DISCLAIMER:
The following output was transcribed from our audio recording.
Although the transcription is largely accurate, it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.
It is posted to aid in understanding the interview but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
Mindy Cohn 00:01
Hi, everybody,and welcome back to another episode of Mondays with Mindy. Hey Christian, how you doing?
Christian Brescia 00:07
I'm Mindy. Hi everybody. Welcome back to the show.
Mindy Cohn 00:09
Today Christian we are going to be having a conversation with singer television personality and Baker carnie Wilson. Carney was born and raised in Los Angeles, daughter of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Marilyn Ravel of the honeys doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict their daughter would go into the music business as a singer. Carney co founded the pop musical group Wilson Phillips with her younger sister Wendy and their childhood friend China Philips. They released two albums, which sold over 12 million copies and charted three number one singles and six top 20 hits before disbanding in 1993. Carney continued to record with her sister Wendy and then joining their father for another album in 1997. And in 2003, she released her solo album for the first time and the following year regrouped with with some Philips to release their third album, California, which covered songs primarily from the 60s and 70s. And yes, some of their parents songs. In 2006, Carney released an album of lullabies and the following year a Christmas album. Carney is also a television host and personality. In 1996. She hosted her own talk show and while it didn't last, she stayed on television guesting on episodes of that 70 show, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the fourth season of VH ones celebrity fitclub. She's also hosted and participated in shows on CMT II GSN the Food Network, NBC and bH was working in August of 2017 carnie and her business partner another childhood friend, Tiffany Miller, opened Love Bites by carnie, a commercial production bakery and accompanying storefront cafe near Portland, Oregon. Love Bites by carnie ships nationwide with her bite sized cheese cakes, brownies, crumb cakes and cake bites. And if you aren't watching her Instagram, you are missing out on this woman's amazing cooking and baking carnie lives in Los Angeles with her husband Rob, and their two daughters and their brand new little pug puppy who is beyond adorable. Wow,
Christian Brescia 02:15
I am really excited to meet her. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show: Carnie Wilson.
Mindy Cohn 02:21
Yay. carnie Welcome.
Carnie Wilson 02:23
I'm copying. Love it.
Mindy Cohn 02:24
Oh, thank you. We'll take it. It's a thing. I guess. I'm Welcome, my friend. It's so I'm just much better for seeing your face. I can just tell you that. Oh, it's
Carnie Wilson 02:34
so good to see your face. Good to see. Yeah.
Mindy Cohn 02:37
So we start each episode with Krishna. I came up with 20 questions. We'll pull five. We'll just do a deep dive.
Carnie Wilson 02:44
Oh, fun. I love it and start gabbing.
Mindy Cohn 02:45
Yeah, exactly. What's your favorite place to travel to? And why?
Carnie Wilson 02:50
Oh, wow. Gosh, it's so weird to have not having traveled spring here. So it's kind of remember, like, what it's like to be on a plane. You know? It seems like ages ago. Wow. You know, I know this might be a little cliche, but I really love to go to Hawaii. Yes. Any of the islands. There's something very spiritual there. I don't know what it is. It's like a Hawaiian God that kind of rolls around and blesses you the minute you get off the plane. You breathe the air and I I don't know, you know, I went to Italy for my honeymoon. And the kids are just begging to go to Italy one day and we're planning a trip to Europe when it's safe. And I love it to Europe is fascinating. So Hawaii and Europe.
Christian Brescia 03:39
Where in Italy?
Carnie Wilson 03:41
I went everywhere. We did a weird like perfect it's like a weird Yeah, we went everywhere we went to like 50,000 churches that's all there is no churches and statues you know.
Christian Brescia 03:53
we called it shrines and wines because you go into church and to give you wine. It's like I'm Italian. So this is your main house. We were like people
Carnie Wilson 04:02
I know. Florence was so beautiful. You know, I remember being in the courtyard there and all the little cafes and then we went and you know we saw the statue of David and I was like, honey, your butt looks exactly like that. For like I told David I said David you're but it looks like Mike Ross wants you to know that good for now. But I really mean that though. Yeah, Lucky Rob. Lucky Arnie. Right. The statute David's but is what my husband's bought looks like.
Mindy Cohn 04:31
Oh, God bless you, girl.
04:33
Oh,
Mindy Cohn 04:34
no kidding.
Christian Brescia 04:35
I'll be both.
Mindy Cohn 04:37
Yeah, Carney among your friends. What are you best known for?
04:41
Probably laughter. I mean, you know, my friends. I'm gonna say it's laughter and honesty, like the honest talks that we have. Yeah, but you know, from the get go I still have the friends I pass inside. Just born three years old, five years old. childhood friends and We still laugh hysterically. And it's just like, the staple the glue. The unavoidable. Yeah.
Mindy Cohn 05:07
Is there another creative that you admire? And why? Well, I'm sure there are many but pick one.
05:14
What do you mean by that? Like another person that someone? What do you mean?
Mindy Cohn 05:17
So, I mean, like anybody that you would define as a creative I mean, for me, my dad was a businessman and still like one of the most creative human beings in the world. So when I say creative, someone who I guess inspires you or inspired you in the past,
05:31
yeah, and why? Wow. I mean, this is like, on the flyer, you know?
Mindy Cohn 05:35
Yeah, exactly. I'm not gonna hold you to it just just like in the now.
05:39
No, it's okay. I mean, the first person I think of is, well, there's two. One is my bestie. Tiffany. She's also a business partner, but believe we were the thumb suckers in fourth grade. And we go back that far. We used to, I mean, we couldn't get our thumbs out of our mouth. And, you know, is
Mindy Cohn 06:00
it Tiffany? Who Loved bites by Carney your partner? That's right, if any? Okay,
06:05
that's right. Tiffany Miller, is she I've always admired her brain. And, you know, I have these memories of me being a math class with her. She knew every answer. I knew none. I sucked at math. And it should be next week, I'd be like this. I really like this. reading it up looking at her paper at Google struggling, because I copy everything. But like, her brain is amazing. But what I admire most about TIFF is that she's able to mix creativity and be a visionary, but also have that business sense. And she's great with numbers. So I you know, we play off each other, but I really, I would love to have both. She has both. She has a great talent, and she has that. The numbers and the just that I have a business sense that just blows my mind.
Mindy Cohn 06:56
Um, what is your favorite dish to make? And what is your favorite dish to consume? Oh, God,
07:02
I love
07:06
like crazy. That's a hard you to aim so hard to pick something. But I mean, I don't know why cheese is coming to mind. So it's like, God, I love cheese. You know, truthfully, my favorite thing in the whole world is mac and cheese. I know that sounds whatever. But it really is like, so I really want comfort back and she's nice. And a great case idea. I'm a homemade corn tortilla with really good. There's a cheese called wahaca cheese is nothing by the wahaca cheese and it's
07:40
spicy or
07:42
not at all. It reminds you a student. She's like jack, she's combined. Oh my god, Mexican markets and you get it and you make the best case ideas with wahaca. So it's a toss. It's Yeah, but now to make. I don't know. I
Mindy Cohn 07:57
mean, you're an amazing cook.
08:00
Thank you. I like to make chicken parmesan. I do get red coated. Whatever with cheese and tomato sauce and the chicken. It's just like a little side. It's really everything in one. I'm making it tonight. It's my go to. And I also I wish we lived closer.
08:18
Yeah, I could have like 20 answers for that. But that's it's that. Okay. Okay,
Mindy Cohn 08:23
last question. Before we get into whatever we're going to get into? Um, what do you splurge on?
08:29
Oh, I splurge on you know, Cisco sounds so dumb.
Mindy Cohn 08:33
Not stop saying things like that.
08:35
I splurge on like, ingredients in my kitchen, like flowers and chocolates and extracts and kitchen things and like, high end, you know, imported chocolates. And the difference though?
Christian Brescia 08:51
That's a splurge.
08:52
And it's part of a search. You know, I
Mindy Cohn 08:54
mean, why I personally don't think that's stupid is that I always tell people, I don't understand the concept of spending 12 $100 on a pair of shoes. Yeah. But give me three of my friends and I will go drop 12 $100 at a restaurant for a meal. You know what I'm saying? Like, I will spend it on food. Yeah,
09:12
I get it. And I get it. It's funny, because I know people that are very, you know, frugal, but when it comes to like, already a great bottle of wine or having you know, great food. Yeah, it really is. It's up to us where we choose to spend our money, you know, but that's right. I splurge on like, you know, some private school for my kids. I splurt I don't spurts like I used to. I've really kind of I blew so much goddamn money. Did I learn such a lesson over the years? You know, I'm gonna be 53 and if you ask me that 30 years ago, I would have said well, it's easy. Crocodile bags, right? I mean, you know, I
Mindy Cohn 09:50
mean, yes,
09:51
I know.
Mindy Cohn 09:52
I now have moved to travel. I want to spend my money on travel period. I could kick myself if I had nuts in the nut. For what I spent on stuff, yes, places Yeah. So I get I hear
10:06
variants of being there and seeing their cultures and the people and your memories and God, you know, it's it's amazing. I really see why people love to travel so much. Now I really wanted especially now we've been held frickin hostage, you know,
Mindy Cohn 10:21
go anywhere. Well, and also the girls are of an age where because I remember when my parents took my sister and I on trips, there is a certain level where you start to appreciate it so much more when you're older. You know, and you can actually,
10:34
we went to Mexico and we, you know, they we play with the ocean, did some sports and went on some excursions but you know, that was great, but I mean, we really want to go to Europe because we think that traveling everywhere, England and Italy and a Capri of the Isle of Capri. I really want them to see the water there is really stunning. It's really stunning. Well, but Portugal, I've always wanted to go to Portugal and same and Santorini. I got to go to Tiffany. Of course I bring her up again. Yeah, the best meal she ever had speaking of food and travel together. Yes, best meal she ever had was on a little rowboat in the middle of the ocean, in Santorini where they frickin spear fish rod on the boat, cooked it and ate it right there.
Mindy Cohn 11:19
I can't
11:20
say that it was the most fresh, most amazing fish she ever add. And the hummus and the pita and the tomatoes and the olives. She said it was a she couldn't even breathe.
Mindy Cohn 11:30
So I'm like, I literally tear up. Like you salivate and I started to tear up like, Oh my god, can we go? Yeah. Oh my god, it produces moisture. You know, I'm
Christian Brescia 11:41
over here googling flights? Like, is there any way I can get there?
Mindy Cohn 11:44
Yeah, exactly. Thank you, Tiffany, we are now going to start a travel company with Tiffany. I'm so corny. What's going on with you as far as singing and creating and doing in this time? Have you been at all? Or have you just been in such mom and business mode that there's been no time for you to have a creative outlet during this past year,
12:07
I do really miss the creative outlet. And because we're not performing on stage, it's just like, I feel really sluggish and stuck. But I have done a little bit of recording in the studio for a couple projects. But um, you know, I really want my daughter to start recording because she's very good singer. And she started taking lessons. And my husband's always recording and writing in there. So right, you know, it's a very, it takes a lot out of me. And I usually am pretty insecure about doing my own material. But I'm constantly trying to get windy and shine in the studio. So we can start either just writing songs and just get those juices flowing again. But it's hard, you know, I do voiceovers like you. It's just that's a big part of my life. And two young children. And I have five different jobs. It's really rare at the time. But you know, I mean, we just got another gig date, maybe in September, we might be going to Utah, hopefully
Mindy Cohn 13:03
fantastic
13:05
outdoor venue, the first one it that would be the first one a year and a half is a big tour plan for next year. But you know, I just I miss being in the studio, particularly, but I miss being on stage, but it will happen soon. So you know, just a little bit time that had to go by and it's like, okay, we're done. Right back into that creativity, because I miss it.
Mindy Cohn 13:26
Yeah. Do you have a process or prep of any kind that you have to do? Or is it just like putting on a comfortable piece of clothing and you just slip it on? And you go? Yeah, it
13:35
is it's pretty easy. Just you slip back in, you know, you walk into a studio and you start singing and it's great. Or you walk on stage and start singing the songs. I mean, you know, a little rehearsal or whatever, but right. Hello, um, I think we're probably you,
Mindy Cohn 13:48
you're able to step back in pretty effortlessly.
13:52
Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's like riding a bike. I mean, for sure. Yeah, yeah, but lots of water and candles and just kind of, it's hard for me to because I'm a sober woman, you know, I don't, I don't drink or small group. So I'm very, pretty clear, usually. And sometimes when I get into the studio, I feel like I want to like kind of wound up tense and in the end, because I don't have my outlet. I can't smoke a joint. I can't take a pill. I can't have a sip of wine. So it's like, how do I relax? So when I go to go to sing or get creative, even if it's familiar, I have to relax somehow. So that's just kind of, you know, shutting out the world and getting into that creative process. And it's, it's really fun. It's fair to say,
Mindy Cohn 14:37
I mean, honestly, it's it's so comforting because we had a conversation with the Rainn Wilson about this. And just as an actor, the best work has to come when you're relaxed, right? It has to it's so similar where you get in that zone. You can't if you're up in your head, you've got it like down here somewhere and sometimes even down in the belkis you know, and have it come from there. versus if you're coming from the neck up, you're screwed.
15:03
I know you have a good orgasm before you got your thing and then you've released and you're good to go.
Mindy Cohn 15:10
Probably good Words To Live By. Thank you. We will take that. So what are your current? And again, I won't hold you to this because it's spur of the moment asking in the moment. Where are your current obsessions? Right now? As far as like, have you been bingeing? Have you been listening to something watching something?
Christian Brescia 15:29
What are you reading something? Yeah,
Mindy Cohn 15:30
yeah, reading. Thanks, Christian for making me feel illiterate.
15:35
Don't even talk to me about that. I'm the worst. I've been baking a lot of bread. I've been I've been really bingeing on.
Mindy Cohn 15:43
I've noticed that on your Instagram, believe me, I literally want to do a drive by every day. Just throw a loaf out the window.
15:51
I don't twist my arm because I have a lot of bread. I made a lot of bread. It's kind of ridiculous because I've got Lucy my younger one. And like 11pm when we can have a piece of toast. She's like, No, your bread, your bread. Oh, good. with butter. It's like, come on. But it started with the Great British baking show. That's why I am so obsessed with it. I've watched every single one every second of it. And I live for every moment every comment every turn of the special. I love it. And it got me You know, it kind of got me out of my fear of baking bread. I had the fear and fear of needing I had a fear of the yeast that taught us what I was scared of yeast.
Christian Brescia 16:36
I'm the same way Yeah, I can't bake. I can cook. Well, but I can't.
Mindy Cohn 16:40
Well, it's science. I mean, it really is science.
Christian Brescia 16:43
It is and I was managed to screw it up. Yeah,
16:45
I know. So I'm like, Okay, well, so what if I mess it up? Just follow the recipe. If this one doesn't work, try another one. Follow it. If it's throw it in the toilet, or garbage start again. Do it again. So right now I'm this is very low. The night before last, I was dreaming about kneading dough. I was needing this rainbow color dough, like rainbow color, different colors of dough, and I was needing it and I woke up and I'm like, I get it. You know, it was Yeah. But there's something so pleasant and wonderful about taking it in your own hands. I mean, I have gorgeous I Cuisinart mixers that I can use, but I prefer to get my hands in it. Yeah, it's really fun. So yes, my latest obsession and it's it you know, if it doesn't work, I won't eat it. You know, but it's rare. But you know, I've got a Nagata thermometer, I know how to test it.
Mindy Cohn 17:42
I'm learning and it's fun. It's impressive, very impressive, I have to say, and also with carny bites. I mean, so there's, um, you can tell that I stalk your Instagram. But
17:54
I see your comments is so cute. Well,
Mindy Cohn 17:57
it's just it's upsetting. I keep doing the same thing like Yes, please. I want. I mean, you know, like, you wouldn't know that I have a master's degree, I lose English language when I look at your food. Thank you. So I noticed that the new up and coming is your red velvet cake bites. But I mean, how often do you kind of add to what you guys are doing? Or is that sort of your soul takes care of takes care of itself. I want to promote this thing. I'm sort of obsessed with your business, I have to say, Oh,
18:25
I love that.
Mindy Cohn 18:26
I think it's really a genius idea.
18:29
That's very smart. It's very smart. And it's you know, we've been working on for five years now. And COVID Oh, my God really screwed things up.
Mindy Cohn 18:38
Imagine
18:38
we were launching grocery and we were you know, but it's okay. because things are meant to be and I hate that. You know, I've learned so much as a businesswoman. I've learned so much and timing is a lot and yeah, yeah, you just got to keep having that drive for what you believe in. And some very big things happened this week, you know, we're going to be in some huge, huge retail outlets. This close to be being able to announce the name of it, but
Mindy Cohn 19:06
okay. You don't need to do it here.
19:07
We die one week shy you're but it's okay. You'll It's okay. But yeah, I mean, right now we're just making cookies. And we've got candles and Carmel sauce and coffee beans. And you know, it's it's Love Bites, love lights, love beans. It's all love.
Mindy Cohn 19:24
Oh my god, it's amazing. Well, we're gonna promote the holy hell out of it on our website.
19:29
Thank you.
19:30
Yeah, it's announced. It's really something
19:34
good. You know, smaller portions. Don't give it up. Just eat less.
Mindy Cohn 19:38
Yeah, no, I, I'm all about that. Um, so can you share with us a I sometimes I'm resistant to calling it a failure, but a bump in the road that you thought was going to decimate you that in hindsight, five years 10 years. You go Thank God, like this was a gift. But while you're going through It, it was gonna take you under.
20:03
Yeah, I mean, it was something that that we went through with our business and it was unexpected. And now we thought it was going to be the end of it, and so much money and love. And we had, you know, 37 employees and, or 30 employees, and we've narrowed it down and we had to let people go, and we just had to really hit it. And sometimes, you know, in life when we, we've got this vision about how we want something to turn out. And, you know, I've learned a lot in my sobriety about the results, and I have to stay out of them, even though I can envision them, because I really believe it's important to see what you want, and envision it happening. But sometimes your vision is it's not the same, you know, I didn't know how I was going to get through that, you know, and we came on the other side very slowly. But, you know, it's just like, it's that same thing, you know, survive. It's just being a survivor. Is that I'm used to that. bet he bet you are used to being us? Yes. Yeah. And it's just, you know, it's okay that things change. It's okay that things don't go on the path you want them to, but my mom always says she's so cute. She always says, You never know what's around the corner. She says it just like that. Yeah. I've tried to imitate him. He always says that you never know. what's around the corner. And it's kind of like, Well, yeah, because I like what that means. Like, you know, a corner is kind of scary. Because if you can't see what's around it, it's you're coming up to the corner. You know, you gotta go. I don't even know what's there. But yes, right. But you never know what's there. It could be something bigger, brighter, better than you ever imagined. And you know, without getting all Marianne Williamson and it's just it should go there.
Mindy Cohn 22:05
I don't care. I love it.
22:07
I just, you know, I refuse to quit.
Mindy Cohn 22:10
Yeah. Are Yeah,
22:12
but the only thing in my life that I've never been able to get is just controlling that urge for carbs. You know? The card screw my body up and I just can't get into it.
Mindy Cohn 22:29
Yeah, I hear your sister. It's hard. And as we age, man, it's just it's brutal. Oh, yeah. No, I know. I know.
22:40
What I look like from under here. You Uh, I'm in pajamas. It's a nightmare. I look like a Oh, God. I hate all the way back I lost last year from from COVID. I'm so not
Mindy Cohn 22:51
alone. You are not alone. Oh, and I think this was it wreaks havoc on on everyone. We can't, we can't punish ourselves. We survived the way we like to, I guess you want to talk about bread? I mean,
23:05
I know. I know. I'm gonna have to apply what I say. But then it's like, we're all just a work in progress. You know? I mean, it's like he bet. You know, he'll claim to be perfect in any way. It's just, I always say this. And I said it to a friend recently. I am where I am. When I'm there. If I want to be somewhere else. Right. Here I am, you know, heavier set. It's always like this weight thing. But it can be whatever I cut down want it to be? You know?
Mindy Cohn 23:34
Yeah. Well, I do have to say it's one of the things it's one of the gifts that travel gave me is when I travel outside of Los Angeles and New York City. And you see how most people look and how they live? Right? We're okay, kiddo.
23:50
I know,
23:51
I had
23:51
it's not bad or to ourselves, you know, that's very true.
Mindy Cohn 23:55
It really helps to see how most of the other world lives and you come back and go I it's such a joy to spend time on that. You know, so yeah, yeah, cook away, kiddo. I'm pulling up a chair. No problem. I'm really excited to hear about the music. Are you still writing? are you creating new stuff?
24:18
No, no, but I'm trying to get the girls in the studio. And we're almost there. I think after we get vaccinated. I and we know that there is another album that we want to do will severely we haven't sat down to write together in a while. I'm going to say it's about well since
Mindy Cohn 24:39
California, right? or?
24:41
Yeah, yeah, we actually, right before we made California, the album we had we went in the studio, we started writing songs that we've got a ton of them in the refrigerator. Anyway, going back and I keep listening to these demos that we recorded when we wrote the songs, we reunited and finally got to writing again. I don't know if those songs All right for now. Yeah, we've lived so much since then, you know, since 2000. So you know, a decade ago, whatever. Yeah. You never know what what song would be right. But we wrote with some great songwriters and we'll see what happens. But I'm, that's a goal of mine in the next couple of years. And I think it can help it. Totally.
25:19
I do it.
25:20
Yeah, I bet I can go to China. Now she lives in Santa Barbara. Wendy. We're all kind of in a row when he's like Woodland Hills. I'm in a gore of China's Oh, perfect.
Mindy Cohn 25:29
Right on the way.
25:33
Because China's eat, you know, praying in the sauna to Jesus. 24 hours a day shakes a song that plays to Jesus today. I have to get her out of there and say, God,
Mindy Cohn 25:42
yeah. Oh, yeah, we need to insert recording and singing and playing in between sauna and praying.
Christian Brescia 25:49
Right? Like, the people need this
25:50
Bible for five minutes and come and write. You know, I don't care if she wants to write about God or spirituality. Fine. Let's just write and sing. You know,
25:59
I mean, together.
26:00
Yeah, we're all in our own space, which is healthy and beautiful. And through a lot the last few years, you know, some personal struggles. I think we can take what we've been through. And the joy we've found in security we found recently. I'm trying to speak for them. But perhaps we could put that into songwriting. Yeah, that's, that's my hope.
Mindy Cohn 26:21
If anybody can do it, you can you have the will have the right talk about a survivor. I mean, I love that. It's why I connect to you so much. And I adore you so much. Is that? Yeah, I mean, it's just it's impressive.
Christian Brescia 26:35
It's very well, I
Mindy Cohn 26:36
don't know. Wilson. Thank you, my love.
26:39
Thank you.
Mindy Cohn 26:40
Thank you so so much. We are just thrilled and and just graced by you having done an episode and we're so thrilled.
26:49
Having me wishing everybody health and happiness. And, you know, vaccines. Yeah.
Mindy Cohn 26:59
I'm ready to be pricked immediately
27:02
hurt me right now. Yeah.
Mindy Cohn 27:04
Pretty much vaccines. Yeah, of course. Yeah. Oh, that seems to would be great, right? Yes, actually.
Christian Brescia 27:17
Ladies and gentlemen, the very talented and very funny Arnie Wilson. Brilliant.
27:23
We just ended it like that.
Mindy Cohn 27:26
Are you kidding?
Christian Brescia 27:28
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