Exclusive Interview with SILKY VIBE

Silky Vibe is a Fort Lauderdale based R&B singer, songwriter, producer, and musician dedicated to crafting smooth, soulful sounds that resonate with the heart and satisfy the mind. Inspired by the timeless appeal of classic R&B and blending ambient, contemporary soundscapes, Silky Vibe’s music creates an atmosphere of intimacy and relaxation. Influenced in equal parts by D’Angelo, Usher, and Frank Ocean, Silky Vibe blends elements of Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, and Alternative R&B music to craft personable lyrics and captivating melodies, making each song a comforting and relatable experience for the listener. Driven by a lifelong passion for music, Silky Vibe is poised to make a lasting impression on the R&B scene, offering a fresh yet familiar sound that soothes the soul. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

SILKY VIBE: From a young age, I was very exposed to all types of music in my household and I really appreciate my parents sharing their love of different music with me. A moment that I will always remember and cherish is my mom taking me to my first ever concert to see Usher for the tour to support 8701. To this day, that is one of my favorite albums of all time and it really ignited my passion in R&B music in general.

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

SILKY VIBE: Like a lot of R&B artists, my musical journey started in the church choir when I was in elementary school. My mom had me go to audition and I was too nervous to sing in front of the choir director so they threw me in with the tenors and I started to practice and perform with the choir. I learned a lot about performing with a band and just keeping to the groove of a song with a group of people from that experience. I think that really ignited a desire to keep performing as the experience helped me get more comfortable being on stage.

3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, what’s the story behind choosing the name ‘SILKY VIBE’?

SILKY VIBE: Honestly, I feel like the most influential figures in my early musical life are the girls I had crushes on growing up! If not for trying to impress girls, I don’t think I would have followed through with joining my school choir which eventually led to me performing solo for the first time and being more comfortable in myself as a solo performer.

I also found a ton of inspiration in artists like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. Those two made me fall in love with the Neo Soul sound which I feel really shaped some elements of my sound like wanting to integrate keys and electric guitar into my own music.

As for the name Silky Vibe, I actually had a bunch of names I initially wanted to go by but there are so many artists on streaming platforms today, I didn’t want to have someone else’s name and get confused for another artist. Ultimately, I play a lot of dreamy, major seventh chords and I try to weave in slick drum lines that give this kind of smooth sound so I wanted the listener to know what they are in for when they press play on my music. As I was thinking of how to describe my sound, the name popped into my head and the rest is history. And now, every time I pick up my strat or think up an idea, I keep my artist name in the back of my mind because I want it to be a name my fans can trust.

4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

SILKY VIBE: I believe my music is a fresh take on R&B not because it is something all new necessarily but because it evokes a minimal production style reminiscent of a different time. I write, produce, and perform my recordings in my bedroom studio so the songs are raw and straight from my heart. If you hear a guitar lick or a bass line, it was me who played that line and I think that stands out in a world where songs have multiple producer and writer credits for a two minute record.

For someone listening for the first time, I’d say my music borders on dreamy soundscapes with smooth chords and it is meant to evoke a feeling of introspection and contemplation. Dare I say, I try to make vibey music that can take you to a specific time and place and make you feel like you were there with me.

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 R&B?

SILKY VIBE: So I actually started my solo music endeavor as a bedroom producer when I downloaded FL Studio in 2017. I was really captivated by Metro Boomin and other producers who were taking the trap sound to new heights and also listening to albums like Blonde by Frank Ocean and Freudian by Daniel Caesar. I wanted to learn how I could make timeless masterpieces like that. Unfortunately I quickly realized that making production like what I had in mind would take quite a bit of practice. I dabbled in making my own beats and singing over free “type” beats from YouTube until 2020 at which point I kind of put music making behind me. Then in 2024 the bug hit me and I started to write again and produce some songs on FL. I felt like I was picking it up a lot more quickly because I gave myself the grace to learn and make mistakes.

This chapter shaped the artist I am today because I decided to buy my Fender Stratocaster in September 2024 after deciding the guitar samples in FL Studio weren’t enough for me. The guitar really began to shape my sound and you’ll see that in a lot of my records whether it’s in the rhythm or a guitar solo like my latest single “Moody.” Learning some music theory to go with the guitar really helped fill my musical tool bag and has allowed me to express myself more articulately as an artist.

6. Music often transcends entertainment. 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?

SILKY VIBE: I think music is an extremely powerful tool for expression. It’s interesting how some songs can seem like pure entertainment on a surface level but have some deeper ideological meaning or social narrative when analyzed closer. So I have always thought music should have some relevancy beyond pure entertainment.

With that being said, I write songs all the time and record when I have the chance since I’m completely independent and it allows me to really play what I’m feeling so I do have some songs with deeper meanings about social commentary in particular. Everything I’ve released to this point has been more so story telling and music to relax to. However, I strongly believe in the power of music and might just have to let some of my other songs out of the vault!

7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

SILKY VIBE: That’s a great question. I think the rewards of my musical career match my energy and passion in the sense that I love the buildup of an idea turning into a cohesive song and then the anticipation of putting it into the world and seeing people interact with it. I never expected to be the next Usher or Frank Ocean necessarily so while it would be nice to have millions of streams and perform at huge festivals, I get a ton of joy going on my Spotify for Artists and seeing that notification that someone, somewhere is actively listening to my songs.

Sometimes I can’t believe that my music has resonated with people the way it has and I see the momentum building as my monthly listeners have crept up slowly but surely. I like to tell my stories and take the listener on a journey and so far, I can say that I have accomplished that.

8. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?

SILKY VIBE: My creative process is a bit of an interesting one since I am actively taking guitar lessons so I like to incorporate new lessons into ideas. For instance, when I learned a new scale, I knew I had to write a song with a cool guitar solo so I could practice that and see how far it could go.

Most of my ideas start with me holding my acoustic guitar or using my midi keyboard. I’ll play some chords that sound particularly sweet to me and hum along to get the melody down. From there I let the emotion of the music take me away to a memory, to something on my mind, to a place I’d rather be, or something totally different. This is the part you have to capture because it’s so raw and it’s the sound you want to make so it’s crucial to get at least a phone recording or maybe some notes on the pad before the idea is lost to time. I think having an actual instrument in your hand brings out such creative flair that even if you just have two or three chords you know, something will spark when you start playing and from there you can decide the direction of the arrangement and turn it into a proper song.

9. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

SILKY VIBE: Now that’s a tough question. I don’t think there’s been a single “toughest” thing, but I believe to play Rhythm and Blues, you’ve got to have some blues in your soul. For me, I think experiences I’ve had while dating have given me a lot of clarity and really shaped some of my sound. Especially early on, I found myself driven by wanting to express the pain and heartbreak that I felt when feeling unrequited emotions and having music as an outlet really helped so I’m thankful for that. These experiences ultimately led to me finding the love of my life in my wife so I can’t complain too much!

10. On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And let’s talk about your latest release and future plans.

SILKY VIBE: This moment right now getting interviewed by Illustrate Magazine is pretty high up there I have to say! To have the platform to allow my fans to learn a bit more about me is truly a blessing and I’m so thankful for the opportunity. Outside of that, I think my first open mic performance with my mom there was huge. She was there that night when I was too nervous to audition for the choir director as a kid so getting to perform and have her there felt like a full circle moment and I’m happy she gets to see my musical journey.

My latest release is a single titled “Moody” which is available to stream everywhere as of 7/25. It’s a trap soul influenced R&B track that tackles heartbreak and confusion from a past relationship and I am proud to say it has my first ever recorded guitar solo. I really wanted to capture a contemplative texture that you can only get from hindsight and I think the song really expresses the way that unrequited love can make you feel. “Moody” is the title track of an upcoming “Moody EP” that I have in the pipeline for later this year and I can’t wait to share with y’all soon. Aside from that, I look forward to hitting some more open mics in the South Florida area and performing on as many stages as I can.

11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

SILKY VIBE: Haters will always hate and there will always be harsh criticism when it comes to anything that pertains to art. I know my sound won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok so I try to ignore the negativity. It’s good to see what criticism of my music is out there because some of it has helped me refine my sound in certain ways, but you can’t please everyone so I find it best to read it, have a laugh if it’s some nonsense, and keep moving on with my life.

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

SILKY VIBE: I think my tune on this has changed recently. I initially was more of a home studio guy and still do enjoy that process, but there is something magical about performing in front of a crowd and watching their reaction. I recently performed at an open mic and performed an acoustic version of my song “South Beach” and getting to tell the story of the song to a live audience and seeing them positively respond to it was a feeling you can’t replicate in a studio. On the ride home, I saw that streams for the song had spiked a bit and I knew that it was really resonating with the crowd which was awesome to see.

13. 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?

SILKY VIBE: I think people should interpret the music for what they want. Music is meant to give the listener something to think about, in my opinion, and I think two people can gather two totally different messages if they listen to the same song. If the track makes you feel something, that is all I can ask for as singer and songwriter.