Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast - EP 292: Evan Honer & Hayley Jane

Episode Date: October 15, 2024

Show Bard Shawn opens the show with a rousing tune in celebration of Andy's Monday Motivations. Thereafter, we learn what the deal is with Berklee College of Music thru the eyes of phenomenal singer/songwriter and magic woman (i.e. good witch), Hayley Jane! Does she know what's up with all the extraterrestrials in Vermont? And on the Interview Hour, we welcome genre-blending, indie songsmith, Evan Honer! Evan may not know a thing about cars, but the man sure can DIVE off the high board of LIFE. Listen in and find out how this multi-faceted human approaches music on his own terms... We're psyched to partner up with our buddies at Volume.com! Check out their roster of upcoming live events and on-demand shows to enrich that sweet life of yours. Call, leave a message, and tell us if you think one can get addicted to mushrooms: [phone]  Check out our new album!, L'Optimist on all platforms Follow us on Instagram @worldsavingpodcast For more information on Andy Frasco, the band and/or the blog, go to: AndyFrasco.com Check out our good friends that help us unwind and sleep easy while on the road and at home: dialedingummies.com Produced by Andy Frasco, Joe Angelhow, & Chris Lorentz Audio mix by Chris Lorentz Featuring: Mara Davis Shawn Eckels

Now, a message from the UN. 6am on Sunday and Frasco is still drinking A random hard Italian girl is in the bed and she's waking He plays his man and shows his possible more than one man of bank and a cheap Even with the podcast, this job is never fucking complete So here's some Monday Motivation Here's another Monday Motivation Monday This is his therapy I'm certified

Doesn't want a paper therapy No way They say you want it easy here It's just a Monday Motivation It's a Monday Motivation Get your shit together Don't go back to see me, whoa, fuck all theco, has your heads, has your minds. Are you staying out of trouble? Are you in another basement of a venue like me and Haley Jane? We got Haley Jane on the show tonight.

Hi everybody. How you doing Haley? I'm fine. How are you Andy? Haley Jane, I've known you forever. It's been a long time. Oh my God. But distantly I feel like. I know. You all know who Haley Jane is. She's one of them the great women

songwriters in this. I would consider you more than the jamsy, but I met you through the jam. Oh, definitely. Yeah. Stuff. The jam scene has been very kind to me again. She plays with everyone. I mean, you used to do stuff with Josh Schwartz too, right? From Turquoise. Yeah. Yeah. We all went to college together. You did? Well, yeah, a lot of turquoise and DopaPod. What, Berkeley? Yeah. You went to Berkeley? Yeah, for one semester.

See, that's what I like about you. You quit, you got out of there. You got the fuck out of there. I got scooped. I just realized I was better in the field. You know, I just wasn't good at classroom settings. And then I had an opportunity to go on tour as a backup singer. So I took it.

I want to tell everyone what the fuck the deal is with Berklee. With Berklee? You don't need to go for four years, do you? I just, yeah, for me, I met the Primates there, so it was worth it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, you did? Yeah. You've had the same band forever?

No, no, these are new guys. OK. Yeah, yeah. So you're first band. My first band, yeah. It's fucking crazy. Yeah. But it was worth the tuition to meet those guys. I heard you were a little partier when you were a kid. Yeah. It's fucking crazy. But it was worth the tuition to meet those guys.

I heard you were a little partier when you were a kid. Goodness. We can't get into that right now. That's for the long form. Long form podcast. This is Haley's opening for us tonight in Vermont. And I was like, fuck, we should, I haven't had you on the show yet. And like, well, we're just going to, this is just the tip. Yeah, this is, we're just giving you a little taste, a little taste of the tip.

Oh, so how's it been out there? Out there. Just on the road. Oh, good. Great. These guys I'm with now are killer. Yeah. Like really good. Really good. You know, you're a songwriter and it's your name as the band. Is it hard to identify a band when your name's on the bill?

So it's like, it's hard to get a full band rocking, right? Well, it's interesting because the primates and I, we were this fully formed thing, and this thing has just begun. We've been playing since January. But I feel like every time you play with a certain group of people, it becomes so crystallized. I don't know, I feel like every time you play with a certain group of people,

it becomes so crystallized. I don't know a better word for it, but it becomes so solid and you start to figure each other out. And as much as I thought it might be some rotating people, I'm feeling really good about these guys right now. Are you like one of the bros? Not yet. I'm working on it. They're younger. They're substantially younger. Oh, you're like, trying to like balance that, like not being a mom too hard and not like trying to be cool either.

Like I want them to think I'm cool. Yeah. Cause I, do you know what I mean? Yeah. It's like, you're not a cougar. Exactly. No, no, no, no, not like that. That's not even an option.

No, you know what I mean? No, it's navigating. They're just younger and they're just getting, they're just getting into it. Not a cougar. Exactly. No, no, no, no, not like that. That's not even an option. No, you don't have me. No, it's navigating. They're just younger and they're just getting, they're just getting into it. And it's really fun to watch them.

22 to 25 years old. Holy shit. Yeah. You are. Couging out. You're couging out over here. We love to hear it. I needed that young blood.

But it's also good to have some young, some young guys in there to be on the road. They get excited. I learned so much. What have you learned about the younger generation? To take, well, like making an album, I was so, like, fine, like I'm in charge now. I'm in charge now. This is my business. See, that's what's hard.

When you have a band together. It's my thing. I'm in charge now. This is my business. See, that's what's hard. When you have a band together, it's like. It's my thing. My name's on it. I'm the one responsible. I'm responsible for making sure they're taken care of and like can sustain. I'm responsible for me. Have you yelled at anyone yet?

No, no. No? Not yet. I'm not a yeller. Fucking just yell. No, I get all emotional. I threaten to quit everything. Yeah. You know, just like, oh, once a month, my friend.

Me too, queen. It's tough out here. Therapy. Yeah. What does the therapist say about not trying to quit when the going gets tough? I don't know. I just started with this new guy, Luke. He's like 81. He's awesome. Yeah. What does a therapist say about not trying to quit when the going gets tough? I don't know. I just started with this new guy, Luke. He's like 81. Yeah. He's awesome.

81? Yeah. Like he's old. So what do you tell them about the road? What do you do to calm you down? We're working on like childhood stuff right now. We haven't even gotten to the road, you know? Oh, so he's just getting started. We just opened. Yeah. He's cool though. He's got this look like Santa Claus, like he knows something you don't. Right.

Like it's like, I almost feel like I'm walking into a movie sometimes, like a movie about a girl that goes to this old guy and we sit in rocking chairs together and we just talk about life. I had this old Jew in New York, dude, and he did all the comedians and I was like, he would fucking analyze me hard. Yeah.

Cause he did like all like real heavy, traumatic comedians like who are just so in their heads. I'm like, I'm not that fucked up. Yeah, you're not? Not really. I had a good childhood. You know, the most, some of the things I'm fucked up about are like, like learning how to be intimate and learning how to have communication and dialogue and not just suppress my feelings

and just have like be passive aggressive. No, he said it. I get passive aggressive sometimes. Oh, you wouldn't be like that. Yeah. I like it that you were encouraging me to yell at my band. That seems very healthy. Yeah. Sometimes I just got to yell at the band.

I got to because I'll yell. My band, we've been together 15 years. So you just yell at him? No. Hey, Matt. I'm like, hey, no, we don't yell. So you just yell at him? No. Hey, Matt. I'm like, Hey, no, we don't yell. We get passive aggressive until it boils up. We just stop talking to each other. But no, you have to nip it in the butt. You're maybe right. Maybe you're on the road. You're living with each other. Yeah. You just got to just get after it and talk about it. It's hard

though, because sometimes I don't always feel justified in what I think is going on. It's my perception, right? Right. So that's hard to just be like, Hey, I don't always feel justified in what I think is going on. It's my perception, right? Right. So that's hard to just be like, Hey, you're making me feel like this and you're doing this thing when they're just being and maybe having a tough day. It's the idea of the perception you have on yourself. Oh shit. Nice to meet you.

I'm Andy Franska. I'm very excited. No, but it's true though. I'm like that too. Sometimes I'll project on my band when it's true though. I'm like that too. Sometimes I'll project on my band when it's like not how they're feeling. It's about how I'm actually not the time I'm upset. It's something else.

I know it. It's like something deeper or do you know what I mean? Do you hate yourself? I'm struggling with that right now. Wow. I know this is going to be an hour conversation. Everyone hates everyone. That's my coping mechanism when things get too heavy.

You know, I wonder about that because like, you know, why do we, why do we go on stage every day to be, to feel, uh, to be seen? Oh, that's not Luke got to real quick. He's like, you need to be seen. Yeah. I was even like, he pointed out that being a bartender is still people facing you. It's like every job you've had. People think I'm crazy when I think bartenders are just like, they're performers. Yeah. Fuck.

Yeah, they are. We are. Yeah. I was, I was for years at the poor house on Boyle, Boylston street in Boston. It's gone now, but so what'd you take on Boston? Are they a bunch of races or they fine? Oh, they're all different. It's an, it's, it's like you're talking about the people that like are Boston, Boston. I don't think so. I think so. It's, it's a diverse place. Like I haven't met anybody.

Sometimes my white boss and friends are like, I don't fuck with Jews. They just say it. At least they're not hiding in the shadows. At least they're just out there with it. You can go, all right, that guy. But I kind of fuck with that. Good to know. I wish I was that honest right off the gate. Sure.

I am normally honest, like completely honest about who I am to strangers. And it's harder for me to be honest with people that I'm so close with. That's who I feel the most interesting. You're not? I have to think. You're the first? I think the people I'm closest with, I feel like I can, I'm a pretty weird person. Yeah, you are.

Like you'll, dude, I've heard stories about you. Half of it. I've heard stories about you, Haley Jane. And when you're around somebody you feel safe with, you can really let your weird out. Like I make weird noises and I like, yeah, I whistle a lot. I fucking love it. I say random words just out of nowhere. Yeah.

Like what? Crimson is the big one right now. Oh, so you have a word. I told Dallas, I was like, hear me scream crimson. She has a word every week. Yeah. And then I have a whistle that helps me get out of bad thoughts. What is it? Oh, like you're in your head. Yeah. Oh, it's great. So if I shoot back to the past or to a past trauma. Yeah. But it can be kind of weird sometimes. I don't know. He's, you're just like going around. I guess not. I got to a point where I could make it sound

like the phone version really well. Right. Oh yeah. Right. So then people just thought people were getting text messages without pull like it would suck me back out of the negative thought. We're trying to get out of our mental health. I don't have to face the past. I'll whistle about it. Oh yeah. I pace. Pacing's good. Oh, I look like a crazy person. When I'm like trying to get out of my own head, I'll just start walking in circles and just fucking just... I feel like I'm like, like an apex predator,

just like stalking my prey and my prayer, my emotions and feelings. I'm crazy too, man. Yeah, I know. I like it. And I like it because it's a different kind than mine and that's kind of cool. Yeah. Like the way you're talking, I don't know that what you just talked about. I don't feel

that. I'm more like, I'm more prey, right? Oh, I see. Like I'm more like kind of who... So you're self sabotaging yourself. Yeah. Like I lived in victimhood for a substantial amount of time. Wow. I built a mansion there. It was like, oh, everyone, everybody I came in contact to. That was my favorite, but I was so comfy in there.

Yeah. Welcome home. I used weakness as a way to navigate. I thought if everybody thought that I was, I used to pretend to be sick a lot because I just thought if everybody was gentle. You pretended to be sick so people would feel bad for you? Yeah, my mom got sick when I was really young. She got, she had cancer in her head. Yeah. And so I was eight years old and my dad was kind of a Vietnam vet, rough and

tumble guy, right? So he didn't have, he couldn't hold, he couldn't, he didn't, he suppressed his feelings cause he saw a bunch of shit. Yeah. Like he was just dealing with all that. It was wild. I think he's worried that's a lot It's fucked up think about fucked up situations. We're thinking about you, Florida I mean thinking about that earlier crazy

When you I heard about the cup the woman that lost her parents and her son in the same Moment being rushed away by the water. And what happens is I get a woman and they were on top of a roof and I guess they got swept away and she, she saw her grandparents and her grandmother was trying to hold onto her son and they all, the three of them didn't make it. And so, and she, she made it. And the last thing she didn't make it. And so, and she made it in the last thing she heard was them screaming.

And this, when I heard this story, it like- This is supposed to be a happy podcast. Oh, I'm sorry. No, no, no, we need to talk about this. But you know what I mean? Like it hit in a way that, sometimes you see these things happening on TV and you're like, that sucks.

But when you actually think about it, think about being in that moment. You ever get sick? Like real sick? Yeah. Like have you gotten like something bad, you almost died or something? No. Or you had that moment? No. I think that-

I haven't either. I think I experienced it with my mom getting sick and then, you know, yeah, I don't know. No. I mean, you're- that's the hardest part of seeing someone else pass away. She passed away? No, no, she's good. Oh, let's fucking go. Yeah. Well, she has bone cancer now.

Oh, Jesus Christ. It's all good. It's all good. It's all good. It's all good. It's all good. It's all good. It's great.

It's good. That's how artists are made. Is that, is that, is that the reason why, is it hard for you to get close with people? No, I think I... Interesting. Is it hard for me to get close with people? No, I think I latch onto people pretty tightly. Oh really? Yeah, maybe overly. Like I overshare. I love to get close with people. Is that the addiction in you?

Part of it, yeah. Oh yeah. Sure. I likeshare. I love to get close with people. Is that the addiction in you? Part of it. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Sure. I like that too. Extremism. You know, all the way. I'm all in or I'm all out. I can't just be halfway into anything. I try so much for balance. I know. It's not healthy, but it's also beautiful for art. Because you really get good art.

I sing a lot about roller coaster versus a train, right? Like the train is like on course, on track, going somewhere. The roller coaster is just cyclical and fucking crazy. And there's roller coaster people and there's train people. Montblou is kind of like that. You're in a band with Montblou, right? I feel like he, yeah. Yes, darling.

That's a cool show. You guys should check out your extremist Who an all-or-nothing guy? He's kind of uh, I feel like he has a good handle on some times I'm only gonna be solo and they like I only want to do band like full band stuff Now he does both and yes, darling and yes, Darling. Yeah. That's my favorite outfit of his. Is Yes Darling. Yeah.

Yeah. It's just funny. You guys talk shit and like you make, I love musicals and I love plays. So like that's like, well, and I feel like it makes sense now talking with you why you like Yes Darling. Because I think that like this, where we have this back and forth and we start discovering things and you trigger some beautiful epiphany in me when Ryan and I write together. Same.

Yeah. And not only that, he, I just, there have been times where I was like, Oh my God, we can't say that. It's too honest. Yeah. And then he just goes, we have to. Right. And I'm like, it's crazy.

I thought I just wrote a song called tears of my cocaine. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Sunday's turned to Monday and there's tears of my cocaine I'm like I try to do it. It's like a torch song Sad boy, yeah, but I try to play it with green sky I Try to have Paul sit in with me on a he's like brother a little too honest

He's like, brother, a little too honest for me. It's too much. It's too much. I'm like, respect, Paul. Respect, respect, respect. But sometimes I need that. Yeah. I'm not, I can't, it's like, that's the best thing that's ever had me,

me becoming a musician. Because I was an athlete before. What'd you do? I swam and I played baseball and basketball. Okay. But I never, I couldn't get my feelings out because I was just, I was, that's how I got my feelings out I guess.

Yeah, just aggression. Just writing songs. Oh. Because I couldn't do it with aggression. Yeah. Because if I was aggressive during sports, I wouldn't be a good athlete. Oh. Because you need to be precise.

You need to have, you got to keep composure. You need to keep cool. You need to zen out. Oh. Because you need to be precise. You need to have, you got to keep composure. You need to keep cool. You need to zen out. Ooh. With music, I could kind of have that aggressiveness with my lyrics and my poetry. Interesting. And still not, and still feel like I produced something okay. Yeah.

You know, you got to be calm and cool collected by that. Because you like to write very honestly. Yeah, so I'm just. Yeah, yeah. I totally. I can't just write to, I mean, I have been writing songs for someone. I just wrote this song for Zach Brown and Snoop Dogg. Okay. It's a cool song, but it's like, it didn't make my record.

I was like, I was wondering like, damn, that's going to be a big hit for them. I'm like, why didn't I make it on my record? You know, because sometimes I need to... I don't know. I just, I have a vision of how I want to approach my art, I guess. Yeah. And you felt comfortable giving that one away? Yeah.

Yeah. To those people? Oh, fuck yeah. Shout out to Monty, dude. Let's go. Hopefully, you'll see that song in April. Giving them away as a gift, I'm sure. I'm like, please, take every song I have, please.

Just one more. I'm like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be like, them away. As a gift, I'm sure. I'm like, please, take every song I have. Please, just fucking take it all. But yeah, I hear that. And that's why we're in art. And that's why we're here in Battleboro, Vermont. Brattleboro. Brattleboro.

Vermont's kind of a weird cult, dude. You think so? Fuck yeah. Oh yeah, I mean. Burlington's kind of a weird cult. My friends have a song called Cult Life. They're from Burlington, the middle ages. Hold on, Dempsey told me there's aliens all over Vermont. Is it true?

Yes. That's for the long form. Okay. Oh, you got abducted? I didn't get abducted. You saw some shit? Okay, we'll talk about that. I'm not speaking.

Haley J, this is exciting. We got a lot to talk about. All right. Well, we're already at 20. I got, we got Evan Hohner on the show. Evan Hohner is a great songwriter. He wrote this song. I fell in love with him on Instagram. He has a song called, I don't know shit about cars. You hear this song? Dude, this kid's great.

He's young. He was a professional diver. He was going to make like Olympic diving and like he fell in love with, he fell in love with diving. He was a professional diver. He was going to make like Olympic diving and like he fell in love with, um, he fell in love with, uh, die. I fell in love with songwriting in college and he just started taking off, got tick-tock

famous and now he's on tour. He's selling out everywhere. Evan Hohner. Okay. Cool. Hey Chris, play some Evan Hohner actually play it. You don't, I don't know shit about cars while we're pimping them out a little bit. But I thought it's great because songwriters, I love songwriters and that's why it's so important. Is he going to play it? No, I'm just telling them for post. Oh, gotcha. But I wish I was that tech. Edit that out.

Yo Chris, yo. I know you're in fucking LA right now, but here you go, check that. But you're going to love Evan Horner. Another quick question. Have you heard of volume.com? No. Haley Jane.

Volume.com is great. We need to start getting artists on subscription-based models. So you could give your fans, your fans could go on, pay you two dollars a month, five dollars a month, and you start giving them exclusive stuff to your brain and to your heart. And then we have mailbox money. As a jam band, how important is it to have mailbox money? That's the most important thing. I need that mailbox money. I love it that you call it mailbox money. Oh, fuck yeah, dude. That's how we're going to fucking actually live in New Hampshire. That's how you're actually...

By the way, congrats. You just got a new house. I did. Let's go. Let's go. With your lover, what's his name? His name is Grant. Shout out to Grant.

Thanks for making Haley happy. I love you, baby. But yes, we need mailbox money. And volume.com is helping artists get mailbox money. So if you are an artist and you need some content, head to volume.com. They're the best. They have the best team out there. Nugs is good, but they don't pay you need some content head to volume.com, they're the best of the best team out there Nugs good, but they don't pay you, you know fuck that

I always talk shit about nugs on here. Yeah, you know to say they keep volume.com But if you're just a listener If you're just a listener, they have so many great live streams from all these great acts Might as well get it. Haley Jane's going to be on volume because this show is streaming on volume. So this will be your first volume set. Yes. So we could start that subscription anytime you want. Oh, how exciting.

We can get you that mailbox money. Alright. volume.volume.com But we need to do an actual hour. And we will. Yeah, I'd like to. Okay. But for now, before we get into Evan Hohner. Evan Hohner.

Why don't you give some people some motivation to kick ass this week. To kick ass this week? Like what type of motivation do you give to the people to get out of their heads and just fucking do it? Oh man. If, just stay present and feel the wind. That's something that I try to do when I'm outside. Focus on the wind, focus on the smells and it's fall.

So just like go outside, get in the sunshine. I feel like this is your season. This can you tell? I can fucking tell doc. I always see you in browns and scarves and shit and some beanies. Was I dipping fall leaves in wax and making cool hats? Maybe. Maybe.

You'll see it the ramble. Yeah. Oh yeah. I'll see you at the ramble. Maybe we'll do the real pod then. That feels good. Okay. So feel the air, fear the wind, feel the wind. Are you a witch? Is that another conversation? Yeah. I got so many questions for you. I was raised in the church. So it's still really hard for me to use that word. Yeah. They'll identify. I can feel it. It's deep. But like people have a bad stigma about it. It's deep in my Baptist background is like trying to hammer it down. But like people have a bad stigma

on witches. There are good witches too. Yeah. People have a bad stigma about religion too. And there's, there's a lot of beauty in there too. So I'm trying to find that sweet, sweet balance. I look at you. You know, we try it take this long to talk to each other? How old are you? Are you in your 30s? I'm 39. I just turned 39. See, I'm 36. Yeah. Oh, this is going to be a good relationship.

Yeah, I'm very happy. Our 40s are going to be dubbed, dude. I got a friend, dude. We need more estrogen in the goddamn jam scene. More ladies. More fucking ladies. That's why, more fucking ladies. I'm telling you, I'm trying to get more estrogen in this fucking scene. There's too many fucking men Everywhere you you sitting here with a woman making her feel very comfortable to discuss like the difficult things is pretty fucking sweet We're in this together. Yeah, I was raised by women. I love fun. Yeah. Yeah, you know, it's like That's we need more women. The guys were just telling me about what their moms were like during menopause

I was like, I wonder what that's gonna be be like. And they're like, we'll tell you my voice. And I was, they're like bad attitude and really hot flashes. It's like, all right, cool. The bad bitch on her hands. Hey Jane, thanks for being on the show. I'll see you next. I'll see you soon. I'm excited to open for you.

Yeah. And I'll see you in a couple of days for Ramble. Yeah. See you down there. I'll see you then. Maryland. Maryland. The you down there. I'll see you then. Maryland. Maryland. The town of crabs.

The crabs that you eat, not the crabs that you get. And well, we don't know yet. We have a long weekend ahead of us. We'll find out. We won't talk about that. All right. Have a good day. I'll see you.

Enjoy. Bye. I get lonely at night, filling up my dreams With steam gasoline, got up to 583 I ain't scared of the dark, I still break my own heart I don't know shit about cars Well I ain't one to pick a fight I guess I'm never in the right I'll fall in further than I'd like I'm a lost cause of

rest I get sad when it rains singing songs out of my range lose my voice on the stage Wow. Here we are. The man, the myth, the legend. Evan, how you doing buddy? I'm doing great man. How are you doing? I'm doing great, man. How are you doing? I'm doing good, man.

My, before we get into what I want to talk about, how bad do you want to tell Luke Bryan to fuck off? I, it's funny because I just did an interview with the Opry people and they're like best friends with Luke Bryan. I just played, I just made my grand old Opry debut. Oh sick. Congrats brother. I don't know. Thank you, man. I feel like I'm like getting closer to like, like friends of friends of Luke Bryan and like,

I feel like one day we're going to like meet and I don't know, maybe we'll, maybe we'll fight or something, but, um, I don't know right now. I'm not, I'm not too but I don't know right now I'm not I'm not too all right it was so long ago I'm like all right it's it's fine for right now but it yeah Andy was wrong and you're right so yeah I love I love some good folk beef though baby you know a lot of you don't get a lot of beef in the folk scene yeah if you need if you need another arm to help you you know you need a diss track yeah we need a Luke Bryan diss track, Evan.

First acoustic diss track in history. Yeah. It would be good. I think it would be good for the music scene right now to have that. It would. Yeah, exactly. And you have the upper hand. So yeah.

What, I mean, heard a little bit about your, you're from Southern California, brother? I'm from Arizona. I went to college in Southern California. Where'd you go? I went to California Baptist University. Cool. What was it to study? You're, you're all the swim team, right?

Or dive team? Yeah. Yeah, I was a diver. It was mainly for diving. There were a small D1 school and diving was the main reason why I went over there. So what happened when, tell me about like, because it's probably not a lot of money in diving. How do you become a diver?

How do you become a diver? Like what's the- You start out in gymnastics? It's so confusing. It's very, yeah. So, so, so yeah. So I started gymnastics when I was nine and I did that for about three years and then I did trampoline as well and then I did cheer and then the main thing that got me into it because

I was actually homeschooled my whole life except for my junior and senior year of high school. So my junior year of high school, I honestly had never even thought of diving as like a sport or anything But it was it was at my school and I was like I feel like I could be pretty good at that Like I've had years of just flipping and stuff So I tried out and I was just like it was just it came to me like pretty easy I got second at state my first year of dive. So it was With trampoline and everything like that, it was, it was an easy transition sort of. Yeah.

It's safer than trampoline. Yeah. Did you ever like, did you ever get into drugs or anything or like couldn't allow it? Couldn't allow yourself to do that or like get high and then do some fucking flips? They get tested. That'd be so fun, dude. I was high at one practice and I was falling off the board and I, after that time, I never smoked or drank anything before practice. I did it once and I was literally just like, I was literally just falling off the board.

I couldn't do anything. So after that I was like, no, Shaw, I can't do this. Some good weed. Yeah. I'm over no shot. I can't do this some good weed. Yeah I'm over in Arizona. Well, it's like well you're doing like create like It's so difficult. I'm it's so difficult without any being impaired at all. So like adding that was just like yeah What are the parallels of diving and writing songs? That's a good question

I Think for me That's a good question. I think for me, I think with diving, I would say sometimes I feel like I am not looking forward to let's say like a new dive that I have to learn or a practice that's like 10 meters is something that I don't look forward to jumping off of and doing three and a half flips. Sometimes I dread it. And I think sometimes I would say that kind of correlates with writing for me personally. I'm not really one to... Like writing doesn't come super easy to me. And I think sometimes I'm like... It's like chipping away at a song a lot is like almost

like very like dreadful to me and it's sometimes... It's just not always easy for me and sometimes I'm like not looking forward to it almost but I know I have to do it. Kinda in that way I would say. I don't know if that makes sense. Yeah, I get it. Like, things that aren't, but diving comes natural to you so that's easy to fine tune it but music doesn't or songwriting doesn't maybe because you started so late in life? No I would just say like certain when I'm when I'm like learning I wouldn't say diving it started easy with me and then I got to

like the highest level of diving and that's where it got difficult like learning the most like the highest difficulty dives and stuff like that. And maybe just not looking, just kind of dreading it a little bit. And I think I'm someone, and I watched an interview with Billy Joel and he kind of explained it the same way, that he writes kind of where he's like, like writing is not like fun for him. And that's why he hasn't made it in 30 years. Yeah. So I'm kind of in that way with writing.

Um, but it also depends on so many things. Like that would just be my example of trying to relate them. Yeah. So what, what do you love about it? If it's hard for you, what makes you keep doing it? Um, I think. I think that. I mean, everything that I have done that I have accomplished has been like extremely difficult. And knowing that I think, you know, like nothing that is worthwhile is easy, I feel like. And for me, I think I put maybe I'm putting on too much pressure on myself

and I'm creating pressure in my head. That's creating me like, to be like, oh, this song's not good. Like, when am I going to write a good song in my head, you know? And I think just really at shows and like seeing how my words have affected people and how like it has helped them definitely keeps me going. And just like the idea of wanting to get better and just push myself to like create the best art that I can. Yeah. What is in your definition what a great song is? That is... I don't even know if that's... I don't even know if that's possible to answer. Like...

I would say... Like... Like a song that I wrote, a great song or like... Or just what you... In general, what you think is a great song that you put on such a high pedestal with your own music. I would say... I mean, I focus on the melody first, just a singable melody and a lyrics that put me in the place of what the writer is trying to create, if they're trying to create some type of scene,

or if I connect to the song and actually resonate with the song. I think that makes a great song if I if I just like fully connect to the song, which doesn't happen that often, honestly. Yeah, it's got to be. Yeah, I'm same way, man. I'm being. Yeah. What would you say? Yeah. I don't know. I think some something. I'm a lyric guy and I like melody of two.

I like a good hook. But to make it my favorite song, it has to be a good hook and lyrics that make me fucking feel something I haven't felt before. Or like someone that relates to. I think... Oh, sorry. One thing that I think is... I don't know if you feel the same way. I think that the way... Like the delivery of the way the song is sung I think someone could have the best lyrics the most like poetic lyrics whatever but if they're not

sung in a good melody or like good delivery I honestly would not even process like the good lyrics to me wouldn't right cross. Do you feel like same way? Yeah, yeah 100% I agree. So when what was the first song you wrote you realize? You feel like that the same way. Same way. 100%. Yeah. 100%. I agree. So what was the first song you wrote that you realized, oh, I'm actually getting pretty good about this and I could tell Luke Bryan to fuck off? I'll say it for you, Evan. You don't have to talk that shit.

I'll talk that shit for you, big dog. The opinions are mainly friends. Allegedly. Allegedly. I need you there when I... I got you. I'll be right behind you, bro. I'm your bodyguard. He's about to be your manager if he can find you.

You country cuck. Luke Bryan. You fucking country cuck. What was the first song you wrote that you felt like God, I'm finally understanding this? Yeah. I think... So the first song that I wrote was,

How Could I Ever? And that was the first song. I honestly... Didn't really believe in myself until a lot of people started believing in me before. I wasn't sure about the song. I posted it. So I was posting on TikTok for like two years, just like covers and like, was just eating shit completely. Like no, like nothing was happening at all. And I posted my first original of me just singing along in the car and like, it got like 50,000 likes. And that was like the first thing that gave me like confidence to be like, okay, maybe the song is actually is actually good.

And yeah, I don't I don't know if I ever like, it's hard to realize it for yourself. I guess I kind of needed and I don't know if that's a good thing or not, I guess I kind of needed like a couple people to kind of just put that belief in me and then I started to realize it for myself and that would probably be with How Could I Ever. Yeah. What about, because you were starting to get a lot of, I heard about you when that song, I don't know shit about cars. Yeah. What happened there, bro? It was like the same thing.

You just put it out on a TikTok video and it got, that thing got fucking huge, dude. Yeah. Yeah. That was my, that was like my one, like that was a moment for sure. Yeah. I, I was, I was just, I was tired of writing like super like depressing songs, I feel like, and then I started with that. And yeah, I think, I don't know, the idea, I just grew up with so many people around me that were talking about cars all the time, and I just never really cared about it, honestly. And I don't know, I thought it was cool. I thought it could maybe like some people like maybe could think it's stupid. But I was like, okay, this is interesting.

This is kind of weird. And I just like as soon as I wrote it, I was just like, I was just going to do a video. And I remember I just did like one take, which is normally like not me. I normally do like a ton of takes and I just posted it and um, that was like my most Viral video if yeah It's so funny the songs you think of that are the throwaway songs are the songs that fucking blow you up. Mm-hmm Every single time I don't understand. I

I'm going through that right now I understand. I... I'm going through that right now. I got a song that didn't make the record and I have now fucking Zach Brown and Snoop Dogg writing, recording it. I'm like, this song is fucking cheesy. It'll work for it.

Why, like, why, why do you think that's a thing? Like why? I think because we're overthinking it. Why is it always the case? I think we're just overthinking music and we don't realize that the things that people relate to are the stuff that we don't have to like really put too much thought about. Mm-hmm. But it seems less manufactured sometimes and like more from the heart too sometimes. You hear that about every song like everyone who's like the songs that just come out so quickly, like out of your head are the ones that fucking blow up. Yeah. That's so true. I literally, yeah. I don't know shit about cars was literally like me

almost freestyling. Like one, like when I was writing it, the chorus was pretty much freestyled. Like I never do that. And it, and it was just like, I was like, all right, and this is, this is good, I guess. I don't know. But that's- And then it blows up. That's funny. Yeah. It was... Yeah, it's so crazy. I wish that... I wish that happened all the time. Yeah. But... But also if it did, then you wouldn't put it to work.

It's not... It wouldn't be real. Yeah. What about... Okay, so what about your parents? Were they pissed that you quit school to fucking become a songwriter? Did you graduate? What was that like? Yeah, were they supportive? No, yeah, not.

Yeah, they, my parents are, have been supporting a hundred, like everything I've done, whether it's sports, music, anything. They've supported me all the way through. I did actually, I graduated college and I had, thankfully I had a full ride with diving. So I was considering junior year of high school. I was like, all right, if I get a hundred thousand monthly listeners, I'm going to drop out of school. And, and I got to it and I was like, hi hi guys I can just finish like a couple more months of school So so in high school that first single came out

No college college. So yeah. Yeah, that's why and that was two years ago Yeah, how old are you? I'm 23. Holy shit backflips and falling records. Probably just getting laid all the time. This guy has a great life, dude. California. This guy's just living in Cali. So, damn, you're so young.

So this is your first tour? So, yeah, so my first tour was actually my junior year of college when me and my friend Andrew Montana just posted like, I had, we had a couple thousand followers and he was already making a drive down from Tennessee to LA. So we're just like, let's just try to like make a tour out of it. So we just posted like, who's just try to like make a tour out of it so we just posted like who will let us play at their house and We got I think it was eight shows in like For maybe 12 days or something like that. I can't remember

and It was awesome. I was playing at houses just with a horrible PA set up. And one show we played in Memphis, nobody showed up. And that was like an actual venue that we had and nobody showed up and then my friend got robbed. Whoa. That'll happen in Memphis. Yeah, Memphis don't fuck around.

It was the, no yeah. And literally before that we were saying our one goal of tour was to not get robbed in Memphis. And it happened. You spoke into existence. That was like my first actual tour. And then the following year, I did an opening slot for Liam St. John.

And then this last February, I did my first headline tour with Full Band about a month and then this fall we're going on our second one which is like about two months which is pretty terrifying honestly. Why the bigger rooms? I'm more scared of how I... So my first tour, like, honestly, we... I got so sick, six shows in, and the whole band was sick. We were all, like, so down bad. Like, we were all struggling. And I had to take, like, steroids for my voice.

Whoa, fuck. And the second to last show, I just got sick for like two weeks. And I don't know if that was just like, I don't know if I actually had something, it was actually the tour. I just want to stay healthy. And I know, I don't know if that's completely possible, but I want to stay healthy. I want everyone in the band to stay, like get along for two months. Which I just like, it's a long time. Yeah. Two months?

Yeah, I don't know. Two months? Two months, yeah. I got some advice. Yeah, you need to build up that tour immune system. Yeah, tour immune system. You need to wear condoms. Yeah. Can't even HPV on

the road. Even on stage. Calm the drinking down to a couple. Do you guys drink or party or anything? You guys do that? A little bit. Not if I have a show the next day, I won't drink. I won't get drunk. I won't. I'll wake up with like no voice. So if I have a show the next day, I won't get drunk. I won't. I'll wake up with like no voice. So if I have a show the next day, I won't get drunk. We drink like, we have like a shot, like a shot of whiskey before each show. And some of us, I mean, some of them will go out and like, and I'll stay at home. But for the most part, if I know that I'm playing a show the next day, I don't drink. How many shows a week are you doing? Five? Roughly, yeah.

It's pretty much like, like the most we'll do in a row is three. And then we'll have, yeah, like, yeah, we'll go like three on maybe and then a day or two days off, one and then two. But it's, I don't know the number of shows. But yeah, probably around five shows a week I'd say, yeah. So you're getting famous now, Evan. We need you out there healthy. Young, good looking.

You're young, you're good looking, don't let these... Pure athlete. Pure athlete. I've been doing 250 shows a year for like 15 years and I think the first 10 years was just me fucking just doing blow and partying and fucking everything. And it did build my immunity up, but it got me sad, and it got all the band fucking hating each other.

So you need to maybe build a base of like, even if you see your boys partying, you gotta like, held them accountable for the, like if they're going out five days in a row, I mean you're gonna start selling out tickets, bro. You're gonna, I mean, how's the tour doing? It's probably almost sold out, right? Yeah, it's a majority of the headline shows

are either sold out or low tickets right now. This is exciting. See, you guys are gonna be fucking high on the hog. Oh, happy for you. It's like, it are gonna be fucking high on the hog. Oh, happy for you. It's like, it's gonna be fucking amazing. And it's like, so just don't take, don't have it get in your head too much. Just, you know, you've got an athlete's mentality.

You should be fine. It's more of like, stressing you get sick. When you stress you get sick, then you actually get sick. Try to enjoy it. Yeah. Enjoy this. Yeah. I want you back flipping into fucking backstage, bro., then you actually get sick. Try to enjoy it. Yeah. Enjoy this. Yeah.

I want you back flipping into fucking backstage, bro. I want you out there throwing. Hell yeah. Breaking shit. Yeah, I do back flip. You gotta remember. I do show. You do?

Yeah. Oh really? You really do? Yeah, I do, yeah. Well, tell me about it. What's the vibe? Just like on stage? So I, yeah, so it's during how could I ever I I take my tar off and then

I have an extra drumstick and then me and my drummer I'll go like Trash can and then backflip and then boom and then give away the stick. What a fucking leg. Do you have a girlfriend? What's going on? You married? I do have a girlfriend. Yeah. You got a girlfriend? Okay. You religious? I believe in God. Yeah. I have a relationship with God. Yeah. So what's, so that, is that why you went to a private school, like the Baptist school? Or were you religious your whole life or your parents tricked about that? Or is that more of a scholarship?

just your whole life or your parents tricked about that? Or is that more of a scholarship? It was kind of both with the scholarship, but yeah, I grew up going to church my whole life. My whole family has a relationship with God. And I, And I, I like the last couple years, I just haven't been stoked about going, like, just the system of the church and whatnot, and like how that works. And so I think that like, that just put like a bad taste in my mouth was just, and I think that happens for so many people is like, they have a bad experience with a person or a church, and then they blame God, kind of. And it's like, I mean, I was definitely doing the same thing. I was kind of blaming God, like, inherently, but, I mean,

it's just like the people around there. So, I'm just like, I'm just not, I don't mess with just the system of the church. Like kind of, it's just like, has just, just let, just let, it'll just let you down. Like whatever. What were you blaming the big man about? Um, I think one thing that I was just confused about and I have a song about this it's called brother My brother has when he was 18 he Basically just started having like crazy Delusions and stuff. We didn't know what was going on. We were just like what's happening and a lot of it was all like on. We were just like, what's happening? And a lot of it was all like spiritual-based, like, the stuff that he saw was like, were like demons. And he would always say like,

this word that just like haunts me. I don't even remember what the word was. It would be like, God be with me or something like that, that just like haunted me when he was having like these episodes and stuff. So he got, he has schizo affective and he, his whole life, like the most, and I honestly, like anyone you meet that has met him will say like the most, like the nicest and the most spiritual, closest to God person you've ever met in your entire life. And then he gets this horrible mental illness that just leaves him like, nobody could understand, possibly understand what he's going through. And I just found that crazy, like how, it's just crazy how that, how God lets that happen to someone that was literally following him his whole life, like did everything, dedicated his whole life to him. That with other things on the

church and stuff like that. But that was definitely one thing that maybe challenged it and stuff like that. But that was definitely one thing that made me challenge it and stuff like that. Right. Yeah, it's like, I have, my question is for believers is like, if you believe in God, do you believe in free will? Yeah. So what's the difference? I believe that, I believe that God gave us free will. I believe that, I believe that God gave us free will. I think, so what is your question exactly?

So like if there's a path for you, if there's a path for you. I think of better words like predestination. Predestination, not free will. Okay. Do you, if you believe in God, do you believe in predestination? I think, well, I think, I know, I think God is all knowing. So, I think he knows what's going to happen, but I don't think that it's Like

I don't think that it's Just like it's it's his plan. It's not his planned out for you I mean, he knows what's gonna happen and maybe you you whatever you you die at 25 or something like that and I think he knows everything, but it's not like, it's just kind of whatever happens. I, that's a really tough question. I guess I don't, I don't really know the full answer to that. Yeah, I don't either. I mean, no, I don't think anyone does. Philosophers have been talking, tackling this for 3000 years. You don't need to nail it on the Andy Fratskopite.

Yeah. Right now, first time you're hearing it first. Philosopher Evan Hohner. Revolutionary. No, but it is fascinating to me when I think of religious people and to think about like, are you in control? Or like, does your brain have control? Or is it just someone telling you this is the course that it needs to be in?

Yeah. It's kind of like being a vessel when you're a songwriter. Like you don't know when these songs come out, right? Could be God playing these songs. Could be. Could be, yeah. I do think that the universe definitely plays a part in that for sure.

What about women coming into your life, Evan? You're a handsome man. You got a girlfriend. Thank you. long time. It's coming, I mean, this is gonna, I bet the women are flocking out of your DMs with all your sensitivity. How do you pray that God keeps you sane

with being loyal to everybody? I have a great girlfriend. She's still in Arizona right now. I think it's honestly having a girlfriend on tour is really good for me because in the past, like my previous tour, I would maybe go out with someone and then I end up not sleeping at all. I wake up tired and it's never a good thing. I always regret it, honestly. You always regret it in some way because you don't get sleep. It's just like always not the best idea. So having a girlfriend on tour is honestly great because I just go straight back to the green room and then I go back to the Airbnb and I get sleep, more sleep. And yeah, that's, I think I, that's one thing that I think I did learn early on that it's

like, it's not worth it at all. What do they say that in the religious game? Not today, devil. Not today, Satan. We will not be using your floozy women to distract me from the art I need to make and the love I need to make with my girlfriend. Women are the devil. Exactly.

That's fascinating, man. This is why I think everyone needs to be, have the discipline from being an athlete to be on tour. If you don't have that discipline, the devil inside everyone is going to come out. If it's drugs or some kind of discipline from sex, you need discipline to do this. Yeah, discipline. Because everyone's going to be kissing your ass all the fucking time. Especially if you get more successful.

No one's going to tell you no. You have to tell yourself no. Maybe that's the, that's, god, that was actually smart. Yeah, that was really good. Hey, clip that. Clip that. You hear it? Because it took a hard.

Yeah. Wow, I'm smart. No, but it took me fucking on year 15 to finally realize. He seems like he might be a little better decision maker than me. Everyone in their generation are way more fucking more sure. I know. Gen Z doesn't party. I like it. They don't party. Gen Z doesn't party. They don't drink as much, that's for sure.

I do. Yeah, it's definitely not like what I've seen in the movies with like, you know, the bands in the 80s and 90s. I definitely don't think that's really going on. As much as it was. I really, yeah. I don't, I've been on the road with a couple bands. Nobody's really like doing coke in the green room that I've seen. Maybe I'm on the wrong side of music. No, you're on the right side.

No, you're on the right side. You're on the right side, brother. You don't need coke. Carefully alive, Evan. Do not ruin that skin. Do not ruin that skin. music. No, you're on the right side. No, you're on the right side. You don't need to come to me. You're doing fine. Do not ruin that skin. That skin and that mustache baby. You'll be asleep. Um, you know who I saw you've been hanging out with who's actually like one of my favorite fucking guys. I want to hear a lot about Jesse Wells. I knew you were going to say that as soon as you're... That motherfucker. The guy who talks about fentanyl and shit.

And he's like the best. He's like Oliver Anthony if he was like a really good songwriter. Couple questions. He's either 55... You can't even put... I'm sorry, you can't put Oliver Anthony in the same category. A way better version. As Jesse Wells.

Jesse Wells is on a league of his own, dude. Is he 55 or 20? Yeah. He is 31 or 33. I can't remember. What a fucking G that guy. That dude is such such a sweet guy. Honestly I was nervous to hang out with him. I was confused why he like hit up me and like wanted to just like hang out and stuff You national too, but? Yeah, I'm in Nashville. Yeah, I just moved out here like three months ago. Oh cool So what was that vibe like you up you're already watching his videos or what? Yeah, I mean I like yeah I've been I've been watching his videos

I was just the speed at which he writes these incredible songs that I could, I personally could never come up with or like, it's just like almost in a different language for me as far as like writing it. Like I couldn't, you know, it's just not like, he is a generational talent, I think in songwriting, but he's been around for a long time I don't know if you know that he's he's been he's been playing in rock and roll. I remember his email band

I have nothing but good things to say about Jesse's so nice. He's so clever. He's so he's so funny He's just a genuine like a genuinely nice guy. He's been around. He's just a genuinely nice guy. He's been around for a while. And then he decided to start doing these videos just in the forest. And yeah, it started going really well for him. And yeah, it's hard not to root for him. He's such a good guy. Yeah.

Do you think Luke Bryan would have something to say about Jesse Weiss? I think he would say, I think he would say, I think he would like, I think he would try to shit on him vocally or something. Yeah, I love his voice. He has a great voice. I don't know, he would try to say something. I know he has a great voice. He's a great guitar player. Yeah. he has a great voice, he's a great guitar player, and obviously his writing is

phenomenal. And like harmonies and stuff, like he's just a really, it's always really nice to hang out with someone that's like in the music industry that's really, really good at their craft. Oh yeah. And I'm like, I wouldn't say I'm like, I'm not like there yet for sure, but like hanging out with someone that's like so good at harmonies and such a good guitar player and like knows like enough theory to like, you know, whatever.

I just find, I like appreciate that. Right. And Jesse Wells is just like, he's just a beast. This is why I think it's so good. This is so dope you're moving to Nashville. This is the best movie ever made. I think just to be surrounded with that many talented songwriters, you're just going to get better and better.

Especially how young you are. Are you doing a lot of songwriter rights with like a bunch of people or like has your management set you up with that? Are you writing with a bunch of people? I have been doing that recently a lot more and I like it and but I also want to... So I like this past week, these past two weeks I've done like more than I ever have. Like the amount of co-writes and stuff. Which I think is good.

But I also I want to have more time. I want to have a lot of time to write songs on my own too. I think it's good for me personally to have a couple co-writes and then get back to solo writing. Which I'm still just kind of figuring out because I, I love co-writing and most of the time, I like, I've been really enjoying the songs that come out of it. But there's, like solo writing is like very special to me too. So I'm trying to figure out like a good balance with that. Yeah, or like the co-write is like going to school.

Yeah. Yeah. Even if the songs suck. I've, my last record I did, you know, like we worked with Brent, you know, Brent Cobb at all? Yeah. Yeah, Brent's my favorite. And then like Aaron Ratley.

I did my whole record in Nashville. Dude, Aaron is the best, dude. Everyone knows Aaron, bro. I swear, if someone has mentioned Aaron in every interview I've done or something. Aaron is awesome. I wrote with him as well. It's so funny. I got to set you up with Steve Pultz.

You know Steve Pultz? I don't, no. Nashville guy. He used to date Jewel. He wrote that whole record. You were meant for me. I was meant for you. Retirement record.

His retirement record. But there's so many songwriters like that in Nashville. It's just like, I felt like all the co-writes I did got me to a point where I feel comfortable mastering my craft. So like, this is just going to make your solo writing even better. And you get to have fun with all these, like, was it intimidating? Did you write a song with Jesse? So he actually Before we hung out he sent me a song that he's saying I listened to your music and I wrote this and he

And it's like such a good song Two hours before he's like here's a song I just wrote after I listened to a couple of your songs. And I was like, what the hell? This is such a good song. It's like barely here. We ended up, yeah. He's like, so we just hung out and he said that he hasn't really experienced with co-writing

at all. So yeah, we just did a, we just jammed pretty much, did a couple videos. So cool. Yeah, I saw some coverage you get. I'm like, it made me happy because you're one of my new favorite upcoming band, or favorite upcoming songwriters, and then Jesse too. And then, because you guys have two completely different styles of how you guys write songs. Yeah. That's why I Yeah. Yeah. Maybe, maybe that song will release together or something like that. That would be cool. But it's just, it's a really cool song. So what do you like better playing solo or playing with a band? I love playing with And after doing most of my stuff solo for like two years, having a full band is, there's

just so, there's so many things you can do. There's so much energy you can bring. And it's all like my friends from, the whole band is from Arizona. Oh cool, you got the homies on. I was wondering about that. Yeah. Yeah. It's not like hired guns from Nashville that are like incredible musicians that are like already jaded and stuff like that. Like we're all, you know, and we're all on the road. Like for the first time, we're all experiencing it together. And like,

I think everyone just really appreciates it being on the road and like just this being their reality right now. I love playing with the band. I'll do most of my set with the band. I'll have like an acoustic section for sure, but I love it. Fiddle player? What about you? The girl? The fiddle player? She's from Arizona?

Yeah. She's badass, dude. Yeah, we... She's so good. She's insane. We were homeschooled. We were both homeschooled. We went to like this co-op and that's how we met.

She was already just like a world-class violinist. Why'd you go to homeschool? I don't understand. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. And that's how we met. She was already just like a world class violinist. Why'd you go to homeschool? It was my parents decision. I honestly, I didn't really like it. That's why it was the only one in my family to go to any type of public school or anything

like that. I don't know, my mom just wanted to, she homeschooled all of us and that's like how she wanted to do it. And I think that was good for some of us, I have two older brothers. But for me, I just, I wasn't a big fan. I think it was helpful for some things, like, and I probably wouldn't have been able to do gymnastics if I wasn't homeschooled in a couple other things. But I think I wasn't like, I'm not like the biggest supporter of homeschooling.

Yeah, I'm not either. It's like you're with your parents 24 hours, and then you're like, you don't have any other education other than like your parents' education. Socially too. It just makes people very socially awkward later in life, I feel like. Yeah.

You never get bullied. It depends on how you do it, because you can definitely, you can definitely go that route, but you can also, if you do it right, like my family put us in sports and stuff like that and did that and like there's homeschool like hangouts, but I will not lie, like a lot of my friends that were homeschooled were weird for sure. Yeah, that's the problem with the homeschool hangouts. Yeah.

How about your homeschool hangouts? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like so funny like hanging out with them and then hanging out with like my like cooler friends or whatever. Right. But. Who became the drug addicts? The homeschool kids or the public school kids?

I feel like the, like a very small percentage of the homeschool kids became like really like really like hard drug addicts and then like most of the my friends were just like in public school were just on like not anything crazy you know. I feel like when you're out of that out of the real and that's what happened to me honestly like I was out of the real world for so long. I went into school and I just went crazy. And I think that's sometimes homeschoolers kind of... That happens to them. They just go crazy for a second because they've just experienced this whole new thing.

What's your idea of crazy? I was just like in junior I was like in high school out I was just like it was I don't know if this was popular in other high schools but like oh we were doing like coke in high school and like that was crazy for me from going from never like smoking weed or like not drinking alcohol at all to like doing all that. Um, so I just like, that was, oh yeah, I just went like really like crazy and fast. I feel like kind of. Yeah. Maybe that blessing in disguise and now you're like, get it out of the way. Yeah.

What if you got to coke when you're getting, saying yes to all the time on the road? Yeah. That, yeah. So I actually, I like God's plan on that one. Nice guy. God's plan. It's like Drake. I like that. I like that. He's like, let's give this man some coke during high school years. Let him experience it. Let him know he hates it. Was it fun being the new kid though, when you came from high school? I mean, you're all good looking, athlete, you're the new kid in school. How'd that feel?

I mean you're all good-looking athlete. You're new kid in school How that feel? It was I think I was I was not I was not very confident in high school and I think I struggled for a little bit, but then I finally like kind of felt normal there were the first couple months were pretty like just really weird. Like everything was, it was quite different to see how homeschooling was, how different it was from homeschooling. I felt like the the clicks and stuff are

like actually like real. Like the movies and stuff would always portray it as all these clicks and it's real, which I didn't realize like how real it really is. So it was rough at first, but after that it was like, okay, this is good. I'm good now after like a month, a couple months. And then when it tries to pick on you, you're like, fuck off, I can do like a triple axel back

I can jump off a 30-foot thing. Yeah, I get without fear without fear and do flip Yeah, I can't even jump off those things your mom's gonna punish you for smoking this weed. Yeah, I flip over that shit I fly dude. I Love it. I'm a dude. I love it. Perfect comeback. Also the Arizona, it's, I get why people do drugs because it's so fucking hot. Yeah.

It's like, what are you gonna do? You can't go outside, go party. And you're closer to where it comes from. Yeah. So damn hot. It's also really humid here in Nashville. Oh, it's the worst there. Summertime's fucking horrible there, dude.

It's pretty bad. It's like now, now it's getting, now it's getting nice. I feel like Arizona is just like in hell for longer, but there's definitely like a good part of Nashville that's in hell for a decent amount of time. Yeah. Man, I could talk to you. I love to hear about the youth.

Me too. This is awesome. What about you tore your ACL or anything during fucking gymnastics or got hurt real bad one time? Scared you? No head hit. Honestly, I never have broken a bone. I never have tore anything. I have the only thing I do have, I had like a pretty bad back. I just had like a bold disc. Oh, fuck that. Yeah. Yeah. And that was like really, really bothering my senior year of college. And obviously diving is just like the impact from 10 meters just constantly going in. That's what like made it. Bulls disc.

One time in gymnastics, I hit my dick on the bar so hard that I peed blood after that. What? Like the pole vaulter? Yeah. Like no, that guy just had a hog. The pole vaulter just had a hog Walter. I just had a hog Olympic dream You could tell this guy's tall lanky might have a hug too He was wack not the conference diver of the year damn

He wasn't just a diver. He was the best in his conference. That's fucking insane I saw you won every event one year or something you won every diving event or something wasn't that yeah? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, my junior my junior my sophomore my junior year I won the whack yeah, were you looking at the Olympics this year like thank God. I don't have to do this anymore Or did you miss it? I mean it was like It's not I did you miss it? I mean, it was like. I don't miss it as much as like I guess I thought I'd miss it.

That it was like my that was my whole plan from the beginning, which is crazy to think about. Like my freshman year, my coach sat me down as like, look, since I graduated in 2023, he was like, you should take a gap year and go for the 2024 Olympics. And that was like my plan. Oh, you were that good. Since freshman year.

You were like, had a shot at the Olympics. That was like, well, that was at least Olympic trials like right I was You know Olympic trials are are one thing going to the Olympics are another thing. There's I Definitely Had a good shot at making Olympic trials But I mean Olympics are the best two in the country and like there's like 30 or 40 people that make the Olympic trials, but I mean Olympics are the best two in the country and like there's like 30 or 40 people that make the Olympic trials.

And then they only picked two? But that was like, yeah, they only picked two. Yeah. I can't remember if you asked me that, if you answered this yet, but were your parents pissed when you quit diving? You're so good at it. And you're like, I'm going to be a fucking songwriter mom. Fuck you.

That's my dad actually was like trying to convince me to, to take the fifth year. After I was like, cause I was planning on it my whole four years of college and then like senior year, I was like, I'm, I'm not going to do it. I'm just going to go full into music. Cause that one, you had my dad right a hit Yeah, it was Yeah, mm-hmm. I was right around that time And my dad my dad is like my biggest supporter now in like music fully But he was also my biggest supporter in diving. He just wanted to like see me try for the Olympics. So he was just kind of like, he was trying to definitely convince me to take the fifth year, but without

like saying like, this is what you have to do. But you know, other than that, there wasn't, there wasn't really anything that would make me like consider it at all that I wasn't going to do it. I was just... Music became something that I was just obsessed with it and diving was just slowly just becoming lesser than music. Yeah. Yeah, my robot was like, fuck you, dad.

You want a battle of the Chinese and this fucking thing? They have one every year! You want to battle? I can't sell 3,000 tickets diving. I can sell out theaters doing this. Were your friends jealous of you? I bet they were, dude. I mean, you're popping off in college, dude.

I didn't... I don't think they were... I didn't feel any jealousy. I think I had a great, great group of friends around me that were like stoked and like knew all my songs and stuff like that. So that was really cool. I was, I just don't think I was friends with any like assholes or anything like that, that would like in high school. Yeah.

If I stayed friends with those people, they would be like just, you would, like in high school, yeah, if I stayed friends with those people, they would be like, just, you know, that way. And like some like parents would say just very like, condescending things that are they that they know how the world works and that like what you should do. But I had a great group of friends. I had a small, just like five, six people that would hang out that we were just like, they liked it and yeah, it was awesome. This guy's got it all going on. I don't like him. I don't like him. I'm just kidding. We want you to suffer a little bit, okay? You're in the music industry, God damn it.

You can't just have this easy route. No, but we're proud of you, bro. We're rooting you on, bro. I've been a fan of you for a while, and I think you're a great songwriter, and you're an even better person. I'm just so happy. I'm stoked to be friends, bro. It'll be fun. Hell yeah.

I'm honored to be here, on here. It's been awesome talking with you. I really appreciate it. Likewise. And then I know it's going to happen. If I see him before you do, I'll let Luke Bryan know that he's a piece of shit for fucking making you go back to diving. Background character name? Yeah. Yeah. Background character ass Luke Bryan. That's a bad...

It sounds like a dude from GTA. We were just talking about how all those country guys sort of have like, there's like only three names and they're all kind of sharing it. There's like two Brian's and a Luke and it's like three Zachs. There's a lot of Brian's. Yeah. Brown, Brian, Zach, Luke. I tried to live in Nashville, not enough Jews. I'm Jewish, so it's a lot of- Everybody's working on Saturday in Nashville. Everyone's working on Saturday in Nashville. All right, we got to let this man go. He's getting on tour and he needs to hang out with his girlfriend enough so she's not pissed at him while he gets on the road.

If I was him, I'd want to go back to my life immediately too. I would too. No, I'm having a great time. Well, I'm happy for you. We're rooting you on. We got one last question while you embark on this big headline tour which were fucked I'm gonna try to come when's the Bluebirds show yeah oh sorry that was in February oh welcome back Boulder is Boulder around the box box theater or the boulder theater box theater yeah yeah that's a great there was that of

September 20 so I'm home. Then are you guys going to be on the road? Perfect. I'm home. Okay. Wow. Yeah. Come hang out.

If you guys need a place to crash, you crash in my pad. It's got a sweet place. Got a, yeah. Eight, eight, eight, eight or eight people? Yeah. Or no? Totally. If it's like.

At least part of the band. At least eight or at least six, yeah. At least save you a couple hotels. Okay. Yeah. All right, buddy. Good luck out there. Be safe. I'm glad you got rid of your drug addiction. Yeah, that you never... You used your one drug your one time. The dark days.

The dark side. I'm glad you still believe in the big man up there, even through the bullshit that is the church. I watched Jesus camping. Well, I like the way he put it. He says there's a difference between having a relationship with God and being religious. Exactly. I love how it should. I don't say it. I don't say religious. I love how you said that. Good. That's good. I like, man's too smart. He's 23. I'm big. Thanks for him. I could see him being like a congressman. Yeah, I could say, I can see you. No, you're too good of a person. You're too good of a person. No, no, no. We don't need that in him. We need him writing hits.

But he's got the, you know. Writing sensitive songs for the people and writing just silly songs like that car song that, you know. Pepper those in. Write them all. Pepper all in. And get out there and go kick some ass out there, buddy. Hell yeah.

My last question. It's an honor, man. Likewise, brother. My last question before you leave, I ask every guest this When it's all said and done, what do you want to be remembered by? When it's all said and done I just want to be remembered by

Someone that Some of that someone that made Real art that's authentic to me and that hopefully has helped people in some way or resonated with even just one person. Yeah, I think that's my answer. Fucking Jesus. He's like, I have so many years before I have to think about it. Yeah, he's like, I got like 80 years. Why are you asking me this right now, brother? I'm 23. Well, keep the fight up, brother. We'll be rooting for you and have fun out there. And, you know, if you ever are in a rut or anything, don't be afraid to hit me up, man. You know,

I consider you like a young padawan, and I want to help you however way. Even if you just want to talk, if you're lonely, there's all a group of us that have been on the road since we were 19, so we want to help the young too, so we got you. Oh yeah, I appreciate you guys. Cool, brother.

Alright, have a great one, Ev, and yeah, good luck out there. Go fuck some shit up. Oh yeah. I appreciate you guys. Cool, brother. Alright, have a great one, Ev. And, yeah, good luck out there. Go fuck some shit up. Oh yeah. And I'll tell that piece of shit to LeBriant that he's a piece of shit for fucking even trying to belittle your dreams. Honestly, winning American Idol would've been a curse. I know, but that's still... Yeah, no.

Say that to a fucking kid. He said go back to diving. Go back to di... Like, suck a dick, LeBriant. What, the diving mines? Am I going to go make money in the diving mines, you dumbass? Yeah, what is this? Say blood diving, dog. Okay? Jesus Christ. Alright. Later, Ev a dick. What, the diving mines? Am I going to go make money in the diving mines? You dumbass. Yeah, what is this? Say blood diving, dog. Okay? Jesus Christ. All right. Later, though. Later. You've just tuned into the World Saving Podcast with Andy Frasco. Produced by Andy Frasco,

Joe Angelhowe, and Chris Lorenz. Please help us save the world by subscribing and rating the show on volume.com, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're listening so we can spread the word and save the world. Follow us on Instagram at world saving podcasts for updates for tour dates, merch, and whatever crazy special event Andy thinks of next. Check out andyfrasco.com. Special thanks to this week's guest, courtesy of our talent booker, Mara Davis, That's Me, or Andy's Other Mother. Be your best and we'll talk to you

next week for another great episode of the World Saving Podcast.