Tems discusses how she felt renewed following the release of her album, the surprising variety of fans in her audiences, collaborating with artists like J.Cole, Show Dem Camp and more.
About finishing the album
I would say maybe burnt out just a little bit. We’ve been working on that music for so long. At some point I was like, “Is this going to ever end? Am I going to live in this studio? Am I going to be old, I’m 50 and be like, when this album finally comes out.”
But we made it. I didn’t think I was going to make it out of that studio. But here we are and it feels good. Because now I can go back to the studio without feeling some type of dread
About performing in larger venues in this case Radio city New York
That was, it’s just such a special moment. I haven’t actually completely taken it in. I’m not even going to lie. I’m still like, “What’s going on?” But I just knew it was so special yesterday.
I feel like I’m learning so much more about myself as we do every show, “Oh, okay.” I’ve been indoors, I’ve been in the studio, I’ve just not been outside, so I didn’t really know how people were receiving the music. Just to see the way they respond, it’s crazy.
About writing music
They’re always from my experience. The way I write music, the way I do music, is always a release.
When I was younger I didn’t really talk to a lot of people, so music was the way I would.
People used to tell me off and I wouldn’t say anything, I’d just be like this because I wouldn’t know what to say in the moment. I found out that I could sing my emotions. So music has always been like that for me, when I’m full of emotion and I just release that emotion.
About early career and working with Show Dem Camp
I am very family-oriented, actually. I’ve discovered that I work best when there’s people around.
Even though I like to be alone, which is weird but when I met Show Dem Camp, that was even before I dropped… I had only one song.
When I met Show Dem Camp, that was when I first started to meet all the other artists that also used to collaborate with them.
We would all link up in their studio and just vibe and experience each other’s talents. That was so fun for me.
That was the building blocks to my social life and my music life and interacting with other artists and being in the studio a lot.
Before that, I never was in the studio like that. So that really helped build a lot of the foundations of me learning how to be an artist.
About collaborating with J. Cole
I had met him last year, actually. It was just a casual thing. He just came to see us, me, my managers. We just had a chill conversation.
We just always kept in contact one way or another. He was in LA and I was recording at the time. So I was like, “Yeah, I want to play you these songs I’m working on, I just want to see your reaction.”
When he heard Free Fall, he really loved it. I was like, “Would you be down to be on this song?” He was like, “Of course,” he agreed to it. I was honoured, that’s J. Cole. He killed his verse and the rest is history.
About the diversity of fans attending her shows
That is crazy. I think I just started realizing it on this tour. I started seeing much older people, much younger people.
On this tour as I’m looking, seeing the crowd, I’m seeing elderly people at my show. Kids at my show, young kids, babies at my show.
It’s surprising to me, I’m in shock, literally, “Huh?” I think that’s the best blessing that anybody can ask for.
