An Interview with Owen Salerno, September 2026
My sound is built on a strong foundation of alternative folk and rock sounds and sensibilities with some jazz harmonies and even some country elements thrown in.
Who/what inspires your music? What do you feel has had the biggest impact on your sound?
My music is inspired by SO many people (far too many to list of course), but some of the artists who come to mind first are Elliott Smith, MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, and Adrianne Lenker!
What does making music mean to you? What got you into it/keeps you continuing?
In general, writing music can be very cathartic for me. It allows me to process and explore feelings that I find too uncomfortable to talk about in the course of regular life. On the performing side of things, there's just nothing that comes close to the joy I get from playing music, especially the songs I've written myself. I feel so much more comfortable being myself, being loud, and taking up space when I'm on stage and playing music!
Tell me about your demos!!! What was the creative process behind it? What significance does it hold to you? Anything specific you wish to highlight about it?
The demos were written and recorded over the course of a year that I spent almost entirely at home in the midst of some mental health struggles. For some of that time, I couldn’t touch an instrument or write at alI - I would just watch movies and sleep pretty much all of the time. But when that period ended, I found I had tons of ideas and a lot to process. Some of the music created over that time ended up becoming this collection of demos! My sister, Ella is an amazing artist and she made the painting used as the cover. I think it fits the feeling I had in mind perfectly and I can’t wait to collaborate on future projects.
How do you feel your creative process (ideas, writing, your feelings surrounding music, etc.) evolved with the making of your demos?
Creating this crop of songs was sort of a breakthrough for me in getting over my perfectionism and my preconceived notions of inspiration and how a song should be made. Being somewhat in crisis throughout the writing of the project, I wasn't always the most inspired to write, but I made myself do it anyway! Working this way challenged my idea that some “divine inspiration” had to be channeled every time a song was written. Oftentimes I think it's not only okay, but necessary, to create without waiting for the perfect moment!
How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired/how do you work through creative blocks?
I think that forcing yourself to create regardless of your level of inspiration is a necessary way to get over a creative block! I find myself writing or just word dumping most every night, just to see if any ideas come to me. Whenever I have an idea in any capacity, be it lyrical or musical, I'm really quick to jot it down, record a voice memo, or just preserve it in some way even though many of them will not spark anything down the line, some will and that's all that matters. Finally, I think it's important to remember that you won't always be feeling creative, and that's okay! Sometimes I'll have periods where I write a song almost every day, and other times I'll go a full week without finishing much of anything. Understanding those ebbs and flows in my creativity has been pretty vital for me and it has allowed me to be more patient with myself and the things that I create.
What are some of your rituals/inspirations when writing music? (are there any themes or ideas that you keep pulling from/coming back to? Do you have a specific place you like to write at? etc.)
I recently bought a very squeaky old leather chair for like $30 from the UT surplus store here in Austin [Texas], and I love so much to write and record in it. It has arms so I have to sit at the end of it to hold my guitar, but I kinda like that. In terms of themes, I do tend to write with a lot of the same ideas in mind, at least recently; isolation, depression, loss, but I love to interweave and almost juxtapose those themes with some feelings of hope!
Which song of yours do you consider to be your favorite? Why?
I think from the EP, my favorite is either “Adam” or “Bleeding Heart,” and I think I like them both for different reasons. On “Adam,” I think I hit a kind of lyrical level of storytelling that I don't often find. Typically I find I write using lots of little ideas or images that all work together to outline a story or theme, but on “Adam” I think I told the story more conventionally across the three verses and I quite like how it came out. On “Bleeding Heart,” I wrote in an alternate tuning, which I do often, but here I think I used it to the fullest extent I have yet. I find the chord progression really pretty and I really enjoy playing it live.
No limitations, what is your biggest dream or goal for your music? (dream venue, project, benchmark, anything!)
What does the future hold/what are you working towards right now?
Right now, I'm just trying to get my music heard as much as possible. I am playing open mics three times a week, looking for venues to book me across Austin, and looking to start a band. If anyone reading this in the Austin area is interested in being in a band, feel free to reach out if you enjoy the music I have made!
Check him out HERE!!
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