Your track Enough For You feels very personal, what moment or experience pushed you to write it so openly?
I’ve always been the kind of person who goes all or nothing with a relationship. I always told girls, right at the start of talking, that I’m not one to waste time and that I wanted to get married, have a family, all that. I want long term commitment, and I’m a very good partner. I’m currently married, but this song was a shot to all the girls that lied, cheated, stole from me, etc. There’s a multitude of experiences piled together in here, leading to the ultimate question… I’m giving you everything, how is it still not enough for you?
That line about putting your pride aside really stands out, how difficult was it to be that vulnerable in your writing?
There was a day where I finally realized I was a young, dumb, hopeless idiot. I had to take all my pride and call it worthless. I spent a long time bettering myself, physically and mentally. I’ve always been vulnerable in my writing, I’ve always been very confident, but it was time I realized that I have to increase my value as a person and increase the value of people I surround myself with. I couldn’t expect a great partner if I myself wasn’t great. It took a long time, but it taught me a lot. Pain is a necessary part of growth.
How did working with CALLMEJB shape the emotion and overall feel of the song?
Me and JB had met when neither of us even had 10 monthly listeners. We shared lots of deep conversations, then put it all into music. We had recorded lots of songs together soon after meeting, most of which hadn’t ever released. So basically we built a rapport, we understand how to start a song and continue evolving it until it meets the standard we want. We’ve become very critical of what we release now, aiming to always bring better and better songs. We have a couple new tracks that will be coming this year that prove it’s only up from here!
You’ve cited influences like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, how have they impacted your storytelling style on this record?
J Cole and Kendrick’s music has always been super important to me. I don’t directly relate to their experiences, but more so I just feel the pain and know that the music came from a deep place. If I’m ever even about write a story that’s really meaningful to me, I don’t even start fully fleshing out my ideas until I’ve listened to “Sing about me, I’m Dying of Thirst”, or an Eminem song about his mom, or something off “2014 Forest Hills Drive”. I’ve become a much better storyteller ever since I realized that I need to get in a storyteller headspace first. It’s not that I copy anyone or want the song sounding like theirs. It’s just to get my mind into “Story Mode”.
The song shifts from self-doubt to defiance, was that emotional transition something you experienced in real time?
Like I had said, there was a day I realized I needed to change myself. I hadn’t fully gotten over an ex of mine though, so this song reflects the confidence of knowing “as a matter of fact I am enough, and I’ll prove it. I’ll be even more than enough, watch me”. This song wasn’t meant to be me fully evolving, but rather realizing that I shouldn’t have to for that person because I’ve already been everything they’d need. Later on in “A Wasteland Called Love” the album, I explain that I evolved without involving that particular ex and moved on fully.