Secondhand Sound
Nashville-based Secondhand Sound brings their powerful alt-rock vibe to the music industry. Vocal centerpiece Sawyer John Estok and drummer Collin Plank met lead guitarist Cameron Schmidt and bassist Teagan Proctor at school in 2018, and the four have been at it ever since. With each member uniquely contributing to the group’s dynamic, the quartet's emotionally honest music has surely resonated with its listeners. This crafty instrumentation and lyrical sincerity has earned the group over 37 thousand monthly Spotify listeners and a growing fanbase. Sharing a love of Star Wars prequels, the four friends click both in and out of the studio, likely the secret to their success. We recently spoke with Secondhand Sound about their creative process, what’s coming up for them, and more!
How did you start making music?
Sawyer: Plank and I met and started the band in high school when we were 16 and 17. The four of us fully met in 2018. I chose to go to Belmont University under the romantic notion that I’d find the band I was supposed to be in in Nashville. Fate had Teag and Cam living across the hall from me. A few months went by and we asked them to join the band.
It’s your day off: How are you spending it?
Sawyer: Nowadays my days off consist of a whole lot of coffee and music. I spend a lot of time writing, listening to music and then writing some more. I love to drive around Nashville and listen to music. I find it really helps in the writing process to record an acoustic voice memo of a song I’m working on and just play it in the car and drive until I figure out what to do to it next. Being in the car for me is the best way to listen to music.
Who’s your choice for a dream collab?
Sawyer: If I could collaborate with Hayley Williams in any way shape or form I’d be able to say I lived life to the fullest. I think I’d melt if she even knew my name haha.
What’s the best part about being a band?
Teagan: The community. Making it in music is tough. Really tough. In those moments where it is easy to succumb to discouragement, having brothers in arms is invaluable. It is comforting to know that we succeed together… and sometimes fall flat on our faces together. The creative collaboration is also very rewarding. Everyone’s personal tastes and influences pour into the mixing pot of each project and the finished product never ceases to blow me away. We truly do make some great babies together. Maybe cut that last line.
Is there any song that comes to mind that was more difficult to make than others?
Teagan: Probably “Kayla Klein.” The skeleton of that song genuinely arose out of a band argument. I won’t get into the specifics but let’s just say the band somehow found ourselves at 2am packed into a car in the middle of “Cornfield Central” Illinois writing the chorus of that song. All of us were delirious as hell, but we wouldn’t leave until something worthwhile was inked. Even as months passed by and the project matured, there was still a decent amount of uncertainly in regard to whether or not the song was worth being cut. In hindsight I think to date it is one of the most real and beautiful songs that we have created. I like to hope our fanbase agrees.
Where do you draw inspiration from when making music?
Sawyer: I’ve been really sitting down and thinking about what I want our music and songs I write in general to feel like. I think making music/art in its purest form all comes down to the way it feels. We are so early in our careers that I don’t have a lot of experience in my craft to base my decisions on. It’s always “does this feel right?” Ive been working on assigning feelings to songs and carrying them out with that intention. When I’m searching for feelings I consume a lot of movies, music, and YouTube videos that I think will get the ball rolling a little more in my head. Inspiration can come down to the way an actor says something or the way a guitar riff is phrased. It’s everywhere! You just have to look for what you want within guidelines you set for yourself.
Any future projects for fans to get excited about?
Sawyer: I've been locked in my room on and off since February with the intention of writing and delivering the best debut album I can give. We’ve got a long road ahead of us making it a reality but I know I’ve got the best guys around me to pull it off. We’ll probably keep firing off singles at the same rate just so you don’t forget about us but my focus at the moment is on getting my ideas together for an LP.
