Derik Fein: Inside the Independent Artist Quest to Shatter Label Gatekeepers and Reclaim Master Ownership

As a part of our series about Nashville’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Derik Fein.

Derik Fein is a singer-songwriter based in Nashville, TN his music ranges from acoustic pop fare, bathed in R&B, Soul and Blues

Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

I was born and raised in Miami, Florida to a Cuban mother and Jewish American father. Needless to say, my childhood years were interesting and as the youngest of 8, I often felt forgotten. I initially turned to music to help with the anxieties of growing up in a broken home, being bullied and feeling like I was misunderstood. My teenage years were dark, trying to make ends meet while pursuing a music career and I ended up nearly being homeless. From the age of 17 I was couch surfing with friends and strangers until my sister took me in and I lived on her couch in my early 20’s.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

In the seventh grade, I went to a friends house one day after school. He was playing ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ on his guitar and in that moment I became infatuated with the guitar. I traded him my brand-new iPod for a broken fake fender he had in his closet. This was 2007 and iPods were expensive, as you can imagine my parents were not thrilled. I fixed it up and taught myself to play watching YouTube videos.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Not so much a story but a shift in my perspective of the music industry. When I first started out, I worshipped the idea of record companies and signing a record deal was the ultimate dream for me. Fast forward to 2023, I’ve shed that naive belief and opened my eyes because the industry has changed. It’s no longer the music business. It’s the popularity business. I can say with one hundred percent certainty that these companies don’t care about the quality or integrity of music. Their only interest is to keep their shareholders happy and chase the next shiny object. They’re masters at capitalizing moments. The truth is record labels have been clout chasing and exploiting artists since the beginning of time. That’s how they’ve survived extinction. For the first time in a century, the power dynamic has shifted in the artists favor. Today an artist can cultivate a fanbase direct to consumer without the gatekeepers. To all my fellow artists, I say it’s time to take your power back and stop making the gatekeepers richer. Own your distribution. Own your music. If you insist on signing a record deal, let it be on your terms. Build enough leverage so you call the shots. Never ever forfeit ownership to your masters! Every single record company that’s ever reached out to me has had one thing in common, they swarm in like snakes whenever I have a song on the charts or a potential viral moment. The conversation always consist of vague promises and wanting to own my soul. The minute that momentum dies down they disappear just as fast as they appeared. For these reasons I still remain independent.f

Can you share with us an interesting story about living in Nashville?

Tornados and allergies. The 2020 tornado was fucking scary. Living here, Zyrtec has become my best friend. I have severe allergies but the good far outweighs the bad.

Can you share with us a few of the best parts of living in Nashville? We’d love to hear some specific examples or stories about that.

Nashville has always felt like home to me. The best part of living here is the people. They are some of the nicest souls I’ve ever met. Second, would be the food. Have you tried the biscuits?! And last is the music of course. There’s so many talented producers and songwriters out here.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Some mistakes I made early on in my career were ignoring my gut feelings and shrinking myself just to make others feel more comfortable. Being way too trusting and not asking enough questions. We as artists are conditioned to just shut up and be grateful for every opportunity. I encourage other artists to ask questions and take up space.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

First, I want to thank me for relentlessly believing in me. My sisters for always having my back and my incredible wife for being my number one fan and supporter. I would have never come this far without them.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I just released my new single “There Will Be Blood” which was inspired by the Roe v. Wade reversal. After witnessing the deep emotional impact it had on my wife, sisters and many of the women I love in my life, I felt compelled to write it. This song is an invitation to continue to advocate for women’s rights, and to never stop fighting for human rights.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

The five things that I wish someone told me when I first started:

1. Time is an illusion. The present moment is the only thing that’s real. Stop romanticizing the past and obsessing over the future. There is only now. The quality of the next step you take in this moment, is what will determine the quality of your future. Awareness is the greatest power one can only hope to attain.
2. Listen to your heart, not your mind. Your mind is a million year old tool that has been distorted by society and the media. It’s sole purpose is to protect you from imaginary danger and it constantly operates in a state of anxiety. Your heart on the other hand, is pure and always knows the answer to anything before your mind does.
3. It’s not about you. We all made soul contracts and agreed to incarnate this vessel we call a body, on planet earth with a specific purpose. To serve humanity. What have you done to leave this place better than you found it?
4. Success is not found in the material world. Material things are just distractions made to fuel the economy and keep us in debt. True success is freedom. Freedom to decide what you do with your time. Freedom to live life on your terms.
5. The world owes you nothing. Nobodies coming to save you. Work hard and show up everyday consistently .Then someday you might be lucky enough to experience greatness.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I encourage other artists to focus on consistently making great music. It may sound simple but nowadays there ain’t no good songs left. Everyone just wants to be famous. If you write great songs the fans will find you. Today you can be on top and crash and burn tomorrow. That’s just the nature of the business. Keep moving and don’t get discouraged. Your time will come.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

World peace and equal rights for all. There is just so much unnecessary hate in this world, fueled by pure ignorance.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Life every moment as if you’re on the verge of death, because you are.” — Michael Singer. Do you realize that what you’re doing at any moment is something that someone else was doing when they died? I always remember this whenever I find myself taking life for granted or if I’m afraid to do something.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Adele. I would keep my mouth shut the entire time and just listen for nuggets of inspiration. She’s the greatest artist of our time.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can stream “There Will Be Blood” here and on all streaming platforms. On socials you can find me on Instagram @DerikFein Twitter @DerikFein and TikTok @DerikFein

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!