Brian Robert Jones Has a Root Canal After This

Despite living in these frankly precedented times, we are fully existing in the future. And a futuristic lifestyle calls for a modern approach to our traditional “Follow Friday� column. We at Vulture have pivoted from our Luddite ways, opting for a more interactive digital angle on what was once mere text on a web page. We want you to get to know our favorite up-and-coming comics, writers, and generally funny social-media presences face-to-face (or at least screen-to-screen). So we hope you enjoy our new and improved Instagram Live–based version of “Follow Friday.�

This week, I sat down with a pre–root canal Brian Robert Jones (Paramore, Big Wig, writing a lot of songs about the same controversial topic) for a chat about being a rough hang, boy bands, and Caleb Hearon. He explained the meaning behind his company LXIX’s name, listed the CDs he had in his car, and recalled the moment he learned that he was unable to secure tickets to *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached tour. He also opened up about how he came up with the lyrics to his hit song “Shit on My Ass�: “I mean, like most good lyrics, they come from a place of pain and suffering. You really gotta take stock of your life every time you take pen to paper, and you gotta be honest with yourself. In that moment, I was dealing with, uh, something, and it just wrote itself, you know?�

You can find Brian Robert Jones on Twitter at @brianrobertjone and on Instagram at @brianrobertjones.