In this interview spotlight, I chat with These Wolves about the newest project, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I am from Saddle Brook, New Jersey which is about 45 minutes from New York City.

THESE WOLVES’ essence is that of a rock band but I am influenced heavily by 90’s singer songwriters like Duncan Sheik and Elliott Smith so their presence is sprinkled in.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

I wanted music to be my path when I heard Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” for the first time. I was 8 years old and it was nothing I had ever heard before. It was pure electricity to me.

I became fascinated with music and how music made people feel something, how listeners connect and relate to songs, and how songwriters are able to express their emotions and thoughts through music. Growing up, I was super shy, quiet, and awkward so I started songwriting to express myself to others when I couldn’t in the real world..

Songwriting does the same thing for me now as it did when I was kid, but has morphed into the way I process things: the good, the bad, and the really bad. Music has gotten me through a lot of traumatic experiences and keeps me on course. If I don’t write songs for a while, I feel a pressure that just won’t go away. I write music to help myself and then hope the result helps others.

How is “Beautifully Miserable” different than previous releases? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

Beautifully Miserable is a complete 180 degree than my previous singles. After releasing “Dead To Me” and “Enough is Enough” that are serious, angry songs, I wanted to release a more upbeat song to show my versatility as a songwriter.

Beautifully Miserable is a rock song pretending to be a pop song pretending to be a rock song.

I was listening to the radio one morning, which I rarely do, and Ellie Goulding’s “On My Mind” came on. I said to myself “On My Mind” would be awesome like a Papa Roach song if it had heavy guitars. So, I went to my acoustic guitar and started goofing off like “What would Ed Sheeran sing about? …Babe, something in the way…something in the way, the love we make is beautiful”

Then, I pictured Kurt Cobain or Dave Grohl just coming in and hijacking the song and mocking it and just turned that up to 11. To me, sonically, Beautifully Miserable sounds like Justin Bieber getting punched in the face by Foo Fighters.

Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?

The challenge I think a lot of independent artists, including myself, struggle with is getting out there. The digital age has made it so easy to get music and other content to listeners. But, I think social media, and just the way our community consumes media in the digital age has made it a lot harder for artists to resonate.

However, technology has opened so many doors and given me some great opportunities to communicate and share ideas; this interview for example.

Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?

THESEWOLVES.com is my official website and I have a Facebook: facebook.com/thesewolves. THESE WOLVES also have a YouTube channel – YouTube.com/c/THESEWOLVES and are on Instagram and Twitter at @THESE_WOLVES. All my music can be streamed on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Am Qazon, and other digital outlets.

Anything else before we sign off?

Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me. A music video for “Beautifully Miserable” should be coming out in late July and I can’t wait for you to see it.