Again in March, Jessica Nwokike of R&B sister duo VanJess introduced that the group could be disbanding, as Ivana had chosen to depart the group. The duo had been making music for over a decade, as YouTubers, collaborators with artists like Fortunate Daye and Kaytranada, as visible auteurs and artists in their very own proper. Usually collaborating with artists earlier than they received their massive breaks, VanJess had their fingers on the heart beat of recent new sounds and was all the time a step forward of their friends. 

However when Ivana introduced she was leaving VanJess – a call that was made about eight months earlier than the official announcement – Jessica, who’s now reintroducing herself to the world as Amaka, was decided to maintain going and making the music that felt proper to her.

Amaka’s debut EP Oasis, which is out as we speak (August seventeenth), options her sharing emotional accounts of affection, capturing the fun of letting go and shifting with the circulate. Taking inspiration from the actions of dashing ocean waters, in addition to afro-fusion dance sounds, Amaka has teamed up with Kaytranada to supply a genre-defying solo debut.

Take a hearken to “Oasis” right here.

Contributor Alex Gonzalez catches up with Amaka simply weeks earlier than Oasis’ launch. With a brand new stage identify and a current launch from her RCA deal, Amaka is able to fly freely.

TRNB: After Ivana determined to step away from VanJess, what motivated you to maintain making music?

AMAKA: Actually, I feel it was actually simply the boldness in myself I developed at the moment. I don’t assume I all the time had blind religion in my very own talents and being prepared. Having a lot extra to say and present as an artist, I feel that’s actually what made me wish to preserve pushing ahead. If I didn’t have that, I in all probability would have given up.

Kaytranada is somebody you’ve labored with for years. How would you describe your chemistry working with him?

Easy, I feel, is the most effective phrase. It’s all the time extremely enjoyable. It all the time feels progressive– like music nerds actually saying, ’What occurs whenever you reference all kinds of music goodness and  go into the studio?’ That’s all the time what comes out of it.

Along with your first solo EP, Oasis can also be your first venture since leaving RCA. Now that you simply’re an impartial artist, how do you propose to navigate your sound and aesthetic? What are avenues you’d prefer to discover?

I feel being impartial, you’ve gotten the flexibility to be as daring and free as you need. And that’s actually the advantage of it – you actually can do what you need. So why not do it boldly? Why not really bend the foundations as a lot as you may? As a result of it’s actually the one alternative you get to do this. Being on labels and such, there’s all the time a component of management behind it. You would possibly wish to actually shoot all the way in which they usually say, ‘Okay, let’s solely shoot midway,’ and issues like that.

Because you’ve been making music, the panorama has modified. You and Ivana received your begin on YouTube, you launched your albums Silk Canvas and Homegrown on the peak of the streaming period, and now TikTok is the place a whole lot of music discovery is going down. How have you ever managed to maintain up with varied platforms as they’ve advanced?

I feel that somewhat than saying, ‘Okay, I’ve formally caught up with every thing, I’ve received a deal with on it,’ it’s additionally about accepting that no person really has all of it discovered. Social media is altering much more quickly than it used to. You assume you’ve gotten a deal with on it, after which a brand new app pops up and it’s fairly overwhelming. I feel all you may actually do to quote-unquote “sustain” with it’s do the alternative. Simply be your self and attempt to create as true to your self as potential–not based mostly on others, not based mostly on nervousness. I’ve seen that rather a lot currently. I’ve been actually listening to a whole lot of what folks should say about even simply the methods folks put out content material. A variety of instances folks put out content material by nervousness and feeling this want of ‘Okay, let me do that as a result of I feel that is what I must do.’

How do you often like to write down your songs? Do you utilize your Notes app? Pen and paper? Freestyle within the sales space?

I take advantage of the Notes app and voice memos. Typically, I’ll freestyle within the sales space, however solely after I really feel like I’ve one thing in my head. I’ve ADHD, so I’m in all places, you already know.  I discover that after I go on the mic, I’m probably not in a position to sit down and be like, ‘Okay, this half, this half, this half’ simply for some cause. So often, I’ll at the least determine the place I’m attempting to go along with voice memos and notes. After which from there, I can hone in additional. 

Which tune is your specific favourite?

It adjustments, however my precise favourite is “Unfamiliar.” The best way that the lyrics got here, itt was from me listening to Kay discuss an expertise he had throwing a celebration, and that gave me the inspiration to write down the lyrics, from a perspective that I feel lots of people can relate to–whenever you’re at a celebration and also you wish to go away. Oftentimes, I’ve the most effective time with folks I’m aware of. So after I’m in an area and no person appears acquainted, I really feel overwhelmed and I simply wish to go away and be with my pals and the those that I like probably the most.

I feel my favourite tune on the EP is ‘Undercover.’ It simply seems like a comfortable, winding-down anthem after a enjoyable evening out. What did your songwriting and manufacturing course of entail for this tune?

I used to be randomly impressed by ‘Spanish Guitar’ by Toni Braxton. It’s not based mostly on a real story, however [I wanted to write about] somebody that’s courting a well-known singer or one thing, and simply make that right into a tune about intercourse. I assumed that will simply be an fascinating perspective to write down from. In order that’s the way it began after which every thing was simply, you already know, attempting various things. Within the hook, I used to be serious about that tune, “Oochie Wally Wally” [by Nas]. I don’t know why that was in my head, but it surely simply type of constructed from there. 

What was the toughest tune to write down for this EP?

Not exhausting, however the one I thought of probably the most was “Oasis.” Simply because l actually needed it to be recent. And like lyrically, I attempted to problem myself to simply be extra fascinating with what I used to be saying – fascinating, however nonetheless acquainted. I attempted to color the image as a lot as potential. I used to be like, ‘What does that phrase, ‘Oasis’ actually say to me? I needed to play a lot on the water metaphor.

After I hearken to the EP from starting to finish, it seems like a film. Visuals have all the time been a giant a part of the VanJess universe. Can we anticipate visuals for Oasis?

Sure, undoubtedly. Slowly however certainly. Clearly, as you already know, I’m impartial, so I don’t have the funds to make the huge movies proper now. However we’re getting there. Nevertheless, there are some cute visuals within the works. I’m nonetheless enjoying with this AI stuff. I created this actually superb visualizer for “Depart It Behind” with an artist named Elliot Sellers. And I wish to faucet into that world extra with the graphics and the visuals.