Chunes!

So far I’ve had the opportunity to interact with really really cool and talented female creatives. It’s been really interesting so far! I had an interview with Ihcego and I must commend her credibility and say she’s a good person to work with. She was also featured on the WETALKSOUND LOFN 4 Album Collection. Let’s dive into it!

Q: Tell us more about yourself.

Ihcego: Holla, my birth name is Ogechi Iteogu. I’m a passionate writer and singer. I have three sisters and in their youngest sister. I’m smart, resilient and amiable. I am also an accountant but I have worked as a content writer since graduation.

Q: So how did music start for you? How’s it going so far?

Ihcego: I started music professionally in 2016 but since I was about 16, I had a personal decision to use the gift of singing and music composition for a good cause. It has been a ride of experiences so far, most of whom have helped me grow as a person and artiste. Simply I’d say it’s going well.

Q: What’s your creative process like? What goes down when you are recording/writing a song?

Ihcego: To be honest, my creative process has constantly changed with every new verse, freestyle or song that I make. Inspiration comes at anytime in the weirdest places so I just always find the best means at the time to save my melodies and lyrics.

Q: How did your EP “Bare” come to life?

Ihcego: I had made a few songs prior to 2016 but didn’t even distribute them digitally. I released only one “Blurry Days” and it was on made on a free beat with Oxygen Mix. I think I paid 7k for that session lol. It was my second time in real studio; that experience increased my yearning to do more. So one day, I just told myself you need to make a project where you can bare your mind. “Show people what you can do while expressing things on your mind, one single is not enough”. I told all my music head friends, acquaintances and other people around me, they gave me extra ginger I needed till the project was written, recorded and rolled out.

Q: What do you like best about being an artiste? Your least favorite thing as well?

Ihcego: I really like to write songs. Being able to write and have people connect to it; that’s my favorite part. I have not found one thing yet that I don’t like about being an artiste.

Q: Who would you love to collaborate with as you go further on your music journey?

Ihcego: I would like collaborations with Asa, Patoranking, Tuface, Yemi Alade and Teni. I love so many other artistes but I had to narrow it down.

Q: Are you signed under a label? Have you ever been signed?

Ihcego: I have never been signed and I’m currently an independent artiste.

Q: Do you think being a Nigerian and a lady has affected your growth musically in any way? Tell us.

Ihcego: My gender may have an indirect influence on how my music is received but I don’t believe being a lady who is a Nigerian directly has anything to do with the growth. It’s the personal discipline and resources I have out in, the fans of my work plus other forces beyond my control that have majorly affected my growth so far.

Q: How would you describe the music you make?

Ihcego: The music I make is soulful, message-filled and versatile. On all my platforms, I call myself “the hub of versatility”…this is because I don’t want to limit myself to genres. My songs are different almost all the time when I make a new one; the only constant remains the voice.

Q: Who/What inspires your music?

Ihcego: Omo inspiration comes from a lot of places for me…nature, life experiences like love, death or social issues, objects e.t.c. In other cases, some random people I meet or artistes I admire are a source of inspiration.

Q: Do you have any upcoming projects? When should we expect it?

Ihcego: Yes I’m working on TVRK (The Very Rare Kind), an extended playlist. Most of the songs are finished and going through mixing and mastering so I don’t have a definite release date for the entire project but I intend to release the lead singles off the EP called “In My Bed” in April 2021.

Q: What are the top 5 songs that are currently rocking your charts?

Ihcego: Ah this is tough, so I picked my phone to check the recently played ones.

• Handle Bars – Hare Squead
• No Money, No Love – YbTheWildYouth
• Joy – Falana
• Angel – Ric Hassani ft Nicky Jam
• Adehun – Temmie Ovwasa

Q: Message to every upcoming female creatives.

Ihcego: Put in all the work you can, ask for help and guidance from people that are trustworthy. What even you do though, don’t kill yourself Mami. Slow and steady will bring you the prize.

That’s a really good one and thank you so much for doing this interview. You can follow Ihcego on Twitter @itsihcego and Instagram @ihcego. Here’s a link to her song: https://fanlink.to/DWMTxIHCEGO

Omo I’m signing out oh… see you in the next blog post. Don’t forget to come back for more #WomeninMusic interviews and other music contents exclusively on Chunes with Axara until then….ciao.

Xoxo, Axara.