A two-year break for a musician usually means the end of a career—today’s fans want more, and they want it fast, so a blip in time can be deadly in the music world. This, however, isn’t the case for Virginia-born and L.A.-living Stephen, a producer-turned-singer who just released his debut album, “Sincerely,” on May 10. Luckily, the Clarion was able to sit down with the musician at his show on May 10 at the Gothic Theatre, where he opened for BORNS.

Stephen, after dropping out of college where he was working on a music engineering degree, spent two years “learning how to sing” in order to supplement his musical skills (Stephen plays piano, guitar, drums and produces). The singing lessons ultimately paid off—the performer released “Sincerely” last week, and was met with praise from hundreds of fans on social media.

“Sincerely” boasts an interesting mix of electronic beats with nearly Hozier-like vocals. The two-year break certainly didn’t hurt Stephen; in fact, it made him stronger. The creation of the album was challenging at times, but worth it.

“It became so much more than just a music journey, it became this tremendous battle with myself,” said Stephen. “I went through this crazy transformation trying to write this album. In order to create good music, you have to dig really deep, and I went through a lot of hardship and internal struggles that were all necessary. Every song is part of that struggle.”

“Sincerely” means a lot to Stephen, both musically, but also within his personal views. The musician holds sincerity in the highest regard and craves a world in which people can truly express how they feel.

“The album has two sides. One is a struggle with myself, and one is a struggle with the world,” Stephen said. “I’m aware the world could be so much better, and people could be better. We are capable of being so much more loving and happier if we were more open. Honesty is the sexiest thing.”

The musician also focuses on honesty with his fans, which he considers more as friends. Stephen chose to go simply by his first name to create a sense of familiarity with fans and make himself more accessible. His listeners obviously appreciate this—while BORNS is incredibly popular, many showed up to watch Stephen’s opening set, and knew words to songs like “Crossfire.”

Despite the fact that this is the musician’s first tour (the Gothic was his first show in Denver), Stephen has already garnered the attention of people across the country.

His gritty sincerity, honesty about his hardships, energy and passion will certainly take him far. Listen to “Sincerely” on Spotify and let the Clarion know what you think.