Published: May 12, 2010 5:58 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight May 2010 Edition
Derill Pounds
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Derill Pounds
Wisconsin hip-hop artist Derill Pounds is bringing a new flavor to the hip-hop industry and making others take notice. In this recent spotlight with the artist, Derrill reveals many wonderful things that are happening to him. Here is that formulated.
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Cold One". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Derill: The inspiration for this song had a lot to do with daily life and kind of what people perceive about the state I'm from (Wisconsin), but also a general look into drinking, working, and dealing with all the things revolving around it and why we do these very things. The stress of a normal day and getting off work to go out and have that cocktail or the vices we partake to each night and day, an ode to the blue-collar worker if you will, but also an ode to how we cope with the things that bring us up or down. The album is music I worked on for the last couple years and the many subjects and themes, etc. are what inspired the title "Emotional Rollercoaster Rescue". It’s an album of many moods and subjects, so the name fit the crazy ups and downs, fun and sad, bouncy to slow, and whatever else people may get out of listening to it. My music has always been an emotional roller coaster of different styles and topics, so I thought it would be the right choice for a title. A different twist on hip-hop and what is generally thought about it, something different sounding and fresh to the ears.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Derill: Man, so many influences in my life from my family to my friends, from my lovers to my haters, pretty much everything I have done and seen in my lifetime makes its way into my music in some shape or form. As far as music, I also have been influenced by many. I grew up around a lot of blues and rock n' roll from my dad being about as big of a nut for music as I am and also watching him perform with friends and bands on the harmonica as a kid. My mom was always listening to so many different kinds of music, so I grew up appreciating all kinds of genres and styles. I think my music reflects all the different things I’ve been influenced by in my lifetime. The list could go on, but I’ll put a sock in it. Ha ha...
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Derill: The highlights have definitely been going on tour with the homies Kosha Dillz, Yak Ballz, and my brother Adrian in the spring of 2009. It was one hell of a learning experience and looking forward to going out again later this year. Getting the chance to play with a lot of emcees I grew up listening to and becoming friends with many of them has also been pretty sweet, basically just working with the people I've gotten to and everything I've learned about and through music over the years.
I guess I haven't had too many low points except for trying to bring hip-hop to my city and have it be accepted instead of people thinking it’s only a one way street. Venues, bars, and people always think it’s the crap they see in the mainstream and blow it off before giving it a chance and realizing that there are many different styles and lots more positives than they think. It’s gotten better, but it’s not a huge city so it can be tough to get by at times and that's a big reason for traveling more for shows and not congesting too many hip-hop shows in Oshkosh.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Derill: I was born and raised in Oshkosh, WI with a brief stay in Milwaukee when i graduated high school. My Mom is Polish and moved to the USA from Poland when she was 13 and my Dad is Irish and from Chicago, so i have diverse background when it comes to my heritage and so forth. Grew up with a working class family and parents that really encouraged everything i did as a youngster and still the things i do to this day, for that i am very grateful! I'm pretty much the same as in I've worked since i was 13 to do the things I've always wanted to with music and more. The style of music i make/perform is hip-hop/rap with what people have said to me as having an alternative twist to it, i can get down with that. Just being myself and putting that into the music.
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Derill: Getting gigs hasn't been too bad, as I said before it’s taken time, but people and venues are slowly starting to come around to hip-hop especially in my area. It’s been a lot easier to get them in bigger cities being more open to all genres all the time, but a work in progress for the city I very much love. The live music scene in my area is awesome! There are so many different kinds of bands and styles, but also a fair share of the same ol' cover bands that seem to over crowd every music scene. All the musicians in my area support all the different kinds of music and genres so that a plus, but you always have the people in the same and different genres as you that aren't as supportive as everyone else and just do their own things, which is cool if you're not being negative to others.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Hip-Hop music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Derill: I think it depends on the markets or the type of hip-hop you listen to in some manner. There is a lot of garbage and misleading things in the mainstream world of hip-hop, but also a lot of positive in certain artists, and there is also the same in independent or underground or whatever people like to call it. It’s evolved into a worldwide phenomenon and might be one of the most popular styles of music in the world, but with mass growth also comes mass exploitation and turning it into pop music and doing it strictly for the money if that makes any sense. Don't get me wrong, we all like to make some money, but not to the point that the music becomes something that you make only to make the cheddar. I think it’s whatever you make of it, final answer! Ha ha.
I try to avoid the radio at all costs unless its sports talk radio, the oldies stations, or college radio, but all the other crap just annoys me in the sense that some 14 year old chick can get a record deal cause her and her friend who never made music in their lives got drunk and hummed a couple words to each other, YouTube it, and turned into pop stars overnight.
I think the Internet is a great tool for putting yourself out there and taking the DIY approach if you're also doing it outside of the net too. I believe that it’s also hindered it quite a bit due to everyone wanting to be a rapper or musician because they created a MySpace page or something like that, I didn't really start using the net until 2005-06 and still try to approach it like it isn't in my grasp, I mean I tweet at least once a day and stuff like that, but don't use it like it’s my only resource. I believe it’s a huge for any musician as long as you don't abuse it and think having a page or getting some flack makes you king of the world; gotta be humble.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Derill: My fantasy band could be so many different things, but if to choose right now id have my homie Jim Slater on the drums, Carlos Santana on guitar, Les Claypool on bass, and Will Ferrell on cowbell! I love rocking with live bands and all the people listed are people I have been influenced by or enjoy listening to, so that's why I picked them.
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Derill: My newest album Emotional Rollercoaster Rescue is available many places such as iTunes, Amazon, LaLa, CD Baby, at shows, select stores in the Midwest like Exclusive Co. in Oshkosh, Fifth Element in Minneapolis, and more. Most of my other albums are available at shows or by simply hitting me up on one of my sites, etc.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Derill: Pretty much at any of the social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, Last.fm, Twitter, and more by searching Derill Pounds on them. Website www.derillpounds.com should be up and running soon and www.antifamous.com is my brother's entertainment label for info on me and other groups and bands he helps and deals with.
Isaac: Message to your fans?
Derill: That I love you and thank you for all the years of support through the times of good and bad! I make music because I love it and it’s my release and passion, but also so people can have something to relate to when they just wanna chill, grieve, think, get crunk, or whatever. I am currently working on lots of new material and many side projects... SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT!
