WORDS GRACEY MAE
Superstar dynamic duo, Sons Of Sonix (SOS), are living their dreams and inspiring others to do the same. From producing for Justin Bieber to receiving their first GRAMMY nomination, these South London boys were presented with many options but chose a life dedicated to music. Following the release of their debut album, ‘Timezones and Tylenol’, the producer pair catch up with F Word to narrate the story so far, giving us a glimpse into their greatness, goals and gift.
Gracey: Congratulations! ‘Timezones and Tylenol’ is an amazing debut. Talk to us about the name of the project.
Mikey: The name of the project,‘Timezones and Tylenol’ is a representation of our journey throughout the last five-to-six years of our career. ‘Timezones’ represents the different timezones we work in, which is mainly London and Lagos, Nigeria. Tylenol, for those that don't know, is a painkiller in the States. Music is our painkiller with all the stress of the music industry and life.
Gracey: It’s a reflection of the last five-to-six years but you've actually been doing music for a lot longer than that. Take me back to 13 year old Mikey and Moses, where you were?
Moses: 13 year old Mikey and Moses were two guys who met in church. I was a keyboardist, Mikey was a drummer. We were both aspiring producers, producing individually. At one church retreat, we had a conversation about jointly making a production team. Initially, there were four of us, formerly known as ‘SOS Entertainment’. It evolved over time to just myself and Mikey and we've been rocking ever since. Two guys who wanted to change the music that they heard in the UK scene, and make a difference, leaving timeless music.
Gracey: Would you say 20 years later, you've achieved that goal?
Moses: 100%! If we look at the roster of records that we've done, they are records that are not stamped to a particular time or era, just great songs. We believe in making songs that are filled with substance, stories, feelings and emotions. I think we've been successful so far.
Gracey: What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
Mikey: There have been multiple highlights but if I could pick one, I would say being nominated for the GRAMMYs. Working with Justin Bieber on the ‘Changes’ album was also significant to us because we were once told that we would never be successful making R’n’B music in the UK. Fast forward a couple years and we managed to achieve that goal.
Gracey: That’s a flex! On the topic of collaborations, how did you decide on the features for this project?
Moses: We've had strong, lasting relationships with a lot of the featured artists. For example, Chip; we've done a lot of work with him over the years. Jacob Banks is a good friend of ours. Nico, the same. A lot of these artists featured may not be known but we believed in them pulling it off. For example, we have a record with our debut signee, Me.Tai. Going through the selection of songs wasn't the easiest because we had a lot of songs that we wanted to drop but we had to make sure it was 10 out of 10 so we went with what felt good and right. We're really proud of the project and how it's come together.
Gracey: It’s amazing to see you continue your legacy by signing other artists, how did Me.Tai fit into that?
Mikey: We wanted to find an artist that will cater to our sound. We have a very unique, distinctive sound. It's a cross of simple and complex which we call, ‘The Simplexity’. We want artists that can merge with that sound really well. Tai’s tone, style of writing and work ethic fits really well. We grew up listening to R&B, Hip-Hop and Gospel, and Tai is a product of that as well. We call her Brandy's little sister from Nigeria because we are all big Brandy fans. She was a perfect candidate to develop and grow with our sound, pushing the envelope of what we're trying to do with our music. One of the products from that is ‘Alafia’.
Gracey: You mentioned Brandy. Who else did you listen to while you were growing up?
Moses: I'm a chords guy so I would say Dark Child was a big influence on my career. Rodney Jerkins as well. His chords were always hitting, always filled with feeling.
Mikey: I'm a drummer so I used to listen to Timberland. His groove, for me, is the foundation of a good song. Quincy Jones says,”the drums of the day are the hits of the day”. That's all production wise. Musically, the Gospel legends, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin., Michael Jackson, of course, Justin Timberlake, Usher and the likes who have made waves in the genre. In order for you to be great, you gotta study the greats.
Gracey: What would you say your favourite saying is?
Mikey: “Rome wasn't built in a day”. As a creative, sometimes you want to get all your ideas out, make things happen and get to those big places; the playlists, the number ones, the GRAMMYs…The journey is the destination and it's very important. We've learned to understand that patience is a virtue. You will build Rome, just not in a day, and you have to be cool with that.
Gracey: Have you been to Rome? What other countries would you like to perform in?
Moses: Never been to Rome. Definitely, South America is on the list. I want to check out Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, see what's going on down there and just be inspired.
Gracey: Talking about travel, you relocated to the States for 8 years. What was that experience like?
Moses: That experience was needed. Before moving there, we were going back and forth to the States just to find inspiration. We just felt that in the UK, we were hitting glass ceilings but we wanted to break them, and we believed in ourselves that we could work with the best of the best in the industry. Having a mentor as well, my brother, Harmony Samuels, was a blessing. He helped us order our steps and figure out our sound as Sons of Sonix. It was an amazing experience to work with some of the best writers in the world, some of the best artists, and collaborate with some of the best producers. That can only make you better! Our knowledge for the music industry and for the craft as well, increased, making us who we are today.
Gracey: If there was another place that you would like to live in that isn't LA or London, where would it be?
Moses: I would love to live in the UAE. That's a place that gives me a lot of peace when I visit.
Mikey: I would love to live in either Bali or Nigeria. I think those two places give you different energies for different reasons.
Gracey: One of my favourite things about Bali was the food. If I came to your house, what would be your signature dish?
Mikey: I'm definitely a foodie. I sometimes have to control myself when it comes to eating, but I think my favourite cuisine is Nigerian food. I just love a good pot of Jollof Rice. I love Pounded Yam with Egusi stew. I'm a real Naija boy.
Moses: I can cook. I am into trying different foods. I like Asian food and Italian food. I think I can cook a good salmon.
Gracey: If you had a cookout with five celebrities that you haven't worked with but would love to work with, who would be present?
Mikey: Let's say, Adele, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Rema and Victoria Monet.
Gracey: Crazy! When do we get to see you live?
Mikey: That's something we're working on right now. Sometime in the near future. We just want the time to be right. As live musicians from the church, we can get a little bit picky because we want to make sure that it's great quality. It's something we'll definitely bring to the future in a unique way.
Gracey: You've mentioned church. Is faith important to you?
Mikey: Yes, 100%. Faith is the foundation of everything I do. It helps me to stay on the straight path in this world which can come with its ups and downs. It's definitely been a rock in what we do.
Gracey: Before you go, what song on your project do you have on repeat right now?
Mikey: My number one is ‘Alafia’. I just feel peace. Just like the song says, I'm in my season of groove and I love my peace.
Moses: The record that I'm spinning the most has to be ‘Where You Are’. That feeling and record is something I resonate with in this season of my life. It is a beautiful song.
Gracey: Thank you both so much for being here on F word. Final question, what is your favourite F word?
Moses: My favourite F word has to be Flamingo.
Mikey: My favourite F word will have to be, as a foodie, Fridge.
DISCOVER MORE FROM SONS OF SONIX
