Grime artist Weirdoe has been busy in 2018, putting out singles and EPs like nobody’s business. ‘Shepherd’ is the latest one. New Boots caught up with him for a chat.
How did Weirdoe come into existence?
My names Aaron Weir, the name Weirdoe came along from childhood and I eventually just embraced the name and ran with it. It just stuck from there really.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d say unique, obviously weird and lastly real. I don’t stunt in my lyrics, I talk about my life and experiences.
Who are your main influences/heroes?
Would have to be Eminem for lyricism, but there also guys like Lil’ Wayne, Frank Ocean, Ghetto, Wiley. Russ, he influences me in the way I release my music, the guy never stops! The way Russ moves as well has made me realise that all I need to do is trust my instinct.
You’ve been quite prolific recently. What has been the reaction to the recent ‘Wasted Talent’ EP?
The reaction has been good, as expected, from the people who have followed me since the early days. I think a lot of people want to hear Weirdoe doing grime, but a lot of people have embraced the new sound and trust that I’m only going to deliver my best. I feel with the right exposure I’d get a much better response.
Tell us everything about ‘Shepherd’.
The track was made spontaneously, very in the moment. It was at the end of a studio session and Harlz was playing around with the chords and I just started humming the melody. Once the chorus was created I pretty much grasped the concept of what the song was going to be about. The song is really about people being followers, following trends, fashion etc, and I’m just giving my thoughts on it all really!
You collaborate often. How do you find yourself hooking up with, say, Harlz or Westy?
Both are different. Westy I’ve never collaborated with in person, so it was just a case of me recording over the beat. But a lot of the newer stuff with Harlz is made together in the studio which I find much better for being creative, it also means you build up certain relationships that are stronger then just over emails or social media.
Any plans for live appearances? Do you reckon what you do translates to performing in venues?
100 percent. Live shows are definitely on the cards, but right now it’s just more about recording and releasing new music so when I do put on a show people will leave satisfied. Trust me though, the shows will be epic so keep an eye out for dates.
What has been your favourite Weirdoe moment to date?
For me, it was my grime clash on ‘Don’t Flop’. I met a lot of people through that and did a lot of networking! There’s been quite a few though, such as when my first single and EP was available on iTunes, and my JDZ videos on YouTube [see one below] getting the response they did.
Who are you listening to currently?
Right now I’m listening to Brockhampton, but recently I’ve been going back to a lot of old school grime such as Roll Deep ‘Sidewinder’ sets. Except for the ones mentioned I try not listen to the same artists to much, I like to take away certain ideas from tracks but overall I want my music to very much sound like me.
What is your burning desire to do in the future? What plans do you have?
My burning desire is always to impress myself, to an extent where I no longer need to succeed, more just the case that I have succeeded. You won’t be able to top that. But the music and videos are going to keep coming, I want everyone to know who Weirdoe is.
