Desmond

Pop Awards Nominee

We sat down with Pop Awards 2021: Emerging Artist Of The Year Award Nominee, Desmond The Songwriter.

How long have you been in the music game and how did you get started in the first place?

I have been singing professionally since I am 8 years old. I My mother gave me up for adoption at that age and my adoptive parents took me to church. Shortly after a prominent gospel group in Jamaica recruited me to open on their tours.

What’s your stage name?

Desmond

Who were your first musical influences that you can remember?

I grew up listening to gospel, classical, jazz, RnB and reggae music.

Which artists are you currently listening to?

I listen to I am currently listening to H.E.R., Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Chronixx, Koffee, and Jonathan McReynolds., And is there anyone of these that you’d like to collaborate with? All of them.

Have you suffered any ‘resistance’ or skepticism from within the industry and fellow artists, and if so how have you handled that?

I am a mature artist and there is a lot of ageism in the industry. Also, I am not a Rasta, I am a Christian there is a view in the industry that non Rastas should not sing reggae music and Christians should only sing gospel. I focus on my goals. these processes?

Do you consider video an important part in promoting and marketing your music? Yes, where can we find your latest video?

https://www.desmondthesongwriter.com/about-desmond

Studio recordings or performing live in front of an audience, which of these do you prefer most and why?

I prefer performing in front of a live audience because I can respond to the energy of the audience. Tell us something about the beats and music production on your releases.

Do you write and compose them or do you work with other writers and Producers?

Five of the songs on the new album, “Happiness Is Priceless” were produced with live instruments and 5 were produced with beats produced by others. Four of the latter were bought online and one of them, the beat of the first single “Rise Up”, was commissioned by me and produced by Courick Clarke, a Jamaican musician and producer. I wrote the melody and lyric.

On which of your songs do you think you delivered your personal best performance so far, from an emotional and technical point of view?

I think I would say “ Laugh About IT”.

Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in a genre overflowing with new faces and ideas?

My music tells uplifting stories that are inclusive and thought provoking.

business. Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why?

I would say passion. When I have felt like quitting, passion is the only thing I can think of that makes me want to continue.

Which aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process excites you most and which aspect discourages you most?

I like the fact that I am in control of my career. Lack of capital discourages me the most.

Tell us something about your songwriting process. What usually comes first the lyrics or the beats?

I tend to work on the lyrics first because melody writing comes easier to me. Also my lyric writing separates me from the field.

How involved are you in any or all of the recording, producing, mastering, and marketing processes of your music?

I am heavily involved in the recording, producing and marketing.

Do you outsource any of these processes?

I outsource the mastering.

The best piece of advice in this business you actually followed so far, and one you didn’t follow, but now know for sure that you should have?

The best piece of advice I have followed is to be yourself and invest in yourself. The one I did not follow is to produce music that follow trends instead of what is in your heart. My parents discouraged me from pursuing a careeer in music and I spent a number of years pursuing a career in the corporate world instead, to please them. I should have ignored them.

At this point, as an independent artist, which is the one factor you desire most, and feel will undeniably benefit the your future (for example increased music distribution, better quality production, more media exposure, bigger live gigs etc…)?

The factor I desire most at this point is more media exposure and bigger live gigs.

Do you consider Internet and all the social media websites, as fundamental to your career, and indie music in general, or do you think it has only produced a mass of mediocre “copy-and-paste” artists, who flood the web, making it difficult for real talent to emerge?

I believe the internet and social media are fundamental to my career and indie music in general. It provides access to all talent.

Could you tell us something about your latest music releases and where fans can find them?

I just released a new album called “Happiness Is Priceless”. It is a 10 track concept album about money and the choices we make when we have it and when we do not have it.

The official realease date is 4/24/2020. It is currently available for pre-order on itunes at https://music.apple. com/us/album/happiness-is-priceless/1484288311 and at Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/b07zg15tmg?&tag=admarketus-20&ref=pd_sl_a537C5EDF2AC5F10A6B8377F87 and signed CDs on my website at https://www.desmondthesongwriter.com/shop.

All pre-orders between now and then will count towards my first week sales and will help me to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart on 4/24/2020.

What do you think is the biggest barrier you have to face and overcome as an indie artist, in your quest to achieve your goals and wider spread success?

The biggest barrier I have to face is lack of media and bookings.

What is the ONE thing you are NOT willing or prepared to do EVER, in your quest to achieve a successful musical career?

I am not willing to compromise my relationship with God and I am not willing to compromise my health. I am willing to do anything else.

Do you have social media or a website?

My website is: https://www.desmondthesongwriter.com/about-desmond

My social media are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLcxz6g-14Y https://www.instagram.com/desmondthesongwriter/# https://soundcloud.com/desmondthesongwriter https://www.facebook.com/desmondthesong https://twitter.com/desmondthesong Top selling record store of the album “Happiness Is Priceless”, @sg_cuse at The Sound Garden Syracuse. #reggae #songwriting #upliftment

Below is photo of Desmond at the top selling record store of the album “Happiness Is Priceless”, @sg_cuse at The Sound Garden. Syracuse. #reggae #songwriting #upliftment