• What inspires the themes in your music?

At the heart of my music is transformation. I’m fascinated by the idea that our greatest hardships can become the very things that shape us into stronger, more compassionate people.

A lot of my songs explore the duality of being human. The light and the shadow that exist within all of us. I don’t think growth comes from pretending the darker parts of ourselves don’t exist. I think it comes from acknowledging them, learning from them and choosing who we want to become.

Ultimately, I hope my music helps people see that their struggles don’t have to define them. They can become the foundation for resilience, purpose and something beautiful. If someone walks away from one of my songs feeling a little more understood or a little more hopeful, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do!

• What do you want people to feel during your live shows?

More than anything, I want my live shows to feel like a place where people can set down whatever they’ve been carrying and simply be themselves. Music has always had this incredible ability to pull me out of my own struggles, even if it’s only for a few minutes. It reminds me that there’s more to life than fear, self-doubt, or the difficult season I’m walking through. That’s the feeling I hope to create for other people.

I want my shows to be a space where people feel a genuine sense of belonging, where they can embrace every part of who they are without judgment. If they leave feeling more connected to themselves, more hopeful and more confident in the person they’re becoming, then I’ve done what I came to do. At the heart of it all is a simple message: who you become begins with what you believe about yourself. That’s why the words “I am” are so important to me. The stories we tell ourselves shape the lives we build and I want my music to remind people that they have the power to choose those stories with courage and intention.

• What inspired your song Animal?

Animal came from a season where I was pushing myself further than I ever had before..not just creatively but personally. I was putting my music and my heart out into the world in a very vulnerable way as all artists have to do and with that came a lot of judgment, criticism and the pressure to make myself smaller so I could be more acceptable.

Growing up, I often felt like I was “too much.” Too passionate, too emotional, too intense, too different. Over time I learned to hide those parts of myself because I thought they were the reason I didn’t belong. The more I rejected them, the more they became my shadow.

Writing Animal was my way of reclaiming those forgotten parts of myself. I realized that what I had been calling “darkness” wasn’t inherently dark at all..it was often misunderstood, rejected or unloved. The song became an invitation to stop fighting myself and start embracing every part of who I am with honesty and compassion.

At its core, Animal is about integration. It’s about recognizing that we all have light and shadow within us and that real freedom doesn’t come from pretending one doesn’t exist. It comes from learning to live with both. When we stop hiding who we are, we finally give ourselves permission to become whole. To become who we were always meant to be.

• What is it like being an independent artist?

Being an independent artist is one of the most rewarding and challenging things I’ve ever done. It’s a constant exercise in trusting yourself. People often see the songs or the performances but they don’t always see everything happening behind the scenes. As an independent artist, you’re not just writing music, you become the marketer, the creative director, the strategist, the business owner and the person responsible for keeping yourself moving forward when things feel uncertain. It’s taught me that growth isn’t just about becoming a better musician. It’s about becoming a better person. You learn resilience, adaptability, humility and how to receive constructive criticism without losing sight of your vision. You learn to let go of what you can’t control, to have faith in the process and to keep showing up even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. At the same time, there’s something incredibly beautiful about creating from a place of complete authenticity. Every decision comes from your own intuition and values and every milestone feels deeply earned because you know exactly what it took to get there. For me, being an independent artist isn’t just a career, it’s a journey of becoming. Every song I release teaches me a little more about who I am and I hope that by sharing that journey honestly, it gives other people permission to trust themselves a little more too.

• How has your personal journey influenced your music?

My personal journey has shaped every part of my music because it’s taught me to create from a place of honesty instead of perfection. For a long time I felt like I had to hide parts of myself in order to fit in. As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that the very parts of me I once tried to conceal are often the most meaningful. They’ve become the foundation of the stories I want to tell. My music isn’t about pretending I’ve never struggled, it’s about transforming those experiences into something that gives people hope, courage and a deeper understanding of themselves.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by talented people who have helped bring that vision to life. Working with producer Russell Broom has been transformative. He has challenged me creatively, helped me discover my sound and encouraged me to express parts of myself that I didn’t even know were there. I’ve learned just as much from the incredible musicians I’ve collaborated with along the way, each of whom has left their own imprint on my artistic journey. As I’ve matured, I’ve become less interested in simply writing songs about difficult emotions and more interested in asking what those experiences can teach us. If my music can help someone feel seen, inspire them to keep moving forward or remind them of their own strength, then every challenge I’ve faced has been worth it.

• How do you mix emotion with your sound?

For me, emotion and sound have never been separate things. I don’t think music simply expresses emotion, I think emotion becomes music. When we speak, our voices naturally change depending on how we feel. Joy, grief, fear, love and hope all have their own tone, texture and energy. Singing is an extension of that. As an artist, I’m constantly asking myself “What does this emotion sound like?” and then allowing my voice to answer that question.

That’s why I’m drawn to dynamic performances. Sometimes a whisper says more than a scream and sometimes a raw and powerful vocal can communicate something that words alone never could. Every choice I make, from the melodies to the production to the way I deliver a lyric, is in service of making people feel something, not just hear it.

I hope my music creates moments where listeners don’t just understand the emotion intellectually but that they experience it alongside me. To me that’s where music becomes truly powerful.

• What are you excited to do next in your career?

I’m excited for what’s next but I’m even more excited about who I’ll become along the way. I’ve learned that the healthiest way for me to approach this career is to focus on the work rather than the outcome. Goals are important because they give us direction but I’ve found that when we become too attached to results, we can miss the joy of creating, learning and growing. Some of the most meaningful moments in my career have been the ones I never could have planned.

I’m excited to meet more incredible musicians, collaborate with talented people, play bigger stages, release more music and continue building a community around songs that genuinely mean something. One of the greatest gifts of this journey has been hearing how people connect with the music and how those connections inspire conversations, healing and creativity in their own lives.

In the near future, I’m especially excited to share the Animal music video. It has been the most ambitious creative project I’ve ever been part of and it challenged me in ways I never expected…not only as an artist but as a leader and as a person. Working alongside such an incredible team reminded me that creating something meaningful is never a solo journey.

More than anything I’m excited to keep growing. If this journey has taught me anything, it’s that the destination is never the point. The person you become while pursuing your dreams is the real reward and I can’t wait to see where that journey leads next.