Sub Urban

Venture into the dark & peculiar universe of artist & visionary Sub Urban and his new single 'Patchwerk.'

It's difficult to describe everything that encapsulates vocaliser, songwriter, and producer Sub Urban. The 21-year-old New Bailiwick of jersey native might've had his ancestry on TikTok after going viral, but to deem him a 'star' of the app truly does a disservice to the whimsical (and sometimes downright terrifying) art he'south created. Known for his witty lyricism and theatrical music videos, he'due south equal parts mythical and meticulous, refusing to sacrifice his artistic vision due to the respect he has for both himself and his work.

Information technology's within that tenacity that has set him apart; he pushes boundaries, blurs lines, and dances between genres. His fans feverishly follow his every motility & projection with a cult-like adoration, wondering what exactly will the artist practise next. After the release of his debut EP, a drove of songs penned by a and so-teenage Sub Urban, his fans wondered what his new music might sound like as he moves from coming-of-age into adulthood. They got their answer with 'Patchwerk', a haunting track that represents a new mindset for the singer/songwriter and marks a new chapter of his career.

1883 defenseless upwards with Daniel (aka Sub Urban) and had a chat nigh his beginnings in music, his new single and what we can look from his debut total-length album out later this year.

Y'all only released your new song 'PATCHWERK', your first release since your 2022 debut EP 'THRILLSEEKER'. How would you say you've grown as an artist since then and at present?

It feels like I've experienced a blossoming renaissance of emotion. It'southward starting to weigh on me now that I've finally become an adult. I experience like everything I've released at the kickoff of 2022 was essentially just a conglomeration of a bunch of songs and tracks that I worked on as a teenager. Funnily enough, to me, the songs that are less emotionally driven and a bit more cynical are the ones I wrote when I was 15 and 16. Information technology wasn't until this twelvemonth I started finding my sound and realizing what it is. You tin hear information technology in the next few singles — Patchwerk is just an introduction. Information technology'southward heavier compared to other ones, but I do feel like I've abandoned this sense of adolescent pain. The projection itself is nevertheless maniacal in a lot of means and it'due south going to prove in the music itself and the videos, only I feel less directly involved… if that makes sense?

Yes, almost every bit if you lot used your debut EP as a place to show everyone who you lot are but now y'all're looking at it from a bird'south eye view.

Yeah, I vented my teenage emotions in my earlier work. I had a moment with 'Cradles' and I ended up having to await a long time to release music because of that, so it's been a lot of waiting around and I finally feel similar I'one thousand caught up to myself and my audio. I experience surer than e'er.

Was at that place a certain point where you realized Wow, I'm an developed at present — there is no more coming-of-age, it's here?

It'southward difficult to recognize because information technology feels like I was ten yesterday. I'k sure anybody feels this way at some point only you go to a place where your fundamental understanding of everything changes. There'southward notwithstanding a curiosity at that place, but it's non a kittenish marvel; there'south a bit of darkness lingering.

Your songs explore darker themes — addiction, feet, and more. Has the process of songwriting felt similar its own class of therapy for you to help you piece of work through things?

Information technology definitely can be but mainly for the songs I write for myself, information technology'southward therapeutic in the sense that I build this parallel universe for myself. I do take a lot of pride in the verse I expand on in my lyrics and the world I create in my music videos, simply the music aspect of it — the melodies and sounds — in that location is a form of therapy of creating them and hearing it back. Realizing it came straight from my brain is mindblowing.

Y'all can practice that because it's like making information technology tangible in a way.

That'due south a perfect word for information technology. That'southward what makes information technology worth it to me.

Now you only touched on poetry — are you somebody that writes poems and and then transitions them into songs?

When I was in middle school I wrote a lot of angsty poems but I didn't experiment with them. I always thought there was a purity to instrumental music that wasn't tainted by annihilation else, but now I realize it's more than human than ever. If you think about this clunky form of expression that is fluid and allows y'all to go your point across so much easier and information technology's against a melody, so that's an amazing matter. I learned to recognize there's a reason why pop records all take vocals; at that place's a relatability there, similar a wolf howl.

Yeah, people recognizing something and wanting to listen to it over and over because they feel seen.

Yep, and information technology took me a while to recognize that. I used to brand music where the 'drop' was fundamental; I was coming from an electronic background and yous tin hear that in 'Cradles'. It'southward fun and experimental, but I experience now it's hard for me to write drops without the vocals which is ironic.

Now, can y'all tell me a flake virtually the inspiration behind 'PATCHWERK'?

It was several things only I was having a discussion about capitalism and how we are never really satisfied. We volition always try to fill our voids with overnice products and fancy shit merely we're brainwashed into this idea of ambition and trying to get to the next level, whatsoever the next level even is. We're animals at the cadre; existentialism drives us to give ourselves reasons for existence. I recollect a lot of people believe they were meant to exist greater than themselves. Within the period that nosotros're given, nosotros're taught from a very early age in school that nosotros demand to do these big, m things to give ourselves meaning. Back in the day, we were just hunting to survive. Now, it's I have to become to school, then make money, then get a career, and you're constantly searching for peace of listen that you lot'll never get because you've been brainwashed into thinking you'll always discover happiness in materialism. 'Patchwerk' and the music video focuses on that—sewing patches onto your skin and embedding the materials y'all're buying and making it part of your identity, from the nigh shallow bespeak of view. The concept of drowning is representative of fleeting moments of pleasure; suffocating by non beingness in control of your instincts and mind.

'PATCHWERK' is so cinematic, just like a lot of your videos. When you were growing up, was theatre something you tried out?

In second grade I was in the school play of Willy Wonka and that'due south about it! [Laughs] Information technology'due south the same take every bit poesy; I was never really into it in that sort of context. I always felt similar I was beingness teleported when I watched films and TV, merely I didn't get into movies until after I released 'Cradles'. I never watched a lot of stuff growing up, but I realized how much I beloved creative directing and pulling the images in my head and bringing them to life.

I feel similar, right at present, music is so saturated. Artists need visuals to fix themselves apart.

That's something I've been thinking about more and more. My music videos bring my music to life and at this point, I'm dumping my own money into this because I don't want to compromise. I don't want things that look half-assed and don't expect as good as they could've if we paid a piffling chip more than attention to it. I can only compromise so much until it becomes personal to me. I would give every song a music video if I could. I don't care about the money, but it's important to me that my music translates the manner I desire it to visually.

Information technology's been amazing to see the fan response to the 'PATCHWERK' video with fans recreating your staple look with makeup or through art. How has it been to run into fans actively engage with your music and visuals like this?

Since 'Cradles' I've paid a lot more than attention to fanart in my mentions. Information technology's crazy to run into caricatures that you create in your head fatigued by someone else out there who idea information technology was interesting enough to draw. It's flattering and means a lot. The fact they can make a concept I've created and put another creative spin on it but inspires me equally an artist. They pay attention to the little things, like the colours in 'Patchwerk' or the sculptures, and they turn information technology a unlike mode and I see a whole new version of me every bit a subject for other painters and drawers.

I know the music video for 'Cirque' was delayed due to the pandemic and you were conflicted almost releasing information technology considering yous were worried it was besides old. At present that it'southward out, how does information technology feel? Practice you feel like you're closing a chapter and preparing a new one?

It was of import to me to give it a proper ship-off. That EP is like seeing an old version of myself and that song is one of the oldest fans will always hear. You lot can hear how young I am, I'm swearing in information technology and now I observe swearing in songs sometimes jarring. Only, at that place'south a charm to it in a fashion.

Yeah, it's endearing and there's a certain naïveté well-nigh information technology.

Exactly. Sonically also, it's that big classic large ring sound. That one, in particular, I knew deserved a music video and I wish it could've been even bigger, simply I say that for most of my songs. It feels like wrapping upwardly on a affiliate and it took a weight off my chest. I felt like I could finally movement on. When 'Patchwerk' dropped, I felt like I was finally in a place where I was starting something new.

Lastly, 'Thrill Seeker' is seven tracks written during your adolescence and I know everyone is anticipating your debut album later this year — what are some words yous would use to describe this next chapter and body of work?

It'southward dark, but there's a new level of whimsy. It'due south playing on a vintage sound, there'southward a bit of Latin and French influence in there sonically. There'south but every bit much experimentation with sound; in that location's a bit of manic cynicism to it, but there's always something fun that comes with playing with cynicism, wouldn't you lot say? [Laughs]

Interview by Kelsey Barnes

Tickets for Sub Urban's alive stream show 'Sanctum' are on sale at present.

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Source: https://1883magazine.com/sub-urban/

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