Music can be a conversation, it can be a way to move people, it can be a jumping off point for deep connection. This is what emerging musician Bronco embodies within his music and seeks to share with his listeners. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this artist on the music-heavy streets of Los Angeles.

Bronco is a gentle soul with much to share on bridging human connection and spirituality in his music. He is an LA-based artist, born and raised in Colorado. With a radical spirit, he charges forward into the rock genre adding a bit of soul through his vocals and lyrics.

I believe it is necessary to take an inventory of who we are inside and ask ourselves questions. Maybe you call it soul-searching. Whatever the case, this inner work is something we all do at some point. When I asked Bronco about his influences, he gave a deep insight on the power of music, self-discovery, balancing spiritual practices and creating his album. Let’s go behind the music of Bronco’s latest single “Did You Suffer”. It is the first single from his debut album, which will be ready for a listen very soon.

What was the moment you knew you had to pursue music over anything else? And where does that ambition come from?

Bronco: There was a moment at 19 years old when I was studying film and working in fashion. I was just completely cut off from Spirit. I felt like I was living someone else’s life–it was awful. I realized I had strayed from music to find something more tangible and less vulnerable and the price was just too high. I couldn’t stick with it, I knew if I was going to live authentically, it would have to be in music, standing honestly and telling the story straight from my soul. I feel like the ambition I have comes from never wanting to feel like that or be in that place again. Not only did that grant me ambition but it also reinforced a sense of self that I can’t really shake.

How does spirituality influence your music? Is there a spiritual practice you incorporate?

Bronco: This music is my prayers and affirmations. Like going to confession or just talking to something greater. It’s a relentless process of staying awake in my experience, identifying the truth of what’s happened, chipping away at all of the ego and programming that covers the real and then communicating it in a way that can shed light on the idea that we are all having this insane experience together. At least that’s what I’m striving for. It’s intensely spiritual for me to find that connection through storytelling.

Meditation is major for me. It is the only thing I have found so far that’s gets me closer to “fine”. More times then not- I’m spinning out on some ego trip, some fear of the future, feeling lost or disconnected. If I make the time to meditate, in any fashion, I find that I’m closer to the center, I can be motivated by something greater than negative vibes like fear.

Meditation sometimes is sitting, getting quiet and listening to the inner silence. Sometimes its a really connected conversation with a friend. Sometimes it’s running… Whenever I can detach my mind from the hustle of life, stop the violent gears of competition or feelings of otherness, that’s when I’m meditating.

Can you explain what the process was like for creating your album?

Bronco: This album started with questions. Like all of the questions….’what just happened to me?’, ‘what did I learn?’, ‘who am I becoming?’, ‘why are we here?’. I didn’t find any answers to those questions but I did find that lots of other people are wondering the same shit. So let’s talk about it, let me stand up here and spill some of my soul out on the table and let’s poke at it, study it, find out how your soul is like mine and on and on. I don’t find it very interesting anymore to applaud and congratulate each other on covering up our humanness and looking better-than or perfect anymore. That game has been played for too long. I wanna play the game where we get down to zero with each other and find out what we can do when all the illusion is gone. I think it’s gonna be something really useful.

Can you share any relevant stories or influences behind one of your new songs? How does spirituality filter in?

Bronco: “Did You Suffer” is a great example of all that I’m trying to talk about. When the song was sent to me I felt like someone had hacked my consciousness. It is so real, relatable… It gave me chills and that’s usually a sign to me that a universal truth has been tapped into. Getting to connect with the songwriter that way was inspiring in the sense that I wanted to do that on a major scale with lots of people. Lots of people nodding and going “yup, me too”.

The record was one of those one take performances that you hear about. It’s not perfect but it’s really me in those words so if I’m trying to communicate something true that’s just what it’s gonna be.

Bronco: Outside of “Did You Suffer” my lyrics are straight out of conversations that I had. Something that came through that stuck.

Best,

Kai 😀