Issue No. 3 // June 2023
De-Esser’s raw expression and vulnerable lyrics not only invite the audience into a rustic introspection but provide a space to process the heart-aching intricacies of life. As the first artist signed to Washingtones Records, De-Esser’s vinyl debut is not to be missed.
A conversation with Victor
Almost Beachglass(AB): How did you start making music?
Victor Simpson(VS): I had a guitar sitting in the corner collecting dust for years. In high school, I was overstimulated with TV and video games. Blare the sauce out of your head, that kinda thing. When I experienced a personal tragedy, a family member passed away, I wasn’t able to blare the thoughts out of my head. So that’s when I pick it up, trying to channel that energy into something. As soon as I knew a couple of chords, I was trying to write songs. They were bad. I did that for a long time, but that’s what sparked it. There were emotions I couldn’t process any other way until I tapped into creativity.
(AB) Being that you stuck with it and honed this skill set through music, what does songwriting bring to your life?
(VS) It’s always about trying to process stuff that’s going on. Working through feelings that need examining. Sometimes when thoughts are stuck in your head, they’re crazy. When you get them out, they fall into place. A lot of the time, I will write a song from the perspective of a villain or someone who is objectively wrong about something. Taking a feeling that I know is not right or fair, I try to turn it into a caricature. I tend to approach stuff that way.
(AB) So instead of shaming a negative idea, you lean into it. But expressed through the lens of a character, you no longer have to hold that negativity inside you?
(VS)Kinda, yeah. In the way that… When you talk about something that’s eating at you and you get it out into the light, sometimes that can be cleansing and help you move past it.
Expression is a kind of disinfectant. It kills the thing that would grow toxic if left in the dark and damp. When you get it out into the light and air, it stops being a problem.
(AB) I hear what you’re saying. Negativity can ferment into a lasting perspective if passing feelings are not addressed. I like how you use your creativity to process life and that it makes pretty cool art as a byproduct. (in print in issue down) I’m curious, what advice would you give aspiring artists?
(VS) I got some tried and true advice. Just write. Never try to write your masterpiece because that can strangle your creativity. I find it really useful to create an artificial structure for yourself. When you hit a blank page, you can get kinda overwhelmed by possibilities. Give yourself a rule, that limitation will free you up. Then you’ll go from trying to express your purest self to trying to solve a creative problem. That really allows you to make something. When you try to operate without restriction, you inevitably try to create something that sums you up. And nothing can sum you up.
(AB)That’s profound. I’m going to use that.
(VS) It definitely takes it away from the ego a bit and makes it more about being in the process.
(AB) You're not focused on yourself. You’re focused on what you're doing.
(VS) Right.
(AB) That’s cool. Zooming out from the process of creating music, I’m curious regarding your perspective on vinyl, being that you're the first artist being pressed by Washingtones Records.
(VS) I’m honored that they wanna take this album as their first project. I don’t really try to get my stuff out there. I’m kind of a hermit. I know what my Christmas gifts are going to be this year.
*chuckles
(AB) Back to vinyl, what’s it to you?
(VS) In the digital age, there’s no connection to anything. When I connect with recorded music the most, there is a physical experience of having it. There used to be limitations and restrictions on what I had access to and what I could listen to. Also, the element of community, physically getting into the hands of people. I had more reverence for music when I didn’t have infinite access to it.
De-Esser is… Victor Simpson (music and lyrics)
Interview by: Almost Beachglass
Learn more about De-Esser on Vinyl - Washingtones Records
What inspired you to become a tattoo artist?
It’s probably a combination of things. One being, I had this family friend growing up who was head to toe covered in a traditional Japanese-style bodysuit. When I was a kid, I was totally mind-blown people could have permanent art all over them. I was like, holy shit. Growing up in the punk and metal scene, a lot of my friends were tattooing each other and themselves as early as middle school. I was always surrounded by art and was the biggest art nerd in my friend group. It took me until twenty to get my first tattoo at a shop. I decided I wanted to become a tattooer ever since.
What influences your work and style the most?
My biggest inspiration is definitely Art Nouveau. That and Japanese traditional style woodblock prints, as well as Anime and Manga. I didn’t get into American Traditional style until I was twenty-four and was doing my first apprenticeship. But once I was surrounded by it, I realized how fucking awesome it was. I also really dig medieval etching and woodblock print style. So a combination of all of those with an American traditional style sense added. That’s basically what I’m doing with my work.
Interview by: Visual Gardens
Introducing our new weekly digital segment…
SCENE & HEARD
Teaming up with local photographer, @coldhandsofgod, we bring exposure to the music scene of Bellingham. Focusing the lens on underrepresented communities and cultures, Scene & Heard’s mission is to showcase patrons of the local music scene.
A conversation with Elle
What drives you to capture the local music scene on film?
It allows me to participate in the scene constructively. I feel a lot of attachment to photos from the punk and hardcore scenes of the past. I love to see how people present themselves over time. Last week, I saw someone with corpse paint and liberty spikes at a show. When I was first getting involved in the hardcore scene, you never would have seen this. Not only did I see one person dressed this way, but I saw several.
It’s cool to see the cycles of iconic fashion reemerge in today's heavy scene. In regards to the future of live music, why is featuring the patrons of contemporary art important?
One thing we miss out on when we just see photos of bands playing is culture. Sure, the way bands play and the way they look represents culture, but it doesn’t show us what the average person looked like. To me, the most interesting thing in the world is people. I have always found photos of landscapes boring, largely because they stay the same over long periods of time. Juxtaposing that, when I go to a punk rock show, the way people look that night, they will never look that way again. Even tomorrow. Even if they wore the same outfit. We are only around for a short period of time. That’s why I strive to capture the beauty of who we are in these moments and persevere that for people to reflect on in the future.
That makes me excited to look back with nostalgia on these times. In regards to the audience, why should we invest in our local music scene?
It’s the most fruitful thing I have ever done in my life. Our scene is here for us. When you invest in community and people around you, it pays off. One thing I am looking forward to is reflecting on a portrait I take of somebody to find out that they have started bands. To see… here they are as a participant in the hardcore scene. Here’s a photo of them in their first band. Here’s a photo of them on tour after three years. I want to be able to capture and document that. I’m very sentimental is what I’m trying to say.
Interview by: Almost Beachglass
Enjoy SCENE & HEARD posted by @coldhandsofgod and @slackagezine weekly
Free a night this week? Hit up the Ballroom or the Shakedown, you might be featured next!
After an evening of playing music at a friend’s place, I planned to spend time with my girlfriend. Upon arriving at her house, I was met with the impact of a tight hug. Smiling with her eyes blissfully closed, she drew in a deep tranquil breath, as her arms were still wrapped around me. With her face pressed against the knit of my sweater, she adoringly narrated that I smell different. Unsure of her initial assessment, she pinched a tuft of my sweater between her freshly manicured nails and inhaled again. With her eyes now open, but in narrow slits, she repeated herself, punctuating every word. You. Smell. Different. Confused with the fixation, I suggest that I might have used a different detergent or dryer sheet. Her brow lowered in support of her suspicion as she pinched the knit of my sweater one more time. Studying the man who she thought she knew, her nails transported the fabric to her nose for a final verdict. After inhaling a slow and deliberate breath, her focus shifted. Releasing the sweater, she rotated her palm and spread her fingers. Warmly returning to meet me with a sweet gaze, my girlfriend shared that she had just painted her fingernails.
By: Almost Beachglass
A short story
