With a fresh young perspective like glaive and a slick mood like The Neighbourhood, it’s a wonder that go4broke hasn’t become an internet phenom. But if his new single “actress” – which is completely self-written, self-produced, and self-mixed – is any indication, it’s only a matter of time before he takes the world by storm.
“‘actress’ is a story about a person in a toxic relationship that they can’t escape,” Parker Keskinen, who performs as go4broke, tells TREMG. “This lack of a way out forces them to adapt and become an “actress” to their partner. They basically never let the other person know how they truly feel out of fear of what would happen if they were honest.”
Despite the song’s focus on a lack of honesty, where go4broke songs shine is in Keskinen’s raw lyrics and clever nods to pop culture. For example, “actress” appropriately name-drops the iconic Marilyn Monroe.
Now is the perfect time to catch up on go4broke’s music and find your new favorite independent artist! His debut single, “momentof4ever,” documents his pursuit for genuine connection, while “california” explores the cross-country move that took him from his hometown of San Diego, CA to Philadelphia, PA for college.
“I am writing from a whole new perspective on life,” he explains. “For the first time, I am alone in a new place and of all places, it’s a big city. There is so much going on right now that it’s hard not to find things to write about. Even if it is just a fictional story, there is just so much to be inspired by everywhere you look.”
If he keeps going, we know go4broke will be inspiring the next generation of musicians. Get to know him on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, and keep reading for more from our interview!
Congrats on your new single “actress!” What does the song mean to you and how does it feel to finally share it with the world?
Thank you! “actress” is a story about a person in a toxic relationship that they can’t escape. This lack of a way out forces them to adapt and become an “actress” to their partner. They basically never let the other person know how they truly feel out of fear of what would happen if they were honest.
Is there a certain lyric on “actress” you’re particularly proud of?
Yes, there is, but not in any kind of meaningful way which might not be what you were looking for. But the lyric I love from it is: “told herself that she was always filling up a role, like Marilyn Monroe.” I am very proud of this lyric because I have always wanted to throw a legendary celebrity’s name in a song and this one was just so catchy, and it made sense with the theme so I was really excited about it. I freestyled most of the song and that was one of the lyrics I freestyled. I was so excited when I listened to it back.
I love that each of your three singles so far has a fairly different sound while still maintaining the same vibe! Who are some of your influences on your sound?
A lot of my songwriting and vocal influences come from bands I listen to like The 1975 and The Neighbourhood. I love the lyrics and melodies that both bands use, and I really wanted to incorporate that into the styles of production I am interested in. Within the last year or two, I have really got into the hyperpop scene that is coming out of SoundCloud and, like, Discord servers. Some of the bigger names from that would be Glaive, Ericdoa, and Midwxst. I think there is so much creativity in the production they do, and I really wanted to incorporate that into my own music. I produce and mix everything myself so those areas of making the songs play just as big a role for me as writing the lyrics and melodies. So basically, my music is very melodically inspired by pop-rock bands, and my production is very inspired by hyperpop and electronic music, but my music doesn’t necessarily fall into either of those genres.
How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since debuting with “california” earlier this year?
I think “california” got me headed in a much more interesting direction, production-wise, then anything I had ever done before. So after making that, I finally felt comfortable going further and further outside of my comfort zone. “actress” was a big step for me especially songwriting-wise because I never thought of myself to be the best writer but as I continue to gain confidence in what I am doing I think the songs are not only getting better, but I am finding ways to put more meaning behind what I am saying and creating songs that are very meaningful to me.
If you could make a music video for any of the three singles you’ve released so far, which song would you pick and what would the video look like?
I would do “actress” because even when I made it, I felt like I could envision what the video would be. I thought it would be so fun to just get in a car at night with a couple of my friends and just dance to the song. I wanted it to be a slow shutter speed too so it would look very trippy.
You started college recently and made “california” inspired by your experience leaving home. Is there anything you’ve learned while you’ve been away from home that you’ve carried over into your music?
I don’t know if it’s something I learned that I am carrying over into my music, but the move did have a big impact on my music. I am writing from a whole new perspective on life. For the first time, I am alone in a new place and of all places, it’s a big city. There is so much going on right now that it’s hard not to find things to write about. Even if it is just a fictional story, there is just so much to be inspired by everywhere you look, so it’s been very interesting for my songwriting being in this new place alone.
What can your fans look forward to in 2022?
In 2022 I am releasing a lot of music that I am really excited about. I haven’t even released my favorite song yet so I really hope y’all are excited for what I have coming in the next few months!
