Heralded as the next superstar in the R&B sphere, Dami Oniru returns with her EP Matter Of Time. MOT is a follow up to her lockdown debut Bri’s Lounge that acclimated her to industry players and fans alike as one of the most promising names in the global contemporary R&B space. She speaks to Remixd Mag about the EP, working with bigwigs, pressure to live up to her mentor Tems and more.
Dami, you’re back after a two year hiatus since your breakthrough EP Bri’s Lounge. What can fans expect going into Matter of Time from a sonic perspective?
Yes I am, feels like forever lol. Man, a lot , there’s been a lot of growth, vocally, lyrically, sonically it’s just a more mature, grown up version of myself that I’ve poured into this project. More honest, relateable, real, raw , unfiltered …just how I’ve felt, how I feel, what’s been on my mind.
You premiered the “Soft Life” and you haven’t even lost a step. What inspired the single?
Soft Life was actually the last one I recorded and I knew immediately it had to go on my project. It’s inspired by my desire for a better life, a life where I’m living my dreams and financially free without having to conform to societal norms or forced to live a life that’s been planned by my parents , you know. A peaceful, healthy, successful life. Money just happened to be the first thing that came to my mind and I went with that ahaha but money isn’t everything.
You tend to work with a lot of Nigerian stars from WurlD, Odunsi, Psycho YP, I’m curious to know your thought process when collaborating with other artists.
A super talented bunch! When working with other artists, I try to keep an open mind, whether we’re working in person or not. I like to know what each song is about just to give me an idea of where my head should be at lyrically and go from there. It’s been fun so far getting to learn my boundaries, musically and how far I can push myself sound wise.
Which current African R&B artist is on most of your playlists?
Elaine, Shekinah, Azantii, Karun, Tellaman, Remy Baggins, Xenia Manasseh
How would you say you have grown from Bri’s Lounge to Matter of Time?
Honestly, in every way you can think of. Vocally, experientially, I’ve grown so much as a person over the last two years and you’ll hear that in the music with the way I approach certain topics I’ve previously shy’d away from.
There are rumblings in the music industry corridors about your close relationship with Tems especially after the Tommy Hilfiger ad! What was that experience like?
She’s a sweetheart! Shooting the Tommy campaign was great, the crew were very friendly and everything went smoothly despite the rain.
You actually have the smarts seeing you have a bachelors degree in coding and programming. Talk about that balance; following music as a passion and pursuing an actual career in something you’ve studied.
I actually have a bachelors in International Business & Management and then during pandemic I went back to school to study Software Engineering. It was tricky finding a balance because the pandemic was kind of like my moment to explore life outside of music and pursue my other passion, Tech. It was a great experience but, it took me away from music and I didn’t like that. I had to set my time up in a way that when I’m not working on music I’m working on tech stuff and vice versa, that’s my balance now.. giving myself room to allow both my passions co-exist. I’m looking to bridge the gap really soon.
I read somewhere that you’ve spent quite some time in Atlanta and you have family there. How did living in America shape your outlook on life, and how has that translated into the way you make music?
ATL is pretty much my second home. When I’m not in Lagos, I’m there. Growing up I shuffled between ATL and Lagos a lot as that’s where my mom lived and still lives. Although most of my educational upbringing was in Lagos, Atlanta shaped me in the sense that it gave me a different outlook on life, and it most definitely influenced my music taste, along with the sound and style of music I create today. My mom is an R&B head, she had all the hottest albums and dj mixes and we would always belt out r&b and raps songs in the car.
What can we look forward to from Dami moving forward?More amazing music, getting to know who I am and experiencing my evolution as an artist.
Listen to ‘Matter of Time’ below:
