Ed Note: This is the third in a series of Q&A interviews with local musicians that are being conducted by Kalamalka Secondary School Grade 12 student Aniko Forgo.
SonReal is a hip-hop artist born in Vernon. He has released many hits including Hometown and Everywhere We Go. His music has attracted a wide variety of audiences including, but not limited to, teenagers and adults. His songs are catchy and fun to listen to.
Q: Who is your biggest musical inspiration?
A: “Hard to say, I listen to so many different types of music. I would say my biggest inspirations would be people like Kanye West, Kid Cudi… Without people like that I don’t think it would be as easy for me to do the style of music I do.”
Q: What inspires your songs?
A: “Living life in its different stages, seeing progression in what we are doing, love, struggle, learning, pretty much everything I go through and live on a day-to-day basis.”
Q: Who would your dream collaboration be with?
A: “Stevie Wonder.”
Q: When did you first discover your passion for music?
A: “When I was about 15 I started writing and recording stuff into my little computer microphone; pretty much been doing it ever since except we’ve evolved to better equipment.”
Q: Do you play any instruments? What kinds?
A: “I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for about a year now. I still kind of suck but I am getting better and I really enjoy it. Look out for a triple disc acoustic album.”
Q: How did you come up with your stage name of “SonReal?”
A: “I have no idea. Everyone always asks me this. I just kind of made it up and rolled with it. I like it. It feels great.”
Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring musician?
A: “Always strive to get better at your craft. A lot of artists think that creating a fan base and making money off music is easier then it may appear. Take your time and enjoy the ride.”
Q: How many albums have you recorded to date?
A: “Like five, I think? That’s a super subjective question with me because some of my work has been free mix tapes but people have labeled them albums.”
Q: Which music video was the most fun to film?
A: “Everywhere We Go. It was a blast. We were hysterical the entire time looking at playback.”
Q: When you aren’t performing, what do you enjoy doing with your downtime?
A: “Skateboarding.”
Q: Do you ever get nervous or stage fright before a performance? If so, how do you overcome it?
A: “Yea a bit, nothing crazy, just those good nerves. I don’t really like talking before my shows. I would rather just hang out in the greenroom with one or two people and just kind of relax. I find that helps sometimes when performing. I also don’t really drink before I perform. I find a lot of artists use that as a way to escape the nerves but that can sometimes be their detriment.”
Q: If you could only listen to one song for the rest if your life, what song would it be and why?
A: “One song for the rest of my life would be a very repetitive life. Let’s just go with Happy Birthday. I love that song. Or maybe like a 10-minute Pink Floyd song.”
To learn more about SonReal and his music, you can check out his website at www.sonreal.ca.
