This is SOUND ADVICE, a weekly destination for playlists curated by Interview’s friends, enemies, and lovers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gathered playlists from UNIIQU3, Chelsea Wolfe, and Loren Kramar. This week’s guest is Baltimore-born musician serpentwithfeet, who ventures into a tender and experimental sound on his new album GRIP. The first single, “Damn Gloves” (featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Yanga YaYa) is an energetic club track that SPF leavens with his typically seductive vocals. To mark the album’s release this Friday, serpentwithfeet made us a playlist that’s both lively and sentimental, perfect for scenic drives or watching a sunset with lovers. In our Sound Advice questionnaire, he also also tells us his dream collaborators and his favorite artist know one knows about (hint: it’s a species of bird).
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Where do you dance? In my living room… In the park…
What’s on your bedroom playlist? Songs with moody bass lines of course!! Hahaha.
Headphones of choice? I use different headphones in different locations. If I’m running to the grocery store real quick, airpods are great.
What was your first concert? My first arena concert was the “Glow in the Dark” tour at Madison Square Garden.
What song do you have on repeat? Currently, Tyla’s “On and On.” It’s such a perfect jam!
Dream collaborator, dead or alive? There’s so many, but a few are: Victoria Monet, Brent Faiyaz, Eartha Kitt, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
What song on this playlist makes you feel emotions? “Wish on an Eyelash” by Mallrat is everything. It reminds me of watching the sunset with a guy I care about and not caring about anything else until it’s dark.
Name a song that reminds you of your hometown: “Beauty” by Dru Hill. One of the greatest songs ever written!
Do you play an instrument? A little piano…
Favorite album cover of all time: It’s a tie between Missy Elliot’s cover for Da Real World and Björk’s cover for Homogenic.
Sunglasses inside, yes or no? In the airport, yes. At the bookstore, no.
You just arrived at the function. What drink are you ordering? St Germain Spritz or Mezcal Mule.
What do you wear to the studio? Something comfortable but medium spicy. A loose pant, a loafer, a jewel.
Name your favorite artist no one knows about: I’d say my favorite artist that’s underrated is the songbird. I’m no zoologist but a while ago I read about songbirds being one of the most successful species of birds and how that might be due to their love of sweet foods and nectar; the sugar gives them energy to travel long distances. I’ve got to be honest, there’s just so much poetry there that I can’t ignore. So my hero is the songbird for sure!
What album is playing in heaven? Which heaven? Heaven on earth is definitely bumpin’ Voodoo and Afrodisiac all day! D’Angelo and Brandy share a birthday so I feel like the gods intended for their music to be in conversation with each other.
GRIP is a celebration of Black queer nightlife. What club holds the fondest formative memories? Well, GRIP celebrates private moments with a partner and Black queer nightlife. But there’s several clubs that make me smile when I think of them. Some of them are in New York, some in Miami.