“The goal of my Big Hug LP is simple: Give my listeners a big hug. Because I write, play, produce and mix my own music, I wanted to make something that really felt like this moment. We’re all emerging from our caves, full of fear, apprehension and social awkwardness. I wanted to make a record that helped people get through this. It has moments of bliss and self doubt—of anxiety and self depreciation, but hopefully, it acts as a transformative record for a transformative time. Like, it’s kinda perfect that my song “I’m an Idiot” was picked up by Spotify’s New Music Friday. It’s an anti-anthem for our post-post-modern generation, celebrating the joy of not knowing—and knowing you don’t know. I admit, I’m scared, just like you. We’re little apes on a little rock in a sea of nothingness, in the midst of a moment that crystallizes and highlights our impermanence and futility. But dude, we have each other. And after all, life’s all a lot better when we get a big hug.”
How did you become a band?
I grew up in San Diego, jamming on guitar in garages and churches. All of my friends (prudently) left to go to college and get real careers. I stayed in San Diego and learned to play more instruments. Over time, I learned to record myself, so I could play with myself. That sounds wrong.
How do you think this record is different from your past ones?
I think the main difference between this record and previous ones is I don’t really suck at mixing anymore. Just in case a reader is curious: mixing music is the process of taking recorded audio and getting the different bits of audio to work together, creating a more professional, cohesive sound. I’ve had to mix a few hundred songs to even start to get the hang of it. It’s hard! Now that I’ve grown, it seems my music has become more approachable. I’ve also practiced bass a ton. It might be my favorite instrument now. (Don’t tell my guitar.) I’m trying to document this process of growth and reflection throughout this early stage of my career on my new podcast “Music Appreciation 101” on Spotify. Hopefully, it’ll give a window into musical processes (like songwriting and mixing) with the goal of making music fans and musicians love music more.
Favorite track on the record and why?
I had to think for awhile, but my fave has gotta be Don’t Worry. It’s just a groovy little song about worrying about worrying. It makes me smile everytime I listen to it, reminds me of what’s important in life, and it’s super fun to play on any instrument. I can literally pick up a bass or a uke or a guitar or jump on a keyboard, and it’s still a fun experience to play that one.
Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing the album?
Speaking of “Don’t Worry,” my old apartment in North Park, San Diego got invaded by crickets. I like to put some natural textures into my songs (like chirping birds in “I Love Money”), but at the end of “Don’t Worry,” the sound of the crickets wasn’t added in. That was just what the inside of that terrible apartment sounded like. I’ll spare you the story about the random slugs. Oh and the alligator lizard. Can’t forget the one time I surprised a mouse by staying up until 2 am making music. We called it Mouse Hour. My new apartment is far less gross, thankfully. Less roommates.
What are the dynamics within the band? Who writes the lyrics, who’s in charge of arranging the tunes etc?
Luckily, I enjoy spending time alone. The past year, I’ve begun thinking of music pretty holistically, combining arranging, lyric writing, recording, mixing and production into one fluid process. To me, there’s no clear boundary where one begins and the other ends. I view Pro Tools as my main instrument. It’s a fluid tool to tease out every creative idea I possibly could have, as quickly as possible, so that those ideas don’t evaporate. I like to work fast. Most of the songs on the record were written, recorded, mixed and mastered within a few (very intense) days. I think there’s something to that. Speed can help tame the internal critic, fully tease out the creativity of the moment, and stop the process from getting boring or too tedious. That’s not to say that details don’t matter—they do! But second-guessing isn’t the move. Save that for after it’s mastered.
What’s a record that shaped your creativity?
Two immediately came to mind: Eureka by Mother Mother—it gave me a sense of how instruments can dance together. (It’s similar to listening to anything produced by Quincy Jones.) And from there, I hope to make music where every instrument unites to become a ball of music. Less like picturing a stage, more like being hit by the impact of a single entity of sound. Another is Get To Heaven by Everything Everything. That record really helped to define alt pop to me. That’s the genre I want to be/become—albiet with more of a focus on smoking an ungodly amount of weed.
Who is an artist or band you look up to these days?
David Byrne. His book, his career, all of it. He wrote something very poignant that I’ll paraphrase: The environment defines the genre. In other words, chamber music sounds the way it does because it’s played in a chamber. Stadium rock is made to sound good in a stadium. My music is made for the medium of headphones. I hope to take your head and transport it across songs and sections, using creative tools for stereo imaging, reverb, saturation and brain melting modulation. We have two ears—let’s give ’em an exercise!
Any future projects?
I’ve finished my next EP, KŌAN a, which will be part of my upcoming LP, KŌAN. I’m trying to gain inspiration from the vinyl format. Speaking of environment defining genre, here’s something powerful about flipping a record. It’s like a new portal in time. Turning a page. So, each EP I release next year is meant to be one side of a double record. Thematically and sonically, Side A will reflect Side C, and B will reflect D. How exactly I’ll do that is yet to be figured out, but I’m excited for the creative challenge. I also just wrote my first song in Japanese, which I’m really stoked about. Will be cool to put out my first Japanese song on a record with a Japanese-derived name. That’ll be out early next year. Be sure to follow me on Spotify and the other socials to hear when it drops! (You can find my links at www.ScoobertDoobert.Pizza)
What does music mean to you?
This will sound funny coming from a solo artist, but music means community to me. Even though I make the music alone, I work with an awesome team of dedicated, hard working, golden-hearted folks at my nouveau “record label,” Beformer, as well as with Riley Knapp my mastering engineer and with Gentle Giant Illustrations, who does all of my album art. And I am cultivating a great community with the people that like my music and engage me on socials. It’s fun to write a song that resonates with people in their lives, and then be able to share memes with that person. I don’t want a passive career with a gulf between stage and audience. I want to build music that binds us together. That seems like something worth the effort.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
I hope my music sounds like a stoner having the time of his life. Truly fun, but honest. Human and silly. Music to dance and bob to, to sing along to, to commiserate to, and to bond to. Always surprising but oddly familiar. Just glad I’ve found a eureka nucleus to make that all possible.
