With His Latest Single, British Soul Artist Don-E, is Making You Jump With His "Future Bounce-EP!"

Interview By: Gina Sedman

The world needs love right now, and I am happy to hear musicians sing about the beauty of loving another human being, especially in these challenging times. The musical career of Don E dates back decades. As a result of his performances at some of London's most prestigious venues, like "The Jazz Cafe," and at several notable festivals, Don E has provided audiences with a glimpse of his infectious talents in places that most artists could only dream of. The latest single from Don E is entitled "Get Back To Love," which appeals to listeners to get back to loving one another. It was an honor to interview Don E and hear what he had to say to me.

Tell me a little bit about your background. Where are you from, and how did you get started in music? I'm the son of a preacher man.. west Indian parents who settled in London. My dad made me a guitar when I was 5, showed me the chords he knew, and I ran with it. We didn't have a TV in our house until "Thriller" came out, so a lot of time was spent just learning songs on the radio. I joined a steel orchestra playing drums and started touring at the age of 12, then went on to join local bands gigging around south London, and eventually moved to west London, where the music scene was thriving.

I joined a band called Old Land Montano (that was signed to Virgin) as a keyboard player, which was my introduction to the record industry. This was around 1988. I went on to get signed by Island Records in 91 and dropped my debut album, Unbreakable, in 92; the singles everyone knows from that album are "Love Makes the world go round," Oh My Gosh," and Unbreakable

What is your vocal range? Alto ish, but I'm able to go to my lower register too.

What challenges do having your independent label have? The big challenge is creating awareness.

In your opinion, what does it take to "make it" in this business? Consistency… don't stop till you get enough! You have to have tunnel vision .. don't let anyone or anything deter you. no is not an option.

In your opinion, what's the best and worst part of being an independent artist? no one to answer to is great… downside is mainstream radio doesn't play much indie music

Have you ever released a song that you thought would be a significant success but didn't do as well as you expected? Tell me about an experience you had like that. There's been a few tunes that I thought would make waves but didn't and the ones I thought were ok, everybody liked!!

Do you have a daytime job, or is music your full-time job? "I do music full-time studio sessions and touring.

How important is it for your friends and family to support your music by purchasing and downloading your single? How crucial is their support for the success of your career? well, being independent, every download helps, be it, family or friend.

How do you feel about the concept of likes and dislikes on an artist's social media music-related post? Is that an accurate assessment of the artist's talent, worth, or ability? Hmm, not really; likes do help, but it's not the be-all and end-all. Not everybody likes coffee!

What have people who have heard your music say about your vocal style that sets you apart from other vocalists? "people have said I sound like me, lol, but reminiscent of Stevie, Dennis brown. Unique is a word I hear a lot."

What would it be if you could speak to your fans from your heart and tell them one important thing you want them to know about being an independent artist? Buy our music!

What advice would you give to new artists entering the changing industry? be yourself and stay unique

If you could speak to DJs from your heart and tell them one crucial thing you want them to know about being an independent artist, what would it be? Play the music!

How would you describe your music to those who have never heard it? "my music is a mixture of R&B, gospel, reggae, jazz, and pop! #mixedbag"

Do you write and produce your music? Yes!

What does it feel like to be an Independent Artist? Share your heart with our readers. It feels great! So much freedom in being an indie artist! The main reason is that you don't have to answer to anyone. It's nice to be able to release when and how I please.

How do you prepare yourself mentally for public opinion (either positive or negative) when you're preparing for a new song release? I leave that with God.

Have you ever felt so discouraged in this business, for whatever reason, that you just wanted to throw in the towel? yes, everybody has days when they question their mission in life; gotta dust yourself off and come again.

How many singles/albums do you have out presently, and what is your favorite album/song to date? I've had a lot of singles out over the last 30 years! They are all my babies; it's hard not to love all your kids!

Tell me about your latest album/ song, and what was your inspiration behind it? Is it out now, and where can people buy it? My latest Album is Future Bounce EP. it features tracks on 3 of my eps from the lockdown period. I felt like these tracks were slept on; they were sold on my site Donmusic.co.uk exclusively. These particular tracks are now available for streaming which I'm not a fan of.

All Don E Photos are courtesy of Don E

END OF INTERVIEW