Clocking in at 40-minutes in streaming length, “Misery Loves Company” maintains Three65’s R&B/pop sound and mentality that has dived across over the years, but with a much greater level of focus this time. Sharp, tight, and fully confident in exactly what it’s doing – it finds Three65 returning with vast experience under his belt and glorious visions above it. More than anything, it’s the sound of an artist stepping up with individuality and confidence at the forefront of everything.
Drenched in smooth vocals and R&B sounds, these tracks spark to life with full intent. ‘Explode’, ‘Lost Girl’, ‘The Way’, and ‘Cross My Heart’ spin with R&B mentalities that showcase Three65’s vocal range nicely. For any other artist, the idea of all these sounds colliding may seem too much, but Three65 pulls it into a coherent whole with that insatiable knack of melody and songcraft. Now, revitalized and his usual self, Three65 feels ready to make his return and this debut album proves just that.
How did the album come together?
The album started coming together in the fall of last year. I was in the process of trying to figure out my sound and where I wanted to go from there. I was making music every day and my whole goal was just to expand on my ideas as much as I could. In those sessions, I ended up making “May 2016″ which is the first song that I seriously considered as album worthy. Right after that, I started to realize where I was going and I just kept making new music up until early September which is when I made “Last Call.” At that point, I knew the album was finished.
Around this time last year, you released your EP “Summers Over.” How would you say you have grown as an artist since then?
I feel like I’ve tapped into the different territory since the EP. I wasn’t very comfortable using my real voice at the time and that was something that I was trying to overcome. As I kept making more songs for the album I started to get less and less insecure. It wasn’t until I made “Could’ve Had It” all that I realized I can actually sing. From there on out, I started to experiment with my voice more and I was trying to push my vocals as far as they can go. Eventually, I started to get more aggressive with my delivery, and then I felt like I figured it out. I always felt like my songwriting was there, but my singing is what needed to carry those lyrics and I finally feel like I’m in a place where they can. My goal was for someone to listen to the music and really feel me and my pain if that makes sense.
What was your creative process like while working on the album?
I was making music every day for months at a time. I was locked in trying to make beats, finish up mixes, and ideas that I was fucking with. Sometimes I’d just freestyle on beats because penning stuff down wasn’t really what I was feeling for certain songs. It was really based on how I felt at that particular moment. I was definitely not in the best state of mind when making this album and I feel like you can hear that on a lot of those songs. At the end of the day, music is therapy to me and it’s the only way that I can speak on things without getting any sort of scrutiny.
Do you feel like you’ve found your sound now or is that something you’re still experimenting with?
I’d say I have, but I’m always going to be figuring it out and finding new ways to evolve my sound. I’m always going to try new things and see if it goes together with what I’m doing right now and in the future.
How does Cleveland influence your sound and how do you see yourself in that space?
I’m not sure if the city itself influences me, but the way the seasons change here does, especially in the fall and winter. It gets mad cold and I feel like my music represents how cold it really is out here and in the world really. I also feel like there not being much of an “R&B” scene (that I know of at least) puts me in this space where I can do just about anything in terms of experimenting with my sound. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only here just trying to figure it out.
Is there a song off the album that best describes where you’re at in life right now?
I’d say “Last Call” is the one that best represents my life right now. I’m not too worried about anything except focusing on me, my family, and my friends. I feel good and the song shows you that. I still got a long way to go though.
Who are your biggest influences currently?
Guys like The Weeknd and Michael Jackson have been some of my most recent influences. The way they use their voices is so interesting to me because they bring so much energy to their songs. That’s soul bro! I feel like that’s missing right now and I’m trying to be the one to bring some of that back. I’ve been listening to a lot of Brent Faiyaz as well. He’s fire.
Any future collaborations you have in the works or that you want to happen?
I got some songs on the way with my homie Lango who’s an artist out of Baton Rouge. Aside from that, I’m just working on my own stuff. As for people I want to work with, I would love to work with Future. I feel like a song with both of us on it would be really interesting.
You plan on rolling out any visuals off the album?
Yessir I got a video dropping soon.
What do you hope listeners take away from the album?
That you’re not alone whenever you feel like you are going through. That someone is out there who feels the same way as you. A lot of the artists that I grew up listening to did that for me and I want to do the same for whoever listens. I talk about a lot of my experiences on there and I’d say that they’re pretty relatable, so hopefully someone sits down, listens to it and it helps them with whatever they’re growing through.
Thank you for your time. You’re clearly very passionate about what you do and I can’t wait to hear more. Do you have any shoutouts or concluding words?
I just wanna say shoutout to all the people that worked on this album with me. Worldwidetak, Patty Mills, Blondie, Matt Hue, and DJ Bean. Thank you for helping me bring my ideas to life. I also wanna add that we’re just getting started and this album is only scratching the surface of what we can really do. With that being said, if you’re creative, don’t be afraid to take risks. Trust your gut but also try new things cuz it’ll be worth it in the long run.
