The Tribune

By CARA HUNT

Tribune Features Writer

cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

For rapper Vless, the journey to becoming a musician has been as important as the final destination.

His newest single Sold Out Seats is an anthem of encouragement to emerging musicians that the sweat and tears they shed to reach the top will be worth it and a reminder to never give up on dreams.

The song came after the singer toured the United States - Florida, Texas and New York – attending several festivals and saw the passion of new artists as they preformed in the hopes of getting their big breaks.

Being surrounded by that passion reignited his own dreams and he felt inspired to return to the studio and create a song that was completely different from some of his previous work, which include Junkanoo, Caribbean Dreams, 4 Shots in and Lights Camera Action.

It’s a maturity that bleeds through in the songs’ lyrics and also during his interview when he explains how the experience caused him to grow and gain a deeper understanding of the industry as a whole.

“I grew more when it comes to management and when it comes down to how the landscape of the entire music market is,” he said. “It has changed and so I had to mature with it as well.

“One of the things that bought this new song Sold Out Seats was the need for support as an artist, but at the same time, the only person that you make music for should be you. So most of the time in the beginning, building your name you are performing for nobody.

Sometimes it’s empty seats, no one is there, but going and seeing how those other people (at the festivals) were performing and no one knows them, but the love for the craft is within themselves that is what really blew my mind.

“They didn’t have a following but that didn’t stop them, that did not deter them. So Sold Out Seats, that is just an embodiment of that.”

He explained that the sound changed a bit from other songs,

“It doesn’t sound like the conventional music what I used to do, it changed, its more of an expressive kind of track, you believe in yourself, like the first line, ‘I didn’t have a good week, the week was having me.’” Even though your days don’t go the way that you plan, life has monkey wrenches and a few upsets and hiccups here and there, that shouldn’t deter you from the goal that you have within yourself and God because he gave you the know how and the drive to do what you chose to do.”

He said that it is important to find truth and solace within yourself, because there will always be people who doubt your ability and try to diminish your dreams.

“ And that is fine because everyone has their own opinions. So at the end of the day, despite all of that, you will have your own audience, people who will appreciate you for you and the things that you do,” he explained. Hence the title of the song - Sold Out Seats.

The song only took three days to write but about seven months in post production, because he was so determined to put the best possible product out.

“There are a lot more artists who are not just putting something out but they are creating a moment so I would like to create a moment for this track,” he explained adding that he would love to create a music video for the song.

“The energy and the vibe that it brings - it compels you, but at the same time I want people to reflect on their own lives, their audience, their show, their presentation and what they are putting out for the world to see because not every one is going to clap for you and stand up. So this is for those that do appreciate you and your work.”

Vless started singing just before the Covid pandemic. Initially he had been behind the scenes, as a manager for his brother DrewFresh’s group.

When the group disbanded, he still had the drive to create music and decided to go onstage rather than remain behind it.

It was a decision he didn’t take lightly.

“It is not as simple as let me just do a song cause if it’s good people expect more and if it’s bad people expect you to stop,” he said.

He realised that he was truly ready to be a real musician when he could face criticism and still smile.

“That resiliency builds character and the criticism helped me to mature in my music,” he added.

Vless said that he sees a hunger in many emerging local artists and said that passion and hunger are what separates the knowns from the unknowns

“A few Bahamians have the hunger, but we have like 5000 Bahamians singing in Nassau alone - that’s a lot of people singing and rapping and doing their thing and so you have to find a way to cut through the noise - not to say it is noise, but there’s a way to get it to the people you are trying to reach and you can see who really wants it. It takes a lot more than just singing and putting out a song,” he said.

He said that it is easier for this generation to make music because of all the new technology, but said that also means that the technology produces more noise as well.

Vless has three pieces of advice for those entering the industry.

The first is to save money and have a budget, because although people may believe in you, they may not have the financial means to support you.

The second is to know yourself and find out who you are through trial and error and having new experiences.

“Whether that be making songs, whether that be trying new clothes, going to different places for new inspiration or meeting new people or even reading a new book,” he said. “I read so many books, I didn’t go a lot of places when I small, but I read a lot of books, so I had a lot of knowledge of places that I have never seen before when got older and I could afford to go I went.”

His last peice of advice is to trust God and love what you do

“Having a love for what you do it compounds everything it builds a foundation. When I was helping my brother, there were many nights we performed for free, but the love for it was there, many times we went hungry for this, many times we were in the studio til the next morning and have to be at school at 9am and we are getting out the studio at 6 am, they would save up their lunch money to go to the studio on the weekend, making sacrifices, sometimes you don’t have to go to the party or buy that thing that you know you don’t need.”

When he is not performing, Vless has a messenger and taxi service and a management company. But he says music will always be a part of his life, if not as a performer himself, helping other performers.

“I really want more Bahamians to travel the world and get paid for it,” he says. “Not just going to Bahamian spots and Bahamian lounges I want to see a Bahamian come out at international festivals it would be so good for the culture. And it can be done.”

He said two reasons that it has not happened can be a lack of funds or discouragement

“Sometimes people believe that they have no audience, they believe they are wasting their time and no one is recognising me or saying ‘hey, I like your stuff’, the radios ain playing me, my own friends don’t support me. It goes back to the love- love is patient and loving your self is the most important.”

He says that the best piece of advice he has gotten is to use your brain before someone else uses for it and starts directing you in their direction and not yours.”

The singer whose real name is Alexander Laroda chose his stage name as a play on Bahamian dialect.

“I am blessed, but you know how Bahamians say things, they always changing the start of words like Venesday for Wednesday and growing up my grammie always used to say Vless for Blessed.”

He added that he likes that it is a small way to reinforce culture locally and take it to the international stage.