Godly the Ruler: The Ruler of The Midwest
Photography by Michael Salisbury
Godly the Ruler is a collector of sounds. Like trading Pokémon cards with friends, Godly’s sonic taste is the result of their musical exchanges with the various people they’ve encountered during their time between Chicago and Madison. Growing up in Rogers Park, Godly’s first introductions to music included local acts such as Kanye, SAVEMONEY, and Mick Jenkins. Though, in making their move to Wisconsin for college, Godly became exposed to a wide range of musical stylings that they found unfamiliar in Chicago’s music scene at that time. This culture shock opened up opportunities for Godly to experiment in Madison’s DIY scene, playing different basement and house shows on-campus.
Now a recent graduate, Godly is returning back to Chicago with a more expansive sound. A brew of pop, hip-hop, and punk aesthetics, their new EP dog days continues to reinforce the bold, free-spirited nature of Godly the Ruler.
Read our Q&A with Godly the Ruler below, and be sure to purchase tickets to see Godly at the Subterranean on July 8th here.
Congrats on the release of dog days! I see it’s been getting a lot of love from various Spotify editorial playlists–how has it felt receiving all this positive feedback from the EP?
It’s crazy ‘cause I’ve been putting out music since I was fifteen. I never was really like–alright I’m gonna breakthrough as an artist–up until like last year when it was picking up traction on its own ‘cause of the presence it was having online. This time around with dog days, the editorial placings and just the way it has been received, it’s on a completely different scale than my last projects. It’s great because I think it’s reflective of the effort that went into the project ‘cause it was something that I started a year and a half ago. It’s a little scary because now that it’s been really well, the things following, I feel like there’s an expectation to continue to do just that well–which is scary of course ‘cause I never want to put that pressure on my work. I’m trying not to get too caught up in that because it’s not fun to think about and not how I like to put out work. Once you give up your project to the world, it becomes a thing for other people and not just yourself anymore. That’s something that I don’t want to say I’m struggling with, but I am aware of.
Your sound has definitely evolved over these past few years. In taking a more pop-rock approach on dog days, how has the way you think about your production changed? Do you still find yourself referencing techniques and elements of hip-hop production?
Oh one hundred percent, yeah. I feel like my writing is always in the style of hip-hop or rap. I feel like that’s where it’s always based in. I think the newer sounds are just things that are being introduced to my sound palette. Similar to what I was saying when I first got to Madison, my sense of music was just influenced by the stuff around me. I think my writing is always based in hip-hop, but the music that I enjoy is constantly changing, so I always bring those influences into my sessions. This time around, I think it just started to lean into a different world or sonic palette. I was listening to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers, Jean Dawson, Paris Texas, underscores, FROMTHEHEART, and all these other acts that are so apart from each other and are in so many different music worlds that, when I sat down to really start recording this EP, it was just a pot of all these different genres. They all just boiled down into the five tracks that we put out and I think that’s really cool. I think that’s how I really like to make music. Taking whatever I'm listening to in the moment that really has my ear, and then trying to emulate that and recreate that in my own world–which is based in rap and hip-hop. I always get these final products that are like, Is this indie-rock or is this pop-rap? I think that’s really cool that it’s so formless and all over the place. I can continue to make whatever cause it's hard to pinpoint it. And I think that’s what I try to do–just be elusive as far as the genre is.
What is your songwriting process like?
I don’t have a go-to writing method, but I write a lot on-the-go and in quick spurts throughout the day. I’ll be making coffee or doing something random and I’ll think of a quick two liner and just put that down in my notes. And then throughout the day I’ll be like, Oh this will be another cool two lines. And before you know it, it’s a song or at least lyrics. Sometimes when it’s more thought out, I will take stuff out of my journal entries. But, yeah it’s really kind of in the moment.
A recent alumni of These Day’s ‘22 S/S ATW list, Groupthink, is credited across the EP, as well as in some of the visuals surrounding the project. What is your relationship like with Groupthink and what was it like working so closely with them on this project?
Daniel and I met my first year in college. I was like nineteen and a freshman. It was through my learning community in my residence hall ‘cause he graduated from UW the year I came in. I think [UW] did this thing where they reached out to him and were like, “Yo, can you come back and do a workshop?” Daniel came in and he did a workshop on songwriting and production. He was like, “I’m doing another workshop tomorrow if anyone wants to come by and try to make a song.” I was the only person who showed up. I was just there and we were kicking it. Then he went back to Chicago and did his thing. I was back in the city a little bit after that and just reached out like, “Yo, what’s up? Let’s get into a session.” We had another session in Chicago and would just keep in touch throughout the years. Then a year and a half ago, I started working on “text me when you get home” and brought that to him. That was one of the first full-length projects that we really sat down and worked on intensely as collaborators. We did that and then the music video together that summer. At that point we were really close friends and working on a lot of different songs together. I was finishing up the EP and a lot of the stuff I had put out before then I was really the only contributor, like I worked with a couple different producers but it was really just me. For the next few songs I wanted to put out, I kinda just wanted to work closer with a collaborator and the person who came to mind was Daniel.
What’s next for Godly the Ruler?
That’s classified information..just kidding. I have a couple shows next month. I’m headlining a show in Brooklyn. I’m playing Brooklyn Magazine Festival. I’m doing a double-headliner in L.A. with Groupthink. I’m gonna be playing at the Subterranean soon. I’m doing shows in Madison. I have a new single coming out June 8th. We’re putting out the music video next month as well. And I’m running for president. [Laughs] Just kidding.
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