Dumb Blonde - Alexandra Kay: Never Look Back

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

This week, Bunnie sits down with Alexandra Kay, the country artist with a knack for turning everyday moments into something magic. They dig into her journey from dive bars and viral coffee-singing videos to life on tour with Jelly Roll—and finding love with her boyfriend, Rocko. Alexandra opens up about grinding through two record deals, navigating life post-divorce, and the highs and lows that have shaped her path—all while staying grounded, rolling with the setbacks, and keeping her independent spirit strong as the world starts paying attention.Watch Full Episodes & More:www.dumbblondeunrated.comAlexandra: Website | TikTokSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey guys, I need to ask you a question. I want to know why in the hell are you not on Patreon? I don't think you guys even realize how much content we have on Patreon. Let me break it down for you. We have the BunnyXO show. We have Meet the D-Fords. We have Popaganda. We have more shows that we're adding.

And not to mention, we have the visuals of the podcast. Head over to www.patreon.com backslash dumb blonde podcast and sign up bunny xo bunny xo Is this thing on? What's up, babies? We are back with another episode of Dumb Blonde, except this time we are on tour. So, of course, I had to have my favorite person on the tour, Don't Tell Warren.

Miss Alexandra Kay is in the house. Baby, how are you? I'm so good. I'm so happy to be here. You have no idea. Dude, I'm stoked to have you. I've been wanting you on for a long time. I have been watching you for so long.

On TikTok is how I found you was doing the coffee things and stuff like that. And I always thought you were just so cute. And I was like, I want to talk to her. Thank you. Because you just have such a warm energy. Oh, thank you. That means a lot. Well, I'm super excited to get into. And I was like, I want to talk to her. Thank you. Because you just have such a warm energy. Oh, thank you. That means a lot. Well, I'm super excited to get into it because, like, I'm a huge fan of your podcast.

And I love that you ask, like, all of the, like, outside-the-box questions. Yeah. So I'm ready, baby. Give it to me. Oh, I love it. Girl, how about this? You just tell me what you want to tell me, and we'll be good. So what's it like being on tour with daddy roll? Like, are you

excited? Honestly, like it feels like a dream every single day. And we were talking about that this morning. It's like, when is somebody just going to like knock on our bus door and say, okay, like you're done now you're having entirely too much fun working. And like, it's, it just feels like a dream. It's insane. And every single time that I get to even pass him in the hallway, it's like, I always try to stop and talk to him for like five minutes because I get just like the little gems of wisdom in five minutes. It's insane. It's like the best five minute conversation you'll ever have in your life is with him. Try being married on me. You get to a point where you're just like, all right, dude, enough.

You're like, I don't want to know anymore. I don't want to be wise. I don't want to be any more wiser than I already am. No, I remember when Jay came to me about this tour, we were sitting out back. Were you guys there? I'm not sure. You guys might have been there or not,

but we were picking people to have on, and he gave me a list of girls that he wanted to come on, and I was like, Alexandra Kay. He was like, absolutely. Thank you. Yeah, no, it was, we were really excited to have you and just getting to see you out there every night and just, you know, in front of the crowd.

And you're like a natural showman. Like a lot of people don't have that. Thank you. You know, I feel like a lot of that I built just playing in dive bars for so long. I feel like you have to go through that those years of playing for nobody or playing for just like five drunk guys on bar stools yeah don't give a shit what you're singing about or saying um in order to just kind of figure out how to get even the

craziest people's attention yeah um or people who just don't really care what you're doing to try to just kind of like get their attention I feel like is how you figure out how to hold a crowd's attention so I'm really really grateful for all of the little dive bars I've played and all of the shows that nobody really came to so that I could be ready for this it may do it may do who you are but I forgot who I was talking to last night I think it was Pauly Shore and we were talking about the growth with my husband and I was like I've seen my husband talking to last night. I think it was Pauly Shore. And we were talking about the growth with my husband. And I was like, I've seen my husband play to 20 people exactly how he's doing out there for 15,000.

And I used to always say to him, baby, why do you put so much energy into a show for just 20 people? He's like, because they came here to see me. And, like, you know, it's those humble beginnings that whenever you do make it to the big time it's just kind of like all right I got this exactly and it's like training like that's kind of how I think about it whenever I I think back on it now I'm just like man if I would if I would have been too scared to go out the night that okay so I showed up to my first my first tour I ever put on I drove myself in my Buick Encore to 27 cities. Wow.

And I know. And my guitar player, it was just me and him, but he didn't have a driver's license. So I would literally play until 2 o'clock in the morning and then wake up at like 5 a.m. and drive us to the next city. We did that for a little over a month. But the first, it was my first tour ever, so I didn't know what to expect. And we showed up in Louisville. Huge place. I was also booking it myself. This was before Iville. Huge place. I was also booking it myself.

This was before I met Beth. Wow. So I also booked it myself. So I booked a huge room. And I didn't know what I was doing. Oh, no. And, yeah, I showed up, and there was, like, six people in, like, a 500-cap room. And I went into the bathroom, and I bawled my eyes out.

And then I went out and just put on a show as if the place was packed and you know it's like I did not want to go up there and do that that night but I was so excited at the end of it I'm like these six people paid money to come see me and then didn't turn around and leave when they saw the place was empty like like that's what it's about and then they bring more people and they bring more people in that was probably the best night of their life that is probably like a core memory for them they're like I was one of the six people that was watching her perform and now look at her you know they tell everybody that well I'm sure jelly did this too like we would hang out and drink afterwards oh yeah you know what I mean I couldn't get my husband out of the venue yeah like now when he leaves I'm like are you sure because he's such a venue rat so I could never

he would want to hang out with you he wanted to freaking move people in yeah by the end of the night and I'd be like babe no we're going home like hear your life story yeah and the people would be like oh where are you guys going tomorrow like come over to our house yeah no that's how my husband was too yeah for sure yeah great great memories so let's bring it back you grew grew up, you were born in Missouri. Yeah, I was born in Missouri, Southern Illinois. So I'm like right on the border. So I always just tell everybody I'm from St. Louis cause it's like the closest city. And if you say Illinois, they're like, Oh, you're from Chicago. I'm like six hours away from there. Um, so yeah, I was born in Missouri, grew up in a small town in Southern Illinois and then like got into music in St. Louis. That was like my first

taste in the music business. So growing up, how was your relationship with your parents had you have brothers sisters I have two sisters yeah and I'm the middle child so I'm like best friends with both of them yeah and it worked out to where like I was a freshman when my oldest sister was a senior and then I was a senior when my youngest was a freshman so we all you know did the high school parties thing together and everything my older sister would take me out when I was a freshman. I would take my little sister out. So we're all really, really close. And, um, oh man, it's, I really, really am blessed with the, just how close my family was. Went on a lot of like family vacations and stuff. We were a softball family. So we all play competitive softball and for the same organization. So I would be in like 16U,

softball and for the same organization. So I would be in like 16U, Courtney was 18 and Taylor was in like 14 or 12s and we would travel together and then all play like the same tournaments. So we were just always together. Athletic family. Yeah. I was surprised when I learned that about you. I was like, okay, a softball. I love that. You know, I feel like it's how I learned my kind of, uh, that's how I got my like determination, I guess. And just never to take no for an answer. It made me tough. Yeah. You know? Yeah. I mean, I would think so. I mean, just getting out there and having balls thrown at your face every day. I mean, that's a little scary. And just like, you know, physical punishment every single time you did anything wrong. They're like, run. Um, but yeah, like, uh, like the army, like bootcamp. Oh man.

And like when, when you get to a certain level, like at army, like boot camp. Oh, man. And like, when you get to a certain level, like at the like at the club level or whatever, and we were like a nationally ranked team. So they, yeah, they did not play. We played all through the winter on turf indoors. And everything. We never had breaks. I didn't really have any friends outside of softball because, you know, during the summertime, I didn't get to hang out with anybody like at school or anything. We were just always traveling. But once you had your sisters, though, you guys were so close. And you had your teammates.

Yeah, and those are built-in best friends. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, I really think it's what made me ready for this kind of lifestyle because it was just work, work, work, work, work. So now everybody's like, you don't get any breaks. I'm like, I never really had any breaks anyways. I think it's the Virgo in you, too. When I found out your birthday was the other day, I was like, you don't get any breaks. I'm like, I never really had any breaks anyways. I think it's the Virgo in you too. When I found out your birthday was the other day, I was like, okay, that makes sense.

Because I have a Virgo stellium, which means four planets that are in Virgo in my chart. And I don't know how to give up. I don't quit. Like, I'm always working. So you have that same drive. Oh my gosh, so much. Definitely. So much that I wish I could turn it off sometimes, but I can't.

No, literally. Like, even on our days off, I'm working. Yeah. Like, it doesn't matter what's going on. Like'm even if I'm just making content or doing something it's like you have to always be making a goal yeah you know to feel fulfilled I guess you're so on your social posting too oh because like I follow you on everything and I'm just like there's all something is always going up and I'm like Nick Steph we got to get something else up like it's pretty good though no no they do they're honestly they're incredible I love what you've been doing with and I'm like, Nick, Steph, we got to get something else out. Like it's pretty good though. No,

no, they do. They're honestly, they're incredible. I love what you've been doing with the tour. I did that last year where every day we filmed like a look video or like something like that. And that's, that is so good because people get to see a different side of you too. For sure. We really started leaning in heavier to the vlogs, which, um, we didn't have as much time on our headlining tour to do that. And so we really are leaning into that and I feel like everybody's getting to see everyone's personalities and getting to know everybody on the team which is is really really cool and I thought it was so awesome the other day when I introduced I was talking to jelly and I was like this is Rocco my boyfriend and I just what I'd never like introduced

him as my boyfriend yeah I figured he'd always he was like I watch the blogs I love I'm we're gonna talk about Rocco in a little bit yeah let's circle back to childhood though so mom and dad are still together you guys are super close all that jazz you grew up doing um softball and then when did you start writing like when was me when did you know like music was kind of in your soul in your spirit so my So my mom used to tell me that she would just hear me sing in church. And she was like, oh, okay. She could just tell that I had a little bit of a musical ear. And then growing up in church and singing in the choir and all of that stuff,

I always really loved it. And I was kind of the child that was just pretty outgoing and and always wanted to be in front of the camera if like there was a camera rolling and um and so I I think that that's when they realized that I was just more creative than my other sisters like they didn't they were just more kind of like shy and I was just out there. Um, and then I went through my first relationship I ever had was it lasted five years. So my first, and it sounds really weird to say now, right now that I'm in my thirties, but like my first boyfriend was from 13 to 18. You do long relationships. I've noticed that's crazy, but that's amazing that you find

these people and it's a good and a bad thing because is it, is it, do you stay because you're in love or do you stay because it becomes a, um, a sense of like, I have to be here to make it work? Well, I think that now, and, and once I went through my divorce and I went started in therapy is when I started to realize why I think I hang on to things for entirely too long sometimes um you know when they're not good for me and I know that and I just won't let it go um but I think that it we kind of realized it all stemmed from my first experience of being in love and that not being a healthy first experience of being in love what happened and um you know he was very heavy into drugs and it became a physically abusive relationship

and how old were you from 13 to 18 18 that's those are like pivotal years of growth also yeah so to go through two things of having to deal with somebody who's an addict and then also domestic violence is pretty heavy. Yeah, and I hid it, you know, because I loved him. And I knew my parents would never let me see him again. And I was just very anxiously attached to him. I mean, he was my first love, you know. And now I know that he actually wasn't and, and he was just trauma bond. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And he, he did not grow up in a great situation. And when I look back on it now, it's like, it makes the whole

situation make a lot more sense to me, but I didn't understand it then and blame myself a lot for it. And, uh, You can't blame yourself, though. I feel like those lessons are always put into place no matter how bad they are. As we get older, we understand that they do become kind of like a blessing because it's like had you have never gone through that, you would never know that side of life. For sure. So that's how I always try to look at things too.

Right. And had I never have gone through that, I don't think I would have fallen into songwriting the way that I did. Because I was just so full of so many things that I couldn't talk about. And I was always a very emotional child anyway. I just feel everything times 10. And so when I was going through that, I remember walking through Walmart and seeing this little book that had, um, like daisies on it. And, um, I picked it up, took it home, started writing like just diary entries.

Then those turned into poems. And then I just started hearing melodies and I just started writing songs. And it was all about what I was going through with him and, um, just being in love for the first time. And at that time, I was also, I switched from Catholic school to public school. Oh, wow. That's a big change. I did that too. Yeah. How old were you when you did that? I went from junior high into high school. Okay. And I didn't know one cuss word. And people used to make fun of me because I would wear like dresses down to my ankles. They would call me like little house on the prairie and stuff like that. Yeah, because I came from a Christian school into a Las Vegas public school.

Oh my gosh. So yeah, it was a huge change. How was it for you? Yeah, it was pretty much the same. I mean, but a lot of it is, you know, being, I switched from seventh grade. So I had seventh and eighth grade in public school before I went to high school.

Oh my goodness. Which I'm like. That's brutal. It's a weird age to change and try to find, try to make friends. Right. And I think that I was just so desperate to fit in that it was like anybody who would take me in, I was just like, okay, cool. And so, um, I fell into a group that, you know, wasn't the best and developed some pretty unhealthy friendships and relationships at that time and, you know, gotten a lot of fights. Best fights? Yeah.

Crazy. I can't see Alexander J out there throwing hands. I know, and I never talked about any of this either, so I'm giving it all to you, girl. I love it. No, I love it. And I think it makes you relatable because I grew up fighting, too. I got kicked out of my private school for fighting. I got kicked out of public school for fighting. I got kicked out of church for fighting. Wow. So I get it. I understand it. And what do you think that stemmed from? Well, I was just about to ask

you that. Do you think that that, well, you met your boyfriend when 13. So that's what, sixth grade, seventh grade? Yeah. Seventh grade. So do you think what you guys were going through is what made you so volatile towards people or was it things at home that were causing them? No, no, it wasn't anything at home. And honestly, I think that the, because I was able to go home every night to, you know, a very loving and accepting family is the reason why I didn't go down a completely different path. That's so amazing. Yeah. And I, I talk a lot about that with, with my therapist. She's like, you need to write a book because no one knows any of this is happening. And she's like, you should be like under a bridge somewhere. And like, based on, you know, everything that I've been through and just statistically,

like, um, and I was around a lot of drugs, never used. Um, that's amazing too, that you were able to say no and have willpower. Well, you know, I saw what it did to the closest person in my life at the time. And I, my whole, um, my whole goal was to just make him stop. So I didn't want to. What was his drug of choice, if I can ask? Well, it started pills when I first found out. And then, you know, the story was that he was just holding on to them for somebody else or selling them for, you know, money or whatever.

And so I was just like, okay, well, as long as you're not, you know, doing it. And then it was that, then it was cocaine, then it was heroin, then it was everything else. Wow. So he went down a really deep spiral with drugs. Yeah, for sure. That's a lot to deal with that in junior high. That's crazy. So do you think that that from that relationship, just being so frustrated is what was causing you to lash out with other people in the fighting? out with other people in the fighting? Well, I think that it was also, um, it was also the fact that when he got angry, it was physical. And so when my friends got angry, it was physical.

Everything was always fighting with my friends. I mean, it was like some pretty, it was some pretty traumatic stuff, like in this group of just like, everybody's just beating each other up when they get mad. That's terrible. Um, yeah, it was pretty like,, like, in this group of just, like. Everybody's just beating each other up when they get mad. That's terrible. Yeah, it was pretty, like, you know, there was, like, a hierarchy in this, like, group. And it was just, like, you two are going to fight or I'm going to fight you. Wow. Yeah.

It was pretty rough. That is rough. You've got to, like, live in fight or flight every time you're around them. For sure. And it was just, you know, fight back or get your ass kicked all the time. And it was just, you know, and it or get your ass kicked all the time. And it was just, you know, and it made me really, really hard for a while. And I think that I just kind of fell into,

oh, this is how we handle things? Okay. So then this is how I handled things for a few years until I completely separated myself from that whole group of people and broke up with my boyfriend and spent a lot more time with my family. And just as they say, anyway, they just kind of think I fell back into who I had always been. So from 13 to 18, though, those are like

huge growth years. So aside from that relationship, you're, so you start writing and then where does the writing take you musically? I just started working with anybody who knew how to use GarageBand. I told you. Oh yeah, I remember. I've got these songs literally written in this book and I'm like, can I record these? And they're like, cool.

Do you play guitar? No, it's just spoken word. You're like, it's just poetry. Yeah, right, and so I just found somebody who could just kind of put the music with everything for me and started cutting these songs, putting them on SoundCloud, you know like, it's just poetry. Yeah, right. And so I just found somebody who could just kind of put the music with everything for me and started cutting these songs, putting them on SoundCloud, you know? Oh, yeah. Yeah, just doing that.

I could never imagine you on SoundCloud, but that's amazing. Yes, yes. Like, you're just willing to do whatever. You won't find me now. I made sure there was no evidence of those first videos. What is the first song you uploaded on SoundCloud? Oh, I believe it was called Let You Go. Yeah, and it was very, it almost had like a, cause you were supposed to be a pop artist, right? So I signed my first

record deal I signed was in 2012 and I signed with network entertainment. How old were you then? I was 21. Okay. You were 21. Yeah. And I, um, and I signed this deal ended up going into well okay I had been working in hip-hop for a little bit so I worked from like 19 till I was like 22 at the Four Seasons Hotel didn't you have your first agent when you were 16 I think I had read that yes I did so take me from there I went into acting modeling did somewhere. Yes, I did. So take me from there. I went into acting, modeling, did that whole voiceover. I did voiceover work on the radio. What does voiceover work exactly? So I basically would do like the Are You Rankin' material and like the college, like the local college radio spots.

Oh, I love that. Stuff like that, yeah. And just go in and do that which was really fun I loved it and uh and so I did that and I did a couple commercials and I loved it I just wanted to be in front of the camera and I then that was when I got into musical theater as well and did a lot of theater and I feel like that especially from like my junior senior year of high school it like really kept me out of trouble because I stopped going out on the weekends and I would just be like

with all the theater kids building sets, you know? And I was just like, gosh, this is so much more peaceful than what I used to be doing, you know? So yeah, so I did that and then kind of took it a step further and got an agent and did some of those commercials. And then that's when I started meeting people in the music business when I was working at the Four Seasons and met a couple of rappers. And then that's when I started meeting people in the music business

when I was working at the Four Seasons and met a couple of rappers. And I was just like, hey, if you guys ever need hooks, like I sing and I'll do it for free, you know, just call me. And so they did. And then they just kind of passed my name around. They were like, this girl does it for free and she sounds good. And so then I just ended up in every closet studio in St. Louis for a couple of years.

One of those rappers was Nelly. Yeah. Yeah. I ended up working with Nelly and got in the studio with Huey and Chingy. Where the hell did Huey go? Huey died. Oh, he did? Yeah.

Did he? I never knew. Did everybody know that? Your face. What? No, because I seriously. He's the one that's saying pop lock and drop it right I never knew he died this is my first time this guy damn what did he die from the gunshot oh son of a bitch all right well R.I.P. Huey I'm sorry baby I did not know

yeah I genuinely didn't know yeah I know and yeah but that was a that was a crazy time and it was so much fun and um that's how I signed my first deal yay yeah so what was that like signing your first deal like were you just did you think that the world was gonna change of course we all do right we think oh this is it this is it I'm going to the top um nobody could tell me where my contract was like one piece of paper like it was just it was so illegitimate. Who did you sign with? Network Entertainment. It was like a little indie label.

Okay, gotcha. Yeah, I think everybody has, that it has never been in the music industry or wants to be in the music industry and wants to be signed so bad. I don't think they realize how not for the artist these deals are. And know, and I always stress that on the podcast that, you know, yes, being in the music industry is awesome. And there's

so many blessings that come with it, but there's also so many deals that just, you have to be very careful for and look out for. For sure. I mean, my creative freedom just completely went out the window with that deal. And I was just so young and naive and I just wanted any help that I could get. And so I took it and don't get me wrong. Like I had a blast and I learned a lot, um, in that I think it was about a year and a half I was with them. And, um, but still to this day, you know, the songs I released with them, I haven't seen any, any money from them. They still own everything. Um, how is that legal? How do they get away with that? Honestly, I don't know. And I just, so unfair because you guys, without you guys, there's no

them, you know? So it's like, you would think that they would treat people better. Yeah. You would think so. Um, I mean, the last conversation we had was that they were like, yeah, if you rerecord the song and put it out with us, then we'll take the original down. And I was like, and put it out with us then we'll take the original down and I was like no why would I ever do that I feel like if you if you know you sign with a big label because I'm sure everybody and their mom is looking at you now they'll be able to handle that for you and that's called karma yeah we're looking forward to that yeah yeah she's like I'm looking forward to that day I'm like please get that song out of here no is it rough it rough? I want to hear it. It's rough. Please don't. We're going to look it up one of these days.

We're going to go on the bus and listen to it, and then I'm going to FaceTime you while we're listening to it in the background. Oh, my God. And then the owner of the label had this clothing brand as well, and so in the music video, he made me wear his clothing brand. No. Yeah. There's a music video up, too. What is the name of it?

We have to go look at it. Okay. Oh, my God. We're going to what is the name of it? I, we have to go look at it. Okay. Oh my God. I'm so scared. It's so bad. You guys, it's so bad. No, you are so funny. It sounds, I'm singing out of my nose. You do, you know who I'm married to, right? There's some videos up that he has up and I'm like, honey, what is going on? What the fucking cornrows? Are you kidding me? Like, I'm like, who is this man? I mean, we have all done some,

like when you first get started and you're like, you'll do anything. I mean, we've all got questionable shit out there. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. You should see some of the first shit I uploaded on YouTube and TikTok.

Like, don't, let's not do it. But you know, it's like, you don't, you don't know who you are. You're finding your sound.

You're finding your persona online or who you want to be. So don't ever's a part of your journey so don't be ashamed I've kept it up you know yeah there's some really bad very first youtube videos those are gone nobody will ever find those but you know it's cool to look back on right and you're just like oh my gosh I thought this was so great yeah when I did it and I was so excited. No, please, Bob. Girl. But that's a testament of how far you've come, you know? I know. They cut my hair off. I was blonde.

Now I'm laying on the bed. Not the bed shot. Not the bed shot. Oh, the hairdo. Let me see the hairdo. Oh, my God. That is so like Sarah Fawcett. Oh, my God. And the mountains in the background.

This is very Bob Ross. Very Bob Ross. Is he painting as we speak? I love it. I love it. Oh my God. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Holidays on the house at DraftKings Casino.

With the season's offerings, you'll unwrap everything that you wished for, from table games and jackpots to a slot at the top of everyone's list. Jingle bells, power reels. DraftKings is offering a warm welcome to new players with $100 instantly in casino credits with just a $10 wager. Plus, everyone can get in on the action with a holiday reward every week. So sign up with code BUNNY, B-U-N-N-I-E, because the holiday cheer is here. Only on Giraffe King's Casino. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling.

Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org please play responsibly 21 and up physically present in connecticut michigan new jersey pennsylvania west virginia only void in ontario eligibility restrictions apply new customers only opt-in required casino credits are non-withdrawable and expire in 168 hours. Terms at casino.draftkings.com slash promos. So during all of this, you also had a relationship that you started with somebody, correct? Your high school boyfriend who you ended up being with for about 10 years. Yeah, so my ex and I met right around the time I signed this record deal in 2012 and we were together for yeah, 11 years. And then we, that's a long time. Yeah. Long, long time.

We stopped dating for a year, pretty, pretty early on. Um, we just weren't seeing eye to eye on what we wanted. And I was really, really career focused. And he wasn't really there at that point. And so we split and then ended up getting back together and, you know, kept it going for a long time. I held on to that for a long time. Yeah, that's crazy. And we're going to circle back into that when we talk about when you dropped your first, or which album was it right here? I have it in my notes.

Oh, yeah, yeah. All I've ever known. Yes, all I've ever known. Sorry, I have so many notes that I'm trying to look through them. But you also, during this time, got signed to a Netflix show. Were you doing a Netflix show? Yeah. Take me on this journey.

You've done everything. And I also have to tell you how I got it. Yes, please do. Because it's so invisible string. Okay. everything and I also have to tell you how I got it because it's so invisible string okay and like okay so first of all like God puts me in situations in my life way before it's ever I'm ever going to be back and realize why I was there to begin with oh I love that so and I have a couple really pretty creepy scenarios for you and I just had another one. What yet? Was it yesterday? Two days ago. Um,

but so I had just come back from being on the voice. I mean, they didn't air my episodes. Like was I ever really on it? I don't know. And no one turned around for me. It was an audition, right? Yeah. It was an audition. So, but you know, during that time they keep you in a hotel room for a month and you literally can't leave the hotel for a month. They make you do that for a month and then don't even air your episode. That's brutal. Yeah, it's a pretty crazy scenario. So I'm just going to tell you this while we're on this.

So the other day, two days ago when we were going through, we were at our hotel, realized our tour manager had booked a different hotel. And he was like, oh, I'm so sorry, guys. We're actually somewhere else. We all get back in. I'm like, okay, I'm going to run in and go to the bathroom. And then Rocco and I went to a different hotel and then went and saw Hamilton, which is so fun for my birthday. And we walk into this hotel and I just like get this really like eerie feeling. And I'm like,'s it smells familiar it looks

familiar and then I see all these people walking around with guitars and I was like oh my gosh this is the hotel that I lived in for a month when I was on The Voice no way and have never been back oh my god but you're back now on your own terms like that's amazing the day before you know I got to play crypto with you guys and Dude. And, like, what? Isn't that, I got goosebumps. Isn't that crazy? I was, like, standing outside. Like, this is where I was bawling my eyes out.

Like, oh, my gosh, my career is over. Nothing's going to happen for me. They just didn't, you know. Yeah. It's over. And then I'm just standing right back. Oh, my gosh. There.

Isn't that wild? But it's crazy how the universe brings you back to say, see? See how far you've come? Because you probably are really hard on yourself. And, like, because you always do have your head down working. I'm the same way. We rarely stop to smell the roses and like appreciate what we do, you know? So that's kind of like the Lord telling you like, Hey, hello. I know. Look at you. Hi. It wasn't supposed to happen then. It was supposed to happen now, but that was a part of what it took to get you here

absolutely and so I had one of those the other day and so back to I left my record deal started going on Facebook posting videos of me singing 90s country songs on my parents staircase from there I recorded Jolene and that was my first viral video. It got like 80 million views on Facebook and kind of grew my Facebook page enough for a producer from The Voice to see that video. That's how I got my blind audition. Did that. Didn't work out. out 30 days later, I get a call from my friend who's, um, who's driving for Uber in Los Angeles. And he's like, dude, I just had the craziest Uber ride. I don't know if anything's going to come

from it, but like, I have to tell you what just happened. And I'm like, what's up? He says, this guy gets in the back of my Uber and we've got an hour ride somewhere and we're talking. And I'm like, what do you do? He's like, what do you do when you're not ubering yada yada and he's like he I was driving him to a showcase because he was telling me about this show that he was casting and how they needed a country singer to fill out to round out this cast and this was going to be the last person they cast and he was just like oh do they have to live here and he's like I don't know what it was in me but I just pulled up your Jolene video and I just handed it to him in the back seat and he was like who is this and how do I get in contact with her and they cast me in the show oh how strange is that shout out to good friends I know right like that speak good about you when you're not in the room that's amazing

insane insane and so I was just sitting in Southern Illinois 30 days after getting cut and feeling like, oh, what am I going to do now? Thank God, though, because Bob Ross. Right. For sure. Thank God. At the time, you were very upset. But I mean, it's like it was such a blessing.

I really thought I was going to be living in those mountains. When one door closes, another one opens. So no, that's amazing. So that was really cool. And I got cast in the show. And they were like, we need you out here in 30 days. You have to find your own place to live. So I ended up living with Scotty, which is so random.

I was like, where am I going to live? Scotty was the Uber driver. Yeah. Gotcha. And he was like, somebody just moved out. And he was like, do you want the room? And I'm like, yeah. I moved out there.

I didn't know anybody. Didn't have any friends. Figured out how to drive the crazy highways out there pretty quickly. Had a lot of panic attacks. This is in L.A., right? Yeah. Okay, yeah. Oh, yeah.

The L.A. freeways fucking scare me. I make me drive all the time. It was so crazy. And I'm from the West Coast. Oh, my God. I'm, like, from Waterloo. And I'm like, where are all the parking lots? Like, this is crazy.

And so, yeah, I just jumped right into shooting that show made friends with everybody on the cast it was a wild experience um unfortunately the show just there were too many cooks in the kitchen you know call it what you will whatever the reason was it just wasn't as successful and that was just another heartbreak after that and I was I have to tell you like I was devastated when that happened. I mean, it really put me in a rut. Well, it's like an extremely high high, you know? And then to have to be let down from that, I mean, it's a lot.

It's pretty heavy. I mean, not only the producers and everybody saying, this is our most funded show of the year, this is going to change your lives, and shooting it for two years. Wow. Yeah. That's a long time yeah holy shit it was a long time we worked with all of the big music video directors and we got signed to Warner Brothers at that time that's when I signed my record deal with Warner so this is your second record deal that you're signing yeah and I was you know just on cloud nine thought it was all going to happen. And then the show came out.

It was mismarketed. And this is from them. This is what they said happened. So basically it was marketed as a reality TV show. So you get recommended things on Netflix. And it was kind of pushed to people who watch reality shows. So people who watch Ice Road Truckers were notified about our musical television show right that was was it like glee kind of or like so no and that's that is what i was pitched whenever i got cast okay with something like that and then what ended up happening is it

just the storyline got extremely confusing they were following careers, but then we were also creating our own musical about our own lives in the middle of it. But then also already, I'm confused. And then you're just watching and it breaks out into a big budget music video. Okay. Yeah. Is it still up? Can we watch that too? Yeah. Oh God. We're doing a deep dive tonight. I mean, welcome to the graveyard. Here's all the things I did I love it though but this is so cool that you have such an extensive digital footprint though like that's amazing because when you're winning fucking Grammys you're gonna look back on uh what is it called I'm so sorry uh west oh yeah west side you're gonna look back on west side and you're gonna be like this was all part of my journey like and you have it all

documented dude so like when you do do like a documentary of your life story they're gonna be able to pull all these clips and like it's just gonna be such a beautiful montage of your life so wait for that yeah no don't look at it with embarrassment well no you know it's what's really cool is all of the moments I got to feel that were like those real rock bottom moments because it's what makes me so grateful for moments like these yeah so when when West Side came out there were we were all over Times Square we did all the big tv shows and there are billboards all over LA and LA live like I mean it was crazy and then we get the call around Thanksgiving hey we're not putting any more they're not putting any more.

They're not putting any more money into the show. It's buried in the algorithm. Like, it's done. It's over. And your checks are going away. And we're not doing a second season. Yikes. Also, then Warner Brothers calls days later, and they dropped us all.

You don't get residuals? No. Wow, that's crazy. And then you lose your second record deal. Mm-hmm. Just out of the blue? Yeah. What was their reasoning? they just didn't okay so what what happened was we lost the deal with the show and

then they started dropping people from the record label but they held on to two of us and so I was with them a little bit longer and we just weren't seeing eye to eye as far as like the songs they were pitching me and wanted me to cut and I was just like this doesn't even sound anything like anything I do and so that was more hey it doesn't feel like it's going to be a good fit but they did drop everybody else I love that you stand up for yourself though because most people want it so bad they're willing to be who who they aren't and you are like no I'm not going to cut this song this isn't a good fit I don't care if I'm going to lose this record deal or not. But, you know, if I wouldn't have gone through that first record deal where I did record a bunch of things that didn't feel like me, you know, I wouldn't have known to stand up for myself then.

And then so I had still some time left on my lease in California. And, like, I had to pay my bills. So I was driving all through Burbank with my little my bartending resume because I bartended for a long time. And I was going to every single bar. And as I'm driving, I was like on sunset. And they are literally painting over our billboard of our show as I am handing out my resume to bartend. I feel like that's your life, though. I feel like God has a sense of humor with you. Yeah. I was like, twist it. Why don't you? Oh my gosh. Yeah. It was, it was really, really wild.

I feel like God has a sense of humor with you and he's like, you're going to, you're going to really feel this right now, but I promise you, I'm going to bring you out of this. He's like, we're going to make it hurt real bad so that you just really appreciate everything good that's about to happen but that's amazing because some people don't get those lessons and they don't get to learn those valuable things that you know make you grow in life and become a better kid's character development 100 yeah yeah absolutely so during all this how is your relationship? Because you are with your ex at this time during all of this. How is that going? So at that time, like if you watch the show ever, we do have a lot of rocky moments in the show. And there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes where, you know, I have that song on my record called Painted Imperfect.

And like that is exactly what I did. And a lot of things were happening that were huge red flags at that time that I just really covered up. And we stayed together. We moved back from LA, um, to Southern Illinois because that's where he could work. And so I said, here's what we'll do. Since you moved out to LA with me, we'll go back to Southern Illinois. You go back to work in the union and I will commute to Nashville. And so I started driving, I started driving to Nashville every Monday, which is a four and a half hour drive from St. Louis. I would couch surf Monday through Friday, just wherever I could crash

and write songs, record, make content. I joined 615 house at that time. And then I would get back in my car and drive home Friday, spend Saturday and Sunday, and then Monday I would drive back. And I did that for almost three years. Do you ever feel like he supported your dream? Because I feel like all of these highs and lows that you've gone through, I don't hear about him being by your side through it. I do feel like he was supportive, yeah. And, you know, we went through a lot together. And, you know, he moved to L.A. for me, with me. And I moved back home for him and then commuted for him.

So there was a lot of things that we did for each other. And, you know, it wasn't all bad with us. He was my best friend. Yeah, and unfortunately, we just grew apart like we grew up I tell people this all the time it's like and in my song um you know in Everly when I say I guess me at 21 and 31 just wanted different things well I mean yeah like imagine yourself at 21 and what you wanted and what was important in a relationship to you yeah and then at 31 what's important now it was like it was just really cool when we got together that his parents owned the bar down the street and that our friends kicked

it together and that my friend was dating his friend right you know what I mean and a lot of it was just going out and drinking partying and like being young and stupid and having a good time yeah and moving into our first apartment together and splitting rent because neither of us could afford it by ourselves I mean yeah we were kids and then we got older and we just didn't want the same things anymore yeah I know how that goes but I mean people don't understand every year you're growing but 21 to 31 is a huge jump and maturity levels also so you know to to be able to acknowledge that and get out of that marriage is huge on both of you guys's parts too because some people would have hung on for even longer so to know that you weren't happy

and just be like hey man we need to just part ways even though that dude was your best friend and you guys had a decade plus under your belt that's not easy to walk away from not at all it was devastating it was like how do you get the strength to do that I didn't have a choice at that point I didn't have a choice there was something that just snapped in me I'll never forget where I even was I was in um San Diego and I was playing San Diego House of Blues like the small room that night and we were um just out on another headlining tour and things things had just really gone downhill and it was just getting worse and worse and worse and worse. And was it like arguing? What was it? It was arguing. It was, um, he wasn't working at the time. Um, and so when

you have a lot of free time and I'm on the road, uh, you know, it's a lot of drinking and then with the drinking comes more arguing. And so, and then, you know, spending money because money's not coming in and you're not working. It's just a lot easier to spend money because you've got to entertain yourself somehow. Yeah. That's still not fair to you, though. Right. And then, you know, I'm on the road and calling you from a closet because I don't have a green room because I'm in clubs, like small 300 cap clubs. And being like, please stop spending the

money on the credit card. Like we cannot afford, you know, what is he spending money on just going out? Yeah, pretty much. Was there any infidelity or anything like that? No, no. Um, there, you know, once we separated, it was instant that he was out, wild and out. And we're from a small town, so nobody knew we were separated. Oh, no. So the girl was like, yo, your husband was trying to take me home last night. Oh, that's so hurtful. And so that's how I was finding out because no one knew.

And at that time we were still— Shout out to the girl who told you though yeah she's a real one nobody ever wants to hear that but you know thanks I was just like thanks yeah yeah and um you know because there were a lot of girls that did do things that I found out from other people and they didn't tell me goodness so you know it was uh it was really really hard but you know how when somebody just keeps proving that this was the right decision it just gets easier every single day yeah you know it's different if they're completely turning their life around and changing things but when you just watch them continue to spiral in the opposite direction as you're going you're like thank you for the strength to get out while, you know, while I could. I, um, I, um, applaud you for how you went through the divorce because you were so

classy about it. You didn't speak about it. You literally just poured your heart out into an album and that was it. Like, you know, you didn't go into the press. It wasn't messy. Like you just did it. So not what normal people in the spotlight would do. You know, divorces get pretty hectic and disturbing sometimes. And I really appreciated the way you did yours. So thank you. You know, I, uh, I really loved him. And so the last thing I ever wanted to do was destroy him further than I know I destroyed him when I had to leave, you know, because it's not what he wanted, but it was what was going to

be best for me in the long run. And what I think is going to be best for him because at the end of it, I was not in love anymore. And so when you're in a relationship with somebody and you're not in love anymore, that's not easy on the person who still is in love. And I'm like, you don't, you don't deserve to be with somebody who is not in love with you anymore. So I want you to go find love and go be happy. Um, but the last thing that I wanted was to destroy his reputation. It was really tough to hear. You know what was really hard was when it came out and then everybody speculated that it was because I got famous, which is so weird. You know what I mean? Like, that's not even a real thing. I'm not, but like, you know what I mean? Like that's the comment section is, oh, she blew up and just left

her husband in the dust. And it's like, I had to read that over and over and over and over. And I'm like, yeah, it was brutal. That was brutal. And also to just be super heartbroken. yeah, it was brutal. That was brutal. And also to just be super heartbroken. I lived by myself for the very first time at 30 years old. Oh my goodness. I had never lived alone. Take me on that first night that you're alone in your apartment. I was terrified, you know, like later on, I loved it, but it was like, I was scared. I never like, never like sure I slept alone but in like hotel rooms and in my home that I was comfortable in but like I moved in with my manager Beth for a while like at the beginning of it because first of all I was extremely unstable and there was like plenty of times when she just brought tequila upstairs to my sobbing ass it was like that's a real one yeah

she is she is I would never got through it without her. And she was just like, okay, do we need to go out? Like, what do you, you know? And I'm like, no. You know, like it was, it was really, really tough. So she, moving in with her really helped my transition. But it was a couple weeks in to living alone and realizing that every decision I made was my own. Realizing that every decision I made was my own. And that's when I ended up writing All I've Ever Known.

Was because I was like, oh my gosh, I didn't even realize that this is how I've always wanted my house to look. Because I never really got a say on that. He was very much things his way. And if it wasn't his way, it would eventually be his way. Right. You know what I mean I am very much a people pleaser, have always been. So I would end up being just be like, fine, whatever you want. You know? Do you, after these relationships and after learning so many life lessons, do you still consider yourself a people pleaser? Yes, because I feel like it's in my heart to be. Right. But in the best way. But with boundaries now?

Yes, with boundaries now. But not in a bad way, not in an unhealthy way. Because I feel like having the heart of a servant is why I have such a connection with my fans. Because I really want to, it's so important to me that they know that they are loved and appreciated. Yes. And I don't know that everybody really cares that much that their fans feel real, true, genuine love and appreciation and gratefulness every day. Right. You know, as long as they're happy with the music, it's like that's enough sometimes for some artists, but that's not enough for me. And so if that part of me completely went away then I would lose myself completely so I don't

ever want to lose that no your fans and the people who love you and your music are lucky to have you because not a lot of people especially in this industry as you know feel that way they want to just do the show and go home and do it all over again you know you actually want to get out there and meet these people who are supporting you and love on them like they love on you. You know what I was thinking is like, because Jelly's the same way. Oh yeah, no he is.

And when I watch him up there, it makes a lot of sense because we haven't been through the same things, but all the highs and lows in life and the highs and lows that I've witnessed and experienced in my career. Like I can see it up there, like when he gets so emotional, it's like he did not expect his life to turn out this way. And there were so many times when I had another letdown that like I truly didn't expect my life to turn out this way either.

I truly didn't expect my life to turn out this way either. And it's like, I feel like you just have to go through shit to really, really stand here and be like, thank you. You know? Yeah, it's a part of your journey. And that's, you know, it's special because not a lot of people get to experience the lessons that you guys have and that it's made you who you guys are. Did he do mean greats for a long time? My husband. husband I was like I bet you were dragging him out at some point like there are 10,000 people here you cannot meet everybody literally does my husband does meet and greets when we go to the grocery store yeah okay like we we there's a rule I will not go on a date with him in Nashville

because it's not a date it's literally a meet and greet and I'm just sitting there eating, you know, just like, hi guys. Yep. I'm sure I'll take the picture for you. You know, like, and I don't mind. I love my husband. I'll do whatever. But it's like, you know, my husband does not know how to turn it off. He does. He just, if you come up to him and you want to talk, he's going to talk to you. And I love that about him, you know, and I'm never going to get in the way of him being who he is. Sometimes I'm like, baby, can we just have one freaking meal together? Just me and you, please. So take me on this journey with TikTok. Because you got on TikTok.

And that's how I found you was on TikTok. You were doing those. I know people have told you this before. But I think that you are the closest thing that this generation has to Dolly's voice. I think Megan Maroney is, what is that? Barbara Mandrell of this generation, I think. Cody Johnson is the George Strait of this generation.

And I think that you have the Dolly vocals, man. Oh, thank you so much. You're welcome. You hear it all the time though. I know you do. But it's so cool. Like every time I hear it, it's like, she's the best.

Like you don't get any better than that to me. You know what I mean? She's just a great human, too. Who she is, I know. Because I know you've met her. I have never met her. Oh, my God, you've got to meet her. I know.

And however long I've been singing her songs and I haven't met her. You'll meet her. Yeah, I can't wait. For sure. I can't wait. And what an incredible person, too. Yeah. Just me, just watching videos from afar. And she just shines so bright.

But thank you. That's a huge compliment and I want to continue to kind of live in that and I really leaned into that in my record. I wanted the soft kind of spoken word thing that she does and I wanted to be able to do that and it's just really, it was very convenient that I was able to do that. And it's just really, it was very convenient that I was able to do that because the record is just so emotional. Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so with TikTok, I came home from the TV show, wrote a song called I Kinda Don't, which ended up being my first number one on iTunes and was the first time that labels started to, you know, slide into the DMS and show some interest. Do they really do that? Labels just slide in the DMs. That's how, yeah, that's how I got even a freaking email. They're sliding in DMS. Like, Hey, on Instagram. Um, and so that's how, you know, I had my first label meetings. Um, but I was writing this song called I Kind of Don't,

and I was with Tana Matz and Ryan Robinette. And I remember Ryan being like, have you guys heard about this app called TikTok? And I was like, isn't that a kid's app? Like, I think it's like for kids. I did the same thing. I was like, you're not getting me on there. She tried for a year and a half to get me on there.

I was like, you're not doing it. I was like, guys, I think that's going to be creepy. I was like, I'm like too old for that, I think. I said the same thing. And he was like you're not doing it i was like guys i think that's gonna be creepy yeah i was like i'm like too old for that i think i said the same thing and he was like no like artists are putting their music on there and it's it's like going and this was 2019 or 20 yeah 2019 your facebook was already popping though right yeah facebook was my first platform that i had virality on i love facebook me too Not a lot of people utilize Facebook. I love Facebook. I know. I'm looking at Nick because it's like, it's like our little, we're not telling anybody. Nick's our little, our social media guy. And we just, we just scheme about Facebook all the time because it's

like, everybody just thinks it's for the older generation and it's over. And I'm like, man, no, it pops. I'm on there every day posting shit. Like, I love Facebook. I know. I follow you on Facebook. Oh, I love that. Yeah. But I mean, like, reels, like, they go crazy.

Yeah. Don't go over there, people. No, don't. I'm just kidding. It's really chill over there. Yeah, it sucks. It's terrible. You don't see anything.

But I, yeah, I started posting on Facebook, had virality over there. And then when Instagram became a thing, worked that as much as I could, but it wasn't as easy to grow on Instagram back then. Yeah. Instagram is still my lowest platform. Yeah. I don't love it. Yeah. It's really hard to grow there.

Yeah, I don't love it. They don't care about us over there. No, they don't. Literally, they do not. I feel like Facebook and TikTok at least shows us a little bit of love. Yeah. Instagram is like, fuck you, pay me. Right. That's all they care about. Yeah, I know. Facebook can TikTok at least shows us a little bit of love. Instagram is like, fuck you. Pay me. Right.

That's all they care about. Yeah, I know. Facebook can get ruthless, though. Oh, I was making my most ruthless platform in the comments. Oh, the comments. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's terrible. I don't even read the comments.

And if I do, it's always an asshole at the top. And then I always respond to it. And then it gets like a thousand more comments on it. And I do it on purpose. But right now they're brutal over there. They do not no they don't it's it's definitely where i get destroyed the most there so i'll just like go watching yeah exactly yeah and i mean like the crazier it gets in the comments the views just like skyrockets keep it going okay i just won't read oh no i'll turn a blind eye you have to post and ghost that's what I do yeah um so I decided okay let me try this TikTok thing

I started posting um just little clips of me singing here and there playing a little guitar nothing happened of course and then posted I kind of don't and that was my first song to ever go viral and then I think it got like 10,000 pre-saves like my first song I ever released and from one video from one viral video and I said oh my gosh they are not kidding like this is this is a big platform so I just kept feeding and feeding I'd post like three times a day post all my songs and my monthly listeners started going up and I started making money girl the first time I made money off of my music was after I kind of don't. Money came in, which is about three months after the song comes out.

And it was my first payment. And I was just sitting on my bed. And my ex at the time was out there mowing the lawn. It was just a normal day. We were poor as shit. And I open up my TuneCore. and I was like, my jaw just dropped. And I booked it outside and like ran into his arms. And I was like, we made $10,000.

Like it was like life changing for us, you know? And yeah, it was wild. We were crying. It was like a whole thing. I'll never forget that day. I'll never forget that day. And then I was like, all right, TikTok is my job. Let's go. You know, that's what it did for me. We were one of the first podcasts to get on TikTok. Do you remember that Mimi? And we were so ahead of our time with the podcast that TikTok used to flag all my podcast videos because they didn't know what it was. And then once they finally started letting them on, then they started blowing up.

And then now everybody else and their mom has a freaking podcast on there. But once it's almost like I compare it to gambling in Vegas. Yeah. When you hit a jackpot on a slot machine, you just get so addicted to those numbers and just the viralness of everything. And that's really what keeps people going. It's an addiction. 100%. But when you see it actually like helping your career too, then that's also, you know, what we do it for.

It just felt so like it was just a door opening. Like I just found like a little crack and I was just like, all right, I'm walking through here and I'm just going to chase this because at that time I had nothing else going on. And I felt like I just kind of snuck into this little crack in the door. And I was just like, don't tell anybody I'm in here. But I'm going to work while I'm in here. And so that happened.

Had a couple of other songs go viral. Started making some money off my music. One random morning, every morning I'd wake up. And I would be like, Alexa, play 90s country. And it would just play whatever. And I had my phone propped up and I had avocado toast. And I had just started making my own lattes because I couldn't afford to go to Starbucks anymore. And so I was like, I'm going to figure out how to.

Homemade lattes are better anyways. They are. And the coffee's not burnt. Yeah, exactly. Not a Starbucks fan either. yeah and so i slid in sang a jody massina no saying uh yeah a jody massina song and then somebody comments and says how do you make your coffee and i responded to that and i made my second coffee and I sang cowboy take me away and it got three million views and I said okay this might be a thing next morning woke up did it again a few more million and I'm not kidding it was everything I posted was a million at least no I remember that era I was

like this girl is singing making coffee and just the views are crazy go girl wild yeah and the and so at this time um nick had just started in a social media role for me so i called him and was like dude what is happening and he was like i don't know but like you better be making coffee three times i was making those videos three times a day oh my, my goodness. Yeah, and just stockpiling them so that if I couldn't be at my house in the morning, I had something to post. And it was every single day. Did you ever get burnt out doing that? Very much.

Yeah, I do that too. It was stressful, which is so strange to think, right, that I would get stressed about making coffee in my kitchen and posting a video. But it felt like my lifeline because I got so addicted to those numbers. And I was like, so I started this kind of strategy. Okay, this is going to go viral. And then I can post an original song. And that will kind of like fall into that same momentum tornado.

And I'll get a lot of views on an original song. And I would post coffee, original, coffee, original. And I'd post at least twice a day. And that's how I got my numbers up for my original music. And eventually, I just had to stop doing it because I was like, I'm stressed. Yeah, it's a lot of pressure. People don't realize. They're like, oh, all you do is create content.

And it's like, let me see you do it for six months straight and see how you feel. It's a lot of pressure to put on yourself because if something tanks, you're like, they're like, Oh, all you do is create content. And it's like, let me see you do it for six months straight and see how you feel. Like it's a lot of pressure to put on yourself because if something tanks, you're like, what happened? Why did I do this? Or, you know, like you just want to always make sure that you're moving forward. And sometimes the algorithms don't allow us to do that. Right. And I mean, I'm sure you've, you've heard just as much as I've heard really incredible songs on Tik TOK that have no views. Oh yeah. And I'm like you've heard just as much as I've heard really incredible songs on TikTok that have no views. Oh, yeah. And I'm like, it's not because this song isn't amazing. You just didn't get picked to go into that algorithm.

And it's heartbreaking because I don't think that way anymore. Like, we post our vlogs on TikTok. If they get 100,000 views, like, we're happy. Yeah, that's how I am, too. Yeah, but we're not going to just not post blogs just because they only get 100,000 views because that core fan base that knows us, they love it. And they want to see personality and they want to meet Steph and they want to meet Nick and see how funny Beth is.

And so why would we just deprive them of that just because it's not hitting the For You page and going viral every single time? I love that you include your team because I'm the same exact way. I remember I sat down with my team and I was like, listen, you guys need to make Facebook pages. You need to get your Facebooks up. We're going to start, you know,

I want people to get to know your personalities. And I really feel like the people that help you, it's, you want them to win with you, you know? And I think that's a sign of, you know, just somebody who brings their team along with them is just, and I don't want to like compliment because then I sound like I'm bragging on myself, but I feel like that's a character of a good human because a lot of people don't do that. You know, they don't,

they want to keep their teams hidden and you know, we don't do that. So I think that's amazing. 100%. I mean, it would be detrimental to me if Beth and I weren't working together. Beth, you I never leave she ain't going anywhere girl I was like I will find you with Mimi I'm like Mimi don't ever leave me I will hunt you down you have no idea no she can't and you know when Beth and I um Haley too Beth found me on Facebook in uh 2020 which we didn't, we didn't really touch on this, but during the pandemic, all of my dive bar shows went away. So, and that's how I was making my money. So I would play Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, four hours sets a night. And by Sunday I could not even talk.

Yeah. That's a lot. Yeah. It was crazy. And then we would, you know, talk, drink, hang out with everybody afterwards and started to gain like a local following during this well all of that gets shut down all the bars closed during the pandemic so I called up my band and I was like you guys are going to come over every Thursday and we're going to do a Facebook live session oh girl these Facebook live sessions were paying us more wow than what we were making at our shows because I put my PayPal link up there and they were tipping us. So anytime somebody would like, they'd be like $5 in PayPal and you know how you can add a little note, they'd be like strawberry wine. And I'd be like, thank you so much. Read their full name and then sing strawberry wine for them. And I mean, the tips would roll. And I kept my whole band afloat and me the whole

pandemic from doing those facebook lives but we would have half a million people in there at once wow by the by the end of it just because it became a thing like it was like people look forward to it they would plan their days around people love live entertainment on their computers because they don't have to go anywhere yeah and they would be like be like, hey, we're so excited. We have our dinner and our wine, and we have you on the TV, like watching it every Thursday. So that was really cool. And one of Beth's friends shared a Facebook Live and was like, oh, this girl's awesome.

And so Beth checked me out and then called me, and she wanted to book me as an agent. And then, I mean, we just became best friends. And, like, I've never met anybody who works, like, who matches my work ethic. When's your birthday, Beth? 12-22. You're a Capricorn. I knew it before you even said it.

Does that make sense with our signs? Capricorn and Virgo are soulmate signs. That makes so much sense. Also, did you see that? I'm a Cap Aquarius and a Cap Rising. So that's why, you know, and the Virgo, too. I just, I don't stop. Oh, it makes so much sense also did you see i'm a cap aquarius and cap rising so that's why you know the and the virgo too i just i don't stop oh it makes so much sense i mean she would she was in la and i would have a couple hours on her and she would still be up like i would have to get up earlier just to make sure that i was up when she was up so that we could work together

we worked for over Skype all day long I mean like we never weren't on the phone and we grew it together and this is another invisible string moment but we had our first number one I kind of don't on iTunes second one which nobody had done yet um in like the the indie country thing. So Priscilla had her number one song on iTunes. Oh, I love Priscilla. Yeah, she's amazing. Such a sweetie pie. And then right after her came mine, and then I had put a second song out,

and I was like, oh, yeah, we definitely need this one to be up there, too. Like, pre-save, pre-save. And, like, nobody, we really couldn't get the attention of anybody in Nashville. They were just kind of, like, dusting us off because she was in L.A. in LA and I was in Illinois and like, we weren't part of the, you know, Nashville is kind of a little, do I dare say culty? You have to know somebody that knows somebody like you have to be accepted. They're not just going to let you in and just come, come in off the street. No, I just now have to court them to court them right 100 i just now feel like we're getting let in the doors and i mean we've been you know five years in there and uh so we went

and bought a billboard with my last actually beth had to pay for it because it overdrafted my account and um we spent every cent on this billboard and we put it up all the cowboys we put it up on music row we took a picture in front of it i shit you not there were cranes there are cranes in the back and it's building my building i live in oh my goodness i love that yeah that's amazing in there and i was in there you know with my ex and who is now her ex and you know yeah and and now it's, you know, us. And when I look down from my balcony, it's that billboard that I bought. Oh my goodness. I love that. That's what I mean, where God is just like, yeah, and you're right back where you're supposed to be. No, just showing your growth every step of the way. That's amazing. Yeah, it was incredible.

And so when we started shopping for managers, Beth and I met with everybody and I sat in the car with her. We went through all of our options and I was like, I don't trust anybody like I trust you. And I know you've never managed anybody in your life, but will you please manage me? And she's like, let's do it. We'll see what happens, you know. That's so me and Mimi, dude. I swear to God, it's the same. We've built everything from the ground up.

We've like, I don't trust anybody. I don't want anybody in my, like to hire anybody new. Mimi has to literally like, it's, it's a process. Like, cause we, it's, it's our baby dude. You know, like it's so hard when you've built something so big that you're just so scared to let just anybody in. For sure. You only want to keep the people around that you trust.

That's how we are with our touring family too. Cause we're all on one bus. Yeah. So 12 people on one bus and we are literally family we do everything together we get our coffees together in the morning if we're off and we're going to dinner we go together like if we're going to a movie we go together and so when when we're trying to figure out like who's coming into our crew it's like they have to vibe with everybody otherwise it's just a deal breaker oh I love that though I love that I love how close you guys are tell me about Rocco okay okay sorry I'm a talker we'll stretch it a little bit no please we'll stretch it a little

bit so tell me about Rocco okay so Rocco and I met because I was working with a producer in Los Angeles. This producer used to be roommates with Rocco's brother. One day I... Another invisible string. I know. Isn't that insane? That's crazy. And one day, once I moved back, he calls me and he's like,

Hey, miss you. I used to be at this dude's house all the time. And he was like, hey uh my roommate's brother is moving to Nashville I know that you're going back and forth to Nashville you ever need a guitar player hit him up I said you got it a couple weeks go by my guitar player couldn't do a gig um I couldn't find anybody I was like maybe I'll see if this guy from California can do it called him he paid for his own flight because I couldn't pay him like anything. Um, but like, I think it was like a hundred dollars is all we were like getting. So he paid for his own flight and Uber and everything

came. He was so prepared and he was just incredible and so talented. And then he ended up just becoming my guitar player full time from then on. And so when we were friends and he was with somebody, he had a girlfriend, I was married. We never looked at each other like that. Like he, it sounds really weird to say now, but he was like my little brother. Right. No, no, I get it. But like sometimes the best relationships come from friendships. Yeah. Like we were besties and like I always felt a trust with him so it was like if I ever needed anything done I always trusted that Rocco would get it done and do it right yeah um anyways fast forward to my relationship fell apart and we were out on the road and we would just be hanging out and, you know, drinking and I would just fall apart. And I just, one day just ended up opening up to everybody about what was going on. And he was just really an incredible friend, um,

and was really there for me during that time. And then what maybe a year later we were out on tour again and I had had a crush on him but I was only telling Beth I didn't I didn't tell anybody else Beth holds all the secrets I was just like dropping little flirtatious like whatever and he would just be like oh boss is drunk like you know what a great guy though like didn't take advantage of the situation not at all yeah he actually like he like pushed me away when I came on to him he was like you were my boss no I love my job this could go so wrong we are not doing this and I was just like you'll come around she's like oh yes we are yeah just like you know because we all would drink and hang out and go to

bars and stuff afterwards and I would just get more flirty and more flirty with him. And then, yeah, we just ended up, it happened really, really naturally. And he is the best human I have ever had in a romantic relationship. Like, do you know what I mean when I say that I became so feminine with him soft yes that's what my husband does to me oh my gosh he softened me up so much because I was the one who took care of everything financially and if he got into trouble I was the one to you know make it go away and fix everything and um I just had a hard shell from that for so long. And with him, it's like, if the guy sees my shoes untied, he will stop and tie my shoe. I'm not kidding.

He is just Prince charming in every sense of the word. And, uh, that says something about a man that can bring a woman out of, um, her masculine energy and put her into her feminine energy. He really did. He really did. And, um, he's been absolutely amazing. We work so well together. Everybody always asks about our working relationship on the road, but it's amazing. I'm looking at Beth and Beth's like, yeah, it's actually really good. I'm like, I think it's great. Do you think it's great? Um, yeah. So it's, yeah, it's been the best year of my life. Oh, I love that for you because you deserve that. You deserve all the happiness that deserve that. You deserve all

the happiness that's coming. You know, you've, it's been a hard road here and I don't think people realize the journey that you've had. Cause I know I didn't realize your journey until I started researching you too. And I know that, you know, I think I've heard you say in some interviews that people look at you and they're like, Oh, it's just the Tik TOK girl, but it's not like you've done some, you've earned your stripes. Thank you. Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. What does 20, the rest of 2024, 2025 hold for Ms. Alexandra Kay? Well, you know, every night that I'm on this tour, I'm just going out and trying to be as present as possible, take it all in, learn everything I possibly can. And I feel like it's going to be over before you know

it. So I'm just really living in the moment right now. And then at the end of the year, I think you're going to be around for a while. I do. Thank you. You have that longevity. Thank you. And I, and I, um, I'm working on my second record right now and am, is this going to be a love record since you're in love? Because you do pour your feelings out on paper. Yes, but not a cheesy love record. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.

Because I started to write love songs at the beginning, and I was like, this feels so cheesy. It doesn't feel like me at all. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. And so I'm really excited. It's a very new sound for me, and I'm stoked. What is it?

Is it like country still? Yeah, it's country still, but it's, it's a little heavier. It's like a little rock. Yeah. And it's got a lot of, a lot of pop going on in there. So I definitely kind of stepped away a little bit from my, my kind of traditional country sound and, and leaned into the pop a little bit more, but I think it's really, really cool. And, you know, I've been exploring opportunities with different labels. And I'm just really excited to take that step and expand our team and, you know, do all the things. Like, as an independent artist, there are things that I haven't gotten to do.

And I'm excited to, you know, sign with this partner because they're incredible and they believe in me and they believe in my music. And the, the deal was so fair and so, um, right for the artist. It was so for the artist. And I'm just really, really proud that we got there and I'm proud that I held out until we got there. Yeah. I'm excited for you. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. They were life changing for my husband too. It's like really fair for the artists. So fair. Yeah. Which I feel like no other record labels are like that. No,

I was very, you know, I was surprised, but really, really happy. And it makes you trust them. Yeah. You know,

you can, you can trust them. They're a great team. Yeah. They're incredible. And they've been so great just in this, because it's, it's been really nice that they've been around so much for Jelly because then they've brought me into opportunities.

And I'm like, I'm not even, you know, legally with them yet. And they brought me into every radio room and introduced me to everybody. And they've been really, really amazing. So, you know, Jelly and I have talked a lot about how I've waved my independent flag so high and how. So did he. Yeah. He did too. Yeah.

But, you know, the last thing that you want is for people to, you know. Be put off from it. Think you're like a sellout, right? That's the word, you know. I don't think people understand what signing a label can do. You can only do so much as an independent artist you know and to for people who call you know people call my husband a sellout all the time and I'm just like do you even know like how long my husband's been doing this right like and he my

husband actually has changed the trajectory for some artists because of how he did his deal and I don't know if I can go into details about it, but you know, he has kind of been the blueprint for independent artists signing deals. I mean, he definitely helped out in my scenario, you know, and to be able to see what he was able to accomplish based on what he brought to the table kind of showed me it was a blueprint of what I could get and what was possible. Um, and so, you know, we've talked a lot about it and he's been super, super supportive and I'm just really excited for my fans to come on this journey and everybody that wants to hear me on the radio, like we got to ink this deal and then you'll hear me on the radio, you know?

So I'm excited. I'm excited. We'll tell everybody where they can find you if they already don't follow you you can find me alexandra k music on instagram facebook tiktok I'm on twitter everywhere god twitter scares me oh yeah x is that whatever that that is that app I don't even get on because those people over there are crazy they're ruthless no they're like facebook I can handle yeah over there it's dark I'm like what is going they're like Facebook. I can handle over there. It's dark. I'm like, what is going on? Thank you, Alexandra.

So much. Thank you. This was such an incredible conversation and I'm so happy that we did this. No, I appreciate you so much and I can't wait to see how far you go, dude. We're rooting you on. Thank you so much.

You're welcome. Thank you guys for tuning into another episode of dumb blonde. I will see you guys next week. Bye.