"Although I didn't write this song, it spoke to me in a way that made me feel as if it was my own story,” Brandon said. “I found myself playing it over and over again in my bedroom, remembering situations that I've been through.”
Check out the video for yourself below.
After some notable collaborations leading to a tour with BBNG, you decided to take a hiatus. Can you tell me a bit about that?
It was just way too much pressure. I was going through a lot of shit. I started going to therapy and that was a super emotional process. On top of that, I was going through a bad breakup and had been touring for eight months out of the year for about four to five years straight. I wasn’t really spending time focusing on myself, so it all came to a head and I was like, “I have to stop doing this.”
Will you return to touring one day?
I don’t think I’m going to. Maybe when I’m older or something and there’s a 50th anniversary tour—if the world still exists then. It’s like school. You go to school for four to five years and it’s sick, but do you ever want to go back to school again? The idealized thing to do is to tour and play music for people, but I had to stop.
Can you tell me a bit about your journey to the fruition of Déjàvu?
I started writing the songs when I was super depressed. I was crying every day, it was really hard to get out of bed, and in a sense, I was enabled to be that way because I had saved up some money from touring so much. So I was just really sad with nothing driving me out of bed. I ended up figuring it out and writing more songs. My really good friend, Frank Dukes, kept encouraging me to continue writing and then I just figured some shit out and made the record. It’s funny, but now I’m over it. I saw my friend on the street the other day and he congratulated me on the record, and I had honestly forgotten that it came out. I don’t really keep up with the stats and I don’t really do social media so, I shit you not, it’s like I had forgotten.
So, in a way, was releasing the album a therapeutic experience for you?
100%. It’s like, that’s done, and I’m ready to move on. Even regarding BBNG stuff, people will remind me of old records and that's great, but I just want to keep doing new shit.
When determining your own sound, who were some your greatest inspirations?
Mostly Brazilian music, I was obsessed with Tropicália. I met this guy who was a crazy Brazilian record collector about four years ago and while I was there, I began record digging for like five days. Also, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, etc. I have a whole smorgasbord of inspirations.
That’s what I was waiting for, I get major Sgt. Pepper’s and The Magical Mystery Tour vibes.
Yeah, both of those albums are specifically important. It’s more so just that I’ve always listened to those records. I love The Beatles, they are the best band ever, not to sound whatever. I like how each song off of their records is so different.
It’s interesting you brought that up because when I listen to Déjàvu, each song sounds distinct and personal, what was the role they each had in the ambience of the overall project?
I wanted each song to stand on its own, but stay congruent as a record. It’s hard to strike that balance – having each song was in an entirely different key, different tempo, but there’s something still holding it together. Dukes was there to assist in that process, he played a huge role in making it sound harmonious.
Were any songs more difficult to make than others?
All of them had their own challenge. There are probably ten songs that didn’t make the album and are almost finished.
Will those be a part of another project?
I don’t know. Maybe one or two. Not that I’m not proud of the others ones or anything. Some are just really personal and I made them more for myself, using devices I ended up incorporating into other songs. I don’t want it to seem like I’m a one trick pony and produce the same song three times. I’d rather release the best example of that one technique. Anyway, back to the previous question. Embarrassed was half completed for about six months. The chords were done, but I couldn’t finish the lyrics until last minute.
As a solo artist, is there anyone you’re looking to collaborate with?
Everyone that I would like to collaborate are people I’m not sure would benefit from collaborating with me. I really like Amen Dunes, he just released a record a few months ago. I also really like working on the production side of rap music.
If you could give any advice to your listeners, who may be going through similar things that you talk about in your EP, what would you say?
Make art and be open. If you feel like you can’t say something to someone, try to say it anyway, maybe you’ll learn something about yourself. Intimate relationships and communities are so important for mental health.
With an album already out this summer, what’s next for you?
I produced a Jerry Paper record, so that’s coming out later this year. There are a few rap songs I got placed on, which I can’t talk about. Working with BBNG. Always creating.
