What is your name / stage name?
MonSway
Where are you from?
Atlanta, Georgia
What are some of your biggest musical influences?
Music is the ultimate form of influence to me. It’s the only art form that audio
based but needs no words to translate an emotional response. Music is the
“Universal Language” that’s sparks togetherness, even if we don’t speak the
same language, music is the connector that brings all mankind together. With
that being said, some musical influencers that I have admired and inspired me
would be Michael Jackson, Prince, the BeeGees, the Beatles, Tank, Usher,
T-Pain, N’Sync, and Nickelback, just to name a few. I am a musician first and I
am a fan of all genres of music.
How would you describe your musical style and sound?
My musical style is like a gumbo of sexy, emotional, high energy, thought
inflicting, make-you-feel-good, and relatable all mixed together. I say that
because I mainly do r&b but also hip hop.
Can you walk us through your creative process?
My creative process when producing music, I would say I always start with the
instruments, more specifically finding the right chord progression. After that, I
just go wherever the feeling is taking me. With songwriting, I have to write the
hook or chorus first. Once I have the topic, then everything else is easy.
Can you tell us about your latest project/album/single and the inspiration behind it?
I am currently completing my first r&b project. This is very important to me
because mostly I have been the producer, songwriter and engineer behind the
music. Now I’m all of those but the voice as well.
What message or themes do you try to convey through your music?
I want to convey through my music that it is okay to feel emotions, it’s okay to
make mistakes and learn from them, and it’s nothing wrong with expressing
loving yourself and others. We are all human and we all experience some of
the same things.
Can you speak to any collaborations or features you’ve worked on?
I’ve work on many collaborative projects with names you may know and some
you may not know as much. But my goal has always been the same which is
show up and do the best job that I can for whoever I am working with. I
appreciate every opportunity I get. To me, it’s not about the name of whom I
am working with, it’s that they thought of me and liked what I do to have me in
the room working on their projects. That’s the honor for me.
How do you stay inspired and motivated as an artist?
My family and friends believing in me and pushing to fight against doubt and
believe in myself is what keeps me going. Doubt is the dream killer. So if you
can defeat doubt then you can accomplish anything dream you have.
How do you use social media and online platforms to promote your music and engage with your fans?
Social media and the internet is what gives us access to everyone in the
world. So I use it to make new friends and fans and becoming a fan of
someone else’s music.
How do you maintain authenticity and individuality in your music?
I am a stern believer of originality. God made us all unique in our own ways.
And that uniqueness is something that no one else has. So if you just be
yourself in your music it will connect to others. Our super is our uniqueness
and it is enough. But you have to believe that.
How do you balance your personal life with your music career?
Time management can be hard. So I just do the best I can to satisfy everyone
with the time I can give.
Can you describe any milestones or turning points in your career?
Becoming an artist and now focusing on my music alone is the biggest turning
point that I’ve made in my music career. And you know what? Choosing to
make time for yourself and your wants and to love yourself is one of the best
feelings.
Can you speak to any personal experiences you’ve shared through your music?
I am always honest in my music and I always write and create from a real
space and from real feelings and experiences.
Can you describe any long term goals or aspirations you have for your music career?
I just want the world to love my music. I want my music to reach the hearts
and minds of those who find themselves feeling like I have or I do. And I hope
my music heals and inspires.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
As I mentioned before, I want my music to help, heal, and inspire. Meaning,
help encourage my listeners to believe in themselves; heal a brokenhearted
soul, and inspire everyone to believe and love. I don’t believe in or focus on
“the Greatest”. But I do believe that everyone can be the greatest they can be
as long as they do the best that they can. Everyone’s success may not look
the same or have the same definition, but everyone can be successful.
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