10 Things We Love About: Sol Paradise

Hailing from North London, Sol Paradise is a talented multi-instrumentalist musician who marries contemporary jazz with environmentalism. Deriving inspiration from the likes of Fela Kuti and D'Angelo, Sol is bringing something fresh to the UK Jazz scene; his sound fails to be confined but instead exists as a beautiful blend of Brazilian Funk, Afrobeat, Jazz and Neo-Soul.

His most recent release, ‘Earth', is a groove-endowed track that coalesces poignant lyricism with cinematic production. The juxtaposition between its vibrant instrumental and Sol’s lamentation about the climate crisis makes for a brilliantly visceral offering. With a stream of gigs coming up and his third EP set to drop in the coming months, the independent artist is definitely one to have on your radar.

(Photographer: Elsa Pearl, Assistant: Mae Sinnott)

We love your name! 

How did you come to be Sol Paradise?

So there’s a Jack Kerouac book, On the Road, which was my favourite book when I was eighteen. The protagonist is called Sal Paradise, so originally I was going to name myself Sal Paradise. Sal Paradise was actually a Christian rock band in the seventies - so I changed it to Sol Paradise. I did a lot of Spanish modules at uni, so I think it just kind of worked. It’s a banging book.

We love that you’re a multi-instrumentalist

Were you formally trained in all the instruments you play? 

No, not at all. I never went to a conservatoire or anything. I taught myself guitar and my dad taught me the twelve-bar blues when I was around seven, but I mostly taught myself from books and YouTube. I've always wished that I focused on one instrument. To say it’s a source of insecurity is a bit of a stretch, but I have previously felt like I’ve spread myself too thin by trying to play everything. Over the last couple of years, I have reconciled that a bit.  

We love what you're bringing to the UK Jazz scene

Which artists have influenced your sound the most? 

I grew up around a lot of Jazz, and I admire Jazz musicians who have mastered a singular instrument. Right now Gil Scott-Heron, Jorge Ben Jor and Roy Hargrove are huge inspirations for me - Roy Hargrove made me want to become a trumpeter. It’s tough, there are a million and one Jazz musicians that spring to mind when I think about who has influenced me. I also think discovering Afrobeat was big for me. I think it's the way that mantras work - you get lost in repetition and a lot of mantra and meditation does that.

In doing so you get totally lost in it, and I feel like that’s a big thing in Afrobeat. Fela Kuti is a big inspiration for me, as was D'Angelo. There was an era where I was so obsessed with him, and whilst I’m not in that era anymore, I think that he's such a beautiful artist. I also loved hearing that he released his last two albums independently - that was really cool. 

We love that you're an independent artist 

What’s it like being independent in the London music scene at the moment?

That is a loaded question! It's really hard if I’m being really honest. I think financially more than anything. I love London, it’s where I grew up, but it’s so expensive being an independent artist here. I think for a lot of last year I was fixated on trying to get a label, but a lot of my friends who are signed yearn for this independence. For as long as I can afford to do it, I will. Being independent means that I get full creative control and I know that if I were to sign the wrong deal, I would look back on this time and wish for the creative freedom that I currently have. I think I’ve also struggled with the validation side of it.

We have it shoved down our throat that when you’re signed you’re validated as an artist. It’s the industry telling you that you’re on the right path. Over the past year, I’ve really tried to let go of that and focus on the fact that I’m doing this for me and not for anyone else. I do it because I love it. Even with releasing a track, I can release it whenever I want instead of a record label controlling the release timeline, and that is incredibly liberating. On the flipside, there are a lot of days where you just get tired of being broke and you have to be really set on the fact that you’re doing the right thing.

We love that the natural world is a motif in your music

You’re Sol Paradise, your first EP is titled ‘Forest' and nature is something you always return to, whether it be to praise it in all its glory or express your distress at the climate crisis - has this always been an intentional choice?

I think it's turned into my brand in a non-conscious way. The environment is just something I am incredibly interested in. I love the outdoors and I’ve always been quite interested in climate activism. I think that so few musicians talk about it. As I said, it wasn’t a conscious choice but I do get so much inspiration from being outdoors.

With this upcoming EP, all the songs are rooted in climate activism. Not necessarily in a macro sense, but in the way that I feel that we would all benefit from spending more time in nature. As an artist, I want to encourage people to get outside. Myself and many of my friends have had mental health struggles in the past, and I’ve found the power of being in nature to be unbelievable. 

We love that you produce your own music 

Do you still produce all of your own music or is it more of a collaborative effort?

Yes I do. I love producing and I get such a thrill from the process. When the song comes out it’s such an amazing feeling knowing that I have created that song from the beginning. I also like that when the song is released, it no longer just belongs to me. I’m really interested in the process of recording, and I’m really interested in trying out new recording processes. I would love to collaborate with other producers, but I think it’s about meeting the right person and being able to develop a trust to work with them. Letting go of ego is a big thing as well, for both sides, and I would have to embrace the fact that they are the producer. Similarly, the producer would have to not be too precious about their work.  

We love your latest track ‘Earth’ 

Do you feel a responsibility to utilise your music to spread and amplify awareness on the climate crisis? 

The idea of using any platform for good, and not just for constant self-promotion, is important to me. I want to stress that this isn’t like an ego-inflating thing for me - it’s just something that I have a genuine interest in, and I don’t think that I should keep that separate from my music. I think that if one bleeds into the other then it's me being more true to myself, and it’s part of an effort to put more of my true self into my music and be an open book I guess.  

We love how your sound has evolved throughout your career 

How would you describe your current musical style?

Hmm..Good question. I’m trying to move away from using genres! I suppose it’s bouncy - bouncy would be a good word. Colourful. Euphoric. It’s definitely moved away from the pop realm. I think it always ends up being a reflection of what I’m listening to at the time. A lot of the earlier records were a lot more pop-focused. I think I had an idea in my mind of what would be commercially successful and maybe made music that I thought would be well received, but I feel like I’ve let go of that now - I just write what I want to write. I think letting go of the need to please others means that you can make your best music. That’s the music that will resonate with the most people because it's personal.

We love your live gigs! 

Where can fans see you this year?

My third EP is nearing completion, so I’m very set for this year. It's a really nice feeling as it takes the pressure off a bit. I'm doing gigs, lots of gigs. I would love to get a big support tour, and do some festivals over the summer. I feel like the music really suits summer festivals, and getting a booking agent involved is a big goal of mine for the next few months. 

We love that there’s more on the horizon 

Your new EP is on its way, what can we expect?

Collaboration. One of the songs features a really beautiful artist called Nectar Woode. I’m genuinely so proud of it, and that’s a really great feeling. When you finish a project, a lot of insecurities tend to kick in - but I’m so happy with this one and that’s an incredibly pure feeling. It takes a lot of the weight off my shoulders because I don’t really mind how it’s received -  it’s exactly what I wanted to do.

Musically, it feels like such a step up for me. I’ve worked really hard in the past year to let go of needing external validation, and the fact that this is what I’ve made as a result of that feels so good. It’s a collection of songs that I feel so proud of and it feels like a nice sonic journey. I really hope that people listen to it as a whole. I know that attention spans are getting lower and lower, but I still completely believe in good art having its moment. I think there’s always room for good art and people will appreciate it.