EXCLUSIVE: SIKIGAI, RISING STAR, GIVES HIS FIRST INTERVIEW

It’s a tired Saturday morning in Houston. Outside, the burning sun glares down in the dead of summer, as the emotionless pavement quickly heats the day to well above 100 degrees. Inside, our aging waitress wanders around between crowded tables, trying her best to deliver meals to the early weekend clientele that filled the IHOP. Across from me in the booth that looked like it was upholstered before 9/11, sits Sebastian Velasquez, a recent high school graduate and a close friend of mine.

Sebastian sits with his pancakes, eager to see me for the first time since May, seemingly unbothered by the mold on the ceiling and the slipperiness of the bathroom floor. In February of this year, Sebastian put his first single In Style, out on his birthday. The song feels like a nostalgic romance, or the embodiment of the feeling that only gazing out into a vast field of untouched nature can give. While the amateur sound stylizes the song as a new beginning, there is nothing about it that one can’t relate to with its message of accepting internal and external change. Released under the artist name Sikigai, a portmanteau of the S for Sebastian, and Ikigai, a Japanese proverb meaning the purpose of a life, In Style quickly became a hit among our friend circles, rivaled only by my first single, Shebaweba.

Our friendship began in our 7th period debate class, where I sat directly behind Sebastian the entire year. Often pulling his hair or staring over his shoulder at whatever he was looking at on his phone out of faineance. Our friendship grew from the simplest of interactions between two compatible people who found out they had a lot more in common than what appeared; getting to know each other we would ask questions, and before he leaves one final time, I invited Sebastian for an interview as documented below:

Hi Sebastian

Hey

First of all, let’s start with you giving us some backstory for your music.

One day I was riding my bike, and I was really into Dayglow at the time, and I still am, but I just realized that he was a Texas based artist that started in his bedroom and did everything himself and I was like “you know if he can do it and if he can be expressive, why can’t I?” So that was when I was like “I’m really gonna start this I’m really gonna put my whole energy into it” and I just kinda did.

So, is Dayglow one of your biggest influences?

Yes, influences and inspirations, but at the same time I try not to, and I don’t let it be like “ok I need to be like Dayglow” that’s sort of the thing, I want to create my own sound and, you know, be my own person separate from my inspirations. Even though I draw a great amount of idea from, it’s not who I am.

Musically speaking, who is your biggest influence?

This is such a generic answer and kind of a big loop around, but I’d say Kurt Cobain and The Beatles. He always had this idea of being as famous as Paul or John, but he always wanted to be the Ringo Starr of the world. A lot of people are like “oh my favorites are Paul and John, you know, they’re The Beatles they’re the face of The Beatles,” but he wanted to be Ringo Starr and that’s where I want to be where it’s popular enough, but people don’t associate me with my music.

What does it mean to be the Ringo?

To be Ringo is kind of like: everyone knows you, everyone can hear you, but no ones giving you that attention. I feel like this is a great analogy, Ringo played the drums, and I feel like drums are the backbone of music, it’s the rhythm and beat, but no one ever gives Ringo the credit for making The Beatles, and I feel like that’s what I kinda want, like no one really gives me the credit but they know I’m there.

Do you want your music to be something for people to dance to or something to think about?

I want people to just do whatever they want with it, I want them to definitely have fun with it, if at any point you start crying, I’m sorry but at the same time, that’s what you were going through, that’s probably what I was going through at the same time. If I ever get a text one day like “hey, just made out to your song” then I’ll feel like I’ve made it, but definitely dance. I definitely want people to be able to dance, you know, maybe break some shit.

What genre do you best define your music with?

Damn. I would guess pop, maybe alternative. Jangle pop? I’m not really sure, I don’t know, I’m just having fun with it. I’ve never really thought of it as “ok I’m going to make pop music” or “ok I’m gonna make like alternative or indie music” it’s kind of just it sounds good to me and that’s what I put out.

Moving on, tell us about your college plans.

Jesus! College plans…. So, I already have my freshman year knocked out, that’s like 30,000 dollars of tuition already off the budget, which is great, but I just plan to get in and get out. I don’t want to spend any more time in college than I have to.

What are you planning to study?

Computer science, with a minor in music composition

Is music something you want to pursue seriously in college?

Not in the academic sense. Given the tools that college can provide, I definitely think it’s a good idea to take advantage, but it’s not something where I want to be a conductor or anything like that. I love music in the sense that its releasing and its free, but I don’t think I could ever do it as a paid job, in the sense that “you create a piece of music right now, and we’ll release it for you” it puts itself in a box with a deadline and it becomes not expressive. So I wouldn’t want to pursue it in that sense, but outside of college, yes.

Would you consider joining some sort of band or music organization in college or beyond that?

I would definitely do a club, I don’t think I’d ever want to join a band unless the band really knocks my socks off, but I don’t think I could ever join a band. I want my own projects and I feel that my own projects could really do some impact on the world. Whether the world’s ready for it or not, that’s not my decision. I think it just all takes time, and I don’t think I would ever give it up.

So you want to be Ringo Starr, but not The Beatles?

Right, yeah.

You mentioned you don’t want to do music professionally, but do you want to continue making music on your own, for perhaps the rest of your life?

Recently I’ve been getting this question asked a lot, just because I’m moving on to college, and people have been asking me what I want to do for my life, and I give them the good old “college answer” like “I want to do computer science,” but with family or very close friends I’ll tell them “I want to be a creative” in the sense of Tyler, the Creator or Young Thug, Childish Gambino. Someone like that that isn’t just defined by their music, even though they did start in that area, they also branch out into clothing, books, movies, and they’re not a one trick pony. That’s what I want to do. Whether I can express myself through a piece of clothing or a piece of music, its all expressive to me and how I feel, so that’s what I would want to do.

So, tell us about your first song In Style.

In Style was definitely a trip, it was really strange. So, I didn’t have a bass at the time, nor did I have the proper equipment or speakers or anything like that. I didn’t have a bass so I borrowed a bass from my friend – thank you Chloe – I texted her urgently because I had this bass line in my head, and I was like “Chloe please please please let me borrow your bass” and she was like “ok you can borrow it for the day” so I recorded the bass line in less than 30 minutes, I played it out and I taught myself it. I’d never played bass before, I just remember hearing it and I thought I need to record it, I recorded it, and I recorded the entire song probably within a night. I did not master or edit it in any way, and it clearly shows, just in how bad the vocals are, you know, the drums sound so choppy. But I think that’s what adds to the rawness of it and thinking back on it now that’s definitely what I want for the album. This initial rough patch, where its very grotesque and vulgar in the sense that it’s unfinished, its kind of just been ran through and put together sloppily.

Was this your first attempt at music?

This was my first attempt at a song. At a song that could be played on a phone. Not music, but definitely the first attempt at a song.

Do you think you could ever disown In Style, chalk it up as just a shitty first attempt and forget about it?

No, I don’t think I ever would. As horrible as it is, I love it with all my heart, and I still do. I could never disown it. It’s like a child to me: even though you can absolutely hate everything about it, I love it with all my heart. And its such a surreal thing to have this tangible piece of art, even if it is shitty.

You mentioned an album, is this something in the future?

This is something in the very near future. Production work has definitely gone up, I’ve taught myself – thank you YouTube university – composition, slight music theory, mixing and mastering. I actually even have interludes on the album with a friend who just has an amazing voice, and it’s definitely more of a concept album. I’ve always loved stories in music, and that’s what I want to do.

What was the backstory for In Style?

The legitimate backstory? Or do you want me to tell you the story of In Style?

Both

The legitimate story of In Style was that I was working out with a friend over the summer, and we were going strong for about two weeks, but this friend, on the third week told me “Hey I can’t work out with you today,” and I thought “ok, its one day, we’ll just get back to it tomorrow.” Then the fourth week comes around and he completely cancels on me. So I just keep working out, and then we get back to school, and another mutual friend of mine tells me that he’s so sore, and I’m like ‘’oh that’s crazy, you’ve been working out too?” and he tells me “Yea I’ve been working out with so-and-so” who was the friend. And at the time I had to be like “oh that’s really awesome” but I was so taken aback by that, it was like, there’s a line in In Style that like “you can’t see yourself in reflection” and I vividly remember looking at the lake that I was at the time and I realized, I’ve changed so much as a person, and you know, so has that other person that, you know, quit on me, I really cant fault them for wanting something else, even though I want one thing. It just happens. The whole point of In Style is that it’s kind of like a double-edged sword in the sense where: to be truly in style, whether it be art, clothing, movies, things like that, you’re never really going to be the it-person because it’s forever changing, regardless of whether you see it coming or if you want it to happen or not, it just happens, and that’s what the song is all about.

The next single, can you tell us about that?

The next single? Boy, am I super-duper proud of this one. I am absolutely in love with this new sound. It’s not anything completely different, nor is it like “woah, who is this person?!” but its definitely a step up. There’s a hint of the album, more so of the interlude part, within the single, but it’s become more of a song. Its not like how In Style was, where it was kind of just spliced together, its really more of a performance within four minutes. As much as I loved In Style, this one definitely takes the cake, and it’s my new love affair.

Now, you told me it was going to be called Friends, right?

Yea, yea, its going to be called Friends, no relation to the TV show. Again, it’s also about friends, I won’t give too much away right now, but it’s definitely up there.

Is this one going to be happy, or paint more of a negative picture, like In Style?

I like the idea of it sounding really happy, and it’s a tougher topic to talk about, but I’ve really always loved having these tough topics to talk about, but not having them sound so negative. That’s what I really always strive to do, have these tough topics and be able to talk about them and express about them freely. Its easy to make a sad song, but I didn’t want to do that, I was like “how can I make this sad topic really happy?” and that’s what I did.

Will these themes from In Style and Friends carry on throughout the whole album?

Absolutely, by all means. A lot has happened since In Style, and this new single, and album completion, and a lot will happen, so definitely be on the lookout for all those little hints of my personal life in your ears, because its bound to come through.

So Friends is done, but is the album done?

Friends is done, the album is about three quarters. I have a couple voice interludes and some editing, maybe a couple more songs, but for the most part the album is not finished. I have to work on album art, and promotional stuff for the album, so its not finished, but it will be, and I will announce when it will. Maybe on one of your articles…

Can we get any dates revealed?

August 22nd is Friends, the reason is that that’s when I start school. A lot of the dates I choose have a very significant meaning to me (In Style was released February 11, Sebastian’s birthday) as I said, august 22nd is when I start college. I’ve never been to college, and I feel like a lot of people haven’t, so to be able to have a piece or something that is so fresh carry on with you on a day that is so massive, I know people are gonna be struggling being away from home, new classes, new faces, I know I will be. So just to be able to have a piece of me that was created in a familiar place taken with you to somewhere that’s unfamiliar, I think that it’d make things just a little bit easier, regardless of whether you’re going to college or not, things can be new for anyone, anywhere.

Are you concerned that college might interfere with finishing the album, or future projects?

You know, I worried about this a little bit. I am worried but at the same time it’s like, I will get my work done, and any other free time will either be with family and friends or pursuing this completely. By no means do I ever want to give this up, I don’t think I ever would, and I never will.

To what extent is the music a part of you; how much of yourself is in the music?

All of it, as much as I hate to admit it, all of me is in the music. Its just so personal to me, and I really want people to understand that it has a personality, and its not some commercialized corporation pushing music out to you. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that music, but that’s just not what I want for my listeners. Whether that’s a single person listening to me, or a million people, its just not what I want for them. I’d much rather give them something that’s very dear to my heart, rather than some fake, plastic image of what I could be.

What’s your favorite color?

I’m really digging an ivy green; I really like green right now. Green is like my it-color right now, last week it was magenta, this purple-ish color (gesturing to shirt), but favorite color is definitely green right now.

Does your color change often?

My color does change often, not because I think I’m so quirky and I think “ooh I have a new color” but its more that, not that it really affects me, but I just love colors. Colors are freaking awesome, that’s really it there’s nothing special to it.

Well, that’s it for the interview, is there anything you want to add at the end?

Please always support Gabe. Support me if you want, if you don’t, I don’t care. I just hope that you’re happy and you’re doing well, I love y’all, mwah mwah mwah mwah.

Burgeoning out into the world is difficult. Yet it is comforting to have someone lead the way. As Sikigai, Sebastian is exploring the unknown avenues of his life, and taking greater steps out into all that is new. I hope you, dear reader and hopefully listener, can find comfort in Sebastian’s expedition, for none of us are ever truly experiencing something alone.

Friends comes out August 22nd on all streaming services.