In this week's 10 Questions we get to know FatesWhim, a multi-genre project from the US.

Their song 'I'm Me' is currently featured on the NAS Spotify playlists

You can follow FatesWhim on YouTube

1. Tell us a little about where you are from.

Where I'm from is kindof a tricky question. Born in Illinois, moved to Virginia, then Georgia, then went to Okinawa, Japan 2 years -stepdad in military. Moved to TN in a bad inner city type area, and lived there 25 years, now in Lafayette GA. Its a small town and I dont like it a lot, But I bought this place so i'm stuck here for now lol.

2. What inspired FatesWhim to start playing and making music?

Ive always enjoyed music, when I was a kid id sing and like get things so wrong haha, there was a popular song out called "hot blooded" and my mom thought I said hot and buttered, and would ask if I was popcorn. I was in a play as a child, for the candyman and I sung in it. I grew up singing 70s music, and as a result i know probably thousands of songs by heart abou 80% or better. Can usually sing acapella nad get it at least kinda right with no external cues.

Anyways, I was in a band with some friends and was learning bass, lead vocals. Then my friend's dad decided he was a christian and wasnt gonna play devil music, so that died. I went to a lot of live shows, but never really did much professionally, I was too busy trying to get by, at 17 I had a kid with my wife to be, ended up having 3. But more recently I started streaming and gaming and needed music for my stuff and i was like "hmm, I bet I could do something.."

3. Who are FatesWhim's biggest musical influences?

Well, its kind of eclectic. I listen to so much music of all genres, prob why im multi-genre now. So obviously as a kid I listened to like eagles, zepplin, sabbath. I got older and liked suicidal tendencies, and bryan adams, and ICP. They had a big impact on me, as I didnt really like myself and had low self esteem, but they inspired me to love myself. Ahh the artist NEFFEX I found through youtube was a big inspe, as well as a frend that used to stream named "Your Weed Doctor" They did theirt own music and I was like MAN I wanna do this so badly. I wrote songs all the time just wasnt super confident in my abilities and didnt know any like band ppl, I grew up fighting not playing music sadly.

4. What are your goals in the music industry or as an artist?

Well, Honestly If I quit today, i'd feel like I won. I have done more and better than I ever imagined, and I proved to myself I could do it. BUT the overall message of my music - I call it HEALCORE is healing. Like in my song these thoughts, its about all those bad thoughtsd you have you arent good enough etc, and it turns it around, and says these thoughts are just thoughts, they havent won your soul, you are what you THINK you are, take back your own control.

The overall thing is I point out a common relatable issue, and show ways to get past it, coping. I hope and PRAY that someone hears my music and it touches them so deeply they say you know this is right. I can do better, and do better in life. Man , knowing my music helped someone like music always helped me, thats the best feeling. My music explores all the hidden subjects, cutting and self harm, addiction,negative thoughts, and offers HOPE. It cuts deep and helps others see what someone dealing with these issues feels, thinks, experiences. It hurts sometimes, but sometimes you have to hurt to heal.

But im veering off. My goal is to have my music reach as many people as possible, in the hopes it helps more people. I als owant to help other artists succeed, by helping them promote their talents. Like I send them my drum stem, and get them to play it, to a track I send with NO drums in it, so they show I can take this song and play it, BAM exposure. Play the guitar, sing whatever you do I wanna hear you do it with my music, and by doing so we both lift each other higher. Instead of trying to be the best, I want to be the best at helping others. Im an INFP, a healer. Its who I am, its what I do. I met a dear friend recently, and he felt my music, and when he told me I cried. At that moment I knew i'd won, I touched ONE soul. It was worth it.

5. Tell us about your creative process.

It kind of depends, some of the songs I do were songs we played in my band back in the day, but like all i knew was the words, the tone and melody. I could like make the guitar sounds and beat vocally but I had no clue how that looked like for tableture or anything. So I tried to remember them and present them as close as possible to the original, or at least the spirit of it.

Others were poems I'd written, and I turned them into songs. Other times I just have lyrics pop in my head, and i write it down and im like hmm what are some themes and feelings around htis, how can i getto the heart of it without being too graphic and alienating? And I write. I move things around, change stuff. I sometimes send the lyrics to like chatgpt and say how does this flow? any suggestions? and it may say this line is clunky, has too many syllables. SO I refine until im happy and it seems singable.

Then I think with these lyrics, and the mood..what genre is this? Is this hip hop or metal or pop? Toss about some ideas, nail down how I want it, and then get Suno to help me make the song. I know a lot of people hate AI, But I use it as a tool, as Martin Scorcese wouldn't play every role in his movie, he hires actors. I hired Suno. But rather than taking peoples jobs, I'm going to use this music to help others.

By having people interract with it and play different parts in the songs, im helping them get exposure, and make content. So im not killing that guy, I'm helping him. I respect the hell out of anyone that can play. It doesnt invalidate my story because I had someone tell it that was better at storytelling. Its my words, my feelings, my energy. It has my soul in it, and if you listen, youll hear it. A lot of people have no idea its ai assisted unless I tell them. But im not gonna pretend like I made it all by myself. Its the only way I could get the message out to help people, and if people are upset, sorry, but helping people outweighs all negatives IMO. And im gonna keep doing it. you have the RIGHT to not like it. If you listen you prob will, but I understand if you dont, Its ok, I still love you anyways.Just as you have the right to not listen, I have the right to use whatever means to heal others.

6. What is your all-time favorite song by another artist and why?

Solotude by black sabbath. Its super underrated, slow and deep. I used to sing it constantly as it embodied how I felt. my name it means nothing, my fortune is less, my future is shrouded in dark wilderness... Man that was me. I remember even now how horrible it felt. Now I can through my music help others to NOT feel that way. I dont ever want anyone to feel how I did. No one should hate themselves, or believe they arent enough. You matter ! But yeah it reminds me of who I was at that time, and what im FIGHTING.

7. What is the best advice you have either given or received in terms of music?

Well not to sound brown nosy, but I was on submithub, and a guy messaghed me to do some mutual support, so I went to his channel. Kevin Ozias. I was watching his videos, and he said something like he joined NAS..and i was like who dat? So i looked. THANKS KEVIN! If it wasnt for him, I wouldnt have met all the amazing ppl here, and my music would still have 120 listeners.

8. What is your proudest accomplishment?

The program I started. I was made aware of the problem of people, Felons, especially certain kinds of felons that were in a bad spot. They were coming out of prison homeless, no support system, no jobs, all kind of restrictions, and there was absolutely no where to go and no one would help.

So I stepped up. I rent rooms (free if they cant pay- they just do chores and whatnot) in my house where I also live to people that ive vetted through the probation office. Basically this is for those that want to do better, to really change. They dont want to go back to crime, drugs, etc. They wanna do right but have no way of doing it.

So I provide a loving stable environment, council them, listen. I help them find jobs, get clothing, ID, all the things you need that cost money and transportation that these guys just wouldn't have otherwise. I have met some wonderful kind ppl, and have helped many move on and be successful. I love the unloveable and house the unwanted. I show them a better way. Im hoping to eventually buy more property and homes so I can help even more.

9. What's been your most embarrassing moment so far?

I dont embarrass easy, I usually embarrass others. I dont mind self depricating humor and make fun of myself prob more than anyone else.. I guess the closest was that I dropped too many songs at once. I had all this content and I wasnt really savvy to how things worked, so I was like imma drop an album and a month later dropped 10 more.

F that was a bad move. Now I have like 20 songs to make videos for and promote, Its been a super super heavy workload. And I use premiere to make my videos, and im slow so like for my last video for the song my veins bleed for you that video took literally 12 hours of work. I didnt sleep that day.

10. Tell us about your lowest and highest points in music so far.

My lowest point recently was when tiktok started constantly false flagging my videos, no matter what I posted It flagged it. So everytime I build momentum on that platform, it seems like it is like WOAAHHHH hell naw, and just stops mpushing any of my content.

But I'm Fateswhim, so instead of saying oh well, and crying about it, I went on the offensive. I decided id call them out and start the movement #toorealfortiktok For all the creators that are tired of TikTok's BS. I can take my same video and add a trending sound in BG and it gets 600 views, my music 0 views.

Thats suppression. How do you get your music heard? Simple - play someone famous' music with it, so for every view you get, they get one too! Keeping all us plebs in the mud. So I wrote a new song called F TikTok I'm working on. I may even do the vocals myself.

My highest point? Honestly im not there yet. I'm seeing upward momentum daily now. What I have today is nothing compared to what I'll have next week, or in 6 months. Excelsior! Onwards and upwards to bigger and better things.