Montell Fish Is Sticking In His Own Lane

Where are you right now?

Right now I'm at home in what is going to be my studio because I just moved in like a month and a half ago.

Cool. How's New York?

It's been good. I've been living here going on three years and some change. I feel like I found a little bit more of myself since moving here. It's been treating me good. It's really hard sometimes because the winters are really bad. But yeah, it develops you, I think, which is nice.

Yeah Naz, our editor at Monster Children, lives in New York and he always just sends me photos of him in fifteen layers of clothes being like ‘come over,’ and I’m always nah, I think I’m good.

Yeah (laughs).

Also, I just got word that I was doing this interview not long ago so sorry if my questions are random, I’m winging this one.

I'm sorry if my answers aren't good. So, we're in this together.

Well, the first question I have is what was the last song you listened to? Literally the last song you played on your Spotify playlist or whatever you listen to music on?

I have it on my phone. Let me see. ‘The Loving Touch’ by Keith's Mansfield. I was listening to the Ethiopian Jazz Spotify mix and that came on.

Love a bit of jazz. Are you currently reading anything exciting?

Right now I'm reading this book called ‘Psychoanalysis and Religion’ by Eric Fromm. It talks about psychology and religion and basically a man's possible need for religion and the harms of religion. It's super interesting. I’m dabbling in books, reading other stuff but that's the main one that I’m staying focused to.

Wow. That's a that's a heavy book to read.

(Laughs) I guess right now I’m going through a lot of religious life changes. I grew up super Christian and then when I moved to New York and kind of started thinking for myself a little bit. I still like a lot of the Christian models that I was raised up on but there’s some stuff in there that I don't think is for me.

Oh, I didn't mean heavy as in bad by the way. More just when I read books personally, I'm reading books fiction to kind of chill, to escape, you know? Like that’s a heavy book to go and try and dream off the back of (laughs).

Yeah, I get what you mean. I read to find out my deepest, darkest thoughts.

Respect. On the whole religious thing – so many people seem to have really polarised comments about your faith and religious journey. I mean it takes one look at the comments on your Instagram to see the level of criticism you seem to receive about all of that. I’m not religious at all so I find it so strange that people feel the right to comment on something so personal – how do you not let that affect you? Or does it get to you?

I let it affect me and then I try to channel it. I don't try to let it affect me to the point where I need to respond that much. Since I was raised religiously, I know how a lot of their brains are thinking and I can understand it. Even if I don’t believe it, I can see where they are coming from, so it doesn’t get to me on that level to destroy me.

Do you think there's more pressure on artists these days, considering there are just so many social media platforms to exist on?

Yeah, there is pressure but I think humans are built in a way to adapt and work with it. I mean my ADHD brain was made for TikTok. I was already making little snippets of songs all day before it was a thing to make snippets which is why I think I’ve done well on it. I feel as though if you feel comfortable on a certain platform people can see that and they’re more willing to stick around and see what you do.

Gotcha. I know you also make music under DJ Gummy Bear. Why split yourself as a musician over different identities? Other than to be able to do different kinds of music?

I mean yeah, to be able to do other kinds of music is the main thing. It’s a mixture. It’s another part of me experimenting and then it's also another standpoint for fans to hopefully remember another character that was born.

I see. That's cool. What do you do outside of music that keeps you inspired?

That’s a bad question right now because I'm in album mode. It’s dark right now (laughs). But I love walking. I bike a bunch. Usually, I hang out with friends and go to the park but I’m deep in it now.

Fair enough. And did you learn anything special from touring with Daniel Caeser?

Definitely. He has a really nice restraint and reservedness on stage. Like when he moves the mic over here or there, he demands attention just in the way he carries himself. So, I picked up on that. Being able to control the aura of the night. He was watching my set and I do the opposite. I go into full manic, like screaming and being a lot but he said no I need to do more of that, I want to incorporate the wilder side more. So, It was cool for us to both learn something from each other.

And this is my last question, but which record do you think was the first one that really impacted your life?

Damn. Umm, damn, that's hard. I have songs that I can think of top of my head. I mean, I have too many actually. Yeah, that's way hard. I mean, let me try and stick to albums. I was bumping ‘6 Feet Beneath the Moon’ by King Krule a bunch when I was a kid. I’ll say ‘Graduation’ by Kanye. I'll say. ‘Good People / Afterhours’ by Majid Jordan. Yeah, I'll just I'll say those three because those were the songs I was listening to the most when I was fifteen and sixteen. King Krule and his ability to portray like sadder emotions, I’ve always loved. Plus his use of reverb on guitars and his voice. The same with Majid Jordan too. I've always gravitated to people who kind of drown out their voices and love obscurity and make music not to be heard but to be felt.

Make sure to grab tickets to Montell Fish’s ‘Intercession Before Charlotte’ Australia and New Zealand tour this May and June here.