Crywolf releases new single "C E P H A L Ø T U S"
Justin Taylor Phillips aka Crywolf is a singer/songwriter/producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles.
Crywolf revealed his latest single "C E P H A L Ø T U S" on December 7th.
“CEPHALØTUS” is a song about my entire life, in a certain sense. A descent into darkness, into chaos; into sweet, beautiful doom. It represents my complex and often deadly relationship with the shadow place in my unconscious mind - that dark, wet womb of the void from which all birth and death bloom,” explains Crywolf.
Showcasing “haunting vocals, abstract lyricism, atmospheric beats, and cinematic instrumentals”, the Los Angeles-based artist has gained support from important outlets such as The FADER, Vice, Consequence of Sound, Alternative Press, Billboard, NYLON, and Complex.
"C E P H A L Ø T U S" is off his upcoming album, set to be released in 2019.
Introduce yourself. What's your story?
I’m Justin. My music project is Crywolf. I try not to box it in at all, but generally it’s been a mix of indie instrumentation, experimental lyricism and electronic elements. I make concept albums primarily.
When did you start feeling connected to music and art in general?
I have always felt connected to art, but I never really knew how to channel it most of my young life. When I was 20 years old I started getting into visual art and it really reframed the creative process for me.
At what point did you realize you had to become an artist and release your original music?
At 22 I had been releasing random electronic music for a while, just as a side hobby. It ended up taking off and I dropped out of school to pursue it. After a while I realized I wanted more out of the process… I wanted to be expressing much deeper parts of myself. So I stopped making electronic remixes and started building my lyrically focused different take on music.
How would you define Crywolf, the artist?
I genuinely really try not to. It’s just purely an outlet for me to release emotion. Defining it any further than that puts me in a box, which defeats the purpose.
How did your sound and artistry evolve since your very first release?
The main difference is that I have gotten more confident with my vulnerability. I’ve zeroed in on a much more pure expression of what is inside of me. I’ve also just grown a lot as a person.. I’m a lot less focused on relationships now, and more focused on my own psyche and my purpose in the world.
You're about to release your new single "C E P H A L Ø T U S", what's the story behind it?
This track really cuts deep for me. Sometimes I write songs and realize they are about certain situations that have happened to me, certain relationships… more specific content. Other times, something much deeper and more broad expresses itself - more of a life ethos. “Cephalotus” is about my refusal to run away from the dark parts of my soul. My desire to face them head on, to dive into the shadow. It’s such an important principal in my life, one that has dictated the places I’ve gone, the people I’ve known, and the art I’ve made.
Could you describe us the songwriting/production process for this particular song? When did you start working on it?
I started writing “Cephalotus” in the mountains of North Carolina about three months ago. Different songs have different processes… sometimes I write a small part of a song, record it, and then it sits on the shelf for a year or more before I finally understand how to finish it. Others… and “Cephalotus” falls into this category… just come out spontaneously. I just recorded the guitar part, and then sang the words almost exactly as they are in the final the first time through. I finished the whole track in one day. I love it when that happens. It feels so pure and mysterious, like you aren’t even writing it.
What do you want people to feel when listening to your music?
I want to make them experience feelings they never even knew existed.
What vision do you have for your art?
I want to evolve Crywolf into a visual project as well as a music project. I want music videos for every song, short films, an entire world.
What advices would you give to anyone who'd like to pursue music as a career?
1: It’s a lot more work than you think. Creative work isn’t about the pretty parts. It’s about the blood you are willing to spill.
2: Imagine five years down the road, being extremely successful, touring around headlining huge venues… What sort of project would you want that to be? Be completely honest with yourself. What would be your ideal creative output, if you knew unequivocally that it will be successful and have insane fans? Make that thing. Don’t compromise for anything less.
2018 is slowly coming to an end. What are the things you are the most proud of?
Mainly the personal growth that has happened this year. This album is pretty much a detailed account of a lot of it, so it’s really cool to look at it all finished.
What's your purpose?
I have no idea.
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