Describe your sound in 3 words
Soulful Cinematic Pop
Tell us a few things about your new song Myths. What is the main idea behind it?
I’m a big believer in owning your own narrative and empowerment through reinvention, especially as an artist. So many of us become rigid over time. “This is the music I like”. “These are the clothes I wear”. “This is who I am”. Having preferences and knowing yourself is important. Having an expectation that the “self” you are today should be the same in 5 or 10 years is limiting to personal growth and robs you of experiences that shape your evolution. “Myths” is about that process of self-reinvention. “This is who I am today but tomorrow, I may experience something that moves me in a new direction”. The song is about giving yourself permission to change and not living by others expectations.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes. Why does society tend to place labels onto people and how can we overcome this?
That’s a great question. It’s in our nature to categorize as a means for relatable communication. Categories are frames-of-reference and become a descriptive short-hand. I actually don’t think there is anything wrong with that as long as the nuance of the subject you’re describing is also highlighted and allowances for growth and evolution are given. We get attached to that which we relate to and that can reduce our acceptance of any devotion or growth.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Artists that continued to push the envelope creatively and discover new approaches in their evolution inspire me to be brave and not to get too precious about any particular creative period I’m in. Prince, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, James Brown is where it all originates for me. I am a fan of so many different kinds of music but my core is Soul/R&B. My current playlist includes everyone from Sufjan Steven, Andrew Bird and Harry Styles to Childish Gambino, Vulfpeck and Tame Impala. Oh, Ben Howard and Chet Faker have also been at the top of my current listening list. I also absolutely love story tellers like Bruce Springsteen. I could listen to him speak forever. I have taken in the short podcast series “Renegades” with Bruce and Barak Obama multiple times. Listening to these two insightful and verbally thoughtful giants candidly converse unscripted about fatherhood, family, career and the effect of art on society, makes me want to be a better human.
What would you change in the music industry?
The Streaming model has devalued music as a commodity and created a generation of people that have an expectation that music should either be free or available at a cheap subscription rate. This has helped create a cost-wall for concert tickets, among other corporate greed factors. This wall is so high, most young people can’t afford to see shows anymore. The industry is a mess. It was never pretty but this latest model is unsustainable.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Go easier on yourself and let people help you. You don’t have to do it alone.
Future plans?
Promoting the official video for “Myths” which was just released last week (December . It was directed by Dom Portalla, who directed “Another Day Another Bullet” for me, which won the 2019 New England Music Award for Video of the Year, and the video for “Dangerous” in 2020. I plan to release a full length album available in 2023 called “Fearless Moral Inventory”. I will also be continuing my film composing work.
Thank you!
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