Meet Gabe Neal & Callie Dixon

 

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gabe Neal & Callie Dixon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gabe & Callie below.

Hi Gabe & Callie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

Callie: From a young age, I watched my sister Caryn Dixon (Musician) relentlessly pursue her dreams, doing whatever it took to make them a reality. I think a lot of my work ethic comes from witnessing that drive. In other areas, I’ve drawn inspiration from the come up of people like Taylor Swift and, on the branding side, Chris Do. Their core values have kept me grounded and constantly motivated. One of my favorite quotes from Chris really captures this: “Wealth is never about money, but the ability to choose what you do with your time.”

Gabe: I’ve always had an insatiable drive to create. At 8, I was running around with my grandparents’ Sony Handycam, making “movies.” By 11, I was writing and drawing comic books, and eventually, I found my way to music at 14. It took me a long time to understand why I am the way I am, but throughout my 20s, I’ve realized that what I’m really seeking is fulfillment and freedom—and I know that doesn’t come easy.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

We’re Gabe and Callie, the husband-and-wife duo behind JST FRNDS. Our journey is rooted in a shared passion for music and collaboration. Over the past decade, we’ve honed our creative strengths in songwriting, production, and artist development. Our goal is to create music that connects with people emotionally, combining bold melodies with raw, honest lyrics. What excites us most is crafting songs that feel both timeless and fresh, while bringing a personal touch—whether through storytelling or creating a warm, inviting atmosphere in our sessions—which really sets us apart.

Currently, we’re focused on expanding our fanbase and gearing up for the release of our own EP “Love Anyway”. This project is incredibly special to us, as it delves into the complexities of love with a sound that blends cinematic, raw elements with pop sensibilities. We’re also excited to be working closely with some amazing artists—French Canadian pop artist Liya Bombardier, country pop artist Marybeth Byrd, and Americana pop artist Michael Sanzone. Helping them develop their careers and guiding them in discovering their unique sound has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

In addition to making music, we run Who We Are Creative, a creative agency that supports businesses and artists in the music industry. This, along with our music production work, has become our day job while we work toward making music our full-time focus. Through our agency, we’ve been fortunate to work with incredible creatives across the industry, helping them build strong visual identities that align with their artistic vision. Some of our proudest work includes the brand design for Songhouse, which was featured on TEDx and The Kelly Clarkson Show, as well as our visual branding and development work for *Affinity Entertainment*, a leading Nashville entertainment provider, which has been widely recognized across the city’s major venues on Broadway.

When we first started as artists back in 2017, we didn’t have anyone to guide us through the complexities of the industry. After our song All Night Long went viral, we had major labels reaching out, but we didn’t know how to navigate those opportunities. Through those experiences, we’ve learned the importance of understanding the industry for ourselves and how to protect our creative work from being taken advantage of. Now, we strive to be the mentors we needed back then for the artists we work with today—whether through our music or our design work.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Our golden rule: No one will work as hard as you. For a long time, we looked to others for help and opportunities. While there’s nothing wrong with that, what changed our careers was realizing that if we want something, we have to go after it ourselves.

Trust your gut – Learn to trust yourself more than anyone else. This will take you further than you realize.

Find a balance – We used to look down on people who took breaks, but as we’ve gotten older, we’ve realized just how important balance really is. You can only work as hard as you allow yourself time to rest.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Absolutely! We’re always open to collaborating with songwriters, producers, videographers, visual artists—anyone who’s passionate about creating amazing work. We’re especially drawn to up-and-coming artists who are hungry for success, sometimes even more than we are. That kind of drive is incredibly inspiring to us!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Donny Herndon & Who We Are Creative

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