Interview with "A New Violet"

Ever want to throw a bag in the car, leave the stale routine behind, and floor it toward something that feels alive again? That’s the pulse beating through our conversation with Beth from A New Violet—a rock vocalist with a punk heart—fresh off the electricity of Warped Tour and deep in the craft of songs that move fast, hit hard, and actually say something.

We dive into 66, a highway anthem that doubles as a personal dare: escape the four walls, grab the person who gets you—or go alone—and chase a life that breathes. Beth opens up about the layers hidden in the lyric, from nostalgia and romance to self-motivation when you’re stuck. We unpack the new EP, The Heat Is Getting Hotter, calling out the line the heat is getting hotter, I’m burnt for a reason and exploring how the best hooks invite you back to discover the message underneath. Conformity takes the punk crown on the tracklist, a fast, defiant refusal to live by someone else’s plan or timeline, while Runaway channels a real friendship rift into a cathartic sing-along that still hits after the dust settles.

Along the way, we get into the studio process behind This Is My Life with Orlando’s Red Lion Studio, talk self-taught guitar roots, and debate hooks versus bridges—the hooks pull you in, but the bridge can turn a good song great. Beth shares why genre boxes feel too tight, how rock muscle and punk attitude can live in the same chorus, and why evolving sound is a feature, not a flaw. If you’re hunting for new rock music with real guitars, big choruses, and lyrics that stand for something, you’ll find plenty to add to your queue.

Listen now, share it with a friend who needs a road-song push, and tell us the track that grabbed you first. If you enjoy these conversations, follow the show, leave a quick review, and subscribe so you never miss what’s next.

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Chapters

• 0:39 Welcome And Guest Intro
• 1:07 Warped Tour Return And Highlights
• 4:10 Defining A New Violet’s Sound
• 4:55 Favorite Sets And The Live Energy
• 8:15 Route 66 And Writing The Anthem
• 10:56 Layers Of Meaning In 66
• 13:25 The New EP And Standout Lyrics
• 17:14 Do Bandmates Hear The Words
• 18:58 Conformity And Punk Attitude
• 23:24 Instrument Roots And Self‑Teaching
• 26:52 Runaway And A Friendship Rift
• 30:44 Anime Tattoos And Stories
• 34:54 Production Process On This Is My Life
• 37:44 Singles, Catchiness, And Next EP Plans
• 43:04 Genre Blending And Artistic Freedom
• 47:44 Fan Expectations And Staying True

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:13

I don't work for you to have a podcast. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the show. I am your host, Harley, and today joined by a super special guest, uh, Beth from the band A New Violet. Beth, how are you?

SPEAKER_05: 0:41

I'm pretty good. Uh a little tired. I've been out all day, all weekend at Warp Tour.

SPEAKER_02: 0:46

So Yeah, that's incredible. Yeah. Um, so how was Warp Tour?

SPEAKER_05: 0:54

It was really, really good. Really good. I'm so glad they brought it back.

SPEAKER_02: 1:00

You and me both. I unfortunately wasn't able to attend any of them this year. Um, but I'm I'm hoping that things change next year for me. Um, were you an attendee or were you playing?

SPEAKER_05: 1:14

Oh no, I I I wanted to play, but um actually my band tried out for the Battle of the Bands thing, but we we didn't get nominated to play, so that's crazy.

SPEAKER_02: 1:24

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_05: 1:25

Yeah, I I mean it is what it is.

SPEAKER_02: 1:29

You guys are incredible. I I absolutely love that you're bringing back like old school, just pure rock and roll. Um, it's it's a really cool, like I don't know, I don't know how people could classify you as pop punk. I I'm not hearing that on my end. Um, it's more of like a hard rock or just like like pure rock to me. Um maybe it's something to do with your vocals. You do have a little bit of a scream in there on occasion. Um, but no, it's it's such a cool sound to see kind of coming back, and you guys are really keeping rock and roll alive, and I I love that. It's it's awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 2:06

Um yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 2:08

Yeah, absolutely. Uh, what was your favorite band over in Warp Tour this year?

SPEAKER_05: 2:13

Uh well, there's a few bands that I saw that I really loved. Like I've always loved Yellow Card, um Ocean Avenue. I got to see them live for the first time. Um, Pennywise.

SPEAKER_02: 2:26

Incredible band, yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 2:27

Classic. Uh Bowling for Soup was playing today. Uh even like Kill Switch Engage, they freaking rot. Like, I'm not normally I'm not really into like metal or like hard rock like that, but like man, they they like destroyed the state. It was so good. Like work tour is so much better because you can like walk right up and be right in front of the band as opposed to like going to one of these amphitheaters and you pay like so much money for tickets and you're so far back, or it's like you have to be seated. It just feels so alive and like I don't know. I I like my my heart is happy right now. Just the feeling of warp tour this year overall was insane.

SPEAKER_02: 3:13

Yeah, yeah. No, it's absolutely uh like like I saw in the lineup, and um we've had a few guests on the show that were playing this year, uh Jarrett Reddick from Bullying for Soup, um, and then a band called Keep Flying. I don't know if they were at the one that you went to today, um, but they uh they were there uh in DC. Um and yeah, I it was it seemed so awesome. I I really wish I had been able to go, but I hope that I hope the roster gets even better next year. I hope that uh I hope that you guys are able to be there. You know what I mean? That would be awesome.

SPEAKER_05: 3:49

I hope so too. I I really want to play warp tour. I've always wanted to play warp tour. I've just not been I haven't like got my act together enough until like now, like how much more serious I am about my music. So I think that will we might have a better shot because I'm really like pushing our music and uh putting a lot more effort into it.

SPEAKER_02: 4:09

Yeah. Hopefully speaking speaking of the music, let's talk about 66. Um, have you been on Route 66 before?

SPEAKER_03: 4:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 4:21

So I have never been. Is is it a cool trip?

SPEAKER_05: 4:25

It's awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 4:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 4:28

Um it's well worth the trip. You you've got to do. I think every single person that lives here in the United States or it has access to that road, you've got to do it at least once in your life, you know, like take a whole trip from across, like up the whole thing, and then back down. And um, I also was on like I I can't remember the the name of the road, but it's like right in the middle of the United States. It's not 66, but it's another one. Oh like through Texas.

SPEAKER_02: 4:59

Oh no, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_05: 5:02

I I can't remember the name of it, but it's a really scary road to go on.

SPEAKER_02: 5:10

Um especially when you're alone. So what what would you say 66 is about lyrically? Just the adventure of it?

SPEAKER_05: 5:22

Yeah, it's an adventure song. It's like, fuck this life, fuck everything. I'm throw I'm throwing it all away, and I'm just going on a road trip. And it's got like that nostalgic feeling to it. It also has uh a little bit of romance because it's like the lyrics are like with my head close to yours, you know, like you're on a road trip with somebody that you want to be on a road trip with. It could be like your best friend, but um, it could be like a lover too, like you guys are just like throwing burning the world behind you and just going.

SPEAKER_02: 5:56

So I when I listened to it, I thought of it as like uh a little deeper. I thought of it as a way of like saying, like, almost in a in a motivational way to yourself, like I just I gotta get off my ass and do something. Like like that idea of just like I'm sad, I'm depressed, I'm I'm a homebody, and and I gotta I gotta get out there and just do anything, literally anything besides what I'm doing right now.

SPEAKER_05: 6:22

Yeah, and that's the great thing about the song. I think too, it's it's not just linear. There's like so many different uh layers to it. It could be you could make it into like running away with like someone you want to run away with, or it could be a song about like just burning everything behind you and being like, I don't even care anymore. Just rip your hair out and like throw a bag in the car and fuck off to the world.

SPEAKER_02: 6:49

Was was there any sort of um relationship element to it that kind of drove you to write that?

SPEAKER_05: 6:55

No, not at all. I really just like that it this is that part of the lyric where it's like um with my head close to yours, like that's that's just um something I added in there because it it just sounded kind of neat, you know. Like, if you're not coming with me, I'm going without you.

SPEAKER_00: 7:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 7:16

Um, so you're like, I'm I'm sleeping on a dirty floor, I'm writing lyric. I'm just like, I'm ready to experience something bigger than just these four walls, you know. Um, it's also like just kind of like the the vibe of going to different places and just experiencing that place for the moment and then moving on to the next thing.

SPEAKER_02: 7:38

And and that was the line for me that kind of was like the you're talking to yourself in that moment. Like, hey, I'm going with with or without you. I'm going. You know what I mean? That alter ego of like, we're doing this, no matter what you think, we're doing this. Um let's talk about the new EP in its entirety, uh, specifically over again. Um there's there's a line in that song, and I I was I I was here looking this up because I wanted to get the line right, but I can't find the lyrics. Um there's a line that you have in there that's like the heat is getting hot, and and that's why I'm burnt, or something like something along those lines. I love that line so much.

SPEAKER_05: 8:23

Um think of what it is. Um I have 66 in my head right now. So I'm trying to like switch over to over again. Um well, wait around for another seas. The heat is getting hotter. I'm burnt for a reason.

SPEAKER_02: 8:42

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love that line. That's such a fun line. How did you how did you come up with that?

SPEAKER_05: 8:50

I don't know how I come up with the like the majority of my music. I uh really just channel it in, like funnel it in somehow. Uh it comes in random moments, you know? Like I could be writing the song and then I'm I put it down and then like I just start getting more lyrics that come in. I'm like, oh, that sounds that's gonna sound good. Write it in there. We try it out.

SPEAKER_02: 9:18

You wrote that studio CPO when you wrote that line, did you like have a moment where you're writing it down and you're like, oh, this shit's good?

SPEAKER_05: 9:28

Yeah, yeah. But it's like you never know if anybody's gonna catch anything that you write. Because I I've asked my bandmates, you know, I'm like, um, like they don't even know what this song is about, you know, like they before they were in the band, I because I wrote all the music. Um, and some of the guys that came in later, I was like, you know the lyric that goes da-da-da-da-da. And they're like, What, what? I'm like, have you listened to the lyrics of the song? Or you just like he's they're like, No, I didn't listen. So I'm like, okay, um, this is all in vain then. Like, well, y'all are just what are y'all doing? Listen to the music. Listen to the whole thing, not just not just the music, like, listen to the lyrics, what the song is about, feel it. But anyway, yeah, I never know if anybody catches anything that I write. I'm so I'm glad I did.

SPEAKER_02: 10:22

I'm I'm a songwriter too, so I I immediately jump into lyrics and and start analyzing and dissecting everything. And when like a clever line hits me, I just I gravitate towards it. And that one I was like, I kept playing it over and over. I was like, oh, that's really good. That's really clever. Um again, you your your whole EP is very like adventurous, it's very um like bubbly and and like going out. You have this like very like going out energy. Um except for conformity, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_05: 10:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 10:59

What what makes conformity different on the EP?

SPEAKER_05: 11:03

Oh, conformity um really stands out on its own because I I think it's a little that one's like definitely more of a harder hitting punk song. Um it also that's just how I feel in general. Like I hate being boxed in, I hate time. You know, I think time's stupid. I think that it's I know that sound sounds dumb, but like time with um like the way that the world go, like, oh, you have to do this this way, you have to do it this way. Like that's pukey feeling for me. Um, so that song conformity is like I'm not doing anything you say. I'm gonna live. I live for me. Like when I die, when I'm not here anymore, um, who's who's gonna care what I was doing? You know what I'm saying? Right. Live your life the way you want, not for another man. Uh the whatever they're doing over there in in general, these world leaders and these men that think that they know how to run a country. I'm talking about women too, like just men in general, people. They're it they're telling, they're trying to tell us how to live our life and like what we need to do. You know what I'm saying? Like, why do I have to live like that? So conformity is about not conforming to anything anybody has to say or about who you are, what you're about, and really living freely to who you are. Um, so it's just a big attitude to that.

SPEAKER_02: 12:42

It yeah, it and it's like this attack on um suburban society, you know what I mean? That that traditional suburban American life, the the white picket fins life. Um I feel like you you kind of nailed the idea of like that that is kind of an outdated mindset, you know?

SPEAKER_03: 13:04

Really is, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 13:05

Yeah, and I feel like your song really speaks to like that's just that's just not how things are anymore. We don't we don't have to be this version of everybody doesn't have to be the same.

SPEAKER_05: 13:16

Yeah. Yeah. I I love when people are just themselves and not trying to be something because they're told to be or they're afraid to not be that way. Um, so I I really, really, really was born like that. I came out that way. So it's not it's not like I just was like, yay, I like punk music and I'm gonna be punk rock. Like I was born punk rock, like ask my parents, you know, they they couldn't keep me contained for anything. So um I that's why I love that's why I call my music punk too, because like even if it has like more rock elements or whatever, punk is like the thing that drives the music, you know what I mean. Like the punk attitude, the punk um vibes and the what I'm saying in my music.

SPEAKER_02: 14:05

So yeah. Yeah. I think the the the music screams rock, but the lyrics scream punk.

SPEAKER_05: 14:14

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm not traditional punk, it's not like I mean I could write songs like that or all day, but I like a little more depth to the music, something that people can feel.

SPEAKER_02: 14:27

So now are you an instrumentalist yourself?

SPEAKER_05: 14:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 14:32

Yeah. Uh what what do you play?

SPEAKER_05: 14:35

I play guitar, uh a little bit of keyboard, but that's just the kind of fine stuff. Um, I can play bass, but I'm not really into bass. So I would say guitar is like my main instrument.

SPEAKER_02: 14:47

Yeah. How long have you been playing?

SPEAKER_05: 14:53

Well, I picked up a guitar when I was a kid, so it was an old guitar from a uh what do you call it? Yard sale.

SPEAKER_01: 15:04

Oh nice.

SPEAKER_05: 15:06

And it I think my mom picked it up or something, and I I just started strumming it because I used to just make up songs when I was a kid, just verbally making up songs. So um when I got the guitar, then I could really like start writing stuff and I didn't know how to play at all. Um, but I self-taught when I was a teenager. So like I started really learning how to play guitar.

SPEAKER_02: 15:32

Yeah, I'm also self-taught. I I started around like 13. Um I started from guitar hero, actually. So I was playing guitar hero. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I was like, yeah, I could probably do this.

SPEAKER_05: 15:44

I know, I I could never get into guitar hero because I was like, this is lame. I'm just pressing buttons. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 15:52

Um, let's talk about Runaway. When I first heard the song, I thought it was going to be a cover. It ended up not being a cover. Um, tell me about like the lyrical story of Runaway.

SPEAKER_05: 16:36

Oh, we're on Runaway now. Okay. So uh my friend and I actually had a big falling out. Um and so that song was kind of inspired by that friendship and our argument, like our fight, like um, like her talking shit, and then me responding with like, come on, bring your guns out, you know. So Runaway was yeah, that's how that that song became something because it was inspired by like a big fight I got with my friend, but now we're friends again, so it worked worked out perfect. And when she heard it, she's like, I knew Runaway was about me. I was like, Well, it wasn't all about you, but it was definitely inspired by our big fight we got in because it it was just like off the wall. I'm like, what did where did this come what happened? You know? Right. So I was like, all right, you're gonna be you're gonna be the muse for this song.

SPEAKER_02: 17:36

Now, uh, do you do you plan on doing a follow-up to Runaway since the relationship has been rekindled?

SPEAKER_05: 17:44

It's hard for me to write songs that are nice. I don't know. I usually write a lot of my songs through angst or like things that bother me. Um, but maybe I don't know. Maybe I should try a different avenue.

SPEAKER_02: 17:58

I think that would be that would be a cool uh sequel in the next DP for sure.

SPEAKER_05: 18:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 18:04

You know what?

SPEAKER_05: 18:04

Maybe I'll stick song.

SPEAKER_02: 18:06

Yeah, there you go. Um I want to talk about your tattoos. I I'm trying to the the sleeve you have there is so cool.

SPEAKER_05: 18:15

Oh, thanks. Yeah, I've got uh I really love anime. I've always been big anime, uh just inspired. Like I used to just draw. Um, like I'd get those books from like Barnes and Noble and draw anime, yeah. So I was I just love anime. So I've got like a pull-up doll here. Uh it's kind of like anime style. Got another one here. She's like falling from the sky.

SPEAKER_02: 18:45

It's very like cause.

SPEAKER_05: 18:47

She's meditating.

SPEAKER_02: 18:50

Nice.

SPEAKER_05: 18:51

Yeah. And the guy that did this tattoo, he was on meth when he did it. I didn't know. Like my friend, she's like, You want to go get a tattoo? Like, sure. So she brings me to this guy that's really like he's a meth addict. And I was a little worried when he started, but he was a pretty good artist. Um, but the reason I bring that up is because he added something to it. Right here. I don't know if you can see it. Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01: 19:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 19:19

This is not supposed to be there. Um, it's just like her hair, and she's just like, you know, I never went back. I didn't see like I never finished it because I was like, I'm not going back to him. Um, but yeah, this here, I I found out later that he tattooed that on everyone. Every tattoo he did on somebody, he would add that, like holes like in the tattoo. So it was like a signature of his.

SPEAKER_01: 19:46

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_05: 19:47

And I thought of it as like holes in his brain, like meth holes.

SPEAKER_02: 19:51

Right, right.

SPEAKER_05: 19:52

That's the way that I like when I look at that, that's what it means.

SPEAKER_02: 19:55

It reminds me of you're into anime. What uh did you grow up watching any at all?

SPEAKER_05: 20:06

Uh Howells Movie in Castle was like a huge- Yeah, there you go. That's like one of my all-time favorite animes, and like anything from him. I I I can't remember his name.

SPEAKER_02: 20:18

The oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 20:20

Um I always forget how to say it.

SPEAKER_02: 20:23

Uh Ghibli, Studio Ghibli is the studio, but I don't remember his actual name.

SPEAKER_05: 20:30

Yeah. Uh anything by him, like Spirited Away and things like that.

SPEAKER_02: 20:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_05: 20:34

But I just find anime like on Netflix, and I'll just watch certain ones.

SPEAKER_02: 20:40

And have you seen um have you seen Flow with the Cat?

SPEAKER_05: 20:45

I started watching that, but I have not got into it yet. Because I'm I'm working on like a few other ones, but yes.

SPEAKER_02: 20:53

So I have a I have a one-year-old, right? And and he loves cats. So I was like, let's watch this cat, you know. Hey, there you go. Yeah. Um, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_05: 21:06

Tell your son. I know he's one, but like cats are awesome. I love them too.

SPEAKER_02: 21:12

Well, not to spoil it for you, but that movie is so sad. Like, 20 minutes in, I was like, completely invested in this cat's world, and like making sure this cat stayed alive through the whole movie was so important to me. Like, it was it's crazy. There's not enough information about that movie. When you play it, it's supposed to be like you know, just like a family movie, and it's so sad. Um, shout out Flo though. Everybody watch Flo.

SPEAKER_05: 21:41

Okay, yeah, I literally I turned it on, but then I didn't end up like watching it. So now that you tell me that, I don't know if I can watch it.

SPEAKER_02: 21:51

Like if it's anything to do with it, it's beautiful, it's not like sad, like there's nothing, no, no, no deaths, no deaths. Okay, all right, all right. Beautiful, sad story. Yeah, yeah. Cat survives. All of the all of the beloved animals survive. Um so let's jump into uh This is my life. The the first track, track one, comes in real hard. Um what was the the melodic direction? Do you get do you have any insight on like the actual instrumentation or do you just come in with the vocals?

SPEAKER_05: 22:32

On that song, I actually worked on that song with my producer. Um awesome. Yeah, he has a studio called Red Lion Studio, and I've been working with him since runaway. So 2021, like we have such a good working relationship. I love that guy. He's uh I would say hands down top, top, top producer in Orlando.

SPEAKER_00: 22:57

Really? Interesting.

SPEAKER_05: 23:00

Um him and I worked on that together. We sat down and started working on instrumental and like kickback ideas, and then we came up with that together. Um but yeah, he I he's just so wonderful to work with. And I I can't really go into details about what we did instrumentally. Um because once we wrote like the basic part of it, he went in and he started adding like a couple new things to it to give it like more like the bells and whistles to it, which you probably thinking about.

SPEAKER_02: 23:35

Yeah, yeah. Um, but the song itself is so like a perfect way to start the rest of the album. Um what what would you say is your favorite song from this EP like to work on?

SPEAKER_05: 23:53

Uh the favor my favorite song to work well, 66 is actually gonna go on our next CP, just so you know. Um everything else is just the heat is getting hotter. Um my favorite to work on. I think it might have been This Is My Life. That might have been my favorite one.

SPEAKER_02: 24:18

Yeah, I mean it it's such a it's like a brilliant way to to intro in everything. Like I said, it comes in real hard. Um it's a really smooth transition into Runaway. Um do you feel that on this EP Runaway would be kind of the the single per se on the album, or would you say um over again? I think over again is more cat catchy, but I think Runaway is a better song.

SPEAKER_05: 24:50

Yeah, Runaway is this like the single for sure.

SPEAKER_02: 24:53

Yeah, yeah, hell yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 24:56

Um and that came out before the EP, so kind of like 66.

SPEAKER_02: 25:01

Yeah, yeah. So what are we looking for on this next EP?

SPEAKER_05: 25:08

I don't know. What are we looking for? Tell me.

SPEAKER_02: 25:11

Well, so so are we able to talk about any of the other tracks other than 66?

SPEAKER_05: 25:20

I have nothing completely recorded yet. It's all demos right now. I'm going in don't mark my don't mark my words, but planning on January being the month we're putting the we're gonna put all our work into studio because right now I'm still working working a little like I have this song I want to do, but I'm also uh adding and working with other things before I go into the studio because I want to bring a lot more than what I did the last time, so I'm a little more prepared. But yeah, I have songs that I have songs that I've written that are uh just demoed right now that I've I wrote in my garage.

SPEAKER_02: 26:09

So uh same kind of direction as 66.

SPEAKER_05: 26:15

So it's got like a nostalgic vibe to it, but this one of the songs that I'm talking about right now is more it's like more pop, um, more pop punk. It it kind of reminds me of Blink 182, a little vibe of that, but it's also um a song that it it like like thinking back to the old days kind of feeling. Yeah. Um the lyrically like thinking about things that you did. So it's probably a little more heartfelt than 66, because 66 is hard kick your kick you in the face. And this one's a little more like vibey, chill, but fun.

SPEAKER_02: 27:04

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 27:05

Um and then I got other ones that are more 66. So I'm trying to keep it where it's not just like six all everything's 66 across the board, um where I have it breaks it up a little bit. And that's the problem with not the problem, but I know like people have an easier I easier way to keep their music together like as a genre. Okay. I've never been good at that. Um I like to pull in all different elements. So when because you were saying like I don't really see your music as pop punk, I see it more as like hard rock or rock, right? Um, so it's because I pull in so many different elements of music when I write, it's hard to just stick with one thing for me.

SPEAKER_02: 27:59

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, the and it gives the audience like you you always want to build your central sound, but it gives the audience uh a way to show your development as an artist. You know what I mean? You can yeah, each thing should be its own standalone piece, each EP, each single, it should all be its own standalone piece, and you should be able to um diversify everything without feeling oh, without feeling that you have to uh be stuck, you know?

SPEAKER_05: 28:31

Yeah. Yeah, and that's really the like some people have actually said, why don't you just stick with one thing? And I'm like, I can't it's hard for me, you know? Um but that's why I'm you have if everybody's doing the same thing, then it's boring. So at least you know, I got some I give some people something to talk about.

SPEAKER_01: 28:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 28:56

You know, it's better than just being shelved, I guess. You know, I hope something finally takes off for my band, but um I'm just happy writing music, even if if nothing ever really becomes of it. It's it's just like a really it's a piece of me. Um so you know, whether it goes big or stays where it's at, hopefully it doesn't just stay, but um, I'm happy doing it, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 29:24

Right. Yeah, and that that's the art of it. That's you know, keeping keeping your heart in the art is a huge part of it. Yeah, it's a huge part of it. It truly is. When when your heart's not in it and it's just commercialized, it it loses the authenticity.

SPEAKER_05: 29:46

Yeah, and I I I can see how that cookie cutter uh it I can see how bands end up having to go cookie cut to keep producing music with no feeling or thought or it it really just becomes you become the machine, you know? And it's okay it's okay to do that every now and then, like okay, you gotta put some stuff about and just get it up there. But um, I think a lot of people end up losing their art that way.

SPEAKER_02: 30:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 30:21

Unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02: 30:22

Yeah, and then certain bands kind of develop this sound and when they try and expand. Experiment and go outside of it, the fans backlash. And it's like, well, maybe I don't want to just be the first album. I want to do other stuff too, you know? So yeah, I'm all for it.

SPEAKER_05: 30:40

I I feel I feel that for bands too. Uh, you know, because they'll come out with one album that just blows everybody's mind, like they love it, right? And then they come out with another album and it's slightly different. And then everybody's like, boo, what did you guys do? Sell outs, you suck. I don't even like I'm never listening to your albums. Actually, I'm never gonna listen to your music again. You know, so I really feel bad for artists. They're like, wait, but like, I thought you liked me. I thought you liked me as a part. But you don't. Um, yeah, that that I've seen that happen so many times. I had even me as like a tiny little microscopic artist in this whole big world of music. I've had some people like when I had uh some songs come out, solo stuff, and then I had this EP. Uh I had this girl, she's like, What are you doing? What what is what what is this music you're putting out now? And she's like, it's okay, I guess keep going. And I'm like, What is is it that offensive? Like, just give it a chance, you know? But it didn't sound anything like what I had put out before. But those kinds of things that they stick with you.

SPEAKER_02: 31:57

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03: 31:58

Um okay.

SPEAKER_02: 32:01

Every negative comment, it's uh I got one, I got one for you. So I I collect vinyl records, and as a teenager, I put up a video of me explaining the difference between Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon repressed in 2014 versus the original, and somebody put a comment on the video. I'm I'm 15, 16, and somebody put on there, kill yourself, why are you touching the vinyl? And it stuck with me for I'm 30 31, so I've never forgot.

SPEAKER_04: 32:37

Yeah, that's so messed up, it's so messed up, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_05: 32:43

But yeah, that's like it sticks with you. You're like, why? Like, I don't know why you know logically that it's stupid, but your emotional body can't let it go.

SPEAKER_02: 32:58

That's it's people are crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 33:01

That's that's weird. Man, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 33:03

That was the last video I made doing that. I can tell you that. I was like, okay, well, I don't need this.

SPEAKER_07: 33:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 33:11

Um, so I do have I have two final questions for you, and then we're gonna jump into this game. I ask all of my guests these questions. The first one is if you could collaborate with any artist that would fit your sound. So not like a dream collaboration, not like you know, like Lady Gaga. You know what I mean? Somebody that would fit your sound that is also really cool to work with. Who would it be?

SPEAKER_05: 33:39

Uh I've always paramour. I love I love Paramour.

SPEAKER_07: 33:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 33:47

But they're that's a that's kind of like a dream because they're so big.

SPEAKER_02: 33:52

Yeah, but they think you're sound though. Like that's that's the key element is like making sure that whatever you're putting out would be like a really cool project.

SPEAKER_05: 34:06

Yeah, I mean, there's quite a few, I could think I mean hailstorm.

SPEAKER_02: 34:15

Are you talking about like to write write a oh you guys put together a song? Like you you write a song and yeah. I think hailstorm would fit perfectly with you.

SPEAKER_05: 34:27

Oh, hailstorm.

SPEAKER_02: 34:31

Yeah, you and Lizzie Hale.

SPEAKER_05: 34:33

Huh?

SPEAKER_02: 34:34

You and Lizzie Hale, yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 34:36

I saw her um last year, I think.

SPEAKER_02: 34:41

She's awesome, man.

SPEAKER_05: 34:45

Great performance.

SPEAKER_02: 34:46

Yeah. Um the other go ahead. Oh, the the other thing too is her brother is super into like cologne. I don't know if you know that. He's like a cologne dealer, like I think in France. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 35:02

Oh, okay. No, I didn't know that. I had no idea. So he's like a cologne dealer that's wild.

SPEAKER_02: 35:10

Yeah, it's polar opposites.

SPEAKER_04: 35:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 35:16

Um RJ, right? Yeah, RJ. Yeah, yeah. Um, the other question that I always ask is uh we are called the Hook and Bridge podcast for a reason. Normally, I have a co-host. Uh, unfortunately, she has to work tomorrow, so she couldn't come on the show today. Uh, it's my little sister. I consider myself like the hook of the show, and she's like my bridge. So we like to ask everybody what do you enjoy when writing music? Um, are you more of uh enjoyment in writing hooks or enjoyment in writing bridges to your songs?

SPEAKER_04: 35:52

Hooks.

SPEAKER_02: 35:53

Hooks.

SPEAKER_04: 35:54

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 35:56

Hooks.

SPEAKER_05: 35:57

All about hooks. And then bridge, but it's not too far behind it.

SPEAKER_02: 36:02

Right. I always tell everybody the the bridge can elevate a song from good to great, you know? Uh it's it's the the hook is what keeps people there, though. You gotta have that that catchy riff.

SPEAKER_04: 36:16

Yes. I'm all about that. How about you?

SPEAKER_02: 36:20

What are you uh hook? Hook for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 36:25

And your sister?

SPEAKER_02: 36:27

Bridge, for sure.

SPEAKER_05: 36:29

Bridge, all right.

SPEAKER_02: 36:30

Yeah, but I like there that's perfect.

SPEAKER_05: 36:33

She's cool.

SPEAKER_02: 36:36

Yeah, she's super cool about it. She um she is much quieter than I am, and when she does chime in with stuff, it's always like, oh, I never would have thought of it that way, you know. And that's what you want from the bridge. Um, but I I'm the I'm the guy that's like sitting and thinking of like, okay, what are we gonna call this game? All right, what are we gonna call, you know, this t-shirt idea or you know, those types of things. I'm always thinking of speaking of games, are you familiar with a game called Cards Against Humanity?

SPEAKER_03: 37:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 37:10

So this is sort of like that, but it's music themed. So I'm gonna ask you some questions and you're gonna answer with the title of a song.

SPEAKER_05: 37:20

Oh, I'm not good with titles of songs.

SPEAKER_02: 37:24

Oh, well, then you're probably gonna suck at this game, I'm gonna be honest.

SPEAKER_05: 37:30

People are gonna just stop listening after three seconds.

SPEAKER_02: 37:33

Uh, I doubt that. We had we had a trivia one night with um with an artist, and um they got every single question wrong. There's 13 questions straight.

SPEAKER_04: 37:49

There's 15 questions. Oh gosh. All right.

SPEAKER_02: 37:52

All right. First one, what is the most American blue collar song that you can think of?

SPEAKER_05: 38:02

Icky Breaky Heart.

SPEAKER_02: 38:04

That's that's a great answer. I that's a good one.

SPEAKER_05: 38:07

Okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02: 38:08

I immediately thought of um Oh, there you go. Uh, I immediately thought of uh uh who's that guy? Bruce Springsteen.

SPEAKER_05: 38:19

Um, you know what?

SPEAKER_02: 38:21

Born in the USA, yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 38:23

Or that song Halfway There.

SPEAKER_01: 38:28

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 38:31

Living on a prayer.

SPEAKER_01: 38:32

Yep, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_05: 38:34

Okay, no, I do know titles. I lied.

SPEAKER_02: 38:36

There you go. Um you're on a 14-hour road trip, no radio, the CD player is stuck on repeat to the worst song ever. What is the worst song to have stuck on a road trip?

SPEAKER_05: 38:53

Baby Sharp.

SPEAKER_02: 38:55

Oh, yeah. Oh, as a new father, I've heard that song a lot.

SPEAKER_04: 39:02

Yeah, can you imagine?

SPEAKER_02: 39:04

Can you it's it's hell.

SPEAKER_04: 39:07

So smashing it, punch it, kick it in. There's no way I can deal with that. Be like, it's done, destroy it, burn it.

SPEAKER_02: 39:17

I think I could how how long do you think you could last listening to Baby Shark? I think I could do two hours.

SPEAKER_05: 39:23

You ooh, man, you're you have way more resilience than I'm gonna patience, resilience. I I got like you got like 30, you got 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_02: 39:37

I think the whole song is like three minutes.

SPEAKER_04: 39:40

I know 30 seconds, that's it.

SPEAKER_02: 39:45

Um best song to sing at the top of your lungs in order to embarrass your kids as you drop them off at school.

SPEAKER_05: 40:02

My my brain is going because I've seen like a lot of reels where people are dropping their kids off and they like blast music. They're like, love you. I don't know, like something super lame, super, super like millennial, like Jenna.

SPEAKER_02: 40:18

Uh Sandstorm by by Darude. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 40:26

That's that's that could do it.

SPEAKER_02: 40:29

When when I was uh I had I had just graduated, and my sister is seven years younger than me, so she was in middle school. Um I would I would take her home from band practice and I would blast drowning pool. That was my thing. I would just roll down the windows and just let bodies hit.

SPEAKER_05: 40:49

I would I would think that was awesome if my brother honestly, I thought it was embarrassing.

SPEAKER_02: 40:54

She was like, I love this. Everybody thinks you're the coolest.

SPEAKER_05: 40:58

That's great. Um, you know what I think would be a really bad one? Uh, did you ever hear the song that it's like the Halloween song? Um, or it's Randy Randy's Randy, big Big D Randy.

SPEAKER_02: 41:13

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. From South Park?

SPEAKER_05: 41:17

Last that.

SPEAKER_02: 41:20

Oh, man.

SPEAKER_05: 41:21

But you probably get in trouble because it is very you might not be allowed within 150 kg. Yeah, I think yeah, I think that like the attendants at the school would be like, um, you're not allowed to drop your child off at school anymore because you're very illicit and we can't have that kind of you know, at school.

SPEAKER_02: 41:45

So to uh dedicate a song to someone uh close to you. So what who who would you dedicate a song to and what would that song be?

SPEAKER_05: 41:59

Um all right, so let's dedicate a song to my mom, because she's like the nicest person in the world, and I've been so mean to her my whole life. Um it would be that song called I get by with a little help from my friends.

SPEAKER_02: 42:22

Oh, yeah, Joe Conker.

SPEAKER_05: 42:24

What is it?

SPEAKER_02: 42:25

Joe Conker. Uh help with a little from uh a little help from my friends, Joe Conker.

SPEAKER_05: 42:30

Yeah, that would be a good one because my mom is like my best friend, but you know, how I don't know how your sister was, but like girls and their moms butt heads really bad. Yeah, and um my mom is very sensitive and I'm very hard, like I'm I'm I'm a little more like raw and harsh in the way I talk. So I've but I've always wondered, like I always tell them like you're my best friend though, like you've been there for me through so much, and um, so yeah, a little help for my friends for my mom.

SPEAKER_02: 43:02

I love that. Shout out moms everywhere. All right. What is the grocery cart with the squeaky wheel theme song? It's an interesting one. So you've you're you're in a grocery store, you've got a grocery cart that's just not not moving the way you want it to. What song goes through your head? Yeah. I immediately thought move bitch get out the way.

SPEAKER_05: 43:34

Move bitch, get out the way. Is there a song called Take Me Out?

SPEAKER_02: 43:39

Yeah, yeah, Franz Ferdinand.

SPEAKER_04: 43:41

Yeah. How does that go? Let's see if it's the right one.

SPEAKER_01: 43:47

Uh do do do do do do do do do I say you don't know. You say won't you go? I say take me out.

SPEAKER_05: 44:00

Oh yeah. Okay, that one.

SPEAKER_01: 44:03

Yeah. That's a good song.

SPEAKER_05: 44:06

And it's not they'd probably play that in a grocery store too.

SPEAKER_02: 44:09

Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's exclusively Franz Ferdinand, Matchbox 20, uh, The Verve.

SPEAKER_04: 44:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 44:19

Um, if you had one disco song to listen to for the rest of your life, what disco song would you want to listen to?

SPEAKER_05: 44:28

Ooh. Man, there's been so many songs that I've had on repeat, like over and over and over, and I'm like, I could live with this, but I I I really love solo music, so anything that it like let's just let's go with like uh let's go with like Edit James or something, or like Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_01: 44:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 44:56

Yeah. You know, something classic that you're just like it's gonna be alright. Like, or we could go with like um I'm feeling good. That's all that one. That would be a good one. Is it or just some classic music?

SPEAKER_01: 45:19

Yeah, yeah. Uh at last, is that Ada James? Yeah. At last. Yeah, yeah. Oh, I love that song.

SPEAKER_05: 45:32

Oh man, I love that song too.

SPEAKER_02: 45:34

All right, this is the last one. And it's and it's gonna be a doozy. Um what is your funeral song?

SPEAKER_05: 45:46

Oh, I'm not gonna die, so you and me both. I'm gonna stick around forever.

SPEAKER_07: 45:52

Uh my funeral song is oh, it's fuck you.

SPEAKER_04: 46:12

Um that that song.

SPEAKER_01: 46:18

And I'm like, fuck you.

SPEAKER_04: 46:22

Fuck you, and fuck you too.

SPEAKER_05: 46:24

I don't know. What is that song?

SPEAKER_02: 46:26

I think it's uh I think it's I got so many songs in my head, like I think it's CeeLo Green, CeeLo Green, yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 46:33

That one.

SPEAKER_02: 46:35

That's a great answer.

SPEAKER_04: 46:37

Not bad.

SPEAKER_02: 46:39

Yeah. Well, that is the end of our show, Beth. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today.

SPEAKER_05: 46:45

Yeah, thank you so much for having me today. I had a great time.

SPEAKER_02: 46:48

Yeah, absolutely. You're welcome back anytime. Um, everybody check out New Violet, they're an absolutely incredible band. Um, 66 is out right now, and the new EP is the heat is getting hotter. I highly recommend Runaway. I love that song. Um, 66 is also great. So please, everybody, check out a new violet. All right, thanks so much for hanging out.

SPEAKER_03: 47:12

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 47:13

All right, I'll see ya.

SPEAKER_03: 47:15

All right, thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 47:20

All right, everybody, that is the show. Thank you so much. It is uh time for me to head out. Please check out the Instagram and um YouTube page, and it has been real peace.

SPEAKER_07: 47:38

Thanks for listening to the Lokin Bridge Podcast.