Conversations with ‘Your Sound’ committee member Rugile and Singer-Songwriter Lyco

My involvement with ‘Your Sound’ society resulted in the formation of friendships and exposure to musical tastes that I wouldn’t have otherwise found. I owe a great deal of this to the committee members who have worked to bring everyone together; with the ethos of giving everyone the opportunity to showcase their talents.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Rugile, a leading committee member at the society, discussing the motivation driving her passion for music.

The following interviews have been edited for clarity.

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What made you decide to become a Your Sound committee member?

During the whole of first year I was pretty involved with Your Sound, as my good friend who was also my flatmate was already a committee member and other good friend was actually the founder of the society. Naturally, I went to all of the jam sessions and got to know everybody, so it wasn’t unusual for me to help with events.

Becoming an actual committee member wasn’t something that I had to think about, it was just a natural step for me to take.

What are some of your favourite genres of music to listen to?

I really can listen and vibe to anything, but my favourite genres have to be Afrobeats and UK Rap. I used to be a fan of Bashment but I need to be in the mood for it, and in the last couple years I’ve become a bigger fan of American sub-genres of Rap, such as Trap music.

What genre of music do you think is currently under-appreciated?

I think this greatly depends where you are in the world and what music you relate to the most, but for me right now I actually think Latin music is not appreciated as much as it should be especially considering its influence, but that could also be because I’m a big fan. I’d also say that UK garage is a vibe that often goes unspoken about most of the time.

Are there any musicians at Loughborough who don’t get the attention they deserve?

Yes of course, there are so many people that have talent. What often happens is that people don’t showcase their talent enough, either through singing, spoken word, or playing an instrument – so it’s hard to give that recognition. Even as something as small as coming along to a jam session and just feeling the vibe and playing something, as well as seeing how other instruments can fit together, is a good opportunity to display your talent and craft for others to enjoy and appreciate.

What are some of the best things about being a ‘Your Sound’ committee member?

I’ve really enjoyed meeting people as the society really welcomes anyone. It doesn’t even matter if you aren’t the most talented when it comes to instruments or performing, just sharing the appreciation for different music with other people is always honestly really fun. Being a committee member also means you have the freedom and opportunity to host various events, and it’s just a great feeling seeing things come together. I think watching musicians over the year grow in confidence and skill is also really motivating.

How has Coronavirus impacted the future of ‘Your Sound’?

It’s definitely made me miss being around everyone, I think it’s a time of uncertainty for a lot of things, but I have hope that we will come back better than ever. This is a good opportunity for planning and practicing, but practically I think that starting to prepare for a new set of committee members will help a smooth transaction once we’re all back at Uni, but it’s definitely a very confusing period for the society.

Do you have any uplifting song recommendations for students who might be bored and lonely during this time?

I think something upbeat is good during these times, some of my favourites are: Mura Masa- Move me ft. Octavian, Skepta & Wizkid- Energy (Stay Far Away), Drake – Toosie slide, Skip Marley & H.E.R- slow down. Also, anything by Pop Smoke never fails to uplift.

After speaking with Rugile, I caught up with Lyco as we discussed the impact of COVID-19 on his new single, his development as an artist and his future aspirations over a phone call. In addition to having his second-year studies cut short, the Afrobeats inspired artist  was preparing for the release of his new single ‘Midlands’ as part of the duo ‘Lyc0 x Wxyne’ when the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in nationwide lockdown.

When asked to describe his new song, Lyco responded saying that “It’s a fun song, it’s just a song to encompass all the antics you get up to as a Uni student. The excitement around SFE dropping, how easy it is to splash your money on silly things, because we’re young & we’re a bit silly right now.”

This brought back memories of university life, reminding me of the inter-connectedness fuelling a student lifestyle I was already beginning to miss. As an avid consumer of music, I know the important role music can play in uplifting spirits during uncertain times such as these. I was eager to learn more about Lyco’s new single and also what drives him as an artist.

Joshua: Can you give me three of the most impactful artists of your life, and why they’re so significant to you?

Lyco: First of all, Lotto Boyz. Since my family are involved in some of their management, they’ve been close to me so I can really see how they grew and that inspired me to do the same as well. Secondly, I’d say Young Bane; his style of singing back in 2016 really inspired me to start and inspired some of my early songs stylistically.

That’s got to be really helpful for you as well, not many artists can say that they’ve observed and learned from the habits of a successful artist like that. How has Covid-19 affected the release of your new single?

It’s been messing up things badly, like we were supposed to record the video on Friday. Obviously we couldn’t, but we’re going to have to just do it next week. If we can’t get a video done then we won’t feel comfortable releasing it.

Well luckily with a video you don’t have to be close up; you can experiment by using  wide shots.

Exactly, we’re going to have to do different things. We’re still going to achieve the fun video we want but within some restrictions.

That’s so unlucky, but I guess it’s a double-edged sword because you know you have a great single on your hands. Although it’ll be harder to make the video, you know that there’ll be so much more attention on your track because people are stuck on social media right now with nothing to do. How has the musical landscape at Loughborough impacted your development as an artist?

I’ve met a lot of interesting people, for example the musicians at Your Sound as well as the guys at Rap Society. I’d go over to Keenan’s (Rap Soc founding member), go to a couple sessions and record. I met some good people, like Vongai (Your Sound Committee Member), she taught me a bit of piano which was helpful. But mainly it’s just been nice to meet other artists, learn things, share music and get feedback.

Do you have any song recommendations for students who might need uplifting during this time?

Off the top of my head, I’d say Summertime by myself and Wayne because that’s a bit of a cheery, summery song. I’d also include +44 by Lotto Boyz and Repeat by J Hus and Koffee.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?

I see myself comfortable within the industry. I see having made a name, establishing Lyc0 x Wxyne as a brand, and being one of the most prominent groups in Birmingham, if not the UK. They’re some serious dreams, but it’s about working now to make it a reality.

Well you’ve clearly been working so far and you’re seeing results already, so if you continue on this path, which I have no doubt you will, you’ll definitely get there. I’ll definitely be listening to the BBC Radio 1 podcast later; I’m looking forward to it.

If everything runs smoothly, the single will be available on all streaming platforms at the time of this article’s release (under Lyc0 x Wxyne). It’ll go straight into my quarantine playlist, a multi-genre medley of songs with the aim of uplifting one another’s spirits during the social isolation period. It was put together from song suggestions generated by students at Loughborough:

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By Joshua Bailey

Joshua Bailey is an aspiring journalist/artist studying English with Creative Writing. He is an avid musician who writes and composes music in his spare time; posting music to Spotify and Apple Music under the moniker ‘Jay Ezekiel’. He also enjoys watching and playing Basketball and Football, devoting time to anyone willing to start a conversation about either the Toronto Raptors or Arsenal; his favourite teams.