Exposed Vocals Interviews “NostalgiaIsTheName”

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

NostalgiaIsTheName: I grew up in a little beautiful Caribbean island called Barbados in mainly the Parish of St.Michael with my St.Lucian grand parents and also at times my Dominican grandmother. Growing up i listened to a lot of music from a variety of genres from classical to hits of the 70’s and 80’s, and from that i felt inspired to do so much more because i became sensitive to the sounds i heard; the voices and instruments, every key element of music just takes me to a totally different planet in my mind, when ever i got bored i’d sometimes wonder , how did they do that?, How did they make that sound? but then the thing that made me really take music more seriously was one day i saw a picture of my mum in a studio looking happy and seeing all that cool equipment had me in aw, like WOW!, This is how it all happens. and every since then all i ever talk about is music,all i ever dream about is music.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

NostalgiaIsTheName: The name first just came to me as  “Nostalgia” for the main fact that as i get older every year, i some how tend to look the same. its funny   now as look back, when i was 16 years old people thought i was either 11 or 12 and now that i’m 19 the only thing that changed is my perspective on how i look at life, a smooth rough voice, a little mustache and more confidence in myself as an artist,But i’m still that short person from those couple years back probably a centimeter or two taller now haha. but hey!

I go by NostalgiaIsTheName now because i started using it on my beats (kinda like a “MikeWillMadeIt” type of thing) so people wont be confused and mixed up and also for me i thought it had a nice ring to it.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

NostalgiaIsTheName: I think online music sharing is a great idea!, because not too long ago when you heard a new song was out, it was very hard to get and it was much more difficult for artist to reach out to people.Now with all the modern day media sharing sites you have it all at your finger tips and its so much easier now to reach a bigger audience with things like : SoundCloud , Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ect. now its so much easier than it was in the 80’s or 90’s.

I give away free music from time to time and there’s a simple reason. its simple, its like making a new cereal for example and you want it in stores, however you don’t know how the consumer will react so you give out samples, ask for feedback and then work on how you can improve your errors and continue work with the consumer so that you get better and better till your product is considered ready for public sale.

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?

NostalgiaIsTheName: Starting out as an artist, Weather it maybe a Band or solo artist, its not easy. With that being said, as long as you keep your head on and say at it with your craft, be a good sport and know how to work with others and knowing how to market yourself then you aren’t just any musician. your an artist! and that says a lot about you because as an artist you make a huge impact on the world and those around you and that makes you an inspiration to others. In terms of marketing yourself and looking to get gigs my best advise is that social media is beyond just a tool, That’s your audience and the stage is right in your backyard, room or where ever possible you can hold sessions and interact with the world around you.

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

NostalgiaIsTheName: Of Course! Everyone make mistakes, its apart of our nature. But its one thing to make a mistake and give up, its also another thing to make mistakes work on overcoming them and keep going.

I Remember sometime either last year or the year before that i had to perform an original song of mine that i barely knew.

I had about 15 minutes to remember this song and all i could remember were the first verse and chorus. When i got on stage i got nervous and started second guessing myself but the moment i grabbed the mic i sang my heart out till i got to the second verse and that’s when i was about to freeze, till i then realize that as an artist no matter what genre it is as long as its yours you can recreate it and make it yours all over again. I freestyled that entire second verse and hit a note i never thought i could then went straight back to the chorus and the response i got from the crowd was one of the greatest feelings i had ever felt at that time in my life. Best night ever!

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

NostalgiaIsTheName: I’ve never been on tour just yet, But i had some local pageant appearances and been to few open mic events. i also had some very interesting opportunities but had to pass on them for personal reasons. I had to travel to London for a coast2coast event and then in October i’m supposed to be in Canada for another event so maybe after that i think Canada will bring some interesting stories, but for now there’s nothing much that relates to the question that i can add.

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

NostalgiaIsTheName: When it comes to writing songs i don’t necessarily have a process. Normally if an idea comes to mind depending on my situation and how i feel deeply sometimes i just write. Other times i’d just play a beat and flow with it sometimes use my phome to record what i’m singing or rapping and write it down in my book sometimes in my phone as well for back up.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

NostalgiaIsTheName: No, I don’t have a band website unfortunately. But I use i use mainly; SoundCloud, Facebook, Twitter @henostalgiakid ,and Instagram @i_am_nostalgia246

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

NostalgiaIsTheName: haha!, if i had to choose i’d probably say Nicki Minaj Super Bass (great song to me but its so random and weird to some people) and probably the gummy bear song.

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

NostalgiaIsTheName: First ‘id invest in a home to call my own with a living room studio with nothing but instruments, amps, pre amps, mixers, mics, headphones, the works!.. i would also take it upon myself to help other artist by working with them day in and out and help my family and other families as much as i can and being a Baha’i i would also tap into my higher nature to better my community and build my people on step at a time.

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

NostalgiaIsTheName: At This Current Moment i’m still with my grandparents. I work from a studio set up in my room and I use Fl Studio 11 or 12  to make beats and when i record, i record at Hit Island Studio with Hassani “ZenTheDj” engineering and KB Sharp (The head of it all) Mix and Master.

for future upgrades i would get some more studio monitors, couple mics(preferably audio technica and MXL) some proper acoustics (wall treatment) few more Akai midi keyboards and couple more instruments.

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

NostalgiaIsTheName: A lot of Hashtags (lol). i use a lot of social media and i’m always trying to some what keep up with the latest. i use a lot of hash tags with twitter and instagram. Hash tags that market what i’m trying to promote so people find it, for instance if your selling gift cards you wont say hash tag hardwood floor for sale, you’d say hash tag gift cards (#GiftCards) so people find your product and what you do. What i also do is let my friends hear my latest projects and ask if they could share with others, This also helps you to start your fan base but its up to you to build and maintain it from there on.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

NostalgiaIsTheName: If i could perform with Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and Bob Marley and Tupac at the super bowl it would be a dream come true. With Michael and Bruno you have that wow something amazing is about to happen; Lights, fireworks quick wardrobe changes and remarkable vocals. Then with Tupac you have that ruthless energy and aggression that hypes a crowd and not only that, you have Bars for hourss (emphasis on hours) and then with Bob Marley you get that reggae up tempo uplifting kinda vibe going on that makes everything about the moment feel so right and the thought of someone from the Caribbean performing at super bowl is just golden for the islands and my self.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

NostalgiaIsTheName: Yeah, i’m looking to get some local rappers/ singers and songwriters also producers together so we can work as a team and build each other in hopes of putting out what people want, Some really great music.But for now i’m just posting Beats on my soundcloud.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

NostalgiaIsTheName: If i Weren’t making music i’d probably be some where learning ans training how to fly planes. Before i thought about becoming a musician seriously i wanted to be a pilot.Nothing drastic like plane crashes or anything like that changed my mind, i just decided i like making music more and that feeling you get when the song you made is being played over by another person is a feeling i knew i wanted for life, making music and knowing someone out there appreciates it as much as you did is a feeling i wouldn’t trade for the galaxies beyond.

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

NostalgiaIsTheName: The first album i ever bought on my own because at the time i was fanboy 101 was “unorthadox juke box” by Bruno Mars. after grenade and some of his older songs and seeing few live performances i just thought to my self with a voice like that this man is definitely not human!!, Who his falsetto like that?, How do you hit falsetto like that?. Mr. Mars is a person i would say really helped me make an impact on my career in terms of singing, i’m still fan boy 101 but when ever i watch the awards and hear someone else won, at least  this time i don’t get mad and unplug the tv anymore.

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

NostalgiaIsTheName: i plan out a little itinerary for myself. At a certain time during the day i would take time to write and then and night till morning sometimes getting little no sleep at all  i’d make beats. its all about using time smart yet efficient. i try not to over work my self musically but sometimes i’m so caught up it hardly ever feels like i’m working and feels more like i’m playing video games and about to beat a boss level. When it comes to music i’m always in my zone and the same goes for everyday responsibilities, i’m never too caught up because doing way too much at once is really exhausting and can really eat up a lot of your time if you don’t use it wisely.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?

NostalgiaIsTheName: All i can say for now is, Where ever the journey takes me and us as a collective, time will tell. But for expectation purposes from me personally i’m looking to put out few mixtapes and about two albums for next year both instrumental and vocal and maybe even get on the road more and meet with new people and artist of all regions of the world.