CR/\SH L/\ND
1) We would like to start off by getting you to tell us something about yourself that your fans may not know.
A: There is a lot that people don’t know about me. I guess the most important is that I've worked in the music industry for many years, crafting my skills and learning the business. I traveled the world with a legendary Grammy-Award Winning producer in the underground electronic dance music scene and experienced what it was to truly do what you love in this world.
2) How did you get into making music?
A: At a young age music consumed my life. As the baby of 4 siblings, I was put on to pop and rap music very early. I knew every Eminem song by age of 9 or so. That influence mixed with my love of writing poetry snowballed into a musical direction.
3) What made you want to pursue a music career and how did it get started?
A: I knew the corporate life wasn’t for me. While I absolutely admire the consistent hard work and effort it takes to maintain a 9-5, it just wasn’t for me. I’m creative by nature, so art was the first career path I pursued. I knew some of the horror stories of artists getting screwed in the music industry, so I had to understand the business before joining it. After college I was fortunate enough to get a job as label manager for an independent electronic label. Over 5 years I worked hard on music marketing, song writing and developing who I was as an artist.
4) What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Has that influenced your style in any way?
A: East coast hip-hop influenced me heavily. Boom Bap stuff was all I listened to for a long time. Classic hip-hop groups such as Wu-Tang, Roots Crew, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest and Blackstarr taught me the story telling aspect of hip hop, which I absolutely loved. Thats definitely where my concepts are derived from. I have a hard time making nonsense even if it sounds good. Music has to resonate with fans, as it did with me.
5) Where are you from. Did this have an impact on your music style as well?
A: Originally from the Northeast. Yes, definitely. East coast hip hop is my shit, as mentioned above. The boom bap and story telling styles heavily influenced my love of music and poetry in general.
6) How did you come up with your stage name 'CR/\SH L/\ND?
A: Back to the issue of being placed in a box, I needed a concept that represented my love for all music under the sun. I wanted to make sure people knew that the sky is not the limit to what I do, i’ll go beyond that.
7) What kind of style would you say your music resembles?
A: That's a tough one. As a good friend told me, the music industry is super compartmentalized, so what box do i want to be in? Truth is, I don’t really know. However, I do know that my love of story telling and influence from electronic music comes together to create something unique. I would say Kid Cudi and 21 Pilots are some boxes you could put me in, but today could be one genre and tomorrow another.
8) Your self-titled debut 'Crash Land' from last year has over 2 million+ streams worldwide. Did you expect so many people to follow you and your music so rapidly?
A: Well, it's not an overnight success to say the least. I think that song is a culmination of what I do best crammed into 3 minutes. From singing, story telling, rapping, and forward thinking productions, I knew that song represented who I am as an both and artist and a person. I knew it was a special song when I made it, as I listened to it over and over for weeks. I knew people would gravitate towards it, and I’m happy to see it continue to pick up steam.
9) How did you come up with the idea for your latest song ‘Weapons'?
A: A sign of the times I guess. I was reading this infamous Trump tweet: “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”….How could I not be affected by that? It inspired me to think the only thing detrimental to this world are the actions towards each other and our planet. So metaphorically, I had to put those feelings into lyrics.
10) Where do you get inspiration for new ideas when coming up with a new song?
A: I don’t look for inspiration, thats when I make shit songs. Everything I make comes from a feeling I have at the time I put pen to paper. Of course, I can pick any topic and write a song about it, but theres nothing memorable in that.
11) When can we expect a new release from you?
A: VERY SOON. Im writing constantly and have a few songs ready to go. As soon as the people demand it I guess =).
Follow CR/\SH L/\ND:
Twitter - @CrashLandMusic
Facebook - @crashland
Instagram - @CrashLandMusic
Soundcloud - @crashland
