New Album, Fun Facts, and More with Pluko [Interview]

From producing music in his bedroom to going on tour with Odesza, Pluko is a must-see at your next music festival. The 18-year-old producer from Pennsylvania has been appearing at festivals such as Coachella, Electric Forest, Firefly, and more. Grasping the attention of many and creating the perfect vibe to start the day at Capitol Hill Block Party. We had the chance to sit down and chat with Pluko after his main stage set. Check out the full interview below.

You just had your Red Rocks show with Odesza, what was that experience like for you?

Pluko: It was unreal, up until that, it was just another show with Odesza. I knew Red Rocks is a huge deal, and it didn’t set in until I was there and saw it. It was so intimidating, and I was freaking out, but as soon as I played the first song, I was good to go. It was the coolest experience and the coolest venue.

Red Rocks is a huge accomplishment for many artists, what other festivals and shows are on your bucket list?

Pluko: I would love to play Governor’s Ball, it is probably my favorite festival, I’ve gone there a couple of times. It was the first festival I ever went to and it’s one of those festivals that have well known electronic artists on the lineup, so it’s a harder one to get but when I play that, that would be crazy. Also, I played Stage AE in Pittsburg with Odesza, it was the first place I ever saw a concert so I would love to headline that. It’s the closest one to my home since I’m from State College, Penn State area.

In August your album Sixteen is coming out. In your opinion, what sets your album apart from other dance music albums that are coming out?

Pluko: It’s really not a dance music album. It’s electronic obviously but it is more experimental. When I posted about the album cover I posted a quote about “this isn’t about the drops, it’s about bursts of emotion.” That’s a pretty good description of that. It’s a body of work, and it’s supposed to be listened together from start to finish.

Can you tell us more about the album and the process throughout?

Pluko: The theme behind the album is memories and experiences, which is what inspired me to write the music. So I’m going to leave it up to the people to interpret it how they want and relate to it how they want. Maybe down the road, I will explain what it actually means to me. For me, music can mean however it wants to the person listening. If I write a song about a girl and someone else can interpret it completely different, as long as they are connecting to it, I see nothing wrong with that.

You were on tour with Odesza, would you say they had an influence on your sound?

Pluko: I have always known them as legends. My album was around 75% done and they wanted to listen to it and sign it. We all got on the phone and just talked to them, which was crazy and now we all just have a normal friendship. It was just weird at first because they are such legends and they were casually talking about my music.

Other than EDM, what genre of music influence your sound the most?

Pluko: I probably listen to alternative music the most, bands like Phoenix and Vampire Weekend. The instrumentals of hip hop also influenced my music, heavy hitting 808 and drum patterns.

What are two fun facts that you want your fans to know about you?

Pluko: That’s a great question, I feel like I’m pretty much an open book to everyone. But fun facts…I’m a senior this year in high school. As for hobbies, I really like taking photos and videos. I’m actually directing the video relating to my album. That was the first thing that I was into were photo and video, and then I got into music. Now I am trying to merge them together.

We had a blast chatting with Pluko! Make sure to keep an eye on this up and coming young artist in the future. You can also catch him on his next stop of festival rounds at HARD Summer. For more information on his upcoming album, tours, and more, check out his new website, Facebook, and SoundCloud.

Did you catch Pluko’s set at CHBP? Let us know in the comments below!