'5 Questions With': GETOVERHER

EQ: First of all, I’m really intrigued by your artist name GETOVERHER! What’s the backstory of that?

 

G: My birthday is October 29th so while growing up I was drawn to the Mortal Kombat character Scorpion. As he was attacking opponents, his signature move was to yell, “Get over here!” Then he’d throw a sharp hooked harpoon at them to pull them in closer. With every song or album release I aim to pull people in closer; to give them a deeper look into my world, a trace of intimacy while still maintaining a healthy dose of mystery. I also enjoy the concept of solo artists proclaiming themselves as a phrase or bold statement versus a traditional government name or nickname. For example: The-Dream, The Weeknd, Partynextdoor, Blood Orange. As an R&B Thug, the balance of confidence and vulnerability is key in standing out. Remembering to live in the moment while only honoring vital nostalgia is the goal.

 

Your album came out last Friday, how exciting! How does it differ thematically and sonically to (from) your previous releases?

G: More luxury and accountability. Cleaner and tighter vocals, polished production and dedicated art direction. I truly invested in myself. Having a proper and consistent professional team from audio engineering to mgmt to PR to visuals doesn’t hurt either. I didn’t rush and allowed myself patience. I began developing all of my songs and music videos right before and during the pandemic not even realizing an entire album was happening. I was, thankfully, testing negative for coronavirus on a regular basis while hopping flights from NYC to London to Jamaica to LA, which certainly influenced my approach first hand. Turning 35 years old in October of 2020 made me hyper focused on my artistic legacy. I’m happiest while in the recording studio perfecting my interpretation of what R&B music was, is, and could be. Sharing secrets through melody or reimagining fantasies into reality for the sake of storytelling continues to be therapeutic for me.

 

EQ: On your album you are collaborating with producers such as Bok Bok and Different Sleep whose sounds compliment your vocals really well. How did those collabs come about?

 

G: Thank you for noticing. I discovered Different Sleep on SoundCloud back in the blog era circa 2008. I booked his first NYC live DJ set back then too. To this day, he still has the right amount of accessible and smart experimentation in his production style for anything from pop radio to an underground club night. He eventually moved to LA along with my bff, and frequent collaborator, Shan (fka Boyslashfriend). They met by chance through other mutual friends in LA and began working together. Shan insisted I return to LA to record my new music with DF since his recording engineering and ear for R&B was in sync with our tastes. On the other hand, I had to earn my way up to collaborating with Bok Bok, Helix, and even Kingdom previously. The Night Slugs & F2M crews are notoriously iconic in transcending R&B and dance music into the future imho. I also booked both Helix & Kingdom for gigs in NYC back in the mid 2000’s. Initially I managed to release a song produced by Kingdom called “A & B Conversation,” then a year or so after, Helix and I wrote our first song together, “A Matter of Fast.” Helix eventually introduced me to Bok via email who luckily believed in my sound. Bok, who’s very particular, kept in touch with me which led to our latest track, “Zero Chance” following my second track by Helix, “Staring Into Clear Skies.” I remain humbled and honored to be able to create with some of my heroes on the boards.