In Conversation With Ascension Plea's
By Atang Moalosi & Tefo Kosie
Since their debut, the music collective Ascension Plea’s has been steadily building a loyal following with their genre-fluid approach to music. In this interview, the group talk about their latest release, Street Waltz along with their creative process as a collective, and also share how they balance group projects with their individual releases.
How did it feel having amassed immense success on the last project with the lead single 'Im Glad' gaining global traction?
It was a beautiful achievement, and very much expected because for the most part we are very intentional with how we do things. We pushed I’m Glad in the best way possible known to us and the album itself. The way we’re so genuine with each other too when making the music and outside of it breeds this kind of success and it’s no surprise and the fans made it happen.
''good, great actually! It was unexpected but pleasantly so, we always believed in our music. yet we're still truly humbled and still very grateful. The overpour in positive reception was life-changing''. - Briann BC
You just released your debut album last year, and on top of that, you also released individual projects and now a second project. Where are you getting all the time, and what keeps you going?
We’re chipping it all off from the time we should be sleeping, it’s literal sleepless nights and again being intentional, scheduling always pushing consistency with growing our art.
''Sacrifices, we have lots on our plates but we will always create a window to work towards the music, which is much bigger than us anyway. It is part of our everyday lives now. We’ve made working on music a norm''. - spacerover
Speaking of individual projects, how has your approach been to creating them since the start of Ascension Pleas?
It’s become better . Do you see how cool and great we are? Cool plus cool gone make another cooler thing when brought together. We inspire each other. Briann can come up with the most lyrical verse and you’ll see space come up with the craziest harmony to match that. You’ll hear a song made by an individual on a solo mission within the group and that will inspire the next guy with his own thing.
''It has been a boost creatively. Ever since we met, our ideas in general and our approaches to making music have benefited greatly thanks to the collaborative effort put in by each individual member, irrespective of it being an Ascension Plea’s song or a solo release from either of the crew. We understand now that even on a solo release there’s still going to be lots of collaboration . For example even if it is just a Banzai song on paper, you'll likely find space rover backings or Lucas might direct the music video or Hokage might be behind the production, in a nutshell we understand that AP is a community and that results in our output getting better and better every single time. 5 heads are better than 1''. -Briann BC
Your EP is titled Street Waltz, does it have any relation to one of the tracks in your debut album "Hood Waltz" and what was the idea behind this EP?
Yes it does. The name came from Lucas Chubbs when he was tryna plan a show for Ascension Plea’s which was something we wanted to make as a mix of class and street themes and that’s also kind of what the EP sounds like. Songs like Backrubs and Too loud have the classy slow sensational vibe while songs like Barena and WTTB are more of like a fun chaotic street experience.
‘Hood Waltz’ was an inspiration in terms of just the name but ‘STREET WALTZ’ comes from the theme of the music. Also in part inspired by our show (listening session for the EP), looking at where we are all from, we believe that we understand what people our age are into. They like street/classy stuff and the music takes from that. Songs like ‘backrubs’ or ‘too loud' are very classy and then you have songs like ‘What They Talkin’ Bout’ that are more street culture oriented so the project takes heavily from that duality as well''. -Lucas Chubbs
Visuals are also one of your selling points as a collective, what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to preparing or shooting the videos, the styling etc?
We have a beautiful community that we’re proud of that’s made of different creatives. All these people are our friends and people who genuinely love and respect what we do. Starting out with music production to the end product of video production. Usually, Lucas Chubbs, Dreamhills Studio and Thabo April take the lead with the visuals we have had so far. It’s really just fun when you’re doing it with your people.
''Prior to the actual shooting day, we will try to prepare everything the best we can (vision boards, scripts, budgets, set design ideas, styling, etc.) but for the most part. It’s a collaborative effort once we are on set. Some ideas wouldn't be what they are without everyone putting their piece into the jigsaw. There's no set formula, we just try by all means to execute whoever's vision it is on that day. But shout out to everyone that has helped us whether it’s a muse or videographer or any other unsung heroes''. -Tadiwa Phiri of DreamHills Studio speaking on behalf of Ascension Plea's as a part of the team*
You have been working with Dreamhills Studio for most of the promotion of your music. How did you meet them, and how has your experience working with them been?
Lucas Chubbs introduced DreamHills to Ascension Plea’s during a music camp that we planned in G North and that's when we started shooting a documentary for everything we do and it built on doing more projects with them. It’s the coolest partnership we’ve had so far.
''Our first proper collaboration was when we decided to do a Music Camp in G-North for a documentary/movie that would capture our process creating songs from our first album and DreamHills had agreed to document the entire process. (The 'De beers' video was shot that same weekend). We’ve been locked in ever since, 10/10'' -Lucas Chubbs
Each one of you has a different approach to making music but one would say you are connected through elements of RnB and rap, how did you learn to work around your unique ways of making music?
With this one we’d say things just kinda work and it’s a bit inexplicable. We just kinda have this relationship that works as peers and understand what each of us has to do or what we can do with a common goal in mind you know, it’s God’s work, something we’re just blessed to have, a perfect synergy.
''The best way to explain it is that Ascension Plea’s is a melting pot of different approaches. It’s honestly just a coincidence that individually our music falls into the categories of ‘Rap’ or ‘RnB’ or whatever but the key takeaway is that we are all very open-minded. Case and point ‘Barena’. For a lot of musicians it's very easy to plateau as an artist if you conform to one genre. It’s something we don't even think about anymore. Almost everything that we make is genre-fluid''. -Hookage
Are there any tracks in Street Waltz where the song was just spontaneous, like it was just vibes and not much thought into it?
All of them, for real it’s that easy.
''Pretty much all of them. We never really put too much thought into any of the songs, we just go with the flow of whatever it is that we are feeling/whatever mood we are in''. -Banzai
Take us through the process of making Barena, its the first track of yours where you fully sang and rapped in setswana
spacerover came up with the idea. He got the beat from Hookage and discussed the idea with Briann and Lucas during one of the sessions when Banzai and Hookage weren’t there and they did their thing, Banzai followed through later and killed his part too.
''Obviously we try to be as versatile as possible, and in doing that, expand our creativity and expand the message we are putting out there. Because we are Batswana, ideally, we will want to embrace our culture, embracing our ethnicity, embracing our nationality. It brings us to rapping/singing in Setswana. We connected with our roots''. - Spacerover
[For hookage] As much as each member of the group can produce music, you are pretty much the lead producer, do the other always look forward to you having the beats when making a track or it's more of an equal input?
I’d say both, all of the guys know how to produce, Chubbs and Banzai are still learning and getting good at it but know how to compose and always have significant input where needed but for the most part if I don’t cook up alone I’m making a beat with space. We all know how good I am and the guys inspire and contribute to how good I get too, it takes a good producer-artist relationship to make good music like we do and for the growth that we show to be as evident as it is. Briann is crazy with it, he made that Backrubs beat before the beat switch and that was a crazy beat for real.
The first project a lot of the beats were from 2-3 years ago but only in this new project are there beats I made from scratch, but even in terms of the reception of my beats, they (the rest of AP) have just always liked my sound, irrespective to how different each beat may sound compared to the last one, so it was easy for me to play them whatever. Sometimes I make a beat then BC adds something or Space Adds something or whoever else, we have just cultivated a culture of working together on everything, production included.
[For hookage] You made an appearance on briann's EP trust the process and you were rapping, have you ever tried to get into rapping or you've always wanted be a producer only?
‘Before i started making beats my cousins got me into rapping but as time went on I realised I actually really like making beats in comparison to rapping over them, I still dabble here and there but I primarily produce records now, Not really l, I might play around with it but nah.. I’m great at producing/beatmaking and that’s what I love and wanna stick to.
You have had a handful of live experiences with fans to support the release of your projects as a group and individually, how is that important to you especially in the context of how a lot of local artists in Botswana aren't given the best opportunities and experiences to perform in events?
It’s just encouraging but we have this thing whereby we just feel it’s important to do you… regardless of being given opportunities or not, go make or do your own thing, you’ll learn more from all that and build your community from all that with your team and the fans, you’ll find your people.
''We always try to make it a full experience; we don't just want it to end on virtual platforms. We want to enhance the journey for our supporters. Engage. It’s very important.'' -Banzai
[For spacerover] One would say that you are the main vocalist of the group, how do you work around with the other members who are rappers?
It’s like we said it just works, we understand each other and are blessed to know and be good at our own roles, it’s mostly about unity, creating a song with artists that come with their own context means me embracing myself as an artist in my own context as well. It’s not rappers/singers per say, we all see each other as creatives. We choose to dwell on creating as a unit as opposed to rapping or singing. For me, It's nothing uncomfortable. It helps create something more wholesome.
Featuring a lot of artists is something that both fans and artists might be skeptical of, how do you deal with featuring more artists considering that there is five of you, is it something you enjoy doing or you find it overstimulating?
Eish Eish Eish Eish Eish !!!!! It’s cool and all but it’s not something you just do. With the music before we call someone for that or they call us, it has to make sense and we must have some kind of genuine connection. We pay attention though to who’s fly out here besides us and there a lot of fly talent. Maybe one day we can do a REVENGE OF THE DREAMERS inspired mixtape with the people out here, if it happens then it will happen, that would be cool.
''It’s more so about the end product. We have featured songs that are 3 mins, we have featured songs that are 6 mins, so the number of people on the song isn't an issue. The big question is, ‘Is this enhancing or taking away from the song as a listening experience?’ In the past (and I'm sure in the future as well), we’ve had to make executive decisions like rearranging the order in which the verses are delivered, or even removing certain features completely. The music takes top priority before we just start stacking features for the sake of having cool features. It’s not a big deal for us. We know we can deliver with or without assistance from any artist .'' -Briann BC
[for Lucas Chubbs] you directed two music videos from this project, what inspired you to take up the role of a director in these videos?
I know all these brothers really well and I have a vivid imagination and know what looks cool for me and I trust in that, so I always aim to make something cool enough to express or display how fly we are in our videos and I’m a really big observer. I feel as though I have a firm grasp on how cool everybody is/the music is. After listening to any of the songs, depending on how it makes me feel, I will always find a way to express how every member can be depicted in a way that matches how cool the music is while also capturing who we are visually. I will plan for the shoots and I just try to bring to life what I see mentally.
[for banzai] how did the collaboration with the amazing Mpho Sebina on your last project Hiatus Tapes' come about?
That’s gang, that’s my sister, that’s family, man. We’ve always known about each other’s work and shown love. When the chance presented itself, we just made it happen—and we’re here now. I sent her an idea, one day we met at the studio, and that was it. It wasn’t anything crazy.
[for briann] your last project 'Trust The Process' emanated of heavy RnB influence what was the thought process behind that decision specifically?
I’m heavily inspired by soulful sounds and a lot of it was just me trying to connect with that. and like space said, we consider ourselves as artists and creatives so if it emanated RnB, I’d like to think it also emanated Jazz, Hip Hop, and more. I don't necessarily have a lane that I want to direct my music into. I love producing and I love writing, that’s all the thought that went into that. It sounded like that because I liked how it sounded.
How does your songwriting process usually go?
We just do whatever, Hook makes the beat or one of us might and it just happens in so many different ways, so yeah it’s also very inexplicable, it happens in all kinds of situations but it’s always a fun process so far.
''We never really go in any particular order, whoever has the first idea goes first and anyone that can top that will top it and that carries on until the song ends''. Banzai
From a previous interview we did with hookage, he told us of how you guys met but we would like for you guys to take us through the moment where you actually made your first track as Ascension Pleas
We all have our own experiences or story with that but the main important one would be that we met or it was made possible by Lucas. Lucas met every member individually at different times, he’d been friends with spacerover from their hometown since junior school, met with Banzai and Hookage through socials supporting each other and building a friendship with the music being the foundation of it all. He met Briann through Pablo%8 at a couple music shows like Perfect Noise. Eventually Lucas would go off to invite the guys and a few more people in his space to do workshops or make music and do a bunch of creative activities with the aim to build a new community and the people who were consistent with it were the 5 members we have now. The first song made was ROLLS ROYCE MUSIC.Unknown to the other three members that they were all going to meet Lucas and space had invited the others for a music session on a busy day at Lucas’s room at the UB school campus. Hookage had been making beats all day in the room and was joined by Banzai while LOAFS duo was out and Briann later joined. The two came back to a banger being made and finished it off and now we’re here
''Everybody has their own story of how it happened but I met every member individually first and because I felt like there were certain genuine traits that I liked about each member I thought making or becoming a community was a good idea. It started with us just coming through to share or just have conversations. It eventually grew to us being able to make music together. It was one of those things where ‘if you were meant to be there, YOU WERE THERE’. The first song we got to make was ‘Rolls Royce Music’. That song started with Banzai and Hookage recording in my room in UB, then Bc came and eventually space and I as well. A bunch of other people showed face in the early stages of AP but the 5 of us are the people who stayed consistent and now here we are''.- Lucas
Do you guys plan on taking it overseas or remaining locally and pioneering a movement?
Definitely! We plan on taking over the world and being an inspiration to the generations after us, there’s no doubt we’ll make it
We plan on taking over the whole world
photos by @dreamhillsstudio and @bitchassniggawtf











