If you could collaborate with any musician, who would it be?
Ryan Tedder
Who is your all-time favorite musician?
Most of my life it was David Crowder and Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional). Now it’s Illenium because he is the gateway artist to me loving EDM.
What sort of music do you listen to that might be unexpected given the type of music you make?
Dermont Kennedy, Justin Bieber, NF, Aretha Franklin, Benedictine Monk Chants, Christina Aguilera, anything Emo especially Fall Out Boy
What inspired you to pursue music?
I always thought I wanted to pick it up as a hobby but once I got divorced, I started struggling with alcohol abuse to numb out. I wanted to not think about the lies and abuse my ex caused me so I would drink to distract myself from the memories. I knew if I didn’t start facing the feelings the drinking would eventually kill me, so I started writing down my thoughts and practicing my guitar. Then came my first song, then another, and another so I found a producer in Austin to help me record one, then another and, curiosity eventually led me to be invited to a prestigious songwriting event in Nashville where a very respected and award-winning production team spoke life into my work. They said I was talented and had potential, so I moved to Nashville to intern at the studio with that team and it progressed from there. I have struggled with stage fright singing solo in front of people most of my life but ironically, I also was very drawn to the stage. I performed in band and theatre in youth and college. I didn’t know why but I was very comfortable performing art in front of people even though signing solo literally made me shake physically. That fear was so paralyzing that initially I only wanted to write music for other artists but after a while of the internal battle I knew I had my own story to tell, and I had to face my solo singing phobia to do it. If I could just face the nerves, I could help someone else overcome their divorce, insecurities, losses through my songs. I have sacrificed my family, relationships, working jobs I didn’t like, eating to pay producers/studio bills and everything else that costs to be an indie artist just to push forward one more step. My motivation has ALWAYS been the listener on the other side of the song. I have sacrificed everything to give them words to a speechless level of grief I have gone through myself.
What is your dream record label?
Any major label that’s willing to allow me to be myself and have creative freedom to make what I need to make and perform how I want to perform.
Have you had a defining moment in your music career?
There have been many moments that helped me see myself as an artist and have evolved my timid mindset to accept me for me artistically. The first biggest was probably getting semifinalist in International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for “Empty Bottles” and definitely the most recent was “honorable mention winner” in the Unsigned Only Competition in the EDM category. The top 11 international artists that placed with me were very talented and that win solidified my genre and has made me more focused than ever to keep pushing forward.
How has your musical voice and sound changed or evolved over time?
I have been working with a voice coach for 4 years and with that training I’ve been finally starting to hear my voice come through naturally. My producer Ian Osborne is also an amazing singer and has helped me in studio to record the best version of myself I can in that moment. Genre sound is different in the first 3 tracks just because I was with a different producer and finding a style within my writing process. “Hours or Minutes” has felt the most natural for me to sing and fits what I love to listen to. Once it began getting great professional feedback and a competition placement Ian and I knew we had cracked into my sound.
Do you or have you ever had an alter ego?
I did when I first started– Kim Royce. I always wanted to be named Kim and Royce for the car because I had been treated like a secondhand wagon, but I knew I was a Rolls Royce inside. I don’t use it anymore lol.
Is there a particular song that means a lot to you?
I think whatever song I’m hooked on for that day or month I play on repeat for hours because it gives me words to a feeling I could express on my own. Right now, “Ghost” by Justin Bieber means a lot in this season as it has helped me process the loss of a friend.
What do you do outside of music?
I’m a registered nurse.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love coffee with friends, exploring around town (Nashville), going to Austin to visit family, jogging, documentaries, and practicing piano.
Do you have any pets?
2 dogs: Ruthie the 11-year-old Schnauzer mix and Trudy the 10-month-old yellow Lab.
Is there anything you are working on now?
Marketing, having more of a social media presence, marketing strategy for next release Jan 2022, and I’m always writing down ideas for the next song.
What do you have planned for the future in music?
To keep co-writing and recording, practicing and marketing… to be the best version of me I can be. If that puts me on the charts, great. If not, I just want to create music and a brand that leaves people in a better place.
Potter’s field |noun| a burial place for unknown, unclaimed, and indigent people
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