Lollapalooza Q&A: Teddy Swims on the name he hates, the mental health stigma and his 'absolute trash' EP

Georgia native Jaten Collin Dimsdale, better known by his music persona Teddy Swims, has become one of the biggest recent names in the world of R&B and soul in the wake of his hit “Lose Control.” Before he graced the Lollapalooza stage with Southern charm and swagger on the final day of the festival, Swims chatted with the Sun-Times about his recent history-making feat on the Billboard charts, his previous life in metal bands, why he believes we need to have more conversations about mental health and the next collaboration he’s manifesting.

Q: You recently made history with “Lose Control” becoming just the fifth song ever to top five consecutive Billboard charts, putting you in the leagues of Adele and Sam Smith. Did you ever think such an accomplishment was possible?
A: Isn’t that nuts? Hell yeah I did. That’s the only way you get there. But Adele, oh my goodness. That’s my next manifestation. As close as we are sitting right now, I want to hear her sing this close with me. I just want to sing with her so bad. She’s the best ever.

Q: I could totally see a collaboration between you and Adele happening…
A: Oh God I hope so! One day. I’m saying it now, and then next time we’re here, I’ll be like, girl, we got it.

Q: “Lose Control” is very cathartic, and it’s featured on your 2023 debut album called “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy.” Is music therapy for you?
A: It is. And also I think I wanted to name it that because there’s a connotation with therapy nowadays that — and I had to do a whole lot of unlearning to get to this point, to get ready to accept help or ask for the help I needed. I think it’s a good thing for everyone to do, one time in their life, always in their life, good or bad place in your life. And I think this generation of people are finally starting to talk about mental health. … Before there was this generational curse especially with men of being tough and holding in and hiding emotions, I just gotta be tough and I’m not damaged. I hoped that I’d help open up the conversation and have more discussion like this. It’s up to you, it’s your journey, but I want there to be more talk about mental health. Let’s just talk about our s- - -.

Q: Your first love was actually football — how did you get into music and know this was your path?
A: My best friend in the world, Jesse Hampton (he still plays guitar with me now), his dad was the first person I ever saw play guitar and sing, and we just wanted to be like his dad. Now here we are and his dad is the proudest guy in the f- - -ing world. We started playing in metal bands. You can still find it — it’s such a sh- - -y band, but I was a senior in high school and had my first band, Heroic Bear, and you can find our EP on YouTube still. It’s absolute trash. But you get good eventually, you know.

Q: You also were in hair-metal cover bands for a bit — did you have the hair for it then?
A: Yeah I sure did. We had bad eyeliner, everything.

Q: What was your favorite hair metal cover to do?
A: Oh man I love Van Halen, Van Halen is my GOAT, one of the best bands of all time. And I still get down to them.

Q: Swims stands for Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes — how does that come into play when you perform?
A: It actually stands for Someone Who I Massage Sexually [laughs] … Nah, just playing. It started out as Swims, it was something I was going to go as because I was involved in a hip-hop project. I’ve always been called Teddy and slapped that in front of it. It just kind of fell into place. I still kind of hate the name but we’re stuck with it now.

Q: With your 2020 cover of “What’s Going On,” you donated funds from it to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund — why did you want to do so?
A: That was such a time, during the pandemic and all the stuff that happened after George Floyd, that I think that was necessary for the growth of our society to understand there’s not a black and white issue other than a black and white issue, you know. There are some issues in the world where things are gray but hatred is something that is just a right and wrong issue. There’s not a political thing about racism, you’re either evil or you’re not. It’s a hard thing to know that this is still prevalent in our society … and I can’t ever say enough or do enough; it’s not my story to tell or say this or that, but I will say is that as a person that does the music I do, it comes so much from that culture and I am here to pay homage and offer love and respect to whoever gave that to me and inspired me. Everyone deserves love and respect.

Q: You first took off after posting covers of Michael Jackson, Shania Twain and others on social media. That has become a huge theme of many Lollapalooza performers this weekend. What are your thoughts on that platform for music discovery?
A: I think it’s a great thing, I got to share the [artists] that inspire me. But there was a fear for a long time of getting stuck in that and that I’d never be able to change into what I actually do. But I think it’s a good way to put yourself out there. Social media is a giant. Get out there and be an entertainer.