Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Duran.
Hi Autumn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In my early twenties, in the span of six months, I found out I had thyroid cancer, quit my real estate career, and got my heart broken. I wasn’t the type to go to therapy back then, so I went to church and filled journals with poems and pieces of songs. I spent the next few years in a litany of odd jobs, from delivering dry cleaning in Northern Michigan to selling Christmas lights in New Jersey. Songwriting was my creative outlet. I moved to Phoenix and back, got my Bachelor’s degree in screenwriting, and ended up managing Petoskey Bridal, the bridal salon I used to work at in high school. After four years, I resigned from managing the store and transitioned to remote work. I bought a camper van, affectionately dubbed Free Elf, and drove along Route 66 out to Arizona this year. Free Elf doubles as my mobile studio for music recording and production!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In a word, no. I try to find the story in everything, both as a coping mechanism and a creative exercise. I remember an ice storm hit the bridal salon when my friend Kristin and I worked there in college. As we chipped away at the ice on our windshields, she shouted at me above the wind, “It’s okay, we’re making memories!” She was right – we still laugh about it. It’s harder to laugh when there’s no upside: to having cancer, or being continually broke, or burying people you love who left too soon. Good times go by too quickly, and blur together, whereas pain stands out jagged in my mind. But life is meant to be felt and celebrated even in its difficulty, because that’s what it means to be human: to try, fail, try again, and be humble enough to share the process with others.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Not all my songs are about me or told from my angle, and it pushes me creatively to see the narrative through someone else’s eyes. I like experimenting with genre, while keeping a strong personal storyline. I want people to feel the truth in the song and find themselves in it even if they don’t know the backstory. When it comes to production, I don’t use AI for any of my music, even though it’s tempting. Our stories are the one thing technology can never replace. For some people, AI gives them a chance to create art they couldn’t make otherwise, and I don’t judge them for that. For me, I’d rather hammer it out the old-fashioned way, even if it’s more challenging, and takes longer. I’m also concerned about the effects AI-sponsored data centers place on the water system and how they disrupt communities. Next to our people, our natural resources in Michigan are our most precious asset. We need to safeguard our land and water for future generations, and local communities need to stay aware of what developments are being discussed and make their voices heard.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m starting a regular livestream schedule, so find me on Twitch and Youtube after the New Year! I’m looking forward to more camper van travels. I share my music journey, along with health and travel, on Instagram, Youtube, and my blog. Between finishing my songs, building out these different platforms, and working my day jobs, I keep busy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://autumnduran.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyfunnyface
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@heyfunnyfaceyt
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/autumnduran
