Alfie Templeman is Just Getting Started
It was a gloomy day in Gambier until rising indie-pop/rock star Alfie Templeman popped onto our Zoom call with a big grin and a glass of wine (“because I’m in Sicily!”). The English artist, who has amassed a devoted fan base of over 2.4 million monthly listeners since the release of his debut single in 2018, has taken the past two years to explore and expand his sound. Amidst the chaos of a global pandemic, Templeman has been getting in touch with his emotions, cooking, meditating, talking to loved ones, and, most of all, working on new music that stretches beyond his previous pop style and into the realms of R&B, jazz, and psychedelic rock.
During a time when it was hard to be motivated to go to class, much less write and record a studio album, Templeman channeled his anxieties and pent-up energy into Mellow Moon, which will be released on May 27th. The record features Templeman being curious about the world and introspective about his place in it, while still crafting a fun and danceable sound that’s perfect for summertime. I talked with him about the upcoming album, his relationship with creativity during the pandemic, musical influences, and personal growth.
(This interview has been condensed for clarity.)
I know you’ve got the new record [Mellow Moon] coming out next month. What was the story behind this, and how are you feeling about it coming into the world?
Templeman: I'm pretty anxious about it coming into the world, first off, just because there are a lot of things that I haven't really touched upon on this release. I'm trying out more different sounds. I've always liked this kind of music that's on the record, but I've never really had the guts to put it out before, so there's hints of, like, prog-rock in there, at the end, definitely, with Pink Floyd and Queen influences, but also at the start there's Leon Bridges and Steve Lacy influences. I started the creation of the record about two years ago, when I turned 17, like normal, just making stuff in my bedroom and messing around with a lot of pop culture [influences] and mixing in different things. And then I kind of hit a wall because it was the pandemic and my head was just in a million different places.
Do you think the pandemic gave you any benefit in terms of getting into the zone and being able to focus on songwriting?
Yeah, I feel like it definitely did because I had just more time to really focus on my own mind. And that was kind of a blessing and a curse. I kind of see it as equally good and bad because I had so much time to look into my mind, and my mind was spitting out all kinds of stuff. Like, [sometimes] I'll feel like You're worthless, You're not worth it. Don't do anything today, Just don't bother, there's no point and you're just gonna hate it. And then there’s the other side of me that's like, No, just keep pushing. You've got all of this free time, you might as well try something, and, if you're not happy with it, then at least you've done something to [get yourself into] the flow state to ignore, like, the other shit going on in your mind. So, some days were definitely easier than others, but I think that was the benefit. It made me a little bit more open, a bit more honest, and a bit more real with my songs.
What was another hobby, other than music, that you picked up during COVID that kind of helped you ground yourself?
I was trying to cook at one point. I always had a fascination with cooking before the pandemic, but, for example, if we didn't have any tomato sauce at home, I’d try to make my own. Just small things, but it kind of gave me something to do in the same way that music did. If I wasn't able to make any music then I tried something like that, or watching more films or sometimes making art. I'm really bad at art, but I just really liked the idea of trying to make something even if you're expressing yourself in the weirdest way. Artistically, it's still something, it's still you, and it’s still from your hands. I was into a lot of things about meditation and philosophy, and getting more curious about, like, ‘Why do I think this way, you know, how do I think this way? What made me think this way?’ I feel like that was part of growing up anyway, like that was bound to happen in some way. But because I was 17 when the pandemic hit, it was kind of the best and the worst time for that to happen. So I was definitely curious, but I was also like, ‘Am I meant to feel this way? Like, what would I feel like right now if there wasn't a global pandemic going on?’
Yeah, I feel the same. I mean, we're about the same age, so I definitely had that too. I was like, ‘Oh, no, I need to grow up really fast and deal with this now.’ If there was a piece of advice you would give yourself at age 16 or 17 when you were getting into the music industry, what would it be? How would that help you today?
Oh, that's a really good question, actually. I feel like when I was 15 and 16, I was thinking too much about, like, ‘How many streams can I get? How big can I be?’ And actually, that doesn't matter. It matters more about the people that you know. If you have 100 people that really love you, it's so much better than having a million that will just listen to you and just forget about it. So I feel like, [if you] make friends with the real fans, the real people that actually care about you, they see you for you and they see why you're special. And I feel like those are the people that you want to surround yourself with. And for me, most of those people were actually just my friends, the people that supported me and loved me and always knew that I had something special with music.
What do you think changed for you on this album since your previous release Forever Isn't Long Enough? How do you think you've grown as an artist?
I mean, Forever Isn't Long Enough is a pretty solid project, but it’s just not as versatile… and it's a good pop record, but it doesn't go further than that, whereas this definitely touches on more of me and on so many things that I just love making. Not that I didn't love making Forever Isn’t Long Enough, because I loved making that dance-pop sound. But with this, it just touches on so many more genres of music that really intrigue me and excite me. So I think that's the main difference, for sure: it’s just… broader in terms of the sound.
What were your influences growing up? Who did you love to listen to?
Well, I have a bunch… Fleetwood Mac, because I really like Stevie Nicks’ songwriting… Lindsey Buckingham, Todd Rundgren, a band called CAN –– I’m wearing a t-shirt of them right now! –– and also stuff like Gong, stuff like Rush. Also Steve Lacy definitely was a big one for me when I got into, like, my “indie” kind of sound, and Mac DeMarco, before I found out he was weird. Silver Apples, David Berman from Silver Jews, a bit of Alex G in there, a bit of Elliott Smith. Just everything!
That’s a great mix. I love Alex G! So, once Mellow Moon is released in May, what’s next for you? Are you going to take a breather from music or do you have something else lined up?
I've been making a lot of songs recently. I think I'm gonna just release more music, try more things I want to try, and just keep releasing records. This is just the start, really, compared to what's about to happen. Like, [there’s a] million more records that I'm gonna put out, and a million more songs. Yeah, I don't want to stop. I just want to keep going and keep making music while it’s fresh. I've got plenty more, I think.
Do you prefer performing on tour or the writing and recording process in the studio?
I’m a massive studio nut! I love just being by myself in the studio, completely by myself, and recording stuff. It’s my favorite thing, and it always has been –– that’s why I’m here, because I loved to record music growing up. Like, I used to come back from school and just record until I’d go to bed. So, for real, recording any day!
One more question: What do you think is the biggest takeaway from this new album? I know you’ve touched on mental health issues and some other themes you haven’t yet addressed, so what do you want to share with people who are listening?
Oh, good question. I mean, the main thing for me is I want to tell people that this is the start; this is the first big flag in the ground. I don't have a massive big thing to say to people at the age of 19, because I really don't know what I'm doing yet. You know, I'm still figuring out my own life… and that's the whole point of this record. I'm figuring it out. Like, this is me sorting my life out a bit, answering some questions that I've always wondered [about], and trying out new sounds and things I’ve always wanted to but haven't had the guts to do. There are a lot of songs that are just silly and fun, and then there are more serious moments, but it's a nice mix if you want to enjoy some fun music and contemplate some serious lyrics.
Alfie Templeman’s new record Mellow Moon comes out on May 27th, but for now, he’s enjoying having fun with friends, being a teenager, and figuring out the answers to the big questions along the way. Stream his latest singles here!
– Em Townsend