Isaac Dunbar Takes Our Pop Quiz
office gave Isaac an impromptu pop quiz where there are no wrong answers... except, of course, the wrong ones.
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office gave Isaac an impromptu pop quiz where there are no wrong answers... except, of course, the wrong ones.
Tracks like “Son of Vincenzo” and “Tell The Truth” are sure to be songs of the summer and each track was produced to be performed. In this chapter of life, Nyck is letting go of control a bit and letting himself be free to just create and you can definitely hear that in this EP.
In this exclusive interview with office, Nyck Caution talks about the process of creating, his favorite up and coming artists, and his future plans. Check it out below!
Tell me about “Friend Of The Family.”
So the album I did with an amazing producer, Charlie Heat, he produced on my last album, Anywhere But Here. He did the song me and Denzel Curry. Then after we came out with that, we were just talking, he sent me a bunch of beats, and I did a few of them right away. And then it just organically became like this group project. We already had three, four songs. So we made ten songs and called it a day.
You’ve come from a collaborative background with Pro Era. How did the development of Friend of the Family progress to becoming a joint project and how does it differ from past projects?
The only other joint full album I did, I was in like, the Pro Era or Beast Coast albums, which is like eight people— no seven people. I did Nyck at Knight with Kurt Knight, who's also a producer, but he's a rapper too. So, he made the beats, we made songs together, this one was just all these from a producer. And he's like, into the Italian theme too, he smokes cigars wear suits. So, that was just the theme of the whole stuff, you know, older, more mature and keeping that as like the theme of all the sounds. And he wasn't here, it would have been probably cooler if he was here. And we did it together. But he would just send stuff then I sent them back. And then I went to LA to like, do all the finishing touches. But it was great. I love working with one producer.
Your debut album “Anywhere But Here” was about your father’s passing and dealing with that, I know that helped a lot dealing with the same thing. When it comes to Friend of the Family how do you want your EP to make people feel?
So this one I would say, like, from before my last album, there was like a big gap between me dropping music. And that was for a bunch of reasons, you know, like labels stuff, other projects coming out. But now this is like a year removed from my last one. This one I just wanted to be more like it's not as like emotional, you know, I'm kind of out of that rut. So it's just like, good music. I think it's good raps, great production. And like somebody could just listen to like, you don't have to think too hard, just a good album.
You've been open about your grieving process. Friend of the Family feels much lighter in comparison to your last few projects, was this writing process kind of different for you especially after taking steps towards healing and taking care of your mental health?
I feel like I put everything into that last one, it was like four or five years worth of trauma. And even with that album, I didn't want it to be a full sad album. Like there were moments when I was reflecting and it would be like, "Would my dad like this song?" because he was involved in the whole process. With this one, I think I have a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I have something to prove or something more to show the world. Because for years, you sit on music, like a lot of rappers are similar to me where you just have so much music and then when it's time to drop something, you pick the best but you have all these other songs that never make it. With this album, I didn't want to overthink it. I trust my writing and my decision making and I just wanted to drop a full-length project that’s all good quality shit, you know? And That also comes with Charlie, having a great producer just makes it way easier because you don't have to overthink the if the beats are good? Does this beat match the sonics of the other be like they're all high-level beats. So just not overthinking it.
You’ve worked with your friend Meech before, went on tour with him, and now you have another song out with him on the EP, what’s the thought process like when you’re writing songs and then thinking about who would be a good feature?
It's tough because like, you go through different, you know, people, certain songs. I'll do a verse and a hook, and I just leave it open. And there are a few names I think of but Meech is one of the main ones. I think he is one of the best rappers of the last decade, at least he's one of my favorites. And there's not much of a process like I'll make the song, I’ll think of who would be good for it and I reach out to them and if it happens, it's great. If not, maybe I'll reach out to someone else. And then if no one is biting, I'll just do a second verse myself, because that happens too.
What do you think is the summer anthem for this project?
Probably "Son of Vincenzo", the one with Meech. I just did that video too so, the video should be out when this comes out. I think it's a really good one and I want to perform that song. I just want to perform again too.
Do you think you'll go on tour soon?
I mean, trying. I'm trying to set that up. That's another thing to go with the other stuff like in making this album. I was more mindful of like performance records, like, Anywhere But There was a really good album, but not everything is good for performances.
You worked with Charlie Heat for this project how did this relationship come about and how’s the energy between you two?
I met Charlie through Denzel Curry. That song, I had for like, four years the “Bad Day” song. Me and Charlie always kept in touch. He sent me records here and there but, I never met him. And then after that song came out, we were talking and he sent me like, eight beats. I did three or four of them. And then it was just a natural process. He said that we should maybe do a group tape. I was like, “Yeah, maybe maybe”. And then it just organically happened. We ended up having seven songs so, then I went back to LA to meet with him and finish everything. And then it was just an organic natural process of someone who has amazing beats.
What are some artists you’ve been listening to and becoming inspired by or influenced by lately?
It's crazy. Like now he's popping but I was fucking with Yeat for he's like a guilty pleasure. It's true. But I was on him for four months, and then he kind of just really stuck but and that's the funny thing too. Like, people will look at me as like a lyrical rapper like I don't like that type of music but, I like all types of music. Like I love Young Thug. I like all shit. And I don't know you just something about him. He's just I was just listening to him on the way here. That's funny. Yeah. I like that news. Like Kenny Mason. I like the song “Stick” him and JID, that song is crazy.
What does Friend of the Family mean to you?
It's nothing too deep. I mean, it's a production like he made the album. So he's a friend of the family. I brought him into the family.
What do you think about like state of rap in the New York rap scene right now with drill especially?
I've been dabbling and there's actually a drill. It's not a whole song but it's the second half of a song on the album and it has a drill part. But I like drill. I fuck with drill I think it's very New York. Now it's like because like I guess it came from Chicago then it became this whole UK grime drill thing. The New York drill is very signature with the accents and the way they talk but, I fuck with drill. I just feel like it's very oversaturated but the ones who do good, like, I want to walk around and I want to work out to drill. Drill is crazy. And I like all the sample drill stuff where they take like 2000 like early 2000 samples and flip them. Now the drill is like, I feel like drill was more of a feeling than anything like some people will get mad at them because they always say like, open his mouth that like and I get it but it's like a feeling it's like similar to like to eat like I'm not listening to you. For bars. It's like a feeling drill is like a feeling to me like a friend of the family, okay, it's called the title track.
What are some other projects that you’re working on?
I’ve been working on writing a show called Halfway House. It's funny because when Euphoria came out, it was not the same type of thing. But it's similar where the there are parts that really hit deep like, this girl Rue was having a fucking withdrawal and going crazy in her house but, then she's having fun riding her bike. So, I think those types of shows need to have both sides of it. So Halfway House, for people who don't know, it's when people get out of rehab, but they're not ready to go back to normal life. They put them in a halfway house, which is like, normal life with guidelines. And I think a show about following people that live in a halfway house and their recovery process, really rehabbing. From where I'm from a lot of people go to those places either go to halfway houses, they die or like some people actually recover. When you hear about someone going to a halfway house you think it's over you think they're like gonna be in a halfway house forever. But some people make it out and they live to have a way better life than they did before. So yeah, I have a loose script about it. I'm excited about it. I used to do acting before I even did music. Were you in theater growing up? Yeah, that's how I met Joey. We were both in theatre in college, I did a semester at Brooklyn College. I did take a film and acting class. If music didn't really pan out. I probably would have done something in film or acting.
With lyrics like " Had some time away, didn't wanna go insane from this. I wanted you to know I need time grow and to exist. I think I need a space, let you know I'm safe. I swear it's just a littlе thing." The oh-so easy listening expierence that is fluttery and familar in sound to the likes of Fiona Apple, captures the confusing yet affirming situation of "right person, wrong time." As Beatopia serves as her third official project, it's evident that work just gets better with time as she expirementing in genre's, sound, and digs deeper into the pages of her notebook with her pen.
In the dry heat of Indio, Caifornia, Bea caught up with office to talk about her newest project.
Can you talk about your early music influences and how we can hear that in your music now?
I have a lot of musical influences. It ranges from like Elliot Smith, to like Chemical Brothers. And The Cardigans have played a major influence in my music, they inspire me a lot, especially the lead singer. But yeah, I've got a good few.
Do you remember the first song you made and the obstacles you were going through, but made you realize that you could do music full-time?
"Coffee" was the first song I made, and then that had gained a lot of traction. And that was kind of when I was like, 'oh, this could be a thing.' And I never really thought this could be a thing. I thought it would be a fun little side project. So this was never really a plan, but it's turned out great, I guess.
Paint the picture of Beatopia.
So every song is completely different, I didn't want to stick to any particular genre. I just wanted to make music that I wanted to make. So, every song is different, and Beatopia as an album isn't very conceptual, but the idea behind it is very close to my heart. And every song and the way it was made, I think was just very intimate. It was me and my guitarist, Jacob in a little tiny room in London. So, yeah, it was very special.
And did you do any studio recordings as well?
Yeah, I did loads of studio recordings. So we made loads of demos, and then we recorded everything properly. Some songs live, some songs — I think it's a quite heavy guitar album despite like it not being like my last, which was like pop, like rock-y. I wanted to branch out with a lot more instrumentation and drum machines.
Is there a big difference that you notice between having the intimate recordings versus the in the studio recordings?
I think it definitely adds a vibe, like the stuff that you create intimately. And we try to keep that vibe throughout Beatopia, despite it being recorded in the studio. We still kept some songs very intimate, just me and guitar. And from the get go, it was very clear to us that we wanted the mix to sound very like quite rough and quite interesting sounding.
Can you think of a movie, a video game, or a television show that you would match Beatopia to? If you were to score any movie or any video game, what would it be?
I can't think of any particular movies because I feel like I would like to think Beatopia, on its own, is a movie in itself or like a soundtrack to its own movie called "Beatopia."
What would the plot be then?
I don't know. I think it'd be like a whole entire world, and I think it would be very — like a lot of people, a lot of my friends, a lot of like togetherness, and love. But like also like, the idea that everyone's kind of is in it for the same thing and everyone's going through the same shit. But you know, I think it's all quite relatable to a lot of people.
What was the most difficult part about making your new single, "talk"?
With "talk" that came quite naturally, it was straight after "fake it flowers." And then, I started writing and I was sitting on it for quite a while. What was challenging about it the most was probably trying to get to a place that I wanted it to be because we went through a lot of demos. And the main reference was a demo by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. And it was called, "maps," but it was like the four track demos. So we wanted to encapsulate that vibe into the actual song. And I think the funnest part was recording it with my band because that was one of the songs off Beatopia that we recorded all live and in the studio all together.
The video for "talk" is quite wondrous, it was directed by Alexandra Leese and Luke Casey. Can you talk about how it came to be and did you have any directoral say as well?
I would like to think I had like a bit of a directoral say. It was Alexandra Leese and Luke Casey, and they're incredible, and I was a massive fan from the get go. They had shot my heaven piece with Marc Jacobs, and I was like, I really want that world, and I felt like they can encapsulate the world of Beatopia perfectly. And I wanted it to be like a performance video. I wanted it to be a video that could catch everyone's attention. And I wanted lots of people in it.
You're working with a lot of cool collaborations coming up with PinkPantheress and more. Do you reach out to people or do they reach out to you, and what's been the most surprising person that has recieved your music?
It's definitely like a mix and match of like whether they want to like make a song with me or I wanna' make a song with them. And I think a surprising collaboration— well not collaboration but fan of my music, I guess there's like a few people that I would never really expect to listen to my music. And there's always the odd like famous person that I had no idea of. But I feel like the strangest ones that listen to my music are the people that look so unlikely. Like the one time I was in Five Guys in London and this like road-man — I was waitiing for my order and "care" started playing in the speakers, I was like "what the fuck!" And he came up to me, gave me free fries, and he was like, "I love your music, by the way." But I feel like road-men like a lot of rock music, surprisingly.
Speaking of your music translating to other groups of people, what do you think about your music that resonates in London that can also resonate in America, and around the world?
I feel like the way I grew up, I grew up in London and I've had a very like British lifestyle, especially in school. I went to an all girls school, and we did like crazy shit. Like it was the most like stereotypical "Skins" lifestyle. And I'd never noticed that till it started becoming a thing. And I was like, 'whoa, this is complete normality to me and my friends.' So I feel like it's a universal understanding when I create the music, I create and write the lyrics. It's like, everyone's kind of done that, everyone's been there. And I think that's why it relates in London. But I feel get also relates with kids around the world, I would like to think, because at the end of the day, I am like a 21-year old girl. And I feel like a lot of girls go through the same shit. And I like to talk about problems like that.
If you could create your own utopia, what are the rules? What does it look like? Who's there? Who's not there? What's going on?
I feel like there would be not many rules. I feel like there'd be no rules but the kind of understanding that everyone has like got everyone's back, and every one's here for the same reason, and everyone loves each other. I feel like my utopia would be Beatopia. In my head, it's almost like — in my last album, I really talked about the past and I was almost like tangled with like that happened in my past life. But I feel like moving forward, I want to just focus on like the now and like the future. And like, I feel like in my ideal world it would be just kind of living in the moment.
Read our complete conversation with Shygirl below.
Welcome to Coachella! How has your time here been so far?
I’ve got to admit that I’m not totally a natural lover of festivals. I was a bit nervous, especially post-Covid, which has made me even more anti-crowd than I was before. But actually, I really am loving Coachella. I was really surprised. It's my first kind of big American party experience, right? And there's such a cultural difference between my partying in Europe and parting here. It’s been really fun to just be immersed in the scene and among people who genuinely loved music. And the way that Coachella is split into areas with drinking and without, it really lets people choose their path and allow people who are really there for the music to just get into it. It’s very refreshing.
It really is refreshing. So let's talk about Shy. Since the release of Alias, it seems that your career has been on a kind of unstoppable trajectory. Can you tell us about the experience of creating it?
With a lot of my music, especially with Alias, I had just started making it before Covid hit. I guess I didn’t have any direct intentions with it other than making music. It was a way to explore what was coming out of me naturally because making music was still a fairly new experience to me at that point. When Covid happened, I thought I may have been finished with it, and then I ended up adding two more tracks to it: Slime and Tasty. The whole thing was a very introspective process. I was asking myself, “what do I want from myself? What do I want from the outside world?” I realized I really just wanted to find joy and happiness through my music. The best way for me to do that was to enter into the world confidently with it. And that is really what Alias is. It’s assertive. It’s loud. It’s provocative.
Where do you see yourself going from here?
Well now that, with Alias, I have kind of shouted and asserted myself into this space, it feels natural to go the other way almost. Now, I can be a little bit more quietly confident, rather than so ostentatious. With my next record, my album, I go back to touching on some quieter things from my first EP, Cruel Practice. In a kind of gnarly, experimental way, there’s touches of bitterness, and you know, angst and dissatisfaction. But within that, there’s also confidence, softness, and femininity. I think all of these things run through me as a person. Channeling them is an ever fluid process. I wanted to reveal a bit more of myself. You know, I sometimes want to just say that I’m multifaceted, so that I have room to be one way one day, and another way another day. In the end, it’s all still me. I’m never acting out of character. In fact, it’s all just me still trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be. You can still be confident in who you are at any given day, but know what there’s room for growth and change.
How do you think your fans and listeners have been responding to that process?
It’s a bit difficult when you’re an artist because everyone has an opinion, and has a vested interest in who you are. It really is interesting because yesterday someone came up to me as I was having breakfast at my hotel, and they said that my music really brought them out of a depression and helped them to feel confident about themselves. That is something I really never expected to happen. I always find it so humbling when someone has that experience with my music because I guess it has a similar effect on me, if not so drastically. But it’s definitely a lifeline. For the future, I hope to just maintain that lifeline. I’ve made this career for myself out of nowhere, and so I always feel like I can decide what I want to do, despite what anyone says or thinks. I’m not ever prescribed to the path ahead of me. I’m continually building these roads.
Speaking of this career you’ve created for yourself, what role would you say that London scene you came up in has had in its development?
I’m one of those people that, growing up, felt like I was completely different from what was around me. As much as I tried to assimilate to make other people feel comfortable around me, I always felt like, “I’m not from here. I’m not of this place.” So it’s funny to now be claimed so much by London, and the London scene, when I always kind of had my eyes looking outwards. Even the kind of queer family I have is such an international community. It seems like we are all a traveling family. There are many people I feel deeply connected to from other places like in America, or in France, or wherever. As much as we pick apart different things from London and its scene, I was much more invested in looking beyond that. I think that when you’re queer, you’re automatically kind of not of where you are. You’re different, you think differently. It’s a natural thing. So I’ve always felt borderless in that sense.
So is London more of a host for that feeling?
I probably don’t even realize because London is so diverse, but I really do have so much privilege with being from there. I’m allowed to talk about how I identify because of where I’m from. There are so many people who aren’t able to do that.
As a lyricist, would you say you feel more like a creator, from the ground up, or a conduit?
Definitely a conduit. I always say that I feel like a sculptor of sorts. When someone is sculpting marble, they reveal what is already there. That is what I do with my lyrics. I am finding the words to articulate what already exists. I think that is what gives me the confidence to do what I do and say what I say. Because essentially, it all already exists. I am just giving it more clarity.
Where do you find the words to reveal these truths, in full clarity, as you say?
I’ve always enjoyed words as a concept. It’s an interest I had long before making music. Even when it comes to things like slang, or classical literature, I love how universal but unique they are at the same time. Even when I look at other languages and, you know, phrases that only exist in certain languages, and how beautiful the words can sound when I’m listening to their music and I don’t even understand anything. I can still understand the emotion because it’s still all in the words. I definitely think of myself more naturally as a poet.
As opposed to what other label? A musician?
I’m still finding out my relationship with music. Sonically, it’s still a journey for me. Before, I wouldn’t naturally be like, “I’m a musician,” but as I keep going with it and get more and more affirmation with what I’m creating, this point will come where I am like “No. I am a musician.” After some gigs that I have played here in America, and in Mexico recently, I have had these moments where I really felt like a musician onstage. I found myself really enjoying the performance itself and the relationship I have with my audience. I can feel the energy transference from them. Performing was not something that drew me to making music initially. So to have that experience now has been so special. It’s still something that I am experiencing. I haven’t been able to entirely contextualize it yet, because it’s still so current, I guess. Maybe in like 10 years when I look back I’ll have a better idea of how I feel about it. I’ll be writing my memoirs by then.
As someone relatively new to this field, how does it feel to already have the co-signs of legacy names like Basement Jaxx, Boys Noize, and even Lady Gaga?
At the end of the day, it’s all a sign that my faves have great taste. In a sense, I believe I don’t make bad music. And if your favorite also agrees with that, then they are your fave for a reason. Does that make sense?
Yes. (Laughter ensues).
It’s one of those things where people ask me, “well, who do you want to work with?” There are loads of people I’m a fan of, but I wouldn’t necessarily want to work with all of them just because I enjoy the music. In that vein, I don’t always insert myself into that collaboration process. I find it quite difficult actually to even think of going into collabs because, like I said, I’m still figuring out what I want to find in my music. I’m not always assertively like, “I want to work with this person, I want to do this.” So I’ll admit that it is really nice when someone does approach me and says that they are into my stuff and they have an idea of how we can collaborate.
How does that affirmation resonate with you?
Having someone say they believe in you is so important. I know that when I was younger, my parents told me I could do anything I wanted to do. That definitely instilled an entitlement in me to think that I can do whatever I want if I put my mind to it. Without that initial positivity and affirmation, would I have ever thought like that? I’m not so sure. So in the same way, having affirmation throughout my career can create the same kind of effect. That’s why I also reach out to people to let them know that I love their music and their work. It’s important to let people know that.