We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Saylor Brasseaux a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Saylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Becoming a singer/ songwriter has been such a blessing in my life! I’ll never forget the day I wrote my first song. I was about 13 years old. At this point I had been singing for years, taking vocal lessons and doing singing competitions. I felt it was time to learn guitar so that I could start performing with an instrument. As it turns out, learning’ guitar took a lot more patience, time, and practice than I anticipated. I remember I finally perfected three chords and all I wanted to do was sing and play at the same time. However, I became frustrated because all of the songs I wanted to play were way above my experience level. This is the moment I accidentally stumbled into songwriting. I decided I would write a song that I could play and sing, and so I did. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. Then I showed my family, and their shock made me realize that maybe this could be something I could excel at. The more I wrote, the more I fell in love with it. Realizing I could turn all of my emotions and personal experiences into words and melodies was the best epiphany I could’ve ever had and has changed my life in ways I never thought it could.

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?

My name is Saylor Brasseaux, I am a singer songwriter based in Nashville. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, I have been performing and songwriting since the age of 8. Since moving to Nashville, I have been collaborating with several artists and songwriters, attending songwriter retreats, releasing music, and performing solo/ full band shows in Nashville and surrounding areas. My dream is to one day write songs for a living!

I have been in Nashville now for almost 5 years. Throughout my journey, I feel like I continue to grow more and more. One thing that I realized is that while it is scary being vulnerable in my music, It has made a really big difference in improving my songs as an artist. Tapping into that has not only changed my writing for the better, but has allowed me to have closer relationships with people and other songwriters as we talk about the “real stuff.” Not only that, but it has given me a different outlook on the world. Songwriting has taught me that while songs about myself are important, so are songs about other people. Trying to put myself in other people’s shoes, has made me more aware and attentive to other people around me, their struggles, emotions, and experiences.

Something I’m the most proud of is my dedication to my craft. In my mind, there is no other “backup plan.” Songwriting will always be a passion that drives me forward, and let’s just say I have really big aspirations with it. I have worked really hard to get to where I am, and I am proud of how far I have come these past few years in Nashville. However, I know that there is still so much work to be done, and I will continue to work hard to get there.

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

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a songwriter, is realizing how music can be a source of healing for people. I remember writing a song about my experience with grief after losing my grandpa and performing in front of a crowd. While it was difficult to sing, I felt that people could relate. Sure enough after the performance, a girl came up to me, hugged me and said that the song brought tears to her eyes and that she also had just lost her grandpa. I also received several messages that night from other people in the audience saying that they could relate to the song and who in their life they had lost. That moment was very profound for me. It was an epiphany that my thoughts, emotions, and feelings matter and that being vulnerable in my music may just help other people struggling with the same things that aren’t always talked about.

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

Not a lot people realize how much work goes into being an independent artist. It can be expensive for an artist to record and release their own music. In Nashville, recording just one song can cost roughly around $2-3k by the time all expenses are taken accounted for. Lots of times, these independent artists are pulling out of their own pockets with little to no money to make in return. It can sometimes feel discouraging as an artist to have so many projects you want to release, but not enough funds to cover it all.

My advice for people is to support artists by buying tickets to their shows, purchasing merch, and tipping/offering donations if possible.

I promise us creatives are always super grateful for that and allows us to put more into our music without the financial burden!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saylorbrasseauxmusic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550357019559
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeV2kt891rVua1Iw0yfRRNw
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VIXtCIfokondRC5h5bWdo