Mensa Deathsquad Reveals Cyclist

Brandon Phillips has revealed a new album Cyclist. Cyclist came to be after literally the most challenging year of his entire life. He was plagued by an illness that was so horrendous that he spent months in the hospital off and on. From January of last year until April, it was a constant back and forth between the hospitals and his home. He admits that the album probably sounds malcontent because he was malcontent, and his emotions went into the music.

With his health issues, the album became an escape. He knew he would have to stay home, but he couldn’t stand to do nothing and watch television. That wasn’t who he was. When the pandemic hit, he told himself he would have to triple down on the album because it simply wasn’t safe for him to leave and be around people with his compromised immunity.

With the massive undertaking to make Cyclist happen, Therapist hit a good songwriting place for him, and he says that he was proud that he had made such a unique song that he liked. Brandon had hit an unusual stride, and as such, it remains in his heart. However, there are other songs on the album that he enjoys because they were obscure, and it followed the sound that he had in his head. Hitting your goals is essential, and he believes that with the album Cyclist, Brandon was able to do that. His new song, Never Enough, was recently released as well.

Working On Cyclist

He did the entire album in the spare bedroom of his apartment and jokes that he was worried he was going to bother his neighbors. He also didn’t want them to hear it because he doesn’t want to feel like someone’s peering over his shoulder while working on something. If he’s alone working on something, he can experiment, but he feels like he wants to stop if he hears someone. Brandon doesn’t like people to listen to him working on something while working on it because he wants to reveal it when finished instead. 

While he was working on Cyclist, he states that his neighbor decided to relearn the clarinet. Brandon laughs as he says that he had a nagging thought in his brain that this was the most elaborate revenge scheme ever because of her having to listen to him working on the album. He stated that it would be advanced level pettiness.

Expect The Unexpected With Cyclist

However, since he finished Cyclist, Brandon says that the question that keeps him up at night is his genre. Brandon says that there isn’t a good answer to that question. Finally,  however, he came up with the thought that he doesn’t care if he has a genre or not, and it’s not for him to say. He says you shouldn’t go into this album expecting one thing because it isn’t one thing. It’s so much of all different kinds of things and can speak to so many different people as a result.

Brandon’s Artistic Process

His artistic process is truly unique to his character and what he believes to be one of his strongest skills. Both unique and individualized, he has a system of ideas in, ideas out. He looks at things and takes them in. He then deconstructs it and ensures that he understands before trying to apply it. Then Brandon will focus on what works and what doesn’t. His final step is to put it through twenty-five iterations to see what works or doesn’t. It’s entirely natural for him at this point, and he can see how it would be beneficial in other aspects of his life.

Brandon is able to find inspiration in the art in the world around him and how music makes him feel. You won’t ever catch him doing an imitation of anyone’s work or what they do. He remembers how the music made him feel and the vibes that come from listening to music. The second thing that he does ensure that his headphones are on, and everyday, he makes a noise.

You can either make a new noise every day or play the same noise so many times your brain takes you somewhere else. It’s an exciting approach to making music that is true to himself. Brandon revealed that he feels it’s about taking the idea and making it real. You keep coming back to it until it has a life, and it breathes.

Playing Again

Knowing that he can’t play anywhere now isn’t keeping him down. When he can play in public again, he says he’d play anywhere. Nothing is off the table for Brandon. He would love the opportunity to do so and go to places and see his favorite restaurants. He wonders how they’ve changed and still have the things he used to like to eat.

Brandon jokes that he misses playing so much that he would play at a Sunglass Hut if he had to. As far as online ways to connect with his fans since they can’t see him in public, he plans to do a live stream show. He’s excited about it and hopes that people will be able to tune in to see it.

Brandon’s Career

He has had many exciting things happen in his life and career. One great example was when he was younger, and he got to play Kenickie from Grease. The roles he wanted to play, however, he never got to. Billy Elliot and other famous parts are among those he wanted to try.

He also feels great about the first episode of Border Wars (which is a comic) in his career. He says it was such a triumphant feeling seeing them all for the first time. This album is also a triumph because it’s the result of one of the most challenging years of his entire life, and he was able to make a record and keep going instead of giving up or stopping. Being so sick made it more grueling, and he was glad that he could make a record through this time.

A Love Of Reading

Brandon is also a huge reader and has a love of the written word. He reads everything from instructional books such as books on singing and vocal production to books about surviving trauma and books on writing. As far as literature goes, he has a giant poetry collection, but he also says he has excellent novels that he enjoys, including history. Classics also find their way on Brandon’s shelf, but he mostly reads the nineteenth century. He jokes that he is a snob when it comes to poetry and laughs about that before saying that he likes a few modern poets. 

One, in particular, is Megan Levad. Her book Why We Live In The Dark Ages is a book that he says is fantastic, hilarious, and poignant. Offering a conversational voice, he says, makes it more relatable. E.E. Cummings is a poet Brandon enjoys as well. Because he mastered the fundamentals, Brandon says it’s an artistic revelation every time he breaks them.

The Future After Cyclist

Though 2021 has just started, he does have hopes for the rest of the year. Brandon will be skateboarding once it warms up enough to do it. He thinks that it will be a nice hobby to try out.  He is also hoping that the shows start up again and some normalcy begins to appear music-wise. It’s hard making plans when it’s still not safe for him, and nothing is opening up just yet, but he has hope that someday we will all be able to rock out together once more.