Na’Kia Evonne Ricks, known as Ayo Kia, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. She is known for her motivating lyrics, jabbing punchlines, irresistible hooks, unforgettable story-telling, and melodic delivery. Ayo Kia began to build popularity after releasing her first project in 2021. Her solo project, “Before I Go” was listed on JukeBox Time’s Magazine as a Top 10 Album, where Before I Go ranked as Number 8 and Number 1 in Trending. 1 In Music meets the artist. Ayo Kia Talks About Life, Relationships, and New Music in Exclusive Interview.
“My girl, it’s so nice to have you here! The Queen! Hey, so the world knows , tell them your name and the city you rep?”
Ayo Kia [AK]: What’s good baby! My name is Ayo Kia and I’m repping the Greater New Orleans Area, …. SJP more specifically.
“I feel you! I feel that! So, Tell us about your latest releases, The Your Eyes video just dropped, tell us about that. What inspired you?”
AK: I’ve been motivated to release songs so they weren’t suffocating in a file folder. I used to always ask myself: like if I died today or tomorrow, no one would have heard these and that wouldn’t be fair to me so, yeah! I said ‘Self! Let’s get it! Hit the button.The Your Eyes song comes from my latest album Before I Go which was an all-night winger project. And besides “Running”, Your Eyes was like a song that I just thought I had to expound upon. So, I thought to myself, let’s do this video, it’s going to be beautiful. It’s crazy because that song was recorded like 7 years ago. And I’m just releasing it and making the video today. It’s not new to me, it’s just new to y’all. And my real day one fans, know that. Back when we couldn’t release music so easily, I used to send this song via email and that was the only way you could get it. But today, I have the leverage to release on all social media platforms, so yeah. I just want to be heard before I pass away or something or have children.
“100% Percent! Speaking of children, you have kids? You dating ? Single?”
AK: I’m single. No kids I always say when I’m single, I’m like Jesus, I’m Christ like.
“That’s lit! That’s what’s up! So, tell me what is unique about you and your music?”
AK: It’s designed by me. I consider it ‘designed’. Like certain words, messages, and sound effects, are hand selected for each song. (laughs) And the way I sit and write a song, you would think I was doing heart surgery how delicate I am with the words and the pen. I even write the words on the paper with a lot of pride (laughs) like I’m doing calligraphy. You really have to see me do this. It’s fun! It’s incredible! (laughs)
“Yes! Must do things well! Loving that my girl! So, right now, what is shaping your music?”
AK: I want to say it’s my emotions, past relationships, past friendships, a motivation to succeed and become rich, a desire to be heard and understood.
“And, when did you realize you were going to make music professionally?”
AK: I never realized it (laughs). I had been doing music for so long you know. Like, I had been going to recording studio since I was like 14. I always viewed it as my unique superpower. I want to say that it didn’t truly hit me until I made it to my twenties. Then I was like, ‘Okay, I’m about to do this for real.’
“Okay! Okay! So for the fans – tell them, What type of music do you listen to?”
AK: Everybody knows I’m in love with Drake, Beyoncé, and DJ Khaled. Love Lil Baby, Kanye is like the bestie. I love everybody that’s really doing their thing right now to be honest, because it inspires me to go harder. I always say that. It depends on the time of the day though, like I listen to Classical, Alternative Music, EDM, Gospel, R&B and Trap Music. Classical music is so sexy to me. But so is Trap Music. But, honestly, I listen to mainly rap music. I don’t think I listen to much of anything else. Unless I purposely step away from rap to create a new vibe in my space.
“Okay! Big fan of those people myself! Let’s get it! What do you do when you don’t do music?”
AK: Look for more things to do and become passionate about like, design something new and create a new world honestly. I just try to zoom in on my goals honestly.
“Okay, Okay, So Tell Me: Happiness to you is…”
AK: Peace. Period. Like if there is no peace, I will not be happy, and I think I need to get exactly what I want to be happy.
What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?
AK: To…
Never give up.
I wasn’t told that when I was younger, like so many people were against me doing music telling me it wasn’t me, but I was good at writing songs, and rapping and singing, and it seemed like everyone had an issue acknowledging the talent and so focus on the character that it hindered me from embracing myself fully. Like people would laugh at me, try to embarrass me and stuff when I told them I was a rapper. They never viewed me as a “tough” girl, just a smart, classy woman. They never viewed me as a musical person, but this was like my biggest talent. I wish someone would have been like “forget them people and do this.” Eventually people did start to tell me that, but then it was just like – too late.
“Wow! I feel that. I’m glad you’re still pushing! That’s why we need to hear about these new things in the works! Tell us about your upcoming projects, Ayo Kia…”
AK: Right now, I’m cooking up something special for myself actually. This next project is a little personal. It’s always personal, but y’all can check it out.
“Is it an album, it’s a single? What is it?”
AK: It’s an album.
“So where would we find more about this and your music?”
AK: Everywhere. Like I tell every body: Google Me B————! (laughs) On the real though, I’m on all social media platforms under Ayo Kia.
“Man Ayo Kia, thanks for joining us today, you have some of the hottest music out right now! Glad you could have this talk with me. Y’all keep it locked! We out!”
Noah Fabray is a multi-talented music producer and recording artist based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The musician has amassed millions of streams on Spotify, Apple Music, and beyond. Fabray has released music across all genres, ranging from Dream Pop to House, all the way to classic R&B. It seems that there is nothing that the artist cannot do. 1inMusic meets with the multifaceted talent.
1 in Music: What is unique about you and your music?
Noah Fabray [NF]: My music is 100% mine. I write all my lyrics, make my beats, and even play the piano. I like my songs to make people feel seen, heard, and empowered. Whether it’s R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, or something in between, I want my songs to sound fresh and exciting. My newest song, ‘Miami’, is refreshing in the best way and will have everyone tapping along. Definitely the song of the summer.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
NF:
My music has always been a safe space for me.
I started singing early on and have always admired powerhouse artists, like Mariah Carey, Amy Winehouse, Jennifer Hudson, and the list goes on. My family has
my back, and has always loved me for who I am: whatever that is.
1 In Music: When did you realise you were going to make music professionally?
NF: I knew I wanted to make music professionally when I was living in Los Angeles right after high-school. It’s always been my thing.
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
NF: Mostly Pop, R&B, and Dance. Anything good to be honest.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
NF: [The most undervalued artist is]MARIAH F***ING CAREY. The icon we all need to appreciate and RESPECT. She’s everything.
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
NF: I don’t! I just go out and lose my mind. Life’s too short to be scared of people who paid to see you.
1 In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
NF: I write, I paint, I redecorate my room every other month, travel, take photos, and go outside!
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
NF: [Success, to me, is] Being happy. Being healthy. Not worrying about the numbers or the fame. Just making quality songs.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
NF: NUMBERS DON’T MATTER.
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
NF: I have a new song in the works as we speak, and plenty of visuals coming across social media.
1 In Music: Thank you for answering our questions. Where do we find you music?
NF: You can find all my music here: https://songwhip.com/noah-fabray
The Ivors announced their chosen Winners of this year’s Ivor Novello Awards at a London ceremony in London on the 19th of May 2022. Their website describes The Ivors with Apple Music as “the UK’s foremost celebration of creative excellence in British and Irish song writing and screen composition.”
The Songwriter of the Year is Dave with his sophomore release We’re All Alone In This Together which topped the UK charts.
I Love You, I Hate You won Best Contemporary Song for ‘’ Dean Josiah Cover better and professionally known as Inflo and Little Simz.
Sam Fender took the award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for Seventeen Going Under.
Laura Mvula won Best Album with Dann Hume for Pink Noise.
Members of former band Cocteau Twin, Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie, and Simon Raymonde received the Visionary Award.
Ed Sheeran does not miss a spot as usual, this time grabbing the PRS For Music Most Performed Work with Fred Again.. and Johnny McDaid, for their collaborative ework on music piece Bad Habits.
Naomi Kimpenuwas the under-25 songwriter who received the Rising Star Award with Apple Music for her debut EP Prelude.
The Best Original Film Score recognised Daniel Blumberg for his work on The World To Come and the Best Television SoundtrackArthur Sharpefor for drama Landscapers.
Richard Jacques won Best Original Video Game Score for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Ivors celebrated the works of Paul Heaton with the’Outstanding Song Collection.
The PRS for Music Icon Award recognised two of rock’s most inspiring, influential, and identifiable songwriters – The Cure’s Robert Smith and Simon Gallup.
Shakira picked up the Special International Award with Apple Music for her “global impact and songwriting achievements”.
Finally, Peter Gabriel was honoured with the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy for “his outstanding contributions as a musician, innovator, humanitarian and songwriter”.
Ero Seagull is a Greek – Canadian artist based in Athens, Greece. She has released the album “Evolution”, three covers and two singles “Doin’ Our Game” & her latest release “Requiem”. Ero started playing piano at the age of six. When she finished school, she decided to hone her creative talents with a course at the prestigious Bretton Hall College in Leeds studying Theatre Studies/ Dramaturgy. It was there that Ero started writing her own music. This is when she entered The People’s Music Awards in the “Off The Beaten Track” category and then, played the prestigious Scala venue in London.
1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
Ero Seagull [ES]: Music is my passion and when I sit down to write I put my full energy to it. Every song I write is different to the other because it’s a different story and each story has a different energy to it. I would never limit me or my music. I let it be free. In one (The Gospel) I speak through Jesus’ perspective, in another “What’s in a Romeo” through Romeo’s. I have developed a musical style that draws on a range of influences and genres spanning hip-hop, pop, early post-punk and now with the new release “Requiem” we have a soothing – atmospheric song, with soft & rich vocals, soft gradual instrumental development, emotional setting, solid mixing, cinematic synths and it deals with the impunity of police brutalities.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
ES: My teachers always said that I was gifted with the art of writing. In the school essays I would always dive into the chores of my imagination. I would write stories, sometimes fictional, where I would step into some character’s shoes with my whole entity and some times auto biographical based on my experiences. I’ve also published a book “Ero and The Remembrance” that deals with the ‘trip’ I had after 8 doses of LSD and the psychiatric wards that followed. This experience taught me a lot. To accept people, have compassion. I came back in sanity alright but what this also taught me is that you can reinvent yourself and you can achieve whatever you put your mind into. I love the storytelling. I also love to observe. All these elements shaped my music. I support myself in this reality.
1 In Music: When did you realise you were going to make music professionally?
ES: After my gig in the venue Scala in London I knew that that was where I belonged, I loved being on stage and communicating my message through this art. My best friend Stefanos helped me in my baby steps.
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
ES: I listen from Britney Spears to Beethoven. From the soundtrack of Beauty & The Beast to Stone Roses. I tend not to limit myself at all when it comes to music.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
ES: I’ve never thought about that. Nice question. I guess Brian Eno, not many people know him with 17 solo albums.
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
ES: I’m like Eminem in 8th Mile. I practice practice practice. In the supermarket, I practice lyrics. I’m in the car I sing them out loud. I’m in the shower I tell them by heart.
1 In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
ES: When I don’t do music, I see my friends and we have fun. I go cycling. I flirt. I dance I could go on forever ’cause I’m passionate about life.
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
ES: Success to me is to feel happiness, serenity, having fun with your loved ones, learning together about life, learning that life is ok.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
ES: Relax, you won’t win the Oscar at the age of 18, enjoy the simple things, enjoy the process of creativity. You don’t have to hurry about anything. Make sure YOU like what you create.
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
ES: The “Requiem” video clip will be out soon. We are preparing the new album “Revolution” and who knows what else will inspire the path.
Requiem is a single. It was written one day after George Floyd was murdered and the song is dedicated to all the victims of the police. I sat on my piano and the lyrics “Perhaps I’m million bucks but now I feel like I’m dirt on the ground” came instantly to my head, like someone dictated them to me. I wrote the lyrics in that voice melody and sent the demo to Marilena Orfanou who created the composition and did the mixing. Later one afternoon we met in Marilena’s Studio and recorded the voices. I had won a competition in Melboss “Antonio Escobar will do Mixing – Mastering to 1 track of yours” and so the song was sent to him and here it is. Requiem is a plea to the offenders all around the globe to rethink the choices they have and consequently alter the decisions they may take. It’s a call for unity. The video clip is directed by Smaragda Nitsopoulou and it will be released to the public very soon.
1 In Music: Where do we find you music?
ES: On Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4cQwXNyiEV4T5y3MaBfqJd?si=7XPvcj96RQG_2UWwNNWG-A YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/EroSeagull, Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/eroseagull, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eroseagull/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/eroseagull/
Jay Elle is an acoustic pop singer-songwriter who brings warmth and energy through diverse, well-crafted, “five star”, guitar-driven melodic songs. His soft inviting voice will uplift and soothe your spirits and his witty lyrics will provoke deeper thoughts about the world while sharing optimistic, positive, upbeat messages that will “have you carry on with your day with a smile”. The result is amazing success worldwide, including rave reviews by over 40 blogs, magazines, DJs and radio programmers (Press) and chart topping songs across multiple genres. 1 In Music meet the talented musician.
1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
Jay Elle [JE]: Great question. It’s definitely a unique blend of influences. I was born in France and grew up there. I lived right at the border between France and Switzerland, near Geneva. I went to school at the Conservatory of Music of Geneva. I studied classical guitar, singing and composition. Though I love Chopin and Bach, I also love Rock and Pop music and pretty much all styles. There are great Rap and Hip Hop songs. So, when you mix all these elements you get something fairly different. Nowadays, I strive to write great pop songs that would appeal to a large audience. My songs are melodic, guitar driven, often acoustic guitar, with lots of finger picking. I use a classical guitar on some of the tracks on my new album “Ride the Wave” produced by Caleb “kbc” Sherman. Tracks like “Tequila Kiss”, a song I wrote about Nina Dobrev, the fabulous actress from The Vampires Diaries TV series. Also, “Want Me Bad” is a classical guitar based piece. I use the classical guitar sound as a foundation, but the songs are totally rocking out. Caleb did an amazing job. I use a Martin steel string acoustic on other songs like “AngelingTM” and “Morning Rain”. I also put a lot of emphasis on having lyrics with hopeful messages and wit that makes them interesting. Rap is the perfect format for great story telling. Not always easy to do with a pop song. I keep things short and simple. My melodies have definite English Rock influences as well as French. The arrangements are alternative rock for this new album. It’s definitely a unique blend.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
JE: My passion for music started with my love for great pop songs. The songs that give you chills down your spine or goosebumps. I started playing guitar first before getting to singing and songwriting. But as a child before playing guitar, I was always moved by great pop songs. And I put lots of music in that category, from Queen to Chopin. There are pieces of music that just give you such great energy and take you to such a wonderful place emotionally. It occurred to me that perhaps I could learn to write songs like that or at least give it a serious try. I listened to everything Eric Clapton recorded. Talk about a great guitar player who also has great songs on his records. I am grateful for the support I received from my family early on and friends and now fans. I couldn’t do it without all of them.
1 In Music: When did you realise you were going to make music professionally?
JE: In my late teens, when it was time to make a decision regarding where to go to college after graduating from high school. I had been playing guitar and singing for a few years. But once I started getting more into songwriting, I realized that I couldn’t stop. And whether or not there was a professional career in my future, there was no way I would quit.
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
JE: I listen to everything that I can possibly get my hands on. I am open to all genres. In fact, I make an effort to discover new styles or certainly expand my horizons. I have my favorite types of course. If I want to have fun playing guitar, I’ll jam on a Blues song. Or, a fast heavy metal song. Jazz is perfect for fun guitar playing. Endless possibilities. Just let your fingers do the walking. I listen to great singer songwriters like Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Sting, etc. Elvis Presley is a great singer. It’s always inspirational to listen to these masters. I love Pink, Prince, Maroon 5 and lots and lots of others.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
JE:One could make the case that all artists are undervalued. And all music artists.
Music is everywhere in our lives if we choose to have it or even if we don’t. Rarely will you walk into a store or restaurant and not hear music. It’s in all the TV shows and movies we watch. I am sure that some folks prefer reading a book by a roaring fire place without playing recorded music, but the crackling of the fire is background music to their reading experience. Oftentimes, music artists and their work are taken for granted. It’s there, it’s everywhere, sign up for streaming 10 million songs on one service or another… Music plays a big part on how we feel. We might be more aware of it when we hear something that sounds horrible to us, or really moves us in a good way, but the rest of the time music contributes to us having a better day rather than a dull one. Music during our commute to work, at the gym, etc… A great song can definitely turn your energy around and uplift you.
I am glad that some music artists have gotten lots of accolades. Hopefully more will in the future.
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
JE: I practice regularly and of course very specifically depending on whether I am going to record or perform live. Guitar is a little easier as you can practice for hours every day. Singing is tricky. If you practice too much you wear out your voice. I need to be rested and drink a lot of water so that my voice is clearer and lighter. I imagine and visualize performing while meditating as much as possible too.
1 In Music: What other passions do you have beside music?
JE: I love to get some rest with easy crossword puzzles. I watch murder mystery shows and movies. I haven’t had the chance to go skiing in a long time but I certainly try to go play in the snow when there is any coming down. Not much in New York City lately.
1 In Music: And Success to you is…?
JE:[Success is] Making people feel great when listening to one of my songs.
If I can write a song that is going to give you great energy and give you chills or goosebumps then I have succeeded. If it goes further and you start dancing and possibly sing along then even better.
1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
JE: I wish I were told that I should focus on what makes me happy musically. Unfortunately, the music business is a tough business where very few succeed financially and not always for very long. It makes sense for people who care for you to warn you and suggests you either do something else altogether or do things differently so that perhaps you can succeed.
I would recommend that you discover what you love about music. What really moves you and focus on that.
Regardless of whether you can build a career around it or not has a lot to do with chance. In the meantime, do what makes you happy.
1 In Music: Jay Elle, many thanks for answering our questions. A last one for the road: Tell us about your current release and where can we find it?
JE: I am totally focused on promoting my new album right now. “Ride the Wave” is a 12-song album with beautiful songs and lots of variety.
The pandemic shaped a lot of how his new album came to be and the songs that I wrote for it. I had planned to release an acoustic album, just my voice and my guitar. I wrote 30 new songs and recorded them in that format. I thought I could get a good album out of the 30. I pushed myself and explored various styles as I wanted the listening experience to be as interesting as possible. One voice and one guitar for 10 songs in a row requires interesting lyrics and melodies and guitar parts, in my mind anyway. As I have been on lock down I have been spending time in front of the TV and on social networks. As I mentioned, “Tequila Kiss” is about Nina Dobrev (@nina), the star of The Vampire Diaries. The song “Ride the Wave” was inspired by pictures taken by my friend Jett Harris (@jettt1209) who posts great pictures of surfers riding waves. I thought that dealing with the pandemic was pretty much like riding a wave, a tsunami in this case. There is nothing you can do other than ride as best as you can. You can’t control the wave. Just ride and hope for the best and in the case of surfers have a great time.
TikTok is a great inspiration. You can thumb through lots of videos. It inspired “Miss Mess” the first single. Thanks to Facebook I reconnected with Caleb “kbc” Sherman who produced the album. It had been a while since we talked and worked together. I told him about my plan and he asked to listen to the 30 songs. He picked 14 and we ended up with 12 songs for the album. Caleb has amazing ears and brings together production techniques and musicality brilliantly. He feels the music so deeply and so well. That’s why I think everyone should listen to the album. It feels great. Caleb put together a mix of fast songs and slower ones. It makes for a great album. All of the songs are full of energy. And I get chills down my spine listening to them. It’s great work.
I really think it’s a wonderful album and that everyone should listen to it. Forget that it’s my songs and my voice. I really think it’s really, really good. Caleb “kbc” Sherman did such a fantastic job bringing the songs to life. It’s worth taking the time to listen for sure. “Ride the Wave” is available on all streaming platforms and in all digital stores, and of course on my website.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
Requiem is a single. It was written one day after George Floyd was murdered and the song is dedicated to all the victims of the police. I sat on my piano and the lyrics “