We recently connected with Daughter and have shared our conversation below.
Daughter, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
As a nineteen year old in an abusive relationship, fresh out of graduating college, in and out of the hospital with mono with no faith or confidence in myself or God’s plan for my life, you could say I was completely lost. The summer after moving home from The International College of Musical Theatre in London, I decided some changes needed to be made. Music and my faith were the only healing things in my life at the time so I turned to writing and praying. I moved to Nashville, TN to immerse myself in a new environment, forcing myself to take the time I needed to recover mentally and physically, and rediscover my identity as an artist. Oddly enough, it was in this process of turning my life around that I grew the most as an artist and person. I used the challenges I faced to start writing relatable material in my music and create an identity detached from worldly things. Essentially, music became therapy- but not to say I didn’t also utilize the gift of therapy and recognized the impact it had on my mental health. All that to be said, it is and always will be an ongoing battle for many, but I can safely say redirecting my eyes on God and trusting His plan for my career, relationships, and overall mission in this lifetime is what truly saved me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Performing since age six, I knew at an early age I had a passion for music. Throughout my childhood, I was in countless musical productions, plays, showcases and talent competitions, as well as appearing in a few music videos and performing weekly in live events. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I had time to reflect and prepare for how I wanted to spend the next few years of my life. I used the time I was given to graduate high school a year early and start propelling my career as a performer. I moved to London, UK at age seventeen to work on my craft at The International College of Musical Theatre. During my studies, I trained with multiple Broadway and West End actors and had the opportunity to perform for professional choreographers, casting agents, and directors. While I had in mind that I was going to pursue musical theatre for the rest of my life, I picked up songwriting after my late-night rehearsals, a skill I had not honed since I was a young girl. Writing came naturally and, very quickly, music became therapy for me. While dealing with a broken relationship, homesickness, and a complete separation from my faith in God, I found a way to turn feelings into thoughts and thoughts into lyrics. I spent each and every night in my apartment writing new verses until I worked up the confidence to post them on social media and share with my friends and family. During my second year of college, I decided to take songwriting more seriously and book recording time with local producer and engineer, Corey Pavlosky, at Pipe Dream Studios during semester breaks back home in Virginia. Corey helped me record and release my first singles under my old name, ‘Mads’, as well as get plugged into the gigging community in Virginia.
In the last year, on top of teaching private voice lessons and performing weekly with my band, I have had the opportunity to work with producers and songwriters in Nashville and record my debut singles as ‘daughter’- my new stage name. Along with recording new music, I’ve been focusing a lot of time on building my social media presence and filming new and exciting content around the globe. I spent all of the past summer in Europe filming content and collaborating with artists in the United Kingdom that I met off of TikTok! While I have learned so much in the past few months about the importance of in online presence it today’s industry, ultimately, the studio and stage are my happy places. I couldn’t ask for a better workplace and coworkers to collaborate with. I am excited to announce that I am planning to release music in 2024 and will be posting updates over the next few months about what is to come regarding my next projects!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Always be kind, coachable and committed. Something you learn very early on in the industry is that every interaction- whether it’s with a coworker, coach, director, or client- should be approached with these three qualities. So much of any job is networking and ‘who you know’, but in music, your stability and future in the industry often rely on it. Something I have heard by every mentor and coach is how necessary it is to be willing to learn from every experience and interaction, whether that be positive or negative, and grow from it. Meet as many people as you can. Get coffee with them. Form relationships. Ask for advice. Say thank you, choose to take it or not, and repeat. Along the way, be kind and grateful for every opportunity, because you rarely know which direction it can end up taking you. And finally, keep at it. Passion and work ethic go hand in hand. From my experience, you will hear a lot of ‘no’s’ before you get the yes that changes everything. But if you treat every rejection or harsh criticism as a chance to learn one more thing, then you are one step closer to your goal.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking to collaborate with other artists! One of my favorite things about this industry is that nothing can be done singlehandedly. The creative process, of concept building, writing, producing, recording, promoting, releasing, and performing music takes numerous talented individuals to work. As a solo artist who is just starting to book shows across the East Coast, my band in Virginia has consisted of over thirty different musicians that we switch out, and I absolutely love that. I am so thankful and lucky to have a community of artists that I work, travel, and hangout with in the little time that we are not already performing together. Along with performing in the US, I recently traveled to Europe and collaborated with other content creators and musicians in the UK. So to answer the question, if you are a producer, writer, videographer, musician, or just the coolest person ever- message me and let’s get to work 😉
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daughterofficial.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daughterofficial_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daughterofficialpage
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdKxs-yg3d996r_XD1mrhFA
- Other: LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/daughterofficial_
Image Credits
Alli Vogt, Caitlyn Morton, Ami Baker Photography
