ME: First of all, I love the name Baby FuzZ, how did you come up with it?
BABY FUZZ: The name actually came from a buddy of mine. He had the idea for years about it being a fun name for a band or music project. I kind of fell in love with it for my alter ego. After some negotiating and dinner buying, I was able to convince him to let me use it for my project. It kind of felt simpatico with my personality and instantly felt like an alter ego.
M: Is there a reason the last Z is capitalised?
BF: I just felt like it was a fun stylization at the time.
M: You have a song called Andy Warhol and to me, his work and art in general have such a big influence on your covers and artwork. Where do you draw the most Inspo for for your covers?
BF: I grew up near Pittsburgh, PA, which is Andy Warhol's hometown. Actually in college, I lived in a house right beside his parents' old house where he grew up. So naturally, I took an interest in his work and personality from early on. I actually have an old cookbook in my kitchen right now that he drew some really basic illustrations for in 1961. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but some day.
My artwork is just whatever I'm feeling visually at the time. The first album art was created with props and supplies and then photographed. I wanted it to be a cute mess - kind of gnarly but in a childish way. The most recent album cover for Welcome To the Future I licensed from an artist I met at an art show in LA. It's also an actual physical piece that was then photographed. I find myself drawn toward physical art for album artwork. Gives it a bit more feeling.
M: Your 2019 album seems to be still doing so amazing, did you feel when you released your first album that it would do so well?
BF: I first put out a song "Cig" in 2017. It didn't do much at first and actually took almost a year before anybody really listened to it. Somehow it got added to a few playlists and got into the Spotify algorithms. The album in 2019 kind of followed suit - there were a few tunes that kind of got into Spotify and helped the whole album. i think once people started becoming fans it started to go beyond just that streaming platform, but tbh it was initially a very Spotify project.
M: Did the pandemic help you write more music, or make the process of music making harder?
The pandemic both helped and hurt. It initially forced me to cancel a tour. Then it helped give me time and space to make my latest album. Then it drove me insane and basically made me take a break from music. So it's been a roller coaster for sure. I'm currently taking a year off from music just focusing on some other stuff, so I'm sure the pandemic had something to do with that.
M: I love your song cig, I think you wrote it so smartly and it probably is so relatable to many people. Did you write it about your own feelings?
BF: I wanted to write a song about the pointlessness of everything, but also the ability to acknowledge that fact and find some joy in that. Everybody has some tragic archs in their life, so it's just about keeping them in perspective and valuing the fact that it happens to everyone. So it's almost like something we as humans can bond over and celebrate.
M: Do you often write about your own emotions and experiences?
BF: Definitely. I channel them into things less specific in the songwriting, though. So if I feel anxiety about global warming, I'll channel that into a song lampooning boomer consumer culture. Or if someone I know gets cancer, I'll write a song that states "we're all gonna die". My life informs my music for sure.
M: Can we look forward to any music releases this year from you?
No. Haha...I'm taking 2022 off from music completely. Like I'll send you an autographed vinyl if you order one, but other than that, I'm taking a break. I'm actually driving a tractor trailer...started a new company looking to run electric semis once they are available. It's random, but while I'm doing it, I'm also taking a crash course in trucker culture. There are so many good trucker songs! So maybe later in the year if I get bored, I'll jump in the studio and make a trucker album filled with on the road songs. We'll see...
M: Is a tour going to be possible any time soon?
Probably not this year. I'm touring in my own way, but just at truck stops. haha
M: You have 80k+ monthly listeners, are those numbers overwhelming to you?
Not overwhelming. I'm grateful that people like my songs and listen. If they can relate to them or they help them out in life, mission accomplished. I don't get hung up on numbers.
M: I like to end on a fun one; if you could play at any festival which would it be and why?
Vans Warped Tour if it still existed. I'll have to settle for Punkin Chunkin Fest
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