EXCLUSIVE: SayWeCanFly Talks New Music, Youtube And Inspirations!

We are one day away from 2015 so we felt this is the perfect time to introduce you to a lovely artist who goes by the name SayWeCanFly! We got to sit down with him and do a fun interview where we talk about his inspirations, new music and of course his story of how he got where he is today! Enjoy 🙂

Your debut full length album is coming out soon, what can you tell your us and your fans about it?

Between The Roses is something I have been in the process of creating for over a year. From the moment I decided I was going to write a full length album, I knew it would be a long journey for me as a musician & an individual. I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited or content with anything I’ve written as I am with this album. This is honestly the first time I’ve been able to listen back to something I’ve recorded and just jam along to it without second guessing anything about it, it’s a really cool feeling. I wanted to keep the album driven by acoustic guitar and vocals, but I filled in the spaces with real cello, violin, and piano. It’s definitely a darker album, but it tells the story of a huge piece of my life, and I poured my heart into it.

You recorded this album twice, what made you decide to do that?

I was in the studio for two months here in Toronto, and we finished sixteen songs. Unfortunately there were some technical issues, and in the end all of the files were erased before the mixes were done. It was honestly a blessing in disguise because I had the chance to do it again and make it better. I wasn’t completely happy with how it turned out the first time, so I knew everything I had to do to make it exactly what I wanted when I went to go record it again in Springfield, MO.

When fans pre-order your album they get two songs, Song of the Sparrow and The Distance That Took You Away, what was your inspiration behind these songs?

The day before I left to go record the album for the second time, I was sitting outside at my dad’s place. He lives beside a forest so there are many birds making noise all the time. There was actually a sparrow perched on a wooden fence close to where I was playing guitar, and I just watched it for a while. I started thinking about how free it must feel going through life having no worries and just doing exactly what it was created to do. “Song of The Sparrow” is about walking through life inside of a human body, trying to find my place in the world, hoping that someday I will understand the meaning behind it. “The Distance That Took You Away” was written in the motel room I stayed at while I was recording the album, and that song is about someone who means the world to me but is very far away. Distance is something that has always come between me and the people I care about, so I wrote a song about trying to make the best of it.

You worked on everything for this album from writing the songs to planning its release, what is the biggest thing you learned from it all?

The biggest thing I’ve learned from writing and recording this full length album is that no matter what situation life throws at you, if you’re in touch with yourself and focused on your goals, it’s much easier to adapt and stay calm. I’ve learned that good things can take time, and have come to appreciate the value of having patience.

You have a strong social media presence, is it important for you to stay connected to your fans?

Spending time on social media has been a huge part of my life since I started making music and posting it on the internet. I love making the people who support me understand that they are the second half of what I do. Talking to them daily also helps me keep focused and motivated. It’s just this amazing two way street where there is so much love present, and I feel obligated to maintain that and nurture it so that everyone is always connected to each other and to what I’m doing. I know my music means a lot to them, and I want them to know how much they mean to me too. We all just kind of help each other feel less alone in the world and it’s really amazing.

At what age did you know you wanted to pursue a career in music?

The summer before I started high school was probably the time when I discovered how much I cared about playing acoustic guitar and singing. There was a lot going on in my life back then and I always held it so close to me. I was fourteen at the time and that was the year I started a YouTube channel called “SayWeCanFly” and started posting my songs on it.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

I really do believe that no matter how successful we are, everyone still needs someone to look up to. When I needed someone to show me that acoustic music existed and inspire me to start writing it, Secondhand Serenade was all I listened to. When it was time to start playing shows and build an online presence, I was really into NeverShoutNever. Having chosen an independent path even after having some offers from record labels, I’ve really been looking up to Ed Sheeran this year because he is someone who was successful in doing this on his own and building an empire with an acoustic guitar and his voice. It changes, but different people mean something to me for different reasons.

Are you planning a tour to promote the new album?

I will be doing a handful of shows in the UK starting in January, aswell as some album release shows in the USA starting in February. All of my tour dates and ticket links can be found at www.bandsintown.com/saywecanfly!