BGS 5+5: Avi Kaplan

Artist: Avi Kaplan
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
New Album: Floating on a Dream (out May 20, 2022)

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Iron & Wine. The peace he brings with his music has always helped me deeply throughout my life. It made me realize just how powerful a medicine it can be. When I started making music I wanted to extend the same type of peaceful medicine to whoever listens to my music.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

Going back on stage in Manchester, UK, for the first show of my European tour this past March, after two years of not playing a show for a live audience. The smiles, the singing, the pure joy emanating from the audience. I’ll never forget that for as long as I live.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

Singing with my high school chamber choir for the first time. Being surrounded by and a part of the harmonies that were happening in that room truly hit me. Nothing had ever made me feel like that. I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

Once you get on stage, it’s no longer about you. It’s about what you can give to the audience. No performance will ever be perfect, so prepare the best you can and when you get on stage, give all you have to the audience. Even if it’s just one person you impact, you’ve done your job.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

These days I spend most of my time in the forests of Tennessee but I grew up roaming the Sierra Nevada mountains and forests, the Mojave desert and the golden foothills of California. I believe my music comes from those places. I can’t help but infuse my music with the imagery of those areas. It’s ingrained in me.