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

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

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.

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)

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.

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)

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)

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

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.

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.