TITUS MAKIN Discusses His Recent TV Roles and His Latest Musical Project and New Single, ‘Ropes’!

Titus Makin is a pop artist, songwriter and actor from Sierra Vista, Arizona. After graduating from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his acting and musical career on a professional level.

Titus has worked with multiple music and acting industry professionals due to his time on Fox’s hit show “Glee,” and tour engagements related to “Glee: Live.” Titus has also starred in CW’s Star-Crossed and hit shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Grey’s Anatomy among others. Titus is currently playing character, Caleb Matthews, a musician, on Hulu’s “The Path.”

Titus has always had an equal passion for acting and music which led him to self-release his own material. He cites Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams, Cee-Lo Green & Adam Levine as some of his musical inspirations. His sound could be described as mainstream pop, coupled with soul undertones. Titus has written with and been produced by some of pop’s top producers: Jake Scott, Aaron Kellim and David Hodges (Evanescence, Christina Perri, Kelly Clarkson).

Directed by The Reininga Brothers, Titus Makin has recently released the visuals for his catchy pop single “Ropes.” Speaking of the creative process, he adds “Ropes is about the constant war we have with ourselves every single day! When we want to do good but evil is always present with us. The inward battle of trying to rid yourself of old harmful habits and cling to the healthy. Keeping your connection to God & not turning away trying to fulfill your own selfish desires”

“Ropes” became available on all digital and streaming platforms on October 11th. With another single “Good Love” coming out in a few weeks and a second EP “Lean” in the making, there’s no doubt that Titus Makin is a rising multi-skilled artist to watch closely in 2017.

Learn more about Titus Makin in the following All Access interview:

Where does this interview find you? – Siting in my room here in beautiful Encino, CA.

Is there music playing in the background? – There isn’t, surprisingly enough I love getting the morning going in silence. It really helps me gather my thoughts and prepare for the day ahead.

What music gets you instantly out of a bad mood? – Honestly Christian/gospel music or some really heavy produced hip hop music. I still get really excited when “Look At Me Now” is played.

What is a song you are loving these days? – “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons is on repeat in my car

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? – I wanted to be a singer once I got into middle school, discovered I had a voice, and started learning how to use it. Before then my focus was set on being an Olympic gymnast.

Can you recall your earliest musical memory? – Attempting to sing “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” from The Lion King in my Elementary school talent show. it went surprisingly well!

Was there a time where you thought of doing something completely different? – Yes, I considered pursuing animation while in High School because I love to draw as well.

Musically, did you approach this year any differently then you did last year? – Completely different actually! pushing harder, trying to get my music into different territories/areas to help expand my listeners. Started really engaging musically more on social media as well. the road to a record deal. lol

How has 2017 been treating you and your career? – its been rather good to me. acting has been great and music has been progressing. Jared Leto & Donald Glover goals! acting and music take over. 🙂

What are you most excited about for in 2018? – Honestly to see how much further I can get with my music and acting. hoping and praying for the best.

I always like to ask artists about where they came from and how that city or town has influenced them as an artist now. So how do you think your hometown has affected you and your music today? – For me personally it was less of one town that has shaped me, its more of the many cities and countries I lived in due to being in a military household. It opened my eyes up to many different cultures and ways of life from a young age and really helped open my eyes to different kinds of music and artists. Really helped me take a different avenue, musically, of my own.

Let’s talk about your latest single, “Ropes.” What was the inspiration for this song? – It was inspired by the constant war we have with ourselves every single day! The inward battle of trying to rid yourself of old harmful habits and cling to the healthy. Keeping your connection to God & not turning away trying to fulfill your own selfish desires.

How creatively involved were you the music video for it? – Very involved. I like to creatively be a part of every aspect of my music career. The Reininga Brothers (directors) really brought a lot to the table, so the ideas flowed extremely naturally.

How was working on it different then all the films and TV that you have done in the past? – its actually quite similar except a lot shorter days. lol. both very enjoyable.

When do you hope to release your next EP, “Lean”? – Hoping for a release around December/January. Will have to keep you all posted.

Are you currently in the studio working on it? – yes, back and forth in the studio as time per its. In between frequent trips to NY as I finish filming the new season of ‘The Path’ on Hulu.

How has it been going? – Going very well! loving the new music. really hoping you all love it as well!

How do you think the sound of it will be different or similar to anything else you have previously released? – I feel this will be my most cohesive project. A lot of my old stuff crosses over different genres but this EP will be strictly pop (my favorite).

I am currently going back and watching Glee from the very beginning so I am excited to see you pop up soon. Have you been able to watch it since it went off the air? – I have actually watched a few episodes. also when people tag me in old clips on social media, I still get to see it all the time. I love it. its like looking back at a high school yearbook, so many great memories.

What was it like finally being on a show were you could sing, dance and act? – Amazing! such a dream come true!

What has it been like being a part of Hulu’s “The Path” series? – So great! the cast and crew are such a pleasure! Love being a part of a show where they give the actors creative freedom as well.

I have read that you have always had an equal passion for acting and music but I am curious to know if one challenges you more than the other? Do you find that one comes a little more naturally to you? – They both are equally challenging and rewarding. With music you get to really give a voice to your own artistry. With acting you get an opportunity to tell someone else’s story.

With the summer over now, what was something fun or new that you tried this summer? – I tried traveling back and forth between coast every week without exhausting myself… I failed. lol

How active are you on social media? How important do you think it has all been to your career? Do you find that it’s hard to keep up to date on all the different platforms? – I think social media is extremely helpful and beneficial. Its a direct line to your followers, the people who buy your music and share your message. I will admit that is very challenging keeping up with all the platforms, as there are so many different ones that pop up.

We are living in a crazy and at times rough world right now so I am curious how you think being a musician gives you the most joy in life today? Do you think that new music being created today is going to reflect these difficult times? – Yes I absolutely think that the music today will reflect the current times. Being a musician gives me joy because we’re able to have a platform where we can bring awareness and encourage universaly.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future? – The musicians that both inspire me and that I’d love to work with are Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell, Adam Levine, & CeeLo Green.

What do you hope fans take away from your music? Do you think there is a message to a lot of your songs? – There is a message to all of my songs, whether its God driven or just about love and relationships. I really love for a song to have a specific truthful message even if its just made for dancing.

What advice would you give to a young person who is thinking about becoming a musician one day? – Believe you can & believe you’re good enough. No matter what opinion someone has about your voice strive to be better for yourself, not to fit a mold or vocal style.