We’ve been playing tracks from Canadian singer/songwriter Levi Stanford recently on Phoenix FM, including This Is My Life and Headstrong, which has made the Phoenix FM A List.
We had a chat with Levi about his life and music.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Only five days after being married to my beautiful wife, I was involved in an accident that not only led to the amputation of my left hand but also left me fighting for my life. Waking up from an induced coma, I was filled with immense gratitude for having a second chance at life, which I used to not only make a remarkable recovery but excel as a musician/singer. From this experience, I was inspired to share a message of overcoming adversity and now travel worldwide as a motivational speaker/Musician influencing in places such as Canada, The United States, New Zealand, and Australia.
When did you first start to develop a passion for music?
I started writing music at the age of 12, when I got my first guitar. Music has always been an outlet to express my emotions and for finding peace of mind. It wasn’t until I won my first talent show in Junior high at the age of 14 that I realized I had a talent in songwriting and performing.
Which artists did you listen to while growing up?
My early inspirations were in the rock genre with bands like Linkin Park and their first albums, Sum41, Three Doors Down, Shinedown, Sugarcult, Panic At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Story Of The Year, etc. I have since broadened my genre horizons and have fallen in love with all kinds of music from hard rock to rap. My modern inspirations are Eminem, Mike Shinoda, Ed Sheeran; I also draw from some of my favourites of the past.
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?
Genre wise, a bit of everything. My song process usually consists of me writing the music first, and then I write the nature of the lyrics to whatever emotion the music makes me feel. Because of my accident, I was inspired to become a motivational speaker, and so the majority of my songs have a positive, uplifting message behind them. Music is and always will be my passion. My intention for those who listen to my songs is to be inspired by that passion, and that the message in music will make a positive change in their life.
I have written probably close to 50 songs and always have song ideas running through my head that I do basic recordings of on my iPhone, so I don’t lose the ideas. I released my self produced debut album last year on my birthday, August 24, 2018, which consists of 17 tracks all recorded, written and produced by me.
Which artists do you enjoy listening to at the moment – and do they influence your work?
I’ve been loving Blink 182’s recent releases and have been diving into the more dance type music like Avicii and ZEDD. I’ve had some great ideas for some dance and electronic songs and I hope to play around more with those sounds.
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
That’s a hard one to narrow down because I listen to so many different types of artist from all genres. As far as rock goes, It would be my dream to do a song with Shinedown and I actually have two songs in the works that would be perfect for Brent Smith’s voice. I also have many tracks that I would love to put in the hands of Avicii and see what he could come up with.
What are your plans for the future?
I got a lot on the go right now, enough to make a man crazy. Let’s just say I got a few grey hairs and I’m only 27. I’m currently writing 2 books, one is a children’s book and the other is an autobiographical book that delves into personal development and the lessons I learned from my near death experience. I am also working on and hope to be putting out a second album in the near future.
My dream is to be selling out stadiums with my music performances and not in the “I want to be popular” kind of way. What fame means to me is that I am influencing and positively impacting people on a global and massive scale. I want to be an excellent example to those who are struggling to find joy in this life and who can find peace and solace in my music and message.
You can find out more about Levi by visiting his official website and following him on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
