We were lucky to catch up with London Lawhon recently and have shared our conversation below.

London, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Earning a full-time living through my creative work has been an ever evolving process over these past 10 years in the music industry. Throughout my teenage years I would pack up my parent’s cars every weekend and drive to wherever would allow me to sing. In 2020 I was teaching music during the work week, and then traveling to perform three shows a weekend. As momentum grew, I was prepping to release new music and tour… then the pandemic rocked the performance industry . Both of those ventures took an insane hit, so I decided to put my full energy into being a session musician virtually until I could be on stage again. I bought a cheap mic/soundproofing setup, sat in a closet as home for hours at a time, but I was creating art! In a little over a year of starting to build up a portfolio of clients and as of now I have worked on over 200 projects worldwide as a songwriter/session vocalist! This has allowed me to fully immerse myself in music daily, and still hit the stage for weekly gigs. It has been an amazing opportunity to share in the creative process with so many musicians trying to navigate the new industry norm, and hitting the stage again after so long has been the most insane and reaffirming experience.

London, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those who may not know me, I go by the artist name “LONDON”. I am a 23 year old full-time Alternative Rock performer and a session musician from Houston, Texas! I have been performing professionally for 10 years, and I’ve been featured on American Idol (ABC Season 2). In my performing life, I have performed all over the US at awesome venues such as the Houston Rodeo, The Viper Room, White Oak Music Hall, Superbowl Pre-Game, and many more. I am currently working on my debut album, and have 3 singles out now on all streaming platforms!
I’ve been working as a session musician for a little over a year now through Fiverr, and have amassed a client list of over 200 internationally in every genre. I write, record, and help anyone I can create their vision all from my home studio!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe that society could support creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem more by seeing the VALUE in an artists work. Through life experience, and the shared experience I have seen through social media platforms, it shocks me how many artists/small business owners/musicians are under valued monetarily. Seeing musicians perform for hours with no pay, small business owners being belittled for their pricing, and artist’s work being taken by bigger corporations hurts my heart. What creatives offer the world is invaluable. I hope that society learns that and does their best to support and take seriously the ventures of those who are working so hard to share their passion with the world!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the connection. Whether I am on stage performing or in my home studio helping a new musician complete their project, the most fulfilling thing is knowing that my voice/experience is helping someone. Having even one person say that the music I’ve written/had a hand in creating has helped them makes everything in-between worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://londonlawhonmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londonlawhonmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelondonlawhon
• Twitter: @thelondonlawhon
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe7kV58kcUayjLlP9Jx7J2A
• Other: https://www.fiverr.com/thelondonlawhon?up_rollout=true

Image Credits
Payton Templeton (pay_tphotos)