Better Days Are Never Far Behind

Tell us about yourself and your music

My name is Emmanuel Carlos St.Omer and I’m a Singer/Songwriter/Producer living on a Tropical island in the Caribbean called Saint Lucia. I’m married and up to recently, I did have 2 children, a girl, and a boy. We lost Brandon last year in a car accident. Prayers and the support of family and friends have kept my family going through this crisis.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved listening to well-written songs from artist like Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Elton John/Bernie Taupin to name a few, but before I got into writing songs in Pop, Folk, Country and Christian, etc., I dabbled in the music of the islands such as Calypso, Soca, and Reggae. I actually owned one of the first home recording studios on the island and back then, I also produced many of the local Calypso artists. Now I work with singers and musicians from across the globe to produce songs with a wider international appeal. Before I wrote my newest release “That’s what fathers do for their sons”, I wrote an unconventional Christmas song called “Christmas on an island shore”. Unconventional because it’s not your typical Christmas song with snow, Santa and presents under the tree. Instead, it’s the story of a Couple’s journey leaving the chill of winter, for the warmth of Summer at Christmas time, and all the fun in-between. The purpose of this song is to get more foreigners to visit our islands this Christmas to bring the much-needed revenue we all depend on for our survival. Unfortunately, when category 5 Hurricane Dorian hit our sister Island The Bahamas, by extension it affected all of us and we could feel the effects in declining tourist arrivals and trip cancellations. Here’s hoping my song helps in some small way to turn things around. On the lighter side, I’m born on Christmas day.

Talk to us more about your latest release

“That’s What Fathers Do For Their Sons” is a November 1st. 2019 release and is now available on all leading streaming platforms and digital sales outlets. This song speaks of the progression fathers go through in life while raising a son. I compared this beautiful and heartfelt journey to the calmness of a stream, evolving into a fast-moving river and finally the wide expanse of an ocean. To add a unique touch, I wrote in a 3/4 time signature and A A B A song format. The genre is Folk/Country and there is a classical/acoustic flavor to the production.

What inspired you to write this release?

In January 2018 I lost my 18yr. son Brandon, in a car accident

While I wrote, “That’s What Fathers Do For Their Sons” as a tribute to my son Brandon, I kept the song relevant to every good Father/Son relationship, which is so important these days especially when many young men grow up with a single parent, most likely a mother. I sincerely believe that Fathers should always play a major role in nurturing the development of their sons and helping them to become responsible, mature and upstanding adults in every society.

Brandon’s death brought out the best in me as a Songwriter, but to be honest, I would prefer to have my son here with me and write crappy songs, instead of writing heartfelt songs inspired by his death.

In the final 2 lines of the original verse 3, I wrote:

“Your fire will never burn out from my heart

My love is with you where-ever you are”

But those lines brought closure to our relationship and by extension would not relate to most fathers with sons who are living, so to keep the song relevant to more parents, I changed those last 2 lines to sing as follows:

“Son you don’t need to be in distress

To call anytime or come home to rest”

In so doing, I’m keeping Brandon alive in my heart and giving the song more appeal to the majority of fathers out there who I hope will never have to go through what my family and I have gone through, through losing Brandon.

Describe the writing and recording process

On “That’s What Fathers Do For Their Sons”, the inspiration came from the real-life experience of raising my son Brandon. As I do for most of my songs, I find a quiet place to meditate or sometimes take a walk in the lush green vegetated forest, listening to the chirping of tropical birds, which brings out the creative me and right there, complete lyrics and melodies flow quickly and naturally. When I’m woken from a deep sleep with a wonderful song idea, I graciously say “Thank you God”

I begin the recording process in my home studio, with a rough demo which I then produce to completion with the assistance of my very talented musician friends from across the globe. Clay Collins – Lead Vocals (USA), Wenghou Cheung – Arranger (Australia), Michael Tjanaka – Music (Indonesia), Remon Beeftink – Music (Netherlands)

We are from different cultures, which makes our collaboration a global adventure.

We have been working together on my songs for the past 2 years.

Any plans to release a video?

Any plans to hit the road?

Definitely! Where my music takes me, I will follow.

As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?

By writing Perennial type music, meaning I want my songs to not only change lives in a positive way but to remain, like the standards of before. In the quest for acquiring quick money and massive social media presence, many hit songs today are written from a commercial standpoint. Unfortunately, they are easily forgotten and by extension, the artists who recorded them. My priority for writing great songs is not to get rich quickly but to matter.

Who have you been listening to lately?

I listen to everyone, regardless of genre. Still waiting to hear what Rihanna will come out with next. Coincidentally, she is from Barbados which is only 30 minutes away from Saint Lucia by air. Previous works from Adelle and Ed Sheran are inspiring. I like re-watching live concerts on YouTube by Foreigner, Journey, Toto, The Police, and A-Ha.

Who are your biggest influences?

Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Dan Fogelberg, Marc Cohn, The Beatles, Elton John with Bernie Taupin, Cole Porter, Rogers & Hammerstein, Queen.I’ve

Tell us about your passions

Apart from songwriting, I’ve always had the desire to write a novel, an autobiography. This is my next project. Living in the tropics naturally gives one the appreciation for nature, so I love bathing in waterfalls, the sulfur mud baths from our volcano, swimming on crystal clear water beaches, scuba diving, mountain climbing and exploring architectural ruins from historic wars.

What else is happening next in your world?

New songs, a bigger audience, collaborations, more songwriting awards, touring, hopefully, a Grammy someday. Let’s not forget my book because I do have an amazing story to tell.

 

 

Thanks for an awesome interview, Emmanuel Carlos St.Omer

 

 

Connect with Emmanuel Carlos St.Omer

Website: https://www.carlosstomer.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carlos-StOmer-Songwriter-1377278282494717/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmanuel_st.omer/Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlosstoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-carlos-st-omer-b35a6baSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/carlos-st-omer/thats-what-fathers-do-for-their-sonsReverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/carlosstomer

Genres: singer-songwriter

Source: ArtistPR Indie Artist Interview