Exclusive Interview with 'JODRÉ'

Jodré is a British singer-songwriter with Angolan ancestry who was born in Portugal. Top R&B/Soul performers like Daniel Caesar and Frank Ocean, as well as alternative R&B artists like Brent Faiyaz and Steve Lacy have a significant influence on his music.

The song “Conversations” is about the unadulterated feelings that come with the beginning of a relationship. Being in a serious relationship for the first time, he made the decision to take a chance on writing about love and the desire to make that feeling even deeper; thus, in the chorus, he repeats, “Take me to your heart.” This song is for those who enjoy the excitement of being in a loving relationship. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

JODRÉ: I was born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal. My father is Portuguese but lived his first years in the UK and my mother is Angolan. I moved around quite a lot in Portugal due to family reasons and that led to me developing an extremely close relationship with music as a safe space for the way I was dealing with everything. My first performance happened when I was 8 and I sang ‘Man In The Mirror’ by Michael Jackson in a tribute show.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

JODRÉ: My first interaction with music was as an organ player although I was very young (Primary School). Growing up in church I used to sing quite often with my age group, performing in front of the church and in summer camps, but ultimately my passion for the art motivated me to pursue it outside of the Christian context. I learned how to play the piano and the guitar by myself at home and (even though I am not an expert) it allowed me to develop my art in various ways.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘JODRÉ’?

JODRÉ: When I was a kid my biggest inspiration was Michael Jackson, I mean he was undoubtedly the greatest artist to ever exist, but it never really had a major influence on the way I create. For my art, the biggest inspiration is Daniel Caesar, whom I identify with a lot, Brent Faiyaz and Frank Ocean.

Regarding the name Jodré, it came to me as sort of an inside joke that I have with one of my cousins, who produced some of my songs. My real name is João André and when we were kids, he used to call me Jodré just for the sake of being quicker. When the time came to choose a name to represent me and what I am, it became clear to me that it would have to be something, not just distinct but also kind of playful for I believe it might be complicated for some people to pronounce.

4. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as R&B?

JODRÉ: I believe that the strongest asset that I carry with me always is my passion for music, for the art itself. If I am to describe my development as an artist I can say that firstly I began by simply being a devoted fan of R&B. Eventually I would branch out to other genres which made me always very open to all kinds of music. Within that process, my originality started being shaped and, most importantly, it allowed me to create a vision for my sound and my career. Especially because I believe that we are getting to a new phase in the music industry in which genres will begin to blend with each other more often I intend to bring different elements of different genres into my music. The moment that I felt was the most important for my creativity was when I began to be consistent and organized with my creation. During the pandemic I would write at least one song a day. It is not that I was expecting any of them to come out as a hit, but mainly to develop my songwriting skills because I knew the feeling was always there. As time goes by there are some elements that I have learned how to manage better, and some others that I am still yet to perfect but I believe my obsession with my originality will guide me through it.

5. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

JODRÉ:

I do believe that music can have a bigger purpose than just entertainment. Culturally and politically undeniable, although I tend to enjoy more writing about spiritual themes. That can include the most common theme: Love; or also realisations about life either positive or negative. I consider myself a very spiritual person but non-religious. I believe that somehow, we are all connected and that we all fit in the conception of God, we just take some time to realise it. Artists like Daniel Caesar and Ye had a strong influence in the way I perceive this, even though I haven’t necessarily exposed myself as a spiritual writer that is one of my intentions for my music.

6. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

JODRÉ:

Anyone that knows me will be quick to say that I am very focused on building my music career. I am also very proud of my ability to separate things. I believe there is time to be creating but there is also time to be with my friends, to do sports and so on.

For now, I am still in a very early stage of my career and so I try to experience things in order to create my artistic persona. I do not worry about immediate results, instead I prefer to build a strong image of what my music is, and I am sure the success will follow.

7. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

JODRÉ:

I am a firm believer that as an artist I simply channel this mystical spectrum of ideas. I begin by listening to beats and then singing random melodies on it. Once that is finished, I go back to the melodies and select the ones I feel like fit in the song better. Lyrics always come last in my creative process. When I am writing a song, I do not put a name on it or a theme, I make myself available to create and my goal is to not put any restrictions on what the song should or not be. I prefer looking for the inspiration and waiting for it to click than to go with a pre-defined conception.

8. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

JODRÉ:

Growing up I had to endure some family problems which lead to me being more independent and focused on my goals. I am not one to dwell on problems because I believe that they shaped me into the person I am today and will prepare me for the person I want to be. I have moved around quite a lot and I have to say that the most difficult thing ended up being the instability at such a young age. At this time, the only person who could give me any sort of stability was my grandmother. Both me and my sister were living with her for a while and she was one of the few people that, at that point, always made sure I knew how much she loved me. In 2017, when I was 16, my grandmother suddenly died, which was a very complicated episode for me to digest, especially spiritually, and that is when I began the process of creating my persona.

9. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

JODRÉ: I have always enjoyed the creative process above; it is a moment where I can express my thoughts and my words. When I am recording a song, I like to leave some space for improvisation and, with my producer, to let the moment flow and when it clicks it is such a fulfilling moment and it makes me impatient to release it. I am in an early stage of my career and so it is more appealing to create but I confess that I cannot wait for the day where I hear a huge crowd singing lyrics I wrote in my room.

10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

JODRÉ: I have always been one to focus on the lyrical side of the song. It is extremely important for me the question of meaning because I think the answer is a mixture of both. I believe that when an artist writes a song there is a fundamental message being transmitted but it does not necessarily imply that the listener will hear it in the same way. There are some songs that have helped me through different phases of my life and, even though possible, I believe that my interpretation did not necessarily match with the artist’s intention. When I write my songs, I like to describe experiences or even fantasies of mine with the intention of whoever is listening to it to be able to fantasize about their own as if my music is the soundtrack to their own story.