BackstageOL Artist Spotlight: SoMo

Dave Morales from BackstageOL.com takes you behind-the-scenes with Texas native and R&B singer SoMo to talk about his swift rise to fame, signing with Republic Records, the release of his self-titled debut album and more!

Dave Morales: Hey man congratulations on everything that’s going on with you.

SoMo: Thank you so much man.

Dave Morales: You’ve just got to be excited. Do you sometimes just pinch yourself and say, “Wow, this is really happening!”

SoMo: Yea I wake up in the morning and I wonder if I’m really waking up or if I’m dreaming. Everyday.

Dave Morales: I want to take this all the way to the beginning of time as far as your career goes. How did you get started in music and decide this is what I want to do as a career?

SoMo: Seriously, about a few years ago. I grew up around music and my dad was a musician. I didn’t really plan to pursue it as a career for myself until recently in the past four years. Actually, business wise with a career mindset, two years ago when I started doing SoMo Sundays and releasing my own original music. For me, I wasn’t always intending on it. It’s kind of crazy that it just happened. I was doing it for fun and it just blew up.

Dave Morales: I think it speaks volumes. We’ve never met, we’re going to meet in Houston next week, but from what I’ve read and what I’ve seen your just a real modest, down to earth guy. The fans love that about you. I think that speaks volumes to your talent SoMo, that anyone can turn this around as quick and really the dedication that you’ve put into this thing. Props to you brother!

SoMo: Well thank you man I do appreciate that.

Dave Morales: Alright so there is a story going around that you taught yourself to play piano by ear: true or false?

SoMo: That’s very true (and on guitar). I never wanted to actually learn music notes because I felt like it might constrict my creative way of thinking, so when I finally got a piano five years ago I just sat down and started playing. Within a year I was able to play different songs just by knowing how it sounded. I’m no virtuoso mind you but I definitely am good enough to write some songs now.

Dave Morales: Let’s talk about some influences, people you looked up to in the beginning and were like, “I like his style… I like his flow.” Tell me about those.

SoMo: R&B wise growing up 90’s R&B so Ginuwine, Boyz II Men, all that stuff. Being Texan I’ve been influence by everything from country to jazz and all kinds of stuff. A lot of my music is really influenced by the Houston hip-hop scene. I like to chop lyrics up, screw my voice sometimes underneath. That’s definitely testimony to the Screwston sound.

Dave Morales: Look at you giving us a shoutout down here in H-Town. You kind of got discovered because you were doing a bunch of stuff on YouTube. Tell us about some of the songs/covers you did.

SoMo: Oh man, I’ve put out a song every Sunday for two years. I think I’m almost at 100 videos now. I’ve done a lot man. I’ve done a Kirko Bangz song, you know that’s another testament to the Houston sound. I’ve done so many. I do Drake tracks, Chris Brown songs, Eli Young Band…they’re from Texas. I recommend if you haven’t heard of me just go on YouTube and type in “SoMo” cause you’ll probably find one of your favorite songs in the last year or two that I’ve covered.

Dave Morales: Let’s talk about the big record that came out and it’s doing great. Tell me about your debut, self-titled album SoMo. Did you write some of the songs? Did you write all of the songs?

SoMo: Yea. I pen all my own lyics and melodies. I like to collaborate musically with a guy out in California named Mick Schultz, who I wrote most of the album with and he produced out there, and then a guy named Cody Tarpley who’s from Texas that I started this whole thing with. I wrote my first mixtape with him.

“Ride” being my biggest hit, I wrote that musically and lyrically. I’m super proud of that one cause it’s one of the first songs I ever wrote and it went platinum recently.

Dave Morales: You should also be proud of the video. Wow, dude that’s quite an afternoon there. People should watch the video because that’s some good stuff right there.

SoMo: Oh yea.

Dave Morales: So you’re coming to town. “The Wide Awake Tour” is headed to Houston on Friday, November 28th at Bayou Music Center. What are we going to see on stage that night from SoMo?

SoMo: Well I like to put it like this…I’m not like a rapper or rockstar, I don’t get crazy, crazy, but I like to romantically rage. That’s how I put it. I turn up here and there and then I sing you some beautiful songs. So you’ll have to come see.

Dave Morales: Final question for you SoMo. How does it make you feel when you have people like Pharrell Williams and Usher, people giving you shout outs and props, saying “SoMo is the real deal.” How does that make you feel?

SoMo: I mean I’m just out here trying to make real music. As long as people keep listening I’ll be a happy camper. That’s all I can ask for.