South of France’s mastermind on his sprawling 32-track odyssey, Danger Mouse’s approval, and finding freedom in collaboration
Jeff Cormack, the multi-faceted creative director and frontman behind South of France, has always been on the move.
With Spirit Animal V. Baggage Vol. 1, the Denver-based artist delivers a sprawling 32-track opus that defies easy categorisation, weaving together indie pop, psychedelic rock, neo-soul, and international sounds into something undeniably his own.
The collection represents Cormack’s first true attempt at what he calls a “great producer album,” drawing inspiration from genre-blurring icons like Gorillaz and Mark Ronson.
It’s a risk that’s already paying off; Danger Mouse himself gave a nod to the project, featuring a track on his personal Jukebox.
With millions of streams, placements in BoJack Horseman and Shameless, and a reputation as one of Denver’s top musical exports, South of France continues to evolve.
We caught up with Cormack to discuss the battle between creative freedom and expectation, the joy of collaboration, and what it means to finally make music that sounds like the records he actually listens to.
HAPPY: What’d you get up to today?
JEFF CORMACK: Worked on some music for another solo record, did some skateboarding, kicked it with the family …pretty solid day.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
CORMACK: I’m from Colorado which in my opinion is one of the coolest states in the US. We’ve got the mountains and people are pretty cool here. I love it because it’s a place that makes you want to spend more time outdoors than indoors.
HAPPY: The title Spirit Animal V Baggage, Vol. 1 is incredibly evocative. What does this battle between the “spirit animal” and the “baggage” represent in your life and on this record?
CORMACK: I’m always looking for a little humor in every situation, and think the title is my light-hearted way of describing what’s going on with me and my music right now.
When I first launched South of France it fit well into the category of “indie rock” and immediately started getting some great opportunities within the indie rock segment of the industry, but ironically enough that’s not really what I listen to and love.
Indie rock is just a small part of my musical taste, personality and ability as a listener, writer and producer.
So for me I was at a crossroads where I had to take a risk and try to make something that aligns more with what I listen to and inspires me.
HAPPY: You’ve mentioned this is your first attempt at making a “great producer album,” citing influences like Gorillaz and Mark Ronson. How did that producer-first mentality change your approach to writing and recording this 32-song collection?
CORMACK: First of all, this whole album wouldn’t be half as cool as it is without all of my good friends and amazing collaborators: Big Samir, CRL CRRLL, Greg Laut (Little Trips), Cat (Grace Devine), and Zachary Lindsey on the visuals.
I think approaching it from a producer’s perspective is great. It gets me out of my own way and allows me to be an artist without making everything about myself.
I have my awesome group of collaborators so whenever I hit a road block on a song, I’d pass it along to one of them and we just kept adding little pieces here and there without ever stressing ourselves out or creating the pressure of some intended outcome.
Sometimes we’d get together to write and just talk about the sad state of the world, like therapy. It was a great way to make an album. Ultimately that’s why there are so many songs. It was a fun process.
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HAPPY: This record spans indie pop, neo-soul, psychedelic rock, and international pop. Was it a conscious effort to showcase your versatility, or did the songs simply dictate their own genre as they were written?
CORMACK: Thank you. Funny enough, I think it’s my best music because I tried to be the least conscious I could about any of it.
I’ve been putting in serious time practicing my instruments and developing my voice since I made my last album, so I really tried to think as little as possible and just let my improved abilities flow.
When I hit a dead-end with something I wouldn’t even push it. I’d just close the session and start working on another song. I think I ended up unlocking a lot of my versatility as I went along with this album.
HAPPY: You recently earned a nod from Danger Mouse, who even featured a track on his personal Jukebox playlist. What did that recognition mean to you, especially given his influence on the “producer album” style you were aiming for?
CORMACK: It’s too cool, and being a small indie artist it really does mean the world to me. In today’s world as an indie artist you really feel like no one is listening and that you have to be able to move mountains in order to get your music heard. I was so stoked!
He’s the type of artist I aspire to be like. He’s contributed so much to multiple genres, and nothing he’s been a part of can be put into a singular stylistic box. He blurs all the lines in the best ways.
HAPPY: This is specifically “Vol. 1.” Does that imply we are getting a “Vol. 2” soon, or is this a thematic label that stands alone for this specific body of work?
CORMACK: Vol. 2 is almost done and I’m really hoping to have it ready for a late fall release. It’ll have slightly more dance vibes and 25 or so songs with additional collaborators.
HAPPY: As a creative director and designer, you handle the visuals as well as the music. How does the visual identity for Spirit Animal V Baggage, Vol. 1 reflect the sonic journey of the album?
CORMACK: I’m always cruising around taking pictures, filming things and messing with visual design for my music projects and record label.
I put a couple of shoots together with my friend, collaborator and photographer Zachary Lindsay, and the premise was to capture the theme with me as this over-dressed guy alone in a field with all of his baggage. Like I’m alone and late to my own life because of the baggage.
HAPPY: With a title like Spirit Animal V Baggage, the lyrics must be deeply personal. Is there a specific track on the album that was the most difficult, or cathartic, for you to write?
CORMACK: It’s cool. All of us that wrote, sang and played on the album are going through big things in life in different ways. We’re dealing with the challenges of going through life as artists and we’re all feeling the pressure.
We’ve given our hearts and lives to music and I think it shows here in these songs, and lyrically that’s the most common theme. Contemplating the struggle. Accepting that everything comes at a cost.
Personally I think ‘Anywhere With YoU’ and ‘Universal Order’ were cathartic for me because I finally found a unique sound with those that I had been chasing for a while.
I love ‘Tokyo Dreams’ because it’s different from anything I’ve ever imagined making and probably different from anything Samir has ever imagined making, but we just let the music sorta be the guide.
I definitely found a confidence here that I think will really strengthen all of my lyrics and production further in the future.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy? :-)
CORMACK: Good people winning and getting ahead in life. Family, friends, being outside, making music, croissants, coffee, hard work, having a purpose, getting better at life as I go.
Huge thanks to everyone who has listened, shared, used the music in their film, come to a show, liked a post, and decided to follow along. Myself and everyone involved really appreciates you so much.
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