Name: Randall Tagwireyi
Nationality: Zimbabwean
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current Release: Randall Tagwireyi's Zvizhinji EP is out now.

If you enjoyed this Randall Tagwireyi interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, tiktok, and Facebook. 



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

I mostly get inspiration from personal experiences. It really took time for me to pursue music professionally.

My song called ‘Nguva' which means “Time” in English talks about the importance of what we do with our time.Taking that time, the experience is personal to me and I thought to express it as a song.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

My song ‘Mberi’ (Forward) was a set plan. The song arrangement is intentional in it being unexpected and more experimental. The way it starts and flows from the intro to the end.

Sometimes I just decide to build ideas like this and different structures for the way a song ends.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

Mainly I use my guitar to work on certain ideas. But I think I’m more inspired by sound effects on my Zoom G1XFOUR multi effects processor.

I like to play around with the sounds to find the right tones for my song concepts.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

No I don’t have rituals.

It’s a natural process for me, I just go with the flow.

What do you start with? And, to quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

I would say I discover the idea. I sometimes starts with a hum, then I will put some words to it. It might be a verse and chorus.

For example in my song called ‘Pedo’, that started with a hum which I later decided to be the chorus.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

For me it usually starts with a word, then the lyrics flow from that, the words just come. That word could be from a conversation with a friend or something from memory or a feeling.

So whatever comes I just write it down and if it works I will keep working on the song.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I think it’s all about honesty, to just express what I’m feeling through the music.

Always being honest can be a bit of a challenge!

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I think my music is emotional. So I prefer to let the music lead.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Yes, sometimes. This approach seems effortless and I like the experimental edge.

Expanding on these ideas isn’t always easy but its something that has help how I structure my songs. I like how it allows me to take time to hone in on the message of my songs.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

Feeling.

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

When I’m recording my vocals I like to make sure that I have the lyrics memorized. I feel it helps with my tone and emotion for the lyrics.

I also do this so there is no room for mistakes and time delay.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

I like the process of revisiting a concept after some time.

I can work on a song for a couple of months leaving gaps in between where I don't listen to it. Just so that my mind has a fresh take when I do pick that song up again.

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

I have a good relationship with my sound engineer Jason. We even went to the same music school.

I think we connected because we have a similar taste in music. So working with him was so easy, he understood the feel and tone that I wanted to bring out with my music.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?

I think production has a lot to do with tone. I particularly want my vocals and guitar to sound a certain way, and the way I arrange my songs allows those tones to flow in the composition.

Essentially a song is about different tones coming together to create one unique sound.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I like to keep it moving and not dwell too much on my finished work.

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

I’m not necessarily making a sound that is popular in Zimbabwe, so I think it could be misunderstood.

But I think that's good, because this tends to open up the door for new conversations.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I think music is like a conversation, and we as human beings need to communicate.

The mundane does balance life out, but we need to express who we are to each other and music does a good job of that.