Rising Stars: Meet Stoney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stoney

Hi Stoney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Good morning! My name is Stoney. I am an LA-based artist and songwriter, originally from Virginia. I came out to LA when I got into film school at University of Southern California, which had been an absolute dream of mine ever since discovering they were the number one film school in the country. I always wanted to live on the West Coast and pursue a career in entertainment, and remaining behind the scenes seemed like the most feasible option for me. But I have always loved singing and songwriting since I was a little girl. Whether it was through benefit performances for charity or participating in theater programs at school, my love of music was just this feeling I couldn’t shake — that “what if?” question that I knew I’d be longing for if I never gave it a shot. So when the opportunity to fully pursue a career in music came, I was more than willing to give it my all. I had been performing at local open mics, gigging, doing background for other artists, uploading covers to my social media. And finally, while participating in a workout program aimed at helping singers improve their live performance, a few of my demos that I wrote and recorded in my apartment were played in front of a very talented and well connected producer. That producer and I began working on songs together, and from there the Stoney project was finally in full swing. From introducing me to various grammy-award winning and platinum-selling producers and songwriters, to meeting some of the most influential executives in the business, I was able to begin building a network of people who believed in my artistic vision and what I have to offer. Although I am only at the very beginning of my career, I have been extremely lucky to be surrounded by such talented and good-hearted people who are helping me launch what I believe will be a very fruitful career as an artist.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road hasn’t been smooth, but knowing how horrible things could have gone had I ended up with the wrong people, I can say with confidence that I am very lucky. The main obstacles that come with being an independent artist who doesn’t come from wealth are the same obstacles that most people face entering into any “high-risk” career post-grad. I’ve been working as a waitress, trying to stay positive while convincing people that I am serious about what I do and that I deserve a chance to be seen and heard. It can be the most invalidating feeling, seeing others achieve what you have far before you, or being ridiculed by your peers for taking yourself seriously in an industry like this. Not to mention how hard it is living so far away from all of my family, who remain on the east coast. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I believe that my struggles with mental health, self worth, finances, and body image have made me into the determined and confident woman that I am today. There’s nothing anyone can say to me that I haven’t already said to myself and overcome! And I’m not letting anything stop me from believing in myself — not my circumstances, and certainly not what anyone else has to say about it. And I know that going forward, there will be far more obstacles to overcome, especially ones that I can neither predict nor prepare for. But I’m ready to face them the way my mother and father have always taught me to face challenges in life: with bravery and unyielding faith in my ability to survive whatever is thrown in my direction.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I call the style of music I make “cinematic pop” for many reasons. For one, a lot of the lyricism is dramatic and tells a story with a strong character voice. I love how creative theatrical music can be, and so a lot of that shines in my songwriting. Secondly, the production style leans into a more soundtrack feeling journey rather than your stereotypical linear song structure. Although not all of the songs have this dynamic, a majority of them on my first project feed into what I call my “hero’s journey” as I write about having an ugly-ducking turned confident swan story. My fears, my insecurities, my hopes, my triumphs…they’re all topics I don’t shy away from in my music. Being able to put all of these intense emotions into works of art has been so therapeutic for me, and I think what sets me apart is ultimately what sets all of us apart from one another: our unique voice and how we use it to tell our unique story. Although I have many musical inspirations, I can say with confidence that a Stoney song is a Stoney song, and not a carbon copy of anything out there right now. I am most proud of how open and vulnerable I was able to be with this project, and how far I’ve come from that insecure little girl who believed her only chance to shine would be far away from the spotlight. I am no longer afraid to be seen, and that’s what this project is all about.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Nothing in life that is worth anything is going to come easy. You know that saying “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard?” I’m pretty sure my dad has said that to me over a thousand times as a kid. Even when I was at my absolute lowest in a private school environment as an insecure scholarship kid, my parents kept telling me that one day I would be grateful for the lessons being overlooked would teach me. And although I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone, I will say that it taught me a lot about being okay with failing and being okay with going against the status quo. I’ve never been the cool kid, so why would I let external validation stop me from doing something potentially “cringey” or “embarrassing” if it meant I could pursue something that made me happy? I’ve had performances in front of some pretty influential people not go the way I wanted them to. I’ve had people who were originally on my team decide to leave and tell me that I wasn’t ready for all of the things I wanted. Hell, graduating from the top film school in the country to become a waitress pursuing a music career was a huge risk in and of itself! But life is not promised. So my view on taking a risk is this: would I rather live my life knowing I played it safe guided by other people’s expectations of what my future should look like, or would I rather live my life knowing I lived it for me? Obviously it isn’t black and white. Some people can afford to take certain risks that others can’t, and I understand my privilege in that fact alone. But I definitely am not afraid of failure, and to this day all of my “mistakes” and “failures” have brought me to the right door that I was meant to walk through. So if you’re someone thinking about taking a leap of faith, trust me. Even if you fall, you’ll figure out a way to stand up again. And you’ll be glad that you at least took a chance on yourself instead of living a life of fear and regret.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodmorningstoney/profilecard/?igsh=dzJpMjBkbnozMG4=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567727453226&mibextid=LQQJ4d&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@goodmorningstoney?si=5Fd08vQTWSQLuF1X
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodmorningstoney?_t=8sMIoYVKHgk&_r=1