In this interview spotlight, I chat with Tate Sims about the latest project (Utmost), adapting during the pandemic, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
I was born in NYC, NY and basically raised in Teaneck NJ, which is about 5 miles from Manhattan.
My parents were both singers and so I was raised on all of the best music my formative years.
Seeing that I had such a well rounded upbringing musically I tend to have my music touch a lot of different genres in almost every song I write. The nest way that I describe my music is Funky Rock with a Pop Soul Twist.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
I was basically raised into the music business by osmosis from my parents. I was drawn to it at a very young age. You know how a lot of people have no idea what they might want to do when they grow up ? For me there was never any doubt that I was going to be a musician full time come hell or high water. My folks always took me to the best concerts. Living so close to NYC we saw all of the best acts in the business from James Brown at the Apollo Theater to Kiss at Madison Square Garden and everything in between.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
My latest album entitled “Utmost” is a compilation of me expanding my horizons musically, lyrically and philosophically. I was pushing myself to stretch outside my comfort zone to be a better writer, producer and engineer from my previous albums. The difference is evident on every track compared to my previous music. I wanted to make everything not so black and white where you couldn’t really tell exactly what I was talking about unless you asked. Seeing that we have had such tumultuous recent years, the songs flowed more readily because the inspiration was huge being cooped up for long periods of time. So in a way I had a blast during the shutdown because I was doing what I loved and being creative so a lot of the tunes reflect that vibe.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented times? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
The fire was in the times themselves. Just looking at the news periodically and seeing the turmoil and mayhem that’s been going down, inspiration was everywhere. It also helped me to write more introspective lyrically and not take the easy way out and write about love or partying. That’s too easy. It has also helped me mature as an artist. I love it…
Being a musician and a recording artist I love hearing things I’ve never heard before so I tend to listen to house music because I like the newest sounds. It inspires me to hear innovative and creative new patches that are interesting and new.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
Good question. I miss the days of running to the store to get the latest album on vinyl, getting it home and opening it and reading the liner notes and staring at the cover art. 8 tracks were too much of a pain. I’m probably dating myself here but that’s how it goes. I don’t really miss CD’s but I still use them as a promotional tool. Streaming is very convenient but there are still too many loop holes that leave artists out in the cold financially so to answer your question that would be vinyl. That was a long road to get to a short answer but I just wanted to point out the differences.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
You can check me out at my website which is www.tatesimms.net
Also you can check out my EPK.
I’m also very proud of my write up in New York Weekly.
You can follow me on www.instagram.com/tatesimms and
www.facebook.com/tatesimms and
and you can subscribe to my youtube channel as well.
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
I appreciate you as well and thanks for the cool interview. You can download “Utmost” on Spotify, or Amazon or iTunes or where ever you stream your music. Thanks again …
