BiB: Cate Turner – From American Idol to DIY Stardom: Her Honest Journey Back to the Stage

0:00 What is going on? It is Adam. Welcome back to Bringing It Backwards, a podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we caught up with Cate Turner. Cate Turner now holds the the record for most appearances on Bringing it backwards of four. We had her on in 2021 and then on two times in 2022 and caught up with Cate again recently and she was amazing and should definitely watch those first couple interviews, first three interviews with Cate to really get her backstory because we kind of pick up with where we left off on that third interview with her releasing the single nothing and that was it. The the EP hadn't came out yet. The two part EP and even Stepmom hadn't came out yet and obviously she's got a lot going on since she's got a bunch of new music out. She's independent now, not on the major label. It was a great conversation. So make sure to check out the interview video version with Cate and myself on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing It Backwards. It would be amazing if you subscribe to our channel and like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram X and TikTok at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify or Apple Music, Google podcasts, please rate and review the podcast. It helps us out tremendously.

1:22 We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, we'll. Wherever you listen to podcasts, we're Bringing. It Backwards with Cate Turner. Bringing it backwards. Bringing it backwards. Bringing it backwards. Bringing it backwards. Bringing it backwards. Bringing it backwards. Oh, hi Cate. How are you? I'm great. How are you doing? How's my audio? Is it shit? Be honest. No, it sounds good. Oh, okay. Perfect.

2:07 So good to see you again. This is the fourth time I've had you on our show. I know. Well, they. Well, you know what they say. Four times the charm. Is that what they say? And if they didn't, they're gonna start saying it now. It's good to back. I love it. Well, again, I appreciate you doing this. Yeah, it's been a while though. I think 2022 is when I had you on last. It's been like three years. Oh my God. Well, how. How have you been? I've been great. How have you been? You've a lot of has happened. I know a lot has happened. And you know what? Whenever I'm like asked about it or have to think about it too much, I. I just forget everything that has happened. So right now, I'm great. I'm okay. That's good. Well, yeah, so last time we spoke, you had nothing was the single and the EP. The. The two EPs weren't out yet. We actually. You thought it was gonna be an album, so I'm curious to hear about that. And then obviously the new music that's out now. Oh, wow. Well, where do we start? I want to start real fast by saying, because I know you're. Where you're from.

3:21 There's the Sesame Street Amusement park, right? Yes. Yeah. And I. I did think. I thought, San Diego's Building 1. It's open now. I know. And I saw that. I went and I actually felt weirdly, like, competitive and jealous. Did you go to the one in San Diego? No, I just. When I was in San Diego, I saw this, like, advertisement, and I really. And I went, what the is this? I know we talked about this last time, and then they actually went through with it. It's there. Oh, it pissed me off. Because now what do we have? I know. I don't know. The first. You have the first Sesame Street Amusement Park. Good. I get so, like, I was so patriotic for Langhorn.

4:06 So that's where I stand on the San Diego Sesame Street. Sorry. Yeah, we. We did talk about it, and that's just so funny that they actually. Yeah, it's there now. But anyway, okay, so first off. So let's see. I want to hear about the EP coming out. And then from. From there on, kind of. You had nothing. And you were talking about. Actually you were playing Stepmom on the road, but I think you were calling it something else. Oh, my God. I'm like, having to lock back in and, like, in time and unravel the secret codes and the secret text. Oh, well, at that time, yes, Stepmom wasn't out, and I was, like, just so hell bent on ruining my ex's life at that time. So that was an era for me. Now I'm releasing music independently, and that has been going really good.

5:06 I feel good about everything, and I'm really excited about everything that's coming up. And honestly, to be quite candid, I'm just so happy that I get to consistently release music. That has been the most fun part for me about all this. Yeah. I was gonna ask you. So you're not with the. The major label anymore? No. Oh, my gosh. Okay. So. Well, I'm curious. I know your. Your father passed away and that. I'm so sorry to hear about that. And did that because when we were talking before, you thought you were going to be putting an album out, did that have some. Did that change the trajectory of the release and of all of that because you ended up doing like a two act EP and the main song is. I mean the title of it is Pretty Direct Situation.

5:59 Well, actually what ended up happening is I was making songs and then they said, well, you can't put out this song until there's an album to go with it. So I said, okay, I'll go in. And then they said, actually the album is going to be two eps. So I was like, oh, okay. So it definitely was kind of a coincidence in the timing of all of that. I just had to deliver an album during the worst part of my life. Oh, I can't. Yeah, I can't even imagine. But I'm really happy it didn't become my first album. I still have a debut album. That is like a coveted thing. Like, were you to say like my debut album? So I'm actually the way it panned out and how everything worked, really worked in my favor because I don't have to. It was just a period of my life.

7:04 Yeah, yeah. A heart, a lot going on. And then you had to deliver an. It was supposed to be an album that's okay. It's two eps. So then how did you. Were you able to decide what you wanted on the first EP versus the second act? And how did you break that down or did it become this two act thing later? Like, when did that kind of come together? I had all the songs and then how I split them was pretty much very cut and dry. I just was like, well, how many sad songs is on this one? Okay, but now we put a upbeat one on this one. It was very, very analytical and just on it's quite frankly, I just split what was going to be the album perfectly down the middle and I just. Said, oh, okay, two.

7:50 Here's A and B. Okay. Yeah. Act one and act two. Yeah, there you go. Oh, interesting. Okay, so it wasn't. You just kind of did it that way after you. The song's already there. Yeah, the songs all existed. I just literally split them in half. Okay. Very, very cool. And then from there you, you released that with. With the major label and then you guys ended up splitting ties and were you able to. Like, how has that changed? And what was that like? Did you. Were you. When that happened, was. Were you like, this is over? Like, am I going to keep doing music? Like, how was that a tragic thing to deal with or. No, for sure. I mean, this industry is hard, for lack of a better word. And you constantly feel like you're fighting for survival or in this case, exposure or relevancy. And you're told that the major labels, that is your. That's your beacon of hope. If you're under one of them like you. You're going to be okay. So.

8:57 So right. I mean, that was. That's the thought, right? You think, oh, you're signed to this major label, so the. The checks are coming in every. You know, that's just. You go from zero to like a millionaire. Like that. That's what. That's just like this idea that people have, right when you think, oh, they're signed to a major label, like, they're so successful. I was about that life. Well, you're on tv. You know, you did. You were on American Idol, and they'd have you come back. And so it's. Yeah, but it's not. It was definitely, like, a really weird place to be because I was starting all over kind of mentally and physically. I was kind of. It felt like I was back to square one. I mean, I'm very lucky that my back to square one. It looks very different than a real, like, raw one. But it. I just had. I was looking around like, who am I now? After a huge loss?

10:01 You're so different and everything is just weird. Everything's gnarly as cats, I would say. And it was. And I was scared and. Yeah. But undertaking it was. I was very shy at first because I just. I used the label almost as a protective shield, not just for the outside world, but for my own thoughts of. It was nice to have someone I could go to and be like, is this good? Do you like it? Like a kind of someone you had to validate your. What you're doing. It was getting permission and the hardest permission to yourself. So that has been.

10:43 Ultimately what I have taken away from all this whole independent music business is that, oh, my God, I'm steering this ship and we're not going to crash. That's so interesting. I never. I've never thought of it that way, but I would be the same way. I'd be thinking, like, oh, who's going to tell me that this is good enough to go out? Or who's going to give me that? Because you can make all those decisions on your own. You put out whatever the hell you want, whenever you want. So instead of having that, you probably. You grow up, or you're in that. Grow up. But you have learned that this is the way it's working. But now those ties are gone. You can do whatever you want. I know. And that's so exhilarating while also being just, like, existential because you're like, oh, my God, I can do whatever I want, if I want. I could just like, DM whoever, and they could think I'm weird, but I can. And that was just so hard to get inside my head that, like, there is really no rules to this industry.

11:50 So once you kind of. I mean, once that all happens, where did you get back to writing music fairly quickly? Or did that ever stop? Or did did you ever think, like, I. I've had other artists on. Have had that happen, they lose the major label deal, like, oh, this is over. And then they'll have a. It's. They're obviously still doing it and they're a major success. But it's like, you. You. I've had other people talk about you get to a point where, like, do I even. Do I go back to school? Do I even continue doing this? Like, did you have feel defeated at all or were you. You never thought, like, I'm not done singing and not done writing songs. I definitely felt defeated. But I also. I mean, in my song, nothing, I literally say, I.

12:33 I won't go back to college. Right? Yeah, exactly. But. So here I am feeling defeated and just stuck because I'm like, oh, hell no. Nothing else interests me and I'm not good at anything else. Like, so. And I'm just in this purgatory, so I gotta figure out something quick. I stopped writing for a while because I was just really just like. Well, you know, it was that picture, that meme of that dog with holding a mug of coffee and everything's burning around him. Oh, yeah, yeah.

13:14 And I just waited until I couldn't wait anymore. And then I started writing music again. And that was like a very, very, very beautiful experience. Was Friends the first song you had written, or was that already done before all this had happened? I wrote Friends in. It was at the end. So basically I was still on the major label, but I knew we were going to split ways. It was. I wrote that in December 2023. Felt angry.

13:57 Was the. When did you. What was the first one you wrote? Put out on your own. Then was it the next one with Come, or was it even later after that? The first song that I wrote and released that I didn't write under Atlantic, like, during the Atlantic time was I might. Oh, it was. Wow. It was Come down Friends and last name I wrote technically under Atlantic but at the very end. So I was allowed to take those and release those independently. But I wrote them under Atlantic and I might not young just dumb tour is attract everything now. Now is all you or just you independently. Yeah.

14:47 Okay. Did you wait on those other three. Songs or was it like I'll just. Put out friends and come down and last name in this order. You because you did that independently so you could choose if you wanted when and how you wanted to do it. That was that different than releasing your other music before that. My put out friends come down in last name almost as a way to buy time because I was in that stuck weird place and as I was getting my footing back and to what music means to me and what it means to be a musician and all those big questions. I had those songs and I really loved them. And I'm like, okay, these will be my my test subjects of being independent. These will be my practice. I okay.

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18:13 New subscribers only. Varies by plan. That's hellofresh.com bib tv10fm to get 10 free meals and a free item for life. And then I wrote I might last year, and then it kind of just sat in the vault, and I didn't really do anything with it because I had come down friends, last name, ready to go. And once I released those songs, I'm like, well, shit, I have nothing else, so I gotta write more songs. And so now this year, I wrote not young, just dumb. This year, tourist attraction this year. Everything is up to date. Is up today. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Was it hard there? Like, putting out I might was your first. Like, okay, this is my. The song I didn't get. I guess the major label, like, nod of, like, this is a good song type deal. Were you worried about putting that one out at all or. No?

19:14 Oh, yeah. Especially because it was so different for. Me because definitely a darker song. Well, I might. I wrote about, you know, in the bedroom activity. Sure. I feel like before then, you know, I. It's very vulnerable songwriting. 100% numb to just being like, I'm sad because I'm. Everyone's like, yeah. And I feel like we've bridged that gap and I've gotten almost like this comfortable numb to that. It doesn't feel as vulnerable. But to tell people I've had sex. Oh, my God.

19:59 Right? I feel like Jesus. No. So I had to. That was very interesting to release not only that song independently, but to make my first song I release independently about a subject that I really don't write about. I was gonna say, yeah, it's definitely different lyrically than everything that you've done before. I had to go punk rock. I had to go the punk way of doing. Just changing everything. I love it's a great song. And were you. Did you just put it out or. I know in the past you had had a lot of success with Tik Tok and teasing songs on there and having them work. I mean, with.

20:49 With God Must Hate Me, that was one that you had to go back in the studio, right? Or you had. You didn't even have the song done. It was like you put the thing up and you had to finish this, finish the song. And I think you said you had like two weeks to get it all like up and going. Have you been teasing? Like, did you tease? I might on Tick tock or do any testing that way with any of your new songs? Well, it's different about my new stuff versus the old stuff is I'm much more prepared. Like, let's say one of them does go viral. God willing, I would be able to upload it without killing myself. Oh, so that's been really nice. It's been much more calm with. I might. I did just like the basic teasing and whatever. But what's really cool about the music I'm releasing now is that maybe it's not reflecting in like instant gratification with like 1 billion streams and I win music number one. But it's been this organic thing where more people than ever before have been engaged and telling me, I listened to your new song and I'm like, okay. I feel like people are actively listening to these songs instead of them mindlessly being on a playlist. And that's been really, really cool to see.

22:12 Oh, I love that. That's really awesome. It was very crazy because I'm like, you guys actually listen, that's great. I'm sure you see that the way your shows people singing your songs back to you and everything. And it. It's so surprising. All. It's so easy. We're looking at each other, but it's like through a phone. And it's so easy to forget. Like, oh my God. It's like kind of the everybody poops phenomenon. But it's like, everybody. So when I go on a stage and I'm like, this fucking song only got this many streams, so it's a flop. A whole room can know that song and it's like, what? What are you doing? Like, this is so.

22:58 It's so easy to get disillusioned and lie to yourself, but when you sing it live and people sing it back, it just brings all the meaning together 100%. And I've seen bands or all, let's see bands on social media that have a few hundred thousand followers that I would think would have millions just based off of the fact that I know if they came to Nashville or Atlanta or wherever they're going to be playing a certain size venue right. Where ticket sales and fan engagement and also I don't think necessarily means 100 million followers. There'll be people that have. Or a viral song that. A viral song doesn't mean that you can come here and play a venue and sell any tickets or have anyone sing your song, any other song back to you. I think that what you built is so cool because you have that with your fans. And they humble me.

23:50 They humble me a lot. I think what I love the most is they do feel like my friends and I'm like parasocial with them back. They just start dragging me and they're like. I remember one of them said to me, wow. Each time I think I'm crazy. You open your mouth and then I don't feel as bad and I'm like, wow. Oh my God. But I know love. Sure. That's funny. But. Well, with. Because I Might is a definitely a vulnerable, very vulnerable song. And then the next one with Not Young, just Dumb. Lyrically it's a great song too, but I feel like you're back to being more like tongue in cheek. Like with.

24:43 Lyrically with that song. I love quirk. You can't kill the quirk. I know. That's why I think with. With nothing, when that song came out, your personality just thrived in the first set. Like right when you're like what. When you count in like that just. I. That's you. I feel like it's so funny. It's. They capture it perfectly. Like right in the beginning of the song. Justice for Nothing. We love. Thank you for even knowing that song. That's one of my favorites that I don't really listen to my music ever because I live with my voice so I don't need to hear it. But Nothing is a song I go back to and I'm like, you did your.

25:27 It's great. And the video was great. Everything was such a. Such a great song and everything. But I love Not Young, just Dumb. And Tourist Attraction is the newest one. Yeah. What did you say? I love it as well. Okay. It's definitely slower then back to being a little bit slower. That's what I love to. You know, I've. I've learned after I think comedy and tragedy. My two part ep, I said that's so PR and trained be on streaming now. I went. I rebelled with that because I. I was like, you want me to be pop?

26:07 I'm going to do rock. And I don't think anyone really wanted rock for from me, but it wasn't for them. It was definitely for me. Now I think what I'm trying to do being independent is give the people what they want. Like give the people what they want from me, which is I will get my tongue in cheek song. And then I will trade by giving you a sad song and then we like. I think I remember you saying that you have that deal with your mom too. I think you said you're allowed to do fast songs with cussing and you have. If you give her like a slow one that doesn't have cussing or something. You were saying something about that.

26:49 My mom's my biggest op and I love her, but she will just never miss a point in time to say God must hate me makes me want to kill myself. I'm like, okay, thank you. And you. So who won? But yeah, if you do a fast one, you get to slip and a cuss word. I know. And I'm going on tour. So she will be there to see a whole room of people cussing back with me. And that will be very fun. Yeah, you're doing some shows coming. You have New York. You're playing Philly, Washington D.C. i think. Yeah. Three. My world tour of three shows. No, that's awesome.

27:39 We love. Are you doing. So you're doing to support this. These. The songs that you have out now and you have. And you're also doing that rad ending festival, the one in Arizona. I'm so excited. I'm so. As a fan of music. I am just like so geeked because the Fray is playing well, other than 21 pilots. Duh. Like, I get to sing your date. Yeah. Is so good. I get to sing out of single life. And I've already planned, like, I need to be drunk. I just need to get a little tipsy and sing that song and then I'm fine. Okay. So you have to see when your set list ends and then when theirs begins and how much you have to drink before you get to the point where they're gonna play out how to. Save life I lost. Yeah. I'm so excited. I'm doing this tour to support these new songs.

28:43 But it's also more of just me, you know, coming back and letting people know. Hey, guys. Like, it's really for me just to get back into Putting myself out there and being on a stage. I haven't done more than just a one off acoustic set since 2023, so it's been years. I know. And I'm a little nervous. I. People start going on the treadmill, singing their songs for three hours a day. I. I don't know if I have. Two weeks is enough to get a six pack and through my set, but we will see.

29:26 You're gonna kill it. Is it. Was it different doing the tour independently versus having a label help you out with it? Well, of course it's. Now you have to deal with the boring stuff like money. Sure. Having a label really is like having a father with a Amex and you're swipe, swipe, swipe, I don't care. Swipe, swipe, swipe. Because they'll deal with it until they don't. But for the most part in reason, they can deal with it doing it. DIY. I'm driving my minivan. Everyone's getting in my 2007 Town and Country minivan and them. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it. I wish you were playing Nashville in this tour. I'm bummed. I wish, I wish I was too, but I. I will hopefully play Nashville next year.

30:28 Fingers gone. Okay. Well, if you do, I'm going. So. I appreciate you doing this again. Thank you so much, Cate. It's always great to have you. You've been on this more. I've had a couple other times. Do three times before you four. You have the most appearances. This is the record score. Okay. Let's make it five and then six. Don't threaten me. I'll have you on a million more times. So thank you so much. Thank you. I do have one more question. I asked you every other time, but I'm going to ask again if you have any advice for aspiring artists. Get out of your own head. Do whatever you need to do to get out of your own head. Go book that therapy or meditate. But oh my God, stop. Get out of your own head. Listen. Listen to yourself.

31:31 Bringing it backward, bringing it backward, bringing it backward, bring it backward, bring it backward, bring it backward.