Interview Conducted by Evan Santo
Blog Written by Godavari Hughes
YUNKA is a singer-songwriter and engineer/producer from Chicagoland. YUNKA's style of music falls into the genre of psychedelic soul. She released her first EP last year called Tied Down and recently released a track called "Oldies," made in 2017! She has been on an episode of 3300+CLIMBING'S Turntable, and we were soo excited to hear that we would be seeing her again for an interview!
You say you're willing to expand onto different spectrums. What kind of genre are you interested to dabble into that you have never done before? Well, I love dance and EDM, so that might be fun. Sometimes I like to try rap, so doing something with that could be cool too. I don't know.... rock, folk, reggae. The list goes on. I like to challenge myself.
I love that you're willing to challenge yourself. It shows how versatile you are and that's huge, especially in the music industry. I've listened to a few of your songs prior, and my personal favorite is "Shades of Green", absolutely love the vocals and instrumental. What is the backstory behind that song and is there a reason for shades of green?
Well, the whole EP is about a transitional period in my life. It's basically the beginning of the end of a long relationship I was in. The album is supposed to be conceptual, each track bringing you to the next chapter of it. "Shades of Green" was me expressing that I'm not the same person as I was when it all started, that we both weren't and the nostalgia of that. "Can we just be like before when we were younger than we are today?"
I associate "green" with being fresh and naive. So I'm kind of asking, "Am I only shades of green or somewhere in between?" So that's to say, "Do you think I'm just naive or maybe I can read between the lines now?"
Sometimes people don't understand that your passions aren't in the best interest and won't make the most money, but if you put your mind to it and focus on succeeding, anything is possible. Doing things for yourself is the most important thing. It's like what they say, you have to love yourself before you love anyone else. What do you feel makes you different from the rest? What sets you apart and what truly makes YUNKA, YUNKA?
The same thing that sets you apart from everyone else... really. I have my own story to tell. People may be able to relate to it, but no one has walked in my shoes, experienced my experiences, and lived my truth. Everyone has something different to offer in the world because of their unique experiences. I have a different perspective on life than the next person and the next. So I believe that's what sets me apart from any other artist or musician or engineer or person for that matter. These are my shoes. I'm the one that walks in them, for now, and forever.
I love the whole idea of making your EP about your life and how you developed over time. The EP's story about you expressing yourself and changing into the amazing singer you are today is definitely inspirational. What are some of your inspirations in life that helped you continue making music and pursuing your passion?
The things that end up inspiring me are the very things that make the journey more difficult. I've had countless roadblocks in my path and every time they pop up, I feel myself get disheartened and deterred from continuing, but then my love for music just comes back to me and gets me going again. It's not about making money, it's not about becoming famous, truly it's not. It's just about expressing myself the only way I know how.
It doesn't matter how old I get or how many streams I acquire. None of it matters. Every song I make is for me; it's my imprint on the world that I'm leaving for myself and if some else seems to like it then that's wonderful.
I guess that's what keeps me going. It's like writing a journal or going to the gym. You do it for yourself because it makes you feel better.
Definitely check out YUNKA if you like psychedelic soul music or the meaning and soul YUNKA brings to her own music! Besides the chill beats, there is definitely more you can get out of her music. You can follow her on Instagram @yunkaverse
Check out YUNKA'S Tied Down here and on all streaming platforms!
Check out YUNKA's performance and discussion on the Turntable!
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