Hi! Congratulations on the release of Hummingbird! The EP sounds fantastic. What inspired you to create it?

Thank you very much. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. That’s a very good question, and not one I think about very often. I guess at this point in my life as an artist it just feels like… that is just what I do. I make art. Music, films, stories etc. It feels kind of like wondering why a tree makes rings in its trunk. It just does it by virtue of growing and existing. The rings themselves tell a story, but they just happen. With albums I feel like I make music at all times and when you look back at it you can see where I was at in life. I made this album entirely during the pandemic / lockdowns so I think the story is that of isolation, separation and big changes. I made the album as a way to cope with that and to vent some of what I was feeling as we all went through a bizarre time. Good question!

What is your favourite track on the EP and why?

I dunno if I have a single favourite. I think it changes with time. Each one takes me to a really specific moment in the last four years. Right now I’m really into Be Without You. It was the first song I produced entirely myself and it’s very different in style than anything else on the EP or that I have ever released. I also have a big soft spot for Don’t Change as it’s the song I worked on right at the start of the first lockdown and it got me through that weird time.

How would you say it compares to your previous releases?

A) I think each album I’ve put out is quite different in sound. This one has some of the widest range and is very atmospheric, leaning into songs of loneliness. I think it’s less bombastic and more introspective and chill, which feels right for me right now.

Are you planning to make it part of a larger release, such as an album?

A) I think this EP is just an EP. Next up… perhaps another EP?

I’m very interested in how you started your adventure with music, and did you know from the beginning that this is what you wanted to do?

A) I played in a band from when I was 12 to 21. When we were 14 my bandmate and best friend said one day that he wanted to play music for the rest of his life. I never knew you could do that. I mean, I knew… but I hadn’t really ever considered it truly possible. He saying it made me think on it and I shortly after knew I felt the same. My best friend and I stayed in that band for years and went on to play in each other’s music projects going from abandoned bars to sold out arenas. His name is Neuman Mannas. I’m grateful to have him in my life.

Your music seamlessly blends various styles and sounds. If you had the opportunity to collaborate with anyone, who would you choose and what would be the reason behind your choice?

A) John Mayer is likely my pick. His writing and recording is organic, passionate, evolving and extremely beautiful. I think it would be a privilege to spend a day in the studio with him.

What is the best advice you have received as a musician?

A) Hmmm… good question. Focusing on craft and the song itself above all else has always been good advice and I’ve heard that a few times. Derrick Rutan also gave me another piece that I quite liked, and that is more life advice than music. He said that if he’s worrying about something he tries to ask himself if he will care about that thing in one year. If the answer is yes then perhaps it is worth the worry. But if the answer is no then maybe it’s not worth the concern. I like that a lot. One more now…. This is actually advice that I’ve given, so while this may be self-serving I think it’s worth mentioning. I would say in the music business that cultivating human relationships will likely dictate everything about how far you go in the business. You need friends and allies and the people you choose to keep around you will play heavily into your career and life. So pick good ones when you can. People who you think actually care about you for more than just a paycheck. Even if a paycheck is part of it for them (and that is entirely reasonable), if it’s the whole thing then you may be out of luck if any bumps appear in your road. These are also the people you will spend a great deal of time with so if you can be surrounded by people you like, life feels much better.

Where are you based? Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?

A) I’m based in BC for the most part, with a few places I call home. The Vancouver and west coast scene defined a lot of my circle of writers and producers and collaborators and fellow creators. Though I will say the zoom era post 2020 has broadened everything and I find my circle growing and changing because it’s possible to collaborate across borders at any time and I love that.

And what was the first album you remember owning?

A) The first three cassette tapes I recall spinning as a child (in a post kids music phase) were The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Hank Willi