Ava Swan on Community, Mental Health & Creativity

Ava Swan on Community, Mental Health & Creativity | Just Keep Talking with Brother Love Full episode out now on all podcast platforms. Please click here to support this show! https://linktr.ee/brotherloverocks Brother Love welcomes Montana-raised, Nashville-based indie pop/alt Americana artist Ava Swan to discuss storytelling, mental health, creativity, and community. Ava recounts building “Ava Swan’s Choir of Angels” at Third & Lindsley after competing in Lightning 100’s Music City Mayhem, inviting 15 songwriter friends to create a collaborative, non-transactional night. They talk about Nashville’s relationship-first culture, making her album Sun Safari with producer Christian Diaz, funding it via a $15,000 Kickstarter, and the contrasting studio experiences of songs like “Looking Into the Sun” and “Bad TV.” Ava opens up about therapy, recovery through Adult Children of Alcoholics, comparison, service, meditation, and morning pages, breaks down songs including “I Really Hurt Myself,” “Sensitive Guy,” and “Future Tripping,” shares her red aesthetic branding, and previews a collaborative recording trip to Brazil with Diaz. #mentalhealthpodcast #yourstorymatters #theartistsway #musicjournalism #recovery #choirofangels #altamericana #indiepop #songwriter #nashville #sunsafari #futuretripping #beseen #beheard #belong 00:00 Podcast Mission 01:22 Meet Brother Love 01:46 Introducing Ava Swan 02:23 Choir of Angels Night 03:57 Community Over Competition 10:48 Moving to Nashville 15:42 Sun Safari Era 17:54 Making the Record 22:05 I Really Hurt Myself 25:12 Creative Flow Power 26:44 Sensitive Guy Talk 28:32 Future Tripping Mindset 30:04 Naming Future Anxiety 30:56 Defining Real Success 31:46 Playlisting Versus Art 33:21 Community Over Metrics 35:15 Branding In Red 37:03 Mental Health Tool Belt 41:25 Service Beats Comparison 44:21 Big Heart Lyrics 46:17 Brazil Collaboration Next 47:56 Speed Round Questions 51:07 Where To Find Ava 52:11 Final Thanks And Outro