Check out our interview with the first lady of The Sailing Team.
Born Kodie Williams, Kodie Shane might not have always planned to be an artist, but it was definitely fate. Growing up in a musical family, with sister Brandi from the hit R&B group Blaque, you could say she had music running through her veins. From the tender of age of 14 Kodie’s been writing music and working for Greystone Park production studios in Atlanta. It was around that time that Kodie began experimenting with music and linked up with family friend and producer Matt P. who gave Kodie a mac filled with the freshest beats. Since then a majority of Kodie’s music has been produced by Matty P and the two have a close and collaborative relationship that allows Kodie to be hands on in the production process.
Kodie, formally known as “The First Lady” of The Sailing Team, was introduced to Lil Yachty at an event in Atlanta by Yachty’s manager Coach, who’s known Kodie since she was young. The two hit it off from the jump and that’s when Kodie brought Yachty onto her track “Sad,” for which she premiered the music video earlier this week. Along with the “Sad” video, Kodie debuted her first EP with a major label titled “Zero Gravity.”
Honestly it’s been a minute since I’ve met someone so young and so talented. She recently celebrated her 18th birthday and already has an impressive body of work. Kodie Shane’s paving the way for today’s generation of artists who don’t ascribe to labels. She’s like your fun, bubbly, little sister who never runs out of energy and loves video games. Her bubblegum trap aesthetic is the sound of today’s generation and her carefree attitude is a refreshing break from today’s self-involved artists. She has a clear vision for her music: don’t be afraid to be yourself. Kodie’s visiting New York this week to promote her new EP and I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with her. Check out the interview below.
You opened for Cam’ron at the Highline Ballroom recently what was that like and what’s been your favorite venue that you’ve played so far?
It was cool there were a lot of Cam’ron fans. My favorite place to perfor at was probably somewhere on the tour I went on with boat. This one place in New York I don’t remember the name, but it was fye. The greenroom was all trees.
Do you have more fun when you have the sailing team on stage with you?
Yeah that’s always really fun, I don’t feel like it makes me do better but it makes it more fun.
Congrats on Zero Gravity & the music video! How do you feel dropping your first EP with a label?
I feel pretty good because the music is being dropped on a bigger platform than it’s usually put on. More people get to see it and it gets to touch more people so it’s exciting.
Do you feel like anything else has changed besides the outreach?
I’m just getting a lot of support right now. I’m excited about it and grateful. It’s lit.
How involved were you in the creative direction for the Sad video?
Honestly I asked Yachty ‘do you wanna do a video for Sad?’ and he was like ‘yo I knew we should one all along’ and we started talking about it and he was like I’m gonna be Dr. Boat and took everything he said and took it to Donny [Slater, director of Sad music video] and organized it and made it happen. I was throwin’ off when Yachty came to me and said – typing a whole paragraph like ‘ I know exactly what we should do.’
How did you pick which members of the sailing team would be in the video? Or was it schedule based?
Yeah it was just scheduled based, we pretty much said just pull up if you can, but I know Perry wanted to be in it. They all wanted to be in it so it was cool.
Who did you look up to musically growing up? I know your whole family was involved in music scene, but who were some of your idols?
Growing up I don’t really know, I wasn’t super crazy about music when I was that younger. I wanted to play basketball and now I don’t really know, I love Frank Ocean. He inspires me but I wouldn’t say he’s a music idol, Michael Jackson is more of a music idol.
I know you rep ATL, but you also grew up in Chicago, do you feel like it’s influenced you music at all?
Atlanta’s definitely influenced my sound because I had a lot of my teenage years there. Chicago has made me who I am because I grew up there and it’s like my home.
Can you talk about style? What’re some of your favorite brands or stores?
I just be dressing, ya feel me? Nah. I really just be buying whatever I like. I don’t really like to be I needa dress this type of way. I pretty much wear whatever I want. I wear boy clothes if I want to and I wear girl clothes if I want to.
I see you’re wearing Bape right now, can you talk about some of the brands that you like or stores you like to shop at?
If I see it and like it I’ll buy it. I’m waiting for Pharell, all of Pharell’s stuff. If I see it and like it I’ll buy it, I don’t really care. I’ll shop at a thrift store.
Who’s your dream collab?
Frank that’d be fye. Future, that’d be fye, Travis Scott that’d be fye
Who’re you currently listening to on your playlists?
Ooh Childish Gambino, his new album was fye and that’s someone I’d wanna collab with too.
Any thoughts on J. Cole’s false prophets?
I was listening to it in the car. I haven’t finished listening to it, but I’ve heard “Everybody Dies.”
I like J. Cole, personally. He’s a cool guy and I think he’s great so I don’t really care if- you know he never says anything, the one time he does just let him do it, he never says anything, but he’s fye.
What’s your next move? What’re you working on right now?
I wanna get an LP out in early spring, that’s really my goal right now. I wanna tour.