It's great to have more UK talent shining in the music scene again. Representing London this upcoming star is a force to acknowledge and to get to know. Teelow's countless tunes are a marvellous delight to the ear.
The UK artists and songwriter came to give us the lowdown of his exclusive up-tempo single Fascination. He also shares with us behind the making of the track and how it came about as well as his music inspirations growing up listening to Hip Hop and Neo Soul and more on his music.
Stream Fascination on Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal
1) Hey Teelow thank you for sharing your new record it’s amazing. What could you tell us about it?
Teelow : So “Fascination” is a track about how fascinating love is. Love is an
emotion that’s central to human existence but still has so much mystery and
depth to be explored. This song talks about the impact love can have when we
let is shape us and the changes we can experience. I’ve experienced amazing
changes because of love and it’s important that we recognise and celebrate
that growth. Especially as young men trying to figure out manhood, it’s an
important realisation that love can propel us forward into who we’re trying to
be.
2) This tune is a real treat for listeners and your fans. What made you want to
make this track?
Teelow : The track was created over a period where I was reflecting on how
much I’d been impacted by my relationship and the difference in my character from my
early twenties to now. I think there’s a perspective in our culture nowadays that love
should affirm you and all your behaviours. While affirmation is important in
relationships, I’d come to a place where I’d seen a lot of my personal growth had come
when I’d allowed myself to be challenged and shaped by love. There were points that
were challenging, but those challenges required me to step up. There were habits I had
that were detrimental and being in love highlighted that. Instead of fighting to be who
I wanted to be, I decided to be who she needed me to be. That decision helped me
find who I really am. It sharped my thinking and deepened my empathy, which all fed
directly into who I wanted to be anyway. It was a real “those who lose themselves will
find themselves” kind of situation.
3) What lessons do you hope viewers learn from the song and take home?
Teelow : I think listeners can hear this track on multiple levels. A key one is that
while change is inevitable, growth is a choice. We have multiple experiences
through life, but it’s an option to learn the lessons and grow from each one. Having
love in your life is a beautiful thing, but it should never be stagnant. As I reflect
through the verse, from the beginning of my relationship until now, I’m able to find
this maturity and growth because I allowed myself to learn from the experiences in
my relationship. I hope listeners recognise the shaping power of love, both for
good and for bad.
4) You’ve had an impressive run so far with the release of your singles
‘Bread, Pluto’s Value, Advisah and Blueprints. How would you describe your
growth as an artist ?
Teelow : I think there’s an evident massive growth in my artistry. If you listen to
“Bread”, which I consider my first real single, you can hear a kind of wide-eyed
energy. I had so many opinions and theories about how life worked and I was never
afraid of saying what was on my mind, especially if it was different to what
everyone else was saying. What I didn’t necessarily have was the skill to be able to
create what was in my head in a concise, accessible manner. Because of that, I’d
lean heavily on a fairly conventional Hip-Hop approach to song writing and
performance. I’d never really sing a lead vocal or stray too far from the verse-
chorus-verse-chorus structure. Over the years, I’ve committed myself to studying
the greats of song writing and production. It’s super important to me to master the
gifts that I’ve been given, so learning more about them and how the masters of
music used and developed their skill became key in my own growth. I’ve always produced and written everything I’m on, so over the last few years I’ve worked really hard at learning how to incorporate the diversity of styles I love, as well as developing my tone and delivery. The key thing in my growth is freedom; freedom to discuss anything that comes into my head and create whatever style I feel I can.
Being able to make really poignant points over infectious melodies and speak to
people of varying world views is what I’m on now. The tracks I’ve got coming will
showcase that more fully, but “Fascination” is a great start.
5) Let’s talk about your early days in music. Who were some of the artists and
groups that you grew up listening to and how did they inspire your sound
coming up?
Teelow : I’m a Hip-Hop lover through and through, but really my biggest passion
has always been storytelling. Creating worlds through the detailing of experiences.
The list of inspirations is too long to fully list, but it’s headlined by J Dilla, A Tribe
Called Quest, MF DOOM, Kanye and Kendrick Lamar. That then blended with a love
for melody that came out of listening to Michael Jackson, Erykah Badu, Ray Charles
and Chet Baker. Add that to the grooves of James Brown, Fela Kuti and D’Angelo
and that’s kind of the pallet I grew up with. It was the world that these artists could
build, either through their lyrics, their music, their performance or visuals. They
could transport you somewhere, make you feel like you were inside their music.
That’s what I’ve been trying to capture ever since.
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6) Finally, What’s coming up next from you. Could we look forward to more
music videos, covers and any live shows coming up ?
Teelow : I’ve got a new track called “Chi (Get My Own)” coming out on November
3rd which I’m really excited about. There’ll be a couple more drops before the end
of the year, then it’s back out on tour in the New year. We had a great year in 2023,
going across the country on the “A Witness Between Us” Tour, so we’re looking