Q&A: OD
Up-and-coming Auckland rapper OD is absolutely crushing it with his latest track “Seattle” produced by Rory Noble & co-written by Mikey Dam, giving us a taste of his upcoming EP “Infatuation”. With raw & vulnerable lyricism around all the pressures of “making it” in the music industry, he chats to us about the process of creating the track as well as the best place to visit when you’re feeling stressed/anxious, his fave kiwi artists and more.
We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey so far from when you first started singing and making music!
I've been a musician since I was 12 - I started out as a guitarist in intermediate school and played guitar until I was 19. This is when I found my love for freestyling in my bedroom and became obsessed with the art form. Fast forward 6 months later as I'm trying to keep my rapping low-key, my brother notices he can only hear instrumentals blasting from my bedroom. He then took it upon himself to ask me “bro, are you rapping in here?” when I responded “nah bro, I'm just listening to beats”. He then persisted and kept asking me to rap for him so I did and the rest is history!
We’re loving your latest track “Seattle” - it’s so dope! Can you tell us about the meaning of this track and the inspiration behind it?
“Seattle” is a culmination of all the thoughts that have run through my mind as I've been on the pursuit of “making it” in the music industry. The lyrical content resembles a raw, honest account of how I feel about myself and the trials and tribulations that young artists in my position face on a daily basis. “Seattle” to me is more of a story-based piece that focuses on the artist's perspective and gives the listener an insight into the pressure and anxieties musicians face.
What was the writing and production process like for the song?
This song was recorded in a development session at Mountain View Studios with Rory, and was produced within 3 hours. “Seattle” was one of those songs that only took about 3 vocal takes too as we had a clear direction going for the concise measured bars that can really connect with the listener. We really wanted the listener to hear every lyric and be able to process the situations portrayed in the song. With the hard-hitting groovy 100 bpm instrumental that Rory cooked up on the spot, it became easy to articulate myself and rise to the occasion on a great producer's work. For me in terms of the writing, it all came instinctually and without any thought which is my favourite form of writing as it accurately depicts how you feel in the moment when the beat is playing and you’re in your own world vibing out.
What were some of your highlights working on the track?
My highlight for this track was getting in the studio with friends, listening back to what we had made and being proud of the piece. I take a lot of pride in the team we have at Five AM and whenever someone on the team creates a piece of work that resonates, the best part is sharing it with your peers.
What can you tell us about your new music on the way?!
We have lots of music on the way, planning a project to release in the not so distant future. The project is executive produced by Rory Noble and Eli Naea, and to me resembles my life's work as a songwriter and artist. The length is yet to be confirmed and release date but I can assure the listeners that this one is worth that wait!
Who are your biggest inspirations in music?
Drake, Travis Scott, Kanye West, Mac Miller, Action Bronson, Denzel Curry and the list goes on. For me, all these artists have such diverse sounds all hailing from the same genre which makes me incredibly excited about the future of rap as it evolves.
Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?
CHAII is my favourite NZ artist right now. Her hook on the song “Might Just” really made me excited about where NZ music and not just hip hop is going. I'm also a massive fan of the likes of Mikeyy, Jama, Church & AP, 0800 and No Comply. To be fair there's almost too much to choose from at the moment as we have an incredible music scene growing here in Aotearoa!
Totally agree! What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?
For me, I absolutely love my home town of Auckland and where I'm from in Torbay as we have the beach just down the road and a pretty quick trip to the city. My favourite place to travel to in Auckland right now is Piha Beach. There's something really special about that place. It offers me calm when I'm stressed or anxious and brings me back to a clear mind. Also I gotta say, living here, it's amazing to be surrounded by my friends and family because they mean the world to me and I want to see all of us thrive in this city.
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt as an artist so far?
A major lesson I've learned being an artist is to never force creativity and try to stay grounded through the lows and the highs. This is a ruthless game we play and it's very important to take care of yourself especially when you are prone to being hard on yourself. Another lesson is to stay true to yourself in songwriting and trust your instinct as an artist.
When you make the music you would listen to and stay away from trying to fit into an idea of what you think you should be, the whole process is a lot more enjoyable and you'll be happier for it. Plus, when you're on tour you will enjoy playing your songs over and over again.
Some great advice! Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?
Limits like fears are often just an illusion.
Thanks so much OD! Make sure you keep up with him on Instagram, Spotify & Apple Music.
