We had a chat with Eon Awa to discuss all things music-related and a possible obsession with Mariah Carey
Speaking on their creative output is Pop singer-songwriter Eon Awa, who discusses all the necessities for being a creatively gifted individual.
Hailing from Zofingen, Switzerland, the Swiss international has taken a unique approach to the pop genre through infectious melodies and eye-opening visual elements to accompany his music.
Influenced by pop greats Mariah Carey, Raye and Candy Dulfer, Eon Awa is a multifaceted creative mind with a main focus on pop power ballads and funky beats.
Aside from the music side he also shares a unique interest in film, which is seen in his Music Vid/Short-film hybrid ‘Take My Crown’.
A four-song EP and visual storytelling epic about a young king escaping conformity.
Check out our chat with Eon Awa about all things creative.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
EON AWA: I’m probably going to go to the GYM in the morning because it helps me kick-start my day feeling great. Admittedly, sometimes it’s more of a way of procrastinating with the benefit of having a great conscious after.
Then I’ll do some administrative work – if I don’t get caught up in one of my songs and stop everything to continue writing on it.
In the afternoon, I plan to continue working on a small documentary film job that I need to finish editing. And if I can find the time, I will practice on the keytar (a piano-guitar-mix digital instrument) for my upcoming shows.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you live, what do you love about it?
EON AWA: I live in a small city called Zofingen in Switzerland, together with my mom, my dad, my younger sister and my younger brother.
I really enjoy living with my family and I try to soak it up as much as I can because I know that I will never have that again after I move out one day.
Zofingen is a beautiful old city, and it has great public transport connections. I study in Zurich which is only 45 minutes from station to station. To Bern, Lucerne and Basel it’s only 30 minutes.
One of the reasons why I can’t drive. I don’t need to here.
HAPPY: Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound
EON AWA: Next to my parents who always sang to us and with us, my biggest musical influence definitely is Mariah Carey.
When I first heard her voice when I was around 12 years old, I was blown away by her tone, her runs and melismas and of course her unmatched whistle notes.
I learned so much from imitating her and singing her incredibly difficult songs. Other big vocal influences for me are Tori Kelly, Jessie J and Jennifer Hudson. And when it comes to my writing style. I think Disney did a big number on me haha.
HAPPY: Top ten favourite albums of all time?
EON AWA: Yeah… this is going to be very Mariah-heavy haha.
Mariah Carey – MTV Unplugged EP
Yebba – Dawn
3Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas
Raye – My 21st Century Blues
Disney – The Jungle Book (Soundtrack)
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Adele – 21
Mariah Carey – Butterfly
Mariah Carey – Caution
Tory Kelly – Inspired by True Events
HAPPY: What’s the story behind your creative process, and how do you approach songwriting and production?
EON AWA: This really depends on the track. Sometimes I start with a chord structure, sometimes with a melody, sometimes but rather rarely I start with the lyrics and sometimes I get a verse, or a hook set over from Ben, my friend and music partner.
What I always do is that I dump my song drafts into my music production program Logic Pro as soon as I can. This way I got all my ideas in the same place.
Then I continue writing while at the same time recording and producing the song.
HAPPY: What inspired the theme of self-empowerment and confidence in your new single ‘Scared of Me’?
EON AWA: I think I needed to write this song mostly for myself. Trying to make it as an artist without any foot in the inner circle of this industry is hard. It can be extremely frustrating to work and work and work so hard and then get almost nothing back.
And of course, as a small artist, you get rejected a lot. Sometimes it felt like people were almost scared to book me or give me a chance because I’m a little different and maybe more ambitious with my art than others.
It started to eat on my enthusiasm for my projects and I started to doubt myself and my dream. But self-doubt is the last thing I need right now.
I’m doing this because I love it and because my dream is to spend my life doing what I love to do and what I’m best at.
That’s why I needed to write myself a confident and kind of sassy self-empowering anthem.
HAPPY: How does your work as a creative director and filmmaker influence your music, and vice versa
EON AWA: I’ve always been a creative kid, and I used to draw, paint and craft a lot when I was younger.
When I got my first phone, when I was around 13 years old, I started to make small video skits for fun.
And of course, I’ve always been singing and making music. I started to study film because to me it looked like the broadest art bachelor there was.
I’m interested in almost every kind of art form and I’m familiar with and pretty good at many of them myself and I think that’s what makes me a good creative producer.
And I think that also makes me stand out as an artist. It’s hard to say how one affects the other. It’s all one thing for me.
Art is art and if I’m fluent in an art form language I can make my ideas become reality with it.
Doesn’t really matter what art form it is. I like them combined the best anyway.
HAPPY: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your musical journey so far?
EON AWA: As artists, we constantly are around art, and we tend to forget that our audience is not. It’s easy to throw people into cold water.
What I learned is, that I need to invite the audience into my world and guide them through it.
If I give them the chance to understand what I want to convey with my art, they will be able to follow no matter how unfamiliar the territory may be.
HAPPY: What’s next for you, musically and creatively, and can we expect more music or visual projects in the near future
EON AWA: On September 6th the music video to ‘Scared of Me’ will be released on YouTube.
And I’ve got quite a bunch of shows this autumn and I’m very excited to finally perform live again.
All of them are based in Switzerland. But I really hope to be able to expand someday soon.
And you don’t even know how many songs I’ve got stored and almost ready for release.
I’m also working on a film, separately from all my music projects. So many ideas but only so much time.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you Happy?
EON AWA: It depends. Sometimes a simple cup of good coffee can do it for me.
But of course, it makes me happy to see my visions come to life.
It makes me happy to sing my heart out, feel the energy of an invested audience and see their reactions.
This interview made me happy because it felt like a trip down memory lane while also reminiscing about the future.
Thank you, Happy Mag, for having me, it was a great pleasure!
