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

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Every artist experiences their own peaks and valleys… For me, I get insane highs from performing and sharing my art, and chase it with a healthy dose of anxiety and self doubt. Ha. With that said, being an artist is the most liberating and beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced.

I worked a ton of different jobs in the past… was an IP litigation paralegal for 3 years and a management consultant for 4. I don’t regret any of the time I spent in those jobs. I learned a lot from my bosses and those industries and came away with transferable skills that I use to my advantage.

I still work a “regular” job now as the Marketing Director of 7DrumCity, a music hub in Washington, D.C. Contrary to popular belief, many artists do keep their day jobs! Even famous touring acts work as creative directors, music teachers, and other positions that may or may not be related to the arts. I once met the Manager for The Dandy Warhols, Cat Power, and Jessica Pratt, and he cautioned against quitting any day job too soon. With the volatility of the music industry, he had seen some of his own clients struggle with making money again after leaving music. I’m lucky that my current job is within the music industry where I’m constantly surrounded by inspiring and supportive musicians! Hopefully, I’ll be livin’ the dream soon, but even if it doesn’t work out, I know I’ll land on my feet and can take pride in the fact that I pursued something I loved.

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

My name is Amanda Dove. I’m a singer, songwriter, and producer. I specialize in vocal work, but can also play guitar and piano. My main project is called KINDA EVIL. We’re a garage rock band that weaves elements of punk, blues, psych, and doom into our music. Our songs can be dark and doomy, but also beautiful and ethereal… after all, we’re only KINDA evil. Our sound has been compared to Grace Slick meets Black Sabbath meets Bikini Kill meets The Dead Weather.

I also write and produce music for a couple solo projects, too. I’m currently collaborating with a producer named BlauDisS on some dark electronic material, and working on an indie art rock/hip-hop project with two talented emcees named NaTuRaL.e and Sinna Star.

Outside of my own music, I’m always open to session work as well. I’ve recorded vocals and backing vocals for a variety of different projects and love helping others realize their creative vision!

Now that I’ve been working in music marketing, I’m starting to cultivate some clients who may need help with their social media strategy and other marketing needs. A lot of musicians find the business side of the music business overwhelming. I totally get it and I’m here to help!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’ve always had stage fright. Even now, I’ll start show days with a lot of anxiety. When I first started out, it used to scare the hell out of me when the crowd didn’t react to our music or maybe reacted negatively by leaving the room or yawning. I was dependent on crowd energy, but at some point, it clicked for me that this was the wrong way to look at it. Isn’t it MY job to entertain? The goal now is to “be undeniable,” to hone my craft so seriously that people have no choice but to smile or head bang or even dance.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is my holy grail. I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a quick read, but it kicked my butt into shape when I fell into cycles of resistance. There’s a reason why so many artists, athletes, and great thinkers cite this book as one of their must reads. It supercharged my creative process and accelerated my growth in amazing ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: kindaevil.com
• Instagram: @kindaevilmusic, @rubadovedove

Image Credits
Ari Voxx, Mike Stone, Gabby Minkiewicz, and Julian Ortiz