The Road to Nashville | Derick Leduke

What makes someone leave everything familiar behind and drive toward a dream?

This week, singer-songwriter Derick Leduke shares the story behind his journey from California to Nashville, the sacrifices required to pursue music, and the song he wrote for the future love he hopes to one day bring home.

At Lovey Edge, we believe home begins long before the house, the marriage, or the destination. It begins with purpose, hope, and the courage to take the first step.

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Transcript

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We are here with Derek Leduc. And I have very rarely been more excited to jump in and ask a lot of questions for a very aspiring young songwriter and instrumentalist. He's from California. And what I know about him is that he left everything he knew, his family, his home, everything behind, and headed toward Nashville in a van. In a van that he lived in. And I want to ask you, who are you and how did you get the courage to do that? Okay, okay. Well, obviously, my name is Derek LeDuc. I grew up in Southern California. I was already doing music back in LA, so I felt really good about my, you know, skill level and ability to go and hustle and get gigs. I started out playing gigs when I was, like really when I was about 17 years old. And at this point, I just had gotten my driver's license and I felt bad asking my mom for gas money. Like I just felt bad. And I had been playing music, I've been wanting to be a musician. And I just I just kind of like had it with asking my mom for gas money. I started street performing in California and I started getting gigs and playing over the weekend. This was like senior year of high school, and then I just got better and better and better in LA. But I didn't see myself getting to the stardom that I want to get to uh in LA. I just saw myself getting better gigs. Yeah. Not being an artist and just being a musician, and that's not really my goal. So I had bought this van from my neighbor and I just I left everything. For me, it's like, what's the worst that can happen? It didn't really feel too bold because it's like the worst that can happen is like I might not eat for two days. And I'll voluntarily do that. You're braver than that. I mean, like, I've figured it out in LA, and I feel like if there was no other option, like, yo, you gotta figure it out, you gotta make some money right now for food. Sure. It's gonna be all right, you know, and you can only really figure out what's gonna happen once you go there, boots on the ground, like figuring it out. So you've done it. And then I heard that you're no longer living in the van. So give me a crazy story that happened where you we just have a sense of what your day-to-day life was. In the van. Okay. In the van, and then now we can take it to today. All right. So I it was a lot of really amazing things that happened together. So I took about a week to get from LA to Nashville. I stopped at a few friends' houses on the way. And the day that I drove into Nashville, um, I think it was like two hours from where I was sleeping. I couldn't drive to Nashville at night. I was like way too tired. I drove into Nashville and I had been posting stories on my Instagram, and then there was someone that I had known years ago, and he's always told me to start doing social media, right? So is it okay if I give you the whole rundown? Sure, absolutely. I want to hear it. He's always told me to get into social media and start like posting, and I kind of half listened to him, didn't really do much, didn't really have any sense of urgency, especially back home. Um, but he happened to be at a bachelor party in Nashville, and like he saw my story, he was like, dude, let's meet up. I'm in Nashville like for once in his life. Like he's never in Nashville. So we met up, we hit a uh workout in Franklin, and then we just uh we met up at this place called the W Hotel. Uh-huh. And then he told me, he was like, dude, you gotta be ripping content on this. Like, this is a once-in-a-lifetime story, you're never gonna do this again. Like, you have to be documenting this. So that's where I started. He was like, go on stage and play at the W Hotel, like until you get kicked out. And I was like, sure, let's do it. We filmed it, and I dedicated myself to doing a reel every single day while living in my van. So I just documented the whole process of living in the van. I played at the W, took uh 30 minutes to kick me out. Um, the security just booted me. And my routine But wait a minute, they had to say you're great, but we can't have you doing that. Yeah, yeah, I can't have you doing that. It's like it's super corporate, you know? It's not like a like if it was a normal spa, like not really a chain, with corporate stuff you have to go through a lot of hoops. But so I started documenting this process. So shout out to him. His name is Rob Torres, great guy. Um, but I started documenting the process. So my days would go like this. I would um wake up somewhere, which I'd figured out to sleep, like eat like at a parking lot. Yeah Planet Fitness. I used to share a Planet Fitness. Oh my gosh. I got a membership at a nice gym downtown, so I like would sleep downtown at like a free parking spot. Yes. Um, those don't exist in anymore. I feel like they're dying off like in the last year and a half. And the trash trucks would wake me up like at 7 a.m. trash trucks, and then uh I would go shower at the gym and go like boots on the ground uh after that and try to get gigs. So I would I would go, I went to like 12 South, I made a video about that, just going getting contacts. I'll go to a coffee shop. I go to coffee shops all the time because um I had a battery that like had all of my electricity. Yes, and I would just get a coffee and then I would just leave my coffee on the table and then get my battery and then plug it in and charge it. Cause uh there's no solar, like it was gloomy at that time. But yeah, I would charge, I would charge my battery, I would send emails on my computer, I would meet people, just just meet as many people as possible, because like you know, and I would journal. I journaled every single day when I was there. I wish I brought my journal, I didn't bring it. Yeah, but um I started getting my first gigs when when like it was about a week and a half in. I had not gotten any gigs. I kind of was coasting, but I had ran out of money. I came to town with like 400 bucks. Oh my goodness. Then I saw my credit card statements, and from moving before, like all the moving process and everything, and like the gas, I had like $1,200 of statements, and I never let statements go up. Like, so I was freaking out, and I was like, Did you call your mom? I didn't tell them how screwed I was because I didn't want them to help me. As a mom? My mom was I was like, not knowing where my son is. My dad was like, What are you doing? It's the other way around. So your mom was relaxed. She was like, My mom is so relaxed. My mom for some reason, but like obviously she loves us, but um she she is very strong. She believes in you. Yeah. I mean, she saw me doing it. She sounds like a spark in your fire. For sure. Yeah. So you've already made the jump from like, is this gonna go somewhere from hobby to professional? Because when you make that much, when you burn the, you've burned the ships, you're you're yeah, burn the chips, yeah. You're all in. And it was it was a lot of faith. I was like so screwed. I was like, I have to figure this out. But the next day I went and I went street performing, I left, and I played by Bridgestone. I played for an hour, I made $14, and then I go back to pay for my parking, and it was $18. So I lost $4 street performing. But believe it or not, I was laughing the whole time because I was like, I'm gonna tell this story one day. I'm telling you right now. During the during that performance, the manager of this bar on Broadway um gave me their card and asked if I'm free the next day. And I was like, I'm free, let's go. So, and I got my first gig. They were like, come tomorrow, two to six. I played four hours and I made like 330 bucks. And ever since, like, the gigs have just kept coming in. That $330, I was like crying. It was like the most sense of victory I had because it was like, okay, I can I can make it. So I think faith is rewarded. So that was how the ball kind of started. So there are two things that I see there. I see how many no's does it take to get to a yes, and if you just keep going in that waiting period, if you just keep going, you'll make it there. That's right. All right, how old were you when you first found out that you could play or sing? Was it an instrument that came to you first? It was an instrument. So uh my mom she tried teaching me piano at five, and she tried to teach me the classical way, and I wanted to learn by ear. So I would argue with her, and then I kind of quit. I didn't like it. Okay. I picked up Viola at eight, it was a school program, and I did really well in Viola. I was really gifted and I was also really like dedicated to it. Sure. And when I was eight, I actually had journaled, and I have the journal somewhere. It's lost, but I don't know where it is. Yeah. But I wrote down that my dream was to be a performer, to be a musician, and to tour the world. Like that was my dream. I didn't even realize that until I found the journal. And now you're living your dream every day. That's the most impressive part of it. But I picked up guitar at 12, but I knew that performance has always been like something that I've loved. So it's really cool to find out that I loved it since I was eight. That's incredible. And and I've heard your music, it's it's it's beautiful. You can play, I would say you can play near anything. There are a few people that I would put you in in line with, so I have no doubt that your music's gonna travel. What audience do you hope grabs a hold of your music? Who are you playing for to? For what person? Wow, that's a great question. I've never thought of that. Yeah. Um, like just anyone who likes it, you know what I mean? Sure. Like, um a lot of older people like my music. It'll be cool to like tour people's 20s and their 30s. Sure. I think my story's like been inspiring. Like sometimes I forget and I think about it and it gives me confidence. And I think that it would just the story and the music would just be really nice for anyone, anyone who wants to hear it. All audiences, honestly. Who are your biggest musical inspiration? Because with the different all over the map, there are probably a lot of them, but who are your top musical inspiration? Um, there's a guitar player named Tommy Emmanuel. He's incredible. He's an instrumental guy, he's like my biggest influence. That was like my obsession was instrumental guitar, like for a long time. Then John Mayer, uh Jim Croce, James Taylor, a lot of Jays in there, but yeah. Um Michael Jackson. I love Michael Jair. Oh, Michael Jackson, what an inspiration too. If you if you could pick any of those or anyone today that you could be the opener for, who would you zone in on to make your dreams come true? John Mayer, Ed Sheeran. Great talent. Yeah. I really I really love Ed Sheeran. Like, didn't really get into it until recently, but I really love his grit, his drive, and his musicality. Like, he's great. And John Mayer, I'm a huge fan. Well, if any of these are if any other fans are listening, they just might tag him in this. You never know how music and news travels. Yeah. Especially when they hear you perform. Um, so when I hear and think about your family life, what does that look like? What did that look like back in California? I'm the oldest of four. Okay. So there my sister is two and a half years younger than me. I have a brother who's 10 years younger than me, and a little sister who's 13 years younger than me. Okay. So they're all kind of still kids except the close sister. Um it was very family-oriented. I have a really, really great family. I'm really blessed with that. Like something you can't choose, and like I've been gifted with a great family. So um, my family was very supportive, um, but also like let me figure it out on my own. So they gave me like the tools, like they planted the seeds and they just watered it a little bit. You know, my dad got me that guitar that I'm about to play when I was 15. I didn't expect to get it. And they would take me even before I started at 17. I asked, and then we we went street performing a couple times. So they were very supportive, you know what I mean? And I'm and I'm uh I grew up with my grandparents too, and they're from Guatemala. Oh my goodness. My parents are both immigrants, so we had different languages in the house too, so it was cool. A close-knit family, very close. And you're bilingual? Trilingual. Trilingual? Yeah, I didn't. These young people, they they really wow me with their talent. I love that. Well, we may have to have you back and play one of your um one of your favorite songs for that would nod to your heritage too. Yeah, yeah. And I'd love to hear a little bit more about what you're gonna play for us today. So, what I'm gonna play for you is a song I decided. Um, it's called Imagine Finding You. And I wrote it for a girl that I haven't met yet. Interesting. So it's an interesting song. So this is something that you have in your mind. It's something I have in my mind. For the perfect woman or the perfect woman for you? Both. Oh, very good. No, I don't know. No one, no one's perfect, you know what I mean? But um They were perfect for me. Perfect one for me, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe maybe not now. Like, hold on, you know. Yeah, absolutely. But um, yeah, I wrote it. I was I was very inspired when I wrote it. So very uh, very influenced by my like instrumental guitar influence. I had this riff. I was playing at a coffee shop in Nashville, and I just sometimes I would go and play just kind of quietly in the corner. And I made this riff and I couldn't figure out the words to it, and one night I just like sat down and I finished it. And it was just super inspiring. I love the song. So that was what that was actually what I was gonna ask you. Does the music come to you in your head first? Lyrics? And it sounds like the music when you play your hands, yeah, generally, and like it really is funny because the best ones come to me when I stop thinking, when you just say whatever is on your like you don't even think on your mind, like it just comes to you, kind of. Yeah. So where does the inspiration you think come from? Well, that song was inspired because I didn't I didn't have anyone in my life. Okay. So I was kind of like imagining her. A time alone. Yeah, and it's a time alone, yeah. Time alone, time with the guitar, you know. Sometimes you forget that. And I and that's what it's always been about. It's like me playing the guitar. And if I make time for that, something will come out of it. Yeah. Yeah. I I as a mom of a guitar player, the guitar keeps them very company, yeah, and they're always playing it. I am gonna play a rapid, we're gonna have a rapid question so you can answer, or if you want to pass, you're welcome to pass. I will not pass. Nothing too out there. Um and then you can give us your best. All right, here we go. Oh, I like this one. All right, acoustic or electric? Acoustic. Sunrise or 2 a.m. Sunrise. California or Nashville? California. Sorry, so uh, can I can I okay. Music, Nashville, but like year-round quality of life, California. California's amazing in it. Yeah. I do love it there, especially Southern California. Yeah, that's right. The weather is like the perfect weather. Yeah. Okay. What is can you think of a song that you wish you wrote? She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel. Oh, that's a great one. I I love streaming that one too. Um, what's the first thing you do when you wake up? Scroll on my phone. Okay. It depends, you know what I'm saying? Today I went, I did boxing earlier in the morning, but uh if if I can go early in the morning and like have a little bit of silence outside, jump around, get my blood flowing, that's a good that's a good morning. If I scroll on my phone, it's generally gonna be a bad day. Pretty good. Finger style or pick? Can I say both? I play with a pick and with my fingers. Okay. That's what I do. But let's just let's say finger style. Okay. Yeah. Freedom or stability? Freedom. Okay, now that you you can have this perspective, van life or apartment life? Depends on the van. My van was breaking down like every two weeks. Yeah. So uh if you have a good van and you're traveling and you're touring, van life. Yeah, but apartment life if the van is breaking and if you're living in a city, apartment life. Yeah. You feel homeless when because you are homeless, but you feel like super homeless when you're in a van in a city. I get that. Yeah. I know I don't get that. I've never lived in a van, but I can imagine feeling that home is such an home is such an integral part of my life. Apartment life, let's say. Absolutely. So improvise or written? Written. Written. I like written. I think things require refinement, you know. Then you could improvise, but written, the foundation is written. I feel like I know the answer to this question, but would you say risk or comfort? Risk? Exactly. Comfort is death. Yeah, you feel terrible. Do you think you're chasing the music or is the music chasing you? Both, but sometimes, you know, a lot of times recently feels like I'm chasing it. Yeah. Yeah, if I'm gonna be honest with you. Yeah. Yeah. You were telling me when we just caught up outside of this our time together here, you were saying there's so many different levels. Yeah, there's so many levels. Yeah. Yeah. You want to get deeper on that? Yeah, go deeper on that. Because I mean there's a there's levels, you know. Like my dream isn't to be just a musician that's making a living. I I've reached that already, and I I can get better and better. My goal is to be an artist touring with melon music. That takes a whole different level of dedication and commitment and like self-funding. Self-funding. You have to do a lot of things like videos. I'm into that, but like it feels like a job a lot of times. Yeah. But I've made like 150 videos and they've served me well, and they've elevated my music. So absolutely. Yeah. Uh maybe these videos will help you get that funding. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so here we go. Coffee or tequila? Coffee. Coffee to get going. Solo or band? I I have to say solo. My foundation is solo. Blues or pop? There's good pop out there. Michael Jackson pop. Yeah. Pop. All right. Fight for it or wait for it. Fight for it. Yeah. I heard you have a pirate in your background. We'll go to that in another group. Keep it raw or polish it. It's a hard question. Uh I think a lot of times it it's better like just keep it raw. Okay. Well, with that being said, I want to hear a little bit more about the song you're about to play for us. Yeah. Um, just how long when you wrote it, and where can we find it? All right, awesome. So I wrote this song um I think beginning of July of 2025. It was like after the busiest three months of my life. I went on my first tour, came back, van was breaking down everything. I wrote that song, and I was, it just made everything worth it, honestly. So I cannot wait to hear it. Okay. And it's on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube music, probably. I don't know. It's it's everywhere. Imagine Finding You by Derek Leduc. We're gonna link it for everyone to hear, and I can't wait to hear you play it. You always on my mind. I don't know how you would look, but I know you're easy on my eyes. It's a little complicated on an up on my watch, I can't do me fine. I imagine you have this ball. Maybe you will find this story will begin. I'm loving everything I think about you. What you think of you mommy find on fine at the perfect day, Julia. I never claim to be, but I hope you see through all the things that I don't like in me. I will do my best to be mad at you to serve. Things will happen like they happen. I imagine you like no one with the fucking over the chat. I imagine we'd have kids, come with that, I'm loving everything. I don't want you. I'm loving everything I think about you. Imagine finding you. Imagine following you. Imagine Woo! That was amazing. Thank you. Thank you. I'm so live. So good. Should I do another take or is that good? No, we have no doubt that you're going to so many places. I'm so excited to have met you. Thank you. Thanks for sending me a message. I know. Now we can stay in touch and I can watch your whole career just take off even more. Thank you. You know, thanks for giving me a platform because uh I hate hearing myself talk sometimes, like to make videos about blogging. Sure. So this is kind of cool that you get to tell the story. First podcast. First podcast. Yeah. Do you have any advice that you give to other young creatives or just young people right now because so many people want to give up? Um and we want to have them keep going. Any advice? Yeah. It's all in your hands, you know? I mean, it's not all in your hands. What you do, what you how you think is in your hands. That's right. God will meet you in the middle. You know what I'm saying? So, like, you know, you can't really predict what happens, what people you meet, and stuff like that. So it's kind of foolish to doubt yourself. If it's in your heart and your blood, like, and you put in the effort, you water the plant, and you do things, you move the needle yourself, you're not waiting. Over time, the the chance that you're gonna succeed is inevitable, you know. So, yeah, I think that we have a lot of decisions to make every day. So you can make the right ones long enough, you can win. Living your purpose and decided. I have something for your home, for your apartment. Make it a little more. I've got a candle for you. Oh, yes, I love candles. Do you really? Okay, so this is the candle that I created. You created it. Yeah, a couple years ago, and it's finally coming into so you the things you dream at will come through. Yep. I love that. Thank you. How'd you make them? I worked with a fragrance person and went to a manufacturer. You know, I'm running out of candle. It's a soy candle, so it had to be all natural. So we've yeah, yeah. We haven't taken it to market yet, but this is thank you. This is the beginning of it. I'll use it. I'll give you a little candle review. I'll make a video for you. Yeah, that'll be great. Oh, I sold something for you. Yeah. It's one of the last that exists. Oh my gosh. Sneakers on it. Do you still have the van? I don't. I sold the van. You sold the van? So I haven't made more hats, but this is a hat. It's my merch hat that I sold during tour. It says Trust the Road. You look great in it. Has the van on it. That's super. I'm super excited. Well, thank you for giving it to me. I'm so grateful to know you now and we'll stay in touch. Yeah.