After spending most of my teens and 20’s using music and songwriting to process my personal life, I really wanted to explore writing from alternative perspectives. It was as much a practice of getting out of my own head as anything else.

I decided to enrol myself in a songwriting course through Catch The Moon Music where we were given monthly writing assignments and instructed to work with as many other creators and musicians as we could. I was learning about sync licensing and loved the structure and the challenge. I had over 100 songs in my own catalogue, and I was excited to see what could come out of different collaborations, since I had largely written on my own before then.

When the task of writing a hero themed song came up with producer Bryan Livaudais, at first I wondered if the world needed another song about a hero. I thought about the classics from Mariah Carey and Enrique Iglesias, or contemplated how cheesy some hero themed songs had sounded to me over the years. 

I guess I just hadn’t lost mine yet. I hear these songs differently now since my dad passed away last year. Heroes in the Making is dedicated to him and all the souls out there who leave big shoes for their children to fill. Not because they were perfect or invincible, but because they set an example worth striving for.

My dad had tragically lost his father as a young boy, and I think one of his highest callings was to fulfill the role of father completely for his children, and to serve as a stronghold for his wife and younger siblings whom he loved very much. This simple, kind-hearted farmer took one of his greatest hardships in his life and transformed it into part of his purpose here. My dad is my hero.

And just as children play and use their imaginations, I think of a world where everyone seeking to grow into their highest calling can see themselves as the hero in their own story. That this wild possibility brings out the best in each of us (no matter the hardships we’ve lived through, and maybe even because of those hardships). That we somehow see the best in others, even when we’re lost or hurting. The more I live to hear the stories of others around me, the more my belief is strengthened. That’s what Heroes In The Making is all about. It’s interesting that Bryan and I were never in the same room! We just emailed ideas and tracks back and forth, and met over Zoom a couple times. I found it was a really easy co-write because he just seemed to get the concept right from the beginning. It was like he could read my mind, and everything just flowed. I think you can hear that in this track.