Check Out Estella Dawn’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Estella Dawn.

Hi Estella, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It may sound cliche but I don’t remember ever deciding to become a songwriter/musician, it’s just something I’ve always done. When I was a little kid, I would make up nonsense songs that I would sing to myself (and whoever else was around me) for hours on end, and as I got older they just got more refined and structured.

I started taking piano lessons at 11 and picked up the guitar as I went along. I was really fortunate to have supportive and encouraging people in my life, from my high school music teacher to my friends and family, they all helped me believe that a career in music was a real possibility.

I moved to the states when I was 19, and got more into the recording and producing side of things. I am very blessed to have a great home studio setup, nothing fancy but now when the inspiration for a new song strikes, I have the ability to record it, arrange instruments in logic, and pretty quickly have the idea fleshed out.

In 2020, I fully committed to making music a career and began refining my skills to develop and define my own style. It was a prolific year, I released 10 tracks, a new single every six weeks, and started to gain some really good traction online. My experience with social media, streaming blogs, and radio have all been really positive and encouraging. There have been many highs, my song “I Dare You” charted on the media base Radio Top 40 chart, I’ve been interviewed by and had songs added to a bunch of radio stations and I’ve also been included on some pretty big Spotify playlists.

The momentum didn’t slow down this year, I released a few more singles, starting with “Petty” (January 14th), followed by ‘Trolls” (April 1st), a (Joe Sheriff) remix of “I Dare You” (July 2nd), then “Pretty” (August 20th), and next will be “Vixen” (to be released in early November).

I’ve just finished in the studio recording and producing my first full-length album with a band. I’m really looking forward to finishing this project and then touring the album next 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?
I think one of the biggest struggles I’ve found myself facing is maintaining a belief in myself and showing up for myself every day. This is an industry where you hear the word “no” a lot and that can be quite discouraging, especially when you’re first starting out. Every negative comment can feel like a massive blow, but the more people listening and telling you they enjoy your music does help solidify why you keep doing what you do. I also think on the flip side it makes you more appreciative of the positive feedback, every show, every opportunity, every new listener, etc.

One of the other challenges for an independent artist like myself is finding the budget to not only create music but also promote it and get it heard. You definitely need a promotional budget! There are so many ways to get your music out to an audience now, there are countless companies you can work with (both big and small) to help grow your brand and get your music heard but it can certainly take a lot of time to wade through the ones that aren’t the right fit for you.

Things are also constantly changing, so it can be time-consuming to figure out where your energy is best spent, what platforms are going to be most fruitful, etc. Essentially being an Indie artist is not only being the musician but also taking on all of the roles that a traditional label would: PR, marketing, networking, business management as well as all of the other roles you never even thought about.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who works mainly within the genre of pop music. My songs are lyrically and vocally driven. Like many songwriters, I have been writing, recording, and releasing music from an early age. I’ve been building a loyal following since moving to the US, however, it has been in the last 3 years that I’ve really refined my craft and developed my own style.

I feel that these newer songs have a better command of melody and my lyrics are more refined as I’ve become more comfortable expressing my views on life. They also contain more mature layers – both vocally and musically. I like to say that I can go from soft and soothing to sharp and gritty when needed. And with that maturity, I have been fortunate to be compared to Adele, Billie Eilish, Pink, and Hayley Williams; which is a pretty great group of musicians!

I think I’m most proud of my most recent single, “Pretty.” I wrote the first version of “Pretty” when I was 14, the intro piano part hasn’t changed since then but it has certainly gone through many different writing phrases; different choruses, different verses, different instrumental parts, it’s even been rewritten in a couple of different genres! I can say with full confidence that its final form, which I just released, is my favorite version of them all. It took 10 years but it’s finally done.

And in terms of what sets me apart, I think it’s that I not only write, perform, produce and record my own music but that I am also fully involved with all aspects of the creative and business process too. It is a full-time job, and then some, but I couldn’t be happier with how it’s all going.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
For the next year or so collaborating with someone else could be challenging as I am fully focused on starting my album and promoting the singles I am releasing before the album. BUT I am really looking forward to working with other people when it fits.

That’s part of the reason I am recording with a band for my album, I miss having other creatives to make music with. My music is available to listen to on my website: www.estelladawn.com and if you want to sign up to my mailing list, purchase a song, or make a donation it is all there! I am also on all the streaming platforms as well as Youtube, Soundcloud, and all the social media platforms.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@estelladawn.com
• Website: www.estelladawn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estelladawnmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estelladawnmusic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/estella_dawn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzCU2C1w_DUdS_gpaYYHC3w
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/estelladawn
• Other: https://youtu.be/WCBZY0Ku4TA

Image Credits
Purple Star Productions