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Meghan Trainor
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Meghan Trainor
Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Oh no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Anyways, get a'@libertymutual.com or with your local agent.
Meghan Trainor
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Meghan Trainor
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Meghan Trainor
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Meghan Trainor
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Bobby Bones
Hey everybody. Welcome to episode 610 of the Bobbycast. On this one we will talk in depth with Meghan Trainor, who has a really interesting story of moving to Nashville to be a songwriter. All about that bass hits. She's written multiple number ones for country artists while she's had number ones in the pop world. She just released an album called Toy With Me, so make sure you go check that out. Big thanks to Megan for coming on. So here she is, Meghan Trainor. Meghan Good to see you.
Meghan Trainor
Hi. Good to see you. Thanks for having me.
Bobby Bones
Did you ever do or try out for any of those idol the voice type shows back in your early.
Meghan Trainor
I was scared. My publisher, Carla Wallace, who back in the day who was in Nashville, she would always tell me, like, you should be on the Voice, and I'm like, I. I'm not. I don't have that voice. Like, I have, like, a pretty voice, but I'm a studio rat. Like, I can take. I can re Sing it and edit it and make it sound perfect. I'm not like Whitney that wants to sing or Ariana Grande who can sing in the bathroom and just belt like a whole huge hit song. So, I mean, that's what I feel like I can't do. So performing for me was always way too scary. And I was like that. I'm just. I'd rather write a song.
Bobby Bones
Was it not about performing for you way early on? I mean, did you want to be a songwriter more than on a stage?
Meghan Trainor
I think I was so insecure and so hard on myself that I didn't picture myself on stage, like, singing and dancing and having fun and people singing my songs with me. But I would always perform growing up. Like, I would perform my songs on my ukulele or I'd hide behind a guitar or piano. And then with all about that bass. That was the first time I had to sing and dance and do everything. And it was like such a. This feeling to me, like such a weird new experience. But I, like, love dancing. But I never took a dance lesson in my life. So I learned. I learned what I could do and just kept proving myself wrong. I was like, oh, my God, I'm kind of badass. And was like, let's keep going. And I recently shot a music video for a new song called Shimmer. That's very heavy dance. And I trained for, like, weeks because I knew I was like, I am not a trained dancer from birth. I'm going to have. And I want this to be a really dance heavy video. And so I trained for weeks to, like, nail it.
Bobby Bones
How did you feel watching yourself back on camera once you finished the video or you were like watching takes of it? Did you like watching yourself dance for
Meghan Trainor
all by the base back then? Yeah.
Bobby Bones
No, no, no. The new one that you've.
Meghan Trainor
The new one. Oh, I'm hyped. I'm so excited. I cannot wait for everyone to see it. It's coming out with the April 24th toy with me. But this song is called Shimmer and She's. She's a bibbidi bop. She's upbeat. She's kind of like, me too. My song, if I was you, I wanna baby too. It's like her cool older sister. And I'm so proud. It's my favorite music video I've ever done in my entire career.
Bobby Bones
Do you. Will you watch performances back to game tape yourself to see how you did?
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, sometimes. Or I don't. I. I was just talking to an actress about this because a lot of actresses, like, I don't watch my TV show. I'm in. And I was like, I could listen to my songs all day long. That's fine when my kids play it. And I could watch my music videos because I edit them and they're what I picked and they're perfect in that way. But like a random TV performance, I'm like, I'm not popping that on for fun, you know, I'm not like, oh, let's get into it. Because you don't have any control really over those. And, like the edit. And so those scare me a lot. Like, I have to go perform the song Shimmer on a TV show coming up, and I'm terrified.
Bobby Bones
Where did you grow up?
Meghan Trainor
Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.
Bobby Bones
And you moved to Nashville from. From home?
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, I grew. All my friends were in college at that point, and I was at home traveling to LA and Nashville to do songwriting weeks, like, one week at a time. And I was just like, man, I'm the farthest thing away from California. Like, I'm on Nantucket. I had to take, like a boat and then a plane and then another plane. Like, I was like, can we just move a little closer? And my parents were like, absolutely not. You're not living in California at 18 years old. But they agreed to Nashville because my publishers were there. They were like family to us. So they took care of me and I got my own apartment and was like a big girl. And then while I was there on under a year, I remember it was like exactly a year to my move in date. We were moving out of there to go to California because I All about that bass was like, already becoming a hit. And I was like 19 when they released it.
Bobby Bones
You. Did you write that song here in Nashville?
Meghan Trainor
I wrote it in Nashville with Kevin Kadish, 45 minutes away from my little Bell Bellevue apartment. And I remember, like being like, why is this studio so far away? And I was such a fan of Kevin Kadish because he wrote Stacy Orico big hits and Jason Mraz big hits and I was like, this is sick. Like, I'm with a big songwriter, and he was awesome. And we just met, and we bonded over, like, being chubby as kids and being insecure. And I was like, I wish they played, like, doo wop stuff on radio, and I wish they played this music. And he was like, oh, I love that music. And then we wrote all about that bass in, like, under an hour. And then I remember leaving being like, do you like it? And he was like, I like it. You like you? And I was like, yeah, I think so. But we kind of. I thought, like, well, no one's gonna cut this because no one looks or sounds like this, and it's very specific. So I. I thought, like, I failed as a songwriter lyrically. I was like. It was all, like a Vichy pop on the radio at the time. So that's why I went, sorry. And he was like, no, I love it. It's great. I was like, okay. And then, like, nine months later, of pitching the song, everyone being like, we love it, but we don't have an artist that could sing this L A Rita. Epic Records was like, well, who wrote it? Just go find her. And then they started hunting me down, and they found me.
Bobby Bones
You pitched out for nine months before you cut it yourself?
Meghan Trainor
Yeah. It was a long time of having that song on there.
Bobby Bones
Any holds from anybody or any, like, possible holds?
Meghan Trainor
I don't think so. But I remember my Carla was always, like, a believer and would shoot for the stars, and someone was like, we're gonna send this to Adele's team. And I was like, I doubt Adele was saying this, but it's sure awesome. I can't wait. Yeah, but there's no way she ever heard it.
Bobby Bones
When you were living in Nashville, were you doing any sort of songwriter rounds? And did you ever consider. I'll just. I'll just write for country music.
Meghan Trainor
Was that ever a thing in Nashville? It felt like you had to do songwriting rounds, like, just to get your name and songwriting skills out there. So luckily, I could perform with my ukulele or guitar, and I would do it. But I remember hating it because I was the youngest, and I. Everyone was so talented, and I would always be, like, the last to go. And I was like, well. And mine would kind of be, like, half a comedy set of me, just, like, being like, okay, guys. Well, I hate following them. This sucks. And I'm 19 years old, and here we go. I just moved here, and I hope you like it. And the crowd was always so nice, and they were always like, They're. They're. They're really kind to me. All the other songwriters being like, it sucks how good you are at 19. Like, you're annoying. And I was like, thanks, guys. But I was so scared, so terrified. Because it's like at restaurants where people are eating and talking, and you're like, here's my life passion.
Bobby Bones
Is that a thing? When you moved to Nashville, was it for you? Whenever you look around and everybody's so good here, like, you can go anywhere and everybody is so good. There are people that haven't made it and that are older now that are still so good, and you wonder, how do they not make it? Is that intimidating when you move here as a kid?
Meghan Trainor
Yeah. I was so lucky that I was with Carla Wallace and Big Yellow Dog. Cause they had Josh Keir, and he was so nice to me that he was willing to talk to me. I was like the new baby on. On the team. And it's like those houses, you know, like, the publishing companies are like a big house. And so you're just looking in the bedrooms and you're like, hey, guys. And they're all writing songs. But any chance I would get to talk to him? I was like, hey, Josh. Oh, my God. So what's it like when another artist sings your song? Like, do they ruin it? And he's like, sometimes. And I was like, no. He's like. Then I was like, okay, do they change lyrics on you? And he was like, sometimes. And I was like, oh, my God. And then he always told me, like, it only takes one, and you never know which one it's going to be. I was like, really? That sucks. That's crazy. And then, like, I never even thought all about that bass was going to be heard. I thought that was, like, my weakest song I had compared to all my other pop songs. I was like, even my family was like, they like the bass one.
Bobby Bones
I was like, how did that grow? Because it was. I mean, it was viral before things actually went viral. Am I remembering that correct?
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, it was weird. It was a weird, just, like, lightning strike moment that I think Facebook helped a lot because people were sharing the video going, you gotta see this. And I think it was, like, bold and so different than what was on the radio at the time. It was a lot of, like, EDM pop songs, which I loved. So I was like, this will never work. But the music video was so different. I remember they were like, we want big pastel colors because that's what's in right now. And I was like, I wear black. Like, I don't understand any of this. And the video just got tossed around. And then I remember Justin Bieber did, like, a random remix of it on YouTube. And I called my brother and I was like, all right, you have to drop out of college now. Like, this is it. I'm successful. It's gonna happen. We're gonna have to live in LA together. He was like, all right, meet you there.
Bobby Bones
What's the difference in the music culture going from Nashville, where it's everywhere, to Los Angeles?
Meghan Trainor
I used to ask everyone, like, do you love living in Nashville? Do you love living in la? And I remember everyone in LA loved it. Everyone in Nashville was like, you know, it's a small town, people everywhere, Everyone knows everyone. And the weather's tough because it's very bipolar. It switches up all the time and.
Avery Anna
And.
Meghan Trainor
But everyone in la, like, was like, I love la. And I was like, really? And I love California because the weather and it's great, but I don't go out much. And I. The songwriting scene, my only complaint is that they want to start so late, and I. I want to start at 10am And Nashville was better at that, where they would. They would go home to their families. You know, we'd be like, let's wrap up at dinner time. Let's go home. Yeah.
Bobby Bones
A lot of 9am to 3pm, 4pm in Nashville.
Meghan Trainor
That's what it should be. But a lot of people in LA don't want to wake up because they don't have kids like me. And I'm like, I've been up for five hours, so if you could just hit me, hop over here, we could get into it. Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Are there. Because I guess if you're a new artist and you're living in Los Angeles, it's got to be so different than a new artist living in Nashville, where there are all these places here where, if you're new, you can go get yourself on a list, you can go watch the Bluebird, you can. You can learn and find your people. In la, it feels like that would be a little different.
Meghan Trainor
I did the Bluebird. That was terrifying. I was so scared. And, yeah, in la, there's not a lot of places where I was sent to to go perform, but I was lucky enough where my song went first, so I had to catch up to my song. And I, like, a lot of people, knew all about the bass, but they didn't know Megan Trainer. They didn't know me at all. Even when I would literally sing it on stage, they would I would come off, and they go, you sing that song. And I was like. Then I was the bass girl for, like, six years, and then just, oh, that's the bass girl. And I was like, okay. And now, 10 years later, I'm. Are you Meghan Trainor? And I'm like, oh, yeah, you know my name.
Bobby Bones
You. You played the Bluebird. Tell me about that.
Meghan Trainor
So scary. Carla Wallace got me in. That was my. I was like, I'll do that. I won't do the voice, but I'll do the Bluebird. Because I know Taylor Swift was there, and it helped her, and I did it, and I was so scared. I think there's nothing worse as a performer for me than a small, tight, tiny room. And what a tight, tiny room that is, where you can, like, see people breathing and drinking and you're in their face and you're like, here's my soul. But I. I got through my performance. It's just me and a guitar, nobody else. And you're just so scared. But my mom said I nailed it. And I. I didn't, like, get anything out of it. Like, nobody was like, I want to sign her after that. But I got, like, the street cred. Or I got the cool points of like. I've performed at the Bluebird, too. I know what everyone's talking about.
Bobby Bones
Did you do the stage or the round and inside the circle the.
Meghan Trainor
This. I don't know. I was in a tiny little room, and it was like, one songwriter at a time, so I didn't have to wait for other people to sing in a row, but they would come up and sit. And then I went up and I
Bobby Bones
sat still on the stage. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is. I think people are surprised sometimes when they come to the Bluebird because it. It is famous, but it's tiny.
Meghan Trainor
Teeny tiny.
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
Meghan Trainor
It's like. It's like singing for your classmates, which is also my number one fear. I. And for an English project, they were like, let's write a poem. And I said, I'm gonna do one better. I'm gonna write you a song. Immediately regretted it. I got in there with my guitar and was like, oh, God. Started panicking because it's all my high school mean friends. And then my throat and my chest got really red. And one boy, after I sang, I was like, did it. He was like, why is your neck so red? And I was like, oh, my God. And I got a plus. But I was like, I'll forever hate singing for high schoolers.
Bobby Bones
How long ago did you Start on
Meghan Trainor
this record, this new one. My new album.
Bobby Bones
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Meghan Trainor
Oh, like, God, right after tour. So, like, almost two years ago now.
Tucker Wetmore
And what.
Bobby Bones
What's. What's the starting point with this last one? Did you find a song or, like, what was. Okay, I think we're starting on the new record.
Meghan Trainor
I'm always, like, onto the next. I think Capricorn just, like, keep it going. The Hustler just, like, can't stop working. It's a problem. I need to take a break. And my team's very supportive. They're like, yeah, we'd love another album. I. I signed a new deal with Epic, so I have three more albums with them. So that, like, inspired me. And then we just kept saying after tour, like, let's get the band back together. Like, I miss me performing with a band. So then I try to write all these songs with, like, real instruments. And I was also doing a Christmas orchestral album that. That'll come out later. And so I was inspired by that. But doing two albums at one time was a mind mess up. That was really hard. But so I started writing these songs, and then I realized I was doing a lot of private gigs at the same time too. And when I would perform on my hits, they're all over the place. They're like, dear future Husband do up to, like, I'm gonna lose you on the piano to no and me too, which are, like, pure pop, like, in sync pop, you know? And so I was like, these two girls are alone. So while writing the album, I was like, we gotta write them some friends. So that when I do these sets, there's more of, like, this makes sense. I think all my songs are all over the place, sonically, and different genres, which is fun, but it's hard to, like, pick an outfit for that. And it's hard to make a stat list where they make sense. So I also took all my hit songs and tried to write them a sister. On this entire album with all about
Bobby Bones
that bass, do you ever sing it differently to match the other music?
Meghan Trainor
No. All about that bass. I always keep og. I've added, like, a beautiful Disney intro sometimes to hype it up and be like, do you remember 10 years ago I released my first song? And then the crowd starts to hype up, and then I'm like, you weren't even born. And neither were you. Because I could tell they're like, eight.
Steven Wilson Jr.
Let's take a quick pause for a
Bobby Bones
message from our sponsor.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
And, Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help Someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Meghan Trainor
Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Anyways, get a'@libertymutual.com or with your local agent.
Meghan Trainor
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, Nick?
Steven Wilson Jr.
Huge news.
Bobby Bones
We created our own podcast called hey Jonas.
Meghan Trainor
We invented a podcast.
Steven Wilson Jr.
Well, we didn't invent it.
Bobby Bones
We. We just contributed to it. First people to do podcasts. Pretty. Yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts.
Avery Anna
Starting a trend.
Bobby Bones
But this one's extra special.
Meghan Trainor
So how did we. How did we actually come up with
Steven Wilson Jr.
the name hey Jonas? Guys, I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call
Meghan Trainor
about what we should call it and, well, we were thinking.
Steven Wilson Jr.
I'm originally calling it one of the
Bobby Bones
early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.
Steven Wilson Jr.
This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes, I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing a
Bobby Bones
bit for the podcast. People could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my
Steven Wilson Jr.
little notepad, hey Jonas.
Meghan Trainor
And offered it up as a potential
Bobby Bones
title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that.
Steven Wilson Jr.
Guys, listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
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Bobby Bones
instructions so you don't have to worry about surprises.
Avery Anna
I asked our host a question about
Meghan Trainor
the last night and he got back to me super quick.
Bobby Bones
See, that's the premier host move right there.
Meghan Trainor
Wish I had a premier group chat.
Avery Anna
I asked them where we should have
Meghan Trainor
dinner last night and they left me on red. I know you saw it. It says it.
Bobby Bones
Classic group chat move. Don't walk into a surprise book a top rated verbo. Stay with a premier host if you know you verbo.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Meghan Trainor
Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human? Him To a bird.
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Anyways, Get a quote@libertymutual.com or with your local agent.
Meghan Trainor
Liberty, Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
Bobby Bones
And we're back on the Bobby cast. What do you think about when you go to a concert and your favorite artist changes the melody of your favorite song?
Meghan Trainor
I get it. Set. You could change it a little. You can change it. I understand. If you change it because it's hard to sing. Like, how Adele sometimes will do it. And Harry Styles does that all the time, too. Of, like, that's impossible to sing every night. Let me change the melody so it's easier and more realistic. I've done that a bunch. But don't change it to be interesting. I don't know. I want to. I, like, I studied this in the car. I don't want to pull up and here's something new. It's hard. It's very back and forth, and it's all everyone's opinion. So you can't please everyone.
Bobby Bones
I have some friends that have been playing their hits for, like, 20 or 30 years, and they just wipe them out of their set list or they just get bored, and that's why they do it differently. And, like, I get it, but it's
Meghan Trainor
like Garth Brooks 10 years deep.
Bobby Bones
Well, he. He won't even play new songs. He just play. He's like, look, I. I play for the fans. So if he has a new project, he might play one new song, and then he plays all hits for three hours, and he plays them exactly the way that everybody knows. And he's. You know, and he would tell me. Would say, I would rather sometimes play them differently. But it's not about me. It's about everybody that came to a show. Because me, I would. I would get bored and want to change it up a little bit. But hearing him say that, like, I thought that was super cool.
Meghan Trainor
Yeah. Also, we're in. We're living in Groundhog Day, you know, it's like, it's going to be the same lyrics no matter what, till I'm 70. I'm going to be singing, you know, and. And I've come to terms with that, and I'm okay with it. And what gets me going, I think what Garth is explaining is when the crowd is so hyped and so happy that you're still in shock, like, I cannot believe you still know these words. Or like, the new generations come up with you, and, like, they're 6 years old, and you're like, this song came out before you were alive. And they know all the words. It just gives you a whole new energy and a whole new high where you're like, I have to do this for the rest of my life.
Bobby Bones
If you're writing, are you going melody first or lyrics first?
Meghan Trainor
Just generally speaking, it depends on the day. But I always struggled with lyrics, obviously. Like, my. In the beginning, when they were like, your lyrics don't make sense, I was like, I don't read enough books. I hear you. But I. I was always a melody queen. Like, in Nashville, I was the melody girl. And so I know that my weakest link is lyrics. So before my songwriting sessions, I've been going on Pinterest lately. I used to do this with magazines because Esther Dean taught me this amazing songwriter. I go on Pinterest and I type in cute, like, cute, hot girl captions for Instagram or. And, like, they come up with the cutest things. Or, like, I saw Cher's quote where she's like, mom, hey, mama, I am a rich man. And I was like, we need a song called Richmond. And I wrote a whole anthem about it that's like, I don't have any man making me money. I do it myself. And I love getting concepts like that. And I'll make a whole list the night before, and I'll go in with my songwriters and go, I love this concept. What do you think? And usually I had to teach the songwriters not to do this for me, but usually they'll come in and go, they'll just, yes, man, the artist. And they're like, yeah, if you want that on your album, you're probably gonna cut it. That's exactly what we should do today. And I started asking. They're my friends. At this point. I was like, can you not just say yes to all my ideas? Can you push me? Can you say, no, we should talk about this because this is interesting. And no one said this in a while, and then they started doing that.
Bobby Bones
Someone with all the success that you've had, do you ever just pull up Rhyme Zone?
Meghan Trainor
And I write, hell, yeah. What do you mean? I think, yeah, every now and then. Sometimes I really don't need it. But some. Especially if I'm writing for, like, a movie, I've been writing it recently where it's like, I have to write specifically about a Christmas movie or something that's, like, about elves. I'm like, okay, what rhymes with hooves? You know? And I'll just get lost. But if it's like, a pop song that I know the concept. I know what we're talking about I can, like, fly through it. But, yeah, if it's. If it's a tricky one, I'm like, the rhymes on it. I don't understand where we are.
Bobby Bones
What is your hardest song to sing? And you look back and go, man, I wrote that really hard.
Meghan Trainor
Me too. Going, hey, hate it. Every time in the middle of the song, I scream that part. And I. After I'm dancing and singing it, I'm like, well, who did? Hey, yeah. Why am I singing this? Like, my ad libs are the death of me. And in the studio, I'm sitting. I could scream it out. And I go, damn, that sounds good. And then live, I go, I hate myself. I hate that I've done this. I was like, I'm gonna do a lullaby next album. This is crazy.
Bobby Bones
If you're sick, will you change the key of a song night of. If you can't quite get there?
Meghan Trainor
If I'm sick, I don't. But I will go. You're singing tonight. You know, I give it out more. I go, and what? And I. You could tell I'm sick if I got crowd participation throughout the whole song.
Bobby Bones
Do you ever have to go and hop into, like. Or have them bring you an IV or do a shot? Like, right before?
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, I had two IVs the last tour, and I was on steroids, like, the. Because I was so sick. I was on antibiotics and steroids for, like, two weeks straight in the middle of it, just to get by. But I remember my voice was shot, and I took the steroid for my, like, sign. Like, whatever I had. I was so ill because the kids were ill. And I remember the steroids kicked in, and I went, let's do this. And my voice sounded impeccable. And they were like, who's sick? Not you. And I was like, no, it ain't
Bobby Bones
until the next day. If I ever. Oh, my gosh.
Meghan Trainor
I was like, oh.
Bobby Bones
Like, in the middle of it.
Meghan Trainor
Yeah. Oh, I squeaked like a clarinet and been like. And I just go, whoops. And just keep going.
Bobby Bones
Whenever you put out a record, because, again, it's not a song because people can listen to a song in three minutes. But you're going to have this entire record. How. How quickly do you look to see if people like it? Like, what's a good amount? I put out a book. And that's the worst because you got to wait, like, weeks. You got to put. You have to. You got to put out. Wait weeks to even see if it's any good. What about a record?
Meghan Trainor
Man, there's. There's. Songs are like, it. I have no idea if anyone is hearing. I put out two singles so far, and I have no idea if anyone's heard it. And it is. The worst part of all of this is, like, there's no. I told. I keep telling my managers because they're like, why are you going crazy? And I'm like, because there's no. Like, you hand in your report card and you get a grade. There's no, like, you're doing great, sweetie. There's none of that. It's all, like, hope people are hearing it when there's so much chaos going on in the world, and my managers are straight up telling me, like, listen, there's a lot of traffic out there. There's a lot going on. The world's different. We don't know how to promote music anymore. We don't know how to get you heard. And all we can do is try. And so I'm like, well, so I'm just doing tiktoks, hoping people use the sound. Like, that's where I go. I'm like, okay, 10,000 people have heard it because they use the sound, but that's not a lot of people. And then what also helps me, that keeps me going is I'll meet random people, like, outside at the mall or at a store, and they go, oh, my God, my daughter will not stop playing get in, girl. And I go, the new song, really? And they're like, yeah. And I go, I don't know if anyone's heard it. So that's really all. The only information I get on if I'm doing okay or not is strangers being like, my daughter won't leave me alone with this one.
Bobby Bones
Am I crazy? Didn't you write a number one country song?
Meghan Trainor
I did.
Bobby Bones
Is Rascal Flats? Was. It was Shay.
Meghan Trainor
Yeah, Dan. And she wrote. It was Shay. And I said, boy, you sound. We were both in the session, both debating who should sing it. And I was like, bro, let's get a Rascal Platz cut. You sing it, you sound just like them. And he was like, okay, I'll sing it. And I was like, it's nice to have a break, because I was always singing in the sessions. And then I was like, you should be an artist. And he's like, I am. And I was like, oh? He's like, you should be an artist. And I was like, yeah, I want to be, but I don't know. And every session, they would say that to me because I'd be the session Singer and they're like, why aren't you putting this out? And I was like, I don't have, like, a label or any of that stuff.
Bobby Bones
What was the song? Was it. I like the sound. What was the song you actually wrote?
Meghan Trainor
The sound of that. Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Like, that kind of relaunched those guys because they, you know, we got older, had some rough years, and I'm friends with them, so I can say this. That song, that. That song kind of relaunched their career. Were you writing a bunch for other artists in the country space at all, or was that just a write that day?
Meghan Trainor
That was like a write that day. And I think having all about that bass be released and having, like, the hype of all about that bass definitely helped, I think, get me the cut. And because it was, like, such a cute, great song that. And Shea killed the vocal, wrote it with Jesse Shack into. I loved him. He's always supported me for. Since I was, like, 15. But I think the all about that bass being released helped that. I'm guessing, because I remember being, like, going to the publisher. I believe her name was Allison, who hooked this up. And she played me their voice on my song with Carla Wallace while All about that bass was out. And I just like, how are all my dreams coming true right now? At once. I couldn't believe it. Like, I was crying listening. So that. That one was just crazy. Yeah. And Lauren, Elena, that. That same crew, Jesse Shack. And we wrote one for her with her, and she's amazing.
Bobby Bones
Yeah. Which one was that? I don't know.
Meghan Trainor
Take the Road Less Traveled.
Bobby Bones
Wait, you wrote Road Less Traveled?
Meghan Trainor
Well, hell, yeah.
Bobby Bones
My mind is a little bit blown. Cause I knew that you had written with Shay. I mean, I was just with Lauren yesterday because Lauren just had a baby, so her and my wife are they. And so we're like, very baby centric over here. And so Lauren. I was just talking with Lauren. I didn't know you wrote that too. So what? It could have. I don't know how you left, like, with that success, did you think maybe I'd stay in Nashville? I'm crushing it.
Meghan Trainor
I know. I had to. I had no choice. I had to go, like, to Germany and promote all about that bass. Like, I was gone. I was waking up in a different country being like, I don't know the maps, you know, I don't know where I am. And they were like, speak these different languages and say my bass song. And I was like, okay. So I was gone. I was on a rocket ship, and I just had to go. And I Was terrified.
Bobby Bones
Last question. What's the most fun stage of a baby?
Meghan Trainor
I mean, you haven't got smiles yet, right?
Bobby Bones
Nah, just if there's farts, and that's doesn't count.
Meghan Trainor
I'm at two months, and she just started smiling. And it starts at the side. It's like. And it's the. It's like it takes over your whole body. That'll be your first joy in life with your baby. When they look at you, they recognize you and go, ah. And give you the best smile ever. So that's fantastic. But when they're, like, sitting up, too, oh, my God. You could play together, because for a while, they're just helpless bobbleheads, you know? And you're like, oh, my God.
Bobby Bones
Megan, thank you. Rooting for you. Hope. Hope everything's awesome, and hopefully I'll see you soon.
Meghan Trainor
Thank you so much. You're the best.
Bobby Bones
The Bobby cast. We'll be right back. This is the Bobbycast. All right, that was great from Meghan Trainor. I also wanted to take a couple minutes because the ACMs are coming up. And so I'm going to play a clip from each of the winners so far. This is ACM new Male Artist of the year, Tucker Wetmore. And it was really cool to see Tucker win this award. In this clip, you'll hear Tucker and I talking about his family background, where his love for music came from, and if his mom supported his music career, which, by the way, she's the one that also surprised him with the ACM Award. I believe it was in London. So that was way after we did this. But here you go a little bit with Tucker Wetmore. What are the Wetmores known for?
Tucker Wetmore
Oh, gosh, that's a great question.
Bobby Bones
Take your time. I struggle with Thanksgiving. Yeah, I asked you a really hard one.
Tucker Wetmore
That's a great question. I mean, it's going to sound cliche of just being kind, I guess. My family's great. My mom's an angel. My grandma's known by everybody in the county. I don't know, just living life day by day like everybody else is, what we're known for.
Bobby Bones
What's your mom like?
Tucker Wetmore
She's one of those people. I feel like the good Lord has filled her cup with so much love that she doesn't have any choice but to, like, spill it onto others. That's the kind of person she is, you know, always thinking about other people. Very selfless. My number one fan. Always, always in my corner.
Bobby Bones
Was she super supportive of you when you wanted to Start doing music?
Tucker Wetmore
Yeah. She was the one that was like, absolutely, Go do it.
Bobby Bones
Did you go to her with the, hey, I'm thinking about doing this, or what do you think about me doing this? I'm gonna do this in front of you. Like, how did that go?
Tucker Wetmore
Yeah, so it was. It was after I dropped out of college. I was playing football in Montana and ended up getting injured, like we just talked about. And then I moved back home and then started playing music again, because I started playing music when I was, like, 10 or 11 years old. I started on piano, guitar, trumpet. Then I started writing a bunch after. After college. And then I remember sitting her down on a couch, like we're sitting right now, and I was like, mom, I think I want to do this music thing. And she goes, I've been waiting for you to have this conversation with me, because, you know, even back in the day, she would always push me, like, hey, you. You kind of got something, so. So you should pursue that. I'm like, but football, you know, I want to play ball. And then it was kind of like a sire of relief for her, I feel like, because she wanted. She wanted me to do that. And, you know, she saw something in me that I didn't really see at the time, and she was very supportive. Helped. Helped me drive down from Washington. It took us like, three or four days, and I'd. I had Covid, actually, during that whole trip. So she did most of the driving. I think I did probably four hours of driving total. But she. She helped me move and then, you know, paid some bills when I first moved to town because I had no money. Just a handful of songs and a dream.
Bobby Bones
Did she do music? She wasn't musical at all.
Tucker Wetmore
Nope.
Bobby Bones
Then how were you playing instruments?
Tucker Wetmore
Like, I have no idea. I. I guess. Okay. So I grew up in the church. My grandpa was a pastor, and, you know, being around the church my entire life, literally every single day being in the church. And my grandma would. Would sing the hymns. And I grew up in a Samoan family, so they're very. I don't know if you ever hung out with, like, a group of Samoans.
Bobby Bones
I. I never have.
Tucker Wetmore
It's. It's a. It's a bucket list item.
Bobby Bones
I usually hang out one at a time with Samoans. Never done. I've never done a group.
Tucker Wetmore
Yeah, it's. It's a. It's a fun time.
Bobby Bones
Are you Samoan Apart? Simone, like, in your heart, though, like, when you look in the mirror, do you see a Samoan guy?
Tucker Wetmore
I'm I'm definitely a mutt in a lot of ways. I don't.
Meghan Trainor
I don't know.
Tucker Wetmore
I mean, I grew up around the Samoan culture my whole life, especially, like, in the summertime always, you know, doing cookouts and listening to reggae and, you know, all my aunties and uncles and, you know, it's a huge family type thing. And. But yeah, to answer your question, I mean, Simone's a very musical people and very loving people and giving people, and, you know, I just grew up around that. And it was. It was kind of one of those. Were like. And I've said this before, but we'll be sitting in the. In the living room after Sunday church. We just had early dinner and watching football, and somebody would start singing Amazing Grace. And then the next thing you know, the whole family's just harmonizing Amazing Grace in the living room. Coming kind of thing. So I. I definitely grew up around that, and I think that's my. That might be where it kind of stems from, but I definitely found my own love for music.
Bobby Bones
Next up is the 2026 ACM new female artist of the Year, Avery Anna. Now, I'm a massive fan of Avery and her music, and I think I first saw her, though, on TikTok months ago doing an Ozzy Osbourne cover. And we talked about it in the long form of this, which you can watch on Netflix or go back and listen to the whole podcast. But just a big fan. You know, her origin story is crazy because she started her career and moved to Nashville at such a young age. Like, 17, I think 16. 17, and blew up overnight. So here's Avery and I talking about her move to Nashville and the pros and definitely the cons of going viral. You just knew you wanted to move to Nashville.
Avery Anna
No, I didn't. I didn't even know this was a possibility for me. I didn't think I was that good. I always loved music, and it was. Music was more of, like, breathing, like I said. For me, it was a very private thing, unless I was singing in church. And when I went viral for singing in the bathtub during COVID And then I got in contact with my managers, and I signed a record deal, and I moved, like, after I signed a record deal.
Bobby Bones
Wait, in that order?
Avery Anna
In that order. And within the span of six months, I got in contact with my managers October of 2020, and then we, like, started releasing some music. And then I had, like, every. Now, in hindsight, I had, like, every label in town wanting to meet with me, and I met with Like, I think we did like 13 Zoom meetings and then I signed with Warner.
Bobby Bones
How do you pick a label when you're only meeting with them over Zoom?
Avery Anna
I don't know. I don't know. I just, I. I'm a very spiritual person, very, like, intuitive. Like, I trust my gut most of the time. And I just felt really good about Warner and they just felt very endearing and like they actually cared about what I had to say, not just kind of like wanting to sign a viral sensation and let it be what it is. It felt like genuine. So I signed and then I moved and I didn't even know, like, I knew about the Grand Ole Opry, but I didn't really know that Nashville was like, the place you go to become, you know, a country music star. I guess I should have known that, but I just didn't really, like, put the pieces together in my head. I didn't even know what I wanted to do with my life. And then I was just like, this feels right. And I moved and I lived in the house by myself for, like, while I was finishing school at 17. At 17?
Bobby Bones
Were you emancipated?
Avery Anna
No. No. My parents are very supportive of me. I just have three other siblings. They had lives to do and work to do and I. I'm self sufficient. I was just like, I just, I'm very indecisive. Like I said, I brought two records, but that was the only decision in my life that I've ever been like, this is the right thing to do and I know it. And I remember telling my mom that, and everyone in my family, like my extended family and our friends and everyone in my town thought that I was crazy and that my parents were crazy for letting me do that. But I think both of my parents and myself just felt a lot of peace, that it was like the right thing.
Bobby Bones
I don't know what is Nashville like? When you move here and start to see other people who are doing what you're trying to do, it's really cool.
Avery Anna
You would think that it's intimidating and it is at times, but I just feel like the little girl inside of me that wanted to talk to everyone about Patsy Cline, that no one really cared because everyone called me Grandma. Growing up, I just loved the classic country, but everyone here has their own, you know, music taste and everyone's really passionate about it and there's so much talent. It was just really, like, creatively, I was like, very, very stimulated and it was. I was just starry eyed at it. I'd Never even been to this side of the country, so I didn't know that there this many trees here. And I remember I was like driving down the road and I was like, one of these days I'm going to plow down one of these mailboxes and trash cans because the roads are so narrow too. Just a lot of things that I. It was a very big culture shock for me going from Arizona to, like, Tennessee.
Bobby Bones
What do you do at 18, 19 years old here when you're living by yourself, when you make friends, right? Do you go to songwriter rounds? Like, how do you make your circle?
Avery Anna
I. I met a lot of my friends at church, but it was really hard for me because I wasn't going to school or anything. So it wasn't like I had, like, people my age to socialize with. I was really just writing all the time with people that were, you know, late 20s, 30s, 40s. So all my friends were way older than me because I consider like the people that I write with my friends and like my brothers too. So I remember I. My first co write was with Ben Williams and Andy Sheridan, and they're still like my big brothers to this day. So that was really cool. And yeah, I met people at church and I, like, went to the grocery store and didn't know what to buy. And I was like, bought avocado and some apples and beef. I still don't really know how to cook because I'm touring now and I don't really need to, but. Yeah.
Bobby Bones
What's it like to go viral?
Avery Anna
Looks fabulous. I'm sure you totally understand, but looks fabulous when you're on the other side of the screen and when you're looking at all the millions of views and likes and it's really cool because it gave me my career, really did. So I'm really grateful for what it is. But the adrenaline dump after going viral is a big thing too. That was challenging that I wasn't anticipating.
Bobby Bones
What do you mean by that?
Avery Anna
It's interesting to go from music being something that you do for fun to all of a sudden it's your livelihood. And when you go viral, it's instant gratification. It's very stimulating. You are kind of on like a cloud nine. And then if your next video only gets a thousand views rather than 2 million views, it's like, oh, if this gave me my success, could it also take it away? And that. That thought was something that I struggled with a lot in the beginning. And I. I was very conscious of what I was posting and, And Trying to, you know, still be as good as I was when I was mega viral. And I don't know, you kind of just learn the longer that you do it, that it's just. It all comes in waves. And what's genuine and authentic will always work for you. And if you're trying to be something else, if you're trying to be viral, if you're trying to be, you know, commercial, if you're not, if you're trying to be artsy, if you're not, it's just not gonna work. You just have to really go with your gut and say what you want to say and not just say something to say something. You know what I mean?
Bobby Bones
Yeah. Not just add to your feed because you feel like you need to add to your feed.
Avery Anna
Right. Not just. I think that's a very. It works for a lot of people, and a lot of people have found success that way from being consistently posting every single day, like three videos a day. And. And I had a lot of pressure to do that very early on. And it just. It's just not right. And it's not natural for people to like, surely no one has something to say three times a day.
Bobby Bones
No, I don't. And I have to talk for six hours a day.
Avery Anna
And I feel very. It sucked the creativity out of me until I realized how to set boundaries with it.
Bobby Bones
The Bobby cast will be right back. And we're back on the Bobbycast. Now let's get over to Steven Wilson Jr. Who already won his first ACM this year, taking home the Visual Media of the Year award for his music video for his song Cuckoo. Stephen has a very interesting origin story because he was a scientist who dropped his career to chase his dream of being a musician. I'm a big fan of this guy. And I asked him if he had any idea what he wanted to do for a career when he was finishing college.
Steven Wilson Jr.
I didn't know exactly when I graduated with my degree in micro and chemistry, I was going to honestly go get my medical doctorate or a PhD. That was my first, first, my next step. Because in, you know, the applied sciences without a PhD, it's going to be tough. That was my plan. And I ended up starting this indie rock band the last semester of my senior year of college. And what was the name of the band? Auto Vaughn.
Bobby Bones
Okay.
Steven Wilson Jr.
And I was a lead guitar player, played this green Stratocaster that I still have the today, and it's a Jeff Beck Strat. And. And we just started playing because I was playing music. I was Playing in jazz bands in university and I was a self taught guitar player, but I was a serious jazz nerd and rock and roll nerd and people would hear me playing in dorms and stuff. And when I moved to Nashville, I met some friends that I knew from the previous college that I went to and they asked if I'd want to just play in this band. And I was like, sure. I had nothing better to do outside of my degree. And I was almost finished. And anyway, we started playing shows and before we knew it we had like a manager and we made a record and before, you know, we were on tour with these bands. So I went and played in indie rock bands right after I graduated from college. Not really planning to do that. They just. This opportunity just kind of came up and I couldn't really say no to it. It was such a, a cool experience to have. But I, I learned, you know, how to handle a crowd and I learned how to sing because I became a background vocalist in that band and I was writing or co writing the songs with the lead singer. And that's where I really, for the first time saw a song that I'd written or co written and I'd see people like react to it or start singing it and I was like, whoa, that's a, that's a new experience. And so I really became enamored with that, you know, because I was super into poetry and songwriting. I was kind of like a secret songwriter, you know, outside of my science stuff, it was my own little secret. But I wasn't singing them or anything. I was just writing these poems and stanzas. I had books of them and my mama did that. I used to find her like writing poems on junk mail and throwing them away. And I just picked that up and that. I channeled that into that band and then kind of saw those poems come to life in that band. And I was like, this is a really special thing, you know, like music and being a creator of it. I'm not sure if this is, is this my career path. I don't know.
Bobby Bones
You have a job at this point, like 9 to 5.
Steven Wilson Jr.
I was working as a contracted scientist.
Bobby Bones
So you were doing that while you were touring? How did you. I feel like if you're, you're a scientist, you're kind of stationary.
Steven Wilson Jr.
Yeah, I was working contract to contract. So I'd work at one lab and I work at another lab for a week and I kind of work around our touring schedule. And there's this company in town that is a staffing agency. For scientists like chemists, microbiologists and engineers. Think of it like a staffing agency for anything, but specialized for the applied sciences. So, you know, some businesses and some laboratories would need a scientist, but not permanently. They just need it for like six months on this project or six weeks, or maybe six days. And there's the contracts could be as interesting as you could think of. As long as you could imagine. And you can take them or leave them. And they were hourly and they would get their cut and you get your cut and you could just kind of walk away, go on tour. Maybe another contract would come in. And I kept doing good work and kept doing contracts. And I eventually got one for this company, Mars, the food company. And they kept giving me contract after contract. And one day they just said, hey, we want to stop giving you these contracts and just give you an employment contract and like hire you for real. And they kind of. That was like the first time I'd ever been offered a job like that. And I couldn't. I just married my wife and kid and I had a kid, a stepson through her, and, you know, I was in that indie band still. And so I made a decision to kind of leave the van and trailer life and go into full time science. And that was my life. And I was kind of doing the whole corporate thing and how long? Three and a half, four years. And I had a really great boss because I was writing songs the whole time. I could almost like work in a lab and do my work with one hand and write songs with the other. And I had a great boss that had been there for quite some time. And, you know, he kind of saw myself in him, you know, some years ago. And I think he knew where my heart was. He knew I wasn't supposed to be there. In the weirdest way, I think he, he knew that. And he told me, hey, they're about to put the golden handcuffs on you. That's what he was. A really powerful metaphor. And I'm a word nerd. And he knew that I like words and that he knew that was going to do something to me. And he said, take, you know, do with that what you will, but, you know, you're doing great here, but they're gonna chain you to that desk and your dreams of being a songwriter are gonna die with it. I said that to you? Yeah. And so I said, you know, it's gonna be impossible to blow your world up. Then you're gonna have a better car, better house, maybe your kid in private school, blowing up that world's gonna be very hard if not impossible. I recommend you blow it up now while there's less pieces to pick up. And it's going to be terrible, but I think it's going to be way more terrible if not impossible. And I fear that, you know, your inability to do that later would just be a heartbreaking situation for you. And I just want you to know that's kind of coming down the pike. I see it, like, 10 years down the road for you. Just saying, you know, cheers. Have a good day. I put in my two weeks, six weeks after that conversation, I walked out of there. And, you know, everybody thought I was crazy. Like, what are you gonna do? Like, they all thought I was, like, going to Nestle or something. I was like, nestle, get you. I was like, no, no, no, Nashville did. And they're like, where are you gonna. So you're gonna go write songs for somebody? I was like, no. Like, you got a publishing deal? No. Someone's cutting your songs, right?
Meghan Trainor
No.
Steven Wilson Jr.
Have you ever sang a song before? No.
Bobby Bones
So at this point, you weren't even singing?
Steven Wilson Jr.
No. I'd never sang a song for anybody in my life. And so that was, you know, that was a lot to come to. Come to terms with. But, you know, it was a real leap of faith. You know, I had this. You know, what I call a great pestering with a capital P. I thank you guys.
Bobby Bones
I hope you enjoyed this Bobbycast. We had a few thanks to Meghan Trainor, and congrats to all those guys who already won ACMs this year. So we'll see you guys real soon on another episode of the Bobbycast. Bye, everybody.
Steven Wilson Jr.
Thanks for listening to a Bobbycast production.
Meghan Trainor
This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: Meghan Trainor
Date: May 14, 2026
In this episode of the Bobbycast, Bobby Bones sits down with pop superstar Meghan Trainor for a candid discussion about her unconventional rise from shy songwriter to global hitmaker. Meghan opens up about the doubts she had around releasing “All About That Bass,” her approach to live performance (and how she feels about artists changing hit songs on stage), behind-the-scenes stories on writing No. 1 country songs, and her songwriting techniques, insecurities, and future projects. The episode also dips into segments with ACM winners Tucker Wetmore, Avery Anna, and Steven Wilson Jr. about their musical journeys.
Nashville Beginnings & Songwriting Aspirations
On Performing & Overcoming Stage Fright
Writing “All About That Bass”
Viral Success & Industry Skepticism
Cultural Differences & Workflows
Finding Her Path & Performing at the Bluebird
Creating Her New Album ‘Toy With Me’
Songwriting Technique & Creativity
Inviting Pushback in Collaborations
On Changing Songs' Arrangements for Live Shows (20:06)
On Singing While Sick & Performance Struggles
On her insecurity versus viral impact:
How her music outpaced her personal fame:
On the anxiety of new releases in a crowded world:
The episode is informal, sincere, and often humorous. Meghan is refreshingly honest about insecurity, self-doubt, and the music industry’s quirks. The tone is supportive and friendly, especially in exchanges with Bobby.
This Bobbycast offers a multi-dimensional portrait of Meghan Trainor, revealing a complex, self-aware artist who’s both savvy and still a little surprised by her success. Listeners get rare insight into the songwriting grind, the reality behind viral moments, and the internal (and creative) struggles of one of pop’s biggest stars—plus quick-hit origin stories from three breakout country artists. A must-listen for aspiring musicians and music fans interested in the truth behind the hits.