Love at The Bluebird

“Oh my gosh, there’s another one of you?” CeeCee screeches out in excitement, causing Trevor to throw his hands up in exasperation. I again choose to ignore her and focus my attention on answering his question.

“Unfortunately, nothing came to fruition from our former record deal, but one of our songs was discovered by an artist, who asked us to come to Nashville to help them record it. My brother had some personal issues that forced him to stay back in Austin, so I came out here by myself and just got lucky meeting the right people at the right time. I’ve proven myself as a songwriter and have been fortunate to experience success with some talented artists.”

“One of those songs sat at the number one spot on the country radio charts for weeks. Congratulations on that! What was it like writing ‘Thief of Your Heart’ with Tori Langston?” I nod at Trevor’s question and plaster a smile on my face, trying to hide my aggravation at his mentioning my ex-girlfriend. His question is legitimate, and it’s only natural that he would ask. After all, that hit song I wrote for her did help take my career to the next level and has been playing non-stop on the radio.

“Thanks, Trevor. It’s very exciting and humbling to have had that song at number one and now have ‘User’ in the number two spot on the charts. Tori was great, her voice perfect for the vision of the song.” I keep my answer brief, hoping they move the conversation on to a different subject, because Tori Langston is the last person I want to continue talking about.

“Rumor has it, Gavin, that you wrote ’User’ in response to Tori breaking up with you. Can you tell us if she really was the inspiration behind it?” CeeCee smiles snidely, knowing full well that my publicist told them no personal questions about my former relationship with Tori. Clearly, she doesn’t give two shits what they told her and is hoping that putting me publicly on the spot like this will warrant her the answer she’s craving to hear. I don’t care if CeeCee Walker can help my career with airplay; I will never talk about my private life, nor would I ever badmouth my ex.

Even though our break-up was kept quiet, everyone in the industry knows this song is about her. If people followed the timeline of our relationship to our break-up and then the release of the song, it’s a no-brainer. But my private life has always been a do-not-even-go-there subject, and I refuse to capitalize off even mentioning her name. What makes it worse is that Tori’s father is the owner of the label who signed me. The same label Tori is signed with.

Avoiding her question, I lean into the mic before me. “I think everyone can relate to the lyrics, whether they’ve been used by a friend, family member, co-worker, or even a lover. It’s their own interpretation of that specific relationship and how it made them feel that causes the song to speak to them. We’ve all been used for something before, haven’t we, CeeCee?” I give her a cheeky wink, my eyes daring her to continue questioning me. I can play this mind fuck game all day long if I have to and will thoroughly enjoy it. CeeCee Walker thinks I need her, but she has no idea who she’s dealing with.

While the asshole part of me was hoping she would continue, I’m happy to see the look of resignation settle into her eyes and her lips tighten in disappointment. “Yes, we most certainly all have,” she responds back. “Now that you’re signed with Charisma Records, will you be hitting the road?”

“Eventually, yes. I would love to start with some of the bigger summer festivals and then hit the smaller venues during the fall. For now, we have one more single to release before the album comes out.”

“I think I speak for me and everyone else when I say we are looking forward to hearing the rest of the album, Gavin. Thank you so much for stopping by this morning. Let’s send you off by playing another song you wrote. This is ‘My Town’ by Scotty Wilkins.”

I hold my breath, waiting for the lights of the On Air sign to go off, and once they do, I immediately take off my headphones and stand up, ready for this interview to be over with. Before I can even say thank you, the door swiftly opens and an intern comes in, asking if I can take a photo with Trevor and CeeCee for their social media pages. I oblige and turn toward Trevor once the picture is snapped and thank him for having me on his show. I slowly start inching my way to the door while saying my goodbyes, hoping to get out of here as quickly as I possibly can without coming across as being rude.