In this interview spotlight, we chat with PRIME about the newest release, influences, musical tastes, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and the video for Poison below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into PRIME, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
What attracts me most to the pop genre is that it allows me the space to create any style of music I want. Pop contains such a huge spectrum of style that I can create a song with influences from many genres. For example, I can write an R&B song mixed with Electronica and a pinch of reggae.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
As PRIME, sharing music has only been less than a year! But as a musician, I’ve been creating music for about 7 years now.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
My surroundings and people around me definitely influence how I write and play. As for my motivation, it comes from somewhere inside me; I hear melodies and I just feel the urge to create.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific with your new video “Poison”? Creatively or otherwise?
I was just hoping to capture what the song is about – how a lover can make us feel alive, but also be detrimental to our well being. As for the aesthetics, I wanted to keep it bare and stripped down, so the emotions emanate clearly. I am just glad to have been able to work with 2 amazing dancers who were able to depict those emotions.
What was the last song you listened to?
The last song I listened to is the song that I just wrote… it’s about to be mixed and mastered, so it will be released very soon!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Well, I don’t really have a preference, but one thing I will say for Vinyl is that the sound has a warmth to it… I mean, it might just be that I grew up listening to the vinyl records that my dad would play
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I have a membership with both Spotify and Apple Music; I find them both easy to use. However, SoundCloud is actually my favorite because it’s the most accessible; it doesn’t require a membership; it’s free. That just makes it easier for me to share my music with everyone!
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
I guess one of the concerns is just that there are no major artists with my ethnic and racial background to look toward.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?
Well, right now, I don’t have any live shows scheduled because I’m in the midst of the creative phase; I’m still turning out new music and videos. At this point, it’s all about creating content.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
It would be Facebook. I have a strong community that I am constantly engaging with. Once a week, I have a question and answer day where I get to know my fans on a more personal level, other days I post items that I find amusing, and the rest of the days, I am sharing my music.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Shout-out to my Mom and Dad; I know they miss me!
As for words of wisdom, I think we need to stick together in these trying times. We need to help those that are in pain, even if they do or say things that we don’t agree with.
