We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney and Stephen Stahl and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney and Stephen, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Courtney: Pursuing an artistic career wasn’t really a choice, it was a necessity. I promised myself from a young age that I would push myself everyday to achieve a creative career in order to avoid being in an office. Within my 10 years of living in LA, I signed my first publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing, wrote songs for major international artists, and sang on multiple national commercials and movies. All of my years of being in sessions, writing, singing, and everything in between, has shaped me into the artist that I have become.

Even though the music industry has completely shifted over the years in regard to decreased streaming rates for songwriters/artists and the competitive nature of social media, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s the world I’ve grown to know and love. I will continue to pursue an artistic career for as long as it brings me joy.

Stephen:
Since I started playing guitar at the age of 9, I’ve always known that a life in music was the path for me.  My musical interests have evolved in to being a professional multi-genre music producer, transforming song ideas into full productions.  Writing songs has forever been a source of freedom and expression for me.  I’ll always continue to write.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Over the years, we’ve learned that being an artist is a marathon, not a sprint. With every year that goes by, we find clarity in our voice. Being an artist is a lot of things, but “easy” is not one of them. It takes determination, passion and gumption. We have been able to overcome challenges by staying authentic to ourselves and writing music we love.

The two of us met 12 years ago and have been writing together ever since. Within these 12 incredible years, we fell in love and got married. Our name, YVR, is an homage to the Vancouver airport code and the city in which we became engaged. Even though we are both from Southern California, Vancouver will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Over the course of our music careers, we have written and produced not only for ourselves but for Kpop groups EXO, Red Velvet, Girls Generation and many others—with over 5 million records sold and a combined 10 number one singles (including two that have reached #1 on the Billboard World Album Charts)

We have released 2 EP’s over the years and are finishing up our debut album. We cannot wait to share it with the world!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would first bring them to Zuma Beach, followed by a trip to the Griffith Observatory. There would be a couple hikes involved, and plenty of restaurants including, Pace (Italian), Black Market (American/Tapas) and Joy (Taiwanese). In the evenings, we would take them to some shows in Hollywood. Our good friend Grant Owens started a company called WFNM (We Found New Music) where he finds and curates shows with top notch artists. There would be a lot of WFNM nights!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many creative people in our lives who we feel deserve recognition. Some are in music but there are also many who are paving the way in other creative facets.

We would first like to shoutout to our good friend, Victoria Shaffer, who began her own non-profit called “Pup Culture”. She is paving the way for dog rescue and fostering. She also just released her first published book titled “Pup Culture, Stories, Tips and the Importance of Adopting a Dog”. We stand by her mission and believe in her wholeheartedly.

Another person/artist we would like to shoutout is David Schuler, of the one-man-band, “The Bad Dreamers”. He is a Grammy-nominated songwriter who we have the pleasure of calling one of our closest friends. Not only does he write and produce incredible music but he is also just as talented behind the camera. He has won countless film festival awards for his short-film titled “The House Call”. He is currently working on his first feature film.

The last artist we would like to shoutout is our talented friend, Sean the Star Emperor. The 3 of us wrote a song, produced by Stephen, titled “Paradise” and it is the summer anthem people didn’t even know they needed! Sean brings the heat in every sense of the word and we think his name couldn’t be more accurate. He is a STAR!

Website: https://www.weareyvr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareyvr/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareyvrmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weareyvrmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCO02DwnvclhrJh4AK1ybRQ?view_as=subscriber

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@weareyvr

Image Credits
Derrick K. Lee @methodman13 @Blurred_Culture DU.ane @notesfromvivace Gohar @tunesgohard Meg Meyer @megmeyer

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