Damien Douglas Jr.’s life as a musician began with the death of his father.
Douglas was just five years old when his dad died from a stroke in his family’s basement, as he slept soundly upstairs. Consumed by anger and grief, Douglas quickly turned to poetry to work through his loss. The poems eventually turned into lyrics and verses, with Douglas recording his first song at thirteen.
“From then on, it was my life,” says Douglas, who goes by the stage name Damien the Architect. “Music became an outlet. It became an escape, an oasis, a safe haven. I found my emotions could be alchemized by putting them into music and expression, rather than anger and rage. …And so I leaned into it.”…