Boy Soda on Australian R&B, the ‘Soda Sessions’ and Making Music for Himself

I know you collaborated with Converse on this as well. As a Converse All Star you’ve worked closely with them on various projects over the last few years. Tell me more about working on Soda Sessions with them.

Yeah, working with Converse has been amazing and they helped bring this idea to life. I wanted the Sessions to be my version of Mahogany Sessions and Tiny Desk, and to make something like that here in Australia. I also wanted to be able to do it in a beautiful space. So yeah, being able to make it all happen is crazy. Me and Converse have been in an amazing relationship throughout the years, so it was nice to have this mind baby that we could deliver together.

I can tell that putting people on and fostering community is something that really matters to you. In terms of you being an artist, I get the sense that obviously you want to make money from what you’re doing, but that it’s not the only goal. Would you say that’s accurate?

Yeah, man. If it was about just making money, I would have given up ages ago. I want people to see the R&B and soul talent that lives in Australia, which honestly—we’re quite the minority in music landscape here.

To be honest, I get quite exhausted feeling like I have a responsibility to build the scene up. But what I’m doing with the Sessions—building the scene just happens as a by-product of it. It contributes to the culture in an important way, and all the people in the Sessions are people who I think are pillars in the R&B and soul scene in this country.