[SonReal](https://www.instagram.com/sonreal/?hl=en), the moniker of Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper, and visual artist Aaron Hoffman, has been a fixture in the Canadian hip-hop scene since his earliest mixtapes in 2008. His latest single, “Bank On Me,” empowers people to look within themselves to pull through life’s deepest, darkest moments. Uplifting and self-assured, the song bombastically declares that things can once again be alright.
Premiered today exclusively on _Flaunt_, “Bank On Me” is accompanied by an amusing music video, playing through a dramatization of that “end of the world” feeling we’ve all been trying to kick after the past year. Opening to newspaper headlines declaring the imminent end of times, the video cuts to the near future, depicting SonReal barely surviving in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The message is clear-cut: perhaps things aren’t as bad as they could be.
**Your new video for “Bank On Me” is wildly inventive and imaginative. What are the themes and inspiration for this piece?**
We’re living in some strange times that has everyone, including me, thinking a bit out of the box. \[laughs\] We schemed for months on this concept of me losing it and heading out to the forest, and it snowballed into this. I want to make art that cannot be compared to anything. I have always done this, but I want to continue to pave my own lane by infusing the acting and characters into my visuals. None of my songs are funny or humorous, and the juxtaposition with the visual being comedic is my thing.
**The track also seems to be very reflective on the world's current situation, can you describe your writing process for this song?**
I wrote this song via Zoom with my producer Trevor Muzzy. Trevor’s an absolute beast, plays every instrument and is a world class engineer and vocal producer. We had a lot more emotional songs for the album leading up to this one and wanted to do something fun for people. We wanted to make something for a live show. I mean when that BANK BANK BANK BANK BANK.... BANK ON ME part comes in, all I can think of is a massive crowd singing it. Just wanted to have fun and make something iconic.
**You've been living in LA for a while now, how has Los Angeles influenced your music, compared to growing up in Vancouver? Has the current pandemic affected your music as well?**
Before I had moved to Los Angeles, I never really made music with producers in the room. All my songs like “Everywhere We Go,” “Preach,” “For The Town” were all recorded in my bedroom. It really opened up doors for me to become more musical one on one with producers. The pandemic has positively affected my music, been working so hard on it and _solely_ it since there's no touring. I’m lucky I went to audio engineering school and know how to track and mix myself, it makes it a lot easier. The pandemic has been a challenge. I talk about mental health a lot in my music and in a lot of ways, this music has been very reflective of what I, and other people, are going through right now.
**You skate the line between Pop, Hip Hop/Rap, and Indie. Can you describe your personal style and aesthetic and how do both of them translate into your own genre of music?**
I grew up listening to Rap music: Nas, Outkast, DMX. But my dad played guitar and sang, I loved that. I’m a melting pot of genres, because I’m a fan of so many genres. I write all my own lyrics. I love melody, I love to sing, but I also have spent over a decade rapping. I do whatever feels right. It’s important to be cohesive and I believe I've been successful at that from my last album (_The Aaron LP_) onto this new body of work. A lot of that comes from the theme of my writing and the production making sure the sonic landscape is complimentary between the more rap, pop, indie-sounding stuff.
**What does the future look like for SonReal's music? What can we expect next?**
A lot of new music! I’ve been working so hard on this project(s) and can’t wait to share. I’ve had to dig deep within myself to write these songs, they weren’t demanded of us from a deadline or forced out. They came from a real place and we let them come as they showed themselves. There’s something special about that. I’m very very excited for this year.
