Goldy
In Conversation With Kayla Holliday
Kayla: Well, first of all, thank you so much
for agreeing to do this, I wanted to start out by well,
let me just introduce the questions a little bit.
Some of them are going to be a bit abstract and a little bit obscure.
So you might not know exactly what I'm asking,
but I just want you to go off Instinct, like whatever you're feeling.
GOLDY: Right.
Kayla: Something I was thinking about when you
were taking the photos is. Artists and being able
to listen and appreciate their own work and I was
wondering how it feels to be listening to your own music?
GOLDY: Yeah, it's kind of weird. I don't… It's a good question.
The hardest thing to really do is take yourself out
of it because you know it's you and you know
It's your voice and everything,
and if you listen to other artists,
you don't really think twice about it.
It's just there, so that's why if somebody’s like
playing my music somewhere and no one's really
making a big deal about it, I think that's a good thing.
Because, that's a good sign.
It's for audio in film, or acting in movies,
if it's good, then people won't know. I think that's cool,
but it's definitely a weird thing sometimes for me.
Because, It was definitely weirder when I first started.
Kayla: I was going to say how has it shifted?
Do you feel comfortable now? But you used to be more uncomfortable.
GOLDY: Definitely more comfortable now.
In some situations I'm just awkward sometimes,
but I'm fully confident saying that I'd made [the music].
It's not something I want to hide,
you know, so just fun, you know? It's just fun.
Kayla: Do you think that's just through time or what brought you to that today?
GOLDY: I think time and just after you keep
doing something it becomes kind of you…
When I first tried making movies in high school,
people would throw it around the word filmmaker,
and it sounded so weird to associate yourself with a title like that.
And yeah, it felt weird at first, but then you just keep doing it.
And it's like it just becomes you in a way.
“My family played instruments,
my dad was always playing
jazz in the house,
he was a huge fan of jazz.”
Kayla: Do you relate filmmaking to music in a lot of ways,
or do you find it to be very different?
GOLDY: I think all art forms are pretty similar in a lot of ways.
It's just having to do it to get better
at it and just improving upon it and learning.
Kayla: Do you find them to be equal passions,
or do you have a preference for one?
GOLDY: Right now, I think more about music, because I like acting.
I probably like acting more than directing because
I find directing super stressful.
But I think with music specifically it's something
I can do kind of on my own.
It's less money required, there's less people required.
You know, to get something done musically versus acting and do something,
you gotta audition, etc... I mean, I guess you could,
like, make your own stuff, but it usually takes,
you know, a couple of people to put a project together.
So I think my passion for both is pretty equal,
but music is just more available. I love both though.
Kayla: So then let's go back in time.
How did we come to these passions?
GOLDY: I think being introduced to [music and film] at a young age.
My dad acts and also is a huge fan of music.
My family played instruments,
but my dad was always playing jazz in the house,
he was a huge fan of jazz. He played the clarinet.
his dad played the Clarinet, I did for a little bit.
It's just such a cool concept.
A lot of people around me were invested in music and
it was kind of the time where music became much more
available where it wasn't like you needed CD's for it.
You could play it off your phone, which definitely had an influence.
Kayla: You said your dad listens to a lot of jazz
and plays it as well; Does he write music?
GOLDY: Not that I know of.
I should ask him, but he probably would have brought it up if he did.
But no, I don't think so.
I think my grandfather was definitely more invested in the clarinet
than my dad was because he was in
the marching band at Wisconsin, which is cool story.
Kayla: Do you think you'd bring him on to a song?
GOLDY: Yeah, that'd be awesome!
A Little clarinet sample would be sweet.
He hasn't played in a long time, but that would be a cool feature.
Kayla: Why do you think he stopped playing?
GOLDY: I don't know. I think he stopped later,
because he was a drum major, it was kind of a cycle.
My grandpa stopped after college.
My dad stopped after high school.
I stopped after junior high, I didn't even go into high school with it.
But yeah, I think he probably stopped
just because he was doing other stuff.
He was just going to college.
He actually didn't even pick up acting until after he graduated,
he got his Masters in theater.
Kayla: And he's still [acting] Today.
GOLDY: Yeah. Yeah. When he can, he tries to.
He does a lot of voiceover work, and he's had a couple of
DaVinci projects, you know.
Yeah, one maybe… I think technically, two.
He's in Headlight (2022), and then he did some ADR for Provenance.
Kayla: Did he play the dad in Headlight? Wow. Right, right, right.
GOLDY: Yeah, he did. He played Zach's dad.
I was at the table with him. It. Was funny, yeah.
Kayla: Was that the first time you guys had worked together in that way?
GOLDY: Yeah, I think so. I think so. It was just cool because,
I don't know if we'd ever really had like that plan.
In high school, I just wanted to direct stuff,
so that was the goal, but over COVID I just really
started to like acting more.
I don't know why it's just that I was watching
a ton of movies and I felt [acting] was pretty cool.
Kayla: How do you feel when you're acting?
Like, do you feel different than the way you feel
when you're directing or making music?
GOLDY: That's a good question. I think that it's different.
I can't describe why it's different. Or how?
But, I think it's just a different feeling…
music's very therapeutic and I can you know…
I'll do something musically and it’ll just help me out if I'm
going through a bad day or something.
I can just make something to make me feel better and
it'll just be a way to vent stuff through music.
But acting more so, it's just cool to like fake stuff…
So that's why I like it.
Kayla: You said that music is therapeutic to you.
So I was wondering, do you think you create
better work when you're going through pain?
GOLDY: I don't think so, which is which is good.
I'm glad that's not the case because I know some people
struggle with that, they need some bad shit to be going on to make stuff.
But honestly, I feel like when I'm going through something You know,
I can't really create. It's almost like when you deal
with something that's upsetting,
it's best to not respond right away because you're
going to say something that you don't mean or
you just need to take some time to reflect.
Yeah, I feel like it's similar to writing,
because an event will happen in my life and it'll take me
like a couple of months, even, years to really be able to analyze it
and know what I want to say.
I feel like music people like to interpret music as the exact truth.
Which is interesting because in movies and acting, people know it's fake.
But in music, you could say things that are inspired by certain other things
that aren't necessarily fully real.
But it’s just like how you felt or it's something that went through your mind.
It's kind of weird how it is, it's just more personal.
Kayla: So would you say you kind of go a bit abstract?
GOLDY: Yeah, I definitely think I need to be at a Peace of Mind,
though to write something, it just helps
to be able to fully reflect on something.
Kayla: Definitely.
When you put out a piece of work do you have to
reach full 100% satisfaction or do you just put it out?
GOLDY: I don’t think 100%,
because then nothing would ever get put out.
But I think at a point it's like if I don't,
or I'm super hesitant on something I'm probably not gonna run with it.
I think it's better to just feel what you're confident in and release that.
There's a lot of things that I just try to do honestly.
What I really try to do is react,
try to keep in mind how I felt the first time I heard something,
because that's how most people are going to hear it.
It's hard because I like listening to things probably hundreds of times
just to make sure things are right, you know, make sure things sound good
and it just really warps your sense of what's good or not.
Kayla: Yeah, trust that first instinct.
GOLDY: Yeah, trust on that. On that instinct, Exactly.
Kayla: OK. So. You were talking about how a lot of times you
bring your own life events into your music.
So is that what you would say is your primary inspiration
or you know to use the title card? Like do you have a muse?
Is that like a person? Is that a feeling?
GOLDY: Yeah, I think it's about life;
there are just a lot of unique experiences that can happen,
and even the simplest things can contribute to that,
like drinking juice or going to the store.
Little things like that can be made to sound cool
or interesting because they are.
I mean, every little thing you do is significant.
You know, you choose to do it, and that makes it cool.
It definitely took me some time to get there;
it’s not something you can just do right away.
I wasn’t good at writing for a long time; it was hard to do.
But, yeah, it just becomes easier, I guess, once you do more of it and try to improve.
But to come back to the question, I think it’s all about the experiences.
Being out and doing things helps a lot because staying inside
and just trying to think of something isn’t really productive.
I feel like you have to live something to be able to talk about it or express it.
Even if it’s not entirely what happened or what’s true,
it’s still something you can reflect on or how something makes you feel.
Kayla: And is there a way that you decide
whether an idea is going to be best used in your music or in film?
GOLDY: Hmm. Yeah, I definitely think that’s a good question.
Honestly, I’ve been focused on music more lately,
so I feel like most of my thoughts have been geared toward musical stuff.
But even when it comes to [Jacob Frost] shooting videos,
it’s cool to think about the visual aspects and how to
encapsulate something in a visual format that matches it.
Even if it’s not a crazy story, it can still be something small and special.
I think that’s cool too. So, it really just depends.
“I think it’s important to have people who are honest…
I don’t want people to just offer praise.”
Kayla: Who do you trust with your music?
GOLDY: Honestly, I have a group of friends
that I can trust to send my stuff to.
They won’t just say, “Yeah, this is good,” just to boost me up.
I think it’s important to have people who are honest, which is good.
I don’t want people to just offer praise.
I also trust strangers a lot because I think having
no personal connection really shows you what’s up.
If someone I’ve never talked to before, who may or may not be a fan,
likes a piece of my work, I think that’s a good sign.
So, I believe trusting strangers is a good thing when it comes to this.
Kayla: They have no obligation to tell you one thing or another.
GOLDY: Right. You have no obligation at all.
They could just totally shit on it, and that's good.
So yeah, I think trusting strangers is a good thing.
Kayla: What's your biggest fear?
GOLDY: This year, honestly, I just don't want to feel like it stinks.
I think the career path we want to pursue is
super busy and takes a lot of time.
I’m not afraid of spending time on that,
but I am afraid of losing time with family and friends.
I’m moving out to LA, and my grandparents and parents
aren’t getting any younger, you know? It’s tough.
My brother will be out in Los Angeles when I move,
which I’m really happy about.
I’d say my biggest fear is what could happen to the people I care about.
I have really bad anxiety, so I tend to think about
things all the time that probably won’t happen.
But yeah, there are definitely a lot of fears for sure.
Kayla: Is there anything that you use to grapple with [anxiety]?
GOLDY: Honestly, I think music is a big one.
Kayla: Yeah.
GOLDY: I remember in my junior year of high school
when I started actually writing and putting lyrics together.
I had tried to make beats during my freshman and sophomore years,
but it just wasn’t happening.
But my junior year was really the turning point for me.
I was going through a lot, and making music was like,
“Oh shit this is fun! This is great!”
It made me feel positive about creating something,
even if the topics I was writing about weren’t positive.
It’s kind of weird how that works,
but I think taking some of the good with the bad really helps.
It definitely helped me a lot, yeah.
Kayla: And you mentioned that your brother's out in LA?
GOLDY: Yeah, he's two years younger than me,
but he's playing baseball at UCLA, so he's out there doing his thing.
And Yeah, it’ll be good to be out there cause I haven't seen him
a lot for the last two years, he's been out there and he's going
to be away this summer. So it'll be nice to be reconnected in a way
and see him most days and stuff. I'll be happy about that.
Kayla: Is he an artist as well?
GOLDY: He definitely is.
I mean, he’s not really pursuing it,
but his drawing skills are really good.
He has a very creative mind, especially when it comes to film—
I think he’d be a great filmmaker. He’s also really smart;
he’s majoring in math and economics, and he’s really good at baseball too.
So he’s kind of preoccupied with a lot of things but
I wouldn't be surprised if down the line he wanted
to pursue something that was more artistic
because I think he's got the mind for it.
Kayla: Was it a bit competitive growing up?
GOLDY: Yeah, oh, for sure, for sure.
I’d say I definitely made him better, for sure.
Yeah. He’s technically 22 months younger, so not quite two years.
We’ve always been pretty similar. I mean, I was the older brother,
but I hit puberty really late, so we were always pretty similar size-wise.
And even now he's like he's taller than me, but he's 6’2 6’3.
He's probably got like 20 lbs on me because he's just been working out.
But yeah, no, it's definitely competitive. It still is.
Like, if we’re playing against each other in life,
there’s never any form of jealousy.
If we’re going up against each other one-on-one, you know,
playing pickup basketball or something, it can get competitive.
But if he’s succeeding, I’m over the moon!
I mean, there’s nothing else that would upset me about seeing him do well,
which I’m really happy about.
I know that might be an issue for some people with siblings, but it’s not for us.
Kayla: Do you think your family would ever move out to LA,
seeing as you know you both are there?
GOLDY: I don’t know. I really don’t know.
Honestly, I’m not sure if they want to.
I was actually just talking about this with my mom
because her best friend lives out there, and she introduced my mom and dad,
so she’s kind of the reason I exist, which is cool.
But it would be hard because all our family is here in Illinois.
I don’t know if they could move away since it’s our childhood home.
We’ve never moved, so it would be tough.
I don’t think it would happen in the next two years.
I think they’ll stay here. I don’t know; I just don’t think they really want to, yeah.
Kayla: That's wild that you still have the same house.
Is your room still the same?
GOLDY: It's changed, but it's the same room.
I used to have a Thomas The Train bed and he's gone now.
Kayla: No.
GOLDY: That shouldn’t have gone but, but yeah, no, but it's mostly the same.
Kayla: Do you go back home a lot?
GOLDY: Yeah, I do. I go back to the suburbs a lot.
I think it’s a nice privilege to have the ability to see my family,
especially in college. I don’t know if it’s bad for me or good because
it definitely helps me reset sometimes when we go home.
I don’t really get homesick, but it’s my family’s home,
you know? I like to see my family. It might be kind of weird in LA,
but I’m glad my brother will be there too.
So, yeah, I definitely go home a decent amount.
Kayla: Do you notice your hometown changing or is it more you changing?
GOLDY: Hmm. Probably both. It’s just weird, like, friends’
little brothers who were babies are now fully on their
way to college and even graduated. That’s so strange! I mean,
it’s just weird to see people growing up and stuff.
Even for us, like, four years just flew by.
And especially being away from home, you don’t get to see
all the changes happening. It feels so weird when you go back.
For me, I was going back regularly, and it still felt strange and different.
But no, it’s so good—it’s cool! But yeah, it’s just weird,
like my friend’s little cousin is graduating.
It’s strange because, in my eyes, he’s always just been a 10-year-old,
you know? It’s just weird like that.
You don’t really notice the small changes;
you just look back and they’re totally different.
Kayla: Yeah, it'll just like it'll just kind of hit you all of a sudden.
GOLDY: Even my cousins who are like 10 years old
in my eyes are like getting done with high school.
It's so strange.
Kayla: Yeah.
GOLDY: Yeah.
“I kind of hate hating.”
Kayla: I'm going to mood shift real quick. What's something you hate?
GOLDY: Ohh. Ohh man. I don't know dude…
Kayla: Yeah, take your time.
GOLDY: Oh, honestly, this might sound stupid,
but I kind of hate hating. There are definitely things
I don’t like that hurt me or bother me, but in some ways,
I’m just not a huge fan of hating on or venting about stuff.
If I’m in a bad mood, that’s when I might do it,
but I feel like that’s more of a reflection of me trying to take
my anger out on something. I don’t think I need to be hateful toward
people or their work because it’s only going to bring me down too.
Kayla: Spread that, yeah.
GOLDY: You know, like Star Wars—
I just really follow Star Wars.
They say it best:
“Fear leads to anger;
anger leads to hate;
hate leads to suffering.”
I mess with Star Wars a lot.
Kayla: Is that a recent thing? Or is It a nostalgic thing?
GOLDY: Yeah, more nostalgic for sure.
It was just a huge part of my childhood,
and I think a lot of people’s childhoods, definitely.
Especially for our age, with the newer ones that came out right when we were born.
Umm, yeah, it’s just—yeah.
Kayla: I’m going to jump back to something we said in the very beginning.
You were talking about your music playing in the background,
and if people don’t notice it, that’s like your ideal.
GOLDY: Yeah.
Kayla: So how do you envision people listening to your music?
Is that your number one thing? Do you want them to be singing or dancing?
Like, what do you want?
GOLDY: Like if I'm not there?
Kayla: Yeah.
GOLDY: I think it’s cool if it’s like—
like, I guess the most ideal situation would be
just people being able to feel it without overthinking it.
Just like a feeler, nodding along or enjoying it. But I can’t really tell that,
you know? I mean, if people are just having a good time with it and appreciating it,
that’s great. That’s not how it’s going to be for every person, which is fine.
I think the most ideal scenario is people putting it on because they
think it’s cool or because it boosts their mood or something like that.
I don’t know. For me, when I listen to music,
I like to listen to it because it feels good.
It’s something you can’t really explain.
I can’t explain it, but yeah, it’s strange.
Kayla: Yeah, I think that's what's cool about music.
It's like you can't explain it.
It's just your feeling, yeah.
GOLDY: It’s so weird, but I think that would be the most ideal scenario—
people putting it on just because they like it.
I think that’s so surreal, but it’s really cool.
It’s just really cool.
Kayla: Do you think you make music for people In groups or for them to listen alone?
GOLDY: Honestly, I think it’s cool if it’s both.
It’s really cool that you can play it without actively listening,
and people can just enjoy the instrumental or the music itself and really feel that.
But I also think it’s awesome if people can zone in on just the lyrics
and listen to that on a personal level.
I think that’s super sick because there are a lot of artists like that—
like Tyler and Kendrick, for sure.
They have music where the instrumental makes people want to dance or is super upbeat,
but if you listen to what they’re saying, it’s like,
“Oh man, this is really good!” I think it’s awesome if you can check both of those boxes—
where it appeals to both a group and the individual.
Kayla: What are you most proud of?
GOLDY: I think just keeping on with it is important.
I’ve thought about this sometimes because there was a point
in high school where I felt like really no one supported it at all.
I was also too shy to show it to certain people, like my parents, family,
or close friends. It was more just for me, you know? It helped me get through stuff.
I’m glad I kept doing it because I remember when nobody was really paying attention.
It’s not like people should have been, you know? It’s not that the music was that good.
But I’m really glad I stuck with it and just kept going, even when it felt
like nobody was really listening.
Kayla: And do you really think people didn’t support you,
or do you think it was more about your own perception?
GOLDY: I think I was probably just too shy about it.
People did comment on it and said it was good, but even looking back,
I’d probably find some of the older stuff from high school a bit cringy.
It wasn’t bad, though. I wouldn’t say it was terrible, you know?
I think there was definitely support; there had to be,
otherwise I would have felt completely alone.
There wasn’t any hate; it wasn’t like people were clowning on it.
I really don’t know sometimes.
I guess I just wanted to keep doing it,
and it became more for me than for others.
But that turned into other people liking it, too,
because once you do something over and over,
you’re bound to get a little better.
Kayla: What would you say are your highs and lows of this year?
GOLDY: Of this year? Hmm.
We’re halfway through the year, and it’s just crazy.
Honestly, my low every year is New Year’s. I hate New Year’s.
It stinks because it’s such a fun holiday, but it makes me feel so sad because,
for me, it’s like you don’t know what’s going to happen in the next year.
I get really anxious about it. So, yeah, New Year’s
is a pretty low point for me.
I can’t think of anything else, I guess.
Kayla: Why do you think you get sad instead of excited?
GOLDY: I think there’s been disappointment before,
but it’s not really about the music.
I guess it’s more about personal stuff—like family, friends,
and relationships. Things happen to people all the time, and with a new year,
you never know what could happen. That’s more what goes through my head.
I think I do get pretty excited sometimes, but I try not to focus too much on it.
The same goes for sadness; I kind of just take it in my own way.
But what was the question right before that? Oh, right—Highs.
Kayla: And what are the highs? Yeah.
GOLDY: Highs probably. At the end of June, like truly right now, life is pretty safe.
Kayla: You're graduating, right?
GOLDY: Yeah, it's pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome to be done.
Kayla: So you're feeling pretty optimistic. That's good. When's the move?
GOLDY: Probably January.
Kayla: Have you been to California? What's your impression of it?
GOLDY: I like it. I know people really hate on it,
but I just don’t see the need to do that with any place.
I think you can find cool stuff everywhere, and there’s a lot of cool
things in LA and California. I can understand some criticisms because I
was there last summer for six weeks, and the weather is the same every day,
which is awesome. But it can also feel a bit like you’re trapped, you know?
I don’t know how to describe it, but having change is nice.
Chicago has a lot of that, yeah.
Honestly, though, that’s a small part of it.
I know people say LA is fake, which might be true to some extent,
but that’s everywhere. I’m not going to shit on a place because of some bad experiences,
because I feel like there are a lot of good experiences you can have too.
“I feel like just being really yourself is the best thing to do.
You can’t control what other people do…”
Kayla: How do you tell if someone's real?
GOLDY: Real? Hmm. I have no idea.
I think it depends on how you’re acting.
If you feel like you’re faking something,
then the person you’re talking to might pick up on that.
I feel like just being really yourself is the best thing to do.
You can’t control what other people do, but yeah,
I don’t know if you can really tell if someone is real or not.
That’s not really our problem, you know?
You can only control what you can control, I guess.
Kayla: Yeah absolutely, another mood shift but
what is something that you're still working on?
GOLDY: I think just being more comfortable is key.
In terms of making music and putting it out there,
that’s not an issue for me because I don’t have to face people.
But performing and engaging with people is something
I definitely want to work on.
It’s hard because I feel like I’m still a bit introverted—
especially in high school, I was very shy. I’m definitely better now,
but I’m just trying to keep working on it.
Sometimes, I feel really awkward in social situations.
I try to tell myself that I have to do it;
there’s no way around it if I want to pursue this.
You kind of have to get over those things.
So, I’m just doing stuff to break out of my comfort zone a little bit, I guess.
It’s still hard sometimes, but that’s definitely something I’m feeling.
Kayla: I know this is kind of a low point,
but just with DePaul fest getting canceled,
did you feel Upset about that?
Did you feel relief in some ways because of that introversion?
GOLDY: Honestly, in terms of performing, I love it.
It’s a good point, though, because I think there was a
sense of not really relief, but more like a weight lifted.
It was a very stressful week with a lot of work,
so it felt good to clear that out. But I was also like,
“Damn, bro, that sucks.” I definitely get more excited about performing now.
I don’t really feel as much introversion from it anymore,
just because I’ve done it a couple of times, which is really what you need.
You have to keep doing it.
I was excited for the performance because it would have been cool,
but I think things work out the way they’re supposed to,
and it’ll be alright. In some ways, I still feel introverted
and relieved about stuff, like conversations or meeting people and networking.
That’s something I really need to get better at—
not being afraid to put myself out there as an artist or
someone who makes music and promotes that,
especially in person rather than online.
Yeah, I don’t know.
I think it’s really better than I realize.
When our performance got canceled, I was working with JC at the time.
We were both disappointed, but we weren’t devastated.
We kind of guessed something might happen.
Kayla: Mm-hmm.
GOLDY: But yeah, I mean, we're still, we still want to,
you know, keep making stuff and keep doing stuff so.
It's all good. It's all good. Yeah.
Kayla: Yeah,
it's interesting cause with performing.
Everything can be rehearsed, but when you're having a conversation,
you can't anticipate a lot.
GOLDY: Right. I know. Yeah, that’s true.
Another thing I want to get better at is crowd work
and performing because that’s super tough too. But we’ll see.
I just gotta keep doing it. I guess that’s really how you learn.
Kayla: When you’re singing, do you choose a specific
audience member to look at, or do you look out
to see if people are engaged?
GOLDY: Yeah, if my girlfriend's there. I Look at my girlfriend.
“I’m just taking inspiration from really good artists
and trying to make my own thing.”
Kayla: Hmm.
GOLDY: I feel like they call me down in a way.
Kayla: Hmm.
GOLDY: But truly, if my friends are there, it helps to see them.
Even seeing strangers having a good time is pretty cool.
I haven’t really seen many strangers at my shows; most of the time,
it’s just people I know. But yeah, I think that’s kind of fun.
Kayla: Yeah, that could be a dynamic that shifts more
and more toward strangers. But we trust strangers,
so here we go!
GOLDY: Right. Yeah.
Kayla: Uhm. What do you think is going to be big soon?
GOLDY: Hmm. I think, with music specifically,
people are starting to see that—well, I don’t really know for sure—
but I just feel like music that’s more nostalgic is coming back.
In the early 2010s, people were kind of obsessed with the '90s,
and throughout the 2010s, there was a big focus on that style of music.
It was so cool. Now, it feels like we’re shifting into the 2000s,
and people are reminiscing about artists from that time,
like Pharrell and the Neptunes.
Kayla: Yeah.
GOLDY: I think people are really obsessed with that
style of music right now, and it’s cool.
It’s fun and interesting.
I feel like it will just keep repeating and evolving over time
kind of based on the childhoods of the artists.
Kayla: Do you think your music fits into a genre or is it its own thing?
GOLDY: I think it’s definitely just, you know, rap music.
I love rap music, and I also love jazz.
I enjoy being able to blend those genres, which a lot of
people have been doing for like 40 years or so.
Jazz is a great genre to sample.
It’s like A Tribe Called Quest—
they really pioneered that jazz-rap fusion.
But there have been a lot of artists who mix genres together,
and I really like rock and rap, as well as jazz and rap.
I think they’re all great blends, and people have done it a ton.
I don’t think anything I’m doing is really new;
I’m just taking inspiration from really good artists
and trying to make my own thing. It’s just fun.
Kayla: And throughout our conversation,
we've touched on doubts, anxiety, and fear.
But we've also discussed how you've kept going despite it all.
So, what do you think is your largest motivator to keep pushing forward?
GOLDY: Um, truly, I think it’s my younger self that motivates me.
That self really wanted to do this out of respect,
just because it helped them, and they wanted others to
realize that it could help them too.
I think that’s probably why I keep doing it.
It’s just fun; it really is so much fun, you know?
There are probably a lot of hidden reasons I could come up
with for why I keep pushing through.
I think about the people in high school who may not have been supportive.
Some people said things to my face,
while others probably talked behind my back,
maybe dissing it a little. That’s fine; it happens,
especially if it wasn’t that good, which I understand.
I always had this weird drive to prove people wrong.
I remember when it came to film, for example,
people would say something small that wouldn’t even be important,
but hearing that would stick with me. It made me feel like
I had to do something to change their minds.
It’s interesting, though, because I don’t even think their criticisms were true.
I think people were probably chill about it, but I don't know.
I feel like I’m working through this in a convoluted way, but yeah, that’s how I see it.
Kayla: Oh my gosh, you're so good.
GOLDY: Just one, because it's fun.
And two, I want to keep doing it for the younger
version of me that just wanted to share it with others,
you know? I guess I want other people to enjoy it too.
Kayla: Yeah. I think you're hard on yourself.
I think you're incredibly well spoken.
I don't think you need to be nervous about anything.
GOLDY: Thanks, that means a lot.
Kayla: Well, those were all my questions I think.
Is there anything you wish you would have said?
GOLDY: Sweet. I don’t think so!
Kayla: Thanks Goldy!
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