AL22 says: I created 'Deserve to Be Loved' as an open and honest reflection on my past relationship. I witnessed a lot of narcissistic behaviour from my ex-partner that impacted my mental state. It wasn't until something clicked one year later, that I realised I was unhappy and forgot who I was. During the session, I kept hearing the melodies “I won’t let anyone hurt you / your body deserves to be loved” over and over again. I must have been going crazy but in hindsight, it is something I needed to instil in myself. Healing leads to self love, and I recently re-discovered that.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
My strength lies in creating melodies that are bound to stick in your head after the first listen. Melodies are so important to how memorable a song is, and is also the backbone to a successful one. Lyrically too, I write as candid and relatable as possible to let my audience vibe and relate to what I write and sing about.
Who inspired you to make music?
Music has been a massive part of my life since childhood. Watching MTV, 106 & Park and all the music channels influenced me into making music. From the likes of Beyoncé (obviously), Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Paramore, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Roll Deep, N-Dubz… literally music from early 2000’s to 2015’s, they all lit a fire under me.
I heard this one song called ‘Wrote A Song About You’ by MNEK on Soundcloud many years ago and I fell in love with it and him as an artist. After hearing that I started learning my first DAW, FL Studio (Fruity Loops at the time) and tried to recreate a similar sound. Obviously the songs I made weren’t too good haha as I was a baby in learning production and finding my sound, but those experiences and inspirations lead me to where I am musically, today.
Your latest track is 'Deserve To Be Loved'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Deserve to Be Loved was one of my first creations when I moved on from FL Studio in 2020 and started learning how to produce with Ableton. As I was producing the demo, I kept hearing the melody “I won’t let anyone hurt you” over and over again and I KNEW I had to build the song around that melody. The vibe and mood of the song reflects that.
The original version of the song does not sound like the final version haha. It was much more laid back and indie sounding. I probably have about 30 different mixes of the song with different arrangements and vocal arrangements. This song was the hardest to get right. It was like a puzzle piece and it took me over a year to piece it together. Even after the music video was shot early last year, I wasn’t satisfied with certain elements of the song. No word of a lie, I got the final master back 3 weeks before the single and video was released. Talk about living life on the edge!
What is your creative process like?
Usually when I’m on the go in my life, random melodies and ideas pop into my head. I record them on my voice memo app and revisit them when I have time to sit down in my home studio and figure out what they mean to me musically.
So I mess around with keys and pads around the voice memos and that’s how my demos are formulated. Most of the time it’s just keys, pads and a basic bass. When I feel a spark or get chills from what the demo could become, that’s when I know that I have struck gold!
What is the most surprising fact you’ve learnt about yourself?
That I am a perfectionist and my own worst critic haha!
Do you think that education is important?
Education is very important. It’s not every thing you’ll be best at or easily retain information on, but trying your hardest to learn and absorb information will benefit you in the long run. In school and post-school, dip your toe in everything, because as humans, we NEVER STOP LEARNING! Every stage of our lives we are learning something new.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
I am so humbled and appreciative of all your love and support when it comes to my art. Seeing you all vibe with my music and riding along this journey with me makes my heart warm. I would like to offer some honest words of personal encouragement.
You are your biggest competition when it comes to realising your dreams. Compete with yourself in order to better yourself in any aspect. Look around you for inspiration, but don’t put all your focus on it, focus on yourself, your craft, and what you want to achieve in your life. We are multifaceted and amazing people, we can do anything we want to. Don’t forget to congratulate yourself on the small wins as well as the big!
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
It’s 50/50 for me. In some ways, for example, an A&R isn’t necessary these days because you have all the social media platforms to plug yourself, so they don’t need to find you when the algorithms push you into their direction anyway.
However, the internet has also made the music world over saturated. It’s difficult to stand out and it seems like people only become big because of clout chasing or viral Tik Tok hits. Which isn’t a bad thing, but songs aren’t what they used to be anymore. To the artists who are producing authentic and real music for themselves that fans can digest on an intellectual and sonic level, I applaud you.
What do you think is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen or experienced?
Cape Finisterre or “End Of The Earth” in Galicia, Spain. I remember siting on the edge of the cliff and just glaring beyond the water into nothing. The sun was shining and the water glistened. What was beyond the horizontal line at the end of the water was unknown to me, but it made me feel at peace. I’m a water sign, so naturally I felt connected. It was truly beautiful and I must revisit one day!
What are your plans for the future?
I am currently planning my debut EP! So that’s exciting. I have a couple songs I am working on at the moment but I am really taking my time with it. I’m hoping to have it out at the beginning of next year, but I will hopefully have the leading single from it out by the end of this year! I’m also working hard on my radio show too on GlitterBeam, where I talk about all things music and play my top picks of the week. I’m on air every Sunday at 4pm so do tune in! I’d love to connect with you.