Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest album, and what themes or stories you aimed to convey through your music?

My latest project, Odyssey, was created with the intention to transport the listener to a unique audio universe. I also wanted to capture the marking of the true beginning, in my opinion, of my artistic journey – hence the name Odyssey. I really wanted to dive into feelings and thoughts that were revealing themselves to me, repetitive patterns that needed to be broken, love, psychosis, trauma, ego, etc. The project starts out with the title track as an introduction to the universe, and ends with ‘Don’t Call My Phone,’ which signifies the ending of this chapter, a new version of myself is born and the old version of myself is gone.

Music often has the power to transport people to different places and times. Can you describe a moment in your life when a particular song or album had a profound impact on you?

I truly have a ton of those! What I like to do is categorize songs and albums that come out at certain times in playlists that are organized seasonally, so each season of my life has some sort of theme in terms of music. One particular album that had a profound impact on me was Magic 8 Ball by Mac Ayres. Not only did that project immediately make me a fan, it really signified a very particular moment in my life in 2021. I was in a big transitional phase in terms of figuring out who I really am as an artist, person, etc., and along with that it’s just a damn good album. He’s such a talented artist and the album was extraordinarily cohesive. It definitely influenced a lot of what I created for Odyssey.

Many artists have rituals or routines they follow before performing or recording. Do you have any unique or quirky pre-show or pre-recording rituals that you find help you get in the zone?

I don’t necessarily have any rituals or routines but I try not to drink or smoke before a performance. If I do drink, it’ll be a shot or a gin & tonic, but nothing excessive. My favorite pre-show ritual is getting ready – figuring out what I’m going to wear, getting my hair taken care of, a manicure, lots of good self-care. I like to wear certain things on stage/performing that are in line with the identity of the project I’m promoting, so right now everything is under the Odyssey aesthetic. It’s fun!

Your lyrics often tell a story or convey a message. Can you share the story behind one of your songs and the inspiration that led to its creation?

Of course! My song Back to Me was written, interestingly, during the time I was listening to Magic 8 Ball. I was in a pretty low place personally, very down with all what was going on in the world and personally – I’m pretty sensitive to external factors so I could feel how low vibrational we all were during that time – and rightfully so. That song I wrote about wanting to get back to who I knew I was, who I know myself to be. Sometimes going through a big adjustment period can really feel like you’ve removed yourself from yourself.

If you could curate a music festival with a lineup of your dream artists, who would be the headliners, and what would the theme of the festival be?

Well, first and foremost it would absolutely feature my friends. This is a great question! I can’t think of the artists at the moment, there’s too many artists that I love to choose from, but it would definitely be an electronic, pop, r&b themed festival… maybe a little rock too. It’d be all over the place, just like myself.

Music can be a powerful tool for advocacy and change. Are there any social or political causes that you’re passionate about, and how does your music play a role in promoting these issues?

It’s interesting you ask this because a lot of the music I’ve been working on has been very conscious of the animosity going on in the world, both internally and externally. I’m passionate about human rights, anti-genocide, anti-war, BLM… the list goes on. I think right now especially with everything going on, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Ukraine & Russian war, the migrant crisis… there’s a lot of hate and disparity that’s happening and the last thing that is going to get us to a better place is more hate and disparity. We need love, understanding, and unity. I do wish to make more socially conscious music that really gets people thinking about how we all play a part in making the world a better place.

The music industry has evolved significantly with technology. How do you see artificial intelligence and emerging technologies impacting the creation and distribution of music in the future?

It’s a double-edged sword. While I believe there are really amazing things that people can do with AI, what concerns me is the replication of actual talent. People can take someone’s voice and write a prompt, allowing the AI to write lyrics or a whole song. While I think it is helpful if you’re having writer’s block or just need something to get the juices flowing, I think just as good as it can be, it can be very bad. I do hope that raw talent and creative lyricism is valued, I believe these are our divinely given talents that we are meant to use to create with, and it would be a shame to put those talents on the backburner because of AI.

Many recording artists evolve over time. How do you see your musical journey changing and growing in the next decade?

I do see my sound and image evolving over time. As much as I used to hate change, I think it is astronomically important to go with life. We are not the same people we once were, even down to a cellular and molecular level. Everything about us changes, and I’m sure the type of music, visuals, and themes I follow and create will be different too. I do see myself reaching a wider audience, and I think that more people will understand me a lot more as an artist as I continue to create.