Jidé Kuti
I first interviewed Jidé Kuti for his debut single “Rooftop” released in 2021. I’m excited to share this new interview and this new single.
Titled “Faltering / Neverland” is the perfect tune to end the summer. It’s warm, dreamy and calming. Jidé Kuti is a storysteller and listening to his new song feels like watching a movie.
I cannot wait for him to drop his debut EP, coming very soon :)
“Faltering / Neverland” is out now.
Hi Jidé, how are you? What have you been up to since our last interview?
I’m good, thank you! It has been some time hasn’t it? I’ve spent a lot of time writing lots of new music and really discovering my sound and planning my next steps in my career. I’ve also been reading some psychology/mental health related books to ease my racing mind haha.
"Faltering // Neverland" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
It’s a super special song to me. This is a song I started writing back in 2014. I really liked this girl and we both liked "the fault in our stars” at the time. I wanted to dedicate a song to her and it never felt quite right. So for years and years, I had tinkered at it and tried to find a way to make it work. Initially it was just called “Faltering” but I wrote the Neverland verse after watching Peter Pan for the 34934839th time and they really fit together. So there’s a lot of inspiration from the fault in our stars and Peter Pan for the bulk of the song. There’s also references in the song to Taylor Swift (my songwriting hero) and Barbie Mariposa. It’s a really lovely love song that was made for someone many years ago but is now just about the prospect of love as a whole - which I love.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it? When did you start working on it?
So as I previously stated it was essentially an on and off 8 year process. I wrote “Faltering” and it never quite fit for me. I hated the song initially (lyrically) but loved the picking pattern I had for it on guitar. Several years later, I went to a songwriting workshop and wrote “I was the never, in Neverland. She’s the forever in all my plans”. Everyone said “man that has got to be a song one day”. So it became the bridge of Faltering // Neverland and is clearly the “Neverland” portion of the song. In terms of production, we wanted to capture the acoustic nature of it but also add something special. We wanted to go for this dreamy kind of orchestral thing with the strings of the song. Charlotte Marshall, absolute legend, did all the strings for the song and it was produced by Maverick Quest and RJ Belo who I spent many a day in the studio with refining this over the last year. The final touches was the master by "Clinton mixed this”.
What made you want to release "Faltering // Neverland" as a single?
I felt it was the perfect song to round of my somewhat unintentional trilogy I have. You’re Not Special and Rooftop my first two singles, represent my beginnings in songwriting and releasing original music. I think with Faltering // Neverland they almost form a 3 - my trifecta. The opening to me as an artist before next year when I release a whole bunch of music and really take off.
What did you feel when recording this song?
It was such a cool song to record. I felt like I discover more about the song the more that I sing it. There’s a moment I wish I recorded where I realised how clever the line “show me your heart, tell me your dreams, when you’re falling apart, I’ll repair the seams… be the Taylor/Tailor to your wildest dreams”. There’s so many emotions that you almost unravel the more it goes on.
What's the story behind the artwork?
I spoke to the legend @dankapitan on instagram who I’ve admired for a long time. We discussed how the song was a “love story based in fantasy”. A “happy ever after” if you will. We wanted the artwork to reflect that, using Neverland as a theme and the idea of an open book to signify the start of the next great love story.
What message do you want to deliver through this song?
Just the idea that love is out there. Don’t give up on it, find it and that there’s so much beauty and magic in love (he says whilst being single for the last 5 years).
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?
Not too much actually… I don’t want to give everything away, laughs. I can say exclusively 3 things:
1. It will have 6 songs (brand new and never released before).
2. It’s going to be my most vulnerable project and most musically satisfying work yet featuring a mix of themes including: love, passion, mental health and video games.
3. It will be coming out next year 100%. The first single for this EP will be at the start of next year also.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
Hardest part: battling my own imposter syndrome. I never feel good enough - my content never feels good enough and my music hardly ever feels good enough.
The Best Part: performing, especially with people singing your own lyrics back at you. Making that amount of impact is insane.
What are your thoughts on today's social media?
It’s a whirlwind, laughs. I’ve been able to see some super creative content in our day and age and I like how many people can (in theory) develop a brand, living and career from it. I do hate how saturated it feels sometimes or how it feels like you have to do the same things to succeed. Good and bad I guess.
What biggest lessons have you learnt since the release of your first single?
1. Have your next release/releases ready before you release the first one. Trust me!
2. Believe in and promote what you put out. You can never predict what song people are gonna like most.
3. Music videos are not redundant but the way we must utilise them has definitely changed.
4. The waterfall technique for releases.
As an artist, what do you want to accomplish?
I do want to be able to do this full-time one day. I’m really contemplating leaving my job one day and taking that plunge. I’ve set mini goals for myself to learn to play guitar a bit better, finish up my EP and get back into regular gigging before the end of the year. I also really want to play a ’sofar sounds’ which was my New Years goal so still trying to make that happen. Long term, I want to work towards my first mini UK Tour. That would be insaneeee.
Connect with Jidé: