Tell us a bit about yourself. (Location, artist name, the works!)

My name is Avery Friedman, I'm a Brooklyn-based songwriter, vocalist and guitar player.

What's your musical origin story? (when did you start? What inspired you?)

I only started writing songs about two years ago, but I've always been obsessed with music. Truly ever since I first joined my school's choir in 4th grade, I've been in love with the way music makes me feel – even if I was too scared to pursue it myself for a long time. I took a few guitar lessons in high school but quit when my teacher tried to make me sing during our lessons. I kept up with the guitar in private, wrote poems on my own, and eventually (finally) got brave enough to try to marry the two with a melody.

What were the driving forces or pivotal moments that inspired you to pursue music?

There were a few key factors that colluded and inspired me to pursue music. For one, I was spending more nights alone in my apartment with my guitar nearby after I had gotten robbed, and was temporarily afraid to venture out at night. I also began dating a musician at the time, and she was deeply inspiring and encouraging of me. Basically, I just realized I'd never forgive myself if I never tried!

How would you describe your style of music?

Broadly, I'd describe my music as Indie Rock. But on a more granular level, I'd say it's layered and lush and commanding – driving and gentle at once.

How is your personality reflected in your work?

Well for one, I hope I could be described as both 'driving and gentle,' haha. But I think there's an underlying intensity to my music that is reflective of my personality, and a general contemplative wonder to my lyricism that feels indicative of the vibrant lens through which I'm lucky to look at the world.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

The creative process always looks different, but oftentimes, the songwriting process begins when I'm struck by an emotion that feels like it needs to be worked out. I rely a lot on the guitar to find a chord progression that feels expressive, then will move to write a verse, and then I'll work out a melody.

What is the name of your latest releases?

My debut record New Thing will come out in April. So far I've released a single from it called "Flowers Fell."

What was the inspiration for that release?

"Flowers Fell" was inspired by a walk home down Greene Avenue one spring night. I noticed that the springtime flowers on the trees that I'd come to love had disappeared seemingly overnight. I hummed the melody for the chorus into my voice notes app, and then built a song around it. It's about the jarringness of change, but how there's life and strength on the other side of that grief.

What challenges or unexpected moments did you encounter during the writing/recording process?

So much about these processes felt unexpected and challenging to me. Mostly though, I was humbled by the challenge of just expressing myself – how scary performing felt to me, what a learning curve it was to figure out how to access and articulate my musical vision while recording for the first time. I'm so grateful for the gentleness and patience of my collaborators and support system.

What strategies do you find most effective for promoting your music?

I'm still really figuring this out! The people who come to my shows are still largely my friends. Getting on playlists is of course incredibly helpful, as well. I'm looking forward to trying out a bunch of promotional strategies for the first time around my record release.

How do you engage with your fans online and offline?

We're still growing our fanbase here, but I'm always so grateful and humbled to hear that my music has impacted someone, and the specifics of what they think/feel about it.

What upcoming promotional activities or releases are you most excited about?

I hope to do a live radio session soon!

How can folks contact you (socials/email/websites etc.)

• Instagram: @a_very_fried_man
• Email: AveryLFriedman@Gmail.com