Can you share your musical journey with us, from when you first discovered your passion for music to where you are today as an independent musician?
I first discovered my passion for music truly as a child, but I didn’t realize it was what motivated me and gave me purpose until around 2018-2020. I grew up with music surrounding me, my father was a jazz musician named Reuben Wilson, and he was always playing his music. My mother is really into music too, she played a lot of disco/late 70s early 80s R&B. It’s really awesome to see where I’ve come since I started. My first show was a set my friend Chrrry curated at Maria Hernandez Park, we had no permit and there were like maybe 15-20 people total. To go from that to all of a sudden having sets at DROM, an album release party at Nublu, a headlining set at Bowery Electric, etc., it’s really cool to see. Music continues to drive me to be the best I can be, and my passion continues to grow for it.
What motivates you to create music, and how do you stay inspired to continue making new and unique music?
I love music, and it truly is a deep part of my life. I think that alone is what motivates me to create music. It has nothing to do with wanting to be famous or successful, it’s really therapy for me. I’ve always heard melodies and different types of beats in my head. In terms of making new and unique music, I think what inspires me the most is hearing whats Top 40 and what’s not. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been less interested in what’s mainstream and have really enjoyed what pops up on my Discover Weekly on Spotify, songs and artists that my friends put me on to, and of course my musical friends as well. I also think that making songs that are more unique truly allow you to really dive deep into your own originality and truth.
As an independent musician, you wear many hats – from composing to marketing. How do you balance these different aspects of your career, and what challenges do you face in the process?
This! This is so important and I’m really happy that you ask this question. It is not easy! A lot of these things are a bit of an oversight especially when you’re first starting out. You have to do all the promotion, marketing, merch, etc. I think it’s been a challenge balancing it more recently because I’ve had a lot of personal changes in my life, but usually it’s always fun for me to come up with concepts and ideas for all of these things! Time management is important for all of this – calendaring, organizing, etc. I haven’t been as organized as I’d like to be because of circumstances but I’m in the process of getting back on track.
Could you tell us about your creative process? How do you come up with new ideas for songs, and how do you go about turning those ideas into finished tracks?
It really depends on the song – some songs come really quick, some take years. Often times my songs will start as just a beat, maybe one that I was sent or one that I created. From there is usually when I am able to come up with lyrics, the meaning behind the song, etc. I often have melodies and lyrics in my head but those are harder for me to put together conceptually, I really love a good beat. I love instrumentation and the arrangement of music, I think that stems from being around my father and the bands he played with – there was rarely a vocalist. I always would think of how the song would sound if there were lyrics or even just someone doing harmonies and riffing on top of the music, but I digress. Ideas can come out of nowhere – I was sitting on the beat for my song ‘Talking My Shit’ for a while until I watched a video of Beyoncé talking about her song Partition and it was as if something snapped. My song ‘12×2’ started out with just the beat and a little chorus of just the melody alone. The finished track is usually after months of tweaking, changing, rearranging, playing around, added and taking out vocal tracks, etc. My song ‘Cycles’ went through a ton of iterations, and quite honestly that might be my favorite part of this whole process.
Independent musicians often face financial challenges. How do you manage your finances to sustain your music career while also covering your personal expenses?
It’s definitely not easy. Budgeting is important, and even if it isn’t budgeting that you do, it’s at the very least knowing what things cost before doing it. However, it’s also an investment, so sometimes you have to be okay with spending more than you want to in order to get things moving. I think personal expenses should always come first, and then after that make sure you have enough to work with. Booking shows and side hustles help a lot!
Can you share a particularly memorable or challenging experience from your journey as a musician that has had a significant impact on your career and personal growth?
This is kind of random but a lot more significant than it seems but I remember when people first started referring to me as a musician rather than an actor and it felt so so so good to be seen in that light. Another moment was actually pretty recently, I was going to a friend of mine’s show and someone knew me from my song with Mister JT. I think the coolest thing since all of this was when a friend of mine texted me that they were playing one of my songs at a bar they were in. It was so so so so sooooooo awesome getting that text especially because it wasn’t from a DJ I knew spinning my song (but those moments are just as fun!) These have a significant impact because it makes me feel like “Okay, I’m doing something right” and it inspires me to keep going. It also helps because it really wasn’t that long ago when I first started really focusing on music. One more highlight was my performance for Amazing Radio. THAT was fun!
With the rise of digital platforms, the music industry has changed significantly. How do you navigate the digital landscape, including streaming services and social media, to promote your music and connect with your audience?
I feel I’ve been very anti-social recently! I definitely think social media is very important in terms of promoting, connecting, etc. I can’t sit here and say I love social media, I think I’m becoming more anti-social media. I did have some really great momentum with it until earlier this year when life started getting really hard – I had a lot of personal things happen in my life that I just couldn’t focus on creating content the way I wanted to (which sucks because I love creating and editing.) I’m slowly getting back into a groove but it’s still taking me some time. Of course, authenticity is important, and if you’re not being yourself (even on socials) I think people will know that. Being yourself helps a lot with promoting and being on socials!
Collaboration is a key part of the music industry. Have you worked with other musicians or producers, and how have these collaborations influenced your sound and career?
I love collaborating! I have a lot of artist friends that I’m grateful to be connected with, and they’re all very talented. As I create more, I meet a ton of talented individuals and we all really respect and support each other. My goal for my next project is to have it be a lot more collaborative, I really enjoy hearing what other people hear and getting their ideas out. It helps me flesh things out, and of course keeps things original.
Your music likely reflects your unique style and perspective. Could you describe your musical identity and what makes your sound stand out in a crowded industry?
I think for me, I’m not trying to sound like anyone else. In terms of my musical identity, I’ve been very much into the space and Y2K aesthetic. I actually recently went to the African American Museum in DC and was really amazed to see how afrofuturism really connects with me and my identity as well. I think as long as I am myself I’ll stand out. For myself it’s always been hard to give myself a genre or a “sound” and I think that alone puts me out the box. I’ve also always been very forward-thinking and perceptive, and try to- in my own opinion- create music that is not trying to be current, but rather omni-present.
What role does live performance play in your music career, and how do you approach planning and executing your live shows, especially in light of recent challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic?
Live performance is very important to me! It’s one of the most exhilarating parts of music. I love being on stage and feeding off the energy of the audience. I also love making people dance. Luckily the pandemic has calmed down since, although we still are in it– you do have to navigate that we aren’t back to the way things were. In terms of planning, sometimes it’ll be shows that I’ve been contacted to perform for, but I love putting the show together myself. My album release party for my project Odyssey was fully formed by myself, I put the acts together, created the flyers, secured the sponsorships, etc. I can’t say I didn’t have any help of course, my friend S!lky Jones really got things organized and structured, as well as coordinating with the venue. Putting a show together is so much fun!
Many fans are interested in the stories behind the songs. Could you share the backstory or inspiration behind one of your recent tracks that holds special meaning to you?
My song Cycles is special to me, it was really about diving deep into the patterns that I both consciously and unconsciously follow. As both a black and a queer artist I really wanted to 1) work with another queer artist who would really be able to understand a lot of the themes I was exploring, love, trauma, identity, etc. and I think my friend SHUAH was the perfect person to get involved. The song itself is a hyperpop song, and the whole goal was for it to not be the same, and to have different sections and changes– to kind of “break the cycle” in a way. The song started out as a short beat that I made and it turned into something incredible, in my opinion. I’m really proud of it.
Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations as an independent musician? Are there any upcoming projects or exciting developments in your career that you’d like to share with your fans and the audience?
I actually have a remix of 12×2 coming out on September 29th with a musician named 0utlaw, along with a host of other remixes. I like to call this my remix era. We’ve got a lot of those in the works, and of course a visual or two in the future. In terms of collaborating, I have been blessed to be able to meet so many more artists in the scene, and we’re definitely cooking up things. It’s been a big transitional year both personally and professionally and I’m excited to keep the momentum going!
