Today we’d like to introduce you to Trace Le.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I great up in Southern California. I was raised by my single mom who has been in the entertainment industry for as long as I can remember. Admired and looked up to her growing up, but never thought of following her footsteps when it came to a career. I always had an interest in creativity and writing so when I went to college I decided to major in Communication and Business. I had aspirations of being a writer for a magazine and ultimately some sort of creative director. After college I got a job as a managing editor for a quarterly publication called Darling and that became a pivotal move for me. I packed up and moved from San Diego to Los Angeles and after about three years of working at a start-up for a job I loved, was very passionate about and learned a lot from, music suddenly and truly crept in and became something more intriguing. I had never considered music to be a career, but more so a hobby. I wrote songs and played the guitar poorly for years but one day I kind of just decided to do a Kickstarter. I thought it would be fun to get my songs produced and try it out. I ended up getting the support I needed, got an EP produced and with luck, timing, connection and a lot of emailing and hustling, my EP got the attention of my current manager, Spotify and Nextwave (sub label under Ultra). My EP did pretty well and got play listed and it felt so dreamy and exciting and it all just worked. August 2016 is when I released my EP and then I got signed to Ultra June of 2017. It’s been a whirlwind.
Great, 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?
Doing music requires, I’ve learned, perspective and a lot of patience. Nothing is smooth when it’s creative and there have been struggles definitely. I feel I’ve learned a lot in three years and am grateful to learn sooner than later. (Though I know there is more to learn). From hiring the right team (lawyers, managers, etc.) to making sure communication is crystal clear (contracts, deals, etc.), there have been moments where I’ve trusted the wrong people or signed something too quickly. Nothing crazy but there have been some tiny bumps–rightfully so.
Ultimately, the real struggle and challenge is to not forget who you are in the process of creating your art. I think it’s so easy to be swayed by opinion of others (your team, your fans, a label, etc.) and I think it’s key to just, as my mom would say, “be yourself hon.”
Please tell us about Trace.
Doing music full-time is surreal. I’ve been able to set up an LLC for all things music. Whether it’s writing for myself or for others, it’s nice to utilize music as a real business under my name. I’m most proud of currently, just how well my EP did–especially as it was released independently.
I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to communicate a complexity that is a deep sadness most are familiar with but maybe not know how to touch? I want to make sadness healthy.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Lunchtime at school because I loved the snacks in the 90’s and when I went to Hawaii with my mom when I was eight and we swam with fish and ate all the pineapples. I like eating.
Image Credit:
Ray Neutron – rayneutron.com
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