Hi! What was the inspiration behind the title of your album, “From Summer Skies”?
The vibe of the project was always reminiscence of summer day. We want a title that would represent that feeling of summertime nostalgia. Originally the working title was “Late Summer Skies” but later we decided on ‘From Summer Skies’
Can you share some insights into the creative process behind this album?
Areo (the producer) was the catalyst for most of our inspiration. He laid the groundwork with the beats he offered us for this project. In the initial phase we would pick a beat from Areo and one of us (Ireq Savage or Jaye Rsvd) would come up with a started for a song. Sometimes it was a verse, sometimes it was a hook and the other would follow. It’s kind of just happened organically that way.
How does “From Summer Skies” differ from your previous works?
Jaye Rsvd: The beats really stood out to me. They were pop infused but also lofi, Areo really drove my inspiration.
Ireq Savage: One, I haven’t done a joint project in this style or genre, so that’s new. Two, I haven’t really completed a project with this many pop elements, that was something I was looking to do around the time this project was being made.
Can you talk about any challenges you faced during the production of “From Summer Skies”?
LIFE, MENTAL HEALTH, BEING BLACK IN AMERICA… There’s always challenges.
Are there any specific themes or messages you aimed to convey through this album?
The elements of summer, just trying to bottle that experience. But we also wanted to capture the opposite of that, like with ‘call again’, that’s summertime heartbreak. We wanted to be fun and lighthearted but introspective too.
How have your fans and listeners responded to “From Summer Skies”?
Ireq Savage: My mom likes it a lots.
Are there any tracks on the album that
YES, YES, IT IS, ABSOULUTELY
How has your musical style evolved in the process of creating “From Summer Skies”?
Ireq Savage: For me, I feel as if something is learned during every project. It’s never wash rinse repeat. If a project feels like that, then I’m concerned that no growth is gain, and that goes against my ethos as an artist. Specifically, I played around with harmonizing background vocals in this project a lot. That came from me following Jaye Rsvd lead.
Jaye Rsvd: I’m always experimenting in my music, but in this project, it made me accustomed to finding pop melodies. That’s something that I was playing around with in these songs, and I know feel like it’s a part of my DNA, it’s in my bag.
Can you share any memorable experiences from the recording sessions of this album?
Jaye Rsvd: It was fun doing it, but it was another day in the office.
Ireq Savage: I just rapping in my room when my kid went out to play, pretty boring but fun lol
What do you hope listeners will take away from “From Summer Skies”?
Ireq Savage: I want them to enjoy it and think about the summer even when it’s cold.