Interview Poppy Roscoe

Get ready to explore the Sonoran Wastelands, rats, lyzards, and the mesmerizing fusion of music and visuals that define Poppy Roscoe's reborn identity. Let's dive into the creative universe crafted by Izzy Fortune and the talented members of Poppy Roscoe.

1. Congratulations on the reformation of Poppy Roscoe! What sparked the decision to come together again, and how has the band evolved since its earlier days?
The band originally formed between myself (Izzy Fortune) and my older brother (Aydin Golabi), but after the two of us went on separate life paths, I remained playing music around the Nashville and Memphis scenes, while he went off to Boston to pursue his day-career.
The goal was to always reform the band with the original drummer (Jake Smith) and guitarists (Adam Pena), but after five years of waiting, I decided to reform the band myself for this new project. Now we’re the same band with the same vision, sans one founding member.

2. The Sonoran Wastelands provides a unique backdrop for Poppy Roscoe's reimagined journey. How does the environment influence your creative process, both musically and visually?
All of the core members of the band grew up, (or spent a large amount of time), in the Sonoran Desert, specifically in Arizona. In the same way anyone’s upbringing will influence their outlook on life and creative process, so too did the arid wastes of Arizona give a unified theme for the band to coalesce around this project. The title “Desert Rats” didn’t come from nowhere, anyways.
In fact, my original idea for this concept album was a children’s story about a group of rats from the desert who form a band and take a tour across America, meeting new rats and experiencing new cultures, only to return home better for the experience. In essence it’s the same goal every adventurous kid with big dreams shares: to move as far away from where they grew up as possible.

3. Poppy Roscoe is known for creating a multimedia musical-video experience. How do you balance the storytelling elements in your music with the visual components, and what themes can fans expect in your upcoming releases?
I’ll be the first to admit: I’m by no means a master songwriter and am a mediocre animator/director at best. I consider “Sea Fortune and the Desert Rats” to be a creative proof-of-concept for future projects. I can’t do it alone, no one can. But slowly and methodically we’re gaining more members on the production team and more steam for bigger and bolder projects.
I might not have the cinematic touch, but Mr. Dane Delaney at Eye of Newt Productions has shown interest in the next projects.
I might not have the best musical ear, but we nabbed Mr. Michael Fong with Hella6s Productions for the next albums. It’s all about building the dream team, and I sincerely believe we’ve got a decent jump out of the gates with Sea Fortune and the Desert Rats.

4. The concept of creating a cult following is intriguing. How do you cultivate and engage with your dedicated fan base, and what role do they play in shaping the Poppy Roscoe experience?
Well… maybe cult is a strong word.
Most every band wants people to like their music— no one really gets up onstage hoping people will hate the work they’ve poured so much effort into practicing and creating. There’s a distinction, I think, in bands who are seeking attention and those that are seeking validation; I mean to say that not every band necessarily wants to be famous.
From the perspective of the fan, there’s a huge difference in saying “wow, I really liked this band” and “I go to every concert and read lore on everything this band has ever done”. While the latter may be in the minority, it’s that kind of dedication to the band’s vision that inspires me personally to write more.
I bake all sorts of lore and references into Poppy Roscoe specifically for the super-fan that’s pausing at every frame of the movie to look at the background. Recently, Jake Smith has reminded me that we do want other people to listen to us as well, and I’ve been trying to cater to that as well.

5. The mention of rats and soon lyzards adds an enigmatic touch to Poppy Roscoe's narrative. Can you share a bit more about these elements and how they contribute to the band's unique identity and storytelling?
You know, I’ve been asked why all the rats and the lizards and the Animalia fixation, and honestly it’s just a narrative device I use to give anchor to my stories.
I am not a lizard man from space, there is no secret moon-base, what illuminati?

6. Izzy Fortune and Jacob Smith serve as the captain and drummer of Poppy Roscoe, respectively. How does this dynamic duo collaborate in steering the creative ship, and what strengths does each member bring to the table?
Jake Smith is, without a doubt, the best drummer I’ve ever played with. Bar none. Jake Smith is also, without a doubt, the only person I’d trust with both my life and half our band. He’s my best friend at the end of the day, and one hell of a music partner. He’s been with the band since the beginning, and honestly it’s difficult to imagine the group without him.
I don’t touch the percussive world without Jake’s help since he’s such a master of the craft. I just write and animate poorly.

7. The Sonoran Wastelands are known for their arid and challenging conditions. How does the environment reflect in the sound and mood of Poppy Roscoe's music, and how do you use these challenges to your advantage in the creative process?
It’s challenge to work in the Sonoran not because of the weather, but because of the culture. Phoenix is a great city to live (or was depending on who you ask), but it’s not exactly a vibrant cultural hotbed of new ideas and music. It’s a great place to die but not a great place to live, if that makes sense.
Our sound is then influenced not by the dry environment, but the longing to escape to greener pastures. The album starts with such a high energy desire to break free from the shackles of the desert and shed the burdens that life is crushing you. A Summer day in Arizona would show you that.
The poetic twist made clear in the last songs of the album, where a slow calm that envelops the desert at night is somehow soothing all those worries, and that upon the return trip home you’re enlightened to the fact that you’ve grown enough to see those fears and desires are yours, and the desert simply always was.
It might sound flowery, but that’s the creative schmoo that the desert inspires in us.

8. Art-rock is a diverse genre. How do you define the distinctive sound of Poppy Roscoe within the realm of art-rock, and what artists or influences have shaped your musical style?
When you ask the average person what kind of music they listen to, you’ll likely get the boiler-plate “I listen to a little bit of everything” response. That is at the heart of Poppy Roscoe’s musical mission. I want to be a band that plays a little bit of everything, exploring the depths and shallows of music from world-beat to surf-rock.
I think that’s why I’m so attracted to the art-rock genre, because it’s a step away from descending into some wild avant-garde madness, but rooted enough in fundamentals to still touch on classic popular music sensibilities. I take it almost as a blank check to explore all avenues without getting too wild or snotty about it, but loose enough to not have to worry about all that hyper-genre-specific labeling.

9. The intersection of music and storytelling is a core aspect of Poppy Roscoe. Can you take us through the creative process of crafting a narrative within your music and translating it into a visual experience?
It’s always chaos in the beginning— crazy ideas bouncing everywhere in grand blurry strokes of fleeting thoughts. Personally, I write down whatever nonsense idea I have onto one or two loose-leaf sheets over the course of several months. Then in one or two days, organise everything into smaller manageable pieces.
From there, the music and the story writes itself. You start with an idea or a theme and let it roll, and usually it rolls somewhere. The first drafts are always messy and maybe even disappointing, but by chipping at it with a sculptor’s knife it it’ll usually turn out alright. When a piece of art is rushed by concerns outside of the original inspiration itself, it usually shows in the final result, which is a deathblow for a band like ours.

10. Your dedication to storytelling is evident. How do you approach lyricism to ensure it complements the broader narrative, and what themes or stories inspire your songwriting?
Inspiration comes from living in whatever form that may take, which is reflected in the varied songs Poppy Roscoe writes. As much as lyrics and visual art can tell a story, it takes on new dimensions when they’re combined together.
It’s important for me, at least, to understand the full picture of what I want to create or say in broad strokes and ideas before the writing even starts. The real work is getting into the minute details of each song and each scene to match and sync with each other in a meaningful way. “Sea Fortune and the Desert Rats” tells a story visually and lyrically, though I’ve felt that it paces so quickly it’s difficult to glean all the information I’m throwing out constantly. I wanted it to be fast-paced, but it’s an issue I’m working on in future works.

11. Los Angeles is a city known for its diverse music scene. How has the city's cultural melting pot influenced the evolution of Poppy Roscoe's sound, and what aspects of the local scene do you draw inspiration from?
The band has made it a habit to go to as many local shows as we can, whenever we can. Los Angeles is one of those cities that’s so huge it’s difficult to take in the scope of it all even for native residents. Sure Hollywood might be here, but it’s easy to forget this is the Port of Long Beach— there’s TONS of manufacturing and culture that gets traded through here on an hourly basis. It’s hard if not impossible not to be influenced by such a crazy awesome setting.

12. The reimagining of Poppy Roscoe involves bringing back the idea that music can tell a complex, meaningful story. How do you see this narrative-driven approach contributing to the overall impact and longevity of the band in today's music landscape?
The musical world today has plenty of room for walks of all life, it’s one of the boons of the industry. On the plus side, everyone has access to making music with a computer and free software, meaning everyone has a voice to contribute to the zeitgeist of humanity. On the negative side, everyone has access to making music with a computer and free software, meaning everyone has a voice regardless wheather or not they have anything interesting to say.
The band’s spirit and identity takes shape in the form of the almighty Concept Album. It’s something of a lost art; gone are the days of The Wall and Tommy, where albums may unfold like a storybook or an operatic piece of art. With good reason, mainstream music is meant to be digestible and easy to hear in small sound bites, rather than a whole ordeal of a meal that has to be paid attention to and something you have to chew on. The lasting works, however, aren’t the centerfold magazines or the dollar-store memes. A story can live forever so long as there are people and mediums to share it, and that’s where Poppy Roscoe will make our mark.

13. As a band that places importance on both audio and visual elements, how do you approach the production of your music videos, and what role do they play in enhancing the storytelling within your songs?
Gone are the days when the masses would buy a full LP recording and critically listen to it start to finish, (save for a few small isolated pockets of audiophiles and musicians). The reason has been beaten to death, but it draws to the shortened attention span audiences have that has been created by the entertainment industry as a whole. In comparison to a 90 minute action movie, it can be pretty tedious and boring for the common layperson to sit down and listen to only music. I understand it, I have similar tendencies when it comes to the media I consume.
I saw music videos as the last bastion of refuge for music, and after creating Sea Fortune and the Desert Rats I’m convinced the combination of music and video in a conceptual way is a medium I want to habituate in primarily.

14. The imagery of rats and lyzards suggests a vivid and unconventional visual aspect to your narrative. How do these elements translate into your live performances, and what can audiences expect from a Poppy Roscoe show?
Currently we have one projector, whatever the venue has, and a dream. I’ve already plotted a full production and show for the album, but it runs long and there’s no budget or public desire for it as of yet, so it’s on the back burner until we can get some more steam behind our projects.
Otherwise, It’s just me bouncing around stage while Jake makes wild faces and Adam’s trying to focus.

15. In a world filled with various music genres, how do you see Poppy Roscoe carving its niche and standing out?
That’s a really good question that we really don’t have a satisfying answer. The way to stand out is to be unique, but unique doesn’t always sell, and carving a niche is all well and good until you realise The Simpsons already did it in the 90s.
I’d be tempted to take the cop-out answer and say we’re not concerned with standing out from the crowd or chasing fame; we’ll follow the path we choose, where that leads. We’ll stand out by making a secret cave of dedicated followers under the beaches of Malibu, plotting our takeover into the over world.

16. Looking ahead, what's on the horizon for Poppy Roscoe? Are there specific goals or directions you envision for the band's musical evolution and growth in the coming years?
There’s an EP in the works that’s set to release early 2024 and a remake/remaster project that’s on hold until my older brother comes back, but the big goal has always been a space-opera. I know it sounds tacky, but it’s been a bug in my mind for some eight years now.
“Lyzards: A Space Epic” currently has thirty-five all-original, multi-genre songs written and demoed, with over half of them nearing completion for final recording. While the music is mostly written and played by Poppy Roscoe, the idea is to create a small community of local artists appearing as features on certain songs, wherein guest bands are brought in to perform songs to varying degrees. (I.e.: Poppy Roscoe wrote a metal song, then will merge for that song with a local metal band to help perform/ write the song on the album). This collaboration would take place with the idea that because each song can vary so vastly, writing and cooperating with experts in their respective genres would serve the song and therefore the work as a whole.
The writing itself is presented as a combination Grand-Semiseria Opera with Kabuki elements, with no directly spoken dialogue spread across five nohs (acts). The story has several characters and plot lines, all of which are delivered visually and through song lyrics. The story has been in development since 2019, where it was placed on hiatus due to the COVID-91 pandemic. Since then, other smaller projects have been undertaken by the band and Toadwarts (outlined in later sections). Poppy Roscoe is recouping and trying to build a dedicated fan-base before work on Lyzards re-commences. Projected release-date is scheduled for summer of 2025.
And before we hit the ground running on Lyzards, however, our studio is planning one more intermediary project to cut our teeth: a bonafide rock-opera. We believe that after one more serious project, we’ll be ready to tackle the monstrous Lyzards. We’ve partnered with a local metal group to make the music and story.
The project is currently roughly thirty minutes of heavy-metal opus exploring the cycles of life and death, (currently in pre-production).
When the project was first started in 2019, there was no existing network to start with and nowhere to begin work. The outlook was bleak— we had no animation support, no recording studio, no money or reputation to lean on, not even a performing band. Starting from the ground-up: I rebuilt the band, opened a small private recording studio, learned to animate, and (earlier this year) completed a project of which I’m extremely proud of. All of the music writing/recording, filming, editing, and even animation were done in house. The result: “Poppy Roscoe in: Sea Fortune and the Desert Rats”