We had the good fortune of connecting with Dre Carrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dre, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Interview

Mitigating risk has been ingrained in my mind as a responsibility of mine since I was a financial advisor years and years ago. Because of that job, I learned that risk needs to become something you seek and eagerly mitigate, not fear and avoid. I went to school for psychology and worked in finance on a bet, but I wasn’t happy with any of it because I needed to create and make music. That last sentence alone contains a lot of risk mitigation, but giving up everything I’d worked for my whole life for music couldn’t have happened if I didn’t have a strong stomach for risk. I hadn’t even written that many songs when I decided to leave the New York area for Southern California to make music with a friend. Then that project failed right away, so I had to set out on my own to make it happen. I don’t fear change, and I look at risk as an opportunity. I was 27 when I moved here, and at 39, I’ve seen the perks and pitfalls of my risk-taking. Ultimately, I’m one of the happiest people I know and one of the most respected locally in my field because of my passion for music.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I worked in the financial field for years as a financial advisor, broker, banker, and insurance agent. Those jobs were rewarding, but I wasn’t satisfied not doing music, not having a creative outlet. Being a band in San Diego was difficult because the scene isn’t as united or supportive as it is elsewhere, it was hard to make people believe in us at first, and we had to earn the right to play everywhere. We needed money for studio time, rehearsal, merch, releases, and touring. We had to pool our resources and work with what we had for a long time before we got to play really great shows. It’s been tough because music doesn’t always pay well, and dedicating yourself to writing quality music takes time and effort. Cars, jobs, girlfriends, and even homes have been lost in the name of songwriting, which is why you can’t fake your love for music. What we have to show for it are quality songs and passionate performances. You just have to take it a step at a time and remember that you’re smarter, stronger, and greater than your challenges. If you’re doing this right, you’ll want to quit at least a few times a week. I got past the worst of it by learning to love the things I hated the most. Songwriting, playing, and jamming were fun, but booking and working a show are a lot less fun. I got food at the less fun stuff because I had to. Eventually I gave up having an office job in order to accommodate touring and bigger shows. The sacrifices are there, but they free you up to let you be who you want to be. As one of the last true rock ‘n’ roll bands in San Diego, we’re proud that we can hang with newer or bigger bands, but still maintain that home-grown feeling in our shows.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Diego is teeming with things to do. A trip here isn’t complete without visits to La Jolla Cove to check out the sea lions and the snorkeling, Balboa Park for a gorgeous time in a gorgeous place, and the shopping and dining in Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach. There are so many places to eat amazing food, my favorite being Costa Brava in Pacific Beach for the best tapas and Spanish food outside of Spain. You have to grab a smoked fish taco from Oscar’s, and it’s highly advisable to try some See’s Candy while you’re here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We have a number of people who deserve some credit for helping us out early on: Aaron Witheril for giving us a place to play and become a proper band; Tim Pyles for believing in us and forgiving me for crashing some of his public appearances; Kelly McGary for some great booking opportunities; Joe Wood for his mentorship and brotherhood; Mike Kamoo for helping us sound great; Marty from 91X who was an early fan and believed in us.

Instagram: @thejaggedlines

Twitter: @thejaggedlines

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Vv_Gw6qekdo

Image Credits
Michael Kokton for the first image only

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