Love songs & Pop music: Interview with TAKEE
Takee performance shot, Image taken by Nicol Fiso S
Music has always been something Pop artist, TAKEE, has grown up around and connected with. His experience as a songwriter and as a performer has shaped his view on music as a way to resonate with others and use that ability to create change. TAKEE hopes to create great music for everyone that will lead to meaningful outcomes as he continues his journey as an artist. Whether it’s through his abundance of love songs currently, or his much more personal future work underway.
TAKEE shares all about his debut EP, “out of my mind”, upcoming music, upcoming 90-minute headliner performance, and what being an artist means to him.
Takee, Image taken by Nicol Fiso S
Takee, Image taken by Nicol Fiso S
How'd you get into songwriting?
TAKEE: I’ve always been into music and I used to do a lot of poetry when I was younger. I did this VET music program when I was in year 11, [and] I wrote one of my first proper songs there. I've also done lots of songwriting retreats.
Did anything in particular inspire you to get started in music or start that passion?
TAKEE: Probably my mom, she’s a very good singer, and she also plays the harmonium. She encouraged me to get into the violin when I was nine, [and I self-taught myself guitar at 17].
Now you're making pop music, that's quite a switch up from classical violin.
TAKEE: Yeah. I never really got into the violin properly. I didn't really pursue it as much as I have pursued the guitar writing Pop music. I kind of knew what I wanted to do from a very early age. It's always been something that's been a part of me.
With the genre of Pop music, what specifically calls you to that?
TAKEE: It just comes to me naturally, like I can come up with a catchy melody and authentically express myself using that, and I genuinely get inspired from listening to it as well. Sometimes I listen to something and I’m like, I wanna do that. I love getting inspired by other people’s work, but I never compete with them. Because at the end of the day, it’s not a competition, we’re all in this together and we’re here to inspire each other.
I listen to a bit everything, not just pop. I’d say my main genres are: Trap-pop, Hip Hop, Rap, Country, Punk-Rock and EDM, especially Future Bass and Dubstep.
You released your first EP this year, called “out of my mind”. A lot of the themes on it are about love. Is there any reason you chose for this to be the key theme of this EP?
TAKEE: I just really like writing yearning love songs. I've got a lot to write about that I haven't tapped into yet, but I still just end up writing love songs.
My upcoming debut album is also heavily love themed. I initially intended it to be an EP, but I kept on writing more and more songs that fit the theme of love, I decided to upgrade it to an album. For my sophomore album, I’m currently writing about my personal life.
For this EP and your upcoming debut album, are you writing about emotions or are you writing about specific stories that you've been through?
TAKEE: I just write about whatever I’m feeling. If there’s a particular story I want to tell, I try to think of a good concept and a good title. Once you have a good concept, the song kind of writes itself. I guess all the love songs that I write are a reflection of myself and how much I yearn love.
With that first release, what did you hope listeners would get out of it? From you as an artist and from the EP as well.
TAKEE: I really just wanted to put out a song.
Every song that I write has a part of me in it, and if I can resonate with at least one person and make an impact in their life, I’d call it a success. I want people to feel something, and be able to make a difference in people’s lives. That’s why music has the power to change the world. It’s also amazing to release a body of work out into the world.
Although all three songs that I released are demos that I thought were okay. I put the perfectionist part of me aside and decided to put these songs out and work on new projects instead. As an artist, it can be challenging to figure out when to call a project ‘finished,’ because you can always make it better. It’s important to not get fixated on one project for too long and work on new things. Of course, there are some exceptions. You could be working on a masterpiece.
With the album, I suppose, do you have bigger plans for the production and recording of that?
TAKEE: Yeah, I’m experimenting with different styles and working with different people to see what direction to take in terms of production. I’m entering the final stages of my music degree, and I get to work on a large project of my choice with any teacher in faculty. I’ll finish recording the album as part of my large project and incorporate production elements from the songs into my future live performances.
Takee, Image taken by Nicol Fiso S
You've played internationally as well, in the US, like Nashville, Virginia, San Francisco, LA. I guess, first of all, how was that experience?
TAKEE: It was great, I had a really good time and met a lot of cool people. It really was a very interesting experience.
Would you say that experience shaped your songwriting or performance now?
TAKEE: To an extent. I had a lot to write about and a lot of fun stories to tell from my travels. Performance wise, I tried to perform as much as I could. I literally took my guitar and a backpack with wheels on the plane to LA. I shoved my underwear in my guitar case, and put two sets of clothes, my loop station, my drum machine and leads in my backpack. That’s all I had with me, and $500.
You're also part of the Gentleman's Choir?
TAKEE: Yeah. The last 12-week term just finished two months ago. It's basically a men's work program mixed in with the choir, so you do a lot of inner work. The theme for the previous term was healthy masculinity and going from boyhood to manhood. Basically, letting go of the parts of ourselves that no longer serve us, and becoming a man. It really was quite a transformative experience. It was a bonus to be able to sing together as a choir and share our transformative journey together at Memo Music Hall in St. Kilda.
I notice on your socials, you do a lot of posts that are not exactly music-related, but just about your personal life, your personal beliefs and views. Is authenticity through honesty and transparency important to you as an artist?
TAKEE: Definitely. Authenticity is very important to me. I’ve taken the time write down my values and what kind of artist I want to be, and I’ve researched how to brand myself online and on social media.
Through your Instagram page, it seems like something you wanna make really clear is that you are super driven. You're throwing your all into this music career. You talk a lot about success, but what does success mean to you within music?
TAKEE: If I resonate with one person in a meaningful way, inspire someone or reach 1000 streams, I’d call that a success. Success is subjective, and I think it’s really important to define your own success to walk this earth happy, instead of constantly chasing a finish line that’s never been set.
I really just want to make music for as many people as possible, put my heart and soul into my creative practice and connect with people in the process. I want to be a leader and an innovator and make an impact.
I also really wanna do something that helps people in, like, disadvantaged parts of the world. Maybe, like, starting a foundation of some kind [to] help them get more educated, provide food and shelter which will outlive me.
So your view of music is [that] it has this activism power, [or] I guess it has a cultural capital, like something you're able to lend to different areas of life?
TAKEE: Yeah, and on top of that, it's therapeutic. You get to put your heart and soul into music. The beauty of it is that that feeling exists elsewhere in the world, and someone else who can’t express it the same way as you will thank you for it. I really want to make that sort of connection through my music.
You've been performing for a while now, and songwriting for a while. Is there anything that you've learned from performance or the music industry in general that if you could go back in time, you wish you could tell yourself?
TAKEE: I ask that question all the time. Everything is achievable, and it's not as far away as you might think. Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 3-5 years.
It really is just about the amount of work that you put in. To get results, you have to put in the work. There’s a saying: “The magic you are looking for is in the work that you are avoiding.” Like magic, you get better the more you do something. And it really comes down to how bad you want it.
With your SYN Show, The Spotlight, I guess it speaks to your passion for music and creatives.
TAKEE: Yeah, I always wanted to start a podcast, and that’s one of the reasons why I joined SYN in the first place, to have the resources to do that. That idea I had for interviewing creatives in the industry was always there, and I was able to make it a tangible thing through this radio show.
Why is it so Important to you to tell the stories of other creative people?
TAKEE: I think there’s a lot that can learned just by listening. There’s a lot of wisdom out there, and people listening to the show can learn valuable lessons, find inspiration, and a sense of connection just by tuning into the show.
You've got your show on Saturday, December 13th, exciting! What can people expect to see if they go?
TAKEE: It’s at the Bergy bandroom in Brunswick, Doors are at 1 PM, Adam Mendum at 1:30 PM, Mila + Lucas at 2:30 PM and I’ll be on at 3:30 PM, playing a 90 minute set with my 3-piece band. I’ll be playing a lot of new material, some of which will be featured in my upcoming album, and I’ll also be selling merch for the first time. All in all, it’ll be good vibes!
Click for links to gig tix or The Spotlight’s page
Make sure you grab your tickets for TAKEE’s headliner at The Bergy Bandroom this Saturday, 13th of December, to see him perform a mix of released and new originals as well as some fun covers alongside Adam Mendum and Mila + Lucas. Tickets can be found here!
Also, stay up to date with everything TAKEE has to come and all that he’s done so far through socials and streaming, linked down below.
@takee.au - Bandcamp - Spotify
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ALL CREDITED IMAGES TAKEN BY @fisophotography
