A Few Words With Stephen Lubega Balyejjusa

Q.) What is your name / stage name?
I am Sydney’s Guard (for a stage name) a.k.a. Stephen Lubega Balyejjusa.

Q.) Where are you from?
I am from Kampala, Uganda, East Africa.

Q.) What do you do?
I am an Artist/Singer/Songwriter/Actor/Writer/Model but also get involved in other businesses.

Q.) How long have you been making music?
Well, I started with lyrics writing when I was in my high school in 1995-that is about 27 years ago. After that, I started a correspondence collaboration with Theresa Wroe from Oldham, Manchester, England in 1998-that is about 24 years ago. Then started my solo writing after completing my Diploma in Pop Music Performance-Vocals at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance-London in 2006 which makes it about 16 years.

Q.) What was your first song/project?
Ah, if I can remember well, it was recording a song called “True Love Waits” at Gatzero Studios, Ismail Balimuttajjo helping me out with the engineering/production. It’s one of the many I collaborated on with Theresa Wroe.

Q.) Who’s your inspiration?
My inspiration was Elton John when he sung that ballad ‘Sacrifice’. I had just joined secondary school and it was in that era of tapes, Smash Hits Magazine, making our song books, etc. So as vibrant teenagers we were getting fascinated by rapping, miming and all that. But myself I could not rap at the speed of Vanilla Ice-I had a slow tongue! The day when I heard ‘Sacrifice’ I just fell in love and found solace in that! I got the lyrics from one girl’s song book and started gibberishing around until I learnt it. It was at that time when I never looked back at anything else. Making that life long vow. But now I keep getting inspired by the Foo Fighters as my favourite band!

Q.) What genre of music do you create?
Basically I enjoy creating hard rock and grunge progressions on my acoustic guitar but my lyrics can quite fit any genre. They are the everyday kind of social life type. It is the artists and producers who can change the moods of the compositions. A good example is the album “Prophet Of Trouble”. Most of the tracks have been recreated from songs I have written before.

Q.) What are some features you have?
At the moment the feature I have is a collaboration on a Luganda song called “Mirembemirembe” with one Singer, Susiy, from New Orleans, USA. It’s one song I wrote sometime back.

Q.) Who’s one person, dead or alive, that you’d want to work with?
One person I would love to work with is Mr. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. But I am not saying that I would not love to work with anyone else! He is just my favourite! And it was so exciting watching him play live twice, at Live Aid and the Foo Fighters show in August 2008 at Wembley stadium.

Q.) Are you signed to a label?
No I am not, just an indie artist who is struggling on my own.

Q.) Do you want a record deal, a distribution deal, or none?
Well, a record deal is the business side of music which is always hard for us artists. I would sign a favourable record deal. It would be one to take me miles ahead in a short period of time that I can’t afford by myself right now. As for distribution that is easy since there is less investment required. No more manufacturing of tapes, cds, etc. plus physical distribution. Simply uploading, streaming, sharing and downloading of mp3 files to infinity. Though marketing and promotion are the hardest for us indie artists which demand for high investment and good connections that we rarely have. Here is when an Artist like me needs a record deal with good terms. Besides that I am interested in getting an agent and manager who are both aggressive, but ethical, in the business Sense.

Q.) Who are your biggest supporters?
My biggest supporters so far are friends and friends of my friends. So I am working hard to get supporters from the rest of the world who have never heard of me at all.

Q.) Do you write your own material?
Oh yes, I pretty write my lyrics and music. In song collaboration sometimes it’s hard for the other party to capture ones feelings and reflect them very well. But if it is what can be done then there would be no any other choice-you take or leave. Again in this Gen Z era of AI music I am enjoying working with those chaps who already have the experience at their game.

Q.) Do you create your own music video concepts?
Yes, I am conceptualising all the animated music videos on this album, “Prophet Of Trouble”, but using animated content from motion animation creators. On this project I am working with Hills Morgan at Hi-City Records Studios and his team for the production.

Q.) What’s your favorite music to listen to?
Oh yeah, I very much enjoy hard rock but of course clean stuff. Not everything because it’s rock. And I enjoy anything else as long as it is good.

Q.) What are you currently working on?
Currently I am promoting and working on music videos for the album “Prophet Of Trouble”.

Q.) What is your latest release?
Sure, it is “Prophet Of Trouble” EDM/House album.

Q.) When is your next release?
Ah, I haven’t thought of that yet. I am currently focused on finishing the animated music videos and work harder on further promotion. So I have no idea at all when the next release would be. But as for the release of the music videos, all will have to be out this year.

Q.) Where is one place you want to travel to perform?
I wouldn’t be selective or choosy but I love Wembley Stadium.

Q.) What’s the biggest crowd that you have performed for?
Well, I think it was about five hundred, roughly the sitting capacity of the Uganda National Cultural Centre.

Q.) Who’s someone you can see yourself on tour with?
Myself I don’t look down anyone! I can work with anyone as long as we can connect and they are professional. So pretty anyone who behaves sensible enough.

Q.) Who produces your music?
I have worked with several producers so I can’t say only so and so produces my music. But I can mention them here; Ismail Balimuttajjo, Alan Van Clef, Hills Morgan, Luke Melville, Peter Mills, Paul Rogers, Blaize and Dada. I love working with creative and outgoing people.

Q.) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I can’t predict but would love seeing myself surrounded with all sorts of creatives and producing worthwhile works that can entertain and educate a big population world over. Plus starting startups which can help young people to get training and jobs.