Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to GXCHY . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi GXCHY , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I reached out to good friend of mine, one of the first people to genuinely supported my vision and collaborate with, Eravani, who told me he made a instrumental with my voice in mind, and that song ended up being “The Light.” The song was made in about 20 minutes, and we ended up hanging that whole week just writing and making music. I laid out the entire concept after 5 songs recorded that week. I made some phone calls to some friends (@atl.tre and @darkheartvidere) some talented visual artists to talk to them about this photo concept: doing a photoshoot entirely underwater. The water representing washing away the dirt, purifying, being reborn, being clean.
This project came from a place of feeling lost, hopeless and stagnant; turning a negative into a positive, working through that hardship to create something meaningful with friends and family and making me a better artist in the process. That’s why this project means so much to me.
GXCHY , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I come from a musical family background, my mother’s a singer, she was actually in a few bands in New York before she had me. So music obviously was a constant thing growing up in the house! Anita Baker, Erykah, Prince, Stevie, Earth, Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye – to name a few – were always in rotation. One artist I always felt drawn to personally was Jimi Hendrix, his guitar style needs no further praise. If you know you know, which drove me to wanting to play the guitar, and because of that, I started playing other instruments: 5 in total now (guitar, saxophone, drums, bass, and currently learning the mandolin). I was in jazz band, marching band, and my church choir/band growing up.
I think what sets me apart is that my style is unorthodox, I can create something with anyone. I can play all the instruments, I’m a one man band, and yet I can still play with and want to collab with other artists.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Making an impact on culture. Art is what drives me! I love creating music, other areas of art as well: clothing, films, photos, etc. Creating is what gives me the most joy and sense of pride.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I’d just say, it’s important to be true to yourself. So many times we listen to voices, people who don’t always have your best interests in mind. They don’t necessarily mean you harm, but their vision of you may be different from your own and you may find yourself going in an unintended direction. So, “Don’t ever change.” Enough said.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/gxchy
- Instagram: @gxchy_
Image Credits
@darkheartvidere