A COMMONALITY BETWEEN ALL YOUR SONGS IS THAT THEY ARE EMOTIONALLY HEAVY AND FEEL VERY REAL. FOR A LISTENER THAT CAN BECOME A SENSE OF HEALING AND JUST THE FEELING OF NOT BEING ALONE IF THEY ARE GOING THROUGH A SIMILAR SITUATION. TAKE US BEHIND YOUR ARTISTRY AND WHAT YOU FEEL YOUR PURPOSE IS AS AN ARTIST.

Wow, thank you. My songs are born from personal experiences, and often help me process things I don’t understand yet or may not feel fully comfortable talking to people about. I don’t try to tell stories or touch on subject matter I know nothing about. Rather, songwriting is where I can face my own fears, insecurities, and personal victories head on—and feel safe doing so. It’s where I digest and figure out how I feel about things happening in the world. Sometimes it’s just sharing where I’ve been or my hopes for the future. It’s where I realize most that I am just like everyone else, which is a beautiful and comforting feeling. I think my purpose as an artist is to create music that is open and honest, for better or worse, and give listeners a place to feel seen, understood, and connected to something bigger. In the end, I’m just hoping to be for others what so many musicians have been for me throughout my life.

WITH THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, HAS IT ALTERED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS? DO YOU SEE IT INFLUENCING WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT?

Yes. Like many people, I’ve found my life getting a lot smaller and more focused. I’m less worried about the future and more concerned with loving the people closest to me and making the most of the present. It’s given me a better understanding and acceptance of my mortality and made me appreciate all that I have more. It’s made me more compassionate and helped me learn to be quiet and listen.

I’ve also been thinking a lot lately about something I heard recently about fine art after the 1918 Flu Pandemic which coincided with World War 1. As the 1918 flu and WW1 barreled on, popular art shifted from being primarily focused on the human figure and morphed into abstraction. People were depressed and exhausted and the sight of more bodies and figures in light of all the death they were experiencing was not appealing. Abstraction in art was a means of escape from reality. I don’t know if this was conscious or unconscious but I find it fascinating and I am curious to see how our recent experiences will impact artistic works in our time.

In contrast to the artists of 1918 (for me personally) there is a shift towards more humanity, truth, and reality. The pandemic and political climate has influenced my writing as well as the sonic landscape I’m finding more appealing. In my new music, I’m using more organic sounds, layered vocal harmonies, and live instrumentation than I ever have before. I think this is linked to a desire for human connection and maybe even an expression of nostalgia and hope for better times. I find myself listening to more music from the 60’s 70’s and 80’s—lots of music my parents listened to. I’m finding a lot of comfort in these songs, and have been listening less to more sample-heavy, fantasy-driven pop music (which I also adore, it’s just not where I’m at right now). I guess the current landscape of the world has me craving things that feel very real, human, and grounded—like I need to remember we’re all still here, we’re all still pushing forward—and it’s manifesting in the music I’m creating today.

WITH MORE DOWN TIME THIS YEAR DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, PEOPLE HAVE PLACED THEIR ENERGY ON THINGS THEY PREVIOUSLY DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO FOCUS ON. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THAT YOU WOULDN’T NORMALLY HAVE TIME FOR OR EVEN THINK ABOUT?

I’ve actually started playing a lot of golf. I grew up playing with my dad in Arkansas, and then played in high school and college. Once I moved to New York, there wasn’t much time or opportunity to play. But then the pandemic hit and life changed drastically. It turns out, golf is a perfect pandemic / social distancing activity! I’m not as good as I used to be but being able to be outside for hours in nature with people I love, has been such a great gift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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OF THE TALENTED ARTISTS, SONGWRITERS, AND PRODUCERS OUT THERE IS THERE SOMEONE YOU WOULD REALLY LOVE TO COLLABORATE WITH NEXT?

I’d love to collaborate on production with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra. The man is in his 70’s and still pumping out some of the best music of our century. And he’s successfully adapted and stuck around in an industry that is constantly changing. I admire him a lot.

I’d also love to write with Lana Del Rey. I think she’s one of the greatest lyricists and poets of our time. The way she is able to synthesize the American cultural landscape as well as her own experiences into words consistently blows me away.

AS WE HEAD INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOU FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2020?

I’m going to keep using 2020 to better my skills as a producer. I’m almost finished with my second self produced single, that I plan on releasing in late summer or early fall. There are a few others in the queue I’ll work on after that. I’m hoping to grow by continuing to collaborate with other musicians and push myself to explore new directions in my sound.