An interview with a musician currently based in London. He is a singer, rapper, producer, film maker and video editor. Professionally known as Demo Akuro. His music can be found on all major platforms.
Explain the Recent Name Change?
So as you know, originally I went by Biller. It feels weird even saying the name now. I became a huge fan of Bryson Tiller since I heard ‘Don’t’. Him along with some other artists like Logic & Travis Scott gave me that motivational push into becoming an artist. I wanted to pay homage to Tiller by throwing the first letter of my surname (Benson) behind “iller” resulting in Biller. It was cool at first but after a while it felt unauthentic. It didn’t feel like it belonged to me.
I couldn’t even get domains for websites or and I didn’t even show up on Google, so it made it difficult for people to find me on online. To add fuel to the fire there was another don with the same name that produced electronic music and our names were clashing on major platforms, so Biller just gave me a whole lot of problems. I built a concept around’ xbiller1’ and ‘Model XB1’ to draw a more personal relationship to the name but that still didn’t work. I knew I was going to change it eventually; it was just a matter of when.
I then had an idea and ended up making Sekiro. A story about a boy who found a legend he was searching for on the brink of death - Akuro, the wolf. The legend then asked the boy for a favour, which was to live through the body of boy, in exchange Akuro would give the boy unimaginable power. The boy’s name was Demo. And together we formed Demo Akuro. This is a concept that I’m building. I want to create films about this concept. Most of my music and my future content throughout my career will be around developing this story. Demo is short for my middle name, Ademola. This is my own story so it immediately felt at home to me. It felt easy because I didn’t have to pretend to fit in to a character or name that wasn’t true to myself. I could be me, completely. I could develop my creativity through this story I’m building.
I made Akuro a wolf because it’s one of my favourite animals. I embody all the values based around this animal deeply. I have an obsession and a connection with these animals. My alias ‘Renegade Wolf’ means being a renegade to my old self. I love fresh starts, and this was mine. Born was Demo Akuro.
What Does the Next Release Mean For You?
So, my next 2 releases are going to be on my new album called ‘Crimson Moon’. You heard it here first. ‘Silent Hustle’ is about having a silent but deadly work ethic. You won’t see a wolf until it’s ready to be seen. It’s about disconnecting yourself from the outside and homing in on what’s important. I enjoy surprising people too. So, when I’ve been silent…when it looks like I haven’t been doing much and then BANG. I overwhelm you with results. That’s a satisfying feeling. I’m not sure what my next release after that is going to be, I have a couple options. ‘CRIMSON MOON’ is going to be 9-12 tracks, no features. The focus of that album is to put on display my current skill set and outline a foundation of the first act of my story. Not every single lyric will mean something important, but a lot also will. Listen carefully.
Music Video Release?
From ‘Silent Hustle’? Yes. Shooting has been delayed for obvious reasons. But when this all blows over, you can definitely expect a music video.
How Did It Feel to Do Your First Live Performance?
Awesome. I felt in my element and the energy was there. The love was crazy. The best part of the night was just meeting everyone. I can’t wait till fill out these rooms with hundreds of my fans. Broken bones.
What Can We Expect next?
Debut album, more YouTube content…I’m considering starting a second channel, but we’ll see. Just more dope and creative content in general. I’m really trying to find more ways to connect and communicate with the fans. So, streaming and any other means of doing that is on my list.
Your View on The Music Scene?
I don’t concern myself too much with what other people are doing. I’ve got my own lane. I try my best to ignore the antics and stick to the music and hearing what people have to offer lyrically and sonically. Any albums I’m interested in, I check out. News & drama I keep out of.
Generally, I just want to be a source of inspiration to independents out there and set a template on how to turn their love for music into a legitimate business. There is a lot of negativity in the industry and messages that discourage people from even trying or trying properly. So, I want to give them hope and show them that anything is possible, and the only competition they have is themselves.
How Do You View Yourself as An Artist?
I have a lot to prove to myself before I give myself any props. So right now, a work in progress. A lot of people make the mistake of underestimating me, until they don’t.
I’m an artist that definitely has a lot to offer and will be a breath of fresh air for the industry. The best of my ideas will take some time to build. I truly love, care and appreciate my fans so I want to give back to them as much as I can. I’ll let my actions do the rest of the talking. I’m not going anywhere.
More about Demo Akuro
His childhood hobbies included drawing manga, comic books and making Youtube videos which had a large impact on his current influences. This then led to editing trailers, gaming montages and presenting marketing ideas to 20-century fox for their film "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children". Since early 2017, Demo Akuro has featured on blogs such as Tune Loud with his first debut performance being at Notting Hills Arts Club. He has also performed at venues in Oxford and around London. After realising his first single 'Colours' which was aired on Kiss FM Radio, Demo became know for his large variety of vocal productions and techniques as he bends his voice, flow and ad-libs through a variety of intense yet harmonious pieces of work. Through his fascination in the arts and entertainment industry, naturally music found its way to him.
