[00:00:00] Jordan Smith Reynolds: What's up, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the song saloon. If you enjoy it, please do share this episode with a friend and I think you will enjoy it. This is Fresh Hot Waffles I had a really great time talking to them.

Before going into the episode, I do want to make you aware that this episode has explicit language. Now, on to the episode.

[00:00:35] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Welcome to the song saloon, I'm with my friends, uh, Fresh Hot Waffles, fresh hot waffles is a witchy folk duo from Los Angeles, California True to their name their live performances are full of fresh hot vibrant energy and their self produced studio recordings complement their already outstanding live shows between the heart melting voice of lead singer maddie fraser and the beautiful harmonies of guitarist Ryan Spitzel. 

[00:00:59] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yep. 

[00:01:00] Jordan Smith Reynolds: I got it Ryan Spitzel, it's no wonder Fresh Hot Waffles is commonly referred to as the witchiest band in the West. Yeah, thanks for being here guys.

[00:01:08] Fresh Hot Waffles: Can you believe, like, someone wrote that about us? And we didn't write that about ourselves. Yeah,

that wasn't even us. Someone else wrote that. I was just a fan. We 

[00:01:16] Jordan Smith Reynolds: just a fan. That's that's so nice of them.

[00:01:19] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. Really nice words from a stranger, Yeah,

Not from us. 

[00:01:24] Jordan Smith Reynolds: my goodness I got to find more strangers like that in my 

[00:01:27] Fresh Hot Waffles: I know. Yeah. Los Angeles. Everyone's so kind. Yeah. 

[00:01:31] Jordan Smith Reynolds:

so the song we were looking at today is "Monsters Aren't Scary." where did that come in your songwriting process, you said you've been writing for like a year, and it's one of the three singles you have. Yeah. Where did this one fall in that timeframe? 

[00:01:42] Fresh Hot Waffles: This was it was one of our first ones. Yeah, I think it was one of the first songs that we know C'est la vie was the first song that we finished, right? Yes, but it was different. It was yeah, but wasn't monsters like right after this one? Yeah, we rewrote it like pretty early on. Um, and finished it on my patio 

[00:02:01] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Mm-Hmm. . 

[00:02:01] Fresh Hot Waffles: we were like, this is a fucking banger.

And we made my boyfriend and my friend at the, my friend was there. Oh, Cheyenne. It was Jordana. It was Jordana? Yeah. Jordana, my friend Jordana, who's an amazing songwriter. Um, Jordana Lilly, very poppy and happy. But she came over and we were like, you gotta hear it. And we like made them listen to it.

But I remember when Ryan wrote it, cause it's, In one mood and then it kind of builds and then it builds again. Yeah, it's like a double chorus Yeah, it just keeps it going. You're like, whoa Um, but when he first wrote it, he wrote it like a very high key So I was like 

[00:02:35] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Oh yeah.

[00:02:38] Fresh Hot Waffles: Super fucking high so we got we had to kind of like figure it out how it was gonna work Um and still keep that like energy that builds because that's what I think makes the song good is that it You're like, that was the chorus. And you're like, no, it's not. And then we, then we fuck you in the face with another chorus, you know?

so that was like one of our earlier, we always open our shows with that one. yeah.

It's like an easy one. It's so in the pocket. It's just in the pocket. Like, I feel like we could not play that song for like a year. And if someone could request it and be like, yeah, all right. It's just so much fun to play too.

It is. Yeah. Yeah. So early, the answer is early. Early. Yeah. Like eight months ago. The early days. Yeah. 

[00:03:13] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. So like formative for your group if 

you like, like 

[00:03:16] Fresh Hot Waffles: yeah. 

folky, but like, also, I don't know, what are the words you'd use to describe it? like um, yeah, I mean, Witchy, It's a little witchy. Yeah, 

[00:03:24] Jordan Smith Reynolds: which showed up in the bio. 

[00:03:26] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. exactly. Which, you know, we claim to, Yeah.

Which a stranger wrote about us. And it's, I mean, anyone who, anyone who is listening who knows our catalog of music so far, I mean, we, we wrote Monsters, uh, way before Coca Cola.

Coca Cola, which was our first single, happened, like, five months after Monsters. 

And we, the other thing too is we wanted to write, I think we had like a catalogue maybe of like eight or nine songs before we even started recording, you know? Cause like, I, believe, and I think Ryan agrees, tell me if I'm wrong, that like, when you write a song, you have to kind of like try it on a little bit, and like, when you play it in front of an audience, you kind of see what like, they respond to, what doesn't work, like, You let the song kind of sit on you a little bit, and you say things and phrase things differently.

Tempos change. So I don't like to like finish a song and then be like, let's just record it. Totally. Because it's never the best version I think. It changes so much. It changes so much, and often like you'll see like your favorite band play. Like I saw Paramore like does like a version of, The only exception, I think, where they're like, it's totally different and it's because she's been playing it and singing it for, for so many years that it just kind of like changes and grows with you.

So we played all of our songs for like. Like a solid eight months. Yeah. Um, before we put any pen to paper. Yeah. And recorded anything. 

[00:04:47] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Hey, Jordan from the future here. Uh, we just started talking and having a great time. So I never really officially introduced Fresh Hot Waffles's live performance. So that's what this is now. 

monsters aren't scary, by fresh out waffles. 

All right. 

[00:07:36] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yay. 

[00:07:36] Jordan Smith Reynolds: So good. Thank you.

[00:07:37] Fresh Hot Waffles: you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

[00:07:39] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, just kind of that bubbly folk pop thing. It's just, yeah, super fun.

I want to get a little more brightness into my music personally like that. So, it's inspiring. So, I do really like what you're doing.

[00:07:52] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. I mean, I think both of us were kind of tired of wah wah, like, sad songs. We have some, we have some wah wahs. There's some, yeah. We have wahs. Yeah, I call them wah wahs, because it's like, I'm so sad. Yeah. Um, which is Sad boy songs.

Has its time and place, you know? Yeah, But 

[00:08:07] Jordan Smith Reynolds: it does.

[00:08:08] Fresh Hot Waffles: time, like, I want to feel joy most of the time. 

[00:08:11] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Mm hmm. 

I would say most of my catalog is probably in that wah wah 

[00:08:14] Fresh Hot Waffles: wha Yeah, 

There's, there's a time and place for it, like Maddie said. 

[00:08:18] Jordan Smith Reynolds: I have a song called Whatever You Plant Will Grow. That's probably the closest to this kind of feel that 

[00:08:24] Fresh Hot Waffles: Cool. Yeah. What a great title too. Oh 

[00:08:27] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Thank you, Um, Do you do a lot of co writing? do you write the songs together?

[00:08:31] Fresh Hot Waffles: So I, proudly, Ryan, Ryan writes most of it.

[00:08:35] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. 

[00:08:35] Fresh Hot Waffles: I will say. It was actually kind of perfect because Ryan was looking for, you know, someone to write for, I think. And I had just come out of a writing duo where I was so sick of writing. so he was, he was sick of singing. I was sick of writing. Yeah.

it worked out. It was super serendipitous, like how we met too. It was just like, We were like, hey, like, you're awesome. And, and then Maddie was like, oh, you're awesome. And then we were just like, let's be in a band. And that's kind of like how simple it was, really. I say he duped me, he duped me. I did dupe you a little bit.

He said, he said, I have a song I really want your voice on. And it was like the test of us able to hang, you know? Yeah, like working. And we had a great hang. Yeah, it was good. So, it just kept going from there. I never released the song. No, never released the song. Yeah. I gotcha now. Yeah. we're in a band. But like Ryan will come with like, you know, more than a skeleton of a song.

And then we'll kind of like talk through a little, like maybe like melodic choices or word choices, but Ryan does. My brooding boy does all of, all of the writing, so I help. No, Yeah?

I mean, I will say like, cause we've only been a band now for like a year. Like if that, like writing wise, you know, we've known each other a little bit more than a year.

But like Maddie, over the time that we've been like writing songs and stuff has definitely like Played more of a hand into like the songwriting and the lyrics and the melodies and the so it's Nice.

It's nice to not feel alone Like as much as I like writing music and then just like giving it to maddie and she sings It's nice to still be able to like write together.

Sometimes he writes things and i'm like i'm not saying that. Yeah. That's true we both had been in like different projects and stuff and we're kind of both doing solo things and being like, Oh, I can do this alone. when we met. So yeah, it was serendipitous is the word. Um, 

[00:10:21] Jordan Smith Reynolds: are you doing solo projects as well at the same time as this, or is this kind of the main focus?

[00:10:27] Fresh Hot Waffles: our main focus for each of us.

I, I, it's like. Like, our passion and our creativity and our fun also, but Ryan is like an amazing producer and, and has done some, some work for some friends and if people need like a song put together and mixed, Ryan will do that. I, my, how I make money is I sing background vocals. So I sing background vocals for a reality TV star's fun, funky band and we travel the United States.

It's cool. Um, they're, they're good. Yeah. So when I'm not doing that, I'm doing fresh out waffles. So. 

[00:10:57] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, and what's the, what's the band you said for the vocals?

[00:11:02] Fresh Hot Waffles: um, hi, his name's Tom Sandoval and he is on a, he's, he is on a show called Van Pump Rules. it's about like a bunch of like bartenders and servers. in Hollywood chasing a dream. Um, but the show has been on for 10 years and they've become like restauranteurs and musicians and the used their fame to platform other things.

So he has a band, under his name. And then I, I, I'm the background singer. 

[00:11:28] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Okay. Awesome.

[00:11:29] Fresh Hot Waffles: I get a solo every now and then. 

[00:11:32] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Very good. Very 

[00:11:34] Fresh Hot Waffles: it's really fucking fun. It's all cover songs. So like my solos are like groove is in the heart. Yeah, and I

want you back from the Jackson 5 So it's cool. Um, they have like because they're they're touring they're in like a proper tour bus and stuff Yes, so yeah, they got like a bus But I was like, Oh, cool.

Like we can see like what we like and what we don't like about like being on tour cuz Maddie's 

like doing the thing You know, yeah, so I mean obviously we want to be on tour at some point so it's like alright like now we can see like what we want to do and what we don't want to do and like What she likes, what she doesn't like.

Never again Sprinter van tour. Only bus.

[00:12:09] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah.

[00:12:10] Fresh Hot Waffles: have a little bit of money to do that. Yeah.

It's worth spending though. But now we know. We wouldn't have known that. That's true. 

[00:12:15] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. And when you perform, it's just a duo, right? You don't bring other musicians on board? Or is that a plan in the future to do that? Or what's, 

[00:12:23] Fresh Hot Waffles: I think we want to, I'm, I'm getting, I'm learning bass so that we can add bass, um, because I play piano a little bit and guitar a little bit, but Ryan holds down that rhythm guitar. So if we could just add the low end, I think that'd be fun. Yeah, the low end of the bass. It's funny because I have a bass, like pretty much only for recording purposes, you know, now I have it.

And now it's at, yeah.

now it's at Maddie's. And she's taking lessons with one of her good friends. Yeah. one of my bandmates from Tom's band, Mia. She's amazing, an amazing bassist. So, she's teaching me some things. And a great musician, too. 

Great musician. We've talked about it. We played, Um, a soft spot show at Desert 5 where they had a house band.

Yeah. And they were awesome. We played with the house band. It's fun. But, you know, when you get your, like, rhythm and thing down, you know, we're like, we really like the milk carton kids. Yeah. Sierra Farrell, people like that. So we really want to keep it kind of acoustic y. Yeah, we've said if anything at any point, we would probably have like a percussionist more so than like a drummer.

You know? Someone who just has like a shit ton of, like, things and weird stuff that you didn't even know was a Yeah, not like a full kit, but like a like a like a brush. Yeah, brushes and shakers and tambourines and And someone who is like, simultaneously, like, hopping on rhythm guitar. Perhaps. If it doesn't need, you know Maybe a little mandolin, you know?

Yeah, mandolin, things like that, for sure.

[00:13:41] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, so I'm very curious about how you all met. you mentioned that you, you, you started off just kind of like, oh, we should come over and sing on a song. Where was that? Where did you, where did you hear each other perform?

[00:13:54] Fresh Hot Waffles: So a friend of our mutual friend of ours, um, Elizabeth Wolf, if you know her, uh, was starting like a YouTube series that was like musical theater genre bent, like, Live videos, so she brought me on as like a, a vocalist and a background vocalist And then Ryan was there to run the sound for the day, kind of, and help like oversee the mixing and stuff Um, but it ended up being a really like, not a long shoot because shoots take a while But it was just like kind of a long day and we ended up scrapping some of the background vocals, so I ended up just like hanging in the back drinking Trulies and Ryan was also hangin in the back drinkin Trulies.

And so we were just like chit chattin and I was thinking about that the other day. I was like, it's crazy to think that back then, we had no idea. Yeah. Like, what was about to happen. We had no clue. Yeah. but we were just talking and we had a lot of like, similar Rainee was there. Rainee Blake was there.

Rainee Blake was there. also singing. An amazing musician and vocalist. She runs Soft Spot at, um Desert 5. Desert 5 now. Yeah, Rainee I love Rainee he's going forever about Raine yeah, that's how we met. We just were like chit chatting and talked about where he moved from and where I was from. And we had a lot of like similar interests and stuff.

And then, exchanged Instagrams. And then he DM'd me about a song that he wanted me on and I was like, I'm down. And then we hung out. It was a good hang. And then we just It was a good song too. It's a great song! It's not necessarily like our genre. It's not at all. It's like very And it was too high for your voice.

It was It's crazy that you remember it. I have really good pitch. I'm just kidding. No, you have good pitch. but, yeah, so it just ended, it kind of snowballed from there. And then we started writing stuff. We haven't even Released some of our first stuff that we wrote. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I would say, so we have the three singles that are out right now.

Yeah. We have a folk EP on the way, like a traditional folk EP. Almost done, Yeah. And then we have like four or five other songs that we've written that we'll eventually like release and stuff, but. 

[00:15:54] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Is there a release date 

[00:15:55] Fresh Hot Waffles: would say before that we have, we had like maybe three or four songs that we just trashed. Yeah. We like wrote them and then just like we trashed 'em.

Yeah. We were like, eh, not our best. So yeah. But it was like us learning how we, how to write together and how we work together. Yeah. What key? My voice? Yeah. , what was your question? You said you, you 

[00:16:13] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Oh, I said, is there a release date for the EP?

[00:16:16] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah.

I mean, not quite yet. I think all the three singles that we have out. are gonna be like included in it, um, we have three more songs that we just finished two of them.

We just have one more to record and then just vocally too. Yeah. we're kind of trying to like, you know, both of us have released music, separately under different names and what I've kind of learned. That I want to do not necessarily that it's the best idea because I don't really know what the best idea is But is that I would like to do one by one and then just shove that one down the throats of as many people As I can so like we released our first song was coca cola and we just like submitted that and shoved it and played it and like Forced people to stream it, you know, and that got a decent amount.

Yeah It did. Well, I fit I find that like when someone's like listen to this song I'm willing to listen to it when someone sends me seven songs as a musician even I'm like Yeah, unless you're like already a fan exactly. Yeah, and then even then I might not listen. Yeah, I think so For this round, at least, we're gonna do like, just one at a time, and then kind of put them all together.

So. I do graphic design, uh, like, to make money on the side, you know? Um, so it makes the releasing process and the marketing process and the coming up with ads process really easy. Cause it's just kind of what I do already. Cause he has a degree in it. Yeah, I do. I do 

[00:17:37] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Oh, that's, that's super handy.

[00:17:39] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, it's super convenient.

Uh, it's great. How about you? Do you have stuff coming out? 

[00:17:44] Jordan Smith Reynolds: I have a lot of plans for stuff to come out, but nothing, like, really set. I have like four songs that I really want to record, but that's the stage it's in. It's like the song is pretty well complete and I feel really good about it. I just need to get into the studio and start recording again.

[00:18:01] Fresh Hot Waffles: Do you do your studio work yourself? 

[00:18:03] Jordan Smith Reynolds: typically no, but that's also kind of what I'm debating is how much of a role I want to take in these next few songs. I have, A lot of the equipment that I need and the recording experience, to at least do like demo worthy stuff and, yeah, and I have a few friends that have, some home studio kind of setups that I would probably go and get the full thing, like the, the final take recorded, yeah,

[00:18:26] Fresh Hot Waffles: You should use Ryan, yeah, he's really 

good. yeah, I 

mean I'm mostly a mastering engineer, but yeah, let me know. He's real good at what he does. Thanks. 

[00:18:34] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, we should definitely chat 

[00:18:35] Fresh Hot Waffles: for sure, hit me up. 

[00:18:36] Jordan Smith Reynolds: especially from like the mixing mastering point like I would always be sending that out to someone else Anyway, I want to start doing more in like the arranging space and I don't feel super confident about that yet, but I do want to get better at it.

So, 

um, i'll at least stumble through some songs, you know and

[00:18:56] Fresh Hot Waffles: oh, definitely. And, I mean, one of the coolest, like, pieces of advice that I was given for songwriting, like, way back in the day, uh, I was probably like, maybe 13 or 14. I was having a hard time, like, finishing songs, you know I would always start them, or I'd always come up with a cool idea, and then never really finish it. Um, and my music mentor at the time, he was like, Why don't you just write, like, a verse, a chorus, another verse, and then an outro. And it would be like a minute long, or like a minute thirty. Um, and he just had me do that like six or seven times, you know?

And once I kinda got the hang of just like actually finishing something, that was like, life changing. And so now it's not hard. And it only took like a few short times of like finishing a song, you know?

[00:19:37] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah,

[00:19:38] Fresh Hot Waffles: So you should do that with arranging, yeah. 

Arrange a couple of short little guys. Yeah, keep it short for sure, like, don't feel like it has to be long, you know.

And, I mean, me giving advice. I hate when people give me advice. So take that with a grain of salt. Every time I give Ryan advice, he slaps me across the face. Who do you think you are? Shut up! Yeah,

I know better! 

[00:19:58] Jordan Smith Reynolds: and so yeah, You had mentioned like touring and wanting to tour five to six days out of the week. I think, house concerts in general is a really good way to do that. Is that kind of what you're leaning towards or would it be more kind of like traditional venues you're looking at doing more consistently? 

[00:20:13] Fresh Hot Waffles: I don't know. I'm not picky. I'm not picky. I think, I guess ideally a combination of both. yeah.

I've played to like, like, like 20 people, 10 people. I've played, we've played, we've played, Oh my god, we've played to like 5 people. That was one of my favorite shows, too. And it was so much fun.

It was so fun. So much fun. Made a little money, you know. Got out of there, made some friends. And then I've played venues where, like, it's like a thousand people or like two thousand people. Like these giant venues. And that's so fun because you're like sweating and jumping up and down. You can't see anyone because the lights are so bright.

Lights are bright. And, Yeah.

like I said, I sing with a, I sing background vocals and we do like cover music, big band, the ten piece band, nine piece band. So, like, that's a very. Very different vibe than our two man acoustic folk songs. Do you know what I mean? So, I think a combination of both, if you have a willing and active listening audience, you should be happy.

Whether it's five people or five hundred, you know? 

[00:21:10] Jordan Smith Reynolds: 100 percent agree. Yeah. someone on the podcast, Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, she was actually one of my first guests on it, and I think you'd really like her music, too. 

She, 

[00:21:18] Fresh Hot Waffles: write me a list of names. yeah. honestly. 

[00:21:19] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, I'll have to send it to you. Um, but she's been making her, uh, her living, Basically doing live performance stuff and has really made a killing in house like concert kind of stuff and has realized that Like, you know, she's played a lot of venues with people And you make almost nothing because the venue will take quite a bit and you know, there's that whole experience but you can actually make money off of a tour If it's a house concert situation and people are into it.

So I was really Interested in what she had to say about it. I think that would 

[00:21:51] Fresh Hot Waffles: I'd love to pick her brain. Or at least listen to her voice, you know? That's not something I had really thought about either. It's like touring with house concerts, you know? Yeah

And that's more our vibe anyways, you know? 

People care more, you know? 

[00:22:03] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, and it's, especially when it's, you know, folk music like this, it feels, it feels at home. 

Um, it feels really good doing it in a venue like that.

[00:22:13] Fresh Hot Waffles: What's that concert series, now I'm drawing a blank, that.

like, it's like, they don't send you the address till the day of. Oh, uh, so far? 

so far? Yeah. Yeah, those are fun. So Far LA, yeah. They're very much like, put your phone away. Yeah, they are. We're gonna be here today. I love that vibe though, it's uh huh.

Yeah. Active listening. Active listening, yeah. People who like, want the music. Cause I mean, how many times have we all played a show where it's just like You're battling with the front of the houses, like, like, I mean, even at like, Hotel Cafe, there's like that front bar where people are like, you know, um, the Hotel Cafe is a great venue too.

But, um, just like, I mean, people just talking and you're just background music, you know? So, Open Folk is another great one where they just like, they tell you before the show starts, like, listen, or, or leave, you know? 

[00:23:02] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yep. 

[00:23:03] Fresh Hot Waffles: back or something. 

[00:23:05] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, and as far as we're shouting out people like that, have you been to the Lazy River open mic? 

[00:23:10] Fresh Hot Waffles: No. No. 

[00:23:11] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Okay, that one's great. Um, they started up just this past year in Silver Lake Lounge. 

[00:23:16] Fresh Hot Waffles: I, oh, I, love hell yeah. Okay. 

[00:23:19] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yeah, and they do a great 

[00:23:20] Fresh Hot Waffles: River job. 

[00:23:21] Jordan Smith Reynolds: curating it and making sure it's 

[00:23:22] Fresh Hot Waffles: need to make sure we like get all the notes. I need a list. Yeah, we need a list of artists and places. Honestly, maybe I'll just start writing one. Yeah, I 

know, right? on just off camera?

Yeah, just, Yeah,

[00:23:33] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yes, awesome. Yeah, and I'll need the same from, from y'all because I know you're, you're doing a lot of 

[00:23:38] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah,

totally, yeah,

Maddie's the better, you know, we hadn't really talked about that, but like, one of the main things we noticed when we first got together was like, Like, it's cool, because I can do the recording, and I can do the graphics, and then, but Maddie knows like, everyone in LA, because she grew up here, you know, and like, not only that, but she's like, You are famous, you know what?

I mean?

I'm not famous. You are, though. You are. Like, in like the, this community that we have, everyone knows Maddie. The amount of times that I go to a show and I don't know what to say to these new people I'm meeting, so I go, oh, like, do you know Maddie Fraser? And they're like, Oh, yeah, I love Maddie. Like, It's because I'm famous.

Without fail. Yeah. Exactly. No, I just found that.

way. Yeah.

Well, Los Angeles is so cool because there's a really, really big comedy scene, and I grew up doing comedy, I did comedy before I sang, so, 

there's a lot of intermingling of the musicians and the comedians, so I'm just lucky, I think, but, fun fact, do you know, Stevie Nicks and Kathy Griffin are like best friends, and they go on writing retreats together, we're She'll write, like, stand up, and Stevie Nicks will, like, write new songs.

Isn't that amazing? That's iconic. I 

didn't know that. That's so cool. Isn't that Amazing. They go hand in hand. They do! One of my best friends, her name's Cheyenne Perez, and she's, like, a brilliant comedian. I love Cheyenne. And we used to write a lot, like, side by side. Like, she'd be writing some comedy sketch or something.

She's so funny, too. It's a one man show, and I'd be writing some tunes. So, it's just, yeah, there's a nice overlap in L. A. Of that. Yeah. We're playing a comedy show tomorrow. We're playing a comedy show tomorrow at the PAC Theater. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:25:14] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Amazing.

[00:25:15] Fresh Hot Waffles: Amazing. I know 

[00:25:17] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. I have a question for you with the comedy connection. so I mean, improv is a huge part of that and I think one of the things that really connects songwriting really well to comedy. it's just that ability to think and, and create on the spot when, especially in a collaborative setting.

This may just have never been an issue for you, but like, what, what do you do with like, when your brain just like turns off and you get like the brain fog and you're in a collaborating session or like where you're improv ing and just don't feel like anything's coming or you get in your head about stuff.

What are some of your tools for, for getting out? 

I guess just like uh, 

[00:25:54] Fresh Hot Waffles: like, like, speak. It's like force your body to make sounds. And then the rest will follow. You know what I mean? I think, I started doing improv actually when I was 13. my coach, brilliant lady, Natasha Arnold. She's definitely not listening. But Natasha, you're great! Um, but, uh, she used to say all of the time.

You know, 13 year olds like trying to make each other laugh. Humiliating. But she used to say, um, if you pretend you're okay. And I know that you're okay and that I'm okay, then the audience can be okay. and I think, you know, when you're on stage and you start freaking out, no matter what setting you're in, if it's playing music or doing a play or sketch or improv, like if you have, you have to just calm yourself and say, I'm okay.

And I know that you're okay. In that way, the audience will be okay. They'll like me. You know what I mean? If I'm calm. If I'm chill. If you start freaking out and obviously show that nothing's okay, and you go, Ah, I fucked up my words! Or, I fucked up that line! Or, Oh god, I sound like shit! Then the audience starts worrying for you, and then they get super, super uncomfortable.

And that's my thing. My whole thing is like, make your audience feel super fine. Like, you have to just be like, I'm fine. I'm fine. Honestly, I feel like we subscribe to that before the music. Yeah. Like, it's definitely for other people first. I mean, you know, they go, they go hand in hand, like, you have to like what you're doing.

Totally. Otherwise, I can't sell it to you. Like, why would you, why would I want you to listen to my bullshit if I don't even like it? You know? but I guess, like, you know, people are like, I'll snap my bracelet and tell myself to chill. But it's like, no, just, like, take a deep breath and say, like, I'm fine.

Like, I'm fine. Yeah. Because the only time you're not fine is when you start, like, visibly showing that you're not fine. And it's like I think. Yeah.

it's like a downward spiral from there. Yeah.

because then everyone's like, I'm worried about you, and then everything you do is, is bad after that, you know? Not bad, but So the advice is Just chill out. My advice, 

yeah. To answer your question. Fucking calm down, you're fine. You're fine. Yeah. 

[00:27:57] Jordan Smith Reynolds: I actually really liked that advice for, cause I'm looking at it more from 

[00:28:00] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, 

[00:28:01] Jordan Smith Reynolds: situation, you know, when it just feels like you're writing, like the lyrics aren't coming or something. And sometimes I'll get in that space like, Oh, we don't have an idea right now. We should have an idea right now.

And I, you know, I kind of go down that spiral. I think putting yourself on like a, You're on stage actually might be really helpful for me. because when I'm on stage, I can get into that, that state of like trying to get the audience to feel okay 

[00:28:25] Fresh Hot Waffles: boom. boom. Yeah.

Well, Ryan, what would you say, like, when you get, like, in a writing funk or, like, if you don't have, like, a lyric idea? 

You know, the this wall behind me, and it's kind of sparse right now, and there's a there's a wall on the opposite side of this camera right now, anytime that I don't know what to write about, I'll either use this wall or go on Pinterest, um, and I'll write to, like, the vibe of, the postcard or, 

like, the the cool image, and it's, like, without fail, it works every time.

And it doesn't necessarily create a good song every time, but it always takes me from like not knowing what to do Yeah. and then being able to at least come up with like the energy that I need to keep going You know and not just put my guitar down or put my voice down if we're talking comedy And you know just step away.

It's it's

[00:29:15] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. Can you give me an example of like when you use the wall 

or 

[00:29:19] Fresh Hot Waffles: actually, um, the, so, uh, I don't think, so it's like just off camera, there's a, there's a poster up here of, um, the zodiac signs, like all the, and it's like a bunch of just like the star constellations, so it's, you know, like Taurus and all that stuff, but like, The constellations. Um, and 

that's where one of our songs we, is it, what's the, where we say star crossed lovers?

Couple of stars. Coca cola. Coca cola. That's how I wrote that song. I literally was looking at that poster and was like, oh, I should write something about like star crossed lovers. Cause that's like such a cool concept. And like the star, the picture of the stars. So it's like, it's literally that simple.

It's like, oh,

 I don't know what to write. Oh.

look. Look around you. Some stars. And then that's where Starcrossed Lovers, and now everyone sings the words back to us. Everyone! Yeah. And if you don't, then get out. I mean, to piggyback on it, I heard a quote a while ago, and I hope I don't butcher it, God, but it's, good writing makes, the intangible tangible, and bad writing makes the tangible intangible, or something like That So it's like being like, you know, like, the cloudy bookshelf is.

bad, but it's like making like a feeling like, pain tangible by like describing like A light left on after your mom passed away. Do you know what I mean? Like, like, a 

tangible thing that reflects a feeling. Joni Mitchell's my favorite songwriter.

So good. And she's, she calls herself a painter first. Like, if you ask her what she is, she says, I'm a painter. Which I just think is ridiculous, Joni. That's so badass. She's so cool! She's like, Oh, writing songs. But when you listen to her words, like, it's, they're, um They're visual interpretations, like you see, and you smell, and you hear, and you feel.

And that's what gives you what she's talking about, you know what I mean? one of my favorite lines is, uh, it's called Coyote is the song and she says, um, She's just like hooked up with this guy and he's at, Uh at a diner the next morning and he says, Coyote's in a coffee shop staring a hole in his scrambled eggs.

He picks up my scent on his fingers while he's watching the waitress's legs. And it's like, cause he's a bad man with eyes for everyone. And like, he can still smell her on him, but he's now looking at another woman. You know what I mean? Like, she's so fucking good at like, like, and so I, I use that a lot.

If ever I'm writing, if ever I get around to writing, but just like, like physical, tangible things that make you feel a certain way. You know, and using that instead of saying like, I'm sad, you know, like instead of saying your emotion metaphorical, like, Yeah.

Yeah.

Using tangible things, you know, 

[00:31:48] Jordan Smith Reynolds: and that's honestly why I'm really drawn to folk in general, is just the visual, the visuals you get in the lyrics 

are 

just Are my favorite. 

[00:31:57] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. How do you, what's your writing process? 

[00:32:02] Jordan Smith Reynolds: it's a lot of, a lot of meandering. I feel like, it's really weird because I'll have a life experience or something like that, and then I'll write something that comes pretty quick.

Typically, like, last year, a friend of mine, uh, passed away really suddenly. And, uh, yeah, it was like, that week I sat down, finished song, like, started writing the song and then two days later was finished, which is really fast for me. 

[00:32:24] Fresh Hot Waffles: That is fast. 

[00:32:26] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, and I may still go back and change like a little tiny bit, I've been thinking about revisiting it before I record it, but then there's songs that will just wander for a really long time, like, uh, I have a song called Please that was on my EP, The Deepest of Blues.

And that one started off as a completely different song. Like the chorus wasn't what it was, but like there was like a kernel of something I really liked. So I'll rewrite the chorus until it's finally something that, you know, I actually really connect with. 

But it is typically lyric first I'm really drawn to lyrics naturally So it's it's yeah, it's typically a line or an idea that that gets me into to writing song 

[00:33:06] Fresh Hot Waffles: Cool. Well, Yeah.

or like life just forces a song out of you. Yeah.

[00:33:10] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Mm hmm.

[00:33:11] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, 

I find with, uh, when it comes to lyrics first, a lot of times that like drives The rhythm, you know, because of the syllables, like, in the phrase that you wrote or whatever. So it's such an interesting way. It's like so different, you know, than if you were to write the chords first, and then having to fit the words into those syllables that, you know, you have the space for.

I'm the opposite. I'm a, I'm a melody girl. Melody? I'm a melody lady. Gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, but I'm a singer. We cover all three. Yeah, we made it. Yeah, we're 

perfect. 

[00:33:41] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Uh huh

[00:33:42] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, I don't know. I'm in a happy relationship now, which, you know, good for me. But I just miss the mountains of heartbreak and terrible men.

Because I would always pump out a new song, you know? Like, after every bad man, there'd 

[00:33:56] Jordan Smith Reynolds: all the wah wah 

[00:33:57] Fresh Hot Waffles: a tune. Yeah. Yeah, the wah wah song. 

Yeah, all my wah wahs. Yeah. 

[00:34:02] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yeah, and that can be really tricky too I'd love to hear your perspective on this because I do think writing more upbeat kind of fun Both can be a lot more challenging lyrically, at least like from a point where you know, you're not just Constantly criticizing and be like, Oh, it's kind of corny or, uh, you know, this and that.

what's your experience with that? Writing more upbeat stuff.

[00:34:25] Fresh Hot Waffles: can I start? Please! Yeah, sure. I'll start and then Maddie can piggyback. Please! So, cause I agree with you completely. It's like, it can be corny really quick if you're not careful. Um, and what I have found works best for me, is stepping into the shoes of something that's one, either not real, or two, super whimsical, or three, Almost, Uh like childlike.

Like, we have a song, that will come out eventually, about owning a lemonade stand and selling lemonade. It's pretty great. Um, and it's cool. It's cool. And it's like, it's like so, it's like, it's not camp, but it's like, it's so making fun of itself that it like doesn't matter. And it's just happy.

That's like the short answer is like, Yeah.

if it's like, Most of the time I'm trying to think of some scenario that's like whimsical like I'm currently working on a song right now That's gonna be set in like medieval times with like knights and dragons. You are. Yeah. This is news to me. Yeah Yeah, that's what I was saying like, um Joan Baez.

I got like even though she doesn't write her own songs joan Baez. Well, she writes a couple but she's a folk singer. Yeah, right, right, right. It's it's like traditional Like I'm doing like traditional folk sound but with like whimsical and doesn't exist words, you know But then there are songs like we are one of our next singles is gonna be "my love my friend" and it's very serious and it's about death and Songs like that.

Yeah, I don't really have a lot of in between, huh? Yeah, it's only joy and absolute misery Yeah, there's so like yeah, I think that like further elaborates your point if it's a little too, like, cheesy, it's just, like, it gets thrown away really quick, you know, and it's like, so it either has to be, like, really just, like, funny, and awesome, and fun, or very serious, you know, there's not a lot of in between with folk.

[00:36:11] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah.

[00:36:12] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, I think also some of our Some of our songs, like, like, if you listen to the lyrics, like, um, we have a song called C'est La Vie and it's like not actually happy words though, but like the, the tempo is upbeat, you know? Yeah.

that juxtaposition, I'm all about that. And you know, not to Abuse my goddess, but Joni Mitchell says that all good songs are a mixture of happy and sad.

Yeah 

[00:36:35] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. Mm 

[00:36:36] Fresh Hot Waffles: you're extremely happy, they're like you can feel some sadness. Yeah, or everything beautiful is a mixture. Totally. That is what she says That's what I wanted to say. No, yeah, I mean like it made me realize so I'm going through so much So many things in life right now. It's such a bad time.

I know and it's it's not even worth going into into this podcast It's just like sad, you know So and everyone has gone through this whether they're going through it currently or something in the past or in the future It's always like these seasons that we hit right? It's like happy sad fun, whatever I'm going through a sad season right now, and um, Fortunately, we, we have this catalog of music that we've done that we're kind of finishing, so it's like we're, and they're fun, and they're nice sounding and happy, um, and like, I've been trying to write for stuff that we'll release in the future, and every, it's Everything he writes, I'm like, okay, 

[00:37:32] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah.

[00:37:33] Fresh Hot Waffles: that's really pretty, Ryan.

Almost to the point that where I want to just like start recording it and for myself and just, Yeah.

Just so I can like get it out. and like, but yeah, so, but we're, we're on, we're on the ups, we're on the ups. But yeah, it's it's definitely hard I mean talk I'm going on and on about songwriting, but I could talk about it for hours, but it's like 

Thanks 

[00:37:58] Jordan Smith Reynolds: is the, place to

 do it. 

[00:37:59] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. totally 

[00:38:00] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah.

[00:38:02] Fresh Hot Waffles: I think most songwriters would agree with me that when you are stuck in a place or in a motion, that's just, like, one dimensional, you know?

It's like, you can't see past, past the red, you know? It's just like, that's all you got. And, um Ugh, there's nothing worse, because you, you wake up and you feel that way, and you go to sleep, and you're trying to not feel that way, and you convince yourself that That that's not what you're feeling, but then it's still what you're feeling, and even if you convince yourself otherwise, your music is never gonna lie to you.

So it's like, it's all, you're just looking in a mirror every single time you write, and it's just, so I feel anyone who's listening to this, if you're stuck in an emotion, One emotion and you're a songwriter? Get through that shit. You just gotta get through it. You gotta pound it out. Yeah, Oh, yeah, You gotta write those sad songs.

There's always there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can't see it.

yet, you know, 

[00:38:57] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. Thank you for that. Um, and that's super relatable. I actually wrote like, um, this was a few months ago, but I wrote like two or three, give up LA is hard songs, like, right in a row. Yeah, and now I'm feeling I'm kind of getting out of that similarly and like I'm going on more of an upswing for 

stuff But yeah, they all kind of came out and that's that's all that was coming out So I had to had to kind of write the songs and get them out there. 

[00:39:26] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, totally do you find when you're writing that you kinda just like, discover things? 

When you're writing music, do you find that you're just kind of discovering things out of like, it feels like things are happening to you rather than you happening to to them?

If that?

makes sense? 

Yeah. yeah, Ideally. yeah, 

[00:39:44] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yes. Um, yeah, when I'm feeling really good about a song, it's like, I discover that I'm feeling some certain way as 

[00:39:52] Fresh Hot Waffles: I find it so interesting because like every songwriter ever says that they're always like, oh, yeah, like no, it's not me it's like I'm like discovering these things or I that's such an interesting concept of like just Finding out like the words and the melodies and the and it's like it just happens to you when it's really good That's why I like I mean great songs sometimes take forever.

But like Every great song ever, it's like, I'm sure most of those were probably written in like three, four days, you know? Cause it just, it just happened and it was just so natural and like You were birthing it. Yeah, birthing it. 

[00:40:27] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, yeah, it's so hard to get into that space and I think that's also a testament to like, giving yourself the space to make a really not great song, too, and just enjoying the process, you know, and that's really hard for me to do too. I'm always like, really frustrated when you spend the time to like, sit down for a session and you don't come up with anything usable.

Um, but it's a good reminder to just allow yourself To create, you know, that's, that's what we want to do is just be in the creative spot, like space more often. 

[00:40:55] Fresh Hot Waffles: Totally. You don't need to have an end goal, like performing or 

producing it And finishing it. Yeah. You can just be therapeutic. Just do it. Yeah. that's,

where 

it's nice working with Maddie too, you know, for so long I was like a solo artist and having someone to be sad with or having someone to be happy with makes it that much better, you know? 

[00:41:16] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yeah, absolutely.

[00:41:18] Fresh Hot Waffles: emotion sadness. Honestly, it's kind of true. I'm kidding. No, you, you get sad, but yeah, you're, you're a happy gal for sure. Trying to be chipper. Yeah. You really try. I learn a lot from Maddie. Cause I've had some bad times. Yeah, yeah. You know? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I always think like, if you surround yourself with like people who love you, and if you like make sure that you're surrounded, Yeah,

community, you can get through most things. 

[00:41:42] Jordan Smith Reynolds: for sure.

[00:41:43] Fresh Hot Waffles: Take that time to like blot out your emotions and pour them out into song and then go out to your community when you can, then you can do stuff, you know, you can get through it, so. It's good to, you know, have a friend, have a buddy that, You can be sad and happy with yeah, you said totally 

[00:41:58] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. Absolutely. Um, I know we were going a little long for the episode, but I just 

[00:42:05] Fresh Hot Waffles: have 

a lot of what we've been talking about. Yeah, it's good. 

[00:42:07] Jordan Smith Reynolds: and, and selfishly it's been kind of more on like the, the artistry, like stuff outside of this song. 

but I'd love to bring it back real quick to Monsters Aren't Scary. from what we've been talking about, how has that applied to your songwriting process for this song?

maybe just diving into this song in particular, What 

[00:42:26] Fresh Hot Waffles: Well, I mean, quite literally we say like, I don't feel like talking today. Yeah. Um, and you know, I keep sending Ryan, um, his, uh his Zodiac readings. Cause he's a Leo. And like, it's all like, Leo, it's your time, baby. It's your time. Like it's your lucky season. Like you've got until March, baby. 

But in the lyrics, we literally say all the moon signs and charts aren't really going my way, you know, mercury retrograde is fucking me right now. Um, and I think. You know, whether you ascribe to that or not is up to you, but we all, like you said, have seasons of good and bad, and those are in the lyrics as well.

Do you have a comment? Um, Yeah.

I mean, I'm kind of just talking, I want to make sure I'm answering your question. So it's, I mean, I'm more so just thinking about the lyrics, but is there anything in particular that you want to, like, hear? About what do you want? 

[00:43:13] Jordan Smith Reynolds: About this song. let's dive into lyrics and then I do have a few things I'd like to talk about, but I, I want to hear where 

you're going lyrically first. 

[00:43:21] Fresh Hot Waffles: um, the biggest thing that this song kind of, because this is, we were talking about, like, discovering things, it's like This was definitely one of those and like in our pre chorus we say they talk about you they talk about me Um, and then it ultimately ends with saying they talk about all the love that we could have given We're coming up short, but we come out living and it's like that's like So much of today.

It's like every, everywhere you go. Oh, you're not enough. You're not, you're not tall enough. You're not short enough. You're not big enough. You're not small enough. It's like everywhere. It's like, you're not, you're, you're coming up short, but it's like a reminder more so to myself. I'm always writing kind of like poetry to myself just to remind myself of how to be okay, and it hopefully speaks to other people too, but it really is just like No matter what people tell you, it's like, we always come out living, you know, hopefully, you know, some people have a harder time than others, but, the main goal is, like, you hear some bad shit, and, like, you're always fine at the end of the day.

Yeah, monsters aren't scary. Yeah, monsters aren't scary, exactly. Yeah, and that's where the title came from, you know. You gotta do what you can to be happy. Yeah. That's quite literally a line. Totally. Yeah.

[00:44:32] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. Because, yeah, I guess you never say monsters aren't scary 

[00:44:36] Fresh Hot Waffles: No. No. 

[00:44:36] Jordan Smith Reynolds: really in it. I love that choice. 

[00:44:40] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, I know. Yeah, I think it's our 

[00:44:42] Jordan Smith Reynolds: let's talk about that. 

Let's talk about the title. how did it become Monsters Aren't Scary? Versus, you know, looking at the chorus and trying to dig out a title from that or

[00:44:49] Fresh Hot Waffles: I remember that I had, it was either a thought or I like, I saw it on Pinterest. I'm always on Pinterest. I love Pinterest, but um, I saw it somewhere or thought of it or something.

and wrote it. I have like my notes. I live and die by my notes for songwriting, but like, so I, I wrote it down.

and I was like, Oh, that's like such a cool name. And I think just like serendipitously it, it matched exactly what the song was. And so I just plopped it on. 

[00:45:13] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Cool. So it was never like a consideration like, Oh, we're gonna call it this, Come Out Living 

[00:45:19] Fresh Hot Waffles: I, I think the reason why we didn't call it anything in the song is because there isn't any particular He was, he's saying, like, why didn't we call it, like, something. from the song? Right, Yeah.

Yeah, There's nothing in particular, like That's, like, that's The logline of the song. Yeah, like, a lot, like, Coca Cola, that's, like, an obvious choice.

It's Coca Cola, yeah. But there's nothing really in it, lyrically, that I'm like, oh, that'd That stood out more, I guess. Yeah, that didn't stand out more to us. I guess I never questioned it either. I was always just like, that's the name of the song. Yeah. So. I mean, I have had a long career of bad song titles.

So now that I'm, I'm 30, I feel like I have at least somewhat enough experience to be like, that's bad. Give us some examples of your bad song titles. I want to hear it. Um. I can't think of any off the top of my head. Come on. One of my favorite ones from like an old, old EP that I came out with when I was like 13 is called Fake Plastic Guns.

I thought that was so cool. That's cool. No, yeah, that's a good one. I don't know the, bad ones. I can't remember

the bad ones. Of course he can't. He's lying! Oh, yeah. 

[00:46:21] Jordan Smith Reynolds: from a graphic design standpoint, actually. So, you did the artwork for this single? Okay. what I, I remember just, uh, looking at it before we got into the conversation today, and just, admiring actually from a graphic design standpoint just some things that stuck out.

So, yeah. I mean, you obviously got a degree in it, so. but I love the, the color choices 

in it, 

[00:46:44] Fresh Hot Waffles: it's, that was Maddie. Thank you. 

Yeah, that, 

was Maddie, the color choices. 

I just really want to be consistent with our vibe. yeah,

totally. You know what I mean? 

Like, I don't know. I didn't do it, it was Ryan. But like, I, I think like, there's like something to be said about like putting your face on. Your album cover and like I've done that and like my face is on my solo stuff But I really like didn't want that I wanted like vibe like fleet foxes yeah,

like vibes, you know that kind of match what the song is and what you want people to feel 

[00:47:18] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yeah, 

[00:47:19] Fresh Hot Waffles: Because visualization is such a like what you use as your artwork is so powerful, you know And like, do we want that to be like me, like posing and you know what I mean?

Not necessarily. And it's, it's expensive. And, and photo shoots are expensive. And if you're doing, if you're really doing it properly, like you're talking about paying for a photo shoot like every other month. Like, yeah, it's just too much. Yeah, I think we just wanted, and like, I think in the future we really want to make like bandanas of that artwork.

Oh god, I hope people go look at it because it is, such cool artwork. it is cool, look at it. It's very witchy and western and folk. Like we wanted it to be folk art, yeah,

Um, so, yeah, I think, 

[00:47:58] Jordan Smith Reynolds: and witchy, 

it's, it's very witchy. in that 

one, um, I love the, it's 

like a bunch of different poses, what, what do they mean, mm 

To you, 

[00:48:06] Fresh Hot Waffles: looks like, Uh I always like to think, I like to scare, uh, people who are hyper religious.

Yeah, don't listen, yeah. And I like to, yeah, I like to think that this album, if they looked at it, they'd be like, I don't, I can't 

listen to this. We talk about the devil a lot, and the hell, Yeah.

we do talk about the devil, hell, and God. Yeah. 

Letting God turn to dust, and we say that in this song. 

[00:48:26] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, that was a really interesting line, I thought. 

[00:48:29] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. 

[00:48:30] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Let hell freeze over and let God turn to dust. There was love in your 

pockets, but 

[00:48:33] Fresh Hot Waffles: But it's never 

enough. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:48:36] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. 

[00:48:37] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. Very visceral songwriting right here. Yeah. Thanks. 

\ I also want to ask about like, cause there's one witch that has like the red or the pink, and then there's one that has a pink hat. is there any reasoning behind that? Or like, do you want to just leave that mystic, like mysterious? Uh, 

[00:48:53] Jordan Smith Reynolds: because I, 

[00:48:53] Fresh Hot Waffles: there, there, 

[00:48:54] Jordan Smith Reynolds: it, 

[00:48:55] Fresh Hot Waffles: no, totally. I mean, in all honesty, there, there was no particular like, oh, that's what this means. But,

I mean, if you're drawing meaning from it, it definitely matches the whole point of the song that I was talking about of like, every, at every corner that you turn, it's like someone's saying you're not good enough or whatever.

So it's like the fact that there's just this one person there with like a red hat, you know, you could, you could say that. Like, they're like yearning. Yeah. Or like exclamatoring. Yeah, yeah, exclaiming, Yeah. And that song too, especially, like Ah, da da da da da da da You know, like it gets big like that, like, Uh which also is Sir Duke.

Da da da da da da da Yeah. 

it is! It's crazy. So different from Sir Duke, but exact notes. Different, but the same. Yeah. 

[00:49:43] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Well, thank you so much for sharing this song with us. Um, it's been great talking with you too. do you have anything coming up that you want to let our listeners know about? Uh, as far as songs coming out, you mentioned there's an EP, uh, tentative release date, um, sometime this year, 

[00:50:00] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yes. Um, I think February we'll probably have our next, single coming out and called My Love, My Friend. which is a very. 

[00:50:07] Jordan Smith Reynolds: hmm.

[00:50:08] Fresh Hot Waffles: and meaningful song for both of us. So I think we're really excited to do that and then favorite a fan favorite and so we've got that coming up and then We'll be finishing that EP.

Hopefully in the next like two three months. So hopefully yeah, I mean March will be It's going to probably be once like February, March, April. Yeah, And then the whole thing will be done. yeah, So if you follow us on Spotify or Instagram, that's a good way to keep in touch with those things. And then we've got a myriad of shows around Los Angeles. so you know, Instagram's a good way to keep track of that. If you don't follow us, follow Fresh Hot Waffles. Fresh Hot, how can you forget? Yeah, Fresh Hot Waffles. Fresh Hot Waffles. We're always posting. Here, come play. Come come check out this show. And we're playing with these people. And we're always on top of it when it comes to that stuff. Yeah, but thank you for having us. Yeah, thank you so fun. It doesn't even feel like a podcast. I know. We're just hanging out. Hang out. So you gotta come up from Long Beach and hang out with us. Yes. 

[00:51:06] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yes. Um, where are you at? 

[00:51:08] Fresh Hot Waffles: We're in Hollywood right now. Yeah, currently. Yeah. Yeah. Maddie lives in Glendale. I live in the Dale in Glendale. . 

north of you. Let's get together 

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. 

Come on up. 

Yeah, we'll come see your show. 

[00:51:19] Jordan Smith Reynolds: And I'd love to talk production stuff with you sometime 

[00:51:22] Fresh Hot Waffles: Oh Yeah. Hit me up anytime. I'm always happy to talk about all that stuff. If you need backgrounds, if you need Oohs and S from a Lady Voice, yeah, you call me. Okay. Oh yeah, 

[00:51:31] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yes. 

What's your, what's your background in vocal stuff?

Did you study in school or?

[00:51:36] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, yeah, I went to Catholic school actually. So I started when I was six singing in my like school choir. Um, so I sang in choir and then I've been with my vocal studio for like almost a decade now. So I do a training, like classic training in a vocal studio. 

[00:51:51] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Wow, 

cool. 

[00:51:52] Fresh Hot Waffles: shows too. Yeah, 

[00:51:53] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Like classical 

[00:51:54] Fresh Hot Waffles: we work on opera and stuff but it kind of bleeds into You know, whatever genre you want and and the I always say like like there's different ways of approaching your voice So like with acting there's like Meisner or like method actors and with voice there's different camps Also, there's people who are very like Like, Oh, if you connect to your emotions.

And I never really liked that the way that my vocal studio, her name's Jonesa Zajac. If anyone's looking for a voice coach, she's incredible. I love her so much. Um, but it's very technical. It's open your damn mouth and use your body. And this is what makes the sound good. So, a lot of just like technique and, body based.

So it's easy to learn cause it just works. It's like learning an instrument, you know. If you put your hand here, you play this chord. So, Yeah.

I've been studying with her for almost, like, almost ten years now. 

[00:52:43] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Wonderful. And you're doing classical as well as musical theater, 

[00:52:47] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, yeah, not as often, um, but, like, the exercises and, like, in recitals and stuff.

I'll sing opera. 

Or 

[00:52:55] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Nice. What, uh, just curious, like, what, what kind of opera have you sung? I, I come from an opera background. Like I 

studied. 

[00:53:02] Fresh Hot Waffles: Oh, Awesome.

I love, like, Candide, um, like, 

uh I mean, what did I sing? I sang, uh, uh, you know. Oh God, what is it? The, uh, na na na na na na. Now the names are all blanking. God, what is it? It's that famous one where she's like flirting with all those dudes. 

[00:53:21] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yeah. Is it, um, level one? 

[00:53:23] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yes. Yeah. And I just sing that for my last recital.

So I'm a metso though. Like I can get up to an A. Yeah.

I can get up to like an A or a B. Um, the songs that go to like a, that high C I'm not gonna 

[00:53:36] Jordan Smith Reynolds: wait, is it, uh, Quando Men Vo? 

[00:53:38] Fresh Hot Waffles: Quando Men Vo. Yeah. 

YeahDo Men. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

[00:53:43] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Uhhuh, 

that's the song that they 

[00:53:44] Fresh Hot Waffles: to my, though. Don't. And no one gets, wasn't even there to come even. Yeah. Was Victor there?

No, Victor did not go. that's so funny. Her boyfriend. Yeah. I mean, I love it. I love it. It's just like, um, not. Like my passion, but it is such a good tool for like strengthening your instrument, you 

[00:53:59] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Agreed. Yeah. that's the one that's like all throughout rent. The 

[00:54:05] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah. 

[00:54:06] Jordan Smith Reynolds: um, Yeah. that keeps coming back on the guitar riff. 

[00:54:09] Fresh Hot Waffles: good boy. Good for you 

[00:54:10] Jordan Smith Reynolds: yeah, I love that. 

[00:54:11] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, 

[00:54:13] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, so I do I do some classical singing still I'm 

in a choir down here that does exclusively works by living composers Which I love.

[00:54:23] Fresh Hot Waffles: that's so fun did you a lot of Eric Whitaker 

[00:54:27] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah, so we've done one Eric Whitaker song we do mostly composers that are like That aren't as established as 

Whitaker. Yeah, 

but we did their Eric Whitaker did a an album with LA Master Chorale, maybe three years ago, it was, a really cool piece, but the song we sang was called Home from that, and it's like a cello, and a choir, so it was, it was beautiful.

[00:54:51] Fresh Hot Waffles: Yeah, I used to sing with Choir too, we did like, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine and 

[00:54:55] Jordan Smith Reynolds: oh, 

[00:54:56] Fresh Hot Waffles: Night and AHHH! He's so good! oh, he just, he's just so good. He knows exactly what he's doing. I mean, no I would love to come see your choir! Do you guys perform at the beach? Yeah, for real! Oh, 

[00:55:13] Jordan Smith Reynolds: usually in newport beach, but we actually have a performance Uh, I don't know what it's like to get into it. Honestly in like pasadena. It's going to be for acda, it's the american choral directors association Um, yeah, which is really exciting. 

[00:55:29] Fresh Hot Waffles: Pasadena is a stone's throw from the Dale. Yeah

that's like right here. I could come to that. Yeah,

I could, I could be there. I love going to choir shows. I love a should go. There's nothing better than a harmony. So if you put like 60 people in harmony, I know, right? That's You can't go wrong. That's what I want.

Mm, please. I'm gonna message you about that I'm gonna need my list of names and I'm gonna need the, the dets for your choir thing in Pasadena. 

If I can't come to the Pasadena one, then I will, I will come to Newport. I really will. My dad lives in Newport and I will be there.

[00:55:55] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. Well, seriously, thank you so much. And I know I've, I've kept you 

[00:55:58] Fresh Hot Waffles: you.

[00:55:58] Jordan Smith Reynolds: bit, but it's

[00:55:59] Fresh Hot Waffles: Oh, it's so

[00:56:00] Jordan Smith Reynolds: great to get to know you guys too.

[00:56:02] Fresh Hot Waffles: Thank you so much for the opportunity. for having us. You're awesome. It was 

so fun talking to you. Yeah. And we'll see you soon, it sounds like. Yeah. 

[00:56:08] Jordan Smith Reynolds: Yeah. thank you guys 

[00:56:10] Fresh Hot Waffles: All right, we'll talk to you later. I'll see ya. 

Bye.