TriPed, a 25-year-old musician from London, has finally made a comeback with his first single in more than 2 years, a disco-inspired pop song titled โWhen U Were Mine.โ
TriPed, New York City-based producer Carl Culley, and Boston native Ellis Hall III collaborated to produce the song. More dance-pop songs written by Culley and TriPed will be released early in the following year.
TriPedโs distinctive style is still on full display in When U Were Mine, which combines modern and vintage elements to produce a very distinctive sound and displays his songwriting prowess with playful and catchy lyrics reminiscent of his 2020 release โWhere Are You?โ Check out the song When U Were Mine and the exclusive interview below:
1. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โTRIPEDโ?
TRIPED: My biggest musical influence is Mariah Carey, who I grew up listening to, but I am a fan of most styles of music, and I often find myself borrowing from various artists in different genres, and mashing everything together in a flavourful musical soup. The name TriPed came up to me in a dream, as tends to happen with many of my creative ideas. I thought it was very catchy and I stuck with it.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
TRIPED: I took classical piano classes at a very young age, and singing lessons when I was 19-20. Everything else I taught myself through trial and error.
3. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
TRIPED: My songs are mostly stories based on real life events, and itโs very interesting to see people immerse in them as if they were watching a movie or reading a novel. My sound is an amalgamation of different genres from different eras, and it combines modern with vintage in a tasteful way.
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 POP?
TRIPED: Iโve always had great creative ideas, and I started writing songs when I was only 12. My production technique and vocal abilities have definitely improved a lot through lessons, and experimenting on my own. Some of my early demos are insanely cringy, and I wouldnโt want anybody to hear them. But when something is your true calling, hard work and perseverance will get you there.
5. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ 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?
TRIPED:
I personally utilize music as a way to express emotions, and I donโt feel that I would be able to write songs without an emotional element, and there are very few songs to my knowledge that do that successfully. I have however written songs for a punk-pop EP which are more politically loaded, though emotions are always at the forefront. I still havenโt recorded them, but if the stars align, I just might.
6. 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?
TRIPED:
Iโve reached a point where I no longer care about my music โdoing wellโ so to speak. At this point in time I create solely as a way to express myself, and to leave something behind when Iโm gone. As long as at least 1 other person is listening to my songs, I am fulfilled, and I feel like Iโve succeeded as an artist.
7. 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?
TRIPED:
A musical idea generally comes to me in the form of chords, rhythm, and melody. I then refine it and start writing lyrics until Iโm happy with the way everything is. After that, I generally like to stay away from the song for a while, and come back to it in the future if I still think itโs worth developing. Then I start working on the production. I have recently been more open to working with other co-producers, and I feel like it has enhanced the quality of the output. Shout out to Carl Culley and Irma Seleman who are two extremely talented people I have collaborated with recently.
8. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
TRIPED:
I personally exclusively portray a persona on social media. Itโs nearly impossible to avoid negativity in the anonymity of social media which makes people a lot bolder and more critical than they would otherwise be. By separating myself from this persona, whenever people laugh at me online, the joke is on them, as they donโt know me, they only know what they think I am.
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?
TRIPED: As much as I love performing, especially in intimate settings with a responsive audience, I feel like songwriting and music making is my true nature. I am also what some people may call a perfectionist, and itโs impossible to put on a perfect live performance. You can however get close in the studio.
10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
TRIPED:I believe that every personโs interpretation of music, or any art form, is a personal thing, and I would never tell anyone that their interpretation of any of my songs is โwrongโ. I do think though that itโs nice to have a background story from the artist explaining the inspiration behind a song, as it allows you to connect to it more thoroughly.
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