How did growing up in Indiana affect your music?

October London: Born and raised in Indiana, it affected my music in a positive way. I grew up listening to Al Green, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. My parents would always blare old school music all around the house. I also wasn’t too far away from where Michael Jackson grew up, so overall, Indiana was really good to me.

Where did your stage name “October London” come from?

October London: October because it’s my birthday month, I was born on October 17th and London, that’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, and I remember constantly saying it in the studio and one day, there was a picture of the city right on my screen and that’s when it clicked “October London.”

When would you say you started to take music seriously?

October London: I’ve been singing since I was a kid but I took it seriously around 2004. I realized I had the drive for music, and started producing for people around my area as well. As soon a turned 18, I started traveling to L.A., and Miami working and recording music, and that’s how it started growing.

You mentioned growing up to Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, who else would you consider some of your biggest influences?

October London: Yeah, I loved the way Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke wrote music and targeted love but I grew older, R Kelly and Neyo became artists who influenced me career wise as well. Overall, I’m fan of a lot of R&B artists which have allowed me to grow out to other genres and artists like John Mayer and Jack Johnson.