17s): I find pops 10 (44m 18s): What's on your mind. 12 (44m 20s): I just, 11 (44m 21s): I can't explain it. 12 (44m 26s): I was waiting, starting to remember who you talked to 15 (44m 32s): When your kid can't find the language, help them find the lyrics. Listen to the sounded out album and get tips and tools to start a conversation at sounded out together. Dot org brought to you by ad council and Padilla ledgers. 17 (44m 43s): Hurry into mattress firm for a limited time, save up to $500. 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Get round the clock protection, something, you know, for the things you don't know, coverage for progressive casualty insurance company affiliates in third party insurance and subject to policy terms, special discount available in all states or situations. 4 (45m 44s): When you ask somebody, if they know an artist and they say, yeah, and then like they don't, that's like the most awkward thing. So I would just tell you, I don't know all the shit 2 (45m 52s): That's fun. Yeah. Or if somebody is wearing a band t-shirt and then they ask what songs they wish. Oh, I don't 4 (45m 59s): Know. It's all this urban Outfitters. 2 (46m 4s): Oh man. That's funny. Well, tell me about that. I'm curious just about Tati and then I want to move on to your new music. That's you know, Travis Barker, what? Remixes it. Yeah. Are you a big blink fan or like, and tell me how that even started. 4 (46m 18s): That's something I know, like they, it's not huge blink fan, but I mean, I was obviously like, that came about later on, like after I'd been here for a while. So it was like cool for me, my team had like mutual people at their camp and he really liked the song and we, we worked on it. He sent me a version. We had a couple of phone calls, just getting it straightened out. And it was a really great collaboration. He's also like he's like invested at this restaurant that I really love called crossroads. It's like this week. But at the time it was like, I still am really about health. Like that's like one of my biggest, what's the word? 4 (46m 59s): Not 2 (46m 59s): Passionate, not passionate. I know you're talking about. Yeah. 4 (47m 2s): Yeah. I love it. So it was just, yeah, it was really a cool collaboration and I love that song. So he gave it a whole different life. I didn't that I didn't expect that it could sound like that. So 2 (47m 12s): Yeah. Cause the song was out. Right. And then he, what did he notice it? Or it was like, how did they, I mean, he must've noticed it, right? 4 (47m 19s): Yeah. Like in the, we did it with Scott called young Penn and she put a sick verse on and then yeah, like my team met mutual people at a scene. We sent the song in and it happened. So that's 2 (47m 29s): Crazy. I 4 (47m 30s): Mean like a very interesting video for it. That was like prime. COVID like, 2 (47m 34s): Oh really? 4 (47m 36s): Like everyone in that house. So I was back in Kentucky and they're like, Hey, we can't do a video, but like, could you send a bunch of clips of yourself? Like I was like, okay. It's like, they're like this pretty fun video. It was cool. 2 (47m 50s): That's awesome. Well, I want to hear about your new record. You have an album, right? The whole album coming out. 4 (47m 55s): Yeah, my first full length project, man. It's crazy 2 (47m 58s): Exciting, man. And you put out so much music. I mean you put a record out in 1920 and 21 and now you're a whole project. 4 (48m 5s): Try not to. I feel like I can't, if I, I see artists like not put music out for two or three years and I'm like, I would die. Like I'm sure I'll do that eventually, but I just have a lot to say or like 2 (48m 17s): A lot of people will hold like that whole record and release it. Like sprinkle it out over the course of the next year. You put out like one single from the record. And it was like, okay, we're going to do the whole thing. 4 (48m 26s): Yeah, that was, yeah. Like the label was they let me have that one. Like, you know, with the album, that's something like a really collaborative thing where with producers and making everyone feel involved, like I really, before I made this album, I had sessions with different producers from month straight to months straight, like just literally every day, a different producer. And that was the start to the album for this like cycle. But with bike rides alone, I was just in my bedroom. I just made all those songs. 2 (48m 57s): That was really, 4 (48m 58s): Yeah. It was something where I was like, I don't want this to be like a single, single, single, single, like I want people to receive this as I made it. And yeah, it was more that, that, that project is they're all from me. But like that one was really for me, you know, like you've 2 (49m 13s): Recorded that all yourself then. 4 (49m 14s): Yeah. With my, with my roommate, Andy Smith. So 2 (49m 17s): No way. 4 (49m 18s): Yeah. 2 (49m 20s): Wow. 4 (49m 21s): Yeah. So with this process, it was different. I, this album took like seven, eight months being in nine, 10 months of recording, like literally took the entirety of last year making this album, which was the first time I've done that, you know, and just really focused on like certain amount of songs. And it's been, this process has been so beautiful. Like you have two singles out already. Like I can't wait to hear the rest of it because I feel like I was able to like mix the world of writing with like this just different like Sonica world though. I don't even know if that's a word song code word. I was homeschooled. So like just like putting it in public school. 4 (50m 3s): Yeah. 2 (50m 5s): Well, my son is homeschooled, so 4 (50m 8s): It's popping now, man. 2 (50m 10s): It is different nowadays, huh? 4 (50m 12s): Yeah. It's the, I think it's the, I mean, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna say any comment, anything on like the educational world, but I think like if, if you have a vision and like my mom meant she was the truth, bro. Like she knew what she wanted to do and props to her. Like I went to real school for year. They sent me to this private school and it wasn't my thing, man. Like I, to be honest, the homework she gave me was harder than the homework I got there. And like, I, it was cool because we had field trips all the time. We would just go places and learn things like in person. And I loved it. 2 (50m 43s): That's so cool, man. That's so cool. That's was a big selling point too for my son, but I mean, it was like, I guess with not to get all political or whatever, like, I mean COVID stopped everything right for school. And then it was like zooming and all this. And then it was like, well he's already home anyway. Like let's, you know, anyway, I think it just became more of like a thing. I think for a lot of people it's like, well, if you're home and you're already doing all the work, like, you know, stay home, here we go. 4 (51m 8s): Everything got its pros and cons for sure. My level of education in terms of, I mean like learning and digesting things was like really hard. Cause I we've used a lot of the things we learned, but also out of like to have like the, the regular education in terms of my parents didn't choose what I learned, you know? Or like that social thing definitely really matters. Just having a group of friends. And that's what we're here to talk about today. 2 (51m 34s): Yeah. So I hate you don't leave me the new record. So w like with a bike rides alone, those were songs that you had just written, you're just wrote recorded with your roommate and then just put it out as a record. And then with this, did you start from scratch or did you have songs that you were working on around that same time period that you're like, eh, I'm not gonna put this on bike rides alone. Is this something maybe I'll save or 4 (52m 0s): I have one that made it on like that, but the rest are from scratch for sure. I mean, I have hundreds of songs that I'm like, wonder if these will ever see the light of day, but with this one, it's like, I really believe in things feeling fresh. You know, I know it's fresh to the audience when you have a song that's two years old and no one's heard it. It's still fresh to the audience. But I think it's really important to keep that, that same when you're excited about something and you put it out and you're still excited about it, that matters. Yeah. So we, we started the same from scratch and we had this writer called Nick Bailey that I really had wanted to work with for a long time. He was actually flying in from Nashville to come work with me. And I was going through a lot personally at that time in my relationship. 4 (52m 45s): And I was just so nice to like have therapy in these sessions with these guys and then just make the song like it really, the concept of the whole thing really came together so easily. It felt effortless. I mean, it never feels effortless when you're being as vulnerable as you can in the room. But in terms of how it happened, like, it was like a conversation like this. We would have a song and yeah, it was, and it was my entire year. Last year, that year just flew by because of it. But 2 (53m 18s): I imagined that being hard to like, be vulnerable like that in a room with people that you've never met. And if it's someone that has like credits to their name and they're flying out here and they're like, all right, we're going to Gavin. You ready to write a song? Tell me your, you know, you know, whatever. I was like, what you said in the beginning. I can't even remember what you said, but you're like, okay, let's when I was joking. I said, yeah, tell your drama or whatever. Like, yeah. Like, is that hard? That must be so hard to do. Just something you learn. 4 (53m 47s): I mean, that's definitely why you have sessions with other people. And like, you know, you have to make sure you can catch a vibe. Cause it's really difficult to ride. I to just be open with somebody you've never know, but it's the, it's a muscle also, you know, you get used to doing that out here. Something I'd like to do before sessions is like, you pull up, there's a coffee shop nearby and just take a walk to it, you know, really try and just have oftentimes the best songs do come from conversations. Luckily with Nick, him and I had FaceTime several times before we'd come out here. I knew that he was just a person on like a similar wavelength that I would love to spend time with just in general. I mean, he's the oldest dude, bro. There's this restaurant down the street from the studio called tekiah, which is like this Mexican spot. And we both loved it. 4 (54m 27s): And so we would eat lunch there like every day. And he's just the coolest guy, bro. And then the producer, Scarlet moms like him and I had the session together initially and we caught a major vibe. So both of these people I hang out with outside of music. And so it made that much easier for sure. 2 (54m 44s): That's awesome. Yeah. That's awesome. And the record's coming out a lens that July. Okay. 4 (54m 51s): July 15th. 2 (54m 53s): Okay. And you just did a tour didn't you just get back from tour? 4 (54m 56s): Yeah, it was opening for tape for like the west coast states. Sorry I say take that. 2 (55m 3s): No, no, no. And what was that? How was that? Was that your first tour back from pre I mean from COVID obviously. 4 (55m 10s): Yeah. I'm a beautiful man. It definitely revamped my, my love for it. Like with sports, you get every race every weekend, you know, you constantly get to feel that far with this. This is why I do it for the like alive moments, man, when it's like for 30 minutes, I just forget all the stress of the world. And you're just on dishonest stage and you close your eyes and you sing and you feel connected with everybody in that room. It's something you can't recreate. You know, it made me very excited. So 2 (55m 41s): Yeah. I love it. I love it. And I can't wait to get the whole record and I love, love, love what you're doing, man. And I appreciate you taking time to hang out with me today. This has been great 4 (55m 52s): So much. 2 (55m 53s): I have one more quick question, even though you've kind of already answered it about six times throughout the interview, if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 4 (56m 0s): Yeah, yeah. I probably did. Definitely. I mean, you can't ignore like the world of, of social media right now. I think don't be pressured to do things if you're not ready. I think just really this thing about time, like, oh, I'm this old, I'm this young, like I needed, I need to go, go, go, go. Some of my biggest regrets are, are I'm letting go of things too soon, but there's a balance to that. I think my biggest advice would be, don't be afraid to let things go, but make sure you're ready to let them go. You know, there's like a balance to that because there's people who have the greatest songs ever. They never let go of. And there's people who, who just put out shit. 4 (56m 43s): And I think that like quality matters, you know? So be as honest as you can be true to yourself and don't be afraid to smile, show your face.