Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - NYC Season - Ep 6: Sara Bareilles

Episode Date: March 6, 2019

It's about to hit the West End so what better way to celebrate than to chat to 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, the woman behind the original music and lyrics of Tony nominated musical, Waitress. We chat tour rider requests ( I realise I am totally neurotic on tour whilst she's rock n' roll), where to get the best pizza in NYC, why you shouldn’t order sushi takeaway & writing love songs about Obama. Enjoy this slice of sweet Bareilles pie! Thanks for listening to our special NYC Season. We came, we saw, we ate, fell out & we’ll be back for Table Manners Series 6 very soon. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss an episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners New York. This morning we're up bright and early due to jet lag but also because we have a guest coming around for breakfast. I know. Her name is Sarah Bareilles, she's a Grammy, Tony, Emmy nominated artist, singer and she also wrote the entire score and music for the musical Waitress which was... That's opening in London soon. Yes. She also starred in it for a bit on Broadway which just sounds like such fun. But she does have a famous song doesn't she? She does have a famous song. How's it go Jess? I'm not gonna write you a love song. That's it go, Jess? I'm not going to write you a love song. That's about a tune, but you know.

That's not like Gregory Porter's. No, fucking hell, it's not. But yeah, managed to sneak her in before she has a day of work. So very, very appreciative for that. She has no idea probably what she's walking into. I don't know her very well. I don't know her very well. I don't know her very well but I'm really interested because I think the whole idea of waitress is such an interesting story. We've just kept it

really simple this morning because you never know whether people are breakfast people or not and it's not even brunch it's actually like a 9.30 jobby. So we got Murray's bagels from around the corner in Chelsea, which are quite delicious. We got some lox, some examine, cream cheese, and then I'm making some scrambled eggs. And we've got some capers and onions to put with the lox and bagels because that's how they do it in New York. And you've made your world famous. I don't know if it's world famous, but I've made a granola with the theme of kind of autumnal America. Pecans and cranberries. Pecans and cranberries and orange zest.

But I used steel cut oats, which I didn't realise meant... Looked like quinoa. They basically are like little bullets, which is quite annoying. So it's definitely got a crunch. Okay. But nonetheless, it is quite delicious. Good. Sarah Bareilles coming up on table manners new york sarah bareilles thank you is it bareilles you said it right okay good thank you so much for

being here thank you for having me this is so lovely is it sarah or sarah sarah sarah sarah you can say Sarah. I like it better when you say it. No, but you've got one. You haven't got an H on the end. No. So usually that's Sarah in England. Yeah.

But Sarah with an H. Yeah. Wait, so Sarah has an H? Yes. Sarah has an H and Sarah has no H. Wow. Yeah. Don't tell my mom.

She didn't know what she was doing where were you born i was born in northern california little tiny town called eureka and i know that's so fabulous i read that about you right eureka you found it hallelujah um yeah so uh i grew up there and mom and dad still live there they're divorced divorced, remarried, but they remain. You'll love this. They've remained best friends just through. So like I'll call my dad's cell phone. He'll be like, we're all over at mom's having dinner on just like a random Friday night.

They celebrate everything together. That's so sweet. It's really darling. It's just like you and dad, mom. No, it's not. But it's nice for you as well. Oh, totally. So that Thanksgiving isn't going to be a big...

No, we're always all together. So you're from Northern California, Eureka. And so to kind of introduce this, because honestly, I appreciate you taking a chance. We do this food podcast. I know. I did a little bit of research, and it sounds like I was just laughing the whole time. It was great. I didn't know who a lot of the people were, I'm going to tell you. I did a little bit of research and it sounds like I was just like laughing the whole time. It was great.

It's good fun. I didn't know who a lot of the people were, I'm going to tell you. Oh, because probably this is the first time we've gone stateside. So you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So we like to talk about food.

That's what we like to talk about. And we like to give you something to eat. It's early in the morning. You are welcome to eat. I'm going to put some scrambled eggs on in a minute. You can have granola. You can have whatever you want. Or you could just have coffee.

Ian Schrager didn't eat a bloody thing, and we made him canapes. But we ask about kind of growing up and food. So what was it like in your household? Were your parents both the cooks? What was kind of dinner table? The dinner table. What were you eating? What I remember is kind of pre-high school my mom always

my dad's a great cook too actually um they both have that amazing ability to sort of like there'll be nothing in the refrigerator but somehow they like made a meal up here they have that I don't have that I do a lot of takeout you're in you're York. I eat in New York. Yeah, that's kind of how it goes here. But no, my mom did most of the cooking. And I noticed as we got older and we all got busier, the meals got slightly less and less elaborate. And I don't blame her for one second for that. So it was like, and in high school, I think,

yeah, dinnertime started to get more staggered because, like, we played sports and we, I have two older sisters and everybody was kind of juggling a million things. So it kind of got less and less as, like, a proper sit-down dinner time. Did you guys always do that? We did, didn't we, really? I always cooked every evening. I mean, we always fought as well.

That's when we did all our fighting and arguing. Making up and ignoring each other. And talking. Yeah, catching up. I think it was... Yeah, because that's why we started the podcast, because Jessie has good memories of having family meals. I love that.

And also because Jessie liked to have her friends over. We've always had zillions of people in the house. We always sat down together and had meals and talked about all different things. Politics. Gossip. Gossip. Politics. And then ended up dancing to Whitney Houston at the end of the evening.

So you're a takeout girl. Yeah, for now I am. But like takeout isn't the same anymore because it's not dirty, is it? You can get like really clean stuff. So like what's your go-to takeout when you're in, well, New York? Well, I'm around the corner from a really great pizza place, Ruby Rosa. Have you eaten at Ruby Rosa? I've heard about it.

It's really, it's maybe my favorite pizza in the city. It's just, there's nothing fancy about it. It's really, it's maybe my favorite pizza in the city. It's just, there's nothing fancy about it. It's just super thin crust and just delicious. What do you like on your turkey? I like the classic pepperoni pizza. I mean, I like all sorts of things. You know what I learned about myself last night? What?

I don't like broccoli rabe. I don't like it. It's too bitter. I don't want it. And you too bitter. I don't want it. And you've had to deal with it for years because it's quite trendy, isn't it? It is. What is that?

It's like bitter kind of broccoli. It looks like broccoli. I mean, it's not tender stem broccoli, but it looks like tender stem broccoli. And it's bitter. It is so bitter. I wish I had some in my... Do they put kale on your pizza here?

They do in some places. Drives me mad. Yeah. I'm a kale-phobe, I think. Because everything has kale on it. It does. And then massaged kale. Yeah.

Well, you want your kale relaxed is what you want. Relaxed kale. It is. Do you like kale? It's a while. I do like kale, but I'm not... You know, it is trendy. It kale it's a while I do like kale but I'm not you know it is trendy

it's like when Brussels sprouts got popular again they're still trendy sorry my husband was trying to FaceTime me sorry it's done

oh cute no it's fine it's fine I can't be like that's the baby so um so what's your dirty takeaway

that you have take out I think pepperoni pizza is pretty bloody dirty that's pretty dirty i'm trying to think of if i have um any of the asian varieties getting great vietnamese food or thai food or i don't i don't order takeout sushi all that often no i don't trust i don't feel like i feel

like the fish is going to get too warm from the restaurant I agree I agree I want cold fish I agree um can I ask it so you don't really cook but if you were gonna cook so I do cook a little bit okay come on yeah what's your what's your she's composing musicals yeah I know you're busy but they're about food so really we're all in the same zone yes actually so you wrote the music for Waitress

yeah and the lyrics yeah yeah the music and lyrics yes yeah and that was Tony Tony nominated

that's massive yes we lost to Hamilton I mean if you're gonna lose everybody lost to Hamilton yeah but you didn't stand a chance

really did you no no I really didn't stand a chance, really, did you? No, no, I really didn't. But it was, yeah, I've been working on that show now. Well, we're going into our third year in Broadway. We're opening in the West End. I know. We thought you were performing in it, though. No, no.

Because it keeps on mentioning your names on the posters. Well, we're wringing me dry. We're going to use everything. No, no, we've, we're still in the midst of casting. No, I have a record coming out, so I, I can't, I couldn't come, but never say never. I keep saying, I keep saying like, yeah, I'm done going into the show. And then all of a sudden.

You could do a little, like four weeks or something. She's also got a record to play. I know, but it would be kind to us to come. And it's at the Adelphi as well, which is a very good theatre. Totally. We just got a tour of it the last time we were there for casting. Do you like London? I do.

I really love it. I loved being there, especially this last time. New York? How do you find New York? I love it. You do. It's exhausting. You don't live here full time. I don't, no, no, no.

We're going back tomorrow. I love it. I've got such fond memories, especially food memories here. Yeah. But I kind of feel dead by one week here. I'm kind of like, I'm so ready to go back home. And it's expensive. it's expensive and it feels more expensive than I've ever noticed before and I don't know why I mean I'll pounce very weak but

everything's in London though it's like wow everything's expensive really yeah but you you're you're a Californian so usually they stay there. Yeah. Because New Yorkers and Californians, they like to take the piss out of each other. So what brought you to New York? I was going through kind of a mini midlife crisis. And I had just done my second record. done my second record and I was going crazy with the um cyclical nature of making a record recording a record going on tour coming home quick break like he can you relate yes yes I can yeah it got I just was bored I was bored and I love performing and um but I was looking for something different and I came here for a month long,

just exploration, just to hang out. And then we, I met with the director of waitress and I met with a book publisher at the time. They were like all these opportunities that felt like they just presented themselves here. I said yes to these projects and I had the time of my life and I just got drunk and I ate all the food and I like made out with random people.

And I just had like the greatest month of my life. And then I went home to L.A. and I packed my bags and I moved back. How exciting. Yeah. It was this wild adventure like, oh, my God, what am I doing moving to New York? This is insane. But yes, because you've had a memoir yeah I did I had I wrote a book of essays that um kind of chronicle songs the songs are sort of the

tent poles of the of the books your own songs yeah yeah I love to talk about myself so okay so so I'm trying to hold back singing love song to you but it's the most catchy yeah is it quite annoying that people cut do they just go I'm not gonna write do they just jump up at you and say that and not as often not as often anymore oh no such I have a memory that for some reason just reminded me of this time where I was we'd finished a show and we went to like the little neighborhood bar afterwards and this girl, this like drunk girl came up to me at the bar

and she like ran her hands through my hair and she's like, I'm not gonna write you a love song. And I was so furious and I yelled at this bitch. Don't blame you. I was like, don't fucking touch me. Like, who do you think you are oh my god it was so annoying she thought she was being really funny and sassy totally she regretted that that hangover

was bad the next day and then i just grew up catholic so i had catholic guilt all but i was like god i was so mean but in the moment i was like get your hands off me. Crazy. Fair enough. Yeah. Because Borel is a Spanish name. No, it's French, actually. A little bit? Yeah. Yeah, Borel. But I don't speak French, that's it. That's all.

Don't even ask me. You don't look, I mean, you look a bit, you look very European, don't you? Yeah, I have that. Italian? Yeah. Little Portuguese, little, like I'm just like a hodgepodge. The best bits.

Yeah, maybe. Have you been to Portugal? No. Such good food. Top of the list. you'll want to move to lisbon yeah lisbon is phenomenal once you're a bit tired of new york you should go to lisbon madonna's done it cantonal's done it the best pavements it's like rio copied lisbon the paving it's black and white tiles all the way through. It's so charming. It's beautiful. And it's very unspoiled, I think. Good food. Fantastic fish, if you like fish. I wonder why people, more people don't,

I mean, I know a lot of people go to Portugal, but every friend I've had that's come back, it's just like, well, that's the best place I've ever been in the world. Lots of musicians are moving to Lisbon, actually. I implore you to go to Lisbon. It's fantastic. And Fado, listening to Lisbon. It's fantastic. And Fado, listening to the singing.

It's wonderful. Are you still kissing loads of random people in New York? No, she's got a boyfriend. You've got a boyfriend. Just kissing the one random person.

I have to live vicariously through other people. So what does your boyfriend do? He's an actor. We met on Waitress. He was our original Earl who is the abusive husband. The abusive husband.

Yeah. Have you guys seen the show? No. I've seen a bit of the film. Yeah. And next time, when it comes to London, come. Yes, we'd love that. Yeah.

It's just my cup of tea. Oh, good. Yeah. So for people that don't know about Waitress, will you just kind of give a little synopsis? Yes. Will you just kind of give a little synopsis? Yes. So Waitress is based around this woman named Jenna Hunterson,

who is an extraordinary pie baker. And the whole thing is an adaptation of a film that came out in 2007 made by a woman named Adrienne Shelley, who sadly was murdered before the film got released. So she made this beautiful movie, stars it directs in it i directed it and then tragically we lost her before this it was a horrible yes because that's why yes that was kind of the story around yeah that was a lot of the press around it yeah it she was brilliant she's brilliant and she was such a bright light and really fought for female directors and was a real pioneer I know so sad but she created this

beautiful movie it went to Sundance it got all this attention um and then uh we've been working with the original producer of the film who retained the rights to make a musical. And so over the last five years, that's what I've been doing with my life. So the lead character is Jenna Hunterson, and she's an extraordinary pie baker. And she's in a loveless marriage, abusive marriage. She gets pregnant by way of her husband, doesn't want the baby, wants to ditch him, wants to leave town. wants to ditch him, wants to leave town. And the story really follows her kind of finding her voice and her strength.

She meets a gynecologist. They have a mad sex affair, as you do. That sounds a bit strange. She has an affair with a gynecologist. Exactly. We've had gynecologists come to the show, and they're like, you're not supposed to do this, any of this. Just be careful so yeah they um it's just this sort of beautiful messy world that doesn't have heroes and villains it's like good people making mistakes and doing the best they can

um it's really funny and uh i think people don't know that about the show. They think it's really... A bit dark. Yeah, or very sweet. Like they think they're coming to see like a very sweet show. It's irreverent, definitely deals with dark material. It's really funny and sort of brash. And then I wrote all the music.

So yeah, it's... What's the main song that's reprised all the time? It's the song called She Used to Be Mine that I think has had a life outside the show at this point, and it's the first song that I wrote for the show, and it's sort of Jenna's saddest moment in the show. Did you record it, the song? I did.

I recorded all the songs to the show before that before I handed them over yeah I have a soundtrack because I'm greedy and a narcissist and then I have and then we have a cast album soundtrack that's on Spotify was that your first foray well I mean first time writing musical yes first time and it's been so successful it's been crazy it's been this wild ride that I never if you would have told me that when we started we would have a third year Broadway show a national tour and a production in the West End I mean I would never in a million years have believed you it was just do you were you trained musically when you were little? Were you just a talented musician singing and playing instruments? There was a lot of music in the house.

My dad plays piano. My older sister played piano and sings. She's a total songbird. And everybody's theatrical. So everyone was in productions of things. And so theater and music were really prevalent in the household which instruments do you play just piano and a little guitar just please come on no but it's not but it's very rudimentary like i have i can sort of play like five things and then i just write a

musical out you can write an album you can write an album out of five things let me tell you that's what i did it's good tonight but would is it because I I love musical theater and I love yeah the idea of me have you ever done it I when I was like in school but would you ever yes I would love it I like that but like I think that it has to be the right time in your career or I think people like you that's it's I find people like you and john legend really fascinating that you can kind of do it within within working as a touring artist as well and i think that that's really exciting and inspiring sometimes when we see people in the west end it will be like their careers a bit of a dick yeah and they're taking time out right and that's fine and good

for them or they've been on like dancing with the stars and then they go and get the gig and that is fine too and but i love the fact that you seem to be doing you know you've got a record out yeah and you've got your well you've got a single out now but you've got this album coming out in march yeah uh some it's like next year yeah yeah but like so you're doing that simultaneously like like you're doing everything. And I love that because I think that that is exciting, especially kind of as a woman in music to be able to see that you're being able to wear different hats. Yes. Well, I do think, I think that, and I give Hamilton a lot of credit for this, is that there's been this kind of resurgence of interest and sort of like the cool factor of theater is has been a little bit maybe resurrected in a way um I think what happened with that particular show is that all these people came

out of the closet of like I've been doing jazz hands in here all my life and like they finally felt like they could come out and and be proud of being a theater fan musicals are a staple of Broadway aren't they? They really are, yeah. Because they weren't so much in England. And now people have gone to them to rescue, not rescue, but when, like the English National Opera do musicals now

because they know that there'll be a sellout and they can charge lots of money. So at the moment we've got Porgy and Bess at the English National Opera because they know that musicals sell yeah without doubt musicals are always sold out right right right i can't stand just people that say they don't like musicals i don't want to be friends with them too i know i feel i feel like you know what i think about those people i think they're cynics. Yes. And I just, I prefer people who have space in their life for things that kind of live a little bit,

you know, that are optimistic and hopeful. And there are so many ridiculous musicals, but they're born out of joy and optimism and hope. And, you know, we don't all get it right but but were you in musicals when you were younger or were you okay so you that was that's what I grew up on yeah totally so this felt like a homecoming I actually had an experience kind of getting to know the theatrical community and feeling like oh I've been at the wrong party my whole life like I could not feel more awkward at music events like when I've gone to the Grammys

or if I've ever you know done big events I'm just like I am not cool enough to be in this room with all y'all and I get to the theater parties I'm like oh my people here we are see that's how I feel at food parties yeah I say my people yeah see that's how I feel at food parties. Yeah. I say my people. Yeah. See? That's how, yeah. I'm going to put the scrambled eggs on. Just because I am aware that you have important things to do today. So I'm going to put them on. Do it. But mum's going to ask you some questions about quick fire.

Jessie made the granola as well. Yeah, but fucking steel cut oats here. here i thought they were gonna look like freaking oats they look like this fishy like quick quinoa looks like bloody quinoa i'm so livid because i i just thought they'd look like oats it looks good though yeah i mean yeah you can it's okay you've got yogurt and stuff it's definitely got a crunch to it because it doesn't have the bloody flat oats. Well, I want to try it if you made it. Of course, absolutely. Jessie thinks her scrambled eggs are the best, didn't they? You don't set me up for a full lot.

Okay, sorry, darling. Like, right before, yeah. If I haven't tasted it, then now we're in really dangerous territory. No, because I like quite wet eggs, and some people don't like that. Do you put milk in your eggs? No. I do. I just cook them very slowly and low that. Do you put milk in your eggs? No. I do. I just cook them very slowly and low.

Milk in eggs, water in omelettes. My eggs are better than yours. Water in omelettes? No. No, I'm not sure about that. Auntie Liz, tell me. Table manners. Do you think you've got good table manners?

She says it's her elbow. Mate, i'm doing the same thing yeah um i don't know i i don't know maybe are we gonna oh are you gonna test me yeah i'm gonna see how yes how you how much you do um i i think so but i think it's probably just out of fear like i just probably i don't i, like, touch the wrong thing, maybe, because I'm not going to touch anything if that's, like, a... Was it a big thing in your family? No. It's kind of, okay. No.

There was no, like, etiquette? I want to know, because just as a singer myself, just kind of, I want to know your routine before a show. Like, do you eat? Because everyone has such different things that they do yeah like what's on your rider and what's your like your your necessary things that you have to do and what won't you eat before I like to eat about like when I was doing the show I would like to eat at least an hour before nothing nothing right before because you end up burping on stage.

It's not cute. So probably about an hour before. And something that has protein, I think, usually. So there was a place I used to grab little chicken tacos. That was like a great, something with a little heat, a little spice I always like. I've always been told that I shouldn't have spice, though, for my vocal cords. Maybe not. But I've obviously got told that I shouldn't have spice though for my vocal cords oh maybe maybe not but I've obviously got maybe I'm not supposed to be no but you were doing a musical like that's the

that's the most real that's an endurance test right how many songs were you singing a night although it's different than a regular concert because you're doing actually less songs a night so so that lead character sings only about six songs a night that's true but then you're singing in groups and stuff but in terms of you That's true. But then you're singing in groups and stuff. But in terms of, you know, coming from concert world where you're singing for an hour and a half or two hours straight. Do you have to look after your voice? I do. As I've gotten older, I used to have pipes of steel.

I just I could drink. I could stay out late. I could smoke cigarettes. I could do anything. I just not. Yeah. No, I have to really. Do you have to avoid things like tomatoes and things no not I'm not I'm not there yet but I imagine I probably will be I remember oh mate like I but I'm neurotic too I'm like oh I can't have too much citrus and no I must not have any heat and I must steam my vocal cords for two hours but I'm like I'm ridiculous like

but it's because and I think a lot of it is psychosomatic so I think I've kind of encouraged problems with my throat and also I think because um yeah but you're quite a chesty person and you have lost your voice I'm known to get a chest infection or two yeah just before she's performing always yeah but I think that's part of this psychosis I think I bring it on out of the nerve like I was doing the musical at school Guys and Dolls

and I was playing Miss Saturdays and she sings that song A Poison you can develop a cold and you're like I had the worst cold in the world

so it was kind of brilliant but she's the biggest hypochondriac so it was kind of fabulous but I was going to say mum ask last meal we do this last supper thing but but i try and say last supper before you're going to go on a desert island for

a long time instead of before you go yeah because i'm so anti the death penalty that makes me feel kind of awful to think about that yeah a hundred percent last meal and you can have three courses oh okay so your starter so my starter would be um well it's not going to make sense with each other but it's going to be my favorite things i want pepperoni pizza that's what i want as your main meal I want that as a starter a piece of pepperoni pizza yeah and I want it really hot and I want that yeah a little spicy like soppressata or something um and then I want a steak I want a medium rare like beautiful like that Wagyu beef that everyone, or was that not great? Yes, sure.

Hang a steak, Wagyu beef. Well, I guess I usually order filet mignon, but. What do you order? Filet mignon. Filet mignon. Yeah. It's a little filet steak. Yeah.

I've always ordered filet mignon, but actually the fattier cuts. Are better. Yes. Are so much more tasty. Like what, a ribeye? Yeah. Yeah. Or what did we have the other night? actually, the fattier cuts are so much more tasty. Like what, a ribeye? Yeah. Yeah.

Or what did we have the other night? Wagyu, I think, got quite a lot of fun. We had hanger beef the other night. Hanger was delicious. We went to this place called Coat. It's this Michelin star Korean place. And actually, I wouldn't have known about it if my Korean mate... If you like steak, it was... Because I was like, I don't really like Korean barbecues.

I stink of kind of fat when I go. That's the only thing about it, because I was like i don't really like korean barbecues like i stink of kind of fat when i go that's the only thing about it because i love korean barbecue babe this one i smelt like my perfume when i came out it was just around the corner down it was absolutely amazing and the beef was phenomenal the only thing was it was so noisy you'd lose your voice trying to have a conversation that was the worst thing about it so what are the sides that you're having with your with your steak some mashed potatoes I want some green beans I want like sort of the tradition like a like a steak setup or what I think condiments would you have one of those sauces give me a gravy or something like a like a like um like a peppercorn sauce or something. Yeah. Okay. Drink. What are you drinking? I'm drinking old fashions.

I love you. Yeah. That's what I would be drinking. With your meal. Sure. Yeah. Not wine. I prefer...

I like whiskey. I like bourbon. I really love bourbon. I love whiskey, but I think bourbon's a bit sweet for me. So do you have whiskey on your rider? Yes. So which whiskey do you have? I usually have Basil Hayden's or Bullet bourbon.

Those are two of my go-tos. Because I like the little bit of sweet, because I usually take it with me on stage. It's just on the rocks. Oh, you have it on stage. Oh, yeah. Jessie. No, I do too.

But I don't have it with ice Because I'm like Oh it's going to hurt my vocal cords I'm so annoying That the ice would hurt your vocal cords Because it's like You don't want anything too cold But you seem to be doing okay Sarah

So maybe I should take a page out of your book Yeah Start drinking bullet On the rocks But I like having just one ice cube If I'm not on stage I'd have one ice cube Oh yeah Just so it opens up a little bit Yeah And then I love it You don't want it to be On the rocks. But I like having just one ice cube. If I'm not on stage, I'd have one ice cube.

Oh, yeah, just so it opens up a little bit. I love your connoisseur. But you don't want it to be... Not at all. What's your... Right, we've got into trouble here in the States when we say pudding, because that's what we have after our main meal. But you call it dessert. Oh.

Pudding means something very specific. Yeah, but we call it pudding. The whole thing? What you're having for your pudding, yeah. Oh, my gosh. We do, don't something very specific. Yeah, but we call it pudding. The whole thing. Oh my gosh. We do, don't we? So what are you having for dessert? I think I would have, my mom makes blackberry pie. Wow.

And I love it. We used to go pick fresh blackberries from the bushes outside the house. We had these big wild blackberries. And we would go get big bowls of blackberries and then she'd make fresh blackberry pie, crust from scratch, the whole nine yards. That's a very fond memory of growing up. And what do you have it with?

Ice cream or cream? Ice cream. A la mode? Yes. See? Jessie didn't know about a la mode until I told her. Really?

No. You learned. I learned. This week I've learned because yeah oh it's that fresh for you i saw it on the thing but i didn't realize it was like a thing always with ice cream ice cream yeah but um in preference to cream i don't need the ice cream though you don't no i can i just love i'm happy with just a piece of the pie. Are you a sweet or a savory? Oh god, all of it. I just like, like a salt and vinegar potato chip is just like, I love it. I can sit with a whole bag and devour it. I

guess more salty than sweet though. Okay. But like cookies, I like cookies. Well I want to know what you've got on your rider, just a few little bits that you have to have food wise. Okay, food wise, if I, if I, the things I have that will help me get through, you're going to laugh at this, it's like cheese. Oh my God, Sarah, you're so rock and roll. Cheese and crackers. Because I know if I was starving, the thing that's going to actually make me feel satiated is like cheese and crackers hummus and um and like carrots or

celery or something almonds we always have almond butter um what else what's the cheese that you have though oh god we just ask for like a little shot like, a little array. A little platter. A little array. So I usually get, like, a nice sort of... You are, like, the naughtiest singer. I love this. I'm going to take a page out of your book. But you don't have cheese on your rider. Well, the band do.

But I don't know why you don't. What's on your rider? Oh, I'm like... I try and have, like, nothing so I don't, like, eat. Because otherwise I just... I'm like a dog. If food's there, I'm just like, oh. Yeah.

I'll have, like, nuts. I'll have like nuts I'll have kind of really depressing kind of energy bars so boring yeah but otherwise if I have too much in my room then I will eat it yeah so um what else do I have like I have whiskey I have honey manuka oh yeah I have um do you have ginger yeah I mean mine ginger and lemon and cayenne to make a little concoction have you heard of this yeah no i have but again i would not have the cayenne this is amazing what i like about heat is that it it opens yeah that's the time you think you sing better when you've had a bit of spiciness i just know that if i if i'm feeling constricted or fatigued, something with a little kick is good for me. I'm going to try that.

Yeah. So are you going to tour this new record? Yes. Taking the boyfriend with. You don't want to. No, because she's got the boyfriend now. Of course. You can come with for some of it.

Why have you got such a bad kind of... I love the shows. I love getting to play for new audiences i love reconnecting with my fans i and they're my fans are just the sweetest and they've been the most patient people because i never ever ever tour what album is this this will be number five yeah yeah so it's been and it's been a minute um number four was was like music from the musical so it's been and it's been a minute number four was was like music from the musical so it wasn't even

quite the same thing did you even tour that one? no I played one show where? at the city center here in New York City we did one

one night only that was like the shortest touring cycle my label was thrilled but you know it's but you're a great singer and people want to hear that voice yeah thank you and you play i love singing i really love singing i just find that um the monotony it seems like it's going to be in this great adventure and then i have found that

maybe just in the way that i've toured in the past it ends up feeling like groundhog groundhog day every day like you wake up and you're parked behind a venue or you've gotten into the hotel the night before and you're you're orienting yourself you're trying to find the place to get coffee finding a bike like yes and there's just only so much interest i have in that, you know. And there's not ever quite enough time in my experience to really get to know a city. But now I just sound like I'm complaining about touring. No, it's that thing where you don't want to sound unappreciative because you know it's an amazing job. Do you want a bowl for the granola as well?

I can just put it on a scoop right here. No, no, no, you can get you a bowl. Also, you can eat whatever you want, it's kind of very relaxed. I just want to try your granola, I love a berry. I'm very upset, I'm very upset. You don't have to have like a massive, that's like three bears, like daddy bear's bowl, isn't it? That granola is so yummy. Oh, good. Thank you. It's so easy. It's kind of just maple syrup with olive oil and salt.

And you have it in the oven? Yeah, on a low, low heat. And then I add the cranberries after. So put the nuts and stuff in there too. I hope these aren't too wet for you. Perfect. Thank you. Try that and then see if you like it. And then you have more if you want.

But I won't be offended if you don't want any more. Because I just want... How much toasted do you want. But I won't be offended if you don't want any more because it's true. Do you want these bagels? This is great. Is that about toasted? Thank you. Thank you so much for coming and having breakfast with us.

Thank you for this beautiful spread and taking your time to chat with me. No, because the new music is coming up and that you know you've been in this world of waitress for a long time incredibly proud of that but the new record what's it about is it about you a lot of it's about obama all my love songs are about obama it's like where did you go i We're all in love. I know. Yeah.

I made it with a producer named T-Bone Burnett. I don't know if you're familiar. But he is a legend and has been one of my producing heroes since I was, God, 15 years old. Oh, wow. Yeah. So we made the record in Los Angeles this summer. Lovely. And we released this song, actually, after the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. There's a song that came out called Armor, and it's my feminist anthem for the record.

It's about sisterhood and community and rising up and taking up arms with each other. And by that, I mean love. I don't mean guns. Gun control, please. Gun control. And by that I mean love. I don't mean guns. Gun control, please.

Gun control. And yeah, so the record is actually really earthy and organic. It's not synthesizers. I wanted to make something that was just kind of stripped down and really simple in certain ways. And T t-bone has a beautiful sort of philosophy about it's all about performance not perfection so it's not i did a lot of live singing with the band and that was really cool which i'd never done before because i've always been too nervous you know and i'm sort of oriented towards precision that way. So the vocal takes aren't perfect, and it's kind of been a nice evolution

to sort of just let something exist. That must be so lovely playing with it, because that's how Aretha and all of them used to do it. You know, they'd play with a live band. You listen to those records and they're not perfect. But it gets a certain energy out of it. Yeah, yeah. It was really beautiful.

I had a great experience making the record. Well, good luck with it all. And thank you so much for coming. Thank you. Such a pleasure. You guys are so beautiful too. Oh, God. Thank you.

Thank you. Very beautiful. Who? You. You are. You both are. Wow. As are you.

Thank you. You're gorgeous. We think you're gorgeous. Great. We can all agree. Yeah, absolutely. Sarah Perelis, thank you so much for being on Table Members. Mum.

What? I loved her. She was delightful. She was really charming. Warm. Warm, bright, lovely. I like that her thing was pepperoni pizza for a starter. A starter, yeah.

Love that. If you fancy seeing Waitress, the musical, it is coming to the West End in March, so go get your tickets. I really want to see it now. Me too. It's been a long week, Mum. I know.

We've met some new people. Yeah. We've gained quite a lot of weight. Yeah. We've eaten out. We've eaten in. We've eaten. Yeah.

We came. We saw. We ate. We hope you've enjoyed the series. We will be taking a short break until we give you season. We came, we saw, we ate. We hope you've enjoyed the series. We will be taking a short break until we give you season... God, what season are we in? Five. Five?

Well, this is five, isn't it? This is five. So we'll be on season six. Mum, that's more than... I haven't even done six albums. I know, Jess. That is quite a big deal. We will be back in the spring for more

table manners with me jesse where probably very tired and emotional with a newborn and mum equally tired with a newborn winning combo we'll see it may i apologize in advance if the next season is me yawning a lot and maybe a baby sucking on my breast. Jessica! I'm sorry, am I not allowed to say that? No! Have you had fun this week? Ish. Why? How many meals have you cooked this time? Two. Yeah. How many have I cooked? Mum, I'm the bait. I reel them in. We've talked about this. Okay, sorry, darling. All I know is that your manager

brought me rubber gloves today because my nails have gone. Oh, is that why they've gone? Yeah. Because I washed up so much, I see all my nails peeled off. Oh, dear. You should be wearing marigolds, really.

Yeah, I'm going to put them on. Actually, it makes my hands so itchy as well. Get back in the kitchen, Mum, I'm going to put them on. Actually, it makes my hands so itchy as well. Get back in the kitchen, Mum. I'm going to put my rubber gloves on. The Table Manners music you have been enjoying is by Pete Fraser and Peter Duffy. And our dear editor and producer is Alice Williams.