POPPY // “I Don’t Close Myself To Any Possibilities Of Things Coming Into My Ether”

Sonic sorceress Poppy has added lashings of spellbinding sonic magic to 2023 with the release of her brand new album Zig; a swooning yet razor-sharp follow on from her previous albums Flux and I Disagree.

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From the second that Church Outfit kicks off on Zig, it’s clear that we are in for an enthralling and extremely nuanced ride, with Poppy herself also drawing on inspiration from Blondie, Talking Heads and beyond to forge into her already eclectic creative palette. And while Poppy is never lost for complete awareness when it comes to crafting her heavy yet glossy creations, she still finds time to surprise herself after over a decade and five studio albums to date, as she recently revealed to HysteriaMag.com. 

“I did,” says Poppy of whether she had a firm idea in place about what she wanted the end result of Zig to be. “But it always ends up being very different from what you hear in the end. But I knew I wanted to make a record I could dance to. I knew I wanted to have a more glossy production, and I knew it would be much different from my other albums that have been released thus far.”

An artist who has consistently defied genre pigeonholing, Poppy flexes her staggering creative dexterity once again on Zig, with everything from screams to shimmering darkness and candy-coated moments, while also detailing Poppy’s own professional and creative journey along the way. And embracing genuine self exploration alongside hues of pop, metal, rock, and industrial flavours meant Poppy avoided any feelings of apprehension to divulge parts of herself publicly via Zig, while also culling down from 40 songs to the eventual 11 on the brand new release.

“I wouldn’t say there was apprehension,” says Poppy of the personal exploration evident throughout Zig. “I feel as though I got honest with myself more in the moment this time around.”

“I feel as though the songs talk to each other and partner up,” Poppy continues. “They decide who their cousins or friends are, and the ones I chose were the ones that were speaking the loudest to each other.”

I feel as though the songs talk to each other and partner up. They decide who their cousins or friends are, and the ones I chose were the ones that were speaking the loudest to each other.
[ Poppy ]

Also featuring the mononymous Poppy on guitar and bass, Zig continues Poppy’s skyrocketing post-genre trajectory that also saw the former dancer become the first ever solo female to be nominated for Best Metal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 2021. But Poppy’s enduring success and chameleonic appeal is only scratching the surface of an artist who is boundlessly open to finding new and unique inspiration. 

“It depends on the day,” says Poppy of how she typically (or not-so-typically) writes a song these days. “I don’t close myself to any possibilities of things coming into my ether. Sometimes the skeletons of songs begin on guitar or bass and we will build from there or other times I might hear an intriguing sound or vibration in the wild, and record it on my phone and that starts the songs.”

And capturing Poppy in the breathless little limbo between finishing Zig and sharing it with the whole world, what song does she keep coming back to at the moment the most from the impending new release?

“I like this question,” says Poppy. “I would say both Flicker and Prove It. Those songs serve me as a reminder and a sliver of reassurance. When my friends tell me I have given them good advice on a particular topic, I’ll follow that up by saying “thank you. I need to hear it myself” ha. So those songs I’d say I need to hear the message myself as a reminder.”

Spurred on by “the desire to learn from people I admire, and first hand lived experience while I’m on this planet” as well as an undying love for Yellow Magic Orchestra’s self-titled album, there’s also still a few moments that can take Poppy by surprise after such a colourful and storied career; and one moment in particular stands out for Poppy from when she was previously in Australia.

“It was the first time I was rowing in a Poppy mosh pit,” says Poppy of an unforgettable moment down under. “I will always remember that.”

Zig is out now via Sumerian Records.