While currently making the press rounds for the critically acclaimed book 100 Boyfriends — Oakland author, artist, musician, dancer, provocateur Brontez Purnell reached out to Week in Pop to discuss the also critically lauded recent debut solo release. Audaciously and pointedly titled White Boy Music, the EP takes back the antiquated arts of electric idolatry ripped off by blue-eyed hip shaking milquetoast grifters from their POC counterparts and reclaims the styles of misfit mods, rebel pack leaders and patented black leather-kitted rockers. A succinct three song cycle that serves as a taster before an upcoming solo LP, along with a new Younger Lovers record; Brontez smashes up the white cis het normative hierarchal patriarchy with a blazing anarchic energy of two-stroke oil syrup and gasoline mixed gusto.

Brontez’s own creative oeuvre spins the colonial pop art construct on its head. The Oakland by way of Alabama artist took the Gravy Train!!!! electro-clash neon disco steez to places of performance shamble punk theatrics with irreverent pizazz, becoming immortalized internationally as the leader of the East Bay outfit Younger Lovers, a renowned author, zine magnate, dance iconoclast and known according to some sources as Oakland’s protective, tenured and designated daddy. And just as Purnell has been universally celebrated as a dynamic and original writer, Purnell’s solo EP is a refreshing revision of grungy glam retribution and correction that arrives with an endorsement from journalist/academic/DIY cult artist Everett True [aka Jerry Thackray, aka The Legend!, etc.]. The Anglo Saxon advents that comprise the tired pageantry of placing white privileged frat bros in tailored mod fit attire are turned inside out as Brontez disrupts the boring white-washed histories with a proper pop redressing that rocks with an unabashed beautiful and blunt queer, black and bombastic sex positive sense of presence/identity/self.

White Boy Music opens up with the peppy lead single “Forgive Me Philip” that bops with a catchy council house hop fused with suburban garage geared chords. Brontez tackles the antiquated half a century plus obsession with pale boy bands in an anthem of ambivalence, ennui and awkward amorous attachments aplenty. The ancient alabaster altars and pagan temples of graven dinosaur rock worship are leveled by Purnell’s astute underground pop prowess that knocks the foundation out from the sects and sanctuaries devoted to sacred cult caucasian cows with skilled DIY turbines of whirling/wailing guitars, cascading keys, howling and harmonizing harmonica with tight hip strutting, lip biting rhythms. A prelude of liberating sounds of self-actualization and cultural comeuppance to come on the forthcoming full-length; Brontez Purnell has been developing a radically evolving style, presence, voice, consciousness and aesthetics that we want in all of tomorrow’s venues, dives, concert halls, stages, communities and all future scenes in a safely re-opened/re-imagined new world. The crown and throne of college radio industry-propped up heroes are usurped by their rightful ruler, as Purnell keeps the mood lively with their own trademark energetic and humanist approaches. The tenets of dissociative wisdom are heard rollicking like a late 20th century post-punk rocker in the inclusive request of politely declined exclusion, “Leave Me Out of This”, right before updating Beat Happening’s 1988 chestnut “In Between” with stripped down electric guitar, piano and wistfully flighty violin strings. The three song EP, albeit brief, highlights the ways in which some of today’s most talented polymaths are creatively rebuilding craft mediums with a higher consciousness of enlightenment and expanding a worldwide culture of inclusivity and epistemological truths.

We caught up with Brontez Purnell about the artist’s debut solo release White Boy Music:

Being that your EP covers Beat Happening's "In Between" — tell us about some of the other o.g. indie garage artists that further inspired this EP.

Well honestly this was more my take on like, white boy fake mod modalites. I was watching this Style Council video of them like pretending to be these soul/jazz singer dudes- complete with like the ornamentary Black female back up singers and it like sparked my interest for whatever morbid reason. The white boys in England were literally the PROVEYERS of this shit. Its always this weird mix of adult contemporary easy radio listening, drip feed on like these VERY VERY slight whispers of Motown. In this pantheon, sits, Elvis Costello, again, The Style Council, Wham and later on its like Stereo MC's, etc. — but you get it right? Like who did Mid-Century better than Motown and the Brits? LITERALLY NO ONE. I was like this was a whole ass thing — so then I was like can I rip off white boys who are (in a very lazy way) minimally ripping off black people? The answer is yes of course, but who would care? Because the world is [sniff, sniff] EXTREMELY UNFAIR, a white soul singer or white rapper will always get this pat on the back for having soul — a black person playing what is deemed white boy music will be EPICALLY ignored. I throw up in my mouth every time I google the net worth of every entry level white rapper boy and how any given one of thems net worth is exponentially more Leon Bridges. no like, BAAAAAAAAARF. That said, I literally have too much grunge damage to pull off the whole English mod thing so in the end my white boy fake mod record still ends of sounding like Weezer, but fuck it, what can you do? But also if you’re asking what I was listening too during the making of this record, it was: The Commitments soundtrack, Beat Happening, The Gories, early Bratmobile, Comet Gain, Jane Bond and the Undercovermen, Amy Winehouse, The Pill, etc.

Tell us about some contemporary white boys who are making music that you are infatuated with and inspired by right now.

When I look at this question all I can think of is the back catalog of like, turly fucking worthless white boys in bands I fucked 10 years ago and am, like, almost too triggered to answer this question, but I digress. NOW, I have a really fucked up stalker-y obsession with Aaron Frazer right now. I told myself after Amy Winehouse died NO MORE WHITE SOUL SINGERS — its always an abusive relationship and they're always gonna leave you for white boy in the end. Its all lose lose. Just as I make this declaration, here comes Aaron Frazer barreling towards me in some vintage car, for the sole purpose of permanently warping the fuck out of my orbit. My big question is is he actually gay or does he just sing in falsetto? Also like, who the fuck wouldn't FLIP over a Jewish — wait, is he Jewish?! He, like, seems Jewish- right? — JAZZ DRUMMER, Brooklyn boyfriend? Us as husbands makes like SO MUCH SENSE. I could like see us showing up the the Grammys together and like I’m wearing a dashiki and he’s wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt and we are accompanied by our adopted Vietnamese and Ugandan children respectfully. Also he’s like super pretty and usually pretty boys don’t know how to fuck — but because he's talented I’ll totally allow it.

[there is a pause in our epistolary exchange as Brontez further reflects]

Actually now that I pontificate more on the hypothetical romance/marriage of me and Aaron Frazer there are simply other truths that I have to confront. Given the confines of the world and being that I’m am very very very unambiguously BLACK there is literally NO WAY for me to show up anywhere in any romantic scenario with a really really clean cut white boy and have that shit read as anything other than self-hatred. I feel like Aaron Frazer would have our entire fucking house all decked out in like Jim Crow era Americana and I would like, feel like a prisoner in my own house. Like there’s NO WAY he wouldn't be footing the bill, so basically I would have to go along with him putting up YET ANOTHER Smokey Robinson poster because my career as a punk musician can cover the weekly nut milk budget, but honestly that’s about it.

My hypothetical marriage to Aaron Frazer is now feeling like some form of nightmare. And its probably all my fault! As someone who has totally been held hostage by white dick before, I should just shut the fuck up and go along with it but also I say all that to say this — the only white boys who have ever loved me back romantically have all been like mentally abusive drug addicts who more often than not boasted trust funds. Aaron Frazer feels like a step up from that in that he like attends BLM protests and wears impeccable vintage clothing like ALL THE TIME — but at the end of the day — there's no real way to have a perfect white boyfriend without somewhere underneath like, wanting to destroy him? That said, making white boy music was my attempt to exorcise the white boy in myself.

Interested in hearing about music made by BIPOC, non-binary LGBTQ+ that currently has your attention right now.

I only know the same ho's we been talking about FOOOOOOOREVER. That said most of the queers of color I know who were musicians all switched to visual art because outside some lip service, no one really backs queers of color who make indie music. Its bleak and my whole music career is based in a void, but GODDAMN if I dont wear it well.

The challenges of making a solo record that wasn't a Younger Lovers or part of another act.

The Younger Lovers is my tough boy band. I wanted the solo stuff to be pretty. Its hard to reconcile these two parts of my (inherently) punk soul.

Insights on the liberating freedom of creative solo outings.

Liberating! HA! Its still a bunch of people telling you what to do ultimately.

Music and movements happening in 2021 that you are excited about.

I’m afraid to say something optimistic out of fear that it will be ripped away from me like the last couple of years before.

Things the music and art scenes need more of.

Personally, I want more money. I cant speak for these other bitches.

Things that the music and art scenes need less of.

Performative ally-ship.

Things we can do as artists and appreciators to make our communities better, safer and more inclusive.

Look in the mirror EVERYDAY and repeat to yourself I AM DEFINITELY PART OF THE PROBLEM. Or at the very least, that's what I say to myself when I look in the mirror everyday...

Insights on future solo projects, collaborations and the like.

The next Younger Lovers disc and the upcoming Brontez Purnell solo LP is being produced by Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

Brontez Purnell's debut solo release White Boy Music is available now via Post Present Medium.