Overview of How Long Gone #986: Brennan Wedl
Brennan Wedl joins Chris Black and Jason Stewart for a loose, funny conversation that mostly centers on her self-titled new album, her Nashville life, and the strange, often hilarious overlap between music, astrology, food, and touring. The episode moves from Brennan’s spiritual inclinations and family life to the realities of being a working musician in Nashville, including writer’s rounds, van life, brand offers, and the social dynamics of the local scene.
Key Takeaways
Brennan’s album and tour
- Brennan’s self-titled album is out today.
- She talks about getting ready for a run of shows, including:
- Americana Fest in Nashville
- A tour with Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail
- She says the project was made in Durham with collaborators Brad and Katie.
Nashville music culture
- The hosts and Brennan dig into what it means to be a musician in Nashville:
- Writer’s rounds are a big part of the ecosystem.
- They function like a low-stakes performance cage match: multiple songwriters sharing a stage, trying to impress the room.
- Brennan explains that Nashville is transient in a way that makes it feel almost coastal:
- People arrive to “make it”
- Dating, career ambition, and music all get tangled together
- They also discuss the Bluebird-style mythology of Nashville and how much of it is real.
Spirituality, astrology, and crystals
- Brennan brings out a crystal early in the conversation, which sends the hosts into a long bit about astrology and spiritual life.
- She says she cycles in and out of astrology, but is currently more tuned in.
- She and her mom are both into tarot readings on YouTube.
- She references:
- Chani Nicholas
- whole sign astrology
- the way cosmic anxiety can affect mood and behavior
- The tone is playful, but Brennan clearly has a genuine relationship to this world.
Touring life and van etiquette
- Brennan discusses how touring really works:
- band vans
- buses
- the social weirdness of being packed together constantly
- They talk about:
- not taking phone calls in the van unless necessary
- how people’s voices change when they talk to partners on the phone
- the different personalities that emerge on tour
Brennan’s work history in Nashville
- Before music fully took over, Brennan worked a variety of jobs:
- Belcourt Theater
- Elegy coffee/breakfast burrito spot
- She describes making burritos and breakfast food, which leads to a long food tangent.
- She also recalls the weirdly formative experience of working in indie film and back-of-house food service.
Notable Moments and Bits
The “soul of a loser” conversation
- The hosts riff on a New York Times article about a man using a matchmaker to find love.
- They turn it into a larger joke about:
- rich men who still feel like “losers”
- whether success changes your “soul”
- the idea that dating failure is an internal condition, not just a logistical one
Brennan’s family and the Okie Dokie Brothers
- Brennan shares that her first guitar teacher quit teaching to pursue music and later won a Grammy with his band, the Okie Dokie Brothers.
- This becomes one of the sweeter stories in the episode, a rare moment of earnest admiration in the middle of the chaos.
Food, products, and consumer culture
- The episode wanders through several product and grocery tangents:
- granola brands being secretly candy
- Purely Elizabeth’s massive valuation
- Nature Valley crumbs
- FreshDirect sending unwanted produce
- chicken roasting methods
- Brennan also reveals a very specific breakfast/burrito staff meal setup from her cooking days.
Brand offers and style
- Brennan has already received some brand interest, including from Hey Dudes.
- She jokes about how she’d style them, imagining a more Renaissance-fair, flowing-skirt look.
- The hosts also discuss grooming, deodorant, shoes, and the general aesthetics of being a musician in the public eye.
Overall Tone
- Fast, improvisational, and very inside-baseball
- Equal parts sincere and unserious
- Heavy on:
- music industry life
- dating and identity
- food culture
- internet spirituality
- fashion/product commentary
Bottom Line
This episode is a good snapshot of Brennan Wedl’s world: a Nashville artist balancing real musical ambition with self-aware humor, spiritual curiosity, and the everyday absurdities of touring and adult life. It’s less a formal interview than a conversational hang, but it gives a strong sense of her personality, her scene, and what’s ahead for her new album.