Where are you currently based? I’ve always lived in Sutton, Surrey in South-West London. It’s a quiet area, not much happens. Unashamed to say I’m still at home as a 24 year old. Everybody seems to be in a rush to move out and get their own place but I’m the opposite. Why would I wanna take on more responsibility than I need to haha? I guess I’m just very fortunate that my next door neighbour is basically deaf and my family just let me do my music making in peace despite the fact half the time you can hear it half way down the street.
How did you first start playing music? I’ve been playing music for as long as I can remember, pretty sure I started piano lessons from the age of 3 yearly old. Eventually gave up after reaching grade 2 (which to this day I still regret) and moved onto drums. Did drum lessons whilst I was in high school but that didn’t last very long because my teacher kinda ran out of things to teach me because I picked it up so quickly. From that moved onto bass guitar. Everyone always assumes I naturally picked up bass after my dad (who was the bassist in the Lovers rock band “The Investigators”) but in reality I was never pushed into learning the instrument I just kinda fell into it by myself.
Went all the way to grade 8 with bass and I think that’s how I developed such a strong sense of rhythm. Then like most teenage music high-schoolers started a band with some friends of mine which how I got exposed to indie music for the first time.
What’s been happening recently? Recently I’ve been juggling life and music my lifestyle is all over the place, half the time I can’t even keep up. I’ve been participating in a music skills program with Clock and The Neko Trust which has been a fun peer-learning experience with other artists songwriters and producers. Been fortunate enough to mentored by some incredible industry experts such as Sam Miller, Eve Horne and currently as I’m writing this on my way to Premesis studios in Hackney to cut a record in the studio.
Also I work at The Roundhouse part-time which is super fun despite the long travel. I’m very fortunate to get to see new artists/ bands play every week. Recent highlights have been Raye and Young Fathers, both sold out shows that were unbelievable to experience live.
Please tell us the story behind your mask: I wish there was an elaborate story behind the mask but honestly it just was purely a last minute decision. I was discussing with Lucas (Director/ DOP) about ideas for outfits and he knew someone who made custom masks. We didn’t have time for her to make me my own one so I reached out to a mutual friend who already had one made (the purple Gengar mask) and she kindly let us use it for the shoot.
During the shoot day in London we was getting so much attention whilst I was wearing the mask I decided to make it the basis for my online campaign, rebranding Brotherhood as something a bit more mysterious as I think it genuinely reflects my personality.
You write, produce and perform all the music yourself, please tell us about your origins and evolution of yourself as a musician: So I’ve been obsessed with making music ever since my parents bought me my first Macbook pro at 16. Convincing them was a mission in itself but I managed to convince them this was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I learned how to produce on Garage band then moved up to Logic Pro 9 and I think the turning point in my career was the Nando’s Music Exchange program at The Roundhouse.
This was a global collaboration between young artists, producers and songwriters from South Africa, Australia and The UK. Not only did we make some amazing music, but I was fortunate enough to be mentored by the likes of Thatboykwame, Nadia Rose and Nonku Phiri. After playing them my music they collectively told me I was a born artist rather than the producer alias I had been hiding behind. Ever since then, I’ve been chasing a career as a commercial musician .
You’re a Youth Music Next Gen Fund successful applicant, please tell us about what this means to you and the process that you went through: I was honoured to find out I’d been successful in my application the process of being accepted was a 3-month wait but I was overwhelmed to find out I’d got it.
To apply you have to submit a proposal of your project and how you plan to utilise the grant. You also have to fill out a budget to how you’ll spend the money which was helpful as it allowed me to plan for the release of my song well in advance even if I had been unsuccessful.
Most of all I’m thrilled to finally be able to express myself and my artistic vision without the limitations of a low budget. It was such a blessing to get my friends involved and be able to pay them professionally for their incredible talent.
Your latest single ‘Care Too Much’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting? So I wrote this song around a year or so ago and I remember being super inspired by the idea of coming of age music, perfect modern day example being The 1975, I think songs like me and you together song and give yourself capture that theme really well. I wanted to put my own spin on it, something more 2000’s like busted and McFly era. My music tends to have a Disney-esque quality to it, some may call it dated but I think it speaks volumes to my upbringing. Back in the day pop-punk was a staple in basically every teen tv show/ movie which had a lasting effect on my approach to music. ‘
Care Too Much’ was written about the theme of feeling lost in life as a young and naive 20-something year old. In a modern age where so many young people are having success at a young age it’s almost expected that you have your life together because your supposed to know what you want to do with your life by now. I wrote this song as an indirect dig at myself, as I’ve learned to embrace how hopeless I am as a young adult. I’m aware that I’m not 17 anymore and perhaps I should take life a bit more seriously but I can’t seem to change, it’s like a shadow I can’t step out of.
How did you go about recording, producing and mastering? So I record everything in my bedroom of all places. 90% of the songs I write by myself, in my bedroom with the door closed and the speakers turned up. I play all the instruments in live and the process of tracking guitars is spontaneous as I frequently change my tuning to make chords easier to play.
I work closely with one of best friends from primary school Josh Ager who has most mixed most of my songs to date. Not only has he been a good friend he has always believed in my music. He’ll be bluntly honest if something isn’t good enough, by now we’ve established a relationship built on trust and he’s been pivotal in helping me refine my sound and polish my rough cut demos to make them sound radio ready. I believe he is THE BEST young mix engineer in the UK and he’s destined to be one of the greats in due time no question of a doubt.
Josh introduced me to Tess Greenham who did the master for Care Too Much and I couldn’t be happier with the final product. She’s such a talent and an inspiration, I look forward to continuing to work with her moving forward. I’m totally here for more female mastering engineers!
What does this single mean to you? To me this single means freedom. Embracing your flaws, not caring what anyone else thinks about you and not letting other peoples lives dictate the way you live your own.
Please tell us about the making of the music video: The process of making the music video was exhausting but it was also the most fun I’ve ever had. From an early stage Lucas (Director/DOP) and myself established the concept of a comedic narrative surrounding me dancing around and acting silly in public. We drew a lot of inspiration from Demolition man (Jake Gyllenhaal) and created this mysterious alter ego main character who was oblivious to the opinions of the world. Putting on that mask was one of the best things I’ve ever done for my confidence. I’ve never danced so much in my life but It’s the closest I’ve been to feeling like a real life super hero.
I never expected to receive so much attention and gain such an overwhelmingly positive response from the public. After nearly being arrested by the police outside Buckingham palace and breaking up a fight with a homeless guy in Camden I just wanted to capture what life would look like living as an anonymous main character for a day. Safe to say it’s pretty cool.
What’s planned for 2023? Got loads of exciting plans for this year. Currently planning the next music video for my next single “Adrenaline Rush”, if you liked the vibe of Care Too Much, the energy of the next song is gonna send you into cardiac arrest! I’m going back to Philippines next month for a much needed family break but when I return in June I’ll be dropping the EP and playing these songs live. Dates soon to be announced.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Some my top picks are:
Yazmin Lacey – From a Lover
Renao – Break it Down
One Click Straight – MRT
FlyDropThaBeat – Way It Goes (ft Tayah)
David Miller – Did Ya Know (podcast)
Favourite food and place to hangout? Taco Bell or Ecklee Grill (Motspur Park) depends how I’m feeling Seeing gigs at The Roundhouse (Perks of working at a music venue).