Based out of Louisville, Ky, Bad Mustache is an alt pop-punk artist who is just getting started. The 23 year-old grew up in Kentucky and is a unique product of the combination of small-town culture and forward-facing music. Having started learning how to record in a dorm room, the DIY sound is at the center of his music, while still having the grit and spaciousness of rock that points back to the new age punk of the late 90’s and early aughts.
He started recording as a singer songwriter but changed course in his senior year of college. It was then that he released his first project “50,000” under Bad Mustache as a part of his senior honor’s thesis. The project received little commercial success but gained the attention of a number of labels that saw the untapped potential, landing him a deal with R&R Digital, a sublet of Warner Music.
Bad Mustache is currently in the process of rolling out his debut E.P. titled “My Scummy American Summer” while also working on his debut album which is set to release in 2021.
Where are you from and how was life growing up in a small town? I’m from Cynthiana, KY, a Tannis original. There were definitely good parts and bad parts. I think being from a small town really helps keep you humble. Growing up, going to Lexington and Louisville was like always a big deal. It made you really appreciate things. On the other hand, I always felt like I was missing out, not living in a bigger city. Plus everybody knew everybody else’s business lol so that kind of sucked. Overall tho I’m really grateful for where I grew up.
How did the artist name come to be? So in highschool and really into college I could never grow any facial hair worth a shit. Like peach fuzz type shit type beat. Around my sophomore year of college I finally sprouted this shitty, thin mustache and just fucking leaned into it. I changed my twitter handle to Bad Mustache in like spring of 2018 and never looked back. I didn’t even have music in mind at that point really but it felt right.
When and how did you start making music? I’ve been making music since I was 18. I recorded this little singer-songwriter ep with my friend Ross the summer after my freshman year of college under the name Jesse Waldon (Waldon is my middle name) and I just fell in love with the process. I released my first project as Bad Mustache last spring and it was actually part of my senior thesis project. I wrote up a big report about it and everything which is kinda wild.
How would you describe your music for someone who hasn’t heard you
before? I mean honestly I think it’s just pop. Like rock-influenced pop at its core. Definitely has some punk elements to it. I started as a singer-songwriter and I definitely think you can still hear that in it too. One of my friends named it scum-core and I really like that lol.
What artists inspired you the most and who do you currently listen to? The first artists who I really got into and like listened back to their whole discographies were John Mayer and Frank Ocean. The way they write songs just fucking fascinates me. Super personal, narrative-driven writing. I try to hit that same vein in my stuff. Right now I’m running back Dominic Fike’s new album all the time. He’s ridiculous. I’m also super into Jean Dawson and Beebadoobee they both have really good singles out from their next projects.
Who’s your fashion icon and why? Steve Lacy. That mf is sexy and his fits are crazy. I love the genderless, androgynous look and he bodies it.
What is the best advice you’ve been given? Idk about advice given to me but something I’ve learned and taken to heart is you don’t have to ask anybody for permission, you just have to start doing. If you wait around for the perfect moment it will never come.
What kind of support do you get from your home town/state? I couldn’t ask for more love from everybody around me in Ky. I’ve got a solid core of friends who I send all my music to as I’m making it and they give me honest feedback and that’s more valuable than gold. I made some great friends in college who are also crazy talented musicians and we all kind of motivate and support each other which is a super nice thing to have. I moved to Louisville permanently recently and have been starting to get into that scene. I’ve been doing videos for My Scummy American Summer with Francis Thomasovich and he’s an absolute homie now. Meeting local creatives there has been amazing and I can’t wait to work with more of them.
If you wasn’t making music, what would you be doing right now? Shit honestly I have no idea. Probably working at a professional job that I hate. My last year of college was when labels started to hit me up so I was definitely not focused on school lol. Who knows I might be in grad school.
What really makes you stand out and different from other artists? I’ve always made all of my own stuff and, so far, all of it on garageband. Guitars, bass, background vocals, lyrics, shitty simple drum beats; all on my own, and I’m super proud of that. Definitely not opposed to collaborating but it’s nice to know I can do everything on my own if I want.
What’s your biggest goal in the music industry? Turning idols into colleagues.
If you could collaborate with one single artist who would it be and why? That’s a super hard question. If I had to pick one tho I think it would have to be King Krule. He’s just the coolest fucking artist there is in my opinion and I think we would make something crazy.
Check out Bad Mustaches latest video “DayQuil” below and let us know what you think on our Instagram account.
