Swifties could pen a Swift encyclopedia, need be, but who makes up this well-versed community of Taylor Swift fans? Of course, it comprises the hundreds and thousands of ordinary people who have grown up with 'Love Story' and 'You Belong With Me.' However, the 35-year-old has a fan following spanning the social spectrum and transcending demographics—an appeal so wide-ranging that it is just enough to leave even the showbiz starlets star-struck. One name often rounding out Swift’s superfan enrollment is Gracie Abrams, but it turns out, she is not the only one from that fold.

Abrams’ tour opener recently made waves with an iconic Swift cover, giving the former a competition in the rat race for who is a bigger Swiftie. 

Gracie Abrams’ tour opener, Role Model aka Tucker Harrington Pillsbury, who is set to return to Secret of Us Tour this summer, recently debuted a soulful live rendition of Taylor Swift’s ‘Nothing New’. The melancholic track featuring Phoebe Bridgers from ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ was played on Australian radio station Triple J’s Like a Version series. “Standout song for me,” Role Model said in an accompanying interview clip released on Thursday. 

Pillsbury is on the road with his band, making headlines for his sold-out shows in Brooklyn and Boston before returning to Abrams’ tour. Role Model unexpectedly came across the track while working on the 2024 sophomore studio album, ‘Kansas Anymore.’ As per the musician, Pillsbury was adding several songs to his playlist to elevate the inspiration, and he had no clue that Swift and Bridgers were on the track together. “I’m scared to say it, but I think Phoebe brought me into the Taylor Swift world,” he admitted. 

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While Gracie Abrams has already talked about Taylor Swift making her dream come true, Tucker Harrington Pillsbury has now found his role model in the very pop arena as Abrams.

In the interview accompanying Role Model’s live cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Nothing New,’ the artist confessed to accidentally stumbling upon the track. But he did not let slide the moment to praise the pop royalty who served as his incidental inspiration. “She’s incredible,” Tucker Harrington Pillsbury mused, crediting Swift as “one of the best songwriters” of the generation. Pillsbury specifically loved the chorus and how it changes a bit every time.

As for his interpretation of the tune, Role Model said that it almost felt good in a way that nearly stemmed from too much liquid courage. That hypothesis had him adding a bit of drums and a “little bit of twang to it.” “I just wanted to be able to do a slow two-step to it,” he added, explaining what he wanted with the cover when bringing it to the world of ‘Kansas Anymore.’ And just like that, ‘Nothing New (Tucker’s Version)’ was born.

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What do you think of Role Model's cover of Taylor Swift's 'Nothing New'? Let us know in the comments below!