One of the Babes: Sound Dessert
Photo by Nicola Lyon, Editing by Ashlee J. Pryor
Meet Gillian Driscoll, the babe behind the Austin-based music blog, Sound Dessert. Driscoll has curated the playlist for the June meet! Learn more about her in the Q&A below, and be sure to sneak-peek her selected tunes at the end of this piece.
Q: What inspired you to start Sound Dessert?
A: Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved music. As I got older and met new people, I started discovering the vastness and variety of music that existed outside of what the radio played and what my family listened to in the house. Thus began a hunger for unearthing incredible, chill-inducing music that hasn’t stopped. In college, I decide to start my own blog for fun as a way to keep track of what I was listening to and also share with my friends who were always asking me for new band recommendations.
Fast forward a couple years, and I decided I wanted Sound Dessert to be more than a hobby. I’m building Sound Dessert to be a platform for supporting and exposing artists that deserve to be heard, and to be a trusted source for music fans to enjoy a carefully curated archive of unforgettable talent.
Q: Do you have any tidbits of advice for people with passion projects?
A: My advice is to be as clear and specific as possible about what you want to achieve, as it makes reaching your goals, big or small, a lot easier. Being unclear can often lead to being in limbo, and nobody wants to be in limbo.
Sometimes, starting is the hardest part. Be easy on yourself and begin with bite-sized pieces: jot down ideas and sketches, talk things out with a trusted friend, etc. until you feel ready to take the next steps.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
A: Meeting courageous, creative people keeps me inspired—impromptu, energizing conversations that last hours, pulling off things I wasn’t sure I could do.
And art that stops me in my tracks; be it a song, concert, photograph, painting, documentary or book.
Q: What have been your favorite moments of creativity (possibly a time when a burst of creative energy produced something you could have never expected, etc.)?
A: For me, my favorite moments have been moments of clarity. When I’m really specific about something I want, the universe seems to step in and help things fall into place in strangely serendipitous ways.
Q: What have been the most challenging moments in your blogging career thus far?
A: The biggest challenge has been overcoming self-doubt. When I first started the blog I didn’t tell a soul it existed because I was concerned everyone would think it was dumb, that my writing was bad, etc. Eventually I got over that and have received such encouraging feedback in the process. There are still moments when I waver, but receiving those accolades goes a long way in re-affirming that I’m doing something right.
Doing everything myself also has it challenges since there’s only so much I can get done in a day, but I remind myself to be patient. I know I will get there in time, even if it’s not always within the timeline I intended.
Q: When you're discouraged, what do you run to or away from?
A: When I’m discouraged I talk things out with close friends and family to get some fresh perspectives. I also spend time with myself, usually going for a long walk, to reflect on what I’m trying to achieve and reassess. That and a good night of dancing can prove to be very cathartic sometimes.
Your favorite band(s): Alvvays, Sol Cat, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (listen to them all in the playlist)
Your favorite book: I’m currently reading Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé by Bob Stanley. It’s a good read for a history book and really puts into context how radical certain music was when it was first released. Music that we view as tame today.
Your local Austin gem (can be a product, place, etc.): Stay Gold for drinks, Cheer Up Charlies for live music, End of an Ear for records
Your social media handles:
facebook.com/sounddessert
twitter.com/sounddessert
instagram.com/sounddessert