Interview: Ms.Thomas
Congratulations on the release of your new song "Bad Habits", which features Aaron Pond; how did you two initially connect with each other and have you collaborated on other material before?
Thank you, Aaron is such a talented artist located in my city, Fredericton, NB. We had met through a common group of hip-hop artists in the city. He and I share some similarities in the sense that we are both parents to young children and at the time when I had wrote “Bad Habits”, I thought it would be cool to diversity the acoustic track with a male rap vocal.
It couldn’t just be anyone, it had to be someone who could relate to the challenges one faces with mental health and raising children. Aaron’s devotion to his daughter and step daughter is beautiful. He is truly a great role model.
It was a no brainer that he would be perfect for this track. He really captured the emotion of the track and it turned out great!
Tell us about you and Aaron's creative process for the development of the "Bad Habits" song; what inspired your lyrics, and also, who produced it?
I had written the chorus and my verse a while back. I had this empty verse and didn’t know which direction to go. I sent the track over to Aaron and he instantly said yes to the collaboration. I am truly grateful!
The track was then completed at Higher Vibrations Studio and his verse at Raw Heart Records, both located in Fredericton, NB.
Can we expect a music video for "Bad Habits" to follow, and will it be appearing on an upcoming EP or album?
I don’t think there will be a video for this track, mainly due to lack of funding, but never say never! I have applied for a couple grants. We shall see if I get selected.
This track will remain as a single on all streaming platforms.
How would you describe the music scene in Fredericton specifically, and New Brunswick, overall? Would you say that it is easy to build a fanbase there for emerging artists?
Fredericton is a hip-hop hub! We are a growing community filled with talent! Definitely underrated if you ask me!
The hardest part about being in hip-hop is building a local fan base. As artists we all support each other, the challenges is getting an audience out to shows. The demographic here tends to be more live bands in the soft rock & folk genre. The music scene is thriving, but with hip-hop, it remains more of an underground scene. It is growing!
With "Bad Habits" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2023?
I am on a personal health and well-being journey. My plans are to release a track once a week while I’m on a mini mental health leave. This project is called ‘Sober & Medicated’. It’s really just a project to place my restless energy while I quit cannabis and alcohol consumption.
I will be releasing 1.30 to 2min tracks each week based on the emotions and thoughts I have throughout this journey. The first track was released April 19th called ‘People Pleasure’. There is a mini visual video out on my social platforms and YouTube. Once the project is complete, my intention is to release an EP with all the tracks.
If you had to pick one song from your catalog as the best introduction for a new listener to your music, which one would you select, and why?
Definitely head over to my artist page on any streaming service, I would recommend ‘Woah’ a collaboration I did with Michael J Foxx, a rapper from NYC/Moncton. My second suggestion would be ‘Trust Somebody’ an afrovibe track featuring Sasky Mail from Toronto. It is a great one!
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