Interview with Fitz Rolla

Continuing our series of written interviews with unsigned and independent acts, we had the opportunity to submit questions to artist Fitz Rolla.

1) How did you get started in music?

” In 2015, I moved into a new house while I was studying at Brighton University and met a guy who was already recording and writing his first album. We would stay up late together listening to beats made by his producer and he’d struggle to put some rhymes together. I’d chip in ideas playfully and after about 4 months he invited me along to the studio at a recording session in Hastings [Prior to 2015, I had never done anything music-related. I sing in the bathroom. That’s about it :)]

I wrote my very first song that day. I featured him in it (His name is SeanTosin). That song was never mastered or properly mixed but I kept a copy of it. I uploaded it to my SoundCloud page recently (https://soundcloud.com/fitz-rolla/ife-mi-ft-seantosin). Sean Tosin and I went on to start a band together in January 2016. The band lasted for less than a year as we struggled to find instrumentalists and keep up with the cost of booking rehearsal studios.

I decided to start a break-away band called ‘Yeah’ and later morphed it into Fitz & Yeah. I wrote lots of songs very quickly in the space of 3 months (enough to make 2 albums) mainly because I decided to abandon the strict afro-beats genre that SeanTosin and I focused on previously. I wrote multi-genre songs; rock, soul, hip-hop, RnB, Indie, Afrobeats, and Afropop. It attracted different types of musicians in Brighton, from middle-aged heavy guitar-playing rockers to acoustic Ed-Sheeran type indie guitarists.

Fitz and Yeah played a good number of gigs together in 2017 (about 25 gigs) around East Sussex. Our highlight was as a supporting act at our very first ticket-selling gig in Brighton at Latest Bar in October 2017 (the band page still exists on Facebook). Soon after that gig, there was a major disagreement on the way forward for the band in terms of genre, style and incorporating electronic music as backing tracks (I wanted us to be more dynamic but it did not sit well with 2 important members in the band).

I decided to go solo in December 2017 and started my new project: Low-key Rolla Album in January 2018.”

2) What are your processes for recording?

“My process for recording differs depending on the song. Sometimes, I come up with a story-line, then a melody, then lyrics, then work out the bass-line by beat-boxing (most times I do not know the note I’m singing but my heart tells me when it’s right or wrong), then I come up with a rhythm for guitar (I can play guitar and keyboard but I am very limited in my ability. I use them as writing tools only). I then send the ideas to a producer that I think fits the style/genre of the song. I like working with producers that can see the end from the start but make the journey interesting. I tell stories, the music should tell a story, the lyrics should only be the body and the beats must have its own character.

I like to mix live instruments and electronic instruments so I pay session musicians to play solos and rhythm sections on the song. My other method is to get in contact with a known or newly-found producer and ask if they have any material sitting in their archive that I can listen to. When I hear a beat that is meant for me, I always know. We strike a payment deal and I get writing. I usually perform new material at least once at an open mic before going to the studio to record or I do various recordings on my phone and listen to it and decide what vibe to go with/adjust the lyrics/request for more depth or texture on the instrumentals.”

3) What inspires you to write?

“I am a first-generation immigrant. I was born and raised in Nigeria and the first 12 years of my life was lived under a military dictatorship. Nigerian music in my teenage years was very rebellious and expressive. Fela Kuti was in his prime. High life genre was getting popular in Nigeria, same a Fuji music and Akpala. I had lots of influences from American hip-hop, South African house music, West African francophone soul music and of course, pop music on the radio from all over the world.

I think I have lots to say. Maybe too much sometimes. I see society as a huge mirror that reflects the best, the worst, the inhibitions, the freedoms, the aspirations, the realities and the demons of the past and the present. I think I am a good listener, I remember people’s faces and names. I pay attention to body language (I learned that from the military in secondary school; my school was run by the army).

In summary, being alive makes me want to write. I sometimes write songs that my vocals cannot handle and hope that someday, I will meet a Katy Perry or Adele and show the lyrics to them so they can do it some justice. It probably will not happen, but I write the song all the same.”

4) What is your next release?

“My next release is titled ‘Equal Ground’, Produced by Jack Cleary. It is a politically conscious hip-hop song that combines singing and rapping and a very catchy chorus. I believe that conscious hip-hop can be serious and entertaining at the same time. As a listener, I would not want to be bored by some gloomy tune that has nothing for me to shout about. So I always work on my choruses to make them as melodic, uplifting and empowering as possible. ‘Equal Ground’ is due for release in June 2018.”

5) What are your gigs like?

“I think my gigs are quite engaging, relaxing and enjoyable. Anybody, in any age group, from any part of society, will definitely rock their body or move side to side or simply nod their head along to the beats of all of my songs. You will hear my lyrics clearly, you can relate easily to the stories in the songs and the audience appreciates the quality of production on my backing tracks.”


Associated Links:
Fitz Rolla on Soundcloud
Fitz Rolla on YouTube
Fitz Rolla on Instagram
Fitz Rolla Official Website
Fitz Rolla on Facebook


Jamie Dyer

Jamie Dyer is an experienced writer, broadcaster, musician and social media marketer. He enjoys Old Time Radio, vintage TV, collecting vinyl and supporting the New York Knicks.

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