Project Description
Interview with
BILLIE KID
Interviewer – Dave Bruce
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How did it all begin? Where did you develop your interest in performing music to an audience?
I actually was a really shy kid growing up. I wrote and sang a lot by myself or with close homies but was that kid who got way too nervous on stage haha. Performing as a dancer came first actually. Then, was pushed into busking by a few mentors of mine & started doing live band stuff. Lots of backing vocalist gigs. I feel as if moving to melbourne has really been my first taste of performing as a lead & really learning how to be a front man. I’m usually super comfortable writing songs in my studio, I’m an introvert by heart.
But nothing beats performing on stage, and especially your original music.
What kind of music did you grow up on? Which artists inspired you?
I actually grew up on Mum & dad’s holiday cassette tape collection. I remember taking trips with my fam to Jervis Bay as a kid and listening to beach boys, Gloria Estefan & billy Joel. I remember being hooked on “Kokomo” and “for the longest time”. the Beach boys and Billy Joel were my first harmony influences. They had amazing harmonies. Mid primary & early high school I started moving into r&b and hip hop. If it wasn’t tupac, snoop, Warren G, Nate Dogg, coolio, kriss Kross or a tribe called quest, dilla – it would Mostly be R&B boy bands. My mate had an older brother and he used to rock the flat top, keppers, and just was the most popular dude in high school. He introduced me to most of that good stuff. Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, LSG, New edition, BBD, full force, Immature, Portrait, Shai, silk, blackstreet, Janet Jackson, brownstone, TLC, Aaliyah, timbaland, missy, craig David… that r&b 90s sound that used to make you fall in love. Then independently I started getting into production influences like NERD and Pharrell Williams. Pharrell influenced my production heavy. I remember hearing him on Kelis “Caught out there” and thinking daaaamn, that sound is tight. Then I realised he wrote teddy Riley’s verse in “rumpshaker” and absolutely lost my shit because I love wrecks N effect. Then I kinda got obsessed.
These days I enjoy listening to a lot of the modern contemporary soul organic/Trapsoul R&B cats like The Internet, MAC Miller, bryson tiller, Brent faiyaz, Goldlink, kaytranada, H.E.R, Lucky Daye, PND, K. forest, Ty Dolla sign.
Frank Ocean & James fauntleroy would have to be two of my favourite modern writers at the moment.
With your new single ‘3AM’, can you describe its origins and evolution? I know how challenging the creative and producing process can be. How good did it feel to complete?
3am was actually written early in the AM about 2 years ago in my small, ghetto flat at the time in Cabramatta, Sydney. Me & my homie Dan (Bacchus) who actually helped lay the base idea for the drums down & was involved in a little bit of the songwriting process, named it 3am for obvious reasons – The session finished up around 3am. I remember my mate had never been to cabramatta so it was a total culture shock for him because it’s like our little Vietnam in Sydney. So in amidst fried chicken and fresh spring rolls, we started writing about the absence of a girl in my life at that time. The hook came about pretty simple. We kind of just like to go on the mic and freestyle a melody or lyrical feeling – and this one came about pretty organically.
“Yeah, alright, yeah, alright, all day, all night.” Was spot on how I felt about arguing incessantly about the same things – hearing the same things over but no real resolution. As for the producing process, I kind of just laid down the keys or chords first – then Bacchus laid down his drum pattern & we wrote it from there. Usually we would write a verse as an idea & choose to scrap it – or keep it. Then we replace the ones we scrap with better or more suited ideas. I believe the edit is always the most important part (if you don’t nail it straight away which happen sometimes). We then left the project for about 2 years & recently on my move to melbourne – I met this badass chick named Nik Hannani who I saw shred up on the electric guitar while doing backing vocals one Saturday at Golden Monkey – and I think I kind of fell in love musically! So I approached her, we met up – she became part of our resident band that now plays at Golden Monkey every Friday,
Then Basically smashed out two late night sessions over HSP’s and released it straight after. Was really easy to work with her!
Is there an EP/Album on the drawing board?
Most definitely. a few projects on the lowkey that have been in the works for a couple of years actually!
How do you find the Songwriting process? Is there always a big appetite to write some more?
Depends on my mood really! As much as I can write automatically and dish out content super quick, I find that my best work obviously has come from a super authentic place, with the right setting, the right intent, the right mood or emotion. The songs I sit on for the longest, and send around my circle to be assessed and re-worked – end up being the best ones. I find that for most of the process, two heads are better than one. Collaboration is always a fun time.
I find that I constantly look for intense emotional experiences to write my best songs.
As much as the heartbreak sucks, it serves too! I constantly always need a muse!
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I see you’re are a professional dancer as well. Do you mix both in your performances, or do you like to keep them separate?
I like to mix them, but in a way that doesn’t look like JT or Kpop. I like to do things different. So I kind of do like to seperate the two as art forms that stand strongly by themselves. In their own glory.
I also like standing back and seeing dancers express their own translation to the song. I think that’s really bad-ass.
It doesn’t always have to be about the artist, I feel.
At the end of the day it’s about the Art.
Which do you prefer most, performing as an R&B artist, or as a professional dancer?
Definitely as a recording Artist.
I think my music is quite broad and doesn’t only fall into the category of r&b. I like to explore genres a lot! But it definitely falls into the category of Soul. Just anything with Soul.
Any shows or tours coming up that we need to tell everyone about?
No shows or tours as of yet! Although there are some secret projects I’m working on with some dope cats on the scene – so there are definitely shows coming in future. When a few more songs release – that’s when we’ll start hitting up the shows. All about the strategy & timing!
If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
Oh wow, I’m not sure! To be honest I’d bring my family / day one homies on tour – Nothing beats memories with the fam bam! Fam over everything. I’m that dude.
What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
Major goals would be to just be able to make music that I like listening to for the rest of my life. Or just see people enjoy the things I create. Since day one, it’s always been about the creation and nothing else. To be able to make a living out of what I love to do & to make sure my fam is living the life they deserve.
Oh, and to be able to write & record verses in my beach house on a beautiful island & send it back to all the artists I dream of writing for or working with.
Thank you, universe!
Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVORITE:
Album – JODECI – the show, the afterparty, the hotel.
Artist – MAC MILLER.
Movie – Wes Anderson films.
Place to visit – Will get to NYC soon!
Venue to play – Golden Monkey
Food – Mexican or Korean Kimchi HSP’s.
Drink – OJ with pulp.
Person in History – Leonardo Da Vinci, Salvador Dali.
Tattoo – a lot that I want to replace, except for the home job, jail tatt looking, half done, sacred heart of Jesus – in the form Of a brain on my chest. Symbolising that I think with my heart. Very cliche, corny, but dodgy enough for it to look really bad ass. Haha.
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