Oyinda On Her ‘Restless Minds’ EP, Influences & Sailor Moon: Interview

Mike Wass | July 8, 2016 1:00 pm
Morgxn Interview
Get to know the "Love You With The Lights On" singer a little better in our Q&A.

Raised on a diet of turn-of-the-millennium R&B/pop (Aaliyah, Timbaland and Pharrell), anime and power ballads (courtesy of her mom), Oyinda’s music was always going to be hard to categorize. Which is one of the many reasons the Brit started generating heat even before the release of her first EP. In fact, the Sailor Moon-obsessed singer was booked for Lollapalooza in 2014 when she only had two songs in the can.

I recently caught up with the (now) New York-based artist to discuss new EP Restless Minds — the second of a planned trilogy that will be completed before the release of her debut album. Oyinda spoke about her many influences, very unexpected big break and preference to write about other people’s experiences as opposed to her own. Get to know the rising star a little better in our Q&A below.

You’re often compared to FKA Twigs. Do you find that a little lazy?
Absolutely. I don’t even want to say that you shouldn’t do it, because I get it. But for me, hearing the FKA Twigs comparison, I don’t think it makes sense. I think it’s typical for a female artist to be compared to another female, and I feel like a lot of the times it’s not fair to base it on gender. I was reading someone saying “Out of Touch” was very similar to FKA Twigs and I disagree. I think she’s more sporadic with her lyricism. There’s definitely a loose form in what I do and I think that was more James Blake-y.

I read that you were actually inspired by the great power vocalists.
I could literally sing you “Power of Love,” that’s how many times my mom played it in the car, in the flat. She was always playing it. Like “Misled” is actually so, one of the tracks on that record, is so sassy and so amazing. Celine Dion literally inspires me. If I had the diva sass, I’d be on it. I’d so be on it, but I don’t. I wish I did. I feel like I’m too nerdy.

My biggest inspirations are Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Pharrell and Aaliyah. I honestly don’t think Aaliyah put a foot wrong and that’s not just a testament to her, that’s a testament to her team and that’s a testament to the creative people she associated with. It was all really cool. Even Lil’ Kim’s video, “How Many Licks,” is one of my favorite videos. She started that whole different character thing that has been going on lately — like in [Taylor Swift’s] “Bad Blood” video — but she was just all the people. Jennifer Lopez is also inspiring. She is a triple threat, that’s what I want. She’s goals. She’s awesome.

Do you consider yourself to be a pop artist?
Yes, pop/R&B. Back in the day, that was a genre. I feel like now everyone just says it’s R&B, but I think the way my lyrics work are very pop and I think the way that I do approach choruses can be very pop-ish. But honestly, who cares about genre? I pull from so many different things. I listen to Radiohead a lot and it influences me too.

You write, produce and even direct your own videos. Was that to maintain control of your vision or out of necessity?
I think it depends on the project. I’ve been talking about having a giant mood board for the entire record. I thought it was important to share that with people and not be as aloof and mysterious as some people might think I am. I’m rather shy and like to keep things to myself. I guess that’s the English in me. It was how I was raised. I just felt really uncomfortable talking about myself for a really long time, so I found a different way to share more of myself.

Is that something that you think will change eventually, that you will collaborate more?
Yes, absolutely. I mean even with making music, I think it’s important to learn from other people’s perspectives. That’s another reason why I don’t delve into what each song is about, because I like hearing what other people think and I think that’s so refreshing and that makes me a better creator.

How do you feel like you’ve progressed from your first EP to Restless Minds?
I can listen to Restless Minds. I never find myself listening to Before The Fall. I don’t listen to my music in general, but I can listen to Restless Minds more than I can Before The Fall.

Why is that?
I’m very OCD, so I know what my limitations were when I was making Before The Fall and I think I’ve just grown in a different direction. It’s not to say that I don’t like it. I’m just too picky about certain things, so I’ll be like, “I could have done this or that better.” That’s basically it. You’re just way more critical of yourself than other people will be, I think.

You could be like Kanye and go fix it all and re-release it.
Don’t even tempt me. I literally was talking about it the other day. If I could, I would do it in a heartbeat. Actually, that’s why I haven’t released physicals yet. Once the third EP comes out, that’s when I’m going to release them all, and I think I’m gonna re-do Before The Fall just a little bit. If anyone’s going to have a physical copy, then it’s going to be prime. I gotta step it up.

CREDIT: Eric White

I was read that you don’t really write songs about yourself but about other people’s experiences.
When you watch a film, you gravitate toward it for a reason. I think that’s what I’m trying to do. It’s not necessarily that I won’t sing about myself, it’s just the way that I approach it… it’s not intentional. Maybe a line will slip out and I’ll be like, “Oh, I know why I wrote that and I know an experience that made me think that.” It’s a comfort thing. Why do you want to talk about yourself?

I’m not that kind of person. I just don’t think I can pull it off. I commend other artists who can do so because it takes a lot to put yourself out there like that, but I just approach it in a different way. I just find it interesting to paint a picture and create the mood underneath.

I know you’re a big sci-fi fan and there are some really futuristic sounds in your music. Where does that come from?
You know what, just blame Sailor Moon. Tsukino Usagi was like my best friend growing up. All day, every day. I’ve literally seen every episode 10 times. I watch it on Hulu continuously. It’s always on. She is bae.

You were talking about how different your EPs are. Will your album have a more cohesive sound?
I always wanted to do three EPs. I haven’t been doing this for years and years. I really just wanted to get better at it before I was like, “Here’s my debut album, this is me.” I feel like I need to learn so much more before I do that, and these EPs are a way to learn different sides of myself and to push boundaries.

So it’s not going to be one of those things where your EPs mysteriously become your debut album?
No, no. I’m so particular about that. I definitely wanted the three to be their own thing and they actually do make an album and tell a story, just in a less cohesive way. I think when I do make an album, none of those songs are going to be on there, I don’t care what anyone says. I’m adamant about it. It will be a fresh album, something completely new.

Have you started work on your third EP yet?
Yes. I’m about halfway finished. The reason why the second EP took so long is because I kept writing songs in mind for the third EP. It was so distracting, because they’re separate moods. I feel like each one is encapsulating something different, but they’re these weird Venn diagrams. They’re all connected, but they’re all still separate things. I finally got this one done so now I can focus on the third.

Do you have a rough kind of idea of when it might come?
I’m very seasonal with my approach to releasing music, so I think next spring.

There are so many layers to your music, how does that translate live?
I think the live aspect of what I do is probably my favorite because I can really just zone out and get into the mood. I feel like I do create it at every live show, that’s my goal. Just to be like, “Let’s travel together, let’s do something weird.” It’s never going to be the same. It’s just about feeling the vibe and the energy that everyone else is giving us.

What’s your least favorite part of performing live?
I love being onstage, I’m not nervous when I sing. But I get nervous when I have to talk. Usually I’m like, “Oh wow, the song stopped. Hello.” And then I mumble verbal diarrhea. It’s awful.

How do you actually get your big break?
I did a random showcase in Boston that my friends were putting on and someone happened to be there who was booking for Lollapalooza. I’d literally only written three songs at the time. He’s like, “Oh, I’d love to book you.” But he was booking for BMI artists and I’m ASCAP, so I was like, “Oh, it’s not going to happen.” I went back to New York and a few days later I got an e-mail saying I was booked on the Perry stage, opening for Chance The Rapper.

We had soundcheck with Chance and it was ridiculous. And then I decided to put some tracks out before Lolla and “Rush of You” kind of blew up. Rolling Stone called me R&B’s best-kept secret and I was like, “Yeah, I’m secret because I literally have no songs.”

Were you making music on your own?
I went to Berkley. My style wasn’t accepted at all and I found the experience to be very negative, so I got out of there and took some time off to explore what I could do on my own. I started Berkley as a vocalist. I’d never written before, so I started writing when I was there but noting was clicking because of how they teach you. So I left and it all worked out.

What’s one trend that needs to end in popular music?
I wish the fuckboys of hip-hop were over. Kanye West, I love him and he’s one of my favorite artists of all time, but he has opened the floodgates. Same as Future. They have opened the floodgates. Actually, before Future there was Gucci Mane, so he opened the floodgates with Kanye and all these fuckboys are coming out. It makes me angry. I get so mad. Enough is enough.

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