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

Drew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Being a full-time musician in Los Angeles doesn’t come without it’s struggles, that’s for sure. I’ve been playing music full-time for about 5 years now. I play at small venues, restaurants, corporate, and pop-up events. It took me years to realize my value as a live performer. I would play for little to no pay because I just wanted to play. These gigs were validating at first, until I realized I had to make a living wage. So, after hustling as a bartender, uber driver, or guitar center sales associate thru my 9 years in LA, I knew I needed to find a way to become stable playing music. It’s what I love. It’s what wanted. So, I followed my gut after this epiphany. I discovered my value. I knew I could make it work. I worked hard as a self-advocate to receive the compensation I deserved. That was a huge step-forward for me as I was navigating the world of solely making income as a musician. Unfortunately, some people tend to treat musicians a little differently and expect them to just take years of nose down hard work and investments as if they are nothing. Luckily, things seem to be panning out for me and I frequently check in with myself.

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

I’m a soul infused rock/pop artist. I started my journey as a guitar player at age 11 back in CT. My dad was a hobbyist player and he had a 1995 Fender Strat that I picked up one day and refused put down. This paved the way for me to build confidence in and eventually discover my voice. I was certainly a late bloomer vocally, not singing much until my senior year of high school. I remember locking myself in my room and singing. For years I just wasn’t ready to go public with it, until I thought it sounded as good as what I was hearing on my cassette tapes. At first, I was so scared to sing and I feared people wouldn’t like it. The voice is such an intimate instrument, and sharing that at first is a huge step of vulnerability.

Ok, so, let’s fast forward to 31 year old me. I’ve certainly developed a confidence in my abilities, and I pride myself on my versatility as a singer and performer. Yes, I’m proud of my time on NBC’s The Voice, but I’m also proud that I don’t give up. I’m proud of the songs I write (especially “Sour Love”). I’m proud of the musical friendships I’ve made and who I’m surrounded by. The journey has not been easy. I moved to LA alone in 2014 after graduating from The University of CT, studying economics. Damn, those were some lonely times in the San Fernando Valley. I remember driving around the late at night looking for people smoking cigarettes outside of bars, which means there’s probably a decent hang going on inside. But it somehow wasn’t long before I met some amazing people.

One thing I’m super proud of, in both my professional and personal life, is that I’ve always lived under this concept: BE YOURSELF. Be yourself, fully. Trust in your choices, your instincts, be honest, and be kind. Abiding by and reminding myself of that has brought me so much. When you aren’t being true to yourself, I’ve found that people see right through you. So why waste your time, right? I want people to know that when you come to a show or listen to my music. I’m giving you genuinely, myself.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Every day, for me, requires resilience. The ebbs and flows of an artist happen around the clock. Each day is different. Just an hour in a day can hold a positive or dark morale. My feeling of worthiness to create and share myself is always fluctuating. I certainly know I’m not alone in this thought, as there are millions of creatives out there that feel this sense of struggle. I closed myself off for a period of time when I truly didn’t want to show up. However, over the past year, I have climbed out of this hole. I’ve been saying “yes” to more these days. I’ve been playing more shows, working on more music, and overall getting more done. It takes resilience to rediscover and evolve yourself as time goes by. To redefine my expectations, stay inspired, and realize my worthiness. I’m still so happy to be here.

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?

This is a tricky one. A real tricky one. Yes, things can be simple, but with art, it sure isn’t. I have about 80 songs sitting in a dropbox folder right now; some ideas are brilliant, some are super solid, some are incomplete, and some are complete crap. From time to time I will share some songs with family and friends, and they may or may not like them (but usually they do, haha). There are times when artists need to be under the radar to find themselves and their way. I’ve certainly been pressured to release songs that don’t fit for my project at the given time. Someone may and ask, “what’s the hold up?!” or “why the heck isn’t this out?”. The truth is, that’s up to me and I need to be ready to take that song where I was to. Overall, I’m just trying to say – stay patient and support these decisions, unless you can make the song go platinum yourself.

Recently, I have been super productive in finishing and releasing the songs that I feel represent me in my current state. I decided to start self-producing again for the first time since 2017. I’ve been working really hard to get my production chops up to record myself. After spending some time with my new found love for Ableton (recording workspace tool) I recorded and ended up releasing a song called “i miss being young”. You have to check it out! As an independent artist, I somehow managed get on the global “New Music Friday” playlist on Spotify. I big win for a small artist. All the meanwhile, I started working with a new producer, Avedon, who has been a huge source of inspiration for me. His fast-paced style keeps the creative juices flowing and the songs almost write themselves. I can’t say enough good things about this talented fella. I just put out one of the songs he produced on August 11th. It’s called “Almost”. Easily the quickest I’ve ever written a song. It’s such a vibe. I feel lucky to be able to put out songs I love.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drewcolemusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewcolemusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrewColeMusic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrewColeMusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/drewcolemusic
• Other: Tik Tok – https://www.tiktok.com/@drewcolemusic

Image Credits
Brendan Lynch & Jenny BokChoi