🍊🎱 Exclusive Interview With Co-producer And Songwriter Of The Rejects, And Former Gorillaz Lead

🍊🎱 Exclusive interview with co-producer and songwriter of The Rejects, and former Gorillaz lead singer — Stuart “2-D” Pot 🎱🍊

Interviewer: Hi, 2-D. How‘ve you been holding up?

2-D: Mmm, alright now I think.

I: Oh, did something happen earlier?

2-D: Yeah, I was feeling a little peeved today since I spilled some raspberry tea on my good pair of pants this morning. They were pretty fancy too. Wish you could’ve seen ’em. They had these little hearts and stuff on ’em and they were really cute.

I: Oh. Well, uh, I’m sorry that happened—

2-D: I managed to throw ’em in the wash today. Hopefully, it’ll come out. But then I remembered my second best pair of pants, so I’m feeling pretty swell now. Plus I got some new tea to replace the one that was in my last cup. [sips from new coffee cup and sighs happily] This one’s jasmine tea. It’s really good. You wanna try some?

I: I-I’m good, thank you. Anyway, shall we—?

2-D: Oh, almost forgot. These are my new baggy flannel pants. I got ’em from a thrift store out in Holland one time and—

I: [clears throat]

2-D: O-Oh, right. The interview. [hums awkwardly while twiddling his thumbs] Sorry, I haven’t done one of these in a while.

I: It’s okay. We just need to get a move on. So, 2-D, aside from today, how have things been? You’ve been awfully quiet over the past few months since your departure from Gorillaz.

2-D: Yeah… I’ve been trying to avoid talking on social media for a while since I’ve left. Although, I dunno if I’d call it leaving but more, like, taking a break. I’ve just been trying to find out who I really am, yeah? I realized through working on The Now Now that I want to do something more than just Gorillaz my whole life. I wanna grow and change and develop something for myself. Like the potato that’s currently sprouting on my windowsill at the moment. His name is George. Him aside, I feel like I’ve been stuck in one place for while. Just stagnant, unmoving. That’s why I stopped using social media all together and so far it’s been such a weight off my mind. Same thing with Gorillaz. It’s not that I’m unhappy from all my time with Gorillaz, their like… my blood, ya know? My family. But… I dunno. It’s… [fidgets in seat] It’s like when you eat the same meal everyday for a few months and then you start thinking, “This isn’t really working for me like it used to. It still tastes good but now I want something different.” I think me being with The Rejects is what’s gonna help me find, err… well… “me” right now. I’m not gonna be gone from Gorillaz forever but I just need something different, keep things fresh.

(Picture of 2-D with Gorillaz in late 2018)

I: Hmm… I see. Speaking of your former bandmates, do you still keep in touch with them even with your hiatus?

2-D: Oh yeah, loads. I try to talk with ‘em every chance I get. Just last week, Noodle and I FaceTimed each other and she showed me Katsu patting Russel’s stomach with her paws, like she was making a loaf of bread off of him for ten minutes while he laid asleep on the couch. It was amusing for the first five minutes, then it became a betting match to see how long she’d do that before he woke up.

I: What about Murdoc? Any updates from him?

2-D: [taps his coffee cup uncomfortably] He’s fine, p-probably… Um, what’s the next question?

I: Oh, sorry. Err… How did you first meet the Rejects?

2-D: Well, I already knew most of them from the get go. That being Ace and Cyb — I mean, Cynthia. Still gotta get used to that… Uh, the only person I hadn’t met before was Lenny. All I can really say about him is that he’s a really chill guy. Very sociable and surprisingly, a lot younger than I was expecting. He like Phil Collins and the Blue Men Group into one, he’s pretty great. As for how we all came together, it wasn’t too long after I began my hiatus actually. I think it was like, I dunno, two weeks after I took off? I stayed at a Marriott in LA for a bit and one day I came into this gas station to grab a couple snacks for the ride out to Ottawa ‘til I heard somebody shout out my name. I got kinda scared at first ‘cause, well, [runs a hand through his hair] the reason why I got this shaved cut was so I couldn’t be recognized as easily. Besides, last time I visited LA, I blended in pretty well. Well as long as you looked at me from behind, that is. [humming laughter] But then I saw it was Ace calling out for me. I was so stoked to see him again. We talked for a bit, hung out at his place, had a few drinks, I tried weed brownies for the first time and uh… I ended up spending the night with him. Then I found out that Cynthia was his roommate after she hit me head with one of her cables to wake me up from the floor. I was quite surprised to see her, I mean, by what Murdoc told me, I thought she was gone. Like poof! Gone like my socks in the dryer. But, y’know… I was happy to see her. Really, I was. That might sound weird to you, and… I-I’m assuming you already know what happened to me on that beach. [laughs awkwardly] But I was real worried ‘bout what could’ve happened to her. I know she wasn’t like the original Noods and she went kind of coocoo after getting that bullet through the head, but I don’t think what happened to me was her fault. I think we’re both victims really and it wouldn’t have been right for me to hold any ill will towards now her when… i-it wasn’t her choice to do the things she did. At least, I don’t think it was. But, um, anyway… I ended up crashing at Ace’s place for longer than I would’ve liked but after a bit, me and Cynthia reconciled, she introduced me to her band and the new stuff she was working on and from there I’ve been hooked.

I: Wow, that’s… oddly very touching. Thank you for sharing something so personal with us.

2-D: Um yeah. I dunno what I did but, no problem?

I: That being said, when talking about self-discovery, I also I hear you talking about Ace a lot. Some fans are wondering, are the two of you perhaps “involved?”

2-D: What do you mean?

I: Are you dating?

2-D: Oh! Y-Yeah, you can say that… [giggles]

I: Oh wow! Good for you. How long have you guys been together?

2-D: I’d say… four? I: Four what? 2-D: Yes. I: No, uh… have you two been together for four days? Months? 2-D: No, I’d say we’ve been dating for five months now.

I: I… Okay, how or when did you both decide to—?

2-D: It was a bit spontaneous. Well, kind of… [hums softly] See, we really hit it off when he joined Gorillaz back in 2018 but I was still figuring myself out back then so I waited until I was sure and now… uh, we decided that now it was probably the right time. [chuckles] It’s funny, yeah? I’ve never felt so happy before. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever fallen this hard for someone in a really long time. Well, except for that one lady that turned out to be a coat rack, but I think I just really needed new contacts. I used to be so scared of what would happen to me once I came out but y’know, I’m glad that I get to live in a time where people can feel free to love who they want without fear. Only determination to love and be themselves with their whole chest. There’s still a whole lot of work to do but I say it’s better for everyone if we keep moving forward. Going backwards doesn’t help anyone improve. Anyway, I also got to say, it’s very refreshing to have someone that truly loves and respects you for the way you are; all flaws included, no strings attached… [sighs] I think it’s safe to say I’m in complete bliss.

(Picture of 2-D and Ace in Little Tokyo, Townsville)

I: How would you describe Ace as a partner?

2-D: Umm… not much has changed between us since we’ve started dating actually. He’s a bit more clingy than he used to be, but I mean that in a good way. Anytime I’m sitting down doing something, he’ll wrap his arms around me and ask what I’m doing, or he’ll give me a peck on the head whenever he brings me a cup of tea… He’s a teddy bear, really. Very physically affectionate, always gentle with his movements, and has surprisingly soft, supple hands. Oh, oh! [moves in his seat excitedly] I found out he likes doing this thing whenever we’re out in public. Recently we’ve been doing these little play fights. Usually he’ll make this little karate chop motion against my neck or my arms, and then I push it away and soon we’ll start this war with our arms, hands, and sometimes feet just blocking each other’s moves while making our own sound effects like it’s our own kind of action movie. That happened one time while we were ordering food at the plaza last week and this time I won by grabbing his wrists and pulling him towards me so I could kiss his forehead and oh my god, he was such a mess! [laughs] H-He wouldn’t even look at me without acting like he was gonna melt. [snorts] Ugh, you should’ve seen him! It was so adorable. Almost acted like a toddler, all giggly and following me about whenever I moved. He practically clung onto me the entire night afterwards.

I: Ah, the honeymoon phase… Well, we could go on about your relationship with Ace but we need to get back on track. Tell us, what’s it like not being the lead vocalist for once?

2-D: Again, pretty refreshing. I get to work more on my skills as a producer and making music that I’m proud of. I feel like a little kid playing keyboards with my dad again with all this new equipment we’ve got now. Been working on some pretty banger stuff with the band so far and I can’t wait for people to hear it some time soon.

I: What are you most excited for people to listen to?

2-D: Well we are coming out with an EP at some point this year but before that comes out, we did put out a single. It’s one of the first songs I worked on with the Rejects and it’s called “LOVEBUG!!” It’s definitely more of an experimental track, especially compared to both me and the band’s past work, but I loved messing around with all of the soft synths and 808s in this one. Lenny absolutely crushed it with the drums and I think it suits Cynthia’s voice really well! Although, the more I think about it, I sometimes think she sounds a lot like someone else I’ve heard lately. Well, either way, I just hope people end up liking the song just as much as I did making it. [hums happily]

(LOVEBUG!! Promo Cover)

I: Good to know. How would you describe your experience working with the Rejects so far?

2-D: Quite tame. We all tend to be quite amicable with one another and we don’t fight as much compared to when I would record back at Kong. We really let our ideas bounce off each other like ping pong balls and when one of us comes up with a good line or segment, we all get excited. I haven’t felt like that before. That’s not to say I didn’t have that same feeling with Gorillaz before I took a break but the energy between us and the energy I get when working with the Rejects isn’t really up for comparison, y’know what I mean? Gorillaz is, uh… more of a family dynamic. A chaotic one but a found family, right? Whereas with the Rejects, we don’t see each other as collaborators but as a group of friends and I think that’s a neat little thing we made for ourselves. When dealing with the high that comes from being famous, everything around you just happens all at once and soon you forget what it’s like to breathe. I’ve been stuck in that world for 22 years, but after taking this break and later joining the Rejects, I’ve learned how to appreciate the little things again and I’m excited to see what life has to offer me.

I: How would you describe your current bandmates?

2-D: Cynthia is quite the natural born leader and she seems to really know her stuff. She can be a bit stubborn at times whenever we start composing things but she hasn’t done anything too extreme. I think that just shows more of her fiery personality. Not too surprising, given who made her but already I can tell you, she’s much better than that old sod. At least she actually treats me like a person and doesn’t try to… S-Sorry, I’m going too off topic, aren’t I? [clears throat] Um… Where was I again? Ah, right. Bandmates, yeah... Cynthia, to me is, uh, very determined and always willing to tackle a lots of ideas at once. She’s a perfectionist for sure but sometimes, I worry about her short circuiting with how much time she spends writing one song. You already know how I feel about Ace but Lenny on the other hand is quite the interesting guy. Reminds me of Russel in some ways but I wish I could understand him more. I don’t know sign language so we just write and text stuff to one another. Apparently he likes painting and sculpting things out of clay so one time I tried to make him something but I think I ended up making a creature that looks like it wants to die but Lenny still keeps it on his shelf so I guess it’s not too bad.

I: Alright, I think that’s all the time we have for today. Do you have anything else to say before we go?

2-D: Um, yeah, uh… do you know where the nearest toilet is? I’ve been holding it in since I got here.

I: I… [sighs] It should be on the 2nd floor to your right.

2-D: Cool, thanks. [gets up to leave before nearly tripping over his untied shoelaces]

I: Your shoes are untied.

2-D: [in the distance] I don’t know how to tie them!

I: Err… Well, stay tuned until next time where we interview the Rejects’ bassist, Ace D. Copular and talk about his journey from reality TV actor to aspiring musician.