Artist Savantloup’s new song and video Don’t HMU is out now. The Right Kind Of Brownies caught up with the artist in Toronto for an exclusive interview.
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What’s your earliest memory of music?
Like many other brown kids, I was forced to take piano lessons pretty young (starting at 3). Though it's all sort of a blur now, I'd say my earliest memory is learning the fundamentals of the piano.
How musical is your family?
My parents aren't very musical at all, but my siblings are. We all play the piano, but on top of that my younger brother also sings, and my younger sister sings and plays the drums.
How did you get the name Savantloup?
I was in London when I was coming up with a name, and I'd been searching for a name for quite a while. Honestly, it seemed like every name had already been taken, so I sat down and brainstormed. A lot of people name their children after someone who has accomplished something great, hoping that their child will follow in that person's footsteps. But for me, I wanted a name that nobody has heard of before, so that I have the ability to build its legacy from scratch. I wanted to be able to represent myself, Canada, and Sri Lanka, the country my parents immigrated from. Savantloup is actually 2 separate words in French: Savant meaning "learned or experienced" and "loup" meaning wolf. I've had a lot of different life experiences that have helped shape me into who I am today.
On top of that, I'm a leader, and I'm hungry for success, and I think the wolf analogy suits me well. The French itself is to represent Canada, as French is one of the two official languages here. And for Sri Lanka, its initials are woven into the name itself: (S)avant(L)oup.
Who were your favorite artists growing up?
Way too many to name, and spanning way too many different genres.
I listened to Rock, Pop Punk, Rap, RnB, Funk, Soul, and Gospel, but let me narrow it down to 6 artists, regardless of genre.
This isn't in any specific order, but, Fall Out Boy, Switchfoot, Daughtry, Relient K, Skillet, and Drake.
What inspires you?
Success, and changing the narrative of South Asian people in Western society. I'm sick of seeing us portrayed as goofy, or inserted into scripts for comedic relief. I never felt drawn to any of the South Asian characters I saw in Western media, and because I really only speak English, I was out of luck. The Western ideology surrounding South Asians really needs to change, and I want to be the one to change it.
Where are you from?
I'm from Toronto/ the Greater Toronto Area. I was in Pickering till about 7, then I moved to Markham, and lived in a part of the city called Milliken. It borders Scarborough, one of the boroughs of Toronto, so I spent a lot of time there growing up. I went to university in Boston before graduating and then moving out to North York, another borough of Toronto.
Are you the first in your family to pursue music as a career?
In my immediate family I'm the first, but I have a second cousin who used to be an artist. These days I think he shoots music videos, but it's cool to see the other sides of the industry outside of being an artist.
What’s something about you that people wouldn’t guess?
Usually my taste in music catches people off guard; being a brown guy that couldn't speak his native tongue and wasn't raised super culturally, I was in this state of "constant hybridization" as Eda Yu so eloquently put in one of her articles. And so, I listened to all types of music searching for a culture to belong to, and in the end kind of created this one big musical culture.
What inspires your music?
Life and the lessons I've learned thus far.
What do you think about rap music today?
My issue with music nowadays is that I don't feel like it leaves me with much anymore. The beat's fire, okay cool. But what did I take away from this piece? You get more girls than me, you wear nicer clothes than me, you have more money than me, sick dude. That type of music left me feeling empty, especially because music was something I used to escape reality. I never truly felt moved by art in general until I was in the Louvre looking at paintings. That's when it hit me, these painters are long gone, and yet their talent has not only conveyed a message, but has been able to transcend time. I think rap music is in a good spot in terms of popularity, but I think it is moving away from just being fire or lit.
“I think a lot of new artists want to convey messages, and it doesn't hurt to throw an 808 behind it.”
What is your studio set up technically?
I actually just got a home studio set up which is such a blessing. It's pretty simple though, I have a Rode mic, on a mic stand. That then connects to a Scarlett interface, which connects to my Mac so I can use Logic. I use a pair of studio headphones to be able to properly listen as well, and that's all I really need for the moment. OVO 40 said in an interview to work with whatever you can get your hands on, and so God willing I can upgrade my studio once I'm up.
What do you hope to get out of music?
I hope to get success out of this as much as the next guy, but I really do want to have a lasting impression on my audience. I always put out tracks hoping that they resonate with someone, and maybe even brighten their situation. Take my last song, Don't HMU, I didn't want to bombard people with lyrics. Sometimes life sucks, and we need to be able to allow ourselves the time and space necessary to regroup before making our next move. We can “run from our problems” for now, but we do need to overcome them in the long run.
Will we see more music videos soon?
I hope so. My first video had a lot of ups and downs, but all in all it was a great learning experience. I wanted to raise the bar, and I think I was able to successfully do that. Once I have a better idea of my next few drops, I should be able to put together a concept for the video.
What’s next?
I'm gonna be dropping at least one new track each month from August to December. Hopefully November will actually be a little EP but we'll just have to wait and see.