We were lucky to catch up with Sterling Cabbiness recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sterling, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Right now, creatively, I’m taking the biggest risk I ever have: choosing to be the most vulnerable and brutally honest I’ve ever been. I’ve always prided myself on being open and honest in my music. But I started noticing that I often wrap sensitive topics in metaphor. So I asked myself a simple question: What would it look like to say exactly what I mean, without hiding behind metaphor or analogy?
After ten years of working professionally as a musician, I felt the need to reevaluate. Last year, I decided to step out of my comfort zone, and in doing so, I met incredible people, accomplished more in one year than I ever had before, and surpassed the goals I had set at the start of the year. It all happened because I chose to be uncomfortable. I did the hard things no one else wanted to do.
I learned and grew so much from that year, and it gave me clarity on where I need to go creatively. This next project is rooted in the idea of being so unapologetically me that no one else could have made it. It has to be my best work yet, because no one can be a better version of me than me. I’ve finally reached a place of self-acceptance and mastery over what makes me who I am.
Musically, I’ve been studying the greatest artists of all time, diving deep into the music I love to understand it on a new level. I’ve been reshaping my eclectic sound, becoming more thoughtful, intentional, and deliberate in my songwriting. One of the things I loved most about my project “Positivity” was how well I told a story throughout the album. I didn’t know if I’d ever have the patience to craft something so meticulous again. That’s the real challenge for this next project: not just to do it again, but to do it better, with fresh ideas I’ve never tried before.
It’s easy to fall into old songwriting patterns, so I ditched my phone and went to pen and paper. I let go of my go-to chords and pushed myself to be more inventive. I set rules to keep themes concise, to avoid metaphors, and to be deliberate about what I’m saying and why. If I’m truly going to tell you where I’m at artistically, you need to hear the parts of me I don’t even want to hear myself. That kind of vulnerability is difficult, but I believe it’s what will set me apart.
When I think about where modern pop music came from Soul, Blues, Jazz the songs that have stood the test of time are the ones that said the obvious thing no one else had the courage to say. The words and melodies came straight from the heart. I believe that’s what’s missing in music today. For the past 20 or 30 years, we’ve been obsessed with sounding cool instead of simply telling the truth. We’ve forgotten how to say what’s really on our hearts.
I think this generation is hurting. Times are hard for everyone right now. We’re more isolated than ever, yet we have more ways to connect than ever before. I’m yearning for brutal honesty. I’m craving something different, something that truly moves me. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Sterling, 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?
My name is Sterling Cabbiness. I’ve been a musical artist for over 10 years now. I was born in Austin, Texas. I moved all around Texas and New Mexico growing up. My professional career as a musician has deep roots in the Austin scene. I’ve been gigging in the Austin area since 2016. I mainly make pop music. I take influence from other genres like RnB, Hip-Hop, Rap, Folk, Rock and blend it into the pop umbrella.
Not only am I a singer-songwriter, I’m a performer, and a producer. I’ve worked with other artists, songwriting, producing, and sharing the stage. The biggest thing I bring to the table is my ability to work with others. Anyone who knows me knows the kind of person I am. Hardworking, professional, dedicated, and driven. I care about helping, and giving back to the community. That’s why I’m active in organizations like ATXMusicians, HAAM, SIMS Foundation, and The Trails Conservancy just to name a few.
The thing that I’m truly offering is am itch that I feel isn’t being scratched. I make pop music, but I do it in a city that hasn’t traditionally been welcoming of the pop sound. I make pop music in a country where pop music usually gets overlooked as slop. I’m making a path forward by really studying the greats and understanding how they did what they did, and applying that to a modern day context. People might stray from saying that Micheal Jackson, Prince, or even the Beatles were slop, and I’d agree with them. I know there’s great pop music out there. That’s the kind of respect and musicianship I’m working to cultivate. Like Ed Sheeran has done for himself. Above the fray, where even if you’re not a hardcore listener. You won’t change the station if he comes on. That’s what I want for myself.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was that nobody likes me. As far as I can remember I’ve always been an “odd man out”. As a young kid I got bullied. As a young man I was misunderstood. As a man I was outcasted. After years of therapy and forgiving myself I’ve finally got to a place where I know I’m loved. Mainly by my inner circle. They’re the people I keep closest to me. I”m good with myself now, but they’re the people who keep me in check and challenge me to be the best person I can be. If I’m good with them I know I’m doing the right thing.
My career as a musician as been stunted because of my struggles with depression. I really believe my biggest hurdle I’ve ever had to cross was myself. It’s these lessons that I’ve had to be deliberate with that separates me from everyone else. Although it sucks to have gone through everything I have. I know without a doubt, had I not, I would never succeed to a scale that I will undoubtably reach now that I have the experience to do so.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
When people truly understand and relate to what I’m saying. The idea that people listen to one of my songs and just get what I intended with it. It’s a feeling that can’t be replace. Truly being understood, and it’s a two way street. I know when I listen to a song that connections with me on an emotional level that I feel truly understood. It’s a bond that goes both ways and to be a part of it, to be and instigator, and a leader in the interaction. It’s what motivates me to keep doing what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sterlingcabbiness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sterlingcabbiness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sterlingcabbiness/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCexl_saasd96cHsOmd8G4Gg
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-183538811
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/73J7v6qhUqSD4bM4AMXhzK?si=AOo9s3NWR0iqobBWH0QlYA
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sterling-cabbiness/1463950695
https://music.amazon.com/artists/B07RSXF9YJ/sterling-cabbiness
