Can you tell us a little about your early life and what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
My early life was interesting. Shrouded in religion and sheltered world views, I spent a lot of time playing piano as a way of exploring and escaping. I started playing when I was 7, and never looked back.
How has your upbringing or personal background influenced the type of music you create today?
I think the influence of the church, hymns, gospel music, classical piano, and my dad’s love for the blues started the shape of my soundscape. I have spent a lot of time in the world of jazz, soul, 70s rock and funk due to those influences. I think you can hear the fusion of it all in the songs that I make now.
When did you first realize that music was your true calling, and how did you take the first steps toward building your career?
When I went to transfer from my community college to University, I went with the sole purpose to study music. It wasn’t until I was auditioning for my spot in the music program that I was faced with the question. Dr B asked “if you don’t get into the music program?” and I looked at him and said “well, there isn’t anything else. I suppose I could study the English language, but I didn’t come here to do that”.
Afterward, I explored more than just classical piano and fell in love with Jazz and improv. The addition of Jazz theory and improvisation ultimately was the turn into creating music. Up to that point, I was just honoring what others had done before me.
How have your personal experiences or challenges influenced your songwriting and musical expression?
I write about my journey through religious trauma, finding myself without god, and discovering my own identity and expression through my own lens. Everything that has happened in my life has shaped who I am and how I write, it’s in the way I trust, love, grieve, protect, and make choices. I tend to make choices “for the plot”. Now that I’ve moved away from the rules of religion, there’s so much more to explore without boundaries. It’s also how I approach music writing… in a “what if”. At this point in my life, I’ve learned how others have done it in order for me to do it my way.
If you could look back, what advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in music?
Learn those modal scales, girl. You’re going to need them, I promise.
“Drive” has a unique sound and energy. Can you walk us through the creative process behind the song?
Soul and R&B are linked in the musical family tree. Drive is about a sexually tense car ride that could turn into something more, or just be a drive with a crush. I wanted to bring aspects of tension and R&B to make the listener truly feel that sexual tension. There’s a little doubt, maybe the person in the song shouldn’t pursue this interest, but ultimately, it’s about the passion and the character development.
Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Drive,” and how did you overcome them?
It is definitely a little different than my other songs on the upcoming album. I worried that it was TOO different. I spent a lot of time going through the approaches of adding more instrumentation, changing the tempo, taking away instrumentations, playing with vocal harmonies, etc. In the end, when I backed off and let it rest a bit, I realized it was right where it was supposed to be and the fact that it was different was absolutely amazing. It stands out.
Every artist has their own creative routine. What does a typical songwriting session look like for you?
I like to do different exercises. I routinely write to keep my skills up. Sometimes the song is a banger, sometimes it’s simply a completion of an exercise. But I like to spend time walking, painting, exercising, or drawing and thinking about everything all at once – usually humming to myself during that time. Conversations, feelings, ideas pop up all the time, and its a matter of matching a sentiment to what I’m humming or writing out all the lyrics and then searching for the melody. I like to stay skilled in the art of writing so that when inspiration hits, I’m ready.
My voice memos are full of ideas, sometimes humming, sometimes lyrics, sometimes a hook… eventually pieces fall into place and match up, and other times you are able to get the whole song out at once. In the case of a song out all at once, I go into a flow and let it just go. Once I look up, I walk away and come back with an objective ear and eye to polish up the piece.
How do you handle creative blocks or moments when inspiration is hard to find?
Reading, walking, listening to music. Many times I stay away from the piano altogether during times like that. I read a thesaurus or a rhyme book and think “what is this trying to say” or “what am I afraid of saying”
The music industry is constantly evolving. How do you stay authentic to your sound while navigating industry trends?
Just follow what the song wants. If you chase a trend, you’ll always be behind. Bell bottoms come back every few years, so will song styles.
What are your aspirations as an artist going forward? How do you envision your music evolving over the next few years?
Moving forward it’s all about getting in front of more people. I’ll be spending time networking with other musicians and people in the industry while I travel and tour with my music. I think there’s a lot more naked emotionalism hiding behind my sweet grooves. It will all come out in time. It’s like watching a kid grow up and see what it has to say. I’m looking forward to it. As I get more bold, so do my songs, so I am anticipating some interesting things in the next few years.
