Halloween may have just ended, but Jackson Culp’s newest release will leave you in the spooky spirit. His sophomore EP, “EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE VAMPIRE,” recently debuted after his year-long hiatus.
“EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE VAMPIRE” follows the story of a budding relationship that quickly becomes destructive and volatile. Soon, a mysterious figure becomes involved in the couple’s doomed romance. This unnamed figure seems warm and inviting, but something sinister lurks behind its welcoming facade.
Culp’s newest release is a sequel to his freshman EP, “THE LAGOON.” Both EPs focus on the unraveling of a relationship, whether it results from a tropical vacation or a ghostly creature. The storylines of the two releases are connected, having been based on Culp’s life and experiences.
“I’ve met people in my life who are not who I thought they were,” Culp said. “Those experiences really intrigued me and fit what I had been writing about before. It came from a natural place.”
Culp wanted to create a new sound for his follow-up EP. He spent the year and a half between releases learning the bass guitar and testing new recording techniques.
“The main thing I worked on was the bass and the vocals because I just wanted to make it fresh and new to me,” Culp said. “It felt like I wasn’t repeating the same thing.”
His growth and development as an artist become obvious after listening to “EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE VAMPIRE.” Culp’s distorted vocals pair well with the heavy bass and dark subject matter.
The new EP consists of three songs with “BABY FOR THE EVENING” acting as its lead single. “BABY FOR THE EVENING” differs from the rest of the EP because of its punchy, 80s synth and memorable chorus.
Culp’s music fuses blues with a contemporary take on rock. His sound could be described as smooth and almost ghostly.
He hopes to emulate the style of his influences.
“I was listening to a lot of the Beatles and Black Sabbath,” Culp said. “It was the only music that made sense to me.”
Fans of Jackson Culp’s newest EP can watch him perform at the Dizzy Donkey on Dec. 15.
For more information, head to www.jacksongriderculp.com.
