Ian Oshér Inside Debut EP ‘Come Closer’
Ian Oshér ON SPOTIFY
BOSTON, MA — When it comes to a passion for spreading a message through music, look no further than Ian Oshér (@ianisanalien). This guy has what it takes with one of the clearest minds we’ve come across. Having gone more than two years sober, we are proud of his gains both in and out of the studio. At the end of the day, we are excited to see what he has in store for us ahead of a very strong upcoming 2021.
We asked about his biggest music and/or life inspirations to which he replied, “I listen to a lot of different genres so it is difficult to pinpoint one artist who has influenced me the most. The music I make though is definitely pop so I’ll focus on that. I really dig pop artists like Lauv, Blackbear, Bazzi, Quinn XCII and Jeremy Zucker. All of them have been able to build massive fanbases making music that not only sounds great, but that also has raw, honest lyrics. That is something I hope to do as I go forward. Being in recovery, and wrestling with mental health issues for the last few years, I feel a responsibility to be authentic in my music. I hope that, like those aforementioned artists, I can make a real difference in people’s lives and maybe help them feel less alone.”
Among the songs on the EP, “Good Morning” definitely stands out. We asked what inspired him to make his hit track and how he felt going into the release to which he replied, “‘Good Morning’ is the epitome of what I am trying to do with my music. When I first heard the instrumental, I knew the song was going to be a positivity anthem. The choir and the strong piano really made me think of a church service. But it has this popiness as well that allows it not just to be a gospel song. A large part of my recovery process and mental wellbeing has been my faith, and with faith comes gratitude. The song is an ode to life and second chances. My struggles with depression have shown me the importance of positivity and maintaining a grateful attitude. I really put my heart into this one, and the response has been great.”
Many artists have different motivating factors that get them out of bed every day. We asked Ian Oshér what motivates him to do what he does daily to which he responded, “For the longest time it was impossible for me to get out of bed. I definitely still have those days, but overall my life is so much better thanks to the help I’ve received and a transformation of my lifestyle. Now, my primary purpose is to carry a message of recovery and healing that has been freely given to me. I love making music and I love so many other things that life has to offer, but when it comes down to it helping others really gets me out of bed.”
We asked him at what moment did he finally start to feel like he was on the right path professionally to which he answered, “When I was first in college, I studied finance. I was on the investment banking track and really working my ass off to get an entry level analyst position. It totally dominated my life, and looking back on it, I was driven by fear. I wanted money and power and this felt like a safe way to get there. I didn’t even question if it was what I truly wanted to do. Then I started recording music for fun. I’ve always sang and played guitar, but never really considered recording my music. When I first made “Crazy Eyes” a couple of years ago, it was a feeling I had never experienced. It truly was a natural high. When I released it and saw the love it got, I started to ponder pursuing music as my career. Spending the last two years getting sober, I have been able to figure out who I really am, and music is a huge part of what defines me. I have no doubt that I am exactly where I’m meant to be.”
Every artist dreams of a collab with their favorite artist, sometimes this changes as one’s creative direction evolves but Ian stated his dream collab would be, “Really any of those guys I mentioned as inspirations would be incredible. Not only do I think our styles would blend super well, but our messages align as well. I think that it is really important in figuring out who to collaborate with to not only seek the clout. Sure, career opportunities will present themselves, but it is important to refer back to what my mission is and has been from the start. As a rap fan as well, it would be super cool to get a feature from somebody like Trippie Redd, Lil Baby, or really anybody high profile and high energy to bring that vibe to a song. I’m definitely some time away from working with anybody like that, but what the hell, I’ll put it into the universe.”
A lot of different artists have narrowed down their favorite tracks but we wondered which one would be considered his favorite to which he replied, “All my songs are different and I like them all in different ways, but one that comes to mind that I’m most proud of is “Can I Be Real With You”. It is the first song on my recent EP, and I think it has a really great energy, solid structure, and most importantly genuine lyrics. The idea behind the song is basically meeting a girl at a party, and then when you’re alone not knowing if I can let my mask down. Speaking from personal experience, I wear a “mask” in public to try to give off a certain persona and protect myself. It is hard to be myself completely and remain vulnerable all of the time, as much as I may try. This song not only is about romantic relationships but about friendships too. There comes a moment in all relationships where people learn if they can be their raw, genuine self around each other. A lot of Lauv’s music has a similar message of being unsure when to show genuine emotions. I have been a fan of his for a while, and he continues to inspire my music a ton.”
We asked him how has the insane, unprecedented times of our nation's history in 2020 impacted his career moves and how it’s affected his ability to continue growing as an artist and his overall brand. He replied, “These times are insane for our nation with the pandemic, election, wildfires, and continuing racial injustices. As somebody who relies heavily on social connection, the quarantining and social distancing has been super difficult. I came back to Boston at the start of the pandemic, deciding to move in with my parents and brothers. I had so much time on my hands this summer, and I was saving money so I decided to invest in recording equipment. I set up a recording booth in my parents’ closet, purchased some instrumentals, and got to work.For the longest time, I had said that I would make music if I had more money and more time. With both on my hands, it felt like the perfect opportunity. That has been the silver lining of this pandemic for me. Unfortunately, coronavirus has made it impossible to perform my music live, but I am continuing to make music that I can hopefully perform one day when this is over.”
We were curious to know how his style of music would be best described in his own words, and he had to say, “When people ask me that, I usually just say pop to keep it simple. However, I have a ton of musical influences and I think that just saying “pop” does not necessarily do justice to my actual style. Generally speaking, my music is emotional, rhythmic, melodic and raw. I mix a lot of hip hop influence with rnb, electronic, rock and even folk influence.”
All make mistakes in the music industry, but we asked what was the best personal and/or professional advice you've ever received to which he answered, “The best personal advice is probably to take things a day at a time. During my finance times, I knew what the next 5, 10, 20 years were going to look like. It was crippling, because when things happened to disrupt my plans, it felt like things were falling apart. Now I know that I am powerless over so much, and I try to control the controllables by taking the next right step. Professionally speaking, I used to have the idea that if only the right person who works at a record label, or whoever it may be could hear my music I’d be set. I just needed that one influential person to hear my music. I was told that while that may happen to some people, planning on that would be foolish. I was told to build my brand myself and that the right people would come. Since then, I have just been focusing on putting myself and my music out there as much as possible.”
So we wondered where he was two years ago and what would he tell himself from 2 years ago with what you know now about the music industry to which he responded, “This question is super relevant for me because the last two years have seen a total transformation of my life. Two years ago I had released one song, and I had decided that finance was not for me. I was depressed, anxious, addicted to substances, and self harming. I was a mess. After asking for help, I went off to rehab, and have never looked back. Something I would tell myself, is what was told to me early on in my recovery process. I was completely focused on making music when I got to rehab. The experts there told me to focus on my recovery and my mental health and that the rest would follow. That was really difficult for me to digest and it really took me a few months to wrap my head around it. What they were saying could not have been truer. Without my wellbeing, my music does not exist. I have to put recovery first, and when I do that, so many other doors open for me. I am learning so much more about the industry as I go through my journey, but whether you’re in music or not, get yourself right and the rest will follow.”
A lot of business deals can affect an artists career path especially if they run into bad deals early on. We asked what his Best & worst business deal you've ever made and what the takeaways from it were to which he commented, “The best move I have made is making one of my best friends, Jonathan WIlkins, my manager. I have known him since the second grade and he is a really smart dude. When it comes to the artist/manager relationship, trust is really important. With Jonathan, I know that he has my best interests at heart and that he believes in me and my work. He works in the industry, but does not have a ton of experience in management, so it has been great for us to both learn and grow as we get further along. I have not yet made any bad deals (fingers crossed), but I’ve learned that there are a lot of people that will talk a big game and then not deliver. I have had people tell me that they were going to fly me somewhere to record or that they had a bunch of resources to offer me, and it usually doesn’t pan out. Through that, I have learned to manage my expectations and not put so much weight on what is told to me.
Onwards toward the future projects that we continue to anticipate dropping soon, we were wondering when's his next project and what he wants his fans to know about Ian Oshér coming up in the near future to which he said, “My EP “Come Closer” just came out and I hope anybody reading this takes a few minutes to go listen to it on Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, etc. I also made a music video for one of the songs “Late” which we had a dope time making so check that out as well. As of right now, I am in the early stages of my next project. I have been in the studio with a super talented producer, Carter Sanders, and we are cooking up some stuff that I am really excited about. I have made songs from scratch and I have made music with pre-made instrumentals, and it always feels more pure when I can work with people to make them from scratch. That is what Carter and I are doing now and it is a huge blessing. I do not have a date set yet, but it will definitely be soon. Follow my socials for more updates!”
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