Paige Koehler
If Jack Johnson and Vampire Weekend were playing beach volleyball, Paige Koehler’s music would be the soundtrack. Koehler is known for her solo loop sets, where she creates simple guitar riffs while layering them with vocal harmonies, a catchy beat, and quirky lyricism that makes for a full band sound.
Paige is an incredibly humble, gifted artist and we’re excited to share her journey!
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Interview
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1. Our mission is to inspire others by sharing artists’ stories. Sharing the journey, struggle and successes – showing other people they can go after their passions too. So with that being said, tell us how you got started on your musical journey.
It started when I was 15 and got a guitar for my birthday. I started writing songs and haven’t stopped since. When I got to college I got involved in the local house show scene and networked/ played gigs for the next 4 years. From there I started playing any gig I could get – cafes, bars, farmers markets, private events and made the connections I needed to then start playing and collaborating with local musicians that I love and respect. Now I’m here getting interviewed by a kickass wine company.
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2. Who were some of your role models and music icons growing up?
Amy Whinehouse, Jack Johnson, Vampire Weekend, The Shins, Phoenix
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3. What was the process like releasing your EP, Sorry I’m Late, the end of last year?
Basically, I started recording at the beginning of 2020 when things hadn’t yet spun out of control. Then quarantine hits and I had to adapt the recording process. I ended up finishing the final vocal recordings in my closet at home and had a ton of time to sit down with the tracks and work out the bumps. It was very DIY towards the end, but I wanted to make sure I put it out to end the year on a good note. I released it the day before New Year’s Eve and I think it represented me showing 2020 who was boss.
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4. Share with us a story of both one of your biggest struggles and successes so far.
One of the biggest struggles has been being an independent artist in a sea of ridiculously talented musicians. There are so many new avenues that help get the word out about your music, but sometimes it’s overwhelming and challenging to figure out which platform would best help your music specifically.
One of the greatest successes I think would be just putting out my EP with the help of so many amazing musicians/ engineers/ artists. It feels really good to create a network of people that you respect and who create things with style. I’m really lucky to get to work with people who are supportive of my art and who keep showing up
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5. You have such a fun, personality which we love and admire! How do you keep motivated to continue to pursue music and stay in a good space creatively?
Well, firstly – thank you! I keep motivated by surrounding myself with musicians who are better than me (in some ways, of course). Playing music with other musicians will forever be my favorite place. To be able to go to a local show or even a house show and play/ improvise with other musicians in the scene is what keeps me going and where I learn the most. The San Diego music scene keeps getting smaller and smaller (in the best way) where it feels like I can always go to a show and see a creative/ or musician that I know/ respect. No two bands in the scene sound the same, but we’re all similar in that we have immense respect for each other and the way we’re representing the community.
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6. What is one of your biggest musical goals that you would love to achieve one day?
I’d love to go on tour around the US.
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7. What advice can you share for anyone who is on the fence about pursuing their passion?
Inspiration ebbs and flows, but if you’re in an ebb that doesn’t mean that you’re “losing it.” There’s a lot of pressure to always be putting content out, but who wants to listen to 100 mediocre songs over 10 meaningful/ well thought out songs? (Not the kinda people I usually surround myself with (; ). Never underestimate the big importance of a little progress. Keep stepping in that direction so you can look back and see how far you’ve come. Someone stop me before I continue speaking in metaphors.
More Info: Website // Spotify // Instagram
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