I found Skyler Stonestreet a few months ago through Isaiah Garnica. When I actually got around to listening to her, I was more than pleasantly surprised. There's nothing I love more than a female vocalist who isn't swayed by the popular opinion of music and isn't scared to keep her 'weird' going.Her music is fun, lyrics seeming to focus more on breakups and relationships gone downhill. Instead of being 'emo' about it, she does it in a sassy way. With some big band sound to my personal favorite songs 'A Million Boys,' and 'What's a Girl to Do?' and a few others. There is also the slower piano ballad 'Sure of Us.' She also has a voice that is slightly reminiscent of an oldtime jazz singer met with songstresses of our own generation. Her music has been featured in quite a few TV shows recently (see the list at the bottom), and I can imagine that we'll be seeing a lot from Ms. Stonestreet in the near future.
She's wrapping up a tour with Brian Benham. I wrote the interview questions before the tour started, but she did a pretty good job of bringing her answers up to date!
What inspired you to get into music?
When I was little I took piano lessons and I did a lot of musical theater, I went to a vocal coach who encouraged me to write because I was already writing lyrics, and piano parts, just not putting them together. When I finally did, I couldn't stop! I love it.
There are many other female vocalists out there trying to claw their way to the top. Does it ever intimidate you?
No, I feel like there is room for a lot of people. I think if you work really hard, it WILL pay off. I know so many people who are good musicians who don't put in the time or work to get where they want to be, and I'm not scared of doing that! I definitely feel like I'm not so worried about the other people trying to get to the top, I'm more focused on what I can do better, and how I can move forward.
Do you ever feel influenced to be a certain way as a girl in the music industry?
A lot of your songs seem to be fueled by heart break or relationships gone bad. What's your worst experience with a guy?
Yeah...that definitely inspires me a lot, especially when the relationship has actually meant a lot. I actually was in a long relationship for years and he went down a really bad path, and completely changed who he was, and that to me was the worst because I really appreciated who he was!
You're just beginning a tour with Brian Benham, what can people expect when they come to one of your shows?
We do our separate thing, but we have started to write a little bit and play on each other's songs. We are starting another tour in Feb and it will be awesome to get even more stuff together. They can also expect a lot of rambling.....and a lot of random laughing....maybe even a freestyle or two :)
Any places you're excited to go to?
Now that the tour is wrapping up, I can honestly say Charleston, South Carolina was beautiful, and I loved Minneapolis! Every place we go, there is always a random story, and new people, so I honestly love it!
What are you looking forward to most about going on tour? Is there anything you're *not* looking forward to?
I looked forward to getting my music really out to more people, not just by the internet, I actually wanted to do it in REAL life haha. We went around the whole country in two months and I really think that it was awesome to actually meet some of the people keeping up with my music and play for them in person, rather than just hearing a song over the internet! (even though that is awesome too) There wasn't really anything I wasn't looking forward too! I was just excited to drive and play around the country!
How was it making your music video for 'Sure of Us' with Isaiah Garnica?
It was SO much fun! He is one of my best friends, and has so many ideas, and he is so fun to work with. He has such unique ideas, and really loves to try different stuff, and he always gives 100 percent no matter what.
Where can people buy your music?
It will be on Itunes soon, and Cdbaby, but right now they can shoot me an email, and I do it the more complicated way! (I send a lot of cd's through mail) Since we have been traveling all over and want to continue that too, it's cool because people can just come to shows in their hometown!
What are your plans for after tour?
Do you have any goals with your music career, or are you just taking everything as it comes? If so, what are the goals?
I obviously want to make this my job, something I can do with my life, so I am just trying to get myself out there as much as possible to make that happen! I just want to keep doing this for a long time!
Some stuff that has happened:
"A Million Boys" was just on new CBS show "The Ex List"
"What's a Girl to do" was on MTV's "Laguna Beach"
"The City" was on Lifetime's reality show "Spotlight 25"
Songs have been on
XM radio
At the Sundance Film Festival
"Always" was nominated by the LA music awards for best female singer/songwriter of the year
"Standing Strong" and "The Victim" won two different months for VH1's Save the Music Contest
Check out some of Skyler's music on her myspace page and be sure to look out for her winter tour!
-Courtney Kaz
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