On this week's rerun episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Eyedress.

Born in Manila, Eyedress came to the US at five years old, moving through Arizona and California — discovering punk and skate culture along the way — before his family returned to the Philippines when he was 15. After years of self-releasing lo-fi bedroom recordings and slowly building an online following, he broke through with 2020's Let's Skip to the Wedding, which spawned global hits "Jealous" and "Romantic Lover" and eventually led to a deal with RCA. Since then, he's collaborated with artists like Mac DeMarco, King Krule, and Harmony Korine, carving out a sound that's equal parts woozy, nostalgic, and entirely his own.

Eyedress and Joel dig into his journey from a rough childhood to building a life and family on his own terms, the anxiety that still follows him even after years of success, and why he believes the biggest leap of faith he ever took was also the best decision he ever made.

(0:03) – From Manila to the World Stage
(1:17) – Social Media: Real Life vs Curation
(2:41) – Meeting Elvia
(3:29) – Making Music Without Asking Permission
(5:41) – Childhood
(6:23) – No Choice But to Grow Up
(7:44) – A Fear That Kept Him in Line
(12:57) – What You Don't See on Social Media
(14:32) – Success Without Buying In
(17:38) – Culture Shock
(20:51) – The Wake-Up Call
(21:43) – 10 Years of Work Before Anyone Noticed
(22:13) – First Deal
(25:54) – A Father Who Always Believed
(30:09) – Battling Doubt, Fear, and Anxiety
(31:00) – Imagination as Blessing and Curse
(37:19) – Skateboarding to Quiet the Mind
(41:00) – Family Over Everything
(43:28) – Forgiveness
(52:19) – How Skate Culture Shaped His Sound
(54:34) – Music as an Escape Route
(56:52) – From Nothing to Everything He Dreamed Of
(58:37) – Leap of Faith

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Artist Friendly with Joel Madden

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