You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes – Margo Price Release Date: February 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively, sprawling conversation, Pete Holmes welcomes acclaimed country singer-songwriter Margo Price for a candid, deeply human, and very funny dive into her music, creative process, struggles, and triumphs. They dig into weirdness, the tension of artistic success and failure, industry realities, the impact of grief, and the joy of simply making art for art’s sake. Both share personal experiences, swap stories, and keep the tone authentic, open, and engagingly offbeat.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ice Storms, Spouses, and Being ‘Lame’ Now

• The episode kicks off with Margo describing surviving a Nashville ice-apocalypse, setting a tone of “weathering storms” literally and metaphorically (03:40).
• Fun exchange about Margo's husband Jeremy Ivey—his role in her life and music, their collaborations, and comic misunderstandings about his place in her band.
• Both Pete and Margo riff on how their wild “rock star” days have been replaced by early bedtimes, health routines, and “magnesium-talk.”

  “Now if someone has a third cocktail, I’m like… you’re going to be feeling that.” – Margo Price (05:57)

The Grind Before Success: 12+ Years in Nashville

• Margo details her 12-13 years hustling in Nashville, crashing on couches, juggling odd jobs (vinyl siding, waitressing), and facing years of rejection (21:00).
• Pete and Margo bond over the outsider feeling and how people underestimate artists until they’re “established.”
• They discuss the misconception that creative careers are ‘lottery tickets’ and the societal discomfort with non-traditional paths.

  “‘You’re still doing the music thing, huh?’ …the kind of condescending, like, you guys are still doing it, huh? …There’s such a misconception with art and music… it’s because you love it.” – Margo (21:38)

Creativity, Streaming, and "Inshitification"

• They analyze how the music industry undermines artists with streaming, resold tickets, and venue fees. Both relate to the struggle for the “middle class” in music and comedy (12:08).
• Pete brings up “inshitification”—the deliberate making of essential services worse to maximize profit (12:56).
• Margo laments how streaming and post-COVID touring costs threaten musicians’ survival:

  “The middle class of music is going to disappear… Streaming companies, everything… made it nearly impossible.” (14:42)

AI, Art, and Authenticity

• The rise of AI in music—songwriting, stolen voices, fake artists, and synthetic demos—is a major worry for Margo (30:15).

  "They take everything that I've done and then… just use all of the art that's already been made by humans." (31:40)

• Both bemoan auto-tune, click tracks, and how technology sometimes erodes the ‘human’ element of music.

  “When you listen to Al Green and you autotune the note, it’s missing something.” (33:20)

Tragedy, Drinking, and Writing Through Grief

• Margo shares her personal tragedy: losing one of her twin sons after birth (44:48). She opens up about coping through drinking, ending up in jail after a drunk driving incident, and writing the song "Weekender" in lock-up.

  “Instead of getting therapy, I was just like, I’m in Nashville, I’m gonna drink whiskey every day.” (46:08)

• She explores the relationship between pain, creativity, and overcoming fear and shame.

Turning Point: Making “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter”

• After pawning her wedding ring and selling her car, Margo self-financed her debut record, recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis (54:13).
• After rejection from numerous indie labels, Jack White’s Third Man Records eventually said yes—a full year or more after the album was finished (55:39).
• Pete marvels at the resilience required to sustain faith during endless ‘no’s and long waits.

On Unique Voices and Musical DNA

• Discussion turns to unique, “non-blending” voices: Margo, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton (19:41).

  “My choir teacher never gave me a solo… she said my voice didn’t blend.” – Margo (19:34)

• Margo emphasizes her wide range of influences, from 60s/70s rock to Americana, and shares details of working with legends like Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench.

Highs of Success: SNL, Farm Aid, and Getting Political

• Margo recalls major career highlights (playing SNL, late shows, Farm Aid board with Dave Matthews and Willie Nelson), and her shift to more political songwriting during the Trump era (26:08).

Famous Friends, Heroes, and Musical Legends

• Star-studded stories abound:
  • Hanging with Rodriguez and smoking a joint after his documentary (25:02).
  • Drinking with Bill Murray and doing vocal warmups (71:09).
  • Opening for Dave Matthews Band (72:02).
  • Playing with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson (“like a grandfather,” Thanksgiving traditions) (80:25).
• On Bob Dylan:

  “He keeps to himself. But he’s my favorite songwriter. Hands down.” (81:54)

  • Dylan’s awareness of “the portal” period of genius; the creative process as “conduit” (82:28).

Family, Parenting, and Compassion

• Margo speaks candidly about surviving grief, the reality of a “rainbow baby” after loss, her family’s healing, and the wisdom grief brings (63:01).
• Pete relates with stories about heartbreak and how society struggles to handle real conversations about loss.

  "It’s never a bad idea to remember all the people around you... people are having their hearts broken in a million different ways.” – Pete (65:12)

• Margo: “None of us has to be here. It’s all this weird experiment… everybody could just give each other a little more compassion.” (65:17)

Humor and Quick Bits

• Throughout, Pete and Margo riff on band names (“Elephant’s Gerald,” “Sally Parton”), improv games, and the uniquely weird world of artists.
• Recounting the “Irish hello” (leaving or avoiding parties suddenly), swimming as re-centering, Kid Rock as her unfortunately close neighbor, and stories of stage banter gone awkward (75:48 – 76:48).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On unique voices:
  “My choir teacher never gave me a solo… she said my voice didn’t blend.” – Margo (19:34)

• On the grind:
  “Twelve years until Jack White signed me… that was the turning point.” – Margo (10:31)

• On drinking and pain as inspiration:
  “I was drinking a lot… Instead of getting therapy, I was just like, I’m in Nashville, I’m gonna drink whiskey every day.” – Margo (46:08)

• On AI and authenticity:
  "They've literally taken all of humanity… they're using all the art that's already been made by humans." – Margo (31:40)

• On waiting in limbo:
  “The amount of sensitivity required to be an artist and the amount of anti-sensitivity you need—you know, be told no a thousand times before you ever expect a yes.” – Margo (56:02)

• On grief and compassion:
  “You live long enough, you're going to go through something difficult. And it gave me a completely different perspective on life and just compassion.” – Margo (64:41)

Timestamps for Essential Segments

• Nashville Ice Storm & Life Now – 03:40–08:00
• Early Career Struggles & Rejection – 20:52–23:31
• Industry ‘Inshitification’ – 12:56–14:08
• Streaming and Touring Woes – 14:42–15:11
• AI, Autotune, and Artistry – 30:15–33:47
• Losing a Child, Grief, and Drinking – 44:32–47:46
• Making Midwest Farmer’s Daughter – 54:13–55:39
• Being Signed by Third Man Records – 69:30–70:13
• Famous Encounters & Music Legends – 70:25–75:10
• Compassion and What Grief Teaches – 63:01–65:44
• Closing: Family, Career, Spirituality – 79:16–84:34

Tone and Style

• Warm, genuine, open-hearted, and often side-splittingly funny.
• Both Pete and Margo bring self-deprecating humor, warmth, and vulnerability.
• The conversation frequently wanders (by design), embodying the show’s titular “weirdness.”

Final Thoughts

A beautifully meandering episode—part music industry tell-all, part personal memoir, part philosophy class, and always full of laughs. Margo Price’s journey offers both aspiring artists and fans a vivid look at resilience, authenticity, and the meaning found in the cracks of life, not just the spotlights.

Margo’s Touring:
Catch Margo on tour across US cities in 2026 (Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and more).

Closing Quote:
"It’s the cracks and everything. That’s how the light gets in." – Margo Price, quoting Leonard Cohen (84:34)

Keep it crispy!