Today we’d like to introduce you to DB Stewart.
Hi DB, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up with an 80s pop-obsessed father, closet rocker mother, and shared love for Tom Petty, my music taste was destined to be all over the board. Whether we were getting pumped up on the drive to a sporting event, or winding down after dinner, music was always on, and storytelling quickly become my first love.
The game-changer for me was hearing AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. My friend Keaton got it for me in the 6th grade and my parents were REAL NERVOUS. When I heard the opening riff of “Hell’s Bells” it all clicked. I knew I had to play the guitar. I believe I was 14 when my folks got me a Fender Strat for Christmas and I was off to the races. I’ll spare the details of my hours struggling to play a single note, but I dove in head-first. As soon as I learned how to pull off a power chord, I was writing Green Day rip-offs.
My brothers and I founded a band, Deify, which made the dream tangible. WE spent years writing, recording, and performing up and down the west coast. Of course, life gets in the way sometimes. I went off to college, came back and it was his turn, and it was really difficult for music to keep going at all times. I was also working around the clock with my day job(s) and trying to launch a podcast.
Around 2017, I re-connected with Xstitch (Aaron Carstensen) who I knew from high school. We were both diving back into the music game after a break, and I had seen some of the production work he’d done via social media. That led to work on my first solo EP, “Save My Soul” which was an exercise in vulnerability and sonic exploration. I truly would not be sharing new tunes with y’all if it weren’t for him. He became my second true musical partner; the missing piece for my solo project (ironic, I know). Since then, I’ve been exploring sonically and thematically. It’s really been a journey about discovery and self-reconstruction. I’m currently at Berklee College of Music getting my Masters in Music Business and preparing to release my debut solo album in early 2022.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I wish I could say it’s been smooth. I mentioned working a lot. I have a really unhealthy relationship with productivity, which is something I’m still working through. I’ve always been very driven, and that took on a life of its own. I used to take trips to Los Angeles to network in the business. I’d crash on my brother’s floor in South Central, wake up around 7am, bounce around the city meeting with people, and usually get back around 11pm, and do it all again the next day.
During one of these fateful trips, I was told my someone at a record label I am “good…but too old to be marketable”. I was 24.
To this day there is an ever-present voice in the back of my head telling me my time is up. Unfortunately, this meant years of extensive depressive episodes, severe anxiety, and even a trip to the hospital due to exhaustion. While that hospital trip served as quite a wakeup call, I sadly can’t say it was all uphill from there. The root cause of the exhaustion was “off-the-charts anxiety and depression”. Thus began a two-year rebuild of myself. I wish the next chapter could play as the “and everything got better,” but the truth is it meant more lows. After starting therapy, my partner of 4.5 years and I broke up and COVID-19 came into the picture.
Socio-political unrest, shelter-in-place, and much-needed therapy enabled me to start unpacking what I believed about myself and the world at-large. The more I evaluated the space around me the less I saw a place for myself in it. That’s a lot of what this upcoming album is about.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At heart, I’m a hopeless romantic putting blues, rock, and a sliver of pop in a blender for songs about the human condition. For my solo material, everything you hear is me and Aaron in the studio. I’ve really tried to take full ownership over my craft and have every piece be authentically me.
I’m also obsessed with exploring the business side of things. Before enrolling at Berklee College of Music, I started a podcast Made for Music. The goal is to democratize information on the music business, while spotlighting the stories who have found success in the industry, as well as resources available for people trying to get into the business. The season 4 finale is actually going to be Tom Higgenson from Plain White Ts!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are SO MANY people who deserve credit. First-and-foremost, my family. It’s cliché, but true. If my parents had not put me in piano lessons with Ken Roberts. I would not be talking with you all right now. Both my brothers have been a critical part of the journey as well. My first performance with original material was myself and my two brothers. Jared on drums (still to this day in Deify) and Erik on the bass. There was something truly special about it being a sibling endeavor. Of course, it was my folks ensuring we were set up to make it happen (thanks for all the rides, mom and dad).
Next was my piano teacher, Ken Roberts. He just made music fun. He put on annual recitals that were a SHOW. I mean, one year was Disney-themed and he came down the aisle of the church it was in dressed to the nines with Mickey Mouse gloves and hat and put together a full musical routine with backup dancers and everything. He made me fall in love with the process of the show; not only thinking about playing composition itself, but how it’s presented. He made me fall in love with performing just as much as writing/playing. I’ll be forever grateful to him for that.
Next, my guitar teacher Mark Oslund. The man is an absolute genius. My first day with him, he asked me (a 14-year old) how I wanted to learn. I told him I wanted to play Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day. And that’s what we did. Just as Ken did with piano, he made guitar fun. I couldn’t wait to get home and practice, and I was always excited to go into lessons.
My partner, Christina, has been my lifeline through a lot of the ups-and-downs of the past year. It has been a LONG road bringing this project to live (and the world at-large, of course). Our relationship started as this album cycle took off. The writing process was really a self-evaluation trying to figure out who I am. She’s been integral to navigating that process (and she sings on the album). I believe she sat through 10 versions of each song – many that were NOT ready for anyone to hear – and helped me hone both my sound and perspective. She also has an incredible eye. Many of the visuals I have were either created or brainstormed by her. If they weren’t, she was right next to me helping me provide notes.
Aaron Carstensen (aka artist/producer Xstitch) is the cornerstone of my here-and-now. Working with him truly unlocked the current wave I’m on. I’m so grateful to have a producing partner that helps me realize the songs in my head, and provides raw, honest feedback. Too many folks aren’t willing to take criticism, which I do believe makes it harder for close collaborators to give it. We have so much fun together in the studio. Our relationships goes far beyond the music, but I think that’s what enables us to work so well together.
Ronnie Hamilton has been an incredible addition to my team, as well. He’s really helped me get back to being an artist (and enjoying the process). The guy has a million different pursuits, so I’m grateful he decided to invest in what we’re trying to do here. It’s really moved the needle forward and I’m excited to see what things look like 6 months down the road.
And you! It’s really hard to get your voice heard as an independent artist and I can’t thank you enough for taking time to do so.
Contact Info:
- Email: dbstewart.management@gmail.com
- Website: https://dbstewart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/db.stewart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbstewartmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/duncanbyargeon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DuncanByargeon
- Other: https://found.ee/dbstewart
Image Credits
Nikki Baron
Tony Hammons
Marina Boichuk
Ronnie Hamilton Image
