Full Transcript for The Casey Lee Williams Interview

few hours 74 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.040 in the studio or spend a few hours like learning 75 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:21.199 this new song and having that sort of also like 76 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:25.319 attentionion online was super bizarre for me as well as 77 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.720 a teenager, but it was really nice, and so it 78 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:32.600 kind of turned into a job, you know, a little 79 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:35.319 bit after that sort of just getting used to it 80 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.759 being a little more of not just an extracurricular activity 81 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.000 but like a oh wow, like in a way, my 82 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.879 dad and I are depending on each other to sort 83 00:04:44.920 --> 00:04:49.160 of make this, make this happen. So my dad also 84 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:52.720 is a professor at Berkeley College of Music. So I 85 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:55.839 always knew that Berkeley was going to be an option 86 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.079 for me and was probably one of the most, if 87 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:02.199 not the most viable options. And so in a way 88 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:05.160 I did feel a little bit of like pressure, not 89 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:09.079 necessarily from my parents, but just pressure to like, Okay, 90 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.199 that would just be the best school to go to. 91 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:14.279 This would just make the most sense financially, It would 92 00:05:14.279 --> 00:05:17.759 be beneficial. You know, let's see if we can, if 93 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:19.879 we can do this and make this work. And so 94 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.639 what we did, and I actually only applied to like 95 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:27.839 three colleges in yeah, yeah, I only applied to Berkeley 96 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:34.000 and UMass Lowell and Emerson. And applying to Emerson, I 97 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:37.560 was applying as like a photography major, so it's something 98 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:42.040 very different. And I basically knew like, Okay, I'm definitely 99 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:44.480 going to get into UMass Lowell. That is not where 100 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:46.879 I want to go to school. I would be down 101 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.519 for Emerson or for Berkeley, but you know, do I 102 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:52.000 want to do photography as a full blown career rather 103 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.680 than music. I don't know, but probably not. And then 104 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:59.199 actually just I got wait listed for Emerson and never 105 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:01.079 heard back from them, so basic. And then I got 106 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:04.199 into Berkeley, so it was kind of just decided for me. 107 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:06.439 And I basically, if if that doesn't tell you like 108 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:08.079 I knew I was going to Berkeley, I don't know 109 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:12.560 what does. So yeah, you know, went to Berkeley, and 110 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:15.439 being at Berkeley was really the big test for me 111 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.759 of like, Okay, I have the privilege that I'm not 112 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.240 going to take lightly to be able to study this 113 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.439 and figure out whether or not. This is something that 114 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:26.800 I want to do for the rest of my life, 115 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.199 so I'm going to take it and try to take it, 116 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:32.720 you know, gratefully and gracefully. And that's why I decided 117 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:37.360 to become a songwriting major. Technically, my major was called professional. 118 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.240 Music, Professional music, Yeah, yeah, yeah, and it. 119 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:43.360 Had like a concentration in songwriting. But that's because I 120 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:46.360 really I was not a songwriter at that point. You know. 121 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:50.199 I had a couple demos here and there. I famously, 122 00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:53.000 to my family wrote a song when I was four, 123 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:56.399 if you can call it, a song called Crickets, when 124 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:58.959 I was like really sick and like home from school 125 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.160 one day, and it's like it's like seven or eight 126 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.680 minutes long and then just freestyling and like coughing in between. 127 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:09.399 So my songwriting experience was extremely limited, and I really 128 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.839 just had, you know, my dad and his songwriting that 129 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:18.639 I was constantly for then years representing through performance and learning. 130 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:23.480 So I kind of approached Berkeley with this attitude of Okay, 131 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:27.959 I know that I can be a session vocalist like 132 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:32.000 I can. Thankfully, after all this experience, I feel very 133 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.920 confident in taking something that someone else has written and 134 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:39.040 trying to interpret that as best as I can with 135 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.279 my instrument as a vocalist. But can I write music? 136 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.160 I have no idea, And it was it was definitely 137 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:49.360 a lot of pressure. And even now in some ways, 138 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:52.439 being like a young adult, I still feel that pressure 139 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:56.079 as a writer. But thankfully I started writing and I 140 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:00.360 started really liking it. And then I also met my 141 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:02.959 my band Okay good Night and started sort of writing 142 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.800 with them as well. And you know, here we are, 143 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:09.519 like like nine years later, which is so so insane 144

00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:12.759 to think about what a journey I know, yeah, absolutely, 145 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:14.839 So I can't believe I'm here. 146 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:17.839 Yeah, absolutely, And I really appreciate the way you're answering it, 147 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:20.879 because you're really giving me like a clear understanding of 148 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.000 the history of it and like what decision made you 149 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:25.600 turn to which corner? And I feel like there's a 150 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:28.399 lot of like there's a lot of corner store in 151 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:30.240 in your career, Like there's a lot of like really 152 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:32.840 important snapshots to cover here. Like if I'm listening to 153 00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:35.679 a Casey Lee Williams interview, like I really think there's 154 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.960 like pillars such as and obviously you mentioned it already, 155 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:43.200 uh Ruby, and like how like I would love to know, 156 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.480 like the very beginning where you were like Okay, I 157 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:50.200 guess I'm gonna try this, and then like how did 158 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:54.840 it come to me? Because you really like you've really 159 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:58.360 discovered musical magic. I think that's the only way to 160 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.600 describe it. It's musical magic. What you do like entire 161 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:06.879 panels at conventions, just like on the music of Ruby. Incredible, 162 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:11.679 Like that's that's that's so mind blowing to me. I 163 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:13.960 love to just like what was the very tip the 164 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:16.000 beginning of that, Like put me at the very start 165 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:16.240 of that. 166 00:09:17.399 --> 00:09:20.840 Yeah, you mean the very start of like Ruby or. 167 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:23.320 Yeah, the collaboration, like the way it came to be 168 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:26.639 to be like just the first step because it's a big, big, 169 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:27.559 big staircase. 170 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.720 Yeah totally. I mean, yeah, you're so right. There's so 171 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.279 many cornerstones and really like yeah, these are these are 172 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:37.200 all like cornerstones and milestones in in my life just 173 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:40.159 as a person that like career wise, it's just interesting 174 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:43.759 that careers like this that are kind of within the 175 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:47.720 arts sometimes you know you can have you know, you 176 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:51.720 get the ability to be seen, I guess by other 177 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:54.279 people in different ways. That's one of the many like 178 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:57.919 gifts I think that music brings to the table. Sometimes 179 00:09:57.960 --> 00:09:59.639 it's a curse as well, you know, to be to 180 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:03.080 be like constantly looked at, but in another it is 181 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.919 truly a gift. So it's it's interesting to me that 182 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:12.080 the way that music has has shaped my life at many, 183 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.600 many different points, and for that, I'm you know, eternally grateful, 184 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:17.120 and I know that music is just going to be, 185 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:21.159 you know, my my sort of twin twin flame like 186 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:25.279 throughout my entire life. And there's so many layers to 187 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:29.519 the way that Ruby started, that Kali collaboration sort of started, 188 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.919 and I feel like I'd be remiss if I didn't 189 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:37.759 explain first quickly, like the parts of it that I technically, 190 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:40.360 you know, I first was not super involved in because 191 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:43.600 it's very important to the way that it started. But 192 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:47.600 really it did start technically at Red Versus Blue, when 193 00:10:47.879 --> 00:10:51.879 my dad started making at the soundtrack and score for 194 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:55.320 the later Red technically now not later, I guess, sort 195 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:58.519 of like mid middle of Red Versus Blue seasons. It 196 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:02.120 started at season eight, I believe six, season eight, nine 197 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:06.720 and ten or something. And when he started making that music, 198 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:10.840 he started working with an animator and fight choreographer that 199 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:14.919 had also been kind of like sort of recently brought 200 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:18.360 into that team for that show called Monty Om and 201 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:23.120 they kind of started taking notice of each other because 202 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:27.720 their jobs interacted so much, and you know, they became 203 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:33.840 good colleagues and later really friends. And because Monty approached 204 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:39.600 the way that he animated and developed fight choreography in 205 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:43.559 a very musical way, he really basically saw it as 206 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:48.080 like dance choreography, So music was really important to him 207 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:51.600 in the way that he animated these scenes. And then 208 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:53.480 my dad got hired to make the music, so they 209 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:57.399 they really like took that opportunity as far as they 210 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:01.519 could and started working together in most collaborative nature they 211 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:06.159 could to really focus on the musicality and the relationship 212 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:10.000 between a fight scene and the music

that accompanies it. 213 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:13.960 So because that ended up going kind of so far, 214 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:17.720 and it was so exciting for them in Red Versus Blue. 215 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:23.120 Once Monty started to really share these ideas that he 216 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:28.000 was having for this show called Ruby, he immediately wanted 217 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.960 to bring my dad into the folds. And you know, 218 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:35.080 because he'd also heard my voice accompany so many of 219 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:38.919 his scenes he worked on in Red Versus Blue, you know, 220 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:41.879 he kind of also thought it would be cool to 221 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:45.519 bring me in. And once he started telling my dad 222 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:49.679 about the overall story and sort of idea for the 223 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:52.240 plot of this show, you know, they both kind of 224 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:55.440 joked that, well, this show is going to be about 225 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:59.159 a bunch of teenage girls, it seems like it'd be 226 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:04.279 fitting to have a teenage girl sing like in represent 227 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:07.600 you know, represent these characters and and sort of sing 228 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:10.600 alongside or on top of, you know, these characters in 229 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:15.679 this story. So obviously I was super interested. And at 230 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.759 that point too, as a teenager, I was just starting 231 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:23.120 to really get into anime and I loved fantasy, I 232 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:27.000 loved movies, I liked video games. So as soon as 233 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:31.919 I saw the Red trailer and you know, without any 234 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:36.279 music for the first time, I knew it was gonna 235 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:40.679 be and already was just something so insanely special, and 236 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:44.960 as a kid, I was like, oh my god, what dude? Yeah, 237 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:46.679 I want to be involved and what can I do? 238 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:49.879 Like I'd love to you know, the fact that I've 239 00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:53.720 even even being asked is is awesome. So yeah, then 240 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:58.600 we started working and uh, it was just a it 241 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:01.360 was a joy. It was a chat challenge. I will 242 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:05.240 emphasize that part of it as well. Like the music 243 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:09.879 that my dad was writing was very very very difficult 244 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:13.919 to learn and then to sing and to execute. But 245 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:16.519 he had a lot of patience with me. I had 246 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:19.720 a lot of patience with him, and we just sort 247 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.919 of knew, Okay, well, we need to make this dynamic work. 248 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:26.159 We need to just like really give it our all, 249 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:28.000 you know, or else we have to, you know, we'll 250 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:31.279 find some other, some other way to make it happen. 251 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:35.440 And yeah, and then it just continued. It just kept 252 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.720 going and kept going and kept going, and it did 253 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:42.279 become again like sort of a job just because of 254 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:47.120 the sheer amount of recording and learning we had to do. 255 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:51.360 But it did sort of unlock this very interesting part 256 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:55.000 of like me and my dad's relationship and taught me 257 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:59.399 so much about what it is to be in front 258 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:02.840 of a microphone recording take after take and just trying 259 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:06.440 to get things perfect. And I really think that I 260 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.480 have taken a lot from that with me, and I 261 00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:11.480 hold it with me every time I'm in front of 262 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:12.159 a microphone. 263 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:15.000 Absolutely. I love the way you answer that, because it's 264 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.840 so true. You're in that studio and it's like, Okay, 265 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:21.279 another take, another take, another take, another take. Absolutely like 266 00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:25.480 completely agree with you. I'd love to jump across the 267 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:28.720 pond a little bit here and speak on without You 268 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:33.559 from Sonic x Shadow Generations. It's a very emotional track 269 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:36.799 in my humble opinion, and I would love to know 270 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:41.440 what was the brief like when Sega approached you, How 271 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:44.840 did you find like the emotion of that song, and 272 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.559 just how that opportunity came to be, like anywhere you 273 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:49.399 want to take it. I am such a huge Sonic fan. 274 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:51.399 Give me any answer, I will be happy. 275 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:54.200 Oh of course, Oh my god, yeah, thanks for bringing 276 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:58.879 it up. Yeah, that was definitely another very cool milestone 277 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:02.200 for me as well in my life and in my career, 278 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.600 you know, doing getting the opportunity to do the work 279 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:09.039 that I did with Rooster Teeth or for Rooster Teeth 280 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:13.039 with Red Versus Blue and later with Ruby was so 281 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:17.519 huge and so special in so many, like really countless ways. 282 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:22.080 But up until that point, really like Ruby was a 283 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:25.600 very very niche thing that you know, it's very much 284 00:16:26.039 -->

00:16:29.519 lives online and you do see it in person at 285 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:32.480 conventions and things like that, but really when I'd bring 286 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:35.000 it up to people, it was I always say that 287 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:38.879 it's it's really like aggressively one side of the spectrum 288 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:42.039 or the other. It's either like they know exactly what 289 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.799 I'm talking about and they can't believe that they're finding 290 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:47.320 out that I've that I worked on this project, or 291 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:49.440 they have no idea what I'm talking about, not even 292 00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:52.759 a little bit, which is which is, Yeah, it's so fun, 293 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:57.279 It's so funny, and Yeah. Getting the opportunity to finally 294 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:02.360 to work on one of the most beloved video games 295 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:07.319 that's ever existed in any capacity was just it was 296 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.319 mind blowing for me. I really had no idea. And 297 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:13.599 so the way that that opportunity came about was there 298 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:19.000 was a touring show that I guest spotted in as 299 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.039 a vocalist a few times in the past two years 300 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:25.160 that was called Sonic Symphony, where the first hour of 301 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:29.200 the show is all an orchestra, a local orchestra of 302 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:33.279 whatever city they're in, playing a bunch of score music 303 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:36.799 and ost from the Sonic games. And then the second 304 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:40.039 half of the show is basically a rock show as 305 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:44.319 well with the orchestra, and they bring in or reemphasize 306 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:47.640 like the rhythm section, and they bring in vocalists and 307 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:51.119 they sing a bunch of the songs from the game series, 308 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:55.319 of which there are tons and tons and tons. And 309 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.920 I have to say also as a Sonic fan, I 310 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:01.720 played a lot of Sonic on my game Boy and 311 00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:04.359 like at daycare with other kids when I was growing up, 312 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:07.799 But I actually didn't really know that there was so 313 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:12.440 much lyrical music. I knew Green Hill's own, like I 314 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:14.480 knew all the music I was hearing when I was 315 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.240 playing the different levels and then you know, Rage quitting, 316 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.240 But like I think I probably heard Live and Learn 317 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:22.400 a few times, but like the rest of the music, 318 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:27.880 I had no idea existed, which I felt so ignorant about, 319 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:29.640 you know, once I got asked to do the Sonic 320 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:31.960 Symphony gig. But in a way it was a really 321 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:36.119 really beautiful way to like rediscover this thing that people 322 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:39.759 care about so much and actually felt so akin to 323 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:43.480 Ruby music and Ruby for me, and in a way 324 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:46.240 that you know, it is obviously very like personal and interesting, 325 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:50.440 and so I played. I played one of these shows 326 00:18:50.519 --> 00:18:55.240 that happened to also have June Sonoa of Crush forty 327 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:59.759 guesting as well playing guitar, so we met for the 328 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:03.880 first time, like there playing the Sonic Symphony show together. 329 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:06.640 I believe it was the Seattle a Seattle show, it 330 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.079 could have been San Francisco. We played two back to back, 331 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:15.319 and he was super cool. He expressed that he really 332 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:18.559 liked the way that I approached you know, a number 333 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:20.880 of a number of his songs that we were doing, 334 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.079 and at that time he actually asked me about like 335 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:28.640 maybe doing I don't know, like a cover or something like, 336 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:30.640 I don't know, I don't know if that's ever like 337 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:31.839 this is ever going to be a thing. So I 338 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.680 won't go into any details of it, but basically it 339 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.200 was not for original music. He was basically like, oh, 340 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:39.960 I'd love to hear, like to do a version of 341 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:42.440 this song that already exists, maybe with you. And I 342 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:46.319 was like, oh my god, yeah, of course. And so 343 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.960 then months and months passed, and you know, we hadn't 344 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:52.119 spoken to each other or anything, and then all of 345 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:58.200 a sudden, he reached out about this original song that 346 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:02.039 was going to be like in in a cinematic for 347 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:06.480 this this you know, this new game. And I was very, 348 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:10.000 very shocked because I just I did not anticipate it happening, 349 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:14.079 but I was so obviously over the moon that that 350 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:16.160 it was happening. He asked me if I wanted to 351 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:21.759 perform and co write lyrics or or write write the 352 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:26.279 lyrics for this song with him, and I was all 353 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:28.720 gung ho for it. We we did it. We started 354 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:33.240 it because it's Sega. You know, it's a big corporation.

Obviously, 355 00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:35.559 a lot of the time you have to go through 356 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:39.319 a number of rounds of notes and you know, changing 357 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.440 things up. So you know, that's how we ended up 358 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.759 with the final product that we that we have and 359 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:50.119 it is a very emotional, very very emotional song. It 360 00:20:50.119 --> 00:20:52.960 it definitely went through kind of an an evolution and 361 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.799 it was it was always an emotional song. It didn't 362 00:20:55.839 --> 00:21:00.720 start off quite so emo. It was, for lack of 363 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:04.880 a better term, but it always had a lot of 364 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:07.680 like raw emotion to it. And I knew that that's, 365 00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:10.160 you know, what I could bring to it as a 366 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:12.960 vocalist as well. So that's just, you know, I what 367 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:16.279 I tried to do. And I was so I couldn't 368 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:20.559 believe that the response that people shared for that song. 369 00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:23.400 I believed in it and I was so happy to 370 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:25.920 be a part of it, but I didn't expect for 371 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.559 people to resonate with it. I guess that's how it 372 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:33.039 always goes right, but I really didn't expect the response 373 00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:37.039 to be quite as exaggerated and emotional and immense as 374 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:39.680 it was. It was truly such a gift to see that. 375 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:43.359 I think immense is such a good way to put it, 376 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:45.279 because you, like you scroll through the comments and like 377 00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:49.039 people people like you open people's hearts with that type 378 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:52.599 of music, Like people really like go like about their 379 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.400 day and like maybe they're at a pain point and 380 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:56.599 like that type of music, it just it lifts you up. 381 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.279 So that's like, yeah, that's what I mean by immense, 382 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:03.400 because like that's a resounding sentiment with that song, and 383 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:05.799 so like I think it's great to talk about like 384 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:10.440 cornerstones like ruby and sonic, but there's also like okay 385 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:12.680 good night, and also like more original music I want 386 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:14.960 to get to because like you're far more than just 387 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:19.119 those like identities. So I would love to know how 388 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:21.920 you move between those like creative identities, Like how does 389 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:24.079 like okay good night, or like the experience you had 390 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:27.240 starting out a Ruby feed Okay good night, like any 391 00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:30.079 of that, Like those hills and valleys, like how do 392 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.960 you move around that because they're very different sonic palettes? 393 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:38.240 M hmm, Yeah, yeah, thank you for that. I they 394 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:42.359 are incredibly different, and I think that pretty much throughout 395 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:46.279 most of my time working with Okay good Night, as 396 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:50.880 that sort of became more ever present thing in my 397 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:56.599 life and my daily life. Even I definitely have always 398 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.559 just felt like they're all separate. Like Okay good Night 399 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:03.000 was really my first time. I mean, I was in 400 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:05.559 I was in a few bands in high school and 401 00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:08.880 in middle school, but they were, you know, they were 402 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:11.880 building blocks as far as experience goes, like figuring out 403 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:16.839 just like the concept of musicianship and working with other musicians. 404 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:21.640 It was definitely important for that, but they were you know, 405 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:23.720 they were middle school, high school bands. They were very 406 00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:26.319 much just let's just start, like trying to play music 407 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.680 together and like see what happens sort of thing. And 408 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:31.480 Okay Goodnight was really the first time that I started 409 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:36.920 working with any other musicians besides my dad and the 410 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:41.160 people that I knew of already that you know, played 411 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:45.559 ruby music concerts or whatever, and especially in co writing, 412 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:50.559 in co writing or top lining, doing anything original music 413 00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:54.279 wise conceptually, like the Okay good Night was a first 414 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:56.680 for all of that. And I was in college, so 415 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:00.960 these were college friends as well, so you know, we 416 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:04.440 knew that we were just approaching it as a fun 417 00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:07.559 school project, just to see what came of it, because 418 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:12.359 Berkeley has, as you probably know, like it's a school 419 00:24:12.359 --> 00:24:17.480 that has such diversity and such a variety of different 420 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:22.640 kinds of talent. And that was absolutely my favorite part 421 00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:25.119 of attending that school is the people that I met, 422 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:27.119 And I think most people would most people would would 423 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:29.880 agree and feel the same way. But getting to meet 424

00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:33.079 my bandmates, you know, at the time, and then you know, 425 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:37.440 it evolved into having some different bandmates. Like every single 426 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:40.559 person that I met, I was so so fortunate to 427 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:43.920 meet and to work with, and they were so patient 428 00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:47.960 with me, like being kind of a first time writer, 429 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:52.640 top liner, and it went from something that really just 430 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:58.359 again like started for fun, to then, okay, wow, I 431 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:02.440 think this is this actually something that all of us 432 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:07.279 would like to pursue and something we are growing like 433 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:10.240 exceedingly passionate about, Like the more that we do it 434 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:14.039 and the more that we write, and the more you know, 435 00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:18.519 diversity and challenges we're giving ourselves in our writing process. 436 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:21.480 So you know, okay, good Night did have a song 437 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:29.839 featured in season eight of Ruby, and that wasn't planned 438 00:25:30.359 --> 00:25:33.720 that that was just we already had written that song, 439 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:39.079 and that song came out already, but we were sort 440 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:41.480 of just looking at that season and looking at the 441 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:45.160 different places where we could have song placement, and you know, 442 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:49.119 my dad had just made the suggestion and we went 443 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:53.079 to see if there were any songs that felt good there. 444 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:57.519 And so the song Awake just sort of there was 445 00:25:57.559 --> 00:26:02.200 a bridge section breakdown that's to just felt tonally like 446 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:06.519 the right move and lyrically it also happened to sort 447 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:10.000 of like line up a bit. And it's an abstract 448 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:11.839 way because the way I write, I write a lot 449 00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:14.680 of the lyrics for Okay good Night's stuff was at 450 00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:18.839 that point in time not only experimental in me finding 451 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:20.799 myself as a writer, but I've always written a bit 452 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:25.079 abstractly in comparison to maybe how some of the Ruby 453 00:26:25.160 --> 00:26:28.319 music is written. But yeah, just like worked for the characters. 454 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:31.279 So we put it there. I knew that that might 455 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:34.759 introduce a lot of Ruby fans to my band and 456 00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:37.839 that being a project, so it wasn't really in a 457 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:41.359 way like intentional. It was just like, oh, well, you know, 458 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:43.599 my dad's like my kid has a band, now, like 459 00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:46.720 maybe maybe there's something here. That you know, could work, 460 00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:50.039 and then it just did work. And yeah, so in 461 00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:53.039 that way, it introduced a lot of Ruby fans to 462 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.519 Okay good Night. But Okay Goodnight has always felt like 463 00:26:56.599 --> 00:27:01.519 a very different and separate project and like part of 464 00:27:01.559 --> 00:27:05.519 my life. Though of course with Ruby being such a 465 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:08.880 huge part of my own career, you know, it did 466 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:12.119 it did bring a lot of people over like into 467 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:15.200 the sort of Okay good Night following, you know, from 468 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:18.359 that place, and you know that we've always been very 469 00:27:18.440 --> 00:27:21.160 grateful about and you know, my bandmates have always been 470 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:25.359 super understanding of like what that you know, what that 471 00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:28.720 was gonna what that was going to look like. And 472 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:32.000 so yeah, just over the years, Okay good Night has 473 00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:38.799 turned into just like it just constantly keeps growing and evolving, 474 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:42.759 even at this point. And I'm so like excited about that. 475 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:46.519 And I love that every one of our releases like 476 00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:49.880 feels different, and I think it's a it's going to 477 00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:53.480 continue that way. And I guess the last thing I'll 478 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:56.960 say about that is that, you know, I've always kind 479 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:01.839 of known that having these separate sort of careers that 480 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:04.880 are also you know, technically the same, was going to 481 00:28:04.920 --> 00:28:07.519 be challenging, Like a lot of people choose one, like 482 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:10.759 they choose to do, you know, the side of work 483 00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:13.039 that is going to be more profitable over what is 484 00:28:13.079 --> 00:28:16.720 passionate or vice versa, because it's really difficult to balance both. 485 00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:19.359 But I've at least I mean, you know, I'm I'm 486 00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:22.160 twenty seven turning twenty eight. Now, you know, Will I 487 00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:24.720 regret it in the future, I don't know. That's a 488 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:28.039 problem for future me. But right now I don't have 489 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:31.960 any regrets. And I love having a place where I 490 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:36.559 can put all of my passion. And sometimes that level 491 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:40.839 of passion is exuded in the like video game and 492 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:46.200 anime like work that I do. But I really like 493 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:49.279 having like

living a double life in that sense, since 494 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:53.079 like sometimes they they correlate, sometimes they interact, and most 495 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:55.799 of the time they don't. And I'm like very very 496 00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.000 like cool with that. 497 00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:01.440 Yeah, yeah, absolutely, And if I may, like, I'm not 498 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:02.920 even gonna ask a question here, I'm just gonna make 499 00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:03.319 a statement. 500 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:06.480 I don't regret that you're making original music because. 501 00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:09.839 I've been listening to to Hughes personally on repeat a lot. 502 00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:14.400 Cool and like as an audio person, like I what 503 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:17.559 I really enjoy a lot is like you really like 504 00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:21.519 I'm a synth person and like you really like have this. 505 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:24.000 The synth work in there. 506 00:29:24.039 --> 00:29:27.119 Obviously vocally it's impeccable, but like the synth work as 507 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:31.039 the synth like enthusiast. I loved hearing all of it, 508 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:33.440 like in a room, the pads, like I mean, I 509 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:36.480 can nerd out all day, but I would love to 510 00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:38.079 like maybe like Highlight Hughes. 511 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:40.240 Yeah, that sounds nice, Highlight Hughes. 512 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:45.519 That project like a little EP five songs, just about 513 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:48.079 twenty one minutes of music, solo release. 514 00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:50.920 Let's like anywhere you want to go. 515 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:52.920 And if you can like give me any detail about 516 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:55.160 the synths, I'll be a very happy person, like. 517 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:58.720 Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh my god, thank you. And I 518 00:29:58.759 --> 00:30:01.200 totally get it, like synth of sizers are you know? 519 00:30:01.319 --> 00:30:04.640 I I don't have any of my own, uh like 520 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:10.319 analog since but my bandmate Martine Delima does, and I 521 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:13.799 like I I wrave about them. I if there's any 522 00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:16.119 like regret that I have, uh as far as like 523 00:30:16.200 --> 00:30:18.920 my my own career and like what I learned at school, 524 00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:21.839 it really would just be that like I I kind 525 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:25.599 of like I learned how to produce enough to function 526 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:30.559 uh in songwriting. But like I definitely don't feel quite 527 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.079 like the best producer, you know, like that I could be, 528 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:41.119 but you know, electronic instrumentation and like synthesizers have always 529 00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:44.279 felt like the most like the thing that I also 530 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:47.680 nerd out about, like whether or not it's cues, and 531 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:50.880 like alternative pop and electronic music is like what people 532 00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:54.519 know me for. They absolutelyly don't. I'm like that actually 533 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.599 does feel like my home and like has kind of 534 00:30:57.640 --> 00:31:00.240 been my home for like a long time, so you know, 535 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:03.920 we've gotten to implement that quite a bit, and like okay, 536 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:06.920 good night stuff and obviously Hughes, which is a solo thing, 537 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.079 and then quite a bit as well in uh, like 538 00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:13.759 the Ruby Volume nine soundtrack, because I co wrote and 539 00:31:13.799 --> 00:31:17.039 produced and recorded that whole thing with my my ex 540 00:31:17.079 --> 00:31:22.039 bandmate and very good friend and colleague, Martine Gonzalez. We 541 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:24.440 wrote that whole soundtrack together, and like, there are some 542 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:27.079 songs that I did completely on my own too in 543 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:31.359 that in that soundtrack that are just like like very 544 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:35.279 similar to what you hear in Hughes and yeah, Hughes. 545 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:40.119 Like the funny story about Hughes really is just that 546 00:31:40.119 --> 00:31:44.279 that project was basically my graduation project from. 547 00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:49.359 School wait wait, wait, wait, wait one more time. That's cool. 548 00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:54.519 Yeah. Basically, like in order to graduate sort of in 549 00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:58.680 my last year of school in that in that major 550 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:02.519 professional music you you basically have a capstone project, and 551 00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:06.160 there's multiple options and things that you can choose to 552 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:08.680 do with that or for that, And one of the 553 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:12.599 options is like make an EP, like make make make 554 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:16.000 a body of of music, of songs, you know, to 555 00:32:16.119 --> 00:32:22.440 submit with either artwork or like visuals, just like something 556 00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:25.799 to kind of a way to present it, you know. 557 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:29.039 Uh So, yeah, that's that's what I decided to do. 558 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:33.279 And then later unfortunately, you know, quite a few years later, 559 00:32:33.319 --> 00:32:36.680 but still later, Uh, I just decided, like I I 560 00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:40.039 wanted to put that out. I I wanted people to 561 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:42.880 get to hear that because I did still really like 562 00:32:42.920 --> 00:32:45.880 what I made. And although I feel like it does 563 00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:50.039 very much represent a version of me and a part 564 00:32:50.119 --> 00:32:54.279 of me that you know, lives in in

the past, 565 00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:57.440 uh I don't. I don't think that makes it unworthy 566 00:32:57.559 --> 00:33:00.960 of like being shared and being her And it doesn't 567 00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:04.200 mean people can't still, you know, really resonate with it, 568 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:07.079 even if it like for me, it's not the thing 569 00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:12.079 I'm the most proud of in my discography or whatever. Yeah, 570 00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:16.240 I still like loved it and really felt like it 571 00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:20.480 was worth releasing into the world, so I did. And yeah, 572 00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:23.839 those five songs were like songs that I some of 573 00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:28.200 them I started developing at the beginning of college. Like 574 00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:33.200 I think, I think Truths is the song that technically 575 00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:36.599 was like the oldest demo. I think I probably started 576 00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:43.599 the demo for Truths back in like twenty twenty eighteen 577 00:33:43.839 --> 00:33:50.759 or twenty nineteen or something, maybe even earlier. And yeah, 578 00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:54.240 I got to I got to co produce with some 579 00:33:54.359 --> 00:33:58.279 of my friends, one of one named Noah Andrews, who 580 00:33:58.519 --> 00:34:04.720 co produced Truths with me. Another great great person on 581 00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:08.679 Mario Kart crush by the name of Way. He did 582 00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:13.079 some amazing kind of low fi textural ear candy kind 583 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:16.360 of production on that song, which was so fun. Uh 584 00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:23.760 and then Saturated and Phantom Power I co produced with 585 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:26.800 Martin Delima, who's in my who's in my band? Okay, 586 00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:30.320 good Night in a Room was was actually just complete, 587 00:34:30.400 --> 00:34:35.519 like pretty much completely completely me. But it does have 588 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:40.000 Peter Durena, my my band's bass player. He played on 589 00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:43.800 He played on Inner Room and yeah, Inner Room was 590 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:46.559 Inner Room was very much a song that I wrote 591 00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:49.679 about my partner at the time during COVID, So it's 592 00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:53.920 it's a it's giving, it's giving COVID love song, which 593 00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:56.519 is also I don't know if if that's something I've 594 00:34:56.519 --> 00:34:59.880 really even ever like spoken about necessarily, but I think 595 00:34:59.880 --> 00:35:02.480 it felt you know, it's in a room. 596 00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:07.719 Yeah, in a room the quarantine Absolutely are you? Are 597 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:12.199 you sitting on any more original music? And like, what's 598 00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:15.039 what's going on with that? Like anything you feel? Obviously 599 00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:17.400 don't real anything you

can't reveal, but I love to 600 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:19.920 know because like I feel like he was, I can't exist, 601 00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:21.199 Like there needs to be more. 602 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:24.039 It just needs to be more, totally. 603 00:35:24.440 --> 00:35:26.119 No, thank you, thank you so much for like the 604 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:29.039 enthusiasm too, because that just you know, I got a 605 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:31.400 lot of I got a lot of different like hats 606 00:35:31.400 --> 00:35:33.480 that I that I wear musically, So it's you know, 607 00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:35.800 it's nice to hear here that that's you know, that's 608 00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:40.039 something you would like enjoy a follow up to personally, Yeah, 609 00:35:40.199 --> 00:35:44.320 am I sitting on original music always? Always? I've got 610 00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:48.599 I've got a ridiculous amount of demos that I sit on, 611 00:35:48.679 --> 00:35:51.880 and I just I really really like collaborating with other 612 00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:54.920 people as far as like production goes to and songwriting. 613 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:59.519 So I definitely want to continue to do that and 614 00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:02.559 continue to release like original music just that's just me 615 00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:07.440 or or that's a side project or whatever. But at 616 00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:09.840 the moment, it's it's been a lot like the past 617 00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:13.000 like year or two has been a lot focused on okay, 618 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:17.280 good night, and on my like the sort of other 619 00:36:17.320 --> 00:36:21.280 part of my career, like doing collaborations for vocals for 620 00:36:21.400 --> 00:36:25.599 video games and that sort of thing. But I again, 621 00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:29.480 kind of like I said before, I really feel so 622 00:36:29.719 --> 00:36:33.760 at home and that's just the happiest when I'm writing 623 00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:38.519 kind of like electronic al pop, like weird since pop, 624 00:36:39.159 --> 00:36:41.599 I haven't really written any like or put out any 625 00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:45.559 like dance music so to speak, but like that that 626 00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:50.079 sort of thing too. So yeah, it's it's definitely not 627 00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:52.119 not over here, and I and I will be we'll 628 00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:54.719 be releasing more. That's sort of sort of like that. 629 00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:58.239 But I definitely would say it's all gonna be, you know, 630 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:02.519 different to hues because just like every other artist, you know, 631 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:05.360 I'm trying to I'm trying to change and evolve and 632 00:37:05.400 --> 00:37:10.440 like elevate the sound as I go. But but yeah, 633 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:13.880 I really appreciate that you that you like resonate in 634 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:16.079 that you liked it. I liked it so much because 635 00:37:16.519 --> 00:37:18.320 you know, at first I was super like, oh, I 636 00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:20.199 don't know, I don't know if I want to really 637 00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:22.639 want to release this, but I'm so glad that I did, 638 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:25.079 and it was it was so much fun. And yeah, 639 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:28.800 I don't I don't have any sort of timeline for where, 640 00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:32.480 you know, the demos that I have like will be 641 00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:34.800 will be like put out or what format they'll be 642 00:37:34.840 --> 00:37:37.159 put out on. But I will say, just as a 643 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:40.920 small shameless plug that I do have a Patreon and 644 00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:45.960 I do share tons of demos over on Patreon, like 645 00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:49.599 pretty much of all kinds I share like BTS two 646 00:37:49.639 --> 00:37:52.840 of like other projects that I've recorded on or like 647 00:37:52.920 --> 00:37:56.559 co written. But yeah, that's if if you are interested, 648 00:37:56.960 --> 00:38:00.480 anybody that might be listening, like my My patreon does 649 00:38:00.519 --> 00:38:04.360 have a lot of like really fun small demo type 650 00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:07.639 things that like is not available to the public, and 651 00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:09.960 they're very likely, you know, things that I will be 652 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:14.880 developing into full full scale songs EPs albums at some point. 653 00:38:15.760 --> 00:38:17.159 Lovely, that's amazing to hear. 654 00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:18.800 And I want to go back to like you made 655 00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:21.880 a statement saying like you wear many hats and like 656 00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:25.000 very true, but I love to know like the hats 657 00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:27.880 that are like outside of music, like what creative work 658 00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:31.239 like feeds your soul in a way in ways that 659 00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:35.920 songwriting and performance or vocal station like can't and have 660 00:38:36.199 --> 00:38:39.679 any of those like quietly shaped who you're becoming, Like 661 00:38:40.039 --> 00:38:40.320 you know. 662 00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:45.679 You see what I mean, Yeah, totally. I mean the 663 00:38:46.239 --> 00:38:50.199 funny sort of memory and aspect of myself that that 664 00:38:50.840 --> 00:38:54.239 strikes up when you asked that is that when I 665 00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:58.840 was graduating high school and even even going into college 666 00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:01.000 and for quite a bit in college, and I like 667 00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:06.440 really thought of myself being this multi media artist was 668 00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:10.239 like just like the term that I would use, which 669 00:39:10.280 --> 00:39:13.719 basically was just saying I like to do ABC and 670 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:17.639 D and I want to get paid for all those things. 671 00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:22.239 I like do

all of those things professionally. And I 672 00:39:23.159 --> 00:39:25.239 have very much kind of changed my tune on that 673 00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:29.679 because in practice that like just wasn't really I'm not 674 00:39:29.719 --> 00:39:32.719 saying it's it's not possible. I know so many people 675 00:39:32.719 --> 00:39:36.519 that actually do that, and I think they're the coolest 676 00:39:36.519 --> 00:39:39.440 people in the world, but they truly have such a 677 00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:43.480 drive and such a way of making their daily lives 678 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:49.800 also slightly incorporating like their hobbies as work, which is 679 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:53.400 really really cool. But I definitely think that I started 680 00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:57.039 to change, you know, as I like got a little 681 00:39:57.039 --> 00:39:59.719 bit more experienced in life and like a little bit 682 00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:02.920 more realistic about what worked for me as a as 683 00:40:02.920 --> 00:40:05.880 a person, and I sort of did come to my 684 00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:08.440 own conclusion that like some of that stuff can just 685 00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:13.639 stay a hobby, you know. Like for instance, I know 686 00:40:13.719 --> 00:40:16.239 at the beginning of the episode I mentioned like photography. 687 00:40:16.599 --> 00:40:20.639 I was very very interested in photography when I was 688 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:23.000 in high school, and then you know, I did more 689 00:40:23.880 --> 00:40:26.599 when I was in college as well. I took some 690 00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:31.880 like crossover classes at mass Art because Berkeley actually like 691 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:35.239 allowed for you to do that, which was really cool. 692 00:40:35.559 --> 00:40:39.719 And yeah, I really have come to the conclusion that 693 00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:48.039 there are multiple things that include photography, dance, film, And 694 00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:53.639 I suppose I was gonna say like acting or like 695 00:40:53.679 --> 00:40:57.480 stage acting, but really I'm not actually entirely sure that 696 00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:01.079 that's that that's a realistic thing to list. But many 697 00:41:01.079 --> 00:41:03.239 of these things are things that I love to do 698 00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:07.360 and things that I enjoy, but they're not they're not 699 00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:11.960 things that I look to make a profit, you know. 700 00:41:12.800 --> 00:41:15.760 They're things that I just love to do in a 701 00:41:15.800 --> 00:41:19.559 community way and just for myself as like I'm an 702 00:41:19.639 --> 00:41:22.760 artist for work, but I just I'm obsessed with art, 703 00:41:23.039 --> 00:41:26.239 you know, Like I've gotten really into I've always been 704 00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:29.559 really into makeup just my entire life, and I've gone 705 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:34.159 through different phases of experimenting with makeup and clothes, like 706 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:38.719 fashion has only become more and more prevalent in my 707 00:41:38.840 --> 00:41:43.079 life as an artist. And tattoos. I'm like a tattooed 708 00:41:43.159 --> 00:41:47.000 person now and I will continue to be and be 709 00:41:47.119 --> 00:41:49.559 very passionate about that. Like you know, these are all 710 00:41:50.159 --> 00:41:54.639 I'm a ridiculously like artsy person, Like just throw up 711 00:41:54.800 --> 00:41:58.119 everywhere because it is. It is just who I am. 712 00:41:58.239 --> 00:42:02.920 I am very very artsy. That's just where all of 713 00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:06.800 my interests lie. I also love like the outdoors, I love, 714 00:42:07.480 --> 00:42:10.239 like I said, I love well, never mind movies technically 715 00:42:10.280 --> 00:42:14.159 counts as art, but I love I love history, and 716 00:42:14.199 --> 00:42:17.440 I love like you know, video essays and learning more 717 00:42:17.480 --> 00:42:23.199 about about all different kinds of history. And I love 718 00:42:23.320 --> 00:42:28.840 being social. I'm a really, really really like I thrive 719 00:42:29.639 --> 00:42:34.519 very much off of being around people. So I know 720 00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:37.199 that's not like technically a hobby, but at the same time, 721 00:42:37.440 --> 00:42:40.400 like it does mean that. Yeah, like I I do 722 00:42:40.599 --> 00:42:42.800 end up with a lot of my work having to 723 00:42:42.840 --> 00:42:47.320 be in solitude, having to be solitary. So that's why 724 00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:50.400 whenever I get the chance, in anything I do in 725 00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:53.880 my daily life or in my collaborations, I seek to 726 00:42:54.679 --> 00:42:57.840 do it with other human beings because that's just like 727 00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:01.840 where my heart is the happiest. Yeah, nobody answered sorry. 728 00:43:01.840 --> 00:43:04.039 I'm know you answer yes if you can't tell I'm 729 00:43:04.119 --> 00:43:04.920 such a rambler. 730 00:43:05.159 --> 00:43:06.920 Also, I'm also a rambler. 731 00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:08.239 You have nothing to apologize for. 732 00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:10.639 We are we are cut from the same cloth in 733 00:43:10.639 --> 00:43:14.119 that sense, and that's who you are, like a social 734 00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:18.920 collaborative person. Like absolutely like that. 735 00:43:17.639 --> 00:43:19.960 That is who you are. And I completely agree with that. 736 00:43:20.280 --> 00:43:22.840 And I guess, like on a like a closing question here, 737 00:43:23.800 --> 00:43:26.559 like you've been a professional artist since the age of thirteen. 738 00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:30.360 You're twenty seven now, so by my calculations, and I'm 739 00:43:30.360 --> 00:43:33.599 pretty oket math, you've had like more than half of 740 00:43:33.639 --> 00:43:37.960 your life like making music and in the arts, and 741 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:40.559 you're you're just getting started. Let's be very

honest, There's 742 00:43:40.559 --> 00:43:43.760 a lot more and I'm very excited to see what 743 00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:46.239 that chapter looks like. So I want to ask you, 744 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:48.800 ask you about that, like, what does that chapter look 745 00:43:48.880 --> 00:43:51.639 like for you, like going into your finishing your late 746 00:43:51.639 --> 00:43:54.400 twenties into your thirties and forties as an artist, and 747 00:43:54.519 --> 00:43:58.159 what's got you the most excited right now like today 748 00:43:58.360 --> 00:43:59.000 in this moment. 749 00:43:59.719 --> 00:44:04.719 Yeah, thank you for asking. I mean, I'm so I'm 750 00:44:04.760 --> 00:44:09.239 so open to whatever life throws my way. I mean 751 00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:13.400 this past, like this year and last year really kind 752 00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:17.440 of out of the blue in a way, I traveled 753 00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:20.400 to China or really now this year it's just going 754 00:44:20.480 --> 00:44:22.880 to be internationally because I traveled to China again, but 755 00:44:22.920 --> 00:44:27.199 I'm going to be traveling to Japan for the first time. 756 00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:31.840 I'm going to be going to Taiwan, South Korea, And 757 00:44:31.880 --> 00:44:35.599 these are all to perform in like a live tour 758 00:44:36.239 --> 00:44:39.400 of the Chinese game Wuering Waves that I've I've just 759 00:44:39.599 --> 00:44:44.559 done vocals for a few of their songs, and last 760 00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:47.320 year it was it was with the game Arc Knights, 761 00:44:47.719 --> 00:44:50.559 And I mean, what a privilege just to get to 762 00:44:50.599 --> 00:44:53.039 have done, you know, these vocals in the first place 763 00:44:53.159 --> 00:44:56.960 for these game songs, these really really cool songs, and 764 00:44:57.119 --> 00:44:59.400 they are companies that care a lot about their music, 765 00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:02.840 so I I really appreciate that, but also to get 766 00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:08.559 to do these really really huge scale production. It's like 767 00:45:09.119 --> 00:45:13.280 biggest shows I've ever I've ever played, and to get 768 00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:16.440 to do that multiple years in a row, as well 769 00:45:16.480 --> 00:45:19.800 as tour with my own band and you know, do 770 00:45:20.039 --> 00:45:22.599 convention like shows here and there. I did kind of 771 00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:27.000 my first ever like solo show at MAGFest this year 772 00:45:27.079 --> 00:45:30.840 in January, which was super fun. Played some stuff from Hughes, 773 00:45:31.039 --> 00:45:34.320 played some stuff from some other like video game like 774 00:45:34.360 --> 00:45:38.920 game collaborations, played some movie music. So I just I 775 00:45:38.960 --> 00:45:42.960 love playing live, and I honestly like haven't I don't 776 00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:47.079 have like a really huge, huge history of like being 777 00:45:47.119 --> 00:45:50.800

a an on stage performer. I'm definitely much more of 778 00:45:50.840 --> 00:45:54.440 a like a studio hermit in a way, like singing 779 00:45:54.440 --> 00:45:57.920 and recording wise. So I love that I've been getting 780 00:45:57.960 --> 00:46:01.320 to explore that. I hope to do that more. I'm 781 00:46:01.400 --> 00:46:06.199 really very very excited and passionate about my my band 782 00:46:06.559 --> 00:46:11.400 right now. We just put out another album this year 783 00:46:11.760 --> 00:46:14.440 a couple of months ago, called Stop Go, which we 784 00:46:14.719 --> 00:46:18.079 had been working on for the past three or like yeah, 785 00:46:18.119 --> 00:46:22.599 two two to three years, and it's the thing I've 786 00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:28.400 been more proud of, honestly than anything I've ever I've 787 00:46:28.440 --> 00:46:31.320 ever really been a part of So that's just felt 788 00:46:31.719 --> 00:46:35.360 so gratifying and so emotional and really like a big 789 00:46:35.400 --> 00:46:39.880 milestone for me in my like in my career, really 790 00:46:39.920 --> 00:46:44.039 just in my musical life. So I'm really excited to 791 00:46:44.199 --> 00:46:48.440 continue work with that band, but I'm excited about any 792 00:46:48.480 --> 00:46:52.760 and all collaborations that happen and that come my way. 793 00:46:52.880 --> 00:46:55.960 I just I love, I love to try and be 794 00:46:56.079 --> 00:46:59.559 a musical renaissance person, you know, whether I can or not. Like, 795 00:46:59.880 --> 00:47:05.119 I just I love to collaborate with anyone and everyone, 796 00:47:05.480 --> 00:47:09.480 And I especially, like I sort of emphasized before, really 797 00:47:09.519 --> 00:47:14.559 want to continue diving down the rabbit hole of electronic 798 00:47:14.639 --> 00:47:19.480 music and pop and alt pop. I think that's going 799 00:47:19.559 --> 00:47:23.000 to be just a really really fun, like lifelong pursuit 800 00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:26.159 and who knows like where that goes, and like you 801 00:47:26.159 --> 00:47:29.719 know what other opportunities that that might bring. But as 802 00:47:29.719 --> 00:47:34.880 long as I can keep saying that I'm making art 803 00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:39.800 for my career, I just like, you know, it's just 804 00:47:39.840 --> 00:47:43.360 like such an immense honor to be able to to 805 00:47:43.440 --> 00:47:45.639 say that, and all of the you know, the the 806 00:47:45.679 --> 00:47:48.679 hard years of working as a as a teenager is 807 00:47:48.719 --> 00:47:51.840 like a part of my growth, you know, they they 808 00:47:51.880 --> 00:47:55.360 have brought me here and I thank the younger me 809 00:47:55.639 --> 00:48:00.239 for for working so hard. And I'd also, like I said, 810 00:48:00.280 --> 00:48:03.320 I'd really love to like work more in film. I've 811 00:48:03.360 --> 00:48:06.840 realized that movies are such a huge part of my life, 812 00:48:06.920 --> 00:48:11.000 not only watching them,

but my best friends are filmmakers. 813 00:48:11.159 --> 00:48:14.079 And I was on a set for the first time 814 00:48:14.599 --> 00:48:17.920 this year, and then my music video sets were very, 815 00:48:18.480 --> 00:48:22.079 very elaborate with my band this year, and I loved 816 00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:23.760 everything that I got to be a part of, So 817 00:48:23.800 --> 00:48:26.559 I would really like to do that more. I was 818 00:48:26.559 --> 00:48:29.199 a script supervisor on one of the sets, which was 819 00:48:29.199 --> 00:48:32.519 a totally like new and random job, but I really 820 00:48:32.599 --> 00:48:36.039 liked it. So I think as far as like other 821 00:48:36.519 --> 00:48:40.440 work goes, when I said before, you know, I have 822 00:48:40.559 --> 00:48:42.519 things that I'd like to keep as hobbies. You know, 823 00:48:42.559 --> 00:48:45.559 I'm not so I'm not entirely positive if you know 824 00:48:45.679 --> 00:48:49.400 that sort of work film and acting and writing in 825 00:48:49.400 --> 00:48:52.000 that sense, like you know that could that could turn 826 00:48:52.039 --> 00:48:54.840 into more as well. Like I said, I'm just very open. 827 00:48:54.920 --> 00:48:58.000 And you know, if I if I also go back 828 00:48:58.039 --> 00:49:02.599 to a life where I'm not doing art or music entirely, 829 00:49:02.679 --> 00:49:04.760 and I you know, I go back to doing like 830 00:49:05.440 --> 00:49:09.519 service jobs as well, that's also like so Okay, I 831 00:49:09.559 --> 00:49:12.559 really really like that sort of work too, Like genuinely, 832 00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:16.880 I've I've worked in restaurants the past like four years, 833 00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:18.760 you know, off and on here and there, and like 834 00:49:19.159 --> 00:49:22.719 that's really challenging but really rewarding work. And it's social, 835 00:49:23.599 --> 00:49:28.119 which social love. Yeah, I just love being social. So yeah, 836 00:49:28.159 --> 00:49:29.400 sorry for rambling hopefully, No. 837 00:49:29.760 --> 00:49:32.519 Of course I appreciate that. Casey. 838 00:49:32.719 --> 00:49:34.760 I want to say, like, like, thank you so much 839 00:49:35.039 --> 00:49:37.119 for taking an hour of your life to talk to me, 840 00:49:37.239 --> 00:49:40.599 Like this has been such a lovely conversation. I genuinely 841 00:49:40.800 --> 00:49:43.400 understand why all of the success comes to you. It's 842 00:49:43.400 --> 00:49:45.960 because you're a very easy person to talk to and 843 00:49:46.079 --> 00:49:47.440 you're very passionate about what you do. 844 00:49:47.480 --> 00:49:48.079 And I think. 845 00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:52.599 That that like, oh my god, I can't I can't 846 00:49:52.800 --> 00:49:53.559 lose my words right now. 847 00:49:53.679 --> 00:49:55.159 That is intersection. 848 00:49:55.440 --> 00:49:58.880 Intersection. Thank you so much. This is so great. 849 00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:02.079 That intersection like speaks to who you are at the core, 850 00:50:02.679 --> 00:50:06.119 like the passion and the collaboration, and it's like it 851 00:50:06.239 --> 00:50:11.000 xplings Ruby Sonic. Okay, good night, hughes, Like and I'm 852 00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:14.360 truly wishing you all of the best. I wanted to 853 00:50:14.400 --> 00:50:17.440 save this surprise for last, but you will be the 854 00:50:17.480 --> 00:50:21.800 one hundredth episode of this podcast. If this comes out 855 00:50:21.800 --> 00:50:23.519 a little bit later than when we recorded, that is 856 00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:25.800 why I want to say that for last, So thank you. 857 00:50:26.440 --> 00:50:28.920 It's an incredible way to to cap off one hundred 858 00:50:28.920 --> 00:50:32.280 episodes and too many more and wishing you all the best. 859 00:50:32.639 --> 00:50:36.519 Oh, congratulations, that's that's amazing. Thank you for giving me 860 00:50:36.559 --> 00:50:38.840 that that honor of being the one hundredth episode. 861 00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:40.280 That's of course, o coat. 862 00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:43.519 Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you for being so 863 00:50:43.519 --> 00:50:45.920 so receptive. This has been this has been so much fun. 864 00:50:46.199 --> 00:50:48.159 Likewise, likewise, it's been a lot of fun. So I'll 865 00:50:48.239 --> 00:50:51.480 let you get to your next obligations and I will 866 00:50:51.480 --> 00:50:53.239 wish you a great evening. 867 00:50:54.039 --> 00:50:56.360 Okay, amazing, Thank you so much, dude. It was so 868 00:50:56.400 --> 00:50:57.079 good to meet you. 869 00:50:57.239 --> 00:50:59.280 Likewise, bye, all right bye,