Can you tell us about your latest project? What inspired it, and what can your fans expect from it?
I recently released “Night Divine”, a Christmas/Holiday themed album. The main inspiration for this project was that I wanted to challenge myself to produce and arrange Christmas songs that have inspired me in the past to make them my own. My fans can expect a mellow acoustic-based album, like my 2010 album, “Without You”. I felt I was able to convey my own unique style in these beautifully written songs.
Songwriting can be a cathartic process. What emotions or messages do you hope your music conveys to listeners?
Agreed, songwriting is cathartic, therapeutic, and spiritually fulfilling. I hope my music evokes emotions of love, loss, hope, and everything else! My hope is that listeners can find a way to connect to my music however they interpret it. That’s the beauty of music, it’s very subjective. A lyric line can mean something totally different from one person to another. Also, a melody, the way background vocals sound, or a even a guitar solo can make someone feel certain emotions or bring them back to a particular time in history. Music is incredibly awesome in that way.
How has your musical style evolved over the years, and what do you hope to convey through your music now compared to when you first started your career?
My musical style has evolved as I have matured in adulthood. If you listen to the albums I have released since 2006, you can see a clear pattern of evolution. I have grown as a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and as a performer. I sometimes roll my eyes when I hear an old live performance from when I was first starting out. It’s funny, but very impactful to be able to clearly see the difference.
Many fans look up to their favorite artists as role models. What advice do you have for aspiring musicians who hope to make a name for themselves in the music industry?
The best advice I can give to aspiring musicians is to make sure that you are doing music for the right reasons, have perseverance to navigate through criticism, be open minded to genuine advice, set deadlines to remain on track and prevent plateaus, and to be kind to everyone, including yourself on your musical path.
In the age of streaming and digital platforms, how do you navigate the challenges of making a living as a recording artist, and what advice would you give to aspiring musicians trying to break into the industry?
With all the streaming and digital platforms out there, it’s extremely convenient for the everyday listener to be able to listen to any album by any artist at any time. As an artist, it has never been easier to release music for the world to hear. The challenge is that the music, upon being released by an independent artist, is that it becomes a needle in the haystack in terms of it being discovered. I’m still trying to “crack the code” of the music industry myself, so my advice would be to remain circumspect and continue to learn and be flexible to what is working and what isn’t for you personally.
Your image and style often become part of your brand as an artist. How do you approach your personal image and fashion choices to express yourself and connect with your fans?
To be 100% transparent, I do my best to be as genuine as possible. I don’t have a fantastic sense of fashion, I go with what I feel most comfortable with because when you are comfortable, you are confident. I feel that fans and a general audience can sniff out when an artist is coming across as disingenuous.
The future is always uncertain, but what are your long-term goals and aspirations as a recording artist, and what can your fans expect from you in the coming years?
My long-term goals are to continue to write, perform, and release albums while being a present husband and father to my two sons. I have an exciting collaboration with my cousin, John B Hedges, fittingly called “Cousin Hedges” that I’m extremely excited about. We’re currently recording our first album and expect to have a release date in early 2024.
Thank you again for your time and I truly hope you enjoy “Night Divine”!