We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rafe Carlson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rafe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve always hoped for the opportunity to use my platform to help people. Last year I wrote a song call “A Place to Fall” for a movie called “We Got Your Six” about veterans suffering from PTSD. Months later, my producer and I decided to record it, and potentially release it as a single. I sat with it for a year, until I finally connected with the 23rd Veteran, a veteran organization I thought could benefit. I’ll be releasing the song on November 11, Veteran’s Day, and donating 10x my streaming revenue from the song to the 23rd Veteran. It will go toward helping people recover from PTSD and transition into civilian life. I’ll also be setting up a page where fans can donate as well. It will be on my website, rafecarlson.com. 100% of proceeds go to helping veterans. This has been a very meaningful and fulfilling project, and I hope everybody enjoys the song.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in Northwoods of Minnesota, just outside of Duluth. After graduating high school I work a few sales jobs until I landed and a local RV dealership, selling motorhomes and campers. At age 21, and after almost 3 years there, I went out on a whim and played music on the side of a busy sidewalk. I put out a tip jar played some well known covers for about 45 minutes and walked away with a handful of cash. The next morning I gave my two week notice and started booking local gigs for myself. Soon after, I met my producer in Nashville, and started building a network. I spent Summer ‘21 recording a full length album at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, and mixing and mastering it with my producer in his bedroom studio before we moved operations to BMG on Music Row.
We noticed right away that the music I was making was different. People just passing by in the studio would often stop, and poke their heads in to listen. It was more groovy and rockin than what you hear today on country radio, but still polished and modern enough for radio play.
I put out my first single, Lost and Found, in July of 2021, and everything changed. Hearing my song on the radio and seeing fans everywhere singing along gave me a new purpose. From that point on I dedicated my life to songwriting and creating the best music I can.
The past year has been a whirlwind, with dozens of trips to Nashville and around the country for shows, recording, and writing. A handful of times I’ve had golden opportunities that ended up dissolving. Dozens of letdowns, but also hundreds of amazing concerts and thousands and thousands of fans from Minnesota to Nashville. I’ve been fortunate enough to share the stage with some huge names in country music, and play at some amazing venues.
I’m forever grateful for my friends, family, and dedicated fans, who pushed me to never give up. This journey hasn’t been free of struggle, but it has forced me to become a strong person, and I have my fans to thank for never giving up on me.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think an online environment of too much noise and too much content has doomed the human attention span. When people have access to everything, everywhere, all of the time, nothing of value can last long. Any artists is constantly in competition with millions of others. The divide between musicians that “make it” (have money) and musicians that don’t is growing every day, to the point where songs on the radio are made by robots, and real talent is sitting on a park bench in rags playing a guitar with 2 strings. A thriving creative ecosystem can’t exist when the noise is too loud for your voice to be heard. Social media has further corporatized music, and I think without it, songs on the radio would be honest, and the people that sing them would have talent.

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?

The biggest misconception I had going into this career is what it means to “make it”. I figured once I’m on the radio, once I’m on TV, once I have a manager, once I’m on Spotify, once I’ve recorded an album, once I’ve built a network in the industry, etc… I’ve made it. The goalposts continue to move. There’s always a bigger dragon to slay. I find that I’m predisposed to never be satisfied and keep chasing, and that can be a blessing and a curse. It’s certainly helped push me to where I am today. It’s a very difficult career path. People know this, but I don’t think most realize just how difficult it is.

Contact Info:

• Website: rafecarlson.com
• Instagram: @rafecarlson
• Facebook: @rafecarlsonofficial
• Youtube: @rafecarlsonmusic
• Other: TikTok: @rafecarlson