Rufio - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview Scott Sellers of Rufio. We discussed the 25th anniversary of ‘Perhaps, I Suppose…’, his thoughts looking back on it now, their new EP, artwork, the current pop-punk scene, and more. Check it out below.
You recently celebrated 25 years of ‘Perhaps, I Suppose…’, which was a landmark album of the time. What are your thoughts looking back on it now?
Perhaps was the record that gave us all the opportunities that we've ever gotten, so we still look at it as...”important” I guess. Without Perhaps, we wouldn't have done literally anything that we were lucky enough to do. Looking at it from the perspective of musicians and songwriters, 25 years later, the record sounds like absolute shit. My voice sounds puny and weird, the timing and playing is all slop, and the production is hideous. BUT, we still appreciate it for the opportunity it has given us.
You released a re-recorded version of “Dipshit”. Can you tell us more about the experience of recording it and what your vision was for it?
Like I said earlier, Perhaps is a slop fest when we listen to it now, and specifically Dipshit. Our guitars were so bad. Our timing was SO bad. Plus we used an original Line6 POD on just that one song, so it’s extra specially shitty. I'm super stoked on how the new version turned out! It makes me wanna redo all of Perhaps.
You are set to release your new EP. ‘From The Outside’ on August 7th. What can fans expect?
Well, for this EP we wrote what we wanted to write, without any push or direction from a label; Without expectations for “a single.” Without pleasing other people. We wrote it strictly for us. We wanted to write some songs together because it sounded like a fun idea- and it was indeed a great time! So really WE had no expectations, so hopefully listeners don't have them either. Like it, or not, this is what we made, and we are insanely happy with the finished EP.
It hits on the realities of adulthood, family, loss, anxiety, and personal growth. What do you hope fans take away from it? What will you take away from it?
I don’t really have hopes (or expectations, going back to the last question) for what anyone would take away with it. We are faaaar beyond the point of trying to make an impact on people intentionally. The lyrics to these songs are a lot more “real” to me than on our previous records. They mean a LOT to me. If someone else can relate to my thoughts, and my brain, then that's rad. I've always been afraid to speak out about things like Anxiety, but not so much anymore. I kind of love to write about things that actually matter. I lost my dad two years ago, and it was REALLY fucking hard, so I wrote about it. These are MY stories. This is MY brain. These are MY experiences. So yeah, I have no hopes or expectations about what people take away from the lyrics. These are mine.
Is there a song you’re most excited for fans to hear? Why?
One single song doesn't stand out for me. We demoed a LOT of songs and picked the ones we liked most. We're excited to put out something we're super proud of, and if anyone wants to listen, then that’s amazing. Again, this EP is OURS. We appreciate the fans we've had over the years. We really do, but we're past that point at the moment. We wrote this EP for us.
The artwork is really cool. Can you tell us more about that?
We had the idea of chaos happening while people nearby are just chillin' enjoying their day. An overused concept, but we love how it turned out.
What do you think about the current pop-punk scene? Is there anyone you would recommend others to check out?
I actually love the current pop punk scene. It's like a mixed bag of generations that all works together. Like, generations don't matter anymore. In the ’60s rock and ’90s rock were drastically different sounds. Different genres even. Now, a modern pop punk band can play with a pop punk band from 30 years ago and it works. Yes, there are differences, but not drastic. Also, bands are much more self-reliant these days than back when we were touring.
Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions. Is there anything else you want to add?
Thanks for having me!
Follow Rufio:
No comments: