Ex Habit
I discovered Ex Habit through OMIDO and he’s probably one of my favorite discoveries. Ex Habit has a true vision and a true identity as an artist. People like him don’t get unnoticed because they offer unique art that will make them stand out from everyone else. Ex Habit is consistent and smart with everything he does. Everything makes sense and everything is connected. He tells stories through his records and his visuals - and that’s very inspiring to see.
His latest single “Too Late To Love You” has some of the craziest production. It’s big, emotional, dark and edgy. What I love about Ex Habit is that he will always deliver a deep honesty into his vocals and melodies, and I believe this is one of the most important things to have as an artist.
I’m sure big things are coming his way and I can’t wait to witness it all.
“Too Late To Love You” is out now !
Photo credit: Ratibor Shtat
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I go by the name of Ex Habit for those of you not familiar with me and I create mood-altering songs. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to build something grand in my lifetime, something that will be remembered long after my departure, and that something ended up being music. I want to make my life a big story and every action a performance, to encapsulate human experience on tape through the medium of music. Stay with me on this path and I promise you it will be a wild ride.
What did you grow up listening to?
All kinds of music, I can't pinpoint one genre I was drawn to the most. When I was young, I listened to mostly pop radio songs since I'd always hear them in a car, and then as I got older I got into Rap, R&B, House, and Alternative music. I believe my music combines elements of different genres I love into something unique.
When did you know you could sing?
Oof, I still don't think I'm a great singer technically. I just know I can express the emotions I want to express using my voice but I will become significantly better technically in the next few years as I've only recently started formally training. My singing works for my current style and I discovered that about two years ago.
At what point did you realize that music was more than just a hobby?
The moment I recorded my first "good" song (doesn't seem good right now but I thought it was great back when I made it haha). A lot of you can probably relate.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
Myself. You have to be your own biggest supporter.
"Too Late To Love You" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
I wrote the song during a sad and difficult time of my life when I was stuck in a relationship with someone I loved fiercely yet felt like it was falling apart. I felt this overwhelming sense of dread and darkness looming over and this relationship was the last thing keeping me from breaking. The relationship was also the reason for this darkness as it often is the case. The song is basically a plea to play pretend for just one night that everything is okay when we both knew it wasn't.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
The original instrumental was created with my team consisting of Alexey Samoylov and Nikita Nuke. We were vibing in the studio and ended up creating the beat and laying down the melodies for the vocals. We fully finished the song the following week and forgot about it for a month until I sent it over to my boy Omido and he gave me some advice on how to take it to the next level. I then linked up with Truu who I believe really elevated the track with his addition of thick bass to the chorus and new instruments to the verses. Really grateful to these two guys for their input and to my team for laying down the fundamentals and mixing/mastering.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
It has to be the dark sexy vibe that is present in all my music.
What made you want to release "Too Late To Love You" as a single?
I felt like this song made sense as the next puzzle piece in the project I’m currently working on. Stay tuned.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
I will leave this one a secret but all my artworks are connected.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
Hardest - balancing out life and priorities. Nowadays, artists have to be full-time musicians, full-time bloggers, and full-time marketers all at the same time and that’s incredibly overwhelming even without other aspects of life like relationships and school. The best part is that feeling you get after writing a great song. Nothing quite beats it, you’re on top of the world when you know you just created a potent drug that will make people feel some type of way.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
It’s stressful, demanding, and fast food. If you want someone to help you, you better have data to back up your worth. I would love for people’s attention spans to be longer to appreciate longer pieces of work certain artists are creating. On the other hand, the playing field is more level than ever and I’m all for it.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More people understanding that life is temporary. Also, more people consciously choosing not to be sad.
What biggest life lesson have you learned so far?
That people are too hung up obsessing over what others think of them to obsess over what they think of you :)
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