Clattermouuuth’s Music of The Week: Q&A With SHOTY

Welcome back to Clattermouuuth’s Music of the Week, curating Rockaway’s music taste one week at a time. A couple of months ago, I had an interview with a very talented up-and-coming R&B artist, SHOTY, about his inspirations and creative processes. I thought I’d share that interview with you all here:

Q: Describe your music for unfamiliar listeners.

A: My music is a mix of all my favorite things about different music genres. I love catchy pop melodies, cool electronic beats, and the confidence rap lyrics tend to give you!

Q: Describe your creative process.

A: If I’m by myself, I’ll listen to tons of beats until a good melody and cool lyrics pop into my head. I’ll record whatever melody and a small amount of lyrics I have initially, then go back and write the full song, sing it a bunch of times, then record! When I’m working with other people, I feel a little more pressure to work quickly, so I’ll usually have the full song written before the producer finishes the beat, then jump straight into recording. I prefer creating in home studios because it’s a lot more comfortable and easier to be vulnerable.

Q: Your newest single, “NYG,” is my personal favorite song of yours. Describe how you made that song?

A: Thank you! I’ve never made a song the way I have “NYG.” I was pretty much just lying in my bed after a long day of work, feeling pissed off, and the “I wouldn’t hold your breath” line came to me. I recorded it all the way through in one take twice, then it sat on my computer for a few months. Everything on that song is pretty much from the first take, except a couple lines.

Q: How’d you first get into making music?

A: I wanted to be a DJ. I was obsessed with Flume, so I got the same program he was using and a MIDI keyboard. I quickly found out I wasn’t about to be flume and naturally gravitated toward songwriting and just kept at it. I really just wrote for fun — it was never something I thought I could pursue.

Q: Where do you find the inspiration to create music?

A: I find inspiration from whatever is going on in my life. Usually, I have to be feeling a very strong emotion, whether good or bad, to end up with a good song. To me, creating is sort of like fishing, so if an idea just isn’t there, I won’t force it — I’ll go do something else and come back when life inspires me, or I really need to get something off my chest.

Q: What song/project would you suggest for unfamiliar listeners?

A: “Call me, I’m Lonely or Selfish” seems to be most people’s favorite.

Q: What’s next for SHOTY? What are some goals for the new year?

A: I have a song called “Flowers” dropping April 17. My goal for the year is to just get all the s*** off my computer!

Q: What music have you been listening to lately?

A: I’m obsessed with Amyl and the Sniffers and recently discovered this artist, Portraits of Tracy. You won’t be disappointed listening to either!