An Exclusive Interview With Toddy Smith
"Started As A Joke", his YouTube career, and more!
When Toddy Smith enters the Zoom call, he's immediately warm and friendly...a good sign for an interviewer when you instantly feel comfortable with them. We dive straight into his start on Vine, the OG video-sharing app that launched careers for stars like himself, Shawn Mendes, and many more. In Toddy's case, he began making Vines with friend, fellow songwriter, and vlogger Scott Sire.
Sire's Vine fame arose while Toddy was off filming a reality dating show called Sweet Home Alabama. He made it to the top 3 and came back to see that Scott had summated an impressive 25,000 followers. He doesn't take credit for any Vine fame- calling himself the sidekick to Scott, Zane Hijazi, and Heath Hussar's videos.
Through making these videos on Vine alongside Scott Sire, Toddy met his other best friends Zane and Heath amongst other Vine and YouTube creators along the way. But while he was joining the Vlog Squad on YouTube and becoming the massive Internet personality he is, there was always music in his mind.
He tells me how he always admired 21 Pilots and enjoyed writing short stories, finding that lead singer Tyler Joseph matched his writing energy. The similarities and inspiration he drew from the band that gave us songs like "Heathens" and "Stressed Out" pushed him to start creating his own music as a hobby.
Since he had no instrument, he moved to Los Angeles, hired Jason Nash's children's piano teacher, and launched from there. The rest of the pieces fell into place from there- Scott Sire invited Toddy out on tour with him to play the keyboard. It's something he describes as a "dream come true" to play onstage, and the music became more than just a hobby.
His first song was "Natalina", a synth-y, pop-indie sound that he went into writing with the idea already formed, so it felt easier for him to write. And while songwriting didn't come as easily then, he feels much more confident with every song he puts out - honing into his craft, developing his sound, and seeing what works for him.
With songs like "Past Life", his collaboration with Scott Sire, he was able to have a blast creating a track he loved. Nick Anderson, lead singer of The Wrecks, helped create the track with the duo- which came to fruition based on his relationship. He was inspired by M83 at the time and The Drive soundtrack- but perhaps the most interesting part is that the song is unfinished, but they liked how it sounded as it was.
"I set up that session and I had a few keywords ready to go...Nick Anderson is one of the best producers and the best people I know. He really helped bring that song alive...We were just sitting there all three of us kind of throwing words around, but when we sat down that night it wasn't finished and we just liked how it sounded. It's a bit of a weird structure, but Nick's verse just brings it all together."
Alongside 21 Pilots, Toddy grew up with a lot of punk-rock influence like Green Day, Blink-182, The Circle Jerks. The early 2000s were a great time for angst, which is when he grew up. However, his music takes on a more 80's synth pop sound that makes you want to dance around and be carefree. It's a sign he's staying true to himself...after he admits he tried to replicate the 21 Pilots sound, it felt better to make music that worked for him.
It takes us to his most recent release, "Started As A Joke", which actually is the second song he wrote after "Natalina", about the beginning of relationships. "Started As A Joke" is classic Toddy Smith- fun-loving, introspective, and a bit self-deprecating in all the right ways. It takes listeners through two people falling in love when it started originally as a joke for one of them. You can listen to the song here:
Toddy makes music in a way that everyone can respect: only releasing songs that feel right, staying true to lyrics and melody without overdoing it, and never pushing something that isn't serving him. He's the type of person who is always writing- whether it be music or a short story, which he admits he prefers a little more because he can just write anything that comes to mind with no thoughts of melody or diction or style.
Right now, he's back working with Nick Anderson of The Wrecks to challenge himself by turning a short story into a song. While it's unfinished currently, they have a melody and are working backwards with the lyrics and the story. Constantly working, Smith admits a new single also is on its way in the beginning of 2024.
However, as a content creator to his core, Toddy is always looking at different creative outlets. He enjoys making short films and skits, remaining active across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to develop his filmmaking and music. While it may look like a relatively quiet period, you can tell that Toddy is genuinely proud of the work he's putting out.
Alongside all of his accolades, Toddy also founded clothing brand GothicMochas which turns basics like trucker hats and oversized hoodies into a fashion statement of their own. It's his way of staying true to his own fashion sense while making high quality, cutting edge clothes...and it works.
It's a dream of his to go back out onstage, but he doesn't currently have shows lined up. For now, it's about the music, his stories, and the films, and we can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
On November 17, Plain White T's will release their self-titled ninth studio album. While the songwriting feels familiar, the band's sound has shifted. The acoustic guitar is still there, but the production is more atmospheric. "Happy," for example, features layered vocals and percussion ready for top 40 radio.
Although best known for hits like "Hey There Delilah" and "Rhythm of Love," the Chicago band has a deep catalog going back to their days as a pop punk group in the early 2000s. If you want to hear elements of that sound, check out tracks like "Stop," "Revenge," and "Can't Turn Away." Today, frontman Tom Higgenson embraces all eras. The new song "Would You Even" feels like a call back to those early albums.
Jordan Edwards and Demi Ramos recently talked to Higgenson about making the new album, his favorite things about Chicago, and of course, the story behind "Hey There Delilah." Watch the full interview below.
Plain White T's | It's Real with Jordan and Demi
For more from Plain White T's, follow them on Instagram and TikTok.
Every year, on the first Monday in May, comes the most exclusive party of the year: The Met Gala. VogueEditor-In-Chief Anna Wintour hand-picks the creme-de-la-creme of the highest profile celebs — a coveted who’s who list of exciting new names and A-listers alike. Together, these celebs congregate at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art donning (literally) their Monday best.
On the surface, the Met Gala is a fundraising event hosted by Vogue to raise funds for the Met Museum’s Costume Institute. You have to be invited to attend (normally by a brand or by Anna herself), and what goes on inside the elusive Met Gala is one of fashion’s best-kept secrets. What happens at the Gala, truly stays at the Gala.
@metmuseum DYK: When garments enter The Met collection, they can no longer be worn on the human body. So how can we understand the movement and energy of these masterpieces of fashion? This May, explore 250 pieces from The Met's Costume Institute collection in "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," opening to the public on May 10 and celebrated at the 2024 Met Gala on May 6. Join us to see them spring to life. 🌿 🌸 🌊 #ReawakeningFashion #TheMetGala ♬ original sound - The Met
Today, the buzz around the 2024 Met Gala officially begins with the announcement of the theme: Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. And, like with any Met Gala theme, this needs a bit of explanation.
What Does Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion Mean?
In collaboration with the Costume Institute, each Met Gala features a thematically linked exhibit. This year, 250 rare items from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection will be featured — including designs from Schiaparelli, Dior, and Givenchy.
“Sleeping Beauties” is a term that refers to pieces that are so rare that they can only be worn once. Some of these “Sleeping Beauty” garments — ie: a spectacular 1877 Charles Frederick Worth gown — will be shown via CGI and AI virtual showcasing.
It’s an all-encompassing theme spanning over 400 years of fashion. The exhibit itself will have three “zones” dedicated to land, sea, and sky, according to Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in charge of the Costume Institute.
What Can We Expect People To Wear At The 2024 Met Gala?
While your mind may have gone straight to Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, the Met Gala is going to be leaning heavy into how fashion and nature coincide. These pieces on display have been sitting in the Met’s collection for eons, some can’t even be hung upright or they’ll disintegrate.
Since many of these clothing artifacts were made with natural materials (like a bodice made from peas in a pod), you will expect to see this mimicked in attendees’ attire. Sure, there will be 1800s-inspired gowns and lace appliques…but remember: nature is emphasized.
People are thinking of florals and birds, as the exhibit will feature both a black tulle dress embroidered with blackbirds and an Alexander McQueen jacket inspired by Alfred Hitchcocks’ The Birds. But everything nature has to offer — nothing’s off the table! We might see snakes and leaves and everything in between.
And while we don’t know the hosts, or the guests, quite yet…we’re looking forward to this theme and hope we can reawaken the excitement of the Met Gala after some lackluster showings in the past few years.
