Listen to the full podcast: https://bit.ly/SKMPCAROLL

Music isn’t just something we listen to, it’s how we process heartbreak, find meaning, and understand ourselves. In this episode, Dawson joins me for a conversation about art, identity, and what it actually means to create something that lasts in an age built for consumption. We talk about why some artists hit us on a visceral level while others don’t, the strange line between authenticity and performance, and how taste is formed through pain, obsession, and repetition. Dawson also shares his journey through music school, leaving Berklee, and finding his own voice as an independent artist and why chasing validation often pulls creatives away from the work that truly matters.

Follow Dawson:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawsoncarroll/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dawsoncarrollmusic

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dawson_carroll

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Music Preferences

03:29 Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan

09:13 Bon Iver's Influence and Unique Style

15:26 Artistic Struggles

35:48 Hemingway and the Romanticization of Hardship

40:08 The Cathartic Power of Articulation

40:54 Music Videos and Creativity

42:02 Dawson Performing a Song Live

46:46 Journey Through Music Education

49:26 Listen to the Full Episode in Supercast

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