Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Well, when I was a young clown I ran away to join the circus, which often happens the other way round, but in my case I have always been a clown.
In the circus I saw first hand the dark and twisted side of the human realm and became accutely aware there was no place for me beyond the big top. My music belongs in the circus as do I.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Grizelda Pughe in three words?
A: Tom Waits and Aphex Twin driving a clown car, blasting bizarre shit on the stereo.
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: I have my show, The Grizelda Pughe Show live on YouTube. Given the nature of the music it’s an entirely selfish process hostile to the outside world, I hope people will like it, but I really don’t mind if they don’t.
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘Chuck’s Wheel’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Chuck, the protagonist is desperate to stay in control, this desire leads him down ever more extreme paths to avoid the darkness of his own subconscious and to stop the world from infiltrating his little bubble. His contrary attitude to submitting to the world and life eventually destroys him as it does so many in everyday life.
Q: What is your favorite track from the EP and why?
A: Either the Party or Shark, both of those capture a lot of what this whole thing is about. Surrealism, the subconscious mind and the dangers of repression. Probably not themes we should still need to discuss, but here we are……
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the EP, “Chuck’s Wheel”?
A: All of the tracks on the EP, with the possible exception of The Party started life from an almost random process where I would grab something and play it, or create random notes and then process them over and over, arranging and re-arranging until the structures were pleasing to me. I tried to bring something quirky to each track as well, Chuck’s Wheel for example had a real 40″ gong, that I hired, played on it. I also recorded it in a massive hall to get some crazy ambiance.
The lyrics exist independently of the music and get married up when the structures start to speak about who or what they are. This has required a bit of adaptation as I end up trying to shoe horn too many words into each song.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Grizelda Pughe so far?
A: Performing on the Quickfix recording stage at the Riverside Festival was a great experience and a very fond memory.
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: The Man Who Ceased to Exist is the track that captured an abstract idea of how I wanted my music to sound and made it real. The melodic motif was something I had been playing with for years, but the structure and essence of what surrounds it came together in quite an unexpected and unusual manor, I don’t really feel I did anything deliberately it just slotted together and then like a sculpture was chipped into shape.
The lyrics are charged and personal, I’m happy happy happy with this one.
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Grizelda Pughe’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: So far the process has been much like that of abstract art, throwing paint on a canvas and seeing what sticks. However unlike pure abstraction I look for shapes and structures to mold and refine into the structure of a song. The process can be very long as making the arrangements effective and engaging can be quite difficult, and there is a lot of tweaking right up to finished article.
Because I am only one clown there can be times when I can’t see the wood for the trees, having impartial people to tell me what is and isn’t rubbish is very important. At the moment I use a remote service offered by Michael Beinhorn, I send him the music and he sends me a list of what needs work, any solo people out there should check it out!
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for Grizelda Pughe, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: Chuck’s Wheel is only the beginning, there’s plenty more music on the way, another EP later this year with a very different texture. And an album for next year.
I also hope to get out and meet some of my little circus friends when I start playing live later this year.
If you can’t wait till then come join me on the Grizelda Pughe Show!
🎥 Watch the full interview video here: Click to view
