“I’m just trying to create an inspiring environment but other than that it’s about the same,” he says of the difference between Cali and his native South Carolina. The creative environment seems very much an important factor for Bundick and his recording process. The physical location isn’t important to the process but getting to travel to different places sparks ideas, he explains. “I get really inspired when I come back from somewhere, I get excited. When I’m out on tour I’m always looking for inspiration, experiencing as much as I can and comparing when I come home.”
Evolution is very much key, as Bundick looks for new ways to express himself. “It’s more about trying to figure out what’s next for me, like where would I go next in my career. I think about that a lot of the time, I try not to be too serious but it’s a business now unfortunately. You have to be aware of what you’re gonna do next.” Having the freedom to explore, without record label constraints is a plus for a project like Toro Y Moi. “[Politics] don’t affect me at all creatively. We’re with Carpark, which is basically one guy. Every once in a while he’ll be like ‘maybe this song should be the single’. I’m always open to input but I have full creative freedom.” For many of the most acclaimed acts independent is the way to go, as a reliance on the major system decreases. “It’s not really necessary to have a major label contract. You can do a lot on your own with [live] shows and the internet. It’s not necessary to have that major label advance to get by.” Always a DIY artist, Bundick got his start by recording from home. “I still create at home, I did the last record [Underneath The Pine] at home. The only difference is I have people to mix it.” In the early days he amassed a large collection of tracks, however things have changed for him musically and creatively. “The recordings don’t sound like what I’m doing now. A lot of that has to do with wanting to evolve and get away from I’ve already been doing.”
In the span of one year, from 2010’s Causers Of This and 2011’s Underneath The Pine, Toro Y Moi has seen his popularity grow while creatively he transitioned from a more loungy electronic style to more up-tempo, soul and funk-infused efforts. Bundick sees his latest effort as the continuation and evolution of his songwriting. “After Causers Of This I started exploring more hip hop elements and now I’ve found myself going more to where hip hop evolved from, like funk and R&B. So now I find my music going back in time. I find my music fitting in more with the R&B genre because I really have a strong connection to that style of music and that era of music. I think if you look back to music from the ‘70s that’s where it’s all evolved from now.”
While it may sound like a deliberate effort, for Bundick, it was a natural process. “It was more subconscious. When you look at what I was sampling on Causers Of This that really influenced my approach now.” Much like the pioneering DJs of hip hop it was the groove-based music of the past that greatly inspired him. “I found a way to connect everything and I felt like I was experiencing it firsthand. It’s like the opposite direction, going from electronic to live instruments. It’s been cool to have everything evolve to what it is now.” Ever the prolific artist, he’s now looking towards his next project. While he couldn’t impart many details fans can expect further exploration of his influences. “I don’t know when it’s gonna come out and when I’m gonna be finished with it but I’ve got a couple of ideas I’ve been working with. I do a little something and see where it goes then I come back to it the next day. II want to make the album different from the first two. I want it to come naturally as opposed to knowing when it needs to be done by.”
Bundick will be bringing the Toro Y Moi live experience back to our shores this January and February, as part of the stacked Laneway Festival lineup and on his own sideshows with the aforementioned Washed Out. “It’s definitely one of my favourite places to go,” he says of Australia. Accompanied by his live band they will be putting a live touch on his catalogue. “We’re pretty faithful to the recordings on Underneath The Pine, but as far as Causers Of This it’s hard to replicate that sound so when we’re playing that it brings out the songwriting more than the production.”
