Category: Interviews

Annabel Maria – Tell Me (Whats Love For You?) [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Smooth, Chill, Adictive.

Tell us a few things about your new song.

The theme of the song centres around a strong desire for more communication with a significant other in order to form a deeper connection. The lyrics are a gentle plea to a romantic partner to tell their other half how they feel. The song builds up cinematically to reveal an infectious beat that reminds listeners of that ‘summer feeling’. The song travels through the different stages of a relationship such as getting to know each other, making up after disagreements and working together to build up an unbreakable bond.

For which lyric you are most proud of?

I can’t translate, the things you don’t say.

How do you relate to the London music scene?

I was born and raised in South London and it was attending gigs throughout the city that sparked my inspiration pursue music.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

Gaining the confidence to share my music.The industry is very competitive and full of so many talented musicians that it took a while for me to believe in myself enough to share my music.

In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?

Chilled.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

If it wasn’t for music I would definitely be immersed in something creative! I enjoy creative photography so I would invest my time in working on that!

Thank you!

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Savoy Ellis – The Love Album [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Soulful, heartfelt, and loving

Tell us a few things about your new album “The Love Album”.

The album has taken on many different forms. First it started off as a 3 song EP. I was still singing at that time and I wanted to just do a quick little project to show my vocal ability and I had just started playing around with producing, so I wanted to show some of my ideas off. When I stopped singing, I shifted into taking these ideas and finding amazing singers to take them to another level. So next it was a 5 song EP. I finished those 5 songs but I had more ideas I wanted to keep incorporating. Finally, I decided I wanted to tell a story and I wasn’t going to limit the amount of songs it took to tell that story. And that’s how I ended up with the 12 songs on the album. I produced all the songs and wrote half of them and I really wanted to tell a relatable story that people can feel: Heartbreak and how you bounce back from it. I also have an animated short coming with the album that will bring a visual element to the songs. I really think that will help the story aspect of the album come to life.

Which song of the album reflects you the most?

That’s a tough one and my answer probably changes on a daily basis. Right now I feel like “Don’t Break My Heart/The One” reflects me the most. I wrote and produced the track and when I made the music I wanted it to feel like those 70s songs where the music starts off as one thing and becomes something completely different. Really making it two songs in one. I would have loved to have made it a 7, 8 minute song.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

There’s so many to choose from. I come from a musical family going back to my great uncles who played during the Jazz era. Both my parents sang. My cousins are professional musicians. I grew up listening to a lot of gospel music growing up. A lot of soul music: Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Michael Jackson…Pretty much all of that 60s and 70s soul music is in me. As I got older I really started getting influenced by jazz, hybrid jazz, and 70s soft rock.

You also have lovely grooves. Tell us a song with a groove you wish you had composed yourself.

If I’m going old school, “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. If I’m going more recent, “Roll Some Mo’” by Lucky Daye.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

My cousin always tells me that growing your musical career is a marathon not a sprint. So that’s advice always sticks with me.

Should we expect an album in the near future?

August 19th

Thank you!

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Gold Frames on Brown Skin – Anti-Naruto (No Simp) [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Storytelling, Vibe, Insightful

How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.

Hundreds, I remember I didn’t write any new music for about 2 years when I couldn’t find a beat.

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

What’s realer than a nigga with a 9 to 5/ With a family to provide he don’t shuck and jive/ What’s realer than a bitch getting over her pride/ To reapply for them food stamps she got denied.

Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?

I believe so.

Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?

Yes, I feel like Spotify is like the IRS for music. They will not tell you what you need to do to be successful on their platform, but they will tell you when you are doing things wrong and penalize you for it.

What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?

Sonic The Hedgehog Movie. I am a hug Sonic fan.

One last thing we should know about you?

For the most part everything I do I write myself. Unless you see a feature listed on the song, it is safe to say I wrote everything on the music I am on. Be on the look out for my show “The Gold Frames on Brown Skin Show” and podcast “Anti-Naruto” coming soon to Youtube.

Thank you!

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ROWDY – Bungalow [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Fiery, groovy, mystical

Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the story behind it?

The song Bungalow was the first song I composed once this band was beginning to form and I was mentally locking down the intentions of this project. All of our members have played together for a while in various projects, yet this band was developed with unique and specific intentions of reaching towards the spiritual plane through musical freedom, improvisation, and deep grooves. Bungalow is a bit of a mission statement towards all that.

What is the main topic of your lyrics?

The lyric of Bungalow is about confronting my own insecurities and self doubt. It’s easy to see those things as more superficial issues that just need to be ignored or conquered, but with this song I was really trying to dig at the deeper roots of these issues within myself.

Favourite album of the past year?

I’d say Mood Valiant by Hiatus Kaiyote, though I’ve been bumping the new Isaiah Rashad record pretty nonstop since it came out.

Bungalow has a very cool groove with a psychedelic touch. Tell us a song with a groove you wish you had composed yourself.

Cara cara by Gilberto Gil.

Which book should we read while listening to your music?

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman

Should we expect an album in the near future?

Yes, we will be dropping the full album sometime this fall!

Thank you!

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me4u – a mixtape from me4u [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

bow/viral/movie

Tell us a few things about your new work “A Mixtape From Me4u”.

the album is really just a product of quarantine and the winter. i hadn’t written any songs in a few years, but a snowy winter plus lockdown gave me the time to mess around again. i’ve always made music as a hobby since high school, but never had things click creatively like they did this time. most of the album was produced in a week in mid february where i didn’t sleep since i was just in the fucking zone. i knew I had some great songs, but i’m not a great singer, so recording finished towards the end of may as i re-trained my voice to deliver better performances and lear how to stack harmonies. over that time period, it morphed into a whole conceptual art project with the visuals.

Which song of the Mixtape is your favorite?

“romcom” is my personal fave since it’s just fuckin weird with the Abba backing vocals and big arps, but “mr lovesick” will always be special for me, since that was the one that really unlocked the entire mindset for the album during that crazy week in february.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

Kanye has a huge influence on this record clearly, but I think my biggest inspirations as a songwriter are The-Dream and Taylor Swift. Daft Punk’s “Discovery” shaped the sonic texture of the album. Blackpink played a huge role in my approach to production and song structure and also visually with the videos i’ve made to accompany the record. DJ Lucas and Arthur Jafa were also huge influences for the visuals as well.

What would you change in the music industry?

my one hope for artists both big and small is that everyone takes their time on their projects. with streaming and tiktok, i feel like a lot of people feel pressure to make music specifically to fit into a Spotify playlist or for someone to make a dance on tiktok. if that’s what u wanna make, go fo it but make sure that’s actually what u wanna do. make your art for u, not for anyone’s attention or approval. take risks!

What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?

sound of metal. a really important film for any musician or just creative person in general. shoutout to my old colleagues who worked on that.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

i’m a video editor primarily for commercials and that will continue to be my main source of income. this album is purely a labor of love. i don’t ever expect to live off of music since inspiration comes and goes. the biggest lie musicians and creative people in general tell ourselves is that we ought to make a living pursuing our passion. unfortunately capitalism makes that near impossible and art suffers, which is why we have problems like i mentioned before with music being tailored to playlists. i’ve been fortunate to make a good career editing and with that bedrock i’ve been able to make this project without having to worry whether or not it’s going to make money. i enjoy editing, but it doesn’t always fulfill me creatively and that’s ok, it pays the bills! i don’t think I would’ve been able to create as freely as i did with this album when i was younger with a different attitude towards the relationship between money and art. i doubt that’ll i’ll make the money back on the album that I put into it, but it doesn’t matter. i was inspired, made it and thought it was good enough that i felt i had to share it with the world. if inspiration strikes again in the future musically, i’ll do it again.

Thank you!

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Raquel Liane – F.L.I.R.T. – FINDING LOVE IN REAL TIME [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

I would say healing, soulful, and fun!

Tell us a few things about your new work. What is the main idea behind it?

when I was Developing F.L.I.R.T. I was and still am going through a ver pivotal time in my life of finding myself and figuring out how to love myself without any outside influence. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always had it in my head that once I achieve my goals and dreams I will reach happiness or once I reach this goal I’ll love myself more. But the gag is that if you don’t love yourself or be happy right now you definitely won’t be happy or love yourself later no matter what you accomplish. So I chose F.L.I.R.T. to stand for Finding Love In Real Time. And focusing the EP on finding love within yourself and doing it right now in the present not later.

Which song of the EP is your favorite?

This one is soooo hard. It’s definitely a battle between juice and fruits of my labor but if I HAVE to pick one, I would choose Fruits Of My Labor.

What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?

I love being on stage and performing live. I like the human connection and the idea that when people leave my shows they leave happier and lighter.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

Marketing and getting my music out to a large mass of people has been difficult for me. The business side in general has been something I really have had to actively learn but I’m getting a hold of it more as I grow.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to relax and stop thinking so far into the future. There’s no way to give yourself a timeline and as a kid I always have myself a strict plan that never ended up going my way and I think I missed out a lot on certain aspects of my life because I stressed about it too much.

What is the most useless talent you have?

lmaooo I can pick things up with my toes and I can also pinch people with them!

Thank you!

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MVRWVN – Slide

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Different, rhythmatic, unique

How many beats do you listen to before you endup using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.

It takes about 5-10 differentbeats before I choose one to work on. My creative process is almost all mental.I think about all types of emotions I’ve gone through and begin with a topic to fit the moodof the beat. I then go over to the mic and i start harmonizing and coming up with melodiesto fit the mood.

What is the main topic of your lyrics?

Most ofmy lyrics are about females and relationships. The good and the bad. Other times mylyrics can be about my emotions

Artists and people who have influenced and inspiredyou?

I’m deeply inspired by Drake, Kanye West, The Weeknd, Jay-Z, Dj Khaled, LilWayne

What is the biggest challenge you have faced asan artist so far?

The biggest challenge for me as an artist is getting my musicheard and developing a fanbase while being independent.

What was the best film you have watched duringthe quarantine?

The best film I watched during quarantine was called “Polar”.

When was the last time you danced?

The last timeI danced was a few weeks ago after finishing a workout.

Thank you!

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Henry Dukes – VoiceMail [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Passionate, Dangerous, Heartfelt

Your music has a very cool nostalgic vibe. You ask the listener “Remember falling in love for the first time?”. Tell us a few things about your EP.

The EP gives the listener a whole story and perspective of what a summer as a teenager in lockdown looked like. The first couple tracks gives off an exciting and groovy vibe but the more you listen to each track as they play, you begin to hear the utter heartbreak and sadness which is expressed from the last few tracks.

Which song of the EP reflects you the most?

Definitely “If I die tomorrow”, that song was written in just under an hour at 3am one night and every single lyric had a seriously close vibe to how I was feeling at the time.

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

That has to be “If you died tomorrow, I wouldn’t want your ghost to see me cry”

Such a powerful lyric. The fact that I wouldn’t even want the person I was writing abouts ghost to see how sad, angry and confused I’d be if such a terrible thing happened to them.

Favourite album of all time?

For me it’s always changing but I’m currently in love with the Album ‘Circles’ by Mac Miller. It’s a fantastic and heartbreaking piece of storytelling.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

That not every track you create is going to be a hit, you could write 100 songs and only be happy with 1. So yeah, just to keep the flow of trying out new sounds and not get frustrated when it doesn’t go your way.

One last thing we should know about you?

I’ve been surrounded by music ever since I was little because both my parents were performing musicians and I have no intention of stopping… So yeah watch out I’m coming in hot.

Thank you!

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TerraTara – Waiting for the Rain [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

Unique, percussive, resonating

World is grappling with massive forest fires. Tell us a few things about your new song and the story behind it?

“Waiting for the Rain” is about the forest fires burning out of control in the Western U.S. and Canada. It’s a distress call for the fires and smoke to end. When I wrote “Waiting for the Rain,” I was at a lake house with a forest fire very close by, and it was smokey for weeks. Everyday I would pray for rain, and every day, I woke up and the smoke was still there. It was very apocalyptic. I created the song with dissonant harmonies to express the uncomfortable and despairing situation that seems to have no end. It’s a longing, a cry for the Rain, begging it, asking it to come, thereby, invoking the rain. At the end, the harmony becomes hopeful, and soon the rain will bless us….

For which lyric you are most proud of?

”Hey There, Now Rain Maker, What do you say, Now….”
Because I’m humanizing the maker of rain and suggesting that they make it rain, trying to convince them, in a charming manner.

Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?

Neil Young, Joni Michell, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Billy Holiday, Dezarie, Fela Kuti

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?

Being an Artist in a world that doesn’t support Artists. The world is consumed by commercialism and politics and economics as its main pulse, there is little time or appreciation for art.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Not to worry about the opinions of others, especially of your art, and most definitely about your appearance, some people just have bad taste, lol!

One last thing we should know about you?

That I’m an Artist first. So that’s where I’m coming from. So if a note is dissonant, then that’s the emotion needing to be expressed, even if it is less harmonic or easy to listen to. I’m not interested in how commercially viable “my sound” is. My motto is “the quieter, the better” which is unpopular in comparison to the wall of sound everyone is bombarded with today. It’s just not how I roll…

Thank you!

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Manny Loveankh – Summer Girl (Feat Pupa Tee) [Interview]

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Describe your sound in 3 words

I could use plenty of words to describe my sound, but I’d say Expressive, Classic and Unpredictable. It is expressive because I have agency, Classic because I don’t try to create a particular sound just because it’s trending, and Unpredictable due to my versatility as a multi-genre and multi-lingual artist.

Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?

Summer Girl is a catchy summer vibe that’s bound to have you humming the melody. Some might describe it as a cross between Afrobeat, Reggae and ‘Unforgettable’ by French Montana Feat Swae Lee, but subjectivity is what makes music interesting.

The song was inspired by a girl I once met while on holiday and saw a few times after that. We were almost inseparable whenever I visited the country but barely spoke each time I returned to the UK. So when I say “Summer Girl”, it could mean anything from a summer fling to an extraordinary person that melts your heart or keeps you warm when the weather is cold.

Which is your most personal and honest lyric?

That would be a line from the chorus “She’s my summer girl if you take her from me, you better love her well”. Let’s be real; when you have that special person who isn’t officially your girlfriend, you have to accept that they might be spending time with other people when you’re not around. She might even be in a relationship by the time you see her next summer, and if, like me, a long-distance relationship isn’t your thing, all you can do is wish her the very best and hope that whoever she ends up with treats her right.

Favourite album of the past decade?

‘Good Kid, M.A.A.d City’ by Kendrick Lamar

What would be your dream performance venue?

UK- Glastonbury and US- Madison Square Garden

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Follow your dreams and don’t allow anyone to tell you that your passion isn’t a “real job”.

When was the last time you danced?

This morning! Am a terrible dancer but hey, anything to embarrass my little sisters *Laughs*

Thank you!

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