Oritse OWS Waterline Interview

We spoke to Former JLS member Oritsé Williams known now as OWS Digital about his brand new single ‘ Waterline’, his up and coming events, music and about being a dad.

“I’ve got a clear idea of what kind of music i’d want to fans to hear but I’m still letting the creative side just come out”

OWS Ortise Pusha T
OWS Ortise Pusha T

OWS DEBUT SOLO SINGLE  ‘WATERLINE’ FEATURING PUSHA T IS RELEASED JUNE 8TH

Hey Oritsé firstly congrats on your first single ‘waterline’ and for becoming a dad, how has 2015 treated you so far?

Hey Charley-Jean, I see you’ve been warming this one up haven’t you hey? and thank you so much, I guess that’s a double hit there, double success thank you.  2015, man it’s the best ever I can’t, you know you’ve got to be grateful in life and count your blessings; I’ve got lots to be thankful for, I’ve got lists to be grateful for.

I’m overwhelmed, from having my own son which has changed my world and it’s the best thing that could of happened to me, to releasing music that I’m passionate about like I’ve been working hard for a very long time and it’s like quite an emotional extensions from who I am as a person.

WOW so it seems like we may only be half way through 2015 but its worked very well for you so far, we can’t wait to hear more and see more from yourself as a person and a solo artist but what is it like working, recording, writing, filming a music video and being on stage on your own?

It’s a totally different process with the group we were doing lots of dance routines and we were really selling our sound and image as such, this time around I’m just being myself just being really chilled and relaxed about it, just going into the studio and making music that I’m passionate about, and like you know making records that are just very personal, a lot of true life stories, you’ll be able to hear through the music and the fans will be about to get to know who I am as a person, they will be able to get close to me through my music.

Being on stage is also a very different thing, like I have my live instrumentalist on stage with me, when I did my first debut show which was sold out. I was performing songs which nobody has ever heard before, and that’s different because normally people would come to our shows and already know the songs and heard the songs and singing them back to us, but they hadn’t ever heard these songs so it was nice just to perform them and watch them just be there and listening and really enjoying themselves and listening to the songs and the lyrics and hopefully learning a lot of me, and feel like they are closer to me through my music but I’m just doing it my stride like with the video it was my first time ever writing a music video treatment which was for ‘Waterline’ there is a lot of powerful messages in there, I was also able to perform with one of the greatest rappers Pusha T who is signed to Kayne West, so it’s a very different world and a very different process, very much like going from college to university.

OWS WATERLINES
OWS WATERLINES

I can imagine how different your life must be now as a soloist rather than a member of a group, we have to admit with love the ‘Waterline’ music video but we would love to know what was the message behind it?

Oh it was very deep, you know it goes into it from talking about a new birth to stereotypes to race, religion, sexuality, you know the end on a era to the start of a new, there’s a lot of powerful hidden things in there, but ultimately it’s about seeing beauty in somebody no matter what race, religion, sexuality you know; if their are abled or disabled, that’s why I have my friend in there Stanley who you know is disabled, just that feeling of being to be feel loved no matter what walk of life you’ve come from so the video is more of a kinda global feel for me, I was really trying to make it as timeless as possible, that’s why it’s black and white but it’s just really chilled and stripped back. My first born is in the video (you know my pregnant girlfriend at the time), you can take so much from it and so much from trying to work out what image means including my mentor praying with his budda beads, I could talk about it forever because it such a deep topic, it’s the end of era for me with JLS.
Now the start of a new era as a soloist and with Pusha T, there’s a lot of powerful pictures and messages i’d really give it all I had to make it a very powerful and manful video.

We have to admit it is a very deep but beautifully filmed the video, and every image just shows so much emotion and so many different messages can be perceived from each image you should be really proud of it, as you said about the new era with Pusha T, who else would you like to collab with in your new era?

Woah, thank you so much, that means a lot, and I’d love to collab with Chris Martin, from Coldplay, I think he has a very unique voice and has a very incredible song-writing talent, he would be one of my number 1 choices, I’m also in love with some James Blake stuff, Lauren HIll, Drake, I love Drake’s music, but if I could have one right now I’d chose Chris Martin.

So you do have a few different collabs in mind that would be different, i’d love to see you collab with Drake, what artists/bands inspire you?

Yes of course always got to be ready and thinking ahead, Prince, James Brown, Coldplay, James Blake, The Fugees, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon.

All different once again, wonderful OWS, also what made you change your artist name to OWS?

‘OW’ stands for Oritsé Williams, the ‘S’ is really up for grabs, for anybody, for the fans to make it what they want, you know me it’s never straight forward, I was in studio just making music, I do some crazy things in the studio sometimes and I just shouted out OWS and the producer said I should stick with it. There’s something about OWS and it feels like a brand new offering and I agreed it’s a whole new thing, whole new world lets role with OWS and I think it just really stands for new ideas and a new era for myself and my fans. Just be yourself it’s ok to be crazy its ok to be different, be passionate about what you do, be creative in your own life and no matter what, be artistic.

OWS MarkMeets
OWS MarkMeets

So it stands for a few different things then, if you could have a track to be the soundtrack of your life what would it be and why?

Ooooo wow good question, I think my all time song would have to be Stevie Wonder – I was made to love her, which is a beautiful song but I’ve always felt like I was that boy/man who was trying to tell that girl how I felt, I was always that guy and i’ll always be that guy. I’m always gentlemanly, I’m never rude or anything around women, so I’m always going to be the guy and I’m always going to describe it in a romantic and poetic way, what could be more powerful than saying to a girl ‘I was made to love you’ you know what I mean.

Yes that song is a beautiful song and aww you’re so cute and honestly its so sweet, what advice would you give to someone who’s trying to live out their dreams?

Just really work on your artistry, work on your craft, doesn’t matter what it is, it doesn’t have to be music, you could want to be a teacher, scientist or you want to be watchmaker, just be dopiest you can be just be great, don’t be afraid to be great, don’t stop learning, don’t feel like you’ve done it, don’t be satisfied with where you are, always strive for more, never stop and never give up.

Brilliant words there Mr, right on to some fan questions, Will there be a cd signing for waterline? – @JusticeDiarys

Well we live in the digital era now, so there won’t be a CD signing, but I would love to go round the country to see the fans, hopefully one day I would be able to go around on a tour that would be a dream of mine, I will hopefully make the chance for us to meet each other, but they can come down and see me perform at wireless Festival, July 4th.

Describe your fans in 3 words – @sophie_lovesjls

Originators, Sexy, Loyal

Best thing about being a Dad?  – @MissTayl0rAnne

I can’t describe it really there’s so many great things to pick one its difficult, I don’t know, it’s a good question, there’s just so many, I think just to be able to kiss my son and know that he is mine, nothing more is enough to fill my heart.
 

 

If you got called to be a judge for a talent show, would you do it? – @humesxo

Yeah i’d do it but one that i would have created, i’d want to create my own.

Do you have a clear idea of what’s next for OWS or you just vibing right now? – @Sevgistl

I’m just vibing it out atm but I’ve definitely got a clear idea, I’ve got a clear idea of what kind of music i’d want to fans to hear but I’m still letting the creative side just come out, there’s a lot of powerful and manful things I could right about but there still a lot more to come.

What’s the most important thing to you whilst singing?

Most important thing to me when singing is for my audience to connect, to be in the world I’m singing about, or that I’m trying to create whilst I’m singing, I want them to be embrace in my world and zone out with me, I want them to be in the zone with me.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t be so hard on yourself, I was always hard on myself and always felt good was never enough, I put myself under a lot of pressure as a young lad, I always felt like I had to do everything for everyone else

How much do you love your fans?

I love them 10,000%. I’ve got a lot of love for them

What song from JLS did you wish you performed live?

Desert that featured my girlfriend AJ

Where can people see you next?

Wireless Festival 4th July, I want to see everyone there having a good time with me I want everyone to come see me and zone out together and vibe out with, we are going to shut the place down.

The UK release date for Waterline is June 8th

Follow @OWSdigital

Interview by Charley-Jean for MarkMeets.

Here at MARKMEETS, we’ve been a big supporter of OWS and look forward to championing his career.

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