“Some of my music buddies were surfing and they had this beat that they thought was cool. They called me and they showed me the beat,” he said, about how the song came about.
“I thought riding the waves suggested a deeper meaning to it. I liked to start off with the beautiful beats. I want to write something semi-autobiographical,” he said. “Love transcends barriers. This song is about unconditional love.”
For his fans, he said, “First and foremost, listen to ‘Ride the Wave.’ If you like it, listen to it even more. You are always welcome to share it. It’s a beautiful, midtempo love ballad. Hopefully, many listeners can relate to it, and I hope it touches them. The proceeds go for a good cause.”
His song benefits the Stonewall Community Foundation, the public charity for New Yor’s LGBTQ community. “I had to leave my family home when I was young, at the age of 17. My mother didn’t accept the way I felt towards a person, who happened to be a guy. We had some really bad arguments and in the end, I left home and moved to London,” he said.
“I basically had to grow myself up. That gave me the freedom to dream bigger. I learned a lot,” he said. “A lot of people from the LGBTQ community that were there for me since they could relate to my situation. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. I thought everything aligned for me to do this.”
Schiff listed pop princess Ariana Grande as his dream female duet choice in the music business. “I love good commercial pop music. I think Ariana Grande is the hottest artist in the music industry. I really love her. That would be rad,” he admitted.
Digital transformation of the music scene
On the impact of technology on the music business, Schiff said, “I haven’t done music in the old days. With every situation, there are pros and cons. In the old days, you can make more money by selling your music. You could become very wealthy and live a great life. Today, you can’t do that. If you are very successful, you can do well. You need to tour and you need do other ventures in order to live the life that big pop stars used to live in the ’80s and ’90s.”
“Technology gives more opportunities to younger people like myself because we can show ourselves and our own music,” he said. “The rules have changed a little bit with technology. There are always pros and cons in every situation.”
“Ride the Wave” is available on iTunes and on Spotify.
For more information on Drew Schiff, follow him on Instagram.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Schiff’s inspirational single “Ride the Wave.”
