Everyone’s favourite weirdos have something a little bit different for us today! With the release of “Bad Luck” by Where Is Leroy?, the DREGGmusic collective are revealing how they’re turning their creative energies toward championing new music. Where Is Leroy? is the first of many artists joining the collective.
Where Is Leroy? is a boom bap hip hop artist. Though his sound is very different to DREGG’s, his music carries the same unfiltered honesty you can find in DREGG’s music. “Bad Luck” takes us inside his world, where everywhere he looks seems to be a further obstacle.
DREGG’s Christopher Mackertich and Leroy Jackson kindly gave us some insight into the DREGGmusic collective and also who Where Is Leroy? is.
Firstly, what’s the idea or ethos behind the DREGGmusic collective?
Christopher: “I guess it’s kind of a middle man movement for aspiring artists that don’t fit in anywhere. Not so much management or a label but more a backing. We don’t have the largest platform but we have a platform. May as well do what we can with it to bring more awesome music into the scene!”
How did this come about? Were there industry gaps that you noticed that you wanted to fill in your own way?
Christopher: “I guess being a band that does things our own way we found there wasn’t much on offer to help guide us through the industry so we’re trying share the little knowledge we have with homies that need it.”
Overarchingly, what is your intention with the collective?
Christopher: “Just to be a part of bringing more anomalistic musicians to light.”
I’d love to know your thoughts on collaboration in general, as is clearly happening here.
Christopher: “It’s awesome. I don’t even understand why someone would have a negative thought about it. Worlds of music intertwining.”
What else can we expect from the DREGGmusic collective in the future?
Christopher: “Hopefully a lot of successful, talented artists and a big happy family.”
So “Bad Luck” is Where Is Leroy?’s debut. Why the name “Where Is Leroy?”
Leroy: “So I’m a bit of a space cadet. I trail off far too often into my own world in my head and hang out there for a bit. People usually have to pull me back into reality when I disappear: “Where is Leroy?”, “I dunno man we gotta find him”.”
“Bad Luck” is obviously a cascade of shit – of pressures, of lack, of trying and failing. What can you share about how the song came to be?
Leroy: “Yeah it is very self explanatory as the name would suggest. I was at a very low point in my life mentally, creatively, financially.. all aspects really, I think the song was really born out of an out burst I had when I didn’t have anything around me to break and I had a moment where people kept telling me just to “roll with it”. So the first lyrics are from my outburst when I’m in my room yelling to myself going “IM SICK AND TIRED OF BEING TOLD TO ROLL WITH IT”.”
Who do you hope it speaks to? Musicians trying to make it too?
Leroy: “I wanted it to be funky so when you put it on it lifts your mood and almost makes you smile at what ever situation you’re in. The DREGGmusic crew and I are always the first ones to make a bad taste joke about each other’s situations (mainly mine) and throw some humour into the mix so we don’t just sit around like sad sacks. So really if you’re going through some shit put it on to have a laugh, if not at yourself at me, I’m hilarious.”
I hoped for a happy ending and it didn’t come. I guess that’s just life, hey?
Leroy: “Who says it’s over?”
Are there more songs in the works?
Leroy: “There’s so many more songs, this is just the tip of the iceberg. ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’.”
The video is crazy, and clearly shows the DREGG guys involved as well as the famous Nissan Micra. What was it like to make?
Leroy: “Me personally, I grew up on film sets so I loved every aspect of it, it was a wild day to say the least, but that’s always gonna be what’s dope about the collective, it’s a family and it always will be so everyone gets down and helps out and has a good time. This dude tried to fight us for filming in a car space he wanted to park in, that was a good laugh he was smart enough to move in the end.”
What were your favourite parts?
Leroy: “Watching the keyboard be smashed 100%. I found that organ out the front of a Cash Converters and I kid you not it took me 6 hours to get it in and out of the car and I had to disassemble it then try and put it back together with zero knowledge of its inner workings, so to watch it be destroyed was great. We left it in our backyard for a week in case we got angry and needed to smash something.”
You worked with Josh Hanson on the video. This isn’t the first time he’s worked with the DREGGmusic guys. What do you like about his work or approach?
Leroy: “Josh is the man, I’ve looked up to him since I met him. He’s got such an amazingly creative mind, it’s such a treat to be able to watch him work and have him a part of it, he yelled at me a couple times and had to pull me in line cause I have a habit of running off and he’s a big dude so he just like, manhandled me. He’s a soldier and a legend though.”
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Leroy: “Thanks so much for your time. Shout out: Tyler Street Cafe for constantly playing our songs and keeping us caffeinated, James Marras for sacrificing his car, my sister for putting my cat on the phone when I’m freaking out but more so my cat for being my cat (I love you buds), and all the DREGGS and WEIRDOS who stuck with the collective in this new chapter, we love you.”
Without further ado, here’s “Bad Luck”!
