Student Life | Issue 40

DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE
FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS
ARE REPRESENTED IN THE MUSIC
INDUSTRY?
I think that people get put into
particular categories. I did two albums
where I did two specific types of
music because people say oh because
you’re black so you only do this type
of music and say you’re from some
small town in America so you only do
hillbilly or country music. It feels like
you can’t do a range of music as most
people want to do one type of music
so you can’t sing different types of
music. So I decided to write a range
of music to get different audiences
engaged.
Something I have noticed in the
industry is that generally there
are mostly men who are playing
instruments. But I have had some
women who have played instruments.
But something else is that it’s mostly
men who are writing music, there
aren’t as many women as you think
who write music.
WHAT EMPOWERS YOU TO WRITE
MUSIC?
I think it’s when I’m out driving on
a long journey and I just create
something. I can think of the music
and then I have to think of words to
go with the music afterwards.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL
ARTIST?
My favourite local artist is Ed Sheeran.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A NEGATIVE
EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE MUSIC
INDUSTRY?
Yes. This was way back when I started
I did this demo with this quartet and I
sent it in to these people who wanted
to do this recording. When I sent it
in they said ‘how it was a really good
backing track, but we want a live
band” so I said that was a live band
and they wouldn’t have it.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FUTURE
PROJECTS PLANNED?
I was going to have a project planned
with the steelpan group but then
everything went mad with covid so
I’m not sure when we will get back
together.
WHAT WAS THE LAST ALBUM YOU
LISTENED TO FROM START TO
FINISH?
The last album I listened to from
start to finish was something for the
steelpan group it was the Jimmy Cliff
album the greatest hits.
13 13 •• MARCH ISSUE 2019 40 •• STUDENT LIFE LIFE