My Pop Five
My Pop Five
Misty Boyce: Mariah Carey "Someday", A Thing Called Love, Romeo and Juliet, OK Computer and Tori Amos "Silent All These Years"
Step into a world of melodies and memories as we explore the musical journey of Misty Boyce. In our latest episode, Misty, a multi-talented artist, shares her evolving relationship with music, childhood memories, and the creative influences that have shaped her remarkable artistry.
We dive into her New Mexican roots, where the enchanting cultures of Las Cruces sparked her passion for music from a young age. Armed with vivid anecdotes, Misty vividly recounts her obsession with Mariah Carey's "Someday," revealing how it fueled her dreams of becoming a singer. As she recalls the poignant transitions of her youth, we learn how iconic soundtracks—like that of "Romeo and Juliet" and the album "OK Computer" by Radiohead—served as soundscapes for her emotional awakening and creative exploration.
Throughout this conversation, Misty candidly discusses her struggles with confidence onstage and her transformative journey toward embracing her voice. She also sheds light on her artistic process and the delicate balance of simplicity and complexity in her songwriting. Plus, listeners are treated to insights about community support and the undeniable bond that music creates among artists and fans.
In the heart of this discussion, we get a glimpse into her current work and hear a snippet of her heartwarming track "Goodbye July." As the episode comes to a close, we reflect on the powerful role of music in our lives—not just as a form of expression but as a vessel for human connection.
Tune in, absorb the inspiration, and discover the beauty of music in every beat and lyric. Be sure to subscribe, share, and join us as we continue to celebrate the stories that make music so profoundly impactful!
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We'll see you next time. But until then, what's your Pop Five?
Hello, hello and welcome back. It is season four of my Pop Five and we are so excited to be back. And boy do we have a special episode to kick this off for you. We get to interview one of my favorite singer-songwriters, misty Boyce. Misty is a phenomenal musician in her solo work, but has also had the chance to play as a keyboardist, backing vocalist, even guitarist, for the likes of Sara Bareilles, ingrid Michaelson and so many other incredible artists. We also get the treat to actually open today's episode listening to one of Misty's songs.
Speaker 1:I Do, I Do is one of my favorite songs off of her most recent record, genesis, but we also talk about the song a bit in the episode. So, without further ado, here is I Do by Misty Boyce. Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of my Pop 5. We are here with the incredible Misty Boyce. She is a phenomenal singer-songwriter, has some of my favorite records and also gets to play regularly with the likes of Sara Bareilles, lord Huron and has played with others such as Sting, ingrid Michaelson, and we are just so privileged to have you here, misty. Thank you so much for joining.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:One of the cool things about doing the show is getting to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds, but it's especially cool when you find out that there is some semblance of a similarity. I am from Albuquerque and you are from Las Cruces, new Mexico, so we are fellow New Mexicans. It's so cool to hear One of the things that I love asking people from Las Cruces, because there is a huge agriculture scene there for pecan farming and then, of course, the famous chili question that New Mexicans get. So my first question is red or green Misty?
Speaker 2:You know, when I was growing up, it was green because that's what my dad liked. But, then, as I grew older and learned to have my own opinions, I went to red. But then, as I grew older and learned to have my own opinions. I went to red, especially when I had it in Albuquerque, because I feel like the way that they do the red sauce in the north is different than how we do it in the south, really blew my mind.
Speaker 1:Amazing. When people ask me, I generally tend to fluctuate depending on what I'm eating it with. You know, there's certain things that I prefer red, there's certain things I prefer green, but awesome.
Speaker 2:But yeah, but for like an enchilada, which is like the most stereotypical thing people think of when they think of like red or green.
Speaker 1:I like red for enchiladas, for sure, yeah, so good, so good yeah.
Speaker 2:How long were you in Las Cruces? When did you ultimately leave? I was born there and I left at 18 to go to college.
Speaker 1:Awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so cool, my parents are still there.
Speaker 1:Well, Misty, we like to ask all our guests as we get started, without comment or context what is your pop five?
Speaker 2:My pop five is Mariah Carey Someday Two, a Thing Called Love, which is a movie Number three Romeo and Juliet. The Baz Luhrmann movie Number four, radiohead OK Computer. A movie Number three Romeo and Juliet. The Baz Luhrmann movie Number four, radiohead OK Computer. A record Number five Tori Amos, the song Silent All these Years.
Speaker 1:This was such an incredible set of things. One of the things that I like to do as I'm playing catch up and research before we kind of have our conversation, is I'm familiar with your work, but I don't necessarily know all the influences that kind of have impacted it, and sometimes, when people put things on their pot five, there's of course the artistic influence, but then there's also just the pure human. How did it inspire you to be a human thing? And so I love hearing the little nuggets. I'm like I could hear how this impacted your music in one way, or there's some things that I can see how it might have reflected your potential career arc, but then there's others. I'm like I have no idea, and so I'm very curious to kind of get into it.
Speaker 1:But in researching and hearing a bit of your story, I know that Mariah Carey and singing to Mariah Carey as a youngin was such an important aspect. So let's start there. Let's talk about Mariah Carey someday. What is it that you love about that song? Tell me the story and how does it fit into your life this record.
Speaker 2:The song came out. I think I was five years old and I was, I guess, just like kind of coming online to how much I loved music and I just loved this song so much and I loved her so much. She had just this like spunky personality and I got obsessed with singing this song in front of the mirror. My parents bought me that cassette tape and I just listened to it non-stop and learned everything I could about her. That was, you know, like information was scarce back then, so like whatever vh1 or mtv wanted to tell me is what I could learn. But like like she grew up in the barber shop and her mom was an opera singer or her grandma somebody was an opera singer who she like learned from and that's how she could get those crazy like high notes and I just sang her music so loud in the shower and thought I was nailing it.
Speaker 1:And I'm sure I would not. No, that's a good question, though, too, cause I had a similar like situation with music where I just loved singing everything, and I remember there was one point that I was like really into, like a Kelly Clarkson record or something when I was younger and I just wanted to sing it for everyone. Like my grandma came over, I'm like put on the record, I'm singing it and in hindsight I also probably wasn't very good, but were the people around you saying like, oh my gosh, you sound great Like, or were you getting any feedback when you were singing the song all the time?
Speaker 2:Yes, and actually the feedback is what made me like quit singing for a long time. Yeah, I grew up with brothers and they were not nice. I didn't know anyone could hear me in the shower. I thought it was like my safe, soundproof and wrong. I was singing Whitney Houstonston.
Speaker 2:I will always love you at the top of my lungs, saxophone solo and everything and like at the end of it, my brother opens the door to the bathroom and just like slow claps and then like backs, and I was like I was mortified. I was like not only is it reality shattered, that no one has been hearing me this whole time, he's making fun of me and now I'm like I'm dead.
Speaker 1:That's so heartbreaking to hear, especially because I know as a kid when you get locked into that world whether it's like a song or a movie that you get completely enamored by, or even when you're playing and playing pretend like you are legitimately in your own little world and to remember that feeling, you know how special it is and I know you know if you have like little ones in your in your life, whether it's nieces or nephews or children, you can kind of see that in them. And to know that there was something that like shut you down and makes you want to turn away from that is so heartbreaking Cause it's so vulnerable.
Speaker 2:Like you, yeah, you're in this like precious little cocoon of like inspiration and like creativity and like being excited to explore. All of a sudden, you realize that you're not. It's not like a cocoon, you're, yeah, other people, yeah, and I I actually I have a daughter, she's three and I see her doing this now with frozen and she'll ask me and my husband to like leave the room when she wants to be alone with elsa and anna that's so, that's so special. I don't like respect girl, you do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Cool. I think you know with with Mariah Carey specifically, I think so much recently she's just become the all I want for Christmas, is you meme?
Speaker 4:especially at this time of year.
Speaker 1:I know, and you know, as I was going back and reminding myself is what was going on at this time. You know, as I was going back and reminding myself is what was going on at this time. You know she was 19 when this record was coming out. She wrote this and put this out on the demo that got her signed and, yeah, her voice is just phenomenal and it's just so crazy like what she was able to do at that time.
Speaker 1:And yes, it's, it's important to go back and like, appreciate, like, oh my gosh, she's phenomenal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she's like once in a lifetime kind of voice, Ariana Grande maybe the new version.
Speaker 1:There wasn't another one of her for a long time. I'm trying to remember to like with the songs that I was really into as a kid. I know I would sing my heart out and I would feel the emotion behind it. But I'm curious. You know, a lot of the lyrical content in this song is like kind of the I'm the one that got away type of mentality and kind of speaking to a past lover. Was there any sort of emotional connection to it that you could relate to, or what do you think it was?
Speaker 2:No, I think it was just like just the rhythm, especially the way like You're gonna pick us baby.
Speaker 4:I am the one of it. Someday, someday, hey, hey, boy, you're gonna pick us baby.
Speaker 2:I'm over you Someday. Oh yes, when you give away, the way it's just like so rhythmic, so catchy. No, the words just like went right over my head no-transcript.
Speaker 1:Like it might've just lit the music bug in you and shown that, but didn't necessarily mean you wanted to go and be a professional singer, or was?
Speaker 2:that part of your journey. No, this was like I want to be a singer. You know I remember in second grade you know making these like I want to be a singer. You know I remember in second grade, you know making these like I want to be a fireman, blah, blah, blah. Mine was I want to be a singer and it was totally because of Mariah Carey. Once I realized that I was, I could be heard, I closeted my you became more shy with it.
Speaker 2:Yes, and especially the singing that. I guess that's when I started like leaning more into piano. I knew I wanted to sing but I couldn't do it out loud, which is a terrible. You can't sing quietly really in a small house, you know. So like, actually it's kind of one of my biggest artistic wounds is my voice. I've had to learn how to be okay with being loud and be heard and like let it out, cause I really started to hide behind the piano after that and like I'm glad I know the piano so well but I always just wanted to sing.
Speaker 1:So when you're saying you're having to deal with that, is it manifesting like even in the studio when you're recording, like actually sonically needing to project and be louder because their shyness or Sonically.
Speaker 2:actually, I have this weird thing with my voice where now that I'm going to be loud, I'm going to be, I'm going to push and I actually like would push too hard and that kind of chokes the sound. I've had to learn how to like relax more and just like allow the sound to come out and like be okay with being quieter because actually a quiet tone projects more in a microphone, especially to learn how to trust that live to like.
Speaker 2:I barely figured that out in like the last four or five years. Oh, I can sing quietly on stage too, if I really trust it, and then, like it just resonates in a different way in the mic and then, if the sound guy trusts me, they'll EQ it and make, make it pop the way it needs to. I don't have to like be like trying to sing really loud all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no, that makes sense. I'm curious too. You know, in the writing process the final product doesn't it's clear that you have it figured out, because I think there's such a beautiful balance between your vocals shining through, but the instrumentation still grooving and doing everything that it needs to, but staying where it needs to in the mix. One of the things I'm curious about, though, is you mentioned like sometimes hiding behind the piano when you're writing. Do you find yourself being too heavy on the instrumentals, or do you feel like you've figured out a good balance now at this point in terms of being able to write and say what needs to be said and letting everything else kind of support that?
Speaker 2:Well, that's been a whole journey too, because I went to school for jazz piano and so I got way in the weeds with like being overly technical. And then when I moved to New York and I was like, no, I'm going to write, I want to be a songwriter, I want to be an artist, I'm not going to be a jazz pianist. It was like a whole process of like shedding all that complexity and getting back down to like the basics of just like what makes a good melody it only needs to be four chords. And then I was like kind of in 10 years of like that, like trying to simplify. And then, with my last record, genesis, I was like trying to bring complexity back in, like okay, let's let's have some little shreddy moments where I can like play really fast and like weird.
Speaker 2:And so like that feels, it feels like I've hit a fun balance now where, like I can trust myself to not overcomplicate things but complicate things when they need it.
Speaker 1:Sure yeah, and like I mentioned, like I think I was listening to, I do off of Genesis before and like that's what I was thinking of in particular.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that one is just so fun Because I think there's like, at no point does the vocal not hit and I think, like I'm such a sucker for for lyricism, and I think there's there's a lyric in that song I'm trying to remember. I'm going to show you all the words that I learned. I can't say right, and it's like that sticks out and it hits you and still has emotional impact. Well, at the same time, all the textures underneath and everything that's happening harmonically and rhythmically, it's just like such a good balance. And so, yeah, that stuck out to me of just like you can hear all that. And it's like when you hear someone who's really proficient on keys and piano typically you think Billy Joel, or someone who's just like playing all the notes, you know this feels subdued enough, with all of the interesting nature behind it, that you've got a really good balance there.
Speaker 4:So it's good to hear. Thanks for saying that.
Speaker 1:And it's a good correlation back, I think, to that Mariah record because there is a bunch sonically happening behind it. But at no, she's the show and the thing she's saying and the way she's singing is kind of that soul foundation. I'm curious now. That was your instinct to get going and be all into music. How did you approach your parents? Were they pretty supportive? Was it like, hey, let's start doing piano lessons? Were you asking for that? What was your kind of journey to kind of get started?
Speaker 2:I feel really lucky that I had like a couple sort of guardian angel people along the way. It was my grandma, actually, who like noticed that I was really into it and she pushed my dad to get me into piano lessons when I was five, like around that time, and like I showed proficiency so they kind of like moved me up to like it started being all like a group, like all the kids playing keyboards in a room and they're like, oh you're, you've got something you can do private lessons.
Speaker 2:So like private lessons. And I never talked to my parents, I never talked to my dad about it, my mom, they were split. My mom knew, because I would make her listen to me sing in the car, I would make her listen to these songs that I started writing when I was like nine and I would be like mom who would sing this Reba McEntire or Trisha Yearwood, and I would always like really hope she'd say Reba, but she'd always say Trisha, and I'd be like, not, not there yet. So they knew, they knew, but I wasn't like telling them straight out like I'm going to do this.
Speaker 2:Basically until I was deciding where to go to college, and I was like, because I'm going to be a musician, and they're like, yeah, oh really, you could do that, you're so smart, you could be a doctor, a lawyer, like anything else. And I'm like, oh no, and like I was just so stubborn that they finally they got on board and they've been supportive in the ways that I ultimately needed them to be like they helped me financially, they were very generous in that way, but they still worry about me, I think, every now and then, when I'm on a tv show, they're like okay, she's gonna be okay, but they're like you could always go back to school you could always go back to school yeah, the thing I got I went through music jazz school as well.
Speaker 1:The thing I got when I was like because I think it was pretty clear towards the end of high school that that was like there was no getting me off of that but the thing they kept trying to push was like, well, what about music education?
Speaker 1:like maybe be a band director or a teacher or something and I was like a professor with tenure uh-huh, yeah, so I that was the kind of pressure that I got, so I completely relate. But yeah it, it works out and your, your path goes the way it goes, you know, yeah, yeah, just have gratitude for whatever happens in the moment.
Speaker 3:So you know, you mentioned Reba and Trisha and writing and singing songs that might work for them, a good segue into a thing called love.
Speaker 1:A good segue into A Thing Called Love, a novelty song, and maybe you need to dig in a little deeper.
Speaker 4:And you are so worried about turning out like everybody else.
Speaker 3:You will never, ever make it as a songwriter.
Speaker 4:My name is Miranda Presley and maybe I haven't yet, but someday I will write a song that will make you a great you-ever-said no-transcript.
Speaker 1:Did you watch?
Speaker 2:it.
Speaker 1:I did watch it.
Speaker 2:I got to rewatch it because I don't think I've seen it since I was nine.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah. So I'll be interested to hear kind of your thoughts and how it impacted you, because going back which I would recommend going back it is such a time capsule for that time and that moment and the way things work and we can get into it in some detail. But tell me, why do you love a thing called love?
Speaker 4:I don't know if I love the movie like let's just say that, what?
Speaker 1:it meant because, yeah, I probably would go.
Speaker 2:Like I'm like, oh my god, this is so misogynist and racist and like all the things. But um, at the time I was so hungry for seeing a way to be a musician and like I was like, oh, it's a thing you can like go do, like try to be a songwriter and a place and do open mics and like be a girl with your guitar Just you against the world, kind of thing. I was like sign me up, or now I kind of know what that looks like. I think it just gave me like I didn't know how to play the movie in my head of where I wanted to go, and then that gave me like a movie to watch, like I'll move to Nashville and I'll marry Billy Ray Cyrus and I'll start writing songs for Reba McEntire, you know, like cause I was really into pop country. It went. It went all the way from Mariah Carey, whitney Houston, boys to men to like Reba Garth, you know.
Speaker 1:That's Las Cruces in a nutshell.
Speaker 2:That's Las Cruces for you.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So how did you, how did you come across the movie? Because it's interesting that I'm imagining you know at that age, was it something you grabbed at the video store?
Speaker 2:Or kind of how did it come up? Do you know? I think my mom took me. I was with her every other weekend and most Friday nights that she picked me up we'd go see a movie and that was when she took me to that's awesome.
Speaker 1:I think it'll surprise you. Of course there are the, like you mentioned, some of the misogynistic aspects of that time. But I think it does a better job than I would have expected as well in like having some of the empowerment for what the women's voices were there at that time. But I also agree with you that it's like it's a movie that really perfectly captures like the songwriter journey and story and going for your dreams. Because I also didn't know that like songwriters was a career when I was younger either. You know, like I always assumed the artist was the one who wrote the songs and so you kind of really don't even know what that, that life is like at that time.
Speaker 1:And one of the things that I think is so cool that it captures at that time is at the very beginning of the movie she's looking at like a clipped newspaper ad for the Bluebird cafe or whatever you know, and you know that's the thing that she has where I'm like today's kids in today's era, like that, no one's looking at newspapers. Even explaining a newspaper to a child is probably very funny this day and age. You know the thing that I love about it and it reminds me of so many different points of my musical journey when I was younger is the like she shows up with no money, living in this like terrible hotel and just really trying to make the dream work, regardless of the rejection that you come across, the self-doubt that can come with it, the competition and the cattiness that can come with that. Yeah, it's such a good you know movie capsule for that feeling, that career, that time period, so it was refreshing. I hadn't seen it and it was. It was really cool.
Speaker 2:Cool, I gotta go back and watch it. I think what you just mentioned like really resonated with me to like this idea that like you don't need much If you have a vision, a desire, just go, try, you'll be broke, you'll figure it out. And I was really hungry for that kind of like messaging like I wouldn't need anybody and like I've had to revisit that now. At the time that felt very empowering I can just go do this on my own.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's a good movie and a good reminder and but it's cool to hear that like that's what kind of made you hungry in that way. When did you write your first song? Do you remember like your first songwriting, like attempts and like what was going on at that time?
Speaker 2:My first song was called a thing called love. Okay, in movie and I wrote it to Billy Ray. Wow, and it went. I still remember it. I was trying to remember a song from the movie which there was no such thing as Spotify, so like sure if I can't remember it.
Speaker 1:I was trying to remember a song from the movie, which there was no such thing as Spotify.
Speaker 2:So I like, if I can't remember it, I'm never going to hear that song again. Yeah, I was kind of trying to rewrite the song. So this is how my version went.
Speaker 4:There was a thing called love in my heart for you. I had never been in love before, so it was very new. I would have said that I loved you, but I was only 10.
Speaker 1:Still, this thing called love is still lying within me. Whoa, that is so good For that age the melody and some of the things that you're doing phrase-wise, that was really good. Yeah, that was my very first song. Wow, I mean, that's so incredible. I think whenever you like hear kids like say they wrote their first song, it does not have. You know, there's there's. There's a lot to be worked on.
Speaker 2:Man, if you hear some of Dolly Parton's first songs, you'll be like okay yeah, no, wow, that is so cool.
Speaker 1:And did you like perform that around?
Speaker 2:Did you not to your parents or anything, it was just on the playground, like just playing by myself, just humming it and like trying to remember it, like just reps, reps, reps, because I didn't want to forget.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when do you think so from there? Was that a catalyst to keep writing and keep writing? Or did you have, like I got my song, you know, and it took some time to try again, you know?
Speaker 2:No, I got the bug to keep trying and that's when I started, you know, like torturing my mom with different songs to try to get her to say this one will be for Reba. Like I knew that a good one she'd be like that's for Reba. But I never got that. But I didn't stop trying. Trisha Yearwood has a lot of songs coming from me. Yeah, no diss to Trisha. She's awesome.
Speaker 1:She is, yeah, and she's even in the movie. So, as that's going on and you're writing and that's making things happen, where does it seems like similar time frame than the next movie kind of comes in, which is Romeo and Juliet?
Speaker 2:Similar, but so different. Tell me about that Romeo and Juliet came out as I was hitting puberty and like getting emo like super emo. So the fucking, the soundtrack to that movie was life-changing and like for like there was some really dark stuff but also some really fun stuff. But like the garbage song on that on that record and then the Desiree song, kissing you, like just tore my heart open in a way that I didn't know was possible with music. And then there's a Radiohead song on that album called I Wanna Be.
Speaker 4:Someone Else or I Let Go.
Speaker 1:Talk Show Host.
Speaker 2:Yes, Talk Show Host that song also like a completely different spectrum of ripping my heart open into, like a new portal of emotion.
Speaker 3:I want to be someone else, so I'll explode, floating upon the surface for the bird.
Speaker 2:So like this was just like my, my emotional music awakening. Like I'm hitting puberty, I'm feeling so many feelings and this soundtrack like, just like, hits all the feelings, from a rage to deep depression, to longing to like elated dance party vibe. You know, just like it was all of the things.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And learning who Radiohead was. So this was back when I had a subscription to Rolling Stone and like, read it like the Bible and like I would, I would really pay attention to the side. It was a really like big magazine back then the whole side panel would be dedicated to just promoting new records coming out. And I saw in that magazine that radiohead had a new record coming out called okay, computer and do this date, and I fucking counted down the days so that record came out and like the day it came I was like dad you gotta drive me to sam goody, I gotta get this cd, and and he did and like that.
Speaker 2:So now I'm moving on to the next one. But yeah, the radio had okay, computer was like that launched at my whole thing.
Speaker 1:From that moment on it's like yeah, this is my north star yeah, and what's so interesting is is that record was a pull away from what they were doing with the bends.
Speaker 1:You know they had the very this is like and it's also very interesting because I think it correlates with your story a little bit, not at this time, obviously, but like in hindsight. You know a lot of what they reference in terms of some of what they were inspired by was like miles and bitches, brew and stuff like that, and so like which I didn't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course, yeah and but you go and do jazz school later you. So it's just like interesting to see like all the elements that kind of resonate with you. But yeah, that record was. They totally wanted to pivot from what they did on the bends. They very much were like working with layered sounds and like live recordings and trying not to overdub and all these groove loops and like natural reverb and all this stuff and it's like such an incredibly produced record while also having like Songs, incredible songs, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:But cause I didn't know about the Bends until a couple of years later and Creep Like I didn't know, about that song until way later. So then, like it actually took me a minute to accept that Radiohead had been a band before this record, I was like I don't know. If I want to know what you know where they've been.
Speaker 1:One of my, one of my things that I get, you know, comments on on the show very often is like sometimes I'll discover a new artist and I'm like it's incredible, it's their debut record, you know. And then like someone's, like actually it's not you know, this is like record number two or three. So I get that. No, this is the first thing, because it's the first thing that you come across. It's my first thing with them.
Speaker 1:Wow. So granted, I know the movie kind of spawned, kind of hearing it, and then you're excited about the record and things at this time. Are there any key moments on the album that you're just like you remember being like this one had it on repeat, or was it like top to bottom, the whole record you've you romeo and juliet or, okay, computer okay, computer okay, computer paranoid android, definitely.
Speaker 2:And like that music video was really crazy. And this again was like I'm a nineties kid, so this is like peak MTV for me, like I think I was 14, 13, 14, and would stay up late after my parents went to bed and like put on mtv really low and like hope that they played the paranoid android video yes and every now and then I'd get lucky, but it wasn't all the time, because they yeah, you're at the mercy of whatever they want to fucking do and and how.
Speaker 1:How did this correlate with what friends or people in school were listening to, because I don't remember that being necessarily prominent in pop culture.
Speaker 2:So, like as much as it's Definitely not in Las Cruces.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly that's what I'm thinking about. So, like, were you showing it to friends or was it just something that was just like no, this is me and mine, and kind of keeping it to yourself.
Speaker 2:I wasn't consciously trying to keep it to myself, but I didn't think anyone my couple, close friends, who are also into music like they just weren't into it so it's like this is my own. I'm on my own journey with this, and that kind of leads to the next record let's talk about it so when I was, when I was 12, my mom moved to houston.
Speaker 2:she lived in el paso, uh, until I was 12, and then they moved to houston. So I was spending summers and like holidays in houston. You know hou, houston's like a big city compared to Las Cruces and all of a sudden I was exposed to kids Like. My mom was an evangelical Christian, so I was going to like a mega church with her and I was getting introduced to high school culture at a mega church in Houston, which is just. I need a whole leg of therapy to describe what that was like. I used music as a way to get, get friends. I didn't even know I was doing it, but I was really into jewel at this time. They asked me someone heard me playing some jewel songs and they were like do this for everybody? And I did it for everybody.
Speaker 2:And then I like, had friends, so like that was my way to not be a total dork and get made fun of, cause I was on the track to being a total dork and getting made fun of all the time and then all of a sudden that was cool, so I'm like okay, this is my ticket to not to be cool.
Speaker 2:And in doing so, I met a friend named Whitney, and Whitney God bless her was a rebel. She's a fucking mess, but she had the greatest taste in music or in my opinion then and she played Silent all these years. For me, and I swear to God, I felt like someone was reaching through the speakers and just like giving me a big like it's all gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay.
Speaker 4:Like you, belong in this world.
Speaker 2:That's so special when those songs hit you yeah it was my, my houston friends who had cool taste in music were started like introducing me to all kinds of stuff and I'd go back to crucis and like no one knew none of the records had anything and it was just like literally the desert, the musical desert. And like to your point about the culture there being like most of the people, or a lot of the people, are just happy with a small life. I have no shade on that, because I really love that. Now, what my soul was calling for needed a bigger place with more people who also liked that, who I could be friends with. I just needed more friends. That's the only reason to leave.
Speaker 1:Yeah no, and I think there's more there too, I mean for the audience. You know, new Mexico is technically the land of enchantment, but like that saying there is like land of entrapment, you know totally, because no one leaves, you know. So none of my family has ever left. I have an enormous family and everyone's still there. I was kind of first one to leave but like cause of what you're saying resonates me.
Speaker 1:Then the music I was into was not of the culture, the things that I wanted to do were not of the culture, and so there was this like pull to go elsewhere and kind of explore. So I totally get that. But yeah, and it's cool when you can find your people of sorts. I know the Houston people weren't exactly your people, but like when you start to explore, yes, they were a gateway to being like oh, there's something more, there's something else out there. It doesn't have to be so isolating. And so, yeah, that song is such a special song too. You know, one of the things that I love so much about it is every line line is a bar. You know, like there's like there's so many times when I'll listen to a record I'm like that's the line, like if I had to get a line tattooed like, that would be the one, this one. I could make an argument for almost every single line in that song, like even the way it opens. It's like excuse me, can I be you for a while?
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, but that makes me want to cry still yeah, and then just like the, when she starts, you know I hear your inner girl with deep thoughts like what's so amazing about really deep thoughts? Like just she just goes and it's like your line just feels so good and like with this, like again minimal instrumentation, with like just the you know twinkly piano stuff and the strings, and it's just like, yeah, that warm hug feeling like you talked about.
Speaker 3:Excuse me, but can I be you for a while? My dog won't bite if you sit real still, I got the antichrist in the kitchen yelling at me again. Yeah, I can hear that Been saved again by the garbage truck. I got something to say, you know, but nothing comes. Yes, I know what you think of me. You never shut up.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite things in music is and I hear this on OK Computer as well is like I love when there's textures or groove or whatever. That's just like. Whatever this bed is that's being made, I want to lay in it and never for it to end. And this song and I think there's so many songs on ok computer that I'm just like I almost just like wish they never ended like they can sit and and soar, and be in this feeling, and like I'm in it, I'm in it and I want to stay there the entire time if we could pick our version of heaven.
Speaker 2:It's like can this song never end? But like doesn't feel like you won't go crazy because just floating in space in a beautiful bubble for eternity like a big part of my ritual around listening to that record in particular, like I'd light all the incense I got like a fucking like catholic church worth of candles everywhere and just light every candle and light on my floor, looking at the ceiling, listening to the whole record like we're not working, just like bathing in the what, what that's.
Speaker 1:It feels so good to talk to someone who, like, has that, that same experience with things. You know, because one of the things I found is a challenge with connection, right, and I think this goes back to community and friendship and things like that. But it's like I want to give that to people, right? I want you, by me saying, hey, go listen to this song, like it's because I want you to have that same feeling too.
Speaker 1:And very often it doesn't happen right Everyone's like that's cool, that's pretty, that sounds good and I'm like no, no, no, no, but you need to have that. Yes, no, this is life. Yeah, so it's just, it's. It's good to hear that, cause it's just, it's one of my favorite things in the world. And and I don't know if it sounds like you're you're a daughter, right, it sounds like your daughter has that itch and that love. But, like one of my biggest fears is I'm getting ready to have a child as well. As like what if they don't love music? You know like what if they just like it? That's not what scratches their itch, you know. And like my wife likes music, but I don't think she has that like same visceral, like feeling for things, and I'm just like it's gonna be so heartbreaking to me if I can't be like this record, though you know, like, yeah, they don't respond the same way, you know what, how, how, how soon are going to be a parent?
Speaker 1:May.
Speaker 2:May Gosh congratulations.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you, this is a podcast exclusive, but yeah, please feel free to cut this out quickly on that.
Speaker 2:Already, in her short three years, she's gone through various seasons of I'm like, oh, I think she's really into music. And then she like loves when I sing to her at night to then like no, no, no, no, you can't sing. No, shut the f up, get out of here. We're not singing, we're not dancing go. And then she turned another corner and now we're like it's a party, we're like singing and dancing all the time, and but you have to let go of this, like any desire of you wanting to like mold them. They're just fucking people, totally. Yeah, and I know that too. Like I, if it's not music, I just want them to find that thing.
Speaker 1:Any desire of you wanting to like mold them. They're just fucking people. Totally yeah, and I know that too. Like I, if it's not music, I just want them to find that thing that makes them feel the way that Totally yeah, that's the thing, just like I know you just want them to to find something that they're going that's going to ignite them and like excite them into their life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that makes it all so much more palatable. Yeah, if you are inspired. By something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and because you do, you meet the people who have not found that thing yet or don't ever find it potentially, you know, and it's like it's so heartbreaking because, like I feel so privileged that at such a young age I'm like this is my thing, this is the thing that gives fills my cup, and, yeah, I also one of the things we've been talking about lately is, like you know, some family members and she kind of my wife had it when she was kind of growing up is like some of the songs that they listened to were just like the nursery rhyme things and stuff.
Speaker 1:And I'm like, no, my mom had like Nelly in the car and stuff or whatever you know, and I'm just like, granted I, there's a line you know of what's appropriate for children and what's not. But I'm also like no, I want to show good stuff, not just kids, bop or you know, head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Speaker 2:Because that's going to come anyway.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:They're going to get that in school, so you could be the like.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:We showed our daughter the Beatles and the Beach Boys really early and she was like into it for a long time, until disney movies. And then you know we're listening to a lot of frozen, but it's, and those, those songs are so well written too they are yeah so it makes me cry, even though I'm like I hate this stylistically, but I'm I'm feeling so much I know those pixar things get me.
Speaker 1:I wanted a movie that I saw, uh animated. That like gutted me more than I ever expected was soul, and I think it kind of plays into some of the stuff we're talking about a little bit, but so much of that soundtrack is just like gorgeous and like.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I want to kind of close things with I. Just before we kind of get into we have like a rapid fire section at the end, but before we do we talked about the early onsets of Mariah and the country things that hit you. And then what happened with Tori and Radiohead and the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. How do you think all of those influences have you seen them play out into your actual artistry? Right, because then you ended up entering a career where, yes, you're writing songs for yourself, but you've also had the privilege to be a really incredible technician and instrumentalist that can play along with other people's art. What are, what are the correlations for you that you'd say like these things have made a major impact on how you operate as an artist.
Speaker 2:I know it's loaded. I know how to answer that for, like my, for my solo stuff, cause I think Mariah and the pop country, like I just have an internal, like I'm always trying to write a pop song, even when I'm trying to be weird, and I think like that's what I love about Radiohead is because they they're avant garde but there's like an underbelly of pop sensibility in it that grounds it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It took me a long time to really embrace the sound design part of my job and because I think studying jazz piano, I'm sure you can relate to this Like it's. They're almost anti-technology.
Speaker 2:You need to just be able to like wrestle this acoustic instrument, and that's that's your only job, that's all you should care about, and it turns out there's a lot more going on in music than just. I mean, that's one avenue and the people who can do that. You have to be the best at that, though. Yes, there's no world where you can be like a good jazz piano player and not have to do a million other things, so like, if you're a genius, congratulations, you can play the piano all day. But if you're not a genius jazz piano player like, you're gonna have to learn some other tricks, and I don't think I realized that radio head is like they were masters of sound design.
Speaker 2:Before. I didn't really know what that meant. Yeah, um, and so it's like taking me a long time to figure out like it's just as inspiring and cool to be a nerd about making sound as it is about technically being good at the instrument so I'm still on that journey with like being a side musician, like because now that I'm 40 and like bands that I get to play with are more and more established.
Speaker 2:It's like if I'm called for something it's because they me, it's not because they just want a keyboard player, because there's a million keyboard players that could do the technical side better than I can, but they like something about what I bring personally, artistically, creatively, that they want. How do I infuse my playing with more of my artistic self? And that's that's the journey I'm on now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm on now. Yeah, I'm glad that you've been able to work with artists that kind of give you some of that freedom to even be able to do that too, cause I know some keyboardists that they're plugging into a laptop and it's pre-programmed and it's almost MIDI, almost what you're playing, more so than anything that you're actually being able to be artistic about.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's what some of my jobs still look like. I have to do the programming, so it's not like I don't get to just show up in that programming part is actually the fucking hardest part of the job no, totally, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I'm glad you get to be a part of that, you know once it's programmed, I'm just pushing buttons for the show and like that does get a little stale, especially after like six years of playing the music.
Speaker 2:So thankfully even some of those bands like they've figured out how to like integrate me more as a as an artist into their thing too. But it's still like. It's still something I'm always wrestling with.
Speaker 1:Well, good, yeah, that that's awesome to hear. That that's, you know, what you kind of take from these things. I think one of the things that's been really awesome about the show for me is just just it's been cool to see other people think back about the art and kind of see this did touch me or this did have an impact later in a way that.
Speaker 1:I realized or didn't realize, and so yeah, it's. You take for granted sometimes the little pieces that hit you at different points in your career and just the huge impact that it can ultimately make Great. Well, we'll get you out of here, but before we do, we ask everyone five rapid fire questions. So first one here Misty, if you could be on any reality TV show, which one would you choose?
Speaker 2:Oh my God, project Runway.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's a good one. That's a good one. If people have never consumed any of your pot five. What's the one that you'd want them to go experience right now?
Speaker 4:OK, computer.
Speaker 1:What is a favorite onstage moment or performance? First that comes to mind.
Speaker 2:I got to play a jazz piano solo with Sara Bareilles at Radio City Music Hall.
Speaker 1:That is incredible. I actually think I had seen you twice, actually, well, three times. Once in Las Cruces, I don't remember the context.
Speaker 2:The other one, I don't remember if it was in las cruces or in albuquerque but you did like a talk in in a hall about something I don't remember what it was for. Oh my god, mr swap had me give a talk like all state or synth yes, that's what it was.
Speaker 1:Okay. Yeah, I was there for that and you did a talk there, and then that that's when I went online and like started downloading and like following your music. But yeah, that's that's yeah, that's so cool um, I think I was in all state at the time when you must have been yeah, yeah, because I think that's what it was for.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, crazy. But and then the third time that I was referring to is with sarah borrellas, so I with the band there and that band was so tight, I think like that's. I think you guys were opening for one republic in albuquerque or something yeah, and I remember being like holy shit that band, like just incredible anyway sorry, that drummer is my husband.
Speaker 1:Now no way yeah, that is so cool. Wow, yeah, crazy, crazy. All right, sorry I interrupted the rap rapid fire with some anecdotes, but I love it. Okay, if you knew you could only play one of your tunes for the last time, your final song, what is the one that you would be playing?
Speaker 3:Goodbye July.
Speaker 1:Perfect. And then what's one piece of advice you'd give a past version of yourself Just relax and try to enjoy it. Enjoy it, enjoy the moment, be where your feet are, love it. Yeah, okay, anything you want to promote or where can people follow you?
Speaker 2:You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Google.
Speaker 1:And more.
Speaker 2:And more.
Speaker 1:I'll put a bunch of links in the description for people to listen to you. But awesome, missy, thank you so much for doing this. It was such a pleasure.
Speaker 4:It was so fun Thank you.
Speaker 1:I feel so lucky. So thank you, and I know the fans will love it. That'll do it for today's show. Thank you so much for listening. Misty is actually actively in the studio working on a new record, so please give her a follow so you can see when that comes out. In the meantime, go listen to all of her current music on Spotify, apple Music. See her when she's playing live. You won't be disappointed. We're going to send you out with Goodbye July. It's one that's going to get you in your feels, but if there's anything you could take away from this, it's being able to sit in that space where you could listen to tunes and experience all the feelings.
Speaker 3:So we'll see you next time, but until then, what's your puff? Call it off before you can see the end. Just tell your story With paper and pen, but the words All sound reused when the hurt Is a pain you choose.
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