94.7 Fresh FM's The Tommy Show (Nov. 18th 2015)
Gwen Stefani
[edited version]
I’m in such a great place because I’ve been writing music, and for me that’s like the ultimate, like, it’s just everything that I love about being alive, because I hadn’t been able to do it for so long. Even when I would try, like, nothing would happen, but I have a feeling, like, that I was just blessed with this opportunity to have this channel open up again. If you don’t think it’s ever going to happen again and it does, it’s even that much better, you know what I’m sayin’.
So what could possibly be your inspiration now to write songs about?
Well, I wonder. That sounds like one of those, like, trick questions.
Do you ever look back on a song and go, ‘I’m just not in the place anymore.’
No, in fact, it’s almost the opposite. Like because of my situation right now, which we all know what I’m talking about, I feel like I go back and listen to a lot of that stuff, and I’m like, I get sick. You look at the songs and you go ‘That was a red flag. That was a moment where I was feeling just as bad as I feel today and why did I keep it up?
How does that work, having a song like Used to Love You and what’s going on personally, but, like, people not wanting to ask you about it, right? Like people used to tell Kelly, “Oh, I’m so sorry.” But she’s like, “No, actually, it’s a good thing.”
Ask that question again.
I’m trying to be sensitive. I don’t want you to get mad at me, Gwen. But -
I’m not going to get mad at you. I’ll tell you if you’ve crossed the boundary.
Okay. Perfect. So you’ve got your song Used to Love You and, you know, it’s at a time where you’re going through this divorce and this great new chapter of yours. But when people talk about divorce, Kelly on our show went through a divorce and the first thing someone says is, “Oh, I’m sorry.” And she’s like, “Well, no, it’s not a sorry thing. It’s actually a good thing cos it’s a new chapter.” How do you dance around all of that?
Well, I think that - There’s so many bad things. Oh my god. Like, I can’t even believe it, but at the same time there are lots of good things, and I do get to have a second chance, and I have a lot of joy right now, I really do, and, you know - I don’t even know you guys. I feel like if I go too far I’m gonna look like a crazy person talking to you about this stuff.
Oh, no, Gwen, they lived through my divorce. I mean, all the pain and the sorrow. My two co-hosts Jen and Tommy have lived it too, so you don’t sound like a crazy person at all.
Okay, well, I’ll just say that I wish it didn’t happen. I wish that all of this wasn’t happening but at the same time, I feel like it was part of my life journey. In my life I’ve had two really bad heartbreaks and I’ve written some incredible music out of it and I feel so lucky to have that and to be able to share it. I feel like it’s part of what I contribute to the world and I feel really proud of that. So there’s always good things that come out of bad things.
Everybody from Lindsey Graham to Nick Jonas gets asked a question like this -
Uh-oh.
- when they do interviews these days. So there’s obviously the game Marry, Blank or Beat Up. Of your Voice co-judges, who would you marry, who would you blank and who would you beat up?
Oh my god. Are you kidding me right now? Who would I marry out of the Voice coaches?
Yeah. Who would you kiss and who would you beat up?
I don’t think I would beat any of ‘em up, that’s for sure. I love all of them. So if I had to say Marry or Beat Up, I would say I would marry - I mean, I mean, I mean, I love them so I wouldn’t want to beat them up. Does that answer your question? *laughs*
No, it doesn’t!
I think he said that I need to wrap it up.
*laughs* Fair enough! We’ll give that to Gwen Stefani.
Aww, you’re awesome. Thank you so much.