When did you know you chose art and art chose you?

Soul: A hella long time ago. When I was seven years old, I got my first church solo. The song was called, “ He’s Able.” I hadn’t sung in public prior to this. My parents knew I could sing as much as you can sing at seven. The minister of music knew I could carry a tune and picked me for the solo. I just remember getting up in front of people for the first time officially and I wasn’t scared. As soon as I started singing I was like “ooh I really know this.” I guess because it was at a young age I didn’t really get it but then this moment helped me realize singing was my gift. I realized I wanted to do something with music but didn’t take it seriously until senior year of Spelman College. Being raised Baptist, I didn’t see my voice as something I should profit off of but an instrument that was strictly for the Lord. My faith has transformed through that. 

What made you take your music seriously at that specific moment in time? 

Soul: I knew I was graduating with that degree in Spanish. At first I wanted to be a lawyer. I was going to pursue immigration law and Diplomacy. I realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do at all. I thought about what else I was going to do next. What I knew was music and I knew music made me happy so, I said let’s see what we can do with this. I didn’t have a plan. But then I met Xeven Wolf , music producer, and I’m just glad he wasn’t a serial killer. *Laughs* He had asked me if I wanted to come to his house to record and I was hesitant at first. He ended up being really cool. His genuine artistic energy, just believing in good music and my potential as well set it off for me. I respected him just hearing his music so the fact that he enjoyed my music set the foundation for a great collaboration. Not only did he have an ear but genuinely wanted to build with me as an artist. That when I said okay let’s get serious about music, because I don’t want to have any regrets. When it comes to what I do for the rest of my life. 

How do you incorporate art into your daily life? 

Soul: I sing all the time. Random songs will come to me throughout the day. Whether it’s a melody, or full on lyrics and everything. There’s a lot of songs I’ve lost that I wish I had recorded, but that’s a daily thing for me. I like singing in the shower. Sometimes I’ll hook up my mic and just sing some of my favorite songs. I do a lot of voice memos. I might be in the car and if a melody comes to me I will record. I like making jewelry. Earrings, crafting , painting, roller-skating, playing my guitar. I enjoy crafting random things that you would normally use in the art world like upcycling. 

When did you know you could write your own songs?

Soul: When I was kid, probably elementary school. I started off writing poetry, memos, diary journal entries and turning them into songs. I used to also create songs with the minister of music at my church. With my father. He’s musically gifted as well; so we would make songs. College is when I really started keeping track of the songs I was writing.

What’s your favorite song that you’ve written that is out right now?

Soul: Breathe from my EP, The Clay right now. It was written with very minimal edits. So the lyrics that came out I created while sitting on my couch. The first line is sitting here looking out my window and I for real was in that moment of time. I was decompressing after the protest I had just got back from. It was summer 2020. That period of time was a lot. Breathe was just a really authentic and raw song. From my brain to the production process, it didn’t go through a lot of changes. Unstoppable is special as well. 

What’s your favorite part of a song?

Soul: The vamp. You know at the end of the song when you have a certain phrase that will repeat. It’s different from the chorus and the verse and happens in gospel music often. I think that’s how I began to like it. For example, this technique is at the end of my song “Breathe”. I like those parts because it gives you time to add ad libs and a lot of space for your thoughts. It also gives people enough time to enjoy the music without necessarily following your every word, because you’re saying the same thing over and over again. I don’t have it on every song but I like aspects of a song a lot. I like adding layers to background vocals and harmonies. The chorus would be a third favorite, because those lyrics pop into my head first. 

What is your passion?

Soul: My passions all fall under the art umbrella. I like to produce and create. What that is ? changes by the week. I like to get a lot of materials together to produce something that is complete, cohesive, intentional and just overall creative. It takes a lot of forms with the music of course. Putting all the pieces together like the lyrics, drums, baseline, the chords into one digestible package. I like that process of being able to turn a lot of things into one whole product. So I would say my passion is creating.

What would you tell yourself for five years from now?

Soul: I would tell myself to not waste your youth, because I can see easily five years from now being so busy, so in the thralls of life, that I forget to be present. Remember that I am twenty-eight , and it will be okay, so slow down and smell the roses. You only get older. Now that we’re older, it’s like if I could go back and do this, this, this, and this but you can’t. Which is why I would pop in to remind twenty-eight year old Gira Soul to be Present because you’re never going to be this young again. You have two years before you are pushing thirty. This question encourages you to think about how you are living now and if you are following the advice you would give to yourself five years from now.

What advice would you give to people who are in school or out of school who want to start their music and artistry careers as early as you have?

Soul: Go for it. There’s no better day than today. Since we know you only get older, you might as well start whatever you want to do today because you don’t want to look up twenty years from now regretting talents and activities you never pursued. Like Nah go out and try things, because the worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work out. Even if it doesn’t work out it’s still a blessing because you figured out it’s something you don’t have an interest in. I think about that all the time like right now I’m a singer and songwriter, but maybe five years from now I just want to do song writing. Be in the background of the production process. That’s the lesson. At least I gave it a try. I have no regrets and it led me to something I wanted to do even more. So, I would definitely tell people just do it “No regurts.” *Laughs* I think that’s my worst fear in life; like being eighty and wishing I had done so many things.

What’s your perspective on PourL’âme Magazine ?

Soul: So far I feel like this is what is needed. You’re filling a gap within the intersection of music and journalism. I don’t know of too many sources like PourL’âme that are committed to highlighting artists that don’t have a big following as of yet. Not only that but detailing the artist’s journey. It’s not just a surface level this is who they are and check out their music, but questions that make the artist vulnerable. The audience will learn a lot about the artist through these questions. I haven’t been on to many interviews, but from my experience I haven’t had an interview as in depth as this. I did one interview and it was all music related, which is essential to the interview. However, the opportunity to discuss my upbringing, what drives me, and what’s created my talents is definitely appreciated.