Rising Music Star Cory Stewart On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry
An Interview With Eden Gold
Your visuals make more of an impact than you think — don’t half ass your supporting visuals for your song/album, put in the time and make them pop. It will pay off.
As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Cory Stewart.
Cory Stewart (The Orchard) has been described as a wickedly witty pop artist with a “smooth voice” (Billboard, 2020) who creates “fearless, unapologetic and relentlessly catchy” music (Canadian Beats, 2018). Cory has been a supporting act for several legendary artists including Boy George and Crystal Waters.
Stewart’s debut album ‘TOV’ was released in January 2021, hitting #9 on the iTunes Pop Charts and receiving overwhelming praise from critics. A Royal Conservatory of Music vocal program graduate, Stewart has been a songwriter and student of music since the age of seven, receiving accolades from numerous music festivals across Canada. Cory has also toured and performed in several countries around the world including the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.
Cory recently completed The QUEERANTINE North American tour for which he was recognized with an award from the 2022 Wavy Awards for his work in the Queer music community.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in a small town outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada called Woodstock. I spent a lot of my childhood training vocally, watching Bette Midler concerts alone in my basement and eating entire boxes of cookies. A lot of my youth was spent in music-centric activities, whether it be acting in local musical theatre, competing vocally or even embarking on tours across Europe. It all sounds very exciting, and it was — but I always just really wanted to get back to watching my Bette Midler concerts!
What inspired you to pursue a career in music, and how did your journey begin?
I always say that my music career started at seven, in my parent’s kitchen, cosplaying Christine from Phantom of the Opera. That said, I only started releasing music professionally as of 2018. I was lucky to be paired up with one of Canada’s most prominent producers, Gavin Bradley, and haven’t looked back since. I’ve been writing songs my entire life, so making the jump into releasing wasn’t a big stretch, as I already had a wealth of songs written and ready to choose from. The real trick was (and still is) finding ways to make an impact with the music I’m making.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Early in my career, I was asked to open for Boy George in Montreal. Of course there was no hesitation when I got the call — I immediately said yes! I only had a 20 minute set allotted, but the most meaningful moment for me was being able to meet him after the show. In my excitement, the only thing I could muster to say was “thank you for all you’ve done for fellow Queer musicians in the industry”, to which he replied “I was just being myself”. I really appreciated hearing that from him — and always defer to that when I’m making decisions in my own career — above everything else, always aim to be myself.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Well, aside from turning down an opportunity to open for The Jacksons back in 2022 (because of a tour scheduling conflict), I once made the mistake of performing with a couple of bruised ribs. I often have trouble saying no to opportunities and was booked to perform at an event soon after I’d had a spill on a subway staircase. Of course, the performance went poorly (who knew you needed full rib expansion to hit those high notes?) — but I’ve since learned that I need to let my body rest, rather than pushing through just so I don’t miss an opportunity.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There have been so many amazing people who have lent a hand to me throughout the course of my music career, but I’d say the most meaningful has been my long-time producer Gavin Bradley. He’s acted as a sounding board for ideas, put up with my antics, and really given me the gift of his expertise along with a valued friendship. Being a new recording artist when I first met him in 2017, he had no reason to take a chance on me and work together, but he did. I value so many things about him, including his extensive music and genre knowledge (which is evidenced in his new dual album Quiet Life), but also his ability to translate my ideas into reality. I’m eternally grateful for the help he’s given me, and will always look to him for an unbiased and honest opinion — both in life and music.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m in the middle of writing, recording and producing my sophomore album! With the success of my first album TOV, I thought for sure I’d feel the pressure to deliver with this followup. As we continue through the process, I am grateful to be able to say, I think I’m going to outshine myself with this next piece of work. I’m not sure how or why the inspiration continues to come, and I certainly don’t know how I’m still able to come up with what I perceive to be catchy hooks. My new single ‘One More Day With You’ hits streaming April 5, 2024, and I can’t wait to share this new (more full bodied) sound with listeners. I have so many more singles planned before the album comes out in full, each with their own story and concept. The truth is, I’ve never been more excited about my music than I am right now.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Being a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, diversity is obviously extremely important to me. Growing up, I didn’t have access to shows like Glee or Queer Eye. There’s way more than three reasons as to why diversity is important in places like race, sexuality and gender — but if I have to highlight:
- Representation: you have no idea what it means for a young person to see themselves reflected in the pop culture they consume.
- Understanding: many of us live in a bubble and don’t look beyond our own lives. To hear/see/feel how others who are different than us go through their lives helps build understanding and empathy.
- Excitement: hearing just one (or even a couple) common perspectives is so boring. We need to hear from every walk of life, because that’s how we challenge our thinking, come up with new ideas and adapt smarter beliefs.
As a successful music star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated? How do you overcome obstacles in your career?
I’ve often been criticized for my work ethic, to the point where when I was working a corporate job one of my managers told me to “beware of your blind ambition”. One of the most rewarding things for me in life is topping myself. Improving on the accomplishments and work I’ve done before and striving to always deliver the best of what I’m capable of in that moment. Obstacles often present themselves, but I’m dealing with a very particular illness where obstacles become challenges I can’t wait to beat. I’ve always been intrinsically motivated to prove people wrong — I suppose that drives me most of the time.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
I feel like I got a lot of good advice before I started my career — so instead of what I wish I’d heard, here’s what I’ve heard or think other people starting in music should know.
1 . Don’t release subpar product — you only get one chance to make a first impression. If you need more time to make something great, take it.
2 . Your visuals make more of an impact than you think — don’t half ass your supporting visuals for your song/album, put in the time and make them pop. It will pay off.
3 . You’re only as good as your last record — in today’s world of singles and throwaway music, your latest song is how you’ll be defined, not so much by your previous work. Make sure every release is “THE ONE”.
4 . Trust your gut instinct (but also listen for common critiques) — if you feel in your gut you should do something, you should definitely take the risk. That said, if you hear from more than five different people that something isn’t right, consider their feedback.
5 . Stop caring — as it turns out, most people only care about themselves. Stop worrying what other people think and just be you (but have a sense of humour about yourself in the process)
Can you share some insights into your creative process? How do you approach songwriting? How do you approach musical collaborations?
I often go through life finding little bits of inspiration that I’ll tuck away in my iPhone notes app. My notes for this upcoming album outline about 32 different album title options and approximately 143 (I lost count) song ideas. I find inspiration everywhere and really keep an eye out for concepts that make me think. From there, I’ll start to develop melodies that convey the emotion tied to a concept, and then start writing lyrics. There’s no one way to write a song, and that’s what’s exciting about the process. Perhaps that’s what keeps me in the game — the unpredictability.
Your music has resonated with so many fans worldwide. What do you believe sets your music apart?
To be honest, I think what sets me apart from many is my ability to write music that doesn’t sound like carbon copies of things I’ve done before. I find many artists get stuck in a formula and style that often makes nothing seem memorable. Of course there’s a formula to pop music — but the most important element for me is creating something fresh and also touching on subjects that haven’t been explored before.
How do you connect with your audience?
Connecting has always been hard for me, because I’ve always felt slightly misunderstood and disconnected (see earlier re: spending time in the basement watching Bette Midler rather than playing with other kids outside). Despite being given a ton of unsolicited advice, I’ve never altered my music to try and connect with others. I come from a take it or leave it standpoint. That said, the people I’ve been able to connect with that have enjoyed what I’ve had to say through music are super important to me. I feel like those who connect with my work are people who truly “get me” — and for that, I’m so grateful. You can often catch me DMing with listeners, and even having the occasional FaceTime. Truly, the goal of my music has always been to help heal my own wounds — but I’ve discovered I’ve been able to help a few others along the way, and that’s super gratifying.
With your busy schedule and demanding performances, how do you prioritize self-care and maintain a balance between your personal life and career in the music industry?
This is something I’m still working on. Story developing, as of now I don’t really think I’m an authority on this particular subject lol
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Enormous is generous. That said, if there’s one thing I would want people to know, it’s that YOU’RE GOING TO DIE ONE DAY! Do whatever it is you want that makes you happy. Ultimately, nothing really matters.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
They say never meet your heroes, but I do have two. Bette Midler and Madonna. Both women have inspired me to a degree I can’t even measure. They’ve taught me about work ethic, survival, reinvention and professionalism. They’ve also taught me a lot about marketing and PR. Perception is reality, and your persona is just as important as the music you release. If people aren’t interested in you, why would they care about your music?
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
You can find me on all streaming platforms under the name Cory Stewart (I’m including Spotify, iTunes and Tidal below), on Instagram at @coryjstewart or on my website www.coryjstewart.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6chEgA34uO3ZPksMEbnaZf
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/cory-stewart/1335536496
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/8468064
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold.
