We recently connected with Courtney Gayle and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
We are currently in the process of recording the first EP for our duo, Gritty Sunset and we’re planning a Spring release. This project is near and dear to my heart because I began my journey in the music industry at the tender age of 16 and I’m now 38 and FINALLY releasing original music for the first time. For almost 20 years, I’ve endured so much internal resistance in the sense that I believed the false narrative that I wasn’t good enough, skilled enough, skinny enough, beautiful enough…you get the jist. Then as the years passed, the even bigger resounding lie was that I was too old to even think about being an original artist. I spent my time in college exploring Musical Theater then moved to NYC in 2008 where I had a myriad of different jobs to pay the rent like bartending and cocktail waitressing, while chasing my dream of being an artist. In 2019 I met Eli Menezes, the other half of Gritty Sunset, on a gig in January of 2019 and began working together right away. That friendship turned into a romantic relationship by December and the rest is history. We moved to Austin, TX during Covid in August of 2020 and began writing music with another Austin Artist(and dear friend) in 2022. For so many years, I didn’t think I was a songwriter because I didn’t think I had the skillset but the actual truth is that it scared the crap out of me. I thought, “who gives a rip about my story or what I think? They will probably think it’s stupid.” I know, I was pretty mean to myself but I promise I’m getting better about speaking words of power to myself and not defeat. Everyone is on their own path and working through their own unique struggles. Even though I told myself for so long that I was too old to be an artist, I sincerely believe that is this is exactly the right time for me to pursue this dream that God never forgot about and has been on my heart since I was a little girl. I’ve been singing other people’s songs and contributing to their projects for almost 20 years and it has been such a beautiful experience learning, growing, and working with some of the most incredible artists in the industry. Finally it is MY time to share my heart and story with the world and I couldn’t be more grateful to have the ability to get this project off the ground. HERE WE GO, come what may or what people may think or say, I’m facing my fear and marching forward regardless.
Courtney , 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 grew up in a northern suburb of Detroit and I started singing in church with my first solo at the age of 5. I began classical voice training at 11 years old and started to participate in local singing competitions. Eventually a music manager took me on as a client and I recorded my first demo CD(that’s right, a compact disc) at age 15 which lead to working with multiple producers. After High school, I got my first job as a lead vocalist in a cover band for weddings and private events all while earning my B.A. in Musical Theater which lead to my move to NYC shortly after graduation in 2008. Like many other artists, I managed a bunch of different jobs to pay the rent like bartending and cocktail waitressing while chasing my dream. While singing with multiple cover bands, I was able to network within the vast musician community to book other recording sessions, concerts, and other performances. In 2016, I starred in my own one-woman show called “The Blurred Lines” which led to being cast in the musical, “It Happened in Key West” at the Fulton Opera House. I signed with a boutique Voiceover agency in 2017 and have voiced commercial spots for brands like Pantene and Jared Jewelry just a name a few. I also began teaching private voice lessons and as well as hair modeling which continued to add different facets to my small business. In the entertainment industry, you have to diversify to survive–you have to wear many hats. This has helped me carve out a career for myself because would be quite difficult to just sing and do nothing else. It has been a long road of stepping into my power as a business owner and getting the courage to negotiate my rates by knowing my worth and being more selective on the projects I choose to work on. One of my passions is sharing my experiences with other artists to encourage and equip them to take ownership of their own craft and business because knowledge is power! You can’t sit at home and wait for the phone to ring, you need to make those calls yourself. I think what sets me apart is my ability to be open and vulnerable about my journey, sharing the not-so-shiny aspects of this business instead of presenting only the highlights. I believe you can connect on a deeper level with your peers and/or followers by being raw and honest because we are all partaking in this human condition together. I firmly believe God puts dreams on our heart for a reason and we need to walk in the path of that dream by faith. No one said it would be easy, nothing is–but God is with you every step of the way.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I first entered the music industry at 16 with my demo CD, I quickly realized there was a dark underbelly to this business. I had a wealthy investor fund my solo project who essentially promised I would be a popstar in less than a year. One time, a big shot agent made the trip from LA to Detroit to meet me after hearing my demo. Right after being picked up at the airport, this guy informed my manager that he would need to spend the night with me before deciding to work with me(keep in mind, I was only 16 at the time) so my manager stopped the car and kicked him out on the side of the road. Even as my journey continued in musical theater and cover bands, I was told I needed to lose weight or be more sexy in order to book the job(this was before curvy was cool, think Victoria Secret Angel) Another offer on the table was to sleep with the boss in order to get the job. I became so heartbroken by the industry that I actually took a corporate job for almost 3 years so I could finally have “a real job with so-called security”. I did the whole thing, wore the heels, sat at a desk, and ordered my boss’s lunch–I was miserable. At one point, I took a look around the office and saw everyone starring at their monitors under oppressive flourecent lights and saw in my mind a very grim future…which caused a minor panic attack. I rushed to the restroom to splash water on my face and catch my breath. At that moment, I made the decision to quit that job after I received that year’s bonus and start over. With 10K in the bank, I began the journey all over again with no real prospects on the horizon–It was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think the blue ribbon reward is the ability to give hope and joy to those who feel alone and misunderstood. Have you ever listened to a song and thought, wow, this person literally jumped into my head and wrote a song based on my experience? That connection alone has the power to save a person’s life. When an artist creates with complete vulnerability and honesty with a raw and human approach, the art actually breaks down the walls of shame and guilt in order to shine light in the darkness of our minds. Truly, artists are in the service industry. We let out the things on our heart for a personal release and then it ultimately serves the community thus contributing to the culture as a whole. If the listener has broken into dance, shed a tear, or felt goosebumps, then we’ve done our job.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.grittysunset.com
- Instagram: @iamcourtneygayle
- Facebook: Courtney Gayle
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9qCORGrETq16UIUF27Lvgg
Image Credits
Mustard Seed Photography, Drew Bordeaux Photography, MadproMedia