Texan duo Bridges Ablaze have recently released their latest single, “Forever Fallen.” While life appears normal since the isolation days during the pandemic, bands continue to experience the aftermath. We caught up with the group as they shared five ways the pandemic changed them being a musician.
Growth In Songwriting & Improvements In Demo/Home Audio Engineering
”When the pandemic hit, we were forced indoors. We both had to adapt in a way that would allow us to both work together, but without risking one another’s health. We were forced to become more self-reliant when it came to songwriting and demos.”, said both members. “I personally started creating full fledged demos for the first time because of the pandemic.”, Brien remarked on the matter. “I was forced to improve my engineering and mixing skills during lockdown.”, Ruben commented. “We have permanently benefitted from the skills we were forced to hone during lockdown, and our songwriting process has become more streamlined as our production and engineering capabilities have increased.” Both members commented in unison.
Increase In Remote Sessions & Meetings
“During lockdown, we both started using Zoom and Skype frequently for many lessons and meetings. Before the pandemic, we rarely used video conferencing platforms on a regular basis. Since the lockdown ended, we still use video conferencing for many meetings.”, remarked both members. “It’s been a permanent change in how we conduct business, and is honestly a lot easier than other ways of meeting.” Brien commented, looking back on how the pandemic changed the landscape of meetings.
Joining Online Mentorships & Communities
“Right when lockdown happened, Brien joined an online mentorship program called “Music Mastery”, led by prolific industry executives Charlie Walk and Lisa Einhorn-Gilder.”, said Ruben. “It wasn’t long after I joined that Ruben also joined. Through this program, we both learned about many essential aspects of the music industry that we didn’t know about before.”, said Brien. “We also met many cherished friends and helpful contacts in the industry and across the world. This experience changed the trajectory of our career forever.” Ruben remarked.
Significantly Fewer In-Person Events, Practices, & Meetings
“When lockdown happened, all physical events became more difficult.”, said Ruben. “Before any physical session, we both would take COVD tests prior to meeting. During peak waves, meetings often never happened physically.”, Brien commented. “During a recording session in California during a winter peak wave, we stayed in a hotel and disinfected every surface with lab-grade isopropyl alcohol and wore masks literally every time we left our room. Many things changed when it came to physical interactions.” Ruben reminisced.
Dire Circumstances & Isolation Led To Attitude & Eventual Career Trajectory Change
“During the pandemic, the world’s atmosphere became very dire. No one knew what would happen, and if we’d live or die. This added a lot of fuel to our fire, and gave us many reasons to push harder with our career.”, said Brien. “Also, when we joined that mentorship, we both became renewed with motivation to push harder than we ever had before in music.”, Ruben commented. “This unique combination of variables, in addition to us both learning many new skills in isolation, led to a “perfect storm” that entirely restructured our music careers and changed the course of our futures.” Both musicians said.
