- 4 days ago
Carly Pearce joins Katie Neal at the Audacy Studios inside the Hard Rock located in the heart of Nashville.
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MusicTranscript
00:00Do we have company this week?
00:01Yes.
00:01Grammy Award winning.
00:02Carly Pierce is here to hang out with us.
00:04New music, which we're going to talk all about.
00:06But first, I just want to know, like, how are you?
00:07How have you been?
00:08I haven't seen you in forever.
00:09I know.
00:09I'm doing so good.
00:11Really good.
00:11So excited that new music is here.
00:14Oh, my God.
00:14I know.
00:15OK, so dream come true.
00:17First listen through.
00:18I was like, oh, my God.
00:19I don't know what it is.
00:20Because I love your vocal always.
00:22But your vocal on this, like, something is different.
00:24Am I crazy?
00:25Something is different.
00:26You know, it's funny.
00:27I'm working with a new producer.
00:31And I think he just captured my vocal in a way that hasn't been.
00:38But also, this year, I've had some vocal strain.
00:42And so I've been working through that.
00:43And I think it actually brought, like, a really richness to these songs.
00:47It did.
00:48It sounds so amazing.
00:49It's like when you talk to somebody who has to have, like, the vocal surgery.
00:51And they come out of it with, like, all this, like, a superpower.
00:54Yes, yes.
00:55Which is incredible.
00:56All right, so tell me about inspiration for this song and, like, when you guys sat down to write it and what happened.
01:03Yeah, you know, I think this is a topic that you're finding.
01:06I mean, a lot of people are writing about right now.
01:08It's very introspective, especially the females in country.
01:10I feel like we're kind of having a moment of just reflection of life.
01:14And I think people, you know, you reassess your life at different checkpoints.
01:18And I went in to write this particular day.
01:23And if I'm honest, I was just feeling really low.
01:25This career has had really, really high highs.
01:28And it's had really, really low lows.
01:30And I was feeling a little lost.
01:32And just kind of having that feeling that anybody who has a dream, their sacrifices to make the dream come true.
01:42And I was kind of just in my feelings about that.
01:46And wrestling with all of those different kind of feelings of, well, I have this, but I didn't get this.
01:53And I thought I'd have this.
01:55And I don't have this.
01:56And do people care?
01:57Do I matter?
01:58Do I have, you know, a viral moment?
02:00Can I compete?
02:01Am I too old?
02:03Do they care?
02:04All these different feelings.
02:05And I just wanted people to know they're not alone in all of those feelings.
02:11Yeah.
02:11Because it really doesn't matter.
02:12Like, if you just have a really stressful career, that those are the choices you have to make.
02:16You sing the song about, like, missing your best friend's wedding.
02:19And, like, there have been moments in my life that I've had to miss.
02:22And it's like you, I don't know about you, but, like, there's been times where I've chosen my career.
02:26And there's times when I've chosen my friends and family.
02:27And no matter which one you do, you feel like you've made the wrong decision.
02:30Not the wrong decision, but you, like, you have FOMO, for lack of a better term.
02:34Yep.
02:34There's a cost.
02:35Yeah.
02:35There is.
02:36There's a cost when you have big dreams, no matter what they are.
02:40Yeah.
02:40And it's so funny that you mentioned that this is, like, something that people are singing about.
02:43Because when I listened to this, it did make me think of Kelsey's new song, I Set in Parks.
02:47Because it is.
02:47You both are singing about the sacrifices that you've had to make and questioning, like, is this the right thing?
02:52Totally.
02:53But, again, it's that push and pull.
02:54Because if you weren't doing this, it's all you'd want to be doing.
02:57A thousand percent.
02:58And it is.
02:58It's the push and pull.
02:59And I think it's, like, validating to see somebody else feel the same way.
03:04Oh, my God.
03:05Yeah.
03:05And I think be able to kind of unite together.
03:07Like, we're clearly, and I know Ashley Cook has a song coming that has a similar sentiment.
03:12And it's, like, to see three women kind of align in that vulnerability, I think, is really powerful.
03:18And they're all different songs, but it's kind of speaking to that same place.
03:21Yeah.
03:22And I can't think of what the name of it.
03:23Like, even Morgan has a song about it that I'm, like, after I listened to it, I was like, is he okay?
03:26Like, because it's something about, I cannot think of it.
03:29I love the song.
03:30It's amazing.
03:30But, again, similar sentiment to what you're singing about.
03:33It's interesting you talk about, like, the high highs and low lows of this career and this life.
03:38I, my therapist had something really interesting to me recently.
03:41She was like, your body can't tell the difference between the high highs and the low lows.
03:45Which is why sometimes the high highs feel sad.
03:48Oh, my God.
03:48And then, like, the low lows, you kind of, like, you kind of get addicted to the sadness almost.
03:53And I thought that that was such an interesting thing to think about.
03:56It is interesting.
03:56Because this roller coaster is so up and down.
03:58It really is.
04:00And we live in such a world of, like, instant gratification, instant knowing, you know, comparing yourself to other people or seeing how many likes you get.
04:08And it's just, it's exhausting.
04:11And I've really had to, I think what this song represents for me in a lot of ways is sharing a piece of my heart that I don't feel like I have.
04:19But also, this song started my quest of why did I do this in the first place?
04:26What made me fall in love with country music in the first place?
04:29And so what that allowed me to do is return to the origin of my dream.
04:35And truly, I know it's cliche, but I've made the best music I've ever made because of that.
04:40That makes me so happy to hear that.
04:41You know?
04:42And so I'm really excited about this.
04:43I kind of felt like I had this point in my life once when I was, like, thinking, like, why am I doing this?
04:48And you kind of, like, I gave myself the option, like, oh, do I want to walk away?
04:51Well, would that actually make me happier?
04:52Like, sometimes I feel like you kind of have to push yourself.
04:55And then you're like, no, this is what I want.
04:56And it kind of, like, you have that perspective shift a little bit.
04:59This is a bit of my coming to terms with some of the things in my life not looking like I thought.
05:05I really do live in the cul-de-sac.
05:06I really do have all of the plaques on the walls that are sad.
05:11I mean, you think about the success of some of my songs that came from Deep Pain.
05:14I've missed Friends Weddings.
05:16My mom and I have had the exact conversation that I talk about in the song.
05:20But I love music.
05:22Yeah.
05:22And that's what I can control.
05:24And that's what I'm focused on.
05:26And I think that's why I've made my favorite music.
05:28Oh, that makes me so happy.
05:30I want to talk about the last line in the song with your mom, talking about your mom being sick.
05:34Because I don't, have you talked about this a little bit?
05:35No.
05:36Okay.
05:36How is she?
05:37You know what?
05:38So she has stage 4 COPD, which is a lung issue that has been really advanced in the last few years
05:47and caused me to not be able to see her as much.
05:50She's doing really well right now.
05:52And this is obviously a piece of my story that I've kept pretty quiet.
05:57But I think it's an important piece that I wanted to share, just of parents getting older
06:04or parents being sick.
06:06And my mom completely devoted her life to chasing this dream for me.
06:12And it's been hard over the last five years for her to not be able to be there with me
06:16and me feeling that guilt of not being able to be with her and all of those things.
06:19I also know that you guys are like best friends, too.
06:21We are.
06:21Like, you're so close.
06:22We are.
06:23And it's, you know, that last line where it says, she says I can quit, but all of her
06:27prayers would be in vain.
06:28She worked her whole life to make this dream come true.
06:31That's really honest.
06:32And I'm sure a lot of people feel that way.
06:33Oh, my God.
06:34A thousand percent.
06:35Well, I hope that she is doing better.
06:37She's doing great.
06:37And I know that you have had your own health struggles and everything with your pericarditis.
06:42And I feel like I'm at a similar point with my parents where I'm like, thank God we all
06:45have our health.
06:45Right now, everybody like I wake up every day.
06:47I'm like, everybody's healthy.
06:48We're fine.
06:48That's all that matters.
06:49Yes.
06:49It really is all that matters.
06:51Yeah.
06:52That's such a crazy.
06:53It's just like a getting older.
06:55It's so true, though.
06:56You're like, oh, no, I used to hear people say it.
06:57And I was like, yeah, whatever.
06:59I know.
06:59I'm always going to have my health.
07:00I know.
07:01Talk to me about the music video for the song, because the visuals are gorgeous.
07:06I haven't seen it yet.
07:07But so like, where is this going to take us?
07:08Yeah, so I, again, wanted to make it really feel like this feeling.
07:15So it's it's a one take for about two minutes of the video.
07:18And it's set.
07:20We went back to Kentucky, shot in an auditorium in Renfro Valley, which is actually where I
07:26I wanted to this stage was important to me because I was inducted into the Kentucky
07:30Music Hall of Fame a few years ago.
07:32So we went back and the scene is all shot around this vanity in this moment that I'm
07:38having where I'm singing this song.
07:43But life is still going.
07:44So hair, hair and makeup still come in and glam me.
07:48And it's really my actual team.
07:49So it's my manager, my assistant, my stylist and my makeup artist.
07:54They're all in the video, but they're coming in and they're doing their job.
07:57And and it's kind of this moment where I've got all these pictures from my childhood on
08:02the wall and I'm dressed in the beautiful dress and I'm all done up and I'm signing
08:08the paperwork and I'm picking the outfits and they're bringing in the flowers.
08:11And you realize it reveals that I'm on a stage, an empty auditorium of chills.
08:17And it's just that feeling of.
08:22This is all I ever wanted, but did I know it was going to be like this?
08:27Yeah, this is very like life is a life of a showgirl.
08:29Also, a thousand percent life of a showgirl.
08:32And it's interesting because, yeah, we're all in that same era of life, which is so crazy
08:37to talk to me when you say this is some of the this is the best music you feel like you've
08:40ever made.
08:41What does CP5 look like?
08:44Like say more about that.
08:45I think I've stretched what I write about and I've stretched kind of just giving more
08:51point of view on some different topics that people have never heard me sing about, which
08:54I'm excited about an example.
08:59Like there's a song called Church Girl and it kind of talks about church shame and some
09:05of the church shame that I have felt just being a woman in the South and going through
09:09a public divorce.
09:10A real thing.
09:10Yeah.
09:10There's just a lot of I feel like sonically I started working with a new producer.
09:15His name's Ben West.
09:16We've been longtime friends.
09:17We actually wrote Show Me Around together about Busby, but he just captured the essence
09:22of that blend of classic country mixed with the bluegrass and Appalachian roots that I
09:28that I are so true to being from Kentucky and loving that music.
09:33And there's just depth when I think of this music, if there's it's just rich and there's
09:38depth and some collaborations that are really exciting.
09:42And I was going to say, what about I have some like contemporary I have a contemporary
09:46collab that I'm very excited about.
09:48But I also have like some true moments with some of my heroes that I grew up loving.
09:55That's that I just went for it.
09:57Yeah, I just I just kind of went for it.
09:58This is the album that I wanted to make.
10:01I love to hear you say that.
10:02Yeah, it is wild because I've got this unique perspective, like being on the edge of everybody's
10:07lives.
10:07You know what I mean?
10:07And you see somebody like they come in the debut album, the sophomore album, and I always
10:11just get so excited when I see somebody and they're like, I just did what I wanted to
10:15do.
10:15This is from the visuals to the rollout to all of it.
10:19This is this is what I wanted to do.
10:20And I think that's why I have so much peace about it.
10:22But it started because of this song and just having to figure out like I need to return
10:26to the dream.
10:27I'm so happy for you right now.
10:29I can't wait to hear this new music.
10:32Let's talk a little bit about life and stuff right now.
10:34I mean, I know that you're very busy right now, but in your downtime, have you been doing
10:38anything that you're enjoying?
10:39Any new hobbies?
10:41What is it?
10:41What does a down day look like for you right now?
10:43You know, I mean, I love my dogs.
10:46I love my twins, Johnny and June.
10:48I like a very normal life.
10:50So I enjoy I've had a little bit more downtime, just not touring as much, which has been really
10:57nice for me.
10:57Like, I enjoy cooking.
10:59I enjoy reading.
11:01I enjoy going to the grocery, doing my laundry, just like these very normal.
11:05You're like me.
11:06Like I crave just come.
11:07I'm like, I just want to go home and eat food that I made.
11:09Yes.
11:10And like be able to go to the grocery and it be for a week instead of like a day or two.
11:14So I've just enjoyed some of that like normalcy.
11:17I love that.
11:18But then about three weeks and I'm like, I need something new.
11:20I start to lose my mind.
11:21Oh, and I'll be like, my career's over.
11:23Nobody cares.
11:23It's like, no, you've had two days at home.
11:25I'm like, oh, yeah, just calm down.
11:27Have you been binging anything good?
11:29You know, I binged Love is Blind, which was a wild ride.
11:33I binged the entire Sex in the City entity, all six seasons and the show that came after
11:43it.
11:43And just like that.
11:43And just like that.
11:44I did the whole.
11:45Had you ever done that before?
11:46No.
11:46Oh, my gosh.
11:47What were your take?
11:47What was your take on it?
11:49I mean, I love Sex in the City.
11:50I was actually really upset that it was over.
11:52And just like that.
11:53I was like, OK, we're reaching.
11:54We're trying to like be in pop culture.
11:56But there's just something about them.
11:58And just that, especially being in your 30s and watching it.
12:00It was just I loved it.
12:02Have you watched the new All's Fair with Kim Kardashian on Hulu?
12:05No.
12:06It kind of gives a little bit of Sex in the City.
12:07I talked about this here.
12:08It got like ripped in the reviews and I kind of love it.
12:11Really?
12:12OK.
12:12I've seen it from like.
12:14OK.
12:14Like I imagine it's like the way that guys think about like superhero movies.
12:17And it's like all macho.
12:18This is like overly feminine.
12:21Is it realistic?
12:22No, not really.
12:23But it is beautiful women.
12:24They're fabulously dressed.
12:26Yeah.
12:26The plot line's a little crazy, but it's just it's not real.
12:28Yes.
12:29Like it's not meant to.
12:29It's like fantasy world.
12:30It's I need to watch it.
12:32I've seen some like clips of it.
12:33Sex in the City vibes, like the femaleness of it.
12:36But yeah, I would try that.
12:37I got to go.
12:38Yeah.
12:38I just went to New York and had to go see Carrie Bradshaw's Stoop.
12:43And I was very excited about it.
12:44It's so fun to see it.
12:45What about reading?
12:46Have you read anything good lately?
12:47I read a lot of different stuff.
12:49Like so many like right now I'm reading.
12:54It's something how to blah, blah, blah, something like how to find real happiness is essentially
12:59what it's about.
13:00I read a lot of self-help books just to like.
13:02I love that.
13:02I really keep the mind going.
13:04Yeah.
13:04I'm like, so right now I'm reading about how to be happy.
13:08Amazing.
13:09All right.
13:09And then we were talking about your band right at the beginning.
13:12I love how close you are with your band.
13:14You guys all just recently got matching tattoos.
13:16We did.
13:16You know, what's funny is you spend more time with these people than you do anybody.
13:22I spend more time with those four guys than I do family, significant other, dogs, anything.
13:31We're very, very close.
13:33There are three of them, Nick, John, and Phil.
13:36They've been with me.
13:37Phil's been with me almost eight years.
13:39He came in on my second album.
13:41And then the other two came in at around COVID.
13:45And then Daniel, our drummer, he's just, he feels like one of us.
13:48And I mean, we are, I'm so close to all their wives.
13:50I love their children.
13:52And we wanted something to just kind of signify like our bond.
13:55And so we got little show ponies and our bus number because so many, they, they know the parts of me on camera, but they've also held me up when I needed it and been there for me in a lot of different seasons of my life.
14:11And they really are like my brothers, you know, I was just telling you about how one of them was annoying me, like, like a brother and like I annoy them.
14:17And what's fun is we've gotten to a place where, you know, we don't have to be on the road all the time and they have time to be at home with their families, which is so nice.
14:26But we have a bus fam group chat.
14:29It's 24 seven.
14:31And that just shows me that we love each other, you know, and we're all together.
14:35When you say you annoy them, they annoy you.
14:36I thought it was hysterical when your, your voice was down and they did your Q&A with fans and it was like their icks about you.
14:43I was like crying out laughing.
14:45Oh yeah.
14:46I like let them ripped you.
14:48They rip me like they don't care.
14:49They want everybody to know all the sides of me.
14:51And I'm like, okay, thank you.
14:52Maybe you could have like toned it down a little, but they're like, no, give us the mic.
14:56It was fantastic.
14:58You mentioned significant other.
15:00How was your boy?
15:01Yeah, he's so good.
15:02Good.
15:03He's great.
15:03Good.
15:03That makes me happy that you are happy.
15:05Hey, Christmas, Thanksgiving, right around the corner.
15:08What do you have planned for Thanksgiving?
15:09Are you doing something fun with family?
15:11I'm going to Alabama to see my parents and Johnny and June.
15:15I have little Thanksgiving outfits for them.
15:16Perfect.
15:17Be great.
15:18But yeah, it'll be nice to just go hang out with family.
15:21And like I said, my mom's doing really well right now.
15:25So that's like a nice holiday gift for us.
15:27A thousand percent.
15:28Do you decorate for Christmas early or do you?
15:31I know this is like a very, I feel like you're either one way or the other and people get
15:36mad.
15:37I don't.
15:38You don't.
15:38Okay.
15:39When do you wait?
15:39Do you do it after Thanksgiving?
15:40I do it.
15:40I need Thanksgiving to happen and then I'll take down all of my fall stuff and then I'll
15:44switch and go to Christmas.
15:45I know.
15:46I feel like I put up my fall stuff for like three seconds and then November 1st and I
15:48was like, I feel like I'm gone so much.
15:50I just like want to come home to Christmas.
15:52Well, and that's my other thing that I've always struggled with is I'm like, I'm never here.
15:55I should just put it up.
15:56I've even considered because I'm not spending Christmas in my own home.
16:01Should I even put it up?
16:03Yeah.
16:03That's the thing.
16:04Cause it's just so much up and down.
16:06New Year's Day.
16:06I'm like, why did I put this up?
16:08Like, hey, somebody to do this.
16:08What are you doing for Christmas?
16:09You said you're not going to be in your own house.
16:11Are you going back to Alabama?
16:12I'll go back to Alabama.
16:13Yeah.
16:14Fun.
16:14That's great.
16:15Okay.
16:16New Year's resolutions.
16:17That's also like top of everybody's mind right now.
16:19You know, I don't like New Year's resolutions, but I will say my intention for next year is
16:32to unapologetically just be me, not care about what's going on here, not like embrace
16:41the season of life that I'm in and just be fearless in that.
16:46That's like what I want for the new year.
16:48I love that so much.
16:51You and I are like always going through things that about the similar time.
16:54And I feel like when everyone tells you like, oh, you get to 30 and you stop caring
16:56what people think and you kind of do, but I still have a hard time not apologizing for
16:59like, oh my God, am I being too much?
17:01And I wish that I could just be like, I fucking love being too much actually.
17:05Exactly.
17:06Again, to your point, like, am I more confident, more set in who I am than I was at 25?
17:12Sure.
17:12But like, is it still in there in a whole different way?
17:16Absolutely.
17:16I'm like, I'm 35.
17:19Like, am I okay?
17:20Is everything like, this didn't happen?
17:23Is this okay?
17:23Like, am I old?
17:24Am I fine?
17:25You know, it's all those things.
17:26I'm the same way.
17:26I've been like, I've turned 36 next month and I've been having like an internal crisis
17:29about it.
17:30I'm like, just stop because one day you'll be like, 36 was so young.
17:33Shut up.
17:33Literally.
17:34My mom says all the time she was in her prime at 35.
17:37So I'm just like, all right, let's go.
17:39Amazing.
17:40Thank you for coming to see us.
17:41I cannot wait to hear the other music you've been working on.
17:43But this song is really special and I'm so glad that you're sharing it with the world.
17:47Bye-bye.
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