I love R&B and Hip-Hop so this is right up my alley, but the new EP from The.Wav can convert the most hardened of music enthusiasts who may prefer other genres of music. Intimate, fresh, versatile, brimming with energy – these are some of the things you will take away from ‘Make More Love’ and much more. The five tracks are positively dripping in soul and seduction covered with a warm, fuzzy blanket of mellow beats and nimble vocals. And of course, the artists behind it have an interesting back story. The.Wav is a music and art collective group are made up of four artists with Indonesian, Native American, Trinidadian, Afro-Cuban, Tanzanian, and Italian backgrounds who spend time between New York and LA and are currently enjoying and exploring the UK.
For their collaborative EP ‘Make More Love’, they have joined up with underground Birmingham based producer Screama and together have created something really special. If The.Wav don’t have legions of new fans and listeners after dropping this EP then I’ll eat my hat.
Screama is known for his musical versatility from dubstep to crunk, hip hop, house, and uptempo R&B, along with his own style SimplexXx. He’s worked with many of Birmingham’s top grime collective, Stay Fresh, including Movez, PhePhe, Abbee Audio, Manga, Trilla, HD/Wizzy Wang, Merkury and many more.
‘Make More Love’ is the first project since signing to the England/Liverpool footballer Daniel Sturridge’s label, Dudley Road Records which was launched in late 2017.
We were excited to catch up with The.Wav while they are here in the UK:
How would you describe your sound to new listeners?
Kinetic, Progressive, Unique.
Tell me about your new EP ‘Make More Love’?
‘Make More Love’ is about putting love at the center of your life. An ode to falling in love with music in the 90s. We navigate through the many sides of love and hit you with energetic flows and melodies. It serves as our official introduction to the UK and we’re really excited to be here.
You describe yourselves as a music & art collective – how do you bring all your different cultures and experiences together to make music and art? Can you walk me through the process of how this EP came together for instance?
Our individual experiences are rich and we all have our own stories to tell as artists. We collect and infuse them into everything we do from our production style to our performance design aesthetic. We’ve been writing together for several years now so when we all ride the same wave it’s always magic. This was also our first time really collaborating with another producer outside of ourselves. Screama introduced us to a new sound that took us back to a time when the content of music was centered around love. We connected on that collectively and the music made itself.
What do you think about the R&B landscape in the US and UK and where do you think you fit in?
We think it’s an exciting time for music in general, R&B definitely included. The UK is definitely killing the R&B game right now with artists like Mahalia, Nao, and obviously, Ella Mai had a huge 2018. The US landscape is also exciting with artists like Smino and Brent Faiyaz continuing to push the envelope. We’re proud to be pushing it as well.
What message would you like listeners to take away from your music?
That music is an amazing tool for healing and reminds us we’re all much more alike than we are different.
Who or what is inspiring you at the moment?
Us. We’ve worked really hard to get to this point and watching the journey unfold is a gift that continues to push us to grow as creatives.
How was it working with Producer Screama?
It’s the blessing we’ve been waiting for. The four of us wear many different hats as creatives but Screama takes on the role as producer which allows us to focus on being artists and expressing ourselves. That dynamic had an immediate impact on the music.
Are there any up and coming British artists on your radar and how does the music scene differ over here?
Malahia is a favorite of ours, Little Sims is another, and we, of course, love all the Afrobeats inspired stuff. We think the UK is arguably leading the way with a lot of originality right now.
What have you been up to while you’ve been in the UK and what’s still on your to-do/must-see list?
So far we’ve been exploring Manchester and Birmingham. We’ve never been to this part of the UK so it’s been a treat to catch the vibes that those great cities have. We’re hitting London next and are excited to connect with other artists out here. We’re also making sure we eat well as we’re all big foodies. Restaurant recommendations welcome.
What movie or TV series would you love for ‘What I Need’ from the EP to be played in?
Pose, Killing Eve, the end credits of a Disney movie.
How do you know what will make a good song?
It’s an energy thing. If it feels good and you’re honest while creating it’s going to be dope.
What’s next for The.WAV?
We’ve already recorded a whole new batch of music since we’ve been out here. The plan is to continue to release love vibes into the world all 2019 and continue this beautiful journey we’ve started.
Stream ‘Make More Love‘
