Image via JDash Creative Lab
In October of 2018, I was only a few months away from being unemployed. I’d gotten my dream job in New York but swiftly realized that loving music didn’t equate to wanting to put up with the internal politics of the music industry. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 miles away, a Jamaican artist named Mortimer just released his fifth song, “Careful.” Keep people at arm’s length, he cautioned in a voice both somehow gritty and gentle. Otherwise, “they will let you down.” The message resonated. Listening on repeat, I trusted no one, bright-eyed but jaded, hanging on by a thread.
At my old label gig, I placed Mortimer’s press photo on a playlist cover spotlighting emerging artists in Jamaica. I closely followed this reggae fusion scene, a blend of pop, R&B, soul, hip-hop, dancehall, and roots. Over a half-decade ago, now-massive names like Koffee and Lila Iké were only a few releases into their careers, but they already showed immense promise. They’d followed a generation of reggae revivalists (Protoje, Chronixx, and Jah9) to further expand Jamaica’s already dynamic musical landscape.
Even then, I could already sense that Mortimer would become an integral part of Jamaica’s next mainstream boom. Things kicked off with the 20-million streams racked up on 2019’s “Lightning,” a tender ode to his wife and mother of three. From there, he dropped several more projects and collaborated with some of the genre’s biggest stars. Meanwhile, I moved from New York to L.A. and left the music business entirely. Yet years after first obsessing over his music, I’m finally talking with Mortimer about his debut album, From Within.
Co-produced by longtime collaborator and acclaimed producer Winta James, the album unfolds as a mental health conversation rarely seen in reggae music. “The entire album was about me questioning myself, writing to myself,” Mortimer tells me. Comprising fourteen powerful tracks spanning roots reggae, ‘80s pop, R&B, and even reggae disco, the LP pulls back the curtain on his internal struggles with depression and efforts to create a new narrative about male emotions.
From Within is equal parts societal critique, self-discovery, and growth plan. A cast of cross-generational cameos help him lay the foundation on the album’s first two tracks (“In My Time” feat. Damian Marley and “Bruises” feat Lila Iké and Kabaka Pyramid). They confront the dysfunctional cycles that often lead to generational trauma: from media propaganda to political corruption, slavery, and war.
In the poignant “Not a Day Goes By,” he reveals a breaking point in which he was even prepared to take his own life. “A lot of experiences in my life led to me feeling like I didn’t want to belong here anymore,” Mortimer tells me candidly. “And I know that a lot of people can relate to that. We might not say it because, people kind of look at you as weak, or whatever it is, and I feel like I feel the opposite. I feel like it takes a certain kind of level of strength for someone to admit feeling that way.”
Mortimer’s openness reflects a broader movement to destigmatize mental health in Jamaica. Recently, the Jamaican Psychological Society launched the SOS (Stomp Out Stigma) initiative, which shares mental health resources and invites influential voices to join their On the Couch series, a simulated therapy session aired on social media and YouTube. Featured artists like Tessellated and J.L.L. appear in these sessions, aiming to reshape cultural views on masculinity and mental health.
In that same breath, Mortimer has traded caution for care, finding new solace in his music. He knows this path is ongoing, but for him, it’s a journey worth celebrating. “It’s a dance,” he reflects, “a forever dance.” – Paley Martin
Human duality is a big theme for this album. Can you talk a little bit about how this theme plays out on “In My Time” in particular?
Mortimer: It’s all our experience, right? It’s what we see, it’s what we observe, it’s what we feel, it’s how we are, it’s what we are, it’s what we try to be. I feel like the entire record kind of surrounds that whole theme, the duality within us, whether it be in physical state or mental state, would there be questions and answers?
It’s just like a rose. It’s one of the most beautiful romantic flowers. Every event or every romantic gesture starts with a rose at some point in time, but the rose also has thorns on it as well, and that can be considered hurtful, or, you know, prickly. It’s not the best feeling if one of those pricks you, but it’s the best feeling when you actually smell a rose or you actually see the rose. A rose within itself represents, for me, the duality of a human being as well, because we are good and bad.
I feel like that’s the way God is too. I grew up hearing about a perfect God, for example. And I’m like, no, it’s one or two things for me: I feel like God is either exactly like us, which is two and the same, good and bad, or he fucked up along the way. I do believe strongly in the first, you know. I mean, actually, we’re made in His image. We were made just as He is, you know. I mean, with both good and bad, yin and yang, because you can’t have balance with nothing to balance out with, you know? I mean, that’s impossible.
After spending time with your album and reading a lot of your interviews, the theme of imperfection was something I was thinking about a lot. I think that’s why your music does connect, because you’re open to sharing, ‘I’ve made these mistakes, and I’m just trying every day to be a better version of myself. I’ve been where you’ve been. I’m trying to be better. It’s still hard, but I’m trying.’
Mortimer: That’s all we’re doing here. I mean, as human beings, we’re just trying to figure it all out. You know, one day at a time, one friend at a time, one relationship at a time, one wrong step at a time, one good step at a time. That’s what we do. One drink at a time. One smoke at a time, yeah? It’s a dance, a forever dance.
You brought up flowers earlier. I would love to talk about the cover of your album, where you have a crown of flowers placed around your head. Can you talk a little bit about the creative brainstorming process for that?
Mortimer: We started doing, you know, the usual portrait photography for the album. We kind of went through a series of ideas, but the flowers kind of represented just how delicate life is, and just how delicate we are as human beings as well. It kind of shows, or it represents our connection to earth. The connection that we share between each other as human beings, a connection that I feel has been forgotten. The connection between earth and flower can never be forgotten. It kind of represented that for me, you know, just the delicacy of life and how we should be treating ourselves and others as well around us and just our ability to bloom and to blossom even if our petals fall off along the way.
Let’s talk about the second song on the album, “Bruises.” Can you share a little bit about the headspace you were in when you were writing this song and why you chose Lila Iké and Kabaka Pyramid as the voices to bring onto this track?
Mortimer: I feel like a lot of the things that we say we are over, we’re not truly over them. Slavery, for example, it’s just taking a different shape and form in the modern world, but it’s not a thing that is done with. I feel like the mistreatment of each other and others is not a thing of the past either. It’s very much present in today’s world. We see it everywhere. There is war over religions. Religious war, and war of ideology, and war over land. And it’s just, you know, war all around for various reasons.
At this point in time for me, it kind of just feels like an excuse to show how powerful one can be. Even if a reason for a war would have been a plausible one at a point in time, it’s like, alright, cool, but when, when does it end? You know, so when do we get to the point where we’ve fought the war? We fought for what we needed to fight for, and now we’re good. We’ve come to an understanding. The reasons got abused and turned into excuses.
“Bruises” speaks about all the turmoil that we’ve been through and all the scars, both seen and unseen. It also speaks to, just like domestically, to us, in our home or within our own self, the self inflicted wounds as well too. You know, ones that are caused from relationships, heartbreak, all those kind of things.
I felt like Lila [Iké] and Kabaka [Pyramid] both have a sound that I felt would have fit the song perfectly and what they stand for as artists, you know. I’m down with anybody who still has a sense of humanity left in them and those two do. And I’ve been listening to Kabaka for years now, and his lyrical content, the way he goes about his writing, I feel like would have fit it perfectly. And I know he also, like anybody else, has his own personal experiences in this life, experiences of pain and sorrow. And Lila, I know, too, has gone through her own suffering as well. I felt [they were] two people who can relate to suffering.
On the album, you’re talking about breaking habits and cycles that cause pain – and that starts within the individual. On “In My Time” and “Bruises,” you talk about the cycles in the world that need to be broken, and on “Not a Day Goes By,” you share some of your own deepest internal struggles. I think, by doing that so openly, that helps the collective healing process start to begin.
Mortimer: Yeah, hopefully, right? You know, my aunt always said to me, “Boogie, break the cycle.” She calls me Boogie. I grew up in a household that, you know, my parents were there and we were cool sometimes, you know. But for the most part, it wasn’t necessarily the safest, emotionally stable household. We weren’t allowed to express ourselves. A lot was happening in the house. It was a whirlwind I grew up in, and it was one of those things that she kept on saying that the day when I have kids, I have to break the cycle, to be a different parent, be the parent that I wanted when I was growing up.
Also financially, we went through a lot of financial hardship, you know, I mean growing up, and that was one of the areas, too, that she felt like I needed to break the cycle with as well, to put myself in a position to offer my family safety and security.
Life affects everybody, man. And some people can bear it more than some, and some people are going through some things that even makes what I went through look like flowers. You have people who are going through some real shit, you know, and people who are on the verge of giving up. And for me, it’s awesome to see so many people still holding on, still taking it a day at a time, still taking it a step at a time, you know?
That song for me kind of represented the strength within me to move past that stage where I wanted to just be done with it all. That song marks that for me, because I went through the worst time of my life. I got to a point where I had to express it. And I’m so thankful that I had music as well. I can express myself through music and through my art. A lot of people don’t have that gateway. A lot of people don’t have an avenue to express themselves. And I am grateful that I have music to pen it down, even if it means penning ‘til the pen breaks.
I was going to ask what brought you from being in a household or a culture that doesn’t necessarily promote sharing mental health struggles to being someone that’s putting it all out on the table, but it sounds from you like you just reached a boiling point in your life.
Mortimer: I almost tripped over my own rug. There’s a saying that you have that you keep sweeping things under the rug. It’s like it eventually creates a hump that you say, when are you going to trip over it? I got to that point where I was tripping over my own rug, because I kept sweeping things under the rug, holding on and being strong and being this and being that. You know, how strong can you be? How much stronger can one person be, you know. So I really got to that point where I felt like, you know what? I don’t give a shit about how anybody views me at this point in time, or whatever it is. I just want to put it all out there. You know, I just write for myself. Because most of the time I don’t write my music necessarily for people. And when I say that, I mean, like, I don’t allow people to dictate to me what to write or when to write or how to write. Most of the music I write is really for my own release, you know. I mean, I’ve got to get that shit out.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
It’s just like a rose. It’s one of the most beautiful romantic flowers. Every event or every romantic gesture starts with a rose at some point in time, but the rose also has thorns on it as well, and that can be considered hurtful, or, you know, prickly. It’s not the best feeling if one of those pricks you, but it’s the best feeling when you actually smell a rose or you actually see the rose. A rose within itself represents, for me, the duality of a human being as well, because we are good and bad.
I feel like that’s the way God is too. I grew up hearing about a perfect God, for example. And I’m like, no, it’s one or two things for me: I feel like God is either exactly like us, which is two and the same, good and bad, or he fucked up along the way. I do believe strongly in the first, you know. I mean, actually, we’re made in His image. We were made just as He is, you know. I mean, with both good and bad, yin and yang, because you can’t have balance with nothing to balance out with, you know? I mean, that’s impossible.
After spending time with your album and reading a lot of your interviews, the theme of imperfection was something I was thinking about a lot. I think that’s why your music does connect, because you’re open to sharing, ‘I’ve made these mistakes, and I’m just trying every day to be a better version of myself. I’ve been where you’ve been. I’m trying to be better. It’s still hard, but I’m trying.’
Mortimer: That’s all we’re doing here. I mean, as human beings, we’re just trying to figure it all out. You know, one day at a time, one friend at a time, one relationship at a time, one wrong step at a time, one good step at a time. That’s what we do. One drink at a time. One smoke at a time, yeah? It’s a dance, a forever dance.
You brought up flowers earlier. I would love to talk about the cover of your album, where you have a crown of flowers placed around your head. Can you talk a little bit about the creative brainstorming process for that?
Mortimer: We started doing, you know, the usual portrait photography for the album. We kind of went through a series of ideas, but the flowers kind of represented just how delicate life is, and just how delicate we are as human beings as well. It kind of shows, or it represents our connection to earth. The connection that we share between each other as human beings, a connection that I feel has been forgotten. The connection between earth and flower can never be forgotten. It kind of represented that for me, you know, just the delicacy of life and how we should be treating ourselves and others as well around us and just our ability to bloom and to blossom even if our petals fall off along the way.
Let’s talk about the second song on the album, “Bruises.” Can you share a little bit about the headspace you were in when you were writing this song and why you chose Lila Iké and Kabaka Pyramid as the voices to bring onto this track?
Mortimer: I feel like a lot of the things that we say we are over, we’re not truly over them. Slavery, for example, it’s just taking a different shape and form in the modern world, but it’s not a thing that is done with. I feel like the mistreatment of each other and others is not a thing of the past either. It’s very much present in today’s world. We see it everywhere. There is war over religions. Religious war, and war of ideology, and war over land. And it’s just, you know, war all around for various reasons.
At this point in time for me, it kind of just feels like an excuse to show how powerful one can be. Even if a reason for a war would have been a plausible one at a point in time, it’s like, alright, cool, but when, when does it end? You know, so when do we get to the point where we’ve fought the war? We fought for what we needed to fight for, and now we’re good. We’ve come to an understanding. The reasons got abused and turned into excuses.
“Bruises” speaks about all the turmoil that we’ve been through and all the scars, both seen and unseen. It also speaks to, just like domestically, to us, in our home or within our own self, the self inflicted wounds as well too. You know, ones that are caused from relationships, heartbreak, all those kind of things.
I felt like Lila [Iké] and Kabaka [Pyramid] both have a sound that I felt would have fit the song perfectly and what they stand for as artists, you know. I’m down with anybody who still has a sense of humanity left in them and those two do. And I’ve been listening to Kabaka for years now, and his lyrical content, the way he goes about his writing, I feel like would have fit it perfectly. And I know he also, like anybody else, has his own personal experiences in this life, experiences of pain and sorrow. And Lila, I know, too, has gone through her own suffering as well. I felt [they were] two people who can relate to suffering.
On the album, you’re talking about breaking habits and cycles that cause pain – and that starts within the individual. On “In My Time” and “Bruises,” you talk about the cycles in the world that need to be broken, and on “Not a Day Goes By,” you share some of your own deepest internal struggles. I think, by doing that so openly, that helps the collective healing process start to begin.
Mortimer: Yeah, hopefully, right? You know, my aunt always said to me, “Boogie, break the cycle.” She calls me Boogie. I grew up in a household that, you know, my parents were there and we were cool sometimes, you know. But for the most part, it wasn’t necessarily the safest, emotionally stable household. We weren’t allowed to express ourselves. A lot was happening in the house. It was a whirlwind I grew up in, and it was one of those things that she kept on saying that the day when I have kids, I have to break the cycle, to be a different parent, be the parent that I wanted when I was growing up.
Also financially, we went through a lot of financial hardship, you know, I mean growing up, and that was one of the areas, too, that she felt like I needed to break the cycle with as well, to put myself in a position to offer my family safety and security.
Life affects everybody, man. And some people can bear it more than some, and some people are going through some things that even makes what I went through look like flowers. You have people who are going through some real shit, you know, and people who are on the verge of giving up. And for me, it’s awesome to see so many people still holding on, still taking it a day at a time, still taking it a step at a time, you know?
That song for me kind of represented the strength within me to move past that stage where I wanted to just be done with it all. That song marks that for me, because I went through the worst time of my life. I got to a point where I had to express it. And I’m so thankful that I had music as well. I can express myself through music and through my art. A lot of people don’t have that gateway. A lot of people don’t have an avenue to express themselves. And I am grateful that I have music to pen it down, even if it means penning ‘til the pen breaks.
I was going to ask what brought you from being in a household or a culture that doesn’t necessarily promote sharing mental health struggles to being someone that’s putting it all out on the table, but it sounds from you like you just reached a boiling point in your life.
Mortimer: I almost tripped over my own rug. There’s a saying that you have that you keep sweeping things under the rug. It’s like it eventually creates a hump that you say, when are you going to trip over it? I got to that point where I was tripping over my own rug, because I kept sweeping things under the rug, holding on and being strong and being this and being that. You know, how strong can you be? How much stronger can one person be, you know. So I really got to that point where I felt like, you know what? I don’t give a shit about how anybody views me at this point in time, or whatever it is. I just want to put it all out there. You know, I just write for myself. Because most of the time I don’t write my music necessarily for people. And when I say that, I mean, like, I don’t allow people to dictate to me what to write or when to write or how to write. Most of the music I write is really for my own release, you know. I mean, I’ve got to get that shit out.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
You brought up flowers earlier. I would love to talk about the cover of your album, where you have a crown of flowers placed around your head. Can you talk a little bit about the creative brainstorming process for that?
Mortimer: We started doing, you know, the usual portrait photography for the album. We kind of went through a series of ideas, but the flowers kind of represented just how delicate life is, and just how delicate we are as human beings as well. It kind of shows, or it represents our connection to earth. The connection that we share between each other as human beings, a connection that I feel has been forgotten. The connection between earth and flower can never be forgotten. It kind of represented that for me, you know, just the delicacy of life and how we should be treating ourselves and others as well around us and just our ability to bloom and to blossom even if our petals fall off along the way.
Let’s talk about the second song on the album, “Bruises.” Can you share a little bit about the headspace you were in when you were writing this song and why you chose Lila Iké and Kabaka Pyramid as the voices to bring onto this track?
Mortimer: I feel like a lot of the things that we say we are over, we’re not truly over them. Slavery, for example, it’s just taking a different shape and form in the modern world, but it’s not a thing that is done with. I feel like the mistreatment of each other and others is not a thing of the past either. It’s very much present in today’s world. We see it everywhere. There is war over religions. Religious war, and war of ideology, and war over land. And it’s just, you know, war all around for various reasons.
At this point in time for me, it kind of just feels like an excuse to show how powerful one can be. Even if a reason for a war would have been a plausible one at a point in time, it’s like, alright, cool, but when, when does it end? You know, so when do we get to the point where we’ve fought the war? We fought for what we needed to fight for, and now we’re good. We’ve come to an understanding. The reasons got abused and turned into excuses.
“Bruises” speaks about all the turmoil that we’ve been through and all the scars, both seen and unseen. It also speaks to, just like domestically, to us, in our home or within our own self, the self inflicted wounds as well too. You know, ones that are caused from relationships, heartbreak, all those kind of things.
I felt like Lila [Iké] and Kabaka [Pyramid] both have a sound that I felt would have fit the song perfectly and what they stand for as artists, you know. I’m down with anybody who still has a sense of humanity left in them and those two do. And I’ve been listening to Kabaka for years now, and his lyrical content, the way he goes about his writing, I feel like would have fit it perfectly. And I know he also, like anybody else, has his own personal experiences in this life, experiences of pain and sorrow. And Lila, I know, too, has gone through her own suffering as well. I felt [they were] two people who can relate to suffering.
On the album, you’re talking about breaking habits and cycles that cause pain – and that starts within the individual. On “In My Time” and “Bruises,” you talk about the cycles in the world that need to be broken, and on “Not a Day Goes By,” you share some of your own deepest internal struggles. I think, by doing that so openly, that helps the collective healing process start to begin.
Mortimer: Yeah, hopefully, right? You know, my aunt always said to me, “Boogie, break the cycle.” She calls me Boogie. I grew up in a household that, you know, my parents were there and we were cool sometimes, you know. But for the most part, it wasn’t necessarily the safest, emotionally stable household. We weren’t allowed to express ourselves. A lot was happening in the house. It was a whirlwind I grew up in, and it was one of those things that she kept on saying that the day when I have kids, I have to break the cycle, to be a different parent, be the parent that I wanted when I was growing up.
Also financially, we went through a lot of financial hardship, you know, I mean growing up, and that was one of the areas, too, that she felt like I needed to break the cycle with as well, to put myself in a position to offer my family safety and security.
Life affects everybody, man. And some people can bear it more than some, and some people are going through some things that even makes what I went through look like flowers. You have people who are going through some real shit, you know, and people who are on the verge of giving up. And for me, it’s awesome to see so many people still holding on, still taking it a day at a time, still taking it a step at a time, you know?
That song for me kind of represented the strength within me to move past that stage where I wanted to just be done with it all. That song marks that for me, because I went through the worst time of my life. I got to a point where I had to express it. And I’m so thankful that I had music as well. I can express myself through music and through my art. A lot of people don’t have that gateway. A lot of people don’t have an avenue to express themselves. And I am grateful that I have music to pen it down, even if it means penning ‘til the pen breaks.
I was going to ask what brought you from being in a household or a culture that doesn’t necessarily promote sharing mental health struggles to being someone that’s putting it all out on the table, but it sounds from you like you just reached a boiling point in your life.
Mortimer: I almost tripped over my own rug. There’s a saying that you have that you keep sweeping things under the rug. It’s like it eventually creates a hump that you say, when are you going to trip over it? I got to that point where I was tripping over my own rug, because I kept sweeping things under the rug, holding on and being strong and being this and being that. You know, how strong can you be? How much stronger can one person be, you know. So I really got to that point where I felt like, you know what? I don’t give a shit about how anybody views me at this point in time, or whatever it is. I just want to put it all out there. You know, I just write for myself. Because most of the time I don’t write my music necessarily for people. And when I say that, I mean, like, I don’t allow people to dictate to me what to write or when to write or how to write. Most of the music I write is really for my own release, you know. I mean, I’ve got to get that shit out.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
Let’s talk about the second song on the album, “Bruises.” Can you share a little bit about the headspace you were in when you were writing this song and why you chose Lila Iké and Kabaka Pyramid as the voices to bring onto this track?
Mortimer: I feel like a lot of the things that we say we are over, we’re not truly over them. Slavery, for example, it’s just taking a different shape and form in the modern world, but it’s not a thing that is done with. I feel like the mistreatment of each other and others is not a thing of the past either. It’s very much present in today’s world. We see it everywhere. There is war over religions. Religious war, and war of ideology, and war over land. And it’s just, you know, war all around for various reasons.
At this point in time for me, it kind of just feels like an excuse to show how powerful one can be. Even if a reason for a war would have been a plausible one at a point in time, it’s like, alright, cool, but when, when does it end? You know, so when do we get to the point where we’ve fought the war? We fought for what we needed to fight for, and now we’re good. We’ve come to an understanding. The reasons got abused and turned into excuses.
“Bruises” speaks about all the turmoil that we’ve been through and all the scars, both seen and unseen. It also speaks to, just like domestically, to us, in our home or within our own self, the self inflicted wounds as well too. You know, ones that are caused from relationships, heartbreak, all those kind of things.
I felt like Lila [Iké] and Kabaka [Pyramid] both have a sound that I felt would have fit the song perfectly and what they stand for as artists, you know. I’m down with anybody who still has a sense of humanity left in them and those two do. And I’ve been listening to Kabaka for years now, and his lyrical content, the way he goes about his writing, I feel like would have fit it perfectly. And I know he also, like anybody else, has his own personal experiences in this life, experiences of pain and sorrow. And Lila, I know, too, has gone through her own suffering as well. I felt [they were] two people who can relate to suffering.
On the album, you’re talking about breaking habits and cycles that cause pain – and that starts within the individual. On “In My Time” and “Bruises,” you talk about the cycles in the world that need to be broken, and on “Not a Day Goes By,” you share some of your own deepest internal struggles. I think, by doing that so openly, that helps the collective healing process start to begin.
Mortimer: Yeah, hopefully, right? You know, my aunt always said to me, “Boogie, break the cycle.” She calls me Boogie. I grew up in a household that, you know, my parents were there and we were cool sometimes, you know. But for the most part, it wasn’t necessarily the safest, emotionally stable household. We weren’t allowed to express ourselves. A lot was happening in the house. It was a whirlwind I grew up in, and it was one of those things that she kept on saying that the day when I have kids, I have to break the cycle, to be a different parent, be the parent that I wanted when I was growing up.
Also financially, we went through a lot of financial hardship, you know, I mean growing up, and that was one of the areas, too, that she felt like I needed to break the cycle with as well, to put myself in a position to offer my family safety and security.
Life affects everybody, man. And some people can bear it more than some, and some people are going through some things that even makes what I went through look like flowers. You have people who are going through some real shit, you know, and people who are on the verge of giving up. And for me, it’s awesome to see so many people still holding on, still taking it a day at a time, still taking it a step at a time, you know?
That song for me kind of represented the strength within me to move past that stage where I wanted to just be done with it all. That song marks that for me, because I went through the worst time of my life. I got to a point where I had to express it. And I’m so thankful that I had music as well. I can express myself through music and through my art. A lot of people don’t have that gateway. A lot of people don’t have an avenue to express themselves. And I am grateful that I have music to pen it down, even if it means penning ‘til the pen breaks.
I was going to ask what brought you from being in a household or a culture that doesn’t necessarily promote sharing mental health struggles to being someone that’s putting it all out on the table, but it sounds from you like you just reached a boiling point in your life.
Mortimer: I almost tripped over my own rug. There’s a saying that you have that you keep sweeping things under the rug. It’s like it eventually creates a hump that you say, when are you going to trip over it? I got to that point where I was tripping over my own rug, because I kept sweeping things under the rug, holding on and being strong and being this and being that. You know, how strong can you be? How much stronger can one person be, you know. So I really got to that point where I felt like, you know what? I don’t give a shit about how anybody views me at this point in time, or whatever it is. I just want to put it all out there. You know, I just write for myself. Because most of the time I don’t write my music necessarily for people. And when I say that, I mean, like, I don’t allow people to dictate to me what to write or when to write or how to write. Most of the music I write is really for my own release, you know. I mean, I’ve got to get that shit out.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
At this point in time for me, it kind of just feels like an excuse to show how powerful one can be. Even if a reason for a war would have been a plausible one at a point in time, it’s like, alright, cool, but when, when does it end? You know, so when do we get to the point where we’ve fought the war? We fought for what we needed to fight for, and now we’re good. We’ve come to an understanding. The reasons got abused and turned into excuses.
“Bruises” speaks about all the turmoil that we’ve been through and all the scars, both seen and unseen. It also speaks to, just like domestically, to us, in our home or within our own self, the self inflicted wounds as well too. You know, ones that are caused from relationships, heartbreak, all those kind of things.
I felt like Lila [Iké] and Kabaka [Pyramid] both have a sound that I felt would have fit the song perfectly and what they stand for as artists, you know. I’m down with anybody who still has a sense of humanity left in them and those two do. And I’ve been listening to Kabaka for years now, and his lyrical content, the way he goes about his writing, I feel like would have fit it perfectly. And I know he also, like anybody else, has his own personal experiences in this life, experiences of pain and sorrow. And Lila, I know, too, has gone through her own suffering as well. I felt [they were] two people who can relate to suffering.
On the album, you’re talking about breaking habits and cycles that cause pain – and that starts within the individual. On “In My Time” and “Bruises,” you talk about the cycles in the world that need to be broken, and on “Not a Day Goes By,” you share some of your own deepest internal struggles. I think, by doing that so openly, that helps the collective healing process start to begin.
Mortimer: Yeah, hopefully, right? You know, my aunt always said to me, “Boogie, break the cycle.” She calls me Boogie. I grew up in a household that, you know, my parents were there and we were cool sometimes, you know. But for the most part, it wasn’t necessarily the safest, emotionally stable household. We weren’t allowed to express ourselves. A lot was happening in the house. It was a whirlwind I grew up in, and it was one of those things that she kept on saying that the day when I have kids, I have to break the cycle, to be a different parent, be the parent that I wanted when I was growing up.
Also financially, we went through a lot of financial hardship, you know, I mean growing up, and that was one of the areas, too, that she felt like I needed to break the cycle with as well, to put myself in a position to offer my family safety and security.
Life affects everybody, man. And some people can bear it more than some, and some people are going through some things that even makes what I went through look like flowers. You have people who are going through some real shit, you know, and people who are on the verge of giving up. And for me, it’s awesome to see so many people still holding on, still taking it a day at a time, still taking it a step at a time, you know?
That song for me kind of represented the strength within me to move past that stage where I wanted to just be done with it all. That song marks that for me, because I went through the worst time of my life. I got to a point where I had to express it. And I’m so thankful that I had music as well. I can express myself through music and through my art. A lot of people don’t have that gateway. A lot of people don’t have an avenue to express themselves. And I am grateful that I have music to pen it down, even if it means penning ‘til the pen breaks.
I was going to ask what brought you from being in a household or a culture that doesn’t necessarily promote sharing mental health struggles to being someone that’s putting it all out on the table, but it sounds from you like you just reached a boiling point in your life.
Mortimer: I almost tripped over my own rug. There’s a saying that you have that you keep sweeping things under the rug. It’s like it eventually creates a hump that you say, when are you going to trip over it? I got to that point where I was tripping over my own rug, because I kept sweeping things under the rug, holding on and being strong and being this and being that. You know, how strong can you be? How much stronger can one person be, you know. So I really got to that point where I felt like, you know what? I don’t give a shit about how anybody views me at this point in time, or whatever it is. I just want to put it all out there. You know, I just write for myself. Because most of the time I don’t write my music necessarily for people. And when I say that, I mean, like, I don’t allow people to dictate to me what to write or when to write or how to write. Most of the music I write is really for my own release, you know. I mean, I’ve got to get that shit out.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
Also financially, we went through a lot of financial hardship, you know, I mean growing up, and that was one of the areas, too, that she felt like I needed to break the cycle with as well, to put myself in a position to offer my family safety and security.
Life affects everybody, man. And some people can bear it more than some, and some people are going through some things that even makes what I went through look like flowers. You have people who are going through some real shit, you know, and people who are on the verge of giving up. And for me, it’s awesome to see so many people still holding on, still taking it a day at a time, still taking it a step at a time, you know?
That song for me kind of represented the strength within me to move past that stage where I wanted to just be done with it all. That song marks that for me, because I went through the worst time of my life. I got to a point where I had to express it. And I’m so thankful that I had music as well. I can express myself through music and through my art. A lot of people don’t have that gateway. A lot of people don’t have an avenue to express themselves. And I am grateful that I have music to pen it down, even if it means penning ‘til the pen breaks.
I was going to ask what brought you from being in a household or a culture that doesn’t necessarily promote sharing mental health struggles to being someone that’s putting it all out on the table, but it sounds from you like you just reached a boiling point in your life.
Mortimer: I almost tripped over my own rug. There’s a saying that you have that you keep sweeping things under the rug. It’s like it eventually creates a hump that you say, when are you going to trip over it? I got to that point where I was tripping over my own rug, because I kept sweeping things under the rug, holding on and being strong and being this and being that. You know, how strong can you be? How much stronger can one person be, you know. So I really got to that point where I felt like, you know what? I don’t give a shit about how anybody views me at this point in time, or whatever it is. I just want to put it all out there. You know, I just write for myself. Because most of the time I don’t write my music necessarily for people. And when I say that, I mean, like, I don’t allow people to dictate to me what to write or when to write or how to write. Most of the music I write is really for my own release, you know. I mean, I’ve got to get that shit out.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
On “My Child,” you share wisdom with your kids that you wish would have been given to you as a child. It’s a beautiful song. Are your kids old enough to grasp the gravity of the song and how do you plan to share it with them if not?
Mortimer: I try to share as much with them each day. I’m not that parent who thinks a kid is too young. I feel like when kids are little, everybody’s like, “Oh no, he’s too young for this. Oh no, he’s too young for that. No, no, no, he doesn’t need to know that.” Yet, I feel like the opposite, actually, you know, I feel like they are far more sensible than we realize. I feel like they’re far more open to a lot more ideas than we think they are at this age, and what I do feel like they get is that I love them to the skies.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
It’s important for me that they feel that, because that’s not something I felt, especially from my dad. My father has never hugged me before. I don’t know what that feels like for my dad to hug me and really hug me tight and just tell me that you’re a lovely son. I don’t know what that’s like. And so I give my kids that every single day. I hug them multiple times per day, multiple times. And I make them know in no uncertain terms, that, yeah, you might have been annoying earlier on, but that doesn’t alter anything at all. I want you to know that the space that you have is yours. You’re entitled to a space just like me. You don’t belong to me. You’re your own self. I mean, all I am is just like your supervisor. Consider me a supervisor for now. That’s really all I am, but you don’t belong to me. So, my desire for you is for you to find yourself and whatever way I can help you to explore what that’s like, or what that looks like or sounds like to you, I’ll be here of service to you. You’re about to enter into a big, bad, confusing, beautiful world. We come back to the duality again.
The world out there, it’s not all bad. There are aspects of it that are awesome. So, you’re about to enter into a very huge world that, though it has been made seemingly smaller by, you know, technology and Internet and whatever it is, is still very big. I mean, you’re gonna need to tap in with yourself to get through this. You have to figure out your whys and your hows as you go along.
You share a lot about your relationship with your wife on this album. Seeing how successful your previous single, [love song] “Lightning,” was (over 30M streams to date), do you think people now view you as an authority in this area?
Mortimer: (Laughs) Listen, with relationships, there are no handbooks. I’m just freestyling as I go. I never had the best example of love growing up. I didn’t see my father take my mom on dates or treat her in any particular way that was special, that I could look up to. All of how I treat a woman is just me kind of figuring it out. I’m not perfect, you know. I do love sincerely and from the most deep place in my heart. To say I’m perfect, no. We have arguments, we have squabbles, we have things that each other does that we don’t particularly rock with. We have to have couple sit downs sometimes to really kind of get on the same page and see eye to eye. So, you know, I don’t want anybody to feel like “Lightning” or whatever love song I write is from this perfect fairy tale love situation.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
You do get into that on the album too, going back to the imperfection theme of acknowledging that you’ve had your struggles in a relationship. But even hearing you say that you have sit downs together is a little insight that could be helpful for people about how to get through the hard times. On “New Roads,” you acknowledge what it can look like in a relationship of any nature to be at odds with yourself and the other party. Can you share more about this song and how it came together?
Mortimer: Well, I went over to Winta’s house just to hang out and make music. And I remember the night Winta was super tired, but he was playing some drums that was laid and a bang. That was it. That was all on that song, at first, on that record, and I decided that I didn’t want to go to sleep. So, you know, I was just up listening to it over and over and over and over and, you know, just started thinking about how much we like to judge others. The meaning behind taking the beam from your eye before you judge another person or the concept of being surrounded by a glass house. When it was morning time and Winta woke up, I had already finished the song. I had taken the night to finish the song, to craft my idea.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.
I feel like we like to major and minor a lot as human beings. I feel that there’s so much in the chorus, there’s so many things to think about, wouldn’t you agree? You know, there’s the things that we try to make so important sometimes that are the least of our worries, you know? How about we kind of step back a little bit and kind of get back to the simpler things? I mean, how about we get back to the things that truly matter? I mean, the cliche things, the corny things, the things that have become so unpopular these days in this generation.
There’s a hopeful shift that happens in the last part of your album, where you touch on your faith and developing positive changes within. What sort of tips can you give people about how to cope with their mental health struggles and stay grounded when they’re going through hard times?
Mortimer: It’s super important that people hear themselves in my music. To see a familiar reflection, to feel a familiar emotion. So, while I write for me first, that’s also important to me ‘cause I still do wish that my music will touch hearts and hold hands. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cope mentally and would recommend to others is to be patient with yourself, extend yourself grace, and try not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of your past but try to see the lessons in them. Find that thing that lights your soul on fire. Care less about people’s opinions of you and stop trying to please everyone. People’s expectations aren’t yours to live. Take it one step at a time and be honest with the way you feel when you feel it and if you can’t pinpoint what’s making you feel the way you do just sit with it. Cry if you must. Take some time to yourself if you must. There’s nothing wrong with crying. It doesn’t make you weak and there’s nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself. Keep going no matter what. Fight and keep going. Keep moving forward as much as you can manage to.