Interview: SANDFLOWER

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I think music got into me as a baby. Some of my earliest memories are the sounds of singing and melodies. Music is fun and intoxicating to me - it is almost like music is a place or person that I get to go on adventures with. If I didn't do music I would probably be a set designer and create environments for people to express themselves. Create spaces that give people the freedom to live in the imagination. I would still be near music though no matter what alternative I try to think of ha!

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I love to create headpieces and visual art. Something about getting lost in the trance of working with my hands really helps open my brain to new ideas on all fronts. Taking a break from music but still exercising those mental muscles really stretches the vision of what is possible!

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

I'm based out of New York City and that absolutely influences my music. I was born and raised in NYC and I think that already gave me a pretty unique perspective on the world and sound. Just the volume of life in NYC and the music you hear walking down the street or taking the train and the music pumping out of someones headphones.There are all these flavors and colors and emotions coming at you - and you have to find a way to tune into your own frequency just to exist moment by moment in the city. I think my music takes all those various elements and textures and it's my way of making sense of the world I get to live in.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

One of my most memorable shows has to be at the MOMA Ps 1 , Susanne Bartsch halloween party which is always an iconic moment for looks and performances. This particular I was performing in this gigantic dome packed with the people! And the stage was this multi level platform in the middle of the dome on these metal beams. It was this amazing theater in the round pulsing with music and energy. The crowd was dancing and the stage was swaying and we were on the top just living and giving! My costume was this handmade carnival from Trinidad and I dressed my dancers in these white painter suits and goggles! I was singing and looked out and made eye contact with the people and I almost cried from this overwhelming feeling of joy that exploded in my heart. In that moment the only thing that mattered was being truly myself and filling that dome with my soul.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

So far my favorite venues to perform at is the MOMA PS1 I've performed there a few times, The Highline Ballroom and Webster Hall! Places that I have not played that I would love to play are Terminal 5, Madison Square Garden, and the 02 Arena baby! Gotta aim high!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Ohhh that's a really good question! I think I would need a time machine for this one! Ok so the lineup would be me, James Brown, Little Simz, Jimi Hendrix, and St. Lucia.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

A time machine yes please! If I could go back I would tell myself to worry even less about what others think. I think I'm probably a person on the planet that truly aims to walk their own winding path but I think had I spent even less time concerned about others think I would have dived into the artistic process even more deeply. It's that fear even if it's slight that's so harmful to the gentle soul of a creative person.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

I think Quicksand means the most to me right now because it was actually the first song I was able to write after I lost someone that was really close to me. My heart was broken and everything including music seemed so far away. I haven't actually put this together in my mind until now but Quicksand was my first step out of the Quicksand of heartbreak that I was experiencing at the time. Quicksand was like a lighthouse that was shining guiding me back to shore after I had been lost at sea.

What is your creative process, and what inspires you to write your music?

My creative process is pretty multifaceted depending on my mindset and how close to a fully formed idea I might have. But a typical peek into how I create starts with either a bath or long shower, meditation, and either listening to a track over and over and letting whatever melodies or lyrics that come to mind live wild and free - and then over the course of a session or two molding that idea into a fleshed out song that feels like it can live on its own. Each song is its own mini planet and you want to make sure it has a sun and a moon , oceans, continents, good soil and seeds.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

I like to get across the feeling of audacious self love. You have to have the audacity to be concerned completely with where you want your life to go and tune out anything else. If you do this with love you will uplift yourself and the whole world. I want people to hear themselves in my music and also hear the possibility of flaunting the most unique parts of their personality and not hiding behind facades.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Yes I'll be putting out a new song and video for Quicksand and I'm also so excited that I'll be dropping my first album in June. I'm taking the leap and sharing these songs with the world! Let's go!