Skip Happens Podcast - Every Boot Has a Story!

A Breakup Sparked A 21-Song Debut And A New Self

• Skip Clark

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SPEAKER_00:

What? We are live. Hey, what's up, everybody? This is Skip Happens. My name is Skip Clark. And uh, of course, today we're welcoming back a friend of the show. Uh, this is the third time. Third time she's been on. That's how long I've known her. It's been a little bit. She's a violin uh turn singer, songwriter, Pertusho. I can't even talk. But you know what I'm saying. All right, now living in Nashville, recording her debut album. We're gonna be talking about that. Her music has been featured on Netflix and Hallmark, heard by millions online. Her self-love anthem, uh, I remember this very well. Perfectly Imperfect has passed 11 million streams worldwide. That's huge. Please welcome back to Skip Happens. Ada Pasterneck, what's going on? It's so good to see you. So good to see you too. Oh my gosh, it's been a little bit probably since uh it's been almost a year, right? Since uh maybe even a little bit longer. Were you at CRS last year?

SPEAKER_02:

I was.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, then I probably saw you.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, okay, I'm sure. So you're doing good? Life good?

SPEAKER_02:

Life is life, yeah. Life is beautiful.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, well, once again, I love it. I love it just everything. Uh Ada, welcome back to Skip Happens. You know, third time's a charm. And uh, how does it feel coming back now compared to the first time that you're on Skip Happens? I mean, you just you look so relaxed.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, thank you. Um, yeah, it feels great. I think um, you know, when you get to when you when you get to know somebody better, you feel more comfortable and you feel like you're yourself more, so that's always a nice thing. Um, so I think it's every time it'll it'll be more more enjoyable for our I love it.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it. Was it uh was it last year? We went out to dinner and we walked in, and um was it uh was it Dan or Shay was sitting right there at the table by the door. Yeah, Dan was there. It's like, oh my goodness. And of course, you know, I've interviewed him, we know each other. You know, yeah, it was just like it was so cool.

SPEAKER_03:

That was so cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And then we sat down and had dinner, and you are such a good person that somebody was celebrating a birthday. You pulled your violin out and you played happy birthday for right in the middle of the restaurant. That was so cool. Yeah, not everybody would do that, not everybody would do that, but Otta would. You gotta love that. So, you know, last time that we chatted, there was a lot still unfolding. Um, what is the biggest change in your life or career since your last visit?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, um, I have come, I have come very far in my album. Uh, it's a 21-song album that I've been working on for what feels like a thousand years, but it's really been two and a half. Um, but uh yeah, there's just been a lot of time and emotion and other things that have gone into this album. And um, I'm getting close to wrapping it up. I only have a couple more songs to record, and um, it's been really fun and really therapeutic and very meaningful.

SPEAKER_00:

So 21 songs, that's a lot. Yeah, you don't you don't hear or see albums coming out very often with 21 tunes on them.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, well, it wasn't planned, like nothing in my life really has been. Um, you know, the breakup wasn't planned, the the me becoming a songwriter wasn't planned.

SPEAKER_00:

But you don't, everything happens for a reason. Yes, as you know, we can look at each other and say that to I could say it to you, you could say it to have to me. So it's all good. So um, so do you feel like you're meeting a new version of yourself uh because right now on the new podcast, because everything you've been through?

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's a beautiful and deep question. Um, yes, I feel like I am in some ways meeting a new version of myself all the time.

SPEAKER_00:

Um I know there's yeah, exactly. Because like I said a few minutes ago, you're like a whole, I mean, you were great before, but I can just I just feel the you know, okay, I'm gonna talk to Skip tonight. This is cool. That's that's that's what I feel, and I like that.

SPEAKER_02:

So thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

So a little bit of background though. Um, we may have talked about this before, but you were actually born in Moscow, and you moved over here at the age of was it six? Am I remembering that correctly?

SPEAKER_01:

Five, yep.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, wow. And you're not looking back at all, so which is pretty cool. Looking forward, looking forward, and your is your your your family's here too, right? Everybody's here.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I have some family in Ukraine right now. Um and it's you know really sad times over there, but uh my immediate family, most of my family is here in the States.

SPEAKER_00:

And your family, you're all musicians. I think I've seen the videos of uh your mom and your dad. Your dad was playing, I think, the piano. And and I saw that and you guys were like all jamming. I don't know. Did you do that this year? Was that like at the holidays one year or something that you all got together and did something like that?

SPEAKER_02:

Or we we do that a lot. I mean, um that was a big part of my childhood, and um grateful to say it is also a part of my adulthood. Um, I grew up in a musical family, that's how I got started. My parents are both very talented, classically trained musicians. And so they put my brother and I into classical music lessons when we were Yay high. I'm still Yay High.

SPEAKER_00:

She's not lying. I can't, I know you're a short little thing, but it's all good.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. It's all good. Um so yeah, we uh we we played together as a family, family ensemble when I was a kid. And we, you know, it was the four of us, my dad on piano, my mom on violin, me on a little violin, and my brother on cello. So it was really uh a very unique and special aspect of my childhood. And then, of course, at some point, um, when I got older, I became a songwriter. I moved away to Los Angeles, I was doing my own thing, and I still am, but whenever I have the chance, I like I love playing music with my family. It's I love that an incredible experience. It's hard to even put into words. It's uh it's very, very special.

SPEAKER_00:

Do they uh ever get the opportunity to come and visit you in Nashville?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, my mom is planning on coming this winter. Uh, she's been once, and my brother has been once to visit me. Um, and so my dad hasn't visited me yet, so we gotta make that happen.

SPEAKER_00:

He will. I'm sure he will.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I would love all of them to come together.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you know, daughters are very special, and it just eventually your dad's gonna be there. It's just, you know, my daughters are out of town, but it's like, okay, it's been a little bit, but I need to go see them because I need to have my daughter in my life.

SPEAKER_03:

So how cool is that?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you were a full tuition scholarship student at Berkeley, if I'm not mistaken. You went to Berkeley of Mus uh College of Music. Uh, when did songwriting stop being something extra and actually become the thing for you?

SPEAKER_02:

It was never anything extra. Um, it once once I wrote my first song, which was also by accident, um, unplanned, I it was the thing right away. And I didn't know if I was good, I didn't know what how to write a song, I didn't know what I was doing. Um, but once I went to my first open mic and performed that first song that I wrote, it was a very memorable and sort of um life-changing experience. The whole it was a very loud bar in Boston. And I walked in and it was open mic night. Nobody was listening to the singers. And I was like, oh gosh, I can't get up there. Like no one's gonna, no one's gonna listen to me. People were drinking and watching TV. It's like a sports bar. I was like, what's the point?

SPEAKER_00:

I'd be just the opposite, thinking, okay, nobody's gonna hear me anyways. I'm just gonna go do my thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, whatever. I I didn't care. So it was my turn, and I went up there with my little violin. I'd never performed my original music in my life. Um, and I went up to sing the first song I wrote, which is called Why Let You Go. And the moment I started singing, the room went completely silent. Like you can hear a pin drop. And throughout the whole song, nobody made any noise, nobody talked. And um it was really special. Like the the connection that I felt to the music and to these strangers in Boston. Uh, it was it was incredible. And then I had some really nice feedback afterwards. There was this man that came up to me, his name was Brian, and he was like, Hey, um, I just lost my brother and I traveled to Boston to clean out his apartment. And I just stumbled in here to get a bar, and I your music was so beautiful, blah, blah. He was like, he was like in tears and he was like, Can I can I buy a C D? I was like, C D. I just wrote my first song yesterday. I was like, you can buy a CD in six months. Um, but people loved it, and so I was like, huh, maybe I'm good at this. Songwriter. Whoa, never thought I'd be a songwriter, but maybe I'll be a song. So it just kind of happened, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, but you've been through a lot in life too, which will add to your songwriting. I mean, I know a lot about you, and there's a lot that people don't know about you, but if they listen to the music, they're gonna know a lot about you.

SPEAKER_04:

That's right.

SPEAKER_00:

Because you you put your feelings on a on a score sheet, you put your feelings out there. I do. Then you put a tune to it and you're good to go. I love that. Uh now I a few seconds ago, or maybe it's a couple of minutes ago, now I saw you go get a guitar and you brought it back. Uh, but every time I've seen you or we've chatted together, it was uh about being on a violin, about playing the violin and you know, you being who you are. But I I see you were holding a guitar. So you've are you playing both now?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm playing both. I'm playing all the colors of the rainbow.

SPEAKER_00:

I'd love that.

SPEAKER_02:

I got a little keyboard behind me over there.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, I saw the keyboard, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, I'll always play a violin for as long as I'm alive because it's because I can, and it's always gonna be such a big part of who I am, and um so I feel like learning other instruments, playing other instruments just gives me more room to play.

SPEAKER_00:

So you don't regret, I mean, you know, you've got more than just the violin now. You never think, uh, I don't know if I should have ever done this or that, but uh, you've got yeah, I like that. But um, you've got more than just the violin. Like I said, I mean, you know, you you kind of play with the keys a little bit and you got the violin, now you have the guitar. So I love that.

SPEAKER_02:

It's so satisfying to play guitar, and I'm not good yet. You know, I'm I'm I'm envious when I hear good guitar players or good piano players. I'm like, I wish I could do that. Um, but uh they're probably envious of how I can play the violin, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

It's cool to be good at something, but you can't be good at everything, right?

SPEAKER_00:

I know you can pick up that violin and I could go, hey, I want you to play some guns and roses. You know what? You're gonna do that. It's like it's amazing. It's amazing that you know, and and I've seen it in person, I've seen you just pick it up and play. And it's like, oh my god, you just catch on so quickly, and that is how good you are. Does your classical training still show up in your songwriting? And even if listeners don't realize it?

SPEAKER_02:

That's a great question. Absolutely. Um, I think more than anything, when people ask me who who's my inspiration, I'm like, classical music. Yeah, that was my whole upbringing, my childhood. That's what I played every single day of my life for from six to sixteen. Um, so how can it not influence my music? I mean, certainly, you know, um and it's it's subconscious, it's not like I'm writing a song and thinking about Tchaikovsky, no, but it's in it's in there, you know, it's it's in here in my fingers and it's in my blood. Um and my again, going back to my musical family, like my mom was singing to me before I was even born. So, you know, music is just inside me, and um, it's a privilege to create it.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it. And uh, you're living in Nashville, as we mentioned already, but to your recording of the debut album, we talked about that a little bit. What's uh surprised you the most about the process? I know you you know a little bit what goes on and how it all works, but is there something that really kind of surprised you saying I never thought it'd be like this?

SPEAKER_02:

I never thought it'd take this long.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, maybe longer the better.

SPEAKER_02:

I don't know, that's what she said.

SPEAKER_00:

No, well, it's a podcast, we can do that.

SPEAKER_02:

It's 18 and up, right?

SPEAKER_00:

18 and up.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, yeah, I mean, there's a reason for why it's taken me so long. There's multiple reasons for why this album has taken me so long. First of all, it's 21 songs, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right, which is very surprising, as I mentioned a moment ago.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, also I'm an independent artist, so I'm funding by myself, which has been tough to do. Um and you know, the songs are all very honest and um very autobiographical. So that took time, that has taken time as well to tell my story in an authentic way through the music. So um those things combined, yeah, it's it's taken a while, but I'm getting it done.

SPEAKER_00:

So compared to last night that we got together and we chatted or we hung out in Nashville. Um how has Nashville actually shaped your sound? Uh, it's different now than you were when we last spoke. Well, I don't think it's really different, different, but there's gotta be something that you've kind of modified a little bit, maybe just just there's something different. It's all great.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I know you're thinking.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think um, and I was just talking to my mom about something completely different, but how we're the product of our of our environment, right? We live with someone who's who's really positive and inspirational and all learning things. We're we're gonna feed off of that and be like be like that too. If we live with someone who's always pessimistic and lazy and negative, we're gonna be like that eventually. Um, so I think it's the same thing in music. So I think if you're living in I think if you if you're living in Japan and you're a musician in Japan, you're gonna be somewhat influenced by the music there, perhaps Japanese pop or whatever types of things you hear in the radio. Um, if you're living in Nashville, you're gonna be influenced by the music here, which is not all, but a lot of country music, um, as you know. And so yeah, you're just walking down the street and you hear country music coming from the bar next door. So it's it's all it's everywhere. Country music actually has never been my favorite genre to listen to, but it's definitely grown on me. And I think there's some really incredible songs that's what it does. Yeah, and like in every genre, there's good and bad music.

SPEAKER_00:

100%. No doubt, no doubt, no doubt. You know, uh, if we could go back just a little bit, I know you've got a couple of new songs, we're gonna talk about that here in just a bit, but perfectly imperfect. You know, I mentioned the fact that it, you know, it's well over 11 million streams now. That's huge in itself. At what point did you realize that this song was actually bigger than you? This is like unbelievable. These numbers are phenomenal.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you. Yeah, I still don't think I realize it. I don't, it's not processable to me. Um, especially when it doesn't reflect in my bank. It's like I don't believe it, you know. I don't believe that 11 million people have heard my song, but they have. But it's it's a strange idea.

SPEAKER_00:

Um well, you're working hard at it, as you mentioned a moment ago as well. You're an independent musician, and you know, it's very tough to do what you're doing, but you've got a self, you've got your mind is focused, you're on the right track, you're getting her done. There's a lot of ups and there's a lot of downs. And we come across a lot of people who you know, they say they're gonna help you and then they don't help you. So, I mean, there's a lot of that you and I both know that. So, uh, but with uh perfectly imperfect, when fans tell you, let's say somebody comes up and says, you know, that song really helped me, does it still hit you the same way?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, it's it's the greatest compliment I could ever receive is uh when somebody says your song has helped me, or your song speaks to me, or you know, I've been having a hard time lately, and I discovered your music and it's it's been you know, it's been getting me through, got me through the pandemic, or got me through this. It's yeah, whether it's perfectly imperfect or another song, um, or just my violin playing that somebody hears, it's really, really special. I mean, that's that's the kind of stuff that makes me want to keep going.

SPEAKER_00:

And also, um your music, we've I believe we mentioned this last time we had you on, it had to be a year ago or even a little bit longer, but uh it's been featured on Netflix, you've been featured on Hallmark, the music's been in there. Uh, how does writing uh uh for that kind of differ from writing you know straight from the heart? How does, you know, if you write for Netflix or Hallmark, is it different from writing from your heart?

SPEAKER_02:

I understand what you're asking. Um I always write from my heart. And I um I those songs were like I didn't write those songs for Netflix or Hallmark, they were just chosen. They were selected to somebody that was working on a on a movie, on a film, uh Hallmark film. They were like, Hey, can we use your song perfectly imperfect in the film? And I was like, sure, yeah. So it was one of those things. So it wasn't um, they weren't like, Hey, can you write a song? Which I would love to, which I could also do. Um, but I would still write it from the heart, maybe with the project in mind, and you know, yeah, no, I get it.

SPEAKER_00:

I get it. And what what do you feel when you have you watched it and then all of a sudden you you hear your song? I mean, what's that feeling like? Maybe you're sitting on the couch, you know, whether you're alone or with somebody and you're watching the movie or watching Netflix or Hallmark and the song comes on. Have you had that experience?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I have, I have actually. Um I may or may not have any boyfriend. Uh we were watching, we were trying to select a movie to watch around Christmas time. And we went on Netflix and we're just we're trying to find a Christmas themed movie. And um this movie popped up that features my singing, it's not an original song, um, but it's it's a cover song that um that I was invited to to sing on. And I didn't tell him, and I was like, you might hear a familiar voice. He's like, What? And so I we just we watched the movie and then it was it was really cool when when my boy did he did he immediately know it was you? Um we had the captions on, so it said I gotcha.

SPEAKER_00:

That's cheating.

SPEAKER_02:

So it was cheating.

SPEAKER_00:

I know.

SPEAKER_02:

So yeah, it's very cool. It's very cool. Um the Hallmark movie that my original song, Perfectly Imperfect, is in actually. I I'm a little ashamed to admit I haven't watched it because I don't have Hallmark channel, so I haven't actually watched the movie, but I I need to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I love that. Uh so I mean, over the, you know, in the past you've toured. Um, I know I made notes here, uh postmodern jukebox, piano around the world. Uh, what did those experiences teach you about global audiences?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I didn't actually tour with those two, but I I did, I made a lot of videos with them.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Piano around the world. We we made one video together that went super viral. It has like 11, 10 million views or something like that. And then we, you know, we became friends and made other videos together as well for the years. But that there was that one, the spontaneous New York street video that just crazy how it blew up. Um so a lot of my followers and fans actually discovered me through that video. Um and then other people discovered me through the postmodern jukebox videos. I made two videos with them where I'm I got you. I haven't gone on tour with either of them, but um I misspoke.

SPEAKER_00:

I misspoke. I didn't mean to say tour. I said you've been, I'm reading some of my notes. You've been a part of postmodern jukebox. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes. Um, but I did but I did go on a little mini tour right before the pandemic hit. Um, I was invited to open up for a famous artist in the UK named Rebecca Ferguson. Um, so that was a really exciting opportunity for me. It was a short tour, it was like two weeks in just different cities around the UK.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, but that's cool, but it was really cool.

SPEAKER_02:

But yeah, it was like performing at theaters in front of like 500 people, 800 people.

SPEAKER_00:

Intimate audience is has to be one of the best audiences, you know. I mean, just to be able to to connect with everybody that's watching you, you can make that eye connection. You you've got all that going. I love intimate shows.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and you know, it was uh it was really cool to perform at these beautiful theaters, and it was it was a challenge, it was also challenging in a lot of ways. So I ended up losing my voice completely. Oh no, I don't know if it was the the heat or the air conditioning from the tour bus, or I don't know what it was, but I remember like two hours before the show, or a couple hours before the show, we were doing the sound check.

SPEAKER_00:

I literally oh my god, freaking out.

SPEAKER_02:

I had to sing in front of 800 people in a couple hours. I had zero voice. I was like praying and taking all this medication and throat coat and everything.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow.

SPEAKER_02:

Miraculously, miraculously, my voice came back in time for the show.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and um, you know, it was the other challenge was that my genre of music is very different from the artist I was opening for. So there was no guarantee that her audience would like my music. And and they didn't know me, I was just an opener, you know. So uh for one of the shows I remember uh specifically, the audience felt a little bit cold when I first walked up to the stage and started singing. I would some people were talking and I was like, oh, but I I had to win them over, and I did because at the end I got a standing ovation.

SPEAKER_00:

See, there you go, and you know what's what's nice about that? You say, you know, for what you do, it wasn't exactly what they expected. But you know what? Now you're exposing yourself to what could be new fans, a different genre of music as well. You know, it works both ways. I think that's a great opportunity. I don't know what I would do if I were in your shoes and I get out there on stage and everybody's just not even paying attention and talking. I'd be like, Well, you shut the hell up, I'm singing. But uh still, you know, it'd be so hard to do. But I give you a lot of credit for doing that, and uh yeah, and you hopefully got some new fans out of that. Well, obviously, you did if you got the standing O. So that's cool. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it was a cool experience. And then I was like, Oh my god, that I want to do more tours and shows, and then the whole world shut down. So I'm grateful I can squeeze that in before the pandemic.

SPEAKER_00:

How long ago did you um open for Kathy Matea?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, that was fun. I was also very That was a while ago, right? Last minute, yeah. It was uh it was a couple of years ago. A couple of years ago, it was in my hometown, um, at a theater uh in my hometown of Fairfield, Connecticut. And yeah, I kind of just got the call. It was like a week or two before the show. They're like, Hey, do you want to open for Kathy Mateo? I was like, Yeah, hey, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It's like it's funny that they even have to ask, would you like to open for Kathy Matea?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, no, I'm gonna stay at home and watch Netflix instead.

SPEAKER_00:

Just say, hey, we need you at this theater at this time, and uh you're opening for Kathy Matea. It's not how would you like to? Of course you would.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

It is cool. Do you have anything else like that in the works? Yeah, down the road. Uh, did you have you got any or things you probably can't say? I totally get it, but you know, if it's uh God, I can only pray that it's something you know big like that and that you just keep keep moving.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, um, I'm definitely in the process of booking some things right now. I'm doing a show in Miami on March 1st. Um there's an outdoor series at the park across from the Betsy Hotel in Miami. So I'm doing that March 1st, and Miami's always fun, so excited for that. Um, and then um I'm actually doing a show in Nashville this coming Saturday. Oh, nice. Um, uh a really cool spot called the 1865 Club. So I'm doing like an audit and friends night. So I'm doing some original music and then some covers and then gonna have some special guests. So that'll be fun. Um at eight o'clock. And yeah, I'm just in the works and working on booking some other things for the winter, and hopefully we'll spinning off some big artists.

SPEAKER_00:

Where is the 1865 club? What'd you say it was?

SPEAKER_02:

In Nashville, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Is it the 1865? What's the name of the club again?

SPEAKER_02:

1865 Club.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, okay. I it sounds familiar. Has it been there a little bit? I don't know where whereabouts is it? Is it is it downtown?

SPEAKER_02:

It's not downtown, but it's it's pretty close to downtown. I don't know my way around Nashville very well, but it's it's like a seven-minute drive from downtown.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02:

That's yeah, it's a cool spot. Yeah, it's like a bar, but um, like I love those spots.

SPEAKER_00:

That's why yeah, that's why I was asking. Those are the places I I like to go when I'm you know, if I'm there and I don't have a big schedule, it's like it's nice to go to these other places, you know. You won't find me down on Broadway, and I'll do respect everybody. That yeah, I mean, if you go there, that's fine. Uh, but I'd like to go to some of the other places outside of town a little bit, me too.

SPEAKER_02:

A bit more down. I'm gonna say I don't like going to Broadway unless it's crazy.

SPEAKER_00:

It's crazy. Say, um, is it true that uh a while ago you collaborated uh with uh Five for Fighting?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, yeah, he's become a collaborator and and a friend. He's so wonderful, so talented and so sweet. Yeah, it's cool because I I remember his songs from when I was a kid, and uh really enjoying them, and then um playing with him on stage, playing those songs with him is really cool. Yeah, I've performed with him I think three times now, and yeah, we're in touch. He's awesome. So hopefully more shows with uh John Five for Fifer Fighting.

SPEAKER_00:

Love that, love that. Let's talk about the new music. Tell me about it. So you got I know this is one of the reasons that we're on here tonight on an off night of the week, but that's okay. So tell me a little bit. You got two new not broken, baby. Not broken. No, I get it, but tell us about it. Okay, I'm ready. Okay, we're all ready. I know drum roll. I don't know if I have a drum roll. This song there you go, ladies and gentlemen. Pastor back. All right, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good. So this song that I'm wearing is coming out this Friday, January 16th. It is a single, but it's the title track to my upcoming album. So it feels like a big deal for it to be coming out because this song is kind of the whole thing. It's the whole point of the album. Um so it's coming out Friday, and so exciting. Yeah, it's I'm definitely excited to share it with people. And I have uh I have a song that I released about a month or two ago that's also uh a single on the album. It's called Tuluka Lake. That one's already out.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, I saw that online. I should have downloaded it, but uh put it on my little machine here. But uh, I know exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, but that's that's all part of the story. Um, the breakup that I went through in LA that changed my life and made me buy one-way ticket out to Nashville.

SPEAKER_00:

So cut your hair.

SPEAKER_02:

And cut my hair.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's growing back though, from what I can see a little bit.

SPEAKER_02:

A little bit, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I saw um, it's funny because I was doing a little bit of homework, uh, you know, just to catch up on little things here. And uh I went through some uh YouTube videos. And I uh yeah, no, no, it's just like your hair is like I'm going, oh my god, I've never seen her with long hair before.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, it's different.

SPEAKER_00:

It's different, but no, it went through a lot, a lot. You had a big change in your life. You needed to move away, you needed to do what you needed to do to go on as Otta.

SPEAKER_04:

That's right.

SPEAKER_00:

And you were strong enough of a person to do that, and everybody, I mean, anybody watching this is a good example that uh you know what? Don't let it drown you, don't let it overcome you. Don't just you gotta do what you gotta do for you.

SPEAKER_02:

That's right. Just because you have a broken heart doesn't mean you're broken.

SPEAKER_00:

Nope, not broken, baby.

SPEAKER_02:

Not broken.

SPEAKER_00:

So are you got 21 songs on the album, including Not Broken and the other one? What um are they all kind of focused around the same life experience type of thing?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's the autobiographical concept album. So yes. Um yeah, it's mostly breakup songs, but then it's but then it's me going and blossoming like a beautiful flower, becoming stronger and and healthy and manifesting love. And then after after I drop my album, I'm actually dropping a love EP, which I'm already working on.

SPEAKER_00:

Is there a um is there a particular song on the album uh that kind of scares you to have it out there, but you're putting it out anyways?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh yeah, I'm sure there is. Wait, let me show you something.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, okay, I'm hanging.

SPEAKER_02:

So I've had I'm just trying to get organized, and this is these are the songs of my album. Um the one that scares me the most to release.

SPEAKER_00:

Um that's kind of see, a lot of people don't realize this is what you do as an independent artist. You're running the whole show. You've got it, you're you're there in your apartment or condo, whatever it is, and you you've got all your little notes and you're making it work, and you're yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

Hmm, which song scares me the most to release? Yeah, ask me that again when next interview when the album's actually out. Okay, next I have a better idea how to answer that. I I don't know right now.

SPEAKER_00:

They're all they're they're all very vulnerable and honest, and uh well, you know, that's why they're gonna be so good because they are, and when people listen to it, I don't know if it's geared more towards you know, the female demographic and the male demographic. I mean right down the middle. That that that's cool because if they can go, wow, yeah, you know, I've been through that, or I know what she's singing about, or I know what she's saying, been there, done that. You got a hit, yeah. It'll work for you, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think breakups and uh betrayal and losing someone you love, that's all like a universal topic. We've all gone through a divorce or a really painful breakup, or someone that we trusted hurt us, or we, you know, some sort of loss. Um, because a breakup couldn't feel like a death, and it did feel like that for me. That's what I went through. Um, I lost, you know, who was my best friend, and then he took my dog, and I went through a lot of loss.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Time, time really does heal the heart, and um, just because we got our heart broken doesn't mean we're broken.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm not broken, baby. No, you're not broken, not broken at all.

SPEAKER_02:

You're not broken, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Time heals, but the memories don't go away. No, you know, time will heal, but been there, been there, done that. Yeah, so the album's gonna drop on you said Friday.

SPEAKER_02:

Album? Oh no, no, not the album, the single. I'm sorry. The single, the single, uh I'm all messed up today.

SPEAKER_00:

It's Sunday, it's Sunday when we're uh putting this out there.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's right. Um, I I'm hoping the album will drop pretty soon. I don't have a release date yet because I keep making one and then it's not ready and I keep pushing it back. So I'm just I'm not gonna announce a release date unless I'm sure. Um obviously I I'm I'm hoping in a in a few months the album will be will be out. But for now, yeah. The title track to the album, not broken, single dropping this Friday.

SPEAKER_00:

Sarah says uh I follow her on TikTok.

SPEAKER_02:

Yay!

SPEAKER_04:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's so cool.

SPEAKER_04:

That is cool.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I'm gonna pick a tick to you have the fans, girl. You have it, you you've got it. It just it's it's a long and hard road.

SPEAKER_02:

One fan at a time, like Sarah.

SPEAKER_00:

That's what I've always said, and you know that. I always say it's one fan at a time. I think I might have told you that at dinner that night. I don't know. It's like one fan at a time.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep, yep, that's real. That's real.

SPEAKER_00:

It is real though.

SPEAKER_02:

So, yeah, for anyone listening, um, this Friday, January 16th. Okay, not broken. My single is dropping everywhere. I would love for you guys to pre-save it now. Wait, when is this coming out?

SPEAKER_00:

Huh?

SPEAKER_02:

When is this Friday?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh no, oh, this video?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, we're live now.

SPEAKER_00:

No, we're live. Everybody, uh I'm Facebook, YouTube, um TikTok, LinkedIn. We're good.

SPEAKER_02:

I've done some interviews that are like pre-recorded, so sometimes sometimes I get confused. So yeah, we're live. Anyways, so um this song is already available to pre-save. Pre-saving actually is free and takes just a few seconds and actually really thank you. It actually really helps artists. So um there's a link in my Instagram bio where you can pre-save it. Um, if anybody watching, and yeah, this song is coming out Friday. And um, I already have a ton of music out on Spotify and Apple and Amazon and everywhere, uh, which I'd love people to listen to and um follow me on your streaming platform and listen to Luca Lake, my most recent single.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that, love that. And uh our friend Jeff Golko says hello.

SPEAKER_02:

You can see the corner. Hello, Jeff. Thank you for connecting me and Skip.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I must, yeah, originally I remember that. Yep, I got this really awesome artist. I mean, you gotta talk to her, she's great. And I kept calling you what, Ada? And it's Ada. He says Ada like Prada.

SPEAKER_02:

Used to that.

SPEAKER_00:

Does that happen a lot? I mean, you go to interviews, it's all right, Ada, Ada, tell me or whatever, it's Prada.

SPEAKER_02:

It happens at Starbucks and everywhere, which I don't mind if it happens at a coffee shop. But my biggest pet peeve is when I'm going on stage somewhere, and I literally will remind them right before I go on stage, hey, I just want to make sure you pronounce my name right. It's kind of a sensitive topic because people mess it up. I'm like, it's Ada. Ada rhymes with Prada. And oh, I got you, no problem. I got it. 30 seconds later, please welcome to the stage. Ada Pasternak.

SPEAKER_00:

That's the nerves, it's the nerves. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_02:

I don't even mind Ada at this point. It's Ada that I hate.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I get it. And I was doing it in the beginning. I was doing that a lot, and Jeff would go, it's Ada like Prada.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I don't like Prada. How do you forget that?

SPEAKER_00:

I know exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

Even on my Instagram bio, I'm just like so.

SPEAKER_00:

When you go to Starbucks, when you go to Starbucks, what's your uh what do you drink? Yeah, what's your order at a Starbucks?

SPEAKER_02:

You know, I don't really go to Starbucks anymore. I'm ashamed to admit that I used to go there a lot and I blew way too much money on it and but I don't really go to Starbucks anymore. It's like the last, it's like last resort if I'm driving somewhere on a road trip and there's nothing else around and I'm desperate for coffee, then I'll go. Um, but I I am a coffee snob, I like good quality coffee, so I I'll make it myself or I'll try to find a coffee shop. It depends.

SPEAKER_00:

Um so you're like what you're you would go to one of those shops that has all different and not just like your basic Dunkin'. I know Duncan's got their stuff now, but still yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02:

I'll find a Duncan Donuts coffee once in a while. But yeah, um I like good strong coffee. So I'll I'll either do like a black hot coffee or an Americano, or sometimes I get like a cappuccino or a latte. But if I get a latte, I like an extra shot.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, okay, but that's that's pretty simple though.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I don't like it with too much milk.

SPEAKER_00:

I you yeah, I usually get behind these people in line and they want 35 pumps of this, 12 pumps of that. You know, I'm just I mean, I'm exaggerating, but it's like okay. And you look at the order because sometimes you get to pull up and you see what they what's on the board. It's like, holy crap, this person's gonna be buzzing all afternoon.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, right, right. No, I mean I I'm not always that simple. Sometimes I'll be a little bit of a pain in the ass. I'll be like, hi, um, yeah, I think I want like uh a latte, but with almond milk, but okay with an extra shot. And uh, how about just like half a pump of vanilla just for a little sweetener, but not too much. Um make sure it's really hot, okay? Because last time I wasn't hot enough. Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

But that's still not too bad. Not bad.

SPEAKER_02:

It's not bad, I'm delight about it.

SPEAKER_00:

I get it. But then you know, you know, I know so many people that go to Starbucks. I don't know if it's just because they want to have that logo on the cup that they walk around with. That if I drink a Starbucks coffee, I'm bouncing off the walls for days.

SPEAKER_04:

It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it, you know, I love my coffee, but still exactly. Cheers. Just you know, it's crazy. What's that say on the cup?

SPEAKER_02:

You are my favorite.

SPEAKER_00:

Aww.

SPEAKER_02:

I have two of these matching cups, and the other one says uh uh adventure time. Oh, that's so cute.

SPEAKER_00:

Is it cute? I don't know, or is it cheesy? You can be honest with me.

SPEAKER_02:

Can it be both? It could be both. Yeah, so I guess but everyone likes cheese.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, exactly. Cheesy could be good.

SPEAKER_02:

I don't do dairy, but I have some vegan. I have some some vegan cheese in my fridge right now, and it's damn good. It's damn good.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it, I love it. Uh, violin or vocals. If you had to choose one.

SPEAKER_02:

If I had to choose one, I'd probably uh that's pretty obvious. I'd probably throw myself off the balcony. That would be a horrible thing to have to choose. I couldn't, it's not it's like spaghetti or meatballs, you know, you don't choose.

SPEAKER_00:

Um you have your own studio there in the house. You do, right? You you do a lot of your own stuff right there. You've learned uh do you uh what about you DAW your you know your workstation? Do you have Pro Tools or do you what do you use to record on?

SPEAKER_02:

Um I'm still at the beginning of say beginning stages of learning to record myself. Um, but yeah, I have I downloaded Pro Tools and I'm gonna be downloading logic as well. Yep, logic's really still just um in the beginning stages of that, but definitely this is the year.

SPEAKER_00:

And and you feel more relaxed, probably doing that at home. You know what I mean? It's like me in my own voiceover studio here. I just you know, I'm by myself and nobody hears me, nobody sees me, and I hope it comes out good. You know, just relaxed.

SPEAKER_02:

I love going to other people's to other studios, it's really fun, and it's it's important to do that as well. But it's really special that I have my own little setup here, you know.

unknown:

Cool.

SPEAKER_00:

Nashville studio or live stage. Live stage.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, do I if I have to choose?

SPEAKER_00:

No, if you have to yeah, yeah, I just I threw that out there. Nashville studio or live stage.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's tough.

SPEAKER_00:

I know.

SPEAKER_02:

Studio probably. I really the all all of the all of the steps from writing the song to recording the song. To releasing the song, to performing the song, all the all of the steps are very, very significant and special and unique and important. Um, and then my other favorite part of it, which I don't do as often as I'd like, is making music videos. I'm obsessed with making music videos. It's the most fun ever because I I'm an actress as well. I want to do more of that. So it's just really fun to play with the camera and um it's my favorite thing to do. I think I like it more than performing. I'm just obsessed with making music videos.

SPEAKER_00:

No, no, I get that. That is so cool. You uh do you do it all yourself, set the camera up and then kind of you know, and then edit it down, edit it, edit it down afterwards?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I well, I mean, I do that stuff for like Instagram, but like yeah, yeah, actual music videos. No, I I spend money on those and make them professional, um, which is why I make them so rarely.

SPEAKER_00:

Because it's you know independent artist, hello. I know I get you, but I give you so much credit. So much credit.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you, thank you. So yeah, I really love the music videos I've put out, particularly one that's my favorite, that I feel like is the most simple, but it's the most authentic and the most honest. Uh, and it's for my song I wish I never, which is going on the album, it's part of the story. And um yeah, I really love how that music video came out. It's just black and white, it's just in one room. We filmed it in New York, and uh I just I think it's really beautiful.

SPEAKER_00:

So and the black and white, that touch, all that that's huge. It's all coming back. The um the 21 tracks that are on the album, uh not broken, are they in any special order for a reason?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Um they are. They're for the most part, the order is however, the timing of when I actually wrote the songs and what happened when. Um, and um the way that I handled all the emotions. You know how with any type of loss, there's there's anger, there's sadness, there's denial, there's acceptance, there's all these different stages of grief. Um, so that's in the music as well. So, you know, the first album, uh the first half of this album is is kind of more like when it's the first part of the breakup, you know, let's say six months after, a year after. And then the second half of the album is like some songs I wrote two years later, you know, kind of more of a reflection, or maybe the things I've I've learned. Or, you know, one of the songs is me looking inward and realizing that realizing my mistakes and what I could have done better and what I could apply to my next relationship. And um, and then there's this the last song is uh sort of a bonus track. It's called Never Too Late, and it's me manifesting love.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow, wow, you've had a rocky road, but you know what? You smoothed it out, you've paved it over. Is there are yeah, exactly? Are you happy with the way you've been doing things? Are you happy with yourself that you have done all this? Does that make sense? That you know, you've had you've had the relationship issues, you moved from one place to another, you had the ups and downs of being in the music industry, working with a lot of different people, I'm sure. You a lot of as I mentioned minutes ago, about there's a lot of good, there's a lot of bad. Are you happy with the way that you handled things? Is there anything you would have done different?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, yes to both. Okay, I'm um a lot of my choices because I am honest and I respect that about myself. And I follow my heart and I follow my gut. But yeah, I've made a lot of mistakes. Uh I still do all the time. And it's hard to always know what's right or who to trust. Um it's hard to find your people in life. I think if you find your team or your romantic partner early on, you're very lucky because sometimes it takes forever to find that. Um, so I'm still in a lot of ways searching for my team with my career, you know. Um, just people that are really good at what they do that that I can trust and um that have your back no matter what. So yeah, it's hard to find that. And right now I'm just um well, I you know working with myself so that I could trust myself and putting out the right energy to attract the right people.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. I get you. Is there a lyric you wish you had written or you wrote?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, oh yeah, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00:

Off the top of my head, I don't know, but yeah, but the the you hear something and you would go, why didn't I do that?

SPEAKER_02:

I know there's definitely oh, I wish I had thought of that. Mm-hmm. I might have to get back on you back to you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, how is that when you do when you do your songwriting? Are you with somebody else? You you sit alone in the apartment, or what do you do?

SPEAKER_02:

Both. Both both, yeah. Um, I would say more than half of the song, more than half the songs in my album I wrote alone. Uh, but some of them are called where like I I would come in with the chorus. Like I wrote a chorus, this chorus to let's say not broken, this song is coming out Friday. Um, I wrote the chorus, you know, seven months ago, whatever, randomly here in my apartment. Um, and then I didn't know where to go with the verses. I just it wasn't coming out. So I took it to uh a couple of writers. We got in the room. I was like, hey guys, here's this chorus. It's called Not Broken. I I think it's really beautiful. And you know, two hours later we have the whole song. So I'm like, oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow, that's really awesome. That's pretty awesome. What is um Otto? What is one word that defines this chapter of your life? One word.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, Skip, that's a good question. That defines this chapter of my life. Wow. I know I just got the chills.

SPEAKER_00:

I got the chills because I'm talking to you. You're like so awesome. So sweet. So I don't know. There's got you know, you can think about that, but uh, there's got to be a certain word that would define this chapter in your life. It's all right, it was just a small bug.

SPEAKER_03:

It was a little bug, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Little bug. Yeah, I got them in, I got them in the pod zone here. I don't know where they're coming from. I think they're coming in from the snow. They're cold, they don't like the cold, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_02:

Wait, I want to write this down for myself so I can reflect on it. One word.

SPEAKER_00:

I saw one word that defines this chapter of your life.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, I really like this question.

SPEAKER_00:

You're gonna lay in bed tonight going, Skip asked me one word.

SPEAKER_02:

At two in the morning, I'm gonna be like, I got it.

SPEAKER_00:

Ding! My phone will go off of the podcast.

SPEAKER_02:

I thought of it.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_02:

This chapter of my life. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00:

So you got uh you got the guitar there. You were you gonna play something, or do you want to I I you do what you want, girl.

SPEAKER_02:

I would love to share the chorus of this song. Not broken. That's coming up.

SPEAKER_00:

I want to hear it. I'm so glad you're doing that. Here we go. Otta pastor. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm not broken, I'm just a little chat. It ain't nothing that can't be fixed. So don't put me down, don't throw me out. I still wanna be around because I'm not broken. I'm not broken. We broke up, but I'm not broken.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow, wow, wow, I love that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a good idea. The rest of it's gotta be so good. I love it. I love it. Ada, like Prada, Pasternak, like Pasternak, just so good to see you, and just so good to have a conversation with you. I know I'm a little bit all over the place tonight, but uh the way it is with Skip Clark, and that's why it's Skip happens, and we just have a conversation now, we have a lot of fun doing it, and uh, it's so good to see you. I'm glad you uh my god, you know. I follow you anyways, and I know we're on Facebook together, but it's like just to see everything that you're doing and what you've been going through. And I know there's been a lot going on in the world, and I just you know, I just I get emotionally upset over a lot of that as well. And I think about my friends like you, and what must be going through your heart and what must be going through your brain, having uh you know, part of your family in the Ukraine, and and you know, we all know this is just it the world is not a good place right now. No, it's not, and it's scary. And for anybody that's gonna, you know, you're bringing your kids up, or you you don't, it just take a look around. Everything is it's scary, and I don't know what the answer is, and I'm not gonna get into the politics. I'm just like, I just can't we all just get along? Can't we just work this out? Can't we? You know, maybe there's certain things you can't work out, but there's gotta be a different way. There's gotta be some way.

SPEAKER_02:

So um what I wanna, yes. What I wanna leave off with is reflecting off of what you said. Um when you want to change the world, take a look in the mirror. That's that's what I want to leave everyone with because it starts with us. Um obviously we're not in charge of we're not in control of of the wars and the terrorist attacks and the anti-Semitism and all the horrible things that are happening. Um but sometimes we end up really hurting each other and hurting the people we care about.

SPEAKER_03:

It's true.

SPEAKER_02:

When we're not taking care of ourselves and our physical and mental health. So let's take care of ourselves so that we can take better care of each other. And I think that's the way we we make change, and that's the way that we make the world more peaceful or more beautiful with kindness and compassion and forgiveness and music.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, Jeff. Just you know, you're an amazing voice for the Jewish people. And uh he commends you for that. And I know that. That's wow. You are I don't even know. Yeah, I get all like uh totally lost for words when it comes to a lot of that. It's just I just don't get it. And I got a lot of friends that you know that are Jewish as well, and it's it's it's just I just don't get it. Why I I I don't know. I'm not gonna go there. It's just yeah, anyways, you know what? You know what is you know what's happening? It's music, and it's the universal language. And if anything's gonna bring us together, it's Ada Pasternak, it's music, and it's the love for that music. That one that's one thing we I don't care who you are, music is the universal language. So yes, it is this we'll do it. All right, Ada like Prada, skip like skip ship when you say chip, skip. I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely ocean. There's a ship with skip.

SPEAKER_00:

There's a skip with the ship, skip on the ship. I don't know. The skip happens, that's all I know. And it happens every time I crack this mic. So and and but I get to talk to great people like you, yeah, and a lot of those. So I thank you for coming on tonight and uh being here, um, you know, talking about the music, the new songs that are coming out. And uh, if you're watching this, whether it's now or you you replay it later and you listen to it and you want to go listen to the music, it's gonna drop on Friday, the song, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, this song, Not Broken, is dropping Friday, and then the album is dropping a few months. And Toluca Lake is already out. That's a single dropped a few months ago. And I have merch available. Yes, buy them at my shows. Um, they can also go to the the my bio on my Instagram or they can purchase t-shirts.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, do you um if somebody wanted you to autograph that, would you before you send it out?

SPEAKER_03:

100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you listening? Okay, see, that's all the more reason to go get that. And then you're gonna go someday. You're gonna look at that shirt and go, I remember when she was talking to Skip. Uh now look at her. She's on the big stage, she's doing whatever, you know, with the with the big artists. It's all cool. Doing what you love. And I give you so much credit for that. Ada, always great catching up with you. Every visit feels like a new chapter. Um, from the classical roots to the Nashville studios. Uh, your journey keeps inspiring people to embrace who they are and trust their voice. And uh, I want you, if you're watching this, listening to this, make sure you follow Ada Pasternak and keep an eye out for her debut album. It's coming soon, not broken. And uh thank you so much. I almost said Ada. It's what I bought. All right. Uh Ada Like Prada, thanks for thanks for coming on. It's so good to see you. And uh I look forward. You're so welcome anytime. Just reach out. Matter of fact, when you drop the album, I expect an email saying, Hey, we need to talk about this, and we'll go around and talk about the whole album. All 21 tracks. We will do that.

SPEAKER_04:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

All right.

SPEAKER_04:

Skip, you're awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

You're awesome. I love you. All right. This is Skip Happens. Thanks for listening, and uh, we'll see you next time. Have a great night, everybody. Pick up the one.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks, guys.

Head Shot

Skip Clark

Host