Tay Beckham – Love Hard

By starrymag | October 31, 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) On this EP, my sound is pop R&B and has a little bit of a 90’s throwback quality to it. It’s kind of feel-good music, but a little bit more artistic than that. It’s fun and more!

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Ne-Yo is probably my number one because he does everything. I love Ne-Yo! Adele just came out with her new single, which is awesome. I love Alicia Keys, Tori Kelly and even John Mayer. I even love singers that don’t have similar sounds as mine.

Q) Your single “Excuses” is out now. Talk about the inspiration behind the song.

A) “Excuses” is a very honest song. It’s about a part of my life where I was in a relationship that kind of went sour. I didn’t feel like I was getting back everything that I was giving. Not that love is all about receiving, there is a give and take and a balance that has to be met in order to feel loved. I was going through a lot during that time in my life. “Excuses” really helped me accept that and was a big relief for me. It was truly therapy writing that song. The song got me through a tough time.

Q) What kind of fan reaction have you gotten to the song?

A) So far so great! It’s everything I wanted for my first single. I haven’t heard anything disappointing. It’s a ballad and super heartfelt. People are connecting to it. All I’ve heard is praises about honest lyrics, which is so incredible to me because it’s all I’ve wanted and more. I’m so proud  of the response, honestly. I couldn’t have asked for better.

Q) What is your writing process like for your music? Do you need to have music before you can write lyrics?

A) It just depends. If I’m feeling a certain way, I’ll come into a session already having something on my mind that I want to get off my chest and we’ll write about that and build a track around that. Sometimes I’ll come up with some piano chords that I made up ahead of time and ask, “What does this make you think of,” and we’ll come up with something from that. It’s just organic. It’s whatever I was feeling at the time. I do a lot of co-writing, which I love. I love opinions. It also depends on the song, if it is upbeat or a ballad. It’s different every time, which is good because I think it keeps it interesting.

Q) How does the video for “Excuses” play into the message of the song?

A) I think the part where the boy is sitting in the chair and it just kind of gives the illusion that I have been trying to tell him how I feel and I’m repeating back everything he has ever said to me and he is kind of taking that in and realizing what is going on. He’s still a dude and that still doesn’t quite process. So, that’s when I become my last excuse. I’ve gotten out everything I needed to say and he still didn’t get the message. He still kept coming up with reasons not to be the best he could be for me. So, that led to the post-it note on his car that said, “I am my last excuse.” That just kind of cut the chord and he’s like, “Oh man!”

Q) What is the feel and vibe like for your EP Love Hard?

A) I do have a song called “Love Hard” on the EP and the message of it is to love yourself as hard as you can. There are a lot of self-love songs on this EP, too. And I wanted to say, “You are so important, individually. And make sure you take care of exactly who you are and are happy with yourself so you are even capable of loving someone else as much as they deserve to be loved, too.” I think a lot of times problems in relationships stem from insecurities, people feeling like they are not enough. If you have that down pat before you get into a relationship, then I don’t see what could go wrong. I’m twenty-years old and I’m still figuring it out, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten and I’m happy to share that much.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I am not the most tech savvy. That’s actually something I really want to start learning, how to work all the programs so I can start coming up with something cool myself some day like Tori Kelly does. She is Beast Mode 100% of the time. Right now, I just have a lot of opinions and I get out there what I think it should sound like and then my producers give their professional opinions. They will say, “What if we put a cool synth in here?” And I’m like, “What if we made that a string session?” It just depends because sometimes my nativity ends up being really cool because I have no idea what I’m talking about, but I know what might sound cool. And it could be something they never thought of. If it’s something super lame that doesn’t make sense then they say, “You’re ridiculous.” You just have to get it out there. You never know!

Q) We recently saw you on “The Voice.” Have you kept in touch with any of your coaches?

A) No, I haven’t had a chance to. I see Danielle [Bradbery] hanging out with Blake [Shelton] all the time and I stay in touch with Danielle. We’re really good friends. I haven’t gotten to see Blake or Usher. I would love to! If we could make that happen, it would be a dream come true again.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I do talk back to my fans. On a business standpoint, it’s the easiest way for people to see what is going on in my life and where I’m going to be and when. I talk to my fans though. I want to know what they want to hear. I want to know how they feel about my music so I can cater to everyone’s emotions, not just mine. At the end of the day, I want to touch people and get into their heads. I want to know how to speak louder than just my own imagination. I love hearing from my fans on social media. I think that’s a great way to do it.

Q) You have quite the old soul.

A) I’ve been doing this since I was eleven years old so I really know what I want and I’m not afraid to go grab it.

Q) What can fans do to help promote your music?

A) Just follow me on social media. Check me out on SoundCloud! I’m everywhere! I’m streaming on Spotify. I just found out I’m on an Apple R&B Playlist. I’m on iTunes. I have a new VEVO channel on YouTube that you can see my video on. All of my social media is @TayBeckham. So, I’m easy to find and I’ll talk to you! Just hit me up!

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?

A) Thank you, thank you, thank y9ou, thank you. Without you, I would be talking to myself. Thank you for listening. Keep listening! I’m never going to stop making music. This is what I want to do with the rest of my life. I won’t  leave you hanging. Let me know what you want to hear. Thanks for having my back! Team Tay!