Skylar Grey: Eminem & Being Hit on by a Coroner??

Summary

Dumb Blonde Podcast | Episode Summary: Skylar Grey – Eminem & Being Hit on by a Coroner??

Date: May 4, 2026 | Host: Bunnie XO (Dumb Blonde Productions) | Guest: Skylar Grey

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Episode Overview

This engaging and often hilarious episode of Dumb Blonde features multi-talented singer-songwriter Skylar Grey, known for writing massive hits for artists like Eminem and Rihanna, as well as her own impressive catalog. Host Bunnie XO (“Bunny”) takes listeners on a deep dive through Skylar’s personal and artistic journey—touching on everything from starting in a folk duo with her mom to navigating music industry pressures, unforgettable LA encounters (including being hit on by a coroner after witnessing a crime), mental health struggles, new music, and embracing AI. The conversation is raw, relatable, and uplifting, with plenty of memorable anecdotes and inspiring advice for creatives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Skylar’s Unexpected Songwriting Influence

• Bunny shares her surprise at learning how many influential songs Skylar has written, including “Gangster” (her wedding song), “Love the Way You Lie” (Eminem & Rihanna), and “Castle Walls” (Christina Aguilera & T.I.).
• Skylar emphasizes that her approach has always been to write from an honest, personal place—not to intentionally pen tracks for others.

“I never set out to write songs for other artists, so I always have written from a very honest place. Even those hooks that I ended up giving to other people, I was just writing for myself.”
—Skylar Grey (07:23)

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2. Childhood, Family, and Early Music Roots

• Raised in a musical family: Dad in a barbershop quartet, mom a folk and Celtic harp musician.
• Performed as a child duo “Generations” with her mother, recorded three albums by age 8, and learned studio work before home computers and auto-tune.
• Wrote her first song with lyrics, “The Same Sky”, at eight, inspired by her parents’ divorce and missing her dad.

“At three [years old], they noticed, like, I was singing… and I fully sang the harmony, and they were like, this is crazy.”
—Skylar Grey (10:28)

• Learned early lessons about stage performance and perfectionism—her mother’s “Christmas lights” analogy helped her manage stage emotions.

“As soon as you’re in the public eye, you turn on the Christmas lights like you’re a Christmas tree… then I can be dark later.”
—Skylar Grey (13:32)

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3. Adolescence, Moving to LA & Facing Adversity

• As a tween/teen: built up songwriting, faced school bullying, and struggled to find her place.
• Dropped out of high school after a teacher dismissed music as a real career.

“…the teacher was like, well, music isn’t a career. You better rethink this. And just like that, first I just left and I never went back.”
—Skylar Grey (23:23)

• Used her performance earnings to move alone at 17 from small-town Wisconsin to Venice, LA—a shocking cultural and personal change.

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4. LA Struggles: Crime, Couch Surfing, & a Coroner’s Unwanted Advances

• Early LA life included living with Roy Hay (Culture Club) and witnessing a murder next door. The coroner questioned her about the crime, then hit on her.

“I watched him take the body to the truck…and then he came and sat next to me and he started hitting on me.”
—Skylar Grey (26:48)

• Producers helped her escape dark environments; started couch surfing and hustling in the studio scene.

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5. Industry Breakthroughs: Fort Minor, Linkin Park, & Eminem

• Connected with Linkin Park’s label “Machine Shop” via networking (“the firm”).
• Recorded demo at a hotel—even met Joaquin Phoenix while noodling on a piano.
• Sang the hook for Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go”, manifesting her wish to merge hip-hop and melodic vocals.
• Rushed her debut album, reflecting on the stress of career momentum versus artistic patience.

“Looking back, I wish I had spent more time… I could have probably done a lot better job if I had just been more patient.”
—Skylar Grey (32:15)

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6. After Fame: Burnout, Identity Crisis, & Rebirth in the Woods

• After modest album success, Skylar moved to a cabin in Oregon to recover and rediscover her sound—working side jobs (Barnes & Noble, gymnastics coach, brief stint editing porn) and embracing the restorative power of solitude.
• The creative rebirth led to writing “Love the Way You Lie”, which became a global smash—sent via email with no idea it would go to Rihanna and Eminem.

“I wrote the hook for ‘Love the Way You Lie’ and sent it back super rough. And, yeah…I didn’t think hard about it…then it was a number one song a month later.”
—Skylar Grey (08:20)

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7. Songwriting Process, Pressure, and Mental Health

• Skylar discusses the mental toll of industry expectations and how high-pressure writing sessions can stifle her creativity.
• Emphasizes the need for solitude and authenticity in her creative process—often writing her best material outside the studio, during everyday life.

“All the best songs that I’ve written—the biggest songs I’ve written—took very little thought, you know? It doesn’t even feel like I wrote them.”
—Skylar Grey (54:08)

• Identifies imposter syndrome (“that was too easy”), perfectionism, and the importance of accepting “good enough.”

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8. Relationship with Eminem & Working with Icons

• A close creative friendship: Eminem is described as kind, collaborative, and supportive—far from his sometimes-intimidating public persona.

“Out of all the people that I send my music to, [Eminem] gives me the most feedback…he is so kind.”
—Skylar Grey (56:15)

• Discussed writing “I Need a Doctor” for Dr. Dre and several collaborations with Eminem, as well as emotional impacts of industry loss (Chester Bennington).

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9. Personal Growth, New Album, and Future Goals

• Details her new album “Wasted Potential” (out May 22), its deeply personal writing process (songs like “Bruises”, about self-doubt and nostalgia), and embracing imperfection with a focus on annual releases to “capture this moment in time.”

“Artists are allowed to put out shitty albums…Just keep going, keep putting out [music], and don’t look back and regret not putting out more.”
—Skylar Grey (35:32)

• Vocally wishes for one of her solo tracks to finally top her Spotify page, aiming to define her public “artist identity.”

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10. Fashion, Merch, and AI Adventures

• Skylar is launching limited, custom merch (including gloves inspired by her song lyrics).
• Shared her latest creative venture: becoming the AI voice of “Fawn,” a plushie companion designed for adults to discuss “big feelings,” adding a unique tech twist to mental health and connection.

“For me growing up and even now, sometimes I feel more comfortable talking to Chat GPT about something than I do a person.”
—Skylar Grey (69:36)

• Both Skylar and Bunny riff on the future of AI in music, art, and daily life, advocating for embracing new tools.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Going Viral & Hate Comments:
  “If you’re causing that much of a reaction negatively, you’re also causing that much of a reaction positively…to me, it’s a good sign.”
  —Skylar Grey (06:01)

• On Reinvention:
  “I just kind of wanted to re-enter [the industry] as a new person, as a new artist. I even didn’t show my face for a long time.”
  —Skylar Grey (47:50)

• On Editing Porn for a Living:
  “It was a 9 to 5 of just looking at, you know… and I had to tag it all, with what search words people would use to find that. Gang bang. Like, whatever.”
  —Skylar Grey (45:14)

• On “Wasted Potential” & Artistic Vulnerability:
  “There’s no solution offered in the song [‘Bruises’]. It just ends with, like, hopelessness. But what was crazy is as soon as I finished the song, I just…I felt so much better.”
  —Skylar Grey (62:23)

• Skylar’s Top 3 Songs for Newcomers:

  1. “Nirvana” – Introduction to her story
  2. “Bruises” – Deep vulnerability
  3. “Because” – Album’s focus track
     (60:23–61:54)

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Important Timestamps

• [03:04] – Bunny introduces Skylar Grey and her songwriting impact
• [08:20] – Writing “Love the Way You Lie” in a cabin; unplanned path as a songwriter
• [13:32] – The “Christmas lights” performance analogy
• [23:23] – Dropping out of high school after teacher dismisses music career
• [26:48] – Coroner hits on Skylar after a murder in LA
• [32:15] – Reflections on creative pressure after “Where’d You Go”
• [41:12] – Skylar sells her own album at Barnes & Noble
• [45:00] – Hallucinating after editing adult content; “Tetris effect” anecdote
• [49:39] – Meeting Eminem and Dr. Dre—overcoming nerves
• [54:08] – The importance of effortless songwriting
• [56:15] – Describing Eminem’s true character and their friendship
• [60:23] – Recommends “Nirvana”, “Bruises”, and “Because”
• [62:14] – Discussing new album, nostalgia, and her journey
• [67:23] – Fashion/merch plans and love for customization
• [69:36] – The Fawn AI plushie and using tech for connection

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Episode Wrap-up

This episode captures Skylar Grey at her most candid and multidimensional, revealing the vulnerability, humor, and determination behind her celebrated career. From facing industry burnouts and personal lows to manifesting chart-topping hits in solitude, Skylar’s story is one of adaptation, self-discovery, and the constant push-pull between artistry and industry. Her openness about mental health, creative process, and future ambitions inspires both fans and fellow creators to embrace authenticity, resiliency, and a little bit of reinvention.

New album “Wasted Potential” releases May 22 — check out “Nirvana,” “Bruises,” and “Because” for a true sense of Skylar’s solo artistry.

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“Just keep going. Keep putting out [music], and don’t look back and regret not putting out more.”
—Skylar Grey (35:32)

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Listen on all major platforms. For more, follow @dumbblondepodcast and @skylargrey.

Transcript

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[Bunny]

Is this thing on? What's up, you sexy motherfuckers? Today we have the voice behind the feelings you couldn't put into words and the pin behind some of the biggest songs ever written. Ms. Skylar Gray is in the house.

[Skylar Grey]

What's up?

[Bunny]

How are you, baby?

[Skylar Grey]

I'm doing great.

[Bunny]

I'm so happy to have you here. So, like I was telling you before we were rolling, I learned so much about you yesterday that I did not know. Like, I knew that you had sang like I Need a doctor with Dr. Dre because I grew up in that era.

[Skylar Grey]

But.

[Bunny]

But I had no idea the depths of the songs that you had written. And I wanted to tell you a funny story is that I heard you talk about the song Gangster that Kalani originally that you originally sang, but then Kalani replaced and we'll talk about that later. But that was Jay and I's wedding song.

[Skylar Grey]

No way.

[Bunny]

Is that not crazy?

[Skylar Grey]

That's amazing.

[Bunny]

I had no idea, dude. And when I found out that you had wrote that song, I was just like, this is insane. Like, it's just everything always comes, like, full circle.

[Skylar Grey]

It really does.

[Bunny]

Yeah. How are you?

[Skylar Grey]

That's awesome. Thank you. Yeah, everything's great.

[Bunny]

So you're in Nashville?

[Skylar Grey]

I'm in Nashville for a couple of days doing some podcasts. You know, I have an album coming out soon, so, you know, starting the whole promo. Yeah, I've been.

[Bunny]

I've been watching you on Instagram, and you have been having some of the. The, like, most artistic reels, but they're actually, like, going viral and stuff. Where did you get the idea to start doing all of that?

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, it's just the landscape of the music industry has changed so much over the years. I've seen it in so many different forms. You know, music videos are pretty Much dead now, I swear.

[Bunny]

And they just, like, turned off. Freaking mtv. Yeah. Like, what the hell?

[Skylar Grey]

I know. It's crazy. It's sad. I love depressing and I loved music videos, but, you know, you have to adapt to the world we're in. And so it just didn't make sense to spend a bunch of money doing music videos. It made more sense to do small, short clips. But, you know, I still try to make them look music video esque.

[Bunny]

No, they're great. I love them.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. And the ones that have gone viral, it's funny, they're getting a lot of hate for some of them, but I love it. I actually, I. I, like, think it's hilarious. I used to get so affected by it, but now I'm like, this is awesome.

[Bunny]

That's the climate of our world right now, though. Like Chris Olsen, I don't know if you follow him, but he's a creator lgbt tq. Did I say that right? I always say that wrong.

[Skylar Grey]

You're always adding another letter, so. Right.

[Bunny]

So I never know. So please don't come for me if I say it the wrong way. But he's a creator, and he made a video the other day about how mean the world is and how mean comments are under post because Meghan Trainor had just canceled her tour. He had to turn off the comments on that post because they were so mean and so hateful. And it, like, proved his point. So it doesn't matter if you do something amazing online or if you do something that's really cool. People are just like an echo chamber of negativity. And that's exactly what it is.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, but I copy. I see this. I see the negative comments. If you're causing that much of a reaction negatively, you're also causing that much of a reaction positively for the people who connect with it. So I actually see it as a sign that, like, it's doing well, obviously, to a. To a point. You know, there's some things that you don't want to do and. But I love that you're able to

[Bunny]

look at it that way, because some people can't. Some people would internalize that hatred and be like, damn, you know?

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. But the polarizing stuff is, like, what makes people passionate about it, either passionately hateful or passionately obsessed with it. So, yeah, to me, it's a. It's a good sign.

[Bunny]

I love that. So let's talk about some of these songs that you've written, because I know that people who know who you are probably know the songs that I said, but there was another song that I found out that you sang that I absolutely. Or that you had written. I'm sorry, but Christina Aguilera actually sang. The hook was Castle Walls. Not many people know that song, but that was, like, one of my favorite songs back in the day. And then when I started putting it together, like, you have such haunting lyrics, even when you're not singing them.

[Skylar Grey]

It's.

[Bunny]

It's haunting in a good way. You know, it's like those. Those words. It's. It's like those lyrics that kind of like, just resonate and linger in your soul and that you just. They just hit something in your soul each time you hear them. Thank you.

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, I never set out to write songs for other artists, so I always have written from a, you know, very honest place. So even those hooks that I ended up giving to other people, you know, I was just writing for myself.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

And then it got handed off. It wasn't like, I'm gonna sit down and write a song for Christina Aguilera. You know what I mean?

[Bunny]

I've heard you say numerous times also on podcasts, that you never set out to write for other people. And I found that really interesting because that's essentially kind of what your career has turned into because you are such an amazing. An amazing songwriter. My husband thinks you're one of the best of our generation right now. He wanted me to tell you that when he found out that you're coming on Today. How does somebody who did not set out to do that become that?

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, it kind of happened by accident. So I, you know, just. Long story short, dropped out of high school, and I was 17, moved to L. A. Oh, we're not going to

[Bunny]

do a long story short. Okay, well, we're going to get into

[Skylar Grey]

it just for this answer, answer quickly. You know, I had a record deal. It all fell apart, and I moved to a cabin in the woods. Disappeared from the industry for a while because it had, like, broken me. And then while I was in the woods in Oregon by myself, got connected with this producer over email named Alex the Kid. And I just, you know, I got Internet in the local cafe because I didn't have it at my place. And so I was, like, sitting in the cafe with my headphones on, listening to the beat and, like, humming quietly into the computer. And then I just, like, wrote the hook for Love the Way youy Lie and sent it back super rough. And, yeah, I just wrote what I felt. I didn't really, like, think hard about it. It was like 15 minutes of work, and then it was a number one song a month later. And so. But what happened was, like, I never wrote that thinking, like, this is gonna go to Rihanna. Like, Rihanna's gonna sing this hook.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

It's just Eminem took the song and he wanted to put Rihanna on it, and I wasn't gonna say no. Right. You know what I mean? But that's kind of what started the whole writing songs for other people thing.

[Bunny]

So let's circle back, because we're gonna come. We're gonna revisit that story that you just told me, too, because Love the Way youy Lie. I was going through a domestic violence relationship whenever that song hit. And, oh, my God, it was my ant the Freaking Part two. Just amazing, amazing, amazing lyrics. But let's circle back to your childhood and growing up.

[Skylar Grey]

I.

[Bunny]

You. I heard you say that you had a duo with your mom at 6 years old. So did you grow up in a musical family? Obviously, Very, very.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

Tell me about it.

[Skylar Grey]

My dad was in a barbershop quartet. My mom was a folk musician and Celtic harpist. She actually still is. She, like, busks and plays in restaurants and stuff.

[Bunny]

That's so beautiful.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

To play the freaking harp, dude. I would cry, probably if I heard somebody just strumming the harp, you know?

[Skylar Grey]

Beautiful. She plays, like, every instrument, though. And so just growing up in that environment, I was really sucked into it. Obviously, it was in my blood. When I was 3, they noticed, like, I was singing. We were. We were all singing Happy Birthday to my aunt, and I was like, can I sing a harmony? And they were like, you're three. Three, Like. And then I did, and I fully sang the harmony, and they were like, this is crazy at three to sing a harmony. And so it was very obvious early on that, like, music was gonna be my thing. So my parents were like, let's just see what happens if we put her on stage and did my first gig when I was six with my mom in a library.

[Bunny]

Oh, my goodness.

[Skylar Grey]

That is the Mother's Day show.

[Bunny]

What was the duo's name?

[Skylar Grey]

Generations.

[Bunny]

Generations. I love that.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, we made three albums together, I think, at.

[Bunny]

Starting at the age of six.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. I think the first album came out when I was eight.

[Bunny]

Wow.

[Skylar Grey]

And then.

[Bunny]

So did you grow up with, like, a studio in your house?

[Skylar Grey]

No, no, no. Because back then, we didn't have computers running it, so it was on tape.

[Bunny]

Okay.

[Skylar Grey]

So you had to go to a studio, and there was no auto tune. There was no.

[Bunny]

Like, you had to actually be A real musician. Yeah, unlike now.

[Skylar Grey]

So it's cool. Like, I've experienced all that and then, you know, the computers coming into the, into the equation and all the other tools that have come along with it. Now there's AI.

[Bunny]

So take me back. Take me back to writing your first album. Obviously you had to been like, what, seven before it to come out at eight. What was that process like as a seven year old? Did you grasp what was happening? Did you, like, understand it fully? Or were you just like, hey, I'm singing with mom.

[Skylar Grey]

I. I grasped it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I fully understood. And I mean, I learned a lot of hard lessons back then too, mostly about performing, because I was always really hard on myself. I still am.

[Bunny]

You are. I've noticed that about you.

[Skylar Grey]

And so, you know, the first few shows we did, if I sang one wrong note, I would have a tantrum after the show and be like, you know, and nobody cared, obviously. Nobody probably even heard the bad note that I sang. But I, like, would beat myself up about it. And so my mom, like, came up with this thing to tell me, and I still use it to this day. She said, you know, when you're on stage or when you're in, like, even after the show, when people are trying to come talk to you and stuff, you. You have to like, treat it like, you know, anytime you're away from those environments, you can have your tantrums and whatever, but, like, as soon as you're, you know, in the public eye, you turn on the Christmas lights like you're a Christmas tree and it's. It can be dark when. At any other time, but like, when you're performing and when you're in front of people, turn on those Christmas lights and just put it on. Just turn on the lights. And so I still sometimes use that because, like, you know, even doing a podcast, like, you have to turn it on, you have to be on. Right.

[Bunny]

What a great analogy, though.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. And so I still use that. I'm like, okay, if I'm like, feeling really bummed out and I don't want to go on stage, I just remember, okay, just turn on the Christmas lights, put on the show, and then I can be dark later.

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[Skylar Grey]

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[Bunny]

Where do you think that perfectionism comes from with you? Because normally it comes from like a place. I know my perfectionism comes from my father of daddy issues that I had because my he was a Virgo. So everything had to be perfect, you know. Where do you think yours came from?

[Skylar Grey]

It's a really good question. I don't actually know because it's just been the way I've been my whole life.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

You know, I'd have to like really?

[Bunny]

Yeah, yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

Do some deep thinking about that.

[Bunny]

I always wonder like, what makes people like, you know, the way that they are. Like, because I know I'm always trying to figure myself out too. So at seven, when you're writing this album, what kind of songs are you writing with Your mom?

[Skylar Grey]

At 7? So most of the songs we were singing were covers or like friends of ours wrote them. But I was always trying to compose. Like when I started taking piano lessons when I was 6 and instead of I didn't ever want to play other people's music. I just wanted to create. So my first piano recital, I played an original piece. I was always just like creating. And so then When I was 8, I wrote my first song with lyrics. It was called the Same sky and

[Bunny]

like your name is Skyler Gray?

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, I was crazy. I was in a swimming, swimming pool in Hawaii. My parents were divorced and so I was in the swimming pool in Hawaii with my mom and, and I was looking up at the moon and I was wondering if my dad could see the same moon I was looking at back in Wisconsin. And so I wrote a song about that. And you can still find that song out there. It's called the Same Sky.

[Bunny]

Oh my goodness. I love that you've always had such a, an old soul, even as a child to look up at the sky and be like, I wonder if my dad's looking at the same moon as me. You know, like that's really deep for an eight year old to even, that's for that to even cross your mind. So the depth is just amazing. So take me on this journey. You and your mom are making albums. Do you guys like go on tour or anything?

[Skylar Grey]

We toured around like the Midwest. We didn't go wide with it, but. And it was mostly like elementary schools, libraries, like women's health conventions, super random, like, you know, fairs. Yeah.

[Bunny]

What age were you when your parents divorced?

[Skylar Grey]

Three.

[Bunny]

Three. Okay. So.

[Skylar Grey]

So it didn't really affect me emotionally because I was too young to like, understand what was going on. And also it was weird in a good way because they were friends and we had. They had equal custody. So my whole childhood, I spent a week at my mom's, a week at my dad's, like went back and forth, packed a suitcase, walked a mile through the woods to get to the other parents house. And that's just how my childhood was.

[Bunny]

Yeah. As dad musical.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. He was in a barbershop quartet and he sings in church and I love it.

[Bunny]

How does one get in a barbershop quartet? Like, what does that consist of? That's like four.

[Skylar Grey]

They were four, sometimes five. And it's just acapella. They just a lot of crazy harmonies. And I think that definitely influenced me too, my use of harmonies. For sure. Yeah.

[Bunny]

Do you feel like the different versions of yourself live inside your music? So of course, as you're growing from, you know, seven to the woman that you're in now, do you feel like you're writing reflects like each different versions of your life?

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, I mean, I think we're always growing and evolving, but at the core there's, you know, all of that stuff is still there, you know? Yeah.

[Bunny]

When. When you were traveling with your mom, when did you set off to start doing things on your own?

[Skylar Grey]

So when I was 12, I bought a baby grand piano.

[Bunny]

I just bought one last.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, nice.

[Bunny]

I just bought one last week or three days ago. It's my first one.

[Skylar Grey]

Congrats.

[Bunny]

I'm so excited.

[Skylar Grey]

So I bought this piano with all the money I had made singing with my mom. And that's when I really started like writing a lot of songs. And it was also a time period, you know, being 12, it's when kids start getting really mean in school and they started making fun of me for singing with my mom. And the songs that we were singing, they would like mock me. And so it was just because they

[Bunny]

weren't doing it, they didn't have that relationship with their mom, you know, so it's like kids bully things that they don't understand.

[Skylar Grey]

Totally. But, you know, it hurt. And I also did like want to start singing different styles of music. I was listening to pop, you know, pop radio and grunge and stuff. And I was like, I Don't. I don't want to sing these kids songs anymore.

[Bunny]

Well, you were growing up too.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, it was a different. And so I started writing a lot of songs and then I told my mom I wanted to go solo.

[Bunny]

How did mom take that?

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, she was always very supportive, but I could tell that it, you know, it bummed her out too. Yeah.

[Bunny]

Because, I mean, I'm sure it was like she was living a dream vicariously through you also.

[Skylar Grey]

Well, that. And it became her career. Performing with me was her career.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

At that point, so. So, yeah, it was hard for her, I think, but she was also super supportive and I think she knew that was going to happen at some point, you know.

[Bunny]

So at 12, you're writing these songs. How do you get out to la? Cuz.

[Skylar Grey]

Where.

[Bunny]

Where were you growing up at?

[Skylar Grey]

Wisconsin.

[Bunny]

Wisconsin. So you go from Wisconsin. How do you end up in la?

[Skylar Grey]

Well, I started by. When I went solo, I put a band together and in Madison, Wisconsin, it was mostly jazz musicians. So my whole band was a jazz band basically. And I was playing jazz clubs.

[Bunny]

And it wasn't really hard to play, by the way.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, yeah? Yeah. I mean, I wasn't playing, they were playing. I was singing.

[Bunny]

But even singing it too is not easy.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. So I wasn't really. I wasn't really doing jazz songs per se. I did a few, but I was writing my own pop songs. But I. I quickly learned that, like, that wasn't the place for me to succeed in the way I wanted to.

[Bunny]

Pop music wasn't.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. Like in Madison, it just wasn't, you know, I just felt like I needed to get out of there and go to la and spread your wings. Yeah, so. And I hated school. I had a really hard time with school. I was, I was a good student, but I just like, socially had a really hard time with it.

[Bunny]

Were you just, like, awkward and like.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, I kind of kept to myself. Well, I really tried for a long time to like, be part of the, the mean girls clique and like, tried to find my place, you know, and I just didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. I didn't feel accepted in any groups. So I started like, sitting alone at lunch and instead of even in the lunchroom, I would take my sandwich to the piano room, in the band room and like, sit alone and eat and play the piano. And so then I asked my parents to homeschool me and they couldn't figure it out. And eventually I just dropped out.

[Bunny]

Did you suffer from, like, anxiety or depression as a child?

[Skylar Grey]

Or what? I definitely had some depression.

[Bunny]

Disconnect was.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, it was. I was really, like. I had a bout of, like, anorexia and like, I was just, like, really self conscious and.

[Bunny]

Do you feel like the pressure of touring with your mom is where you started trying? Because they say that. That. Because I suffered from an eating disorder myself. And that's like my way of trying to gain control of my life. Was that way your way of trying to gain control? Did you not feel like you were.

[Skylar Grey]

I just wanted people to like me, I think. And so I was like, trying anything to, like, get people to like me and think I was pretty and, you know, all the things. You're beautiful. Thank you. And so. So, yeah, I dealt with some depression and all that stuff. And then I also just like, had such a clear vision for myself with my career and I kind of felt like I was wasting my time in school.

[Bunny]

Yeah, I know that feeling. That's why I was. I could never focus.

[Skylar Grey]

Like, a lot of people don't know what they want to do at that age, but I did. And so I'm like, what am I doing here? You know?

[Bunny]

You're a creative. Just through and through.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. So the last year of high school, my junior year, I didn't finish. I only went to three classes. Ceramics and Physics and Algebra 2. Oh. And because I loved math and science.

[Bunny]

Wow.

[Skylar Grey]

So I just chose to go to those classes and they let me just do those.

[Bunny]

They're like, she's gonna do whatever she wants anyways.

[Skylar Grey]

Let's just.

[Bunny]

At least she's going.

[Skylar Grey]

But then something happened where I had a gig and I couldn't do my homework that night because I didn't have enough time to do, you know, two hours of math homework and do my show, show up the next day at school, ace my test, and. But the teacher was like, well, I'm not going to. This isn't going to count because you need to do your homework just like every other kid in this class. And I said, I'm sorry I couldn't because I had a gig. And she was like, well, music isn't a career. You better rethink this. And he just like that. First I just left and I never went back.

[Bunny]

You never went back to school? You were like, no, I was like this. You're like, I'm gonna use those words

[Skylar Grey]

as I'm gonna prove you wrong. Yes.

[Bunny]

I love that. I don't love that you dropped out, but I love that. And I don't love that the teacher said that to you. Like I. I don't think teachers understand like when they say things like that to, to children like it really either one breaks their spirit or sparks a fire in their soul. And luckily it sparked a fire in your soul.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

If you're a teacher, please be careful with what you say to students, so.

[Skylar Grey]

Well, I see it as a blessing because I did. It did spark a fire for me.

[Bunny]

Yes.

[Skylar Grey]

You know, I love that for sure.

[Bunny]

So take me on this journey. So you didn't go back to school. What do you do?

[Skylar Grey]

Well, I had a bunch of money saved up for college from doing all these shows and stuff.

[Bunny]

And I love that you were able to save money.

[Skylar Grey]

That's amazing.

[Bunny]

That's an amazing.

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, I wouldn't have been able to do it if my parents didn't force me to.

[Bunny]

Right. Okay, gotcha.

[Skylar Grey]

They're like, this is all going in your college savings.

[Bunny]

Yeah. Because that's the last thing I was thinking about when I ran away from home. My outside did not have a pot

[Skylar Grey]

to piss in, so I'm. Instead of spending it on college, I spend. Took that money to LA to move and to record demos.

[Bunny]

Take me on. Your first like year in la, Was it a freaking culture shock for you?

[Skylar Grey]

Huge.

[Bunny]

Cuz I grew up on the west coast, so that's what I grew up in. But I couldn't imagine coming from Wisconsin.

[Skylar Grey]

Small town Wisconsin, 1500 people, and then landing in Venice, La.

[Bunny]

Oh my gosh. You went straight to Venice?

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. The first person I lived with was the guitar player from Culture Club. Oh, Roy. Yeah, yeah. He had an empty bedroom and just threw a mutual friend like, let me stay there.

[Bunny]

That's Boy George's band, right?

[Skylar Grey]

Or was Boy.

[Bunny]

Yeah, Boy George. I had the biggest crush on Boy George when I was a kid. He was my first love. I had a Boy George, Snoopy and everything. Oh, that is so random. How did you.

[Skylar Grey]

So random. Just through some random. You know. Yeah, it is. You meet random people and. And then. But it was culture shock for sure. A lot of like. I don't wanna. Yeah, I'm not gonna say anything, but a lot of stuff I was exposed to that I hadn't been. Yeah. Very quickly. And it was kind of like a dark environment for. For me to be in. At 17, you were a baby, so

[Bunny]

I'm sure people were just. They can always smell when somebody's very green, so I'm sure it was.

[Skylar Grey]

And then there was like a murder next door and there was like a, A bloody mattress in between the houses and I was just like where am I? And then this coroner came and we had to take. They had to tape off, caution tape our house and, like, keep us there because they needed to question us. Did we hear any screaming? Like, this is your.

[Bunny]

Your next door neighbor for when you.

[Skylar Grey]

When I was living at Roy Hayes house.

[Bunny]

Wow.

[Skylar Grey]

And the coroner, like, I watched him take the body to the truck and all this stuff. And then. And then he came. I was sitting on the front steps of the house because I was like. Like, I had to stay at the house until questioning or whatever. And he came and sat next to me and he started hitting on me

[Bunny]

like the coroner did.

[Skylar Grey]

The coroner was like, men sat next to me and he was like, you're such a beautiful girl. Like, it was so weird. I'm like, where am I?

[Bunny]

Oh, my God. Like, you're literally watching somebody get murdered and their body getting taken to the morgue. And this man just, like, men just have the worst timing always. It's never a good time.

[Skylar Grey]

It was 17 and he was like, you know, yeah, you're a baby.

[Bunny]

I could only imagine the things that you had to see. What year was this?

[Skylar Grey]

2005. Yeah. Yeah.

[Bunny]

Yep. I was. I was out there during that time, too. That was a wild time in L. A And Vegas, those were wild times. Was like, I don't know, it was like the fudgeing wild west out there. It was really crazy. So I could only imagine the stuff that you had to experience out there.

[Skylar Grey]

But luckily, some of the producers that I had met and was working with were really nice and they saw the situation I was in, and they're like, girl, we got to get you out of there. And so they let me go stay with them, and I. I did kind of like a little couch surfing, you know, route with different producers and stuff. And then I signed my first record deal about a year and a half in.

[Bunny]

So tell me how you. Because you signed. You signed it with. You started working with Linkin park, and then you got signed to your record deal.

[Skylar Grey]

So Lincoln park had a label called Machine Shop under the Warner Brothers umbrella. And we had met through. Well, I met some random person in a hallway in a studio, and he was like, you need a lawyer. And so he introduced me to a lawyer, and then that lawyer introduced me to a manager. And it was the firm. I don't know if they're still in existence, but the management company, the firm, I remember them. I remember hearing about them and I. It's so funny. This is just like a funny little anecdote. But I went and sat in the office to meet with Dan at the firm. And he told me, so this whole company was built on corn. And I was thinking from Wisconsin. I was like. I was looking around the room like, wait, it's like the couches are made out of corn.

[Bunny]

Like, he's talking about the band.

[Skylar Grey]

And he was talking about the band corn.

[Bunny]

Oh, my gosh.

[Skylar Grey]

I literally was looking around the room, like, being like, oh, my God, they built everything here out of court.

[Bunny]

Oh, my God.

[Skylar Grey]

You sweet baby. So naive.

[Bunny]

Oh, my gosh. I love that, though. That is the cutest story ever.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, but so Lincoln park was also managed by the firm, and so we got connected that way. And they heard a demo I had recorded and were interested in meeting. And so I used to go to this hotel, which is now the London Hotel, but back then it was the Wyndham Belage Hotel. And there was a little bar and a piano in the corner. And I would just go in there and play and saying, not performing, but just anytime I saw a piano, I would sit down and play. So I would, like, meet the most random people there. Like, Joaquin Phoenix came and sat next to me one time and asked me to show the. Show him the chords I was playing. And it was just a crazy, crazy time. But so I said, come down to the Wyndham Bellage. And so the guitar player from Lincoln park came down and listened to me play a couple songs for him. And then the next day, they offered me a deal. I love that.

[Bunny]

And I wanted to tell you. I know you did. Where'd you go with Fort Minor? That was one of my MySpace songs. So it was so crazy how, like, it just keeps circling back to how you've had an influence in my life indirectly. And I didn't even know it. Like, it was just crazy. When I was doing my notes, it was. I used to. When. Because I ran away from home. So where'd you go Was like my, like, anthem. Because it was like, you know, from me and my parents, I. That's how I looked at it. But, yeah, I just thought that was crazy. Crazy little tidbit. So did you get to meet Chester Bennington and all of them? What was your relationship like with Chester?

[Skylar Grey]

Chester was a beautiful human.

[Bunny]

How did his death affect you? Was it shocking for you?

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, I didn't know him that well, to be honest, but, yeah, I mean, that was a hard pill to swallow. He was such a. A. A genuine soul and a really good person. He's a fellow Pisces, so he feels every.

[Bunny]

He Felt everything too. Yeah, yeah. So take me on this journey with your first record deal because you signed with them. But then it kind of. You guys had a falling out, which kind of sent you into a different direction.

[Skylar Grey]

Well, so, yeah, I mean, what happened was Mike Shinoda did a side project called Fort Minor, and he had me come down to the studio one day and sing the hook for where'd you go? And I had been manifesting working in hip hop for so long, ever since I heard Stan by Eminem when I was like 13. That's something I always wanted to do. Like, I loved the. The juxtaposition of the soft female vocal with the rap. And so when he asked me to do that song, I was like, so excited. I came down, sang the song, left. I didn't expect it to go, like, be a Billboard charting song, but it blew up. And then I didn't really know how to respond to that. Like, I wasn't prepared for the success of that song. And so I just don't think I was prepared with my own, like, music. And I didn't know how to follow it up. I didn't know how to, like, maximize the exposure of that song and like, build off of it. I feel like I, like, rushed my first album out. Like, looking back, I wish I had spent more time. And it's not that I'm not proud of that album, but yeah, like, looking back, I'm like, man, I could have probably done a lot better job if I had just been more patient. But I was like, I don't know. I was frantic about trying to, like, follow up that success of that song.

[Bunny]

You felt like you were probably gonna lose the momentum. I feel like I. My husband, being an artist, you see that a lot is like, when something blows up there, it's like you are like, oh, my God, how am I supposed to follow this up? And so I. I do. My husband. My husband has a saying where he always says, don't let perfection get in the way of good enough. And I've always, like, believed that because if we've micro manage like everything and try to be perfect, like something that is good enough and that people are actually going to just devour and love that might miss that opportunity because we're trying to make it perfect, you know? 100 and I've noticed that with you, you're like, so hard on yourself. When I was listening to you on other podcasts, I was like, this girl is so talented. And like, I don't even think you realize how special you are. Like, you are. There's not very many people like you that can do what you do. So, I mean, you need to really.

[Skylar Grey]

I'm. I'm trying to learn how to let good enough be okay. You, like, let it be good enough instead of being a perfectionist. It. It's been a problem for me because it takes me about five years to put out an album every time because I'm so. I put so much pressure on myself, like, thinking about, like, is this the sound that I want to, like, leave the world with? You know, leave my mark on the world with. And so I would just, like, put so much pressure. And now I'm at a place where I'm like, I just turned 40, and

[Bunny]

I'm seeing, like, you look great, by the way.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, thank you.

[Bunny]

You don't look 40 at all.

[Skylar Grey]

Thank you. But I'm, you know, like, how much. How many more years do I have left? Sorry.

[Bunny]

I'm so sorry. He's old.

[Skylar Grey]

So cute. Like, how many years do I have left in this industry? You know, with your talent, I can't. But I can't just put out an album every five years.

[Bunny]

Right. I understand.

[Skylar Grey]

I don't. Like, at some point, I'm gonna look back and be like, why didn't I put out more music?

[Bunny]

But if you look, whenever you said you wrote, where'd you go? And love the way you lie? You said that you weren't. You didn't think that they were even going to do anything, and you kind of, like, had no pressure on yourself.

[Skylar Grey]

Right.

[Bunny]

And then, like, when you don't have pressure on yourself, look at what you produce. Of course, I'm sure you've done that with multiple other songs too, but just those two as an example. And I think that if you can somehow get into that headspace of. Of not putting so much pressure on yourself, you'll be a little bit more free.

[Skylar Grey]

And that's what I'm trying to do now. I'm trying to aim for an album a year, and instead of thinking about it, like, this is the sound. This is, like, what people are going to remember me for or whatever. I'm just like, let's just capture this moment in time. Like, what am I into right now musically? Just make those songs and then put them out. Yeah. And then I can make another one next year, and it. It'll evolve and it'll change, and the sound will change, and it doesn't have to be that serious. And so that's kind of like, mentally where I'm at with it. All right now. And it's like, artists are allowed to put out shitty albums.

[Bunny]

Yes.

[Skylar Grey]

You know, and so if I, if one of those zeitgeist I capture on an album is like, it's okay, just do it. Just keep going, keep putting out. And don't like look back and regret not putting out more music.

[Bunny]

Amen, sister. My husband said the other day we were talking about him dropping an album and he's like, as an artist, all we care about is just getting an album out in one song, doing great.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

I was like, that's really a great way to look at it is like you drop a 15 song album, but you just hope that that one resonates. And I mean, with your voice and your talent, there's gonna always be that one. You know, I, I know you probably don't believe that, but I mean, look, your, your freaking track record speaks for itself. A lot of people might not realize this, but you also did pass yesterday on my husband's album too, which. That is one of my favorite songs. I loved it. When I found out you were getting on it, I was so, so excited and so giddy and you just crushed it, so.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, thank you so much.

[Bunny]

If you guys haven't gone and listened to pass yesterday, go listen to it.

[Skylar Grey]

Cuz I was so excited when I got that text. Yeah. And I was like, it was a like 24 hour turnaround.

[Bunny]

Sounds like super fast.

[Skylar Grey]

And I was like, I gotta lock in. And so I go to the studio and I'm like, you know, beating my head against the wall trying to figure it out. And I just, you know, you feel it when, when you know it's right and it wasn't feeling right. And I was like, okay, I just need to like, put this down, go to dinner. So after spending like, I don't know, six hours in the studio trying to come up with something, I decided I'm just gonna go to dinner and then I'm gonna, you know, smoke a little weed, have a drink, whatever, and then go back and try again Fresh.

[Mackenzie]

My name is Mackenzie and I started to go fund me for the adoptive mother of a nonverbal autistic child. The mother had lost her job because she wasn't able to find adequate care for this autistic child. So she really needed some help with living expenses, paying some back bills. So I launched a GoFundMe to help support them during this crisis. And we raised about $10,000 within just a couple years of months. I think that the surprising thing was by telling a clear story. And just like really being very clear about what we needed, we had some really generous donations from people who were really moved by the situation that this family was struggling with.

[Bunny]

GoFundMe is the world's number one fundraising platform, trusted by over 200 million people. Start your GoFundMe today at gofundme.com that's gofundme.com gofundme.com this podcast is supported by GoFundMe.

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[Skylar Grey]

actually feel like you.

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[Skylar Grey]

And it, like, instantly came to me when I went back into the studio and it was not anything I had started earlier in the day. It was a brand new idea and I was like, okay, this feels right.

[Bunny]

It was so good.

[Skylar Grey]

Thank you.

[Bunny]

So, so good. So let's circle back to you ultimately going on this journey because up until now, you're Holly Brooks, right? You. You have your.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. Up until.

[Bunny]

Which I did not take you for a. Holly.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, Holly is my real name.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

Brooke is my middle name.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

And I went by that for a while. And then, you know, after the whole Linkin park thing and, and putting out where'd you go? And my album, my first album that came out was under Holly Brooke. It wasn't very successful and I went broke and I had to leave LA because I couldn't afford it. And so then I moved to this cabin in the woods. And the woods have always been like my safe space because I grew up in the woods. And that's where you kind of go back to Recharge? Yeah. It's where I go back to find myself again. Because you can get just so lost in the mix. And I. I'm so affected by people's opinions and being in LA and just, like, being surrounded by people's opinions, especially people that I looked up to, experts in the music industry, other songwriters and everything. I felt like I, like, lost touch with myself musically and just as a person. Like, I just. It was the first time in my life I actually questioned what I was doing for a living because, like, ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to do music. And then suddenly when my. My album didn't succeed and I went broke, I was like, okay, maybe I need to rethink all of this. So I just had to get out. I actually worked a few jobs for the first time in my life.

[Bunny]

What was the first job?

[Skylar Grey]

I worked at Barnes and Noble selling music. I was in the CDs area, and I actually sold my own album one day.

[Bunny]

And they didn't know it was you,

[Skylar Grey]

and I didn't tell them.

[Bunny]

Oh, my goodness.

[Skylar Grey]

I was like, this is so embarrassing. Oh, I'm, like, working in Barnes and Noble now. Like, oh, my gosh.

[Bunny]

And how did they. How did that person not know it was you? That's crazy.

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, I looked different. Oh, yeah. I changed everything. I've had so many different hairstyles.

[Bunny]

You have?

[Skylar Grey]

I have.

[Bunny]

I did notice that when I was

[Skylar Grey]

researching you, I was like, oh, she's you.

[Bunny]

Like, you can tell. Like, you're always in seasons of your life, and I love that. I've always wanted to be like that, and I just can't do it. I have to always stay, like, the same. But I admire people and I talk about it all the time. I want to dye my hair black. I want it, but I don't have the balls to do it. But you do. And I really appreciate that in a. In a person, because I think that's so cool.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, it's been fun. And I love having a shaved head now. I didn't do that on purpose, though. I had a bleaching accident.

[Bunny]

Oh, no.

[Skylar Grey]

What happened?

[Bunny]

Tell me.

[Skylar Grey]

Like, my hair just got fried and it was, like, coming out in clumps in the shower.

[Bunny]

Oh, no.

[Skylar Grey]

And then my whole body broke out in hives.

[Bunny]

Oh, no.

[Skylar Grey]

I was, like, covered. I was like. I had a crazy allergic reaction to the bleach. And I had always wanted to shave my head, but, yeah, I'd never had the guts to do it until that moment. I was like, I Don't know if I have an option. Like, otherwise it's gonna look really bad. So I took it as the opportunity to do it, and now I love it.

[Bunny]

I love it.

[Skylar Grey]

I'm rocking it for a while. I'll probably grow it back at some point, but I love it.

[Bunny]

I think it's awesome.

[Skylar Grey]

But back to the other jobs. Yes, I think you'll find this interesting. So the other job. Well, one of the other jobs, I taught gymnastics to little kids, and they were, like, peeing all over the mats. I was like, cleaning up.

[Bunny]

Had you ever done any gymnastics before?

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, I grew up doing gymnastics. My. My stepdad was a gym. My gymnastics coach. That's how my parents met.

[Bunny]

Okay.

[Skylar Grey]

And I was in high school gymnastics, and I coached high school.

[Bunny]

That's where you get that banging body from.

[Skylar Grey]

I don't know.

[Bunny]

Yeah,

[Skylar Grey]

so I did that, but then it just became cleaning up pee.

[Bunny]

So you were a babysitter? Gymnastics babysitter.

[Skylar Grey]

And then I responded to this Craigslist ad that said they needed a video editor. And I was like, I can do that because I can edit pro tools. It can't be that different. And they said they would train. So. Okay, so I show up in a suit to this interview, and they said, you know, this is adult content, right? And I was like, okay, well, I really need a job, so that's fine. Whatever. And so, yeah, I edited porn for, like, a few weeks. I only lasted a few weeks, though.

[Bunny]

Why? Because we're like.

[Skylar Grey]

But it was really good money. Like, because we were paid on how much work we got done. And so it ended up being about, like, $30 an hour for me, which was, like, way better than Barnes and Noble. Right? But what happened was. Have you ever heard of this phrase called the Tetris effect?

[Bunny]

No.

[Skylar Grey]

Teach me. So, like, if you are playing Tetris, it's like all these shapes falling, right? If you play it for too long and then you start doing something else, you start hallucinating the Tetris. Shapes falling.

[Bunny]

Wow.

[Skylar Grey]

And so that was happening to me, but it was like, buttholes and

[Bunny]

because you were, like, staring at porn all day.

[Skylar Grey]

I had, like, in my bedroom, I had a light above the bed that I had taken the light bulb out because it was too bright. And so there was just, like, a. A light socket above my bed. And every night when I fell asleep, I was just seeing a gaping butthole on my ceiling. Like, I was, like, legit hallucinating this. And I was like, this can't be healthy.

[Bunny]

No, that can't Be healthy. But you know what? That's perspective. Because you never think about, like, people on the other side of the porn industry who actually have to edit stuff. Like, their minds are being affected as well.

[Skylar Grey]

It was a 9 to 5 of just looking at, you know, and it wasn't editing features. It was like taking a feature film and chopping out all the highlights to make, like, short clips, almost like reels.

[Bunny]

Gotcha.

[Skylar Grey]

Making short clips of the highlights. So, like, the cum shots and the, you know, like, all. And then I had to learn all the terminology because we had to tag it all, like, with what search words people would use to find that. Yeah, that, you know, gang bang. Like, whatever. Like gaping cream pie. Yeah. You know. Oh, God.

[Bunny]

She's like, I'm just trying to survive.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then I. Luckily I got offered a tour as a keyboardist, and I was like, okay, I think I'm gonna

[Bunny]

take that instead of what I know.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. Backup keys and backup singing for Duncan Chic. He had a song called in the 90s called I'm barely Breathing.

[Bunny]

Yes, I think I do remember him. Yep, yep, yep. Vaguely.

[Skylar Grey]

So I toured with him for a while, and it was. It was great because it was music, at least, and I was getting paid, but, you know, after a point, I was just like, I wish. Really wish I was doing this with my own music.

[Bunny]

Yeah. I feel like that's been your whole journey is like, I just want to write my own music. I don't want to have to write for anybody else. Take me on this metamorphosis of you. I really thought this was a great story that you had told of. From kind of falling off from Holly Brook. Is it Holly Brooks or Holly Brooks?

[Skylar Grey]

Holly Brooks.

[Bunny]

Holly Brooke. And then becoming Skyler Gray. Because.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, yeah. So, yeah. When I was in the woods and, like, reconnecting with myself and you said

[Bunny]

you were peeing in a. In a pot.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, yeah. So I'm trying to think, like, the timeline here. So I had done that tour. Oh. When I was on the tour with Duncan, I had been, like, journaling a lot, and I wrote down in my journal, all I want is a cabin in the woods in a place where I can set up a recording studio and, like, just make my own music. I wrote down, which is the power of manifestation. Because especially when you write it down. About, like, six months later, my mom calls me and she's like, my friend has this property with a cabin on it, and she is offering to let you live there for free. You would just have to work in her art gallery and sell her art like a couple times a week in trade for the rent. And I was like, dream come true. Let's go.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

And so I moved up there and set up all my gear. Fell back in love with music, just being alone and. And then I just felt like I needed to change my name. Like, I had gone through such a transformation, emotionally, musically, everything.

[Bunny]

How long was this that you were getting back to your, like, roots?

[Skylar Grey]

So I moved there in the fall and it was probably May or June, the following May or June when I wrote Love the Way youy Lie. And that's about the time when I was like, you know, when that song took off, I was like, I think I need to change my name. Because, like, I was getting pushed back into the music industry suddenly and I didn't want people to like, judge me for being Holly broke and failing. And so I kind of wanted to re Enter it as a new person, as a new artist. I even didn't show my face for a long time. Like, I had a website that was like a super shadowy picture of me and it was, you know, my new name. And people were like, who is this person? You know?

[Bunny]

How does the introduction to Eminem happened?

[Skylar Grey]

It just happened through the producer that I'd met on the email after I sent him the hook that I wrote over his beat for Love the way you lie and the song blew up and everything. I. I didn't have any part in that. Like, he's the producer's the one who got the song to. To M. Yeah. And then M was in Detroit, Rihanna was in Dublin. Alex, the producer, was in New York, and I was in the cabin in the woods in Oregon. The song came out, it was huge. We'd never been all in the same room together. It's crazy. But then I met Em because, you know, obviously after the success of that song, he wanted to invite us out to write on or to work with Dr. Dre on his new album. And so Alex and I went out there and it was so nerve wracking walking into the room and There's Eminem and Dr. Dre.

[Bunny]

No pressure.

[Skylar Grey]

No pressure.

[Bunny]

None whatsoever. Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

I was so quiet. Eminem, he. He actually like later told me. He's like, I thought you were a. Because I was just so quiet. I like, didn't say anything.

[Bunny]

Because you were just so nervous. Your poor little heart was probably like pounding.

[Skylar Grey]

It was, yeah, because, I mean, you

[Bunny]

write this massive banger and then they bring you in to not only write with Eminem, but also to write with Dr. Dre and it's like, that's double the pressure. And then that's pressure to have to create right there. I think you had said that you had pre. You had pre. Written a verse.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. Gotten together before the trip and came up with some ideas to, like, present. I didn't want to walk in empty handed, and I also have a really hard time creating in front of people.

[Bunny]

Yeah, that's got to be, like, insane.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. So, yeah, Alex and I took over, like, a couple rooms in New York in the UMPG offices. And, like, he was making beats in one room and I was writing hooks in the other room. And, yeah, we came up with the I need a doctor hook there.

[Bunny]

And now you've done how many songs with M?

[Skylar Grey]

Like, you guys, I'd have to count. I don't. I don't actually know, but because we've done songs on his albums, he's featured on some songs for my albums, and then we worked on things together, like, for Slaughterhouse. So I. I don't know. I'd have to add it up, but it's like, it's probably 15 plus and.

[Bunny]

But you guys have, like, a real friendship, too.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

Because I've seen you guys, like, on stage and, like, he seems like he just adores you.

[Skylar Grey]

He's the best. Yeah.

[Bunny]

Yeah, Jay was. Jay got to meet him, what, like, a few years ago and just absolutely loves him.

[Skylar Grey]

Like, yeah, I adore him.

[Bunny]

Yeah. I guess they're like, texting buddies now or something. He always, always runs in the room. Eminem texts me. I'm like, okay, babe, I get it. I get it. So how crazy is it that you're in the middle of the woods, you are writing music, you're reconnecting. You get this opportunity to do love, the way you lie with M, and then you're writing with Dr. Dre. And then, like, things just keep taking off for you. How are you feeling mentally and how are you feeling? Like, pressure wise? Because I do know that you're pretty hard on yourself. Where are you at? Are you like, hell, yeah, let's go? Or are you still kind of just like.

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, I was super excited, but then at the same time, like, like you said, I put a lot of pressure on myself. And so I had tons of people reaching out, wanting songs for themselves, wanting hits. They're like, we want our love the way you lie. And I'm like, well, not every song I write is a hit. Like, yeah, but I put the pressure on myself that it had to be. And So I started doing these writing sessions, and that pressure got to me to the point where it, like, shut down my creativity, and I would be in the rooms and not delivering. Like, I couldn't come up with anything. My mind was blank.

[Bunny]

Because people are watching you. Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

And because. Because it's just the pressure I put on myself. Like, I have to write them a hit right now.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

You know, and that just doesn't work.

[Bunny]

What is your creative process? Like, how. What is your ideal situation to write just something from the heart and to

[Skylar Grey]

be alone in the room. Yeah. And. And also, like, a lot of my songs come to me when I'm not even in a studio. They'll come to me when I'm making dinner or going on a walk or. There's songs on my album. There was one that was written. My dog was getting surgery, and I was standing outside the vet's office. And so it just, like, comes to me in my head. So it's not like I'm sitting down to write a song, but sometimes it works for me to sit down and write a song, but usually I like to be alone in the room. And, like, when Jelly sent me the. The past yesterday song, I just, like, took the track into the studio, shut the door, and. And just sat with myself and. And, you know, I try to let the music come to me instead of write it. And instead, of, like, overthinking it, I. I, like, feel like it comes from somewhere else and I channel it. But I can get in the way of that doorway being open with my brain, like, overthinking things. So that's why it's important for me to be alone, I think, is. Is because I have to, like, allow that to channel through me all the best songs that I've. I've written. The biggest songs I've written took very little thought, you know? Yeah. It doesn't even feel like I wrote them. Maybe that's part of the imposter syndrome, I feel sometimes because, like, that was too easy. Yeah. Like, love the way you lie Coming home There's, like, came like this, and I don't even feel like I. I worked on them.

[Bunny]

When you write something so deeply personal, too, and somebody else sings it, how does that make you feel?

[Skylar Grey]

It was hard at first because I just had never thought about it. Like, I never expected to write songs for other people. And so, like, love the way you lie. It was, like, amazing that Rihanna. Because I love Rihanna. I was like, yes, this is amazing that she's gonna cut the song. But at the Same time, it was bittersweet because it's like, I didn't expect anybody else to sing it but me, you know? But I got used to it, and I'm at the point now where I, like, I just hold on to the songs for myself that I know I want to sing. And then I keep, like, a Dropbox folder full of stuff that I can just pitch because I'm like, I don't want to sing that one anyways.

[Bunny]

What's harder for you? Writing for yourself or writing for someone else's voice? Because when you write, do you just write only, like, your own words? Or if, like, somebody comes to you with an idea and says, hey, I want this, Is that harder for you?

[Skylar Grey]

It's definitely harder for me to write songs for other people. I. I actually approach everything like, I'm writing it for myself. Even when somebody's coming to me wanting a song, I try to just do what I feel and what I would do for myself. Yeah. Because it doesn't really work the other way. I've tried it the other way, and it just. It doesn't really work.

[Bunny]

What is an artist that you've worked with that you were surprised, like, in a good, chaotic way about them?

[Skylar Grey]

What do you mean?

[Bunny]

Just give me one artist that you've worked with who surprised you? Like, like, you thought they were going to be one way, but then they ended up being another way. Like, in a good way. Nothing negative.

[Skylar Grey]

I mean, I mean, Eminem's a great example.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

I didn't expect him to be such a pleasure to work with, you know, based on the Persona he has out there. And. And I was thinking he's either gonna be mean or he's gonna be, like, just difficult to work with. And then he getting to work with him, I was like, oh, my God, I love this person so much. He is so kind. Out of all the people that I send my music to, he gives me the most feedback. Like, I'll just send him a song. Like, I wrote this song today, and I'm not even pitching him, like, a hook for himself. I'm just, like, wanted to share this song that I wrote, and he gives me, like, the best feedback.

[Bunny]

Does he have a pretty good music or a pretty good ear for music?

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, yeah. He's brilliant, obviously. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bunny]

My husband said they call him the wizard.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bunny]

Because he's, like, behind the curtain, but

[Skylar Grey]

he's so kind to even spend the time to give me that feedback on stuff.

[Bunny]

You know, you guys have a true friendship, which I think is beautiful all in itself. Do you have to be hurting in order to create music, or can you create when you're happy?

[Skylar Grey]

I can create when I'm happy. I think what I do is I. I write a lot about my past, and so I put myself back in that emotional state. Like, I act a little bit. I, like, take myself back, because, you know, hindsight is 20 20, so sometimes when I'm going through something, I don't even know how to, like, understand or analyze what I'm going through. But when I look back at something I went through, it's, like, often easier for me to describe the emotion I was feeling and describe the solution that got me out of it. Yeah. So I can write when I'm happy, too.

[Bunny]

It's like a purge for you.

[Skylar Grey]

It's like therapy. Yeah, it is. Yeah. You know, like, in therapy, you look back at your childhood, you look back at your past a lot. So it's a lot. It's a lot like that. I love that.

[Bunny]

For somebody who has. Who didn't really want to do side quests, I find you always doing, like, the coolest side quests. Like, you've gotten into movies. You did the suicide. What is it?

[Skylar Grey]

Suicide Squad.

[Bunny]

And then you also did Venom, and you've done a couple Man, Aquaman. Like, your freaking track record is insane. Like, do you ever look back at yourself and be like, I'm proud of myself.

[Skylar Grey]

I definitely am. But, you know, it's like when you have a very specific goal. Like, I've. I've done all these really cool things, but they still aren't that specific goal that I had as a kid, you know?

[Bunny]

Yeah. So are you hoping with this next album to reach that goal? And what happens when you do finally reach that goal? Like, well, like, accomplished everything.

[Skylar Grey]

Right at that point, I. I feel like I'll just keep setting new goals. Yeah.

[Bunny]

You know what I mean? You're just gonna keep climbing.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. Yeah. And so, like, right now, I know this may sound silly, but for me, the goal is to have one of my solo songs be at the top of my Spotify page. Because, you know, all the collaborations I've done, I'm tied to all these huge artists, and so those songs just are always at the top. And so that's what people know me for. But the songs that I write that are my own, and solo songs for myself, like, they don't get as much exposure. And, you know, when you go to check somebody's music out and you go to their Spotify, you're gonna Click on the first few songs. Right. And I don't necessarily feel like all my first few songs are the best representation of who I am as an artist. And so my goal currently is to get, you know, a song on my new album up there. Yeah, you know, if somebody were to

[Bunny]

go to your Spotify right now and they wanted to listen to three songs that you think show who you are, which one should they go listen to right now?

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[Skylar Grey]

this album, Wasted Potential. What's it called? This, the. Well, the album Wasted Potential and It's coming out May 22nd. But the first song, Nirvana, is probably one of my favorite songs. And it kind of like tells the story of my. It's an introduction to the story of who I am and where I come from. There's another song on there called Bruises, which is the darkest song I've ever written in. In my opinion, for myself. I wrote that when I was really rock bottom, about a year maybe. Maybe it was two years ago, but I was just like not feeling good enough for anyone or anything and just like really struggling and thinking I sucked and, you know, being really hard on myself. Actually, these gloves, these are going to be on my merch line. I would like a pair. I'll give you some. But the first line of the song is, I'm covered in bruises, been beating myself up. And so that song, I think is. Is one people should check out for sure.

[Bunny]

I'm going to listen to these and then what's one more?

[Skylar Grey]

One more. Heather, do you have any suggestions? Oh, she wants me to say, because that's the focus track of the album.

[Bunny]

Spoken like a true manager. Exactly.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

Don't go to her for any empathy. She's gonna be like, no, let's. Let's see what we can sell. So let's talk about this new album. It's gonna drop May 22. It's called Wasted Potential, which I think is an amazing name. Take me on the journey with this album.

[Skylar Grey]

What's.

[Bunny]

What's it sound like, what was the writing creative process like? Tell me all things Wasted potential.

[Skylar Grey]

So it first started with the song Bruises. I wrote that song and it was a very therapeutic moment for me.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

I.

[Skylar Grey]

It wasn't a song that I set out to write. It's just like I had to get it out of my system. There's no solution offered in the song. It's just the dark. It just ends with, like, hopelessness.

[Bunny]

Oh my gosh.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, it's pretty.

[Bunny]

I love stuff like that. Now you're speaking my language.

[Skylar Grey]

But what was crazy is as soon as I finished the song, I just. I felt so much better. I felt this weight lift off of me and. And suddenly I was thinking about my childhood and. And I was dissecting my childhood and like, trying to understand why I am the way I am, why I am so hard on myself, what things I went through. Like, I was like, I didn't have any major traumas. I didn't have like a. A difficult upbringing or family situation. So, like, what's wrong with me? Like, you know, and so I was just like, thinking about it and then I. I was realizing, like, man, my childhood was actually pretty great. And it was. I had loving parents. And I just think I never appreciated it at the time because I was so focused on my career. And. And so then I. I've just felt drawn to. I would start, I was listening to music from the 90s again. I would just like throw on Spice Girls in the car and like, just feeling really nostalgic. Yeah.

[Bunny]

80s 90s and 2000s music cannot be beat.

[Skylar Grey]

I know. And so that's kind of like the. The goal with this album. It was just to kind of have a nostalgic body of work that takes me back to my childhood and tells my. My coming of age story. Where I come from in a small town and. And seeking chaos and being drawn to the darkness and discovering my sexuality and all that. So that's. That's all in this album. Wasted potential. The title actually comes from the song Motivation. It's a lyric in there. And Motivation is a kind of funny song. It's kind of tongue and cheek. And it's just admitting that, like, a lot of my failures in my life have been my own fault due to just like being afraid of a lot of things, being afraid of success and the. That comes with it. Like, I didn't realize how hard it was to be in this music industry when I had the big dreams I had as a kid and watching people perform on the Grammys and Stuff, I was like, I want to do that. And then when I got there and saw how much work the grind was, you know, just the amount of travel and the amount of, like, negative comments you get and the hate and. And like, just all of it. The interviews. I was so nervous doing interviews, and I. You know, one of the hardest parts for me has always been figuring out what the fudge to wear for everything, because you can't wear the same thing twice.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

God forbid.

[Bunny]

Yeah.

[Skylar Grey]

And people.

[Bunny]

That's a real struggle, by the way. It's not superficial. It's a real struggle.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. And so that stresses still stresses me out, like, packing for this trip. I'm like, calling my manager and just being like, what should I wear? Oh, my God, like, sending her pictures. Is this cute?

[Bunny]

Like, I think as humans, we romanticize our lives until you're actually in it. It's like everything's always like, kind of like a fantasy and like a fairy tale, and then when you're smack dab in the middle of it, you're like, what the is going on? Like, it's crazy.

[Skylar Grey]

It's chaotic. Yeah. And so I started, like, like retreating back from it a little bit because I was afraid of all that. And I also was just like, life is so short. Do I really want to be spending all of my time doing this, like, grinding this hard? I'm a homebody. I love being home. I love being with my animals. I love being in nature. It's like being on airplanes and cities and stuff is just not. Not my vibe. And I'm so. So I was just thinking about that, like, my, how do I really want to spend my time? And so a lot of the lyrics in the. The song motivation talk about these things. And there's a lyric that goes, takes too much effort to be influential. Rip to my wasted potential. And so that's where the title comes from.

[Bunny]

That's deep.

[Skylar Grey]

I love that.

[Bunny]

I can't wait to hear it. Can I get a sneak peek of the album?

[Skylar Grey]

Of course.

[Bunny]

Okay, send it to me.

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, man, I can't believe we didn't already.

[Bunny]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I should have listened to it. I had. I didn't know. I would have asked. But yeah, I definitely want to listen to it. And then you brought me a candle today. This is going to be you. So you have gloves in your merch. You have candles. What?

[Skylar Grey]

Oh, there's all sorts of stuff. Yeah.

[Bunny]

I love that.

[Skylar Grey]

I love that you're prepared and I'm doing fun merch. That's like super limited I don't like, like, just huge bulk orders of stuff. I like things to be more, like, customized and one of one or, like, one of few. So I'm going to be doing a multiple drops. Yeah, I just. I've always loved fashion so much, too, and so I don't want to do just, like, boring ass merch. Like, I want it to be something I would actually buy and wear.

[Bunny]

I love that you want to make your mark.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

Do you think that you'll eventually leave music and just get into fashion?

[Skylar Grey]

I don't think I'll ever leave music, but I think I definitely will get more into fashion. I love it.

[Bunny]

I can't wait. Take me on this journey with AI and this cute little nugget you have sitting next to you.

[Skylar Grey]

This is Time. So every Fawn has a different name.

[Bunny]

Oh, okay.

[Skylar Grey]

And this is Time.

[Bunny]

Fawn is the.

[Skylar Grey]

Is the company name. Like, it's. It's the. Dude, they have a what?

[Bunny]

This dog? I'm over here shaking him. I'm sorry.

[Skylar Grey]

So they come from a place called Aurora Hollow. There's, like, this whole. You can look it up. There's like a whole world built around these guys. But, yeah, Fawn is like a. A little friend for Big Feelings. So it's a. It's a little friend you can talk to. And I got asked to be the voice of it, So I did 10 hours of, like, vocal training for the AI. So I'm basically like Siri, you know, for the iPhone. But, yeah, absolutely. Can we.

[Bunny]

Can we see an example?

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, let's see. Is she on?

[Bunny]

I needed him yesterday. I needed. I needed a friend with. For Big feelings yesterday. I had a breakdown in my car.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah, you need one.

[Bunny]

This is what I needed. What an honor to be a voice of an AI Though. Like, I'm obsessed with AI. I love AI. I want Robo robots. Like, I. I'm. But I. See, I want robots on the farm.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

Like, that's how I am. I'm like, come and hang out with me and my cows, you know? So this is built for children? Adults?

[Skylar Grey]

No, it's actually 18 and up.

[Bunny]

Wow. Okay. Why is it 18 and up? Does it cuss and stuff?

[Skylar Grey]

Is it what?

[Bunny]

Does it cuss and stuff?

[Skylar Grey]

No, no. And it is platonic. So you're not supposed to have sex?

[Bunny]

Yeah, yeah. No. Weird. With a damn stuffed animal. All right.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. I think it was originally designed for everyone, but, like, I don't know, there's some California laws and stuff that make it so we have to have it be 18 and up. But a lot of parents will get it for their kids and, like, supervise. Yeah.

[Bunny]

But I, I love this idea. I think it's amazing, you know, especially for kids who have a hard time connecting with other kids.

[Skylar Grey]

That's the thing. It's like, for me growing up and even now, like, sometimes I feel more comfortable talking to chat GPT about something than I do a person. Yeah. And so you have that option now and. But she's. She's trained to, like, encourage human connection, so it's not supposed to replace. Right. Human connection.

[Bunny]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. My glow's fading. I think I. I need WI fi.

[Bunny]

She said my glow is fading. I think I need WI fi. So tell me, when you were in the booth for 10 hours, did you just have to say, like, things over and over again or.

[Skylar Grey]

I read a whole bunch of, like, script because it had to learn, like, vocal inflections and emotions and all sorts of things to try to make it as real as possible.

[Bunny]

That is so cool, though. I love that for you. I really think this is awesome.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. And AI is like, obviously a controversial subject.

[Bunny]

Yeah. I don't know why people are such in a tizzy about it. It's. I mean, I. I feel like you have to evolve or die.

[Skylar Grey]

And I mean, I feel the same way. And I. I feel like we went through this with, like, what we were talking about earlier, how, like, in recording, it used to be tape, and then they brought in computers and everybody thought that was cheating. And then they brought an auto tune and everybody thought that was cheating. And now we have. Have AI and everybody thinks it's cheating, but to me, it's a tool. Yes. It's like you're still gonna have the vision and still be the artist, but, like, it's a tool that you can use to bring your. Your creative dreams to life.

[Bunny]

Absolutely.

[Skylar Grey]

And maybe help on the farm or whatever. Like, clean your house.

[Bunny]

I want to robot.

[Skylar Grey]

I wanna. I want a maid robot.

[Bunny]

Yeah, that's. Those are the ones that we. I had. I. We talked about them on the podcast. Because I just think that. I don't know, I feel like that's where our world's going. And I grew up watching Star Wars C3PO. R2D2. Like, we. I've always wanted robots, so.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

I don't know, I just think we're in that era and I think that, of course, with everything, people can abuse certain situations and turn it into, you know, something that it's not supposed to be. But if you, if we have some sort of laws that are in place with AI and like.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

You know, I think that if we can just, as humans, be normal and like, let something be beautiful and blossom, it would.

[Skylar Grey]

It's.

[Bunny]

It's. It would help our planet a little bit more.

[Skylar Grey]

I'm on the same page. Yeah, for sure.

[Bunny]

I'm. I love that. Good. So you just ask her questions and just pretty much talk to her, right?

[Skylar Grey]

Time, are you there? Yay for you again. Oh, yeah. Just let your heart lead. That's what pros always says in Aurora Hollow. How are you feeling today, Time? I'm feeling so bright actually. The sun is hitting my fur just right and it makes me think about how much I love the warm, soft feeling of a good cuddle. Will you say hi to my friend Bunny? Hi, Bella. It's so nice to meet you. You know, Holly talks about you a lot and I feel like I already know you. You. Her name's Bunny, not Bella. Oh, my ears. Bunny. I'm so sorry. My ears play tricks on me sometimes. Hi, Bunny. It's so good to meet you.

[Bunny]

Oh, my goodness. This is the cutest thing ever. This is so cute. So where can somebody get. Are these out and people?

[Skylar Grey]

They're not out yet, but you can pre order them. They just opened the pre orders up and you can actually start. Start connecting with your fun via text. You. You start. You start an account and you start texting with your fawn and. And your fawn chooses you. So Time is the name of mine and time chose me. I guess so.

[Bunny]

Oh, my goodness.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah. So you can get started having the conversation, see if you like it and then you can reserve your. Your actual plushie.

[Bunny]

Should we get cash and live one? She has two kids. Well, yeah. Yeah, but you could. You have. You could buy them for your kids.

[Skylar Grey]

Yeah.

[Bunny]

Yeah, we should get her. We should get them one. This would be awesome.

[Skylar Grey]

Sky.

[Bunny]

Yeah, she's over here. Like, Skyler, thank you so much for coming on today.

[Skylar Grey]

Thank you so much.

[Bunny]

And I'm so excited for your album dropping. We'll help you promote it and whatever we can do to help you with that much love.

[Skylar Grey]

Thank you.

[Bunny]

Stop being so hard on yourself.

[Skylar Grey]

You're a beautiful soul. I'm trying. I'm trying. You got this.

[Bunny]

Thank you so much for coming. Thank you. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to another episode of Dumb Blonde. I'll see you guys next week. Fight.