What was life like for you before you got into music?
Before I got into music? Non-existent. There was no “before music.” Music is the only thing that has ever made sense to me, so yeah, there was nothing.
What’s the live music scene like in Pittsburgh right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
I’m not going to lie — I’m not super engaged in the local Pittsburgh scene at the moment. I used to go out to shows all the time but over the past few years, I’ve been quite the hermit.
That being said, Sunny Days and The Weathermen are a great band and good friends. I saw them last night and it’s always a really fun show with them. My buddy Zack Keim is a fantastic indie folk songwriter. I’m also a big fan of Natural Rat, Merce Lemon, Feeble Little Horse, and Animal Scream. All doing cool shit.
It seems like being a social media curator has become added to the many jobs of a musician, how do you feel about this?
It’s a love-hate relationship. I mean, at first, I was super bummed about it. I do complain a lot about the fact that being a musician now also means being a music marketer and being a video creator and a content creator. And there was initially a lot of anxiety and resistance to operate in that space.
But at the same time, I’ve always loved film. When I was a child, I adored creating stupid little videos with my friends. And while I would never equate content creation to the art of filmmaking, I’ve definitely found a good bit of joy reconnecting with a visual medium.
What’s your view on the Music industry today? Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I think that there is amazing music being made in this generation. Fantastic music in any genre and a beautiful blending and dissociation of genre. Of course, it’s really hard to make a living as a musician and there’s also a lot of junk out there — but anyone who doesn’t think that good music is being made “these days” is just not looking in the right places. If you’re asking me about the music business, well I’ve got other opinions.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
Don’t be too precious. Commit. Just make shit. Put it out. Don’t overthink it.
And be honest. Be real. A lot of these songs that I’m putting out right now, I wrote 10 years ago when I wasn’t interested in writing about real things. I was more psychoanalytical, and you know, creating these fictitious characters and scenarios, and kind of like building these fantastical metaphors about the things I was experiencing. But lately I’ve been writing more directly about my life and my experiences — and I cannot wait to produce these songs and get them out into the world. Reflections of reality just breed a different level of urgency in art.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
I can’t whistle. I’ve never smoked a cigarette. And I believe in God.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
God’s Sick Trick is a record I’ve been releasing one track at a time throughout 2025.
And I guess you could say it’s “new-old music.” Because I wrote all these songs between the ages of 16 and 21, and now I’m 28. So, on average the collection is about a decade old. And I recorded everything between 2020 and 2022. So, there’s quite a bit of distance between the creative process and the public unveiling.
These songs were written by a different person — a whole different version of myself.
As a young developing man, I was questioning my place in the universe and in society, and I was questioning society and the universe as constructs. I was experiencing and causing heartbreak and pain and existential crisis, and these songs were my way of making sense of those feelings.
What was the recording process like?
The first three songs on the record were produced entirely by my friend Jake Hanner at his studio. We built those from the ground up, and you can feel that in how organic they sound compared to the other five tracks, which lean a little more “produced” or manicured. Those later tracks were more of a hybrid approach.
I handled a lot of the pre-production, programming, and sound design myself, then brought them to Jake for finishing touches—more vocals, drums, and overdubs. After that, I’d often take the sessions back and experiment, manipulating sound files and tinkering until things clicked. And then pass them back to Jake for mixing.
Because I was moving around so much, the record came together across a lot of different spaces—my South Side apartment in Pittsburgh, my childhood home in Rennerdale, a home studio in Boston, a London flat, even on the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and in a van touring Spain with another artist. One of my favorite easter eggs: right after arriving in the UK, I went to Ramsgate to visit This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete. I spent hours recording found sounds on Sam’s (Look Mum No Computer) collection of analog oddities, and some of those recordings ended up in the climax of the final track.
What was the biggest learning curve in making the new tunes?
Getting used to working with a collaborator while also being the ultimate decision maker. It meant opening myself up, being vulnerable, and learning when to take someone else’s pushes on board. At the same time, it also meant knowing when to push back and stand up for my own creative vision. That balance was new for me, but it made the songs stronger.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Of course. Any artist will tell you that if you keep listening back, you’ll always find things you’d want to tweak. I’m especially critical of my own voice, so there are moments I’d love to redo. But at some point, you have to let go, stop chasing perfection, and put the work out into the world. That’s just part of the process.
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