EXCLUSIVE: We spoke to the R&B artist SoMo
SoMo is just as smooth as his tunes
The Tab Pitt had the pleasure of interviewing SoMo before his show at the Altar Bar on May 4th. My friend Valerie and I were waiting in her Oakland apartment drinking whisky gingers cause we’re broke college students and can’t afford to get drunk at a concert. While listening to SoMo’s music and going over questions to ask him, my phone rings with a call from New York. The interview time was moved up three hours, so we hopped in an uber and rushed to the Strip District as quickly as possible.
Fans were already packing the place and radiating excitement for his performance, so this just made us even more excited to see what it is about this man that makes his fans go so crazy.
His tour manager walked us onto the beautiful brown tour bus and sat us down on a couch. The bus was extremely clean especially considering a bunch of men living in it for months- very impressive. His whole crew were complete sweethearts and as we shook hands, SoMo walked into the room. There are very few people that you can genuinely say have a positive aura, but this man does. His smile and laugh were contagious, and he looked you in the eyes while also being completely willing to answer anything. This was a set-up for a great interview.
If you hadn’t already fallen for him, prepare for a drop.
Girls go absolutely crazy for you, does that ever get old?
Uhhh, no. As a man I have to say it’s pretty cool. I definitely didn’t get into music to get girls or anything, but obviously the music I ended up making is for women, you would say. So I don’t know, I like it. It’s cool.
How do you prepare for a show?
I don’t really do much except try to eat and shower up and hopefully not have a stuffed up nose like I have right now.
What drew you to the sensual R&B sound?
I’m just a sensual guy. I believe in love and I believe in passion. I think sex is important obviously to repopulate the world, so my views on it are just to be open and for it to be a loving thing and bring that sensuality into my music.
Do you prefer touring or recording?
I’m 50/50. I have to get my extroverted self out into the world and then I have to go into my introverted cave of the studio. I don’t think I could do both all the time. That’s like the artist code. Go on the road, exhaust yourself, have some life experience, get back into the studio and write about it.
Do you have a songwriting ritual?
I don’t really think about writing songs until I’m attempting to write a song. I really don’t attempt to write very often because I like to let my thoughts brew. I just come up with more stuff if I don’t try to overdo it. I like quality over quantity.
Have you ever collaborated with anyone?
Yeah, I just collaborated with Trey Songz. We did a song called “Hide and Freak.” It was on my last mixtape. A couple songs with Kirko Bangz cause he’s a Texas rapper. That’s my dude.
Was it hard to transition from YouTube to a major record label?
It wasn’t just because I was set out originally as a songwriter, and the YouTube thing was just a way for me to grow my fan base. Being a singer, I can’t just necessarily make a mixtape like a rapper where you just rap on another person’s beats. I just found a way as a singer to do my own thing, but not have to be like me just using other people’s beats because we created our own, and it’s just a cool way to keep everyone engaged while I work on my album.
How would you describe your relationship with your fans?
My fans are amazing. Everyone is so supportive, always, and I love them. Connecting for me is just the fact that they listen, like I get that I’m the guy who takes his shirt off at the end of my shows, but they’re really listening to the music and for me that’s really important, so I wanna connect more on the music side of things.
Would you say that there is an overall theme to your albums?
Yes. Very much so. I like to be cohesive in my projects. In the mixtape, ‘My Life’, I did two My Lifes, My Life I and My Life II. The mixtapes were me just being more of a songwriter and writing songs for a purpose to tell a story. In the albums, I’m attempting to perfect those emotions.
Do you have any specific songs that are close to your heart?
I do. All of them, haha. I mean being a writer it’s hard to pick which song might be your favorite or whatever, but “You Can Buy Anything” which is one of my most freestyled songs. For me, that was a moment where I could kind of let my heart out on a recording ,and it just be that which was great.
Your sensual songs seem to be more about making love and appreciating the female body instead of just fucking. Where do those values come from?
I think maybe it’s the southern thing. I was raised by a woman, and I was raised to appreciate women. Honestly for me, I think women are the best thing ever. We live in an age where women are really scrutinized and the equality thing is big, but at the end of the day we are men and women, and I like to appreciate the romantic side of things while still being respectful. You’re an equal to me. I want to please women and not use women.
What do you look for in a female for yourself?
Just a sweetheart. It’s all in the eyes for me I feel like. You have pretty eyes. There’s no type, just a real person.
What are some quotes or bands that inspire you?
I went through a phase of the Warped Tour scene. I like the hardcore, UNDEROATH, and I always go back to those songs because it takes me out of my element and there are people who play other music. I like screamo. I like country, maybe when I’m gardening.
Where would you say that your success comes from?
My fans. I mean I don’t think there’s any artist in the world, honestly that could do anything without people supporting them. The success honestly belongs to them, and they have made my life better. I’m giving back and making music that they like and I like and we’re doing this together.
What has been your most rewarding experience so far?
The fans. It always goes back to the fans. I saw a quote by a fan the other day: “To the world you may just be a person, but to one person you may be the world.” For some people to think so highly of me, it’s really rewarding. It makes my life have meaning.
A large part of our audience are college students. Can you tell us your craziest party story?
Wow, let’s see here. Probably, man I don’t even know. Probably the fact that I survived most of the parties. I almost drank over half a bottle of 1800 one New Year’s. I didn’t make it to the New Year’s moment. That was back in the day when I was 21. I love tequila still.
Where’s your favorite place to party?
Bus parties are fun sometimes. That’s all you have now. You get on the bus and then you go.
Are you more of a party thrower or a party goer?
Party thrower because I don’t really go out anymore.
What’s your drink of choice?
I wanna get back in the tequila game.
Do you drink a lot on the road?
I used to to drink a lot, but I’m trying to be healthy.
Do you feel like partying affects your performance?
It can. Its grueling being on the road. Especially as a singer, and you’re trying to do it well. The drinking thing can creep up on you.
So your songs make the ladies swoon, do you have any pick up advice for our male readers?
Yeah, just be confident and approach a woman how you would want your mom to be approached when she was young. There’s no way to be except yourself.
Have you ever done something cheesy to get a girl?
The cheesiest thing I have ever done was singing at the karaoke bar in college. That’s pretty cheesy and cliche, but I definitely might have used the karaoke bar a little bit.
Pittsburgh is a sports town. So what’s some of your favorite teams?
I don’t really watch sports anymore because I’m in the studio or with my family or on a bus. I like college football because they are still playing for the passion of it and not the money.
Do you feel any type of way about the University of Pittsburgh?
Go University of Pittsburgh!
If you had to, how would you describe your music to people?
I would say it is R&B pop-ish, but it is very sensual. People will ask while I’m in an uber like “what kind of music do you make?” and I’m like it’s sensual R&B pop.
What are some things you hope people take from your music? Besides babymaking.
I just hope people listen to it, and it affects their lives where when I was growing up there was always one song that I could tie to a memory, and so if my songs can tie to people’s memories and take them back to a happy place – that would be the best.
What is one thing your fans don’t know about you?
Here’s a new thing – I really like gardening now. It’s funny like I don’t go out in public as much like I used to just because, you know, yeah I just like gardening. I’m growing tomatoes and bell peppers. Salad. I have someone watering it for me right now. It’s fun and cool to see something grow. It’s like writing a song.
Do you plan on exploring Pittsburgh’s nightlife tonight?
We do a day off tomorrow. Hey man, point us in the direction. I think we’re here til like 3am.
Here are some fan questions. Why did you choose ‘Control’ as your first single off of your new album?
Good question. Control is a very interpersonal conversation with myself and a girl, but it’s kind of like the epitome of where my life was at in a way. I don’t know, it’s just a good vibe r&b song and that’s where I root from. I just have so much coming, I can’t. It’s the best music I’ve made. It’s more sensual, more mature. I’m leaning more into the pop world a little bit, but it’s gonna be fun.
Do you have a plan for a European tour?
I’m working on it. We are working on one. Hopefully within the next year, I feel like we missed an opportunity there a year ago.
What’s your favorite thing about going on tour?
Probably just getting to perform. It’s incredible. I know it’s cliche, but it’s really cool coming from no one knowing who I was. You know most of the people in the music industry have a way in, and I just like squirmed in and made my name and have my team around me and we’re all in it together. It’s just a great experience to get on stage and have people really appreciate what you’ve done and built.
What’s your favorite song to sing on this tour?
I’m enjoying the covers this run. They’re fun. I always love singing “Ride” cause everyone knows it in the room and all the phones go up and it feels good. But we’ll see “Control” is out now, “Control” might end up being pretty fun.
Would you ever consider singing a song in Spanish?
Yeah I actually did a Spanglish version of “Ride.” I don’t know if you have all heard of that. I don’t actually speak Spanish, but I learned it for the song and every time I get closer down south they’re always asking me to speak Spanish. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to perform it.
The rest of the fan questions are ‘will you marry me?’
Maybe. You never know. One of those girls may be the one.
Thank you so much!
Dope. This was a really fun interview.
I was in complete awe of this man after talking to him for a half hour. He speaks so eloquently and truly has a love for his fans that roots in pure appreciation and devotion. He is a jack of all trades and a catch, to say the least.
After such a great interview, we all did a shot and then his tour manager walked us to will call for us to get our photo passes. We never got to actually use them though because I didn’t bring professional equipment, and I was unaware that it was mandatory – that was a very unfortunate surprise. I thought iPhones were the answer to everything, but apparently not.
We went straight upstairs to grab a few drinks and the place was absolutely packed. The opening acts did such a great job pumping up the crowd, and people were chanting “SoMo” in between sets. We talked to a few fans, and I was so moved by how die hard they are. We told a group we were talking to how we had interviewed him earlier. After lots of screaming, they bought us a ton of drinks, and we were feeling good. Let the show begin.
There wasn’t a great spot to get pictures because it was a sold out show which means that people were everywhere, and it was basically impossible to get a glimpse of the stage. I did what I could to make the situation work from a couch upstairs by the bar.
All I can say about the show is, WOW. And not just because of his insane body. His stage presence is intoxicating in itself. He gave his absolute 100% in every second of his set, and you could tell that his fans were having so much fun and his music made them feel such bliss and happiness which was beautiful to observe. Hundreds of people smiling and dancing in the same room and feeling the same vibe- it was incredible.
After we ended up like this
We ubered back to Oakland.
I have so much respect for SoMo after this interview, and he is so humble. He deserves a lot more credit than he receives for the true artist he is. I have a feeling after his next album releases, major success is heading his way and will be all over the charts.
I mean come on, this man has a beautiful voice, gardens tomatoes, has the ability to light up a room, and he knows how to treat a woman. Take notes, guys.
Check out his new single “Control” and get it on iTunes
And keep an eye out for when his next album drops.