Posts tagged ‘singer’

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June 11, 2013

Seyi – Resolution [Free EP]

Resolution is a true masterpiece of music centered around a backbone of R&B which has been synonymous with the US for decades.

Seyi

Attempting to break that trend and putting his own unique spin on fusing a multitude of genres and sounds from Pop to Dubstep, R&B to Hip-Hop, Seyi hones in on his influences of Usher, Dru Hill, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross and his background as a gospel artist, to produce an EP which could happily sit alongside both the US R&B heavyweights and the UK Pop superstars of today.

Not only is his voice alone something worthy to pay attention to, his ability to story tell is captivating, exemplified in ‘She will Never Know’ and mastering an immaculate example of word play in ‘Instrumental’.

 ‘How Do You Feel’ featuring super talented rapper Chief Wakil from the US has an upbeat tempo with Hip-Hop tones that show yet another layer of this multi-faceted artist

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April 14, 2013

MTV The Wrap Up: Kof [Interview]

KOF is not only a singer full of soul but a writer, producer and director of his own videos, amongst other talents. After releasing the ‘An Alternative Soul’ EP, the artist from Liverpool has now given his fans some free tracks in the format of three downloads – ‘SOUL: Love, Life and Live’. The Wrap Up’s Shireen Fenner caught up with the lovely KOF in London to talk about how personal his music is, his upcoming tour and the forthcoming debut album…

The Wrap Up: It’s been a couple of years since you last spoke to us. Tell us briefly what has happened in those few years…

KOF: I’ve totally changed my music style. I’ve worked with a bunch of different artists from Wiley to Terri Walker to Manu Bibango. People seem to be respecting me as a songwriter, producer and as an artist a lot more.

TWU: Your lyrics always possess realism which many people can relate to. Is it hard to let people into your life and do you ever feel like your privacy has been invaded?

KOF: I don’t talk that much about the stuff I go through, so music is my platform for me to do that. If I’m going through something and someone else is going through the same kind of thing and they hear someone singing about how they deal with that situation, it’s going to be beneficial to that person. On ‘Soul: Life’ there is a track called ‘My Child’ where I talk about the situation of an unplanned pregnancy and how that can affect someone from a male’s perspective. That’s one of the deepest songs I’ve written. I haven’t even told the person who it’s about that I’ve written the song.

TWU: We know music isn’t your only talent. For those who don’t know, tell us more about the versatile KOF and what other talents you have.

KOF: I’m into art; modern art. I love to edit videos, all my own stuff; I find it hard letting other people do it. I’ve written one script called ‘Dark Star Rising’ which was an amalgamation of a bunch of my songs; we put them into one story for a youth theatre group based in Liverpool.

TWU: The last time I saw you perform live, you had the audience in a trance. Do you get nervous with so many faces all looking at you and how important are live shows for you?

KOF: I always get nervous before a show. If I do get nervous before a show, I will always have a good show. When I don’t have nerves and I’m on a kind of cocky vibe I usually f**k up or I don’t have a good show. Live shows are very important, especially with the new music I’m making where I’m talking about the different things that have happened in my life – I’m able to connect so much better with the audience.

TWU: Speaking of live shows, you have your ‘An Alternative Soul’ Tour approaching. What can we expect from the show?

KOF: There are a couple of surprises; Terri Walker will be performing on the Birmingham date and she is going to pop up at a few different shows. I’m trying to bring out a few different people from each city I go to. You’re definitely going to get a few previews from the album; there is a track called ‘Never Sober’, which will be the first time I’ve played the guitar on a track.

 

TWU: You’re in the process of releasing a series of free EP’s ‘Soul: Love, Life and Live’. What was the motive behind this?

KOF: Just to connect with the audience and for those who supported ‘An Alternative Soul’, it was to give them a snapshot of where I am since then. I recorded most of the records earlier on this year, so musically now I’m in a different, improved space. We wanted to put some kind of structure behind it, which is why we split it into ‘Love, Life and Live’. ‘Love’ isn’t the soppy kind of love – it’s a different aspect of love, ‘Life’ is a bit introspective and ‘Live’ is the studio and acoustic stuff.

TWU: What can expect from the upcoming album?

KOF: I’ve written some stuff for Benny Banks and I’ve worked with Ratlin and Nutty P. ‘Dirty Love’ with Sam Frank is one that stands out more than anything, so I’m still trying to look at creating records that can complement it because I really love that song. In terms of song writing, expect that same realism, positive and socially in-depth. The first single should be coming out before the tour, but I don’t think I’m ready [to release the album] so I’m going to push it back and it will be out early next year.

TWU: You have some international releases as well; tell us a little more about them.

KOF: A couple of years ago there was a label in France called Border Blaster, they heard one of my tracks called ‘All Good’ and they wanted to sign it, but it never happened. After they heard ‘Be Like You’ and ‘Child Of The Ghetto’, they called me over and wanted to distribute the album through Europe over over different territories. We went over to Cannes earlier on this year, did a couple of live showcases and sealed the deal. Now we will be releasing a deluxe version of ‘An Alternative Soul’ on November 19, so were having a launch in Paris for that and the following week in Amsterdam.

TWU: Nice! Finally, where do you see your career in the future?

KOF: More collaborations and more experiences that I can turn into music again. That’s all I can ever see myself doing, anything that’s in touch or attached to music. I really do want to write a lot more songs for other artists. I feel if I give myself time, I can get into the headspace of another artist, whoever that may be and actually create a good song for them that means something to them and their audience. I just want to make everything I’m doing better; the production and videos – I just want to push myself.

 Published on 15th Nov 2012

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April 14, 2013

Introducing: Charlee Drew [Interview]

Introducing Charlee Drew, a Leicester based artist who last week released his debut EP ‘You Did Me A Favour’.  Charlee started off singing cover songs and putting them onto his MySpace and YouTube pages building a strong fanbase and following, which lead Skepta to discover him. Last year he wrote, produced and sung on Skepta’s ‘Doin It Again’ album and musically directed his sold out tours. ‘You Did Me A Favour’ went straight into the Top 20 in the iTunes singer/songwriter chart based on pre-orders alone, and has been championed by 4Music and the BBC amongst others. Shireen spoke to Charlee about being from Leicester, Skepta, his EP and forthcoming album.

How would you describe your musical style?

That’s a difficult one, but I think it’s got an element of all sorts in there. It’s quite poppy, the vocals are r&b I’d say, but with a pop element to it.

You first joined a band when you were 14. What happened between then and now?

When I was in the band we toured all around the country and did lots of shows, but I got kind of fed up living in the back of a transit van. I just wanted to write music. I ended up leaving the band and just spending a lot of time in my studio writing. Skepta heard one of the tracks I had written and wanted to jump on it, so I ended up doing a track on his album last year. I went on to musically direct all of the tours that he did last year and played keys and sung on some of the live shows. We did Glastonbury, and Radio 1 Live Lounge and all sorts of stuff like that. I started work on an EP; and now were here with the EP and the single.

What was it like working with Skepta?

It was good. It was quite easy for me because he hadn’t done stuff with a band before so he was gassed to hear what we did with it. We took all the tracks he already had and made it live. He knows what he wants.

You’ve built a strong fanbase from your cover songs on YouTube. Did you ever think you would attract so many people?

I hoped, I definitely hoped I’d attract so many people, and I still hope that I attract more. You can’t get complacent. I’ve done my best.

Being from Leicester did you ever see a disadvantage or advantage to not growing up in the music hub of London?

I think a lot more people will say it’s a lot more difficult living in Leicester, and it is because you don’t know anybody. Then again, you’ve got social networks, you’ve got MySpace back in the day, you’ve got YouTube, Twitter, and so everything is at your fingertips. You can do it quite easily as long you keep your head in the game and know who you need to talk to and what you need to do. The only thing that holds you back is the transport costs, the fact the trains are a complete rip off.

What about the networking side of it, is it harder to meet other artists and people in the industry?

Definitely, but it does happen as things progress, as long as you know where you need to head you’re going to definitely meet people. I’ve probably got less friends in the industry than anybody that grew up in London, but at the same time it probably doesn’t hurt. You spend less time watching what your friends are doing and more time focusing on what you need to do.

You’re working on a track with another Leicester based artist Luke Bingham. How did you two meet and are you both singing on the track, or are you producing or writing for him?

Me and Luke didn’t even know each other, but were both from Leicester. He is on the same label as Skepta, so I know the guys at the label quite well and we thought we might as well hook up a session. I’ve written and produced a track for him, I think  he’s going to be using it as a single, but if not it will definitely be on the album.

Ed Sheeran and Sway have both praised your music, but who is the first celebrity to notice your talent?

It’s got to be Skepta. I’ve got him to thank for a lot like the breakthrough into the actual industry. He found me on MySpace maybe 4 years ago, and the tracks I was doing. He was the one that brought me through, he took me to his video, and we started working on some stuff, and that was my first step into the London music scene.

You’re a writer, producer and singer. Which one of these do you believe to be your strongest asset and which one will you concentrate on the most?

I think singing is probably my strongest asset. I spend more time singing than I do anything else, but obviously I want to write, I enjoy writing so much and I want to be able to write for other people, and I’m writing stuff for my own album. I want to be able to produce stuff because I need to vent. I want to focus on all of them but singing is the main focus.

You have your first release out at the moment ‘You Did Me A Favour’, can you talk us through what the tracks about and what kind of reactions you have been getting from the release?

It’s been a great reaction so far. I’ve had loads of people jumping on like 4Music, BBC, and so many people have jumped on it’s been great. The track is about a messy break up, but it’s one of those situations I think everybody has been in. They’ve been in a relationship and they think it’s great at the time, but then they come out of it and realise it’s not all that great at all. The whole concept is ‘You Did Me A Favour’ thank you for making us not be together anymore because I got out lightly.

Was it written with anyone in mind or drawing upon a personal experience in your past?

I think every song has to draw upon some personal experience to get the feeling and to get other people to relate to it. Everything has got some personal experience there.

You’ve begun working on your album. What can we expect from it?

More of the same. The whole idea of the ‘You Did Me A Favour’ EP was to kind of give people a taste of what kind of sound and what to expect from me as an artist.

What’s been the pinnacle achievement of your career so far and what do you hope to achieve with your music?

Doing Radio 1 Live Lounge was my favourite experience so far. There was 5 million people listening, and it’s the only time I’ve ever been mildly nervous before. It was the strangest feeling because you couldn’t see the 5 million people. Obviously I was there singing and playing piano, and I was being me, but it wasn’t for me. My goal right now is to get back into the Live Lounge, but do it for me.  I hope to achieve all that can be achieved.

Apart from the album, is there anything before that being released?             

I think there will be another single and a tour before the end of the year, and then the album will follow in early 2013. I won’t stop putting stuff out, whether it’s a single or a free download, there will be lots more stuff before the end of the year.

Published 25th Sep 2012

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May 10, 2012

T.Mills Has Left Home

T.Mills is the 22 year old, Riverside California native, who became an Internet sensation after producing his own songs, rapping and singing over them then posting them on MySpace and YouTube. His ability to cross over genres and make ‘hip pop’, makes his music appeal to a wide and diverse audience, and his f*** you attitude means that he makes music that he loves, not what he’s being told to make.

Now signed to Sony Music, he has released a free album since being with them called Leaving Home, and his recently released 6-track EP also titled Leaving Home. Now he is working on a full-length album that is due to be released on Colombia Records this year.  Shireen Fenner talks to him ahead of his first live shows in the UK.

You’ve been making music since you were 13. Now that you’re an established signed artist, how much involvement do you still have in the production of the beats?

I still have a lot of involvement. When the producer and me are sitting in a room, we will craft the song together. I’ll tell them what sounds I like and how I want it arranged, and its just very hands on. Other times if I’m on tour or something and a producer sends me a beat, then I’ll take it and run with it. It’s very unique to the moment.

Your early exposure was generated through your music being on MySpace and YouTube. To what extent do you feel that the Internet contributed to you being where you are now?

100%, I feel like before any labels or anything like that that was my job. I would put a song out and then stay online for like 8-9 hours a day talking to kids. I did everything myself. MySpace and YouTube just gave me that platform to expose myself. Without that no one would have seen the music videos that I dropped which led to me getting signed. I would drop a song that I recorded in my bedroom and it would get 140,000 downloads.

Who are you trying to reach with your music primarily?

I feel like I’m really blessed because my demographic is so wide. At my shows you’ll see a 12-year-old girl with her mum and they’re both singing along. Then you’ll see an 18-year-old girl with her boyfriend. Then you’ll see a 22-year-old girl with 4 of her girlfriends and you’ll see a couple of 17-year-old dudes. I mean it really appeals to everyone; my fans are so diverse and so eclectic. I’d say anywhere between 11 to 28 years old. Facebook gave me a really good insight, 15% of my fans are over the age of 50.

You’ve got an established fanbase in America, so how do you think the UK will embrace your music?

Starting back when I was doing my Internet stuff in my room, I had a lot of fans from the UK. I feel like their really going to like it. My live shows are going to be something new which my fans over there haven’t had the chance to experience yet. I feel like it brings a whole other element to me being an artist, I have a chance to connect with kids. Back when I was sitting in my bedroom I had fans all over the UK doing fan photos, I had fans in Germany getting my name tattooed on them, it was just insane.

What does hip-pop mean to you?

Originally I just started throwing it around. I really feel like I just came into it and I can identify a lot with it. It’s the attitude and the energy, the rawness of hip-hop, which is what attracted me to the music when I was a little kid. Pop is a little polished its kind of dressed up a bit because I’m a singer as well. I wanted to make music that could just say f*** you, but just do it in a beautiful singing voice so it doesn’t sound as harsh, like a beautiful way of saying f*** you.

What was the one defining moment in your career where everything changed for you?

Getting a record deal was pretty heavy; it didn’t change my work ethic or anything, because I feel like I’ve always worked really hard. I definitely got more opportunities being with a major label. That was a dream, I never thought that a people from Riverside would go to LA and get signed to a major label, or even record in studios and stuff. I didn’t think that that happened.

Your style is very unique and memorable with all your piercings and tattoos. Which of your tattoos is your favourite and is there a story behind it?

The one on my knuckles would have to be my favourite tattoo and it says patience. I got them tattooed when I was 18 kind of on a whim. I had really bad ADHD really bad. I just have zero patience, I’m the most all over the place person, and is just go go go. I thought getting patience tattooed on my hand is kind of a reminder, and kind of a joke because its something I don’t have. At the same time its very positive and a virtue that I need to invest in and to be mindful at all times.

How are the girls feeling the boy now, or have you always been a hit with the ladies?

I’ve always had a personality so I’ve always been able to talk to girls. My fans now its just craziness, like jealous girls who don’t even no me that will get mad if I’m talking to other girl fans. I don’t get it sometimes, I try not to pay attention to it, it’s just weird to me. Even on twitter if I talk to a girl they’ll jump on and be like, ‘f*** that b****,’ it’s a bit overwhelming at times. I’m just amazed that people have that much passion for me and the love for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lAvsZkoIcA&feature=player_embedded

Why have you called your new EP Leaving Home and talk us through what it’s about?                                                      

Leaving Home, is the title track off the EP. I made that song with a dude called Colin Munroe who is from Canada, he’s an artist that I’ve admired. We were just talking and I had written down these lyrics that said, ‘you can stay in that small town/but imma break out/I’d rather lose your love then have to stay and live in doubt,’ that was about me moving away from home to purse what I wanted to do, and a love interest that didn’t want me to go. Its just a story about how I’m out there and I’m pursuing my dreams and what I wanted to do in a non cliché kind of Hollywood movie way. It’s like the start of everything to come.

How much creative control did you have over the new EP? Are all the tracks on it your first choices?

We put out a free album which had ten tracks on it, which kids were able to go and download on my website. We wanted to put 5 songs on the EP and a brand new song. It was both of our decisions; we kind of brainstormed and worked out the 5 best tracks off the album. Looking back on it I would have put my song, Scandalous, on the EP, we shot a video for it and the song just started getting a really good reaction live. It’s picked up and become a lot of people favourite, I wasn’t aware of that until I started playing it at shows.

Do you have any interesting collaborations’ in the pipeline, and do you intend to work artists from very different and diverse genres to yourself?

Definitely. I really want Travis Barker on my full-length album that were working on now. I have a song in mind for him to play drums on. I’ve been a fan of McKenzie Eddy for a long time, and been saying I wanted to work with her, then she reached out to me on twitter, so were about to work on something when scheduling is right. I’ve never really been a huge collaborator with other artists. I did a song with Juicy J and we put it out virally, which was amazing because I’ve been the biggest 36 Mafia fan since I was a teenager, to have him on my song was crazy. Once I have a body of work to go through it will be easier for me to see where I can see certain artists.

What’s the message from you to your UK fans?

I’m over here! I’m doing a few shows, one in XOYO, Koko and Yoyo’s. I just want to say thank you to all the support, because without my fans I wouldn’t be able to travel the world and plays shows and put out music. Thank you for listening and I’m grateful for all of it.

Follow T.Mills on Twitter @ilovetmills

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