A Lesson in Artistic Rebranding! Kama Tala took a break from the music scene for nearly eight months to redefine his artistic vision—a rarity among indie artists today. He teamed up with the talented street musicians Flissisipi to launch “Sugar Coated,” aiming to provide his fans with an unforgettable musical experience. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to chat with Kama Tala to delve deeper into his latest release and his summer plans. Let’s explore together!
- It has been nearly eight months since the release of your most recent single, “Stereopsis,” which is a departure from the more frequent releases of previous years. What has contributed to the longer wait for new music this time around?
Just being wrapped up the day to day and making sure the next single I put out I felt really good about. I’m always writing; but sometimes it’s crap music. Haha, and I can’t accept that. To give a good answer here this seems how it works for me
- While listening to “Sugar Coated,” I noticed it embodies a completely different vibe and style compared to your earlier releases. Was this intentional during the songwriting process
No. Flissisipi and Zilchman took this song to the next level. My contributions are my own but inspiration came from them.
- Collaborating with street musicians is quite rare, particularly because indie artists often opt for guest and session musicians instead. How did you come across these talented individuals?
Simple story. They were on playing for change on the street. Z and I heard a few licks and decided to listen. It didn’t take long to realize that these guys had immense talent. A 30 minute convo and a jam session later, they agreed to record this song with us. It’s wild how life works it’s magic sometimes.
- The track radiates brilliantly, featuring a mix of diverse styles and captivating nostalgic vibes. Was this intention part of the recording and mixing process?
Thanks for noticing! Man, there is nothing I love more that trying to blend styles into a song. I’ll be blunt here, it was pop, rock and once the horns entered the equation I said screw it let’s throw in some 60’s swing. We had a blast doing the whole thing.
- You stated in the press assets, “My producer Zilchman and I went on a road trip, and that is where we met Flissisipi. They both play four or five horn instruments at a virtuosic level.” Were the horns the primary elements you wanted to incorporate into your new release?
We saw them with a trombone and a trumpet on the street. Their chops alone impressed us. Once we saw what they brought to the studio we knew the street act was just a side gimmick for them.
- The track is truly fantastic! Have you thought about creating a music video for it?
Yes! There are some discussions being had about this topic. More to come later.
- Following the success of “Sugar Coated,” are you thinking about collaborating with Flissisipi again?
Yes, we are and will this summer.
- In summary, considering the AI-driven digital landscape we live in today, what are your reflections on its effects on your music specifically, and the music industry as a whole?
This is my favorite question and one I think about and discuss with other often musicians on occasion. If I’m to be completely honest this whole AI thing got me depressed and put me in a slump for a while. After some time, and convos with some wise folks I’ve accepted that machines will be making music and at the end of the day that’s fine. What gives me hope is I think the pendulum will swing. Because AI music is particularly perfect I think that leaves humanity an important role;error. Now I don’t mean making Blatant mistakes, but something about error and imperfection is what makes music human. This is why live music thrives. I could be wrong and replaced by a robot in 5 years but I think we’ll all come out of this okay.
