Today we speak to heavy rock dance artist Vulgarithm who shares his love of mixing genres and creating melodies in his car.
Artist’s Name: Vulgarithm (Andy “Dirt” McGurk)
Genre: A hybrid of heavy rock and dance
Founded: November 2019
Originated From: Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, UK
Discography: Share if you agree (EP, 2019) & Share if you disagree (EP, 2020)
How would you describe your music?
Vulgarithm is taking the musical ideas of 90s EDM and putting big fat riffs on top of them. Nothing is off limits.
What is your musical creative process like?
The music comes first, whether that is jamming out riffs on the guitar or playing with sounds on a synth, that plays a big part.
I record a demo, play it in the car and sing some melodies over the top. Once that is done, I can focus on lyrics.
How did you start out as a musician?
The idea came about when I attended a new festival called Bluedot Festival. I had mainly wrote music in hard rock bands and also had a previous solo project that was going stale.
This new festival included the likes of Leftfield, Underworld, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers, creating wonderful visual displays, and that inspired me to create the visuals that appear in Vulgarithm.
How did you come up with your stage name?
It appeared in my head from nowhere, but it sums up the music perfectly. The vulgarity, the rhythmical importance and the algorithms that put it all together.
Who influenced you within the music industry?
My main influences are anything that Trent Reznor and Maynard James Keenan do.
They can create music in any genre of music, to have that versatility I think is really important.
Have you performed live much and what was your favourite gig to play at?
Not as Vulgarithm, as that has only existed during the global pandemic unfortunately, but I’ve had many enjoyable gigs.
Any gig where there is a crowd having fun is always my favourite gigs.
What is the best thing about being a musician?
Playing music, as simple as that really. If the songs are good, and we’re all playing them correctly, then I’m in the zone.
What’s the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome so far as a musician?
I’m very bad at selling my product. Not that I don’t believe in what I do, but I don’t always communicate well to convince people this is a good thing.
Whether that is sharing music online or encouraging them to attend gigs. I have A LOT of music online with other projects and not many people know.
What plans have you got coming up this year?
Finish the final EP to complete a trilogy, then hopefully gigs are back to normal and I can share this gift to the outside world.
What is your ultimate dream as a musician?
To live off what I am very good at doing. I love my current job, which is teaching the guitar, but playing your own songs for people is the best.
You can find out more about Vulgarithm by following him on Facebook, Twitter and BandCamp.
If you’re in a band or a musician and would like to appear on this blog, please contact me and I’ll forward you an interview template.
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