(Original Photo By: Antodope)
Happiness is not always a guarantee in this life. There will be times when we find ourselves at a crossroads where neither option promises that joy and we must create it for ourselves. In order to do so, we have to push ourselves out of our comfort zones and be willing to take the risks that others might shy away from.
For Hayden Kramer, known to his fans as Herobust, music was not always the top priority. Growing up in a family of doctors, the idea of pursuing a career in medicine was quite reasonable and well supported by his loved ones. He even went as far as pre med at the University of Georgia. Soon enough, however, Hayden realized that the music he had been working with on the side all along was more rewarding than he may have originally thought. 
“During high school, I was making beats for rappers in Atlanta. This led me to get heavy into music production. After college, when the time came to decide if I wanted to keep going and go to medical school or to pursue music, I decided I loved making music too much to give it up and I went hard in it. Coming full circle, I’ve been trying to make my music a synthesis of Dirty South and Bass music, and especially now, I’ve been getting into adding rap elements onto my tracks.”
Making the decision to shift one’s life in an entirely different direction is a major step. Some may have fears of disappointing family, the possibility that it might not work out, or even feelings of ‘well I’ve come this far, I might as well stick with it.’
For Hayden, it was simply a question of what made him the happiest— a question that we often forget to ask ourselves.
“It was honestly about deciding which one would make me a happier person. I think I would have liked being a doctor, but not to the level that I love making music. The destinations I’ve traveled to and the experiences I’ve had because of my musical journey…I believe are more meaningful than if I had just become a doctor who takes summer vacations. As far as family, I don’t know if they totally get it, but they have supported me in my decision, as they have done the doctor thing already and music was a bit of a new territory.”
There were of course some internal doubts along the way, as many artists experience that, but what keeps Hayden going at the end of the day is the fact that music moves him and he wants to share that feeling with as many people as he can.
“There are always doubts. When attempting to do music full-time, you’re going to doubt your choices, and for a lot of people, it’s best if they stop for their own mental health. But the people you see on TV and listen to all the time aren’t usually the best at what they do, but rather the most persistent at what they do. So that idea led the way for me to continue and know that I just need to make music for the fun of it, and always put it out while never worrying about my feelings of how other people should receive it.”
For so many, the fear of judgment from others stops us from chasing after our dreams. It takes a great deal of courage to allow ourselves to be vulnerable and share the projects we devote all of our time to day after day, hour after hour. It’s easy to fall into a routine that’s comfortable and stable even if it isn’t what we really want because it can sometimes feel safer.
Hayden shares some insightful advice when it comes to breaking through that barrier of complacency. Much like his choice to leave the promise of a medical career behind, Hayden suggests that staying true to yourself and your desires, even when that stops being easy, is the most important thing you can do for yourself.
“Be honest with yourself. You will always find yourself in comfortable situations where you think you fit in and are doing the correct thing. But sometimes, if you look deep down, you will find that you aren’t supposed to be comfortable, and that this place you’re in might not be where you want to be in your life. Comfort causes stagnation, and if you want to achieve your dreams, you must step out of your comfort zone and find the place you really want to be.”
This of course doesn’t mean that there won’t be more bumps along the way. There is no magic spell to make the willingness to jump the biggest obstacle and the rest as easy as pie. After all, taking the risk in the first place was unnerving for a reason.
As Herobust, Hayden has definitely struggled with finding a balance. From his perspective, there is always a constant search for balance between creating what makes you happy personally and what’s “poppin” in the scene at that moment. At times when it sounds like others are following a trend, Hayden reminds himself that it is his job as an artist to make his own mark on the music scene, forge his own path, and create something truly meaningful.
The inspiration for such has been drawn from many different styles of sound. One experience in particular was a heavy metal show Hayden attended a few months ago.
“A few months back, I went to a Heavy Metal show and I was BLOWN AWAY by how hard everyone there was going. It was easily the hardest I had seen people go to live music, and it reminded me of some of the grimier shows I do. It inspired the song on my EP called “Heavy Meddle.”
Hayden seems to always find his inspiration in people expressing themselves. You can get the idea that he really loves to see people do what they love and believe in, while not letting nay sayers get in their way. He told us about his upcoming video for his song “Move Mint,” and how it touches on protesting embodying this expression.
“I made this song with the thought of making a room full of people go hard at a bass music show. But with the video, I wanted to do something different that people would really love. We made this video with some of the original thoughts and ideas from the song, but really let the song’s message lead us further, which included a lot of current issues and the problems associated with people’s lack of perspective. It really explores the idea of having to show what you mean through actions, rather than verbally…like people do when they protest. We decided to use the song as a backdrop for a group of people fed up with how things are, and showing how they want to create change.”
As he took that inspiration from his experience of another artist, he hopes that other aspiring artists will use the infinite number of sounds currently available to their benefit as well. Music is an ever-changing landscape, and the creative minds on the rise should use it to advance and take their listeners to new places, rather than recreate what has already been done.
“I’d love to see new folks coming up using the tools that have been laid out for them by all of the amazing talent that this current generation has to offer, and use it as a blueprint and create something completely new with it. We have created the grimy basses, now let’s see what the next people can do with it!”
After all, experiencing new things is what keeps the world turning. Whether we do so by listening to new music, engaging other cultures, or even talking to someone next to you at a show, reaching out and sharing could make this world a happier place.
For Hayden, the opportunities to tour all over the world and be a part of new things have been incredibly fulfilling and he hopes that his fans are able to have that takeaway as well. With no intentions to slow down any time soon, Herobust will continue to climb and create until he is a household name, and hopes to one day release a full rap album— a nod to his beginnings in music.
