Q: In your opinion, what are the essential qualities that make a “good songwriter”?
I think there are a few qualities that make a good songwriter, and the two main ones I tend to look for the most as both a fan and someone trying to improve is how simplistic a song can be. I think what I enjoy the most is when you can strip a song back to just an acoustic performance and it can still hit as hard as the fully produced version. I've become a fan of saying the most you can with as little as you can- and I think the less words you use to describe an emotion or situation, the more impactful it can be. The more simple a song can be written without compromising quality will always leave me in awe, and those are forever the songwriters I admire the most.
Q: What is the basis for writing attention-grabbing music in this day and age?
Something I've really come to terms with in this album is how honest you have to be in your lyrics. I think that is truly what grabs the most attention from me as a listener- and I think what audiences connect with the most. In an era where a lot of artists are writing in the hopes of creating a viral hit, I've realized that nothing truly clicks or connects with people if it's not their genuine truth. Chappell Roan being arguably one of the biggest pop artists right now really solidifies this to me because she 100% stuck to her truth and vision while still being catchy. Regardless of whether or not someone has been in the situation they will still find these songs relatable due to the pure honesty and emotion that comes through. That being said - I also think combining weird production elements with something familiar to the ear is also a great way to grab attention.
Q: Can you pinpoint some specific songs and songwriters that changed the way you write music?
Throughout the years where I have been consistently writing music, there have been 3 specific songwriters that changed my writing for different reasons. Lyrically, I think Nick Anderson from the Wrecks forever changed the way I write. He has a way of talking about the most ordinary things in a conversational manner that convey worlds of emotion, and I will always admire that. Another songwriter that changed the way I look at music was actually someone I wrote with on this album, Drew Polovick. Watching him come up with ideas and concepts that both feel nostalgic and modern, heavy yet light, and lyric ideas that are so simple and beautiful. I had been a fan of his writing and production for such a long time, and since writing together I have a new perspective while creating, and always aspire to create as many different scenes or moods in one song that constantly and consistently keep the listener on their toes. One last artist that opened my eyes to how beautiful and simple songs can be while still staying emotional and catchy was "Take It or Leave It" by COIN. Sometimes I get too in my head about trying to create something profound and beautiful, that I forget that music should be something fun and enjoyable. Their latest record "I'm Not Afraid Of Music Anymore" truly spoke to me and the fear I have towards creating at times.
Q: Do you find it hard to be inspired by your peers? Can you name any new artists you find inspiring?
I mentioned Drew from Friday Pilots Club in the earlier answer, but we just got off tour with them and I am so so so incredibly inspired by their latest record. I think they did such an incredible job of creating an album that is hard hitting, yet dancey and light. They had some super interesting and unique production choices, and I am so honored to be in a space where I get to work with people who I admire. Aside from Friday Pilots Club, there's another artist I love dearly, Bike Routes, who put out a record recently called "World Apart". The raw emotion from that track will forever be inspiring to me. I went about saying it in a roundabout way, but I will never not be inspired by my peers. I think there's so much new and incredible music and everyone can learn and grow from each other.
Q: For your new album, what inspired the lyrical content, album title, and overall vibe?
I wrote the bulk of these songs when I was 20-22, and during that time in my life (as I'm sure is the case for anyone in their early 20's) I went through an insane amount of life changes that left me incredibly raw and emotional. Throughout these years- I found myself growing throughout these changes. I used to struggle immensely with truly saying what's on my mind and filtering my emotions for the sake of making other people happy, which in turn left both myself and the people around me lost and confused. The record was written while I was learning to change this habit and become less scared of myself and what I have to say. Vibe wise, I took a lot of inspiration from a variety of alternative rock and pop in the 2000-2010s, and I hope we created a sense of modern nostalgia with it.
Q: Do you find that you ruminate over writing songs and hold on to them for a long time before including them on a record? Or do you prefer to write them, release them, and be done with them? Do you ever revisit old material to do a re-write or once it’s done it’s done?
I definitely used to! There are still some songs that I started writing before this record that I still come back to and am trying to rework. I think as of late though, I've definitely shifted my perspective to writing, releasing, and being done with them. It helps me to recognize the emotions as something in the past and let go of situations I keep ruminating on. Whenever a song gets released it feels as if that emotion has left my subconscious and is no longer mine to dwell on. It's a very freeing feeling.
Q: Were there any lessons you learned in the writing and recording process for your current release that you will take with you into your next project?
I overall learned how to speak up for myself and the vision I have for this project. I think in the early days of instant crush I would let every single person in the industry that I talked to shape what "instant crush" was for me, and I now feel after writing the album I know who I am and what I want to achieve. I see myself as more of an artist creating a world now (especially moving forward and creating our next project) as opposed to a people pleaser making what I thought people wanted to hear from me. It was an incredibly powerful lesson I needed to learn and I am forever grateful for the path it took to get there, even though I didn't feel that way at the time. I have a new joy and perspective towards creating and couldn't be more excited to do it all again!
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