In this interview spotlight, I chat with Don Korleone about his latest project, motivations, challenges, technology and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I am from Highland, California. I would describe my music as chill, with a 90’s vibe modernized by the more aggressive energy found in today’s rap. In other words, I would compare my sound to a modern-day The Pharcyde.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

My grandma always played music in the house, so I always found myself humming melodies. Once I hit the middle of second grade I started writing my first songs that were decent for my age but far from prodigy standards. Then in the fourth grade, I met a kid who was a sick beatboxer and we started freestyling in the mornings and during lunches at school. After a while, I started to get better at writing lyrics, with wordplay, and flow. I started to notice that I could actually do this. So in eighth grade, I decided it was time to try this music thing for real and try to become a professional in the business. My motivation comes from the struggles I’ve been through and wanting to get out of a bad place, for my friends and family.

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

It’s different from other ones because I’m campaigning and promoting myself way more than the previous releases. I’m hoping I can start to build a solid fan base that is rocking with me enough so I won’t have to rely on myself all the time for exposure cause the fans are the main source for any artists rise to stardom.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

A few challenges have been finding decent exposure and having the money to do things like music videos, getting studio time, promo and etc. However, in today’s generation, it’s fairly easy to get around these things. In my case, technology has helped me produce and record my own songs due to the development of the home studio allows anyone to become an artist. Social media also helps me promote and get rapid exposure for less money due to their promo campaigns being available to anyone nowadays. Technology is an indie artist’s best friend in today’s generation.

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song I listened to was off of Mick Jenkins new album Pieces of a Man and it’s called “Barcelona”. Y’all should check it out if you haven’t yet. Never disappoints me.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

Personally I like the warmth in vinyls. There’s just something about vinyl that makes it feel a little more lively and up close and personal but, you’re not gonna see me carrying around a bunch of vinyls today so currently, mp3 is what I listen to.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I guess for listening purposes I go Apple Music, it’s cheaper because of the student discount. As an artist, however, I prefer Spotify as not only does it offer the same thing as Apple Music but also includes the opportunity to get added to a major playlist without having a record deal.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

You find me on Spotify or Apple Music by searching Don Korleone and keep up with new releases and events @the.awakend.soul on Instagram.

Anything else before we sign off?

Go stream my latest single “Bad Guy” if you haven’t yet, it’s available on all platforms. Be on the lookout for new music at the beginning of next year. Thank you guys for having me and hopefully you’ll be hearing more about me soon.