yetep Shares What His Debut EP ‘Here & Now’ Means To Him and Plans for the Future [INTERVIEW]

LA-based artist yetep has been keeping us on the edge of our seats for months in anticipation for his debut EP, Here & Now. The leading track, “I Hope” with Heather Sommer and Kyle Reynolds, dropped on April 30 via music powerhouse Proximity, which spotlighted the producer’s signature charm of melodic electronic music that provokes all the feels.

Today, the wait is finally over, and Here & Now is now officially in the world. In honor of this massive milestone in yetep’s career, Electric Hawk had the chance to chat with yetep to discuss what went into the EP’s creation and what he has planned for the future. With prior releases on labels such as Lowly, Dim Mak, Proximity, and official remixes of Tritonal, Gryffin, and Seven Lions, we can’t wait to see more from yetep in the coming years.

Kaelyn Gray, Electric Hawk: Hey Peter, thank you so much for chatting with us about your debut EP, Here & Now! The first single “I Hope” was presented back in April, with “Alright” and “Runaway” released the following two months. How has the reception and anticipation been leading up to the full project?

yetep: With every release it’s different, but overall it’s pretty nerve-racking. I’m always very appreciative of the support on my projects. I think people seem to relate it to it very well and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

KG: You are releasing this EP through Proximity’s label. How did you get linked with Proximity, and how was the release process like with them?

yetep: Blake, who’s in charge of Proximity, has been amazing to work with. He’s so understanding, genuine, and really cares about your best interest. I have worked with many different major labels in the past and to have that support system means everything to me. Finding a label who believes in you just as much as you believe in yourself is really hard to come by nowadays. Every release through Proximity has always been smooth and his whole team has been great to work with.

KG: How long of a work in progress has the EP been?

yetep: I started working on Here & Now for about a year now. I felt like I was never ready for it. Lots of trials and errors went through it, but we got it done.

KG: What was your intention behind Here & Now, and has it changed at all from the initial conceptualization to now?

yetep: My whole concept was not to worry about the past, future, and to just live in the present. Through the creative process, I base my music off of the current emotions being felt during that time in my life which resonates through my music. With that being said, I felt like now was the best time to finally release. 

KG: What was a key inspiration that guided you through the EP’s creation?

yetep: I honestly thought long and hard about this question, but overall there wasn’t really anything that came to mind. It was something that I was feeling during that very moment when I wrote the tracks. Each song has a special meaning close to my heart and to be able to bring it all together through Here & Now is still a dream for me. I hope this EP inspires my fans to find happiness, believe in themselves, and to do what they love.

KG: Each track on the EP features a collaboration, would you mind sharing a couple words to describe the unique journey each song went through?

yetep: I’ve always wanted to work with these artists before Here & Now was a thing. It’s a crazy feeling knowing that the producers/vocalist I looked up to musically are now some of my closest friends. I want to give the BIGGEST S/O to all the artists a part of the EP. I know it says yetep’s EP, but it really does feel like a compilation of the work I did with the people I care about.

KG: The ethereal artwork for Here & Now and its precedent singles are so stunning. They perfectly capture the phrase “here & now” into visuals. During the artwork’s creation, what type of design concepts did you have in mind?

yetep: I have my good friend Mike Ho to thank for that. He always delivers my ideas so well. He’s done all the artwork for Here & Now and most of my singles. Check out his work 🙂 His instagram is @_mokeho.

KG: What do the words “here & now” mean to you?

yetep: It will forever hold a special place in my heart. It’s my debut EP, it will be like my first love.

KG: After this EP, what’s next for you this year?

yetep: We had plans that were set in place before the pandemic, but with everything going on … I don’t even know what’s happening tomorrow. I’m currently just working on as much music as I possibly can until everything is back to normal. This EP is just the beginning of it all.

KG: Thank you again for taking the time to speak with us again! Before we go, is there anything you’d like to add?

yetep: Thank you for your time and I hope that you check out all the artist who were featured in the EP! Much love to Blake and Proximity for believing in me! 

Keep Up With yetep
Instagram | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter

If you’re looking for a solid playlist to follow? Keep up with our weekly Spotify Playlist, Fresh Hunts. Whether it’s the newest drops from yetep and all your other favorite artists, some old school, or underground. We just want you to hear it.

And if you’re looking for ways to educate yourself and contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement, check out this site.