As an artist, our music will always grow as we develop. More of our lives and beliefs will become a part of our own individual sound. This is the only real way to have a real career. Connect with your music and the fans will pick up on this. Our recent find Fishburn has hit his prime by pouring his heart into his music.
After years of producing Dance music, Fishburn evolved and started leaning into making Christian Contemporary music. He saw a niche being underserved and has found a spot that combines his talent and his faith.
The most recent release by Fishburn is his inspirational track “The Flame”. The smooth sound eases in drawing the listener in closely. We are allowed to let our focus be on the meaningful lyrics. Sounds wash over the track keeping it truly interesting.
As Fishburn was putting together the music video during his COVID-related lockdown time, it took a different approach and came to be an homage to the nurses and doctors on the frontlines fighting this terrible pandemic. They can certainly use the light right now.
First off, what is the story behind the name Fishburn?
It came from the fish symbol that Christians have been using for centuries (and on the back their cars for decades). When Christians were being persecuted in the early days of Christianity, the fish symbol was used discretely on the dirt roads, with one person casually draw one of the arcs in the dirt with their foot. If the other person was Christian, they would pick up on it & finish the opposite arc, thus completing the fish symbol in the dirt. They then knew it was safe to talk about Jesus. As for the “burn”, when you love something, it just burns inside and leaves a mark. When you fall in love with Jesus as your Savior, it stays with you forever, thus Fishburn was created.
How would you describe your sound?
I don’t play any traditional instruments but I do know how to sequence on the computer, write melodies & lyrics. My experience as a DJ and a dance music producer over the years has helped me hone a more gentle electronic pop sound. I love hooks & melodies, so if I ever get an earworm, I definitely try to form it into a song at some point. Some of the songs will be downtempo, some will be club tracks, while others will be ballads. I just plan on having Jesus work through me to create the songs.
Which artists have been the biggest influence on Fishburn?
I honestly don’t have any. I’ve been writing music for years now and always stuck to my guns with sounding original and not imitating anyone. During the past 2 years, I have listened to the Christian Dance music station on Spotify and heard artists like Jordan Feliz, Built By Titan & Matthew Parker & thought that if I ever got back into it, I would hope to be on playlists with these guys.
What drives you to create original music?
I can’t sing, so when I write a song, I’ll produce it as a version of me singing in on it (auto-tuned of course) and then send it to a singer I have discovered. I jokingly tell them to burn it after they are done with it. As a songwriter, these songs stay in your head and heart until you get them made, and it is such a joy to get that singer’s acapella on the song and you then hear it in a whole new light.
After years as a Dance Music producer, how did the transition to Christian Contemporary music happen?
Some of the tracks on the new album are older songs I have written during the past 10 years. I dug a few of them out and changed some of the words to transform them from secular to spiritual songs. The transition was more technical than lyrical though. I produced all of my music on a Windows computer from 2000-2012 & literally had to re-teach myself on a Mac Pro this time around. I’ve only been working on my new Mac since February so what you are hearing is actually my first foray on a brand new machine…but it was like a riding a bike, it all comes back to you.
Tell us about your latest song “The Flame” and its accompanying music video?
It’s a song about being stuck in life, losing your way on the path without Jesus and asking Him to come back to show you the way. Jesus is the Flame in this song. I started piecing the video clips together during my extra time at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Once I noticed that some of the clips struck a cord when playing with certain lyrics, I actively started piecing a new narrative of what it was like to be a nurse, doctor or patient that needed more light/Jesus in their life to help them through this mess.
Share some advice for other artists creating music in their own lane?
As a dance music artist back in the day, I was seeking fame, coolness & popularity. Priorities have changed and so has my drive for releasing music into this world. This time around, I’m letting the music speak for itself as I watch from behind the scenes. I want the message to be the star. Fishburn is just the vehicle the message needs to be carried in. I’m not fearing rejection this time, I’m only fearing the possibility of not finishing the next song, and one after that, and the one…you get the picture.
What does the future hold for Fishburn?
I just finished the dance remix to The Flame. Now, I am currently producing the other songs that will appear on the album. They will have both male & female voices on them, as the Fishburn sound isn’t really about one person but a legion. Maybe down the road, a collaboration between other artists will be featured on future albums, so who knows what the Fishburn tapestry will sound like in the future. I am excited as you!
