INTERVIEW: Drosz drops “Williamsburg”

Drosz, the singer, songwriter and producer hailing from the Bronx, is bringing his own unique style to the industry. His versatile style, combined with his love of crafting an original sound, has led to the creation of addictive hooks and rhythms that are bound to make waves.

His latest single, “Williamsburg,” is a collaboration with his cousin, RIC808. The song was inspired by the pair’s experience at lounges and rooftop parties across Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s a feel-good track dripping in good vibes that’s sure to make you want to dance and enjoy the moment.

Recorded in their home studio in New Jersey, Drosz wrote the lyrics while RIC808 produced the track which was influenced by the many events Drosz attended with RIC808 as he DJ’d late nights in the city of New York, mostly in Williamsburg Brooklyn. The chill and laid back energy of certain lounges they attended sparked the idea for the track and the pair have perfectly captured the essence of those moments in the song.

The track itself is a chill dance track that’s full of delicate piano tones floating delicately above a grooving beat. The processed vocal leads add a vibrant quality to the track that perfectly complements the vibe that Drosz and RIC808 were going for. Drosz effortlessly blends his singing style with the mellow beat, creating a track that’s easy to get lost in. The song’s hook is infectious, and it’s hard not to find yourself humming along to it after just one listen.

Drosz’s ability to blend different sounds and genres into his music is what sets him apart from other artists. With his unique style and infectious writing, he’s sure to make waves in the New York music scene and beyond. “Williamsburg” is just the beginning, and I, for one, am excited to see what Drosz has in store for us in the future.

We caught up with Drosz to find out more about his musical journey so far, his new single “Williamsburg” and what he’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Drosz below.

Hey Drosz, how’s things?

Hey what’s going on guys, I’m doing great. Just taking things day by day, learning and growing.

What was your biggest highlight in 2022 as an artist?

Actually, 2022 was a rough year. I was creating music but was also dealing with family issues that was just too much for me to ignore so I had to prioritise certain things that slowed the process a little bit but I was slowly grinding out ideas and creating as much as I could.

How did you first get into making your own music?

I got introduced to making my own music through working with my uncle Eric Isles and my cousin Eric Isles II a.k.a. RIC808. Music runs in our family so it was natural for me to get pulled towards music. My uncle used to work at Def Jam with Russell Simmons and My cousin RIC808 DJ’d in NYC so being around them was definitely what drew me to making beats and creating my own music

Which artist first made a lasting impression on you?

I’m not even going to lie, an artist that made a huge lasting impression on me is Anderson .Paak. I love his music man and how he approaches each track. I know he can play multiple instruments but his vocals are amazing, I love his music. Malibu is one of his albums I keep on repeat, front to back.

What do you love about the New York music scene?

I think the music scene in NY is vibrant and diverse, you can get it all here and I love that. Any genre your interested in, you’ll be able to find a concert or a festival and hear your favourite artists or be introduced to a new artist you’ve never heard before. I think the music scene in NY is in a very good place.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from today?

I’m all over the place when it comes to drawing inspiration from other music artists. I listen to different genres of music frequently and you’ll hear that in my music as well. From Pharrell to Daft Punk, Anderson .Paak as I mentioned to Listening to Zedd and getting in some EDM vibes. I draw inspiration from a lot of different artists. I think it’s a good thing.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Just opening up my DAW and playing around with sounds with no specific idea or plan to make a specific type of song is how I definitely get inspired when I’m making music, in fact, that’s how Williamsburg came to be. We were throwing some sounds around and the bass is what gave us that lounge, rooftop feel and we just continued from there to build out the track. Very fun to not go in with an idea and just create off feel.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

My sound switches up, the current songs I have out all sound different so it depends on the moment your in and what your feeling. Williamsburg for example is definitely that lounge, rooftop vibe where your either chilling with your friends having drinks or you guys are dancing having a good time or even if it’s just you and that special someone. It just depends on the moment with my music.

How has your sound evolved since you started out?

As you’ll hear in upcoming songs, I think I’ve found my vocal lane, if that makes sense. I have laid back vocals. I can hit a few riffs but i’m in the pocket when my vocals are in that laid back lane. Before I used to try and belt out notes and try to sound like other artists I was listening to but it wasn’t me. It took a little while for me to figure that part out but once I did it just made recording come together perfectly.

How did you find making your new single “Williamsburg”?

Making Williamsburg was fun man, RIC808 and myself like I stated earlier was just in the lab cookin’ like we always did and the song came together in like 5, 10 minutes tops. As soon as we played it back I had the hook and we laid down the vocals and kept it like how you hear it now. The song was just a dope vibe from the start and we wanted people, when they heard it, to feel like they were at that summer Brooklyn rooftop party or chilled out lounge and I think we nailed that feel.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

We just wanted people to feel good and vibe out with Williamsburg. Enjoy the moment, enjoy life and have a good time. There’s soo much craziness going on in the world and we just wanted to give a little positivity and good vibes to the world.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

I haven’t been listening to specific artists, I’ve been listening to a few different artists over the last few months. One group I have started listening to is Cosmic Midnight, especially the What Comes Next album. I’m a smooth, low key vibe type of person so their music resonated with me.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

Well, I only have 4 songs in my catalog at the moment but I would initially want people to say “Ok, Drosz can be on any type of track based off what I’m hearing” and that’s what i’m going for to be honest. I want to show that I can be on any type of track, depending on the message and flow of that specific song.

What’s been your favourite live show so far?

Unfortunately I haven’t done a show for my music yet. I’m praying as I become more consistent with my releases going forward that those doors will open up for me.But I definitely know I have to do my part and be more consistent. I feel if I do that, my time will come.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

3 artists that would headline my dream festival would be Kaytranada, Anderson .Paak and Mark Ronson. The location would have to be Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York City which is where the Governors ball takes place. That would be a dope festival!

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

I’m new myself but I would tell anyone, whether being a music artist or working in any industry, is to learn and grow. You never stop learning and evolving, unless you limit yourself. Another thing to do is go hard at your talent. Push and keep pushing. If your really passionate about your talents, don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your dream. You’re going to go through ups and downs, thats just life in general, but if you believe in yourself and your talent, keep pushing yourself and learning along the way. The doors will open for you, maybe not when you want it but in God’s divine time. The good and the bad mold you into the person you’re going to be. You need both to in order to grow.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2023?

I’m definitely dropping new music in the coming months but the promo and marketing side of the business is where my time is going to be spent most. From that, I’m praying to get opportunities to do live shows and continue spreading the music as much as I can.

Thank you Plastic Magazine for this opportunity, Appreciate you guys!

Listen to Williamsburg below