Photo courtesy of Jeremy Sobocan

Growing up in rural British Columbia, Canada with five acres of a mountain acting as a backyard, a religious family background and not much in the way of local stages or music industry… It’s not the typical origin story for a gay pop artist, but for me, it was my reality - and proof that sometimes going against the grain is the best way to be your most authentic self, regardless of how scary the first steps can be.

My childhood in the Okanagan was amazing. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, with ski hills in the winter and beaches, camping, hiking and biking around in the summer. It’s truly an awe-inspiring place.

During my adolescence, I had a more limited perspective on popular music. There was a lot of faith-based music played around my home, and we didn’t subscribe to MTV or MuchMusic, so my musical knowledge was honestly a little bit lacking. It wasn’t until the huge boom in reality television singing competitions that my eyes were really opened to the music industry, and introduced me to so many songs from decades and genres I had completely missed out on until then. This was a huge inspiration to me and all these new musical influences really made me tap into my creative side, make music and perform original songs.

My newfound love for various genres and eras of music led to me enrolling in some vocal lessons, guitar lessons and joining different talent competitions and musical theatre programs at school. These contests and theatre programs really helped me find my place and my identity. Before this, I never really felt like I belonged, and this new confidence and perspective really gave me the drive and confidence in myself to realize that I wanted to do music in a big way. I also realized that the Okanagan probably wasn’t the place to conquer the music industry from.

As a gay man in a small town, I ended up finding the lack of representation for gay people, and the music industry as a whole to be a bit stifling, so I made the move to Vancouver where I connected with so many different artists and writers and creatives.

Vancouver is where I have truly felt heard. I’ve spent years writing music, recording songs and releasing singles, and this is a space where I feel like I can be myself and create my art. I want my music to represent my journey, and maybe help out other members of the LGBTQ community who may not feel like they’ve found their place yet, or who are struggling with embracing all aspects of who they are. As a testament to my journey and what I hope will be an inspiration to my community, I’ve been preparing my debut album, Louder Than Words, which will arrive later this year. I intentionally chose “Can You Hear Me”, a total pop-anthem dedicated to being yourself, living in the moment and having zero regrets, as the first single. During Pride Month and beyond, I really hope this song resonates with the community, and gives everyone the courage to truly be themselves and not think twice about it.