Our exclusive chat with Stay Over

Stay Over has not one but two amazing singles out right now. He is extremely open about mental health and his love of Shakespeare, so we just had to talk about it all.

How did you meet Jutes who you collaborated with on “Girls”?
I actually met Jutes a few years ago in Toronto. He have some mutual friends. Over the past 6 months or so we’ve been running into each other in LA and both work with some of the same people. Girls came together super quick to be honest.

Would you be up for more collaborations in the future?
More collaborations are coming for sure. At the end of the day, I’m a fan of music so any time I’m able to work with other artists that I love, it’s an honor. I have a list of people I would love to work with. I’m excited.

What is the story behind your latest single “Happy”?
Happy is really about me trying to figure out what’s going in my head. Growing up. Dealing with changes. Being okay with not being okay all the time. I wrote the song while I was at the house I grew up in Philly. It brought up a lot of emotions that I hadn’t fully processed. I want people to feel a little less alone when they listen to my music. We’re all the same. We’re just different. I want to be a voice for people that feel like they can’t express themselves.

Why is mental health so important to you?
I’ve struggled with my mental health since I was young. I never knew how much work it took to make sure my mind stays healthy. I want to really find out who I am in this life and it’s been a journey trying to continuously discover myself. Mental health has been becoming less and less taboo to talk about and I hope I can contribute to push the conversation forward with my music.

When did you realize music was your calling?
I realized music was my calling when I was young to be honest. Music is the only way I know how to truly express myself and my feelings.

How would you best describe your sound?
My sound is honest. It’s true. It’s how I feel.

What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I want people to feel less alone when they listen to music. I want my music to give people hope.

What is your favorite piece of work from Shakespeare and how has he inspired you?
I fell in love with his use of iambic pentameter. It reminded me of rap. It had an order and a rhythm to it. It made sense to me. I acted in a play of Taming Of The Shrew when I was in 8th grade. I was in a scene with my best friend and I forgot some of my lines so we had to improvise. It was hilarious. I’ve always loved performing and being on stage ever since I was young.

What are some albums that really shaped you as an artist?
Plans by Death Cab For Cutie. Graduation by Kanye West. Hot Fuss by The Killers. Give Up by Postal Service. Basically Benjamin Gibbard (who’s the lead singer of Death Cab and Postal Service and Kanye West are my favorite writers/artists of all time. I feel like I’m a mix of Ben Gibbard and Kanye.

What is next for you?
More music. More visuals. The plan is simple. Stay Over is going to reach the world and impact people in a positive way. I’m so fucking excited.

Photo credit: Anthony Campusano