Hip hop artist Austin Fillmore is one of the most consistent voices coming out of Chicago. A rare talent who is consistently unafraid to be authentic and experimental with his music, Fillmore continues to take the industry by storm. He created the #ThinkLessFeelMore movement and with every release encourages his fans to submit to their emotions and simply feel.
Today, Austin dropped a collaboration track with Miami Producer Remy Prosper, “U Lie I Cry”. A heartbreak anthem, which the singer initially freestyled over Remy’s beat, is accompanied by a captivating visual portraying the turbulent journey of a relationship.
We got to catch up with Austin and talk about his new release, as well as his background and inspirations.
SSW: Let’s start with your background. When did you first discover your passion for music? Who has had the greatest influence on your taste in music over the years?
Austin Fillmore: I’m from Chicago, IL. I grew up in the church where my dad was a pastor and my mom led the praise and worship team. Growing up, we were required to play an instrument and a sport. I played basketball, football and soccer. I also played the clarinet, saxophone and piano. My parents influenced my taste in music. They would have music playing all over the house…from church music like Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond to Nat King Cole, Chaka Khan and Michael Jackson. Over the years I have found my own taste and it’s a big range from System of a Down to Drake.. have wide range lol
You were raised in Chicago; how did the city shape and influence you as an artist?
Chicago is a no BS city, so i knew if i was gonna appeal to my home town I had to come the same way..so I am very honest in all of my songs..like I really do live this shit.
How would you describe your sound in terms of feelings?
I call myself a pop-rnb-rapper…my music feels good to the soul like some good cooking. But it also speaks to the reality we call life..and sometimes that can be a hard pill to swallow.
You have been incredibly consistent with the quality of your releases, every song is absolutely brilliant. But “Same Wave” definitely stood out for us. Can you tell us more about this track?
Yea that track is one of my favs for sure…long story short, I recorded that song a while back with one my fav producers @hitgod. He played the track and I fell in love and instantly freestyled the track. I left a verse open cause I had a hunch my homie in AZ @sincerelycollins would kill the second verse. He is a dope artist who is very big out there in Phoenix…so yea it all came together.
You just dropped your new single “U Lie I Cry” in collaboration with Miami Producer Remy Prosper, along with the official music video. Congratulations, it’s such a great song! What was the inspiration behind it and what was the creative process like?
I originally freestyled that song to a different beat but ended up not being able to use it. So I sent the lyrics to Remy and he ended up building the track around the vocals..at the time ya know, I was going through some relationship stuff and it all just hit me at once when I was recording the song…I def love how it came out!
What should we expect from you this year?
A lot a lot a lot of music! Probably too much…over quarantine that’s all I did was record all day every day! So be expecting the best music I have ever made.
When you were just starting out, what did you do to get your music out there? Any advice for aspiring songwriters/producers, about either the craft or the business?
I researched the best platforms and blogs like yourself and sent it out…really no formula to it. Its really just putting yourself out there and also spending the money you would spend on dumb shit and spending it on promo for yourself.
Let’s talk more about your personal journey. What is the hardest lesson you’ve learnt in life so far?
Anything worth having doesn’t come easy…I think every artist has this idea that they are gonna blow up in like less than a year and really that’s just not the case…it takes 7-10 years to blow up over night…so def being patient and humble and knowing this doesn’t come easy but also appreciating that!
Growing as a person, you will always encounter challenges that require leaving your comfort zone to try things that scare you. What scares you? Is there anything new and exciting you’d like to try?
I’mma take the chance to answer this as a question outside of music.. so i wanna bungee jump, skydive, scuba dive , fly a plane… Man, the list goes on and on.
We’ve got one last question for you! Thinking of yourself as a soul on Earth, what do you think your purpose is?
To inspire people to have fun and accept themselves. I want to encourage them look at themselves not through the eyes of man but through the eyes of God…only then will you be able to see your worth…through his eyes not your own! Great questions, love you guys!!!
Interview by Irina Liakh
