Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I was born in Denver and moved around a bit before getting a scholarship to NYU to study film scoring and physics. I’ve known since I was 8 that I wanted to be a “rockstar” but I didn’t think it was possible. But then I had a film scoring teacher pull me aside after we had a songwriting assignment and tell me about NYU’s new songwriting program and suggested I at least try an elective to see if I liked it. And around the same time, I won Best Solo Artist at NYU’s talent show, so the stars aligned and I haven’t looked back since.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I’m self-taught on some, formally trained on a lot. My godmother was my first piano teacher. And then I studied violin as well and was in orchestra in school, but then eventually a Young Associate to the National Symphony Orchestra in high school. I’m self-taught on most of my other instruments.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: So many, but weirdly, I think the song that made me want to become a “rockstar” was “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Drama’. Is there a story behind it?
A: There is. But I think I’ll just leave you with the story within the song. I’m not trying to withhold to be coy. I just care about the people who inspired the song. I rewrote the story a bit and created a new story that is loosely based on real life, but I really don’t want to air dirty laundry. We’ve all got it.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Absolutely 🙂 Very soon!
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: Dream big, be true to who you are, embrace vulnerability, and be bold in your pursuit of purpose.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: That’s an interesting question. Or an interesting way of thinking about it. I think something I struggle with is appreciating progress in the moment. I’m always asking, “what next?” That’s not to say I’m not grateful for every single moment that I’ve been lucky enough to have gifted to me through this wild music world. But I do want more. I want our community to grow. I want to entertain crowds all over the world. I want to inspire people to pursue their dreams and be tenacious in doing so. And so I don’t want to stop short and get complacent. I want to keep pushing forward.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: When I’m tapped in, it feels like the music is just flowing through me. As if I almost have nothing to do with it at all. But I’m also such a deep thinker and am super introspective. So I’ll spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas or pondering over a title idea. And then when it’s ready, I think the song starts revealing itself to me.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I’m still learning how to talk about this, but I had an extreme mental health crisis earlier this year. Accompanying that were some reckless and hopeless cry-for-help decisions and the exact extent of that I’m still not really talking publicly about. But in any case, I’m still here. And I’d like to just pass along to anyone dealing with suicidal thoughts or going through a mental health crisis of their own – I get it. I’ve been there. And it’s hard. But there are people who will love you and care about you and support you. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s okay to need time. And if my story can be an inspiration at all, I was at an all-time low in the same year that my career finally began to take off. It can be hard to be patient. It can be hard to be tenacious. It can be hard to be strong. But I promise, it will get better.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: There are a lot of really cool shows or stories I could tell here, but I think the most significant to me is in seeing so many people connect to my song “We’re All Gonna Die” and hear their stories. Hear how that song found them in grief, or in struggle, or in indecision, and inspired them to go after their dreams, and love, and fight for their recovery, and more. And that is better than any million-stream milestone or show could ever be.
