ITS Home Edition: Trevor Daniel

they make music. And if anyone is qualified to talk about that, it's Trevor Daniel, who first started recording in a closet in his bedroom when he was fourteen years old. Trevor broke through earlier this year with Falling and he's just released a remix of Past Life featuring Selena Gomez. Our Quarantine correspondent, Jordan Runtalg talked with Trevor about how

he's living and making music during these pandemic times. And if you enjoy this episode, which I know you will, be sure to check out the I Heart Radio podcast that Jordan's hosts, Rivals Music's Greatest Feuds, which is available wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Hello everyone, my name is Jordan Runtalg. But enough about me today I'm joined by a self taught singer, songwriter, and producer from

the great state of Texas. He started releasing music on SoundCloud, but you probably know him for his hit Balling, which tackles the high highs and low lows of toxic crazy love. Since first blowing up on TikTok, the song has been streamed over a billion times across the globe and crack the Billboard Top twenty. Falling can be found on Trevor's debut LP Nicotine, which dives further into the theme of relation chips. You just can't quit no matter how hard you try, my guest once said of my songs or

breakup songs. Today we're gonna find out why and if you need to hug. I'm thrilled the welcome, the very suave Trevor, Daniel Trevor, thank you so much for being here. It's such a pleasure. Thank you man, Thank you. I appreciate you, oh man. So many things to ask you, because first and foremost, how you doing. I know the last few months have been tough on all of us. What's been keeping you feeling good and grounded? Um? Just my friends and everything they've been here with me, pretty

much for the whole time. Just like you know, it's pretty much it. I mean, I've been making music and stuff when I when I can. It's kind of hard to um make music whenever I'm not really doing anything. It's weird because usually I'll just like be at home working on music all the time anyway, But as soon as it's kind of mandated, I don't, like it's like

my mind it doesn't want to do it. So like I still want to make music, but it's like my mind shuts off and it's like no, like go do some thing else right now, and like get some inspiration. Oh man, I was gonna say, it's so hard to focus in times like this. But then again, every profile I read of you always calls you like bedroom artists making music from his bedroom to the world. So I guess like the way that you've been making music probably hasn't changed that much, but just the feeling has got

to be different. Yeah, not really, not really, man. Just just in this little turn this little closet into a studio. It's it's kind of a big close. So it's this one. This one's cool. The one at home in Houston. It's kind of tiny, but it still works too. So do you think you're like more of a homebody? Do you get your inspiration to write by like going out or looking in word more? I think a little bit of both.

Um It like quarantine has kind of caused me to look inward like a little more than I wanted to. But um it's cool though, Uh, I like going out to get inspiration and people watching and just like I'm just like seeing how people interact with each other and just like different reactions to things and and maybe how they would react to something that I would react differently too. And but when I'm working, I tend to like to be by myself at first, at least to like the

first phase of the song. Sometimes it'll be completed at home, but sometimes, like I like to like it used to not be like this, but I'll go finalize it like at a bigger studio. It's pretty much just like this one studio, the one that I recorded falling at that that I'll go and like do final versions of at a bigger studio. But sometimes like that at home cuts make it a lot of times they do, just because like the emotion or whatever at first is there and

it's hard to recapture that. But yeah, what are you working on now that you're really proud of? Um, I'm working on a deluxe right now for Nicotine. UM. I figured, like, we have ten songs out and ideally like Corona wouldn't have happened. Um, you know, but I mean it is what it is, and so I still wanted to put out the album for the fans and everything. But then I got the idea to do the deluxe. Originally it was gonna be like a normal deluxe, It's gonna be

like three or four songs. But the original version, like the first half, was just ten songs. So I wanted to basically, in my mind it was whenever Quarantine ended, I was going to release another ten songs to basically make it feel like they just got a whole new album. But it's still a part of the same time. Yeah, So I'm I'm trying to release ten more songs, um, which shouldn't be too hard. I made like eighty for the for the original version. Yeah, that I picked from

It was hard to narrow down. How do you go about narrowing down from EIGHTI songs? Is there like a through line you're looking for in your album? Like, what are you looking for to make your album sound cohesive? Well, the first half especially, I wanted to be very like cohesive and in a storyline. Um, and if you listen to it, a lot of it's like, it'll be a really happy song, like oh like and this is exactly how like my headspace was like in my last relationship

that I was talking about. In this album, it's like really really good. It'll be like, oh like, I'll love you through the highs and through the lows, like I'm down for whatever, and then the realization of like, okay, well I'm not really being treated that well. So it's like very back and forth, like it's a happy song set song, happy song set song, because that's how it felt. And a lot of people are like, oh, it's like very it's not very cohesive because it's very up and down.

But to me, that's exactly how it was. So I wanted them to kind of love yeah. So that's how I wanted to to like structure that album. I've been trying to figure out listening to Falling. I've been trying to figure out if it's a happy sad song or a sad happy song. Do you have any insight. Can you help me out on that at all? Yeah? To me, it's a happy song. Like I wrote this song about

this high school relationship I had. So I was with this girl and then we broke up and I'm like, oh, dude, like whatever, I'm not I'm not going to do this anymore. Literally two weeks later, bro, I met this girl in driving school and like, uh, we were taking our permit test or whatever, and then yeah, we dated for like seven years. Yeah, yeah, it was pretty it was it

was a pretty good one. But things changed a little bit, like things started taking off in like time I didn't really have any time and that started like being a strain and everything. But her and I are so cool. Um, she wasn't toxic at all. She was really she was really like dope. So we're still cool and everything. I just like things are really busy right now. And uh, you know, so her and I like broke it off for a little while, but um, we'll see what happens.

But yeah, so I mean it's a happy song. But do I have detecting a hint of a reunion there? I don't know. Maybe we'll see. We still talk it. We're still cool. She just lives in Houston and I'm in l A. So it's like it's hard to see her, especially during this quarantine thing, Like um, yeah, yeah, so what does she think of the song? But she was there when I recorded it, so yeah yeah, Oh man, was that? How was that for you? How was that

for her? How was that for both of you? I mean, I get it wasn't that weird, to be honest with you, because um, because like originally following was like a poem, like if you listen to the course, and none of the words rhyme at all, Like there's not a single rhyming word in the course. It's just the melody kind of makes it feel like it like rhymes and comes

back and you know, um finishes out well. But at that point, she had been with me for quite a while and had you know, I've written a lot of songs and stuff at that point, like used, I was used to her being in the room and stuff I was recording, and like, so I wasn't it wasn't that big of a deal. But I mean, she loved it. I guess it seems sad. It is a minor key, so it seems like a little more sad, But um, it's it's not to me, but I mean it can

be interpreted. However, speaking of interpretations, what was it like to know that the song just blew up on TikTok like and knowing that, you know, millions of these people are just putting their own twists on this song that's you know, very personal for you. That's cool to me, man like honestly, like, like, regardless of how they feel about it, I'm gonna feel how I feel about it, and they're gonna feel how they feel about it. Like I'm glad that they get something out of it at

the end of the day. People interpreting songs and everything, it's really cool because sometimes it doesn't even have to do with the words necessarily. Maybe it's just like the sound of it creates like a certain sense of euphoria or something for a certain time and moment, whether it's happy or sad. Sometimes it's not the word. Sometimes it's just the feeling of it, or or vice versa, because like Falling has kind of like a more mellow, like sadder kind of tone it feels like, but the words

are happy. Really, it's just like the back and forth the beat and then the vocals are like kind of polar opposite as far as like what what they like sound like the beats really sad in the vocals or the lyrics at least are happy. And that's kind of how I've felt in that situation because I had just broken up, like with the last girl, and I felt like I wouldn't really do that again. And it was

really adamant on that. And then that the happy part is where like I met the new girl and like so I was in this headspace of kind of bummed out, but like in the meantime it was like cutting through because like I me at her. So that's like why it sounds so backwards. Almost good, Yeah, I mean, and the one relationship in the beginning of another the title your album Nicotine is very evocative. What does that mean

to you? Yeah, It's like some people I figured would think I was like promoting cigarettes or something, but it's not like that. It's just like, I know, um, nicotine. It's like something that a lot of people, especially in my age group, a lot of people are like baping and stuff and and like really don't really think about it.

I'm not trying to like advocate or like really be that that guy or anything, but you don't really realize it, um, because you don't really realize like the damage it's doing to you in the moment, just because it's like fun and it feels good. It like doesn't really feel like it's messing you up. But ultimately it's pretty toxic. And it's kind of like the comparison or the metaphor that I was making. There was a great quote I said it at the at the top of the episode that

you said about your songs or breakup songs? Do you consider yourself a romantic? I honestly, dude, Um, I feel like I'm like a good boyfriend. I got am but I do. My biggest problem so far that I've like, Um, this goes back to being in quarantine and like realizing things about myself that I don't think I'm a romantic. Like I could write songs about stuff because I'm thinking about it. It's really bad because I'll think about it in the moment, but like I'll think I say something

because I'm thinking it. Like a lot of times I'll read a text and I'll like think of a response and then not respond because I thought I responded. And um, we've all been there. Yeah, that's like that's like the biggest thing that I'm noticing, especially the seven year relationship. Um, Like I'll lock in the studio and I'll write about this stuff all the time and I'll try to really bring it to life because I'm thinking it and I want to do it and like things will happen or whatever.

But like the super romance to take parts is mostly like just what I'm thinking, But I guess I have a hard time like saying it outside of song, if that makes sense. So no, totally. Sometimes sometimes like I'll be in in like a zone or something, and I'll be like, yo, like I'm killing it, like like she she's like super stoked and happy or whatever right now,

and like I'm I'm like saying the right stuff. But like sometimes I just like accidentally say things that just like dig myself a hole or whatever, and like like I don't mean it like that, but it just comes across a certain way and then and you try to make it better and it just makes it so much worse. Yeah, exactly exactly. I know you're a big Kanye fan. Can I go out on a limb and guess that your

favorite Kanye albums? Eight oh Eight's yeah it is. Oh yeah, it is yeah, Man, I hear that in your music, So yeah, dude, that that album is probably one of the most inspirational albums to me, Like sonically it came out when I was in seventh grade. Dude, I just listened to it over and over and over, and I

swear I still listen to them. And what's crazy to me, Remember when I was talking about like how sometimes it's not really the lyrics and it's the overall field or like the euphoria the song gives you, um because there's just like multiple elements of like what can invoke emotion and somebody like when I hear this sounds really crazy, But like when I hear eight o Waits in Heartbreak,

it reminds me of Christmas time. Whoa yeah, because like I was listening to it a lot when it was cold, and I remember like going to the movies with my friends. We were always jamming, like Kick Cuttie and Kanye. That's

just like what it reminds me of. It's probably a really weird comparison, But do you ever listen to the Beach Boys much because they kind of do a similar thing where they have happy, happy happy songs that sound happy, but then you listen to the lyrics and you're like, oh my god, this is about like getting older, And yeah, I love the Beach Boys. Have you seen the movie? Um, it's it's about like Ryan Wilson and like how the

Paul Dana one. Yeah. I liked it a lot because like I could kind of relate to it, and I kind of like I would understand like why he would like feel a certain wave, and like they did a really good job at like portraying those things. Um So, yeah,

it's a really good movie for you today. Like does having a hit song make it easier to write and create because you feel more successful, you feel more confident, or does it almost get in your head a bit and make it harder because you feel like you're trying to meet these expectations and all this other stuff. I guess just like a little bit of both. But it's easier to meet the expectations, I think because like I have a lot more resources now than I did. I'm

not really worried about it. It It doesn't really bother me too much. Like I'm glad that falling blew up and like helped elevate my career to this point. But um, I don't really have that much pressure. I think sometimes sometimes it'll get to my head, but like ultimately the overall feeling it's not that bad. Um, but sometimes I will get in my head. I'll just be overly critical about certain things. I guess because I want I want

to keep getting better. Um, when you listen from the Homesick EP, a lot of it, like I would do like one take or a lot of those things were accidents, like the things that came out of it, and that EP was a lot of like just kind of discovering like how to get better at like certain things and like embracing imperfections and everything. Then Restless was kind of like really trying to push myself melodically in like different

styles and stuff. And then Nicotine. I really just wanted to take everything I had learned and just put it so like I hope, like I'm getting better to the listener, but um, it's kind of like a game in my own head, just like trying to like balance out like a the overall mood. Not I'm not like on the here like piste off or anything ever, Like sometimes I

get piste off. But um, but it's just trying to like balance out, like I want to consistently feel like this album is where it needs to be when I release it, like and that's a hard thing to do because like you can always go in and tweak things. But at the same time, like I learned while making Homesick, it's like easy to overthink and stuff like that. So

that's the biggest thing. It's just like trying not to let myself be like, Okay, well you have a hit, now you have to have another one right now, you know, and ultimately just like go make good music and like what happens will happen, because following wasn't like I wanted obviously, like everybody like wants their song to to be successful and everything, but I didn't know that it was going to happen the way that it did or when it did, because it was like a year later, like I don't

even know about TikTok. So it's like things will happen the way that they're going to happen to. The slow Bill almost help you in a way because it kind of like pressurized you of that I suppose. Yeah, it was cool because like I was exposed to like a lot of stuff like in doses versus just all at once. I still felt like I got a lot all at once,

um like whenever this happened. But I was like ready enough because Falling had like a semi rise and it was like doing well, but it was like enough to where I was like I would start seeing people react to me a little different sometimes, and that I think would be the biggest part, because like I feel like a lot of people get like in their heads about themselves and like get cocky or whatever, but like we can't be what we are as like artists or whatever,

Like we can't grow if it's not for the fans, so it's not even us. I don't know why people get like that, like, but I feel like it's also lucky for me that I was like exposed to it a little bit out of time, you know, Like none of the asks from the label was like very like

super surprising. There's like some things that were new. But what do you do when you're when you're sitting down, you have something you want to say in a song, you sit down to write it, and it's just it's just not happening no matter what you try, especially now that you're in quarantine to like how do you reset? You go for a walk, do you do some yoga?

What do you do? Well? Usually I just like go like to the beach of the mall, or like go do something and go out to eat with my friends, or just go go hang out and do stuff you know, um and like get out of the house um. Or I'll like switch studios, Like I'll go to like my friends studio and like make something with them, or I'll like collaborate with somebody just like to get fresh ears

on it. And sometimes it's cool because like if I go in with like a another artist or or like writer to like write something for somebody else, like and like we can collaborate on that. I don't have to hold myself back to like certain things that like I don't want to say just because they get to say it and they're okay with saying certain things like that. And like I'm getting to the point where it doesn't like I don't really like limit myself anymore, because I

was noticing that was causing like some writer's block. Sometimes ultimately I'll just try to like go right with somebody else for something that doesn't really have to do with my my music. That helps a lot because it reminds me you're just like overthinking, like or just like you just need to break. Is that tougher during quarantine? But what's the toughest thing about quarantine been for you? I guess just like being at the house all the time

and like not being able to go do stuff. And then also like I was supposed to go on tour. I really wanted to go on tour, so like, um, and I've only been on the country one time and that was in January to Berlin, and then I went to London and Paris um for like a press run and that was really cool. So I got like pretty excited to to go on tour. But then the Corona thing happened, so at first that was kind of a I was really bummed out about it, and I'm like

bummed out about it still. It sucks, but like what is it thirty percent of the country lost their jobs, Like there's it's like a crazy amount. So I'm overall and like really blessed to like be able to still have the option to come in here and record, and like I like have to remind myself of that, because yeah, I was bummed out about tour because there was a lot of places on the list that I've never seen and like a lot of fans that I wanted to just jam out with and have shows and you know,

but it's cool. It is what it is. Like there's always next year, so you know, maybe there's another few in the ball that blow up and then we can afford more lights or or something like that. And so yeah, it's a very xend way to think of it. It's a very most positive reaction I've heard of this. Yeah, if you caught me like three months ago, probably wouldn't have been the same. But I've had a lot of

time to think about that one. But like as far as like how to how to like feel about it, at first, I was really just like dude, like what this sucks? But we at least got to do like a couple of shows. We did the New York show, in the l A show all the Roxy, right, yeah, and those both sold out, So like those were those were cool because um, like I got to see like what it would be and like how I can improve. I mean, they best sold out and it was it was like fun. We got to experience that and we

got to know that we could do it. That has been a silver lining of quarantine for you if you like learn a new skill to the new hobby or something like that. I saw you cut your hair that go. Is that a new hobby? Oh yeah, Um, I've been doing weird stuff to my hair, like, um, so usually I just like bleach it blonde. But um, I died at teal, which for whatever reason is like the hardest color to come out. And there was a video that I was supposed to shoot and I shot half of

it correctly. In the other half I didn't, So I had to go like get my hair stripped, like the blue stripped out of my hair. Um, and that was like fairly expensive because blue is really hard to do. And then like they had to come to the house because like none of the shops were open. So um that was like kind of expensive. But I'll know next time to not do my hair blue. Before the videos finished, so yeah, I thought, all right, did I read this right?

Are you working on a book? Are you writing a book? Yeah? I am. It's like a poetry book. Cool. It's like a mix of poetry and a mix of like some pages literally have like one sentence on them. Um, and it's just like things that I'll think of, um that I'll usually write in my notes, but I started thinking about, like, well, I want to see how my mind like reacts to being locked in my house for months and like and uh so it's like some things are like really depressing.

But I mean, like I don't overall I feel like that like all the time, but like sometimes, like quarantine really just brought me in this weird, sad headspace and I wrote it, wrote about it in this book, and like it's not like a whole lot, but I'll go weeks without writing anything, and then I'll like have a day where I write like ten pages. Um. But like like I said, like some pages have like once in and some page pages have like a like a journal

log on it. That's so cool. I mean you I'll just think about I mean, it must be crazy gearing up to release your first major label debut anyway, not to mention having it come out a week after a worldwide global shutdown. You've had one of the craziest years of anyone. I could think of. What's been a highlight for you of the past year. When we did the New York show in the the l A show. Those

were that was just really fun nights. Like I think about those days every single day, Like, and then one of my best friends is my drummer, so he's like always hanging out and um, he literally hasn't missed the day of practicing since like quarantine started. So um, that's a high bar for Quarantine productivity right there. I know, like he'll like leave my house and then he'll be like, yeah, I'm going to the rehearsal area, and then it was

just like practice all the new songs and everything. Oh man, I saw that you were on all that not too long ago as a as a millennial, like legally obligated to ask you about how that was. That sounds so cool. Yeah, dude, it was so fun man, Like, Um, I got this nick Pellow and then yeah, they gave me like a whole bunch of stuff, like a coffee mug and like a really cool all That jacket like it's a bomber and then on the back it has the all That logo and then um, like on the inside it has

my name in it. It was super cool, man. I was excited. And then performing on it was just crazy because like there were people there that I remember like doing things at Nickelodeon and like little commercials and stuff. And it wasn't that the actors um on the show as much as it was like some of the adults and things that I would see around that like we're kind of instructing things. But do the studios were sick, bro,

Like they had all the props and stuff. They had like a bunch of the Amanda Show props still, and like, yeah, it was so cool, dude, it was really cool. Yeah, man, that's awesome. I what a crazy year. I what's next for you? What's like the next step on your musical life after you get the deluxe edition of of Nicotine out there? Well, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna put the Deluxe out.

I don't really have a date. I have like a turn in date in my head, which would be the end of this month, Like I want to turn it in and then like we'll figure out just like how we're going to release it and everything. We have a single lined up to come out. Other than that, I'm just kind of going with the flow, just because, like I realized, if I start like okay, cool, I'll be

able to do shows again in the fall. I thought so, But I don't think I will um and that that's just like like in my mind if I have like multiple letdowns, like way too many times, not like let downs, but like if I just like hide myself up in my head, like I'll get really into it and I'll just like that's what I'll plan um for, like this whole year I planned for tour, you know what I mean. I just I don't want to do that again because

that was like a really bad headspace. Like I just like slept for like three weeks, but like and I never sleep, so that's that's different. I started a garden or I got like a bunch of garden tools that I haven't started it yet, but I got a bunch

of garden tools. I'm like trying to um figure out how to do this back patio area that I have as a garden, so I could just I could sit out there and like because one of my neighbors down the street, I'll walk and they have they have like a waterfall, like a little it's like a really like feels like you would go there to meditate and stuff, and like I don't really meditate, but like I want to, like I want to like be at peace in my head.

But um, I figured that's like the first step. Just like have a little garden area and just like have plants some stuff that I could just chill around and just like I feel like that tends to make me feel good. So if I if I can get out there and do it, like I have the tools now. So I went to home Depot when they opened up, and like, I felt like a dad, and I tweeted I was like, I'm becoming a dad this year because like I accidentally sent that to one of my friends

and she freaked out and I didn't realize. I was like writing it the way that I wrote it, because you're literally becoming a Yeah. Yeah, So I thought it was funny. I thought it was funny, and like I posted on Twitter and and all my friends believed it for like a week, and I just wanted to see how long it would go. And then I had a couple of my friends in on it, like some people from my label, was like like asking my managers instead. It was funny. But well, you got a zend garden

coming that is awesome. Uh. I know you've been dying to collaborate with du Alipa. Is there any movement on that yet No, not yet, man, but it's cool, like, uh, one day, one day it'll happen. That's like the move So as long as like we keep gasing it up and like and all the radio interviews and everything, maybe she'll hear about it. So I's gonna say, I feel like we've all got your back for this. We're all gonna put that out there. Do a leap if you're listening, please,

it's gonna be great. Yeah, please please do That would be really fun. But yeah, she's just got a great voice because like she can just her range is insane. So well, my my last question, how I close all these I gotta ask if you could snap your fingers and have the pandemic deal over right now instantly, what would will be the first thing that you do? What kind of trips would you take people to hug? What would you do? First thing I would do, I'd probably

try to see how we could reschedule tour. Like over at dinner, I would probably get like all my managers and everything. We'd go out to eat and then oh, look there's this place called texast A, Brazil, and it's like a fog chow kind of situation. Brazilian steakhouse. I love that man, um like I went there the other day in Vegas. Actually so so. I did get out of the house but finally, but I was wearing a mask. Don't worry. Trevor Daniel, thank you so much for your

time your music has been such a pleasure talking to you. Yeah, thank you, man. I'm glad. I'm glad I was a part of this. I'm glad you guys invited me, so thank you. We hope you enjoyed this episode and Inside the Studio home edition, a production of I Heart Radio. For more episodes to do Inside the Studio and other shows from Heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.