Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiefer Detrick.
Hi Kiefer, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in Bedford, TX. Both my parents are music teachers, so music was kind of like the second language we spoke at home. Growing up, I learned to sing and play a lot of instruments (guitar, piano, trumpet, drums…) and started writing songs in middle school, mostly thanks to John Mayer’s “Continuum”. I went to college and got my degree in Music Education, but realized during my final semester that I needed to make my own music and do my own thing. I started playing shows around DFW in the summer of 2019. Before long, I was recording an EP, opening for bigger artists (ie. Van Hunt), playing every weekend in Deep Ellum (big shout out to High & Tight Barbershop, which is now called Crossfade I believe), and building a community that inspired me to keep going. I had only been at it for 6 months when the pandemic hit, but it was long enough for me to know that I’d be doing this for the rest of my life, no backup plan. In the summer of 2020, I was able to resume recording and thankfully was able to finish before I moved to LA that fall. I released “The Gray” EP at the end of 2020 (available on all platforms) and have since been doing all the same things here in LA. Today, I’m gearing up for my next wave of releases, collaborating constantly with amazing artists, and hosting events at a venue I created in Silverlake (The Dog House).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obviously, the pandemic was not an ideal scenario for a budding artist’s career like mine and so many others. I released my first single one month before the pandemic shut the whole industry down. I was on a bit of a roll with shows and recording and everything, and I had already decided I’d be moving to LA as soon as my lease ended. But that was meant to be after I released my EP and toured for the summer around Texas and through to Nashville. Admittedly, I felt at the time like I was cheated out of a real chance to establish a fan base in my hometown and through the southern tour circuit. But now, I know that I have an amazing network in Dallas/Fort Worth and I don’t feel cheated at all, just grateful for the people and opportunities I had. Moving was also a big challenge in itself, but one I welcomed. I had one friend and zero industry connections out here, and lots of people advising me to hold off. But I knew it’s what I needed to do, and I’m proud of everything I’ve made for myself out here. I built it all from scratch, and I think I feel more ownership than I did in DFW because of that. I’ll always feel more comfortable and safer in Texas, which I’m very grateful for on one hand. But I think I needed to venture out if I was going to take myself more seriously as an artist, or as a person, even.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an artist first and foremost- playing shows, building a network, recording new music (to be released later this year), etc. I’m really proud of my 2020 EP. I’ll always remember that whole process very fondly. I got to work very closely with one of my best friends (Jenna W. Del Cristo) who engineered it all. It was all very grass-roots and I loved every second. As for now, I’m making folky/funky (folnky?) rock music but am very comfortably uncommitted to any specific genre or scene. There are days I want to be Phoebe Bridgers, there are days I want to be Vulfpeck, or sometimes Bon Iver, or Sylvan Esso. I go down too many unrelated rabbit holes too often to pick a lane at the moment, and I don’t really feel the need to yet. I’m sure that time will come, but for now, I just enjoy making music. I also call myself a professional ring-leader because I’m a bit obsessed with community and collaboration. This year in LA, I created a venue (The Dog House) behind the coffee shop where I work during the day. I’ve been hosting open mics, curating artist showcases, and establishing a space for local artists in all mediums to do their thing. I’m really proud of what’s been happening with that, especially since supporting indie artists and rebooting the live-show economy is so important right now.
What does success mean to you?
I don’t think I have a definition for success. I think we all know it when we see it. Personally, what feels like my biggest win is that I’m having fun every day and am focused on something I genuinely love. That’s honestly all I can wish for anyone, including myself. I try not to be “goal-oriented”. I know that sounds stupid, and I’m not necessarily recommending it, but it’s worked for me. In the times I’ve tried to be that way, it very quickly snowballed into this weird competition with my yesterday’s self. I get more focused on what *should* be happening than what *is* happening. So, I don’t have a list of achievements to unlock in the next 5, 10, 20 years. I don’t want to be on my deathbed before I finally say “I did it!”. A buddy cautioned me when I first moved to LA- he said the first time hit a million streams on Spotify was the best day of his life. But then, every day he didn’t hit a million streams, he felt worthless. So, I try to stay away from the numbers and figures and 10-year plans and focus more on doing what I enjoy, as often as I can, and with as many people as I can. I’ve noticed the path tends to reveal itself when I go about things that way. I don’t know exactly what’s next or when it’s coming, and I enjoy that. If doing what I love makes me a million dollars tomorrow, that’d be sweet! But if doing what I enjoy just means doing what I enjoy, that’s good with me for the rest of my life. Literally, the worst that could happen is that I’ll enjoy my time here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tell.ie/kieferdetrick/kGHZ8xY16hSe
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieferdetrick/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClNlinxZdJILrwkh6YmVLLQ
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lGBwUJZ3gHWq8g0T0Tthi?si=VqGz4Yu5S6aiWtx03KkNmQ
