Waving Goodbye to Weed –

Jun 23, 2020 –

Do you ever look back at some of the things you’ve done and say, “What was I thinking?”

One of my favorite interviews is when I say, “Anyone that smokes weed is a dummy.” That one I love to send to my parents, who are big stoners, every now and then. It’s been really important for me over the last year living a sober lifestyle, because I really wanted to polish up my craft. I had really big vocal surgery in November. I had freaking four weeks where I wasn’t allowed to talk. I was so ripped writing on the whiteboard, yelling at everybody [Laughs]. I had this one big bicep from just yelling at mom and still trying to do meetings. But it prepared me for the stillness and the quietness.

What was the surgery for? 

My doctor looked at my vocal cords, and he said, “No one shy ever has to get this surgery. This is from over-use of the vocal cords.” It’s no surprise that I would have this. I’ve been touring since I was 12 years old, but it’s not even the touring that’s the hard part. It’s you end up staying up late and meet-and-greets and things like that. And obviously I just talk a s— ton.

You mentioned living a sober life. Are you sober sober?

I’ve been sober sober for the past six months. At the beginning, it was just about this vocal surgery … But I had been thinking a lot about my mother. My mom was adopted, and I inherited some of the feelings she had, the abandonment feelings and wanting to prove that you’re wanted and valuable. My dad’s parents divorced when he was 3, so my dad raised himself. I did a lot of family history, which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges. So just going through that and asking, “Why am I the way that I am?” By understanding the past, we understand the present and the future much more clearly. I think therapy is great.

more@Variety