Adam, the upcoming Alternative R&B artist balancing traditional rhythms with beats of contemporary R&B with emotional chilliness, converses with TRILL, in his first major interview since the triumph of his first mixtape ‘To Whom This May Concern’. With his music taking inspiration from his Indonesian culture and focusing on topics like loss and spirituality, he creates a world that is cloaked in a haze with a slinky undercurrent of slow-jams. He has written lyrics with the likes of FKA Twigs and has just released his debut album ‘May, Taurus & Gemini’.
So, Adam, why did you pursue a career in music?
I chose to pursue a career in music because when I was in school, music was the first thing that truly made me want to work hard. It was the first thing that I had ever put all my effort into, and since I had started, I just had to continue. When I first started, I wrote with Kwabs and FKA Twigs, and that was my first real attempt in the industry that was successful and I am just thankful that they were patient and listened what I wanted to create.
You are also known for your meaningful and expressive lyrics. What inspires you to write music?
Writing has always been an outlet for me, and since the death of my mother, I have used music and writing to channel my emotions. I like to take inspiration from Indonesian music, as away to remember my mother, and then combine that with the beats of Hip-Hop and Indie music. When I first started to make music, I listened to a lot of The Weeknd. I was just fascinated by the way his music entraps you, and that’s all I want to do with my music and career.
Also, your career has rocketed in just a few years, how has this affected your life?
My life has changed in so many ways. In the beginning, it was hard. I’m not interested in the money or fame that comes with this career, and I think that it makes my work even more difficult to handle. But, I’m so thankful for the support that I have received. Without that support nobody would be able to hear my music and that’s all I have been working towards, and it’s all that I want.
You’re known to keep a low profile on social media, why?
I like to let my music speak for itself and I don’t want my lyrics to be lost in translation. As long as my work is up to standard, nobody is going to care about the rest. Personally, I don’t think I’m that interesting either [laughs]. My supporters know that I update my blog regularly. I see my blog as a place to appreciate and value art, in different forms, whether it is through videos, music or art pieces.
Do you have any regrets from your career so far?
Nope, I don’t believe in regrets. I live by the phrase ‘Carpe Diem’, it means ‘seize the day’, and I think that everything happens for a reason. If I was to change anything, I would’ve started paying attention to music earlier. I was afraid to take the leap into the industry, but it is the best thing that I have ever done, or probably will do. Music has taught me so much about opportunity, and developing passions – I wouldn’t change anything so far. I’m excited for the future.
If you could immerse yourself into another genre of music, what would it be?
Well, I would look into working with new producers that are well established in hip-hop because I love working with new people – it’s amazing when ideas can just bounce around the studio and flow into one another. I love the authentic sound that the raw instruments make with reggae music as well. I think the next generation of music is just going to be a big collaboration, so I’m excited [laughs].
What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
The most memorable moment of my career was when I realised that my first mixtape had actually been listened to by a lot of people. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the MOBO Awards with FKA Twigs, and people were singing my lyrics when I walked by – I couldn’t stop smiling.
In the music industry negativity is inevitable. How do you manage it?
Yeah, you’re right – negativity is inevitable. I think it’s bad that we expect negativity when doing things that we love but I genuinely think we have to just ignore it. It’s all shallow behaviour and I really appreciate it when people go out of their way to pass on those tweets and comments to show their love and appreciation of my work.
What are we going to see from you in the future?
In the future I want to just collaborate with other artists, whether they make videos or films, write music, paint or dance. I just want to take in as much creativity as possible as it can only aid my music. I am also writing with AlunaGeorge – I just love the way the duo combines different elements of music genres and styles in their work so effortlessly.
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