Music isn’t supposed to be polite—it’s supposed to be true. In this episode, Tzayla sits down with New Hampshire duo The Low Stakes (Eric Colville & Ann Holbrook) to talk about finding your voice, writing songs that cut deep, and why honesty always matters more than polish. If you’ve ever wondered how “real” to be in your art, this conversation is your permission slip to stop apologizing and start creating.

Key Takeaways: 

• Don’t water yourself down. The moment you soften your edges just to fit in, you lose the heartbeat of your art.
• Music holds the messy stuff. Songs can carry grief and joy, heartbreak and humor, rage and tenderness—all at once.
• Protect the space. Authenticity isn’t about being “marketable.” It’s about being real enough that someone else says, “Yes. That’s how I feel too.”
• Polite art fades. The songs that bleed, that risk honesty, are the ones that last.

Connect with The Low Stakes Band: 

• Website: lowstakesband.com
• Instagram: @lowstakesband
• New Single: Philadelphia → available now on streaming platforms

More from Tzayla: 

• Website: tzayla.com
• Instagram & TikTok: @tzayla.official

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Follow Off Key and On Pitch wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with an artist who needs the reminder to stop second-guessing and start writing with courage.

The world doesn’t need another polished product—it needs your song. Messy, unfiltered, and alive. So keep writing, keep dreaming, and let your music bleed honesty.

Thanks for listening!

Adventure sounds like THIS

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