INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY RILEY HUNT ☆
Sonia Balzak
PAULI THE PSM’S RESUME IS A SHOWCASE OF THEIR MUSICAL GENIUS—The mastermind behind the sound of your favorite artist, Pauli The PSM has worked with the likes of Harry Styles, Florence + The Machine, FKA twigs, SNL UK and many more. Fresh off a residency at Madison Square Garden with Harry Styles, their ambition never stalls. Pauli The PSM, widely known as Pauli Lovejoy, has truly done it all.
Lovejoy is a drummer, composer, producer, musical director and recording artist with a personal sound that blends pop, hip-hop, R&B and alternative rock. His latest release, “daddy (ft. Valé),” out everywhere now, offers a satirical take on money and relationship dynamics in the modern world. They wrestle with an internal ethical conflict about the exhilarating game they’re playing, but as Lovejoy says, “money talks.”
The sentiment tracks; Lovejoy knows how to spoil us. Collaborations aside, they’ve released numerous singles, two EPs and a horoscopic album that balances his admiration of Afrofuturism and exploration of sound. Their work is consistently introspective and finds pleasure and amusement in the grand scheme of artful innovation. Qualities that Lovejoy did not shy away from in “daddy.” Thankfully, there’s much more to come with his forthcoming album, POOKIE, arriving Feb. 19, 2027.
Luna had the opportunity to dig into new releases, collaboration and musical philosophy with the one and only Pauli The PSM. Read the full interview below.
LUNA: In your new track, “daddy (ft. Valé),” the layering of each element and detail creates an incredibly impressive and seemingly effortless flow. Could you walk us through the inspiration and process of creating the track?
LOVEJOY: I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Ricky Reed on Lizzo's live show, and I was completely obsessed with his production on Tinashe's “Nasty.” It's so simple, but so weird. Minimal, hypnotic, slightly unhinged. All my favourite things.
Then one night I found myself in a strip club and had a bit of a eureka moment. I was like, this is the bounce. I need to make something that moves like this! So I took that energy to my producer Kyle BIG JOY Berzle and basically said, “Let's make Ricky Reed in the strip club.” He was like, "Bet.” And the rest is history (laughs).
LUNA: Valé’s feature feels like the cherry on top. How did you ensure the feature felt essential rather than just added on?
LOVEJOY: I'm a massive fan of Valé, particularly her versatility. She's a musical chameleon. I didn't want a feature for the sake of having a feature. I wanted someone who could come in and completely flip the script. She brought this sexy, playful confidence that completely shifts the power dynamic. Suddenly Daddy isn't quite as in charge as he thought he was (laughs).
LUNA: How would you describe this era of your career?
LOVEJOY: My have-fun-and-release-music era! Less overthinking, more experimenting. I'm also learning that not everything needs to be so serious to be meaningful. Sometimes the most profound thing you can do is make somebody smile.
LUNA: Can you tell me about “Pookie?”
LOVEJOY: We are ALL Pookie, darling! Pookie is your inner baddie, your hopeless romantic, your slightly delusional main character energy. The shy one who suddenly becomes the life of the party. Pookie is all of our contradictions wrapped up in one beautifully chaotic little character. It's an alter ego and a whole universe.
LUNA: What does your personal style say about you, and what three songs would best represent it?
LOVEJOY: Some days I'm a minimalist, some days I'm a maximalist, and some days I'm somebody's eccentric auntie.
Three songs? Grace Jones, "Pull Up to the Bumper;" Damian Jr. Gong Marley, “Welcome to Jamrock;” and André 3000, "Prototype."
LUNA: You’ve said that working with Bobby Womack in the last few shows of his career was the first moment your mom started to understand your career. What was the first moment where you realized, “Oh, this dream of mine can really become something?”
LOVEJOY: Working with Bobby Womack was definitely a defining moment; it was right after I had quit music and moved to Paris. I remember feeling this enormous sense of responsibility, but also gratitude. Like, “Wow, music has actually brought me back to life.” And then, of course, my mum finally had a name she recognized (laughs)! I think that's when I started understanding that success isn't necessarily about how far you've travelled. It's about the people you get to learn from along the way.
LUNA: You have a holistic philosophy surrounding music, and your work never seems to stem from just one place. You’ve mentioned admiring a range of creatives, including the art of Basquiat and the writings of James Baldwin. How do you channel this span of creative inspiration into working with a variety of different artists such as Harry Styles, Gorillaz and Florence + The Machine?
LOVEJOY: I've never really understood why creativity needs to live in separate boxes. A painting can teach you about rhythm and fashion can teach you about tension and release. It's all storytelling, just through different mediums.
Working as a musical director, I'm not trying to impose one particular musical identity. I'm trying to understand the world they've created and figure out how to make it feel even more intentionally them.
LUNA: If there’s one thing you know how to do, it’s how to bring energy to the stage. I’ve been fortunate enough to see you live on multiple occasions and your presence shines like no other. Do you have any pre-show rituals to get yourself hyped up for a live performance?
LOVEJOY: First of all, you're making me Black boy blush! I actually have a few rituals, and they're probably a lot calmer than people might expect. First, I burn a little palo santo, cleanse my aura, get the energy right. Then there's my pre-show playlist. "UMI Says" by Mos Def, "Optimistic" by Sounds of Blackness, "Hills and Valleys" by Buju Banton. Music that reminds me there's something bigger than just me happening on that stage.
And then there's this one very specific video I watch before every show. Without fail…it calms any nerves, centres me, reminds me why I do what I do. But soz, I'm keeping that one to myself. A magician never reveals all his tricks.
LUNA: Music and comedy can both be considered a medicine for the soul. I’m sure getting to combine those two remedies through being the Music Director of SNL UK must be such an enriching opportunity. What is something you’ve learned during your time at SNL UK so far?
LOVEJOY: That comedy and music have far more in common than people realize. It's all about timing! You can have the greatest joke in the world, but if the delivery is off by half a second, you've lost the room. Music is exactly the same. The space between the notes is sometimes just as important as the notes themselves. SNL has also taught me to embrace the chaos. It's live telly. Anything can (and will) happen.
LUNA: Is there anything you can tell us about the upcoming record?
LOVEJOY: Well, it's called POOKIE, and I think that tells you quite a lot already! It's a technicolour journey through all the different versions of myself. There's humor in it, but there's heart too. Ultimately, I want people to listen to it and feel something.
LUNA: In this moment, what are you most looking forward to?
LOVEJOY: Sleeeeeep. It's currently 3 a.m. and I'm answering interview questions about my inner baddie. What a life, butter knife…anyway (10 points if you get that reference) (laughs).
But seriously, what an extraordinary blessing it is to be tired from doing the things you love. There's so much I'm excited about. Releasing this album, bringing the Pookieverse to life, making more music, meeting more beautiful weirdos along the way.
