GUSPY
Photo Credit: Kyla Rain
Surf, sand, and just an immaculate vibe: leave it to singer/songwriter GUSPY to make it all come together. The Santa Ana-native is a do-er at heart, learning three instruments before the age of 15. How? “Vine,” the artist says. “I thought the coolest people were the ones who played multiple instruments and could make a little jam by themselves on a 6-second loop.” GUSPY is also into the DIY culture; he actually created the lyric video for his debut single, "STEEZ LUÍZ"! The song is simply a phenomenal liftoff point for the artist, as its distinct genre-melding quality features reggae, R&B, and rock n’ roll influences. It’s no question why the artist wouldn’t take it a step further, too, making it a multi-lingual jam – he is simply that great. We recently spoke to GUSPY about his musical journey, favorite past-times, and more!
Hey GUSPY! Thanks for chatting with us today. Let’s start off with an introduction. How did you first get into making music?
Hey, thanks for having me. I got into making music the second I realized I could layer a bunch of instruments on Garageband instead of trying to loop the perfect 6 seconds on top of each other on Vine. I was around 15 when I bought my first audio interface and microphone and just started recording stuff, and I slowly started understanding the production and how to layer stuff so it sounds good and how to edit stuff so it's on time and how to build a song so it's not just the same loop on repeat. I was really into surf and punk, so all my old shit sounds like ass - just really loud and clipping and fuzzy and raw. But I liked that kinda stuff. I cared way more about the energy and catchiness of it all because I didn’t know anything about production or mixing yet. I still use the same microphone and interface today, six years later.
Self-taught musicians are always admirable in our minds, but you’ve taken it to the next level here. What pushed you to learn how to play three instruments by the age of 15?
Vine. I thought the coolest people were the ones who played multiple instruments and could make a little jam by themselves on a 6-second loop. By 15, I had been playing guitar for around a year, and then randomly one day my Dad got his family’s old bass and Ludwig drum set from San Diego and brought it home to our garage in Santa Ana. Again, I was really into punk and surf rock - really simple but fast genres that focus more on energy and feel rather than technicalities or even sounding good. If I were into any other kind of music, I would probably not have learned all three instruments at such a young age.
"STEEZ LUÍZ" is fantastic, congratulations! Can you walk us through the inspiration for the track?
Thank you!! It’s so hard to express in words how great it feels to know other people enjoy your art. For this track, like a lot of my music, it was inspired by the beach - Laguna beach, to be exact. There, I had many beach dates with my high school lover. When we split, the city of Laguna suddenly became gloomy and stormy, like it had an ever-present marine layer. So that contrast, of love and loss, I wanted to express it lyrically and sonically. The verses are peaceful and smooth, but the pre-chorus is chaotic and swirling.
You work with a surprising blend of genres in your new song. Who are some of the artists that have influenced this sound?
So many. Like way too many to name, but I’ll try. I love a lot of modern psychedelic pop artists and rock bands, like Khruangbin, Still Woozy, BENEE, and Kevin Parker. Still Woozy and Omar Apollo collabed on a bilingual track “Ipanema” and I was like “Yeah, that’s fucking sick, I’ma do that.” Sublime’s “Caress Me Down” is one of my favorite songs ever. Devendra Banhart’s “Carmensita” is also a banger.
Were you nervous at all before this release? Why or why not?
I’m always nervous, so for this song and all songs going forward, I wanted to make something that I’d never look back on and go “damn, wish I changed this, added this, mixed this better” or whatever. And that helped me be way less nervous about this release. Of course, I’m still nervous in terms of “am I releasing this in the most effective way?” but that’s such a hard question to nail - there is no “right way” to do things but there is a balancing act between doing everything you can to push one song while understanding that everything you do is a learning experience and your best song is still on the horizon.
Photo Credit: Grant Conley
This is the first song of yours that we’ve heard, but you’ve presumably made many more! How does the typical GUSPY song come together?
It always starts with a sudden spark of manic inspiration, and I get as many ideas down on paper or on tape as fast as possible based on emotion and feel. Then, once that initial window of inspiration begins to subside, I get more focused on polishing those ideas. It takes a long time because I end up doing this with like 15 different songs at the same time because I am a crazy person with no respect for my mental health. But fuck it, we ball.
What do you feel is the most important part of a song?
Emotion. How it makes you feel, as the creator and both as the listener. That feeling completely dictates when you want to listen to it and where. Set and setting.
Do you think growing up in Santa Ana influenced your musical style at all? How so?
Totally. The local music scene was incredible. I went to so many concerts and festivals at The Observatory and once every six months downtown Santa Ana would throw a block party with local bands playing on every corner. La Raza throws down the hardest - from punk to psychedelia, to surf, to indie pop.
We understand that you’re interested in DIY culture. Which of your recent projects are you most proud of?
I made a lyric video for “STEEZ LUÍZ” entirely by myself! So I’m very proud of that.
What are some things that you like to do outside of the studio?
I like to surf, go on camping trips with my friends, and just jam out and dick around. Beer games and poker nights are some of my favorite activities.
Do you ever encounter writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome that?
I’ve never really had a hard time writing, but I definitely have a hard time finishing, polishing, and finalizing. I write a lot, and most of it sucks, but after spitting out ideas and vomiting out your thoughts something good will come out of it eventually and you’ll look at it and just go “Yes, fuck yeah, that’s it.”
Has the pandemic affected your songwriting process at all? How so?
Yes. Both in good and bad ways. The pandemic made me want to stop writing sad songs because everyone is sad right now and that’s no fun. So instead I wrote a bunch of songs focused on the explosive, cathartic energy everyone’s gonna feel once we can socialize again. I want to blow roofs and knock people’s socks off and form walls of death once we can get back to playing live shows again, so that’s what people can expect post-pandemic.
Who do you owe your biggest thanks to?
My family, my friends, my fans - in other words, the GUSPY GANG.
What can we expect from you in 2021?
Bangers. Nothing but bangers.
Photo Credit: Kyla Rain