The Brilliance of Live Performance and Flair of Jeremy DeBardi from Steel Beans

Summary

Takin' a Walk – "The Brilliance of Live Performance and Flair of Jeremy DeBardi from Steel Beans"

Released: November 4, 2025
Host: Buzz Knight | Guest: Jeremy DeBardi (Steel Beans)

---

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Takin’ a Walk," host Buzz Knight strolls (literally and figuratively) through a rich, insightful conversation with Jeremy DeBardi, the whirlwind creative force behind Steel Beans. Known for his dazzling one-man-band performances—drumming, playing guitar, and singing simultaneously (often in an open robe)—DeBardi shares his origin story, philosophy on creativity and spirituality, his approach to performance, and reflections on his newly found viral fame and collaborations with industry heavyweights like Anderson .Paak and Troy Van Leeuwen. The episode is a celebration of live music’s unpredictability and the joy of authentic artistic expression.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Take a Walk" Signature Question: Who Would Jeremy Walk With?

[03:01–04:10]

• Jeremy’s answer: Steve Winwood for a walk in the English countryside, to talk about music and spirituality.
  • “I'd walk with Steve Winwood through like an English countryside. Just talk about songs and spirituality.” (Jeremy DeBardi, 03:39)
• Also mentions Zappa and Lennon as inspirations, showing his deep reverence for musical originality.

2. Steve Winwood’s Lasting Influence

[04:11–05:16]

• Jeremy credits Hearing Traffic & Cream as life-changing.
  • “It’s where I found my voice. It's where I learned to project and finally sing without hurting my voice.” (Jeremy DeBardi, 04:22)
• Appreciates Winwood's timeless songwriting even through the heavy production of the 80s.

3. Building the Steel Beans Brand: Uniqueness Born of Necessity

[05:16–07:46]

• Jeremy attributes his unique brand to “the small village it takes to raise somebody”, referencing both supportive figures and his own independent spirit.

  • Early family circumstances kept his “inner child” and “artistic voice” strong.
  • He learned the power of not taking himself too seriously, inspired by Zappa, and embraced being hyper and spastic on stage—channeling icons like Iggy Pop and ODB.

  "I was fortunate enough to make the strengths of all those weaknesses and turn it into, like, I'm still a child, but I'm aging like wine. Because now I'm just refining the same thing I've been working on for 35 years."
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 06:15)

• Humor and not apologizing for his energy are key themes.

  • “Never apologize for any answer, short or long. ... That's why I'm honored and love doing this every day.” (Podcast Host, 07:46)

4. Origins of the One-Man Band: Accidental Genius

[08:14–11:13]

• Jeremy began as a drummer before picking up guitar; started playing both at once because other band members were chronically late.

  “I sat down at the drum set, like, texting them like, where the fuck are you? And I had my guitar around my neck and I just picked up a stick, set the phone down. I just went—started strumming. And I went, oh, I guess that's a thing I could do.”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 10:24)

• At first, Steel Beans was meant to be a band, but fate (and necessity) turned it into a one-man spectacle.

• “If there was a book how to play drums and guitar, I would have never read that. ... So it's just by path of least resistance and inspiration that that had happened.” (Jeremy DeBardi, 11:04)

• Shows are unpredictable—sometimes he’ll stop mid-song to eat a salad delivered to the stage: “It's pretty obnoxious, to say the least.” (Jeremy DeBardi, 11:10)

5. The Spirit of Risk: Chasing the Dream with $300 and a Viral Hit

[12:37–15:11]

• Jeremy recounts touring with minimal money; just days before a likely bust, a performance video goes viral, filling venues and changing his fortunes:

  “A week before this tour down the coast ... I had a video randomly go viral ... and I would have got halfway down through that and ran out of money, and it would have been a nightmare. So it was really this miracle ... a tour changed my life.”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 13:18–14:00)

• Reflects on the process: at 35, after 20 years grinding, he was close to settling into life as a lawn care professional—being “artistically and spiritually content.”

• His approach was always more about the music than chasing fame:

  “I've never really chased my career or any of that stuff that much. I just love writing songs. But it was all a big bonus to be like, wow, okay, we'll be right back. And thank God.”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 14:48)

6. Philosophy & Spirituality in Music

[15:11–17:54]

• Jeremy shares a spiritual but non-religious worldview, with music at the center.

  “But to me, I look at music as my religion. ... It's not unlike a Ouija board or something. You're not writing a song. You're just sharpening your relationship with an instrument.”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 16:38)

• Believes in being a conduit for ideas—"it's about being a good listener and filtering those ideas through something".

7. Live Shows & New Album

[18:08–20:54]

• Discusses current West Coast tour and performing both solo and with band members on stage.

  “I do 30 minutes of the solo show, and then I have Sean come up on bass and Wes come up on drums. ... Instead of, oh, he sold out, he went solo. I'm doing the reverse. But I'm cognizant that people will be like, ‘Is he just doing a band?’”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 18:37–19:33)

• Describes differences in crowds:
  • California: attentive, "pin drop silence" when he speaks.
  • Seattle: more socializing, less focused.

8. Viral Fame and Famous Fans

[21:08–23:40]

• Jeremy is astonished by attention from celebrity fans, such as Lenny Kravitz, Jack Black, and Jason Momoa.

  “It blows my mind to post a story of me playing in the snow with my son in the backyard. ... It's like Jack Black and Jason Momoa and Lenny Kravitz. You know, that's insane.”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 21:27)

• Talks about accepting his place as a peer to musical heroes:

  “If you work hard enough, I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. Like, I don't strive to be famous. I strive to be as good of a songwriter as the Beatles and all these guys that I fucking worship.”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 22:48)

• Credits Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots) as a friend who grounded him in this new reality.

9. Staying Grounded Around Music Heroes

[23:36–24:22]

• Jeremy reflects on nervousness around peers like Anderson .Paak, and Troy from Queens of the Stone Age—but emphasizes the feeling of community among “artists and weirdos.”

  “There is a little bit of a wow factor when you’re talking to people. You have to overcome that and be like, ‘we’re all artists and weirdos here.’”
  (Jeremy DeBardi, 24:17)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I walk with the dead every night when I write music.” (Jeremy DeBardi, 03:30)
• “I've never really chased my career or any of that stuff that much. I just love writing songs. But it was all a big bonus…” (Jeremy DeBardi, 14:48)
• “You're not writing a song. You're just sharpening your relationship with an instrument.” (Jeremy DeBardi, 16:38)
• “I don't strive to be famous. I strive to be as good of a songwriter as the Beatles and all these guys that I fucking worship…” (Jeremy DeBardi, 22:48)
• “There is a little bit of a wow factor ... You have to overcome that and be like, ‘we’re all artists and weirdos here.’” (Jeremy DeBardi, 24:17)

---

Key Timestamps

• [03:01] - The "dream walk" question and inspirations
• [04:22] - Steve Winwood’s influence and favorite eras
• [06:15] - Nurturing creativity from childhood, influences of Zappa, Iggy Pop
• [10:24] - The accidental birth of the Steel Beans solo act
• [13:18] - Going viral and taking a leap of faith on the road
• [16:38] - Music as spirituality, the role of the instrument as conduit
• [18:37] - The new live format: solo and band performance
• [21:27] - Celebrities discovering Steel Beans, handling viral fame
• [22:48] - Reconciling ambitions with musical heroes
• [24:17] - Staying real among famous collaborators

---

Tone & Style

The conversation is playful, honest, and energetic—mirroring Jeremy’s own musical style. Jeremy’s humility and self-deprecating humor shine through, offering refreshing perspectives on originality, risk-taking, and authenticity in music.

---

Summary Takeaway

This episode is an in-depth, entertaining portrait of Jeremy DeBardi’s journey with Steel Beans: an outsider’s tale of risk, relentless creativity, and the wild unpredictability of live music and viral success. Listeners gain a window into DeBardi’s artistic mind, his grounding in musical tradition, and his spiritual approach to creativity—all while sharing in the joy, awe, and disbelief that accompanies an artist on the rise.

Transcript

[Podcast Narrator]

Taking a walk.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

I wouldn't say I learned to play drums and guitar at the same time, but I just ha. I'm just a drummer that happened to pick up guitar that happens to be insane enough to think it was a good idea, you know?

[Buzz Knight]

I'm Buzz Knight and welcome back to.

[Podcast Host]

The Taking a Walk podcast. We love to talk with musicians and.

[Buzz Knight]

Just see where this conversation takes us.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Now.

[Buzz Knight]

Today we've got one that is pretty wild. It's a one man musical phenomenon. He plays guitars, drums, sings simultaneously, all.

[Podcast Host]

While wearing an open robe. You're not gonna believe him. You're gonna love him. We're gonna talk next to Jeremy DeBarti.

[Buzz Knight]

Better known as Steel Beans.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

Every music lover has that moment you hear or read something that stops you in your tracks. A forgotten B side, an offhand comment in an interview, a connection. Nobody else noticed that. Curiosity. That's where Claude comes in. Cloud is AI for people who don't stop at the surface. It helps you explore the real stories behind the music. Not with quick answers, but by working through the discovery with you, matching your level of curiosity. Try Claude for free at at Claude AI Buzz. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mention how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club, at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA member, FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Podcast Host]

I turned off news altogether.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

I hate to say it, but I.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Don'T trust much of anything.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people.

We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.

[Podcast Narrator]

NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America. Taking a walk.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, Jeremy DeBarti, steel beans.

[Podcast Host]

Welcome, my friend, to the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

It's an honor having you on.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Thank you for having me. I appreciate it, man.

[Podcast Host]

This is fantastic. So since we call this little podcast Taking a Walk, you're not going to escape our signature question here, which Is befuddled people from time to time and made them smile from time to time. The question is, Jeremy, if you could take a walk with somebody living or dead, and no wise remarks about, hey, dead people are not fun to walk with. I'm kidding.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

I walk with the dead every night when I write music. There you go.

[Podcast Host]

Well, who would you take a walk with, living or dead? And where would you take that walk with them?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

I'd say living. I'd walk with Steve Winwood through like an English countryside.

Just talk about songs and spirituality. I think that it definitely be either Zappa or John Lennon. And maybe walking through. I don't know. I don't know if you could walk with those guys anywhere.

[Podcast Host]

Anywhere is good.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Wherever they choose. I don't know what to show those guys, you know?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, anywhere would be good.

[Buzz Knight]

Wow, Steve Winwood.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Well, what a.

[Buzz Knight]

What a great pick.

[Podcast Host]

What a guy that the legacy is so incredible. Is there a favorite period of music of Steve Winwood's that that you can highlight?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

You know, what changed my life was hearing Traffic and Preen. It's like where I found my voice. And so, so Jack and Steve really, like, it's where I learned to project and finally sing without hurting my voice. I would say the Traffic era. But I also love Spencer Davis Group. I love Blind Faith, and he's one of those guys that transitioned into the production of the 80s, but the songs were still good. I was just talking to this about the younger guys of the band. That arc of a diver is fantastic. And I just hear songs I don't hear. Like, you know, a lot of songwriters got into the 80s era and the production, like, kind of like, does the snare have to sound like that?

Man.

I love Steve. He's one of the best songwriters ever, for sure.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, that is so. That is so special. So you have set the world on fire, lad. You've recently inked a record deal with Anderson Paak on Apeshit Records. And there's just been so much amazing things happening. You know, I was thinking about this. The art of. Of branding and differentiation is so critical. Who taught you this insightful way to just be unlike anybody else?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Well, that, you know, it would be me. With the help of the small village.

It takes to raise somebody. There's some people that have been major.

Inspirations at making me, like, all inhibitions of my imagination. Like, my parents split when I was 2, and so the inner voice and.

The artistic voice and the inner child, those things never went away. And so I was fortunate enough to make the strengths of all those weaknesses and turn it into like, I'm still a child, but I'm like aging like wine. Because now I'm just refining the same thing I've been working on for 35 years. Like in. In high school I was a good drummer, but I didn't know how to write songs really. You know, eighth grade I started trying to write songs like, this is really hard. All these lyrics sound lame. And I listened to like Pink Floyd. Overhead the albatross hanged motionless upon the air. I'm like, I'm not going to write anything that good. I should just give up. And then I. I heard like a couple Zappa songs. And melodically they were so good, but they were just not taking themselves seriously. And I was like, all right, I can make some stuff with silly. And then from then on out, it was just open. I could write about whatever. I could make a love song or I could make silly songs. And then I'm naturally like really hyper and spastic. Seeing guys like Iggy and the Stooges performances or ODB or any of these people, that their stage presence is so just open. That made me feel okay being myself and not like trying to stand still or calm my energy or anything, you know. I'm sorry for the long answer.

[Podcast Host]

Never apologize for any answer, short or long. First of all, we are open to it all. That's why I'm honored and love doing this every day, every moment. And so no apology necessary. So let's go back to the beginning of something here. So you learned to play drums and guitar at the same time because your bandmates were late to rehearsal? Can you tell us that story?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Yeah, I can say it was never intentional to learn necessarily. But you know, I'd go over to my grandparents house here and there and I was always banging on pots and pans.

And so they put a little drum.

Set in front of me and I started banging on that. And then my grandpa, he just strum a couple chords, keep it simple for me and I go.

And so that was the beginning.

There is just, you know, I never had any lessons. I just slammed the drums and I listened to all the stuff that I grew up as a young boy there. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stonetable Pilots, and Alice in Shane's. And I got into guitar around middle school and by that time I was a pretty good drummer, but not a good guitar player. So for me, I never really learned to play guitar as much as I.

Learned a few chords, some simple leads.

And songwriting and guitar was like the hand in hand. Thing for me. Fast Forward to about 2000. I'm doing, like, rock and roll house shows with the only other guys I could find in my town that played and started Steel beans in around 2005. Just playing my songs, getting my friends in. And 2010, they were just. They were late. These are my friends. When they were getting hammered and not showing up and stuff. I sat down at the drum set, like, texting them like, where the fuck are you? And I had my guitar around my neck and I just picked up a stick, set the phone down. I just went. Started strumming. And I went, oh, I guess that's a thing I could do. It was years later before I ever did it, because, you know, I like to tell people that I never wanted the band to be about me. That's why I gave it a band name. I didn't even tell people I wrote all the songs and did all of the back work because I just wanted it to be about the songs. Well, whoops. The solo show now has kind of taken off, and now I'm. I'm drawing T shirts of my face on them. But that's okay. But, yeah, it's. It's. So I didn't really learn it. I think if it was anything that I ever worked to learn, if there was a book how to play drums and guitar, I would have never read that. I've never read an instruction manual in my life past, like the introductory. So it's just by path of least resistance and inspiration that that had happened. But it's been a lot of fun doing it. I. I enjoy doing it. It's. It's so bizarre because in the live show, I can just really. It's a stream of consciousness to just do whatever. I'll stop in the middle of the.

Song and, like, have a salad delivered to my rack.

Tom. And then I'll just start eating it and asking the audience, like, how they're doing. It's pretty obnoxious, to say the least.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, it's amazing.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

But, yeah, so I wouldn't say I learned to play drums and guitar at the same time, but I just ha. I'm just a drummer that happened to pick up guitar that happens to be insane enough to think it was a good idea. You know, our. In 2010, a couple of months after I discovered that our drummer was snowed in in eastern Washington in the high.

Desert at a job site.

And I looked at the bass player at the time, I was like, no, let's do it. And so I showed up and I did that and we. And that's the first show I did like that. It wasn't as good as what it's become now, but, you know, it was three years later before I really did.

Like a show like that by myself.

[Podcast Host]

Now, I do have to tell our audience, since this is taking a walk, you are literally somewhere in your neighborhood taking a walk, and you're one of the few people who have done that in a while. I absolutely love it. Where are you taking a walk?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

I'm going to try to sit down for you, but I'm. I'm actually here in Hollywood, in la.

I'm actually.

I'm where I recorded this album that we just put out. But I'm excited for that because I've been stuck in my house for the last year and a half. So anytime I can leave my house, grocery store, you know, the walk in clinic, any of those things are better than being stuck at home.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, you got that right. You bought. You bought your instruments when you had $300 to your name. That's. That's a bit of a commitment. What made you think, this is what the heck I'm going to be doing?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

What really happened is I had a.

Concert that I went to in Denver in my minivan. I booked a tour down the coast with 300 to my name, which was just largely ambitious and reckless, but a tour down the coast, 300 to my name. My friend Sean, who's the bassist in.

The band, was going to come with us.

I had a video randomly go viral.

A week before this tour down the coast that probably nobody was going to go to.

And I would have got, like halfway.

Down through that and ran out of.

Money, and it would have been a nightmare. So it was really this miracle that, you know, $300 is hardly enough money.

To get to Oregon, let alone California.

And these venues that took a chance on me were now calling me and saying we're getting calls off the hook, asking if you're really playing here. I was like, wow, okay. But, no, most of my instruments I've ever had were all, like, you know, mostly from pawn shops and stuff. Like, if it looked cool, I'd get it. I had some amps that were $40, and I used those on stage for years. A tour changed my life. And it's. I think that the decision to just do that and take that risk is what pushed it over. And the universe was like, all right, here you go, kind of. But to have that happen when you're 35 and doing music for 20 years, the thing is before I had gone viral with that video, which launched me in a way I'd never seen. I had. My son was already 6 years old. I had been running a lawn care company. I started right before he was born, and I kind of was artistically and spiritually developed and content with where I was. I was like, I'll mow lawns for the rest of my life and just write songs. Like, I'm. I've never really chased my career or any of that stuff that much. I just love writing songs. But it was all a big bonus to be like, wow, okay, we'll be right back. And thank God.

That that wouldn't happen.

Because that'd be terrible, you know, welcome back podcast. I wouldn't have had the discipline to not crash a car or overdose or all those fun things you do in your twenties when things go well.

[Podcast Host]

You know, you mentioned spirituality when you talked about Steve Winwood, and you just mentioned it. Can you, you know, share a little bit more on your. Your view of the world? And I know you have incredible gratitude for the position that you're in right now in. In terms of what's happening with your life and your career.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

You know, I. I'm letting it slip a bit. I. I try not to mention it. I don't want to get in, like, I'm careful where I say it or something, but now I'm not like a part of any religion in particular, but I am a big believer and a very blessed person, and I'm just kind of one of those guys. I'm making it up as I go along. I'm listening for the cues and I'm seeing signs. And sometimes they're subtle, sometimes they're, like, directly in my face. And I always tell people that, like, you know, I had different experiences throughout my life, some actually within the last year, but a lot of them when I was little where, like, I saw things fly across the room and stuff. And you can't. You can't turn back from that and be like, well, no, that was just in my head. It wasn't. But I, you know, I was. I was kind of a believer in something going on before I ever saw anything fly across the room. That just kind of made it where I was like, okay, fine. But to me, I look at music as my religion. And at this point, I think of the guitar or any instrument as this tool that is. It's not unlike a Ouija board or something. You're not writing a song. You're just sharpening your relationship with an instrument. That becomes the filter for ideas that are coming from somewhere. And it's really not about being a good player. It's about being a good listener and filtering those ideas through something and you just happen to be some conduit for it. That's the nut job world I live. And that's my.

I believe it, though.

You know, it's like, it's too good to be true. You know, we're not responsible for anything. We're just having things happen and how fluent you are on your guitar or.

Your race car, whatever it is that.

You take pride in that you're good at. Every day there is something cooler going on than just you, you know, I don't know. That's what I think.

[Podcast Host]

That's. That's very well put. It makes the appreciation for everything that we stare in this.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

At.

[Podcast Host]

In this universe a deeper appreciation. Congrats on the new album.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

And you got some select run of west coast dates. It's got to be so exciting. Your experience with Anderson Paak is incredible, and he's part of the collaboration as along with some other folks, Troy from Queens of the Stone Age. So it's really. It's a monster situation that is happening for you and it's so outstanding. Tell me about how you look forward to the live performances coming up.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

I'll preface this by saying I've always done the band and I started doing the solo thing. I would do a couple solo shows in taverns in the middle of nowhere while I still had the band going. And now I've done the solo thing for the last couple years, and I love it and I'm not about to jump ship. It's what I'm known for. But the last year, what I've moved towards is we did a couple shows back home where I do 30 minutes of the solo show, and then I have Sean come up on bass and Wes come up on drums. And the second half of the show is the band and I get to dance around and do what I do normally. Now I tell the guys, this is like Dylan goes electric, but instead it's like the guy. Instead of, oh, he sold out, he went solo. I'm doing the reverse. But I'm. I'm cognizant that people will be like.

Oh, what is he?

Is he just doing a band? Because I still haven't seen his solo. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but that's the format for these shows. And frankly, it's a relief because I just love to be dancing around the Whole time I'm playing and I've never written a song to be played for the solo thing. I just sit down and play it and then if it works, it works. These songs in the album are not like they're not humanly possible to play without multiple guys, you know. And so far the shows have been great. It's a little tough in this day and age to cut through the noise of marketing and promotion, the way that socials are and we, and we haven't.

Been out in a while.

So these aren't like, these aren't blowout shows, but they're. These audiences have been, they've been good size in these rooms and the audiences respond very well. Shows are going great. I've really enjoyed it. The energy is fun. The audiences are a little different in California because there's a little more of an entertainment industry here and people are like housebroken on shows where back like you play a show in Seattle. It's not like the music scene it once was.

People are kind of like, everyone's talking.

To each other and they're not paying attention. These shows have been like hyper focus locked in and pin drop silence when.

I go to say something.

And I told him, like, this is crazy. Like I'm not used to doing a joke or rambling a little and it's that good, they're really listening. It means the world to go somewhere.

How people do that.

[Podcast Host]

Well, in closing, I was noting that I just saw adding on to folks that discover you and have become fans. I saw Lenny Kravitz like in your feed. Just, you know, that's crazy. Just, you know, it's. So how does this make you feel?

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Yeah, it blows my mind to post a story of me playing in the snow with my son in the backyard. And then in the little thing of who saw your story? It's like Jack Black and Jason Momoa and Lenny Kravitz. You know, that's insane.

You know, when, when we were on.

That viral tour coming down the coast, I would hand the phone to Sean and be like, will you reply to Johnny Knoxville for me? Tell me, tell him where the show is. And we had only had that stuff start to happen to us for a few days. So we're on this 14 hour drives in my minivan going, oh. Bruto commented. I would also say that on the other side of the coin, being the age I am and having certain wisdoms and realizations is like, I think it's a part of a path as an artist is reaching a point where you can say I'm one of these guys and I, and, and I'm not as famous as them or whatever, but as an artist, I am in the conversation. I, I like these guys are on this other level. But if you, I think if you work hard enough, I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. Like, I don't strive to be famous. I strive to be as good of a songwriter as the Beatles and all these guys that I, that I fucking worship, you know, but at some point you have to be like, you put your song next to their songs and you go, there's still a lot of.

Room for work, but I am getting there.

These are kind of classic. It blows my mind. But also you kind of think it's cool because I feel like I belong that much more. Robert DiLeo from Stone Temple Pilots has been a friend the last couple years and he's such a down to earth guy. He really helped with that because I talked to him and he's like, you know, the same thing happened to me and at some point I was like, whoa. But, you know, I'm just a guy that was writing songs too. And it just helps me think, like, okay, cool. Because I, I don't really, like, fan.

Out when I see somebody like, oh, ah, let me get your autograph.

I can't believe I'm meeting Blank, but I do get a little nervous, like to play guitar in front of Troy or something. There is a section of it wearing off. He like Anderson. I'm such a fan of his that it almost cancels out your own cool. Because now I'm so comfortable around him. I can. I'm just being myself. And we're almost like a similar type of person. But the first times I met him, I was still kind of like, nervous to talk or something. I would say nervous to talk, but.

Just a little bit.

Like there is a little bit of.

A wow factor when you're talking to people. You have to overcome that and be.

Like, we're all, we're all artists and weirdos here.

Yeah, that's the thing. It comes and goes.

[Podcast Host]

You're the best. Would you accept a viral high five or fist bump? Because I. There you go. Amazing. Jeremy, thank you for being on my friend. Congratulations. And it's only just beginning, my friend.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

[Podcast Narrator]

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and Wherever you.

[Podcast Host]

Get your podcasts, Taking a Walk is.

[Buzz Knight]

Made possible by the support of our great sponsors and we thank them, including Chase Sapphire Reserve. My gateway to the world's most captivating destinations is from Chase Sapphire Reserve Claude AI. Try Claude for free at Claude AI Buzz and Lexus Experience amazing at your Lexus dealer now. Music history is full of hidden connections, just like everything else worth understanding. If you're someone who can't help but dig deeper, who sees problems as puzzles worth solving, Claude is for you. It's built for people that don't settle for surface level answers. Claude works with you on whatever you're curious about, helping you explore ideas and connect dots in ways that might surprise you not by thinking for you, but with you. See why the world's best problem solvers choose Claude as their thinking partner and try Claude for free at Claude A this episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Limu Limu and Doug Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Jeremy DeBarti (Steel Beans)]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Fairy Underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts. This is an iHeart podcast.