Artist Spotlight: Brett Miller - Red Water
Artist Spotlight: Brett Miller - Red Water
Red Water by Brett Miller live in Nashville, TN #ArtistSpotlight
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Recorded, Edited, Produced by Chaz Mazzota + Nashville Pop
Check out the interview below!
Watch the Video
An Interview With Brett Miller
Tells us about the song you are performing for the Nashville Pop Artist Spotlight. What is it about?
""Dealing with the ego. Learning how to get out of your own way, or at least seeking understanding within yourself. In moments of being too self-critical or fearful of "what if" scenarios, I find myself writing about the ideal life where I am not stagnated by doubt or a yearn to retreat. I seek now to become friends with my inner voice and living life unapologetically, especially on a big stage. My music tends to have longing within it, whether of someone, or some place, or even some mindset. Always with some urgency, but these songs tend to provide some perspective to appreciate the things, people, and situations we have in our lives. For this performance, given two song permitted, I'm tackling the same subject matter of "the inner battle with myself" in two different colors or lights. Happy - with a song painting the picture of the ideal mindset and life, and Sad/Conflicted - with addressing the feud I deal with from my inner voice and searching for a solution.”
What first got you into music? How did the journey begin?
“Watching my mother sing professionally on stages when I was kid really was such a catalyst. I've wanted to be on stage ever since. I also started learning how to play piano as a kid, and would soon incorporate singing into my piano playing leading up to my first paid gig at the age of 16 at a local coffee shop in south Florida. Simultaneously, I was also starting to write songs, now that I understood how to play what I wanted on piano. I'm lucky to have had a lot of exposure to music and performing at a young age, and was always encourage to follow through with it from my parents and teachers. This support pushed me to focus on music as a concentration in both college and grad school, leading up to today where I have a growing catalog of music released and am performing regularly every single week in South FL, Nashville, TN, and several other cities around the country!”
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
“I write pop music that is always radio-ready in terms of sound quality and musical ability, but always with a deeper message I'm trying to convey to the listener. I tend to focus on situations of struggle, whether interpersonal or of the self, but always painted in a way that the listener can see themselves in. Sometimes the song shares a solution or a tidbit of advice. Sometimes we leave things unresolved. In either case, I'd like to think my music captures the beauty of the moment, with it's richness in colors of the emotion. These songs are always something to relate to and get lost in, like reading a good novel or watching a compelling movie. These songs do represent my life so far as a young adult, whether the details are real or fabricated. I do believe there are songs in my catalog for everyone, and I hope my music can make a deep impact on whomever chooses to listen, as it did for me to create each and every one of them.”
What does your music represent?
“To feel your emotions deeply, but stay grounded in your decision-making. Follow your intuition, always stay curious, seek unapologetic self-expression, dive deep in your interpersonal relationships, reach out to loved ones, count your blessings, and always live in the moment!”
What is your creative process like?
“Every song has it's own unique story of how it was created. I wish it was a simple as "building the track first, then lyrics, then recording..." but it's just not how it tends to go for me. If it did, I'd probably have a much bigger catalog at this point. Sometimes, a title idea comes to me and I'm able to follow that through when I start demoing out a track...sometimes, in a co-write, we're working off a situation of mine or someone else that inspires the song and style, only to come up with the title at the very end of the session...sometimes, I'm collaborating with another producer, and they pitch me a produced out demo track and I'm asked to topline over it, and am then able to lose myself in the production to inspire the story I want to put over it, whether the story is really of me or not. I love how each that song comes into existence did so in its own unique way. As long as we remain aware and know how to act when inspiration strikes, we can capture an idea from anywhere and turn it into something beautiful.”
If you were to open for any 3 artists, who would they be?
“Jon Bellion, OneRepublic, Frank Ocean”
What is the best advice you’ve been given so far in the music industry?
“These days, the large amounts of money you'd have to spend to have big names or studios produce your music or videos or whatever does not guarantee success...It's best to play the long game, and collaborate with other peers to build something together, rather than paying thousands for a "big name" to produce your record, or direct your video, or even to repost your music on their socials...so much success has come from artist posting selfie videos or DIY-ing their song and content ideas. For the new artists, don't focus on spending thousands before you have an audience for that product. Start small, start affordable, make connections, build a fanbase, and work on cultivating the fanbase over a long period of time. Otherwise, you'll run out of money, run out of content, and fizzle out as quick as you initially surfaced.”
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
“Probably something involving finance. I've focused on all things finance whilst pursuing this music career, because I learned how much it would supplement my career early on as I was slowing saving from playing gigs over the last 15 years. I'm sure I could follow through with that field later on in life.”
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
“The finished product. I love being able to "log my life" with the songs. Each song represents a moment in time; a journal entry of not just my life by way of the lyrics, but also of the memory of creating that song. I remember who I wrote it with, if not written solo, where I was living, what studio were we in, who was I dating at the time, what was I doing at that time. I know I'll be looking back at my music with all this mind, and also love being able to share this younger generations as the years go on. I truly believe that is the most rewarding experience of this music venture. These songs are the gifts that keep on giving.”
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives such as yourself?
“Obviously funding better opportunities on a state or city level would be incredible for the arts. Down in south Florida, we love live music and can find all over the place at restaurants, clubs, city centers, private events, and so much more, but there's not enough in terms of original music...obviously, popular cover songs are proven to be entertaining to folks, rather than some random song from a random artist, but I'm confident there could be more establishments that focus only on original music and that there would be an audience for it, especially as it builds. I love companies like Sofar Sounds, and seeing open mic nights all over town, but maybe one day there can be more curated events to support original artists, not just in south FL but all over the US. When I am elected President, that will be my first order of business...”
Social Media
Nashville Pop: @nashvillepop.us
Brett Miller: @brettmillerlive
Chaz Mazzota: @itschazmazzota
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