Jonathan Chiu creates music under the name of Choo, and his latest bedroom pop single Who Cares? is one that we’ve thoroughly enjoyed. His sound is very relaxing and carries naturally, driven by a drum loop, jazz-influenced guitar, synths that help fill the soundscape, and vocals that act as texture. Jonathan records in his small New York City apartment, building songs in his downtime. Choo mixes in movie clips and samples that help express the vibe of the song, and it works really well.
Puddlegum interviewed Choo earlier this month, and we discussed his creative process. (Since the interview, Jonathan has joined the Puddlegum team as a curator. We’re very grateful for his contributions!) He shared his thoughts behind Who Cares?, and you’ll find it to be quite relevant to the uncertainty we’re all living in.
“At its core it tries to capture the wild swings in rumination and irrational self-blame that can happen after a traumatic or painful event, and tries to capture the journey towards acceptance, the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. There are sub-themes baked in as well that explore feeling ‘abnormal,’ betrayal of trust, being used, etc, though ultimately a reminder and urging for people to be kinder to themselves when these things happen (and in general).”
Jonathan Chiu (Puddlegum)
We’re happy to share Who Cares? as our seventh Puddlegum.tapes installment. I’m quite confident you’ll enjoy this gem.
Choo links:
