GET TO KNOW P.SMID
Image: Jade D’Amico
Traversing rap, hip hop, soul and pop sounds, P.Smid hopes her music will inspire Pacific Islander youth like herself to seize every opportunity that comes their way.
We sat down with P.Smid, one of our current Conscious artists, to talk about her musical journey ahead of the release of her single ‘Wesside’ - a vibrant celebration of what it means to be Pacific Islander in Western Sydney.
Tell us about yourself and your musical journey.
I have been singing since I learned how to walk. I recall learning songs such as “I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” by Britney Spears, “Take My Breath Away” by Jessica Simpson and “I Need Love” by LL Cool J. My family did a lot of karaoke and I wrote my first song at 7 years old while deciding to write songs for fun with my 3 elder sisters at the time.
From age 12 I learned to play basic guitar and have been writing songs ever since, mainly inspired by RnB and just performing in school shows. Although between dropping out of high school and building a stable living and growing environment music was at a stand still for me, it wasn’t until I saw Western Sydney artists becoming worldwide that I realised I could put my driven work ethic into something more rewarding such as music.
WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE AND INFLUENCE YOUR MUSIC? WHERE ELSE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM IN YOUR MUSIC?
I admire the poetic lyricism from artists such as Logic and Kendrick Lamar as well as Biggie Smalls. They preach passionately about the struggles of their upbringing and the traumatic world that surrounded them, all while maintaining hazardous attitudes and a crazy flow.
FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC BEFORE, WHICH OTHER ARTISTS WOULD YOU SAY YOU’RE SIMILAR TO? WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE PACK?
Currently one of my biggest inspirations is A.GIRL. I see her vision of Western Sydney and have witnessed her strong work ethic and drive. What sets me apart from other acts in a similar vein is the struggle that I have come from and the tribulations that I have had to overcome in life to get to where I am now.
THE TRACK YOU’VE DEVELOPED FOR THE CONSCIOUS PROGRAM, ‘WESSIDE’, DROPS ON JUNE 8. WHAT IS THE SONG ABOUT?
My single ‘Wesside' revolves around the unity of Polynesians who reside in Western Sydney suburbs. The story is based on a memory from when it was the last school day of the year nearing summer time. Islander kids from all different schools would skip school and spend a day at the Cronulla Wharfs - ‘Rocking up to Gunnahs, aren’t you gonna introduce us’. Gunnamatta Bay was easy to travel to as a child. Being a 2 minute walk from the train station, it provides the perfect base to do ‘bombs’ and is close to shops and restaurants.
‘Haters keep guessing and assume we’re intruding, like the way we dress is causing stress to revolution’. Cronulla is a white-washed area, so it was obvious who lived local and who didn’t. Police would hover the radius, as going for a swim at the beach couldn’t be classed as loitering - hence my lyric, ‘Coppas keep on coming and stay on us like a loose fit’.
A Polynesian being by the shore is an Polynesian being in their element, and unfortunately in Australia living close to beaches is a luxury not many can afford. Being by the shore seemed to be the only place many of my people who live by a postcode, set down differences and realise they are one and the same. I want my people to feel this moment and understand the violence that revolves around postcode wars and area beef is unnecessary, especially when looking at the bigger picture in life.
‘Wesside’ by P.Smid is available to stream everywhere on June 8, 2022.
Find P.Smid below:
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