INVERMON
Meet Nigeria-born UK Open Mic performer, INVERMON:
Hi INVERMON, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:
Do you play solo only, or also in a group?
Solo
How old are you?
17
Where were you born?
Nigeria
Where did you grow up?
Nigeria
How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)
…it didn’t. I got all my inspiration from MTV. Where everyone was hypnotised by the beat swings of Afro-pop, I was looking for lyrical inspiration and found none. So, I tuned to Spotify to find Kanye West and Childish Gambino, Jaden and Wavy the Creator… and I just followed in their footsteps.
Where are you based now, and why?
London.
What got you into making music in the first place?
A marathon of Lady Gaga and Rihanna on MTV Base. Since 9, I’ve been penning down lyrics but once I got a DAW, a laptop, a microphone set and COVID-19’s Lockdown, the whole music journey began properly with me dropping experimental sounds on audiomack under the alias “XO Grey” before rebranding as INVERMON in October 2021. Since then, it’s been serious work with growing my craft as well as my audience (ish).
What instrument/s do you play?
Singing
Rapping
Rapping
Music Producer
Beat Making
Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?
Kanye West (I call him granddad), Childish Gambino (Dad – IYKYK), Jaden (ERYS), JID, Kendrick Lamar, Gabzy, Jon Bellion, Wavy the Creator and Travis Scott
Do you write your own songs?
Yes
How many years have you been writing songs for?
7
What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?
I usually just start writing random words. They help break the writer’s block. Eventually, the whole song starts to make sense as soon as I’m done. It’s shocked me a couple of times…
Other than that, I just write out the message the song will bring and then, piece words that relate to it, no matter how abstract they feel.
How long have you been playing open mic nights?
0.25
Why did you get into playing them in the first place?
I saw an opportunity to showcase my music beyond streaming platforms and I took it.
What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?
You always remember your first… (get your head out the gutters). I’ve had three open mic sessions so far but nothing is as sweet as the first.
What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?
Tough crowd. Some people don’t swing to hip hop so I’ve had to compromise
What’s the most bizarre, or fun, open mic, or gig, you’ve ever played, and why?
Again, my first. It was closed due to rain forecast but they still had me and my friends perform for the set up crew. The oldest member there (I’m guessing he was in his sixties) was energetic with my performance and it kind of gave me a positive drive to give my best too. More people came to see the performance from different areas in the park. It was a good day, the highlight of this year for me.
If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?
Yes
What do you currently find the hardest and biggest obstacles to moving your music career forward?
Marketing, finances, age restrictions, poor algorithm distribution… the list goes on… low morale, always shouldering the weight of other people’s music but never bothering them with mine… introverted feels, the illuminati, personal phobia for record labels and their glass half empty promises (I just made that up, don’t worry)… I’m torn between passion for the music and actually wanting it to bear fruit so I can support my family. That’s basically it.
What’s the one truth about you that people often find surprising?
I’m weird under this cloak of introverted self? (Kidding… mostly) apparently, I keep too much energy in reserve until I’m sure I can express it without being judged… then it’s like “what corner of earth were you hiding this brilliance?”
What’s the most exciting project you’re working on at the moment?
I got pressured in college to drop a rap EP so “iBlameTheInternet” drops on the 23rd of this month. I’ve got another EP dropping on Valentine’s Day but it’s purely afrobeats. From then, I can work on more projects.
Do you have your own music video, channel or playlist you’d like to share?
Do you have music on streaming? What’s you main streaming channel to send people to?
Where is the main place should people go to find out more about you?
We’re done! Anything else you want to share before we go?
No thanks!