From the Sunshine State comes a collective of Floridian creators, putting out a hybrid of hypnotics hooks, nimble rhymes and undeniably cool street style. seeyousoon consists of nine superstars in the making: Ignacio, Kenny, Denny, Maddie, Josh, Dre, Drex, Luke, and Mitch – a collective that rallied together over a love for Mos Def, Jadakiss, The Mars Volta and Amy Winehouse.

The idea? To bring friends together and create dope music. Once the line-up was set in stone, the group showcased a variety of characters, flows and style; their new song “ICFWT” exhibiting a group hungry and ready to take on the industry. The staggering and menacing beat has you entranced, not to mention the samples of sirens and howls, organised against a backdrop of lyrical prowess and individuality. The group are clearly here to enjoy and live life to the fullest; their fierce charm and charisma an unforgettable force. Oh, and watch this space for their debut album VIDÉ this year.

We caught up with the fun-loving crew and talked inspirations, dream collaborations and how they organise such a large group.

What was the moment you all realised you had a really unique flow together?
The groups personal chemistry is something we were conscious of from the start. When we were working on our first album, it felt like we were treading new waters as far as working collaboratively. We were still discovering everyone’s strengths and the interplay between them. It was an amazing learning experience for all of us. Once we started working on our second album, I think we were all pretty amazed at how unique our process was becoming. 

Who would you cite as your biggest inspirations?
There’s quite a few! Gorillaz is a group that we bonded over when we first started making music. We love that their music exists in a very vivid fictional universe with a host of different characters and personalities. It’s something that we try to capture in our material as well. From a production standpoint, we’re obsessed with Flying Lotus and Madlib. Their forward-thinking composition style and musicality left a lasting impression on us early on and we can’t imagine the group’s production style being what it is without their influence. The Neptunes also fit into a really amazing category of songwriting and production magic for us. We also feel very inspired by what Soulquarians achieved in the early 2000s. Their diversity of reach astounds us and we’re huge fans of every artist in that collective. 

How has growing up in Florida coloured your sound/inspirations and music?
Florida has an extremely unique musical ecosystem, especially in the world of hip-hop. Watching the scene grow and evolve into what it is now over the past 6-7 years has been a source of immense pride for us as Florida natives. There’s a very specific energy and intensity here that has shaped certain parts of our writing and production style. It isn’t something that we consciously set out to emulate but there are a few of our songs that are teeming with that energy. It’s our way of lunging our own flag into Florida’s soil and saying “We’re here. This is us.”

What’s the biggest challenge and benefit of having so many of you in your collective?
Organization is always a challenge when you’re working with multiple people. Getting everyone’s schedules in sync can be tough at times but we make it work. On the positive side, the collaborative workflow that we have feels very alive, especially during the writing process. Everyone has such a unique approach to songwriting but somehow the styles mesh really well. The end result feels kaleidoscopic. A spectrum of texture, tones and colors that represent all of us.

How did you go about putting together “Steamy”?
Kenny originally made the instrumental for a client that turned it down, claiming that it was “too different”. He showed it to the rest of us one night at the studio and it all fell into place. It felt like one of our earliest breakthroughs writing together as a group. 

What’s been the best/funniest feedback you’ve had on your music?
The fact that everyone we’ve shown the music to has a different favourite song.

What’s been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?
We haven’t felt it yet. 

Who would you love to collaborate with?
Andre 3000, Hiatus Kaiyote, Earl Sweatshirt, JUNGLE, Griselda, Isaiah Rashad, Mac Miller, Jon Bellion, Skrillex, Mr. Carmack, Future and Pharrell.

What’s coming up for you that you’re excited about?
Being able to go outside again.