Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to DJ Crenson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
DJ , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I’ve pretty much always known I wanted to pursue a career in music. Kris (bass/vocals – stop.drop.rewind) and I started our first band when we were 11, and the goal has always been to make that our job. We like to think we’ve gotten better at pursuing that goal over the past 24 years, but we’ve been actively trying to achieve that goal together the entire time.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been a member of stop.drop.rewind since 2010, and I’ve been playing music since 2000. My dad played guitar for my sister and I all the time while we were growing up, which definitely fostered an interest in music for me from a very young age. I picked up a guitar for the first time because I wanted to play like him, and 24 years later I haven’t gotten there yet but I’m still working at it! There are a few things that stop.drop.rewind does differently to try and set ourselves apart from other bands, but it all starts with personal connections. We try to write honest and relatable music of course, but we also make an effort to connect with our followers in person and on social media in a meaningful way. If you reach out to us, you’ll hear back from us, even if you’re just reaching out to say hi. And if you come see us at a show, at least one of us will come up and talk to you, introduce ourselves and thank you for coming. The music industry is built on community, so we try to bring that sense of community with us wherever we go.
In terms of our music, we try and push the boundaries of our own personal levels of musicianship so that we grow as players through songwriting, the goal being to give our listeners a new and unique sound in a familiar and relatable package.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Engaging with artists directly is the best way to foster growth. Follow them on social media, interact and engage with their posts, and share their art with your friends. Even in today’s digital age, word of mouth is still the best way to spread the word about an artist you support. Also, if the artist you’re supporting is a musician, stream their music but also make sure you come and see them when they come to your town. The opportunity to make a personal connection is one of the greatest gifts you can give a creative and also one of the ways for you to get the most back.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Right after Kris (bass/vocals, stop.drop.rewind) and I graduated from college, we didn’t have a place to live. Our band is based out of Indiana but our families are based out of Maryland, and we wanted to continue to play music so we had to find a way to stay in Indiana. It took us two weeks after we got kicked out of campus housing to find a place, and in that time we crashed in an abandoned apartment downstairs from some of our friends. Water had been turned off so we had to find places to use the bathroom and wash ourselves, and the apartment itself was dirty and covered in pet hair from the last tenant, but we did what we had to do to keep our career moving.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stopdroprewind.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stop.drop.rewind/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/stopdroprewind/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stopdroprewind?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/c/stopdroprewind
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sdrklo?lang=en
Image Credits
Anna Sutton – Blushing Rose studios