Q&A: veggi Talks Self-Care, Collaboration With Rome Castille & Halloween Costumes

Q&AMusic

Nov 11

☆ By Peggy Chen ☆

BRIGHT, ELECTRIC BEATS AND CATCHY TUNES — will make listeners want to dance along to veggi’s newest PRODUCE EP. With collaborations with fellow songwriter and artist Rome Castille for track “Taste”, Canadian music sensation KALLITECHNIS and the English singer-songwriter Bipolar Sunshine, PRODUCE highlights veggi’s evolving sound. performances.

The EP is the latest release from veggi, an indie-dance artist on the rise, who is often characterized by his ethereal soundscapes, a masterful understanding of melody, and captivating performances. In 2021, veggi found success on TikTok following the release of “LEVITATING” and continued with his EP LIQUID, collaborating with the likes of DijahSB and KhakiKid.

“I [was] a music person my whole life,” he shared. “I've been playing instruments since the fourth grade so I was like, let's double down on this music thing.”

After a brief pursuit in electrical engineering didn’t work out, the artist dove into music. Speaking about his earlier influences, the artist explains, “I was really into electronic and hip-hop, and I think it was a combination of doing that and making content as veggibeats [that] really shaped the kind of sound that I wanted to go for.”

Keep reading below to take a look into the veggi’s creative process, early ventures in music, and where he’s headed next.

LUNA: How are you doing this fall season?

VEGGI: I am keeping busy, I will tell you that for sure. It's just been really hectic, but good. I know when things get super busy — it's easy to get kind of mixed up and be so scatterbrained, but everything's been going really well. We're in the midst of my first headlining tour. Last month, we did a show out [at ILLfest in Austin]. We have a few tour dates coming up in the next few weeks, so New York is Thursday, with Chicago and a couple Bay Area dates coming out in the next two or three weeks. Really, really exciting stuff, and it'll be my first time in New York too.

LUNA: How are you practicing self-care with everything you have going on?

VEGGI: My girlfriend got me into yoga. That has been key, especially in times of pure hecticness. Even when nothing's going on, it feels really nice to put the phone down and do a 20- or 30-minute flow. It really helps reset my brain a little bit. I also bike when I can. I live 15 minutes from Long Beach, so when I can I like to just take my bike out there and just bike on the bike path. That's also a good way for me to unwind.

LUNA: Before we dive into the upcoming project, let’s start with some influences as a whole. Southern California has such a diverse music scene, and between that and the internet I’m sure you’ve been exposed to a lot. How has your environment, both physical and online, shaped the music you make?

VEGGI: It's a great question. In college, I went to music business school out in Nashville, and that's where I really was diving in, and I went to college at Cal State Long Beach for a year to go for electrical engineering [but that] didn't work out. Whatever. I [was] a music person my whole life. I've been playing instruments since the fourth grade, so I was like, let's double down on this music thing. I want to really dive into it.

I met a ton of people [there]; I was in a hip-hop collective for a hot second. It was like I learned so much outside influence, it was just hip-hop and being [in] close proximity to Atlanta and Chicago. Nashville is a really unique melting pot where everyone thinks it's all country, but it's really not — it's so foreign. I really got into it, and even me studying music business and then having my own radio show for a year just really forced me to dive deep into indie. I was really into electronic and hip-hop for sure. It was a combination of doing that and really starting to connect with people on social media and Instagram [and] making content as veggibeats [that] really up shaped the kind of sound that I wanted to go for.

LUNA: How would you compare the upcoming project to what we've heard from you so far?

VEGGI: My past releases, I think, are kind of ramping up to what we can expect a little bit for this EP. This EP is kind of jumping into a more solidified direction. So that's definitely what is to be expected. I have two songs that I'm actually singing [in], which is the first thing on my project.

LUNA: What inspired that then? Was that something you always wanted to try, or just recently?

VEGGI: It's kind of interesting because I used to not feel comfortable sharing. I did choir my senior year of high school because my friends found out that I could sing and I was a little shy about it, but they're like, “You should try it out,” so I did it for one year but I'm still a little shy about it. That's true in terms of performing, like singing. That's not really my vibe, but I'm branching out a little bit, trying to encourage myself to not be so shy about using a talent that I have.

LUNA: You've gotten a chance to collab with some incredible artists such as Rome Castille and Kallitechnis — how does this shape your creative process compared to when you're working alone?

VEGGI: I've done studio sessions in college, but the process of working with someone in real-time, especially for just starting something from scratch [has] been an art of its own, that I've been really trying to understand the craft of. I love working on stuff by myself and then presenting an idea to build off of other people, but I'm definitely opening [up to the idea]. Like, it's really fun. It can be very eclectic.

LUNA: I'm sure when you find those specific collaborators, where you just click, it's a whole different process of unspoken communication.

VEGGI: Yeah, and especially now that I've been over 10 months into this publishing deal (with Ultra Publishing), being able to use their studio spaces and work with all these people in the studios. There's [a] learning curve [to this], understanding the hardware and how to actually use the studio, but there's another of working with all these artists that, [which is] kind of cool because I've met so many artists and producers…. We all kind of have our own unique style but we all think in the same way musically, if that makes sense.

LUNA: On the visual end, your photos, graphics, and videos are so so sick. What do you like about bringing this side of your work to life?

VEGGI: That has been something that totally interests me. All of my artwork I've done myself, and up until recently, with the last two releases, we've been working with this guy, Ethan Demarest — we've given him the creative direction. And working with them, it's been really cool to encapsulate that ’80s and disco vibe. I think it's really important to make sure that you encapsulate the right vibe that matches the music you're going for, whether it's a photoshoot or just visuals. It's something that I love having other people who have more expertise in technical stuff to put their hand on it, but I still love to also have my hand in it to really feel connected to that aspect, too.

LUNA: What can attendees expect when they attend a veggi show?

VEGGI: I think the most important thing is: I want my show to feel like a party. I know there's that one underground show that just has [a] real intimate vibe, the disco ball is going, and you've just got a really tasteful mix that people are interested in hearing that they may not have heard before, but then also mixing it in with classics that people love — people love that shit. And I love it too. One thing I love about DJing is that [I] just kind of forget about any sort of troubles or anything that may be weighing on my mind and I just kind of get lost in the music, and that's amazing. In terms of visuals, I love to encapsulate the music but also show a little sense of humor [and] a little bit of personality with my visuals.

LUNA: Take it how you will: What intentions do you have for the rest of the year?

VEGGI: With this being my first-ever headlining tour, I really want to make a statement. I really want to stand out and make a good first impression as far as touring in these new markets and hopefully winning over some new fans. Every show that I go to, the goal is to build off each tour. All the shows that we do, [we] expand and really reach out and resonate with more people. I really want to just make a statement and just do the best that I can and really put my best foot forward.

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫