Latest / Inside Country with Wayne D / Taking Over Nashville with Stella Lefty

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Taking Over Nashville with Stella Lefty · Inside Country with Wayne D

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: I'm so excited to catch up with her because literally
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: anytime I open a social media app, all I hear
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: is you.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: On a train. Yeah.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: And let me tell you, I don't know if that's
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: meant for a 45-year-old guy to be driving down the
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: 65 going, on a train back. It actually is.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: That was amazing.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: I'm the target.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: By the way, the rasp in your voice.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Oh, listen.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: It was meant for you.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: It's meant for you. You wrote this morning. We can
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: record this afternoon. Just let me know what's up.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Okay, perfect.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Stella Lefty, how are you?
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: I'm good.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: How are you? I'm fantastic. Welcome.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: And congratulations. I want to start first as a newer
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: artist to Nashville and to radio and to streaming and
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: to all the things. You were very quickly, probably the
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: quickest named I Heart Country on the Verge artist that
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: we've had. So crazy. It is a, so let me
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: tell you who, what company you keep.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: You weren't nervous a second ago. Maybe you will be now.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: I Heart Country on the Verge artists, Sam Hunt, Luke Combs.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Lainey Wilson.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Go.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Carly Pierce. Lauren Alaina. There's a couple misses in there,
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: but that's pretty much it. That's pretty much it. I'm
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: just kidding. We're going to edit that part out anyway.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: But knowing coming out of the gate that you had
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: that type of support.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: No, it was incredible. I mean, I remember when I
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: was told that for the first time and I was
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: just like, what is happening? Because it was like, I
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: just never would have imagined that anything would have happened
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: like this, especially with Boston. I mean, the way that
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: I had posted it was so... I just never saw
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: what the future was going to be, and so it's crazy.
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: Thank you for your support.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: Listen, we're so amped, and we were all so excited
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: because we were already singing it. It went crazy viral.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: Give us the timeline of when that was written and
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: posted to all of a sudden you woke up like, oh,
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: so I guess this is a thing.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Boston was one of the weirder. I mean, this
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: is kind of the only song that I have in
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: this category of a situation, but I wrote the chorus
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: when I was by myself in Nashville. Posted it not
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: thinking anything of it at all and then woke up
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: the next day and people were like commenting that they
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: liked the song and so then I brought it to
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: my my bestie grace and We finished the song with
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: my amazing producer Joe and so that's really how it
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: happened But this song was not done by that when
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: I posted it like there was no it wasn't supposed
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: to go the way that it went but I'm I'm obviously.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: Very glad that it did and I'll say now once
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: songs start to climb charts and you start to make
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: a little bit more money. Are we done with trains?
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Can we fly now?
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: No, trains forever.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: Okay, all right, I'm in on that. That's fine. Trains forever.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Trains forever. What has the experience been like for you?
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: Because I'd imagine it started with just hooky fun stuff
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: on YouTube and social media, and now you've got a
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: record deal and you're touring around the world and you
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: were just with Tucker Webmore and now you've got your own.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: It literally feels like every time I wake up, Stella
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Lefty has taken over a new portion of music. Does
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: it feel that way for you?
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: I mean, like, and obviously in some ways, like being,
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: you know, the on the verge artist, like in those
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: kinds of ways, yes. Like I'm like, I don't, this
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: is so bigger than me and so beyond what I've
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: ever expected. But I think I've tried to do a, like,
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: you know, I've tried, I feel like I've done a
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: pretty good job of like maintaining the integrity of what
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: I fell in love with in the first place. And like,
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: you know, like this morning, me and Grace just writing
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: a song and like this whole week, that's what I'll
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: be doing, like writing as much as possible and just
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: doing what I love to do because I think that
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: really is like the point, you know? So I feel
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: like I've done a good job of like remembering why
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: I'm even here at all and why I love this.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: It has taken off so fast for you and the
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: biggest thing that we, any artist of any level we
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: talk to, you know, from Lainey Wilson to the late,
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: great Dolly Parton we talked to a couple of years ago,
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: the speed of things change can get in the way
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: of you truly being like, holy cow, look what I
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: get to do. Have you found moments where you're like, hey,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: I really got to soak this in, like where you
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: pause the team for a day or management for a
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: day and be like, no, let me just kind of... Yes.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: This is happening.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: So how do you... That can be uncomfortable, right? Yeah.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Because things are going quick and everyone wants you here
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: and there. So how have you kind of communicated with
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: your team and stepped in for yourself and be like,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: now we're taking a day?
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's been what this week is for me,
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: especially like we're doing the Opry tonight, which I'm so...
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: I mean, this is my Opry debut. Like this is
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: a crazy moment in my career. So I think I
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: just like, I'm just trying to like, you know, soak in.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: And I also think it's easier when I'm here. Like
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: I feel the most myself here. I love being in Nashville.
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: So anytime I'm in Nashville, I feel that way. And
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: I feel like. so appreciative and grateful of everything that's happening.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: And I just get to like step back and like
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: look at it and be like, wow, this is all
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: I've ever wanted. But I think when I'm like traveling around,
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: it's really hard to do that, you know, cause you're
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: like on a bus or in a van or whatever,
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: and you're going to play shows. And it's just like,
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: sometimes hard to be like, whoa, like this is my
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: dream coming true, like in front of my face. But
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: when I'm here, I can like, I can process that better.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: As the follower count explodes and the view count, you know,
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: jumps up, Have you become more comfortable posting with your
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: audience growing? Because, listen, I'll get a solid 3,000 views
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: on a video on Instagram, so, like, catch up with me.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Catch up with me.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: But, like, I'd imagine watching that stuff grow, like, where
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: you're like, holy cow, like. I need to pay, I
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: need to care more about what I post or has
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: it always been like, screw it. I'm just going to
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: be honest in me and vulnerable.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: And here it is. I, I think it's a mix
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: of those. Like I've been posting on social media for
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: such a long time. Like I started posting probably like
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: even before 2020 or maybe started posting in 2020. And
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: when I was posting then, like I was getting less
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: views than you. I was getting like probably like 10,
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: 10 views. Yeah.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: See, that's what I'm saying. I remember when I was
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: a bigger deal. No, it was COVID. Everybody stayed home.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: It was awful.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: Um, It was awful. But I was, that was like,
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: you know, so then I was like, not, I was
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: doing anything to get a view. Like I, I wanted
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: the views so bad. And so I was, there was
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: like more thoughtless, you know, I just, I wasn't thinking
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: about it now, obviously that there's more people paying attention.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: I have more followers now. I, I want to maintain
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: that level of like, you know, post whatever. And, but I,
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: I think definitely I'm, I'm trying to set a good example.
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: And like, I want whoever is watching me. Cause obviously
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: there's a lot of also young kids that follow me.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: So I, I definitely am more like meticulous about what
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: I'm putting out into the world now. opposed to when
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: I was, you know, in 2020 and it was COVID
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: and I was like, I just want to be you, bro.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: So it was, it was different. So Boston took off,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: turned to a friend and said, Hey, like, let's bring
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: this to life. Yeah. Is there any of your earlier
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: stuff that didn't connect like Boston that you're like, well, well, crap.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: Like now that there's more, now that the pond is
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: a little bigger here, let's, uh, let's go back and
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: bring it to life.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: You know, the first song I ever put out was
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: called kiss me and that song I love. And I
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: think that was also the first song I ever had
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: that like did anything on social media. Um, so maybe,
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: maybe I would say that song, but then I released
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: an EP of songs that I don't feel that way about.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: I'm like, I actually would, you know, it's okay if
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: they get buried somewhere.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: Like it's all good. Every artist feels that way though.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: Cause Thomas Rhett sat with us not long ago and
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: he was like, man, if I knew that my career
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: would last this long, there's songs that I did 20
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: years ago that I'm like, oh hell no. Yeah.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: Like put that, that in the grave.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: So it's not, I feel that. not the only one
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: yeah uh what has been some of the most exciting
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: parts of this for you because obviously it took off
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: what felt like overnight the on the verge stuff happened
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: you're popping up on shows all over the place the
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: headlining tour happened overnight um what have been some of
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: the moments where you're like holy cow like i do
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: belong here like validating moments.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: For you yeah definitely like any moment with fans like
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: we did um like a bunch of fan events all
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: over like we did LA, New York, Boston. Like we
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: were just like going around and doing fan events. And
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: that was a moment where I was like, this is amazing.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Like people are showing up and like, there's such a
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: community here. And I feel that way at any show.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: Like I think in the past year, like any show
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: that we've done where people started knowing the words to
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: my songs, like that was a new thing. So I
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: think in those moments, I'm just like, so like happy.
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: It's like an overwhelming feeling of happiness.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: What's a time that an artist... has reached out or
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: somebody validated your existence in country that you're like, holy cow,
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: I love them, and they know I'm here.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, I think Mumford & Sons, I got
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: to sing with them. And that was such a crazy
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: moment for me because I've been fans of them forever.
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: And they like asked me to sing with them. And
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: I was like, what is happening? Like, that's crazy. But
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: I felt that way a few times. Like I got
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: to meet Lainey Wilson and that was an amazing moment
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: because I've been a fan of her forever. And like,
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: you know, so any and I also think like the
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: women in country music, the support from them has been amazing.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: And so, yeah, it's just really when anybody acknowledges me,
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: I'm just like, oh, my God, because I'm a fan,
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: you know, like I'm fangirling still of all these people. So.
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: It's so cool, too, because we– and we're not shy
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: when we say this in interviews. This is hands down
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: the strongest group of female performers I think country has
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: maybe ever had with the amount of success that– with touring,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: with streaming, with number ones on the radio. So it's
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: got to feel good to be a part of that class.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I just– it's so even like as
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: an outsider, even looking in, like, you know, obviously this
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: is the music that I make, but I just, as
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: like a fan, I'm just so excited. Cause I love
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: Ella and I love Megan and I love Lainey. And
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: so to watch all of them succeed is just so exciting.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: I'm like, this is such a cool time in music.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: Is it, is it comfortable yet to like go out
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: in public and like Like if someone stares at you
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: at a grocery store, you're like, what the hell are
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: they looking at? Are you like, oh yeah, I'm still lefty.
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: No, I, I, no, no, no. I get, I, I,
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: I was in, I was at like Ole Miss this
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: past weekend and like we went out, like me and my,
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: my best friend Bailey, other best friend. And like people
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: like knew who I was and I was just like
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: so taken. Like I was, it was like weird, you know,
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: I was at, it's still weird I like don't know
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: what totally what's going on ever you're like you want
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: to take a picture with me are you sure like
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: I'm just.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: Out I don't know you're like I promise my parents
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: don't think it's a big deal I was like people
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: want to fix with you uh I have to ask
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: what's the go-to Starbucks.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: Order go-to Starbucks order. Well, this is just a tea.
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: This is just a tea, but normally I would honestly
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: do a pink drink, which is like so embarrassing maybe,
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: but I just love it. I love it. And a
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: bagel or the bacon. I get the bacon. I can cheat,
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: you know, that whatever that is, the double smoke.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: So as much as you're like, that feels a little
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: basic white girl, the pink drink.
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's fire.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: This is a pumpkin spice latte with soy milk. So like, yeah. Wow.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: You're like stepping into fall already. You're there.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: I don't, I prance in the fall. You prance. Okay.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: With your pumpkin spice latte, you will be.
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: I need a scarf over here.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: A plaid scarf.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying. We just announced you are going
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: to be in Vegas for our iHeartRadio Music Festival. That
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: is a show that can't be replicated anywhere in the world.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: I mean, who's taken that stage in the years that
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: we've been out in Vegas? If you name them, they've
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: been there, right? This year, it's Laney Wilson. We also
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: have Kenny Chesney out there. you're a part of the
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: madness that's going to be in Vegas. So what's it
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: like to know that you're a part of this massive
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: weekend for music?
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: I'm just so excited. I mean, it's going to be amazing.
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: I'm also just excited to watch all the other performances. Like,
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: it's so cool.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: Have you met Kenny Chesney yet? You said you met Lainey.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: Have you met Kenny? No.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: We had, like, a brief text. He texted me about
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: a song that I released called Thinking About You, and
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: I was just freaking out when he texted me. I
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: was like, I can't respond. I was like, I don't
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: know what to say. But I did respond, and I
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: love him.
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: How do you believe it right away? Because I'd be like, okay.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Well, I don't know. I haven't had the experience where
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: someone has lied. You know what I mean? So I
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: was like, if he's saying he's Kenny Chesney, maybe he
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: actually is Kenny Chesney. I'm going to believe him.
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: I'm going to get your number later and text you
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: and be like, hey, it's Garth Brooks.
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: No, yeah.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: As you continue to dominate, right, what are some things? Obviously,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: end goal is like, oh, Country Hall of Fame and
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: CMAs and ACMs. What are some baby goals that are
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: in front of you right now that you're like, man,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: it'd be really cool to. Yeah.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: I think for me, it's just keep touring, keep releasing songs,
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: keep getting to meet as many people. Like those are
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: my goals. Cause I'm doing, I'm doing two nights at
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: the Ryman in January, which is crazy. So I think
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: I'm just like trying to just keep going tour as
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: much as possible. Keep touring forever.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Have you been in the Ryman yet?
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: I've never been in the Ryman.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: Let me tell you.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: But I've obviously I've like seen a million, a jillion, you.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: Know, something about, and listen, My only music ability is
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: hitting play on your songs on the radio. So, like,
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: that's as far as my talent goes.
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: Well, and you sing, which we discovered.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: Well, I didn't want to say that. Your boy's writing
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: hits over here. We can collab sometime. I'll let you
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: know if I'm open.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: Get on.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: But there's something about having music ability or not. Walking
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: into that backstage area and walking onto the stage, even
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: when that place is empty, it's almost like a chilling, like...
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: It's a crazy feeling.
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: I feel like though, you've been to the Opry many times.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: I feel like there's that same kind of energy there
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: where it's like you walk in and you're just like,
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: you feel the history of like all the people that
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: have played there before.
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: It's going to be nuts. Are you an emotional person? Like,
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: do you get into a big spot like that and
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: cry a lot?
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: I would say yes.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: Yes. I'm an emotional person. I think I try to
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: like hide that and not like present as that always.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: But I think, you know, I'm super like, I believe
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: like I'm spiritual. Like I believe, you know, I believe
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: in that energy. And so I think in those types
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: of moments for sure.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: Especially, you know.
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: Are you going to try and keep it backstage or
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: do you think like on stage?
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: I don't know. Almost every time I've gone on stage
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: in the past like month, I've almost cried. So I'm like,
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but I
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: really hope that I keep it together.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: You know, and it's funny because you go through the
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: lineage of the Opry and you step, there's something about
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: like that circle that even feels like spiritual, right?
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: And everyone's like, oh, I do Johnny Cash and you know,
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: this artist and that. And I'm like, he only played
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: the Opry once, but I'm such an Elvis Presley guy.
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: So I'm like, Elvis stood in that circle and that's
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: People are like, yeah, but Johnny Cash. I go, yeah,
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: but Elvis. You're like, but Elvis, bro. They're like, but
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: Garth Brooks. I go, yeah, but Elvis. You know what
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: I mean? So I keep going back to that.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: It's going to be fun. You're going to kill it tonight.
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: Have you ever stood in the circle?
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: You have.
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: So I got to be a guest host one night
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: last summer.
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: No way.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: And so before the show, or was it after the
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: show I stepped in it? Because I didn't want... You
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: feel like, you're like, you have to earn that, right?
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: You have to, like we do, we do a show
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: there every year called Friendsgiving. And so like we're on
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: the stage doing, and I wouldn't touch the circle because
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: I wasn't invited there.
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: And you were like, I don't want to, I respect,
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: I totally get that. You're like, I don't want to
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: go in unless I'm, you know.
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: Yeah. So like we were like, I got invited to
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: do the guest host thing. So then I was like, well, okay,
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: I'm a guest. I'm going to, now I'll step in there.
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: And did you feel crazy?
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: Oh, it's nuts. It's weird. Have you stepped in it yet? No.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: That's the whole thing.
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: It's a debut. Let me tell you, social team and
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: all that, this is going to be crazy for you.
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: I feel like I'm like a big brother hyping you up.
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: No, I love it. I love it.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: You're going to get emotional.
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: You're going to step in there.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: Our parents are going to be like, we got this.
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: Family on three. Family on three. As you look forward
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: to what your career can offer, you're also a part
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: of our Jingle Ball Tour, which is a pop-leaning thing.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: Did you envision as this stuff started to take off, like,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: wait a minute, this is on country radio and now
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: it's on pop radio and now I'm doing the Opry,
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: but then I'm about to do Jingle Ball.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: I honestly, I think I've always, especially in this past year,
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: I feel like after having moved to LA and made
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: a different genre of music and really trying to figure
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: myself out and figure out who I am, I think
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: for me, I now just make the music that I
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: love and stand behind and love to sing every night.
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: And so I think... I never thought about like where
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: that would lead me or who was going to be
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: the listener of that. Um, but I, you know, I,
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: I'm grateful to whoever's going to play the songs and
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: whoever's going to let me sing them. So I'm like, whatever,
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: you know, whatever it.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: Goes, I'll take it.
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: Is there ever a point where, and I love, I
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: love asking newer artists this because country gets pigeonholed like, Oh,
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: that doesn't sound country. Dan and Shay FGL, those guys
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: have like lived that, but still dominated anyway. as you
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: continue to create music early in your career, is there ever,
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: do you go, Oh, that's a great song. Let's do it.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: Are you ever like, ah, that doesn't feel country enough. Let's,
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: let's go this way instead.
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, I haven't, no, because I, I mean,
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: since I write everything that I'm putting out, like it's
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: going to feel like me and it's going to, so
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: I think it's like, I don't really like, you know,
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: I haven't been like writing something where I'm like, this
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: doesn't sound, country enough, because usually if I'm writing it,
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: it's going to sound how it's going to sound, and
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: that is, you know, so I'm like, I have it.
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: I hear that. I haven't had it. When you think
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: of places you can go with your career, this album's
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: going to get out, you have a lot of music
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: that's out. For the music that is out, is there
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: a tougher story to tell than others? Is there a
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: song that connects with you more than others?
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: That the music's out?
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that you have out now.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: I mean.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: I think there's a song that I'm actually going to
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: be singing tonight at the Opry that I've never sang
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: live before ever. And it's one of my more emotional songs.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: And it's also just harder to sing than all of
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: my other songs. But I, yeah, so I think that
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: one is called Forever Guy.
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: And so, yeah, listen to it if you ever want
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: to cry.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: Listen, I'm all about crying.
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: Are you?
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but we don't have to talk about it.
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: Anytime I get like overly emotional, Tay goes, you're a Leo.
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: Are you a Leo?
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: I'm a Leo.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: My dog. Dude. When's your birthday?
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: August 13th.
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: August 6th.
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: Really?
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: Y'all better watch out.
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: We're going to be crying up there.
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: I'm going to, I hardly know you. I'll be like,
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: you're like, do you know her?
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: No, you're going to be like, I'm her.
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: Brother, brother and sister. You can't see the resemblance. Um,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: tell me about the Opry invite. Cause that's comes in
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: different ways for a lot of artists. How, how did
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: you react and take us through like, as it was happening?
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: And was that a goal at that point before it happened?
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, yes. I just, I think with the Opry,
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: it was just always something that I've always wanted to
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: do and always something that I looked at and was
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: like so mesmerized by the entire thing and by the
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: history of it. And I just, I think, you know,
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: when I got invited to do it, I was just like,
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: thank God. I was just so excited. I think, you know,
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: that was it. I was just like, this is what
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: I wanted to do. And I'm so excited that I
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: get to debut it. And I just, yeah, it's an honor.
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: It's going to be wild. And that's one of those
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: things that like There's moments that will last forever, right? Yeah.
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: Forever and ever. Back to the iHeartRadio Music Festival real quick,
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: because you're going to go to Vegas. That's going to
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: be awesome. Have you been to Vegas before?
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: Yes. Yes, I've been to Vegas a few times. I
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: was there. My boyfriend, Vincent, was opening for Morgan Wallen.
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: And I went to the show in Vegas.
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: I'm not familiar with either of those guys.
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you don't know them. It's okay. They're really small artists.
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: They should open for you.
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Morgan. No, I would love to open for Morgan.
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: What's the challenges? Because you guys are both, you and
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: Vincent are both launching your careers and working so hard.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: What are the challenges of a relationship and that at
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: the same time? I mean... And how do you make
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: sure each gets what it needs, right?
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think for us, it's like we're both really
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: supportive of each other. I mean, I think our relationship,
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: you know, we're just like best friends. And I think
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: I have never loved someone as much as I've loved him.
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: And so I think I'm just excited to like be
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: around him and I'm excited for his career. And I
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: think the same goes for me from him. And so
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: there hasn't really been any challenges because it's just been nice.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: to have somebody in you know your corner that understands
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: you like everything that i go through we like can
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: talk about he knows exactly what i'm talking about and
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: so it's just nice.
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: Like you go i have radio too today he goes
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: oh my.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: God no no Never that. Never that. But it's just
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: like stuff like, you know, the normal things that are
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: like the day to day thing of like, you know,
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: I go to a session and he knows that like
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: maybe I'm not going to be on my phone for
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: six hours, you know, but in a relationship, if I
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: was dating someone who wasn't doing the same thing, like
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: you might not understand, you know, what that is.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: So last thing I want to ask you before we
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: get ready to head upstairs to the stage. The fan
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: support for you is wild for an artist that is
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: like just starting out, right? Like if you were building
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: a house, like you just bought the equipment. You haven't
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: even like laid out.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: I know. No, it's true. That's a good analogy.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: Seeing that support. And it's not even just like, oh,
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: I like her. It's like rabid, like we love her.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: Like we will go to war for our girl, Stella.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: What is the passion that these people that maybe haven't
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: even met you mean to you?
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: I mean, I, there's nothing better. Like truly there's nothing
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: better than feeling like you can get in a room
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: with people who understand exactly how you feel. And like,
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: I just feel like every fan that I've met, I'm like, oh,
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: like I just, I love them. And so it's just,
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: it's amazing. Like I couldn't have dreamed of anything better
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: or like more amazing to happen in my life.
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: So there's, there's a bond. We have a bond. We
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: understand each other. And it's just, yeah, it's crazy. It's
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: crazy the way that they show up for me, like
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: in every way. I mean, it's why I do it. Like,
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: I think I wouldn't even be doing this still if
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: it wasn't for them, literally.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: Well, we're happy for you and you're going to get
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: too big to come back and visit us. So I
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: want to say thanks for visiting us now. You're my brother.
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: I've never, what?
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: What are we doing for Christmas? Have we even decided yet?
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: No, we need to talk about that.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: All right, we'll figure that out later. Stella Lefty, thank
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: you so much.
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thanks for having me.