An Interview with: Seth Carpenter of Bucolic
Bucolic, copyright Dylan Eddinger Photography
One of my favorite things about the Philly DIY scene is stumbling upon really fantastic artists by chance. Back in November, Dylan and I attended a show at Kung Fu Necktie, and while we were there to support Kodiak Park, we left with a newfound obsession with Seth Carpenter and his project, Bucolic. It takes a lot for an artist to completely take over my listening space, but within just a few short weeks, I’ve found that Bucolic’s debut EP, Ropes Wing, is all I’ve had on. Last week, we booked Seth to play a house show by Saint Joseph’s campus, and by the end of the night, everyone was just as in love with him as we are. It was a really cool thing to be a part of.
So obviously, I wanted to know more about Seth. We coordinated an email interview following his performance this weekend, and I was more than pleased with some insight into what makes Bucolic so cool.
You mentioned that Bucolic started about two years ago. What inspired you to start this project?
SC: I’ve always had some sort of solo project that I was working on throughout the years but from around 18-22 I really stopped doing anything musical. Life got crazy and I was too caught up in it to find the inspiration to continue writing. When things settled down I realized that I’d never really pursued my dream like I wanted to so I figured I’d start something new and really give it my all before I got too old.
The songwriting and the composition is all done by you, correct?
SC: Yes.
What is your songwriting and music making process? I imagine the music is very experimental. Tell us whatever you can about what happens when you make music.
SC: I write and play all the parts in my songs and I also do my own recording, so the songwriting process is very experimental. Sometimes I get lucky and a song just seems to fall into my lap out of nowhere, but most of the time I get inspired by trying/learning new things. I don’t really have a “sound” that I’m going for which is nice because I can pursue any new idea or sound that feels right at the time....that keeps it interesting for me.
Based on your Instagram photos, I feel like you’re an outdoorsman. What are some of your favorite places to hit up?
SC: My favorite place on earth is a little park in South Jersey called Ceres Park. It’s like 150-200 acres of woods. I’ve spent thousands of hours there since I was a kid. My favorite spots to camp are The Pine Barrens in South/Central NJ and Stokes State Forest in the Northwest corner of the state.
What are your favorite places to play in Philadelphia? What’s been your best experience in Philadelphia?
SC: Some favorites are The Greenhouse, Ortlieb’s, Tralfamadore and Slime Time Live. My last show this past Friday at The Greenhouse was one of - if not my favorite - shows I’ve played as Bucolic. I really appreciated the crowd’s energy and the space was beautiful. I love all the bar venues but I’ve especially enjoyed getting into the house show “scene” this past year. I like the more personal atmosphere.
Tell us a little about Rope's Wing? It's been playing non-stop since the show on Friday night.
SC: Well as far as subject matter goes, Rope’s Wing focuses a lot on finding peace amidst the turmoil of life and the inner struggles I deal with. I never set out to write about a specific topic I just try to let go of my ego best I can and let whatever words need to get out, out. Musically I just wanted to write without expectation of what I think the world would want or what I think I should sound like and I think that ended up being a success with this one.
What’s next for Bucolic?
SC: I’m working on another EP titled Glow Worm that I plan to release within the next few months and I plan to continue playing in Philly a couple times a month.