Ernest Greene a.k.a Washed Out is poised at the precipice of being the next huge thing in electro-pop. On his bedroom-hatched debut EP Life of Leisure, recently released by Mexican Summer, 26-year-old Georgia native Greene delivers an acid-washed, sun-stroked pastiche of 80’s synth-pop, Caribbean percussion, post-punk guitar wails, and a whole slew of other genre tropes that blend together into a seamless, chilled-out haze. Greene graciously answered some questions via e-mail for Dossier about his sound, his evolution, his idols, and why his music isn’t “bedroom music” per se.

Tell me a little bit about your evolution as an artist. What were some of the early childhood influences that ignited your interest in art and music? What were the influences that kept you making music?

I was forced into piano lessons as a young child, and then I picked up the guitar when I discovered Nirvana. It was never anything serious — I was probably more fascinated with the idea of being a musician or an artist. I played sports growing up so I was probably more interested in that. It wasn’t until college that I started writing seriously. I’ve been lucky to meet some amazingly creative people that have influenced my approach to life. I think of music as simply one small portion of that approach.

Life of Leisure is so interesting because it sounds nostalgic (specifically for the 80s) but there are no immediate artists that I can pinpoint from the 80s or ever that have made music that sounds quite like yours. Your sound is like a false memory of a retro music wave that never really existed. Are you consciously channeling a specific sound or era in your music?

That “false memory” line is exactly right. I don’t own many records from the 80s and I feel like I have a very naive understanding of the music of that era. I feel like my generation has a very strange relationship to 80s pop music. I grew up in the 80s so I heard all of the “hits” growing up, but the first stuff that I took seriously was the grunge music of the 90s (that was obviously created as a reaction to what was happening the decade before.) As a result, 80s pop was viewed as camp at best.

That view has slowly been changing: 80s-influenced music is starting to sound “fresh,” but again, there is still a strange tension. I write with an idea in mind of what the 80s “sounded” like but – in most cases – the end result is something completely skewed.  

What inspires you? Make a list.

1. The Internet – living in a small town means experiencing a lot of culture through the www…
2. The Library – same as above.
3. The Radio – I like to scan and will listen to pretty much everything. The radio constantly gives me ideas for arranging pop songs.
4. Photography – see below
5. New Places – I recently moved to Macon, GA. I really enjoy the energy that accompanies a new place.

Who are your top five favorite artists? Of any medium.

At the moment:
1. William Eggleston – A little before my time, but he closely captures my “idea” of where I’m from. I’ve been looking at his photos on a daily basis.
2. Peter Sutherland – In my opinion a more modern version of Eggleston with a darker sense of humor. He also captures rural life pretty well.
3. Chaz Bundick – A close friend and probably the most creative guy I know. He is always blowing me away with his music, design, art.
4. David A. Stewart – I happened to stumble across some of his production credits and have been blown away listening since.
5. Chad VanGaalen – Makes me feel incredibly lazy. His animations and music are great and really complimentary.

What is your songwriting process like?

I try to keep it as mindless as possible – I sit down at the computer and start working. It is mostly an exercise in trial and error. Normally the most interesting things happen by chance. Some songs take one hour to finish, others take a week. The best songs seem to come very naturally.

Do you collect anything?

I’ve recently started collecting photography books, which is a shame because I’m really broke right now.

What were the major musical influences on Life of Leisure?

Gorilla vs. Bear-type lo-fi rock and 80’s pop in general…

There are so many genres smashed and pieced together again mosaically in your songs. Would you say that that’s a fair assessment? That you smash genres and piece them back together again?

I’ve jumped around a lot stylistically. I started out making sample-based hip-hop instrumentals and I’ve covered a lot of ground since then. Whenever I move to a new genre obsession I feel like I carry along the influence of the previous obsessions. But there is nothing deliberate about it – it’s all pretty unconscious.

How do you want your music to make people feel? What types of environments and spaces do you think it accommodates itself to?

The music was written to be “feel-good” music. Most of everything on Life of Leisure is in a major key. The lyrics are meant to be uplifting. I wrote them during a sort of depressing time of my life, so they were meant to help me feel better…

I think solo listening is best (I can’t imagine people partying to it). Perhaps riding in a car with the windows down on a nice day.

Your music has a lot of bedroom energy. Respond to that.

Everything was written in the bedroom where I grew up in my parent’s house so that comes with no surprise. Normally, “bedroom” music means headphone music but I think the music responds best to being played in an open room.

How do you think Washed Out fits in historically? Do you know any guys or girls who are doing things similar to what you are doing in terms of sound? Do you stand alone? What would you describe your sound as?

I’ve read a number of comparisons with guys like Neon Indian and Memory Tapes. I feel closest to Toro Y Moi just because I know him personally and understand that we approach songwriting the same way with similar influences.

What’s in the future for Washed Out?

Hopefully more hit songs… I haven’t sat down to write in over a month so I’m really looking forward to peace and quiet. Normally my best work comes after a long break.