A phenomenon is KWEAN OONTZ. The musician who created this musical endeavor has previously collaborated in Hollywood with Niecy Nash and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The Arturo Schomburg Center has taken notice of the poet whose poetry has been published and is being used as course material at the collegiate level. And they are only beginning. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
KWEAN OONTZ: I HAIL EVER-SO-PROUDLY FROM THE ILLADELPH. THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE, SISTERLY AFFECTION, AND SIBLINGLY HOLDINโ IT DOWN. THATโS WHY I DO THESE WRITTEN INTERVIEWS IN ALL-CAPS. PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY THAT WEโRE LOUD. I PREFER โDECIBELLIOUSโ โฆ IโVE ALWAYS LOVED MUSIC. I WAS THE KID ON THE EL TRAIN WHOSE ENTIRE RIDE WAS DROWNED OUT BY MY HEADPHONES. MUSIC WAS JUST PART OF MY LIFE IN A WAY THAT FELT COMPLETELY NATURAL. I GREW UP AROUND IT. I LOVED MY TOY KEYBOARD AS A KID, AND ANYTHING ELSE I COULD GET MY HANDS ON. ALL I WANTED FOR MY 16TH BIRTHDAY WAS A GUITAR, AND I ACTUALLY GOT IT. IT WAS AN IBANEZ ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC WITH THIS GORGEOUS PURPLE LACQUER AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAYS ON THE FRETBOARD. IT WAS SO STUNNING, I PERSONIFIED IT WITH A NAMEโCECILE. I HAD TO SELL THAT GUITAR IN COLLEGE, THOUGH. I WAS STUDYING SCREENWRITING & PLAYWRITING AS A MAJOR AND PURSUING MULTIPLE MINOR SPECIALIZATIONS. I JUST DIDNโT HAVE TIME FOR ANYTHING BUT THAT AND MY WORK-STUDY JOB. MY GUITAR WAS GETTING MOVED AROUND EVERY TIME I CHANGED DORMS AND I JUST DIDNโT WANT TO RISK DAMAGING IT OR LOSING IT. SO I SOLD IT TO A FRIEND WHO WAS IN THE SAME CO-ED HONORS FRATERNITY, PHI SIGMA PI (GAMMA XI CHAPTER). SHE STILL HAS IT. I HOPE. BUT I WROTE SONGS ALL THROUGHOUT MY CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE. I SHARED THEM ON FACEBOOK AND SANG ORIGINAL STUFF ACAPELLA AT SOME OPEN MICS. A LOT OF IT, I WOULD RECORD TODAY. IโM STILL VERY PROUD OF IT.
2. 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?
KWEAN OONTZ: FOR SURE, I DO. IโVE NEVER BEEN ONE OF THOSE ARTISTS WHO JUST WANTS PEOPLE TO IMPRESS WHATEVER MEANING THEY WANT ON THE WORK. I HAD A PERSPECTIVE WHEN I MADE IT AND THAT PERSPECTIVE WAS THE POINT. I THINK THATโS A RESULT OF FOLKS WANTING TO BE A LITTLE TOO DIPLOMATIC SOMETIMES, OR A LITTLE TOO MALLEABLE. ART IS OPEN TO INTERPRETATIONโฆ BUT YOU GOTTA BE HONEST WHEN AN INTERPRETATION IS DEAD WRONG. IF SOMEONE TAKES SOMETHING THAT I SAY AS A LEFTIST AND TRIES TO TWIST IT INTO SOME CONSERVATIVE TALKING POINT, THEY ARE GOING TO BE AIRED OUT. ANYTHING ELSE IS SO DANGEROUS. ITโS IRRESPONSIBLE TO ME.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โKWEAN OONTZ?
KWEAN OONTZ: I HAVE A TON OF MUSICAL INFLUENCES. SOME, I INHERITED. I HAVE SOME ROCK FANS IN MY FAMILY AND THAT WAS PRETTY DIFFERENT FROM A LOT OF THE MUSIC THAT WAS MOST POPULAR IN THE AREA WHERE I GREW UP. AND PEOPLE WOULD THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING LESS-THAN-BLACK ABOUT THAT WITHOUT REALIZING WHERE ROCK MUSIC REALLY COMES FROM. SO, I HEAR MOTHER AFRICA IN JUST ABOUT EVERY POPULAR FORM OF MUSICโAND THEN SOME. SHE LEAVES NO GENRE UNTOUCHED, REALLY. THE NAME IS A PLAY ON ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC AUTHORS I KNOW OFโDEAN KOONTZ. HEโS THE KIND OF WRITER WHO IS SOMEWHAT UBIQUITOUS. YOU CAN FIND HIS STUFF IN A CIRCLE-K. SO, I JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE NOD TO WHAT I AM MOSTLY KNOWN FOR, WHICH IS MY WRITING ON THE PAGE. IโM NON-BINARY. BUT I ALSO CANโT REALLY ESCAPE WHAT IโVE EXPERIENCED BEING SOCIALIZED OR IDENTIFIED AS โASSIGNED FEMALE AT BIRTHโโSO, I RECLAIM THE FEMININE LANGUAGE OF โQUEENโ BY PUTTING A LITTLE SPIN ON IT. PLUS, IโVE BEEN MAKING WHAT FOLKS REFER TO AS โOONTZ-OONTZโ MUSIC. WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE HILARIOUS TO ME.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
KWEAN OONTZ: THEREโS A REASON I AM WRITING IN ALL-CAPS. AND ITโS BECAUSE IโVE BEEN WRITING MUSIC IN ALL-CAPS. AND RE-WRITING MY LIFE IN ALL-CAPS. DEFINITELY EVERYTHING THATโS OUT ON THE EP IS PRETTY BOOM-BASTIC, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. AND IโM HERE FOR THAT. I HAVE A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF THATโS QUIETER, SOFTERโฆ INCLUDING THE BONUS TRACK โIN VENUSโ THATโS BEEN HIDDEN OUT THERE. BUT I DO TRY TO KEEP IT DYNAMIC AND REALLY GUIDE THE EAR IN A WAY THATโS MORE OF A HOLISTIC EXPERIENCE THAN A COCHLEAR ASSAULT.
5. 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 EDM?
KWEAN OONTZ: TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST, I DONโT THINK THIS IS THE GENRE THAT FOLKS EXPECTED ME TO BE DEBUTING IN. I HAVE SO MANY LIKED SONGS ON MY SPOTIFY. CLOSE TO 4K. AND THEY ARE IN EVERY GENRE YOU CAN THINK OF. FROM CLASSICAL TO DEATH METAL. BUT THE MUSIC THAT I HAVE PUT OUT ON THIS EP TAKES ME BACK TO A TIME WHERE I WAS MY MOST FREE. (SHOUTOUT TO FOUR LOKO!)
6. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ 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?
KWEAN OONTZ: IโM โALL ABOUT THAT BASSโ WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY ART FORMS. AT THATโS PART OF WHAT GOT ME INTO TROUBLE IN HOLLYWOODโฆ I CARE TOO MUCH. AND I AM A LITTLE TOO HONEST AND LITTLE ADAMANT ABOUT ETHICS. I MEAN, I LITERALLY TURNED DOWN A MEETING WITH 50 CENT AND ELI ROTH ON A FEATURE FILM PROJECT BECAUSE I DIDNโT THINK THEYโD GET THE BLACK FEMINIST MESSAGE BEHIND IT. AND I DIDNโT SIGN UP TO MAKE ANY MOVIE EXCEPT THE ONE THAT SCREAMED THAT MESSAGE THE LOUDEST. IF YOU ARENโT SAYING SOMETHING, THEN YOU ARENโT MAKING ART. CONTENT, MAYBE. SURE. BUT NOT ART. YOU REALLY HAVE TO DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO BE IN ANY CREATIVE FIELD BEFORE THE SPOTLIGHT TURNS ON. OTHERWISE, YOUโLL BE READING YOUR WHOLE LIFE OFF A TELEPROMPTER. AND THAT COULD NEVER BE ME.
7. 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?
KWEAN OONTZ: THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS WILD TO ME. I HAD 30 DAYS OF A FREE TRIAL ON SOME SOFTWARE THAT REMINDED ME OF MY BELOVED GARAGEBANDโWHICH I HADNโT PLAYED AROUND WITH SINCE HIGH SCHOOL. I ACTUALLY JUST HIT UP MY FORMER TEACHER, MS. NEU, TO THANK HER FOR THAT GARAGEBAND COURSE WAY BACK WHEN. I HAD AN EP/โMICROALBUMโ COMPLETED BEFORE I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH MY 30 DAY TRIAL. I WILL SAY THAT MUCH. IT WAS JUST LIKE DIVING BACK IN AND FINALLY BEING LET OFF THE LEASH. IT WAS A TRUE CREATIVE PURGE. EVEN EVERYTHING THAT IT TOOK TO SET MYSELF UP WITH ASCAP AND HANDLE MY OWN PUBLISHINGโฆ IโVE BEEN TRYING TO GET INTO THE WGA FOREVER, NOW. AND IโVE BEEN A WORKING WRITER, COLLABORATING WITH NAMES YโALL DEFINITELY KNOW, FOR SOME TIME. EMMY WINNERS AND NOMINEES. OSCAR NOMINEES. IโM NOT DROPPING NAMES BECAUSE I DONโT WANT TO BE A JERK, I JUST NEEDED TO GET ON THE RECORD THAT OUT OF MUSIC, INDIE LITERATURE AND HOLLYWOOD SCREENWRITINGโTHE SCREENWRITING HAS BEEN THE GOLIATH OF IT ALL. SO, IโM SENDING LOVE TO MY SIBS ON THE PICKET LINES RIGHT NOW. IโM IN A LITTLE MILITARY TOWN WHERE NOBODY IS SHOOTING ANYTHING, ANYWAY. SO, IโVE HAD TO CHEER THEM ON IN SPIRIT. (SAG-AFTRA, YOU GOT NEXT, BABY!) I DO VERY MUCH HOPE THAT ALL OF THIS CRISSCROSSES, THOUGH. IโD LOVE TO SCORE MY OWN STUFF. DO SOME SOUNDTRACK WORK. IโM WORKING ON A STAGE MUSICAL, MYSELF. WHICH IS DEFINITELY A DIRECT RESULT OF SEEING QUIARA ALEGRIA HUDES AND JAMES IJAMES RISE OVER THE YEARS. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WORKSHOP WITH THEM BOTH ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS AS A HIGH-SCHOOLER IN PHILLY. SO, WHEN I SAY โPHILLY STAND UPโโI SAY THAT WITH MY WHOLE CHEST!
8. 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?
KWEAN OONTZ: IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE SONG. WITH THESE INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS, I JUST BROWSED AROUND THE SAMPLES I HAD AVAILABLE TO ME AND STARTED THERE. I LAYERED IN VOCALS ON SOME OF THEM. I ALSO WOULD JUST SHUFFLE ON SPOTIFY AND SEE IF A SONG THAT INSPIRED ME CAME UP. I HAVE A FEW SONGS ON HERE THAT ARE DIRECT TRIBUTES TO SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE IโVE EVER KNOWN, INCLUDING A FRIEND WHO PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO. WHEN IโM TALKING ABOUT MORE LYRICAL STUFF, WHICH IโVE YET TO RECORD PROFESSIONALLY AT THIS POINT (BUT KEEP AN EAR OUT FOR THAT COMING UP!) โ A LOT OF THE TIME, WORDS AND PHRASES JUST COME TO ME. IโVE LEARNED THATโS A SPIRITUAL GIFT. AND THATโS LITERALLY WHY I WRITE IN AS MANY FORMS AS I DO. I CHANNEL THE WRITTEN WORD. THE SPOKEN WORD. THE SUNG WORD. THE RAPPED WORD. AND ITโS USUALLY BEAMED DOWN TO ME FROM A HIGHER SPACE. YโALL KNOW IโM PSYCHIC, RIGHT?
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
KWEAN OONTZ: WITHOUT SAYING ENOUGH TO GET ME IN TROUBLE, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN CEASE-AND-DESISTEDโI HAD THIS MAJOR LIFE SHIFT AFTER I ENDURED A SEXUAL ASSAULT AT A WORLD-RENOWNED HOSPITAL, WHICH TURNED MY LIFE UPSIDE DOWN. AND THE AFTERMATH THAT I FACED FROM A COLLABORATOR, WHOM I TRUSTED AND ADMIRED SO MUCH, WAS DEVASTATING. I CANโT EVEN DESCRIBE HOW IT IMPACTED MY CAREER AS A SCREENWRITER AND MY SELF-ESTEEM. IT BROKE ME. OR IT ALMOST DID. I HAD TO REGROUP AND I KNEW THAT HOLLYWOOD COULD NOT BE THE FINAL ANSWER FOR ME IF THIS WAS HOW SOMEONE WHO WAS HAILED AS A CHAMPION OF UNDERDOGS WAS GOING TO DO ME, KNOWING I WAS HURTING. AND SHE WASNโT THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME. I WAS LET DOWN BY MY REPS, TOO. THEY DIDNโT WANT TO FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE. AND THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN FROM MY WRITING THATโS EXACTLY WHAT THE HELL I CAME HERE TO DO.โฆBUT ALL THAT LED TO ALL OF THIS.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
KWEAN OONTZ: WOULD IT BE CHEESY IF I SAID THIS INTERVIEW IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS? I SAW A LOT MORE INTEREST OVERSEAS IN THE BEGINNING THAN I HAD WITH AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS. AMERICAโS TREMG WAS THE FIRST TO FEATURE ME AND THEN IT WAS ALL EUROPE, AND THEN RECENTLY BRAZIL. I GOT SOME AIRPLAY OVERSEAS, TOO. LIKE, LEGIT ON THE RADIO. NOT BAD FOR SOMETHING THAT DROPPED INDEPENDENTLY LESS THAN A MONTH AGO! BUT ITโS LOVELY TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CLOSE TO HOME ARE TAKING AN INTEREST, TOO.
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