When you hear about an artist hitting a low and coming back out on top, you should picture now Aquakultre. Very luckily for fans, the Halifax artist is completely transparent about his life, including on his new single “Pay It Forward”, which makes him all the more relatable and inspiring.
Your new single, “Pay It Forward”, teaches a lesson that more & more of the world needs right now! Is there anything in particular that you’ve done to pay it forward?
Ever since watching the movie Pay It Forward, this movement has always been a part of my day to day life. Paying It Forward can be as simple as sharing local artists’ music. Asking people if they need a hand with something. Giving the clothes off your back for people who look like they need it. Cleaning the house unasked. I’m a person who literally feels when I’m needed, so I’m always lending a physical and mental hand every day.
With singles going back to 2017, how would you say you’ve grown the most in your songwriting & performing?
With these singles, in particular, I feel that these are more mature, and quality-wise sound a lot better. It’s also the first time we’ve recorded as a band so that energy is unmatched and also felt on these tracks. And the topics addressed on tracks like “I Doubt It” and “Pay It Forward” are all around broader and can be felt on a worldwide level.
To go from a life of controversy (and crime in some cases) to become a winner of the 2018 CBC Searchlight competition and perform at some of the East Coast’s most exciting festivals is quite the turnaround! Who are the people in your life that helped you make the big life changes?
Oh wow, I first gotta say the birth of my niece and nephew, my sister, my partner Julia Hutt, and my daughter Georgina. Nathan Doucet, Jeremy Costello, Nick Dourado, Shaya Ishaq, Cheryl Hann, Jess Ross, the arts community of Halifax. And most importantly my family, and my friends who accepted that the streets weren’t for me, Geno and Raheem.
What is your favourite part of performing live?
The energy from the crowd, the participation, and the vulnerability. I always wanna make our performances memorable and talked about amongst the cities and towns we play in. So we try to set design it in a serious way. And that synergy. The chemistry we have as a band is what I love about performing live. Even when I perform with Darren and Shaun (Aquasocks & Uncle Fester) we always rock out and feed off each other’s energy. When I get on stage it’s that moment for me to release all of life’s stresses and tension. That’s why I love it.
Plans for the next six months?
I want to be interviewed by Nardwuar. That’s the only goal, hahaha.