Interview with Enzo Sprigg

Enzo Sprigg

Enzo Sprigg is an eclectic and whimsically creative electronic singer/songwriter. Inspired by a wide range of artists from Bjork, Goldfrapp and Gary Numan to newer artists like IAMX, Chelsea Wolfe and Purity Ring. He fuses his smooth vocal style with avant garde elements to craft songs that are as original as they are intimate. Enzo boldly plays with genres ranging from Goth and electronic to torch song ballads, all with a strange yet intriguing twist. He’s also a visual artist who illustrates his own album covers, creates the costumes in his videos and has even hand drawn and animated videos for his songs.

 

 

We catch up with Enzo Sprigg for the exclusive interview:

 

Where are you from?:
I’m originally from Arizona but currently live in Los Angeles. By day I’m a video game artist. It’s a very creatively demanding job so I use my songwriting as an artistic counter balance. It helps me stay fresh in both the game work and the music I do in the evenings.

How long have you been making music?:
I’ve been singing my entire life. Growing up I joined bands and loved playing music with my friends. Over time though I became much more interested in crafting original songs and really learning how to write something unique and memorable. I never seemed to find the right counterparts within bands so I decided to write music on my own. All my biggest heroes had gone down that road (Bowie, Gary Numan, Peter Gabriel, Trent Reznor etc.) I figured I’d be in good company.

How many songs /albums have you released to date?:
I’ve written and recorded 3 full length albums in the last 3 years. A quick pace to some but since I’m writing constantly it’s the pace I’m most comfirtable with. My goal is to build a full catalog of albums that are diverse and show my growth as a songwriter/singer and producer. I hope that when listeners learn about me they can go back into my earlier material and find great songs there too.

Can you tell us about your latest release and the background and inspirations behind it?:
My new album is called “Cosmic Bipolar Nebula”. Psychedelic, introspective, layered, and emotionally honest. These were all key elements I wanted in the writing of this album. The material is a reflection of who I am and how I see the world. This album has definitely been a journey inward. I also pressed myself to explore both the lighter, euphoric side of life as well as the sorrow and pain. I knew this would make the body of songs dynamic and varied. The album definitely has two polar sides to it which was exactly what I was going for.

How have you ended up in the music industry?:
In many ways I feel I’m NOT part of the music industry. I pretty much write for myself and self publish everything I release. It’s great when people find my music and enjoy it but to be honest my musical goals are purely based on personal growth and don’t require any sort of “success” in the music industry. If only 5 people listen to this album I’ll still write and release the next one. I only promote my albums because I believe in the material and feel it deserves to be heard.

What do you think of the music industry in 2017?:
In many ways it’s the best and worst time for music. The best because it’s very easy to get your music out to a vast global audience online. It’s also very affordable to put together a home studio where you can produce music that sounds polished. Also because of streaming services, I feel people are enjoying music more and more these days.

It’s the worst time also because there are very few mainstream avenues for people to get to know about new music artists. There are countless great artists online that I’ve personally found that no one knows about. The internet is great but it’s very hard to find the right people that may enjoy what you’re doing musically.

Who do you think the most influential artist?
David Bowie is by far my biggest influence. At his center he was always about songwriting and playing with different genres of music and that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do in my own writing. Also, Gary Numan has a very electronic musical center that I’ve always admired in his work so he’s in second place.

How do you think you differ from other artists?
I find I stand out in the electronic music space because I’m more of a singer/songwriter. Vocals, lyrics and songcraft are very important to me. I will take the time to get a chorus and overall song structure just right. I also mix genres into my music a lot. This latest release has hints of psychedelic rock, punk, reggae, goth and even bossa nova.

Dead or alive, who would be your dream collaboration?
Of the dead it would have to be Bowie (for obvious reasons). Of the living, Chris Corner of IAMX/Sneaker Pimps fame. I feel he’s one of the most talented and consistant musical artists today. He just systematically releases great material constantly. Of the newer artists he’s a big role model for me.

What was the first album you bought?
Hotter than Hell by KISS. I bought it with birthday money when I was 9 years old and credit them for leading me towards music that wasn’t on the radio. I still love them, especially the 70’s material.

What’s your favorite song at the moment?
I’m really into a band called Drab Majesty these days. “39 by Design” is a song of theirs that I can’t stop listening to.

If you had to sell your music collection tomorrow, what album would you leave in your draw?
Scary Monsters by Bowie would have to stay with me. That album marks a point in his music where the new material (Berlin period work) mixed with his amazing songwriting

What is your favorite saying?
A. B. C. Always be creative. They are words I try my best to live by.

What other hobbies or interests do you have?
I’m really into makeup art and costume design and have used those skills in my videos. I’m also an artist/illustrator and did the cover art for this new album. Overall I just love making art weather it be musical or visual.

Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
No. Not that I have anything against them. I think they look amazing on certain people but my tastes tend to change a lot. Because of that I don’t like anything permanent.

Tell us more about your upcoming project or this new project?
I plan to support this album with more music videos. I enjoy the video making process. It allows me to use my other skills and can be a lot of fun. I hope to make videos for the songs “Prime”, “Oh Mother”, “Dark Matter” and “Hyper Magnetic Touch”.

What’s in the pipeline after this project?
I’ve already started writing the next album and even have a working title for it. I won’t reveal that now but expect another album from me in a year or so. Hopefully it will be even better than this one which I’m very proud of now.

 

 

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