Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Damien Curry of Los Angeles

Damien Curry shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Damien, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Being seen! I’ve been behind the scenes creating art with music for so long that the idea of coming out of the shadows is a bit unnerving. As someone that doesn’t take myself too seriously, desiring for other people to take me seriously is actually a bit funny to me. I’ve learned that how strangers perceive me is vastly different than how me and my close friends and family perceive me.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am an artist that creates art with music. For me it’s important to stay true to my origins as a musician since I started this journey as a guitar/bass player. In the early part of my journey I was immersed in funk and rock music, with Jimi Hendrix, Funkadelic, & Frank Zappa being the first to permanently love-bomb my eardrums. As most in this industry do, I found myself looking for a way to support adulting so I was blessed to meet a fantastic group of composers and I began writing cues for some very well known TV shows. For almost 20 years I honed my craft as a composer, producer, and mixer before I took a break during the early parts of the COVID pandemic. During that 20 years, I clocked just over 1,000 compositions for various shows & productions.

I did a hard pivot during the pandemic and fell in love with Brazilian funk music, specifically the band Black Banda Rio. A few years ago during one of my many trips to Amsterdam, I was exposed to Afro Techno / Afro House music for the first time. When I returned to LA I was on the hunt for anyone playing this music. It was that music that reignited this flame in me and inspired me to create again. I deleted all my sample libraries, invested in a whole new sound pallet, taught myself how to DJ, and now I’m here.

Despite my long career as a composer, I feel brand new! I’m still learning and growing. If I had to narrow down what I want for my fans, I would say that I want to take people on a journey. I want people to escape their reality for a few minutes when they’re listening to my music. I want them to feel new connections to themselves to the people around them, and to their own spirituality. I want to inspire them to be courageous in their personal and collective adventures.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Easy, my sister!

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me how strong my inner resolve is. It has validated my creative brain by forcing me into situations that require me to think outside of the box to solve problems. Suffering has also taught me how to be gracious, kind, and patient with myself. Don’t get me wrong, success is validating! It’s important & it’s the fuel that can used to keep you moving in the right direction. Success lets you know you’re on the right track. But I believe we should write our own success metrics, otherwise we end up losing ourselves in the approval of others.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
That there is life all over this universe and they have played a major role in our own human existence.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
The story is simple – music is the Creators universal healing elixir. It’s the universal language that was meant to connect us on a soul’ular [sic] level. If you take a few minutes to reflect, music is likely tied to some of our best life memories. Humans are designed for community & fellowship and music has always been the great connector. All of my best friendships are rooted and centered around some sort of musical connection. Some of them intentional, some of them happenstance. It can be used as a tool to restore or destroy. We have to chose wisely what we allow to penetrate those vulnerable spaces of our souls.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.damiencurry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sauceofcurry
• Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCdh-reI7I_xO2Z5mrFwGSuQ?si=m1loVstWrbEwGrQk
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sauceofcurry

Image Credits
Adel Rabinovich