Interviews, Music
Oct 16, 2012

SKYLER STONESTREET: SONGSTRESS TO ABC’S DRAMAS

skyler stonestreetHave you ever watched your favorite TV show and thought, I love that song in the opening credits or during the big climatic scene!  Well, you might have been listening to artist on the rise Skyler Stonestreet whose music recently aired on the season premieres of the hits Once Upon A Time and Revenge. PPLA had the chance to sit down with Skyler to discuss her emerging career.

PPLA: Your music is no stranger to television expsosure. You have had songs on shows One Tree Hill and Laguna Beach in the past. Currently you have music on Once Upon A Time and Revenge. How does it  feel when the producers and creators of such popular shows request to use your music?

SKYLER: I have just been lucky to have written songs that have worked for different parts of their shows. What was really cool is that Once Upon A Time and Revenge wrote their promos around my song, which I have never had happen before.  It was really exciting. I caved in and got cable because of that! It was such great exposure because people listen to the song on TV and then I watch the show’s ratings go up and people downloading the song. It’s great.

PPLA: How do you feel this type of television exposure helps to promote your overall career in the music industry?

SKYLER: It helps because when people watch a show and they like the song, they can just look it up right then and there with their phone and see who the musician is which creates immediate exposure. I do that too when I hear something on TV that I like. Music really helps narrates a film or TV show, so having your music added can be a very good thing. It’s really fun to watch your work play in different scenes.

PPLA: Where do you get your inspiration for your music?

SKYLER: Mostly from personal experience and personal stories in my own life. Sometimes things will happen to someone else that I can relate to and it will inspire me to write, but 99% of the time it is through my own experiences, my own thoughts, whether it is about someone or something.

PPLA: I know you’ve stated that a lot of your musical influences growing up were blues players. What are your influences now and have they changed as you’ve grown as an artist?

SKYLER: I love the classics even though it doesn’t string in with my music. My favorite musician is James Taylor, and I don’t think we sound at all alike! There is something about a timeless sound that I gravitate towards. It never gets tired. I do like everything  (all genres) and different sounds from different musicians, so I don’t really have a certain type.

PPLA: Your style of music is very romantic and expressive. It could easily be labeled into many different musical categories because all the songs are very unique. How do you describe your own sound?

SKYLER: It is pop, but in a different form. It is a different type of pop that has no boundaries. I like to leave my listeners with their own personal feeling about it and leave them with a little bit of imagination.

PPLA: Did you always know growing up that you would pursue music as a career? How did your discovery as an artist come about?

SKYLER: I was in a lot of musical theater growing up, and I already played the piano and some other instruments. It all came together for me high school; I just knew this is what I wanted to do. In terms of being discovered, it was little things that just added up. A show here, a commercial there, a song here. All little pieces that came together. Working with managers, you have your moments where you get a bad producer or a bad deal, but you just keep doing it and keep writing. It is like a little wave you just keep riding. It is crazy to one day be thinking about where you are going and what you want to be doing and then actually see it happen in front of you. It is an amazing, accomplished feeling.

PPLA: What inspired you to write the song “A Little Taste” which aired on Once Upon A Time?

SKYLER: Jacques Brautbar and I wrote that song together. That song was written about a particular person and situation. It conveys the thought that maybe it’s not the right thing or the best thing, but this person draws you in, whatever it may be about them. It’s magnetic.

PPLA: Where is your favorite place to perform at? Are you planning to go on tour soon?

SKYLER: I love playing at the Hotel Café in LA. The sound is great. There is something comforting about it that I love every time I perform there. It is a smaller venue, but I love that it is small because it is more personal. We will be going on tour soon. Since the promos came out, dates/locations have been added and changed. So we had to alter a few things but it is happening.

PPLA: Aside for your solo career, you are also working with a band. Do you have a record coming out?

SKYLER: We just released one and the song appeared on the Grey’s Anatomy season premiere. The band name is called One Two.

PPLA: What are your plans for the future?

SKYLER: In addition to music, I have been acting a lot. I have been filming different things. It has been really creative and really fun. I will keep touring and performing and writing new music.

PPLA: Any advice you would give to musicians who are trying to get their name out there and be in the position that you are in now?

SKYLER: It takes a lot of work, and honestly, it feels like you get punched in the face sometimes, but you just keep going. Then you look back and the feeling of doing it overcomes everything. It’s amazing to watch progress in doing something that you love.

Buy the single “A Little Taste” on iTunes. Watch the ABC promo for Revenge, 666 Park Ave, & Once Upon A Time featuring this song. Watch Skyler’s music video.