Singing in the New Year with Carolyn Kendrick and Each Machine

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Singing in the New Year with Carolyn Kendrick and Each Machine"

You're Wrong About
Host: Sarah Marshall
Guest: Carolyn Kendrick
Release Date: January 1, 2025

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1. Introduction and New Year's Reflections

The episode kicks off with Sarah Marshall welcoming her producer, Carolyn Kendrick, marking a special New Year's Day collaboration. Their conversation quickly delves into the significance of the holiday as a moment of reflection and ritual.

Sarah Marshall opens the dialogue by expressing the paradox of time during the holidays:

"There is no time. Time is both forever and nothing. And the sense of the past year is just kind of... it's hard to compute."
[00:59]

Carolyn Kendrick shares her love for New Year's over Christmas, highlighting its role in providing a moment to honor time spent with each other and their audience:

"New Year's is my favorite holiday by far. And I find a lot of fondness in having, like, a bit of a moment to kind of reflect and honor the time that we've spent not just with each other... but also just with the audience."
[02:14]

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2. Navigating Media Overload and Mental Health

Sarah and Carolyn discuss the overwhelming nature of modern media consumption, especially for neurodivergent listeners. They draw parallels between the past scarcity of media and today's abundance, likening the current state to a cacophonous restaurant where everyone's voices blend into an overwhelming noise.

Sarah Marshall articulates the challenge:

"It was a moment when we had access to more stuff than we could process or even know how to want past a certain point."
[05:03]

They emphasize the importance of selective engagement, advocating for meaningful conversations that empower listeners rather than contribute to the mental clutter.

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3. Personal Routines as Sources of Peace

Carolyn delves into her morning routine, which serves as her anchor amidst the chaos of the year. Her practices include making coffee, reading poetry (currently Billy Collins), journaling extensively, and pulling tarot cards daily.

"I pull tarot cards every morning... I want to see which cards I've pulled statistically most often."
[07:58]

She shares her favorite tarot cards, such as the Knight of Wands and the Star, explaining their personal significance:

"It's like a purification card. And in some sense, it also has to do with hope and like, what your guiding light is through this world."
[09:05]

Sarah Marshall adds her own sources of peace for the year—gardening, cooking, and drawing—highlighting the therapeutic benefits of engaging in creative hobbies.

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4. The Intersection of Art, Community, and Political Engagement

The conversation shifts to the broader societal context, addressing the tumultuous political climate and ongoing global conflicts. Carolyn reflects on balancing activism with personal well-being, emphasizing the need for sustainable engagement to prevent burnout.

Carolyn Kendrick remarks on the importance of creating an ecosystem of wellness:

"How do I pace myself? How do I connect? How do I recharge?... all interconnected."
[15:40]

They discuss the psychological impact of political polarization, advocating for understanding and compassion over anger towards those with differing views.

Sarah Marshall offers a poignant analogy related to personal relationships and political frustrations:

"If I sort of stay in a place of outrage about like, how could you do this?... it's like I'm giving them the same power that a person, like, gives parents who can't love them the way they need."
[18:43]

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5. Carolyn Kendrick’s New Album: "Each Machine"

Introducing her latest work, Carolyn unveils her new album titled Each Machine. The album is a collection of reimagined folk songs inspired by themes explored in their podcast, particularly the Satanic panic era.

Carolyn Kendrick explains the album's concept:

"It's an album of folk songs that are reimagined. And most of the folk songs have to do with the devil and with allegory and with femininity and with, like, the political reality of being a woman."
[22:36]

She emphasizes the communal roots of her music, drawing from traditions of sharing songs around campfires and preserving historical folk narratives.

Sarah Marshall reflects on the artistic process and the challenges within the music industry:

"We do so much fame studies on this show that it can run the risk of being like, well, why bother?"
[25:12]

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6. Art vs. Content in the Modern Media Landscape

The duo explores the blurring lines between art and content in today's digital age. They critique the commodification of personal expression, where authentic art is often overshadowed by content designed for likes and viral trends.

Sarah Marshall observes:

"Media has become content and art has become content. And like, your personal, like, vlog of your life and like, by extension, your life as well, can also become content."
[27:20]

Carolyn Kendrick counters by reaffirming the importance of creating art with intentionality and personal significance, regardless of external validation:

"I really had to kind of recenter being like, I am making music and putting music out because it is like the primary lens of my life."
[25:26]

They encourage listeners to pursue creative endeavors driven by personal passion rather than external approval.

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7. Conclusion and Musical Sharing

As the episode nears its end, Carolyn shares an excerpt from her song "A Perfect World," which ties together the themes discussed throughout the conversation. The song reflects on the complexities of perfection and the inherent flaws within.

Carolyn Kendrick presents the lyrical snippet:

"I dreamt I saw a perfect world... The devil is in me. The devil lives in me."
[29:50]

Sarah expresses her excitement for the album release and thanks Carolyn for sharing her creative journey.

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8. Where to Find "Each Machine"

Carolyn provides information on how listeners can access her new album:

"If you want physical copies... you can order the physical vinyl or a CD, which comes with a zine... If you want to stream it on the Internet, it's on Spotify, it's on Apple Music, it's on Tidal."
[24:09]

She also mentions a complementary zine available with physical purchases, enriching the listener's experience.

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Key Takeaways

• Balancing Media Consumption: The episode underscores the importance of selective engagement with media to maintain mental well-being, especially in an age of information overload.

• Personal Rituals for Peace: Establishing daily routines, such as journaling and tarot reading, can provide stability and introspection amid societal chaos.

• Artistic Integrity vs. Contentious Pressures: Carolyn advocates for creating art driven by personal passion and community connection, rather than succumbing to the pressures of virality and external validation.

• Sustainable Activism: The conversation highlights the necessity of balancing activism with self-care to avoid burnout, emphasizing compassionate understanding over anger.

• Community and Collaboration: Emphasizing collective effort, Sarah and Carolyn encourage listeners to engage with existing communities and contribute meaningfully rather than pursuing solo endeavors.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sarah Marshall:
  "It feels like we're all already traumatized and we can use that information to deal with the large scale political trauma."
  [18:47]

• Carolyn Kendrick:
  "I am making music and putting music out because it is like the primary lens of my life."
  [25:26]

• Sarah Marshall:
  "If you like this show already, you're not allowed to not like it. So sorry."
  [27:20]

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Conclusion

In this reflective and introspective episode, Sarah Marshall and Carolyn Kendrick navigate the complexities of the past year, blending personal experiences with broader societal observations. Carolyn's introduction of her new album, Each Machine, serves as a testament to her commitment to authentic artistic expression and community engagement. Listeners are left with a sense of hope and encouragement to pursue their passions mindfully amidst the noise of the modern world.

Transcript

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Foreign.

[Sarah Marshall]

Welcome to your Wrong about. I'm Sarah Marshall, and today we just have a little New Year's Day present for you. And with me today is our beloved producer, Carolyn Kendrick. Carolyn, hello.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Hello, Sarah. It's so lovely to be here. It's been a moment.

[Sarah Marshall]

Well, you're always here.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

That's true.

[Sarah Marshall]

But now we get to hear your beautiful voice as well.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

I'm like the Phantom of the Opera.

[Sarah Marshall]

We're always dropping chandeliers. Right.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

I'm always behind the scenes waiting to sing and kidnap you or whatever.

[Sarah Marshall]

Just giving really good music lessons to someone who can't even see you.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Right, exactly.

[Sarah Marshall]

Would that be hard because you do music lessons. You've done a lot of music lessons in your life. Can you really teach singing to someone who can't even see you or know who you are?

[Carolyn Kendrick]

You know, I actually think that that might be easier in some ways. I think that I would rather teach in a Phantom of the Opera like situation than teach on Zoom.

[Sarah Marshall]

Well, yeah. Yeah, that does make sense, Carolyn. We're having this conversation close to Christmas. People are going to be hearing this New Year's Day, and I mean, we're kind of, I think, in the middle of that holiday just sort of. There is no time. Time is both forever and nothing. And the sense of the past year is just kind of. I don't know, it's hard to compute. I think it probably still will be at New Year's, but, I mean, yeah, what a year.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

This has been quite a year. I'm so glad that we're talking right now and having a little bit of a New Year's moment. A New Year's moment. A bit of a ritual, if you will, because I'm famously somebody who really struggles with Christmas, but I love New Year's. Like, New Year's is my favorite holiday by far. And I find a lot of fondness in having, like, a bit of a moment to kind of reflect and.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Just like, honor the time that we've spent not just with each other, you and I, Sarah Marshall, but also just with the audience. And I. I feel so, so lucky that we've gotten to cover so much ground this year.

[Sarah Marshall]

I do, too. And I feel like it is. It's such a. Speaking of just rituals and magic, it's a very magic thing to be able to sort of, you know, for me to speak. I think of it as like, I'm the sheep and you're the. You're looming the wool into a tapestry. And I don't know, just the. The fact of, like, being able to talk to people and to do it in a way where it feels like. I mean, I feel like we have been part of conversations that we have no memory of having, and yet we said something helpful inside of them, and we don't even know that we did it. Yeah, there's something astounding about that.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

I was reflecting recently on how much these, you know, working on youn're Wrong about has influenced not just my pattern and way of thinking, but also just, like, how lucky I am to have all of these conversations, like, in my bones. And, yeah, like, sometimes I listen to older episodes and I'm like, wow, I really have no memory of that. Just because so much happened, happens in the day. And it's kind of astounding the amount of media, not just you and I, but, like, any average American goes through just, like, in the course of our lives. And I think, you know, especially comparing that to, like, I don't know, Joe March or something like that, you know, like, I just think about the sheer amount of information that we process every day, and I feel really lucky that I've gotten to just, like, have these conversations kind of seep into my bones a little bit with all these amazing guests and with you.

[Sarah Marshall]

It also feels like this is a time when it's extremely overwhelming to engage with any media or information at all, at least for me. And we have a lot of neurodivergent listeners, because those are the ideal listener, I would think. And I think that some of us are having that problem. When I was growing up, when most of us were growing up who aren't extremely young, we remember what it felt like to want more media than you had access to, where you would want to rent a movie and you would be like, I can't wait until I can rent that movie, but I don't have it now. And so the moment came when we had access to more stuff than we could process or even know how to want past a certain point. And so I feel like one of the questions in media today is, like, because it's like podcasts are going to video, and short form video has taken over. And there's a sort of feeling to me of like, that thing when you're in a restaurant and a lot of different tables have started talking louder and louder because it's getting louder, and then suddenly everyone's shouting, and you're like, everyone's shouting?

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, totally.

[Sarah Marshall]

And that's what it kind of feels like just in media and online. And I feel like this is a Moment of people are getting exhausted. We have to really pick what we want to talk about and which conversations are going to enable people to process all the other information that's coming at them. And I feel like. I don't know, I guess the fact that it's possible still to make a show that feels like it makes learning something that is still fun and still feels empowering, rather than just more material being thrown at your brain over and over and reminds you that kind of, as a critical thinker, you get to be active in all this and it matters how you respond to things. It feels. Yeah. Just incredibly lucky.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah. We're in this interesting situation now where we. We've got a bit of the Cheesecake Factory effect. You know, there's more things on the menu than you can possibly process. And. And, yeah, also more. More people in the. In the dining area than you can hear at once.

[Sarah Marshall]

And the acoustics are so bad.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Right. Why are the ceilings so tall? Yeah. Space does not come to us naturally. We have to carve out space for ourself and we have to carve out silence for ourself.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

And it's very hard to do because nothing is encouraging it, you know?

[Sarah Marshall]

Yes. Yeah. It was capitalism all along. And it is just a moment when it feels important to sort of find, to whatever extent possible, the ability to sort of slow down in your own life and say, like, with the little bit of time that I have, how can I actually create a little bit of peace for myself? Because it also feels like just the more noise there is, it can often feel like it's your job to keep up with it or to keep processing the noise or the feeling that something bad will happen if you don't hear it. Learning to step away from that a little bit. And I wonder about. I mean, Carolyn, what has brought you some peace this past year? What are you looking forward to in this new year?

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, one of my favorite things about my day is my. My morning routine, which I am lucky enough to be pretty selfishly adherent to because I don't really have other people that I need to take care of.

[Sarah Marshall]

Love it.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Like, I know that this might eventually change, but, yeah, like, I don't. I don't have to be a caretaker to anybody. So this the morning, during the mornings, I get to wake up, I get to make my coffee. I have been reading a lot of poetry this year. Right now, I'm reading Billy Collins. I wake up, I read poetry for a little while. I journal for at least four or five pages. I've gone through a lot of journals this year. And then I. I pull tarot cards every morning.

[Sarah Marshall]

That's so great. What is. Do you have, like, some favorite cards? Like, when they turn up, you're just like, heck, yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. My favorite. My favorite cards that I love to see. Well, the one that I, I. Well, so part of this is that I'm doing. I'm planning on doing this as sort of like a project where I. I write down what cards I get every day. And at the year, I'm planning on, like, typing up all my journals and like, putting into a spreadsheet what. What cards I've pulled because I want to see which cards I've pulled statistically most often, which is like, not a very romantic approach to a. To mysticism, but it's what I'm doing.

[Sarah Marshall]

Some of us find statistics very romantic.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yes. And I am one of those people.

[Sarah Marshall]

It's like a temperature blanket, but one that isn't too depressing to make, which that would be.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sarah Marshall]

To me.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Absolutely. So I pull the Knight of Wands fairly often. Like, I would say I pull it, like, quite a lot. And so therefore I hold fondness for it. And then I also, I really love the star. I think the star is probably one of my favorites. The star, the Tower and the Devil and the Empress are kind of my. My go tos.

[Sarah Marshall]

Is the star the one where it's like a naked lady pouring out some water?

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah. And she's like, pouring. Yeah. It's like, it's like a purification card. And in some sense, it also has to do with hope and like, what you're. What your guiding light is through this world. And, you know, you're never going to be close to the star, but the star is going to be with you your entire life. You know, you can always use it as a goal post, a guide post, but it's not something you can be like, intimate with. It's something that you can learn from. So, yeah, I really, I really love that card. And then I love the Tower card, which is a controversial card, actually, because it's sort of like the chaos card.

[Sarah Marshall]

Like, it's.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, it's all about, like, destruction and being out of control and, you know, surprise and, you know, things. Things coming to you in life that you were not necessarily expecting. But I also find that comforting because, like, you know, with every destruction comes a creation or a chance to recreate and.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

And I feel like this year, Well, I feel like last year was really like I was pulling the tower Constantly. And then this year has been my, my, my year to. To think about creation in the face of destruction a little bit.

[Sarah Marshall]

I'm gonna quote from Rent. The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yes. That was a very, A very deeply influential lyric to me as a. As a young teen. I would say that that is like a cheesy as it may be. Like, I freaking love Rent. And Yeah, yeah, that is like my, one of my, my founding philosophies of life.

[Sarah Marshall]

I feel like every adult who loves Rent, like, sort of caveats it, at least in mixed company and is like, now I know it's cheesy, but.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Right.

[Sarah Marshall]

But I was like, I was driving home from Seattle recently and I decided to put on the Rent soundtrack and I was just like, man, I still believe the core messages of rev la viebo m La vie boheme to riding your bike midday past the three piece suits, to fruits, to no absolutes and no day but today. Which again is like, yeah, it's simple, but like, it's true.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, totally. Well, I was going to ask you, like, what are some things that you have found peace in this year?

[Sarah Marshall]

It's. I mean, this has been such a big gardening year for me and I have loved it so much and in ways that I didn't anticipate. And it's also been. Yeah, I feel like I've been following your influences as sort of like. Because I've always known you as somebody who clearly is like, finding peace in projects or finding comfort in projects, finding good stuff in there. Yeah, I've had some really good times in the kitchen this year too. And I think just kind of creating those spaces in my house, which, again, it's like a privilege to have fun in the kitchen because I'm the only person I'm cooking for. Right. But, yeah, but all that's to say that, like, as a lone person, like, playing around in there, I'm having a really great time. And something I brought up a lot to my therapist this year is the scene in Runaway Bride where Julia Roberts realizes that she doesn't know how she likes eggs and that she just, like, gets eggs the way the, like, last guy she was gonna marry gets them. So, like, when she was with Christopher Maloney, she was eating egg white omelets or whatever. And so there's a scene, orders every type of egg and tries them all and figures out the kind of eggs she likes because eggs Florentine. Which is great because that's a weird egg.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Sarah Marshall]

And I don't know, just like gardening and cooking and having a hobby to an extent or just like drawing a picture, which, you know, I got very into drawing the last couple years because I kept showing you my Sex and the City drawings. It feels as an adult who has been in sort of a try hard place for a lot of life, very surprising and great to just be like, I'm going to do this little craft because I would like to. And then there's a part of your brain that will make you feel like it's a waste of time, but that part gets less loud as you continue generally. And what also turns out to be the case, and you can trick yourself by saying it's productive, is that each time you do something you like, you learn more about what you like and who you actually are. Yeah, I love that.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

I was talking with somebody who I'm very close to recently about how it feels really good to be at a place where I have the muscle within myself to be able to determine what I like. And like, I was reflecting on being in high school and like just trying things and I was like, I can't actually tell if I like this or if it's just something that is exciting or if it's like novelty. And I feel like I'm just now getting to a place in my somatic experience where I can hear my body being like, you like this or you don't like this or like this makes you uncomfortable or this is giving you red flags or this is giving green flags or this is like where you like. It feels really, really nice to be getting to a place where I can kind of trust that and, and hone in on it a little bit more.

[Sarah Marshall]

So great.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, I, I feel like this year I'm so glad that we're having this conversation. This year has just been so monumental for so many reasons. You know, obviously the election has been like, incredibly disorienting. Not just, not just the actual results, but, you know, the lead up and the whole thing.

[Sarah Marshall]

The whole thing.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

And there's so much violence in the world and like, you know, war persists and I'm, you know, very worried about Palestine and all of these, all of these issues I still want to be very plugged into. But it's interesting, like developing these like, somatic sensibilities where I'm like, trying to be able to like, listen to my body but not turn away from things that feel bad just because they feel bad. You know what I mean? Like, trying to figure out what is the line between how can I Be involved in my community. How can I be like an active participant in the well being and lives of the people who I love around me and to strangers, but then also listening to myself when I'm like, I need a break. I need to figure out how to do this in a sustainable way. I need to figure out how to do this so that I don't fully burn out in a world where it is expected for you to burn out constantly. And so, so yeah, like having these little breaks and pulling my tarot cards and talking with you and chit chatting and being there for my friends and trying to make art. Like, I feel like it's all, it's all interconnected and all, all.

[Sarah Marshall]

I.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Sorry. I feel like I'm talking a lot. I feel like maybe sorry to be like up on my soapbox about all.

[Sarah Marshall]

Of this, but you know, this is what podcasts. Yeah, but that is. But I love it. Yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Go on making art and keeping our community safer or intrinsically related. And I feel lucky to be at a point where next year I can continue to explore that within the communities that I'm part of. Including the. You're wrong about community.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah. This is a community with a lot of really, really lovely people inside of it. And what you're saying just, it does feel like what's going to be necessary for survival going into another Trump administration and just this. I don't know, and I don't know how accurate this really is or if it's just something that's been working for me, but I feel like there's that saying that they have in Al Anon of don't go to the hardware store for groceries, which I actually think is not the best saying because a lot of hardware stores sell candy and soda. But you know what that means basically is that if you have parents who just can't meet your emotional needs, then don't be surprised if you ask them and they don't do it. Which you can't just be told that you have to keep showing up faithfully at the hardware store for many years. My feeling, I think this time around politically is like, I cannot be angry at the people who voted for this candidate again. Because if I'm angry at them, then it's like, well, I can be angry. I can be angry at. I mean I can and will be angry. But the idea of like, if I sort of stay in a place of outrage about like, how could you do this? Why aren't you different? Why don't you have groceries? Then it's like I'm giving them the same power that a person, like, gives parents who can't love them the way they need, where it's like, I just really want you to be different. And it's like, well, then you're holding yourself hostage, waiting for someone to change who can't ultimately. And it's the. I don't know, and I don't know. You know, I feel like it's possible to believe in people changing without holding your breath for them to do it and without feeling like you can't move forward. And the things that you're working on and the work that you're doing to try and make the world better, if you're just sort of still in a place of frustration about them and you can't control what feelings you have. But I think it's, I don't know, that waiting around for somebody to change so that they can see you as human thing feels like it's probably familiar to a lot of people from a familial level and that maybe, you know, what's great is that we're all already traumatized and we can use that information to deal with the large scale political trauma happening now. Ah, ah, ah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

What a silver lining.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah. I don't know if that's anything.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

I think, I think it is like, I think like, in the same way that like, you can look at the microcosmic and the macrocosmic and they have like, similarities, you know, you can look at the reflections of your interpersonal lives, like, will be reflected in, in, in our, in our grand scale political lives.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

That's also something that I think is, at least for me, different with this Trump administration versus the last one. Was that the last one? Like, I was like, I, I think I potentially over expended my energy on outrage.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

I only had so much energy and then I don't, I don't think, I don't think I actually saved energy for being helpful. Like, I think, I think we all have pretty, like, sober eyes about the situation and we are at a point where, or at least I feel like many people have, you know, kind of clear eyes about what's needed and what's next and like the severity of the situation. And I think we're all going like, okay, how do we expend energy in a, in a for real way? Like, how do we, how do we expand energy where it's like, we hold the feelings that we're having and like, because you can't just like, get rid of them, obviously you can't Just like, expel anger from your body, like, at will. We're like, how do. How do I. How do I pace myself? How do I connect? How do I recharge? How do I. How do I create, like, an ecosystem of wellness within myself and within my community so that I can actually be helpful and actually, like, organize and actually go find the people who have been organizing for a really long time and are who are ready to. To see us at the door.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah. Right. Yeah. And also the thing of anything that you're fired up about, it's like, yeah, there's such a good chance there are people in your community, either geographically or just in terms of the culture that you are inside of, whether that's spread out online or outside your door or not, but that there are people who are already doing the work that you're passionate about and that you can learn from as well. And just this, I think as Americans, we're taught, if you want to make change, then do it all by yourself and on a massive scale. And it's like, no, we actually just need to all be working on a small scale together. And no one gets to take home all the glory and nobody gets to take home all the blame. And. Yeah. And just. Right. And outrage feels like when you're trying to build a fire and you get, like, some newspaper going and it burns really bright for, like, one second, and then you're freezing, and then you're freezing and you need a snack, and.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

And then the hardware store is closed, and you can't.

[Sarah Marshall]

And the hardware store is closed, and you can't get your salad. Yeah. Yeah. And. Well, Carolyn, you have a new album, and I'm very excited that we get to share a little bit of it with our listeners today and give it to them as a New Year's surprise. And could you. Could you tell us just a little bit about. Well, first, the album, actually, that you've put out, and then about the song you're going to share with us.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah. Well, I'm so honored that you asked, and we're up for, you know, talking about this a little bit. My new record is called each Machine, and I think it will be of interest to your wrongabout listeners because it is deeply inspired by the work that you and I have done together over the years, but especially around a lot of the Satanic panic work that has been done.

[Sarah Marshall]

And you and I have ventured pretty deep, deeply into the Satanic panic over the years.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

That's true. We have. And for those of us who haven't met yet. Like, I. I am a. I am a musician. That is, you know, what I grew.

[Sarah Marshall]

Up doing Kind of the. The most thing about you, when I first met you, you were just kind of, like, going around the house beautifully singing to yourself, and I was like, I feel like they shouldn't be free.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

That's really nice. So I feel very lucky that I've gotten to, like, expand my creative life into the podcasting realm. But, you know, like, this year, it. It just made sense for me to kind of, you know, get back into. To putting some music out. And so I decided to make an album of folk songs that are reimagined. And most of the folk songs have to do with the devil and with allegory and with femininity and with, like, the political reality of being a woman in this country and on this planet. You know, like, normally, like, when I'm, like, doing my songwriting stuff, which is, like, often, like, you know, I write, you know, love songs and heartbreak songs and stuff like that. But this. This time, it just felt like because there's so much going on politically and personally that I needed, like, a little bit more, I wanted to kind of get into some different subject matter. So, anyways, I think today I was going to share this song that I wrote, the music to it, but the. The lyrics are a poem by David Keeg, and it's called A Perfect World.

[Sarah Marshall]

I am so excited to get to share it with everybody here. And, Carolyn, where can people get your album? Each machine.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah. So you can. If you want physical copies, you can. Oh, and I guess the other thing is that, like, I wrote a zine of ess to go along with the record. If you go to band camp, you can order, like, the physical vinyl or a cd, and that comes with a zine, and if you want to stream it on the Internet, it's on Spotify, it's on Apple Music, it's on Tidal, you know, on all of the places.

[Sarah Marshall]

That you listen to music, wherever good music is. Like, so much of the show has been about just, like, what a promising musician who ended up in a terrible contract like the Chicks and sort of how the industry chews you up and spits you out. And I feel like we do so much fame studies on this show that it can run the risk of being like, well, why bother? I wonder just from your perspective as a musician, saying to yourself, you know, it's time to make an album now, and doing that, I mean, what is your advice to anybody who's like, I can't conceive of making any of the dozens of choices that gets a person from A to B. I think for.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Me, like the last few years have been like a pretty serious reckoning with why I make art in the first place. And you know, like, the, the music industry itself is like very much not set up to favor the artist.

[Sarah Marshall]

Set up to favor Kendall Roy.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Right? Exactly. Yeah. And if you are, if you are listening, you already know all of the, the financial realities of being an artist. But I will say that like, for me, I realized that not making art and not putting out art in a communally accessible way was making my life worse and my need to self express and my need to share. And also, like, the music that I make is very much rooted in community. Like, I come from a tradition of music that is very much centered around playing songs around campfires and sharing source recordings of like, old fiddlers that you love and things like that. And so I feel compelled to be able to contribute to, to that output. And I think there's a million ways to make music and make art and put it out there and it can be. I think I also have had a, had to like, kind of decouple my desire to like make, not even like make money, but like be quote, unquote, successful within the music industry. Like, I really, I had to kind of recenter being like, I am making music and putting music out because it is like the primary lens of my life. It's the primary way in which I connect with other people. And that is my main goal and value in life. And everything else is kind of bonus, like, if people listen to it, amazing. If people don't listen to it, I still have to put it out. You know, like, I, I, I hope people listen not because I want them to care about like me specifically, but because these songs are like really beautiful folk songs that have like pretty, pretty deep roots in American history. And I hope that that's something that people are compelled by. But also, you know, a bunch of people are going to listen to it and not like it. And that's also cool.

[Sarah Marshall]

So, you know, I think that if you like this show already, you're not allowed to not like it. So sorry.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

But you know, like, it's if, if people are in the mood to make art, like there's a million ways to make art in like a, in like a, an economical way. And I think it's more important to think about like, why you're making the art that you're making. And like everything else else can be.

[Sarah Marshall]

Figured out you know, I think something that has happened in culture in the last few years is that. And of course, I'm in a bubble, but it's a big bubble, is that more people than ever in one way or another, are making content for a living. And media has become content and art has become content. And like, your personal, like, vlog of your life and like, by extension, your life as well, can also become content. And content is not art in that it is defined. Art is defined by the desires of the artist. And of course, not everything can be art, not everything should be art, but it's nice to have it in a functioning society. And content is defined by the needs or the anticipated needs of the audience. And what I feel like has happened is this sort of, like, creep of content into how we approach everything. So that now, if you're trying to make art, even if you're just like, a person in your room, I think the way that our sense of kind of what makes you employable, what it takes to, you know, have like, a successful baby who gets enough likes on Instagram to, you know, make you feel like your baby is batting high enough or whatever, it's like, I think that the media landscape makes it hard to not follow along with what you see working for people in the broadest sense, and just, you know, it makes it hard to not think of what you want to do in terms of what people would think of it, or think of whatever thought you are having in your head in terms of what people would say about it if you posted it on social media. And, yeah, I think that it's a really great time to just be like, I don't know why I want to do this weird little thing I want to do, but I'm doing it. I'm making a potato print.

[Carolyn Kendrick]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah. I feel like we shouldn't be too judgmental about our desires. That's the other thing that I think I've really thought about a lot this year is, like, if desire is inspired within you, like, I think it's. I think it's worth going for, you know?

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, there it is. That's it.

[C]

I dreamt I saw a perfect world A perfect world I did see but it could not be perfect as it included me as it included me. I dreamt I saw the angels, the angels I did see but they could not be angels because they talk to.

[Sarah Marshall]

Me.

[C]

Because they talk to me. I dreamt I saw the devil, the devil I did see and I know it was the devil. The devil is in me. The devil lives in me. The devil is in me. The devil is in me. The devil is me the devil is me.