Inspired #271 - Single Ruin
Colourfully enigmatic Brighton based artist Single Ruin, now onto his fourth single of the year, continues to push his warped and wonderful take on alternative pop in gripping directions with the ruminating, "Careful Now." We caught up with him to chat about the track and what inspires him.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
Tyler the Creator - He made such a landscape of sonic genius to accompany his character, Igor. A huge inspiration for me with the way I record and play live.
Childish Gambino - Just like Tyler Donald Glover is a renaissance artist, so detailed in all his art forms. I love that he changes genre and themes each time he makes a record.
Mø - Her album Forever Neverland was on repeat for the longest time (much like Igor and Awaken my love where), I love her attitude live.
All of those albums gave me the confidence that there is a space for alternative pop and made me realise that is where I wanted Single Ruin to start, they also gave me the confidence to make more of a character to drive my music.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
Oh man only one choice, there are so many that inspire this project. I write songs imagining that they were going to be played in a few of these films. Blade Runner 1+2, Drive, Joker, Ghost in the Shell, No Country for Old Men, Tron etc. I'll literally import a loop of one of those (or any visual with neon, grit, tension or that kinda vibe) and mess around to see if it draws anything fun. They also visually impact the way I portray myself on socials and live on stage.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
Brighton. a simple, easy and perhaps boring answer. Not boring to me tho as nothing is like my home town. I'm constantly inspired by my mates and the local creative scene around me. I have so much support here too.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
I love seeing my sister start on a blank canvas and come up with something that is so creatively awesome. Her art is all over my house and it's not because she is family and I’m being polite, I'm really fussy with the art I have in my home especially in my studio, I suppose we have a similar taste creatively. She has gone through so much and is so tough, so I wanted to pick her as my most inspiring person.
What were your inspirations when writing "Careful Now”?
I wanted to write something that sounded hard, that had an attitude and a bit of a swagger about it. I had no idea that I needed to get those lyrics off my chest but once I allowed the confidence to own them it felt like having a therapy session. I felt light after creating this one.
How would you like to inspire people?
I feel like there are a lot of people who struggle with allowing themselves to be truly free. Free to be who they want to be, to chase their dreams head-on. I constantly have to remind myself to push harder and dream bigger. It was so freeing to finally have the confidence to explore sounds and topics that I haven’t done before and release the songs I’ve worked so hard on. I guess what I’m trying to say is I just want to be an example of someone who is kind, bold, works hard, takes risks and has fun doing what they love.