Today we’d like to introduce you to FOXOWL MUSIC.
FOXOWL MUSIC
Hi FOXOWL, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is FOXOWL, I’m an EDM | Pop | Pop/Rock | Electronic Recording Artist. I discovered my love for EDM when I was around the age of 15, but didn’t start writing lyrics to my own Pop / Dance songs until I received my first MacBook and then after discovering what GarageBand was. Both the tracks D.H.T.’s, “Listen to Your Heart,” and Cascada’s “ Everytime We Touch,” are the very first two dance songs that I fell in love with and inspired me to start writing.After I graduated from high school I put music-making down, but never stopped writing. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit in 2020 that I realized how much writing I’d done and that maybe I should give this a go. What’s the harm?
At the start of 2024, I decided to create YouTube Shorts talking about life with ADHD since I noticed a push toward mainstream awareness around the topic. Why not help out in my own way by providing my story, and things that have helped me out in the past? Besides ADHD, I working on putting together other videos for what might be considered taboo topics such as dyslexia, ODC, and eating disorders, but I believe they need to be addressed. Especially eating disorders within the male community. I plan on beginning to release this content later this year along with rolling out my second studio album due to be released by the end of 2024 which is a follow-up to my previous album Brightside.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not haha. For starters, I unfortunately had to re-brand my artistry name from KAYKO to FOXOWL at the beginning of 2024 which was a whole organized mess. This was because there was another artist already using the name “KAYKO,” who had made it onto American Idol. My team and I decided we couldn’t just continue as KAYKO without facing some repercussions later down the line. So out of the smoke imageries FOXOWL, the same name I use for my Graphic Design brand, now encompasses both my digital art and my music. The hardest part of the re-branding wasn’t necessarily the nitty gritty bureaucratic details that go on behind the scenes of the music industry, such as registering works with ASCAP or dealing with Copywriting, but it was finding the time to edit all the little things. Little things like all my social bios, switching over usernames, changing all my profile pictures and cover art, and re-creating all the artwork for each previously released single. Truth be told, no matter how many documents and spreadsheets we had to help out with this process, there were bound to be some struggles along the way. The second biggest struggle, but also one I look forward to conquering each time I hit a roadblock, is learning all the ins and outs of the music industry. The pace, the behavior, what to and what not to say, terminology, what’s what, for instance, but also the business side of things like learning what an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is and how to properly write one.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an EDM | Pop | Pop/Rock | Electronic Recording Artist and I’m known best for my catchy, introspective & emotional lyrics that revolve around topics like love, heartbreak, self-realization, depression, and anxiety. Having ADHD & dyslexia myself, I aim to push and break the stigma around learning differences in the mainstream both in some of his music, on stage, and through YouTube Shorts. I also hope my voice can be an outlet for anyone struggling with Mental Health issues and to help provide a place for healing.
When I’m not doing anything music-related, I’m either working on some personal graphic design projects, adding to my FOXOWL Design Brand, or in the middle of a grad-school assignment and or attending my day job.
I’d say I’m most proud of pushing myself to start pursuing music as a career and the strength to continue when in up against a tone of odds.
I’d say one thing that separates me from everyone else would be how I’m approaching my music career. I feel like a lot of artists want to make it big with their music, but a lot of it’s from the ego, rather than giving back to the masses. I’m not just aiming to have my music heard or my voice listened to for my profit, I’m looking to make an impact and really get people to think, and think about healing from past or current situations along with aiming for people to start thinking about becoming the highest version of themself both mentally physically and spiritually.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’ve been on this long self-healing journey that began at the end of 2019. I realized some habits and patterns I had in my character that no longer suited me. I’m currently re-reading the book “No Bad Parts,” by Richard C. Schwartz which is a guide to Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapy method that helps individuals heal and integrate their inner conflicts. Basically, instead of condemning a bad habit or addiction, you learn to befriend the part of you (behavior, pattern, response) and in turn learn why it’s calling out to you. There is much more to this than I can explain here, and I would advise anyone looking for a new form of therapy or anyone who wants to start healing to look into this book or someone who practices IFS. Trust me, to anyone who is out there currently on a healing journey, or just in general, remember healing is not linear, and it’s okay not to be okay. <3
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Scott Homebrew
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