January 24th marked the eagerly anticipated release of California-based artist Simpson, who unveiled her latest single, "There's Ur Future."
For devoted fans who have been captivated by her previous hits like "I Miss My Dawgs" and "Switch Lanes" over the past couple of years, this release was nothing short of a musical event. Simpson's distinctive blend of a soulful voice and poignant lyrics has consistently struck a chord with audiences. "There's Ur Future" stands as a testament to her alternative music influences that have profoundly shaped her artistic journey. In an exclusive interview, we had the privilege of delving into Simpson's insights about this new release and her overarching artistry, aiming to spark inspiration for all those drawn to her musical world. Could you share a bit about how your musical journey began? What motivated you to pursue a career in music? Sure, it started really early, I’ve always, always been into music early on from my mom who had cassettes from some of her favorite artists, and her taste was really eclectic so I was glad to be exposed to so much and so early, which definitely informed my independent discovery process. From there I also have always really loved reading and writing poetry, so I had mannnnnny notebooks just full of poems and lyrics. My brother and I got a guitar and a drum set and we would make up songs together and really jam out and he went onto orchestra class in school and I had played in an extremely short lived band with my friends at the time where we’d move the instruments from my house to his mom’s house while they were gone and play. That was really fun because we had an agreed upon identity and intention of creation, and we were a surf rock band heavily inspired by Wavves and Best Coast. From there around 2/3ish years later I joined a rap group with my friends that was super genre expansive, we were rapping over everything from DOOM samples to K pop flips and even the sounds of leaves rustling. Still never seen something like that again! But it was hard to find a voice of your own in a group dynamic even though we seldom did posse cuts, so Simpson is really where I’ve been able to make what I’ve felt like making without it having to be a “this or that” thing, I can do it all! And I’ve started a few other projects as well to be able to expand upon ideas I may only want to explore as 1 or 2 songs, or an EP, as Simpson. You’ll be hearing some of those later this year!
Were there any specific artists or experiences that ignited your passion for music and led you to where you are today?
So many. Gorillaz, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janet Jackson, System of a Down, later on Santigold. Just the literal tip of the iceberg. But I’ve listened to Gorillaz most of my life, D-Sides was the first album, which I also didn’t know at the time was a remix album, I bought so they were really my first favorite band I discovered on my own. I remember seeing Clint Eastwood and it combined all my favorite things. The characters were really cool, the dub style melodica, the rapping. I was like whoa they spliced like 20 styles here and got a monster jam. One of the coolest and best songs ever. Also going to Warped Tour was amazing! That was also my first festival experience, and it was really awesome to see so many bands I loved in one place, but I was also really small and one of the only Black people there so I got pushed around even when I wasn’t in the crowd. A lot. That’s when I knew everyone else wasn’t there for just the music, and I’ve always wanted to connect with more Black people into alternative since.
I couldn’t help but hear some nostalgic indie rock influences from the early 2000s in “There’s Ur Future”. What inspired the creation of your upcoming single, and how does it reflect your musical journey? That’s dope you hear that! My friend (artist, producer Tony Davia) actually had the instrumental and showed it to me in a session and was talking about how he couldn’t find the right artists for it but I lit up right away. It was exactly what I wanted! It’s experimental and new wave and I could write about my experience on hiatus over the past 3 years in a way that was authentic to me, and use the same kind of poetry scheme from my last release, Cherry Ice Cream Sundae. Most of the time now I’ll write lyrics as the music is being written but most of the lyrics I write on their own now just remain as poems, so it’s nice to be able to give this one a new dimension. I talk about the world’s relation to me and vice versa. The song was written after witnessing the ongoing genocide in Palestine. It didn’t take very long at all. The chorus is a meditation. IS this the future? How can we make a better one? How can my art be an instrument for that? I’ve never shied away from talking politics in music. I Miss My Dawgs is explicitly a song about the continuing pandemic, I used the funds from that song on band camp to donate to Breonna Taylor’s fund and other smaller community aid requests I found, and asked people to donate to G.L.I.T.S. if they wanted to be in the raffle for the shirt used as artwork. It was really great, if I remember correctly over $2k was raised.
Are there any specific instruments, production techniques, or elements that stand out in this upcoming release?
The delivery I’d say! I love to get into my deeper voice, a lot of times people don’t think it’s me which is so funny. When I released Summer in 2020 everyone else thought it was someone else!
What makes this single different from your previous work, and how do you see your music evolving in the future?
As long as I’ve wanted to make new wave records, I haven’t released them, so this is definitely the first of many that I plan to explore more in my other project, Bagheera. I’d love to do more longform storytelling and world building and concept projects, so maybe some 15 minute long songs haha. It’s hard to say right now, I do prefer more of an element of surprise.
What do you hope listeners will take away from your music, especially this upcoming release?
I hope they can feel connected and find some sick jams. Honestly! haha. My EP Habitual Be is going to be a much larger view into my mind. The name comes from the term in ebonics or AAVE with how we “be”. We use that as far as matters of past, present, and future, sometimes separately, sometimes altogether! It’s a state of affirmation and continuity. I hope to really reach more Black folks into alternative music, that’s my intention. There’s no limitations here, or anywhere, cuz we always be elevating shit. Haha! Listen to There's Ur Future on Spotify and all music platforms!
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