BIMM Institute Manchester student Femi Tahiru is Track of the Week. His latest track, Counting On You, is an indie-soul exploration with influences from all over the spectrum, including hip-hop and RnB. Experimenting with his voice, Femi put his whole range to good use.
Check it out below!
Describe your new track in three words…
Playful, mischievous and contradicting.
What inspired you when writing this track?
A lot of the artists I’m listening to right now inspired the track. They all have a sort of spoken wordy/rap flows to their lyrics, and I wanted to incorporate that with a playful tone, almost like the song is a joke in a way. That’s why I think it goes so well with the music video, the contrast between the two works nicely.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
I’d say right now: Spencer., Kendrick Lamar, Daniel Caesar and Steve Lacy.
What would you say makes your music unique?
Not sticking to one genre makes my music unique; I like to dip my toes in all the pools of music tastes. I struggle when I think of myself as an ‘R&B’ artist. That’s why I call my music ‘indie soul’, and to be honest, I think every artist should! It’s the individual’s own style of music that comes from the soul. That can’t be put in a box!
Do you have a process you follow when writing a song?
Always start with drums, need to get the groove going first. I would then usually add some guitar chords, but more recently, I’ve been recording the baseline first. It’s always good to flick between the two. From there, I’d add other elements until it’s ready for some vocals. I take on the ‘less is more’ approach as I’ve noticed my new music isn’t as crowded with sounds as my previous work.
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
BIMM has quite honestly given me more than I ever imagined. Not just through the university but from other students and lecturers. Everyone has played a part in my music career, whether it was advice from teachers or healthy competition between myself and other students. The resources that I was able to use at BIMM has helped a lot. I wouldn’t have been as active as I am today if I didn’t take advantage of all the equipment and rooms I used during my time at BIMM.
What’s next for you?
SHOWS, SHOWS, MUSIC, MORE SHOWS, MUSIC, MUSIC and a few more SHOWS!
