The experimental psychedelic pop project, Count Vaseline—helmed by Irish vocalist and instrumentalist Stefan “The Count” Murphy and Judas von Basf, his trusty tape machine—first manifested in May of 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Several months later, in September, the project birthed its debut full-length album, Yo No Soy Marinero. Now located in Atlanta, Georgia, The Count released his sophomore follow-up, Cascade, on March 31—an album Murphy refers to as a “micro-universe of record.”
Are there any personal experiences with mental health issues you’d like to share?
I’ve battled with depression most of my life. Not for as long as I can remember, but certainly since my early teens. It has made my life a hellish nightmare at times. Right now, I’m on top of it, but it’s stifled my work, my relationship with bandmates, and my relationship with those closest to me.
How does your mental health status interact with or inform the way you make music?
The wild fluctuation of my mood and the emotional Ferris wheel that it takes me on can render me incapable of making music sometimes, and then at other times, it can shift me into top gear. I have never been diagnosed with bipolar disorder [or] manic depression, but I do experience pretty violent fluctuations in my mood. When I’m down, I can get nothing done, so I use the periods when I’m “up” to my advantage. Though I know the feeling is not healthy and not really to be trusted, when I’m experiencing mania, I’m really dialed in to what I need to be doing. My songwriting flourishes, my organizational skills are on point, and my general work rate exceeds expectations… READ MORE
Baby Robot Media is a music publicity and media service agency with employees in Los Angeles, Memphis, Atlanta & New York and represent musicians from all over the world. We specialize in promotional ( PR ) campaigns for albums, singles and videos, tour press, radio, music video production, music marketing, social media campaigns, Spotify campaigns and creating promotional content. Our mission is to help great unknown bands reach a wider audience and to help already successful artists manage their brand identity and continue to thrive. Our music publicists have over 50 years of combined experience in the music industry. We are known as one of the best in the business.