Hi, how’s it going? For those people that haven’t heard of Soleil could you tell us a bit about yourself, your story?
Hey! So grateful to be doing this interview with Artistic Echoes – thank you so much for having me.
I’m a New York native originally from Yonkers. I moved to Florida when I was 15 and to Miami in 2017. Music has always been my number one passion – singing, to be more specific. I am a singer/songwriter that has been in the professional entertainment scene since 2013, gigging in various cover bands. My genre and tone are mostly a mix of soul, jazz, blues, R&B, and funk. Prior to 2013, I was in traditional, acapella, and gospel choirs, and took piano lessons for 8 years. I’ve been in corporate bands, playing at venues in Florida and the Northeast. I released my 6-song EP, Dawn, in January 2020, and now I’m focused more on my artistry.
I can’t leave out some major parts of my story that are unrelated to music but have been catalysts to moving forward in the music industry. The first is going through major weight loss and losing 80 pounds on my own back in 2012. I was always a big girl – bullied, low self-esteem, and the like. I decided to change for the better & start incorporating self-care into my lifestyle and have maintained the weight loss. I credit most of my determination and successes to this accomplishment because it is purely mental – the physical is a byproduct.
The second major part of my story is not fully accepting myself as an artist for many years. I have a Master’s Degree in Sociology, taught at Florida Atlantic University and Broward College, attended a tech bootcamp for UX Design, and was working full-time jobs in tech almost consistently since 2016. When the pandemic hit, I finally trusted myself to surrender to what I am most passionate about – music.
It’s quite an uncertain time for musicians at the moment how have you coped with the lockdown and current restrictions?
Once I found out I lost all of my gigs back in March as well as my full-time tech job, I turned my side hustle (freelance UX design and content creation) into my main hustle. All of a sudden, I had so much more time for music (other than live shows) – writing and creating music, collaborating virtually with others, learning to record myself, applying for music opportunities, and becoming more consistent on social media. Although the state of the world is upsetting, the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for me to transition into who I truly am as an artist. I’m also an entertainer and have a cover band called Tracksuit Mafia, and we were performing around South Florida. Venues aren’t booking full bands as much due to the pandemic, but thankfully I’ve been able to pick up one duo gig a month for now. I’ve also been booked for more virtual shows and I’m really enjoying connecting with people from my home!
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
I was 5 years old when I did my first ‘performance’ – I sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the ledge of the fireplace in the NY home I grew up in. After that, my dad put me into piano & vocal lessons, so I began performing recitals. He’s a bass player and my mom is a music lover – she put headphones on her stomach while she was pregnant with me! I’d give both of them the credit for encouraging me to follow my passion for music at a young age. I voluntarily started performing on stage in elementary school during assemblies, and I haven’t stopped since.
Are there any particular artists or albums that have inspired your style?
Amy Winehouse is one of my biggest musical inspirations. I have a similar feel vocally because I listened to her so much – soul, jazz, blues roots, with some more R&B and hip-hop influences. I also love Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and Brent Faiyaz. I grew up on Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Alicia Keyes, and Christina Aguilera.
Could you tell us a bit about the writing/recording of the ReverbNation winning track ‘Slumber’?
Slumber was the first single from the Dawn EP. It is such a special record to me because not only was it my introduction to the world as the artist Soleil, but also because as my team and I started writing and creating demos, Slumber was the first song that we recognized as part of my ‘sound’ and the first track that would definitely be on the EP. It was the catalyst that sparked the rest of the tracks on Dawn. My co-writer, Mitch Cantor, and I wrote this both in the studio and during a writing session at his home, and it was based on an idea he came up with years ago. Boowie, our amazing producer, made the song magical and ambient once he engineered and produced it. When we took the demo to the studio to record the EP version, I had to really learn how to sing more ‘breathy’ to match the feel of the track, because I’m used to being a power soul singer. That was a challenge at first, but I learned so much from my vocal producer while recording it!
What has the reception been like you your ‘Dawn’ EP?
I’ve gotten great feedback, support, and love on the Dawn EP that I released earlier this year – it’s my first EP and it took a little over 2 years to make and release. I’m so grateful to have original music out in the universe now, and my team and I have been working on marketing it to more listeners.
What are some of the most interesting places you have performed at?
Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL; Bayfront Park in Miami for Light the Night Walk; Wynwood Yard; 102.7 The Beach Radio station; The Forge in Miami Beach; and lately…in my apartment for virtual shows!
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new music do you have anyone to recommend?
I really dig vocal production, so I’m into Brent Faiyaz and Sonder right now. I always listen to Soulection as well – it’s a 1.5 hour music episode on Soundcloud, created by the DJ Joe Kay. The Afrobeats genre as a whole is incredible too!
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
I’ll be finishing up several original projects I’ve been working on – some solo and some collaborations. New visuals will be released for those projects as well. I have more virtual shows coming up, and hope to be safely performing live more!
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