Derek Simpson’s indie-pop album Somehow has been brewing all summer as he drip fed his audience one track each week starting on 13th June. Fans can take a breath now: the waiting is over and the record stands before us, complete. Simpson intended for each song to be experienced in its own right, hoping the sequential releases would allow space for listeners to digest each one fully.
Known for his layered, synthy soundscapes and introspective lyrics, the multi-talented artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist was once based in Boston but now lives and works in Los Angeles. That shift has come along with professional growth, as Simpson has made significant strides in the music industry since his early days.
His previous albums, King Sun and Signs, were celebrated for their unique blend of alternative R&B and laid-back disco, earning praise from publications like Spin and Atwood Magazine. Somehow promised to be his most genuine and experimental effort yet, and we’re not disappointed. From Saturn Returns to Bonez & All, Simpson covers themes of deep love, identity, and memory, making Somehow an immersive and emotionally resonant album.
When searching for your work, the basketball player Derek Simpson came up. Have you ever been confused for him?
Every single day. People I know: ‘Hey Derek, are you that basketball player?’ I’m like, ‘Mom, you had me, I’m your son.’ It’s insane.
What is the best way to set yourself up for a good day? Did you do that thing today?
I engage in a regular meditation practice. I then speak with people I know who have passed and afterward I’ll pick one tarot card and one Oblique Strategies card for the day. Beforehand I might do three rounds of Wim Hof breathing if I wake up feeling antsy, just to calm the nerves and get right here. Today was no different.
It's been quite an extended process of getting this album to its final form. Why did you choose to release Somehow sequentially?
I had a strong intuition to release it that way. On top of that, each song feels individually so important to me and I felt that I’d be serving the work best if I gave those listening the opportunity to enjoy each part in its own unique full realisation, eventually being able to enjoy the full thirty-three-minute piece in one sitting.
Albums are my favorite artworks to sit with and digest, so it may seem counterintuitive to release this way, but I was finding that when I or one of my contemporaries would release an album in full with one or two singles, the work was rarely met with the attention it deserved. My hope is that this release strategy reminds a listener that each song informs a larger picture. If you take the time to stand back and appreciate it, the picture may enrich your life in a surprising way.
Albums are my favorite artworks to sit with and digest, so it may seem counterintuitive to release this way, but I was finding that when I or one of my contemporaries would release an album in full with one or two singles, the work was rarely met with the attention it deserved. My hope is that this release strategy reminds a listener that each song informs a larger picture. If you take the time to stand back and appreciate it, the picture may enrich your life in a surprising way.
How did you decide what order to put the tracks in? Will they follow the same order as they’ll be in the album?
Yes they will. Listeners can follow along and hear how the whole thing is filling out as it’s filling out in real time. It’s less of my own decision-making where everything should go on the album, the songs more often tell you what order they’re supposed to be in and it’s my job to hear that clearly and get out of the way.
There were one or two songs whose entrance and exit were edited slightly to maintain flow, otherwise the album’s sequence totally figured itself out. It was actually kind of magical. I’d call Daniel August, a collaborator and co-mixer for this record, and we’d go back and forth about how crazy it is that The Circle One goes perfectly into Glitterrr, which goes so well into copilot, without us having to do much of anything.
There were one or two songs whose entrance and exit were edited slightly to maintain flow, otherwise the album’s sequence totally figured itself out. It was actually kind of magical. I’d call Daniel August, a collaborator and co-mixer for this record, and we’d go back and forth about how crazy it is that The Circle One goes perfectly into Glitterrr, which goes so well into copilot, without us having to do much of anything.
Did you ever get impatient during the releasing period and wish you’d put out the record all at once?
Patience is the practice! So far I feel an excitement for everything to be out, but I haven’t wished anything was done differently. It’s exciting that it’s an experiment. We have no clue how it will go.
You’ve said you like to keep things uncomplicated when you can. How do you deal with unexpected challenges during the recording or producing process?
Each unexpected challenge is met with presence first. I’ve found that if I’m fully present with a complication as it arises, listening intently to what it has to say and letting go of my own preconceived plans, that complication tells me what attention it needs. These read like lofty ideas but really it's just what a mother does when their baby is crying. The baby can’t tell you, hey, I’m hungry and I’d really like to have some nourishment because these stomach pains are uncomfortable. But you listen with full presence and you just become aware of what’s needed. That’s it.
You said in an interview about your second album that you wanted to provide “International Vibe Maintenance”—music that is calm but groovy. That seems to still be the case on Somehow, but have there been any shifts in how you’re thinking about that goal?
Somehow is definitely calm and groovy in certain places, but its intention casts a wider net, which I’m sure you’ve felt upon listening. Close listeners get it. This one’s more about exploration than maintenance.
On your track Glitterrr, it felt like there was an especially strong narrative behind the lyrics. Is there a story you can tell us about lines like “Can’t remember the time or season / Lights surrounding, we both lifted in green” and “Wish you could see you glitter / If you could see you the way that I do”?
I love the imagery of UFOs and have since I was a kid. Flying saucer, The Twilight Zone type UFOs. Some of my favourite songs imbue that imagery, whether it be Frank Ocean’s Self Control or Connan Mockasin’s Momo’s where James Blake gently croons, “The way that I looked up to you is like another species went by.” I mean, c’mon dude, that line alone.
With Glitterrr, I explored that idea some more relating to my own experiences; you get lifted by this being’s presence and eventually left to figure it all out yourself, having lost your sense of time and being left with only a few vague memories of what went down.
With Glitterrr, I explored that idea some more relating to my own experiences; you get lifted by this being’s presence and eventually left to figure it all out yourself, having lost your sense of time and being left with only a few vague memories of what went down.
boytoy has a more energetic tempo and distorted guitar section than most of the other tracks. Was that choice because of the feeling you were trying to convey, wanting to mix up the dynamics on the album, or something else?
Every choice made is for the work to be the best it can possibly be. With that intention at the forefront, I try to leave any ‘clever’ decision making at the door since it will usually manifest as an over-conceptualising of the work. When I hear the album in full—boytoy’s desperate frustration arriving after copilot’s soft longing and alienation—it feels like the way my thoughts travel from one tough moment to another.
What was your process for designing the music video of Saturn Returns, and why did you choose black and white?
A large portion of what was shot for that was intended for a longer video project. For whatever reason, I placed Saturn Returns under the video footage one day and it just clicked like, this wasn’t for this other idea, this is for the Saturn Returns video. As far as using black and white, I watch a lot of older movies. I like that it immediately feels surreal and removes you in time a bit.
Is there anything you’ve dreamed of or thought about often that has happened for you in the last year?
Yes! I’m living with my life partner in a place in Los Angeles, the album is coming out the way I dreamt it would, and Somehow Sound [a music-making & sound design solutions company] has been launched. It’s currently providing sound design services for a really exciting project as well as music production services for another beautiful project. There’s plenty. And I’m sure plenty more to come.
Is there a special breakfast you eat on recording days?
Ice and salt only. That’s it. That’s how I stay sweaty and masculine.
Music has been part of your life for a long time. But if you hadn’t started making music, what would you have done instead?
I can’t imagine. Probably just thought about what it might be like to make music.
Does your sound have any visual or other non-auditory inspirations?
Of course. I made a mood board for this record that had some pieces by Christina Valenzuela, Alex Foxton, Lorraine Tady, James Zucco, Dave Van Patten and a few others. I was watching a lot of classics too: The American Friend, Cure, Persona—all-time favourites on Criterion. Also The Midnight Gospel is something I returned to pretty often.
Can you give us a hint about what might be coming next for you?
I don’t know if I’m allowed to give anything away about one of them. What I can say is that there’s a project my Mom and I are working on together that I’m really excited about.