Greatest in Canada: OGR-Scintilla
Early on, I decided that it was important to shoot your shot with artists. I figured after asking a hundred different artists for an interview, one was bound to answer. So I started to go through accounts. OGR-Scintilla or Shane William Kimber was on my shortlist of people I was going to ask.
For some reason I went with humor. Ending my message with “I’m practically Canadian living here in Maine. I figured why not pick the brain of a musician that knows cold better than I do”. Less than a day later, I got a message back. Eight words. “I’d love to, What’s your process look like?” Things were underway.
Let me introduce you all to the Greatest in Canada, OGR-Scintilla.
Atonal Asides: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to answer some questions.
OGR-Scintilla: You’re welcome, and I’m excited to see which questions you’ve come up with for me today!
Atonal Asides: We’re going to jump right into it. For most people, they only know an artist by their body of work. Tell me a little about your background, when did your passion for music begin, when did you know that music was going to be your career?
OGR-Scintilla: If I’m totally honest I knew that music would be my career as soon as I started guitar lessons at the age of 12. Sometimes I try to stay modest about it but it was just one of those things that was undeniable. Music was oxygen. I played guitar and sang and wrote songs every single day. It’s where I learned to feel like myself and music fast tracked my self growth as a man in immeasurable ways.
Deep down I guess my true passion is trying to find a way to connect with people and let them have access to that thing I stumbled upon at an early age. Self-love, self-expression, self-confidence, and a place that you can always come back to, to feel safe and loved, no matter what the world is for you [on] that day. Writing and creating songs was that for me, and despite it not always being my primary means of income, it will and has always been my passion and career.
I hope that if somebody reading this can relate, they will hear my words. It doesn’t have to be music… anything that lights your life on fire and makes you feel like you can work 10 hours, but it only feels like 20 minutes have passed… If you have that thing, follow it to the end of the earth because it is the most valuable resource available in this life. I think it’s called love.
Atonal Asides: Social media is extremely important when it comes to promotion, but you seem to take it a bit further. Answering messages, comments, and connecting with fans. How important has social media been for your career?
OGR-Scintilla: First of all I want to address your observation of how I try to stay interactive with people who are engaging with my music. I think it’s really amazing and has given me a ton of opportunities! I have met friends, colleagues, and collaborators by always answering every message I get (eventually haha).
That being said, there have been times I took it too far and put this needless weight on my shoulders to reply and engage with EVERY single thing coming my way, and it was too much. To anyone reading, just know that life is full of infinite opportunities and it’s okay to take on what is manageable for you. There was even a time I started to get severe wrist pain just because I was trying to reply to every comment, and I pushed it too hard. Stay healthy mentally, emotionally, and physically!
Now social media. I think it’s a pretty powerful tool but it can be really additive as well. I highly recommend using it mainly to create, and not so much to consume. Remember to ‘touch grass’ as the kids are saying. When creating make sure to be playful and experiment. Find what feels good to you and the audience, then just pump that out. That’s how Canadian Remixes were born, a perfect intersection between fun to create for me and fun to watch for people out there. I’m always looking for win-wins and I think social media gives us an opportunity to do that.
Atonal Asides: You probably knew this one was coming, 'Hands Like Barber'. It’s quite popular, with one of your posts on TikTok garnering 494k likes, 55k saves, and over 4k comments. Did you expect this song to go viral, and when you started to see that it was, what were the emotions you experienced?
OGR-Scintilla: In the winter of 2020 I started getting all these comments saying “OMG PAVEL BARBER FOLLOWED YOU” and quite frankly… I didn’t know who he was. I’m so in my own world that it’s not uncommon for me to be oblivious to the world, but regardless I looked him up and sent him a message on TikTok. I was just blowing up at this point and had the idea to make him a custom song, which he was down for. I spent 3 weeks writing, producing, and recording, probably pushing myself a bit too hard, but I made a song that was catchy and more… put together than anything I’d made til then in my life. I really willed it out of myself by believing in this opportunity. I sent it his way and he loved it! I was hoping that he would post it a few times and maybe it’d get some attention, but I didn’t expect it to go viral so many times. Just this year I posted the video you mentioned and it hit 5.3M views, my most viral video ever! SO emotionally I think mainly, I just feel proud of believing in myself. When that idea/opportunity came into my head, I went full force and God rewarded me. I’m not always that brave in putting my full faith behind myself, so when I do and it works, that’s a special experience to cherish and remember forever.
Atonal Asides: You have so many songs that are “Canadian Remixes”. 'Canadian Hot in Here', 'Canadian Paradise', and 'Canadian Bad Guy' to name a few. They’re parodies, but they sound as high quality as the original version. How is the process of making a remix different than when you’re making an original song?
OGR-Scintilla: I’m passionate about sound, music, and learning. So when I remake a beat to create a remix I always take it as a self given assignment to learn and improve my craft. Remaking beats has helped me learn from the pros and improve my ability to listen. Listening is the most important part of making music. Same with the lyrics. I study the cadences and rhythms of the original artist and learn as I replicate, taking artistic liberties whenever it feels correct in my soul to do that. That differs from original music, in that, originals are often a clean slate, or an idea that materialized in my mind, so it is always a process based more on ‘feeling’. Over the years though they have been blending to feel more similar. For example in [my] early days of remaking [a] beat I would copy a hi-hat pattern to the exact detail, and now I just match the original vibe to make the songs ‘feel’ the right way. And when I’m making an original I’m willing to consider my audience a bit more rather than just making it raw unfiltered self expression. I suppose both have been learning experiences to benefit the other. Developing my range and skills as an artist is something I’m very proud of completing.
I also need to add, a lot of my remixes are NOT as good as the original in terms of vocal performance and mixes, etc. But nobody cares haha. I have stopped overthinking as much because I’d release a mix that I thought was sub-par and people would love it! So remember you’re always your biggest critic… stop overthinking it so much!
Atonal Asides: It isn’t all Canadian Remixes and comedy in your catalog, for those who don’t know, you also make music under your real name, Shane William Kimber. How much do you enjoy that side of your music?
OGR-Scintilla: It’s more than enjoyment. It’s survival. It’s oxygen. It’s my highest self. The SWK stuff is me fulfilling my purposes here on this earth. Canadian Remixes was me wanting to hone my skills and grow an audience, I’m very thankful that it has worked out and it is my career now. But the SWK stuff would’ve been happening til the day I die, even if I never saw a penny from it. It's inseparable from who I am as a human.
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Atonal Asides: You say in a lot of your songs “Greatest in Canada” while constantly putting down Drake, which I find hilarious. How did that come to fruition?
OGR-Scintilla: In the beginning of Canadian Remixes I knew I had bigger dreams than being a TikToker or a comedian, so I developed this tagline to have two purposes. One was just connecting to the Canadian content... secondly it was to tell people I genuinely do want to become amazing in my field. The Drake hate just came afterwards because people would often comment other Canadian rappers that have bigger numbers than me. I would jokingly play it off like I didn’t know these musicians and pretend I genuinely thought I was already Canada’s Greatest Rapper. I like that kind of sarcastic humor and it made me chuckle.
Atonal Asides: Do you have any plans for a tour in the near future and if so, will there be any US shows?
OGR-Scintilla: Sadly I do not. Between creating content and music, I find my time very scarce so trying to organize shows or tours is intimidating to me. I like my alone-time so doing things mainly online is a good match for me. That being said, if I could find the right tour manager with good intentions, and the experience to set something up I’d love to form a partnership there.
Atonal Asides: Alright, wrapping it up, your new song, 'A Barn Song', is fantastic. It sounds like an ode to all things Canada. Am I on to something, or is the song more centered around something else?
OGR-Scintilla: That’s basically it! I heard ‘A Bar Song’ by Shaboozey, loved the song, and knew it was a perfect fit for a remix. I’ve developed my writing to the point where it only takes a couple sessions to get a whole song written. This one was particularly special though because I sat with my parents and girlfriend to write the second verse all about the provinces and they gave me a bunch of awesome ideas. I also asked my brother to do the whistling for the intro because he’s an incredible whistler, so my whole family is on this song and that’s ever really been a part of the process. I’m happy people are hearing it and connecting with the humor and Canadiana in the lyrics.
Atonal Asides: Thanks again for doing this interview with me. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for everybody next.
That was the Greatest in Canada, OGR-Scintilla. He is a person who has a path in life that he carved out all on his own. I had a fantastic time speaking with him, and came away thinking that we should all take a step back once in a while. OGR is definitely proof of that, giving yourself the time, and space to be successful really pays off. Below I have linked his Instagram as well as his website so you can start learning even more about him.
All images of artist used are for free use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976
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