Today we’d like to introduce you to Freedom Angel.
Hi Freedom, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Currently writing under my stage name, Freedom Angel, I started my journey in very small town in Northern NJ. Unlike my peers, who spent their time shopping for clothes at the mall or trying to be in the cool crowd, I spent my time devouring all the music I could get my hands on. I loved alternative music, REM, Pearl Jam, The Cure and The Smiths, but I listened to everything in every genre. I learned all the lyrics to the songs on the radio. I also sung in my school choir and in church at a very young age. I started singing professionally at the age of 16 as a song leader in churches of various denomination, and really have continued off and on until this day. I started studying voice seriously at the age of 13, and learned that my voice was a legit voice, more suited towards operatic or classical singing. In college, I studied opera and art song at Washington University in St. Louis. Though in college I really became I huge fan of Sheryl Crow. I loved how her style crossed genres and combined the influences pop, rock, country, folk and a bit of blues. After college, I followed my dream to New York to audition and perform in operas. I started to make a name for myself in New York at the regional level, singing as a young artist in several companies, including a troupe whose operas were televised by the BBC. That was my international debut as an opera singer. It was about this time that my talent caught the attention of an agent who set me up with a producer to write my own music and record a single. I had some doubts about my ability to write songs as this was an area that I was less familiar with. But I always wanted to record and make records. I loved the whole process of recording, I memorized the stories behind how my favorite bands and singers came to make their debut album. I loved the process of making my first single, but it didn’t lead to a record deal. Although I did make connections, one of which would change the arc of my career as a musician forever. I cold called a producer in Nashville after seeing his website and in particular his work mentoring young talent. His name was Bronson Herrmuth. After a conversation about my current songwriting and what my goals were, he told me my story sounded interesting, and he’d like me to send him an email. From then on he would be a mentor, and briefly my manager. He would walk me through the writing and production of my first album out of Nashville in 2006.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has been a rough road. After recording my album in 2005, I saw some initial online success. There was some excitement around the record, but I didn’t get a deal from a big label. I funded the entire project myself. The next logical step was to go on the road to promote the album. I toyed with the idea of moving to Nashville, whose people and musicians had captured my heart and really brought out the best in me. But the timing wasn’t right and I didn’t have the financial support or frankly the supportive network I needed to continue. It turned out to be a blessing though, because I moved outside of Philadelphia where my artistry began to bloom again after taking a long pause to raise my son. Then after Covid, I saw a resurgence in the need for good songs and good songwriting. I started to write really organically again. This time from a place of confidence and a place of strength. I had seen many of my friends succeeding as artists in country music and it only made me more determined to record another album in Nashville. Strangely enough after years of not seeing any digital play on my debut record, I suddenly began seeing royalties from online streams. It seemed like the universe was saying, there is a place for you here as a songwriter. Doors started to open. I began to let go of limiting ideas like, if I’m not making millions doing my art then I’m not successful. This is not true, I write music because it is who I am, it is part of my humanity, it is my expression of creativity that comes from the source of all things.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a classically trained singer that writes alternative country music. I’m unique in that a lot of my public performing right now has been in the classical realm and I’m proud I still have the strength and power in my voice to do that. But singing the works of others, does not fulfill the entirety of my being. My heart and soul want to tell their own story. I’m working on a second album that I plan to record with Thomas Dulin, a producer in Nashville who has worked with two of my favorite artists, Drew and Ellie Holcomb. Honestly, it sounds simple, but I’m most proud of getting streaming royalties for my music. It was once a dream of mine that took many years to see come to fruition, but when I get that royalty statement its like, wow, this is real. What sets me apart from others is that I’m an indie artist that writes my own songs in which I speak from the heart. I talk a lot about heartbreak, which of course suits country music just fine. My new songs come from the point of view of a woman who won’t just settle for mediocrity, but is looking for a love that is accepting, is ready to weather the highs and lows of life, and knows this love is for the long haul, not just for today. All of my art is funded either through grants or sponsors. I’m not owned or influenced by any corporation. I can write without censorship and I do not use any AI tools in my music. Robots don’t know what it is to be human. I’m only interested in chronicling the human experience, and in particular the female American experience.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
First of all, I believe as a writer, you need to read. Read books, not just online content. I love in particular reading biographies about artists or musicians. I’ve listened to several interviews and followed Rick Rubin for a while now on Instagram. His spiritual approach to artistry is one I can relate to and he has really profound things to say about what does and does not make an artist. In particular, something he said in an interview was a big eye opener to me. He said that we make our art as an offering to the creator, not because we think it will be commercially good, or if we are trying to please people or really any other reason. If we are creating and letting go of those judgmental thoughts, like is this going to be good or not, then it is from there we can create our best art. Of course, I am paraphrasing what he said but it was in that moment that I realized, yeah, I create my songs and have a finished piece and its more about creating music that satisfies my soul and my being. Hopefully from there it will move and inspire someone else. But that should not be the first and primary goal. As I was thinking about this interview I realized that something that is really important and its what most young artists don’t have is a connection to the land. I’m the granddaughter of a farmer and while other kids my age started working in a store as a teen, I worked on the farm. I carried 100lb bags of corn and got my hands dirty picking fruit and vegetables for customers. There was no cash register, just an adding machine, and you had to memorize all the prices. That’s right, there were hundreds of products in the store, and you had to memorize the prices of each one. I went to college halfway across the country in Missouri. I learned what it was to live in a whole new state and appreciate its culture. Similarly I studied and performed two summers in California. When I began to travel to Nashville, it wasn’t just about the music. It was about meeting and talking to the people there, appreciating its rich culture and history, and connecting to the land. I’m a Virgo, so having both feet on the ground is very important to me. Whenever I feel lost, I try to connect back to the land to literally ground myself again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://freedomangelsoprano.com/
- Instagram: @freedomangelsoprano
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasoprano
- Other: https://freedomangel.bandzoogle.com/
