After covering Wembi’s single “Heartbeat Of My Life,” we caught up with him to discuss his newest projects, his favorite songs and how he hopes to conquer 2020. Read more of our interview down below and don’t forget to follow him on his official website, Facebook and Twitter!
Catch us up with your life! Are you working on any special projects?
Sure. Things have been busy lately, I am currently promoting my two latest singles “ Heartbeat of my Life” and “A child like my own” which are playing on airwaves in several markets and countries and are available on all major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. “Heartbeat of my Life” just charted up to #3 in the San Francisco market which is exciting considering the single has been out for just a few weeks! I am also working at recording and producing more songs to be released on my next EP in 2020.
Which song of yours has been your favorite to record & why?
Tough question to answer because it is like asking a parent which child of theirs is their favorite. Each song has its own story and brings up its own memory. I suppose if I have to choose, I’d say “ Heartbeat of my Life” because it is a great Love song inspired by a woman very dear to me and “ A child like my own” because it is my latest single. It has a powerful message about a kind of social injustice against innocent children that we have been witnessing everyday lately and why it is very important that we stand up against this injustice as a society.
Are you interested in learning any new instruments?
Although I have played the piano and keyboard for many years, I have always wanted to learn how to play bass guitar. Anyone who plays bass guitar is always the coolest cat on stage in my book.
What do you hope your listeners will take away from listening to your music?
I hope they 1) enjoy the good vibe it carries 2) that they connect to the universal message in it and the honesty behind it and 3) that they get inspired by it.
Do you go to one specific place when you start writing your music? How important is the location where you write your lyrics for you?
I don’t have a specific place to write music. As a songwriter, inspiration can hit you anywhere. You just have to be ready to hit the “ record” button on your phone when it does. But I have noticed that I am more likely to write music when I am in a quiet and comfortable place like my home office or my studio. The type of music I write depends on my mood at the moment.
What is your thought process when creating new music?
When I start writing something, I usually start with the melody. For example on “Heartbeat of my Life”, I started out creating a rhythmic piano melody which was an unusual way for me to start any of my songs. So this in itself, made this song interesting enough for me to continue developing it.
I was curious to see where it would lead. I didn’t have any lyrics in mind yet but I knew that the general theme for my new song would be one about the journey that Love takes in a long term relationship and what you discover along the way that is most important in your life. My thought process was to be honest and to write something simple and from the heart.
Although I had no lyrics at the beginning, I remember that the chorus line that kept playing in my mind was “ You’re… the … heart…beat…of my life…” Then when I realized that “drumbeat” rhymes with “ heartbeat”, I knew right there and then that I’d be adding drums to this song. I envisioned a progressive rhythmic thumping of drums to mimic the beating of a heart. I got in touch with an awesome professional drummer and friend of mine, Kevin Prince, who did a fantastic job capturing my idea once in the recording studio.
So, what I have often discovered over time about many of my songs once they are completed, is that what I write about are things that have been in the back of my mind for awhile. So you can always be sure that my lyrics are honest and authentic.
Which song has gotten the biggest reaction from the public? How did you use that reaction when focusing on your music after that?
It depends on what song but it doesn’t change how I approach my songwriting. I wrote a song called “ Seconds chances” and it was about redemption and the need for forgiveness in a loving relationship. For some reason, that was a very popular song because a lot of people could relate to that situation. I also wrote a song called “ Hell no!’, a political song, which was right for our times. It received a lot of support and views on Youtube as well. As I said earlier “ Heartbeat of my Life” has been climbing up the charts very quickly and what I am learning from it is that if you write a good and honest song, people will relate to it and will want to share it with those they care about.
What are your goals for 2020?
As an independent artist not signed to a major record industry label, getting your songs played on commercial radio is a big challenge. So one of my goals is to increase my efforts to getting music lovers to hear songs like mine on the radio in many more markets. Big thanks to Kiss 104.7 FM and a few other stations for adding “ Heartbeat of my Life” to their regular rotations. I also plan on doing more music festivals, small performances and collaborating with other indie artists to bring great music to listeners around the nation.
How do you hope to enter the new year?
Well 2020 will be a big year on so many levels. So I hope to start the year on the right note and to continue the great success we started this year with songs like “Hell no!” which is a powerful political song I wrote last year that might fit into the upcoming election discussion and “Birth of a Movement”, a club like theme song about the power of young people to change the world. I look forward to seeing many music fans who have helped make my songs the success they have been this year.
What advice would you give other artists just starting in the industry?
As an indie artist, it’s a long road so be prepared for that. Write a song you like and that you believe in. Make sure that it has commercial appeal. Put money in getting it recorded and mastered well. Use sites like CD baby for production and distribution and go out and promote the hell out of it. Even tough it’s a long road, the fans will appreciate your work if it connects with them.
Happy New Year everybody!
