Credit: Emily Hogan
In 2019, Australian producer, singer, and songwriter Rich Delinquent came onto the scene with very real songs that confronted his inner demons. After releasing the intimate DM If You Need To EP in 2020, things really started to pick up for the artist, prompting him to follow the release with the potent “Cocaine Late Nights,” “Bad Time,” and his latest single “She’s Happy?” By channeling the complexities of his mental health struggles into his songs, Rich Delinquent came across fans who understood him and felt the same way. Hoping to connect with them even further, Rich Delinquent is dropping his debut album Sadboi later this week, which will contain more intricate stories. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with him before this release, talking themes of the new album, the concepts of its music videos, and the tracks he thinks will resonate with fans the most.
Melodic Mag: Hey there! Thank you so much for taking the time out to chat during this busy time, as you are gearing up to release your debut album! How does it feel knowing that it will be out soon?
Rich Delinquent: G’day, Melodic Magazine! Thank you for taking time to chat! To be honest, this feels totally surreal. Releasing an album is at the top of the bucket-list for me, and I’m extremely grateful to finally be releasing Sadboi to the world.
Could you tell us more about some of the themes on Sadboi and the creative process behind the songs?
Sadboi is an album where I reflect on personal imperfections, negative emotions and vices. Every song is written from real life situations in which I wanted to share in the hopes of connecting with people battling the same kind of demons. For example, a single we have released from the album “Bad Time” is about being intoxicated with a group of strippers and realizing it was a…bad time. I didn’t feel good about the situation, they didn’t feel good about the situation, and I reflected on that deeply and tried to make it relatable to everyday life.
Is there anything you did differently in making this album than you did when making the DM If You Need To EP?
The biggest difference between Sadboi and DM If You Need To would be the musical influences. For Sadboi, I started to move away from electronic dance music, as I found it to be structurally limiting, and am finding myself tired of “build ups,” which there was a lot more of on DM If You Need To. I wanted to create music closer to what I would like to listen to personally. Sadboi defiantly draws from a wide range of acts, from The Weeknd to The 1975 and even Bring Me The Horizon, which I put an electronic spin on.
Which tracks do you think will resonate with fans the most from the album?
I have a feeling the song “Sadboi” will resonate with a lot of people. It’s about making peace with the person you’ve become. There is also a song, “I’m The Controller.” It just slaps, I think everyone will love it!
You teamed up with Luma on your recent single, “She’s Happy?” What was it like to work on the track with her?
Luma is seriously talented and her voice has this ethereal quality to it that fits the song perfectly. Hearing her ad-libs and harmonies on the last chorus still gives me chills. She was a pleasure to work with and I’d definitely do it again.
The music video really brings more depth to the track – how did the concept come about?
All my music videos expand on the themes within the music to bring them further into the dystopian world inside my head. For the album, I worked with my good friend and talented director, Daniel Anderson. We bounced the craziest concepts possible off each other and finished up with three insane music videos. I am so proud of what we created together. I think we really brought Sadboi to life.
You openly address topics like anxiety and depression in your songs – do fans ever reach out to you, saying how much your music has helped them or got them through a tough time?
Yes, I have received some touching messages saying things like one of my tracks has stopped someone from thinking about suicide, helped someone through a breakup, or even just that someone’s day has been turned around, and that’s what makes writing music worth it for me. At the end of the day, this is why I write music – to connect to people and hopefully help them through whatever they are going through in life.
Are there any lyrics on Sadboi that stand out to you the most?
“I’m happy I’m a SADBOI!” It literally sums up the whole album and its themes.
Do you have any special plans for release day?
For myself, nothing in particular. For my fans…you’ll have to wait and see 😉
Thanks again for your time. Any final thoughts or comments?
No worries, guys! Thank you for the chat. I am just really excited for this album in its entirety to be out in the world and hope my fans connect with it on an emotional level.
Rich Delinquent’s debut album Sadboi will be available November 5.
Keep up with Rich Delinquent: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Website
