An Interview With Essie B: Girl Boss, Music Producer, and Jesus Follower

“I have learnt that when I try to do things my own way, it goes incredibly, horribly wrong” – Essie B.

There are many moments in life when God places desires in our hearts. But what if those desires don’t match up to others’ expectations?

Rochelle from Girl Got Faith met up with Essie B, a Biomedical Science graduate and Music Producer to hear about her moving story from turning down a lucrative career in Biomedicine to forge a new path in Music Production. Let’s go!

Rochelle: So what inspired you to delve into a career of music production?

Essie B: I have loved music from a young age and my family are quite musical so I guess it was in the genes! I was always surrounded by it, learning one instrument or another, writing songs when I was young and I really enjoyed it. I’ve always believed in doing something you love and not just for the money. The money comes because of hard work and passion together.

Rochelle: So true! Was it a decision supported by family and friends?

Essie B: Well, being of a Nigerian descent, I think you can guess there were concerns (laughs). Every good parent just wants what’s best for their child but can have limited vision [due to] what they have been through themselves. I couldn’t do music straight away as I wanted to but in the end, I was honest with my parents after graduating from my first degree. I told them I was going to do music with or without their support. As soon they saw how serious I was, they jumped on board and supported me.

Rochelle: Apart from personal obstacles such as family support, have there been any mental roadblocks you’ve had to overcome?

Essie B: I was always sure that I wanted to do music but when it came down to actually forging a career, I had to overcome some self-esteem issues about whether I was good enough and questions such as would I ever make it in this over-saturated competitive field? Philippians 4:6-8 reminds us not to be anxious, take everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving and think on good positive things – that got me through some anxious times in my life. I am still working on myself but the most important thing is to not give up on your dreams. I’ve had this dream for a long time so I want to see it all the way through, God willing.

Rochelle: You’ve worked with some high profile Christian Artists here in the UK. How did you meet them? Do you have any networking tips for our GGF readers?

Essie B: One thing I did before I jumped into my music career was attend several music seminars both Christian and non-Christian. Knowledge is power and I wanted to get as much information as I could to steer myself in the right direction. I also went to gospel events and volunteered at them so I could get close to artists and contacts. God set me up in such a way that it wasn’t hard to meet other like minded artists as I met most of the artists I am associated with at church or at a gospel music event (one of the turning points!). So my advice is to not stay at home but to get out there and just meet people. You never know where it leads.

Rochelle: Music Production as an industry has a reputation for being quite a secular, male dominated field – how do you handle that?

Essie B: Sometimes, I laugh at that because God couldn’t have chosen a more shy around boys type of girl to do Music Production! I don’t think I realised it was so male dominated until I was trying to get artists to be on my track but I have a lot of male friends now who have been supportive of me having a music production career and I didn’t get stick for being a girl. If anything, it was more surprising or fascinating to them. I believe I’m meant to do this and gender just doesn’t come into it.

Rochelle: So with all these great achievements in mind, what advice do you have for any budding musicians out there, Essie B?

Essie B: Be sure that you want a career in music, seek God about it and then take the necessary steps to start the journey. Don’t give up. Keep persevering, even when you think there is no point!

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Soundcloud – https://www.soundcloud.com/essiebmusic