Can you describe growing up in Amsterdam? What was it like being a creative child?

I always felt the need to do something different from what other people were doing. It started with the way I used to dress; whatever was in, I tried to combine that and make it look cool with what I was wearing. That was the early stages of me being creative in a way, watching how I expressed myself. A lot of my friends were involved in fashion; brands like Daily Paper and Filly pieces. A nephew of mine was one of their first employeees, so I witnessed the building of those brands and fashion houses. I was really blessed to be in that environment and to see how they were thriving. That helped me shape my creative vision as well. The way you dress is a big part of expressing your creative vision. 

So, that was the first stage. I don't know how it translated into making music. It was really natural. I grew up with my parents making music. I gradually became aware of the vision that I had as an artist. I started out making music as a musician in a church. Then, I went on to produce for other people, and sometimes I didn't feel like there should be vocals on the instrumental. From then on, I went on to make my own songs. Everything fell into place. I started exploring all the things I like, like photography, poetry, and so on. I always liked those things, but I didn't have a concrete way to express them or hone them. Everything fell into place when I started making my own music.

You were raised in Amsterdam and have Ghanian heritage. How have these influences shaped you and your art?

In Ghanian music, there's a lot of minor and major chords that are mixed, which gives a melancholic feeling. They love mixing themes, different themes. They can be talking about heartbreak with a very happy instrumental. Just juxtaposing things, combining them, blending them; that's something I heard early on in Ghanian music. Also, the rhythms—the Highlife, Afrobeats— those are essential, and a big part of the music we make in Church. So, it's an understatement to say that my heritage is a big part. It's shaped me and how I look at music. There's a big Ghanian community in Amsterdam, so it felt like I was in Ghana sometimes. Just going to different shops, speaking to different aunties on my way, that feeling of warmth in Ghana was really here too when I grew up. Also, researching our history and pan-Africanism is something that really inspired me in making my music and how I look at things in general.

Talk to me about your creative process.

I don't know what I'm going to talk about or what the subject is until I start making the music. It’s very much exploring while I make the song, letting my mind explore whatever it feels and then connecting the dots after. I might start with a drum pattern, and then when the keys come in, it's like 'Oh, this feels like that one day when I forgot my keys and my mum was at work and it was raining, and I was standing outside.' Certain sounds take me back to specific moments, but it's not until I've created sounds that I know where it's leading me. It's very intuitive. 

How do you deal with self-doubt?

I think everybody deals with it. The more you're a perfectionist, the more it can trouble you. I'm learning to let go of these thoughts, because when you're thinking, you're just thinking, you're not doing anything practical. It's not a waste of time, but a waste of energy. You could be putting that energy towards something else, something that makes you more comfortable and brings you back to the moment. Sometimes you need to take a step back and realise that. Although you're very passionate about music, there's still life to live.

Tell me about your debut album, Echoes of Prayer, out on 11th October.

I'm just excited, I want to get it out. I've been working on it for a year now. The process was heavy. I lost a good friend of mine, who was also my manager. He passed away during the process of making this album. And then I lost my harddrive which had 75% of the songs on it. So, there were moments where I was like, 'Am I still going to do this?' And then I reminded myself that I don't have to want to do this, but that I need to do this, and that brought me back. There's always some adversity when you're doing something big, but that’s just a reminder that what you're doing is big. I just kept pushing.

I was working on the album and didn’t have a name. I kept asking myself: ‘What translates the feeling I'm trying to express?’ I'm somebody that prays a lot. I'm a religious man. So, what if I treated all these songs as prayers, as a conversation with God? Then, I thought about how some things that are so important that you don't just see or hear them once, but they repeat again and again and again. They echo. And yeah, now we're here.

Is there a track that is particularly special to you?

Yeah. There's one song that really grew on me, that I wasn't going to put on the album. It's called 'Some Love'. I do more vocals on there. It sounds different to the rest of the songs, but also like it belongs.