Midway through February, Kansas singer, songwriter and producer Tommy Newport dropped his psychedelic new EP, Ultra Mango. Throughout his latest offering, Newport guides his listeners into a  hazy funk on songs like “Sweetener,” but also allows himself to become contagiously excitable in more upbeat moments, including the dance track “Ultra Mango” and the catchy synth-pop anthem “Marigold.” The result is an auditory journey that transitions from  sweet and syrupy to rotten within instants; Ultra Mango encapsulates the brightest moments from a young adult life, as well as the darkest ones.

We had a chance to chat with Tommy Newport about the ideas, emotions, and nostalgic experiences which ultimately led to the creation of Ultra Mango. Throughout both its restless moments and its languid ones, Tommy Newport reminds us with Ultra Mango of all the growing up we’ve done, and all the growing up that’s still left to do.

Spencer Nafekh for Also Cool: Ultra Mango is a very different kind of EP because it never sticks to one vibe, and like all your projects, you like to keep your listeners guessing. What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Also, would you describe your listening habits as consistently eclectic, or do you go through phases with what you like to hear?

Tommy Newport: Growing up, I listened to indie rock from the 2000’s and the 2010’s, with a healthy dose of 70’s and 80’s legends: The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, The Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys, Alex Turner, and Morrissey, to name a few. Those are just the core, though… There's so much more than the mainstream sort of iconic names that I consistently listened to. I loved early 2000’s & 90’s rap, R&B, and pop music, too. I have go-to artists that will never change, but I’m always finding new things. 

AC: Your eclectic taste is definitely reflected in your own music, and it seems to me that from beginning to end, Ultra Mango is an exploration of that shaky transition we all have to go through from our teenage lives to our adult ones. Are there any life-shaping experiences from your childhood that really set the tone and inspired the making of this EP? Is Ultra Mango based off of one single experience from youth, or multiple?

TN: I was lucky to have amazing parents that let me live my childhood and teenage life with no hassle and not many rules. This had its ups and downs: I started my career at sixteen, and I was a naive kid. I still am to a degree, but being naive is bliss until you become self-aware. Lots of lessons, and lots to write about. Even if the lyrics to some of my songs are telling the story of a relationship, the underlying story usually uses love songs as a parallel to a real story. Ultra Mango is the story of yin and yang in youth. There’s so much around to influence you at that age—you are just on autopilot. It takes getting older to really assess your youth. 

AC: I’m not sure why, but when I listen to Ultra Mango I feel as though I am transported into the world of an early 2000’s cartoon TV show. What’s your favourite animated series? If your new EP was a cartoon, which one would it be?

TN: I mean, Ultra Mango is definitely Invader Zim. The parallels are perfect. My favourite series was probably Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends or Dexter though.

AC: The artwork for Ultra Mango is equal parts surreal and touching, in its own bizarre way. Same with the title: I never thought I’d see the word “ultra” placed beside the word “mango,” and yet the combination feels strangely fitting for your work. Could you elaborate a little more on the meaning behind Ultra Mango’s title, as well as the weird and wonderful artwork that accompanies it?

TN: The EP artwork was inspired by thought processes resembling fruit, in that they can be very colorful, or they can be rotten. Those kinds of contrasting ideas and the rate of time in which thoughts can quickly go from vibrant and colorful to spoiled was a great metaphor for the human mind, youth and growing up.

AC: How do you harness your musical creativity on days where you’re feeling productive? Whether you’re singing, songwriting, or producing your music, are there any specific rituals that you like to partake in before you hit the studio?

TN: I don't have any rituals. I was a very superstitious kid with terrible OCD, so I am surprised now that you ask whether I have any rituals. Then again, making music was the only relief from that, it's like when you fall asleep on a road trip and wake up and you're there. Time spent making music flies by.

AC: Based on the online videos of your passionate live sessions—including your appearance in the internationally renowned YouTube series COLORS—it seems as though performing might be just as important to you as your music; would you say this is true?

TN: Performing is a huge part of it. I think that if you're not an artist and just the average listener, all you see of your favorite artists is them performing. So my idea of being a popular musician as a kid was being on stage or at a festival and performing like it’s Broadway. I'm thinking of Live Aid 1985, those types of things my parents used to show me.

Since we’re on the subject of performance, I just wanted to mention how much I enjoyed seeing you play a bone-chilling Dr. Frankenstein (and his monster) in the recently-released music video for “Shooting Star.” Can you see yourself acting in quirky roles like this for future music videos? I really hope so! 

TN: Yeah definitely, I love videos like that; just so ridiculous. I want to get deeply in touch with my love for films and make some really cool videos in the future. 

AC: It seems as though we’ll have lots to look forward to from you in that case, music and otherwise. Ultra Mango might be the first bit of work you’ve released in the new year, but will it be the last? What else do you have in the works for 2021, music and otherwise?

TN: 2021 will be great…  Grammy nom coming next season.

Tommy Newport

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Spencer Nafekh is a tireless reader, writer, editor, and advocate for the written word. With an undergraduate degree in Concordia's English and Creative Writing program imminent, he plans to pursue a Master's specialization in journalism so that he can fully realize his career path. When Spencer is not working away, he is probably listening to experimental music while lost in the world of a science fiction novel.

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