From Politics to Artistry

19:57Shelley:And how did that go? Well, he was happy there. I mean, I used to see him in, cause he would fly back and forth. Yes. Well, he was working to bring business into South Dakota, which was such a good fit. It was, it was very cool. And that wasn't at the very, I think it was, it was a little bit of a, you know, it's a transition anytime you move somewhere different and it took a while. But then when he started South Dakota trade, which was most recent before the job that he's in now, but yeah, he did really well with that and right. Helping kind of South Dakota businesses, right. Do be able to do deals overseas and yeah.

20:33Trade is just kind of, he's, that's his thing. Yeah. So, but it took a minute to get there. Right. And he did have to kind of adjust to, again, the way of life. As you know, the East Coast, y 'all are a lot more direct. Fast, yeah. Fast, direct. We're very like, I'm just going to go around it. I'm not going to say it as it is. Try to figure out what I'm telling you. Right. You know, which really bugs people. And it really bugged Luke. He's like, just tell me what you think. Right. Like, criticize me. Like, whatever. Like, just tell me. We don't really do things that way. So it was a little bit of a culture shock.

21:03But it really kind of grew on him. And I felt like he kind of became a man of the people, which is so funny. Yeah. And now he wears a cowboy hat. I saw. Who would have thought? Right, right, right. Like, who would have thought?

21:16Shelley:So you go back to South Dakota and you had John or you had John here? Nope. So I had both of my kids there. That's what I thought. Okay. Yep. And then we brought them. We were there for, let's see, what, four, three and a half, four years. Moved back here because that's when Luke got the job at Export and Import. The first time. Yes. Um, and the first Trump administration. And then when that, um, when he, when, then when he lost, right, we, we ended up going back cause you know, it was hard, it was hard to find, it was hard to kind of find jobs. Oh yeah. And it was also a hard time to be here.

21:52To be honest, I was kind of, I was kind of antsy to get back and to have a, let's see, when we moved a two and four year old, wow, I just needed more space. We were really ready for more space.

22:01Shelley:Absolutely, and also COVID was hanging heavy on the city. It was rough here. Every time I left D.C., even though it was COVID everywhere, it felt so much easier to be elsewhere than to be in here. Yeah, it was like a – I was like, wow, this feels a little bit like a war zone. I don't know, and I suppose every big city felt that way. I think that was just like the city. Because then when you went to a smaller place or a smaller state, smaller city, like Sioux Falls – There were loser restrictions. Oh, yeah. Or like people, in some ways, I'm like, I don't even think people felt COVID. Did they even know it happened?

22:35I know. I know they did. I know. But yeah, very different experiences.

22:39Shelley:Totally different. I mean, we were like standing outside showing IDs to get into a restaurant and we had to get our temperatures taken. Like that didn't happen all over the country. Or you couldn't even put a blanket down in the park. That was the hardest one for me. Because I'm like, here, I've got these two kids, right? I don't remember that. You had to keep walking. This was the very early days of it. Like you couldn't stop. Wow. Yeah, I know. That's probably the most, to me, that was like pretty polar. Outrageous, yeah. Yeah, a little bit. Like you always had to be like on the move. And then they kind of chilled out a little bit on that one.

23:13But that, yeah.

23:14Shelley:Yeah, the outside stuff. I mean, I would walk my dogs. I'm like, I'm outside. Right. People would scream if you didn't have your masks on outside. Well, and I would be running, you know, running a hill. Right, right. And people would yell at you. And I'm like, really hard to breathe with them. Right, right. Right. And maybe if I walk by somebody, I had like I was wearing ski, neck ski stuff. Oh, sure. Yeah. Just put it over. Yes. Yeah. That's actually one of my better ideas. I would say that's a great idea. If it ever comes around. So then so then you're finally back back. And then it seemed to me that then you really were like, OK, I am focusing on my creative side.

23:53Is that is that true? Pretty much. I mean, for the first couple of years, I was still doing, so I had left my DC job, like, right when we moved back. And then I worked in, like, at a, right, wealth management firm for just a short amount of time in Sioux Falls before getting recruited to one of my former members. And I did that for a couple of years. And that was good. You know, that was a great experience. But, yeah, then I was, but, like, I feel like I was probably, I think what South Dakota did to me is it, it's, like, just so less restraints. Yeah. And it just kind of opens up this like real, you start to kind of just, I don't know, just like the whole creative side of me just started kind of coming out.

24:32And then I think as my kids were getting older, because also when your kids are young, you're in the grind. So when they're in the baby and the toddler stage, you really don't have a lot of time to dream, in my opinion. Then they get to a certain age. And I just felt, I was like, oh my gosh, I'm dreaming again. Like I'm like thinking up songs. I know exactly what you mean. Yeah. Because I had more like mental capacity to do so. you know a lot of the songs that I've written especially on the album that that you listen to that's actually a lot of those songs from my 20s like maybe two of them oh that is so interesting yeah so a lot of them sound younger too like you'll hear kind of that younger so I mean some of them have have more of a maturity to them but there are some that I wrote that are very like one of them I wrote in college one of them I wrote when I was 20 you know five and so they kind of have that youth in them a little bit.

25:18So, um, but yeah, I, then I kind of started getting that creative. So I wrote a couple of songs then two years ago, two, three years ago. And I'm like, dang, I really got to get this stuff out. I actually feel like I've got, you know, decent quality stuff here or at the very least, like for my own like peace of mind. Cause I always wanted to do this at the very least. Let's just get an album out there, you know, get this, get those songs recorded, get them out. Um, but then this whole other creative side starts like coming out. So then like your whole artistic. So then I'm starting to do the social media content and I'm like, Oh, actually really like doing the photography side of it, doing the music video side of it.

25:55I'm getting really creative about like where I'm doing shots. I did a cemetery shot. People loved it. They're like, we can't believe you're in a cemetery. Like, how do you feel comfortable in a cemetery? I'm like, well, actually that's probably about as on brand as I could be right is me in a cemetery like I know that sounds weird but yeah and I just started kind of feeling this brand coming together and I started working with a um with a social media group and a marketing and PR firm and yeah they're like hey you kind of have something here and I thought I was just going to be a songwriter like just going to write music and they're like we kind of feel like you're an artist you know and I started more people started saying just what you're putting out there you're an artist Brittany you need to look at yourself more as an artist I know you you know maybe you just don't think of yourself like that or you never thought you could be, but you have it in you to be an artist.

26:45And so I've really started kind of leaning into that. I think getting that validation because I was feeling like I was moving in that direction. Yeah. But I was having a lot of imposter syndrome, too. Well, that is common.

26:56Shelley:Oh, my gosh. But things you don't know as much about. So, yeah. Well, but tell me like, so you thought of yourself as a songwriter and not a singer. Is that the artistry or is the artistry like this whole 360? That's a great question. Well, you're right. It's almost like threefold, I would say. So, right. You could be the songwriters, the one who writes the music and lyrics. Right. And you do all of that. I do all of it. And some people just do that. And then they have other people. There's tons of just amazing songwriters all over the world. Right. And other people record their music. versus you recording your own music.

27:31And I think I never thought that I was, I struggled a lot, like not feeling like I was a good singer. You know, like, I mean, I knew I was a good enough singer because I was always in all the music groups. I did show choir. I did, you know, I always made all the vocal groups, but never really felt that I was, and probably because I never had a voice like a Carrie Underwood or a Kelly Clarkson, really those dynamite, Christina Aguilera, powerhouse voices. and then as more like singer songwriters started coming along and you didn't have to have like a monster voice right or just the really really power power voice Celine Dion right I'm just trying to think of like people that have that kind of voice that I always felt like you had to have I I realized oh I don't have to have this power voice like I have more of a um, Jewel, um, Sheryl Crow, or, you know, people have said, um, Kathy, is it Kathy Griff Griffin or, you know, some, Kathy Lee?

28:30No, it's, um, Patty, Patty Griffin. I think it is Patty Griffin. Um, more kind of like these indie Americana, more like storyteller. Yeah. What else am I thinking of? Um, Oh, there's one. I always, I always go blank on, um, Oh my gosh, she's great. Like Stevie Nicks, let's say like a Stevie Nicks or like a, you know, they just have these kind of more like rugged, like, um, it's, I don't know. It's a mix of probably country Americana storytelling, but you don't have to be able to hit these crazy high notes like an Ariana Grande. Right. So I was like, oh, okay. And I was getting compliments. So I put out this album and I start getting compliments on my voice.

29:11Yeah. So I would submit my songs to be for sync. So part of what I was doing is I was like, okay, great. Let's get a sync. Let's try to get into a TV show or to a movie. So I joined this kind of, this group where.

29:21Shelley:What's a sync? Sync is, so if you want your song like in a TV show. So you can submit a song. They might say, hey, we're looking for a country movie is coming out. And we're looking for songs that are this tempo, that are talking about this. Oh, you were talking about this last year. Super specific. Yeah. I think when we like met up, I'm like, this is what I'm trying to do. This is before I decided that, you know, okay. You're going to do your own thing. I guess I'm going to be an artist. Yeah. Yeah. This was when I was like, okay, I'll submit my songs and either they could be picked up for my voice.

29:50So either they would play my song in a TV show, in a movie, or a producer picks up your song and says, I like this song and I'm going to have so-and-so sing it. Yep. I'm going to have so-and-so sing it. Yep. That's kind of the direction that I was going in. So I don't know where I was going with that.

30:08Shelley:Well, so you were saying. Okay. So that's one hat. Okay. So then you've got that hat. Right. Right. where there's like the voice. Right. Well, I started getting all these compliments on my singing voice. I really like your singing voice. Like it's, it's just gentle or it's, um. It is. It's. I don't know. I don't know how to describe, like how people describe it. I wouldn't say that it's solely gentle, but it's, it's very appealing. Or just like unique or, you know. Yeah. So I'm like surprised by all this because I'm like, what are you? But I always thought of you as a singer and not a songwriter.

30:38And I think I just didn't think of myself. I know. I feel like everybody else thought of me as a singer, but I didn't think of myself. I mean, Jane, who's coming later, always thought of you as a singer. Right, right. Well, I did a lot of national anthems in my day, too. You know, so I kind of found, I had found my own version of singing the anthem. And then, right, so then I kind of get into the, right, you have, you kind of have to figure out what your brand is. And that's something that takes a while, because I feel like I've been at this for three years. And I feel like I've only just now really come into my own of what, what exactly is this genre that my music is in?

31:12what feels super authentic to me. I knew I was never going to be Carrie Underwood cause I didn't have her kind of voice. I knew I was never going to be, um, trying to think like, um, you know, um, trying to think of other, like people who have like very specific brands. Okay. Well, definitely not Kelly Clarkson, but we're like Miranda Lambert. Like she's very like Texas, you know, or, and riding horses. Like, I'd love to do that. I'd love to, but you have to be, it has to be authentic to you. Right. Cause I think people see through it if it's not. So you develop kind of the, the, this brand as an artist and, um, you know, like the summit, like I've always really liked weirdly enough, just like, I'm like comfortable with the whole death thing.

31:55Or like I can sit next to a tombstone and not feel like it's weird or, you know, or what are some other things? I love nature. So a big part of my is like walking through forests, being in the oceans flowing hair bare feet but I didn't know any of these things about myself until I started doing it and just like playing around with it and I'm like oh this feels really me it's like this little butterfly was stuck in it's little cocoon and now it's just starting to kind of take me out right it was really interesting do you feel like

32:33Shelley:you need a team I mean, do you have a team? How does this whole thing go down? Because your album is very produced. I mean, you must have like five or six other people playing instruments. And then whoever I imagine is playing an instrument also is the male singer. Yes. Okay. That's right. Yeah. You nailed it. Yes. So right. I had studio musicians for that whole album. And some people, you know, you can do albums a lot of different ways and there's different costs associated, right? So obviously it's going to be more expensive to get studio musicians. and some you can use technology to create all the sounds that you want yeah i really wanted live instruments yeah so i wanted guitar i wanted electric bass you know i wanted drums yeah so my the drummer on that album also was the male vocalist on it okay yep and was the producer too actually so i had a i had a group you know a group of three guys that that produced it and it was it was neat because they're actually one of them is from south dakota so that's kind of a south they're now in Knoxville, but they were in South Dakota at the time.

33:33So I was able to record the whole thing in Sioux Falls, which is wild. You don't have to go to Nashville or, of course, but that's kind of the way things are now. But, and now, so we produced that album, but now I'm actually working. Then I kind of, I went out to Nashville and just met with some people to kind of get a sense of, Ooh, what direction do I want to take this? Like what, what is the possibility? You know, what are the possibilities here? Got connected with a PR firm and then they've really kind of help me connect me with other people. Right. We're working now on a second project where we're going to really kind of lean into the brand more lean into the Americana storytelling genre that I'm probably in write more music.

34:12That's more recent, less early twenties, more what's happened in the past decade. Yeah. You know, still maybe some tough topics to talk, talk about, but stuff that's going to resonate with maybe people more my age. Right. Um,

34:25Shelley:Well, it resonated with me. Or anybody. Yeah. I mean, sometimes it resonates with anybody and you surprise yourself. Well, actually, what I was saying is I don't think that the songs sound old. Oh, yeah. Thank you. Not at all. Okay, good. What was curious, though, is that you talk a lot about lost loves or like leaving someone or someone left you and all this stuff. And maybe that's what I probably mean by that. Well, because that's very passe. Clearly, that was a season. Right, right. But so who is Evelyn Riley? Okay, yes. So Evelyn Riley was going to be my stage name before I decided to be myself.

35:02Shelley:Okay. And I thought she was sort of also like an alternate personality because that's why I thought you were, that's why I didn't think the songs were old. I just thought that they were, you know, like your avatar or something. Nope. Those are all songs that I wrote about myself or a handful were about somebody else. But yes. But wait, like Denny? like oh like Danny and me yeah I can't I can't say who that's about because they don't like me sharing it but that's about somebody else actually I really like that song and I love the visual just simply of you being like I was wearing a baseball cap watching you play all the time yeah yes I could just so see you like being isn't that so yeah that one was stands like come on guy yes and that was right that was written about somebody else who had a really big crush in college um And so that's kind of, and that's actually like all of those things are true.

35:57Like that was like, she told me essentially, here's all the things about this guy. And I wrote a song about it, you know? And so it's all, those were all the things about him. So he did, he did drive a green truck. He did, you know, love watching baseball and he loved to fish.

36:12Shelley:Wait, someone else told you this or this was part of your life? This is, no, this is a song written about, this was somebody else, female, who I wrote the song. this was about her her love interest so I don't always a lot of them are based on my own experiences so a lot of those love songs are about my experiences or heartbreaks or breakups in my 20s but then you know that song Danny and Me was actually written for somebody else and then I have another song on the album oh oh sure go ahead and then I have another song on the album that's me just envisioning what it would be like to be older to lose somebody so the very last song called Best Days yeah That is about, I just envisioned what that would be like.

36:54So, you know, you're in your 60s and you lose your husband and you reflect back on all these different decades of your life. Right. So that was more, I don't know. I just liked that story.

37:05Shelley:I sort of was wondering if some of that was you riffing off of your parents' love story or something. I mean, obviously. It wasn't. No, but it was kind of with my grandparents in mind. I envision like that, like any kind of, yeah, when you think about like the 1940s and just these love stories that have lasted a really, really long time or they were married for all these years. Could, I guess, be my parents, but probably more like when I wrote that song would have been more with like grandparents in mind. Right. So, yeah. That's lovely. But here's the other thing too, Shelly, probably because I got a little bit of, so when I was doing some of the videos for these, you know, again, I tapped into this kind of college mindset.

37:43mindset and so that's probably part of why I thought a lot of them were younger too is I was kind of playing into this like college mindset and then I would I would have you know a handful of I don't know if criticism is the right word but this is interesting you're like in your 30s and you're you know kind of singing about this like you know and doing these videos that are kind of college and I'm like well yeah it's about like a college you know it's more based on a college kind of love, love experience or a fling or something like that. But it was, that was interesting for me because it did me, you know, again, it's always good to have people, um, constructive criticisms, you know, to think about kind of right, you know, Oh, and then I, when I reflected on it, I'm like, shoot, I suppose there's a certain amount of rights.

38:30A lot of these songs were written when I was younger and maybe aren't as true to who I am today. You know, whether that's like married mom of right. And it is hard because a lot of people are like, we don't understand. Are these songs written about Luke? No, I wrote these songs before Luke. You know, it is, it's, there's some confusion that's kind of come with it. Right. Which is why I feel almost the need to do another album. That's going to be more about newer experiences or something. So people aren't so confused. Are you, are you in Luke? Okay. are you? Because it's so much hard. And I'm like, none of these songs are about Luke.

39:04No song on the album is about Luke. That's good to know. That stays in.

39:10Shelley:Now everybody else can know that too. So you write the song and you sing the song, but who orchestrates it? Because the melodies are really good. Those are my melodies. They're yours too. So you're doing everything soup to nuts. That's incredible. When you produce it, obviously then what I'll do is I have the melody. Do you play guitar or piano? Guitar and piano. So I write it to – I play both. I write it to guitar and piano. I don't ever play on my records because I'm not a good enough musician in that regard to play. But I play to write. You have to be good enough to be able to write the music.

39:48And then what's fun is when you get with a producer, then you dream up, okay, so here's the melody, but where does the guitar come in? Where are the drums? Exactly. Um, do we increase the tempo a little bit? Do we slow it down? Are we going to put, is this keys? Is it going to be piano in this? Do we want, what if we want to incorporate symphony type? It's, you know, there's so many different things that you can do. So you have a, a foundation of a melody, but then that's the fun part is you get all these instruments in. And then before you know it, you've got this beautiful little tied up in a bow.

40:18Um, but yeah, I, you, I, the melodies are in my head. That's incredible. And so usually like the melody comes first, like I'll hear something and then I'll put words to it. And then, yeah, then it's fun. Then you get in with a producer and they help bring it to life. So, um, it's, it's a fun.

40:37Shelley:Well, how long does it take? So that project took, um, album. Yeah. I kind of think of them like, right. Kind of like a projects, but right. So you go in and let's see. So I started recording in September of last, not this past, the year. 24. Yeah, 24. And we wrapped it up, I think, in February. So, you know, but you could do it in days. You could do it in a weekend. You could do it in months. Like, I think it's kind of, it depends on, I suppose, your own timeline and that of your production team, too. Yeah. So it just kind of depends. And as things change, there were a handful of songs where the production team kind of, and I'm like, nope, that's not the vision I have for this song.

41:24You know, where it didn't sound like what I had in mind for it. So we had to go back, you know, then you go back to the, and that's part of the creative process.

41:34Shelley:And do you feel, I think also, I mean, you know that I've started this podcast probably around the same time that you declared that you were a singer. We both were like, these are our passion projects. Exactly. Should we do it? Right. And we were, and, but you, I think the last time you and I were talking about a, you know, how it's a difficult road, but also it's a lot of, um, it's a lot of mental, uh, strength, I suppose, or, or a lot of soul strength, because it's hard to say, no, this isn't what I thought, because you're sort of like, you have to get over the hump of thinking that everybody else knows better because it's your stuff.

42:16Shelley:So we were talking about, you know, the creative process. I, this isn't, um, it doesn't have to be, um, comparative. I don't know if this is as creative as what you're doing, but it's a creative endeavor and you, absolutely. And you definitely have a vision. So anyway, it sounds like you became bolder in your vision since the last time I saw you. I feel a lot more confident than the last time I saw you. And I think because right, you, when you kind of figure out you, you, you kind of figure out who you are. I just think it took me one of the glories of getting older. Totally. And I do. I, I just think that's the beauty of like age and wisdom is you just, you know, even some of my PR people who I work with happen at the same time.

43:04No, no. Right. You know, it's like, Oh, if I had had the confidence when I was in my twenties, I might've really went after this more, you know, but I didn't have that in my twenties and I have it, you know, now. So, and also just being more right, more of a sure yourself or like, you know, I dyed my hair blonde for 10 years. I was trying to cover up who I really was. You know, you just, you do, you really, you're more secure in yourself and who you are and what you look like. And you know, okay, I'm just going to roll with what God gave me. I think we're all like that. Um, but yeah, wisdom and age not at all it's just beauty oh my gosh um no no no I'm just teasing but when you

43:45Shelley:I'm much older than you are so at some point you're like okay shoot I have a few more wrinkles to deal with here yeah exactly yes yes but you can age really beautifully too you know I look at my mom yeah people are always complimenting my mom and I'm and you know it because she's aged beautifully and because she, and she's aged thoughtfully and gracefully, not like trying to be something she's not. You have to, you know, you have to dress your age and be cognizant of your age, but also like be confident in your age. And yeah, I don't know. So, and I, there is so much beauty just in, in confidence too, no matter how old you are.

44:22So yeah. Um, and I do, I, I, I feel that I actually feel more, and I've said this to a lot of younger people. I feel more beautiful than I, than I ever was before. But because you kind of figure out too, like, what is my style? What is my fat, you know, like, I don't know, you kind of just figure out like what your fashion is and what your style is. And, and you know, you might, you explore a little bit, like I've gotten some things wrong with that, you know, but then I get some things right. And you just start to kind of fine tune these things as you get older. And I feel like the same is true of music.

44:55Like I just fine tuned everything essentially, but it was a journey and it, it had some ups and downs, you know? And when you and I saw each other, I don't think you had a PR firm. No, I did not. So that's new too. And that has helped me a lot because I just, again, it either validates what you're doing or they're able to say, Hey, um, this is really working for you. You know, they'll look at your analytics, right? Like, Hey, this, and that's where the whole cemetery thing, you know, and I felt so authentic when I was doing that photo shoot. I had my photographer come out and I said to her, Hey, I know this is a little bit different, but I really want to shoot in a cemetery.

45:34And I have some of these songs that kind of talk about, you know, a lot of it's heartbreak and love, but then there's the best days where her husband dies, you know, and like she's talking about now I go visit him, you know, in the cemetery. And I don't know, I'm just like, I can really feeling this vibe. And I think I'm going to put this flowy dress and I'd like it to be in fall, you know, as the kind of transition into winter and flowing hair and, you know, and people really liked that. And then the PR firm is like, this is awesome. Like, this is really working for you. And let's lean into this a little bit.

46:04And they were like, but how does it feel to you? And I said, you picked my most authentic photo shoot. So isn't that neat when you see, I think that's the coolest thing is when someone's not pushing you into in a direction, but the direction that feels super authentic to you is validated by the team you're working with.

46:22Shelley:The validation, yeah, it really needs them a lot. It does. It does. Or for you probably, like having people on where you're like this, yeah, like this, I don't know, you know, or just having people validate, like the lunch with Shelly is such a unique, I don't know anybody else who does that. I also don't listen to like a ton of podcasts, but I've had a handful that I've, you know, been following for a while. Yours is the only one that does anything like this. Oh, that's nice. So you know what I mean? You have to find your track. Exactly. In my validation. And feel confident about it. You're listening to Lunch with Shelly.

46:57Shelley:Tell me again. So I could see you being an Evelyn. Oh, sorry. Yeah. So let's go back to that. So no, that was actually really thoughtful. So it was an alter. It started as an alter ego because I was, I really was trying to, I was trying to separate myself from the musician. And then, and actually my husband was the one who was like, why do you need to do that? This is who you are. Like, you don't need, you don't need a fake name, you know, just be who you are. And I'm like, Oh, that's true. Like, why do I, why do I feel like, and probably cause I grew up in politics and I felt like, to be honest, they're so different.

47:26Like I really struggled breaking out as a musician because growing up in politics, you have to be so like cross your T's and dot your I's. And as a musician, as an artist, you got to really venture outside the dotted lines. Right. You have to,

47:38Shelley:and I don't know why I keep coming up with this word, but you have to be bold. You have to be bold. And, and I don't, and I know I don't want to ever do anything that's going to like embarrass my family or, or, or be too outside the box for them, you know, because it is such a boxy and no offense, but politics is really boxy in my opinion. And it's also very staid and it is incredibly not anathema to creativity, but no, this is not, Like I'm so happy that you're doing this in South Dakota with like, I can see the whole experience of your brain. I needed that with the prairie and the, yes. And yeah, kind of the air.

48:17Shelley:I mean, air, yeah. Fresh air trees. Just, you could just get out and you were like, wow, there is so much freedom here and just so much to, to explore and to adventure in your mind. And yeah. So I felt like I went from like box to butterfly, you know, and Luke was really the one that kind of coined that term. He was like, I just think that you are like in a chrysalis and you are going to break out at some point. I don't know when it is. Right. But I feel like it's going to happen. And then it kind of did. I love that. I love that analogy so much. Of course, then sometimes he's like, maybe we need to put you back.

48:47Shelley:It's too much. Nobody puts baby back in the corner. I'm totally kidding. Yeah, exactly. No, I know. But yeah, no. So Evelyn Riley was, it's two grandmothers. So I have a grandmother named, great grandmother named Evelyn, great grandmother named. Her last name was Riley. Oh, that's great. And they represented two very different things. So one of them was like very like Norwegian, you know, or like kind of put together, very like grit, resourceful. And then one of them was like very flowery, and she smoked cigarettes with those really long, my mom always said this, it was like those long, you know, I think of like Audrey Hepburn.

49:18Yeah, yeah. That was kind of like her style. Right. And so I smushed the two together, because I was like, okay, that's like politics meets, I don't know.

49:27Shelley:Luxury chic. There you go, something like that. Right. Yeah, I don't know, I just like those two. And that was Evelyn Riley. And that's why I named it that, because essentially that was that was what that was the alter ego. And I don't know, I just felt like I wanted to memorialize it because now I'm I, you know, I'm Brittany Lindberg and will be. And but I wanted Evelyn Riley to be somewhere. And so we made it the title of the album. I love it. So it's fun. And what was the whole Mexico shoot? Yeah, that was fun. So then I was trying to tap into, you know, again, you come up with all these ideas.

49:58You're trying to really figure out, OK, what fits, what doesn't. And so the Mexico shoot was I really wanted to explore the kind of mermaid deal, like the like being in the water, letting my hair fly out. And I have a song called Ghost, which is the most authentic song to me on the album. It's very ethereal and you're like searching and purpose. And, you know, I don't know, whatever. It's like the super long song. It's the first one. It is the first one on purpose. Yeah. And that really I wanted that to really brand me into that kind of Americana storyteller. So, yes, that was just kind of to it's that kind of really to explore more of that very free barefoot.

50:35And then also I Mexico, I we've been doing some Spotify playlists and campaigns and a lot of Mexico was listening to some of my music. Yeah. And so I don't know. I felt like, oh, that's neat. Let's shoot something. I happen to be there. And I'm like, let's just let's just do this. By the way, I do this all by myself. I don't I don't have anybody help me. that's crazy yeah so you just because the photography was really good thank you no i'm i am the photographer i'm the videographer for now yeah you know for for now exactly um yeah you kind of gotta you know like when you're yeah you just do when you do it all yourself it's a it's a small business and you do it all yourself oh god i super like i love that you have like people now too like it's so fun i know it's really fun and we also had interns at some point

51:22Shelley:We were rather big. Maybe again. We were rather big. Yes. I love that. Okay, well, here's like kind of the final question. If you could have lunch anywhere in the world, Brittany, where would it be and what would you be having? Oh, my gosh. I think I would be on the Amalfi Coast and I would be eating pizza and drinking an Aperol Spritz or a Necroni. And then I would have tiramisu for dessert. Oh, that's a perfect, perfect answer. Yeah. You just don't get better than the Amalfi Coast. I think. Gosh, I love Italy and I love the Amalfi Coast. I don't know. There's just some beauty about it. I mean, I could be in a piazza probably in Italy too.

52:06Is that what you call them? Yeah, little piazzas, right? Any town square. You know, we're in Florence. Right. Yeah, exactly. I mean, just, I don't know. I've been thinking a lot about Rome lately.

52:18Shelley:I love Italy. I love France, too. I do, too. I would say between those two, it's like either I'm going to be on the coast in France or Italy. Because I also love like Es, too. Like we spent some time in Es and in Villefranc. Where is Es? How do you even pronounce or spell Es? Es, it's E-Z-E. Okay. And yeah, there's like we stayed in this Villefranc. My French is terrible. My husband frequently reminds me of that because he actually can speak French. But it was like this little town. Yes. He's he's he he really gets us around. It's awesome. Wow. He took French in high school and college. But goodness.

52:57So it's kind of nice to have somebody who can speak speak the language. Not like terrifically, but he gets by better than he gets around. Yeah. Yes. Like it helps. So but yeah, that on the coast there, there's this cool kind of rocky mountain town called as and I just read a book to that it was it was in the book and it just reminded me of just how, just how quaint, you know, some of those little towns on the, I'd love to drive like from, from Spain all, you know, all the way up to like it, like the top of all along the Mediterranean. Yeah. So go through France, Italy and all the way. I just think that would be so cool.

53:31It would. And just stop at a bunch of like, not towns that are famous, just towns. Yeah. Like along the way.

53:36Shelley:I don't know. Cause I think Spain would be so exciting for your music. Could. Well, oddly enough. Okay. This is what makes me laugh. Because right now, like, I have, like, Brazil is really liking the music, too. Really? Yeah, it's always like these, like, South America. It's like Mexico, South America. It hasn't been Spain so much. But a lot of, like, kind of South America. I don't know what that, I'm still trying to figure out kind of how that all works, you know? Like, with Spotify and how there's these different, yeah, I don't, you know, it's interesting. It is. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's really interesting feedback.

54:14It's fascinating, just like the people that like your music, what you think it might be, and then it could be totally different than who you think becomes your listening base.

54:23Shelley:Maybe we'll go to a concert in... In Brazil. Yeah, in Brazil. I keep thinking Spain. I don't know. I have a Spain thing. But we'll talk about it after. Yeah, for sure. Okay, so but for your favorite lunch thing, I'm putting you down as a Malfi Coast in a piazza having pizza and an Aperol Spritz. Absolutely. Yeah, sitting by the water. I have to be able to see the water, and then I'll have a little limoncello after. Okay. Then you wrap up with the limoncello. Brittany, it's so good to see you. I know. Thank you for having me on. And it is so my pleasure. I've really been looking forward to this for weeks and weeks.

54:58Shelley:Well, thanks for letting me talk about my passion project. Well, that's the whole point. As you're literally doing yours, too. Yeah, I know. We're doing it together. It's been such a blast. But the whole point was I really wanted to find out, of course, about your music, because I really love it. The album is I Am Evelyn Riley. Yes. And it is really, really good. And I'm telling you guys, you could get it anywhere that you get your favorite music. And it's very, very good. And you can ping me and I can tell you about some of my favorite music. Or you maybe could ping Britney directly and she could tell you why she wrote what she wrote.

55:32Shelley:Follow me. Follow me on Instagram. Yeah, follow Brit. It is not, by the way, about Luke. Very important point. Luke is great. He's been a great champion of my music. Luke's still around. But anyway, thank you so much for being on. Yes. And Cleavon, thank you for helping out today. And Ashok Bajaj, thank you so much for lending us your absolutely gorgeous room at Bombay, the Bombay Club, because it is the best Indian food, I think, in the city, probably that I've ever had. And actually, Cleavon thinks it's the best salmon he's ever had in his life. So everybody should listen in their car to I am Evelyn Riley and then drive to Bombay.

56:13Shelley:But anyway. Either eat or get takeout. Exactly. And keep listening to Lunch with Shelly. Check out other episodes at www.lunchwithshelly.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. And in the meantime, and as always, peace, love, and lunch.