What You Expect Sits With Ralph Castelli
You released your first full body of work Cut Out in October 2020. What was it like releasing it. Were you nervous or excited?
I was just eager cause I finished the music a year earlier so it was exciting getting it out.
Where are you from?
I’m from Alaska
Were you traveling around making music?
Yeah, all the time. When I lived in LA around the time, I was writing Morning Sex, I was super poor. I was living in Airbnbs, my car or a couch. I was constantly traveling with my buddies making music.
Did that situation inspire any of your songs?
Yeah, I got really good at producing music. I was constantly making music and singing around people. I wanted it the most. It was all I had and it shined through me surviving.
How much of Cut Out did you produce?
I produced every record. Every single song is either co-produced or produced by me. When I moved to LA I got the chance to be around a lot of dope artists.
Is it organic when you make your own beat as oppose to you grabbing a beat from someone?
I don’t know I like hanging out and making music with my friends, but this is like some pretty vulnerable music. It’s not always a vibe, some of my songs are super deep. It’s hard to get that vulnerable without making every layer of it.
What’s your writing process?
Nowadays I stick to my own. Lately, I don’t want anyone to hear it until it’s done. I’ve been doing it for a little while now and shit can get really confusing if you have a voice in your ear. When I produce for other artists, I always throw out ideas and sing with them. But for my own shit, I like to be alone.
What’s easier for you to produce or writing?
Writing for myself is more fulfilling but it’s more fun producing for other people. It’s a need to write songs because it’s like my therapy but producing is more fun.
When you write for someone do you need to research them to see what type of style they have and match that?
Hell yeah, I would be wasting their time.
Is that tough because you must be someone else just to write their music?
Well, I don’t have to be them I just have to get the best out of them. My whole job as a producer/songwriter for other people is to figure out the best part about them and capture it. I’ve been working with this girl Dora and her personality is explosive so I try and replicate the beats to her personality.
How are you at taking criticism?
I don’t know people are weird. They might care later. Right now, they don’t care but they will later. Like Morning Sex. When it first came out nobody listened to it. Then a year later it gets over 100,000 streams a day.
Do you give yourself more positive feedback or negative?
Negative for sure I am supercritical.
Your fashion is very unique. Where does that come from?
Out the gate, I tribute the risk-taking out of my dad. He’s crazy-looking.
What’s crazy looking?
He has way bigger glasses than me. We both skate so we were kind of punk. I was in a punk band for a little bit and it slowly turned into who I am now.