Sloppy Joel is an avant garde musician, filemaker, and artist. His latest release is Last Place Champion which highlights his signature mix of experimental/post-punk beats, psychedelic sounds, and beat poetry. We also are stoked to premier his music video for "Wonderbread" below!! Read on for an interview with Joel where we discuss his music, the Detroit scene, filming, and more. Enjoy!!
Can you tell us about yourself and how you got started in music.
sure, my names Joel. I look at art and music as a tool to freely express myself when I run out of words and answers for problems going on in life. I started making art at an early age by drawing then later got into making videos on YouTube when I was like 10. I was never that good at either haha. I was so into guitar hero I took lessons from a friend who taught me smoke on the water when I was like 12. This side of me then felt repressed by a lack of other artists around me and trying too hard to be hip. By 17, I was inspired again after seeing live and meeting Mac demarco and diiv in the same year at the magic stick in Detroit. Around this time I started to stay up all night painting. I looked at this time as a rebirth and self actualizing who I really am. Shortly after this I got a guitar and started taking acid and zoning out in the dark for hours jamming. I dropped out of the art school in Detroit (ccs) when I was 18 to focus on music. From there I started my first band (dos purple dice) with a friend from highschool and we played some gigs around hamtown/Detroit in 2017. From there I’ve made a lot more solo music and started 2 other bands (thee abominable catz & grrrrgoyles)
What's your process for making a song?
I usually start with the beat. Most of the time I use something from either an old Casio keyboard or a drum machine and run it through a delay pedal to make it sound wonky. After this I try to get something rhythmic together usually by laying down a keyboard riff live or looping one. After that I put in a lead guitar , another keyboard or both. Sometimes I’ll use old things I’ve written in my notes for lyrics or just wing it with what feels like the song needs. I’m always trying to record individual tracks differently so sometimes I’ll use a karaoke tape deck, a 4 track, or direct in to the computer via audio interface.
What's your live performance experience like? Any favorite shows/gigs you've performed at?
Solo it’s pretty new to me still. I’ve been mostly singing as sloppy Joel but I’d like to play guitar too in the future and use drum loops. The abominable catz have never played a live show. dos purple dice played New Years twice at the new dodge, the first time we were so stoned off abunch of edibles and smoking blunts in the car that we missed the set time and didn’t play til 2:30 am lol. my favorite was getting to play the underground venue/record store in corktown off Bagley street that’s not there anymore (hybrid moments). We played with a band from NYC, and my friend Rick Salomon from the band Torus Eyes. We started our set by lighting up a blunt on stage too.. definitely #1, and was my first show.
What are your favorite venues in Detroit?
The ones you can smoke pot in! In all seriousness there’s acouple fs. I’ve seen abunch of shows at majestic theatre which you can definitely toke in so that’s up there on the list. Ive seen probably the most shows there. PJS, ufo, trumbullplex are all sweet. El club is cool too, seen a lot of sick artists there in a short span of time before the pandemic. I wish delux flux still did punk shows but they’ve been on the rave tip since coming back after the pandemic. In Hamtramck tho, outer limits is definitely my favorite.
How'd Thee Abominable Catz form? Is the band working on anything new?
Jake from dos purple dice actually drunkenly hit on Owen catz then girlfriend! It was at an art show I was part of at the tangent gallery. Jake had gotten pretty drunk before and was on a tear which got Owens attention, luckily Owen and Bella were poly so no harm no foul but then he looked at my art and bought a painting. Sometime after that we met up at his house at 7 and Woodward to jam and have been connected ever since. After our first 2 projects (kitties first yowl and the fighter jet down ep) we recorded a song called “arm your children” with nothing but vocals and drums .. then one day I was hanging out with Austin who I’ve known since highschool and asked him if he had any guitar riffs for it. He recorded the part and it became one of our favorite tracks so we asked him to be part of the band permanently. Then we came out with (tales of the mange and deranged, spills in the lab). We’ve been on multiple hiatuses due to all of us being so busy and drained with other things but we’ve been recording and jamming again recently with hopes to play a show soon.
You're also active on youtube, whether that's making music videos, filming live gigs, or interviewing musicians. What makes a good youtube video?
Good art makes the YouTube videos.. I wouldn’t have made the live videos if it wasnt for the bands I’ve recorded who produce sick music.. its a curation, but if any of those bands are reading this I wanna say thank you for throwing it down on VHS tape! You inspire me everyday and I love rewatching the shows, it’s really all for me. I’m a sentimental person. Putting them up on YouTube seems like one of the best ways to preserve them.
What would your advice be to someone who wants to get involved in music/art?
Just do it. Don’t overthink it. Listen to your heart. Don’t listen to anyone who says it’s hard or you won’t make any money. If you’re in it for easy money then you don’t belong.
How do you feel about the future of music and art?
I feel good about it. Mostly about Detroit, I love being here now. I think everyone will be talking about what was going on here in 50 years. Hamtramck is the new mecca.