Teddy Swims is ready to show what life after heartbreak looks like.
The 31-year-old singer-songwriter behind the No. 1 hit “Lose Control” just released the second part of his debut album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy. Though he was in “turmoil and heartbreak” in part one, which dropped in 2023, this new album shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.
While taking a break from tour prep, Swims tells The Hollywood Reporter that he’s ready to “share with people how far into my healing journey I am and how on the other side of heartbreak, there’s a beautiful life waiting to happen. And as hard as it feels, once you get to the other side of it, it’s such a blessing.”
The album also arrives just weeks before the 2025 Grammy Awards, where Swims earned his first nomination for best new artist. And whether he wins or loses, he’s honored to be part of what he “maybe would call the best rookie class ever.”
Below, Swims gets candid about the vision for his new album, his reaction to learning he scored his first Grammy nod, teases what fans can expect on his upcoming tour and what he’s looking forward to the most about becoming a father.
It’s been a little more than five years since you first started posting covers online and garnering attention. What do you make of that time?
I’m happy to feel like we’re finally good at this job. It takes a long time of being really bad, so luckily I only have five years of this. But about 10, 12 years of everything else, too. I’m grateful for the journey and for the team we have, and I couldn’t be more happy with life. There were so many times in life where I wanted it right now, right now, “Why isn’t it happening right now?” And I could truly say now I’m ready for that, and timing is just really of the essence, you know, it’s all in God’s hands.
What are you most excited about with your new album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)?
With the first [album, I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1)], we were in like turmoil and heartbreak, and it didn’t really provide any closure or any answers or any way out. So I’m excited to share these songs and share with people how far into my healing journey I am, and how on the other side of heartbreak, there’s a beautiful life waiting to happen. As hard as it feels, once you get to the other side of it, it’s such a blessing. This album, there’s of course heartbreak in it, but there’s songs for lovers, too.
Is there a specific song on the new album that is most meaningful to you?
It’s so hard. One I’m really looking forward to, if I could just name one, is “Northern Lights.” It’s a really pretty song for me, and even though I’ve never been to the northern lights, it was easier to use a place like that rather than the hill at the top of my cul-de-sac (Laughs). I couldn’t really make that rhyme, so we just used the northern lights, but the idea of the song is still true. It’s a song about closure. That you could celebrate that time you’ve had with somebody and remember the good parts of it. It’s always a reminder, as relationships end and life moves on, that it doesn’t have to end in a horrible way. You can remember the good things.
What influences and inspirations do you draw from to help create your overall sound?
I guess a little of everything. That’s a hard question. I always feel like one thing we did better on this record is that when things sounded one way, we didn’t shy away from it too much. In the past, we had been in a place where it’s like, “Well, maybe this sounds too rock or maybe this sounds too country or maybe this is too R&B for you.” So we would kind of take the songs and I wouldn’t say dumb them down but turn them in a way where they’re a little bit more cohesive. Now that I’ve kind of established [myself] a little bit more, if the song feels good and is good, it’s gonna sound the way it sounds. And if it’s good, then I don’t think we had to worry too much about like, “Maybe this sounds a little this way or too much of this way.” We just went for it. Some things about it are a little bit all over the place, but it still feels cohesive and beautiful.
With your busy year ahead, can you tease your upcoming tour and what you’re most looking forward to?
We’re in Pennsylvania right now rehearsing and it’s so cool. We got background singers on this one — some of my dear friends who are singing — we have three singers with us that are all absolutely monsters and better singers than me. And we’re building a big set, so the set is just gonna be gorgeous. They’re working on it now with all these damn video walls and this platform and I get to come out the bottom like I’ve always wanted to do that (laughs). It’s gonna be really elevated and really beautiful. It’s such a moment.
There are many sides to being an artist from songwriting, recording and performing. Do you have a favorite?
When I’m doing one of them, I miss the other one. I feel incomplete without one side of it. I’m excited this year that we’ll have our engineer with us and be doing some writers. I think I’ll be able to do a lot of writing on the road this year as well. I equally love both parts of it, ’cause there’s nothing like getting out your little feelings and working on your little feelings and putting them in something perfect. But also there’s nothing better than just trauma dumping on a bunch of strangers live, too. And having all of them know the words and be like, “We feel the same way. It’s OK.” I think they both have served their purpose from my little heart, man.
You also recently received your first Grammy nomination for best new artist. What did you make of that?
We were in Spain, getting ready for the Los 40 Music Awards and my last name being Swims, we were the last one announced when we were watching the stream. So we’re on the edge of our seats, but we got it. We got it right after my boy Shaboozey too, so I was super excited. This year is truly what I maybe would call the best rookie class ever. There’s just nothing but absolute legacy artists in this group … and I’m so honored to be a part of this list of amazing artists, and we want to take it home.
One thing I want to say too about the Grammys more than anything is that it seems like the Grammys are still happening, but I know a lot of the events are getting closed down because of the fires. I have some friends who have really lost a lot of things and I’ve seen a lot of news about people losing everything, and we live in the valley, so it seems like our place is maybe OK for now, so I’m very grateful to God for that. But my heart is so heavy right now with L.A. and just praying and praying and praying and hoping for just all the prayers I can put towards L.A.
Over the years, I’ve seen many social media videos of you performing with other artists in public and on the streets. What do those moments and collaborations mean to you?
I saw a comment, ’cause there’s all these videos of me walking up to somebody singing, and it said, “It’s at this point where I’m scared of singing in my house because I think Teddy Swims might come knocking on my door and want to sing it with me.” And I said, “You’re damn right I will. I’ll be there.” (Laughs) There’s a couple of them [where] I’ve genuinely walked up on and a couple of them we’ve set up. Wherever we are in the world, if there’s some buskers we can find on TikTok or there’s some awesome cello player down the street, we’re gonna walk up on them and play some music. I think the core of performance and the core of music is just collaboration and special moments and truly preserving a moment in time. It always reminds me of how fun music is when it’s just music. Of course, I love the gigantic thing that we’re building for the show. But there’s nothing like just going for it, no practicing and just seeing what happens, and then meeting somebody and just making it happen.
On a more personal note, what are you looking forward to the most about becoming a father?
Man, I’m so excited! My dad is the best father in the world. I think he’s second to only Jesus Christ himself, you know what I mean? I’m just so excited to plant seeds and raise this kid and see: what’s your favorite color? What are you gonna look like? Do you like Spider-Man? What’s your thing, you know, are you gonna do music? I hope that I get to get back out on the football field one of these days and tell him to hit somebody (laughs). I love to be a musician, of course, but I do want to get back out of the field. I hope he’s a little athlete or maybe he’s a musical theater kid. I’m excited to see what this becomes and I’m really excited to watch Raiche [Wright] become a mother. She’s already a mother as her body’s changing and watching that and seeing how well she takes care of herself and listens to her body. It’s just been such a beautiful thing to watch and it’s already changed my life so much. I can’t stop smiling and wanting to cry when I talk about it.
Over the past few years, is there a moment in your career that holds a special place in your heart?
Of course this Grammy nod is really something special for me. I’m really looking forward to it! But probably my favorite moment was when we were at the Los 40 Music Awards in Spain. I was up for international artist of the year and international album of the year, and so we’re getting ready and I’m on FaceTime with Raiche and she’s at the OBGYN, right? And she’s doing the ultrasound of her baby and I got it set up and they call my name for international artist. So I jump up and go get the award and make a little speech, but also it was like looking at my kid and her on the camera at the same time. I immediately jumped up and was like, “Oh, Benson [Boone], please hold my phone. I gotta go get this award.” It was so cute to spend that time with him too and we both won that night. That was a moment that you just can’t write.
If you had to describe what makes Teddy Swims, Teddy Swims, what would you say?
I think truly at the core, I’m Jaten Dimsdale and I think what makes us Teddy Swims is that it’s us. I’m so lucky to be doing the best job in the world with my best friends and such a crew and team that is so dedicated to this. I think the heart of us is just always treating people like their time is valuable and that they’re valuable. It’s the people that listen, it’s the fans, it’s friends, it’s the safe place that it creates. That’s what Teddy Swims is. It’s a safe place to cry and laugh and to be open and vulnerable and honest.
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