“I wanted to manifest every emotion on this album.”
Acoustic drowsy emo lo-fi melancholy hip-hop euphoric instrumental sadboy blues from Grapevine, Texas. Caduceus is a teenage producer who just released a 29 song album called Manifest. After having released numerous singles on his SoundCloud (which I covered right here), as well as a debut project Sincerity last summer, I felt it necessary to shoot an email over to Caduceus and ask him about his creative process and experience molding such moving and emotional compositions.
How's the year been treating you so far?
The year's been treating me great. I've had some of the best times of my life the past few months. I've met many great people and I've made a lot of music.
How would you describe Manifest to a stranger on the street?
I'd say it's an album that blends acoustic, electronic, and ambient elements. Parts of the album include arpeggiating guitars with slow drum beats, soft piano keys washed out in ambience, and introspective dialogue.
How long have you been working on this project?
I've been working on this project since August when I released my last album Sincerity.
In a society with shrinking attention spans, it takes courage to release a project with so many tracks. Did you always envision Manifest to be this lengthy?
Not at all, I was originally envisioning it to be an EP. When I started the project I had some of the worst writer's block I've ever had, and it was hard to come up with even a few tracks. I eventually started writing again and made a few songs I was going to release as an EP when I realized I could keep writing and make an album. I'm glad I waited a few months because I've made some of my best works since. Regardless of its length, I think people will enjoy what the album has to offer.
How does it compare to your last project, Sincerity?
Aside from it being larger, it's very different from Sincerity. Sincerity as an album was simple and lighthearted, and had a consistent theme with it. Manifest on the other hand, doesn't. Manifest changes its theme throughout the album. I tried to experiment a lot, I tried different genres, I tried different song structures, and delved into certain parts Sincerity didn't. I got out of my comfort zone. There are instrumental parts, there are ambient parts, there are sad parts, there are happy parts. I wanted to manifest every emotion in this album.
What's the music scene like where you live?
I don't know much about the music scene here to be honest, I'm not even old enough to go clubbing [laughs].
What's the rest of the year looking like for you?
I'm probably gonna take a hiatus from releasing music. I need to focus on school and get a job. I won't stop making music but expect a long break before my next release. I have plenty more music to make and stories to tell.
Outside of music, do you have any other hobbies/interests?
I write. I'm starting to write again after a long break. I write poetry and am looking to include that in my music sometime in the future. I also write screenplays, and am learning video editing in school. I'm working on some music videos which you should expect soon after my album releases. Other than that, I basically do what every other teenager does, play video games, watch Netflix, and get into beef online.
Do you have any advice for artists working on their craft?
I'm still learning myself but I just want to say make music for yourself. Don't make music for anybody else. If you want to be successful, spend hours everyday at your work. Don't ever try to force it but always keep creating something, even if it sucks, all that matters is that you're creating. Don't wait around for ideas or inspiration, because once you start creating they will come to you. Finally, no matter what industry you're in it's gonna take years of work, so don't ever give up.
Any final words/thoughts/shout-outs?
Shout-out to Alex, Ashton, Connor, Jason and especially Sienna. You guys are awesome!
