CLASH Interviews Tempest: ‘Prepare for a True Artist!

It’s a hazy Tuesday afternoon, and I’m virtually seated in Tempest’s living room. It’s 9am her time, and she’s comfortably settled, touching up her makeup with a cup of tea beside her. Her warm aura and infectious smile immediately put me at ease, and she playfully asked about my lunch [an energy drink, I know, not the healthiest…] before we dove into the music. The conversation felt like a Facetime chat with a close friend, but Tempest’s deep dedication and extraordinary passion for her craft quickly reminded me that she’s a true student of the game. Growing up in a musical household, with her Jamaican mother and Nigerian father—who, as a respected DJ, heavily influenced her musical tastes from a young age—it all made sense.

Since honing her craft in 2013, Tempest has become known for her distinctive R&B sound. However, she’s taken it upon herself to push the boundaries of the genre, creating a body of work that is both cohesive and delightfully unpredictable. ‘The Ranch’ symbolizes “a place for someone 6ft or taller” – and let’s be honest, we’ve all been there at some point. It’s not always the 5-star experience you might expect. Beyond the metaphor, these five tracks represent a safe haven or escape for those who tend to run away from their problems. With ‘The Ranch’, Tempest reclaims her artistic freedom, inviting listeners to slip on their cowboy boots and join her on an empowering journey.

CLASH caught up with Tempest ahead of her debut EP ‘The Ranch’, discussing her music, rediscovering her confidence as an artist, overcoming challenges, and much more. Dive in below to hear what she had to say.

Interviewer: Could you walk me through your early years and how you first got into music?

Tempest: My dad, a Nigerian man who grew up in the Bronx, and my mom, a Jamaican woman, ended up together in Long Beach, California, and that’s where I was raised. Growing up in Long Beach, I was surrounded by rich cultural and musical influences. My dad was a DJ, so I spent a lot of time watching him collect records, burn CDs, and dig through crates. He mostly played Dancehall, influenced by my mom’s roots, along with a lot of Hip-Hop and R&B.

Though my dad was raised in New York, my mom’s influence made our home a melting pot of culture and music. I owe much of my musical upbringing to him—I would stay up all night helping him make mixtapes. After he passed away when I was 13, crate digging became a way for me to stay connected to him. In school, I was known as the girl who was always up on the latest music because I was constantly on blogs like Hot New Hip-Hop, XXL, Digital Dripped, and DatPiff, searching for the hottest tracks.

Interviewer: I read that you started creating music as early as 2014, starting with music production.

Tempest: Yes, I was part of a program in Junior High called Long Beach CAP, which gave kids in the city access to various arts. They offered screen printing, photography, and music, and I started learning music production there. This led to opportunities with the GRAMMY Museum, where I learned more about music history and eventually became an alum. They’d even invite me back to participate in special events.

While I was still in school, I found myself performing for people like Michelle Obama or participating in a Motown tribute to Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson. At that time, I wasn’t seriously considering making music—I just wanted to produce. Honestly, I was just making noise in Logic [laughs].

Interviewer: You’re also a DJ—how did that come about?

Tempest: That started around 2018, just before the pandemic. People kept telling me that my music taste was too good not to be DJ’ing, so I gave it a shot and realized I was pretty good at it. I initially avoided it because my dad was a true DJ—he knew how to spin records for real. But I ended up DJ’ing a lot of parties until the pandemic hit. When everyone started doing those lackluster live sets online, I just couldn’t get into it. I’m the type of person who needs to be on the dancefloor with the crowd, feeling the energy.

Interviewer: When did you start writing your own music?

Tempest: I decided to stop DJ’ing and focus more on production. I set up a whole studio and began experimenting with vocal chops, even though I didn’t think I could sing! [laughs] My thought was, if I could learn to write my own songs, it would improve the structure of my production. That’s how I spent most of the quarantine—I’d send these “demos” to my friends asking for feedback on the beats. But their reactions were more like, “Who’s singing this? Who wrote this?” It was me! Why is that so surprising?! [laughs] My friends really pushed me to keep going, saying I was holding myself back by not seeing it through. I wrote a song called ‘Don’t Say My Name,’ which was inspired by James Fauntleroy—one of my biggest writing influences. I dove deep into his work and spent the entire pandemic challenging myself in the studio, learning how to become an artist and create music.

Interviewer: It’s so refreshing to hear someone talk so passionately about their craft!

Tempest: Thank you! I literally live and breathe music. I don’t think I’d be where I am without it. I thank God every day for my ear because it’s my love for the craft and respect for the art that drive me to take it seriously.

Interviewer: Let’s talk about this EP! It’s been a long time coming. What inspired the concept, and what does ‘The Ranch’ represent?

Tempest: ‘The Ranch’ symbolizes a place of escape, especially for a 6ft man or taller. It represents the thrill, the chaos, and even a bit of violence. It’s a space filled with manic energy, where you’re crashing out and having fun. At that time in my life, I was constantly running away. I have this obsession with running away—it’s part of my mental struggles! [laughs] I desperately wanted to escape the situation I was in because it was holding me back from being my best self, and I played a role in that. I often felt trapped, so I’d retreat to “the ranch.” I was definitely using a man to escape my problems. Until you choose to heal, you keep running into more damaged people. ‘The Ranch’ is a haven for those people, but it’s also the home you hate. It’s a place where you feel seen but are repelled by it. Why do we understand each other on this level? At the time, it was a specific 6ft5 guy who would say sweet nothings to me! He thought I was falling in love with him, but I was just there for the music! [laughs] I’d get the song and leave!

The music on this project is all about freedom. For instance, ‘Cha Cha Freestyle’ is about doing whatever you want. I had people telling me I couldn’t make this kind of music. Oh really? Well, I’m going to do exactly what I want! So much so that I’m going to say “cha cha baby!” In the song ‘Worthy,’ I talk about how there’s no one I’m into, which is why my music sounds different from everyone else’s. There’s a reason why everything has so much energy and rage. I’m not in a place to slow down and make a love song—I’m in the rush! ‘The Ranch’ is all about feminine rage!

Interviewer: Where did you find your sonic inspiration? This project doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre; you’ve blended and reshaped sounds to match your style. How did you challenge yourself to reach that point?

Tempest: While working on this project, there were people around me who wanted me to sound like today’s popular artists, which is fine, but I’m a true student of the craft. I wanted to evolve and establish Tempest as an artist, reflecting who I am right now. I’m not just R&B, though I do it well, and it’s taught me a lot about song creation. R&B is a great genre to study, but I was gravitating more towards alternative sounds. I even have a playlist called “art hoe” full of alternative music from all genres. I was deep into SoundCloud—it’s always been one of the best places for inspiration and discovering new sounds and artists.

I was drawn to music that wasn’t mainstream and wanted to create something in that vein. The people around me didn’t think it would make sense, but I’m not here to create music for the masses—I’m here to make music for me. If others connect with it, that’s a bonus! I kept hearing “no” without any alternatives, so my stubborn side kicked in. I went into the studio every day determined to make the most unconventional R&B possible. ‘The Ranch’ is built on R&B chords, but I wanted the hardest drums, to switch up tempos, drop octaves, and yell instead of sing! [laughs] I did the opposite of what I was advised. I had to bet on myself, and while it cost me a lot, I have no regrets. I can listen to this project and know that no one else sounds like this—not even me! I’m not sure I could recreate these songs!

Interviewer: How long did you spend working on this project?

Tempest: Those songs are over a year old now, and I haven’t been back in the studio since. Creating them took a lot out of me, so I needed a break. I had to fight hard for this sound and prove that it would resonate. I’d play the tracks for regular folks at Trader Joe’s, as well as A&Rs and models, and the feedback was always positive! It made me wonder why the people around me, who are supposed to support me, didn’t believe in it.

I typically finish a song in one day. We start from scratch, and my sessions usually run from 1 pm to 10 pm—I don’t do late nights; I need my sleep! [laughs] The producers will catch a vibe, and I’ll start writing as the song comes together. By the time I leave the studio, I’ve got a complete track. I rarely revisit songs—what you hear is almost always what I created that day. I write all my songs, and I wrote 95% of this project. The remaining 5% was thanks to Naomi Wild, one of my best writing partners, who helped me polish up ‘Stop Playing’.

Interviewer: You’ve got a track on the EP with Amindi. Can you walk us through that collaboration? Did you push each other creatively? How did it all come together?

Tempest: That session came together in such a random but perfect way! I had just left “the ranch” that morning and had a studio session later that day. I saw Amindi in the hallway and invited her to join. We started chatting—really talking for the first time—about music and boys. We realized we were both going through similar things and decided to channel that into a song. I kept joking about the 6ft 5 guy I had just been on a date with, calling him my stallion and saying I was at “the ranch” that night! [laughs] Amindi wrote her verse, I freestyled some of mine, and we just clicked. We finished the track that same day, and it was such a fun experience!

Interviewer: You’ve taken some time away from releasing music, but this year, you’ve made a strong comeback. You mentioned earlier that people weren’t always believing in you, but it feels like you’re breaking free now. Do you feel like you’re entering a new creative era, and if so, how?

Tempest: I definitely feel like I’m breaking free and stepping into a new era. It’s been a long time since I’ve released anything, and this comeback is all about having fun. That joy was taken from me before. I had a lot of labels, distribution companies, and big corporations trying to scoop me up early on, and things got serious really quickly. I didn’t have the time to experiment and become the artist I wanted to be. Even with these new songs, as much as I love this project, I wouldn’t say this is the definitive Tempest sound. This is me moving on from the past and finally having some fun! I should be able to enjoy being an artist and make my silly little songs with silly beats and wear silly outfits! That’s what this era is about—seeing what I can create with no limitations. This is music that people initially doubted, but now, no one is forcing me to fit into a certain mold. I’m regaining my confidence as an artist, and Tempest will never make the same thing twice. It’s time for me and my supporters to have some fun!

Interviewer: Which song are you most excited to perform?

Artist: Ooo! Honestly, I don’t perform that much—

Interviewer: Girl, you need to come to the UK; I have to see this live!

Artist: I know!! [laughs] Right now, one of my favorite songs to perform is ‘Heathens,’ and it’s not even on the project. Everyone completely overlooked that song—it was so HARD! The energy when I perform it is incredible. There’s even a whole dance break during the performance!

Interviewer: Putting the music aside, what keeps you grounded? What do you enjoy doing for fun?

Artist: I love to cook; it’s one of my first loves. I’m also into arts and crafts. I took a beginner’s painting class in college, and thank God I did because it’s helped me musically! It’s called synaesthesia, where they taught us about color theory and how different colors evoke certain emotions. I also enjoy bowling, traveling, and watching films on the Criterion channel. Walking down the aisle in the movie theater—

Interviewer: That’s the realest thing ever, and you can’t go wrong with popcorn and snacks!

Artist: Exactly! [laughs] I pray a lot to stay grounded. Last year, I found out I have BPD (borderline personality disorder), and what’s really helped me stay centered is journaling. I make sure to have my cup of tea in the morning and go for a walk to regulate my emotions. I do a bit of everything! My next hobby I want to pick up is horseback riding. I really want to try it. I was told I have great form when we shot the music video for ‘The Ranch.’ I don’t know how to ride a horse, but I know how to ride! [laughs] I want a real stallion!

Interviewer: With the EP on the way, is there anything else we can look forward to?

Artist: Expect me to do whatever I want! Expect a real artist.