Transcription:
Brad: [00:00:00] This is the one with Nate Ruess. You're going to get Nate Ruess and are
going to get me asking him questions you also got to find out a really kind of cool ghost
story from Nate.
Brad: [00:00:32] Good morning Nate.
Nate: [00:00:33] How you doing Brad?
Brad: [00:00:34] Doing pretty good. Where are you at this morning.
Nate: [00:00:36] I am in my apartment.
Brad: [00:00:39] Ok cool. So there's tons to go over man. I was reading the Rolling Stone
article gets a little piece of that in a second but just in general what you mean how you feel
feeling these days your rock and the solo thing hard. I mean nothing without love is a huge
hit.
Nate: [00:00:56] Thanks I feel fantastic. I'm. I like to think that I've never been better but
you never know. And I think that that's an important thing I think that's kind of what the
album is about is acknowledging I guess I spent a while maybe the last 10 years just
feeling very content to be in the middle. And at one point I got happy and I realized that if
you get happy you have to be willing to also get sad. And so so even though I feel like I'm
riding high right now am like bracing for any sort of fall. But I'm I'm at least willing to
acknowledge it and know that you know these things my life has is tough. I know that
sounds that's a long answer. By the way.
Brad: [00:01:43] Well one of the things you said in the Rolling Stone article was that it's
the first time you're comfortable in your own skin. I mean I like you know performers of
various sizes and shapes and stuff kind of have this thing where they're just not
comfortable in that kind of drives them. Is being comfortable in your own skin kind of a
different experience for you then.
Nate: [00:02:02] Yeah absolutely and I think it comes it comes with so many different
challenges. You know such as maintaining comfort in one's own skin. But but it's I mean
I'm just I'm just happy to feel that way right now. It's great. And I think it came I think I think
a lot of the success that that we had had over the last you know four or five years we've
played a really big part in that because I've been making music for such a long time and
I've been so happy. With what had happened with my career. But suddenly all these things
I'd never expected came about and it just it raised it to a whole different level.
Brad: [00:02:43] What's something that stands out in your head is wow this is a turning
point for me.
Nate: [00:02:46] I never expected to have that song that was as big as We are young and
then and then after that it was really like a year or two years where it was just like kind of
nonstop It seemed like anything that I was writing was doing really well and that it just feels
good because as a songwriter as a lyricist you want to reach as many people as possible I
mean for me I got into music so that because I listen to music and it basically like
comforted me in all my time and it felt like I wasn't alone in the world. And so that's why I
wanted to get into it for the opportunity to share that with someone and make them feel the
same way that that I did. And so when when you're when you find out that you know how
ever many people are listening to your songs internalizing them that's a pretty tremendous
feeling.
Brad: [00:03:40] Do you sometimes find it interesting when people internalize songs in a
way that you had never imagined that song being internalized.
Nate: [00:03:47] I love it. It's one of my favorite things. I try not to even talk about what
songs are about because I do believe it's up to the listener. My favorite song they could
not possibly the ones that I've internalized the most I could not possibly be about what I
think they're about.
Brad: [00:04:02] I was reading somewhere probably like Wikipedia or something that you
spent a good deal of time in Arizona.
Nate: [00:04:08] Yeah I lived there. Oh gosh. For almost a little over 20 years.
Brad: [00:04:13] Oh nice. I went to NAU. I went to high school in southern Arizona south
of Tucson.
Nate: [00:04:19] Tucson is amazing. Secondly NAU is awesome.
Brad: [00:04:22] NAU is the coolest thing that Arizona has. I think flagstaff in general.
Flagstaff Sedona area. I love it.
Nate: [00:04:28] It's amazing but I also I guess I have love for Tucson too. It's it's where I
grew up that that kind of gets a little dicey.
Brad: [00:04:37] Yeah pretty much anywhere near Phoenix is just a bit dicey. It depends
on how you make it.
Nate: [00:04:41] Yeah. It's a it's a weird place. It was inspiring for me because I really
wanted to get out. It just didn't seem like my type of place. And I think had I actually
studied in school or done anything or was able to get into college I would have gone
straight to you.
Brad: [00:04:58] Or you know that way. Yeah I loved my time. And I think any use is so
creative and one of the things we always did there was you know they have these great
bands that you're never going to see again you're never going to hear about again. You
just have these amazing experiences for one night. One of the bands that sticks out in my
head is Bud Light for blue eyes. I've never seen or heard of them again but I saw this
amazing pug's show and I was just like wow this is I'll never forget this. What club was it
at. I can't even remember the club name now. It was it was the it was the one place they
always did indeed shows though and they had a rooftop thing and then they had the club
downstairs. It was a club like it had a number maybe like 106 or something it was I can't
remember.
Nate: [00:05:41] Yes I think I remember. I think I remember that. What was that great.
There's a great theater over by any you like kind of close to. I would always stay at the
Monte was the haunted hotel up there.
Brad: [00:05:53] Yeah the ch — – ah taken me way back. I can't I can't remember but yeah I
know what you're talking about.
Nate: [00:05:59] So. So one time I like knowing that it was haunted. One time I had my
girlfriend and I went up there because we were I had been like I felt like I'd been haunted
on point. It's a crazy hotel somewhere on tour. So I'm going up to this hotel like you're
going to come with me. It was St. Patrick's Day like we're going to get haunted.
Nate: [00:06:18] It's going to be awesome. Don't we like nothing happened we fell asleep.
We're on the second floor. Like right across from what was what they said was the
haunted room and suddenly like she wakes me up in the middle of the night and she's
we're looking at the window and there's a silhouette of a person in the window. And I'm
thinking like oh my gosh it's a ghost. She like tries to jump up and I'm like no we can't let it
see us. We're like sitting there frozen and like you can't see the way it turns to our window.
And and like put that hand over our window like looking in and we're both like oh my god
I'm thinking like it's either a murder or it's a ghost. Either way we're done for. And then to
me here. Hey Bobby I'm locked out of my room. Like some drunk guy I'm like stumbled
we're like how do you even get up on the second floor and then we could hear him go
down the ladder.
Brad: [00:07:19] Awesome.
Nate: [00:07:20] It was one of the like one of the most amazing moments of my life.
Brad: [00:07:26] Yeah. I mean Arizona is one of those things to say especially Flagstaff or
it's just like there's so many inspirational things there and so many things that are just like
OK.
Nate: [00:07:35] Yeah yeah we're into don't I can even be a little a little weird sometimes.
Sedona as well as one of us is going into the weird.
Brad: [00:07:42] Well have you ever been to Bisbee. And this is totally not where we're
supposed to be talking about but who cares. Have you ever been to Bisbee Arizona.
Nate: [00:07:48] Yes I spent a day there.
Brad: [00:07:50] Bisbee is weird too. It's got like you walk down the street and you got like
a wizard walking down the street just a guy in full on Wizard that just his life.
Nate: [00:07:57] Totally. Bisbee's like one of the yeah I like my day and Daisy was like that
was awesome. I'm not sure I'm ever coming back.
Brad: [00:08:06] Exactly. I looked it up by the way. Hotel Monte Vista.
Nate: [00:08:09] That's the on Monte Vista the Jam..
Brad: [00:08:13] So your album's out today grand romantic. Yes. Are you excited.
Nate: [00:08:17] I am. I'm remaining calm. I'm just I'm like I'm super super excited my most
excited moment was just finishing the thing and getting a chance to listen to it back
because there's so much that goes into writing and recording an album but then it's kind of
arranging the album like I'm still an album guy. You know it's not about songs it's about this
whole entire album. So so when I got a chance to listen to the finished product. I mean I
was I'm still I still can't stop listening to it. And that's that's that's a special feat for me
because usually I just get done with an album I'm like OK I'm going to tour it. I play these
songs like I'm ok not to listen to it now. Now belongs to everybody else and there's a part
of me with this album that's like it still belongs to me and that's cool.
Brad: [00:09:04] I mean that's kind of part of the growth of you I think that we've seen over
the last couple of years and I think the solo project is going to be super interesting for you
and I can't wait to see what's created next. You know I mean like this if this is the genesis
of the solo project I can't wait to see what you learn about yourself in this. And then and
then see what happens next and we'll have fun along the way of course with the tours and
the shows and everything. But what happens next is going to be very interesting I think.
Nate: [00:09:30] Well thank you. I'm looking forward to it.
Brad: [00:09:32] Do you see so Jack Antonoff is out doing the bleachers thing. I think a lot
of people try to make this into a competition thing by the way which I don't agree with. I
think it's fun that you two are out doing your thing.
Nate: [00:09:42] Oh yeah of course. I mean that stuff is always there but you know
everybody needs something to talk about or it's it. It's always the I mean where we live in a
world where it's just like nonstop whether it be reality or However social media and stuff
like that those things I find to be more entertaining than anything. The only problem with
me and said I don't really have social media so I don't even have an opportunity to check it
out.
Brad: [00:10:09] That's probably for the better honestly. That's how you make great solo
albums.
Nate: [00:10:13] Yes. And trust me I'm I'm quite alright with that. I did my time on
basketball once I did anyway.
Brad: [00:10:19] Or is that your secret your side passion.
Nate: [00:10:23] Yeah that's something that's that's where my all my internet time is spent.
Brad: [00:10:27] That's awesome. Hey man I really appreciate your time I think. I think
you're great. And you know next time you're in Flagstaff to stay at Monte Vista.
Nate: [00:10:36] I mean I always will. Well thank you I appreciate it.
Brad: [00:10:40] Thanks man and have a good week. Yeah think you can. Run.