DUCKWRTH: A Lifestyle Project
Thanks to the 1824 team at Universal Music Group, Soul Talk Magazine was able to attend a press conference with Duckwrth himself to discuss inspiration, process, and more for his latest release, SuperGood.
According to Duckwrth, the intention of the album is “to take you away from your current situation. I want people to dance, to groove. It’s an album that you play when you’re in the car, taking a shower, making love. It’s a lifestyle project. But there’s only so much an artist can do. It’s up to the listener.”
At its core, Duckwrth’s latest release, SuperGood, is a love story. However, after just one listen through, one could describe it as so much more. While songs like “Super Bounce” and “Kiss U Right Now” are ethereal and dreamlike sonically, allowing the mind to wander through memories of being in love, the driving rhythm of “Tuesday” and “Say What U Mean” bring the listener back to reality and the excitement and energy of a new connection.
Amidst the amalgam of artists topping charts and artistically innovating, Duckwrth stands out due to the sheer individuality of his sound. Duckwrth attributes his sound to both the art of the 70s and the greater social environment of the time, stating, “I feel like the 70s were a time of celebration for Black people. Within that, when Black people start going back into who they are, a bit of magic happens. That’s why with the 70s, the music and album covers were so beautiful. I wanted to tap into that. We’re coming into that same energy in 2020.”
While the homage paid to the work of Black artists in the 70s shines through the entire album, Duckwrth’s influences range far and wide. He said, “I see myself more as a creative than just a musical artist. I listen to so much music. I’m like the segway to this music. I’m a smoothie of all these different genres mixed together. If I had a superpower, it would definitely be taking what’s in the outside world and creating something out of it.”
When asked which song from the 70s he would love to sample, Duckwrth answered, “There’s a Minnie Riperton song. It’s amazing. The whole album sounds like a movie. It’s called Come to My Garden. Every song on there is amazing.”
It might surprise listeners that amidst this diverse array of influences, hardcore punk has played a significant role in Duckwrth’s life and work. He said, “The genre that inspires me when I perform is hardcore punk. One of my favorite bands is Bad Brains, the way H.R. performers, he channels straight savagery. That’s how I wanna perform.
“[My] Biggest influence musically is Outkast. They showed me there’s a different side of being a Black creative. Growing up, there wasn’t space held for different Black kids. They’ve always held space for me, for kids who are different.” Duckwrth listed The Neptunes, ROSALÍA, and Stevie Wonder as dream collaborators as well.”
Having recently signed to Republic Records, Duckwrth attributes his keen navigation of the music industry to his early years, stating, “Growing up in LA in the 90s and 2000s was beautiful. It’s its own eutopia. But on the flip side, it’s a lot of trauma, a lot of gang activity. A lot of my childhood was learning to survive. Ducking bullets, going to school with Blood members. I just remember that trauma in high school. But the rose grew from the concrete. It gave me a backbone so when I deal with corporate America, I know how to survive. I have a spine, as an artist, as a man, as a businessman.”
Duckwrth’s passion and drive for creativity extends far beyond his art, into the issues of injustice in the world at large. He said, “I feel that [regarding] 2020 and Donald Trump, everything happens for a reason. And if you zoom out of life and just look at earth for its history, I feel like a lot of racism was swept under the rug. It takes these energies to dig up this shit and show for face value what America is. For a long time, we treated it like we progressed. But it’s just as racist as before.
“I like local politics. I feel like every artist speaks for their community. I got to see the issues of South Central first hand. If everyone handles everything as a village. We got to start as a community.”
When asked what he was most excited about in the future, Duckwrth responded, “I’m most excited about the community efforts we’re going to be doing, starting in South Central. Making everybody feel SuperGood!”