LOS ANGELES, CA- This week I got to talk with MC, singer/songwriter, and rapper by the name of Soaky Siren. The Bahamian musician recently established herself as a musician with the release of her most recent EP Lucaya. However, Soaky Siren is no stranger to the music industry; coming in with co-writing credits with several of the top musicians such as Jason Derulo, Chris Brown, Pitbull, and more. I learned more about Soaky Siren and her transition through an interview for Blurred Culture.
Rather listen instead? Listen to the interview here:
Okay so we are back today with Soaky Siren – the MC, singer/songwriter, and rapper now residing in Los Angeles. How are you doing today?
I’m good, I’m good – just working on the usual; can’t complain.
I see you’re staying busy after the new release of your EP Lucaya. How are you feeling about that – is this the celebratory phase?
You know, I wish I had time for the celebrations but it has just been nonstop since the release. Everything has just been going, and going, and going, which is a good thing I guess. Because, you know, at the end of the day you never know the response you will get when you put out your own stuff. The response has been so good so far and it’s just been nonstop between keeping up with studio and promo work. It’s a balancing act, but I’ve been having fun while doing it.
That’s what it’s all about. It’s a great EP – beautiful sounds from start to finish. Can you elaborate more on the creative process behind it?
Sure, yeah. I’m always in the studio in general, so when I decided to focus on my project, it really wasn’t much of a transition in terms of what my process was. All of the producers that are on my EP I’ve worked with them anyway because I’ve written for other artists as well. So the project just came together organically. I was in the studio with Dallas and “Dope Boys”, the latest single off the EP, was the first song I wrote. When I wrote it, both of us looked at each other and thought “Yo, yea, this is my single”. My publisher heard it and said the same thing. I got back in the studio with another producer and “Kombucha” came out of that session, and it was then that I really started to find my sound.
And speaking of that single “Dope Boys”. Great track – does a great job at shedding a new light on the trap culture that’s portrayed in pop culture today. Are there any other subjects you’d like to tackle with your music the way you tackled trap culture in “Dope Boys”?
I mean the thing about “Dope Boys” is it’s even a little more specific than trap culture. It was the culture and surrounding lifestyle at the time on the island I lived on. So for me, anything else that I tackle maybe in terms of social context, I think will come on an as-I-encounter-it kind of basis, because I am just not that kind of creator. I have to be in the room, and it has to be on my heart at the end of the day. There are some big things that I know I will cross paths with at some point such as being a woman in this business and being able to be taken seriously as an entrepreneur, brand, and/or artist. Those would be little glimpses into those things that I need to tackle.
So back to “Dope Boys” – specifically the music video for it. I saw the behind the scenes footage and it looked like a lot of work. I was hoping you could elaborate on it.
Sure I can! I mean the initial treatment that I wanted was way over budget. Luckily I had Tony Corella dial that sh*t down, make it what it is, and it turned out amazing. I just wanted to make sure I could get the narrative, meaning, and the visual. At the same time, when thinking about the visual, I wanted to have some nostalgia from the Motown era with The Supremes and Diana Ross – the glamorous dresses and choreography/movement from that time. So yeah I decided to put that in and make sure it turned out to be a look, and thankfully Tony Corella could make it a look.
So with this new EP that dropped, will this be a reflection of how your music will sound going forward? Or are there maybe other styles of sounds that you would also like to work with in the future?
I think this EP definitely establishes my sound for people who are getting to know me. I think going forward I will treat it as a springboard because naturally, at the end of the day, my cadence is in my attack and perspective on records. That’s pretty much going to exist in whatever spaces or genre I play in. The next EP, though, will be a little bit darker – but still keep that urban resort vibe I managed to come up with on the first EP.
With the release of this EP, you will probably have many more headed your way. Most recently, you had a performance with Hermatude. How did that feel?
That was so fire – bear in mind it was my first time on stage. I couldn’t ask for a better audience at the El Rey. As soon as I went on stage I thought I had a problem because I wanted to keep doing it non stop. The energy levels were insane. To answer your question, I am definitely working on upcoming performances. I want to make sure I do more of that next year. It’s started an itch for me now and it needs to happen soon.
I see. So as far as mentally preparing for a performance, is it natural for you? Do you just jump right into it?
Yeah I mean there’s a lot of mental preparation because it’s all new to me at this point. I think the biggest part, to be honest, is taking my lazy a** to the gym and getting my endurance up – but I’m doing all of that now.
How about musical influences of yours? Maybe someone that inspired this EP or just in general.
That’s a real hard question when people ask me that. Generally, my favorites are Missy Elliot, Lil Kim, Sade. Reggae was also my thing growing up – a people like Sizzla, and obviously Bob Marley. A lot of dancehall and hip hop had a huge influence on me and the music I make.
How about plans for 2020?
It’s more music really. I just want to make sure I keep building on the momentum. I am pretty much done in terms of recording and deciding what records to put on the next EP. Right now I’m in the mixing and mastering phase, so I want to make sure 2020 is more work and building on what I have built so far.
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