Exclusive Interview with GOOSTAVO

Rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from South London is Angus Bruce, aka GOOSTAVO. GOOSTAVO, who is currently based in Southampton, combines jazz rap and neo soul with conscious, introspective lyrics that explore both personal growth and struggles with mental health as a result of his delayed ADHD diagnosis at the beginning of 2022

The standalone debut single from GOOSTAVO is titled “RUNAWAY.” Written in the spring of 2022, two months after Angus received his ADHD diagnosis, the song explores Angus’s desire to flee his problems. It has since been noted that the artist was going through a “difficult and clouded time.” Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

GOOSTAVO: My name is Angus Bruce aka GOOSTAVO, I’m a rapper, producer and Multi Instrumentalist, originally from South London but currently based in Southampton, UK. I’ve just released my debut song as GOOSTAVO called RUNAWAY, its available to stream everywhere right now and I wrote this tune about a year ago right after my ADHD diagnosis when all I wanted to do was runaway from my problems!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

GOOSTAVO: I started getting taught Sax when I was 8, and when I went to secondary school I slowly started picking up a few more instruments like Guitar and Bass. That’s around the same time I stumbled across a few production YouTube videos and wanted to give it a go myself so I went and got a small midi keyboard with a copy of Ableton Live and from there taught myself to produce. I am now in my final year of Uni studying music at Southampton finishing off my degree and working on some really cool new music to share with the world.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘GOOSTAVO’?

GOOSTAVO: There are so many I could choose from, as there’s so many artists and musicians that inspire me to do what I do; but if have to pinpoint someone, or actually a few people, would be the likes of Tom Misch and Loyle Carner with a touch of Mac Miller sprinkled in there. When it comes to the name GOOSTAVO, it really all stems from one of my nicknames being Goose (as in An-goose if you say my name with a bit of an accent). To be honest, after I was diagnosed with ADHD I felt like I needed to change my artist name as I have released music under my own name before, I needed to separate what I create from who I am and use that persona to lift myself up when I need it. The name GOOSTAVO actually came from my housemate who one night when I got home from work told me they had changed my name in their phone to Goostavo while I’d been out and I just couldn’t help but think what a good artist name that would be for me and since then it has just stuck.

4. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as HIPHOP?

GOOSTAVO: I wouldn’t say I fit the bill for a rapper or hip hop artist one bit, and I think that’s now part of my charm as GOOSTAVO, I’m trying to question people’s expectations of a hip hop artist (whilst understanding that I’m a guest here). I’ve been quite reluctant on sharing the rapping side of my music with the world, but in my writing I found that a lot more can be said and a lot more of my emotions could be shared through that medium. However, I’d say that myself being a hip hop artist isn’t completely true, I take inspiration from so many places, delving into Neo-soul and jazz, which just can’t be helped as a sax player regularly playing in jazz groups. It’s taken me some time to reach where I am now, from making sad boy Neo-soul as Angus Bruce, to jazz rap as GOOSTAVO. It was artists like BADBADNOTGOOD that really made me fall in love with hip hop. As teenager just first falling in love with jazz, growing up in a house filled with disco, soul, and rock, hearing this jazz/hip hop together in one showed me some of the really cool things happening around the world that only introduced me to even more music. It just felt like I had found my place in music when I discovered Tom Misch and Loyle Carner, but it would take me a few more years of developing my production and writing skills, along with more musical discovery to find myself where I am now and I know this is just the beginning of my original sound.

5. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

GOOSTAVO:

I’d say its like suburban-workwear-toyota-aygo-sadboysummer-soul-hop. I’m just joking. I think people enjoy the honesty, like this music I’m making right now encapsulates who I am, and its always chill and pretty diverse if that’s what you’re into? Honestly, I’d best describe it as Bedroom Jazz Rap!

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

GOOSTAVO: Music is a great vehicle for anything really, just like any other form of art. I think when it comes to obvious political statements, I’ve got too much on my mind to be involved with that artistically but I think it’s hard not to speak culturally in my music. In the end an artist’s views are their personal views so I think music as long as expression is at the forefront… it’s great!

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

GOOSTAVO: I wouldn’t still be doing this all these years later if my music didn’t fulfil me, it’s as simple as that! I take so much pride in the music I make, but sadly I’m reaching a point where that fulfilment isn’t truly enough, I’m in my final year of university and the real world is knocking on the door so I’ve got to start taking this music thing relatively seriously. I think I will only grow to put more work into my art, and hopefully continues to reach more people! Well, at least that’s what I hope!

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

GOOSTAVO: It really depends, I’ve been trying to mix it up recently and I’ve been getting some cool tunes from that that I will inevitably be sharing with the world. About half the time most of my songs start with a beat, which as a producer and beat maker makes a lot of sense. However, the other times it will usually start with a narrative concept or something I need to get off my chest and usually then sit down with a guitar or start working on a beat or start writing a sax melody to sample. I think overtime I’ve started to collect all these different ways to inspire myself when writing music, and defiantly more recently I’ve been looking to others for collaboration. I’ve realised that you have to accept your weaknesses and look to others for that help sometimes and it is proving to be invaluable to me as a musician!

9. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

GOOSTAVO: That’s really hard to answer. I love playing music live, like that’s probably what made me fall in love with music to begin with. It’s just one of those things I’ve always done in some capacity and I don’t wanna stop for the foreseeable. But, at the same time I really just enjoy sitting at my desk in my room with my home studio setup and just making music, taking whatever has inspired me leading up to that moment. That’s where the magic happens and that’s where I do what I love doing most and that’s creating! I’m also trying to find myself in the collaborative studio space, not just as an artist but also a producer, so until I know what I’m like working in that environment, I don’t think I can give you a straight answer!

10. What would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

GOOSTAVO: The release party for this new tune was sick so its just got to be that. It was something I set up myself, along with a little help from The Damn Straight Collective boys and it was just a beautiful night of music. It was just amazing to see some many people come down and enjoy my music.