Hello, Thomas. So, “the stubble is simply the evidence.” I love that line. Evidence of what, in your own life?
Hi there! Thanks so much for having me, and for loving ‘Stubble!’
For me, the stubble is evidence that you’ve lived. I think we all carry evidence of our lives around with us, whether we realize it or not. Every relationship, every mistake, every heartbreak, every amazing night, every terrible decision — everything leaves something behind.
And I think there have definitely been moments in my life that I’ve wanted to erase, or shave away. But you can’t really do that. Those experiences helped create the person standing here now. And I think there’s something really beautiful about finally saying, ‘Yeah, this is me. This is what grew out of my life.’
Most guys reach for a razor the second stubble shows up. What made you look at it and think, actually, this is a love letter?
Because I think stubble is sexy!
That was definitely the fun starting point. There’s something about that five-o-clock shadow, the sharp jawline, that slightly rough texture — it has this effortless masculinity to it. A little rough, a little dangerous, but still refined.
But then I started to think about why we’re always so quick to change the things that naturally appear on us.
We shave it. We shape it. We inject it. We cover things up. We cut things off. We manipulate ourselves all the time because somewhere along the way, we’ve decided natural isn’t quite good enough.
So the song became a love letter to the stubble, but also the person underneath it.
You worked with Electropoint on this one. What was that session like? Did the country twang sneak in, or was that the plan from day one?
Oh yes, Electropoint is the GOAT. We met many years ago, just before COVID, and we’re about to complete our second full-length album together. He’s based in Los Angeles now, so he Zooms in with me and my engineer, and we make some magic together.
For ‘Stubble’, we recorded with Simon at Threshold Studios here in New York City, and I feel like we really rocked this one. I’ve been having a lot of fun lately letting inspiration pull me into different genres.
With ‘732,’ we were inspired by my love for early 2000s rock and roll, like Simple Plan and Green Day. With ‘Stubble,’ once that rugged, masculine energy started flowing, the country influence just made sense. But I also didn’t want to make a straight country record. I’m still very much drawn to pop and dance music, so it became this kind of collision between the two.
That’s what I love about working with Electropoint. I can bring an idea that might sound a little crazy on paper, and somehow we find a way to make it feel natural.
That chorus bass line hits way harder than you’d expect from a pop song. Can you take me behind the scenes on how you got that sound?
Yes, that was really important to us because I wanted the chorus to suddenly feel like it had weight.
The verses are playful and teasing, and when the chorus drops, I wanted you to almost feel this masculine man walk into the room — and Electropoint really understood that.
For me, production is always very visual. I’ll say things like, ‘I want this to feel heavier. I want this part to strut. I want the last chorus to have a little more ‘oomph’ — and thankfully, Electropoint speaks my language.
That bass became part of the personality of the song. You don’t just hear it, you feel it.
You’ve always written about confidence that comes from within. Where does “Stubble” fit into that story you’ve been telling?
I think ‘Stubble’ is almost the next evolution of that conversation.
Confidence, to me, isn’t really about standing in front of a mirror and convincing yourself you’re perfect — well, not anymore.
I actually think I’ve learned that it’s the opposite. It’s looking at yourself and saying, ‘Okay, I’m imperfect. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve been hurt. I’ve hurt people. I’ve changed. I’ve grown. And I still like who I am.
That’s a much more interesting version of confidence to me.
With ‘Stubble,’ I’m using something physical and masculine as the entry point, but underneath that, the message is really about authenticity.
There’s a playful, flirty energy in this song, but there’s also something pretty tender underneath it. How do you balance the fun stuff with the real stuff?
Balancing the fun stuff with the real stuff is probably one of my favorite things I do in songwriting.
On the surface, ‘Stubble’ is absolutely flirtatious. I’m talking about a five-o-clock shadow, a sharp jawline, meeting somebody at the bar to get a little drunk and ease the tension — it’s fun. It’s supposed to make you smile and maybe get a little hot and bothered.
But underneath all that is this idea of acceptance. You’re attracted to this man because of the things that made him distinct, not despite them — and I think that’s actually pretty tender.
There’s something super intimate about looking at another person and saying, ‘No, don’t change that. I like that part of you.’
Now that the video’s out, what’s one moment in it you’re most excited for people to actually see and react to?
I think I’m most excited for people to see those moments when all the cowboys come together for the line dance and the fantasy fully comes alive. Shoutout to Charlie for putting the choreography together!
There’s something wonderfully over-the-top about it. You watch it and immediately understand the Stubble universe.
That’s why I love making music videos — they give you permission to exaggerate reality.
Photo Credit: Thomas Cole.