Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to 2LATE. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
2LATE, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I made recently was hosting my last event. It was a rooftop party and concert in Brooklyn to celebrate my single release. I lost money on it but it was a great investment for two reasons. First, it was a learning experience. I learned how to curate an entertaining event, how to successfully promote it and how to identify the financial pitfalls. Second, it was a higher quality form of marketing and brand development. I could spend the same amount of money running ads and doing playlist campaigns but that only generates passive engagement. Creating a real life moment for people made a personal connection between my brand and those that attended, and hopefully fomo for people that couldn’t make it. I’m shaping 2LATE as an experience that people can be a part of rather than just cheap content clogging up your instagram feed. It gave me the opportunity to, face to face, articulate my vision and my brand in a way that will stick with people in the long run. The footage from my event serves as a proof of concept of my brand and will live on socials as a permanent display of what I’m building.
2LATE, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a recording artist with a background in production and guitar. What sets me apart from others is my sound, my performances, and my branding. In terms of sound, I am actively carving out a unique style of music that blends indie/rock aesthetics with pop production. I’m bridging the energy of a live band and solo artist pop appeal in a novel way, leaning on organic guitar-based production and pop centric vocals. In terms of performance, I produce records that can be stripped down to acoustic sets or built up to full rock band sets. I aim to create performances that feel equally intimate and stadium worthy. The key through line is an organic and real sound with an emphasis on self reliance as I produce my own music and play all the instruments myself. My branding is unique as it is focused on existentialism, community building, and authenticity. My mantra is “Before it’s -“. The gist is: “I’m going to die forever at some point so while I’m alive I will live fearlessly and I implore you to do the same.” I aim for people to see themselves in my journey and to take their dreams more seriously as a result. My branding revolves around my authentic story; I currently work at a restaurant while harboring big dreams and living a double life. Once I realized that my real story is inherently interesting and relatable, I decided to be candid about my journey rather than craft an image. In terms of community building, I reach out to people directly all the time to build my fan base, and I throw events with an emphasis on inclusion and community.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My whole journey thus far has been marked by isolation and an unwavering goal of finding community. Through college I felt isolated on my musical and philosophical journey being surrounded by people on more traditional paths. Then it was Covid, and then I moved to New York and spent the first 2 years confused on how to meet people and find my way into the “music scene”. I made music alone in my room for 5 years with a razor thin audience and repeatedly found myself trying and failing. It got to the lowest point in the fall of 2023 when I walked around New York City playing my song “LATE TO THE PARTY” for people while recording their reactions and I felt so uncomfortable that I quickly gave up the schtick. I felt defeated for giving up and as I was ruminating on my failure on a park bench in Washington Square Park I got shit on by a pigeon. After that day I had no clue what to do next as that was my last ditch effort and I couldn’t even see it through. In summer 2024 I finally connected with a few key people that introduced me to more people and I started to form a community that could assist me in actualizing my vision. Now that I have more resources and a focused vision, I’m off to the races. I look back and think about how important patience was and is in this process. I value all of those years of trial and error because it built character and I feel much more confident in my path and my brand now because of the years that I spent developing in the shadows.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My main goal is to fully experience life and all its wonders, and I’ve found that music is the vessel through which I can do so. I didn’t start singing until I was 19 and before that would have never imagined that I’d be pursuing the life that I am right now. What fascinates me about the journey of a creative is that it is literally your life to create and I relish in the wonder, fear, confusion and excitement of paving my own path. I’m working toward something that to most people and even to myself at times seems unimaginable, but I do so in spite of my own fears. Who could I become? What’s out there to uncover and experience for myself? Where could I take my talents and interests if I truly believe in myself even when no one else does? To be a creative person is to dare to believe that you may be limitless.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fanlink.tv/official2late?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaDB-zIIuSEGtKgn-h___YqirBp7OGKpsXMmgOtZa9PPYYNyBghuvnnR_A_aem_HDNDCFMcaZSdXO0sKERtHg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official2late/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/official2late
- Twitter: https://x.com/official2late?s=21&t=xlhpnX82O_O0Ba871bkMCQ
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@official2late
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/2latemusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2O6reitXfxGCLCnzsWCtY5?si=lhNnLeAtQF6VPzKoCmVhZw
Image Credits
Creighton Stevenson