Stephen Gawking Talks To Fanbase Music Magazine About His New Single Featuring KAT, Kulax, And Eduan As Well As Dedicating The Track To His Sister Andria

Intro

On Friday 25 August, Stephen Gawking released a very special tribute to his sister, Andria, who passed away in 1994 at the age of 5. Stephen Gawking – Nuclear Lyricist (real name Ijay Swanepoel) collaborated with Eduan, Kat & Kulax on this special song to Andria, who had Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1, a progressive neuromuscular disease.

Rather than be discouraged by his own disabilities and challenges, Ijay uses his music project Stephen Gawking – The Nuclear Lyricist as a symbol of hope and inspiration to those who are disabled, different, oppressed, bullied, and everyone in between. He himself has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2 and suffers from this neuromuscular disorder that results in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting.

The song is called ‘Andria The Angelic’ and is a reflection on the impact that her death had on him and his family. The song is also a message of hope and resilience and a reminder that even in the face of tragedy, there is always beauty to be found.

Enjoy This Special Interview

Interview

Hi, there Ijay, and welcome back to Fanbase Music Magazine, the last time we spoke you were releasing your track ‘Cheslin Kolbe In An Office Cubicle’. You are known as the Nuclear Lyricist, can you explain exactly what that is and how you apply that to your songs?

Yeah, it’s mainly that I want to focus strongly on powerful/meaningful lyricism, I feel that lyricism is being underrepresented these days, especially in the mainstream.

How would you describe your sound?

I would say it’s a continuous pursuit to find a balance between pop and hip-hop, but that being said I like the idea of bridging genres so we are not limiting ourselves to a particular sound or vibe.

Who are some of your favorite musicians and bands?

There are so many to name, but I have massive admiration and respect for artists/bands that keep going and have been relevant for years like Drake, Ed Sheeran, Pink, etc.

Okay, let’s talk about the new single, What is the new single called and what is the track about?

The song “Andria The Angelic” is a tribute to my sister, Andria, who passed away in 1994 at the age of 5. Andria had Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1, a progressive neuromuscular disease.

The track is dedicated to your sister who sadly passed away from SMA can you tell us what is SMA and how her loss has affected you and your family?

The song is a reflection on the impact that her death had on us as a family and was inspired by me and my parents longing for my sister, Andria. Andria was a special person, and her death had a profound impact on us as a family that cannot really be explained.

Where was the track recorded?

Like with the previous song, it was recorded across SA. Kat in Cape Town, Eduan in Bloemfontein, and Kulax in Johannesburg.

You collab with other musicians such KAT, Kulax, and Eduan, can you tell us what they bring to the track and how it was getting them involved in the track?

All of the featured artists bring something special to the song and everything just fell into place almost like destiny, I am really honored and grateful to have worked with them.

KAT has been featured before in Fanbase Music magazine, but I am not too familiar with Kulax and Eduan, can you tell us more about them?

Yeah, Eduan is a super talented up-and-coming artist who is definitely one to keep an eye on. Kulax is a gentleman of the game with a lot of experience and knowledge, truly a world-class artist.

You also struggle with SMA, How does this affect your everyday routine and how can people get involved to support you and your family?

Yeah, I have type 2 which is not as progressive as the one my sister had, but still progressive and I will keep getting weaker as I get older. This music project gives me purpose and is also like a legacy project so the best way to support me and my family is to please support my music/brand, listen, like, and share.

Will you be working on new music and can you tell us more about that?

Yeah, definitely, this is just the beginning and we are working on a couple of upcoming singles already.

Who would be your ultimate musician to collaborate with?

For me personally, the ultimate collaboration would be Jack Parow, that would be like mission accomplished LOL

Can you give us your social media links?

All Links https://linktr.ee/stephengawking
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NuclearLyricist/
Instagram https://instagram.com/nuclearlyricist
Twitter https://twitter.com/NuclearLyricist

Thank you for doing this interview, do you have any last messages for our reader?

No problem, thank you for having me. Never give up, keep fighting the good fight. I like this one quote by Neil Young – It’s better to burn out, than to fade away.