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

Christian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

One of the toughest parts of being a creative/independent artist is staying motivated without seeing success right away. Delayed gratification is key. You can put hours and hours of time and work into something, and receive little to no reward for it. I’ve been in this industry for about five years. You have to develop a thick skin. You are going to get a lot of “no’s” and rejection. This is something I didn’t prepare for when first starting out. I’ve learned that it’s important to visualize your long term goals while still celebrating the small wins along the way. Taking one day at a time, while enjoying the journey is crucial!

Christian, 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 fell in love with music at an early age- ever since I can remember I was playing guitar, keyboard or creating vocal melodies. In fact, when I was twelve years old, I didn’t have the money for recording equipment, but I was still determined to record. So I gathered together my iPod nano and apple earphones (with the microphone) and recorded vocal and keyboard tracks into voice memos. I had a really old laptop that hardly functioned and found some free production software and began to layer my own tracks into songs. This was my passion. As I got older and faced various ups and downs in life, I used music as my outlet. I would write my feelings, stories, emotions into songs. I wanted to be just like the artists I looked up to, I just didn’t know one day I would be doing this for other people.

Music to me is the pinnacle of my life. It’s where everything makes sense. Maybe you think in numbers, or in science, or religion- I think in musical terms. I believe the songs I create are set apart from others mostly due to my style and lyricism. I am extremely honest in my lyrics (sometimes to a fault) and believe in making a positive difference in this industry. Theres a lot of artificialness these days. A lot of people have ulterior motives but I truly believe my music offers an authenticity and nostalgia thats unmatched.

My end goal in music is to create and environment where everyone feels welcome. Growing up, music helped me cope with life in different ways, and if I only reach one person in the same way, this would all be worth it. I write about real life events; heart break, loss, anger, joy, love etc. I just want that kid that feels like nobody understands him, to hear what I have to say, and realize he/she’s not alone. Because that kid used to be me. This is my passion.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that you can NOT do everything by yourself. When I first started, I wanted to do everything. From the production, to art/video to mixing and mastering etc. It gets overwhelming and exhausting. I realized that a team is behind every great artist. So I had to make the mental switch. Now my music sounds better than ever. My visuals are sharper, and I’ve met and made some great friends on this journey. I wouldn’t change it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of what I do is seeing people enjoy my content. I love that people can relate to my songs/lyrics and use them for their own lives and situations. Whether it’s to celebrate or if it’s a song to help someone get through the day, I’m grateful that my voice has made an impact- no matter how big or small.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itschristxn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsCHRISTXN
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/itschristxn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CHRISTXNMUSIC
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1VT9MOvFzBEKTra2lwbDzP?si=KTZVFpU6QYuOPYTc9yju1Q Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/christxn/1610230344

Image Credits
Photographer: Beau Horyza