Interview: Stefan PVDS

We had the pleasure of checking in with Stefan PVDS and he was kind enough to respond to a few interview questions.

Hi Stefan! You have an interesting background where you moved around quite a bit. Has living in different environments influenced your music at all? 

I definitely think the different environments I’ve lived in have influenced my music. I grew up in a very musical household where all my siblings and I played multiple instruments from a young age. My parents are also avid symphony goers so we would often spend our Friday or Saturday nights seeing incredible orchestra performances or world famous violinists and pianists perform with the symphony. At the same time, I was also listening to pop punk or hip hop on my CD player on the way to those concerts. When I moved to Birmingham, AL my friends introduced me to the blues, rock n roll, and funk, which all have become massive influences on my music as well. I’m also half Colombian on my dad’s side so we sometimes got together with the small Colombian community in Birmingham for dinner and then danced to Cumbia music until the early morning hours. Cumbia is known for its wide range of rhythms and grooves, so that surely had an affect on my love for good pockets to dance to. 

Who are your musical influences that inspire you? 

I have so many influences it’s hard to list just a few here, but some of my favorite guitarists are Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, John Frusciante, and John Mayer. I grew up playing classical guitar but I used to listen to all of those guys and have this intense desire to learn the electric guitar. It wasn’t until I was 20 years old until I really started to study those genres as a player, but I’ve never looked back. In terms of songwriting, when I first started writing songs I was listening to a lot of more acoustic artists like Norah Jones, Jack johnson, John Mayer, and James Bay. That inspired me to look back in time at some of the earlier songwriting legends like James Taylor, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Joni Mitchell, and Carole King. I’ve always connected with that traditional songwriting craft, but as I’ve learned to produce I’ve also fallen in love with more modern production techniques that you might find in modern RnB, hip hop, or acoustic pop. 

Are you feeling motivated in 2021 about your music?

I am so excited for 2021! I have been working on so much music and I can’t wait to finally start sharing it. It’s also overwhelming at times because I love so many different styles that it's scary to think about releasing one song at a time. The fear of being summed up as an artist as one aspect of myself (or as one song) is terrifying because there are so many different things I have to say and feelings I want to translate through my music. I just hope people connect enough with my music to be excited to hear what comes next as I continue to evolve.

Are you working on new projects that you can share with us? 

Aside from my solo project that debuts on February 12th with my single “Meet The Parents'', I am a singer and songwriter in the hip hop/RnB collective GROUPCHAT. I am in the group with my ridiculously talented friends Ziggy Stry and Maze Rockwell. We have released three singles since September of 2020 and there are plenty more on the way. We’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible artists like Casey Veggies (Odd Future), BRYYCE (Grand Hustle Records), Lil B, and Tyler Coolidge. 

Where can our followers keep up with your musical journey and listen to your music?

You can follow me on Spotify, Apple Music, and all platforms on February 12th when my single is released, just search for Stefan PVDS . and you can find me on IG and FB @sadsongstefan, don’t hesitate to hit me up!