Self-described “professional pop” outfit Zyles has just dropped his third single this year, titled “Cuddle Puddle.” The single is an upbeat indie pop dance track that B-Sides Badlands have called “blissful…flammable dance bop,” and a “fevered fist-pumper.”
‘Cuddle Puddle’ depicts a universe where everything is a little bit wrong. But why would you think about that when you’re having such a great time? The narrator is a powerful figure suggesting that we’re all equals in a cuddle puddle. It’s absurdity. But it’s the kind of wishful thinking that allows us to truly decompress. You can’t think about hierarchy on the dance floor, in your rec league, book club or wherever you let loose.”
Zyles on inspiration for the new single, Cuddle Puddle
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Zyles about his new single Cuddle Puddle, motivations, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m Zyles, a New York City native and currently a resident of San Francisco. I call the Zyles genre Professional Pop Music. As a member of the young professional demographic, I sometimes sing about us taking vacations in wine country, overthinking our break ups, and partying with our friends at work. There are universal themes in there for folks in different stages of life, but that’s where the latest releases started.
Musically, anything goes. I have a bias towards funk, r&b, and I like to find a place for guitars, but I work with producers and musicians who help me ground the project in 2019.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Music is amazing in that you can express yourself immediately by picking up an instrument and improvising, or you can develop a nuanced idea in a symphony or something equivalently ambitious. When I was a lot younger, I messed around with making movies and writing stories in other formats, but the versatility of music for big ideas or just blowing off steam is hard to rival.
As far as what keeps me going, it’s still incredibly fun for me. And I have goals I’m chasing: I want work on my craft as an instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter; reach more people with my music; and play bigger shows for them.
How is the “Cuddle Puddle” single release different than your previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
“Cuddle Puddle” was by design more of a modern dance-music take than the previous releases partially because the song content has a hazy escape element. It’s intended to have a tongue-and-cheek naughty energy too, and I’m pretty happy with how a bunch of the sounds and vocal harmonies in particular manage to capture those themes.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
I learned the other week that Instacart made a Google Chrome plug-in with an animated creature called the Instacat that would jump in and out of your basket. That’s it. They hoped it would go viral. It got some press, nothing explosive. The internet is a crazy place, and we have to be creative.
What was the last song you listened to?
I just discovered this funky throwback artist Brandon Coleman, so I’ve been bumping that today. Very Zapp & Roger. Like 24K Magic without the over-the-top gloss factor. The last tune I heard was called “Addiction”.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Put on a vinyl record when you’re at home and something about the sound has a cozy quality to it. But I need my music at the gym, in the car, at my desk. So whatever powers the convenience of the streaming services has my vote.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Apple Music won me over a few years ago with Beats1 before Spotify discovery was the level it’s at today. The quality of the curators and all the great radio content Dr. Dre and his team put together had me exploring more genres than I had in a long time. But Spotify caught up, and its user experience is better… so now I have both.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Instagram is my platform of choice these days. I’m using the profile to tell narratives related to my tune, and anything goes in the story. I’m @zylesmusic. As far as music discovery, send me a message and I’ll point you in some creative directions.
Anything else before we sign off?
We made an incredible music video for “Secretary” towards the end of last year. You should go check it out for another side of Zyles.
