Meet Amy Gould

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Gould. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.

Hi Amy, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

First it’s very important to distinguish haters and nay-sayers from criticism. Criticism isn’t always constructive but it also isn’t always harmful. We learn and grow from others. Haters are toxic.

My mother always told me to “kill them with kindness.” Over the years of my life, I learned the hard way that this wasn’t necessarily effective. The real key to dealing with haters is to kill them with apathy.

As a strong woman in the entertainment industry, I have had my share of haters. Though it always stings when attacked (I am a feeling human, afterall), I have learned that I need to place the blame where it’s due – squarely on the hater’s shoulders. Those who put so much time and effort into trying to hurt someone hate something about themselves so much more. And once you have this realization, it’s actually easier to have some sympathy for them. I won’t go as far as empathy because it’s near impossible to empathize with someone so hateful. But you can have a little sympathy for them. It must be horrible to live like that. So focussed on others rather than your own life.

And then you kill them with apathy. Just simply ignore the noise. The less attention you give, the less fuel they have, the more they show their true colors, and the less you become the center of the drama.

I have seen first hand that haters don’t give up easily. However, their audience eventually dwindles until they are just talking to themselves. So you just keep doing what you do best and that is growing in a positive direction.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am the founder, primary songwriter, vocalist frontwoman and keyboard player for the symphonic melodic metal band, Eden On Fire. I am particularly proud of this project as we have come very far in a short period of time. The band was formed in 2021, signed by DI Records in 2023, and we have been accelerating onward since. We released our debut album, Unresolved, in November 2024 and it has been receiving international accolades. The band, and myself, have been nominated for several awards over the past year. Most recently, we were awarded “Best Local Band Platinum Award” and “Best Live Entertainment Gold Award” in our hometown of Erie, PA. Most recently, we have added two new members to the band which promises to take us to the next level. It has been very exciting.

You can find more about our upcoming live shows and music at our website: www.edenonfire.com

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In the music biz, you need thick skin.

Be prepared to take all kinds of criticism. Some of it will be useful. Use it! Some will not. *Politely* disregard it.

Understand that music is art and art is subjective. You cannot please everyone at the same time. Don’t even bother to try to write to please. Write your truth!

If you are a woman trying to break into the music scene, brace yourself. It’s getting better. But stand your ground. Don’t trade being being sexualized eye candy for who you really are. Be firm in what you want to convey and stay there.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The band recently had a mass exodus with two members leaving. Thankfully, I was able to recover quickly with replacements. Finding and keeping people who have the talent, availability and the right mindset is very challenging in this industry.

Some may find this shocking, but original music doesn’t make money. At least not until you get to the huge national/international stadium stages. And to get to those, you have to put in a lot of your own money and insurmountable time. We are definitely spending more than we make these days and so we are all carrying day jobs on top of our music careers. It can be a lot.

So it is little wonder that it’s difficult to find people who are able to meet the criteria that we need who can also carry the load.

The key to overcoming this has been upfront honesty. I believe the reason the last line up failed was that those members didn’t take me at face value. I am very driven and perhaps, they didn’t believe I’d be so persistent in getting us this far so fast. And now that we are here, it was too much for their schedules and lives. The new guys are stepping in at a time where we are already on our way. They know where we are trying to go and see us headed there. And they have both been closer to this direction in their pasts as well so there is some reality in there for them. And they want it!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Nightfury Photography
Emmy Susani Photography
Zdarko Photography
Erica Rae Photography

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