Introducing Blair West.

A singer-songwriter based in New York, Blair West pursued her childhood dream of becoming a musician several years after a successful journalism and marketing career. Although Blair only recently took the leap, she started writing music when she was 5, and grew up honing her craft with piano, guitar, a cappella, and theatre. Blair is inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Jewel, and Taylor Swift and has found her sound at the intersection of folk, pop, and indie.

Her debut single, “All This to Say,” is a love letter to her fiancé that she recorded in her apartment bathroom. Her soothing vocals are accompanied by an anthemic guitar, rich strings, and celestial synths. Busker had the opportunity to speak to Blair about the upcoming release of her new single and her decision to embrace her musical passion.

Q: How has your relationship with music changed over time? Why did you decide to go for it?

Growing up, I always knew music was a part of me, whether playing piano or acting in musicals or writing guitar melodies in the late hours during high school. I dabbled in pursuing music professionally throughout my early adult life, but it wasn’t until several years after college that I realized there was no passion stronger than my passion for music. It was something I couldn’t ignore anymore. I realized I had nothing to lose by trying, but would always regret not putting myself out there, for fear of what other people would think. And I finally decided to "go for it."

Q: What has been expected and unexpected in your career transition?

Spoiler alert … It’s been harder, and scarier, and more intimidating than I thought! I knew the music industry was an ever-changing Wild West, and it would take a lot of grit to navigate. All of this is true, but to an extent I hadn’t anticipated. But the small moments of fulfillment and payback are even better than expected. At one of my first big gigs, a group of strangers started waving their hands and cheering me on by name; I thought I was hallucinating. For all the rejection, unanswered emails, tough days, etc…. there is so much fulfillment in being able to connect and communicate with people through my music, and that’s more than worth it.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages as a musician influenced by many genres?

There’s a lot of freedom in making music that encompasses several genres, but it can also be hard to know what is good or marketable to others, because there are fewer things to compare to. I spent many years trying to ‘find my sound,’ and was so often caught up in what was the ‘coolest’ or most ‘sophisticated’ way to express myself musically. These days, I remind myself to write songs that feel good to my ear. I grew up appreciating the beautiful simplicity in folk music, with those traditional and timeless melodies that transcend genres; I always aim to create sounds like those, and enhance them with a contemporary/pop spin.

Q: What was the hardest part of recording your first single?

Being a singer-songwriter, you rely so much on a producer to bring your song to life, so finding the right production partner was the hardest part. I wanted the song to be intimate and reflect my most true sound – something similar to what I would perform live to a small group in my living room – but of course, with some sexy and contemporary elements added on.

Q: Do you regret not pursuing music full-time earlier? Are there any skills from your journalism and marketing career that are helpful for your music career?

So many skills from my corporate career have proved invaluable for my music career. Most importantly, my work experience has taught me how to roll up my sleeves, make a plan, and execute it. It also gave me the chutzpah to create opportunities for myself, and not be afraid to cold-email, or reach out to people multiple times etc. Working my way up in the more traditional corporate world equipped me well for the less traditional music industry.

Q: Can you walk us through the production process for “All this to Say?” Was it a solo project?

I always knew I wanted to write a love letter to my relationship, expressing the relief and joy that comes with being truly accepted by a partner — about the peace that comes with real love . But sometimes expressing the most simple sentiments, such as ‘I love you’ can be the hardest — it always sounds cliche, or indulgent, or obsequious. For ‘All this to Say, ’I started free-writing this love letter and, very unusually, the song and melody came out very naturally and quickly. I recorded the vocals and guitar with the very talented Jake Libassi of Shifted Recording in Brooklyn, who added some amazing synths and percussion. The song took only a few hours to record and master, and I was really happy with the end result.

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians coming from a similar place that you did?

I would tell anyone who wants to pursue music to 100% go for it, in whatever way makes them happy. And more importantly, don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough, or not ‘big’ enough, or not cool enough, because really, who is?!

Q: What’s next for you?

I’m excited to release several more songs in my debut EP, and I’m currently on a mini-tour in NYC and Baltimore promoting the first single. I’m also working on a music video for ‘All this to Say,’ out later this month!