Romanticizing one's life is a definitive "in" of 2024, according to the numerous lists that people have shared on social media. But many of us have recognized the thrill of finding intricate stories in simple, everyday settings far before now - including the fierce, adventurous buppy. The genre-bending newcomer thoroughly explores this concept in his latest EP, names&places. Existing between the worlds of pop, rap, and alternative rock, it features collaborations with renowned producers such as Neek (Kid Laroi, 24kGoldn), Nathan Mayne (Yung Gravy), and grayskies (d4vd, Thxsomuch).
From an LGBTQ+ love story in "Miranda!" to a relationship ruined by drugs and alcohol in "madison, wisconsin," names&places contains it all. Though the EP features a myriad of perspectives, Playlists & Polaroids recently got to hear buppy.'s own! We loved getting to chat with this rising independent artist, and are proud to call ourselves day one fans.
Image credit: Grace Tom, graphic created by Karly Ramnani
YOU'LL LOVE BUPPY. IF YOU LISTEN TO: 24kGoldn, d4vd, Nessa Barrett, The Kid LAROI, Lorde, Glass Animals
How did you come up with buppy. as a stage name, and what’s the significance of the period at the end?
Buppy was just a nickname I garnered as a kid from my family, and soon after, my friends. The period symbolizes the end of the thought… I’m “buppy.” and nothing more.
What kinds of music did you grow up listening to? Are there any particular artists that have especially influenced you for a long time?
I grew up listening to lots of different types of music. Early on I had a fascination with EDM and Techno. I began making this kind of music on GarageBand and FL Studio. Soon, I found rap acts such as Odd Future, Lil Peep, $uicideboys, Earl Sweatshirt, and more. I fell in love with rap. I would attend countless shows in Salt Lake City, Utah and the energy I felt from the stage inspires my performances to this day.
How would you say your most recent EP, names&places, builds on your 2022 project Cold Nights In Hollywood? What are the biggest changes you’ve made to your creative process since then?
Cold Nights In Hollywood was my debut EP, which contained various genres and didn’t have a concrete focus beyond the lyrical theme of the records. After releasing the project, I worked hard to hunker down on a specific sound. I started most of the names&places records with guitar and worked with producers I really look up to, some new friends, some old. Since Cold Nights In Hollywood, I have learned less is more.
Image credit: Grace Tom
Is there a specific reason behind the order of the tracklist in names&places? Do you aim to tell a larger story, with multiple settings and characters, throughout the project?
The project is certainly thematic. The tracklist exists in an A-B style where A is a name and B is a place. The stories are unique to each track. Each song is a differing perspective from people in my life, or myself. For instance, "miranda!" tells of a love story between two of my friends, whereas "comfort, texas" is much more personal to me as I share my own experiences.
This is one of the my favorite EP titles I’ve seen in a while, as all the track titles are literally names and places. How did you come up with this concept, and why did you feel it was important for you to write about these particular names and places?
Appreciate that a lot! I came up with the concept in the car, pulled over, and jotted it down in my notes. I had watched a movie called Nine Days before making the project, and it inspired a lot of the concept. Perspective has always been so interesting to me, and how all of our perceptions are unique to us. It was important to me to encapsulate not only my own experiences, but those of people around me in places that matter to me.
How did you decide which songs on names&places you wanted to release as singles?
I often try to let my audience steer me in the direction they want to see when it comes to singles. I will tease some records and see what is performing, and based on that, put them out as singles. Although, as was the case with "park city, utah," I just fall in love with a song and need it out first.
From the names&places EP, which song is your favorite to perform live and why?
I really love performing "park city, utah." I produced a lot of the song, and it feels very natural to me. It also brings a lot of emotion to the forefront during my performance, and it feels good to be received by my audience in those moments.
Walk us through how “park city, utah” came about! How long have you known that you wanted to write a song about your hometown?
Ever since I started making music I have wanted to put my small ski town in the limelight. Making this record was just one aspect of a much bigger plan to really push the Utah scene forward. I think growing up in Park City was one of the things that shaped me the most as a person and artist.
Image credit: Grace Tom
Who are some of your favorite producers that you’ve worked with? What stands out to you from your collaborations with them?
During the making of the recent EP, I had the pleasure of working with many amazing producers, new and old. Neek (Kid Laroi, 24kGoldn) & Nathan Mayne (Yung Gravy) were certainly a highlight. We made ‘comfort, texas’ in just a couple hours. Those guys are so talented. DXCKLIN was apart of half of the records and has been one of my closest friends since childhood. Nick Axel Kauffman really brought ‘park city, utah’ to what it is today after I showed him the demo. Just a great team all around.
How would you say that TikTok has helped you market your music and grow your fanbase?
TikTok has certainly pushed music I believed in to the audience it needed to go to. While I find it somewhat challenging to bare the constant weight of making content instead of music, I am thankful for the promotional ability social media in this day and age offers. It has connected me with some of my closest fans.
What are your goals in music for the new year? At the moment, do you have anything in store that fans can look forward to?
More, more, more MUSIC! I have definitively made the best vault of songs I’ve ever had in the last few months. I am so incredibly excited to put these records out and share them with the world. Multiple EPs are on the horizon as well as some summer singles. Oh… and some music videos for names&places records!
Finally, the P&P classic! What’s a lyric from any song off of names&places that stands out to you? Walk us through the process of yourself writing it, and how does it speak to you personally?
“Ain’t it funny how life works? I won’t change / I’m the same old kid from North Salt Lake” from "park city, utah." Writing that was just therapeutic. I’d like to say I’ve stayed true to my small town, Utah self throughout my move to Los Angeles and this whole journey. I want my friends and family back home to know I’m still thinking of them, and this wonderful place I call home.
A musical autobiography of sorts, names&places features buppy.'s descriptive yet direct lyricism, as well as his experimental approach to music production. buppy. shows that even the ordinary college student or small town can hold a compelling narrative. If you feel compelled to dive deeper into buppy.'s discography, we've curated a playlist for you to get started!