FEW GUUD THOUGHTS w/ BUPPY. — Interview + Review
Moving from your tiny hometown to a big city comes with pains and gains. Between learning how to maneuver in a new society and pursuing your dreams amongst others who share those same motivations can be challenging. Utah native, now LA-based artist BUPPY recently dropped a six-track EP titled Cold Nights In Hollywood. On his latest sonic offering, BUPPY provides heartfelt stories about love, loneliness, anxiety, and acceptance through the lenses of himself and his peers. The now 18-year-old artist experienced a lot of life, and due to the past two years keeping us inside, BUPPY found a therapeutic outlet to express his thoughts without barriers.
The cover art embodies the emotion behind the EP. BUPPY’s writing is personal; borderline mnemonic in the way he uses objects to push his story forward. The soundscapes provided by BIOA, HARRY WAS HERE, DXCKLIN, eeryskies, pnkblnkt and Geller highlight the various emotions BUPPY purveyed on the EP.
The production on “Down&Low” creates a comforting atmosphere for BUPPY to reflect on his father's absence at an early age. The voice experimentation and electric drum patterns make BUPPY. fearless when discussing challenging topics. On “WTDWTS” BUPPY finds acceptance in life's imperfections and embraces the yin and Yang of adulthood.
How did you get the name BUPPY?
"When I was a kid, my family and like close friends would call me that. As I grew up, it started to fade out because earlier in my career, I was doing rap music and went by Visionary. (Chuckles) it was terrible but I was also young.”
Where are you from?
“Uh, I'm from Utah originally park city, Utah. It's like 30 minutes away from Salt Lake. So I did have a city near me, but it's a pretty small town. It's like 10,000 or something.”
How has your city influenced your music?
“Being in salt lake is cool. Like park city, I would say, probably not any influence but it's fucking beautiful… Salt Lake is cool because there's like a lot of bands that come out of there that are huge in indie stuff. Like Backseat lovers are probably the biggest outta Utah right now”
What is your creative process?
“I definitely write about situations and like memories and I'll write about shit that happened like three years ago today or I'll write about something that my homie is going through right now from his perspective and not even tell his ass just cuz he gave me some interesting story, you know?”
The bigger story of “Man in the Stars” is mental health…um, like I've had a bunch of homies who, took their own life and like Utah is third in the us for teen suicide.”
How has LA influenced your music?
“I feel like musically, other than like the people here who much of which I work with are not from LA. I wouldn't say LA has done much to influence my sound.
One thing I undervalue but should be more appreciative of is how often artist come into town for a few nights, get bored and hit other artist they know who live in LA. That’s how I end up in a lot of sessions and I believe that influences my sound more than anything.”
What are the best things to do in North LA at 2:05 AM?
“Honestly, very few times. Um, do I, uh, end end up in north Hollywood at, or north Los Angeles at two, five.. At the times that I have been. Uh, there's this bar in north Hollywood arts district and it's does not ever ask me if I'm 21 and that's, that's where I'm at, basically.”
Tell me more about Cold Nights In Hollywood and your writing process for it
“I write full songs pretty much entirely before I record them. Attaching experiences and stories; being very descriptive. Cold Nights In Hollywood is literally a story of what happened to me this past year and a half. And I was making these songs during that time.”
Are there really Cold Nights in Hollywood?
“It’s not like Chicago, New York cold. But yeah, like it gets weirdly cold, like in the winter, especially my first year here, for some reason. Was super fucking cold. But the meaning behind the cold nights things is the emotional coldness of this entire place (LA). I think a lot of people experience that same shit here, it's a pretty hard place socially.”
What’s the story behind “Man in the Stars”?
“Man in the Stars,” that whole song is about my friend's dad who killed himself. It's about a friend of mine whose dad took his own life. He was struggling with a bunch of issues; in and out of rehabs before. I kind of took that story and like, you know, wrote it out. So I think that’s my creative process, it has to be real.”
When did the switch happen?
“August of 2020, I took all of my old shit down and like, did this completely new look. I was still BUPPY, but new in terms. Nobody has heard a single record from me before I moved to LA. Like even my manager didn't know me until three months after I had moved and the release of my biggest song, “Open My Letter.”
In three words, how would you describe your music?
“Super, Fuckin, Different”
Last three projects you listened to ?
Steve Lacy - Gemini
quinn - quinn
See You Next Year
