Today Adam sits down with indie-folk breakout Brendan Abernathy—best known for the barefoot TikTok smash “Married in a Year” and his nickname Everyone’s Local Artist. Brendan explains how he swapped an economics degree for four years living out of a sedan, couch-surfing through 600 grassroots shows and turning kindness into currency. From the three-day solitude retreat (plus a Taylor-Swift epiphany) that set him on this path, to the $2 228 “miracle” rent check, Brendan unpacks the blend of faith, delusional confidence and radical service that fuels his art, why monthly-listener counts lie but ticket stubs don’t, and how one shaky iPhone clip can still beat the algorithm when authenticity leads the way.

*Interview recorded before Brendan’s viral moment*

🕒 Timestamps

• 00:00 — Intro
• 03:07 — Finding Purpose Through Discontentment
• 08:47 — The Importance of Community
• 12:00 — Faith & Decision-Making
• 17:48 — Music’s Impact on Fans
• 21:01 — Lessons from 600 Shows
• 27:36 — Authenticity in Music
• 30:22 — Streaming Numbers vs. Live Reality
• 32:07 — How Content Creation Evolved
• 35:28 — Philosophical Reflections on Life & Creation

🔗 Follow Brendan

• Website — https://www.babernathy.com/
• Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/brendanabernathy/
• TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@brendanabernathy

✌🏼 Support the Podcast by Purchasing Products We Love

• 💧 Vitadrop (code TOT 25% off) — https://www.vitadrop.com.au/TOT
• 👟 Vivobarefoot (code TOT 20% off) — https://vivobarefoot.com/
• 🔫 Legacy Men’s Health (code TOT 10% off) — http://www.givelegacy.com/

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📬 Get in Touch

• Website — www.thatonetimepodcast.com
• Advertise — [email protected]
• Bookings — [email protected]

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💭 About Us

Each week host Adam Metwally dives into the habits and lessons of world-class performers, teasing out curiosities and providing actionable insights across the pillars of Health, Wealth and Wisdom. Expect wide-open conversations on business, mindset, biohacking, spirituality, content creation and more.
Produced by Joe Fowler.

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🎶 Music Credit

HNNY — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r3Paw23_eQ