Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I come from a small town called Campbellford, 3000 people. Nothing really happens there but I had a father that introduced me to music at a young age and it was this continuously building thing. From Eric Clapton one day to sneaking home Eminem CD’s the next, it became addictive and I liked the way it made me feel anytime I would write a rap or play bass.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: Slowthai is a fast go to, he’s someone that’s been breaking genre boundaries for a minute and I get inspired from him. Anything that the UK puts out I’m a fan of without question. I also just find myself going back and listening to old records to try and remind why I fell in love with music, like Rage Against The Machine, Gym Class Heroes, Eminem, Nas, the classics.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Krosst Out’?
A: Like I mentioned, Rage Against The Machine, Eminem, Nas, but also with friends who were metal heads I was exposed to bands like Underoath, or Haste The Day, or Oh,Sleeper. I’m an amalgamation of sounds. Krosst Out comes from being the outcast or non-cool kid, the one that’s crossed out from the party list or forgotten about. They cross us out and want to forget about us. The underdogs, the kids in the corner.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘This The New Shit’. Is there a story behind it?
A: My favorite albums have introduction tracks that do something unexpected. I think with the sort of music I was releasing previously people may have put me in a certain box even with my genre bending background. I wanted to do something different and blast all expectations out of the water and reintroduce who I am and what this new record is.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: I Had A Dream I Didn’t Have Eyes That the name of the album. I’m super excited to be feeding the public songs. No release date yet but you’ll get the full thing soon.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: My music is always evolving with me, it’s always a reflection of where I am in life and pinpoint on how I feel. I’ll maintain the rawness and authenticity because that’s who I am and it’s how I connect to my fans, my fans are people like me. People who feel stuck, who feel lost, who feel like the only thing they have is music. The outcasts. My sound is a sticky thing to nail down. If you were to draw a venn diagram of metal, hip hop, rock, alternative, I would be in the middle. Blending all these sounds I grew up with.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: When I meet, or exchange messages with someone telling me how a certain song effected them, or made them feel a certain way, to me that will always be enough. I never thought my music could touch as many people as it has or that I would even have an influence on the scene around me. That is the ultimate compliment.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I’ll sometimes have a line jotted down, or an emotion I want to express, and build off it. Other times producers have nailed the feeling down in a beat and we work on expanding that idea. I worked a lot with Xstitch on capturing a certain vibe for this record and it sounds amazing.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: The continuous hustle of music I think. I say that but I’ve never wanted anything else so it doesn’t really bother me.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: My hometown showing love. How I was named a famous person to come out of Campbellford, how people reach out to me about the effect I’ve had on them. The connections I’ve made through music. Losers win sometimes.
