We recently connected with Demillion Roby and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Demillion, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
Before I decided to start building the pop star wannabe brand, I was planning on moving to New York to pursue a career in musical theater. When I moved to Nashville, I came here to get a BFA in musical theater at Belmont University. Even though I’ve always had a strong interest in pop music, it took me a long time to believe in myself enough to take those interests seriously. I moved to Nashville by myself at 19, and financially, I wasn’t sure how music was ever going to fit into the mix of being a full time student and working to support myself. I wrote and got a couple of songs produced during college, but it wasn’t until I graduated that I started to release them. At the time that I began releasing music, I wanted to create exclusively for the lgbtq+ community. I want to make music and create spaces for the queer community to be able to show up, express themselves, and feel some freedom in times where we are still fighting to be visible. When asked if I wish that I would’ve started sooner, I am trying to be grateful for where my journey has got me. I learned quite literally everything that I know from college. I might be paying for those classical lessons and ballet classes for the next 10-15 years, but I don’t know where I would be right now without them. I came to Nashville after one of the worst summers of my life, and this city has proved time and time again that it has space for me to grow into whoever I need to be. College gave me a lot of tools that I use on a daily basis as an independent artist. The only part that I would change would be my mindset during college. I’d go back and tell myself that you have plenty of time, the budget will come, and your art is worth sharing.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got into the pop music industry after I graduated college. After performing at Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN an entire summer, I came back to Nashville with a whole journal full of song ideas. That summer was one of the first times in my young adult life that I had an abundance on free time to work on my original music, and I feel like this was crucial for my development as an artist. All of my songs were very queer, so I decided that my brand was also going to be very queer. I have built my creative direction around fantasy driven innuendos that are colorful, bold, and full of queer creatives. I think my unapologetic identity has been the defining factor that sets me apart from other artists. My most proud project is my upcoming album “Roleplay”. This album explores traditional roles that men have played in our society from queer points of views. Some songs are meant to be campy and fun, and some are meant to challenge societal norms. It’s been my passion project for the past 2 years, and I’ve released 2 singles from it, “Giddy Up!” and “Himbo”. Doing this project has pushed me in ways that I didn’t expect, and I hope that when it comes out, it pushes my listeners to allow themselves freedom in their expression/identity. I want people to know that when they are in my company or creative world that they are allowed to play whatever role they want.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me the most rewarding part has been creating with other queer creatives. As someone who grew up in a very small town with hardly any other queers around, I feel so grateful to be able to have a network of people here in Nashville to reach out to whether that be for makeup, choreography, or performance opportunities. The LGBTQ+ community here is full of independent artists grinding to make their visions come to life. Also representation matters a lot here in the south, and I’m so happy to be in a place where I can add to the diverse queer scene. Doing music here has given me a sense of community.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think that non-creative people struggle to understand that creative pursuits take time. My producer, Jared Corder, always reminds me that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success when I’m feeling frustrated or impatient. In general, I think we all could enjoy art or creating more if we allowed ourself and others grace when figuring it all out. Supporting your independent artist friends in whatever stage they are in goes a long way, so make sure you remind them and yourself that you’ve got time. In the current age of media, it is easy to feel like everything needs to be pumped out, and I think that in itself kills creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.demillionmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demillion98/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH6o9iQr_VpsSLFww4cQvvQ
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/32S40fjLHBg4qhNMLbTtAn
Image Credits
Photographer- @francescait on instagram