'I still got a long way to go': Daniel Caesar on reaching success and what keeps him grounded

In just four years, Daniel Caesar has had the type of career highs some musicians only dream of — like getting nominated for a Grammy and a Juno for his debut album Freudian, and selling out his first live concert. For the Oshawa-raised singer-songwriter, the experience of selling out five straight nights at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall was even more meaningful because of his familiarity with the venue. 

"I've seen some of my favourite artists in that venue," he says in a interview with q's Tom Power. "And now... it's through the looking glass almost. I was on this side, watching everything happen in that venue, and now I'm on the other side and my perspective flips."

In spite of his massive success in the past year, Caesar still feels odd being compared to other big names from Toronto, such as Drake and The Weeknd. 

"It's pressure, it's pressure. It is a lot of pressure just because I'm still freshman. You know these other artists are like junior, senior — not even sophomore because they're many, many projects deep. ... I still got a long way to go."

In this exclusive interview, Caesar sits down with us to talk about what keeps him grounded, the challenge of interviews, and what it feels like to finally reach that thing he's always wanted to achieve. You can watch the full interview above.

— Produced by Tyrone Callender

Daniel Caesar, 'Freudian'

Daniel Caesar, 'Blessed'