Sola Rosa In Spaces Interview

Auckland-Based Electronic Soul/Funk/Hip Hop Producer/Songwriter

Sola Rosa today releases new EP, In Spaces.

Fronted by New Zealand music stalwart, Andrew Spraggon, Sola Rosa once again pushes into new sonic landscapes with In Spaces.

"This EP I feel is like a bridge between our 2015 album Magnetics, which was quite synth and beats focused compared to where we are headed with the next album, which is more live instrument based. I felt these tracks needed to be released separately as they have their own voice in the Sola Rosa timeline," says Spraggon.

"I also love the remixes on this EP. Flytones are from Istanbul. I had been following them for a little while on Instagram. They post some really inspiring clips of their Dilla-esque, neo soul jams. I am also a huge fan of Canadian duo Potatohead People and their underground hit album Big Luxury on Bastard Jazz. It's great to be able to reach out to producers I love and respect and collaborate."

In Spaces builds on Sola Rosa's trademark fusion of genres, from hiphop and jazz, to neo-soul, latin and funk. It includes the already released singles Leave A Light On, which features Kevin Mark Trail, who rose to prominence in the early 2000s working with The Streets; Back To You, featuring rising Kiwi sensation Noah Slee; and partystarter, So Fly, Additional production and mixing of the EP was done by renowned Kiwi producer / mix engineer Andy Submariner Morton at Creative Orchard (Home Brew, Che Fu, Mark de Clive Lowe); and mastered by Kelly Hibbert at Almachrome (J Dilla, Madlib, Lying Lotus, Aloe Blacc).

The record is Sola Rosa's fourth EP and sits alongside six full-length albums, two remix albums, as well as a handful of hits, including the iconic 2009 tune Del Ray, which has amassed more than 2.5 million plays on Spotify and Turn Around, feat. Iva Lamkum, which has clocked more than one million plays.

Interview with Sola Rosa

Question: How would you describe your music?

Sola Rosa: There is no way to really put it in to one or two words. Sola Rosa is a mix of influences but mostly modern soul, funk, hip-hop, reggae and sometimes a touch of Latin. There's also calypso, jazz, big band. It's a real trip around the world.


Question: What motivated the EP, In Spaces?

Sola Rosa: I'd finished the last album Magnetics and I'd started working on the follow up album. We had a few tunes that I really liked but wouldn't really fit with the material I was working on for the new album so I decided to put out an EP in between. So In Spaces for me is kind of like a bridge between the two, musically it's linked but it has its own vibe.

Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Sola Rosa: I still like performing Del Ray. It's our biggest track as far as downloads and streams go with well over 4 million combined. It's an instrumental track that when writing I was so frustrated with I almost binned it. Thankfully I persevered and it became a classic. It still kicks live after all these years.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Sola Rosa: That's a tough one as I love an loathe aspects of both. Recording can be the best thing ever when you have those magic moments in the studio, but then I can also spend days in the studio and be completely devoid of ideas and motivation. So there's a lot time spent trying to make that magic happen. As for performing, truth be told I go between loving it and sometimes hating it. I'm super fussy about good sound on stage so if I don't have it, it can ruin the show for me. When it's right though I love it. I especially love touring. Being on the road, only focusing on the moment. Very meditative.


Question: What is the story behind the name, Sola Rosa?

Sola Rosa: I wish it was more interesting; truth be told I was obsessed with Mexico in my early 20's. I spent many months learning Spanish and decided to travel through Mexico on my first O.E. I went there again during the late 90's and it was around this time I had decided to quit the band I was with and try a solo project. I had to have a name for the project and as there was so much Spanish language in my head at the time I begun playing around with Spanish words. I liked the sound of Sol meaning sun and Rosa meaning rose. Sol Rose didn't sound right so I placed an A on the end of Sol and thus, Sola Rosa. Apparently it means different things in Spanish and Italian but I didn't find that out until later.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Sola Rosa: I'm mostly motivated by my love of music. Motivation comes and goes but this is my full time job so I just try and treat it like a regular 8 hour a day job and have learnt to not stress too much when the magic just isn't happening.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?
Sola Rosa: Jordan Rakei, Tom Misch, Noah Slee, Masego, Cleo Sol… all sorts. I have a playlist on Spotify with my current favourites call Sola Rosa Selects if anyone is interested to check it out.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Sola Rosa: The industry was furthest from my mind as a kid getting in to music. I just knew I wanted to be involved in music. I saved up on my paper round at age 11 to buy my first keyboard, had numerous school bands, organised my own shows, distributed my own vinyl and CD's. I was going to make music my career if it killed me. Took me a while but I got there in the end.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be? What's next, for you?

Sola Rosa: I'd love to collaborate with Q Tip and Andre 3000 (Outkast). I'd also love to work with Jordan Rakei and Noah Slee again. Those guys I have a lot of respect for, Noah is so creative in the studio.


Interview by Brooke Hunter