intro by madden levin
interview by cami liberty
photo by jimmy fontaine
Forest Blakk is making a bold statement with the release of “If You Love Her” featuring Meghan Trainor. This beautiful song is an amazing remix to his originally incredible tune. Forest Blakk is truly an impressive artist with countless recognitions from companies like Billboard and PEOPLE Magazine for being an emerging artist with extreme potential. We were ecstatic to chat with him a bit about his daily writing habits and the ideal take away from his music. If you like what you read, make sure to check out Forest Blakk’s social media to stay up to date on any new content coming your way.
Your single “If You Love Her” has been gaining a lot of traction, including being certified gold in Canada. Congratulations! How does it feel to know that so many people are listening to the song?
Forest Blakk: “I feel overwhelmed in the best way. My heart and soul went into writing this song and to have it received so well, I think everyone out there dreams of a moment like this. Am I dreaming? Is this really happening?”
Can you tell us a bit about the process of creating the song and how the lyrics came to be?
FB: ‘If You Love Her’ just poured out of me. I had gone through a pretty rough breakup and had a lot on my mind and heart. I was hanging with my friend Steve Solomon and within minutes of us picking up our guitars, the song was all there. The lyrics are honest. Sometimes the easiest way to say ‘I love you,’ is by just saying it.”
You also recently released a duet version of the song with Meghan Trainor. How was it working on this with her?
FB: “I mean c’mon, it’s Meghan Trainor!!! It was so surreal. Who would have thought that this kid from Canada would have a duet with none other than Meghan Trainor!!!"
For real though, she is such a gem. She really cared about the song and that’s what matters most to me. Her voice is incredible and I loved the personal touch she put on the second verse!”
How has the pandemic affected your music?
FB: “It’s been a learning experience, that’s for sure. I’ve realized just how much I love being close to strangers and their stories. I’m the weirdo sitting at a cafe swooning over people and their moments. Those moments really fuel the heart… and pen.”
What do you want listeners to take away from your music?
FB: “All I ever hope for is for people to feel whatever it is they need to feel. Sometimes my songs are the background to a first kiss, first love, first breakup, etc… I like to think of my music as the soundtrack to people's memories and experiences. In the end, we’re all here together just trying to make sense of whatever this all is.”
Is there anything else we can expect from you in the near future?
FB: “I’m writing on the daily. I’ve always got something to say about whatever emotion is swirling around inside of me. As long as you’re out there listening you can trust that I’ll keep creating.”