MUSICIANS TO KNOW: DOECHII
DOECHII
Refusing to fit into anyone’s box, Doechii is an independent artist, musician, creative director, and choreographer from Tampa, Florida. Through introspection, spirituality, and an inquisitive mind around music and culture, Doechii’s sound is an unexpected mix of genres and witty lyricism that will draw you in and have you craving more.
SHEER: Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you're from.
DOECHII: Jaylah is my birth name. I’m the eldest of 2 siblings, I’m a Leo and I’m from Tampa, Florida.
SHEER: When did you decide you wanted to pursue a music career or did it organically happen for you?
DOECHII: Growing up my mother kept me enrolled in all types of sports and activities so I naturally gravitated towards the arts. I was accepted into a historically black performing arts highschool in 2012 and I graduated in 2016 with my highschool diploma in vocal tech/classical choral singing. Because I was classically trained in music, all of my knowledge about the music industry was “outdated”. I had never heard of an independent artist, I didn’t even know that the underground world existed until my senior year. My best friend at the time ‘Taylor’ invited me to her house where she had all of this recording equipment-- she was writing and recording her own music. Being exposed to that really changed my whole life. I would be at her house after school everyday making music and uploading songs onto Soundcloud. I decided I wanted to pursue music independently in 2016 after realizing the “independent artist” existed.
SHEER: Congrats on your latest EP, Oh The Places You’ll Go. What inspired this EP and what was the creative process behind recording this?
DOECHII: Thank you! The aesthetics of OTPYG was inspired by the famous Dr. Seuss. I always admired his imagination and enjoyed being in his world. I felt inspired to create a world for my listeners like Dr. Seuss did for me when I was a kid. Sonically, OTPYG is eclectic and genre bending. I felt led to be as authentic to my experience as possible-- I wanted to be a mirror for people, to show them themselves through my truth. I’m rarely ever sonically correct in life, I can never stick to one thing and that’s why my project is so genre bending and every song is different. The recording process felt like bootcamp lol. I literally treated it like bootcamp. I went home to my moms house to record so that I could feel safe and have family around. I committed to working on it every single day. I created the storyline, I hired a therapist to unpack my trauma with intentions of getting closer to my truth. I would journal and ask my mom questions about my childhood and her childhood… I just did a lot of soul searching and honest writing.
“I felt led to be as authentic to my experience as possible— I wanted to be a mirror for people, to show them themselves through my truth.”
SHEER: Absolutely love the visuals for your single "What's Your Name." How did the concept come about and what was the execution like?
DOECHII: The theme of OTPYG is school, so all of my visuals for the project have remained consistent in the theme of school. “What’s Your Name” just makes you want to dance so I just HAD to have choreography! Even though at times I felt I bit off more than I could chew… I was still gonna EAT lmaoo-- It took a lot of muscle from my team to execute this video. I wanted it to take place at a real university with a real dance team (I can’t disclose what school because it may jeopardize the dancers scholarships). We were told “no” by many schools and many teams but with prayer and the power of persuasion I was able to get the top school on my list (an HBCU). I like to work across from me with friends and family so everyone who was a part of this project is a friend of mine-- I flew them out to Daytona, Florida and we all pulled together on VERY short notice to film the video. Between me learning the choreography the day of and not sleeping for 48 hours my whole team had a blast and learned A LOT.
SHEER: What do you believe uniquely sets your bars and production apart from other female rappers coming up?
DOECHII: Not much. I’m just me. We all do the same things, have similar sounds and even tell similar stories. But I am me and they are them. It’s like your bestfriends mom can tell you a bedtime story but it’ll never hit like your mother’s bedtime stories. I’m uniquely me. I’m not sure what sets me apart besides… my spirit. That’s okay with me :)
“What I envision for the future of my music is a bit chaotic, I want to bend some rules and challenge a few norms the industry has set for artists. Starting with my sound, my album, my visuals and my roll out— it’s gonna get really funky and weird. ”
SHEER: How do you stay grounded and what keeps you motivated as a queer dark skinned black woman in the music industry?
DOECHII: I practice awareness. I try my best to remain present. I make sure to have fun and not take shit too seriously. I release and I forgive. I’m motivated by family and art culture. Vague, but facts.
SHEER: How have you maintained your creative process and commitment to promoting your music in the midst of the pandemic and lockdowns?
DOECHII: I’ve been reading a lot of books this year that have kept me motivated in my craft. My close friends have been a solid foundation for me in my work as well-- Oh, and my fucking therapist. God I love her lol
SHEER: What do you envision for the future of your music?
DOECHII: I’m getting experimental and I’m challenging everything I think I know about the music/music industry. This year I took some time to study pop culture and how it affects our cultures' opinions and behaviors. It led me to question my role in pop culture-- or if I had a role at all. What I envision for the future of my music is a bit chaotic, I want to bend some rules and challenge a few norms the industry has set for artists. Starting with my sound, my album, my visuals and my roll out-- it’s gonna get really funky and weird. In the next five years I intend on collaborating with some of the greats, working with a bigger budget for my team and influencing pop culture worldwide.
SHEER: What advice do you have for women and queer musicians of color looking to create and share their work without losing themselves?
DOECHII: Work across from you not always “above” you. The friends you grew up with, the people who love you and know you best are the people you should be working closely with. If you ever did “lose” yourself, your loved ones will remind you who you are when you can’t. Give back by providing opportunities for black queer artists, curate more spaces for us and include us. Work across from you not always “above” you. Oh, and keep yo head on a mf swivel.
