Starting at the very beginning, how did you join Playback?
I had an online NSOP for Covid. So, I was at home and I reached out to my orientation leader and said, ‘I like music, that's one of my major interests,’ and she suggested that I join Bacchanal, so I just followed them on Instagram, as many do. Then they published their application to be a staff writer for Playback, which I didn't realize at the time, but it was very new. I was one of the first writers, and it was like a pretty big cohort. I was a writer for maybe a year, and then I noticed that it was kind of hard to get it off the ground, especially during the Zoom year. It was around then that I applied to be the editor. After that, I also applied to be the tech chair on the Bacchanal E-Board. So now I have two jobs.
Specifically with Playback, joining so early on, how has it evolved and changed through the years?
At the beginning, it was people who had already been involved in Bacchanal, and with the Bacchanal community on campus, who subsequently joined Playback. Then the year after that, there were freshmen on campus again, and they were really excited about joining.There were a lot of them, which was amazing. I feel like that brought a really new energy to the group, but it also brought a lot of people, ideas, and freshmen. Which is amazing, but it also made things complicated as an editor, because everyone had so many ideas. However, we got a lot of content out, lots of very trendy and diverse music tastes, which was awesome. We also got more consistent publication meetings, in-person, which was amazing.
How would you describe the Playback community?
I think we have a huge diversity of backgrounds, as they pertain to music. We've got people who really love TikTok pop-culture - everything to do with music in that way. Then we've got people who have a very niche taste, or have some personal involvement with a music scene of a particular place or culture. You can't find two people at Playback who have the same taste and perspective. I think our writers get out of Playback what they put into it. There are people who don't come to any meetings and they just send in pieces, then there are some people who maybe don't feel inspired to write as much, but they come to every meeting and they're participating. Involvement can be very free flowing.
When did you realize music was something you were interested in, and really passionate about? Something that you wanted to be involved in?
I didn't really have a personal music taste until maybe middle school. I was raised in a very organic, granola, way - You know the way - Portland, OR. I didn't know what Disney Channel was. I didn't know why Taylor Swift was on a poster in the lunchroom - like, why is she offering me salad options? In middle school, I just started listening to, I would say, pop, rap, whatever I came across, really. I discovered that I could go on Spotify and I could just click something and it would play for me. I was like, ‘I don't have to wait for something to come on the radio and be like, hmm, I hope I hear it on the radio again!’ That was wack . I didn’t realize that you could go out and proactively find the music, you don’t have to just wait for it to come to you.When I got to high school, people were listening to music more, and I learned more about my own tastes through that. I became really into hip-hop, and all the variety that there is within that genre. I had a really big Playboy Carti phase, had a big Young Thug phase, and it was all very individual. I wouldn't say that I was in a music community , so when I came to Columbia, I realized that being in a community that loved music would be awesome.
What's going through your head when you listen to a piece of music?
Rhythm and melody are probably my top criteria. I like something with good production, lots of chords, something very rich. I appreciate that especially in the dramas that I listen to, like hip-hop, pop, alternative pop, even like some pop-rock and alternative rock - the rhythm of vocals and percussion or like the things that kind of draw me to that.
Who are you listening to right now? Who is on your playlist?
Obviously I've been listening to Doechii. Because of Bacchanal, and because I was involved in the process, she’s been on my playlist for a while now. Maude Latour just dropped a new song, which I really, really like. In New York, there's a big underground scene that I dabble in. So I would say one of the artists that I like most is POLO PERKS. It's really cool that we're in New York, and like an artist that I like is just hanging out in the same city, doing events and all that. I feel more connected to his music in that way. I just found a random post punk band called Deeper.
Do you have any major music red flags? Like, if somebody listens to a certain artist, or listens in a certain way, it doesn’t feel right to you. On the other hand, any music, green flags?
I would say if your favorite rapper is 21 Savage or Drake, that is a red flag to me. I would say just having a unique music taste is really appealing. I don't see why anyone would want to not have their own music. It shows that they went out and looked for it. I believe that what happens upon us culturally totally counts as who we are, but I also love an individualized sense of music .
What is your happiest and/or coolest Playback memory?
I think generally, just reading a piece that one of our writers sent, and I'm like, ‘oh yes, this is it, you killed it! I hear you, and you thought this through.’ I love all the cool topics that they write about. It’s a great feeling to help our writers express their ideas. As an editor, I don’t consider myself an arbiter of quality, or anything like that. I can do grammar, and believe that two heads are better than one. I love getting to be the person to tell them that their work is amazing.
If you could have your perfect Bacchanal lineup - like no financial constraints, no logistics, you can bring people back from the dead if you want - who would you have?
I would put Frank Ocean in there, maybe not for me, but for the homies. If Young Thug was free and willing to come to my festival, I would certainly have him. Also, Phoenix.
What kind of energy are you looking to have at this year's Bacchanal?
Tongues out. I want people to get super high energy for Bacchanal, especially for Doechii. She's super cool. I've been listening to her forever, I was so happy when she signed for us. Then there’s Bakar, you know, the people who are like, ‘oh, I don't really listen to hip-hop.’ I want to see them vibing and satisfied. He's a cool guy. He's fun. He's our age pretty much. Actually, all these artists are relatively close to our age, which we don't really consider that often. I want people to be wild, with lots of happy energy, because I feel like everyone in Columbia is waiting to just be happy.
Is there anything that I haven't asked you or that you wanted to talk about that we haven't gotten to?
Nope! We’re all set.