Hello, Bloodlyne! For our first question, please tell us: how did you start out in music?
BLOODLYNE: I used to sing in the school choir from my days at ICS (International Community School) in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. My dad and mom are heavy music enthusiasts and their palette of musical taste was quickly transferred to me. I would keep singing all the way into High School during chapel service and talent shows. I got really serious when I rubbed shoulders with Jon Delinger, Kazz Khalif and Bkay who have been big brothers to me since I was a young teen and also played a part. David Sengwayo helped me find my voice as an artist starting out and Andrew Baird helped me understand my gift to its core after I won A’academy, Zimbabwe’s biggest nationwide singing competition back in 2006 and behind all this one of the biggest driving forces was my big sister Mae Sithole who helped me see that I even had gift to begin with. So to answer your question…since forever hahahaha
Where did the inspiration for the name ‘Bloodlyne’ come from?
BLOODLYNE: My old management at the time gave me a ton of questions and one of them was if I wanted to change my name. I had gone by a ton of pseudonyms, mainly Jonah and Jonah4lyfe, but I wanted a change, a name that stood for me in a big way and gave meaning to my life, music and purpose. Bloodlyne stood out and I immediately took on the name.
You were born in New York City, raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, and now live in Indonesia. How have these strikingly different “homes” and the experiences you’ve had in them influenced you as a person, and your music?
BLOODLYNE: Most of my childhood was in Ethiopia at ICS. It was an international school. I was in a community of classmates from all over the world. Japan, USA, UK, Romania, Italy, Lesotho, Kenya etc… So my whole outlook on life at an early age was global. Moving back to Harare going into adolescence I was more surrounded by my local brothers and sisters. Two different worlds with a different outlook on life. Sometimes I would struggle to figure out where I belonged and figuring out who I was and how I wanted to be seen. So I had to pave my own path. Being privileged enough to have had such experiences helped me realise my music will always be diverse because I am a diverse individual as well. Indonesia reminds me of Zimbabwe a lot, I think a lot of Africans can agree that Asian culture is not that different from African culture.
“Bubblegum” has a neat chill atmosphere, with little instruments needed besides the rhythmic bass and lovely vocals. Was it a smooth process when creating this song?
BLOODLYNE: “Bubblegum” was one of the quickest songs I ever made. As soon as I had the bass and drums laid down, the hook came seamlessly. All the other elements you hear in the song were pieces of ear candy I wanted to fit into the song. I was having an awesome time creating it, a little too much in fact, I had to take out things that never made it to the final mix.
As mentioned earlier, you’ve got a great voice that really matches your music. Do you have a few influences that helped you refine your own voice and identity?
BLOODLYNE: Michael Jackson, Donell Jones, Usher, Pharrel Williams and Jimmy Hendrix to name a few, played a big part in my sound and vocal approach to music. As I got older, I would listen to other African music, Bollywood music, Arabic and Indonesian music to expand my palette of musical taste. I even learnt to sing “Dikir Barat” from Kelantan Malaysia during my studies there on a reality tv show.
Which of the songs on “The Shot” do you feel most connected to and why?
BLOODLYNE: “The Shot” was one of the earliest songs I wrote when I moved to Indonesia. My producing skills were still very basic at the time, so I passed the vocals along to Dexfa. Him Prawi and Dellatepe turned that song into something so amazing and I’m so grateful I let them have their way with it. The Shot is a song about taking back your confidence and embracing who you are by speaking life into your existence and purpose.
You’re known for singing in both Indonesian and English in your music, as well as Zimbabwean Shona occasionally. Would you consider doing a song with all three?
BLOODLYNE: Funny you asked, I actually have a recent song I recorded a few days ago with all three languages included. I plan to do more going forward.
“Hanya Kamu” is a gorgeous song. What’s your personal favourite lyric from the song?
BLOODLYNE: “Love like a tornado, needs to be just like play-doh, flexible and malleable, I don’t wanna force nothing on you.” Those lyrics on verse two, are very poetic but speak volumes on how a healthy relationship should feel like.
Have you had any moments while making this EP that you felt you were challenging yourself?
BLOODLYNE: Whenever you are putting a body of work together it’s always a challenge, there are songs you feel so excited about, but might not fit sonically with an album or EP project. So yes it can get stressful at times. I’m struggling to pick songs right now for my next project hahahaha, why? Because there’s over 100 songs to choose from and I can only pick a fraction. Aside from that, we shot 5 music videos in 7 days. It was extremely fun and extremely tiring at the same time. My body crashed for two weeks. Showing up even when you are not feeling 100% is important.
What do you think is your biggest muse or driving force in your life and musical career?
BLOODLYNE: My family, faith and passion in music are my driving force. Music has been a part of my life since I was in diapers. I want to make music that people will vibe to, find joy, be inspired by and influenced in a positive way. Purpose is important when you pursue anything in life. It helps you see things through even when money is not involved. A lot of my music career has been fuelled by passion, purpose and sheer will. This industry will make you wanna quit over and over again. Never let the intrusive thoughts win and I’m glad I’m still here doing it.
“The Shot” is out on all major streaming platforms. BLOODLYNE is on Instagram.