Q: This track is a pivotal moment in your career, as I know prior to “Unlocked Character”, your songs featured you masked. Why is this the song you decided to use to show yourself unmasked?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: I made this song specifically for that purpose. A while back I tried unmasking without a song and it failed. It’s a long story that involves a two-year-long fake beef between 2 of my online personas, but I’ll save you the details.
Q: I love the grittiness of your lyrics and the hard-hitting beat in this song. Can you walk me through your writing and production process on “Unlocked Character”?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: Messy. I started writing this song over a year ago and finished it a day before I shot the video, because It was my only chance at getting those shots inside the moving boat. When the song was finished, I wasn’t satisfied with how it sounded. The song was stuck for 1.5 years and with it, my face as well, so I wrote some more songs from the perspective of the locked character. At a certain point I just was so fed up with being this locked character that I had to finish the song. My buddy Astrabanche mixed the song because he was fed up as well (we have a lot of unreleased songs together) and that helped a lot.
Q: How is the music scene in Belgium? Do you have any favorite venues that you like to perform at?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: I don’t go outside much anymore, so I don’t really know about the scene. From what I remember most people have a “wait-and-see” mentality when it comes to local acts, until they blow up in other countries. For Belgium specifically, a cool venue to play would be Magasin 4 in Brussels, Kavka in Antwerp, maybe a festival like Dour or Les Ardentes. I’d like to play Pukkelpop as well because it’s in my birthplace and I always pledged I would never go there unless it’s on a stage. But honestly with how the world is looking right now I will be happy to play any venue with a crowd that doesn’t have to stay in their seats.
Q: If you didn’t become a musician, what do you think you would be doing right now?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: Well, I am a tattoo artist, so If I weren’t a musician I would just have more time off and have a fun life, maybe work on my harem.
Q: What was your favourite moment in making the music video?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: So the boat I’m on is actually also the tattoo shop I work at and co-own. I wasn’t well prepared for a shoot because we had to move the boat ASAP. I told my associate to follow the boat with his car and take some shots with his phone. He had no clue what was going on.
Q: Do you remember what first got you into music?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: 2 wooden spoons and 3 cooking pots.
Q: What’s next for you?
CCHHRRIISSTTOODD: Ketamine.
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
