Only In The Green Room

What happens when an artist stops trying to be perfect and starts trusting exactly who she is?

Cassandra Lewis joins Only in the Green Room for an unfiltered conversation about cosmic Americana, heartbreak, psychedelics, creativity, and learning to trust her own voice.

She takes us through the wonderfully strange mix of influences that shaped her music, the relationship that inspired Lost in a Dream, and what it means to take the driver's seat by producing her own record at Nashville's RCA Studio A.

But this conversation ultimately becomes about something bigger: vulnerability.

Cassandra talks candidly about letting go of perfectionism, giving everything she has onstage, and accepting the mistakes and imperfections that make live music—and all of us—human.

In her words, vulnerability can be a “radical act.” And in a world increasingly shaped by AI and technology, maybe being imperfectly human matters more than ever.

Only in the Green Room — Where Artists Remain Human.

#CassandraLewis #OnlyInTheGreenRoom #CosmicAmericana #AmericanaMusic #HighSierra #SingerSongwriter #LiveMusic #WomenInMusic

Creators and Guests

Host

Dennis Strazulo

Dennis Strazulo & Tami Larson host backstage conversations with artists in the exclusive confines of green rooms at popular music venues and festivals.🎧

Host

Tami Larson

Dennis Strazulo & Tami Larson host backstage conversations with artists in the exclusive confines of green rooms at popular music venues and festivals.🎧

What is Only In The Green Room?

Welcome to Only In The Green Room - Backstage conversations from popular music venues around the country curated by Mount Tam Media.

Buckle up and listen in, as host Dennis Strazulo and Mount Tam Media founder, Tami Larson, dig up conversations with artists - before and after shows - in the exclusive confines of the green room. Barriers are down with stories abound!

In this episode, we sit down
with Cassandra Lewis for a wildly

honest conversation about cosmic
Americana, heartbreak, psychedelics,

and finding power in imperfection.

I'm at, like, a little bar.

I'm at a little saloon
in the middle of the day.

Probably shouldn't be having a whiskey,
but I'm doing it anyway, and some old

lady wants to have a little cigarette with
me, and I'm like, "Let's go thrifting."

And I think that's what Americana is.

I think that's what cosmic Americana is.

From producing her own record to
learning to trust her voice, Cassandra

reminds us that being vulnerable
and unmistakably human might just

be the most radical act of all.

Welcome to Only in the Green Room,
backstage conversations from popular

music venues around the country.

Listen in as Dennis Truhazo, Tammy Larson,
and surprise co-hosts dig up conversations

with artists before and after shows in
the exclusive confines of the green room.

Cassandra Lewis, welcome
to Only in the Green Room.

Thank you so much.

Man, are we-

It's so exciting to have you.

Well-

Well, it's not very green at all.

It's very blue indeed.

Yes.

Do you like our … This
is, this, is this-

I think she's lying.

Well, it's blue on the sides.

Actually,

the back is pretty green.

The back is green.

Yeah.

And I think Green Room is just a
term of our, and a state of mind.

It's spiritual.

Yes.

Right?

So- Please.

Yep

… yeah, and this is the Green Room.

Mm-hmm.

I don't care what you say.

I don't care what color it is.

We created it, and you know why
we're so excited among other reasons?

I mean, we have, um, sort of the heart
and soul of Nashville right here.

It's funny, I didn't realize
there were so many Nashville-

Yeah … performers this weekend.

There are.

It's really cool.

There

are.

It's kind of a trek.

Yeah.

It's

a long way.

It's not close.

No, it's so long.

You know?

It's 8,000 miles.

But

I mean, you, you specifically are
just the part of that vibe, so-

Mm-hmm … uh, it's so cool to, to
meet you- Yeah … and to talk to you.

Well, you too.

So yeah.

Um, I, I gotta say right off the
bat for me that sticks out is the

whole bang cosmic Americana, right?

Mm-hmm.

And how you, I s- read somewhere that
you, talking about Nashville, you, I

think you described cosmic Americana as-

Dolly Parton on acid.

Is, is that what it is?

Is it Dolly Parton on acid?

Janis Joplin on J- Or
is it Nashville on acid?

Janis Joplin on Jesus.

What is it on acid?

think that quote will outlive me.

It will.

I think it was, uh, it was Dolly
Parton on acid, Janis Joplin on Jesus.

Okay.

I mean, but, like-

Well, let me tell you
why it stuck with me.

Not because everybody's
bothering you about it.

So we live in, uh, San Francisco
Bay Area, and has spent this,

uh, started this podcast started
at the Sweet Water Music Hall.

I don't know if you ever- Oh,

yeah

… have you played there?

I'll be- I

haven't,

but,

um-

Yeah … would

love to.

Okay.

Chris Porter, did you hear that?

I, yeah, I bet.

Yeah, Chris Porter.

Sending it straight to him.

Yeah, he's the booker.

Come

on, baby.

Uh, and he does Hardly
Strictly too, so, uh-

Well, I did the Hardly Strictly-

Okay

a couple years ago.

So, all right.

So there's, there's, there's
some … So there is a, uh, town

in, um, Marin County called Fairfax.

Mm-hmm.

And I don't know if you, you know of it,
and it is known as, uh, Mayberry on Acid.

Mayberry on … Yeah.

That's so weird because I
also heard there's a place in

Texas called Mayberry on Acid.

Or rather, that it's,
it's … Oh, I can't remember what

it's called.

Really?

But yeah, they have a whole
bumper sticker about it too.

Okay.

Mayberry on Acid.

It's the same thing

where I saw it.

Well, that's, we gotta, we need
to research this, and- Well,

maybe it's like the Banana Bill-
And fact- … sort of just, like,

stretches across the country

and fact check it.

So the point is I know what you mean-

Yeah

… about the Dolly Parton on
acid- Yeah … and Janis, Janis

Joplin on Jesus in general.

Oh, yeah.

Um, but what did you mean by that?

What

did I mean?

Well, I think it, what it is,
is, like, I, I grew up with such

a, an eclectic- spread of music.

I, I did road trips with my
grandparents, and they were big

lovers of, of Elvis Presley and
classic, like, 1950s crooner music.

And then, uh, I also lived
in southeast Idaho for a lot.

I mean, uh, Nashville's my 33rd
city, so I've lived a lot of places.

But, um, you know, I m- I mostly grew
up in southeast Idaho, Wyoming border.

And, um, and so country music
was a huge part of my growing up.

And, um, so there was that, and
then my stepdad also had, like, this

crazy, you know, back when people
had to download stuff off Napster.

Yo, shh,

Napster.

Um, you don't know about Napster?

That was

only a moment in

time.

It seems like- It was a blip.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, I, we were,
we were thrilled back then.

We were thrilled back then to get
all kinds of access to music, because

going to the store and everything,
you couldn't really get everything.

Um, but he had such a crazy, like,
collection of music, so I was listening

to anything from Pink Floyd to Patsy
Cline to, you know, um, Muddy Waters

and Led Zeppelin and, and, uh, i- like,
cattle call, like, yodeling stuff.

I was part of a, the Idaho Cowboy Poet
Society, so I was yodeling at, like-

That's so cool … at, at 10 years old.

And-

going to do stuff like that.

So it's always been kind of
a strange mix, uh, of things.

And, and when people are like, "What
do you, where, where do you belong?"

I say, "Well, I belong everywhere."

Well, you do.

I mean- I think.

It's a little sunlight.

Yeah.

Uh, is it fair to say
you were an Army brat?

Is that pretty- Absolutely.

Yeah, that was my- Yeah,
yeah … that was my next question.

You took it

right out of my- Oh,

I took it.

See how we go.

Yeah.

World War II, um-

Yeah, I was, I was born on a,
a decommissioned military base

in, uh, or rather decommissioned
German base in Nuremberg, Germany.

And, uh, very strange
place, I think, to be born.

I was born with lots of weird
dreams I don't think were mine.

I don't think they're mine.

I was like, why do I all of a sudden
never sit with my back to the door?

Why do I… You know, there's
just like all this stuff,

you know, it's like mystic.

Do you

write down your dreams?

Do you journal your dreams?

I can just remember.

Remember the heck out of-
You can remember your dreams?

Yeah, like in extreme detail.

You do have a poet.

There's

a poet in you.

But do I know what I had for lunch?

No.

Do I know if we changed the key to
the song during rehearsal yesterday?

No.

No, I don't But these things,
yeah … that's why I think it like a,

a s- a, a, a sort of Akashic memory.

How many, how about, what about
in your, when you write, are you

writing about your dreams or-

Well, sometimes, yeah.

I think there's a, there's some,
some inspiration from that.

Mostly it comes from
just real life, though.

Yeah.

You know?

Yeah.

I mean, are you seeing- Yeah … you know,
I guess images, you know, that, that make

it- I have a very, very cinematic brain.

Mm-hmm.

Like, when I am, when I'm working,
I… The, the place that I write

the most is while I'm driving.

I don't listen to music
while I'm on road trips.

And, uh, when I lived out west, which
I have lived everywhere out west, I

mean, I'm talking talk, top to bottom.

I've lived everywhere out west, and I
love long stretches of drive on I-5.

I know, even as miserable as- It's okay.

It's all right.

It's okay … that can be for some people.

I love it.

I love to do it, and, um, and
that's where I get most of my songs.

But, um- Yeah … yeah, I think,
I think, uh, mostly the, the sort

of spirit comes through that.

Is there any place… I mean, so
this is interesting, you know,

path we're going down here.

So, um- Right up your alley, my
lady … is there… Well, yeah.

Okay.

Let's talk about houses.

Any particular place living, having
lived in all of these different

places, uh, do you get your
inspiration from specific places?

Like, whether it's the forest or
the beach or the, you know, or the,

a community, specific community, or
does it really all come from inside?

Well, I think it's just
how I relate to each place.

I, I feel like I'm, as much time as
I spend in my head, I, I spend twice

as much trying to receive people-

Right

… and receive places.

And, like, the reason I wanna
go is 'cause I wanna be there.

Right.

So when I'm there or here or any sort
of thing like that, I'm really, really

trying to, like, open up the channel,
um, and just, like, feel where I'm at.

Um, so I think, I think a lot of it just
come, just comes from sitting quiet and

back and, like, watching and experiencing
a place, you know, in small town.

Just you and your mama.

Like on the 395, I'm
at, like, a little bar.

I'm at a little saloon
in the middle of the day.

Probably shouldn't be having a whiskey,
but I'm doing it anyway, and some old

lady wants to have a little cigarette with
me, and I'm like, "Let's go thrifting."

Let's do it.

And that's what we do for
the afternoon, you know?

Like, I'm, I'm trying to open
up to all of those things, and I

think that's what Americana is.

I think that's what cosmic Americana is.

It's like opening your heart up to
what this experience is, what we've

been given, and what we're, you
know, maybe what we're taking, too,

and, like, trying to, trying to-

I don't know.

Maybe solidify it into
history in some way.

Yeah.

Good or bad-

It's

like, you know- … in some ways

… it's like

what- Well, speaking of that, well,
just b- holding that one thought- Yeah

… 'cause I know we won't get back to it.

So with that, how do you feel
about the energy here, since this

is the inaugural year here at
Grass Valley for this festival?

Yeah.

Tell us about what you're- Well, I
mean, it's my inaugural year, too.

Oh, it is for you too.

It's my first time at High Sierra.

Um, my, my dad is here.

Oh.

My nephew is here.

Oh.

And, uh, my dad's partner is
here, and she's, 30 years she's

been going to High Sierra.

She is a vet, okay?

I'm talking- That's a vet

serious business.

I'm talking a vet. So you know.

Serious business.

Gina Bopp, okay?

If you know her, you know her.

Yeah.

If you don't- If you know, you
know … all right, fair enough.

But, like, it feels to me
fresh, but it feels so cool.

I've, I used to live out here.

I used to grow weed out
here, North San Juan.

Yeah.

Um, for six years I was working
out here, and, um, so it's nice to

come back, but it also, you know,
feels very fresh and, and cool.

And-

Yeah

… I don't know, I think it's a
really sweet place to have it.

Yeah.

I don't- I mean- You- … well,
the, the festival itself, I mean, no

matter where it is, has its own vibe.

Right.

Well-

Clearly

… realize that I, I also have the
entire rest of the weekend to, like,

learn what this festival's about.

Okay.

So we're gonna catch you later.

I've been performing since I got here.

Yeah.

Right.

So we

can-

You can reserve your answer.

Well, we're gonna catch you out there
… we had, we had load in at 9:30 AM.

We had Tall Pines yesterday at 5:00.

All right.

And then we got eight girls, or eigh-
eight people in the band, so this is, this

is a full thing just to get ourselves set
up- Yeah … and camp and everything, so.

The answer

is you don't know yet.

You don't know

yet.

I don't know yet.

We'll find out.

I actually don't know what
this festival's all about.

You don't know yet.

But I'm about to find out.

Well, you knew what, uh, people told
you about it, I guess, you know.

That's right.

Yeah.

And, uh, so what was
the, what's the stuff?

It's

beloved.

Yeah.

It's beloved.

It's, it's beloved.

It's a beloved festival.

Yeah.

And you, you've have, uh, Katie
Skeen just joined your band.

Yes.

Oh, yes.

We know her from California.

And she just moved out to Nashville, too.

Yeah.

We just met not even a couple of
months ago, and, uh, I met her

through Graham Patzer, who was
playing the, the keys and violin.

And, um, yeah, we just like, we had
a nice, nice time at Robert's Western

World, which is one of the only places
on Broadway I would recommend you

go to if you ever go to Nashville.

Um, Robert's has the best musicians

all day.

That sounds like a
sponsor, uh, call out for-

No, I know, but I don't work there,
but I promise you that's a spot.

Yeah.

And they'll give you
the recession special.

That's a, a moon pie, a bologna san-
fried bologna sandwich- chips and a beer.

For nine bucks- Nine bucks

I'm gonna tell you right now- For that
sounds- … you can't get a better

deal across the, across the universe.

Do they have tequila?

What?

Oh, tequila.

They better have tequila.

Absolutely they do.

Well, they got everything.

I mean, it's Broadway, you have
to- Ah … you have to have that.

But that's where I met Katie.

That's you met her, in the store?

And we just linked up, and
we're like four friends now.

Oh.

And now we're in a band, and- Yeah … I
just- I love that … she's so amazing

… little serendipity.

And it's amazing 'cause I've, you know,
following her a little bit in the Bay.

She's from Ventura.

She was in Ventura, California.

Yeah, and she's

big time in the jam band scene.

Yeah.

And she's big, and we're, so are we.

You know, we do so much, you know.

For example, Jay Lane
is our next, interview.

Yeah, Jay Lane's coming in.

But, um, yeah, we- we're around
the whole Graham Olesh and,

uh, Terrapin, and I don't know,
all, all of the jam band stuff.

And we have a lot of that.

Um, so yes, we know her from that.

Mm-hmm.

She's badass.

She is.

She's badass.

Sh- I call it shreditation.

Yeah.

Shreditation.

When I'm listening to her I'm just
like, "What? How do you even… Where

are those notes on the guitar, man?"

And that's it.

How do you do that?

And so that, the universe,
put you guys together- Yeah

and Robert.

So- Well, I think, you know, what I
really wanted was some feminine energy

on this tour, and, and, uh, and I, I'm
so happy to have such incredible artists.

They all have their own
projects too, you know?

Yeah.

So it's hard to pull everybody off
of what they're doing in the middle

of- of summer, and like, the fact
that they're willing to jump in

for the next few weeks and lock in.

We're going to Lincoln City after
this, up in Oregon on the coast.

We're doing a show out there,
um, this next Wednesday.

We're doing Oregon Country Fair.

Oh, you are?

Next Wednesday.

Yes.

Oh, that's amazing.

It's our first main
stage gig out at AC- OCF.

Talk about- Not my first fair, but-
Yeah … it's my first main stage

there.

Talk

about jam

band scene.

I know, right?

Yeah.

That is really- Oh man, it's
beyond that at this point.

Psychedelic clownery.

I mean- Yeah … for sure.

That's

awesome and incredible.

Yeah.

Jay will be there.

Yeah.

It's gonna be a real good time.

Yeah.

And then, uh, you know, we've got
Healdsburg, and then we're heading

back to the Bay Area for July
18th, a really cool show there.

Where?

Uh, called the Existential
Dread and Circus.

Wow.

A big distraction- What is that?

… from all of your woes.

What is

that?

Why have you not- All
of your- … told me?

… American woes.

It's called the Existential
Dread and Circus.

It's a festival I'm throwing.

Oh.

One day.

One day only.

Okay.

Where?

We'll be

there.

It's at Point San Pablo Marina- Ah

in Richmond, California.

Point Richmond.

Oh, we know that.

With Whisker Man, who is- Oh … an
epic band if you haven't heard them.

But he's, he's the piano and violin
player, and his band is absolutely

amazing.

This is so far out

there.

And then, yeah.

No, it's great.

It's like a kinda Monty
Python meets Salvador Dali-

meets low budget acid clowns.

Okay.

That is- Acid has to come

into it, doesn't it?

… great.

Okay.

And on, on water, on the marina.

Yeah.

Ah.

It's like a beautiful little place.

It's, it's beautiful.

Pablo is beautiful.

I think I've heard of it.

There's lots of Burning Man art.

I'm excited.

So- It'll be cool … it's
a cool, cool spot.

Let's talk about your album.

Yes.

Chris.

Please.

Let's talk about your album.

Yes.

What is- So there was a, this, a
single was released, American Sickness.

And yeah, that one's out now.

And, uh- The rest is, is coming.

Okay.

I'm producing the record myself.

Okay.

Um, it's all been recorded.

We recorded at RCA Studio
A in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nice.

Thank you Dave Cobb.

He- Yeah … sponsored the session
there, and, uh, he's a g- he,

he worked on my last record-
Yes … Lost In A Dream with me.

Yeah.

And, uh, wanted to support my
independent career, so he kinda-

Yeah … uh, sent us in there, and
he's like, "Give you a few days.

Go on, get in there.

I trust you.

Go do what you gotta do."

That's beautiful.

Yeah.

So now I'm just in the process…
I mean, obviously during tour and,

like, all the summer stuff, I'm not
really super hyper-focused on it,

but- I'm helping to mix the record.

We got, like, a 10-piece orchestra to
work on- Wow … on strings and all that.

Wow.

And, um, yeah, it's my first time

getting to take the driver's seat.

Ah.

So I'm

feeling

very excited about it.

That is

so cool.

And you got Mainstage- Yeah,
so I said, right, so it was the

single I was, I was referring to.

Oh, okay.

Yeah,

American

Sickness.

Yeah.

So you, so you've got that.

You're in the driver's seat here.

You got Mainstage at
the Oregon Country Fair.

Oregon Country Fair, yeah.

What is next for you?

Thank you.

What is there, could there… So-

A nap.

Darling.

I have a… So-

A nap.

A massage … y- Mental health counseling

They have that over here

… backstage.

You know they seem to.

Y- I mean, I'm-

At High Sierra

… 100,000 people fighting.

I, I was thinking it said Lost In A Dream.

fell asleep in a field

Let's talk about that one because-
Yeah … is that the one that

had sort of The Wizard of Oz- Oh,

yes … theme?

Yeah.

Well, I like kind of working cinematic-

Yeah

… in a cinematic scope.

Every, every record has sort of
a movie that's attached to it.

Always, Always was very much like that.

Tarantino vibes for that one, for sure.

Yeah.

Um, but Lost In a Dream was about a
relationship that I had had in, in

Portland, Oregon, and I felt like
I was just dating The Wizard of Oz

and- The whole, like, he was sort
of like- The man behind the curtain?

… the man behind the curtain.

The man behind the curtain.

He wasn't really what he was pro- like,
showing himself to be, and everybody

gave him all this worship and…

But I'm the one that had to
go on this hero's journey.

Oh.

I had to go find my heart and my mind
and, um, you know, my, my whatever,

all the rest of the things, my courage,
um, and become all the characters to

kind of, by the end of it, realize that
I had all those things already in me.

And, uh, kind of forgive, forgive,
though I could not forget-

Right.

Yeah

… you know, the situation.

And, and, um, yeah, when you put
somebody on a pedestal for so long,

you, and, uh- Isn't that true?

… and you really do the inner work- You
start to see yourself in them, and like

what you, maybe the, the spaces that you
needed to be filled in that relationship.

And so that's what that
record was really about.

It wasn't like a big angry breakup record.

It was- Did

you happen to see, um, did you go to
the Sphere and see the Wizard of Oz-

No, I can't- … girl, I
can't do any of that stuff.

I would love to do that.

It's funny because I wrote that 2020.

Well, I, I had written a couple of the
songs, but when I moved to Nashville

in, uh, 2022, that's when I, I wrote it.

I had about a month to write it.

Uh-huh.

And, uh, then recorded it in
October with Dave Cobb in, in

Savannah, Georgia at his new studio.

Um, and I was, I had been signed to
Elektra Records during the pandemic.

Like such a weird thing to be, to be
like, you're like, you work your whole

life and then- Right … all of a
sudden during, during like the complete

and total shutdown of everything, I
went and sang for, uh, the CEO of,

of Warner in a parking garage in LA.

Really?

And I was like, "The ac- the
acoustics are better in here."

Ah.

The manager that I had gotten, Bruce
Flohr, he was like, "Hey, okay, I'm

bringing you this thing." I didn't know
that he didn't know he was gonna meet me.

He didn't know he was gonna meet me.

So I just came in and I
was like, "Hey, let's sing.

Let's do this in the parking garage.

It's, it's just better.

We can't, we're not allowed
to go in the building.

It's COVID." So I

had- I bet people who know you just
expected that that would happen.

Yeah.

It's like they're not surprised.

I have a really weird story.

Just like all sorts of things.

You heard the, like the frequency- Yeah.

I loved it … or whatever.

Man, I don't know what
the hell's going on.

That's, uh, that's- Excuse my language

… perfect.

And you

know what?

That's perfect.

You know it, right?

Isn't that perfect?

I don't know what's

going

on.

Yeah.

It just is what it is, and
I can't help but laugh.

Well, that- If I don't laugh, I'm gonna

cry all the time

I mean, just, can, let me jump in here.

But I, the, the whole, um, hero's
journey, I, when I- Mm-hmm … was

thinking about your record, m- I was
thinking of Joseph Campbell, right?

I mean, isn't the- Yeah … Wizard of Oz
sort of the, the metaphor- Mm-hmm … for

the hero's

journey?

It is.

It's a big

metaphor.

Yeah.

I didn't even know that
Wicked was a thing.

Yeah.

Right.

Imagine my surprise when- Yeah … the
following year, like Wicked the movie

is coming out, and I'm like, "Oh,
it is about a narcissist." Yeah.

Right.

That's incredible.

I didn't realize.

This is great.

This is like, uh, incredible
content, although I wish I wouldn't

have put so much work in it
'cause somebody already did it.

Well, it,

you

know-

Oh, well, you

know

what?

We're all- That's- … it's, we're

all one

here … it's been- We're

all connected It, it's very connected.

It's very, it's human.

It's human.

It's the human- Yeah … experience.

We can only use the things
that we know and can learn.

And, um, like I said, everything
plays out for me like a movie,

so- Always, always Yeah.

Lost in a dream Right.

And- Start to finish, the
songs are even sister songs.

You know, if you listen to
the beginning and the end-

Yeah

… plays like a score a little bit if
you, if you pay close attention.

I would say your music
is cinematic itself.

It- I mean, you are, and
I think the music is, too.

The

drama.

The drama of it all.

The drama

of it all.

And the drama is just every day.

I mean- Every That's right.

Is there something- Well,

was just crying in the green
room a few minutes ago.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah, so.

Oh.

So y- I wanna bring in, so this is
our producer, and she has- Hi … her

own radio show called Down to Folk.

Yeah.

But, but w- and, and you
know- Oh, she's coming in.

She's coming in hot … I was
sh- you didn't hear 'cause you

didn't have the headphones.

I don't either, but-

No repeating

questions … but I also wanted to
bring her- I didn't either … because

we were just talking about this
late last night, like at 2:00 in the

morning, about, about relationships
and putting the wrong person.

And I said, "You know what?

You're g-" I said, "Just, just, you
know, just take all these lessons and

learn and then so that you're actually
prepared when you do meet somebody that's

right." Somebody that's worth- Right?

Because you go through all
of this, and then- Worth

the hero's journey

for … and then you can open
up to the right person instead

of putting people on pedestals.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Anyway, but I wanted to introduce…
We can talk about that later, but-

Well, girl, I mean, you know, nobody wants
to hear about a goddang heartbreak- … at

a festival, but I just, that's what I do.

I'm not here to, you know, I can
jam all day if I want to, but-

Yeah

… I wanna make people feel stuff, right?

Yeah.

That is my job.

Yeah.

It has been my job since I was young.

Eight years old is when I started-

Yeah

… professionally singing in front of people,
and I've never, I've never been a party,

dance, you know, kinda music thing.

It's just like not what I do.

Right.

So I think my, my job is to, like, open
people up to feel all the stuff, and

then everybody else can kinda sing.

And

you're at the Troubadour tonight, right?

Allegedly.

Right?

Allegedly.

With Steve Poels.

Oh, so excited.

Oh, yeah.

How's that man?

Like, he's, he's just

like- We love Steve.

He's, uh, we had him on.

His, he- I, I could, I would love
to just sit and listen to the

two of you talk- … for an hour.

We've actually done it before.

It's funny.

We've been on, we've been on a,
on a riff together at Mooncrush

down in, uh, Miramar Beach.

Uh, that was a really fun festival, but
yeah, hopefully we can… Hopefully he'll,

he'll rejuvenate my spirit right now.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, he will.

has a way of doing

that.

I know, he does.

And- And he's everywhere.

How does he- How is Juliana doing now?

Where does, how does he travel?

Jetpack?

I don't know.

He's all

right.

All right.

I'll check it out.

So we, we've interviewed
him at Sweetwater-

Yeah … about Mother's, so go-

He's magical.

He's just, he's just around.

He needs to be wherever he is.

Yeah,

he needs to be to be more of that.

That's it.

Hi.

Okay.

Juliana's… And, and so is this gonna
be more ther- because I put my earphones

in, my earbuds in last night when you
guys were having these conversations.

Are you guys hearing them drums?

Are

you guys hearing that soundcheck?

Ah, there it is.

Everybody's working
really hard around here.

Everybody's working here, man.

Yeah.

If you're stretched out and having
a, having a bloody Mary right now, I

just want you to send a little cheers.

Raise your glass right now.

Raise your glass to us.

Raise your glass.

And we're doing this interview
sideways, by the way- That's

right … metaphorically.

Laterally.

We're gonna say laterally.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Juliana, welcome to,
uh, the host-ess seat.

Thank you.

Happy to be here.

Yeah.

Yes.

Hi.

Okay.

Talk to her.

Talk to us.

Boom

Here's what… First of all- Build up.

Go.

Well, my radio show is
called Down to Folk.

Mm-hmm.

And so I love that you said
that you take inspiration from

everywhere and it's everything.

Yeah.

So I love that.

When you're writing such personal
material, and you wear your heart on

your sleeve, and you're so open, how
do you d- how do you, like, protect

your heart and protect yourself?

That's a very good question.

That's funny because I, um,
I'm still learning how to do

that after all these years.

I'm, I'm now 39.

I'm not ashamed of it.

I've been, like I said, performing since
I was eight years old, and it's always

felt like a lightning rod, you know?

Like, I feel like sometimes it's
a, another thing that takes over

and not in a corny way, you know?

It's not like, "Oh, the Lord is taking,
taking over." But, but, like, what

we're doing here is, is really…

It's my pilot light.

Like, everything I do is, is for this,
for this reason, to get up there and

even just make connections with a few
people in the front, um, that need that.

I don't know still how to, like, protect
myself entirely from, from, like, all

the energy that comes at me and, and,
uh… I think it's gotten easier over

the years just accepting that this is
what my job is, and this is also…

You know, it's good for the world.

It's good, it's good for my heart.

It's good for, for my spirit.

So if anybody has tips, I'll take some,
but for now I just kind of breathe through

it and surround myself with good people.

Yeah

Yeah, and you're, and you're not-
This is a beautiful answer … you're

not afraid of the vulnerability

Well, you went right
into the deep cuts, girl.

Yeah, she goes right in.

I thought you were gonna

give us- Yeah, well I was
gonna go… Well, okay.

We can- Oh, just ask you
the hardest thing ever.

In fact, what, like perhaps if I
was on a psychedelic trip, that's

exactly- I'm so sorry … what
I'd be asking myself right now.

I love that.

Give me the real questions.

Yeah.

Let's go.

Yeah.

Well, we can lighten up again- No,

don't.

Please.

We can lighten- Don't.

No, no.

Go, go in.

Go deep.

Let's go.

Come on.

Well, is, is privacy something
that's important to you?

Or, or just kind of like, you know, do
you, do you hold back just maybe a little

bit of yourself just, just to keep that?

I don't know if I do.

And I think that's what makes your art and
your live performances so real and so you.

We're

kind of on this thing together.

We're kind of on this thing
together, and I'm like gonna

give it 100% every single time.

And it sounds like a… I always laugh
when I watch sports, 'cause they're

like, "How'd you get out there?"

And just like when they, "Well, you know,
sometimes you just gotta get out there

and you just, you know, you gotta get
the team together, and you gotta win the

game, and you gotta give 100%." Yeah.

"Just gotta give 1000%." Yeah.

I'm like, I'm dead
freaking serious right now.

Well, the- It's a- It
really feels like that.

We're just like, we have to lock
in, and we have to do the thing,

and I give everything as if it's
gonna be my last, my last time.

Even if I'm suffering, which I am a little
bit right now from a cold, but- Yeah.

I'm so sorry.

It's okay.

After all, I've- Thank you.

Well, you

told- I don't like, I don't
like to lie about where I'm at.

Well, you told us how you're- I just
like to tell people human- … you're,

you were preparing for your, your, uh,
tour and what the things that were left

out that- Ugh … probably the problem.

Did you wanna talk about
that, or is that too- I don't.

Okay, never mind.

So you have- No, there's
certain, there's certain regimen-

you know, that I usually do.

Like, if the tried and true, like
ginseng, B12, this, this, this,

and this don't work, usually a
cigarette and a whiskey will.

And I haven't done that this
week, so maybe that's why my

voice is still struggling.

That's a

good

segue.

Hey, I have a question.

Okay.

To each their own.

I think to circle back, um,
to, I guess, you know, you take

inspiration from so many places.

I w- I was gonna get at this, and
then I wanted to ask the heavy

hitter- Mm. … before I forgot.

Do it.

We have a butterfly in here.

Maybe it's a moth.

Sorry.

There you go.

Let's

with butterfly.

I've been

having like a weird moth
attraction this last few weeks.

What?

Very, very interesting.

Okay.

We'll examine that as well later.

So when you're gathering inspiration
from so many different places- How do

you take that inspiration and turn it
into something so uniquely your own?

Because you are… When, when you,
when, when I see you perform, y- it's

undeniably you, and it g- it's not,
it doesn't look or seem like you're,

you know, just taking element…

Well, I'm sure it's- Or struggling
to … taking elements, but do you

kind of have a process for that?

Or does it just- No … come naturally
where you take the elements and it-

I think I don't, I don't think about it.

I think I'm just kind of a part of it.

And I hate to sound, like,
too woo-woo right here, but,

like, I think that's the key.

'Cause, like, we put all of these
processes, we put these regimens, we do

all of this stuff to prepare ourselves,
to, like, set up our perfect altar, set

up our perfect space, and I've always
been about a little bit of a mess.

Right.

Like, forever.

I always have been.

We're always a little late.

Maybe we're not always in,
in time with each other.

We're not, we're not really,
you know, always lined up.

But when, when we agree that it's okay
to just be exactly what you are and

when you, when you're gonna be that,
you kinda just get this little all of

a sudden, and then you jump on stage
and, and, and do the thing, you know?

Or, or write the song or… I
used to be terrified of my, of

my power, of my, of my voice, of,
like, "Oh, is this gonna relate?

Should I sing song, fa- songs
that are faster?" Like, "Oh,

my gosh, that band was so good.

They, like, jam and they do all
this stuff." I know my job now.

How long do you think it took
for you to find yourself?

Forever.

It took

forever.

Was there ever a- It's still
happening … was there a moment where

you- There's still moments.

Still

happening.

Where you felt like- There's still
moments … this is, like, I know

myself now- Well- … or I know, like-

I had a struggle today.

Like, my voice isn't all the way there.

Like, the band was tired, you know?

We got, we got four girls in the band.

We're about to sync our cycles.

Like, you just can't expect it to be
perfect, and you have to accept…

I mean, I think, I guess, I mean,
I don't know if I can talk about

this on… We didn't talk about
what we're allowed to talk about.

No, anything.

What are you talking about?

This is-

Well, I mean, psychedelics-
Unfiltered … helped me in a way, you

know, and I, I got to, like, heal from
some of my childhood fear of being,

having, having this perfectionism.

When I was a little girl, my mama said
that life would be just beautiful.

Having this perfectionism.

I would only get love if I, if
I was perfect, if I was this,

if I was this, a long time.

And, um, I got to like, you know, kick,
kick out of that, like, perfectionism.

Uh, see the people around me, see
the, see the earth around me, you

know, breathe with a damn tree.

Like I'm hugging a tree and I'm
feeling like, oh, I'm just this

and I'm just you and I'm just that.

It sounds, uh, it sounds so corny.

It sounds corny.

Maybe I'm jaded.

Maybe it's time again that I go back in.

But, um, you know, I think the only
thing that we're not one with is the

porta potties and like other than
that we're like, we're pretty good.

And, and if you just accept that you're
just part of, part of the moving,

breathing, living thing, that we're,
that we're all working on together,

um, while we've got it, then, then
nothing is really truly a mistake.

It's just movement.

Movement to the next thing, to the growth.

Um, and maybe that, that break in
your voice or that break in your set

where you're like, "Frick, I forgot
the, I forgot the chords." I'm okay

with that most of the time, you know?

Yeah.

And I, and I try to just let, let
that be, be part of the thing.

I think there's a saying that goes
something like, uh, uh, "Great

is the great enemy of good."

Mm-hmm.

Because we try to be great, and all that
work you do to be great and perfect-

Yeah

… and if you were just good, you're good.

Right?

Mm-hmm.

I mean, because there's just
a lot of energy spent on

that, un- unnecessary energy

I think.

Well, yeah.

It's kind of like the Olive Garden though.

When you're here, you're family.

Yeah.

I like to say, "When you're
here, well, you're here.

So you might as well

be here." You, you are here.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

Endless salad and

breadsticks

and mistakes.

Yeah.

Well, yeah.

No, uh, this is not the first
time we've talked about LSD on

this podcast, as you can imagine.

Okay.

I know.

I was like,

I didn't know the rules

here.

Yeah.

No.

These are, they're… Well,
unfiltered as, as we say.

Would you like a sip?

Oh, I'm hitting my, the button.

Um, good job.

Good job, Juliana.

Dig in, man.

Dig in.

She's – Sorry to get- Yeah.

… right

to it.

Why apologize?

I thought we just-

Yeah

… got over that.

You know?

Oh,

true.

Yeah.

It looked like they were moving
somebody's body rolled up in a carpet

on the stage right there, by the way.

Oh, yeah.

Well, the emotional honesty, man.

That's how I'd like to
be actually brought in.

I have been brought in
on a gurney- Have you?

… onstage before.

Oh, I- Yeah.

And I've also had an IV put in my
arm onstage, and most recently in,

uh, Seattle I got a tattoo done
while I was onstage singing karaoke.

Um-

Can we see it?

I guess not.

I can't really.

Let's not.

No.

I'm in a muumuu- She's… … everyone.

I'm in a real psychedelic muumuu
and it doesn't want me to come

out of it, but- Well, that's

okay.

Um-

Just show up how you wanna show
up, and then, uh, the rest of

the people gotta catch up to you.

How about that?

If that's your time onstage, you go and
do what you gotta do to get it done.

I think that's the way.

I, I, I love all this, and I also
love how you've described your music

so differently, you know, where
it comes from, and what's another

ridiculous way to, uh, describe your
music, if you couldn't use that?

Given all that's behind you.

I don't know if there is a
better way to describe it- Yeah

to be honest.

I think it's just about

how, how it feels to, to try and
exist in a place that really was

kind of built to work against you.

Yeah.

Um, and the radicalization
of your vulnerability

That's all I can really say is like
it's, it's a radical act to go up

there and, and mess up and, and try
after that and keep trying and do this.

You know

what I'm saying?

There it is.

On cue, right?

Yeah.

George, I met, uh, George Porter's
girlfriend, Denise, last night and,

uh, as he was going on stage, she said
to him, um… How we doing over there?

All good?

Oh, too loud.

Don't, don't worry about me.

Oh,

yeah.

Oh, I'm too loud.

Sorry.

No, you're actually- Yeah

I'm giving us more.

Yeah.

Oh, because yes, give
me a little more gain.

But he said, she said to him, uh,
"Good luck, George. Don't fuck

up." And that… But you know what?

I don't think you can fuck up.

I think that's kinda your point.

I mean-

I think that's the point … you're,

you're gonna fuck up.

Yeah.

It's all right to be a human.

Yeah.

It's all right to fuck up.

Yeah.

It's all right to show up a little bit
with one, one eyelash stuck to your eye,

you know- Yeah … if you're wearing
the fake lashes, like you just gotta

move through it and move through it
together and, and, uh, know that in

this land of, or rather like this future
land of AI and tech and, and, um, I

guess uncanny valley, like we're, we
can look at each other and be in live

music and, and accept and understand
that we're gonna, we're gonna mess it

up, but we're gonna mess it up together.

Yeah.

So let's just go.

Let's do it together.

Though we've been-

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