I’m sitting in the basement of the Lodge Co-op, sinking into the rips of a couch, when enters the ethereal Overpade. Immediately there is an electric pulse that zings around the room, and the band excitedly moves to welcome them. Introductions are made, and we venture up the stairs, out of the shadowy basement, stumbling upon a pillow forted living room. Blankets spear the air held up by long tree branches, and a light illuminates the fort from the inside out. We settle down on the squishy pillows littering the floor, getting ready to open the Pandora’s box that is September’s Spirit.
As we settle in, the conversation begins to unfurl, starting off easy with the topic of how his inspiration for this album came to him. September’s Spirit was co-produced by Joseph Wolff ’26, and mainly created within a two week period at Joseph’s family home in Upstate NY. Overpade paints a story of creative fluidity, acceptance and perseverance. While creating art isn’t an easy feat, it can be a transformative experience, which is precisely how he reflects on that period. He emphasizes the idea that even if “it wasn’t them [Wolff & Erick Caridad ’27] pressing keys, it was a mindset shift for me” embracing the collaboration and possibility for different perspectives. This album in specific highlights their period of change and growth within themselves, and that is translated within this. He emphasizes that this album is “to inspire a new generation of people to surpass us and reinvent music,” underlining the importance of community and progress within the music industry. The conversation then rolled into a dismantling of inspiration, instead of looking up to a certain specific person, “I really pull everything I say from the soul, it’s almost magical in a sense. … My soul will narrate the story that my mind was thinking.” Music can translate your innermost thoughts into a force of art.
As the discussion turned technical we dove into the steps of creation: how to turn ideas into tangible sounds. This album echoes the notion that allowing yourself to fall back into simplicity blooms creativity. Overpade hones in on the intention of connecting back to your roots and bridging oneselves from all different walks of life. Originally from Queens, NY and eventually moving to Atlanta, Georgia at 10 years old, Overpade leans on his experiences with cultural change and having to adapt to different lifestyles. After hearing they were from both New York and a state in the south, we excitedly fawned over the shared love/hate relationship we feel for our southern state counterparts (Florida for me, Georgia for him). Growing up, Overpade was surrounded by music; his mom wrote songs for the church choir and in middle school they joined the chorus. From then on, he felt a deep connection to music.
At 14, they really started to focus on their sound. In a constant grind of learning how to create music, how to express yourself, and how to be the most unencumbered ‘you.’ The translation of Overpades’ younger selves, and this new album is especially shown in the song “September’s Temper.” When explaining this song they talk about wanting “that simplicity and going back into the old times” recognizing that your main instrument is what you were created with and what you inherently have. September’s Spirit works to drive the connection between your budding self and who you have turned into now, Overpade highlights this idea that he “wasn’t thinking from the adult mind of restrictions and limitations, I was just playing around” and that’s why he finds solace in this album because it’s a true reflection of himself.
We move outside to the chill of the November NY night, with the grinder moving creakily between their hands, Overpade goes on to explain the three songs that they feel they poured an especially large amount of their soul into. First: ‘Resurrect.’ This song took an entire year to write, constantly rewriting it to sound exactly the way they envisioned it. The song deals with “reclaiming yourself after someone or trampled your territory.” To this quote, there were a chorus of agreements from those starting to listen in on our conversation. Overpade has a way of doing that: They talk like art and it captures everyone else’s attention. The second song, ‘Speedway,’ is actually about Overpade meeting Ray (his partner) and him coming into himself, eventually realizing who he truly wants to be. Overpade also spotlights those he worked with instrumentally and how much they helped bring life to a one dimensional idea. The third, my personal favorite, is ‘Stampede’: a testament to how they want to be viewed. Taking up space, taking opportunities, and making a forcible impact on the spaces they occupy.
As the light flickered on the joint, music called to us from the booming door and our conversation began to come to a close. I asked what is one thing you want everyone to take away from your album, to which they respond, “Three things.”
“One, be at peace with yourself, appreciate what you have inherently and instead of trying to change what you do inherently, try to utilize it. Number two, find people who resonate with you, you’re not going to do this alone. … Genuine love is how you enjoy life. Third is trusting the universe. … You can’t see the steps until you’re right in front of them so just keep walking.” By the end of his monologue, he had curated a small crowd of partygoers enamored by his soulful voice. The aura of perseverance and creativity was palpable because that is what Overpade creates.
Eve Riskind is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].