We recently connected with Ginny Swanson And Simon Crawford and have shared our conversation below.

Ginny Swanson and Simon Crawford, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. 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?

Ginn: Yes! I graduated school in the start of COVID in 2020 which made it difficult to find my footing (and find work) in the industry. Despite there being hardly any jobs available in my field, instead of telling myself there was nothing I could do about it, I was determined to start my life and not take no for an answer. I would spend time everyday scrounging the internet for anything remotely creative that I could do for work. I taught voice lessons online and eventually started my own virtual studio (which made me realize that I really loved running a business), I was a virtual Christmas elf during winter of 2020 and greeted kids online who wanted to Zoom call with Santa (my Elf name I created was Ginger B. Gumdrops), I was a worship leader and sang in church, and I auditioned for any project in Nashville that I could find. Basically I did random freelance jobs that eventually led to where I am today (running a band in Nashville and being an artist). I’m glad I stuck it out during that time because I made a lot of lasting connections as well that have led to more jobs and gigs.

Simon Crawford: Yes! I started making money from artist gigs and playing at churches round the Nashville area. Once COVID hit I had to make a decision that would ultimately change my career for the greater. I had to move back home to Virginia Beach, as there was no work to be had as a musician in Nashville anymore. Luckily weeks before quarantine started I had auditioned for a theme park in Ohio called Cedar Point. This also happens to be how I met my beautiful girlfriend and business partner Ginn. I was beyond lucky to have a performance opportunity through everything that was going on at the time. After a few months of working at the park, building friendships that would last a lifetime and creating unforgettable memories, I moved back to Nashville. It took a little while for everything to get back up and running once I got back. I worked at a COVID testing Laboratory for about 6 months with my friend John, who I met through Cedar Point, and Dave who was a guitarist from Akron, OH. Which also happens to be the town I was born in – Small world! – The three of us auditioned as a band at Tootsies on Broadway, and we made the cut. We played together for a few years and eventually added Ginn as our full-time lead vocalist and front. Ginn and I could see the opportunity we were missing out on from Broadway, both financially and business wise. We “graduated” from tootsies, which is a way our peers say you outgrow those bars and move on to bigger and better venues on the strip. Soon after Hype Creek was formed! Starting Hype Creek with Ginn was a huge milestone for both of us, we had both successfully created an incredibly talented band that not only respects the wants and needs of our band mates, but also values each of them and what they bring to the table artistically. going from playing in churches for a little extra change to working full time on Broadway here in Nashville was such a huge feat. Not only are we finally financially comfortable as musicians, but we’ve built a family with some of our best friends in the whole world!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Ginn: I started as a professional musical theatre performer here in Nashville and graduated from Belmont with a degree in that and business as well. COVID kind of changed my direction and thats when I began gigging in Nashville with a band called Rubiks Groove! I had never sung with a band before and really enjoyed it. I also started writing songs and playing a bit of guitar in my free time during COVID which was new for me as well. After being stuck on a cruise ship in 2022, I realized that job (which had formerly been a dream of mine in college) was not what I thought it was, and I came back to Nashville in 2022, started singing on Broadway and that eventually led to forming Hype Creek and also writing and releasing songs.
Hype Creek is our party band, we offer services for venues, festivals, weddings and corporate events. I also have an original project called Ginn that I recently started back up this last year and I am working on an EP to release in June.
I think the biggest thing that sets us apart from others is our willingness to go above and beyond for our clients, and our fun and postitive attitude on stage. It’s easy to get burnt out playing so much, but we always find ways to have fun and we create fun mashups and unique ways of doing songs. We really do put in the work and provide everything the client needs for an event. We just played a wedding and we provided entertainment and equipment for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception as well as emcee services, set up and tear down, and we add personalized touches like games and special requested songs for the bridal party. It was a 14 hour day not including planning time and learning new material for the client. We always want to make sure to provide the best service possible because we really enjoy what we do and feel lucky to be doing it!

Simon Crawford: I moved to Nashville solely as a Jazz drummer. And boy did I find out fast, that is not a very lucrative career choice. My love for that style of music kept me tied down for a few months after moving here in 2018. It wasn’t until the first artist gig I was offered did I realize, that I can’t expect to be just a jazz drummer and create a name for myself in the industry. That gig was very short lived and I learned a lot about what was to be expected of me as a drummer in Nashville. I started getting into session work and doing more artist gigs here and there. I’m not the biggest admirer of country music, but I do admire what it takes to be a drummer in country music. One word I found to describe drumming in that genre is discipline. It takes a lot of it to satisfy an artist you’re on the road with. After playing Country music for a few years I really started to get into rock and metal. I’ve always loved rock music and especially metal, since there are a lot more similarities between jazz and metal than people think. All of these experiences come together to better prepare me for what it takes to be a drummer and band leader on broadway. The band Ginn and I created together is something we are both extremely proud of. Hype Creek not only plays amazing high energy shows on Broadway that will legitimately rock your socks off, but it is also the backing band for all of Ginn’s live shows and a few of the songs she’s recently released. – Hype Creek does corporate gigs, weddings, private events, and anything you can thing of that could require a rockin band! We’ve performed in over 20 different cities around the US as well as Canada. Some of our past clients include both Morgan Stanley and Taco Bell, just to name a few. The band is always striving to out perform our last show and give the audience an experience they won’t soon forget.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Ginn: The best thing society can do is engage with our social media content (like, comment, share!!) and come out to shows. Social media is more important now than ever for “making it” in the industry. Some days it feels like I spend more time on social media than actually “creating.” I think most creatives who are trying to get their name and work out there have to put some of their creative energy into making content. It also would be great if more venues in town actually invested in promoting the shows that are happening at their own venue. Most venues don’t do much for independent artists when it comes to marketing their shows. If I had a million dollars I would love to open a venue for artists and invest in promoting the artists that play there.

Another thing I wish we had in Nashville was a work exchange for artists. Basically, a skill trade. It’s so unbelievably expensive to be an artist in Nashville. Artists are the biggest employers in the industry. We pay for studio time, musicians, marketing, playlisting, social media ads, photography and videography, merchandise, and even putting on shows (most of the time, even if you sell tickets to a show you walk away with virtually nothing). Most artists I know have many different skills in their wheelhouse. It would be cool to trade skillsets. Like, I will edit social media videos or sing harmonies for you on a show, if you do a photoshoot for me or help me make a demo by recording guitar parts. etc.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Something I’ve experienced first hand many times as a creative is that most people think that our jobs are all sunshine and rainbows, and why should we deserve such high pay if we just get to have fun on stage all the time. That is so far from true! I can’t think of any other career that has to deal with as much sacrifice, rejection, belittlement and self-doubt as being a musician or creative. Now don’t get me wrong, as nightmarish as it sound and with how many thousands of hours I’ve spent in a practice room. I would never change what I do for the world.

So when you see a local artist in your town, take a second and show a little appreciation. They are working themselves to the bone to try and achieve a dream that most likely started when they were just children. And unlike most careers you never stop learning. school starts the second you pick up that guitar, bass, microphone or pair of drum sticks. And it doesn’t stop until you sent them down for the last time. And for the people telling your family member or friend that maybe they should just look for a different career path, that music isn’t a real job and that you’ll never be able to afford the greater things in life… Do better!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Ginnyswanson.com
• Instagram: Ginn: @ginn_sings Simon: @simoncrawforddrums Hype Creek: @hypecreekband
• Other: Ginn’s linktree: https://linktr.ee/ginnyswanson

Image Credits

Hanna Drake Photography
Tony Haggerty Photography
Samuel Alan Harris