Meet Roy Saunders: Musician

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

Hi Roy, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
It is hard to make that decision. Especially if you are passionate, driven, and focused on your brand. Back in 2016 I decided to make that decision and gave up on the pursuit of a musical career. I put all of my energy into another profession and ultimately I was miserable. I came to realize that music will always be a part of my life. With a lot of thought I decided to dive back into the music scene and it had been one of the best decisions of my life. My musical career had grown exponentially in the last three year’s and I am very lucky to be at the level I am right now. For me I will always keep pushing my musical career, giving up is not an option in my book. Even if for some reason music is not a full time job for me anymore I will always continue to play shows, record, and grow as a musician.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The music industry is a brutal one. I have had my fair share of ups and downs. One of the things that has helped me along the way is just having tough skin. You have to roll with the punches. I’ve been turned down for big auditions, told that I didn’t have enough talent, you name it. But, I have been able to stay driven through that. One of the biggest things for me is the fact of playing a song live and watching it impact someone. Maybe even change their whole mood or day. Music is a very healing. It is one of the most gratifying feelings to have someone come up to you and tell you about how a song that you played original or cover impacted them. Every show I play large venue or small I put every bit of energy I have into it. I have been known to play hours past my ending time if the venue and crowd are into it. Of course it’s great to make the money of shows but if the crowd is into it I’ll play all night.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would have to take them to The Vortex and Little 5. Go for a few hikes probably Kennesaw Mountain and somewhere along the Hooch. If it’s warm float the Hooch. Oakland Cemetery is a pretty cool spot as well. We would have to get drinks at Johnnie MacCracken’s, grab beers at Moondog Growlers. Hit some of the great Breweries around Sweetwater, Glover Park, Abide, Hixtown. Catch some music at Smiths Olde Bar.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been very blessed to have a huge support network of fans and friend that keep me motivated and have pushed me to drive on in this industry. My girlfriend Jennifer is a huge driving force behind the scenes. My drummer Tom Dickenson, My father Steven Saunders, My brother Ryan, My mother Barbara Betts, and a long list of friends such as Jay Morelock, Hal Burch, Angela Rosenhahn, Taylor and Sabrina Pinkston, James Gilley and the ProMotion crew, Kevin and Caitlin Sullivan, Andy and Trisha Webb, The whole Temple Crew, One of my musical mentors Justin Mychals and so many more people. The list is very long. I am blessed to have them all in my life.

Website: Www.Roy Saunders.com
Instagram: Roysaundersmusic24
Facebook: Roy Saunders Music
Youtube: Roy Saunders Music

Image Credits
Taylor Pinkston, Promotion LLC, Jennifer Bauer