Still Woozy Speaks On Intimacy In His Music

‘BS’ is Still Woozy’s second single of the year and what a track it is. The former member of math-rock band Feed Me Jack and self-confessed starry eyed musician, brings a glorious groove to a landscape that would be described, widely-speaking, as pop; however Woozy’s music isn’t quite like any pop you’ve heard before. It’s both vaguely familiar yet completely exclusive.

Pouring every morsel of creativity into the greatness that is to come, Woozy maintains his passion for a hands on approach with music, he admits “I love playing with sounds and textures, it’s so much fun to make beats and just create something out of nothing. Like feeling the different textures of the drums and then building on top of them, then as it takes form it blows my mind a little bit.” Unlike most he prides himself in being a “perfectionist” because he believes that “when you give stuff to someone else to do it’s never going to be your true vision.”

A vision we discussed via Zoom, despite the lengthy time difference that looms over the Atlantic Ocean, separating our continents. During the conversation, the California-raised artist shared: the ultimate way to experience a Still Woozy song, using music as a coping mechanism, memorable shows and more!

Is this new single a glimpse into the direction you are going to be taking your music or will this be different to your releases moving forward?

Based on the stuff I’ve already made, I’d say I always try to make something that keeps my interest and there’s so much that I want to try. So I wouldn’t say this is indicative of the stuff that’s coming. I will say it’s just a part of a whole picture.

A staple integrity throughout your work is that you have been known for releasing right after it’s finished. Is that the case with the single and what’s to come?

Well that was before I was signed to a label, all I had to do was put it on the distribution and it would go up. But now I have to have it OK’d and pass it through a line of people who sign it off. I don’t fully understand myself, but I know it takes a month before it can go out there. So it’s not as instant.

Congrats on your engagement, your cover art is created by your fiancé, so how does her art inspire your music?

She just inspires my art, I wouldn’t say it’s her art. But just her and how she puts art into everything, like, she got really good at doing these fancy things out of no where. Or like when she dresses, she puts so much detail into it. She just makes her whole life into the art and that inspires me.

So you’ve said before how important intimacy is to your music, has the pandemic made your intimacy stronger, if so why?

I think it’s reinforced what I want to get out of the music, I wouldn’t say it’s made it stronger. But, it definitely has given me more time to work on music, usually I’m on tour and I’m not the type of person that can do more than one thing at a time. I’m so tunnel visioned and it‘s becoming a problem. *laughs*

Some how even with the sadder topics, you always end up making the listener feel better by the end of your songs. Do you think that aspect of your music is reflective of your own character?

For music it is definitely like a coping mechanism, I have emotional stuff that I’m working through so my goal is to create a safe space just to get a little break from yourself or whatever you need to. I know if it can help me then it can do the same for other people.

What’s the ultimate way to experience a Still Woozy song?

I don’t know if there is an ultimate way but the way that I mix it and produce it, is like a headphone experience and I mix in all these tiny sounds for a split second. So if you don’t have headphones you won’t be able to hear it. So, to answer the question I’d say put your headphones on and go for a walk.

A lot of people would categorise your music as psychedelic pop, how do you feel about people labelling your music?

I guess it’s more like a tool for people to navigate music, so I can’t really be mad at that but I could never describe my own music. It is what it is, I don’t ever want to get stuck in a genre because I don’t want to be limited to one thing. I have too many ideas to be stuck in one place and I don’t want people to get used to one sound from me.

What have you been listening to the while you are at home?

I’ve been listening to Dominic Flack’s album a lot and it’s making me excited to release an album too. Because there’s some stuff that’s pop heavy, some experimental stuff as well as more slower songs, so that’s nice to see what an album can be. And Dangelo you can’t go wrong with some Voodoo.

What’s the most memorable show you’ve had so far?

I feel like there’s been so many crazy shows, but what just popped in my head is playing the Fonda LA and crowd surfing on a rubber duckie inflatable and I had a wireless microphone too. It was such good energy.

Photo credits to Sergiy Barchuk.

Keep up to date with Still Woozy on Spotify and Apple Music.