Pepper Lewis has been on our radar for awhile, and we are hoping she’s on yours! But fear not, if you haven’t done yourself the favor of diving into the world of Pepper Lewis, her newest track ‘Fabio’ is sure to be your gateway! As we talk about in this interview, ‘Fabio,’ to us, feels stripped straight from a 2000s chick flick in the absolute best way.
We picked Pepper’s brain about everything, from musical inspirations to music videos and working with Teddy Geiger. This is an interview you’re not going to want to miss!
Stream ‘Fabio’ here!
Obviously, we want to talk about all things ‘Fabio!’ Where did the idea for the track stem from?
I love ‘Fabio!’ The idea for the song came from a bad date I went on with a guy that had long hair, like the model Fabio, and he kept flicking it back in a very affected way. He made it clear throughout the date that he was just being nice to me because he wanted to sleep with me.
The music video for ‘Fabio’ is out now, can you tell us what the process of bringing the track to life was like? How long was the process?
I made the video around the idea of a guy that had a bunch of tattoos of different girl’s names crossed out and him showing me a tattoo of my name in parenthesis. My videographer suggested that we use a blow-up doll as our actor because we couldn’t find any reliable men to show up on time for the shoot, and as the subject, I’m singing about is a hollow person, like a balloon.
Speaking of the music video, we know you directed it! Do you think having experience as the artist with a personal tie to the project helped when directing?
Yes, absolutely!! I also think sprinkling in elements of comic relief helped uplift the shoot, and my genuine joy from shooting the video contributed to the quality of the performance. I’m lucky to have collaborators like Christina Hogan and Brooke Bevers that were able to help translate ideas that I’ve been trying to articulate for years onto a screen.
You worked with Teddy Geiger on ‘Fabio!’ What has that creative partnership been like?
I’m so lucky to have her in my life. She’s such an amazing friend and, because of that, it’s really easy for us to understand what we are trying to do sonically. We speak the same language, if that makes sense.
What are you hoping anyone who listens takes from ‘Fabio’?
That being played by someone using you for your body is not a “you problem.” It has to do with the other person’s insecurities.
TikTok has been a huge platform for you! What do you think it is about the app that makes for the perfect place for creatives to find their audience?
My friend Rory compared it to having a talk show on your own terms and pointed out how when we as stans want to connect more with an artist, we turn to videos of them in interviews, on talk shows, and to compilations of their funniest moments, to feel as closest as we can to our favorites. I think it’s a great analogy.
When you look back at ‘Planetarium’ and compare the artist you were then to the artist you are now, what are the biggest differences?
I learned so much about how to write songs from my audience’s feedback that I couldn’t have learned unless I had released all the songs leading up to ‘Fabio!’
After listening to ‘Fabio,’ we feel like it would work perfectly on the soundtrack to a chick flick after a girl goes on a bad date. If you had to place the track on a soundtrack that already exists, which would that be?
OMGGGG YAASSS. Hmm. Grey Gardens. Just kidding. Maybe Mystic Pizza or Pretty Woman? I love Julia Roberts.
We know songwriting is such an important part of creating for you, is there anyone you take influence from?
Amy Winehouse once said that, like a laugh, a song can’t just be one thing. Nothing is just sad, there’s always some kind of punchline to make it all make sense.
With only a few months left in 2022, what is the rest of the year looking like for you?
WORKING ON MY NEXT SINGLE WITH TEDDY GEIGER AND JACK LABOZ! WOOO HOOOO!
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We would love to hear from you! What do you think of our conversation with Pepper Lewis? Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook and Instagram!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PEPPER LEWIS:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER
