A biography for Ty Segallhasn’t been written yet.
“Madonna was my favorite when I was a little kid.”
“Each album I do, I try to have at least a slight rule, whether it's the band has to get together and record live, or all guitars, all fuzz on, all the time. It's varying and slight, but yes, I like having rules.”
“I listened to oldies radio stations as a kid; lots of Kinks and Beatles and '50s hits.”
“The idea of 'Freedom's Goblin,' to me, leads to a wild conversation. I would hope that father and son, driving home from the record store, could have a conversation about what that title means. Because to me, it's the duality of being free: the evil and the good, and how it's a constant paradox.”
“When I sit down and try to write lyrics first - I've definitely done that in the past - but most of the time, they come off as a put-on, or less genuine than you would think. I'm the kind of guy that if I overthink a sentiment or I overthink a statement, it's weird.”
“I've always had problems with my brain, so a lot of the songs are about issues I have with paranoia or freak-outs. 'When My Head Explodes' is about being on stage, having people look at you and expecting you to perform, then literally your head explodes.”
“I'm just a total nerd, in all honesty. I'm a massive, insane record fan - that's how I got into playing music. That's why I wanted to make an album - I'm obsessed with how sides flow.”
“I think 'Freedom's Goblin' is a very political title.”
“The 'Manipulator' record was really fun to do. It was far less heavy and draining, in an emotional way. It was just like making a rock record. It was just really fun.”
“To me, rock n' roll is rock n' roll. I try to think of it as that. To me, Funkadelic and Metallica exist in the same world.”
“Growing up in Orange County, it was all O.C. punk, L.A. punk. Black Flag, all the SST stuff.”
“My dad is a lawyer and my mom is an artist. So growing up was exactly what it sounds like - strict household but a lot of creativity. They are so psyched that I get to make music for a living. My parents rule.”
“I love Kool Keith; that guy's the best.”
“But I think it's hard for me to only put out one record a year. Because I get too antsy. But it's good I'm learning to do that, because each record counts. And you should make it count.”
“I'm jamming 'Black Sabbath Vol. 4' all the time. Zappa's 'Cruising With Ruben & The Jets.' A lot of Gong lately. Some Hawkwind. The Residents' 'Duck Stab' is amazing. Some Fugs. Lots of stuff, man. I'm pretty schizophrenic with records.”
“My favorite records are, like, The Pretty Things' 'Parachute' and 'S.F. Sorrow' and The Mothers of Invention's 'We're Only in It for the Money' and The Kinks' 'Village Green Preservation Society' - these records that have a story - even if it's not a literal story - because of how they're sequenced and flow. It's like a novel with sound.”
“A good record transports you to another place.”
“A collaboration, you have to collaborate, meet in the middle, yield to the other collaborator, and that's a wonderful thing.”
“I like thrash metal and black metal, stuff like that.”
“Usually, I'm over-analyzing things that have to do with my own actions.”