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

Hi Louis, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Time management is super important, and I’m still working on it! Working a full-time job during the day and then coming home to put in more hours into your craft can be difficult. You have to make sacrifices. When I’m focused on a project, it can be tough to make time for everything else because all I’m thinking about is finishing my fresh new song. Producing by yourself can also get lonely at times because it involves so many hours of writing, recording, mixing, and tweaking every little detail until it sounds just right. I’ve learned I need to force myself to take breaks and socialize for a bit, which actually helps me be more productive when I eventually get back to work. Also, when you’re first getting started, it can be discouraging to spend so much time creating, and then realize it’s just not that good yet – you don’t have the experience to sound like your idols and the inspiration in your head. You have to stay motivated to keep learning and working on new projects to get a little better each time. I’ve certainly not reached where I want to be, but it’s still encouraging to look back and see how far I’ve come with the little accomplishments along the way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What’s been super cool about Mild West, is it has taken so many different forms. Sometimes it’s Mild West as funky electronic music featuring live blues guitar and soulful vocals, and other times it’s a live DJ set featuring house and club music. Mild West is just a good vibe with fun music. I’m super proud of how far my original releases have come because I do everything from recording the guitar and vocals, to mixing and mastering the final songs, to creating video content and artwork for the releases. You have to enjoy the process as a whole because, ultimately, each song can take a very long time!

It’s been awesome that so many kids can use a laptop to create music doing the same things as me, but that can also make it a challenge to stand out. I’ve leaned into my live guitar, vocals, and song writing to create a unique sound. Love it or hate it, it’s cool to hear people say they haven’t heard anything exactly like Mild West before. Oh and more importantly, it means even more to me to hear how much fun everyone has at the 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?
I love hanging out on the Beltline! Especially now that we are getting some great warm weather, it feels great to walk or scoot around to different parts of town. Maybe hit up some bars in Inman Park or just chill at Old Fourth Park. Some days you can even catch live art & music near the skate park. There’s so much to see and it’s easy to get around to whatever vibe you’re feeling!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off, I have to shout out all the friends, old and new, that continue to support all my creative efforts – sharing my music, coming to shows, and pushing me to grow as an artist. My music has always been about having fun and bringing people together, so seeing everyone show up to a packed show and have a blast is one of the best feelings.

I’d also like to shout out all the hardworking people in the Atlanta music industry – there are so many great people dedicating all their time to run local venues and support all the talent in this city. Special thanks to Vibes Inc for giving me some amazing opportunities – this team is really onto something special and it’s amazing to see them grow!

I feel so lucky to be in a scene that hosts a constant stream of concerts and festivals. We attract amazing artists from all around the country, which is super inspiring and makes Atlanta such an exciting place to call home.

Website: https://www.mildwestmusic.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mildwestmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mildwestmusicatl

Other: https://linktr.ee/mildwest

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.