FEW GUUD THOUGHTS w/ Sækyi - Interview + Review
R&B is a genre that’ll never die. It’ll only reinvent itself and create new sounds that ultimately still show admiration towards the ever-evolving genre. Woodbridge, VA artist Sækyi dropped his latest sonic offering; Angels Don’t Call Me. On his latest project, Sækyi displays recovering from heartbreak and understanding the true meaning of love through the lenses of acceptance.
Angels Don’t Call Me evokes a spiritual cleanse of worries and understanding. Each track feels like a transitional phase, as Sæyki bares the burden of desolation. “The Forgotten” feels like Marvin Gaye’s, Here, My Dear. Self-awareness bleeds through the track. The percussion supported by the angelic background vocals captures the undoubting essence of rhythm and blues. “Without You” feels like a victory lap before the tragedy, like a Shakespearean experience. Despite it being a cry for help or consolement, Sækyi gains an understanding that the superficial aspects of temptation were not worth the loss of his lover. Songs like “I’m Yours” and “I Will Wait For You” signify Sækyi giving into that inner peace he’s been searching for throughout the project.
The lush chords and Disneyesque string arrangements are the glue to this project. The production provided by Brandon Jhon presents a wide spectrum of traditional and experimental R&B elements that shape a safe space for Sæyki to be vulnerable. The string progressions are infectious and transcending. The start of each track sparks a pivotal moment in Sækyi’s healing journey. The writing is heartfelt and purposeful, not wasting a second on fully divulging his perspective on love.
The nine-track body of work by Sækyi and executive producer Brandon Jhon is honest and confidently admires those sonic sounds that came before them. Through admiration, acknowledgment, and acceptance, Sækyi tackles the results of love when you show appreciation.
Describe your creative process.
“I'm not dictated by genre. Going into every tape, I know what the main premise is gonna be… the overarching story. I already have the next ten years planned out. I got my next EP already planned. I already got the first album planned. I just don't know what Sonic Space I want it to sit or live in. And I think that's, that's where my creative process really starts to kick in—going into the studio and trying to figure out how I want my message to come across—having Brandon and Eric around really set the sonic foundations for this project.”
So did you know you were making a project or did it just happen naturally?
“The first few songs made for the project was “The Forgotten” and “Angel’s Don’t Call Me.” At that moment, I wasn't even trying to make a tape; I was just trying to make hits. Brandon and I had a session in New York, and we were just making the best songs we can do. That session was viable because after a couple of months of living with the tracks and tweaking them, we realized next was doing a tape.”
You keep mentioning Brandon and Eric; who are they, and can you describe their involvement in the making of the project?
“So Brandon is the executive producer of the tape. Eric, that's the big homie; he co-wrote “I Still Love You” and was in damn near every session for the project. There were a bunch of sessions where we didn't make any music, and it was just kind of like us talking and figuring out the tape. (Chuckles) That’s how Brandon figured out that I don't listen to R&B like that…I don’t like R&B music like that.”
I don’t believe you; you love R&B… this project is classic R&B. Those melodies are not from the naked ear
“According to him, the reason I make R&B music is due to Love Below by Andre 3000. I had to go back and live with that project to understand what he meant. There were many moments throughout the project where I wanted Eric to sing the choruses cause he’s a great singer, a real R&B artist. But Brandon and Eric would say, “Nah, you sing it.” They pushed me a lot, and I can’t thank them enough. They gave me the space to be vulnerable.”
How did you and Brandon link?
“So Jesse Boone made a song with Brandon that caught my attention. I was looking for producers to work with and outreach a bit more other than my state. Brandon and I kept in touch and would work on music occasionally.
We didn't really make anything viable back then, but it was just kind of like, you know, laying the groundwork of like, Okay, like this kid actually makes like good music, and he's serious!”
Where are you from?
“I’m from Woodbridge, Virginia”
How has VA influenced your music?
“When I was coming up, there was a whole music scene going on in Woodbridge. It's crazy because I was just with Tommy and Spady the other day, and we were watching old videos of, like the, you know, like, 2015, 2014 rap scene in Woodbridge, Virginia. And they were just mostly, you know, just freestyling, you know, but they didn't know what they were doing was influencing me. It felt like rap can happen.”
Would you consider yourself religious?
“Maybe not religious, but super spiritual”
What’s your connection to angels?
“I grew up heavy in church, and the influences of church bleed through my music heavily, especially in the chord progressions and even my content. My song, “Free Fall,” is about an angel trying to force their way into heaven by climbing, but God says, “Nah, you have to fly.”
What’s the meaning of the projects title, Angels Don’t Call Me
“It summarizes the entire tape and the story behind my experiences. When you’re a man, and you realize the woman of your life is gone. It makes you understand what she was and meant to you. You begin to feel the absence of that angel who no longer answers your calls.”
This project feels like a heartfelt letter to someone who has your heart already. Is that intentional?
“Hundred percent! That's probably why I think there are so many things about this tape that people will get after they spend some time really listening to it, you know? I wish people would go back and listen to Sunset demos before experiencing this new project because Sunset demos was like a prelude.”
What’s one thing you did differently on your Angels Don’t Call Me compared to Sunset Demos?
“I did everything differently (chuckles,) one being there was no Youtube beats, and no song has any samples.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing's wrong with YouTube beats. My biggest song was on a YouTube beat. But with this tape, I injected myself into the production process.”
How has working with one producer on this project elevated your music?
“This tape doesn’t exist with Brandon, and It was truly 50/50 on this. In 2021, before we even started working on the tape, he called me, and he goes “you need to start working on your choruses.” At first, I was like, “I think my choruses are great,” but I sat on it for a few days, and he was right. Most of my songs were just strong verses.”
“I'm grateful for Brandon because I have crazy ideas sometimes, and he'll let me run with them and allow the excess to fall off naturally. It’s the same for me with him as well. They’ll be moments when he’s working on a beat, and I’ll say, “I’m not feeling that,” and he’ll go, “I hear you but let me finish out the idea.” This helped me understand producers are artists too.”
It seems you’re talking from a place of understanding as the project progresses.
“I’m a person that grabs ideas from my surroundings a lot. I think this was the first time I made a tape where I was speaking through my own emotions and experiences. Like “Without You,” I'm pulling from specific situations I've been in.”
“Without You” is one of my favorite songs, describe the creative process for me.
“With this song, we broke it down and rebuilt it. At first, this song had a lot of strings and was very Disney-like, which I liked, but I couldn’t find something to write to it. Then we ended up stripping the beat down to the drums, and Brandon started to bring the subs in, and it all came together perfectly. We even swapped out the program strings and brought in a real strings player to have that swing to it.”
“I came from pressure” - what are some of those pressures you’re dealing with?
“The pressures of being an independent artist, you know, the lack of monetary help. I’m doing a majority of this by myself. Everything you see, I had a hand in it. But also, just life shit, like there was a time when I was Ubering all the time as my main income. 12 hours a day in my car just to make the bare minimum. Those pressures are hard. But it’s all about the diamond in a rough idea; it takes pressure to shine.”
What was the hardest song to write?
I’m not gonna lie. All of these songs were fairly easy to write. Every song was about one session; we weren’t dragging it. The most challenging song to get finished was “I’m Yours.” It took time to get the feature for the song, but that process definitely taught me patience. God's time is the best. Like it is not your time. This tape helped me learn that.
How would you describe your music in two words?
Shit’s Hard
What would you like your audience to take away from your music?
Growth is something we shouldn’t be afraid of.
Last three albums?
Ari Lennox - age/sex/location
Al Doms - Prescribed Overdose
Beyonce - Renniassce
