We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joe Strelsky of Noirblvd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joe below.

Alright, Joe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I love creating. Down to my bones. I feel I am at my most happy when I have an idea for a new song or I hear a musical pattern worth exploring. I am a bartender in my day to day life and I often view that as a companion job to being a musician: You build cocktails in the same way you build/structure a song. You think of different riffs to try on classics. You interact with an audience. So many different parallels. It’s the type of job that affords me the opportunities to take time off to perform. Do I see myself in an office setting? Absolutely not.

Joe, 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’ve been writing and performing music for the better part of 20 years. I started out playing in various punk bands in high school before moving from Springfield, Ohio to Phoenix Arizona. Upon arrival I was introduced to the AZ Hardcore and Emo scene and instantly fell in love. After so long I decided that it would behoove me to be a solo artist. I had been experimenting with different synthesizer sounds in previous bands and wanted to pursue that avenue of music. Since then I’ve released two albums and a handful of single tracks. I’ve collaborated with renowned and new musicians alike. I love the music I make and I feel that translates to each and every track.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Literally creating something out of thin air. One moment, your song doesn’t exist. Then the next you may be playing with a melody or strumming a few notes on a guitar or playing a few on the piano. Then you add a beat and maybe a fat bass line. Then some more guitar. Then finally, you start writing words. Maybe about a feeling, a profound memory, something that maybe hurt you. Before you know it, you’ve written and recorded an entire song. Then you release it to the entire world. And maybe, just maybe, that song resonates with a few listeners. Then those listeners come see you perform at a show and sing those words you wrote right back to you. Maybe it means something similar to them. In any case, you’ve instilled a feeling in a stranger and I think that is beautiful and rewarding.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

“Good artists copy. Great artists steal”.- Quentin Tarantino

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @noir.blvd
• Youtube: YouTube.com/noirblvd
• Other: TikTok.com/noirblvd

Image Credits
@ethanbeazley @jacob_mutiny