Kuizz
First of all, this is definitely one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done so far. I am beyond inspired by this guy. Kuizz Shah is a singer/songwriter/producer/engineer (yes, all of that) from Malaysia. I’ve known this artist for a while now, and I still remember that moment when i first heard one of his demos; I was completely blown away by his talents. He sings, writes, produces, mixes in the best possible ways; which is RARE. I have talked about him a hundred times, and words aren’t even enough to express how much I respect and admire and love what this artist is capable of. Kuizz has worked with many artists such as Kristinia Debarge, Latif, Mia Martina, Danny Fernandes…etc; but he’s also working on his original music, which you can listen to on his youtube channel and soundcloud. But for now, i’ll let you read this interview.
Introduce yourself. Where do you come from, how and when did you start making music/?
I go by the name Kuizz Shah and i’m what you call an Omni Musician. Yes, I made that up. But in all seriousness I produce, write songs, sing and engineer music that’s either mine or for other artists. I’m from a land far far away called Malaysia and was born and raised here. A lot of people say music has been in their lives ever since they can remember but for me it was a little different. I never really thought of doing anything musically until I turned 13, when i got my first guitar. Thinking back, i just wanted to know the chords to Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” which turned out to be not so complicated after all. After I was able to string some chords together I started writing to random progressions and played them to my mum who complimented every song I wrote…with the same compliments..probably because I wasn’t very good and wouldn’t let me know how bad I really was. Anyway, that led me to purchasing my very first music programming software with my allowance which changed my life. And the rest they say is history. I’m only saying that because I can’t remember much after that.
You are a singer, a songwriter, a Producer and an engineer. How did you manage to master all these skills on your own?
A lot of trial and error. I started producing my own music because I knew no one who would do it for me, so I thought why not do it myself. My fascination for music quickly extended beyond just singing and songwriting. I wanted to know more and do more. Tweaking sounds and layering instruments and vocals together was the definition of fun for me, and still is till this day.
What’s your favorite thing about music?
Freedom of expression. People don’t realise that being given the ability to express yourself musically is a gift beyond any other. No one can take that away from you. You can meet someone from halfway around the world and live totally different lives but be deeply connected through music. It’s the only language that transcends gender, race, culture and any sort of wall built to divide people.
What/who inspires you to write songs?
More than anyone or anything, movies get my creative juices flowing. It can be a chick flick or a straight up action movie. When I finish watching one, i’ll try to put myself into the characters shoes and just write from their point of view. It’s a weird way to think of songwriting but that’s just what works for me.
Kuizz Shah - ‘Miles To Find Your Love’ (Man Of Steel)’
What are the biggest struggles you’ve been through in the industry/ What are the lessons you have learned so far?
Time and patience. It’s all about time. Placements are harder to get than imagined because there’s only about 10-13 songs on an artists album and every songwriter or producer in the world wants a piece of the pie, so the competition is high. Some artists tend to stick with the same people who worked on their previous albums so it’s harder to be a part of that circle. But every good song has a home so whether it takes 6 months or 5 years, it will find it’s place.
What type of music do you listen to? Which artists do you listen to right now? Why?
I’m not very picky on genre. If it’s a good song it will catch my ear. There’s so much music thats available to the masses, so i find it hard to stick to one specific album or artist.
Listen to Kuizz’ new single ‘When You Love’
What do you think of today’s music? How do you think music is going to evolve in the future? What are your hopes?
Well, I hope everyone is compensated for their work equally. We are in the entertainment business but at the end of the day it’s still a business and the people who are crafting the music you hear need to put food on the table and pay the bills just like everyone else. People don’t realise that a single goes on sale for 99 cents but it takes a lot of expensive equipment and countless hours to make one song go from bedroom idea to Billboard charts.
What new projects are you working on right now? What can we expect to hear from you this year?
Just more releases from myself and other artists i’ve been working with. Also, for the first time ever i’m working with a local girl band so that’s got me excited cause i’m always working on music for artists outside of my own country.
What is your life purpose?
To find purpose to my life.
Connect with Kuizz:
https://soundcloud.com/kuizz-shah
http://www.twitter.com/kuizzshah
https://www.instagram.com/whoiskuizz/