Thank you for chatting with us! Did you always want to be a musician or was there a specific moment that something happened that made you think, “This is what I want to do with my life? No, I wanted to be a baseball player when I was younger. I was more of the “sports” kid than the typical “music” kid. I would say that seeing Kenny Chesney preform when I was 16 was a moment that changed my desired career path. Kenny’s music spoke to me and a lot of the kids that grew up playing sports. (“Boys of Fall” is an example of a song he sang about high school football). His lyrics during that show were like a language I wanted to speak better. His music was something that I related to on a deep level.
What song have you recorded that means the most to you and why? After my Grandpa past away in 2018, I wrote a song on the plane back from the memorial service. He lived in the valley town of Johnstown Pennsylvania with my Grandma. They had been married for 65 years. The song I wrote is called “Life in the Valley” and it’s about both my grandparents. It’s also about how people like myself grew up in Western Pennsylvania. I would say it’s my favorite because it’s simply who I am.
Is there any news for the forthcoming album? I recently released my first full length country album and it is called, “Hometown”. I wrote a lot of the songs about my hometown of Washington, Pennsylvania and I recorded it in Nashville. I worked with an awesome producer named Daniel Dennis who helped me really find the sound I was looking for. I’ve been playing a lot of the songs from the album but I’m also writing new songs. I’m excited for the next chapter in my music career.
If you could only perform one of your songs for someone who has never heard of you, what would it be? I would say that it would be my new song called “Little Ms. Summertime.” There’s something that is deep about it and yet carefree at the same time. I’ve never had that exact combination before. As an artist, I always love playing my new stuff. Sometimes “the new song” is good and other times it isn’t…But I always want to show people something fresh.
What’s your advice for young artists? I believe the best thing you can do is to find what makes you happy. Find songs that you want to sing. Find people that you want to sing with. Find a sound that moves you. The music industry isn’t necessarily good or bad but it comes with a lot of distractions. I wouldn’t let your mind get caught up in things like “industry trends” or what you think people will find to be cool. I would block all of that noise out and focus on playing music that makes you feel good.
What is your favorite Wine? Cantina Di Negrar is a great Italian red wine. There is a wine called Public Radio that is fantastic as well. I enjoy drinking red wine and learning about how it’s made.
How do you drink your coffee? I drink a large coffee in the morning and I may throw a little cream in there. If it’s high end coffee I like to leave it black. In the afternoon I like Nitro iced coffee a lot… Yeah, I drink a lot of coffee.
What is your favorite sandwich? It would be the Turkey Avocado from Mitchell’s Delicatessen in Nashville.
Where is your favorite place to eat in your hometown? We have a lot of awesome Italian places around Pittsburgh. I would say one of my favorites would be Angelo’s Restaurant in my hometown of Washington, PA. When I moved to Nashville, I was surprised that there wasn’t nearly as many Italian restaurants down here. Pittsburgh knows how to do pasta.
Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why? I’d love to be sponsored by StarKist salmon packets. I eat them all the time with rice. They make a healthy and portable food.