Postcard Boy is a San Diego creative, breaking into the music world with millions of listeners, after gaining great praise for his photography of subjects like LANY and Emma Chamberlain. Developing a new breed of indie and bedroom pop, Postcard Boy has released his latest project: “Limbo.”
The artistry behind Postcard Boy’s photography also fuels his music on his singles and EP. He shared that there is a difference between the creative processes, saying, “A lot of my photography so far has been more candid and instantaneous rather than drawn out ideas. My music so far has been more focused and introspective. I want to switch the workflows for both to give some new life to what I’m making. I now have some more planned and structured video ideas and scripts I’m looking forward to filming when I can do so safely and stay healthy. I think freestyling more lyrics and trying to make some songs all in one sitting will lead me down a cool new direction sonically or at least keep me inspired.”
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When Postcard Boy shifted from photography to music, it “wasn’t a conscious decision,” due to an overlap of artistic expression. He explained, “I think creative mediums are so intertwined with each other, beyond just photos and music. Regardless of if thousands of people are gonna see my work or just my closest family and friends, I’m going to continue making music, visual pieces, and other kinds of art for the rest of my life.”
This versatility is evident in Postcard Boy’s inspiration, Spike Jonez. Postcard Boy shared that he admired the way Spike’s “life has just been one creative endeavor to the next with no limitation,” sharing that, “He’s made some of the most iconic skate videos, music videos, magazines, feature films, shorts, everything. He is someone who has made and continues to make art by figuring it out along the way and bringing that knowledge to the next project. What I’m inspired by and what I want to make next is constantly evolving, so I’d like to think I could go after ideas that might seem too big for me and continue to learn through each project I make.” On the “Limbo” EP Postcard Boy challenges these limitations.
With a sound similar to Ryan Beatty and Kevin Abstract, particularly on tracks like “Flight” and “Company,” Postcard Boy actually shared that his potential collaborative aspirations actually lie with instrumental and vocal giants “James Blake or Bon Iver.” Blending acoustic and electronic elements is not foreign to Postcard Boy. He explained that as he has developed musically, his sound has become more intertwined with different genres, saying, “My beginning with music was doing ukulele and acoustic guitar covers, but in middle school I got Soundcloud and was discovering this whole side of electronic music I didn’t know existed. I then started editing my surf videos to electronic music and got super into that. My first songs I produced in high school were full on future bass. It just is a result of that influence. My side project ‘Carwash’ has more rock influence heard, but since I started working on more alternative stuff there for fun, it’s totally coming out in the Postcard Boy songs I’ve been making in quarantine. I’m all over the place and am still searching for a sound that feels like me.”
On songs like “Sincerely” and “We’ve Been Here Our Whole Lives” the openly acoustic sentimental side to Postcard Boy’s abilities is explored. There is a reflective and pensive tone, as Postcard Boy is working to learn and move forwards in life. He discussed the importance of the meaning behind the final song, “We’ve Been Here Our Whole Lives,” saying, “That track is about leaving a few of the closest people to me and leaving home. I wrote it the night one of my best friends was leaving home. We parted ways and it left me really emotionally stirred. It’s rare that such a strong feeling would come from me. I don’t have many friends I let myself attach to that deep. As much as this song is a direct message to that night as well as to a couple friends of mine, it is also for my home again. I had lived in the same house for eighteen years. I entirely grew up in Solana Beach, a town in North San Diego. All of my memories and who I am stem from my time there. To think of leaving and starting anywhere else seemed so foreign at the time. Lyrically, this is some of my favorite songwriting I have done, and I think it’s a powerful song of mine. Dreams of love, accomplishments and new experiences fill the project.” Dreams of love, accomplishments and new experiences fill the project, and are fully expressed on these songs. Postcard Boy shared, “This project comes from all the anticipation, longing, and confusion during transitional phases. I was just trying to make sense of it all and talk myself through that time. Writing and making this music was a very therapeutic process in a way. Now I’m realizing there are so many limbo periods throughout life where these feelings reoccur. Hopefully this project can resonate and bring some comfortability to that.”
“Limbo” and “Flight” have nostalgic feelings, discussing the emotional and overwhelming experience of growth. While these emotional details are deftly tackled on the more somber tracks, the electronic and yet sensitive style of certain songs allow the listener to fully embrace the beauty and struggle of processing youth and change.
Postcard Boy spoke about how he will feel and what he will remember when he looks back on this project and time in his life, “I think I’ll look back on Limbo as a project where I challenged myself to the farthest I have so far and proved how possible an idea is of mine. This is the most complete project I have ever done, so there was so much I learned not only about the making of the music and videos, but emotionally how much goes into something like this and how important it is to have solid people around to support. It’s been almost a year since I finished writing this project, so for me I feel I’ve already progressed and am ready to push the next idea, even though as an audience you are receiving this version of me from so long ago.”
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“Limbo” is the experience of lying in the grass with friends, holding your breath and wishing that the moment you’re in would last forever. “Limbo” is the feeling of flipping through stacks of photographs and cherishing the past but anticipating the future. “Limbo” is growing pains. “Limbo” is simply being in limbo – not fully ready to let go and no longer meant to be present in your situation.
You can stream “Limbo” everywhere now!
