Dallas Native and LA-Based Artist, Yung Furr, Is on the Rise
Listen to Yung Furr's music now
From humble origins, collaborating with friends and finding community in unexpected places, Yung Furr describes his transition from the world of acting into the music industry as organic and natural. Blending the sincerity of childhood poetry with blatant realities of the modern world, Kristofer delivers a striking and profoundly honest view of the people and culture of Los Angeles through his unique lens, all while maintaining a hard-working but fun-loving spirit for the work he’s doing.
In a career field rampant with people eager for success who are willing to take advantage of artists, Yung Furr describes working at In the Mix Studios in North Hollywood like "being at home", a place where professionals recognize your potential and actively invest into your artistry and the success of your career, rather than attempting to extract money from you.
Ahead of the release of his single, “Triple D”, we sat down to talk about the ups and downs of the music industry, the stock market, and more in the interview below.
Tell us about yourself:
I'm Yung Furr, I'm from Dallas, Texas. Born and raised for 21 years, and then came out here for college to pursue acting.
You said you're working on an EP as your next upcoming release?
Yeah, I want it to at least be you know, six songs, maybe seven, just depending. I'm trying to get that out, at least by July. If I can get it out by mid summer, that'd be nice.
What would you say the inspiration for the EP is/the thought process behind it?
My inspiration for it is just really just gathering everything I've dealt with in the seven years I've been in LA, and putting that all into one EP. Most of what I've been through so far, and then anything after that will be something new.
I'm in the studio just having a good time, man. I'm talking about typical things like how people are in LA, you know? How people move out here, they move a little shaky and fake and stuff like that. I talk a lot about real world problems, politics, things of that nature. Also me just talking shit, bro, but what I'm saying in my songs, I'm speaking straight facts. There is no cap in my songs at all. Straight up, an honest reflection of what it's been like living in LA.
How would you describe your sense of community in the arts, the music industry, or LA in general?
Yeah, seven years ago, I came here in 2014. I would honestly say I've been more in the music industry than the acting industry. I was auditioning, I had two agents or whatever and that didn't work out, and so the whole time I've been in school or anything, I've been sucked into the art of music; it just feels like it came naturally to me. It wasn't like I was searching for it.
I had a homie, Kedani, said “Yo come to the studio”. I pulled up one day, sketchball situation. It was in the middle of nowhere, barbed wire fence. I was like “Bro, what’s going on?”. I walk inside, it’s paradise in there, man. Ever since then, I've been in the studio listening to people make music, and that's what inspired me to want to do it too.
How did your artistry as an actor translate to your music?
I've always been doing music since I was 15, recording in my homies closet just messing around or freestyling with friends, but I always wanted to be an actor, be on TV and stuff like that. Music kind of correlates with it, it's all hand in hand. I started off writing poems at home when I was young, like 13, writing poems to girls and stuff like that, and then it turned into music.
Your poems come from an honest place, and that translates to the sincerity of your music?
Exactly. It came about super organic man. I started off recording in my homie’s crib when I came to LA, I made one song. Start making another one, then made another one. I started on Soundcloud, I still have music on there, and it wasn't the best music. I'm just making it happen; just doing it for fun, that's all.
More recently, would you say that you've grown into a larger community of musicians, people taking their careers more seriously?
Oh, for sure, 100%. Like Jandro, shout out to you, bro. He showed me a lot about music that I didn't know, because he's been in it doing this for a long time, and I've just been watching him grow and grow and grow. And I'm like, “Yo, I'm trying to grow myself”, so I watch him and learn from him, take what he shows me and I just put it into my own.
I talk to him about regular stuff, relationship stuff or whatever, and he talks to me about music. How I should hit a certain bar, or how I should rock with the beat. He just be showing me stuff that I didn't know. He's been doing that for a long time, for years.
Being in a studio with him, I was like, “Okay, I see the I see the work ethic. I see the drive and motivation that you need to propel yourself and your music.”
Nowadays, everybody is trying to do music, because it’s so easy and accessible. I’m learning that it's the quality, and also what you're talking about, that influences people to want to maybe listen to your stuff.
What has your experience been working at In the Mix Recording Studios?
My experience here was super chill and relaxed. Danny works here, he's freaking awesome, man. That dude right there, he knows what he's doing. Working here man was really easy, I didn't feel like I was under any pressure or anything, like we were on my pace, my time. Sometimes when I go into studios, I feel like I'm rushed, or like I have to hurry up and do what I need to do because I'm on a time clock. They all about the money at some places, but here it's just feels at home, like somewhere that’s home base.
"Working here man was really easy, I didn't feel like I was under any pressure or anything, like we were on my pace, my time. ... [H]ere it's just feels at home, like somewhere that’s home base."
What kind of challenges have you faced getting to where you are now, and what have you had to sacrifice for your music?
One of the biggest challenges right now is trying to put myself out there more, so I feel like creating my own content will help with that. Of course, going out and spending money buying hella clothes, trying to have fresh drip, I had to cut back on that completely. I used to buy way more clothes, way more shoes; I cut back on doing all of that to invest in my music, to put it in the studio time and everything like that. Reinvest in my career, and some stocks.
Did you buy GameStop?
Nah I didn't get into GME, man, but my homeboy got into GME and he came up nice! Easy bread. If you would have put in two grand man mid-January like two G's, by February, you would have came up like 20 bands. Everybody should pay attention to the stock game for sure.
Who’s helped you the most throughout your career?
My mother has helped me a lot. My mother and my father actually have supported me through this whole process. You know, like, they've really been the backbone for me to be here. They understand what I need to accomplish, and keep me on a guided path, so I'm not getting deterred or derailed by anybody. So over the years, they've really been helping me keep up out here with these people.
What's been the most difficult moment in your career, and what did you learn from it?
Right now, just trusting people. I was going to a studio in Hollywood one time, and this person was telling me what kind of music I should be making. I threw him some money to do a song, and he started getting into all these legal things, saying he had the rights to my music and I wasn’t going to get it. I was like “Okay, I see how this is going. A lot of people in the music industry or just trying to get your money.”
So early on you had a sense that people were trying to take advantage of you?
Yeah, for sure, and it pisses me off because I'm here to make art. And so are you. So why are we all here trying to take advantage of each other?
Can you tell us anything about “Triple D”, your next single?
I’m excited! That song is gonna slap bro, I'm just being super honest with it. I'm talking about more or less just LA and literal experiences I've had, just talking shit. Going off.
What are your long term goals in music?
My goal is to just keep grinding, keep dropping music. I'm not really here to gain money from it, necessarily. This is a way for me to express myself. So, my long term goal really is just to build myself up, build a tower for myself so I can sit up the top.
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Matt Villanueva is an artist, writer, producer, and engineer living in Los Angeles. Between mixing at Parachute Recordings and working on his own brand of melancholy rock, he enjoys spending time with his bombshell girlfriend and heart-melting Chihuahua, Paco.