Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Scott Goldberg. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Scott, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I’ve always had an affinity for sound for as long as I can remember. When I was 12 I got a bass guitar, and met my best friend Dennis in middle school who was a drummer. I had no way of knowing the things I would have to go through to get there, but the moment we began jamming together and connecting musically was the first time I truly knew it was always going to be something I aspired to.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Scott and I go by squeeda sometimes. I dabble in several instruments, but i’d say after all these years that I am most expressive with my guitar. Growing up in San Diego I was surrounded by many styles of music including Alternative, Metal, and Reggae to name a few. As I got into my teen years I struggled with a lot of things and was institutionalized for half of highschool. After several programs and moving to LA, I finally found some stability, until i had my son at 21 years old, which changed everything for me. At that point I thought that my dream of being a musician was over, but I still played, and one day i was asked to join a Reggae Band and play lead guitar/backup vox for a three week tour. Just like that my music career started to feel real and attainable. After more than 2 years of touring and recording, a dramatic turn of events made me realize I needed to be home with my son, so I quit the band to become a full-time single father. This was an easy decision for me, but of course pulling away from music also had an intense effect and I became severely depressed for a time. The pain and everything I was going through took a toll and eventually got translated to music which I started seriously producing in 2017 after being inspired by artists like Philanthrope, Dryhope, Glimlip, and Arbour to name a few. The emotional nature of my life bred some interesting new production styles and it opened me up to a music community much larger than any i’d ever known. Now I get the rare opportunity to make music with friends from all over the world while exploring my creativity in new and exciting ways which I’m extremely grateful for.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think for me the most rewarding aspect of making music is the feeling I get when I catch myself truly loving what I’m doing. The hours disappear, and sometimes its just a simple moment of realization that I’m actually doing the thing I dreamed about my whole life. I was going to say it is showing people what Ive made and sharing it but I actually hate that part LOL.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’d say I had to take a pretty big pivot when I went from touring most of the year and living life on the road, to going back home to live with my mom, sell furniture, and raise my boy. It was a huge change for me and it took a lot of learning to figure out how to be the best version of myself for my son and remain hopeful. I’m still learning and always will be, but I’ve had several times in my life where I felt I had to accept that music wasn’t going to work out. Even being an artist with some success its still hard to accept and trust that everything is as it should be. I think the plight of the creative is that we always feel like we are pivoting, so getting comfortable with that moving target has been a tough but rewarding curve for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @squeedabeats
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squeeda/
- Twitter: @squeedabeats
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/squeedabeats
