Q: In this song, your lyrics discuss feeling trapped in unhealthy relationships. Can you walk me through your writing process in making “Culdesac”?
FUBE: I have always had this feeling of being stuck. I think life is a simulation and we are basically being shown a movie. We are stuck in this movie theatre. There is no exit. There is no intermission. I started with a melancholic chord progression and wrote the chorus “I think I’m in love with you”. But then, I asked myself, have I genuinely been in love with anyone? And the answer is no. I have always had trouble understanding my own feelings and where they originated from. At first, I just wanted to write a simple, typical teen breakup song, but then it turned into something deeper and darker than that. I think not knowing whether I love that person is a sign of not knowing who I am.
Q: I love the way you fuse elements of different genres on this song. What did you enjoy most about making this track?
FUBE: I enjoyed the process of writing the verse of the song and switching back and forth between singing and rapping. It is a strategy that helps me jump out of the box and be more creative. When I am having trouble coming up with a nice melody, I start rapping and when I can’t come up with a smart rap delivery, I start singing.
Q: What first got you into music?
FUBE: Music is like therapy to me, as it is to a lot of musicians. When I was a kid, I would overthink a lot, and have these very complicated thoughts that aren’t usually found in the mind of a 14-year-old. I guess I was mentally much more mature than most of my peers. I felt like no one really understood me, my thoughts, my emotions and feelings. And then I discovered hip-hop music and I had learned how those artists express their feelings and struggles so I started to write my own songs. I can play the piano so I had some basic knowledge about music which kind of made my entry to songwriting much easier than a lot of people. I was the only person in the entire school that could write music and I realized how special I was. And it was also the fact that I was special which made me feel lonely and not understood, so I never stopped writing songs because to be honest, music was my only genuine friend at that time.
Q: With all the different styles and genres that flow in your music, who would you say is your biggest musical influence?
FUBE: There are so many of them. I listened to a lot of Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Macklemore and Lil Wayne when I was little. These people significantly influenced my lyricism. They are the reason why I love using punchlines, puns, and sarcastic dark humor in my songs. In the past couple of years, I discovered Joji, Rex Orange County, BROCKHAMPTON, Clay and Friends, Dominic Fike and Yeek and I started to incorporate more elements of alternative pop and R&B music into my songwriting while still holding onto hip-hop and rap. I also love Spanish music, Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis and Omar Apollo are some of my favourite artists. I basically listen to everything.
Q: What has been one of the most significant moments of your musical journey so far?
FUBE: I haven’t had many significant moments yet, but the first time someone I didn’t know told me they liked my music, that was a great moment. I know that music making is a long journey and this is barely the beginning so I just want to be patient, stay humble and grateful and celebrate every little step.
Q: With platforms such as soundcloud being so huge in the way people discover music now, how do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
FUBE: In the past couple of years, we have been seeing more and more small independent artists get discovered and blow up. I guess it is a good thing for everyone that is interested in pursuing a career in music as it makes music more accessible and approachable than ever. The music industry is also getting more and more diverse, because we are hearing more unique voices and people that do not go by a commercial formula when they make music. There is now much more freedom and much more creativity being seen.
Q: What kind of advice would you give to up and coming artists trying to get their names out there?
FUBE: Be patient, be nice to yourself. Never let negative voices stop you. Not every friend of yours will support you at first but don’t just get frustrated and complain about it, prove to people that you are serious and even though your music is not the best, you still have the courage to consistently put out new songs and get yourself out there. You don’t want to leave regrets.
Q: What comes for you next?
FUBE: I want to make more music for sure. I have many more new songs coming out this summer and I think people will like them. My new single “Lemon Tea” is coming out on May 21st. It is an alternative pop song, quite different from “Culdesac” so I think people will be surprised when they hear it. I want to learn more about music production and sound engineering. I also want to write more songs in languages other than English. I want to expand my style and incorporate more genres into my music. I want to make a music video. I am also a drama major currently studying acting and directing, so apart from music, I also want to act more and become a more well-rounded artist.
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
