Podcast Summary: Therapuss with Jake Shane

Episode: Session 90 – Audrey Hobert
Release Date: August 21, 2025

Overview

In this vibrant, deeply personal episode, Jake Shane welcomes singer-songwriter Audrey Hobert, celebrating her debut album, Who’s the Clown (released August 15th). The conversation is a delightful blend of career deep-dives, therapy-adjacent humor, Gen Z nostalgia, pop culture analysis, and honest discussion about feelings, creativity, and relationships. Audrey’s warmth, wit, and openness make for a natural back-and-forth filled with laughs, stories, and genuine connection.

Main Themes & Structure

1. Audrey’s Musical Journey & Debut Album
2. Personal Tales: Childhood, Friendship, and Family
3. Pop Culture Deep Dives (Movies, TV, and Music)
4. Creativity, Confidence, and Internet Culture
5. Audience Q&A (Tell Me What’s Wrong)
6. Authenticity, Relationships, and Self-Worth

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Audrey’s Debut Album: Origins & Insights

00:14–04:52

• Jake’s Praise for the Album:
  “It’s everything you think and don’t say out loud. She, like, wrote it down and sang it in a melodic, catchy pop song, which is my favorite type of music.” – Jake [00:00]
• “Thirst Trap” Video Origins:
  Audrey breaks down how “Thirst Trap” became the lead single (“not my choice, but my label pushed for it”) and how she channeled High School Musical 2's “Bet On It” scene for the music video.
  “Usually Thirst Trap was not my choice for album single, but my label was like, yeah, this is the one.” – Audrey [02:31] “On the line, ‘your face,’ it’s his reflection in the water... I do exactly that.” – Audrey [03:19]
• Audrey’s Attitude Toward Release:
  “I don’t have the thing where I’m nervous. I have nothing to lose. I’m grateful that anyone cares at all. I want the ears of the world.” – Audrey [03:40]

2. The Transition: Screenwriting to Music

04:44–07:36

• Background: Audrey initially pursued screenwriting and theater (NYU, restaurant jobs in LA), and shares a pivotal pandemic era pivot.
  “I was in writer's rooms for TV... The reason I’m pursuing this is because I never got the lead in theater!” – Audrey [04:44–06:48]
• Sibling Dynamics & Drive: Not having the lead roles growing up became a motivator.

3. Growing Up: Teenage Stories, Camp & Wild Nights

07:36–14:19

• Shared Childhood Camp Experiences:
  Fitness by the Sea and Sandy Days were LA day camp rivals. Both hosts bond over camp lore.
  “Fitness by the Sea was the main brand, Sandy Days was off-brand. It’s like Poppy and Ollipop.” – Audrey [09:18]
• First Time Flying First Class:
  “I kept waking up [on the plane] thinking, I want to live here.” – Audrey [11:31]
• Party Misadventures:
  • Audrey recounts her 20th birthday ER blackout (Love is a Wild Thing as the recovery soundtrack) [14:12]
  • “Woke up at 4am, saw Gracie on the phone with my mom, tried to rip out my IV… we went back to my apartment and played Kacey Musgraves.” – Audrey [13:32]

4. Pop Culture Obsessions: Movies, TV, Fandoms

17:53–22:25, 32:16–44:13

• Movie Fandoms & Villainy:
  • Fifty Shades of Grey: “Dakota Johnson is the most sparkling person… the plot is thick.” – Audrey [18:13]
  • Hunger Games & “hot villain” dilemma: “You can’t make villains hot and expect me not to root for them.” – Jake [19:05]
• TV Obsessions:
  • Girls and Glee: Both hosts identify as “Rachel” and “Hannah” (“Everyone in my life says you’re Rachel.” – Audrey [20:54])
  • Severance: Season 1 finale hailed as “the greatest of all time.” – Jake [20:21]
  • Nathan Fielder, How To with John Wilson, Scandal, Greys Anatomy, Shondaland universe discussed with deep affection or guilty pleasure.
• Fanfiction: Writing erotic fanfiction about TV characters (Jake with Fitz from Scandal), and the difficulty writing actual sex scenes.
  “I write all the lead up and then… and then they had sex. I can’t bring myself to write more.” – Audrey [45:10]

5. The Path to Songwriting & Creative Process

25:46–31:05

• Gracie Abrams’ Role: “She is entirely the reason this has all happened… she respected me from the jump… writing with her was so easy.” – Audrey [26:01, 26:56]
• Co-writing vs. Solo Writing: Audrey’s creative process is slow and precise; writing with strangers in quick sessions didn’t resonate. “My songs take a very long time to write… I need time to wonder if a certain line is perfect.” – Audrey [28:42]

6. Authenticity, Confidence & Navigating Online Presence

49:21–56:47

• On Authenticity:
  • Jake: “I was notoriously… my mom would be like, you should probably brush your hair.” [49:21]
  • Audrey: “I always go to CVS looking bad, and I don’t want to have to worry about being presentable.”
• Social Media Philosophy:
  “I literally use [Instagram] as a stream of consciousness… people really resonated with it.” – Jake [55:32]
• Mutual Admiration:
  “Your honesty. You just say what comes to your head. I like talking to you.” – Audrey [52:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Songwriting + Collaboration
  “The nature of songwriting sessions: ‘Ok, Jackson’s got a dinner at 6, so we gotta pump this out…’ That’s just not for me.” – Audrey [28:42]
• On Debut Album:
  “I want the ears of the world. I don’t want any notes, it’s over!” – Audrey [04:03]
• On Stage Fright:
  “If you’ve written songs you’re proud of, know that no one will ever hear them unless you put yourself out there… no one’s going to come knock at your door.” – Audrey [62:19]
• On Friendship (Q&A):
  “If you are always the ear and never the mouth… I don’t know if your friends care about you.” – Audrey [67:05]
• On Confidence & Dating:
  “I want to date the male version of myself.” – Audrey [46:26]

Audience Q&A Highlights (Tell Me What’s Wrong)

[57:43–68:25]

• Cousin Confession Scenario
  Approach with diplomacy, keep it between the two of you, and only escalate if inappropriate advances continue.
  “Don’t make them feel crazy, but know in your head that it's crazy.” – Audrey [59:05]
• Relationship Trauma Reactions
  Might be unresolved trauma or might mean you’re not that into your partner. Suggested: time alone.
  “When you’re with someone for a long time… not getting really irked at small things means you probably aren’t super into them anymore.” – Audrey [59:25]
• Friend’s Toxic Partner
  Set boundaries—say you can’t talk about or see the boyfriend. “Let them [experience it]. If he sucks, she’ll come back.” – Audrey [60:53]
• Getting Started as a Singer With Stage Fright
  “No one is going to come knock at your door… just do it.” [62:19] + the Megan Moroney story (haters in the beginning become congratulators later).
• Hot Former Teacher
  “If you were into it, you wouldn’t have called in… There’s a difference between wanting a story and actually being into it.” – Audrey [64:37]
• Flirting Gone Wrong
  Both hosts admit to being “the worst flirt in America”; advise is confidence and directness: “Are you single?” as a simple opener.
• Advice Giver Fatigue in Friend Groups
  “If you’re always the advice giver, and they never ask about you, you deserve better friends.”

Music Talk – What’s On Repeat?

68:22–70:30

• Both are obsessed with old Selena Gomez, trading favorite tracks: “Who Says,” “Come and Get It,” “Back to You,” and “It Ain’t Me.”
• Audrey listens to her own music often, especially “Sue Me.” Jake: “Dare I say instant classic?”
  Audrey: “Oh, stop.” [68:47]

Closing Moments & Takeaways

70:35–71:20

• Audrey: “I learned I really like you. I can totally do a podcast. And it gets hot in here.” [70:35]
• Both express genuine excitement about becoming friends IRL.

Timestamps For Key Segments

• [02:14] – “Thirst Trap” and music video concept
• [07:36] – Pandemic pivot, restaurant jobs, and LA childhood
• [13:14] – The infamous blackout birthday/ER story
• [18:13] – Fifty Shades & movie fandoms
• [25:46] – How Audrey started songwriting
• [32:16] – Recognizing songwriters and TV talk
• [45:10] – Writing (and not writing) sex scenes in fanfic
• [49:21] – Authenticity, public life, and online presence
• [57:43] – Tell Me What’s Wrong: Audience Q&A
• [68:22] – What they’re listening to now
• [70:35] – Final thoughts and warm farewells

Overall Tone

• Conversational, funny, self-aware, and vulnerable.
  Audrey and Jake bounce between playful teasing, honest admissions, and pop-culture savvy banter, all while offering real emotional insight. It’s a masterclass in being both tongue-in-cheek and deeply introspective—true to the Therapuss brand.

Perfect For:
Fans of pop music, songwriting, Gen Z nostalgia, real talk on friendship and confidence, or anyone craving a window into creative process, vulnerability and laughter.