Royale Lynn (Round 2)

[00:00:12] Speaker A: Come on. This is outside the round with Matt Barrill, a razor alley podcast. We're not sitting on the couch anymore. [00:00:25] Speaker B: No, we're not. [00:00:26] Speaker A: Lynn, thank you for coming and doing this. [00:00:28] Speaker B: I am so excited to be here. [00:00:30] Speaker A: It's been, I think, five years since our last episode together. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Our first one. [00:00:36] Speaker A: Our first one. Yeah. Our one and only done together. And to see where life has taken both of us since then. We made it through the pandemic. [00:00:45] Speaker B: We made it. [00:00:46] Speaker A: We've found what we really want to do. Like, found ourselves, you know, and, like, the styles. Like, me doing the raised rowdy thing, you doing the rocking thing, and it's fucking. You're on the fucking radio ground. [00:01:00] Speaker B: Oh, it's so crazy. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Like, what the fuck? [00:01:03] Speaker B: We've come so far. [00:01:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:01:05] Speaker B: We've grown up. [00:01:05] Speaker A: We really have. It's crazy because I remember the first round that I ever went to in town. I was visiting. It was, like, a month before I moved. It was September 2018. It was you. It was Dave Hangley, and it was Greg Pratt. And Ryland was on stage with you guys. [00:01:20] Speaker B: Oh, my God. The OG crew at frisky frogs. Oh, my goodness. [00:01:24] Speaker A: For live Oak, when they had that little dingy couch in the front, and you could get in there with a Pokemon card style fake id. Yeah. [00:01:32] Speaker B: That's so funny. [00:01:33] Speaker A: That was my first taste of, like, a writer's round in Nashville. Then I moved here, like, a month later, and so to see your growth, the evolution of you as an artist, as a person, just crazy. It's so fucking cool. [00:01:48] Speaker B: I know. I'm so glad that, like, that was, you know, I feel like the Nashville writers round thing is kind of what gets you started here in town, and, like, that's how you meet everyone. And I'm so glad that we got to meet there and then continue on. And, you know, we've done a couple podcasts and obviously just been around town and hung out, and I'm just so glad that we got to this point that we can be like, holy cow. [00:02:08] Speaker A: Yeah. So how would you describe your life here lately? Cause I feel like the last year, but even, like, the last couple months or even the last month, it's just been nuts. [00:02:18] Speaker B: It's been crazy. I guess, like, in one word, it's just been a dream. [00:02:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:25] Speaker B: Like, it's crazy. Like, you work and you work and you write and you do these things, and you hope that it pays off and to finally feel and see it pay off, and it's just been so crazy. Yeah, it's been awesome. [00:02:39] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's like you were you. There's so many different, like, facets to you and your upbringing and where you come from with small town life and that equates to the country world. But small town folks like to rock too. [00:02:53] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. And people don't realize. [00:02:55] Speaker A: No, they don't. [00:02:56] Speaker B: It's just crazy. There's such a community of both genres, which is really cool. [00:03:01] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's like you've gotten to showcase both of those and now you're getting to showcase, like, you're still singing about small towns, you're still selling, you're still telling stories and still doing your thing, but. But it's with an edge. With an edge I felt like you always had in you, but you were figuring out the right way to get it out. Right. [00:03:20] Speaker B: Right. And that's just writing and exploring and creating art and just creating without boundaries, I guess, is kind of a good way to put it. And I feel like until I stopped being like, oh, it has to sound like this. That's when I really found my sound and what I wanted to talk about and be able to talk about mental health in a country rock song and continue to just spread awareness of other people's struggles and my own and really hone in on who I wanted to be as an artist, I guess. [00:03:51] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's. I remember when you were first teasing 6ft deep and you were first teasing those songs and you were like, if Nick, they were like, who grew up liking Nickelback? Who grew up this, that, and, like, the way that you were getting out that content and then seeing that pivot, what kind of went into the pivot and really finding yourself as royal. Not just Royal Lin, but royal fucking like, seriously. [00:04:15] Speaker B: Thank you. I think that I was just kind of exploring sounds and lyrics and writing just something that was so authentic and that's kind of how we stumbled upon 6ft and kind of pushing the boundaries and the walls and kicking right through them and just being like, I know I'm supposed to sound like this if I do this genre, but that wasn't enough for me and I wasn't feeling fulfilled. And I love writing country for other people, but when I stepped on a stage, I just was like, I love my songs, but I don't artist wise, I was like, I wanna rock. And coming from such a background, obviously I did grow up on Nickelback, that is more in that lane, but I also grew up on the metal side of things, too. And a day to remember is one of my favorite bands. And it has been since I was a kid. And I was just like, what if we could do both? So we started getting in rooms with different track guys who knew the rock scene as well. And I was just like, this is where I want to go. How do we get there and not stopping until we kind of found a sound. Now, 6ft was the car that got us to where we are right now, which is so crazy. Cause when I was teasing it, we kinda had no idea. I teased the demo in the original video, which is so crazy, and it went viral overnight. And I was like, holy cow, we have something special. So we cut that in the studio in a week and put it out and I was like, we need to get on this. Like it's rolling, rush. Yeah. I was like, it's rolling. We gotta get on it. And from then it went viral again. And the second time it went viral, it went, like, mega viral, in my opinion, 20 million views or something crazy like that. And I was like, we have something so special here. And that's when I think other people started to realize that we had something special. So, yeah, it's just been a crazy journey ever since then. And we had a number one on the Billboard hard rock digital sales charts, which is all the fans. [00:06:14] Speaker A: Yes. [00:06:15] Speaker B: That's the fans buying the music because they love it. And that was such a special thing for me to just be like, we did this independently. And that's when everybody was like, how the fuck can I swear? I'm sorry. [00:06:27] Speaker A: Yeah, oh, yeah. [00:06:28] Speaker B: I can say whatever. [00:06:28] Speaker A: Yeah, oh, yeah. [00:06:29] Speaker B: They're like, how the fuck did you get here? And I'm like, I don't know. The fans brought me here. So it really just goes to show that hard work does pay off and if you build a real fan base, they will support you. [00:06:41] Speaker A: Yeah. And there's something to be said for listening to the fans, over listening to what folks are saying in town. [00:06:47] Speaker B: Absolutely. You have to separate it. Yeah, yeah. [00:06:50] Speaker A: Cause there's value in both. [00:06:51] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. [00:06:53] Speaker A: But the fans are the ones streaming your songs. They're the ones following you on the platform. So the ones buying tickets, buying your merchandise, they're the one. They're the machine that's going to take you from being something that's here in Nashville or regionally in Canada to the entire world, especially in the rock space, because country's one thing, but the rock world, there's some similarities, but it's another beast. [00:07:16] Speaker B: It's another beast. But you know what? I think that you kind of land where you're supposed to and I. Like I said, I grew up in the country in the middle of nowhere. We had horses my entire life. [00:07:26] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember. Yeah, yeah. [00:07:27] Speaker B: Like, my. My mom has had horses. I literally grew up in a barn in the best way possible. And I would never trade it, but, you know, they used to go to the radio shack and order me CDs that I really wanted because our radio shack didn't really get a lot of CDs in, so you had to go and order them. And I would be like, hey, I really need, you know, homesick by a day to remember. I need bullet in a Bible by green day. Like, all of these amazing, amazing bands and, like, system of the down. I remember when I got my first system of the down CD. [00:07:55] Speaker A: That's a life changing moment. [00:07:57] Speaker B: Oh, I was like, holy cow. The beast has been awoken. And that's kind of when I fell in love with. It was just, like, sitting alone in our farmhouse because my mom didn't. Wasn't able to drive me everywhere. And when you live on a farm, you know, like, you are kind of secluded out there, especially, like, you know, as a kid. So I would have my karaoke machine and I'd be singing all of the songs and listening to my CD Walkman. And it's just been, you know, I wouldn't trade it, but my. My family, my mom and my dad, like, allowed me to get into that music. [00:08:28] Speaker A: Yeah. What'd they think of the pivot? [00:08:30] Speaker B: I. So now, or, like, when I was ten years old, being like, I love these bands. [00:08:34] Speaker A: When you're ten years old, loving those bands, I think that having that moment when you're younger and they're buying you the CDs, it makes more sense to see you on stage like, we saw you last time I saw you on. Last time I saw you, full band was the Lake View show. [00:08:49] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. At the end. Oh, my gosh. [00:08:51] Speaker A: And it was. [00:08:52] Speaker B: It was so fun. [00:08:53] Speaker A: Yeah. And you fought you, and you guys fucking killed it. [00:08:56] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:08:56] Speaker A: And I remember looking about your dad and him looking so fucking proud. But the. The change from singing, like, Wyoming, wearing. [00:09:04] Speaker B: The cowboy hat, and. I love my cowboy hat. [00:09:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I know you do. I'm sure you still. I'm sure you still wear it like it's always gonna be with you. It's always in you. But then to be on stage, rocking the corset, being the bad bitch, just rocking it like such a one in you. What was that like with telling your family, like, I'm gonna go this direction? [00:09:23] Speaker B: I think that they kind of, like, could see it coming. Cause I was just like, feeling not myself yet as an artist until I started really digging into these heavier tracks. And I just was like, I wanna listen to my own music. And that's kind of where it stems from is like, even when we're making merch, I'm like, if I won't wear it, we're not putting it out. I want everything to be so authentic and who I am. So that was the first show that they've ever gotten to see since I was a kid. [00:09:51] Speaker A: Wow. [00:09:51] Speaker B: Yeah, so it was cool for them to come down and I couldn't even see them. Cause the lights, if you've ever been on stage, you know, it's really hard. [00:09:59] Speaker A: To see the end. You know, it's that. [00:10:02] Speaker B: I love that venue, that room. [00:10:03] Speaker A: It's something. It's the hardest room to get a beer in. [00:10:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:10:06] Speaker A: You can't get a liquor drink. You got to make sure you get your card back because they got your card with the receipt. That is receipts and cards. [00:10:12] Speaker B: That's true. And for like, view to even ask me to be a part of that, I was just like, truly honored and those are my boys. And I was like, I felt like that show was just the start of what was to come. And that was before anything was going on. We just had 6ft out into the world and we hadn't even had the billboard number one yet. So it was one of those moments where I was like, this is cool that my parents get to see this too. Cause like I said, they haven't been to a show since I was a kid. So for that to be their first one, I was like, hell yeah, let's go and do this. [00:10:43] Speaker A: Yeah. And I feel like Lateview's in a similar position to you where they were kind of marketing more towards the country side of things and then took a look in the mirror and saw the tattoos, saw their history of playing Fox's Pizza den and what they were doing back home in Pittsburgh. And we're like, let's just fucking do it our way. Let's do, let's put out shit that we wanna listen to too, for sure. And it's cool that you guys are both doing that at the same kind of time. Like having this big aha moment over the last year. [00:11:11] Speaker B: I support them through and through. I, from the day that I met them, was just like, these guys are the coolest dudes I've ever met. And to be able to now hang and just. We write a lot of songs together, which is awesome. So it's just been, like, so great. And having Luke. Half of Lakeview also wrote 6ft Deep with me. Lou Keeley, he wrote 6ft with me and Cody. And I'm just like, it's so cool that we get to kind of, like, take all of our minds and create such art that's so different than what you hear kind of on country radio. [00:11:42] Speaker A: And it's out of Nashville, which is what people are a little, like around the country in the rock world. They're probably like, wait, what's going on in Nashville? There's rock music in Nashville. There's so many bands that have moved here that are based out of here. There's bands that record in this building that we're in right now. You know, like, there's. There's this. Obviously, country's gonna be king in Nashville, Tennessee, and in the south, but rock is here and it's here making a. [00:12:08] Speaker B: Lot of noise and it's here to stay. [00:12:09] Speaker A: I think so. Yeah, I would agree with that 100%. Absolutely. The Nashville rock scene is something a lot of people don't talk about, but it's there and it's very active and there's people supporting that scene. And there's girls like yourself, guys like the Lakeview boys that are fucking doing. [00:12:26] Speaker B: It, that are talented and doing it. And that's like, they just work so hard, too, and they go on the road and they do the thing and it's just. It's great to have a community that understands, like, you know, hard work and paying your dues and just getting out there and meeting the fans and, like, it's just. It's really cool to be able to be on this journey, especially with them. [00:12:46] Speaker A: Yeah, and it's like, you get to have a crew that's like your country crew. Like, we're gonna write a country song and now you have, like, your rock crew and you get to have them both in the same place. [00:12:54] Speaker B: Yes. It's so cool. One day you can be writing a really country song, the next day you're writing a rock song. You're like, I love this life. [00:13:00] Speaker A: Do you ever start to write it one way and then it's like, that idea would be better the other way? Or do you kind of go in with the mindset of, like, I'm writing country today, I'm writing rock today, depending on what room you're going in. [00:13:13] Speaker B: For myself, when I'm writing for my projects, I kind of always have the rock leaning side. As soon as I walk in, I'm like, all right, let's just, like, heavy. Let's do it. But when I go in for write for someone else, always evaluate where they've been and where they're going. And I sit down as not an artist. I sit down as a songwriter at that point. And that's kind of the fun of it, is, like, I do have country ideas that I wouldn't bring into some rights on the rock side. Cause, like, some ideas are meant to be country songs, some ideas are meant to be rock songs, and there's nothing wrong with either of them. It's just, like, where you put them, essentially on the idea scale. [00:13:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:53] Speaker B: Yeah. It's cool. [00:13:55] Speaker A: That is such a cool thing. So you've been in the US now, are we official on? [00:13:59] Speaker B: Yep. So I'm on my zero one. [00:14:01] Speaker A: You're on your zero one. Let's go. Cause I remember that visa process when I was. [00:14:05] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. On my p two. [00:14:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:07] Speaker B: Which is probably around the time that we met. When did you move to town? [00:14:10] Speaker A: 2018. October of 2018. [00:14:12] Speaker B: 2018. So I was just able to live here on my first p two visa, which is exciting. So now we're one up from there, which is an zero one. So. [00:14:22] Speaker A: So how long. How long does that process? [00:14:26] Speaker B: Well, three years for your zero one, and then you can go to a green card or you can do another zero one. It just depends on your situation, but, yeah. So I'm excited. I'm excited to be here, and, you know, I wake up every day very grateful that I get to live here. [00:14:41] Speaker A: COVID was weird because you. You couldn't. Was it that you couldn't go home or that you got home and you couldn't come back? [00:14:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:48] Speaker A: So it was one of those two. Right? [00:14:50] Speaker B: They closed the border. [00:14:51] Speaker A: Yes. [00:14:51] Speaker B: So that's what kind of got weird, and no one knew what was kind of going on. So I had lived alone at that point, and I remember just being like, I don't know if it's best to, like, be locked down here by myself or if I should just go home and hang with my family, because at that point, like, that was 2020, and I hadn't really, like, gotten time with my family because I had been playing shows or touring or, you know, just out doing life. So, like, honestly, I got two months with my grandparents, and it was, like, the most special time. We ate dinner at, like, 05:00 every single day, which is fine. [00:15:25] Speaker A: Yes. [00:15:26] Speaker B: I no longer do that. But, like, it's like, those moments that you'll never get back. So even though, like, I kind of. I went over there, and then they closed the border, and I was like, oh, I don't know if I can get back in. Like, and when they closed the border, like, you obviously cannot move freely between countries. So I was like, well, just hang here with family, and, like, I would never trade those few months with them for anything because it was so amazing. Then I, two months later, got back in here, and I actually started doing live shows on Facebook. [00:15:57] Speaker A: I think I remember watching. [00:15:58] Speaker B: Yeah. To be able to pay my rent, because at that point, like, I was just playing shows to be able to make a living. [00:16:04] Speaker A: You were playing a lot of shows downtown. [00:16:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:06] Speaker A: Before you were a downtown survivor. [00:16:08] Speaker B: I am a survivor. [00:16:10] Speaker A: You were. [00:16:11] Speaker B: I made it. I made it out. [00:16:13] Speaker A: You were hustling as much as anybody down there with your gigs, your weekly gigs that you have. [00:16:19] Speaker B: But I kind of, like, in. In hindsight, like, what an amazing tool to grow and to hone in your craft. And I tell everyone who's, like, freshly moved to town, I'm always like, go down and play on Broadway, because you will learn to play to no one. You'll learn to play to rooms full of people, people who want to hear certain songs. Like you. You get all kinds of kinds who have become fans, like, over the. The years of playing down there. And I really think that playing down there is. It's one of the things that you cannot do that anywhere else. [00:16:51] Speaker A: No, there's no other place where there's that many people and that much music going all the time. [00:16:56] Speaker B: All the time and being able to play. So I used to play 11:00 a.m. Till 02:00 p.m.. [00:17:01] Speaker A: I remember that. Was that at Luke's? [00:17:03] Speaker B: So I was at Luke's for a little while, and then I went over to old red. [00:17:08] Speaker A: It was o red. That was the day. [00:17:10] Speaker B: Okay, so. Okay, so 2018 till 2020. I was playing acoustic with, like, hunter girl and, like, all these amazing people who are, like, fantastic artists and, like, doing something now. And it's so amazing to watch, like, a family. You used to be able to get Hunter and I, and we'd play your wedding. [00:17:26] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:17:26] Speaker B: Which is so funny. Not a lot of people know that. And we did, like, a girl duo situation with harmonies, and it was so much fun. So it was so fun to do that with her. And then 2020 hit, and I was like, you know what? Like, I really want to get my band together, and I really want to just start getting in the groove of, like, full band, which, like, over my lifespan, like, I've played a lot of full band gigs but going from, like, acoustic downtown to full band, like, I kind of had to relearn a few things just because, like, acoustic anything kind of slides you can kind of make up as you go. It's. It's a little more lenient than playing with a full band who knows exactly how the songs are from the record. And that's when I. I called up my bass player, who's still with me, and I was like, hey, I'm trying to put this band together. I know it's 2020, but as soon as we're allowed to play shows again, like, I want to be out of the gate playing shows at all. Red and, yeah, we had a residency. Once a month, we'd play two back to back shows. 11:00 a.m. To 02:00 p.m. And it was, like, so incredible. And I did that for probably till 2022. And I stopped doing acoustic, and I was only with the band. And then we started traveling. I think it was summer of 2022 is when we started hitting the road really hard. So last year, and that's when I was like, I'm really sorry. And I love olred. I loved, you know, how they support their artists, and they treat everyone so well there, and it's just such a great place to play. So if here, for anyone listening out there, like, that is the place that you want to go and play. And they're incredible, and they're owned by the Opry, and, like, blake Sheldon's involved, and it's just an amazing company. [00:19:00] Speaker A: That's one of the few bars down there that if I have, like, my family that's, like, on the older side visiting, I'll take them to that bar because it's a respectable spot where you can get a little bit of everything. And there's not, as. There's still the craziness. You're still gonna have. Still gonna have your Broadway. Your Broadway issues pop up, but it's not. [00:19:18] Speaker B: Yeah, late night. I think it does kind of. They take away the tables, but during the day, you can go and sit, and it's. It's honestly a great place. The talented people who play there, like. [00:19:28] Speaker A: Stage that they have there production. It's as good as any. As anything out there. [00:19:33] Speaker B: Absolutely. It's. It was such a cool way to learn with my band, especially being, like, you know, within years and. And doing the whole thing, and it just was awesome. I had a really good experience at overhead. [00:19:43] Speaker A: Yeah. What did the band think about switching over to the rock stuff? [00:19:46] Speaker B: Because, oh, they love it. [00:19:48] Speaker A: That's the thing. A lot of people don't know Nashville band guys historically come from the rock world. They do any opportunity that they have to rock out and really start ripping, they usually, nine times out of ten, grin ear to ear. [00:20:01] Speaker B: They loved. [00:20:03] Speaker A: They loved the pivot. [00:20:04] Speaker B: It's been really fun. And figuring out who wants to go that direction, too. Like, some people are like, hey, I really like what you're doing. So, like, I'm always kind of open to the idea. I've got, like, my guys. Pretty set now. [00:20:15] Speaker A: That's good. Yeah. [00:20:16] Speaker B: But, like, even downtown, like, we play a lot of rock songs that were requested. [00:20:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:20] Speaker B: So I knew that it was kind of in the air down there. And, like, everybody loves, like, fallout boy. You play a fallout boy song downtown, people go crazy like the elder emos. And that's kind of why I have figured out that if I make a sound that's authentic to me and talk about things that are authentic to me, people will relate. [00:20:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:41] Speaker B: And knowing that people can be metalheads that are from the country and vice versa, and there's no. I don't know, there's no competition. It just is what it is. So I invite all kinds of kinds to come to our shows because you can be from the country and if you like a little bit of metal, but, like, maybe not a lot, but you like to dabble, come to the show. You might surprise yourself. [00:21:05] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And this year is about to be your biggest touring year. [00:21:09] Speaker B: Yeah, right? It's crazy. I'm so excited. Like, we've been off the road for, like, three months, and I'm like, let's go. I'm ready. [00:21:15] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's about to be just fucking nuts with festivals, right. And then I'm gonna have to pull it up to see all that you're fucking doing, because it's like, every day there's, like, a new thing that you're posting that's like, oh, shit, look at what Royal's got coming up. Like, this year, you're over 200,000 followers now, girl. [00:21:34] Speaker B: Yeah, it's crazy. Fucking wild on Instagram. [00:21:37] Speaker A: I remember when you were just building that. [00:21:39] Speaker B: I know when I had no following. It's crazy. It's crazy how things grow. Like I said, you put out things that are authentic. If you build it, they will come. [00:21:47] Speaker A: You're at louder than life. [00:21:48] Speaker B: I'm out louder than life. God, I almost passed out when I heard. I was like, this is incredible. [00:21:54] Speaker A: That is the spot to be in. I think we're trying to be there. This year. [00:21:57] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Well, please come. [00:21:59] Speaker A: Please come to the show. Will be there for your spot. I mean, the other bands that are on here, incredible. Like, rock festivals are just different. Like, we go to a lot of country festivals, and that's something that, like, we're very deeply rooted in with Ray's rowdy. Like, that's kind of how the whole thing got started. So country festivals are one way, but, like, rock festivals are just another, another level of stuff. And the accent, the rock fans are such diehards, and you talk about building a community and a passionate fan base. Playing out louder than life is a good way to do that, sis. [00:22:30] Speaker B: I am so excited. I can't wait. I've literally been, like, mentally preparing because I'm just, like, I'm going to be in such awe because half of my favorite bands are also playing that day, so it's just, like, crazy that we're gonna be there. [00:22:44] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a show where you play and then you get done playing and you watch everybody else, or. Yes, everybody beforehand, because you're just a lover of the music. [00:22:52] Speaker B: Yes. If you see me there, come say hi, because I will be there, literally with my eyes glued to this stage. Actually, one of my favorite things is seeing my favorite bands live. Yeah, I love it. I think it's a different side of things, and I've gotten to see a few people lately that I'm just, like, in awe. [00:23:08] Speaker A: Like, who? [00:23:09] Speaker B: I saw Beartooth. [00:23:10] Speaker A: Ooh, yeah, that was hardy popped up at that. [00:23:12] Speaker B: Yeah, he did. Yeah. And it was incredible. And just seeing how the crowd reacts and marathon is such a great room. Like, I've seen a couple bands in there and seeing Beartooth, and I just saw wage war there a couple months ago as well, and they had sold it out. So seeing these, like, fans show up in Nashville for the rock scene, it just, like, it sparks, like, inspiration. And me just being like, we could do this one day, and I hope that, you know, knock on wood that we get to go out and play marathon and sell it out one day. [00:23:43] Speaker A: Sure you will. And you've got, ooh, you're going to some of my favorite cities with out with dirty honey. [00:23:49] Speaker B: Oh, I'm so excited. [00:23:51] Speaker A: That's a fun one, too, because that's, like, a different side of rock. [00:23:53] Speaker B: I know. [00:23:54] Speaker A: I'm so grateful about rock, too, is it's, like, all kind of encompassing where it brings in different sounds. Like, even if you're a little bit on the heavier side, you can be with a band that's closer to, like, dirty honey or you can be a little bit more. [00:24:09] Speaker B: It's great. And everybody's so accepting of each other and, like, I think we kind of lift each other up instead of, you know, you know, the ladder, which is. I'm so glad that the community in the rock space has just been so, like, hey, we love what you're doing. [00:24:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:25] Speaker B: Even if, like, our sounds are a little bit different, there's room for everybody. And that's what I've been trying to say in country for a very long time, is that there is room for everyone. [00:24:32] Speaker A: Yes. [00:24:33] Speaker B: There is no need for competition. Unfortunately, it does kind of happen in the country space. [00:24:38] Speaker A: I feel like it's starting to be a little bit different. [00:24:40] Speaker B: I hope so. [00:24:40] Speaker A: It's starting. [00:24:41] Speaker B: I really hope it's really. [00:24:42] Speaker A: I think overnight, when I had first gotten to town and, like, we first met, it was definitely a lot of that. I think COVID changed a lot of things. [00:24:50] Speaker B: I agree. [00:24:51] Speaker A: And I think that the. The genre blending has just. It's become accepted because you have to accept it. It's fucking here. [00:24:58] Speaker B: It's here and it's here to stay. But also social media has changed everything. [00:25:03] Speaker A: Yes. [00:25:03] Speaker B: So that's why I feel like there's so many different lanes. Like, I think back then it was more so, like, there can only be one who does this. And it's like, now that social media is here, it's like we can hear all the different kinds that are out there and people are like, well, I love this on this day, but I can also listen to this right after, you know. [00:25:22] Speaker A: So if I really like this style, there's a variety of this style. [00:25:27] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:25:28] Speaker A: There can be more than one. [00:25:29] Speaker B: There can be more than one. [00:25:30] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:25:31] Speaker B: There's a lane for every single person out there. You just got to find your people. [00:25:35] Speaker A: Yeah. So in May, Pensacola, one of my favorite cities to go to. Shout out to wild Greg from Wild Greg's down there. The country club. Athens, Georgia, a great college town. Charlottesville, Virginia. Pittsburgh, the birthplace of Ray's rowdy. [00:25:50] Speaker B: Yes. [00:25:50] Speaker A: That's fucking cool. And then. Oh, Flint, Michigan. Is that the machine shop? [00:25:54] Speaker B: Yeah, it is. [00:25:54] Speaker A: Have you been there before? [00:25:55] Speaker B: No, I haven't. I'm so excited. [00:25:57] Speaker A: And that one's going to be really cool for you, too, because that is a place where Canadians come to shows. Canadians go. A lot of Canadians go to those shows. And Flint, a lot of Ontario comes down. [00:26:06] Speaker B: My whole family is going to come down, actually. [00:26:08] Speaker A: That room, it feels like when you walk into that room that you're going to sit down and get a tattoo. [00:26:14] Speaker B: I love it. Let's do it. [00:26:15] Speaker A: It's like a tattoo shop. [00:26:17] Speaker B: No way. [00:26:18] Speaker A: Like, it feels like that kind of vibe. Like, it feels like a tattoo shop. Like, it's a smaller, intimate room. [00:26:25] Speaker B: I love that. [00:26:25] Speaker A: It rocks. [00:26:26] Speaker B: So really, who did you see there? [00:26:28] Speaker A: I was there when I was on tour with muscadine. We did a muscadine bloodline show there. And that was even, like. And that was before Muscadine had, like, the me on. Like, me on you. And kind of this rebirth that they've had recently with their sound post COVID. This was pre COVID when a lot of it was like. Like they had shut your mouth, which was a heavier song for them. [00:26:46] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:26:47] Speaker A: But most of their stuff was, like, the harmony, the love songs, you know, put me in my place. Port swing angel, which was. Which is great. Love those songs. [00:26:54] Speaker B: Incredible songs. [00:26:55] Speaker A: But the crowd was even, like, wild for that. Really go in there. [00:26:59] Speaker B: Hell, yeah. [00:27:00] Speaker A: And rock it. That. And there's a sandwich shop. I don't know if it's still there. This was pre COVID when I was there. Cheesesteak sandwiches. I forgot the name of it. And they say don't drink the water in flint. Like, Flint had all those issues with the water. Cheesesteak sandwich was fucking. [00:27:14] Speaker B: So I'm gonna confirm. I'm gonna confirm in May. If it's. [00:27:18] Speaker A: Please do. It's right next. [00:27:19] Speaker B: And I'm gonna get one. [00:27:20] Speaker A: Yes, please do. [00:27:21] Speaker B: Yeah, that's our last stop on that. Yeah, the tour. [00:27:24] Speaker A: May 16. Yeah. [00:27:25] Speaker B: And then we're headed back to Nashville. [00:27:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:27] Speaker B: Which is crazy. It's just so crazy. [00:27:29] Speaker A: I'm sort of literally getting to, like you said, like, live out your dream. Like, this is what you move to town. This is what you. When you embarked on the journey from the homeland to here. [00:27:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:41] Speaker A: You wanted to be doing this stuff. And you've had it's waves of, like, ups and downs. [00:27:46] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:27:47] Speaker A: How do you keep it going? Think about the places where you were when you're playing that. That gig downtown during dead season and you're trying to figure it out and you don't have streams yet. Like, how'd you keep yourself going mentally? [00:28:02] Speaker B: I think it is really tough. And no one really talks about how tough it is because I don't think it's hard to show people the journey, because everyone's journey is so different. [00:28:11] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. [00:28:12] Speaker B: But I think that social media was kind of the first. So when TikTok hit, I had no idea how to use that app, and. [00:28:19] Speaker A: I was yeah, I still don't, personally, I'm late on the train. [00:28:22] Speaker B: That's okay. I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything that I know. But I think it was just like, if you take the time to learn something, even if it's new, it will. It will. Trial and error, right? Like, there were a lot of, like, a lot of people are like, well, you've had a lot of viral stuff. But I'm like, yeah, but 90% of what I post doesn't go viral. You can stay consistent, and that's kind of where I'm at right now. But at first, like, oh, my goodness. My views were, I get like, 100 views. And at that time you're like, oh, 100 views? That's amazing. That's a lot of people. And then you're like, oh, well, this thing is a free marketing tool. Same with Facebook reels, Instagram reels. I've heard Snapchat is back in the mix. I'm not on there, but I'm not either, because it was such a. It's such a different app. [00:29:08] Speaker A: Yes, yes. [00:29:09] Speaker B: But I've heard that it's really grown and it's a very good place now, but for creators. But learning how to use those tools at the time, like, I was broke, and when TikTok hit, it was mid pandemic. I was kind of putting it off. I was like, you know, we're not really sure about TikTok. And then I started to see my friends kind of do really well. And I was like, you know what? I have moved countries to be able to do this. I am not going to let an app dictate if I get my music in front of people or if I don't. So I started giving it my all, and I would make so many videos and some would go and some wouldn't, 90% wouldn't. Just so everybody knows out there, like, if you post consistently, it will happen. If your content, like, you know, quality over quantity is always kind of my thing. Go in, make ten videos, choose the best three and post them. You know, I. I tell everyone, I'm just like, don't quit doing it. Just continue on and keep on doing. Because at the end of the day, like, what are you gonna lose? Yeah, nothing. You're just gonna lose, you know, try trying to go viral, I guess. But, like, even viral isn't viral anymore, which is crazy. [00:30:19] Speaker A: Yeah, right? [00:30:20] Speaker B: Viral used to be a million. You'd be like, oh, I went viral and now it's like, oh, if you don't have 20 million on one video. It's not viral. So I don't really know, but all I say is, like, a million people is a lot of people. [00:30:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:30] Speaker B: You could fill stadiums with that many people. More than one stadium. [00:30:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:35] Speaker B: So I'm like, if you can go out there and make the videos, just do it and post them, because there are people out there looking for your kind of music or whatever you create. If you write books or, you know, do podcasts, like, somebody out there is looking for what you're kind of doing. [00:30:49] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:30:50] Speaker B: It's a great way to consumer. [00:30:51] Speaker A: It's a great way to look at it. [00:30:52] Speaker B: Yeah. It's just, it's fun. It should be fun. And once it becomes not fun, I think, is when people get exhausted and are like, why am I not going viral on every video? And it's just like, that's not realistic. So I'm always like, give it grace. Give yourself time. Like, it took me a long time to build my following, and I don't take it for granted. I think that the hard work put into building it is a huge, you know, it's rewarding at the end of the day. [00:31:17] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And I think you're building. [00:31:19] Speaker B: You're building your empire. [00:31:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Building. [00:31:24] Speaker B: And every fan matters, you know, like, even though we're talking about, like, oh, a million people saw this video, it's like a million individual people in their homes on their phone, like, behind their screen, saw your video and either love it or hate it. And if they hate it, then let them. And if they love it, like, you know, bring them in and be like, hey, we play shows as well. I'd love to have you out to a show. So every single fan is so important to me, and I do a free meet and greet at every show. [00:31:50] Speaker A: Yes. [00:31:50] Speaker B: So I sit there, and after the show, you can always find me at the merch booth. It's one of my favorite times because I get to chat with the people out there that the music impacts. [00:31:58] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Who's is there one, like, meet and greet experience that stands out? Because I used to have to be around those because I was one, I was a merch guy, and then I was a tour manager with Trey. And meet and greets after Dick down Dallas tour was a little bit of a different kind of me. It was a little wild. [00:32:15] Speaker B: It was wild. [00:32:16] Speaker A: And I was the one with the self with people's phones, taking the photos and all that. But, like, is there one that stands out for you, like, that you've done. [00:32:24] Speaker B: You know, like a meet and greet experience. Every single show we have, a lot of people come up and chat about how much the music has. Has helped them and saved them in different ways. And the fact that they come up and are so vulnerable with me with their stories. Like, I can't even name just one. Because the amount of times that I leave, like, speechless is more times than not, because these people are sharing their stories, being like, you know what? I struggle, too with my mental health. And I don't tell a lot of people that, but, like, thank you for making music. And it's just like, that's. That's the most special. That's why I do it. I do it to also heal myself. But what they don't know is their stories and. And how vulnerable their being also, like, saves me in a way. [00:33:07] Speaker A: Yeah. So I feel not alone. [00:33:08] Speaker B: Yeah. And the community, you know, and I'm just like, it's okay to talk about mental health. It's okay to go out there and be like, you know what? I'm having a bad day. And you call. I always tell people, like, if you have a friend, like, who's struggling, like, go and spend the afternoon with them and just have coffee and chat, because, like, that could save a life. [00:33:25] Speaker A: Yeah. It can mean the world. And I think it goes back again to social media where people are getting to. They. They, like, they feel as close to you as your closest friends in Nashville because they're following along with what you're doing and you're bringing so much, like, so much joy and realness into their life. It's important. [00:33:47] Speaker B: It's been. It's been really special. The meet and greets, like I said, are my favorite part of all of this because I just finally get to see the faces and, you know, give the hugs, shake the hands, like, of the people who are out there just loving the music and relating. Yeah, it's cool. [00:34:02] Speaker A: Really. Pretty cool. So as far as this year in terms of, like, new music and all of that, because you now have got yourself a fucking record deal. [00:34:12] Speaker B: Yes. [00:34:12] Speaker A: And not even in Nashville, in Los Angeles. I know, like, in LA, a big fucking record deal. [00:34:19] Speaker B: It's crazy. [00:34:21] Speaker A: Like we said, a lot's changed over the past few years. What was that process like? And what's it like having a. Having a team, not just like a group of guys that you're playing down on Broadway with and you're. You're saying, hey, we got this gig, or, hey, Hunter, let's go do this wedding. Like, having a team that is helping with the booking helping with the management, helping with getting the music out, collaborating with you on ideas, it's been awesome. [00:34:47] Speaker B: Honestly, the first time that I met with Bret and Sue at Epitaph, I was like, this is my family. These are people who understand what I'm trying to do and where I want to go, and were like, what are your wildest dreams? And I was like, you know, x, y and z, and they don't make me feel like those are too big. They're like, all right, let's go out and get it. And I think that's really, really special because I'm a workaholic and I have been, you know, when you self manage, self book. [00:35:13] Speaker A: Yeah. You've been that way since self represent, that way since I've met you. [00:35:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:35:16] Speaker A: Like six years ago. [00:35:18] Speaker B: Exactly. Like, I think you. You wanted. You don't want any team. You want the team. It'll help you get. Not even to a finish line, because I don't think that this has a finish line. This is like the rest of my life. Like, there's no end goal. This is like, we are going to do this journey until the day I die. [00:35:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:35] Speaker B: And. And when I first met with Brett and Sue, I just was like, holy cow, they understand me as an artist. [00:35:41] Speaker A: Was that meeting in LA? Was that out here? [00:35:45] Speaker B: We zoomed for the first call, and immediately upon meeting Brett, I was like, holy. He understands and he sees me and I was like, this is what I want to do. And we met with a few other people as well, but no one came close to that feeling with. With them at epitaph. [00:36:04] Speaker A: Yeah. What's the feeling like of just getting offers? Just the idea of it's cool from being in the trenches like you were. [00:36:13] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:36:14] Speaker A: Like that. That initial moment being like, oh, shit. Like, there's labels wanting to work with me. [00:36:19] Speaker B: It's. It's really cool. And I think that, like, meeting with people who are interested in what you're doing is. Is awesome. But you have to think back to, like, who are the best people and the best fit to go where we want to go and who understand you as an artist and, like, if anyone out there is listening, don't sign any deal. Sign the deal that will help you get where you want to go and build the empire that you want to, you know, the legacy you want to leave behind. And I can confidently say from the first five minutes of our meeting, I was like, these are my people. Hell, yeah. I. You know, I made the right call. They have been incredible. My manager, Wayne, he's over at Fly south. Incredible company as well. And Wayne has just been, you know, my rock in all of this and he's been so great at, you know, bringing on someone in and it's hard to bring on someone when you've, like, managed yourself for so long and. Yeah, and he has been so amazing to work with. And then Uta. We brought UTA in. [00:37:21] Speaker A: Great agency. [00:37:22] Speaker B: I know, they're incredible. We have such a great team at UTA and it's just been so cool to be like, all right, now we have, like, in my opinion, like, the greatest team that I could have ever had all in one room and we're just like, all right, like, what's next? What are we doing? And it's so cool just to have such support from amazing companies in general. Like, it's just awesome. [00:37:44] Speaker A: Yeah. What's the radio stuff been like? [00:37:46] Speaker B: Radios. [00:37:47] Speaker A: It's like, what the fuck? [00:37:48] Speaker B: I know. What the fuck? What the fuck? I. You know, if you had told me a couple years ago that I would have my first top 40 at rock radio, I would have been like, really? That's really, like. And I feel like it's. It just all happened and it's just been such a cool feeling to be like. People out there are listening to the music on the radio in their hometown. [00:38:13] Speaker A: They're getting introduced to you. [00:38:14] Speaker B: Yes. Like, through spins of. Just like an octane was a huge SiriusXM. [00:38:19] Speaker A: That's a channel that I keep on octane and turbo. [00:38:22] Speaker B: I love it. [00:38:23] Speaker A: I pay homage. Pay homage to the butt rock. Like, butt rock's been over here. We love. We love turbo and we love. We love turbo. But Octane was like what I grew up listening to. [00:38:32] Speaker B: They're incredible. [00:38:33] Speaker A: My dad and stuff. Like, I love the crew that's there. Like, that's what the dj's over there. [00:38:38] Speaker B: Jose. [00:38:38] Speaker A: Jose, kitty bats, Shannon, guns. [00:38:41] Speaker B: Yeah, they've been incredible. [00:38:43] Speaker A: Yeah. Just badass people that know what they're doing with rock. So if they're talking about you and if they're playing your music crazy, that's a big. That's a big approval from the rock. [00:38:52] Speaker B: When I found out that 6ft was gonna be on test drive, I was like, oh, my goodness. This is like, this is the real. This is like the real deal. This is what, you know, many bands who I look up to, like, have gotten their start on test drive. [00:39:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:05] Speaker B: So it's really cool to be like Thanksgiving day, we. We had the whole house listening to Octane because Jose was doing test drive and it was on there and I was like, holy cow. This is like what I've dreamed of. This is on my bucket list, you know, to be played on octane. And then we got added to rotation, which is amazing. Thank you, Vinnie, at Octane, for adding me. I appreciate it so much. But, yeah, it's been a wild journey, and to see this song go up the charts has been just so surreal. This is my dream and I feel like I'm dreaming. [00:39:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Where is it? Where's it, where is it? Where's it sitting at now? [00:39:41] Speaker B: I think it's at 37 right now. [00:39:43] Speaker A: Wow. [00:39:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:39:43] Speaker A: So it's moving. Yeah, moving upward. And now the hope is you get out there and you play all these shows and more people just fall. Fall in love with you and what you're doing, and I think you're going back to like, the Broadway stuff, like being in the trenches. There's folks that have that viral moment. [00:40:02] Speaker B: Yes. [00:40:02] Speaker A: But haven't played a show yet and they've figured it out. And there's. There's guys and girls particularly a lot of it in country music and in pop that have done it and they've since figured it out. And they're doing arenas now and doing. Doing what they're doing, but it took them that growing pain of being like, oh, shit, I'm not just singing to my phone, I'm singing to people. You went from singing to people to singing every day. Singing to people. Singing every day. Like putting your vocal cords through as big of a workout marathon every doubles. [00:40:33] Speaker B: Triples for people who don't know. You play four hour gigs, no breaks. No breaks. Literally 4 hours. You sit there with your guitar or full band, whatever you're doing down there, and you literally do not get a break. And sometimes I play doubles. So 8 hours of singing. Yeah, it's wild for those. Sorry to cut you off. [00:40:50] Speaker A: No, no, you're not realize it's a fucking. It's a fucking grind. There's a lot of stuff with Broadway people don't know about how hard it really is. Yeah. And you were doing that on the right, on the regular. You were heavy on that circuit. So now going out and opening for some of your favorite bands, playing a 30 to 45, sometimes doing your own headlining stuff, 60 minutes, 75 minutes, whatever you're doing. Yeah, that's easy. [00:41:14] Speaker B: It is. It's a different beast. [00:41:17] Speaker A: It's. It's a different thing. [00:41:18] Speaker B: Yes. [00:41:19] Speaker A: But it. And it's playing your. Your own song. It's crazy covers in there where you want to, but yeah, not having somebody come up to you and be like. [00:41:27] Speaker B: $20 being like, play free bird right now. [00:41:30] Speaker A: Play freebird. Be like, nope, that's gonna be a hundred. But. Or, or like, say no. Or, like, telling. Telling you to play like. And it's not even that they're asking you, they're telling you down there with the money. So now to be able to do your own thing, it's crazy. Make money doing it. Be able to take care of your guys for sure. And it be your own shit. And you get to open for your favorite bands. [00:41:54] Speaker B: I know. I almost still get a little. I get nervous in a different way than downtown. It's a different thing. I always love to see New Hampshire. We played up there. [00:42:05] Speaker A: I love New Hampshire. What room were you in? [00:42:06] Speaker B: Oh, Wally's. [00:42:07] Speaker A: Oh, fuck, yeah. [00:42:08] Speaker B: Holy shit. [00:42:08] Speaker A: I like Wally. My dad actually lives up there. [00:42:10] Speaker B: Really? [00:42:11] Speaker A: Lives in Hampton beach. [00:42:13] Speaker B: When we're back. [00:42:13] Speaker A: When you guys are back. Cause he's into the rock stuff too, so he would. [00:42:16] Speaker B: It was so surreal to hear people be like, bring her out, bring her out. My guitarist Brian was like, they're, like, chanting that they want you to come out and sing. And I was like, really? I'm like, sitting down by the van, just, like, getting ready for the show, you know? I always like to have a few minutes of downtime before I hit the stage because I feel like that's when my altered ego comes out. Your stage performance has to be so. And they were packed. Guardrail to guardrail. I couldn't even believe it. I stopped the show and I was like, hold on, hold on. I was like, can we take a photo? Cause this is a moment I never want to forget. [00:42:53] Speaker A: I wanna remember this. [00:42:54] Speaker B: I know. It was so crazy. And seeing all the people, and I was like, we had the longest meet and greet line that Wally's has ever had. [00:43:00] Speaker A: Wow. [00:43:00] Speaker B: After the show and everybody waited, I'll sit there until the last person has gone through and we've signed and they've gotten their merch and all of that. But it's been so crazy. [00:43:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:10] Speaker B: So it's a little bit of a different beast playing these shows that are completely my own versus singing other people's songs just a little bit different. You know, I'm playing at 09:00 p.m., now, whereas, like, I was playing at 11:00 a.m. You know, on Broadway, which is so funny. Everybody doesn't realize that I played the the morning shift. Cause it's so much fun. And you get to meet people and sing songs and still do a little bit of the heavier stuff, but, like, you know, not nighttime on Broadway. Cause that's like an insane. [00:43:40] Speaker A: That's a whole different thing. [00:43:41] Speaker B: It's a whole other thing. [00:43:42] Speaker A: So when you're not doing music stuff, what are you doing with your life? Well, what do you enjoy doing? [00:43:47] Speaker B: I golf a lot. [00:43:48] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, that's right. [00:43:49] Speaker B: I forgot for a second you were a golfer. I really enjoy movies, so if there's a new movie, like, I like to go to the theater and, like, actually take it in. I'm a big scary movie fan. [00:44:00] Speaker A: You would be. [00:44:01] Speaker B: I know. [00:44:02] Speaker A: I can't do the scary movie shit. [00:44:04] Speaker B: You can't? [00:44:04] Speaker A: I can't. Luckily, my girlfriend can't either, so it's like I'm safe with it. Her little. Her little girl, though, loves this. [00:44:10] Speaker B: Really? See, I love it. I think it's like. I don't know. [00:44:14] Speaker A: I can't do it personally. [00:44:15] Speaker B: Like, you can't sleep or something? [00:44:17] Speaker A: Yeah, there's like, a ghost thing. Like, I'll get freaked the fuck out. [00:44:20] Speaker B: No, that's my favorite. That's, like, my bread and butter. [00:44:23] Speaker A: Insidious. [00:44:24] Speaker B: Oh, my God. That's my favorite one. [00:44:25] Speaker A: Oh, jeez. [00:44:26] Speaker B: Insidious one and two are the greatest scary movie that has ever been made. [00:44:30] Speaker A: Quote. I don't know. I don't even, like the first one I remember watching. I think it was called, like, the village or something. [00:44:39] Speaker B: Like. [00:44:40] Speaker A: Yeah, like, where there's, like, the weird. [00:44:42] Speaker B: Like, on the door kind of was. [00:44:44] Speaker A: Like a Muppet looking thing, and I saw. Yeah, I'm scared of a fucking muppet. [00:44:49] Speaker B: Like that, though. Like, maybe it won't scare you. I know, but I get that. I get that. I'm not, like, true crime. I guess I'm more of, like, paranormal. That's kind of where my love lies. And, like, Ed and Lorraine Warren. We're, like, the biggest ghost hunters of our. You know. Yeah, I know. [00:45:07] Speaker A: I know that stuff. [00:45:08] Speaker B: No, no, I don't have tv. Do you have tv? [00:45:12] Speaker A: You don't have. [00:45:12] Speaker B: Is that where, like, you watch that? [00:45:14] Speaker A: I'm, like, streaming and stuff. [00:45:16] Speaker B: Oh, is it on there? [00:45:17] Speaker A: I watch on, like, I don't have cable. [00:45:20] Speaker B: Okay. Like, cable anymore. [00:45:22] Speaker A: Fucks. Got. [00:45:23] Speaker B: I kind of wish that I did, though, because I kind of miss, like, being able to, like. Oh, there's commercial. All right, I'm gonna, like, go up and do something and then come back. [00:45:30] Speaker A: Yeah. Now you have to wait for the episode. You have to. [00:45:32] Speaker B: I know. No, seriously. It's so annoying to have to physically pause something, isn't it? No, but, like, I I don't know. I just kind of miss the nostalgia of, like, getting home after school and that something was just on. [00:45:44] Speaker A: So you watch what was on on canadian tv, right? [00:45:47] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. What did I used to know trailer. [00:45:49] Speaker A: Park boys was in late night. [00:45:50] Speaker B: I was not allowed to watch trailer park boys until, like, I was old. Like, probably 18. [00:45:57] Speaker A: Yeah, like, I know that's, like, a later. [00:45:59] Speaker B: My parents were like, no, no, no. [00:46:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:01] Speaker B: I don't know. I was watching, like, one Tree hill and, like, the OC and Gene Simmons family jewels. I remember when that one was on a knee. I think that was on a and e or, like, TBS. We had TBS. [00:46:13] Speaker A: A lot of the same channels. [00:46:14] Speaker B: Yes, yes. And then obviously, like, the Hannah Montana shows and, you know, all of those. I kind of watched Disney for a while. I loved high school musical. I was a huge high school fan, but I loved musical theater growing up. So, like, I didn't know that you could, like, go and be a songwriter. I feel like no one knows that until they, like, are older and are, like, you could actually, like, write songs for a living. But I really wanted to be in musical theater in some capacity. So, like, I went to college for a year, maybe a year. I dropped out. But at what? [00:46:44] Speaker A: At what school? [00:46:45] Speaker B: Ottawa. [00:46:45] Speaker A: Uttaway. You? [00:46:46] Speaker B: Yep. I went for a very, very brief time in my life. [00:46:50] Speaker A: Did you give it a hell, though? Did you get your money's worth? You have some fun? [00:46:52] Speaker B: Hell, no. I feel like I went and was like, um, school's not for me, and that's okay, you know, if school's not for you, like, that's totally okay. [00:47:00] Speaker A: Did you, like, give it how, like, did you get, like, the college experience? Parties and so I don't know what canadian colleges are like. [00:47:07] Speaker B: No, no, I was. So I went to school for musical theater, and then I was just like, I didn't like my program. It just wasn't the same as, like, high school theater, I guess, that I had been doing, and I just was like, I really want to sing, but I don't know no one, you know, I'm from a really small town. Like, I didn't know kind of how to become a singer. [00:47:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:47:27] Speaker B: So I was like, I'll just go to college. It got me out of my small town. I couldn't really. I wanted to, you know, go to college. Like, I wanted that experience. Cause I felt like everyone else was kind of doing that. And I'm glad I did because I ended up staying in Ottawa, and I bartended, and I feel like I got the party scene out then. [00:47:42] Speaker A: Ah, there you go. [00:47:43] Speaker B: And I. Cause, you know, I was bartending, tending at 19, and then until I was 21, and I was like, all right, I'm gonna pack my car, and I'm gonna go to Nashville, and I'm just gonna see what's up, you know, how to do this. And that's when I figured out how to get my visa and started. Just, you know, that was the journey, the process. Yeah. And the process is long. If you come from another country, it's not easy, so you gotta figure out how to do it. [00:48:05] Speaker A: That's something that we've gotten to know a lot with raised rowdy, because we have tapped very much into Canadians. Canadian. I said, I know you're more the rock side now, but you get the canadian country thing because you were. You're still in that world. I feel like once you're in it, you're always in it. Yeah, but, like, the. I've been telling people, Nick has Nikki Tiaz, too. Like, canadian country right now is, like, what Texas country was kind of doing. Like, it's this frontier where there's so many guys and girls coming to town. [00:48:37] Speaker B: Yes. [00:48:37] Speaker A: There's such a scene with the big festivals that are in Canada. [00:48:41] Speaker B: Like, it just seems like nickelback is like. And I love it. They never went anywhere but rock. I need to say this. They never went anywhere. And those of us who loved Nickelback always have loved nickelback. [00:48:52] Speaker A: Yes. [00:48:53] Speaker B: But, like, seeing, like, Bridgestone sold out. [00:48:55] Speaker A: Oh, that was. I was like, that was one of my favorite. I saw. I got to see Nickelback. I've seen him three times in the past year. [00:49:02] Speaker B: Did you just see them for the. [00:49:03] Speaker A: I just saw. [00:49:03] Speaker B: Are we allowed to talk about that, or is that still under. I didn't get to go to that, but I was like, I wish I could. [00:49:10] Speaker A: It was cool. It was fun. Yeah, it was cool. They nailed everything in, like, one take each, which was really cool. I mean, I've talked about it on here before, like, Nick, the guys from Nick that brought along Nickelback, brought along the butt rock to broke country, to. Now you've got Hardy, who's doing, like, the mix of both. [00:49:29] Speaker B: Yes. [00:49:30] Speaker A: So it was a natural. A natural thing. But there's so much talent, like, in Canada, and it's such a scene that gets, like, slept on for all music. [00:49:38] Speaker B: And there's so many rock bands except pop. I feel like pop. Like Justin Bieber, Drake the Weeknd. [00:49:45] Speaker A: Yeah, you do have a lot of that. [00:49:46] Speaker B: There's a lot of pop that is, like, still very much. But I feel like I. And I'm terrible. Cause I don't, you know, I don't really know who's up and coming in the country scene there right now, but I do feel like rock has always been a very big thing in Canada. [00:49:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:49:59] Speaker B: Cause Nickelback was huge. And then you have like, billy talent and like all these other artists that were so incredible. [00:50:04] Speaker A: Theory of a dead man. [00:50:05] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah. [00:50:06] Speaker A: Default. [00:50:07] Speaker B: Oh, my God. There's so three days. [00:50:09] Speaker A: Grace is canadian, right? Yeah. There's a lot of. There's always been like this. Yep. Adril is another one. Yep. [00:50:16] Speaker B: It's crazy. Some 41 I'm pretty sure is from there, too. If that might be wrong. Someone fact checked me on that. I think they are, because my first concert was some 41 in simple plan. [00:50:25] Speaker A: Oh, no shit. How old were you at that? [00:50:27] Speaker B: Ten years old. [00:50:27] Speaker A: I was gonna say you had to be like a baby. [00:50:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And I literally would wear my hat sideways. I remember I got all their merch and I wore it to school the next day cuz I was like, I went and saw a simple plan last night and it was dope. [00:50:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:50:39] Speaker B: Yeah. In Stratford, which is the hometown of Justin Bieber. [00:50:42] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:50:42] Speaker B: I know. It's very. Yeah, very weird. Very small, very small town. [00:50:47] Speaker A: That's awesome. [00:50:48] Speaker B: But it was incredible. And then I got to see Billy talent, and I was like, that was the moment that I was like, I want to go out on that stage and sing, like. And they did so well. I think they were at, like, Budweiser Gardens in London that that time. But I was young when I got to go see them, but I'm so glad I did. [00:51:05] Speaker A: Yeah, the first con, like, and then growing up, I'm. I'm guessing you went to a lot of shows just as a music fan or were you so busy doing the theater stuff and doing what you were doing at that time? [00:51:15] Speaker B: Yeah, I kind of. So, like, if I really wanted to go, like, my parents would take me, but Toronto is a two hour drive. And like I said, like, my parents worked during the day, like, when they could, they absolutely took me. But it wasn't like we were in a place where we could go to every single concert. And. And I feel like at that time, I was more like, you know, you know, I was singing a lot. I was in a kings of Leon band, and we just sang covers of Kings of Leon. It was all girl band. And then I was, you know, I did the Hannah Montana stuff, which kind of took up a lot of my time as well. So I would tour, you know, doing that stuff. So I kind of felt like I got to go see a lot of concerts, but I was definitely on the road and doing my own thing then as well, so. But I love seeing people live. I think it's the best part. [00:52:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:02] Speaker B: Of it. [00:52:02] Speaker A: Yeah. The festival circuits gonna treat you very well. [00:52:04] Speaker B: I'm so excited. I can't wait. It's gonna be so. [00:52:07] Speaker A: I'm gonna have to make it to louder than. I didn't go last year. Nikki T went last year. [00:52:12] Speaker B: Did he love it? [00:52:13] Speaker A: He said it was awesome. It's just such a different vibe from, like, the country festival because we do a lot of those, right? And it's like, no, this rock festival. This is. This is. They were. There was a guy that looked at Nikki T and was like, your ink's too fresh. You're a poser. [00:52:27] Speaker B: Like, oh, my God. [00:52:28] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, it's like, there's some hardcore shit. Like, he saw limp Bizkit there and, like, for limp biscuit was just stupid. [00:52:36] Speaker B: Like, I couldn't imagine. [00:52:37] Speaker A: Was just fucking. [00:52:38] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. But, like, what it. What an experience you go and do. [00:52:42] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. Like, I haven't. I haven't really done a ton of that. [00:52:45] Speaker B: So have you watched yet? [00:52:48] Speaker A: I have, yeah. I went to. I got brought to a. It was issues. Is that considered moshing the band issues? Like all time low? Yeah, that. [00:52:58] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I got brought to one. [00:53:00] Speaker A: Of those, and then I went to a godsmack. [00:53:03] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:53:04] Speaker A: Cloud smack was cool. [00:53:04] Speaker B: Oh, I bet. Yeah, I bet ya. That's great. I. So one of my goals this year is to crowd surf at one of my own shows. [00:53:11] Speaker A: Ooh. [00:53:12] Speaker B: So we're gonna keep that on the radar. I'd like to crowd surf at least once this year. [00:53:18] Speaker A: I think it can happen. [00:53:19] Speaker B: I think it can happen. [00:53:19] Speaker A: I think it can definitely happen. Is there a fear that you're gonna jump off the crowd surf and they're not gonna catch you and you're just gonna go boom? [00:53:26] Speaker B: I hope not. [00:53:30] Speaker A: I think the fans are. [00:53:31] Speaker B: Hopefully they raise me up. [00:53:32] Speaker A: I think that culture will raise you up. I don't think they drop people. [00:53:36] Speaker B: I saw so many people at the Beartooth concert, like, coming from the back, and they go all the way to the front, and then they get. [00:53:41] Speaker A: And then they have to go all the way back. Yeah, but I'm like, it's a commitment. [00:53:45] Speaker B: To do it once. Like, I think it would be so much fun. I didn't see anyone drop that that night. [00:53:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Like they seem to be doing. [00:53:51] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And like, marathon is so cool. Cause they have like a daddy's dogs in there. I'm like, this is genius. [00:53:57] Speaker A: Yes. [00:53:58] Speaker B: So cool. Yeah, really cool. [00:53:59] Speaker A: I actually had big Daddy. [00:54:00] Speaker B: You did? [00:54:01] Speaker A: On the pod. He's that episode. [00:54:02] Speaker B: Oh, my God. Really? Okay, I'll check it out. [00:54:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Because he used to tour in the rock. He was a tour manager. [00:54:08] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my God. [00:54:09] Speaker A: To be out with like l king, like a bunch of different people, like, over the years. Manager and then daddy's dogs. [00:54:16] Speaker B: Daddy's dogs. Well, I salute him because they're so good. [00:54:19] Speaker A: Yeah. What do you. What are some of your favorite spots? Yeah. [00:54:25] Speaker B: Here in Nashville? [00:54:27] Speaker A: Yeah. What kind of food do you even like? What does a royal Lynn eat? [00:54:32] Speaker B: I love italian food. I have to say. Amerigo is one of my favorites. Hidden gem. But I also really like Hall's steakhouse. [00:54:42] Speaker A: Oh, Hall's is. [00:54:43] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:54:43] Speaker A: I mean, yeah, that's another. [00:54:44] Speaker B: I love a steakhouse. [00:54:45] Speaker A: Hall's is another level of just good stuff. [00:54:48] Speaker B: It's incredible. And it's so big in there. If you haven't been around, like to the back bar. Oh, my gosh, it's huge. [00:54:54] Speaker A: Yeah, my girlfriend's from Charleston originally. [00:54:57] Speaker B: Oh, nice. Is there one there? [00:54:59] Speaker A: That's where hall started. [00:55:00] Speaker B: Oh, my God. [00:55:00] Speaker A: So she's. She's been a Halls fan for pretty much her whole life and enjoys the finer things in life. [00:55:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:55:07] Speaker A: I haven't been to this halls with her, but. Yeah, I know. [00:55:10] Speaker B: I get a reso right now. [00:55:12] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Cuz I've been to like, we go to like, urban Grove. [00:55:15] Speaker B: Quite right. [00:55:16] Speaker A: Which is a good. Which is really good, but it's not. Halls is just another level of good. [00:55:20] Speaker B: Stuff and a lot of people, like, don't know about it yet. I should. Maybe we should. No, I feel like should we gate keep this or. [00:55:27] Speaker A: No, I don't think. I don't think it needs to be. [00:55:29] Speaker B: Gatekeeping or gatekeeping because everyone should experience it once. [00:55:33] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:55:33] Speaker B: And that's why we shouldn't. [00:55:34] Speaker A: How do you like your steak cooked? [00:55:36] Speaker B: Uh, I'm like medium, medium rare, depending. Yeah. How about you? [00:55:40] Speaker A: No steak sauce. Right. Okay, so don't tell me you're a steak sauce person. [00:55:44] Speaker B: No. So I. Truffle butter has a hold of me. Yeah, I love it. Do you not like, like a sauce or anything on it? [00:55:51] Speaker A: I mean, my grandparents were putting like a one on it. [00:55:54] Speaker B: Oh, I'm talking like a one. Shit. [00:55:56] Speaker A: That's what I'm talking about. By sauce. [00:55:58] Speaker B: Oh, I'm talking about, like, truffle. [00:55:59] Speaker A: Oh, no. Truffle butter. [00:56:01] Speaker B: Heart of truffle butter and mushrooms and things like that. [00:56:04] Speaker A: No, that could go on there for sure. [00:56:05] Speaker B: I agree. I agree. I'm a huge fan. Huge fan. Halls is good. [00:56:09] Speaker A: Yeah, definitely try to get the Brussels sprouts over there. [00:56:12] Speaker B: Yes, we've definitely had those. Creamed spinach. That's something. I didn't grow up with that. Now I'm like, oh, my God, this is so good. I love southern food. I think I've really come to love it. [00:56:24] Speaker A: I do too. [00:56:24] Speaker B: And all the sides, like, it's just as important as the main, which, like, I just feel like, where I came from, like, it just wasn't like that. [00:56:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:31] Speaker B: And I'm just so grateful to live here. [00:56:33] Speaker A: The fact that, like, Mac and cheese is part of Thanksgiving dinner down. [00:56:35] Speaker B: I love it. I love it. [00:56:37] Speaker A: It's another world. [00:56:38] Speaker B: What's the green bean casserole? It's one I can't get on. I'm sorry. [00:56:41] Speaker A: The green bean casserole? [00:56:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it's just one. I can't. That's like, a southern dish. [00:56:46] Speaker A: I like the, like, the sweet. Southern. Sweet potatoes are really good. [00:56:50] Speaker B: I could try those with them. With the marshmallow on top. [00:56:52] Speaker A: They put, like, the pecans in there. [00:56:55] Speaker B: Maybe I haven't had that. [00:56:57] Speaker A: Might have been going to different southern people. [00:56:58] Speaker B: Maybe. Maybe. Well, I'll try it out. I promise. [00:57:02] Speaker A: Yeah. So what have you got? So this year we're getting on the road. We got more music coming. [00:57:07] Speaker B: We do have more music coming, yes. [00:57:09] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [00:57:10] Speaker B: And I can't wait to share. [00:57:11] Speaker A: Yeah. I was gonna say. I know. Now, see, now it's different. Now you've got, like, it's a whole different structure of, like, the level that you're at to where now it's like there's a release plan. [00:57:23] Speaker B: What I can say is that it is heavy. [00:57:26] Speaker A: Okay. [00:57:27] Speaker B: And I'm really excited. [00:57:29] Speaker A: Fuck, yeah. [00:57:29] Speaker B: And it's gonna be cool. And it's. It's gonna. It's gonna be really cool. And we're working on a lot of new music, so there will be no shortage there. We're working on a ton of new stuff, and I can't wait to share with the world because it's. It's just a new era, and I'm very excited. So the next one's gonna be awesome. I'm really excited to share. Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy. It's getting heavier in subject matter, too. [00:57:53] Speaker A: Oh, really? [00:57:54] Speaker B: Which is cool. And obviously, musically, it's getting a little heavier, so I'm really looking forward to sharing what's next. [00:58:01] Speaker A: Let's go. That's fucking awesome. Well, sis, I'm so proud of you. Proud to call you a friend and watch you do what you're doing. Like, seriously, like thinking back to fucking frisky frogs. To doing this, doing the last. Doing the. Doing the podcast that at the gazebo apartment, sitting on the couch, we had a case of Coors light for you. [00:58:21] Speaker B: I love that. [00:58:22] Speaker A: That was a fun. [00:58:22] Speaker B: Still drinking them? Yes, still drinking. [00:58:25] Speaker A: I'm sure you're still team Coors. [00:58:26] Speaker B: Absolutely. I'm keeping them in business. I'm pretty sure. [00:58:29] Speaker A: Yeah. To see where everything. I mean, honestly, you're at the point now where you can get that kind of shit. Like, seriously. [00:58:36] Speaker B: Oh, well, I do. I do love a good Coors light. [00:58:39] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. And we're happy to have you as a part of the Razor outdie family. Like, you're. You're somebody that we've watched the whole evolution of when you were releasing music years ago. So what you're doing right now with all the rock stuff and can't wait to see what the rest of this year and beyond has in store for you. And we're gonna. We're gonna keep calling up the radio stations too, telling all of our people play 6ft, please. [00:59:01] Speaker B: I would love that. [00:59:03] Speaker A: It's doing its thing and has a lot of leg life. [00:59:06] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me on. And like I said, we did our first pod back in like, 2018. [00:59:13] Speaker A: Yeah, it was 2018. 2019. [00:59:15] Speaker B: It's so cool to be able to sit here as friends as well and just be like, what the fuck has happened in the last years? [00:59:23] Speaker A: We've survived the 4 July island together. [00:59:26] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. [00:59:27] Speaker A: Poor Alex Maxwell cut his fucking hand over. [00:59:29] Speaker B: I forgot about that. [00:59:30] Speaker A: Folks were running out of cigarettes and eating mushrooms instead. [00:59:33] Speaker B: I know. Not me. Not me. [00:59:35] Speaker A: I stayed away. I stayed away from. [00:59:37] Speaker B: I actually think I left before that happened. [00:59:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:39] Speaker B: Because I left. I went out for the day and then someone just, like, gave me a ride back. [00:59:43] Speaker A: Yeah, the ride back to shore at night was a little. Yeah, was a little dicey. [00:59:47] Speaker B: A little dicey. But we made it. [00:59:49] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, late night, like, I got out of there because it was wild. [00:59:53] Speaker B: It was like a real redneck 4 July and. Yeah, it was so cool. And it's so cool to have those memories and especially together just. Just, you know, having a cigar on the boat. [01:00:01] Speaker A: Oh, yes. Yes, we did have a cigar on the boat. [01:00:04] Speaker B: Yes. Yes, we did. So funny. But, yeah, I appreciate you having me so much and raise Rowdy's a family to me. So I truly thank you for having me on here and chatting. And I love that we. [01:00:17] Speaker A: This is. But Ruxpin. [01:00:19] Speaker B: But Ruxpin. [01:00:20] Speaker A: Teddy Ruxpin. Yes. [01:00:22] Speaker B: Say that five times. [01:00:24] Speaker A: And you know what's really funny, too? So back, he's got a. He's got, like, a little. Little tape thing. So these were toys where you would put a tape in it. It would play the music. [01:00:34] Speaker B: Oh, that's what's in there. What's in there? [01:00:36] Speaker A: Oh, I just. Did I just break it? Oh, no. Did I just break. But rock. Spill. Nikki T. Is gonna kill me. [01:00:41] Speaker B: No one tell Nikki T. This just. [01:00:43] Speaker A: Happened as he watches it happen. We gotta, like, figure out the tape thing. [01:00:47] Speaker B: Oh, my God. This is so nostalgic. [01:00:50] Speaker A: It's Creed human play. [01:00:51] Speaker B: I love this. And he's repping it. [01:00:54] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. He's ripping the beanie. [01:00:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:00:55] Speaker A: Yeah, this is a. It's got the. Got the. So, yeah, it plays a tape. It wasn't. He found it out of goodwill. [01:01:01] Speaker B: Hey, this used to happen in VHS players, like, all the time. [01:01:04] Speaker A: Yeah, I know. We will figure out a way to fix. I'm sure Brian. Brian Frazier has another Creed tape we can. [01:01:09] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. He's got no shortage. [01:01:11] Speaker A: Runs our butt rock night account. So. Yeah. Shout out to butt rocks. But we had to break him in. [01:01:15] Speaker B: And I got to play butt rock night. [01:01:16] Speaker A: You did? [01:01:17] Speaker B: Yeah. And that was so much fun. We played flyleaf. Yes, yes. [01:01:20] Speaker A: Fully. [01:01:21] Speaker B: Was it fully. Yeah, we did. Fully alive. Yes, yes. I had to learn. I love that song. But I had to really, really learn it for that. Yeah, but rock, I loved it. Fucking get after I loved it. I'm gonna. We're gonna do another one and I'm gonna come back and sing a different fly lead. [01:01:35] Speaker A: Perfect. All right. We have it on videos. [01:01:37] Speaker B: We have it on video. [01:01:37] Speaker A: Royal is coming and singing at butt rock. [01:01:39] Speaker B: Absolutely. [01:01:40] Speaker A: Maybe by having you play, we'll get the link for you guys. [01:01:42] Speaker B: Oh, please. Maybe we'll get them to bring the whole family. [01:01:44] Speaker A: We'll get them to do breaking Benjamin in honor of that tour. [01:01:47] Speaker B: We should. We should. We'll talk. We'll talk. [01:01:49] Speaker A: Yes, we will. But where do people go to find you on everything if they're not following you? [01:01:54] Speaker B: So Royal Lynn music across the board, or Royal Inn, if you want to go to Spotify, apple Music, wherever you stream your music, and please come to a show, I would love to have y'all out so if you're listening to this podcast, this is your invitation from me directly to come to a show this year because I'm really excited. [01:02:10] Speaker A: Awesome. Y'all be sure to check out our girl, Miss Royal Lynn. A lot of cool things been an amazing, amazing journey for and she's just freaking getting started. Lots of cool things coming for the rest of this year. New music on the horizon, 6ft deep at rock radio right now. If you're a rock radio listener like myself, get on your. Get on your station and tell them to play the hell out of it and be on the lookout. She's gonna be out on tour with with dirty Honey and gonna be playing a number of festivals, including louder than life. So for my girl royal Lynn, I'm Matt Barrel. This has been outside the round I ain't never been the kind for stiff one place for too long I ain't never been the best at sin I love you to a girl I love only got a couple tricks on my sleeve they usually just make em leave so if you know me, if you really know me? You know I'm just a two trick pony then maybe the drinking and the lack of money for show? I'm just a two trick pony name, yeah.