BOBBYCAST #615 - Vanessa Carlton on Why She Opens Concerts with ‘A Thousand Miles,’ Performing with Drake & Her Career Journey

Summary

BOBBYCAST #615 – Vanessa Carlton on Why She Opens Concerts with ‘A Thousand Miles,’ Performing with Drake & Her Career Journey

Date: May 28, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: Vanessa Carlton

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Episode Overview

This episode of Bobbycast features singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, known for her iconic hit “A Thousand Miles.” Vanessa dives deep into her musical evolution, her recent album “Veils,” navigating fame, artistic reinvention, live performance psychology, and the quirks and realities of music industry life. The conversation is candid, warm, and occasionally hilarious, as both host and guest reflect on their careers, technology’s effect on art, and the value of “real life” moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vanessa’s Setlists and ‘A Thousand Miles’ (03:38–05:51)

• Vanessa discusses the evolution of her setlists and how she feels about her biggest hit:
  • Why She Opens With ‘A Thousand Miles’:
    • “I open with that...I’ve actually really enjoyed singing it...It’s like, so I’ve actually really enjoyed singing it, but the people that are coming just to check me out that have no idea who I am...it's like releasing that. You got it. You don’t have to stick...” (04:23–05:10)
  • On audience dynamics: she loves hitting “fan favorites” but wants to keep things fresh for both herself and the fans.
  • She relates to artists who fall in and out of love with their hits, referencing Kenny Chesney’s similar journey.
  • Vanessa expresses concern about being misunderstood or “clipped” out of context on the internet (06:05–06:32):
    • "People are gonna say, 'she doesn’t like her big song.' People don’t care about context anymore.”

2. Phones at Live Shows and Audience Etiquette (07:51–09:38)

• Carlton shares her personal phone policy at concerts: encourages audiences not to use phones, though no strict “pouch” system.
• Observations on distracted audiences and the lost joy of being present during performances.
  • “Sometimes you look up and you see people on their phones. I’m like, how much did you pay for this ticket?” (08:17–08:41)
• Both Vanessa and Bobby agree they prefer performing to a darkened crowd, less aware of audience reactions and distractions.

3. New Album 'Veils' and Live Arrangements (12:07–13:23)

• Vanessa details the process behind adapting the new album “Veils” for solo performances:
  • Worked with producer Dave Fridmann (noted for Flaming Lips, MGMT).
  • Arranging layered studio tracks for piano-vocal renditions on tour.
  • Frequently performs songs like “Agony of the Flower,” “Veils,” “I'm Not Dead,” and “Animal” live.

4. Favorite Song To Perform & Personal Reflections (13:23–14:10)

• Current favorite: “Great House” — deeply emotional, reminds her of her grandfather.
  • “I think just emotionally it hits me the most. I think of my grandfather. It’s like, that’s the song for me right now.” (13:31–13:45)
• Discusses how midlife reflections and memories influence her art.

5. Secret Tracks & Counting Crows Collaboration (14:10–15:49)

• Reminisces about recording with Counting Crows:
  • Recorded vocals for a Joni Mitchell cover as a secret track on their Hard Candy album. She didn't meet the band until much later.
    • “I sang it on the road in Florida. And I never got to meet them...I didn’t meet Adam till after.” (15:16–15:49)

6. Synths and Production on 'Veils' (16:27–18:02)

• Bobby notes a noticeable increase in synthesizer use on Veils.
• Vanessa discusses the signature “Bones” synth patch on the Nord: “I love this sound...that’s the name of the synth sound...it is crazy.” (16:42–17:02)
• Both reflect on how tech preferences and live rig choices impact sound.

7. Musical Memory & Learning (18:02–19:12)

• Vanessa’s peak memory is melodic; she wishes she’d used melody more to memorize in school.

8. First Pitch & "Moon Ball" (19:21–22:29)

• Vanessa threw the first pitch at a baseball game, which got social media attention.
  • She nervously accepted, got advice from her 8-year-old godson: “Just go for it. Go for the arc.”
  • “I threw what one calls a moon ball, according to Google.” (20:48–21:01)
• Both agree high-visibility public “performance” like this is nerve-wracking due to potential for viral mishaps.

9. Dance, Ballet, and 'Dancing with the Stars' (22:37–25:55)

• Vanessa trained in ballet through her teens but never went pro; Bobby reveals he won Dancing with the Stars having had little dance experience.
  • Vanessa: “I danced from when, like, I could start moving until I sort of quit the School of American Ballet...at 17.” (22:53–23:04)
  • Bobby: “I learned how to waltz. I learned how to...the final song was from The Greatest Showman...” (25:11–25:34)
• Both laugh about the difference between “dancing shape” and “good shape.”

10. Impact of Phones & Technology on Human Connection and Art (26:19–29:43)

• Deep dive into how mobile phones/tech have altered human connection, concerts, and even dating.
  • Vanessa: “People don’t feel as free in public anymore because everyone has their phones. So, back in the 1900s...we felt free.” (26:41–27:04)
  • Bobby: “Watching old 90s festivals...you notice first, is...not phones...it’s people just watching the show.” (27:04–27:23)
  • Speculate on a cultural correction as people seek more analog, present experiences.

11. Dating & Meeting Her Husband (29:43–32:55)

• Vanessa met her husband via mutual friends after a Twitter mention:
  • “It was an interaction. Well, there is a Twitter component to the story, but it’s irrelevant, really...” (32:24–32:40)
• Both advocate for meeting partners through friends vs. dating apps.

12. Vanessa's Relationship with Donkeys (34:27–39:21)

• Expresses a love for donkeys and ranch life stories; follows rescue donkeys on social media.
  • “I've never met a donkey because there's no donkeys at the ranch.” (39:21)

13. Social Media & Celebrity Connections (40:18–41:50)

• On how stars, like Drake, connect: “That’s like the 1900s: his manager reached out to my manager and said, will you come and sing at my show?” (40:42–41:04)
• Vanessa performed at a Drake concert but couldn't always accept due to scheduling.

14. Stage Tech: In-Ears vs. Monitors (42:00–43:33)

• Describes discomfort with in-ear monitors vs. stage monitors:
  • “For something like that, you have to do inner ears...it's a little bit like hell, I have to get used to it.” (42:00–42:27)

15. Piano Tuning and Artistic Craftsmanship (43:53–48:01)

• Vanessa’s reverence for piano tuners, whom she knows by name: “You are nothing without a piano tuner.” (44:39–44:47)
• She compares tuners’ craft to book editors in writing.

16. Sleep, Anxiety, and Night-Time Rituals (54:22–56:33)

• Vanessa: Box fan and outdoor air is her preferred sleep soundscape.
  • “My favorite way to sleep is a box fan in the window...” (55:22–55:42)
• Bobby: Listens to podcasts with one AirPod to fall asleep.

17. Musical Influences Growing Up (56:47–58:12)

• Mix of classical and pop: Copland, Debussy, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp, Michael Jackson, Madonna.

18. Nostalgia for TV Theme Songs (58:39–59:15)

• Vanessa and Bobby share a love for classic TV themes, notably “Golden Girls.”
  • Vanessa: “...some of my favorite music for a TV show of all time is Golden Girls, and that is also my favorite show.” (58:54–59:01)
  • Bobby: “When I play the Opry, that’s my walkout song: ‘Thank You for Being a Friend.’” (59:01–59:08)

19. On Comedy, Radio, & Industry Change (60:16–62:47)

• Bobby explains how music selection on radio is dictated compared to earlier DJ-driven formats.
• Vanessa muses on how music curation and discovery have changed, making fame and exposure more “fractioned.”

20. 'Beautiful' on Broadway & The Artistic Grind (64:24–69:33)

• Playing Carole King in Beautiful on Broadway was Vanessa’s most challenging gig:
  • “That hard, but in a way, almost harder...it's one of the hardest, if not the hardest thing I've ever done.” (65:01–65:25)
  • Emphasizes the pressure to earn—not just take—the role, and the physical/mental toll of the show.

21. Artistic Process & New Albums (70:01–71:58)

• Her rhythm for making records is every four to six years, sparked by an informal, collaborative process.
  • Gardening and daily life often create melodic inspiration.
  • “I’m not very ambitious... Without Rashawn, my manager, and Dave Fridmann, my producer...I wouldn’t get anything done.”

22. Most Asked Interview Question (71:58–73:52)

• Most common (and dreaded) question: “How would you describe your record/music?” Vanessa finds it impossible to answer and says her understanding evolves over time.

23. Career Origins – The Demo That Changed Everything (74:25–77:44)

• Her first demo tape was passed from her pilot father to a client, who then passed it to Ahmet Ertegun, legendary founder of Atlantic Records:
  • “My dad gave a tape to an Italian dude with a castle...and that’s how your career started?” (76:03–76:09)
  • Marked the beginning of buzz and industry attention, even before a record deal.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Eye Rolling at ‘A Thousand Miles’:

  • “You said ‘A Thousand Miles,’ you kind of rolled your eyes up.” – Bobby (05:16)
  • “I was looking at the light!” – Vanessa (05:22)

• On Phones at Shows:

  • “I want the abyss. I think they like it better too, ‘cause it’s more formal. If you can’t see what others are doing next to you.” – Vanessa (09:12–09:38)

• On Fear of Being Misunderstood:

  • “People are gonna come in and clip Vanessa... She doesn’t like her big song... People don’t care about context anymore.” – Vanessa (06:05–06:32)

• On Her Live Sound and Synthesis:

  • “It’s Something Bones...That’s the name of the synth sound, and it’s on the Nord.” – Vanessa (16:42)

• On the Power of Editors and Tuners:

  • “I am nothing without a piano tuner.” – Vanessa (44:39)
  • “That means you really respect the tuning.” – Bobby (44:39)

• On Broadway and Earning Roles:

  • “I wanted to feel like I really earned it and they really wanted me there, rather than like, oh, we need to get a name in here to, like, maybe bring more tickets in.” – Vanessa (66:08)

• On the Demo That Started Everything:

  • “My dad gave a tape to an Italian dude with a castle and that’s how your career started?” – Bobby (76:03)
  • “Correct...I would draw it back to that moment.” – Vanessa (76:07–76:09)

• On Artistic Identity:

  • “Ask me in five years. I’ll know in five years.” – Vanessa, regarding defining her record (73:11)

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Memorable Moments

• Vanessa’s frank, funny, and slightly profane consideration of social media “clipping.”
• The story of being asked (and almost performing) with Drake due to a manager-to-manager cold outreach—“That’s the 1900s!”
• Vanessa’s affection for donkeys and distinguishing between Razorbacks and javelinas.
• The first pitch baseball saga and advice from her baseball-loving godson.

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Important Timestamps

• 03:38 – Vanessa on setlists and performing “A Thousand Miles”
• 07:51 – Phone policies at concerts & audience presence
• 13:23 – Current favorite song to play and emotional connection
• 14:10 – Collaboration with Counting Crows
• 16:27 – Discussion of ‘Veils’ synth sounds and gear
• 19:21 – Story about pitching at a baseball game
• 22:37 – Ballet training; Bobby on Dancing With the Stars
• 26:19 – Impact of technology on concerts and dating
• 34:27 – Donkeys, ranch life, and animal distinctions
• 40:42 – Performing with Drake, manager-to-manager outreach
• 42:00 – Stage tech: in-ear monitors vs. real monitors
• 44:39 – On piano tuners and the unsung heroes of music
• 54:22 – Vanessa and Bobby describe their bedtime sound rituals
• 65:01 – Broadway: Playing Carole King in ‘Beautiful’
• 70:01 – Vanessa’s artistic rhythm and hashing out a new album
• 74:25 – The demo tape, Ahmet Ertegun, and music business breaks

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Tone and Style

• The conversation veers between lighthearted banter, insider music talk, and honest reflection.
• Vanessa is witty, self-aware, and not afraid to call out the absurdities and pressures of the industry.
• Bobby’s questions are a mix of fan enthusiasm and industry curiosity, giving the exchange a relaxed, personal tone.

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If you’re a fan of Vanessa Carlton, interested in the creative process, nostalgic for a pre–social media music scene, or simply love candid musician interviews, this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

[Vanessa Carlton]

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[Bobby Bones]

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[Vanessa Carlton]

Picture this me, Reese Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

[Bobby Bones]

Visit Wells Fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.

[Vanessa Carlton]

His manager reached out to my manager and said, will you come and sing at my show?

[Bobby Bones]

Did you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I was in rehearsal for a show. It was the same day as his show. I like Drake. Like, this would be fun and cool, but I can't do it.

[Bobby Bones]

Today's guest is Vanessa Carlton. A Thousand Miles. That song rocks. But her career goes way beyond that back in the day. She started playing piano at 2 years old. Spent the last two decades constantly evolving, moving from pop success into more personal indie records, performing on Broadway, even scoring film. She has a new album out called Vails that is out now. She's been on the road with Stevie Nicks. She is currently on her spring 2026 US tour and she's playing the UK this summer. Big fan. I love Ordinary Day. I love A Thousand Miles. Here she is. It's the first time I've met her. Vanessa Carlton. How many new songs do you play?

[Vanessa Carlton]

A lot of new songs, actually, because I just was. You know, you get sick of your songs and you want to make it. You want to. You're presenting some. You're presenting an experience. You know what your. You know, what your people want. And I just like, I don't want to let people down, you know, And I don't tour very often, too, so I like. I really. I know what they. There's so many different types of people in my audience that I feel like as long as I get hit certain marks, I can do whatever I want. And they're like, they're with me, you know, and it's just me and the piano. So I just. I. For me too, you know, I don't want to get bored because if I'm not bored, I'm in it. I put on a better show. Show for everybody.

[Bobby Bones]

What are the marks you feel like you have to hit for them?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Just the ones that I know are like fan favorites, of course. A Thousand Miles. And I open with that.

[Bobby Bones]

That's funny. So you can be done with it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, it's not just that. It's also like. Because I've enjoyed singing that song recently. I don't know how that happened, but you know what it is? It's just, I think, understanding the reflection back from the world and what it means to other people and I. It's like. So I've actually really enjoyed singing it, but the people that are coming just to check me out that have no idea who I am or whatever or Just wanted to come and get a clip of something. It's like releasing that. Like, you got it. You don't have to stick. Like, you know, it's like, I want to know that people are there because they want the experience of the show.

[Bobby Bones]

Can I make a judgment off of something that you just did? Sure. That's a good thing. When you said 1,000 miles, you kind of rolled your eyes up.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I rolled my eyes up?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You said a thousand miles.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, like this. Like this. When I do a thousand miles.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God. Did you get that on camera? I was looking at the light. I wasn't. I rolled my eyes.

[Bobby Bones]

It was just kind of like a flutter up.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's ridiculous.

[Bobby Bones]

I just wonder what you relate. So what is your. Because of that? What? I'll give you a quick story. I was talking to Kenny Chesney recently, and he has a song from beginning of his career, and he's like, I stopped playing it. I couldn't take it anymore. But then he's fallen in love with it again, he said, because he hadn't played it in so long. Yeah, so I heard you say that, and it felt a little bit like that. Is that what it is?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. Cause I don't play it unless I'm on stage. But this is why I'm scared now of this podcast. Well, not just all podcasts, because people. This is the problem with nowadays. No one has attention spans. They're gonna come in and clip Vanessa.

[Bobby Bones]

I won't clip your eyes.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And such a spoiled little cunt. She doesn't like her big song. Look at her and you'll have like 9,000, 90,000 people. Don't do it wrong.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll clip this. You make saying people are gonna say this.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Not true.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's what you clip. Yeah, because people don't care. The context. People don't have time for context anymore. Have you noticed?

[Bobby Bones]

I have noticed. Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But life, it's all about context. We're storytellers. It's all about the full story. And we are living just, like, in flashes. So I'm complaining about the phones again. Sorry. But. But anyway, Kenny Chesney.

[Bobby Bones]

No, it's just the same thing you said. I think that's a familiar.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah,

[Bobby Bones]

I think it's a familiar version or season of an artist's career when they have something that blows up. Love. Oh, my God. You know what? Not so bad. Possibly love again.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, because you have to go through this whole process of like, oh, my God, I'm so lucky this happened. We're human. Beings. So we have multitude of feelings about it. It's just like, what do you choose to share with the world and what do you keep private? You know, sometimes I'm an oversharer, which I've learned. But also our relationship with music or anything we're doing is constantly evolving. It's like, you know, we're changing. We're just. We're. We're getting older. So I feel like the way that we look at everything we do is changing as you get older.

[Bobby Bones]

You know, I think it's so fun that you played at the beginning, though, for that reason. Everybody can get it. They're not waiting by their phone.

[Vanessa Carlton]

They're not even. Well, we have a phone policy, too, which we don't have. We're not, like, super hardcore. We don't have, like, an envelope. But I do. In your. I have been to. I went to Amy Schumer's show and I loved and they had the envelope, and it was a relief. It feels like a relief. So we don't offer that, but we do say, you know, please don't bring your phone out or whatever.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you still see people sneaking it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Mm.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you look at it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I also see people sometimes you look up and you just see people, like, on their phones. I'm like, how much did you pay for this ticket? Like, it doesn't. But then they'll be, like, the most enthusiastic at the signing, and they wanted to be, but there weren't. It's like they weren't even. They don't even know they weren't even there. Or maybe you just put on a bad show and they're like, I cannot look at that. You know, I don't know, but it's like. It's so curious to me.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you like your crowd be lit or dark?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Dark.

[Bobby Bones]

Because it sounds like you notice what's happening out there. I like my crowd to be so dark.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't want to see them.

[Bobby Bones]

There were times before I would go on and do my standup if I could see them. I would go back to lighting guy, be like, I want it totally.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God, I love it.

[Bobby Bones]

Totally down. I can't see anything.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right?

[Bobby Bones]

Because I will make judgments about myself based on unfair.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Unfair movements or actions in the crowd that they may love it, but it doesn't look like they love it. So I think they hate it. So then I start to get neurotic about it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Unfair movements. Exactly. It feels like an unfair movement. It's like, you need the abyss. I want. I want the abyss. I do. And I think they like it better, too, because it's more, in a way, more formal. If you can't see what other. You get too distracted by what someone's doing next to you too. And we have a decline in manners in general at the moment, so I think it's better if it's just we're

[Bobby Bones]

dark, you know, I was lucky that we were able to say we were. I was doing stand up to do a special, because I did a special so I could say no recording, because I don't want anything online because I don't like a joke. Can only be heard once.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But that's. Right, that's it.

[Bobby Bones]

And then it's not funny anymore. So it'd be like, no phones out for that reason. Because if you record it, I can't use it anymore.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Exactly.

[Bobby Bones]

So that part was great.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I love that.

[Bobby Bones]

And there aren't little fireballs being lit up out there, because that's what a phone is when it's dark. It's like. You ever go to a movie and people are on their phones?

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's hor.

[Bobby Bones]

Have you been to a movie recently at all?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, I saw. The last movie I saw was Avatar one. Sydney.

[Bobby Bones]

Avatar One.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It may have been one. I started crying at the whales. I can't deal with the whales. And Sidney was, like, laughing at me. I was like, I can't. I can't really go to the movies anymore. It's, like, overly emotional. But yes, I did see someone open their phone, and it's like a wowzer. Wowzer.

[Bobby Bones]

Like a month ago, the whole guy was on the phone the whole time. And it's just a big light in the room.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Get out of here.

[Bobby Bones]

Get out of here. Once person was on a phone and was talking. I don't know about looking at me, if you can tell. I'm not much of a fighter. I know it's a problem.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You mean an outward fighter, like physical?

[Bobby Bones]

Right. Oh, but this dude would not stop on his phone and talking. And so I was like, shh.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You're like, I'm gonna punch you.

[Bobby Bones]

And then he kept on, and I was like, be quiet. So I said this, thinking, it's fully dark. They don't even know where be quiet's coming from.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Wait, were you in the movie theater?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Yeah. So I'm like, shh, Be quiet. And so then I get a little nervous that I'm gonna get beat up after the movie. But I was. I had a little rage in me because it's like, you're being so Rude to everybody. And also I thought it was hidden as to where I was, where it was coming from. So like three times I'm like quiet, light comes on. I was yelling at like a 7 year old girl the whole time.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You were sounding like a seven year old girl?

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, the person I was yelling at was like a seven year old girl. Oh, it wasn't an adult man. Yeah, Got it. I was never gonna get beat up. But then I was also yelling at a seven year old girl and I was a little. That was embarrassing.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Was she with her dad?

[Bobby Bones]

It wasn't her dad though. It was her.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, but she was with.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Who met her.

[Vanessa Carlton]

This is what exactly what I'm talking about. This is exactly what I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I could complain about phones all day, so you don't. But we share this.

[Bobby Bones]

If you play new music, how much new music you play whenever. I mean that was the original question. Here, like this on this record, are you gonna play. How many songs from the record would you play if you're doing a show?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, it's interesting because I sort of have to relearn the songs in a manner that works for piano, vocal. So I wrote them all on the piano and then we arranged them. Dave and John and I. I worked with Dave Friedman on this record who is a great producer and he's a great studio in Fredonia and he's like. People know him most for. First of all, he's a Mercury Rev great band and he produced all the Flaming Lips records and then most recently like mgmt and then he's a bunch of newer stuff. But I'm so out of it that I don't. So. But we arrange and create all these melodies and layers in the studio and then I have to go back if I'm gonna touring just me and the piano. It's like I have to relearn the song in a manner that's incorporating some of the stuff that we create we did in the studio, you know. So for me it's like what works best like that from the record. But I play like Agony of the Flower. I play Veils, play I'm Not Dead. I play Woke Up High. I play Animal. I play. I play a lot of stuff from Veils and everyone's seems to like it.

[Bobby Bones]

So what is your favorite song to play period right now?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Great house.

[Bobby Bones]

Why?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I think just emotionally it hits me the most. I think of my grandfather. It's like, it's. That's the song for me right now.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it making you emotional thinking about it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, it is emotional. And it's like. I don't know, maybe it's just this time in my life, mid-40s, that when I reflect on childhood and what forms us, like the experiences that form us, it is really emotional to go back and see how this all works.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to ask a really self indulgent question that I didn't even think about until right now because you and I were talking about Counting Crows before we started this. My favorite band ever.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Great band.

[Bobby Bones]

On, I think the Hard Candy album. You were on the extra track at the end.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, right.

[Bobby Bones]

I forgot about that.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

And when that record first came out, you had to hold the CD down to get it to skip through because it was the secret track. Oh, the Joni Mitchell.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God. See, I missed. Cause it. Well, you didn't have to hold it down. You could wait.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, 12. If you wait. 12 minutes in silence.

[Vanessa Carlton]

12 minutes? Yeah. Before he put it in.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it was very.

[Vanessa Carlton]

They didn't like that. I don't. 12 minutes.

[Bobby Bones]

Whatever it was, it could not have done. The last song ends in five minutes, goes by, and then it starts to play.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I think it's 60 seconds.

[Bobby Bones]

I would bet you it's longer than that. That's a bet I would take.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Love to ask Adam. He'd be like, what? What are you talking about?

[Bobby Bones]

But then that song became like a single and it hit. Was that not. Was that not gonna be a single?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. I don't know. They just asked me to sing on it.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you like singing on that one?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, I ever play that one. It was like, no. And it was. I was. I sang it on the road in Florida. And I never got to meet them. I didn't meet them till after. I didn't meet Adam till after.

[Bobby Bones]

You sang it in a studio on the road?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

How'd you feel about it? Good.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I was so excited to be asked to sing with cat and crows. Are you kidding? August and everything after, I was like, I couldn't believe it. It was really cool. But even in the video, I never got admitted. It was all done separate.

[Bobby Bones]

Adam said the same thing.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I was like, I don't know, like, be nice to meet him someday. You know, like, so. But then we did meet and we're friends. He's just. I mean, years have gone by where I haven't spoken to him, but he's just. He's a good guy.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor. And we're back on the Bobbycast I've

[Bobby Bones]

been listening to your record the last. At least the last week. With you coming in. I want to ask a question. This is not gonna be everybody watching. Just listened for one second.

[Vanessa Carlton]

They have to listen.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you use a lot of synthesis? Is it more synth than normal? When I was listening to this record, especially if you just start from track one, I didn't hit jumble, I just hit from down. It felt like a lot of synth early on. Did you use more synth than this than your last records?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God. I'm trying to remember the name of her. I love this sound. What is it? It's Something Bones. It's Something Bones. That's the name of the synth sound, and it's on the Nord. Oh, my God. It is crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

But I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy, right? They used, like, a significant amount of synth. I like the sound of this record.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's key, is. It's, like, just changing the tone of the keys.

[Bobby Bones]

I saw Ben Foltz play a whole concert with his little synth player. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

[Vanessa Carlton]

What did he play with? Just, like, a key keyboard.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes, but one of those very small. I don't.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, okay. That's. It's probably, like, a very authentic synthesizer, like the Nord. When I talk about the Nord, it's mimicking the SC of, like, those, you know, 80s synth sounds.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it like a ganjo? It's not really a banjo, but it's a guitar. So it sounds like a banjo? No, no, but it doesn't. Yeah. If you go so deep. I don't know, like, you lost me with that description, but I. Oh, I did. Yeah, a little bit. When you. I just thought it sounded very synthy.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm not a very tech person either, so don't. That's, like, probably the threshold of what. I know, but I know there's real synthesizers. I mean, these are real. But this is now the math side of things, you know, the more tech side of.

[Bobby Bones]

Are you able to hear something and, like, see it and then play it back in a weird. My wife has the ability to see. To hear a word and see it in her head backward. And she can spell everything backward. And then I have some friends musically that can hear stuff, but they see either numbers or colors. Do you have anything like that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, but if I. My memory works in a way where, like, my strongest memory is melody.

[Bobby Bones]

Hear it. You remember it for a while.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I remember it. I'll remember it over someone telling a story. Like you know, it's just my strongest point of memory is melodic.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you ever remember stuff in school and put a melody to things so you could remember it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

That would have been helpful. That would have. I didn't think of that.

[Bobby Bones]

Like single.

[Vanessa Carlton]

They do that for young kids, don't they? They sing. Well, think about the Alphabet.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And they just changed that recently. Did you know that? They changed the melody of it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

They changed the melody of the Alphabet.

[Bobby Bones]

Of abc? Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

To what?

[Bobby Bones]

Cause it used to be elementop.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And now element. Kids think it's elemento as a word.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So they changed my favorite word.

[Bobby Bones]

They've changed. Yeah, they've changed it up. I want to see your first pitch.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Why would they change it up? Just explain what it is. I'm upset about this. If this is real.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, let's see.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Okay, watch. Are you watching him? Watch my first pitch, Vanessa. Carl, are you filming this?

[Bobby Bones]

Him first. Yes. Pitch.

[Vanessa Carlton]

See what AI says.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. Singer, songwriter Vanessa Carlton threw out the ceremonial first pitch, May 1, 2026. Oh, you just did this recently.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

You still got it then. The event took place in Busch Stadium.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I still got it. Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

It coincided with her Vails Eastern US Tour social media coverage. Notice that her throw was well received when Carlton herself expressed that she exceeded her own expectations.

[Vanessa Carlton]

What? I did not say that. Oh, yeah, maybe I did say something like that. No, what did I say? I don't know. Did I exceed my own expectations?

[Bobby Bones]

Did you play ball as a kid at all?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes, I did exceed my own expectations, but I didn't say that. So what I'm saying is, AI changed what the social media said every single time. Because I'm testing.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm watching it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I tested the overview.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, here we go.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

You didn't even bounce it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You didn't hear what he said.

[Bobby Bones]

Wait, listen, down the middle. I heard it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Did you hear what he said about me? I couldn't.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow. And you were back on the mound.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, you didn't even take the cheap way out.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I hit what one calls a. I mean, I hit.

[Bobby Bones]

I. Oh, no, you lost credit.

[Vanessa Carlton]

When did I ever have it? I threw what one calls a moon ball, according to Google.

[Bobby Bones]

I didn't think it was very Mooney. I thought it was good.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, is that. What is moon bad?

[Bobby Bones]

No, it just means it's up high.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, because my. My godson is a really good baseball player, and He's. He's like 8, and he just. I was like, sebastian, how do I not embarrass myself? Like, what do I do. He's like, just go for it. Go for the arc.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Most people balance it because they think it's shorter than it is. Why did you agree to do that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

How?

[Bobby Bones]

Do you have another one?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, I just was like. I thought it was a cool thing to do. And I think I was an idiot because after I did it, I was like, wow, this could have been so much more embarrassing than I ever thought.

[Bobby Bones]

First pitches. And it wasn't because I've thrown out a few. There's really no gain from them. But there's always a lot of shame if you don't hit it, because they get played on the Internet forever. I have friends that will sing the national anthem, and they say, listen, they love the country, but they don't like singing the national anthem. Because if you nail it, there's no massive benefit. People aren't celebrating you, but if you mess it up, you're tortured.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That is a perfect analogy. It's just like the national anthem. So, wait, how was your throws? How are your punches?

[Bobby Bones]

There we go.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Am I losing credibility because I'm saying throws?

[Bobby Bones]

No, no. You threw it really well.

[Vanessa Carlton]

All I can. Thank you. All I can say is, after leaving that field, I was like, under no circumstance do I ever want any of these guys to throw a ball at me. Never. Because I will throw a ball at them.

[Bobby Bones]

You watched them throw?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. That's scary.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You gotta get out of there.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you play sports as a kid?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Soccer. I was a. I was really into ballet, so. But I wanted. I liked soccer and I played a little softball, but then I got an injury when I was playing soccer, and it was, like, getting in the way of my ballet classes, so I just. I dropped it.

[Bobby Bones]

How long did you dance?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I danced from when, like, I could start moving until I sort of quit the School of American Ballet when I. When I graduated at 17.

[Bobby Bones]

You danced until 17?

[Vanessa Carlton]

And then I took. I still took open classes, but I never danced professionally.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But I just. That's what I went to school for,

[Bobby Bones]

ballet, so I've only danced one time.

[Vanessa Carlton]

One day?

[Bobby Bones]

No, one time I danced one day. Oh. Well, I danced in high school a little bit.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Can you waltz?

[Bobby Bones]

I won Dancing with the Stars.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You won Dancing with the Stars?

[Bobby Bones]

Like, six seasons ago. I've never danced before.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't watch, so.

[Bobby Bones]

No, I never watched it either, but I'm saying I did it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's incredible.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I've never danced. So my waltzing, it was crash course, right?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God. Respect. Were you so sore?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it was Bad. There was a woman that's going on this season, and I saw an interview with her and she said she was going to be a blank slate. She didn't want to learn anything. And I understood that. But I made a little video kind of responding to it. I said, hey, if you know the fundamentals. I didn't even know what an eight count was, so I knew nothing but. And I'm in good shape. But there's a difference in dancing shape and good shape. That is correct, because you can only learn so much as your body takes. And doing that show, my calves, my back, they would kill me.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Good for you.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. It was a wild trip.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And you won.

[Bobby Bones]

I won.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, aren't you. You're a musician, so you would know. It's all about what you hear.

[Bobby Bones]

You would think that's how you move. You would think.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm gonna check. I'm gonna Google.

[Bobby Bones]

I would encourage you not to as much as I watched your first pitch. What was the song I danced for? It was three months.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, but what was the winning? Oh, I don't know how it works.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, so how it works is I think there are like maybe 10 weeks of competition, and every week they kick somebody off.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And so my first dance was a jive, which was very. A very athletic type dance. I didn't know much about the jive. Bunch of jumping. It was a bunch of, like, kicks.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, oh. Like a jitter. Like a little bit of a swing dance. Is that right or no? Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, sure. My only dance experience is, like, that 12 weeks on the show.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God, that's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you. I learned how to waltz.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Good.

[Bobby Bones]

I learned how to. I learned to hear that the final song was from the greatest showman that we did was like the Big. And it was pretty cool. I threw my hat into the crowd. I wore a full white suit. There was three of us in the finals, maybe four. But at the end, I was so excited, I threw my hat into the crowd. And when that show started, they put the odds out. You could bet I was last. I had the worst odds there were. Like 70 year olds had higher odds than me.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And so that's probably why you won. You're like, all right, mother.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Can we.

[Bobby Bones]

You can't say whatever you want.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You can. Okay. I was gonna say fuckers.

[Bobby Bones]

You did? Yeah. You got it. And then I threw my hat into the crowd. And whoever caught the hat mailed it back to me, like three months and said, I think you'll want this. You won the show. I Saved it and they mailed it back to me. I don't know who it was, but how amazing was that gesture?

[Vanessa Carlton]

That is amazing. That is. That's actually stunning, what you just said.

[Bobby Bones]

I thought it was super nice too.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Who was your partner?

[Bobby Bones]

Her name is Sharna. She was a pro dancer. She's from Australia and she's a drill sergeant. And it's. But it's what I. It's what I needed because I knew nothing.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I love it. I love this.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And so you dance until 17?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you ever dance now? Like, do you have it in you still?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I dance in my house. But I was just talking. I talk about this in my shows lately because it's like I can't tell if people have like really significantly stopped dancing. I feel like people don't dance. People don't feel as free in public anymore because everyone has their phones. So, you know, back in the 1900s, when I was born, it's like we

[Bobby Bones]

just were the same age.

[Vanessa Carlton]

We felt free. It's 1980, so no one's watching you except the people in the room. And you could dance like, you know. That's why I love Nashville too. I don't know if it's affected Nashville. Cause I don't live here anymore. But I wonder if people dance as much here too. You know, not for the phones, like just. You know what I mean.

[Bobby Bones]

It's funny to watch the old festivals in the 90s because it'll pop up my algorithm because I love the music. But what you notice first off is, is not phone. And I'm not a phone hater, per se. I'm really not. But you definitely notice the difference where it's not everybody doing this. It's people just like watching the show.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. I think it will come back. It will temper off, I'm hoping. Or what's the word? I mean, I just. I hope it like corrects itself. Like people correct it like social. As a social movement. Like they know just. Does everybody start noticing that they're a little bit less happy or a little bit less anxiety engaged with like the present moment? I don't. I feel like it could. We're so social. I feel like we're going to correct ourselves.

[Bobby Bones]

Is that because we get so fatigued of it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I think so. I think it's. Fit will be fatigue. Actually.

[Bobby Bones]

There are certain things, like the Masters golf tournament, they don't allow phones. And people that go to. That actually love it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Exactly.

[Bobby Bones]

Now they're not saying they wouldn't use their phones if they had them. But they love being told you can't use your phones because there's something freeing about it. We didn't have phones at our wedding.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Great.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. We put them in bags, and I think everybody loved it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Great.

[Bobby Bones]

But you have to take them or people aren't gonna do it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's where we're at. But people like it. They're like, take it.

[Bobby Bones]

I think there's probably something for, like, a bar or restaurant. A no phone bar or restaurant. Like, you can't have it out. Like, you check it in. I think that would be something that people would like to go to, because

[Vanessa Carlton]

then people will start organically dating again. Cause I. You know, I know we're here to talk about other things, but I'm just saying, like, dating apps. This is way after my time. Like, I never would have. I don't think I ever would have done it anyway, hypothetically. But this was. People would just talk to each other like, there was no apping for dating. Is apping a word? I don't know.

[Bobby Bones]

It is. I wish that dating apping had, like, full background checks on it, though.

[Vanessa Carlton]

See, this is crazy. How can you know so much about someone before saying hello? There's, like, so much judgment before you even say hi. Or, like, go up to someone and be like, what's up?

[Bobby Bones]

You know, I was talking to a friend that just got on an app, and I've been married now for almost five years, so it's been a long time since I've been on the apps. But she was saying that it's wild to her. She's been married for probably 10 years or so, and so she's single again. She's back on the app. She said it's wild how people will just stop talking and ghost. Like, you have these conversations, and all of a sudden the person just goes away, and it's like, super, super ghost. Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And it's all typed. It's all texting.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Cause I, you know, I remember the days where a guy would come over and, like, drop his number on a little ripped white piece of paper, and you were supposed to just call a stranger. Which I never did, but I had respect for whoever did that, you know? And I had an answering machine.

[Bobby Bones]

That's the tough part about being a guy.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But this is important for cold father. I think this is important.

[Bobby Bones]

That's really courageous. That's the hard part about being a dude. The expect of doing the cold calling on, saying hi to the girl.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Terrifying now. Extra terror now. Right.

[Bobby Bones]

It's so easy, though.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You got this, guys. You got this.

[Bobby Bones]

You can DM anybody now.

[Vanessa Carlton]

DM. Mm. I know. I know about DMs. That's not how I met my husband.

[Bobby Bones]

You don't have to date to no DMs.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Direct message. That means direct.

[Bobby Bones]

Your husband didn't DM you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

How did you guys meet?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, actually, well, there is a Twitter component to the story, but it's irrelevant, really. It's, like, sort of relevant. I had just figured out my Twitter. Cause I'm very anti. Like, I don't like my phone. I wouldn't say hate either, but I really just. It's so distracting to me. Like, I've lived too long a life without it. Like, I don't like. I mean, there's things I do like about it, but. So I was figuring out my Twitter, and I was looking through a Twitter. Like, people coming at me, you know, when they. At you, what is it? Interaction. And it was from the Dyrtyk account. And my husband's in a band in Dyrtyk. My now husband. And it was like, hey, vc, let's get a beer or something. And I was. I actually thought I had met someone in that band at Newport Folk. Cause I had just been there the weekend before. And so I called my friend Patrick, who was. I was there partying with him. He's the drummer in My Morning Jacket. And I was like, do we meet somebody in Dyrtych last weekend? And he was like, no, but I know John from Dyrtik. And I was like, oh, cool. I don't know who this is, but can you find out who this is? And he was like, well, the only person I know in Deer Tick is John. And I don't know him very well, but I know that I will know him forever. And so I was like, all right. Well, I don't know. Just. So, anyway, cut to. I was introduced to John through Patrick, and that's the beginning and the end of the story.

[Bobby Bones]

But it is through Twitter. Because you wouldn't have known had you not got a dm.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, it wasn't a dm. It was an interaction.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh. It was an impression, Eply.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It was an reply. Yeah, but I would have met him through Patrick, I think, or that band. Because they were all. I don't know, maybe you're right.

[Bobby Bones]

Interest in you from that reply. You may not have known that had you met him otherwise and the situation wasn't right. I'm not trying to say your marriage is based on Twitter.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm just saying Because I don't want to think that.

[Bobby Bones]

Then don't. We can just move on.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't want to think. I don't think so.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't think so.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It was really. Because my point is, it's through friends. I think people meet people best through friends.

[Bobby Bones]

I met my wife through a friend. See, sort of.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You're very 1900s.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, we did meet organically. I.

[Vanessa Carlton]

How did you meet her?

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I was on American Idol for four years as, like, the main mentor for all the contestants.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Nice.

[Bobby Bones]

And so I got to know my PR person really well because I'm from Arkansas, she's from Oklahoma, and we were just like two hillbillies in la. And so we became really good friends. And then when I went to do Dancing with the Stars, I won. I came back the next season, and she's like, I have a friend here that I knew from college in Oklahoma. And so I met her through my friend, and so we met, like, real people.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And she saw you dance all those dances?

[Bobby Bones]

No, it was. I went back the next season. No, she would never married me.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No. Did you ask her if she saw you dance?

[Bobby Bones]

She did not. She didn't watch the show.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You know that for sure. Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I know. My wife doesn't watch tv. Really?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Okay. No, I get. I understand her. I understand her.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. She didn't, and I'm glad she didn't. But I met through a real life person because I tried the apps.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I think it's real life, people.

[Bobby Bones]

Mm.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I just want to.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm with you.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

In my opinion, the Bobby cast. We'll be right back. This is the Bobby cast.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you live on a farm or something?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, but I love donkeys.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, no, I have a hog. A big, like, copper hog in there.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's a javelina, right?

[Bobby Bones]

It's a razorbag.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, they smell. That one doesn't smell.

[Bobby Bones]

And I said, you can take a joke. You can take a picture with the hog. And you say, no, I see them all the time.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Did you say hog? Oh, I thought you said have. I thought you were doing the pig in there. I thought you knew javelina so well that you call it a have. Well, I think it is a javelina.

[Bobby Bones]

It's a razorback.

[Vanessa Carlton]

What's a razorback?

[Bobby Bones]

What's a javelina?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Is that a kind? Let me tell you, they smell so bad. But so anyway, I've been going to this ranch since I was 2 years old. I was just telling Casey about this because my father's a pilot, and since I was very young he has to go renew his license in Tucson, Arizona, every year, sometimes twice a year. And my mom, who at this point had like, multiple children, she's like, I cannot stay in this hotel while my husband is in class all day just sitting with these children in this hotel. And so she found this ranch nearby where we could learn to ride. And it's called the Tanki Verde Ranch. So I've been going there since I was 2 years old. I'm actually. And now I take my daughter. I'll be going back there in October. But whenever they have the cookouts, the javelinas come and they're scavengers, but they're really. And the mobs are so territorial, too, so you need to stay away. And they smell like urine.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know if that was a javelina or not.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's a. I'm pretty sure that is a male. I actually don't know if it's male or female, but that is a large javelina.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you Google if a razorback is same thing as a javelina? Mike?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. I wanna know what razorback is.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I have probably javelina. So my. I'm from Arkansas. We're the Razorbacks. So that's our mascot. Oh, yeah. That's why I.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So you see those a lot.

[Bobby Bones]

The odd thing is we don't have them in Arkansas. I know. We were. We were originally the Cardinals, and then we were told you guys played like a bunch of crazy, like, razorbacks, so they changed our school mascot.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So that's a compliment, though. Crazy razorback.

[Bobby Bones]

No, they're different things.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Do they look different?

[Bobby Bones]

They look similar.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Now I need to see the picture.

[Bobby Bones]

I might have a javelina and think I have a havrazole. I know. And you're the one that told me. I don't. We both have brought bad news to each other today.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And weak for.

[Bobby Bones]

Look how close they look.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, the one on the left is a javelina. I think he will confirm when I leave.

[Bobby Bones]

Don't. Because I don't want to. Not. I don't want to know. That's the wrong hog. It'll do me bad.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Really?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So I will just find out for myself. And I'm not gonna tell you.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm never gonna look it up.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Casey and I will find out for you.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, you said that, so. A matter of fact. Like you were a hog expert.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, I. I just. I really know javelina. I'm not a hog expert at all.

[Bobby Bones]

So you ride horses?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I do ride horses well enough. I could run. I can. We can go fast.

[Bobby Bones]

You ever fallen off a horse?

[Guest or Additional Speaker]

I have.

[Bobby Bones]

I got clothesline. I was on my uncle's land. He had a bunch of horses, and we would ride bareback. We'd just jump on him and went under a clothesline.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God.

[Bobby Bones]

Completely off the horse.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But you're bareback. I've never done bareback.

[Bobby Bones]

It's not respect. No, it's not respect. It's like, let's just get on the horses.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, but I love that. And the horses are like, get the fuck off.

[Bobby Bones]

That's literally what they were. I'm just gonna run.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And that's why we're running him into a closet.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, you got it. I respect that.

[Bobby Bones]

You've fallen off a horse before.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. Broken anything and gotten thrown? No. I thought I broke my back one day, but I woke up fine. I was so happy that morning. Oh, my God.

[Bobby Bones]

That you were fine.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I was fine.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I think riding horses, it's one of my most favorite things. Like, I love horses. I love them. I also love donkeys. No, this is what's interesting about the donkey thing. This is like, sort of a social media thing. Okay. I feel like I have relationships because I'm not on Instagram anymore, but I like. I filled my. What's it called? My. Filled my cup. But I had a number of donkeys that I would follow. Like, people that have farms, like, rescue farms, and they're like mini donkey, and they're just. I just love their faces and the crazy sound that they make. So, you know, that's weird. Like, that's just something that I discovered through my phone. Like, I've never. You know, I don't even think I've met a donkey. Have you met a donkey? Yes. Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know if you actually meet a donkey.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I've never met a donkey because there's no donkeys at the ranch.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Lots of donkeys, lots of mules. Do you know the difference?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes, There are some mules.

[Bobby Bones]

Mules. A half horse, half donkey.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's different.

[Bobby Bones]

Crazy. Those two animals can mate even though they're very close.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, they're sort of similar. Ish. Enough.

[Bobby Bones]

Ish.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I can see it.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Do you think we talk about donkeys on the podcast today?

[Vanessa Carlton]

We are talking about donkeys.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you think that'd be where we go at all?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, I don't know.

[Bobby Bones]

Wait, so you're down.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't know what's happening.

[Bobby Bones]

How do you get your donkey filled, then, if you're not on Instagram anymore?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, that's Why? I said I want a donkey. The thing is. Well, yeah, I have seen. I do look at the. I do look them up still, sometimes.

[Bobby Bones]

Are you on TikTok at all?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, I don't like it.

[Bobby Bones]

Not even.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't like it.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you have people, though, do your stuff for you? So you. Yes.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Sorry, keep interrupting.

[Bobby Bones]

What if you get like a really cool DM from somebody that's like, I'm a big fan.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Dm?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. You wouldn't. They wouldn't tell you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, don't DM me then.

[Bobby Bones]

How is someone supposed to get a hold of you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No one's DMing me. What.

[Bobby Bones]

How's someone supposed to get ahold of you then?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Through. I don't. Through. Who's somebody. You mean like a.

[Bobby Bones]

Let's say Drake.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's a manager reaches a manager. That's like the 1900s. That's always how it is, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Drake did hit her up. Drake did hit you up. Really?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I didn't know that. I literally was just picking somebody out of the air. Did you think I knew that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I guess, Yeah, I guess.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, I just thin aired Drake. I was like, who's the biggest? It'd be weird to see him saying, I'm a fan.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's his manager reached out to my manager and said, do you want to. Will you come and sing at my show?

[Bobby Bones]

Did you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I did. In the end, I actually couldn't do it. And then he. And I was in rehearsal for a show. Like, it was the same day as his show. So I was like, this is like, cool. I like Drake. Like, this would be fun and cool, but I can't do it. And then they asked a few more times. No non dm.

[Bobby Bones]

They send the plane. That doesn't make a lot easier.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, they did not send a plane, but they did do a nice airline seat. Very nice. And I slept very nice.

[Bobby Bones]

Was it at Drake's show?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Drake's show?

[Bobby Bones]

Like, you came out and played during his show?

[Guest or Additional Speaker]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

That's cool.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It was cool.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you play with ears or without ears when you do something like that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's a great question. So I'm. So I'm really a classical. I come from more of the classical world of music. Really. Even though I love rock and roll, I love singer songwriters, I love. But much more acoustic world. And so inner ears, for me, it's like. It's a little bit like hell, I have to get used to it, so. But for something like that, you have to do inner ears, you know, I just did another Thing with inner ears. What did I do?

[Bobby Bones]

I saw you with Teddy Swims.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That was inner ears, too.

[Bobby Bones]

Coachella.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God. And like, the first 30 seconds, I'm like, I can't get my head around the sound or what's happening. And my hair, I thought was gonna go in my mouth, you know, I'm like, I'm just not. But if I have monitors, I'm like, I know what's going on, you know, so it's. I have to, like, learn it, relearn it.

[Bobby Bones]

Monitors feel real. Like the time's real.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll do comedy with music. Like, I'll play comedy. And if I do inner ears, like, if I have a bigger band behind me and I'm having to do ears in comedy, it's not the same because I need the timing of the laughs to go. So it's hard ears. It's a whole. It's almost like a different animal completely.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, exactly, because you're not getting the react. You're not getting when you perform. It's such a. It's all cause and effect. Like, you're constantly being affected by the reaction to what you're doing, whether you know it or not. And it's just. Even just that sound is like, I'm here with you all, like. And so when that's covered up, it's like pretend it. It's just a skill, but it, you know. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Even when we would mic the crowd, like we play festivals, we mic the crowd. It's just on a. It's a half second delay, which does, again, affect everything.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I know. You're like, that wasn't that funny? Oh, it was funny.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I'm already in the second joke. I'm like, oh, I guess it was like, I hate myself for a half second.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I know.

[Bobby Bones]

Like that bomb.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's the timing. What do we do?

[Bobby Bones]

Do you know how to tune a piano?

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, I don't. I hire a tuner.

[Bobby Bones]

I only ask that because I know how to tune a guitar. But to play a guitar, you have to learn how to tune a guitar. Otherwise you're traveling around going like, I don't know how to tune this guitar.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Correct.

[Bobby Bones]

Piano. You don't know how to tune the piano. Have you ever thought about learning that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I've asked because I'm very curious about their different techniques. Because tuners have different techniques. Some use rhythm, like this metronome, to measure the waves of the tone of the note. That was Misha. He's such a great tuner. He's in New York. And then Larry, he's all by ear. He's my tuner in Rhode Island. But they have different. It's an art. It's an art.

[Bobby Bones]

You know your tuners by name?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Of course.

[Bobby Bones]

That means you really respect the tuning.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my God. Well, I'm nothing without. Without them. You are nothing without a piano tuner.

[Bobby Bones]

I am something. I don't need a piano tuner.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You are something without a piano.

[Bobby Bones]

You said that like you were telling me.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm like, I am nothing without a piano tuner.

[Bobby Bones]

It's funny that you. You give them probably their flowers in the way that I give a book editor flowers, because until I started writing books, I didn't know how to write. I just started writing books, and I didn't know the art of an editor.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

It's wild.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I need to read one of your books again. It's the dance stuff Now I'm gonna read it.

[Bobby Bones]

It's like the dance stuff. You're good, but I didn't know.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And I'm gonna watch the dances.

[Bobby Bones]

Watch the dance while reading the book. It'll really fill your cup.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's too hard for me, but I will.

[Bobby Bones]

I didn't know what an editor really did. Thought maybe they just told you there's a typo. But there is an art.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Something that I. Until I'm nothing without my editors, until I started doing it, that I didn't appreciate, and now I get it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Do they like. It's like a. Not a captain, but they shape. They help you shape it, and they

[Bobby Bones]

redirect you at times.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right? You're like, don't go down this path. This is a bad path for you. We need to come back to this more.

[Bobby Bones]

It's like more of this or less of this is what she would do a lot of times. Because I had never written a book. And so when I had signed my first deal, I. I was so scared to even take the money.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, my. I understand. I did, and I. I understand that.

[Bobby Bones]

And I didn't for a while. And I said, instead of giving me the advance, because I think it was like $100,000 or something, my first book. I said, it's a lot. It's a lot for.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's a lot.

[Bobby Bones]

I said, I don't feel like I'm. You're gonna like this. So I'm gonna write half of what. And then if you still want it, I will take the money.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Good for you.

[Bobby Bones]

And so I wrote that much, and they said, we still want it. This is weird. What they said, but we still want it. And then she stepped in and it was like, love this. Expand, expand. And I was like, man, there's a real art to this.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I love this.

[Bobby Bones]

And I thought, this is like a piano tuner.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And you wanted that band, but you wanted them to know you first.

[Bobby Bones]

I wanted them to not be disappointed

[Vanessa Carlton]

in who you are.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Wild insecurities involved there, obviously.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, but it makes so much sense because we are all being interpreted by other people. So you never know. Like, does anyone really know who we are? You know, the people close to us do, but people that are coming and offering you something or wanting to work with you, that don't know you, they are interpreting you in their way. And you're just never really sure, sure how what they think of you, you know?

[Bobby Bones]

And I did know that was a pretty hefty advance for someone who had never written a book.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And you're like, you're giving me too much money.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I was like, I don't want to make sure it's worth it to you guys. And so that's what we did. But then I really learned the value of having a book editor.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. Your tuner.

[Bobby Bones]

My tuner. My.

[Vanessa Carlton]

See, you get it.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you ever tour? Do you tour with the tuner or do you just go somewhere with a new piano everywhere?

[Vanessa Carlton]

New piano. Excuse me. And they get a tuner every day.

[Bobby Bones]

Your piano gets tuned every day, like, before the show?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, yeah. It has to be tuned. You don't want me. You don't want to play an out of tune piano. And look, I love like parlor granny pianos. Like, the piano is the uprights. They have so much character and they're like twangy and stuff, but those are still tuned. Like, you know, you don't want an attitude. Piano.

[Bobby Bones]

Just saying, if you see a piano. Do you ever just sit down and play in a public place?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Depends on where it is, but yeah. I feel a draw.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you ever sit down and go, like, just a day.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Do you think that's.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, you would never do, like a hit.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Of course I'm not gonna do that. I'm working on. You're working on other things. Yeah, I know, but that was also written in the 1900s.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I think I'd go back to the well, though. Sometimes I just get in the middle of a mall and dance even. That's my thing.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Do you really, though?

[Bobby Bones]

Never. No, but I'm not good. That's not like a skill of mine. I'm not good.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I can. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

What?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, I Just think, you know, not to like bring this conversation into having to be about mushrooms. But I also think that sometimes people, when they eat mushrooms, they will do the thing that they actually deep down want to do, but feel like they can't. So I was just. When you said I wouldn't dance in the mall, I thought, you know what? Immediately I thought, I think if Bobby ate some little bit of mushroom, I bet he would dance in the mall. But I have no idea what I'm talking about because I don't really know.

[Bobby Bones]

I've really wanted to try LSD or like a halo. Like.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Because I'm so regimented.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Hyper regimented. Like I. And hearing people talk about how it's just. Or I have friends that have done ketamine and I want.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I can't do it.

[Bobby Bones]

And they just talk about what, like, what a break it is. And at the same time, like, how in touch you get with yourself.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

And like, I get jealous of them just being able to be free enough to do. To try that.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because, well, I ate a little peyote once, many years ago, and I do think maybe it's in my head. I can't. I don't know. But I think it's affected when I feel joy. It's always. It's like deeper. It's like a deeper sense of joy. Maybe it wore off, though. I don't know. But I was visiting my friend in Mexico and she has this medicine man that comes down from the mountain and she was like, there's some cool stuff we need to try, Vanessa. And I was, you know, so I'm down to like, in a natural setting like that, like, you know, foraging, like something that's not gonna kill you or make you throw up. Like, I'll try it. It's disgusting. And then I felt like, real. It was sort of amazing, an amazing experience. And I was like, okay, that was cool. I'm good with that. I can move on.

[Bobby Bones]

That's how I go with laughing gas. I'm not joking because I've never try alcohol or anything. And so when I do laughing gas at the dentist, I'm not exaggerating.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, right.

[Bobby Bones]

That's where I felt like. I felt like I understood love for the first time.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I was so high on laughing gas.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's what you're talking about.

[Bobby Bones]

The earth was black.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It was black.

[Bobby Bones]

I felt like I was floating, but I couldn't see anything. But I was like, oh, love is all that matters. And like, I had that feeling while at the dentist. And that's the only time I've ever had it like that.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I am so happy for you.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it was really a great day. When I came back, I was very sore, but while it was happening, it was awesome.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right? That's. What a contradiction. Life is a contradiction. That's so cool that that happened for you. But that's exactly what I mean. Like, people will have that moment. People don't need anything to have that moment Sometimes. Maybe they're just that enlightened. But I think some of us need a little boost sometimes. And I'm not encouraging drugs. Sorry. But, you know, this is a natural. He had it at the dentist. You had it at the dentist?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. You eat peyote? Peyote, yeah. Is it like a plant?

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's like a brown. It was like a Chunky brown. Is it. I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is.

[Bobby Bones]

But it wasn't like a pie.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No. It wasn't a piece of.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Yeah. That would be fun. I just feel like I was taking sleeping pills at one point in my life. I had some real security things. I jumped at work, had held gunpoint. It was a whole thing. Right. So I had a few things in a row. And so I was really having trouble sleeping. And I tried a lot of stuff, and my doctor was like, we can try sleeping pills. And I tried them for a bit, but I would not remember things. Like, I would take them and maybe not fall asleep on time. And then I would look at my phone and I. Yeah, I was just like, DMing FaceTiming people. I didn't know.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's what happened to me.

[Bobby Bones]

I drove off with a gas pump in my car once, just like on where you drive off, and I was

[Vanessa Carlton]

like, you can't take that.

[Bobby Bones]

No. I was like, no, I stopped. I had to.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Bobby, you cannot date.

[Bobby Bones]

I would take it on planes and you'll get arrested. I know. I thought I was gonna be in jail, and they'd be like, what'd you do? You pooped in the aisle? I was like, oh, my God. Like, that's what I thought would happen.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's not what happened.

[Bobby Bones]

No, I didn't know. That's why I stopped.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's not what you would have done. No matter what, you wouldn't have done that.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you take sleeping pills?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I did. I took Amien for some time, too. I went through a really hard time, and it was not good for me. I remember waking up with an enormous bruise on my back. I'm like, what the fuck did I do?

[Bobby Bones]

What did happen?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I don't know. I stood up and, like, hit my mirror somehow, like, you just. But we're just turning into, like, walking zombie weirdos, you know? I had to learn how to go to sleep the right way. It's like, that's a sleep. It's called sleep hygiene. You know, I'm sure, you know, sleep

[Bobby Bones]

hygiene for me is, again, so regimented that if I'm outside because allergies are so bad, I have to go take a full shower.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Really?

[Bobby Bones]

Mm.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Cause it's landed all over the body.

[Bobby Bones]

Yep. And I have to. It has to be perfect for me to fall asleep. I'm so neurotic. I'm so neurotic and anxious and.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So what about the sound? Do you do a brown. What do you. What. How do you. What do you like the. It's the room to sound like when you. Because, look, we're trying. I'm in different hotels. Like, I'm staying with my friend now, so I just feel so good then, like, in her little casita. But, like, what. What's the soundscape?

[Bobby Bones]

You're not gonna like it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

What is it?

[Bobby Bones]

I put it. I listen to a podcast and put an airpod in one ear.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's how you fall asleep.

[Bobby Bones]

If I have silence, I go. My mind goes crazy.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I see. I see.

[Bobby Bones]

And so I don't go to sleep. So the only thing that I can do is almost fatigue myself to sleep. So I listen to a podcast every night, and I have a schedule. And then I put one in queue in case I'm still awake at the second one. I start to worry halfway through the first one that I'm going to be awake when it ends and have to go to my phone. So I put a second one in queue so it fires off.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I see. Because you have worries. We all have worries. I understand. Is it in the ear? See, that would start to be sore.

[Bobby Bones]

You get used to it. It is at first, but then you have to always clean it with a Q tip because it pushes the wax in there.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

What is your sound at night?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I need, like, my favorite way to sleep is a box fan in the window when it's like a nice breeze outside. A box fan in the window. No ac. Like, you just sleep so well just listening to that fan with outside night air coming in.

[Bobby Bones]

That's 1900s.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's 1900s. But obviously, if the season is. You can't do that. I have an air purifier blower sound, which we like. And if I'm traveling hotels. I just travel like an infant baby. I have a dome, a large circular fan that you plug in for the babies. It's the best sound.

[Bobby Bones]

And you have it on you.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, I travel with it.

[Bobby Bones]

You don't. You don't get dry, though. You don't get dry, though, in your nose and throat. It hurts you to sing.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No, it's a tiny little fan.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Where does it blow on?

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's just blowing within the thing. It's like just the perfect sound.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, it's for sound only. It's just for sound only. It's not for.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, it's just for sleep sound. So that's how I'm touring. That's how I survive on the road.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor. And we're back on the Bobbycast.

[Bobby Bones]

Who did you listen to as a kid that you like, like in the pop. Popular music, right?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Popular music.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, because with your background, I would assume you're gonna say some people I don't know

[Vanessa Carlton]

well. Cause I. I listened to a lot of classical music because I was also so into ballet and I was. My mom is a classical pianist, and she would. But she would have us do Top of the Pops books, too, which I think is key for young pianists. Like, you learn your favorite theme song from TV show that. I like the popular TV show. She was so good at incorporating that stuff. Or like, Neil Young's Harvest Moon. So she was good at weaving in pop culture for the kids. But, yeah, mostly a lot of classical stuff. I love Aaron Copeland. It's like, one of my favorites, Debussy. But then I had my cassette tape of. I had Madonna, I had Michael Jackson. I had. I listened to on vinyl, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp. My dad was really into this band called Supertramp that I was so into. Yes, the band. Yes. So I guess it's a mix of, like, super pop, Prague classical, you know, like Tiffany.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I think we're alone now.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. That's a good song.

[Bobby Bones]

That's a good song. Yeah. I remember the Full House episode. Did you ever watch Full House?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I have watched it, but it wasn't

[Bobby Bones]

like a regular for you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Not really, man.

[Bobby Bones]

Me. Tgif.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, yeah. Tgif.

[Bobby Bones]

Crushed it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah. Two hours of. That's four shows.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. And it changed a little bit over the years, but Full House, Family Matters, Dinosaurs for a while. Step by Step. Yeah. The same guy, like, sang all the theme songs for those.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, really?

[Bobby Bones]

For Full House, Family Matters.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Get out. I Love theme songs. I am obsessed.

[Bobby Bones]

Me too.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I am obsessed.

[Bobby Bones]

Different, though, theme songs, or like, what do they call them? Show tunes. Those are different.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, very different.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But my. Some of my favorite music for a TV show of all time is Golden Girls, and that is also my favorite show.

[Bobby Bones]

The best. When I play the Opry, that's my walkout song. Thank you for being a friend.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's good. Andrew Gold, I want to see your show.

[Bobby Bones]

You don't. It's fine. But it's not.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I want to see your show.

[Bobby Bones]

It's this.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, so. Because my. I think comedy is the, the hardest craft. I think comedy is the most heady art in my opinion, socially, especially socially speaking. So, I mean, I'm like, I'm in awe of comedians and a lot of it is the courage that they have too. But when you're a good comedian, I just, I can't even believe it though. They sort of can be miserable to hang out with because they're just like, just so sad and just watching you. They're just watching you.

[Bobby Bones]

The difficult part about that, oh, look at her Lane. Is you never know if anything's good until you present it. Like, if I were to play, let's say I wrote a funny song, I can play it and learn the chords and I can get pretty good at playing it before I go out. I can't. I don't know if the joke is good or how it's going to work until I literally try it. I know it's super exciting, but it's also the most nerve wracking.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So I had a question for you because we were talking about radio before we started. So when you started on radio, did you get to choose what songs you wanted to play or. I don't know what station you started on, so I don't know what the.

[Bobby Bones]

So my brief, a very, very brief history. When I was a teenager, I started, I was doing pop radio and then I was literally like talking between songs. Now it's definitely changed, but I, But I've done pop radio. I've done alternative. I had a hip hop record. I was rapper for a little bit. I was. Had a record deal there. So just. It's been a weird Forrest Gump type career.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Love it.

[Bobby Bones]

But no, never, never got to pick songs ever, ever, ever. Now. Okay, if I choose to, I can. But we talk so much now. It's, it's a, it's a podcast and a content show for the most part. But if I want to play a song or two on the national Show I can, but I don't want, I don't want to have the pressure of doing that. I don't want to be the person that's like picking music. Because then everybody wants you to pick their music. So I will just highlight stuff that I like and then get away for a minute. But never early, early in my career.

[Guest or Additional Speaker]

Never.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, they fire you, but people don't. I think literally a lot of younger folks too. I mean, I don't know, I feel like they don't realize that DJs used

[Bobby Bones]

to pick the songs back way before me. Like the 60s, 70s.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes. So.

[Bobby Bones]

But they'd get paid to.

[Vanessa Carlton]

They were curating music. So where are the curators? The curation has changed. Like where that's coming from.

[Bobby Bones]

Discovery has completely changed. Like how do you.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Everything is so. Frat is so fractioned now.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

It's so hard to get noticed doing anything.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Somebody can be super famous to one person and not even be known by another.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Right. Right.

[Bobby Bones]

There's not dead. Like. Yeah. It's amazing. And it's also like a tragedy at the same time because the fact that there are no gatekeepers is awesome for art. But at the same time it's hard for large art to exist because nothing is large anymore.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Like collective pop culture. Really. Yeah. And more negative stuff, I think, has taken over the collective stuff. It's all negative stuff. But I hope that I have hope. I think it will swing the other way. I think we'll all start to realize how fragmented everything is. I think people are smart. I have hope for our species.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. You ever see the Mike Judge movie Idiocracy?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. It's like, I know, yeah. It's today and tomorrow, but I love

[Vanessa Carlton]

being able to just walk in anywhere and just talk to anybody. You know, I, I that, I think that's really important.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you get recognized in a random Walmart or wherever you are?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I think so. I don't think so.

[Bobby Bones]

Just wonder if people will be like, are you Vanessa Carlton?

[Vanessa Carlton]

People do that at the airport.

[Bobby Bones]

Is that what they say? Are you Vanessa?

[Vanessa Carlton]

And I'm like, my. This is my id. They're looking at my id. They're like, are you the Vanessa?

[Bobby Bones]

So they're like, are you?

[Vanessa Carlton]

That is correct. Oh, I think there's only one of us, actually. I wonder if there's another Vanessa Carlton.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you ever have people get tattooed of your face? Did you ever see any fans do that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Of my face?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

On their body?

[Bobby Bones]

Uh huh.

[Vanessa Carlton]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Or. Okay. Have you ever signed anybody?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes. A Lot of tattoos. Well, and I have one of my favorite artists did the artwork for my record, Rabbits on the Run, that came out in 2011. And a lot of people have the rabbits, and I love those rabbits. So that's a good tattoo, but it's high pressure. If someone asks you to sign their skin and they're like, they're gonna tattoo it, I'm like, oh, my God.

[Bobby Bones]

I know. I just don't want to do it bad. Yes, that's it. Like, it'll be the one time I suck signing my own name.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It has to be good.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I have three final questions.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You have what? How many?

[Bobby Bones]

Three.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

By the way, how's your podcast experience been?

[Vanessa Carlton]

My what?

[Bobby Bones]

Your podcast experience.

[Vanessa Carlton]

This is nice. I don't. This is my last. This is.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, you've said it's gonna be your last one. This is not it. You're not retiring after this one.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm not. What do you mean, retiring? I'm not even. It's. This is it.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. I appreciate that. It's very kind of you. Three questions. Question number one. When you did the Broadway Carole King, what kind of grind is that?

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's similar to the ballet world. Like, that hard, but in a way, almost harder, because singing and acting, too, and I wasn't. And that's actually a role where I'm not even dancing, so it's not. But I think in terms of the grind, as you say, it's one of the hardest, if not the hardest thing I've ever done.

[Bobby Bones]

Why?

[Vanessa Carlton]

The amount of shows per week, that particular role, the amount of time I was on stage. And by the way, Bridget Berger, who was my acting coach here in Nashville, I trained for that for months, learning that script and learning how to act with Bridget, she was absolutely amazing, because the role itself, I'm like 12 costume changes and on stage almost the entire show.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you feel the pressure? Because I'm assuming you had a really great understudy as well, that knew everything, but because this show was. You were on the press. It was starring Vanessa Carlton, Carole King. Like, did you feel the pressure to never be sick?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes. Oh, my God. I have stories. But also, just to go back to, like, your story about the book deal and how you didn't want to take the money because you're like, you don't know if I'm good or not. That's how I felt about being offered that role. And I was like, they need to audition me. I need to really earn this. I cannot just be given. This would be the most Embarrassing moment. Worse than the first pitch. Way worse than the first pitch. And I have such respect for theater and the Broadway world and how hard everybody works. I'm not waltzing in there and fucking that up. Like, it needs to be really good. I want it to be really good. And I love Carol, and I so relate to her story in certain ways. Like, not that I'm Carole King, but just understanding her relationship with her mother and, you know, how she learned piano and how she's writing her songs. And so, number one, it's like, I wanted to feel like I really earned it and they really wanted me there, rather than like, oh, we need to get a name in here to, like, maybe bring more tickets in. I'm like, I'm not the name that's gonna bring. I don't know how that works. And then second, people pay so much money for those tickets. Yeah. The pressure's on. Like, it's gotta be a great show. And then third, yeah. Like, you don't wanna, like, diarrhea your pants on Broadway or throw up in the. Like, throwing up is better, but, like, you don't wanna be sick.

[Bobby Bones]

What I found extremely useful that I did not know until I was touring a lot, was the power of a steroid shot. Because I would be getting sick. And then a few hours I'm on. I'm freaking killing it that night. But the next day, I feel terrible. Like, I mean, it's. But it saved my life more than a couple times. Like, going to a minute clinic in Wichita, Kansas, and getting a steroid shot because I was getting sick.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It will help you. Are you gonna clip the diarrhea part?

[Bobby Bones]

I will not if you don't want me to. Yeah, we live clip. No.

[Vanessa Carlton]

So. But do you want me to clip

[Bobby Bones]

the diarrhea part or no. Are you saying to clip it? Are you begging me to clip it or don't clip it?

[Vanessa Carlton]

See. Cause I don't even know what I just said, but I'm sure it's really. People want to clip it.

[Bobby Bones]

How do you know about clipping so much if you're never on social media?

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's on the news. It's headlines. Like, literally, you just read headlines, Sal.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, we're not like.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I know what that is.

[Bobby Bones]

We're not a gotcha clip show. No, I know we do clip. But our whole thing isn't to only.

[Vanessa Carlton]

That's why I'm here.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. Just so you.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But I am saying some really flashy things, so I was just. But the steroids will get you your hips the steroids will literally rot your hips if you do a lot of stress.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't get one every day. I'm not doing it for weights. I was doing it because I was

[Vanessa Carlton]

like sick in Mississippi trying to survive. Yeah, exactly.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Carlton]

But Broadway, it was incredible and I was so proud of myself that I was able to pull it off. But I did get sick at the end of my run. I had a stomach infection. It was an absolute nightmare. You know, I was like all dressed, ready to go out and I was like, I can't do this. I can't believe I can't do this. And yeah, you're right. The understudy hops in and she's amazing and I can't even believe she can pull that off without doing the show for like many weeks in advance. Like, they're incredible.

[Bobby Bones]

So she had to jump in for you at some point.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yeah, I missed like, I wanna say four shows and I had a three month run, I believe. Or maybe it was two and a half months. It was pretty cool.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor. And we're back on the bobbycast.

[Bobby Bones]

Alright, two questions left. How do you know when it's time to do a new record?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, I don't really know but I know that my rhythm has been every four years and now it seems to have expanded to six years.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you start to feel like an itch or are you always creating? And then you just kind of take your creations and you know, latch them together. Like how does that work? This record? Did you have songs from a long time ago or did you write them all around the same time or what?

[Vanessa Carlton]

I'm not Dead instrumental was pretty old. Everything else is new. But I honestly, I would say like. Cause I've gotten really into gardening and I don't know what I'm doing and I spend just so much time pitter pattering around like my yard and so many melodies come to me. Ideas come to me when I'm doing that. So I think I really started writing this record when I started like building my garden and then. But I'm very informal, like I'm very, I'm not very ambitious. So I think without Rashawn, who's my manager, who it's taken me a long time to find a great manager. Part of it is me not being very easily manageable and it's collaboration. It's like, Vanessa, what are you doing? Or Dave Friedman, my producer, he's like, so what's going on? Where are the new songs? I have so many wonderful people behind me that are like, what are you doing? What's going on? I'm like, I don't know. And then I'll put together a little idea and said it, and then it sparks the next thing, and it's like, you know, it's a group effort, I think, for me, because I'm a. I'm technically a solo artist, but, oh, my God, there's so many people with me that are helping me all the time, you know.

[Bobby Bones]

Final question. What question do people ask you the most? Because I probably didn't ask it, and people are gonna be like, you didn't ask. Whatever. What's the number one question you get asked in interviews?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Oh, it's just. No, the number one question that everybody asks, because they are. They don't care, is how would you describe your. It's always, you know what it is. It's like, how is this record different from the. What. How would you describe your record? What is this? What does it mean? I'm like, I don't know. It's. It. Those are the questions that kill me, because I'm like, I know why you're asking this, because I feel like a lot of the art of the interview and the art of journalism is like, I don't know. It's not really. It's rare to find people that really care, you know? Did that answer the question? That was a little curmudgeony, but I just get annoyed. I'm like, I don't know. It's so easy for me to just be like, I have no idea what it means. It's just. It's happening. This is happening. And I'll ask me in five years. I'll know in five years.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I was just like, is there more scent on there? That was.

[Vanessa Carlton]

I like that.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Because I was. That's specific. And you were correct.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, that was my first thought. It was like, oh, this is very. Cynthia. I like it. I like that. You know, like, how it made me feel. Right.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Cool.

[Bobby Bones]

So I was like, I'm gonna ask if that was, like, purposeful. Like, was it a through line or was it. I don't know.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Well, just to add to that, though, I feel like people going back to attention span. Like, I don't even think people really take the time to listen. You don't have to listen then we don't have to do the interview. Like, you know what I mean?

[Bobby Bones]

I did listen, though.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You did listen. Bobby's cool.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm a fan. I listened to it. And then I. But I was also on the radio when you were on the radio. So we have that, like. It just feels like a time, like, when I was just, like, struggling when you.

[Vanessa Carlton]

The early 2000s.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Rough times, struggling, but also the best times of my life at the same time. Because the only thing I had was doors wide open. You just gotta run through them.

[Vanessa Carlton]

They made you. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And so, yeah, that's my relationship with Pong. Just a day. Just.

[Vanessa Carlton]

See, that's the waltz. That's so. That song, really quickly, that was one of the first songs I ever wrote. It was a waltz, because I love waltzes because I was a dancer and Ahmet Erdogan. So I made a little cassette tape of, like, four songs. When I first started writing music, when I was still at ballet school, and my dad, who's a pilot, was flying a client, this very wealthy Italian man with a castle. That's all I knew, because he's a private. He's a private pilot. So he flies, like, wealthy clients that are chartering jets. And he gave this guy my demo, the castle guy. He gave the castle guy, the castle. The Italian man with the castle, my demo. And the guy, his name is Emilio Gioia. His name is Emilio Joya. He not only listened to my little dinky demo, but when Ordinary Day was on it, but he gave it to his friend, who happened to be Amma Erdogan, who is, for those that don't know, he's the founder of Atlantic Records, signed Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and Ahmed listened to it. And I'm still. I think I'm, like, 17 at this point. And I come up from ballet class one day, and I have a message on the message board, and it says, omad called. And I called, and I have no idea who that is. I call the number, and it's Atlantic Records receptionist. That was the beginning of my career.

[Bobby Bones]

Your dad gave a tape to an Italian dude with a castle?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Correct.

[Bobby Bones]

And that's how your career started?

[Vanessa Carlton]

Yes. I would draw it back to that moment, because then Ahmet started coming to my shows. My shows. I don't know what I'm doing. Like, you're figuring out how to even perform. Like, what do I say in between? You know? And he was dressed to the nines. Oh, my God. This guy was like. Is amazing. He would come, two beautiful, gorgeous women on either arm to the bitter end, you know, and people would start, like, there was, like, what they call it, the buzz. This is the 1900s, remember 1990s. This is the. So there was just, like, A buzz which is called, like, word of mouth, talking to each other, calling, I guess. And people would come to my shows, like people in the industry. I'm like, what? You know, because Amit was going, you know, he was like.

[Bobby Bones]

He was an influencer for the day. The tastemaker. He was the early influencer.

[Vanessa Carlton]

And I didn't end up signing with Atlantic, but because they never offered, in the end, he. At that point, I think he was like more of a figurehead. It was like, in a way, he was so cool. He was just such a music lover too, like. But I don't think at that point he was like, signing people, I don't know. But I didn't end up signing with Lanik, but it didn't matter what songs

[Bobby Bones]

were on that tape.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Ordinary Day, a song called Little Mary, a song called Devil's Dance, and a song called Twilight.

[Bobby Bones]

That's wild. I didn't know you were an ordinary day. Way, way early. I just know I like it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Comet liked it.

[Bobby Bones]

Could use more synth. Other than that, it could.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It has zero synth.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. I hope Vails does everything that you want it to do for you.

[Vanessa Carlton]

You're so sweet.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you. I really appreciate you coming. I'm a big fan, so I really appreciate you coming in. And I hope since this is your last podcast ever, I hope that you're really. Your cup is full from it.

[Vanessa Carlton]

It's full. Thank you, Bobby.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Thanks for Vanessa.

[Vanessa Carlton]

Thank you. Let's go look at that javelina.

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[Vanessa Carlton]

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[Guest or Additional Speaker]

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[Vanessa Carlton]

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