Q&A: UNTTLD
Dec. 10th 2019 | BTS Photos By Jeremy Malizola
THEY TOOK THE LEAP AND LANDED BETTER THAN THEY COULD IMAGINE - UNTTLD's latest EP, Racehorse, reflects their evolution in the best way possible. The Florida based duo, comprised of Kevin Moody and Alex Perdomo, touches on the theme of growth and identity in Racehorse while showcasing the array of elements to their sound. Read on to hear more about UNTTLD's creative process, the narrative behind Racehorse and more.
LUNA: How would you describe Racehorse in comparison to previous music?
UNTTLD: We think this EP is a much more developed product than anything we’ve ever put out. There’s always been a consistent progression with every project. Going into this one though, we knew we were going to take a lot of risks we weren’t ready to take before. We had big aspirations, both musically and lyrically. In the end, we really think it paid off!
LUNA: Can you talk a little bit more about the creative process, and narrative behind Racehorse?
UNTTLD: The creative process is a feel thing. As far as what’s consistent, we always start with chords and then go from there. What does the music tell me? What’s it asking for? We develop the instrumental as much as possible because it informs the vocals, (melody comes first). We usually come up with these ideas separately in an effort to avoid influencing each other. We listen to different music; so when we write separately, we get a more unique perspective. Sometimes what we come up with is final product, but more often than not, we improve on each other’s ideas. It’s all a democracy -- we’ve been friends for a long time, so nothing is personal. If something’s wack, it’s out. Naturally, this makes everything more cohesive. From this point on, each song varies. Despite being two different people, we tend to find similarities in our feelings and frustrations in life. Sure, sometimes one of us will have an experience that will inspire a song,
The title of the EP comes from the “racehorse” attitude of focusing on your own future. Not worrying about others or comparing progress. For us, the narrative of the whole EP represents growth. At the beginning, there’s a lot of self-doubt and concern for the future. By the end, we’ve adopted the right outlook. Everything in between is basically just learning about ourselves. Trial and error in the search for identity.
LUNA: What track was the most difficult for you to make?
UNTTLD: All of these songs went through a lot of transformation to get to where they are, but “Second Spring” took the longest.
LUNA: What elements are you bringing in to make your sound? What’s the best way to describe your sound to other people?
UNTTLD: This project has a lot of synthesis, which is a recent development for us. However, we also arrange for real instrumentation. We have a lot of musician friends, so it’s always nice being able to work with them. Something we’re proud of is our musical variety, but generally we describe our sound as Indie Pop/R&B.
LUNA: Are there any specific artists that have shaped your sound?
UNTTLD: We both have an eclectic taste! We like a lot of turn-of-the-century R&B, 70’s funk, 80’s pop, and even a lot in the independent scene right now. Justin Timberlake, Musiq Soulchild, Prince, The Beatles, Debarge, Mint Condition, Michael Jackson, Clairo, Daniel Caesar, the list goes on and on...
LUNA: How about on the visual side, do you have any particular preferences or inspirations?
UNTTLD: Once upon a time, it was just the two of us in charge of visuals, predominantly Kevin. Since then, a lot of the creative direction now comes from our friend Tanner Deutsch. He and our photographer friend Tallulah Bowman have a lot of influence over the look of our artwork. In the end, the covers are a product of the four of us. It’s important to note that everyone that ever collaborates with UNTTLD is a close friend, which makes things even more rewarding for us. For this cover in particular, we took inspiration from Gregory Crewdson’s photography.
LUNA: Now that the year is winding down what did you learn from 2019?
UNTTLD: Don’t worry about the other horses.
LUNA: What do you hope 2020 will bring?
UNTTLD: Even more growth, more friends, and more art.
