The pandemic has undoubtedly reconfigured the lives of many. The vital role of the arts in our lives became undeniably apparent, as a global society found solace, comfort, and distraction from the testing global sanitary crisis.
Despite the arts being treasured during this trying time, it was one of the industries that suffered the most as a result. Many were stripped from their sources of income as the world shut down. The dire situation had a palpable impact on musicians and artists as a whole. Some were able to hone in this crisis and transform it with their craft, others were forced to abandon their projects in order to pay bills.
Either way, the’s no arguing the fact that the pandemic brought unexpected downtime into the entertainment industry.
Patti Smith once said, “It’s the artist’s responsibility to balance mystical communication and the labor of creation”. So with this in mind, we present Vol. 3 of TNC Talks, where we dive into how the pandemic affected creativity alongside some incredibly talented musicians.
Axel Boman
House music DJ and producer Axel Boman who’s been gifting the world with his music for over a decade. He even has his own label, Studio Barnhaus.
To adapt my creative process to the pandemic, I microdosed LSD and drank natural wine. I found having uninterrupted studio time was incredibly fruitful. Almost to a point that I was afraid of when it would end. It woke something in me that had been asleep and now I feel I cant ever go back to the life I used to live. I need to create! So in order to move on and still feel like I’m progressing creatively, I have started playing live which is amazingly terrifying and rewarding.
I need to be better at everything. So much is at stake. I can’t waste another minute in the studio. Art is too important.
Personally, I’m devastated my daughter has to grow up in this cold nihilistic world but I will do my best to enforce the naive values of my own youth without being nostalgic and backwards thinking. I feel so lost, to be honest. How did we end up in this place? I’m so ready for change and to work hard but towards what? I’ll keep making music and hopefully, the answer is in there…
Lyves
Inspired by hip-hop, soul, and ambient electronic music, Francesca Bergami (a.k.a Lyves) transports her listeners to an emotionally charged, beautiful landscape with her voice and lyrics. Having supported Coldplay on their European tour, Lyves is currently engulfed in her project ‘8 rooms, 8 films, 8 months’, an audiovisual window to her world.
I feel incredibly fortunate to still be here throughout the pandemic and I believe this feeling has permeated the music I created during this time. Lyrically, over quarantine, I felt I became a lot braver. I lost a great deal of self-doubt and became freer to experiment. It soon became clear that I would delve even deeper than I anticipated into the emotions and stories I wished to share. I felt very affected by the people suffering yet also quite helpless in what I could do at the time, so music became a space where I felt I might be able to offer something.
I tried to give the songs everything I had hoping that maybe these songs could bring solace or comfort to people one day.
My creative process didn’t change dramatically, to be honest. The early stages of writing are usually quite solitary for me. Once I had some rough sketches down I did collaborate on some songs with some of my favourite musicians over email.
Sampling in particular was very eye-opening. I realise just how much I love working with audio and chopping / manipulating something that already exists into something new.
The time I spent on production really allowed me to experiment with what I love to hear sonically. I co-produced my next EP alongside Dave Okumu and with the full album, I definitely want to be very involved with the final production on each record.
Darrell Cole
Sierra Leone-born alt-hip-hop artist Darrell Cole has a unique sound, a melange from his life in different cities across the UK, the US, and the Netherlands. Last year he dropped his album ‘Return on Investment Pt.1’, an ode to his heritage that touches on generational trauma and ancestral sacrifices.
The pandemic actually gave me more time to think about my career. I just kept doing what I always did… Every day I wrote at least a 16 to keep my pen sharp.
I’ve been making music my whole life and the question I asked myself during the pandemic was: What else do you like besides making music?
Personally, it just woke me up. I never thought about it… What will I do if I quit making music? I had an ongoing project which was my store called DNA that I had been stalling for almost 2 years… I took the time to finish that.
The store grants me full independence I don’t have to rely on a label to release product. I’m in a space where making music is fun again. I make music when I want & how I want. As an artist, I needed to find that peace again.
ADELINE
Swedish producer, vocalist, and DJ, Adeline with a releases for Crosstown Rebels and a residency at in Ibiza Adeline is next setting out on a South America and USA tour.
I had just started a South America tour and had done one gig in Panama where I got stranded, and then ended up staying in the jungle for almost half a year. It turned out to be quite life-changing and one of the absolute best moments in my life. It was the first time I really stopped for a second, just to be. I lived the simplest life without most possessions, and I learnt to be creative with my voice, with my words on paper, and by creating things with my hands. I learned to relate to my creativity in a new way, and I had no choice as my life had changed so drastically. I became freer.
I use a lot of meditation, and mushrooms are my favourite creative tools these days, either microdoses or ceremonies.
Somehow I feel I have this unstoppable force in the studio now. It’s a certain wisdom and experience that make you grow that way, and I feel more confidence, more self belief and love. I also create from a more selfless place, I feel more than ever that the music I create needs to help raise the vibe of this planet in whatever way it can.
Music is energy, and with it, we can create a new world.
T-Shawn
Musician, designer, and artist in every shape and form, T-Shawn does it all and trust us when we say, he does it well. After a whole year of waiting, we finally have new music from T-Shaw. The multidisciplinary talent is dropping his new single ‘FOCUS’ today.
I think the pandemic affected my creativity positively. But I don’t wanna say that the pandemic made me “more creative”, cause I would have reached that type of creativity either way at some point in my life. I just had a lot of free time to practice my art and I think that made me more creative.
I didn’t adapt to it consciously or have any special methods to keep my creative process flowing. I just started to make stuff without any excuses. I just have a crazy drive and straight hunger to reach my goals. That’s enough for me to stay creative throughout my whole life.
I think I’m more peaceful now cause I had a lot of time to think about life.
I’ve realized I wanna do things efficiently, easy and mindful. I don’t wanna feel too rushed anymore. I feel that I’ve grown a lot in these corona years.
I could explain how it will impact my work, but the best way is to actually see and experience it! ( new work coming soon)
