“I’m really happy for breaking out. It’s actually brought me closer to myself”
I’ve basically been the black sheep of the family, I’m the only creative one. I come from a very business, Type A type of people, the complete opposite. I also come from a very religious family of pastors, uncles are pastors and grandpas and everybody. I’m from a small town. My story is about figuring out your truth for yourself not because you were raised a certain way. I’ve always had to struggle to find who I am, what I believe in and what I do. Who I am has always been against the grain of what I have been raised. I’m a musician and chasing that dream which is not like going to college and becoming a businessman. Even with my faith, moving out to LA was a big risk and everybody thought, “oh my God, big bad evil LA.” I’m the only one who moved out of the small town and went to LA to pursue my music and break out of that small town shell to do the things that I want to do. Do the things that I should do.
Since then everything has been going really good. If I wasn’t going to do music, “well then, you need to be a Christian artist and do this and this and this.” Now I’m singing about what I feel, what I’m going through. Since then my songs made the radio. It was number four on Arizona radio, The most requested song in New Mexico and the UK. All without management or label. It just goes to show, when you break out…I could’ve easily conformed. I did ministry for a little bit. I tried to fit in and do what the family wanted me to do but as soon as you break out and do what’s real to you, things start to come into place, you know what I mean? I’ve never been happier with myself, with people, with culture, God, my artistry.
It’s actually brought me closer to myself. The most beautiful part is that they’ve always supported me and stuck by me. Now they get it. It’s been an amazing journey. It’s actually brought us closer. No matter what it is or who you have to face, or traditions, you have to face yourself at the end of the day. And sleep in your own body.
The very first stuffed animal I had, as soon as I was born and put into my crib, it was this big huge stuffed animal, it kind of looked like this [Wilson] but it was a panda. It was 2 to 3 feet tall. I had that my whole life. It was a real comfort zone. As I grew up I had him on my shelf.