Nov 10, 2022
Interview by Ezra Olaoya
Swedish-Jamaican artist, Shenie Fogo, is in a lane of her own. With sultry vocals that bring her refreshingly authentic lyrics to life, her honest expression is a breath of fresh air. Following the release of her latest single, “Head in the Clouds”, we caught up with Shenie to learn more about her Daily Life.
What is your nationality/heritage?
My mum is Swedish and my dad is Jamaican, but my dad was born and raised in Nottingham, in England so I have a lot of family in Nottingham. And I was born and raised in Sweden. So yeah, I grew up with a Swedish lifestyle. I haven't been to Jamaica but that’s something on my wish list. I'm definitely going to visit there soon.
What do your morning and nighttime routines look like?
Okay, so I'm not a morning person at all. I kind of like, bloom during nighttime, after midnight, that's when I get the most creative, but I still like to start my mornings with, positive vibes. I am really into journaling and affirmations, so I usually start my morning and journal with some chill music in the background. I might also have a coffee to help wake me up.
I'd say I end my days similarly to how I start my days. I don't want to feel stressed waking up and I don't want to feel stressed going to bed. So I light some candles and just wind down, maybe watch a series, a movie, or whatever. Just chill vibes all the time.
What music do you listen to when you want to get into that chilled space?
If I were to name an artist right now I’d say Daniel Caesar. But usually, I do listen to a lot of Lo-Fi. I just like neutral music to help me get into that zone. But yeah, if it's an artist I usually put on Daniel Caesar at the moment. I’ve been going back to a lot of Solange too.
How do your routines change when on tour and how do you stay grounded?
I mean, it doesn't, I feel like, you can listen to music from wherever you are and I always have a notepad with me and a pen. Wherever I am, I can always listen to music. I can always journal, so I'm not really dependent on anything and because of that, it stays the same. At the moment, I do feel comfortable in myself. So wherever I am, I'm good. I haven't really experienced being unsettled because I’m in a different country. I think it makes you grow if you can find peace wherever you are.
How did you find your own distinct voice as an individual and an artist?
I'm very big on having a conversation with yourself and building a relationship with yourself. I think I found my voice through being honest, you’ve got to be honest with yourself, and know what you want to achieve and why you have certain goals. With that, I feel like that will always put you on the right path because you're always staying true to yourself. I think that has helped me also as an artist in terms of finding my voice and what I want to do and what I want to say with my music, having this conversation with myself, and also with my music and the lyrics. I'm always having conversations with myself, like some people may listen to my music and be like, “Oh, this is a song about someone else or a relationship” but I speak to myself a lot in my lyrics.
What have you found challenging in your journey thus far?
I feel like letting go of like, control. And taking a couple of steps back sometimes, because as an artist, and also, as an independent artist, I need to make a lot of decisions, and sometimes I can think too much. My challenge has just been to maybe take a little break because I'm always like on it. Sometimes you just need to take a couple of steps back and then let things just flow naturally and organically and trust in timing, I feel is a very important thing that I have learned or I had to learn that like some things you cannot rush.
Talk to us about your latest single “Head in the Clouds”
To me “Head in the Clouds“ is like being in a world of your own. When I wrote the song, I was just in a phase where I realised I don't need anyone and that I'm good on my own, so that's kind of where the title came from. I just felt like I also wanted to make it a little bit more fun, so you see that with some of the lyrics.
How do you maintain a sense of community as you travel the world?
I have a very small circle, and I enjoy it like that. I guess I'm just on a journey, like, I'm on my own at the moment and I'm enjoying it. But also like family is very important to me. And it always will be so I always stay in contact with my sister, we talk every day and the same with our parents. I just try to have contact with family members as often as possible and with the close friends that I have.
What are your hobbies outside of music?
I love going to the gym and staying active. I used to dance ballet when I was a kid and have always been dancing and stuff like that. I used to dance in all types of styles, ballet, jazz, hiphop, and contemporary, so I love staying active. I also love to draw and sketch and I have a cat who I love hanging out with, I really love animals.
What music can we expect from you next?
At the moment, I'm working on my next album, so it will be my second album. And that's just my focus right now, trying to figure out what I want to say with it while trying not to rush, I want to let it flow.
