Fry Yiy spills story behind his ‘Leave the Liquor’ Soca Song

By Eldonte Samuel

“Leave the Liquor” Soca artist, Sherwin ‘Fry Yiy’ Miller’s developing music career has garnered interest from opportunists, sceptics, and fans. During an interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Miller shared valuable life lessons learned during his promising music career.

Fry Yiy is from the Leeward town of Layou and told SEARCHLIGHT that music was a comfort to him as his mother died when he was just four years old, and he felt fatherless because his father ”never really played the part, but all that motivates me”.

He has a close, almost fraternal bond with Jazi Labrode, a fellow resident of Layou. Fry Yiy said his 20 year old friend has always been motivating him, even before he started pursuing music, and when he demonstrated a preference for football.

The inspiration for his viral song ‘Leave the Liquor’ came while he was hanging out with Laborde in the town. He wondered aloud, “What do people really do when they drink liquor, boy?” Laborde responded, “It does make people turn pappyshow.”

“…and from there, I done start coming up with the song”, Miller recounted. Moments later, a van travelling to the town pulled aside and an individual exited the van and began to vomit. It seemed clear that the effects of the liquor was taking its toll, and Miller used this as a sign that he should go ahead with the song.

Although Fry YiY, whose real name is Sherwin Miller, won the Soca competition held at the launch of Vincymas on Friday May 17, 2024, he shared that, “Friday, when me wake up, I start get a lot of bad vibes. Me ask two people in the Soca game if they think this will be a good opportunity for me, and they discouraged me.”

He admitted that he first tried to understand them as they are more experienced, “so I ended up telling myself I wasn’t going to do it again.”

However, when a friend “who drops me by events and thing” told him that he should take the opportunity, Fry Yiy reconsidered and decided to give it a shot, and won the competition.

Miller went on to win the Barrouallie Soca Monarch title, but came up short when he placed second in the North Leeward Soca Competition, “so tha’ end up and boost me now.” He then captured the South Leeward Soca Crown.

Throughout these competitions, Miller explained that his core circle of friends started shifting.

“Me get some friends who go tell me to focus and do way me have to do, but the people who me been expect to be there and support, is like them nah really happy for me; some of them only happy for way them could get…even though I ain’t reach there yet, I done learn eh; teach me a lot,” the 29 year old up and coming artist said.

“ One of my personal aims is to get my own studio because a lot of producers ride a lot of the young artists.”

Miller went to explain that a copy of a contract for him to be signed to a producer began circulating on Facebook.

It outlined a percentage agreement for the artist to pay the producer for music usage in stage shows, competitions, performances, and previous competitions, and also agreeing to pay the producer 25% for unpaid competitions, 10% for dub plates or voice-overs, and a 50% split from song royalties.

The producer would provide invoices for all competitions, stage shows, and commercial uses. The producer would also grant the artist exclusive rights to use the music and maintain open communication regarding its usage.

“That was the first contract the man send me bro, nah go lie to yo.” He ended up not signing that contract.

Miller also explained that before being offered the contract, he tried to secure a deal with the producer that would see him covering all expenses himself, from mixing and mastering, to the song’s cover art.

“If from the start he did say, ‘boy Fry Yiy come leh we do way you say you war do’ which is, I sign something, so when the competition comes now, me know me go have to deal with he, so he won’t have to come around me with money talk and nah try build me.”

Miller, who has been in the music business for one year so far, said that contract would have allowed him to have only a little portion of the earnings.

His advice to other musicians aspiring to enter the Soca music scene is to be cautious.

Further, he is encouraging them to not fear change, citing his own transition from football as a path, to unexpected fame he had not foreseen a year prior.