For Qwynn, music is an opportunity to find connection, whether it’s with a producer in a recording studio or with a crowd during a live show. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter, who writes empowering alt-indie songs with a pop flourish, has always wanted to be a performer, but it wasn’t always obvious that she would become a musician. 

Growing up in Cleveland, Qwynn was drawn to the spotlight. She was a competitive figure skater at a young age, and sang, danced, and acted in community theater throughout school. At 18, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue music, TV, and film. But despite success in independent films, she couldn’t shake the call of music, which she had been pursuing on the side since her early teens. So in 2022, Qwynn packed her bags, relocated to Nashville and started writing and releasing singles while working as a bartender on Broadway. 

“I had been making music for years, but after I moved to Nashville my sound really started to evolve,” she says. “I didn’t want to just cover and write pop songs. I found that the music became deeper and more moody as I really started to express who I was and how I was feeling. The songs I’m writing now are the best representation of myself as a musician so far.”

Qwynn’s debut EP, Never or Now, showcases her growth as a storyteller and singer over the past two years. Written and recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles, the five-song EP is a collaborative effort that sees Qwynn working with some of her all-time favorite musicians. She teamed up with Lovelytheband’s Sam Price in LA for the EP’s first single “Blame Yourself” and went into the studio in Nashville with Grizfolk’s Adam Roth to record two tracks, “Fear of Falling” and the EP’s title track “Never or Now.” In addition, Qwynn worked with producers Gerry Hirschfeld (Willie Nelson, Howie D) on “Dead Weight” and Greg Carrillo (Cherub, Brett Eldredge) on “No Next Time.” 

“This EP is really a culmination of the love that I've had for music my whole life,” Qwynn says. “Being able to work with such amazing people who I've looked up to for so long was a real full circle moment for me. I'm still pinching myself. For me, the songwriting process is going into the room and starting a conversation to see what we have in common to explore and write about.” 

The songs, which fit naturally with music from artists like Gracie Abrams, Holly Humberstone and Maggie Rogers, are connected by a thematic thread, representing a period of transition in Qwynn’s life and career. She’d started over twice, once in LA and once in Nashville, before she had even turned 21, a sentiment that comes through in the music. “Blame Yourself” centers on navigating away from a toxic friendship while also asking the people in your life to take responsibility and ownership for their behavior. “Dead Weight” encourages the listener to let go of everything that no longer serves them in order to move on—a thread that snakes through the EP. 

“Moving and finding true, genuine friends and relationships in a new city is hard,” Qwynn says. “Change brings new opportunities, which excites me, but it’s definitely not easy. You have to choose to adapt and put yourself out there. And you have to release things that no longer serve you in order to do that. I think this EP is very relatable. We've all had those times in our lives where we've learned to let go of things or we’ve been in relationships that didn’t work out that taught us more about ourselves.”

Never or Now is the next step in Qwynn’s already-promising career, which has seen her releasing singles and playing in Nashville. She has performed live on TV shows like Today in Nashville and Cribbs in the Cle, and been featured on Broadway World, CelebMix, iHeart.com and MSN.com. She’s deeply involved in the production process for her music, as well as the conception and direction of her dynamic music videos. A few years ago, Qwynn helped her family start a 501c3 non-profit called Connor’s Hope in honor of her brother Connor, who is on the autism spectrum, and has performed live at several fundraising events for the Dare2Dream Foundation, Relay For Life and the Autism Speaks LA Walk at Dodgers Stadium. It all comes back to the idea of human connection, which inspires Qwynn in everything she does. 

“Building a community and fanbase that feels connected to who I am is the most important thing to me. I want us all to be friends,” she says. “I love the energy in the room at a live show and I love finding universal moments in the studio. Whether it’s at a concert or on one of my recordings, I always want people to feel like we’re in this together. I can’t wait to get out there and perform my EP for people.”