Meet Naylon | Recording Artist

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

Hi Naylon, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“When someone tells me “no,” it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.” – Karen E. Quinones Miller

This is my favorite quote, and I think about it often. To me, it means don’t allow anyone’s opinion to stop you from achieving your goals. Throughout my life, I have allowed other’s opinions to carry a lot of weight, sometimes even perceiving these opinions as truth. This quote has changed my outlook.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up in Nebraska, constantly daydreaming about life in a big city. As a child, I loved music and performing and I always knew I wanted to make a career out of it. I struggled in school and had a very hard time making friends. However, singing and writing was something I could do by myself, so I would often walk the fence during recess making up songs.

As I got older, the six-second-looping app, Vine was introduced and I started posting clips of myself singing. I never expected to gain a following of any kind so I was shocked that people liked my videos. Things came to an end though when the app shut down, and I stopped posting altogether. Flash forward a few years, and TikTok had just come out. I started filming new covers and originals and sharing them on both TikTok and Instagram. Once again to my surprise, my videos started taking off. I always wanted to visit Los Angeles, but I was waiting for the “right moment.” Finally, a friend of mine told me that, the right moment may never come. With this advice, I bought a flight and made my first solo trip to Los Angeles.

Eventually, I was able to make my cross-country move after saving up enough money. Once I moved to Los Angeles, I started writing more music and doing songwriting sessions with the hopes of releasing my own music. I’m an independent artist though and so it took me a handful of years to figure out how to make everything come together. I’m so excited though that I have finally started releasing my music.

My biggest hope is that my music can help others in some way, the same way that others music has comforted me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My go-to’s for any tourist in Los Angeles are The Getty, the beach (any will do!), and the Melrose Trading Post. For food, I love stopping by MidiCi, Guisados, Sushi Stop, and who doesn’t love a pastry from Porto’s Bakery?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shoutout to my incredible voice teacher, Drew Neneman who taught and mentored me over the years and has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders. Drew is a gifted musician, writer, and educator who is devoted to his craft and helping others reach their full potential. I am forever grateful for his friendship and guidance.

Website: https://www.iamnaylon.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamnaylon

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/naylonmusic

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamnaylon

Image Credits
All photos shot by Michael Donovan