#3 - audrey

"I want my music to be the soundtrack to people's lives"

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night wherever you are ! This week Small Ears edition is focused on a small artist from Texas who goes by the simple name of audrey.

Audrey Gaytan accepted to answer questions about her work and career in music.

Can you present yourself in a few words?

I'm a 22-year-old Sagittarius indie artist from Texas who makes music in her bedroom and overthinks most things but always tries to stay positive and look at the bright side. I feel like that sentence says a lot.

When did you start your musical career? What motivated you to start it?

I've always known music is something I wanted to do, but in my early childhood, I actually wanted to pursue an acting career. After a few years of auditions and acting classes, I realized my passion for music was stronger and more realistic. In middle school, I taught myself guitar and began songwriting and loved the idea of expressing myself through lyrics. In my high school years, I started dabbling with an app called Garage Band and fell in love with the process. I would try producing my own songs using loops and beats. I can't say they were any good, but it was a start! After graduating high school, I decided I didn't want to go to college so I could give all my time to music, which worried many of my family members, but I assured them I knew what I wanted, and that college was always going to be there if I decided to go, but that I would not always be young and able to pursue this dream. What motivated me most was the reaction I would get when someone would hear my music or hear my songs live. Music connects people, and seeing how it helped me connect and relate to others made me feel fulfilled. I believe everyone has a gift and life purpose, and music is mine. I can't see myself doing anything else.  

What genre of music do you play?

As of now, I'm still finding my sound, but I'd say "indie pop" describes my music best. 

indie love film

Is there an event, an artist or a band that inspired you?

So many! I grew up with a Beatles-obsessed father, so I was surrounded by their music and classic rock as a child. I was obsessed with Pink Floyd in middle school. My mom loved Jazz and always had it playing throughout the house, so I think I picked up some jazz influence that peaks through at times. More recently though, artists who are also bedroom producers such as Billie Eilish and Finneas, Girl in Red, ect. have been such an inspiration to me becuase it shows you don't need a million dollar studio to make good music. Taylor Swift has lyrically been a huge inspiration to me as well. Sonically, more artists that have influenced me are Glass Animals, The Neighbourhood, Melanie Martinez, Ariana Grande, Conan Gray, Still Woozy, and RIO. Blackpink has also been a huge inspiration to me not so much musically, but the way they carry themselves and always give 100%. I strive to have that confidence in myself as an artist. 

Is your music your principal work? If not, what else are you doing?

I worked at a restaurant for about 4 years as a host and server. I recently quit to focus 100% of my time on music, but I'm thankful for the experience and it taught me a lot of life skills about how to deal with people and problem solve. It's not something I'm passionate about, but I have so much respect for people in hospitality. It's hard work! Besides that, I have a couple of side gigs mastering tracks and making content for Instagram. If money falls short, I may try a different part-time job, but for now, the extra time is so helpful and I've gotten a lot done. Music doesn't pay the bills yet, but that's the goal! 

Where do you perform most of the time? On which platform is your music available?

In high school, I used to gig more frequently doing acoustic covers and a few originals at local restaurants and events. My dad's a guitarist and we would do gigs together and divide the time. But I recently opened for an artist for the first time at a local venue and got to perform my newer songs with tracks; It was for Laura Marano, which was such an amazing experience and she was such a kind and lovely person! I don't perform often though at this point. I'm going to wait until I have a bigger discography and better resources so I can ensure a good show :) My music is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, Amazon, Pandora, and other music streaming services.

Where is THE place or country you would like to perform?

Oh my goodness, everywhere! One place I dream of playing (which sounds silly because it's only an hour away from me) is Emo's in Austin, TX. It's a fairly small venue but I find it to be perfect because the stage is pretty big with amazing sound and lighting, but it's small enough to feel intimate and you can't get a bad view no matter where you're standing. If I'm thinking big though, honestly anywhere in Europe. Australia seems amazing, and I know I have a lot of listeners in the Philippines so that would be fun! I love traveling so anywhere that would have me, I'd be happy to perform.

What are the songs you want to share with people that don’t know your music?

Honestly, some songs that aren't out yet (but will be this fall!). One thing that's cool about my music is that it's pretty diverse, so if you don't like one track, you'll probably like another. It's not the most cohesive sound, but I like that. I don't want to put myself into a box, and I don't expect everyone to like every single song. It's more exciting that way! So if you like more chill music such as lofi, I'd suggest "Chai Tea". If you like more pop or rnb, "i just wanna see you" would be a track you might like. There's something for every sound and mood!

What is the song you are the most proud of?

Chai Tea. Songs often take me a while to form and get perfect, but the process of creating Chai Tea was almost effortless. It was so much fun for me to produce and write. The whole thing came together within a month. It was a really happy time for me and the song expresses that in the sound and lyrics. I think the reason it's done so well is that it just makes you feel good, and has a feeling of nostalgia to it somehow. I've gotten tons of messages from people saying they listen to it while studying, writing, or just to calm down. That means the world to me. It's been added to over 100,000 playlists which is insane. I've always said I want my music to be the soundtrack to people's lives, so seeing all the playlists is a literal dream come true.

Chai Tea

What are you using to record your performance ? Are you doing everything by yourself ?

My bedroom studio is pretty simple! I use Logic Pro X, a midi keyboard, and an AKG microphone. Yes, I do everything by myself; Producing, writing, singing, and mixing. People are often very surprised by this because in our society males dominate in the producing side of the industry. I think it's amazing how females are becoming more known as producers though, and I'm proud to be one. 

If you could recommend a small group or artist to people, which one would it be and why?

RIO! She's a k-indie artist and I never get tired of her music. I can listen to it on repeat. Her voice is so soothing, and her piano playing is gorgeous. Even though half of her lyrics are English and the other half are Korean, it never loses my interest because you can hear the emotion. Music truly is a universal language. Her music is so romantic and dreamy. I would recommend it to everyone. I would also recommend Conan Gray a few years ago, but he skyrocketed so fast and I'm so happy for him. I was lucky enough to meet him and see him in small venues before he got big. His music is amazing and he deserves every ounce of success he's gotten. If you haven't given him a listen yet somehow, I would check him out asap!

Do you have any new songs in preparation? If so, can you give us a little hint about it?

Yes! I'm planning on releasing a single in September, then an EP in October. The hardest part for me is picking album art. I'll have a photo or idea in my head and sometimes it's hard to bring it to life. A hint I will give though; the songs are relatable to anyone in their 20's trying to find themselves and dealing with the emotions that come along with it, and learning how to be on your own emotionally and literally. There are songs that will make you want to dance, and songs that you'll just want on as you drive down the highway at night. The overall sound is fresh and you can tell how my production and vocals have improved!

What are the places where people can follow you ?

I'm most active on Instagram @audreygaytan and my Tik Tok is @audrey.wav. Youtube is AudreyGaytan, Spotify and Apple Music are my preferred places to stream but I'm in most music-playing platforms! Just search "audrey" or "audrey - chai tea" or any other song of mine and you'll find me easily.

Do you want to add something?

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this and a huge thank you to my listeners! Your support is everything and I can't wait to share my new music with you this fall <3

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Thank you again to audrey for these detailed answers, don’t forget to follow her on all the platforms mentions above to not miss the next song releasing this fall.

As always, See you next week !

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