By: Quinn Que
Q) We hear that you were a songwriter starting from age six. What sparked that early passion for music?
A) I grew up in a musical family! My dad sings and plays piano, so I was always trying to figure things out on keys.
Q) How did teaching yourself music production in your teens shape your artistic development?
A) Learning production helped me shape my sound as well as advocate for my ideas working with others. You come to learn more about what you like from trying out what you hate, and I’ve found my sound in the process of making mistakes or doing the best I can with what I have.
Q) What drew you to Nashville initially, and how did those years in Music City influence your sound?
A) I had known people from my hometown who had gone to Nashville to pursue music, so in my teenage brain that was the only place for me to go chase my dream! Nashville is known for being the best town for songwriting, and I think living there as long as I did only made my writing craft stronger.
Q) How did performing with artists like Needtobreathe, Andy Grammer and The Script help to prepare you for your independent career?
A) Opening for any artist is always a masterclass—you get to see how they command and connect with an audience much larger than yours. All of those shows taught me how to be a better artist while solidifying my goal to headline my own tour one day.
Q) The title of your EP Part Time Jobs Near Me comes from your own Google searches. Walk us through that period of balancing survival jobs with your music career.
A) Honestly: I have zero balance at present! Trying to gain enough traction to attract a label partner or survive financially as an independent artist is no joke. But I’m hopeful that this unexpected year is setting the groundwork for something incredible…so…raincheck on this answer? [laughs]
Q) What was the decision-making process like when you chose to sell your car to finish production on this EP?
A) Well, having a broken AC unit certainly helped. At the time I needed to fund the EP getting finished, and I was carpooling with my family anyway. Might as well get some cash and keep releasing music.
Q) “MEHTROPOLIS” opens the EP with themes of industry disillusionment. In what ways did you approach crafting the sound and lyrics to capture that feeling of disappointment?
A) It’s no surprise that this song is about Nashville and my eleven years there, so sonically I wanted to have some country hints like the acoustic guitar in the chorus and the “yeehaw” line at the end. The melody of the song itself is really odd, like it doesn’t know whether to be major or minor which I felt perfectly encapsulated my feelings about Music City—I don’t know whether to love her or hate her most days! Overall, I wanted the song to feel like a giant venting session, and I feel catharsis every time I listen.
Q) “SPACE!” and “LIKE ALICE” seem to explore contrasting perspectives on boundaries, one about healthy limits and the other about vulnerability. How do these two tracks work together thematically?
A) It’s the “both, and” of it all for me. I love that a human being like me can write a no-nonsense song about healthy boundaries only to turn around and confess they’re performing surgery on a text message. Both songs are me, and I think it was a healthy exercise for me to let those songs coexist on one project – an ode to the complexity and at times oxymoronic nature of being a human.
Q) “OPAL RING” has a Taylor Swift-esque narrative imagery and was a fan favorite from your Track Tuesday Instagram series. What’s the story behind this song and how did social media feedback influence its inclusion on the EP?
A) I’m so glad you picked up on the Taylor influence! I wanted to write something that sounded like Taylor Swift would have been in the room with me, so I made up this narrative story and leaned into romantic imagery. I shared it as part of my Track Tuesday series on my Instagram thinking it was a throwaway track, but after getting some positive comments, I decided to throw it on the EP!
Q) “ASMR” is described as an anthem for indie artists – what message do you hope this song sends to fellow independent musicians?
A) For musicians and artists alike: you’re not alone. Oh, and let’s start a rebellion already.
Q) The sequencing moves from “MEHTROPOLIS” through to “MISS GRAVITY” at the end. How intentional was this track order in telling the story of chasing dreams versus facing reality?
A) The sonics almost tell the message more than the words – starting off strong and determined and then ending with the sound of me in my dad’s rolling chair tracking piano in his office. The whole EP kind of functions like a time capsule of this really crazy year of my life. It’s not quite as linear as a track list, but I’d like to think the order of the songs help tell the story in a way that honors each moment and emotion.
Q) You’ve had four consecutive singles played on BBC Radio 2. How important is radio play for independent artists in today’s music landscape?
A) I think it’s a great avenue to getting your songs heard by a unified, broad audience. Those moments feel rarer and rarer these days, and I still find it touching when someone comments that they started following me after hearing a song of mine on the radio! As an independent artist, it’s helped me get in some cool writing rooms, too!
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from exploring Part Time Jobs Near Me – either as a message or an emotion?
A) For starters, I hope people have fun listening to it. It was designed to have meaning of course, but I’d love for people to have fun with it, too. As for the message: ART SHOULD MAKE RENT.
Q) Who are some artists that you would love to collaborate with on music in the future?
A) Sam Fender, Imogen Heap and Raye!!
Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of you and the music that you make?
A) You’re literally making my dreams come true and I hope to see you ASAP on a stage near you! [smiles]