“Deciding to do music full time may be enough of a gamble for anybody.”
In #adhoclifeadvice, we ask artists we love to answer questions from you, our readers. This time around, The Hotelier frontman Christian Holden opens up about pursuing a career in music, interacting with fans, and his somewhat unpredictable songwriting process.
This article appears in the upcoming AdHoc issue 23. The Hotelier will perform at Brooklyn Bazaar on 11/2 with Oso Oso, Alex Napping, and Common Holly.
@sinaivessel: should i do less music and more gambling
Christian: Deciding to do music full time may be enough of a gamble for anybody.
@emmathesadgirl: what are your thoughts re: fans sharing stories of how your music has helped them? does it ever get emotionally exhausting for you?
Good question. It’s an interesting dynamic. Yes, it can be emotionally exhausting. It can be frustrating for me to not be on the same level emotionally as the person I am talking to. Also, it can be confusing for people to be casual in that conversation. Like, some will act as if we are friends. But I appreciate the moments when I get to let someone be seen for how far they may have come by someone who had a small hand in helping them do that.
@sconeappthebeef: What motivates you the most when it comes to writing & how do you go about writing your music?
Motivation and I have a complex relationship. Mostly, the way I go about writing music is locking myself in my house and not coming out until I’ve made something. My ~process~ feels pretty outside my ability to really nail down. There are a couple different people that I am when I write a song. One has a wild imagination, one is a bratty music snob, and one feels like a procrastinating high school student.
Feel like you need #adhoclifeadvice? Keep an eye on @adhocfm on Twitter, where we’ll announce the next round of questions.