Musician underscores, born April Harper Grey, is forging a unique path in the contemporary music landscape, moving beyond traditional album cycles to construct intricate fictional worlds that resonate deeply with her audience. At 26, she has cultivated a distinctive sound that masterfully blends hyperpop, punk, and electronic elements, interwoven with visual aesthetics drawn from niche internet subcultures. Her journey, spanning over 13 years of dedicated music production, is a testament to a relentless spirit of experimentation and a profound belief in the artistic value of imperfection. As she articulated in a recent interview, "It’s important to make art that you don’t like," a philosophy that underpins her fearless approach to creation. From Pandemic Isolation to Urban Exploration: The Evolution of Underscores’ Sound Underscores’ creative evolution can be charted through her significant projects. Her debut album, Fishmonger, emerged during the isolating period of the pandemic, a glitchy, existential exploration born from lockdown at her parents’ home. This introspective work laid the groundwork for her sophomore release, Wallsocket, in 2023. Wallsocket offered a vivid, cinematic portrayal of teenage suburbia, steeped in the atmosphere of a fictional Michigan town. This project resonated with a younger demographic, aiming to provide a roadmap for navigating the complexities of early adulthood. Her most recent offering, U, released earlier this year, represents a significant shift in sonic and thematic focus. Described as "galleria music," the project draws inspiration from the transient, consumer-driven environments of hotels, airports, and malls across America. U embraces a brighter, poppier sensibility while retaining the expansive sonic palette that characterizes her previous work. The project has garnered widespread critical acclaim, with underscores noting a deliberate pivot in her artistic intention. "With my last album [Wallsocket], I really wanted to send my younger fans off with a road map of how to navigate adulthood for the first time," she explained. "But this time, I just wanted people to want to put this on. I like the utility of music just being a pleasant thing right now." The Genesis of a Sonic World: Concept as Foundation The genesis of underscores’ creative process lies in the conceptualization of a world. For her, the overarching theme and environment serve as the initial springboard for any new project. "It usually starts with whatever world I want to put it in," she states. "I think even when I was making my last album, I was kind of aware that I wanted the next one to be the city album, super glossy with all these sorts of consumerist architecture." This conceptual framework then dictates the immersive experience she cultivates for herself and, by extension, for her listeners. For U, this meant a deliberate engagement with the very spaces that inspired it. "After that, I just try to immerse myself," she elaborates. "When I wrote a song for the album, I would go to the mall and then listen to it in the mall. Or if I were staying in a hotel, I would walk around the hotel, listen to it there and see if it made sense for me." This method of contextual immersion allows the music to organically absorb the atmosphere and essence of its intended setting. "Galleria Music": Capturing the Essence of Transient Spaces The moniker "galleria music" for U encapsulates the unique appeal of spaces like the Mall of America, airports, and hotels. These are environments often characterized by their ephemeral nature, their blend of commerce and transit, and their distinct sensory profiles. Underscores’ connection to these spaces runs deep, stemming from childhood experiences. "I’ve just always been the most connected to them," she reflects. "When I was a kid, I just really loved these spaces. I just knew eventually I would want to make some kind of project that fits in those spaces. And it just felt right this time." This deep-seated affinity translates into music that mirrors the multifaceted experience of these locations. The soundscapes of U are designed to evoke the bustling energy of a mall concourse, the sterile yet comforting anonymity of a hotel room, or the transient anticipation of an airport terminal. It’s an auditory exploration of the liminal spaces that have become increasingly prevalent in modern urban life, spaces where people gather, consume, and move, often without deep personal connection. The Evolving Songwriting Process: From Immersion to Portability Underscores’ songwriting process has undergone a significant evolution, driven by a desire for greater creative freedom and spontaneity. While in the past, a strong emotional impulse or a desire to articulate a specific thought would often spark a song, her current approach prioritizes adaptability. "For sure. A lot of the time, if I know I want to say something, then I’ll be most inspired to write a song about it," she notes. "I don’t really journal too much right now; [music] is the main outlet for me." A key catalyst for change was the production experience of Wallsocket. "My second album was not as fun to make as I wanted it to be," she admits. To counter this, she has actively sought to integrate her recording process with her lifestyle. "This time, I wanted to have the recording setup be worse, so I could lug it around everywhere. Now if I’m on tour or something, I can still make music." This shift reflects a conscious effort to break down the barriers between her creative life and her experiences, allowing for continuous artistic output regardless of location. The theme of travel, inherently linked to these transient spaces, became a central element of U, further blurring the lines between her personal journey and her musical output. A Moment of Profound Artistic Revelation Amidst the creation of U, underscores experienced a moment of profound emotional release that deeply impacted her artistic output. She recounts a specific instance while recording vocal stacks for the song "bodyfeeling." "I was recording vocal stacks, then something just hit about it. I started sobbing, and I was just looping the vocal stacks, over and over. That’s never happened making music before, so it was kind of a crazy experience." This raw, unfiltered emotional response underscores the deeply personal nature of her work and the power of music to tap into profound reservoirs of feeling. When asked about potential hesitation in sharing such intimate moments, underscores distinguishes between personal introspection and the portrayal of others. "I only have hesitation when I’m writing about somebody else," she states. "I think I just want to be responsible. A lot of these songs are about a mixture of things and people, but I’ve written a lot of songs that are about specific people. I try at least to let them know what’s coming or something. When I’m just writing about myself, I don’t really have too much hesitation there." This commitment to ethical storytelling highlights her thoughtful engagement with the impact of her music on those around her. Influences Beyond the Sonic: Gaming, Literature, and Visual Storytelling Underscores’ creative universe is not solely shaped by musical influences. Her fascination with world-building extends to other mediums, notably video games and literature. The iconic first-person parkour game Mirror’s Edge has been a consistent source of inspiration. "My favourite video game is Mirror’s Edge. I play it two or three times a year; it’s a little ritual for me. The world that they’ve created with it is completely idiosyncratic. I feel like you rarely see that kind of city being made in a video game, and that world was very inspirational for this. I always knew at some point I would make a Mirror’s Edge album." This reveals a long-held ambition to translate the unique urban aesthetic and fluid movement of the game into a musical experience. Literary influences also played a role in shaping U. She cites Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Natsuo Kirino’s Convenience Store Woman as significant inspirations during the album’s creation. These works, with their explorations of alienation, mundane realities, and introspective journeys, likely resonated with the themes of transient spaces and personal reflection that permeate her music. Directing the Visual Narrative: Embracing Simplicity and DIY Aesthetics Underscores’ commitment to crafting a cohesive artistic vision extends to her visual output. For the U album cycle, she has taken on the role of director, a move necessitated by evolving industry trends and budgetary constraints. "This album cycle is my first time directing, so it’s been interesting stepping into that role," she explains. "At first, I really wanted to find someone else, but I just couldn’t find anyone who was available at the time. I think labels aren’t spending a lot of money on these videos anymore. MTV is long gone, and they’re not seeing a return on their investment." This shift in the music industry has, in her view, led to a simplification of video concepts. However, underscores sees this as an opportunity for heightened creative impact. "I think what’s been happening, and what I’ve experienced, is that video concepts have simplified as a result of not having the budget to do crazier things. But I think you can get a stronger statement out of something simpler rather than something that’s really complicated and goes through all these VFX people, or uses AI. I like that music videos right now are kind of sloppy or filmed on an iPhone. I think there are a lot of really cool things that come out of it." The Power of Constraints and the "Bad" Aesthetic The embrace of constraints has become a deliberate creative strategy for underscores, particularly in her visual work. This approach fosters a unique form of artistic liberation, forcing innovative solutions within limitations. She highlights the music video for "Tell Me (U Want It)" as an example. "We had a pretty sizable budget for my level, but still not crazy. I spent pretty much all of it on travel and locations, and then we shot the whole thing on iPhones. It kind of looks like a school project or a vlog, but I think that imbues it with a more DIY spirit, especially when there’s so much AI in art. I think it is really important to make kind of ‘bad’ stuff." This embrace of a deliberately imperfect, lo-fi aesthetic serves as a powerful counterpoint to the increasingly polished and algorithmically generated content prevalent today, emphasizing authenticity and a human touch. Anticipating Live Performances and the Future of Computer Music Looking ahead, underscores expresses excitement about translating the sonic and visual narratives of U into live performance. She anticipates that tracks like "Hollywood Forever," which may feel like a "slow burn" on the album due to its length, will find a new dynamic in a live setting, especially with her planned stage setup. She also hints at unreleased material that could ignite audiences. When asked to encapsulate the U project in three words, she offers: "Metropolitan, dry, and up-close." These descriptors encapsulate the project’s thematic focus on urban environments, its often detached or observational tone, and its intimate, personal exploration of these spaces. Her outlook on the current state of music is overwhelmingly positive. "I really am enjoying the state of music right now," she declares. "I think if I knew when I was 15 that this was what the music landscape was going to look like in 10 years, I would have been like, ‘oh my gosh, yay!’" She points to the surge of innovative computer music and the vibrant underground rap scene as sources of inspiration. "There’s a lot of really cool and innovative computer music coming out right now, and live music too. I think especially what’s going on in the underground rap scene, the sort of innovation that’s going on is really inspirational. People are really pushing the envelope right now. It’s really cool. I was born in the right generation." This sentiment underscores her belief that she has arrived at a pivotal and exciting moment in musical history, a time ripe for experimentation and the breaking of established boundaries. Post navigation Palace Skateboards Partners with Rizla for Unexpected Capsule Collection
