Formula Indie Sessions : Interview with Sebi Viola
Hi, Sebi Viola here. Thank you for having me, European Indie Music Network!
I’m 22 years old, born and raised in Denmark. I make what people probably like to label as “alternative r&b” or “neosoul”. I myself like to call it soul music.
I’ve just played my first concert at a Danish festival called “SPOT festival”. I’m looking forward to playing more live shows, while writing in the meantime. I got a new single coming out next month, so I’m also looking forward to that.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Probably getting hooked on Michael Jackson. I remember listening to “Billie Jean” and it just opened a whole new world for me. I also recall the music video for “Smooth Criminal” being very impactful on a 5 / 6 year old me.
I started dancing to his songs and trying to mimic his moves. It got to the point, where I had my grandma sew a whole outfit, made out of shiny metallic gold looking fabric. In my mind I was dancing like him, but when rewinding the old family tapes of my performances, I looked pretty silly.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
My pops has been playing music for me through my whole life – playing the guitar or playing songs on the stereo system, it’s always been there. As I got older, it naturally became a tool for me, a tool for expression. I can’t specifically point to a singular moment that made me passionate about creating music. The passion was sort of always there, it just took some time for it to flourish.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
It’s still being written as we speak, I’m not sure if I’m the best candidate to answer this question, some nights I feel as if I don’t know what I’m doing – as if I’m not the writer of this story. There’s a possibility that I’m just a conduit for a greater force.
What I would like to say for now is, I have a deep respect for music.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Definitely jazz influenced, raw, perhaps a little dusty. My peers call it sensual, still debating if I agree with them or not. Smoky, my sound is definitely smoky, it also got some funk and hiphop in there.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Learn the rules of music, so you can find the best way to break them.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Real instruments are pretty important in my creative process, also some sort of DAW, an audio recorder for memos. The room in which the music is being created, is also crucial. It has to be the right environment, the decor, the lighting – everything plays a part. Also collaboration is probably one of the most important things, you need the right people, people who bring out the best in you and vice versa!
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I don’t always keep track of what counts as indie in the industry sense, but lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Chris Dave and The Drumhedz. Also I recently got into Esperanza Spalding’s music and it’s been a great experience so far.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
My music and artistic vision is probably 80% shaped by my personal experiences, especially my songs. I can’t say 100% because you also get inspiration from other peoples experiences and such. I wouldn’t have much to write about, if it wasn’t based on personal experiences.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
That’s a tricky question, again not sure if I can give a proper answer – I’ll try though.
I hope they can mirror themselves in some of the stuff I write about. What I hope the most is, that they can feel the certain energies in my music, it’s not easy to explain – I feel like there’s certain parts of music that kind of fall under a spiritual category, in which some would call silly or superstitious. It’s sort of like a ‘if you know, you know’ situation. Not everyone will get what I’m trying to say.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
To treat it with respect.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
There’s this festival in Denmark called “Roskilde Festival.” I would love to play there one day. Also “North Sea Jazz Festival” is a dream of mine.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
There’s so many I could choose. For this interview I’ll go with Jimi Hendrix, he was truly ahead of his time, a real wizard. Rest easy.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
You can follow me on Instagram @sebiviola, that’s my main social media, where I post updates and such. I’m also on most music platforms, just search up my name, Sebi Viola.
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I don’t like to look too much into the future, I try to keep myself grounded and focus on what’s in front of me right now. I’ve got a new single called “Dim Da Lights” on its way, it should be out by late may / early april. I will announce the date soon (check instagram for update). Also I’m aiming to play more concerts going forward, meeting new people, building a team and most importantly – creating new music.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
They won’t discover it themselves, if I reveal it now. I hope they’ll follow me through the journey though <3
