Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
My name is William Davis, and I go by Malbis. I am a dj/producer from Fairhope, AL. I am a Mechanical Engineering student at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. I first really started loving music after my first music festival, Hangout Music Fest 2014, when I finished my junior year of high school. My first show ever was HeRobust, and it changed my life. Fast forward two years, and I am in my spring semester of my freshman year of college (2016). I had just seen HeRobust for my 3rd time and I knew what I wanted. I wanted to influence people's lives, have fun, and inspire people to do what they love with music, just as HeRobust did for me. I have no musical background besides playing the piano for less than 6 months, but I knew if I put my mind to it, I could do it. Music, and honestly art, is my true passion, even though it took me a long time to find out. I started producing first because I knew what I really wanted was to be an artist, not a dj. I don't think you have to be defined by one genre, so I really just make whatever I want. I want to make unique, creative music, play at festivals and inspire people, like the artists that have influenced me. I then picked up djing in December of 2016. I bought a Gemini G4V dj controller, and then January of 2017 I played my first show. Ever since, I have been playing shows in Birmingham, Auburn, and Jacksonville, Al, and Tallahassee, FL. I am constantly going to concerts and festivals because I truly cannot get enough of the music and culture. I love going to Atlanta, GA more than anything. Opera Nightclub is the place to be! The music scene there is incredible, and there are always great artists playing everywhere in Atlanta or anywhere near it. The next goal of mine is to play in Atlanta because I feel like they will feel my music a lot more than at the shows I have played in Alabama. I eat, sleep, and breathe music because I really just want to learn as much as I can to really reach my potential.
How would you describe your influences and how have they changed over the years? Do you feel that changing tastes over years as artistic growth? ?
My first influences were HeRobust, of course, Getter, NGHTMRE, Flume, RL Grime, Childish Gambino, Logic, Big Sean, and Kanye. It was lots of creative, artistic music. From hard stuff to beautiful music to lyricists, I feel like my influences have unique sounds and are really inspiring to me. I still love all of them so much, but I have gotten into a lot more trap and weird stuff lately. G Jones, Quix, Mr. Carmack, TroyBoi, Alon Mor, Rezz, Boombox Cartel. Also Kendrick, ASAP Mob, Suicide Boys, Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator. There's plenty more, but that will do for now. I really love the stuff that just makes you think "how did they think of that?" And you can never go wrong with some hard stuff that just bangs in a club. My taste changes between hard and lighter electronic music, rap, funk, and even classical depending on my mood, what I am doing, and if I want to listen to new or the same kinds of music. I will search for specific genres on Spotify and search through a playlist, and check out related artists too. Soundcloud is great because you can look at who your favorite artists follow, like, and repost and then go off of that too. I love finding uncommon, weird stuff in the depths on Soundcloud. It's kind of like roots of a tree. You start with an artist you love at the base, and go down and splitting off of new artists and songs until you find stuff you really love.
What´s new right now?
I did a song a week project over the summer of 2017 to improve my production, and it really helped. I made 11 songs in 11 weeks, and they were also my first 11 songs I have ever made. I'm really working on finding my sound right now, which could still take a very long time, but I am having fun doing it and that's what matters. I post my songs on Soundcloud and will be coming out with more soon for sure. I'm making my first real trap song right now. I am also in the middle of a Brewery Tour in Birmingham, AL, where myself and a few other djs will play at breweries around Birmingham (which you can check out on Facebook, I will post a link). And my biggest event yet will be October 26, 2017 in Auburn, AL. I will be opening and djing for Jonathon Eley, an amazingly talented rapper, for his After the Internet Tour for his first album, After the Internet. I highly recommend listening to it, it blew me away when he played it for me in his living room after just meeting him. The links for all of it will be available here. There will be a lot more coming over the next few months and years. Follow my account if you don't want to miss it.
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What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
I'm still a newcomer myself, but always remember why you are doing it. Do it for yourself and the love of music, not money or fame.
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How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
Self-promotion. It's really as simple as casually bringing it up and letting people know. No one else will care as much as you to get your name out there. You have to put in the work and show people you're serious. Actions always speak louder than words.
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What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
So much great music always coming out. When you can't make something as good as your favorite artists, it is really defeating. You have to realize that you have to start somewhere, and with enough hard work, deliberate practice, and passion, anything is possible. Just keep going and do not stop. Ever. Learn to love the grind and enjoy where you are at now, things don't happen overnight. And reading/learning as much as you can. I used to hate reading, but now I don't know what I'd do without books.
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How do you promote yourself? Do you have any specific promotion tips for other musicians?
Don't just spam people with "I'm a dj/producer check out my stuff." Support any and all artist you like as much as you can. Follow, repost, like on everything you can because not only is it more likely they will see it and notice it, but it helps out the people you actually want to grow. It's a win-win. Be a kind, genuine person and don't be afraid to just put yourself out there. The worst thing that can happen is someone says no, and then your one step closer to that yes.
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We meet again in one year. What has changed?
I will have an EP out within a year. There will definitely be some collabs coming out.I don't associate with any sort of genre because I feel it is restricting, so I can't even tell you what to expect yet. I will be focusing on learning as much as I can to just make my music better and better. Look out for some weird, creative music ?
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http://www.facebook.com/Malbis-510224142650967/
http://www.facebook.com/Malbis-510224142650967/
Tweets by malbismusic
http://www.jonathoneley.com
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