Norah Jones Is Playing Along
A comedian, actor, and singer-songwriter, Bridget Everett blends raw humor with emotional honesty.
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This episode is also available as video on YouTube. You can visit Norah Jones' channel and be sure to subscribe while you're there. Hey, I'm Norah Jones, and today I'm playing along with Bridget Everett.
Hi, I'm Norah Jones. Welcome to the show. And with me, as always, is my friend Sarah Oda.
Yes.
Hi.
This episode today was so fun. We have the incredible comedian, actor, singer, writer, Bridget Everett.
Yay.
I want to say upfront that she has a tour coming up, 2026. The dates start in March for her tour called Big Titties, Big Dreams. So.
Athlete title.
I mean, how could you miss that?
It's so fun. Her show is amazing.
It's amazing. And after you hear this episode, you're gonna want to get your ticket. So look it up and make sure there's a show near you. Find a ticket and check it out.
I almost thought you were gonna say find a titty.
Find a titty?
No, find a ticket.
She started with karaoke, but now she's known for creating and starring in Somebody Somewhere, as well as her work onstage, film, TV, comedy, music, blending everything, storytelling. She's a fearless performer who does an incredible job of balancing humor and heart. And she's also making cabaret cool.
Well, her show Somebody Somewhere, that was my first introduction to her. And the thing that struck me from the show, and also in her act onstage, and also in person in this episode, is that balance of humor and heart. She's just got such a big heart. You can just tell.
Yeah.
There's just something so sweet and awesome about her, her heart. I don't know why. Some people's heart just shows through.
She's vulnerable.
Yeah, she is.
But she's so.
But she's so funny.
She's so funny. She's so funny.
It makes for a great combo.
I know. I mean, she's amazing.
In this episode, you're gonna hear a little bit about her songwriting process, about living in New York. You're gonna hear about her family, especially her strong mom. And as always, there's lots of songs. This one has ones that are both empowering and totally hilarious.
This was really fun. I was so glad she could do this and we got to hang out. I hope you enjoy the episode. Check it out. Here it is. Bridget Everett. Well, I'm so happy to have you here.
I'm happy to be here. Thank you for having me.
I'm a really big fan.
Oh, wow. Thank you. Same.
I mean, I discovered you through the show, somebody, somewhere.
Oh, you did?
And then my girlfriend Sasha Dobson loves your live show, and she turned me on to it. So I had no idea of all the sides of you, so.
It's, you know, just...
It's all one, I know.
No, I mean, but it's sort of like, when you think about it, like, when I look at it on paper, I'm like, it is kind of... I like to do different things, I guess.
Keep it fresh.
That's the best way to be.
Yeah, it's great.
Trying to learn about myself, honestly. Like, just trying to understand myself.
Well, I think that's... I've always learned a lot about myself through writing songs or whatever you choose to do, and you don't know why you're choosing to do it, but it becomes clear later, right?
Well, I think so. I think, like, for somebody like me who's never... hasn't spent time with a mental health care professional, I think that, like, the best way for me to do it is, like, writing or performing or, you know.
Blah, blah, blah.
That's why we do it.
Yeah, it's the best.
Yeah. The show's so great, and it's done, you guys. You guys...
It's done.
Put a bow on it.
Yeah, a bow was put on it, and it's over. But, you know, I was just, um... You know, the Emmys just happened, and Jeff, who's my co-star, plays Joel, won the Emmy, which is really exciting. And so now more people are finding it, which is really exciting.
And then there's always a conversation of, like, could we do, like, a movie or something? So to me, it's one way of kind of keeping it alive by thinking of the opportunity that there's another way or somehow that we can just have one last chapter.
I think that would be great. I mean, I think the fans would love that. I would love that. Please do that. But I also feel like in today's...
Norah Jones said so, okay.
I said, "Do it." I feel like in today's landscape of TV, you never know. You can kind of... if somebody wants you to do it and you want to do it, can't you just do it? Do you know what I mean? Like, things go away for years now, and then they come back in a way.
Yeah, and I think that's one cool thing with HBO... Not one cool thing with HBO, but, you know, they... Like, The Comeback is filming another season.
Really?
Yeah, I love that show.
Oh, I loved that show, too.
It's so great.
But I, and you know, they've, they're known like Curb Your Enthusiasm. Like, I think there's somebody that, once you're in the HBO family, that there is, it's a possibility.
You know, so I'm, I'm trying to secret it, or whatever that.
Manifest.
Manifest it, yeah.
I'm secreting it.
That's cool.
We'll see.
Well, I'm really happy for you.
Thank you.
Yeah. And I'm, I'm happy, I discovered you that way, but you're, you're like this New York legend. I had no idea. You know, when I started watching this show, I didn't know much about you. So it's been really exciting to, to find out all these things.
Well, I mean, legend's a big word, but, I mean, I've been kicking around. I mean, I know what you mean, but I've been, I've been kicking around New York for a long time. And in the cabaret world, which is like, kind of, um, you know, it's not the cool buzzword everybody thinks it is. But I, I don't know, I love it. It's, I'm so happy that I came to New York because I found like, all these people that were doing something that, that was what I was looking for. But I didn't know what cabaret was. I didn't know, you know, I can imagine with you, like, the style of, I mean, I don't know, actually, but like, did you start playing, like, jazz? Like, is that, was that your sort of?
Yeah. I started with jazz, but then when I moved to New York, I got into songwriting.
And I had never thought about that before.
So New York sort of was like, also a conduit for you, too?
Is that what you said, the other word?
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I mean, I got into the songwriting scene when I moved here, when I, I had intended to get into the jazz scene, and then I sort of shied away from it as soon as I got here. My first album was on Blue Note Records, but it was kind of a songwriter-y album, but not all my songs. I was doing songs by my friends. But, um, there is like, a real crossover between jazz, you know, the jazz world I came from, of singing those old standards, and the cabaret world. I feel like where you're, you're working in a lot of those same songs.
Yeah, definitely.
And there's like, um, and the guys that I work with, um, you know, Matt Ray, who is the piano keyboard in my band, we've written a lot of songs together. We've written, um, Home, which is from my show. And then we've also wrote what I gotta do to get that dick in my mouth.
Exactly.
But what I love is like, there is, like, I can sit down at the piano and I just play like very sort of elementary chords and like, I have an idea, but like, the voicing, like, he, you know, he is able to sort of, you know, the voicing of a jazz musician.
The way it, you know, it just is something that I like, don't understand, but I can kind of hear.
You want to hear that?
Yeah, I want to hear that. I want to hear like really cool chords and, you know, beautiful. You know, I think he understands sonically like what I'm trying to say, but I can't put into, like, can't, obviously, I'm not really good with my words, but.
Well, it's so nice to find somebody who you can feel that sort of secret language with.
That's really nice that you have that.
Yeah, all the guys are like super down. Dan Simboli, who plays bass in my band.
I know Dan.
Oh, yeah, he's great.
From like the jazz scene back in the day.
Yeah, okay, so, you know, he's great. And actually, I was working on a song idea and I texted him. And he sent me some songs that were just so crazy because he's, you know, some, this guy Champagne Jerry, AKA Neil Medlin, is a friend of mine, but he also dances at my shows. And he started talking about how he loves when Dan slaps on the piano.
That's awesome.
And so now Dan is just like fully unhinged and I love it. Like, to me.
I can't picture that because from back in the day, I feel like, you're just like wearing suits.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But now, like, he just, he goes out of his mind and it makes me laugh. And so I want to do a song that is like, that features that.
Yeah, that's great.
But, you know, that has, but they're also great musicians. So it's cool because I'm, you know, the song I want to do is called Soakin' Wet.
It's like the marriage of.
It is a marriage.
That lyric and the musicians being like, having all that language and then like putting it together.
It's sort of like, you know, when you, you know, you prop up like, like, I feel like the class clown or something. And then I'm like hanging with like the academics and they're like making me look smart or something. I don't know.
But it's great.
It's awesome. I'm glad you're in that family.
Yeah, me too.
Well, you, you mentioned Home. That's from your show.
You wrote that song with Matt, right?
I started song, writing songs on, by accident. The original lineup of my band.
Adam Horvitz, AKA Ad Rock.
Ad Rock, yeah.
Yeah, he was in the original lineup of the band. And he's been on a sabbatical for a number of years now. But, you know, they have a sylloscope there, the B.C. Boys studio that they had at the time. I'm not sure. I think it's still going.
In Tribeca?
Yeah, so I was there and Andre helped produce it, who's down there. But anyway, I talked to Adam and I said, you know, I want to do an album. Like, I want to do like some covers because that's what we were doing at the time. And he said, he's like, you can't, you can't do that. You can, you can write songs and like sort of.
He put me on the path of doing it. And like the first, one of the very first songs I came up with was "Titties", which we were talking about when I walked in. But, but the great thing about it was that he, you know, I was like, this is, this is silly, right? And he's like, he's like, no, it sounds like a hit, you know? Like, and he kind of gave me, encouraged me, even if something seemed ridiculous to like, that that could be something great.
Like permission.
Like permission and like, and I'm somebody who needs like, people to kind of be like, that's okay, you know? Like, I'm not like, you know, with a vision board and like goals and this, that and the other. I just kind of do what makes me laugh or what feels good. But I don't always understand like, how to, you know, do it and practice, like how to make it part of a career or something. And like, people like him have just taught me along the way to just do you. That's exactly what he said to me. He's like, do you? And like, ever since he said that to me, I'm like, I've been doing me. And that's obviously a lot of different things, you know? But, but yeah, he really helped me take a stab at songwriting.
That's pretty great.
I, I feel like people coming from certain worlds, especially like if you were coming from the cabaret world at that time.
Like same here, I was coming from singing jazz standards. I didn't really know that I could write songs. I had no idea.
Yeah, like, I feel like sometimes you just need to be a little nudge in a direction.
So did you start doing it? Or was it somebody that was like encouraging you?
Yeah, I had some, I had friends who wanted me to sing their songs. To be completely honest. And it worked out for me. Like, my big hit, "Don't Know Why," is my good friend's song, Jesse Harris. But it made me want to also write my own. They definitely were encouraging, but it was a lot of like, sing my song. You know, I was like, well, I might have a song in me, you know?
And so you really hadn't written anything before you came here? I mean, like, were you ever like, sort of in the, you know, back in like, you know, just a little for yourself and like not sharing it? Or just like doing it?
I wrote two songs in high school that, I went to a performing arts high school, so it was very encouraging. And I wrote two songs, but we recorded them like with the guys in my class, and they had new recording equipment, and they would like send them out for the Downbeat Jazz Magazine Student Awards. And I think for me, it was too much. And I was immediately embarrassed by them.
Why?
And so I turtle headed back in.
What were like, what style were they? Were they like?
They were just corny. I mean, they were first songs, you know what I mean? They were high school songs.
Can I hear something?
Yeah, I'd love to.
Oh my God, you're supposed to be singing for me. Actually, I feel like one of them I need to remember. It was kind of not bad. I wait at the bus stop in the rain. So sad. I can't remember the rest. I can't remember. My thoughts are clouded with memories of your pain. Whoops. Anyway, I can't believe you got me to do that.
Oh my God, that's, wow, this is a, that's a thrill.
I'm sad to think that your love was in vain. I can't remember the rest, but...
You gotta, you gotta dig that one back out?
I gotta dig it back out!
I mean, that is really cool.
Thank you, Bridget. Now, see, now you're nudging me. So I feel like I got really shy.
And then I, I think it was just too much people hearing them instead of me just sitting with them before anybody heard them.
Well, also you said you were sending it out to like, to like a, for people to like,
Judge.
Judge it, yeah.
Well, yeah, but I wasn't. The school was.
Mm-hmm.
Which was really sweet, but also like, it was just like, oh no.
Yeah, I'm not quite ready for that.
You sort of have to, you have to incubate those things a little bit.
But like that's, you know, the, there was something I was working on this morning because I'm meeting with my band tomorrow and I'm also working on somebody, uh, something with Scott Whitman and Mark Shaiman. We're writing songs together too. And I'm like, is this like a song for my band? Is this a song for this show? And like, and I like, I had, I'd put it away for a while and I pulled it back out and I was like, this, oh no, this is, this is so corny. Like, like sometimes I'll sit down, I'll sit down at the keyboard and, and it takes me a while to sort of come up with the, whatever, the two or three chords I want to hear. I'm being generous, three, maybe two.
On piano?
On piano. Like, it takes me a while to like, to get like, the voicing of what I think, what I'm trying to say.
And I listened to it, I was like, oh, this is like, I, when I was writing it and I'm like, sitting down at the keyboard and like, feeling all emo and like, this is...
You were feeling it.
I was feeling it. Like, and that's how I usually like, oh, this is something. Like, cause if I can respond to it, it may not be something that's gonna like, not be a hit, but something that's gonna do much for me, but I, but it's gonna be right for me.
But I listened to it as I was singing, I was like, I couldn't even, I did like a voice memo, cause I was gonna send it around. I was like, I can't even, nobody's ever gonna hear this again.
You couldn't stomach sending it to somebody.
I couldn't stomach sending it, cause the, the idea of it was something that my mom had said to me. And so it's like, you know, I wanted, I want it to be so good. And it just is like, it, the song, I can feel it wanting to be good instead of just like...
You don't feel it yet.
Yeah. I'm, I'm really bummed out about that.
Well, it sounds like it's from something special.
It's something she said to me that was like, so special. And, um... And I really, maybe I should just take the pressure off of myself of like,
trying to make it mean so much.
You know, like trying to make all the, you know, because I'm not like a poet.
Nor am I. I mean, it doesn't matter, though, if it's, I've realized like, if it's, I, for a long time in the beginning, when I was really starting to try to write songs, I would try to get clever.
And that never worked.
Those are the songs I cringe at now, but the songs that I just, I used a cliche because it felt right.
But I wasn't trying to be clever about it. Those are the songs that still resonate with me.
You know what? Those are the exact right words I need to hear right now.
So I'll take it back to the drawing board.
I have to tell you something. I want to get to playing this song home, but I do have to tell you something. I listened to that podcast, Mike Birbiglia, Working It Out.
Uh huh.
And you were on there.
Oh, yeah. God, what I said.
You mentioned that song.
I did.
And you said what your mom had said to you, and it was very touching.
And inspired me. And I actually wrote some stuff down. I'll send you later. I don't want to, we can cut this out. It's no big deal.
No, don't cut it. I think that's.
I actually, it like inspired me. So I have like three lines inspired by it that I'll, I'll show you.
Oh, wow. That is, I mean, I mean, I can say what it was because I've already said on another, another podcast, but you know, when she, she came to see me perform in New York and like, I was really nervous. In case anybody here is not a Mike Birbiglia podcast listener.
It's pretty great. I love his show.
No, I really, I enjoy doing it. And in fact, I, I wore this shirt and I was like, oh, I wore this same one on his podcast, but I wore it in gray. I have two of them.
What's your, what's your podcast shirt?
Yeah, it's my podcast shirt. I had something else on. I was like, oh, that's too fancy. I gotta just, I gotta be me. Do you, as Adam said, but um, anyway, she came to see me at Joe's Pub, which is sort of my hub here in the city. I'm, you know, and you know, if anybody's familiar with me or not familiar with me, a lot of my songs, you know, are about body parts and it gets kind of like raunchy, but to me, it's, it really is ultimately a celebration of my mom and who she kind of.
Encourage me to be like when I was growing up, we would go to food for less at grocery store and she would never wear a bra and you know, my brother coined her boobs beaver tails and like she'd let them, you know, just like fly and she just didn't care, but that was after many years of caring and you know, and sort of doing a bridge club and country club and you know, and Kansas wasn't like we were wealthy, but you know, just she was playing a part and then like, once she got divorced, she was like, kind of finally herself and it was so, and her favorite cuss word, you know, was motherfucker shit her ass her, which you know, you can cut, but like she was, she, she really like just became her and like, I think, I think that was
what I have been trying to capture like on stage, like when you become, when you find that sort of freedom. So when she came to see my show afterwards, I, I was like, well, what'd you think, mom? And she said, she said, that was freedom in motion. And I was like, well, that's the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me. And it still makes me emotional because it's, it's what I want, wanted for her to feel like when she got divorced and like watching her and it's, and it's how I want to feel when I'm on stage. So trying to write the, the song has been, as I mentioned before, pretty challenging.
It's like living up to the, the thing that she said. It's like hard to live up to that or something.
Yeah. And I'm afraid to try to write it with somebody else if I don't come up with the initial thing because.
It's, it's about you and her. Of course.
And I don't want that to, um, so when I was like, is this a Tender Moment song? Or is it a Scott and Mark song? Or is it just a me thing and I need to figure it out? Or maybe it's a Norah Jones song is what I'm finding out.
No, no, I don't want to impose my thoughts on you.
No, believe me, I want, I want to hear it because like, maybe that's why I'm here today.
Maybe that's why. I just wanted you to know that it, when you said that, it was so inspiring because it, that, that phrase, also just the story behind it is, it's really beautiful. And, but that phrase alone is just, it's what you want.
And what's really interesting about my mom is like, she's not like somebody that. You know, my dad was really clever, very witty and like, and, and just, you know, like a real wordsmith. And my mom is like more like she could give a look and make you laugh. And, you know, just she, she was kind of naughty and stuff. But like, as far as like, saying something like that was just, that's like lightning in a bottle. It wasn't like something that she was known to do.
Got you. Yeah. It was profound.
It was profound. She's not somebody that would come up with, those things would just come out. If she came up with something profound, it would be like, you know, you can't trust anybody but yourself, or your father's a prick.
It was out of character for her.
Yeah, it was out of character.
Well, it's really sweet.
I'm gonna fresh gloss my lips. Keep it in though, because it's real life. You know, you have people on TV.
Fresh gloss.
Like to do a fresh gloss.
Hey, it's Niall Rogers, host of Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series. I'm driving across the country, meeting some of today's most fascinating artists. We're exploring the stories before the moment that changed everything. This week, I'm joined by my friend, John Legend. How does music actually enter your mind? I'm not sure why or how the music comes to me, but I think people who love music and write music, our brains are just filled with music. Like, we have listened to so much music. We've been a part of so much music. I think of the story. That I want to tell, the mood that I want to create with the music. Start playing chords, see where they lead me.
Sometimes I'm just not even thinking about music, right? And I hear this little thing and I go, oh, that could be this. You know, you just have to be ready for when the inspiration hits. It comes. Yeah. Experience before the moment. A Lincoln original series on the iHeart Radio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Can you just come down to this piano and just just write miracles every day?
Literally never. I never come down here unless we're doing something.
Yeah. I have a, I have a small upright piano up there. Sometimes if I have an idea, I'll hit it, but I never come down here.
This is like, there's so many cool toys, I like to say.
I don't know how to use any of the equipment, so that, that makes it kind of hard for me. I just know how to use the, the instruments. Do you want to try home?
Let's try it.
I have a little harmony. Would you mind if I added it?
No, please do it.
It sounds so much better when you play it than when I do.
How many times did I hear them say, she's out of reach, drifted away?
Another night staring at the wall, and if I try, I know I'll fall.
All these hills closing in on me, there's nothing here I haven't seen.
Lift me to my feet again. I've lost touch, I need a friend.
You brought me home.
My heart is beating through my chest. Why would anyone come clean this mess?
The song in me fell out of you. I found it now because of you.
Yes, you brought me home.
And I am home. I am home.
Well, you guys, that was real fun for me. So, thank you so much, Nora. That was really cool. Thank you.
Thank you. That's such a pretty song.
Oh, my God.
That was, but that, that, this was one like where I wrote a song I thought it was like the one and I thought was cool or whatever. And I was like, uh, it's not right. And then just one day I had the keyboard on my little kitchen table there and I started playing those same chords. And it really, most of it just kind of dropped out of the sky and felt like, and I felt very emotional and like, there's still a lot of times when I sing it that I get choked up because, you know, I feel like the show. You know, obviously, there's a lot of people that haven't seen Somebody Somewhere, but this show is about friendship, obviously. Like, I was a waitress for so many years and like, who didn't see me as a waitress,
who saw me as like, um, a star or as somebody is. You know, and I don't mean like a, like a People Magazine or that, but I mean, they, they saw something special in me. And I think that it wasn't until I moved to New York that I could kind of hear that and take that in. And this, this song is really a thank you to those people that gave me that.
It's so beautiful. I, it, it feels like that. Yeah, and the show really does that as well. It's like a sense of home is not really the place, even though in the show, you're going home. And you are home again, but it is finding it through, through people and relationships.
I guess that's what it's all about.
It totally is. I mean, I keep learning that, you know?
It's a constant struggle. I mean, I feel like that's a lesson that I'll, that I'm always gonna struggle with. I'm always gonna struggle with like, um, feeling like I belong somewhere. I don't know, I think a lot of people feel that way, as it turns out.
Absolutely, it's universal.
Yeah, yeah. I was just somewhere and that, uh, and the, you know, the person I was talking to, she was like, ah, blah, blah, blah, imposter syndrome. And I, and it's so, it's so interesting how many people feel that way. But it's also interesting how many people feel like they deserve everything they get. Cause I'm, I'm, which to me, like, blows my mind. I'm like, you do? I mean, sometimes I'm like, okay, you're right, but other times I'm like, girl. Girl, you're lucky, girl.
Recognize. You don't necessarily deserve it all. That's funny. Yeah, I hadn't thought about that side of it.
I don't know.
Well, it's a great song. I think the best ones fall out of this guy.
Yeah. When you were growing up, your mom was a music teacher?
Wow. Did she teach? What did she teach specifically?
She taught, well, like when, when my parents got divorced, she hadn't been a teacher for so long because she was like a, you know, she taught earlier in her career. And then, so she taught at the local Catholic school, but she did K through 12 and she did all kinds of, you know, she did both band and, you know, every music class. So, um, and then because she didn't really make enough money, she taught after school lessons and she taught, you know, guitar, piano, violin, everything.
She played everything?
She played everything.
Oh, cool.
Um, I mean, not like a, not virtuoso or at all.
Enough to teach little kids.
Enough to teach. And she was, because she was like, she, I think she was first chair violin at University of Kansas in their orchestra. I have her violin. Actually, I just was looking at it the other day. I was like, what am I going to do with this?
That's cool. Maybe you could play it.
Yeah, but we, but what's that?
Maybe you could play it.
Yeah, there's, no. I think maybe hanging on a wall or put it in a corner or something. But, um, but yeah, everybody in my, like, we used to sing around the piano a lot during holidays and like, my brother, my brother Brock got all the, he's the talented one. Like, he, he can play everything by ear and, I mean, I have talent, I don't want to say, but you know, he's, I've, that's what I wish I could do. It's my, my mom's dad, my grandfather, he used to play ragtime piano, like all by ear and everything.
Wow.
But I just didn't, obviously, if you can hear the chords and how, I didn't get that ability. But the, I think the great thing about my mom and a rare thing about, you know, she was somebody who constantly. You know, encouraged music and wanted me to follow my dream to be a singer, even though it took forever.
Yeah, that's so rare for a parent to want you to be a musician.
Yeah, so when I was like, was it Sister Act 2 is one of my favorite movies? Like, you know, the mother just can't get behind Lauryn Hill. And I'm just like weeping because I'm like, man, you don't, you don't know how much she needs this.
Yeah, exactly.
It's crazy.
Were your parents encouraging?
My mom was not a stage mom, but she was encouraging.
Okay.
In that she took me to a bazillion lessons.
You know, and was cool with it.
Very confident, you know.
Yeah, you seem, you seem self-assured, which is a nice thing to.
Well, I'm driving this boat, so if I was, if I was unsure, you'd be nervous.
Yeah, that's true.
See, so that wouldn't be good. I've, I've always struggled with like self-consciousness, but yeah.
Self-consciousness, but not self-confidence or, or both or not, not really self-confidence?
I don't think I do struggle with self-confidence, but I don't know why.
Well, because you're super talented, that's one thing that helps.
No, I, I, maybe I do, I don't know. I think my mom was very kind of a balls-out, strong lady, still is.
It really helps.
Yeah, it's a whole thing.
I feel like my mom was somebody who was like really, she seemed like she was self-confident, but she had such low self-worth, I think that it really seeped into my bones a little bit. So I, I do work on that.
Well, I don't always work on it, I know it's there.
But, but it's, but that's also what's kind of fun about being on stage and, and just, you know, how you can, like everybody says, you're like a superhero version of yourself. Or a lot of people say that. And I, I do feel like that, but I also feel like it unleashes something that like, it unleashes a kind of confidence I wish I had.
In life?
In life, yeah.
It's, it's like the Beyonce, Sasha Fierce, like that she has that alter ego or something, right?
Yeah, but it's like, it's not like I'm like, I mean, I guess like, I, I wanna. It's not like I, I don't like want attention like, it seems kinda odd because I'm up on stage and I've got like plunging neckline, whatever. What I wanna do is feel, I wanna feel as alive as I feel on stage. And like, I feel like when I'm doing a show, I'm wanting to, I want other people to feel that. I want, I want to feel electric. I wanna feel just like, and in my day to day life, I can feel kind of like passive and, and, and, like I'm boring or something, I don't know.
And I kinda am in my real life, but I, but I, it's so weird because I feel like on, on stage, yeah, it's, it's not like wanting to, you know, get likes or followers. I feel like that's a whole different thing. Like being on stage, it's just like the, it's being a vital exchange between me and the people that are there.
Yeah, it's a connection.
It's a connection, yeah. And I feel like they're just as important to what's happening as, as me.
I think they are.
Especially with how you do what you do.
Yeah, it is pretty interactive.
It's pretty interactive.
But it's, but it's also like, I think it's like, I mean, I don't know how you feel, but I feel like it's conversation, you know? I feel like I'm in conversation with the people that are in the audience, even though I don't want them to talk. But I mean, like, I just-
There's a limit, yeah.
Yeah, there's a limit, but I, I think that they're giving me something, you know, like, and I'm, I mean, I'm, I'm starting the conversation, but they're, they're giving me like, the right to kind of, or the ability to feel seen and to feel understood. And it's like, it's for, for that reason, I would never stop doing it. Even though I've like, as, as I've gotten a little bit older, I've gotten a little more like nervous, you know? Not like real stage fright, I'm just like, why do I do this to myself?
Oh, that's normal.
It takes so much energy and-
That's so normal.
Yeah, well, that's good to hear.
Yeah, we all feel like that sometimes. And I'm not putting out as much energy as you are on stage. And I still feel like that sometimes.
It's a different kind of energy.
It's different, yeah. I mean- Well, I don't usually feel like that onstage, actually. Unless it's a really bad show, I guess, then I do feel like that. But more just the stuff that surrounds doing it. You know, all the work you put into it, the travel, all that stuff.
Yeah, it can be tough.
What do you, oh wait, I lost my, I already lost what I was gonna, you said something like two seconds ago. I was like, I wanna ask you a question. And I've already forgotten, so let's just pretend that never happened. You cut that out, keep it in. People need to know that it's real life.
Well, I have, I have, I have one thing to add to that is I feel alive when I'm making music and I get into the zone and that sort of flow state, whatever they call it. You know, that's the best feeling. And I love it when the audience is loud and interacts with me. The more, the better, you know?
Like singing along and stuff like that, or talking to you?
I so rarely get it. I took my kid to go see Billie Eilish and I couldn't hear a word she was singing because the audience was singing so loud. And it was really beautiful, but also I wanted to hear her a little more. But I don't have that. Like, my audience is really, really respectful. Like, they're great, they're amazing, but they're very quiet, they're listening. They're a real listening audience and it's beautiful. But it's also like, I like it when they get a little drunk and like yell at me a little. It does make me feel a little more interactive, so.
Do you encourage that? Do you like, come on, people?
I get shy onstage, talking. And in life, I'm not that shy. I'm pretty, you know, we joke around and whatever, but yeah, I don't know why.
I was just gonna say.
I don't know why. I'm not sure. But I kinda like to let the music do it for me. You know, I talk, I introduce my band, I say, what's up? If I'm feeling it, I'll talk a little more. If I'm not feeling it, I don't force it because I feel like it feels like a script.
Yeah, I do, I agree. Like, I think that when you see people, it's interesting watching singer-songwriters. Like, sometimes you can tell when people are like...
You know, I thought about this one. Let me, let me, let me, let me put this out.
Yeah, exactly. Like a crafted patter.
A crafted patter. You know, in category, that's the idea. You have a crafted patter, but it's part of a thing. But like, sometimes with the singer songwriter, I, I, you know, if something, you always want it to feel natural. Like, I only ever want to see the real version of somebody. I never want to see what they think that people want to see them do, or, I don't know.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I think people can see through that.
Totally.
And it's the same with social media. If you craft something really.
You know, people don't like it as much as if you're just like balls out, whatever you are.
I gotta get off that thing.
It is like, I mean, everything is so curated and so like, I think it's.
It's too curated.
It's too curated and it makes me, it, it makes me sad. I mean, I'm, you know, good for you, make your money, you know, you, this is, you know, people are making bank and that's great for them, but, but I, but I'm, I don't know, like, I miss, like, seeing people, like, who people are and not what the perception they want to put out. I don't know.
That's why I don't leave my house, I think. I think that might be why I don't leave my house. I think that's it. I'm so, I'm having a breakthrough today.
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Hey, it's Niall Rogers, host of Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series. I'm driving across the country, meeting some of today's most fascinating artists. We're exploring the stories before the moment that changed everything. This week, I'm joined by rising star Sienna Spiral. I love the 60s. I feel really jealous that I, I wasn't alive for it. I'd be interested, like, knowing what that was like and seeing the way culture and art has, has progressed today. How do you find it? Wait a minute. I'm. Sorry, I have so many questions. Sorry. You're not nervous, are you? I am nervous. You are? I am. I feel like insecure about my experience. I know I shouldn't.
But you know, I'm 20. I haven't really lived my life yet. And then sitting in front of somebody that has lived an enormous life is intimidating. And sometimes I feel like talking about myself is just not as interesting. So that's why I feel a bit nervous. I'll try and I'll try and ignore it, though. Please do. Experience Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series on the iHeart
Radio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaking of people being who they want to be, you know, writing the songs they want to write.
Dang it. You got this song, "Titties."
So this was one of the first songs you were writing with Adam, like, back in the day?
Yeah, well, I, so I used to go to Williamsburg for Catch Club, which was with Murray Hill and Champagne Jerry, two of my really good friends. And we would, you know, at the time, we were in our 40s. Now, we're older, but we would just, you know, play catch, do drills and whatever. And I was shagging fly balls and I just started thinking about...
Wait, start over. What, what are you talking about?
For a second, I thought you were talking about a club.
No, no, I was in Williamsburg at the, whatever the park is there.
What's the Catch Club?
Catch Club is like, what, so Murray and Neil used to play catch. And I was like, "Well, I want to play catch."
I'm picturing like a bar where the people are singing.
No, no, no. Like, we didn't even drink. This is like, it was like a, you know, like, Murray's like, "Kid, you gotta get some vitamin D."
Gotcha, gotcha. Okay, so you're playing ball?
Yeah, and it actually was born out of team pressure, which is a softball team that Adam used to run, Adam and Kathleen and Hannah. And, so anyway, this is our little offshoot, just doing drills, playing catch. It's people in their 40s do. And I was shagging fly balls because Murray is a real taskmaster with the...
I think, yeah, that's where I got lost, shagging fly balls. I'm sorry. Like, wait a second.
It's not an euphemism. It's like, but that could be a good song, Shaq and my balls.
I'm not very, you should write that song. You definitely should. I'm not very sporty.
Anyway, so I was just like, you got the, anyway. And so I told Adam, I was like, I just have this idea for a song. Is it stupid? And he's like, no, no.
It's a hit.
It's a hit. And like, and, and so I, so I just started writing all different kinds of tits. And it really, this is like, um, a song for my mom because of her beaver tails and like how free she was with them. And I was, I was always inspired by that.
That's great.
And, um, it's also kind of like a, a mantra. It's like a, I don't know. It's like a, I usually do this like it's a second song on my set typically, because I feel like it's a great equalizer, you know, just go around the room and tell people what kind of tits they have. And, and like, it sets the tone and, and like, I know that like, I'm supposed to move on and do new material, but it's hard to leave this one behind.
It's a real icebreaker.
It's an icebreaker. Yeah. And one time I was doing it and, um, I was going around the room and I was like really deep in the room. And I'm like naming all these kinds of tits. And then I turned around and I was like, you got, and I was like, oh my God. It was Gloria Steinem. And I'm like, I was like, cut the track, cut the track. That's why I refer to my band as the track. I hit the track, cut the track. And that was another moment where I was like, oh my God, this is like, you know, she's Gloria Steinem. Like, what's she getting? I'm singing about tits. And like, you know, I'm always worried that I'm, you know, but she was, she loved it.
She probably was there because she loved it.
Yeah. And, you know, it's just a constant, um, but anyway, I, I do love this song as stupid as it is, but sometimes stupid is good.
No, it's not stupid. It's, it's like a, um, it's like a body power mantra. Like it's a, it's an anthem.
Yeah. It's, you know, it's meant to make people feel good.
Just do it.
I'm just going to follow you.
Right? The chorus don't change too much.
No, they don't change. No.
No, see, this is, what I'm trying to do is teach you as somebody who has an incredible musical vocabulary that, you know, sometimes just one or two chords will do it.
I totally am here for that.
It's so bad.
I'm here for that.
Somebody said to me one time, like, they were doing like a night of like, all my songs, and then she was like, "Yeah, you don't really get too in the weeds with the chord changes, do you?"
Hey, it makes it more-
I want to.
Makes me able to get out of my head and just play the song, right? Come on, it's nice. It's nice.
My do- actually, it was like, I gotta get myself a songbook that's just like, like, just all the chords, you know, like, just like-
So like, cause like, they're just there in black and white, like, you might see, you know, like, this is C major, this is D, you know, this is G7, this is something sus. Like, I never, when somebody's like, "Oh, do something sus," I'm like, "What do you, what's that mean?"
Suss.
What does sus mean?
Well, the kids today have a whole other meaning for it, but-
Oh, that means like, uh-
But you know how-
In music terms.
You know how I always think of sus, and it helped me not overthink it, is I just do a triad. If it's D sus, I just do C triad over it.
Oh, I like, I like a sus. I always like a sus.
I love a sus. If it's G sus, you just do F triad.
So you're just doing a regular G major chord, and then, wait, no, what are you doing?
Wait, wait, well, what chord do you want to hear?
I want to hear like, is like, D major sus a thing?
D major sus, you play a D in the bass-
And you play a C triad in the right hand.
So a whole step down, do a major triad.
It's just, so it's this plus a, this plus a step down?
Yeah. It's just like a trick to, you know, think of it, cause I have-
And it's a D because the D's in the left hand?
Yeah, that's the anchor, that's the chord.
And then, once you get used to that, you can move your middle finger down, so it's- Instead of-
But that's how I always think of a sus to this day is I go a whole step down in the right hand.
I mean, it couldn't have been any simpler.
I know.
Why don't I ask questions when they're like, oh, just do something, something sus. I'm like, that sounds, that sounds complicated. It sounds expensive.
Exactly. I had this great piano teacher in junior high and high school who, who kind of opened up my mind to music because I was studying classical music until then and it didn't really compute with my brain. And I liked it, but I, I liked music, but I didn't, I wasn't into like reading right and left hand and I could do it, but it wasn't that easy for me. And so she taught me how to read a chord chart. And so she, she did circle of fourths. You know what that is?
In theory.
Yeah, in theory, you know, it goes, there's a pattern to music. It's kind of mathematical. And so she did it in the pattern where the notes kind of go up in the amount of sharps and flats. Anyway, I'm getting in the weeds here now. But anyway, she had a sheet which just circle of fourths, all the, the note names. And she said, just do a minor chord on each one with metronome and you just go through it. And then she had a random sheet. So then you do that one next. And that's how I ended up learning how to read chord charts and memorizing all the right voicings. Then you, you know, you eventually do it with fancy voicings or like different inversions and you just keep memorizing it.
I want to take the beginner class.
Because when I took piano lessons when I was a kid, like I took it from this woman, Barbara Shear, and I would go like Fridays before school or something ridiculous. And she had compression socks that she would wear. So she would just like put on her compression socks for like the first five, 10 minutes and talk to me about her aches and pains.
She would put them on in front of you?
Oh, yeah. It's like, and they were like.
That's pretty graphic.
You know, this is like the eighties, like early eighties. So they were like real thick, you know? And like, and she just sort of talked about her. Her circulation, a lot of, you know, stuff that she had going on. And we didn't, we didn't really, we didn't spend too many time, spend too much time actually playing piano.
Really? You were just her buddy.
I was just her buddy. But my brother Brock, you know, because he was good, I think they really, they really put the, um, the something to the something, what do you call it? You put the something to something.
The fuel to the fire, the fire, the poker, the fire poker and the
Yeah, they did that. But for me, I think I was more of a confidant.
Oh, well, never, never too late.
I'm gonna look, I'm gonna look for, um,
Suss and some instruction manuals. I have a piano now. I actually got the piano from somebody, somewhere, shipped out to my
Oh, really?
Yeah, and so I, so I've been sitting down at the piano more. It's been really fun.
Okay, but let's, uh, let's do some titties.
Let's do some titties.
You want to hit the track? You want me to start?
We can always start over if I mess up.
Huh?
We can start over if I mess up, right?
Heck, yeah. Just stop me.
Hold up. Stop the track.
You got them little nippy titties, put them in the air. She got them tube socked titties, she put them in the air. I got these beaver tail titties, I put them in the air. Put them up, put them up, put them up. You got them low riding titties, put them in the air. She got them flapjack titties, put them in the air. You got them single malt titties, put them in the air. Put them up, put them up, put them up. You got them rubber ducky titties, put them in the air. She got them slingshot titties, put them in the air.
You got them dipsy doodle titties, put them in the air. Put them up, put them up, put them up. And then we bounce, bounce, bounce. We bounce, bounce, bounce. We bounce, bounce, bounce. We bounce, bounce, bounce.
You got them cream lined titties, put them in the air. You got them pepperoni nip titties, put them in the Yeah, you got them tiny triangle titties. Put them in the air.
Put them up, put them up, put them up.
You got them stretch armstrong titties. Put them in the air. You got them red fair titties. Put them in the air. You got them know how to fold them titties. Put them in the air.
Put them up, put them up, put them up. And then we bounce, bounce, bounce. We bounce, bounce, bounce. We bounce, bounce, bounce. We bounce, bounce, bounce. You got them Wu-Tang, Hoover State, Peach Can titties. Tic Tac, Cracker Jack, Hammerhead titties. Firehose, Needle Nose, New York City titties. Put them up, put them up, put them up. We put them up. Put them up, put them up, put them up. We put them up. Put them up, put them up, put them up. And then we bounce.
Wait, what were those first three you said?
Oh, that's so freaking fun. Um, well, you got those cream line titties. Thinking about, you know, breast milk, you know, it's like, there's like that cream top. At the end, it's like a whole thing. It's like kind of watery when it first comes out. And then when you get to the end of the drink, it's like the cream line top. And then that pepperoni nip titties.
Yeah, love it.
Tiny triangle titties, which I've had, you know, when you get a sunburn and you got those little triangle bikinis on.
Uh, that's great.
That was so fun. Thank you.
Oh, you know, if you ever do Carnegie Hall.
Aw, man.
No, I'm kidding. That was fun.
That was awesome.
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Hey, it's Niall Rogers, host of Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series. I'm driving across the country, meeting some of today's most fascinating artists. We're exploring the stories before the moment that changed everything. This week, I'm joined by rising star Sienna Spiral. I love the 60s. I feel really jealous that I wasn't alive for it. I'd be interested, like, knowing what that was like and seeing the way culture and art has progressed today. How do you find it? Wait a minute, I'm really... I'm sorry, I have so many questions. Sorry. You're not nervous, are you? I am nervous. You are? I am. I feel, like, insecure about my experience. I know I shouldn't, but, you know, I'm 20. I haven't really lived my life yet.
And then sitting in front of somebody that has lived an enormous life is intimidating. And sometimes I feel like talking about myself is just not as interesting. So that's why I feel a bit nervous. I'll try and ignore it, though. Please, dude. Experience Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series on the iHeart Radio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
I want to come, I gotta come see you. I'm gonna be out of town when you do the Beacon, unfortunately.
I'm always around.
But...
And I'm always at Joe's. Anytime you want to come, I want to come see you.
Yeah, you know, I used to live right behind Joe's.
I can't believe, I feel like, I can't believe I haven't run into you, but I didn't really go into the cabaret scene at all.
I never did, but I feel like I should have.
Well, it's...
It would have, I've played piano. It would have been perfect for me, you know?
It's actually, you know, the subset of the cabaret scene that I'm in is like, it's pretty cool. People have done really, gone on to do really great things. Like, we used to host this show called Our Hit Parade, and like, people, it was based on your hit parade, and like, you would cover like a pop hit or whatever. And a lot of people did that. Jeff Hiller, who's, that's kind of how I thought about him for, to be in the show.
That's how you met?
Yeah, and then, but like, Cola Scola, who's like, O'Merion Broadway, you know, like, there's a lot of people that are, and Justin Vivian Bond, who...
I know, I know.
Yeah. Um, she was kinda like, um, Kiki and Herb were like the first thing that I used to go see. And like, oh my god, this is, I didn't, I didn't even know this kind of performing existed. And like, it really.
When you first moved to New York?
Yeah, it rewired my brain. My friend Zach took me, um, he's like, I have this show I think you're gonna love. And it was like, getting there every Sunday night, like first in line, so we could be the closest, you know.
That's so fun. Yeah.
I just was like, losing my mind, cuz I, I'd never seen anything like that. I'm from Kansas and I went to Arizona State, so I didn't even know. And then, yeah, I, you know, the great thing about New York is, is sometimes as much as I try to run away from it now, because it just feels like, you know, living here long enough, it's like, it feels, you know, it gets, it can wear you down after a minute.
But those early days, it was so thrilling, like the drag queens I would see and, like, those people all, they raised me. That was my education. Um, so, I don't know.
It's pretty special.
It can be a miracle, this place.
Do you feel like that's still happening and you're just too tired to go out? Cuz that's how I feel.
I feel like it's probably all out there still.
Definitely.
I just, I wanna stay home and watch TV sometimes.
I got invited to, it's just like they were asking me, they were like, giving me a free ticket to go to the show. That was, um, I can't remember what it's called right now, but I didn't go because I just, it's, oh my god, I gotta take a shower.
You gotta put on makeup.
I gotta put on makeup.
I'm too tired for that.
I'm too tired.
That's how I feel.
But I feel like maybe that's also kinda part of the problem. Like, I'm part of the problem, like, that I'm not taking advantage of the things that I used to take advantage of. Like, I don't go out to really restaurants. I go to dinner, I go to the sushi place by my house and by myself, and I treat myself.
Only if it's easy, though, right?
Yeah, it's easy.
Like, not if it's a big deal, if you have to make a reservation, like, yeah.
And I'll go see a friend of mine if they're playing Joe's Pub, because I know I can get a table that I like and I'll be comfortable.
Yeah, but not, not an unknown club.
I don't want to.
Where you don't know, you don't have a backstage toilet.
No, all of that, like, it seems so, and it's not about feeling special, it's just about feeling comfortable.
Comfortable. No, I totally agree. I feel the same.
I saw these people, this, um, they have this song like, da da da da da, by Hater. They're like, uh, like a brother and sisters or whatever, and they were playing The Blue Note. And I looked it up online, and I was like, I really wanted to see them, and yet I didn't go. And then there's a new. I just saw, um, The Favors, is that what they're called? Phineas and Ash, maybe?
Yeah, I don't know.
They have a new album and I was like, my friend makes fun of me because all I do is listen to, you know, music from the seventies mostly and, and even earlier, like some eighties. But you know, like, I'm really stuck.
Yeah, that's okay.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna look up some new music.
Some good shit right there.
And I, I know, I like, I love funk, soul, disco. Like, you know, I love like hearing, I love yacht rock, I love everything. So I, I found them online, I listened to their album, I was like, oh, I really, I think I really like this. I'm enjoying them. And, and then I went on their social media and they're like, oh, we're playing Summer Stage. You know, it was like the next night and I was like, I live by Central Park. I could walk over there.
I could go.
So did you?
No.
I, okay, well, I have this problem also and I was wondering, I mean, is it partly social anxiety?
Yeah, that's a, I think that's a piece of it.
Well, also, um, you know, I like to do things by myself, but I also, it's a little bit different now because now that I'm on a TV show and a little bit more recognizable, not that it's really a problem in New York people, but like you still feel like if you go somewhere alone, you're not really just sitting there by yourself. Like I feel a little self-conscious or something, or just like.
Or does being by yourself invite people to talk to you more?
I feel like that, yeah. I feel like I need somebody to, to come.
Buffer.
A buffer.
I even feel like that when I go home for, to see my family, I can't go by myself. I have to, my brother always, he lives in California, I was like, you wanna go to Kansas? Like, I can't do it alone.
Together, yeah.
Because even, it's, it's my family, but I just like, I can't, I can't do that. I mean, I can do stuff alone, like, like I said, I go to my sushi restaurant.
Yeah, but that's not the same.
But they're not gonna really bother you. And I talk to my, I talk to the gals that, you know, the, the servers, the waitress, whatever you wanna call them. Uh, I say waitress, I was a waitress for 25 years, I think you can say that.
I think you can say waitress.
Yeah. Yeah.
Anyway, I've gotten off track, where were we?
You got people, you got a family.
Yes, that also makes me tired and wanna stay home. It also makes me wanna go out.
A little bit. But, uh, no, I mean, it's just nice to get cozy every night. And like, it's hard to, it's hard to motivate, I think. Both physically.
And socially.
I agree.
And then alcohol for me is like, it's like, if I go out, I'm gonna wanna drink. And I don't wanna drink and.
Well, that's another thing.
That's a little hard.
I'm like trying to not drink as much.
Samesies. Whoops, I said it again.
That's your new hit, samesies.
Yeah, samesies.
People are not gonna see that coming from Norah Jones.
Been hanging out with my nine year old too much.
But, you know, like, because, because I don't wanna drink as much, then I like, like this week, I'm in the city all week and I have, um, three nighttime obligations. And they're all like things where, you know, where people are gonna wanna drink. And if I'm not drinking, they're gonna be like, what's your problem?
I mean, not like that, not what's your problem, but I just don't feel like, you know, if I drink, then I, especially if it's an open bar, then I'm gonna drink too much, I'm gonna feel like shit the next day. I'm not gonna be productive and I'm really trying to write right now and I'm trying to find my next creative thing. And so I really wanna have a clear head.
Which is something I never thought I would say. I used to drink, you know, I used to drink wine every night, but I just can't, I don't wanna do that anymore.
I mean, I still like to have a little.
Of course.
Whisper.
I'm gonna still, I'll still knock it back. I went out with somebody on Saturday night. I, I, I was upstate and my neighbor, um, somebody that I work with. And my friend had to like coach me. He was like, just, cause the guy texted me, he's like, I'm in town. Are you around? And, and I'm like, I'm here. Like I'm, I've been working all day. I, you know, I'm trying to, I've been, you know, I bought some plants.
My friend is like, just go, like just.
And so I picked him up. I said, you want me to pick you up? I'm gonna go to the brewery. Do you want to come to the brewery with me? We went to the brewery. We split a pizza. We had two rounds of drinks. And he's like, do you want another? I was like, I think that was good. And then we went home. And so I did it.
You did it?
I did it.
That's hard.
So it can't, it can't be done. And you know what? It wasn't, it was, I enjoyed myself.
And you didn't feel bad?
I didn't feel bad.
I don't, you know, so.
Well, that's the trick, isn't it? If you, if you can just do that, then it's okay.
But that's hard for some people.
That is hard.
That's hard for me also.
I mean, I don't waste, I just feel like I'm wasting a lot of days by not doing more stuff sometimes.
Yeah, I know. But you know, you're living life.
I really am into plants though, right?
That's cool, though.
It's like, I like to have some, it's like I talk to them.
I think you have to have a hobby in this business.
Otherwise, you will drive yourself crazy.
Yeah. I wish it was, um, it was like a little, you know, I have some friends that like that. We have a songwriter's group that we do once a month and I haven't been going to that.
That's so nice.
I know. And I haven't been going to that as much. And they're like my, they're like my friend family. And I'm like, I'm just like, I'm always finding a reason to not go.
Huh.
Do we need a couch?
No, no, I'm going next month. This is boring. Let's talk about something fun.
Hey, um, well, I don't want to take up too much of your time because you've given so much. Um, and I just, I could sit here forever and talk to you, but, um.
I think we did pretty good.
I think we did great. And I, so.
If you lived in the neighborhood, I would, I would swing by and not unexpectedly, I'd be like, yeah. What are you doing in 45 minutes? Do you want to have one, one glass of wine?
One glass, just one.
One.
We'll hold each other accountable.
And we'll make it two, but that's it.
Or, or one and a half.
Well, I mean, we gotta do it again sometime.
Absolutely.
It'd be really fun. We like to end the show with kind of a wild card or a cover sometimes. And I love it when people suggest songs that I have never played. And in this case, you've suggested this Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb", that you do in your show a lot. I actually didn't know this song. And I know Sarah said it was like a huge hit. Like, of course, I should have known it.
Well, the Hannah Montana years.
That's the thing. I love Miley Cyrus and I know all her stuff in the last like five, 10 years. But the Hannah Montana years, I think I was, I don't know, I was not paying attention to what was on the radio.
So I didn't know this song.
Well, this is, I did it for our hit parade many years ago. And like, it's one of those songs where I like, this song is, come on. And then like, when I sing it, I find it, even though the lyrics are a little, like, maybe literal or on the nose or whatever, I think it's such an inspirational song. It makes me feel so good.
It's emotional.
Isn't it funny how songs from maybe when you were younger?
That maybe you thought were, eh, that's popular. Or that's maybe even corny. I'm not saying this song is corny, but like, just in general, songs from those days. And now, it's like, it makes you cry.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
You know, because you relate to it in a way that you didn't understand maybe when you were young. I don't know.
Well, it sort of goes back to that thing you were saying at the beginning. It's like, you know, when I, when we started doing that show, our hit parade, which is all about pop music, like, it reframed my, like, I was like, you know, I never was like, a pop music kind of fan or person.
I was gonna ask that.
And I, it just, it just wasn't like something I would, that was tracking for me. But, but that, that era of my life gave me such an appreciation for it. And like, there was something you said earlier about like, you know, lyrically, like, sometimes you just say the...
The cliches.
The cliche, like, sometimes there's a lot of cliche in pop music. But I like it.
Well, if you, in songwriting, if you try to take all the cliches out, or all the things that are too like, on the nose, sometimes you take out the heart of the song.
And if you mean it, it's not a cliche.
Write it down. Write it down.
If you're feeling it, it's real.
I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming But there's a voice inside my head saying You'll never reach it Every step I'm taking, every move I make feels Lost with no direction, my faith is shaken But I, I'm gonna keep trying Gonna keep my head held high, why? I'll tell you why There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes you're gonna have to lose Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb These struggles I'm facing, these chances I'm taking Well, sometimes might knock me down But no, I'm not breaking And I may not know where But these are the moments I'm gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going
But I, I've gotta be strong Just keep pushing on, yeah There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be an uphill battle Sometimes you're gonna have to lose Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb, yeah
There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes you're gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side.
It's the climb.
It's the climb. I don't know why I added that. Yeah, this is a bunch of screw under what was, we were having a good moment and I fucked it up.
That was really pretty.
What are you doing? What are we doing?
I don't know what we're doing. I liked it.
I think it's good. Just keep it in and just, you know, sometimes we fuck things up. Sometimes you fuck it.
This is casual. It's the climb.
You know, how fun to get to sing with you.
That was so fun.
I think that was really, it was really, um, these are the moments, you know?
Yeah, it was special. Yeah, we did it.
Thank you, America.
OnDeck is built to back small businesses like yours. Whether you're buying equipment, expanding your team, or bridging cash flow gaps, OnDeck's loans up to $400,000 help make it happen fast.
Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and earning thousands of five-star TrustPilot reviews, OnDeck delivers funding you can count on. Apply in minutes at ondeck.com. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by OnDeck or Celtic Bank. OnDeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amounts subject to lender approval. Hey, it's Niall Rogers, host of Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series. I'm driving across the country, meeting some of today's most fascinating artists. We're exploring the stories before the moment that changed.
This week, I'm joined by breakout singer-songwriter Alex Warren. I'm like a kid when I play music and I make music and I'm constantly asking questions. You know, whether it's an instrument I haven't played, or it's a melody that seems foreign. You know, this every night you play a show and it's the same set, but it's not the same show. At a certain point, your brain kind of goes on autopilot. When I'm in the studio, or if I'm making music, that's where that curiosity kind of comes back. You know, I haven't lost it yet, but I'm also on my sophomore album. So, and you, you obviously are an expert here. Experience Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series on the iHeart Radio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Aw, thanks for listening.
Oh, my God, that was so funny.
That was so fun. I feel like for a week after that episode, I woke up in the middle of the night with titty ideas.
I was too. I was like, oh, we should have done.
We should have done this one.
And then I wonder if, actually, I heard a different version of it. And I heard a couple that I thought I made up, but no.
Do you think she took them from you?
No, I think I subconsciously locked them into my brain.
She's a great human. That was really fun.
Don't forget her tour, Big Titties, Big Dreams.
Check it out in a, in a theater near you.
Yeah, the songs we did today, the first song was "Home," which was released as a single in 2023 for her TV show, Somebody Somewhere. Second song we did, titled "Titties." It's from her album called Pound It, which was released in 2013. Third song, we did the Miley Cyrus song from Hannah Montana, the movie, released in 2009 called "The Climb." Special thanks to Bridget Everett for joining us today. And next week, we'll be back with Julian Laje. Norah Jones is playing along as a production of iHeart Podcasts. I'm your host, Norah Jones. Visit Norah Jones' channel and be sure to subscribe while you're there. This episode is recorded by Matt Marinelli,
mixed by Jamie Landry, audio post-production and mastering by Greg Tobler. Artwork by Eliza Fry, photography by Sherwin Laniz, produced by Norah Jones and Sarah Oda. Executive producers Erin Wong Kaufman and Jordan Runtog, marketing lead Queen Anaki. Thanks for listening.
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