Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andre Powell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andre, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk I took in my journey in the music industry was relocating to Los Angeles. I had just finished my last contract with the United States Army and was transitioning my life from service member to civilian. My dream has always been to make a living off my creative work and this was finally my chance to pursue that. However, I had also started flight school and I knew if I stuck with that I could be flying for an airline probably quicker than I could find success in the music industry but I also knew that it would leave me feeling unfulfilled. So I packed up all my things and moved to LA. Within a few months of being here I was introduced to the president of Warner Chappell Music who then signed me to a publishing deal and that began my career as a songwriter.

Andre, 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?

My name is FIFTEENAFTER. I am a singer-songwriter signed to Warner Chappell Music. Prior to being in the music industry I was in the United States Army for 6 years. After which I attended flight school and obtained my commercial flight license as well as my certified flight instructor license. However, I am now doing music full – time.

Being an Artist has always been my dream. A dream I almost gave up on so many times but I just could never let it go. It started when I was 15. I went to my first session and recorded a rap song. Fast forward a few years later I am living in LA and now a singer writing songs for other artist. I attribute most of my discipline to my military service but also my dedication to making this dream a reality has also been a primary motivator in my life. The thought of standing in front of a crowd and hearing them sing lyrics I wrote gives me goosebumps.

Music, like any other art medium, is highly subjective. So, my process for making songs is less about what I think is good and more about expressing my inner thoughts and feelings in a way that is relatable to others. I think that is the one word I would use to describe my songs, relatable.

I am most proud of collaborating with artist such as Bryson Tiller, Che Ecru and Pardison Fontaine. These are artist I listened to prior to being in the industry so meeting them and getting to work with them was a surreal moment for me.

The main thing I want my fans to know about me is how passionate I am about creating. I love the process of taking a blank canvas and turning into a good song that other people can enjoy.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing other people appreciate your music or a song that you wrote. Especially when it is a major artist. It is almost a sort of confirmation that I am on the right track.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This question is so hard because I have faced a lot of adversity in my career and journey. Every time something did not go my way or fell apart I had to pick myself back up and keep it pushing. After I signed my publishing deal I did not get a placement for almost 2 years which made me feel as if I was not good enough. But I woke up everyday and loaded up protools and created even when nothing was happening with the songs and now I have 3 placements out with major artist and 6 more expected to drop later this year.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/99fifteen/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChuLzLjN0ASOTDwlb2Pdcmg
• Other: tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fifteenafter