Can you share your musical journey with us, from when you first discovered your passion for music to where you are today as an independent musician?
Have you heard the iconic Robert Frost poem, The Road Less Travelled? Well, my life has been forged in the underbrush as I tread many a lonely road to this space in time. Music has been a part of me since I can remember. It was played in our household, by my grandmother Barbara and by my aunt Kerry. The 70’s were a hotbed of music and passionate people and I recall as a child having peace, security, safety and music. It was and always has been my safe space. I love the expression of life through music. So my Journey began with immersion.
I began playing piano when I was 7 and I fell in love with it, I didn’t realize it back then but it helped me more than I could comprehend as a child with some of the dissociated traumas I was coping with. I composed my first songs when I was 15/16. I still have the old upright that travelled from Chicago, IL to Tacoma, WA in 1932 and from Everett, WA to Durango, CO in roughly 1988 and sits in my livingroom in Idaho Springs, CO today. Poetry was always on my lips. It was treated as a hobby and something fun, but never encouraged as a career in my family so I didn’t pursue the path until later when I discovered my talents were genuine and the business of music confounding..
I met my husband on my first venture into the business in 2007. I had a close friend that knew folks in the industry because he was a charismatic lush with a big personality. We made our way one sweltering night in July to a CD release party for a band called Spools of Dark Thread and later we were invited to the after party. We spent the night talking with some really cool people and I met a few promoters including the love of my life Jason Lycan. It wasn’t until I met him that my passion for all of it ignited. I knew that my dreams were possible because I watched him chase them. I had been in corporate for years before meeting him and so I could see that this was simply a business that thrives upon marketing and live performance. I finished my degree in Music Business.
After 8 years managing artists, for lack of a better term “herding cats”, I decided to start a project that, wouldn’t break-up, take a hiatus or otherwise disappear because the pressures of this industry are many and varied. Jason and I began writing together and we discovered in 2014 that we actual write some really good songs. In 2016 we had written an EP and had put together enough covers to jump on stage and start performing. By 2017 we were recording and bringing in additional players. We added violin and drums and built a beautiful band. Everything has developed very organically. As you can see I do not go full authentic with our garb. I spin it into something that in genuinely me. The band does the same. We are not traditional, not contemporary, our image and style lay firmly entangled in the grey!
What motivates you to create music, and how do you stay inspired to continue making new and unique music?
I think that life is the best inspiration for music. The best way to achieve inspiration is to live life. Go out and live a little. Take risks don’t be afraid to jump into new adventures. Conversely Digging into your trauma’s and pain can also produce some magical lyrics and emotions. It is much harder to revisit some of those times in songwriting without revisiting triggers and emotions that we would rather lay dormant. As a rule: Make sure you are or have worked through things with a licensed therapist that can help you learn coping methods and find closure on childhood traumas. Life is too short to carry more weight than we need to.
As an independent musician, you wear many hats – from composing to marketing. How do you balance these different aspects of your career, and what challenges do you face in the process?
I find it difficult to maintain everything all at once. While I understand the inner workings of the industry by degree, my network has been hard earned and each relationship an important friendship that we try to foster. The biggest challenge is location. We have a home in Colorado and travel is typically covered by the band.
Could you tell us about your creative process? How do you come up with new ideas for songs, and how do you go about turning those ideas into finished tracks?
My husband and I have really good chemistry when we write. Some times we can crank out a few songs in a night and other times it takes us month. We try not to force the process because the most beautiful things happen organically. Life is full of thousands of ideas for songs just by living you are creating a story. I do however tend to be most creative during times of struggle or challenge.
Independent musicians often face financial challenges. How do you manage your finances to sustain your music career while also covering your personal expenses?
Well I teach High School Mathematics as a day job and this allows me to pay the bills but still fly out on a Friday night to play my weekends in other states. My husband is a property manager as well and Sarah runs an Adult String camp program as well as substitute teaches. We are all pretty self sufficient which allows us to pick and choose the events that are important to us. We love every single festival organizer we have worked with.
Can you share a particularly memorable or challenging experience from your journey as a musician that has had a significant impact on your career and personal growth?
The most challenging thing I have experienced is the loss of my own motivation to write. It has happened to me several times in my life. I read voraciously as a child and loved music so much that I made it up all the time. Trauma impacts us all differently but for me I found music the first time as a safe space and lost it with the progressive traumas in my teens. Composition was not interesting anymore as I felt numb. I lost my way for nearly a decade before I came back into the industry again. Though initially I managed and promoted artists in my late 20’s early 30’s ultimately the band break ups killed it for me. Eventually I began to write my own songs and build up my catalog. Losing the desire to perform comes and goes I think for all of us and it’s normal to have periods every few years where things just aren’t flowing. I mean waves must peak and trough by definition.
With the rise of digital platforms, the music industry has changed significantly. How do you navigate the digital landscape, including streaming services and social media, to promote your music and connect with your audience?
We work with a playlisting company and they are working on adding us to a few the Algorithmic playlists. I am not the expert and thus it makes sense to work with people that can push out the music so more people hear it so we are seen and known for booking opportunities. Live music is where the money is at for the musicians. Even netflix placement is better than streaming.
Collaboration is a key part of the music industry. Have you worked with other musicians or producers, and how have these collaborations influenced your sound and career?
We have worked with three different producers so far.
Ahrue Luster ~ Illustrious Studios
Ahrue has been a dear friend to us for the last 15 years. He is an international touring musician with Lions at the Gate (Previously Il Nino and Machine Head). His ear gave the first two projects their own feel each own following the dynamic of our performances. He produced both of our albums for next to nothing and we couldn’t be more grateful to him for the work he did on these first tracks.
Van Verhoeven ~ B-Normous Studios
We worked with Van on one song so far. Same Dreams was an effigy to my family. We all want the same things and in the end it all disappears into nothing anyway. Working with him added alot more rock undertones to the song. We like it, the energy is really high and the emotions are strong.
Haven Yates ~ Yates Studios
Haven is such a blessing to this band. Not only did he help us book a leg of the 2018 West Coast Tour, his time and attention to detail on this last album “Perceptions” has been nice. He took the time to really make the songs intentional. He has a very alt pop feel to his own music which I think comes out in a few of our tracks.
Your music likely reflects your unique style and perspective. Could you describe your musical identity and what makes your sound stand out in a crowded industry?
Our music is unique in that it blends numerous styles into one cacophony of sound that hits hearts and minds just right with enough rhythm to make the jiggles wiggle your rump. We have a metal Guitarist, a classically trained violin player and a disney inspired lyricist/vocalist that create something a little foreign. We have labelled it Rocky Mountain Folk Alternative!
What role does live performance play in your music career, and how do you approach planning and executing your live shows, especially in light of recent challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic?
Live music is where the financial where-with-all comes from to be able to create a music business out of the songs. It is crucial to bringing the music to a broader audience. Mostly we enjoy performing and the dynamics of the live performance are not as compressed as a recording.
Many fans are interested in the stories behind the songs. Could you share the backstory or inspiration behind one of your recent tracks that holds special meaning to you?
This is the Place is a testament to my own becoming. It is a song that tears apart all of our excuses and forces us to take ownership of the moments we choose. We only have one time and one place and that is here and now. I struggled for most of my life to see myself through the traumas and fears I held so tightly to my past that I was wasting my presence on chasing the past, only to learn that those that love you will be there for you despite your trauma. They will forgive you and love you regardless of the pain you externalize. Those that don’t truly love you will never stick around.
Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations as an independent musician? Are there any upcoming projects or exciting developments in your career that you’d like to share with your fans and the audience?
We would love to continue to tour nationally and push into the international arena over the next few years. We have had some fortune in booking locations that showed the band they were loved and that the music was and is needed in a world where people are constantly battling the systems put into place to limit our potential.
