We recently connected with Sierra Carson and have shared our conversation below.

Sierra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Music, for me, has been the guiding force of my entire life. Even when I wasn’t aware of its influence, it was present. Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, music was considered a hobby by a lot of the people around me. Singing and playing guitar were considered pastimes, an extracurricular activity. So to answer your question, I definitely pictured myself working a regular job. I imagined this whole other life, where I was singing under my breath in an operating room or an office somewhere. Post pandemic I moved to Nashville to pursue music while also getting a college degree at Belmont University. I think I was just lucky to have parents who saw my passion as purpose and encouraged me to chase my dreams. Without that push, I probably would’ve been working a more “normal” job with a lot of regret- so I’m grateful for my abnormal life every day.

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?

I’ve grown used to this answer: “I’m Sierra Carson, and indie artist here in Nashville. You can find me on socials as Sierra Carson Music and you can find my music on streaming platforms.” But with a bit more detail, I am a singer-songwriter living and working in Nashville, TN. My artistry is directly tied to my soul…there’s no separating my thoughts and feelings from my art. I’m almost twenty-two, transitioning from my college apartment to my parent’s home honestly until I can figure out my first tour. I have been writing music since I was 11 years old and performing for people since way before then. I love people; I find them fascinating. I spent most of my childhood feeling all of my feelings and everyone else’s, which is probably what led me to writing. Songwriting became an outlet, a way to process all of the thoughts I had swimming around in my still-developing brain. I can’t imagine myself without music, I don’t really know who I would be without it. After a lot of exploration, I would probably define myself as an indie-folk artist. More importantly, though, I think I would just call myself a storyteller. I’m a big lyrics person. Music has carried me through some of the hardest and most confusing seasons; my goal is to be able to do the same for others by sharing those experiences through song. I am practically glued to my acoustic guitar. Joni Mitchell is one of my favorite artists so her playing style and alternative tuning choices deeply influence the way I write. I strive to be brutally honest in my work, talking about all the things we tend to dance around. When people hear my songs I hope they can hear my mind and know my heart.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in a tiny town in rural Arkansas. Information about the music industry or that music even is an industry isn’t widely known and certainly wasn’t a common topic of conversation as it is in Nashville. I think music is viewed as art by most people, and it is that, but it’s also very much a money focused industry. I don’t think people think of creative work like that. I find that my friends and family are surprised to learn how small streaming revenues are if you aren’t getting radio play like major artists. As an independent or new artist, you are like a business start-up. Unsigned artists in the same genre are in direct competition with one another for a label’s attention. I am an independent (indie) artist, my team is me. I am the product, the marketing team, the manufacturer, and everything in between. It’s up to the artist to create, brand, grow social media following, build numbers and a brand to get the attention of the label. Being a creative means playing so many roles. So when you see an artist playing in a coffee shop or a local venue, just know that they most likely set up all their own equipment, designed their own merch, paid the venue out of pocket, and ate peanut butter crackers for lunch. And most of us are working “regular jobs” to support our music dreams. They call us starving artists for a reason. But it’s part of who I am and I can’t imagine a time now or in the future when all of the hustle wouldn’t be worth it.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social Media is the bane of my existence (only sort of kidding) but also the reason I’m answering these questions you are reading right now. I won’t lie to you and say that content creation is fun for me or that I have a passion for it, because it isn’t and I don’t. The expectation to constantly post, to constantly look and sound your best can be exhausting. That kind of social media presence has never felt authentic to me and, in full transparency, I still struggle to find ways to feel good about how and what I’m posting. I needed to figure out how to be me which also means making peace with what you are and what you are not. I discovered that I just have to approach it in the way that works for me. I’ve learned to incorporate the filming and picture taking into my every day life, and when I stopped trying to compete with content creators (who I have immense respect for) and starting reminding myself that I am an artist who creates content, my perspective on social media really shifted. I have grown to appreciate my platform, my opportunity to reach people in different states and countries that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have been able to reach. Some of my closest friends and most trusted mentors started as TikTok mutuals or Instagram friends. When you find a way to be yourself on social media, whatever way that is, you’ll find the right audience for you. So again, while social media is not my favorite part of this career, it has been one of the most beneficial and fulfilling ways to connect with my listeners and fellow musicians.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierracarsonmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sierracarsonmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sierracarsonmusic
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sierracarsonmusic