Exclusive Interview with Bryce Drew

 

We were first amazed by singer/song-writer Bryce Drew, when we featured her in our Someone New: Cover Wars.

In the past few years this talented 19 year old has performed to sold-out audiences in the US and UK.

Read our interview with Bryce below.

For readers that have never heard you before, what are five words you would use to describe your sound? 

“I would like to think my sound comes across as raw, soulful, conversational, honest, and free.”

What’s your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing music? 

“Oh man, there are so many things! I’m a real foodie. I love cooking, baking, watching food network, finding new restaurants to try out… there was a period of time where the most used app on my phone was Yelp! I’d get lost on reviews and bookmark them all, pretending I was fine dining the hours away. Guess that says a lot about my social life, haha.”

Is it hard to balance music and attending college? 

“Surprisingly, college and music aren’t hard to balance at all.  I’ve found myself more inspired and actively writing music during the school year than I am during the Summer. When life is busy, there are more stories and experiences to pull songs out of. I was extremely worried going into college that I’d have trouble with time balance, but I walked out of my first year with more than double the songs written than I had before. It’s very invigorating, really. “

How did you get started posting videos to YouTube? 

“My first YouTube video was a cover of Daydreamer by Adele.  This was three years ago, I had just begun guitar (note: this video is no longer on YouTube, haha)  The video was part of a compilation for the 1 year anniversary of 21’s release.   I really do have to thank Adele for the start of my YouTube postings and my career in general. It was the response of her fan club, the Daydreamers, that drove me to keep posting covers, practicing guitar, and writing music.”

If you could see anyone in concert right now, who would it be? 

“If I could see anyone in concert right now it would be The Civil Wars opening for Adele.  It breaks my heart that I won’t ever get the chance to see this lineup live.  Twice I had tickets, both times they were canceled. Still I dream of sitting in that audience and witnessing the gritty, heart-wrenching storytelling of these artists, my skin crawling at the first note.  The next time I get the chance to see Adele I am there in a heartbeat, but it is so sad that I can’t say the same for the Civil Wars.  A few years ago I had tickets to see them at the most intimate venue, but my ride canceled on me and I was too young to drive. If only I could go back and tell myself they were splitting- maybe I’d have tried harder to get there…their harmonies paint pictures in my mind. A girl can dream.”

What’s your favorite cover that you’ve done?

“It’s a tough call, but I have to say my absolute favorite cover I’ve done has to be Super Duper Love by Joss Stone. Performing this song (for the YoungArts Miami show) gave me the chance to showcase my groovy side with a full band right there grooving along with me. THAT BASS. It get’s me. I’ve got big love for soulful tunes; they dig deep and hit you where you need to be hit.  This song brought a taste of what it would feel like to be a fully produced performing artist- something I plan to do with my life.”

How does it feel to have been noticed by people like Adele and Sam Smith’s guitarist, Ben Thomas, and Mitch Winehouse?

“It feels… unreal. It is such an honor, so humbling, to be recognized by the talents of a musician who not only has worked with insanely talented artists, but who is insanely talented himself. Ben’s solo work: incredible, his guitar playing: legendary. To think that one of my songs made him stop and listen is absolutely mental. I still can’t wrap my head around it.  As for Mitch Winehouse, his daughter’s level of musicianship is one that goes unmatched.  The wittiness of Amy’s lyrics and the purity of her vocals left a lasting mark on the world- something that every artist aspires to do. She was, and will always be, a huge influence to my artistry, and for that I am forever grateful. That said, her father’s commentary came at a time when I had just begun posting covers online.  It was very encouraging to see what can happen when you put yourself out there. I have to thank Mitch for opening my eyes to the power of the internet. It has molded my career and his recognition was just the lighting of the flame. “

You’ve played in Miami, New York, London, and Nashville, all very different places, is there one you prefer over the other or are they all special to you? 

“Every place I perform is special to me, but Nashville has the gold.  Audiences in Nashville are made of two things: musicians and music lovers.  The people in that city are there because of the music. They are professional listeners. They want to know the words, picking apart the lyrics and replaying them in their mind, memorizing melodies after hearing them for the first time. There is nothing like a Nashville audience. Nothing.”