RA: Your style bridges late 90s alternative, mid-2000s emo, and modern alt-country. Those genres might seem miles apart, but they all rely on absolute honesty. How do those specific musical eras speak to each other when you sit down to write?
BG: I connect the most with the late 90s alternative musically. I think the song structures, and the big sound with octaves and open tunings on guitar inspire me. Vocally, I have always loved bands like Taking Back Sunday, The Used, and Silverstein, and I’ve always emulated that sound and tried to write with strong melodic hooks. Lyrically, I write from real experience, and I’m inspired by artists like John Morgan, Jason Aldean, and Morgan Wallen. I feel the result is a unique blend of genres, with instrumentals similar to Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows, vocals that sit in Blink 182 territory, and lyrics that come from stories about my life and some of the things I’ve experienced and felt.
RA: When crafting an original piece, where does a song typically start for you? Are you chasing a specific guitar hook or a lyrical line first, and how do you know when a song has truly captured the feeling you wanted to convey?