Where are you currently based?
I still live at home with my parents in Temecula, California.
What’s been happening recently and how has you Covid experience been so far?
My COVID experience has been pretty positive because that’s been the most time I’ve ever had to work on music and to really just delve into what I love.
How did you first start playing music?
I’ve grown up with a lot of music. Mormons have an entire hour… Well, not an entire hour, but they sing a lot in church and a lot of Mormon kids get piano lessons. So, my family was always musically inclined and all of that. So, I’ve always played instruments and stuff, but I got my first guitar and I’m the best at the guitar. I got my first guitar when I was 13.
Your new single ‘Violent’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I would say the sound, it’s a Lil Peep type beat. So of course, Lil Peep influenced it. The writing, what influenced the writing is honestly, I wrote that song really fast. It literally just came to me, but at the time, I was in kind of like a bad relationship. So, I’m sure the reason those kind of painful lyrics came to me so easily is because that’s kind of what I was feeling on the inside.
How did you go about writing Violent?
I just found the beat and then it was really catchy. I just decided to write to it, and in 30 minutes, it was done.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?
I recorded it in my bedroom on my Apple headphones late at night. I actually couldn’t even sing that loud because my parents were sleeping. So, on the, “… back door,” part I had to kind of do it quietly, which it probably wouldn’t turn out maybe better if I had full done it, but I don’t know. Then it was produced by a guy named Khalil in Turkey. Yeah, it was a YouTube beat.
Violent blew up on TikTok, how did this come about?
Someone just asked for it on TikTok. They were Like, “I need Violent on TikTok,” and I was like, “Say less.” So, I put a screen recording of it up and then it kind of just went from there.
How has this massive exposure impacted your life, I hear it led to you being signed?
Yes. I got signed, which has been really great, and it’s also impacted my life. It’s stressful in a way to have that many eyes on you, but it’s also really rewarding in a way that I feel kind of a responsibility to speak out on issues and just be really honest and be a good person in the industry because obviously, there’s a lot of good people, but I feel like there’s a good place for me to… I’m really relatable and a lot of people can… I’m a good story of success because I came from a really bad place and look at me now.
You grew up as a Mormon with a very strong connection with your mother, how has life changed over the years?
I’ve always been really, really close to my mom. I think I would say the person I got closer to, I didn’t used to be very close to my dad, but I’m really close to him now, too. I have a really good relationship with both my parents, but I left the church when I was 13 or 14. I just kind of stopped going and told my parents, “Oh, I don’t believe in this.” But they’ve always been very, even though I don’t believe in… Obviously, it’s been a struggle telling your parents you don’t believe in that and I was always super rebellious and kind of a bad kid sometimes. So, our relationship was really strained, but I think my parents understand now. They just understand who I am, why I did those things. Yeah.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I listen to a lot of Slug Christ and I was into a lot of Future and Earth Eater. I listen to a lot of Midwestern emo music like The Story So Far. That’s lately.
What do you like to do away from music?
To be honest, my other hobby is literally just smoking. I like to bake, and I like to cook. I really like to eat. I’m a foodie.
What’s planned for 2021?
To release the best album that’s ever been made.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
That’s my favorite food and my favorite place to hang out in my garage. I know it sounds crazy. I love my garage. I have done everything in this garage. There are so many memories here, but now, we have a nice TV and a couch. Yeah, I just like hanging out in my garage.
