A singer/songwriter who was on “The Voice” in 2013 and “American Idol” this year, in the latter case making it to the Top 16, which means he was among the Top 8 males. (He talks about his experiences with reality TV.) He is presently in the studio finishing up two brand new singles and talks about his upcoming crowdfunding campaign toward a new album. He released a self-titled CD in late 2011 and a single in 2013. He is a guitarist and plays live shows with a band based in Minnesota.
“It’s tough being a musician and then also having to work a day job, and make that choice – am I going to be a musician? Can I do this? Or do I have to just give it up and support the family?”
“(my producer) is a super talented guy and has the ability to kind of be the extra band member and that outside voice to tell you you’re wrong, which is important. You have to be able to be critical of what you’re doing.”
“The best musicians out there all have worked with other brilliant producers. All my favorite albums have a producer behind it… The biggest names out there all have somebody that’s behind the scenes going, ‘Well, if we did it this way, it might sound a little bit better.’ And you have to, as an artist, you have to be open to that and you have to understand that that’s part of the process.”
“The way that I write is very, uh, it’s kind of like whatever comes to me at the time. And sometimes that’s something that’s completely in major and bright and happy, and sometimes it’s the complete opposite. But I’m a very story-based writer. A lot of the stuff that I write is telling stories. That’s from my folk background.”
“Typically I’ve kind of been the guy that sits down and, ya’ know, the best songs I have I get out in maybe 20 minutes and then I refine ‘em after that. And then there’s other ones that I have to sit down and really work on and it’s taken me years to get them to actually work.”
“I don’t think the general populous that’s listening to music out there really understands how difficult it is to make music that’s at the quality that you hear on pop radio or even get a song on pop radio. People can sit in their basement and make stuff, but to really have the microphones… it’s just challenging to have the quality that you really want. It takes a lot of money… and… do I pay for diapers or save money to go get studio time. It’s a tough decision.”
“Every once in a while you get that lucky song that, it’s an earworm, it gets on someone’s mind and then boom, it’s placed everywhere. But to really do it you gotta know the right people, you gotta network, you have to get people that will get behind you and really push it forward.”
“I think (reality TV schedules/demands) makes any musician that’s in that situation, it makes you better. It forces you to mature as an artist and become that person that they need you to be, to be in that situation. Because if you don’t, you go home.”
“As soon as the show’s done, it’s kind of like the floor drops out from underneath you and you’ve got no leverage anymore, really, because the iron isn’t very hot for very long and you kind of have to figure out a way to stay relevant and stay present. And for me that’s just been, trying to let fans know that I am working on new music, and getting out and gigging.”
"Not Cold, But Broken"
"Ooh Eeh"