We recently connected with Daughter and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Daughter, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I’ve heard it said that the music industry is one of the most difficult fields to be successful more times than I can count, throughout my years performing. I can safely say, I never took those words lightly. I must admit, however, six year old Maddi crying before piano practice had no idea what she was in for. After years of performing and earning my degree in musical theatre, I thought I had developed pretty thick skin. I had learned what it looked like to pursue being a performer in day to day life, which was far from an easy lifestyle. When I transitioned over to pursuing a career as a recording artist, my initial thought was that, “Surely, it must be easier doing JUST music. I’ll write my songs, maybe post them online and wait for streams or people to take interest. Next stop, national tour!”. I could not have have been more wrong. I had no idea what went into the ‘behind the scenes’ of writing, recording, promoting and releasing music. In just the last two years I have had to learn how to build a brand from the ground up using every skill imaginable from website design, to content creation, to graphics design for logos and promotional materials, to marketing and analytics tracking, to booking, to pitching- you name it, and I’ve probably tried my hand at it. Excluding the evident business operations entailed in the ‘singer/songwriter’ job description, I have learned how to navigate the evolving industry as an independent artist. Through the ins and outs of social media trends, record label competition, and rise of artificial intelligence and new technology, it has been quite the journey already. Obviously, I anticipated for some bumps along the way, but nothing could have prepared me for what it really takes to be ‘successful’ in this industry. Although I have many years ahead of practice, experiencing, and failing to do, I always come back to my passion for the craft and why I am willing and eager to learn about it. I truly believe God gave me the gifts he did to share them with others- to tell stories, to make an impact, to relate- in whatever capacity He has planned.

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

I am a singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer from Virginia. I have been spending time between Virginia, Nashville and London finishing my Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre at Middlesex University. I am currently working as a recording artist and performing after training at the International College of Musical Theatre London.

I have been performing since I was six years old. I have been in countless musical productions, plays, showcases and talent competitions, as well as appearing in a few music videos and performing weekly in live events. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I had time to reflect and prepare for how I wanted to spend the next few years of my life. I used the time I was given to graduate a year early, apply and get accepted into my top choices for musical theatre programs in the country, and start propelling my career as a performer. I finished an exciting two years at the ICMT and enjoyed the caliber of the intensive training, spending hours a day doing what I love.

On top of musical theatre training, I have spent the last two years writing and releasing original music. I worked with a local producer during my semester breaks to record some of my original songs and get experience as a sessions vocalist. I love every minute of working in the studio. It has been amazing to see the creative process of turning composition into monetized work through the art of production, which has always intrigued me. In the last year, I have had opportunities to work with producers and songwriters in Nashville and record my debut singles as ‘daughter’. I have been working on promoting my first song, “What Are We” for the last few months and am incredibly grateful for the doors this song is opening for my music! As I have been working full-time on building my brand, I have been blessed with opportunities to work with incredible artists and songwriters, teach private lessons, launch my own store, and share my stories the only way I know how to. I am excited to announce that I will be posting updates over the next few months about what is to come regarding my upcoming projects!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Be consistent. I am in no way, shape, or form a content creator or social media expert. In fact, it is probably the area I have struggled with the most during the last two years of pursuing music as a career. I had to, like everyone else, accept that it is the direction we are going in, and I have to adapt and learn about the changing industry. Hand in hand with that attitude is also recognizing the benefits of social media for independent artists and really any entrepreneur. Now, more than ever, we have accessibility to global platforms to share and advertise our work, and I have been in a constant battle to understand and be thankful for that in a way. My advice to those just starting that journey is be authentic and consistent. I found it hardest to push out mass content when I was forcing myself to recreate what someone else was doing or, alternatively, going out of my way to be unique and create a false image of myself. I am still learning to find myself in this angle of the industry, but I would say I have learned that people will always crave authenticity when the digital age is leaning more and more towards artificiality. Additionally, posting consistently in terms of both scheduling and developing content seems to draw traction.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Follow us! Whether it be online or in-person, generating effective support for an artist can be as simple as sharing an Instagram post or telling your friend about us. As far as the music industry goes, and I am confident we are not the only ones, artists need both online and offline support in today’s industry. Social media is incredibly accessible and the majority of people use it, so I always direct supporters and followers to my online platforms. Liking, sharing, commenting, reposting, and tagging are all one-click ways to help us small artists and businesses. Equally showing up to our concerts and events and spreading the word of your favorite songs and products make a huge difference in our success as creatives. We do what we do because we love it and want to share it. Often times, we believe it will impact someone else- so if it does, let us know! These are just a few of MANY ways you can show your appreciation or support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://daughterofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daughterofficial_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daughterofficialpage
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daughterofficial_
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daughterofficial_ LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/daughterofficial_

Image Credits
Elijah Anderson Blake Kosmowski Larissa Smart