Music moves people’s minds, moods, bodies, and spirits.

Words by Usher Nyambi (Writer)
Questions by Usher Nyambi and Alex Gwaze (Curator)

You don’t need to understand the lyrics of a song for it to resonate with your soul – its power is universal. This is something that the Harare born producer Verseless understands very well. As a musician, Gwinyai “Verseless” Runyowa considers himself a multi-layered artist, a music nerd, philosopher and “otaku”. Known affectionately in his circle as “Philo”, Verseless has crafted a signature sound which has led to him producing Burna Boy’s hit song “Single” (featuring Wizkid), and the ZimHiphop nominated “No Fear” with Shingai. However, it’s his latest project, “SMILE”, which caught my attention.

No stranger to accolades, Verseless has been nominated for numerous awards and he has worked with Takura, Simba Tags, Raydizz, and more. But through SMILE he aims to engage mental health issues – something that was once foreign to Africans but is now so common place it’s next door, or it’s in your mirror. What I enjoyed the most about this project is that it’s an enthralling musical experience with genres as diverse as Amapiano, Pop, Tech, Afrobeats, and more. At first, I didn’t even realise it was a project made to give out good vibes and positivity (similar to Kanye West and Kid Cudi’s “Kids See Ghosts”). What drew me in was the artistry and seamless production. And, of course the features from Takura, Eden Lang, Jordan Baker, Rhea Isabella, and Vade.

I could revie1w the EP but I would rather let the music speak for itself, and let the man behind the music speak directly to us. That’s why I sat down with Verseless to find our why his project evoke a sense of elation.

UN: Tell me about the origins of your name, who is Verseless?

VL: “Verseless” – the name – came through a random era during my days on Facebook, when I did have a Facebook. I would change my profile name to declare certain goals I wanted to achieve. It started off “Voiceless” – not having a sound. Then “Visionless” – not having a direction. And then “Verseless” – not speaking up and saying something. Philo or Dj Philo was the name I went by at the time, but there were too many Dj Philos. Eventually I had to change my stage name – and Verseless stuck. “Verseless” to me now means I like to make my actions speak (as I am a person who doesn’t talk much). And the second more obvious reason is, I suck at writing lyrics.

AG: You do other things well though, other than writing lyrics?

VL: Well, I’m a multi layered artist. An otaku. A philosopher. A music nerd. An introvert. A simple guy. And, I have done so much in the world of art. I was a photographer, a videographer, a fine artist. I was even a hiphop dancer at one point, with a hip hop crew. Even won a big dancing tournament in the country. I also beatbox, and I did animation as a degree. I have pretty much dipped my toes in a lot of different forms of expression. It’s how I have always been. I love art!

UN: It seems like you been looking for yourself in the Arts. Tell us about your journey. What was it like growing up?

VL: Growing up for me was either very uneventful or full of wonder, there wasn’t really a consistency to it. My mind was always creating, be it stories in my head, ideas for inventions and such. I quickly realized that I’m “different”. Most would get excited about other topics like sport while I was more concerned about Metal Gear Solid. OR finishing Crash Bandicoot 3 to 105%. If you know you know. Being different was a blessing and a curse.

AG: So when did things change for you? When did you turns your blessing / curse into something useful?

VL: It was the music. Music kinda just lived around me. My dad plays keys by ear and would play from time to time on the keyboard at home, which I still have. It still works. My mother was in the church choir for years. The only lady singing tenor. So by the time I was 16 I made my first song on piano. And, the interest to make music started then. I only took the craft seriously when I turned 26, when I changed my name to Verseless.

UN: What sounds did you grow up listening to?

VL: I listen to everything, well, mostly everything. From house, to metal to pop, hip hop, and opera. I just absorbed many genres along the way. My brothers introduced The Prodigy, Method Man, Kanye West, Gorillaz, and some RnB to my palate. My mother was into more church songs. My dad loves Bob Dylan. So in conclusion, I enjoyed many different sounds growing up. I even had an “emo” phase in high school where rock and metal took over. I still listen to metal today.

UN: That’s why your music sounds the way it does.

VL: I’m a genre bender! As a producer for a number of artists, I have gained the ability to be a chameleon. Now though, my sound at the moment I call it Popiano, for now. This is where I have found my roots as the artist, Verseless. It breaks a lot of rules of Amapiano but Amapiano is the DNA that makes the songs sound ‘familiar’. I make music for the off beaten path. Sometimes the songs feel very commercial and ready for the festivals, the radio and the club, but other times it’s more for a nice chilled long drive to another city, kinda vibe.

AG: “Popiano”, interesting. Tell me more about that sound, in your own words.

VL: As the genre implies, I start off the track trying to make Amapiano, but my true nature of always genre bending new ideas kicks in and things eventually change to be something else. For instance, in the first song I was working on of the SMILE EP, “Short Up”. I was going through a rough patch. I was close to giving up on music altogether but the beat gave me hope. I put the song on YouTube and it sat there for years, hardly any plays. But the song is significant because it made something in me pop. It fired up the engines to my music career again. An important trait I did in the project was I mumbled melodies as lyrics have always been a struggle for me. The melodies are often very pop sounding and they would sit there for a while and whichever artist jumped on the track, would write to my melody.

UN: SMILE deals with mental health or?

VL: SMILE is about happiness, the whole series of EPs will be about happiness and joy. Finding it, declaring it, living it. As someone who has lived with depression for 2/3 of my life, finding peace of mind has been an ultimate goal of mine. Feeling fulfilled, happy and whole. As someone who has failed at celebrating their wins, it’s hard for me to say what milestones people should care about. But for me a simple but meaningful milestone has been making the song, “Don’t”. A track I wholeheartedly love. It’s hard for artists to love their work without critiquing something even after its release. “Don’t” is the first to do that – where I don’t obsess over minor details.That’s what the project is meant to feel like. SMILE takes me to this kind of “Don’t” place – it has been therapeutic. I hope this project is therapy for someone else. I was aiming for the same feeling you get from Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child” or Sun-El’s “Sonini”.

AG: “Don’t” seems to be the song you really love, so what is the one you critique the most. Or better yet, what was the most challenging for you to make?

VL: I can’t speak for all the music I’ve ever made but currently, “Short Up” was my biggest challenge mentally based on what I mentioned earlier. But it ended up being the catalyst to a number of opportunities such as getting a publisher and a distributor. I honestly don’t have a favourite, I say this because some of these songs have sat in my archives for years and I still enjoy listening to them. And there is a story for each song. Like “Dance The Pain Away”, the song I was listening too before we sat down. Not to critique (laughs), just enjoying it. Rhea Isabella, I met her on a Tik Tok Live where music gets reviewed. She showcased her song and I knew I had to work with her. I sent her a DM and 2 tracks. She liked the concept and we worked remotely. She liked the “Dance the Pain Away” concept and we worked remotely. For Vade, a member of the group is a high school companion. We reconnected online and I sent a bunch of ideas and they loved “Short Up”. They worked on their part swiftly and the rest is history.

UN: Thank you for sharing your stories brother. Before we go is there something you would like to share with everyone that you feel must be said.

VL: Be happy! lol. I am aiming for peaceful joy though. The one that you get when you look at your partner and just realize how blessed you are for having them,. Blessed to have a nice cup of coffee in the morning, blessed by your friends, your family and overall feeling like you matter. The SMILE series is meant to make people slow down, savour the moment and be content, despite the danceable pulse behind it all. That’s what I want to say with my music right now as I said before Verseless speaks through actions (laughs).

Follow Verseless at: @verserless1
READ MORE FROM USHER NYAMBI at: SAMORA CENTRAL
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