A Conversation with Kemi Adegoroye ’13
/By Julia Walton ’21
Kemi Adegoroye ’13 is a singer-songwriter based in the D.C. metro area with a music career that spans multiple genres, from jazz and soul to musical theatre and pop. She currently performs regularly as a solo act and the frontwoman of D.C.-based soul and jazz band Terra Firma. Her versatile vocals and detailed storytelling can be heard on her debut EP of original music, For the Record, featuring the Wammie-nominated song “The Man Who Stole the Moon.”
Kemi is frank about what pursuing a career in music looks like day to day. “80-90% of the work isn't playing music,” she said. “It's sending emails, making phone calls, putting Doodles and schedules together, putting out Instagram posts, reaching out to publications, and networking.” Throughout our conversation, though, Kemi stressed how fulfilling it has been to put in the work toward her longtime dream. Her advice? Be true to yourself, find community, and figure out the tools that work for you, your style, and your schedule.
Read on to learn more about Kemi and her advice for emerging musicians and artists. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Vote for Kemi to Advance at the 2022 Wammie Awards
Live in the D.C. metro area? You can vote for Kemi and her EP, For the Record, to advance as a finalist in three categories before January 31, 2022!
You’ve written that your EP, For the Record, took seven years of songwriting and two years of active product development. That really stuck out to me. How has your songwriting evolved over that long period of time? Does anything happen to a song when it takes like that long to germinate?
My songwriting journey has been very interesting. I could definitely sense changes between when I started writing the earlier songs that ended up on the EP versus the latter songs. I say the whole project took seven years because I wrote the first song that ended up on the EP, “The Man Who Stole the Moon,” in December 2013, and the period from that day to when the EP came out in January 2021 was about seven years. The songwriting was continuous throughout that time.
When I first started writing songs again, I was very much easing back into it, because songwriting was something I had done when I was a kid, and I had lost faith in myself to continue doing it for the rest of my adolescence. I was only inspired to do so again in 2013, 2014. When I started writing songs again, I just wanted to see what would happen. I kept going along with that process until I had collected a number of song ideas or full-out songs—anything in between a title to a whole orchestration. That's when I decided, OK, I want to release an EP, or rather my friend and producer Kyle Guffey pushed me to do so. The songwriting process wasn't targeted toward any project until about 2018.
In terms of changing in the actual songwriting, my work tends to be influenced by multiple different sources. I think we're not as bound by genre as we may have been at one point in time. There's so much fluidity and fusion, and that inspired me. There are moments in my EP where you can feel one song was more heavily inspired by one genre than the others. For example, you can hear “The Man Who Stole the Moon” is the first song I wrote for the EP. It’s very doo-wop pop-y. The other songs I wrote afterward were inspired by music I was hearing after that time. I really loved Justin Timberlake's 2020 album, so “Drinking Poison” was heavily inspired by a couple songs on there. I also developed an obsession with Lawrence the Band during that time. The more I heard different things while I was writing all these songs, the more those influences snuck in.
One of my biggest influences, funnily enough, is Adele. Every time she's come out with a big project, it's influenced me to do something I was on the fence about doing in terms of my music career. When she came out with her album 25 in 2014, it had been a long time since 21, which of course was a global phenomenon. In the lead up to her album coming out, she did interviews to promote it, and in many of the interviews, people kept asking her, “How do you deal with the pressure of trying to come out with something that's as good, if not better, than 21?” She was very open about it. She took a long break, but when she was coming back from the break, she started writing a couple of songs and brought them to the studios. And her producers told her, “No, that's terrible.” The point is, even Adele is writing things that other people didn’t like. She eventually worked through that until she got to the good stuff, and she came out with 25, and sure enough, it was a phenomenon.
I'll never forget—I was standing in my kitchen when I was listening to one of her interviews, and I hadn't properly written my own songs in almost 10 years. I had told myself I couldn't for so long. In that moment, I was like, I mean, Adele can write bad songs too! [Laughs.] I mean, let me just try. I don't even have to bring it to a producer. That’s what I kept telling myself. No one will ever know that you wrote that song. You can write it, delete it, throw it in the trash, and not a soul will ever know it happened. That freed me to write music and to be really open about it.
I was holding back for a long time, so giving myself the permission to even start the process back in 2014 led me to being able to say I have an EP out now.
You’ve also written that you eventually collected over 200 songs in your notebook.
I always thought that was so many song ideas, but I met somebody yesterday who's also a musician, and when we were talking about it, he was like, “Yeah, I have over 600 [song ideas].” I was like, “Oh my God. Never mind, let me take my measly 265.” [Laughs.]
Some of them are just titles, but I think at least half of the songs on my EP started as titles.
As for five songs that ended up in the EP, is there anything that made them rise to the top for you?
They were the most finished. [Laughs.] The other important classification was “what do I like the most?” I hear all these songs in my head, and I get so excited because I want to hear them out in the world, but it takes several steps to get from idea to reality.
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Once I started narrowing down the list—because there were other songs I thought might be able to fit, too—I then tried to pull a theme. I felt like “Rock Steady (Be My Rock)” and “In the Silence of Your Love” were bookmarks suggesting when love goes well. And then the other thing songs felt like all the instances where love doesn't work out [laughs]. “The Man Who Stole the Moon” is about a relationship you were excited about shattering unexpectedly in your hands, and “It Wasn't Right” is about when you think you have a good relationship, but you know, deep down, it's not the right relationship for you, and you have to rationalize how to deal with that. And then “Drinking Poison” is very much an angry anthem about when you’re upset about something and you know you need to let it go, but it's going to take some time. Having that messy middle with those cleaner bookends appealed to me.
If I'd seen another song that fit, I would have thrown it in, but I was constricted by the fact that the project was an EP. For people who don't know, “EP” stands for “extended play,” as opposed to “LP,” which is “long play.” An LP is what people traditionally think of as an album, which includes as few as seven songs and as many as 30 songs. An EP, on the other hand, can be as few as three songs [laughs], up to five or six. EPs are a very popular thing now because they’re cheaper to produce.
With that in mind, I could only have five songs. I had to be very selective about what would make the final cut. It has to be a tight journey if the listener is going to listen through the whole thing.
That tightness was another thing that fascinated me about the EP. It’s so short, and all the songs are thematically related, yet each song has its own sound inspired by a different genre. A few of the songs have multiple genres powering them. Was there a philosophy behind mashing up all these genres in one EP?
There have been a couple of people that have remarked about that. In my head, I know which genres I was thinking of when I wrote these, but other people will find other genres that I wasn’t thinking of. There have been many people that have heard “Drinking Poison,” and they're like, this is a country song. And that was something I never thought I’d write.
“I was holding back for a long time, so giving myself the permission to even start the process back in 2014 led me to being able to say I have an EP out now.”
I think one of the first questions an artist needs to ask themselves when they're creating a project is “who are you creating this for?” Do you want to create a commercial hit? Or are you creating your song because you'll listen to it, and you wouldn't care if absolutely no one else ever heard it? Is the fact that it's out in the world enough for you?
Of course, there might be some in-between, but that was a question I was asked and had to ask myself. I don't see anything wrong with either approach. I took the second tact, because I felt like it would be too stressful for me to try and figure out what people want, especially as a new artist when I'm trying to find my audience. Because this was such a passion project—completely independently produced—I said to myself, if I’m going to sink all this money and time into it, let me at least love it. I had to listen to these songs hundreds or thousands of times during the production process, so it helped that I am genuinely excited whenever I hear them.
I've spent a lot of time trying to understand who I am, how I tick, what appeals to me, and what doesn't. I think that's important for songwriters to do. When you're thinking about writing music, figure out what you like, and that could be which artists you gravitate towards, which instruments you tend to favor over others, what tricks you like, do you love harmony or do you hate it, do you like resolving a song or do you like to leave it open, do you prefer male voices over female voices, which genres do you like.
I listen to so much music from so many different genres, and I have main genres that I love. I love soul, pop, jazz, and musical theater. I grew up doing musical theater and was a theater minor in college, so that comes out at the beginning of “Drinking Poison.” At the same time, I love to party to some funk. Many songs I listen to, especially older songs, have what you call a hidden track. That happens when the song has ended, there's silence, and then another song comes in that's still, technically, part of the first song. I loved the idea of taking a song like “Drinking Poison,” which already had so much going on, and adding a funk closer for kicks and giggles. I asked myself, what would be the most fun for me to perform live in front of an audience? What will get people moving? It wasn't a super strategic decision.
When these songs first come to me, I'll often hear how I want them to sound. And it's usually based on what I've heard before. I would say to myself, I know I want these instruments in it. I know that I want “Rock Steady” to feel like Tina Turner back in her heyday, when she was dancing a full Rockettes dance routine and then belting at the top of her lungs. And I wanted to have that chugga chugga chugga train feel behind it.
I had such distinct visions for how I wanted the songs to sound, so that made it a lot easier down the line when we got to orchestrations and arrangements, because I was able to be like, you need to add more horns, and you need to make the organ louder here, I want three background vocalists and not just two.
What role does your background in musical theater and theater at Princeton play in your current career? Are there any lessons from that time of your life that you bring into this new phase?
I can't overemphasize how much of a foundation musical theater is in my life. My love of theater, in particular musical theater, germinated in the period when I was very, very young. The first show I ever saw was Beauty and the Beast at the Kennedy Center when I was eight. My Dad took me. My first live concert was with Aretha Franklin when I was 10. These serious, intense, fundamental memories are rooted in both musical theater and independent music outside of theater.
“80-90% of the work isn’t playing music. It’s sending emails, making phone calls, putting Doodles and schedules together, putting out Instagram posts, reaching out to publications, and networking.”
The biggest thing that connects the two, I think, is storytelling. I love music that tells a story that I can not only hear but also feel. Musical theater is the poster child for that. I've done straight plays. There's something that acting alone fulfills in me, but acting with music was always a perfect marriage. In those moments when you're on stage, when you're trying to convey emotion, the music gives you an extra lift to get you there.
At the same time, you can't have the best music in the world and then garbage words to try to convey that emotion. Both of them have to be at the top. When I was at Princeton, I got to perform in some of the most amazing shows, and I had some of the most fundamental experiences of my life. I got to do Ragtime as Sarah. I got to play Carrie in Carousel. And my theater thesis production was Aida where I played Aida. About a month ago, Stephen Sondheim passed, and he will forever be known for how intricate his lyrics were. Every consonant is crucial to how the story works. So being able to study at the feet of people like Stephen Sondheim, Steven Schwartz, Elton John, and others has also been foundational to how I am as a writer. Musical theater has been one of the best gifts in terms of teaching me how to tell a story.
After working in projects like that at Princeton, I'm also very aware of what it takes to put on a production. I cemented my team-working and team-leading abilities. I learned what it was like to work with many people and incorporate their ideas, but maintain the initial vision. I learned how to turn to others with more expertise. I'm not a costume designer or a set designer, and I wouldn't direct when I was performing, so I had to rely on many different partners to do what they do best.
As a project manager, that experience was foundational, because that's all you do as an independent artist. 80-90% of the work isn’t playing music. It's sending emails, making phone calls, putting Doodles and schedules together, putting out Instagram posts, reaching out to publications, and networking [laughs]. It's so much more than getting on stage and singing. The bulk of the work has been done before I get on stage, ideally, so that I can then focus on being on stage.
Do you have any relationship with theater these days, or is theater something you carry with you into this next stage of your music?
Unfortunately, I don't have as much time for it. I think it's something I carry with me right now, but not in the sense that I'll never go back to it.
It’s a decision I had to make because I balance so many different work streams in my life. Realistically, musical theater is very time intensive and inflexible. You have to be committed to being available at this time to be at this theater to perform for X number of hours.
On the other hand, with independent music, unless you have something like the residency that I played last year, you can do one-off gigs. You don’t have to play the same thing every night for six weeks. You can release a single online. There's so much more you can do that will fit in the crevices and cracks of your schedule.
Still, theater is something I will always love. If I get a chance to get back to it in the future, that will be a dream come true.
Speaking of your many different work streams, beyond your work as a musician, you’re also co-founder of the start-up Alveo Creative, a digital arts platform that provides resources for independent artists. You also manage your boutique production company, 13 Roses Productions. Since 2020, you’ve also been lead singer for the band Terra Firma. What is your strategy for balancing all these?
I'm going to be that person that's gonna talk about the trendy trend, but my bullet journal has been my saving grace. [Laughs.] When I left my previous job, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to focus on. I've always been a to do list person. For about 15 years, I had the same Word document as my written to-do list that I would update every day. I have multiple to do lists in every different work stream for multiple projects within those work streams. But I found that you could have three different lists that each had a days’ worth of work on each of them, and you’d forget you have to put all three of them together [laughs]. I’d be like, oh, this is seven days’ worth of work, but it still has to be done by Monday.
I didn't tend to love handwritten lists initially. I thought I would lose them. But with my Word document, I would delete a line item off my list after I finished it. I would get to the end of the day and still have seven things on my list and feel terrible because I didn't get to those seven things. Meanwhile, I had deleted 15 things during the day that I wasn't processing.
So I searched around, and everyone was talking about bullet journals. I was like, sure, I'll try anything at this point. I read about how you can use them with different techniques, and all the kitschy, trendy things you could do. I found that it resolved so many of the issues I was having with other time keeping methods. I was able to keep track of my appointments, my to-do list of major events, and reminders. It was organized so I had a record of everything I did every single day, but it was quick to update.
It also combines all the different elements of my life from professional to personal, because when you get to be an adult, dry cleaning, getting gas, sending emails, making phone calls, and picking up groceries all add to your day, too.
I also like the freedom to play with the method. I was able to fit it to my specifications, and it's been almost three years now, and I use it every day [laughs]. It isn’t punitive—it makes you feel more like, oh well, you didn't get to it today, but you got to all this other stuff today, and that was great.
In terms of project development, it's also an awesome thing for me to be look at this bullet journal over the last three years and see all the work it took me to get to booking a band residency, releasing my EP, and getting an interview on Channel 9 News, which I was able to do last year. You can forget how much work went into it. The bullet journal allows you to look at everything you have to do every day to get to that point. That's really affirming on those days when it feels like nothing's gonna work out, which unfortunately happens a lot more than you want it to.
Still, my methods will not necessarily work for everybody else, so I think it's good to explore and try different things.
Your article “How I Independently Produced My Debut EP” makes clear there are a lot of tools out there for independent and emerging artists: you point your readers to CD Baby, Canva, midi files, and other resources. What advice would you give to younger or emerging artists who are finding it hard to get started?
One of the most dangerous things when you're an independent artist is feeling isolated. It's very easy to give up if you don’t know how to go about doing things. With that in mind, I think the most important things you can do are research and networking, because both will help you get out of that silo.
“To have the respect, support, and encouragement of people in this area is really reassuring. That comes, again, from networking, putting myself out there, going to open mic nights, meeting people for coffee, finding somebody on Instagram and being like, yo, I like your stuff, let’s talk sometime. ”
I've been frustrated by research in the past. There's so much information out there that it can be overwhelming. It’s a passion of mine to create resources that make it easier for people to navigate being an independent artist. But at the end of the day, you just have to look. You can Google “top things to know when you're releasing your first single.” And then you start clicking on things and trying things out and reading reviews.
It's not something that needs to take a lot of capital. The Internet was a democratizing agent in the artistic process. You don't have to have some talent manager telling you how to go about releasing an EP. I Googled everything from “when’s the best time to post an Instagram announcement” to “what digital distributor I should use.” The most important thing isn't knowing everything, it's knowing the questions to ask so that you can get the information you're looking for.
Networking is the other important thing. Having the right people on your team makes such a difference. Quality matters more than quantity, and it wasn't until I met the right people that I felt empowered to pursue my projects. I had a band of almost 20 people that played on this EP, and this was the first project my producer, Kyle Guffey, and I worked on within two months of us meeting each other. I worked with some incredible people to put this together, and I met them through networking—through meeting people, getting introduced to people, friends of friends of friends of friends.
One of the things I'm proud of is the fact that I grew up in the D.C. metro area, but it wasn’t until 2019 that I made my first strides into being a D.C. metro area musician. The community has been so welcoming. To have the respect, support, and encouragement of people in this area is really reassuring. That comes, again, from networking, putting myself out there, going to open mic nights, meeting people for coffee, finding somebody on Instagram and being like, yo, I like your stuff, let's talk sometime. It’s jamming with people.
Music is such a communal activity. It's something you can do by yourself, but even then, I believe there's divine communication. I do not feel alone when I'm playing and doing music. When you bring other people in the room, it is a divine experience. There’s nothing like meeting people for the first time, everyone being on their respective instruments, and having your improvisation sound like you rehearsed over months and months. The rush and joy I get from that is something I've never felt anywhere else.
It’s important to remember your community doesn't have to look like everybody else’s community. There are people that do things that I would never do, and that's not me questioning their thing, that’s just me deciding to be authentic to who I am.
You mentioned that you’ve lived in the D.C. area for a long time. Do you think there's anything that makes the D.C. music scene unique? Does it have a personality that's different from other music scenes in other cities or areas?
When I think of D.C., I think of arts, theater, music, visuals, dance. I think of everything. But so many people are always shocked to think D.C. has an art scene. I meet so many D.C. transplants, and they’re like, there’s… music here? [Laughs.] And I’m like, the place with the Kennedy Center and all these Smithsonians?
The community is strong, and a lot of people would not put it on the same playing field as New York, Nashville, LA, or Atlanta, but I think it is. I think we don't have as much infrastructure as places like New York and LA, but it's there. It's just that you have to look a little harder. There are a lot of universities out here that have a lot of great art programs that produce a lot of great people. Some of the best venues I've ever played in my life, or visited, are in this area—and I’ve visited quite a few in the US and globally.
D.C. has its own culture, its own vibe. For instance, go-go is a huge part of the music here, because it's a traditional D.C. genre. Jazz is so, so huge in D.C. So there are definitely elements that are very specific to D.C.
But just as in other cities, the D.C. scene is also very varied and vibrant, because you have three different localities. You have D.C., Maryland, Virginia. There are a lot of people traveling internationally or from other parts of the country, so there's an international vibe, a very diverse vibe. The guy I met yesterday who had written over 600 songs does hardcore metal. And I was recently talking to someone else that does screamo, while I do jazz and top 40 pop. There's so much variety out here. I think the people that are in this art scene are very kind and supportive, and they work really hard.
That's not to say that other people in other cities don't, but we don't have as much infrastructure as other places. But the talent is still there. The people are still there. The experience is still there.
You recently finished a three-month residency with your band at The Block in D.C. Do you take any lessons away from that residency experience? Have you had any interesting experiences in those three months that you were doing it?
“When your instrument is part of your body, there’s so much care that needs to go into it. I had to make lifestyle adjustments to make sure I was in good shape to perform that often.”
It was an amazing experience. It was exhausting [laughs]. It's hard to get an experience like that right now, with the pandemic and the music industry changing and how venues have been struggling. It's hard to book things, and there's so much talent out there. To be able to say, hey, we're playing a residency with 14 to 15 shows over three months (especially for a band still in its infancy—we're two years old this month) was a remarkable accomplishment.
I enjoyed that it was a different type of challenge than I've had in the past several years. I played more shows in that period than I've played in a long time. I'd love to play a 30-stadium tour at some point, but I tend to play a show every few weeks or every couple months. So to do 15 to 16, or however many, in three months, was a lot.
We had to learn how to keep the playlist varied and how to be intentional with how we spend our time rehearsing and performing. It was also a challenge for me as a singer, because when your instrument is part of your body, there's so much care that needs to go into it. I had to make lifestyle adjustments to make sure I was in good shape to perform that often. I had to make sure that I was drinking enough fluids and didn't drink alcohol. I had to make sure I was getting my sleep and not talking too much during the day. I would restrict conversations with people. There are so many factors I had to consider as a singer to make sure I could do my job.
At the same time, it was a great experience to play with. We got to try songs that we hadn't done before. We got to play with original music we'd written. We had a lot of subs come in for different instrument parts, so we got to meet a bunch of incredible people in the scene who we’ve now developed relationships with.
The calming thing about a residency is knowing each show isn't the end-all be-all. This isn’t your Kennedy Center debut that you cannot mess it up. You can have fun and chill, because you know the vibe and the crowd. It brought a playfulness back into music that I feel like I'd been losing when it came to planning other projects and getting buried in logistics. This gave me an opportunity to experiment and have a good time with my friends on stage.
We'll be going back in February to the same venue, but their Maryland location, on February 9th and 16th, which I'm very excited about.
Upcoming Gigs
February 5 Terra Firma @ Capitol Cider House, 7-9 p.m.
3930 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington D.C.
February 9 Terra Firma @ The Block MD, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
967 Rose Avenue, North Bethesda, MD
February 16 Terra Firma @ The Block MD, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
967 Rose Avenue, North Bethesda, MD
Has most of your creative energy gone into your band since your EP release, or do you have other side projects you're working on? Are you writing songs for yourself? What have things looked like since the EP?
Once I released my EP, I found myself in a dip. I had spent seven and a half years or so working towards the goal of having an EP out in the world, and as of January 29th last year, that happened. I hadn’t planned for after that, because it had taken so much of my energy and focus even to get to that point. So once I did that, I was like, I don't know, what now? I didn't feel prepared to do it all over again for another EP right away. I had to ask myself, what do you want to do now?
We formed our band in January 2020, and that was a year before the EP came out. I did want to explore that, because this is the first band I've officially been a part of. I wanted to see what we could do: write originals ourselves, play a bunch of different gigs. So the focus in 2021 was definitely on the band and figuring out who we are, what our goals are, and what we can accomplish.
But then, of course, as I got to the end of last year, I wanted to get back to me. I've been doing a lot for this band and other people. I have so many other songs that I like, and I’m proud of my EP, but there’s so much I've learned that I want to experiment with. The challenge is figuring out a smart way to do that that makes sense for who I am now.
So, this year, I have committed—and this is maybe the first time I'm saying so publicly [laughs]—to releasing at least one new song this year. That feels like a low bar, but it takes a lot to get even a single out.
I’m probably going to turn my attention to it in February, because right now I'm in the midst of awards season in the D.C. metro area for the Wammie Awards. I’m gunning for four Wammies right now, so that's my focus.
Last year, for the 2021 Wammie Awards, I was a finalist for Best R&B/Soul Artist, because my single, “The Man Who Stole the Moon,” had come out the year prior. I was very shocked, and that was incredibly validating. I didn't win, but I had a great time at the viewing party I threw.
But this year, with my EP having come out, I really want to win. I'm normally not that person that'll jinx herself, but I can't put into words how amazing it would feel to know that my first EP, my first collection of original songs that I put out in the world independently, won an award, especially an award of that caliber. I’m trying to get as many public votes as possible. If you live in the D.C. area, you can vote.
I feel like winning would validate me as a professional. I feel like I tell people, “I'm a musician, I'm an artist,” and they're like, “Oh, cool, such a cute hobby,” and I'm like, “No [laughs], I have a production company and trademarks, I have music on Spotify, and I actively work with or contract people.”
I always tell people it can be hard to identify as a professional when you're an artist, because what does that mean? Are you a professional actor if you won a Tony Award but haven't worked on Broadway in seven years? Are you a professional musician if you release music all the time, but each video has five views? [Laughs.] It's hard to quantify what makes you a professional that people will respect the same way they respect a doctor. I’ll be proud of this project no matter what, and I'll be happy whatever happens, but at the same time I wonder, what if it’s possible?
Do you have other plans for the future? What are you looking forward to?
I'll be trying to write new songs both as a solo artist and with the band. My bandmates and I wrote a couple of songs last year that I really loved. I wrote my EP by myself up until we did the arrangements, at which point I worked with our music arranger Josh Jenkins, who's also in the band with me. This is different because we’re working on songs together as a group. We want to write more because we don't want to be just a cover band. We feel like we have a unique sound and interesting things to say. I’d like to play with that collaborative working process.
“It’s reassuring that there are ways you can add your passion to your life. It means figuring out what that looks like, having the willingness to make time for it, and being ready for it to not look the way you thought it would look.”
With my own songwriting, I’ve always worked with live musicians for everything, but I'd like to play around with other forms of music making. It would be interesting to work with a producer and create everything in the studio. The possibilities are endless in-studio, and I think it would be interesting to see what could come out of it, or how it could elevate songs I've already written that I haven't released. I feel like I've been coming into my own as a songwriter, and that excites me. I want to apply that renewed confidence and comfort I have now that I don't think I had before the EP came out, and before I knew that, oh, people can like the songs I release.
It's been really affirming for me as a songwriter that all kinds of people, from infants to older people, have said, “I love your music.” I had a friend who was pregnant [laughs] tell me, I listened to your music, and the kid was kicking. And then I have another friend who has two kids who I love, and they've memorized the lyrics to my songs. Her little baby, who is a little over two, sings “Rock Steady” on key. It's incredible.
Yeah, I just want to have more fun producing more music. So that's the plan. I'm looking for a producer or producers. I want to start trying things and throwing things against the wall and having fun again, just to see what comes out of it.
I feel like people often have a fantasy of what an arts career would look like, but they are less able to imagine the steps that'll get them there, or get them somewhere. Getting started—what does that look like? It can be hard to figure it out. I appreciate your honesty about everything you had to work for and the steps you took.
I've met so many people that are trying to keep the arts in their life. I was a theater kid and I've always been a music kid. I grew up with those people, and I'm still doing it, but there are a lot of friends of mine who moved on or didn't have time for it anymore. Life gets in the way. I do recognize that I don't have a lot of the time constraints other people have. I've made time for this, but I've sacrificed time for other things. I feel for those people, because I know that they still care about the arts as much as they did when they were younger. It’s like letting like a piece of you die a little bit. There's a piece of me that aches whenever I hear theater. People wanted me to listen to the Hamilton soundtrack, and I didn't listen to it for years because it hurt to hear a musical soundtrack. I haven't been in a show since college.
So I feel for people who are frustrated like that, but I think it's reassuring that there are ways you can add your passion to your life. It means figuring out what that looks like, having the willingness to make time for it, and being ready for it to not look the way you thought it would look. I don't know if I thought a music career for myself would look like this, but so far it's been working, and I have no idea what it's going to look like at the end of the year or in five years. I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens.
There have been a lot of points in my life when I've been like, it would be really easy if I just had a nine to five and some hobbies. My life would be so much easier. Oh my God, there have been so many times I've told myself, no one is forcing you to do this. No one has a gun to your head saying you have to release anything. You're choosing to put yourself through this. Why? No one cares. [Laughs.]
But there's this very foundational need to do it. Even when I've tried not to, I still find myself doing it, and it can be very frustrating, but you have to go along with the tide.
One quote that has stuck with me is, “If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.” And, like, every time I hear something, I want to do a mashup. I can't stop. So I guess I’m going to keep doing this. I don't have a ton of choice.
Kemi Adegoroye is a singer-songwriter, actress, and producer based in the D.C. metro area. Her artistic career spans multiple disciplines and genres, from jazz and soul to musical theatre and pop. With versatile vocals that range from dulcet to thundering, her performances have been likened to those of Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan, and Roberta Flack. She performs regularly as a solo artist and as the frontwoman of D.C.-based jazz and soul band Terra Firma.
On Valentine's Day 2020, Kemi released her first original single, The Man Who Stole the Moon, inspired by the 2010 movie Despicable Me starring Steve Carell. A year later, she became a 2021 Wammie Awards Finalist for the release of The Man Who Stole the Moon. Her recently released debut EP, For the Record, features original songs inspired by her lifelong love of Motown, jazz standards, and Broadway-style storytelling. Of her EP, Adegoroye says, “When it comes to love these days, people often perceive that he or she who appears to care the least wins the most. I want to make it cool to care again. To be honest and express yourself, however uncomfortable or inconvenient the truth is. Only from there can you grow and find peace, as well as unconditional love that you learn to appreciate more and more. The music I write pays tribute to the honest truths I’ve learned about myself and others over the years, as well as the lessons I’ve learned along the way.” To learn more, visit www.kemiadegoroye.com.
Vote for Kemi to Advance at the 2022 Wammie Awards
Public voting for the 2022 Wammie Awards will close on January 31, 2022!
Note that only Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland residents can nominate artists and vote for finalists for The Wammie Awards. Official award-winners will be announced at the Wammie Awards Ceremony at the end of March 2022.
How to Vote
To vote for Kemi’s four Wammie Award Nominations so she can advance as a finalist to the next round, follow the below instructions:
1) Visit https://wammiesdc.awardsplatform.com.
2) Register by creating a new account (only one account per person allowed).
3) Confirm your account using the confirmation email sent to your email address.
4) Once you confirm your account, log in to access the voting portal.
5) Search “Kemi Adegoroye” in the list of nominees.
6) Vote for Kemi Adegoroye for
(a) Best R&B/Soul Album
(b) Best R&B/Soul Artist/Group
(c) Best R&B/Soul Song
About the Wammie Awards
The Wammie Awards is a 35-year-old music awards platform aimed at recognizing the Washington D.C. metropolitan region’s best artists and musicians annually. Is produced by The Musicianship, a D.C.-based 501(c)(3) that facilitates music lessons, experiences, and opportunities for local youth.
Each awards season recognizes the music and community work from the previous calendar year. Starting each December, the public submit nominations for each award category. In January, the public returns to vote for their favorite nominees. The top seven nominees in each category become finalists. Over 100 regional music industry judges score the finalists. The finalist with the highest scores and public votes wins the award category.