With the arrival of Florida-hailing singer/songwriter Q back in 2018, the music scene welcomed a once in a decade vocalist playing with a unique mixture of R&B with alt-indie flavours. On each record since ‘You (Demo),‘ ‘Summer Girl,’ including his critically acclaimed project ‘The Shaving Experiment,‘ Q delivers unbelievable vocal arrangements, the best the world has heard since The Weeknd.
The 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Broward County, Florida, has received tremendous response to his viral hit ‘That’s How Strong My Love’ taken from this 2020 EP ‘The Shaving Experiment.’ But his talents go beyond one track.
Q’s recent European tour proved to every one of his astonishing capabilities. At London’s Scala, the sold-out crowd entered a daydream of R&B slow jams with Q’s incredible voice that left the audience stunned and wanting more.
Guided by his faith, Q shares his perspective on living in the moment and giving the current day your all on a new single, ‘Today,’ out now. The previous groovy ‘Stereo Driver’ is a perfect exhibit of pure talent that meets playing around in the studio.
Q is taking the world by storm, and Noctis is happy to be at the forefront of his growing fandom. From screaming at his London show, we dig deeper with the singer.
What have you been up to after you finished up your European tour?
Well I have been doing a lot of resting, tour took some energy out of me and I had to take some time to recover. I have been also making music, but overall just resting.
How do you usually recover after a tour?
Well, since this is my first tour it took some readjusting on my end. I am used to quick travels while being on the same timezone, but since I traveled the whole of Europe, it threw me off.
How was the tour, what was your favourite show if you could choose and why?
The tour was great! My favorite show had to be the one in London. The Scala show was amazing. It was towards the end of the tour, it felt really natural to be there to perform again since I did a show last year in London.
You also performed your new single ‘Stereo Driver’, how does it feel performing a new song in front of a crowd that has never heard it before?
When I perform a new song I usually don’t feel any type of way. I just perform the song and call it a day. It’s all fun.
What is the backstory of ‘Stereo Driver’?
Okay so I was messing around in the studio one day playing with a keyboard. And that synth that you hear on the song just caught my attention. Then, I didn’t feel like making a whole song so I just recorded a video with me singing and playing ideas to it. Eventually a couple weeks later I was about to go to sleep and had the overwhelming feeling to make the song the next day. And I did.
Can you share anything about the accompanying music video?
Well the video is mostly about me hearing from God. And the love and security I wanted to share with the people that didn’t know. So that’s what the video is about.
How was it growing up in a household with such musically talented parents?
It was normal. They didn’t force me to do anything. I just really watched and observed everything they were doing musically. My Mom playing in the church, I just watched her do her thing. And my dad talks about music 24/7 so I just observed.
Have you ever felt under pressure to meet people’s expectations due to your parents’ career?
I never felt too pressured. But my Dad is very adamant about me seeing through with the things that he spoke over me in the terms of how highly he supports me with my music.
You started recording music when you were five years old, could you please elaborate? Do you remember what the song was about and how did it all come about?
My first song was about 5 years old. It was about how God was awesome lol.
What were some of the most valuable lessons you learned from your parents?
My Mom taught me to stay vigilant, stay aware, and watch my surroundings. My dad taught me to stay focused, not to give up, and to just explore in creativity to the ends.
What inspired you to write ‘That’s How Strong My Heart Is’?
I was going through a moment of not understanding what love is, so I wanted the person to take me to that place to understand.
Where do you usually write lyrics? (Garage Rooftop, Summer Girl)
I write them verbally on the spot. I don’t really write that much. I’m practicing to write here and there so I can understand more of what I am writing.
Are you working on new music that will end up on a bigger project?
Yes I am. All that will be coming very soon.
How will it differ from ‘The Shave Experiment’?
Just by the nature of it not being “The Shave Experiment” makes it different. We will see.
Could you tell us more about your new single ‘Today’?
Today is about choosing today to take the step as a human to better your life. It’s our choice to choose what we believe about ourselves. No matter how much self-sabotage can come and guilt, God showed me another side of myself that I couldn’t see. And today is the day to make that step.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
To start getting things ready haha.
Follow Q on Instagram
Words: Karolina Kramplova