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

Silvertongue, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Pursuing music is scary. Growing up music was treated as a cool hobby but something you could never do as a “real” job. I have always been a creative person, whether it was arts & crafts, Legos, or robotics, I’ve always felt the urge to create something. The adults in my life always saw this and pushed me towards a career in engineering. Engineering or some sort of trade could have been fulfilling to me, but after trying out for a school musical I fell deeply in love with music. As with all new interests I became addicted to music and started learning guitar and writing my own music. As I got older I started performing more and realized writing and playing music is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, probably to the dismay of my teachers and parents.

Now at the age of 27 I am fully committed to creating music with my band Silvertongue, even moving across the country from Massachusetts to Oregon to have more opportunities. But I’d be lying if I said every four months I didn’t have some kind of freakout about my decision. Music is hard, you have to write, record, perform, and market yourself, all while hoping you are not bleeding money. A career in music is also very slow. When you are just starting it is the dream to write a hit song and blow up overnight, but in reality it is a very hard and slow process. I am lucky to say that after years of working hard our band is touring and making money! Not enough to live off completely, but enough to allow us to tour and make more music at a higher quality.

There is always that thought of “did I make the right decision”? when choosing to pursue a creative field. As I’ve gotten older I have known more and more people who’ve decided to stop pursuing music in exchange for a steady/well paying job. But without music I would be lost. Writing, performing, and sharing my music gives my life purpose and when I meet someone who my music has affected, it means everything to me. All I can do as someone pursuing a career in music is to keep setting goals and keep getting better year after year. Each year we have played bigger shows and have had more listeners, and there is no reason this should stop if I keep working hard! But even if no one listened, I could never stop making music, so I guess I’m stuck doing it! I am so excited to see where Silvertongue is in a few years, and I am planning on enjoying the ride!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey! We are Silvertongue, an indie rock band based out of Portland, OR. Silvertongue was started by (me) Andrew Stevens when I was in college at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. I have been writing music since I was 13, and in college I played mostly folk/singer-songwriter. I started performing on our college radio and wanted to fill out my songs, so I had my roommate Jake Hogan play guitar with me. After college we moved to Oregon where we met our keyboardist Mellissa (Mel) Boell, and Joe-Henry McQuary. Over the years silvertongue has evolved a lot, while it still has folk roots, it has grown to incorporate more upbeat indie rock sounds and new instruments like synth, horns, and violin. We have just released our third studio album “Fossils” that we are so excited to share with the world! Fossils is a high-energy, ultra-dynamic album that we wrote about life in our late 20s, Songs about time passing, love and loss, family and friends you may have grown away from. Themes we think most people in their 20s early 30s can relate to.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Go out and support live music! After covid it is so important to go out and build community in your local music and art scene. A supportive music community is the best thing for a small band

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Connecting with people through music. I have meet some amazing people from playing music and have made very close friends. When you play live music you meet so many other musicians who inspire you, along with other creatives like photographers!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.silvertonguemusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silvertonguesound/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silvertonguesound
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwCL852mYdUq2wuMDk9vc6A
• Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/silvertongue/fossils

Image Credits

Madison Steins and Ethan Hansen