The Vinyl presents an exclusive interview with an Soul/Funk/Pop artist named JEVERSON, A powerhouse talent with an amazing voice and some pretty catchy music. He is currently based in Nashville TN. JEVERSON hails all the way from Grenada, and has been compared to artists including James Brown to Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Leon Bridges and Chris Stapleton. Check out what he has to say below!
The Vinyl: For those who might not be quite familiar with your work, mind introducing yourself?
JEVERSON: My name is Jeverson Ramirez, but you can just call me Jeverson. I am an artist/singer/songwriter from the island of Grenada. I began visiting Nashville to pursue my music about 6 months ago and it’s been a cool and interesting ride.
TV: Just to break the ice, what is a fun fact no one may know about you?
J: Gummy Peach rings make me happy. LOL
TV: How do you describe your sound and style?
J: I would say that I’m finding a balance between my soulful/pop influences and my Caribbean vibe.
TV: Who are some of your musical influences, and what bands or artists styles do you think about when you create your own music?
J: My influences are wide ranging, from Caribbean artists like Patrice Roberts, Bob Marley, Chronnix, Machel Montano, to legendary more mainstream artists like The Clark Sisters, Otis Redding, Prince, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Yebba, and the list goes on. I’ve been listening to EVERYTHING, and they’ve all influenced me in some way or another. My aim is to find a way to use those influences and create a kind of music that makes people feel good.
TV: How do you hope listeners hear your music? And what do you hope they take away from your songs?
J: I just want them to feel good. To feel something. To feel inspired. To feel like they can forget about the madness in the world when they hear the music.
TV: Your new single, dropping Feb 18th, what is the story behind “Somethin in the Water”?
J: I’ve met some amazing people while hanging out or performing at a beach back home called Grand Anse Beach… some of those people have really influenced my life in a big way. I thought that there must be something about the place or, “something in the water,” that is responsible for me having the experiences that I’ve had. I think being a Grenadian is a vibe, and I wanted to capture that chill, island time, easy going vibe that I get from being home. I’ve always wanted to sing soulful music and I think I’ve found a simple balance between island vibe and soul/funk. Exit Daze (Nick Lotto), the New York producer worked on the track and we wrote the lyrics. It’s an ode to the good vibes we found while just living life on the island
TV: You’re slated to drop an EP in early spring, can you give any insight on what kind of sound your fans can expect on this EP?
J: This new EP is my lil’ baby! My first body of work!! There’ll be 7 songs on it. I wrote “Move,” “Let Me Know,” and “Something in the Water,” with my producer and friend Exit Daze (Nick Lotto) while in Grenada and I wrote “Stupid Mad Love,” “Take It Slow,” and “Put a Little Sugar On It,” with Nashville producer/writer Johnny Black and co-writer, Mike Shimshack. “Count on Me,” is my most recent work, written by Nashville musicians, Alex Labrie and Tarka Layman and Shannon Forrest jumped in as producer to bring it to life. The EP is a bit of an evolutionary story of my journey so far. It represents a mix of soul/funk with a lil’ island vibe, kind of like me! I’m seriously proud of it.
TV: What was the writing/recording process like for this EP? Anything you would do differently?
J: It’s been an interesting process as I’ve never spent this much time writing or recording before. I never really considered myself a songwriter. I failed English literature miserably and it made me believe that I couldn’t be a writer until I met some people who made me think otherwise. I’ve done many co-writes and if you’re a new writer and have been put in rooms with seasoned writers, it can be difficult to find or at least share what you want to say. In the beginning, I found myself taking a bit of a back seat but over time the process found a balance. It’s definitely been a process of trying to understand myself better and build some more confidence in myself. All in all, it was fun and I’ve learned quite a bit in the short time I’ve been doing it.
TV: We are in year 2/3 of COVID, how has the lockdowns/quarantining impacted you as an artist? especially with all the time, did it give you more time to really reflect while you recorded and wrote your newer material?
J: I spent most of 2020 reflecting, spending time with myself and family and it opened up the door for me to write. I took the time to figure out who I was and what I wanted and what I hoped the rest of my life would look like. It shifted everything I thought I knew about myself and brought some clarity. I was really grateful for the time to think and do some introspection. I started writing songs seriously in 2020 and my new EP is the result of that.
TV: What more can we expect of your music any new musical influences that you may have included with the new material?
J: No new influences are included yet but I’ve found some new music that I’m definitely digging.
TV: What are some plans you have in mind to promote the new EP? Any tour plans you can share?
J: I’ve got four dates confirmed in March. I’m super excited to be joining the band, Donna the Buffalo, on three of their shows, March 4th in Knoxville, March 5th at The Orange Peel in Asheville and March 6th at The City Winery in Nashville. I’m also super stoked to perform before a Yola concert in Atlanta on March 19th. We’re really just getting started. We’ve spent the last few months putting our team and band together. I signed with CAA last fall and they’re lining up shows for the coming year. It’s crazy kool.
TV: Anything else you would like to include in this interview? Would you like to say anything to your fans?
J: It’s always a pleasure sharing my story with people. I grew up in a small village in a tiny country with only 112,000 people. I’ve always dreamed of performing and singing but never knew how it would happen–I just never gave up on it. I knew it was possible because I saw it in my dreams. Anything is possible, you just have to believe in it enough.
