In this interview spotlight, we chat with Singer/Producer YONEE about music, influences, the new project, and more.
Q&A, links, and a stream of Bombs Of My Love can be found below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Well I started DJing when I was in college at the University of Chicago, and making remixes/mashups that fueled my passion for dance music! I love the high energy /positivity of it, and performing it! Also, I love the melodies in pop so I wanted to be able to fuse my vocals with a catchy dance beat and pop songwriting/creativity!
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
I started playing the piano at a young age and my grandparents and uncle were singers so there was music around me at all times. Singing and writing music didn’t come into my life until I was in a boy band managed by Johnny Wright. The boy band was comprised of 3 singers, drummer and dj (I was the DJ). I would watch all the singers go through their vocal lessons and thought that it was something I would love to do especially because I always had all these melodies running through my head. To this day, I still use the same vocal warm up tape that those band members gave me and that was about 5 years ago!
Also, I am a self taught producer, so i spent most of my time in college perfecting my craft!
I think my drive comes from wanting to inspire people and create happy moments in life! Life isnt always easy, so I strive everyday to do what i can to make it easier for everyone through my music!
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
I attribute a lot of my songwriting ability to studying the great songwriters in pop today. For example, Max Martin is a huge hero of mine. I would say on the production side of things I am influenced a lot my the likes of Avicii and Calvin Harris! Definitely spent a lot of time listening to and studying their music! I think as time went on I read more and more about different type of artists and learned about their craft: Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan etc.. and took bits and pieces from each to broaden my tastes and horizons. This has also super positively impacted my music!
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
I wanted to create a song that exemplified me as an artist and person in every way: positive, uplifting, energetic, and dancey! At the same time, I wanted to be able to inspire people with a positive message to coalesce and unify with the message of love. So after completing the song, we traveled around the globe and worked with artists to reinterpret the song in their medium of art. We also visited the sites of various terrorist attacks to pay our respects, and try to create an uplifting inspirational video to give people a sense of hope, unity, and love in the tough times we live in! I always say if I could put one more smile on someones face, I’ve done my job!
What was the last song you listened to?
Probably Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. Huge fan!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Well i learned how to DJ on vinyl, moved to CDs, and now use mp3s so I have respect for all of them!
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Honestly I use most of them! I have been using Spotify a lot lately! Their playlists are AWESOME and its a great way for fans to connect with artists!
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
Getting the music out in the right channels! There are so many avenues to take but its important to find the channels that fit your market and brand and allow you to reach as many fans as possible!
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
You can go to my instagram.com/iamyonee, or I do a lot of posting on Snapchat! Iamyonee is my username.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Thank you so much for interviewing me! And stay tuned for my upcoming music; its all so different and brings out other sides of me as a person whether it be a piano ballad, groovy dance track, or soaring anthem! So there is something for everyone!
