Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?

“I grew up as a child actor in LA. I also loved cooking and did a show called “Man Vs. Child: Chef Showdown” from when I was around twelve to fourteen, but music has always been a driving force in my life. My late grandmother, April Byron was a musician. I started teaching myself guitar and writing songs when I was maybe thirteen, and now at twenty, I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.”

What should a song or piece of art communicate in your opinion? 

“To me, art is truth. I’m personally drawn to more abstract work, both when it comes to music and fine art because I like to dig for the meaning. My friends think I’m pretentious for that, haha. 

But I think if the artist has honest intention behind their work it’ll reach the right audience, and that work can communicate any emotion. There’s a sense of community within the people who can relate to the work. I don’t write music for anyone but myself but I think people will still relate to it.”

Who were your top 3 artists last year?

“Dave Matthews Band was definitely up there, and so was Best Coast. Lady Gaga is my top artist every year, as she should be.”

What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired?

“I’ve learned to Trust Fall into that feeling of being uninspired and completely relaxes into it. There’s sort of a reverse psychology to it, the more pressure and tension there is to write, the less that’s going to come out. I think I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my creative process over the years and I know that the words and the melodies will come when they’re ready to be heard.”

What are your 2022 projects and goals?

“I definitely want to play more shows! I’m a bit of a germaphobe so I’ve been somewhat hesitant to jump into playing gigs after the pandemic. But I think I’m ready to get back out there.”

Favorite movie or TV show?

“This is the world’s most impossible question. All time movie is The Ghost & Mr. Chicken—Don Knotts’ performance literally changed my life. TV I really love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Oh, and Barry. I’m obsessed with that show.”

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about:

“So at the beginning of 2021 I moved full-time to New York City after being somewhat bi-coastal for a few years. It was winter during the pandemic, and the combination of treacherous weather and lack of social interaction put me on a very dark place. I also got quite sick at one point and had to have surgery, and overall it was just an awful few months for me.

As a comfort I found myself writing songs about my hometown, Los Angeles, and I kind of realized that in order to properly reflect on everything that had happened there, I had to leave to gain perspective. I had an especially unconventional childhood and that was never something I consciously intended to write about, but it just happened. I truly feel like Origin wrote itself. I flew back out to LA to track in the same studio my grandmother and older sister frequented, which felt so poignant considering the meaning behind the project. It all feels so personal. I’m incredibly proud of it and I hope other people enjoy it.”

What is something you would want to change in the music and entertainment industry?

“More real instruments, more artists who write their own work. Most importantly, make jazz mainstream again.”