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’m from Seixal, Portugal, a city on the outskirts of Lisbon, we call it “margem sul” (southside). I was a very curious and energetic young boy, I used to mimic movie characters and also singers I watched on TV. I cannot really explain what drove me into it. It was my way of having fun and feeling happy. One thing led to another and as a teenager I started learning guitar and singing and started composing and recording my songs into cassettes and here I am…
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: An uncle of mine, from my mother’s side, got me into Nirvana and the grunge scene in the early 90’s and when he started playing the guitar, I wanted to do the same, so when I got mine, he gave some tips on how to play some chords. I eventually went to a music school, but not for long, I felt the best way to evolve was by composing my own material and developing my own identity and style. I formed a band with friends and was until my early 20’s that I started getting into music production messing around with Garageband, a free music software. Then later on came a point I felt confident about recording and producing my own
tracks. When it comes to producing it’s mostly self-taught, and still learning.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Tsunamiz’?
A: Maybe the first and strongest was Nirvana. That band really made want to learn to play guitar and sing and also molded my musical taste getting me into more alternative and underground music. Nowadays I listen to almost anything I feel it’s good. I get bored if I listen to same artist or even the same genre of music for a long time. I think my music reflects that. It consists of past and present influences, it doesn’t have any genre prejudices, all I’m concerned with is if it’s a good song or not. But for me it’s not a gimmick, I love pure styles but also mixing genres, I just don’t like to stick to one type of music. The name Tsunamiz fits with the various and different waves of music I mix. Also it’s a force of nature, like me, unstoppable, I hope… (laughs)
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Sleepin’ with My Friendz’. Is there a story behind it?
A: It’s one of my oldest tracks. I believe I composed it around 99… I kept it for a future release like I do with many songs I keep writing. It was a really cool experience recording it and produce it with a more modern feel. It’s not suppose to be a very deep song, just a sweet feel good track with a peace and love message.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Most definitely. I’m currently recording and producing my sixth album that will be released on March 2023. I have lots of song I’ve been accumulating over the years and still composing new ones, so as soon as I finish an album I start working on the next one. Even though we live in the “single release era” it doesn’t make sense to me having like 200 singles distributed. The album for me is still the best way to release a reasonable quantity of songs and it has that cool feeling of completion like a movie or even a tv series episode.
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: The realness, sincerity and love for musical freedom. Music when done right is a very powerful universal language. Words are important but music is what elevates the lyrics, in my opinion. My sound basically expresses my passion for great melodies (Beatles, Pixies, Radiohead,etc.), my love of rock mixed with a retro and modern electronic and urban vibe. It has a pop sensibility but it’s made with the honesty and rawness of punk and hip-hop. I mix a lot of different genres so I suppose it’s music for free spirits. I guess it’s suppose to bring people from different musical tribes together.
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: The thing about your passion is that the work you put into it, albeit it’s work, it’s also fun and fulfilling and you are always learning and getting better. When it comes to expectations, I can only expect to give it my all and not worry about results and things I cannot control.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: Sometimes humming, sometimes playing the guitar and singing, sometimes in my laptop and even in my sleep, since sometimes I dream about songs, I wake up and record them to the phone, I just need to make sure they don’t already exist or belong to other artists, it’s very difficult to be sure… (laughs) From then on I create a general vision of how the song should sound as a finished produced track and I go for it, but I always leave room for new ideas or accidents in the producing stage. Lyrics always come last inspired by how the song makes me feel.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I come from a very humble family, so there’s always been financial struggles, but I can’t give up my passion. Sometimes it’s hard to work a day job that doesn’t fulfill you, watching time pass, and so much to accomplish in my career. It may cause anxiety or even sadness sometimes… But I take it and carry on. There’s no one to blame, we need to focus on what’s important. I have played shows where very few people show up, and that’s very hard, but every artist has to go through it, grow, get better and keep pushing forwards. Not everything is sunshine, there’s a lot of work, specially for an independent and solo artist like me. I take care of music production, social media and booking, but hey, I still love doing it!
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: Every time I finish an album I feel successful. For me it’s a great feeling of achievment. Every time I get positive feedback on my songs or even after a live show it all feels worth it! To every tear there’s also a smile, we have to accept and appreciate both. Success gets you pumped, failure makes you want to get better.
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