Ant Hill by Pulp

In Pulp’s newest single “Ant Hill”, they take a jazzy, spoken-word approach.”I ain’t slept in two days. I’m too faded. Lost in a blue maze.” The record is produced by himself under the producer alias Candy Cigarettes. Pulp combines a soft snare drum and piano to convey the same emotion their voice carries. Their vocals are pitched higher than usual, giving it a lighter, more free tone. Pulp is excellent at setting the mood through his music, and this one speaks of hopelessness too familiar for some.

Click here to listen to “Ant Hill” on SoundCloud.

A QUICK CONVERSATION WITH PULP

Pulp is a young and bright talent that prioritizes stepping outside of their comfort zone. Their music blends together topics and genres in a way that's fresh and unpredictable. The fusion of Hip Hop and Indie stems adds allure to their tracks while their vocals take you on a winding journey. Stumbling across their music can lead to a rabbit whole a bit shallower than expected. Their music is seasoned, yet with a very limited existence online. After listening to their handful of songs, the next course of action was to understand the mind behind the music.

You’ve just recently joined social media and SoundCloud as “Pulp”. What inspired you to become an artist?

PULP: I actually didn’t recently join social media/soundcloud/streaming services. I had about 150 songs released on my old soundcloud before I took them down during a fun little mental breakdown. I also deleted all of my old socials to get a fresh start. I’ve been releasing music for about 3 years, and I’m also the main vocals for my band, GIVE UP STILL HERE.

In regards to what inspired me to become an artist, the first thing that comes to mind is that I’ve always just loved art. I drew so much when I was a kid. I would write stories, comics, poems, you name it.

I’ve been really interested in making music since I was about 10. I’d make up band names and pretend I was in them. I would put my own art in CD cases and imagine that it was my album.

What really drove me to start recording my music was when I was in 7th grade (going through my emo phase) and I decided to relisten to the Marshall Mathers LP. That album inspired me so heavily that I started looking for more rap artists to listen to.

I also have to mention that I absolutely love movies. I’ve always been intrigued by horror, but recently I’ve been watching a ton of different shit. Watching these films inspires me so much. Half the time I’m watching something I have to pause to write lyrics down.


How has the music you enjoyed in your youth impacted the music you create today?

PULP: Growing up, I listened to a lot of different music. Emo, Rap, Indie, etc. I grew up on artists like Eminem and The National. Now I try to listen to most genres. I have to give credit to The Postal Service. Their album genuinely changed my life and I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t listened to it.


Is there a story behind your name?
 PULP: I’ve changed my name a few times, but pulp’s what I’ve stuck with for around two years. It really just stemmed from how much Pulp Fiction inspired me. My first mixtape was called “nose bleeds & tarantino.”


How did your family and friends responded to your career choice?

PULP: Almost every single one of my friends is an artist, so none of them were shocked when I decided I’m going to make art and find a way to live off of it.

I was very nervous about my mom’s response to me leaving college and creating music. She responded so well. My mom is a very talented artist, and I think she understands completely. She consistently tells me she’s very proud of me and loves my work. I send her links to my songs before I release them all the time.

Everyone has been very supportive, especially my girlfriend (aves), BTC, and dilly. I don’t know where I’d be without such wonderful people surrounding me. I could write a book just consisting of people to thank. All of my friends have been calling me pulp for a long time. I really don’t think of it as an artist name anymore. It’s just my name.

Pulp is working towards their 10,000 hours. In a time where it seems pushing out content quickly is king, Pulp looks towards improvement rather than a big break. Their persistence reflects in their music as well as their connection between their online audience. There is something to relate to within each of their songs. Whether it's a single line or a riff that hits the ear just right, Pulp is tapped in. They look for what they want to hear and craft a piece around. It certainly works, because we're all closer than we think.

What inspires your visuals? Each is always more unique than the last.
PULP: First of all, thank you! Recently, I’ve been watching an embarrassing amount of movies from A24. I absolutely love when a movie is inventive and unique. I try to pay really close attention to films when I watch them. A lot of my visuals are inspired by movies, but my personal video work is primarily inspired by shit that’s going on in my life.


Your currently released music is slow and mellow. Do you think you’ll venture into more aggressive music in the near future?

PULP: The songs I’m currently releasing under my personal page have been going in a somewhat sad and lofi direction. That’s just how I’ve been feeling recently.


What led you to venture into a solo career?

PULP: I’ve been making solo music for a long time and I only just started GUSH with BTC last September. There were a lot of things that inspired me to start releasing solo tracks again. I make a ton of music. Every day, I make an average of like 2-3 songs. I think I currently have around 500 in the vault. I felt like I needed to re-release some older shit and show people songs I’ve kept hidden away. I work so hard on my art every single day for a variety of reasons, but most of the time self expression through music feels like the only thing keeping me sane.

I’m brutally honest on so many songs and I often feel terrified to release them. I talk about a ton of shit that’s incredibly meaningful and personal to me. I kind of approach my music like it’s a diary. I vent and open up on songs in a way that I wouldn’t to anybody. Having your diary read by someone would feel awful, and putting it out is really scary. That’s one of the biggest reasons I’ve held off releasing my sadder tracks. A lot of people have told me that my shit is too sad to listen to or get behind, and I understand that. I’m just overly sensitive about anything I create because I give this my all.

I’m trying to push past that fear and let people hear what I make. I worry about my delivery, my production, my mixing, my lyrics, my flow, everything. Any imperfection can make me trash a song. I actually hate most of my shit, but that’s okay.

The thing that really pushed me to release solo music again was my friends. I send my boys almost everything I make and they always gas me up about it all. Constantly telling me that I need to drop songs, giving me feedback, and supporting me consistently. Shoutout the homies.

A lot of my songs with GIVE UP STILL HERE have a ton of screaming in them. I have so many hard hitting songs in the vault. I have big plans for future releases.

Pulp holds music dearly to them. As an artist, they earn their respect from simply being. Tunnel vision towards their art allows their supporters to embrace their music effortlessly. Pulp's inflections and thoughts are organic, and thus their lure is the same. Despite having hit the reset button on their solo career, the old and new fans still flock to their unique sound. They don't try too hard to fit a mold, making their music even more casual and enjoyable. Genres are melted together, acting as an oasis for those searching for peace.

Can you describe your first song and how you’ve evolved since then?

PULP: Oh god. My first songs were just me recording lyrics I wrote in class with voice memos on my phone and some 90’s beat playing off my computer. My first actual, released song was called “OCULUS.” I recorded it with my friend’s Blue Yeti microphone on quicktime, sent the vocals to a friend of mine, and he did his best to make me sound on beat. I remember the first time I heard myself on a beat. I felt like I was on top of the world. It made me feel like I was finally a real artist. In retrospect, the song is fucking terrible and my friends and I quote it and make fun of it. It did like 2k on soundcloud which was insane to me. I think most of the comments were telling me I suck, and rightfully so.

After a few months of recording I realized I wanted to get better at what I was doing. I worked on my writing and technical skills, learned how to use garageband, moved on to logic pro, taught myself how to mix and master, and recently I’ve been doing a lot with production. I work on improving every day.
Since I made my first song around three years ago, I can’t even begin to explain how much my sound has changed over time and evolved. I’ve ventured into so many different genres and I’m always experimenting.

I often relisten to old projects of mine and think about what I could have done better, what I can appreciate about them, and how much I’ve grown. It’s fucking crazy listening to something of mine from 2016 and then listening to current shit I’ve made. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for how far I’ve come.


What’s your next creative milestone in mind? Will we see more collaborations soon?


PULP: I’m always working on a ton of projects. Right now, I’m really focused on finishing up my self produced album, working on my short film, and the next GIVE UP STILL HERE album.

There will be lots of collaborations. I’m always working with people in GUSH. I’m working with Kirby2Cool and vqcant a lot right now. I have songs in the vault with a ton of artists. I’m always down to hop on something if I fuck with it.


From developing a concept for a song to releasing it and performing it on stage, what are the easiest and most fun parts of creating music? 

PULP: I actually haven’t played a show yet, but I plan on doing some as soon as this quarantine shit is over. I’m super anxious and excited to perform.

The easiest part of making music varies depending on the song. Sometimes, I can make a beat super fast and I’ll feel content with it. Sometimes, lyrics just flow out of me and before I know it I have like 3 songs written. Sometimes it’s making the cover art, sometimes it’s getting creative with vocal mixes and working beats around my vocals. For most of my songs, I wouldn’t say that it’s easy to make them. I really try to push myself to make great shit. 

It really depends. They all apply to the fun aspect of creating art. Sometimes my friends and I just fuck around on the phone all night making songs. Once, I spent an entire night making a freestyled mixtape over spongebob type beats. I love making music that’s kind of funny mainly because I want to make my friend group laugh. I try to make songs like that every once and a while because almost all of my “actual” music has pretty dark content. The majority of my lyrics focus on addiction, mental illness, and death. 

I try my absolute hardest to enjoy doing what I do. I recently asked my mom, “Do you have any idea why I make so much art? I honestly don’t know and I’m looking for a reason because you know me well.” Her response was, “Well that’s a good question. I think just asking it helps understand the answer. I believe it fulfills something inside of you that you can’t quite reach. That you’re not understood in this world and that the depth that art takes you to really can’t be found elsewhere. I also think you’re a bit of a perfectionist and you’re continually trying to improve your art. There’s a lot more to it I’m sure but those are my initial not quite awake thoughts.”


Is there any advice you’d give artists stepping into a different genre?

PULP: Listen to lots of that genre. I mean a shit ton. Get a general understanding of what kind of sounds and aspects you appreciate the most and put your own spin on it. Remember that there isn’t anything stopping you from trying new things. Practice until you think what you created is quality. Experiment with your voice and find/make beats that you feel would mesh well with what you want to create. I’d also say don’t try to copy someone else’s style. Instead, look for inspiration from artists of whatever style you’re moving into. Make your music stand out and be creative with your take on that type of sound.


What’s one of the first things you’ll do when quarantine is over?

PULP: I’m planning on booking some shows and getting more tattoos.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to get this interview. I’m sorry my answers were so fucking long, I just have a lot to say. If you made it this far into the interview, thank you so much for caring. I hope you’re doing wonderful. Your support means the world.

Click here to listen to Pulp on SoundCloud.