Role Model Opens Up About Missing Taylor Swift’s Wedding, Evolving Views on Marriage, and Dakota Johnson’s Surprise Album Cameo

Role Model, the stage name of 29-year-old musician Tucker Pillsbury, has never been one to shy away from vulnerability in his songwriting. But in a revealing new interview for NYLON’s August 2026 issue, he offered an unusually personal window into his life offstage explaining why he missed Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s high-profile wedding at Madison Square Garden on July 3, how two recent weddings fundamentally shifted his perspective on marriage, and how his relationship with actress Dakota Johnson unexpectedly enriched his upcoming album, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass, set for release on Friday, August 7.

The reason for his absence from what was arguably the celebrity event of the summer was decidedly unglamorous: work. “I couldn’t go,” Pillsbury told NYLON plainly. “I was busy in the middle of an album rollout, but it looked amazing.” The comment underscores a mature prioritization of artistic commitment over social spectacle, even when the invitation involves two of the world’s most famous people. For an artist whose music often grapples with intimacy, time, and emotional honesty, choosing the studio over the spotlight speaks to a disciplined focus during a critical promotional window.

Yet while he missed Swift and Kelce’s nuptials, Pillsbury has been deeply affected by weddings closer to home. He confessed that marriage had never appealed to him aesthetically or philosophically. “Marriage is not that romantic to me,” he explained. “Being with someone for life is romantic to me. But the whole idea of going into a church and inviting all these people? … That was never attractive to me.” That changed after attending his first adult wedding, where he found himself unexpectedly moved to tears. The emotion, he realized, wasn’t about the ceremony itself but about confronting his own sense of stagnation while watching peers move forward in their lives. Shortly after, his sister also married, delivering what he called a “double-whammy” of introspection that directly inspired his new song “The Wedding.” These experiences have softened his skepticism, replacing judgment with empathy and perhaps a quiet openness to futures he once dismissed.

This theme of emotional evolution extends to his relationship with Dakota Johnson, whom he confirmed he is dating. Pillsbury admitted he “always expects the worst-case scenario” in relationships, a defensive posture rooted in self-awareness rather than cynicism. “I think it’s good to have those questions and not just be diving headfirst into things based on attraction or a first date going well,” he said, emphasizing caution as a form of respect for himself and his partner. Sources close to the couple previously told PEOPLE that they are “very much on the same page” and that “she thinks he’s cute and he treats her incredibly well,” suggesting a grounded dynamic that contrasts with the turbulence often associated with celebrity romances.

That stability has even bled into his creative process. On the track “Love I You,” Johnson delivers a spoken-word cameo in the bridge, engaging in a flirty, intimate exchange with Pillsbury: “Hey, I think you’re perfect,” he says; “You say that to everyone,” she replies. When he asks, “K, well, is it working?” she responds, “Yeah, but don’t tell anyone.” Initially hesitant to mix work and romance, Pillsbury was persuaded by his guitarist and producer Mason Stoops to invite Johnson into the booth. “She stood right up and got in the booth and knocked it out better than we could have imagined,” he recalled. What began as reluctance transformed into one of the album’s most authentic moments, a testament to how trust and collaboration can blur the lines between personal and professional in the most fruitful ways.

As Chuck Timely & the Hourglass prepares for release, it’s clear that Role Model’s latest work is steeped in real-life reflection: missed celebrations, reevaluated beliefs, and love that feels both tender and true. In choosing depth over dazzle, Pillsbury isn’t just making music; he’s documenting the messy, meaningful process of becoming.