Side-Hustle Series: Interview with Singer-Songwriter Chrissi Poland

I am enjoying interviewing professionals and mom bosses about their line of work or their side hustles. Today I am sharing an interview with New York City-based singer-songwriter and drummer Chrissi Poland.

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Aloha and welcome! Tell us about yourself and your interests.

Aloha! And Mahalo! I’m proud to be a musician, performer, singer-songwriter, and a Mum to the best little two-year-old around.

What inspired you to become a singer-songwriter? Share where we may have seen or heard your music.

I loved to sing from the time I could talk, but when I was about 15, my mom came over to me while I was playing the piano and said, “you know, you could write your own songs.” And that was it, I was off into songwriting land.

Your new single “Destination Home” is releasing, what is the message and inspiration for writing this song?

This song really sums up my feelings on being a touring musician and doing what I’ve always loved to do, juxtaposed with being a mother to a toddler and being there for her in all the ways I want to….touring changes that, in that I have to be away from her 100 percent for a short time. So each moment, no matter how thrilling, is sprinkled with a tiny bit of heartache. But that’s alright because I’m creating balance, not only for me but for her as well.

How are you balancing motherhood and pursuing your dreams?

Well, just like any working parent, you do just that, you find the balance. In my line of work, I go away from time to time. So I prepare for that and make sure she has everything she needs when I’m not home. FaceTime helps my heart for sure, and now that she’s almost three we can play little games together on FaceTime. She feels safe and loved at home with Dad, and that’s what matters the most.

What are some of your favorite things about your singer-songwriter career?

I’d have to say that being on stage and performing live, and seeing the world while getting paid to do so are the things I love the most.

What were some challenges you ran into when starting, or perhaps continue to run into, as a singer-songwriter?

New ideas or “the next project” can be a daunting task. Not only writing the music, but getting all of the artwork, distribution, marketing, etc. together, it can feel so overwhelming. It’s a constant project and requires discipline, even when there is no motivation.