- Words Notion Staff
Gifted storyteller and musician SOLOMON discusses his latest single “phases (feat. Kojey Radical)”, discovering Ice Spice, and a forthcoming EP.
Building a strong sense of connection and intimacy between his music and his listeners, prolific artist SOLOMON continues to rapidly grow his fanbase with his honest lyrics and charming personality. Carefully crafting songs that his audience can relate to on a deep and personal level, the artist openly expresses in his Spotify bio that he makes songs “for you to cry/vibe/sleep to”. Often using music as an escape, SOLOMON is keen to replicate this same euphoria for his listeners and has so far shared a discography of infectious ballads.
Over a course of five years, the artist has made a name for himself as a talented singer-songwriter and guitarist to watch. Although the two-year pandemic left a catastrophic dent in the music industry, SOLOMON didn’t let this discourage his work ethic. Holding a variety of virtual concerts to which thousands, and sometimes millions of listeners would tune into, it’s clear that not only is his fanbase extremely loyal, but his music is effortlessly striking a chord with his audience.
Reaching for the stars, this year SOLOMON has lots of new material to share in the lead-up to his forthcoming EP. We caught up with the artist about his latest single “phases (feat. Kojey Radical)”, having his music sampled on a BROCKHAMPTON track and dream collaborations.
Hi SOLOMON, you’ve already had a big 2023 with the release of your new single “phases (feat. Kojey Radical)” how’s it all going?
The response to “phases (feat. Kojey Radical)” has been lovely so far. This year is already panning out to be incredible.
I read that the collaboration with Kojey Radical came after he found your music on TikTok. How has the platform helped your career and how has it changed the landscape for musicians looking to break into the industry?
Yes, that’s the power of TikTok. It’s a clear game changer if you can utilise it well – I wouldn’t be where I am now without it. I’ve seen it completely change lives and it goes far beyond just the music. It’s the first time that an app has given us all the means of presenting something to the masses with such ease. Be it your art, services, knowledge or even personality. Whilst it’s an incredible tool, though, a viral moment can really be a flash in the pan so it’s important to try and convert these moments into opportunities to build communities in the ‘real’ world (outside of our phones).
The British music scene really seems to be having a moment right now too – what do you think makes British music so uniquely enjoyable?
There’s a lot of insane UK talent, and there always has been. Some of the most prolific artists/creatives ever known are British. I think when it comes to music, the world really appreciates what we’re capable of bringing to the table.
You’ve even been sampled on BROCKHAMPTON’s “LISTERINE” and Ice Spice recently wrote her own verse for “phases”. What was your reaction when you realised you’d been sampled?
Well, BROCKHAMPTON’s own Kiko Merley hit me up (very early on my TikTok journey) asking for some music. I sent him some acoustic voice memos of a few songs I’d written. He came back months later saying they’d used parts of my song “robbery”, and it may or may not end up on their final album. When I found out that it made the cut, I was relieved in a sense – it was warming to know it had inspired a BH song.
With Ice Spice, I found out via a random TikTok comment tagging her and producers Riot and Chrissaves on my original video of “phases (feat. Kojey Radical)”. I had heard her song “Munch (Feelin’ U)” a few days prior, but had found her ‘On the Radar’ freestyle where she sampled “phases (feat. Kojey Radical)”. That led me to discover that Drake had her freestyle played on the radio station O.V.O Sound. I was a little taken aback to say the least.
Do you have any dream collaborations you’re hoping to work on, or any other artists in the industry that you’ve got your eye on that you think are up and coming?
FINNEAS, Bruno Major, John Mayer, and Ed Sheeran are all up there for me in terms of collaborating; we’d all make undeniably incredible music together. As far as other upcoming artists, Kamal. really resonates with me, I’m so sure that we’re going to shine a massive spotlight on north west London.
“phases (feat. Kojey Radical)” deals with the pain of breakups and the complicated aftermath; do you find most of your inspiration draws from these personal experiences and emotions? And how do you navigate maintaining boundaries when you express such personal experiences in your music?
For the most part, there’s no boundary. Of course, I wouldn’t defame or draw anyone out by name, but I’m writing from a place of raw emotion. My process is a mixture of journaling and storytelling. I’ve started to notice that a lot of my songs feel like a direct letter or message to someone, and I think that’s where the strong sense of intimacy comes from.
What do you hope that people will take away from your music?
I use music as an escape, and I feel like others use mine for the exact same reason. My goal is to immerse the listener into a whole new world separate from the one we live in; it ties perfectly into my concept which will be revealed in time.
You recently performed in a NY subway station – after gaining a lot of listeners online and a two-year pandemic, how are you finding the return to live performances?
I love it. It scares me a little, but I think that’s exactly why I should be doing it. The pandemic was a wild ride, I essentially performed world tours from my bedroom, playing to hundreds of thousands – probably millions of people, over the span of a few years. Upon emerging from the other side of the tunnel, I’ve realised it’s time to transform that virtual on-screen experience, into a physical one on stage.
Listening to your music it’s clear that you’re an exceptionally talented musician and lyricist – is there a particular element of music writing that appeals more to you or is it more about the entire experience?
Thank you! On a small scale, I love storytelling. I love painting pictures with words, and I absolutely love lyrics that kick you in the gut; lyrics that make you go ‘ouch, that stings, but I couldn’t have said it better’. On a grand scale, it really is the entire experience that appeals to me, it’s the idea of building an entire world or universe for someone to just dive into when they need an escape from ‘reality’.
What can we expect to see from you as the year progresses? Can we hope to see an EP or an album sometime soon?
I’m not sure how much I can say, but I have so much incoming music. I’m working hard to get to a place where I’m really doing the songs the justice they deserve. An EP is on the way and I’m so excited to start paving this path, song by song, away from the beaten track and towards the bigger picture of who I really am. In the grand scheme of things, I haven’t even truly begun.