Q: Love the music and I can’t wait to hear more, how long have you been doing music and what got you started?
SERENE: I started releasing music at the end of 2019 but I’ve been doing music for as long as I can remember! Growing up, I was always trying new instruments or dabbling in production in Garageband, but it wasn’t until I started taking voice lessons at USC that I decided to take my artistry more seriously. I always knew that it was always something that I wanted to do, but I was also always trying to prove to myself that I could finish school and be successful with my degree as well.
Q: Being a Ghanian-American living in Frisco, TX, how did that effect your music style?
SERENE: I listened to a lot of West African music because of my parents. This made me have a greater appreciation for percussive instruments and groove. Because I don’t speak the language, it forced me to pay more attention to the instrumentation, whereas with music in English, I tend to pay more attention to the lyrics.
Q: Lovely is explaining a confusing and uncertain time in a relationship, is it about a current or a past relationship?
SERENE: Lovely is about a past relationship. However, when I wrote the song, I was still in the relationship!
Q: You are a multi-talented woman, in addition to singing and songwriting, you are also a producer. How did you get into producing?
SERENE: I actually got my introduction to production through my older brother. Although he was just having some fun with a project, he was the first to introduce me to GarageBand. I’d already been songwriting long before this introduction, so it inspired me to start putting music to my words. From there I was hooked, learning as much as I could about production through Youtube, and eventually making the transition from GarageBand to Logic.
Q: If you could choose any 90s R&B artist, who would you most like to collaborate with?
SERENE: I’d have to say Lauryn Hill!
Q: Lovely came out in the end of May, what projects are currently in the works?
SERENE: I’ve got a couple new songs in the works, but since Lovely was such a collaborative effort, I’m really looking forward to working with more producers and songwriters in the future!
Interviewed by Jaye Maverick
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