Who likes new music? These days, it seems that all the radio is playing are new songs we have never heard of. I think it’s important to expand your music knowledge and discover new music, so thank you, radio. Through art, we can understand culture and the world around us. One of my favorite genres is singer-songwriter. Now, I love all artists, and I find true beauty in all their work. However, my favorite artists are the ones who write their own songs. As much as I love the singers who step in when it’s time to perform, I think there is something so special about songwriters; their music comes from the soul.
I am someone who has always loved music. I am a musician myself and I have always had music as an outlet of expression and love. Just recently, I found one of my earlist songs dated back to 2012 when I was eight years old. Although the song is fairly juvenile and inconsistent, I was on to something back then! This trend of songwriting carried me through my childhood and into my early adulthood. I taught myself guitar during the thick of quarantine during the COVID-19 Pandemic. After years and years of writing about my experiences of young adulthood, I finally landed on a few original songs I wanted to share with some of my family and friends. I was quickly encouraged to finish these songs and hurry into a recording studio. Luckily, I listened to my family and friends!
On Friday, September 13, 2024, I released my first single called “Coastal Kids.” This song was written in the fall of my sophomore year. I took a songwriting course at Stevens that developed my storytelling skills and brought me to another level. We were encouraged to write a song inspired by one of our favorite artists. This originally seemed difficult for me as I always found myself inspired by countless artists. It is a blessing and a curse to find inspiration in everything; one minute, I’ll think of a song idea because I saw a movie, and the next day, a new song idea will come up about a couple I see sharing a coffee. This assignment started as a burden but ended as my first debut single. I wrote my song inspired by Noah Kahan and his discography.
The New England-born 27-year-old singer-songwriter writes about his experiences through the lens of a bitter northerner who handles family trauma and triumph. I particularly love his song “Maine” which heavily inspired my “Coastal Kids.”
On a very spontaneous summer trip to New Hampshire and Maine, I found a new appreciation for summertime in New England. On the way through crowded Connecticut highways and the back roads of Massachusetts, I blasted Kahan’s song “Maine.” This changed everything for me. It was windows down and music up all the way up the interstate, and I was living in my own personal movie.
I grew up going to the beach with my entire family. The way Noah Kahan sings about Maine and his hometown is the exact same way I feel about my beachtown. After this trip, I came home and, much like I had done for my other songs, sat on my bed and reached for my guitar. “Coastal Kids” was born out of a love and desire for the people and places that have completely changed me.
I guess my piece of advice or opinion for this week is to trust in yourself. Whether you write songs, cook up reactions in a lab, or take on the challenges of AI, you are so worthy and capable of following your heart. Life is too short to not do the things you’ve always wanted to do. “Coastal Kids” is all about change and discovery, and I hope this song reaches those who need to hear it the most. This song is meant for your drive down the interstate through the backroads of cities and states. Lost in loud parties or crowded back seats, summiting great mountains, or swimming in clear blue seas, this song is about finding yourself!
