NEWS

Exclusive Interview with Quincy Mumford

by Sophia Conklin

Sea Hear Now - Sept 6, 2023

I’d like to start with a quick introduction to Quincy Mumford, for those who may not know him. Quincy Mumford is a guitarist and singer-songwriter with nearly 25K monthly Spotify listeners. His most popular song, “Thank You,” has 5,316,729 streams! But beyond his musical successes, Quincy is an OTHS graduate from the Class of 2010. That’s right, Quincy Mumford, who sang his way from the Stone Pony to Sea Hear Now’s Sand Stage, was once a Spartan. I was given quite the prelude to meeting Quincy when I caught his concert, which opened up Saturday’s Sand Stage performances. During his time on stage, I noticed a comfort and confidence in Quincy that was admirable… it was clear he was right where he was meant to be. I felt inspired that one of us, a Spartan, could become so successful by following their passion! It was an exceptional performance from Quincy, but the one-on-one interview afterwards would be the encore…

Sofia [S]: So, how does performing here [Asbury Park, Quincy’s hometown] compare to performing anywhere else?

Quincy [Q]: This is huge for me. This is something that I’ve, like, always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to throw a concert on the beach or play on the beach, but I’ve never had the opportunity, actually. So the fact that this festival is here, it has completely changed Asbury Park for the better and brought this amazing community here… it’s just a dream come true for me, truly. 

S: Of all your songs… Do any of them bring you back to your high school days?

Q: Good question… There are many songs that I wrote while I was in high school that I no longer perform. They’re old, old records - but a lot of those remind me of high school when I hear them. Something new, that's nostalgic, I guess the song that I played earlier, “Come Thru”, because that’s really about kinda coming back to your roots… and revisiting, y’know, your old-self versus your new-self and finding that happy medium somewhere in between. And that song is kinda what keeps me humble and reminds me of being back in high school and, y’know, the good old days.

S: So, would you write music in class?

Q: Uh… I would actually! Yeah, there's - I mean, I literally have a stack of probably a hundred notebooks that literally it’s - one sheet is a writing essay, and the next sheet is doodles, and the next sheet is lyrics. So, it’s… it was always happening all the time, all at once.

S: What would you say to current Ocean students who are interested in pursuing a career in music?

Q: Do it. Do whatever your heart desires. Keep pushing forward. If you’re passionate about music, don’t ever stop, don’t ever tell anybody that you can’t do anything that you want to do. Just keep pushing. If it feels good, it is good.

S: Are there any last words to the students at OTHS?

[Turning to Tim Henry, former OTHS student, Quincy’s classmate, and cameraman]

Q: What’s something we used to say?

Tim [T]: Oh my god… I don’t know, I like what you said. Just… if it feels good, then it is good. Especially when it comes to making art, right?

Q: Yeah, make art! - One thing I will say for anyone is… just be kind to other human beings, y’know? Be kind and support one another… no matter what background, where you're from, what you look like, what you do, what you're interested in. Support one another, truly. It’s important - especially at that age. You guys are like little sponges, you’re soaking everything up and it’s important to support one another.

Although these were Quincy’s final words, Tim had a very wise comment I see as crucial in concluding this interview.

T: Don’t ever yuck anyone's yum.

Musician or not, Quincy’s advice is universal. “If it feels good, it is good.”  I feel his message is especially important for OTHS Seniors, who are navigating perhaps the most important year of their lives. A piece of Quincy’s advice I’d like to emphasize is that you have to go where your heart is, because that’s where you’re meant to be. Quincy has proved that as long as we remain true to ourselves and our passions, we can have opportunities and success. As we students move along into these next chapters of our lives, let's make sure to reflect on our journeys and what it took to get us here. Let’s always be kind and supportive to one another. And most importantly… Let's leave a Spartan Legacy.

To support Quincy and his music career, follow his Spotify and check out his songs!