I needed that feeling of unhappiness because it was just what I was used to, which is quite crazy how our brains do that. I try to now attack everything that goes bad in my life with, Okay, well, this is going to help somebody.

That's beautiful.

My next guest just secured his first Billboard Hot 100.

My next guest's music has been streamed almost 400 million times now.

Please welcome back to the show Teddy Swims. Please welcome Teddy Swims.

Teddy Swims, everyone.

I was working at a Chili's in 2019, and me and all my friends at the time, we did the Michael Jackson's Rock with You cover. It was the first cover I put up. We woke up, I think the next day with 10,000 views on it. We were like, Holy shit. It's so great how manifestation really works, too, because we started June 25th of 2019 and December 24th of 2019. A day less than six months, I signed a deal with Warner, and the universe, God, whatever it is, it's just like, was totally We all put our heads together and said, This is what it is, and life just...

Your album is called I've Tried Everything But Therapy Part One. Have you tried therapy yet?

I have not, man.

What do you think is the thing that you're afraid to discuss or talk about the most?

I don't know, man, because I feel very vulnerable. I don't have anything I wouldn't talk about, but I think there's some things about...

Welcome back, everyone, to the School of Greatness. Very excited about our guest. We have the inspiring Teddy Swims in the house. My man.Thank you, man.So good to see you, brother.Yeah.

You too. Happy to be here.

Big congrats on everything, man. I'm loving watching the evolution of your journey from a YouTube cover sensation to original music and just dominating the charts, dominating Spotify, YouTube, everywhere. I'm loving the soul, the passion you bring in your music and your work, and I'm just so happy for you. So congrats on everything. And I'm curious because I've been digging into some of your background, your story. You used to play football growing up, which I love, but you talk about your father in a big way as being the greatest man you've ever met in your life and just the nicest guy who really showed up for you and your siblings. I'm curious to start, what was the biggest lesson that your father has taught you about life, music, and love?

Well, I think my father, man, if I could be after the man he is at all in my life, I think I'll I think I'll be bigger than Michael Jackson, man. I really, truly, because just the heart that he shows to people, man, the time that he gives to people. There's so many times I've even introduced him to people as we've been on tour and stuff, where I've met friends through here, and I've been like, Well, look, man, you all got a dad, man. My daddy will be your dad. I swear he will. He's the best in the world, and he sure enough, man. He'll call me, Hey, man, how's so and so doing, man? Or he'll call them, and they'll call me, Yeah, just talk to your dad last week. He calls me every week and checks on me every week. My dad has just really just always got time for everyone. I think that's one of the biggest things that he's taught me about love to start there is that there's always time, and you're going to make something work for... I don't care how busy you are. If it means something to you, you make time to say, Hi, I love you, or you make sure that that little time that you have with somebody, they feel like they're important and they deserve that time and attention.

There's always a time to step away from something for what matters the most. I think he's just always been so incredible about that, man. He's just steady. And I think humans aren't very good at being consistent. I think it's impossible to be consistent always because we're humans. We're going to fail. We're going to fail each other. But I don't see that, man. Even some of the things, he looks back and he thinks we're failures in his raising of us. It's just like, I look back on those moments, I was like, Dad, you hated that? I loved that. You know what I mean? He always talked about how when he was always going to the softball field or when I was playing football, he was also doing semi-pro at the time, and he would always go by. You're doing semi-pro? Yeah. He'd come take me to practice in his pads and then come pick me up, and I'd go watch his games after he'd watch my little game. That's cool. He'd be in his pads. He was just like, Yeah, I was just too worried about playing at the time, though. I was still a kid.

I wish I was more. I was Dad, it was the coolest day ever that you were picking me up. I was in your bleachers with my little pads on watching you. I was like, That's the coolest day of my life. But he was worried about it. Yeah, he was just like, Well, I think I was too worried about playing at the time. I was like, That shit was cool, man. That was awesome watching my dad do that.

Also, you got to see a model of someone, your father go after his dream and his passions and his love.

What he did for me, speaking of that, is that his dad died when he was 15, 16, something like that. We didn't really have that much of a figure as a grown up, especially that prime time of growing and evolving. I think he was the first one, too. We went on this trip from Texas and came home. When I was 19, I was in cosmetology school, going to cut hair. Really? My sweet mother, too. She's a stylist, too, and a barber. She was always telling me, You can pursue your music, but you can have this as a You should go. You can make your own schedule. You can have a backup plan. And so her sweet art, man, she went and got her license to teach. She was going to the same school I was at the same time to get a teaching- She was teaching you? Teaching degree in cosmetology the same time I was gone. So she could just like, I'll just go get my teacher's degree so we can go to school together. I can teach it through. I was like, Hell, yeah, mom. But my dad, he's the first one. He's like, Look, son, if you want to sing, man, you You should drop out of school and don't go back to college.

You need to drop out and just go for it, man, because if you're going to look back at your life and say, Why didn't I go put everything into this? He said, It's not going to happen if you don't put everything into it.

So he encouraged you to drop out of school?

Yeah, he's the one that told me, Just promise me you'll never go back. And I did. And it took me 10 years to get to where I was. I mean, even further now, he's just the most proudest man in the world. There's He's not a gas station or CVS or anything he walks in, dude. He's not like, Man, you know Teddy Swims? Oh, look, that's my son, dude. That's my son. He's just so proud and so happy and follows me all over the world.

That's incredible, man.

So excited, dude. He's the best guy in the world.

That's amazing, man. How old were you when you dropped out of school?

I was 19. Okay, so 12 years ago.

Yeah.

Then by the time I was, I think I signed in 2019. Yeah, December 24th, in 2019, I signed to world record.

Five years ago, four and a half years ago, right?

Yeah, it was 10 years from that moment where we finally made it. But I've been working on music for forever. He was coming to my metal band when I was in high school and stuff. He was like, I don't really like that son, but I mean, whatever. Support you. Yeah. The music I was making at that time, I don't know why he would give me that advice because my bands were terrible. I was like, I don't know why he was like, Go for it, son. I guess he's like, I feel like if my son sucked at something, I would have been like, I guess you still be supportive, but I mean, he'll find it, he'll get his way.

I guess you don't want to have it. At least he had some faith in me.

Yeah, because I don't know how if I had a son, I'd be like, All right, you take your time with it, but that one wasn't very good. I mean, 10 years of pursuing a dream until you, I guess, quote, unquote made it, what were you doing for the last 10 years?

Were you having jobs? Were you singing? Were you singing open likes? Were you just doing all that stuff? Different bands? How did you survive and thrive for 10 years until you made it in the industry?

It wasn't a thrive by any means, but we made it through. A bunch of roommates, a bunch of roommates moving back to their parents' houses when it wasn't working out and get stepped on and getting hurt a lot and losing a bunch of jobs and waiting tables for a long time and also not a good waiter at all by any means. But I remember one of the best advice that I got from this guy, Roger Waters. He gave me the best advice. When I first place I ever waited tables at this pizza place in the small town, Social Circle in Georgia, and he'd always be like, Man, you're like the clumsy server. You're like, forgetful. Table One has been waiting on their ranch dressing for five hours now. You know what I mean? But damn it, man, you get good money because people like you. And as long as you make people feel comfortable and happy, they'll take a Diet Coke, even if they ordered a Coke. It's fine. We love Teddy. He's cool. Whatever. As long as you treat people well, I found that that goes so far in life. Just courage and care for people.

It goes so far. You can be stretched so thin, but just taking that time I'm like, Yeah, just to love on somebody, they're like, Okay, I don't need a ranch dressing, I guess. It's fine.

But you were fine. You were had a good attitude.

Yeah, that's all you can do, man. You got nothing to steal your joy. That's for sure.

That's great, man. During the last decade, I guess, while you're trying to figure it out and develop yourself, what was the most challenging time?

I think the most challenging time for me was right in the between parts of... So I was working at a Chili's in 2019, and I was also the things on the covers and stuff were starting to go off. And so me and all my friends at the time there-YouTube was like, you started that around 2018? Yeah, 2019, June 25th of 2019. Yeah. June 25th of 2019, we did the Michael Jackson's Rock with You cover. It was the first cover I put up because it was just 10 years since Michael had passed. I wanted to do... I wasn't to do covers, but I just wanted to put that up and just be like, Here, pay some homage to the goat. We woke up, I think the next day with 10,000 views on it. We're like, Holy shit, man, this is huge. We're getting hammered, guys. This is massive. I mean, 10,000 views now. If anything happens like that, I'm like, Oh, he washed up. It was just diminished returns, isn't it? But I remember we woke up the next day, it's like 150,000. We're like, Oh. We kept on doing the covers, and as they were coming When we were in, we were basically...

Me and my band and my producer Lee and a bunch of us, we all moved into this house together. My manager, still to this day, my best friend Luke, he was living in LA here Basically, got this Prius pulled a New Hall in the back and drove it all the way to Georgia. We all moved into a house together. It's like there was 12 of us living in this five-bedroom house, and we just put plywood walls up to separate bedrooms. We made it like a nine bedroom house with two studios in it. We were trying to... Because we were at the time, it was like, Yo, if we can take the pictures, we can design the merch. We were even in our garage shipping out the merches as we were distributing it ourselves. We had 15 people over there all the time just working and around the clock doing the covers, writing our own songs, producing everything, playing everything. We just figured if we could do it all ourselves, I was like, Look, we just need six months to just figure this out. If everybody would just donate all the time that they have to this for just six months, I promise you guys in six months this will work.

This is when I just put a promise on it. We all moved in together. It was a very tough time because I don't think we were all of us on top of each other all the time, but I was in a place where I could work maybe one day a week at Chili's or not at all. I had to quit my job before it was working. You were just existing Scraping by. Yeah, just scrambling and try to do whatever you could because work would take you away from this. But then if you don't put everything into this, then everything was suffering on both ends. You had to just make a choice to for it. And those guys really had to help me float by and get by. And we were really scraping it. And even when we first started doing that, it was about October or November and stuff, we were starting to go do label calls and flying to New York or flying here to meet with labels and stuff. And we were broke as hell. So we were also- Taking busses. Yeah. We were also trying to stay in hotels, but also tell the labels that, Oh, our YouTube business is crushing it.

We're making so much money. We don't need you. So to try to- We need a hotel room. Yeah, but to try to let them know we already had a great business going, to try to get more leverage in the fact. But the real lie was we were sinking in our pants and being all tough about it. Yeah, we're good. We don't need this deal. Try to get a better weather. I mean, they got to work. And my boys, I'm so lucky to have a good foundation of a group of guys. And speaking of that six months, it's so great how manifestation really works, too, because we started June 25th of 2019 and December 24th of 2019, a day less than six months. And on Christmas Eve with that, I signed the deal with Warner, and it put all the boys on salary. It was the craziest thing that this manifestation just saying, six months is the time limit, boys, and I'll leave you alone if we can. And it was a day less. The universe, God, whatever it is, was totally We all put our heads together and said, This is what it is, and life just...

Now, were you aware of manifestation or visualization beforehand, or were you thinking about this, or setting goals and timelines?

I'm always a big person of just what you say and what you look for in life and what you think you want out of life, it's like going through your girlfriend's phone, which you don't do. You're going to find something you're looking for, but it doesn't have to. It's maybe not anything you're looking for, but if you're trying to find something to look around and peek under a crevice for something, there's going to be something that you're insecure about. I mean that in a way of… I guess I'm using that as an analogy for manifestation, which is a weird analogy for that. I feel like whatever you're looking for, you're going to find. That's what I'm trying to say. Whatever you want to heighten out of your life, you can. You can make anything you want it to be, is what I'm trying to say.

Where did you learn this, though? When did you start to develop that skillset?

I grew up, luckily, man, and I say this principle-wise, I'm very fortunate. My granddad on my mom's side is a Pentecostal pastor. He's a very big, straight by the book guy. I subscribe to a lot of those principles and a lot of the ways you treat people and your work ethic and stuff like that. But I don't know if I'm so telling everybody they're wrong all the time, though. I'm not so that far on the Christian belief of that anymore. But it taught me a lot so much about how to treat people and how to ask for things out of life and how to say that you want this and how to do the work to get what you want out of life. I just think every time I've ever said something, there was so many times, too, even when we first started this business and we got signed and the way we went through this pandemic, and it was like two years of us not being able to play. We built With our whole business for touring. Now I had my best friends, but we're also, I guess, in some way, my employees now, and our business was falling.

Really? Because we weren't making money to still going on tour or doing anything like that. There was so many times where it was like, Man, we don't know how we're going to make payroll this week, or we don't know how we're going to make payroll next week. That's where it gets weird because the guys that you grew up with that are your best friends since middle school and high school that you're playing with, and you can't go tell them like, Hey, man, I don't know how we're going to pay you guys Friday, but just know that- Stick with me. Yeah, because you don't want to say that. But luckily, I would just always go in there and just say, You know what, dude? Something's going to come through. Somebody's going to call. Something's going to happen. Sure enough, it was always whether... I know not to take away from Luke and Curtis, I'm sure they were going out and looking for everything they could. But it would be sometimes, too, that we might just get a call about a private event that would just pay us like 100 grand real quick, and it would be like, We're safe for the next couple of months.

It was just always something when it was just like, I don't know, man, just whatever we got to do, just stick to the promise, stick to the promise, stick to the promise. And it just continues to... So every time I ever just get to... If ever anything starts to be questionable or integrity gets on the line, it's like, No, just stick to the promise. We said this, and we're going to stick by this word and stand on that. I think just standing on a word is what I really learned from a very early age that life is going to come to you if you just stand on your word.It's.

Powerful.that's beautiful, man. Yeah. But it was almost six or seven years of you, after dropping out of school, I guess, going all in on the music passion and career until something happened. It was six or seven years until you started doing the covers and started getting attention and awareness. How did you stay How did you stay, I guess, inspired for those six or seven years while you're working restaurant jobs and part-time jobs and trying to do gigs on the weekends? How did you stay in belief that something was going to come from this?

I just felt like that's what my life was. There's just nothing I would... I just don't think there would be anything else I could do. I don't know. I would have never have gotten through. I'm very fortunate, too, that if I was working at this place and it closed down or I lost this job, or I lost this house, I I had people in my life, luckily, who were always just willing to just say, Here, I'll float you for this, or, Come sleep on the couch for a bit, or my best pal, Jesse, man. He's been my best friend since we were in middle school. His dad, too, is like, he still plays guitar in my band, too, and writes with me. His dad was just our hero, man. He would take me in. They did commercial plumbing, and so he would try to give me some job. I can't even damn drive a nail, though, my dude. I'm so about it, but he He'd go back behind me like, This shit sucks. But he would just still... He'd even take me to the backyard and be like, Here, just build me a firepit or something.

What's something you could do? I'll pay you $12 an hour. Just come out here and work here. Cut my grass or something. Here's some money. Come sleep on the couch, man. You're good. I'm just grateful that I think everybody in my life was also like, Look, we don't want you to do anything else. I know it's going to work. Wow, man. I'm very fortunate to have had believers. I don't think I was ever in a spot where... I know a lot of people in a successful place can say that all my haters and everybody that didn't believe in me. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever had that point of people just telling me, No, you can't do this. No, it's very slim chance that you could do this or you should think of something different. I don't know if that comes from my... Because people will actually believe that or it's because of my willingness to say if somebody ever told me that, that they just should not be in my life at all. I just don't entertain that idea. I would never entertain that idea for anybody else either that I talk to.

If it's like, You want to do something? Go do it. I got permission from my father to go do something. Sometimes all people really need, especially children, is just permission to just go for it. That permission goes so far.

Some people don't have that permission from their parents, though. They're like, You know what? Stay in school. Go do this thing. Maybe you can try for a little bit this music or art or sports career, but really, you need to go get a real job.

That's tough. That's hard to overcome that. Because I had one of my best friends I had since preschool. He worked with us forever. His dad was always on him about that, too, and was like, Hey, man, or if his grades When it was starting to fall, he would be like, It's because you're playing that guitar too much or you're doing this too much. He was like a full-time electrician, and so like a union electrician, and he wouldn't push his kid into, Look, you need to be doing that. You You need to be focused on just a good collar job and making sure that your family's straight, get a family, get a kid, and go to college and do this whole shit. It was just like, I think to some degree, that's healthy. I wouldn't ever I'm not going to be mad at some parents for doing that because I do understand the ideal of wanting some consistency for your child and safety and safety net for your child. I think that's a beautiful thing to do. But I think it's came to dampening the dream or the heart. You could see the light go out of his eyes every time.

That was just like, put that guitar down. It's like sometimes you need... Of course, I don't have kids, so I would never tell anybody how to raise theirs. But I think he did an amazing job. He's a great man. But if there would have been more chance for him to be permission, he would probably be wherever he wants to be at this point in time.

Absolutely, yeah. Permission is the key when it comes to having someone start to believe in themselves. I think a lot of people struggle with belief in themselves and their talents. There's so many people I've seen over the years have way more talent than me in so many things, but not just go after what they wanted. How did you continue to believe when you weren't making much money for those years, though? How did you continue? Was there ever a time where you were like, Maybe this music in this career thing isn't for me. I'm going to go full-time into something else? Or did you always believe eventually it would happen?

See, that's my thing. That never happened. Even though it was times where one of my last bands I was in, there was a guy I was working with, and his whole thing was like, Look, man, this is my last hoorah with this music thing. If it doesn't work this time, then I'm going to just give it up because I've been at this for so long and I've seen things fall through. I had a band that was touring for a while and that fell through. He's like, I'm just getting old and this is my last hoorah with this. If If it doesn't happen, then I'm giving it up. And I'm like, Well, that's exactly why it's not going to happen, man. Not to knock against anybody there, but for me, it was just this is all that I am and all that I have and all that I was going to be. And it was just very so important to me that there was never a sight that I lost of this. I never lost sight of I want to do this and I need to do this. It was the only thing that I was going to be happy doing.

That was what I wanted and what I saw from my life from a very young I think I never lost that. I think that's the important thing. I think the self-belief is that I could get to where I wanted to be. Not that I ever felt like my talent was going to get me there, but I think I'm just now even starting to... Some of my first bands, man, are just so trash. You could find my very first band. I was a senior high school. It's called Heroic Bear. You can find our ERP on YouTube still. It's so garbage, man. It's a metal band, too. We're like, post-hardcore. It's so garbage. But I look back and I'm like, Why did you guys tell me I could sing? This is so bad, dude. Why didn't you told me I could sing? It's so bad. But thank God they did because I knew I wanted it, man. I knew we had something, and here we are.

Did you rehearse a lot with your voice growing up? Were you singing all the time? Were you trying different genres?

Absolutely, man. I think that's what's also so beautiful about the voice. It's It's an instrument that you can take and practice anywhere you go at any point. If I was a guitarist, you can't just use that everywhere. I was never not singing. If I'm walking around, if I'm pouring drinks to go to a table, if I'm behind the bar pouring drinks, I'm home and to myself. Really? Practicing little runs on my way home. I'm just always singing. Always. It's a vast feeling.

I mean, growing up in a small town in Georgia, though, and playing football, were you celebrated for that, or was it made fun of like, Oh, what are you doing? This singing thing.

No, luckily for us, it was great. I also got really late started in it because I was like my 10th grade year, me and Jessie got in the theater together. That year, I was doing football in theater, and I, after that, stopped football. On and I pursued choras in theater and all that stuff. But it wasn't not a thing. When we were doing theater in high school, it was like, it was cool. It was cool, huh? It was cool. Me and all my buddies were in there, and we We'd gotten all the dudes involved in theater. It was like we'd go to a big Thesbian conference, and it was like we had so many guys in our theater program. Really? Which was really like, Guys, guys, like shot gun and beers, guys. You know what I mean? Really? That's interesting. We had gotten everybody in theater and made it cool. It was like, hell, yeah, it was a dude's party in there. That's amazing. It was quite funny because we ended up... Our school, I think, ended up looking for more girls about the amount of just straight dudes we had in there. It was a blast for us.

I think I just had a different experience on that.

That's cool. That's cool, man. Now, Teddy Swims is your stage name. Jayton Gimsdale is your birthday stage name. What made you want to create a stage name? And do you ever have any insecurities being your authentic name versus your stage name?

Oh, that's beautiful. Well, so, weirdly enough, Swims was like something I was going to go by. So this project originally started with me and my best pal, Hattie Maxwell, who is a writer and producer and guitarist of my band as well, and known him for years. We were working on this band called Wildheart I was in for a while. He started producing hip hop beats and stuff and was sending them to certain artists. One day, he was just like, Dude, we should try just rapping on something. We did. Luckily, my good friend Tyler Carter, he's in his band Issues, and woe is me for long. One of my biggest heroes, best pals in the world, my real mentor and friend, and just the dearest person in my heart, man. He came over one day to get tracks ready for his tour with Issues in Europe, and he comes over here, it's our one rap song, and he's like, This is dope. You guys should come on tour for my solo tour next month. We was like, We have this one song. He's like, Look, just get 30 minutes of music. I'll be back in a month, and we'll on my solo tour.

March of 2019, me and Addy go on tour as just rappers, and that was the first Teddy Swims thing. I was just going to go by Swims as someone who isn't me sometimes. Then Tyler at the time was like, Well, everybody already calls you Teddy. I It's just been called Teddy Forever because just of my stature and joy, I guess. He's like, Well, let's put Teddy Swims together and call it Teddy Swims. It's an awesome name. I was like, I hate that, dude. He was I was like, Well, that's my tour, so I'm putting it on the flyer. Sure enough, it just stuck. Here's Teddy Swims now. Do you still hate it? No, it's growing on me, I guess. It's too late now, isn't it? But everybody hates their own name, I guess. I think I think the reason I started getting called Teddy anyway, Jaten was always hard for people. It was always like- Is it Jaden? Jason. Jamie Jason? Yeah. Jaden. Especially when you're waiting tables, if I'm just like, Hi, I'm Teddy, and everybody's like, Oh, yeah, Teddy. It was like such an inviting, disarming name. I think it just happened. There's not really too much of a difference.

I wouldn't say that Teddy Swims is ever a character I'm portraying or Jaden Demzel is any different. I think it's a... I look at it as a nickname and not like an alias or like a character because it's always been a nickname, and I get called both all the time. That's why I say, I don't care what you call me as long as you call me, man. You call me Jaden because I'm like, I got nothing but love for you, baby, and I'm just happy to be in your mind at all.

Wow, man. But do you ever get insecure on stage or have fear before you go on?

No. You know what's crazy is that I used to... When I was in high school and I first started doing Theater and stuff. I used to get so nervous where I just sit and stare at a wall, just blank for three hours, not eating, not talking to anybody. I would just throw up. I was just nervous as hell, man. Nowadays, I find that I'm more insecure or anxiety riddled all the time except for the stage. Now, the only nerves I really get before a show, I don't really get no butterflies or anything, but I always know 30 minutes before a show, like clockwork, man. If 30 minutes before a stage, I get a bubble in here, it doesn't matter how solid I've been showing it, I'm going to go paint the back of a toilet. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It just immediately just turns to fluid. I'm like, Must be 30 minutes. Sure enough, it's 8:30. It's right up until the moment you got to go on. Yeah, right on. I'm like, This is the worst time.

I used to have that in football, too, man. Right before I had my pads on, I got to take them off.

Yeah, it's always that. But I think also, too, if you stop getting those nerves, then you don't love it enough. I think there's got to be some nerves. If you walk in there, I was literally just on the shop the other day, and LL Cool Jay was on there, too. It was so cool to meet him and hear some wisdom from him. He said that same thing, and it really stuck with me because he was like, If you ever get to that point, there's no nerves, that means you don't care enough. You walk in, you're all caught. You know what? I got this. It's like, Man, no, you should have a little bit of some excitement and some anxiety about getting on there. But I've always been when I got on there, though. It's the most natural place for me to be. It just feels like home when I'm up there and get my shoes off when I'm on that stage, and I just get to feel solid ground and respect and try to create a safe place for people to... Because I get to do this job where I get to walk up there and basically just trauma dump on strangers and just get to just say, cry about some girl that broke my heart three years ago or something, and put it out there for people and talk about my journey of self-care, self-love, or when did I start loving myself, and how did I hate myself for so long?

Start just talking to people like this on stage, and I get to really just have these moments of speaking just openly and vulnerably. I think that outlet that I get to do that has not only been so necessary and therapeutic for me, but it's also great when people get to come and we do a meet and greet or something, they say, This song got me through my divorce. My husband was meant to be here with me, but he passed in October. I brought my friend, but I just wanted you to know your music has got me through that, or your song, Amazing, was our first dance, and he's no longer with us. That stuff right there is just like... It's heavy, but it's so beautiful to hear that stuff because you know that everything that you're writing about, whether it's a love song or whether it's from a place of personal pain. It's so specific to my little personal pain. But then somebody else has their own personal pain or their own memories attached to somebody that they dated or their own moment with doing them in a car when they first heard this song, and now it's their and their girlfriend's favorite song.

It's just such a beautiful thing, and it makes you feel like all the stuff that you went through was so necessary to go through. Even that little heartbreak that I went through, all the pain and anguish that I went through on something becomes now so necessary and the difference I get to make. All that time I spent moping around thinking, what was me or that I was hurt. Now I look back at that stuff and I see how necessary it was for every little issue that happened in my life. I try to now attack everything that goes bad in my life with, Okay, well, this is going to help somebody. That's beautiful. I try to just look at it that way. I think that's a healthy way for me to look at it because every heartbreak, I go, Well, this is going to help me and help somebody else. That's true. I think it's so wonderful that I get an outlet to talk about stuff. I think it's so important that everybody has a voice, and they talk about. If you don't talk about your issues or tell your story to people, then they don't also get to...

They could know that they're not alone, or better, you can help them from ever going through that because you've already been through that. You could say, Hey, don't make this mistake. You can help somebody from going through it, or just let somebody know they're not alone. I think it's just important that everybody just speaks their pain. That's cool, man. It's important.

Now, you mentioned when you're on stage, you get I guess, unload your traumas and talk about all these insecurities or fears or love that you have in your heart at that moment. You mentioned you used to hate yourself in some ways. What was the thing you used to hate about yourself the most? When did you start to love yourself in a more full, authentic way?

I think a lot of times in my life, there's a lot of things that came from, I think from this place of… I don't want to I blame it so much on religious situations, but I think some things growing up were just like, it was meant to be modest and to yourself and hold things in and not letting anybody know what was going on. If there was anything going on in our family, we're all so tight knit. It's like you just we had to look perfect as a pastor or something. Those guys are also going through things. Sometimes there's not people that they go to and just can say, I'm falling apart here, or I'm struggling with thoughts of suicide or something. Maybe there's a pastor going through that, and they can't talk about that openly with somebody, or they can't talk about certain mental health situations that they got going on because they have to be the God is the answer, and my life is perfect because I'm so close to God. It doesn't work like... I think there's just a lot of things in my life that I held in and kept in and things that I was insecure about.

Was it shame or was it insecurity or was it guilt?

All of that stuff. All of that stuff, I think, came in. I won't just point it all on religious things, but I think it's also just... I think a lot of time, too, in my life, I was always a big kid. I struggled with weight a lot and the way I viewed myself and eating habits a lot and the way I viewed myself and was eating to get through this or was just handling situations in certain ways. I I had a big problem with that growing up. I was just always also feeling... I was just always a sensitive little boy, too. We took everything so with the heart. Me, too, man. Everything was just so a personal attack. I think the moment that that really switched for me is right during the pandemic or right before sometime. I think it was 2020 or so. I got a chance. Dominic Wilkins had hit me up on Instagram Basketball player? Yeah, the Hawk, man. He's one of my greatest friends. I got to sing at his wedding maybe a month or two ago. Wow, that's cool. He's the best guy ever. He hit me on Instagram. He was like, I want you to come play at my birthday party.

So he actually coincidentally lives in Conyers, too, where I'm from. So we went over there and we played, and he gave me this signed jersey. I've done a lot of stuff with him. That's cool. He's beautiful. And he's like, Dude, are you a wrestling fan? And I was like, Yeah, of course, man. I got three brothers. He was a huge wrestling fan, right? And he said, Well, Diamond Dallas Page is coming through. And Diamond Dallas Page is like, This is my hero. He's still my hero. I met him, and he went to be having some cocktails, and I was like, Hey, man. I was about 300 pounds at the time. Really? I told him, I was like, Look, man, because he's doing the DDP yoga stuff, right? He's like, Look, man, I really want to... I'd like to try your stuff out or see if there's anything you can... He was like, Well, come over, man. Come over to the house. Come do some yoga with me. Come, let's get together. And he called me the next day and he's like, Look, man, I know we were drunk last night, but I meant what I said.

If you want to come over, come over tomorrow. We'll start doing it. You can come to my house every single day and we'll start talking. I believe in you. Your voice is amazing. Come on. He said, All you got to do, man, is get this six-inch piece of real estate figured out and own that, and we'll figure it out. That dude gave me so much and so much. And still, to this day, he calls me. If not every day, hits me every day. He calls me weekly, and he's like, We We got to get weekly calls. We got to get weekly calls. Stay on it. He's talked about this year, he's like, I want to come out for four or five days on tour and just come sit with you and just make sure you're straight. And he helped me lose 65 pounds. Come on. Yeah. I also have been putting about 20 back on, probably from tequila on tour last year.

But I was going to say, based on your videos from four years ago, I was like, You look a lot leaner, you look a lot healthier, your skin looks better.

Yeah. So there was a time where I At one moment, the biggest part of it was I was living in this house and I was sinking. And this girl I was dating at the time, she had a child, and I'd known him for a very long time. He was six at the time. For most of his life, I'd known him, and his dad really wasn't around. His dad was just in and out in his life and on drugs and stuff. I know what that was like because my little brother's mom was the same way, and I saw my dad struggle through that. I think I found something and fell in love with that kid while we were dating. She ended up going back to her baby daddy. I really, at the time, was like, I want to do whatever it takes to... Even if I got to get a full-time job and still pursue music, I would do whatever it takes to make sure that this kid's okay. I ended up really falling in love with that kid. We still talk to this day. I love that kid. But when that split and she just left to go back to this unsafe thing, it really put me down.

At that same time that she left, my roommate moved out. I was four months behind on rent. My car had broken down. The transmission went out on the way to work, and I had to walk two miles to work, and then they tell me that the place is closing down. And so it was like everything at once just really just fell apart. I was really sinking. And I called my dad at the time, and I was like, Look, man, I need to just come in and just... If I could just throw my mattress on the floor, I'd be stoked. And I was like, of course, baby. And that was, coincidentally enough, was wild as that was right at the beginning of 2019, where we started working on the Teddy Swim stuff. Yeah. Because we were working in Loganville right by my dad's house on this stuff. It's always like one gigantic loss for one... I think when everything is falling apart in your life, that was just making room for everything to start building. I find that life works so much like that, too, where there's just one gigantic loss for something. I think it just makes way for good things.

Now I try to change my perspective on that so much because of DDP. That's so good. You got to own that six-inch piece of real estate. He taught me so much about just like, look, man, you got to do small things. Like, look into your eyeballs in the morning. Have you ever looked at yourself in the eyes in the mirror and said, I love you. You're doing great, man. Just talk to yourself. Tell yourself you're worth it. Tell yourself you're worthy of love. I felt like so long I was choosing relationships, and I was getting stepped on by people because I wanted to give people love and a chance to do something. But I was taking more than I should have because maybe I was also trying to be some consistency for people that I never had or they didn't have, or maybe I was trying to do something unrealistic. I don't know. But I find that I heard this one beautiful advice and a meet and greet not too long ago. This therapist was like, I'm a therapist, and I'd like to give you a little word if I can. And she said, The way people treat you is a reflection of the way that they see you.

The way you let people treat you is a reflection of how you see yourself. And it just stuck with me and changed my life forever from that point. I was like, Yeah, okay, maybe I should just... There's a way to treat people well and love on people, but there's also a way to notice when they're hurting you. I felt like that so long in my life that I let people I think sometimes I just chose the same pattern because there was something about being hurt or being held down that I think was also I was weirdly needing for some inspiration to be the greatest artist version of myself or to be in pain or something. I don't know why I wanted that. Maybe that was the consistency. It was just being in just turmoil all the time. I needed that feeling of unhappiness because it was just what I was used to. It was familiar. Yeah. I'd rather be familiar than uncharded happy territory, which is quite crazy how our brains do that. Now, even in my life, I'm with somebody now that's very good to me, and I'm happy, and everything in my life is coming greatly.

I find that I could still write songs, and I was like-From a place of beauty and love and joy and peace. Even if I still write songs about art, I can always go back and tap into those emotions. I don't have to be there right now. I don't have to just constantly put myself in hurtful places. I don't why I do that. I don't know why we did that. Because you hear these great songs where an artist created them from a place of pain or sadness or loss or heartache, right?

I always think like, Okay, this is a beautiful song, or this is a beautiful piece of art. But isn't there a way to create art from harmony and peace and love and abundance? There certainly is. That can also move and change the world.

Yeah, absolutely there is. I'm learning that daily. It's just something I have to always be like, It's okay to be happy, dude. It's fine. Just be happy. It's probably the best for you.

When did you start feeling happier and loving yourself then? Did it happen overnight? Was it a month of practice of doing these rituals and habits?

It's an everyday decision. I find that happiness is truly a decision you got to make. Love is a decision you got to make. You wake up every day with something in your heart. Even if you're with a partner for a long enough time, you're not going to wake up every day like, Wow, what a great another day to love you again. You got to wake up and you love things despite you. You're happy despite of things, and you have to decide. You got to just continue to train your brain to say, You're not upset. You're happy. Everything's good. Some days I find myself worried about stuff, and I'm like, What are you about? Come on, dude.

Life is good.

Life is good, and you're so loved, and you're so cherished, and people love you, and you love people, and you got good things and a great family and friends and foundation. What the hell is your problem, dude? Come on, just get it together. Are you waking up all… Yeah, don't be a little… Get up. Just smile, man. It's okay.

Someone watching or listening right now might be thinking, Well, Teddy, that sounds good because you've made a bunch of money now, and now you're famous, and you've got success, and you're going on a world tour, so it's easy to be happy now. But what do you say to people that are I'm struggling. I'm going through it. I'm working multiple jobs. My relationship isn't working out. I'm overweight. I'm not feeling good about myself. How do you speak into them, joy and positivity, on how they can shift their mindset to feel loved and happy?

I would say, personally, happiness is never easy. I think anybody anywhere in their life is allowed to feel the way that they feel. Because I think I did the same thing when I always told myself, I'll be happy when I get to this, or I'll be happy when I get to this level, or when I get to this pace, or when I can do music full-time, all my problems will go away. That was the biggest wake-up call for me, is when I was able to finally do music full-time. I was the most depressed I've ever been because I thought that was going to answer all my problems. But that was maybe answering a financial problem or a problem that I didn't get to do what I loved full-time. But that was never the issues that was really happening. The issues were way deeper than that.

What were the main issues?

It was all the things that I've been discussing, the things that I've held in my whole life that I was insecure about, the things that I was hating myself for, the ways that I was living, the things that I was doing, the people I was around that were breaking me down stepping on me and the people that were not valuing me and me not valuing myself. It all came from... When I got to this point, I said, Well, something's clearly got to change because I thought once I got here, I'll be happy. Again, dude, it's not easy to be happy. It's not. It's something you got to... The pursuit is for everybody, right? The pursuit of it is what we need. But happiness is something you got to wake up and choose, and it's hard. It's harder some days than others, and it's hard on everybody. Of course, I can't speak for anybody with whatever their situation is going, anyone more successful or really struggling at the bottom. I can't tell them how to be happy or that you should just wake up and put it aside, just decide to be happy. You can't do that either.

But whatever there is in your life that you can find to clean to, that's what kept me alive truly, is that even though I got to that point and I was like, Wait, there's underlying issues I wasn't addressing, I would tell you that I had a North Star of what I wanted and what I was here for. I think the only thing that kept me going while I was in the bottom of the barrel was that this is what I wanted to be, and this is when I get here, I'll be happy. I know that was not even true, but I had something that I was grabbing for, and I had something that was pulling me out of the bottom all the time. I'm grateful that there was still something to stay around for. There's something to cling to. As long as you have your reason, then I'd just say, Man, make sure you have a reason, because if there's nothing for you, there's no reason, there's nothing to love that's keeping you here, then I hope there's a way that somebody can find that and have You got to just have one thing to cling to, one thing that just keeps you here.

Absolutely. Without it, there's nothing.

Man, for any artist, musician, singer, creative individual watching or listening right now who hasn't made it yet, who isn't making it full-time, who isn't making a full-time living or doing what they want full-time, but they have a dream and a passion to become more with their art, what would you tell them about Fame, success, and money that you know now that you didn't know five years ago?

I would say whatever. I would say trying to be...

That's a tough question. What has Fame, success, and money taught you? Having it now versus five years ago not having it?

I would say that money now to me, is now that we were dealing with a lot more of it, but $20 still means what it meant when I was either buying a bottle or I was making it to work. $20 still means what it meant to me. A dollar, the value of a dollar always stays the same. At least in my brain, I always try to make sure it stays the same, that I know how much a $20 bill can do. And no matter how many of those I have, I know what they can do and know how much that can do for somebody and in my life and how much. I try to know that it's coming and it's going and it's fleeting, of course. I think with success, too, I find that I think my version of success is, I think, defining your own version of success and what success means is really what the whole ideal is, is because you can get to this level, but then there's such a different level. They say, though, the human eyes, he's 20 miles ahead of it, right? If you're looking 20 miles ahead, you walk that 20 miles, and then there's another 20 miles, and it's as far as the eye can see.

I always find that I'm just like, as soon as I get here, I'm like, This is cool, but if I had died at number two, I'd have been like, This sucks. I would have been so hurt. But I'm also like, 99.9% of people don't... Even more than that. I'm like, Why am I... I try to constantly just... I think I find a way to define success and what success means to me, and I think that's just important for people to do. I think what that means for me is this. I think success is when you can offer somebody the opportunity or the ability to to have the same success. I truly think whatever I can do, when I've been able to build a studio and I've been able to put my friends on a salary, or I've been able to bring them into writing rooms and see them flourish as writers and producers and writing songs for artists that are putting songs out or being their own artist and putting their own songs out. I think that's truly what I get my happiness, that my most success from is watching them flourish because we were able to provide an opportunity for this or that opportunity provided to this person.

It's seeing kids come up that are at shows and they're standing in the front and they're nine years old and they come to the show and they're like, They want to be singers. Just reach out and give them a pair of sunglasses while you're singing up there. They know that just changes their life. Or you bring them backstage after and hug on them and take a picture and give them a little word. It's like that stuff is success. That's what success looks like, in my opinion. I think it's important for someone that if you want success, it's important to define what that looks like for you because if you don't have a clear definitive line of what success is, then you're going to be chasing it. Never know you actually have it.

What about Fame? What has Fame taught you now that you've experienced it and people know who you are?

It's quite strange. I try my best to be... Some people I find are like, there's a certain separation that happens when you have... And it doesn't have to be fame. It's how famous you are to somebody, I think. It's like you could be a level of famous, but people treat you with you just a regular guy, right? But some people, when they look at you, and it depends on how big you are in their lives. Some people, I find that all they do is listen to Teddy Swims, and they're like, They're the biggest Teddy Swims fan in the world. I'm so honored for that. I'm so absolutely honored for that. But I find it such a weird thing when somebody's like, they come to the meet great. They're just shaken, and they're like, I don't know what to say. I love you. It's such a sweet thing. But it's quite an exchange that you have to get used to because they start crying immediately. You give them a hug. You're like, Oh, that's such an honor that you feel that way to be around me. In my presence, you're all broken down and shaken. It's such a beautiful thing, but it's such a thing to get used to because you just want to be like, Hi, how are you?

Thank you so much for listening to my stuff. I love you so They're just blown away by just, Oh, my God, this presence. But it's really not any different. I don't know. Because to me, I'm just a fat kid from Conyors. So getting treated that way. It's such a beautiful experience, but it's quite a jarring experience to go through. People are just not really thinking you're human. You're like, Oh, baby. I'm bringing it back down. Yeah, I'm not all that.

How do you manage your ego or your mind or your heart or your humility when that is going to continue to happen more and more? You're going to be number one. You're going to be selling out arenas. What's your process for making sure it doesn't make you a bad person?

I don't think it could, man, because I think there's a thing that happened. I don't know why people change when they do this, because humility and people. I was taught one good advice, and I say this all the time. They said, You know who the most important person person in the world is? It's you, because when I'm here with you, it's our time together, and I'm making sure that I'm fully engaged in this conversation. If you get five seconds with somebody, 10 years with somebody, you make sure every moment you spend is right there. Their time is just as valuable as mine. I don't show up late to things. I hate to be... I'm not knocking anybody doesn't. Sometimes things happen, but when you start acting as if your time is more valuable than somebody else's, and even if it is dollar sign-wise, it's not. Especially when people are dropping their kids and are bringing their kids to a Teddy Swim show, and their time is actually what's so valuable. Their time is way more valuable than mine. They're investing in me and caring about me, and I think when you start treating people like they're lesser than or that their time is less valuable than yours or that you are worth more than somebody, I don't think I have that bone in my body to be like, I'm this.

Yes. Because I don't see myself as that. I don't plan on it. I never want to feel like, Oh, I'm the best. Sure. I think I will strive to be, but as soon as I feel like I'm the best, then there's no growth left.

Yeah, that's a good mindset, man. Yeah. That's a great mindset. I mean, your album is called I've Tried Everything But Therapy Part One. Have you tried Therapy yet, though?

I have not, man. I talked about it, too, before this album came out. I was like, Look, dude, this is my problem self. When I get this album out, I'm going to go to therapy. It's been such a whirlwind. I know there's always time. Again, I can make time to do this and do a 30-minute zoom here or here.

Yeah.

This whirlwind, I think I've just been maybe not ready yet or something, and I'm planning on doing it.

It took me until I was 31 to start for me.

Yeah, it's a perfect time. It's the right time for you. I think it is. I think even more so now that I am in a good place, I think it might be a perfect time to start and not being just like... I think in a good place is probably a great place to start. Absolutely. I think it's good at any time. I agree that it's good for everyone, but I don't know what it is.

I don't know why it started here. Why did you want to title it this, even though it's something you've never experienced yourself?

Well, I think it was a funny name, too, just for the sake of... I've done everything except for therapy. I've done every... I've tried everything that I could to make myself as good as I can. Therapy is probably the next step. I think in naming it that, too, it started conversations like these, which is so important to me because I think in times before. Maybe that's why there might still be some stigma in my brain I'm trying to get rid of because in some generational course of people, it just be like, Tote it in. It's tough. I've been doing that my whole life, what we've been discussing. I think I wanted to just open the door to talk about it and talk about it. That's beautiful, man. The more that I've had conversations about this has been like, Have you tried it yet? It also keeps me accountable, and it also keeps me talking about my emotional place.Beautiful, man.Yeah. I think, hopefully, it just helps people start opening their mouths about that more, and maybe it inspires somebody else, or maybe when I do, then maybe more people will. I'll probably got to set the example myself.

You know what I mean?

What do you think is the thing that you're afraid to discuss or talk about the most?

I don't know, man, because I feel very open, and I can talk about anything. You seem very vulnerable. I'm very lucky. I feel very vulnerable. I don't have anything I wouldn't talk about, but I think there's I think there's some things about my habits of coping that maybe I'm scared of changing. Maybe it's the- From heartbreak or from loss or from sadness? I think it's just in general, the certain things, the tips I do or the ways that I handle my stress and emotions or the ways that... What if I find out, Oh, there's a way better way of handling this than drinking? And I'm like, Well, I like to drink when I'm sad, though. You're familiar with it? Yeah. Exactly. It's a familiar- It's like a buddy.

It's like a buddy, you don't want to let go of your buddy.

Exactly, man. It's a buddy that's probably like- It's like leaving a friend. It's like a toxic relationship that you're not ready to walk away from. It's literally putting poison in you.

Yeah. But it's a comfortable, familiar feeling.

Yeah, exactly. I don't know. Not just booze, too, but I think just all my other coping mechanism. Maybe it's even chewing on my nails or the inside of my cheeks. Maybe it's little ticks that I have here and there. Maybe it's too much about discovering those things that I might have to change and not I don't want to be so stuck in my ways anymore. I don't want to be stuck in my ways, but there's something so protective inside of me that's like, Oh, no, don't change this. It's working. It's what's got you here. Yeah, exactly. I think there's also a protection of that, too. Well, what I fall on my face after I get fixed, which is not even a thing. Nobody fixes you. But you know what I mean? There's just this stigma I think I'm still working through. I won't know until I really just go take the step, and it probably will be way different than I'm even explaining it. So I just got to get there.

The thing I love that you're talking about is on the humility and fame side of things and how you just feel like you'll always be growing. I just feel like something like therapy or call it coaching, whatever you want to call it, it's going to allow to just keep growing as a human inside and outside so you can serve more people at a better level. That's the way I look at it. I look at you as... This is the first time we've met. We've met this a lot of few times. I've seen your work for a while. But I see you, and the more I see you in front of you as an incredible leader and a voice to be of service to humanity, to express your voice in a beautiful, artistic way that can connect with people with what they're going through. Whether it's something challenging or something beautiful in their your life, you can use your voice and your artistry to empower and uplift individual souls, hearts, and minds around the world. The more you continue to evolve, it's not about fixing or being perfect or letting go of every negative habit that you have, but just being aware of the root cause of why you do these things.

Yeah, sure. Saying, Okay, does this serve me and my art and humanity at the highest level? Maybe I I'll never get rid of this, but maybe I improve a little bit here and there. I do a little bit of yoga for this season of my life, and I'm going to try something else. It's like I'm going to enter relationships in a different way, whatever it might be. Then you're going to have that experience and be able to express that experience to humanity from a place of service and growth within yourself. I think that's a beautiful thing that you're doing, and you're on this journey. Just you've been talking about it as the title of your album is allowing you to express this personal growth journey. So I'm just really excited for you. Whether you do it now or in 20 years, I'm excited for your journey of growth because it's impacting lives around the world. And it's really cool, man.

You're an incredible talker, man. Have a good idea. You're so good at talking about it.

Yes, sir. That's beautiful.

I'm just listening, man. You're so well-spoken, man. That's so well said.Thank you, man.I appreciate it.I receive that.Of.

Course, man. You've got a gift. I think the first thing I saw of yours was the cover you with Shania Twain, right?

She's, wow, what an angel.

The first thing I ever heard out of your mouth, when someone sent this to me, the first thing I ever heard out of your mouth, do you remember what you said at the beginning of that song?

It's my mom. I'm a beautiful mother, man.

That's what you said, the first thing.

Yeah, she's an angel.

I love this woman. You say you dedicated this to my mom.

Yeah, she's the best.

You say this, You're still the one I love, all that stuff. Why did you decide to do that cover? I think it did over 20 million views. Why did you decide to do that and why did you decide to dedicate it to your mom?

That song, I mean, always that whole album, God, dude, she's just incredible. That song just reminded me my mother. I don't remember what album where I was like, We should do this cover. But I think I heard it or something, and I was like, Man, this makes me think of my mama, and maybe we should do this next. It was something like, I can't remember the place where we decided, but I I remember when we were recording it, I was just like, Man, I'm going to dedicate this to my mama because it just makes me think of her. It's just such a beautiful song. It makes me think of us in the car and that song being on the radio and us going down the road and me singing in the car and my mom's. It just makes me think of home. Wow. It's been such a beautiful thing, too, because not only has that changed my life so much, but we still play it every night. A lot of people got married to my version of that song and stuff, too, which is so powerful. You play it on the road? Yeah. Yeah.

I got to see you play that live, man.

We'll always play that one, too, as far as... Because it's like... I think it's such a contrast, seeing you with the physical body you have and the beard and your tattoos.

I think that's a lot of-Sing this sweet, beautiful song.

I think a lot of that has been what happened in my career, too, has been because of the way I look versus the way I sound. I think it's been a gimmick that we've really been able to work. The contrast, yeah. But it's so fun. We go out there and every day I'm like, Hey, is anybody Everybody here for the mother of this evening? Or is anybody else just a mom at all? And for the rest of us, can we make noise for the most beautiful creatures in the world? I used to honor mom for a minute. Every day is mother's day for me. Wow, that's good. I'm just like, It's fun to go on stage and always just shout out to moms. And they're just like, you see somebody with their kid, or you see somebody with their daughter, and then their daughter's daughter, and you see this generations of people in the crowd, and all shapes, and sizes, and colors, all just holding each other together. And this couple who got married to it, they're just slow dancing in the middle of the crowd. And you're just like, God, this is a way to bring people together.

And I mean, that song, just- What's a line in that song or a phrase in that song that resonates with you the most? Just look at us still holding on. We're still together. It's like that pre, and you're still the one I run to. You're the one I belong to. You're still the one I want for life. That whole song, I think it's love song, and it's definitely about a relationship with a person that has been, I guess, together for a long time. But to me, it's always reminded me of my mom. When we really spend the lyrics, it could also be that way. We've made it through everything together, Mom, and we were like, Well, I love you. Are you still the girl I run to? My mom is still my everything, and she's my rock dog.

Have you always had a good relationship with her growing up, or did you go through some challenges?

No, we went through a lot of challenges, man. We did. But she's always been... And we've grown, too. She one time told me the most beautiful advice, man. I guess not advice, but just something that she said to me the other day. She was like, I was cutting somebody's hair, and I had pictures of you and Kaylyn, my older brother on the lawn. She said, Glenn, how did you raise such good boys? And she said, Hell, they raised me. Wow. It just touched my heart. My mom was just... I realized she was 23 or 25 when she had two kids. My dad was 21, I think, when he had two kids, or 23 or something. It was like they were a couple of years apart. And if I'd have been not even 25 with two kids. Holy shit, dude, or 23 with two kids, I'm a child. I'm still not a child. I see also, too, that all the times and all things that as I was growing up that my mom was doing, as I'm getting older, I'm starting to see, she was like a kid, though, still. She was still growing and as a baby raising a baby.

Any mistakes that were made were just like, That's Baby raising a baby. God bless her. She was going through hell. Trying to figure out who she was, trying to raise two boys, trying to maybe still also have a child, have some youth in her, too. It's tough navigate being a new parent at all, but let alone that age, I'm sure. We had our times, and we had our stuff, but who doesn't? I think I'm just so grateful that she's really turned into That's the most beautiful woman and flourished in that. Also, as my mother watched me grow up, to watch my mother grow up, it's been a hell of a thing. We really grew up together. That's beautiful. She's just a flower, man. She's the best.

That's great, man. What's the lyrics or the phrase in a song that you feel like you've sung the most to yourself throughout your entire life? Maybe your childhood or your adult life. What's the thing that you see yourself just singing in the shower the most or when you're in the car or just humming? What are those lyrics or that verse that you sing a lot? Maybe it's your own song, maybe it's another song.

I would say for my favorite, I think probably the song I've sang the most in My Life. It knocks me off my feet, Stevie Wonder. I just love that album, The Song's In The Key of Life is the best album ever. I don't want to bore you with my troubles. Something about your love You know that song? I don't want to bore you with it. I love you, I love you, I love you. It's just such an infectious, beautiful song, man. That album, in general, has just really always been something that's It's just so beautiful and powerful. It makes me just think of my childhood and just growing up. If I was to say my own song, first song of my album was called Some Things I'll Never Know. I find myself always I was always singing that When did your heart let me go? I guess some things I'll never know. It's a song that's really helped me with a lot and an acceptance of things because-How's that verse go? It says, What did your heart let me go? I guess some things I'll never know. It's how the chorus of it is.

When did your heart let me go?

Yeah, I guess some things I'll never know. If you haven't listened to the song, you said it's such a beautiful song, man. When it was written, it was about just acceptance of... People walk out of your life, and I say this all the time on stage. When people walk out of your life, it could be a friend, it could be a significant other, it could be just a death in something. But there's no closure, I find, that when people leave your life. All you can do is hope that the best thing... They're doing the best for themselves. If you really love them, you got to just let it go and you don't get closure. They're not going to tell you, This is what you did wrong. This is why I'm leaving, or, This is why I'm leaving. It has nothing to do. They're not going to give you closure. Sometimes people just leave, and sometimes people don't say, They just go. You got to hope or find some way to give yourself clarity or some acceptance or internal closure that you're like, Well, I guess this is the end of that. And there's no... And I always found myself with relationships that ended like looking for closure like, Why did this happen?

I don't understand. And it's just the acceptance of The things that I can't control. And that whole song is just about there's things I just can't control. And I just got to accept that I can't keep you here. I found that there's two reasons. I I think anyway, there's two reasons why people hurt you. And they either do it to specifically hurt you or they do it to help themselves. And you just got to hope that they're doing it for their better good. Interesting. And if that's what they're doing it, if it ever takes you hurting me to make yourself better, then by all means, I would take that anytime, and I'll be glad to. Well, I'm not glad to, but I can accept that. But it's always, I think with me, when you're just trying to blatantly hurt somebody, I think that's when it's like, Okay, you're giving me too much or you're giving somebody else too much power. If they want to hurt you. So I just hope that it's always to benefit whatever you got to do for yourself. You're number one. You take care of that.

Man, this is a beautiful conversation, man. Yeah, I'm glad. I've got a few more questions for you if that's cool. But this has been really inspiring so far. It's a question that just came to me as you were saying this. I think you're close to, or maybe you're over a billion streams already on your music in the last year. Platinum, you're selling out arenas around the world. So much is happening for you right now. I'm curious, if you could go a year in the future and you could think back about the gift you would like to receive, the internal gift you'd like to receive from where you are now to everything you're about to experience and go through over the next year, what is that gift you would love to receive for yourself?

That's a really beautiful question. I think I would like to... If I could look back a year from now and look back, I think I would like to just hopefully have I always say this as a gift because I think I'd like to just learn to let things go better, just learn to let things slide off because everything I feel like sometimes me is so huge and every moment is so gigantic, and everything is so massive, and whatever's happening right now. There's a thing about being present, but there's a thing about being like, everything is not the end of the world. You know what I mean? I'm learning every day, but even if I could look back last year, I'm like, all the shit that I was making such a big deal was not that big of a deal. Hopefully, I will have the gift of discernment. That's good. That would be discernment will be the gift that I would like. Much better discernment. That's what I'm I'm looking for.

I know a great tool that will help. Therapy.

Yeah, I'm thinking you're right.

Therapy has given me that. That's for sure. But all in time when you're ready. No pressure. You've got your tour coming out. People can go to tedyswims. Com to learn more about everything you're up to. But you're on social media, Instagram. I love your Instagram content. Obviously, Spotify, YouTube, all these different places. They can see all your videos and everything. What can we do? Where Where do we follow you the most to see what you're up to, how we can support you, how we can serve you, watch you live? Where should we go?

All those are great places. But personally, I'm on Instagram the most. I have way too much screen time, probably, man. I really just... Yesterday, we went and got a new phone, so I could have my old phone, but that way, if I can have one that's just for the family and also doesn't have any social media on it. If I just want to leave this one for a day. I can just go try to separate from it, but I'm always on there. If you want to hear anything that I'm doing, I'll probably post a fucking stupid story, a meme, anything, something about farts and no matter what.

That's great, man. But you'll be on tour for a while, right?

Yeah, we got Europe coming up, and then Australia, New Zealand, and then September, October, we're in the States. It's amazing, man. It's amazing, man.

Check out the tour dates. If it's not sold out, you get a ticket. Scalp it if you have to, but make sure you see Teddy live anywhere around the world. If you get a chance, because you guys do a VIP thing, people can get upgraded to see before or after.

Yeah, we do a 100-person meet and greet most of the time. That's great. It's the best, dude. It's the best.

Before the event, right?

Before the show? It gives me all the energy I need before the show, too. I find it quite It's a strange thing, though, because it's such an up and down of emotion. Somebody's so excited, you're smiling for the next person you got 20 seconds with, they're sobbing, and then you're like, Oh. It's just like a load to just up and down. That's where I'm just, Oh, yeah. You're ready to go. But I love it, man. That's great, man. I love this connection. That's beautiful.

Well, if anyone watching or listening goes and sees you at a VIP, make sure to give Teddy a big hug. Absolutely. Let him know what part of this show you enjoy the most and the conversation we had, what you enjoyed the most. This is a question I ask everyone at the end of our interviews, and it's a hypothetical question. It's called the Three Truths. Okay. I'd like you to imagine a world where you get to live as long as you want, another 100 years if you want to. But eventually, it's the last day on Earth for you. And you get to create everything you want to create. You get to have the relationships you want, the career you want, you get to put the music out, everything you get to do, you dream up, it happens. You manifest it. But on the last day of Earth, you have to take all of your creations with you. This conversation is gone, your music is gone, hypothetical, right? And for whatever reason this happens, But on the last day, you get to leave behind three final lessons, three final truths from your life experience. Okay. They could be verses from a line of music.

They could be what's on your heart or mind right now. They could be anything at all. If you could fast forward to the future that many years and think about what you'd want to share to leave behind, what would be those three lessons or three truths for you?

I would ultimately say the same thing, man. When you talk to somebody, you make sure that they feel like they're the most important thing in the world, and you make sure that time you spend is time well spent. I think also your time is no more valuable than anybody else's, again. I guess, yeah, in the sake of time. I guess that's all. Because when you ask that question, it doesn't really make you think about the time that you have or the time that you could have or what you're leaving behind. And I sometimes wonder if... Before I get to the start, I also sometimes wonder if am I doing this to be remembered? Because eventually, oblivion is inevitable, right? So even when I am gone, at some point, I'll be forgotten. So am I doing this to make little exchanges here and there or just to make the most out of my life to have a blast? Or am I doing this to be remembered? Because I always say, certainly, if I am doing this business to be remembered, I'm in the wrong business because Heather will be remembered way after I went away way long.

Serial killers will be remembered way after we will. So I think if you really wanted to be remembered, you'd probably just be a serial killer or something. So clearly, I'm not doing it for that reason. It's always tyrants and serial killers that are remembered forever for some reason. I think it's the worst you do on the world, the more you're remembered, which is weird in a way. Sad. Yeah. I don't think I'm doing it for that reason, clearly. I never really think about what I'm leaving behind. But what would be the lesson, the final lesson you think that you'd want people to think about their lives? I think there are some universal truths. There are a lot of things that aren't black and white, but there are things that are black and white, and I think it's just love. Love yourself. Love people, man. Love people. Just love people. I believe in the inherent goodness of people, and I think everybody is. I think bad things happen and bad decisions are made. I think people just have a reason for what you're doing. I just love people.

That's beautiful. Jaden, I've got one more question for you. Before I ask the final question, I would acknowledge you, man, because I love how real and authentic you are. I love your heart. I love your honesty. I love your authenticity. I love that you have been committed to your dream and your voice for the last decade plus, and you've gone all in on it. Most people give up a year or two into their dream, and you've been 10 plus years into it, and you're just getting started now. And so the fact that you've been consistent, committed, you've been bringing your friends along the way with you, giving people opportunities. And it sounds to me like you've been yourself throughout the whole journey. I think it's just a beautiful thing. So I want to acknowledge you, man, for-I hate you the way you-for everything you're up to and for being of service to people using your voice and your talent, your gifts, whether they listen, they stream something, whether they watch this, or they go watch you live. It's a beautiful thing to see, man. I acknowledge you for doing everything but therapy and working on yourself, because I think a lot of people get comfortable with where they are.

They stay familiar, even if it's toxic or it's hurtful. And the fact that you said, You know what? Dallas down in Page, I'll come and I'll do some yoga, and I'll start doing some things over here, and I'll try to work on myself. The fact that you're doing that and not staying stuck in this while I'm this struggling artist that has to be depressed in order to make great art. That's a beautiful lesson that I want people to take away from this as well, that you can be loving, you can be joyful, you can be growing personally in whatever way it works for you and make a difference in the world. I acknowledge you, man, and I'm excited to watch your journey soar. It's a beautiful thing. One final question. Okay. What is your definition of greatness?

Man, that's such a crazy line. I think feeling happiness. I feel like greatness is... I don't know what I want to say. What is the difference between satisfaction and and contentment. Because I don't know. Is there a difference in those words? Because I don't want to say...

Some people are satisfied, but they're not content.

It's like they can be satisfied. I feel like greatness will maybe be satisfied, but I also don't know if I'll ever do that. So it doesn't mean I'll never achieve greatness. I don't know. Maybe greatness is never being satisfied. There we go. That's what it means. Never being satisfied is, I think, my definition of greatness. Always striving for more and always growing. That's a good one. There you go. We figured it out. There you go.

Jayden, Teddy Swims, my man. Thank you so much. Thank you, bro.

What a great talk.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links. And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad-free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our Greatness Plus channel exclusively on Apple podcast. Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple podcast as well. Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review. I really love hearing feedback from you, and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward. And I want to remind you, if no one has told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great.