Features : Exclusive Interview with Ed Keiser

​Artist Spotlight: Ed Keiser

Rising pop-rock artist and multi-talented producer Ed Keiser returns with his new single, "Foreign Land," a deeply personal and emotionally rich follow-up to his debut release, "You Are Not Alone." Known for blending reflective storytelling with melodic, immersive production, Keiser once again invites listeners into a vulnerable and honest space shaped by resilience, love, and the human experience.

This conversation with Ed Keiser reminds us why true artistry never ages — it only deepens.

FreshMusicWorld: What’s the concept behind your latest single?

Ed Keiser: I actually wrote the song as a way to help us both look beyond the current circumstances to a better future ahead. I structured the verses like a dialogue or a script to capture that back-and-forth exchange we had—for example, moving from the raw confusion and questioning of “Why the world is wrong?!" toward a place of renewed hope and clarity.

FreshMusicWorld: Can you share the story behind your latest single?

Ed Keiser: “Foreign Land” is a very personal piece of music for me—it’s essentially a snapshot of a conversation between my spouse and I during one of the most trying chapters of our lives. We were navigating a period of trauma and deep uncertainty, and at the time, it felt like we were wandering through a landscape we didn’t recognize. While my own faith was the anchor that helped me through this period, I wrote the song to be universal for anyone going through dark times, and to encourage them to hang in there, that it will get better! It’s about that bond of companionship and the hope that, no matter.

FreshMusicWorld: Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?

Ed Keiser: My process is a mix of raw emotional inspiration and a very hands-on approach to production. A song usually comes to life for me starting with a feeling, and for these first two songs, personal struggles. My songwriting is a way to process how the world is affecting me. Whether it’s a personal struggle I’m going through - like in "Foreign Land” - or a desire to comfort others, I start with what I am feeling. Once I have the concept for the song, I move deeper into the lyrics to express that concept. And the concept and storyline develop as I write it. I tend to write in a very narrative, reflective way; the song is a conversation between two lovers. I’ll try to capture the honesty of a situation—even the difficult parts where we question things—and then look for way to lyrically shift the emotions upward toward hope and peace. Since I’m a producer as well as a songwriter, the music and the lyrics grow together in an iterative process. I usually head into Logic Pro and record a basic rhythm or a melodic hook on the acoustic guitar or piano. I then perform and record “scratch” (demo) vocals, the bass lines, and drums, but I also love bringing in other perspectives to add depth and different perspectives. For example, collaborating with someone like Jamie Hoover significantly added new textures—like from his amazing vocal layers or beautiful guitar style - that I couldn't achieve alone. The final step is the "sculpting" phase. I spend a lot of time on the mixing and editing (more than composing!), making sure every vocal and instrument track has the proper sound place. I’m very intentional with the arrangement, and want the listener to feel like they are stepping into an immersive space to hopefully make you feel what I did when I wrote it.

FreshMusicWorld: Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?

Ed Keiser: For me, the inspiration for my music is a blend of lived experience in a peaceful, reflective atmosphere. I don’t usually go looking for a song; instead, I experience a moment of emotional weight that generates the need for me to express and share my feelings. My lyrics are pretty transparent and pulled directly from my life. For "Foreign Land," the inspiration wasn't an abstract idea. The act of writing it helped me actually move my mindset from searching, to uncertainty and questioning life, to hope of a better future. I’m also deeply moved by the stories of others. Knowing that millions of people in the USA face isolation or food insecurity inspires me to write lyrics that might hopefully serve as a bridge, connecting my personal healing to a larger, universal message of “You are not Alone” (as is the title of my first single released last year!). While the lyrics come from my soul, the melodies come from the instruments themselves. Usually, I will start with a chord progression that sounds pleasing and captures the emotion, then I create the lyrics and add vocals, other instruments and bring in collaborators.

FreshMusicWorld: Is there a particular song or album that has significantly influenced your career?

Ed Keiser: I consider my two songs released so far to be "vintage pop rock” from many diverse influences, but for more recent music, I would say Finneas' solo work, as well as his work with Ashe, have been very inspiring to me.

FreshMusicWorld: How do your personal experiences shape your music?

Ed Keiser: My personal experiences are the primary engine behind everything I create. I’ve never been the type of artist who can write about abstract concepts just for the sake of a catchy hook; for me, music is a way to process my life in real-time. My music is shaped by how my faith interacts with our physical world - the world that can be "wrong" or very painful. However, I embedded those themes of faith gently into "Foreign Land" (and “You are not Alone”); I want to share my personal experience, while understanding that although we all feel the same emotions, we process them differently. Also, my awareness of the world around me, specifically the reality of food insecurity in America. It has shaped the "business" side of my music. Seeing the statistics (like 1 in 7 Americans struggling to eat) changed my perspective, resulting in my donating 100% of my two songs' earnings to Support+Feed and Feeding America. My music is an extension of my belief in compassion for others.

FreshMusicWorld: How do you stay motivated and inspired in your daily life?

Ed Keiser: To be honest, I’ve come to the point where I don’t question or even try to make too much sense of it all anymore. Just live my life as best I can to hopefully make our world a little better place, while having some fun. Of course, on the music side, writing is like oxygen to me; I just need to express myself. And collaborating with talented friends like Jamie is such a beautiful gift that I am very grateful for. On the technical side of producing, mixing, editing, layering, mastering - it's like a big puzzle that I never get tired of solving, that hopefully captures the intended emotions of the song for listeners.

FreshMusicWorld: How do you balance your personal life with your music career?

Ed Keiser: It’s a delicate balance, but for me, the two aren't actually separate - they feed into each other. My music is so deeply rooted in my personal real-life experiences. And while creating music helps me find some peace, or even changes my perspective on some things, my hope is that it does the same with listeners too. Being a producer and multi-instrumentalist allows me to be very efficient. Working in Logic Pro and handling much of the guitar, bass, and piano myself means I can work in my home studio. I’ve cultivated a space where I can go deep into my creative mindset - mixing, editing, and collaborating with artists throughout the world (Europe, the Middle East, and the USA in the case of "Foreign Land") - but then literally step out the door and be back with my lovely spouse.

FreshMusicWorld: Are there any symbols or recurring motifs in your work that hold special meaning to you?

Ed Keiser: In my work, I tend to lean into specific symbols and motifs that represent the bridge between our current struggles and the restoration that follows. My stories are stories of struggle, but both of my published song have happy endings! One of the most significant motifs in my songwriting - especially in "Foreign Land” - is the concept of a conversation between two lovers. I often structure my verses as a literal back-and-forth between two people in love. To me, this represents the idea that we don't have to suffer in a vacuum. Healing is rarely a solo performance; it’s a dialogue. This motif symbolizes the connection and companionship that I believe are essential, for especially getting through trauma. Musically and lyrically, I use a recurring structure I call the "Upward Shift." I start many of my songs in a place of heavy, grounded reality - using lines like “When the pain is so strong, we question why the World is Wrong?!” to acknowledge the weight of the moment. But I always build toward a shift in this perspective. That transition - moving from the “Valley" of the preceding verse to the “Peak" of a hopeful chorus—is a recurring musical motif that mirrors my belief that faith can be an avenue through even the darkest circumstances. 

FreshMusicWorld: How do you balance personal storytelling with universal themes in your lyrics?

Ed Keiser: This is the "tightrope" I walk every time I sit down to write. If a song is too personal, it can feel like a private journal entry that no one else can get into; if it’s too universal, it can feel generic and lose its emotional connection. So I strive to capture the realness of my feelings and emotions, knowing we all go through difficult times, but not to go too deep into the details since it’s my story, not theirs. But when that balance is struck just right, you feel what I felt when I wrote it - extending a helping hand to your partner in difficult times (verse #1), getting them excited to go somewhere where we won’t feel pain (verse #2), realizing its not so easy, there’s a lot of bad stuff in this world (verse #3) and finally letting go, remembering the great times we had, and that better times are coming (verse #4). If the listener is with me on the real journey of mine, and feels what I felt writing it, it would be a beautiful thing!