Artist of the Day | BRENDAN SCOTT FRIEL
ARTIST OF THE DAY
18.06.2021
BRENDAN SCOTT FRIEL
LOCATION
Windsor ON, Canada
GENRE
Indie Folk, Singer-Songwriter
CURRENT MEMBERS
Brendan Scott Friel
With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?
I was actually JUST beginning pre production on my latest album Summer Moons. I started working with my producer James Bunton in February of last year with plans to record that early spring and release in late summer/early fall. The pandemic pushed the whole schedule back and I ended up releasing the album just last month on April 23rd.
How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
I kept pushing back the date of the album release and eventually just said "screw it, I will wait to release it until the spring time. We have to be out of this thing by then!" I, of course, was very wrong. I didn't exactly have a tour planned as I was in the thick of the creating/recording process but I assumed I would be able to have a release show and tour the album once it came out. It has really been a struggle to come up with creative ways to promote my music without playing it live for people.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?
I'm grateful to have had the album to work on for the first year of the pandemic because now that I don't, I'm struggling to keep my mental state in check. I'm trying to write new material, go for lots of walks and find interesting podcasts and music to listen to but at a certain point it all starts to feel like the movie Groundhog's Day.
How are dealing with the Covid third wave?
I'm trying to find joy in connecting with new fans/listeners online but there's really no comparison to meeting people at shows. I'm really getting through this third wave by using it as an opportunity to practice and dream up ideas for when venues reopen in Canada and I can start playing again.
Favourite Starlite Room Moment?
I don't have one...YET.
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
I feel like everyone is so burnt out on the whole "we're gonna get through this" and "it could be way worse" kind of motivation. In reality, yes, this sucks. You're not a weak or bad person for feeling however it is you feel about what's going on right now. We are all ready to scream at each other over social media about political opinions and ideas on how we should be handling this, but in reality, I think we are all just scared and coping in our own ways. There's a certain amount of grace and understanding I think we need to be giving each other right now. So in summary the message I have is to just "do you", however you're feeling, you have a right to feel that way.
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