Bajan songwriter Kris Fields making waves in Trinidad and Tobago soca

MANY Barbadians have contributed to TT’s soca industry.

One of the latest to do so is 26-year-old songwriter Kris Fields.

Having already crafted tunes for soca stars who have included Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts, Shurwayne Winchester and Preedy, among others, he hopes to continue expanding his catalogue.

Early beginnings

Fields is from Shorey Village in St Andrew, Barbados. Although he's an attorney by profession, music has always been his passion.

He told Newsday he grew up admiring his sister and aunt’s involvement in the St Michael’s Cathedral choir.

“I was always watching them sing, so I wanted to do that too. So I joined the choir when I was about maybe nine or ten, and that was probably my first little foray into music.”

He said his parents often listened to music at home too – mostly “oldies.”

He continued to explore this interest during his secondary school days. It was then his songwriting journey began.

“I had a friend who was really into hip-hop and used to encourage me to write and we would rap…I wrote a lot.”

For many music lovers, their first time listening to what would eventually become one of their favourite projects is unforgettable.

For Fields, that song was US rapper Kanye West’s 2010 hit All of the Lights, featuring superstar – and fellow Barbadian – Rihanna.

“The first time I listened to that song on a car sound system was (when) it really clicked for me that I really wanted to do (music professionally). The way he did the drums, I was like, ‘Whoa,’ and it was very euphoric and very different, so that was what stood out to me.”

He went through many phases as he tried to figure out what aspect of the music industry he wanted to settle into. He initially combined singing and songwriting, even forming a band called Sharp 4.

“I had a drummer, a guitarist and a bass player.

“I had actually just finished secondary school, so I was about 17 or 18, and we used to play at the Old Jamm Inn (bar and nightclub) at St Lawrence Gap in Barbados … Those were some pretty good times.”

It was also around that time he tried his hand at music production, a skill he continues to develop to this day.

From DMs to studios

As his interest in soca music grew, he began reaching out to TT artistes and producers on social media.

Laughing, he said, “Most of the connections I have in soca are literally just from messaging people on Instagram saying, ‘I write songs. Do you need songs?’”

One such message eventually led to his first significant collaboration in soca. He got in touch with 2024 Young King and Road March winner Mical Teja (Mical Williams).

“He sent me this big folder full of riddims, and part of what I wrote on one of them is what ended up turning into Bad Chargie.”

Bad Chargie, a 2022 track, was performed by Machel Montano and Viking Ding Dong.

“Teja is really good at his job, and he wrote most of it, but took a section I wrote and said, ‘This is really nice. I’m going to build around it,’” Fields said.

On how he felt about his first TT writing stint being for Montano, he said, “Honestly, it was kind of crazy.

“I had just started doing this, and knew that working with him would augur well for (me). So I was over the moon about that.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t in Trinidad to hear (how much it got played), but it was one of the most (digitally) streamed songs that year.”

He has worked with other TT artistes, including Patrice Roberts, Nessa Preppy, Aaron Duncan and Kernal Roberts. He also wrote the song/jingle for Carib’s Carnival 2023 promotion, Show Me Your Label.

How does he juggle creating music with being an attorney? Both require a lot of time and attention to detail.

“Music is a passion, so (for me) that is a formal work-life balance…

“I like to make music, it's an enjoyable process and I get to spend time with people that I like and respect…So being a lawyer is demanding, and then making music is very therapeutic.”

He got his bachelor’s degree in law at UWI, Cave Hill, then his legal education certificate at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad.

“I remember for a long time, I didn’t really know what I wanted to be, but I still knew music was something I wanted to do.”

Having already lived in TT to go to law school
, occasionally returning, he opted to move back this year, as he hopes to further cement his name in the local music industry.

“I love TT. I made a lot of friends when I was studying here and I like the pace of life. It’s awesome.”

For the Carnival 2025 season so far, he has worked with Lyrikal on his track Hush and Bend on the Spirit Riddim, and Preedy’s single Blaze Fire.

‘TT’s the best place to write soca’

Every songwriter has a unique creative process. Some write entire songs in five minutes, others require more time and isolation, and some freestyle and see where it leads. For Fields, it varies, depending on the genre and the energy of the music.

“Songs happen in different ways. You may come up with a melody that you like and start to write some lyrics, and you try to find a concept, or write about something that people will like or resonate with on some level…That's how the song usually comes together.”

When it comes to soca, he said living in the genre’s “mecca” is a major advantage. Instead of penning tunes alone at home, he now gets to work more closely with local industry professionals.

“When I’m in Barbados, it’s not like someone can invite me to a studio session (in TT) and I can just hop on a plane…

“I primarily write soca music, and this is the best place to write that.”

He said he also appreciates that he can now get real-time feedback from attending studio sessions.

“Songwriting involves a lot of cuts, a lot of second-guessing … Sometimes you may write something and think it's absolutely terrible and somebody says, ‘No, that's pretty good,’ and that’s really helpful, because sometimes the hardest thing can be to start.”

While there are some songs a writer may immediately feel confident about, sometimes “you need to kind of test it against other people's opinions and bounce it around before you get it to where you need it to be.

“So it’s a more collaborative experience, and there’s more of a vibe from the room compared to sitting in a room alone trying to generate the vibe.”

He still sings for “catharsis” and to “feed his soul,” but just doesn’t release the tracks.

Some people have tried to persuade him to resume, but while he said he “thinks about it,” it’s not his current focus.

“There comes a time when you realise that being front and centre and visible is not necessarily what you want.”

Instead, his focus is on continuing to grow as a songwriter and making meaningful connections in the world of soca music.