Sight on the Horizon

Interview by David R. Navarro

Ian Guerin is an independent recording artist, songwriter and producer that has been doing music since the age of 9—his music has been showcased on NBC, ABC Network, Fox TV and Digital Journal, among others. Ian Guerin has come a long way since the recording of his first and second covers demos titled ‘One’ and ‘Magical Me’ respectively.

10 awards, two albums, 3 UK #1 singles, a feature film theme song — and a handful of critical acclaim later — Ian Guerin has become a force to be reckoned with in the world of entertainment.

David R. Navarro: Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Ian Guerin: I am a singer, songwriter & producer that has been doing music since the age of 9. I got “discovered” by my aunt Mitzi Bennett while singing karaoke at her house & she was the first to take me to a recording studio a few months after that. Ever since I set foot in that booth at 9 years old, I knew music & lights & the stage were gonna be a pivotal part of my life. Fast-forward a few years & I’ve won 10 awards for singles off my album “Irreplaceable” & I’m getting ready to release new music.

DN: What made you decide to be serious about the music industry?

IG: I think my path was written before I could decide. That experience recording demos at such young age stuck with me. After that I did talent shows, wrote my first songs & enrolled in singing lessons. Now that I look back on it I never “decided.” At some point I had just written so many songs, the minute I could I put one out & went from there.

Maybe I just found my calling, cause I can’t remember wanting to do anything else. Great question!

DN: Which people or books have had the most influence on your career and why?

IG: Michael [Jackson], Prince, Mariah & Tony Bennett are atop the list definitely. I remember wanting to be them from the first moment I heard them. It’s funny cause “The Magic & The Madness” about Michael by J. Randy Taraborelli, “Just Getting Started” by Tony Bennett, Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” & Tommy Mottola’s “Hitmaker” all made me extra thirsty to thrive in mu sic. They all hit me differently.

There’s a passage in Tony’s book that made me redefine my in-studio vocal performances, Prince’s book validated my whole vision & blew my mind wide open, J Randy’s made mewant to have a life as exhilarating & Tommy’s made me want to sharpen my music business skills & taught me valuable tools I’ve successfully used numerous times. I could go on about this for hours, but those are the ones that truly turned me into the man I am today...

DN: In your opinion, what would you say is the #1 key to success?

IG: Patience, passion, hard work & believing in yourself blindly.

DN: Talk about the biggest failure you’ve had. What did you learn from it?

IG: I’ve had more failures than I can recall. I fail at a career related matter almost every day, but now that you mention it, I’ve never thought about any of them as “the big failures.” That one time no label wanted to hear my album even though I had recommendation letters & appointments was the day I realized in Hollywood being special is the minimum required. However, after that trip, I went right back home & started working on another album so I also learned you haven’t failed till you stop trying & those who fail most are those who try most.

DN: What advice can you give other individuals who want to follow in your footsteps?

IG: See failure as part of the process. Understand no one cares about your music till they feel some kind of affinity with you or it & that it’s ok; they don’t have to care.

Don’t push your music down your friends throats, instead find people who like artists similar to you & present yourself naturally, vulnerably, honestly. They will see your magic & stay. Trust me, your biggest fan is a stranger & your close ones will always make clueless suggestions. Just follow your heart & keep in mind, if you get told you’re doing something wrong or weird or crazy, then maybe you’re doing something new.

DN: What does a typical day in your week look like?

IG: Whoo...! On a calm day I wake up, have my oatmeal, coffee, go through my email to check for follow-ups or unfinished business, get breakfast, make sure business gets finished, things get sent, calls that need to be made get made, then take my meetings if there are any, if not take my singing lessons or do my vocal exercises, run my errands, then hit the gym at noon or in the evening, then come back, have dinner, read a bit & then meditate in complete darkness.

DN: What keeps you going when things get tough in the business?

IG: I just keep going knowing that that too shall pass. This is my calling & I’ll get where I wanna go regardless of how long it takes. I don’t really know how to explain it, but out of all the doubts that’ve filled my life in many regards, this is the one thing I’ve always been sure of. I’m going to achieve everything I ever dreamed of achieving in my career. So I get sad or mad for a bit, but do it anyways; I keep going.

DN: What is the best advice you have received?

IG: I’ve come across many many wise angels in my life that have given me tons of valuable nuggets, but the one thing I think about most is “be yourself, everyone else is taken.”

DN: What is a non-music related thing or experience that has helped you as a performing artist?

IG: Being a press writer. I think this is the first time I’ve actually mentioned this side job, but I wrote articles for companies, papers, websites & public figures for many years of my life. I am really good at it, but was never passionate about it. Nonetheless, it gave me a very structured mind & that helps me sort out business, plan out logistics, & most importantly, made me very articulate & that made me a great interviewee.

DN: What projects are you currently working on? (That you can talk about).

IG: New music is coming soon so people ought to keep up with my social media handles @iamianguerin

DN: What’s your all time favorite album and musician?

IG: Michael Jackson & his album “Invincible” cause it was thanks to that album that I discovered the type of music I wanted to do.

DN: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

IG: I enjoy a simpler life—a small town, local shops, quiet days & being surrounded by nature. I love being seen & the hype of the star life, but when the make up comes off & the lights are out, I’m just a man trying to live peacefully & do some good. Oh & I would’ve loved to be an FBI investigator had I not gone into music.

DN: Thank you, Ian for a great interview. Connect with Ian Guerin at: songwhip.com/ian-guerin