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[0:00] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon.

[0:09] Robert Bannon: Well, everybody, our next guest we have seen on Broadway, we have seen on television, we've seen on the big screen. He is telling us to get in the garden with his new single. He is I love this new single. I love this album. It is gorgeous. It is beautiful. It's taken us back and teaching us maybe a better, I think, a better way to be about all people from the beginning. He's taking us back to the book, to the church, telling us how to be. Dyllón Burnside, welcome. Thanks for being here.

[0:36] Dyllón Burnside: Thank you. Thank you for having me. And thank you for that wonderful intro.

[0:40] Dyllón Burnside: You are you know, I have before I start, you and I in New York City used to go to the same gym and trainer and you stayed with it and are very in shape. And I have decided to just eat pizza. Kudos to you.

[0:52] Robert Bannon: That is pizza. Pizza is so tantalizing. When I tell you like that, my idea of an amazing Friday night is a pie and a bottle or maybe two of Bordeaux. And that is like I have to fight against that. But you fight it. See, when you talk in your song about the garden to put my guard down, I put my guard down to carbohydrates and they have to. So kudos. You know, my husband yesterday said, you know, these servings on this bottle of wine cannot be wrong because there's not six servings in this bottle. It can't be right. How did you come up with the idea to do this album? And what is the it's very artistic. It has a beautiful image that goes along with the music. It is it. There's a message in a metaphor. What when did you come up with this idea?

[1:56] Dyllón Burnside: Well, first of all, I mean, there have been so many amazing collaborators that I've had an opportunity to to to work with this on. So it's not I will say a lot of it's me by and large, but I've had help, the help of some really brilliant people, which is always amazing when you get to have that kind of support. But garden came about. Really, the language, the word garden was an accident. I stumbled upon it. It was my my producer, co-producer and co-writer Drew Scott. We had worked on the track and we had done a mumble track for for the for the record. And for those of you who don't know what a mumble track is, it's like just going in and singing gibberish, you know, and there I knew what I wanted it to feel like.

I knew I wanted it to have this like this pulse to it, but I didn't know exactly. And I knew I wanted it to be about freedom and liberation, but I didn't know exactly where the song was going to go. And it was the mumble track, something that was in the mumble track that sounded like garden. And I was like, huh. And I think the lyrics just started to to just fall out of me, give in to the temptation. Don't worry about your fears, just take a bite, a taste of liberation and you're one step closer to the tree of life. And that was I was like, oh, wait, what does that mean? You know, everything you are is written on your lips. Say it and I'll show you how good it feels. It's one of my favorite lines in the song.

And I think as the writing process continued, it became more and more clear that I was writing something about my experience of fear, the fear of myself, the fear of my body, the fear of my desire. And, you know, that goes not just back to the beginning of my life and everything that I've been taught in this lifetime, but it goes back to the beginning of, you know, how we talk about the beginning of time and how we think about desire within that narrative framework. And so, you know, the Garden of Eden is where all of those those fears of desire and of our bodies, I think, really were embedded, at least in me. And I think in a lot of no matter what religion, race, gender, where you grew up, it could be Florida, it could be New Jersey, it could be across this country.

I think it's something that no matter how old we get, we sometimes still struggle with. Those feelings and ideas are in the bones of some of our structure. So the song will make you like he said, it gives you a beat and you'll be you'll be nodding. He even throws down some bars in the song and then you'll be ready to it's going to be stuck in your head. It's going to be stuck in your head. It's perfect. The whole album, everybody while you're talking is streaming right now. The whole album is called Genesis. It's beautiful. It is the perfect while you're having that Bordeaux and that pizza on Friday night with your person. This needs to be playing in the background. It is smooth, sexy, grown music that you like.

So what was it like for you, the process? Is it vulnerable? You wrote these songs. This is your baby. This is your project. Is it scary, exciting that it's in the world? Does it feel extra vulnerable? How does it feel that it's out?

[6:10] Dyllón Burnside: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely... Somebody asked me the other day, how am I doing? And I'm like, I feel like I'm on a wonderful rollercoaster ride. It's at once thrilling and terrifying. That's how I feel about that, you know, releasing this into the world too. It's really exciting to finally put it out into the world. I've been working on this project for the last eight years and it was... Even just saying that, I'm like, I see your face. I'm like, yeah, it's been a minute, but it has taken me a while to figure out what this project wants to be. Each song has been a journey in and of itself. And then to be able to step back far enough and say, what is this other body of work, was another journey that I had to go through.

And it being my debut solo album, there are lots of things that I've never done before. Wanting to really be in the process in a way that feels true and not just like, I'm trying to get this thing out, but how do I actually figure out what it is that I want to say? And I think when you asked me about the visuals and how did I come up with some of this, I think it's been a lot of time sitting with it. And I think that's one of the things that we've sort of lost in our culture. We live in this culture of the creative economy, so to speak, that everything needs to come out super fast. And what I'm learning is, at least in my creative process, sometimes I need a lot of time to sit with something that I've written or something that I've made and figure out what it is.

And what's the next step in the process for me? How do I take it from what I've now made and then come back and look at it and say, okay, now what's the next place that it needs to go? Not to go too biblical, but even God in the story of the creation of the world had to sit back at the end of the day and say, okay, this is good. Let me just rest. And then come back and look at it and figure out, all right, what's the next thing I want to add to this world? And that's just what this process has been like for me, too. It's like, how do I take a step back and figure out what needs to be added or taken away from this world? And people have been responding to it really well, and I'm grateful for that.

It's a lesson, I think, in all of us. My face was not judgment. It was bewilderment and appreciation of discipline to say, let's not put pressure on a deadline. Let's just let it organically roll through your life and what story you want to tell. And then it speaks the most authentically, and then we connect to authenticity. And that's what I feel when I listen to it. It feels very intimate.

[10:54] Dyllón Burnside: The work of being a storyteller and cultural worker. I mean, we talked about, you know, the Book of Genesis and the story of the Garden of Eden and thinking about biblical texts and any of the creation myths or religious texts. These are stories that have really shaped and impacted policy. They've impacted the way people view the world. They've impacted the way people view themselves and each other. These texts have been the catalyst for wars, you know, and genocides and have been used to bolster slavery and so many things. Also beautiful things, too. They've helped people to find love and light and to understand themselves in a tapestry that is far greater than themselves. And I think that that's the power of story and storytelling.

And so, I don't necessarily feel pressure because people are looking to me to be a role model. I feel the responsibility of the work that I've been putting here to do with being a storyteller. And I have to carry that in a certain way with a certain reverence and with a certain respect for the craft and respect for the people who will get to experience and hear and read or see whatever the medium is. Because people are being, they're trusting me enough to let me into their lives, into their consciousness. And I want to be sure that whatever is coming from me is coming from a place that is true, that is coming from a place of deep reflection and just from a pure place. And, you know, hopefully it's helping to elevate people or to, you know, at the very least, allow them to have a good time.

[13:56] Robert Bannon: Yeah, it sure will. And be uplifted. That's what's unique. We're talking, everybody. Genesis is out. You could be streaming it right now. Streams are in, people are in, people are commenting and loving it. It is beautiful. It's a beautiful, from literally track one in the beginning all the way until the end when you get to heaven. It's a ride. It's a roller coaster. It's about love. It's, like I said, it's grown and sexy. It's deep. It's a romantic date night. It is a club moment. There are vocals on it. There's all the vibes and all the feelings are definitely there. I've noticed if you watch you and you don't look like you're in LA or New York when you're in the garden or when you're in your home. Did you take a moment? Are you outside of a major city? Are you somebody who likes to be on the road? Are you somebody who likes to be holed up in the forest, in the garden, in the woods somewhere? Is this a new side for you? Or has that always been you?

[14:49] Dyllón Burnside: I'm in the garden, friend.

[14:51] Robert Bannon: He's in the garden, everybody.

[14:54] Dyllón Burnside: Yeah, I needed to take a beat. And so I am out in a little rural area just outside of Atlanta. And I've got a farm here. And I spend time out here in the garden, in the woods. And this is where I've been able to really collect my thoughts and create. And I host retreats here and invite other people to find the stillness that they need to connect with their muse and to do the work that they need and want to do. And so, yeah, it's been really lovely. I, of course, still love New York City and still am there quite a bit. But I, you know, this has become my peace.

[16:03] Robert Bannon: It sounds peaceful. And, you know, I moved from New York to out to Detroit. And even though Detroit's a city, people said, you're going to leave and you're going to leave culture and you're going to leave art and you're going to leave the pulse of the city and you're not going to be able to do it. And I think wherever you are, you take you and your spirit and your creativity and art with you. And it's given me peace, too. Sometimes I go home every month and then I come back here and take a nap and look at a tree and see a squirrel. Go into the garden every, put your guard down in the garden. You gotta get outside.

[16:38] Dyllón Burnside: Yes. Do you really have a, like, you have a shovel?

[16:41] Robert Bannon: Yeah. Yeah. You like that?

[16:43] Dyllón Burnside: I do. I grew up, I grew up on a ranch in Florida. And so, like, this has always been a part of who I am. But it's, you know.

[16:59] Robert Bannon: You're going to be impressed. I learned how to turn on a lawnmower since I got a house. And I'm very good at it. I don't want to say I'm like, I know how to do it.

[17:05] Dyllón Burnside: You know, I'm really proud of you. This is amazing. This is a great first step.

[17:13] Robert Bannon: I leave all the planting for the other man in the house. He's very good at it. You know, I love it. So I'm here for it. I look forward, I hope, are we going to hear, I'm not, I don't know the answer to this question, but I want to hear you do this. Are we going to go on the road? Are we going to do a song live somewhere? Are you ready to do prides? Are you ready to do a club, a concert?

[17:37] Dyllón Burnside: Absolutely. I'm so ready. I'm so, so ready. I'm actually gearing up to perform here in Atlanta this coming Labor Day weekend. I'm hosting a special, it's a private event and really excited about that. It's sort of bringing people into Genesis, into the garden in a really interactive way and bringing sort of this idea of retreat and performance and community and fellowship all together into one. So I'm excited about it.

[18:24] Robert Bannon: It's beautiful. The spirit of it and your talent and your voice is something really special. And every second that you took and all the intentions you put into this, it really shows love is in the details of a project and it really shows throughout this. And I'm excited. I want to say thank you for the incredible body of work, all of the growing up or being a young queer people who've seen you on television or have gone and seen you on Broadway or on stage throughout the years. And now this, it really does change. It makes people feel part of community and accepted and okay. And then adding a religious element to this where many people have been taught that they can't have, they can't talk about Genesis and sexuality and who they are together, that there is a place in a community that welcomes them and somebody who's going to sing about it and make you feel good while doing it is something that I think is really powerful and important. So thank you for what you do.

[19:13] Dyllón Burnside: Thank you so much, Robert. Come to, when you're in Detroit, I got a rake and a shovel and a pizza for you and we're going to sing.

[19:19] Robert Bannon: And I'll bring the Bordeaux.

[19:26] Dyllón Burnside: Bring the Bordeaux and it's a party. Congratulations. May this be the beginning of continued incredible success. Thanks for being here.

[19:31] Dyllón Burnside: Thank you.