young friend started out as a trained dancer and is now releasing summer anthems that sound otherworldly, while bringing an honest perspective about who he is. His most recent single, “CRASH COURSE,” is a prime example of him utilizing his talents to the max. It’s been almost a year since he’s released music, but he’s back and ready to give his fans a more refined sound. Get to know more about young friend below:

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How excited are you to have “CRASH COURSE,” out and what was the direction you wanted to take with it?

I am so excited to have this song out. My last release was in July so it’s been awhile since I’ve put any new music out so I’m really excited to start showing people how much the music has progressed since then and the whole new world it’s entering into. I’m really excited about this song. It was a really interesting song to make, and it all happened really quickly. Once it reached this finished demo stage, we spent from roughly October until March refining it. 

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With it being your first release of the year, how have you kind of evolved as a musician and even a person over the last year?

I feel like I’ve been listening to a lot more new music. I’ve always loved finding new music and new artists, but recently this year I’ve been trying to expand my taste a little and dive more into stuff that I might not be as familiar with because I know we all have the habit of listening to our favorite artists. I think my music is a lot more refined. I’ve also been working on trying to improve my writing. Also, what I’ve been super inspired by lately is Dijon and the way he uses negative space in his music. There is this constant push and pull between having this huge wall of sound and having some negative space. I’ve been trying to tap into that a little bit.

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With this first release, what other goals do you have this year? What can fans look forward to?

A lot of new music. There are going to be more songs out this year than I have put out the past two years. We are putting out a lot of music and a lot of exciting songs. We have a project coming out in a few months that we haven’t announced yet. I’m really excited to get that out.

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Going all the way to the beginning as a dancer, how did that evolve to what it is now in making music?

One of the reasons I loved dancing so much as a kid was because I love music. Being able to listen to music all of the time and get a better understanding of it such as picking up little details that affect the way you dance. I’ve always loved music and songs and albums. As I got a bit older and stopped dancing, my friends made music and were in bands, and I wanted to try it. I started doing it with their help and they taught me how to play guitar and piano a little bit. When I started writing music and playing music, I was like, “Wow, this is a whole different world.” I don’t think I would have made music if I hadn’t danced. 

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Do you think you might incorporate your dancing in performances?

I’d actually love to eventually. I think right now it’s too small-scale, but one day I’d love to do that. In a video, it would be so cool. 

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Are there any tour plans here in the near future or any performances you’re looking forward to?

I’m going to be playing a few shows this summer and hopefully a tour. We don’t have anything set or figured out yet but maybe the fall or in the new year. 

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How excited are you to perform your music again and connect with your fans again?

It’s going to be incredible. I played two shows last summer, and that was it. Those were the first two shows I played since COVID first hit. It was unbelievable. Where I was at the beginning of the pandemic compared to last summer was two pretty different spaces. We built a bigger community of people so it was awesome seeing all of these people pull up to the shows and watch them enjoy the music live. My favorite thing to do is perform so I’m pretty stoked to share the new music with people.

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You mentioned improving your songwriting earlier. What do you want fans to grasp from your music?

I want people to try and keep an open mind as much as possible when it comes to listening to new music or growing as a person. Some people have this habit of knowing about someone for a while, people will keep others in a box of, “This is what I know you as since I met you,” and sometimes we have a hard time accepting people as they grow and change. 

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Growing up, who would you say you listened to, and who inspired you, whether through dancing or making music?

Ever since I’ve been really young, I’ve always really liked Paul McCartney. It’s a classic answer, but I think he’s the coolest person in the world, and he’s always been really inspiring to me even before writing music. I love the way he carried himself, and his songs are unbelievable. When I started writing music and still is one of my favorite artists of all time, Bon Iver. He’s been a huge inspiration for a while. The way he uses his voice is the coolest thing and so tasteful. 

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What are some long term goals you have in the next 5-10 years?

I would love to have the opportunity to tour around the world and go from city to city and play at places I’ve never been. Hopefully, I can release a few albums and have like four out in 10 years.

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What do you do to escape the daily life of music?

I pretty much listen to music and make music. It’s pretty much all I do. I love reading. I studied product design at school. I love architecture and interior design. I also love fashion and go to vintage stores a lot.

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