Audacy Check In: Teddy Swims

Audacy Pop

Following the successful run he had with his debut album, Teddy Swims joining us on #AudacyCheckIn to chat all about it and more 👏

Transcript

00:00You really dip a toe in various genres.

00:03My roots are in metal, you know.

00:05My roots are as a screamer before I was a singer.

00:07So just to shout it out for myself,

00:10I did get a writing cut on the new Linkin Park record as well.

00:13So that was, yeah, yeah, you know.

00:18All right, this is your check-in with Teddy Swims.

00:21We are at the Odyssey Soundspace at the Hard Rock Hotel, New York.

00:24Congratulations on everything, my friend.

00:28You know, you really dip a toe in various genres.

00:32Is there one genre you feel the most comfortable in

00:35and then one that you wish you felt more comfortable in?

00:41I feel, it's so strange to say this, but I feel the most comfortable.

00:46My roots are in metal, you know.

00:48My roots are as a screamer before I was a singer.

00:51So I think, like, I'm one of the gnarliest screamers.

00:56This, you know, ever.

00:58Like, I really do.

01:00I don't even think I'm that good of a singer.

01:02I love this vocal.

01:03I love this instrument.

01:04So I think I can do all the acrobats that it takes,

01:08acrobatics that it takes to do a singer.

01:10But I think I'm a really good screamer.

01:12I think my most favorite thing, like,

01:15where I'm most comfortable in is metal.

01:17Will I ever get to, like, scratch that itch again and do it?

01:19I don't know.

01:20But also, I mean, just to shout it out for myself,

01:24I did get a writing cut on the new Linkin Park record as well.

01:28So that was, yeah, yeah, you know.

01:30Yeah, I did.

01:31I wrote with them and did a few records with them

01:34and just saw them in Paris, too.

01:36Again, I have told Mike Shinoda on the next record.

01:39I was like, come on, bro.

01:40You know, you gotta, like, you gotta put me on that record, bro.

01:44Like, I cut a lot of those records.

01:47I don't usually get to say it,

01:48because Emily also is out of this world, like, incredible.

01:53But I was like, bro, come on.

01:54You should have left my voice on one of those songs, man.

01:57Come on.

01:58No way, you know.

01:59But I think the rock, hard rock, like metal, like Linkin,

02:03like Hybrid Theory is one of my first albums I ever got given.

02:07Rock and roll, man.

02:09Metal is my, I'm a screamer at heart.

02:11That's what I do.

02:12It's crazy.

02:12You have such a unique upbringing,

02:14because I know you were born and raised in the South,

02:16and you grew up on soul music.

02:20You know, your dad introduced you,

02:21and you did the football thing.

02:22You were a theater kid.

02:24It's all these different parallels.

02:25And I feel, I wonder if you felt like at any point

02:29you were living in two completely different worlds.

02:33No, I feel like, I don't know, my reality is, you know,

02:37I know I felt, it's weirder to know that other people

02:41have a different perspective or upbringing than you.

02:45You know, you always feel like people are the same.

02:48I don't know, you're the center of your own experience, right?

02:52Like you're the lead role in your own movie, right?

02:55You know, or I guess the supporting role in your movie,

02:59I Am, you know?

03:00So like, I just never, you never realize

03:03other people are different until you get older

03:06to realize other people's expectations.

03:07When you're a kid, you're like, we're all doing this, right?

03:12I thought everybody was,

03:14I remember going to my first Warped Tour in 2007

03:16and thinking that like these bands I was listening to

03:19in the Warped Tour at this time

03:20was the biggest thing in the world, you know?

03:23There was 200 kids at a Circus Revive show

03:27and I'm at a Circus Revive show

03:29and I thought they were the biggest band in the world.

03:30I thought they were as big as Justin Bieber at the time.

03:34I didn't see the difference between 200 kids at a show

03:37versus 20,000 kids at a show.

03:40I just thought that that was the biggest thing in my life.

03:43So that was the biggest thing in the world, you know?

03:46It's not until you get, becoming, I guess, older

03:49that you're like, oh, people are having different experiences

03:51than I am, you know?

03:52Right, right, right.

03:53So I don't know, it all felt natural to be who I was.

03:58I don't know, I didn't know that people

04:00were living different lives, you know?

04:01I love that, man.

04:02When you were on The Come Up,

04:03you were doing a lot of covers

04:04on like YouTube and stuff like that.

04:06I wanted to know, is there a song

04:08that you feel like the cover is better than the original?

04:11Because I got a couple that I get roasted for all the time,

04:13but I want to know.

04:14Of mine?

04:15Yeah, well, no, just a cover in general.

04:17Okay, because if it's of mine, none of them, you know?

04:20Everybody hates themselves a little bit,

04:22like none of mine are as good as that.

04:25So I love Whitney, Higher Love,

04:27but that's just because I'm so in love with Whitney.

04:30The original's great, but I mean, that one gives me chills.

04:34There's even like, you know,

04:35all along The Watchtower, Bob Dylan was like,

04:38yo, Bob Dylan even retired that song, Jimmy.

04:42Like, you know, Jimmy Hendrix, he was like,

04:44that's Jimmy's song.

04:45Jimmy Hendrix did that song, you know?

04:47So I will say the same thing about Bob Dylan again.

04:50What a songwriter, what an artist,

04:52but also Tank and Body Rates, I Can't Make You Love Me.

04:58Tank, Tank shut that thing down, bro.

05:01Yes.

05:01And made it so R&B.

05:03I don't know, Tanks, I Can't Make You Love Me

05:05is the greatest.

05:06I don't know, it's just something that's so,

05:08and it's so special that time too

05:09when you listen to Tanks, I Can't Make You Love Me.

05:12It's so special.

05:13And then also, that song is the best song ever,

05:17probably ever written of all time.

05:21Bon Iver did a version of I Can't Make You Love Me,

05:23like live to salmon and piano.

05:25Yes.

05:25I think that might be the greatest version yet too.

05:28Bon Iver's version of I Can't Make You Love Me

05:30is like probably the, arguably the greatest cover

05:34or greatest song recorded in music ever.

05:37Such good answer.

05:38Nobody's going to roast you over that.

05:39Those were very good answers.

05:41Before we wrap, I know we were talking about this

05:43a little off camera,

05:45daddy to be the coolest thing in the world.

05:48Is there anything you are scared of?

05:54Yeah, I'm scared of my dad being a granddaddy

05:57because he's the best guy I've ever met.

06:01And I want how I'm having this conversation with you

06:05about my daddy being the greatest dad in the world.

06:07I want my son or daughter to say that.

06:11And I hope my kid says that I'm the greatest daddy ever,

06:15but it's just going to be impossible as long as my dad,

06:19of course, I want my dad to be alive to be the granddaddy,

06:21but it's just like living in his shadow

06:25and watching him be a granddad.

06:26It's like the scariest thing is I'm not cool enough

06:29because he's the best guy on the planet.

06:32My dad is the coolest guy in the world.

06:34Living in his shadow and being a dad

06:36and then watching him be a granddad,

06:39it's gonna be one of the most proudest things I could ever do

06:41and making him a granddad is one of the most proudest things

06:44he will be of me.

06:45But damn, dude, living in that shadow,

06:48it's the scariest thing I'll ever do.

06:50You know why you're going to be amazing?

06:52Because of the, I heard it just while you've been here talking

06:56off camera and everything,

06:58the work you're doing on yourself

07:00is why you're going to be amazing.

07:02Thank you, sir.

07:03That means a lot, man.

07:05Coming from five-year-old daddy, man, that means a lot, man.

07:09You got some skin in the game, bro, so that means a lot.

07:11Man, you're gonna be awesome.

07:12I'm so excited for everything you have going on, brother.

07:15Thank you for taking out the time.

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