Today we’d like to introduce you to Trey Diggs.
Hi Trey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Trey Diggs but musically I go by the pseudonym “Furlow.”
I was raised in Rockwall, TX and studied music in Austin. I have worked at numerous music studios in the Dallas area contributing to my audio engineering skills.
Around 7 years old, I remember my parents often playing classic rock around the house and in the car. Artists like Guns N’ Roses, Journey, and Van Halen. Even at that young of an age, I remember thinking to myself “How is music made?” and “Why does it make me feel a certain way?”
My oldest brother Kory who is 9 years older than me at that same time was listening to artists like Lil’ Wayne, Nelly, and OutKast. Always having me burn CDs for him of the latest Hip-Hop music through “LimeWire.”
(I knew it was illegal but at that time everybody was doing it, right?)
Without the influence of Classic Rock from my parents and Hip-Hop music from my brother, I would not have developed the sound I make today.
When I was 17, I first starting diving into how music was made. Making beats on my iPhone and showing my friends just for the fun of it, not really having any clear idea of where my music journey would go from there.
After graduating High School in 2014 I studied Business Management at Blinn Junior College in College Station, TX while my older Brother Tyler was studying at Texas A&M.
I quickly realized that my passion wasn’t in my studies there at Blinn. After I downloaded FL Studio, I started constantly skipping class to work on beats, or even if I did attend class, I would have my headphones on making music during lectures.
I vividly remember having a conversation with my brother telling him “I don’t want to go to school anymore… I just want to make music…”
Unsure of what his answer would be, he told me “Okay… but you need to at least go to school for it.”
Surprised at the fact that it was even a possibility to go to school for Music, I instantly starting searching for options.
I came across an Audio Engineering / Music Production school in Austin, TX called The Recording Conservatory of Austin.
I enrolled immediately.
After receiving a certification in the recording arts program in 2018 I moved back to Dallas to start an unpaid internship at my first recording studio. Assisting sessions, helping artists, running their social media, and even cleaning the bathrooms.
(Hey, you gotta start somewhere.)
Studio after studio, the same thing every time. I just wanted an opportunity to prove myself, but I also needed to make money to pay for rent, gas, groceries, etc.
In 2019 I started working for a face-to-face marketing company that taught me so much about communication, psychology, and the ability to sell. I worked there until the pandemic hit our nation and I was forced out of work.
As much of an unfortunate situation that COVID-19 was, I still say to this day that 2020 was the best year of my life.
Not being able to work got me back into music. While working at the marketing company I didn’t work on music for 9 months.
The flood of enjoyment and passion when I began making music again made me realize I never want to work another day in my life.
While making beats endlessly and sending them to local artist I always ran into the same problem.
They would say “I don’t know where to go with this beat” or “This just doesn’t sound like my style”
Never once thinking that the beats weren’t great, I always thought to myself “They just don’t see the vision that I have for these beats, one day someone will.”
After months of trying to have these artists see my vision for the beats and them constantly not being able to do anything with them, my brother Tyler told me “Why don’t we try writing and recording ourselves on your beats?”
A lightbulb went off in my head thinking that was an amazing idea. I never thought of myself as the artist, I always wanted to be the background guy who just produced and recorded the artist. But what better way to demonstrate the vision I saw for the beats than to do it ourselves. Being able to produce, record, mix and master all myself as well is definitely a plus.
But we had to come up with a name for us. Since this was in the middle of the pandemic and many people had been furloughed from their jobs (including my brother), I thought to myself that’s the perfect name for us and “Furlow” was born.
As the rest of 2020 wrapped up, Tyler had to return to work not having the amount of time as he once had. He knew that my passion was in the music seeing me working on new beats and new songs. Writing lyrics day and night, he told me to carry on the torch and release music with just myself on the tracks. Without his belief, inspiration, and the amazing idea for us to write songs and record ourselves, none of this would have been possible. The support of my family, my faith, and growing passion has allowed me to fully dive into my work and feel positive about the future that is to come.
In the span of a little over 1 year of releasing music, I have released over 65 songs.
As of the end of October 2021, two of my songs “Get Up” and “Everything Will Be Okay” have been submitted and considered for Best Pop Solo Performance at next year’s Grammy Awards.
I have a new album being released on December 10th titled “Well Wishes”
Stay tuned! 2022 is going to be a big year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As much as anybody who is pursuing a passion would like to say yes, the answer will always be no.
It has not been a smooth road.
The biggest struggle that I deal with is myself but I feel like that is what comes with being an artist. One minute you believe you’re the best in the world and the next you don’t know if anyone even cares. The hardest part is not letting the negative thoughts derail you on your path.
That same contradicting feeling within myself gives me fuel to want to be the best even if no one cares or listens.
At the end of the day, I don’t make music for others, I make music for myself. I make music that I like, it doesn’t have to be what listeners like.
No great artist would have became who they are if they made their art for others.
They created something new and the world caught on.
It’s not about being a part of the wave, it’s about creating the next one.
It also gives me fuel to never give up even if the journey takes longer than I expected.
It’s never on my time, it’s always been on God’s time. God has placed this passion inside my heart for a reason.
As long as I believe and have faith that everything will work out according to God’s plan my time will come.
“Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it.
The time will pass anyway.”
– Earl Nightingale
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist who loves creating. I have grown to embrace and love the feeling of starting from scratch.
The moment I walk into the studio there is nothing. No sound. No energy. The room is a blank slate.
Being able to create a vibe and paint a picture of what I’m seeing and hearing in my mind is my favorite thing in the world. I have the ability to take it any direction I want since I have learned to produce, record, mix, master, and now write, my creative freedom is now endless.
If I could give any advice for somebody who is just starting to make music, whether that’s producing, engineering, or writing, it would be to learn to do it all. It will truly set you apart. I struggled for years looking for the artist that would sound good on my beats but the whole time all I had to do was look within myself.
I was the artist I was looking for all along.
Maybe you’re the artist, producer, engineer that you’ve been looking for as well.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see the major record labels becoming obsolete, in my honest opinion. There are so many ways artists can get paid without needing record deals these days.
Distribution sites such as DistroKid, TuneCore, United Masters, etc. have changed the way music is being released and monetized. Being able to own your masters and be paid per stream without a major label is huge for an independent artist who understands that they’re artistry is also a business.
Contact Info:
- Email: Furlowofficial@gmail.com
- Instagram: @TreyDiggs828 @furlow_official
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Nyt_xXD9XtzHQ3HE0XqJw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-334256874
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2v0RRTUAxEdTnnHkgHGHhg?si=iFh7es1FSEy8iIrCEsEzGQ
Image Credits:
@micksprints
@maiyapapayaa
