Alphabetical Order: Turner Jackson Interview

The way he talks about peace and love Turner Jackson might be a little bit hippie. Then again; rock and roll emerges in his flirtations with drinking and drugs. If you catch him mid flow you might strap on a backpack and label him a “conscious rapper”. When you really consider Turner Jackson’s music; there is no category into which it cleanly fits, and after conversing with Mr. Jackson the multidimensional nature of his music is no surprise. As a person and an artist he exemplifies the motto of his D.O.P.E Game team (Don’t Oppress Positive Energy) Turner Jackson speaks of life with a broad acceptance of everything it has to offer; taking things as they come and enjoying the experience. Follow him on Twitter @TurnerJackson and download his latest mixtape “ABC'” on welcometothedopegame.com

Demi Ford: How long have you been rapping?

Turner Jackson: I have been writing raps since I was about 8 years. I have been actively trying to make it a career since I was about 19. I’m 24. I guess the answer would be I’ve been rapping for about 16 years.

What’s your affiliation with D.O.P.E Game?

Turner: I’ve been a member of the D.O.P.E Game since day 1. It was born out of my heart and Jeremy’s brain.

What’s this Malt Liquor movement?

Turner: There’s nothing really up with the Malt Liquor Movement. My friends and I like to drink. We assume most people our age do as well. A lot of us have had DUI’s, gone to jail, died or got into some type of trouble due to our drinking. It’s also something that we have used to have fun, love and the best times ever. The people can identify with it because the movement is for them.

You’ve been compared to Andre 3000 before are you complimented by comparisons to other artists, or do you feel they minimize your individuality?

Turner: I have always been compared to someone for my entire rap career. Originally people said I sounded like Kanye and Lupe. Then I sounded like Wale. I get it a lot but it never bothers me. People say 3000 now because he is where the limits of a rapper end for most people. He uses his voice like an instrument. As things go on I hope that people say, “Man I haven’t heard anything like this before.” I haven’t even discovered half of my potential. I would like to create a new style one day.

What influenced your latest project ABC’s? Is there an overarching theme?

Turner: My personal albums always portray my life. The words are my story of women, couches, drugs, drinks, and doing what I want to do. It is also the story of how I’m over all of that. I’m ready to grow up and be a man. I was listening to a lot of music, most of which I cant remember right now. Kendrick, ASAP, SchoolBoy, Danny Brown, Don Trip; the list goes on. I listened to what was happening in Cali when I heard Kendrick and Q, New York w/ ASAP and FBZ, Danny in Detroit, and Don in the Ten. I just wanted to speak my heart; my city was on my heart; my son was on my heart; my friends; my God. So ABC is just my life constructed into something that will touch your spirit!

Do you have any rituals that get your creative juices flowing?

Turner: I don’t do anything to turn my music on or off. Its always on. I’m always ready to go. If put to the test I’ll do anything that you ask with words on the spot.

Describe the feeling you get when you finish a track you love.

Turner: I feel like an author that has written a good story. It flows so well that you’re sad it ended. So you read the book again look in the mirror and say “Man That Some Good Shit”. Then I get a little afraid because I hope that isn’t my last tight song. So I shoot to make the next one even better; that continues to sharpen the skills so that I can do it for as long as need be.

What do you think you contribute to music that other rappers don’t?

Turner: I bring A joy that is unmatched by any man because it’s not from any man. It never ends so I have enough to share with everyone. Therefore I can’t be beat. I’m on the Team of We not the Team of Me. I enjoy challenges. I always aim to win through fair dealings and kindness. I don’t mess with people that try to get over or don’t work hard for what they want. I bring everything that I am to the game.

Would you ever refuse to work with an artist? Perhaps because you don’t identify with or respect their work?

Turner: There is more to music than just a message. I understand that though I try to make my music have a message. I’d work with anyone once. Twice depends on our relationship after one.

How would you categorize your music?

Turner: If I had to brand it I make “Neo Nu Skool Soul Tunes” The most important thing to me is that people see what’s inside my heart when they hear my music. My music is a reflection of my heart in it’s purest form; it never matters what people call me. I’m all about showing you what I can do so that you can call me something new.

What do you envision for 2013 and the future?

Turner: Well For 2013 I personally have about 2 more projects that I will be putting out. I’ll also be on a lot of features. I believe that there is a Tour in order but I can’t really say more than that because this aren’t official yet. But 2013 looks very good. Lets hope it continues to be awesome! I would love to be touring the world in the next 2 years for the next 50 years! Just living life and writing about it. As long as I keep my faith and know what I’m supposed to do there is no reason that it will not happen. I also realize that things don’t happen in my time so I’m not too worried about 5 years from now either. I’m just happy to be here right now.

Tell us your wildest dream.

Turner: I really don’t have any wild dreams anymore. I wanted to rap. I’m doing that. I wanted to be a good dad. I’m working on that. I’m working on being a good man for whatever girl I’m gonna be with; which is an everyday process. She ain’t here yet so no worries ya know. I just want to travel the world with my friends and do cool stuff; show my kid how to do cool stuff and serve the people.

April 17, 2013January 12, 2021

Top 5 Sites to Host Your Music On and Grow Your Fan-base (2021)

When we first wrote this 7 years ago, streaming was nowhere near where it is now. We have some work on our hands!

As an artist, you should be reaping the rewards for your hard work, and regardless of what genre of music you make, you should not be giving your music away for FREE. That doesn’t mean you have to necessarily sell it, but exchanging a download for an email can be just as valuable in the long run. So we’ve compiled a list of the best websites to host your music on – which allow you to do just that. Excluded from this list would be sites such as Itunes, Google play store, Tune Core, CD Baby, Soundcloud, HNHH, Datpiff and PureVolume. The reason being is that you either get NO fan contact information or you get one hell of a commission taken out of your sales. So unless you’re up there in popularity with the likes of Adele, or Rihanna, and know your music will go viral on its own, you should undoubtedly be using one of these sites to distribute your music and strategically grow your fan-base.

Updated: July 24, 2017 – Bonus platform added for profitable musicians

1. TuneCore

“Before TuneCore, artists needed a label to get their music sold online. In 2006, we changed the game by partnering with digital stores to allow any musician to sell their songs worldwide while keeping 100% of their sales revenue. Today, TuneCore is the world’s leading digital music aggregator. Upload your music, complete the checkout, and we’ll do the rest. Your music will hit digital stores like Spotify and Apple Music in no time.”

Website: www.tunecore.com

Features:

Advertising on website
Widgets
Social & Email Sharing
Upload up to 20 songs
Name your price tips
Gather fan information

Pros:

Cons:

See It In Action:

Our Thoughts –

2. United Masters

“UnitedMasters comes with a premium suite of products designed to help you distribute music, get more streams, and everything in between. Take your career to the next level now.”

In the News:

Website: unitedmasters.com

Features:

Pros:

Cons:

Our Thoughts:

3. BandCamp

“We’re a publishing platform for bands, or, anthropomorphically/arthropodically-speaking, your fifth, fully geeked-out Beatle — the one who keeps your very own website humming and lets you get back to making great music and building your fan base.”

Website: www.bandcamp.com

Features:

Multiple file formats
Name-your-price downloads
Real-time Statistics
Search Engine Optimization
Viral distribution
Mobile friendly
Physical + Digital sales
Sell within Facebook
Fulfillment Partner integration
Discount codes
Bonus downloads
Design customization
Multiple currencies
Soundscan reporting
Pre-orders
Metadata
Build your mailing list
Support

Pros: 200 download credits. Free basic account.

Cons: 15% Revenue sharing. Tacky design.

Our Thoughts: Well if you’re reading this you probably know that everyone and their Momma’ uses Bandcamp. It definitely serves it’s purpose very well, but the interface isn’t as snazzy as others on this list. It also doesn’t offer as many of the features as others do. I think bands just use it because, like we said, everyone and their momma’ uses it. Chances are it was probably the first of it’s kind which gives it so much popularity.

4. StereoLoad

“Stereoload helps you increase your Twitter and Soundcloud followers by requiring your fans to follow you before they can download your music.”

Website: www.stereoload.com

Features:

SoundCloud Integration
Unlimited Campaign Creation

Pros: Clean design. Social sharing. It’s FREE. No download limit.

Cons: Only utilizes Twitter and Soundcloud.

See It In Action: Click Here

Our Thoughts: StereoLoad is a pretty new platform as far as we know. While it doesn’t allow you to grow an email list, it does offer the ability to grow your social media followers which at the end of the day, is still better than giving your music away completely free. With it being a free service, there’s really no downside to using it. The cool thing about it is that if you make really good music and know how to market it correctly, SteroLoad can help you gain a significant amount of new followers on Twitter and SoundCloud.

5. ToneDen

“Create awesome marketing campaigns that help you get more followers, shares, and likes while building a rich database of your audience at the same time.”

2020 Update:

Website: www.TenDen.io

Features:

Facebook Advertising
Contests
Email & Messenger marketing
Social Unlocks
Landing page creator

Pros: Intuitive design, convenient customer support,

Cons: limited social & streaming platforms, marginally high monthly cost if you’re not making an ROI.

See It In Action: Click Here

Our Thoughts: ToneDen is a true gem for artists who have the means to invest in their careers. It provides a simple to use platform for acquiring, engaging and activating new fans. The fact that it acts as not only an advertising platform but a “lead capture” platform as well is why we decided to include it in the article.

In conclusion, if you’re serious about making a living doing what you love, you need to focus on growing your fan base, because in the future those numbers will need to convert to dollars. Anyone of these sites can definitely help you do that by capturing a simple email. I don’t know about you but most people check their email very often and are much more likely to hit play on a track that is sent directly to them via email compared to hitting play on the social media posts. you tag them in.

If there’s any other notable music hosting sites you think we missed and should add, please feel free to comment below. Make sure you like our Facebook page for valuable updates!

April 7, 2013May 22, 2013

Splyt: Rise to the Top

Doing what we do and doing what he does, it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed. Twenty-two year old Chris Vigil a.k.a. Splyt is definitely a Colorado artist to look out for. He’s been opening up for some pretty big names, and after every performance few can deny that he walks away leaving a huge impression on everyone in attendance. Not only is he “doing it”, but he’s “doing it” the way it’s suppose to be done, and I’m sure he’s doing what plenty never imagined he could. His latest project REMADE has already gotten more than 500 downloads, which is a pretty big feat when you consider most artists on the rise will be lucky to hit 200. With that, it’s our privilege to introduce you to an artist with momentum…

How did you come up with your Moniker “Splyt”?

S: [laughs] I have to take you through the process. In high school, I was originally a “singer” (a bad one) and I would write rhymes on the side that a homie of mine would use for his rapped verses. This was before Drake really did his thing so when my first song was recorded I was asked what my name was for the credits. I thought “singer that writes raps, that’s like a split personality of subject matter” so in the interest of being unique (and young) I decided to put a Y instead of the i, and that stuck. I soon realized I didn’t have the overwhelming talent for singing so I decided to stick with rapping and it’s starting to look like a great idea.

Do you remember what the first rap you ever wrote was about?

S: My first rap, damn this is definitely hard to think back to. I think I was 14 and I found an instrumental of Jadakiss’ ‘Why” track and wrote a remix. The first lines were like “why are some kids born rich/ why can’t my family ever seem to afford shit/”. [laughs] I thought I had it so hard…

Who in the music industry do you think you would vibe with the most, and why?

S: Artist-wise: I’d probably say Wale. His lyrics really resonate with me on a personal level and I feel he’s an artist that really reflects his personality in the music like myself (not to say that I’m on the same level as Wale at all, dude’s a straight-up genius).

Producer-wise: I’d say either Timbaland or Ryan Lewis. I think their wide range of versatility would be awesome for me to kind of run wild with. I don’t just write party bars, I write a lot of R&B tracks and deep shit as well that I’m feeling more and more comfortable with so I’d really like to have somebody that is willing to produce outside the box as well.

What was your first big show?

S: My first big show was opening for Hoodie Allen on his All-American tour-stop at Bluebird Theatre in Denver (May 3, 2012). It was sold out and packed by the time I was supposed to go on and my R&B singer/hype man bailed at the last second.

Backstage about 5 minutes before I was supposed to go on, Dan (this was the first show of mine he had ever booked) and Stryker (this was the first show of mine he had ever been to) both said they would go out there, run music and introduce me to perform. This is the show I refer to in the track “Anything” as us running sound out of an iPhone on airplane mode. I think it was such a bad show for us (by no fault of Dan or Stryker, both not really having anything to do with the show until five minutes prior) but it sparked the partnership we have today and we only continue to get better as we go along.

With skill just being one part of the equation, what else would you say has been a significant contribution to your growth/success?

S: The most significant contribution is by far the team I have with me. My manager Dan Hargrove and graphic designer Stryker have had such a huge impact on my career trajectory that I literally don’t even put anything on my résumé that happened before them cause that was practice.

Although I write and perform all of the music, they are truly a huge asset to the business and creative side of things. I can bounce ideas off of them, and if they don’t like it then I move on or make it better. It’s a bigger help than I can put into words for real. It’s also a feeling of more confidence to push my own personal limitations that has also contributed heavily. When you’re comfortable with what you do then other will be comfortable receiving it.

On your latest project REMADE you have a song called “Teeter” with a miss Sunday Lane. What was the inspiration behind that song, and how did you initially hook up with Ms. Lane for the collaboration?

S: My inspiration for that track was actually a relationship of a friend’s that was very destructive but neither of them could bring themselves to leave the other. Sometimes there are just people meant to be together, and I think this track really depicts the tougher side of that “fairy tale”.

Dan actually grew up hanging out with Sunday’s sister. So when he jumped on as manager, one of his first suggestions was to get a collaboration with her and that was a golden idea. Sunday’s an insanely talented artist and such a great person.

Speaking of girls, you seem to have a lot of ladies rooting for you. Do you think they’ll have a big part in your success?

S: I think ladies have a huge part in the success of pretty much ALL things out there. I love the ladies of the Squad, they’re by far some of the biggest supporters of what we’re trying to do for Colorado.

When girls claim Squad then guys may just follow to stay with the same interests as them, you know? Every fan is important to me so I never value somebody over another.

But, being that I started really dedicating my life and drive to music after a failed relationship, it’s dope to have as strong of support as we have from the ladies. Kind of a “told you so” moment to my ex haha.

You’re opening up for Macklemore on April 20, how the hell does that feel?!

S: In one word: surreal!

When me and my team first linked up, I thought it would take 3-4 years to do a show with a major artist, let alone the biggest artist of right now. We got the news on Chrismas (before Home Stretch or Remade) so it only took us 7 months…truly amazed but not surprised considering the amount of work we all put in.

What is your goal with this whole music thing?

S: My goal is to keep getting better, make the best music I possibly can, give my team and family a comfortable life, make my home state proud and be respected for what I do.

I know not every single person will like what I make or do for a living, but as long as they respect me as a person the same way I respect others, that’s all I can ask for.

A selfish goal of mine, real quick, is to prove all those people that laughed at me when I first started, wrong. Nothing drives me more than that hate.

What do you think needs to happen next to get you to the next level?

S: I think I need to put out quality music videos. Which is something that we’re invested in at the moment. Our philosophy is to never do something until it’s gonna be done at 100%. We can shoot a video tonight but if it isn’t up to a standard that we laid out for our fans, then it’s nowhere near being worth it. Consistent improvement is our aim.

Are there any other Colorado rappers you listen to?

S: I listen to pretty much every Colorado rapper I can, like Lebron watches other NBA games, to keep track of the competition. I’m super competitive, I want to be the biggest artist in the world but to get there I have to hold down the state that I’m from and rep harder than anything else.

The artists I listen to regularly though are my homies D-Stylz and Pizzie, they keep me on my toes for sure. Shows with all three of us are going to absolutely crack in the future, can’t wait for that! Coming up though, my favorite Colorado rapper though is C-Notesche (who’s actually Stylz’ labelmate now). I still bump his tracks all the time shout out to C.

What’s your favorite song to perform and why?

S: I have to pick two, Settle Down and Youth.

Being that settle down has some fun back and forth with me and Stryker and it’s usually on the front end of the show, I don’t think a lot of people expect for it to be so fun.

Youth is always close to the end and seeing how many hands go up when we ask for the “ones up” kind of proves to me “yes, we came in as an opener and now this crowd is partying with us”. There’s no better feeling than to have nobody know who the hell you are 30 minutes ago, then be a huge fan now. It’s awesome.

When can we look forward to your next project?

S: End of 2013, I already have the name for it and the concepts, way more social issues to accompany the party tracks I love to do. The Home Stretch 2 will come out before the actual project so people will begin to expect the trend I hope. I started writing actually the night Remade came out so I’m ready to get back at it, after these shows of course.

Anything you want people reading this to know?

S: First and foremost a sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support of the work that I put in. It never feels like work cause I truly do love it but to see that what I love brings others so much joy and helps them get through something in their life, it’s such an awesome feeling.

My music is me, it’s what I think, it’s who I am, it’s who I’m trying to grow and become. The people that connect with that are people that connect with me, think some of the same things I do, and go through the same things I do. I’m just honored to be the voice y’all listen to and ride with.

This is why I try every way I can to connect with the fans, yeah I’m busy now but I’m never too busy to respond to anything I can.

– Chris Vigil aka Splyt

You can stay connected to Splyt by liking his Facebook page HERE, and by following him on Twitter HERE.

Keep your eye on this guy and just… WATCH

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April 3, 2013May 22, 2013

Align With The Nation: Delasean Interview

The time is ripe for Delasean to strike, and the young rapper is definitely taking advantage of his current momentum. An ample supply of enthusiasm and motivation grew a teenager’s casual pastime into the very tangible possibility of a lucrative career. At 19 he’s already dropped four mix tapes and his fifth, “OverTimeGrind” is set to release on his favorite holiday-4/20. Delasean is making power moves; securing shows with established names like Method Man and Red Man (4/18 at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins). In light of his mounting popularity; Delasean maintains a level headed humility laced with the necessary confidence to secure his place in the rap game. And as Delasean lays out plans of evolution and expansion for himself and his crew Shock Nation; it’s clear he doesn’t plan on vacating his spot anytime soon. Follow him on Twitter @IAmDelasean to stay updated with his moves.

You frequently mention your affiliation to Shock Nation; explain for us exactly what Shock Nation is.

Delasean: Shock Nation is ambition, drive, and faith. I don’t know it’s just the group you know. It (Shock Nation) started off sophomore year in high school. I was on the drum line with Russell Grande and I convinced him to go to this summer program with me. He talked about being a rapper all the time; I had never really thought about rapping prior to that and I just thought fuck it let’s do it. I was always interested in music don’t get me wrong I just never thought rapping would be where my talent branched out. So we just started and wanted a name; we were young as hell so my thinking was surface level at the time. We came up with Shock Nation because we were rocking G-shocks all the time; that was pretty much the ideology behind it. Now it’s different it started like that but now it’s serious, this is my life. I laugh when I think how we thought of it but it shows how much I’ve grown since then. What could have been just bullshit has taken me so far just on ambition, drive, and faith. That’s why I say Shock Nation embodies those things

What is your role within Shock Nation?

Delasean: Uhhh I think I’m the Co-Commander in Chief next to my bro Russell Grande. That is Shock Nation, just us two as far as rappers. We get love everywhere though everyone feels nation so it’s like we’re deep but tight at the same time. We both own it I just happened to push alot more projects on my end and Russell he’s more of that slow cook that lets it stew he likes it 100%. He just needs to drop one now; I know he got bars that’s why I always feature him.

You and Russell vibe well with each other, would you ever consider doing an official collaboration…Outkast style?

Delasean: Way ahead of you I’m currently working on my 3rd Solo Tape OTG; which stands for OverTimeGrind. I got a couple of features from Russell Grande on there that’s it though I really wanted it to make a statement on how hard I can go. If you can’t stand on your own feet what are you doing. OTG is dropping 4/20 so look for that on Datpiff and Hotnewhiphop. Aside from that I’m working on a joint project with Russell Grande and we’re just going in like how we do on that “Clock In”. We’re gonna just eat it; but we’re always trying to be original. If you think you know you’re trippin’ because even I don’t know until it happens.

How have you seen yourself evolve since your first mix tape? What do you want to do to continue to refine your craft?

Delasean: Maaaan when I think of that “Higher Level Thinking” I just listen and laugh my ass off. I got a couple of favorites from there but I don’t feel like that tape represents me well as an artist at all. I’ve grown so much its crazy man and it’s a simple recipe; I just work hard. People should just know if you think I’m going to get worse you are sadly mistaken. This OTG is by far my favorite project I’ve worked on ever. They don’t know they got the game all wrong they talk about passion but they don’t even know what that word means. I stay hungry out here. I’m so hungry that when people see me eating they get hungry you feel me? What I mean by that is I make it look easy and when I do it people get inspired to grind. I’m so young but I got the puzzle in my head solved. You guys will see soon enough I don’t rush. I’m only 19 so I have time and I want to do it my way. I’m just going to make sure I got everything right before I make my moves.

How would you handle a groupie or an obsessed fan? (Think Eminem and Stan)

Delasean: Haha. Depends how obsessed they are. If their just a hardcore fan that been keeping up with us from the beginning then I’ll kick it with them, smoke one or something to show my appreciation. But if their obsessively stalking me I would try to get them out of my life. That’s a hard one hopefully I don’t find out how I handle that in the future.

Do you listen to other genres of music to influence your sound, rock, jazz, blues etc?

That’s something I’ve really been working toward doing because with music there are endless ways to tackle a beat and the rhythmic patterns vary from genre to genre. I plan on producing one day so it definitely wouldn’t hurt. I guess my answer is a little bit but not enough for me to really give credit to another type of music right now.

What artists inspire you?

Delasean: I get inspired by artists in different ways. As far as originality; my favorite artists are School Boy Q, and Ab-Soul. As far as how to do my music business wise; I’m inspired by Funk Volume, Curren$y, Nipsey Hussle. I want to make Nation stand among those names. Beyond that there’s J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and the whole DPG clique. Growing up, the west coast sound was really heavy in my life. People don’t know it but I wasn’t born in Colorado. I’m originally from California but I’ve lived here so long. Colorado doesn’t really get too much love and I love the city I grew up here that’s why I rep CO.

How do you maintain originality? Especially when so many main stream rappers mimic each other?

Delasean: That’s a hard one. I really just try not to sound like anyone. I want to have a Delasean sound you know? That’s why I say I’ve grown so much “Higher Level Thinking” was the start of me creating my own sound. At that time I didn’t really know how, I was still figuring it out. Now I feel like I have a niche; I know what I want to do and how to do it. That’s the beauty of figuring out your sound; you can do it again and again.

What do you have planned for the next year musically?

Delasean: Big things. I want to start touring a little. The fan base is starting to get heavy and this OTG is really just going to make people see I’m done playing games. I’m trying to make a better class of music. It’s funny people listen to my last tape and compare their new to my old; and I’m laughing like I left that alone so along ago. But in the next year there will definitely be alot more shows, April 18th we have a show with Red Man and Method Man at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins. That show is going to be live! If you want a taste of some new Delasean definitely go there.

What are your ultimate plans for your music career? What occupies your time besides rapping?

Delasean: I’m just planning to see how far it can take me you know people say it all the time; you only live once but it’s the truth. I want to know I gave my all in what I really loved no matter what the outcome. At least I can say I was happy and did it my way. Other than rapping I just exercise and play basketball. I want to be like the Bob Marley of rap haha. All he did was smoke weed, make music, and play soccer. I just want to smoke weed, make music, and hoop for life; I could live good like that.

Where did the name Delasean come from?

Delasean: I went to the top of a mountain and a guru deciphered my soul. I’m hella bullshittin’ it’s just my middle name, Ryan Delasean Mullins. I went by Wise One at the beginning because I always wanted to have bars and go hard. I felt if I ascribed myself a deep name it would contribute deep thoughts. In a way I think it worked a bit because I strived to look for more; whatever that meant to me. I went with Delasean because I always wanted something more personal. My mom always called me Delasean so I was just like Delasean it is.

How do you feel about the state of the rap game? How do you want to impact rap music; what do you want your listeners to come away with?

Delasean: I’m excited for rap and what’s coming. I feel like a new breed of hip hop is forming and that’s what I’m looking for; that’s what makes music so tight there are an infinite amount of ways you can take it in just rap alone. So I’m excited because there are alot of people like me who want it their way and that’s going to change the game in a big way. In the music game it’s just about planting your feet, knowing what you want, and not stopping til’ you get it. As far as impact, I want people to feel me. Who knows what my sound will be a couple months from now or a year from now. I never stop developing I’m a knowledge seeker. I want to be better. I want my listeners to be able to feel me. I have music of all sorts and like I said this OTG is going to show them a lot of that new Dela style.

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April 2, 2013April 2, 2013

Owsey Q&A

While perusing the internet for good tunes, I recently found the Artist called Owsey (pronounced O-Zee). The man behind Owsey, Owen Ferguson, resides in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His music takes forms of dub step, electronic, and tunes we all know, and molds it into a different song. After listening to his remix of Birdy’s song, “Shelter”, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of pure musical bliss. I had to talk to this artist and find out more.

First off, how did you get into music?

O: I started like any other child listening to the music of their peers. I can remember hearing a lot of folk & acoustic on my regular trips to Western Ireland that helped get a musical ball rolling. As I grew to around the age of 10 or so, I also remember discovering the likes of UNKLE, Modest Mouse, RJD2, the Misfits… I could rhyme off a list.

I am a big fan of your remixes from artists like Gotye, Birdy, Essay & Stumbleine, and Above and Beyond. If you could collaborate with any artists, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

O: My answer to this is always gonna change from one favourite to another. I would still love to collaborate with Mew as much as ever though. Discovering them years ago was one of the best things to happen to me musically. Listen to their music, watch their videos, and maybe you will see then what I see now!

You are currently working on your EP, what is something you are excited about for this new record?
O: It really is quite different to anything I’ve previously put out there, mainly because I’m the vocalist on the entire record (at least as of now). There are new approaches, new themes, new aesthetics in play.

I have taken some audio production classes, and let me tell you, it is HARD. Electronic music takes a new kind of musical skill, and the ability to master a computer as an instrument. When did you first start writing electronic music?

O: I started about 4 years ago, just making bits & bobs, nothing ever enough to warrant a complete track. Then arrives the recording gear, the keyboards, the microphone, the studio monitors, and we all live happily ever after.

How long do you normally take on a song, and how to you come up with material?

O: It’s variable of course, from a couple of days to months. I’ve been slow over the past half a year though, probably because I tried taking on too much all in one stride, and it’s only now just starting to pan out.

What programs do you use?

O: I sequence in FL Studio, using a lot of Native Instruments supplies, East West Orchestral libraries. A guitar, bass, piano/keyboards, vocals, microphone… I realize these don’t count as programs now.

Any performance lined up we can look forward to?

O: There have been a lot of requests, but I’m waiting until the release of my EP and completion of band rehearsals to think about gigs again. This time around live performances should be very different.

Would you ever consider traveling to the USA for a tour?

O: Oh yes! Eventually.

I’d like to thank Owsey for taking the time to answer these questions, and I hope you check out his music!

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