An Exclusive Interview With Talented Artist naahsall
naahsall’ is an artist who has been experimenting with music for a number of years. He doesn’t specialize in a specific genre; he just creates. He wishes to educate listeners on social issues and hopefully, inspire them to speak out against injustice.
Q: When you decide it’s time to make a new record, is that more exciting or stressful?
Ans: It’s always exciting, I love creating music.
Q: How easily do songs tend to come to you?
Ans: When I’m in the zone, it comes pretty easily. If I’m not feeling it, it’s hard.
Q: What’s your motto or the advice you live by?
Ans: I don’t have a motto. But I guess my advice would be to learn from your mistakes, love yourself, and be a decent human being.
Q: For our readers who have never heard your music, explain your sound in 3 words?
Ans: Political. Experimental. Fun.
Q: You write all of your own music; where do you draw inspiration from when you write songs and what’s your favourite part about the process?
Ans: I like the whole process. When I start creating I go with the flow. I usually surprise myself.
Q: At what age did you start creating music?
Ans: 2012, I was like 16. I got my first laptop; a MacBook that came with GarageBand.
Q: Who are your inspirations?
Ans: Usually politically-charged individuals. People who speak out against injustice, systemic oppression. To name some names, Ida B. Wells, Emma Goldman, etc.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your latest release. What’s it about?
Ans: It’s a bunch of things. In the first verse, I’m questioning whether educating myself on an individual level is any good when the issues we face as a society are mostly systemic. And then the second verse is me saying that we can’t go back to normal after this crisis (Covid-19) settles down. There are more problems awaiting us, like climate chaos, which is caused by capitalism. Capitalism, colonialism, these systems of oppression need to end, we need to decolonize. My overall mood while creating this was that I felt alone, that’s why I named it as such.
Q: Which musicians do you admire? Why?
Ans: Hayley Kiyoko, Janelle Monáe, Mona Haydar, Riz Ahmed. I admire them because they make politically conscious music, they’re socially responsible with their content. I also admire them as individuals because they’re politically-aware, I think that’s so important in this capitalist nightmare that we live in. They’re using their platform to educate, destigmatize…all that good stuff.
Q: Where do you record your music?
Ans: In a basement, which is also my room.
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5AdHD7xPCVCstC54iwnMfh?si=GQ0FVSnCRXqWr0VabUilIA
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/browncisman/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/browncisman
Thanks for taking time out of your day:)