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’m originally from the California Bay Area and come from a musical family. My grandmother was a country western singer and my uncle played in professional touring bands. When I was ten my parents bought me my first drum set and a year later I was in my first band playing shows and recording songs in my parents garage. By the time I was in high school I was playing casinos, festivals and corporate events in my uncle’s professional band. That’s really when it became clear that this was what I wanted to do for a living.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: I’m a huge Dan Auerbach fan and love all the work he’s doing with the Easy Eye Sound label. Artists like Yola, Robert Finley, Ceramic Animal and Sonny Smith have been heavy in my rotation lately.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: I grew up on a lot of the classic greats from the ’50s and ’60s like Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison and The Beach Boys. I am still heavily influenced by that timeless sound and songwriting style.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Even More at Christmas Time’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Originally I wrote it as a song pitch for a label. I wanted to produce a fun, rock n roll type Christmas song that had space for some awesome female background vocals. To me, this track just makes you want to move and has that good time feel. I’m hoping listeners will enjoy it in their holiday mix.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: No EPs or albums any time soon, though I am always releasing a new single every month. I’m focusing right now on just writing and producing great singles for people to really enjoy.
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: I would consider my sound to be more vintage modern. There’s definitely a throwback element there and I really focus on keeping things sounding more organic and real. I don’t really aim to make era sounding recordings, though I love them. Everything is tracked live and with very little punch in as to keep it sounding like one full performance.
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: Absolutely. Music for me is about connecting and sharing something with others that will hopefully impact them in a meaningful way. Getting to wake up each morning and create something like that is such a rewarding feeling and I feel lucky to be able to do this as my career.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: A lot of my writing and producing experience comes for working over the years with publishers and commercial music houses. That kind of work requires you to write songs very quickly so you have to learn how to tap into your creative mindset fast. I typically will start with a feel or vibe I’m liking on any particular instrument. I’m a vocalist too, so if it’s a melody I’m humming I’ll also be thinking about lyric concepts. I move fast and usually go with my first instinct. It might be amazing or it might suck, but the goal really is to not let my head get in the way. I can come back the next day and evaluate if something needs tweaking but overall I find that my initial ideas are typically the keepers.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: For me it’s been time. Learning to have patience and allow things to work out on their own time can be difficult, especially when we live in such a instantaneous world. I used to put so much pressure on myself to meet certain goals. Now I really just look at the whole process as a journey and anything great takes time.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: The place I’m at right now is pretty special for me. My children are all at an age where they are taking a big interest in the work I do and seeing their joy and excitement over my music is really the absolute best.
