Interview w/ Osunlade 07

Interview: Osunlade (Email)

Osunlade is a highly respected creative soul, who lives his art. Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Osunlade is also a global man. Who not only enjoys the comfort of home but the beauty of the world. Here, Osunlade insightfully replies to some rather personal questions.

01. Matthew - How much does creativity mean to you?

. Osunlade - Art and life are the same for me, as a creative person I create what I live, its not the other way around for me. Some make music to create life; on the other hand, the music is the expression and mirror of the life I live.

02. Matthew - When did you start playing an instrument?

. Osunlade - At age seven, I knew I wanted to be a musician and started playing piano.

03. Matthew - How would you describe your personality?

. Osunlade - I'm a very personal man, I'm an introvert, I don't live a rock star life style, and my life is very quiet and spent just cooking and relaxing at home. I don't enjoy the company of people much, I like to be alone, I'm a natural chameleon, I adapt to any surroundings and/or situation. I love to watch people and analyze things and people.

04. Matthew - Which musical genres to you enjoy listening to?

. Osunlade - Jazz or any folklore music is what I hear most. People are surprised when they find that I don't listen to dance music at all, outside of what I create and what I spin at clubs.

05. Matthew - How many instruments can you play?

. Osunlade - Well, that's an interesting question, for me, everything is an instrument, it all has sound. So in my eyes, I play every instrument, or at least I can create sound from anything. I think that's the beauty of music, its not only about talent, it’s about perspective and the knowledge of how to create something from nothing and visa versa.

06. Matthew - When did you become introduced to music and discover your talents?

. Osunlade - Twelve years old was when I wrote what Id consider my first song, nothing more. It was during the assembling of the first band I was a part of; it was just a moment that I found my personal interest and sound palette (at least at that age).

07. Matthew - And what aspects of making music do you enjoy the most?

. Osunlade - The fact that when you create, you have healing powers and if others energies are open to connect with you, you can change many things". However, Osunlade started out in a local band, he says, "We did cover music, as most bands start out performing, a lot of funk, some rock, and pop, but mostly radio tunes etc. We never released any original material.

08. Matthew - What musical experience did you first gain when growing up?

. Osunlade - They all have. I don't have a favorite of anything in life. It's all apart of the big picture and evolution, without one, the other would not have happened or given time, the perspective it took to join forces and create further.

09. Matthew - Which record that you have created do you enjoy the most?

. Osunlade - My up bringing was pretty much the same as my life now, and I've always been an introvert, always alone, not many friends outside of music. School was difficult as I was not your average guy, by looks or attitude, I've always been a bit eccentric, and pushed boundaries with what people and society says is rule. I was president of the high school band but other than that, I was simply an outcast of sorts.

10. Matthew - How was your up bringing/childhood?

. Osunlade - It was a decision made from many years about speaking of an album for BBE, although, 'Aquarian Moon', wasn't made with any label in mind per say, it just happened and I thought BBE would be a good home for it.

12. Matthew - What is it about life that inspires you the most/or to make music?

. Osunlade - Again, music happens as my life dictates it, I don't decide to make a song, if I'm inspired by something or someone, then I get a feeling to say something or a sound in my head, or a title based upon an experience or conversation etc. It's as simple as that. I don't plan music, just as I don't plan life, its not honest for me if it's done that way. Life is about expression, about vulnerabilities, disappointments, love, joy, and all that. You cant create purely from the soul, if you dictate how, when and what you will create if you don't allow yourself those moments to be real.

13. Matthew - What can we expect from Osunlade in 2007 and beyond?

. Osunlade - The best thing I can say for 2007 is that Yoruba Records will become stronger, as for Osunlade, who knows. I change with the wind, the most creative projects have been them all, from the simplest to the most complex, they all allow me the models to grow, and so I don't look at one thing more revered than another. It's not how I see or hear music.

14. Matthew - Where are your favorite places to travel?

. Osunlade- Greece and Turkey are my favorite places. I am definitely one of those people that are affected by the environment and surroundings. I'm very moody and simple things change my state instantly. It doesn't take flashy things to excite me, only natural and spontaneous things.

15. Matthew - If you weren’t doing music what would you be doing for a profession instead?

. Osunlade - I would have been a doctor, a brain surgeon or some medical specialist.

Words by Matthew Daniel

© 2007 Feel The Soul. All Rights Reserved

Interview w/ Keite Young 07

Interview: Keite Young (Phone)

The latest Hidden Beach Recording artist to date is Keite Young. And as we await his debut album, 'The Rise & Fall Of Keite Young' to soon be dropping this year, here he speaks of his life until this positive turning point. To personal matters, allowing the reader, to get to know who Keite Young is.

01. Matthew - Hi Keite, how are you and your music doing?

. Keite Young – Things are going good! I think I’m about to plan to play more often live, and that always makes me happy. I am actually looking forward to playing festivals and such in the UK, and some parts of Europe, Japan and Africa. Performing is really the high light of my whole music experience.

02. Matthew – So you enjoy performing the most?

. Keite Young – Yes.

03. Matthew – What is it about performing that you like? Which aspects?

. Keite Young – Just the intimacy and the energy, the exchange between the crowd, the band, and myself. So, I just think it's that real kind of energy of what music does to us all, you know? We can all listen to the radio and your hearing like a second hand experience but when your right there in front of the audience, its just really intimate and that’s what I enjoy the most.

04. Matthew – You’re getting ready to release your debut album, ‘The Rise & Fall Of Keite Young’. Please talk to me about the experience of the creative part?

. Keite Young – It was like a labour of love. There are songs on there that are like ten years old now but then there are also songs on there that are maybe a bit more recent like two years old. I think it was a chore trying to round out an album, I’ve done so much material and it kind of covers a vast musical spectrum, you know? You can’t really put all of that on one body of work, so I think the biggest challenge was to centralize the idea of what I wanted to say on this particular album.

05. Matthew – What is the message in this album?

. Keite Young – I try to be in line with the title even though the title didn’t come until the album was put together but I try to reflect the ups and downs. The emotional and mental rollercoaster that we all go through from time to time, you know? Happiness, sadness, the everyday experience of life through music, it’s different for all of us but ultimately I think it’s the same.

06. Matthew – Once you have released the record, what can we expect from you?

. Keite Young – Once the record is released hopefully I’ll be running around with my head cut off. I’m touring really heavily and playing, and just trying to make one stand at a time, if I can. I’ll really be busy; I’m actually starting to record the second album and/or actually just putting material together for it. I got so many songs but I think some things need to be fresh. So, I’m starting to record that now. Just staying busy, you know? Music is great!

07. Matthew – On this record you have done a collaboration with the wonderfully amazing N’Dambi, on a song called ‘If We Were Alone’. How did this happen?

. Keite Young – N’Dambi and I have known each other for a while now, and we just have a chemistry. On a writing level, and were really good friends. I really enjoy just singing out or hammering a song with her. I think with some people you have that with and some people you don’t. You have to work at it, but with us it was much more of a natural organic process and we complimented each other as well.

07. Matthew - What were you doing with your talents at the beginning?

. Keite Young – I’ve always been blessed and extremely fortunate to have great people around me. My parents saw, not only talent but how committed I was in turning it into a lifestyle and a career. So, they supported me 300 percent, in every sense since College, you know? At a young age I found myself skipping class to be in the piano room, writing songs and singing. Shortly there after I went on tour with Kirk Franklin, I’ve always been fortunate to do music in some shape or form, as of yet. To tell you the truth if music was to disappear of the face of the earth I’d have nothing to do.

08. Matthew – You did the N’Dambi collaboration for a Steve Harvey project as well. It was released through UK’s very own Expansion Records. How was that for you?

. Keite Young – N’Dambi was working with Steve Harvey on her own project, which is going to be released earlier next year and they’ve been working for a little while. We were re-connected through her manager, which is Monica Young. I came out to L.A to hang out and it developed into a working thing, there were some things that I wasn’t satisfied with as far as the direction of how my project was going. Steve Harvey, N’Dambi and I hooked up, and it was a very informal thing at first. We just started turning out songs.

09. Matthew - Would you ever do an album with N’Dambi?

. Keite Young – Yes but if the conditions and the time was right. I think with that experience it was just completely about timing. It was about everybody going in the same direction, at the same time, at that time. Since then we’ve all had our perspective, things that we’ve been committed to, it would just be a matter of timing.

10. Matthew - How was growing up for you?

. Keite Young – Well, growing up I listened to a lot of stuff. I listened to Sam Cooke, Al Green, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, to The Beatles, Led Zeplin, Eric Clapton, Cream and Jimmy Hendrix. Those people helped marry my sound, Curtis Mayfield; I can go on and on. Those people drew a road map for me in what I wanted to do and how I wanted to sound. To be honest there aren’t that many contemporary artists that I’d say inspire me. I guess Prince really inspired me, so you could put him in the contemporary. He’s been inspiring me since I was little. It’s hard because the last seven or eight years or so, the music itself for artists, or for me rather, has been a little disappointing. But I’m feeling really hopeful now because you have people like John Legend, who can express themselves through song writing and through playing instruments. I really feel hopeful because there is a new trend for artists, musicians, singer/songwriters, who express themselves in a much more organic way.

11. Matthew – There is also an independent wave of artists representing honest soul music, such as Ledisi, Myron, Algebra Blessett, Eric Roberson, Anthony Hamilton, Rachelle Ferrell and more. Would you like to be amongst that crowd?

. Keite Young – I think it would be an honour to be mentioned as being apart of the revolution.

12. Matthew – Well, you are already signed to Hidden Beach Recordings!

. Keite Young – (laughs) yeah. Hidden Beach is the kind of place where, ultimately it has to be about art and about being true to the artist. So, I am very fortunate to have that type of co-operation. In that perspective it’s very very rare, yeah. To answer your question, I’d be honoured to be apart of that movement in music. Hopefully, I’d love to work with all of those people. I think, as a matter of fact, the key is maintaining this little revolution, that we collaborate, we do work together consistently, we show up at each others performances and support one another because that’s really the only way we will bring a new innovated sound, kind of take back what we’ve lost, you know?

13. Matthew – How would you describe your personality?

. Keite Young – I tend to be extreme, I tend to be really laid back or really really edgy. I don’t like the middlebrow, I’m a very passionate person in everything I do and everything that I feel will be enlightened by that passion. I hate to say it, but I’m either really really sad or extremely happy. So, I think I’m just a very passionate person and it comes across in my music.

14. Matthew – Are you more comfortable performing or in the studio?

. Keite Young – I think they are two different hats, you know? I think in the studio I tend to be more of a producer and my technical aspects come in to play. Obviously, they have to, to make records. So, its fun but different kinds of fun, but if I had to choose one of them, in what I’d be doing on a regular basis, everyday, I’d probably choose the stage because there’s no other place like the stage. The work has been done when you get there, the rehearsals etc. But when you get on stage all you have to do is just be, you know? And in the studio, you can’t quite do that, being the producer and the artist.

15. Matthew – So you produce and song write as well?

. Keite Young – Oh yeah! I tend to do them all, for this next album, I want to be more experimental instrumentally but maybe do a couple of songs by myself completely, which I did on this album but I’m starting to pick up the drums, you know? I want to be better, that’s what I want to portray and what I want to give, for the next record.

16. Matthew – Lastly, have you thought of a title for this next record?

. Keite Young – You know, I’ve been thinking about it and I haven’t thought of a specific title. I’ll let it formulate itself but right now, I think it’s a little too early.

17. Matthew – Thank-you Keite Young for this phone interview and also thank-you to Monica Young for helping me set this up.

Words by Matthew Daniel

© 2007 Feel The Soul. All Rights Reserved