Rising Stars: Meet Wayne Byrum of Westland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wayne Byrum

Hi Wayne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! It all started when I was about 8 years old or so, when I had a DVD copy of the first Spiderman movie (the Tobey McGuire one) and I would search through all the special features and listen to all of them obsessively for whatever reason. Eventually, I got to this song that was called “What We’re All About” by Sum 41, and I would play it over and over again while I ran around the room and headbanged and danced to the song. Inevitably, both of my parents noticed and they both agreed to get me a guitar for Christmas, and it was all over from there. Throughout the years, I played guitar over and over again, day in and day out. Getting a few thousand views on YouTube when it was still a new site, but got talked out of it by some insecure people that were my “friends” back then.

Eventually, throughout freshman year of high school and getting sick of people that were not commited to music at all, I put out a post in my sophomore year on Facebook claiming about how I was looking for a band that was more than serious, because I felt like I had earned it with all my years of practice. Then I got into a metal band in high school that was called Theia, and we played with some pretty big metal bands at the time, people like Hundredth and MyChildren MyBride. Unfortunately, we broke up six months after we started, and then I decided to go to Schoolcraft College for Sound Recording Technologies. I did that for about a year or so, got onto the Dean’s List twice and then decided to go to Michigan State University after changing my major several times where I eventally decided to drop out and persue music full time.

Fast forward to now, I started posting online again after a long break in 2016 due to some unforseen mental health issues and problems with my life at home. Eventually, I got my own apartment through the literal grace of God himself, and built my home studio over time and ended up racking up 300,000 views on instagram when they first started their “Reels” feature. One of them getting to almost 50k. Anyways, since then, I’ve been in a bad algorithm unfortunately, but I’ve had people like Mr. Kitty message me congratulating me on some of my covers. But now, I’m looking to build a team since collaborating with a phenomenal producer named Abi S. Daniel from India, and are working on that currently.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been an incedibly difficult and smooth road at times; but a lot of it has been pretty difficult. People get jealous and turn their backs on you, betraying you and trying to sabotage your image and self-esteem. But as long as you keep it up, the sky’s the limit in my personal opinion.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I currently specialize in playing the guitar, but I have learned how to record, engineer, mix, master, and promote all by my self over the recent years. I’m most proud of my ability to find a groove and stick to it when it comes, even though I’m having trouble with getting reach nowadays, but nothing is impossible for those who truely believe it. If there’s a will there’s most definately a way, 1000%. What sets me apart from others is my ability to play the guitar well, knowing how to network and socialize very well, and knowing how to read the room. Most people make such a fool out of themselves when they get nervous and act out, especially when on a stage. I welcome the pressure because I know it makes diamonds.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Not anything in particular, other than how freaking sick it can make you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0l1aI7fTYjeJ3cfp3FPobg?si=2R3b0pc_TXKOXCNCfUi5Dg
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayne_byrum/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/waynebyrummusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3QJRKretCww_4mC3hLyNWg?view_as=subscriber
• Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJA44ghn/