Jeremy Squires talks about his new album ‘Riddle of Stars’

Jeremy Squires. Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Squires

Americana artist Jeremy Squires chatted about his new album “Riddle of Stars.”

Song selection approach for the CD

On the song selection process, he said, “I didn’t initially select the songs that ultimately ended up on the final version of ‘Riddle Of Stars.’ I originally had about 30 songs and I carefully chose these songs.”

“There were about three others that didn’t make it onto this album because my best friend and drummer of 30 years passed away suddenly before we had a chance to track his drums,” he said.

“I decided to take out one of the songs and replace it with a song called ‘Blood Pact’ which is the name for a project he and I started as well as a poem that I wrote to speak at his funeral. Ultimately the album morphed into something way more personal and special,” he elaborated.

“I would say this is Volume One of three others, which are all about the process of saying goodbye, facing your own mortality and letting go,” he added.

Music and songwriting inspirations

On his music and songwriting inspirations, he shared, ““I’m inspired by personal experiences, mental illness, imagery, religious iconography, art, dark religious undertones, writing, poetry, photography, and movies.”

“‘Blood Pact’ is my favorite song on the album,” he said about his favorite song on the album. “The meaning of its name held true, and I was able to work through so much as well as expand on just the title alone. I have an acoustic, stripped-down version of this song that will be on the following album as well.”

“The lines ‘I’m like that photo album, Barely held intact by time, Haunted with you in my mind, When I couldn’t speak you listened to me anyway / Somehow lost somewhere… I wanna stay, Until we fade…’ fully encapsulate my feelings about losing my brother. They also leave it open for expansion in the listeners’ mind to create something meaningful to themselves. That’s always important to me,” he said.

The digital age

On being an artist in the digital age, he responded, “To be fully transparent here… It has its upsides and downsides. It has definitely made it easy for anyone to release their music on any platform. But it comes at a cost. You are a pin drop in an infinite stream (pun intended) of other artists and music and so many just get lost in it and will honestly never be heard.”

“I liked in the beginning of it when social media was a great way for networking and helped with touring and self-promotion, but now it has become some crazy labyrinth that you can’t escape, or you just get lost in trying to find your way,” he said.

“I am fortunate to come from both sides. I am DIY to the core. Starting before the digital age as well as its infancy. I am lucky to have found a great label and friends and collaborators along the way,” he expressed.

“I’ve built a fantastic team that truly believes in me and my music and I’m eternally grateful and together we use what we have learned from all of our years of experience to build what we have. In the end we will be just fine,” he added.

Future plans

On his future plans, he shared, “I’ll keep on playing, writing albums, releasing music and riding this thing until the wheels fall off.”

For young and aspiring artists, he said, “Don’t give up. If you love what you are doing, keep doing it and playing your heart out live. Get in front of as many people as possible and make real connections. That is how you will be heard and seen for who you truly are.”

“If you’re making good music and fucking shit up… that’s all that matters in this world. If you play for 10 people and just one of them has been touched by what you’re doing. You have succeeded,” he elaborated.

Success

On his definition of the word success, he said, “For me it’s when someone comes up to me after a show, emails me, messages me, and tells me that my music has helped them through a dark part in their lives.”

“When they tell me they got goosebumps and cried, when they tell me that they are grateful for my music and the fact that someone else connects with them and understands, when they say one of my songs kept them from making a devastating choice in a moment of darkness or mental hell and they are still here. That is success,” he elaborated.

“I could care less about money or anything else in this career. For me it’s when I truly help someone, and they help me without even knowing it,” he added.

Jeremy Squires’ closing thoughts on the album

He remarked about the album, “I want anyone who listens to ‘Riddle Of Stars’ to find hope and feel all the emotions they can. I want them to know that they are not alone but also to be honest with themselves and understand that nothing in this life is permanent. But there is beauty in that.”

To learn more about Jeremy Squires, check out his Facebook page and follow him on Instagram.