We were lucky to catch up with Angelique Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Angelique, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Being an artist has introduced me to the most amazing people, brought me to the most beautiful places, provided me with the most unique experiences, and continues to open my perspective on a daily basis. I could not be more grateful to live a life where I am able to pursue a life full of art and share that with other artists. Of course, like any other artist, I’ve thought about the 9-5 career path. The reality is that many creatives are already living that life. We have to work to live, and often music is not enough to support high rents or grocery runs in a big city. To be a musician today is to wear many hats, and though some do not involve music at all, they can help to support our ultimate creative goals. It isn’t an easy path, but beautiful things are not made with ease, and its a choice you wake up and make every day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Angelique, and I am a vocalist, producer, songwriter, and music therapist in training. I consider myself an artist and humanitarian. Music has been a part of my life since I was young. I am Gambian by blood, so music is tightly weaved into who I am. I always knew I’d end up in the arts. The only thing that was, and is, not certain is how that will develop as I move into adulthood. As of now, I am deeply passionate about writing and producing music for myself and like-minded artists. I’ve produced tracks for good friends I’ve met throughout my college career at Berklee, and my entire debut EP, Turbulence. Production is where I am most creative and most confident. I hadn’t understood “flow state” until I discovered Reason production software (which I continue to use as my primary DAW, despite the flack it receives from my peers). I love to create atmospheres that fit the energy and emotion of the writer, and there is no better feeling than knowing that has been accomplished. I am passionate about performing my music, and music I admire, for anyone who’d like to listen. I recently had my first gig on lead vocals in Boston, performing original music for the first time. I am also passionate about music therapy and still exploring the ways I can further connect with others through music. I am approaching an internship near DC with high school students, where I will have the opportunity to encourage, support, and inspire young people through music. Through these forms of creativity, I find meaning in life and love.

I simply want people to feel something when they hear my music. I am incapable of molding my music into something more digestible than what I feel is honest. I cannot fit into a genre, and I cannot yet reach mass audiences, and that is alright with me. I want listeners to see me in this raw state, and show themselves in the same way. Any connection made to or through my music is the reason I continue to create.

Moving forward, I want to continue to write, produce, and perform my original music, and welcome anyone who’d like to collaborate toward a similar goal.

I’ll be moving to Austin, Texas in the Summer of 2024, and I look forward to meeting some like-minded, and unlike-minded creatives in this upcoming chapter of life.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the idea that I am better than anyone else. I think the reason many artists get trapped comparing themselves to others is not necessarily because of self-deprecating thinking. Sometimes, it is because we think that we deserve even more success than those in our feed. In reality, we are all where we are because that’s just how it is, and in the end, the only actions we control are our own. At music school, it’s easy to look at your peers successes as failures for you, and their failures as opportunities. Thinking this way led me to alienate those I could be learning from, and blocked their ability to learn from me. Learning to remain open, saying “yes” to new collaborations, and turning the responsibility back to me helped me to tap into discipline I did not realize I had, and gave me the confidence to release original music.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Choosing a creative career path does not mean marijuana fueled jam sessions every day (usually). Choosing a creative career path is an emotionally and physically intensive decision. Serious musicians in today’s industry can spend every minute of the day in solitude, moving from production, to writing, to studying, to practicing, to preparing social media, to the job that pays rent, to eating a meal (if you’re lucky), and end the day with 20 cents worth of spotify streams to show for it. It is not the hipster life you may perceive to be, and it is not for the lazy. The career musicians in your life care so much about their art that they give everything they have to pursue it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angeliquemarie__/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCrPAIavupLurlU3OpVBvlzA?si=6BThMEt5zR9YvAVB
• Other: Email @angeliquemariemusic for production, songwriting, and live/recorded vocal inquiries!

Image Credits
Rachel Pac Raymond Ge Gabby Rinaldi