Thando
Curated by Sidney Milford
‘A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH’ THE EP
After being featured on a UK music blog titled IndustryMe, the world renowned digital publication Okay Africa, being played on a national radio station in South Africa and placed on Apple Music’s R&B Now and New Music Daily playlists (amongst many others) new up-and-coming artist, Thando, is returning with her debut EP titled ‘A Force To Be Reckoned With’.
‘A Force To Be Reckoned With’ is a six song project that explores self-discovery through beautiful melodies and lyrics and touches on a love that one can only wish to experience. This EP does not just have one sound. Instead, it is a blend of sounds ranging from R&B, Pop and Soul showcasing Thando’s vocal, melodic and lyrical ability. There is definitely something in there for everyone to enjoy. The EP starts off with a bold record of self-realization titled ‘FTBRW’ and moves into the first single ‘First in Line’ which is a real journey of introspection and self-confidence. ‘All of Me’ is where she admits her everlasting love for someone while ‘Do you want me to’ has a sensual yet passionate tone to it, evoking a feeling of desire that most people crave. The second single, ‘Weak’ has a similar sensual atmosphere but is more of a representation of a perfect and consistent type of love. The last track on this EP is titled ‘One More Night’ and it is a Pop-Dance jam which highlights the happiest moments you may have in a relationship.
Through the journey of self-realization, introspection, understanding and sensuality, Thando makes her mark as a force to be reckoned with in this industry.
Listen to
‘A Force To Be Reckoned With’ here.
Favorite song on your Spotify 180 playlist?
I’ve got two, it is such a hard choice. I would say my top two right now are Bedside by Elöhim, Michael Tuohy, Malachi and Ben September and my second is my hair by Ariana Grande.
What would you like the world to take away from “A Force To Be Reckoned With”?
You are worth so much more than what others think your value is. No-one can come to you and tell you otherwise, because you are a force to be reckoned with. You’re taking up space in everything you do, and never allow anyone to make you feel like you are not good enough to take up that space.
Have you ever felt detached from your music? How did you overcome this?
I really try my best to write my experiences down on paper, but sometimes I have not actually experienced everything that I want to write about. I kind of get inspiration from what my friends have gone through and what my mom has gone through or something I happened to hear on the radio. I think in that sense parts of my music I do feel are a bit detached only because I did not write about my own experience as opposed to songs that are fully from my experience.I feel that song more and it would be my most favorite song where I think I have experienced all of my emotions. I only ever do feel detached from my music if it is not coming from my personal experiences.
What is one thing your fans don’t know about you?
I think the fact that when I speak I change and use different accents, it’s crazy. Also, I am obsessed with Friends the tv show, that is definitely one of them.
If you could sum up the year 2020 to one song, what would it be?
Your Song by Elton John. Especially the beginning of the song where something is bubbling and you are like what is happening right now.
What is the greatest sacrifice you have made for your music?
In general, letting go of my ego and my pride. You have got to put everything that you are feeling on a piece of paper. It was the hardest thing ever to let go of these thoughts in my brain and tell myself I was going to sit down and write songs about how I feel. Writing down all of my feelings and creating music out of that and then having people listen to it. I think that would be the greatest sacrifice.
What can we expect from Thando in the coming months? Any new projects?
I’m definitely working on new music, even though I thought I wouldn’t like releasing music because it would be very overwhelming and a lot of anxiety. I’ll also be working on music videos for the EP so more to come.
What has been like as an independent artist?
It is kind of wherever the river takes me. I’ve just started my own record label TK & Productions which is very exciting. It has never been the goal to join a record label as I really would like to just continue creating music, but if the opportunity presents itself that is totally worth it, then I would probably look toward a record label. For now I’m not really chasing that, so we shall see.
What was it like creating “A Force To Be Reckoned With”? / What was it like creating your first EP?
It was honestly really scary. It was really different from creating a single. With a single, you have one song that is three minutes long and that’s kind of it. I had to make sure that every single song on the EP fits well where it is, and that it flows properly and is going to be well received. It’s not just one song, it's that every single song on the EP has to have that “wow factor” so that I think was the hardest thing for me.
Other than that I had the most fun creating it. Usually you have to get the beat and then create the song and I was fortunate enough to be able to collaborate with the producer on a couple of songs on the EP. It was a very exciting experience.