Music industry mogul Stephen Kohler is a man with many talents. Singer, songwriter, composer, producer are just some of the hats that he wears. His passion for the art started at an early age, growing up in a house full of music. His father, a skilled trumpet player, his mother a singer in the church choir and grandparents who spent their lives as an artist, an author and an actress. There was no shortage of talent in the Kohler family and along with his four brothers, Stephen began learning to play instruments at the age of 12. Following in his father’s footsteps, he began with the trumpet but soon discovered the world of rock and pop. He was swept up into the world of electric guitar and piano, citing Abba and Van Halen as musical inspirations. After years of composing and performing in bands such as Onyx and Delusions of Grandeur, he settled down and started a family. Now the founder and CEO of Audira Labs, a company that he says, “uses music to teach executives how to become better leaders”. Unfortunately like most people, the pandemic hit and halted the entire world. He says, “Finding myself filled with so many mixed emotions due to, on the one hand, a crazy world, and on the other hand, inspiration from my family and those around me, I felt an urge to begin creating again. It started with simple chord progressions on the guitar, continued to emerge with harmonic structures on the piano and then, full songs began to manifest.”
Independent artist, Stephen Kohler teamed up with his long-time friend and Grammy nominated music producer Liam Davis for his upcoming album release titled “Daydream”. The album will feature his newest single “Bittersweet” which was released in May of this year and when asked about the track, Stephen says, “This is the 3rd single from my new album, Daydream. In terms of the meaning of the song itself, it talks about how we all struggle with relationships that do not serve us. This one is about one particular relationship that has taken me a lifetime to let go of.” He says this song differs from the others, “It’s perhaps my most vulnerable on my new album.”
On May 5th, the singer partnered with LyricVids and released a professional lyric video for his newest song “Bittersweet”. When asked why he decided on this particular medium, he said, “My producer, Liam Davis, recommended LyricVids as a great platform for indie artists. I have previously worked with LyricVids on videos for my first 2 singles, “Daydream” and “The Gift”.” There’s a certain serenity to SK’s music, one that is hard to bottle and recreate. This song in particular offers a melancholic theme, hence the use of a monochromatic palette amongst the picturesque visuals. This was a creative choice in portraying the artist’s sorrow, as if the color has been drained from the beauty in his life, or signifying loss. The video is very lyric focused, ensuring that his viewers aren’t overly distracted by visuals and can really hone in on the words and the song’s meaning. The sans serif font pairing is effective in displaying the lyrics in a neat and easy to read fashion. When asked about his favorite part of the music video, the singer said, “The black and grey color overtones and usage of trees and landscape as a metaphor.”
Up next for Stephen Kohler, he says fans can expect his upcoming “Daydream” album to be released in June of this year. You can follow the singer across all music streaming platforms or Instagram and Facebook @stephenkhlr – or you can check out his website https://www.stephenkohlermusic.com/
Check out the lyric video for Stephen Kohler’s “Bittersweet” on YouTube Here: