Oct. 22 marks a special day for fans of Make It Up As We Go. Not only is there a new episode of the groundbreaking country musical podcast, but “Breathe,” the collab between Tyler Rich and Scarlett Burke, MIUAWG’s star and co-creator, is also out on all DSPs. An uplifting, up-tempo jam, it’s fitting that “Breathe” is referred to as “that song on the radio” on Make It Up As We Go. It’s the perfect soundtrack to any road trip, whether if you’re going cross-country with your BFF or just taking the scenic route to work so you can have an extra 15 minutes of peace before diving back into the thick of 2020.
Make It Up As We Go, a partnership with Audio Up Media, tells the story “of a female songwriter in Nashville’s predominately male-driven, high-stress writing rooms, where songwriters big and small get together hoping to pen Country music’s next #1 hit.” The series is centered around the creation of seven new songs, releasing biweekly, and boasts a cast of some major A-listers: Miranda Lambert, Bobby Bones, Lindsay Ell, Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Zach Selwyn, Brie Blair, and Craig Robinson are just some of the voices you’ll hear on this podcast.
Scarlett and Tyler (who just released his debut album, Two Thousand Miles) spoke with HollywoodLife over email about the podcast, the nature of “Breathe,” and what it was like working on the first every country musical podcast.
HollywoodLife: “Breathe” is a very timely and poignant in title and message. One might also read this song’s message of breathing in freedom as a response to 2020. Is this song a response to COVID-19 or just a coincidence?
Scarlett: This is simply a coincidence as the song was written two years ago.
Tyler: Just a coincidence! We originally wrote this as a pitch for a movie about a road trip, soul-searching, coming of age film. We wanted it to feel like you were escaping your hometown, your past, or whatever it is you use the highway to run from. So, it lands perfectly in a time where we are all needing some wide-open highway and to breathe a little more during such a crazy year.
HL: Scarlett, you’re the creative force behind Make It Up As We Go, the first country musical podcast. Did you think that you would ever create a project that would bring together such a cast?
Scarlett: Not at all! The power of music truly brought everyone together on this project. Most of our cast members are musicians. I think having an opportunity to play characters in the music industry that are often overlooked – songwriters, vocal coaches, producers, engineers – really spoke to the talent attached.
HL: “Breathe” hits all streaming services today (Oct. 22). How did this song become a part of the Make It Up As We Go podcast?
Tyler: “Breathe” becoming part of the soundtrack to this podcast was actually a surprise for me, and a good one! I had just finished and released my debut album Two Thousand Miles, and then we got word on this release. Having a song on a soundtrack is such a cool feeling because, to me, music truly brings out a story and sparks imagination even deeper than a script. I wrote this with Scarlett and Jared Gutstadt, the two creators of the podcast, roughly about a year ago, before all of this.
HL: Scarlett, you’ve said that you never listened to a podcast when you and co-creator Jared Gutstadt came up with Make It Up As We Go. Do you consider yourself a “podcast expert” now?
Scarlett: [laughs] I can certainly say I’m not an expert in the world of podcasting as it’s still a new format and continuously evolving. I’ve learned a lot around the production side, but as far as the knowledge of all things podcast, I’m still learning.
HL: The story of Charlotte Sayles – Texas native moving to Nashville in hopes of making it – seems twinged with a bit of your own story. What would you say is the biggest difference between you and Charlotte?
Scarlett: First off, both of my parents are living, and I’m the youngest of three. My route to Nashville is a bit different in that I’ve lived in LA for 12 years, studied acting, all the while writing songs in my apartment, and later on for commercials, TV, and film. I eased my way into the world of Nashville as I wasn’t as confident as Charlotte to move to Nashville from Amarillo. I had a few stops along the way.
HL: Your vocal coach on Make It Up As We Go is none other than Craig Robinson. How has it been working with him?
Scarlett: As a huge fan of Craig and his work on The Office, it was pretty intimidating working with him. He’s a pro, incredibly humble, and truly made this character his own. He brought Apollo to life in such an effortless way that was beyond what I had imagined or even hoped for. He has a musical background as well, so he knew exactly what to do with the voice-over production style of our series. His vocal dynamics in his performance of the Apollo scenes are just so beautifully done.
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Episode 4 of Make It Up As We Go is now available at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever you find on-demand audio. “Breathe” is now available at your preferred DSP, as is Two Thousand Miles, the debut album from Tyler Rich.