Following the release of the brand new album Sin Of Treachery, we caught an interview with artist and songwriter Homicidal Doll, to find out more about what inspired the project, the writing, his style, and his plans moving forward. Here’s how it went.
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Hey – thanks for the interview, and congrats on the brand new album. For those who don’t know – how would you define or introduce your style as an artist?
Thank you for having me and I get this question a lot. I don’t know how to define my music if I’m being honest. But usually if I’m asked I just say dark rap.
How long have you been making music, and how did you come up with this artist name – were there any other AKA’s that almost made the cut?
I have been making music for three years now. I started my first project sophomore year and I listen back to it and it was awful. From the production side.
I got the name from always feeling like people kill different parts of me every time I meet someone new and then in the end I’m always played. There was no other names even close to this one.
What can you tell us about the Sin Of Treachery album – what does it mean to you, and what do you hope people take away from it?
This album meant a lot to me. I made it with my homie ToyBokz. We’ve been making music for two to three years now. This is our second major project together. The first one was called blood and now we’ve made this album.
This was sort of a comeback for me and proving I can still make that kind of music since I’ve been doing other things than “dark rap”. I just hope people enjoy it. There are plenty of hard songs and plenty of sad ones as well. Definitely one of my top projects right now.
Would you say your style is influenced by bands from decades back, or just by the more recent scene?
I would say more of the recent scene. I definitely have influences from bands way before my time and plenty of bands that are playing right now. I like to keep my music more dark and add that death metal vibe to it just a little bit if I do some songs that have screaming in it.
What made you settle on this heavy vocal rasp and theatrical style?
I love the music that people are doing with this sort of style I have. It’s definitely caught my attention over the mainstream music that’s out right now. Plus I just love harder music that has meaning behind it while still keeping that darker vibe to it.
What inspires you to write about certain stories or to produce to a certain mood?
I guess it depends on how I’m feeling when I’m writing for a beat. Sometimes I’ll be sad and you get some sad songs or angry and get a mixture of the two. It all depends on how my day is going when I’m writing. Plus I keep a lot inside so getting those emotions out helps a lot.
Which track from the album would you recommend to new listeners, and why?
I would recommend two of them. Here we go, and empty graves need to be filled. Those two songs captivate our sound together for the entire project so those are perfect for new listeners to me.
What’s your favourite lyric from the album, and why?
My favorite lyric is from the intro song on the album and it’s my last verse on there. The lyric is “white boy with no dad, got the black nails, long hair, and love for straps”. I just found the lyric funny to me and I enjoyed screaming on that track so for me that’s my favorite.
You get notably personal on these tracks; I Need Help in particular showcases a clear level of vulnerability. Are you ever nervous about pouring so much of your truth into music for public consumption, or is it therapeutic?
I’ve never been nervous about putting all my emotions into a song. I’ve actually gotten compliments for being so bold about how I feel about certain things.
It’s very therapeutic because I don’t open up to anyone about things anymore and that’s the only way I’m able to speak about how I feel without feeling like I’m a burden to someone .
Who do you rate in the mainstream right now?
I don’t listen to mainstream music so I wouldn’t know. I don’t usually mess with any artist that is in mainstream since they all talk about the same shit. Pretty boring artists in my opinion.
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“I would love to perform live in front of people just the only thing is I’m an introvert and hate people looking at me…”
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Is live performance important to you, and if so – what does a live show look like from Homicidal Doll?
I would love to perform live in front of people just the only thing is I’m an introvert and hate people looking at me so that would be hard but I’m sure over time I would get used to it. But different emotions in the crowd for sure. From people moshing and punching one another to people crying and singing out my lyrics is what I would love to see from my show.
What’s your biggest ambition as an artist?
Helping my family with financial problems and just doing something different with my life. I’ve never wanted a normal job so if I could do this for a living it would be a dream.
What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given regarding your music?
I was never given advice from anyone. This is all me that did this. Of course I got help from people with production and I’m thankful but at the end of the day I kept going with this dream even after plenty of stuff happening I kept moving.
Is there anything else we should know?
I have another album coming out in December if I don’t kill myself before that so stay tuned I guess to my awful life.
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Check out the music here & follow Homicidal Doll on Instagram & Twitter.
