Welcome to episode one three with Rachel Womag. I like to sing your song because when we're playing our show together as a reimon, it was I like to sing it in a big like Broadway style. Yes, I know, can that's a good one though, but I like to sing it and a little bit I wanted to sing it with you. But it's so good, you know what? You know what I did during the show, because, um, whenever you're listening to this, here's the deal with Rachel, she played my you maybe listen is ten years from now.
I don't know. It's probably the arch How do you think of the Library Congress. So back at the beginning of twenty nineteen, I played and I put together a big charity show called the It's My Band, the Raging Idiot's the Million Dollars Show. And you came in and the rule for the new artists, which you're considered a brand new artist. Do you remember the rule? You know what the ther of strength I put on new artists
were with songs. It was you have to do you can do one original, but do ye not not too originals because you two knew. I didn't know. It was a restraint. So okay, cool, or maybe it was. I was glad you asked for that. So, so what you were gonna do is you were gonna do damage first, play me a little bit of damage. This song I'm singing, this is a good one for me. I like to
sing in this one. Come. So I don't know why, but we went to practice to day before and you were playing this first and you were doing uh sitting sitting dock of the bay. Second. Yes, I was like, don't do that because I know what second one slow, but you're gonna have to crowd like standing up for you got damage second, and I switched it up and then you played it and what happened? They freaking with crazy. That was amazing. You're right, You're right, it was pretty amazing.
I got to pick five artists at the beginning of this year for my class of twenty nineteen, and I did pick you put you in my class, which means we do stuff like this. I know. I'm so thankful. Late at night for me, I know we're here in the after aternoon. No, it's six pm, this is evening. Maybe it's after my afternoon evening for me, because I don't know what time you go to bed right. Oh my gosh, Boffy, I have to wake up. It used to be three. Are you serious? You wake up at
three thirty? I used to be three until recently it was. But you can understand, Rachel, I have to be on the air and ready to go at five. So and I don't. I'm not a morning person in anyway, the morning person. I'm the happiest in the mornings, really, yes, but I don't. But I like to sleep in so and I'm riding every day, so you know, my day starts at like eleven for a right, which is like really awesome. Would you time out from like eleven to three? Four? Yeah? Four, five?
It just depends on like what kind of demo we're doing. You know. Sometimes I like to do a lot of background vocals and that will take a couple of hours. But if it's something a little bit more simple, we can get done earlier. Rachel and I would just we spent a little bit of time talking about interviews and how to be interviewed. And did you feel like you'd learned anything? Yes, I learned a lot. Do you think because we sat down in a living room just for
a bit of time. I'm glad you asked that. Okay, I'll tell you some some hacks I t because I come from the land of not only am I interviewing everyone, the biggest artists to brand new artists that I really like their music. And I don't have to interview everyone because they're a big artist, and I say no to all the time. There are new artists that people will go,
why would you put them on? And I'd be like, because I love their music, right, And so I was kind of I interviewed everyone, and I also have interviewed all the time because I'm also not I'm just not an interview radio guy. I also do other things. People want interview me for their shows, and so um I was telling her, I said, sometimes about once or twice an interview, tell them that's a that's a really good question, that's a great question. Make them feel like, wow, do
you really think I'm special in interviewing. I've never been asked by honestly, genuinely, I do want to say that to people sometimes and I think it and I don't say it out loud. So I think I'm glad you pointed that out because she's doing it right now. People people ask me some very intriguing questions sometimes and I'm like, okay, I can get into this. Thank you for asking me. So that's that's great advice. And then what do you
what do you not? She's using my words back? I told her, I said, I'm not teaching you how to do every interview. I'm just tools. Here's our tools. Rachel Um. You said not to say I get that question. All that's I get when because there are some questions you just have to ask an interview and you don't want to, but you feel like if you don't, there's part of your audience that is new to whom. For example, Dan
and Shaye. I've known him since the very beginning, but there are times I have to be like, hey, so how did you guys get to go there again? And I'm not doing it for me, but I'm doing it for the people listening. And they wouldn't do this to me at this point, but they could easily be like, oh man, we get asked all the time, and all of a sudden, you're like, I know, yeah, I really like, I know you get asked all the time, but throw
me a bone. Just answer the freaking question. Yeah, you know, that's a basic, great question that a lot of people might not know, so it's very informational. You don't say, oh, I get that all the time? Quit it question? Do you get asked all the time? I get asked if I am Leanne Wimac's daughter, Rachel Walmack, Leanne Womack. Yeah, a lot of people I don't know. They don't know our names are spelled differently. But I have never met
LeAnn Wimac. I've never met her. I would love to meet her and just tell her that everyone thinks I'm her daughter. But she does have a daughter who's in country music Aubrey Sellers who I'm sure it is fantastic. But lean Willmack and I get our hair done at the same place, So that's all pretty great? Is that
my anecdote? Yet? Great answer? Right, that's good, that's funny, but that is pretty I am like, pretty honored that we get our hair done at the same place, and her hair always looks amazing, so I trust mine hopefully well too. How much the haircut cost for you our
style more than it is in Alabama? Yeah, but I wonder, I wonder, like I don't know if Leanne like has to because I feel like she has a lot of different colors too, like overtime, So not the question I asked, how much is the haircut like an actual mind, I'll go first my style. If I go in it's like and then I'm close with it's probably more for you and I'm close to my pace. I get like color too, so I don't think yeah, I mean under a little under two hundred. But it also depends if I'm doing
like a partial or a full color. How often do you do a color? It depends I'm going arcor right now. So basically my cral is like growing out my natural hair color. It's kind of like people doing ombre a little bit, but she grows out my natural hair color and also colors the top of my head the natural hair color. So it's like it can grow out now and I don't have to get it colored as much because it's hard when you're like on radio tour and touring, like you can't just go and get your hair done
all the time. So they work with me. Listen, I get I can't get mine done all the time. My I have my stylus on all the time. Like if you get like tomorrow, I'm going because I was like, yeah, I'm gonna go shoot American Idol, And how often do you get your hair done? More than I probably should. But anytime I have to go back on camera, I make it fresh, and I trying to make the toplic fresh. Top needs to look a little bit long, but I can't have my neck all gross if I'm on TV.
Sometimes a week and a half, sometimes a month and a half, but that's how Yes, well one would never be a week and a half. But yeah, I feel your mind's probably okay. They say, like for color you go in like every six or eight weeks, but I probably wait longer. So let me play some of these songs real quick. Let's this is Rachel Walmack. This is a song that we just talked about. This is called Damage, Go Ahead, can Do, can Do? All right? Tell me
about this song. Well, when I moved to Nashville from Muscle Shoals, I didn't have a deal and so I had to get a job. And I didn't know anybody in Nashville, hardly other than my friend who worked at this bar in Green Hills, and he got me a job working with him, and um, I was a job I've worked as a bartender, and I'd never been a bartender before and I worked there for a year and
I was pretty crappy bartender. Well I'm not I've never been good at making drinks, so like Martini's are really difficult, Margarita's are difficult. But the good thing was it was a hotel bar, so a lot of people just wanted like gin and tonic or whiskey and coke or whatever. But despite not being the quickest at making drinks, the nights that were like really slow, and I would have one or two people come and just sit with me
for like three or four hours. I would I feel like I was a therapist to people a lot, and I would just hear a lot of stories that I didn't expect people to open up and tell me. And it made me feel really good because I felt like people told me a lot of things that they probably hadn't shared with like friends or family in years, things that you just kind of bottle up over time. And um, it was it was really cool because I got to share stories too, and I just felt like we're not
all that different. And damage just came. Uh. The next day, after writing UM with Mr Tom Douglas and M. David Hodges, and I just told him about me bartending and hearing some of these stories, and I was like, I don't really know what I'm doing, but you know, I feel like a lot of people really need to be listened to, UM and it's really important for us. And I'm glad that I was able to be a bartender so I could listen to people and um just be there for people.
And I felt like in my life before being a bartender, I was not a really great listener, and I feel like I wasn't honestly like it made me a better friend just being a bartender, because I don't know. The funny thing is, I wasn't able to leave, you know, when people telling me stories. But I think that was like really really important that I, you know, had to be there. And I was like, this is really important what I'm doing, because you know, they say like your
bar tender, in your hairdresser or whatever. They they are your therapist, and it was really awesome. I'm thankful that my first single came from the job that I never thought I would have. It's funny that you talk about being a bartender making you a better friend. I feel like being a waiter made me a better human because as soon as you have to depend on other people, and hopefully you have to, you know, make your means through their kindness. It makes you such a just a
better person. And treat people differently, and to treat your you know, and it's a metaphor, but treat your waiter is different. Everybody different. Oh yeah, I mean I tipped on bartenders, you know, yeah, because you know, because you know, because you're a bartender, is having to pay their based on your tips. Yeah, I wouldn't have been able to live in Nashville if I, you know, wouldn't have had a job. And and I'm thankful though that that was
the job. I mean not only because I got my first single, but like you said, like I just feel like it made my heart better and made me um like not cut people off in conversation when they're trying to talk about something deep or important because a lot of times I'd be like I gotta go, I gotta you know, do whatever. And I feel like I give people more of my time now. Yeah, those early jobs like I worked at hobby lobby for a long time
and I love hobby lobby. And then my name takes a hobby lobby Bobby, Yeah, I got made fun of Yes, that's right where the song came from. We both wrote songs based on our past. That yeah, that made us better people. So what you're thankful for them? Let me
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I wrote this with Mr Johnny Price, and in Nashville, we do a lot of like three way rights and and this was just the two of us, and this was probably my longest rite I've ever had in my life. I think we wrote from eleven am too, probably seven at night, and then Johnny wanted to come back the
next day and continue to rework the vocals. And my voice was like just shot and yeah and and um okay because after singing like eight hours straight, and at that point, I hadn't had much vocal coaching either, so I didn't really know how to warm up. And I just like torched my voice that day. And I came back and I was like pissed because I was like, my voice is so tired. I was like, Johnny, come on, And it ended up being one of my favorite songs
I've ever written. And I'm so thankful that he was as conscious and intentional about getting the right vocal on the demo because when I went in the studio with Dan, I just felt like I knew exactly what it was supposed to be like, so it was worth every second. And he's brilliant. There's a Bobby Castle with Dan Huff, which we did a year and a half ago. Yeah, And I'm a big Dan Huff fan because even when
he played, he's a player. I mean he and he has Michael Jackson stories and he has Paul Abdul stories and now he produces the coolest stuff. But I asked him a long time ago, I said, Hey, who is at the Druk one? Now that's like any good that I've never heard of? He said, your freaking name? What I love Dan? Enclosure is um was one of Dan's favorites. I feel like that we did on that EP and Um he's the best man. And leave me not voicemail,
He'll leave me voice text. He do. He's like, he's like Bobby, hey man, I just watching it was so great that he's the nicest guy. Well he is the first way, uh, I ever heard about you because we went in to the studio and he actually had to push it back a little bit later and I didn't know why, but I went in with him later and he was like, yeah, sorry, I had to, you know,
push us back. I just did this interview with Bobby Bones and I was like, oh, yeah, I've heard of him and he was like, oh, he's he's awesome and he said I felt well. I asked him. I was like, you know, do you like interviewing after all this time? Like how how was it with Bobby? And he said it was amazing because he had my tracks that I had done when I was a teenager pulled up and it was just like a really cool experience because he had all the knowledge and just made me feel so welcomed.
And I was like, Okay, Bobby's cool, Bobby's cool. You know me too. And the coolest best part about Dan other than him being a brilliant musician producer, is that he is one of my favorite humans ever. And even though he has like the most amazed, like just amazing repertoire of all the things he've done, he's done on
these amazing projects. Um, he's humble, like genuinely humble and genuinely kind, and it's just awesome to work with someone like that, because I was intimidated going in with my first producer ever, and I was like, crap, this guy's
gonna be like it's my way or the highway. You know, I've done all this stuff, and he's truly collaborative and just made me feel like my ideas are just as valid as his, and I don't know, that's just a really good feeling for someone like me who's young and inexperienced, and he just made me feel important. If you listen to the Dan Have Bobby cast, it's back a few episodes, but there's a story he tells about being in an airport and hearing uh, like a guitar look and he's like,
that's really good. It's a Paula Abdul song. Is that's a good And his brother's like, yeah, that's huge. I mean when he just went in the studio and played it reading off the paper and then once the list goes on and on, so yeah, yeah, yeah, So shout out Dan if you're listening to this I love you. Dan. You're from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Yeah, what's that? What's that tell me about you? Growing up? Well, Hustle Shoals is
like two hours south of Nashville. And yeah, and so I can go home heck in a day, or just spend a weekend at home and come back. I'm pretty spoiled. Um, but I'll I will say. You know, the Muscle Strolls music history is just very vast and very amazing, um as far as its blues history. And so you would think that I would be like some blues guitar player, but actually my main instrument in the high school marching band was the marimba and oversized xylophone. That's what's called
it's a marimba. Marimba. How but how do you get into doing the marimba the first time? Well, I started in middle school band. And I remember being in the middle school band playing the uh snare drum because I don't know, I just liked the percussive instruments. And we watched the high school players do this concert one night and I saw for their like into the show, they had a bunch of it was marimba's and vibraphones and xylophones.
Sorry if I bore you. Xylophone, what's it called the vibraphone? Yeah, so it's it's a xylophone with a pedal and it's like a metal instrument. And um, anyway, they did this really cool song and everyone was just performing so well, like smiling, and it just sounded really cool and unique, and I was like, I just I want to do
that one day. And so in high school I tried out for the marimba and started playing in this thing called percussion ensemble and which taught me a lot of work ethic and we competed and a piano though I played piano. Um My mom made me take lessons when I was six years old, and she said, you need to take four years of lessons and then you can do whatever you want. And I'm thankful that she did because now I get to play piano as part of my shows. It's amazing playing piano the whole time. So
after ten years old, you stay on the piano. Yeah, So I hated lessons with like a burning passion, which I guess any little kid, you know, they don't like to sit down forever. But um, I played for four years, learned some great theory, I feel like, and learned how to read music. And then in middle school, at like eleven and twelve, I was listening to Sarah Burrillis and Adele who were very piano driven m artists at the time, and it was something that I was like, I could
learn these songs on piano. So I started learning, learned someone like you on the piano and m I learned uh Gravity by Sarah Burrillis, and I just feel in love with figuring out how different songs just come together on the piano keys and how I could play them. And that was what birthed a song writing for me because I just started writing my own music and put chords together and I just loved the way the piano sounded,
and so it just kind of went from there. I just kept on writing in middle school, in high school, were you like King Dingling of music in school? Like in college, were there like she's the best like this big um no? But I was kind of an attention hog. I feel like I always, um like, just wanted to perform, Like that's all I wanted to do. Literally, my whole
life is performing. My parents say that at family gatherings when I was really little at my grandparents they had this little blue stool in the middle of the room and I would get on top of the little blue stool and I would say, everybody's singing with me, and I just wanted, like to perform for whoever, And like that carried in middle school, in high school for our graduating class. I wrote a song for a graduating class
and performed it at graduation. I did, and like, now, I'm like, that's so nerdy, but everybody said that they liked it, and like, you know, everybody was crying. But what it was called thanks for the memories. It was so lame, but it was really fun and it's a sweet memory now. But um yeah, I just I love performing out and I was. I was song grinding a whole lot in high school and just working on my craft. My high school graduation, I wrote a poem and read
it out out it would stop. But you sing a song, it's the same thing. Like I wrote a big poem. No, I love that, Okay, Well, I love the fact that you played a song. Well. Thanks. I look back at my poem. I think I have it here in my house somewhere, and I was like, how cheesy is this? But you know, we should always look back at the work we created a long time ago and think, oh, that kind of sucks, because as long as it still sucks, I mean, we are going and so it's okay to
feel that way. Well, mine, I always talk about food in my songs. I've well, I can't remember. I think we talked about French fries in the song, but you thanks for the memory. Miss all you guys there was something like a sharing French fries or whatever. You know you were, Miss University of North Alabama. Yes, I was. You're a pageant girl. No, I wouldn't say I was a pageant girl. Paget. You're a paget girl. I guess I was. I just feel like I wasn't, but I started.
I didn't grow up doing pageants. There's nothing wrong with pet I know. I'm just saying. Most girls in the pageant that competed with me would say it's not like negative or positive that I just really wasn't a pageant girl. And like in high school, I feel like I maybe did one pageant in high school. No, do you know how Judgments America this year? This last time? Yes, I was one of the freaking judges I control. It was crazy. How did you feel like it had too much power?
To be honest, because what they did is they cut it from they cut it to like the top twenty four, and they pulled us in a room. It was me, Randy Jackson from American Idol. I love Randy. It was Carrie I was dead host because she wasn't a judge. So anyway, I'm judging and there are like five of us, and I'm like writing scores down and the freaking girl that I picked one, it's crazy. You knew that had too much power? We wait to watch to watch videos. My point was there's a lot that goes into that.
There's a lot. And I went into UM competing for miss University of North Alabama because UM, I wanted to pay for my college, and that's it's like one of the primary things is it's a scholarship pageant and so and me again wanting to perform. I knew that there was a talent portion, and I knew that I had a unique instrument, the marimba. I played it, yes and no. So what I did was I played the marimba and I had a lapel mic and I sang. And so when I was competing for Miss u n A, I
played flashdance What a Feeling by Irene Karra. Yes, yes, And I had my high school band director arrange UM like a version of that for me to play on Maremba. And I learned it and it was so freaking fun, Like I loved it, and everyone else was like, oh my gosh, this is so different. And I one talent at Miss n A and and ended up winning the whole thing. And I went and competed at Miss Alabama
and I'm like, what am I doing here? Like I don't know what I'm doing, and all these girls are so experienced, and I learned just I learned how to walk in hills, um running hills. But it was really cool because playing um and doing my talent for that larger of an audience, I feel like prepared me even for something like you know, playing on your million dollars show, like just it was another practice for me for playing for bigger audiences. And it was really fun. Yeah that's funny.
Could you still play Maramba? I think I can. Yeah. I played it at at a radio station. Act really on radio tour. They heard that I played maremba and brought the maremba from their high school in that area. And that's a funny bit. Who do you remember what show it was? I get my shot out gets a funny,
but um, it was in Florida. They were literally so so sweet and brought like mallets and everything, and I played I played the irene ka um and it was just it was awesome, like standing of of all whatever fifteen listeners that were in. There wasn't on the air. Um well it was on the air, but everyone in the room like they had some listeners come in and
it was just so funny. I thought that was so thoughtful like of them to bring in the marimba because normally, you know, I'm just playing piano or or not playing at all. It's playing piano, so so you're playing marimba. If you pull that out on stage at some point like a real like you're playing a show, people would lose their crap, right if I'm telling you, let me tell you, Bobby, Okay, one day, my if if I
can headline a show, go ahead, you will at some point. Um, my encore would be the marimba and I would do I would do like three songs, just so it could be like, thing, you just want to do one, like you want to roll it out, you want to what you wanna do is I'm gonna go ahead and set yourself when you see it one day, you're gonna want three songs. But here's here's what you do, ready, Rachel.
I want to tell you how to play the Miranda because I've never even seen one in your next you know you know it if you saw it, this is what I would do. I would roll it out and I'd be like, what if being you right now? What what is this? What this like a big old xylophone. I'm supposed to like hit this thing and you go bing. You're like, huh thing bing, Well, this is crazy, and you look back at your guys go does anyone who
want to work this thing? Is it plugged in? At this point, everyone's like she's got a huge hot phone. This is funny, bing bibing bing bing, huh well, I guess I can try it. Pours out the full the four mallets and yeah, and it's like, oh what a bit you crush it in the crouds like, oh my god, because I do it. That would be the debut. It would be hilarious. People will be shocked and you would crush it because you would do it. You would tilt them a certain way of them rooting for you, going, oh,
we obviously are familiar with this instrument. I right, and they're like, oh, this is gonna be Then when you crush it, they go the whole different direction and they're so moved by it there they'll give you a standing out. I'm telling you, Okay, we're gonna do it. It's my dream. I've always wanted to do it, but it's definitely hard to transport it seems like. So I do a bit on my comedy shows where if we can and if Brandon Ray's opening for me, do you love him? Love him?
And he's in the crowd, I will We did this in Michigan and and so I'll be like, hey, listen, I'd like to give new Art's the shots or anybody in the crowd who plays guitar, and so if you people raise your hand and I'll be like, what about you? And then it's Brandon have Planet in the crowd, and then Brandon will walk out be like, what's your name? Manna go mana'ge Jimmy like Jimmy, you ever played for a crowd this big because there'll be a couple of
thousand people there. Uh no, just give it a shot, jim And then he takes the same thing, right, he got clung clungk clunk, And I'm like, dude, just take take a breath, and then he'll play and he'll go and then he just crushes it, and the crowd has gone from just rooting for him with all their money and then they're all like, Okay, I love that, so um tell him. So you've told me the story before,
but I think it's such an interesting story. So you're playing and arrested one of those spinning restaurants in Alabama? Are you just playing at dinner or something like trying to make a few bucks for for college or what? Yeah, So this had become at this point kind of a regular gig for me in Alabama. More one let one?
Did you win Miss Alabama? Where do you place? I didn't make top ten, but I did win, So I don't know what place I did if you're not top ten or whatever, um, but I did win Miss Congeniality and I won talent overall, which was cool. You got two things you didn't even it's weird like that. It's weird. You never know. I should have been judging this one. Well.
My parents were like after I won the preliminary talent, my parents were like, oh, she's top ten, She's top to a moment, I'm like, y'all, do not get excited because I didn't make top ten. But I did get enough scholarship money to pay for college, and that was my goal. And I learned a lot of really wonderful things along the way, how to um, you know, volunteer like things that I just didn't realize when along with the pageant. So anyway, anyway, let's talk about you're playing
in the rotating restaurant. Yes, so the restaurant is in Florence, Alabama, which I'll educate you a little bit. Muscle Shoals and Florence, Alabama are separated just by this bridge. So Muscle Shoals is where I grew up, Florence is where the rotating restaurant is, and where the University of North Alabama is
there like in the same area. And it had become like my regular thing, um because I would sub ind for my friend Mr Harvey Thompson Jr. Who's like the most fabulous piano player, and he just had me feeling for him when he couldn't make it, and he was playing a lot of gigs, so I just feel in
for him a lot. And it's a rotating restaurant, which means like the tables are moving on the outside, but I would be stationary, so people would come by me and like hear me, like really loud and close, and then they'd move away and they're like, can hear before a while? And I was like, okay, cool. But it's kind of nice for people that want to have a nice dinner because you can have time to talk and then you can come back around and listen to music.
So one night, um, I noticed this guy at the bar um and I have no idea who he was, but I knew he was paying attention to my music, and so I always try to cater to whoever that is, and you know, if they want to ask me, you know, to play something for him, I'll try to play a cover and he he just though just I felt like
he was just really appreciating the music. And then I saw him go over to his table, and so I didn't see him for a while and then at the end of the night he comes up to me again and uh, he gives me his card and he says, hey, I'm Jim. Uh, I'm from Sony Music in Nashville. And I was a senior in high school, so I was seventeen and literally thought he was about to kidnap me. Like I'm like, this is catchy. I don't know, he's
not definitely not who he says he is. And anyway, but I was like, thank you so much, you know, for like in my music. And he was like, you know, let me know if you would ever like to talk about, you know, your songwriting career and maybe if you'd be interested in moving to Nashville. UM, I'd love to talk to your parents because I'm like just a kid. And so anyway, I took the card home and my parents
were like, no, this is legit Sony Nashville. And so my dad and I went to Nashville, um first time for me, and we met with Jim and just talked about what it would be like to songwrite. And we actually looked out his window and saw like all of music Row and he was like, yeah, everyone goes just about every day to ride in these little houses out there, and I was like, why would they do that? I don't even understand why. Everybody, like it was so foreign
to me, the whole thing. And so we even you know, talked about moving to Nashville instead of going to college, like what that would be like and um, So we had a great meeting. But I ended up, you know, knowing in my gut that I wanted to go get a degree because that's something you know, nobody can ever take away from me. And I am really glad that I got one because it was cool, you know, growing up in my hometown and then performing out in my hometown.
I had a lot of support and I would play at a lot of different restaurants and that would turn into me playing at people's business meetings and playing at people's weddings and just parties and like playing people's barns, like just literally so much fun. And that would be like basically helping me pay rent as well. In college and um worked on my craft as a songwriter. And I'm thankful, you know, everybody's path is different, but I'm thankful that I spent my you know, four years of
college they're developing. UM, because I felt like I was able to just really focus on me, and here, you know, there's so many artists, I feel like you can just feel like you're getting lost. And I really felt like I could just completely be myself. And so then I graduated college and I remember I was running on the treadmill and I had this thought in my head and it was just just can't just like text Gym now
and invite him to a show? And so I was like, Okay, I guess, I guess I'll invite him because I felt like that was kind of bold to do. But um, I invited him and he said, this is like June two thousand sixteen, and he says, yeah, yeah, And so he says, I'm um, it's really crazy here at c M A fest in Nashville, and that's just like nuts for us. So would you be willing to just come play for our A and R team and just bring your piano and do your new songs here? And I
was like, yeah, of course. And I didn't realize how cool that was like to have that opportunity, um, but it was amazing having known him um for the several years that I had and just asking him questions along the way. A I wasn't like super nervous to play for them, and so I just like I went and played like four songs for them and sang my heart out, and Taylor Lindsay on their team was just like, you need to move here now, and I was like, well, y'all aren't offering a deal, so I don't know what
I was supposed to do. And within two weeks I had contacted my friend who was bartending Green Hills and had known a girl who was living in Madison. I just lived in a room in her house and moved to Nashville two weeks later, and I can't believe it, And now you have a deal with Sony R c A. And as soon as I got to Nashville, you know, I was bartending every night and songwriting every day. And I'm thankful for that year of songwriting because I met
so many people. I was thankful and blessed to being a lot of really just just rooms with really brilliant people, and ended up signing with the I didn't know they were just as serious about signing me as an artist, like I thought they loved me as a songwriter. But I was surprised, like about a year into moving Um, Jim said, Hey, we wanna um schedule a meeting and you just play as some of the new songs you've been writing in town. And I was like, Okay, let's
do it. And at the end of that meeting, they offered me a developmental deal and I was just blown away because I wasn't expecting that at all, and um, I mean, I guess I was very naive to how the industry works, so they probably said words that I didn't realize meant that they were wanting to sign me. But I was just so honored and now I have an EP out and damage just went to radio and I'm just really thankful. It's pretty amazing story. It's crazy
that you're just playing at a little restaurant. I know you would never know, and then it doesn't work out the first time, but then it kind of works out the second time, and in the end it all kind of worked out. It was really crazy and very like a lot of people that I've met while I was on radio tour, we've just talked about how amazing it is that everybody has just a break and like whatever your break is, like it's just someone really really helping
you out and seeing some potential in you. And I'm just thankful that I was playing that night at that restaurant, or else we would have never met and my life could be totally different. So it's pretty amazing. That's the title of this podcast. It's Rachel Womack parentheses and how she was discovered playing in a rotating restaurant. Make that people look click on that. Have you seen the Netflix? Yes? I loved you. Have you watched the Firefest documentary yet? No?
I don't know what that is? Oh man, you should watch it. It su there was a big festival two years ago they were planning in the Bahamas and how this dude actually screwed to watch people out of their money and it's he's in jail now, okay, and it's it's good. It's interesting. F hy are Yeah, I remember the news when it happened. It's kind of the thing everybody's talking about right now. And I want you to be a part of everybody, and I I want you to be able to thank you. Okay. Cool. So there's a
there's one on Hulu, and there's one on Netflix. Have Hulu? Yes? You watch anything on Hulu? I? Um, well, I missed The Bachelor this week, so I'm going to be watching that on Oh crap, I was supposed to watch Yeah, I was supposed to watch that tonight. Hopefully I can make it in time because I think it's on at seven tonight on Hulu. Okay, I'll get you out of here. No, no no, no, you're fine. Oh my gosh, you're so fun.
But what do you watch on Netflix? So right now, I've been having bad dreams after watching um you, have you heard of it? I watched the first episode now I just finished the season, so I have heard of it. Okay, so I'll watched the first episode of You and a Bit. I thought it was a little too creepy for me because it's about what i've seen you. I don't want to spoil it for me, but I will not spoil it. It's about this dude, by the way, really good luck.
And dude, did you watch Gossip Girl? He's on Gossip Girl too. He's a little too good looking for me. Really get a little resentful. I don't think he's that cute. You don't know, Oh, I think he's like super cute. I think he's super right. So I think he's okay. But and he works at a bookstore, yeah, which is so that is cute, you know, and then she goes in and gets a book and he's like, oh, they're all hit on her. And then he like stalks her
and like finds everything about her. And that's all I know, because that's that's what they tell all that in episode one an episode ones all I've watched, but I didn't know if I wanted to go to episode two or not. I know same, So I can't watch I can't watch like thriller stuff by myself normally, and I don't watch
scary movies like it all. And this weekend we did like this last minute random show with Brett Young opening up for him in Missouri and so on the way to and from the show, um, it was a seven hour drive. I binged the show with my manager who had seen the whole show, so she was rewatching it with me, and it is crazy. I think you should definitely watch it. No, it's well, I I just have very vivid dreams at night. I tried to read Twilight. I could act like a nightmare. That's great, Yeah, that's
what I'm saying. I know. I didn't sleep well last night, Like I'm really tired today because I dreamed about him stalking me last night. I know, No, it's bad, but the show is so good and it's I love it because there's so many twists, like the whole time and end. If I don't know if you've seen like a lot of the feed on like Twitter or whatever anything I'm
currently watching, well I haven't. I haven't seen the feed, but my my bestie is she is on top of all feed um, and she was saying that a lot of people like him because of some of the things he does. Don't spoil it's like the protagonist antagonist at the same time. Yeah, because in the episode one he has a great relationship with the kid and he continues that I'll tell you that. Yeah, it's almost like you
ever watched that he has some great son. No, so Dexter is a serial killer, I know, and I didn't want to watch that where oh, it's such a good show and you're like, oh, man to get them. But he's also like a good dude. I know. See that's well, and you I'm not gonna spoil it, okay, why you know somewhat why he um does the things he does? Okay, ever read that I watched that. No, I read it, and the first one, yeah, I read it. The movie was weird. I never I never saw either of them.
I feel like I have to stay up on all big things I can talk about. And then I lost a bet on the show where we all drew and I lost. I had to read the book and it was pretty good. It's fine, but that was it as good as the movie. I don't I don't know finishing the movie. Remeb read the book is and how it relates is that because he's yeah, there's a reason he's like I don't know if he's bad, but yes, okay, there's a reason he's like he is, and you go
exactly like you have. They do a great job of developing him as a character throughout the series, and it's only ten episodes, and so you do feel for him, but you're also like, bro, like my best, my best he was like, never mind, I'm not can't. I'm not gonna give him. You have to watch it, watch it. I will watch more view I'll give it two more episodes before I make my decision that you have to watch. Definitely, if you watch too, you have to watch Fire the documentary. Okay, yeah, well,
I don't. I'll watch Dexter, but i'll watch it with somebody was like eight seasons, like this is a great show, but oh dang, okay, this is only one season for me. Just watch the Firefest documentary. What we'll do it we have the phones in here, we'll call her and get update on a podcast. Okay, so let me know after you're done with that, and we'll get a recap on this podcast of the fire Festival. That sounds amazing. Um anything you're watching? You know what I watched on Amazon
was I'm still watching it is um Man in high Castle. No. I just started because a friend was like, you gotta watch it. It's like if World War two would have ended the other way where we got beat and Japan and Germany one America was taken over by them. Oh but anyway, clap The idea is very interesting. The movie it's a little slow. Okay, you ever see you ever watch Amazon anything on Amazon? No? Have you ever seen Office? Shut your face? I watch all the that all the time.
So I watched it probably more than you did. Yeah, like Scott's tats or no? Okay, no, everybody, So that's the episode that you decide if they love it or hate it. Scott's Tats is where Michael Scott tells these kids in kindergarten he's gonna pay for their college. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, And then he goes back and he's like, they're a big party for him. They're like, I love that episode
just because I love every episode. Um, and over Christmas break, I got my parents watching and they've never seen like a real episode. And now my dad is like bench watching The Office for the first time, and it's so fulfilling for me that I showed them. But I do like that episode, even though like most people say they don't it makes them uncomfortable. I like, I love uncomfortable. It's love best, my best comedy to watch and to live. Yes, do you like to dinner Party episode where they go
over to Jan's and Michael's apart of it condo. Yes, And it's super uncomfortable the whole thing, like she's done a fish ready, takes three hours sleep on the foot of the bed. It's the best. He shows a little TV. That's a good one. Well and see that's like my mom at first was like, I just this is just it's too uncomfortable, you know, it's too awkward. I'm like, that's the point though, mom, because because it gets you
into your weird you know, I do this joke. I love uncomfortable, right, And I do this joke on my stand up tour. I haven't done it in a bit because I wrote about in my book, but my second book. But I go out and I say, by the way, I don't I mean, I recently met him, but I haven't know my biological father. He left round was like five or six years old. And I'm like, how don't you know? Um? I say, uh man tyle joking so long, but it's I got on Facebook and you know how
they do that thing where they recommend friends. You should know. Yes, they recommended my biological father, but I don't, well, what is your crowding? Well? And they don't know if they can laugh or not? Just wait, so they go so I'm like, no, no, that's okay, okay. I said, well listen, sorry about that. I'd like to do an impression now, and they're like okay. I like, I like to do an impression of my biological father with me, with me
as a kid. And I just walk off stage and I just I just stand off off stage like that, you can't even see me, but they laugh. It's it's night by night. Sometimes they last, sometimes they're like it's so good, but like I live for that kind of humor. Oh, it's the best when we can laugh at just But that's the best thing about comedy, you know, it's like
just it breaks open all barriers. I'm a big fan of comedy where you know, some people will get pissed because comedians will do something that they don't agree with right or though that's over the line, or you shouldn't have said that, and then they go, we should boycott. I'm a big fan of letting the market decide what you should and shouldn't go to, meaning if someone says something and you don't agree with it, just as if
you comedy can be anything, just even a TV show. Yeah, don't watch it, Okay, don't let them, let them market decide, don't watch it. Go ahead. Here's the big question. Go ahead. This is if we're real friends or not? Um, because obviously I missed up the tots um. How do you feel about Jack Black? Jack Black? Yes, I mean I used to really really think he was funny in his heyday. I haven't seen him a lot lately. Um, I love him except for kids like the kids movies? Does he
do like kids cartoons stuff? Like? Yes? But I really like Jack Black when he was really like any He is my number two next to Steve kill as far as and I think I like the most about Jack Black is he's really talented, like really like you can sing, he can run, he can sing, yeah, go ahead. But he doesn't take it seriously or does he take it so seriously? You just don't know. That's what I would put him at. Yeah, so good at it. But he but he gives you just enough to be like, oh wait,
he's really good. Some people are annoyed by him because he's a lot. I love him. I love him very you know about that. I only want to understand. Yeah, I just watched it actually to you, who's the funniest person alive? Oh? I love Steve Carrell. It's a fine answer. There's no wrong answer. Go ahead, give me. I'm trying to think of but Jack Black number two? Um, yeah, gosh,
but I don't. I don't listen to a lot. I listened to like a lot of clean stuff as far as comedians go, So that rules out like a lot of people. And number three. I loved him Hawkins. Do you know him. He's funny Christian comedian. Huh, he's funny. I listened to him while I was on radio tour and he he was really funny. He has a podcast called Potty Break, and it was just it was just funny, easy listening. I don't curse in my acts. I don't. I don't curse ever, only curse in the car. I
used to. I don't curse it all anymore, just because I'm not against it. Used to curse awesomely. I was hilarious cursor. Yeah, but then I realized I couldn't write or or without writing cursing, and then go, well, that doesn't work because I don't want to do that on stage. I just stopped a limited cursing. But some of my favorite funniest people, my top three tell me number one,
it's tough. I can remember my order. I think that I'm gonna see where I ranked them because Chris Rock is up there for me, Ricky Gervais, and I think Adam Caroll is super funny, so I would go. If I were ranking the three, I would go because Ricky Geras created the Office you ever watched The British Office? No, but I heard it's great. Should it takes a second? Because I really really want to watch it. Turn the close caption on because there are things they say you
don't understand. They're great, but it's great. And you see how the characters were based on the American version the way you see how the American character based on the British version. Yeah, okay, quickly, I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go. I didn't realize that Ricky Gervais first, Chris Rock second, Adam Carolla third, those are mighty as were about to
wrap this up? Do you have anything? Yeah? I go Dave Chappelle number one, Yes, and then I love Dmitri Martin like super funny, his drawings are hilarious right on. And then I really like John Mulaney like his last two specials are probably my one of my favorite comedian specials ever. Did you watch the was Sebastian granted Cowski whatever his name is the new special I haven't seen. You know that's really funny. You like comedy? Huh? Yeah? To laugh? Who doesn't like them? To let me run
down this list real quick? Would you really go to the Mountains of the Beach Mountains NFL or college football NFL really even being from Alabama. Well, my family would say college because they're like the biggest Rold Todd fans. But my boyfriend is a big Chiefs fan, so I've been trying to just you know, support him even then they lost, but love them? L A or New York? Where would you rather be? L A? You would you rather read the book or watch the movie? First? Watch
the movie? Would you rather go watch Adele or Carrie Underwood? H Del pancakes or waffles? Waffles? Backstreet Boys are in sync? Back Street Boys. We I thought we were friends. We are not want the office or friends? Oh no, don't make me do that, go ahead, office and that. Finally, ballads are up to opposed what you would rather listen to other than the Backstreet Boys. We're pretty right on in friendship. Yeah. Cool, that's good to know. You would go to the mountains. I don't care either way. I
would just go to wherever. If if I had a girlfriend, I'd be like, where do you want to go? All right? Cool? That's nice. Yeah, it's all the same. Not I don't know anything about either one of them. Uh yeah, Okay, we're gonna end this, like to finish it with a nice story, put a bow on it. Yes, Once upon a time, I think it was maybe the summer of two thousand and eighteen. I was doing one of my friends. I called and say, would you come and perform at
my show? And I was like sure. He said, he said, come to do a couple of songs, do one of your comedy raging idiot songs. And you and I performed together, and I say, that's cool, it's cool, it's cool, And it's a friend I care about a lot. And I was like, of course, you've done things for me. I do things for you. That's how friendship works. Yes, we love each other absolutely so I So I go and he's he's putting on the show and it's at the Rhyming Auditorium and I was like, this is crazy. I'm
playing the rheman again. And I go out and before the show, I'm doing a bunch of interviews for my friend's name was Darius Rucker, who you probably know as a solo artist. Wasn't who you the Blowfish? And I'm there and I'm doing interviews before and there was this new artist that I went to and I said, Hey, how's it going. I said, I'm by Bones, and she totally ignored me. I don't know if she didn't see me or maybe she doesn't remember. It was very brief, and I was like, hey, did she went to our
next interview? Her name is Rachel Walmack. That must have been somebody because I brought it up like three, Bobby, Listen up, listeners, Bobby is up little crap in y'all because he bull craped to me. He told me this story story I don't remember lies. He told me that. I would have definitely remembered if Bobby came up to me and was like, hey, Rachel, what's up? Like I wasn't saying Rachel I said, and I said, hey, Rachel Walmack, I'm a big fan something like that. I didn't introduce myself,
Bob Bones, because I don't don't do that. And we were doing interviews around like this half circle in the side room. Yeah I was there, but I didn't. You weren't there. You weren't there, Like to end on that story, you never know, that's a great fake story. And to end, I'm gonna play a little bit of my boyfriend doesn't speak for me anymore. This is a Rachel Walmax song played Friend, which is about my ex. My boyfriend gets so much crap for this song. Your current boyfriend, Yes,
the boyfriend you have now get the boyfriend I have now? Um, he gets a louto crap for this song. But he's so easy going about it. He's like, oh, yeah, you know, what's your boyfriend? Now do music? He um? He is in school at Travica down in downtown Nashville to do. What is he going to treat you? Right? And he yes,
he treats me like a queen. He's so kind. And he's from Montana, which is the reason that I said the mountains because last year I went with him to Glacier National Park, um, right outside of his hometown, and just it blew mym on because I've never seen mountains before. That was the first time I ever. So I've got a great one, all right. And I know you mean it because you told me that before we became up here. Yes, So okay, Regel Walmack, We've done an hour is as
long as interview you've ever done. Yes, and you did pretty good. Thank you. You know, I used my tools, got a new tool kit before before the interview, Thank you, Bobby. I was talking to her before and she was like, right, I was like, I'm not that witty. And I was like, it's okay if you're not funny, because no, no, I'm funny because I've just done that. And I was like, don't focus on things that you're not like you really find your strength, and she was like, we're focusing on
my strength. That's right, that's right. Rechel Walmack w A M M A c K. Because I met everybody's like, how do you say your name? Yea woman? Thank you all so much. To be fair, it does look like whamick, it does. It looks like Walmart. Whatever. I don't. I don't mind, Reel Walmack. She say it wrong. I'll still be your friends. Stream down the go, buy a ticket and watch your play. She's ever anywhere near you. And that is all for this time. Class, see y'all in
the festivals this summer. Are you playing firefest this year? Watch? Alright, alright,