Alternative-pop singer-songwriter, vydd, just dropped his latest single, "Foot in the Grave," and the artist sat down with the team on an exclusive interview to discuss the backstory of his latest single.
Foot in the Grave illustrates a radiant and "upbeat trauma dump" about a bustling lifestyle–– a narrative that highlights one's difficulty in navigating the way through their life considering all the encompassing unsettling noises.
Here, vydd shares several epoch-making occurrences that significantly influenced the production of this record and the development of his artistry, particularly his identity as a rising musician. Moreover, vydd reveals how this record impacted his means to forge enough space to express himself, how this track introduces ways to come out of his shell, and more.
TNH: You’ve mentioned that your latest track, Foot in the Grave, exhibits a narrative on vibrant yet hectic life occurrences and “not having space to air out your own problems.” How would you describe the impact of the production of this record to such a dilemma?
vydd: I think as much as your life influences your art, your art is going to impact your life too. A cycle, I guess.
FITG [Foot in the Grave] was just supposed to be a quick 2:45 jam, but the more Duane (DJ/Producer Duaneinsane of Mango Room) and I worked on it, the more we realized the song deserved to be fleshed out, and we just kept adding things. That’s... apparently what I needed to do for myself too. I just needed to give myself time to flesh out my own feelings, and the song turned into the exact medium I needed. Turns out you really do just need to carve out space when you can.
Sure, that dilemma isn’t going to magically go away now that the song’s out, but this gave me the chance to let it out. Catharsis, pare.
TNH: Are there any underlying messages in this song that you wish to convey to your listeners?
vydd: I have trouble saying “no,” so don’t be like me!! A good friend once told me that when life’s demands are weighing you down, you need to remember that “you need yourself too.” Give yourself the same care you give people, your profession, or your passion. We all have responsibilities we shouldn’t just be dropping, though, so for those days when you feel like you can only afford 3 minutes to yourself, I have a song for [yo]u!
Some days you need to put your foot down for your own sake. Better than a foot in the grave, lol. (Nice, I said the thing.)
TNH: The release of this record follows the launch of your previous track, Talk About It. How would you describe the uniqueness of this song from your previous releases? What distinct quality does the song carry that your listeners should watch out for?
vydd: Oh! This is what I meant in our session with Hoest and Lesha when I said my next track would have “more guitars and more me.” FITG’s a bit heavier and a lot closer to rock than my previous releases. The beat Duane and I made hits pretty hard, and I got to play guitar, bass, and throw in a little screamo toward the end. I really miss having a band, so I just went for it here.
I just want listeners to get into the moment and have fun while the song’s on. Good day, bad day, whatever, just use the song how you need to and have fun with it. That’s all I want my music to be at this point in my life, fun. It’s fun o’clock, bro.
TNH: What can you share about the process of determining the right approach for this record?
vydd: I’ve been trying to be more honest with myself about who I want to be as an artist. When you come in knowing what is and isn’t you, you spend less time thinking about things, and you just.. do the things. It was no longer about who I wanted people to think I was; it was just about what the hell I wanted to do.
I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not really out here trying to write an intensely deep musical masterpiece. I just want to express my feelings, make a little noise, and have people join in! That closure and acceptance informed the most important decision of all, to stop overthinking the creative part. (I’m trying, I promise.)
Once I knew I had a song that made sense with just my voice and a guitar (same thing I tried to do with “Talk About It”), the Duane, Tiongcy (DJ/Producer, also from Mango Room), and I just went where the song took us, trying a bunch of things, keeping the things that worked, and laughing at the things that didn’t. Following my own taste and instincts led us here, to this rock-adjacent alt-pop trauma dump banger.
The song’s been for out a day (as of writing), and I’ve already had some friends say, “dude, this is so you.” That’s it; that’s how I know it worked out.
TNH: After producing the track, how would you describe its impact on your developing music catalog and your creative quest as an artist?
vydd: This song is the most “me” thing I’ve ever done, and I think all the music I’ve made my whole life has been leading up to this era. It’s pop, it’s rock, it’s noisy, bahala na.
“Foot in the Grave” was a big step towards finally coming out of my shell. I kind of built my branding on this sadboi late-night hours type beat reputation, but with this and “Talk About It,” I feel I’ve grown to a point where I can express myself as I exist. No more putting myself in a box. Yes, FITG’s still a pretty sad song, but it’s a pretty sad song.
That being said, I’m really excited to perform this live because I finally have something to jump around to. I also can’t wait to make more music now that this song’s out. Party songs, sad songs, landian songs, whatever. Let’s make all of it, let’s do all the things.
Foot in the Grave captures vydd's striking progression as a musician. The record presents a peculiar piece–– proposing one budding creative capable of putting forward artistic pieces that bring introduction to an eccentric artistic growth, all while upholding respective qualities embedded in his established catalog.
His notable music catalog includes singles such as ugly, Denial, Talk About It, Pain, FREE, and more.
You can now stream his latest offering, Foot in the Grave, on digital streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and more.
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