(New Exclusive Interview) Isaac Stinson Talks Music And New Project With VMG | @IsaacStinson
![(New Exclusive Interview) Isaac Stinson Talks Music And New Project With VMG | @IsaacStinson](https://vintagemediagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Hero-2.jpg)
(New Exclusive Interview) Isaac Stinson Talks Music And New Project With VMG
1. How long have you been recording music?
I’m in year 8 or 9 of making and recording music, but I would hardly call myself serious about hip hop until roughly 5 years ago. Like everyone else, I had to make my way through a steep learning curve to get to where I am now. I’d like to think that “Hero” is the culmination of all of that hard work, while simultaneously being a stepping stone to what’s next.
2. What made you want to create music on a professional level?
Music has always been a passion of mine, but it’s always been about the way particular songs hit me. Some artists have always had the ability to cut through the noise and the generics that are so prevalent in the industry, whether in hip-hop or in any other genre. People like Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar, Taelor Gray, and countless others have always found a way to do so without sacrificing musicality and appeal. I’ve always wanted to emulate this on the highest possible scale.
3. What do you feel you bring different to the music industry?
I can tell you that there are a number of rappers out there who have found success with authentic lyrics, through studying the greats, by dedicating tremendous amounts of energy, time, and resources to their craft. None of this is new to the industry. However, I also know that as long as music exists, people like this bring new stories and experiences with them. I can say with no hesitation that no one else belongs to my story, and no one else can put my story to words like I can.
4. Breakdown the video Hero and what it means to you?
The music video for “Better Without ‘Em,” the single release from my upcoming album “Hero,” represents so many things for me. Every line in that song means something specific to me, and the general theme of the video complements the song nicely. The Mecoclub crew who shot the video and I aimed to make a visual that implies isolation by choice, which stands in stark contrast to so many contemporary music videos in the hip hop genre where the artist is surrounded by tens or hundreds of extras they may not even know. It’s a video on introspection, on loneliness, on the justification of unhealthy introversion, just a few of the themes that will be heavily at play in “Hero.”
5. How long did it take you to finish shooting the video and where was it shot at?
We (again, Mecoclub productions) filmed the video in the better part of a day in Nashville, where I’ve been for the past 5 years. I chose the locations based on their significance to the lyrics, having a special connection with each one. The line “Give me an inch and I’m running a mile or ten to the spot that I know I won’t see them again” refers to running in both a figurative and literal sense: the reflection in a puddle is a spot along a path where I often run to seek isolation from others.
6. What are the pros and cons of being a music artist?
I don’t necessarily see it in terms of pros and cons, I just know that if I wasn’t seeking to perfect my craft I really wouldn’t know what to do with my life. I guess you could consider that a pro, though. I can say that I rarely have expendable income as a result of everything I need to do to keep this going (as any other serious musician out there can attest), but again, what would I be doing with it otherwise? Maybe not going into debt, I don’t know. Regardless, there isn’t really a choice anymore between being an artist and not. It’s a part of who I am and always will be.
7. Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
I try not to set unrealistic expectations for myself when it comes to timelines. I know I’ve seen improvement in the last five years and can only imagine what that will look like in 2023, but it doesn’t help to have huge dreams and set finite timelines on them. That being said, I really do believe I’ll be making some of the best music out there, and regardless of recognition, that’s all I can ask for. As much as accolades and popular appeal matter to any artist, if I’ve begun to pursue that instead of artistry and authenticity, I’m not really my brand anymore.