babychaos – PLAYGOD

By starrymag | March 9, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) My sound is varied a little through each track I have out now, but for future reference we’ll say it’s very much so heavy instruments with the juxtaposition of pretty vocals ….. most of the time. [winks]

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) That changes so often! But my core influences from the start have been evanescence, halestorm, in this moment and Joan Jett. Love them.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “PLAYGOD.”

A) “PLAYGOD” has a chaotic backstory just as my artist name suggests. I wrote it back in April with Dali [Lavey] in my bedroom. I cried about four times that day because I was struggling with some identify and mental issues that were ultimately consuming me. Social media being a huge part of it and having built a following prior to releasing music, there’s a level of pressure I’ve put on myself to uphold framework of who I present myself as. The track itself is about a culmination of subjects – from not understanding the parasocial relationship between idolized celebrities who people seem to view as deities to the trauma I experienced in Catholic school. I like to leave a lot of it to interpretation and the listener can take it as it resonates for them.

Q) The song is so unique with the combination of rap, metal and industrial sounds. What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) As for the sound, I like mixing the two genres because they’re so different yet so similar. Oddly enough, both genres and artists of each seem to really be coming together now which I think is cool. It’s also a way for me to take my audience who predominantly likes metal and rock (and tend to be very against rap and hip-hop) and blend them. I like how nu metal did a very similar thing around twenty years ago (before I was even born) and I want to keep that going.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The visuals for “PLAYGOD” are soooo good. I shot them with photographer Daniel Nyman at a church in Boston. We sat me in a priest’s chair in lingerie with a crown of thorns pressed into my head (I had scabs on my scalp for a week!!), used red lighting as an intention for the passion and divine rage behind the instrumentals and I think we couldn’t have killed it more. The other visuals were shot by both myself and my mom at the Hawthorne Hotel in my hometown Salem, Massachusetts. In the unreleased video I mocked what certain celebrity awards shows do and pretended to act like I was so righteous despite acting like a fool in the video. The public probably won’t see it. Just a quick disclaimer on that though, I definitely don’t have anything against awards shows or celebrities. I’d love to attend one myself. I just acknowledge that no one is above another and we’re all here on our own journeys!

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) My writing process is simple: I always create. I see a tree bending over looking like it’s ready to break. I go, “Same. Let’s write about it.”  I have hundreds of unfinished songs, both just lyrics and some just instrumentals I’ve made. I make rough drafts of my music in Logic with my MIDI keyboard and my microphone. “PLAYGOD” was different because I told Dali the exact feel I wanted, like metal crashing down, super industrial, like something is collapsing in front of you.

Q) Dali Lavey helped produce, mix and master “PLAYGOD,” but how much of a say do you have in the production of your music?

A) I have pretty much full say in what goes on in terms of the feel the music gives you. I’m not great at production, so I have Dali do a lot of that. I’m really lucky to have a relationship where we are long term significant others, but we can separate that and work professionally too. I essentially was like, “Okay, I want something with a dark trap beat that turns into an industrial track, super heavy guitars, sounds like metal crashing down. Can we do it?” Seven mixes later, we did it!

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

A) Yes. 1000% yes. Singles for now. I took a little time off to focus on my mental and physical health after the release of “PLAYGOD,” but I’ve been making some really cool things that I don’t think has been brought to the table yet.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I’m gonna be so honest, I’ve never played a show in my life. I don’t even have a team or label or a manager or anyone to help me do that stuff. Now that I’m turning twenty-one years old, I think it’ll open up the door for that to happen incredibly soon though.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Definitely the people that inspired me to create to begin with! like evanescence, like halestorm and in this moment. All on the dream team!

Q) What musician/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) Ethel Cain, hands down. I think she is one of the coolest artists out there right now. She doesn’t make rock or metal necessarily, but everything from her visuals to her authenticity to her story is fascinating to me.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) The rise of social media I think is major for all aspects of the music industry and connecting with fans. It breaks a little bit of that parasocial relationship like I mentioned before but also gives availability to so much toxicity. My goal is never to make a bunch of money and dip out of what I do; I strive for longevity and to do exactly what my inspirations did for me growing up. As I mentioned prior, I built a following all by myself before releasing anything so that I would already have a little bit of a brand and name for myself. Social media has given me opportunities that I dreamed of growing up and gives me a platform to change things in the world like we’ve never been able to before.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I am just so thankful for anyone listening to what I create and who sticks with me on this journey. It’s cliché to say, “Big things coming!” But I’ve always had a knowing and I hope everyone is excited as I am – I really do.