We caught up with London-based artist Triped following the release of his superb single ‘Driving With Tears In My Eyes’ in September 2020. Read our full interview below!
Tell us about yourself?
I hate talking about myself; I’m just a 23-year-old artist from London trying to express myself 🙂
Also your next favourite pop star, of course!
What is your songwriting process?
I get ideas for songs at the most random times, particularly when I’m half-awake.
An initial idea typically consists of just the melody and chord progression, sometimes accompanied by filler lyrics (part English, part Gibberish), some of which eventually make it to the final song.
I then immediately record a concept demo of me humming and singing the melody (and if I have access to a keyboard, I’ll play the chords too), which I listen to over and over until I decide to develop the song further.
I’m actually a very slow songwriter; it takes me months if not years to complete a song from start to finish.
Tell us about your latest release?
Driving With Tears In My Eyes is my new single, which will be out on the 25th. I’m extremely proud of the song, and I can’t wait for the world to hear it.
What inspired ‘Driving With Tears In My Eyes’?
When I wrote the song, I often used driving as a form of catharsis to distract myself from all the negative thoughts in my mind.
I address some of those in the lyrics, mostly relating to not having a defined place in the world, the fear of not progressing fast enough and juxtapose those to zooming through the roads at high speed, which represents the opposite of stagnancy.
Who else worked on the single?
No one, it’s all me! 🙂
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
Many of my songs have the aim to uplift, motivate, or solace people. This one definitely falls into the latter category and screaming this song at the top of my lungs has proven very beneficial for me. 🙂
But in general, I write songs as a way to let out emotions that I would never be open to sharing in any other way, due to my introverted personality.
Who are your musical influences?
Mariah Carey is the main artist that I grew up listening to, and her impact on my songwriting has definitely been significant, I wish I’ll be able to thank her personally one day.
Other than MC, I would often play classic R&B/Soul records by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, George Michael, and the likes. And of course, modern-day pop music has remarkably influenced my work, I love pop, always have, and always will.
Who are your non-musical influences?
My friends. They’re some of the most amazing people in the world, and I wouldn’t be half the person that I am today without them.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
The music industry has certainly changed a lot in the past few decades. You once had to impress gatekeepers in the industry, who would then be responsible for financing your projects and all that jazz, and that would be the only way that artists could turn their ideas into actual concrete records.
The opposite is true now, everyone can make and release music very cheaply, and consequently, the amount of new songs being released is insurmountable, which makes standing out from the crowd and finding your audience much harder.
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Don’t expect overnight success, even if you are making the most incredible music that could be made, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Or a week. Or a year.
Differentiate between constructive criticism and pointless hate, and do not get discouraged by the latter.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
On a personal level, I would like my career to solidify a bit more, and for my music to reach a decent amount of people, and I can’t wait to be able to play live shows.
On a general level, I would like the world to be a more optimistic place than it’s currently shaping out to be. This year’s events have attenuated the figurative flame burning inside of me, and I would like to return to being that person that wanted to change the world for the better.
FV Music Blog September 2020
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Twitter: @TriPed_Rocks
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