AMP Magazine – Patrick Stump talks about his debut full length, choosing a tour lineup, thoughts on “hype,” and more

Post by TONY SHRUM  on JANUARY 25, 2012 / Photo by Paris Visone

PATRICK STUMP
CONFESSIONS OF A SOUL PUNK
By Peter Marullo

In March of 2010 the world was introduced to your solo career through the South By Southwest video on your website. Then we were given a second dose through the release of Truant Wave and the subsequent tour that followed. Tell us about your debut full length Soul Punk. What can we expect?

I guess that’s the big question isn’t it? I knew Soul Punk was the title, I knew what I wanted to say, I knew how I wanted to go about everything, but the last thing I decided on was really a distinct style both musically and lyrically. And it’s weird because I think there’s a parallel evolution where if you listen to This City out of context, it sounds like a pop song, but in context with the rest of the album, there’s something different going on. Of course it is pop, but I’m equal parts punk rock and R&B. I definitely come from punk rock roots. That’s neither here or there, but I did spend four years touring around in basements, but I’ve always been interested in R&B and hip hop. I’ve always have a strong affinity for what they now call “art rock,” which is a bad description of it, but the stuff Bowie was doing in the late 70′s, Brian Eno, and John Cale and David Byrne, and all those guys. I’ve always been fascinated with pop on an intellectual level. I love getting it on a visceral level, which is like “hey this is fun.” I love getting it on a punk rock level like, “Oh that says something, I can sing along because I’m as angry or I’m feeling this.” But then I also like the intellectual level of finding something respectable about what people consider a low art. So I see that it is a pop record that doesn’t take itself to seriously, but takes pop seriously. I’m kind of looking at it as art.

READ MORE