Project Description
Interview
With
ZIGGY RAMO
Interviewer: Vicky Hebbs
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Australian hip-hop artist Ziggy Ramo released catchy single A to Z earlier this year and is playing the National Indigenous Music Awards this weekend. He will also be touring with Thundamentals around Australia this November and December. Check out our chat with Ziggy below!
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Have you always written music? Where does your drive to perform and create come from?
I always loved poetry growing up. I remember starting to play with words around 12, but I started taking it seriously at 15. The drive is pretty intrinsic, when I am creating I just feel like my most genuine self. It just feels good, it feels like it is what I am supposed to be doing.
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Have you seen an evolution in your music in the past year?
Definitely, I hope my music always evolves. My music is an honest depiction of who I am and where I am at. As a person I am constantly trying to grow and in turn I hope my music reflects that.
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Who or what are the major influences on your music?
For me it is the people around me as the influence the person I am which than pours into my music.
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Can you share the origins or inspiration for your ‘Black Thoughts’ EP?
I wanted everyone to know where I stood. Growing up as an Indigenous Australian you start to feel like a walking textbook. Constantly having the same conversation over and over again. Continually educating people, the emotional labour is suffocating. Around the time of writing it I was going through a lot of changes to try and live more sustainably. So for me writing it down was really cathartic, it was a huge relief to just wear my heart on my sleeve. Having anyone praise my work is surreal. Like I was saying my music is just a reflection of me so if people can have genuine connections with it, it really is so humbling.
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What was working with Kehlani like?
Kehlani is amazing, like a sister to me.
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Are there any artists you would jump at the chance to work with?
I would work with anyone. I think you can learn from everything and no better way than through collaboration. But for the sake of putting it out in the universe I would love to see Max Martin at work.
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How important is it to you that your music provides political commentary on important issues?
I don’t like being pigeonholed. I write what I feel and stay true to that. I will always use my voice to help create safe spaces for all intersections, but I am also a three dimensional person who likes to enjoy themselves. It isn’t always so serious and I want to represent who I am to the fullest.
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What musical legacy would you hope to have?
All of that is out of my control. You guys will decide that. All I can focus on is trying to create the best art that I can and most importantly being a good person. There is so much I want to do but at the end of the day if I am a terrible person it will have all been for nothing.
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Your ‘Black Thoughts’ music video was particularly emotive. Did you enjoy the creative process? Do you plan to produce more music videos in future?
I loved it. Working with other creative people is such a rush. Stumbling onto an idea and trying to execute it before it slips away. I definitely want to work on more music videos in the future. It is all just about time. I want to do things right and be in a position to execute things in a way I am really proud of.
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You draw on your life to write much of your work. Is it ever difficult to share so much of yourself through your work?
Totally. I guess I try and not think about it. I still have so much to share and trying to find the words and strength to remain genuine kind of feels overwhelming to me, so I don’t focus on it too much. Writing music for me has always been such a personal experience and a really healthy way to deal with what’s floating in my head. I think we all have these feelings and thoughts so even if the circumstances are different we can all relate to the sentiment.
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Do you have an especially memorable show you have performed so far?
I supported the Avalanches in Perth. It was my first show back in the home town after relocating to Sydney this year. It was a really special night. I felt really present and comfortable in a way I felt that I could do no wrong. Now I am constantly trying to chase that feeling.
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Are you working on anything new at the moment? Can we expect to hear new music soon?
Always working! This year has been about getting everything being the music sorted to try and take this to the next level. A lot of growing behind closed doors has been occuring. I am really excited to share the next chapter with everyone.
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