CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:09
Meeting Miley: the distinctive voice and how it evolved
Joe opens by complimenting Miley’s unusually gravelly speaking voice, which prompts her to reflect on how it’s changed over time. Miley describes being recognized just by her voice and how it “tells a story,” like a weathered face.
- •Joe notices Miley’s speaking voice is as striking as her singing voice
- •Miley recounts being stopped in a museum by someone who only noticed her voice
- •Her voice has become a recognizable “giveaway,” alongside her look (mullet)
- •She frames a voice as something that collects “wrinkles” and life experience
- 1:09 – 4:18
Vocal surgery, early touring, and learning how to protect the instrument
Miley explains she had vocal surgery and was diagnosed with Reinke’s edema, typically linked to long-term voice strain. She and Joe discuss how nonstop work at a young age left little room for recovery, and how she’s now learning to treat singing like athletic performance.
- •Diagnosis: Reinke’s edema and the link to heavy voice use/strain
- •Touring young: adrenaline after shows, late nights, and lifestyle habits affecting the voice
- •“Recovery days” matter, but weren’t prioritized during intense corporate schedules
- •Surgery becomes a turning point in understanding vocal longevity
- 4:18 – 7:05
Growing up working nonstop: Disney-era pressure, weed, and getting sober
They dig into how unusual it is to be a working child star with adult-level demands. Miley jokes about how much weed she could smoke while still portraying a Disney teen idol, then shifts into a serious discussion about sobriety and how vocal surgery helped change her habits.
- •Child stardom forces extreme balance and maturity early
- •Miley describes escalating habits: late-night talking turning into smoking
- •She says she’s sober now and ties the shift to learning the body’s limits
- •Miley critiques how celebrities become “the face” of positions and get boxed into identities
- 7:05 – 8:22
Teaching kids reality: drug/sex education and “realistic” children’s books
Joe argues that since drugs and sex exist, adults should teach safer, honest information rather than leaving kids to learn from peers. Miley expands this into an idea for a children’s book series that reflects real life—equality, diversity, and actionable truth—without terrifying kids.
- •Joe: harm reduction framing—teach reality, not denial
- •Miley’s concept: realistic children’s stories that address inequality and hardship
- •Illustrations idea: surreal art style, potentially with Wayne Coyne’s involvement
- •Therapy and emotional resilience as part of building realistic tools for life
- 8:22 – 11:18
Billy Ray Cyrus stories: no Wi‑Fi life, pizza goals, and wild parenting
Miley shares affectionate, comedic stories about her dad’s low-tech lifestyle and eccentric traditions. The conversation turns into a string of family anecdotes—pizza abstinence, bubble baths, and a chaotic chicken-rescue story that captures her upbringing’s humor and unpredictability.
- •Billy Ray’s tech resistance: Blackberry-only, drives to FaceTime
- •Birthday plan: five-foot pizza and bubble-gum bathtub on the farm
- •Miley’s affection for her parents and long-term relationships in her life
- •Absurd family story: “stealing” chickens and the fallout when dogs get into the coop
- 11:18 – 18:07
Tabloids, divorce, and taking back the narrative in real time
Miley describes how public stories flatten complex private timelines—especially around her highly public divorce—and how villainization takes a toll. Joe and Miley talk about clickbait economics, why she avoids reading coverage, and why podcasts/streaming culture feel more “real time” than old media cycles.
- •Miley: the hardest part isn’t the breakup, it’s the public narrative gap
- •Joe: fame turns a person into a monetizable object for media outlets
- •Miley: traditional promo cycles were always behind reality (magazines publishing months later)
- •She talks about “unlearning” the power of written headlines about her life
- 18:07 – 20:24
Weed, mental health risk, and genetic realities behind addiction
Joe emphasizes that marijuana can trigger paranoia or breakdowns for some people, especially with edibles. Miley agrees and adds that celebrity narratives often erase genetic predispositions, noting her family history with alcoholism and how that complicates simplistic “Hollywood did it” explanations.
- •Joe: cannabis risks are real for susceptible people; edibles can be intense
- •Miley: her family are “stoners,” but she personally noticed risk tendencies
- •Discussion of stigma: youthful rebellion vs mental illness lines getting blurred
- •Miley highlights multi-generational addiction history and genetics
- 20:24 – 24:33
Anxiety at 17 and finding Dr. Daniel Amen: brain scans and measurable mental health
Miley describes a pivotal anxiety episode as a teen that led her to Dr. Amen’s book and later treatment. She explains SPECT brain scans and why “looking at the brain” felt validating compared to vague, non-specific mental-health labels.
- •Teen anxiety/panic linked to heavy weed and psychedelic use
- •Dr. Amen becomes a long-term therapist; lifestyle and diet changes follow
- •SPECT scan explained as a blood-flow/activity imaging method
- •Miley values measurable data: “you wouldn’t diagnose a broken arm without looking”
- 24:33 – 35:14
Head injury, impulsivity, and rebuilding cognition with diet (leaving strict veganism)
Miley reveals a childhood head injury from riding a dirt bike in a backpack with her dad, which she connects to impulsivity and intensity. From there, the conversation moves into nutrition—why she reintroduced fish/omegas after strict veganism and how malnutrition and inflammation may have affected her focus and performance.
- •Childhood traumatic head injury and its potential behavioral effects
- •“Brakes” metaphor: needing support for impulse control and overactivity
- •Veganism from 2013–2019, then reintroducing fish for brain function/omegas
- •Inflammation, supplements, and performance demands shaping dietary choices
- 35:14 – 41:55
Resilience, relationships, and autonomy: being labeled ‘cold’ for moving on
Miley reframes “toughness” as emotional regulation and the ability to move forward when something is over. Joe challenges the idea that strength is a flaw, and the two discuss autonomy in partners, fame’s power dynamics, and Miley’s guilt—and how animals and long-term friends keep her grounded.
- •Miley: gets criticized for ending relationships cleanly and not lingering
- •Joe: strong boundaries aren’t coldness; it often reveals others’ insecurity
- •Miley explores guilt as a vulnerability people can exploit
- •Animals as emotional balance: fostering/rescuing pets and caretaking routines
- 41:55 – 1:14:44
Exercise as therapy: high energy, chronic pain, and the need for rigorous training
Joe observes Miley’s rapid, high-output thinking and recommends intense exercise to “burn off” excess energy. Miley shares ongoing physical pain (hips/back), hypermobility, and how diet shifts and consistent training help—while acknowledging stress may be manifesting physically.
- •Joe recommends aggressive training; Miley mentions Pilates and adding a heavy bag
- •Miley describes chronic hip/back pain and being overly flexible/double-jointed
- •Ashtanga yoga overuse and lifestyle stress as potential contributors
- •CBD, running, and structured workouts as tools for pain and emotional stability
- 1:14:44 – 1:21:06
Psychedelics, guilt, and creativity: ayahuasca, DMT, and ‘using the demons’
Miley recounts intense psychedelic experiences—ayahuasca visions tied to animal guilt and DMT experiences of seeing her “personalities.” Joe ties the discussion to set/setting and suggests that chaos and anxiety can fuel great art, as long as it’s balanced with healthy outlets.
- •Ayahuasca experience framed as purging guilt about eating animals
- •Miley says the experience changed her relationship to getting high
- •DMT story: witnessing multiple versions of herself and reintegrating them
- •Joe: artists channel turmoil into music; balance is key (exercise + expression)
- 1:21:06 – 1:58:45
RuPaul’s Drag Race obsession: death drops, ‘painting,’ and gender play
The conversation detours into Miley’s passionate fandom of RuPaul’s Drag Race, complete with clips, terminology, and performance analysis. They discuss drag culture’s language (“painted for the gods,” “beat your mug”), the athleticism (and injury risk) of death drops, and Miley’s own appearance on the show in male drag.
- •Miley explains the show format, judges, and why she re-watches episodes constantly
- •Breakdown of death drops vs splits and the physical toll on knees/hips
- •Drag slang and aesthetics: ‘painting for the gods,’ ‘beat your mug’
- •Miley on gender play: dressing as a man on the show; less ‘shock value’ in 2020
- 1:58:45 – 2:04:56
Art, credits, and the new music business: streaming economics and TikTok promotion
Miley and Joe discuss how songwriting credits and compensation changed in the streaming era, making authorship more complex. Miley explains how TikTok functions like an industry pipeline—labels paying for influencer usage—and why she values direct-to-audience tools that bypass old gatekeepers.
- •Modern credits include melodic contributors, not only lyric writers
- •Streaming disrupts old payment models; even lawyers struggle with shifting rules
- •TikTok as a quasi-label: agencies and paid creator promotion tied to streams
- •Miley prefers direct publishing power vs Disney-era approval chains
- 2:04:56 – 2:06:31
Writing ‘Malibu’ and closing with ‘Midnight Sky’: identity, imagery, and reinvention
Joe shares a personal story of listening to “Malibu” backstage before a comedy special, using it as escapism and a mental reset. Miley closes by introducing “Midnight Sky,” describing its inspiration (Debbie Harry/Stevie Nicks) and her disco-ball metaphor—broken pieces reassembled into something compelling.
- •Joe’s backstage ritual: using Miley’s music to get out of his own head
- •Miley describes writing ‘Malibu’ quickly and personally (real-life details in the lyrics)
- •‘Midnight Sky’ inspirations: ‘Heart of Glass’ title energy + ‘Edge of Seventeen’ sample/blessing
- •Disco ball metaphor: broken pieces put together creating irresistible light
