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Writer's pictureVINCI

ARTIST ON THE WATCH: SHOCKLEY

Updated: Aug 31, 2020

Shockley, tell us more about how you got into music.

So, I’ve been around music my whole life.


I grew up doing it in the church and watching my dad travel and do gospel music.


When I got into middle school and high school, I became obsessed with 90’s R&B and 2000’s pop/hip hop.

I was listening to artists like Boys II Men, New Edition, and then Chris Brown, Kanye, Timbaland and above all others Justin Timberlake.


These sounds really began to shape the way I felt and heard sonics.

Your style/sound is such a vibe! What is your creative process when it comes to making songs?

Thanks I appreciate that!


In the beginning, my process looked like me, a note pad, and my voice memos.


I would write melodies and beat box or make weird noises and then write songs without instrumentation.

My quarantine project was teaching myself Ableton, so now I often become obsessed with a sample or a bass line or something like that and build a track off of it.


My producers are freaking legends and get the vision and the vibe.

They have the rare ability to make sense of my insanity and help bring it to life haha.


Ultimately, it’s very fluid and more often than not, different every time.

You are a very respected artist! What would you say to aspiring artists who look up to your work?

Man, the thought of people looking up to my work in general is daunting and humbling.


So thankful for that.


I would say to keep your head down.


I think comparison and “he said/she said” is such a toxic and stifling reality of the music industry.

I’ve had to learn the beauty of the mute/unfollow button on IG hahaha!


Ultimately, I know what I’m good at and I’m going to play my strengths.


As cliche as it is, nobody has what you can offer.


So don’t try to offer anything other than that.


We need what you’ve got, not what somebody else that you wanna be like has to give.

Do you have anything new or upcoming we can expect to see from you?

Oh there’s ALWAYS something hahaha.


I’ve learned that if I’m not constantly creating I’m a real pain in the ass to be around haha, so if I’m not doing that my friends and family can definitely tell.

I’ve got one more song to put out this year and a feature as well, but I’m in the process of prepping a pretty big project for the start of the new year.

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