🔥 Russell Bret 🔥

🟠 Where did you grow up?

I’m from Sayreville, New Jersey. When I was nine, my family moved out to California. At first, it felt off—my accent was totally different from the kids there, and I stood out fast. But over time, I settled in. Got into skateboarding, hit the beach whenever I could, and I still remember the apricot trees in the yard. California was a whole different world, but I loved it.

🟠 Yeah, it sure isn’t Jersey. How did you wind up where you are?

It’s a long road, but it starts with family. My dad was wild—free-spirited, life of the party, heavy drinker, ladies’ man. I looked up to that as a kid. My mom wanted something more grounded. After a while, she packed us up and moved us back to Jersey. She divorced him not long after, but by that point, I’d already picked up some of his habits.

From there, I drifted. No direction, no real plan—just one bad decision after another until it caught up with me. I ended up in prison. That was the turning point.

🟠 That’s heavy—and honest. Who were the artists or sounds that shaped you?

Music was always around. My dad played harmonica, and my mom was obsessed with Elvis. We had one of those big furniture-style record players, and I’d spend hours digging through their vinyl—Carly Simon, Neil Sedaka, Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters. That was my first education in melody and emotion.

Later, my brother got me into Pink Floyd and Blue Öyster Cult. He was all about Floyd, but for me it was BÖC. That said, I’ve never stuck to just one lane. If it moves me, I’m in.

🟠 How did you first get into writing music? Was there a moment it all clicked for you?

I’ve always loved singing. When I was a kid, my friends and I used to have singing battles in the park. Then one day I picked up this old beat-up guitar and started putting some of my poems to music. It was awful—but I loved it.

Later on, I joined a few cover bands and found I really liked performing. In my downtime, I kept messing around with my own songs. I wasn’t great, but I kept at it and got better.

At one point, I even wrote a jingle for a car dealership. That led to a few small things—sold a couple songs, made some connections. But honestly, I was still lost. Struggling with a lot of things that had nothing to do with music.

I write differently now. Most of my songs wouldn’t exist without the life I’ve lived. Writing helps me get stuff out I don’t always know how to say. It’s how I breathe.

🔴 Michael, Las Vegas, Nevada: I’m just starting to write my own songs, and I’m curious—what’s your process like when you create something? Do you follow any kind of structure?

I just let the song come out of me. The music and lyrics usually hit at the same time—it’s like I’m discovering something that already exists inside me. Once it starts flowing, I try to shape it into something that makes sense.

Sometimes I’m not even using an instrument. And when I am, it doesn’t really matter what kind. I’m just trying to capture a feeling—a moment in time.

The hardest part is getting it to sound the way I hear it in my head. I’m working solo, no fancy gear, so sometimes it takes months. But every now and then, a mistake turns into something better than what I planned. I call those “happy mistakes.”

🔴 Debbie, Marlboro, New Jersey: What drives your passion for songwriting?

I write songs because… I need to. I don’t always know how to say what I’m feeling, but it finds its way into the music.

Sometimes, a song just comes out. I don’t even know how it happens. Then I listen back and get chills. I’ve cried to my own songs—more than once.

I don’t think it’s all me. There’s gotta be something else. Maybe it’s God. I don’t know. I’m not that deep or interesting. I’m just a dude.

But when a song really hits—it feels bigger than me. That’s what keeps me going.

🔴 Zach, Sayreville, New Jersey: Can you tell us what’s going on with your album Swim being used in that new movie? That’s huge.

Yeah, man—it’s surreal. The movie’s based on this book called Swim: Shark of a Different Fin. It’s about a young shark who’s born different and goes on this wild journey trying to prove he belongs.

When I read it, I felt this connection to my own life—feeling out of place, trying to find meaning. The story’s emotional, weird, deep… and it hit me hard.

Then I found out the author credited Swim with helping shape the tone of the book. That blew me away.

Now there’s an animated film in the works, and parts of the album are being used in the soundtrack. I never expected something I wrote alone, in the belly of the beast, would end up in a movie like this.

➡️ Learn more about the movie: Shark of a Different Fin

🔴 Eric, Sacramento, California: Hey, tell us more about Monday with Morty! Man, that is peak. I tried guessing a couple riddles—they’re hard!

Yeah, they’re pretty tough. Monday with Morty is a tribute I made for our late drummer, Marty. He had this blunt, no-filter personality—but he was the soul of our band.

To honor him, I created Morty—an animated version of our band’s logo who communes with Marty in the afterlife. Fans solve his riddles and unlock hidden meanings and rewards. It’s a way to keep Marty’s spirit alive—and give something back to the people who ride with us.