Life & Work with Troy Donohue of East Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy Donohue

Hi Troy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started playing music when I was 4 years old, and took to it immediately. However, I never necessarily wanted to follow a music sheet, I opted for a more rock n roll approach instead. With my family, we created a band known as Rockstar Racecar who merely played Queen, Bowie, and AC/DC covers. A year or two in, I’d grow out of the family aspect, and replace my parents with some of my best friends for guitar and bass. With the sudden changes, I finally started to write my own material and discover the craft of songwriting. Once high school was up, the options for music in North Jersey were rather bleak. So, I packed my bags and made it down to Nashville, where I’ve been going strong for over 2 years now.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think it’d be a shock if I said, “It’s been smooth sailing moving a thousand miles away from home.” I’ve had my fair share of struggles in the new city, mainly loneliness and struggling to make my new life routine. All of my friends stayed (mostly) in the Northeast, and establishing a brand new home base without friends or family has been rough. Eventually, I found my community, found a good group of friends, and created a Nashville family who I love just as much as my friends back home.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been mainly honing my craft as a songwriter in the Music City, experimenting with new ideas, new people, and new genres along the way. It’s been fun collaborating with other creative minds who’s cogs turn in a slightly different way to mine. In a city crawling with musicians and artists, it’s interesting to see who sticks out. I’ve taken my rocking Northeast background and ran with it in the south, doing my best as a local artist to put my name on the map. I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for the upcoming year, but for now, “Handwritten” stands as my best work to date. Working with Ben Beauchene of Pillow Fort Studios, we concocted a cheesy 80’s hit which could be matched with the Springsteen tracks of the time. It was a joy to work on it, and the final product is truly the cherry on top.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
This could be a cop out answer, but I feel like it just depends on how I feel. Music is such a great medium since there are so many viewpoints you could look at it from. I write based on how I feel, so depending on the topic at hand I’ll pull from different sources. If I’m looking for hope and a little taste of home, I’ll write closer to my Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen roots. If pain and anguish are on the menu, I’ll pull some strings from the metalhead sector of my brain to do so. If I’m in the mood to tell a rather heartbreaking story (with a minor ounce of comedy), I’ll put on “Small Change” by Tom Waits and see what comes from that glorious album that I could pick apart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.troydonohue.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troydonohuemusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TroyDonohueMusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@troydonohue7696
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rGolwdmWTZWTrdUoDzJWh