A Chat with Cyrena Wages

Cyrena Wages: 00:00:06

You know I remember I was in the third grade and we had to pick a book

2

: 00:00:10

To write a book report on, and I wrote

mine on Al Green's autobiography,

3

: 00:00:16

which I don't think was even an

option, but that's what I did.

4

: 00:00:19

I'm going to butcher what the book

is really about, but I'm just having

5

: 00:00:22

this third grade memory after you

asked that question of like sort of

6

: 00:00:25

interpreting from what I was reading,

the polarization of his light and his

7

: 00:00:31

dark, you know, his spiritual sacred

part that wanted so, so deeply to like.

8

: 00:00:36

to like, cling to the, the Lord or the

idea, his idea of the Lord, you know,

9

: 00:00:41

his idea of spirituality and the other

part of him that was just like a sort of

10

: 00:00:46

like, you know, unhinged like soul rocker,

I feel like a pretty wholesome girl.

11

: 00:00:52

And I also have like this.

12

: 00:00:54

Uncontrollable edge at times, and

it's been this funny thing to like,

13

: 00:00:58

find acceptance in that in my life

14

: 00:01:12

Jason English (Host): Welcome to

Curious Goldfish, a podcast community

15

: 00:01:15

where music and curiosity come together

through interesting conversations

16

: 00:01:18

with the music makers of our world.

17

: 00:01:20

I'm your host, Jason English.

18

: 00:01:22

You can find Curious Goldfish and all the

major podcast and social media platforms.

19

: 00:01:27

And of course, we have all of our

content on our website, CuriousGoldfish.

20

: 00:01:31

com.

21

: 00:01:44

From Beauty Queen to Dancing Queen

would be an accurate headline for

22

: 00:01:48

Cyrena Wages if someone were to

write a story about the young singer

23

: 00:01:51

songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee.

24

: 00:01:54

But just as headlines are tools to

get someone's attention A headline

25

: 00:01:58

like that doesn't tell the entire

story when it comes to Cyrena, who is

26

: 00:02:01

launching her solo career this spring

with a tour in the southeast ahead of

27

: 00:02:05

her album debut, The Vanity Project.

28

: 00:02:08

Yes, her beauty is striking, and

yes, I'm sure she likes to dance, but

29

: 00:02:12

there's much more to Cyrena than her

pageant days, and there's much more to

30

: 00:02:15

her music than her ability to shake a

leg like she does on the music video

31

: 00:02:19

of her first single carried away.

32

: 00:02:22

First, she's all about Memphis.

33

: 00:02:24

She might one day be a better ambassador

for Memphis than Mark Cohn or Sam

34

: 00:02:27

Phillips of Legendary Sun Records.

35

: 00:02:30

She's also all about making a statement

about her hometown, her singing voice,

36

: 00:02:34

her voice as a songwriter, and the

impact she hopes to have on the music

37

: 00:02:37

industry for the next several decades.

38

: 00:02:40

We talk a lot about all that in

our conversation that we had in

39

: 00:02:43

the back room at Eddie's Attic in

Atlanta, literally moments before

40

: 00:02:47

she was about to kick off the tour.

41

: 00:02:49

You can see the passion and

hunger in her eyes, and she wants

42

: 00:02:52

to prove a lot of people wrong.

43

: 00:02:54

It's just as palpable as the love and

respect she has for the home of the blues

44

: 00:02:58

and the birthplace for rock and roll.

45

: 00:03:01

And she can freaking sing.

46

: 00:03:04

Just fire up the song River Bends

on your favorite streaming service.

47

: 00:03:08

And if you aren't struck by her

soulful, sultry voice in the first

48

: 00:03:11

few lines, you might not have a pulse.

49

: 00:03:15

She has a couple of singles out now at

the time of this episode being published.

50

: 00:03:18

And I'm so excited because we have

recordings of both Carried Away and

51

: 00:03:21

Robin Hood from the Eddie's Attic Show

following our conversation with Cyrena.

52

: 00:03:26

Her album will be out in May, 2024.

53

: 00:03:28

Please find her on Instagram

and follow her on Spotify.

54

: 00:03:32

Cyrena Wages, from beauty

queen to dancing queen.

55

: 00:03:36

Let's dive in.

56

: 00:03:38

Cyrena.

57

: 00:03:38

So nice to meet

58

: 00:03:39

Cyrena Wages: So nice to meet you.

59

: 00:03:40

Jason English (Host): Welcome to Atlanta.

60

: 00:03:41

Thank you.

61

: 00:03:43

I love it here.

62

: 00:03:44

I can't believe we're literally minutes

away from your opening night on the tour.

63

: 00:03:50

Right.

64

: 00:03:50

I mean, how, how exciting is this?

65

: 00:03:52

So exciting, and I haven't slowed down,

um, enough to process it until right now.

66

: 00:03:58

So, here we go.

67

: 00:03:59

What emptions do you have, how long

have you been preparing for this?

68

: 00:04:02

Cyrena Wages: Well, I've just been trying

to put out a record and to really do

69

: 00:04:05

the solo project that I've always wanted

to do for, you know, my entire life.

70

: 00:04:09

So, this year is a big year for me.

71

: 00:04:11

Um, it's really kind of

the launch of my career.

72

: 00:04:16

In my mind, the soft launch, the

grassroots launch, the very, you

73

: 00:04:19

know, independent style launch.

74

: 00:04:21

But, it's been a big couple

months, um, and this, this tour

75

: 00:04:24

kind of brings it all to fruition.

76

: 00:04:26

So, yeah, super stoked.

77

: 00:04:29

Jason English (Host): Yeah it's

a big moment, I'm excited to see

78

: 00:04:31

you, and you're with Lily Winwood,

how long have you known her?.

79

: 00:04:33

Cyrena Wages: We've been

friends for many years.

80

: 00:04:36

I don't know, 10 years probably.

81

: 00:04:38

Um, we got really close in Nashville.

82

: 00:04:41

We both lived there for a time

and played festivals together and

83

: 00:04:44

have, you know, played many gigs

together and written songs together.

84

: 00:04:47

And she's just, she's like a sister.

85

: 00:04:48

So yeah, we're gonna have a good time.

86

: 00:04:52

Jason English (Host): So tried to do

a little research , not much on you

87

: 00:04:56

Good (laughter)te songs Yeah there's

not a lot but I've got a couple of

88

: 00:05:03

things to work off actually, a

couple of hours you posted something

89

: 00:05:06

that I want to ask you about there's.

90

: 00:05:09

Yeah.

91

: 00:05:09

Okay.

92

: 00:05:10

Uh, so it was an Instagram posts,

it was a picture of you, you know,

93

: 00:05:14

after you arrived here and you're

like, uh, on the road to share the

94

: 00:05:17

damn gospel about Memphis, Tennessee.

95

: 00:05:21

Hallelujah.

96

: 00:05:22

Amen.

97

: 00:05:24

All right.

98

: 00:05:24

So what's the, what's

the gospel about Memphis?

99

: 00:05:26

Cyrena Wages: I mean, I just, you know,

I'm a born and raised Memphis girl.

100

: 00:05:28

I grew up in the country just north of

like downtown Memphis and um, I lived in

101

: 00:05:33

Nashville for so long and I love Nashville

and I work there every single week.

102

: 00:05:37

I drive in for rights and

sessions and it's such an easy.

103

: 00:05:41

commute to go over there and to get

to kind of be immersed in like such

104

: 00:05:44

a competitive and amazing industry.

105

: 00:05:46

I'm grateful for Nashville, but when I

returned back home to Memphis, I finally

106

: 00:05:50

started feeling like myself again.

107

: 00:05:51

And it's what gave me the fuel to

do what I'm doing now to make this

108

: 00:05:54

record honestly and to put it out

into the world in an honest way.

109

: 00:05:59

And um, there's an organization in Memphis

called Music Export Memphis and their

110

: 00:06:04

primary focus is to export ourcity's.most

natural resource, which we would, you

111

: 00:06:11

know, say is our arts and our artists.

112

: 00:06:13

And so they've helped

fund me on this tour.

113

: 00:06:18

So I, uh, yeah, I was just

shouting them out a little.

114

: 00:06:20

Thank you to Elizabeth and Morgan

and the whole crew and all the

115

: 00:06:23

donors in Memphis who help Memphians

116

: 00:06:27

Spread some good publicity

to the rest of the country.

117

: 00:06:29

You know, Memphis gets,

gets a lot of bad press

118

: 00:06:32

Jason English (Host):

Do you think it does?

119

: 00:06:33

Cyrena Wages: And it's a, it's the

greatest city in the world in my mind.

120

: 00:06:37

to get to share, uh, what artists in

Memphis are doing with other parts of

121

: 00:06:41

the country is really, really cool.

122

: 00:06:43

Jason English (Host): On your

website you talk about Memphis is

123

: 00:06:45

part of the tapestry of your soul I

124

: 00:06:47

Cyrena Wages: It is.

125

: 00:06:47

Yeah, it really is.

126

: 00:06:49

There's just something different.

127

: 00:06:50

There's just something different.

128

: 00:06:51

I don't even know how to properly

articulate it, but growing up, you know,

129

: 00:06:54

in Millington near Shelby forest, which

is like right on Mississippi river.

130

: 00:06:58

And growing up like in my dad's

Cadillac, his old Cadillac, he'd

131

: 00:07:02

drive me around and play Al Green

songs and staple singer songs.

132

: 00:07:05

And then he'd play me the country artist

who had made records in Memphis and

133

: 00:07:08

kind of hearing this mix of country

and soul and taking whatever little

134

: 00:07:13

bits I could get from all of these.

135

: 00:07:15

It's, you know, these medicinal artists

that I was fed as a child and kind of

136

: 00:07:20

just like subconsciously cultivating

that into what my sound is now.

137

: 00:07:23

Um, it's affected me musically, but also

there's just, the people are different.

138

: 00:07:27

It's a slower pace and it's raw and

it's gritty and it's imperfect and

139

: 00:07:32

it's got an underdog mentality that

I really resonate with and it's just,

140

: 00:07:36

there's just something special about it.

141

: 00:07:38

And I don't work for the city.

142

: 00:07:39

This is just how I I

143

: 00:07:41

Jason English (Host): Love it.

144

: 00:07:41

All right.

145

: 00:07:42

Um, well, so the Delta so I

actually live near the Chattahoochee

146

: 00:07:47

Okay.

147

: 00:07:48

and there is, there is something

mystical about a river, Like the energy.

148

: 00:07:52

And, uh, you know, if you've seen

that, I don't know if you've seen

149

: 00:07:55

that documentary on a muscle Shoals,

Alabama, where they talk about the

150

: 00:07:58

mud and then the sounds different, you

know, like, do you, do you believe,

151

: 00:08:03

do you believe in stuff like that?

152

: 00:08:04

think there's just

153

: 00:08:05

something in the water, you know.

154

: 00:08:08

Cyrena Wages: People always say,

what genre of music are you?

155

: 00:08:11

And with this new record, I've

stopped responding to that

156

: 00:08:14

question because it's so limiting.

157

: 00:08:16

So I say I make music for

the river fairies because the

158

: 00:08:20

mysticism is so real to me.

159

: 00:08:22

And since I was a little girl and

to now, you know, I was recently

160

: 00:08:26

shooting my album cover and my dear

friend, Matthew Burda and took me

161

: 00:08:29

across the Mississippi river to.

162

: 00:08:31

Shoot it on the banks and he's, you

know, just a, a river guide and a

163

: 00:08:36

brilliant minds and a spiritual soul.

164

: 00:08:38

And he was just, we were just

resonating together over like how

165

: 00:08:41

much mystery and inspiration and

energy there is in that body of water.

166

: 00:08:50

And, um, yeah, I totally could get woo woo

167

: 00:08:53

How old were you when you sort

of realized it was different?

168

: 00:08:55

I was a little girl.

169

: 00:08:56

My dad would tell me

stories, you know, we would

170

: 00:08:58

to

171

: 00:08:59

Drive through Shelby Forest and go

out to like the what we had as like

172

: 00:09:02

a little beach You know if the water

was low enough, there's a little beach

173

: 00:09:05

out there and he would talk about the

river fairies And you know the swamp

174

: 00:09:11

people and all these like beautiful

folk, you folktales and whatnot So

175

: 00:09:16

I I still find it to be true and

helpful still inspires me, you know,

176

: 00:09:21

Jason English (Host): So your

album is coming out in May?

177

: 00:09:22

May 24th.

178

: 00:09:24

It's called The Vanity Project Yes.

179

: 00:09:26

The cover is really interesting, so

I'm going to try and peace a couple of

180

: 00:09:29

things together, tell me if I'm off So

it was that photo shoot on the river.

181

: 00:09:33

Yeah that was the one

182

: 00:09:34

That was the one you're talking about.

183

: 00:09:35

Okay.

184

: 00:09:36

And, uh, so the, your outfit is

interesting because it's, it's, uh, and

185

: 00:09:42

I think your website alludes to this

too, but, um, a reference back, a hearken

186

: 00:09:47

back, if you will, your pageant days

with the, uh, the sash with the name

187

: 00:09:53

of the album, which is vanity project.

188

: 00:09:55

So what's going on in that image?

189

: 00:09:57

Cyrena Wages: So I was raised

in Tennessee beauty pageants and

190

: 00:10:01

by no means did I have one of those

toddlers and tiaras type families.

191

: 00:10:04

My parents didn't like, you know, it

wasn't, it wasn't that at all, but it was,

192

: 00:10:07

it was that I wanted to sing

since I was a little girl.

193

: 00:10:09

And that was kind of an opportunity

to find a stage to sing on.

194

: 00:10:11

Cause you know, in the

South, that's sort of.

195

: 00:10:14

If a girl wants to perform, they're

like, well, put her in, you know, pounds

196

: 00:10:17

of makeup at age four and stick her on

the stage and give her a microphone.

197

: 00:10:20

And so I kind of fell

into that a little bit.

198

: 00:10:23

And then as I got into high school, it

got pushed on me a little bit harder, but

199

: 00:10:28

yeah, I, I, I did some, uh, some beauty

pageants, which I always joke that I'll.

200

: 00:10:33

die in therapy over.

201

: 00:10:35

Um, It is the opposite

of my true personality.

202

: 00:10:40

I, uh, I don't, I don't, um,

I don't wish that upon anyone.

203

: 00:10:44

But I, Vanity Project was sort of,

not just about the pageants, but sort

204

: 00:10:48

of just a through line to the whole

experience that I felt like I had

205

: 00:10:53

and so many women and people have.

206

: 00:10:55

Growing up in the South, especially

in the Bible Belt, um, it was sort of

207

: 00:11:00

just more a metaphor to the idea of a

woman's role and how limiting, uh, the

208

: 00:11:06

narrative around that has been for this

part of the country and, and many others.

209

: 00:11:10

Um, and so, yeah, I just

wanted to get a little.

210

: 00:11:15

middle finger back at that, but also,

I don't know, pay homage to it in

211

: 00:11:19

this very characterized artful way.

212

: 00:11:21

And as far as the title itself, there was,

um, I was getting ready to make the record

213

: 00:11:25

and I hadn't yet written a song called

Vanity Project, but I'd written a batch

214

: 00:11:30

of songs, three or four, and I got pitched

to a couple of music business people.

215

: 00:11:35

And one said, well, she's

just a vanity project, right?

216

: 00:11:39

And I was so unsurprised to hear

that because I've heard it so

217

: 00:11:42

many times, but that was also

before he'd listened to the songs.

218

: 00:11:45

Um, but But I was so grateful that he said

that because instantly, you know, like

219

: 00:11:50

I'm, I've always been a bit of a rebel.

220

: 00:11:52

So if you kind of make me angry,

221

: 00:11:54

Jason English (Host):

where does that come from?

222

: 00:11:55

Do you think that a comment like

that is that insecurity on him?

223

: 00:11:58

Is that just It's just,

it's just, it's just how we

224

: 00:12:06

Cyrena Wages: I don't know

and he's probably a perfectly

225

: 00:12:09

fine and talented guy.

226

: 00:12:11

And so no disrespect to that guy

because he's heard me interview

227

: 00:12:13

about him a hundred times and

there's many of him, right?

228

: 00:12:16

But it was just, it's just, it's

just how we limit others before we.

229

: 00:12:23

Jason English (Host): give them a shot, do

230

: 00:12:24

Cyrena Wages: Do a little bit more of

a, of a deep dive, you know, and so I

231

: 00:12:29

don't know, I think if you show up, if

you show up as a woman, not ready to

232

: 00:12:34

present yourself in a striking way, then

you're not worthy of being an artist.

233

: 00:12:37

And then if you show up, you know, with

heels and eyelashes on and then you get

234

: 00:12:43

dismissed as not being the smart one

or the artistic one or the, you know,

235

: 00:12:47

intellectual type, which is not true.

236

: 00:12:50

So, um,

237

: 00:12:52

Jason English (Host): what's an outcome

that you're looking for out of this tour?

238

: 00:12:54

And then the rest of the year, like, if

you were to look back a year from now,

239

: 00:12:58

what will make it a great year for you?

240

: 00:13:00

Cyrena Wages: for the tour, first I'll

say I've been so busy, you know, I'm

241

: 00:13:04

kind of my own record label right now,

and I, um, didn't go the traditional

242

: 00:13:08

path of pitching to a bunch of

labels before releasing this record.

243

: 00:13:12

I worked with This New Century, um,

as a consulting agency, and we decided

244

: 00:13:16

to, with our limited funds, create

our own little label 360 rollout plan

245

: 00:13:22

and sort of try to delegate all the

things that a label would Delegate to

246

: 00:13:27

independent hires and create our own

whole little Release strategy here.

247

: 00:13:32

So we've worked really, really hard.

248

: 00:13:34

And in order to fund that I've

worked multiple day jobs, you know,

249

: 00:13:37

like so many artists do, right.

250

: 00:13:39

Um, but I've been picking up

extra of the side hustles in

251

: 00:13:42

order to fund the main hustle.

252

: 00:13:43

And so it's been really hectic and

busy on the administrative side.

253

: 00:13:46

And I'm really looking forward to on

tour, being able to play guitar and

254

: 00:13:50

write new songs and refill the well.

255

: 00:13:53

Um, and then just for this year,

it's just, it's year one for me.

256

: 00:13:57

It's like.

257

: 00:13:58

I always quote, my dad used to drop

me off at school and say, kick the

258

: 00:14:02

door down and tell him Dewey sent ya.

259

: 00:14:04

Which is a sign off from an old Memphis

radio DJ and it, and it just meant like

260

: 00:14:09

meant like I've going boldly and loudly

and give them hell, you know, and

261

: 00:14:13

so I've never been able to do that.

262

: 00:14:15

I've never had the agency or the

confidence or the material to do that

263

: 00:14:18

and I have all of those things now and

it's my year to start to just to my

264

: 00:14:23

baby level start and just hopefully

grow and move the needle, you know.

265

: 00:14:26

Or are you kind of watching numbers like

266

: 00:14:30

Old.

267

: 00:14:32

Jason English (Host): someone in

your age group, do you obsess or

268

: 00:14:34

do you worry about watching numbers

like instagram followers, streams?

269

: 00:14:40

You know, do you get caught up in that?

270

: 00:14:41

Or is it, is it, you're like,

listen, I can't control it.

271

: 00:14:44

I'm just going to go do what I want to do.

272

: 00:14:46

Cyrena Wages: Yes and no, right?

273

: 00:14:47

Like I'd be such a liar if I pretended to

be one of those people who's like I don't

274

: 00:14:52

care, I just wanna make my art and um,

275

: 00:14:56

ways

276

: 00:14:56

I guess I wish I was that pure, right?

277

: 00:15:00

Um, and in some ways I am so pure in

the way that I'm pursuing all this.

278

: 00:15:04

But I also wanna turn what's not currently

You know a career into a real career,

279

: 00:15:13

you know I want access to a lot of

people and I want to be able to share my

280

: 00:15:17

story with more ears new ears And so of

course I want the annoying word that the

281

: 00:15:24

industry uses metrics I want metrics to

start to favor me because that means the

282

: 00:15:28

opportunity to Speak to more people and to

be able to keep doing this, you know, so

283

: 00:15:34

Jason English (Host): um,

284

: 00:15:35

Cyrena Wages: Yeah, I want it to

grow That's, that's, that's what

285

: 00:15:38

I think we all want to happen if

we're being honest with ourselves.

286

: 00:15:40

But at the same time, like, I've learned

the hard way after my Nashville years.

287

: 00:15:44

I can't, I can't lead with desperation.

288

: 00:15:46

I can't just do this one thing because

it'll get me in the door, quote unquote.

289

: 00:15:51

Because I've gone down that path and

I've signed the really bad deals.

290

: 00:15:54

And I've gotten in the

horrible production situations.

291

: 00:15:57

And I've lost a decade to the machine

and the system because I didn't I

292

: 00:16:02

didn't have the wisdom and I'm older

now and I've learned and I'm happy

293

: 00:16:06

to do it a bit differently this time.

294

: 00:16:07

Jason English (Host): So you

mentioned this is your first solo

295

: 00:16:09

album and tour as a solo artist

296

: 00:16:12

You did some work with your

brother, right, the Lost Wages?

297

: 00:16:14

Cyrena Wages: Yeah, yes.

298

: 00:16:16

Uh huh.

299

: 00:16:17

Jason English (Host): So,

yeah, tell, tell us about that.

300

: 00:16:19

And uh, is that, was that part

of the Nashville time or was that

301

: 00:16:22

even, did that proceed in Nashville?

302

: 00:16:24

Cyrena Wages: Yeah.

303

: 00:16:24

So my brother lives in LA.

304

: 00:16:26

He's 10 years older than me.

305

: 00:16:27

He lived in LA.

306

: 00:16:28

I was living in Nashville and

I was dating a wonderful guy at

307

: 00:16:32

the time who's one of the most.

308

: 00:16:34

talented musicians I've

ever met in my life.

309

: 00:16:37

And my brother came into

town for a beauty pageant.

310

: 00:16:41

I forgot.

311

: 00:16:41

Oh my God.

312

: 00:16:42

Jason English (Host): It all comes back

313

: 00:16:43

Cyrena Wages: Tennessee.

314

: 00:16:43

Good almighty.

315

: 00:16:44

I can't escape

316

: 00:16:45

Jason English (Host): Oh my gosh.

317

: 00:16:46

Cyrena Wages: Um, anyways,

I lost, thank God.

318

: 00:16:49

And I lost.

319

: 00:16:50

And then we all sat in the hotel

room and like drank Miller High Lifes

320

: 00:16:53

all night, you know, and they were

like, we got to get you out of this.

321

: 00:16:56

Like this isn't you.

322

: 00:16:57

And I'm like, you're right.

323

: 00:16:58

And I think the next week we

were all back in Nashville and.

324

: 00:17:01

Um, Houston, my brother was

still, you know, visiting from L.

325

: 00:17:04

A.

326

: 00:17:04

And I was there with Gabe,

my ex, and we all sat down in

327

: 00:17:07

Gabe's apartment and wrote.

328

: 00:17:08

Like a record in a week and recorded

it and played a show and got a

329

: 00:17:13

management deal on accident Didn't

even have a band name kind of thing.

330

: 00:17:16

So it started like that and then that

morphed into just my brother and I as

331

: 00:17:21

that relationship ended sadly and Yeah,

those were crazy interesting times.

332

: 00:17:26

We got put into the system

and spit out of the system.

333

: 00:17:29

And we didn't have the financial backing.

334

: 00:17:31

We thought we had, we thought we just had

to do whatever, you know, the, the suits

335

: 00:17:36

told us to do in order to get our chance.

336

: 00:17:39

We just wanted a chance, you know, and

we learned the hard way that they'll

337

: 00:17:43

strip all the art right away from you and

you'll just become another like mannequin

338

: 00:17:46

Jason English (Host): number.

339

: 00:17:47

Cyrena Wages: wearing

a cowboy hat, you know.

340

: 00:17:49

So that happened.

341

: 00:17:50

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

342

: 00:17:50

Sometimes I, so I'm in the corporate

world sometimes to, uh, to sort

343

: 00:17:55

of win in the corporate world, you

have to be anti corporate, you know,

344

: 00:18:00

Cyrena Wages: Yeah, let me

345

: 00:18:01

Jason English (Host): sort of have to,

you have to like disrupt, you know,

346

: 00:18:04

you have to disrupt like a sales cycle.

347

: 00:18:06

So if, you know, I'm in, I'm in sales,

so I sell big it projects and corporate

348

: 00:18:12

world wants you to follow a very specific

process to sort of position your services.

349

: 00:18:17

Right.

350

: 00:18:17

Okay.

351

: 00:18:19

Sometimes you have to do it, but when I

look back on my career, the times when

352

: 00:18:23

we actually went outside the process

and came in from the left side or the

353

: 00:18:26

right side and disrupted it and kind

of did it our way, people pay attention

354

: 00:18:32

like, Oh yeah, you guys are different.

355

: 00:18:33

We want to work with you kind of thing.

356

: 00:18:35

So it's,

357

: 00:18:35

Cyrena Wages: And you have to have,

I think, wisdom and experience

358

: 00:18:38

gives you that agency, right?

359

: 00:18:39

Is that how you felt, or did you

have that right out the gate?

360

: 00:18:42

Confidence, yeah.

361

: 00:18:43

Jason English (Host): And sometimes

you, you kind of have to fake it, right?

362

: 00:18:47

Cyrena Wages: Yeah, I love the

way you said that first line.

363

: 00:18:49

Yeah, that's, that's so good and so true

and a hard lesson learned, you know?

364

: 00:18:53

Jason English (Host): Well, yeah,

but here you are at, uh, minutes away

365

: 00:18:57

from Eddie's attic opening, uh, just a

couple more, a couple more questions.

366

: 00:19:00

So you mentioned your brother.

367

: 00:19:01

Do you come from a family

of musicians and music?

368

: 00:19:05

Cyrena Wages: I come from a family

of wildly creative, eccentric,

369

: 00:19:11

just dominant personalities.

370

: 00:19:14

Um, yes, my mom, She has played piano

and been a singer her whole life,

371

: 00:19:21

never professionally and really never

outside of the church for limited years.

372

: 00:19:25

And, um, she was actually in

a really bad car wreck and it,

373

: 00:19:30

um, damaged her vocal cords.

374

: 00:19:31

So that's a whole nother part

of the story, but, but, you

375

: 00:19:34

know, she's just a creative.

376

: 00:19:35

She's a designer and decorator and just

a, just like a little Hollywood on the

377

: 00:19:39

back porch in Millington, Tennessee.

378

: 00:19:41

She's such a character.

379

: 00:19:41

And then my father is such an artist.

380

: 00:19:45

Who never found his art

form, but it's wild.

381

: 00:19:48

He's I guess his art form.

382

: 00:19:50

I could say he's a trial attorney and

He's just but he's an old hippie, you

383

: 00:19:55

know And he's knows more about music than

I could ever know and he's probably in

384

: 00:20:00

Memphis, Tennessee right now dancing on

the back porch to like Sly and the Family

385

: 00:20:04

Stone, you know and just writing like

Wonderful poems and he's just brilliant.

386

: 00:20:10

So, um, and then both of my brothers

are creatives and, uh, my poor

387

: 00:20:14

parents that, like, surely they

thought one of us would get a real

388

: 00:20:17

job, you know, but none of us did.

389

: 00:20:20

Jason English (Host): Well, so not, yeah.

390

: 00:20:22

That's, that's all.

391

: 00:20:23

Awesome.

392

: 00:20:23

Um, but you, you have such

an interesting background.

393

: 00:20:26

Not everybody's gonna take the time.

394

: 00:20:28

Well, hopefully they do.

395

: 00:20:29

But take the time to read

your website and stuff.

396

: 00:20:31

But I saw this on

Spotify and your website.

397

: 00:20:33

I'm gonna read this out for everybody.

398

: 00:20:36

'cause this, when I read this, I'm

like, well gosh, she's kind of a badass.

399

: 00:20:40

So it's like, uh, you, you

talking about your family.

400

: 00:20:43

Uh, the wages were run out of

North Carolina for stealing

401

: 00:20:46

horses and other boorish behavior.

402

: 00:20:48

We settled in North Mississippi

and evolved into three groups.

403

: 00:20:52

The preachers, the

drunks, and the outlaws.

404

: 00:20:54

outlaws.

405

: 00:20:55

And

406

: 00:20:55

And then kind of a mid range group.

407

: 00:20:57

I came from the mid range group.

408

: 00:20:59

What does that mean?

409

: 00:20:59

Is it a mix of all that?

410

: 00:21:00

Cyrena Wages: You know I remember I was in

the third grade and we had to pick a book

411

: 00:21:04

To write a book report on, and I wrote

mine on Al Green's autobiography,

412

: 00:21:10

which I don't think was even an

option, but that's what I did.

413

: 00:21:13

And I remember, I'm going to butcher

what the book is really about, but I'm

414

: 00:21:16

just having this third grade memory after

you asked that question of like sort of

415

: 00:21:21

interpreting from what I was reading,

the polarization of his light and his

416

: 00:21:26

dark, you know, his spiritual sacred

part that wanted so, so deeply to like.

417

: 00:21:32

to like,

418

: 00:21:33

Cling to the, the Lord or the idea, his

idea of the Lord, you know, his idea of

419

: 00:21:37

spirituality and the other part of him

that was just like a sort of like, you

420

: 00:21:42

know, unhinged like soul rocker, you

know, and, and kind of like his life

421

: 00:21:47

how it's, the pendulum sort of swung

between those two things and still does

422

: 00:21:50

and, um, I resonated with that light and

dark thing and it feels like, in third

423

: 00:21:57

grade, yeah, it was a, it was a really

424

: 00:21:59

really heady time.

425

: 00:22:01

Absolutely not.

426

: 00:22:02

Absolutely not.

427

: 00:22:03

Um,

428

: 00:22:04

Jason English (Host): think, um, I think

429

: 00:22:06

Cyrena Wages: yeah, I think, um,

430

: 00:22:08

Jason English (Host): space

431

: 00:22:09

Cyrena Wages: yeah, I think there's

something to that, something in

432

: 00:22:11

that middle ground and that middle

space between the, the wild cards

433

: 00:22:16

and the, the ones who really

try to cling to the goodness.

434

: 00:22:20

Like that's, I feel like

a pretty wholesome girl.

435

: 00:22:23

And I also have like this.

436

: 00:22:25

Uncontrollable edge at times, and it's

been this funny thing to like, find

437

: 00:22:29

acceptance in that in my life and um,

438

: 00:22:31

Jason English (Host): But we are humans,

right, that's part of the human experience

439

: 00:22:34

Cyrena Wages: in I don't think when

we tell the truth, and when we let

440

: 00:22:37

ourselves introspect, and we let

ourselves come unglued, sometimes we

441

: 00:22:41

see all the colors in the 360, right?

442

: 00:22:44

It's just, we so often suppress

those parts, but for better or

443

: 00:22:47

for worse, they've come out.

444

: 00:22:50

Jason English (Host): So ourselves

come curiousity is a big part of this,

445

: 00:22:53

you know, curiosity is a big part of

what in talking to different musicians

446

: 00:22:59

to do here.

447

: 00:23:00

Yes!

448

: 00:23:01

I think curiosity is underrated in life

449

: 00:23:06

think you've experienced a lot

in your, in your young life.

450

: 00:23:09

Uh, you've got your life ahead

of you, your career ahead of you.

451

: 00:23:12

I have no doubt when you're going to win

the Grammy, you're going to remember this

452

: 00:23:16

moment at Eddie's attic the start of the

453

: 00:23:19

Cyrena Wages: You're very

good at this, by the way.

454

: 00:23:20

Jason English (Host): Oh, well, thank

455

: 00:23:21

Cyrena Wages: you.

456

: 00:23:21

Yeah, they're really great.

457

: 00:23:22

Jason English (Host): my gosh.

458

: 00:23:23

Well, you just made it.

459

: 00:23:24

Cyrena Wages: you de you are,

you should definitely keep

460

: 00:23:26

doing this for a long time.

461

: 00:23:27

Jason English (Host): Okay.

462

: 00:23:27

Well, thank you.

463

: 00:23:28

Um, . Well that's, that's awesome.

464

: 00:23:30

Uh, so what are you curious about?

465

: 00:23:32

Cyrena Wages: oh my gosh.

466

: 00:23:33

I'm so curious about so many things,

but I love the concept of this podcast.

467

: 00:23:36

I think that word, curious curiosity

is so powerful as a pillar of

468

: 00:23:41

what this podcast is about.

469

: 00:23:42

And I think I'm curious about,

this is gonna sound cliche, but.

470

: 00:23:49

Um, the freedom of curiosity and

how so many people don't embody it.

471

: 00:23:56

I think, you know, small town religion

can, can do that to you too, right?

472

: 00:24:01

That, that doubt is where

Satan's coming in, right?

473

: 00:24:06

And like

474

: 00:24:06

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

475

: 00:24:06

It's fear.

476

: 00:24:07

Yeah, it's fear based.

477

: 00:24:08

I

478

: 00:24:08

Cyrena Wages: mentioned as a, as a

heady little girl, when someone tells

479

: 00:24:11

me, don't doubt that Satan speaking to

you, like I really internalized that.

480

: 00:24:16

And so I, what I heard there

was don't use your mind.

481

: 00:24:19

Don't expand.

482

: 00:24:20

Expansion is dangerous, right?

483

: 00:24:23

So limit, and play by the rules, and

be in the pageant, and wear the dress,

484

: 00:24:28

and be skinny enough, and smile, and

hug that stranger, and always be sweet,

485

: 00:24:32

and good girl this, and good girl that.

486

: 00:24:34

And

487

: 00:24:35

and I

488

: 00:24:35

think that, whether it's like

southern religious culture, or it's

489

: 00:24:38

just, You know, culture of, of, of

women and other marginalized parties

490

: 00:24:43

in the, in the country, or whether

it's just part of being human.

491

: 00:24:46

Like, I don't want to limit it

to some kind of, you know, agenda

492

: 00:24:48

that I have here because I don't.

493

: 00:24:50

It's really just that, like, the

freedom to be curious about your own

494

: 00:24:55

story and how we help other people

feel safe enough to introspect

495

: 00:25:05

about that.

496

: 00:25:06

into themselves about that.

497

: 00:25:07

lot and we

498

: 00:25:08

I think we button people up a

lot and we tell them to like, die

499

: 00:25:12

on their white horse, you know.

500

: 00:25:13

for me.

501

: 00:25:14

And I fell off the white horse so

long ago that it's been easier for me.

502

: 00:25:19

You hit a rock bottom and you're

like, well, what's there to lose.

503

: 00:25:22

Right.

504

: 00:25:22

But so many people haven't faced that.

505

: 00:25:24

And I feel like you could live a whole

life unexamined, you know, and, um,

506

: 00:25:29

I'm really curious about how to write

songs, how to have conversations like

507

: 00:25:33

this one, how to read books and share.

508

: 00:25:37

Love and share, listening for others and

ears for others in order to spark a little

509

: 00:25:43

bit more freedom for people to be curious.

510

: 00:25:44

So,

511

: 00:25:45

Jason English (Host): people.

512

: 00:25:45

That's that's that's really good.

513

: 00:25:48

Uh, curiosity takes effort.

514

: 00:25:50

Right.

515

: 00:25:50

And so I think it's the

easy thing is to be told.

516

: 00:25:53

What to think, what to believe, how to

act, and then kind of follow that, you

517

: 00:25:57

know, that's but to your point earlier,

though, about, you know, light in the

518

: 00:26:00

dark, we all want to be good people.

519

: 00:26:03

We all want to, I think,

service each other.

520

: 00:26:05

But we are human.

521

: 00:26:07

And there's, it's not, you know,

it's not about being like horrible

522

: 00:26:11

person, but it's like there, there

are temptations, there are things

523

: 00:26:14

that you want to try and experience.

524

: 00:26:16

And I think that's just

part of living, you know?

525

: 00:26:20

Cyrena Wages: Yeah, he got

one of these things, right?

526

: 00:26:21

Or maybe we have ten, I don't know.

527

: 00:26:23

Jason English (Host):

Oh, no, yeah, we all, you

528

: 00:26:25

Cyrena Wages: Maybe we'll come

back next time as that plant

529

: 00:26:27

on the roof of Eddie's attic.

530

: 00:26:28

I'm not really sure, but the

one we got right now, yeah,

531

: 00:26:31

I'm ready to turn over each

532

: 00:26:33

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

533

: 00:26:33

Yeah.

534

: 00:26:34

And I love that how you put that, the

freedom of curiosity, because yeah, in

535

: 00:26:37

a lot of cultures, especially in the

Bible belt in the South and the Midwest,

536

: 00:26:42

yeah, there's not that freedom, you

know, there, you know, and, uh, and

537

: 00:26:45

again, at this stage in my life, one of

the reasons I'm doing this is, uh, did

538

: 00:26:50

you ever see the movie almost famous?

539

: 00:26:52

Cyrena Wages: right?

540

: 00:26:52

Uh, I've always wanted,

when I grew up, I used to

541

: 00:26:55

Jason English (Host): So I, I was a

journalist for a hot second out of

542

: 00:26:58

college and it was my favorite job

because I learned so much so fast.

543

: 00:27:02

Right.

544

: 00:27:03

Uh, but again, I, I raised a family and

you know, I, uh, I decided to pursue

545

: 00:27:07

another career in technology, but I

always wanted, when I grew up, I always

546

: 00:27:10

wanted to be William Miller chasing

the band around with a microphone.

547

: 00:27:16

And now, you know, I have a full time

job, I have a full time career, but

548

: 00:27:19

at this stage I'm like, I'm doing

it, you know, and I have that, I

549

: 00:27:23

feel like I have that freedom now.

550

: 00:27:25

To be curious because I don't

know how to write songs.

551

: 00:27:27

I don't know how you

make money in the music

552

: 00:27:29

Cyrena Wages: Well, I don't either.

553

: 00:27:30

Jason English (Host): Don't I

didn't know anything about you

554

: 00:27:32

really until two days ago, right?

555

: 00:27:34

And here we are.

556

: 00:27:35

So that's Yeah, I feel that freedom

and I'm really I'm really I'm really

557

: 00:27:39

sort of inspired by how you put that.

558

: 00:27:41

Yeah

559

: 00:27:42

Cyrena Wages: Well, likewise, and

I mean, I think, I love the quote,

560

: 00:27:46

which I actually think was like a

misinterpretation from an ancient

561

: 00:27:49

quote, but I've heard and I've sort

of adopted find what you love and

562

: 00:27:55

let it kill you because you got

to have that Eros in life, right?

563

: 00:27:59

Like I have Eros tattooed on my arm.

564

: 00:28:01

Um, after I read this Esther Perel book

about finding your life force and your

565

: 00:28:07

zest and my gosh, you know, like if you

Play by the rules for forever and, and

566

: 00:28:13

think that you have to kind of like sign

up for the one thing at, you know, 18,

567

: 00:28:16

20 and never get to discover other parts

of yourself later in life and do things

568

: 00:28:21

you've never done and do things that allow

for conversations like this that are,

569

: 00:28:25

like we said, expansive and interesting

and I don't know, it's really cool.

570

: 00:28:29

I'm inspired by you,

571

: 00:28:30

Jason English (Host): Oh, no, thank

572

: 00:28:31

Cyrena Wages: very rock and roll of you.

573

: 00:28:32

Jason English (Host): No.

574

: 00:28:32

Well, thank you.

575

: 00:28:33

I'm the least rock and roll

person you'll ever meet.

576

: 00:28:35

Cyrena Wages: This is

pretty rock and roll.

577

: 00:28:37

Hey, you just, yeah, hit me up and

then I'm like, yeah, let's do it.

578

: 00:28:40

Like that's pretty rock and roll.

579

: 00:28:41

And you moved to the South.

580

: 00:28:42

So you're very smart.

581

: 00:28:44

Jason English (Host): All right.

582

: 00:28:44

Well, yeah, it's great.

583

: 00:28:45

It may not be like Memphis.

584

: 00:28:46

Apparently I need to go

spend some time in Memphis.

585

: 00:28:48

Cyrena Wages: city should pay me

for how lovingly I speak about it.

586

: 00:28:52

Jason English (Host): Well,

your album is out in May.

587

: 00:28:53

You've got a single out called carried

away with a killer music video.

588

: 00:28:56

It's out now.

589

: 00:28:57

Was that all your friends?

590

: 00:28:58

Cyrena Wages: Those are my friends

591

: 00:28:59

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

592

: 00:28:59

It looked like it.

593

: 00:29:00

Yeah.

594

: 00:29:01

You guys are having too much fun.

595

: 00:29:02

All right.

596

: 00:29:03

So hopefully everybody can check

that out and uh, knock them dead.

597

: 00:29:07

Wish you the best.

598

: 00:29:07

Cyrena Wages: appreciate it.

599

: 00:29:08

Cheers.

600

: 00:29:08

Nice to meet

601

: 00:29:09

Jason English (Host): Thank you.

602

: 00:39:31

Thanks so much for joining us for

another episode of Curious Goldfish.

603

: 00:39:34

Please follow and subscribe to

the podcast and on social media.

604

: 00:39:38

Also, tell your music

loving friends about us too.

605

: 00:39:42

Until next time, stay curious.