Kevin George is stepping out of his comfort zone. Releasing his debut album, My Darlings A Demon, the singer keeps it personal while experimenting with chilled-out, melodious R&B tracks.

Born and raised in Connecticut, George originally set his sights on playing football professionally, before turning to music. Inspired by artists such as Prince and Kanye, his smooth songs feature themes of betrayal and dishonour – the singer plans to create a space for “healing for the broken and uninspired souls out there”.

Of the album, George says, “My creative process was very different this time around. We rented a house and completed the bulk of the project there. It was dark, cold, and empty. I escaped from any and all distractions from the outside world and went into a deep creative space”.

We speak to the multi-genre artist and producer below…

What sort of music did you listen to when you were growing up?
I listened to whatever popped, and what my brother was playing. Before Limewire, before the internet… my older brother was listening to gangster rap, like Jay-Z , Biggie, Tupac, Eminem, 50 Cent, The Lox, Dipset etc. And my dad always played gospel music, artists like Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond.

Was there a particular artist that you heard and you thought, ‘this is what I want to do’?
Not really, but the artist who inspired me the most, once I really got into creating music, has been Kanye West. The consistency, the dedication, the execution. I’ve always wanted to make music on a superhero level like him.

Being from and growing up in Connecticut, what was the music scene like there? Was the industry something you came to naturally?
Growing up in Connecticut, the music scene really wasn’t much when I started out. There weren’t many producers, writers or anything. There were a few musicians and those who did do it, stuck out easily. Even if it were shitty, you were known as the shitty rapper who everyone knows of. My thing starting out from CT was that I just wanted to inspire people to create with me! I started this group I called CRE8 . And at the time it was just me and a bunch of homies who shared our ideas with each other and just made art. I wanted to prove that we could all be respected artists. I knew nothing about the industry. The industry came to me eventually.

You recently toured 18 different cities with Olivia O’Brien. Do you have a favourite place that you played?
New York was my favourite man. Everyone from Connecticut pulls up. Whenever I play New York it just feels like home. I grew up training it to Manhattan with homies and going to Tyler, the Creator concerts. Playing New York is always my favourite. I love a challenge.

Is there anywhere in particular that you would love to play?
I want to headline Staples Center one day. That would be a dream. It’s definitely on my bucket list. The greatest arena of arenas to me. Kobe Bryant is the illest.

Your debut album has themes of “betrayal, juxtaposition, and dishonour in love” – do all your lyrics come from your own experiences?
Life in general inspires these concepts. I make music for us all to experience it and connect to it on another spiritual, supernatural level. There’s an energy in the melodies that I believe to be healing for the broken and uninspired souls out there. I just want to help my people; I play with duality. Duality is interesting.

Where did the idea for the album’s title, My Darling’s A Demon, come from?
Darling in the Franxx, this Japanese anime.

What do you want people to get out of your music?
I want people to get nostalgia out of this album. Time will tell. I want it to provoke nostalgia.

How have the inspirations for your music adapted and changed since you released your EPs last year?
Before I felt like I was competing with everyone else. After the EPs I just feel like I’m competing with myself. With this album I wanted to blow the three EPs out of the water sonically, lyrically, melodically. I’ve just been inspired to outdo myself and no one else.

You recently asked your Instagram followers to comment who they’d most like to see you collab with. Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
My dream artist to collaborate with would be Prince. I would love to do some sexy angelic shit with Prince. If not Prince then obviously Kanye. Kanye is Kevin’s idol.

You released the short film, Kevin George – The Untold Story, at the same time as your debut EP. What was the inspiration behind pairing the film with the music?
I was dropping a third EP and I just got signed. It was time to show a bit of my personality and daily life with my fans finally. I hated being in front of the camera.

You started out making music in your bedroom, but for the new album you rented out a house to complete it. How has your creative process changed when it comes to making music?
The creative process changed a bit because it got collaborative. And for the first time I worked on Kevin George songs with friends and not just myself, alone in my mom’s basement.

You originally set your sights on a career in football. What changed?
My coach got fired in high school. Shout out Hoctor.

What’s next for you, after the album release?
I’m about to continue to out do everything I’ve ever done. I want a song with Kanye. I want the music to really be felt by the world. More beats, more songs, more content. I want to make noise. And continue to push the sound of music.