Amsterdam-based singer-songwriter, Cosmic Crooner dreams up a technicolour wonderland on his new single, ‘Popsicle Place’.
Wasting little time to resurface follow his gyrating, Nouvelle Vague-inspired debut single, ‘Deep Down In Jazz’, his new track, ‘Popsicle Place’ makes another bold step inside the mind of the Crooner. Harnessing the antique quirks and charm of 70’s psychedelic lounge music, his signature flavour of ‘Doowop Space Pop’ again comes to dazzling light, this time lavished under a smooth glaze of candy-coated guitar licks as he serenades a distant place of rock ‘n’ roll escapism.
Standing slumped amongst the bar stools of chattering oddballs and drunks, the Cosmic Crooner is waiting patiently to catch your attention. Confident and tall, his sleazy ensemble of Cuban heels and wide lapelled suit exudes the sort of absurdist suave exclusive to the most ice cool of 70s rock star revivalists. A spectator of life, his music exists to capture the world in sepia slow motion, no matter how beautiful or ugly it gets. Influenced by the likes of Lou Reed, Serge Gainsbourg, Weyes Blood, David Bowie, Beach Boys and more, with his witty, swoon-worthy lyrics carrying all the hallmarks of a classic songwriter in the making.
We had the chance to speak with Cosmic Crooner about his debut and follow up single and more as part of our Introducing series...
Hello Cosmic Crooner! Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a bit about you!
"Hello, I’m Cosmic Crooner and I released my debut single ‘Deep Down in Jazz’ last month. I have the follow up, 'Popsicle Place' coming out today! These songs are an introduction to the life and world of Cosmic Crooner."
Where are you from? Has your hometown influenced your music in any way?
"At the moment I’m located in Amsterdam. This city certainly has its influence on my music. There are many small venues for upcoming artists and good music studios to record at."
When and why did you start making music?
"I instantly started making music at the exact age of 14 when I received a bass guitar for my birthday."
How would you describe your sound to anyone who hadn’t heard your music?
"Doowop Spacepop."
Alive or dead. Who would your dream collaboration be with and why?
"So difficult, but I’d go for David Bowie. I would love to know how he worked and would ask so many questions. If my French was better I would go for Serge Gainsbourg."
You’ve released your debut single ‘Deep Down In Jazz’ last month. Tell us about the how you wrote it?
"'Deep Down in Jazz’ is the first song I wrote as an introduction to Cosmic Crooner. I’m always intrigued by musicians who refer to themselves in third person in their songs. Right away I knew I wanted to introduce Cosmic Crooner via that way."
Tell us the story behind the music video? Where were you and why did you choose to shoot it there?
"The music video was filmed in Italy, Lake Como and filmed completely on film. I’m obsessed with many Italian and French movies from the 60s and 70s. I wanted the video to be an answer to these inspirations. When I wrote the song I knew I wanted the video to start with me floating on a bed. Therefore we chose Lake Como, it possesses good floating conditions and also because it’s an absolutely stunning place."
And what about the new single, ‘Popsicle Place’?
"'Popsicle Place' is a paradise on paper, but a nightmare in reality. The vibe is more mysterious than 'Deep Down in Jazz', but I still feel the lyrics and songwriting are very meta and therefore they fit really well together. The video is inspired by the 1964 Italian film Il Deserto Rosso by Michelangelo Antonioni and 1970’s Le Cercle Rouge by Jean-Pierre Melville. We wanted to capture the soundtrack-like feeling of the song in the video. We created our own colourless world wherein the Crooner is looking for colour. In the end the Crooner ends up in a surrealistic world full of colour."
What do you want your listeners to take away from your music?
"To enjoy themselves in any possible way."
Finally, what are your plans for the rest of 2021?
"I’m going to release more music, more cute videos and maybe get a cat."
'Popsicle Place' is out now. Listen HERE
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