Tunsi

Interview With Tunsi

SBS:  Hello and welcome to ya!  It’s always best to start off with some kind of introduction to who you are and what kind of music you make, isn’t it?  Tell us a bit about yourself & the history of your music, and give the people out there reading a couple of concrete reasons as to why they should be listening!

Tunsi:  I have been working on music since I was a teen.  I have always been involved in Hip-Hop, specifically the underground.  People should listen to my music because it’s different, it’s not the norm.  I also usually create music that holds a message allowing the listener to leave with something beneficial.

SBS:  While we’re still getting to know you and quite possibly introducing you to these pages of ours, what would you say is the newest and/or most exciting thing you’ve got going on with your music right now?  Is there anything you’ve been working on that just got released, or something happening behind the scenes that you haven’t mentioned yet?  What should your fans be looking forward to this year?

Tunsi:  The only excitement I have is when I am creating.  Since I’m constantly recording, I always have something to offer.  My fans should keep a lookout for new material.

SBS:  So far to-date, what do you feel like is the song of yours that listeners respond to the most?  Do you feel like you knew they’d like it when you first created it, or was it just another song to you at the time?  Sometimes it takes a few spins and a bit of time before we realize how special a song truly is.  What is it about this particular track that you feel people connect to?  If someone was to ask you to play one of your songs to get them interested in your music, would you choose the same one that listeners seem to enjoy the most, or would you risk it and choose something different from your catalog instead?

Tunsi:  Currently I would have to say the song “My Feet.”  I always create music that I like, not what I think someone else will like; although I love to make music that can be enjoyed by all.  I feel people connect to “My Feet” because it is pleasant to listen to and easy to follow along.  If I were to play one song to gain their interest, I would try to observe the person to understand the type of message they look for through music; then I will select something similar or contradictory.  I have over 100 songs in my catalog to choose from.

SBS:  Is there a concert you’ve been to that…maybe it was the best you’ve seen, maybe it wasn’t, but it was a completely unforgettable moment in time that you might not even see from the same band or artist again if you saw them play in the future?  Know what I mean?  Like, maybe a band you saw was touring a certain album and they never played those songs again…or like, maybe an artist climbed up the frame of the stage like Eddie Vedder did, and of course he’s probably not doin’ that now as an older dude…there are countless examples of amazing shows from the artists & bands we love most that we will never see happen twice.  Tell us all the details you can remember about an unforgettable show you saw, and why you don’t think that if you saw that same artist/band today that it could all happen again.

Tunsi:  The best concert I’ve ever been to was by Public Enemy.  This was long ago and I would love to see them in the future but it could never be the same because the times we live in now could never contain it.

SBS:  I’ve heard it said many times that it’s harder to write a song in a happy mood than to write one when you’re feeling down.  Of course, for some folks, the opposite is just as true…I guess maybe that’s a reflection of who we are on the inside perhaps?  From YOUR perspective, what’s the particular emotion you associate with the most, or connect to the strongest when you’re creating your music?  How does it play a role in what you write & why do you feel like that specific emotion gets the best songs out of you?

Tunsi:  I’m wondering if I’m ever completely happy.  The state of the world, which influences my music, is mostly a sad situation; so my mood is usually somewhat dissatisfied when I’m creating.  This causes me to create music that resonates with most people’s dissatisfaction with today’s society.

SBS:  Let’s ask ya this…would you rather create a massive hit song that the whole world knows and sings along with, or risk toiling in obscurity for the length of your career to fully keep your artistic integrity intact?  Is it really that much better to be one of those artists or bands that are only known for one song, or is it better to build a whole catalog you can proudly stand behind that might not be known at all?  One-hit wonders tend to get judged pretty harshly and are often crushed under the weight of constantly trying to find that second hit – but the flipside of that coin is the right hit song can be so financially lucrative that it can often be enough to build a whole career around.  Still…I have to wonder whether or not that would suck all the joy right outta the craft…maybe it’s really better to have no hits than one hit – what do you think you’d prefer and why?  Do you feel like creating a hit song is truly crucial to a music career?  If it’s not, what’s the alternative?  Can you still have a career without really becoming known?

Tunsi:  I don’t need much.  I don’t need to be a giant commercial artist.  I would rather have true fans whose heart can be touched through song.  Usually being exposed, on top, will bring problems I would rather not have to burden myself with.  I would want true fans, not just a one hit wonder for someone.  To me, a true fan would want to know everything about the art they couldn’t live without.  As an artist, of course you would want others to experience your art.  It’s not necessary to have one big hit.  I feel it would be fine to have a song that will give you the exposure needed for you to continue creating your art without compromising your true style.  Artists should remain true to themselves until noticed; and when recognized, remain true to your original self.

SBS:  Alright.  Personal taste.  It’s a weird thing right?  Impossible to predict, isn’t it?  We always talk about A-sides and B-sides when it comes to making music, and I like to believe that albums are generally put together with the artist or band bringing their best (theoretically, the A-sides) to an official release.  But once a song has been put out there into the world, it takes on all kinds of different meanings to every set of individual ears listening, doesn’t it?  For example – I’ve heard plenty of songs on what are considered to be B-side albums, or second songs that came along with a single that I might like even more than an A-side.  On the same side of that coin, just about every artist and band I know of tends to like certain songs they release much more than the ones their fans respond to the most.  So…I guess the question is…is there really such a thing as an A-side or a B-side to begin with?  What’s the point in worrying too much if everyone out there will draw to their own conclusions about what they like anyhow?  Should we just put absolutely everything we make out there online & let people be the judge?  When we label something as an A-side or a B-side, doesn’t that somewhat limit the listener’s objective ability to assess how they feel about a song on their own?  Who really decides what’s an A-side or a B?

Tunsi:  This is completely true.  Usually the songs that I create and like the most is the least danceable and hardest to comprehend.  That’s why it’s best to create what you like.  True fans will gravitate towards what they enjoy most from you.  True fans will even appreciate the songs they like the least.  If you are satisfied with your art, by all means, put it out for the world to enjoy.  I never look at music as an A and B side.  Even with vinyl, the sides never really mattered to me.

SBS:  Who’s someone you would be able to pinpoint as an influence on your music, or who you are as an artist, that even your fan-base might not have expected?  How has that person affected the way you make your music, and do you really feel like the influence ends up showing up in your sound, or not?  Maybe it’s something they said, maybe it’s something they did, maybe it’s something they accomplished that you hope to as well someday…maybe they’re simply iconic, or have become legendary.  Tell us why this particular inspiration matters to you & how they made an impact on how you view the art of music.

Tunsi:  Artists like Public Enemy, KRS, Nas…etc. I can go on, there is a lot to mention.  My fans should be surprised that I can be influenced by anyone.  I can be inspired by a person who is perceived as being crazy, my influence doesn’t need to come from a celebrity.  I’m not sure if the ones who influenced me show up in my sound because I never compare myself to other artists.  Their influence allows me to see that there are other individuals with their own crafts.  I would say that I am very competitive and if I see an artist that is good at his craft, it encourages me to improve.

SBS:  I’m going with a motto of being unafraid to fail this year, because I think even though I’ve failed in so many things that I’ve tried, maybe I still haven’t failed enough to have learned to not be so afraid of it yet, you know what I mean?  We can learn so much by failing…by trying different things…by stretching outside of our comfort zones – and heck, we don’t even know if we can find success at all unless we’re really willing to see what we’re capable of, right?  So let’s ask you this – what do you consider to be your biggest failure with your music to-date, and ultimately, how did that experience actually end up helping you later on?  What did you learn from whatever mistake you made & how did it assist your evolution?

Tunsi:  For some reason I always feel like I’ve failed because I’m never satisfied but at the same time I’m not sure of what I can do to improve it.  How can I improve being myself?  Maybe I can say not being consistent.  Sometimes I would lighten up from one direction to take another; when I should have remained in the direction I was going in the first place.  There is nothing specific but I tend to multitask too much.  Or maybe I tend to experiment with my creativity too randomly.  Experimenting with your creativity can only open doors in your mind that will allow you to explore hidden techniques and if recognized, can be harvested and used in your next creation.

SBS:  As I always like to remind people participating in our interviews, there is no such thing as an interview that has ever covered everything that someone would want to talk about, this one included.  We cover that here at sleepingbagstudios by offering you the ‘open floor’ at the end…a space where you can talk about anything else you want to.  You can mention anything we didn’t bring up.  You can talk politics if you want to.  You can swear.  You can tell us which websites we should go to in order to listen to your music.  You can tell us your favorite movie if you like.  Heck, you can full-on repeat yourself and say something you’ve already said if you feel so inclined – it’s YOUR space to say whatever YOU would want to say to the people out there, completely free of our influence on the conversation…all I suggest is that you take it for a ride and make good use out of it.  Thank you so much for talkin’ tunes with us!!!

Tunsi:  If I were to give advice it would be to remain a righteous individual.  Me, as an independent artist, would want people to understand the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in.  We create just to be ridiculed by voices that don’t appreciate or even care about art yet have a platform that can reach potential would-be fans.  But instead, minds are led to corruption via man made talents that are designed to alter human desires.  It has even degraded to AI.  If AI is doing the teaching that it learned from online activity, that was strategically stored for our demise, is it not the artist that creates his craft in his own closed thoughts, uncorrupted from society, that will possess the true future art relics?  I find it astonishing that there are only a few topics discussed through Hip-Hop music and yet everyone is fulfilled.  My catalog can be found at www.TunsiMusic.com

Ya ha!  This link right here is the key to being the next artist or band featured here at sleepingbagstudios, so instead of just ignoring it, click it instead!