Interview: Edinburgh Singer-Songwriter Adonye B Discusses His Single/Video "New Life"
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“I directed the video and for me it was the icing on the cake of the song. By this time, it was very clear to me that the song is about togetherness and community, particularly as everyone was having to isolate because of the lockdown.”
Congratulations on the release of your new single/video "New Life". What initially inspired you to write it and who produced it? Lastly, who directed the visual?
Firstly, thank you so much DOPECAUSEWESAID for this interview because as an independent artist it is really encouraging to get exposure from an amazing online platform like DOPECAUSEWESAID.
I first got the melody of the song in early January 2020, but I couldn’t pinpoint the lyrics to go with it. I tend to get the melody of a song before the lyrics, and in a rather strange way too where I get woken up in the middle of the night with the melody in my head, and if I am not quick enough to grab my phone and record it then the melody seems to just drift away! Probably to the next available songwriter J By April 2020 as the pandemic was on a full-blown scale, I knew that the song was for the pandemic. From that point the lyrics came easily.
In terms of production, I have an excellent relationship with my incredible co-producer. I started recording the song at home, working out the chords that allowed me to go up an octave vocally in the second verse to add that dynamic emotion to the song. I added guitar and piano parts, but it was quite guitar heavy. I took the song to my co-producer, and he felt that the melody should be based around the piano not the guitar. I wasn’t so keen on this change, but I’ve learnt to trust his expertise, which I’m so glad I did because it totally transformed the song for the better. I love the contrast of the softness of the piano placed against the rawness and audacity of my vocal melodies particularly towards the end of the song.
I directed the video and for me it was the icing on the cake of the song. By this time, it was very clear to me that the song is about togetherness and community, particularly as everyone was having to isolate because of the lockdown. I built a storyboard and got in touch with a guy who had a stock of video clips. A few edits later the video was done.
Why was it important for you to dedicate "New Life" to healthcare workers around the world?
I wanted to take the idea of a “covid song” and spin it on its head. Most covid songs are about an individual and about being isolated, so “New Life” had to be about community and being together. And then I thought, who are the people working hard to ensure that we can get back to the communities we love? Healthcare workers! It was an obvious decision to dedicate it to them. I am a healthcare worker myself, so I know first-hand how tough the job is on a regular day, and how much tougher it got during the pandemic.
So many healthcare workers around the world are behind the scenes doing an amazing job, I thought it was time to recognise them.
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP, which is due out this autumn? Have you decided on a name for the project, and will there be any featured artists?
Oh I’m so excited about my debut EP! One of the tracks on the EP is called “I Dare You”, which I would quite like to use as the EP title but to be honest I am still undecided.
For my current releases I’ve been experimenting a lot trying to capture what my sound is, so each song has sounded quite different and not quite fit into a genre. Thankfully from that experience I have been able to solidify my signature sound as Pop Soul, which will be evident on my EP.
For this EP project I am combining soul influences in my vocals with antagonistic pop sounds; I am obsessed with the idea of bringing opposites together. At the same time, I still love a catchy danceable tune, so each track is going to be just that. I don’t have any featured artists (as yet) but I do love collaborating so watch this space…
Tell us about how you got started singing and songwriting. Who were the artists that influenced you musically when you were younger?
It’s a very cliché story but I grew up in church and I was always enthralled by the music and the singing. Back at home I was about 9 when I managed to convince my parents to give me an old radio with an in-built CD and cassette player that no one wanted. This was way before mp3 players came out. I wasn’t brave enough to ask them for money to buy CDs, so instead I bought empty cassettes and whenever a song came on the radio that I loved I would hit record and play (simultaneously) and dub it onto my cassette. This meant I spent a lot of time sitting by my radio! In terms of songwriting, I always had melodies in my head, or I would change melodies of well-known songs and get told off by everyone else for ruining the song.
I was very shy, so I ended up just keeping my songs to myself. I was 19 when I first let some friends in university listen to a song I wrote, and the feedback wasn’t very good! Thankfully I didn’t let that stop me.
Growing up I loved artists like Otis Redding, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and they had and still have a lot of influence on me musically. Now artists like Jessie Ware and Troye Sivan are big inspirations for the music I create.
How would you describe the pop and soul music scene in Edinburgh? Are there a lot of venues to perform and is it difficult growing a fan base there?
There isn’t really a Pop Soul music scene in Edinburgh but luckily most venues do all types of genres, so it’s been great for me playing in different places. I launched my debut single in December 2020 during the pandemic, so I haven’t had a lot of performance opportunities where I would’ve been able to grow my fanbase. I think these things take time anyway.
I’m happy to keep creating music and improving myself and I’m sure the fanbase will grow at the right time. I am enjoying my journey as an artist, and I am really excited about what the future holds.
Stream and Share “New Life” on Spotify
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