I had the opportunity to chat via email with Andre Colquhoun, who recently released his debut EP Short Term. In companion with this release he also released a music video that provides visuals for all of the songs on the EP. Colquhoun is also an actor, but the focus of this article is primarily Short Term. Thank you so much to Andre Colquhoun for giving me this opportunity to ask him questions.

Could you tell our readers a little about yourself?

My name is Andre Colquhoun and I’m a Canadian actor, filmmaker, singer, songwriter, and record producer. I love the arts. Growing up, I was obsessed with movies, TV, and music. To this day, I still am. In elementary school I was the lead in the musical, in high school I was the lead in the musical, in college I studied acting for film and television, and after college I decided to pursue a career in film, TV, and music.

What inspired your EP Short Term?

I wanted to create something soothing for the mind. Something you can listen to and relieve stress. I also wanted to create something simplistic and experimental. So I started jamming out on the piano and came up with four songs. Each song comes from the heart and is very personal to me.

For the music video, what was your inspiration in terms of visuals?

In terms of visuals, I wanted things to be grounded in reality, but still have a magical feel to it. I sat down with my Director of Photography Julian Lomaga and we discussed my vision and plan. Instantly, he knew exactly what needed to happen. When watching the music video, know that everything from camera placement, camera movement, lighting, the different colours and tones serve a purpose.

Were there any moment in filming that were particularly challenging?

The scene for the song Awful Misery was challenging. It was challenging because we were doing loads of split screen shots. The first few shots ran smoothly, but the last batch was challenging. I didn’t like the takes I was doing so I kept re-doing them and day light was going down quickly. But the great thing, we all remained focused and got the job done.

How do you think your music represents you?

Pieces of my life are definitely fused into this project. It showcases my vulnerable side as well as my resilient side. It also showcases my talent abilities as an African Canadian male. A BLACK man. You can see the different elements are full of colour when listening and watching Short Term. I’d like to say I have a colourful personality.

What have been some of your favorite projects and why?

I’ve done a few projects, but Short Term would have be my favorite thus far. Reason being, it was challenging, educational, enjoyable, everything bundled into a nice package. I honestly learned so much and truly grateful I got to work with so many talented industry professionals.

How has your work better helped you to understand yourself?

It helped me to understand that I have great ideas and I should trust my instinct more often. A lot of the time, we as individuals have great ideas and never put them into action. It’s time we push aside all the negativity and doubt and just move forward. I’m truly grateful for this project and it taught me a lot about my inner self and what I want to achieve in life.

What would be some of your best advice for younger creatives?

Hard work, persistence, and patience. HARD WORK, PERSISTENCE, AND PATIENCE. That’s the recipe. There’s no magical potion. If you want something in life, get up, start running, and get it.

Where can our readers find you on social media?

You can find me on…

Website – andrecolquhoun.com

And on IMDb!

Share your thoughts with us in the comments or on Twitter, @thenerdygirlexp. You can find me on Twitter, @kleffnotes, on my blog, kleffnotes.wordpress.com, and on my kleffnotes YouTube channel.

Editor’s note: 1/14/2021 article has been updated based on request of interviewee Andre Colquhoun. Name, permalink, and where to find information have been updated in accordance with his request.