Name: Pedro Philip Monzón aka Pete Philly
Occupation: Vocalist, songwriter
Nationality: Dutch
Recent release: The new Pete Philly & Perquisite album EON is out via Unexpected. Catch Pete Philly & Perquisite live in London on 30th May at Camden Assembly. Tickets here.
Recommendations: The Drama Of The Gifted Child – Allice Miller; Thieves In The Night – Blackstar.

If you enjoyed this interview with Pete Philly of Pete Philly & Perquisite and would like to stay up to date with the band and their music, visit their official homepage. Pete is also on Instagram, and Facebook.

For a deeper dive, we recommend our Perq of Pete Philly & Perquisite interview.
 


Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry? How and when did you start writing?

I naturally started improvising to existing songs from very early on, maybe 7 years old.

From that moment on, I started “writing” or rather freestyling songs.

It is sometimes said that “music begins where words end.” What do you make of that?

Music is a language that doesn’t require a literal vocabulary, merely a central nervous system.

Some chords are always true, no matter what the lyrics say.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

Hearing what my spirit actually wants through the lyrics that come through.

What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics? What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

Michael Jackson, Arrested Development, Lyricist Lounge, to name a couple.

What moves me is authentic urgency. I need to FEEL what you’re trying to say. The intention is more important that the actual content sometimes.

I have always considered many forms of music to be a form of poetry as well. Where do you personally see similarities? What can music express which may be out of reach for poetry?

Music and poetry are both conduits to a place and a feeling, a moment, a vision. The difference between the two artforms in my opinion is:

Poetry reaches the heart through the cerebral and music reaches the mind through the heart.

The relationship between words and music has always intrigued me. How do you see it?

The words can uplift or downplay the chords and vice versa.

Words and music, when marinated right make for a lasting impact.

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your lyrics?

Personally, I have no requirements for me to have a song enter my mind. It’s one of the few things in my life that always seems to flow.

When working on music, when do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

Lyrics come whenever the muse shows up. If it is on top of an existing musical idea in the studio, the first line shows up and I watch myself write from there.

I’m as much an observer of the process as I am the producer of it.

Do you feel like the music triggers specific words inside you? Or is more of a feeling or a memory? Would you say there is instantly an entire idea in front of you or does the story grow as you keep listening to the music?

The story always unfolds. I never know what’s about to happen as the writing starts.

More generally, in how far can music take you to places with your writing you would possibly not have visited without it?

The chords inform the direction and the lyrics so I’d say a 100% of the time.

If my writing comes from a poetic or comedic place I alone decide the content. But with music the music always decides.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

It’s only happened a handful of times that I’ve sung someone else’s songs. There’s somewhat of a liberation in that because I just get to be a vocalist and a performer. It’s also nice having some distance from the lyrics since most of my lyrics are deeply personal.

As far as vocal performance goes, it absolutely matters. For example I’m only able to sing on key if I mean it, if it comes from spirit. It’s the only way I know how to sing.

In how far are you consciously aware of the meaning of the lyrics you're writing during the creative process? Do you need to have a concrete concept or can the words take the lead?

The words take the lead. It’s a puzzle. I watch myself write the verse then maybe a quick editing process to finetune.

I’ve met very little other writers who write as quickly or honestly as I do. This could be to my detriment as much as to my benefit, but it simply is what it is.

What is the value of song lyrics or hip hop bars outside of the music?

Perspective.

In my life, I’ve found only one other medium that is as effective in convincingly conveying authentic perspective as Hip Hop, which is comedy. Both speak through set ups and punchlines. There’s something snappy and honest about that.

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your lyrics-writing skills?

I think so. As someone from the Caribbean, rhythm and melody came way before any linguistics.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of poetry is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

There’s an urgency to performance that other artistic endeavours simply cannot attain or even aspire to.

That is not to diminish their impact, but to become the instrument yourself is always going to be more impactful.