By: Jamie Steinberg
Photo By Mari Sarai
Q) Your music is often labeled “pop,” but how would you describe your sound?
A) I’d say it’s definitely pop, but I like mixing different styles. Some of my songs are more upbeat and fun, and others are more emotional. I like songs that have a really good melody but also tell a story. I don’t really want to be stuck making just one type of music. I’m still figuring out my sound and I think that’s part of what makes it fun. Lately, I have been experimenting with more R&B sounds and taking inspiration from Giveon and Myles Smith. I was working with a Japanese Record Label for a bit and they were pushing me towards a more J-pop sound and you can hear that in “New York Nights” but now I am fully independent.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) I listen to a lot of different artists, especially people who have really good vocals and know how to write songs that stick with you. I’ve also had a lot of different vocal training growing up, from singing with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City to studying at Juilliard and working with some amazing vocal coaches. So, I’ve been exposed to everything from classical music to pop and R&B. I think all of that has influenced how I sing. I am a huge fan of John Legend and Ed Sheeran but also enjoy Drake.
Q) New York seems to be a theme to your music. How did the city help shape the artist you’ve grown into?
A) I’ve lived in New York my entire life, so it’s basically all I’ve ever known. I grew up on the Upper West Side and I think there’s just something about growing up here that’s different. You’re around so many different people, there’s always something happening, and you kind of learn to be independent pretty quickly. My friends are from all over – Jamaica, South America and New York so that gives me a unique perspective. I also play soccer with so many different people. The energy of the city is something you cannot find anywhere else.
I also started performing when I was really young and getting to sing at places like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center was pretty crazy. I think New York has given me so many opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have had growing up somewhere else. It’s a huge part of who I am, so naturally it ends up in my music.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Westside Light.”
A) “Westside Light” is really connected to growing up in New York, especially on the West Side, which has always been home for me. I think when you grow up somewhere, you don’t always realize how much that place means to you until you start getting older.
I’m seventeen years old now, getting ready for college, and there’s a lot changing in my life. So, I think the song kind of captures that feeling of looking back at where you grew up while also being excited about what’s next. It’s definitely personal to me.
I was debating about calling the song “Don’t Text me back,” which is what it is about but I wanted to bring the theme of NYC into it. It is basically about when someone you were in a relationship with that is now over keeps texting you. That person just wants friendship or the connection, but not a real relationship. It’s kind of like, why are you torturing me, don’t text me unless you really want something. For example, so many people just text and it leads nowhere.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I think everyone has been in the situation where they are texting with someone and want more.
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
A) I don’t have a music video for the song, really just short reals, trying to show the emotion I feel behind the lyrics, that it is painful to be hurt in a relationship.
Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) It honestly depends. Sometimes I’ll randomly think of a melody and record it on my phone before I forget it. Other times I’ll have a lyric or an idea that I want to write about and I’ll start there.
A lot of my songs come from things that have actually happened to me, especially relationships or stuff I’m going through. Sometimes a song comes together really fast, and sometimes I’ll work on it forever because there’s one part I don’t like. I’m kind of a perfectionist about certain things.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) I’m pretty involved. I write my music, so I usually have an idea in my head of how I want everything to sound. I like working with producers because they can take an idea and make it sound way better than what I originally imagined.
But I definitely have opinions about how I want my vocals to sound, the beat and the overall vibe. Sometimes we’ll go back and forth on little things that probably nobody else would even notice, but they matter to me.
Q) With “Westside Light” out now, is this a prelude to a full album or an EP?
A) Hopefully! I’ve been writing a ton of music lately and I have a bunch of songs that I really want to release. I’d love to do an EP and eventually a full album.
Right now I’m also trying to balance music, school, soccer and college applications, so life is pretty busy. But music is something I’m always going to make time for. I definitely have a lot more coming.
I am really hoping to have more time soon, music is my priority but it has taken a backseat to commuting for my soccer club and studying for the SATs, which I guess matter too!
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center were obviously amazing experiences, especially because I grew up in New York and those are such iconic places.
But I also really love smaller venues. I performed at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village and that was so much fun because the audience is right there. You can actually see people’s reactions when you’re singing, which is really cool.
I also got to perform at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, in front of a huge crowd, which was an awesome experience. Honestly, I just love being onstage. It’s probably my favorite part of making music.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) There are honestly so many people. I’d love to work with someone who has a completely different style from me because I think that would be really interesting. I love when artists collaborate and come up with something that sounds totally different from what either of them normally does.
I had an amazing collaboration with Iris Andie who reached out to me. She is so talented – she wrote the music so my part was easy. She is incredibly creative. I hope for more collaborations in the future. I do write songs in my apartment with my friends who are also singers but their vision is often different than mine. I wrote Miami Days with my friend Loy and brought him to the studio with me.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) I’ve been listening to a lot of R&B and pop lately. I’m really into artists who have great voices but also know how to make a song sound different. Sometimes I’ll listen to a song over and over just because I love the way a certain part was produced or how the singer did something with their voice. I feel like I’m always picking up little ideas from other music. I love Drake, Giveon and Myles Smith.
Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?
A) Social media is honestly one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to get my music out there. I can literally record myself singing something, post it and suddenly people from all over the world are watching it. That’s pretty insane when you think about it.
I’ve had videos get over a million views and it’s still kind of crazy to me that so many people have seen me sing.
I also like that people get to see the real me. I’m not just posting music all the time. I’m also a regular teenager who goes to school, plays soccer, hangs out with friends and does all the normal stuff. I think it’s cool that people can follow along with everything.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) Just thank you, seriously. It means a lot that people actually take time out of their day to listen to my music or watch my videos.
I’ve wanted to do music for as long as I can remember and it’s really cool seeing people connect with songs I’ve written. I still have so much I want to do and I’m really excited about what’s coming next.