You know what they say - music is the food to the soul, and I couldn't agree more! It's like the ultimate mood-setter. One minute you're feeling down, and the next, your favourite jam comes on, and suddenly you're dancing around the room like nobody's watching! That's the power of music!
And for this edition, we have the incredibly talented Simi joining us for a chat! A multifaceted superstar who excels as a singer, songwriter, sound engineer, and producer, Simi's passion for music is evident in every aspect of her work. Driven by love, a desire to survive, and a sense of purpose, she has achieved remarkable success, cementing her position as one of Africa's most successful artists.
Her latest project, the album "Lost and Found", showcases her artistry and dedication. Simi will be sharing insights into the creation process of her latest work, offering a glimpse into the mind of a true talent.
How did learning sound engineering primarily from YouTube contribute to your early career's self-reliance, and how has this influenced your approach to music production?
Learning engineering on YouTube was very freeing for me because I'm a perfectionist and I'm very particular about things I want so it just gave me the power to be able to do things how I wanted and how I'd like to be able to bring my vision to life without worrying about how somebody else would take my feedback or criticism and this has also impacted my production in that, first of all, I feel like I'm more instinctually a mixing engineer slash a mixing engineer than I am a producer.
For me producing is more like something I wanted to add to my thing. I'm not as crazy about production but it's also helped me from the get-go. Before I started to learn production, I would just play stuff like a guide to what I wanted because I knew exactly what I wanted, and how I wanted the progression to sound and so it all impacted me.
Being an independent artist often requires wearing multiple hats. Can you share some of the most challenging aspects you've encountered in managing your career independently?
The most challenging part of Simi's 'Lost and Found: A Symbol of Growth, Love, and Musical Evolution is as an independent artist a lot is dependent on you, which is one of the reasons why I want to start my label because I want to be responsible for my wins and my losses and because I feel like it would push me more, it would drive me more and there's a learning curve you learn on the job, there are things that I was used to — being assigned to someone else and also having this team that I didn't have to worry about certain things but I had to learn and it took me quite a couple years to learn how to take that space, occupy that space unapologetically, it's more responsibilities but it's necessary and it's empowering.
What inspired the title 'Lost and Found' for your album?
Lost and Found was inspired by my journey, personal and musical to where I'm at right now. I had like a phase when I was little, I was not as sure of what I wanted — music or if I liked my sound. I felt like I was experimenting but I wasn't sure in what direction but I felt like I needed that as well because nothing is static, everything is dynamic. I kind of lost that raw connection that I had to music and writing and it became about just ticking a box or getting things done but I feel like I've connected to a very strong level with the energy and chemistry I had with making music and that has been beautiful for me.
Walk us through the creative process behind the “Lost and Found” album and what listeners can expect in terms of themes and sound
The creative process for Lost and Found is that it's a very melodic album, a signature that people fall in love with when they first hear my music. It’s very melodic, it's very familiar and there are a lot of love-like themes in there, I just wanted to give people a sense of nostalgia which I hope comes through as they listen, I'd already written the previous album which I just scrapped because I just wasn't in that space anymore in my head and I wanted to bring it home a little but also strong like how you're used to wearing this set of pants and then now you have a better sense of style so you're pairing it with different shirts that you probably wouldn't have before, so that's kind of the energy that I put behind making the album. I've always been a fan of the truest songs are the strongest songs because they feel like they’re timeless because you listen to the song again and it takes you back I've written quite several songs that come from my personal experience but not all my songs are that way.
Your song "Duduke" resonated deeply with audiences, especially expectant mothers. How does personal experience inform your songwriting, and are there any particular tracks on the new album that draw from your own life experiences?
I think there are a couple of songs. Lost and Found was definitely from a personal space which is the album opener. A lot of the songs on this album are very love-centred, they're very generic and there are parts of it that I connect to very well and there are parts that I want people to connect to, I'm trying to tell stories that people can also relate to. My last album ‘To be honest’ was more personal but this one is very melodic and very musical because that's what I was going for.
Collaborations often bring new dimensions to music. Can you tell us about any collaborations on "Lost and Found" and what each artist brought to the table?
Well, my thing with collaborations is that I haven't done a lot of collaborations on my project. If I do an album, I probably have one or two collaborations on it but this one is the exception so far because I have seven collaborations on this so far and all the artists, the story, for me is different, some of the songs i could hear the artist on the song and there were some songs where I wrote it specifically for the artist because I really want to do a song with them. I was like this is how I want it to sound and also my connection with the artists based on their personalities and their singing style was different. I was very intentional about the collaborations and I hope that you can feel how unique all the songs and all the artists are on each song.
Being a prominent figure in the Nigerian music scene, how do you navigate the industry's challenges while staying true to your artistic vision?
To be honest I've never really considered myself an industry girl even as an artist, it is just not my style, it hasn't been my style, I try to be as authentic as possible because that's what powers my music, that's where the energy of everything I do as an artist comes from, so it's never been a challenge for me trying to navigate the industries. The only time I would say that I had to was when Afrobeat started to go very global, I did think about what space I wanted to take in that and who I wanted to be in that process but I think that because of who I am even I was just like nahhh and this shows anytime I'm doing something that's not true to me, it's obvious and so I just dumped that in the trash. So whatever you hear from me, whenever you hear me you're not gonna be confused because you know exactly what I'm giving you.
With the digital age changing how music is consumed, how do you see your relationship with your fans evolving, especially with the release of "Lost and Found"
This is a good question, I think that social media has diluted fame, it's changed the way that it is and I think that can be both a good thing and a tough thing depending on what angle you're looking at it from or depending on who you are. I've always taken my fans very personally because they take me personally and I think that social media has made our relationship more connected. You know I'm not just this person that they see on TV, I'm a real person to them and I take advantage of that as well, these are people that on my birthday they're hunting me down because they want to send me something, they take care of me and for me that's so beautiful. I think that it makes everything that I do very worthwhile so this has been more positive for me than anything else.
Can you share any funny moments from your journey as a mother?
My daughter is a joker, so it's hard for me to answer this question. She’s very cheeky and very friendly, I guess sometimes when we travel because I go everywhere with her and maybe I'm going on a tour or we are traveling and she's waving at everyone at the airport, someone that recognizes me comes over to me and she's talking to them like she knows them. I can't think of one specific thing right now but every day there's something. She’s a blast!
As someone who wears many hats - wife, mother, and artist - how do you find balance and inspiration in each of these roles?
Finding balance as a mom, wife and artist is something that you have to learn to do to survive and I love all those parts of me. I think that because all these things are important to me. Before I embark on anything, I'm very intentional about things, I already know the kind of compromise that something will take so it doesn't surprise me too much. So if something happens and I have to let go of it I realise that that's what it takes before I embark on that so that helps me as I go, it helps me handle things in the future. For example, my daughter is still really young, obviously, certain compromises I would be making as a mom would be more than the ones I would be making when she's much older, even as an artist as well there are times that I would have to do things where oh this is hard this is difficult but I have to do them anyway so I think it's just understanding your priorities and making peace with them so at the end of the day, I just want to be happy and I want people in my life to be happy as a result of being with me or around me.
Collaborating with your spouse, Adekunle Gold, has produced some beautiful music. Can you share any anecdotes or insights into what it's like working creatively together, both in the studio and at home?
Working with my husband is pretty special because I really admire him and to be honest I can't say that about a lot of people. I genuinely admire him, he's so talented and he's so kind and sweet, so as a person that is not an artist and as a person as an artist I respect and I admire him a lot. He’s shown me that he feels the same way so when we work together there's a strong respect. If he asks me for input on something I'm willing to help out and if I need him to help me with something he's always down to help as well. But there's no force, there's no intrusion or anything, there's also respect, you also respect when someone says no I'm not feeling that I'm going to do it this way and you don't make it about yourself because it's not about you so our relationship is not just about music so it helps to know when to turn that off or on.
Let's talk about those funny moments of you and Adekunle Gold, shared on social media. It seems to foster a genuine connection with your fans, allowing them to relate to you on a more realistic level. Is this intentional, aiming to create a sense of friendship and authenticity with your fans?
I’m not talking to my husband on social media because I want my fans to be excited, we're both kind of goofy and funny so we do have moments where you know it's funny and we know people are probably gonna laugh about it but it's not about the likes. I'm not created like that, I know I'm not funny like that, but I don't really know how to be that person where I'm more likely to say no. Maybe if it has to do with music, that's different but if we're just joking it's probably like a moment that happened. Personally I don't think like that.
Generally what are Five things you’re loving right now?
Five things I'm loving right now - I love apple juice, I love reading novels, I love the colour blue, I love sitcoms and oh I love chocolate ice cream slash chocolates as long as they're both chocolatey.
Describe your style in three words
My style in three words comfortable, chic, simple
What's your favourite way to unwind after a long day?
My favourite way to unwind after a long day is me reading a novel, like whatever book I'm reading at the time, I usually have to read to go to sleep, it helps me wind down, I also like swimming if there's a pool available to me, and I like sitcoms simple mindless sitcoms when my brain doesn't have to do too much work to enjoy.
Share a random fact about yourself that most people wouldn't guess.
A random fact about myself that nobody would know is probably that I have 31 teeth because I lost one. I just have 31 on the bottom where you have like four in the front is it incisors they call it, I only have three in the bottom front.
Quick question: are men really crazy?
Yeah some men are crazy
Beyond your singing talent, are there any other remarkable talents or skills you possess that you'd like your fans to know about?
Most definitely other talents that I have excluding singing include I know how to braid hair, I know how to write, I write novels, I type fast, I can do makeup really good, I don't like makeup. I am also good at multitasking.
As one of the prominent female artists in Africa, do you believe there's equal opportunity for female artists to break barriers in the industry compared to their male counterparts?
My problem with this question is that people ask me so often and now I'm beginning to feel like people just ask me because it's me they're asking, I mean if you yourself look at the industry what do you think? Things are better but like things can always be better.
Reflecting on your collaborations, which one stands out as a significant learning experience for you?
I guess I don't regard my collaborations as a learning experience as much as it is just an experience. When I'm doing a collaboration I'm trying to put myself in the place that the artist is, especially if it's a song that they're featuring me you know I try to meet artists where they are because I think that's what makes features so good. I'm not just inserting myself but I'm trying to insert myself as if in a camouflage where I'm not sticking out too much where it still fits perfectly so it's just a beautiful experience of being that person that the song needs.
Finally, What are you most grateful for?
The thing I am most grateful for is my daughter. Aside from her, just my life and the people in my life, I'm really grateful for my daughter.
