Geovarn Talks Latest Single “Still Mean”, Forthcoming Project & More!

Geovarn, the 25 year-old paving his own lane within UK R&B and Soul, first emerged onto the scene in 2014. The Tottenham native soon started to garner attention from many big names and ultimately built a strong core fan base. Known for his nostalgic style that draws from the 90’s and early 2000’s R&B era, his sound and butter-like vocals are a breath of fresh air for the UK scene.

Amassing over 10 million streams worldwide, the hunger for Geovarn to deliver is always high! Dropping freestyles on Instagram to releasing his most recent single “Still Mean”, we caught up with Geovarn and asked him the following questions…

How did you originally find your love for singing? I read that you had originally started out on Grime, so how did this transition come about out?

I grew up listening to just as many singers as rappers, it’s more or less my love for the art and the music and wanting to push myself to make the best music. I started out doing little melodic hooks, but I kept on developing and pushing myself!

What R&B artists did you gravitate towards when you grew up? Which ones inspired you the most and why?

The 90’s RnB and early 2000’s, from Donell Jones, Michael Jackson, R Kelly, Sisqo and Usher –

So all the classics then!

Yeah, so I really grew up listening to them! And of course, Lauryn Hill and Destiny Child. On the Rap side it was a lot of Jay Z, Jadakiss, 50 Cent and Eminem – my favourite rapper! So I just found a way to merge my two loves of music into my own form of art.

You came onto the scene back in 2014 and naturally your sound has developed and in doing that you have since grown a core fan base. However, I noticed that under your videos and posts people like to refer to you as underrated, do you find this frustrating or would you agree with that statement?

I know what it is, I wouldn’t say I’m underrated but I just haven’t got the exposure. I know what they are trying to say but obviously it’s not really the right time! I just have not had the exposure!

You released your project ‘MEAN’ last year, and you’ve recently dropped off the visuals for “Yes” and “Good Thing” – you definitely don’t conform to the type of visuals we would expect in the UK scene, how much input creatively do you have in your work?

To be honest, a lot! When I make songs, I visualise the videos, so I already have a vision! I direct my director on what I want in the video and how I want it to look and they just fulfil my vision!

Did this project challenge you in anyway at all?

Nah you know! It’s a project I wanted to make, there is only one producer on that project called Analog; he produced the whole thing and we spoke about doing that in 2016 when he came to the studio! It was something I was excited for and looking forward to doing and I felt like around that time in 2018 and early 2019 was the best time to get it out! It was exciting to make!

Yeah, it is a long project as well! That’s something else I have noticed; your projects are always quite lengthy!

Yeah! Going back to the music I listen to, I’m usually big on quite big projects. I like a project that can last for a long journey, if I’m driving for like an hour, I need a long project!

So, would you say you’re an artist that puts quality before quantity?

Word! 100%! Quality before quantity but I like to have a lot to listen to!

I was looking through your Instagram that you do a lot of freestyle’s over well-known instrumentals and of course add your own spin to them – Tell me a bit more about these? We need them on DSP’s – they are sick!

I will one day! #Meanstyles is obviously a freestyle but where I’m pushing ‘MEAN’, I just called them #Meanstyles and to be honest we used to do that back in the day. A couple of my friends, we used to do freestyles and call them #Meanstyles so I just started calling them that! I just do it for the sport, having fun with the music and people really liked it so I kept doing them. I’m going to eventually turn them into songs, maybe for the next project!

Let’s talk about your brand-new single “Still Mean”! It has a very old-school vibe, I heard that it had originally started out as a freestyle on your Instagram. Tell us a bit more about how this came about?

Yeah it did! It had done so well; I had a project ready for lock-down and we had done that freestyle and it had done so well so we had a change of plan! Everyone was asking for that song on platforms so we thought we would try something different and push it as the lead single and see what happens!

Looking back through your catalogue, one thing I noticed was that you don’t do many features! Is there a reason for this? Is there someone you’ve always had your eye on to collaborate with?

Nah! I have done features but a lot of the time the songs don’t come out! I have worked with a lot of artists, but they just don’t come out.

Do you think you will have more features on your forthcoming project?

Yeah! I mean it depends; it just has to be the one that makes sense! I have worked with a lot of artists just on the basis of a relationships or going to the same studio or things like that but it’s one of those ones where we sit and make songs all day but for the next project all the features have to make sense for the project.

Previously you have stated that you’d like to be remembered for your song-writing, lyrically what tends you inspire you? Have you written for artists previously that we might not necessarily know about?

I have co-written one or two songs but no one really big! There is a girl group called New Vibe and I have done a song with them! Recently I have written for anyone, but it is something I want to get into more, I have just been in my own space and focusing on music!

What’s your creative process like? Do you prefer to work in certain environments or?

Yeah 100%! I work better when I am alone in the studio, and then after when I build a vibe I will take it into a session with a producer and artists but I feel like I catch a better vibe on my own; there is no pressure! There is no one waiting for you to do your verse and when the engineer is there you aren’t running on your time – it’s just more free!  

What more can we expect to hear from you this 2020? Can we expect this project or?

Hopefully! I have a project ready but it’s quite a big project; it’s like 21 tracks long or something! But, I have been thinking to scrap the whole thing and start over because as I am getting more into the music I realized you have to make music that is feels like now!

Yeah, keeping it current!

Yeah! I wouldn’t say that the project isn’t current but the stuff that I am talking about and where my mind is and where the world is as a whole has changed in the last 6 months to a year! Now, I’m in a different place and I want to start fresh but hopefully this year! I am definitely going to have a new single out by the end of summer!

Keep up to date with all things Geovarn via his Instagram here!