10 Things We Love About Col3trane

For years now Col3trane has been triumphing within the music scene, carving away a

pocket for his unique sound - a soft blend of R&B and Rock, with a plethora of influences all

present in his work. As we caught up with him on a cold Tuesday in East London over

overpriced coffee, it’s clear why he continues to make waves. Ounces of charisma and a

clear love for the craft that allows Col3trane to effortlessly connect with his audience. We

spoke shortly after the release of his most recent project “Hamartia” , a melancholic and

vulnerable offering in the form of smooth vocals and clean production, released under his

own label ‘Trane of Thought’. We spoke shortly before the final installment of his Hamartia

sessions, an evening with the man himself allowing fans to hear the music live and

understand the inspirations behind it.

It’s clear to see why Col3trane is one of London’s more exciting exports, blending a rich

tapestry of influences from his diverse cultural background, including his Egyptian roots and

American upbringing, with his undeniable knack for creating soulful, genre-defying music.

Maintaining a distinct authenticity that resonates with listeners on a deep, emotional level.

Whether it’s his raw vulnerability in songwriting or his approach to collaboration, Col3trane’s

artistry is a reflection of someone who is not only evolving as a musician but also staying

true to his personal journey and experiences.

We Love His Process.

Could you walk us through your creative process when writing a song and making

music, when do you know that a song is finished?

That's a good one. Well the first thing I ever made was a beat in GarageBand, and I was just

singing over it. I loved the process of making music so much that I was like, 'I don't wanna

do anything else.' As soon as I realised there was even a slight chance of doing this for a

living, it was like, 'Wow, boom, no-brainer.

To be honest, it’s an annoying answer, but it really does change every time. I always have

ideas in my head, whether that be something I record on the go, a progression on the guitar,

or a lyric idea, and I write that down. When I go to the studio, things just happen. Someone

might play something on the keys, and it just snowballs. So, it's never really something that's

the same twice, and it needs to be like that, or everything gets stale.

We Love His Sound Evolution.

How do you feel like your sound has evolved since your debut mixtape?

It’s changed a lot. I don't know, for me it’s probably easier to see what other people think

about it, but when I listen back to my old music, I can hear myself really trying. Not in a way

that was disingenuous, I was still figuring out who I am, I was still 17 or 18. Whereas now,

the music feels more true because it comes from a place where I know more about myself.

It’s always a lot simpler. There's a lot of beauty in simplicity. There’s nothing worse than

when someone does too much. I still love the musicality and all that, but sometimes keeping

it simple is the best thing you can do.

We Love His Visuals.

So...Visuals? Is the artwork, music videos something that you enjoy and feel is

important to your ‘brand’?

Yes, I enjoy it, more so now than I used to. The way I see it, every different creative field

has its own language that you need to learn. It’s quite frustrating if you have ideas but don’t

know how to speak the language. In music, I know what I'm doing, but with video, I didn’t

know what was possible. But yeah, it's definitely something I'm involved in.

For me, music is always the most important thing; it’s the thing I care about the most. But

it's important, and I just find it more difficult.

We Love His Collaborations.

So you have worked with other artists in your career, what do you look for in a

collaborator?

The simplest thing is, I have to get along with you as a person. I don’t have anyone I’ve

worked with and want to continue working with that I couldn’t just phone, and I think that’s

important. It’s an intimate thing—I mean, it’s music, it’s emotion, it’s passion. I want to be

able to at least have a conversation with someone, feel comfortable with them, and hopefully

be friends with them."

We Love His New Project ‘Hamartia’.

It’s fitting to hear you say you feel as though music is really intimate and emotive, I’ve

been listening to your new project and it’s...sad. Does that vulnerability come easy to

you?

In music, yes.

But not in your day to day?

I’m not that guy in real life, I don't like doing that - I don't think anyone does. But it comes so

naturally in music, in a way that I'm not even thinking about it. It just comes out which is

beautiful, it really is therapy.

Hamartia is a fatal flaw, whats yours?

I think it’s yet to be seen really … it’s hard to say when my story isn’t finished… but if i had to pick one, i’d say my memory. I’ve learned in the last few years i have a pretty bad memory, or just a very selective one. I feel like that has worked against me in a lot of ways.

We Love his perspective on sharing music with the world.

How do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music?

As long as there's a feeling and it's true, that's all I really care about. Over the years, I've had

people come up to me and speak to me about songs, and they’re like, 'Oh, I love this song, it

made me feel like this.' And I'm like, 'That is not what I thought about,' but I think that's

amazing. People say to me, 'This is me and my wife’s song that brought us together,' and I’m

thinking, 'That's really sad to me,' but obviously, it means something completely different for

them

It's really interesting because obviously you're the artist, but once you release the

music it's almost like it's not yours anymore - is that scary for you?

No, I love it. I remember I put out a song called 'Pretty.' It's a love song, at least that was the

intention behind it. We shot the video in a church, and I remember putting on my story, 'If

anyone wants me to come and sing at their wedding, shout at me.' That never happened, but

instead, there were Australian pole dancers twerking to the song, and it did its own thing.

We Love his positive attitude.

Is it always fun?

No, but I’m not going to lie and say it’s all bad. It’s amazing, I’m so lucky. First of all,

everything is relative. There are people who would look at what I do and kill to do it, and I’m

so grateful for that. But obviously, it can be difficult and hard to navigate. There are things

I’ve been through and still have to go through that maybe wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t doing

this. Also, the process of making music—when it works, there is nothing better. When it goes

well, it’s like all the drugs in the world combined. Pure ecstasy. It’s amazing. But when it

doesn’t work, it feels like you’ve let yourself down.

What do you do when it doesn't work?

Now I just leave it. I go, 'It didn’t work today, it’s not working, I’m not going to force it.' It’s

about knowing when to concede when it doesn’t work; that’s the key. Because sometimes

you push through, you succeed, and you get something great. It’s not a nice feeling, but it’s

annoying that it’s part of the process.

Look, I’ve written thousands of songs, and I’ve written a lot of really bad ones that you’re

never going to hear. And I’ve also written a lot of songs that I think are amazing. I know that

if I go to the studio right now and write something that sucks, that doesn’t mean I suck. It

means I’ve learned from my mistakes in that experience, and I’ll go in and write something

amazing the next day. Music is subjective."

We Love his Inspirations.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? What are some of your favourite

albums for inspiration?

Ooh, okay. If I were to do a Mount Rushmore, it would be D'Angelo, probably Radiohead,

probably Kendrick, and John Mayer.

Favourite album? I’ll give you four right now. This is not quick fire—we’re spinning it, this is a

slow burn. Voodoo, To Pimp a Butterfly, In Rainbows (Radiohead), and I need an R&B

album, so let’s go with Confessions.

We love his creativity.

You spoke about going into the studio and just seeing what happens, are you quite

strict with your sessions, or do you not mind the distractions?

I’m not the kind of person who has that many people in the studio anyway, but like I said in

the beginning, I’m not too particular. Routine is the death of creativity. If you do the same

thing over and over again, you’re going to get the same ideas. So, you need to change

things up—whether that be where you work, who you work with, what you have for breakfast

in the morning, or even wearing a different outfit or getting a different haircut. You know what

I mean? I’ve been in the studio where there’s a lot of people, and it kind of ends up being

performative. It’s almost like you’re making music to impress the people in the room, which

isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can be counterproductive.

We Love his plans for the Future.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In a really nice cozy studio, with a dog, tucked away somewhere that’s not here and making

music.

Short and sweet! Listen to ‘Hamartia’ below!