Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steven Curd. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Steven, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I left a very secure full time job to pursue music back in 2016. I was a week away from turning 21 and figured that was gonna be my biggest hurdle out the gate so I wanted to time it a bit. My first day of being unemployed I started driving around San Antonio looking for solo acoustic gigs and ended up at the Quarry. I tried talking to every restaurant/bar manager I could find on a Monday afternoon but came up short. It was either “we don’t have live music” or “we have our own musicians”. That was the case for the next few days. After a day of rejections, I found myself at a restaurant called OrderUp looking to get some food. After I ordered, out of frustration, I jokingly asked if they happen to have live music. Turns out the manager was looking for musicians to cover some Saturday slots. I was overly excited and when asked how much I charge, I froze. I had no price in mind and didn’t know how long a set could be, so I blurted out $75 for 2 hours hoping it would work and I was booked that weekend. A few songs into my very first set a couple came up to me and asked if I perform at weddings. “Of course I do” was the response I learned to love even if I had no history. Right then and there they booked me at $300 for a single hour. $300 was the equivalent of 40 hours at my previous job. These interactions of being at the right place, right time, right music, right energy, would continue to be the building blocks for my success going forward.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’ve managed to build a brand and gain credibility in this scene solely from wanting to be the best. Since the beginning this has been a solo venture. Learning to sing, play guitar, produce, DJ, songwrite, self promote – all my successes and failures have been my own doing. I’ve been as low as sleeping in my car for months during the Winter to playing private shows in Vegas. I’ve had to be my own motivation when I desperately needed it from someone else. I have no other option but to do this forever. And I feel I’m damn good at it, too. Initially, I went from 2 gigs a week to 4 gigs, then for a brief time 5. Now I’m at a place where I can choose which venues I mesh well with versus only taking a gig to get by.
My biggest test to date was producing my first album. It took me years to learn how to record, EQ, compress, etc. I didn’t want to put something out that didn’t reflect who I was at the time while also being bad in quality. Songwriting was a completely different task, especially coming from someone who was taught to suppress emotion at a young age. Opening up to the world was, and still is, the hardest part. Through trial and error I managed to produce/compose/arrange a 9 song album. No co-writers, no other musicians involved, only a very talented mastering engineer by the name of Bryan Shortell. It was finally released on my 27th birthday, May 13, 2022. Definitely my proudest moment.
Now, I’ve semi-retired from the acoustic cover set and I DJ vinyl on the weekends. Let me tell you this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time! I love all the elements that make soul/disco/funk and I love getting to share that with others who might not be as familiar. I was told once that I made old music sound new. It was very humbling to me coming from someone who had no obligation to say something like that, but it felt great to know I’m doing the music justice.
I’m here to entertain! I have two sets: DJ and originals. My DJ set is all vinyl! I’ve personally found every record I play, I’ve built the set from the ground up and present the session like a DJ at a nightclub. I got many tracks that you’ve heard before but never knew the name of it mixed in with the heavy hitters. It’s a time capsule of a set, if you have some time I highly recommend you come check one out for yourself! My original set is what I truly live for. Vocals, electric guitar, and my tracks. It’s my story and what’s to come of it. Gathering equipment to perform the album took some time, so I’m currently at the beginning phase, but let me tell you, this set is why I started this journey in the first place. It’s my destination with no return flight. The right investments over the years have allowed this to be a reality. I have a couple of these sessions coming up late 2023 and plan to to make this session the full time gig for the foreseeable future. Sprinkle in a DJ set after the gig and we got some magical nights ahead of us.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
It’s as hard as any other job out there. In the music industry, specifically, you’re either entirely yourself and the world accepts or rejects you or you play a character and never get to show the real side of you. You then have to deal with all that comes with it, good or bad. If nobody likes your music or your character do you then shift to something that’s likable and accepted? Even if it’s not you? Or do you keep doing you and accept that it might not get you to where you wanna be? At a certain level you might not even have to option to revert back to being the real you because your character makes the people above you money. It’s a tricky business that influences your genuine character and can impact your life mentally, emotionally, physically. Then eventually a new, more modern act comes along and you’re no longer the hot shot you started as. How well did you build your foundation for this exact moment? good or bad, how do you deal with it? Truly a huge mental game with many uncertainties. Tik Tok and social media in general has only made it harder for musicians/artists. Some will be willing to sell themselves for that 15 minutes of fame never planning for what comes after.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me it’s always been about connection. Certain songs make you think of specific moments in your life. My job is to capture now and hope people relate with it. I like to think of it like I’m creating moments that haven’t happened yet. The songs then put time stamps on those moments, and the only way to capture that is through my own personal lens. So I’d say the biggest reward for me is the unity of what is captured, knowing it started as a product of me.
Contact Info:
- Website: Stevencurd.com
- Instagram: @stevencurdmusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@losamores2010?si=DejA-E2rhp71jnrr
Image Credits
Jesse Reyes