Vault: Interview - Vanessa Carlton

Summary

The Bert Show: “Vault: Interview – Vanessa Carlton”

Airing Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Jeff (with co-hosts Mike and Gary)
Guest: Vanessa Carlton

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Episode Overview

This light-hearted and playful interview with singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton delivers an inside look at her artistic process and her personal connection to her hometown. The focus is on her background, her feelings about fame, and—most notably—a humorous deep-dive into persistent rumors about her hit song "A Thousand Miles." The conversation is punctuated with jokes, friendly teasing, and memorable repartee between the hosts and Vanessa, which reveals her good-natured approach to fame and fan questions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vanessa Carlton’s Roots and Early Life

• Hometown Pride:
  • Vanessa is originally from Milford, Pennsylvania—a small town she describes as "a teeny town… kind of like near the Delaware Water Gap." (02:40)
  • Notably, she’s been living in New York since she was 14.

• Yearning for the Big City:
  • As a child, Vanessa felt a pull towards life beyond her small town, frequently traveling to New York for ballet classes in the seventh grade.

  “I would skip school, basically, and have these day trips into New York to take ballet class, and that's kind of when I bit the bug.” (03:59)

• Family Ties:
  • Her parents still live in Pennsylvania, now in a nearby town on a lake. Vanessa affectionately talks about missing her hometown and cherishing visits.

• Attachment to Home:
  • "I would give it a 30" (on a scale of 1–40 for her desire to return to her hometown if her parents didn’t live there), showing her strong connection despite her love for city life. (05:22)

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2. Her Experience with Fame

• Seeing Herself on MTV:
  • Vanessa admits it feels surreal watching her own music videos:

  "I always see it out of like the little windows between my fingers… it's just so weird." (05:46)

• Humility and Humor:
  • Despite being a top artist, Vanessa takes fame in stride and keeps a light tone throughout discussions of her career.

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3. The “A Thousand Miles” and the Infamous “Beef Commercial” Rumor

• Explaining the Song’s Inspiration:
  • The hosts joke about a part of "A Thousand Miles" sounding like music from the American beef industry ad, "Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner."
  • Vanessa clarifies:

  "You're talking about Copeland. It's Aaron Copeland, and I love him. He's a composer, and they use his music for the beef commercial." (06:42) • But she adamantly states her song has nothing to do with that:
  > “That's my personal string section for my song called Thousand Miles.” (07:14)
  > “A Thousand Miles, really, I have to say, has nothing to do with beef.” (07:57)

• Addressing the Rumors with Good Humor:
  • When prodded about sampling other works (and a Rolling Stones rumor), Vanessa directly answers:

  “No, did not do that. It's all me. It's all redone and my version.” (07:39)
  • She insists she has "never had a sample” in her music. (08:51)
  • The hosts playfully prod her about being anti-beef, to which she quips:
  “I don’t eat beef. Let's lay down the line here. I don't eat beef.” (07:42)

• Memorable moment:
  • The hosts jokingly “put Mike in the penalty box” for badgering Vanessa about the beef commercial, signaling the end of the comic debate. (08:53)

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Notable Quotes

• On her musical inspiration and the “beef” rumor:

  “I know exactly what you’re talking about, but it’s not beef strings… That’s my personal string section for my song called Thousand Miles.” (Vanessa Carlton, 07:14)

• On her hometown and city life:

  “I just have always knew that I wanted to go to the city. I love New York… discovering what was out there when I was, like, you know, like 12.” (Vanessa Carlton, 03:59)

• On being asked about her video on MTV:

  “I always see it out of like the little windows between my fingers because… my hands are always on my face because it’s so strange.” (Vanessa Carlton, 05:46)

• On the classic rumor of sampling the Rolling Stones:

  “No, did not do that. It’s all me. It’s all redone and my version.” (Vanessa Carlton, 07:39)

• On vegetarianism:

  “I don’t eat beef. Let's lay down the line here. I don't eat beef.” (Vanessa Carlton, 07:42)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:10] – Vanessa’s Hometown and Family Roots
• [03:59] – Early Drives to New York City & Ballet
• [05:46] – Seeing Her Own Video on MTV for the First Time
• [06:38] – The “Beef Commercial” Sample Myth Debunked
• [07:42] – Clarifying Her Dietary Choices and Music Sampling
• [08:53] – Hosts Joke about “Penalizing” Mike for Relentless Questioning

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Summary Tone & Style

The interview is friendly, irreverent, and genuine, capturing Vanessa’s relaxed and approachable persona. The dynamic between the hosts and Vanessa is playful, providing both laughs and rare insights into her background and artistic approach. The repeated ribbing about the “beef” commercial is a running gag, countered by Vanessa’s clear but never prickly clarifications.

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Takeaway

While packed with humor and good-natured banter, the conversation ultimately highlights Vanessa Carlton’s down-to-earth attitude, strong sense of her roots, and her comfort under the relentless (but affectionate) questioning from the morning show team. Fans or newcomers will appreciate her candor, quick wit, and endearing exasperation as she sets the record straight on her most famous song.

Transcript

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[Host Jeff]

Bircha. You know generally when you get a celebrity on the air, what you want to do is get them to loosen up to you. You know, let them know that you like them, like their music. This goes against everything Jeff stands for. He get on a topic with Vanessa Carlton about one of her songs and he just would not let it. Hey Vanessa Carlton.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Hi.

[Host Jeff]

How are you today?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm excellent. How are you doing?

[Hers Advertiser]

Great.

[Host Jeff]

Where are you calling us from?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm calling from my apartment in New York.

[Host Jeff]

And are you from New York?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes, I am. Well, I'm actually from Pennsylvania. But I've been living here since I was 14.

[Host Jeff]

Vanessa, I want to do this during this interview.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes.

[Host Jeff]

I want you. I mean, I want you to make this assumption. I want us to theorize that none of us have ever read anything about you before.

[Hers Advertiser]

Okay.

[Host Jeff]

All right. So we're going to ask you questions right from the start.

[Hers Advertiser]

Of course.

[Host Jeff]

From the ground up.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's always what happens.

[Host Jeff]

All right.

[Co-host Mike]

So you're a singer?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, I actually play the ukulele.

[Host Jeff]

Where in Pennsylvania are you from?

[Hers Advertiser]

Milford.

[Host Jeff]

Where is that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's a teeny town. It's kind of like near the Delaware Water Gap.

[Co-host Mike]

I don't know.

[Host Jeff]

Is it near? My wife is from Bradford. Do you know Bradford?

[Co-host Mike]

Nope, it's the opposite. The Delaware Water Gap is south east Pennsylvania. Your wife is from Northwest.

[Vanessa Carlton]

All I know is that it's an hour and a half out that city.

[Host Jeff]

What's my wife's name again? Your wife?

[Co-host Mike]

Vanessa Carlton.

[Hers Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Host Jeff]

You know what the truest thing about Pennsylvania is? Cause I lived in D.C. for eight years. There are two things about Pennsylvania.

[Hers Advertiser]

A.

[Host Jeff]

Every town in Pennsylvania, these small towns that Vanessa's talking about, looks to me like they were all made out of the same blueprint. And they just brought the blueprint to different towns and made them all look the same.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, one thing that's kind of unique about my hometown is that. Well, now at least. Cause it wasn't like that when I was growing up. But there's a lot of, like, cool antique shops.

[Host Jeff]

Oh, yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And there's a lot of artists that are, like, moving out there. So it's kind of like, you know, the restaurant's getting a little better. Yeah, yeah. It does have its, you know, you know, obligatory CVS and the wine and, like. I mean, everything is all the same in every town, but it's like, it's kind of cool.

[Co-host Gary]

Were y' all always kind of yearning for the big city, though, in a sense?

[Vanessa Carlton]

What? Oh, yeah, you are.

[Host Jeff]

Did you come from one of these towns where everybody, like, three fourths of the people in your high school class will stay there in that small town?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. I mean, yeah. I just have always knew that I wanted to go to the city. I love New York. And I actually started driving into the city when I was, like, in seventh grade. I was studying to be a ballet dancer since I was really young. And I would skip school, basically, and have these day trips into New York to take ballet class, and that's kind of when I bit the bug. Like, there's so much outside of where I am. Right now, even though I love Milford to death, you know, it's my hometown. But I started discovering what was out there when I was like, you know, like 12.

[Host Jeff]

On the scale of first of all, are your parents still there in Pennsylvania?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes, they are. They actually moved to another little town, but they live on a lake, so it's so nice to visit.

[Host Jeff]

Okay. On the scale of desire, if your parents didn't live anywhere near that little town, with 1 being no desire and 12 being I can't wait to get back. What would be your desire to ever go back to your hometown?

[Vanessa Carlton]

If they didn't live there?

[Host Jeff]

If they didn't live there.

[Co-host Gary]

Anywhere near.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, that's. That. You mean that means also that I wasn't raised there?

[Host Jeff]

No, I'm just saying, you know, go. Just go to go back to visit. Because I know.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Because you know what? No, because I want to go back. I would say. Okay, I would give it. It's one to 12. Wow. I've never heard of one to 12.

[Host Jeff]

We can make one to 14. We need to keep different.

[Co-host Mike]

The scale is one to 40. Two and a half.

[Podcast Promoter Dave Dufour]

Go.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, I would say. I would give it a 30. 30.

[Host Jeff]

Alright. So you're, you know, you're not one of these people that are shying away from home?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No. Cause that's my hometown.

[Host Jeff]

All right.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I miss it.

[Host Jeff]

The video is all over mtv.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, they've been good to me over there.

[Host Jeff]

Boy, they sure have.

[Co-host Gary]

What's it like the first time you see your video come up and you're.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Like, wait, that's my face. That's me. I always see it out of like the little windows between my fingers because they're always. My hands are always on my face because it's so strange. Like I'm giggling and like excited, but like I can't really look at it at the same time because it's just so weird.

[Host Jeff]

It's probably. It's probably like us listening to our voices on tape, you know, you just. Ugh, I hate the way I sound.

[Co-host Mike]

I gotta ask you a question about A Thousand miles.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes.

[Co-host Mike]

Just first let me. Can I play you a little bit of the song?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Host Jeff]

I think she's probably heard it.

[Co-host Mike]

Are you familiar with it?

[Co-host Gary]

Are you familiar with it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I am. I've heard it a couple times.

[Co-host Mike]

Okay. I just want to play part of it here. I could. This is what I'm talking about. This is what my question's about. Right here. Okay, Here we go. Right here. That part right there. Here it is again. Yep. This in case you Missed it. Is that a sample of a beef commercial?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Not at all.

[Host Jeff]

You owe me 20 bucks.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You're talking about Copeland. It's Aaron Copeland, and I love him. He's a composer, and they use his music for the beef commercial.

[Co-host Mike]

Thank you very much. So your song, this part, is in a commercial with the tagline beef. It's what's for dinner.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No.

[Host Jeff]

All right, you lose.

[Co-host Mike]

No, I don't.

[Host Jeff]

Even though it's the same dude. It's not the same sample.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's not the same dude.

[Host Jeff]

It's not the same dude.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm saying I know who you think. The composer. I know exactly what you're talking about. But that's not beef strings.

[Xero Advertiser]

That is.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes. That's my personal string section for my song called Thousand Miles.

[Host Jeff]

And it's very downright insulting, that song. Somebody would actually think that, too. Probably correct.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, you know, I understand. I don't know. I mean, it's. I know exactly what you're talking about, but it's not bad. Actually, this is the first time anyone's ever asked me that.

[Co-host Mike]

Is there any chance that while you were writing this song, you were craving some beef or something?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't eat beef. Let's lay down the line here. I don't eat beef.

[Host Jeff]

You're just starting to anger.

[Co-host Mike]

Are you making some sort of anti beef statement then when you compose this?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No.

[Host Jeff]

See, Vanessa, No.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It just. Really. A thousand miles, really, I have to say, has nothing to do with beef.

[Host Jeff]

He's not gonna let you go until you say it is, because Jeff cannot ever say he was wrong.

[Co-host Mike]

I will find the beef. It's what's for dinner commercial, and you'll hear it.

[Host Jeff]

He's telling you it's not.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Vanessa, I know. I know what you're talking about.

[Co-host Gary]

You can go ahead and tell him he's an idiot now because we're all used to hearing that beef.

[Co-host Mike]

It's what's for dinner.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, I just think you like beef.

[Host Jeff]

All right, Vanessa, I'm gonna let you go before Jeff just beats you down with this whole beef thing. Cause he's already irritating me.

[Co-host Mike]

I just have another legitimate question. Is there or is there not any truth to the rumor that you sampled a bit of the Rolling Stones for Paint It Black?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Sample the. No, I did the song. I did. Wait. Sample the beef thing.

[Co-host Mike]

No, the Rolling Stones in the song Paint It Black.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, did not do that. It's all me. It's all redone and my version.

[Co-host Mike]

Have you ever sampled anyone? Have you ever made a cassette tape.

[Co-host Gary]

Of Danessa you're never Gonna Come on Q100 again, are you?

[Host Jeff]

Never. Hold on. No.

[Co-host Mike]

No.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Never had a sample.

[Host Jeff]

Yeah. Jeff is in the penalty box. Mike off for the next five minutes being obnoxious to a guest. Bye bye Jeff.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No he wasn't.

[Host Jeff]

Yeah, you wasn't.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Talk about the beef thing.

[Host Jeff]

He won't let it go though. See you. Hey Vanessa, Good luck.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Thank you.

[Host Jeff]

Really appreciate. We will watch you on MTV and we will tell everybody to go buy the CD also.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Thanks so much guys.

[Host Jeff]

Take care.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Bye bye now.

[Host Jeff]

Gary Bircha.

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