Could you share the story behind your latest song and what inspired its creation?
My latest song “Don’t Tell Alley” is a harshly realistic take on what my life might be like without my wife Alley. Her and I were highscool sweethearts and have been together for almost 15 years (9 years married). We have 4 Beautiful children together and she is the best wife / mother a man could ask for. If you’ve loved someone and been with them for a long time I’m sure the idea of one of you dying has come up (dismal as that may be). Recently Alley and I had that midnight conversation and after really reflecting on it I know I’d change for the worse without her. Like most people on this planet I have a tendency to be self-destructive in depressive times of my life and thinking about having to care for 4 children without my better half would be soul crushing. I genuinely don’t know how people do it. The song is a prayer to God adking him to lie to Alley up in heaven about how I’m REALLY doing. “Could you tell her I’ve been eating three square meals a day, it’s been a year and I’m making progress. That I’ve been a perfect christian, superman to all our children and that I’m not a God**** mess”. The song goes on to say “She Couldn’t be hapoy up in heaven if she knew, since she’s been gone seems my life is over too, so Don’t Tell Alley”. I’d hate for her to see the loving husband she had is gone and crumbling without her. Honestly, despite this songs soul Crushing nature it reminds me to cherish Alley all the more cause you never know how long you really have with the people you love.
How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?
I tend to wrote about my personal experiences in life. Maybe thoughts about life that I’ve been wrestling with or simply how much I love my wife. I really have 2 Main themes I write about. Love and Depression, and how they effect me on the daily.
As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?
I basically write the realest song about me or something I’m going through and hope my audience relates. I try not to think too “commercially” so to speak. I write music for me, and if I love it I’ll record it and release it then cross my fingers.
What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today’s music industry?
Reach. I feel like my songs would have great engagement on a small scale but couldn’t get them infront of enough people early on. Social media is hard to navigate and difficult to consistently do well. It takes a lot of time, effort and networking to have consistent success.
Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians? How does it influence your creative process?
I’ve gotten to work with some awesome artists and producers and made some great friends a long the way. Rayne Johnson was the first artist I worked very closely with. I’ve written a few songs with Rayne for his projects and many songs that he has cut. When the song I wrote him “Front Seat” hit the top 40 country charts, him and I played a lot of shows together as well and became good friends. Blake Tyler is another artist I’ve written with and for. We Co-wrote a song with another friend of mine (Coy Comer) called “Can’t Walk on the Water” which went viral multiple times and has over 3 million streams to date. Blake and I have become good friends as well. Writing with Blake brought me back to my roots as a writer. I started writing about my personal experiences (as opposed to Pop-Country / commercial music) and revived my passion and love for songwriting again.
What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?
Nowadays, I think understanding social media and how to push your music is just as important as the songs. You can have “okay” song go viral with a GREAT idea behind the promotion of the song. Super viral songs tend to be great songs with great vision and intention behind the social media campaign. Social media isn’t my strong suit but I am learning more and more everyday. For me I focus on writing a great song then coming up with some visuals and headlines that can connect the audience to your song and then I post and hope for the best. Not every post is gonna go viral but I believe consistently and quality bring about great success.
Are there any particular artists or genres that have had a significant impact on your musical style?
Tyler Childers and Noah Kahan have definitely influenced my style. I love down to earth lyrics and poetry from both artists and the folk-pop vibe of Noah and think my music is naturally blends there styles pretty well.
Indie musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engage with your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?
I’ve been trying to go live once in a while to really connect with my fans. Having realtime coversations with fans feels like a great way to give back to them for being fans yah know. Also, responding to comments is always a good idea too!
Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?
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In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians
I think streaming platforms make it easy for artists to put out content and track their data. But streaming platforms cannot and will not push your music on their own. They will help you gain more streams and followers once you start bringing listeners to your music but you have to put the work in first. Social media and streaming platforms go hand in hand for independent artists.