Meet simon a. - It’s All About Self Reflection in the Way To Go EP
“…big dreams with no road to them - so I thought ‘let me document that’.”
Written by Joseph Osayande
Joseph: Before we start, why simon a.? Where did the name come from?
simon a.: It’s just my name, ha. Very simple. I keep it all lowercase though because… I dunno, I guess the name’s not as important as the product for me.
J.O: Let’s start off easy - which three musical genres and artists that have shaped your musical sound?
simon a.: Three artists. I’d say Frank Ocean, James Blake, and Solange, but in terms of genres I’m all over the shop. I’ll take inspiration from Radiohead, Mac Demarco, Bon Iver, Kendrick Lamar, Kano, Nils Frahm. Whoever!
J.O: Do you find it important to draw from such a wide pool of genres and inspirations?
simon a.: I think it’s good to have a varied understanding of different kinds of music if you want to make something interesting. It’s pretty easy to sound like someone else if that’s all you know. Then again, I feel like the industry pushes similar sounding artists just for ease of categorisation, so perhaps it’s also important to know where you might fit.
J.O: I found it hard to place your music, I got heavy R&B influences but also was hearing a heavy bassline and electronic sounds, which was refreshing. What’s the creative thought process behind this composition?
simon a.: I honestly couldn’t really pin down where my style comes from. There are some instruments that I gravitate towards when making things, but song by song the process will change because I heard something new somewhere, and wanted to replicate that with the tools I have. I’m honestly just moving instinctively.
J.O: When listening to your music, I get John Legend vibes, is this intentional?
simon a.: I’ve heard that one before actually haha. I cannot even lie to you, I haven’t heard much of John’s music but I know his voice is vibrant and strong. I’m not consciously trying to sing like anyone else though, I’m just hitting the notes that I can before my voice breaks.
J.O: One thing I’d say is everything in the EP came across very intentional and cohesive, what type of stories were you trying to tell in tracks like White Heart?
simon a.: Well, the EP is very much about self-reflection. Over the course of the five songs you hear the narrator talk about someone else; their desires (Grace), how they got them but don’t know what to do with them (White Heart), how they need them to step up (To Stay Here), how they miss them (At That Time There), and ultimately how they reconcile with them (In a Hall of Mirrors). In actuality, both of these people are the same person, and the EP is just the exploration of oneself being in a rut and then getting out of it. It’s something that happens to me every once in a while, where I’m just lost and don’t know how to proceed – big dreams with no road to them - so I thought ‘let me document that’.
J.O: When listening to the EP one thing that instantly stood out was the production, how involved are you in this process? Do you think the beat and production is more important, or less so than the lyrics and vocals?
simon a.: I’m the one doing everything, so really and truly it’s gonna be cohesive haha. At the moment I’m focussing on the sound of things in general but mainly the instrumentation. The lyrics are by no means ignored or anything, but I guess there aren’t really enough people here to be properly conveying the deepest of concepts, so I’m holding out for those. And melodies are not something I think about much at all really. I just let my brain go on the instrumental and see what comes out. But I make sure it’s all good, and nothing makes you screwface out of confusion; it should make you stankface out of “yoooo this goes dummy!” Know what I mean?
simon a. - White Heart Music Video, YouTube
J.O: When music like Afroswing, drill and grime are very big in the UK, the number of black R&B vocalists such as yourself is very low. Where do you think you fit in on the scene, and have you struggled to carve out space for yourself?
simon a.: Yeah, it’s really interesting how the UK seems to turn to the US for the R&B artists, rather than people who could probably relate to them better. Maybe because they’re bigger and there are more of them over there. It’s not really something I think about too much though; I feel like there’s an audience for everyone - especially on the internet – so I don’t see how I’d fit with the J Hus’s or the Daves, or anyone in that scene, but there are people for me for sure. There are multiple “scenes” that aren’t as big but still have dedicated people there. I think I’m maybe more along the lines of a Sampha or a Tom Misch. Maybe I’ll get slotted in there, who knows. Never thought about it, but we’ll see!
J.O: I would be amiss if I didn’t ask, how has Corona Virus impacted the creative process and distribution of this EP?
simon a.: The creative process didn’t change much at all, I would have been in my room no matter what. I was supposed to have a live launch show for the EP looool, that didn’t happen. Better to be safe though, I would never risk anything like that. I was also going to start doing more live shows since I haven’t done that many, but it is what it is. I do think, however, that people have been on their phones more than ever, so it may have been easier to catch people’s eyes through the digital marketing anyways. I don’t mind either way, people can catch up on me later on!
J.O: From here, where do you see yourself going, and what can we hope to see from simon a.?
simon a.: Man, the plans are so big but they all depend on the climb, which I know is so slow. More music will come, that’s for sure. More live shows. It all depends on getting the word out there, so really and truly it’s a waiting game. And by waiting, I mean grinding!
J.O: Thank you for doing this interview, we will definitely be keeping an eye out on your future projects.
Stream and Listen to: simon a. Way to Go EP