In a heartfelt interview with Jamaicans.com Jamaican singer-songwriter and rising star reggae artist Mortimer shares some deep insights on his debut album, “From Within,” his love for his wife, how his faith keeps him grounded, being the kind of father to his children he wished he had growing up, and producing beautiful music with Winta James and his engineer Supa Man.
From Within
Mortimer talks us through the thought process behind some of the tracks on the album. “Slowly,” a song that is already a favourite among fans, particularly those of a female persuasion, is about “sexy time with his wife,” whom he speaks glowingly about throughout the interview.
“Not A Day Goes By” is a melancholy song about being depressed and not knowing how to express it in a healthy way. “I grew up in a society where a man just doesn’t express certain kinds of things. I mean, we don’t cry and we don’t show that much emotion; we weren’t allowed to, and I’m slowly growing tired of that.”
“My Child” is a heartfelt love letter to his children, encouraging them by saying, “Hearts are always going to break; every now and then your world will shake. The pain is not the enemy; grow stronger from the hurt.”
“Bruises” he explains, is about “injustice, separation, inequality, and racial discrimination.” It also explores how we, as black individuals, contribute to the perpetuation of oppression within our community and, to a lesser extent, within ourselves. “I feel like we should be aiming in this present day not to blame but to liberate ourselves in whatever ways that we can, especially as black men across the world. To be black is to be beautiful; to be black is to be creation; to be black is to be God; to be black is to be wonderful and is to be human,” he says.
The most honest place possible
Mortimer, who says he doesn’t make bad music, doesn’t have any expectations for the album, but says that it was “written and produced from the most honest place” possible and “bares the gift of his love for music.”
The album “From Within is released under the Overstand label, check it out here.