Deep Fayed is the brainchild of Chicago guitarist and songwriter, George Wundsam. The moniker Deep Fayed has grown to define who he is as an individual and artist. As for the music, it embodies a wide range of influences and emotions that help shape the electrifying songs. The groove-based, progressive hip-hop vibe that has defined Deep Fayed over the years has evolved with its creator and become a greater extension of artistic expression. The fusion of intricate production, inventive songwriting and invigorating live performance gives Deep Fayed a sound that is fresh and original.

In this interview spotlight, we speak with Deep Fayed about influences, the newest project, streaming music and more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into Deep Fayed, the artist and your music. What attracted you to these genres and styles?

I think I’ve always wanted to make music that was, in a sense, experimental. I try to not follow too many guidelines when writing. If an idea sounds different, or interesting, then I’ll develop that into something more. As a guitarist I played a lot of rock and funk growing up, but I started discovering hip-hop and r&b probably from a younger age. Naturally, my taste in music has grown and the past few years have come up with some amazing artists and albums who have inspired me and my music today.

How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?

I’ve been performing and making music as Deep Fayed for something like six years now. Deep Fayed is my moniker, or maybe even my alter-ego. So, it’s grown with me. I think people who know me definitely get it and it’s maybe hard to explain. It really sunk in exactly what Deep Fayed was when we started writing, performing and recording our first album around 2011-2012. Part of me misses what the group was back then, but I feel really fantastic about the new album, the music, the musicians and how personal it’s all become.

Who or what influences your playing and writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?

I think my inspiration and motivation comes from the excitement of the craft and coming up with a really cool idea and expanding on it. Tracking a beat, writing a melody or playing a chord progression that sounds like nothing else I’ve heard before is usually my goal. Though, it’s tough finding that inspiration unless I force myself to sit down and create. Sometimes that doesn’t always go well. It was great working on this new record because I got to collaborate with so many different artists. That was a big motivator. Sitting down with other fantastic musicians and working on lyrics, themes, or the music itself always pushes me to sit down and make better art.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific with “Places We Don’t Go”? Creatively or otherwise?

“Places We Don’t Go” is sort of two different stories. I wrote the lyrics performed by Catherine Poulos. Her choruses are told from the perspective of a kid experiencing the pain of loneliness. The idea stemmed from when I was collaborating on lyrics with D2G. D2G wrote his verses through the eyes of a young couple expressing their love, honesty and understanding. The entire album really is about love and loneliness. The intensity and spectrum of those emotions was meant to be portrayed across the nine tracks.

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song I listened to is “Blood On Me” by Sampha. I love that record.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I try to be a vinyl collector, but my collection is skimpy. I stream and download just about everything. I use Spotify and Apple Music for different reasons depending on what is going on.

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

I use Spotify and Apple Music for different reasons depending on what is going on.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?

It’s so overwhelming. I just try and make good music. The more I do it though, the more I find out the vast ways there are to reaching new fans, or getting a new record heard. Weather it’s creating dope visuals, or being active on social media, you’ve really got to be consistent and persistent to attract new listeners.

Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?

We play around Chicago and the Midwest. I’ll definitely take the group to other regions and hope to do so this summer. No big plans for a tour just yet. I’m super interested in starting the next studio project and excited to see what direction it’ll go in with what I’ve learned and where my life is at.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?

You can find me at – www.deepfayed.com – and Facebook. Leave a comment, or DM, or send an email to deepfayed@gmail.com

Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?

The new record “Full Spectrum Of” comes out on May 5th on Spotify and iTunes.