Winston Ward Q&A with Consciousness Magazine

Winston Ward Q&A with Consciousness Magazine

Q: You have an astonishing voice. What inspired you to sing and write music?

A: My inspiration for singing started when I was in middle school. I can recall hearing my older brother singing Dru Hill/Sisqo and wanting to sound just like them. I would take my older brother’s CD’s and learn the lyrics, harmonies and riffs to the best of my ability. I would write little songs to try and sound like all of the R&B I was listening to at the time. None of them were any good but I like to think that I took a masterclass in singing and songwriting at a young age due to how much music I consumed and tried to emulate. The turning point for me was when I started experiencing the emotions these artists were singing about in my personal life. It changed my approach to singing and even writing more meaningful songs.

Q: Recently, you released the song titled "What Is Love." "What Is Love" that was also featured in the independent film "Love In Drugs Part 2." What inspired this amazing song?

A: “What Is Love” was inspired by a conversation my songwriting partner Jamaal Lathan and I had. We started brainstorming different ideas to write on and the topic of love came up. We started asking questions about it, such as what is love? What does it mean to be in love? Is love even real? As the questions continued, we started piecing together what is now “What Is Love”. 

Q: You also have two songs with the rapper Big Mike titled "Back On It" and "What You On Tonight." How did this collaboration come about and what was it like working with this legend?

A: Big Mike is a rap legend and when Jamaal presented me with the opportunity for us to write some songs for him, I didn’t take it lightly. Jamaal and I wrote about 3-4 songs for Big Mike and he decided to use 2 of the songs we wrote the chorus for on his last project. Big Mike is a professional. He does things by the book and has all of his affairs in order. The talent is there of course but what impressed me the most was how we were able to handle the business side of us working together quite seamlessly. 

Q: Who are some of the other artist that you have worked with or have written for?

A: I’ve worked with quite a few artists in my short career as a singer/songwriter. Whether that’s lending a hand as a feature artist on a hook for a Hip-Hop song like “Back on It” by Big Mike or co-writing a gospel song entitled “God Is Able” by Nikki Ross, I enjoy being a part of the creative experience regardless of the role. I’ve worked with over 100 artists both locally and internationally on songwriting, features, vocal producing, music production, mixing and mastering. I look forward to working with as many artists as possible who are willing to make good quality music that tells a story. 

Q: Jamaal Lathan is your writing partner, who is an amazing photographer, music producer and songwriter. What is that chemistry like when you work on a project?

A: I appreciate working with Jamaal Lathan because he brings a different perspective to my approach on songwriting. His ideas are always refreshing and he’s always ready to work. We have great chemistry together and it manifests itself through the music that we create together. 

Q: How can your fans and listeners go by listening to your music and finding you online?

A: Old and new fans/listeners can stay up to date with everything I have going on currently by following my Instagram at @WinstonWardMusic. You can also find me at my website which is WinstonWardMusic.com

Q: Can your fans and listeners expect more future music projects from you in the future?

A: Old and new fans/listeners can expect more of my own music and content around that such as music videos and discussions around the topics I bring up in my music. They can also expect me to continue to write songs for many artists across multiple genres of music. I pride myself on being able to tell stories that are relatable, no matter the genre of music. 

Q: Would you like to add anything in closing before we conclude the interview?

A: My latest song entitled “Something About You” ft. Amber Lee is out now on all streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Youtube. I’d also like to thank Consciousness Magazine for allowing space for me to tell my story and share my gift with their readership. I truly appreciate it.