Henry Moulding, best known as Shakota, comes directly from London bringing alongside his Parisian roots. The artist started releasing his feel-good songs in 2020 debuting with the EP “Notes 2 Self”. We caught up with Shakota in between shows to check how everything is coming along just before his next release in late August.

When did you realize you wanted to become a musician? I’ve always loved music and the idea of being a musician, and have been playing guitar since I was about 10. It was during the first lockdown when I decided that I should pursue music, just took me while to figure that out.

Why the name Shakota? I got the name literally from a Fanta flavor. It was shokata, so I just switched the o and the a to make Shakota. Felt like the name sounded unique so I went for that.

Did your creative process change after studying music, if so how? I’d say yes and no. Just feel as if I learned more about how to write songs with better structure and lyrical content. Besides that, when writing I just kind of put some chords together and go from there.

In 2020, you released your debut EP, "Notes 2 Self." Is there any reason why you have only released singles after that? Still sort of figuring out my sound I guess, so taking some time before an EP or album. I want to make sure that when I do release a full-scale project I can decide on the sound I want to go for, so all the songs can be played one after the other, and work together sonically.

From the songs you have released, which one is your favorite? Probably would be “Safe Side,” or “Toulouse Blues.” I feel these songs are the most personal to me and tell better stories than the rest.

Both your singles, "Mon Fleur" and "Toulouse Blues" are reminiscent of France; is there any particular reason for that? I was born in Paris, so I just wanted to incorporate some of my childhood into my songs.

You recently released "Skies Apart," The impactful song carries a happy tone, but the lyrics describe some hard moments. Do you think it’s important to balance the depth of the lyrics with cheerful instrumentation? Definitely, I think that mixing two emotions in a song can create an interesting contrast.

As an independent artist, what are the difficulties you find by managing your own career? I guess the most difficult part is probably being my own manager, so there isn’t really anyone to tell me when a song is finished. So I can just go round and round deciding whether a song is too full or too empty, etc.

Who are some artists we should be listening to? Steve Lacy, Bakar, Cosmo Pyke, Yeek, and Spencer.

Do you have any advice for artists who are now starting to release their songs? Probably just to have confidence in what you release and enjoy the music you create.

What can we expect next from Shakota? My new single TOO FAST will be coming out late August. It’s my favourite release so far, and it will also be my first music video!