New Exclusive Interview with All-Ever from Montreal, Canada
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Via Twitter, I was contacted on my account @alleverhiphop. I think it’s important to connect with people who share similar goals and interests.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
I grew up in the West Island of Montreal, Canada. Like many others, I was deeply touched by artists at a very young age. As far as wanting to become a rap artist is concerned, I was introduced to hip hop early on in my childhood. In fact, it was actually my mother who gave me a rap cassette of The Fu-Schnickens. I listened to the tracks and got hooked by the lightening fast lyrics, rhythm and melody. Later on, I discovered Onyx, Fresh Prince, Coolio, Tupac, Nas, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, etc. Once in high school, a friend of mine wrote lyrics and made me listen to his tapes. I was just shocked that a regular person could write like those stars on TV. It was a turning point for me. I told myself if my friend could do it, maybe I could as well. I started writing regularly and hundreds of verses later, I developed my style and range. Rap also had a sort of therapeutic effect through difficult times. Being able to externalize destructive emotions through poetry prevented me from getting into more trouble. It served as a venting process as well as a form of artistic expression. Otherwise, when I freestyled with high school friends, it was a way to bond, have fun, express ourselves in a positive way.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
The name All-Ever came after quite a bit of reflection, pondering and second-guessing. I went through a few aliases before settling on this one. In essence, it could be summarized as follows: All I ever was, all I am now, all I’ll ever be: All-Ever. Which is also play on my birth name Oliver. To me it felt important for my rap name to be authentic, symbolic and not too over the top.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
I’ve never given my music away for free, by principle. First, because the album production was very expensive, from beat production to recording, mixing, mastering, graphic design and duplication. It’s a lot of money when you aren’t funded by a label. Since I’ve been working as a professional artist for the last 10 years, the idea of giving away my work for free feels counterproductive. Unless of course you see it as a promotional effort, a means to an end. Today, it seems like music has lost a lot of its value. It’s no longer really the music people seem to buy, but rather the artist, the image, the brand. Music artists now get a lot of their income from booking shows, sponsorships, radio play royalties as opposed to the actual songs they create. The key becomes being able to reach a sufficient amount of people to build a fan base. A platform like this, can be seen as a way to reach more folks who are inclined to enjoy your work.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
As I’ve been told myself from industry folks at SOCAN meetings, it’s really about being out there and doing shows. If people don’t know you exist, they can’t buy your music. If you aren’t doing shows, you can’t be seen by managers, A&Rs, other more established artists, promoters, presenters, etc. That’s what I’ve been told about live performance. As far as the web is concerned, I don’t know that there is necessarily a one size fits all strategy. You can do whatever you can to be visible, reachable via the different platforms that exist, like this one. There’s an unbelievable amount of music available out there so it’s important to do it for the right reasons. If you make music for the right reasons, the act of making music in and of itself will be enough to be satisfied artistically. After that, it becomes more of the business aspect. So you just have to switch hats and see your work as a product you need to market and promote. I can’t vouch for any specific media as guaranteed success, but if you’re doing at least what everyone else is doing and more, you’re chances are better you’ll be heard by the right people.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Making mistakes during performances is likely to come from a lack of preparation or a lack of stage experience. Of course, if what you’re trying to perform is way out of your skill set, then you’re more likely to make mistakes on stage. When I started performing, I would sometimes stumble on a line here and there but you sort of roll with the punches. That’s the beauty of live performance, it actually proves that you’re performing for real as opposed to lip-synching. Mistakes can occur but if you’re sufficiently rehearsed, the audience usually can’t tell, unless of course you completely bomb and choke. In that case, you just need to bring your professionalism up and rehearse more. You can also seek coaching or training to improve your technique and interpretation. Otherwise, I think you need to be well rested, focused and in the moment.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Yes, I’ve toured for the last 10 years in different performance genres. For The Midnight Birth, we’ve toured Montreal, Magog, Toronto and it’s continuing this season. There’s always something interesting that happens on tour because you’re in a constant state of adaptation. Interestingly for us, as performers however, is having people come up after a performance and shower us with praise about the show. It’s a bit destabilizing at first because you just feel as though you’re doing what you’ve rehearsed again and again and it’s now sort of normal. But to some, you’ve just transported them, touched them profoundly with your words and feelings and they connected to you in a way you didn’t necessarily directly connect to them personally. So that’s an added bonus beyond the fee you receive to perform.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
My songwriting inspiration usually comes from frustrations I feel. When I feel there’s injustice, oppression, cruelty that can’t be changed outright, it fills me with ill feelings that I need to exorcise. Instead of ignoring atrocities, bottling them up and letting them eat me up inside, I make it a ritual to tackle them directly and spit them out of my system. Rap began as the voice of the oppressed and that’s what it remained for me. Otherwise, sometimes a word or a set of words will stick in my head for awhile and sort of nag me until I match them up with a concept, other words, rhythm, until it becomes a verse.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Yes, my official website is www.all-ever.com, otherwise, I have some music on Bandcamp to stream at http://all-ever.bandcamp.com/
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
I don’t actually listen to music on an mp3 player or Ipod. I like to be connected to the outside world. But if I check in my computer, I have this old song from Onyx called Veronica which can be quite embarrassing at around 3 minute 8 seconds if you’re in a formal context. Let’s just say it gets a bit graphic…
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Realistically, I’d finish paying off the basics of survival. Otherwise, I’d produce videoclips, another album, invest in the production of our show for lighting design, touring equipment.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
I usually outsource studio related needs to other professionals so that would be in their department.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Thus far, touring works best in practical terms because we get seen by industry professionals who then connect us with other venues, audiences and events. It makes it easier to sell the show and get more media coverage. We can also sell copies of my album to audience members who want to take home a portion of the show with them.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
That’s a pretty hard question to answer… I’d have to say with artists who’s work I enjoy a lot: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Tupac, Immortal Technique. It would probably be pretty wild to do a show with someone like Busta Rhymes or Redman as well. As far as the location is concerned, it’d be easy to say Madison Square Garden for a mega production. For historical purposes, I’d probably want to do a show with the founders of hip hop, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Melle Mel because you can’t get much closer to the roots of the genre.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Our tour continues with 4 dates Feb. 28th, March 19th, 20th and 21st. Otherwise we’re discussing with several other presenters to receive our show, one of which will be in British Columbia, Canada.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Probably everything else I’m currently doing: acting in theatre, film, tv, contemporary dance. Creating in other mediums.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
The first album I remember buying myself is Onyx’s Shut ‘Em Down in 1998. I remember being surprised at how many curse words could be said per minute. Otherwise, I was listening to other artists on radio and TV.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
I prioritize paid performance work in theatre, film, tv, commercials and contemporary dance to earn a living and I reinvest time and money into my rap creations. I also take up managerial functions to sell our show, connect with industry professionals and set up tours. Otherwise, when things are a bit calmer, I write more verses in preparation of the next albums.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
In 2015, The Midnight Birth tour, performed with contemporary dancer Kim Henry, is scheduled for the 28th of February, the 19th, 20th and 21st of March, as prior mentioned. Another date will be announced soon as it gets confirmed with a presenter and we’re negotiating terms with another presenter in British Columbia. Details of our tour can be found here: http://www.all-ever.com/tourn-e-tour.html We also post news on Twitter via @alleverhiphop and on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=107872869294443
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Via Twitter, I was contacted on my account @alleverhiphop. I think it’s important to connect with people who share similar goals and interests.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
I grew up in the West Island of Montreal, Canada. Like many others, I was deeply touched by artists at a very young age. As far as wanting to become a rap artist is concerned, I was introduced to hip hop early on in my childhood. In fact, it was actually my mother who gave me a rap cassette of The Fu-Schnickens. I listened to the tracks and got hooked by the lightening fast lyrics, rhythm and melody. Later on, I discovered Onyx, Fresh Prince, Coolio, Tupac, Nas, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, etc. Once in high school, a friend of mine wrote lyrics and made me listen to his tapes. I was just shocked that a regular person could write like those stars on TV. It was a turning point for me. I told myself if my friend could do it, maybe I could as well. I started writing regularly and hundreds of verses later, I developed my style and range. Rap also had a sort of therapeutic effect through difficult times. Being able to externalize destructive emotions through poetry prevented me from getting into more trouble. It served as a venting process as well as a form of artistic expression. Otherwise, when I freestyled with high school friends, it was a way to bond, have fun, express ourselves in a positive way.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
The name All-Ever came after quite a bit of reflection, pondering and second-guessing. I went through a few aliases before settling on this one. In essence, it could be summarized as follows: All I ever was, all I am now, all I’ll ever be: All-Ever. Which is also play on my birth name Oliver. To me it felt important for my rap name to be authentic, symbolic and not too over the top.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
I’ve never given my music away for free, by principle. First, because the album production was very expensive, from beat production to recording, mixing, mastering, graphic design and duplication. It’s a lot of money when you aren’t funded by a label. Since I’ve been working as a professional artist for the last 10 years, the idea of giving away my work for free feels counterproductive. Unless of course you see it as a promotional effort, a means to an end. Today, it seems like music has lost a lot of its value. It’s no longer really the music people seem to buy, but rather the artist, the image, the brand. Music artists now get a lot of their income from booking shows, sponsorships, radio play royalties as opposed to the actual songs they create. The key becomes being able to reach a sufficient amount of people to build a fan base. A platform like this, can be seen as a way to reach more folks who are inclined to enjoy your work.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
As I’ve been told myself from industry folks at SOCAN meetings, it’s really about being out there and doing shows. If people don’t know you exist, they can’t buy your music. If you aren’t doing shows, you can’t be seen by managers, A&Rs, other more established artists, promoters, presenters, etc. That’s what I’ve been told about live performance. As far as the web is concerned, I don’t know that there is necessarily a one size fits all strategy. You can do whatever you can to be visible, reachable via the different platforms that exist, like this one. There’s an unbelievable amount of music available out there so it’s important to do it for the right reasons. If you make music for the right reasons, the act of making music in and of itself will be enough to be satisfied artistically. After that, it becomes more of the business aspect. So you just have to switch hats and see your work as a product you need to market and promote. I can’t vouch for any specific media as guaranteed success, but if you’re doing at least what everyone else is doing and more, you’re chances are better you’ll be heard by the right people.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Making mistakes during performances is likely to come from a lack of preparation or a lack of stage experience. Of course, if what you’re trying to perform is way out of your skill set, then you’re more likely to make mistakes on stage. When I started performing, I would sometimes stumble on a line here and there but you sort of roll with the punches. That’s the beauty of live performance, it actually proves that you’re performing for real as opposed to lip-synching. Mistakes can occur but if you’re sufficiently rehearsed, the audience usually can’t tell, unless of course you completely bomb and choke. In that case, you just need to bring your professionalism up and rehearse more. You can also seek coaching or training to improve your technique and interpretation. Otherwise, I think you need to be well rested, focused and in the moment.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Yes, I’ve toured for the last 10 years in different performance genres. For The Midnight Birth, we’ve toured Montreal, Magog, Toronto and it’s continuing this season. There’s always something interesting that happens on tour because you’re in a constant state of adaptation. Interestingly for us, as performers however, is having people come up after a performance and shower us with praise about the show. It’s a bit destabilizing at first because you just feel as though you’re doing what you’ve rehearsed again and again and it’s now sort of normal. But to some, you’ve just transported them, touched them profoundly with your words and feelings and they connected to you in a way you didn’t necessarily directly connect to them personally. So that’s an added bonus beyond the fee you receive to perform.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
My songwriting inspiration usually comes from frustrations I feel. When I feel there’s injustice, oppression, cruelty that can’t be changed outright, it fills me with ill feelings that I need to exorcise. Instead of ignoring atrocities, bottling them up and letting them eat me up inside, I make it a ritual to tackle them directly and spit them out of my system. Rap began as the voice of the oppressed and that’s what it remained for me. Otherwise, sometimes a word or a set of words will stick in my head for awhile and sort of nag me until I match them up with a concept, other words, rhythm, until it becomes a verse.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Yes, my official website is www.all-ever.com, otherwise, I have some music on Bandcamp to stream at http://all-ever.bandcamp.com/
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
I don’t actually listen to music on an mp3 player or Ipod. I like to be connected to the outside world. But if I check in my computer, I have this old song from Onyx called Veronica which can be quite embarrassing at around 3 minute 8 seconds if you’re in a formal context. Let’s just say it gets a bit graphic…
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Realistically, I’d finish paying off the basics of survival. Otherwise, I’d produce videoclips, another album, invest in the production of our show for lighting design, touring equipment.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
I usually outsource studio related needs to other professionals so that would be in their department.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Thus far, touring works best in practical terms because we get seen by industry professionals who then connect us with other venues, audiences and events. It makes it easier to sell the show and get more media coverage. We can also sell copies of my album to audience members who want to take home a portion of the show with them.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
That’s a pretty hard question to answer… I’d have to say with artists who’s work I enjoy a lot: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Tupac, Immortal Technique. It would probably be pretty wild to do a show with someone like Busta Rhymes or Redman as well. As far as the location is concerned, it’d be easy to say Madison Square Garden for a mega production. For historical purposes, I’d probably want to do a show with the founders of hip hop, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Melle Mel because you can’t get much closer to the roots of the genre.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Our tour continues with 4 dates Feb. 28th, March 19th, 20th and 21st. Otherwise we’re discussing with several other presenters to receive our show, one of which will be in British Columbia, Canada.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Probably everything else I’m currently doing: acting in theatre, film, tv, contemporary dance. Creating in other mediums.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
The first album I remember buying myself is Onyx’s Shut ‘Em Down in 1998. I remember being surprised at how many curse words could be said per minute. Otherwise, I was listening to other artists on radio and TV.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
I prioritize paid performance work in theatre, film, tv, commercials and contemporary dance to earn a living and I reinvest time and money into my rap creations. I also take up managerial functions to sell our show, connect with industry professionals and set up tours. Otherwise, when things are a bit calmer, I write more verses in preparation of the next albums.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
In 2015, The Midnight Birth tour, performed with contemporary dancer Kim Henry, is scheduled for the 28th of February, the 19th, 20th and 21st of March, as prior mentioned. Another date will be announced soon as it gets confirmed with a presenter and we’re negotiating terms with another presenter in British Columbia. Details of our tour can be found here: http://www.all-ever.com/tourn-e-tour.html We also post news on Twitter via @alleverhiphop and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=107872869294443
