ANGELPIIE is Patrick’s solo project, bringing his background in punk and alternative rock into dark pop, R&B and electronic music. He’s also prepared to put its growing audience permanently on his skin: once he reaches 100,000 followers, he’s promised to have angel wings tattooed across his back. The design is chosen, and a studio in British Columbia is already involved.
The former Cut Losses and Gone Sugar Die musician has plenty to say about Vancouver’s indie scene, the pressure to fit a genre, and his lifelong love of pop and R&B. His own description of the sound gets straight to it: a punk kid discovering Boyz II Men. On “Punk Rock Bleeding,” that appetite stretches to processed vocals, melodic rap and euphoric electronic production.
There’s tenderness beneath the swearing, too. Childhood memories of his dog helped shape the ANGELPIIE name, while losing his 18-year-old companion Ricky helped push him back towards music. We spoke with Patrick about the permanent consequences of an online promise, grief in public, and finally making the songs he wanted to make.
Hi Patrick, it’s great to speak with you. Suppose the 100,000th follower arrives far sooner than expected: are you emotionally ready to honour the promise, or did the distance make it feel safer?
I’m ready. I’ve spent most of my life chasing things that always seemed just out of reach, whether that was a record deal, a tour, or simply getting people to listen. This time, I wanted to make a promise that was entirely in my control. I’ve already partnered with a tattoo studio here in British Columbia, and the design is something I’ve put a lot of thought into. These aren’t just wings I’m getting because of a follower count. They represent people I’ve loved, people I’ve lost, and a community I’m trying to build. I’ve said from the beginning that I don’t care if it takes 10 days or 10 years. I’m seeing this through. If that 100,000th angel follower shows up tomorrow, then I guess I’m getting tattooed tomorrow.
A social platform can change its rules overnight, while angel wings across your back remain for life. Why give an algorithm that much authority over your body?
I don’t see it as giving an algorithm authority over my body. I see it as taking something temporary, like a follower count, and turning it into something permanent and meaningful. Social media is just the vehicle. The people behind those numbers are what actually matter to me. Every follower represents a real person who decided to take a chance on an artist they’ve never heard of. I’ve had enough things in my life disappear overnight. Bands, opportunities, friendships, people & things I love. There’s something beautiful about creating something that can’t just be deleted, cancelled, or taken away by a platform. The algorithm might help me reach 100,000 people, but it’s the people I’m putting on my back, not the algorithm.
If people remember the tattoo campaign and forget the songs attached to it, would you still call “100,000 Angels” a success?
I think so. The campaign is supposed to bring people together, but the music is the reason I’m doing any of this in the first place. I’ve spent years writing songs, producing records, and trying to find a sound that feels completely authentic to me. The tattoo might be what gets somebody’s attention, but I hope the music is what makes them stay. If I become the guy who got a tattoo for followers, then whatever. I’m trying to show the world my music meant enough to people that 100,000 of them wanted to be part of my story, and to show people that things online have real-world effects. If the campaign introduces even a fraction of those people to a song that helps them through something difficult, then it’s already accomplished something meaningful.
Which part of your responsibility for the 2020 party bus controversy are you prepared to own today?
I can take responsibility for my own decision to be there, but I stand by what I said 6 years ago- “I followed the rules”. I was younger experiencing a plague-like pandemic and watched thousands of people around me die daily, and my own grandfather nearly died because of neglect he received from the hospital he was in for hip surgery. It made me have a very major existential crisis and I was one of millions thinking “Am I going to die tomorrow? Why shouldn’t I party harder than I ever have before if this is the end?”. At the same time, I think it’s important to distinguish between taking responsibility for your own actions and accepting responsibility for an entire situation involving multiple people. That experience taught me a lot about how quickly a story can take on a life of its own, especially when it becomes national news. I’m not interested in pretending that chapter of my life didn’t happen. It’s part of my story, but it doesn’t have to define the rest of it. If people think that was crazy they’re in for a fucking rude awakening when my biopic comes out or TMZ gives a shit about me. My advice; go hangout in a dive bar for a few hours on a weekday and open your eyes.
You have already lived through several artistic identities. At what point does reinvention become another way of hiding from the person who came before?
That’s interesting, because I think for a long time I was hiding behind different versions of myself. When you’re in a band, there’s a certain amount you can hide under from being part of something bigger than yourself. You can hide behind the guitars, the image, the other members, or even the genre. Everyone shit on me for loving pop music and even R&B music growing up and here in Vancouver everyone rides Mac Demarco’s dick, so if you like over-priced coffee and coming from a family with money but cosplaying as a broke college student navigating the (sarcastically) tough world, you’ll fit right in. God, I fucking hate it and I seriously want to vomit thinking of some of the past songs and projects I was a part of, I seriousy had to go to therapy for a long time to even be able to pick up a guitar again. I was beaten into submission by every musician I’ve ever met about not conforming to some cheap-beer-indie-blog-flannel-wearing genre. ANGELPIIE is actually the opposite of that for me. For the first time, I’m making music where there’s nowhere to hide. I’m writing everything, producing everything, playing the instruments, and putting some of the most personal experiences of my life into these songs. The name itself comes from a childhood nickname connected to my dog. In a strange way, becoming ANGELPIIE isn’t about inventing somebody new, it’s just me. It’s about finding my way back to the person I was before the music industry started telling me who I should be. I never want someone to call me fucking “Indie Pop” or “Indie Rock” or be involved in that world, and fuck everyone in that toxic community.
The Cut Losses, Gone Sugar Die and ANGELPIIE each belong to different versions of your musical life. Which songwriting habit has survived every name change?
Melody & chords. No matter how heavy the guitars were, how electronic the production became, or what genre I was experimenting with, I’ve always been obsessed with writing melodies over chords that make people feel something. I grew up loving punk rock, but I’ve always had this enormous appreciation for pop and R&B. I seriously think my music is what happens when you introduce a punk kid to Boyz II Men. I love Akon and Frank Ocean and Usher a million times more than fucking whatever is playing on your local rock / alt radio station. Even when I was making alternative rock, I was approaching songwriting with that same obsession over vocal hooks and emotional delivery, just not raising my voice about changes other people were telling me to make. I think the biggest difference now is that I’m no longer trying to make those melodies fit into a particular genre. If a song needs distorted bass, electronic drums, a hip-hop verse, and a huge pop chorus, that’s exactly what it’s going to get.
Your new sound pulls from dark pop, alternative R&B, electronic music and hip-hop. Which song on the debut project would surprise the people who still associate you with alternative rock?
Probably one of my songs “Punk Rock Bleeding”. I think the title alone might make people expect some kind of aggressive punk-rock song, but sonically it’s a completely different experience. It has this dark trashy dance with heavily processed vocals, almost in the world of Travis Scott, before opening up into these huge euphoric electronic textures closer to dubstep than rock. There’s melodic rap, pop songwriting, and a cinematic quality to the production. What’s interesting is that the attitude is still completely punk rock. It’s just being expressed through a different musical language. I’ve never believed punk was exclusively about distorted guitars, and you’re an idiot if you do, go listen to The Clash and Blondie. To me, it’s about doing things your own way, even when people expect something else from you. That song probably represents the clearest picture of where ANGELPIIE is heading.
Your childhood dog inspired the name, the imagery and part of the campaign’s charitable purpose. How do you protect that grief once it becomes public branding?
I think the most important thing is remembering that the grief existed long before there was a campaign, a logo, or an audience. Animals have played an enormous role in my life. My childhood dog had a heart attack in my arms and inspired the name Angel-pie, and losing Ricky earlier this year was one of the most devastating experiences I’ve ever gone through. Ricky was my 18 year old dog who was with me for so many different chapters of my life. When he passed away, it genuinely changed something in me. I spent months working through that grief, and eventually it became part of what pushed me back toward making music. I don’t think sharing that story diminishes it. If anything, it gives me an opportunity to connect with other people who understand that kind of love and loss. But there are still memories that belong entirely to me. Not every photograph, every story, or every painful moment needs to become content. The charitable side of the campaign is my way of turning some of that pain into something positive for animals who still need help. I can’t bring Ricky back, but maybe I can help another animal get a second chance. I adopted a terminally ill 10 year old chihuahua earlier this year, and he’s thriving now. I care ten times more about animals than I do people.
What system will allow supporters to see exactly how the campaign benefits the BC SPCA?
Transparency is really important to me, especially when you’re asking people to support something that has a charitable component. My intention is to direct supporters toward the BC SPCA through its official donation channels, so people can contribute directly rather than having to trust me to handle their money. I want to make the financial side clear, including what proceeds qualify, how much is being donated, and confirmation when those donations have been made. The same day I get the tattoo, I’ll publically show the donation amount and transaction details, but for now I don’t want people getting hung-up on the amount and saying “Oh it’s only a thousand dollars” or if it ends up being ten thousand, I think the intent ends up being lost in a monetary figure. This isn’t about using a charity as a promotional tool. It’s about using whatever attention I manage to generate to do something worthwhile with it so it isn’t just about me. Animals need a lot of help and face an unimaginable amount of neglect.
Once the livestream ends, the album has played and the tattoo begins healing, what do you want ANGELPIIE to become next?
I want ANGELPIIE to show the artist I spent the last decade trying to find the courage to be. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some pretty incredible things in music. I’ve played shows across North America, worked with musicians I grew up admiring, won awards, and had opportunities that once seemed impossible. But I’ve also experienced the other side of the industry. The promises that never materialized, the projects that fell apart, the moments where I genuinely thought I was finished making music. There were multiple times when I walked away from music entirely. What makes ANGELPIIE different is that I’m not building it around somebody else’s expectations anymore. I want to release records that people connect with emotionally. I want to perform these songs in rooms full of people who know every word because of how deep that pain cuts. I want to collaborate with artists who inspire me, and I want to keep pushing the boundaries of what my music can sound like. And if I can build a community that supports each other along the way, that’s even better. The sole message I’d like people to take away from me is that you are not alone. The 100,000 Angels campaign isn’t the climax of the story; It’s the first chapter.
