Bringin' it Backwards

We had the pleasure of interviewing Lindsay Manfredi of Cold over Zoom video! When two-time gold-album selling alternative rock band Cold's 2020 tour was postponed due to the pandemic, bassist Lindsay Manfredi found herself quarantined on a farm in Fallbrook, California. The result is her debut book, Unfuckwithable: A Guide to Inspired Badassery, published by Rose Gold Publishing, LLC. "Working on the road on something other than music and fan connection is extremely difficult, since I'm not that focused. And while not touring sucks for the time being, this quarantine gave me the chance to actually focus on the completion of the book, which has been four years in the making." - Lindsay Manfredi The origins of Unfuckwithable started over 20 years ago, when Manfredi got a spider tattoo, the logo of her favorite band while working in the music industry on her own projects. Unbeknownst to her, she was manifesting a future in the band. In 2014, lead singer Scooter Ward, saw her Cold tattoo and reached out. "We were looking for a new bassist, and someone had sent me a few photos along with links of Lindsay playing bass. Her having the cold spider tattooed on her forearm was a welcomed surprise. Then, I watched her TEDx talk on the non-profit she had co-founded, Girls Rock Indianapolis, and that sealed the deal. Not only is she a great musician, she adds a perfect energy to the band." - Scooter Ward Manfredi relocated to the west coast to begin recording Cold's new album, The Things We Can't Stop. After a few months of working on the album, she went back to the midwest to spend some time with her daughter, and during that time, she gained a renewed devotion to meditation and the Law of Attraction. Her studies of the works of Don Miguel Ruiz, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, and Gabrielle Bernstein inspired her to become unfuckwithable. She then decided to write her own story. She invites readers to share her journey and also get to a place where they ask the hard questions to truly get to know themselves and become unfuckwithable as well. In this 224-page memoir and personal development book, Manfredi shares her personal experiences with bullying and abuse, the celebrations of living a creative life, and wisdom learned along the way. "Lindsay Manfredi isn't a girl bass player…she is a BASS player, who happens to be a girl, packing much power behind that smile so wide…Her book and story are living proof that one can kick your ass while bringing the positive at the same time" - Stevie Salas - Musician (Mick Jagger, Justin Timberlake, Bootsy Collins), Film Producer (Rumble), American Idol (Music Director) "Lindsay Manfredi is a fierce force of nature. The second that I met Lindsay… I knew that this was a woman who was going to do epic things in her life. She is unapologetically herself and full of unwavering belief and passion and vision in what she does. I often wonder if she ever sleeps. Lindsay is an outstanding musician and one of the most creative artists of many kinds I've ever met. This book is further evidence of her ability to take an idea and simply go for it and make it happen. Lindsay is unstoppable. She's unbreakable and she is Unfuckwithable." - Kelly Olexa - The Kelly O Show, Founder of Fitfluential We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Kelliher of Mastodon over Zoom video! GRAMMY®-winning hard rock iconoclasts Mastodon untether the official video for new song "Fallen Torches" from Medium Rarities. 'Fallen Torches' was recorded in Atlanta in 2019, originally planned to be released in support of a European tour, the track was delayed so the band could focus on the release of Stairway to Nick John, a tribute to their late, long time manager Nick John, with proceeds going to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research in his honor. 'Fallen Torches' is written by Mastodon and features guest vocals by longtime friend and collaborator Scott Kelly from the band Neurosis." Medium Rarities is a trove of buried audio treasures comprised of classic covers, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides, and live recordings unearthed and gathered together for this mammoth collection. Among an eclectic range of covers, the Mastodonians attack "A Commotion" by Feist, "A Spoonful Weighs A Ton" by The Flaming Lips, and "Orion" by Metallica, making each their own. Other highlights include soundtrack cuts such as "White Walker" [Game of Thrones] and "Cut You Up With A Linoleum Knife" [Aqua Teen Hunger Force]. Instrumental versions of "Asleep in the Deep," "Toe To Toes," "Jaguar God," and "Halloween" complete the set. 14 of these tracks have never been available on streaming platforms until now, just in time to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. By now, you've heard yet another new Mastodon track "Rufus Lives" from the Orion Pictures film and soundtrack of Bill & Ted Face The Music, out now on 10K Projects. Currently, Mastodon are hard at work on their anxiously awaited ninth full-length and first record since the GRAMMY® Award-winning Emperor of Sand in 2017. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Haley Blais over Zoom video. Vancouver-based breakout artist Haley Blais expertly puts into song so much of what humans are feeling. For years now, Haley has turned out song after song of defiant scream-into-your-pillow bedroom pop anthems, recorded in her actual bedroom. She's organically earned a significant following and online reputation for her self-deprecating, self-loving balladry sung out in operatic crescendos. This summer finally sees the release of her debut full-length album, Below the Salt via Tiny Kingdom Music. Listen & Share Below the Salt: https://orcd.co/belowthesalt Following in the footsteps of Haley 's successful 2018 EP Let Yourself Go, the young singer-songwriter and classically trained vocalist finds her signature sound maturing into her own distinct voice on Below the Salt. Featuring production from indie favourites Tennis (Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley) and fellow Vancouver artist Louise Burns, the record bursts out of the gate in a flurry of drums and keys, soaring synths have replaced ukulele noodling, and confidence has replaced doubt as Haley belts out rock and roll confessionals by way of Jenny Lewis, Karen Carpenter or Hayley Williams. Her lyrics riff on the joys and banalities of the every day, on the need to break apart and away from an uninspiring life, on radical acceptance, and manifesting a world where you feel proud of yourself and who you're surrounded by. Below the Salt is a coming of age story that recognizes that there is no real 'coming of age.' There are hundreds of instances of recognition and of learning. What do we do when we find them? Well according to Haley , we take them with us. As dissonant guitar strings fire and a bass drum pulses on the single "Rob the Original" Haley softly lulls us with this record's ethos, "With all these magic moments sparkling/This one's mine." We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing idle threat over Zoom video! idle threat is a raw, honest rock band from Nashville, TN. Formed in 2014 by Justin Jones, Zeke McKinney, and Ernie Fabian. The band has spent the years playing shows across the states, building relationships and community, and hosting Threat Fest. idle threat have recently signed to Tooth & Nail Records and band just dropped their label debut EP, Nothing Is Broken For Good. "Nothing is Broken For Good is about temporal pain and suffering and the endurance that it takes to remain hopeful that it will come to pass," the band says. "'Cement' is a song about keeping faith through the loss of loved ones with the promise that death, too, is only but a moment." idle threat began smashing sounds together, from emo to post hardcore, on their 2016-released Grown Tired EP. After nearly two years of continuous touring, the band commenced the creative process for their sophomore release, Nothing Is Broken For Good. The new EP offers a response to Grown Tired's air of lament by channeling hope and optimism in both lyric and instrumentation. For over half-a-decade, idle threat have organized and hosted the two-day musical festival, Threat Fest. The goal is to bring artists together via collaboration, not competition, and allow musicians the chance to feel both inspired and supported. The motive sheds light on idle threat's greatest conviction: creativity should always be communal. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Cory Marks over Zoom audio! Mixing country music with the hard-hitting stomp of rock & roll, Cory Marks makes his debut with WHO I AM. Full of autobiographical storytelling, guitar-driven anthems, drinking songs, and breakup ballads, WHO I AM is rooted in the influence of Cory's hometown, where he grew up surrounded by the salt-of-the-earth residents of North Bay, Ontario. It was there where he began playing drums at ten years old. Whenever he wasn't banging along to songs by Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rush, he was listening to his parents' country records, developing a deep appreciation for outlaws like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard. Those two genres — classic country and amped-up rock — would eventually join forces in Marks' own music, earning him a string of gigs with heavyweights like Toby Keith and Brantley Gilbert along the way. Before launching his songwriting career, and changing the trajectory of his life, Marks would prove himself in the hockey rink and pursue dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He strapped on his first pair of skates at 3 years old, eventually earning a spot on the university hockey team at Royal Military College. He was a dominating presence on the ice, thanks to his 6-foot 1 inch, 220-pound frame. Prior to attending college, he enrolled in a private pilot school were he logged in almost 100 flight hours and eventually had the opportunity to fly one of those hours with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds in the summer of 2017. He continues working towards his private pilot license. While in college, he never stopped playing music but did so privately… that is, until he joined his teammates at a local bar one night, and found himself pushed onstage when the regularly-scheduled musician took a break. "My friends knew I played a little music, and they were chanting for me to do some songs," he remembers. "It was a packed little bar. I did two originals and two covers, and afterward, people were coming up to me and asking where I was playing next. I didn't have an answer for them, because this was literally the first time I'd ever sung in front of anyone." Cory began making weekly trips to the bar, hopping onstage with each visit. As time went on, he wrote a new batch of songs, hit the road, and hasn't looked back since. A road warrior, Cory has built a strong following not only in Canada, but also in America, where he recorded WHO I AM with award-winning producer Kevin Churko. The two worked together in Churko's Las Vegas studio, capturing the energy and electricity of Cory's live show. It was a natural partnership. Like Cory, Kevin had grown up playing drums, eventually expanding his career to include collaborations with country artists like Shania Twain and rock icons like Ozzy Osbourne. "We both appreciate country music greats like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings, but we love the heavier side of rock & roll and metal, too," Cory says of his producer and mentor. "We decided to mash it all together. It's funny, because when I was growing up, my favorite records were Ozzy records. I dreamt of having that kind of production on one of my own records. Sure enough, seven years into my career, I've partnered with the producer who worked on all those albums. What a cool circle." With help from Kevin and his son — the Juno Award-winning producer, songwriter, and engineer Kane Churko — the three musicians wrote many of the songs together, including the anthemic "Blame It on the Double". Cory finished a number of tunes on his own, too, banging out tracks like the Haggard-influenced ballad "My Whiskey Your Wine" and the swampy, swaggering title track during the morning hours before each studio session. "Drive" was inspired by a video shoot earlier in his career, when on the flight home he imagined what it would be like if the fictional story told in the video became real life. After asking the flight attendant for a pen and napkin, he wrote the song at 30,000 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Kevin Boutot of The Acacia Strain over Zoom video! Emerging in the early 2000s, the band found success in 2008 with their fourth full-length effort, Continent, which soared to the top of Billboard's U.S. Heatseekers chart. Subsequent efforts like Death Is the Only Mortal (2012), Coma Witch (2014), and the horror-themed semi-concept LP It Comes in Waves (2019) continued to snap necks in the metal community with brutal efficacy. Formed in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2001, the group consisted of guitarists Chris Daniele, Daniel Daponde, and Daniel Laskiewitz, vocalist Vincent Bennett, bass player Karrie Whitfield, and drummer Ben Abert. They released their debut, ...And Life Is Very Long, in 2002, followed by 3750 on Prosthetic Records in 2004. After 3750, the band lost Abert (who was replaced by drummer Kevin Boutot) and Daniele, and gained bassist Seth Coleman (Whitfield departed in 2003). In 2006, the Acacia Strain returned with their third full-length album, Dead Walk, on Prosthetic; subsequently, Coleman was replaced by bassist Jack Strong. Released in 2008, Continent found the group operating as a foursome, following Daponde's departure, while 2010's Wormwood introduced melodic hooks into the venomous mix of breakdowns and skull-splitting howling. The live CD/DVD Most Known Unknown arrived the following year. The Acacia Strain signed to Rise Records in 2012, releasing Death Is the Only Mortal by year's end. Longtime member Laskiewitz left the band in 2013, and was replaced by Devin Shidaker and Rich Gomez, both of whom contributed guitar to the Acacia Strain's seventh full-length album, 2014's Coma Witch. In early 2017, the group issued "Bitter Pill," the first single from their eighth studio long-player, Gravebloom, which arrived later that June. In late 2019, the band released It Comes in Waves, a doomy, taut, and atmospheric seven-song set with single-word song titles that, when put together, construct the sentence "Our only sin was giving them names." The following year saw the Acacia Strain issue a series of pummeling 7" releases (A, C, E, D, Y) that went on to form (and spell) the full-length Slow Decay, which arrived that summer. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing The Ries Brothers over Zoom video! The Ries Brothers (pronounced "Rees"), a duo from Clearwater, FL, blend rock, blues, funk, and reggae into a soulful-sophisticated sound. Older brother Charlie sings lead vocals while simultaneously playing drums and keyboard bass giving the band it's unique and full sound. Younger brother Kevin Jordan completes the band's "sonic creativity" on guitar and provides background vocals and co-writes many of their songs. The band started playing the Florida bar circuit as young teenagers where they were discovered by the band Chicago and taken out on two tours prompting them to enroll in on-line courses in order to graduate and focus on music full time. The Brothers inimitable live performances have captured fans across the musical landscape leading to marquee support slots and major festival bookings. After Supporting a G Love & Special Sauce tour in 2018, G Love asked the brothers to tour as his backing band and open his solo tour. They repeated that feat again in 2019. In between the brothers completed their own solo tours in addition to supporting major artist like Stick Figure, 311, Ballyhoo, Pepper, Galactic, Stephen Marley, and playing major festivals Rootfire, Cali Roots, Gasparilla, Sun Fest, and Summer Camp. The duo recently released their second full-length album, "Paint Your Emotion," produced by John Agnello (Screaming Trees, Dinosaur JR, Patti Smythe.) The new record leans towards alternative rock showcasing the energy one would find at a Ries Brothers live show. A live streaming only EP of the group's Sugar Shack Sessions was released in the Fall of 2019 on Ineffable Records to accompany their national tour with Iya Terra. The Ries Brothers have been named as a breakout artist by Creative Loafing, a favorite band by The Tampa Bay Times, and were two out of 25 selected from the state of Florida to participate in the exclusive Los Angeles Grammy Museum's Music Revolution Project. There is truly something going on here. Come on down to a live show to see for yourself. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Lilbootycall over Zoom audio! Lilbootycall (LBC) is a 24-year-old hailing from San Antonio, Texas, who is leading the wave of a fresh, uplifting genre in hip-hop. LBC represents the under-represented and bullied youth in our society. LBC may have one of the most outlandish names in the game, but its origins come from a real and possibly relatable place. The young artist felt like both his friends and women alike only reached out to him when their original plans fell through—leaving him to feel like a last minute "booty call." On the heels of his recent track "Can't Find It," Lilbootycall just dropped his forthcoming 23 EP: 23 EP - http://lilbootycall.lnk.to/23 "Do or Die" Video - https://lilbootycall.lnk.to/doordievideo "Do or Die" featuring Liana Bank, was brought to me from my manager when I was recording in New York when I first started the project," LBC shares. "He knew a bit about what was going on in my personal life and he knew I needed something that would speak to people, not only about how I felt, but also something they could relate to (like with the whole relationship stuff, it was hard putting my current emotions into words at the time because it was something new to me). It talks about having someone to ride with you no matter what. It's about a life when there wasn't no chains, no bright lights, no fast cars, no anything materialistic or fame wise. It's really just a reminder of simpler times when it was just you and that rider in your life, realizing that all you needed was each other all along because the fame got in the way and y'all had to recall how things were before things got hectic." As for the upcoming project, the number 23 is a signifier for his age while recording the project as things seemingly came together and fell apart with the early rush of young-adult freedom quickly turning into the realities of adulthood. 23 captures the past year of LBC's life distilled down into songs from touring to recording pre-COVID; all the highs, lows, trials and triumphs in real time. It's the return-to-form follow up sonically to his debut EP JESUS SAID RUN IT BACK, where he revisits his lighthearted, alternative roots. To date, Lilbootycall has over 43 million streams across platforms. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #foryou #foryoupage #stayhome #togetherathome #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the pleasure of interviewing Aloe Blacc over Zoom video! In the years since Aloe Blacc's last album, Lift Your Spirit, the global superstar spent time working on an even dearer project: his family. All Love Everything, his upcoming album, is the singer-songwriter's first collection of material written as a father, a journey that's expanded Blacc's already heartfelt artistic palette. "Becoming a father made me want to share those experiences in music," he says, admitting it's a challenge to translate such a powerful thing into lyrics and melody. But the listeners who have followed Blacc over the course of his 14-years-long career know that his facility with language and sound is deep -- if anyone was up to the task, it's him. Raised by Panamanian immigrants in Southern California, Blacc grew up around the sounds of salsa, merengue, and cumbia. He initially developed his own taste by throwing himself into hip-hop before trying out his soulful voice to other ends. Across three albums, his sound evolved and grew, finding a pocket that reflects the long and beautiful history of American soul with timeless, descriptive songwriting that speaks to the broad range of human experience, from platonic love to love for humanity, from politics to aspiration. Versatile and compassionate, his songwriting is classic in a way that makes categorization irrelevant; indeed, Blacc's lyrics have been paired with dance music and country -- always to stirring effect. Aloe Blacc isn't defined by genre. "Rather than a genre, my music follows a theme I call A.I.M.: affirmation, inspiration, and motivation," he explains. Beloved hits like "I Need a Dollar," "The Man," and "Wake Me Up," with Avicii, may not fall under the same musical umbrella, but they're united by how they make the listener feel. That's Blacc's wheelhouse, the place where he excels. "After so many opportunities to talk about my music and not feel comfortable saying, 'I'm a pop artist' or 'I'm a folk artist,' I had this realization. My songwriting genre is thematic." "My Way," the latest single from All Love Everything, is emblematic of Blacc's mission. After having performed it a number of times for audiences around the world -- Blacc's toured the globe -- he knows the song's power well. "I know that when the rest of the world hears it, they'll love it too," he says. Produced by Jonas Jeberg (Panic! At the Disco, Selena Gomez), "My Way" is a piano-driven anthem about perseverance. "The harder that we grind, the sweeter is the glory," he sings, full-throated; you know it's true the second you hear the massive chorus. Similarly "Corner" is a song to have you tearfully singing along before it's finished. Anchored by march-like percussion, "Corner" begins solemnly before splitting open through the sheer sincerity in Blacc's voice as he sings, "Wherever you go, and whether you're high or low, I'll be there for you: I'm in your corner." The ache in his voice makes the well-known boxing analogy into something freshly stirring. Elsewhere on the album Blacc focuses on the tender details that make up a life. The stand-out closer "Harvard," produced by Jeberg, is a heartrending storytelling song in the tradition of Joni Mitchell and Bill Withers. It emerged from a conversation between Blacc and his co-writer Sam Hollander, who started a session by describing a beat-up car he'd seen with a Harvard sticker on the bumper. From there, they imagined a candid conversation about work and sacrifice between two strangers that hinges on the line, "I ain't been to Harvard and I ain't got no big degree." Accompanied by gentle acoustic guitar, Blacc sings with disarming candor about a woman working two jobs to support her family, including a child with special needs. It's the kind of subject matter you rarely encounter in pop music, and Blacc handles it with compassion and grace. The title track expresses the idea that ties the album together, that fuses the songs of familial love and pe --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/

We had the opportunity to interview Sofía Valdés over Zoom video. A 20-year-old singer/songwriter born and bred in Panama, Sofía Valdés creates the kind of emotionally honest and beautifully original pop music that could only come from years of exploration. After learning to play guitar at the age of eight and writing her first song at 13, the independent-minded artist sharpened her craft by studying at fine-arts schools in the U.S. and U.K., and by building an eclectic sonic vocabulary informed by everything from British folk and bossa nova to '60s Motown and '70s soul. On her debut EP Ventura, Valdés alchemizes those inspirations into a sound all her own, gracing each track with her indelible songwriting and beguiling voice. With its transcendent melodies and shapeshifting rhythms, Ventura is an elegant introduction the vibrant musicality that may very well be in Valdés's blood: her great-grandfather was the legendary Cuban musician Miguelito Valdés, and her great-great grandmother was Silvia De Grasse (a famed Panamanian singer who once performed with Louis Armstrong). As a child, Valdés discovered her musical talents after a therapist suggested she take up guitar to help with her coordination and concentration. (A notoriously poor student in her early years, she struggled in the classroom, changing schools countless times before the age of 15.) Since her mom mostly listened to top 40 radio—and her guitar teacher favored classic-rock bands like the Rolling Stones—Valdés took charge of her musical education and quickly found her way to formative influences like Nick Drake, João Gilberto, Stevie Nicks, Bobbie Womack, Bob Dylan and Minnie Riperton. Within a few years she'd written her first song ("It was about a ghost in my house; his name was Kevin"), and soon began infusing her material with the dreamy melancholy that defines her music today. Before long, Valdés was staying up all night working on songs and sleeping through school the next day—a cycle that continued until she decided to apply to Interlochen Arts Academy, a boarding school in Northern Michigan. Because her family was dealing with significant troubles at the time, Valdés sent in her application without her mother's knowledge or consent. "I realized I couldn't rely anyone to make things happen for me," says Valdés. "I needed to find a way to get out on my own." After gaining acceptance and securing financial aid—despite failing part of the entrance exam due to the language barrier—Valdés headed to Interlochen and immediately thrived in the school's hyper-creative atmosphere. "We'd sit for hours and hours, just crafting songs," she recalls. "We could spend two weeks on one song, going lyric by lyric, figuring out how to make it work." Though she spoke some English upon landing in Michigan, Valdés soon mastered the language and expanded her lyrical palette, further honing her delicate yet distinct narrative voice. To move forward with her musical development, Valdés next headed to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a world-renowned university founded by Paul McCartney. Having journeyed more than 5,000 miles from home, she suffered even greater culture shock than in her early days in Michigan, and spent most of her first year in England feeling miserably out of place. "I didn't have connections and I couldn't even speak to people because I was so shy," Valdés says. "That whole year I was just alone in my room, writing songs that no one else ever heard." Although she tried working with others, each potential collaborator failed to grasp her vision for her music. "By the end of freshman year I was ready to drop out and go be a yoga teacher," she says. "It was hell and I was so unhappy—but then it ended up all being worth it." Upon returning to Liverpool the following year, Valdés connected with fellow musicians who encouraged her to keep writing and hooked her up with co-writing sessions in London. She also started posting her songs online, eventual --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/