Boslen Talks His Latest Release, Gonzo
Photographer: Amrin Prasad
Boslen, Vancouver’s very own experimental artist and creative genius, has released yet another electrifying and empowering masterpiece, Gonzo. With the loving support from his hometown, Boslen is certain his musical influence will spread into the U.S., as he grows not only as an artist but as an individual.
Boslen is an electrifying artist straight out of the countryside of Chilliwack, British Columbia. Although only 23, he has accomplished a substantial amount of success. His journey portrays the life of a misfit searching for himself in a place where the odds were stacked against him, but nonetheless was victorious in jump-starting his career.
Growing up in a rural area, Boslen believed himself to be an outcast, the only Black kid in his town not having his life figured out, at an age when society said he should. He aspires to reach an audience who can relate to similar societal pressures and overwhelming feelings of not fitting in.
“I think those are the people I am really trying to resonate with. I call them the lost souls, because I know that’s how I was when I was younger. I did not conform to the popular trends of my time, but I am who I am today, because of the encouragement and support of my mother.”
When researching the word “Gonzo'', three distinguished findings surfaced. For starters, there’s a muppet character named after it. However, it’s also a subjective style of journalism and lastly, is the name of a documentary based on the life, as well as the career of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. The million-dollar question is, what does Gonzo mean to Boslen?
“That’s so funny you mention the puppet, because when I first looked up the name, I was like what is this? I was at a place in my life when I was at a breaking point and had an epiphany. I asked myself if I die tomorrow, will this music be timeless, and have I fulfilled my God-given talent, or am I wasting it?” At that moment through self-reflection, Boslen realized he could push himself further in his career. He was faced with a reawakening not solely within his music, but his life as a whole. Essentially, he became cognizant of the fact that Gonzo means you have to be delusional to fulfill the lifestyle you yearn for, to find success and believe in yourself; he wishes for his listeners to interpret what they can from Gonzo.
Photographer: Amrin Prasad
Salvador Dalí, a legendary artist from the 20th century, has been one of Boslen’s greatest inspirations throughout his music career. Vancouver’s star talent learned how “delusional” Dalí was pertaining to his artistry, as he would immediately commit his time to his work as soon as he awoke. “I aspire to be not like him, but have that same drive that he devoted to his art. He built a legacy at a time where a lot of the cards were dealt against him and overcoming that led him to become one of the greatest creatives of all time. He fought against the grain and that is how I want to be with my work, which is why I can resonate with him.”
When artists create works of music, there is usually some type of imagery they correlate it with. For Boslen, he considered a multitude of symbolic factors for Gonzo, whether visual or tactile.
“We went with red in the rollout. Not only is it very timeless and people can consume that color very easily, but red is a color of power and pushing up, which is what I associated with the feelings I had for Gonzo. Looking at the “Levels'' cover it's almost comical, because I handmade it.”
Boslen longs to be the artist who creates his own cover arts, writes his music, produces melodies, and adds some inspiration, as well as direction for his music videos. Considering his theme of empowerment, the cover art for “Levels” was red and spiky, which portrayed the strong statement he hoped for.
“The imagery I envisioned were spikes, eyes, hands, and red. Eyes are a window to the soul and where you can find the truth which resonated with Gonzo. Hands are one of the greatest tools people have to feel something physically with, which I related to Gonzo, because of how I constructed everything together, especially with the “Levels” cover art.”
As far as the thought process for the music video of “Gone”, Boslen and his team agreed for it to be as digestible as possible for listeners. He wished for his fans to mainly focus on the actual lyrics, because of how profound and relatable they are, regardless of someone’s demographic or background. “The song starts out with, ‘When you say you hate me to all of your friends, just don’t forget I still live in your head’ and so many people can resonate with that.”
“Gone” was filmed in Boslen’s hometown of Vancouver, which meant more than being a random location to shoot at. In fact, the maze scene was recorded at a public garden, a place he had never visited before, but was nonetheless a breathtaking scenic area, perfect for his video. “That’s the best thing about shooting in a city you live in; you start to discover things you didn't even know were there. Driving around and seeing different parts of the city just makes me appreciate my hometown even more. The one thing I love about Vancouver is how I resonate with it, because it's just like myself. It does not know what it wants to be exactly, and yet it wants to be all things at the same time.” Boslen believes Vancouver’s potential is endless.
Throughout Gonzo, Boslen so effortlessly blends a variety of genres from rap, to alternative, to pop and electronic. His diversified music stems from his childhood because he was exposed to a multitude of soundscapes. With his prior knowledge, he began searching for type beats and as time passed, acquired the skills to write over any one of them, regardless of its genre. “I noticed wow; I don’t have any limitations which inspired me the most. Now I can seamlessly run through different styles of music.”
Boslen’s “Fallen Stars” is immensely deep, emotional, and an introspective song, which shares the story of him being tested. When record producer Y2K played Boslen the beat of the drums, he instantly thought to follow its sound and thus the word “stars” came to mind. “When you are looking at the stars, you are physically looking up. The drum pattern was very uplifting, so the word stars fit perfectly. At the time I was so mixed with emotion and faced with self-doubt because we were already about to announce the tour, but Gonzo was not yet finished. That's why I questioned if I’m the one to wear the crown, but I knew God was testing me.”
Gonzo consists of chapters in Boslen’s life that equate to a 7-track story. “Each time I create a song and put it out, it's like a stamp in time, when I can look back and say this song was when I discovered something new about myself and that's exactly how I felt in that moment. At least with “Scars” I know I was emotionally attached to that one, since I was talking in so many perspectives. I feel like as artists we have to put on an act in public and resemble WWE characters at the end of the day.” However, Boslen’s “Scars”, went above and beyond to push the boundaries and take things to the next level, by breaking a fourth wall in his artistry. “I know it won’t be appreciated until I’m gone and that’s fine, because I know that song is the truth.”
Photographer: Cameron Corrado
From releasing his first mixtapes of Motionless and Motionless II, to his Black Lotus EP, to his first studio album with Capitol Records DUSK to DAWN, up to now with his latest EP Gonzo, Boslen has grown tremendously. “I'm just so grateful and thankful, because looking in the mirror now I can see someone who can articulate themselves, be clear and knows what they want. A lot of people at this age struggle with that smokescreen of not knowing their purpose and may not be truthful with themselves. I am able to distinguish what is wrong, not working and will attack that. I truly believe if you battle your own ego, which is something artists have a hard time doing, you will find success.”
Around the time when Boslen worked on Motionless, he had just gotten out of a 6-year relationship and tore his ACL, which hindered him from playing rugby further in college. Considering that, his emotions were scattered, hence the name of his first EP. “I was physically and mentally hurting, so I had no other way to get it out besides writing. But now I have intention and purpose with my music before it was just for me to have an outlet. My previous works were all steps in my career and my life, where listeners just happened to catch myself at my truest form. I am still discovering myself, but Gonzo relates to my entire career. It is my backbone to where I want to go.”
In the years prior, Boslen created a vision board, in which he dreamed of acquiring the key to his city, a Grammy, a Billboard number one song, becoming financially stable and what he considered to be so many other material things. However, now he has different aspirations and visions for himself.
So, what’s next for the star from Chilliwack, BC? “I believe now in 5 years I want to be an individual that just inspires and brings a light to Vancouver. I wish to truly merge sounds and be my unique self, as well as make my family proud and financially stable.”
Boslen believes with the release of Gonzo, people are slowly, but surely understanding what separates him from other artists. With his latest EP, he has stepped outside of his comfort zone, by being more experimental with his music. “I want people to most importantly be inspired by me and understand who I am as a human, trying to discover myself just like everyone else, but I just do it through music.”
Gonzo will forever be a great period of time for the people of Vancouver. Even worldwide, Boslen is making his mark and touching the hearts of so many around the globe. For him, the sky's the limit.
