We recently had the opportunity to interview Jagwar Twin, whose real name is Roy English. Jagwar Twin is an alternative musician who fuses together 60’s rock guitars, sample MPC break beat drums, and a powerful voice to create his unique sound. His new album, Subject to Flooding, is out now, and we recently had the chance to chat with him about his road to fame, his new single “Loser,” and what we can expect from his upcoming album!

You’re set to debut your lead single, “Loser,” from your upcoming album Subject to Flooding with Zane Lowe from Beats 1. Can you tell us a little bit about the track and what it means to you?

It’s about how we all walk around with masks on, disguised as what we think the world wants to see.  But when we remove those masks we find out we are all just humans underneath, we are all losers.

Your stage name is Jagwar Twin. Can you share with us how the name came about?

There was a huge transformation that occurred in my life going into this album. I’m really fascinated by ancient cultures and mythologies and the jaguar is this revered creature in Mayan mythology that can look into the souls of others and into its own soul and go into the dark unknown places without fear and that’s something that really resonated with me moving into this new chapter of my creative existence.

You’ve worked with producers S1 and Linus who have given you a specific lifestyle and diet during studio sessions. Can you describe the protocol that they have given to you and how it has helped shape your music and work ethic?

Linus had a whole regiment for me while I was recording. We’d do Himalayan shilajit black tar in the mornings, sauna/ice baths, yoga into my vocal warm ups, and eat very clean organic foods with intermittent fasting. Everything in your mind and body is connected. S1 was a bad influence though cause he would cheat and eat the cookies when we were at Paramount and then I’d have to sneak one in every once in a while haha.

How did your journey to becoming a musician begin? Did you enjoy singing or playing any particular musical instruments at a young age?

I started playing guitar first when I was in 7th grade. I always loved music, but I was really bad at it. So bad that when I got to high school the older kids made a blog site devoted to how bad I was … and I was really bad. But I practiced 8 hours a day, every single day for years and got better little by little. I didn’t party or go out with friends, I just practiced and wrote music.

If you had to describe your music to a potential listener, how would you describe it?

I can’t describe it, but I know the ingredients and I know how it feels. 60’s rock guitars, sampled children’s choirs, sampled MPC break beat drums. It feels like the next wave of alternative music.

When you’re not in the studio, what do you like to do to unwind?

I watch a lot of documentaries and I love to read and learn about the way things work.

What do you hope fans and listeners take away from your music?

I hope they feel like everything is possible.

You had the opportunity to work with Travis Barker from Blink 182 and Bhasker. Can you share with us what that was like and how they helped contribute to your upcoming album?

Travis is amazing. S1, Linus, and I all went over to his studio. Vic Mensa came by too and we just talked and listened to music then Travis just jumped in on the drum kit and laid down the “Long Time Coming” drums. He doesn’t mess up … ever!

Jeff Bhasker is really a huge reason why I am even making music today. I was going to move to Boise, Idaho to work at a Pizza Hut in 2011 and the day before I was going to go out there I got a message from a friend saying Jeff heard my music and wanted to meet with me. It was a very fork-in-the-road moment for me. I ended up staying after Jeff told me not to throw away my talent. We worked together over the years and he was like my mentor. Even just the talks we would have and someone like that believing in me changed my perspective on so many things. We wrote Superhuman together the very first time we stepped into the studio. I was so nervous and that chorus vocal just came out. It’s still the one on the record. The song went through a lot of transformation through the years, but it’s so special to me because I always remember the feeling I had back then and try and stay ever-conscious that everything could have been so different.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tours that fans can keep an eye out for?

I will very soon!

Is there anything else you’d like to add that we might not have touched on?

Thank you. Big blessings.

Stream Subject to Flooding HERE:

Featured Image: Fabien Montique