A Wan Story Short
My name is Wan. I’m from Sykesville, Maryland; its a small town outside of Baltimore County. I’ve been working on music since I was about five years old. I went to school in Baltimore County as far as high school and played basketball. I’m a 23 year old graduate of Frostburg State University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. I sang in church choirs my entire life and played instruments such as the piano and trumpet
I had the opportunity to interview Wan and I can say without a doubt he’s certainly one of the chillest people I’ve had the pleasure of talking to. Links to his social media and current content will be all throughout the page so please check out some of his work. Now prepare yourselves to delve deep into the Wanderland.
Q: What would you say is your aesthetic?
A: I would say my aesthetic would be hipster-like.
If you’re not familiar with Wan or his music you may not be entirely sure of this answer but after listening to his music I got a feel for his energy and I can confirm that is absolutely what his aesthetic is. If his music is any bit indicative of his personality (and I’m sure it is) he’s definitely got that hipster-esque way about him.
. “Most people would say I dress like a skateboarder. I skateboard as well and I’m in tune with the universe.” Maybe you’ve never experienced hipster culture at it’s epitome (think Tumblr circa 2012) but certainly you could recognize it here. Think Frank Ocean and Khalid wrapped up into an alternative and an almost edgy cocoon and that’s pretty much his vibe. That’s also a super huge compliment in case that’s not clear.
Q: How do you set yourself apart from others?
A: I honestly just do as I want
Both the mainstream and underground music scene can be egregiously competitive. Not that the Rap/R&B scene has been docile before millennials and gen. z’ers started hitting the scene, but in this digital age we live in anybody has the potential to be the next fly by night sensation. It’s lead to some pretty baseless arguments and beefs among artists who would do so much better working together. That’s why I was so pleased that this was Wan’s response. Typically when newer artists are asked this question they make some grandiose statements about how they’re the best out and that none of the other artists could come close to competing with them. That seems like the exact opposite of Wan’s m.o. “The main thing is not focusing on others and just working on my craft. Also I don’t think to much. I never write I mostly just freestyle my songs. I just walk up to the mic and record.” Being able to improv music is an impressive skill to say the least, proving that staying in your own lane can be a huge benefit to one’s creative abilities.
Q: What element (air, earth, fire, water) do you feel your music represents?
A: I feel like my music represents earth
I know this sounds like a ridiculous question but I had a hunch that he would understand what I meant by it. Music can manifest itself in several ways and as a person who seems very in touch with the elements I figured he could appreciate this question — and my suspicion was correct
In my video [Spend My Dayz] I wore roses covering my eyes to represent I’m focused on my craft and I’m blind to everything else around me. I also like nature and enjoy nature and being outdoors. Being outside, listening to music in the sun — it’s like euphoria.
Q: We’re halfway through 2019; If January - June was an EP what would it be titled and what would be the song title of each month?
A: It [the ep] would be called On The Rise due to everyone getting hip to my music
It’s another left of center question but again, after listening to his music and getting a sense of what he’s about I felt it would be something he’d have an interesting response to, and you know he did.
January: Nervous - Due to finishing up a project I was working on
February: Finally - At the end of February I put out my project Love Me Forever
March: Okay, we got it - People were liking my project and my work as a whole
April: Forreal Forreal - Went to LA to shoot a music video for Spend My Dayz and stayed with my friends in South Central LA
May: Waiting… - Just waiting for the [music] video to be done
June: Sheesh! - Everyone is loving my new video and its growing with my following
It certainly seems like the past six months have been a roller coaster for Wan. From putting out a project to getting a new wave of followers after releasing it and flying to the other side of the country to shoot a music video he’s been living the life of a musician alright. I’m sure it’ll only go up from here.
Q: What’s your favorite song of yours?
A: It would probably be “Kissed U”
So what we know so far is that Wan is a hard working and gentle soul. But what you don’t know is he’s also quite the romantic. “Kissed U” is a song off of his recent album Love Me Forever which dropped February of this year. The entire album is certainly a feel good playlist of songs you can ease back and unwind while listening to. However he explains that this particular song is his favorite for the intimate elements. “I would say it’s my favorite song because it’s just a great feeling up next to someone you that you care about and show exponential feelings toward them.” Cue the aw’s. “Not to mention I like the sounds in the song as well, referring to the instruments.”
Q: Do you allow yourself to become vulnerable for the sake of artistic creativity?
A: Absolutely.
It seems like it’s a common thing among artists today to put on a facade or create a persona to put a barrier between their work and themselves. Depending on how you look at it there’s both a negative and a positive to this. The positive is nobody can weaponize your sensitivities against you. The negative — there’s a disconnect between the artist and their creation. Sure nobody can exploit your pain but in the same vein nobody can truly say they relate to their work. So it’s pretty bold of Wan to so earnestly commit to being vulnerable. “I fell as if you can’t hold anything back that you want to get off your chest/ I get questions all the time about certain songs and I may feel iffy about talking about it but for the most part I have to.”
Q: Do you indulge in other types of art? (besides music)
A: I indulge in photography as much as I can.
Wan’s music video for his song Spend My Dayz off his new album Love Me Forever
You got to hand it to this wave of artists, they really go the extra mile to cover all their bases. It takes a lot of discipline and commitment to participate in two types of art especially when it’s not just for a job. One of the most important things for an artist is being able to create without the intent of hitting a deadline or pleasing the masses. What better form of art is their to enjoy than one that allows yourself and others to see the world in a different perspective. “I like the feeling of taking pictures on film as opposed to digital. The sleek look of film is amazing. My photographer Sarah is responsible for probably every picture on my Instagram.”
Q: What’s the last song you listened to?
A: Me Against The World - Tupac
I felt like I was back in college trying to make it through classes and such. Also it made me feel like I wasn’t the only one in the world. It made me feel like not only I go through the everyday struggles. There’s others that feel what I feel sometimes
Like it was mentioned earlier, it’s an incredible feeling as a lover of music when you can fully immerse yourself into the work of an artist (especially one as profound as Pac) and really get what they’re saying. It’s not always about poppin’ bottles and flexing on somebody. Sometime’s all a person needs to hear is that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and that there’s a brighter day around the corner. Cheesy, yes, but in this case it’s obviously got some truth to it. Bonus points for Wan having Tupac on his phone.
Q: You use a rose emoji across all your social media platforms — is that your favorite flower?
A: I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite flower.
As you can see from his Instagram page all the way to his Twitter page he’s got a pattern of using that popular emoji. I was genuinely curious because as someone who abuses every flower emoji my phone has to offer I totally get the desire to use it frequently. I mean he’s even holding it on the cover of his album! “I felt as if it was perfect for my album cover. Love Me Forever was about love lost and gained. I would say my favorite flower would be a sunflower.” Double bonus points for that absolutely correct answer. “I like the sunflower because it represents making others happy and that’s what I try to represent through my music.” Again, such a pure soul!
Q: Which artist(s) have the most influence on your style?
A:
I would say the artists that have the most influence on me would be Wiz Khalifa. Frank Ocean, U2, Colplay, John Mayer and J. Cole to name a few.
Those aren’t bad people to say you draw your inspiration from. The crazy part is you can definitely hear all the individual elements each of those artists bring and contribute to Wan’s work. A little bit of rock and roll, some rap here and there but of course a very mellow and all around relaxing beat to accompany the melodies. If I had to describe his music I would most likely mention those names as well. “All of these artists have influenced me in some way and have blended to shape me into the artist I am today.”
Q: Is there anything in the works right now that we should look out for?
A: I’m currently working on an EP
The every so busy artist mentions a new project in the works. We don’t know what it’ll be called yet, but maybe that little bit of mystery is good to keep people watching and waiting. “Some amazing music is being made everyday. I just have to be in the mood to make music. More updates, and maybe a single, will be released very soon!”
I want to thank Wan for being so wanderful and sitting down for this interview. You can check him out on his instagram linked here and above in the article and you can find his latest album Love Me Forever on apple music. There’s also some great stuff to listen to on his Soundcloud as linked above. Please make sure to give him some love and check out some of his work! If you enjoyed this interview please give us a big like and comment. To keep up with content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and be sure to check out our Youtube for hot music from underground and emerging artists daily.