Which parts did you find the most difficult during this time?
As much as I love the whole process behind music, I couldn't tour and enjoy doing music the way I want to do music. Everything was on Zoom, but the biggest problem was whether it felt like the right time to drop music. The world was going through so much shit, I was going through shit, so it was just about battling different thoughts.
How do you now feel about returning to the ‘normal’ way of doing things?
I can’t wait to actually start making new music, so much has changed you know? My brain, I can't sleep sometimes, legit. I'm in the car thinking I need to go straight to the studio. It gets to the point where my brain starts hurting because I haven't released, my brain be having blue balls and shit.
HOODIE: GAFFER / TROUSERS: ENDLESS JOY / RINGS: LUCKY LITTLE BLIGHTERS / SUNGLASSES: MONKI / SHOES: PRESENTED BY
You have an authentic style and unique sound, what would you put that down to?
One thing I can say with certainty is that I’ve always been myself, I never thought about fitting in or being popular, you know? My sound has come from my experiences, my influences, and the cultures I’ve been exposed to but with my own spin.
Why did you decide you wanted to record music?
We used to do little shows and perform our music growing up, it was like a cypher or showcase type of vibe. I never had any music recorded at the time, I just used to put a beat on then and then rap on the mic. I remember the first time I thought to record music was to help make that process easier. The first few tracks I made I just had on a USB and took with me to these events; I didn’t even really upload them anywhere.
TOP: / TROUSERS: / JEWELLERY:
What sparked your musical career?
Growing up in South, there was a local youth club that we used to go to, it was one of the best in the area and I’m pretty sure it’s still there today. They had a studio in one of the rooms, literally everything was brand new, and it had all the equipment we needed. Macs, microphones, headphones, and the software for all the beats, it was such a blessing for us to have access to a place like that, we spent so much of our youth in that room.
While there aren’t any collaborations on your album, who could we see you feature in the future?
There are a lot of people I’d love to work with, collaborating is dope. For example, I’d love to do something with Kwengface, which might sound crazy to people but I think the boy’s cold! M.I.A is another one, I heard she doesn't do features, but I’ve been saying her name for the longest. Watch me, one day you’ll just see me and M.I.A pop out.
T-SHIRT: GAFFER / JACKET: IGOR DIERYCK / RINGS: HEY HARPER / NECKLACE: FLOHIO'S OWN
How would you describe FLOHIO to someone who has never met her?
I'm very family orientated, usually making me a homebody. I’d say I’m an introvert, but obviously, music makes me a bit ambivert, so I just always tend to find myself in my own little world really, I love it here.
Describe the sort of impact your family had on your musical career.
My family is super supportive, especially my parents. They wanted me to excel in my education, finish college, university, and stuff that made them really proud, but they never got in the way of my dreams. They were always happy for me to follow my passion and just told me to be the best in whatever it was I ended up choosing to do.
What advice would you give somebody at the start of their journey?
Never stop fine-tuning your craft. I don’t want to give the cliché ‘stay consistent’ bullshit, or keep going, because that goes without saying. It’s mandatory. Just don’t get too comfortable and think you’ve mastered anything, there’s always another level.