Weston is a Hip Hop artist and songwriter from Canton, Ohio. For the last four years he was in the United States Marine Corps stationed in Twentynine Palms, California.
Recently, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue music and create art in a new place. Weston has just released his newest mixtape titled: “Unavailable” and is currently working on his next untitled project with Nashville O.G. music engineer Don Bates.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Weston about his latest project, motivations, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I am from Canton, Ohio born and raised. My dad moved a little farther south to Bolivar, Ohio when I was a kid but still the same general area all my life until about 18. Since I was about 15-16 I started rapping and writing. I would just say I try to make genuine hip hop that feels good. You know that good for the soul type stuff?? Haha just playing but I definitely just try to do my best and have fun with it. I’m listening to Swimming while I type this so I’m feeling ambitious.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Man I feel like that’s a question I could go super in depth with, but I would just say it started from loving music at an early age, and just always having a connection to it before I would even have considered myself an artist of any kind. Then when I started actually creating it, it was just something that I had never felt so comfortable doing. Like I knew I loved it from the jump. A lot motivates me to stay after it, from just cherishing that I am able/capable to do what I love, to wanting to make my family proud. I feel like I could name much more. I think the biggest thing is just knowing deep down it’s what I want to do.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
I would say the release of my new song and video Gift Wrap is different because I feel great about it. Not that I don’t feel good about previous releases, but when you are constantly making music it’s easy to get done with something and immediately move on to the next piece. This track was a great experience in the creation process. The song is produced by my cousin; Don Bates. Being able to create music with my family I think has helped challenge me and helped the music elevate to a place it wasn’t at before. On top of that It is a song that I really feel something with. You know that growing pain thing you deal with as you get older. It was cool to make a song that portrayed that for me. Then the video I feel really brought it home and made it seem full circle. I love home family videos. Like I cry when I watch them haha. So putting them in a video and just creating it around that was super fun and I was stoked on how it turned out. My cousin Don, also directed the video. That dude is a mastermind to say the least!
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
It is a crazy, beautiful, disastrous time we live in when it comes to music creation and consumption. I think the challenges we face in them though can also be helpful. It can no doubt be tough to get your music out there to the masses because there’s so much for people to listen to, but for me that’s just more incentive to get out in the real world and support and experience things with other people. I think that real world support goes farther than the internet. In the sense of sturdiness. You know, you want the foundation before you stick the roof on that bad boy.
What was the last song you listened to?
Damn, I’m listening to Wings by Mac Miller right now. Before I sat down to do this I was listening to Meek’s new album. I love it. Been listening to Earl’s new album non stop though.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Man I love vinyl for real, but I don’t listen to it everyday. Thinking of that I’m due to bust out my record player. It’s been a minute since I played one. I think vinyl is the dopest, but I’m listening to mp3’s the most hands down. It’s just that digital age we are in.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Haha funny story, I actually just got Spotify premium for the first time a couple months ago. I was mind blown when I started using it. It’s cool I’m just a buy albums, use youtube kinda person, but I’m glad I started using Spotify.
Here is a link to my last full length project titled “Unavailable”-
Spotify: Unavailable the Mixtape
Artist site:Musicbyweston.com
Instagram: Westonmusic
Twitter: gimmidamike
