Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Sorce Manifesto

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

Whatever my pops was playing in the house around the time of probably 4 years old. Queen. Sting. Bob Marley. The Police. Elton John. The Beatles. My earliest memory of hip hop was definitely Kriss Kross though. My parents got me the “Totally Crossed Out” album because there was no cursing on it and I would rap that album front to back.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

I think it was when I had learned and experienced things that I thought would be worth rapping about. Perspectives that were unique to me. Once I really started to understand the role that words and language play in shaping our realities. I wanted to only write and repeat empowering bars. I knew that only good things could come from the process. That was my initial excitement towards creating in general, but it took on a life of its own and became far more than that as I grew as an artist.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

I’m working on a few projects at the moment. My last release was an EP titled “still waters run deep” and I’m working on the follow up “Really Water Walk: The Stone Skipped the Still Water”. SWRD was a descent into the depths in a lot of ways. Got a lot of shit off my chest on that project. Really Water Walk is me coming back up to the surface. The stone is symbolic of my real name Peter, which means “the rock”. It’s about achieving personal miracles, things you thought you could never overcome. I been touching on the theme a lot on the recent releases, some of which will end up on the project. I’m also working on an EP with 300 South titled “300 sorce” we got a few records done for that already.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

I don’t really feel I have a sound per se. I’m still in the process of creating one that’s unique to me but at the same time not really focused on it. Every piece of music is going to pull out what it wants from you at the moment. I try not to overthink it. I do want to progress to more melodic music and experiment with singing more though.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

I’ve learned that it’s ok to punch in sometimes haha. I grew up on “one take Hov”. That’s my favourite rapper. I thought it made you less of an MC if you punched in, so I used to record all of my verses all the way through. I still do for the most part, but sometimes you just need that fresh breath and energy to deliver more “wordy” or high energy parts of a verse.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

Really just a mic, and interface, and Logic Pro. I’m not musically inclined like that and even the thought of mixing a record is record is overwhelming to me, so I just outsource those to a couple of engineers I work with closely.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

Honestly haven’t been listening to much new music at all recently. I have phases where I just appreciate silence or manly listen to beats. That’s where I’m at right now.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

That’s a good question. I haven’t really scratched the surface on personal stuff too much in my music. Even when I do it’s vague and cryptic. Probably because I don’t want to give people too much but I’m trying to get more personal with my writing for sure.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I want them to interpret them themselves and take whatever they find in it. My favourite books were written in cryptic styles. I like writing that requires you to find hidden meanings and lessons. Napoleon Hill wrote “Think and Grow Rich” like that. I think we appreciate and hold on to the gems we find ourselves the most. But as far as emotions go I hope I could hit the whole gamut at some point, I’m not there yet though.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

Teamwork make the dream work. This isn’t something you can do successfully alone. It got a lot more fun once I started collaborating with different producers, engineers, instrumentalists, videographers, etc. It’s a whole lot more fun and rewarding when it feels like a team effort too.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Air Canada Centre for sure because that’s home. Red Rocks in Colorado. Somewhere in Poland for sure too. Too many to just pick one but those are my top 3.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

I think me and Chopin could cook something up. Beethoven, one of those classic composers. Over some boom bap drums, something unexpected like that you know. Just to have my name next to there’s in the credits would be crazy.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

Sorce Manifesto on everything. IG, Spotify, YouTube etc.

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

Just keep making the best music possible. Level up all aspects of it. Really fine tune my craft and push the boundaries and step even further outside of my comfort zone, and most importantly enjoy the process along the way.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

I just hope they resonate with the music man. I try to write from a place of spirit which is universal, and I try to find words to strengthen peoples spirit. I hope that they can see that I do this for the right reasons and really love and respect this art form.