Severn native aims high with debut
Earl Potts — aka Earl from Yonder — looks to make impact and ‘speak for youth’ with his self-titled album project
Earl Potts, better known as Earl from Yonder, wants to break music barriers through his recently released experiential debut project.
The former Severn resident, who now lives in Brooklyn and is active in Baltimore, was the ambidextrous star defensive player for Spalding Archbishop’s 2013 basketball team. Now he has his sights set on a new journey: creating genre-bending hip-hop classics. Potts, 24, released his self-titled album “Yonder” in April after writing, producing and recording the rap project in a two-day creative spree in February at a remote cabin in Eastern Maryland.
“Yonder is whatever you want it to be, but for me, it’s to change the world, to make an impact … and speak for the youth,” he said.
Annapolis has backed the aspiring rap star since he began making music in high school. At his first show at the Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge on West Street in 2016, fans wearing branded clothing with “Yonder” splashed across the front sold out the venue. A graduate of the Peabody Institute music conservatory, Yonder went on to study art at Fairleigh Dickinson University where he represented Anne Arundel County in the NCAA Tournament.
His debut album, a 12-track complication of dreamy, alternative rap tunes that carry a diverse sound is available on all music streaming platforms and features Baltimore rapper Butch Dawson, Nikci 6, KruddTheGuru, Notorious Nick and Marcellous. Yonder talked to The Capital about his wide-ranging project and future music goals.
What is the idea behind “Yonder”?
My goal was to diversify rap and hip-hop and not just, it’s very frustrating for people to make the same song over and over and over again, it sounds the same. My goal was to break barriers and bring back real projects that you can listen to the whole thing through and no song sounds the same. It’s a different vibe every song, like I might I do some poetry, anything just to mix it up. My next project I’m moving towards rock-rap, more like a Lenny Kravitz style.
What song off your album stands out to fans the most?
Too Easy, it was produced by Rico. I really harmonize on it and the beat builds and drops. It’s very movie-esque. I’m a method artist so I put myself in scenarios so I can make the music that I want it to sound like. For example, I took my whole team to a cabin in Goldsboro, Maryland for a weekend and we ended up making the whole project in two days.
Did you have shows planned that were canceled because of coronavirus?
I had a small listening party that I was going to do in Baltimore. We had three different drinks, one was called Yonder, one was called the big Y. Then I was going to do the real listening party at Pure Skate Shop in Annapolis. I had three shows already lined up and booked to do. But it’s OK. I’m not stressing too much.
Who are your musical influences?
Lenny Kravitz because of the way he carries himself. He can make any genre, go into any room, he’s respected and has a cool energy to him. Also, Prince is my favorite artist of all time. No one has done it like him. He just had his own style of doing everything and I’ve learned a lot because I’m all about breaking barriers.
People have this, even when I went to Peabody, people would definitely have this preconceived notion of what music is and what you should do and what is right. Prince didn’t care about any of that. Neither did Jimi Hendrix, which is another person that was huge for me.
Do you have long term music goals for Yonder?
I will start working on my short film for my project late June. The plan is for it to be five to seven minutes and it will include three to four songs, and also includes script as well. I act and direct, and we’ll be working with this director named Aus Taylor, who has won independent awards for his directing and it’s just beautiful work. I don’t like digital, I like film, I like it real. So we’ll be filming the short film in 16 mm film, just for like, the graininess. But that’s also very expensive to develop but I’m willing to invest in myself to get the message across. But I don’t want to give too much away about it because it’ll come full circle. But I think it’s going to be the old versus new Yonder, and I’ll be playing two roles in it.