Field Medic Interview

Rapid-fire Questions

1. What have you been listening to lately?

I’ve been listening to mostly Bladee exclusively. All of his releases speak to me.

2. What rapper would you like to collaborate with?

It’d be fun to collab with Bladee. I’d be down to collab with a lot of rappers though… I’ve always dreamed of having one of my songs sampled as the chorus of an insane banger. I think p e g a s u s t h o t z would work well for that.

3. Tell Derick I say hi.

He’s at whole foods getting Yerba Mate, but I’m sure if he was here he’d say “Hi” back!

4. If you had to start a band with any former US president, who would you choose?

Teddy Roosevelt seems like a gnarly guy… The way he got shot during a speech & kept going. I’d like to start a metal band with him.

5. I’ve been thinking about quitting this site. Give me a good reason why I SHOULD quit

I don’t think you should quit… I think we’re often tempted to walk away from the things we love the most because it’s not always easy. I believe in you.

6. What are you currently most excited about?

I’m excited for shows to commence once more… I’m hoping I have abs by then, as well as a tattoo on my stomach. I want to walk around shirtless all the time.

7. If you could time travel back to any year and change one minor thing, what year would you travel to and what would you change?

Too many things to change… I’m going to try & follow Dylan’s advice here & say DON’T LOOK BACK.

8. What is the worst piece of advice that you can give my friend Erin?

Erin if you are growing a mullet or have one CUT IT off. This is bad advice… I did that once & only just regained my power. Please don’t cut it, Erin.

9. On a scale of 1-10 how much do you regret agreeing to do this interview?

I don’t regret it one bit.

10. Would you ever consider doing a Daniel Johnston cover?

Yes I would… & I’ve even considered it. It would probably be “Grievances”

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(Photo by Jason Lin)

Isaac Gutierrez For Born Loser Mag: The last time we spoke was back in 2017. That’s crazy. You’re one of the first people that I ever interviewed! What have you been up to in those 3 years?

Field Medic: I was touring a lot a lot in 2017-2018… Then I did an insanely tour in 2019. Then began this year on a tour with my best friends Beach Bunny before the world got punched out. So, a lot of touring… Recording too. Trying & failing to get sober over & over again. Getting tats…

You know what? That’s entirely not true. The last time we spoke was when you were on tour with Indigo De Souza and Beach Bunny. I did an interview with Indigo in the greenroom of Club Dada and you introduced yourself and I was so nervous that I almost threw up.

Oh my god… That was you! Wow that’s so funny. I wish I’d known… Maybe you said so at the time. It was a blessed interview to witness. Nice to meet you.

You released your album Floral Prince earlier this year. How does it feel to have that out in the world for everyone to listen to?

It feels pretty good… I had been bouncing those songs around for a long time & when I finally found out how to fit them all together I was really happy. Relieved… All that stuff. I’m proud of the album & I’m really happy that the listeners seem to enjoy it. Every new release comes with it’s own special anxiety.

I read that you’re a big believer in capturing the moment when it comes to recording. I read that you recorded it ‘s so lonely being sober and tried to re-record it, but ended up keeping the first take because it felt the most authentic and honest. How important is that feeling of genuineness to you?

It’s the number one priority in my music. I listen for the feeling, not the notes or the rhythm. That’s why almost all of my songs are recorded live in 3 takes or less… usually right when I’ve finished writing them. I need to be discovering the song while I record it. I want to be in it too.

Is it difficult or exhausting to be so honest in songwriting?

I think it’s neither of those things, It comes easy. It’s not always fun, but it’s just the truth, so it’s relatively easy to access if I’m willing to go to those places in my head/memories.

I think that the idea of alter egos or having a persona in music is very interesting. Would you consider Field Medic an alter ego?

(Photo by Jason Lin)

I think of Field Medic as a superhero version of myself. It’s very much me, but there’s the little mask of the moniker. When I’m being Field Medic I have to be on top of stuff too. Kevin is the one who’s relapsing & fucking up his own life… All the while Field Medic is the Floral Prince… He’s gonna go to a session & help somebody write a song. Does that make sense? Superhero.

When you’re writing songs, do you write as Kevin or as Field Medic? Is there a difference, or are the lines pretty blurred?

The songs are just me. Because Field Medic is just me.

What would you say are the most important things to you when it comes to creating a song?

Just tell the truth. Try to make it poetic & interesting if it can be, but if that’s not possible just say it how it is. A little humor is nice in there too for a brief respite from the often dark subject matter. Also having fun while making music or writing the song is paramount. Enjoying the process. Really being with the song while it’s coming through you.

Do you have a favorite song off of the album?

I kind of like them all in their own way.

My personal favorite song off of the album is it’s so lonely being sober. What is the story

behind that song?

I was just biking around one day & wrote the whole thing in my head. I recorded it in one take as a voice memo on my phone right when I got home. I thought it was interesting that I was taking all the right steps to try & improve my life & get better, but I was more isolated than ever. It’s so lonely being sober… Being alive actually. It’s true.

How do you decide what songs make it on an album?

A lot of the songs I leaked on youtube a year or so ago. I write so many songs sometimes I can’t tell what song is self serving as a journal entry for me vs. a song that might have meaning to somebody else. So I got into the habit of leaking songs on youtube to see what sticks. This process was significant with “it’s so lonely being sober” & “I will not mourn who i was…” I wasn’t sure if those songs were just for me. The other ones I just sort of knew, I guess. The album went through so many different iterations before I came across the right track listing. It’s still mystifying to me, because I have a really hard time with that.

What happens to the songs that don’t make the cut?

Floral Prince 2

(Photo by Jason Lin)

Do you miss touring at all, or are you enjoying time off the road?

I do miss it… I realized after being in this pandemic for so long that touring was a substantial anchor point of my identity. The longer I sit at home & do nothing the more I start to wonder if I’m a musician or just some guy that sits around the house. It was nice in the past because every time I wasn’t on a tour, I’d be “training” for the next one. Getting a certain amount of recording done, trying to exercise, practicing, etc in that window of time I had before I had to go back out. Playing shows on the road is also really validating. I think being a creative person can be extremely lonely & pursuing it as a career can be a lot of lonesome introspection. When you play a show in some far off place though, & somebody knows all the words to your song & let’s you know how it helped them, you really get that “This is why I do it” feeling. It’s a good reminder.

3 years ago I asked you what success looks like to you.

Has your view of “Success” changed since then, or has it pretty much stayed the same?

Wow that made me smile so much… I’m in my very own bedroom right now filling out this interview. Thank you for reminding me of that. I think it’s pretty much the same. There’s always higher to go of course, but I feel really happy with where I am currently. I’m so grateful to the people who give my music a chance & allow me to keep creating songs for a living.

What can we expect to see/hear from Field Medic in the near future?

A couple more remixes & the bonus track from “Floral Prince”. Then the cassette only EP “plunge deep golden knife” will come to streaming… Then Floral Prince 2.